Child 44 by Smith, Tom Rob Format:  Hardcover (Cloth) Price:  $24.99 Published: Grand Central Publishing, 2008 Inventory Status: Usually Ships in 1-5 days   See all editions of this title. The remarkable achievement of Child 44 is its invocation of a paranoid, brutal Orwellian domain in which society's moral compass is spinning like a roulette wheel. This snowy, bitter world is realized with cinematic vividness, and the plot maintains a nerve-wracking tension throughout. A great thriller for people who don't always read this genre.--Ken A. White, SFSU Bookstore (San Francisco, CA)
	The Host by Meyer, Stephenie Format:  Hardcover (Cloth) Price:  $25.99 Published: Little Brown and Company, 2008 Inventory Status: Usually Ships in 1-5 days   See all editions of this title. Earth's population is slowly being taken over by an alien species who implant themselves in host bodies to stop humanity from destroying itself. One of them finds herself in the body of a rebellious young woman named Melanie, who is determined to reunite with her young brother and her boyfriend at all costs. This multifaceted story that keeps you turning pages until the exciting conclusion.--Holly Frakes, Schuler Books & Music, Inc. (Lansing, MI)
	Bonk: The Curious Coupling of Science and Sex by Roach, Mary Format:  Hardcover (Cloth) Price:  $24.95 Published: W. W. Norton & Company, 2008 Inventory Status: Usually Ships in 1-5 days   See all editions of this title. An absolutely fantastic book that will have you laughing and blushing at the same time! As she did with Spook and Stiff, Mary Roach again uses her wonderful storytelling talents to combine her knowledge of science (this time examining current and historical studies of sex) with the curious and absurd.--Lori Kauffman, Brookline Booksmith (Brookline, MA)
	The Legend of Colton H. Bryant by Fuller, Alexandra Format:  Hardcover (Cloth) Price:  $23.95 Published: Penguin Press, 2008 Inventory Status: Special Order - Subject to Availability   See all editions of this title. Alexandra Fuller's new title is a vivid recounting of the raw and poignant life of a young oil-rig worker in the modern-day American West. Writing about what she knows gives Fuller the ability to develop an unparalleled truthfulness and depth to both her scenes and subjects.--Kathleen Thut, Inkwell Bookstore (Falmouth, MA)
	Skeletons at the Feast by Bohjalian, Chris A. Format:  Hardcover (Cloth) Price:  $25.00 Published: Shaye Areheart Books, 2008 Inventory Status: Usually Ships in 1-5 days   See all editions of this title. Set during the end of World War II, Skeletons at the Feast tells the story of the Emmerichs, a Prussian family who leave their estate and head west to escape the approaching Russian army. Based on the real diaries of a family friend, Bohjalian has captured the horror and senselessness of war as well as the power of friendship, love, and family.--Laura Lucy, White Birch Books (North Conway, NH)
	The God of War by Silver, Marisa Format:  Hardcover (Cloth) Price:  $23.00 Published: Simon & Schuster, 2008 Inventory Status: Usually Ships in 1-5 days   See all editions of this title. Marisa Silver's story of 12-year-old Ares Ramirez, living with his mother and younger brother in a trailer at the edge of the Salton Sea, tells us unvarnished truths about those who are different, whether physically, emotionally, or by virtue of circumstance. The result is a novel that is as true to life as it is unforgettable.--Betsy Burton, The King's English Bookshop (Salt Lake City, UT)
	Peace by Bausch, Richard Format:  Hardcover (Cloth) Price:  $19.95 Published: Alfred A. Knopf, 2008 Inventory Status: Special Order - Subject to Availability   See all editions of this title. This short novel set in Italy in WWII follows a small band of soldiers step by brutal step through one horrendous night. They struggle with torturous elements, an awful ethical dilemma, and an unseen enemy. Bleak and relentless, Peace is an excellent novel about the moment-to-moment, awful reality of war.--Stan Hynds, Northshire Bookstore (Manchester Center, VT)
	The White Tiger by Adiga, Aravind Format:  Hardcover (Cloth) Price:  $24.00 Published: Free Press, 2008 Inventory Status: Usually Ships in 1-5 days   See all editions of this title. The very talented Aravind Adiga's debut novel of chauffer Balram Halwai and his dark rise in society left me just too amazed for words. I knew something of India from other books I have read, but never has any other writer captured the way of life as well as Adiga does in this book, nor conveyed it in such a strong voice.--Ellie Joubert, Bear Pond Books of Montpelier (Montpelier, VT)
	The Plague of Doves by Erdrich, Louise Format:  Hardcover (Cloth) Price:  $25.95 Published: Harper, 2008 Inventory Status: Usually Ships in 1-5 days   See all editions of this title. Louise Erdrich's complex history of the families in a North Dakota, mixed-blood reservation town reveals its secrets slowly through the unique voices of the community. These characters require us to pay attention and to move from psychological and philosophical musing to delightful storytelling full of magic and intrigue. Thoroughly enjoyable.--Kathleen Costello, Maria's Bookshop (Durango, CO)
	So Brave, Young, and Handsome by Enger, Leif Format:  Hardcover (Cloth) Price:  $24.00 Published: Atlantic Monthly Press, 2008 Inventory Status: Usually Ships in 1-5 days   See all editions of this title. Enger again explores the often transparent line between good and bad, focusing his story on characters who fall in the gray in-between. Failed novelist Monte Becket accompanies his friend, Glendon Hale, a former outlaw, to Mexico to find Hale's estranged wife. Their adventures along the way, and the surprising end of their journey, make for an exciting and thought-provoking read.--Erica Caldwell, Present Tense (Batavia, NY)
	1858: Abraham Lincoln, Jefferson Davis, Robert E. Lee, Ulysses S. Grant and the War They Failed to See by Chadwick, Bruce Format:  Hardcover (Cloth) Price:  $24.95 Published: Sourcebooks, 2008 Inventory Status: Usually Ships in 1-5 days   See all editions of this title. By linking the stories of Abraham Lincoln, Jefferson Davis, Robert E. Lee, Ulysses S. Grant, and others, Chadwick creates the historical period at the near-end of the antebellum era. Included is a great portrait of a rather delusional president who is over-confident of his own policies and sure that history will absolve his stands.--Dan Domike, Jackson Street Books (Seattle, WA)
	Belong to Me by de los Santos, Marisa Format:  Hardcover (Cloth) Price:  $24.95 Published: William Morrow & Company, 2008 Inventory Status: Usually Ships in 1-5 days   See all editions of this title. Belong To Me is a portrait of suburban assimilation filled with heart, laughter, and recognition. Marisa de los Santos manages to write about the funny, awkward situations that so many of us have endured, while creating characters as real as your own next-door neighbors.--Danielle Marshall, Powell's Books, Inc (Portland, OR)
	Girls in Trucks by Crouch, Katie Format:  Hardcover (Cloth) Price:  $21.99 Published: Little Brown and Company, 2008 Inventory Status: Usually Ships in 1-5 days   See all editions of this title. This first novel by Katie Crouch turns the high-fallutin' notions of Southern debutante culture on its ear with a dark and frankly sexual tale of awakening. A page-turner by every account, Girls in Trucks blends steamy scenes and heartbreak with an infectious, dreamlike prose, to deliver a graceful work of literature--not to be read while wearing white lace gloves!--Kevin Hunsanger, Green Apple Books (San Francisco, CA)
	The Resurrectionist by O'Connell, Jack Format:  Hardcover (Cloth) Price:  $24.95 Published: Algonquin Books of Chapel Hill, 2008 Inventory Status: Usually Ships in 1-5 days   See all editions of this title. On the surface, The Resurrectionist is a story of just how far a father will go to get his son back. However, this is not the typical missing-child story--it's a soul-searching adventure combined with dark humor, quirky characters, and an alternative world that, at times, seems all too real. The novel is unique and absolutely captivating. My advice to readers: Suspend all disbelief and hang on for the ride!--Nancy Simpson, Book Vault (Oskaloosa, IA)
	The Fourth Man by Dahl, K. O. Format:  Hardcover (Cloth) Price:  $23.95 Published: Minotaur Books, 2008 Inventory Status: Usually Ships in 1-5 days   See all editions of this title. K.O. Dahl's Detective Inspector Frank Frolich is a worthy addition to the Scandinavian sleuths created by Henning Mankell and Arnaldur Indridason. The entire cast of characters is composed of interesting people, in fact, and the plot is strong and original. I'm happy to find a new author for those who prefer mysteries with depth and complexity.--Betsey Detwiler, Buttonwood Books & Toys (Cohasset, MA)
	Olive Kitteridge by Strout, Elizabeth Format:  Hardcover (Cloth) Price:  $25.00 Published: Random House, 2008 Inventory Status: Usually Ships in 1-5 days   See all editions of this title. I have fallen truly, madly, and deeply in love with Olive Kitteridge. The artistry of Strout's craft is awe-inspiring, and the compassion and psychological depth which with these ordinary people are presented simply blew me away. This novel, presented in interlinking stories, serves to remind us that empathy is the true mission of fine fiction.--Andy Lillich, University of Oregon Bookstore (Eugene, OR)
	Unaccustomed Earth by Lahiri, Jhumpa Format:  Hardcover (Cloth) Price:  $25.00 Published: Alfred A. Knopf, 2008 Inventory Status: Usually Ships in 1-5 days   See all editions of this title. Jhumpa Lahiri's new collection of stories overflows with insights about the secrets we can hide. While these stories examine the crossing and commingling of Indian and Western cultures, the feelings of pride, love, and loneliness ring true in any society. They are jewels.--Rosemary Pugliese, Quail Ridge Books & Music (Raleigh, NC)
	Girls Like Us: Carole King, Joni Mitchell, Carly Simon: And the Journey of a Generation by Weller, Sheila Format:  Hardcover (Cloth) Price:  $27.95 Published: Atria Books, 2008 Inventory Status: Usually Ships in 1-5 days   See all editions of this title. Sheila Weller's story of three of the most important women in the history of pop music--Carole King, Joni Mitchell, and Carly Simon--captures the '60s better than any novel, recalling the stories and songs that have become ingrained in the psyche of America's soul. I would rate this book a 98--it has a great beat and you can dance to it.--Jerry Brown, The Bookstore (Radcliff, KY)
	Knockemstiff by Pollock, Donald Ray Format:  Hardcover (Cloth) Price:  $22.95 Published: Doubleday Books, 2008 Inventory Status: Usually Ships in 1-5 days   See all editions of this title. Knockemstiff is one of the best short story collections I've read in years, and, possibly, ever. Pollock somehow manages to portray some of the most damaged characters imaginable in a style that reads at a fast clip while maintaining strong literary skill throughout. Knockemstiff does for dark small-town America what Didion's Play it As it Lays did for 1960s Hollywood.--Katherine Whitfield, Davis-Kidd Booksellers (Memphis, TN)
	The Tenderness of Wolves by Penney, Stef Format:  Trade Paperback Price:  $15.00 Published: Simon & Schuster, 2008 Inventory Status: Usually Ships in 1-5 days   See all editions of this title. Backwoods Canada in the 1860s comes vividly to life in this cinematic historical mystery when a mother sets out in the snowy wilderness to find her son accused of a brutal murder. Penney's screenwriting experience shows in a riveting novel told in powerful short takes.--Marian Nielsen, Orinda Books (Orinda, CA)