Books: New and noteworthy

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

1. The Mime Order by Samantha Shannon (Bloomsbury, fiction, on sale Jan. 27)

What it's about: Sequel to dystopian fantasy The Bone Season finds fugitive clairvoyant Paige Mahoney at the top of London's most-wanted list.

The buzz: Bone Season, first in a planned seven-part series, hit No. 18 on Paste BN's Best-Selling Books list and was a Today show book club pick.

2. Zillow Talk: The New Rules of Real Estate by Spencer Rascoff and Stan Humphries (Grand Central, non-fiction, on sale Jan. 27)

What it's about: Advice from the folks at real estate website Zillow.

The buzz: "A must-read for readers interested in buying, selling or renting a home," says Kirkus Reviews.

3. The Sacrifice by Joyce Carol Oates (Ecco, fiction, on sale Jan. 27)

What it's about: Novel based on the infamous Tawana Brawley hoax from the 1980s, in which six white men were falsely accused of raping a black teenager.

The buzz: The Rev. Al Sharpton, who turned the case into a media sensation, is still very much in the news these days.

4. Love, Again: The Wisdom of Unexpected Romance by Eve Pell (Ballantine, fiction, on sale Jan. 27)

What it's about: The author writes about finding a new love late in life, and reports on other lovestruck older couples.

The buzz: Grew out of a popular "Modern Love" column in The New York Times.

5. The Great Zoo of China by Matthew Reilly (Gallery, fiction, on sale Jan. 27)

What it's about: Jurassic Park-like thriller about what happens when the Chinese government unveils "secret" zoo creatures to American VIPs.

The buzz: "Entertaining," says Publishers Weekly.