5 New Books for November

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From a new guide on how to reverse aging to a dishy historical biography to hard-to-put-down fiction, here are five books you won’t want to miss this month.

 
 
AGING BACKWARDS: 10 Years Younger and 10 Years Lighter in 30 Minutes a Day (Random House) by Miranda Esmonde-White
Our bodies were made to move, no matter our age. This new guide on how to reverse the effects of aging from the founder of the popular PBS show Classical Stretch and a former dancer with the Canadian National Ballet, describes how we can actually repair joint pain and muscle loss, as well as boost energy and weight loss through a series of gentle, scientifically-based stretch workouts. If you’ve been meaning to start a fitness program but are put off by vigorous gym or yoga sessions, or if you’re hindered by joint or muscle pain, pick up this book.
 
 
AMBITION AND DESIRE: THE DANGEROUS LIFE OF JOSEPHINE BONAPARTE (Random House) by Kate Williams
 She stole the heart of a Corsican soldier and set her sights on an empire. This new historical biography from CNN’s official royal historian follows the fascinating life of Josephine Bonaparte, going back to her humble beginnings on the Caribbean island of Martinique and her move to France as a young woman, where she entered into a loveless marriage with a French aristocrat. When her husband was executed during the Reign of Terror, she barely escaped the guillotine herself. In a masterful act of reinvention, Josephine transformed herself into the perfect consort for Napoleon and the object of awe for all of Europe.
THE BURNING ROOM (Hachette Book Group) by Michael Connelly
It’s a cold case with a new twist. In Michael Connelly’s new thriller, seasoned Detective Harry Bosch investigates the case of a victim who dies from complications of a gunshot wound a decade after the crime was committed. To solve the crime the veteran cop plays mentor to his new partner, passing along his years of accumulated wisdom to a rookie with virtually no homicide experience. Similar to previous police procedurals in the series, Bosch is continually thwarted in his investigation by political corruption in high places.
 
EMMA: A MODERN RE-TELLING (Knopf Canada) by Alexander McCall Smith
In this contemporary take on Jane Austen’s classic work, Emma Woodhouse receives a degree in Interior Design in Bath and returns to set up shop in her childhood village, where her father is a gentlemen farmer and slightly obsessive health freak. (Her sister, Isabelle, meanwhile, works as a society photographer for Vogue.) Drawing upon her skill of pulling objects together to create beautiful rooms, Emma takes up the art of matchmaking and seeks a suitor for her young friend, Harriet. In the process, of course, she uncovers a few surprises.
 
 
RESPECT: The Life of Aretha Franklin (Hatchette Book Group) by David Ritz
From acclaimed music writer David Ritz comes what is being hailed as the definitive biography of the Queen of Soul. The book takes us back to the singer’s troubled childhood as the daughter of a progressive and promiscuous Baptist preacher. Raised without her mother, and becoming a mother herself while still in her teens, the book follows Aretha’s triumph over her many personal and professional troubles as she finds her own voice — pop infused with heavy soul, that turned the music industry on its head.
 
What are you reading this month? Let us know in the comments!