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Big Books of the Week

Beg, Borrow, or Steal by Sarah Adams (Delacorte) leads holds this week. 

Other titles in demand include:

Holmes Is Missing by James Patterson & Brian Sitts (Little, Brown)

The Stolen Queen by Fiona Davis (Dutton)

Never Say Never by Danielle Steel (Delacorte)

The Note by Alafair Burke (Knopf)

These books and others publishing the week of January 6, 2025, are listed in a downloadable spreadsheet.

Librarians and Booksellers Suggest

Eight LibraryReads and twelve Indie Next picks publish this week:

Temple of Swoon by Jo Segura (Berkley; LJ starred review)

“Segura offers readers a delightfully madcap adventure through dangerous jungles and beautifully realized relationships. While Temple of Swoon will certainly appeal to fans of the first book, it can be read on its own, satisfying both the established romance reader and those new to the genre. Perfect for patrons who are looking for the quirky banter of India Holton or the academic wit of Ali Hazelwood.”—Clay Chiment, Ulysses Philomathic Library, Trumansburg, NY

The Note by Alafair Burke (Knopf)

“Three friends reunite in the Hamptons only to have chaos ensue after a night spent out drinking. The fast-moving narrative features multiple narrators and lots of unexpected twists. Burke has delivered another excellent psychological thriller. For fans of Lisa Unger and Heather Gudenkauf.”—Cyndi Larsen, Avon Free Public Library, CT

It is also an Indie Next pick:

“A long overdue girl’s weekend is upended when a seemingly random stranger goes missing. Old rivalries, distant connections, and very real deaths seem unrelated…at first. In this very well-crafted novel, Alafair Burke is at the top of her game.”—Sarah Bagby, Watermark Books & Café, Wichita, KS

Hall of Fame picks include: A Sea of Unspoken Things by Adrienne Young (Delacorte), Adrift in Currents Clean and Clear by Seanan McGuire (Tor), The Stolen Queen by Fiona Davis (Dutton) and Beg, Borrow, or Steal by Sarah Adams (Delacorte). 

The notable pick is Y2K: How the 2000s Became Everything (Essays on the Future That Never Was) by Colette Shade (Dey Street) *Good for Book Clubs

“The early 2000s are certainly having a moment, especially if you spend any time on social media videos. Millennials (and yes, we'll admit it, some of us Gen X-ers) are reliving the (seemingly) happier days of their youth, via cultural touchstones such as TV and movies, music videos, and of course, the resurgence of Y2K fashion trends. Shade offers a nuanced and intelligent look at everything from the pop culture to the politics of the era., making this essential for narrative nonfiction collections.”—Rebecca Vnuk, LibraryReads

The bonus pick is Wake Up and Open Your Eyes by Clay McLeod Chapman (Quirk; LJ starred review)

“Unable to reach his parents, Noah Fairchild immediately decides to take a road trip back to his Virginia childhood home, promising his wife and daughter that he will return before Christmas. Upon his arrival, he finds his parents feral, rabid, possessed; the house in shambles, right-wing news blaring on the TV. The world is on fire. Society is collapsing. Frantic to return to Brooklyn, he rounds up his youngest nephew, embarking on the very dangerous and disturbing trek north. One part social commentary, one part political exploration, all parts horror.”—KC Davis, LibraryReads Ambassador, CT

Eleven additional Indie Next picks publish this week:

Mothers and Sons by Adam Haslett (Little, Brown)

“Adam Haslett writes interior lives like no one else. When Peter, an asylum lawyer in New York, meets a young immigrant forced to flee his homeland because he is gay, it throws Peter’s world into chaos and forces a reckoning between mother and son.”—Sarah Brown, Zenith Bookstore, Duluth, MN

The Lotus Shoes by Jane Yang (Park Row)

“A suspenseful novel, The Lotus Shoes follows Linjing and her maidservant Little Flower in 19th-century China. As the two struggle to define their own relationship, they are caught between old traditions and their desire for freedom. Completely absorbing!”—Janet Hutchison, The Open Door Bookstore, Schenectady, NY

All the Water in the World by Eiren Caffall (St. Martin’s; LJ starred review)

“Cli-fi does one of two things for me: immediate onset panic symptoms, or a slight lessening of the ever-present climate doom. This book does the latter. Like Mister Rogers, Eiren Caffall gifts us with a propulsive and lyric story sounding in love.”—Jennifer Carney, Sidetrack Bookshop, Royal Oak, MI

The Perfect Home by Daniel Kenitz (Scribner)

“The Perfect Home delivers two characters with seemingly perfect lives, then upends the story in the most diabolical fashion. If you are looking for an addictive novel, you have found the perfect prescription for a thriller that delivers!”—Pamela Klinger-Horn, Valley Bookseller, Stillwater, MN

Playworld by Adam Ross (Knopf)

“Playworld follows the life of teenager Griffin Hurt as he navigates the alluring, contradictory, and dangerous territories of 1980s New York and the adults who shape his life. Immersive and uncompromising, Playworld will break your heart.”—Matt Nixon, A Cappella Books, Atlanta, GA

The Heart of Winter by Jonathan Evison (Dutton)

“The best stories are about ordinary people living ordinary lives and The Heart of Winter is one of the best. The characters are your friends, neighbors, family, and you. It’s about the joy and hardships of our lives. This is a timeless story.”—Susan Hildebrandt, Edmonds Bookshop, Edmonds, WA

The Naming of the Birds by Paraic O'Donnell (Tin House)

“Soulfully Sherlockian, with skillfully delineated characters, The Naming of the Birds susurrates easefully into deeper mystery like an enchanted spool of thread through a darkling wood. This is mesmerizing, transporting historical fiction.”—Amanda Qassar, Warwick’s, La Jolla, CA

Sweet Fury by Sash Bischoff (S. & S.)

“Sweet Fury is sure to please readers who want a solid, twisty, character-driven thriller with a film industry background. Obsessive love, misogyny, deceit, revenge — this carefully crafted, well-written debut has it all. Dig in.”—Kathy Mailloux, East City Bookshop, Washington, DC

I’ll Come to You by Rebecca Kauffman (Counterpoint)

“Rebecca Kauffman is a master of the small, quiet moment. I’ll Come to You is the story of a year in the life of a family. Her characters change and grow and fight and feel deep sorrow and love. I’ll read everything Kauffman writes.”—Margaret Leonard, Dotters Books, Eau Claire, WI

Rosarita by Anita Desai (Scribner; LJ starred review)

“Approached by a tricky stranger, Bonita reluctantly embarks on a haunting and unpredictable stumble through a strange city and through her mother’s past. For fans of Laura van den Berg and Yoko Ogawa, this novella reads like a fever dream.”—Ellen Woodall, Blacksburg Books, Blacksburg, VA

The Three Lives of Cate Kay by Kate Fagan (Atria)

“Rarely do I care so intensely about characters in a suspense novel, but The Three Lives of Cate Kay provides mystery with hope and redemption. With characters that you connect with and grow to love, I’ll be recommending it to everyone!”—Tammy Watkins, The Village Bookseller, Mount Pleasant, SC

In the Media

People’s book of the week is Eddie Winston Is Looking for Love by Marianne Cronin (Harper Perennial). Also getting attention are Watch Your Back by Terri Parlato (Kensington) and Self Help: This Is Your Chance To Change Your Life by Gabrielle Bernstein (Hay House). “Books Becoming Movies” include The Housemaid by Freida McFadden (Grand Central), People We Meet On Vacation by Emily Henry (Berkley; LJ starred review), and The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo by Taylor Jenkins Reid (Atria). 

The “Picks” section spotlights Nosferatu, inspired by Bram Stoker’s novel Dracula, and A Complete Unknown, based on Elijah Wald’s book Dylan Goes Electric!: Newport, Seeger, Dylan, and the Night That Split the Sixties (Dey Street). There is also a feature on Shari Franke and her new memoir, The House of My Mother: A Daughter’s Quest for Freedom (Gallery). Franke speaks out against family vlogging at People online.

Reviews

NYT reviews The Granddaughter by Bernhard Schlink, tr. by Charlotte Collins (HarperVia): “Some will read Schlink’s latest as an inspiring fable of intergenerational unity and redemption. Others might find it more like fantasy fiction”; The Life Cycle of the Common Octopus by Emma Knight (Pamela Dorman Books): “Amid the tweed, college escapades and British literary winks, Knight has crafted a tantalizing yet quietly touching debut about inheritance, emerging sexuality and what it truly means to come into one’s own”; and Playworld by Adam Ross (Knopf): “The novel is detailed, digressive, densely populated, dull at times (as life is) and capable of tracking the most minute shifts in emotional weather. It is the young and the restless, edging into the bold and the beautiful.” Washington Post also reviews: “Happily, Playworld is finally in ourworld, and the book’s interminable gestation was worth the wait. Indeed, starting off 2025 with a novel this terrific gives me hope for the whole year.”

Washington Post reviews American Oasis: Finding the Future in the Cities of the Southwest by Kyle Paoletta (Pantheon): “As for culture, Paoletta argues that the Southwest, by burying its Native past, has risked polishing itself into nothingness”; and Make Your Own Job: How the Entrepreneurial Work Ethic Exhausted America by Erik Baker (Harvard Univ.): “There is plenty of discussion of the ‘work ethic’ in circulation, but Baker’s thesis is rousingly novel and ingeniously fine-grained.”

Briefly Noted

Audiofile announces the January Earphones Award winners.

Jenna Bush Hager selects The Life Cycle of the Common Octopus by Emma Knight (Viking: Pamela Dorman) for her January book club. 

Amazon editors select the best books of January. 

LitHub shares “20 Sci-Fi and Fantasy Books to Look Forward to in 2025.”

Time previews 39 anticipated books for 2025. 

B&N Reads pick the best books of the month. 

LitHub shares its ultimate best books of 2024 list. 

CrimeReads suggests 10 new books for the week.

Earlyword shares librarians’ favorite books from 2024. 

USA Today looks at book tracking apps for the new year.

Reactor recommends 22 winter reads. 

NYT talks with Pico Iyer about his new book, Aflame: Learning from Silence (Riverhead). 

Entertainment Weekly catches up with Alan Moore, who talks about his new book, The Great When (Bloomsbury), and “how he writes his prose to make up for the lack of images.”

T&C offers a guide to Jimmy Carter’s books. PW also looks at the former President's life in books.

People selects the best books from the 2020’s. 

NYT delves into the resurgence of the “Plagiarism Plot.”

David Lodge, known for his “Campus” trilogy of novels, dies at 89. The Guardian has an obituary. NYT and LA Times also remember Lodge’s work.

Authors On Air

The Golden Globes were awarded yesterday, including wins for adaptations: Conclave, based on the novel by Robert Harris; Wicked, based on the novel by Gregory Maguire; Shōgun, based on the novel by James Clavell; I’m Still Here, based on the novel by Marcelo Rubens Paiva; and The Penguin, with assoc. titles. Hollywood Reporter has the full list of winners. 

Vulture shares “8 Book-to-Screen Adaptations to Add to Your 2025 Reading List.”

PBS Newshour has a report on Barnes & Noble’s comeback.

Gabrielle Bernstein, Self Help: This Is Your Chance To Change Your Life (Hay House), and James Longman,  The Inherited Mind: A Story of Family, Hope, and the Genetics of Mental Illness (Hyperion Avenue), visit GMA today.

Mel Robbins, The Let Them Theory: A Life-Changing Tool That Millions of People Can’t Stop Talking About (Hay House), will appear on Today.

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