Fall Book Previews
By Liz Hedrick 08/20/2008
“A Mercy”
By Toni Morrison
Knopf is releasing Morrison’s ninth novel, “A Mercy,” in November. Set in the antebellum South, it deals with similar themes to those in her Pulitzer Prize-winning “Beloved”— slavery, motherhood and abandonment. Morrison raises the question of whether it’s cruel or merciful to abandon a child when it means the difference between a life of freedom or bondage.
“And the Hippos were Boiled in their Tanks”
By Jack Kerouac and William S. Burroughs
erouac and Burroughs first wrote the manuscript for “And the Hippos were Boiled in their Tanks,” due for release in November by Penguin Classics, in 1945 — before either author had gained notoriety as progenitors of the Beat Generation. Intended as a mystery, the novel is based on the true-to-life killing of David Kammerer, which led police to investigate both of the book’s authors.
“Orange County: A Personal History”
By Gustavo Arellano
Orange County” is a combination of personal memoir and cultural history of the OC. Known for his OC Weekly column (“¡Ask a Mexican!”), Arellano relates the true story of his childhood as a Mexican-American boy in a crime-ridden SoCal neighborhood. The new book (published by Scribner) hits shelves on Sept. 16.
“The Hunger Games”
By Suzanne Collins
ue for release Oct. 1 by Scholastic Press, Collins’ “The Hunger Games” — author Denise Hamilton’s top pick for young adult fiction — is set in the futuristic remains of the United States after a hypothetical war has left the country in ruins. Somewhat akin in spirit to Shirley Jackson’s “The Lottery” and Aldous Huxley’s “A Brave New World,” Collins’ novel paints a war-ravaged, ritualistic dystopia. Amidst the chaos, the country’s single unifying tradition is an annual televised game, the only rule being “kill or be killed.”
“Songs for the Missing”
By Stewart O’Nan
n Nov. 3,Viking Penguin will release “Songs for the Missing,” a fictional account of a popular high school student’s disappearance from her small Midwestern town. Beginning as a mystery/thriller, O’Nan’s novel evolves into a dramatic portrait of loss and coping. The newest novel from the bestselling author of “Last Night,” the book promises to pull its readers into its fictional town and make them feel as if they were members of its grieving family.
“The 19th Wife”
By David Ebershoff
Now available at all major booksellers, the “Pasadena” author’s newest novel is a combination of historical fiction and contemporary mystery. In 1875, the story’s heroine has recently separated from Mormon leader Brigham Young and starts her own crusade to end polygamy in the United States. Adding to the depth and richness of the novel, a second story is interwoven — this one about a murder in present-day Utah.
“The Snowball: Warren Buffett & the Business of Life”
By Alice Schroeder
Acclaimed insurance industry analyst and writer Alice Schroeder’s book, due out Sept. 29 from Bantam, is the first biography of legendary Omaha super-investor Warren Buffett. Though he’s constantly in the public eye, Buffett’s life story has not previously been published. Schroder attempts to reveal why her subject is not only one of the world’s wealthiest people but also one of its most fascinating.
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