'Oscar Wars' pulls back the curtain on the Academy Awards: New must-read book releases this week
In search of something good to read? USA TODAY's Barbara VanDenburgh scopes out the shelves for this week’s hottest new book releases. All books are on sale Tuesday.
For more must-read book recommendations, check out our interview with John Hendrickson about his new memoir, and the February USA TODAY Book Club pick "Life on Delay: Making Peace With a Stutter;" the 20 books we can't wait to read this winter, including a collaboration between Colleen Hoover and Tarryn Fisher, and Rebecca Makkai's "I Have Some Questions for You"; our favorite books of 2022 that received perfect four-star reviews; and the juiciest celebrity memoirs released last year from Matthew Perry, Tom Felton, William Shatner, Jennette McCurdy and more.
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She paid a photographer $100 for photos: Now she's the face of an erotic novel, breast reduction ads.
'Oscar Wars: A History of Hollywood in Gold, Sweat, and Tears'
By Michael Schulman (Harper, nonfiction)
What it's about: This thorough, fascinating history of the Academy Awards captures the brutal battles, rivalries and behind-the-scenes dramas from the organization's inception to the slap heard around the world.
The buzz: "This will thrill cinephiles," says a starred review from Publishers Weekly.
‘I Have Some Questions for You’
By Rebecca Makkai (Viking, fiction)
What it's about: From the author of Pulitzer Prize finalist “The Great Believers” comes a new novel about professor and podcaster Bodie Kane, who’s content to forget her past – and the murder of her boarding school roommate – until the flaws of the case she thought was solved begin to gnaw at her.
The buzz: A starred review from Publishers Weekly calls it "a clever and deeply thoughtful story."
‘Every Man a King’
By Walter Mosley (Mulholland, fiction)
What it's about: In a sequel to the Edgar Award-winning “Down the River Unto the Sea,” Joe King Oliver must investigate a stomach-churning case of a white nationalist who may have been framed for murder.
The buzz: Kirkus Reviews calls it "a strong second outing by Mosley's new hero."
'Wanderlust: An Eccentric Explorer, an Epic Journey, a Lost Age'
By Reid Mitenbuler (Mariner, nonfiction)
What it's about: The biography tells the larger-than-life story of eccentric Danish adventurer Peter Freuchen, who survived arctic expeditions, a Nazi prison camp and devastating injuries.
The buzz: Kirkus Reviews calls it "a colorful, well-researched biography."
'Best Served Hot'
By Amanda Elliot (Berkley, fiction)
What it's about: Rival restaurant critics Julie and Bennett grudgingly partner to gin up online buzz, but soon they're bonding over more than a shared love of food.
The buzz: "Elliot will leave you savoring every last word," says a starred Kirkus review.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: 'Oscar Wars,' new Rebecca Makkai: 5 must-read books this week