BOOKS YOU SHOULD KNOW ABOUT:
Here's a list of some outstanding current and forthcoming titles on our shelves. These are books that exhibit something special — great writing by talented authors, a riveting reading experience, unforgettable characters, intriguing plots, or just sheer literary entertainment. These are books that truly deserve your attention...

Drop by Walden Pond Books at 3316 Grand Avenue and browse. Or - if you see a book listed here that you know you've just got to read immediately - call us at 510-832-4438 and we'll hold that title for you at the front counter or ship directly to your home.

• Fiction: Just Released in Hardcover (Front Display)
  

  (Random House)	THE THOUSAND AUTUMNS OF JACOB DE ZOET by David Mitchell "Mitchell's rightly been hailed as a virtuoso genius. . . a majestic historical romance set in turn-of-the-19th-century Japan. . . a pressure-cooker of tension, character work, and gorgeous set pieces." — Publishers Weekly *** starred review ***. "So captivating that the reader feels transported through time and fully immersed in an unfamiliar culture and place. . . This painstakingly researched and original novel is hard to pin to any one genre, for it is a historical novel and cultural study with plenty of intrigue and mystery mixed in. It is intelligent and utterly readable at the same time. Highly recommended." — Library Journal *** starred review ***. (NOTEWORTHY: This is one of those rare novels that has received unanimous starred reviews from Publishers Weekly, Library Journal, Kirkus Review, and Booklist.)
  (Simon & Schuster)	SAVAGES by Don Winslow With this breakthrough novel that pits young kingpins against a Mexican drug cartel, Winslow offers up an absolutely smashing hit. Savages is an ingenious combination of adrenaline-fueled suspense and true-crime reportage by a master thriller writer at the very top of his game. "A whip-cracking way with words and a whole lot of Southern California surfer baditude. . . Mr. Winslow has written the killer book. . . its wisecracks are so sharp, its characters so mega-cool and its storytelling so ferocious that the risks pay off, thanks especially to Mr. Winslow’s no-prisoners sense of humor." — Janet Maslin, New York Times.
  (Del Rey)	KRAKEN by China Mieville Bestselling author Mieville returns to his roots in this exciting, no-holds-barred fantasy. Crowds flock to the Darwin Centre at London's Natural History Museum to see the dead Kraken, a giant squid. When it goes missing, a breathless search for the monster leads to strange, magical criminals, and mythical cults. With this outrageous new novel, China Mieville has written one of the strangest, funniest, and flat-out scariest books you will read this year. The London that comes to life in Kraken is a weird metropolis awash in secret currents of myth and magic, where criminals, police, cultists, and wizards are locked in a war to bring about — or prevent — the End of All Things. "Mieville's fantasy is a rich literary work, full of wordplay and imagery that will appeal to literary-fiction fans as much as to fantasy readers." — Booklist *** starred review ***
  (Knopf)	MR. PEANUT by Adam Ross David Pepin has loved his wife since the moment they met and, after 13 years of marriage, he still can't imagine living without her — yet he obsessively contemplates her demise. Soon she is dead, and he's both deeply distraught and the prime suspect. "The buzz has been building for a year about this debut novel by Nashville writer Ross, and it turns out it's one of those rare cases where the word-of-mouth is valid. . . An intellectual noir novel that shows evidence of an original voice." — Kirkus Review *** starred review ***. "The novel is an enormous success — forceful and involving, often deeply stirring and always impressively original. . . This is a brilliant, powerful, memorable book." — New York Times, Sunday Book Review
  (Pyr)	THE DERVISH HOUSE by Ian McDonald Welcome to the world of The Dervish House; the great, ancient, paradoxical city of Istanbul, in the great, ancient, equally paradoxical nation of Turkey. The year is 2027. This is the age of carbon consciousness: every individual in the has a card stipulating individual carbon allowance that must be produced at every CO2 generating transaction. For those who can master the game, who can make the trades between gas price and carbon trading permits, who can play the power factions against each other, there are fortunes to be made. The Dervish House is seven days, six characters, three interconnected story strands, one central common core — the eponymous dervish house, a character in itself — that pins all these players together in a weave of intrigue, conflict, drama and a ticking clock of a thriller. VERY highly recommended!
  (Farrar Straus Giroux)	ILUSTRADO by Miguel Syjuco Winner of the Man Asian Prize for Fiction, this is a brilliantly conceived and stylishly executed historical saga. "This dizzying and ambitious novel marks an auspicious start to Syjuco's career. The apparent suicide in New York of famous, down-on-his-luck Filipino author Crispin Salvador sends the narrator home to the Philippines to come to terms with the death of his literary mentor, research a biography he plans to write about him, and find the author's lost manuscript. With flair and grace, Syjuco makes this premise bear much weight: the multigenerational saga of Salvador's life, a history of the postwar Philippines, questions of literary ambitions and achievement, and the narrator's own coming-of-age story." — Publishers Weekly *** starred review ***
  (Henry Holt)	THE GOOD SON by Michael Gruber A taut, multilayered, riveting novel of suspense focused on peace activists who are being held hostage in Pakistan. "Gruber explores America's political involvement in South Asia and the bloody religious and ethnic fanaticism associated with the region in his superb seventh novel. ...Doomed to a public beheading, a kidnapped Pakistani-American psychologist uses her familiarity with Islamic doctrine as well as her knowledge of Jungian psychology in an attempt to enlighten her deeply conflicted captors. ...The brilliant character development and labyrinthine plot line, not to mention the absorbing history of modern jihadism and the U.S. war on terrorism, make this a provocative thriller that readers won't soon forget." — Publishers Weekly *** starred review ***
  (Minotaur)	CRASHERS by Dana Haynes This brilliantly conceived, high-energy thriller combines cutting-edge forensic investigation with an edge-of-your-seat ticking-clock chase. "Haynes's compelling first thriller takes familiar elements: a mysterious airplane crash, a bent FBI agent, a deadly female spy, and mixes them with the world of National Transportation Safety Board aviation disaster investigations." — Publishers Weekly. "The plane crash scenes are extremely graphic but absolutely essential to the reader's understanding of the aftermath of a plane downed by a terrorist strike. ...This thriller debut is filled with excitement and knowledge of NTSB procedures and problems. Highly recommended - just don't eat during the crash-scene investigation." — Library Journal *** starred review ***
  (Doubleday)	RED HOOK ROAD by Ayelet Waldman Set on the coast of Maine over the course of four summers, Red Hook Road tells the story of two families and of the ways in which their lives are unraveled and stitched together by misfortune, by good intentions and failure, and by love and calamity. "Red Hook Road is a terrific novel, and might even be a great one. There are love stories being told all over this book, and like all great love stories, these are volatile and enduring and bright with astonishment. These characters now take up residence in the city I’ve built out of the books I love. This book made me happy, and happy to be alive. It changed me the way good books always do." — Pat Conroy.
  (Forge)	A DOG'S PURPOSE by Bruce W. Cameron A wonderfully engrossing work that teaches that love never dies and that every creature on Earth is born with a purpose. "Cameron follows his canine protagonist through several lifetimes. Bailey experiences the whole range of lives available to dogs in contemporary America, from puppy-mill survivor, to loving family pet, to police dog, to stray. Through his many lives, Bailey searches for his purpose, his reason for living and living again. Bailey's courage and determination are tested as he travels towards his goal. By turns funny, heartwarming, and touching without being overly sentimental, Cameron's novel successfully illuminates the breadth of the American dogscape." — Library Journal *** starred review ***
  (Tor)	DISCORD'S APPLE by Carrie Vaughn Hidden in Evie's dying father's house is a secret storeroom where wondrous treasures from myth and legend are kept until they are needed to combat ancient and malicious forces. At stake is the prevention of nothing less than the Apocalypse. "Vaughn melds a near-future world torn by war with the legend of the fall of Troy in this brilliantly structured, beautifully written stand-alone. .Intermingled with Evie's story is the tale of Sinon the Liar, who persuaded the Trojans to bring Odysseus's horse inside their walls and wound up cursed with immortality. Vaughn brings together mythology, fairy tales, and very human lives, immersing readers in the stories these complex characters tell themselves to make sense of their war-torn worlds." — Publishers Weekly *** starred review ***
  (St. Martin's)	STILL MISSING by Chevy Stevens A shocking, visceral, brutal and beautifully crafted debut novel that deals with abduction and its aftermath. "This may be Stevens's debut novel, but it sure doesnt read like a first book. In fact, it's a knockout, a psychological thriller that pulls no punches and has a title that couldn't be more apt." — Booklist *** starred review *** "During sessions with her psychologist, Annie takes the reader back to her abduction and narrates how she struggled to survive during and after the horror. Since the reader is reliving the events through Annie's own retelling, the material can be tough to take. That emotional challenge is alleviated by Annie's flashes of humor and defiance. Highly recommended!" — Library Journal *** starred review ***

• Fiction: Just Released in Paperback (Aisle 1-B)
  

  (NYRB)	THE LONG SHIPS by Frans Gunnar Bengtsson *** Very Highest Recommendation! *** The Long Ships resurrects the fantastic world of the tenth century AD when the Vikings roamed and rampaged from the northern fastnesses of Scandinavia down to the Mediterranean. Packed with pitched battles and blood feuds and told throughout with wit and high spirits, Bengtsson's book is a splendid adventure that features one of the most unexpectedly winning heroes in modern fiction. "This extraordinary saga of epic adventure on land and sea is a masterpiece of historical fiction . . . a rare delight." — Orville Prescott, The New York Times. NPR Feature: "This new edition contains an introduction by Michael Chabon, who's been agitating for more of this kind of adventure novel for years."
  (Bloomsbury)	CHEF by Jaspreet Singh Shortlisted for the Commonwealth Prize for Best Book. A brave and compassionate debut set against the war-scarred backdrop of occupied Kashmir. "Singh writes lyrically about that conflicted, majestic, impossibly beautiful, and quixotic place, wedged between India and Pakistan. The vehicle for Singh's probing scrutiny of this conflict is Kip, a master chef who served his culinary apprenticeship to the chef at a general's residence in a Kashmiri military camp. As the narrative jumps back and forth in time, Kip ponders the events that forced him to leave, and remembers Irem, the young Pakistani woman, a Muslim who was inexplicably branded a terrorist. The rippling effects of religious and cultural prejudice infuse this whole, complex story, leaving no character in Singh's poetic, thought-provoking tale untouched." — Booklist *** starred review ***
  (Holt McDougal)	THE NEWS WHERE YOU ARE by Catherine O'Flynn From the bestselling author of What Was Lost comes a spirited literary mystery about a television anchorman's search for the truth about the disappearances that surround him. A moving exploration of what we do and don't leave behind, proving once more that Catherine O'Flynn's writing "shimmers with dark brilliance" (Chicago Tribune). "Frank Allcroft has a loving wife and daughter, and a comfortable life as a local TV news anchor in Birmingham, England, but years of reporting soft news has left him dissatisfied. As that dissatisfaction reaches its nadir, the somewhat mysterious death of his mentor, Phil, and Frank's obsession with people who die alone lead him down a path of self-discovery. .In Frank, O'Flynn's created a winning near-everyman lost soul." — Publishers Weekly
  (Hyperion)	THE PHYSICK BOOK OF DELIVERANCE DANE by Katherine Howe A young researcher is haunted by visions of the Salem witch trials so long ago, and she begins to fear that she is more tied to Salem's dark past than she could have ever imagined. "Howe’s spellbinding, vividly detailed, witty, and astutely plotted debut is... propelled by an illuminating view of witchcraft." — Booklist *** starred review ***. "A witch story that will leave you spellbound . . . Once in a while, a new writer offers up a hypnotic tale of the supernatural that has the publishing world quivering with excitement. This summer, The Physick Book is magic."— USA Today
  (Hyperion)	THE MAMBO KINGS PLAY SONGS OF LOVE by Oscar Hijuelos When it was first published in 1989, The Mambo Kings Play Songs of Love became an international bestselling sensation, winning rave reviews and the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction. To celebrate its 20th anniversary, the Pulitzer Prize-winning novel that changed the landscape of American literature returns with a new afterword by Oscar Hijuelos. "By turns street-smart and lyrical, impassioned and reflective ...a rich and provocative book - a moving portrait of a man, his family, a community and a time." — New York Times
  (Harper Perennial)	ALMOST DEAD by Assaf Gavron Politically incorrect, provocative, and steeped in wit and irony, a fast-paced tragicomedy about the perfectly ordinary madness in today's Middle East. Israeli author Gavron offers an unusual perspective on Palestinian suicide bombings in this offbeat, often satirical political thriller. "In a dazzling display of empathy, Gavron creates two equally compelling narrators, the bomber and his victim. This is a virtuoso work; a pitch-perfect rendering of real Israeli life in all its chaos, energy, humor and terror. I couldn’t put it down." — Geraldine Brooks
  (Hyperion)	AND ANOTHER THING by Eoin Colfer "At long last, the motley band from Douglas Adams's renowned five-book Hitchhiker's Guide Trilogy have returned, thanks to Artemis Fowl author Colfer... Wacky humor reminiscent of the original Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy rings true... You can't go home again, but Adams fans will still appreciate the reunion with old friends. — Publisher's Weekly. "Completely defeating my scepticism about such ventures, Eoin Colfer has achieved the best post-mortem impersonation I have ever read. ...Eoin Colfer has achieved a perfectly calculated adaptation: a novel which serves as a fitting memorial but also has a life of its own." — U.K. Guardian.
  (Henry Holt)	THE CALLIGRAPHER'S DAUGHTER by Jonathen Littell "This debut novel, inspired by the life of the author's Korean mother, is a beautiful, deliberate and satisfying story spanning 30 years of Korean history. The tradition-bound aristocratic calligrapher Han refuses to name his daughter because she is born just as the Japanese occupy Korea early in the 20th century. (She is nicknamed 'Najin' after her mother's birthplace.) ...As the Japanese systematically obliterate ancient Korean culture and the political climate worsens, so do Najin's fortunes. Her family is reduced to poverty, their home is seized and Najin is imprisoned as a spy while WWII escalates." — Publishers Weekly *** starred review ***
  (Harper)	THE ROAD TO JERUSALEM: Book One of the Crusades Trilogy by Jan Guillou Born in 1150 to a noble family in the Kingdom of Western Götaland, young Arn Magnusson's facility with horse, bow, and sword sets him on a path that will lead from the frozen landscapes of Northern Europe to the bloody battlefields of the Middle East. "Swedish politics, familial drama, social oppression, ice fishing, wolf-hunting, political assassination, young sex and the Knights Templar. It's a great book...beautifully constructed... " — Diana Gabaldon, Washington Post Book World

• Non-Fiction: Just Released in Hardcover (Front Display)
  

  (Farrar Straus Giroux)	SILK PARACHUTE by John McPhee A wondrous new book of McPhee's prose pieces--in many aspects his most personal in four decades. "In nine elegant essays, John McPhee displays his singular gift for finding beauty and humor in ungainly subjects that would defeat a less perfect writer: fact-checking, college lacrosse, the geology of chalk, using a 19th century camera, eating road-killed weasel." — Time Magazine *** The Short List ***. "Gem-quality bemusements... each is a surprising, rewarding delight." — Kirkus Reviews *** starred review ***
  (Harper)	HEAVEN by Lisa Miller A groundbreaking and accessible history of heaven — from the earliest biblical conceptions of the afterlife to the theologians who frame our understandings to the convictions and perceptions of everyday people. “Delightful and insightful. . . . This marvelous work is a readable and wonderfully realized study of this ‘constant hope’ that we share. . . . Whether we’re informed by scripture or by popular culture, Heaven will delight and edify readers at every level." — Publishers Weekly *** starred review ***
  (Public Affairs)	WHEN THAT ROUGH GOD GOES RIDING: Listening to Van Morrison by Greil Marcus "Van Morrison," says Greil Marcus, "remains a singer who can be compared to no other in the history of modern popular music." Van Morrison is one of the most perplexing and mysterious figures in popular modern music, and a perfect subject for the wise and insightful scrutiny of Greil Marcus, one of America’s most dedicated cultural critics. This book is Marcus's quest to understand Van Morrison's particular genius through the extraordinary and unclassifiable moments in his long career, beginning in 1965 and continuing in full force to this day.
  (Hyperion)	LIFT by Kelly Corrigan Perfect for when hope, humor, and friendship seem in short supply, Lift is for anyone who wants to be reminded that there's no avoiding crisis and that it can, in fact, make people more connected and more alive. Corrigan weaves together three true and unforgettable stories of adults willing to experience emotional hazards in exchange for the gratifications of raising children. "Come for the writing, stay for the drama. Or vice versa. Either way, you won’t regret it." — San Francisco Chronicle
  (Rodale)	THE END OF OVEREATING: Taking Control of the Insatiable American Appetite by David A. Kessler MD David A. Kessler, who led the battle against the tobacco industry, now joins the fight against obesity. For the millions of people struggling with weight as well as for those of us who simply don't understand why we can't seem to stop eating our favorite foods, Dr. Kessler's cutting-edge investigation offers new insights and helpful tools to help us find a solution. There has never been a more thorough, compelling, or in-depth analysis of why we eat the way we do.
  (Rodale)	MARCUS OF UMBRIA: What an Italian Dog Taught an American Girl about Love by Justine Van Der Leun A rich, comic, and unconventional memoir about learning to live and love in the most unexpected ways. "A sweet, disarming story finds a young New York editor venturing to Italy to pursue romance with a sexy gardener and ending up falling for a neglected dog instead. ...The author manages to capture the lovely, vanishing Old World ways of the tightly knit people of Collelungo, a sheep-farming village of 200 souls, while also interweaving a heart-melting tale." — Publishers Weekly
  (Hyperion)	THE CLIMATE WAR by Eric Pooley Eric Pooley—deputy editor of Bloomberg BusinessWeek—does for global warming what Bob Woodward did for presidents and Lawrence Wright did for terrorists. In this epic tale of an American civil war, Pooley takes us behind the scenes and into the hearts and minds of the most important players in the struggle to cap global warming pollution—a fight in which trillions of dollars and the fate of the planet are at stake. "Journalism with principles: epic in scale, masterful in narrative and detail." — Eric Roston

• Non-Fiction: Just Released in Paperback (Aisle 2-B)
  

  (Hyperion)	THE MIGHTY QUEENS OF FREEVILLE: A Mother, a Daughter, and the Town That Raised Them by Amy Dickinson Dickinson has made a career out of helping others, through her internationally syndicated advice column "Ask Amy." Readers love her for her honesty and for the fact that her motto is "I make the mistakes so you don't have to." Here, she shares those mistakes and her remarkable story. "Dickinson's irresistible memoir reads like a letter from an upbeat best friend." — Publishers Weekly *** starred review ***
  (Henry Holt)	MENNONITE IN A LITTLE BLACK DRESS: A Memoir of Going Home by Rhoda Janzen Janzen's hilarious and moving memoir about a woman who returns home to her close-knit Mennonite family after a personal crisis. "Wonderfully intelligent and frank... snort-up-your-coffee funny, breezy yet profound, and poetic without trying. I loved this book, and Rhoda Janzen. She is a terrific, pithy, beautiful writer, a reliable, sympathetic narrator and a fantastically good sport." — Kate Christensen, New York Times. "This soulful, affecting first memoir will enchant anyone who has ever gone back home after suffering a setback." — Library Journal *** starred review ***
  (Hyperion)	ANNIE'S GHOSTS: A Journey Into a Family Secret by Steve Luxenberg "A probing, wise and affecting new memoir of family secrets and posthumous absolution... a poignant investigative exercise, full of empathy and sorrowful truth." — Washington Post [A Washington Post Book World “Best Book of the Year"]. "One of the most remarkable books I have ever read . . . From mental institutions to the Holocaust, from mothers and fathers to children and childhood, with its mysteries, sadness, and joy—this book is one emotional ride" — Bob Woodward

• Poetry: New in Paperback (Aisle 2-A)
  

  (Farrar Straus Giroux)	THE SPIRIT LEVEL: Poems by Seamus Heaney Winner of the Costa Book Award, the most prestigious literary prize in the U.K., this is the first book of poems Heaney published after winning the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1995. "Not just a new book but a book with newness in it. It marks a sustained effort, not exactly to unite the two parts of himself and his cultural inheritance but rather to make the line between them more permeable than before." — Nicholas Jenkins, London Times Literary Supplement. "So many of Heaney's poems have become personal lodestones for us that reading this new book is like awakening to an experience both fresh and familiar. . . .Heaney offers a vision that is a powerful tonic against the fin de siecle alienation and solipsism touted by fashionable literary criticism." — Richard Tillinghast, New York Times Book Review
  (Wesleyan University Press)	PLEASURE DOME: New and Collected Poems by Yusef Komunyakaa The winner of the Pulitzer Prize for Poetry in 1994 (as well as the Bronze Star for his service as a war correspondent in Vietnam), Yusef Komunyakaa has become one of America's most compelling poets. Pleasure Dome gathers the poems of over two and a half decades of Komunyakaa's work, including 25 early, uncollected poems and a rich selection of 18 new poems. "[Pleasure Dome] attests to the protean nature of his poetic imagination and skills, his fluent creative energy, and his passion for living the examined life . . . Komunyakaa is emerging as one of the major American poets of our time." — Booklist *** starred review ***
  (Wesleyan University Press)	SILENCE IN THE SNOWY FIELDS by Robert W. Bly A passionate spokesperson for the healing powers of literature and myth, Robert Bly is credited with rejuvenating public interest in poetry and the imaginative arts in late twentieth-century America. Silence in the Snowy Fields, his first book of poems, signaled a new beginning in American poetry in the early 1960s and it immediately put Bly on the literary map, disarming readers and critics with its clear-sighted intelligence and apparent simplicity. Unlike much of the academically based American poetry of its time, Bly's work aimed at a kind of Oriental balance in which human beings participate in but do not dominate nature. Many still find Silence in the Snowy Fields one of Bly's most healing books. It remains his signature volume.

• Young Adult & Juvenile Fiction & Non-Fiction: Just Released (Children's Books Section)
  

  (Little, Brown)	SHIP BREAKER by Paolo Bacigalupi In America's Gulf Coast region, where grounded oil tankers are being broken down for parts, Nailer, a teenage boy, scavenges for copper wiring -- and hopefully lives to see another day. But when he discovers an exquisite clipper ship beached by a hurricane, Nailer faces the most important decision of his life: Strip the ship for all it's worth or rescue its lone survivor, a beautiful and wealthy girl who could lead him to a better life. . . . "Bacigalupi skillfully integrates his world-building into the compelling narrative, threading the backstory into the pulsing action. The characters are layered and complex, and their almost unthinkable actions and choices seem totally credible. Vivid, brutal, and thematically rich." — Booklist *** starred review ***
  (Hyperion)	HEIST SOCIETY by Ally Carter "After a childhood spent assisting her father, one of the world's most talented art thieves, Katarina Bishop tries to leave the family business behind... She quickly discovers, though, that her past is inescapable... A thoroughly enjoyable, cinema-ready adventure, and the details of thieving tools and techniques, lavish settings, and cast of eccentric characters, including possible spies and love interests, all add texture and depth to the action." — Booklist
  (Hyperion)	RED PYRAMID: The Kane Chronicles, Book One by Rick Riordan Egyptologist Dr. Julius Kane enlists his children's help in a midnight "research experiment" at the British Museum and unleashes the Egyptian god Set, who banishes him to oblivion and forces the children to flee for their lives. Carter and Sadie must embark on a dangerous journey across the globe - a quest which brings them ever closer to the truth about their family, and their links to a secret order that has existed since the time of the pharaohs.
  (Harper Teen)	BORDERLINE by Allan Stratton "Fifteen-year-old Sami Sabiri is a typical suburban teen. He is a good student, has a close group of friends, and struggles to live up to his father's expectations. When his dad cancels a planned trip to Toronto with him, Sami begins to suspect he might be having an affair. He checks up on him and unknowingly stirs up a completely different investigation of the man's behavior. Is Sami's dad a terrorist? What ensues is a tautly paced thriller with well-crafted characters and realistic teen dialogue. It is the plausibility of the plotline that makes it, ultimately, so disturbing." — School Library Journal *** starred review ***
  (Harper/Greenwillow)	A CONSPIRACY OF KINGS by Megan Whalen Turner In this companion to the Newbery Honor book The Thief and its sequels, a kidnapped prince fights to reclaim his throne and his country in a sweeping adventure of swords, wits, and subterfuge. "Turner continues her exquisite series with another rich story that examines peace, power, leadership, and loyalty.... the subtlety with which she balances her characters inner and outer worlds will delight both series newcomers and fans, who will be waiting to grab this stand-out, stand-alone adventure, filled with all the expected intrigue and political machinations, from the shelves." — Booklist *** starred review ***
  (William Morrow)	THE DANGEROUS BOOK OF HEROES by Conn Iggulden and David Iggulden Discover great true stories of courage and adventure in this next installment of the blockbuster Dangerous Book for Boys series. Brothers Conn and David Iggulden present their big book of heroes: the men and women who have shaped our lives and inspired generations. This treasure chest of saints, rogues, and champions of causes great and small is filled with names you will surely recognize, such as George Washington and Martin Luther King Jr. and Sir Henry Morgan and Edith Cavell. From Helen Keller and Scott of the Antarctic to Sitting Bull and the passengers of Flight 93, this dangerous book is dedicated to those who dove headfirst into battle, those who made amazing discoveries, and those who moved boundaries in their lifetimes.
  (Scholastic)	DARK LIFE by Kat Falls Set in an apocalyptic future, Dark Life is the harrowing tale of underwater pioneers who have carved out a life for themselves farming the seafloor in the harsh deep-sea environment. "The worldbuilding of countless eco-thrillers serves here as the setting for a classic Western. A Western, that is, with plankton instead of cows, harpoons instead of six-shooters, and submarines instead of covered wagons. This caper features a slew of Western standards—the crabby old doctor ("Doc"), the saloon filled with bandanna-clad thugs, the posse of furious citizens — plot twists keep the tension high. A thrilling conversion of the classics to one of our newer frontiers." — Kirkus Review

• Children's Books: Just Released (Children's Books Section)
  

  (Hyperion)	HIP & HOP, DON'T STOP! by Jef Czekaj Hip is a turtle who raps really slowly. Hop is a bunny who raps superfast. Even though they both live in Oldskool County, neither of them has ever met. When they see a sign for a rap-off, they become fast friends. When the big contest arrives, neither slow nor fast wins the prize. A hip new take on the tortoise and the hare fable, this debut picture book features simple, engaging art that combines elements of comics with those of a traditional picture book.
  (Hyperion)	THE RUNAWAY DOLLS by Ann Matthews Martin & Laura Godwin / Illustrated by Brian Selznick The third book in an enchanting trilogy about some very brave dolls. "Fans of the first two Doll People stories will be thrilled with number three. China doll Annabelle and plastic doll Tiffany are ready for an adventure when the human Palmers leave on a two-week vacation, but when a mysterious box arrives, the dolls discover a baby doll is in inside!" — Kirkus Review *** starred review ***. "The lush illustrations are integral expressions of the novel's spirit. Fast-paced, satisfyingly developed, the book is doubly enjoyable for its foundation in a solidly imagined doll culture." — Publishers Weekly *** starred review ***.
  (Hyperion)	CITY DOG, COUNTRY FROG by Mo Willems / Illustrated by Jon J. Muth In spring, when City Dog runs free in the country for the first time, he spots Country Frog sitting on a rock, waiting for a friend. Together they play Country Frog games. In summer, they meet again and play City Dog games. Through the seasons, whenever City Dog visits the country he runs straight for Country Frog's rock. In winter, things change for City Dog and Country Frog. Come spring, friendship blooms again, a little different this time.
  (Hyperion)	OH NO!: Or How My Science Project Destroyed the World by Mac Barnett / Illustrated by Dan Santat When an overambitious little girl builds a humongous robot for the science fair, she fully expects to win first place. What she doesn't expect is the chaos that follows. Author Mac Barnett and illustrator Dan Santat combine forces to create a hilarious kid's-eye account of the kind of destruction that can come only from a child's good intentions. This book is sure to appeal to kids and parents familiar with the ordeal of science fairs.
  (Knopf)	WHO NEEDS DONUTS? by Mark Alan Stamaty (Writer/Illustrator) Young Sam leaves home to satisfy his craving for donuts, finds a job with a donut collector, and discovers the answer to the question, "Who needs donuts when you've got love?" First published in 1973 and subsequently out of print for nearly 30 years, this zany visual extravaganza will pull you completely into a world you never dreamed of! "The depth of the graphics will surprise and delight readers (who may need a magnifying glass to soak up everything drawn). Exaggerated city scenes with tiny, goofy displays such as "we buy new and used sandwiches; guarantee on all parts" and "please enter through our entrance" pepper the pages." — Children's Literature *** starred review ***.Highly Recommended!

• Fantasy and Science Fiction: New in Paperback (Aisle 2-B)
  

  (Tor)	A GREY MOON OVER CHINA by Thomas A. Day Epic in scope, yet filled with searing human drama and emotion, A Grey Moon Over China is a monumental science fiction saga by an amazing new talent. Army engineer Eduardo Torres stumbles onto the plans for a quantum-energy battery. This remarkable device could slow civilization’s inevitable descent into environmental disaster, but Torres has other plans. Forming a private army, he uses the device to revive an abandoned space colonization effort. "Inventive, disturbing, intriguingly populated, and utterly fascinating: an altogether remarkable debut." — Kirkus Review *** starred review ***. "This well-written, decidedly grim novel is replete with strong, thorny characters, fast-paced action sequences, and rich descriptions of human folly and true heroism." — Publishers Weekly *** starred review ***
  (Del Rey)	ALTERED CARBON by Richard K. Morgan Finally available in mass market paperback — Morgan's acclaimed cyberpunk-noir debut novel that introduces antihero Takeshi Kovacs, a hard-boiled, neurochemically-enhanced ex-U.N. envoy in the dangerous urban world of a future San Francisco. "This seamless marriage of hardcore cyberpunk and hard-boiled detective tale is an astonishing first novel." — London Times. "Enough explosive action to satisfy the most die-hard thriller fan. It's also an extremely well-crafted piece of fiction. . . Elegant prose that lifts even the most gruesome scenes above the ordinary. And there's a depth to this novel, with its strong characterizations and thoughtful treatment of alienation and loss, that one doesn't find in the average thriller." — Victoria Strauss, SF Site *** starred review ***
  (Harper)	THE STRAIN by Guillermo del Toro & Chuck Hogan An epic battle for survival begins between human and vampire in this heart-stopping thriller from the creator of the Academy Award-winning "Pan's Labyrinth" and a Hammett Award-winning writer. "Director Del Toro makes a dramatic splash in his fiction debut, the first volume in a vampires vs. humanity trilogy, coauthored with Hogan (Prince of Thieves). Just as a jumbo jet on a flight from Germany to New York is touching down at JFK, something goes terribly wrong. When Ephraim Goodweather, of the Centers for Disease Control, investigates the darkened plane, he finds all but four passengers and crew dead, drained of blood. . . The authors maintain the suspense and tension throughout in a tour de force." — Publishers Weekly *** starred review ***
  (Harper/Eos)	A CANTICLE FOR LEIBOWITZ by Walter M. Miller Winner of the 1961 Hugo Award for Best Novel and widely considered one of the most accomplished, powerful, and enduring classics of modern speculative fiction, A Canticle for Leibowitz is a true landmark of twentieth-century literature — a chilling and still-provocative look at a post-apocalyptic future. This is a timeless story about apocalyptic cycles, conflicts and similarities between religion and science, religious ethics and secular ethics, sin and redemption, myth and preternatural innocence. Seriously funny, stunning, and tragic, eternally fresh, imaginative, and altogether remarkable, A Canticle for Leibowitz retains its ability to enthrall and amaze. It is now, as it always has been, a masterpiece.
  (Harper)	THE MISSING by Sarah Langan "Langan delivers a powerhouse creepfest that recalls, in the best way possible, the early work of Stephen King. . . When fourth-grade teacher Lois Larkin takes her class on a field trip, they're exposed to a deadly virus that transforms the infected into ravenous, flesh-eating monsters. Rather than stick to zombie lit convention (mindless undead, endless chases), Langan invests her plague with a sinister intelligence of unknown origin, maintaining a skin-crawling tension as the vivid cast of characters succumb to murderous insanity. . . . Langan has the control of a pro, parsing just enough horrific details to allow the truly gruesome scenes to play out unbound in the imagination" — Publishers Weekly *** starred review ***
  (Harper)	THE REPOSSESSION MAMBO by Eric Garcia *** 2010 nominee for the Philip K. Dick Award for Best Novel *** Thanks to the technological miracle of artiforgs, now you can live virtually forever. These nearly indestructible artificial organs are far more reliable and efficient than the cancer-prone lungs and fallible kidneys you were born with - and the Credit Union will be delighted to work out an equitable payment plan. But, of course, if you fall delinquent, one of their dedicated professionals will be dispatched to track you down and take their product back. "Told with such gusto, such a keen sense of time and place that Garcia really makes you feel like you're part of this near-future world. . . you're captivated by the sheer power of the narrative. Another excellent, offbeat, and unique novel from this very talented writer." — Booklist *** starred review ***
  (Harper/Eos)	SANDMAN SLIM by Richard Kadrey A wild and weird, edge-of-your-seat supernatural roller-coaster rider that propels author Richard Kadrey to the forefront of the fantasy, thriller, and a host of other literary genres. This spellbinding, utterly remarkable tale of a vengeful magician/hitman’s return from hell is totally, unabashedly dark, twisted, and hilarious. "A sharp-edged urban fantasy, drenched in blood and cynicism, tipping its hat to Sam Peckinpah, Raymond Chandler, and the anti-heroes of Hong Kong cinema….A bravura performance." — San Francisco Chronicle
  (Tor)	BLOOD SONG by Cat Adams In this fast-paced urban fantasy, Adams introduces readers to a new world full of treachery and action. Tough-as-nails bodyguard Celia Graves protects the rich and famous from ghosts, demons, and other supernatural entities. While guarding the prince of a tiny European country, Celia is caught in a vampire ambush that leaves her wounded and partially transformed. "Adams launches a vibrant new series, Witty dialogue and introspection keep the story flowing. Settle in for a wild ride!" — BOOKreviews Magazine *** Top Pick ***

• Mystery/Crime/Espionage Fiction: New in Paperback (Aisle 2-B)
  

  (Minotaur)	A RULE AGAINST MURDER: A Chief Inspector Gamache Novel by Louise Penny Armand and Reine-Marie Gamache are celebrating their wedding anniversary at Manoir Bellechasse, an isolated, luxurious inn not far from the village of Three Pines. A terrible summer storm leaves behind a dead body and it is up to Chief Inspector Gamache to unearth secrets long buried and hatreds hidden behind polite smiles. The chase takes him into the dark corners of his own life, and finally to a harrowing climax. "Expertly plotted... multiple award-winning Penny paints a vivid picture of the French-Canadian village, its inhabitants, and a determined detective who will strike many Agatha Christie fans as a twenty-first-century version of Hercule Poirot." — Publishers Weekly *** starred review ***. (NOTEWORTHY: This is one of those rare novels that has received unanimous starred reviews from Library Journal, Kirkus Review, Publishers Weekly, and Booklist.)
  (Hyperion)	CHERRY BOMB by J. A. Konrath "Fans of the Jacqueline Daniels series who thought the last book (Fuzzy Navel) was a shocker are in for some major thrills. ...Hands down, this is the best of the Daniels series, which is no small feat, since the previous entries have been uniformly outstanding. ...Konrath is a master of suspense, playing with the reader as his villains play with their victims. Readers will finish this book utterly exhausted, gasping for breath, and wondering, after this, what can possibly be next?" — Booklist *** starred review ***
  (Tor)	I AM NOT A SERIAL KILLER by Dan Wells "Well’s debut, the first in a projected trilogy starring a character who seems the love child of Showtime’s Dexter and F.Paul Wilson’s Repairman Jack, is an unabashedly gory gem…this deft mix of several genres features a completely believable teenage sociopath (with a heart of gold), dark humor, a riveting mystery and enough description of embalming to make any teen squeamish even if they won’t admit it." — Kirkus Review *** starred review ***
  (Harper Perennial)	BLACK WATER RISING by Attica Locke * 2010 Edgar Award Nominee: Best First Novel by an American Author * A brilliant debut thriller that marks the arrival of an electrifying new talent. Years ago, Jay Porter was put on trial for murder when a lone black juror prevented his conviction. Now a struggling lawyer with a client list consisting mostly of call girls, Jay keeps his head down - until a chance encounter with a drowning woman. "A searing portrait of a man struggling to reconcile the bitterness of his life experiences with the idealism of his convictions. ...skillfully deploys the conventions of the thriller while also presenting biting social commentary, a sure sense of place, and soulful characters." — Booklist *** starred review ***
  (Minotaur)	THE TOURIST by Olen Steinhauer An absolutely superb contemporary espionage novel in the great tradition of the old masters of the genre. The Tourist is unquestionably destined to become a classic. When the arrest of a long-sought-after assassin sets off an investigation into one of Milo Weaver's oldest colleagues and exposes new layers of intrigue, the former CIA agent goes back undercover to find out who's holding the strings once and for all. "Superbly accomplished at both plotting and characterization . . . compelling and hard to put down . . . highly recommended" — Library Journal *** starred review ***