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Big Books of the Week

Troubles in Paradise by Elin Hilderbrand (Little, Brown: Hachette) leads holds this week

Other titles in demand include:

The Searcher by Tana French (Viking: Penguin; LJ starred review)

Leave the World Behind by Rumaan Alam (Ecco: Harper)

The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue by V.E. Schwab (Tor: Macmillan; LJ starred review)

Confessions on the 7:45 by Lisa Unger (Park Row: Harper)

Modern Comfort Food: A Barefoot Contessa Cookbook by Ina Garten (Clarkson Potter: Penguin)

Magic Lessons: The Prequel to Practical Magic by Alice Hoffman (S. & S.)

These books and others publishing the week of Oct. 5, 2020, are listed in a downloadable spreadsheet.

Librarians and Booksellers Suggest

There are six LibraryReads choices coming out this week:

The Searcher by Tana French (Viking: Penguin; LJ starred review)

“Cal is an ex-Chicago cop now living in a small Irish town. His hopes for a quiet retirement are dashed when he’s drawn into local intrigue. With intricate plotting and an atmosphere thick as fog, this standalone combines the attitude of the Dublin Murder Squad with the politics of small town life.” —Caitlin Loving, Bedford Public Library, Bedford, NH

Spoiler Alert by Olivia Dade (Avon: Harper; LJ starred review)

"Marcus, the star of a fantasy TV series, secretly writes fanfiction and becomes online friends with April, who he asks out on a date after a post of her cosplay costume goes viral. This delicious romance deals with topics like fatphobia, dyslexia and toxic families in a way that feels real and grounded, but which does not damper the triumphant happiness of the ending. For fans of Dangerous Curves Ahead." —Christi Hawn, Naperville Public Library, Naperville, IL

Confessions on the 7:45 by Lisa Unger (Park Row: Harper)

“Serena finds out that her husband is sleeping with the nanny, and then confides in a mysterious woman she meets on the train. The woman continues to contact Serena as her world implodes. Who is this strange woman, and is she responsible for the mess Serena finds herself in? Full of twists, turns, and many POVs, this page turner is perfect for those who like Gillian Flynn and Paula Hawkins.” —Shari Suarez, Genesee District Library, Goodrich, MI

It is also an Indie Next pick:

“Lisa Unger is amazing! If you have not found her books yet, now is the time. Each one gets better and better. She is particularly good at female dynamics and relationships, as well as writing a twisted thriller that pretty much could be happening to someone you know. Confessions on the 7:45 may be my favorite one yet!” —Laura Taylor, The Oxford Exchange, Tampa, FL

The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue by V. E. Schwab (Tor: Macmillan; LJ starred review)

"Addie is an adventurer and not ready to settle for village life, so she makes a deal with the devil. Instead of relinquishing her soul, however, she becomes immortal, and also completely forgotten by anyone who meets her. Then, after a lonely 300 years, she meets Henry. For fans of the Shades of Magic series, The Time Traveler’s Wife, and Life after Life." —Patti Lang, Pima County Public Library, Tucson, AZ

It is also an Indie Next pick:

“Epic, beautifully written, heartwarming, and heartbreaking, The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue is a contemplation on life, death, what it means to make your mark on the world, and why we feel it’s important to do so. Addie makes a deal with a demon so she can live her life the way she wants to. But, like most deals, there are strings attached — and these strings make it so she is forgotten by everyone she meets. Dancing about time, the book shows Addie’s life over 300 years and takes a closer look at her modern life — after a boy in a bookshop remembers her. Months later, I’m still thinking about this book and how beautiful it is; my words don’t even come close to doing it justice. Read this book.” — Lindsey Pattavina, R.J. Julia Booksellers, Madison, CT

Magic Lessons: The Prequel to Practical Magic by Alice Hoffman (S. & S.)

“In the 1600s, witch/healer Hannah Owens finds a baby girl abandoned in a basket guarded by a crow. The resulting tale provides the backstory to the ‘Owens curse’ central to Hoffman’s 1995 novel. Those who’ve read Practical Magic will want a re-read after devouring this prequel.” —Donna Ballard, East Meadow Public Library, East Meadow, NY

It is also an Indie Next pick:

“I so wanted to read this slowly and savor every page since this may be the last time we get to venture into this world of magic and the Owens family. But as if entranced by Alice Hoffman’s magic, the pages were turning faster and faster and I devoured this book in two sittings. No one tells a story like Alice Hoffman, and I only hope she finds a way to bring this magical family back to us again in the future. I simply loved this book. It’s everything you want from Alice Hoffman — a great story of love and magic!” —Julie Slavinsky, Warwick’s, La Jolla, CA

Leave the World Behind by Rumaan Alam (Ecco: Harper)

“What appears on the surface to be a simple story of a family on vacation morphs into a narrative about humanity, shared fear, misconceptions of people, and more. Amanda, Clay, and their two children rent an AirBnB. Then homeowners Ruth and G.H. appear on the doorstep in a panic, and suddenly nothing is normal. For readers who enjoyed Station Eleven and The Children’s Bible.” —Marika Zemke, Commerce Township Library, Commerce Township, MI

It is also an Indie Next pick:

“Eerie and timely, Leave the World Behind will be the next book to talk about. Rumaan Alam is now solidified as a must-read author for me. He lures the reader in with excellent character development as well as family drama when the book takes a sudden turn. Slowly and masterfully, he starts building tension and suspense while teasing the reader with ominous threats in the background. Before you know it, you’ve stayed up half the night racing to the end of the book. It’s a fast read but a powerful book asking important questions.” —Katerina Argyres, Bookshop West Portal, San Francisco, CA

There are four more Indie Next selections for the week:

White Tears/Brown Scars: How White Feminism Betrays Women of Color by Ruby Hamad (Catapult)

“This book could not have come at a better time as a vital contribution to antiracist and intersectional feminist literature. Hamad is extremely thorough in her examination of white feminism and its long history of weaponization against BIPOC. This work is accessible to newcomers to these topics, and illuminating for those who have some background in these discussions. Hamad shows us how deep the betrayal of white feminism goes, into politics, the media, and our interpersonal relationships, so that we might call it out and stop it in its tracks.” —Nikki Siclare, Newtonville Books, Newton Centre, MA

Keep Moving: Notes on Loss, Creativity, and Change by Maggie Smith (Atria/One Signal: S. & S.)

“Maggie Smith hits the nail on the head with her stunning book of quotes and essays. This inspiring read gives you the validation to address your feelings and the permission to move forward with a new outlook. Much like a talk with a good friend, you feel heard and comforted. I devoured this treasure in one sitting and am starting a list of everyone I want to share it with.”
—Maxwell Gregory, Lake Forest Book Store, Lake Forest, IL

Dear Child by Romy Hausmann (Flatiron: Macmillan; LJ starred review)

“We’ve all heard the horror stories of women kept captive in basements, bearing children to madmen, only to escape after years of torture into a world they no longer remember and a public filled with fascination at their stories. Dear Child features two such women, both victims of the same abductor, but who suffer two very different fates. It is also the story of men who love too hard, in both the right ways and the wrong ways. At its heart it is the story of family, of what we will do to find those we’ve lost, how we love and show that love, and how we survive and come to peace with grief and guilt.” —Deborah Magness, Third Place Books, Lake Forest Park, WA

Cuyahoga by Pete Beatty (Scribner: S. & S.)

“Pete Beatty’s Cuyahoga is difficult to categorize: a slapstick epic, an upside-down creation story, a postmodern American myth. Whatever you call it, know that it’s a ribald, shaggy delight. Protagonist Big Son is what they call a ‘spirit’ in 1837 Ohio: more legend than man, a doer of larger-than-life feats. Narrator Medium Son, Big Son’s kind of jealous little brother, chronicles those feats, which seem to be tied to the falling fortunes of their home in Ohio City as neighboring Cleveland looms across the river. Told in lively, poetic language, Cuyahoga feels at once brand new and as old as its namesake river.” —Danny Caine, Raven Book Store, Lawrence, KS

In the Media

People’s "Book of the Week" is Just Like You by Nick Hornby (Riverhead: Penguin; LJ starred review). Also getting attention are The Daughters of Yalta: The Churchills, Roosevelts, and Harrimans: A Story of Love and War by Catherine Grace Katz (HMH) and The Thursday Murder Club by Richard Osman (Pamela Dorman Books: Penguin; LJ starred review). “New in Nonfiction” includes Sex with Presidents: The Ins and Outs of Love and Lust in the White House by Eleanor Herman (Morrow: Harper), Wild Thing: The Short, Spellbinding Life of Jimi Hendrix by Philip Norman (Liveright: Norton; LJ starred review), and The Gift: 12 Lessons To Save Your Life by Edith with Esmé Schwall Weigand Eger (Scribner: S. & S.). The “Kid Pick!” is Bunheads by Misty Copeland (G.P. Putnam's Sons Books for Young Readers: Penguin; SLJ starred review). Making the “Picks” list is The Walking Dead: The World Beyond. The online piece about Lenny Kravitz’s Let Love Rule (Henry Holt: Macmillan) makes the issue. The recipes are from Alvin Cailan, Amboy: Recipes from the Filipino-American Dream (HMH; LJ starred review) and Jacques Pépin Quick & Simple by Jacques Pépin (HMH; LJ starred review).

Reviews

The NYT reviews Snow by John Banville (Hanover Square: Harper): “An entertainment, perhaps, but a superbly rich and sophisticated one.” Also, Loretta Little Looks Back: Three Voices Go Tell It by Andrea Davis Pinkney, illustrated by Brian Pinkney (Little, Brown Books for Young Readers: Hachette; SLJ starred review): “Complex and evocative.” Black Heroes of the Wild West: Featuring Stagecoach Mary, Bass Reeves, and Bob Lemmons: A TOON Graphic by James Otis Smith with an introduction by Kadir Nelson (TOON Graphics): “entertaining overviews that disrupt Wild West mythology. The accompanying photographs, paintings, timelines and maps are fascinating and beautifully arranged.”

USA Today reviews Leave the World Behind by Rumaan Alam (Ecco: Harper), giving it a perfect four stars and writing “may be the best thing you can read about one of the worst things you can imagine. A perfectly-engineered thrill ride that is also a novel of ideas … combines deft prose, a pitiless view of consumer culture and a few truly shocking moments.” Also, A Brotherhood Betrayed: The Man Behind the Rise and Fall of Murder, Inc. by Michael Cannell (Minotaur: Macmillan), giving it 3.5 stars and calling it a “riveting true-crime gangster tale.”

The L.A. Times reviews Cuyahoga by Pete Beatty (Scribner: S. & S.): “hilarious and sly.”

NPR reviews The Midnight Library by Matt Haig (Viking: Penguin): “He takes what could've been (what has been in so many other books) a dark or sad or curvy or weird spin through the logical and philosophical possibilities of regret crossed with multiverse theory and ... straightens it out. There is tragedy, but it feels muted by the existence of infinite chances.”

The Washington Post reviews The Man Who Ran Washington: The Life and Times of James A. Baker III by Peter Baker and Susan Glasser (Doubleday: Random House): “will rank alongside it as among the very best books about American political life in the late 20th century.” Also, Our Malady: Lessons in Liberty from a Hospital Diary by Timothy Snyder (Crown: Random House): “America is supposed to be about freedom, but if our health-care system makes us unhealthy, it is making us unfree.” The Saddest Words: William Faulkner's Civil War by Michael Gorra (Liveright: W. W. Norton): “Faulkner knew that truth, and though he could not meet its demands in his life, his fiction could not look away from it, which is why, according to Gorra, it remains necessary.” The Polymath: A Cultural History from Leonardo da Vinci to Susan Sontag by Peter Burke (Yale): “the historian worries that in our Internet age, when at our fingertips we find so much scannable knowledge, we are losing the capacity to dig deep and become truly absorbed in a variety of subjects. His survey of polymaths is a reminder of the importance of doing just that.” Authoritarian Nightmare: Trump and His Followers by John W. Dean, Bob Altemeyer (Melville House: Random House): “a very readable book. Those who want to try to understand Trump’s followers and what motivates them will find it important and alarming.”

Briefly Noted

USA Today picks five books for the week.

CrimeReads selects “10 New Books Coming Out This Week.”

Esquire picks the best books of 2020.

Leave the World Behind by Rumaan Alam (Ecco: Harper) is the B&N October book club selection.

Mental Floss suggests “11 Women Horror Writers You Need to Read.”

The Washington Post suggests “Five excellent new thrillers and mysteries take us back to the pre-covid-19 era.”

BitchMedia has “13 YA Books Feminists Should Read in October.”

The 2020 Scotiabank Giller Prize shortlist is announced.

The shortlist for The Diverse Book Awards is out as well. This is the inaugural year for the UK award.

The Women’s Prize announces that entry is open to "all women" defined as "a cis woman, a transgender woman or anyone who is legally defined as a woman or of the female sex". The Bookseller reports that “The policy means transgender women who have yet to legally change their gender would not be able to enter.” Akwaeke Emezi is tweeting about the policy.

People has a report on the Oprah conversation with Isabel Wilkerson about Caste: The Origins of Our Discontents (Random House; LJ starred review).

The NYT features Lili Reinhart, Swimming Lessons: Poems (St. Martin’s Griffin: Macmillan).

The NYT showcases Tana French, The Searcher (Viking: Penguin; LJ starred review).

The NYT focuses on Mariah Carey, The Meaning of Mariah Carey (Andy Cohen Books: Macmillan). The Washington Post writes about the book as well and also showcases A Furious Sky: The Five-Hundred-Year History of America’s Hurricanes by Eric Jay Dolin (Liveright: Norton).

People has more on Lenny Kravitz. His new book is Let Love Rule (Henry Holt: Macmillan). Also, a piece about Priyanka Chopra Jonas’s forthcoming memoir Unfinished: A Memoir (Ballantine: Random House).

Entertainment Weekly excerpts The Lives of Saints by Leigh Bardugo (Imprint: Macmillan). Also, a clip from Lenny Kravitz’s Let Love Rule (Henry Holt: Macmillan).

Shondaland interviews Nic Stone, Dear Justyce (Crown Books for Young Readers: Random House).

Shondaland interviews Maggie Smith, Keep Moving : Notes on Loss, Creativity, and Change (Atria/One Signal: S. & S.). Also, an interview with Gregory Maguire, A Wild Winter Swan (William Morrow: Harper).

Hilary Mantel answers reader questions for The Guardian. The paper also interviews Jill Lepore, If Then: How the Simulmatics Corporation Invented the Future (Liveright: W. W. Norton).

USA Today writes about the new Audible only biography of Dr. Anthony Fauci by Michael Specter. Also, a feature on Hush by Dylan Farrow (Wednesday Books: Macmillan).

Parade considers the best book jacket art of the fall.

The NYT reports on the Jenny Holzer app, You Be My Ally, that lets users virtually project 29 “Great Book” quotes onto the landscape.

Terry Goodkind has died. His The Sword of Truth books became key titles in the Fantasy genre. The NYT has an obituary. The paper also marks the passing of Irish poet Derek Mahon and knitting expert Cat Bordhi.

Authors on Air

USA Today reports on the Oprah Winfrey conversations with Isabel Wilkerson about Caste: The Origins of Our Discontents (Random House; LJ starred review).

NPR’s All Things Considered interviews Peter Baker and Susan Glasser, The Man Who Ran Washington: The Life and Times of James A. Baker III (Doubleday: Random House). Also, an interview with Pete Buttigieg, Trust: America's Best Chance (Liveright: W.W. Norton). Weekend Edition Sunday interviews Dylan Farrow, Hush (Wednesday Books: Macmillan).

NPR’s TED Radio Hour focuses on the question “How Can We Inspire Children To Be Lifelong Readers?”

No Time To Die, the next James Bond film, gets pushed to April, well past its expected Nov. 20 premiere date. Variety reports.

Like Water for Chocolate by Laura Esquivel is getting adapted for the stage. Deadline reports.

BuzzFeed highlights virtual book events for the week.

A trailer is out for The Witches, based on the book by Roald Dahl. It debuts on HBO Max starting on Oct. 22.

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