Author du Jour: Kathleen Hill, "She Read to us in the Late Afternoons"

“She Read to Us in the Late Afternoons: A Life in Novels,” by Kathleen Hill

(Delphinium Books, pp 224, $24.00)

Here is a book that could easily be missed out. So delicate in tone and style that it reads like a minuet. It is precisely the finely chiseled and graceful sentences. . .

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Author du Jour: Teresa Messineo, "The Fire by Night"

“The Fire by Night,” by Teresa Messineo

(William Morrow, pp 302, $ 26.99)

Though all wars results in the same atrocious outcome, they are hardly similar in their origins. They often start with an incident, a provocation, appearing to . . .

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Author du Jour: Deborah Crombie, "Garden of Lamentations"

“Garden of Lamentations,” by Deborah Crombie

(William Morrow, pp 400, $15.99)

A new shipment from Texas transplant, Deborah Crombie, to the UK brings another powerful thriller featuring the Scotland Yard detectives Duncan...

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Author du Jour: Elliot Ackerman, "Dark at the Crossing"

“Dark At the Crossing,” by Elliot Ackerman

(Alfred A. Knopf, pp 256, $ 25.95)

Here is an author whose fiction cannot be separated from his life, or, if you indulge me, whose novels....

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Author du Jour: Alex Berenson, "The Prisoner"

“The Prisoner,” by Alex Berenson

(Putnam, pp 426, $28.00)

In this age of great distrust, when the most unsuspected neighbor turns out to be a blood-thirsty sleeping cell about to enact some extremist cause, suspicion comes. . .

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author du Jour: Meredith Maran, "The New Old Me"

“The New Old Me” by Meredith Maran

(Blue Rider Press, pp 302, $27.00)

A great undiscovered jewel, and from what I infer, a book that deserves to get into every single book club in the nation, and beyond. My enthusiasm is perhaps excessive. There comes a time . . .

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Author du Jour: Beatriz Williams, "Wicked City"

“The Wicked City,” by Beatriz Williams
 

(William Morrow, pp 368, $26.99)

In “Wicked City,” one can smell the whiffs of Fitzgerald’s Nick Carraway as he journeys back and forth between New York and East Egg. You can touch Princeton . . . .

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Author du Jour: Dr. Elizabeth Blackburn & Dr. Elissa Epel, "The Telomere Effect"

“The Telomere Effect: a Revolutionary Approach to Living Younger, Healthier, Longer,” by Elizabeth Blackburn, PhD and Elissa Epel, PhD

(Grand Central Publishing, pp 399, $28.00)

Whoever came up with the subtitle for this fascinating book did an excellent job creating a strong hook. Who indeed would not want to live longer? Contrary to what you may consider, that life is just a game of roulette, with molecules moving one way and DNA reacting in another . . . Read book review ....

Author du Jour: Suzanna O'Sullivan, "Is It All in Your Head?"

“Is It all in Your Head? Trues Stories of imaginary Illness,” by Suzanne O’Sullivan, MD

(Other Press, pp 296, $26.95)

Psychosomatic illness is problematic. Disregarded as not real, it is often not considered seriously and is relegated to footnotes in medical books. And yet, it is all around us, often having debilitating effects on the sufferer, which can last for years in some cases. According to Dr. O’Sullivan,

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Author du Jour: David Morrell, "Ruler of the Night"

“Ruler of the Night,” by David Morrell
 

(Mulholland Books, pp 342, $27.00)

If you go down the street and ask anyone who is David Morrell, chances are you will be met with a blank stare. And yet, there is not a soul on earth who does not know “Rambo,” the iconic character Morrell created more than 45 years ago. In “Ruler of the Night,” Morrell spruces up . . .

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Author du Jour: A. Scott Berg, "World War I and America"

“World War I and America: Told by the American Who Lived It,” edited by A. Scott Berg
 

(Library of America, pp 896, $40.00)

Besides the inviting silky quality of the paper, this volume from the Library of America offers an impressive collection of articles, essays, personal stories, and declassified. . .

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Author du Jour: Alan Jacobson, "The Darkness of Evil"

“The Darkness of Evil,” by Alan Jacobson
 

(Open Road Integrated Media, pp 488, $16.99)

Sanity can be regained in many ways. While there are those who go to great lengths to analyze a person’s psyche to better penetrate it and spend a great deal of time to suggest curative solutions by trial and error . . .

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Author du Jour: Dalai Lama, Desmond Tutu, Douglas Abrams," The Book of Joy"

“The Book of Joy,” by the Dalai Lama, Desmond Tutu, and Douglas Abrams

(Avery, pp 356, $26.00)

A major contradiction lies at the heart of Western societies. The constant pressure towards the quest for happiness. It is no secret that the pressure to be happy creates more anxiety than....

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Author du Jour: Eric Beaumard, "The Wines of My Life"

"The Wines of My Life, " by Eric Beaumard

(Abrams pp 280, $45.00)

"The Wines of My Life" is a very important book for two reasons. First it was written by, perhaps, the most influential sommelier in the world, Eric Beaumard,...

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Author du Jour: K. J. Howe, "Freedom Broker"

“Freedom Broker” by K. J. Howe

(Quercus, pp 374, $ 26.99)

At “Books du Jour,” we pay special attention to first-timers. They are an important step to the continuity of the book business. Reviewing established authors calls for a safe stance. Taking risks . . .

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Author du Jour" Miroslav Volf, "Flourishing"

“Flourishing: Why We Need Religion in a Globalized World,” by Miroslav Volf

(Yale University Press, pp 304, $28.00)

Do religions still hold value in our lives in an age of globalization?  There is indeed a paradox in the reactionary violent stance with religions given that both globalization

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Author du Jour: Richard Haass, "A World in Disarray"

“A World in Disarray,” by Richard Haass

(Penguin Press, pp 341, $28.00)

This book has a lot of merit. The timing could not be better, given the current environment at the White House.  Though I do not subscribe with all the solutions, the author clearly chisels . . .

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Author du Jour: J D Vance

Hillbilly Elegy: a Memoir of a family and Culture in Crisis,” J. D. Vance

 

(Harper, pp 272, $ 27.99)

A book that could not be more timely. The “Hillbilly Elegy,” is a memoir about poor white folks in a Rust Bell town . . . Read book review . . . HERE.

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Author du Jour: Satyajit Das, "The Age of Stagnation"

“The Age of Stagnation: Why perpetual Growth is Unattainable and the Global Economy Is in Peril,” by Satyajit Das
 

(Prometheus Books, pp 340, $25.00)

Although the title of Das’s book is enough to make anyone go back to bed, the book is not only an eye-opener but also a great clarifier. Written in a clear . .  . Read book review

HERE

Author du Jour: Cara Brookins, "Rise"

January 2017. 

First of all in the behalf of the Books du Jour team, Happy New Year to you. May your eyes get not too exhausted from reading too many books.  Always a risk.  We are kicking off this new year with an amazing selection of new books.

As new know, even though truckloads of books see the light year after year, with each new year the same question remains. On which note to start the year, especially when it begins with the most controversial presidential inauguration ever? On a spirit of celebration? On a serious or mournful note? Is it possible to be chirpy when the anxious making uncertainty of the months ahead already corrupt our present? Some claims that knowing nothing is better. But as a critic, I only find solace in the better understanding of circumstances. Below you will find a selection of books that reflects the concerns of the day.

“Rise: How a Family Built a House” by Cara Brookins

(Saint Martin Press, pp 320, $25.99)

Here is a book that I expect will make a lot of buzz when it launches in mid January. “Rise” is a memoir of a long and incredible journey of its author, Cara Brookins, a single  . . . 

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Author du Jour: Marcia Clark, "Moral Defense"

“Moral Defense” by Marcia Clark

(Thomas & Mercer, pp 460, $24.95)

Let me start with this month’s most unlikely candidate. Someone who has been in the news twenty or so years ago during the infamous O. J. trial. I am referring to Marcia Clark. Her new book, “Moral Defense,” is a novel. Yes, you have read loud and clear. A crime  . . . Read Book Review

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Author du Jour: Andrew Gross, "One Man"

“The One Man” by Andrew Gross

(Minotaur Books, pp 418, $26.99)

“The One Man” marks a radical departure for Andrew Gross. His past novels (nine and counting) were all in the pure thriller genre, a craft he learned straight from the Lord himself, James Patterson, with whom he co-authored several novels. “The One Man” however is a war novel, set in WWII, with a thriller plot. A daring move for an author of this caliber with a large following. But audacity combined with skills and originality can only translate in superior work, which is what “The One Man” bears witness. The characters have gained depth. Descriptions are layered, breathing life, while the plot is more organic and humanly warmer, an anachronism despite being set in a death camp.

In this finely chiseled engaging novel, a Polish-descent polyglot intelligence officer, Nathan Blum, is offered the mission of a lifetime: enter Auschwitz and escape with one of the prisoner, a professor named Alfred Mendl, who is believed to hold crucial secret that could put an end to the folly of the Third Reich. The ending will not be disclosed here . . . but the novel questions the nature of meaning and devotion to a cause, especially when the involvement calls for huge personal sacrifices for the good of all.