5 must-read new books
In search of something good to read? USA TODAY’s Barbara VanDenburgh scopes out the shelves for this week’s hottest book releases.
Barbara VanDenburgh picks the hottest titles.
1. ‘Lost Hills’
by Lee Goldberg (Thomas & Mercer, fiction, on sale Jan. 1)
What it’s about: Eve Ronin becomes the youngest female homicide detective in the Los Angeles County Sheriff ’s Department’s history when a video of her off-duty arrest of a movie star goes viral. She’s desperate to prove her worth to her resentful colleagues, but the crime she’s called to solve is a confounding one: The corpses are missing.
The buzz: “An energetic, resourceful procedural starring a heroine who deserves a series of her own,” Kirkus Reviews says.
2. ‘Such a Fun Age’
by Kiley Reid (G.P. Putnam’s Sons, fiction, on sale Dec. 31)
What it’s about: The young, broke, black babysitter of a privileged white family is accused of kidnapping by a store security guard. The confrontation is caught on tape, and the white family’s blogger mother wants to help make things right. Are her intentions really good ones?
The buzz: “Charming, challenging, and so interesting you can hardly put it down,” says a starred review in Kirkus Reviews.
3. ‘The Wives’
by Tarryn Fisher (Graydon House, fiction, on sale Dec. 30)
What it’s about: Thursday tries hard to be the perfect wife for Seth – even though he has two other wives who live in another city. Thursday knows and accepts this until she learns by chance the name of one of his other wives, and an internet search begins to unravel her image of the man she married.
The buzz: “Suspense fans will be rewarded,” Publishers Weekly says.
4. ‘Tiny Habits: The Small Changes that Change Everything’
by BJ Fogg (Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, nonfiction, on sale Dec. 31)
What it’s about: A behavioral scientist and expert on habit formation offers advice on making big life changes by starting small.
The buzz: “Balancing useful practices … with his own story of personal transformation, Fogg’s convincing method will help any reader reconfigure their habits,” Publishers Weekly says.
5. ‘Love Lettering’
by Kate Clayborn (Kensington Books, fiction, on sale Dec. 31)
What it’s about: This quirky and winning romance pairs a New York woman famous for her lovely hand lettering and a Wall Street mathematician who spots the secret messages hidden in her work.
The buzz: “Fresh, funny, clever, and deeply satisfying,” says a starred review in Kirkus Reviews.