Author Shirley Jackson ("The Lottery"; The Haunting of Hill House; We Have Always Lived in the Castle) casts a long and chilling shadow. The psychological thriller Shirley, from Susan Scarf Merrell (A Member of the Family), follows in its namesake's tradition.

Jackson and her husband, literary critic Stanley Edgar Hyman, lived in small-town Vermont while she wrote and he taught at Bennington College in the 1960s. In this book, Fred and Rose Nemser, Merrell's inventions, are newlyweds and move into the Hyman-Jackson home when Fred becomes a graduate student and teaching assistant. Rose, our 19-year-old narrator, is pregnant, recently rescued from a childhood of poverty and family dysfunction by her new husband; she is staggered by Shirley's big house, big family and art. Stan takes Fred under his wing, tutoring him in both their profession and in marriage. Shirley's mentorship of the malleable Rose is more complex.

Rose wants to write about Shirley; she wants to replace Shirley's children in their mother's heart; she wants to be Shirley. In her devotion, she can't help wondering about the phone calls that go unanswered every night, and the female student who went missing so many years ago (whom Shirley and Stan so emphatically did not know). Naturally, not all of Rose's overtures are welcome.

An apt tribute to Shirley Jackson herself, Merrell's novel recalls Daphne du Maurier's Rebecca and Edgar Allan Poe. Jackson's fans are the clear winners here; Shirley, Stan, Fred and Rose may not be so lucky. --Julia Jenkins, librarian and blogger at pagesofjulia

TV writer Ann Lewis Hamilton's (Grey's Anatomy, Party of Five, Thirtysomething) debut is a sweet--albeit twisted--little novel about modern technology going awry with heartbreaking consequences.

Expecting centers on Laurie and Alan, married and devastated by two miscarriages. Hoping the third time will be the charm (and wanting to take no chances), they turn to artificial insemination. Laurie conceives, but there's one problem: it wasn't Alan's sperm. This horrible mistake turns the formerly happy couple's world upside-down, as Alan grapples with accepting a child that's not biologically his while Laurie becomes obsessed with tracking down "Donor 296."

The baby's biological father is an Indian college student juggling two girlfriends. He's slacking at his studies and donated his sperm to pay back money he stole from his fraternity. On paper, Jack stinks. Alan, resentful of Jack's connection to the baby growing in his wife's belly, seems to revert to childish behavior and his pouting makes the situation even more difficult for his pregnant wife. But Jack's sweet nature wins Laurie over and they begin an unusual relationship that inspires Jack to start growing up. 

With surprising twists and clearly drawn supporting characters (Jack's two zany girlfriends and strict parents are particularly enjoyable), this book is likely to provoke some deep thought on how best to handle such a challenging situation. Hamilton excels at taking a heavy subject and spinning it into a humorous, descriptive, engaging read. --Natalie Papailiou, author of blog MILF: Mother I'd Like to Friend

Struggling actress Maddy Freed rockets from anonymity to celebrity after winning accolades at an indie film festival. She leaves her sagging couch and crappy Brooklyn apartment for glittering, glamorous, star-studded Hollywood and captures the attention of Steven Weller, a Tom Cruise-esque aging superstar who sweeps her off her feet (despite long-swirling rumors that he's gay). Once in a relationship with the charming and magnetic Steven, Maddy instantly garners money, fame and plum film projects. It's a dream come true... or is it?

While exploring the May-December romance between a somewhat naïve budding actress and a seasoned mega-star, Amy Sohn (Motherland; Run Catch Kiss) also highlights the well-established sometimes-soulless Hollywood machine that keeps the secrets of its star players. Steven is an irresistible, mysterious figure whose generosity and compassion are matched by his ability for deception. Maddy's journey into Steven's seductive world--which is less of a fairy tale than it seemed--lends the book an addictive, voyeuristic vibe. While she desperately tries to find a way back to herself amidst the smoke and mirrors of her new life, readers will be hanging on every word.

Sohn has crafted a sinful story with refreshing twists and turns that readers won't see coming. It's thoughtfully written; even peripheral characters are given loving attention. The intriguing, darkly sexy tale will appeal to anyone who can't resist diving into a glossy gossip magazine once in a while but, unlike those rags, this novel resonates long after it's been devoured. --Natalie Papailiou, author of blog MILF: Mother I'd Like to Friend

Fantasy writer Joe Abercrombie kicks off his Shattered Sea series with everything fans have come to expect and love: an intricate, twisting plot, fierce action sequences, characters bursting with life, and first-class world building. Yarvi is the cunning, wise and compassionate heir of the throne of Gettland, a kingdom that prizes acts of valor and skill in combat. Born with a deformed hand, he is an inept fighter; betrayed by his uncle and sold into slavery, Yarvi uses his wits and charm to form a band of outcasts and sets out on an epic quest of revenge. 

Half a King spans a continent, with its own geography and peoples, swashbuckling action and last-minute escapes. Yarvi's journey is a constant struggle to stay alive, and Abercrombie perfectly conveys the razor-thin margin of survival for Yarvi and his intrepid crew. Like Abercrombie's previous novels, Half a King never gets weighed down by discursive plot meanderings or long-winded exposition; his books explode out of the gate and never seem to slow down, entertaining readers with realpolitik and ultraviolent battles. Yarvi is a sympathetic protagonist who develops the requisite toughness and force of will to lead others as the book marches on. Unlike some of Abercrombie's previous main characters, Yarvi has a strong moral compass that isn't easily shaken, which helps readers feel even more invested in his fate.

Half a King is another gem in Abercrombie's treasure trove of fantastical stories, an action-packed novel that is a joy to read from the opening sentence until its unpredictable end. --Donald Powell, freelance writer

In her foreword, Frances Mayes (traveler and author of Under the Tuscan Sun) writes that chef and food writer Kim Sunée (Trail of Crumbs) had gone on more adventures by the age of 30 than most have in an entire lifetime. Consider: Sunée was born in South Korea before being adopted and raised in New Orleans; she then traveled to Sweden and spent 10 years in France. This international background is reflected in Sunée's cookbook, A Mouthful of Stars, which Mayes calls "astonishing" proof of Sunée's aim to "cook as she lives, passionately and expansively."

This passion could not shine through any more brightly in Sunée's colorful, sometimes whimsical cookbook, which compiles reflections from her travels with recipes from places that have played a strong role in her growth as a chef: Seoul, North Africa, Provence, Paris, Sweden, the Southern U.S. and Tuscany. Each recipe here is based on the traditional dishes of these delectable cuisines, such as Pan-Fried Peppers with Coconut and Tamarind (India), Provençal Beef Stew, Spicy Fried Chicken (American South) and Swedish Beet and Apple Salad. The recipes are simple and easy to follow, though home cooks with less experience in the kitchen may miss introductory information like total preparation time and required equipment, which is not included. Details aside, however, lovers of food or travel or both will likely delight in this diverse collection of dishes (complemented by Leela Cyd's stunning photographs) and Sunée's travel anecdotes. --Kerry McHugh, blogger at Entomology of a Bookworm

Art historian Miles J. Unger (Magnifico and Machiavelli) describes his subject as the "first truly modern artist," a man who emancipated himself from the grip of patrons and social norms. Unger focuses on six of Michelangelo's greatest works in order to reveal the inner workings of this "more than mortal man, angel divine" (as Ariosto described him in his epic Orlando Furioso).

After an apprenticeship in Florence for painting, 21-year-old Michelangelo went to Rome to sculpt. Four years later, he finished his Pietà. Michelangelo's contract stipulated that he would use the "most beautiful marble" to create the Virgin Mary holding the dead body of Christ in her arms and "no other living master will do better." Unger slowly, lovingly walks us through the piece, pointing out its intricacies, its high degree of finish, its genius.

Homesick, Michelangelo returned to Florence to take on "the Giant," a massive piece of stone on which several artists had already attempted work--the perfect commission to sate his thirst for glory. With the installation of David before he was even 30, he became the "most celebrated sculptor in Europe."

During the early part of a commission he never finished (Pope Julius II's tomb), the artist took on another: nothing less than a depiction of Creation itself, for the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel. Unger completes his story with Florence's Sagrestia Nuova (a mortuary chapel intended for the Medicis), The Last Judgment fresco and the rebuilding of St. Peter's Basilica. In no small way, Unger has created an innovative, stimulating and wise masterpiece of his own. --Tom Lavoie, former publisher

Robert Benson (The Echo Within) provides an inspirational primer for those poor souls who feel compelled to write. The inviting chapters of Dancing on the Head of a Pen, crammed with pragmatic motivational techniques, prove Benson is a worthy guide through the thickets and brambles of a creative life. In a supportive, easy-going manner, Benson discusses the rituals of quiet time and personal space, the need for good writers to be good readers, and having a clear audience in mind when one writes.

Benson, author of nearly a dozen books, believes "Eventually something... magical may happen to writers if they go to their rooms and take up their tools each day." His life-affirming approach to what Norman Mailer called "the spooky art" is filled with the understated wisdom of a diligent craftsman who has paid his dues at the writing desk. Benson believes in the power of a writing life to deepen the intimacy of relationships, "eschewing phoniness, digging for authentic communication." As a focusing tool, he advocates picturing an audience of friends and family. Benson asserts that only by slowing down and savoring the daily process of writing are we able to let the best work bubble to the surface: "Time is the actual currency of the speed-worshiping age in which we live and write and have our being.... Hurry is not a proper posture for a writer."

Dancing on the Head of a Pen is a beguiling look at the craft of writing, filled with uplifting anecdotes and easy charm, ideal for compulsive scribblers and for those who merely love a good book. --Donald Powell, freelance writer

British academic Tom Wilkinson's first book is a rich, insightful inquiry into why buildings should be built first and foremost for people. His prose is smart, witty and opinionated; he wears his considerable learning to the side, like a beret. Even the buildings he picks are fresh and suggestive: one may never have existed while another isn't even a building, it's a footbridge.

Bricks and Mortals meanders from one structure and theme--power, morality, business, colonialism, entertainment, health--to another. The goal is to demonstrate how "architecture shapes people's lives and vice versa." Wilkinson's 10 chosen structures from around the world tell us much about his perspective. He presents them chronologically, starting with the biblical Tower of Babel and moving on to Nero's Golden House in Rome, Beijing's Garden of Perfect Brightness and Richard Wagner's Festspielhaus (Festival Theater) in Germany.

One of his best and most stimulating dissections deals with E.1027, a huge villa overlooking the French Riviera. "A love poem, a present," it was designed and built by Eileen Gray for her partner, architecture critic Jean Badovici. Through this massive house, Wilkinson reveals "the secret sex life of buildings, their capacity to enflame and arouse"--as in the case of the great modern architect Le Corbusier, who painted murals in and on E.1027 and decades later drowned in the water below it, a possible suicide.

As he easily jumps from architecture to popular culture to philosophy to history, Wilkinson's stimulating critical inquiries reveal an engaged social conscience. Outstanding. --Tom Lavoie, former publisher

Be careful what you wish for--that's Kelly DiPucchio's (Zombie in Love) message in this humorous tale of a boy-dog swap.

Charlie, a boy tired of practicing his letters, drawing pictures, making excuses and even "tired of being tired," pines for a different life. "I wish I was a dog," he says to the brightest star in the sky one Sunday night, as his pooch, Norman, slumbers peacefully nearby on his dogbed. Come Monday morning, the switch is complete. Charlie's mother pats Norman's head, while Brian Biggs portrays Charlie (on the dogbed) using his right foot to scratch behind his ear. Biggs's depictions of Norman attempting human activities with a dog's anatomy steal the show. The canine's gray spots in lieu of the rosy cheeks of his human classmates play up the parody. His thick black outlines and splashes of egg-yolk yellow, grape and poppy shades lend his vignettes just the right amount of a comic-strip quality. While it's not always apparent why Charlie, as a dog, sometimes operates as a two-legged creature and other times as a four-legged one (he plays fetch on two legs and drinks from a toilet on all four), what becomes crystal-clear is Charlie's contentment with being who he is by story's end.

A touching scene of Charlie banished to the back yard while Norman stands on his hind legs at the door affirms their bond. Soon all returns to normal for Norman and Charlie. --Jennifer M. Brown, children's editor, Shelf Awareness