Start the new year with notable new novels: The Orphan Master's Son; Mr. g; and An Available Man

"Literature is a luxury; fiction is a necessity. "--G.K. Chesterton.

This month we are excited to bring you novels that travel around the globe and across time. Our journey begins with THE ORPHAN MASTER'S SON, Adam Johnson's extraordinary debut novel set in the seemingly uknowable dictatorship of North Korea. THE BAKER'S DAUGHTER moves between 1945 Germany and 21st century Texas, weaving the story of two women forced to confront the uncomfortable truths of the past. In his daring new novel, MR g, Alan Lightman retells the story of Creation from the Creator's point of view.

To thank our subscribers, we are happy to offer free ground UPS shipping on your purchases. Simply enter coupon code "SNOWY12" at checkout to qualify.

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THE ORPHAN MASTER'S SON Written by Adam Johnson $26.00 http://information.randomhouse.com/HS?a=ENX7CkR1RUUm8SA9MOBp_pLnGHxKQ12-uPcStGb5lw8W0bBhOG5mpqVsje_HheFjplM9

An epic novel and a thrilling literary discovery, THE ORPHAN MASTER'S SON follows a young man's journey through the icy waters, dark tunnels, and eerie spy chambers of the world's most mysterious dictatorship, North Korea.

"A daring and remarkable novel...that not only opens a frightening window on the mysterious kingdom of North Korea, but one that also excavates the very meaning of love and sacrifice."--Michiko Kakutani, The New York Times

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OF LOVE AND EVIL Written by Anne Rice $14.95 http://information.randomhouse.com/HS?a=ENX7CkR1RUUm8SA9MOBp_pLnGHxKQ12-ufcStGb5lw8W0bBhOG5mpqVsje_HheFjplNC

Anne Rice's lyrical metaphysical thriller summons up dark and dangerous worlds, from fifteenth-century Rome--a city of domes and rooftop gardens, rising towers, and crosses beneath an ever-shifting layer of clouds--to this century, where an angel commands a former government assassin to solve a terrible crime and to search out the truth of a haunting. New in paperback

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STAR WARS: DARTH PLAGUEIS Written by James Luceno Read by Daniel Davis $45.00 http://information.randomhouse.com/HS?a=ENX7CkR1RUUm8SA9MOBp_pLnGHxKQ12-vvcStGb5lw8W0bBhOG5mpqVsje_HheFjplND

He was the most powerful Sith lord who ever lived. But could he be the only one who never died?

At long last, the story of the mysterious Sith Lord, Darth Plagueis, and his apprentice, Darth Sidious, is revealed!

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MR g Written by Alan Lightman $24.95 http://information.randomhouse.com/HS?a=ENX7CkR1RUUm8SA9MOBp_pLnGHxKQ12-v_cStGb5lw8W0bBhOG5mpqVsje_HheFjplNA

"As I remember, I had just woken up from a nap when I decided to create the universe."

So begins Alan Lightman's playful and profound new novel, MR g, the story of Creation as told by God. With echoes of Calvino and Rushdie, combining science, theology, and moral philosophy, MR g is a stunning, imaginative work that celebrates the tragic and joyous nature of existence on the grandest possible scale

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AN AVAILABLE MAN Written by Hilma Wolitzer $25.00 http://information.randomhouse.com/HS?a=ENX7CkR1RUUm8SA9MOBp_pLnGHxKQ12-vPcStGb5lw8W0bBhOG5mpqVsje_HheFjplNB

In this tender and funny novel, award-winning author Hilma Wolitzer mines the unpredictable fallout of suddenly becoming single later in life, and the chaos and joys of falling in love the second time around.

"I'm completely in love with this particular available man.... What a gratifying read: wit! poignancy! authenticity!"--Elinor Lipman, author of THEN SHE FOUND ME

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THE WOMAN IN BLACK (MOVIE TIE-IN EDITION) Written by Susan Hill $14.00 http://information.randomhouse.com/HS?a=ENX7CkR1RUUm8SA9MOBp_pLnGHxKQ12-vfcStGb5lw8W0bBhOG5mpqVsje_HheFjplNG

A classic ghost story: the chilling tale of a menacing specter haunting a small English town. Psychologically terrifying and deliciously eerie, THE WOMAN IN BLACK is a remarkable thriller of the first rate. Now a major motion piture starring Daniel Radcliffe

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CONQUEROR Written by Conn Iggulden $27.00 http://information.randomhouse.com/HS?a=ENX7CkR1RUUm8SA9MOBp_pLnGHxKQ12-svcStGb5lw8W0bBhOG5mpqVsje_HheFjplNH

From bestselling author Conn Iggulden comes a magnificent saga with a new hero for the ages--the legendary, visionary conqueror Kublai Khan.

"Invigorating . . . zesty historical fiction, the kind with plenty of unbridled combat, accurate research, rampaging hordes and believable characters from very different cultures whose motivation rings true across the centuries."--USA Today

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THE QUALITY OF MERCY Written by Barry Unsworth $26.95 http://information.randomhouse.com/HS?a=ENX7CkR1RUUm8SA9MOBp_pLnGHxKQ12-s_cStGb5lw8W0bBhOG5mpqVsje_HheFjplNE

Barry Unsworth returns to the terrain of his Booker Prize-winning novel SACRED HUNGER, this time following Sullivan, the Irish fiddler, and Erasmus Kemp, son of a Liverpool slave ship owner who hanged himself. With historical sweep and deep pathos, Unsworth explores the struggles of the powerless and the captive against the rich and the powerful, and what weight mercy may throw on the scales of justice.

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THE BAKER'S DAUGHTER Written by Sarah McCoy $23.00 http://information.randomhouse.com/HS?a=ENX7CkR1RUUm8SA9MOBp_pLnGHxKQ12-sPcStGb5lw8W0bBhOG5mpqVsje_HheFjplNF

In the tradition of SARAH'S KEY and THOSE WHO SAVE US, Sarah McCoy returns with a timely novel about the politics of exclusion, the terrible choices we face in wartime, and the redemptive power of love.

"A beautiful, heart-breaking gem of a novel..."--Tatiana de Rosnay, author of SARAH'S KEY and A SECRET KEPT

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THE WINTER PALACE Written by Eva Stachniak $26.00 http://information.randomhouse.com/HS?a=ENX7CkR1RUUm8SA9MOBp_pLnGHxKQ12-sfcStGb5lw8W0bBhOG5mpqVsje_HheFjplNK

This passionate, impeccably researched novel illuminates the early life of one of history's boldest women, Catherine the Great. THE WINTER PALACE tells the epic story of Catherine's improbable rise to power--as seen through the ever-watchful eyes of an all-but-invisible servant close to the throne.

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BOOKS FOR YOUNG READERS

SPLIT Written by Swati Avasthi $8.99 http://information.randomhouse.com/HS?a=ENX7CkR1RUUm8SA9MOBp_pLnGHxKQ12-tvcStGb5lw8W0bBhOG5mpqVsje_HheFjplNL

Sixteen-Year-Old Jace Witherspoon arrives at the doorstep of his estranged brother Christian with a re-landscaped face (courtesy of his father's fist), $3.84, and a secret.

With SPLIT, Swati Avasthi has created a riveting and remarkably nuanced portrait of what happens after. After you've said enough, after you've run, after you've made the split--how do you begin to live again? ======================================================================

This offer is valid for customers residing in the United States of America who place orders online through www.randomhouse.com. Note: www.randomhouse.com does not fulfill orders internationally. Customers must enter the promotion code SNOWY12 at checkout to qualify for the promotion. Coupon code valid through March 31, 2012.