Shelf Awareness for Thursday, August 3, 2023


Quarry Books: Yes, Boys Can!: Inspiring Stories of Men Who Changed the World - He Can H.E.A.L. by Richard V Reeves and Jonathan Juravich, illustrated by Chris King

Simon & Schuster: Broken Country by Clare Leslie Hall

Little, Brown Books for Young Readers: Nightweaver by RM Gray

G.P. Putnam's Sons Books for Young Readers: The Meadowbrook Murders by Jessica Goodman

Overlook Press: Hotel Lucky Seven (Assassins) by Kotaro Isaka, translated by Brian Bergstrom

News

Monkey Wrench Books Coming to Morgantown, W.Va.

Lindsey Jacobs at the future Monkey Wrench Books.

Monkey Wrench Books will open later this year at 214 High St. in downtown Morgantown, W.Va. In a Facebook post, founder and owner Lindsey Jacobs wrote: "We're so excited to bring you new & used books, coffee (& tea!), and gifts (new & secondhand!).... 

"MWB will be a place to share ideas, spark debate, and build community. We sure hope you'll join us and throw a wrench in the gears of billionaire-backed bookselling and the narratives that paint West Virginia as a throw-away place. Keep your eyes peeled for updates, a fundraiser or two, and the many ways you can support us in the lead up to our grand opening later this year.... Love and solidarity."


BINC: Your donation can help rebuild lives and businesses in Florida, North Carolina, Tennessee and beyond. Donate Today!


Eric Carle Museum Names Jennifer Schantz Executive Director

Jennifer Schantz

The Eric Carle Museum of Picture Book Art, Amherst, Mass., has announced that Jennifer Schantz will be the museum's next executive director, effective September 18.

Schantz, who most recently was executive director at the New York Public Library for the Performing Arts at Lincoln Center in New York City, is succeeding executive director Alix Kennedy. Kennedy, who has led the Eric Carle Museum for the past 15 years, will stay on until November 21.

"I'm so excited to introduce the Carle's supporters to Jen," Kennedy said. "I know she'll get such a warm greeting, like I did, from the picture book community. And I can't wait to see her take the Carle to all new heights."

Schantz began her career as an attorney before spending almost 13 years at the New-York Historical Society. She held a variety of roles there, including general counsel and chief administrative officer. Schantz was also the acting director of the DiMenna Children's History Museum, where she directed the presentation of an exhibition about Mo Willems that was created by the Carle.

“Eric and Barbara Carle were such visionaries, creating a stunning art museum for visitors of all ages, and elevating an important art form," Schantz said. "Through their vision the Carle has become more than a museum--it’s a thought leader and a haven where picture book art, literature, and imagination come alive.”


GLOW: Berkley Books: The Seven O'Clock Club by Amelia Ireland


Shelf Awareness Delivers Indie Pre-Order E-Blast

This past Wednesday, July 26, Shelf Awareness sent our monthly pre-order e-blast to nearly 966,000 of the country's best book readers. The e-blast went to 965,981 customers of 234 participating independent bookstores.

The mailing features 11 upcoming titles selected by Shelf Awareness editors and a sponsored title. Customers can buy these books via "pre-order" buttons that lead directly to the purchase page for the title on each sending store's website. A key feature is that bookstore partners can easily change title selections to best reflect the tastes of their customers and can customize the mailing with links, images and promotional copy of their own.

The pre-order e-blasts are sent the last Wednesday of each month; the next will go out on Wednesday, August 30. Stores interested in learning more can visit our program registration page or contact our partner program team via e-mail.

For a sample of the July pre-order e-blast, see this one from the Taleless Dog Booksellers, Berea, Ky.

The titles highlighted in the pre-order e-blast were:

Vaster Wilds by Lauren Groff (Riverhead)
The Book of (More) Delights by Ross Gay (Algonquin)
Things We Left Behind by Lucy Score (Bloom Books)
Amazing Grace Adams by Fran Littlewood (Holt)
Shitty Craft Club by Sam Reece, photos by Lizzie Darden (Chronicle)
The River We Remember by William Kent Krueger (Atria)
Sing a Black Girl's Song: The Unpublished Work of Ntozake Shange by Ntozake Shange, edited by Imani Perry (Legacy Lit)
The Fragile Threads of Power by V.E. Schwab (Tor)
Of Time and Turtles by Sy Montgomery and Matt Patterson (Mariner)
Tales from a Not-So-Posh Paris Adventure (Dork Diaries #15) by Renée Russell (Aladdin)
Percy Jackson and the Olympians: The Chalice of the Gods by Rick Riordan (Disney Hyperion)


Obituary Note: Susanna Draper

Susanna Draper, the longtime owner of Madison Park Books in Seattle, Wash., died on July 3 at her home in Seattle, the Chronicle reported. She was 93.

Draper owned and operated Madison Park Books, in Seattle's Madison Park neighborhood, for two decades. It became a "fixture in the community," with Draper knowing "all her customers and their children by name--as well as reading preferences." She "treasured her employees, many of whom became dear friends."

The bookstore was, aside from her family, "the great joy of her life," and even after she closed the store in 2005 she often had dreams "about working behind the counter, waiting on customers, and unpacking new arrivals." According to the Seattle Post-Intelligencer, the bookstore's "final hurrah" was a midnight release party for Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince in July of 2005.

An avid reader, Draper read "everything from philosophy to theoretical physics," and joined several book clubs late in life. Her family asked that in lieu of flowers, well-wishers "head to your local independent bookstore and buy yourself a good book."


Notes

Image of the Day: Jill Biden at Browseabout Books

https://media.shelf-awareness.com/theshelf/2023_Edit_Content/jill_biden_at_browseabout_080223.jpg

While on vacation in Rehoboth Beach, Del., Jill Biden did a little shopping at Browseabout Books. The store gave her one of their reusable tote bags, which was promptly turned into a beach bag by her husband. The First Couple enjoyed an afternoon at the beach, where Dr. Biden was spotted reading Barbara Kingsolver's Demon Copperhead.


Happy 10th Birthday, Northshire Bookstore, Saratoga Springs!

Congratulations to the Northshire Bookstore in Saratoga Springs, N.Y., which is celebrating its 10th anniversary tomorrow, August 4. There will be a ribbon-cutting ceremony with lemonade and treats at 10 a.m., and from 3 to 5 p.m. the store will host a live broadcast with local station WEQX-FM (102.7).

Incidentally, Northshire has launched a partnership with WEQX for the vinyl sections at both its Saratoga Springs and Manchester Center, Vt., stores, using WEQX DJ recommendations. "Whether you're a music aficionado or just starting to delve into vinyl records, these curated picks are sure to elevate your listening experience," Northshire said.


Reading Group Choices' Most Popular July Books

The two most popular books in July at Reading Group Choices were Mrs. Plansky's Revenge by Spencer Quinn (Forge Books) and When We Were Bright and Beautiful by Jillian Medoff (Harper).


Personnel Changes at Avid Reader Press

Rhina Garcia has joined Avid Reader Press as publicist. She was formerly a publicist at Countryman Press/W.W. Norton.


Media and Movies

Media Heat: Andre Dubus III on Fresh Air

Today:
Fresh Air: Andre Dubus III, author of Such Kindness: A Novel (W.W. Norton, $29.95, 9781324000464).

Tomorrow:
Today Show: Kwane Stewart, author of What It Takes to Save a Life: A Veterinarian's Quest for Healing and Hope (HarperOne, $28.99, 9780063215825).


This Weekend on Book TV: Live In-Depth with S.C. Gwynne

Book TV airs on C-Span 2 this weekend 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 website.

Sunday, August 6
9 a.m. Catherine Ashton, author of And Then What?: Inside Stories of 21st-Century Diplomacy (‎Elliott & Thompson, $29.95, 9781783966349). (Re-airs Sunday at 9 p.m.)

10 a.m. Matt Lewis, author of Filthy Rich Politicians: The Swamp Creatures, Latte Liberals, and Ruling-Class Elites Cashing in on America (Center Street, $29, 9781546004417). (Re-airs Sunday at 10 p.m.)

11 a.m. Ioan Grillo, author of Blood Gun Money: How America Arms Gangs and Cartels (Bloomsbury, $20, 9781635578485). (Re-airs Sunday at 11 p.m.)

12 p.m. Live In-Depth q&a with S.C. Gwynne, author of Empire of the Summer Moon: Quanah Parker and the Rise and Fall of the Comanches, the Most Powerful Indian Tribe in American History (‎Scribner, $18, 9781416591061) and, most recently, His Majesty's Airship: The Life and Tragic Death of the World's Largest Flying Machine (Scribner, $32, 9781982168278). (Re-airs Monday at 12 a.m.)

4 p.m. Eboni Williams, author of Bet on Black: The Good News about Being Black in America Today (Legacy Lit, $29, 9780306828645).

5:10 p.m. Luke Russert, author of Look for Me There: Grieving My Father, Finding Myself (Harper Horizon, $28.99, 9780785291817).



Books & Authors

Awards: Leacock Medal for Humor Shortlist

A shortlist has been released for the C$25,000 (about US$18,740) Stephen Leacock Memorial Medal for Humor, which honors "the best Canadian book of literary humor published in the previous year." The winner will be named September 16 at the Leacock Medal Gala Dinner, where all three finalists will be celebrated. This year's shortlisted titles are:

Jennie's Boy by Wayne Johnston
Mindful of Murder by Susan Juby
Jameela Green Ruins Everything by Zarqa Nawaz


Attainment: New Titles Out Next Week

Selected new titles appearing next Tuesday, August 8:

Happiness: A Novel by Danielle Steel (Delacorte, $28.99, 9781984821928) follows an American author who inherits an estate outside London.

The Heaven & Earth Grocery Store: A Novel by James McBride (Riverhead, $28, 9780593422946) uncovers the story surrounding a skeleton at the bottom of a well in an immigrant neighborhood.

None of This Is True: A Novel by Lisa Jewell (Atria, $28, 9781982179007) is a psychological thriller about a true crime podcaster.

Whalefall: A Novel by Daniel Kraus (MTV Books, $27.99, 9781665918169) follows a scuba diver swallowed by a sperm whale.

The Paris Assignment: A Novel by Rhys Bowen (Lake Union Publishing, $28.99, 9781662504242) is about an English woman in occupied France during World War II.

Tangled Vines: Power, Privilege, and the Murdaugh Family Murders by John Glatt (St. Martin's Press, $30, 9781250283481) chronicles the murders committed by a South Carolina attorney.

Cave of Bones: A True Story of Discovery, Adventure, and Human Origins by Lee Berger and John Hawks (National Geographic, $30, 9781426223884) explores a South African cave housing the remains of early human ancestors.

From One Cell: A Journey into Life's Origins and the Future of Medicine by Ben Stanger (W.W. Norton, $30, 9781324005421) investigates developmental biology and its medical implications.

History Smashers: Christopher Columbus and the Taino People by Kate Messner and José Barreiro, illus. by Falynn Koch (Random House, $8.99, 9780593564264) is the eighth book in the middle-grade History Smashers series.

A Long Time Coming: A Lyrical Biography of Race in America from Ona Judge to Barack Obama by Ray Anthony Shepard, illus. by R. Gregory Christie (Calkins Creek, $19.99, 9781662680663) is a YA biography in verse that features six important Black figures in U.S. history: Ona Judge, Frederick Douglass, Harriet Tubman, Ida B. Wells, Martin Luther King Jr., and Barack Obama.

Paperbacks:
The Last One: A Novel by Will Dean (Emily Bestler, $18.99, 9781668021156).

101 Horror Books to Read Before You're Murdered by Sadie Hartmann (Page Street, $23.99, 9781645677802).

Remaining You While Raising Them: The Secret Art of Confident Motherhood by Alli Worthington (Zondervan, $18.99, 9780310358794).


IndieBound: Other Indie Favorites

From last week's Indie bestseller lists, available at IndieBound.org, here are the recommended titles, which are also Indie Next Great Reads:

Hardcover
The Summer of Songbirds: A Novel by Kristy Woodson Harvey (Gallery, $27.99, 9781668010822). "Three best friends are in the midst of life when their beloved summer camp faces closure due to severe financial hardships. This page-turning story is filled with friendship, humor, and romance--put this on your summer reading list!" --Mary Patterson, The Little Bookshop, Midlothian, Va.

All-Night Pharmacy: A Novel by Ruth Madievsky (Catapult, $27, 9781646221509). "A spiraling look into a toxic sisterhood and an exploration of addiction, All-Night Pharmacy captivated me. The author deftly pulls the reader to root for the unnamed narrator as she tumbles in and out of addiction and relationships." --Mallory Melton, BookPeople, Austin, Tex.

Paperback
The Seven Year Slip: A Novel by Ashley Poston (Berkley, $17, 9780593336502). "This is a romance that is so much more than a romance. It's a story of pursuing your dreams, being yourself, and living while dealing with grief. The time traveling apartment is just a plus. Prepare to fall in love with Clementine and Iwan!" --Addy Bowman, Wild Geese Bookshop, Franklin, Ind.

For Ages 4 to 8
I Want to Be Spaghetti! by Kiera Wright-Ruiz, illus. by Claudia Lam (Kokila, $19.99, 9780593529874). "Funny mixed with gorgeous illustrations, this picture book takes loving who you are to another level. Sometimes, all it takes is being put in a bowl of people just like you that makes you realize you're perfect just the way you are." --Armilene Cabreros, Rediscovered Books, Boise, Idaho

For Ages 8 to 12
The Bellwoods Game by Celia Krampien (Atheneum, $17.99, 9781665912501). "Three chosen kids must make their way through the woods and ring a bell. If you win, you get a wish. If you lose, you lose your sacrificial item and your memories. A high stakes middle grade horror where friendships dictate if you win or lose." --Joe Rusnak, Charter Books, Newport, R.I.

For Teen Readers: An Indies Introduce Title
Give Me a Sign by Anna Sortino (Putnam, $18.99, 9780593533796). "Such a compelling story about finding yourself at summer camp that everyone can relate to, with wonderful representation. This book will mean so much to so many people. I learned so much about Deaf culture. Keep this book on your radar!" --McKenna Moran, Anderson's Bookshops, Naperville, Ill.

[Many thanks to IndieBound and the ABA!]


Book Review

Review: Ladies' Lunch and Other Stories

Ladies' Lunch: And Other Stories by Lore Segal (Melville House, $18.99 paperback, 144p., 9781685891015, October 3, 2023)

Lore Segal celebrates with humor and grace the friendships that stand the test of time and the particular eccentricities of aging in Ladies' Lunch and Other Stories. Featuring fictional pieces, some collected from earlier publications, as well as previously unpublished memoir excerpts, Ladies' Lunch begins with nine interconnected dramas starring five sassy New York dames who have met for lunch every other month, for more than 30 years, at one another's well-appointed Manhattan apartments.

Ruth, Bridget, Farah, Lotte, and Bessie possess an enviable air of freedom about them. Appetites may be waning but their senses of humor remain firmly intact. Their spouses are long gone, apart from Bessie's second husband, Colin, whom no one can stand. Professional career women back in their day, the friends cheerfully attend shivas, wakes, and funerals, "the cocktail parties of the old" where they drink martinis and sometimes forget that they are not at an actual party.

In "Around the Corner You Can't See Around," a post-lunch conversation unspools comically in various disjointed directions while Ruth, a former attorney, ponders agenda items for the next lunch. It matters not that each friend is more concerned with her own train of thought, only that they can amicably spend the afternoon laughing in each other's company and sharing memories from the past.

The title story, "Ladies' Lunch," is a delightful example of Segal's quick and clever wit. Here, Lotte rebels against her son Samson's decision to hire a caregiver who gets in Lotte's way despite the spaciousness of her penthouse apartment. When Sam moves her into a nursing home, Lotte's friends hatch an ambitious rescue mission. The friends no longer drive, but this does not stop one of them from buying a getaway car. Miserable without her favorite unhealthy snacks, Lotte tells Farah, a retired physician, "You doctors need to do a study of the correlation between salt-free food and depression."

Now in her 90s, Segal (Shakespeare's Kitchen; Half the Kingdom) is the celebrated author of novels, short stories, and children's books written over the course of six prolific decades. In one of the half dozen pieces in the latter ("Other Stories") part of the collection, "Pneumonia Chronicles," Segal describes in entertaining, tragicomic detail an extended hospital stay during the Covid-19 pandemic and her unlikely friendship with a young male nurse that blossoms over their shared love of Anton Chekhov's short stories. As she marvels at this unexpected bonding, Segal's joy underscores a perspective that is the key to graceful, courageous aging and that permeates this entire entertaining collection. --Shahina Piyarali, reviewer

Shelf Talker: Lore Segal's witty, entertaining stories set in Manhattan feature five elderly ladies who lunch--and hatch a plan to rescue one of them from a nursing home--plus other astutely rendered selections.


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