Books: New and noteworthy

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

1. Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Old School by Jeff Kinney (Amulet, fiction, on sale Nov. 3)

What it’s about: The 10th book in an illustrated series finds middle schooler Greg Heffley trying to unplug digitally without much luck.

The buzz: Seven Wimpy Kid books have been No. 1 Paste BN best sellers, including last year’s The Long Haul.

2. The Bazaar of Bad Dreams by Stephen King (Scribner, fiction, on sale Nov. 3)

What it’s about: A collection of stories by the horror master, many never published before.

The buzz: “Riveting…King is in a class all by himself,” says Library Journal.

3. The Crossing by Michael Connelly (Little, Brown, fiction, on sale Nov. 3)

What it’s about: Retired LAPD detective Harry Bosch teams up on a case with his half-brother, criminal detective Mickey Haller.

The buzz: Connelly is executive producer of the original Amazon series Bosch; 10 new episodes are due in 2016.

4. Woody: The Biography by David Evanier (St. Martin’s Press, non-fiction, on sale Nov. 3)

What it’s about: New bio examines Woody Allen’s oeuvre as a filmmaker, as well as his controversial personal life.

The buzz: Arrives in advance of Allen’s 80th birthday on Dec. 1.

5.  The Muralist by B.A. Shapiro (Algonquin, fiction, on sale Nov. 3)

What it’s about: The author of The Art Forger pens a tale about the birth of Abstract Expressionism, focusing on two female characters.

The buzz: It’s the No. 1 Indie Next pick of independent booksellers for November. “Shapiro delivers another fascinating and compelling story,” says Anderson McKean of Page & Palette in Fairhope, Ala.