Books: New and noteworthy

Paste BN's Jocelyn McClurg scopes out the hottest books on sale each week.

1. Love Lettersby Debbie Macomber (Ballantine, fiction, on sale Aug. 12)

What it's about: Romance checks in for the summer at Cedar Cove's Rose Harbor Inn, as Jo Marie Rose welcomes three new guests.

The buzz: The first two books in the series were big hits, with 2013's Rose Harbor in Bloom hitting No. 2 on Paste BN's Best-Selling Books list.

2. The Rushby Edward Dolnick (Little, Brown, non-fiction, on sale Aug. 12)

What it's about: A history of "gold fever" — the lottery of its day as thousands rushed to California in 1848 after prospectors found gold.

The buzz: "Compulsively readable," says Publishers Weekly.

3. The 6th Extinctionby James Rollins (William Morrow, fiction, on sale Aug. 12)

What it's about: In this 10th Sigma Force novel, Cmdr. Gray Pierce has a rather daunting mission: to stop the coming extinction of mankind.

The buzz: "Plenty tasty," says Kirkus Reviews.

4. In a Rocket Made of Ice: Among the Children of Wat Opotby Gail Gutradt (Knopf, non-fiction, on sale Aug. 12)

What it's about: Memoir by a woman who volunteers at an orphanage in rural Cambodia where children are affected by HIV/AIDS.

The buzz: "Moving," Kirkus says.

5. Colorless Tsukuru Tazaki and His Years of Pilgrimageby Haruki Murakami (Knopf, fiction, on sale Aug. 12)

What it's about: The author of IQ84 returns with the story of a Japanese man whose four best friends inexplicably cut him off.

The buzz: "Vintage Murakami," says Publishers Weekly.