FICTION
Released: Dec. 1, 2011
"Passionate, intelligently written, thoroughly entertaining historical fiction."
Wheeler (
The Deliverance, 2003
, etc.) brings to life robber barons, Irish immigrant miners and lost souls among the trash heaps and bawdy houses, headframes and smelters of 1890s Butte, Mont.
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FICTION
Released: Nov. 8, 2011
"What does it all add up to? An indictment of the old Europe, for one thing, and a perplexing, multilayered, attention-holding mystery. Expect it to find many readers."
Eco (
The Mysterious Flame of Queen Loana, 2005, etc.) doffs his scholarly gown and dons his trench coat for another bracing--and controversial--mystery.
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FICTION
Released: Nov. 1, 2011
"Though his scenarios aren't always plausible in strictest terms, King's imagination, as always, yields a most satisfying yarn."
King (
Under the Dome, 2009, etc.) adds counterfactual historian to his list of occupations.
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FICTION
Released: Nov. 1, 2011
"Perhaps the best so far in this consistently fascinating series."
First of a new trilogy set on the world of Terahnar, set hundreds of years before the previous books (Imager's Intrigue, 2010, etc.), where a handful of people have the power to create objects through visualization.
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FICTION
Released: Nov. 1, 2011
"Lighter than lightweight but undeniably fun, largely because Preston is having so much fun herself."
Selecting from her own collection of period mementos, Preston (Gatsby's Girl, 2006, etc.) creates a literal scrapbook for a young New Hampshire woman coming of age in the 1920s.
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FICTION
Released: Nov. 1, 2011
"An authoritative reworking of history, combining a splendid welter of religious and political intrigues with Duncan's typically inventive, deft handling of magic and character-driven action. After some rather inattentive efforts in the past few years, the author is back in top form."
Second installment of the versatile, talented Duncan's latest historical fantasy, following
Speak to the Devil (2010), set in Jorgary, a fictional country in late 15th-century Central Europe.
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FICTION
Released: Nov. 1, 2011
"Encompassing the lives of women in the 20th century, this sprawling saga is tender and satisfying, with a heartbreaking end."
A single tragic event shapes four generations of American women in this accomplished and poignant debut.
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FICTION
Released: Oct. 25, 2011
"Orwellian dystopia, sci-fi, the modern world (terrorism, drugs, apathy, pop novels)--all blend in this dreamlike, strange and wholly unforgettable epic."
"Things are not what they seem." If Murakami's (
After Dark, 2008, etc.) ambitious, sprawling and thoroughly stunning new novel had a tagline, that would be it.
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FICTION
Released: Oct. 18, 2011
Bestselling thriller writer Connolly continues his change-of-pace saga of an ordinary English boy, his loyal dog and their encounters with demons and dark lords in this devilishly entertaining follow-up to
The Gates (2009).
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FICTION
Released: Oct. 11, 2011
"A treat no fan of Discworld--and there are boatloads of them--will want to miss."
Pratchett's new Discworld (
Unseen Academicals, 2009, etc.) novel--the umpteenth, but who's counting?--features the Duke of Ankh, otherwise known as Commander Sir Samuel Vimes of the Ankh-Morpork City Watch, whose estimable wife, Lady Sybil, decrees that they shall take a vacation at her ancestral estate in the country.
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FICTION
Released: Oct. 11, 2011
"A knockout. What at first seems like a polite meditation on childhood and memory leaves the reader asking difficult questions about how often we strive to paint ourselves in the best possible light."
A man's closest-held beliefs about a friend, former lover and himself are undone in a subtly devastating novella from Barnes.
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FICTION
Released: Oct. 11, 2011
"Dazzling work—Eugenides continues to show that he is one of the finest of contemporary novelists."
A stunning novel—erudite, compassionate and penetrating in its analysis of love relationships.
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FICTION
Released: Oct. 5, 2011
"Hard words and harsh trials from a writer who knows all too well the frozen ground he occupies."
Twelve spare, haunting and brutal slices of country noir from the genre's most gifted practitioner.
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FICTION
Released: Oct. 3, 2011
"In rueful, witty, unpredictable and compassionate prose, Enright gives expression to subtle, affecting shades of human interaction."
An adulterous love affair and Ireland's financial collapse overlap in the consistently impressive latest from the Man Booker Prize winner.
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FICTION
Released: Oct. 1, 2011
"A sheer delight."
Distinctive variation on the elves-among-us theme, from the author of
Dark Jenny (2011, etc.).
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FICTION
Released: Oct. 1, 2011
"A beautiful and affecting novel, Tolstoyan in its compassion for humanity."
FICTION
Released: Sept. 20, 2011
"Who'll prevail? We don't know till the very end, thanks to Stephenson's knife-sharp skills as a storyteller. An intriguing yarn--most geeky, and full of satisfying mayhem."
Who lives by the joystick dies by the joystick: Noir futurist Stephenson (
Anathem, 2008, etc.) returns to cyberia with this fast-moving though sprawling techno-thriller.
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FICTION
Released: Sept. 13, 2011
"Likely to be a big book—and, soon, a big movie, with all the franchise trimmings."
Self-assured, entertaining debut novel that blends genres and crosses continents in quest of magic.
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FICTION
Released: Sept. 13, 2011
"Beautifully researched and ripe with symbolism—an enthralling narrative peopled by characters both exotic and real."
Written with extraordinary literary grace, Smith's (The Beautiful Miscellaneous, 2007, etc.) third novel gleams as a gem of evocative historical fiction.
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FICTION
Released: Sept. 8, 2011
"With gorgeous prose, Cohen skillfully takes us from past to present and back again as she explores the ramifications of family loss, grief and longing. "
A mother faces the heartbreaking loss of an infant son, which inevitably changes the family dynamics.
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FICTION
Released: Sept. 7, 2011
"A promising debut--and one guaranteed to draw attention, for it commanded an unusually big advance and will likely be pushed accordingly. Stay tuned."
FICTION
Released: Sept. 2, 2011
"Upon finishing, readers might be tempted to start again, not wanting to let it go."
FICTION
Released: Sept. 1, 2011
"An absorbing finale to a series that has grown richer with every installment."
Final entry in Brennan's historical fantasy series (A Star Shall Fall, 2010, etc.) wherein the Onyx Court, realm of the fae, lies hidden below Queen Victoria's London.
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FICTION
Released: Sept. 1, 2011
"Adiga nails the culture of corruption. How exciting to watch a writer come into his own, surpassing the achievement of his first novel."
Two strong-willed men, a developer and a holdout, propel this gripping second novel about real estate, greed and community in Mumbai (Bombay), India; Adiga won the Man Booker prize for his debut (
The White Tiger, 2008).
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FICTION
Released: Sept. 1, 2011
"Absolutely not to be missed."
Two magicians seeking escape from a demonic plot fall in love in the second volume of an epic fantasy trilogy.
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FICTION
Released: Sept. 1, 2011
"A first-rate thriller; a touch slow to get going, but hard to apply the brakes to once it gets rolling."
Oh, what a tangled web those rhinos weave: South African mystery maven Meyers returns with a complex tale of intrigue and mayhem most satisfying.
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FICTION
Released: Aug. 30, 2011
"Think Mary Higgins Clark with an edge."
FICTION
Released: Aug. 30, 2011
"There's even a happy ending of sorts, as characters adapt and keep going, fortified by the knowledge that they "were more than the sum of what had been taken from" them."
FICTION
Released: Aug. 23, 2011
"Literary language, more introspection than action, much exposition, intelligent speculation about the human condition, all woven through sophisticated storytelling."
FICTION
Released: Aug. 9, 2011
"Fabulous fantasy spiked with bitter adult wisdom--not to be missed."
Now a king in the magical land of Fillory, Quentin embarks on a quest to save the universe in Grossman's searing sequel to
The Magicians (2009, etc.).
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FICTION
Released: Aug. 9, 2011
"A fantastic first novel that asks if the kids are alright, finding answers in the most unexpected places."
The grown children of a couple infamous for their ostentatious performance art are forced to examine their own creativity and flaws in the shadow of their unusual upbringing.
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FICTION
Released: Aug. 9, 2011
"A stellar debut. Waldman's book reflects a much-needed understanding of American paranoia in the post-9/11 world."
The selection of a Muslim architect for a 9/11 memorial stirs a media circus in Waldman's poised and commanding debut novel.
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FICTION
Released: Aug. 2, 2011
"Like La Joconde, Carson's debut novel is set in an elegant frame--a newspaper reporter wrests the amazing story from a dying Valfierno--that still isn't as finely crafted as what lies inside."
A world-class art thief snatches a world-famous masterpiece from under the noses of its guardians in 1911 Paris.
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FICTION
Released: Aug. 2, 2011
"Once again, Box provides the complete suspense package: unobtrusively slick detection, buckets of surprises and mounting thrills, all amid his trademark settings in the majestic high country."
A second standalone from the chronicler of Twelve Sleep County Game Warden Joe Pickett (
Cold Wind, 2011, etc.) takes a Montana cop deep into the wilds of Yellowstone National Park in the hope of protecting his teenaged son from a determined killer.
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FICTION
Released: Aug. 2, 2011
"A triumph."
As Murphy's sixth book for adults (Signed, Mata Hari, 2007, etc.) gets started, a large-animal veterinarian in rural New England faces various small uncertainties: an iffy economy, weird recurrent lights in the night sky, a marriage in which there are minor flare-ups.
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FICTION
Released: Aug. 2, 2011
The Southern California kingpin of the surf-and-drugs thriller should extend his popular domain with this novel.
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FICTION
Released: Aug. 1, 2011
"Near the end, a character refers to the fate of "the dreadful, drab English." There's nothing drab about this dark and compelling novel, although some of its characters are dreadful human beings."
FICTION
Released: July 26, 2011
"It's not every day genre prose gets that kind of polish (Red Cat, 2007, etc.)."
FICTION
Released: July 26, 2011
"A captivating story of loss, forgiveness and ultimate redemption."
Lauren Mahdian believes her father "ruined everything, everything, everything" in Ward's (
Sleep Toward Heaven, 2004, etc.) literary novel.
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FICTION
Released: July 12, 2011
"Protagonist Soo-Ja's story will enthrall in this first-rate literary effort."
FICTION
Released: July 5, 2011
"Dazzling, chilling and brilliant."
Another detective joins the celebrated ranks of Edinburgh's finest, this one with Stross' distinctive science-fictional twist.
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FICTION
Released: July 1, 2011
"A haunting story masterfully told."
LaPlante's literary novel explores uncharted territory, imagining herself into a mind, one slipping, fading, spinning away from her protagonist, a woman who may have murdered her best friend. Dr. Jennifer White lives in the dark, shadowy forest of forgetfulness.
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FICTION
Released: July 1, 2011
"Readers who wear pacemakers will want to check their batteries before they open the book."
Inspired by the death of the author's nephew, this is a grim psychological thriller sure to shock readers.
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FICTION
Released: July 1, 2011
"Thoughtfully haunting and sometimes beautifully written, the first of Hjelm's cases to be translated into English is likely to resonate with readers of the Stieg Larsson trilogy."
FICTION
Released: July 1, 2011
"Buzzelli will have you packing your bags for a move to northern Michigan in the hope that you'll find a friend as appealing as Emily and a dog as lovable as Sorrow."
FICTION
Released: July 1, 2011
"The rare crime novel with something for everyone who reads crime fiction."
A second mind-bending case for Ann Arbor editor David Loogan that begins just as simply and ominously and takes the reader on just as wild a journey.
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FICTION
Released: June 30, 2011
"A fine collection of stories."
Following his dazzling debut, Ross drops seven more doses of disquieting fears and misleading hopes.
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FICTION
Released: June 21, 2011
"Written with piercing beauty, alive with moral passion and sorrowful insight--a rueful masterpiece."
In his magnificent first novel, poet Majmudar (
O°, O°, 2009) embodies the terrible days following the partition of India and Pakistan in the stories of four refugees from sectarian violence.
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FICTION
Released: June 21, 2011
"Think Hemingway or Jim Harrison, and know that Ray's collection is the deserving winner of the Bread Loaf Writers' Conference Bakeless Prize."
Ray's stories resonate hard and clear, very much word images reflecting the Montana setting of the collection.
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FICTION
Released: June 9, 2011
"To read this novel is to enter a Borgesian rabbit hole--it's a fiction that purports to tell the truth obscured by another fiction--yet its strangeness helps make it both brave and engaging."
An ambitious picaresque tale about civil war, love, propaganda and the Panama Canal, delivered with verve and wit.
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