Out Now!: Lives and Legends

October 4, 2011 by Swapna.Krishna

River of Smoke
Amitav Ghosh
Farrar, Straus & Giroux, September 27, 2011

In this follow-up to his Man Booker Prize-shortlisted title Sea of Poppies, Amitav Ghosh continues the saga of the Ibis, set against the backdrop of the opium trade in the east.  While this is the second volume in a trilogy, it can stand alone as the tale of the evolution of the Opium Wars in the mid-1800s. This novel is sure to please literary fiction fans, as well as those interested in this period of history.

Rin Tin Tin: The Life and the Legend
Susan Orlean
Simon & Schuster, September 27, 2011

Celebrated author Susan Orlean chronicles the life of the acting dog Rin Tin Tin in her latest endeavor. Discovered as a puppy on a 1918 World War I battlefield, Rin Tin Tin rose to become a Hollywood star. This book examines Rin Tin Tin’s legend, as well as the relationship between the dog and the humans who loved and cared for him.

Murder on Music Row:  A Music Industry Thriller
Stuart Dill
John F. Blair, Publisher, October 1, 2011

Stuart Dill is a personal manager who has been working for years in Nashville’s music scene, and he has taken his industry insights and insider knowledge and put them to good use in his first novel. Murder on Music Row follows Ripley Graham, a rising star in country music, and his politics with his recording company. When his manager is shot, Ripley must find out what the motive behind the murder was and if that bullet was actually meant for him.

Gandhi: A Manga Biography
Kazuki Ebine
Penguin, September 27, 2011

The life of the Mahatma, Mohandas Gandhi is given the graphic treatment in this manga biography. Emphasizing Gandhi’s doctrine of non-violence for political change, Kazuki Ebine focuses on both Gandhi’s fight for equality in South Africa and his independence movement in India. This is an easily digestible biography perfect for those who want to know more about the Mahatma without committing to a full length biography.

The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer
Michelle Hodkin
Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers

Mara Dyer is the only survivor of a building collapse that killed her best friend and boyfriend and her family has moved to Florida to start over. Though Mara puts on a brave face for her family, she is becoming increasingly concerned by her visions and hallucinations, unable to blame them on PTSD. What Mara doesn’t expect is that she’ll meet an intriguing boy who will help her come to terms with her difficult past.  The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer promises to be a creepy and psychologically twisty read perfect for teens and adults alike.

The Kitchen Counter Cooking School: How a Few Simple Lessons Transformed Nine Culinary Novices into Fearless Home Cooks
Kathleen Flinn
Viking

After her memoir The Sharper Your Knife, the Less You Cry, Kathleen Flinn has turned to the kitchens of consumers, rather than that of the Le Cordon Bleu.  After seeing a woman in the grocery store purchase a cart full of processed foods, Flinn decides to teach nine novice cooks about how to cook properly, beginning with kitchen makeovers. The most important piece of wisdom Flinn imparts? Confidence is key in the kitchen.

The Pub Across the Pond
Mary Carter
Kensington, September 27, 2011

Carlene is living a boring life in Ohio, when she does something daring: she buys a raffle ticket and ends up winning a pub in the small town of Ballybeog in Ireland. Then Carlene stuns everyone (including herself) even more by actually going to Ireland to inspect her winnings. This women’s fiction novel is sure to satisfy fans of novels about small town charms and the rewards of following your dreams.

Something here you plan on reading? Add it to your myReads shelf!