Welcome to the Monday Morning Book Buzz. Every week we take a look at some notable new books being released in the coming days.

If you would like to subscribe to the CA Library Blog, click the Entries (RSS) button at the top of the menu on the right and add the link to your favorite news aggregator. You can also follow us on Facebook by visiting http://www.facebook.com/calibrary and hitting the ‘Like’ button.

Notable New Releases for the week of September 5th:

• All These Things I’ve Done by Gabrielle Zevin — In 2083, chocolate and coffee are illegal, paper is hard to find, water is carefully rationed, and New York City is rife with crime and poverty. And yet, for Anya Balanchine, the sixteen-year-old daughter of the city’s most notorious (and dead) crime boss, life is fairly routine — until her ex-boyfriend is accidently poisoned by the chocolate her family manufactures and the police think she’s to blame.

• The Art of Fielding by Chad Harbach — At Westish College, a small school on the shore of Lake Michigan, baseball star Henry Skrimshander seems destined for big league stardom. But when a routine throw goes disastrously off course, the fates of five people are upended. “This highly enjoyable and intelligent novel offers several coming-of-age tales set against the background of an exciting and convincing baseball drama.” — Library Journal

• Ashes by Ilsa J. Bick — An electromagnetic pulse flashes across the sky, destroying every electronic device, wiping out every computerized system, and killing billions. “Splendidly paced apocalyptic zombie horror ends with a thrilling, terrifying cliffhanger and a number of unresolved mysteries.” — Kirkus Reviews

• The Burning Soul by John Connolly — In this 10th thriller featuring private detective Charlie Parker, Randall Haight has a secret: he is a convicted murderer, a man with the blood of a young girl on his hands. He has built a new life for himself in the small Maine town of Pastor’s Bay, but someone has discovered the truth about him. “Connolly’s plot twists are still sure to please his fans.” — Library Journal

• The Dog Who Knew Too Much (Chet and Bernie Series #4) by Spencer Quinn — The fourth entry in the irresistible New York Times bestselling mystery series featuring canine narrator Chet and his human companion Bernie—“the coolest human/pooch duo this side of Wallace and Gromit” (Kirkus Reviews). Chet and Bernie are hired to find a kid who has gone missing from a wilderness camp in the high country. The boy’s mother thinks the boy’s father—her ex—has snatched the boy, but Chet makes a find that sends the case in a new and dangerous direction.

• The End: The Defiance and Destruction of Hitler’s Germany, 1944-1945 by Ian Kershaw — From the preeminent Hitler biographer, a fascinating and original exploration of how the Third Reich was willing and able to fight to the bitter end of World War II. “Kershaw’s comprehensive research, measured prose, and commonsense insight combine in a mesmerizing explanation of how and why Nazi Germany chose self-annihilation.” — Publishers Weekly

• The Hidden (Hollow Trilogy Series #3) by Jessica Verday — Abbey knows that Caspian is her destiny. Theirs is a bond that transcends even death. But as Abbey finally learns the full truth about the dark fate that links her to Caspian and ties them both to the town of Sleepy Hollow, she suddenly has some very hard choices to make.

• Living Beyond Your Feelings: Controlling Emotions So They Don’t Control You by Joyce Meyer — Meyer examines the way the brain processes and stores memories and thoughts, and then – emotion by emotion – she explains how we can manage our reactions to those emotions, giving the reader a toolbox for managing the way we react to the onslaught of feelings that can wreak havoc on our lives. “Readers will resonate with Meyer’s ability to relate biblical principles to daily life as she tackles the gamut of emotions.” — Publishers Weekly

• Pirate King (Mary Russell Series #11) by Laurie R. King — In this latest adventure featuring the intrepid Mary Russell and her husband, Sherlock Holmes, King takes readers into the frenetic world of silent films—where the pirates are real and the shooting isn’t all done with cameras. “Recommended for series fans as well as devotees of historical mysteries.” — Library Journal

• The Race (Isaac Bell Series #4) by Clive Cussler — It is 1910, the age of flying machines is still in its infancy, and newspaper publisher Preston Whiteway is offering $50,000 for the first daring aviator to cross America in less than fifty days. “Evocative period detail, brave men and women and their fabulous flying machines, and nonstop action add up to plenty of fun.” — Publishers Weekly

• Shelter: A Mickey Bolitar Novel by Harlan Coben — Mickey Bolitar’s year can’t get much worse. After witnessing his father’s death and sending his mom to rehab, he’s forced to live with his estranged uncle Myron and switch high schools. Then he learns about a conspiracy so shocking that it makes high school drama seem like a luxury. “Coben’s semi-noir style translates well to YA, and the supporting cast is thoroughly entertaining. It’s a strong start to the series.” — Publishers Weekly

• Star Wars: Heir to the Empire: The 20th Anniversary Edition by Timothy Zahn — Five years after the Death Star was destroyed and Darth Vader and the Emperor were defeated, the galaxy is struggling to heal the wounds of war, Princess Leia and Han Solo are married and expecting twins, and Luke Skywalker has become the first in a long-awaited line of new Jedi Knights. This new edition features an introduction and annotations from author Timothy Zahn, exclusive commentary from Lucasfilm and Del Rey Books, and a brand-new novella starring the ever-popular Grand Admiral Thrawn.

• That Used to Be Us: How America Fell Behind in the World It Invented and How We Can Come Back by Thomas L. Friedman and Michael Mandelbaum — America is facing four major challenges on which its future depends, and it is failing to meet them. Columnist Friedman (The World Is Flat) and foreign policy expert Mandelbaum analyze those challenges—globalization, the revolution in information technology, the nation’s chronic deficits, and its pattern of energy consumption—and spell out what we need to do now to rediscover America and rise to this moment. “Sure to grab attention, given Friedman’s rep, and get the debate going.” — Library Journal

• Vanish (Firelight Series) by Sophie Jordan — To save the life of the boy she loves, Jacinda did the unthinkable: she betrayed the most closely guarded secret of her kind. Now she must return to the protection of her pride knowing she might never see Will again—and worse, that because his mind has been shaded, Will’s memories of that fateful night and why she had to flee are gone.