A debut novel that teaches the reader about a woman through the eyes of her daughter and husband leads the way in fiction for this week. Also look for a new biography of Louis B. Mayer. And, in paperback, Carl Hiaasen and Adriana Trigiani are in book stores.
FICTION
“Margarettown,” by Gabrielle Zevin, Miramax, 291 pages, $21|In this debut work, the reader learns about a woman through her daughter’s and her husband’s relationships with her.
“Light of Day,” by Jamie M. Saul, Morrow, 324 pages, $24.95|This is an emotional novel about a man whose future has been altered by an unthinkable tragedy.
“The Last Masquerade,” by Antonio Orlando Rodriguez, Rayo, 461 pages, $24.95|In this epic comedy, two young men from Bogota, Colombia, set off on a trek to Havana to see a screen idol, luscious Italian actress Eleonora Duse.
NONFICTION
“Lion of Hollywood: The Life and Legend of Louis B. Mayer,” by Scott Eyman, Simon & Schuster, 596 pages, $35|Here’s the story of a man who was one of the legendary founders of Hollywood and who perpetuated the tyrannical studio system seen as abusive to its stars.
“Racing the Enemy: Stalin, Truman, and the Surrender of Japan,” by Tsuyoshi Hasegawa, Harvard, 382 pages, $29.95|By weaving together the story of the three major players – the United States, the Soviet Union and Japan – Hasegawa paints a new picture of the final days of World War II.
“Blind Spot: The Secret History of American Counterterrorism,” by Timothy Naftali, Basic, 399 pages, $26|The U.S. has a long history of fighting terrorism, from the end of World War II to the uprising of the Palestinians in the mid-1960s. Naftali relates the failures and successes.
PAPERBACKS
“The Queen of the Big Time,” by Adriana Trigiani, Ballantine, 261 pages, $13.95|The author of “The Big Stone Gap” trilogy returns to small-town life with the story of Nella Castelluca, whose life changes drastically when she meets a handsome, worldly poet.
“Skinny Dip,” by Carl Hiaasen, Warner, 355 pages, $12.95|The always funny Hiaasen offers up a tale of intrigue, dastardly villains, lovable locals and miscreants who want to damage his beloved South Florida.
“Interpersonal Divide: The Search for Community in a Technological Age,” by Michael Bugeja, Oxford, 226 pages, $20|The author tackles the question of whether technology and the media have created a gap in our society and ruined our sense of community.
COMING UP
“Specimen Days,” by Michael Cunningham, Farrar, Straus & Giroux, 288 pages, $24, June|The author of “The Hours” is back with another tale encompassing three stories separated in time. It’s all about social decline.
“Dying to Kill: The Allure of Suicide Terror,” by Mia Bloom, Columbia University, 272 pages, $24.95, June |Bloom, according to Publishers Weekly trade magazine, has written a “lucid and comprehensive” study of the roots of terror suicide.
“Fire Sale,” by Sara Paretsky, Putnam, 416 pages, $25.95, June|When private eye V.I. Warshawski becomes coach of the girls basketball team at her old high school, she becomes embroiled in family dramas.
