Editor’s Choice
Nobody Move, by Denis Johnson, $23. While his previous novel, “Tree of Smoke” (2007), elevated Johnson to a new level of renown, here he seems to take great delight in veering toward the gutter in a fast-paced, dialogue-driven crime novel that explores the baser instincts of some California grifters. Publishers Weekly
FICTION
Reality Check, by Peter Abrahams, $16.99. After his adored ex-girlfriend Clea disappears from her ritzy Vermont boarding school, Cody — a working-class boy who, after a devastating knee injury, went from high school football star to high school dropout — travels to Vermont to find her, and becomes embroiled in a dangerous mystery. (Ages 12 and up.) Kirkus
No Such Creature, by Giles Blunt, $25. Silver Dagger award winner Blunt takes a break from his John Cardinal series (“By the Time You Read This”) with a stand-alone novel about actor-turned-thief Max Maxwell and his teenage nephew Owen. Max and Owen are on their usual summer road trip in a massive RV, during which, using various disguises, they rob guests at lavish dinner parties and fundraisers. Publishers Weekly
NONFICTION
Play: How It Shapes the Brain, Opens the Imagination, and Invigorates the Soul, by Stuart Brown, $24.95. Doctor, psychiatrist and public speaker Brown disagrees with conventional wisdom stating that success depends on keeping your nose to the grindstone. Now 75 years old, Brown condenses decades of firsthand experience and research, cautioning that “play-deficient” lives can burn out adults as well as children. Library Journal
The Kennedy Legacy: Jack, Bobby and Ted and a Family Dream Fulfilled, by Vincent Bzdek, $26.95. Washington Post news editor and features writer Bzdek (“Woman of the House: The Rise of Nancy Pelosi”) recasts the brothers’ famous story in four acts, as each picks up the torch in the aftermath of tragedy. Little here will surprise Kennedy buffs, but Bzdek does a fine job with the material. A short but well-told overview. Kirkus
The Prosecution Rests: New Stories About Courtrooms, Criminals, and the Law. Edited by Linda Fairstein, $24.99 Best seller Fairstein (“Killer Heat”) has put together a stellar anthology, presented by the Mystery Writers of America, that will appeal both to contemporary noir fans and devotees of “Law & Order.” Publishers Weekly
PAPERBACKS
The Man Who Loved China: The Fantastic Story of the Eccentric Scientist Who Unlocked the Mysteries of the Middle Kingdom, by Simon Winchester, $15.99. Another formidable, absorbing reading experience by versatile Winchester (“A Crack in the Edge of the World”), this one about the British scholar who made China’s contributions to civilization known in the West. Kirkus
Belong to Me, by Marisa de los Santos, $14.99. In de los Santos’ second novel (after “Love Walked In,” 2006), Cornelia Brown returns as the heroine, now married to handsome oncologist Teo and trying to make a new home in the suburbs of Philadelphia. Kirkus
Ladies of Liberty: The Women Who Shaped Our Nation, by Cokie Roberts, $15.99. In this entertaining follow-up to 2004’s “Founding Mothers: The Women who Raised Our Nation,” Roberts recounts the lives of early first ladies and their associates. Publishers Weekly
COMING UP
Relentless, by Dean Koontz, $27. In thriller writer Koontz’s latest, a novelist just wants to lay eyes on the book critic who can make or break a writer’s career. Then things seem to spiral out of control. (June)
