USA TODAY International Edition
Do your Academy Awards homework with ‘ Oscar Wars’
In search of something good to read? USA TODAY’s Barbara VanDenburgh scopes out the shelves for this week’s hottest new book releases. All books are on sale Tuesday.
‘ Oscar Wars: A History of Hollywood in Gold, Sweat, and Tears’
By Michael Schulman ( Harper, nonfiction)
What it’s about: This thorough, fascinating history of the Academy Awards captures the brutal battles, rivalries and behind- the- scenes dramas from the organization’s inception to the slap heard around the world.
The buzz: “This will thrill cinephiles,” says a starred review from Publishers Weekly.
‘ I Have Some Questions for You’
By Rebecca Makkai ( Viking, fiction)
What it’s about: From the author of Pulitzer Prize finalist “The Great Believers” comes a new novel about professor and podcaster Bodie Kane, who’s content to forget her past – and the murder of her boarding school roommate – until the flaws of the case she thought was solved begin to gnaw at her. The buzz: A starred review from Publishers Weekly calls it “a clever and deeply thoughtful story.”
‘ Every Man a King’ By Walter Mosley ( Mulholland, fiction)
What it’s about: In a sequel to the Edgar Award- winning “Down the River Unto the Sea,” Joe King Oliver must investigate a stomach- churning case of a white nationalist who may have been framed for murder. The buzz: Kirkus Reviews calls it “a strong second outing by Mosley’s new hero.”
‘ Wanderlust: An Eccentric Explorer, an Epic Journey, a Lost Age’
By Reid Mitenbuler ( Mariner, nonfiction)
What it’s about: The biography tells the larger- than- life story of eccentric Danish adventurer Peter Freuchen, who survived Arctic expeditions, a Nazi prison camp and devastating injuries.
The buzz: Kirkus Reviews calls it “a colorful, well- researched biography.”
‘ Best Served Hot’
By Amanda Elliot ( Berkley, fiction)
What it’s about: Rival restaurant critics Julie and Bennett grudgingly partner to gin up online buzz, but soon they’re bonding over more than a shared love of food.
The buzz: “Elliot will leave you savoring every last word,” says a starred Kirkus review.