The Book Report: Washington Post critic Ron Charles (January 26)

By Washington Post book critic Ron CharlesThe year is already off to a great start:     Adam Ross's terrific new novel, "Playworld," is dipped in nostalgia and flecked with love and sorrow.It's 1980 in New York: Griffin Hurt is a successful teenage actor who just wants to pass his classes, excel on the wrestling team and date a pretty girl, but instead he's got to deal with fame, his parents' ambitions, predatory adults, and his own yearning for authenticity.

Drawing on his experiences as a child actor, Ross blends a child's innocence with a man's wry reflection to produce a big, irresistible story.READ AN EXCERPT: "Playworld" by Adam Ross "Playworld" by Adam Ross (Knopf), in Hardcover, eBook and Audio formats, available via Amazon, Barnes & Noble and Bookshop.orgFollow Adam Ross on InstagramAs you forage through this winter's new books, you are not likely to find a more charming novel than "Tartufo." Kira Jane Buxton's story about truffle-mania whisks us away to Italy and serves up one buttery page of comedy after another.

At the start, a little Tuscan village is dying, and the new mayor is desperate to attract tourists.As luck would have it, in a nearby forest, a truffle-hunter and his dogs are about to discover the largest truffle in the world.

It's a miracle that could bring untold riches and worldwide attention – or unimaginable disaster! READ AN EXCERPT: "Tartufo" by Kira Jane Buxton"Tartufo" by Kira Jane Buxton (Grand Central Publishing), in Hardcover, eBook and Audio formats, available January 28 via Amazon, Barnes & Noble and Bookshop.orgkirajanebuxton.comTired of winter? In Alafair Burke's new thriller "The Note," three women who've been friends for years gather for a sun-filled vacation in the Hamptons.One night, on their way to dinner, a couple in a white sedan cuts them off and steals their parking space.

Incensed, one of the women leaves a damning note on his windshield.It's just a prank, after all.

But t...