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Hardcover Fiction

Week of October 13, 2024

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1
NEW
COUNTING MIRACLES
Nicholas Sparks
Cover of COUNTING MIRACLES

COUNTING MIRACLES

by Nicholas Sparks · Random House

3 wks at #1 · 1 on list

#1 NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • From the acclaimed author of The Longest Ride and The Notebook comes an emotional, powerful novel about wondering if we can change—or even make our peace with—the path we’ve taken. “Sparks is superb at what he does. The setting is postcard perfect. The characters are immensely likable. . . . This is a tidy miracle you can count on.”—The Washington Post Tanner Hughes was raised by his grandparents, following in his grandfather’s military footsteps to become an Army Ranger. His whole life has been spent abroad, and he is the proverbial rolling stone: happiest when off on his next adventure, zero desire to settle down. But when his grandmother passes away, her last words to him are find where you belong. She also drops a bombshell, telling him the name of the father he never knew—and where to find him. Tanner is due at his next posting soon, but his curiosity is piqued, and he sets out for Asheboro, North Carolina, to ask around. He’s been in town less than twenty-four hours when he meets Kaitlyn Cooper, a doctor and single mom. They both feel an immediate connection; Tanner knows Kaitlyn has a story to tell, and he wants to hear it. To Kaitlyn, Tanner is mysterious, exciting—and possibly leaving in just a few weeks. Meanwhile, nearby, eighty-three-year-old Jasper lives alone in a cabin bordering a national forest. With only his old dog, Arlo, for company, he lives quietly, haunted by a tragic accident that took place decades before. When he hears rumors that a white deer has been spotted in the forest—a creature of legend that inspired his father and grandfather—he becomes obsessed with protecting the deer from poachers. As these characters’ fates orbit closer together, none of them is expecting a miracle . . . but that may be exactly what is about to alter their futures forever.

3
THE WOMEN
Kristin Hannah
4
HERE ONE MOMENT
Liane Moriarty
Cover of HERE ONE MOMENT

HERE ONE MOMENT

by Liane Moriarty · Crown

3 wks on list

#1 NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • From the beloved author of Big Little Lies, Apples Never Fall, and The Husband’s Secret comes a moving novel of love, marriage, family, and trying to find certainty in a fragile world. “The premise is irresistible—a woman on a flight from Hobart to Sydney begins predicting the age and manner of death of her fellow passengers. Beautifully written, this propulsive novel has a serious theme. Could be a great . . . present for that special someone.”—Stephen King “A riveting story so wild you don’t know how she’ll land it, and then she does, on a dime.”—Anne Lamott AN NPR BEST BOOK OF THE YEAR Life is full of twists and turns you never see coming. But what if you did? Flight attendant Allegra Patel loves her job, but today is her twenty-eighth birthday and she’d rather not be placating a plane full of passengers unhappy about a long delay. There’s the well-dressed man in seat 4C desperate not to miss his daughter’s musical. A harried mother frantically tries to keep her toddler and baby quiet. Honeymooners still in their wedding finery dream of their new lives, while a chatty emergency room nurse dreams of retirement. Suddenly a woman traveling alone stands. She walks down the aisle making predictions about how and when passengers will die. Some dismiss her, they don’t believe in psychics. Some are delighted with her prophecies! Their lives will supposedly be long. Others are appalled. Then: a few months later, the first prediction comes true. Intricately plotted, with the wonderful wit Liane Moriarty has become famous for, Here One Moment brilliantly looks at friends, lovers, and family and how we manage to hold onto them in our harried modern lives.

5
NEW
PLAYGROUND
Richard Powers
Cover of PLAYGROUND

PLAYGROUND

by Richard Powers · Norton

1 wks on list

A NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER LONGLISTED FOR THE BOOKER PRIZE THE POWERFUL NEW NOVEL FROM THE PULITZER PRIZE-WINNING AND BOOKER-SHORTLISTED AUTHOR OF THE OVERSTORY AND BEWILDERMENT ‘Ascends to the plane of true, indisputable greatness' OBSERVER 'An ambitious, rapturous epic' GUARDIAN ‘Magisterial, moving and thought-provoking ... a beautiful love letter to our oceans’ NEW SCIENTIST Rafi and Todd are two polar opposites at an elite high school. As adults, Rafi gets lost in literature, while Todd’s enters the world of AI. Elsewhere, Evie sinks to the bottom of a swimming pool strapped to one of the world’s first aqualungs; Ina grows up in naval bases across the Pacific with art as her only home. All of these people meet on the history-scarred island of Makatea in French Polynesia, marked for humanity’s next great adventure. Set in the world’s largest ocean, Playground interweaves profound themes of technology and the environment, and a deep exploration of our shared humanity. 'Is there anything Richard Powers cannot write? The world here is complete, seductive, and promising. The writing feels like the ocean. Vast, mysterious, deep and live' PERCIVAL EVERETT 'Brilliant, captivating and important' ANDREA WULF 'An extraordinarily immersive journey through lives linked in mysterious ways - gripping, alarming and uplifting' EMMA DONOGHUE Praise for Richard Powers: 'Powers has extraordinary gifts as a writer' GUARDIAN 'Impressively precise in its scientific conjectures, Bewilderment is no less rich or wise in its emotionality' OBSERVER 'He composes some of the most beautiful sentences I've ever read. I'm in awe of his talent' OPRAH WINFREY 'It is impossible to deny the importance of Powers's message' SUNDAY TIMES 'Refreshing, original and moving' EVENING STANDARD

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3
IRON FLAME
Rebecca Yarros
Cover of IRON FLAME

IRON FLAME

by Rebecca Yarros · Red Tower

47 wks on list

"Everyone expected Violet Sorrengail to die during her first year at Basgiath War College--Violet included. But Threshing was only the first impossible test meant to weed out the weak-willed, the unworthy, and the unlucky. Now the real training begins, and Violet's already wondering how she'll get through. It's not just that it's grueling and maliciously brutal, or even that it's designed to stretch the riders' capacity for pain beyond endurance. It's the new vice commandant, who's made it his personal mission to teach Violet exactly how powerless she is-unless she betrays the man she loves. Although Violet's body might be weaker and frailer than everyone else's, she still has her wits--and a will of iron. And leadership is forgetting the most important lesson Basgiath has taught her: Dragon riders make their own rules. But a determination to survive won't be enough this year. Because Violet knows the real secret hidden for centuries at Basgiath War College--and nothing, not even dragon fire, may be enough to save them in the end." --

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1
THE LIFE IMPOSSIBLE
Matt Haig
Cover of THE LIFE IMPOSSIBLE

THE LIFE IMPOSSIBLE

by Matt Haig · Viking Press

4 wks on list

"The remarkable next novel from Matt Haig, the author of #1 New York Times bestseller The Midnight Library, with more than nine million copies sold worldwide "What looks like magic is simply a part of life we don't understand yet..." When retired math teacher Grace Winters is left a run-down house on a Mediterranean island by a long-lost friend, curiosity gets the better of her. She arrives in Ibiza with a one-way ticket, no guidebook and no plan. Among the rugged hills and golden beaches of the island, Grace searches for answers about her friend's life, and how it ended. What she uncovers is stranger than she could have dreamed. But to dive into this impossible truth, Grace must first come to terms with her past. Filled with wonder and wild adventure, this is a story of hope and the life-changing power of a new beginning"--

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3
SOMEWHERE BEYOND THE SEA
TJ Klune
Cover of SOMEWHERE BEYOND THE SEA

SOMEWHERE BEYOND THE SEA

by TJ Klune · Tor

3 wks on list

Somewhere Beyond the Sea is the hugely-anticipated sequel to TJ Klune's The House in the Cerulean Sea, one of the best-loved and best-selling fantasy novels of the past decade. Download a FREE sneak peek today! A magical house. A secret past. A summons that could change everything. Arthur Parnassus lives a good life built on the ashes of a bad one. He’s the master of a strange orphanage on a distant and peculiar island, and he hopes to soon be the adoptive father to the six dangerous and magical children who live there. Arthur works hard and loves with his whole heart so none of the children ever feel the neglect and pain that he once felt as an orphan on that very same island so long ago. He is not alone: joining him is the love of his life, Linus Baker, a former caseworker in the Department In Charge of Magical Youth. And there's the island's sprite, Zoe Chapelwhite, and her girlfriend, Mayor Helen Webb. Together, they will do anything to protect the children. But when Arthur is summoned to make a public statement about his dark past, he finds himself at the helm of a fight for the future that his family, and all magical people, deserve. And when a new magical child hopes to join them on their island home—one who finds power in calling himself monster, a name that Arthur worked so hard to protect his children from—Arthur knows they’re at a breaking point: their family will either grow stronger than ever or fall apart. Welcome back to Marsyas Island. This is Arthur’s story. Somewhere Beyond the Sea is a story of resistance, lovingly told, about the daunting experience of fighting for the life you want to live and doing the work to keep it. At the Publisher's request, this title is being sold without Digital Rights Management Software (DRM) applied.

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1
TELL ME EVERYTHING
Elizabeth Strout
Cover of TELL ME EVERYTHING

TELL ME EVERYTHING

by Elizabeth Strout · Random House

3 wks on list

THE INSTANT SUNDAY TIMES AND NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER FROM THE PULITZER PRIZE-WINNING, BOOKER-SHORTLISTED AUTHOR SHORTLISTED FOR THE WOMEN'S PRIZE 2025 'Stunning, deeply felt and profoundly intelligent' Guardian It’s autumn in Maine, and the town lawyer Bob Burgess has become enmeshed in an unfolding murder investigation, defending a lonely, isolated man accused of killing his mother. He has also fallen into a deep and abiding friendship with the acclaimed writer, Lucy Barton, who lives nearby in a house next to the sea. Together, Lucy and Bob talk about their lives, their hopes and regrets, and what might have been. Lucy, meanwhile, befriends one of Crosby’s longest inhabitants, Olive Kitteridge, now living in a retirement community on the edge of town. They spend afternoons together in Olive’s apartment, telling each other stories. Stories about people they have known – “unrecorded lives,” Olive calls them – reanimating them, and, in the process, imbuing their lives with meaning. Brimming with empathy and pathos, TELL ME EVERYTHING is Elizabeth Strout operating at the height of her powers, illuminating the ways in which our relationships keep us afloat. As Lucy says, “Love comes in so many different forms, but it is always love.” 'A superbly gifted storyteller and a craftswoman in a league of her own' Hilary Mantel 'A terrific writer' Zadie Smith 'Strout’s ability to reveal the wonder in unrecorded lives continues to astonish' Telegraph OPRAH'S BOOK CLUB PICK: 'A beautiful read reminding us that there is extraordinary love in ordinary actions' Oprah Winfrey Elizabeth Strout, Shortlisted for the Booker Prize, 2022

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3
THE NIGHT WE LOST HIM
Laura Dave
Cover of THE NIGHT WE LOST HIM

THE NIGHT WE LOST HIM

by Laura Dave · S&S/Marysue Rucci

2 wks on list

From the author of the #1 New York Times bestseller and Reese’s Book Club Pick The Last Thing He Told Me comes a riveting mystery wrapped in an epic love story . . . ‘An engrossing mystery and a story with emotional heft’ Shari Lapena ‘A master storyteller. You won’t want to miss this one’ Harlan Coben 'The best mystery of the year' Jennifer Garner _________ One beautiful Californian evening, a wealthy businessman falls to his death from his secluded cliff-top house onto the rocks below. A tragic accident? Or murder? Nora and her half-brother Sam suspect it may be the latter, and team up to uncover the truth of what really happened that night. But their relationship has never been easy, and it is about to be tested to the limit as they start to question how well either of them really knew their elusive father. Unravelling his mysterious past takes them back to a world they knew nothing about, to a tangled love affair and a web of relationships that other people would far rather stay buried... Filled with passion, intrigue, lies, and dark, dark family secrets, The Night We Lost Him is a page turning mystery you won’t ever want to put down. _________ Readers can't get enough of The Night We Lost Him . . . ‘WOW!’ 5-star reader review ‘I was hooked from the start’ 5-star reader review ‘Chef's kiss of perfection’ 5-star reader review ‘Stunning’ 5-star reader review ‘A million stars’ 5-star reader review ‘I loved every single second of this’ 5-star reader review ‘I couldn’t put it down!’ 5-star reader review ‘Superb’ 5-star reader review ‘A fantastic read!’ 5-star reader review 'I loved everything about this book’ 5-star reader review 'An engrossing family drama with thriller elements . . . I finished it in a day because I couldn’t put it down!’ 5-star reader review More love for The Night We Lost Him . . . 'Dave is the founder and master of a new kind of thriller. One that sets love, not death, at its centre. A tour de force of emotion.' Rebecca Serle 'Promises to serve up Dave’s signature blend of pulse-pounding suspense and moving family drama.' People 'Genuinely moving.' The New York Times 'A beautifully told, gripping mystery.' That’s Life Crime Scene Magazine 'Dave pulls off something that feels both new and familiar: a novel of domestic suspense that unnerves, then reassures.' Bookpage 'Clear and sharp as a diamond.' Time

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5
THE GAMES GODS PLAY
Abigail Owen
Cover of THE GAMES GODS PLAY

THE GAMES GODS PLAY

by Abigail Owen · Red Tower

4 wks on list

There's none so ruthless as a dragon king... Ladon Ormarr has earned every bit of his grim reputation. The Blood King. Icy, calculated, and unrelenting. But he's had no choice. The survival of the Blue Dragon Clan depends on him being an uncompromising leader with the blood of countless enemies on his hands. Especially when every other clan, king, and dragon shifter is gunning for him. Enemies above, below, and always at his back. If Ladon wants to keep his throne and protect his people, he needs something more. An edge. A weapon. A miracle. He needs Skylar Amon. Her existence is a beacon to those dragons who are ravenous for power. But the cunning little firebrand doesn't trust anyone, especially dragons - let alone a dragon king. Yet ruthlessness runs cold through his blood, and with his people - his clan - depending on him for survival, he will do whatever it takes. Even if it means putting his life and soul in the hands of a woman who could kill any dragon who tries to claim her... The author of The Games Gods Play brings you Book 2 of the Inferno Rising series.

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THE GOD OF THE WOODS
Liz Moore
Cover of THE GOD OF THE WOODS

THE GOD OF THE WOODS

by Liz Moore · Riverhead

13 wks on list

INSTANT NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER ONE OF THE NEW YORK TIMES’S NOTABLE BOOKS OF 2024 A NEW YORK TIMES BEST THRILLER OF 2024 A NEW YORK TIMES BEST CRIME NOVEL OF 2024 PEOPLE MAGAZINE’S #1 BOOK OF THE YEAR ONE OF NPR’S “BOOKS WE LOVE” 2024 ONE OF TIME MAGAZINE’S “100 MUST-READ BOOKS OF 2024” “Extraordinary . . . Reminds me of Donna Tartt’s 1992 debut, The Secret History . . . I was so thoroughly submerged in a rich fictional world, that for hours I barely came up for air.” —Maureen Corrigan, Fresh Air, NPR “This expertly paced thriller …has the kineticism of a well-crafted miniseries.” —The New Yorker When a teenager vanishes from her Adirondack summer camp, two worlds collide Early morning, August 1975: a camp counselor discovers an empty bunk. Its occupant, Barbara Van Laar, has gone missing. Barbara isn’t just any thirteen-year-old: she’s the daughter of the family that owns the summer camp and employs most of the region’s residents. And this isn’t the first time a Van Laar child has disappeared. Barbara’s older brother similarly vanished fourteen years ago, never to be found. As a panicked search begins, a thrilling drama unfolds. Chasing down the layered secrets of the Van Laar family and the blue-collar community working in its shadow, Moore’s multi-threaded story invites readers into a rich and gripping dynasty of secrets and second chances. It is Liz Moore’s most ambitious and wide-reaching novel yet.

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WE SOLVE MURDERS
Richard Osman
Cover of WE SOLVE MURDERS

WE SOLVE MURDERS

by Richard Osman · Pamela Dorman

2 wks on list

Steve Wheeler is enjoying retired life. He does the odd bit of investigation work, but he prefers his familiar habits and routines: the pub quiz, his favourite bench, his cat waiting for him when he comes home. His days of adventure are over: adrenaline is daughter-in-law Amy's business now. Amy Wheeler thinks adrenaline is good for the soul. As a private security officer, she doesn't stay still long enough for habits or routines. She's currently on a remote island keeping world-famous author Rosie D'Antonio alive. Which was meant to be an easy job... Then a dead body, a bag of money and a killer with their sights on Amy have her sending an SOS to the only person she trusts. A breakneck race around the world begins, but can Amy and Steve stay one step ahead of a deadly enemy?

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THE BUTCHER GAME
Alaina Urquhart
Cover of THE BUTCHER GAME

THE BUTCHER GAME

by Alaina Urquhart · Zando

2 wks on list

'WOWZA!!!!! Dark, gripping, tense, pulse pounding and hard to put down . . . a fantastic page turner!' - Goodreads reviewer, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ __________ No. 1 New York Times bestseller! The second instalment of the Dr. Wren Muller series by co-host of chart-topping true crime podcast Morbid. __________ Destruction follows the ruthless serial killer, Jeremy Rose, the Bayou Butcher, as he heads north to evade capture for his horrific crimes. As he seeks safe harbour with a former friend, he remains focused on unfinished business with forensic pathologist Dr. Wren Muller, the only target who's ever escaped him - twice. But not this time. He's playing a game designed to make her suffer, and she must play by his twisted rules. Still in shock over the harrowing encounter with her old nemesis, Wren is on forced medical leave in New Orleans, attempting to mend the deep scars of her traumatic past. But with growing evidence that Jeremy is leaving a fresh trail of mutilated victims across Massachusetts, Wren realises the best way to heal is to renew her pursuit of this vicious killer. She sets her sights on Jeremy, only to discover that she may have walked directly into his trap. As their twisted cat-and-mouse game ratchets up to a violent clash of good versus evil, Wren prepares to sacrifice everything to bring Jeremy to justice. ---------- Readers, writers and reviewers love the Dr. Wren Muller series! 'OMG love this book and the book before and CANT WAIT FOR THE NEXT ONE' - Amazon reviewer, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ 'Hooked, completely and utterly. Never expected half the twists and turns!!!' - Amazon reviewer, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ 'Binge read the whole book today . . . The rapid acceleration of where it started with Jeremy to where it takes you and leaves you stunned, absolute perfection!!!! 100/100 recommend!' - Amazon reviewer, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ 'ALAINNAAAAAAA. Girl. I tell everyone I know about this book and I have no regrets' - Amazon reviewer, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ '10/10 page turner . . . OMG I couldn't put it down' - Amazon reviewer, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ 'Amazing twists. Unputdownable' ― Samantha Downing, author of My Lovely Wife 'CAPTIVATING. The reader might want to shut their eyes, but the joust between the killer and the pathologist makes that impossible' ― Daily Mail 'Alaina Urquhart has set a new benchmark for the serial killer novel' ― Margot Douaihy, USA Today bestselling author of Scorched Grace and Blessed Water 'If you like Patricia Cornwell and have watched Dexter with undisguised glee (and a sped-up heart rate), this one is for you' - Belfast Telegraph

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NEW
BY ANY OTHER NAME
Jodi Picoult
Cover of BY ANY OTHER NAME

BY ANY OTHER NAME

by Jodi Picoult · Ballantine

The Number 1 New York Times bestseller from the author of My Sister’s Keeper and Mad Honey 'Her best one yet’ JOJO MOYES 'A timeless classic’ CHRIS WHITAKER -- Student playwright Melina Green finds that even in New York, her words will struggle to make the stage, when the power is held by men. Inspired by the life of her ancestor Emilia Bassano, a gifted and witty storyteller herself, Melina takes a lesson from history, and submits a play under a male pseudonym . . . As Melina discovers more of Emilia’s extraordinary life in Elizabethan England, she is determined to right the wrongs of the past – and finally tell her story. Two women – centuries apart – are both forced to hide behind another name. But can either make their voices heard? -- 'A likeable heroine and a fun, readable evocation of Elizabethan court life and theatre' The Times 'Stunning. So interesting, clever, educational and moving. One of the best books I've read in recent times' GILLIAN McALLISTER '[An] inspiring work of feminist literature' ELLE 'Had me absolutely captivated . . . I loved all the questions this novel raised about who gets to tell which stories and how complex that can become. Jodi Picoult is a genius' JENNIFER SAINT 'Timely and affecting . . . Picoult’s many, many fans will pounce on her latest incisive, pot-stirring tale' BOOKLIST, Starred 'You’ll fall in love with Emilia Bassano, the unforgettable heroine based on a real woman that Picoult brings vividly to life. Book clubs will embrace this rich, inspiring story' KRISTIN HANNAH 'A blend of historical fiction and modern-day settings, the novel gives us timelines that intertwine and surprise. Picoult has done her research' HARPER'S BAZAAR 'Picoult creates a richly detailed portrait of daily life in Elizabethan England, from sumptuous castles to seedy hovels. . . A vibrant tale of a remarkable woman' KIRKUS Jodi Picoult, New York Times bestseller, April 2023 Jodi Picoult's books have sold 40 million copies worldwide, BBC May 2024 Jodi Picoult, New York Times bestseller, September 2024

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