Shelf Awareness for Thursday, June 1, 2006


Grove Press: 33 Place Brugmann by Alice Austen

Berkley Books: These new Berkley romances leave quite an impression. Enter the giveaway!

Little, Brown Books for Young Readers: How Sweet the Sound by Kwame Alexander and Charly Palmer

Palgrave Macmillan:  Scotus 2023: Major Decisions and Developments of the Us Supreme Court (2024) (1ST ed.) edited by Morgan Marietta and Howard Schweber

NYU Advanced Publishing Institute: Register today!

Frances Lincoln Ltd: Dear Black Boy by Martellus Bennett

Soho Crime: Broken Fields by Marcie R. Rendon

Letters

To the Editor: Zafon's Last Paragraph 'Like a Kiss'

Our first picture to the editor comes from Joyce Ripp, administrator and trade show manager at the Northern California Independent Booksellers Association. The image, taken at Books By the Bay, is of her and Carlos Ruiz Zafon, whose The Shadow of the Wind translated by Lucia Graves (Penguin, $15, 0143034901), is the focus, as reported here yesterday, of a Penguin Sales Group push to get it on the New York Times bestseller list and help it "gain an ever-wide readership."

Ripp wrote: "I love Shadow of the Wind. I tell folks the book is just SO good and 'the last paragraph is like a kiss.' This is a book and author who remind me why I do what I do."

Disruption Books: How We Heal: A Journey Toward Truth, Racial Healing, and Community Transformation from the Inside Out by La June Montgomery Tabron


News

Notes: Follett's Big New Old Dominion Store; Signing Suit

Follett Higher Education Group, which recently won a 15-year contract to manage the bookstore at Old Dominion University, Norfolk, Va., is planning to open a $7 million, 42,000-sq.-ft. bookstore in University Village, according to the Virginian-Pilot.

The project resembles several others around the country involving college bookstores that open in communities next to the campus.

Follett will invest $3 million in the new store, which will stock 20,000 titles, including bestsellers and children's books. Until last month, Barnes & Noble had managed the University's bookstore for 20 years.

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With help from the American Civil Liberties Union, a group of women who were ejected from a signing and discussion by Pennsylvania Senator Rick Santorum concerning his book, It Takes a Family, have filed suit claiming their constitutional rights were violated, the AP reported via the Philadelphia Inquirer.

The signing was at a Barnes & Noble in Wilmington, Del. Two of the women were arrested for trespassing and three others threatened with arrest. In the suit, they say they went to challenge Santorum "respectfully" and were ordered to leave by an off-duty, uniformed state policeman after some of Santorum's team overheard them talking before the Senator arrived.

"The advertisements said 'book signing and discussion,' not 'discussion only if you agree with the senator,' " Julia Graff, staff attorney for the Delaware chapter of the ACLU, which joined with the Pennsylvania ACLU chapter in filing the lawsuit, told the agency. "The trooper denied these women their right to share their views with an elected official. This is precisely the kind of conduct the First Amendment was designed to guard against."

No B&N or mall representative asked that the women leave; the suit is against a state trooper and a Santorum staffer.

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Barnes & Noble has signed a lease for a store in Estero, Fla., near Bonita Springs. Expected to open this November, the store will be in the Coconut Point Town Center at 23130 Fashion Drive, stock close to 200,000 book, music, DVD and magazine titles and include a cafe serving Starbucks coffee.

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The San Diego Union-Tribune has an update on the change of ownership at the Book Works, Del Mar, Calif., which Milane Christiansen sold to Lisa Stefanacci in March.

A senior staff scientist at the Salk Institute, Stefanacci has been a regular customer of the Book Works for 16 years. "Milane and I have the same vision, and all of the things that our customers love will stay the same," Stefanacci told the paper. "I am just going to carry it into a new era."

Christiansen, who founded the store 30 years ago, is working parttime as a consultant to the store.

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The Kansas City Star reviews Bill Maher's lastest gig, Amazon Fishbowl with Bill Maher, which made its debut last night. The show has two problems, the paper said: "The shameless product placement segment that occurs midway through the half-hour program" and the omission of politics from the political comedian's interviews with authors.

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Where's Waldo?

Reappearing in a new book for the first time in almost a decade, Waldo is now on the Web at www.thegreatpicturehunt.com, which highlights the new Where's Waldo? The Great Picture Hunt, offers a downloadable activity kit, Waldo Fast Facts, and lists events to be held at eight children's museums in the next few months. A photo gallery includes pictures of Waldo Watchers who find Waldo in their community and upload their shots onto the site.

In addition, iTunes has downloadable interviews with author/illustrator Martin Handford, marking Candlewick Press's first podcast promotion of a new title.


Inner Traditions: Deck the Stacks with the Best Holiday & Gift Books for Self-Transformation! Claim your samples now!


In Memoriam: Dan Lundy

We offer both an official obituary and a personal recollection of Dan Lundy:

Daniel T. Lundy, longtime vice president, director of academic and library marketing and sales at Penguin Group (USA), passed away Monday evening, May 29, at Jacob Perlow Hospice in New York City, due to complications from lung cancer.  He was 51. Widely respected and highly regarded throughout the academic book publishing world, Lundy oversaw the largest combined academic marketing department at a major consumer book publishing house for close to 16 years.

He worked with such notable bestselling authors as Nathaniel Philbrick, Khaled Hosseini, Jared Diamond, Susan Vreeland, Dava Sobel, Mark Bowden, Leonard Maltin and Paul Rusesabagina, among many others.

"Such a gap he'll be leaving," said Susan Vreeland. "It's right that he receives some recognition for the behind-the-scenes work he did for so many Penguin authors. He was always a strong supporter of my work. I remember Dan's humor, his solicitousness for me. We often spoke of his boys. My heart goes out to them now, and to his wife. I wish I could return the support Dan gave me."

He was an active member of many publishing trade organizations, such as the Association of American Publishers, the American Library Association, the International Reading Association, Friends of Libraries USA and the National Association of College Stores.

Dan Lundy was born December 14, 1954 in Westfield, N.J. He graduated from Macalester College, St. Paul, Minn., with a B.A. degree in English Literature in 1977. He began his career in book publishing in 1984 and worked for a number of small presses before becoming marketing manager of academic Books at Oxford University Press. He joined Penguin in 1990.

Extremely well-read, Lundy was an authority on classic literature and was a lifelong fan of music, particularly bluegrass.

Dan, formerly of Manhattan, leaves behind his wife, Mary Sue, and sons, Jared and Damon, as well his mother, Janet M. Lundy, and father, Daniel F. Lundy, and sisters, Mary Lundy Zilinskas, Joanne Ranagan, and Sue Lundy.

A memorial service will be held tomorrow, Friday, 7-9 p.m. at Andrett Funeral Home, 353 Second Avenue (at 20th Street), in New York City. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made in Lundy's name to the Pinelands Preservation Alliance, 17 Pemberton Rd., Southampton, N.J. 08088.

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Concerning Dan, Cindy Thompson, director of committee/state relations at the National Association of College Stores, writes:

On Tuesday morning, I got the news that my best friend in publishing, Dan Lundy, had passed away. Since the early 1990s, Dan and I had worked together on the Book & Author Breakfast held at the Annual Meeting and Campus Market Expo of the National Association of College Stores. He was always the calm one, and it became a standing joke between us.

Over the years, Dan and his wonderful company, Penguin, became more and more involved with our efforts. Not only the breakfast, but our keynote presentations and education sessions as well. He always had an idea for a speaker, and a way to help us realize it. And he always took such good care of people. It got to the point that we included an acknowledgement of Dan in all our event introductions. The last time I saw him was at our convention in Houston in March. Dan never liked the limelight, but agreed to take the stage on behalf of Penguin, to receive an award acknowledging the company's 60 consecutive years of exhibiting at our convention. He was a class act that night as we always knew him to be.

Dan's commitment to academic marketing went beyond our convention, to other meetings, events for state and regional college store associations, and local programs for kids. He tirelessly promoted college stores to his colleagues in publishing as well, which I found remarkable. He had a great sense of humor, sharp wit, and an inspiring commitment to his family. I always looked forward to seeing him. Today I can't imagine what it will be like without him.

The bookselling industry is a very generous one, and one that I have loved since I joined it as a bookseller many years ago, and then as a NACS staff member. I have met too many wonderful people to begin to count, and I will always remember Dan that way. I guess we always hope that the people we love will be the ones to beat the odds, and I hoped that for Dan. It was not to be, but I am so grateful for the time I spent with him, and for the programs we created together. He will be missed so much.


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Media and Movies

This Weekend on Book TV: Mark Bowden in Depth

Book TV airs on C-Span 2 from 8 a.m. Saturday to 8 a.m. Monday and focuses on political and historical books as well as the book industry. The following are highlights for this coming weekend. For more information, go to Book TV's Web site.

Saturday, June 3

6 p.m. Encore Booknotes. In a segment first aired in 1991, former New York Times columnist Anthony Lewis talks about his Make No Law: The Sullivan Case and the First Amendment, which details Alabama Commissioner L.B. Sullivan's 1960 libel suit against the Times for its criticism of Montgomery's response to civil rights protests.

9 p.m. After Words. Former Speaker of the House Newt Gingrich interviews Alvin Toffler whose newest book, written with Heidi Toffler, is Revolutionary Wealth (Knopf, $27.95, 0375401741). (Re-airs Sunday at 6 p.m. and 9 p.m.)

Sunday, June 4

1:30 a.m. Public Lives. At an event filmed at George Mason University, Paul Rusesabagina, author of An Ordinary Man: An Autobiography (Viking, $23.95, 0670037524), recounts his experience during the Rwanda genocide/massacre in 1994 and the actions he took to save 1,200 refugees, a story told in the movie Hotel Rwanda.

12 p.m. In Depth: Mark Bowden, national correspondent for the Atlantic magazine, appears live. His 1999 book, Black Hawk Down: A Story of Modern War, was made into a movie directed by Ridley Scott. Another of his books, Killing Pablo (2001), about Colombian drug lord Pablo Escobar, is currently being adapted for film. The author's latest book is Guests of the Ayatollah: The First Battle in America's War with Militant Islam (Atlantic Monthly, $26, 0871139251), about the hostage crisis in Iran that began in November 1979. Viewers can join in the discussion by calling during the program or e-mailing questions to booktv@c-span.org. (Re-airs on Monday at 12 a.m.)

7 p.m. History on Book TV. At an event hosted by Politics and Prose Bookstore in Washington, D.C., Eric Burns, author of Infamous Scribblers: The Founding Fathers and the Rowdy Beginnings of American Journalism (PublicAffairs, $27.50, 158648334X), recounts that colonial newspapers were full of character assassinations and outright fabrications.


Media Heat: Baer Blows the House Down

Today on the View: Julie Edelman, author of The Accidental Housewife: Sanity-Saving Shortcuts for Life on Hysteria Lane (Ballantine, $12.95, 0345490436).

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Today on CNN American Morning: Robert Baer, author of Blow the House Down (Crown, $25.95, 1400098351). He will also be interviewed tonight on the Charlie Rose Show by guest host Brian Ross of ABC News.

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On KCRW's Bookworm: Elias Khoury, author of Gate of the Sun (Archipelago, $26, 0976395029). As the show put it: "Lebanese Elias Khoury speaks of the years he spent developing his craft and maturing as a writer in order to be worthy of his subject: the recent history of the Palestinian people. Although the novel has been declared a masterpiece and has been awarded many prizes, this is the first time Khoury explores the dark comedy and passion at the heart of his project."

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Today on WAMU's Diane Rehm Show: Tom Nagorski, author of Miracles on the Water: The Heroic Survivors of a World War II U-Boat Attack (Hyperion, $24.95, 1401301509). Nagorski is also a great-nephew of a survivor of the sinking the book chronicles.

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Tonight on Larry King Live: CNN's Anderson Cooper, whose new memoir is Dispatches From the Edge: A Memoir of War, Disasters, and Survival (HarperCollins, $24.95, 0061132381).

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A repeat of the May 22 show, tonight's Daily Show with Jon Stewart features an appearance by Willie Nelson, whose new book, written with Turk Pipkin, is The Tao of Willie: A Guide to the Happiness in Your Heart (Gotham, $20, 159240197X).




Books & Authors

Mandahla: Father's Day Possibilities, Part One

The following is the first of three selections of recent titles that could make good picks for Father's Day gifts. Most are newly reviewed titles; several have been reviewed in Shelf Awareness already.

Bamboo Fly Rod Suite by Frank Soos (University of Georgia Press, $15.95 paperback, 0820328359, March)

The restoration of an old bamboo fly rod structures this lovely book illustrated by Kesler Woodward paintings. Subtitled "Reflections on Fishing and the Geography of Grace," Frank Soos' meditations consider our desire for more, for speed, for better. The world pushes for greater velocity, but the heart of fishing is learning to wait, and there are "pleasures found in the space of waiting." Slowness teaches acceptance--"On the river, the world is neither perfect nor broken, but always fixable, adjustable, ripe for restoration. It's a good place for a bamboo fly rod." Anglers and non-anglers both will find wisdom and beauty in this suite of essays.

Borrowed Time by Robert Goddard (Delta, $12 paperback, 0385339224, January)
 
Delta has begun reissuing Booker nominee Robert Goddard's books, and a happy occasion it is. Goddard writes elegantly, weaving mystery and strong characters into novels that are classics of suspense. Borrowed Time opens on a golden evening in high summer, when hiker Robin Timariot unexpectedly meets Lady Louise Paxton at a ruined cairn. A few days later, he reads that she had been raped and murdered shortly after their meeting. A traditional beginning, but in Goddard's hands the unexpected is a given, and Robin's entanglement in her murder changes his life in surprising ways. Goddard's mysteries are so good that they can, and will be, re-read with pleasure and satisfaction.

Firmin: Adventures of a Metropolitan Lowlife by Stan Savage (Coffee House Press, $14.95 paper, 1566891817, April)

Firmin is a rat who was born in the basement of a Boston bookstore. The runt of the litter, he is forced to eat book pages to survive. But he begins to chew less and less, and starts to read around the edges of his meal, gnawing only at the margins. He ingests books, he becomes addicted to books, and this love dominates his life, perhaps ruins it. Willy-nilly quoting Jeeves and Shakespeare, Firmin is aware of his tragedy--he reads, he thinks, he dreams of life beyond rat-dom, but he can't speak, just squeak. "Oh, what a clown! I laugh in order not to weep--which, of course, I also cannot do. Or laugh either, for that matter, except in my head, where it is more painful than tears." Witty and sad, Firmin's tale is for anyone who loves words.--Marilyn Dahl


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