Bookmarks

Here are some books that have crossed our desks recently.

HARDBACKS

"THE MIGHTY QUEENS OF FREEVILLE: A Mother, a Daughter, and the Town That Raised Them" by Amy Dickinson, Hyperion, $22.99 (nf)

Known for her syndicated advice column "Ask Amy" and as a panelist on NPR's "Wait Wait … Don't Tell Me!" Amy Dickinson's wit, honesty and small-town values have made her a household favorite.

Here she shares her story — marriage, birth of a daughter, unexpected divorce and the women who taught her what family is about. For Amy, all roads return to her hometown of Freeville (pop. 458), where she and her daughter are always welcomed with open arms.

—Jessica Harrison

"REMARKABLY JANE: Notable Quotations on Jane Austen" by Jennifer Adams, Gibbs Smith, $14.99 (nf)

Though popular in her own time, Jane Austen could never imagine how popular or influential her life and writings would become. Austen fans are fiercely loyal and dedicated, relating to her characters in their own private ways.

This collection features 100 thoughtful, humorous and impassioned quotations on Austen's work by writers, actors and intellectuals from the past and present. This sweet little book is the perfect gift for the Austen fan who has everything.

—Jessica Harrison

"SLEEEPWALKING IN DAYLIGHT" by Elizabeth Flock, Mira Books, $21.95 (f)

On the outside, it appears that Samantha Friedman has it all — a husband, nice home and three kids. But Samantha isn't happy. She misses her career and independence, and her marriage is less than ideal.

When Samantha decides to find meaning in her life, she throws off the balance in her family, sending her daughter Cammy into a downward spiral. On parallel but separate paths, mother and daughter desperately seek an escape from their pain.

—Jessica Harrison

"MURDER IN THE LATIN QUARTER" by Cara Black, Soho, 336 pages, $24 (f)

The ninth book in the Aimee Leduc series is set in the Latin Quarter on the Left Bank of the Seine, in the old university district of Paris.