Books: New and noteworthy

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

1. Sing to Me by L.A. Reid (Harper, non-fiction, on sale Feb. 2)

What it’s about: The record producer (and former X Factor judge) writes a memoir about his storied career.

The buzz: Look for behind-the-scenes tales about working with stars such as Toni Braxton, Kanye West, Rihanna, Mariah Carey, Justin Bieber, and Usher.

2. A Friend of Mr. Lincoln by Stephen Harrigan (Knopf, fiction, on sale Feb. 2)

What it’s about: A novel about Abraham Lincoln in Illinois in the 1830s and ’40s, as seen through the eyes of a fictional friend, poet Cage Weatherby.

The buzz: “Richly drawn,” says Library Journal.

3. On My Own by Diane Rehm (Knopf, non-fiction, on sale Feb. 2)

What it’s about: The NPR host writes about widowhood after her husband’s death from Parkinson’s and his controversial decision to refuse sustenance and medication at the end of his life.

The buzz: “Brave and uplifting,” says Kirkus Reviews.

4. The High Mountains of Portugal by Yann Martel (Spiegel & Grau, fiction, on sale Feb. 2)

What it’s about: Linked tales about a quest set over the 20th century in Portugal, with a cameo by a chimpanzee; by the author of Life of Pi.

The buzz: “Highly imaginative,” says Publishers Weekly in a starred review.

5. Be Frank With Me by Julia Claiborne Johnson (William Morrow, fiction, on sale Feb. 2)

What it’s about: A publishing assistant who must make sure literary legend M. M. “Mimi” Banning delivers a new manuscript is put in charge of the writer’s eccentric 9-year-old son.

The buzz: It’s an Indie Next pick of independent booksellers. “Captivating, irresistible, moving, heartbreaking,” says Bess Bleyaert of McLean & Eakin Booksellers in Petoskey, Mich.