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 Dear Book Lover:
Big books are coming this fall. Telegraph Avenue by Michael Chabon is just out (Harper, $27.99) and we have limited autographed first editions. The Round House by Louise Erdrich released this week (Harper, $27.99) and is on Lydia's list to read. The Malice of Fortune by Michael Ennis (Knopf, $26.95) is on my list -- Da Vinci & Machiavelli team up to solve a string of murders while Borgia politics play out. Live By Night by Dennis Lehane (William Morrow, $27.99) is just out and you will see Carol's review in the next issue. If you have somehow missed it America Again by Stephen Colbert hit the shelves this week. And because we know there is some local interest in Lee Woodruff, her latest book Those We Love Most, a novel, is new.
Also, for fans of the Giver series, Son by Lois Lowry (Houghton Mifflin $17.99), the fourth and final book is on shelves now, and we are eager to read it. Also we know we have many readers who have been waiting for a year for next book in the Heroes of Olympus series, The Mark of Athena by Rick Riordan, which went on sale Tuesday.
As we read these we will let you know what we think on facebook.
Check our page for what Carol is reading right now. We try to update once a week. We also update the page with interesting book news we think you might like.
New ARCs went out this week. Frequent buyers can still buy a new book and get an ARC for free.
In case you don't already know, the secondary price listed for books reviewed below is the frequent buyer price, which reflects a 10% discount. It is $20 to join our frequent buyer club, which gives customers a 10% discount on all book purchases for one year. But we're happy to see you in the bookstore whether or not you join.
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Almost Somewhere
by Suzanne Roberts
Please join us Friday, October 26th, at 6 p.m.
Suzanne Roberts will join us for a talk and a slideshow presentation featuring her new book,
Almost Somewhere, Twenty-Eight Days on the John Muir Trail.
This memoir covers a lot of ground: graceful nature writing, observations from the trenches of womanhood, and a lifelong love affair with our hero, John Muir. (Bison Books, $19.95/$17.96) A Lydia pick.
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New Children's Books
 span style="font-weight: bold; font-family: Verdana,Geneva,Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 14pt;">Bats at the Library
by Brian Lies
When a colony of bats become bored they spot a window left open in the library and the fun begins. Their nocturnal adventures include forming a library discussion group about guides to finding foods (insect books), taking images of themselves at the copier, playing at the computer, and exploring pop-up books. Told in rhyming narrative and cleverly illustrated by the author, this story will delight children ages 4 and up, and even those with chiroptophobia (having a fear of bats). (Houghton Mifflin Books for Children, $16.99/$15.29). Reviewed by Carol
 Creepy Carrots
by Aaron Rey
That bunny! Always stealing carrots from the farmer's field. Juicy, fat, tasty, irresistible carrots! Until the day the carrots start following him and he begins seeing them everywhere--under the bed and in the shed -- or is it just his imagination? This story is a great read-aloud and the creepy illustrations add to the fun. Ages 4 to 8. (Simon & Schuster, $16.99/$15.29)
Reviewed by Debbie
 If I Never Forever Endeavor
by Holly Meade
I loved this simple tale of a bird afraid to try his first flight. He might get lost so should he stay safe in his nest? But he might be able to fly and swoop and dive and pick bugs from the sky. This is simple enough for young ones to understand and enjoy. If you never try it, you'll never know if you can do it. Ages 4 to 8. (Candlewick, $15.99/$14.39) Reviewed by Debbie
The Monsters' Monster
by Patrick McDonnell
Grouch, Grump and little Gloom n' Doom think that they're the baddest little monsters around. How to terrorize the local monster-fearing village even more? Why, create a "monster's monster", of course. This monster has a surprise in store for the 3 little ones and for us as well. Enjoy Patrick McDonnell's latest story and artwork together, a splendid family read-aloud. We have a limited supply of autographed copies! Ages 4 and up. (Little Brown, $16.99/$15.29) Reviewed by Lydia
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| Middle & Older Readers
 Infinity Ring 1: A Mutiny in Time
by James Dashner
In this future world historical events are very different from what we know happened. (The American flag has 48 stars, to begin with.) Best friends Dak and Sera must travel back in time and fix what went wrong. Turned loose with no training after they discover a time travel machine, they stumble back to the first event to try to change history. In this future, the world is experiencing mega-natural disasters which may mean the end; so these two must successfully evade the SQ (an evil organization determined to control all), team up with the Hystorians (the good guys) and complete their mission. Author Dashner writes a rousing tale, the first in the series, with the second book, Infinity Ring 2: Divide and Conquer by Carrie Ryan, due November 6th. Ages 8-12. (Scholastic, $12.99/$11.69) Reviewed by Debbie
Survivors 1: The Empty City
by Eric Hunter
The author's newest series unfolds an adventure seen through the eyes of Lucky, a golden-haired mutt with a nose for survival. Lucky stands alone while other dogs have packs. Lucky must survive on his instincts to get by. Young readers will find plenty to like here: a fast moving plot with characterizations of individual dogs. Fans of the Warriors and the Seeker series will find Hunter's respect for nature and rich explanations for animal behavior an enjoyable start to a new series. Ages 10 and up. (Harper, $16.99/$15.29). Reviewed by Carol
Teen Reading
 The Last Dragonslayer
by Jasper Fforde
Magic is fading; no one believes anymore. Foundling Jennifer Strange manages an employment agency for magicians and must keep temperamental magicians in check while on the job. Then Jennifer finds she has inherited a new position, and a new place to go with it. Is she the rumored last dragonslayer? There are lots of twists and turns in this story as magicians are suddenly able to increase the strength of their spells, and the political nature of this world is only matched by its rampant commercialism. Join Jennifer in her orange VW bug as the story tries to lead her to fame and fortune. Will she figure out the game before it's too late? I very much enjoyed Fford's first tale for a teen audience. Ages 12 and up. (Harcourt, $16.99/$15.29) Reviewed by Debbie
 Small Damages
by Beth Kephart
It's Kenzie's senior year and she should be looking forward to the prom and starting college in the fall, but instead she discovers she is pregnant. Determined to keep her baby, something her boyfriend and mother can't bring themselves to understand, Kenzie is sent to Spain for the term of her pregnancy with plans to have her baby adopted by a Spanish couple. At first alone and resentful in a foreign country, she begins to let two special people into her life: Estela, the household's old cook, and Esteban, the mysterious young man who cares for the horses. This opens Kenzie's eyes and her heart to the beauty surrounding her and inside of her. This is a story about choices---life, love, and home. A coming-of-age novel, lovely and unusual; a story often simple, yet sometimes complex. Beautifully written and not easily forgotten. (Philomel Books, $17.99/$16.19). Reviewed by Carol
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New Adult Hardcover Fiction
 And When She Was Good
by Laura Lippman
As a child, Helen was verbally belittled by her father, just another bit of cruelty from a man who specialized in harsh deeds. But twenty years later Helen becomes Heloise and a person who knows how to avoid attention, living in a suburb with a forged background as a young widow while all along believing she is safe. However nothing is as it seems and Heloise is faced with a crisis and higher stakes than she could ever imagine. She may have gained credibility in both a real and an "artificial" profession: prostitution and state capitol lobbying; but can she take care of herself? It's a page-turner with tension until the final showdown. (William Morrow, $26.99/$24.29). Reviewed by Carol
The Dog Stars
by Peter Heller
A killer flu has changed Hig's world. His wife and most everyone he knew is gone. This new world is violent and Hig teams up with his only neighbor, Bangley, to protect his territory. Hig's life becomes flying his 1956 Cessna, his dog (his closest companion), hunting and fishing, and some conversation with Bangley -- mostly involving guns and defense. Bangley is an expert with guns and probably an ex-soldier. Hig loves to fly and explore beyond his small boundaries, always listening for other survivors. He also patrols the perimeter to keep them safe, and to visit a local community decimated by the flu. "Narrated by a man who is part warrior and part dreamer... and a heart that refuses to harden", I found this powerful novel violent, beautiful, and human. (Knopf, $24.95/$22.46) Reviewed by Debbie
 Love Anthony
by Lisa Genova
The complicated topic of autism is brought to readers through beautifully drawn characters. A mother's life is shattered when her 3-year-old son is diagnosed with autism, but her chance encounter with another woman facing her own loss provides the reader with a remarkable story about motherhood, autism, and love. Genova, whose career background is neuroscience, has again captured a place in contemporary literary fiction that inspires the human spirit. Genova's previous bestsellers, Still Alice and Left Neglected are favorites of mine and now available in paperback. (Gallery Books, $26.00/$23.40). Reviewed by Carol
The Map of the Sky
by Felix J. Palma
Palma's vivid imagination and masterful storytelling paints a tale that will mesmerize any fan of science fiction and suspense. The author baffles and surprises you at every turn of the page in this novel, as H. G. Wells is given a leading role and the extraterrestrial invasion from The
War of the Worlds is turned into a bizarre reality. Palma creates three interconnected plots, one in which a young Edgar Allan Poe is characterized, and turns them into a tale of time travel and mystery that will take your breath away. Along with the author's previous hit, The Map of Time (now in paperback), his new "classic" sci-fi will take you on a dazzling journey you must become a part of and won't easily forget. (Atria Books, $26.00/$23.40). Reviewed by Carol
The Orchardist
by Amanda Coplin
As young William grows up in a rural part of the Pacific Northwest and later becomes a gentle recluse tending the fruit orchards he loves, his life is interrupted by two teenage girls stealing his compassion in return for his trust. This is a moving story of shattered tragedies and reconciling ghosts of a troubled past. A breath-taking debut novel about a man who disrupts his life, opens his heart and lets the world in. (Harper, $25.99/$23.39). Reviewed by Carol
The Roots of the Olive Tree
by Courtney Miller Santo
Five generations of firstborn women tell their views of living in the same house on a secluded olive grove in the Sacramento Valley of Northern California. The 112-year-old matriarch rules Hill House and defies longevity norms and in doing so she catches the attention of a geneticist looking for the key to revolutionize the aging process. A compelling novel that captures the joys and sorrows that tie the generations of a family together. (William Morrow. $24.99/$22.49). Reviewed by Carol
The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry
by Rachel Joyce
A retired beleaguered husband receives a letter from an old friend he hasn't seen in twenty years, telling him she is dying. Instead of posting the planned letter response, Harold decides to make an unprepared 600-mile journey walking across England from his Kingsbridge home to Queenie's hospice. I loved this story about second chances and regained love; tender and funny. (Bond Street Books, $29.95/$26.96). Reviewed by Carol
A Wanted Man
by Lee Child
When Jack Reacher sticks out his thumb again this time on a Nebraska highway, destination Virginia, he soon learns there is no law that says people who pick up hitchhikers have to tell the truth. The occupants of the car are two men with a kidnapped woman, and are not in corporate sales on their way to Chicago, as they claim; but rather killers just leaving the scene of a brutal murder they committed with a restaurant hostess as their hostage. Reacher soon discovers he has tied himself to a massive conspiracy that makes him a threat, not only to the killers, but to a manhunt involving the FBI. Child's nomad hero in this latest of the author's suspense series brings tension and twists that keep readers guessing until the explosive final pages. (Delacorte Press, $28.00/$25.30). Reviewed by Carol
 Century Trilogy 2: Winter of the World
by Ken Follett
This novel picks up where The Fall of Giants left off, as five families enter an enormous time of social, political, and economic turmoil, beginning with the rise of the Third Reich and continuing until the dropping of the atomic bombs that end World War II. Brilliantly researched with fast-moving action and characters who find their lives entangled with experiences that light up the events that have marked the century. Rich in emotion and subtle distinction, Follett shows his hand as the master of historical fiction.(Dutton, $36.00)/$32.40). Reviewed by Carol
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Adult Paperback Fiction
The 100-year-old Man Who Climbed Out the Window
by Jonas Jonasson
On his birthday, spry centenarian Allan Karlson goes on the run from his old-age home after deciding it's not too late to start over. On a chilly day, dressed in a thin jacket and bedroom slippers, with a stolen suitcase full of cash, Allan embarks on an unexpected journey full of surprises. In this hilarious story, Allan reveals the events of his life, some of which are the most important of the past century, and narrates the part he has played in them. He has traveled the world meeting everyone from Stalin to Churchill to Mao. This Swedish translation is quirky and utterly unique; a laugh-a-page read you won't want to miss. (Hyperion, $15.99/$14.39). Reviewed by Carol
The Absolutist
by John Boyne
In September 1919, twenty-one-year-old Triston Sadler travels from London to deliver letters to the sister of the man he fought beside in the Great War. Although the letters are not the real reason for his visit, Tristan has finally found the courage to unburden a secret he can no longer keep. As he recounts the details of a war he feels was senseless, and his friendship with Will, the man he fought beside and said farewell to in the trenches of Northern France, Tristan finds their bond brought him happiness and self-discovery, but also confusion and pain. This is a story of passion, jealousy, heroism, and betrayal that will stay with you long after the last page. This novel moved me deeply, as I hope it will you, the reader. (Other Press, $16.95/$15.26). Reviewed by Carol
Hemingway's Girl
by Erika Robuck
A tender love story set in the depths of the 1930's depression. Mariella, the 19-year-old daughter of a Cuban mother and an American fisherman living in Key West, struggles to support her family following the death of her father. When Mariella is hired as a maid in the lavish household of Ernest Hemingway, she catches the attention of the literary legend whose womanizing reputation becomes a dangerous temptation to this young girl. Her feelings become confused when she meets Gavin, a veteran soldier who is helping build the Overseas Highway bridging Key West to the mainland. A moving story of complex relationships that puts the reader inside the world of Hemingway and is surrounded by a vivid setting in which survival encounters harsh truths inspiring us to become better human beings. A richly enjoyable story. (New American Library, $16.00/$14.40). Reviewed by Carol
 Park Lane
by Frances Osborne
Grace Campbell is eighteen when she arrives in London in 1914 having failed her family's ambitions for her to become an office secretary. She takes a job as a housemaid and becomes caught up in the lives of the privileged class, among them the family daughter, Beatrice, who is recovering from a failed relationship. As Bea looks for a new life-purpose, she becomes involved with a group of radical suffragettes and a romantic relationship with an impassioned young lawyer. The choices Bea and Grace make surrounded by the changes brought on by World War I, will unknowingly connect their chances with future happiness. Fans of Downton Abbey and The House at Tyneford will have another reading choice to fill the void. (Vintage Books, $15.95/$14.36). Reviewed by Carol
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Audio Non-Fiction
Wild
by Cheryl Strayed
An Oprah selection, this audio is about way more than just hiking. After Strayed's mother died she found herself at loose ends and just decided to hike the Pacific Crest Trail after seeing a hiking guide about it. She started in the Mojave Desert with a huge pack (dubbed Monster) and little to no hiking training. This is a fascinating look at how she is finally able to put herself back together while hiking and reflecting on recent events that shaped her (cocaine use, divorce, and her somewhat dysfunctional family). An ultimately rewarding tale of a woman who hiked solo (!) with little experience through some very rugged terrain, and who came to terms with the mistakes she had made in her life. Fascinating. (Random House Audio, $40.00/$36.00) 13 hours. Also available in hardcover (Random House $25.95/$23.36) Reviewed by Debbie
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Gift Cards/Certificates and IndieBound
Gift cards are always a welcome gift for a reader, who can then choose exactly what they want. Our booksellers are always ready with a great book suggestion for adults and children.
IndieBound is about supporting Independent bookstores and other businesses, and celebrating what makes them unique. It's about reaching out, it's about raising awareness, and it's about taking pride in your community.
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Deborah Lane
Bookshelf Stores Inc |
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