New Reads

'Tis the season for new books to be published. In an effort to get you to purchase their books for holiday gift giving, the publishers strive to get new titles by established authors onto the shelves in October or November. For those of you who use the library instead of plunking down $25 or $30 for a bestseller, now is the time to put holds on all of these new gems (?). Here are a few of the latest or soon to be bestsellers:

At the top of the list is John Grisham's Playing for Pizza. If you are looking for Grisham's next legal thriller, this isn't it. This book has a football theme, as Grisham has been known to do in the past. If you like the way Grisham tells a story, you will probably like this book too, but you are now forewarned that it's not another A Time to Kill. Playing for Pizza is available now.

Coming soon is the 35th in the Spenser series by Robert B. Parker, Now and Then. If you aren't tired of Spenser by now, you probably never will be, but for those on the fence, a reviewer claims that Parker is "at the top of his game," in this latest entry. It will be available next week.

It is quite predictable for James Patterson to have a book coming out at any time of the year. It will be a pleasure, however, for those of you disenchanted with his co-authored books, to know that this next arrival, Double Cross, is his alone. The lucky 13th in the Alex Cross series will debut on November 13, which I assure you is not a Friday.

Unlike Parker and Patterson, Sue Grafton does not produce four or five books a year. Maybe it is because she doesn't want to use up the alphabet too soon. After a two year wait, T is for Trespass will reach the shelves in early December. Kinsey Millhone will ride again in this tale of identity theft and elder abuse.

I hope your favorite author is coming to a library shelf near you soon.