January 2018 All-Stars

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These forthcoming books are raking in the starred reviews—make sure to add them to your library’s shelves ASAP!

THE PARKING LOT ATTENDANT by Nafkote Tamirat
“Tamirat’s razor-sharp prose fashions a magnificently dimensional and emotionally resonant narrator, herself a storyteller who frames her own tale with beguiling skill. This debut is remarkable in every way.” — Booklist, starred review

“Tamirat’s wonderful debut novel weaves growing pains, immigrant troubles, and moments of biting humor. The unsettling conclusion serves as a perfect ending for this riveting coming-of-age story full of murky motives, deep emotion, and memorable characters.” — Publishers Weekly, starred review

GODS OF HOWL MOUNTAIN by Taylor Brown
“Brown immerses the reader in the mountain landscape… [his] dialogue, too, is magical, capturing the local idioms and cadences and rendering them musical. Brown has quickly established himself in the top echelon of Southern writers, and his latest will please readers of Wiley Cash and Ron Rash.” — Booklist, starred review

“Not to be missed, this bold, dark, gritty novel is another coup for Brown, whose lyrical descriptions of the landscape only add to the captivating story of indomitable but isolated folks bound by folklore, tradition, and a hardscrabble life.”Library Journal, starred review

MEMENTO PARK by Mark Sarvas
“Sarvas couples a suspenseful mystery with nuanced meditations on father-son bonds, the intricacies of identity, the aftershocks of history’s horrors, and the ways people and artworks can—perhaps even must—be endlessly reinterpreted. ” Publishers Weekly, starred review

“Because of its scope and deft handling of aspects of identity in matters of love, family, religion, and loss, this literary work is highly recommended to the broadest audience.” — Library Journal, starred review

WHISKEY by Bruce Holbert
“[An] impressive novel… Like Cormac McCarthy, another bard of the modern West’s brutality, Holbert finds beauty and cruelty in the land, in the tease and punch of eloquently elliptical dialogue, and in the way humans struggle for love, self-knowledge, and a grip on life. A gut-punch of a bleak family saga that satisfies on many levels.” — Kirkus Reviews, starred review

“Holbert returns with a violent, gruesome, and beautiful tale that, despite its despondency, is perversely winning. The violence in this rangy, brilliant narrative is often grotesque, but this excess is tempered by dry humor, wonderful dialogue, and dark wisdom.” Publishers Weekly, starred review

THE WOMAN IN THE WATER by Charles Finch
“Finch does a wonderful job of re-creating the atmosphere of mid-19th-century England; his characters are crisply drawn and believable. It’s wonderful to see the neophyte Lenox develop the skills for which he becomes renowned in later books. An excellent addition to an already terrific series.” — Library Journal, starred review

“With its splendidly drawn characters and brisk, supple prose, this can be either an inviting introduction to readers new to Finch’s accomplished series or a winning addition to the canon for established fans.” Booklist, starred review

THE LEGACY by Yrsa Sigurdardottir
“This complex, character-driven procedural, the first in a new series from Sigurdardóttir, whose recent efforts have been supernatural-tinged thrillers, is powerfully rooted in buried secrets of childhood trauma. Recommended for fans of Tana French and Camilla Läckberg.” — Booklist, starred review

“This relentlessly paced series launch from Sigurdardottir is as stark and horrifying as any of the ancient Icelandic sagas. Each character is brilliantly conceived. Few readers will be able to put down this powerful tale of revenge.” — Publishers Weekly, starred & boxed review

A DANGEROUS CROSSING by Ausma Zehanat Khan
“This fourth in the series is a complex global thriller lifted to bar-raising heights by Khan’s thoughtful (and timely) exploration of the tragedies and dangers that refugees face.”Booklist, starred review

“Khan demonstrates a superior ability to inject moving portrayals of the individual faces of an ongoing humanitarian crisis into a suspenseful story line.” Publishers Weekly, starred review

LOOK ALIVE OUT THERE by Sloane Crosley
“A marvel… The latest collection from the Manhattan-based essayist suggests she can write engagingly about nearly anything… All [the essays] work on multiple levels and all are sharply written, as Crosley continues to extend her impressive range.” — Kirkus Reviews, starred review

“Crosley is exceedingly clever and has a witticism for all occasions, but it is her willingness to confront some of life’s darker corners with honesty and vulnerability that elevates this collection.”Publishers Weekly, starred review

THE SEABIRD’S CRY: The Lives and Loves of the Planet’s Great Ocean Voyagers by Adam Nicolson — 3 STARRED REVIEWS!
“Marveling at lives lived in some of the harshest places on the planet, Nicolson writes lyrically of birds most of us only briefly notice when visiting a rocky shoreline, beings possessing extraordinary forms of understanding we have never shared.” Booklist, starred review

“Nicolson’s metaphorical language flows gracefully, with hints of the whimsical, and appeals to both the mind and the heart. Nicolson combines a huge amount of scientific information with deeply emotional content and the net effect is moving and quietly profound.” — Publishers Weekly, starred review

“An amazing tour de force that is highly recommended for all interested in natural history, conservation, the sea, and maritime history.” Library Journal, starred review

THE CONSCIOUSNESS INSTINCT: Unraveling the Mystery of How the Brain Makes the Mind by Michael S. Gazzaniga
“One of the world’s leading cognitive neuroscientists upends binary theories of consciousness and argues that it is manifested throughout the brain by localized circuits, an idea backed by emerging scientific data and resonant with philosophical ideas that have been around for centuries. Because he uses straightforward language and contextualizes his research in familiar ideas, this is a book for readers of all ages who are intrigued by consciousness and how it works.” — Kirkus Reviews

“Insightful… He also refreshingly grounds the work in real experimental data, revealing himself to be an intelligent mental explorer and master syncretist. Gazzaniga’s accessible, well-organized arguments are bound to provoke deep metathoughts, and readers should find his treatise delightful.” — Publishers Weekly

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