Defending the Damned
By Kevin Davis
Atria, $14
A look at the Cook County public defender’s murder task force and the attorneys who handle some of the toughest cases.
Amerigo: The Man Who Gave His Name to America
By Felipe Fernandez-Armesto
Random House, $15
The renowned historian explores adventurer and self-promoter Amerigo Vespucci’s life.
An Arsonist’s Guide to Writers’ Homes in New England
By Brock Clarke
Algonquin Books, $13.95
A man accidentally sets fire to Emily Dickinson’s home, killing two people, and is now being blamed for a rash of fires.
India After Gandhi
By Ramachandra Guha
HarperPerennial, $18.95
This history of free India comes soon after the 60th anniversary of the end of British rule.
Lost Genius
By Kevin Bazzana
Da Capo, $18
A dispiriting, true tale of Ervin Nyiregyhazi, a Hungarian musical prodigy who died in semi-obscurity.
Family Sold Separately
By Kate Long
Ballantine, $14
A quirky novel about a cursed family and the 18-year-old girl who longs to change her fate.
The Art Thief
By Noah Charney
Washington Square, $14
Paris, London and Rome have been hit by an art thief extraordinaire in this stylish thriller.
Crashing Through
By Robert Kurson
Random House, $15
A real-life story about a blind man who could see after a technologically-advanced surgery.
Dinner With Dad
By Cameron Stracher
Random House, $14
The author vowed to eat dinner with his children every day at 6 p.m.
Tree of Smoke
By Denis Johnson
Picador, $16
This long-awaited novel from the author of “Jesus’ Son” is about the CIA and the Vietnam War.
Talking Hands: What Sign Language Reveals About the Mind
By Margalit Fox
Simon & Schuster, $15
The story of a small village in Israel where people use a unique kind of sign language.
Gifted
By Nikita Lalwani
Random House, $14
An immigrant Indian family living in Wales wishes to escape lives burdened with sacrifice, expectation and shame.
The Great American Attraction: Two Brits Discover the Rollicking World of American Festivals
By Rich Smith
Three Rivers, $13.95
A look at America’s quirkiest, wackiest festivals and celebrations.
No Simple Victory
By Norman Davies
Penguin, $17
The historian’s chronicle of WWII.
Pandemonium
By Daryl Gregory
Del Rey, $13
A 20-something looks to exorcise his demons in this psychological novel.
The Sunday Brunch Diaries
By Norma L. Jarrett
Broadway, $12.95
The follow-up to “Sunday Brunch” follows five longtime friends living in Houston.
I’d Rather Eat Chocolate
By Joan Sewell
Broadway, $12.95
A comedic memoir chronicling one woman’s sexual issues and the modern culture in which those issues live.
Proust and the Squid
By Maryanne Wolf
HarperPerennial, $14.95
Tufts professor explores the intricacies of our neurological systems, the evolution of the brain, and the surrounding cultural contexts.
