From the Midwest Booksellers Association, Midwest Connections Picks for January and February. Under this marketing program, the association and member stores promote booksellers' handselling favorites that have a strong Midwest regional appeal.
January
No Saints in Kansas by Amy Brashear (Soho Teen, $18.99, 9781616956837). "A young adult, fictional reimagining of Truman Capote's In Cold Blood and the brutal murders that inspired it. Gripping and fast-paced, this meticulously researched historical fiction will reinvigorate a new generation to Capote. No Saints in Kansas sees the aftermath of the infamous quadruple murder of the Clutter family through the eyes of a teenage girl who counted Nancy Clutter as a friend."
A Year in the Wilderness: Bearing Witness in the Boundary Waters by Amy Freeman and Dave Freeman (Milkweed Editions, $35, 9781571313669). "When the Freemans learned of mining in the area's watershed, they decided to take action--by spending a year in the wilderness. This book tells the story of their adventure in northern Minnesota: of loons whistling under a moonrise, of mushrooms cooked over a fire, of a pine marten stalking a hare through winter's first snowfall. In visceral language and gorgeous photos, the Freemans show us the value of wilderness and why we must protect it."
Little i by Michael Hall (Greenwillow Books/HarperCollins, $17.95, 9780062383006). "When Little i's dot falls off, rolls down a hill, over a cliff, and into the sea, Little i sets out on a journey to rescue it. A charming, suspenseful, and wholly original picture book about the adventure of growing up from the acclaimed and bestselling creator of Red: A Crayon's Story and Wonderfall."
Alone on the Shield by Kirk Landers (Chicago Review Press, $15.99, 9781613739914). "Alone on the Shield is a story about the Vietnam war and the things that connect us. It is the story of aging Baby Boomers, of the rare kinds of people who paddle alone into the wilderness, and of the kind of adventure that comes only to the bold and the brave."
February
The Immortalists by Chloe Benjamin (Putnam, $26, 9780735213180). "A sweeping novel of remarkable ambition and depth, The Immortalists probes the line between destiny and choice, reality and illusion, this world and the next. It is a deeply moving testament to the power of story, the nature of belief, and the unrelenting pull of familial bonds."
The Wizard and the Prophet: Two Remarkable Scientists and Their Dueling Visions to Shape Tomorrow's World by Charles C. Mann (Knopf, $28.95, 9780307961693). "When it comes to the environment, two scientists shaped our world view--and very few people have ever even heard of them. Award-winning historian Charles C. Mann takes on one of the most important questions of our time, drawing on history for context and laying a path for what's to come."
American Heart by Laura Moriarty (HarperTeen, $17.99, 9780062694102). "Imagine a United States in which registries and detainment camps for Muslim Americans are a reality. This is the world of fifteen-year-old Sarah-Mary Williams of Hannibal, Missouri. When Sarah-Mary meets a Muslim fugitive determined to reach freedom, the two set off on a desperate journey, hitchhiking through the heart of America."
The Digger and the Flower by Joseph Kuefler (Balzer + Bray, $17.99, 9780062424334). "From the author-artist of Beyond the Pond and Rulers of the Playground comes a breathtaking new book with a powerful message about the environment--about a lonely digger in an industrial world who finds a flower, an encounter that ends up changing his whole world. This beautifully spare story has a powerful message of friendship and environmentalism."
