THE ANATOMY OF HOPE: HOW PEOPLE PREVAIL IN THE FACE OF ILLNESS by Jerome Groopman, M.D.
“In this provocative book, New Yorker staff writer and Harvard Medical School professor Groopman (Second Opinions; The Measure of Our Days) explores the way hope affects one's capacity to cope with serious illness. Drawing on his 30-year career in hematology and oncology, Groopman presents stories based on his patients and his own debilitating back injury. . . By the end of the book, Groopman successfully convinces that hope can offer not only solace but strength to those living with medical uncertainty.” from Publishers Weekly.

THE BROKER by John Grisham
“Readers will find an amiable travelogue to Italy and its charms in Grisham's latest. What they won't find are the suspense and inspired plotting that have made the author (The Last Juror, etc.) one of the world's bestselling writers. Yet Grisham remains a smooth storyteller, and few will fail to finish this oddball tale of what happens to ruined D.C. powerbroker Joel Blackman, 52, when he's suddenly released from federal prison after six years.” from Publishers Weekly.

CONVICTION by Richard North Patterson
“Former trial lawyer Patterson, who has tackled such weighty issues as abortion (Protect and Defend, 2000) and the Second Amendment (Balance of Power, 2003), now turns his keen eye to the issue of the death penalty. Terri Peralta Paget has just taken the case of Rennell Price, who is on death row for the murder of a nine-year-old girl. . . As with his previous novels, Patterson examines a complex issue through the lens of a compelling, gripping story. Readers familiar with his characters (many of whom have appeared in his previous novels) and those looking for a powerful courtroom drama will not be disappointed.” from Booklist.

THE FIVE PEOPLE YOU MEET IN HEAVEN by Mitch Albom
“At the time of his death, Eddie was an old man with a barrel chest and a torso as squat as a soup can," writes Albom, author of the bestselling phenomenon Tuesdays with Morrie, in a brief first novel that is going to make a huge impact on many hearts and minds. . . Simply told, sentimental and profoundly true, this is a contemporary American fable that will be cherished by a vast readership. Bringing into the spotlight the anonymous Eddies of the world, the men and women who get lost in our cultural obsession with fame and fortune, this slim tale, like Charles Dickens's A Christmas Carol, reminds us of what really matters here on earth, of what our lives are given to us for.” from Publishers Weekly.

HALLELUJAH! THE WELCOME TABLE A LIFETIME OF MEMORIES WITH RECIPES by Maya Angelou
“This journey through the years. . . is a feast of food that only Maya Angelou can bring to her [readers]. . .she shares stories of people, places, and food in a cozy, confidential way, taking us from her Arkansas childhood and her grand-mother's kitchen to adulthood, including becoming a Creole cook without knowing how. Along the way, she generously shares her no-nonsense approach to life. As a friend once said, "If you can write as well as you cook, you're going to be famous." And the prediction came true. The telling is funny at times, heartbreaking at others, and Angelou's superb voice turns the art and enjoyment of cooking into poetry.” from AudioFile.

A SALTY PIECE OF LAND by Jimmy Buffett
“Singer, songwriter, and novelist Buffet is back, and so is Tully Mars, the inimitable protagonist from Tales from Margaritaville (2002). Recounting his transformation from cowboy to lighthouse keeper in eccentrically humorous style, Tully reminds us why Buffet's laid-back lyrics and stream-of-consciousness prose are almost hypnotically addictive. . . This mystical, mind-bending journey will appeal to fans of Buffet's uniquely fuzzy blend of comedy and insight.” from Booklist.