Big Books of the Week

The Other Woman by Daniel Silva (Harper) leads holds this week.

Other titles in demand include:

Double Blind by Iris Johansen, Roy Johansen (St. Martin's: Macmillan)

Give Me Your Hand by Megan Abbott (Little, Brown: Hachette)

Rescued: An Andy Carpenter Mysteryby David Rosenfelt (Minotaur: Macmillan)

Triple Homicide: From the case files of Alex Cross, Michael Bennett, and the Women's Murder Clubby James Patterson (Grand Central: Hachette)

Baby Teeth by Zoje Stage (St. Martin's Press: Macmillan)

Librarians and Booksellers Suggest

Two LibraryReads selections publish this week:

Give Me Your Hand by Megan Abbott (Little, Brown): “Kit competes for her dream job with a rival who was once her closest friend. Gripping psychological suspense.” —Kristy Gates, Craighead County Jonesboro Public Library, Jonesboro, AR

Baby Teeth by Zoje Stage (St. Martin's: Macmillan): “A fragile woman struggles against her mute daughter’s schemes for her father’s undivided attention. Dark, creepy, and downright scary.”—Kathryn Neal, Skiatook Library, Skiatook, OK

Stage's book is also an Indie Next selection: “I am a little afraid to write a review after finishing this book because I have the terrible feeling that I’m being watched, this due to the suspicion that seven-year-old Hannah has jumped from the pages of the book straight into my head — something she undoubtedly planned the entire time, despite the obvious impossibility of it all. I could not put this book down — simply fascinating.” —Debra Barrett, Where the Sidewalk Ends, Chatham, MA

Two more Indie Next picks publish this week:

The Family Tabor by Cherise Wolas (Flatiron: Macmillan): “When you have the most skillfully prepared, decadent dessert placed in front of you, do you plunge in and devour it? Or do you slowly savor it? This is the happy predicament I find myself in when approaching the work of Cherise Wolas. Harry Tabor, a 70-year-old Jewish man living in Palm Springs, is about to receive the ‘Man of the Decade’ award for a lifetime of service to refugees. His beautiful, interesting, and seemingly perfect family is congregating to celebrate. In the span of less than two days, the story of their lives unravels and revelations occur. This brilliantly executed novel is filled with secrets, repressed memories, and unforgettable characters under a blazing California sun.” —Damita Nocton, The Country Bookshop, Southern Pines, NC

Kill the Farm Boy: The Tales of Pell by Kevin Hearne, Delilah S. Dawson (Del Rey: Random): “Wildly unpredictable, tremendously goofy, and brilliantly inventive, Kill the Farm Boy is a laugh-out-loud fantasy trope extravaganza. A talking goat, a fierce warrior, a bumbling rogue, a wannabe dark wizard, and an enchanted bard set out on a quest full of adventure, mishaps, and lots of cheese. I can’t count the number of times I giggled, snorted, and chuckled at a clever quip or ludicrous joke. Fans of Monty Python and Robin Hood: Men in Tights will definitely find Kill the Farm Boy to their liking.” —Sami Thomason, Square Books, Oxford, MS

These books and others publishing the week of July 16, 2018, are listed in a downloadable spreadsheet.

In the Media

People's Book of the Week is Give Me Your Hand by Megan Abbott (Little, Brown): a "smart page-turner." Also making the grade are No One Tells You This by Glynnis MacNicol (S. & S.) and The Garden Party by Grace Dane Mazur (Random).

Under the heading "Great Beach Reads," People picks The Late Bloomers' Club by Louise Miller (Pamela Dorman Books: Penguin), I See Life Through Rosé-Colored Glasses: True Stories and Confessions by Lisa Scottoline, Francesca Serritella (St. Martin's: Macmillan) and The Summer Wives by Beatriz Williams (William Morrow: Harper).

"People Picks" include Fancy Nancy, the animated show based on the books by the same name, as well as Don’t Worry, He Won’t Get Far on Foot, based on the book by John Callahan.

Entertainment Weekly gives an A grade to My Year of Rest and Relaxation by Ottessa Moshfegh (Penguin): "sad, funny, astonishing, and unforgettable." A Terrible Country by Keith Gessen (Viking; LJ starred review) gets a B+. The "Must List" includes Baby Teeth by Zoje Stage (St. Martin's: Macmillan) at No. 7.

In the buzziest books chart, EW lists Crux: A Cross-Border Memoir by Jean Guerrero (One World: Random), The Widower's Notebook: A Memoir by Jonathan Santlofer (Penguin), From the Corner of the Oval:A Memoir by Beck Dorey-Stein (Spiegel & Grau: Random),

Clock Dance by Anne Tyler (Knopf; LJ starred review), The Mere Wife by Maria Dahvana Headley (MDC: Macmillan), What We Were Promised by Lucy Tan (Little, Brown), All These Beautiful Strangers by Elizabeth Klehfoth (William Morrow: Harper), and 

The Cabin at the End of the World by Paul Tremblay (William Morrow: Harper; LJ starred review).

EW gives an A- to Castle Rock, the new TV show set in a Stephen King crafted universe. There is also a list of King's best adaptations (The Shawshank Redemption is No. 1). In Comic-Con coverage, EW highlights a number of book-based films and TV shows, including Aquaman, Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse, Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald, Venom, The Walking Dead, The Gifted, Deadly Class, Castle Rock, Good Omens, Nightflyers, Fear The Walking Dead, Mr. Mercedes, The Expanse, and The Magicians. Doctor Who gets extensive coverage.

In comics, EW highlights Fantastic Four, Man-Eaters by Chelsea Cain, Kate Niemczyk (Image Comics), and Delilah Dirk and the Pillars of Hercules by Tony Cliff  (First Second: Macmillan).

As Vanity Fair pointed out in June, TV is the new golden ticket for authors. EW hosts a conversation between Tom Perrotta and Megan Abbott, both of whom have found gigs in TV land. There is also a feature on Noelle Stevenson, who is bringing She-Ra to the screen. Finally, EW explores the elements of Hope Never Dies: An Obama Biden Mystery by Andrew Shaffer (Quirk: Random).

Reviews

The NYT reviews Give Me Your Hand by Megan Abbott (Little, Brown), opening with two arresting sentences: "At the heart of Megan Abbott’s new novel is blood. A lot of it."

NPR reviews The Cost of Living: A Working Autobiography by Deborah Levy (Bloomsbury: Macmillan): "For writing this good, the cost of living is plainly the right price to pay." Also Buzz: The Nature and Necessity of Bees by Thor Hanson (Basic Books: Hachette): "a rewarding choice for readers keen on science and nature." Finally, the reviewer of Chemistry Lessons by Meredith Goldstein (HMH Books for Young Readers) is not fully pleased. 

The Washington Post reviews From a Low and Quiet Sea by Donal Ryan (Penguin): "so exquisitely rendered, with raw anguish sublimated into lyrical prose, that you sometimes overlook the meagerness of its slice-of-life offerings."

Briefly Noted

Former President Obama has shared more of his reading for the summer, tied to his upcoming trip to Africa.

USA Today picks its five books not to miss this week.

In The Guardian, Natalie Haynes has some inviting advice on reading novels about the ancient Greeks and Romans.

The Guardian interviews Anuradha Roy and Anne Tyler and has an excerpt from former NYT book critic Michiko Kakutani.

Entertainment Weekly starts its Comic-Con coverage with an update on Batman.

Electric Lit goes graphic with a look at drafts of book jackets and a literary map of the UK.

The NYT writes about the odd business of book speculation on Amazon.

The Guardian writes about a new wave of books for boys and The New Yorker considers "How Should Children's Books Deal With The Holocaust?"

Stan Lee honors Steve Ditko. EW has their backstory.

NPR features Going Back Home to Where I Came from by Mahtab Hussain (Ikon).

Authors on Air

The Downtown Abbey movie is on. But says Lily James, “There was no space for Rose.”

NPR interviews Megan Abbott, Give Me Your Hand (Little, Brown) and Keith Gessen, A Terrible Country (Viking; LJ starred review).

The comic Rogue Trooper is headed to the movies. Entertainment Weekly reports that "Moon and Warcaft director Duncan Jones has teased that he is adapting the comic book saga."  

Doctor Who gets a teaser.

Deadline Hollywood reports on the new BBC clip that teases some of its new shows, many based on books and set to air in the US. Related, there are first look photos out for Les Miserables.

Goosebumps 2: Haunted Halloween gets another trailer as does A Simple Favor, it is based on the novel of the same name by Darcey Bell.