This list emphasizes fiction that centers on everyday women and their lives… often featuring eccentric characters. They range in style, time period, and setting. Some dwell on race relations—others are more geared toward women’s friendships.

Berg, Elizabeth. We Are All Welcome Here. (2006) ISBN: 9780812971002 $15.00 pbk
Set in Tupelo, Mississippi during the summer of 1964, 13-year-old Diana butts heads with an African-American caregiver helping her to look after her mother, who has been paralyzed since she contracted polio shortly before Diana was born.

Blake, Sarah. The Postmistress. (2010) ISBN: 9780425238691 $15.00 pbk
The stories of a small Cape Cod postmistress and an American radio reporter stationed in London collide on the eve of the US’s entrance into WWII, a meeting that is shaped by a broken promise to deliver a letter. Also appeals to fans of Guernsey Literary & Potato Peel Pie Society.

Cook, Claire. The Wildwater Walking Club. (2009) ISBN: 1401341233 $13.99 pbk
This is a character-driven and witty novel in which friendship is a main topic. Three women who are neighbors share their struggles with unfaithful men, rebellious children, and parental expectations while taking long walks near their homes on Wildwater Way.

Devoto, Pat C. The Summer We Got Saved. (2005) ISBN: 9780446697156 $21.99 pbk
While Tab Rutland secretly learns about the Civil Rights movement from her aunt, her African American friend Maude helps her Alabama neighbors prepare for voter registration, and her father considers going against his fellow farmers and voting against George Wallace in the upcoming election.

Feldman, Ellen. Next to Love. (2011) ISBN: 9780812992717 $25.00 HC
Follows the stories of three young couples whose lives are irrevocably changed in the years following World War II, a period during which they struggle with difficult losses and witness profound transformations in American culture.

Jordan, Hillary. Mudbound. (2008) ISBN: 9781565126770 $13.99 pbk
Laura McAllan, a white woman and her family move to a Mississippi farm after WWII to endure a life of privation made worse when her racist father-in-law moves in with them. When Laura’s nephew, a veteran, befriends another veteran – a black man – tragedy ensues.

Marshall, Bev. Right as Rain. (2004) ISBN: 9780345468420 $13.95 pbk
A book that explores issues arising from racial and class boundaries in the South from the 1940s to the 1960s, using interracial friendships to portray challenges to the white-dominated class structure. This is fast-paced, moving Literary or Domestic fiction set in the mid-twentieth century American South. The author also uses strong female characters to explore issues of race, class, and gender within communities undergoing profound societal changes.

Mayhew, Anna Jean. The Dry Grass of August. (2011) ISBN: 9780758254092 $15.00 pbk
A white teenage girl discovers the effects of racism on black women in the mid-1950s South.

Naslund, Sena Jeter. Four Spirits. (2003) ISBN: 006093669X $14.95 pbk
In the wake of racial tensions in 1960s Alabama, sheltered white college student Stella participates in her first freedom movement and finds her life changed in several ways when she develops friendships with local African Americans.

Nicholas, Denise. Freshwater Road. (2005) ISBN: 9781416571230 $7.99 pbk
Celeste Tyree, a black 19-year-old college student, travels to Mississippi to take part in the 1964 summer campaign to register disenfranchised African American voters.

Smith, Lee. The Last Girls. (2002) ISBN: 9780345464958 $15.00 pbk
Smith builds this absolutely inviting, completely compelling novel around the idea that “whatever you’re like in your youth, you’re only more so with age.” Thirty-five years after a trip down the Mississippi on a raft with their classmates, four women are reunited to cruise the river once again where they plan to release the ashes of a fellow rafter, Margaret “Baby” Ballou.

Stefaniak, Mary Helen. The Califfs of Baghdad, Georgia. (2010) ISBN: 9780393341133 $15.95 pbk
In this inventive and comic story, eleven-year-old Gladys Califf and her Depression-era community are turned upside down when a worldly teacher, who is fascinated with all things Arabian, moves into the small town. Though set a generation earlier and in a different sociological stratum, this novel should appeal to fans of The Help.

Umrigar, Thrity. The Space Between Us. (2006) ISBN: 9780062067890 $16.99 pbk
In contemporary India, housewife Sara and her maid Bhima see each other through the ups and downs of marriage and motherhood, until a secret is exposed and they can no longer ignore the class line drawn between them.

Murray, Alison. Apple Pie ABC. (2010) ISBN 9781423136941 $16.99 HC
When an apple pie arrives piping hot on the kitchen table, a little pup does everything from A to Z to get his paws on it. He Ogles it. He Pines for it. But will his ABC antics land him a slice? Apple Pie ABC is a delicious twist on traditional verse brought to life by Alison Murray’s simple words and whimsical illustrations. Sure to delight readers of all ages, it’s a book to savor again and again.

Lichtenheld, Tom and Ezra Fields-Meyer. E-Mergency. (2011) ISBN 9780811878982 $16.99 HC
So often it’s the simplest ideas that are the best—and the funniest. In this alphabetically audacious romp, the letter E has an accident, and while it is recovering, the letter O takes its place (with comodic rosults). The pages are jam-packed with so many linguistic puns, acronyms, and jokes that readers may not realize how much they’re learning about language along the way. Throo choors!

Fisher, Valorie. Everything I Need to Know Before I’m Five. (2011) ISBN 9780375868658 $17.99 HC
Everything? Believe it. Fisher introduces readers to a wealth of concepts—numbers, letters, colors, shapes, weather, and more—and does so using cleverly composed photographic tableaus made up of vintage toys, knickknacks, thrift-store finds, and other odds and ends. This book is thorough, fun, and as one-of-a-kind as the objects that fill its pages.

Smith, Lane. Grandpa Green. (2011) ISBN 9781596436077 $16.99 HC
This may be Smith at his most earnest—a boy wanders through his great-grandfather’s topiary garden, the sculpted hedges reflecting the elder’s story, from a rural childhood to war and finding love. Grandpa Green isn’t dead, but he is in decline, and Lane’s young narrator serves as a poignant reminder that the things we create—stories, memories, art (in whatever form it might take)—endure long after we do.

Willems, Mo. Hooray for Amanda and Her Alligator! (2011) ISBN 9780062004000 $17.99 HC
Willems excels at putting his audience first, and the six and a half stories that make up this pitch-perfect collection are no exception. Friendship is friendship, whether with another child or with a blue toy alligator, and Willems treats the highs and lows of Amanda and her alligator’s relationship with honesty and humor, evoking such classic pairings as Charlie Brown and Snoopy or Calvin and Hobbes.

Klassen, Jon. I Want My Hat Back. (2011) ISBN 9780763655983 $16.99 HC
With deadpan humor and a hint of wickedness, illustrator Klassen makes his debut as an author with the deceptively simple story of a bear who just wants to find his missing hat. Don’t let the pared-down art and narration fool you: a wealth of emotion and personality hides behind the deadened eyes of Klassen’s woodland creatures, from anxiety to rage, stupefaction to satisfaction.

Castillo, Lauren. Melvin and the Boy. (2011) ISBN 9780805089295 $16.99 HC
When a little boy sees a turtle basking in the sun at the park, he thinks he’s found the perfect pet. But when they get home, the boy soon discovers that the only time the turtle comes out of his shell is at bath time. Is it possible that the turtle would be happiest back in the pond? After all, it’s always bath time there! Lauren Castillo’s beautiful art gives this gentle story about finding the right pet–and, in the end, doing what’s right for that pet—a timeless, classic feel.

Burkert, Rand and Nancy Eckholm Burkert. Mouse & Lion. (2011) ISBN 9780545101479 $17.95 HC
Retellings of the classic Aesop’s fable of good deeds rewarded are legion, but few are as elegantly and richly conceived as this mother-son collaboration. To say that the naturalistic and astonishingly detailed illustrations bring the African savannah to life hardly does them justice—paired with the story’s spare prose, each spread forms an intimate, perfectly framed vignette, charged with emotion.

Dean, James and Eric Litwin. Pete the Cat: I Love My White Shoes. (2010) ISBN 9780061906220 $16.99 HC
Pete the Cat goes walking down the street wearing his brand new white shoes. Along the way, his shoes change from white to red to blue to brown to WET as we steps in piles of strawberries, blueberries and other big messes! But no matter what color his shoes are are, Pete keeps movin’ and groovin’ and singing his song…because it’s all good.

Tullet, Hervé. Press Here. (2011) ISBN 9780811879545 $14.99 HC
If Lane Smith’s It’s a Book was last year’s rallying cry in defense of the printed book, 2011 belongs to Tullet’s elementally simple and playfully interactive offering, which invites readers to press, shake, and turn it—and see the results on the next page. Let the apps proliferate: books like this prove that there will always be a place for smart, well-executed, and proudly low-tech picture books.

Sayre, April Pulley. Rah, Rah, Radishes! A Vegetable Chant. (2011) ISBN 9781442421417 $15.99 HC
Know any kids who don’t like veggies? Here is a book that’s sure to change their hungry minds! With a raucous rhyming text, Rah, Rah Radishes celebrates fresh vegetables, nature’s bright colors, and the joy of healthy eating. The book’s interactive spirit encourages kids to join in on the read-aloud fun, and little ones won’t be able to resist the book’s vibrant photographs–they’re a feast for the eyes!

Nolan, Dennis. Sea of Dreams. (2011) ISBN 9781596434707 $16.99 HC
Wordless stories have a magic all their own, and that’s especially true of Nolan’s maritime fantasy, in which a child’s sand castle is besieged by the tide, setting in motion a dramatic escape for the miniature family that lives within. Nolan’s lush spreads provide abundant ammunition for readers’ imaginations, giving them an enchanting world in which to lose themselves.

Savage, Stephen. Where’s Walrus? (2011) ISBN 9780439700498 $16.99 HC
A triumph of design, Savage’s wordless game of cat-and-mouse (or rather walrus-and-zookeeper) demonstrates how much one can do with a few simple forms, some repetition, and an effortlessly charming tusked hero. The delight comes not from finding Walrus (that’s easy), but in seeing the ways in which his swoopy gray curves mimic the mannequins, firemen, and can-can dancers he tries to blend in with.

*A special Thank You to Stephanie Tournas for this list*

Banks, Tyra. Modelland. (2011) ISBN 9780385740593 $17.99 HC
Thrown into a world where she does not seem to belong, awkward fifteen-year-old Tookie De La Creme is invited to join the most exclusive modeling school in the world, where she must survive the beastly Catwalk Corridor and the terrifying Thigh-High Boot Camp in order to uncover Modelland’s sinister secrets. Great for teens interested in modeling or looking for the dark underbelly of the business. Also good for someone who likes a wildly gonzo fantasy- like Hunter S. Thompson tackling the subject.

Beaton, Kate. Hark! A Vagrant. (2011) ISBN 9781770460607 $19.95 HC
For teens interested in history, or for parents trying to get teens interested in history, this wildly hilarious graphic novel will make readers laugh, then go look up the people in the strips to find out the real story. The book is a collection of Beaton’s webcomic of the same name.

Collins, Suzanne. Hunger Games Trilogy. (2011) ISBN 9780545265355 $53.97 HC set
All three books of the trilogy: The Hunger Games, Catching Fire, and Mockingjay together in hardcover. Read the series before the movie comes out, or give to the teen who needs their own set!

Johnson, Maureen. The Name of the Star. (2011) ISBN 9780399256608 $16.99 HC
Nerdfighters, rejoice! The new series from the author of the Little Blue Envelope books is here! The day Louisiana teenager Rory Deveaux arrives in London marks a memorable occasion. For Rory, it’s the start of a new life at a London boarding school. But for many, this will be remembered as the day a series of brutal murders broke out across the city, gruesome crimes mimicking the horrific Jack the Ripper in the autumn of 1888. Soon “Rippermania” takes hold of modern-day London, and the police are left with few leads and no witnesses. Except one. Rory spotted the man police now believe to be the prime suspect. But she is the only one who saw him. Even her roommate, who was with her at the time, didn’t notice the mysterious man. So why can only Rory see him? And more urgently, why has Rory become his next target? In this edge-of-your-seat thriller, full of suspense, humor, and romance, Rory will learn the truth about the secret ghost police of London and discover her own shocking abilities.

Lu, Marie. Legend. (2011) ISBN 9780399256752 $17.99 HC
For fans of The Hunger Games looking for their next obsession—here is the start of an epic new trilogy. What was once the western United States is now home to the Republic, a nation perpetually at war with its neighbors. Born into an elite family in one of the Republic’s wealthiest districts, fifteen-year-old June is a prodigy being groomed for success in the Republic’s highest military circles. Born into the slums, fifteen-year-old Day is the country’s most wanted criminal. But his motives may not be as malicious as they seem. From very different worlds, June and Day have no reason to cross paths – until the day June’s brother, Metias, is murdered and Day becomes the prime suspect. Caught in the ultimate game of cat and mouse, Day is in a race for his family’s survival, while June seeks to avenge Metias’s death. But in a shocking turn of events, the two uncover the truth of what has really brought them together, and the sinister lengths their country will go to keep its secrets. Full of nonstop action, suspense, and romance, this novel is sure to move readers as much as it thrills.

Meloy, Colin. Wildwood. (2011) ISBN 9780062024688 $17.99 HC
When her baby brother is kidnapped by crows, seventh-grader Prue McKeel ventures into the forbidden Impassable Wilderness–a dangerous and magical forest in the middle of Portland, Oregon–and soon finds herself involved in a war among the various inhabitants. Gorgeous illustrations paired with Decemberist front-man Meloy’s magical prose.

Orloff, Erica. Illuminated. (2011) ISBN 9780142413760 $7.99 pbk
Part historical fiction, part modern teen romance. When sixteen-year-old Callie Martin finds an antique diary hidden in a book, she’s pulled into the doomed romance of Heloise and Abelard. The diary leads her to the brilliant and handsome August, who is just as mysterious as the secret the diary hides. As the two hunt down the truth behind the diary their romance becomes all-consuming. But Callie knows it can’t last, because love never does. Will their love that burns as bright as a shooting star flame out, or will these star-crossed lovers be able to defy history?

Paolini, Christopher. Inheritance. (2011) ISBN 9780375856112 $27.99 HC
The final book of the series that began with Eragon is finally here! Not so very long ago, Eragon—Shadeslayer, Dragon Rider—was nothing more than a poor farm boy, and his dragon, Saphira, only a blue stone in the forest. Now the fate of an entire civilization rests on their shoulders.

Reid, Kimberly. My Own Worst Frenemy: a Langdon Prep novel. (2011) ISBN 9780758267405 $9.95 pbk
Great for teens looking for a new mystery series, or fans of the Gossip Girls or Clique books! Chanti Evans moves from the streets of Detroit to the exclusive Langdon prepatory school, where her upbringing immediately makes her a suspect in the string of thefts occurring on campus, and she must find the culprit and clear her name.

Sandler, Karen. Tankborn. (2011) ISBN 9781600606625 $17.95 HC
Science-fiction dystopia for teens wanting to engage with ideas about what it means to be human.
Best friends Kayla and Mishalla know they will be separated when the time comes for their Assignments. They are GENs, Genetically Engineered Non-humans, and in their strict caste system, GENs are at the bottom rung of society, and sent to work as slaves as soon as they reach fifteen. When Kayla is Assigned to care for the patriarch of a trueborn family, she finds a host of secrets and surprises. Meanwhile, the children that Mishalla is Assigned to care for are being stolen in the middle of the night. With the help of an intriguing lowborn boy, Mishalla begins to suspect that something horrible is happening to them. Both girls must put their lives and hearts at risk to crack open a sinister conspiracy, one that may reveal secrets no one is ready to face.

Sherman, Delia. The Freedom Maze. (2011) ISBN 9781931520300 $16.95 HC
For any teenage fans of The Help, this time travel story from the Jim Crow-era South back to the time of slavery will captivate and enchant. Thirteen-year-old Sophie isn’t happy about spending summer at her grandmother’s old house in the Bayou. But the house has a maze Sophie can’t resist exploring once she finds it has a secretive and playful inhabitant. When she makes an impulsive wish, she slips one hundred years into the past, to the year 1860. Once she makes her way, bedraggled and tanned, to what will one day be her grandmother’s house, she is taken for a slave.

Stiefvater, Maggie. The Scorpio Races. (2011) ISBN 9780545224901 $17.99 HC
From the author of the Wolves of Mercy Falls trilogy, a great pick for teens who read The Hunger Games last year. Some race to win. Others race to survive. It happens at the start of every November: the Scorpio Races. Riders attempt to keep hold of their water horses long enough to make it to the finish line. Some riders live. Others die. At age nineteen, Sean Kendrick is the returning champion. He is a young man of few words, and if he has any fears, he keeps them buried deep, where no one else can see them. Puck Connolly is different. She never meant to ride in the Scorpio Races. But fate hasn’t given her much of a choice. So she enters the competition – the first girl ever to do so. She is in no way prepared for what is going to happen.

Taylor, Laini. Daughter of Smoke and Bone. (2011) ISBN 9780316134026 $18.99 HC
Karou is a seventeen-year-old art student with a most unusual family. From his desk in a dusty, otherworldly shop, her mysterious, monstrous father sends her on errands across the globe, collecting teeth for a shadowy purpose. On one such errand, Karou encounters an angel, and soon the mysteries of her life and her family are unraveled–with consequences both beautiful and dreadful. National Book Award finalist Laini Taylor has created a lushly imaginative, fully realized world in Daughter of Smoke and Bone. Taylor’s writing is as sumptuous as poetry, and the story overflows with dark and delightful magic, star-crossed love, and difficult choices with heartbreaking repercussions. Readers of all ages will be utterly enchanted.

Van Allsburg, Chris (editor). The Chronicles of Harris Burdick: fourteen amazing authors tell the tales. (2011) ISBN 9780547548104 $24.99 HC
Van Allsburg’s Harris Burdick illustrations have evoked such wonderment and imagination since Harris Burdick’s original publication in 1984; many have speculated or have woven their own stories to go with his images. This inspired collection of short stories features many remarkable, best-selling authors in the worlds of both adult and children’s literature: Sherman Alexie, M.T. Anderson, Kate DiCamillo, Cory Doctorow, Jules Feiffer, Stephen King, Tabitha King, Lois Lowry, Gregory Maguire, Walter Dean Myers, Linda Sue Park, Louis Sachar, Jon Scieszka, Lemony Snicket, and Chris Van Allsburg himself.

Chabon, Michael. Manhood for Amateurs: The Pleasures and Regrets of a Husband, Father and Son. (2009) ISBN: 9780061490194 $14.99 pbk
The author questions what it means to be a man today in a series of interlinked autobiographical reflections, regrets, and reexaminations, each sparked by an encounter in the present that holds some legacy of the past.

Sibley, David Allen. The Sibley Guide to Birds. (2000) ISBN: 9780679451228 $39.95 pbk
Presents an amazing identification guide to North American birds with paintings of hundreds of species and information on bird calls, stages of growth, shapes, markings, ranges, migration routes, breeding locations, and habitats.

Books about Books and Reading

Conroy, Pat. My Reading Life. (2010) ISBN: 9780385533577 $25.00 HC
Bestselling author Pat Conroy acknowledges the books that have shaped him and celebrate the profound effect reading has had on his life.

Corrigan, Maureen. Leave Me Alone, I’m Reading; Finding and Losing Myself in Books. (2007) ISBN: 9780375709036 $14.95
A lifelong book lover and NPR book critic speaks out on the authors and the books that have played a key role in her life, exploring how the magic of reading has helped her understand herself and reflecting on how a love of literature can help transform our lives.

Fadiman, Anne. Ex-Libris: Confessions of a Common Reader. (1998) ISBN: 9780374527228 $12.00 pbk
Perfect for any booklover–A collection of essays discusses the central and joyful importance of books and reading in the author’s life.

Essays and other Short Nonfiction

Best American Essays 2011. ed. Edwidge Danticat. (2011) ISBN: 978-0547479774 $14.95 pbk

—.The Greatest Science Stories Never Told (2009) ISBN: 0061626961 $19.99 HC
—.The Greatest Presidential Stories Never Told (2007) ISBN: 9780060760182 $18.99 HC
—.The Greatest War Stories Never Told (2005) ISBN: 9780060760175 $18.99 HC
—.The Greatest Stories Never Told (2003) ISBN: 9780060014018 $18.99 HC

Bender, Mike. Awkward Family Photos. (2010) ISBN 9780307592293 $15.00
Hysterical real pictures from the country’s most embarrassing family photo albums.

Benson, Richard. F in Exams: the Very Best Totally Wrong Test Answers. (2011) ISBN 9780811878319 $9.95 pbk

Birmingham, Duncan. Pets Who Want to Kill Themselves: Over 150 Suicidal Pets! (2009) ISBN 9780307589880 $10.00
More frightfully embarrassing photos from people who can’t stop putting costumes on their pets.

Black, Lewis. I’m Dreaming of a Black Christmas. (2010) ISBN 9781594485428 $12.95 pbk
The popular comedian presents rants and anecdotes on the Christmas season, including shopping for presents, large holiday dinners, and visiting relatives. Great for the Scrooges in your life.

Mankoff, Robert, ed. The Complete Cartoons of the New Yorker (2006) ISBN: 9781579126209 $35.00 pbk
Eighty-two years of New Yorker cartoons that The New York Times has called “indispensable” and “a transfixing study of American mores and manners that happens to incorporate boundless laughs, too.” Large, well-laid-out, coffee-table-style paperback.

Miller, Brian. The Ugly Christmas Sweater Party Book : The Definitive Guide to Getting Your Ugly On. (2011) ISBN 9780810997523 $16.95
Ugly Christmas sweaters from your family? Celebrate them!

Sedaris, David. Holidays on Ice. (2008) ISBN 9780316078917 $10.00 pbk
An hilarious anthology of Christmas tales and essays features excerpts from the author’s Barrel Fever and Naked, as well as The Santaland Diaries, Season’s Greetings to Our Friends and Family, and a new tale of holiday mayhem.

Yates, Jen. Cake Wrecks: When Professional Cakes Go Spectacularly Wrong. (2009) ISBN 9780740785375 $15.00
Catastrophically funny baking disasters from cake designers who should know better.

Burke, Tim. The Paradiso Files: On the Trail of Boston’s Unknown Serial Killer. (2008) ISBN: 9781586421496 $16.95 pbk
Former Boston prosecutor Burke makes his case against Leonard Paradiso, whom Burke believes was The Quahog, a serial killer who operated undetected for nearly 15 years, and who is responsible for the deaths of as many as seven young women in New England.

Capuzzo, Mike. The Murder Room: The Heirs of Sherlock Holmes Gather to Solve the World’s Most Perplexing Cold Cases. (2010) ISBN: 9781592406357 $17.00 pbk
Documents the efforts of the Vidocq Society, an elite trio of gifted investigators, to solve such notorious cold cases as those of JonBenet Ramsey, the Butcher of Cleveland, and Jack the Ripper, and details their work with the world’s top forensic scientists.

Carr, Howie. The Brothers Bulger: How They Terrorized and Corrupted Boston for a Quarter Century. (2006) ISBN: 9780446618885 $9.99 pbk
“A portrait of Boston’s infamous Bulger brothers, Whitey and Billy–one as the city’s most feared mobster, the other as a power in the Massachusetts State Senate.”–Provided by publisher.

East, Elyssa. Dogtown: Death and Enchantment in a New England Ghost Town. (2009) ISBN: 9781416587057 $15.00 pbk
Tells the real-life tale of a wilderness ghost town in Gloucester, Massachusetts, that has inspired artists and writers, and evaluates the paranormal phenomena attributed to the area and the details surrounding the 1984 murder of a schoolteacher.

Lehr, Dick & Gerald O’Neill. Black Mass: A true Story of an Unholy Alliance Between the F.B.I. and the Irish Mob. (2001) ISBN: 9780060959258 $15.99 pbk
Explores the relationship between FBI agent John Connolly and Irish mob boss James “Whitey” Bulger, chronicling a corrupt arrangement of information, racketeering, and murder.

Bernstein, Joshua M. Brewed Awakening: behind the beers and brewers leading the world’s craft brewing revolution. (2011) ISBN 9781402778643 $15.32
A fascinating tour through the world of innovative local craft beers, explaining how it’s done, and what to look for.

Hamilton, Gabrielle. Blood, Bones and Butter: the inadvertent education of a reluctant chef. (2011) ISBN 9781400068722 $15.60
Owner and chef of New York’s Prune restaurant, Hamilton also happens to be a trained writer (M.F.A., University of Michigan) and fashions an addictive memoir of her unorthodox trajectory to becoming a chef.

Oliver, Garrett. The Oxford Companion to Beer. (2011) ISBN 9780195367133 $39.00
The first major reference work to investigate the history and vast scope of beer, it features more than 1,100 A-Z entries written by 166 of the world’s most prominent beer experts. Attractively illustrated with over 140 images.

Mueller, Tom. Extra Virginity: the sublime and scandalous world of olive oil. (2011) ISBN 9780393070217 $16.09
An olive oil expert takes you on a journey through the highs and lows of an industry that produces one of the world’s most popular products, but one that also has its share of corruption.

Gopnik, Adam. The Table Comes First: family, France and the meaning of food. (2011) ISBN 9780307593450 $15.09
A beguiling journey in search of that meaning as he charts America’s recent and rapid evolution from commendably aware eaters to manic, compulsive gastronomes. Fans of Gopnik’s bestseller Paris to the Moon should also enjoy this latest work.

Zraly, Kevin. The Ultimate Wine Companion: The Complete Guide to Understanding Wine by the World’s Foremost Wine Authorities. (2010) ISBN 9781402776663 $12.76
The finest wine writers of the last 50 years to explain everything you need to know about wine, including decanting, tasting, grapes, matching food and wine, winemaking, sustainable vineyards, the various wine countries and regions, terroir, and more.

Hughes, Holly. Best Food Writing 2011. (2011) ISBN 9780738215181 $10.88
Authoritatively assembles the finest culinary prose from the past year’s books, magazines, newspapers, newsletters, and websites, featuring both established food writers, rising stars), and some literary surprises.

Condie, Allyson Braithwaite. Matched. (2010) Matched Trilogy; bk.1 ISBN: 9780142419779 $9.99 pbk
A tale of love and the power of freedom of choice in a dystopia disguised as utopia. In a futuristic world in which everyone is assigned their one “perfect” spouse, a “match” calculated to produce life-long happiness and health, Cassia discovers that there are two young men who could be her match. When she falls in love with the one who is not officially approved, her faith in her perfect society begins to disintegrate. A coming of age story with philosophical overtones. Followed by Crossed (2011) bk. 2 ISBN: 9780525423652 $17.99 HC

Doctorow, Cory. Little Brother. (2008) ISBN: 9780765323118 $9.99 pbk
After being interrogated for days by the Department of Homeland Security in the aftermath of a major terrorist attack on San Francisco, California, seventeen-year-old Marcus, released into what is now a police state, decides to use his expertise in computer hacking to set things right.

Ness, Patrick. The Knife of Never Letting Go. (2008) Chaos Walking, bk.1 ISBN: 9780763645762 $9.99 pbk
Pursued by power-hungry Prentiss and mad minister Aaron, young Todd and Viola set out across New World searching for answers about his colony’s true past and seeking a way to warn the ship bringing hopeful settlers from Old World. Followed by The Ask and the Answer (2009), Monsters of Men (2010), all $9.99 pbk

Ryan, Carrie. The Forest of Hands and Teeth. (2009) Trilogy; bk.1 ISBN: 9780385736824 $9.99 pbk
Through twists and turns of fate, orphaned Mary seeks knowledge of life, love, and especially what lies beyond her walled village and the surrounding forest, where dwell the Unconsecrated, aggressive flesh-eating people who were once dead. Followed by The Dead-Tossed Waves (2010) bk.2 ISBN: 9780385736855 $8.99 pbk & The Dark and Hollow Places (2011) bk.3 ISBN: 9780385738590 $17.99 HC

Westerfeld, Scott. Uglies. (2005) series bk.1 ISBN: 9781442419810 $9.99 pbk
Just before their sixteenth birthdays, when they will be transformed into beauties whose only job is to have a great time, Tally’s best friend runs away and Tally must find her and turn her in, or never become pretty at all. Followed by Pretties (2005), Specials (2006), Extras (2007), all $9.99 pbk
—Bogus to Bubbly: An Insider’s Guide to the Uglies. (2008) ISBN: 9781416974369 $8.99 pbk
This guide to the series peels back the layers of the world, history, people, and places.

Historical

Page, Sharon. Engaged in Sin. (2011) ISBN 9780440244912 $7.99 pbk
Steamy. Lovely, poised Anne Beddington is alone, penniless and in a desperate situation: on the run for a crime she didn’t commit. Anne understands the wicked games she must play to survive, but has she sufficiently mastered the art of seduction to become the mistress of the notorious Duke of March?

Hoyt, Elizabeth. Scandalous Desires. (2011) ISBN 9780446558938 $7.99 pbk
Steamy. Successful and charming river pirate Mickey O’Connor is a man who gets what he wants, but his pursuit of widowed Silence Hollingbrook is complicated by a threat from a merciless enemy.

Kramer, Kieran. If You Give a Girl a Viscount. (2011) ISBN 9780312374044 $7.99 pbk
Steamy. Tired of his wealth-seeking female admirers, Viscount Lumley falls victim to his meddling godmother’s latest matchmaking scheme when she introduces him to the lovely Ella.

McCarty, Monica. The Viper. (2011) A Highland Guard Novel, bk.4. ISBN 9780345528391 $7.99 pbk
Steamy. Tasked to protect and deliver Bella MacDuff to the king’s coronation, Lachlan “Viper” MacRuairi, a lethal warrior who is only loyal to his purse, agrees to help this passionate countess reclaim her daughter and her freedom–for a price.

Ranney, Karen. Scottish Love. (2011) ISBN 9780062027788 $7.99 pbk
Steamy. Shona Imrie should have agreed to Gordon MacDermond’s proposal of marriage seven years ago before he went off to war and returned a national hero, but the proud Scottish lass would accept no man’s charity. Now she faces disgrace, poverty, and a life spent alone for her steadfast refusal to follow her heart.

Inspirational

Healy, Erin. The Baker’s Wife. (2011) ISBN 9781595547521 $15.99 pbk
Suspense. After her husband Geoff, a pastor, loses his job after a scandal in their congregation, Audrey works with Geoff to resurrect a failing bakery, but their troubles grow when Audrey hits a motor scooter whose rider has disappeared. This tightly woven, character-driven suspense story will appeal to Ted Dekker fans as well.

Steampunk

Brook, Meljean. Heart of Steel. (2011) Iron Seas, bk.2. ISBN 9780425243305 $15.00 pbk
Steamy. Growing up in the dangerous world of the Iron Seas, the mercenary captain of the airship Lady Corsair, Yasmeen, has learned to keep her heart hard as steel. Ruthless and cunning, her only loyalty is to her ship and her crew-until one man comes along and changes everything. Treasure hunter Archimedes Fox isn’t interested in the Lady Corsair – just the captain and the valuable da Vinci sketch she stole from him. When it attracts a dangerous amount of attention, Yasmeen and Archimedes journey to Horde-occupied Morocco and straight into enemy hands.”

Meyers, Theresa. The Hunter. (2011) The Legend Chronicles; bk.1. ISBN 9781420121247 $6.99 pbk
Steamy. While hunting supernaturals with the latest steam-powered gadgetry across the frontier, Colt, one of the Chosen, must close a rift between the human world and the Darkin realm with the help of a voluptuous succubus named Lilly who is willing to make a bargain to become human again.

Carriger, Gail. Heartless. (2011) Parasol Protectorate, bk. 4 ISBN 9780316127196 $7.99 pbk
Paranormal. While dealing with a sister who has joined the suffragette movement, Madame Lefoux’s latest mechanical invention, and a plague of zombie porcupines, Lady Alexia Maccon must save Queen Victoria from an angry ghost who wants her dead.
Series: 1st– Soulless. (2009) ISBN 9780316056632 $7.99 pbk

Paranormal

Gabaldon, Diana. The Scottish Prisoner. (2011) Lord John Grey, bk.4. ISBN
9780385337519 $28.00 HC. Time Travel. In the eighteenth century, paroled prisoner-of-war Jamie Fraser and his old friend Tobias Quinn must travel from London to Ireland on a mission of intrigue surrounding a packet of documents and an ancient relic.

Killough-Walden, Heather. Avenger’s Angel. (2011) ISBN 9780451235220 $7.99 pbk
Angels. Once the Archangel of Vengeance and a powerful warrior, Uriel, now a famous actor, finds his glamorous life missing something until he meets Eleanore Granger, a beautiful woman who is being hunted for her special powers.

Frank, Jacquelyn. Adam. (2011) Nightwalker, bk. 6. Vampires/Demons ISBN 1420109863 $7.99 pbk
Steamy. When Adam, the only lover to fulfill her both sexually and intellectually, returns after four hundred years, Jasmine, a Nightwalker vampire, helps him to bring down their most vicious enemy while yielding to their mutual passion.

Duvall, Dianne. Night Reigns. (2011) ISBN 9781420118629 $6.99 pbk
Vampires, Steamy. When Ami comes crashing into his life, saving him from vampires, Marcus Graden, an Immortal protector of humanity for over 800 years, finds his solitude destroyed by this strong, smart and skilled beauty who awakens desires within him he can’t afford to act upon.

Liu, Marjorie. Within the Flames. (2011) ISBN 9780062020178 $7.99 pbk
Dragons and Pyrokinetics, Steamy. Pyrokinetic and former car thief Eddie, who works for the Dirk & Steele Agency, must protect Lyssa, the last of her shape-shifting kind, from the demons who will stop at nothing to possess her.

Andrews, Ilona. Fate’s Edge. (2011) Edge, bk. 2. ISBN 9780441020867 $7.99 pbk
Other Worldly, Steamy. Leaving behind her magical existence in the Edge, Audrey Callahan, born into a family of con men, is determined to walk the straight and narrow until her brother gets in trouble and she is forced to match wits with a jack-of-all-trades who has some unusual talents. The clash of personalities and quick wits fuels serious chemistry, resulting in an appealing blend of madcap caper, spy thriller, and romantic comedy.
Series: 1st On the Edge. (2009) ISBN 9780441017805 $7.99 pbk.

Jerome, Celia. Fire Works in the Hamptons. (2011) Willow Tate, bk.3. ISBN 9780756406882 $7.99 pbk
Funny with Fairies. Graphic novelist Willow Tate has a paranormal talent for “drawing” beings from the realm of Faerie into our world. So why did she foolishly make the hero of her next book a fire wizard? Now she has to deal with a rash of “fire” flies, a gorgeous firefighter, and an arsonist who seems determined to set East Hampton ablaze…
Series: 1st—Trolls in the Hamptons. (2010) ISBN 9780756406301 $7.99 pbk.

Koch, Gini. Alien Proliferation. (2011) ISBN 9780756406974 $7.99 pbk
Futuristic. Alien Super-Being Exterminator Kitty Katt is expecting her first baby. But the alien attacks are getting more dangerous, and now Kitty and her Alpha Centaurion husband, Jeff, have to find out who’s behind the conspiracy to kill Kitty’s secret agent mom and what caused Kitty’s transformation into a superhuman – and they’ve got to do it all before the baby shower…

Bear, Greg. Hull Zero Three. (2011) ISBN: 9780316072809 $13.99 pbk
With an atmospheric appeal of ABC’s Lost, this erudite space opera manifests enough complexity to satisfy long-term SF readers and reach new ones. A starship hurtles through the emptiness of space, its destination unknown and its purpose a mystery. One man wakes up wet, naked, and freezing to death. The dark halls are full of monsters but trusting other survivors he meets might be the greater danger. All he has are questions — Who is he? Where are they going? What happened to the dream of a new life? What happened to the woman he loved? What happened to Hull 03?

Cline, Edward. Ready Player One. (2011) ISBN: 9780307887436 $24.00 HC
Immersing himself in a mid-twenty-first-century technological virtual utopia to escape an ugly real world of famine, poverty, and disease, Wade Watts joins an increasingly violent effort to solve a series of puzzles by the virtual world’s creator in this action-packed, fast-paced and funny novel.

Locke, M.J. Up Against It. (2011) ISBN: 9780765315151 $26.99 HC
The asteroid colony of Phocaea depends on a steady supply of methane ice, harvested from nearby comets and processed by nanobugs. After a deadly explosion causes a partial meltdown that kills his brother, daredevil teen Geoff Agre and his friends rev up their rocket-bikes to prevent an even worse catastrophe.

Sigler, Scott. Ancestor. (2011) ISBN: 9780307591012 $14.99 pbk
This action-packed, science-gone-awry SF read is perfect if you liked Michael Crichton’s Jurassic Park series. On a remote island in the Canadian Arctic, PJ Colding leads a group of geneticists who have discovered the holy grail of medicine–a computer-engineered living creature whose organs can be implanted in any person, with no chance of transplant rejection. There’s just one problem: these “ancestors” are not docile.

Wilson, Daniel. Robopocalypse. (2011) ISBN: 9780385533850 $25.00 HC
If you like Isaac Asimov’s I Robot, TV’s Battlestar Galactica, or The Terminator films, this is for you! A tale set in the near future finds the world thrown into chaos by rebelling artificial intelligences under the leadership of a murderous technology called Archos that kills its creator and takes over the global network, triggering an unprecedented united front among all human cultures.