Here’s a look at what books we’re reading this week.
Updated: December 04, 2014, 12:00 AM
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American Titan: Searching for John Wayne by Marc Eliot. New York Times bestselling biographer of Cary Grant and Walt Disney, Marc Eliot looks at the life of one of America’s biggest movie stars, John Wayne. Wayne made more than 200 films over his 50-year career. (It Books, December 4)
The Great Reformer: Francis and the Making of a Radical Pope by Austen Ivereigh. Dr Ivereigh, a journalist, scholar and former director of public affairs for the Archbishop of Westminster in London, bases his biography on personal interviews and examines the obstacles facing the church leader. (Henry Holt, December 1)
High Crime Area: Tales of Darkness and Dread by Joyce Carol Oates. It’s been a great year for the short story. The prolific, prize-winning author joins the revival with her latest work of fiction. This collection of eight stories finds a crop of characters confronting their inner demons as well as those in the outer world. (Head of Zeus, December 4)
Genocide of One by Kazuaki Takano. An English translation of the best-selling 2011 Japanese thriller. When a 3-year-old child is condemned as a threat to the human race, an American mercenary travels to the Congo to kill him, only to discover the boy might be able to cure his son. (Mulholland Books, December 4)
Nunslinger: The Complete Series by Stark Holborn. These 12 stories follow the adventures of Sister Thomas Josephine, who’s forced to go on the run after being stranded in Wyoming and falsely accused of murder. A wild Western set in 1864: critics have hailed it good, if rather silly, fun. (Hodder & Stoughton, December 4)