Looking for a novel filled with wild and bizarre adventure and disaster? Then look no further than Wake Up Sir! by Jonathan Ames. In this tale about the off-the-wall writer Alan Blair of My Less Than Secret Life, problems arise for him that stem from the wide ranging topics of sexuality, emotion and mental health. Blair kicks off the novel as an alcoholic that lucked out with a generous lawsuit payout. With his new money, Blair hires a valet names Jeeves with whom he takes off on the road. Inevitably, Blair gets caught up in a myriad of love, disaster and exploit.

Jonathan Ames is the author of the novels I Pass Like Night and The Extra Man. He has also written numerous essay collections and is a past winner of a Guggenheim Fellowship. This book is published by Scribner.
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Readers that fell in love with the smartly entertaining women of Jennifer Weiner’s previous novels will do so again in her newest novel, Little Earthquakes. Three pregnant women in Philadelphia meet each other through a yoga class. They struggle through their pregnancies together while a fourth woman, an actress, watches from afar. Weiner’s wittily modish dialogue makes Little Earthquakes her most real and believable novel yet. Its introduction is just in time for the future release of the movie-version of her second bestseller, In Her Shoes.

Jennifer Weiner is the award-winning author of the bestsellers Good in Bed and In Her Shoes. She graduated summa cum laude from Princeton University with an English major. Washington Square Press is the publisher of her book.
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Author Chris Ayres claims to be a coward from the title of his book to its opening lines, and at first, it is easy to see why he says so. Ayres is a nervous neat freak from a small town; he suffers from an anxiety disorder and is a self-proclaimed hypochondriac. Sure he’s a war correspondent, but only because he couldn’t tell his boss no when given the assignment. Only upon further inquiry into the content of his book does the reader realize that Ayres is actually quite the opposite of his claims.

Chris Ayres was a Wall Street Correspondent before taking his current job at The Times in LA. He was nominated for the British Press’s Foreign Correspondent of the Year in 2003.
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Most people hardly think twice about the garbage they throw away daily. But not Elizabeth Royte, the author of Garbage Land. Garbage Land is a revealing look into our daily garbage habits—what we throw away, how much we throw away, how we throw away and what happens to the garbage after it leaves our homes. Underneath all this trash talk is an avant-garde book about traveling. Royte takes her readers on a voyage guided by none other than, her garbage.

Elizabeth Royte is the recipient of the 1999 Alicia Patterson Foundation fellowship and has written for esteemed magazines such as Harper’s, National Geographic, and Rolling Stone. Garbage Land is published by Little, Brown & Co.
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If you like the Vagina Monologues, you’ll love Dish and Tell by the Miami Bombshells. Who are these so-called bombshells you ask? They are six incredibly powerful middle-aged women from Florida. Every several weeks the women break from their successful careers and gather to dish and tell about everything from lovers to power to children. The Bombshells hold nothing back as they indulge in chocolate, wine, and of course, juicy gossip. All of the stories found in Dish and Tell are true; some are anonymous and some are not. Grab a pint of ice cream and a spoon and dive into the scandalicious Dish and Tell while you await the next season of Desperate Housewives.

The Miami Bombshells is made up of the original bombshell, Patricia San Pedro, who brought together Annie San Roman, Tammi Leader Fuller, Lydia Sacasa, Sara Rosenberg and Mercedes Soler. Dish and Tell is published by William Morrow of HarperCollins Publishers.

Synopsis & Reviews

From the writer of the hit novel Waiting to Exhale, comes the equaling empowering The Interruption of Everything. In her sixth novel, author Terry McMillan’s evolving style is shown through her mature characters. This story of the dramas of family, friendship and aging gives its readers an inspiring read about the lives of women. The Interruption of Everything is a reminder of why we fell in love with her sensational debut, Waiting to Exhale.

Terry McMillan is the author of five previous novels and the recipient of numerous awards including the Essence Award for Excellence in Literature. This novel is published by Viking Adult of Penguin Group.
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[Ed. note: Terry McMillan is currently involved in a nasty divorce procedure against her Jamaican-born husband, who now claims to be gay. The Smoking Gun has published publicly available court documents. Pretty juicy stuff.]

The men afraid of commitment—the perpetual bachelor; we all know one of them. Joel Miller is just one of those men. But here’s the catch, he may be forced to face his fears and commit real fast. His girlfriend, Lisa, is awaiting the results of a pregnancy test. During this wait, Joel finds himself reevaluating the relationships of his past. Will Joel be able to conquer his inability to commit if he needs to? Read Reproduction is the Flaw of Love, an inspiring novel about romance, family and devotion to find out.

Lauren Grodstein is the author of the short story collection, The Best of Animals and has an MFA in creative writing from Columbia University. This book is published by Delta of Random House, Inc.
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Bill Maher is back with yet another of his characteristic politically astute books. This one is the brain-child of a segment called “New Rules” on his new hit HBO show, Real Time. After grabbing the attention of the public with his first eye-opening TV show, Politically Incorrect, Maher has been turning the wheels in the heads of Americans ever since. New Rules includes previously written material as well as brand new material and editorials with Maher’s personal spin.

Bill Maher was the host of the hit ABC TV show, Politically Incorrect, and the current host of his new HBO show, Real Time. He is one of the nation’s leading political humorists. New Rules is published by Rodale Books.
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In this collection of scandalous short stories, author Holiday Reinhorn writes with intense energy and raw wit. Despite her risqué style of writing, Reinhorn’s stories take place in ordinary settings such of hospitals, zoos and banks. Her originality really rings through in her unique characters, ranging from cat-fighting teenage girls to mischievous and corrupt adults. Big Cats is an eye-opening read for those looking for something out of the ordinary.

Holiday Reinhorn’s short stories have appeared in several literary magazines including Gulf Coast and Northwest Review. Reinhorn is the recipient and nominee of several prestigious awards. Big Cats is published by Free Press of Simon & Schuster, Inc.

A favorable review by Georgie Lewis. Excerpt:

There is such energy here — at times the stories crackle with electricity — and she creates a range of atmospheres from malevolent to kinky, sullen to subversive. Yet the characters are so fully fleshed out and unique that compassion is inevitable.

Interestingly enough, the stories often take place in an institutional setting: a psychiatric hospital, a bank, a zoo. The titular story is a dynamic piece about that curious blend of fierce love and rivalry that is practically a rite-of-passage for adolescent girls. With the pent-up rage of teenage hormones and the back drop of the lion’s cage at the zoo, the two girls eventually explode. A garish cat-fight results, fueled by class and sex, and the fury of youth.

Here’s a favorable review by John Freeman. Excerpt:

Not all of Reinhorn’s stories find the right balance between humor and cynicism, and a few do a downright belly-flop in the process. “Golden Pioneers” and “Good to Hear You” both unfold in a removed first-person voice that makes it difficult to tell whether you’re supposed to care about the narrator or the protagonist.

This is a minor gaffe, however, in a very promising debut. For when Reinhorn is on — which is most of the time — she can spin a tale so strange and singular it has its own magnetic warble. Were it not for its cutesy title, the title story (of two 14-year-old girls, concessions workers at a zoo, who get into a fistfight outside a lion’s cage) would be a pitch-perfect riff on the casual brutality of our teenage years. And “Get Away From Me David” might just be the strangest thing to appear between two covers since George Saunders’ “Civilwarland in Bad Decline.”

The Last True Story I’ll Ever Tell is the only autobiographical book about the war in Iraq written by a soldier. Author John Crawford will hook you in from the first page of his real-life account of his experience in Iraq. As Crawford takes his readers on a fantastic voyage across the world to the middle of the danger, action, and anticipation that he went through as a soldier. In the meantime, Crawford also unravels a heartfelt story of the revolution of a group of young college-aged men. This is powerful book of man’s courage, emotion, and humanity in the face of war will surely become a war-literature classic.

John Crawford was sent to Iraq as he was completing his BA in anthropology at Florida State University. He served with the Army’s 101st Airborne Division and a National Guard unit. Riverhead Hardcover is the publisher of his book.