It's another quiet week for publishers as the Christmas shopping season finds buyers looking for books that have been out long enough to create a buzz. Still, there are readers who've moved on from Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, and will be overjoyed to find a book they hadn't even dreamed of under the tree.
Tuesday, December 6
The Constant Princess by Philippa Gregory follows the transformation of the youngest daughter of Spain's King Ferdinand into Queen Katherine of England, in a suspenseful tale that "pulls the reader along" despite its foregone conclusion. "Gregory's latest (after Earthly Joys) compellingly dramatizes how Catalina uses her faith, her cunning and her utter belief in destiny to reclaim her rightful title. By alternating tight third-person narration with Catalina's unguarded thoughts and gripping dialogue, the author presents a thorough, sympathetic portrait of her heroine and her transformation into Queen Katherine." —Publishers Weekly
In Kinsey Milhone's 19th outing, S Is for Silence by Sue Grafton, finds the 30-year-old "high-fat-eating" dectective pursuing a missing mother. "Grafton's determined march through the criminal alphabet puts readers within striking distance of the end, a destination no Grafton fan wants to reach. The latest in the lexicon should really be C Is for Cold Case, since it involves a disappearance that took place nearly 35 years in the past... Grafton juxtaposes flashbacks to 1953, when the mother disappeared, with the current investigation... this novel also presents strong character portrayals, a mosaic of motives, and a stunning climax." —Connie Fletcher, Booklist
Love Smart: Find the One You Want — Fix the One You've Got by Phillip C. McGraw is the latest "Dr. Phil" romantic self-help book. "If you are sleeping single in a double bed or walking down the street thinking, How do I meet that guy?; if you're on your twentieth date and he's no more committed than when you first exchanged cell phone numbers; if everyone you know is getting married for the second time and you can't even get a first date; if you love the one you're with but the relationship needs some spark... then this book is for you." (Publisher's release notes)
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