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Hardcover Fiction

Week of August 24, 2014

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1
NEW
THE MAGICIAN'S LAND
Lev Grossman
Cover of THE MAGICIAN'S LAND

THE MAGICIAN'S LAND

by Lev Grossman · Viking Press

1 wks at #1 · 1 on list

Quentin has been cast out of Fillory. Alone and adrift, he returns to Brakebills, the school of magic where it all began. But he can't hide from his past. His new path will take him through a world of grey and uncertain magic, from Antarctica to the enchanted Neitherlands. But all roads lead back to Fillory. The magical barriers are failing and the realm faces destruction. To save them, Quentin must unlock the secrets of magic and risk sacrificing everything. Praise for The Magicians Trilogy 'The best fantasy trilogy of the decade.' Charles Stross 'The most entertaining and compelling fantasy I've read in a long time.' The Times 'Lev Grossman has conjured a rare creature: a trilogy that simply gets better and better as it goes along... Literary perfection.' Erin Morgenstern 'May just be the most subversive, gripping, and enchanting fantasy novel I've read this century.' Cory Doctorow 'Dark and dangerous and full of twists. Hogwarts was never like this.' George R. R. Martin 'Sad, hilarious, beautiful, and essential to anyone who cares about modern fantasy.' Joe Hill 'A darkly cunning story about the power of imagination itself.' The New Yorker 'The Magicians ought to be required reading... a terrific, at times almost painfully perceptive novel of the fantastic.' Kelly Link 'Brilliantly explores the hidden underbelly of fantasy and easy magic, taking what's simple on the surface and turning it over to show us the complicated writhing mess beneath.' Naomi Novik

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BIG LITTLE LIES
Liane Moriarty
Cover of BIG LITTLE LIES

BIG LITTLE LIES

by Liane Moriarty · Amy Einhorn/Putnam

2 wks on list

DISCOVER THE GRIPPING NO. 1 BESTSELLER BEHIND THE AWARD WINNING HBO SENSATION STARRING REESE WITHERSPOON, NICOLE KIDMAN & MERYL STREEP **The long-awaited sequel, Big Little Truths, is available to pre-order now** ________ Perfect families, perfect houses, perfect lives. Three mothers, Jane, Madeline and Celeste appear to have it all, until they find out just how easy it is for one little lie to spiral out of control . . . Single mum Jane has just moved to town. She's got her little boy in tow - plus a secret she's been carrying for five years. On the first day of the school run she meets Madeline - a force to be reckoned with, who remembers everything and forgives no one - and Celeste, the kind of beautiful woman who makes the world stop and stare, but is inexplicably ill at ease. They both take Jane under their wing - while careful to keep their own secrets under wraps. But a minor incident involving the children of all three women rapidly escalates: playground whispers become spiteful rumours until no one can tell the truth from the lies . . . It was always going to end in tears, but how did it end in murder? ________ 'Blame and guilt, forgiveness and retribution, love and betrayal. A tense, page-turning story . . . a great read' Mail on Sunday 'Blending romance, comedy and mystery, this is a wonderful book - full of brains, guts and heart' Sunday Mirror 'A hell of a good book. Funny and scary' Stephen King 'Brilliant, standout, superbly clever. Moriarty writes vividly, wittily and wickedly' Sunday Express

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THE LOST ISLAND
Douglas Preston and Lincoln Child
Cover of THE LOST ISLAND

THE LOST ISLAND

by Douglas Preston and Lincoln Child · Grand Central

1 wks on list

Gideon Crew--brilliant scientist, master thief--is living on borrowed time. When his mysterious employer, Eli Glinn, gives him an eyebrow-raising mission, he has no reason to refuse. Gideon's task: steal a page from the priceless Book of Kells, now on display in New York City and protected by unbreakable security. Accomplishing the impossible, Gideon steals the parchment--only to learn that hidden beneath the gorgeously illuminated image is a treasure map dating back to the time of the ancient Greeks. As they ponder the strange map, they realize that the treasure it leads to is no ordinary fortune. It is something far more precious: an amazing discovery that could perhaps even save Gideon's life. Together with his new partner, Amy, Gideon follows a trail of cryptic clues to an unknown island in a remote corner of the Caribbean Sea. There, off the hostile and desolate Mosquito Coast, the pair realize the extraordinary treasure they are hunting conceals an even greater shock-a revelation so profound that it may benefit the entire human race . . . if Gideon and Amy can survive.

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SEVERED SOULS
Terry Goodkind
Cover of SEVERED SOULS

SEVERED SOULS

by Terry Goodkind · Tor/Tom Doherty

1 wks on list

From Terry Goodkind, author of the Sword of Truth series, comes Severed Souls, a New York Times best selling novel of Richard Rahl, Kahlan Amnell, and their world. From the far reaches of the D'Haran Empire, Bishop Hannis Arc and the ancient Emperor Sulachan lead a vast horde of Shun-Tuk and other depraved "half-people" into the Empire's heart, raising an army of the dead in order to threaten the world of the living. Meanwhile, far from home, Richard Rahl and Kahlan Amnell must defend themselves and their followers from a series of terrifying threats, despite a magical sickness that depletes their strength and which, if not cured, will take their lives...sooner rather than later. "Richard saw the point of a sword blade sticking out from between the man's shoulder blades. He spun back toward Richard after throwing the woman out of the opening, ready to attack. It seemed impossible, but the man looked unaffected by the blade that had impaled him through the chest. It was then, in the weak light from the fire pit off to the side, that Richard got his first good look at the killer. Three knives were buried up to their brass cross-guards in the man's chest. Only the handles were showing. Richard saw, too, the broken end of a sword blade jutting out from the center of the man's chest. The point of that same blade stuck out from the man's back. Richard recognized the knife handles. All three were the style carried by the men of the First File. He looked from those blades that should have killed the big man, up into his face. That was when he realized the true horror of the situation, and the reason for the unbearable stench of death." At the Publisher's request, this title is being sold without Digital Rights Management Software (DRM) applied.

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THE GOLDFINCH
Donna Tartt
Cover of THE GOLDFINCH

THE GOLDFINCH

by Donna Tartt · Little, Brown

42 wks on list

WINNER OF THE PULITZER PRIZE FOR FICTION Theo Decker, aged thirteen, is left alone in the world after surviving a catastrophe that kills his only close relative - his mother - and tears him away from everything he knows. Tormented by grief, drifting from home to home, he grows increasingly obsessed with a small, enchanting work of art which dominates his imagination and ultimately draws him, as an adult, into a much darker life than he could ever have foreseen. 'A masterpiece' The Times 'Astonishing' Guardian 'Superb' Daily Mail 'A gripping page turner' Independent on Sunday 'A triumph' Stephen King 'Dazzling' New York Times

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THE HEIST
Daniel Silva
Cover of THE HEIST

THE HEIST

by Daniel Silva · Harper

4 wks on list

‘Allon is the 21st century Bond’ Daily Mail Gabriel Allon, master art restorer and assassin, returns in a spellbinding new thriller from No.1 bestselling author Daniel Silva. For all fans of Robert Ludlum.

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THE BOOK OF LIFE
Deborah Harkness
Cover of THE BOOK OF LIFE

THE BOOK OF LIFE

by Deborah Harkness · Viking Press

4 wks on list

The #1 New York Times bestselling third installment in the All Souls series, from the author of The Discovery of Witches and The Black Bird Oracle. Look for the hit series “A Discovery of Witches,” now streaming on AMC+, Sundance Now, and Shudder! Bringing the magic and suspense of the All Souls Trilogy to a deeply satisfying conclusion, this highly anticipated finale went straight to #1 on the New York Times bestseller list. In The Book of Life, Diana and Matthew time-travel back from Elizabethan London to make a dramatic return to the present—facing new crises and old enemies. At Matthew’s ancestral home, Sept-Tours, they reunite with the beloved cast of characters from A Discovery of Witches—with one significant exception. But the real threat to their future has yet to be revealed, and when it is, the search for Ashmole 782 and its missing pages takes on even more urgency.

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TOM CLANCY: SUPPORT AND DEFEND
Mark Greaney
Cover of TOM CLANCY: SUPPORT AND DEFEND

TOM CLANCY: SUPPORT AND DEFEND

by Mark Greaney · Putnam

3 wks on list

Already scarred by the death of his brother, Dominic Caruso is devastated when he can't save a friend and his family from a terrorist attack. Ethan Ross was a mid-level staffer for the National Security Council. Now he's a wanted fugitive on the run with a micro drive that contains enough information to wreck American intelligence efforts around the world. The CIA is desperate to get the drive back, but so are the Russians and various terrorist groups all of whom are closer to catching the fugitive. Only Caruso stands in their way, but can he succeed without the aid of his Campus colleagues?

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ALL THE LIGHT WE CANNOT SEE
Anthony Doerr
Cover of ALL THE LIGHT WE CANNOT SEE

ALL THE LIGHT WE CANNOT SEE

by Anthony Doerr · Scribner

14 wks on list

An imaginative and intricate novel inspired by the horrors of World War II and written in short, elegant chapters that explore human nature and the contradictory power of technology.

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THE SILKWORM
Robert Galbraith
Cover of THE SILKWORM

THE SILKWORM

by Robert Galbraith · Mulholland/Little, Brown

8 wks on list

When novelist Owen Quine goes missing, his wife calls in private detective Cormoran Strike. At first, she just thinks he has gone off by himself for a few days - as he has done before - and she wants Strike to find him and bring him home. But as Strike investigates, it becomes clear that there is more to Quine's disappearance than his wife realises. The novelist has just completed a manuscript featuring poisonous pen-portraits of almost everyone he knows. If the novel were published it would ruin lives - so there are a lot of people who might want to silence him. And when Quine is found brutally murdered in bizarre circumstances, it becomes a race against time to understand the motivation of a ruthless killer, a killer unlike any he has encountered before . . . A compulsively readable crime novel with twists at every turn, The Silkworm is the second in the highly acclaimed series featuring Cormoran Strike and his determined young assistant Robin Ellacott.

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A PERFECT LIFE
Danielle Steel
Cover of A PERFECT LIFE

A PERFECT LIFE

by Danielle Steel · Delacorte Press

3 wks on list

NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • From Danielle Steel comes a heartwarming and inspirational novel about a mother and daughter who face challenges, cope with celebrity, and overcome tragedy while maintaining the outward appearance of . . . a perfect life The epitome of intelligence, high-powered energy, and grace, Blaise McCarthy is an icon in the world of television news, asking the tough questions and taking on the emotionally charged issues of world affairs and politics with courage and insight. A single mother, she manages her well-ordered career meticulously, always prepared on the air or interviewing world-renowned figures and heads of state. To her audience, Blaise seems to have it all. But privately, and off the set, there is another untold story she has kept hidden for years. Blaise’s teenage daughter, Salima, was blinded by Type 1 diabetes in childhood, and her needs have kept her away in a year-round boarding school with full-time medical care and assistance ever since. When Salima’s school closes after a tragedy, Salima returns to her mother’s New York City apartment, and suddenly they face challenges they’ve never had to deal with before, and that Blaise feels ill-equipped to handle. A new caretaker provided by Salima’s school creates as many problems as he solves. Handsome, accomplished, thirty-two-year-old Simon Ward, with strong opinions on every topic, questions how mother and daughter view themselves and each other. Simon opens new doors for both of them and refuses to accept Salima’s physical limitations. He turns their world upside down, and the three become friends. Then everything starts to unravel and Blaise can’t keep her two worlds separate anymore. A beautiful young anchorwoman is hired at the network; it is no secret that she is being groomed to take Blaise’s place. Her career as she has known it is threatened, and her previously well-ordered life feels totally out of control. For the first time, Blaise’s life is not perfect, but real. In this unforgettable tale, the incomparable Danielle Steel has written a novel that pulsates with emotion and honesty as three people face the truth about themselves. A Perfect Life is about what we do when facades fall away and we can no longer run from the truth. As old ideas fail, everything changes, and life is suddenly brand-new.

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INVISIBLE
James Patterson and David Ellis
Cover of INVISIBLE

INVISIBLE

by James Patterson and David Ellis · Little, Brown

7 wks on list

Everyone thinks Emmy Dockery is crazy. Obsessed with finding the link between hundreds of unsolved cases, Emmy has taken leave from her job as an FBI researcher. Now all she has are the newspaper clippings that wallpaper her bedroom, and her recurring nightmares of an all-consuming fire. Not even Emmy's ex-boyfriend, field agent Harrison "Books" Bookman, will believe her that hundreds of kidnappings, rapes, and murders are all connected. That is, until Emmy finds a piece of evidence he can't afford to ignore. More murders are reported by the day--and they're all inexplicable. No motives, no murder weapons, no suspects. Could one person really be responsible for these unthinkable crimes? INVISIBLE is James Patterson's scariest, most chilling stand-alone thriller yet.

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ACT OF WAR
Brad Thor
Cover of ACT OF WAR

ACT OF WAR

by Brad Thor · Emily Bestler/Atria

5 wks on list

#1 New York Times bestselling author Brad Thor delivers his most frightening and pulse-pounding thriller ever! After a CIA agent mysteriously dies overseas, his top asset surfaces with a startling and terrifying claim. There’s just one problem—no one knows if she can be trusted. But when six exchange students go missing, two airplane passengers trade places, and one political-asylum seeker is arrested, a deadly chain of events is set in motion. With the United States facing an imminent and devastating attack, America’s new president must turn to covert counterterrorism operative Scot Harvath to help carry out two of the most dangerous operations in the country’s history. Code-named "Gold Dust" and "Blackbird," they are shrouded in absolute secrecy as either of them, if discovered, will constitute an act of war.

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TOP SECRET
W. E. B. Griffin and William E. Butterworth IV
Cover of TOP SECRET

TOP SECRET

by W. E. B. Griffin and William E. Butterworth IV · Putnam

1 wks on list

From #1 New York Times bestselling authors W.E.B. Griffin and William E. Butterworth IV comes the first Clandestine Operations novel—featuring a new kind of threat and a different breed of warrior. In the first weeks after World War II, James D. Cronley, Jr., is recruited for a new enterprise that will eventually be transformed into something called the CIA. For a new war has already begun against an enemy that is bigger, smarter, and more vicious: the Soviet Union. The Soviets have hit the ground running, and Cronley’s job is to help frustrate them, harass them, and spy on them any way he can. But his first assignment might be his last. He’s got only seven days to extract a vital piece of information from a Soviet agent, and he’s already managed to rile up his superior officers. If he fails now, his intelligence career could be the shortest in history. Because there are enemies everywhere—and, as Cronley is about to find out, some of them wear the same uniform he does...

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MR. MERCEDES
Stephen King
Cover of MR. MERCEDES

MR. MERCEDES

by Stephen King · Scribner

10 wks on list

Mr. Mercedes, primera novela de la «Trilogía Bill Hodges», es la historia de una guerra entre el Bien y el Mal. Un retrato inolvidable de la mente de un asesino obsesionado y demente. Justo antes del amanecer, en una decadente ciudad americana, cientos de parados esperan la apertura de la oficina de empleo para reclamar uno de los mil puestos de trabajo que se han anunciado. Han hecho cola durante toda la noche. De pronto, invisible hasta que lo tienen prácticamente encima, un Mercedes surge de la fría niebla de la madrugada. Su conductor atropella y aplasta a todos los que encuentra a su alcance. Acto seguido, el coche da marcha atrás y vuelve a arremeter contra ellos. El asesino huye dejando atrás ocho muertos y quince heridos. Meses después, Bill Hodges, un policía jubilado que sigue obsesionado con este caso sin resolver, recibe una carta anónima de alguien que se declara culpable de la masacre. Brady Hartsfield vive con su madre alcohólica en la casa donde nació. Disfrutó tanto de aquella sensación de muerte debajo de los neumáticos del Mercedes que ahora quiere recuperarla. ¿Quién es el cazador y quién la presa? Bill Hodges: policía jubilado. Brady Hartsfield: asesino múltiple cuya culpabilidad Bill Hodges nunca logró demostrar. Ahora vuelven a encontrarse y cientos de vidas están en juego. Un thriller sin par del gran maestro Stephen King. En los blogs: «Una novela de acción trepidante que demuestra la habilidad de King de crear personajes memorables, sean héroes o antihéroes, pero siempre cargados de potencia y atractivo en medio de tramas muy bien planteadas y entretenidas.» Blog Mis libros y mis cosas

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THE HUSBAND'S SECRET
Liane Moriarty
Cover of THE HUSBAND'S SECRET

THE HUSBAND'S SECRET

by Liane Moriarty · Amy Einhorn/Putnam

The no 1. New York Times bestseller from the author of Big Little Lies and new novel Apples Never Fall. "A staggeringly brilliant novel. It is literally unputdownable." Mail on Sunday How well do you know your husband? Cecilia Fitzpatrick, devoted mother, successful Tupperware business owner and efficient P&C President, has found a letter from her husband. "For my wife, Cecilia Fitzpatrick, to be opened only in the event of my death" But Cecilia's husband isn't dead, he's on a business trip. And when she questions him about it on the phone, Cecilia senses something she hasn't experienced before. John-Paul is lying. What happens next changes Cecilia's formerly blissful suburban existence forever, and the consequences will be life-changing for the most unexpected people. Fans of Jojo Moyes, Jodi Picoult and Paula Hawkins will love Liane Moriarty. PRAISE FOR THE HUSBAND'S SECRET "So good you won't be able to keep it to yourself" USA Today "The story is cleverly plotted, full of suspense and so well-written that it pulls you in from the first page" Sunday Mirror "Dark and compelling, this is a must read" Sun "Intelligent and funny" Sydney Morning Herald Named one of Entertainment Weekly's Best Books of the Year and People magazine's Top Ten Books of the Year

Historical bestseller data sourced from the New York Times Book Review, archived by Hawes Publications.