5 books not to miss: ‘The Glass Hotel,’ James Rollins’ Sigma Force novel ‘Last Odyssey’
In search of something good to read? USA TODAY's Barbara VanDenburgh scopes out the shelves for this week’s hottest new book releases.
1 “The Glass Hotel,” by Emily St. John Mandel (Knopf, fiction, on sale March 24)
What it’s about: The award-winning author of “Station Eleven” returns with a new novel that connects two seemingly disparate events: a woman’s mysterious disappearance from a ship at sea and the collapse of a massive Ponzi scheme.
The buzz: A starred review in Publishers Weekly calls it an “ingenious, enthralling novel.”
2. “The Last Odyssey,” by James Rollins (William Morrow, fiction, on sale March 24)
What it’s about: In Rollins’ 15th Sigma Force novel, a group of climatologists and archaeologists in Greenland stumble across a medieval ship buried below the ice containing a gold atlas that leads to a hidden realm underneath the Mediterranean Sea.
The buzz: “This is a thoughtful, nonstop thrill ride that’s an exemplar of an escapist page-turner,” says a starred review in Publishers Weekly.
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3. “Wine Girl,” by Victoria James (Ecco, nonfiction, on sale March 24)
What it's about: At 21, James became the country’s youngest sommelier at a Michelin-starred restaurant. She escaped an upbringing of abuse and plunged headlong into the glamorous and toxic restaurant world, detailed in this fascinating memoir.
The buzz: “An inspiring, captivating story of resilience,” says Kirkus Reviews.
4. “Enter the Aardvark,” by Jessica Anthony (Little, Brown and Co.m, fiction, on sale March 24)
What it’s about: A mysterious stuffed aardvark shows up on the doorstep of U.S. Congressman Alexander Paine Wilson, who sets out on a journey to figure out what it all means.
The buzz: “This idiosyncratic satire is full of wonders and warnings,” says Publishers Weekly.
5. “Kilo,” by Toby Muse (William Morrow, nonfiction, on sale March 24)
What it’s about: A foreign correspondent who was embedded with drug cartels in Colombia, Muse offers a deeply reported account of drug trafficking that traces a kilo of cocaine from field to smuggler.
The buzz: “An unrelentingly tragic yet indispensable exposé of the never-ending war on drugs,” says Kirkus Reviews.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: 5 books not to miss: ‘The Glass Hotel,’ James Rollins’ ‘Last Odyssey’
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