"Girls in Trucks" by Katie Crouch.This first novel by Katie Crouch turns the high-fallutin' notions of Southern debutante culture on its ear with a dark and frankly sexual tale of awakening. A page-turner by every account, Girls in Trucks blends steamy scenes and heartbreak with an infectious, dreamlike prose, to deliver a graceful work of literature.

"Unaccustomed" by Jhumpa Lahiri. Jhumpa Lahiri's new collection of stories overflows with insights about the secrets we can hide. While these stories examine the crossing and commingling of Indian and Western cultures, the feelings of pride, love, and loneliness ring true in any society. They are jewels.

"The Man Who Turned Into Himself" by David Ambrose. After a bizarre car accident, Rick discovers that he is living within the brain of another version of himself - Richard - an appalling individual who has made all the wrong decisions in life. Rick's quest to liberate himself from this psychological prison and establish his 'real' self challenges the reader to consider the multiple personas that exist within our own minds. Part science fiction, part psychological thriller, this novel shocks with twist after twist.

"Girls Like Us: Carole King, Joni Mitchell, Carly Simon-And the Journey of a Generation" by Sheila Weller. Sheila Weller's story of three of the most important women in the history of pop music--Carole King, Joni Mitchell, and Carly Simon--captures the '60s better than any novel, recalling the stories and songs that have become ingrained in the psyche of America's soul.

"The Tenderness of Wolves" by Stef Penney. Backwoods Canada in the 1860s comes vividly to life in this cinematic historical mystery when a mother sets out in the snowy wilderness to find her son accused of a brutal murder. Penney's screenwriting experience shows in a riveting novel told in powerful short takes.

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Compiled by owner Stacey Colin at Harmony Books, 231 Broad St. Nevada City, 265-9564. Hours are Mon. through Sat. 10a.m.-6p.m. and Sun. 11a.m-5p.m.