December 2023 Adult Top 10 Picks

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  1. How Not to Age
    by Michael Greger M.D. FACLM
    Flatiron Books
    Dec 05, 2023
    HEALTH & FITNESS / Longevity
    Hardback
    How Not to Age
    by Michael Greger M.D. FACLM
    Flatiron Books
    Dec 05, 2023
    HEALTH & FITNESS / Longevity
    Hardback

    Instant New York Times Bestseller

    Uncover the evidence-based science to slowing the effects of aging, from the New York Times bestselling author of the How Not to Die series


    When Dr. Michael Greger, founder of NutritionFacts.org, dove into the top peer-reviewed anti-aging medical research, he realized that diet could regulate every one of the most promising strategies for combating the effects of aging. We don’t need Big Pharma to keep us feeling young—we already have the tools. In How Not to Age, the internationally renowned physician and nutritionist breaks down the science of aging and chronic illness and explains how to help avoid the diseases most commonly encountered in our journeys through life.

    Physicians have long treated aging as a malady, but getting older does not have to mean getting sicker. There are eleven pathways for aging in our bodies’ cells and we can disrupt each of them. Processes like autophagy, the upcycling of unusable junk, can be boosted with spermidine, a compound found in tempeh, mushrooms, and wheat germ. Senescent “zombie” cells that spew inflammation and are linked to many age-related diseases may be cleared in part with quercetin-rich foods like onions, apples, and kale. And we can combat effects of aging without breaking the bank. Why spend a small fortune on vitamin C and nicotinamide facial serums when you can make your own for up to 2,000 times cheaper?

    Inspired by the dietary and lifestyle patterns of centenarians and residents of “blue zone” regions where people live the longest, Dr. Greger presents simple, accessible, and evidence-based methods to preserve the body functions that keep you feeling youthful, both physically and mentally. Brimming with expertise and actionable takeaways, How Not to Age lays out practical strategies for achieving ultimate longevity.

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  2. The Other Mothers
    by Katherine Faulkner
    Simon & Schuster
    Dec 05, 2023
    FICTION / Women
    Paperback / softback
    The Other Mothers
    by Katherine Faulkner
    Simon & Schuster
    Dec 05, 2023
    FICTION / Women
    Paperback / softback
    The author of the “twisty, fast-paced” (The Sunday Times, London) Greenwich Park returns with a fresh and deftly paced thriller about murder, class, and motherhood in an exclusive London community.

    When a young nanny is found dead in mysterious circumstances, new mom, Tash, is intrigued. She has been searching for a story to launch her career as a freelance journalist. But she has also been searching for something else—new friends to help her navigate motherhood.

    She sees them at her son’s new playgroup. The other mothers. A group of sleek, sophisticated women who live in a neighborhood of tree-lined avenues and stunning houses. The sort of mothers Tash herself would like to be. When the mothers welcome her into their circle, Tash discovers the kind of life she has always dreamt of—their elegant London townhouses a far cry from her cramped basement flat and endless bills. She is quickly swept up into their wealthy world via coffees, cocktails, and playdates.

    But when another young woman is found dead, it’s clear there’s much more to the community than meets the eye. The more Tash investigates, the more she’s led uncomfortably close to the other mothers. Are these women really her friends? Or is there another, more dangerous reason why she has been so quickly accepted into their exclusive world? Who, exactly, is investigating who?
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  3. Manner of Death
    by Robin Cook
    G.P. Putnam's Sons
    Dec 05, 2023
    FICTION / Thrillers / Medical
    Hardback
    Manner of Death
    by Robin Cook
    G.P. Putnam's Sons
    Dec 05, 2023
    FICTION / Thrillers / Medical
    Hardback
    In the new fast-paced medical thriller from bestselling author Robin Cook, fan favorites Jack and Laurie are inadvertently drawn into a dangerous vortex of a series of homicides that have been cleverly staged as suicides.

    After Dr. Jack Stapleton’s near-death confrontation with a medical serial killer, his wife, NYC Chief Medical Examiner Laurie Montgomery, is carrying the load both at work and at home. When Laurie insists that Dr. Ryan Sullivan—an underperforming senior pathology resident who is spending his required month at the medical examiner's office but who truly detests doing forensic autopsies—assist her on a suicide autopsy in hopes of stimulating his interest in the field, the last thing she expects is to be unwittingly drawn into a major conspiracy that puts her own life in jeopardy.

    Desperate to avoid performing as many forensic autopsies as possible, Dr. Ryan Sullivan offers to participate in a research project on a series of suicides put together by one of the medical legal investigators. These suicides, like the case Ryan analyzes with Laurie, hint at some bothersome questions about their "manner of death." Although the project was more of a ruse than a serious study, Ryan surprises himself by immediately uncovering unexpected shared commonalities. Most astonishing of all, Ryan's inquiries eventually put him and Laurie at risk by leading to a nefarious cancer diagnostics company that promotes the very latest, groundbreaking cancer screening technology in a shockingly self-serving and fraudulent fashion.
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  4. The Engagement Party
    by Darby Kane
    William Morrow
    Dec 05, 2023
    Hardback
    The Engagement Party
    by Darby Kane
    William Morrow
    Dec 05, 2023
    Hardback

    And Then There Were None meets I Know What You Did Last Summer in #1 international bestseller Darby Kane’s latest gripping and twisty thriller set on a private island in Maine where secrets piled upon secrets and lies upon lies are all revealed in one fateful weekend.

    Emily Hunt went missing from her affluent liberal arts school on graduation weekend. Her body was found floating in a river, and a quiet loner who most people on campus really didn’t know died by suicide. A tenuous link—one text—bound the two dead students together and was enough for law enforcement to close the case. But they got it wrong and now someone is determined to set it right.

    Twelve years later, college friends gather to celebrate an engagement over a long overdue getaway on a swanky private island in Maine—with only one way in and one way out. Sierra Prescott, invited as a guest and unconnected to past events, is the only person who soon senses not all is what it seems.

    The tension in the air is ignited when they find a dead man in the trunk of a car with a note: time to tell the truth. And things only get worse. As a torrential storm strands them together, the group’s buried stories begin to surface and secrets are bartered. To survive this deadly party, they’ll need to stop a killer before they become prey.

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  5. The Wonder of It All
    by Barbara Taylor Bradford
    St. Martin's Press
    Dec 05, 2023
    FICTION / Sagas
    Hardback
    The Wonder of It All
    by Barbara Taylor Bradford
    St. Martin's Press
    Dec 05, 2023
    FICTION / Sagas
    Hardback

    From New York Times bestselling author Barbara Taylor Bradford comes the long-anticipated final novel in the House of Falconer trilogy.

    James Falconer--a tycoon and a self-made man--seems to have the world in the palm of his hand. But the Great War looms, and James decides to fight for king and country. The fighting is bloody and brutal, and James returns a changed man, with wounds both physical and mental. His beloved wife is dead, but a new woman returns to help nurse him back to health.

    Georgiana Ward once held James in her thrall, but years have passed and bitterness has set in. Still, the old attraction is there and James is determined to make amends to both Georgiana and his child Leonie--now a grown woman and someone he hasn't seen in decades. Leonie is having none of it, and is embarking on a dangerous journey with a man who might very well destroy her. As James fights to return to the man he once was, he needs to find a way to heal his body, soul, and family.

    Told with Barbara Taylor Bradford's inimitable style and flair for period detail, The Wonder of It All concludes House of Falconer trilogy that has followed the story of this remarkable family from Victorian times to the 20th century.

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  6. The Frozen River
    by Ariel Lawhon
    Doubleday
    Dec 05, 2023
    FICTION / Historical / General
    Hardback
    The Frozen River
    by Ariel Lawhon
    Doubleday
    Dec 05, 2023
    FICTION / Historical / General
    Hardback
    GMA BOOK CLUB PICK • AN NPR BOOK OF THE YEAR • From the New York Times bestselling author of I Was Anastasia and Code Name Hélène comes a gripping historical mystery inspired by the life and diary of Martha Ballard, a renowned 18th-century midwife who defied the legal system and wrote herself into American history.

    "Fans of Outlander’s Claire Fraser will enjoy Lawhon’s Martha, who is brave and outspoken when it comes to protecting the innocent. . . impressive."—The Washington Post

    "Once again, Lawhon works storytelling magic with a real-life heroine." —People Magazine


    Maine, 1789: When the Kennebec River freezes, entombing a man in the ice, Martha Ballard is summoned to examine the body and determine cause of death. As a midwife and healer, she is privy to much of what goes on behind closed doors in Hallowell. Her diary is a record of every birth and death, crime and debacle that unfolds in the close-knit community. Months earlier, Martha documented the details of an alleged rape committed by two of the town’s most respected gentlemen—one of whom has now been found dead in the ice. But when a local physician undermines her conclusion, declaring the death to be an accident, Martha is forced to investigate the shocking murder on her own.

    Over the course of one winter, as the trial nears, and whispers and prejudices mount, Martha doggedly pursues the truth. Her diary soon lands at the center of the scandal, implicating those she loves, and compelling Martha to decide where her own loyalties lie.

    Clever, layered, and subversive, Ariel Lawhon’s newest offering introduces an unsung heroine who refused to accept anything less than justice at a time when women were considered best seen and not heard. The Frozen River is a thrilling, tense, and tender story about a remarkable woman who left an unparalleled legacy yet remains nearly forgotten to this day.
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  7. What Really Happens in Vegas
    by James Patterson
    Little, Brown and Company
    Dec 04, 2023
    BIOGRAPHY & AUTOBIOGRAPHY / Entertainment & Performing Arts
    Hardback
    What Really Happens in Vegas
    by James Patterson
    Little, Brown and Company
    Dec 04, 2023
    BIOGRAPHY & AUTOBIOGRAPHY / Entertainment & Performing Arts
    Hardback

    What happens in Vegas stays in Vegas—until now. James Patterson shows the real Vegas in a dazzling journey through “lively tales of those who labor and dream in Sin City" (Kirkus).

    “Wild and wonderful…The magic of Sin City doesn’t just happen. Patterson and Seal tell its secrets in beautifully presented snippets that often overlap not just surprisingly, but charmingly too.” —Telegraph (UK)

    • Las Vegas is on Luxury Standard Time: every clock in the airport is a Rolex.
    • No dream is too big, no wish is too small—the VIP hosts in Vegas fulfill guests’ every (legal) desire.
    • Jackpots hit when least expected. The Nevada Gaming Control Board has days to find a man who unknowingly won over $200,000 at the slots.
    • “I love love”: the inventor of the Elvis impersonator wedding and the drive-thru wedding has performed hundreds of marriages—and believes in them all.
    • Glamorous yogis take a helicopter across the desert to the Valley of Fire, where they perform sun salutations to the glory of Las Vegas.
    • A gambling VIP “whale” loses $1 million at the casinos, yet still leaves saying, "Had a great time. I'll be back."

    In What Really Happens in Vegas, full of surprises for both newcomers and Las Vegas regulars, James Patterson and Vanity Fair contributing editor Mark Seal transport readers from the thrill of adrenaline-fueled vice to the glitter of A-list celebrity and entertainment.
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  8. Coming to Find You
    by Jane Corry
    Doubleday Canada
    Dec 19, 2023
    FICTION / Thrillers / Domestic
    Paperback / softback
    Coming to Find You
    by Jane Corry
    Doubleday Canada
    Dec 19, 2023
    FICTION / Thrillers / Domestic
    Paperback / softback
    A heart-stopping psychological thriller about a woman running from the aftermath of a gruesome family tragedy--and also from the truth about her part in it. For fans of Gillian McAllister's Wrong Place Wrong Time and The Family Remains by Lisa Jewell.

    You can run away from your life . . . but you can't hide from murder.

    Nancy's mother and stepfather have been brutally killed. After a trial that gripped the nation, her stepbrother has been convicted of the double murder. But the end of the trial is just the beginning of a new nightmare for Nancy: the press is rabid, certain that she is hiding something. Certain that she knows more that she's telling about that night at the farmhouse . . .

    Determined to disappear, Nancy flees to the seaside in Devon, to Tall Chimneys, her grandmother's secluded inn--a place that holds many dark wartime secrets.

    Then someone sends her a letter. They know the truth about the night Nancy's mother and stepfather were murdered. They know she's been lying. And they promise to come find her. Because they have nothing to lose.
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  9. Garfield Fully Caffeinated
    by Jim Davis
    Random House Worlds
    Dec 05, 2023
    HUMOR / Form / Comic Strips & Cartoons
    Paperback / softback
    Garfield Fully Caffeinated
    by Jim Davis
    Random House Worlds
    Dec 05, 2023
    HUMOR / Form / Comic Strips & Cartoons
    Paperback / softback
    Garfield’s back in this brand-new full-color compilation comic strip book—truly a must-have for fans!

    Garfield was born to be wired! Coffee—and lots of it—is the only way to kick-start his day. Got chocolate? He’ll binge on that, too. Garfield lovers will get a jolt of joy from this new collection of comics guaranteed to boost your spirits!
    View this title on BNC CataList
  10. Never Lie
    by Freida McFadden
    Poisoned Pen Press
    Dec 05, 2023
    FICTION / Thrillers / Psychological
    Paperback / softback
    Never Lie
    by Freida McFadden
    Poisoned Pen Press
    Dec 05, 2023
    FICTION / Thrillers / Psychological
    Paperback / softback

    NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER

    A twisting, pulse-pounding thriller from the New York Times bestselling author of The Housemaid and The Coworker!

    Sometimes the truth kills…

    Newlyweds Tricia and Ethan are searching for the house of their dreams. They think they've found it when they visit the remote manor that once belonged to Dr. Adrienne Hale, a renowned psychiatrist who vanished without a trace years ago. But when a violent winter storm traps them at the estate, the house begins to lose its appeal.

    Stuck inside and growing restless, Tricia stumbles on a collection of audio transcripts from Dr. Hale's sessions with patients. As Tricia listens to the cassette tapes, she learns about the terrifying chain of events leading up to the doctor's mysterious disappearance.

    With each tape, another shocking piece of the puzzle falls into place, and a web of lies slowly unravels. But by the time Tricia reaches the final cassette, the one that reveals the entire horrifying story, it will be too late…

    From New York Times bestselling author Freida McFadden comes an addictive, unpredictable thriller that will keep you asking the question: what is the truth?

    View this title on BNC CataList

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