Blog
New Releases: April 2014 Highlights
by Dan
Art & Photography + Fashion & Textiles + Fiction + History + Humour / March 11, 2014
Here's a sneak-peek at some of the new releases coming to bookstores in April (and be sure to check out our new books for kids and teens as well!)...
FICTION
Short Stories
Lydia Davis
A new collection of short stories from the woman Rick Moody has called "the best prose stylist in America."
In her fifth collection of stories, Lydia Davis writes with bracing candor and sly humor about the quotidian, revealing the mysterious, the foreign, the alienating, and the pleasurable within the predictable patterns of daily life.
"Five years after a mammoth, comprehensive collection of stories secured her literary legacy, this unique author explores new directions and blurs boundaries in writing that is always fresh and often funny."—Kirkus Reviews (starred review)
"Davis’s bulletproof prose sends each story shooting off the page."—Publishers Weekly (starred review)
Available April 8
Suspense
Lisa Scottoline
New York Times bestselling author Lisa Scottoline delivers a gripping new novel about family and justice.
Keep Quiet is an emotionally complex story about one man's split-second decision to protect his son— and the devastating consequences that follow.
"Scottoline keeps the tension high while portraying a family in turmoil. A heck of a twist ending wraps everything up...a satisfying and suspenseful read."—Booklist
"Scottoline brings tension to a boil in her latest novel. Her characters are believable, and her protagonist is sympathetic. This is an intriguing exploration of human frailties, justice and family relationships."—RT Reviews
Available April 8
Fantasy
Patrick Weekes
Journey into the darkest and deadliest part of Orlais, where the weight of titles matters less than the strength of blades. In this thrilling tie-in to the award-winning Dragon Age™ games, alliances are forged and promises broken as Empress Celene and Grand Duke Gaspard battle for the throne. But in the end, the elves who hide in the forests or starve in the slums may decide the fate of the masked empire.
Available April 8
Thrillers / Crime
Hilary Davidson
Hilary Davidson returns with Blood Always Tells, a twisted tale of love, crime, and family gone wrong.
The Canadian-born Davidson is the award-winning author of The Damage Done and Evil in All Its Disguises.
"Davidson has penned an outstanding novel that entertains with its carefully plotted tale of kidnapping, murder and duplicity. Impressive from the outset, the surprises continue throughout until the clincher at the end. Her talent for character development shines as each person blends flawlessly into the story."—RT Reviews
"This could be the Gone Girl of 2014"—MysteryPeople
Available April 15
Literary
Tatiana de Rosnay
From the author of Sarah's Key, an absorbing new novel about a young writer who, while digging into his family’s deeply buried secrets, finds the key to his future.
Page-turning, layered and beautifully written, The Other Story is a reflection on identity, the process of being a writer and the repercussions of generations-old decisions as they echo into the present and shape the future.
Available April 15
Literary
Zia Haider Rahman
A bold, epic debut novel set during the war and financial crisis that defined the beginning of our century.
In the Light of What We Know takes us on a journey of exhilarating scope—from Kabul to London, New York, Islamabad, Oxford, and Princeton—and explores the great questions of love, belonging, science, and war. It is an age-old story: the friendship of two men and the betrayal of one by the other.
"Beautifully written evidence that some of the most interesting writing in English is coming from the edges of old empires."—Kirkus Reviews (starred review)
"This formidable novel unpacks friendship, betrayal, unknowability – and includes an astute take on Englishness, on class, on mathematical theory, human rights, and whether people can trust their own perception of the world."—The Observer (UK)
Available April 22
Science Fiction
Daryl Gregory
A mind-bending and violent chase across Canada and the US, Daryl Gregory's Afterparty is a marvelous mix of William Gibson's Neuromancer, Philip K. Dick's Ubik, and perhaps a bit of Peter Watts's Starfish: a last chance to save civilization, or die trying.
"Gregory dashes off his near-future story like a ‘chemjet’ printing out sheets of smart drugs…The tragi-comical satire dispenses with sermons and easy morals, preferring to be entertaining and thought-provoking instead."—Publishers Weekly
Available April 22
Suspense
Iris Johansen
Catherine Ling is one of the CIA’s most prized operatives. Raised on the streets of Hong Kong, she was pulled into the agency at the age of fourteen. If life has taught her anything, it is not to get attached, but there are two exceptions to that rule: her son Luke and her mentor Hu Chang. Luke was kidnapped at age two, and now, nine years later, he has astonishingly been returned to her. Catherine vows never to fail him again. But when her job pulls her away from home, she relies on the brilliant and deadly Hu Chang to safeguard Luke in her absence...
Available April 29
NONFICTION
Literary Collections / Essays
Essays
Leslie Jamison
From personal loss to phantom diseases, The Empathy Exams is a bold and brilliant collection of essays by Leslie Jamieson. The book is the winner of the Graywolf Press Nonfiction Prize, and Publishers Weekly named it one of the best essay collections of Spring 2014
"Novelist Jamison’s... first collection of essays, winner of the Graywolf Press Nonfiction Prize, is a heady and unsparing examination of pain and how it allows us to understand others, and ourselves."—Publishers Weekly (starred review)
Available April 1
Travel
Jheni Osman
Go beyond the visual spectacle of the world's 50 greatest wonders, and discover what makes them such amazing places. With stunning images and expert illustrations, experience and appreciate the most famous sights on earth in an exciting new way.
Available April 1
Art / Popular Culture / Fashion
Fashion Journal about the Art, Ideas, & History of What We Wear
Edited by Serah-Marie McMahon
The WORN Archive is a manifesto for fashion and clothing, featuring the best content from Worn Fashion Journal's first 14 issues. The articles, penned by a host of unique contributors, touch on topics as wide-ranging as feminism, hijabs, how to tie a tie, the history of flight attendants, and textile conservation. With eclectic photo shoots featuring 'real' models, striking illustrations, and whimsical layouts, every page is a joyful, creative approach to clothing.
Available April 1
Self-Help / Motivational & Inspirational
108 Life-Changing Tools for Less Stress, More Flow, and Finding Your True Purpose
Gabrielle Bernstein
Most of us don't have time for an hour of yoga or 30 minutes of meditation every day. We're overwhelmed as it is. Our spiritual practice shouldn't add to that.
Gabrielle Bernstein has hand-picked 108 simple techniques to combat our most common problems-stress, burnout, frustration, jealousy, resentment. The stuff we have to deal with on a daily basis. This book is designed so that you can achieve peace and experience miracles now.
Available April 8
Art / History
Visualizing Branches of Knowledge
Manuel Lima
Michael Lima's critically acclaimed bestseller Visual Complexity was the first in-depth examination of the burgeoning field of information visualization. In this new companion volume, The Book of Trees, data viz expert Lima examines the history of the tree diagram, from its roots in the illuminated manuscripts of medieval monasteries to its current resurgence as an elegant means of visualization.
Available April 8
Art / Canadian
Emily Carr; edited by David A. Silcox
Full of humour and delight, with a playful text and whimsical full colour illustrations, Sister and I in Alaska documents Emily and Alice's trip to Skidegate, Juneau and places beyond, an adventure that proved seminal in the development of Carr as one of the foremost painters of the last century.
Available April 9
History / Military
Conflict and the Progress of Civilization from Primates to Robots
Ian Morris
In War! What Is It Good For? renowned historian and archaeologist Ian Morris tells the gruesome, gripping story of fifteen thousand years of war, going beyond the battles and brutality to reveal what war has really done to and for the world. As Morris explains war has created bigger, more complex societies, ruled by governments that have stamped out internal violence. Strangely enough, killing has made the world safer and richer.
"A profoundly uncomfortable but provocative argument that “productive war” promotes greater safety, a decrease in violence and economic growth... A disturbing, transformative text that veers toward essential reading."—Kirkus Reviews (starred review)
Available April 15
Humour
Pop Culture's Favorite Books, Movies, and TV Shows as They Might Have Been
Paul Laudiero
Sh*t Rough Drafts collects imagined misguided early drafts of classic books, screenplays, and contemporary literature, creating visions of alternate works that would exist had the authors not come to their senses.
History / Europe
Truth, Love, and Death in the Spanish Civil War
Amanda Vaill
Madrid, 1936. In a city blasted by a civil war that many fear will cross borders and engulf Europe, six people meet and find their lives changed forever. Ernest Hemingway, his career stalled, his marriage sour, hopes that this war will give him fresh material and new romance; Martha Gellhorn, an ambitious novice journalist hungry for love and experience, thinks she will find both with Hemingway in Spain. Robert Capa and Gerda Taro, idealistic young photographers based in Paris, want to capture history in the making and are inventing modern photojournalism in the process. And Arturo Barea, chief of Madrid's loyalist foreign press office, and Ilsa Kulcsar, his Austrian deputy, are struggling to balance truth-telling with loyalty to their compromised cause—a struggle that places both of them in peril.
"War, sex, friendship, betrayal, celebrity, rivalry, jealousy, idealism, foolishness and foppery—all this and more gather in the lobby of Madrid’s Hotel Florida."—Kirkus Reviews
"Beautifully told, Vaill’s story captures the timeless immediacy of warfront reporting with the universal struggle to stay in love, just before the Nazis permanently changed the European landscape."—Publishers Weekly
Available April 22
History / Europe
A Simple Guide to Supercharged Fertility, a Radiant Pregnancy, a Sweeter Birth, and a Healthier, More Beautiful Beginning
Alicia Silverstone
In The Kind Mama, Alicia Silverstone has created a comprehensive and practical guide empowering women to take charge of their fertility, pregnancy, and first 6 months with baby. She helps readers navigate everything from prenatal testing and birth plans to successful breastfeeding and creating a supportive "baby nest." The result is an authoritative, one-stop guide that empowers women to trust their instincts during this vital milestone, while helping them embark on a healthy and more vibrant path to motherhood.
Available April 22
Cooking / Health & Healing
100+ Recipes to Get Your Family Craving Food That's Simple, Tasty, and Incredibly Good for You
Laurie David; foreword by Katie Couric
In The Family Cooks, Laurie David inspires parents and kids to take control of what they eat by making it themselves. With her longtime collaborator, Kirstin Uhrenholdt, David offers more than 100 recipes that are simple, fast, "low in the bad stuff and high in the good stuff," and designed to bring kids into the cooking process.
Available April 22
House & Home / Decorating
Embracing Color for Make-You-Smile Style
Will Taylor
Dive into a refreshing take on color from one of the world's leading interiors bloggers, Will Taylor of Bright.Bazaar: West Elm's "go-to blogger for color inspiration." What began as a popular blog attracting over 400,000 readers a month is now a gorgeous, colour-popping book sure to delight and inspire all.
Available April 29
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