Atticus Finch: The Biography

Joseph Crespino (nonfiction, Basic Books)

The 2015 publication of “Go Set a Watchman” transformed the long beloved character of Atticus Finch from man of integrity to small-town racist.  The discrepancies, points out Crespino, can be understood if you look at Harper Lee’s father, the man upon whom Atticus was based.  A fascinating look at a once-revered fictional figure. 

That Kind of Mother

Rumaan Alam (fiction, Ecco)

It is the mid-1980s, and first-time mother Rebecca Stone is struggling with the demands of parenting.  When she hires a black woman named Priscilla to take care of her child, they form a bond.  When Priscilla becomes pregnant and dies in childbirth, Rebecca adopts her child. 

Yesterday’s News

R.G. Belsky (fiction, Oceanview Publishing)

It’s been more than a decade since Lucy Devlin disappeared, the case never solved.  The story turned reporter Clare Carlson into a superstar.  When new evidence surfaces from the long-cold case, Clare is back on the beat, determined to find the truth. 

A Theory of Love

Margaret Bradham Thornton (fiction, Ecco)

Helen is a journalist on assignment in Mexico when she meets Christopher, a French-American financier who has come there to surf.  The two embark on a jet-set love affair and marriage that always seems to find them on the go. 

Two Steps Forward

Graeme Simsion and Anne Buist (fiction, William Morrow)

Zoe and Martin both find themselves in Central France, one trying to get over the death of her husband, the other resurfacing after a divorce.  They are both walking the Camino de Santiago, an old pilgrim route that ends in Spain.  From the bestselling author of “The Rosie Project.” 

Puddin’

Julie Murphy (fiction, Balzer + Bray)

The companion to the bestselling “Dumplin,’ ” currently being made into a movie, this is a book about unexpected friendship, girl power and two girls, Callie and Millie, who discover they have way more in common than they thought.