Shelf Awareness for Monday, August 20, 2007


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

Notes: Schuler to Open Fifth Store; Textbook Rentals

Schuler Books & Music, Grand Rapids, Mich., plans to open its fifth store, which will be at the site of the former River Bank Books & Music, according to the Grand Rapids Press, which added that "Schuler is getting River Bank's inventory from River Bank's creditors as part of the deal."

"Nobody thinks there's a gold mine down there," said Schuler's co-owner Bill Fehsenfeld of the downtown Grand Rapids area. "I think the idea is to put together a viable little bookstore. It's being put together in a way where everybody feels comfortable that nobody is going to have a big disaster."

River Banks Books & Music had opened in late 2005 and closed early this year (Shelf Awareness, January 6, 2007). The store was founded by Debra Lambers, owner of the Book Nook and Java Shop in Montague, Mich., and had benefited from redevelopment tax breaks and grants. Lambers said sales were not high enough to support the store. 

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It's the time of the year for a newspaper stories about high textbook costs. The Raleigh News & Observer goes beyond the usual reporting, researching the effect of the University of North Carolina Board of Governors's decision earlier this year for each UNC school to have either a book rental program or guarantee that books for large introductory courses will be bought back at a certain price.

The paper found that besides the mandated programs, "campuses are also testing ways to help students save money. They're pressing professors to choose books earlier so stores can acquire enough used copies to meet demand. They're urging students to buy their books during the state's tax-free weekend. And they're making plans to buy back more used books and then resell them the following semester."

The paper looked at the rental programs at three UNC campuses, particularly the one at Appalachian State, which was begun in 1938 and was the focus of a presentation at this year's CAMEX (Shelf Awareness, April 10, 2007). Although the faculty senate voted several years ago to abolish rentals because professors say the system limits their choice of books, the program continues and "now it's so popular it's a recruiting tool for the university," the paper said.

At Elizabeth City State, one of the other UNC schools, with a rental program, Pedro Holley, manager of the college bookstore, said students are "thrilled to death" by rentals.

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The Intelligencer Journal profiles several used and rare bookstores in and around Lancaster, Pa.:

  • The Book Haven, a former barn filled with 50,000 books and "20,000 other paper items," whose co-owner, Kinsey Baker, said, "This business doesn't fit the image of a pipe-smoking, laid-back proprietor who spends most of his time reading a book. It takes a lot of work and dedication."
  • Chestnut Street Books, which reflects the interests of owner Warren Anderson: architecture, art, history, the Civil War and religion.
  • Dogstar Books, which Brian Frailey began as an online book retailer. Although most of his business is still online, he opened this storefront in the past year because "he wanted to be involved in the community," the Intelligencer Journal wrote.
  • Moyer's Book Barn, which is organized by "Dewey library categories and news clippings," as the paper put it. Owned by David Moyer, the store features "extensive engineering, technical and mechanical collections."

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Here's a nice example of bookstore collaboration. Laguna Beach Books and Latitude 33 Bookshop, the two general independent booksellers in Laguna Beach, Calif., are jointly distributing the Southern California Independent Booksellers Association's holiday catalogue as a November insert in the local weekly paper the Independent.

"We are so pleased that a small city can support two independents, and while we compete in some ways, together we offer residents the best possible reading selection," Laguna Beach Books buyer Randy Kraft said in a statement.

Melony Vance, general manager for Latitude 33 Bookshop, said, "We can best encourage shopping at independent bookstores by being the community's booksellers."

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An editorial in the Chambersburg, Pa., Public Opinion, headlined "We need more bookstores in Franklin County," began with an appropriate Ray Bradbury quotation: "You don't have to burn books to destroy a culture. Just get people to stop reading them."

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Bless Me, Ultima by Rudolfo Anaya is the 2007 Books on the Bayou choice, according to the Houston Chronicle, which added that this is "the first novel by a Latino writer to be selected for the 5-year-old citywide program that encourages Houstonians to read the same book at the same time."

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The mystery man who left three roses and a bottle of cognac every year at the grave of Edgar Allan Poe in Baltimore, Md., turns out to have been a 92-year-man and friends who led the fight to preserve the historic site, according to the AP (via the Washington Post).

"It was a promotional idea," Sam Popora told the AP. "We made it up, never dreaming it would go worldwide."

Since at least the early 1970s, every year on January 19, Poe's birthday, the man would appear at the Westminster Burying Grounds, dressed in black, wearing a hat and scarf to hide his identity.

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Harry Potter and the Deathly Plagiarists

"For the equivalent of just £1, residents of Shanghai can pick up a copy of Harry Potter and the Chinese Empire," reported Scotland on Sunday. "The novel blends Hogwarts characters, a bit of JRR Tolkien, and sheer imagination to create the impression it is a genuine Potter novel. . . .Rowling's ever-busy team of lawyers are already on the case, planning cases in local courts and talking to the national authorities about having the bogus Potter novels taken off the streets."

And in Iran, a Persian translation of a counterfeit edition of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows is now available in Iran's bookstores. According to the Mehr News Agency, "An Internet hacker put a fake version of the latest book in the Harry Potter series on the Internet a few days before the book's worldwide release, claiming it to be the original. Sakineh (Mehri) Kharrazi translated it into Persian off the website and it has been published by Neyestan-e Jam Publications."

Majid Hamidzadeh, head of the Ministry of Culture and Islamic Guidance's book and book reading office, said his ministry saw no problem with the novel's contents: "The book bears the label 'Internet version' on its cover, and we are not concerned whether or not its contents are fake.'"

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How does a bestseller happen? At the Huffington Post, Tim Ferriss wrote a "case study" on the recent appearance of his book, The 4-Hour Workweek: Escape 9-5, Live Anywhere, and Join the New Rich, on the New York Times and Wall Street Journal bestseller lists.  

"How is this possible?" he asked. "How could a book from a first-time author--with no offline advertising or PR--hit both of these lists and stick for three months and counting? . . . Is it all luck? Not all. Luck and timing play a (sometimes big) part, but it seems to me that one can still analyze the game and tilt the odds in their favor. I don't claim to have all of the answers--I still know very little about publishing--but I've done enough micro-testing in the last year to fill a lifetime. The conclusion, in retrospect, is simple . . . It all came down to learning how to spread a 'meme,' an idea virus that captures imaginations and takes on a life of its own."

Along with a great meme strategy, Ferriss cited eyebrow-raising advice he received from other bestselling authors in answer to his question, "What were the 1-3 biggest wastes of time and money?" First on that list turned out to be "no book touring or bookstore signings whatsoever. Not a one. All of the best-selling authors warned against this author rite of passage."

 


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Media and Movies

Media Heat: Silent Partner Dina Matos McGreevey

Today on Oprah: Dina Matos McGreevey, estranged wife of former New Jersey governor Jim McGreevey and author of Silent Partner: A Memoir of My Marriage (Hyperion, $23.95, 9781401303648/1401303641).

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Today on Fox's O'Reilly Factor: former Navy SEAL Marcus Luttrell, author of Lone Survivor: The Eyewitness Account of Operation Redwing and the Lost Heroes of SEAL Team 10 (Little, Brown, $24.99, 9780316067591/0316067598).

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Tonight on the Charlie Rose Show: Senator John McCain, author of Hard Call: Great Decisions and the Extraordinary People Who Made Them (Twelve, $25.99, 9780446580403/0446580406).

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Tonight on the Tonight Show with Jay Leno, Tony Dungy, head coach of the Super Bowl champion Indianapolis Colts and author of Quiet Strength: The Principles, Practices, and Priorities of a Winning Life (Tyndale, $26.99, 9781414318011/1414318014).


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


Books & Authors

Book Sense: May We Recommend

From last week's Book Sense bestseller lists, available at BookSense.com, here are the recommended titles, which are also Book Sense Picks:

Hardcover

Up High in the Trees: A Novel by Kiara Brinkman (Grove, $23, 9780802118479/080211847X). "Through the spare narration of eight-year-old Sebby Lane, Kiara Brinkman manages to tell a rich, nuanced story that deeply delves into the adult themes of grief, family ties, and friendship."--Arsen Kashkashian, Boulder Book Store, Boulder, Colo.

Swim to Me: A Novel by Betsy Carter (Algonquin, $23.95, 9781565124929/1565124928). "Sixteen-year-old Delores Walker leaves her troubled family behind in the Bronx and rides the bus to Florida, where she has the tentative offer of a job as a mermaid at Weeki Wachee Springs, a somewhat down-at-the-heels roadside attraction. Hope springs eternal! Betsy Carter's characters understand this--their efforts to reinvent themselves make this a lively and very funny novel."--Marian Nielsen, Orinda Books, Orinda, Calif.

Paperback

Microthrills: True Stories From a Life of Small Highs by Wendy Spero (Plume, $13, 9780452288430/0452288436). "Spero is a stand-up comic, and a former knife salesman. (There's a picture in her new memoir to prove it.) She is also an absolutely hilarious 30-something woman who cares nothing about her calorie intake, just her collection of stuffed animals."--Melissa Lion, DIESEL, A Bookstore, Oakland, Calif. (originally a hardcover recommendation)

Ages 4-8

My Cat Copies Me by Yoon-Duck Kwon (Kane/Miller, $15.95, 9781933605265/193360526X). "A fanciful story about a cat who seems shy but, when her owner turns away, playfully copies her movements. A cute child's perspective on the bond between humans and animals that will be enjoyed by parents as well as children."--Matt Knarian, Reading & Rhythm, Bad Axe, Mich.

[Many thanks to Book Sense and the ABA!]


German Book Office's August Pick: The Book of Words

The German Book Office's August book selection is The Book of Words by Jenny Erpenbeck, translated and with an afterword by Susan Bernofsky (New Directions, $14.95, 9780811217064/081121706X), which will be published in December.

GBO commented: "Born in East Berlin in 1967, Erpenbeck has written a novel that is slightly reminiscent of East Germany's harsh regime. In a nameless country, the narrator describes her earlier childhood with a mixture of idealism and hinted violence. Her father, who read her fairy tales and bounced her on his knee, stands assuredly in the background as a caring and steadfast figure. As the regime begins to collapse, the narrator observes the adult behavior around her with curiosity but little judgment. As a high-ranking official in the country's brutal government, the narrator's father is an active participant in the horrible brutality that the collapse triggers. People begin to mysteriously and wordlessly disappear, buses stop running, and shops are forced to close. All of the happy memories in the narrator's early life are called into question, not by the narrator but by the reader. Yet the narrator remains an observer, telling her story with 'the structured and shattered linguistics of a cleaved consciousness' (Rheinische Merkur). Erpenbeck's sinister story is riveting to the end."

In 2005 New Directions published Erpenbeck's The Old Child & Other Stories, translated by Susan Bernofsky ($14.95, 9780811216081/081121608X).


Book Brahmins: John McFarland

A member of the National Book Critics Circle, John McFarland has reviewed books for 30 years. During that time, editors have taught him much about reviewing and writing--and made him look good. Such rich and mutually beneficial relationships seldom occur in his other life, working as an economist, litigation paralegal and short story writer. Because of those connections and a love of books, he continues to moonlight as a book reviewer, bringing his professional knowledge to bear on new books on business, economics and social policy. In the near future, he will begin to review as well for Shelf Awareness. Welcome, John!

On your nightstand now:

Boccaccio's The Decameron; Graham Robb's Victor Hugo: A Biography; and Nicholas Wright's Custom of the Country.
 
Favorite book when you were a child:

T.H. White's The Once and Future King. This tale of King Arthur and Camelot seized my childhood imagination and held it for years; only the sappy musical (with its gorgeous score) could break the spell and free me for own epic journey into the land of nonfiction books.

Your top five authors:

Christopher Isherwood, Henry James, Julio Cortazar, Muriel Spark and Iris Murdoch.   

Book you've faked reading:

The Brothers Karamazov. I stopped at page 36 of the Constance Garnett translation and have never been tempted to go back.
 
Book you are an evangelist for:

The Creation of the Media by Paul Starr. By charting of the development of American media from 1776 to the eve of World War II, Starr tells a fascinating tale of the evolution of the complex dance of politics, commerce and national priorities; his masterful writing limns not only the steady growth of mass media but also the cultural shifts that accompanied waves of immigration and increased urbanization.
 
Book you've bought for the cover:

Juno and Juliet by Julian Gough. How could anyone resist identical twins dressed for swimming and looking like two mysterious sleek seals?  

Book that changed your life:

The Golden Notebook by Doris Lessing. This novel about authenticity and passion came to me at a critical time: I worked in a sterile office in the Watergate complex in Washington, D.C., and Nixon was in power. Lessing's eloquent challenges forced me to confront what was suffocating to me and to make a choice. I have honored her ever since and thank her to this day.  
 
Favorite line from a book:

"At the beginning of summer I had lunch with my father, the gangster, who was in town for the weekend to transact some of his vague business."--Michael Chabon in The Mysteries of Pittsburgh
 
Book you most want to read again for the first time:

Democracy by Joan Didion. This is a masterwork--if you haven't read it already, I invite you to partake of its many pleasures.   

Books you recommend as regeneration when people say, "I'm bored by almost all contemporary American writers."

Winter Dance by Gary Paulsen. This nonfiction book by Paulsen, renowned YA writer, chronicles his determination to run his first Iditarod. It is rollicking, eye-opening, informative and thrilling.

Boy's Life by Robert R. McCammon. A tale so compelling that you will forget where you are as you plunge into the life of the Southern town so rich in myth and resonance that when you emerge from the tale everything around you will seem pale by comparison.  

Book you can't believe that everyone has not read and loved:

Roscoe by William Kennedy. In this installment of his acclaimed Albany novels, Kennedy combines the strengths of Ernest Hemingway, F. Scott Fitzgerald and John O'Hara. Kennedy's cold reportorial eye maintains a healthy skepticism that sidesteps any schoolboy romanticism and creates a tough, moving and fully mature American story.



The Bestsellers

Mystery Bestsellers in July: The IMBA List

The following are the July bestsellers at Independent Mystery Booksellers Association member stores:

Hardcover

1. Her Royal Spyness by Rhys Bowen
2. The Tin Roof Blowdown by James Lee Burke
2. The Secret Servant by Daniel Silva
4. Killer Weekend by Ridley Pearson
5. The Judas Strain by James Rollins
6. Thursday Next: First Among Sequels by Jasper Fforde
6. Lean Mean Thirteen by Janet Evanovich
8. A Welcome Grave by Michael Koryta
9. Silence by Thomas Perry
10. A Fatal Grace by Louise Penny

Paperbacks:

1. Decaffeinated Corpse by Cleo Coyle
2. Still Life by Louise Penny
3. The False-Hearted Teddy by John Lamb
4. Brush with Death by Hailey Lind
5. A Thousand Bones by P.J. Parrish
6. Death by Sudoku by Kaye Morgan
7. Missing White Girl by Jeffrey J. Mariotte
8. Dead Wrong by J.A. Jance
9. Jesus Out to Sea by James Lee Burke
10. Antiques Roadkill by Barbara Allan

[Thanks to IMBA!]


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