Do you love discovering what's new in the world of books? Then you won't want to miss this roundup of a dozen debuts publishing in February - ten fiction, two nonfiction.
And for a full list of notable books publishing in February visit our preview pages
This House Is Not for Sale by E.C. Osondu 3 Feb 2015. 192 Pages. Published by Harper This House Is Not for Sale brings to life an African neighborhood and one remarkable house, seen through the eyes of a young member of the household. The house lies in a town seemingly lost in time, full of colorful, larger-than-life characters; at the narrative's heart are Grandpa, the family patriarch whose occasional cruelty is balanced by his willingness to open his doors to those in need, and the house itself, which becomes a character in its own right and takes on the scale of legend. More details and reviews |
The Marauders by Tom Cooper 3 Feb 2015. 320 Pages. Published by Crown When the BP oil spill devastates the Gulf coast, those who made a living by shrimping find themselves in dire straits. For the oddballs and lowlifes who inhabit the sleepy, working class bayou town of Jeannette, these desperate circumstances serve as the catalyst that pushes them to enact whatever risky schemes they can dream up to reverse their fortunes.. More details and reviews |
Head of State by Andrew Marr 5 Feb 2015. 384 Pages. Published by Overlook Andrew Marr's first novel is a darkly comic tale of deception and skullduggery in Downing Street and Whitehall. Making full use of his inside knowledge of the British political scene, broadcaster and journalist Marr has created a sparkling entertainment, a wholly original depiction of Westminster and its denizens, and a fascinating, irreverent glimpse behind the parliamentary curtain. More details and reviews |
My Sunshine Away: A Novel by M.O. Walsh 10 Feb 2015. 320 Pages. Published by Putnam Books M.O. Walsh juxtaposes the enchantment of a charmed childhood with the gripping story of a violent crime, unraveling families, and consuming adolescent love. It is a page-turning debut about the meaning of family, the power of memory, and our ability to forgive. More details and reviews |
The Room: A Novel by Jonas Karlsson 17 Feb 2015. 192 Pages. Published by Hogarth Books Bjorn is a compulsive, meticulous bureaucrat who discovers a secret room at the government office where he works--a secret room that no one else in his office will acknowledge... Debut author Jonas Karlsson doesn't leave a word out of place in this bizarre fable of cubicle life. More details and reviews |
Jam on the Vine: A Novel by LaShonda Barnett 3 Feb 2015. 336 Pages. Published by Grove Press Set against the backdrop of the 1919 outbreak of lynchings and race riots across the Midwest, Jam On The Vine is a tale of triumph against the odds and the compelling story of one woman's struggle for equality that the publisher believes belongs alongside Jazz by Toni Morrison and The Color Purple by Alice Walker More details and reviews |
The Rebellion of Miss Lucy Ann Lobdell: A Novel by William Klaber 17 Feb 2015. 288 Pages. Published by St. Martin's Press In the mid 19th century, when women did not commonly travel unescorted, carry a rifle, sit down in bars, or have romantic liaisons with other women, Lucy Lobdell dressed as a man and boldly set forth to earn men's wages. In this meticulously researched fictionalized account, William Klaber captures the life of a brave woman who saw well beyond her era. More details and reviews |
Plague Land: A Novel by S. D. Sykes 15 Feb 2015. 336 Pages. Published by Pegasus Books Set in the south of England in the middle of the 14th century, Oswald de Lacy was never meant to be Lord of the Manor. Despatched to a monastery at the age of seven, sent back at seventeen when his father and two older brothers are killed by the Plague. Before he can do anything, Oswald is confronted by the shocking death of a young woman believed to have been killed by a band of demonic dog-headed men. Oswald is certain this is nonsense, but proving it--by finding the real murderer--is quite a different matter... More details and reviews |
The Killing Season: A Carter Blake Novel by Mason Cross 15 Feb 2015. 384 Pages. Published by Pegasus Books When Caleb Wardell, the infamous 'Chicago Sniper', escapes from death row two weeks before his execution, the FBI calls on the services of Carter Blake, a man with certain specialized talents whose skills lie in finding those who don't want to be found. A man to whom Wardell is no stranger. Slick, fast-paced and assured, The Killing Season is the first novel in the gripping new Carter Blake series. More details and reviews |
Love in the Age of Mechanical Reproduction by Judd Trichter 3 Feb 2015. 320 Pages. Published by Thomas Dunne Books A science fiction love story that asks the question, how far will you go to save someone you love? Eliot Lazar fell in love with an android, Iris. That's the kind of thing that can get you killed in late 21th century Los Angeles or anywhere else for that matter. One night Eliot knocks on Iris's door only to find she has been kidnapped, chopped up and sold for parts. Unable to move on and unwilling to settle for a woman with a heartbeat, Eliot vows to find the parts to put Iris back together again - and to find the sonofabitch who did this to her and get his revenge. More details and reviews |
A Kim Jong-Il Production: The Extraordinary True Story of a Kidnapped Filmmaker, His Star Actress, and a Young Dictator's Rise to Power by Paul Fischer Hardcover 3 Feb 2015. 368 pages. Published by Flatiron Books A rare glimpse into a secretive world, illuminating a fascinating chapter of North Korea's history that helps explain how it became the hermetically sealed, intensely stage-managed country it remains today. More details and reviews |
The Monopolists: Obsession, Fury, and the Scandal Behind the World's Favorite Board Game by Mary Pilon 17 Feb 2015. 320 Pages. Published by Bloomsbury USA. The Monopolists reveals the unknown story of how Monopoly came into existence, the reinvention of its history by Parker Brothers and multiple media outlets, the lost female originator of the game, and one man's lifelong obsession to tell the true story about the game's questionable origins. The Monopolists reads like the best detective fiction, told through Monopoly's real-life winners and losers. More details and reviews |