Jocelyn McClurg

USA TODAY

USA TODAY’s Jocelyn McClurg scopes out the hottest books on sale each week.

1. Food, Health and Happiness by Oprah Winfrey (Flatiron, non-fiction, on sale Jan. 3)

What it’s about: 115 healthy recipes from a dieting Winfrey (now a high-profile Weight Watchers investor) “created and prepared alongside her favorite chefs.”

The buzz: Winfrey know a thing or two about successful cookbooks: Way back in 1994, In the Kitchen With Rosie, by her personal chef, Rosie Daley, was No. 1 on USA TODAY’s Best-Selling Books list for a remarkable 16 straight weeks.

2. Below the Belt by Stuart Woods (Putnam, fiction, on sale Jan. 3)

What it’s about: An old friend asks Stone Barrington for a delicate favor in the latest in a series.

The buzz: Woods had four Stone Barrington novels in USA TODAY’s top 10 in 2016 alone.

3. History of Wolves by Emily Fridlund (Atlantic Montlhy Press, fiction, on sale Jan. 3)

What it’s about: Debut novel, set at an abandoned commune in northern Minnesota, about a 14-year-girl whose teacher is accused of possessing child pornography.

The buzz: It’s the No. 1 Indie Next pick of independent booksellers for January. “Haunting, meticulously crafted … perfect for reading groups,” says Sharon Flesher of Brilliant Books in Traverse City, Mich.

4. The Lost City of the Monkey God: A True Story by Douglas Preston (Grand Central, non-fiction, on sale Jan. 3)

What it’s about: Recounts the author’s expedition into the Honduran jungle to try to find a lost, ancient civilization, and the severe illness that struck his team.

The buzz: Preston has written best-selling non-fiction (The Monster of Florence) as well as thrillers he co-writes with Lincoln Child.

5. Difficult Women by Roxane Gay (Grove Press, fiction, on sale Jan. 3)

What it’s about: Short stories by the author of the essay collection Bad Feminist.

The buzz: “Gay’s fantastic collection is challenging, quirky, and memorable,” says Publishers Weekly.