Books: New and noteworthy

USA TODAY's Jocelyn McClurg scopes out the hottest books on sale each week.

1. Mademoiselle Chanel by C.W. Gortner (William Morrow, fiction, on sale March 17)

What it's about: Historical fiction about the famed designer (1883–1971) who brought us the "little black dress."

The buzz: "An admiring portrait of the designer … told in the first person as she looks back over her life," says Kirkus Reviews.

2. Where You Go Is Not Who You'll Be by Frank Bruni (Grand Central, non-fiction, on sale March 17)

What it's about: Makes the case that college applicants will survive, and no doubt even thrive, if they don't get into Harvard, Yale or Princeton.

The buzz: This "antidote to college admissions mania" grew out of an Op-Ed column for The New York Times.

3. Better Than Before: Mastering the Habits of Our Everyday Lives by Gretchen Rubin (Crown, non-fiction, on sale March 17)

What it's about: Self-help for those who need advice on how to change bad habits.

The buzz: Rubin's The Happiness Project spent 41 weeks in USA TODAY's Top 150.

4. Unplayable Lies (The Only Golf Book You'll Ever Need) by Dan Jenkins (Doubleday, non-fiction, on sale March 17)

What it's about: Essays on the difficulty of hitting that little white ball, by the author of Semi-Tough.

The buzz: Jenkins is one of the few sports scribes inducted into the World Golf Hall of Fame.

5. A Dangerous Place by Jacqueline Winspear (Harper, fiction, on sale March 17)

What it's about: In this 11th installment in the Maisie Dobbs mystery series, our heroine is caught up in the Spanish Civil War in 1937.

The buzz: "Another winner from Winspear," says Booklist in a starred review.