5 new books you won't want to miss this week

Jocelyn McClurg | USA TODAY

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

1. Mad Hatters and March Hares, edited by Ellen Datlow (Tor, fiction, on sale Dec. 12)

What it’s about: A collection of new stories inspired by Lewis Carroll's psychedelic 19th century classic, Alice's Adventures in Wonderland.

The buzz: Datlow, a Hugo Award winner for editing, has drawn in fantasy/sci-fi contributors including Seanan McGuire, Jane Yolen and Catherynne M. Valente.

2. We’ll Sleep When We’re Old by Pino Corrias (Atria, fiction, on sale Dec. 12)

What it’s about: The famed president of a film company goes missing in Rome after his villa goes up in flames; by an Italian journalist.

The buzz: “Corrias’ first novel casts a dazzling spotlight on the corrupt world of Rome’s contemporary movie aristocracy,” says Library Journal.

3. A Murder for the Books by Victoria Gilbert (Crooked Lane, fiction, on sale Dec. 12)

What it’s about: A public librarian’s quiet new life in a Virginia mountain town is upended by an attractive new neighbor — and murders past and present.

The buzz: This is the debut “Blue Ridge Library Mystery” by Gilbert, herself a librarian. “Captivating,” says Publishers Weekly.

4. Charles Darwin: Victorian Mythmaker by A.N. Wilson (Harper, non-fiction, on sale Dec. 12)

What it’s about: New biography offers a “reappraisal” of the scientist who developed the theory of evolution.

The buzz: “Illuminating,” says Kirkus Reviews.

5. The Only Girl in the World by Maude Julien (Little, Brown, non-fiction, on sale Dec. 12)

What it’s about: In this memoir, the author recounts her harrowing childhood in post-World War II France, raised by survivalist parents who kept her isolated and subjected her to cruel drills designed to “eliminate weakness.”

The buzz: “A dark, moving, and thoughtfully rendered story,” says Publishers Weekly.