9 New Books for February

In actor Nelson’s debut novel, a veteran film producer named Jacob Rosenthal hopes to adapt a bestseller about race in America into a major blockbuster and chooses accomplished stage actor David Levit to direct. But a producer from David’s past plots to stymie the production and devastate Jacob’s and David’s lives. An unsparing look at the opportunistic world of Hollywood, City of Blows examines the costs people will incur to achieve and retain creative power. Unnamed Press, February 7

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Aimed at inspiring global youth, Fighting in a World on Fire picks up where Malm’s How to Blow Up a Pipeline leaves off, presenting kids with strategies to combat climate change, while also providing kids with aggressive strategies that reach beyond the limits of peaceful protest and legal action to combat climate change. Verso Books, February 7

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Andrews’s heartfelt reflection on the American West confronts one of the region’s essential paradoxes: that a place defined by innovation and beauty also has a legacy of horrible violence. For the author, the catalyst is inheriting his grandfather’s Smith & Wesson handgun, which carries its own awful history. From his ranch in Montana, Andrews turns to neighbors and family as he seeks a new way to live in the West. Mariner Books, February 7

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When Bodie Kane returns to the New Hampshire private school she once attended to teach a class, she is determined to keep her distance from the murder that haunts the school. But Bodie soon realizes that the case—in which one of her classmates was allegedly killed by a school employee—might not be as clear-cut as once believed, and she may have the key to resolving it. I Have Some Questions for You is Makkai’s highly anticipated follow-up to the National Book Award finalist The Great Believers. Viking, February 21

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This new novel by the author of The Bookshop of Yesterdays is an enchanting exploration of love. To comfort her best friend, Gabby, a woman named Alice writes a story, and while reading it, Gabby stumbles upon the man of her dreams. Convinced the story had a hand in this encounter, Gabby shares it with other friends, who in turn also meet partners. Alice becomes known as a love scribe, yet all this changes when she is summoned to a mansion in the woods to face her most difficult challenge. Park Row, February 7

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Two couples living on opposite coasts of the United States clash when one of the wives, Tessa, begins a friendship with the other’s husband, Charlie. As they get to know each other and their respective partners, Tessa’s disdain for Charlie’s wife grows, culminating in an outburst and its resulting fallout. Craig’s intriguing novel explores issues of self, feminism, and perception. Grove, February 7

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With this powerfully written and deftly articulated treatise, Harris has produced a comprehensive look at how Silicon Valley grew into the all-consuming power center it is today. Harris’s analysis extends beyond the role of technology in Bay Area culture to examine the pervasive ideologies, policies, and colonialism of the region. Little, Brown, February 14

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Bea is a con artist. Having spent her life following in her mother’s footsteps and swindling men, she decides to settle into domesticity. But first, she needs to pull off one last con and ensnare the affluent Collin Case. In her most challenging encounter yet, not only does Bea need to get the ring; she also needs to win over Collin’s family. Croft takes readers on a twisted and fast-paced venture in this debut novel. Berkley Books, February 14

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The life of Dane Peter Freuchen reads like an adventure novel: he gets caught in an Arctic blizzard, spends time in eccentric Hollywood, and survives war and prison camps in Europe. Still, as Mitenbuler points out, the true power of Freuchen’s extraordinary life resides in his attitudes—particularly on environmentalism and preservation—which were almost a century ahead of their time. Mariner Books, February 21

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