Books: New and Noteworthy

'The Black Box' by Michael Connelly

Michael Connelly celebrates 20 years of Harry BoschConan O'Brien gets a kick out of 'City of Dark Magic'Amanda Hocking sings her fans a 'Lullaby'

11:17AM EST November 24. 2012 - 1. The Black Box by Michael Connelly (Little, Brown, fiction, on sale Nov. 26)

What it's about: LAPD Detective Harry Bosch finds new evidence that leads him back to the unsolved murder of Anneke Jespersen, shot execution-style during the 1992 L.A. riots.

The buzz: The Black Box arrives on the 20th anniversary of Connelly's first Bosch novel, The Black Echo. The novelist has since become a fixture on USA TODAY's Best-Selling Books list.

2. The Legend of Broken by Caleb Carr (Random House, fiction, on sale Nov. 27)

What it's about: The discovery of a lost manuscript leads to a genre-busting adventure to a prosperous fortress city where scheming factions vie for control of the surrounding kingdom.

The buzz: Any new book by Carr reminds readers of his smash-hit thriller from the '90s, The Alienist.

3. Dream More: Celebrate the Dreamer in You by Dolly Parton (Putnam, non-fiction, on sale Nov. 27)

What it's about: The country star offers her philosophy for living a better life: "Dream More," "Learn More," "Care More" and "Do More."

The buzz: Based on a popular commencement speech Parton gave at the University of Tennessee in 2009 which then became a hit on YouTube.

4. Lullaby by Amanda Hocking (St. Martin's Griffin, fiction, on sale Nov. 27)

What it's about: Harper vows to get back her younger sister Gemma, who has run off with a dangerous clique of beautiful girls.

The buzz: Lullaby is the second installment in the Watersong quartet by Hocking, who became a young-adult sensation when her self-published Trylle trilogy found a mass audience.

5. City of Dark Magicby Magnus Flyte (Penguin, fiction, on sale Nov. 27)

What it's about: Musicologist Sarah Weston, spending the summer in Prague cataloging Beethoven's manuscripts for a wealthy family, discovers a city of "dark magic" where "danger lies around every corner."

The buzz: Boasts this endorsement from Conan O'Brien: "This deliciously madcap novel has it all: murder in Prague, time travel, a misanthropic Beethoven, tantric sex, and a dwarf with attitude. I salute you, Magnus Flyte!" Oh, and independent booksellers like it, too. It's an Indie Next Pick.

Jocelyn McClurg is USA TODAY's Books Editor. She is based in New York City, the heart of the U.S. publishing industry.

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