Having Read That with Brian Vakulskas

Author: Robin Cook

Book: BELLEVUE: A Novel

Publishing: ‎ G.P. Putnam’s Sons (December 3, 2024)

Synopsis (from the Publisher):

Twenty-three-year-old Michael “Mitt” Fuller starts his surgical residency with great anticipation at the nearly three-hundred-year-old, iconic Bellevue Hospital, following in the footsteps of four previous, celebrated Fuller generations. The pressure is on for this newly minted doctor, and to his advantage he’s always had a secret sixth sense, a sensitivity to the nonphysical. But quickly one patient after another assigned to his care begin to die from mysterious causes. As he tries to juggle these inexplicable deaths with the demands of being a first-year resident, things rapidly spiral out of control.

Visions begin to plague Mitt—visions of a little girl in a bloodstained dress, bloodcurdling screams in the distance, and worse. As bodies mount and Mitt’s stress level rises, he finds himself drawn to the monumental, abandoned Bellevue Psychopathic Hospital building, which to his astonishment has somehow defied the wrecking-ball and still stands a few doors north of the modern Bellevue Hospital high-rise. Forcing an unauthorized entry into this storied but foreboding structure, Mitt discovers he’s more closely tied to the sins of the past than he ever thought possible.

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Author: Amy Sarig King

Book: ATTACK OF THE BLACK RECTANGLES

Publishing: Scholastic Press (September 3, 2024)

Synopsis (from the Publisher):

Award-winning author Amy Sarig King takes on censorship and intolerance in a novel she was born to write.

Attack of the Black Rectangles joins the Scholastic Gold line, which features award-winning and beloved novels. Includes exclusive bonus content!

When Mac first opens his classroom copy of Jane Yolen’s The Devil’s Arithmetic and finds some words blacked out, he thinks it must be a mistake. But then when he and his friends discover what the missing words are, he’s outraged.

Someone in his school is trying to prevent kids from reading the full story.

But who?

Even though his unreliable dad tells him to not get so emotional about a book (or anything else), Mac has been raised by his mom and grandad to call out things that are wrong. He and his friends head to the principal’s office to protest the censorship… but her response doesn’t take them seriously.

So many adults want Mac to keep his words to himself.

Mac’s about to see the power of letting them out.

In Attack of the Black Rectangles, acclaimed author Amy Sarig King shows all the ways truth can be hard… but still worth fighting for.

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Author: Sharon Virts

Book: THE GRAYS OF TRUTH

Publishing: Flashpoint (October 29, 2024)

Synopsis (from the Publisher):

From bestselling historical true-crime author Sharon Virts comes a gripping tale of murder and deceit. 

In Reconstruction-era Baltimore, members of the city’s elite keep turning up dead. Below the polished surface of high society, there are illicit affairs, jilted lovers, financial hardships, and countless motives for murder. When Jane Gray Wharton’s husband, Ned, dies unexpectedly while overnighting at his brother’s home, Jane has no reason to question the circumstances of his death. But on a visit to the same house a few weeks later, both Jane and her daughter fall gravely ill, and Jane begins to suspect foul play.

Though a trained chemist and former nurse, Jane is haunted by a history of delusion, loss, and institutionalization. As the unexpected and devastating deaths begin to multiply, Jane’s grip on reality starts to slip. When a respected army officer falls terribly ill after visiting the Whartons’ Baltimore home, Jane’s greatest fears become all too real. The time has come to act—but who will believe her? And can she even trust her own mind?

Inspired by true events involving one of Baltimore’s most powerful families, The Grays of Truth is the story of one woman’s quest for answers in her fight for redemption—and to save the man she loves.

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Author: David Baldacci

Book: TO DIE FOR: A 6:20 Man Thriller

Publishing: Grand Central Publishing (November 12, 2024)

Synopsis (from the Publisher):

Travis Devine has become a pro at accomplishing any mission he’s given. But this time it’s not his skills that send him to Seattle to aid the FBI in escorting orphaned, twelve-year-old Betsy Odom to a meeting with her uncle, who’s under federal investigation. Instead, he’s hoping to lay low and keep off the radar of an enemy–the girl on the train.

But as Devine gets to know Betsy, questions begin to arise around the death of her parents. Devine digs for answers, and what he finds points to a conspiracy bigger than he could’ve ever imagined.

It might finally be time for Devine and the girl on the train to come face-to-face. Devine is going to find out the difference between his friends and his enemies–and in some cases, they might well be both.

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Author: Erika Engelhaput

Book: GO TO HELL: A Traveler’s Guide to Earth’s Most Otherworldly Destinations

Publishing: National Geographic (August 13, 2024)

Synopsis (from the Publisher):

The world over, humans have been fascinated by hell in some form or another for thousands of years and across cultures. Now, with this illustrated collection, you can add hell to your travel bucket list with more than 50 one-of-a-kind underworld destinations, from ghost towns where Halloween is always in season, to ancient caves long viewed as entrances to Hades, to volcanoes that brim with fire and legend.

Don’t be scared: along with the fascinating history of each location, star author Erika Engelhaupt also offers practical tips to make the most of your visit to the underbelly of the world. These hellish destinations include:

Ever wish you could send a postcard from hell? Now you can.

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Author: Tim Matheson

Book: DAMN GLAD TO MEET YOU: My Seven Decades in the Hollywood Trenches

Publishing: Hachette Books (November 12, 2024)

Synopsis (from the Publisher):

“I found myself underlining and highlighting things to remember for my own career. It’s also entertaining—a great combination. Tim’s words encourage you to keep dreaming.”–Reba McEntire

“Tim was a cast, crew, and audience favorite on The West Wing. He’s been at the center of some of America’s most iconic film and television. Damn Glad to Meet You is a fascinating, hilarious, and often very moving inside look at his extraordinary career.”–Aaron Sorkin

A “damn good” fun and revealing memoir from the acclaimed Hollywood actor, Tim Matheson

For the past seven decades, Tim Matheson has been an on-screen favorite in Hollywood. In his debut memoir, Tim takes fans behind-the-scenes of his illustrious career, and reveals what it was like to learn from and work alongside the greats, including Lucille Ball, Dick Van Dyke, Steven Spielberg, and Aaron Sorkin. Tim also talks about how he transitioned from acting to directing, the role in The West Wing that nabbed him two Emmy nominations–and so much more.

Filled to the brim with both riveting stories of the ever-changing entertainment industry and illuminating insight via “film school boot camp” sidebars, readers everywhere are going to be “damn glad” they read this fascinating memoir.

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Author: Robert Dugoni

Book: BEYOND REASONABLE DOUBT

Publishing: Thomas & Mercer (October 22, 2024)

Synopsis (from the Publisher):

A master manipulator accused of murder. An attorney sworn to defend her. Keera Duggan returns in a riveting novel of suspense by New York Times bestselling author Robert Dugoni.

When Jenna Bernstein, disgraced wunderkind CEO of a controversial biotech company, is accused of murdering her former partner and lover, she turns to Seattle attorney Keera Duggan to defend her. Keera is more than a master chess player who brings her intuitive moves into court―she’s Jenna’s childhood friend. But considering their history, Keera knows that where Jenna goes, trouble follows.

Five years earlier, Keera’s father successfully defended Jenna when she was tried for the killing of her company’s chief scientist who threatened to go public with allegations of corporate fraud. Keera knows Jenna too well. When she was a kid, Keera saw Jenna for what she was: a manipulative and frighteningly controlling sociopath. Now, with only circumstantial evidence against Jenna, Keera is willing to bury any trepidation she might have to defend a woman she believes, this time, to be innocent.

As the investigation gets underway and disturbing questions arise, Keera puts her trust in a client who swears that this time she’s telling nothing but the truth. If this is all just another devious game, Keera might be working to set a murderer free.

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Author: Dinesh D’Souza

Book: VINDICATING TRUMP

Publishing: Regnery (October 8, 2024)

Synopsis (from the Publisher):

How can the same man inspire such radically opposite reactions, to the point that there are some who would take a bullet for him, and others who celebrate the would-be assassin who actually attempted to take his life? This is the Trump enigma.

Then there are Republicans and moderates who seek to sidestep the enigma of Trump the man by saying, “I don’t like him, but I like his policies.”  Yet if Trump’s critics are right that he is an aspiring tyrant, a dictator, something akin to Hitler circa 1933, it is the man—not the policies—that matter most.

In an original, searching examination, bestselling author Dinesh D’Souza considers the issue of tyranny in Vindicating Trump by asking key questions:

This book—and the accompanying film in theaters this fall—is an unqualified defense and vindication of Trump. It makes the case for Trump “as is,” the man as well as the policies. It will rally and inspire Trump supporters and at the same time convince Americans who are ambivalent about Trump that he is the right “wartime general” for the perilous times we face in this country.

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Author: Patricia Cornwell

Book: IDENTITY UNKNOWN: A Scarpetta Novel

Publishing: ‎ Grand Central Publishing (October 8, 2024)

Synopsis (from the Publisher):

And this victim is sending Scarpetta a message…

Summoned to an unnerving, abandoned theme park to retrieve a body, Dr Kay Scarpetta is devastated to learn that the victim is a man she once loved. While teaching in Rome during the early days of her career, Scarpetta had an intense love affair with Sal Giordano that led to a lifelong friendship.

The murder scene is bizarre, with a crop circle of petals around the body, and Giordano’s skin is strangely red. Scarpetta’s niece Lucy believes he was dropped from an unidentified flying craft. Scarpetta knows an autopsy can reveal the dead’s secrets, but she is shocked to find her friend seems to have deliberately left her a clue.

As the investigators are torn between suspicions of otherworldly forces, and of Giordano himself, Scarpetta detects an explanation closer to home that, in her mind, is far more evil . . .

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Author: Ira Chaleff

Book: TO STOP A TYRANT: The Power of Political Followers to Make or Brake a Toxic Leader

Publishing: Wonderwell Press (September 3, 2024)

Synopsis (from the Publisher):

Amazon Bestseller in Democracy, Political Freedom, Radical Thought, and Fascism

It is a sad fact that the world is awash in political tyrants.

So is human history.

Ira Chaleff, an expert in political followership and one of the 100 “Best Minds in Leadership” (Leadership Excellence magazine) reveals how political followers can make or “brake” toxic leaders and what we can do—no matter our level of political influence or where we sit on the political spectrum—to support beneficial leaders and stop the rise of would-be tyrants.

Political tyrants are one of the most destructive forces in the world, perpetrating mass oppression, suffering, war, and genocide. Unfortunately, we are no closer to eliminating this scourge of human political organization than we have ever been.

Wherever you are on the political spectrum, you may have growing—even alarming—concerns about the potential impact of destructive political leaders on your country and those you love. You see increasing attempts by these leaders to use the power of the media and government to control the citizenry, enrich their cronies, turn ordinary people against each other, and weaken the checks and balances on which democracies depend. At the same time, you may feel despair about your ability to make a difference on the course of events, or feel unsure of how to take a stand.

Ira Chaleff, with his long and deep exposure to leadership and followership at high levels of government service, and his extensive research into abuses of power, shows us that we, too, have power—and maybe more than we think. But it must be used in timely and politically savvy ways.

Chaleff unpacks the choices for action available to us depending on our circle of influence in relation to political leaders whom we support or oppose. He explores the pressures found in each of these circles and identifies windows of opportunity for interrupting a progression from governance to tyrannical rule. Chaleff reveals the follower’s ability to make a tangible difference in preventing the rise and consolidation of power of toxic political leaders. He offers his readers a sense of real personal agency in place of feelings of helplessness and anxiety.

Building on the success of his award-winning books, The Courageous Follower and Intelligent Disobedience, Chaleff’s timely new book provides a mirror, a map, and guideposts for looking at ourselves and our ability to create better political leadership that we crave for our communities and our nation.

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