The site of Abu Saheed's new mobile phone and satellite dish shop in the southern Iraqi town of Safwan allows a prime view of the highway overpass used by the passing American military convoys, which he tracks daily. Although he hasn't been in town or in business long, his life seems to have taken on a routine in just weeks: days in the marketplace, dinners at an old friend's restaurant and nights alone in his unfinished house. That new routine is unsettled when a local girl begins visiting him in the evenings as he's closing the shop.

But things aren't what they seem. Through use of flashback, foreshadowing and stream of consciousness, One Hundred and One Nights unwinds the story of an Iraqi physician who returns home to Baghdad after years of study and medical practice in Chicago, believing he could help his country rebuild after the fall of Saddam Hussein. Now, renaming himself "Father Truth," he stays in an isolated southern town selling mobile phones as a cover for a mission of destruction. That mission isn't what it seems, either. As the story builds, the reader begins to question the reliability of the narrator and the reality of his situation, adding to the dramatic tension as the flashbacks and the present converge.

Benjamin Buchholz's unit of the Wisconsin National Guard was deployed to Iraq in 2005, and he and his family have remained in the Middle East. His assumption of an Iraqi voice and viewpoint, and his depiction of native characters, settings and customs are informed and convincing. One Hundred and One Nights is an absorbing, affecting and beautifully written first novel. --Florinda Pendley Vasquez, blogger at The 3 R's Blog: Reading, 'Riting, and Randomness

Baron Lamberto is 93 years old, owns 24 banks and suffers from 24 maladies. He lives in a villa on the island of San Giulio, in the middle of Lake Orta (a real lake near the birthplace of famed Italian children's author Gianni Rodari). Lamberto is served by his faithful butler who always carries an umbrella, and when the two of them visit Egypt, an Arab fakir in the shadow of the Sphinx confides to them a secret of the pharaohs: "The man whose name is spoken remains alive."

In light of this secret, Lamberto hires six people to chant his name continually in the attic of the villa, working in shifts, with board, lodging and all the hard candy they can eat. Tiny microphones are installed everywhere, so at any time he can hear them chanting: "Lamberto, Lamberto, Lamberto." And soon Lamberto begins to change. Two new hairs appear on the top of his bald head. The baron's wrinkles start smoothing out. Within a few weeks, he looks like a 40-year-old, straight, tall, blond and athletic, swimming around his island every morning to stay in shape.

Then 24 bandits lay siege to the villa and kidnap the baron. To show they mean business, they slice off the baron's ear and send it to his bankers in an envelope. A sliced-off finger follows. Fortunately, since this is a fairytale, the severed body parts grow back, as long as the six singers in the attic keep up their chant.

Making a comedy out of a terrorist kidnapping is tricky stuff, but this book for both children and adults is a daring high-wire act that works. Before Rodari wraps up his tale, there's a nighttime escape in a hot air balloon and Boy Scouts to the rescue. The story toys with several endings before settling for a completely unconventional one, which the author then defends. Since the book was published after his death in 1980, Rodari's last words remind you that by far the most charming element of the entire story has been his delightful, gleefully chuckling, honestly childlike voice. --Nick DiMartino, Nick's Picks, University Book Store, Seattle

Max Lucado is one of the most widely read Christian authors worldwide, with more than 100 million books in print. Christmas Stories draws upon that body of work, gathering old and new short stories with Christian quotes and Christmas essays set in between.

The stories are set in various times and places: "Christmas Candle" is about an angel in a 19th-century English village, while "The Christmas Child" takes place in modern Texas and  "An Angel's Story" recounts the epic battle of angel versus demon over the birth of Christ. The collection makes for an extremely quick and easy read; Lucado uses a basic language with very little atmospheric description. Time moves rapidly, almost to the point of feeling rushed, keeping the stories at a rapid pace.

Despite those stylistic drawbacks, Christmas Stories is a heartwarming collection based on strong Christian foundations, set apart from other books about biblical Christmas by the unusual perspectives Lucado adopts: looking at things through the eyes of Joseph or the angel Gabriel, to name a few. There aren't many laughs to be had, but the shedding of happy tears is unavoidable in a collection that reminds us of the reason for the season. --Sara Dobie, blogger at Wordpress

Inspector Malcolm Fox of the Complaints (aka Internal Affairs) of the Edinburgh police department is sent to nearby Kirkcaldy to conduct what appears to be a straightforward investigation: three members of the Kirkcaldy force may have conspired to hide evidence, to protect a fellow officer. Fox and two colleagues are to provide a report of their findings to the Kirkcaldy police department, whose own Complaints crew has not been given the assignment due to various conflicts of interest. The existence of such conflicts is the first red flag to the team from Edinburgh.

The next red flag flaps in Fox's face when nobody in Kirkcaldy wants to meet with him, much less answer questions. In the hands of Ian Rankin (author of the hugely popular Detective Inspector Rebus series), this follow-up to The Complaints starts off with simple obstructions to a routine assignment and grows increasingly complex as the task of pinning down today's cover-ups leads to previously unquestioned (but disconcertingly relevant) cover-ups over the past 30 years.

Rankin is as supremely adept at unfolding the mystery as he is at juggling multiple plot threads. Touching on the trade in weaponry to paramilitary groups, assassinations in the name of national security and the use of fear in keeping the downtrodden in their traditional place, his vivid characters josh, connive and inform each other. One source answers the Inspector's question about the motivation of terrorist cells with, "They have seen the systems around them fail, yet the status quo remains. Frustration turns to anger and anger to a sense of injustice." The Inspector is disturbed by that answer, but then he knows that disturbing facts can often hold the key to solving your case. --John McFarland, author

A corpse is found in a cave, bones are discovered near the river: a killer may be on the loose during the "most wonderful time of the year" in Alpine, a small residential enclave in the Cascade Mountain region of Washington State. Amid the puzzling twists and turns of the investigation, as past and present collide, a host of quirky, small-town characters are challenged by their own personal dilemmas and familial woes--which may tie into the crimes.

Sorrow, secrets and scandal are at the core of The Alpine Winter, the 23rd installment in Mary Daheim's cozy Alpine Mystery series. The now 50-something narrator/protagonist, Emma Lord--the inquisitive, charming, often klutzy editor of the local newspaper--becomes embroiled in the investigation while trying to juggle the complications of her own personal life. Will she ever find the right time to tell her brother and her son, both upstanding Roman Catholic priests who are visiting for Christmas, about her affair with the town sheriff, a man with whom she has shared a thorny romantic past?

Daheim punctuates the Alpine stories with humor and a large population of recurrent characters who take turns in the spotlight to unravel multiple story threads in selected novels. This time around, two of the editors at Emma's paper play a central role in the mystery, but there are also prominent parts for the sheriff and his deputies--and the postman. In the end, Emma Lord--fully human and flawed--and the dilemmas she faces, engages the reader to care as much about her as this page-turning mystery. --Kathleen Gerard, blogger at Reading Between the Lines

Disillusioned accountant Laila Riley is stuck in a bad phase of her life, and it's all because of a philandering younger man, Matthew O'Brien, who stole her heart and created a rift with her family that cost her a job. When she finally breaks off her steamy affair, Laila finds that she's lost without Matthew and his large Irish-American clan. It looks as though she might even be spending Christmas alone--until Matthew, devastated by their split, becomes determined to win Laila back. Through the efforts of his meddling, lovable family, Laila is convinced to join the O'Briens at their Christmas celebration in Dublin, under the condition that she and Matthew will keep "hands off" each other and start their courtship afresh.

The seventh installment in Sherryl Woods's Chesapeake Shores series is a warm, touching story about familial ties, romance and love. Matthew and Laila hold center stage, and (as in previous books) other O'Briens with stories of their own liven the proceedings--including a couple who are celebrating a honeymoon deferred by illness and the 80-year-old family matriarch who returns to Ireland for what might be the very last time, only to rekindle a relationship with an old flame. The young lovers courting in preparation for a possible future together nicely complements the story of two old friends who reunite and think only about "the now." --Kathleen Gerard, blogger at Reading Between the Lines

Ambrose the cat is in the last of his nine lives, and he's looking for a comfy place to live out the remainder of his kitty years in The Nine Lives of Christmas--but he owes a debt to karma first.

Ambrose survived a dog attack and gets to have, hopefully, a long ninth life, thanks to Zach--a handsome firefighter who unwillingly takes in the feline to protect him from the winter cold. In exchange for Zach's good deed, Ambrose owes his new human a favor, which materializes in the possibility of a romance with pet enthusiast Merilee. But first Ambrose has to shred Zach's emotional baggage; will the clever kitty succeed before Christmas?

Sheila Roberts, the author of six previous novels, has a knack for writing about the Christmas season and all the pleasure and pain it can bring. She has an excellent sense of humor and is efficient with character development. Instead of unloading gobs of backstory, she slips in little personality traits and family histories that give her characters depth without bogging down the plot with unnecessary detail. Even Ambrose the cat has a life story--nine of them, to be exact!

The Nine Lives of Christmas is smart, cheerful and perfect fireside reading. It will get you in the mood for Christmas and in the mood for love. --Sara Dobie, blogger at Wordpress

Mikki Taylor hopes Michelle Obama's spirit and panache can inspire readers to find and embrace their own style, but she also assumes they're familiar with her own voice after 30 years of writing for Essence. Thus Commander in Chic is filled with Mikki-isms: "Color? Why, color was made for a sister.... We were meant to be seen. After all, the Creator dreamt us in color and scattered His chocolate sweets all over the world!" Such quips and tips will make readers unfamiliar with Taylor's previous work feel as if she has been a friend for years.

Photos of the first lady appear throughout Commander in Chic, along with links to her favorite designers; Taylor can analyze why a certain outfit works for Michelle Obama, then explain how readers can apply the principle behind that look to their own wardrobes. Commander in Chic is filled with helpful hints for efficient shopping, traveling in style or finding the perfect hairstyle, and though Taylor addresses what she assumes to be a largely African-American audience, women of all races will find her advice entertaining and useful. --Kristen Galles from Book Club Classics

Beginning with the statement, "On the boat we were mostly virgins," Julie Otsuka's The Buddha in the Attic imagines the voices of Japanese "picture brides" who emigrated to California in the early 1900s. The young women and girls (some only 14 years old) disembark to fiancés who might not resemble their photos and to non-wifely duties as cooks, housemaids, field hands and prostitutes. In the place of dramatic scenes, Otsuka uses an imagistic storytelling technique of spare, poetic details that describe the disposition of people and objects (viz the book's title). A thematic predecessor to Otsuka's earlier novel,When the Emperor Was Divine, that National Book Award finalist is also striking for its use of a multiple and continuous "we" narrative voice to blend dozens of lives into a chorus of experience.

The Buddha in the Attic's multiple narrative voice works well in audiobook form, and its short, episodic chapters can be stopped and started without losing the thread. Greek tragedy and the musical comedy have trained us to absorb the oral recitation of plural fates, and hearing it read aloud helps personify the collective and historical context of The Buddha in the Attic. Otsuka uses the first-person-plural to confide more directly to readers. Her repetitive use of the phrase "some of us" and her Hemingwayesque abrupt sentences fall easier on the ear than on the eye. Actress Samantha Quan's soft but assertive voice lends a poetic rhythm to the novel's sequential observations. Another boon of the audiobook is that the eighth chapter's harsh shift of perspective is accentuated by the switch to a less poetic voice. --Holloway McCandless, blogger at Litagogo: A Guide to Free Literary Podcasts

On the surface, this is a picture book about celebrating the Chinese New Year, but at its center, it is a story of homecoming. A girl--whose eyes can barely peer over her mother's dressing table--rises early with her mother. Papa is coming home today from his work far away, for the New Year's celebration. Author and artist, who both live in Ninjing, introduce the neighborhood, as Papa takes young Maomao with him to get a haircut. The next day, Papa takes his daughter up to the rooftop to watch a serpentine dragon cross a bridge, gleaming in the sunlight.

The artist creates large scenes as skillfully as more intimate close-ups. Maomao finds the "fortune coin" in her sticky rice ball, signifying good luck for the New Year. She builds a snowman with a friend in the courtyard. Just when Maomao thinks she's lost her fortune coin, she discovers it on her bedroom floor. But she finds an even better place for it: with Papa. "Next time you're back, we can bury it in the sticky rice ball again!" she says. "Daddy is very quiet. He nods and hugs me tight." The image of Maomao about to place the coin in his hand speaks volumes for the love they share. Gestural brushstrokes portray her head tilted downward, putting on a brave face, while Papa feels both pride at his daughter and sorrow at his parting. A love that will last the whole year through. --Jennifer M. Brown, children's editor, Shelf Awareness

Fans of Clockwork Angel, the first book in Cassandra Clare's Infernal Devices trilogy, will discover here an even darker and sexier trip through the gaslit streets of Victorian London. Tessa Gray, 16, whose power was unveiled in Clockwork Angel, has settled in with the Shadowhunters inside the London Institute. Benedict Lightwood covets the Institute for himself, and the plot centers on protecting Charlotte's guardianship over it--which can only be secured if Charlotte, Henry Branwell and the Clave can hunt down the Magister. However, the Magister manages to stay always one step ahead of Tessa and the other Shadowhunters.

Series fans' favorite characters often commit despicable acts, yet Cassandra Clare draws them with enough complexity that it's hard not to sympathize with them after learning their histories. And the love triangle between Tessa and Shadowhunters Will and Jem presents consequences beyond pure heartbreak: Tessa must place the brotherhood between Will and Jem ahead of her heart's calling. The author also injects some comic relief through characters such as warlock Magnus Bane, who leavens some scenes of heavy confessions and betrayals--which set the stage for the final installment, Clockwork Princess.

Clare delivers an edge-of-your-seat sequel, then leaves readers holding their breath one last time with an emotionally brutal final chapter and game-changing cliffhanger.  --Adam Silvera, a bookseller and intern at Figment

In this perceptive, often humorous novel, Jay Asher (Thirteen Reasons Why) and Carolyn Mackler (The Earth, My Butt, and Other Big Round Things) tap into the obsession with the future that possesses high school juniors Emma and Josh.

On Sunday, May 19, 1996, Josh walks next door to give Emma a CD-ROM with 100 free hours of America Online. Somehow, with her download of AOL, she also receives Facebook--which hasn't been invented yet. In a funny scene, Josh and Emma try to make sense of it ("Why does it say she has three hundred and twenty friends? Who has that many friends?" asks Josh). They also quickly discover that they can see their futures, 15 years from now. At first they think it's a hoax, but then they realize that it's impossible for someone to alter their "walls" so frequently. Josh likes his future--at least initially--because he winds up with a beautiful and wealthy classmate. Emma, however, continues to find fault with hers.

Teens will recognize themselves in Josh and Emma's behavior--the enslavement to Facebook, status updates and wall postings. The solid foundation of the neighbors' lifelong friendship anchors the novel, and teens will savor knowing more than the narrators--from the ins and outs of Facebook to the chemistry they'll recognize between Emma and Josh. Their story serves as a cautionary tale, that to live for some perceived future goal sacrifices life in the present. --Jennifer M. Brown, children's editor, Shelf Awareness