Book News: January 19, 2009

First off, Happy Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Day. It’s definitely going to be an exciting week with the inauguration and all. Regardless of who you voted for, this is a huge piece of American history happening and you can bet that I’ll be planted in front of my television catching every minute. And, of course, that means there are tons of books out there that you can pick up to learn more.

So let’s jump into it. In the new releases category, we have a couple political books. The first book is What Obama Means… For Our Culture, Our Politics, Our Future. Description from Borders: A timely and sharp analysis about what the Obama phenomenon means for the future of American politics and society, by the celebrated “Washington Post” columnist, Jabari Asim.

The second book is called How Barack Obama Won by Sheldon Gawiser. Description from Borders: How Barack Obama Won—by one of the most lauded political journalists of our time, and one of the most respected pollsters in the business—gives us not only the inside state-by-state guide to how Obama achieved his victory, but also the essential toolbox for understanding the political implications of the 2008 presidential election—where the country stands vis-à-vis Red and Blue states, where it currently is and is headed politically, and whether a political realignment has taken place. The book features an introduction by Chuck Todd, putting the 2008 presidential election in political and demographic perspective, even as it reveals national trends. The final electoral map will appear in the front matter, as will unexpected “fun facts.” The book is divided into four parts, each of which proceeds alphabetically state by state: Battleground States (e.g., Colorado, Florida, Idaho); Emerging Battleground States (e.g., Arizona, Georgia, Montana); Receding Battleground…

In the fiction category, Meg Cabot (the author behind The Princess Diaries) just released her book called Ransom My Heart. Description from Borders: Mia Thermopolis, Princess of Genovia and star of Meg Cabot’s insanely popular #1 New York Times bestselling Princess Diaries books, has “penned” her first historical romance novel . . . with help from Meg CabotHe’s a tall, handsome knight with a secret. She’s an adventurous beauty with more than a few secrets of her own. Finnula needs money for her sister’s dowry, and fast. Hugo Fitzstephen, returning home to England from the Crusades with saddlebags of jewels, has money, and lots of it. What could be simpler than to kidnap him and hold him for ransom? Well, for starters, Finnula could make the terrible mistake of falling in love with her hostage. Princess Mia Thermopolis, Meg Cabot’s most beloved character, has always been an outspoken animal-rights activist and committed environmentalist. In keeping with Mia’s true spirit, Meg will be donating her advance to Greenpeace.

And in upcoming releases, I want to highlight Amy Dickinson’s book The Mighty Queens of Freeville. Description from Borders: Dickinson has made a career out of helping others, through her internationally syndicated advice column “Ask Amy.” Readers love her for her honesty and for the fact that her motto is “I make the mistakes so you don’t have to.” Here, she shares those mistakes and her remarkable story.

As has become our tradition, here is the NY Times Bestselling Fiction List for this week:

1. PLUM SPOOKY, by Janet Evanovich. The bounty hunter Stephanie Plum hunts an evil genius and his sidekick, who are hiding in New Jersey’s Pine Barrens.
2. THE HOST, by Stephenie Meyer. One woman won’t surrender to the aliens who have taken control.
3. BLACK OPS, by W. E.B. Griffin. An Army officer and special presidential agent is targeted for death — but by whom?
4. SCARPETTA, by Patricia Cornwell. The forensic pathologist Kay Scarpetta takes on a new assignment in New York.
5. THE STORY OF EDGAR SAWTELLE, by David Wroblewski. A young mute takes refuge with three dogs in the Wisconsin woods after his father’s death.
6. CROSS COUNTRY, by James Patterson. Alex Cross chases the leader of a lethal teenage gang.
7. FIRE AND ICE, by Julie Garwood. A reporter and her bodyguard uncover a conspiracy in Alaska.
8. THE HOUR I FIRST BELIEVED, by Wally Lamb. A man reconstructs five generations of family history.
9. ECLIPSE, by Richard North Patterson. A San Francisco lawyer agrees to defend a Nigerian reformer whose wife he loved in college.
10. THE GUERNSEY LITERARY AND POTATO PEEL PIE SOCIETY, by Mary Ann Shaffer and Annie Barrows. A journalist travels to the island of Guernsey to meet residents who resisted the Nazi occupation.

And here is the NY Times Non-Fiction Best Seller List:

1. OUTLIERS, by Malcolm Gladwell. Why some people succeed — it has to do with luck and opportunity — from the author of “Blink” and “The Tipping Point.”
2. GUILTY, by Ann Coulter. The columnist argues that liberals victimize everyone else by pretending to be victims themselves.
3. DEWEY, by Vicki Myron with Bret Witter. The kitten left freezing in the returned-book slot of an Iowa public library and his rise to fame.
4. AMERICAN LION, by Jon Meacham. Andrew Jackson in the White House, by Newsweek’s editor.
5. TOO FAT TO FISH, by Artie Lange with Anthony Bozza. Humorous memories from the comedian, a member of the cast of “The Howard Stern Show.”
6. WISHFUL DRINKING, by Carrie Fisher. A memoir based on Fisher’s one-woman show.
7. HOT, FLAT, AND CROWDED, by Thomas L. Friedman. How a green revolution can renew America, by the New York Times columnist.
8. WHY WE SUCK, by Denis Leary. Sardonic essays from the actor and comedian, currently the co-creator and star of the TV series “Rescue Me.”
9. MULTIPLE BLESSINGS, by Jon Gosselin, Kate Gosselin and Beth Carson. A couple has sextuplets.
10. A BOLD FRESH PIECE OF HUMANITY, by Bill O’Reilly. The Fox News commentator on his upbringing and career.

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