Q1: Big Book Titles to Look Out For

Welcome to the Dark Days of January. The holidays are over, presents unwrapped. Perhaps, by now, you’ve already finished the books you received for Christmas (you did ask for books, didn’t you? Okay, I’ll admit, I didn't either. Shame on me). Either way, it’s a new year, and along with it come new releases. I’m offering a list of some titles, from well-established authors to those you may not have heard of. I’ll avoid commentary, and present you with the books as their publishers and authors would want you to receive them: unbiased. Without further ado, here’s what you can look forward to in the coming months.

Duma Key, by Stephen King
Published by Simon and Schuster, on sale January 22

Edgar Freemantle is a construction worker who suffers a horrible accident. Now, he’’s lost his right arm, and his mind is damaged, too. He begins rehab. But things do not improve. His marriage ends, and he loses both his wife and his two daughters. His doctor tells him to get away. It might be what he needs. So Edgar heads to Florida, to Duma Key, and begins sketching, and painting. He meets various people, each with their own story. When his paintings begin to take on some sort of life of their own, new danger begins to surface that could threaten more than just Edgar arm.

The Appeal, by John Grisham
Published by Doubleday, on sale January 29

Carl Trudeau is the billionaire owner of a chemical company. When a court rules that his company is responsible for polluting a town’s water supply, causing a huge rise in cancer in the area, Trudeau knows he must appeal to the Supreme Court. But the Court will never vote in his favor. What can he do? He can put his own man in our nation’s highest body of judicial law. It costs him millions, but he is able to find a suitable candidate and prepare him for his eventual ascension to the role of Supreme Court Justice. Can Trudeau get away with manipulating the law?

His Illegal Self, by Peter Carey
Published by Knopf, on sale February 5

Che is the son of political activists. He does not live with his parents, but with his grandmother in New York City. He is not allowed to watch television, not even the news. He wants to be with his parents, but he is trapped. His neighbor tells him that one day his parents will come for him. Che becomes an outlaw, running until he winds up in a hippie commune in Queensland. He seeks answers to his questions: questions about his family, about who they really were. He may not be able to handle the answers.

The Soul Thief, by Charles Baxter
Published by Pantheon Books, on sale February 12

Nathaniel is a graduate student who can’t connect with the people around him. But then he meets Jerome. Jerome knows things about Nathaniel’s life that Nathaniel can’t remember ever confiding in him. 30 years later, Nathaniel has a break down. Suddenly, Jerome shows up once again. This time, he lets Nathaniel know that his life may not, in fact, be his own.

Strangers in Death, by Nora Roberts writing as J.D. Robb
Published by Penguin, on sale February 19

2060, New York City -- The world has changed, but crime remains pretty much the same. When a well-known businessman is murdered in his home, Lieutenant Eve Dallas takes the case. There is a huge amount of gossip and controversy surrounding the case; the man was found in his secure apartment, tied to his bed, strangled to death. Dallas finds a way in to the inner circle, but is baffled by what she finds -- everyone seems to have an alibi. His wife was out of the country, and the nephew who stood to inherit the millions apparently loved his uncle wholeheartedly. Everyone has secrets, and its up to Lieutenant Dallas to unravel them all.

The Outlaw Demon Wails, by Kim Harrison
Published by HarperCollins, on sale February 26

In the sixth volume of Harrison’s Hollows series, we join Rachel Morgan, witch, as she avoids the demon which plagues her. She struggles to come back from the death of her lover and solve his murder. Rynn Cormel, master vampire, is making Rachel’s life difficult, and after a run-in with a vampire she worries about her own demon magic. Her mother, Alice, and her partner, a pixie named Jenks, help her through a series of twists and turns that will leave series fans breathless.

Tuesdays are release days, so start planning your weekly trips to the bookstore. And remember, this is just a small slice, a cross-section of releases you may want to keep an eye on. Happy reading!