Pennie Clark Ianniciello, Costco's book buyer, has chosen The Spy: A Novel by Paulo Coelho (Knopf, $22, 9781524732066) as her pick of the month for December. In Costco Connection, which goes to many of the warehouse club's members, she wrote:
"I'm not afraid to gush about authors I like. For the author of this issue's book pick, Paulo Coelho, and his new novel, The Spy, I have nothing but a flood of compliments.
"We all have some vague idea of who Mata Hari was: a seductress and spy. But Coelho imagines her as someone much more than a stereotype. He sees her as a woman whose only crime was to be independent in an era when women still had much to gain.
"The Spy is written with all of the eye and mind-opening wonder for which Coelho is known. It's an ideal read for his fans and for anyone interested in beautifully written books."
