Random House New Releases - Giftbooks - Between May 18, 2012 and June 17, 2013.

Bad Monkey by Carl Hiaasen

2013-06-11T00:30:00-05:00

Bad Monkey
Written by Carl Hiaasen

Andrew Yancy—late of the Miami Police and soon-to-be-late of the Monroe County sheriff’s office—has a human arm in his freezer. There’s a logical (Hiaasenian) explanation for that, but not for how and why it parted from its shadowy owner. Yancy thinks the boating-accident/shark-luncheon explanation is full of holes, and if he can prove murder, the sheriff might rescue him from his grisly Health Inspector gig (it’s not called the roach patrol for nothing). But first—this being Hiaasen country—Yancy must negotiate an obstacle course of wildly unpredictable events with a crew of even more wildly unpredictable characters, including his just-ex lover, a hot-blooded fugitive from Kansas; the twitchy widow of the frozen arm; two avariciously optimistic real-estate speculators; the Bahamian voodoo witch known as the Dragon Queen, whose suitors are blinded unto death by her peculiar charms; Yancy’s new true love, a kinky coroner; and the eponymous bad monkey, who with hilarious aplomb earns his place among Carl Hiaasen’s greatest characters.

Here is Hiaasen doing what he does better than anyone else: spinning a tale at once fiercely pointed and wickedly funny in which the greedy, the corrupt, and the degraders of what’s left of pristine Florida—now, of the Bahamas as well—get their comeuppance in mordantly ingenious, diabolically entertaining fashion.

Walking with Jack by Don J. Snyder

2013-05-14T00:30:00-05:00

Walking with Jack A Father's Journey to Become His Son's Caddie
Written by Don J. Snyder

Hardcover, 352 pages | Doubleday | Biography & Autobiography - Personal Memoirs; Sports & Recreation - Golf; Family & Relationships - Fatherhood | $25.95 | May 14, 2013 | 978-0-385-53635-6 (0-385-53635-6)

A long-standing promise from a father to his five-year-old son . . .

A poignant diary that chronicles the journey

When Don Snyder was teaching the game of golf to his young son, Jack, they made a pact: if one day Jack became good enough to play on a pro golf tour, Don would walk beside him as his caddie. Years later, Jack had developed into a standout college golfer, and Don, at the age of fifty-eight, left the comfort of his Maine home and moved to St. Andrews, Scotland, to learn from the best caddies in the world. He worked loops on famed courses like the Old Course and Kingsbarns, fought his way onto the rotation as a full-time caddie, and recorded the fascinating stories of golfers from every station in life. All the while, he lived like a monk and sent his earnings back home.
A world away, Jack endured his own arduous trials, rising through the ranks and battling within the college golf system. At times, the question for the teenage athlete wasn’t how to continue . . . but whether to continue at all. Finally, Don and Jack approached the moment when they would reunite—and not only tackle an extraordinarily high level of golf competition but also confront the challenges of a father-son relationship that had inevitably changed since the days when their journey began.
Walking with Jack is a truly compelling golf story and a one-of-a-kind narrative that makes you appreciate the lengths to which a father will go to support his son.

Daily Rituals by Mason Currey

2013-04-23T00:30:00-05:00

Daily Rituals How Artists Work
Edited by Mason Currey

Franz Kafka, frustrated with his living quarters and day job, wrote in a letter to Felice Bauer in 1912, “time is short, my strength is limited, the office is a horror, the apartment is noisy, and if a pleasant, straightforward life is not possible then one must try to wriggle through by subtle maneuvers.”

Kafka is one of 161 inspired—and inspiring—minds, among them, novelists, poets, playwrights, painters, philosophers, scientists, and mathematicians, who describe how they subtly maneuver the many (self-inflicted) obstacles and (self-imposed) daily rituals to get done the work they love to do, whether by waking early or staying up late; whether by self-medicating with doughnuts or bathing, drinking vast quantities of coffee, or taking long daily walks. Thomas Wolfe wrote standing up in the kitchen, the top of the refrigerator as his desk, dreamily fondling his “male configurations”. . . Jean-Paul Sartre chewed on Corydrane tablets (a mix of amphetamine and aspirin), ingesting ten times the recommended dose each day . . . Descartes liked to linger in bed, his mind wandering in sleep through woods, gardens, and enchanted palaces where he experienced “every pleasure imaginable.”

Here are: Anthony Trollope, who demanded of himself that each morning he write three thousand words (250 words every fifteen minutes for three hours) before going off to his job at the postal service, which he kept for thirty-three years during the writing of more than two dozen books . . . Karl Marx . . . Woody Allen . . . Agatha Christie . . . George Balanchine, who did most of his work while ironing . . . Leo Tolstoy . . . Charles Dickens . . . Pablo Picasso . . . George Gershwin, who, said his brother Ira, worked for twelve hours a day from late morning to midnight, composing at the piano in pajamas, bathrobe, and slippers . . .

Here also are the daily rituals of Charles Darwin, Andy Warhol, John Updike, Twyla Tharp, Benjamin Franklin, William Faulkner, Jane Austen, Anne Rice, and Igor Stravinsky (he was never able to compose unless he was sure no one could hear him and, when blocked, stood on his head to “clear the brain”).

Brilliantly compiled and edited, and filled with detail and anecdote, Daily Rituals is irresistible, addictive, magically inspiring.

Lots of Candles, Plenty of Cake by Anna Quindlen

2013-04-23T00:30:00-05:00

Lots of Candles, Plenty of Cake
Written by Anna Quindlen

INCLUDING AN EXCLUSIVE CONVERSATION BETWEEN MERYL STREEP AND ANNA QUINDLEN

“[Quindlen] serves up generous portions of her wise, commonsensical, irresistibly quotable take on life. . . . What Nora Ephron does for body image and Anne Lamott for spiritual neuroses, Quindlen achieves on the home front.”—NPR

In this irresistible memoir, Anna Quindlen writes about a woman’s life, from childhood memories to manic motherhood to middle age, using the events of her life to illuminate ours. Considering—and celebrating—everything from marriage, girlfriends, our mothers, parenting, faith, loss, to all the stuff in our closets, and more, Quindlen says for us here what we may wish we could have said ourselves. As she did in her beloved New York Times columns, and in A Short Guide to a Happy Life, Quindlen uses her past, present, and future to explore what matters most to women at different ages. Quindlen talks about

Marriage: “A safety net of small white lies can be the bedrock of a successful marriage. You wouldn’t believe how cheaply I can do a kitchen renovation.”

Girlfriends: “Ask any woman how she makes it through the day, and she may mention her calendar, her to-do lists, her babysitter. But if you push her on how she really makes it through her day, she will mention her girlfriends. ”

Our bodies: “I’ve finally recognized my body for what it is: a personality-delivery system, designed expressly to carry my character from place to place, now and in the years to come.”

Parenting: “Being a parent is not transactional. We do not get what we give. It is the ultimate pay-it-forward endeavor: We are good parents not so they will be loving enough to stay with us but so they will be strong enough to leave us.”

Candid, funny, and moving, Lots of Candles, Plenty of Cake is filled with the sharp insights and revealing observations that have long confirmed Quindlen’s status as America’s laureate of real life.

“Classic Quindlen, at times witty, at times wise, and always of her time.”—The Miami Herald

“[A] pithy, get-real memoir.”—Booklist

Look for special features inside. Join the Random House Reader’s Circle for author chats and more.

Mom Candy by Jena Pincott

2013-04-16T00:30:00-05:00

Mom Candy 1,000 Quotes of Inspiration for Mothers
Written by Jena Pincott

Sweet, satisfying and calming, Mom Candy is the perfect pick-me-up gift for mothers of all ages. With 1,000 quotes, reflections, and insights Mom Candy gets at the heart of motherhood—from the anticipation of pregnancy and the arrival of a new baby, through the early years and the school days, to the lifelong bond that women have with their children.

With thoughts from Hillary Clinton, Madeleine L'Engle, Michelle Obama, Kate Winslet, Reese Witherspoon, Erica Jong, Jodi Picoult, and many others.

Being a mom has made me so tired. And so happy.— Tina Fey, actress, writer, and producer

The Spark by Kristine Barnett

2013-04-09T00:30:00-05:00

The Spark A Mother's Story of Nurturing Genius
Written by Kristine Barnett

Kristine Barnett’s son Jacob has an IQ higher than Einstein’s, a photographic memory, and he taught himself calculus in two weeks. At nine he started working on an original theory in astrophysics that experts believe may someday put him in line for a Nobel Prize, and at age twelve he became a paid researcher in quantum physics. But the story of Kristine’s journey with Jake is all the more remarkable because his extraordinary mind was almost lost to autism. At age two, when Jake was diagnosed, Kristine was told he might never be able to tie his own shoes.

The Spark is a remarkable memoir of mother and son. Surrounded by “experts” at home and in special ed who tried to focus on Jake’s most basic skills and curtail his distracting interests—moving shadows on the wall, stars, plaid patterns on sofa fabric—Jake made no progress, withdrew more and more into his own world, and eventually stopped talking completely. Kristine knew in her heart that she had to make a change. Against the advice of her husband, Michael, and the developmental specialists, Kristine followed her instincts, pulled Jake out of special ed, and began preparing him for mainstream kindergarten on her own.

Relying on the insights she developed at the daycare center she runs out of the garage in her home, Kristine resolved to follow Jacob’s “spark”—his passionate interests. Why concentrate on what he couldn’t do? Why not focus on what he could? This basic philosophy, along with her belief in the power of ordinary childhood experiences (softball, picnics, s’mores around the campfire) and the importance of play, helped Kristine overcome huge odds.

The Barnetts were not wealthy people, and in addition to financial hardship, Kristine herself faced serious health issues. But through hard work and determination on behalf of Jake and his two younger brothers, as well as an undying faith in their community, friends, and family, Kristine and Michael prevailed. The results were beyond anything anyone could have imagined.

Dramatic, inspiring, and transformative, The Spark is about the power of love and courage in the face of overwhelming obstacles, and the dazzling possibilities that can occur when we learn how to tap the true potential that lies within every child, and in all of us.

Praise for The Spark

“This eloquent memoir about an extraordinary boy and a resilient and remarkable mother will be of interest to every parent and/or educator hoping to nurture a child’s authentic ‘spark.’ ”—Publishers Weekly

“[A] compelling memoir . . . Jake is unusual, but so is his superhuman mom.”—Booklist

“An invigorating, encouraging read.”—Kirkus Reviews

“The Spark is about the transformative power of a mother’s unconditional love. If you have a child who’s ‘different’—and who doesn’t?—you won’t be able to put it down.”—Sylvia Nasar, author of A Beautiful Mind and Grand Pursuit

“The Spark describes in glowing terms the profound intensity with which a mother can love her child.”—Andrew Solomon, author of The Noonday Demon and Far from the Tree

“Every parent and teacher should read this fabulous book!”—Temple Grandin, author of Thinking in Pictures and co-author of The Autistic Brain

What's for Dinner? by Curtis Stone

2013-04-09T00:30:00-05:00

What's for Dinner? Delicious Recipes for a Busy Life
Written by Curtis Stone

Celebrity chef Curtis Stone, host of Bravo’s hugely popular series Top Chef Masters, knows life can get a little crazy. But as a new dad, he also believes that sitting down to a home-cooked meal with family and friends is one of life’s greatest gifts. In his fifth cookbook, Curtis offers both novice cooks and seasoned chefs mouthwatering recipes and easy-to-make meals for every night of the week. And he breaks them down into seven simple categories:

• Motivating Mondays: Healthy meals that start the week off right—Fennel-Roasted Chicken and Winter Squash with Endive-Apple Salad; Grilled Shrimp and Rice Noodle Salad
• Time-Saving Tuesdays: Quick and easy recipes for simple meals—Steak and Green Bean Stir-Fry with Ginger and Garlic; Grilled Pork Chops and Vegetable Gratin with Caper-Parsley Vinaigrette
• One-Pot Wednesdays: Flavorful dishes with minimal cleanup—Chicken and Chorizo Paella; Rosemary Salt-Crusted Pork Loin with Roasted Shallots, Potatoes, Carrots, and Parsnips
• Thrifty Thursdays: Yummy meals on a budget—Sliders with Red Onion Marmalade and Blue Cheese; Roasted Cauliflower, Broccoli, and Pasta Bake with Cheddar
• Five-Ingredient Fridays: Fun, fast recipes to kick off the weekend—Grilled Harissa Lamb Rack with Summer Succotash; Seared Scallops and Peas with Bacon and Mint
• Dinner Party Saturdays: Extraordinary dishes to share with friends and family—Asian Crab Cakes with Mango Chutney; Mushroom Ragout on Creamy Grits
• Family Supper Sundays: Comforting, slow-simmering food for relaxing around the table—Southern Fried Chicken; Barbecued Spareribs with Apple-Bourbon Barbecue Sauce

And don’t forget sweet treats such as Peach and Almond Cobbler and Olive Oil Cake with Strawberry-Rhubarb Compote. Loaded with enticing photos, What’s for Dinner? will inspire you and bring confidence to your kitchen and happiness to your table.

Praise for What’s for Dinner?

“Designed to help make meal time easy, fun and tasty despite everyone’s hectic schedules.”—People

“Full of simple recipes for every busy night of the week.”—The Kansas City Star

“Stone delivers simple recipes, many of which can be made (start to finish) in less than 40 minutes.”—The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

“What could be better than having a new arsenal of Stone's recipes at your fingertips? . . . Charming for both his accent and kitchen knowledge, this man is as down to earth as they come.”—Milwaukee Journal Sentinel

“Curtis Stone gets it. . . . Family favorites, fresh ingredients, and simple prep—all of which is on display on every page of his beautiful book.”—Jenny Rosenstrach, author of Dinner: A Love Story

“A visionary and entrepreneur, he hopes to inspire individuals to ditch the drive-thru and start firing up their ovens at home. . . . A day-to-day guide packed with easy, mouthwatering recipes for every night of the week.”—Spry Living

“The book features a ton of delicious recipes organized by a different theme for every day of the week.”—D Magazine

Mom & Me & Mom by Maya Angelou

2013-04-02T00:30:00-05:00

Mom & Me & Mom
Written by Maya Angelou

NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER

The story of Maya Angelou’s extraordinary life has been chronicled in her multiple bestselling autobiographies. But now, at last, the legendary author shares the deepest personal story of her life: her relationship with her mother.

For the first time, Angelou reveals the triumphs and struggles of being the daughter of Vivian Baxter, an indomitable spirit whose petite size belied her larger-than-life presence—a presence absent during much of Angelou’s early life. When her marriage began to crumble, Vivian famously sent three-year-old Maya and her older brother away from their California home to live with their grandmother in Stamps, Arkansas. The subsequent feelings of abandonment stayed with Angelou for years, but their reunion, a decade later, began a story that has never before been told. In Mom & Me & Mom, Angelou dramatizes her years reconciling with the mother she preferred to simply call “Lady,” revealing the profound moments that shifted the balance of love and respect between them.

Delving into one of her life’s most rich, rewarding, and fraught relationships, Mom & Me & Mom explores the healing and love that evolved between the two women over the course of their lives, the love that fostered Maya Angelou’s rise from immeasurable depths to reach impossible heights.

Praise for Mom & Me & Mom

“Mom & Me & Mom is delivered with Angelou’s trademark good humor and fierce optimism. If any resentments linger between these lines, if lives are partially revealed without all the bitter details exposed, well, that is part of Angelou’s forgiving design. As an account of reconciliation, this little book is just revealing enough, and pretty irresistible.”—The Washington Post

“Moving . . . a remarkable portrait of two courageous souls.”—People

“[The] latest, and most potent, of her serial autobiographies . . . [a] tough-minded, tenderhearted addition to Angelou’s spectacular canon.”—Elle

“Mesmerizing . . . Angelou has a way with words that can still dazzle us, and with her mother as a subject, Angelou has a near-perfect muse and mystery woman.”—Essence

“True to her style, [Angelou’s] writing cuts to the chase with compression and simplicity, and there in the background is a calypso smoothness, flurries and showers of musicality between the moments of wickedness. . . . A tightly strung, finely tuned memoir about life with her mother.”—Kirkus Reviews

“In this loving recollection of a complicated relationship, Angelou for the first time details the mother-daughter journey to reconciliation and unwavering connection and support. . . . Angelou vividly portrays a spirited woman. . . . [A] remarkable and deeply revealing chronicle of love and healing.”—Booklist

“Written with her customary eloquence . . . follows in the episodic style of Angelou’s earlier volumes of autobiography, pulling the reader along effortlessly. The lessons and the love presented here will speak to those trying to make their way in the world.”—Publishers Weekly

“In straightforward style, Mom & Me & Mom dives deeply into Angelou’s complicated relationship with her mother. . . . At 84, Angelou shows few signs of slowing down.”—BookPage

Starting Now by Debbie Macomber

2013-04-02T00:30:00-05:00

Starting Now A Blossom Street Novel
Written by Debbie Macomber

#1 NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER

Debbie Macomber returns to Seattle’s beloved Blossom Street in this heartfelt tale of friendship, renewal, and discovering what’s truly important in life.

For years Libby Morgan dreamed only of making partner in her competitive, high-pressure law firm. She sacrificed everything for her career—her friends, her marriage, her chance at creating a family. When her boss calls Libby into his office, she assumes it will finally be good news, but nothing can prepare her for the shocking reality: She’s been let go and must rebuild her entire life . . . starting now.

With no job prospects in sight, Libby reaches out to old friends and spends her afternoons at A Good Yarn, the local knitting store. There she forms a close bond with Lydia, the sweet-natured shop owner; Lydia’s spirited teenage daughter, Casey; and Casey’s best friend, Ava, a shy yet troubled girl who will shape Libby’s future in surprising and profound ways.

As A Good Yarn becomes a second home—and the women a new kind of family—Libby relishes the different person she’s become. She even finds time for romance with a charming and handsome doctor who seems to be her perfect match. But just as everything is coming together, Libby must make a choice that could forever change the life she holds so dear.

Warmly told and richly textured, Starting Now is filled with the promise of new beginnings and the unending delights of companionship and love.

The Burgess Boys by Elizabeth Strout

2013-03-26T00:30:00-05:00

The Burgess Boys A Novel
Written by Elizabeth Strout

NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER

Elizabeth Strout “animates the ordinary with an astonishing force,” wrote The New Yorker on the publication of her Pulitzer Prize–winning Olive Kitteridge. The San Francisco Chronicle praised Strout’s “magnificent gift for humanizing characters.” Now the acclaimed author returns with a stunning novel as powerful and moving as any work in contemporary literature.

Haunted by the freak accident that killed their father when they were children, Jim and Bob Burgess escaped from their Maine hometown of Shirley Falls for New York City as soon as they possibly could. Jim, a sleek, successful corporate lawyer, has belittled his bighearted brother their whole lives, and Bob, a Legal Aid attorney who idolizes Jim, has always taken it in stride. But their long-standing dynamic is upended when their sister, Susan—the Burgess sibling who stayed behind—urgently calls them home. Her lonely teenage son, Zach, has gotten himself into a world of trouble, and Susan desperately needs their help. And so the Burgess brothers return to the landscape of their childhood, where the long-buried tensions that have shaped and shadowed their relationship begin to surface in unexpected ways that will change them forever.

With a rare combination of brilliant storytelling, exquisite prose, and remarkable insight into character, Elizabeth Strout has brought to life two deeply human protagonists whose struggles and triumphs will resonate with readers long after they turn the final page. Tender, tough-minded, loving, and deeply illuminating about the ties that bind us to family and home, The Burgess Boys is Elizabeth Strout’s newest and perhaps most astonishing work of literary art.

Praise for The Burgess Boys

“Elizabeth Strout’s first two books, Abide with Me and Amy and Isabelle, were highly thought of, and her third, Olive Kitteridge, won the Pulitzer Prize in fiction. But The Burgess Boys, her most recent novel, is her best yet.”—The Boston Globe

“No one should be surprised by the poignancy and emotional vigor of Elizabeth Strout’s new novel. But the broad social and political range of The Burgess Boys shows just how impressively this extraordinary writer continues to develop.”—The Washington Post

“Strout’s greatest gift as a writer, outside a diamond-sharp precision that packs 320 fast-paced pages full of insight, is her ability to let the reader in on all the rancor of her characters without making any of them truly detestable. . . . Strout creates a portrait of an American community in turmoil that’s as ambitious as Philip Roth’s American Pastoral but more intimate in tone.”—Time

“What truly makes Strout exceptional—and her latest supple and penetrating novel so profoundly affecting—is the perfect balance she achieves between the tides of story and depths of feeling. . . . Every element in Strout’s graceful, many-faceted novel is keenly observed, lustrously imagined and trenchantly interpreted.”—Chicago Tribune

“Strout deftly exposes the tensions that fester among families. But she also takes a broader view, probing cultural divides. . . . Illustrating the power of roots, Strout assures us we can go home again—though we may not want to.”—O: The Oprah Magazine

My Mom Is the Best Circus by Luciana Navarro Powell

2013-03-26T00:30:00-05:00

My Mom Is the Best Circus
Written by Luciana Navarro Powell

This humorous story celebrates mom as the best one-woman show on earth as she juggles everything that goes on during the day—she's a ringmaster, a wild beast tamer, a magician, and sometimes a clown. But her best stunt of all is the sandman show, when it's time for a good-night story.

Luciana Navarro Powell's colorful, humorous illustrations are a perfect complement to her spirited, rhyming text.

The Autism Revolution by Karen Weintraub

2013-03-12T00:30:00-05:00

The Autism Revolution Whole-Body Strategies for Making Life All It Can Be
Written by Dr. Martha Herbert and Karen Weintraub

“An in-depth, scientific—yet hopeful and positive—look at how the brain and body work together . . . [Dr. Martha Herbert] has developed a new way of seeing autism.”—Library Journal

After years of treating patients and analyzing scientific data, Harvard Medical School researcher and clinician Dr. Martha Herbert offers a revolutionary new view of autism and a transformative strategy for dealing with it. Autism, she concludes, is not a hardwired impairment programmed into a child’s genes and destined to remain fixed forever. Instead, it is the result of a cascade of events, many seemingly minor. And while other doctors may dismiss your child’s physical symptoms—the anxiety, sensory overload, sleeplessness, frequent illnesses or seizures—as coincidental or irrelevant, Dr. Herbert sees them as vital clues to what the underlying problems are, and how to help. Drawing from the newest research, technologies, and insights, as well as inspiring case studies of both children and adults, Dr. Herbert guides you toward restoring health and resiliency in your loved one with autism. Her specific recommendations aim to provide optimal nutrition, reduce toxic exposures, limit stress, and open the door to learning and creativity. As thousands of families who have cobbled together these solutions themselves already know, this program can have dramatic benefits—for your child with autism, and for you, your whole family, and perhaps your next baby as well.

“Invaluable . . . a must-read . . . Dr. Martha Herbert gets it. She not only gets it, but she puts it out there in an awesome book so the rest of us can get it, too.”—Autism Watch

“[Herbert] goes further than most autism specialists. Her impressive science background merges with common sense and even intuitive sense [making] complex scientific and medical materials seamlessly blend with a holistic viewpoint.”—Relieve Autism

“Hope and practical guidance . . . With this easy-to-read book, parents can gain wisdom on how to guide your child to achieve a healthy and thriving life.”—Mom Central

Raising Cubby by John Elder Robison

2013-03-12T00:30:00-05:00

Raising Cubby A Father and Son's Adventures with Asperger's, Trains, Tractors, and High Explosives
Written by John Elder Robison

The slyly funny, sweetly moving memoir of an unconventional dad’s relationship with his equally offbeat son—complete with fast cars, tall tales, homemade explosives, and a whole lot of fun and trouble

Misfit, truant, delinquent. John Robison was never a model child, and he wasn’t a model dad either. Diagnosed with Asperger’s syndrome at the age of forty, he approached fatherhood as a series of logic puzzles and practical jokes. When his son, Cubby, asked, “Where did I come from?” John said he’d bought him at the Kid Store and that the salesman had cheated him by promising Cubby would “do all chores.” He read electrical engineering manuals to Cubby at bedtime. He told Cubby that wizards turned children into stone when they misbehaved.

Still, John got the basics right. He made sure Cubby never drank diesel fuel at the automobile repair shop he owns. And he gave him a life of adventure: By the time Cubby was ten, he’d steered a Coast Guard cutter, driven a freight locomotive, and run an antique Rolls Royce into a fence.

The one thing John couldn’t figure out was what to do when school authorities decided that Cubby was dumb and stubborn—the very same thing he had been told as a child. Did Cubby have Asperger’s too? The answer was unclear. One thing was clear, though: By the time he turned seventeen, Cubby had become a brilliant chemist—smart enough to make military-grade explosives and bring state and federal agents calling. Afterward, with Cubby facing up to sixty years in prison, both father and son were forced to take stock of their lives, finally coming to terms with being “on the spectrum” as both a challenge and a unique gift.

By turns tender, suspenseful, and hilarious, this is more than just the story of raising Cubby. It’s the story of a father and son who grow up together.

Praise for John Robison's first book, Look Me In the Eye:

"Lean, powerful in its descriptive accuracy and engaging in its understated humor...Emotionally gripping." --Chicago Tribune

"A fantastic life story told with grace, humor, and a bracing lack of sentimentality." --Entertainment Weekly

"Endearing...Robison is a natural storyteller." --Boston Globe

Eighty Days by Matthew Goodman

2013-02-26T00:30:00-05:00

Eighty Days Nellie Bly and Elizabeth Bisland's History-Making Race Around the World
Written by Matthew Goodman

NATIONAL BESTSELLER

On November 14, 1889, Nellie Bly, the crusading young female reporter for Joseph Pulitzer’s World newspaper, left New York City by steamship on a quest to break the record for the fastest trip around the world. Also departing from New York that day—and heading in the opposite direction by train—was a young journalist from The Cosmopolitan magazine, Elizabeth Bisland. Each woman was determined to outdo Jules Verne’s fictional hero Phileas Fogg and circle the globe in less than eighty days. The dramatic race that ensued would span twenty-eight thousand miles, captivate the nation, and change both competitors’ lives forever.

The two women were a study in contrasts. Nellie Bly was a scrappy, hard-driving, ambitious reporter from Pennsylvania coal country who sought out the most sensational news stories, often going undercover to expose social injustice. Genteel and elegant, Elizabeth Bisland had been born into an aristocratic Southern family, preferred novels and poetry to newspapers, and was widely referred to as the most beautiful woman in metropolitan journalism. Both women, though, were talented writers who had carved out successful careers in the hypercompetitive, male-dominated world of big-city newspapers. Eighty Days brings these trailblazing women to life as they race against time and each other, unaided and alone, ever aware that the slightest delay could mean the difference between victory and defeat.

A vivid real-life re-creation of the race and its aftermath, from its frenzied start to the nail-biting dash at its finish, Eighty Days is history with the heart of a great adventure novel. Here’s the journey that takes us behind the walls of Jules Verne’s Amiens estate, into the back alleys of Hong Kong, onto the grounds of a Ceylon tea plantation, through storm-tossed ocean crossings and mountains blocked by snowdrifts twenty feet deep, and to many more unexpected and exotic locales from London to Yokohama. Along the way, we are treated to fascinating glimpses of everyday life in the late nineteenth century—an era of unprecedented technological advances, newly remade in the image of the steamship, the railroad, and the telegraph. For Nellie Bly and Elizabeth Bisland—two women ahead of their time in every sense of the word—were not only racing around the world. They were also racing through the very heart of the Victorian age.

Praise for Eighty Days

“The true story of Nellie Bly and Elizabeth Bisland, two journalists racing to see who could circle the globe first—and faster than any man before them—is as riveting now as it was when it captivated the nation in 1889.”—Parade

“Matthew Goodman takes readers on a riveting ride back to 1889 for the original amazing race. . . . Goodman’s eighteen months of meticulous research and his compelling narrative nonfiction being their stories to life in vivid period detail.”—American Way

“Lively and vivid . . . Goodman is a master storyteller, with no agenda to push, and his armchair tour is a treat to read.”—The Columbus Dispatch

“In his delightful, well-researched book . . . Matthew Goodman brings to life the two women, the complicated, fast-changing times and the way the whole country was swept up in their parallel adventures. This is fully documented history, drawing on contemporary accounts, letters and the women’s own writing, but Goodman crafts it into a page-turner.”—Minneapolis Star Tribune

Enchantments by Kathryn Harrison

2013-02-26T00:30:00-05:00

Enchantments A novel of Rasputin's daughter and the Romanovs
Written by Kathryn Harrison

A NEW YORK TIMES NOTABLE BOOK

“Part love story, part history, this novel is a tour de force [told] in language that soars and sears.”—More

St. Petersburg, 1917. After Rasputin’s body is pulled from the icy waters of the Neva River, his eighteen-year-old daughter, Masha, is sent to live at the imperial palace with Tsar Nikolay and his family. Desperately hoping that Masha has inherited Rasputin’s healing powers, Tsarina Alexandra asks her to tend to her son, the headstrong prince Alyosha, who suffers from hemophilia. Soon after Masha arrives at the palace, the tsar is forced to abdicate, and the Bolsheviks place the royal family under house arrest. As Russia descends into civil war, Masha and Alyosha find solace in each other’s company. To escape the confinement of the palace, and to distract the prince from the pain she cannot heal, Masha tells him stories—some embellished and others entirely imagined—about Nikolay and Alexandra’s courtship, Rasputin’s exploits, and their wild and wonderful country, now on the brink of an irrevocable transformation. In the worlds of their imagination, the weak become strong, legend becomes fact, and a future that will never come to pass feels close at hand.

Praise for Enchantments

“A sumptuous, atmospheric account of the last days of the Romanovs from the perspective of Rasputin’s daughter, [told] with the sensuous, transporting prose that is Kathryn Harrison’s trademark.”—Jennifer Egan

“[A] splendid and surprising book . . . Harrison has given us something enduring.”—The New York Times Book Review

“[Harrison delivers] this oft-told moment with shocking freshness. . . . Masha re-invents our ideas of Rasputin, and the world of Nicholas and Alexandra is imbued with a glow whose fierceness is governed by the imminence of its loss.”—Los Angeles Times

“A mesmerizing novel.”—O: The Oprah Magazine

“Bewitching . . . Harrison sets historic facts like jewels in this intricately fashioned work of exalted empathy and imagination, a literary Fabergé egg. . . . [A] dazzling return to historical fiction.”—Booklist (starred review)

Look for special features inside. Join the Random House Reader’s Circle for author chats and more.

Jesus of Nazareth: The Infancy Narratives by Pope Benedict XVI

2012-11-21T00:30:00-05:00

Jesus of Nazareth: The Infancy Narratives
Written by Pope Benedict XVI

New York Times Bestseller! The momentous third and final volume in the Pope’s international bestselling Jesus of Nazareth series, detailing how the stories of Jesus’ infancy and childhood are as relevant today as they were two thousand years ago.

In 2007, Joseph Ratzinger published his first book as Pope Benedict XVI in order “to make known the figure and message of Jesus.” Now, the Pope focuses exclusively on the Gospel accounts of Jesus’ life as a child. The root of these stories is the experience of hope found in the birth of Jesus and the affirmations of surrender and service embodied in his parents, Joseph and Mary. This is a story of longing and seeking, as demonstrated by the Magi searching for the redemption offered by the birth of a new king. It is a story of sacrifice and trusting completely in the wisdom of God as seen in the faith of Simeon, the just and devout man of Jerusalem, when he is in the presence of the Christ child. Ultimately, Jesus’ life and message is a story for today, one that speaks to the restlessness of the human heart searching for the sole truth which alone leads to profound joy.

A Christmas Garland by Anne Perry

2012-10-30T00:30:00-05:00

A Christmas Garland A Novel
Written by Anne Perry

“An annual treat,” declared The Wall Street Journal of Anne Perry’s Victorian-era holiday mysteries. Now she continues this magnificent tradition with A Christmas Garland, a yuletide tale set in exotic India. This time the mistress of mystery tells the story of a terrible crime that sets the stage for another: accusing an innocent man of murder.

The year is 1857, soon after the violent Siege of Cawnpore, with India in the midst of rebellion. In the British garrison, a guard is killed and an Indian prisoner escapes, which leads to yet more British deaths. Cries for revenge are overwhelming. Despite no witnesses and no evidence against him, a luckless British medical orderly named John Tallis is arrested as an accomplice simply because he was the only soldier unaccounted for when these baffling crimes were committed.

Though chosen to defend Tallis, young Lieutenant Victor Narraway is not encouraged to try very hard. Narraway’s superiors merely want a show trial. But inspired by a soldier’s widow and her children, and by his own stubborn faith in justice, Narraway searches for the truth. In an alien world haunted by memories of massacre, he is the accused man’s only hope.

The trial of John Tallis equals the white-knuckle best of Anne Perry’s breathtaking courtroom dramas. And thanks to a simple Christmas garland and some brilliant detective work, Narraway perseveres against appalling odds, learning how to find hope within himself—and turn the darkest hour into one full of joy and light.

PRAISE FOR THE CHRISTMAS NOVELS OF ANNE PERRY

A Christmas Homecoming

“Could have been devised by Agatha Christie . . . [Perry is] a modern master.”—Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

“Vastly entertaining . . . uplifting and thought-provoking by turns.”—The Star-Ledger

A Christmas Odyssey

“[Perry] writes with detail that invades the senses.”—Lincoln Journal Star

A Christmas Promise

“Poignant . . . should be on the Christmas stocking list of anyone who likes a sniffle of nostalgia.”—The Washington Times

A Christmas Grace

“[A] heartwarming, if crime-tinged, complement to the holiday season.”—Booklist

A Christmas Beginning

“Intriguing . . . Perry’s use of period detail is, as always, strong and evocative.”—The Seattle Times

A Christmas Home by Greg Kincaid

2012-10-30T00:30:00-05:00

A Christmas Home A Novel
Written by Greg Kincaid

   Todd McCray, hero of A Dog Named Christmas, is now twenty-four years old and working at a local animal shelter, where he meets and quickly becomes best friends with Laura, a young volunteer. Laura, like Todd, has disabilities of her own, but her struggles are more physical than developmental. Their friendship is sealed when Todd—with the help of his trusted companion, the tenacious Labrador retriever named Christmas—trains a beautiful dog named Gracie to help Laura with the day-to-day life tasks that are difficult for her.
            Life seems good for Todd, but all is not well in his hometown. Struggling families unable to make ends meet are abandoning more and more dogs, and the shelter is swelling to capacity. The local government is struggling to meet its obligations too, and in early December, on the cusp of another holiday season, Todd’s boss delivers the bad news. Due to funding problems, the shelter will close its doors before the end of the year. But what will happen to all the animals?
   As the Christmas holiday approaches, Todd has limited time to find homes for all the dogs. Not to mention that he needs to secure a new job and figure out what to do when his friendship with Laura takes an unexpected romantic turn. All this seems overwhelming unless you’ve got a loving family, dedicated friends, and a couple of very special dogs behind you. In which case, nothing is impossible.

Nutcracker by Maurice Sendak

2012-10-30T00:30:00-05:00

Nutcracker
Written by E.T.A. Hoffmann
Illustrated by Maurice Sendak
Translated by Ralph Manheim

"A classic, new and complete. One of the ten best illustrated children's books of the year."
-- New York Times Book Review

The tale of Nutcracker, written by E.T.A. Hoffmann in 1816, has fascinated and inspired artists, composers, and audiences for almost two hundred years. It has retained its freshness because it appeals to the sense of wonder we all share.

Maurice Sendak designed brilliant sets and costumes for the Pacific Northwest Ballet's Christmas production of Nutcracker and created even more magnificent pictures especially for this book. He joined with the eminent translator Ralph Manheim to produce this illustrated edition of Hoffmann's wonderful tale, destined to become a classic for all ages.

The world of Nutcracker is a world of pleasures. Maurice Sendak's art illuminates the delights of Hoffmann's story in this rich and tantalizing treasure.

Angels at the Table by Debbie Macomber

2012-10-23T00:30:00-05:00

Angels at the Table A Shirley, Goodness, and Mercy Christmas Story
Written by Debbie Macomber

In this joyous and whimsical holiday novel, Debbie Macomber rings in the season with the return of Shirley, Goodness, and Mercy, delivering laughs, love, and a charming dose of angelic intervention.

Shirley, Goodness, and Mercy know that an angel’s work is never done, especially during a time as wondrous as New Year’s Eve. With an apprentice angel, Will, under their wings, they descend upon Times Square in New York City eager to join in the festivities. And when Will spies two lonely strangers in the crowd, he decides midnight is the perfect time to lend a heavenly helping hand.

Lucie Farrara and Aren Fairchild meet after bumping into each other—seemingly by accident—in Times Square on New Year’s Eve. They immediately hit it off and find they have a lot in common: Lucie is a burgeoning chef and Aren is a respected food critic. But just as quickly as they’re brought together, another twist of fate tears them apart, leaving Lucie and Aren with no way to reconnect.

A year later, Lucie is the chef of an acclaimed new restaurant and Aren is a successful columnist for a major New York newspaper. For all the time that’s passed, the two have not forgotten their one serendipitous evening—and neither have Shirley, Goodness, Mercy, and Will. To reunite the young couple, the angels cook up a brilliant plan: mix true love, a second chance, and a generous sprinkle of mischief to create an unforgettable Christmas miracle.

Praise for Angels at the Table

“This delightful mix of romance, humor, hope and happenstance is the perfect recipe for holiday cheer.”—Examiner.com

“Rings in Christmas in tried-and-true Macomber style, with romance and a touch of heavenly magic.”—Kirkus Reviews

“The angels’ antics are a hugely hilarious and entertaining bonus to a warm love story.”—Bookreporter

“[A] sweetly charming holiday romance.”—Library Journal

Random House New Releases - Giftbooks - Between May 18, 2012 and June 17, 2013.

Bad Monkey by Carl Hiaasen

Bad Monkey Written by Carl Hiaasen

Walking with Jack by Don J. Snyder

Walking with Jack A Father's Journey to Become His Son's CaddieWritten by Don J. Snyder

Daily Rituals by Mason Currey

Daily Rituals How Artists WorkEdited by Mason Currey

Lots of Candles, Plenty of Cake by Anna Quindlen

Lots of Candles, Plenty of Cake Written by Anna Quindlen

Mom Candy by Jena Pincott

Mom Candy 1,000 Quotes of Inspiration for MothersWritten by Jena Pincott

The Spark by Kristine Barnett

The Spark A Mother's Story of Nurturing GeniusWritten by Kristine Barnett

What's for Dinner? by Curtis Stone

What's for Dinner? Delicious Recipes for a Busy LifeWritten by Curtis Stone

Mom & Me & Mom by Maya Angelou

Mom & Me & Mom Written by Maya Angelou

Starting Now by Debbie Macomber

Starting Now A Blossom Street NovelWritten by Debbie Macomber

The Burgess Boys by Elizabeth Strout

The Burgess Boys A NovelWritten by Elizabeth Strout

My Mom Is the Best Circus by Luciana Navarro Powell

My Mom Is the Best Circus Written by Luciana Navarro Powell

The Autism Revolution by Karen Weintraub

The Autism Revolution Whole-Body Strategies for Making Life All It Can BeWritten by Dr. Martha Herbert and Karen Weintraub

Raising Cubby by John Elder Robison

Raising Cubby A Father and Son's Adventures with Asperger's, Trains, Tractors, and High ExplosivesWritten by John Elder Robison

Eighty Days by Matthew Goodman

Eighty Days Nellie Bly and Elizabeth Bisland's History-Making Race Around the WorldWritten by Matthew Goodman

Enchantments by Kathryn Harrison

Enchantments A novel of Rasputin's daughter and the RomanovsWritten by Kathryn Harrison

Jesus of Nazareth: The Infancy Narratives by Pope Benedict XVI

Jesus of Nazareth: The Infancy Narratives Written by Pope Benedict XVI

A Christmas Garland by Anne Perry

A Christmas Garland A NovelWritten by Anne Perry

A Christmas Home by Greg Kincaid

A Christmas Home A NovelWritten by Greg Kincaid

Nutcracker by Maurice Sendak

Nutcracker Written by E.T.A. Hoffmann Illustrated by Maurice Sendak Translated by Ralph Manheim

Angels at the Table by Debbie Macomber

Angels at the Table A Shirley, Goodness, and Mercy Christmas StoryWritten by Debbie Macomber

Bad Monkey
Written by Carl Hiaasen

Walking with Jack A Father's Journey to Become His Son's Caddie
Written by Don J. Snyder

Daily Rituals How Artists Work
Edited by Mason Currey

Lots of Candles, Plenty of Cake
Written by Anna Quindlen

Mom Candy 1,000 Quotes of Inspiration for Mothers
Written by Jena Pincott

The Spark A Mother's Story of Nurturing Genius
Written by Kristine Barnett

What's for Dinner? Delicious Recipes for a Busy Life
Written by Curtis Stone

Mom & Me & Mom
Written by Maya Angelou

Starting Now A Blossom Street Novel
Written by Debbie Macomber

The Burgess Boys A Novel
Written by Elizabeth Strout

My Mom Is the Best Circus
Written by Luciana Navarro Powell

The Autism Revolution Whole-Body Strategies for Making Life All It Can Be
Written by Dr. Martha Herbert and Karen Weintraub

Raising Cubby A Father and Son's Adventures with Asperger's, Trains, Tractors, and High Explosives
Written by John Elder Robison

Eighty Days Nellie Bly and Elizabeth Bisland's History-Making Race Around the World
Written by Matthew Goodman

Enchantments A novel of Rasputin's daughter and the Romanovs
Written by Kathryn Harrison

Jesus of Nazareth: The Infancy Narratives
Written by Pope Benedict XVI

A Christmas Garland A Novel
Written by Anne Perry

A Christmas Home A Novel
Written by Greg Kincaid

Nutcracker
Written by E.T.A. Hoffmann
Illustrated by Maurice Sendak
Translated by Ralph Manheim

Angels at the Table A Shirley, Goodness, and Mercy Christmas Story
Written by Debbie Macomber