Loves Books and Tea

Book Nerd Video

2012-01-15T10:37:00.000-08:00

I found this on the blog of one of my quilter friends, Poppyprint. Quilters are usually readers, too.

December 2011 Reads

2012-01-01T20:35:00.000-08:00

117 11/22/1963 by Stephen King
118 The Drop by Michael Connelly
119 Shock Wave by John Sandford
120 Drifting House by Krys Lee
125 Pronto by Elmore Leonard
126 When The Women Come Out To Dance by Elmore Leonard
127 Scorpio Races by Maggie Stiefvater
128 Lamberto Lamberto Lamberto Lamberto by Gianni Rodari
129 No Beast So Fierce by Edward Bunker
130 Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close by Jonathan Safran Foer
131 The Ones You Do by Daniel Worrell
132 A Partial History Of Lost Causes by Jennifer Dubois

I was pretty lucky this month, I really loved most of what I read. I loved, loved loved all but two. 11/22/63 is outstanding. King is a great writer, but I don't read a lot of horror, so I don't read him often. This novel involves time-travel, and I loved it. It's over 850 pages, and I could barely stand to put it down. Micheal Connelly and John Sandford are must reads for me, and their lastest didn't disappoint. I re-read When The Women Come Out to Dance, because one of my favorite TV characters is in it, Raylan Gibbons, he's also in Pronto. Love that man. The Ones You Do is an older novel, I had to search for it; it's probably the best first person crime novel you'll ever read.

I read two novels for young readers that were marvelous. Lamberto Lamberto Lamberto Lamberto was an outstanding fable; and Scorpio Races was a fantastic fantasy that I think would be a great movie.

The only "weak sisters" here were Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close and A Partial History Of Lost Causes. They weren't bad, just not my cup of tea.

Merry Christmas

2011-12-24T08:30:00.000-08:00

source

I thought this was a fun image to use to wish all the "book nerds", Merry Christmas. I decided to do a book give away over on the family blog. Check it out by clicking on "family" on the task bar at the top of the blog.

Jonathan Lethem: Bookselling Was 'My University'

2011-12-21T08:38:00.000-08:00

This is what's it's really like to be a bookseller. To heck with what "everyone's reading"! Most likely it's not as good as 100 other new books.

Jonathan Lethem: Bookselling Was 'My University'

"I think of bookstore jobs as my university. The physical trade of books was a hallowed way to become a writer in the pre-MFA era. It was the only work I wanted to do, and the only work I was qualified to do.... With bookstores, you go in and you find the things you weren't looking for. The clerk is doing that 24/7--my reading was shaped by what was left behind. And you develop a loathing for the false canon--the two books each year that everybody is supposed to read.... You can't hang onto those sacred quarantines when you see the mad diversity around you."

--Jonathan Lethem, recalling his time as a bookseller for a Salon article on the vanishing bricks-and-mortar shop clerk

November 2011 Reads

2011-12-02T18:31:00.000-08:00

source

109 The Detachment by Barry Eisler
110 The Map of True Places by Brunonia Barry
111 The Outlaw Album by Daniel Woodrell
112 The Tiger's Wife by Tea Obreht
113 Wayward Saints by Suzzy Roche
114 The Long Legged Fly by James Sallis
115 House Secrets by Mike Lawson
116 Cardboard Gods by Josh Wilker

I didn't get much read this month. Last month I read four of the five books nominated for 2011 National Book Award , this month I read the fifth one, The Tiger's Wife, it was OK, but for me far from fabulous.

I only "loved" two of this month's reads. Wayward Saints by Suzzy Roche, is rockin' fabulous and The Long Legged Fly by James Sallis was great. I also recomment House Secrets by Mike Lawson; a good solid read.

Upcoming Books to Movies

2011-11-30T07:57:00.000-08:00

This is one of my favorite books, written by a great historian. Here's the blurb from today's Shelf Awareness:

Universal optioned the movie rights to Erik Larson's In the Garden of Beasts: Love, Terror, and an American Family in Hitler's Berlin for Tom Hanks and Gary Goetzman to produce through their Playtone Company, with Hanks "eyeing the project as a potential starring vehicle," according to the Hollywood Reporter.

Larson's earlier book, The Devil and the White City, "is in development by Leonardo DiCaprio and his Appian Way shingle," THR noted.

If you haven't read both of these books, you should. I'm bossy, I know.

What a loss for book people

2011-11-23T08:11:00.000-08:00

From todays' Shelf Awarness:

Obituary Note: Anne McCaffrey

Anne McCaffrey, author of nearly 100 books, co-author of more than 30 and best known for the Dragonriders of Pern series, died on Monday at her home in Ireland. She was 85.

McCaffrey was the first woman to win a Hugo Award (in 1968) and the first woman to win a Nebula (in 1969). She was the daughter of an army colonel, was born in Cambridge, Mass., and grew up in Montclair, N.J. She was inducted into the Science Fiction Hall of Fame in 2006.

I'm not a huge Fantasy fan, but I read all of the Dragon Riders of Pern series. When I first became a bookseller, almost eleven years ago, I asked one of the booksellers who lived and breathed Fantasy, to recommend something for me to read. I think booksellers should be widely read and this series is really good. I since have read a few more fantasy series, thanks to this positive experience.

October 2011 Reads

2011-11-01T08:37:00.000-07:00

100 Salvage the Bones by Jesmyn Ward
101 The Call by Yannick Murphy
102 Horse Soldiers by Doug Stanton
103 The Great Leader by Jim Harris
104 The Buddha in the Attic by Julie Otsuka
105 Thick As Thieves by Peter Spiegelman
106 The Affair by Lee Child
107 Immortal Bird by Doron Weber
108 The Sojourn by Andrew Krivak

Horse Soldiers by Doug Stanton, is a not to be missed history book. It's about a small band of Special Forces soldiers, who secretly entered Afghanistan following 9/11 and rode to war on horses against the Taliban. Before leaving the US they were forced to go to retail stores to buy their supplies! Horse Soldiers is an outstanding read!

I'm also highly recommending The Call by Yannick Murphy. I love when fiction reads like a memoir and this is a unique and heartfelt portrait of a family, poignant and rich in humor and imagination. You'll be glad you pick this paperback up.

The only memoir I read this month is Immortal Bird by Doron Weber. Man can this guy write! This is a stirring, gorgeously written memoir of a father's fight to save his son's life. The story is mostly positive and life affirming, but it is sad at the end. A great read.

One of my favorite authors, is Lee Child. His character is Jack Reacher. Reacher is smart and capable. Men and women love reading about him, but mostly men. He's really a man's man. The latest installment, The Affair, is an excellent read. If you haven't read Lee Child, start with The Killing Floor, the first Jack Reacher novel.

Thick As Thieves by Peter Spiegelman is a terrifically suspenseful and psychologically complex thriller. The story takes you inside a hair-raising heist, where paranoia hangs as heavy as the tropical heat, and the only law is Murphy’s. It was a good read, not a quick beach read, you have to pay attention when reading.

Five books were nominated for the 2011 National Book Award. I managed to read three of them. Salvage the Bones by Jesmyn West, The Buddha in the Attic by Julie Otsuka, I really liked both of these books, and highly recommend them. The third one The Sojourn by Andrew Krivak was a great family tale. I started a fourth, Shards by Ismet Prcic , and couldn't get past 50 pages, not a good sign. I din't finish it, so it didn't make this list.

If you don't read my family blog, you may not know, I'm no longer working part-time at Barnes and Noble. My husband is having health problems, he was in the hospital 10 days in October, and my first priority is Bob. I've always read a lot, and I'll still be reading a lot, and posting about books, at least once a month.

Quote of the Day

2011-10-26T09:26:00.000-07:00

The Book, Greatest Weapon in War Against Stupidity

"The book is second only to the wheel as the best piece of technology human beings have ever invented. A book symbolises the whole intellectual history of mankind; it's the greatest weapon ever devised in the war against stupidity."

--Author Philip Pullman in a speech at the Library Campaign's conference, printed in the Bookseller

I couldn't agree more.

a good deal

2011-10-06T19:42:00.000-07:00

One of my daughters just listed 109 books on Ebay, for 99 cents each, you can check them out, here.

September 2011 reads

2011-10-02T10:32:00.000-07:00

91 The Two Deaths of Daniel Hayes by Marcus Sakey
92 The Taste of Salt by Martha Southgate
93 Under The Bright Lights by Daniel Worrell
94 Volt by Alan Heathcock
95 The Hand That Trembles by Kjell Eriksson
96 Letters to a Soldier by Julia Spencer-Fleming
97 Second Son by Lee Child
98 In The Bleak Midwinter by Julia Spencer-Fleming
99 American Boy by Larry Watson

This month I discovered a "new to me" author, Julia Spencer-Fleming. Every Friday B&N, offers a free download of an e-book. These offerings are pretty interesting and sometimes I download them. Letters to a Soldier, a short story, and In The Bleak Midwinter, by Spencer-Fleming, was one offer. I have to say, I've shelved her books for years and was never tempted to open them; based on the titles and the artwork, I could never imagine the great writing inside. It just goes to show, your really can't tell a book by it's cover!

I also read offerings from four of my fave authors, Watson, Child, Worrell and Sakey. It doesn't get any better!

Banned Books Week

2011-09-29T00:59:00.000-07:00

This great video is from a couple of years ago.

August 2011 Reads

2011-09-01T07:44:00.000-07:00

77 I'll Never Get Out OF This World Alive by Steve Earle
78 The Language of Flowers by Vanessa Diffenbaugh
79 Domestic Violets by Matthew Norman
80 State of Wonder by Ann Patchett
81 A Grown-up Kind of Pretty by Joshilyn Jackson
82 The Gentlemen's Hour by Don Winslow
83 Cypress Grove by James Sallis
84 If Jack's in Love by Stephen Wetta
85 Kill Alex Cross by James Patterson
86 The Stranger by You Seek Amanda Kyle Williams
87 Drive by James Sallis
88 The Cut by George Pelecanos
89 The Power of Six by Pittacus Lore
90 All These Things I've Done by Gabrielle Zevin

The Language of Flowers by Vanessa Diffenbaugh is an outstanding debut novel. I loved it and think everyone should read it. I'll Never Get Out OF This World Alive is the first novel by Steve Earle; his earlier short story collections was fabulous, as was this one. If Jack's in Love by Stephen Wetta is another good debut novel, I highly recommend.

I read some of my favorite authors this month. These are authors who I've read everything they've written. The Gentlemen's Hour by Don Winslow and The Cut by George Pelecanos did not disappoint. Love these guys.

I've discovered a new to me author James Sallis. I ordered a stack of his books, used, and dove in. I really loved Drive, Cypress Grove was medium. I'm looking forward to reading the rest.

All These Things I've Done by Gabrielle Zevin is a YA novel. Imagine Chocolate and Coffee being illegal, gets your curiosity up, doesn't it? I really enjoyed this novel.

The Littlest Library

2011-08-02T08:20:00.000-07:00

How charming is this? I found this in my daily Shelf Awareness for Readers email.

Imagine finding a lending library in your local park, grocery store parking lot--or even at the end of your street. Little Free Libraries, the brainchild of two Wisconsin entrepreneurs, are tiny, freestanding containers that can hold a small number of books, anywhere from five to two dozen volumes.

Each Little Free Library can be slightly different. Todd Bol and Rick Brooks designed the first one to look like an old-fashioned one-room schoolhouse. Dedicated to Bol's mother, it is located just a few blocks from the Hudson, Wis., riverfront. But while the actual libraries are so cute they're almost twee, they have a very serious purpose behind them. The men want to help communities worldwide increase access to books, raise literacy--and surpass famed magnate Andrew Carnegie's record of building 2,509 free libraries.

On their site, Bol and Brooks not only sell plans so that you can build your own Little Free Library, but offer premade models and sponsorship opportunities, as well.

July 2011 Reads

2011-08-01T08:04:00.000-07:00

67 Birds of Paradise by Diana Abu-Jaber
68 Fracture by Megan Miranda
69 Buried Prey by John Sandford
70 Turn of Mind by Alice LaPlante
71 The Eighty-Dollar Champion by Elizabeth Letts
72 Nightwatch by Sergei Lukyanenko
73 The Hypnotist by Lars Kepler
74 A Drop of the Hard Stuff by Lawrence Block
75 The New York Regional Mormon Singles Halloween Dance by Elna Baker
76 The Silver Linings Playbook by Matthew Quick

Another great month of reading. I literally laughed until tears were running down my cheeks while reading The New York Regional Mormon Singles Halloween Dance; it's a terrific memoir. The Eighty-Dollar Champion is the other non-fiction title on the list. It's a very inspiring tale, literally plow horse to show horse.

Turn of Mind is a hard to put down debut novel. It's selling like hotcakes at the bookstore. I love John Sanford and Lawrence Block, their newest installments are outstanding. The Hypnotist was a great Swedish police procedural, I hope Farrar, Straus and Giroux continue to publish Kepler.

I read The Silver Linings Playbook because it's going to be made into a movie. It was really a great read.

Widget

2011-07-06T08:22:00.000-07:00

I've added a new widget, over on the right. Fill it out for a chance to win a free book. You'll also be signing up for Shelf Awareness for Readers.

The publication booksellers turn to for news on the book industry is now publishing a version for book lovers! Shelf Awareness: Enlightenment for Readers is a FREE emailed newsletter with reviews on the 25 best books publishing each week along with author interviews, book excerpts, giveaways and more. Right now they’re running a contest for new subscribers. Check out the widget on our website to sign up for the new publication and to be entered for a chance to win a great book!

Fellow Book Blogger

2011-06-27T13:07:00.000-07:00

There are thousand of book bloggers. I met Lisa of Starmetal Oak Book Blog, while standing in line at the BEA. We talked while waiting in line for John Scalzi's Fuzzy Nation. I really liked her and thought I'd pass along her book review blog for you to check out. If you enjoy Fantasy and/or Science Fiction, YA or Historical Fiction check Starmetal Oak out.

BEA Book and Author Breakfast

2011-06-03T08:42:00.000-07:00

This year, these were really really great, as usual.

TUESDAY, CHILDREN’S BOOK & AUTHOR BREAKFAST
The opening-day breakfast will featured Brian Selznick, author of Wonderstruck (Scholastic); Sarah Dessen, author of What Happened to Goodbye (Viking Children’s Books/Penguin Young Readers Group); and Kevin Henkes, author of Little White Rabbit and Junonia (Greenwillow Books/HarperCollins). Julianne Moore, author of Freckleface Strawberry: Best Friends Forever (Bloomsbury) was the Master of Ceremonies.

WEDNESDAY, BOOK & AUTHOR BREAKFAST
Wednesday morning will featured Diane Keaton, author of Then Again (Random House); Jefferey Eugenides, author of The Marriage Plot (Farrar, Straus and Giroux); and Charlaine Harris, author of Dead Reckoning (Ace/Penguin Group USA). Mindy Kaling, author of Is Everyone Hanging Out Without Me? (And Other Concerns) (Crown Archetype) was the Master of Ceremonies.

Since I don't watch TV, I had no idea who Mindy Kaling was, but she was really funny. Dianne Keatons' presentation was very touching, but I was thinking the whole time, "She's an actress, that's what she does." I may be jaded!

THURSDAY, BOOK & AUTHOR BREAKFAST
Thursday morning featured Roger Ebert, author of Life Itself: A Memoir (Grand Central); Anne Enright, author of The Forgotten Waltz (W.W. Norton); and Erik Larson, author of In the Garden of Beasts: Love, Terror, and an American Family in Hitler’s Berlin (Crown Publishers). Jim Lehrer, author of Tension City: Inside the Presidential Debates, from Kennedy-Nixon to McCain-Obama (Random House) was the Master of Ceremonies.

In spite of his health problems that leave him unable to speak, Roger Ebert was very funny. He used a computer voice, ala Star Wars, and he pantomimed while his wife read parts of him book. It was very funny and touching. I've finished Larson's and Enright's books, they were outstanding. I'm really looking forward to Lehrer's Tension City, it sounded fantastic.

2011-06-03T08:05:00.000-07:00

Here's a collage of the wonderful children's authors who braved the Speed Dating with Children's Authors at BEA, sponsored by the ABC Children's Group at ABA and the Children's Book Council. This is an event I try to never miss. The years that Bob attended BEA with me, he always thought it was one of the best events of the many offered; and I agree.

Not all the authors or there agents made the books available, above are the presented books I shipped home. The book that's generating a lot of buzz is I Want My Hat Back by Jon Klassen.

Editors Buzz Reports from the 2011 BEA

2011-06-03T07:52:00.000-07:00

forgive the poor photo!

These are the books the editors presented, Monday afternoon, for the Adult Editors Buzz. They were so very passionate about their books. I've already read "We The Animals", it was great. I'm waiting for my shipment to arrive to read some of the others. I'm really excited about The Night Circus and The Art of Fielding.

THE ART OF FIELDING by Chad Harbach, Little, Brown and Company – Michael Pietsch, VP & Publisher
THE NIGHT CIRCUS by Erin Morgenstern, Doubleday – Alison Callahan, Executive Editor
THE UNDERSIDE OF JOY by Sere Prince Halverson, Dutton – Denise Roy, Sr. Editor
RUNNING THE RIFT by Naomi Benaron, Algonquin – Kathy Pories, Sr. Editor
BIRDS OF PARADISE by Diana Abu-Jaber, W.W. Norton - Alane Salierno Mason, VP & Sr. Editor
WE THE ANIMALS by Justin Torres, Houghton Mifflin Harcourt – Jenna Johnson, Sr. Editor

At the Young Adult Editors Buzz, on Tuesday afternoon, four great books were presented. Only Little Brown gave out an ARC and I'm looking forward to reading it. Believe me, they all sounded good.

THE UNBECOMING OF MARA DYER by Michelle Hodkin, Simon & Schuster Children's Publishing - Courtney Bongiolatti, Editor
AU REVOIR CRAZY EUROPEAN CHICK by Joe Schreiber, Houghton Mifflin Harcourt – Margret Raymo, Sr. Executive Editor
DAUGHTER OF SMOKE AND BONE by Laini Turner, Little, Brown Books for Young Readers – Alvina Ling, Executive Editor
DOWN THE MYSTERLY RIVER by Bill Willingham, Tor & Forge Books/ Macmillan – Susan Chang, Sr. Editor

BEA Middle Grade Editors Buzz was on Wednesday afternoon. It was really insightful and passionate; it's so wonderful to hear the editors speak.

THE UNWANTEDS by Lisa McMann, Simon & Schuster Children's Publishing – Lisa Abrams, Editor
WILDWOOD by Colin Meloy, Balzer + Bray - Donna Bray, VP & Co-Publisher
ICEFALL by Matthew Kirby, Scholastic Press - Lisa A. Sandell, Executive Editor
APOTHECARY by Maile Meloy, G.P. Putnam’s Sons Books for Young Readers - Jennifer Besser, VP and Publisher
THE ASHTOWN BURIALS #1: THE DRAGONS TOOTH by N.D. Wilson, Random House Children’s Books – Jim Thomas, Editorial Dir.

In total, I shipped 100 pounds of books home. I'm just waiting for UPS, now, so I can sort them out.

June 2011 Reads

2011-06-01T07:35:00.000-07:00

56 The Soldier's Wife by Margaret Leroy

57 Joy for Beginners by Erica Bauermeister

58 The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern

59 American Dervish by Ayad Akhtar

60 The Devil All The Time by Donald Ray Pollock

61 The Art of Fielding by Chad Harbach

62 Calling Mr. King by Donald De Feo

63 Attachments by Rainbow Rowell

64 Daughter of Smoke and Bone by Laini Taylor

65 Girls in White Dresses by Jennifer Close

66 Lam by Bonnie Nadzam

Another great reading month. Three must read stand-outs, this month, Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern, Daughter of Smoke and Bone by Laini Taylor, and Calling Mr. King by Donald De Feo, are all fabulous. You really must read them.

Two new chic-lit and/or book group titles are Joy for Beginners by Erica Bauermeister and Girls in White Dresses by Jennifer Close. I enjoyed them both. These are not stupid chic lit titles, but very good ones.

The Soldier's Wife by Margaret Leroy and Attachments by Rainbow Rowell fall in the general fiction category, and may get lost, but they are both wonderful novels for any reader.

If you love baseball you'll want to read The Art of Fielding by Chad Harbach. Baseball doesn't make the journey to fiction very often.

A word of caution about Lamb by Bonnie Nadzam, it's beautifully written, but Lamb is one weird dude, who belongs behind bars or needs to be killed. Just sayin' how I feel.

May 2011 Reads

2011-06-01T07:33:00.000-07:00

45 All the Pretty Horses - Cormac McCarthy
46 Original Sin - Beth McMullen
47 Sleepless - Charlie Houston
48 Noah Barleywater Runs Away - John Boyne
49 Tabloid City - Pete Hamill
50 A Visit From The Goon Squad - Jennifer Egan
51 The Snowman - Jo Nesbo
52 The Final Testament of the Holy Bible - James Frey
53 Lions of Lucerne - Brad Thor
54 We the Animals - Justin Torres
55 The Forgotten Waltz - Anne Enright

A great month for reading. I re-read All The Pretty Horses by Cormac McCarthy, one of my all time favorite books. The Snowman by Nesbo was excellent; as was The Final Testamanet of the Holy Bible by James Fry, love that guy. Original Sin by Beth McMullen, is due out next month, great fun. We the Animals by Justin Torres, due in September is the Mighty Mouse of new books; a small, wonderful must read. The Forgotten Waltz by Anne Enright is due in October; I'm not a big fan of all things Irish, but I loved this touching book.

Inbox

2011-05-14T17:00:00.000-07:00

Lots of good reading, I hope, came to my door this week. All but 2 are ARC's from the publishers. I bought Sleepless by Charlie Huston, he's on my long list of favorites; and A Visit From The Goon Squad by Jennifer Egan. Egan won a National Book Critics Circle Award in March, then the Pulitzer Prize for this. I thought I should read it. So many books, so little time.

Children's Book Week Launches with Gala, Awards

2011-05-03T07:57:00.000-07:00

This is re-posted from my daily Shelf Awareness email. There are some great children's and teens books out there, now. I read Will Grayson, Will Grayson by John Green and David Levithan, and thought it was great. Of course, I've read all of John Greens' YA books.

Children's Book Week Launches with Gala, Awards

Rick Riordan and David Wiesner took the top prizes last night at a gala to kick off Children’s Book Week, hosted by the CBC Foundation at the Lighthouse in New York City. Children across the country cast more than 500,000 votes for their favorite books, author and artist at bookstores, libraries and atwww.BookWeekOnline.com. The total is more than the last three years' votes combined, according to the evening’s host, Jarrett J. Krosoczka.

Rick Riordan won Author of the Year for The Lost Hero(The Heroes of Olympus, Book 1) (Disney-Hyperion). Riordan also won in the Fifth Grade to Sixth Grade Book of the Year category for his The Red Pyramid(The Kane Chronicles, Book 1) (Disney-Hyperion). David Wiesner won Illustrator of the Year for Art & Max(Clarion/Houghton Mifflin Harcourt). As Krosoczka tried to introduce the winners of the Newbery and Caldecott medals (to present the author and illustrator of the year awards), Snooki--bearing a striking resemblance to a spray-tanned Jon Scieszka in drag--once again tried to derail the proceedings. She seemed obsessed with "Johnny Newbery" and "Randy Caldecott," having sidelined them earlier this year in the Today Show green room.

The CBC Foundation had planned to honor Greg Mortenson’s foundation, the Central Asia Institute, with its annual Impact Award. However, National Ambassador for Young People Katherine Paterson announced that, given the controversy surrounding the Central Asia Institute, the CBC Foundation would not be presenting an Impact Award this year. Paterson stressed, however, that the CBC's belief in "peace through education remains unwavering--every individual can make a difference,” she said. "Storytelling is a powerful way to make a difference."

LeVar Burton, who hosted and produced Reading Rainbow for 26 years, appeared as a special guest. "In my house, reading was like breathing," he said. His mother was always reading in front of Burton and his two sisters and had two or three books going at a time. "Roots proved the power of television in eight consecutive nights," he said, emphasizing its subtitle, "The Saga of an American Family" and its reach into families' living rooms across the U.S. He continued, "It was a powerful medium to bring children back to the written word."

The nonprofit organization First Book will donate 5,000 books in the name of each of the 2011 Children’s choice Book Award winners--30,000 in all. (See the Children’s Book Week events taking place across the nation here.)

The complete list of Children’s Choice Book Award winners:

Author of the Year: Rick Riordan for The Lost Hero (The Heroes of Olympus, Book 1) (Disney-Hyperion)

Illustrator of the Year: David Wiesner for Art & Max(Clarion/Houghton Mifflin Harcourt)

Kindergarten to Second Grade Book of the Year: Little Pink Pup by Johanna Kerby (Putnam/Penguin)

Third Grade to Fourth Grade Book of the Year: Lunch Lady and the Summer Camp Shakedown by Jarrett J. Krosoczka (Knopf/Random House)

Fifth Grade to Sixth Grade Book of the Year: The Red Pyramid (The Kane Chronicles, Book 1) by Rick Riordan (Disney-Hyperion)
Teen Choice Book of the Year: Will Grayson, Will Grayson by John Green and David Levithan (Dutton/Penguin)

Bounty

2011-05-02T14:33:00.000-07:00

We just returned from a 16 day vacation, when Bob picked up the mail at the post office, this morning, the container was very heavy, thanks to these books. Bob only got one book, The President's Vampire. He read the first book in the series, and really loved it. The rest are for me. I ordered The Bayou Trilogy; Daniel Woodrell is a fantastic writer, and I can't wait to dive into it. The rest are ARCs from the publishers. Some look good and some look fun, how much more can you wish for.

April 2011 Reads

2011-05-01T13:07:00.000-07:00

27 So Much Pretty - Cara Hoffman
28 Okay For Now - Gary D. Schmidt
29 Hidden Prey - John Sandford
30 The Knitting Circle - Ann Hood
31 After the Quake - Haruki Murakami
32 Depths - Henning Mankell
33 Our Boys - Joe Drape
34 Cover-up John - Feinstein
35 The Long Walk - Slavomir Rawicz
36 Things Fall Apart - Chinue Achebe
37 Left Neglected - Lisa Genova
38 Blood Game - Iris Johansen
39 House of Sand and Fog - Andre Dubus III
40 The Dead Man - Lee Goldberg
41 Highway to Vengeance - Brian Springer
42 Incendiary - Chris Cleave
43 Dead Zero - Stephen Hunter
44 Started Early Took My Dog - Kate Atkinson

Two great YA titles, this month: Cover-up by a great sportswriter, John Feinstein and Okay for Now by Gary D. Schmidt. Several adults books I highly recommend: The Knitting Circle, Our Boys, The Long Walk, Left Neglected, Highway to Vengeance, Dead Zero and Started Early Took My Dog.

Banned Books

2011-04-12T08:08:00.000-07:00

From Shelf Awareness:

Yesterday, the American Library Association released its list of the top 10 list most frequently challenged books of 2010. The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins made the list this time in "what's become a virtual rite of passage for young adult sensations," the Associated Press (via theWashington Post) reported.

"I've read in passing that people were concerned about the level of violence in the books," Collins said. "That's not unreasonable. They are violent. It's a war trilogy."

This year's top 10 are:

And Tango Makes Three by Peter Parnell and Justin Richardson Reasons
The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian by Sherman Alexie
Brave New World by Aldous Huxley
Crank by Ellen Hopkins
The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins
Lush by Natasha Friend
What My Mother Doesn't Know by Sonya Sones
Nickel and Dimed by Barbara Ehrenreich
Revolutionary Voices, edited by Amy Sonnie
Twilight by Stephenie Meyer

"It almost makes me happy to hear books still have that kind of power," Alexie said. "And there's nothing in my book that even compares to what kids can find on the Internet."

The ALA reported 348 challenges to books in 2010 and at least 53 outright bans. According to Barbara M. Jones, director of the ALA's Office for Intellectual Freedom, some books on the list "reflect current trends and changes in technology, includingHunger Games, inspired in part by reality television; Aldous Huxley's classic Brave New World, which anticipates antidepressants and artificial fertilization; and a work of nonfiction: Nickel and Dimed, Barbara Ehrenreich's despairing account of trying to get by as a waitress, maid and Walmart worker," the AP noted.

"The closer books come to things that are really happening in a lot of lives, the more they become a reminder of what people don't like to think about," Jones said, adding that Ehrenreich's book "really hits hard what it's like to have a low paying job."

I've only read 4 of these, in red, how about you?

New to you, author

2011-04-08T10:32:00.000-07:00

When Bob and I had our babies, we wished for healthy babies, we really didn't care about their gender. We have two wonderful daughters, and feel very blessed. We couldn't have chosen better, if we tried.

If I had to choose a son or two, I'd choose someone like my son in law, Ole and this author Brian Springer. They're both great guys, intelligent, athletic, handsome and caring. Over the years I've mentioned my SIL, a lot, on various blog posts, so this post is about Brian; who we call Springer, so does his wife, Kim!

Who is Springer?

Brian Springer has been writing fiction for more than ten years. I met him when he was one of our managers at Barnes and Noble in Temecula. Talk about a varied career path, he's also been a financial planner and a baseball player in the Spanish Professional League. He's a really good writer and I've read and tried to help with the editing of many of his books. He had a hard time getting published, many good authors find themselves in this position; and has decided to self publish.

Springer is SoCal guy and spent four years at the University of San Diego playing baseball. He graduated with a degree in Business Administration, and earned his MBA from USD.

Currently, the Springer and Kim live in Temecula, CA with their two children, 10-year old daughter Mikayla, and 8-year old son, Jake.

If you have a nook, buy Springer's book here.
For kindle users, here.
If you want the paperback version, it's here.

What is the book about?

Synopsis from Barnes and Noble:

For fans of Dennis Lehane, Lee Child, and George Pelecanos:

When ex-Navy SEAL Thomas Highway's wife is murdered right in front of his eyes, he sets out to find the men responsible. His investigation leads to Ferdinand Montoya, the former kingpin of a powerful Mexican drug cartel, but before he can exact justice, the Department of Homeland Security steps in and orders him to back off.

Despite threats from the DHS, Highway presses on, and soon finds himself caught up in a conspiracy involving Weapons of Mass Destruction, underground cross-border tunnels, and a shady government agency intent on using Highway to execute their own agenda.

From the sun-drenched beaches of San Diego to the crime-ridden streets of Tijuana, HIGHWAY TO VENGEANCE combines a hard-boiled, neo-noir, first-person POV with modern thriller elements and a dash of real-life SEAL training to create a twisting novel that explores the darkness within us all, the lengths one man will go to avenge his lost love, and the very nature of revenge itself.

March 2011 Reads

2011-04-01T16:49:00.000-07:00

17 Emily and Einstein by Linda Francis Lee

18 Field Gray by Phillip Kerr

19 The Trinity Six by Charles Cumming

20 Athena Project by Brad Thor

21 The Girl Who Became the Beatles by Greg Taylor

22 Gringos by Charles Portis

23 Townie by Andre Dubus III

24 Rogue Island by Bruce Desilva

25 Border Lords by T. Jefferson Parker

Another good month for reading. These are the books I absolutely loved: Border Lords, Rogue Island, Townie. I also thought the Athena Project was great, and Emily and Einstein is great chick-lit.

2011-03-26T12:36:00.000-07:00

My friend Mary, of Work of the Poet, post a fascinating book cover almost every week. If you don't know Mary, you should check out her blogs. She's a great lady.

I was shelving books, today at B&N, and this book caught my eye in the Asian Cookbook section.

I thought, what the heck! So, when I got home I did some research, and Momofuku means peach in Japanese, and there are at least five restaurants with that name in NYC. They all seem rather expensive, even by NYC standards. One is called Momofuku Milk Bar, maybe I'll check that one out when I'm there in May.

Give away

2011-03-20T16:18:00.000-07:00

No, I'm not giving away a book this time, just telling you about one I'd like to win. If you're curious check it out here.

Hope this works out.

2011-03-09T08:17:00.000-08:00

These are two of my favorite authors, I admit, I have a lot of favorites, but husband and wife, Chabon and Waldman are on the list.

Another interesting note from Shelf Awareness:

Authors Michael Chabon and Ayelet Waldman will co-write and executive produce a drama series for HBO, tentatively titled Hobgoblin. According to the Hollywood Reporter, the "potential series centers on a group of magicians and con men who use their skills at deception to battle Hitler and his forces during World War II." Le Grisbi Productions' John Lesher and Adam Kassan will also be executive producers on the project.

Sorry I have to miss this one!

2011-03-09T08:10:00.000-08:00

Cool idea of the day. First Books & Books opened a store in the Cayman Islands--a location we still believe needs onsite inspection. Now the store has come up with another venture we want to cover: it's co-sponsoring a film and literary cruise August 2-14 that sails from Amsterdam to St. Petersburg with stops in Stockholm, Helsinki, Copenhagen, Tallin (Estonia) and Berlin (with a little land travel involved). On board the Celebrity Constellation: Debra Dean, author of The Madonnas of Leningrad, who will lead a tour of the Hermitage Museum in St. Petersburg and discuss its role in her novel; her husband, poet and actor Cliff Dean; and Shelly Isaacs, film expert and commentator who will host a series of contemporary and classic foreign films that will be shown during the cruise. Books & Books hopes to co-sponsor two cruises a year, owner Mitchell Kaplan said. - from today'shttp://www.shelf-awareness.com/.

Cartoon

2011-03-04T14:00:00.000-08:00

This is the BEST! Stolen from here. Please go over there to read it.

Some times I feel as if parents may be like this.

World Book Day

2011-03-03T07:00:00.000-08:00

Today is World Book Day. All of the events I could find, associated with this and World Book Night, appear to be in the UK; my theory is - we should celebrate books where ever we are. Yippee, for books.

February 2011 Reads

2011-03-02T07:31:00.000-08:00

9 Oracle of Stamboul, Michael David Lukas
10 When the Thrill is Gone, Walter Mosley
11 Minding Ben, Victoria Brown
12 A Criminal to Remember, Michael Van Rooy
13 Norwood, Charles Portis
14 The Secret Soldier, Alex Berenson
15 The Revenge of the Radioactive Lady, Elizabeth Stuckey-French
16 When the Killing's Done, T. C. Boyle

February was a great reading month, for me. Three of my favorite, never miss authors, Mosley, Berenson and Van Rooy. Plus I read T. C. Boyle for the first time. I don't know if his back-list is anything like When the Killing's Done, but this book was outstanding.

Time Waster

2011-02-24T17:39:00.000-08:00

Here's a good "bookish" time waster.

Monday Book Give Away

2011-02-14T05:22:00.000-08:00

Happy Valentines Day

It's been a while since I did a give away, but this is a fantastic debut novel. The publisher sent me the
ARC, and I'll pass it on to the winner.

Library Journal

Eleonora Cohen's mother dies after giving birth to her in the Romanian city of Constantţa on the Black Sea in 1877. The child is raised by her doting father, Yakob, a rug merchant, and her cold and calculating aunt. By the time she is four, it is evident that Eleonora is a child prodigy; she reads and speaks several languages. When her father leaves for a trip to Stamboul (as Istanbul was then known in the Ottoman Empire), Eleonora, age eight, stows away on the ship. In Stamboul, Eleonora and her father visit her father's business partner, Turkish aristocrat Moncef Bey, and then tragedy strikes again. Meanwhile, Eleonora's extraordinary genius has come to the attention of the sultan himself, who invites her to his palace and seeks her advice. Soon rumors of the child's powers are flying around the city, and Eleonora has to make a very adult decision. VERDICT This first novel by a promising young writer is both vivid historical fiction and a haunting fable. It will appeal to a wide range of readers. [See Prepub Alert, LJ 9/15/10.]—Leslie Patterson, Rehoboth, MA

This book has already been published.

Here are the simple rules:

You can win more than once.
You must comment on this post. I'd love if you became a follower, but it's not required.
You must have a blog to be eligible to win.
If you have a blog, but are a no-comment blogger, you must leave your email in you comment.

Amazon has named the most romantic cities in the U.S.

2011-02-11T08:30:00.000-08:00

After compiling sales data since New Year's Day for romance novels and relationship books, romantic comedy movies, Barry White recordings and sexual wellness products on a per capita basis in cities with over 100,000 residents. Amazon's Top 20 most romantic cities in the U.S. are:

Alexandria, Va.
Knoxville, Tenn.
Orlando, Fla.
Miami, Fla.
Ann Arbor, Mich.
Columbia, S.C.
Cincinnati, Ohio
Murfreesboro, Tenn.
Gainesville, Fla.
Tallahassee, Fla.
Vancouver, Wash.
Round Rock, Tex.
Pittsburgh, Pa.
Salt Lake City, Utah
Arlington, Va.
Las Vegas, Nev.
Clarksville, Tenn.
St. Louis, Mo.
Dayton, Ohio
Frisco, Tex.

Although we sell tons of Romance novels at our bookstore, California didn't make this list. I guess we're more about Rock and Roll, Murder and Mystery, and just plain good fiction.

Nancy Pearl's Revised 'Rule of 50'

2011-02-10T07:52:00.000-08:00

I think I need to follow this rule. There are so many good and great books waiting to be read, to waste time on a poorly written one. I can only think of two books I didn't finish, once started. I even suffered through to the end of the Da Vinci Code. Speaking of that, Bob recently picked up a mass market book called The Age of Odin, by James Lovegrove. The title caught his attention, our grandson's name is Oden. On the back of the novel is this quote, "The kind of complex, action-oriented SF Dan Brown would write if Dan Brown could write." - the Guardian

Nancy Pearl's Revised 'Rule of 50'

"On the spur of the moment, with no particular psychological or literary theory in mind to justify it, I developed my Rule of 50: Give a book 50 pages. When you get to the bottom of Page 50, ask yourself if you're really liking the book. If you are, of course, then great, keep on reading. But if you're not, then put it down and look for another....

"This rule of 50 worked exceedingly well until I entered my own 50s. As I wended my way toward 60, and beyond, I could no longer avoid the realization that, while the reading time remaining in my life was growing shorter, the world of books that I wanted to read was, if anything, growing larger. In a flash of, if I do say so myself, brilliance, I realized that my Rule of 50 was incomplete. It needed an addendum. And here it is: When you are 51 years of age or older, subtract your age from 100, and the resulting number (which, of course, gets smaller every year) is the number of pages you should read before you can guiltlessly give up on a book. As the saying goes, 'Age has its privileges.' And the ultimate privilege of age, of course, is that when you turn 100, you are authorized (by the Rule of 50) to judge a book by its cover."

--Nancy Pearl (librarian, author and action figure) in the Toronto Globe & Mail.

2011-02-08T06:39:00.000-08:00

I've changed this blog address to http://www.lovesbooksandtea.com/. Same blog, same everything, just easier to remember. I like easier.

Books to Movies: Three Seconds; Cutting for Stone; I, Alex Cross

2011-02-02T07:46:00.000-08:00

I'm pasting this information straight from this mornings "shelf awareness". All of these books are great, and I'm looking forward to the film adaptations. I reviewed Three Seconds, here, and Cutting for Stone, here.

"Hoping for another Girl with the Dragon Tattoo," New Regency has acquired Three Seconds, the fifth novel in a bestselling Swedish crime novel series by Anders Roslund and Bonge Hellstrom, Deadline.com reported, noting that the book "was named Sweden's top crime novel of 2009. The author team is intriguing, considering one's a former journalist, the other an ex-criminal." Three Seconds is published by Sterling's SilverOak imprint.

---

Anonymous Content has optioned the screen rights toCutting for Stone by Abraham Verghese, according to the Hollywood Reporter. Rosalie Swedlin and Steve Golin will produce the film.

"Dr. Verghese's wonderful novel evokes a world so vivid and populated which such rich characters, I knew I wanted to see it come alive on screen," said Swedlin. "It's an incredibly powerful story of family and survival, told in a unique, emotional and truly imaginative way."

---

Tyler Perry will play the title role and Rob Cohen will direct a film adaptation of James Patterson's I, Alex Cross, "a reboot of the James Patterson mystery series that starred Morgan Freeman as the detective/psychologist based in D.C.," Deadline.comwrote.

Old Border Road by Susan Froderberg

2011-01-31T13:53:00.000-08:00

Okay, I admit it, I picked up this book, ititally because of the beautiful cover. I always love to give debut novels a chance and I love to read about the "West", be it the Old West or modern times; I struck gold with this pick. Froderberg's use of language is mesmerizing. There's a bit of Spanish in the novel, but if you don't know a smattering, you might want to have a dictionary handy.

From Publishers Weekly:
Froderberg's shimmering debut set against the dusty, barren backdrop of the American southwest explores the joys and consequences of young love. Katherine, a new arrival to southern Arizona, is only 17 when she marries Son, the son of a local rancher. The couple settles in his parents' adobe home, and Katherine's new in-laws counsel her on life, "...like how to hide a stitch when taking a proper hem up, and the way you make a chili roast and a casserole and a lemon pie, stiff whites and all." An extended dry spell sets in motion a series of hardscrabble events that bring havoc to the newlyweds; Son's increased drinking, casual infidelities, and frequent departures leave Katherine doubting her decision. She soothes her regret with a budding affinity for horses, in time abandoning the marriage and terminating a pregnancy. Her dire situation comes full circle after Son is thrown by a horse and a drought-ending storm keeps them from getting him medical help, but affords Katherine a chance to revive her hobbled marriage. Froderberg's distinctive narrative about life in the desolate borderlands is simple yet gilded with grandly descriptive flourishes and lush colloquial language.

January 2011 Reads

2011-01-31T13:44:00.000-08:00

I thought I'd post this today, before I forget. I don't think I'll finish another book, today, so here are my January reads.

1 Hidden Prey John Sandford
2 Caribou Island David Vann
3 The Distant Hours Kate Morton
4 Three Seconds Roslund & Hellstrom
5 The Year of the Hare Arto Paasilinna
6 The Source of All Things Tracy Ross
7 Born to Bark Stanley Coren
8 Old Border Road Susan Froderberg

It really was a great month for reading.The Source of All Things is a fabulous memoir; it will be released in March. Keep your eyes out for it. I reviewed Three Seconds, below. After I post this, I'm going to work on a review of Old Border Road. It's a debut novel and the writing is lyrical.

Three Seconds by Anders Roslund, Borge Hellstrom

2011-01-18T08:51:00.000-08:00

I started reading Scandinavian authors a few years ago. I was drawn to them for two reasons; first I liked the different world-view/perspective they bring to fiction and second, I'm 50% Norwegian. The last part is silly, I know, but it's the truth. One drawback to reading about Sweden, Norway, Finland or Iceland, is the strangeness of the character and place names; each time, I have to "gear-up" for this aspect. It's well worth the effort, for the most part. When ever I read a foreign author, the translator is very important, this book was translated by Kari Dickson, who was born in Edinburgh, but grew up bilingual, as her mother is Norwegian. Most Swedish authors are very political, and Roslund and Hellstron are no exception.

Three Seconds weighs in at 496 pages, it's formidable. The first 100 pages were a bit slow, I had to get used to the authors' style, and accustomed to the names; after that, I couldn't put it down.

Library Journal

The shady dealings between the Swedish police and their deep-cover informants propel the latest thriller from the writing team of Roslund and Hellström (Box 21). Ex-con Piet Hoffman, now a "covert human intelligence source" for Stockholm City Police, is close to breaking up the Polish Mafia's attempt to control drug distribution in Sweden's prisons. When the operative is involved in a botched drug deal that leads to murder, investigating detective Ewert Grens inadvertently threatens to derail the mission. Afraid that Hoffman will disclose the government's illegal involvement in his assignment, his handlers blow his cover while he's trapped in a maximum-security lockup. With the police, Mafia, and prisoners all wanting him dead, Hoffman makes Grens an unwitting tool in his desperate plan for escape. VERDICT Readers who persevere through the glacial pace of the book's first third will be rewarded with a terrific, nail-biting climax that demonstrates why it won the prize for Sweden's best crime novel in 2009. Give this to Stieg Larsson fans and any reader fond of morally complex thrillers. [Silver Oak is the new fiction imprint of Sterling and Quercus.—Ed.]—Annabelle Mortensen, Skokie P.L., IL

Winners

2011-01-18T08:24:00.000-08:00

I don't have a book to give away this week, however I want to announce last weeks winners.

hip-chick wins Lord of Misrule, and Jan AKA Wammy wins Caribou Island. I sure hope you enjoy them.
(I've sent the winners emails.)

Geeks like us

2011-01-13T08:04:00.000-08:00

Flavorwire did a post on celebrity libraries, The libraries featured were very impressive, not the "book nooks" most of us "regular" people have. Here's a couple of examples that look well used.

Rod Stewart [via]

Joan Rivers [via]

Frank Sinatra [via]

And one that looks untouched:

Oprah [via]

Does she have any idea what's under those color co-ordinated paper wrappers? Probably not.

Monday Book Give Away, #65

2011-01-10T05:49:00.000-08:00

It’s been a couple of weeks since I’ve given away a book. Today, I’m giving away two.

The first is Lord of Misrule by Jaimy Gordon. The give away is for the hardcover. It was the Winner of the 2010 National Book Award for Fiction. Lord of Misrule is a darkly realistic novel about a young woman living through a year of horse racing while everyone's best laid plans go brutally wrong. With her first novel since her acclaimed Bogeywoman, Jaimy Gordon bears comparison to other great writers of the American demimonde, such as Nathanael West, Damon Runyon, and Eudora Welty.

The New York Times - Janet Maslin
Perhaps Lord of Misrule would not be so startling if Ms. Gordon's other books had been more widely read. But this novel is so assured, exotic and uncategorizable, with such an unlikely provenance, that it arrives as an incontrovertible winner, a bona fide bolt from the blue…Ms. Gordon is magically adept at fusing the banal and the mythic…She's also keenly attuned to all the aspects of carnality and power that infuse this story, from the way horses feel in human hands to the way Tommy uses his physical magnetism both to dominate Maggie and to use her as a tease for others.

The second is Caribou Island by David Van, the give away is an ARC. The book will be published January 18th.

Synopsis

The prize-winning author of Legend of a Suicide delivers his highly anticipated debut novel.
On a small island in a glacier-fed lake on Alaska's Kenai Peninsula, a marriage is unraveling. Gary, driven by thirty years of diverted plans, and Irene, haunted by a tragedy in her past, are trying to rebuild their life together. Following the outline of Gary's old dream, they're hauling logs to Caribou Island in good weather and in terrible storms, in sickness and in health, to build the kind of cabin that drew them to Alaska in the first place.

But this island is not right for Irene. They are building without plans or advice, and when winter comes early, the overwhelming isolation of the prehistoric wilderness threatens their bond to the core. Caught in the emotional maelstrom is their adult daughter, Rhoda, who is wrestling with the hopes and disap-pointments of her own life. Devoted to her parents, she watches helplessly as they drift further apart.
Brilliantly drawn and fiercely honest, Caribou Island captures the drama and pathos of a husband and wife whose bitter love, failed dreams, and tragic past push them to the edge of destruction. A portrait of desolation, violence, and the darkness of the soul, it is an explosive and unforgettable novel from a writer of limitless possibility.

Here are the simple rules:

You can win more than once.
You must comment on this post. Tell me if you're interested in either, or both books.
I'd love if you became a follower, but it's not required.
You must have a blog to be eligible to win.
If you have a blog, but are a no-comment blogger, you must leave your email in you comment.

2011-01-09T07:15:00.000-08:00

A good quote for today, or any day.

December 2010 Reads

2011-01-01T06:17:00.000-08:00

Dec
101 Easy Prey, John Sandford
102 Lord of Misrule, Jaimy Gordon
103 Kind of Blue, Miles Corwin
104 You Know When the Men Are Gone, Siobhan Fallon
105 A Cool Breeze On The Underground, Don Winslow
106 Tomato Red, Daniel Woodrell
107 Agent X, Noah Boyd
108 Your Friendly Neighbourhood Criminal, Michael Van Rooy
109 Winters Bone, Daniel Woodrell
110 True Grit, Charles Portis

It was a great year for reading. I discovered a "new to me" author that I love, Daniel Woodrell. I read two of his books, this month and highly recommend them, and him.

Read more books,

Can't resist book humor.

2010-12-29T12:15:00.000-08:00

A little "BOOK" humor

2010-12-28T08:34:00.000-08:00

I only wish it said Barnes and Noble, after all, I have brand loyalty, and we sell way more books. Did you even miss the Monday Book Give Away? No book this week, but last week's book went to Jan in OH. Perhaps next week, if anyone misses this feature.

Merry Christmas

2010-12-24T12:20:00.000-08:00

I hope all your wishes come true, and you get all the books you want, too.

Why you gotta love book people

2010-12-22T05:25:00.001-08:00

Monday Book Give Away, #64

2010-12-20T06:00:00.000-08:00

I spent the weekend finishing some projects and clearing my bookshelves. They're not completely clear, but I made plenty of shelf space to store fabric, all my other storage was overflowing. I took 7 boxes of books to Murrieta Friends of the Library, but I saved this great book for todays' give away. I've held onto my copy for 10 years, I think I may re-read it, before next Monday.

I hope all your shopping is finished and you have a great week, and a Merry Christmas.

Publishers Weekly

Allison's remarkable country voice emerges in a first novel spiked with pungent characters ranging from the slatternly to the grotesque, and saturated with sense of place -- Greenville, S.C. Ruth Anne Boatwright, 13, got the nickname "Bone" at birth, when she was tiny as a knucklebone, and the tag acquires painful derivatives, like "Bonehead.'' While her mother, Annie, a waitress, tries vainly to get the word "illegitimate'' scrubbed from Bone's birth certificate, her tobacco-spitting granny reminds her she's a bastard. The identity of her real father, whom granny drove away, is kept from her. Surrounded by loving aunts and uncles, Bone still endures ridicule (she's homely, she has no voice for gospel singing) and -- from vicious Daddy Glen, her mother's new husband -- beatings and sexual abuse. Bone takes refuge in petty crime, like breaking into Woolworth's, and finds her truest friend in unmarried Aunt Raylene, who once had a great love for another woman. Annie gently defends Daddy Glen, blaming her daughter, until the tale's inevitably brutal climax. Mental and physical cruelty to women forms a main theme, illuminated by the subplot of pathetic albino Shannon Pearls, her story rife with Southern gothic overtones. Allison, author of the well-received short story collection "Trash," doesn't condescend to her "white trash'' characters; she portrays them with understanding and love.

Here are the simple rules:

You can win more than once.
You must comment on this post. I'd love if you became a follower, but it's not required.
You must have a blog to be eligible to win.
If you have a blog, but are a no-comment blogger, you must leave your email in you comment.

The winner of last weeks' give away is Jan.

Monday Book Give Away, #63

2010-12-13T07:58:00.000-08:00

This give away is for the ARC of You Know When the Men Are Gone, by Siobean Fallon. The hardcover will be released next month. I positively love this collection of short stories, and I normally avoid this type of writing. Fallon ties these stories together with understanding an finesse. You can read my review, here.

Here are the simple rules:

You can win more than once.
You must comment on this post. I'd love if you became a follower, but it's not required.
You must have a blog to be eligible to win.
If you have a blog, but are a no-comment blogger, you must leave your email in you comment.

Number 16 - Reasons to Love New York

2010-12-13T07:46:00.000-08:00

If you know me, you know that I love going to NYC. This photo was on Shelf Awareness, today.
Number 16 among New York magazine's Reasons to Love New York: "Because We’re Home to Not Only the Publishing Industry But Also to a Woman Who Spends Her Days Smelling Books"

Six months ago, artist Rachael Morrison, who works at the Museum of Modern Art's library, began wondering about the unscented future of e-books and "decided to spend her lunch breaks chronicling the unique scent of each book in the MoMA stacks." Morrison said that "smelling books is really nostalgic for me--I am often reminded of my grandparents' homes, or libraries where I used to go when I was a child."

For several reasons, we're skipping our NYC trip this year, but are looking forward to next year.

You Know When the Men Are Gone By Siobhan Fallon

2010-12-09T15:53:00.000-08:00

This is an unforgettable collection of interconnected short stories. There is an army of women waiting for their men to return in Fort Hood, Texas. Through a series of loosely interconnected stories, Siobhan Fallon takes readers onto the base, inside the homes, into the marriages and families-intimate places not seen in newspaper articles or politicians' speeches.

When you leave Fort Hood, the sign above the gate warns, You've Survived the War, Now Survive the Homecoming. That's basically what You Know When the Men Are Gone is about.

This book will be published January 20th, but a few of us at the bookstore have been lucky enough to read it. One of my fellow booksellers is a retired Marine, and her husband has just retired; we were able to ascertain that she felt this book was very realistic and a fair representation of what goes on, on a military base. I thought this book was both devastating and beautiful.

Monday Book Give Away, #62

2010-12-06T08:58:00.000-08:00

Up front, you should know, I haven't read these two offerings. I got them from the publishers, and haven't had time. Instead of letting them sit and gather dust, I'm going to send them on to good homes.

Publishers Weekly

Despite taking place in South Africa during the 1960s, the latest from Heyns (The Reluctant Passenger) treats the looming presence of apartheid cursorily, choosing instead to focus on the subtler conflict between the elite English and the much-despised Afrikaners. At Wesley College, an English-speaking boarding school, Simon, the teenage son of an English magistrate father and an Afrikaner mother, keeps quiet about his mixed ethnicity, but is forced to confront his past when a group of Afrikaner students from a nearby technical school arrive at Wesley for a tennis match and Simon recognizes Fanie van den Bergh, a primary school classmate. The book then alternates between the fated day of the tennis match and memories from Simon's childhood. All of these recollections chronicle Simon's attempt to establish his own sense of morality in the face of the racist conservatism of the adult world, but while the book successfully unveils the moral hypocrisy of the era, Simon's recollections lack the coherence needed to transform the mundane adolescent experience—sexual discoveries, troublesome friends, forging an identity—into a compelling story. (Aug '09.)

Publishers Weekly

In this provocative and page-turning debut novel, Hinnefeld (Tell Me Everything and Other Stories) recounts the life of bird-lover, environmental activist and artist Addie Sturmer Kavanagh. Opening with Addie's death from cancer, and her troublesome dying wish-"clear orders for a brazenly illegal burial"-Hinnefeld's narrative migrates to Addie's days as a college art student, when she fell in love with birds and with the professor teaching her their biology, Tom Kavanagh. The early years of Addie and Tom's romance follows their birding and collaboration on an environmental, antiwar birding book destined to become a classic. Soon enough, though, the birth of their daughter, Scarlet, along with Addie's growing political and environmental awareness, relegate romance to the back seat. As Addie's creative vision shifts from avian homage to political tirade, the effects of her outspoken eco-outrage on her daughter, husband and two closest girlfriends are predictable but authentic, and at times moving. Hinnefeld's drama soars, especially in its depiction of Addie's complicated relationship with Scarlet, who's also trying to find her "wings." (Sept. '08)

If you're interested, let me know. Here are the simple rules:

You can win more than once.
You must comment on this post. I'd love if you became a follower, but it's not required.
You must have a blog to be eligible to win.
If you have a blog, but are a no-comment blogger, you must leave your email in you comment.

The winner of You Don't Look Like Anyone I Know is Marianne. I hope you'll love it.

November 2010 Reads

2010-12-05T05:27:00.000-08:00

The more I quilt, the less I read, but with only 24 hours in a day, something has to give. Only 100 books, so far this year.

91 Moondogs, Alexander Yates
92 Worth Dying For, Lee Child
93 A Dog's Purpose, W. Bruce Cameron
94 Adam & Eve, Sena Jetyer Naslund
95 Certain Prey, John Sandford
96 Sarah's Key, Tatiana de Rosnay
97 Collusion, Stuart Neville
98 Still Alice, Lisa Genova
99 An Ordinary Decent Criminal, Micheal Va Rooy
100 You Don't Look Like Anyone I Know, Heather Sellers

Monday Book Give Away, #61

2010-11-29T20:47:00.000-08:00

I'm a little late posting this today. I worked at Barnes and Noble, so this could fall under, "So Many Books, So Little Time". Today I'm giving away an ARC of You Don't Look Like Anyone I Know by Heather Sellers. This is a memoir that has already been published. I like reading good memoirs, and this one is good, but I had a hard time getting into it, initially. I'm so glad that I persevered, I really liked it.

The New York Times - Mary Roach

It sometimes appears that contemporary memoir has become a game of misery poker, authors competing for the most appalling hand of woes. Face blindness would seem to be a trump card, but Sellers doesn't play it that way. On the contrary…She views prosopagnosia as a gift…[and] believes her condition helped her as a writer by forcing her to focus on "the essence of the person," not the surface. The writing bears this out. Sellers captures the people in her life in spare, perfect strokes…Her calm, glass-half-full-to- overflowing worldview could, in another writer's hands, veer toward treacle, but she pulls it off beautifully.

If you're interested, let me know. Here are the simple rules:

You can win more than once.
You must comment on this post. I'd love if you became a follower, but it's not required.
You must have a blog to be eligible to win.
If you have a blog, but are a no-comment blogger, you must leave your email in you comment.

Jan of http://theellisfamilycincinnati.blogspot.com/, and several other blog, I think she has more than I do, wins Buzz from last week, and SewCalGal wins A Dog's Purpose and Moondogs.

An Ordinary Decent Criminal by Michael Van Rooy

2010-11-27T09:43:00.000-08:00

I really don't know where to start, this is a fabulous novel. Canadian Van Rooy is just breaking into the US market and I predict a great future for him. He's as good as the best mystery writers I already love. I did a little research, and apparently this is the first in a series, already three deep, already published in Canada and the UK. I'm hoping St. Martin's Press, his US publisher will release the others, in short order.

Synopsis

Not since Jack Reacher has there been such a quickthinking, hard-edged antihero who readers will root for against all odds

All recovering drug addict and reformed thief Montgomery Haaviko wants to do is settle down with his wife and baby in their new home and work on building a straight life, one free of the day-to-day hustle and danger of being a career criminal. But for a man who’s never held down a legitimate job it isn’t going to be easy. When Monty foils a robbery in his new home, killing the intruders, he soon finds he has both a small-time crime boss and a star police sergeant looking for ways to ruin him, run him out of town, or kill him. It’s going to take all of the tricks this streetwise ex-con has up his sleeves to prove his innocence, protect his family, and avoid the temptation of the life he left behind.

Montgomery Haaviko’s Tricks of the Trade:

• Be nice. Nice is good. Nice sets a standard. Then, when you get mean, the shock is strongest.

• Armored cars are owned by people with guns.

• When burglarizing a house move slowly. Then slow down. Now cut it by half. And you’ve got it.

• A couple of drops of crazy glue on the tips of your fingers will eliminate fingerprints.

Laura Hillenbrand's new book, Unbroken: A World War II Story of Survival, Resilience, and Redemption.

2010-11-24T08:13:00.000-08:00

I really need to read this book! This was taken from today's Shelf Awareness email. Such devotion!

David Macintosh, a mechanical engineer in Hood River, Ore., demonstrated the extremes of his inability to put down a copy of Laura Hillenbrand's new book, Unbroken: A World War II Story of Survival, Resilience, and Redemption.

It's on my list, and on my nightstand.

Still Alice by Lisa Genova

2010-11-23T08:29:00.000-08:00

Brilliant is the first word that came to mind, when I finished Still Alice. Brilliant! This intelligent debut novel is hard to put down, making it a quick read, but I wanted to slow down, so I could savor each work and phrase. The whole time I was reading Still Alice I felt as if I was reading a memoir, a memoir of early onset Alzheimer's Disease, which would be impossible, if you think about it.

Barnes & Noble Discover Great New Writers:
This may be one of the most frightening novels you'll ever read. It's certainly one of the most unforgettable. Genova's debut revolves around Alice Howland - Harvard professor, gifted researcher and lecturer, wife, and mother of three grown children. One day, Alice sets out for a run and soon realizes she has no idea how to find her way home. It's a route she has taken for years, but nothing looks familiar. She is utterly lost. Is her forgetfulness the result of menopausal symptoms? A ministroke? A neurological cancer? After a few doctors' appointments and medical tests, Alice has her diagnosis, and it's a shocker -- she has early-onset Alzheimer's disease.

What follows is the story of Alice's slow but inevitable loss of memory and connection with reality, told from her perspective. She gradually loses the ability to follow a conversational thread, the story line of a book, or to recall information she heard just moments before. To Genova's great credit, readers learn of the progression of Alice's disease through the reactions of others, as Alice does, so they feel what she feels -- a slowly building terror.

In Still Alice, Genova, who has a Ph.D. in neuroscience from Harvard, uniquely reveals the experience of living with Alzheimer's. Hers is an unusual book -- both a moving novel and an important read.

Abandoned by her spouse, at the end of the novel, Alice lives with her two daughters, a son-in-law and two grandbabys, she can't remember much, even her daughters' names. She calls them "the mommy" and "the actress". Heartbreaking and brilliant. I wanted to slap her husband and hug her daughters. A truly important read.

Sarah's Key by Tatiana de Rosnay

2010-11-23T08:13:00.000-08:00

I have to admit, many times I avoid holocaust novels, I'm glad I made an exception for Sarah's Key. De Rosnay tells Sarah's story through an American journalist living in Paris. Through her research she discovers her family's war-era secrets, and how they effected Sarah. Her discoveries cause ripples in not only her own family, but Sarah's adopted French family as well as the American family Sarah became part of.

From the Publisher

Paris, July 1942: Sarah, a ten year-old girl, is brutally arrested with her family by the French police in the Vel’ d’Hiv’ roundup, but not before she locks her younger brother in a cupboard in the family's apartment, thinking that she will be back within a few hours.
Paris, May 2002: On Vel’ d’Hiv’s 60th anniversary, journalist Julia Jarmond is asked to write an article about this black day in France's past. Through her contemporary investigation, she stumbles onto a trail of long-hidden family secrets that connect her to Sarah. Julia finds herself compelled to retrace the girl's ordeal, from that terrible term in the Vel d'Hiv', to the camps, and beyond. As she probes into Sarah's past, she begins to question her own place in France, and to reevaluate her marriage and her life.
Tatiana de Rosnay offers us a brilliantly subtle, compelling portrait of France under occupation and reveals the taboos and silence that surround this painful episode.

This is truly a wonderfully written novel, one that make you think and feel. This would be a great book club read.

Monday Book Give Away, #60

2010-11-22T06:35:00.000-08:00

I'm giving away three very different books this week. The only similarity is they are all ARCs.

First is A Dog's Purpose by W. Bruce Cameron. I reviewed it, just below this post, it's fabulous. A great book for any animal lover. This book has already been published.

Second is Moondogs by Alexander Yates. With blistering forward momentum, crackling dialogue, wonderfully bizarre turns, and glimpses into both Filipino and expat culture, the novel marches toward a stunning cli max, which ultimately challenges our conventional ideas of family and identity and introduces Yates as a powerful new voice in contemporary literature. This debut novel will be published 3/15/11

Third is a memoir, Buzz by Katherine Ellison. The number of diagnoses for childhood attention and behavior issues is exploding, leaving parents and educators on a confusing chase to find the best kind of help for each child. Buzz, a page-turner of a memoir, brings much relief. It is immensely engaging, laugh-out-loud funny, and honest— and packed with helpful insights. Buzz has been published.

If you're interested, let me know. Here are the simple rules:

You can win more than once.
You must comment on this post. I'd love if you became a follower, but it's not required.
You must have a blog to be eligible to win.
If you have a blog, but are a no-comment blogger, you must leave your email in you comment.

The winner of last weeks give away is Marianne.

A Dog's Purpose by W. Bruce Cameron

2010-11-20T08:35:00.000-08:00

Upfront, I have to admit, I'm a dog lover. This is another, like Racing In The Rain, with the dog telling the tale, This synopsis could be summed up this way, "All dogs go to heaven… unless they have unfinished business here on earth".

Here's what Publisher's Weekly said about it:

A tail-wagging three hanky boo-hooer, this delightful fiction debut by newspaper columnist Cameron (8 Simple Rules for Marrying My Daughter) proposes that a dog's purpose might entail being reborn several times. Told in a touching, doggy first-person, this unabashedly sentimental tale introduces Toby, who's rescued by a woman without a license for her rescue operation, so, sadly, Toby ends up euthanized. He's reborn in a puppy mill and after almost dying while left in a hot car, he's saved again by a woman, and he becomes Bailey, a beloved golden retriever, who finds happiness and many adventures. His next intense incarnation is as Ellie, a female German shepherd, a heroic search and rescue dog. But the true purpose of this dog's life doesn't become totally clear until his reincarnation as Buddy, a black Lab. A book for all age groups who admire canine courage, Cameron also successfully captures the essence of a dog's amazing capacity to love and protect. And happily, unlike Marley, this dog stays around for the long haul. (July)

I agree, for the most part. The "three hanky" part didn't work for me, I'm a realist. While I was reading A Dog's Purpose, I said to Bob, this dog keeps being reborn, he must be Buddhist. That made me happy; and I'm very happy to recommend this novel to any good hearted person.

Monday Book Give Away, #59

2010-11-14T22:29:00.000-08:00

Our Kind Of Traitor by spy master John le Carré is my offering this week.

Synopsis

The unrivaled master of spy fiction returns with a taut and suspenseful of dirty money and dirtier politics.

For nearly half a century, John le Carré's limitless imagination has enthralled millions of readers and moviegoers around the globe. From the cold war to the bitter fruits of colonialism to unrest in the Middle East, he has reinvented the spy novel again and again. Now, le Carré makes his Viking debut with a stunning tour-de-force that only a craftsman of his caliber could pen. As menacing and flawlessly paced as The Little Drummer Girl and as morally complex as The Constant Gardener, Our Kind of Traitor is signature le Carré.

Perry and Gail are idealistic and very much in love when they splurge on a tennis vacation at a posh beach resort in Antigua. But the charm begins to pall when a big-time Russian money launderer enlists their help to defect. In exchange for amnesty, Dima is ready to rat out his vory (Russian criminal brotherhood) compatriots and expose corruption throughout the so-called legitimate financial and political worlds. Soon, the guileless couple find themselves pawns in a deadly endgame whose outcome will be determined by the victor of the British Secret Service's ruthless internecine battles.

If you're interested, let me know. Here are the simple rules:

You can win more than once.
You must comment on this post. I'd love if you became a follower, but it's not required.
You must have a blog to be eligible to win.
If you have a blog, but are a no-comment blogger, you must leave your email in you comment.

The winner of last weeks give away is Marianne. This was her comment - "Oh, oh, count me in too! I have read all of Dennis' books (I figure that puts us on a first name basis!) and have loved them all. Fingers crossed here in Florida. Thanks for the opportunity." She cracked me up, because I call him Dennis, too, of course I've met him.

Good luck.

"So I read books"

2010-11-09T07:37:00.000-08:00

From Shelf Awareness, today:

Noting actor Kevin Bacon's philosophy of reading--"You can sit around and complain that Hollywood doesn't make any good movies. But you can generate your own material. So I read books."--Word & Film recommended a checklist of Bacon's movies "to find great reading material."

Monday Book Give Away, #58

2010-11-08T07:42:00.000-08:00

Did you read the review, below? The one where I gushed about this book? Harper Collins Publishings has generously sent me a 2nd copy of Dennis Lehanes' Moonlight Mile! I wasn't giving up my only copy, but now that I have and extra, it's up for grabs, for The Monday Book Give Away.

Here are my give away rules:

You can win more than once.

You must comment on this post. I'd love if you became a follower, but it's not required.

You must have a blog to be eligible to win.

If you have a blog, but are a no-comment blogger, you must leave your email in you comment.

Becky has won the two books from last weeks' give away.

Best Illustrated Children’s Books of 2010

2010-11-05T12:01:00.000-07:00

Best Illustrated Children’s Books of 2010

By THE NEW YORK TIMES BOOK REVIEW

Annually since 1952, the Book Review has asked a panel of judges to select 10 winners from among the several thousand children’s books published during the year. The judges this time around were Robert Sabuda, a co-creator of the best-selling “Encyclopedia Prehistorica” series and twice the recipient of a Times Best Illustrated award; Elizabeth Bird, a children’s librarian with the New York Public Library, whose first picture book, “Giant Dance Party,” is due out next year; and David Barringer, a novelist and designer who is the author of “There’s Nothing Funny About Design.” —The Editors

HERE COMES THE GARBAGE BARGE!

CHILDREN MAKE TERRIBLE PETS

SEASONS

SHADOW

BUSING BREWSTER

BIG RED LOLLIPOP

HENRY IN LOVE

A SICK DAY FOR AMOS McGEE

SUBWAY

BINK & GOLLIE

Moonlight Mile by Dennis Lehane

2010-11-02T07:45:00.000-07:00

Right off I have to admit, Lehane tops my list of favorite authors. I fell for him the first time I read Mystic River. You'll notice I said first time, I rarely re-visit a book. Lehanes' books are an exceiption. Now, I'll stop gushing and get on with the review. Moonlight Mile is the book I never thought I'd read. Lehane was always firm that he'd never write a 6th Patrick Kenzie and Angela Gennaro mystery. He always said they'd, Patrick and Angie, been beat up enough, and he couldn't do it anymore. I guess these characters weren't ready to call it a day, and there was one more tale to tell. Each character is older, wiser and more settled; but not boring, every one is still dangerous and packing heat.

The New York Times - Janet Maslin

What…keep[s] Moonlight Mile from heading down an overly well-trodden path…[is] the conviction with which Mr. Lehane breathes life into these characters. Unlike the usual sequel writer who simply puts old creations through new paces, Mr. Lehane registers a deep affection for the Kenzie-Gennaro team and a passionate involvement in their problems. And he treats each book in this series as an occasion for wondering what kind of world can produce the depravity that each new plotline describes.

Read on,

To Fetch a Thief (Chet and Bernie Series #3) by Spenser Quinn

2010-11-02T07:29:00.000-07:00

I'm really picky when it comes to reading series. When they get boring or redundant, I give it a pass, in the future. I could give you a list of authors I no longer read, but since I only do positive reviews, I can't. Anyway, it's all subjective. So far Quinn has managed to keep Chet and Bernie fresh, and I highly recommend reading this series, when you want some fast, light entertaining reading.

Synopsis

In the third book in the brilliant New York Times bestselling series featuring a lovable and wise dog narrator, Chet and Bernie go under the big top to solve the most unlikely missing persons (and animals!) case ever.

We were outnumbered, some big number against two. When it comes to numbers, two is as far as I go, but it’s enough, in my opinion. . . .

“Sit,” Bernie said.

I sat. Bernie would think of something—he always did. That was one of the things that made the Little Detective Agency such a success, except for the finances part . . .

Chet has smelled a lot of unusual things in his years as trusted companion and partner to P.I. Bernie Little, but nothing has prepared him for the exotic scents he encounters when an old-fashioned traveling circus comes to town. Bernie scores tickets to this less-than-greatest- show-on-earth because his son Charlie is crazy about elephants. The only problem is that Peanut, the headlining pachyderm of this particular one-ring circus, has gone missing—along with her trainer, Uri DeLeath. Stranger still, no one saw them leave. How does an elephant vanish without a trace?

At first there’s nothing Bernie and Chet can do— it’s a police matter and they have no standing in the case. But then they’re hired by Popo the Clown, who has his own reasons for wanting to find out what has become of the mysteriously missing duo. After Chet takes a few sniffs in Peanut’s trailer and picks up her one-of-a-kind scent, he and Bernie are in hot pursuit, heading far away from the bright lights of the traveling show and into the dark desert night.

Some very dangerous people would prefer that Chet and Bernie disappear for good and will go to any lengths to make that happen. Across the border in Mexico and separated from Bernie, Chet must use all his natural strength and doggy smarts to try to save himself—not to mention Bernie and a decidedly uncooperative Peanut, too.

To Fetch a Thief shows why readers everywhere have fallen head-over-paws in love with the Chet and Bernie mystery series. Top-notch suspense, humor, and insight into the ways our canine companions think and behave make this the most entertaining and irresistible book in the series yet.

Happy Reading,

October 2010 Reads

2010-11-02T07:18:00.000-07:00

84. Man in the Woods, Scott Spencer

85. Crooked Letter Crooked Letter, Tom Franklin

86. Bound, Antonya Nelson

87. Running the Books, Avi Steinberg

88. Our Kind Of Traitor, John le Carre

89. Middle School: The Worst Years of My Life, ? no author listed maybe Grisham

90. On Target, Mark Greaney

Monday Book Give Away, #60

2010-11-02T06:35:00.000-07:00

You can win more than once.
You must comment on this post. I'd love if you became a follower, but it's not required.
You must have a blog to be eligible to win.
If you have a blog, but are a no-comment blogger, you must leave your email in you comment.

The winner of last weeks give away is Marianne.

Monday Book Give Away, #57

2010-11-01T06:54:00.000-07:00

Today, I offering two very different books. One is fantastic fiction; the other is an unusual memoir.

First, The Virgin of Small Plains by Nancy Pickard. This is a great author, who I believe should be on everyone's must read list.

Synopsis:
Small Plains, Kansas, January 23, 1987: In the midst of a deadly blizzard, eighteen-year-old Rex Shellenberger scours his father’s pasture, looking for helpless newborn calves. Then he makes a shocking discovery: the naked, frozen body of a teenage girl, her skin as white as the snow around her. Even dead, she is the most beautiful girl he’s ever seen. It is a moment that will forever change his life and the lives of everyone around him. The mysterious dead girl–the “Virgin of Small Plains”–inspires local reverence. In the two decades following her death, strange miracles visit those who faithfully tend to her grave; some even believe that her spirit can cure deadly illnesses. Slowly, word of the legend spreads.
But what really happened in that snow-covered field? Why did young Mitch Newquist disappear the day after the Virgin’s body was found, leaving behind his distraught girlfriend, Abby Reynolds? Why do the town’s three most powerful men–Dr. Quentin Reynolds, former sheriff Nathan Shellenberger, and Judge, Tom Newquist–all seem to be hiding the details of that night?
Seventeen years later, when Mitch suddenly returns to Small Plains, simmering tensions come to a head, ghosts that had long slumbered whisper anew, and the secrets that some wish would stay buried rise again from the grave of the Virgin. Abby–never having resolved her feelings for Mitch–is now determined to uncover exactly what happened so many years ago to tear their lives apart.
Three families and three friends, their worlds inexorably altered in the course of one night, must confront the ever-unfolding consequences in award-winning author Nancy Pickard’s remarkable novel of suspense. Wonderfully written and utterly absorbing, The Virgin of Small Plains is about the loss of faith, trust, and innocence . . . and the possibility of redemption.

Next is the memoir, Running The Books by Avi Steinberg. You notice, his portrait is done in different color date stamps, he's running a prison library.

Synopsis:
Avi Steinberg is stumped. After defecting from yeshiva to Harvard, he has only a senior thesis essay on Bugs Bunny to show for his effort. While his friends and classmates advance in the world, he remains stuck at a crossroads, unable to meet the lofty expectations of his Orthodox Jewish upbringing. And his romantic existence as a freelance obituary writer just isn’t cutting it. Seeking direction—and dental insurance—Steinberg takes a job as a librarian in a tough Boston prison.

The prison library counter, his new post, attracts con men, minor prophets, ghosts, and an assortment of quirky regulars searching for the perfect book and a connection to the outside world. There’s an anxious pimp who solicits Steinberg’s help in writing a memoir. A passionate gangster who dreams of hosting a cooking show titled Thug Sizzle. A disgruntled officer who instigates a major feud over a Post-it note. A doomed ex-stripper who asks Steinberg to orchestrate a reunion with her estranged son, himself an inmate. Over time, Steinberg is drawn into the accidental community of outcasts that has formed among his bookshelves — a drama he recounts with heartbreak and humor. But when the struggles of the prison library — between life and death, love and loyalty — become personal, Steinberg is forced to take sides.
Running the Books is a trenchant exploration of prison culture and an entertaining tale of one young man’s earnest attempt to find his place in the world while trying not to get fired in the process.

If you're interested in either or both of these books, let me know. Here are the simple rules:

You can win more than once.
You must comment on this post. I'd love if you became a follower, but it's not required.
You must have a blog to be eligible to win.
If you have a blog, but are a no-comment blogger, you must leave your email in you comment.

The winner of last weeks book, Crooked Letter, Crooked Letter is Jan.

Happy reading,

I agree

2010-10-29T08:23:00.000-07:00

I saw this on Shelf Awareness this morning. I try to avoid shopping at Amazon, as much as possible.

Melville House Publishing is "withdrawing from any future involvement with the Best Translated Book award" in the wake of a recent announcement that the prize "would now be underwritten by none other than Amazon.com, with the University of Rochester and Open Letter Books, administrators of the award, getting $25,000 to divvy up between promotional costs and cash prizes for the translators and authors," MobyLives--the publisher's blog--reported.

This year's BTB prize for fiction went to The Confessions of Noa Weber by Gail Hareven, a Melville House book, and MobyLives observed that "we here at Melville House were particularly proud to win an award that had been voted upon by a judging panel made up of representatives from some of the country's best independent booksellers, not to mention some great indie bloggers and critics. And from its inception, we have always thought of the two-year-old award as a good thing for little indies trying to champion good books in a difficult market and culture--a market and culture made difficult in many ways by the predatory and thuggish practices of Amazon.com."

MobyLives also noted that "most of us here at Melville House have also worked at indie bookstores--including such biggies as Booksoup, Shaman Drum, Brookline Booksmith and others--we feel this especially keenly: Taking money from Amazon is akin to the medical researchers who take money from cigarette companies.... we mean to make a more genuine statement of support for the independent publishing and bookseller community."

Monday Book Give Away, #56

2010-10-25T19:30:00.000-07:00

I'm running late today, just been busy with life in general. Today I'm offering one of the best new titles if this fall, Crooked Letter, Crooked Letter by Tom Franklin. I love everything about this book, including the title. When I mentioned this novel to people, invariably they look at me with a question mark in their expression. I explain, you know like M-I-Crooked Letter-Crooked Letter-I..... then they get it.

Synopsis

A powerful and resonant novel from Tom Franklin—critically acclaimed author of Smonk and Hell at the Breech—Crooked Letter, Crooked Letter tells the riveting story of two boyhood friends, torn apart by circumstance, who are brought together again by a terrible crime in a small Mississippi town. An extraordinary novel that seamlessly blends elements of crime and Southern literary fiction,Crooked Letter, Crooked Letter is a must for readers of Larry Brown, Pete Dexter, Ron Rash, and Dennis Lehane.

The copy I'm giving away is an ARC, received at the bookstore, so it has extra markings on it.

Here are the give away rules:

You can win more than once.

You must comment on this post. I'd love if you became a follower, but it's not required.

You must have a blog to be eligible to win.

If you have a blog, but are a no-comment blogger, you must leave your email in you comment.

Shirley of The Gardening Life won The Man In The Woods.

Great Quote

2010-10-21T08:59:00.000-07:00

"Literature is the ditch I’m going to die in. It’s still the thing I care most about."

--Thomas McGuane in a New York Times interview at his 2,000-acre ranch in McLeod, Mont. McGuane's latest novel, Driving on the Rim, was released this week by Knopf.

Thomas McGuane is one of my favorite authors. I'm pretty sure I've read all his books. Love this quote of his, I could have said it.

Running the Books, by Avi Steinberg.

2010-10-19T12:31:00.000-07:00

This is a facinating memoir. Avi is pretty much a ne'er do well; a Harvard grad with no ambition. He's just getting by when a friend challenges him, with, Is this all you really want to do? Browsing Craigslist, he finds an ad for a prison librarian, steady work with benefits. The rest is the making of this book.

Synopsis

Avi Steinberg is stumped. After defecting from yeshiva to Harvard, he has only a senior thesis essay on Bugs Bunny to show for his effort. While his friends and classmates advance in the world, he remains stuck at a crossroads, unable to meet the lofty expectations of his Orthodox Jewish upbringing. And his romantic existence as a freelance obituary writer just isn’t cutting it. Seeking direction—and dental insurance—Steinberg takes a job as a librarian in a tough Boston prison.

The prison library counter, his new post, attracts con men, minor prophets, ghosts, and an assortment of quirky regulars searching for the perfect book and a connection to the outside world. There’s an anxious pimp who solicits Steinberg’s help in writing a memoir. A passionate gangster who dreams of hosting a cooking show titled Thug Sizzle. A disgruntled officer who instigates a major feud over a Post-it note. A doomed ex-stripper who asks Steinberg to orchestrate a reunion with her estranged son, himself an inmate. Over time, Steinberg is drawn into the accidental community of outcasts that has formed among his bookshelves — a drama he recounts with heartbreak and humor. But when the struggles of the prison library — between life and death, love and loyalty — become personal, Steinberg is forced to take sides.

Running the Books is a trenchant exploration of prison culture and an entertaining tale of one young man’s earnest attempt to find his place in the world while trying not to get fired in the process.

This isn't a gushing feel good memoir, it's a revealing glimpse of the gritty life, most of us know nothing of. I'm a cops' wife, and some of this was eye-opening to me. A good read that I highly recommend.

American Library Association’s READ campaign

2010-10-18T08:26:00.000-07:00

Here are some celebrity posters from the past:

David Bowie, 1987

Elvis, 1994

LL Cool J, 1997

Yo-Yo Ma, 2001

Ice Cube, 2005 Ice Cube’s book of choice? The Greatest: Muhammad Ali.

The Jonas Brothers, 2009

Words from the Wise. The Alchemist. A Wrinkle in Time. No comment on whether they should count as musicians.

Would these musicians make you want to grab a book, or turn up the volume?

Monday Book Give Away, #55

2010-10-17T18:38:00.000-07:00

I recently did a review of the book I've giving away. Scroll down to read it, or click here. If you're interested in winning an ARC of The Man In The Woods by Scott Spencer, here are the rules.

You can win more than once.
You must comment on this post. I'd love if you became a follower, but it's not required.
You must have a blog to be eligible to win.
If you have a blog, but are a no-comment blogger, you must leave your email in you comment.

The winner of Satori is Allie.

Monday Book Give Away, #54

2010-10-11T06:00:00.000-07:00

Don Winslow is one of my favorite authors; I think I've read everything he's written. With Satori he's taken a different path, but if you're a great writer, you can do that. Did you read Shibumi, by Trevanian, it's a classic thriller, written in 1983? The main character is Nicholai Hel: genius, mystic and the perfect, formidable assassin. In Satori, Winslow gives us the back story and reveals how Hel became the world's most dangerous man.

Synopsis

Trevanian's Shibumi was a landmark bestseller, and one of the classic thrillers of the 20^th century-now Don Winslow returns with the prequel, SATORI.

It is the fall of 1951 and the Korean War is raging. Twenty-six year-old Nicholai Hel has spent the last three years in solitary confinement at the hands of the Americans. Hel is a master of hoda korosu or "naked kill," fluent in over six languages, and has honed extraordinary "proximity sense"-an extra-awareness of the presence of danger. He has the skills to be the world's most formidable assassin and now the CIA needs him. The Americans offer Hel freedom in exchange for one small service: go to Beijing and kill the Soviet Union's Commissioner to China. It's almost certainly a suicide mission, but Hel accepts. Now he must survive chaos, violence, suspicion, and betrayal while trying to achieve his ultimate goal of satori-the possibility of true understanding and harmony with the world.

This novel totally rocks, from beginning to end. I'm offering the ARC, the hardcover will be published in March, 2011.

Here are the rules of the give away:

You can win more than once.

You must comment on this post. I'd love if you became a follower, but it's not required.

You must have a blog to be eligible to win.

If you have a blog, but are a no-comment blogger, you must leave your email in you comment.

The winner of The Boy Who Harnessed The Wind, is Ellie. The winner of The Nearest Exit is Allie.

Man In The Woods by Scott Spencer

2010-10-07T11:34:00.000-07:00

This is a very engaging novel. Since I don't do negative or lukewarm reviews, you can guess that I liked it. One of the things that I really loved abut it was all the unexpected plot twist and turns, that made for great reading.

The Barnes & Noble Review
In Man in the Woods, Spencer wrestles with nothing less than the nature of Christianity and the notion of Jesus and His forgiveness for our sins, an unusual gambit for any contemporary mainstream novelist, most of whom are decidedly secular in their concerns. . . . And, just as we think that, finally, the [central question of the plot] may have been resolved, there is a surprise. It is an ending that, to Spencer's credit, jolts us as wide awake as any novelist could want.

An interesting note, the main female character, Kate, seems patterned after Elizabeth Gilbert, of Eat, Pray, Love fame.

Crooked Letter, Crooked Letter by Tom Franklin

2010-10-07T10:15:00.000-07:00

This is a terrific novel. Extremely well written and gripping tale involving the meaning of family and friendship. Plus, Crooked Letter, Crooked Letter involves one of my favorite things, a great mystery.

Synopsis
A powerful and resonant novel from Tom Franklin—critically acclaimed author of Smonk and Hell at the Breech—Crooked Letter, Crooked Letter tells the riveting story of two boyhood friends, torn apart by circumstance, who are brought together again by a terrible crime in a small Mississippi town. An extraordinary novel that seamlessly blends elements of crime and Southern literary fiction, Crooked Letter, Crooked Letter is a must for readers of Larry Brown, Pete Dexter, Ron Rash, and Dennis Lehane.

Read it, you won't be sorry.

New YA Blog

2010-10-04T14:42:00.000-07:00

Off the Shelf YA

I read widely; fiction, mystery, sci-fi, YA, history, sports, math, science, doesn't matter, as long as it's well written. If you read YA, my friend Rose a fellow bookseller; and our friend Erin, a Children's librarian, have a new YA book blog. Check it out here - Off the Shelf YA

Monday Book Give Away, #53

2010-10-04T00:20:00.000-07:00

Welcome, I've moved the Monday Book give Away, over here. Hope you'll enjoy the move. Todays' give away is the hardcover of The Nearest Exit. This sequel reprises the themes of The Tourist, with even more success…Like le Carré's George Smiley, Milo Weaver is a richly imagined creation with a scarred psyche and a complex back story that elevates him above the status of run-of-the-mill world-weary spook.

Library Journal

This sequel to Steinhauer's memorable The Tourist presents an espionage tale as puzzling as any a spy fiction might require. An abundance of characters peppers emotionally troubled ex-superspy Milo Weaver's return to the field to perform a horrifying job he does not want to do for people he distrusts. The reader is suspended over a chasm of ambiguity as to who in which agency has been assigned by whom to do what to whom. As with all excellent spy stories, this one reveals betrayal by professional liars at every level. Tourists, hypersecret operatives of the CIA, appear to be the target of a mole, or perhaps there is no mole, only a loose lip somewhere high among American politicos. Working in Europe and the United States, anguished Milo unravels a skein of knotted plots, amoral officials, and subplots disguising an ingenious, unexpected, and terrible revenge.VERDICT—this is an extraordinarily complex and compelling thriller.

I'm going to be changing up the rules, here.

You can win more than once.
You must comment on this post.
You must have a blog to be eligible to win.
If you have a blog, but are a no-comment blogger, you must leave your email in you comment.

I know that's a lot of rules, but they're pretty simple. I've had non-bloggers trolling looking for freebies, and while I understand why they do that, I've decided to limit my give aways to bloggers.

Score!

2010-10-02T12:19:00.001-07:00

I've been reading all kinds of good things about Crooked Letter, Crooked letter, by Tom Franklin. I just scored an ARC! Yeah! I stopped by the bookstore to check my schedule for next week, and there the ARC was, on the break room table, just waiting for me. I'm excited.

I also scored Buzz, A Year of Paying Attention. I love a good memoir. I'm very happy.

I've been sewing all day, maybe I need a reading break. Right now, I'm reading Man In Woods by Scott Spenser. I'm really enjoying it; I'll finish it before starting anything new. I'm not much for jumping back and forth between books.

September 2010 reads

2010-10-01T16:26:00.000-07:00

Here's my reading list for September:

74 Darkness Take My Hand Dennis Lehane
75 Stolen Horses Dan O'Brien
76 Sacred Dennis Lehane
77 The Boys From Little Mexico Steve Wilson
78 The Mullah's Storm Thomas W. Young
79 Gone Baby Gone Dennis Lehane
80 Bad Blood John Sandford
81 Moonlight Mile Dennis Lehane
82 The Singer's Gun Emily St. John Mandel
83 To Fetch a Thief Spenser Quinn

You can see, I red a lot of Dennis Lehane. I'd requested the ARC of Moonlight Mile from the published, and I wanted to re-read his 5 book Kenzie and Gennero series, before it came. I came before I red the last book, Prayers for Rain. Lehane is the only author I've ever re-read, with the exception of Harper Lee.

Stolen Horses by Dan O'Brien.

2010-09-07T11:33:00.000-07:00

I was made aware of this straight to trade paper novel, published by The University of Nebraska Press, by my daily email from Shelf Awaerness.

Opening lines of a book we want to read:

Since Erwin Benson was a young man he has been an early riser. Belief that the darkness would cease and that the sun was on its way made him hopeful and was as close to religion as he ever managed. From time to time he wished he could believe in more. He always knew that such a leap would have made life easier, but he could never take that leap and had to settle for the predawn. His early morning ritual has served him well enough. He was eighty-five years old and still working. Already this morning he made his way in the dark from his house on Calvert Street to his office in the Lakota County courthouse. He moved through the inky air like a blind man in his own home. Navigated by the scent of waning lilac and columbine. By feel he found the office key on a ring of many. Without switching on the light, he puttered with the coffeepot and wandered the three rooms of the county prosecutor's office waiting for it to perk. He glanced out the window and was pleased to find the darkness still exhilarating. There was still the sense of risk. There was a chance that today was the day the sun would not rise. Rising early was an act of faith.--Selected by Marilyn Dahl

This novel reveals the lives in the small western Nebraska town as they navigate the rocky transition from rustic old ways to new money opportunities and opportunists. As the two Thurston brothers. Bob and Steve stand by helplessly while their father sells the family ranch to wealthy lawyer John Tully, Steve's single-mother girlfriend, a local newspaper reporter, catches wind of a scandal at the local medical clinic. Meanwhile, the Thurston brothers' cousin, Carl Lindquist, a retired literature professor, returns to town after 30 years' absence to settle down and the derelict family homestead, and Erwin Benson, the oldest serving district attorney in the state of Nebraska, is facing a possible re-election campaign against slick newcomer Tully. In gradual increments, O'Brien teases out the entanglements in these relationships; once the narrative pieces click into place, the story takes on a stoic urgency as it digs into the raw divide between the old guard and the new.

I love books about the West, either Old West, or New West. This book fits the bill. It's marvelously written and full of intrigue. I even laughed out loud a couple of times.

August 2010 Reads

2010-09-01T17:01:00.000-07:00

★★★Rules of Betrayal by Christopher Reich
★★★The Nearest Exit by Olen Steinhauer
Hawkes Harbor by S.E. Hinton
Savages Don by Winslow
Dogfight, a Love Story by Matt Burgess
★★★Galveston by Nic Pazzalatto
Adios, Nirvana by Conrad Wesselhoeft
★★★Mockingjay by Suzanne Collins
★★★A Drink Before The War by Dennis Lehane
How To Read The Air by Dinaw Mengestu

All the starred books, I highly recommend. Galveston was fabulous. Mockingjay wraps up the Hunger Games trilogy, a must read. I'm re-reading Dennis Lehane's 5 book detective series, because he's adding a 6th book, and I couldn't be more excited.

July 2010 Reads

2010-08-01T17:44:00.000-07:00

Far Bright Star by Robert Olmstead
★★★The Outsiders by S.E. Hinton
Secret Prey by John Sandford
★★★Satori by Don Winslow
Exley by Brock Clarke
Blood Rites by Jim Butcher
★★★The Wake of Forgiveness by Bruce Machart
★★★Lucy by Laurence Gonzales
★★★Room by Emma Donoghue
Sudden Prey by John Sandford
Carry the Rock by Jay Jennings

June 2010 Reads

2010-07-03T10:06:00.000-07:00

The Demon of Dakar by Kjell Eriksson
Alex Cross's Trial by James Patterson
I Curse the River of Time by Per Petterson
The Girl Next Door by Elizabeth Noble
★★★61 Hours by Lee Child
Theodore Boone by John Grisham
★★★Inside Out Barry by Eisler
★★★The Blessings of the Animals by Katrina Kittle
★★★The Virgin of Small Plains by Nancy Pickard
★★★The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet's Nest by Stieg Larsson
★★★I Am Number Four by Pittacus Lore
★★★Red Hook Road by Ayelet Waldman
★★★Will Grayson, Will Grayson by John Green & David Levithan
★★★Oogy by Larry Levin

Lots of great books in June.

John Green

2010-06-29T06:10:00.000-07:00

John Green has become one of my favorite authors for teens and young adults. His novels are both insightful and entertaining. You can find his blog here.

Here's a rundown on his books:

Will Grayson, Will Grayson. That's right, there are two Will Grayson's in this story. One cold night, in a most unlikely corner of Chicago, two teens—both named Will Grayson—are about to cross paths. As their worlds collide and intertwine, the Will Graysons find their lives going in new and unexpected directions, building toward romantic turns-of-heart and the epic production of history’s most fabulous high school musical. Hilarious, poignant, and deeply insightful, John Green and David Levithan’s collaborative novel is brimming with a double helping of the heart and humor that have won both them legions of faithful fans.

Paper Towns. Quentin Jacobsen has spent a lifetime loving the magnificently adventurous Margo Roth Spiegelman from afar. So when she cracks open a window and climbs back into his life - dressed like a ninja and summoning him for an ingenious campaign of revenge - he follows.

After their all-nighter ends and a new day breaks, Q arrives at school to discover that Margo, always an enigma, has now become a mystery. But Q soon learns that there are clues - and they’re for him. Urged down a disconnected path, the closer he gets, the less Q sees of the girl he thought he knew.

Abundance of Katherines. When it comes to relationships, Colin Singleton’s type is girls named Katherine. And when it comes to girls named Katherine, Colin is always getting dumped. Nineteen times, to be exact.

On a road trip miles from home, this anagram-happy, washed-up child prodigy has ten thousand dollars in his pocket, a bloodthirsty feral hog on his trail, and an overweight, Judge Judy-loving best friend riding shotgun – but no Katherines. Colin is on a mission to prove The Theorem of Underlying Katherine Predictability, which he hopes will predict the future of any relationship, avenge Dumpees everywhere, and finally win him the girl.
Love, friendship, and a dead Austro-Hungarian archduke add up to surprising and heart-changing conclusions in this ingeniously layered comic novel about reinventing oneself.

Looking for Alaska. Miles Halter is fascinated by famous last words – and tired of his safe life at home. He leaves for boarding school to seek what the dying poet Francois Rabelais called the “Great Perhaps.” Much awaits Miles at Culver Creek, including Alaska Young. Clever, funny, screwed-up, and dead sexy, Alaska will pull Miles into her labyrinth and catapult him into the Great Perhaps. Looking for Alaska brilliantly chronicles the indelible impact one life can have on another. A stunning debut, it marks John Green’s arrival as an important new voice in contemporary fiction.

The Virgin of Small Plains Nancy Pickard

2010-06-19T22:15:00.000-07:00

This is truly an amazing novel. For seventeen years, a rural Kansas community has faithfully tended the grave of an anonymous teenage girl christened the Virgin of Small Plains. Some claim that strange miracles and healings have occurred. Slowly word of the legend spreads beyond their community..

But what really happened in that now-covered field almost 20 years ago, when her naked, frozen body was found. Why did one young man disappear the next day, leaving behind his girlfriend and best friend?

Now he's returned, reigniting tensions and awakening secrets. The three former friends must confront the ever-unfolding consequences of the night that forever changed their lives - and the life of their small town.

After you've read this, you won't be able to resist Pickards' newest, The Scent of Rain and Lightning. It's also fabulous.

The Blessings of the Animals by Katrina Kittle

2010-06-19T07:56:00.000-07:00

Veterinarian Cami Anderson has hit a rough patch. Stymied by her recent divorce, she wonders if there are secret ingredients to a happy, long-lasting marriage or if the entire institution is outdated and obsolete. Couples all around her are approaching important milestones. Her parents are preparing to celebrate their fiftieth anniversary. Her brother and his partner find their marriage dreams legally blocked. Her former sister-in-law—still her best friend—is newly engaged. The youthfully exuberant romance of her teenage daughter is developing complications. And three separate men—including her ex-husband—are becoming entangled in Cami's messy post-marital love life.
But as she struggles to come to terms with her own doubts amid this chaotic circus of relationships, Cami finds strange comfort in an unexpected confidant: an angry, unpredictable horse in her care. With the help of her equine soul mate, she begins to make sense of marriage's great mysteries—and its disconnects.

This novel is not only serious, it is seriously funny and touching. When talking about her ex's family to a newcomer on the scene; the newcomer says: They're like The Soprano's, without the guns! Cami and her daughter Gabby respond: You haven't seen the guns!

The Blessings of the Animals will be released by Harper Collins, on 8/3/10. It's part of their P.S. Series that launches with the paperback edition. Mark your calendars, don't miss it.

Theodore Boone: Kid Lawyer, by John Grisham

2010-06-15T08:16:00.000-07:00

This is not a negative review, I really enjoyed this book, but I want to give my opinion that it's targeting the wrong age group. The characters, for the most part are teens, and that's the age group that should be reading this delightful tale.

The author, John Grisham, and the publisher, Penguin Young Readers, are targeting 8-12 year olds in their marketing. Realistically the target age is 12-15 year olds. It's a good read but probably won't be successful for grade-schoolers. I really enjoyed the story and the writing, but I'm 65.

A perfect murder - A faceless witness - A lone courtroom champion knows the whole truth . . . and he's only thirteen years old. Meet Theodore Boone In the small city of Strattenburg, there are many lawyers, and though he's only thirteen years old, Theo Boone thinks he's one of them. Theo knows every judge, policeman, court clerk—and a lot about the law. He dreams of being a great trial lawyer, of a life in the courtroom.

But Theo finds himself in court much sooner than expected. Because he knows so much—maybe too much—he is suddenly dragged into the middle of a sensational murder trial. A cold-blooded killer is about to go free, and only Theo knows the truth.

The stakes are high, but Theo won't stop until justice is served.

Brimming with the intrigue and suspense that made John Grisham a #1 international bestseller and the undisputed master of the legal thriller, Theodore Boone: Kid Lawyer will keep readers guessing and pages turning.

So, read it yourself, have your teens read it, but don't be disappointed if your grade-schoolers just don't get it.

May 2010 Reads

2010-06-03T07:55:00.002-07:00

The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie by Alan Bradley
★★★The Last Summer of the Death Warriors by Francisco X. Stork
★★★The Scent of Rain and Lightning by Nancy Pickard
★★★The Imperfectionist by Tom Rachman
Having Faithe in the Polar Girls' Prison by Cathleen With
The Poacher's Son by Paul Doiron
★★★Work Song by Ivan Doig
Huck by Janet Elder
Rules of Vengeance by Christopher Reich
★★★The Reversal by Michael Connelly

Lots of great books this month. I've starred my favorites and must reads. Ivan Doig, release is 6/29/10, and Michael Connelly, release is 10/5/10, have out done themselves. Nancy Pickard's The Scent of Rain and Lightning should be the first one you read and it's already released!

I'm a dog person, so I highly recommend Huck by Janet Elder. This very touching memoir will be released 9/28/10.

April 2010 Reads

2010-05-02T20:37:00.000-07:00

★★★Matterhorn by Karl Marlantes
The Girl Who Chased the Moon by Sarah Addison Allen
★★★The Marrowbone Marble Company by M. Glenn Taylor
★★★The Bricklayer by Noah Boyd
★★★This Is Not The Story You Think It Is…by Laura Munson
Chosen Prey by John Sanford
Changes by Jim Butcher

Known to Evil by Walter Mosley

I'm slowing down a bit in my reading, this year. Only 28 books in 4 months, what's a person to think! Three of these April reads are outstanding: Matterhorn and The Bricklayer are both must read debut novels; The Marrowbone Marble Company is equally great. If you read Garden Spells by Allen, you'll like The Girl Who Chased the Moon, even more. The last three authors on this list are among my favorites, I pass up their books.

The Bricklayer by Noah Boyd

2010-04-16T07:36:00.000-07:00

The Bricklayer is the riveting debut novel introducing Steve Vail, an ex-FBI agent who's been fired for insubordination and is content to spend his time as a mason, laying bricks, in Chicago. He's lured back to the Bureau to work a case that has become more unsolvable-and more deadly-by the hour. He agrees with stipulations, one of which is they agree not to pay him. This man has his principles, and the arrangement allows him to use some of his innate senses that got him in trouble when he was a working agent.

Noah Boyd is the pseudonym of a former FBI agent who currently works on cold cases when he's not writing. He was a highly successful FBI agent with over 20 years experience hunting some of the country's most prolific serial killers. His intimate knowledge of the Bureau's inner workings, including its weaknesses, and his "in the trenches" experience lends unusual authenticity to Steve Vail's character and the novel’s investigative details.

I'm just hoping this will be the first in a series. I really love the story.