Pamela Anderson, Colleen Hoover tell ‘Heart’-felt stories
In search of something good to read? USA TODAY’S Barbara Vandenburgh scopes out the shelves for this week’s hottest new book releases.
‘Love, Pamela’
By Pamela Anderson (Dey Street, nonfiction)
What it’s about: The “Baywatch” bombshell and Playboy cover girl casts aside the glamorous façade to tell her true story of a small-town girl and nature-loving free spirit, interspersed with original poetry. The buzz: In an early excerpt first shared by Variety, Anderson alleges star Tim Allen flashed her on her first day of filming as Lisa the Tool Time Girl on the “Home Improvement” family sitcom. “I walked out of my dressing room, and Tim was in the hallway in his robe. He opened his robe and flashed me quickly – completely naked underneath.” Allen has since denied the allegation. ‘Reckoning’
By V, formerly Eve Ensler (Bloomsbury, nonfiction)
What it’s about: The feminist playwright known for “The Vagina Monologues” draws prose and poetry from a life’s worth of journals to invite readers inside her life and the personal traumas that inspired her to action. The buzz: A starred review from Kirkus Reviews says, “Deeply felt, thoughtful, and lyrical, the narrative offers a reflection on the connectedness of the personal and political and the need for all humanity to reckon fully with its past in pursuit of a more just world.”
‘Heart Bones’
By Colleen Hoover (Atria, fiction)
What it’s about: Beyah Grim comes from poverty and neglect. Samson is the wealthy guy next door. They shouldn’t have anything in common, but their intense chemistry complicates their casual summer fling.
The buzz: Kirkus Reviews calls it “a thoughtful exploration of how poverty impacts people’s choices and blurs the lines between good and bad behavior.” ‘The In-betweens’
By Davon Loeb (West Virginia University Press, nonfiction, out Feb. 1)
What it’s about: Loeb’s lyrical coming-of-age memoir tells his story of growing up the biracial son of a Black mother and Jewish father in a predominantly white New Jersey suburb.
The buzz: “Engagingly delivered, candid reflections on heritage and identity,” says Kirkus Reviews. ‘Waco Rising: David Koresh, the FBI, and the Birth of America’s Modern Militias
By Kevin Cook
(Henry Holt, nonfiction)
What it’s about: Cook digs into how Koresh’s heavily armed evangelical Branch Davidians and the war they waged against the U.S. government, culminating in a firefight that killed 76 people, paved the way to today’s militia movement.
The buzz: A starred review from Kirkus Reviews calls it “a thorough, engaging work that reminds us of the humanity behind tragedy.”