Books: New and noteworthy
Paste BN’s Jocelyn McClurg scopes out the hottest books on sale each week.
1. It’s All Easy by Gwyneth Paltrow (Goop Press/Grand Central Life & Style, non-fiction, on sale April 12)
What it’s about: The actress offers “Delicious Weekday Recipes for the Super-Busy Home Cook” in her new cookbook.
The buzz: April 12 seems to be celebrity cookbook day: Questlove’s somethingtofoodabout: Exploring Creativity with Innovative Chefs (Clarkson Potter) also hits stores.
2. Most Wanted by Lisa Scottoline (St. Martin’s Press, fiction, on sale April 12)
What it’s about: A pregnant woman discovers that the sperm donor she used through a respected fertility clinic has been arrested for a series of murders.
The buzz: It’s an Indie Next pick of independent booksellers. “Fast-paced…will keep readers guessing until the end,” says Sarah Harmuth Letke of Redbery Books in Cable, Wisc.
3. Julian Fellowes’s Belgravia by Julian Fellowes (Grand Central, fiction, on sale April 14)
What it’s about: The man behind Downton Abbey returns with a story set in 1840s London, as “the upper echelons of society began to rub shoulders with the emerging industrial nouveau riche.”
The buzz: On April 14, the first two installments of Belgravia (a free prologue called "Dancing Into Battle" and a $1.99 first chapter) will be released digitally or via app, followed every Thursday by nine more installments; the complete book will be published in hardcover in July.
4. First Women: The Grace and Power of America’s Modern First Ladies by Kate Andersen Brower (Harper, non-fiction, on sale April 12)
What it’s about: A former White House correspondent for Bloomberg News looks at first ladies from Jacqueline Kennedy through Michelle Obama.
The buzz: Between the recent death of Nancy Reagan and the current presidential election (with a former first lady in the running), the timing of this book gets our vote.
5. Your Song Changed My Life by Bob Boilen (William Morrow, non-fiction, on sale April 12)
What it’s about: NPR’s Boilen talks to 35 musicians, from Jimmy Page to St. Vincent, about the songs that inspired them.
The buzz: “Boilen’s warm, engaging voice pervades this treat for music aficionados,” says Kirkus Reviews.