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?
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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?
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Armstrong, Kelly. The Summoning. (2008) Darkest Powers trilogy; bk.1 ISBN: 9780061450549 $8.99 pbk
After fifteen-year-old Chloe starts seeing ghosts and is sent to Lyle House, a mysterious group home for mentally disturbed teenagers, she soon discovers that neither Lyle House nor its inhabitants are exactly what they seem, and that she and her new friends are in danger. The Awakening (2009) ISBN: 9780061450556 and The Reckoning (2009) ISBN: 9780061450563 both $8.99 pbk
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Books Like Steig Larsson’s The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo series…

Adler-Olsen, Jussi. The Keeper of Lost Causes. (2011) Department Q; bk.1 ISBN: 9780525952480 $25.95 HC
More humor and violence, but not as visceral Larsson’s trilogy. Copenhagen Chief Detective Carl Morck, recovering from what he thought was a career-destroying gunshot wound, is relegated to cold cases and becomes immersed in the five-year disappearance of a politician.
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If you liked The Other Boleyn Girl…A brilliant blend of fact and fiction woven into a captivating story, with a lively writing style and fascinating characters then try…

Agnello Hornby, Simonetta. The Marchesa. (2008) ISBN: 0312427476 $16.00 pbk
Charming and engaging version of the Sicilian Baroness Costanza’s privileged and challenging life in 19th C. Italy

Cullen, Lynn. Reign of Madness (2011) ISBN: 9780399157097 $25.95 HC
A fictionalized account of Spanish queen Juana de Castile traces her succession to the throne after the reign of Queen Isabel, her marriage to Philippe the Handsome, and the accusations of insanity that prompted her half-century tower imprisonment.

Donnelly, Jennifer. The Wild Rose (2011) Trilogy; bk.3 ISBN: 9781401301040 $25.99 HC
In 1914, with World War I approaching, polar explorer Seamus Finnegan tries to forget Willa, a passionate mountain climber, as he marries a beautiful young woman back home in England.
—The Tea Rose (2002) bk.1 ISBN: 9780312378028 $15.99 pbk
—The Winter Rose (2008) bk.2 ISBN: 9781401307462 $15.99 pbk

Donoghue, Emma. Life Mask. (2005) ISBN: 9780156032643 $14.95 pbk
In late 18th-century England, three celebrated Londoners strike up a controversial triangular relationship

Dunn, Suzannah. The Queen of Subtleties (2005) ISBN: 0060591587 $13.95 pbk
Another look at the triumphant rise and tragic downfall of Anne Boleyn.

Dunnett, Dorothy. The Game of Kings, Lymond series, bk.1 (1997) ISBN: 9780679777434 $17.00 pbk
Passionate, panoramic 16th C. Scotland story has adventure, intrigue, and an array of colorful characters

Goodwin, Daisy. The American Heiress (2011) ISBN: 9780312658656 $25.99 HC
Cora’s story marks the debut of a glorious storyteller who brings a fresh new spirit to the world of Edith Wharton and Henry James. “For daughters of the new American billionaires of the 19th century, it was the ultimate deal: marriage to a cash-strapped British Aristocrat in return for a title and social status. But money didn’t always buy them happiness.”

Gulland, Sandra. Many Lives & Secret Sorrows of Josephine B. (1999) ISBN: 9780684856063 $16.00 pbk
Skillfully re-creates the turbulence and romance of Josephine Bonaparte’s life.

Kearsley, Susanna. The Winter Sea. (2010) ISBN: 9781402241376 $16.99 pbk
Carrie settles into the shadow of Slains Castle in Scotland, creates a heroine named for one of her own ancestors, and starts to write about the Jacobite invasion of 1708. When she can no longer tell the difference between today and centuries ago, is she dealing with an ancestral memory– a memory that might destroy her?

Koen, Karleen. Before Versailles (2011) ISBN: 9780307716576 $26.00 HC
Assuming the responsibilities of governing France after the death of his prime minister, Louis XIV embarks on a love affair with his sister-in-law, Henriette, triggering a scandal that is complicated by a finance minister’s growing power and a mysterious boy with an iron mask.

Pullinger, Kate. The Mistress of Nothing (2011) ISBN: 143919386X $24.00 HC
When her mistress departs from Victorian London society to seek relief from tuberculosis symptoms in Egypt, maid Sally throws herself into their new culture and comes to know freedoms she has never experienced before she is harshly reminded of her humble station in life

Santiago, Esmeralda. Conquistadora (2011) ISBN: 9780307268327 $27.50 HC
Drawn to the exotic island of Puerto Rico by the diaries of an ancestor who traveled there with Ponce de Leon, Ana Cubillas becomes involved with enamored twin brothers Ramon and Inocente before convincing them to claim a sugar plantation they have inherited.

Stevenson, Jane. The Winter Queen (2003) ISBN: 0618382674 $20.95 pbk
17th C. royal–in-exile Elizabeth of Bohemia and former African Prince

Urbach, Linda. Madame Bovary’s Daughter (2011) ISBN: 9780385343879 $15.00 pbk
A continuation of Flaubert’s classic finds 12-year-old Berthe cast off by society in the aftermath of her mother’s suicide and sent to live with her impoverished grandmother, from where she eventually rises through the ranks of Charles Worth’s famed fashion empire.

Weir, Alison. Innocent Traitor. (2007) ISBN: 9780345495341 $15.00 pbk
In alternating voices, Lady Jane Grey and others involved in her fate, tell their sides of the story in this vivid and astute novel.

Authors

Christie, Agatha. Agatha Christie: An Autobiography. (2011) ISBN 9780062073594 $29.99 HC
Reissue of 1977 edition in time for Dame Agatha’s 120th birthday celebration.

JACK KEROUAC Nicosia, Gerald & Anne Marie Santos. The One and Only: The Untold Story of On the Road. (2011) ISBN 9781936740048 $22.95 HC

KURT VONNEGUT Shields, Charles J. And So It Goes: Kurt Vonnegut Jr.: A Life. (2011) ISBN 9780805086935 $30.00 HC

Musicians

Belafonte, Harry. My Song: A Memoir. (2011) ISBN 9780307272263 $30.50 HC

Collins, Judy. Sweet Judy Blue Eyes: My Life in Music. (2011) ISBN 9780307717344 $26.00 HC

FLEETWOOD MAC Evans, Mike. Fleetwood Mac: The Definitive History. (2011) ISBN 9781402786303 $29.95 HC

EAGLES Fong-Torres, Ben. The Eagles: Taking it to the Limit. (2011) ISBN 9780762439843 $30.00 HC

GEORGE HARRISON Harrison, Olivia. George Harrison: Living in the Material World. (2011) ISBN 9781419702204 $40.00 HC

JOHN LENNON Riley, Tim. Lennon: The Man, the Myth, The Music—The Definitive Life. (2011) ISBN 9781401324520 $35.00 HC

DOORS Marcus, Greil. The Doors: A Lifetime of Listening to Five Mean Years. (2011)
ISBN 9781586489458 $21.99 HC

QUEEN

Doherty, Harry. 40 Years of Queen. (2011) ISBN 9781250005687 $35.00 HC

Hince, Peter. Queen Unseen: My Life with the Greatest Rock Band of the 20th Century. (2011) ISBN 9781843587484 $27.95 HC

ROLLING STONES

Richards, Keith. Life. (2011) ISBN 9780316034418 $16.99 pbk

Spitz, Marc. Jagger: Rebel, Rock Star, Rambler, Rogue. (2011) ISBN 9781592406555 $26.00 HC

70s FOLK/ROCK

Weller, Sheila. Girls Like Us: Carole King, Joni Mitchell, and Carly Simon—and the Journey of a Generation. (2008) ISBN 9780743491488 $17.00 pbk

Actors

Holbrook, Hal. Harold: The Boy Who Became Mark Twain. (2011) ISBN 9780374281014 $30.00 HC

Keaton, Diane. Then Again. (2011) ISBN 9781400068784 $26.00 HC

Lithgow, John. Drama: An Actor’s Education. (2011) ISBN 9780061734977 $26.99 HC

Lynch, Jane. Happy Accidents. (2011) ISBN 9781401341763 $25.99 HC

Orlean, Susan. Rin Tin Tin: The Life and the Legend. (2011) ISBN 9781439190135 $26.99 HC

White, Betty. If You Ask Me (and of course you won’t). (2011) ISBN 9780399157530 $25.95 HC

Everyday Cooking

America’s Test Kitchen. The Cook’s Illustrated Cookbook: 2,000 recipes from 20 years of America’s most trusted cooking magazine. (2011) ISBN 9781933615899 $25.96
Perfect for fans of the PBS show or subscribers to Cook’s Illustrated magazine. Covers everything from pancakes to pizza to pastry and all that falls in between. As the title implies, there are no photos, only hand drawn illustrations. A valuable reference book.

Oliver, Jamie. Jamie’s Food Revolution: Rediscover How to Cook Simple, Delicious, Affordable Meals. (2009) ISBN 9781401310479 $12.88 pbk.
Designed to help everyone from beginners to accomplished cooks make simple, affordable, nutritious meals. Full color, step-by-step photos. Especially popular with novice cooks.

Waters, Alice. The Art of Simple Food. (2007) ISBN 9780307336798 $19.98
Truly a classic and indispensible resource. Recipes are timeless and approachable. No photos, but an elegant book which explains not only the ‘how’ in cooking, but the ‘why’ so home cooks gain a better understanding of certain techniques.

Waters, Alice. In the Green Kitchen: techniques to learn by heart. (2010) ISBN 9780307336804 $17.92
An excellent reference. Great for beginners who want to learn the basics; recipes are generally short and to the point. Simple, elegant photos and a variety of well-known contributors.

Deen, Paula and Melissa Clark. Paula Deen’s Southern Cooking Bible: the New Classic Guide to Delicious Dishes with more than 300 Recipes. (2011) ISBN 9781416564072 $16.71
Comfort food abounds in this popular TV chef’s most recent book. Covers “from Cajun to Low-Country and beyond”, lovers of Southern food should enjoy this mix of new and traditional recipes. Helpful tips and explanations throughout.

French Cooking

Child, Julia. Mastering the Art of French Cooking. (1961) ISBN 9780375413407 $21.71
The timeless and seminal work on French cooking. Something every home cook should own, even if only for the novelty. May look intimidating to the novice but is truly workable and highly instructive. Accompanied by beautifully drawn illustrations.

Pepin, Jacques. Essential Pepin: more than 700 all-time favorites from my life in food. (2011) ISBN 9780547232799 $26.40
A comprehensive (and huge!) collection of recipes from the famous chef’s six-decade career. Chock full of tips and tidbits of wisdom, this magnum opus is accompanied by a DVD which helps demonstrate the many techniques covered throughout the book.

Greenspan, Dorie. Around My French Table. (2010) ISBN 9780618875535 $26.40
Classic French cooking with a modern twist. A beautiful book-gorgeous photographs illustrate simple, accessible recipes. A relaxed approach to an often intimidating cuisine. Helpful sidebars include suggested accompaniments, make-ahead potential and storability.

Galmiche, Daniel. French Brasserie Cookbook : the heart of French home cooking. (2011) ISBN 9781844839971 $22.08 Easy to make traditional French recipes with a bit of modern flair. Great for lovers of French cuisine who think it might be hard to cook. The author uses easy to find ingredients and provides clear directions.

Italian Cooking

Hazan, Marcella. Essentials of Classic Italian Cooking. (1992) ISBN 9780394584041 $20.98
Truly essential. Perfect for seasoned home cooks and novices alike as recipes range in complexity from three ingredient sauces to multi-step homemade pastas. No photos but very precise instructions.

Esposito, Mary Ann. Ciao Italia Family Classics : more than 200 treasured recipes from three generations of Italian cooks. (2011) ISBN 9780312571214 $23.95
The latest from the popular PBS chef, with plenty of new recipes and mouth-watering photos. Includes essays about Italian cooking and family traditions throughout.

Baking

Mathiot, Ginette. The Art of French Baking. (2011) ISBN 9780714862576 $29.40
Definitive collection of authentic French pastry and dessert recipes. From Tarte Tatin and Hazelnut Petit Fours to Cherry Tartlets and Choux Buns, it contains more than 350 simple recipes that anyone can follow at home.

Lahey, Jim. My Bread: the Revolutionary No-Work, No-Knead Method. (2009) ISBN 9780393066302 $15.69
Great for novice bakers as Lahey provides step-by-step instructions alongside step-by-step full color photographs. Ingredient measurements are given in both volume and weight to minimize errors.

Chang, Joanne. Flour : spectacular recipes from Boston’s Flour Bakery + Cafe. (2010) ISBN 9780811869447 $18.84
A local favorite. Over 150 recipes plus essential baking tips from the shelf. Everything from breakfast treats to desserts, including homemade versions of popular American treats such as Pop-Tarts and Oreos.

Haedrich, Ken. Pie : 300 tried-and-true recipes for delicious homemade pie. (2004) ISBN 9781558322547 $15.74 Everything you need to know about making the perfect pie crust, plus 300 ways to fill it. Intrepid pie makers will be pleased with the recommendations throughout for other cookbooks and magazines, and the list of resources includes useful information on baker’s catalogues, fruit farms and nut growers.

Coffee Table Cookbooks

Keller, Thomas. Bouchon. (2004) ISBN 9781579652395 $30.56
Too big and beautiful to hide away. Named after Keller’s Napa Valley French bistro, Bouchon is his successful attempt to bring the restaurant recipes home. Not for the novice or busy weeknights, this is the book to turn to when company is coming. Stunning photographs.

Keller, Thomas. Ad Hoc at Home. (2009) ISBN 9781579653774 $27.89
Named for another of Keller’s Napa Valley restaurants, Ad Hoc is his nod to casual dining. Recipes include fried chicken and burgers and, like everything Keller does, very specific instructions. More approachable than Bouchon, but still may be intimidating to beginners. Vibrant color photographs and frequent explanations of technique.

Men / Meat and Potatoes

Fearnley-Whittingstall, Hugh. The River Cottage Meat Book. (2007) ISBN 9781580088435 $25.60
An authoritative ode to good meat is “one part manifesto on high-quality, local, and sustainable meat production; two parts guide to choosing and storing meats and fowl; and three parts techniques and recipes for roasting, cooking, barbecuing, preserving, and processing meats and getting the most out of leftovers.” Includes more than 100 recipes and more than 200 full-color photographs.

Guggiana, Marissa. Primal Cuts: Cooking with America’s Best Butchers. (2010) ISBN 9781599620886 $24.75 Includes 50 profiles and portraits of America’s best butchers (including some from the greater Boston area), 100 meat recipes for the home cook, practical advice on techniques and tools, hundreds of diagrams, illustrations, and photos as well as home butchering how-to. Not for the faint of heart.

Health-Focused Cooking

Madison, Deborah. Local Flavors: Cooking and Eating from America’s Farmers’ Markets. (2002) ISBN 9780767929493 $16.58 pbk
Covering markets around the country from Vermont to Hawaii, Madison emphasizes seasonal, regional ingredients found in farmers’ markets and roadside farm stands. While some recipes contain meat or poultry, the focus is on vegetables. Lovely color photographs.

Henry, Diana. Plenty: Good, Uncomplicated Food for the Sustainable Kitchen. (2010) ISBN 9781845335731 $19.79
Over 300 recipes ranging from deceptively simple to delightfully complex. Contains tips on how to spend less, waste less, and eat better. Unusual ingredient pairings. Emphasis on healthy cooking.

Ottolenghi, Yotam. Plenty : vibrant recipes from London’s Ottolenghi. (2011) ISBN 9781452101248 $21.02
All vegetarian recipes with enticing photos, inspired by Mediterranean traditions. 120 recipes featuring exciting flavors and fresh combinations. Thoughtful and helpful commentary throughout.

Bower, Sarah. Sins of the House of Borgia. (2011) ISBN 1402259638 $14.99 pbk
Late 15th and early 16th century Rome about a young Jewish woman converso, who is in the court of Lucrezia Borgia.
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