Out Now!: Zombies, Wine, and Rescuing Dogs

October 25, 2011 by Swapna.Krishna

The Infernals
John Connolly
Atria Books
October 18, 2011

A demon is hunting Samuel Johnson, and it won’t rest until it’s found him.  Unfortunately for young Samuel, he and his dog are sucked into the dark realm where the demon makes its home. But the demon (called an Infernal) isn’t prepared for Samuel’s cunning and resilience, or for the unlikely allies the boy finds in the realm. This charming and quirky tale is likely to appeal to a broad range of ages, as have Connolly’s previous novels.

Zone One
Colson Whitehead
Doubleday Books
October 18, 2011

Colson Whitehead, who has made a name for himself in literary fiction, tries his hand at a work of literary fiction with genre appeal.  Mark Spitz and his squad work in Zone One in Manhattan, where they hunt the few zombies that remain in the area after a plague swept the nation. Whitehead has been praised heavily for this unique, thinking person’s novel, and it likely will find its way to shelves of literary and genre fiction lovers alike.

The Mistress Contract
He and She
Unbridled Books
October 18, 2011

The Mistress Contract is an actual contract between a woman and her lover, along with thoughts on their relationship and the power play within it. The contract outlines the sexual expectations of the male, basically making the mistress his property for the duration of their relationship. This book is likely to provoke strong feelings, but will also generate discussion about the nature of relationships and power.

Love at First Bark: How Saving a Dog Can Sometimes Help You Save Yourself
Julie Klam
Riverhead Hardcover
October 18, 2011

After her memoir You Had Me at Woof: How Dogs Taught Me the Secrets of Happiness, Julie Klam returns with a follow-up about her work with dog rescue. Klam focuses on how saving dogs can not only help the animal, but also heal the human as well. While this is a must-read for any dog lover, people who don’t have pets will likely find Klam’s sense of humor and warm writing style equally engaging.

The Drops of God, Volume 1: Les Gottes de Dieu
Tadashi Agi and Shu Okimoto
Vertical
October 18, 2011

When you think of the subjects and themes of graphic novels, wine isn’t exactly what comes to mind. But The Drops of God, already a huge success in Japan, is about two brothers who must compete for the inheritance of their father’s legendary wine collection. In order to win, they must find twelve wines described in their father’s will, along with a thirteenth bottle he calls “the drops of God.” The mix of puzzles and the chance to learn about wine in this wonderful graphic format will make this book appeal to many readers.

The Lady of the Rivers
Philippa Gregory
Touchstone
October 18, 2011

Acclaimed historical fiction author Philippa Gregory’s latest venture has been into the women of the Wars of the Roses, one of the most brutal civil wars in English history. Her third book in this series focuses on Jacquetta of Luxembourg, the mother of Elizabeth Woodville, future queen of England. Gregory’s novels are reliably entertaining, and while she does not always stick closely to the historical record, she never fails to put an interesting spin on history.

The Butcher of Anderson Station: A Story of the Expanse
James S.A. Corey
Orbit Books
October 17, 2011

The new e-publishing wave is giving publishers a chance to experiment with e-books and see what unique ways they can use the format. One such interesting endeavor is Orbit Short Fiction.  The digital project publishes original short stories from its authors, available in e-book format only. The Butcher of Anderson Station is set in the author’s science fiction world of The Expanse, but is an entirely new story.

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