A smattering of genres

Here's a quick snapshot of the wide-ranging novels we've put out on the New Book shelves this week:
The Good Humor Man by Andrew Fox. Part science fiction, part satire on society's fascination with thinness, this novel comes from the author of the Fat White Vampire books. The year is 2041, fattening foods are against the law, liposuction addicts litter the country and everyone is hooked on 'fat-burning' nutritional supplements. Enter Dr. Louis Shmalzberg, an ex-plastic surgeon and one-time leader of the anti-fat movement. He has come to see the error of his ways, and his attempts to save civilization from becoming too thin lead to interesting consequences. For Douglas Adams and Ray Bradbury fans.
Never the Bride by Cheryl McKay and Reene Gutteridge is a Christian chick-lit novel. Jessie Stone is a classic "always a bridesmaid but never a bride" heroine who longs for a wedding (and a groom) of her own. She's so focused on her own plans and schemes that when God shows up in the flesh to help her, she has difficulty letting go and turning control of her life over to God.
Deadly Intent by Lynda La Plante is the fourth book featuring Detective Inspector Anna Travis. This story focuses on the hunt for a drug trafficker that may have been involved in the murder of an ex-colleague. What makes things more complicated for DI Travis is that she ends up working with DCI Langton not long after their breakup. If you are a fan of the PBS series Prime Suspect, you will enjoy this series (since they were both written by La Plante).
This is How by M. J. Hyland is a difficult book. Set on the coast of England in a drab boarding house (a difficult place to live), the narrator is a young man who has spent his entire life having difficulty being happy, difficulty maintaining relationships, and difficulty finding his place in the world. He has dropped out of college to become a mechanic, and finds the work soothing, but the tensions and unhappiness in his life mount and he ends up in prison (another difficult place to be). A good book for fans of character development and the pain of loneliness.