Call the Midwife, the BBC series that, incredibly, beat the UK ratings for Downton Abbey‘s second season, debuts on PBS this Sunday.

People calls it ” the soppily tender story of ’50s midwives in London’s East End” and gives it 3.5 of a possible 4 stars.

The UKs Telegraph wonders “Will Downton Abbey’s stateside fans stomach the Call the Midwife crises?” and warns that, “with recent UK period drama focusing on upper-class glamour … US viewers … may be in for a bit of a shock – despite PBS’s carefully describing the drama as ‘colourful’ (as in blood-drenched).” Adding that “close-ups … will support the US view of the lamentable state of British dentistry.”

But US critics are won over. The Washington Post ranks it as one of the best of the new season, saying,

The cast is marvelous, the gritty, post-war set pieces are meticulously recreated and, even with all the warm-water enemas and splattered afterbirth, the story always has its eye on uplift and good cheer.

Watch Call the Midwife – Preview on PBS. See more from Call the Midwife.

The series is based on Jennifer Worth’s memoirs, released as a tie-in edition in August. In addition, there is a companion volume and an audio from HighBridge.

The Life and Times of Call the Midwife: The Official Companion to Season One and Two Heidi Thomas Retail Price: $29.99 Hardcover: 288 pages Publisher: Harper Design – (2012-10-23) ISBN / EAN: 0062250035 / 9780062250032

Taylor Swift has signed on to play Joni Mitchell in Sony Pictures’ adaptation of Sheila Weller’s Girls Like Us (S&S; Atria, 2008), which chronicles the lives of Carole King, Joni Mitchell, and Carly Simon.

Up for the part of Carly Simon are Allison Williams (Marnie in Girls), Jessica Pare (Megan Draper in Mad Men), and Analeigh Tipton (Crazy, Stupid, Love).

Reportedly under consideration for Carole King are Alison Pill (Newsroom‘s Maggie Jordan), Olivia Thirlby (Juno),  Ari Graynor (For a Good Time Call…), and Zoe Kazan (Ruby Sparks).

Girls Like Us was praised by the NYT BR for “Weller’s skills as a storyteller and her understanding of the musical traditions that inspired each of her subjects.”

Moving up all the Best Seller lists this week, after three weeks on sale, is How Children Succeed: Grit, Curiosity, and the Hidden Power of Character by Paul Tough (HMH; 9/4/12; Tantor Audio). The author’s previous book was a look at the Harlem Children’s Project, Whatever It Takes: Geoffrey Canada’s Quest to Change Harlem and America.  In this new book, reviewed in the 8/22 NYT BR, he argues that character traits, rather than IQ, determine success in life.

Most libraries are showing  holds of 10:1.

Believe it or not, J.K. Rowling‘s first novel for adults, The Casual Vacancy, is not the only book going on sale next week, though it will surely get a lion’s share of media attention. The other lion of the week is rocker Neil Young, who delivers his first memoir. Other noteworthy nonfiction includes a compilation of President John F. Kennedy’s audio tapes and transcripts, put together by the John F. Kennedy Library and historian Ted Widmer. In adult fiction, there’s a debut novel from popular memoirist J.R. Moehringer, and a BEA Buzz panel pick by Antoine Wilson. Usual suspects include Tim LaHaye and Craig Parshall and Deepak Chopra – and in YA fiction, there’s a mystery from adult author Francine Prose.

Major Comeback

EMBARGOED: The Casual Vacancy by J.K. Rowling (Little Brown; Hachette Audio) comes with a big question: does J.K. Rowling’s first book for adults have a fair chance at success, given the wildly outsized expectations that come with being the author of the Harry Potter series? Her first and only U.S. interview about the book will be on September 26, on ABC’s Good Morning America (7:00-9:00 AM), World News with Diane Sawyer (6:30 PM), and Nightline (11:35 PM-12:00 AM), and will re-air on Good Morning America on September 27.

Watch List

Sutton by J.R. Moehringer (Hyperion; Hyperion Audio; Thorndike Large Print) is a debut novel about the bank robber and folk hero Willie “The Actor” Sutton, by the author of the popular memoir The Tender Bar. It begins in 1969, after Sutton’s release from Attica prison at age 68, as he looks back on stealing more than $2 million over 40 years (often in costume) and his three impressive prison breaks. Entertainment Weekly‘s review begins, “There’s a quality to J.R. Moehringer’s writing that makes you feel you aren’t stepping into a book so much as a dimly lit but welcoming bar…He brings a raconteur’s grace and rhythm to his first novel.” The reviewer admits that the ending is unsatisfying, “But isn’t closing time always a bit of a letdown when you don’t want an entertaining night to end?”

Panorama City by Antoine Wilson (HMH; Blackstone Audio) was a BEA Editors Buzz Panel pick about a self-described “slow-learner” recovering from a traumatic accident, who composes a letter about what it takes to be “a man of the world” to his unborn son and pregnant wife. Booklist says, “Readers who enjoy Mark Haddon and Greg Olear will appreciate Wilson’s authorial voice, which blends Oppen’s good-natured naiveté and humorous asides with incisive cynicism.”

The Secret Book of Frida Kahlo by F. G. Haghenbeck (S&S/Atria) is a fictional biography of the beloved Mexican painter’s life, chronic illness and many loves, based on Kahlo’s unpublished notebooks, including actual recipes tied to her most important moments and relationships. Kirkus says, “despite the repetitiousness and pretentious hyperbola that drags on this novel, Kahlo remains a rich character and inevitably irresistible.”

Love Anthony by Lisa Genova (S&S/Gallery; S&S Audio; Thorndike Large Print) follows two grieving mothers who meet by chance in Nantucket, and help each other heal and move on. Kirkus says, “There’s a point in the narrative where one of the characters becomes so engrossed in reading a book that she loses track of time. Readers of Genova’s latest excellent offering might very well find the same happening to them.”

Usual Suspects

Brink of Chaos by Tim LaHaye and Craig Parshall (Zondervan; Zondervan Audio; Thorndike Large Print) is the third installment in The End series of political apocalyptic thrillers.

God: A Story of Revelation by Deepak Chopra (HarperOne) is a “teaching novel” by the popular author of Jesus and Buddha, that aims for a better understanding of God by profiling 10 historical figures: Job, Socrates, St. Paul, Shankara, Rumi, Julian of Norwich, Giordano Bruno, Anne Hutchinson, Baal Shem Tov and Rabindranath Tagore. Kirkus says, “Of particular interest are the humorous, humble Baal Shem, the brilliant, witty Shankara and the visionary Julian, a man Chopra calls ‘the most touching figure in this book’.”

Young Adult

Confessions of a Murder Suspect by Maxine Paetro  and James Patterson (Hachette/Little, Brown; Hachette Audio) begins a new teen mystery series from the team behind the Women’s Murder Club series for adults. PW is not impressed: “The intriguing setup loses cohesion… For writers with their crime-writing experience, Patterson and Paetro show little interest in common sense, motivation, or believable storytelling.”

The Turning by Francine Prose (Harper Teen) is the story of a teen who takes on a spooky summer job caring for two orphans on a remote island, inspired by Henry James’s Turn of the Screw. PW says, “Remaining true to the ambiguous nature of the original, Prose (Touch) masterfully builds suspense. Like Adele Griffin’s Tighter (2011), this spin on the classic tale is an enticing blend of gothic elements and psychological complexities.”

The Other Normals by Ned Vizzini (HarperCollins/Balzer + Bray) is the story of a 15 year-old whose parents take away his role-playing game guides and send him to camp to get socialized by the author of It’s a Funny Story. Kirkus says, ” Though the world building is thin at times, there are some moments of genuine pathos and terror, with the final climactic fight scene leaving plenty of room for sequels. Great geeky fun.”

Nonfiction

Listening In: The Secret White House Recordings of John F. Kennedy, selected and with introduction by Ted Widmer, foreword by Caroline Kennedy (Hyperion) makes available for the first time selections from the 256 hours of JFK’s presidential conversations that were taped on hidden recording systems in the Oval Office and in the Cabinet Room. It includes two 75-minute CDs and covers decisions related to the Cuban Missile Crisis, the Space Race, Vietnam, and the arms race, compiled by John F. Kennedy Library and historian Widmer.

Waging Heavy Peace by Neil Young (Penguin/Blue Rider; Penguin Audiobooks) is  a memoir by the iconic rocker, whose career spans 50 years, from playing with Buffalo Springfield and Crosby, Stills, & Nash to Crazy Horse and becoming the “godfather of grunge.”

One Last Strike: Fifty Years in Baseball, Ten and a Half Games Back, and One Final Championship Season by Tony La Russa (Harper/ Morrow; HarperLuxe) is the story of the St. Louis Cardinals unusual end-of-season run and victory in the 2011 World Series, by their manager.

The Chew: Food. Life. Fun. by The Chew with contributions from Mario Batali, Gordon Elliott, Carla Hall, Clinton Kelly, Daphne Oz and Michael Symon (Hyperion) is a companion cookbook to The Chew, a daytime show on ABC-TV.

Safari: A Photicular Book by Dan Kainen, text by Carol Kaufmann (Workman) recreates a Kenyan safari featuring eight animals portrayed with a new technology that resembles a 3-D movie on the page, in the next leap after the publisher’s best selling Gallop.

Movie Tie-in

Killing Them Softly (Cogan’s Trade Movie Tie-In Edition) by George V. Higgins (RH/Vintage Crime/Black Lizard) ties in to the movie starring Brad Pitt from the Weinstein Company, which was recently rescheduled to the end of November, to move it into consideration for an Oscar. (Deadline, 9/11/12)

The subtitle of Pattie Mallette’s memoir, Nowhere But Up: The Story of Justin Bieber’s Mom (Baker Books) makes her celebrity status clear. Her early years were not easy, however. She suffered sexual abuse and turned to drugs and alcohol to try to heal the pain. At 17, she became pregnant and refused an abortion. She named her son Justin. His last name, Bieber, came from his father.

The author appeared on the Today Show this morning and the book is being covered by dozens of news sources, including the L.A. Times, USA Today and the Huffington Post.

It was not reviewed pre-pub, so not many libraries own it. The libraries that do are showing surprisingly few holds, however. It’s currently at #286 on Amazon’s sales rankings.

Salman Rushdie was interviewed on the Daily Show last night by Jon Stewart who calls Rushdie’s memoir, Joseph Anton (Random House; Random House Audio),”an incredible story.”

The hottest title arriving today, in terms of media coverage, is Salman Rushdie’s memoir of his nine years in hiding after a Fatwah was issued against him, Joseph Anton (Random House; Random House Audio). The NYT‘s Michiko Kakutani heralds it today saying, “after several disappointing novels, [this memoir] reminds us of [Rushdie’s] fecund gift for language and his talent for explicating the psychological complexities of family and identity. ”

All the news stories mention that the memoir’s title refers to the alias Rushdie used during that time, “Joseph Anton.” The name is composed of the first names of his favorite authors, Joseph from Joseph Conrad and Anton from Anton Chekhov.

Based on that, Random House Library Marketing has come up with a clever Twitter/Facebook challenge; “Forced underground, @SalmanRushdie’s alias combined the names of writers he loved—#JosephAnton. What’s your #LiteraryAlias?”

Ours is Edith Attica (when your tweet yours, be sure to use the hashtags).

Some of you may be wondering if Rushdie spills any beans about ex-wife, Top Chef host Padman Lakshmi in the book. The Daily Beast answers that question in item #10 of “11 Revelations From Salman Rushdie’s Memoir, Joseph Anton.”

The big events this week are the release of memoirs from two very different people: Salman Rushdie and Penny Marshall. We will, of course, be watching and cheering as Attica Locke’s second mystery, The Cutting Season debuts and two new YA series, by Maggie Stiefvater and Libba Bray launch.

Watch List

The Cutting Season, by Attica Locke, (HarperCollins; HarperLuxe; Dreamscape Audio; audio and ebook on OverDrive) is the book we’ll be watching the closest. Libraries across the country have joined Team Attica Locke which will prove the power of library word of mouth by making this a best seller (more here).

Trouble & Triumph: A Novel of Power & Beauty by Tip, “T.I.”, Harris and David Ritz (Harper/Morrow) is the Grammy-winning rapper’s sequel to his street-lit debut Power & Beauty, about two teenagers who tangle with an Atlanta gangster. LJ says, “Some mixed response to the first, but the 100,000-copy first printing says that expectations are high.”

Literary Favorites

San Miguel by T.C. Boyle (Penguin/Viking; Thorndike) is set on desolate San Miguel island off the coast of California, where two couples try to run a farm in the wind and rain – first in 1888, and then during the Depression. PW says, “The author subtly interweaves the fates of Native Americans, Irish immigrants, Spanish and Italian migrant workers, and Chinese fishermen into the Waters’ and the Lesters’ lives, but the novel is primarily a history of the land itself…as beautiful, imperfect, and unrelenting as Boyle’s characters.”

Usual Suspects

Low Pressure by Sandra Brown (Hachette/Grand Central; Hachette Audio) is a romantic thriller in which a woman who writes a bestselling novel based on her sister’s murder and becomes the target of an assailant. Kirkus says, “Brown skillfully combines strong characterization with plots that keep the reader guessing all the way. A good old-fashioned thriller and a winner, even though the bad guys are sometimes just a little too bad for plausibility.”

Severe Clear by Stuart Woods (Putnam Adult; Penguin Audio; Thorndike Large Print) is Woods’s 50th novel–and the 24 to feature protagonist Stone Barrington. This time he attends the opening of a hotel on grounds owned by his late wife, and faces a terrorist attack. PW says, “Woods expertly mixes familiar ingredients to produce an intoxicating cocktail that goes down easily.

Winter of the World by Ken Follett (Penguin/Dutton; Penguin Audio) is the second installment in the trilogy that began with the popular Fall of Giants, about interrelated American, German, Russian, English, and Welsh families in the early 20th century. LJ says, “in the hands of a less adroit storyteller, it would be hackneyed, but Follett moves his stock figures through interesting situations and draws the reader in to care what happens to them. The next thing you know, you’ve read all 960 pages of this enjoyable novel.”

Young Adult

The Raven Boys by Maggie Stiefvater (Scholastic; Scholastic Audio) is a new series by the author of the best selling Shiver series as well as the Printz Honor book Scorpio Races. In an early review, the Washington Post says, “In contrast to the melancholy werewolves of her popular Shiver trilogy, the Raven Boys are not paranormal critters but the entitled students of elite, raven-crested Aglionby Academy….This first in a planned four-novel series draws readers into a world where time enfolds hauntingly, and magic informs reality”

The Diviners by Libba Bray (Hachette/Little, Brown YR; Listening Library) is a new trilogy from the Printz-winning author of Going Bovine (2009) and Beauty Queens (2011) as well as the Gemma Doyle trilogy. This one features a young woman who goes to live in jazz age New York City with an uncle who runs a museum of the occult, a finds myriad friends and no small measure of mystery. Booklist says, “It’s Marjorie Morningstar meets Silence of the Lambs, and Bray dives into it with the brio of the era, alternating rat-a-rat flirting with cold-blooded killings…Seemingly each teen has a secret ability (one can read an object’s history; another can heal), and yet the narrative maintains the flavor of historical fiction rather than fantasy.” Movie rights were snapped up by Paramount in advance of publication.

Dodger by Terry Prachett (HarperCollins) is surprisingly close to historical fiction, from the author of Discworld. Set in Victorian England, it features a thief named Dodger who leaps out of a drain to rescue a mysterious woman from a brutal attack, just as Charles Dickens and social reformer Henry Mayhew arrive on the scene. “Full of eccentric characters and carefully detailed London scenes, the tale embodies both Dickens’s love for the common man and a fierce desire for social justice.” It comes with a dramatic trailer.

Nonfiction

Joseph Anton by Salman Rushdie (Random House; Random House Audio) is the esteemed author’s memoir of the nine years he spent living underground after the Ayatollah Khomeini pronounced a death sentence on him for the blasphemy of his fiction in 1989. The title refers to his alias, comprised of the first names of his two favorite writers, Conrad and Chekhov. LJ says, “His memoir matters not simply because of startling personal detail but because his experience presaged a global battle over freedom of speech that continues today.” An excerpt is featured in this week’s New Yorker. It will receive plenty of media attention, of course, with interviews scheduled on the Today Show, CBS/This Morning, NPR/Morning Edition and in the New York Times.

500 Days: Secrets and Lies in the Terror Wars by Kurt Eichenwald (Touchstone) is the former New York Times investigative reporter’s reconstruction of the Bush administration’s response to the 9/11 terrorist attack and the delusions and deceptions it has spawned around the world. PW says, “Eichenwald’s novelistic approach takes us into the White House offices, courtrooms, and Guantanamo interrogation cells where tense people groped through the chaos of a new world of fear and brutality and tried to harness it to their own agendas. The result is both a page-turning read and an insightful dissection of 9/11’s dark legacy.”

My Mother Was Nuts by Penny Marshall (Amazon/HMH/New Harvest) is the TV actress and Hollywood producer’s memoir of her ascent from a Bronx childhood to fame on the sit-com Laverne and Shirley to directing 1990s hit films Big and A League of Their Own. It’s also one of the first books to emerge from Amazon’s proprietary publishing imprint, New Harvest. Kirkus says, “Marshall is as candid about her failures (which include a painful second divorce from writer/comedian Rob Reiner) and her weaknesses (like the one she developed for drugs) as she is about her successes.”

The trailer features Saturday Night Live veteran Fred Armisen.

The Oath: The Obama White House and the Supreme Court by Jeffrey Toobin (RH/Doubleday) looks at the contentious relationship between chief justice Roberts and the President. It will be getting plenty of press attention, including NPR/Fresh Air, PBS/Charlie Rose Show, CNN/Anderson Cooper 360 and Comedy Central/Colbert Report.

Two titles that were embargoed prior to release are currently dueling for headlines. The attention has propelled each title into top spots on Amazon’s sale rankings, even topping the Fifty Shades of Grey trilogy.

At number one is  No Easy Day: The Firsthand Account of the Mission That Killed Osama Bin Laden (Penguin/Dutton; Penguin Audio). The full 60 Minutes coverage is available here, including several additional “Overtime” segments. This appears to be the first and last of the author’s appearances for the book. Remember, Mark Bowden’s The Finish: The Killing of Osama Bin Laden, also embargoed, is arriving soon (Grove/Atlantic, 10/2).

At number three on Amazon sales rankings is The Price of Politics by Bob Woodward (Simon & Schuster; S&S Audio). Following his interview with Diane Sawyer, Woodward has appeared on several shows, including today’s CBS This Morning.

Libraries are showing heavy holds on both titles and many have ordered additional copies.

Meanwhile, a recent headline-making embargoed title, Paterno, which hit #1 on the NYT best seller list, has dropped off precipitously in sales, says The Hollywood Reporter, in a story about a possible movie based on the book (weird alert; Al Pacino may star).

No Easy Day, the book about the killing of Osama bin Laden that has been in headlines for days, is already facing media competition from Bob Woodward’s new book, an analysis of Obama’s efforts to restore the economy, which arrives on Tuesday. Two of the fall’s most anticipated novels also arrive – from Pulitzer Prize-winners Michael Chabon and Junot Diaz. There are also a handful of debuts to watch, including two that were featured on this year’s BEA Editor’s buzz panel. Usual suspects include Beverly Lewis, Richard Castle, J.D. Robb, Jamie Freveletti, Lee Child, and Michael Brandman.

Watch List

The Yellow Birds by Kevin Powers (Hachette/Little, Brown; Thorndike Press; Hachette Audio) was pretty close to THE pick of BEA this year, based on publisher Michael Pietsch’s passionate promo during the Editors Buzz panel (he has a good track record with debuts; he promoted The Art of Fielding at last year’s BEA). One of many war novels this season, this one is by an actual veteran of the Iraq war. The title comes from a chillingly violent military marching song. It gets early reviews from NPR’s Alan Cheuse and from the NYT‘s Michiko Kakutani, who says it “stands with Tim O’Brien’s enduring Vietnam book, The Things They Carried, as a classic of contemporary war fiction.”

Those We Love Most by Lee Woodruff (Hyperion/Voice; Thorndike Press) is a debut novel that follows a family after the loss of its oldest child. LJ says, “surely some of this heartfelt, honest novel stems from the author’s own real-life journey with her husband [ABC News’ Bob Woodruff], who was severely injured while reporting on the war in Iraq [and with whom she co-wrote the memoir In an Instant]. Overall, this is solid contemporary fiction, sure to please readers who enjoy Sue Monk Kidd and Anna Quindlen.” It’s featured in today’s USA Today.

The People of Forever Are Not Afraid by Shani Boianjiu (RH/Crown/Hogarth) was another stand-out on the BEA Editor’s Buzz Panel. It’s a debut novel about three small-town, 18 year-olds in the Israeli Defense Forces, each young woman trying to balance teenage concerns with the continual threat of war. Kirkus is a little skeptical, “Not for the squeamish. Readers will either embrace the complexity of the writing or become maddeningly lost as the author meanders through a hot, dry country devoid of tenderness.”

The Malice of Fortune by Michael Ennis (RH/Doubleday; RH Audio; BOT; Thorndike) takes readers behind Machiavelli’s The Prince, as Niccolo Machiavelli and Leonardo da Vinci join forces to stop a serial killer in  early 16th-century Italy. The new issue of Entertainment Weekly gives it a B+, saying, “Nothing says ‘back to school’ quite like … a hefty novel about the politics of 16th-century Italy. Luckily, this one reads like a pulpy mystery. Inspired by the real-life assassination of Juan Borgia, an illegitimate son of Pope Alexander VI, and a series of serial-killer murders…”

Found: The Secrets of Crittenden County, Book Three by Shelley Shepard Gray (HarperCollins/Avon Inspire; Thorndike Large Print) is the conclusion to this Amish mystery trilogy and was a BEA Shout ‘n’ Share pick by Cuyahoga’s Wendy Bartlett: “If you only typically buy big Amish writers like Beverly Lewis[who also has a new book out this week, see below] and Suzanne Woods Fisher, you should add Shelley Shepard Gray to your top echelon of must-haves… This a mystery series, but each title is very much a gentle read.”

Returning Favorites

Telegraph Avenue by Michael Chabon (Harper; HarperLuxe) is a tale of a black family and a white family in Oakland, California that mines pop culture influences from Kung Fu and ’70s Blaxploitation films to vinyl LPs, jazz and soul music. On all the “big books of the fall” lists, it’s already getting heavy review attention; from Entertainment Weekly, the L.A. Times, Slate, and the Wall Street Journal. Expect many more.

This is How You Lose Her by Junot Diaz (Penguin/Riverhead; Penguin Audio; Thorndike Large Print) is a story collection by the Pulitzer Prize-winning author of The Brief, Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao, that explores passion, loss and human weakness. Also on every fall preview, it’s reviewed in this week’s Entertainment Weekly, the L.A. Times and The Economist (which begins, “Sraightforward writing about male lust is rare. Writing that reveals the price exacted by such lust is rarer still”).

Black Dahlia & White Rose by Joyce Carol Oates (Harper/Ecco; Dreamscape Audio) is a collection of short fiction from the National Book Award winner, and ranges from a tale of a friendship between two doomed women – Marilyn Monroe and Elizabeth Short – to an account of an otherworldly infidelity.

Usual Suspects

The Bridesmaid by Beverly Lewis (Bethany House; Bethany Large Print, Pbk; Thorndike Large Print, Hdbk) is the latest novel set in Amish country about a young woman in a secret courtship, by this internationally published author of Christian fiction. This one comes with a trailer. One-day laydown.

Frozen Heat by Richard Castle (Hyperion; Hyperion Audio) is the fourth novel in the series featuring NYPD Homicide Detective Nikki Heat, in which her mother’s cold case finally thaws.

Delusion in Death by J.D. Robb (Putnam Adult; Wheeler Large Print; Brilliance Audio) is the 36th novel featuring Eve Dallas, of the New York Police and Security Department. This outing involves a home grown terrorist.

Robert Ludlum’s The Janus Reprisal by Jamie Freveletti (Hachette/Grand Central; Hachette Audio; Thorndike Large Print) stars Army microbiologist Lt. Jon Smith, who must identify and stop a biological warfare plot.

A Wanted Man by Lee Child (Delacorte Press; RH Large Print Publishing; RHAudio) is the 17th Jack Reacher novel. Kirkus says, “In this latest attempt to show Reacher enjoying every possible variety of conflict with his nation’s government short of outright secession, Child (The Affair, 2011, etc.) has produced two-thirds of a masterpiece.”

Robert B. Parker’s Fool Me Twice: A Jesse Stone Novel by Michael Brandman (Penguin/Putnam; Thorndike Press; Random House Audio) is the second Jesse Stone novel in which Bradman channels Robert B. Parker. PW says, “More is less as the unrelated story lines compete with each other for depth, even if the larger-than-life lead is able to take them all in stride.”

Childrens

The Secret of the Stone Frog by David Nytra (Candlewick/Toon) is a graphic fantasy that starts as Leah and Alan awaken in an enchanted forest and follows their journey home. Kirkus says, “Not much here for plot, but fans of the art of Tenniel and his modern descendants (Maurice Sendak, Charles Vess) will find much to admire in this U.S. debut.”

Nonfiction

The Price of Politics by Bob Woodward (Simon & Schuster; S&S Audio) is described by ABC News, which has the first interview with Woodard for the book, as “sweeping you-are-there account of how President Obama and the highest profile Republican and Democratic leaders in the United States Congress attempted to restore the American economy and improve the federal government’s fiscal condition.” ABC is scheduled to air Diane Sawyer’s “exclusive first interview” on Monday, followed on Tuesday by Woodward’s sit-down with George Stephanopoulos on Good Morning America and dozens of other appearances, culminating with Meet the Press a week from Sunday. The book is embargoed, but details are being reported widely, some by ABC News itself. Nancy Pelosi has already responded to Woodward’s claim that she sometimes hit mute during Obama’s phone calls. The New York Times, the Daily Beast and Politico have all managed to find copies and report extensively it. Because Woodward is an editor at  the Washington Post, they an early look and will publish excerpts on Sunday.

The End of Men and the Rise of Women by Hanna Rosin (Penguin/Riverhead) follows up on this Atlantic magazine senior editor’s story of two summers ago, about how women are more likely to succeed than men in the modern workforce. An excerpt, “Who Wears the Pants in This Economy” was featured on the cover of last Sunday’s New York Times Magazine.

The embargoed book about the Tour de France, The Secret Race by Tyler Hamilton (RH/Bantam), contains accusations of doping among riders, including Lance Armstrong. It is being featured on many news outlets, including the Today Show this morning:

Visit NBCNews.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

New controversy has surfaced about No Easy Day: The Firsthand Account of the Mission That Killed Osama Bin Laden (Penguin/Dutton; Penguin Audio), which releases today.  A group of Special Operations veterans released an ebook yesterday that suggests the pseudonymous author, Mark Owen, was motivated to write the book by anger against his former employers. According to quotes from the book by The Daily Beast, Owen,

 …was treated very poorly … once he openly shared that he was considering getting out of the Navy to pursue other interests…What do you do when you find yourself pissed off at your former employer, out of a job, and in need of a paycheck? You start cashing in chips.

According to the Daily Beast, the book is sympathetic to Owen and says the author does not reveal the most confidential information about the raid.

The ebook, No Easy Op, is written by a group of Special Operations veterams and published by SOFREP.com, through Amazon Digital Services. It is exclusively available on the Kindle and  is not available for library lending.

An interview with Owen is scheduled to air on Sixty Minutes this Sunday.

Lots of titles to watch next week, including librarian favorites from rising novelists Emma Straub and Tatjana Soli, Spanish sci-fi bestseller Felix J. Palma, and British debut author Morgan McCarthy. Usual suspects include Zadie Smith, James Patterson, Dale Brown and Clive Cussler and Thomas Perry – plus Elizabeth George makes her YA debut.

After dominating news all this week, No Easy Day, the eyewitness account of the killing of bin Laden is scheduled to arrive on Tuesday, but the Pentagon has warned that the author is in breach of the non-disclosure agreements he signed when he became a Navy SEAL and that “Further public dissemination of your book will aggravate your breach and violation of your agreements.”

Christopher Hitchens posthumously delivers his last words on mortality, Gretchen Rubin shares more tried and true advice on cultivated happiness, and NBA superstar Dwyane Wade reflects on his rise as a basketball player and his role as a father.

Watch List

Laura Lamont’s Life in Pictures by Emma Straub (Penguin/Riverhead; Thorndike Large Print; Dreamscape Media, read by Molly Ringwald) is the story of a farm girl’s rise (and fall) as a movie star in early Hollywood – and Riverhead’s lead debut novel for the fall. Entertainment Weekly  gives it an “A-“ saying, “Though the tale may be familiar, Emma Straub’s fantastic debut novel… brings fresh sparkle to the journey.” It’s a B&N Discover Great New Writers pick. It also had buzz during our August GalleyChat.

Breed by Scott Spencer writing as Chase Novak (Hachette/ Mulholland Books; Hachette Audio) is a medical thriller about an infertile couple who transform themselves into parents via reproductive technology, but it has an unexpected side effect, causing them to develop strange appetites that scare their twin children. Janet Maslin gave it an early review in  Thursday’s New York Times, in which she calls Spencer the “gently literary author still best remembered for the lush prose of his 1979 Endless Love…[who has] has started writing in a pulpier and more diabolical vein.”  She that, while it displays “keen antennas for sensory detail,” it is  “a gruesome book, a full-bore foray into the horror genre, so literary loveliness goes only so far. It is probably best avoided by anyone not wishing to know exactly what it’s like to eat a baby pigeon.”  The cover sports a blurb from Stephen King, “By turns terrifying and blackly funny, Breed is a total blast.” Entertainment Weekly, however, gives it just a “B,” saying, “Breed is being touted as a modern-day Rosemary’s Baby, but Spencer… delivers the camp better than he does the scares.” A followup, Brood, is in the works.

John Saturnall’s Feast by Lawrence Norfolk (Grove Press) is a historical novel set in 17th century England about a boy who’s orphaned when his mother is accused of being a witch. He goes on to become the greatest cook of his generation. PW says, “Known for intellectual prose and complex plots, Norfolk this time out attempts to interweave time and senses, reality and myth, rewarding steadfast readers with savory recipes and a bittersweet upstairs-downstairs love story.” It was a BEA Librarian’s Shout ‘n’ Share pick, and is an Indie Next pick for September.

Norfolk offers a look at the surprising sophistication of English cooking in the 17th C:

The Map of the Sky by Felix J.Palma (S&S/Atria) is the Spanish author’s sequel to his bestselling take-off on H.G. Wells’ The Time Machine. Here, the action begins when a New York socialite challenges her fiance to recreate Wells’ The War of the Worlds, setting off a chain reaction across time and space. LJ says, “Palma has again managed to infuse something very familiar with a new edge and life.” This one also kicked up some buzz on GalleyChat in August, where a librarian said that the novel “brings War of the Worlds to life.”

The Forgetting Tree by Tatjana Soli (St. Martin’s Press; Tantor Media; Thorndike Large Print) was a BEA Shout ‘n’ Share pick for Cuyahoga’s Wendy Bartlett. Here’s her pitch: “This book opens with a family tragedy that occurs in the first few pages. The rest of this thoughtful book is about how we heal–or don’t–after an unspeakable tragedy. It’s set on a  citrus ranch in Southern California. Soli’s first book, The Lotus-Eaters, did very well with our customers, and was really good for book discussion. She reminds me of a young Barbara Kingsolver. Her language is simple but not plain, her characters are extremely well drawn, and the setting is like a movie it’s so easy to visualize.”

The Other Half of Me by Morgan McCarthy (S&S/Free Press) is a paperback original about two siblings who grow up in a dysfunctional aristocratic English family in Wales with secrets that go back for generations. Robin Beerbower, our go-to librarian for scary titles, says this one “is being compared to Ian McEwan’s Atonement, but I’m finding it more compelling than that. The pacing is a bit slow but it features a completely unreliable but fascinating narrator and the gorgeous writing kept me engrossed.”

Returning Favorites

NW by Zadie Smith (Penguin Press; Penguin Audiobooks) is Smith’s first novel in seven years and one of the most anticipated titles of the early fall (it even gets an early review from BusinessWeek). It focuses on three characters who have risen above their childhoods in a Northwest London housing estate in the 1970s, with varying degrees of success. Michiko Kakutani, in the NYT, expresses disappointment, calling it a “much smaller, more meager book” than Smith’s critically acclaimed debut, White Teeth. In the Washington Post, Ron Charles expresses sympathy for the author, who, “Ever since… her dazzling debut in 2000, Zadie Smith has labored under an enviable weight of critical and popular expectations.” He acknowledges that the new novel it difficult, but worth the effort: “At times, reading NW is like running past a fence, catching only strips of light from the scene on the other side. Smith makes no accommodation for the distracted reader — or even the reader who demands a clear itinerary. But if you’re willing to let it work on you, to hear all these voices and allow the details to come into focus when Smith wants them to, you’ll be privy to an extraordinary vision of our age.” Smith spoke out this week to protest the possible closing of hundreds of  local libraries in Great Britain.

Usual Suspects

Zoo by James Patterson (Hachette/Little Brown; Hachette Audio) revolves around Jackson Oz, a young biologist, who witnesses a coordinated lion ambush in Africa that spurs him to heroic action.

Tiger’s Claw: A Novel by Dale Brown (HarperCollins/ Morrow; Harperluxe; HarperAudio) is a thriller in which China and the U.S. find themselves fighting over the Pacific after a preemptive strike.

The Tombs by Clive Cussler and Thomas Perry (Penguin/Putnam; Thorndike Press; Penguin Audiobooks) is the fourth outing with multi-millionaire treasure hunters Sam and Remi Fargo, who join an archaeologist in excavating an ancient Hungarian battlefield. PW says, “this adventure series stands as one of the crown jewels in the Cussler empire.”

Young Adult

The Edge of Nowhere by Elizabeth George (Penguin/Viking) is the veteran mystery author’s first YA novel, the start of a series about a psychic 14 year-old girl who must fend for herself after her mother runs away from her stepfather. Booklist says, “what’s best here are the characters, both young and adult. There are no stereotypes, and their humanity keeps the story moving, even when the plot is tied in knots.”

Nonfiction

No Easy Day: The Firsthand Account of the Mission That Killed Osama Bin Laden (Penguin/Dutton; Penguin Audio; Thorndike recently acquired large print rights) is under embargo until Tuesday, but copies  are already out and details are being reported widely. On Thursday, the Pentagon warned the author, reports Reuters, that he “in material breach and violation of the non-disclosure agreements you signed,” and “Further public dissemination of your book will aggravate your breach and violation of your agreements.” There’s no news on how this might affect the author’s scheduled media appearances.

Happier at Home: Kiss More, Jump More, Abandon a Project, Read Samuel Johnson, and My Other Experiments in the Practice of Everyday Life by Gretchen Rubin (RH/Crown Archetype; Random House Audio; BOT) picks up where the author’s bestselling The Happiness Project left off, with ideas to simplify and enhance one’s domestic life with children. PW says, “Although it lacks the freshness and originality of her earlier book, this perceptive sequel offers elegant musings about the nature of happiness combined with concrete ways to make the place where we sleep, eat, and watch TV truly a home.”

Mortality by Christopher Hitchens (Hachette/Twelve; Twelve; Hachette Audio) is the lauded cultural critic’s look at illness, suffering, cancer etiquette, religion and his own incipient death from esophageal cancer in December 2011. PW says, “Hitchens’ powerful voice compels us to consider carefully the small measures by which we live every day and to cherish them.” 125,000 copies.

A Father First: How My Life Became Bigger Than Basketball by Dwyane Wade (HarpreCollins/Morrow) is a memoir by the NBA superstar, Miami Heat player and divorced single dad of two sons that charts his upbringing by his drug-addicted mother on Chicago’s South Side. Kirkus says, ” A refreshing chronicle of a fervent sportsman with his head and heart in all the right places.”

If the government wants to block publication of No Easy Day: The Firsthand Account of the Mission That Killed Osama Bin Laden (Penguin/Dutton; Penguin Audio), they’d better hurry. The publisher just announced it’s being released the book this coming Tuesday, a week earlier than planned. In response to strong demand, reports the NYT, the print run has been increased from 300,000 to 575,000.

At least a few copies are already out. Both The Huffington Post and the Associated Press claim to have purchased copies in bookstores and report that some of the book’s details contradict official descriptions of  bin Laden’s killing.

The author was reportedly in talks with studios last week about a film adaptation. Dreamsworks has issued a statement yesterday, saying, “Neither Steven Spielberg, DreamWorks Studios or DreamWorks Television will be optioning Mark Owen’s book No Easy Day.”

Remember when there were two movies about writer Truman Capote, one of them with Toby Jones in the lead role?

We will soon be treated to two movies about director Alfred Hitchcock, one of them with Toby Jones in the lead role. Both are based on books.

The Girl, which airs on HBO on October 20th, is about Hitchcock’s relationship with Tippi Hedren, the star of The Birds. Sienna Miller plays Hedren and Toby Jones, the driector. It is based on Donald Spoto’s Spellbound By Beauty (RH/Three Rivers), which examines Hitchcock’s obsessive fascination with all his leading ladies.

Anthony Hopkins has the lead in the theatrical film, Hitchcock, based on the 1990 book, Hitchcock!: Alfred Hitchcock and the Making of Psycho by Stephen Rebello, being re-released in January by Soft Skull Press. Helen Mirren plays Hitchcock’s wife, Alma with Scarlett Johansson as Psycho‘s star, Janet Leigh. No U.S. release date has been set. Earlier this summer, the Daily Mail published side-by-side shots of the stars on set and their real-life counterparts.

In addition, Bates Motel, a prequel to Psycho is in production for an A&E TV series. It was just announced that Vera Farmiga will play the creepy mother of young Norman Bates. Pscyho itself was based on a 1959 horror novel by Robert Bloch, which was re-released in 2010 by Overlook Press.