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Also Out This Summer ...

Science Secrets: The Truth About Dar­win's Finches, Einstein's Wife, and Other Myths by Alberto A. Martínez (University of Pittsburgh Press, May 28): History and science collide in this UT prof's deft unraveling of our most enduring myths. Martínez reads at BookPeople on June 8.

Adrenaline by Jeff Abbott (Grand Cent­ral Publishing, July 1): If you didn't already glean that Adrenaline was a thriller, it's spelled out in big letters on the book jacket. Further evidence? The nail-biting pitch, in which a CIA agent's wife cryptically warns him of an imminent attack on HQ; he wakes up after the explosion the sole survivor ... and the leading suspect. Abbott reads at BookPeople June 29.

The Gap Year by Sarah Bird (Knopf, July 5): If not quite our state Bird then possibly our most beloved, longtime Austin resident Sarah Bird trades off voices here in a dual narrative about a single mom and her newly rebellious teen daughter. BookPeople hosts the launch party July 5.

Close Your Eyes by Amanda Eyre Ward (Random House, July 26): In her latest novel (following her 2009 collection Love Stories in This Town), Ward explores the aftershocks of a brutal murder and the sometimes suspect quality of the memories we hold fast to. BookPeople hosts the launch party July 29.