Anthony Swofford hit the big time with his war memoir, “Jarhead.” Now he’s back with his debut novel, “Exit A,” the story of two young Americans who form a bond while living at a U.S. military facility in Japan. In nonfiction, look for “The Birthday Party: A Memoir of Survival,” in which Stanley N. Alpert describes his own kidnapping. The South has always been different from the rest of the country. You can find out why and how it got that way in James C. Cobb’s “Away Down South: A History of Southern Identity.” And coming in April, look for more comedy from Christopher Buckley. “Boomsday” is the story of generational warfare between baby boomers and their progeny.
FICTION
Exit A, by Anthony Swofford, Simon & Schuster, 304 pages, $25|In his debut fiction, the author of the highly acclaimed Gulf War memoir “Jarhead,” tells a story of teenage love among Army brats in Japan.
White Blood, by James Fleming, Atria, 368 pages, $25|The author, a nephew of James Bond creator Ian Fleming, sets his story in Russia’s pre-revolutionary days and has his protagonist battle the jungle and pursue sex in various fashions.
Him, Her, Him Again, The End of Him, by Patricia Marx, Simon & Schuster, 240 pages, $24|Here is the story of a young college students who falls madly in love with a man and then spends a decade trying either to get him back or forget him.
NONFICTION
The Birthday Party: A Memoir of Survival, Stanley N. Alpert, Penguin, 320 pages, $24.95|A day before his 38th birthday, the author, a federal prosecutor, was abducted by muggers wanting his ATM card. Here’s a primer on how to survive such an ordeal.
1920: The Year of the Six Presidents, by David Pietrusza, Carroll & Graf, 531 pages, $28.95|More than just a story of six men who either already had been president or would be, this is the story of America as it moved into the modern age.
The Supreme Court: The Personalities and Rivalries That Defined America, by Jeffrey Rosen, Times Books, 274 pages, $25|Rosen covers the history of the court using four pairs of rivals whose decisions affected us all.
PAPERBACKS
Away Down South: A History of Southern Identity, by James C. Cobb, Oxford, 404 pages, $17.95|The author entwines history, pop culture and literature in explaining how the South got to be the way it is today.
Torch, by Cheryl Strayed, Mariner, 322 pages, $13.95|Here is a highly acclaimed debut novel about how a woman’s death by cancer affects the family she left behind.
Cell, by Stephen King, Pocket Star, 355 pages, $9.99|Here’s the horrormeister’s take on technology run amok, complete with zombies who were made into monsters by simply using their cellphones.
COMING UP
Boomsday, by Christopher Buckley, Twelve, 336 pages, $24.99, April|The comedic author has envisioned a tale in which generation warfare begins when a blogger suggests that baby boomers be given government incentives to commit suicide.
The Edge of Disaster: Rebuilding a Resilient Nation, by Stephen Flynn, Random House, 274 pages, $25.95, Feb.|The author, an expert in homeland security, assesses how prepared we are for catastrophic events, and the picture isn’t pretty.
The Watchman, by Robert Crais, Simon & Schuster, 304 pages, 25.95, February|A bank robber, just out of jail after a 10-year stint, is dogged in pursuit of the killer of his estranged son.
