Amy Bonesteel

At libraries around the metro area, shelves full of newly released books are held on reserve, waiting for impatient readers. Author visits at the Margaret Mitchell House, Wren’s Nest, or the Atlanta History Center are often packed; book clubs are springing up everywhere; and literary events like the AJC Decatur Book Festival and the Book Festival of the MJCCA bring national authors to our doorstep. Here are a few of our favorites from this year’s releases.

Well before its 1998 publication, Tom Wolfe’s Atlanta-centric "A Man in Full" was the talk of Buckhead’s cocktail party circuit; once the 742-page opus hit shelves, the chatter became deafening.

Forget about the polishing and dusting that accompany those monogrammed mint julep cups handed down by Great-Grandmother. Buckhead residents have a new worry when it comes to their sterling silver after a string of thefts perpetuated by a particularly crafty—and picky—burglar.

Newcomers to the city who expect to hear Hollywood’s idea of the Southern drawl will be disappointed.