From last week's Book Sense bestseller lists, available at booksense.com, here are the recommended titles, which are also Book Sense Picks:
Hardcover
Truck: A Love Story by Michael Perry (HarperCollins, $24.95, 0060571179). "Perry successfully weaves three main stories--restoring a 1950s International Harvester truck with his brother, discovering romance after several failed relationships, and learning the unpredictable art of gardening--into one coherent whole. Humorous without being cynical and heartfelt without being overly sentimental, Perry is my kind of memoir writer."--Kathleen Garfin, Enchanted Forest Books, Forest City, Iowa
Before I Go by Riley Weston (Campfire, $21.95, 0977954323). "Madison is a teenager whose life is ice skating. She is on her way to the Olympics when tragedy strikes and she must learn to live her life without skating. Madison finds out just how much she, her family, and friends have given up for her to pursue her dream of skating in the Olympics. You won't want to put this book down!"--Jennifer Hardacre, The Bookshop, Venice, Fla.
Paperback
Mountain Man Dance Moves: The McSweeney's Book of Lists by McSweeney's (Vintage, $12.95, 0307277208). "The first page made me laugh out loud, and I was in tears by the fifth. Intelligent, cheddar-sharp wit and topics ranging from 'Witty Quips to Utter After Relieving Your Bladder On the Subway' to 'Other Places Jimmy Buffet Wasted Away' to a preponderance of unicorns. The titles of the lists alone make this read well worth it."--Whitney Spotts, Schuler Books & Music, Lansing, Mich.
For the Youngest Set
The Topsy-Turvy Towel by Julie Goulis, illustrated by John Ferguson (Bubblegum Books, $14.95, 0975462121). "When the sun goes down on Sam, Sally, and Suzy's day at the beach, their ordinary beach towel transforms their evening into an extraordinary adventure! With its rhythmic text and beautiful illustrations, I can't wait to use this new book during storytimes--it's sure to encourage young readers to engage in the vast, beautiful world of their imaginations!"--Becca Jones, Joseph-Beth Booksellers, Pittsburgh, Pa.
Puppies, Puppies Everywhere! by Cat Urbigkit (Boyds Mills, $12.95, 1590783638). "On the Wyoming sheep ranch the puppies are everywhere. The stunning pictures that make you go ooooh and the text aimed at wee ones combine to make this another adorable book for dog lovers."--Margaret Brennan Neville, The King's English, Salt Lake City, Utah [Editors' note: Considering the subject, the author's first name makes us purr in pleasure.]
[Many thanks to Book Sense and the ABA!]
Hardcover
Truck: A Love Story by Michael Perry (HarperCollins, $24.95, 0060571179). "Perry successfully weaves three main stories--restoring a 1950s International Harvester truck with his brother, discovering romance after several failed relationships, and learning the unpredictable art of gardening--into one coherent whole. Humorous without being cynical and heartfelt without being overly sentimental, Perry is my kind of memoir writer."--Kathleen Garfin, Enchanted Forest Books, Forest City, Iowa
Before I Go by Riley Weston (Campfire, $21.95, 0977954323). "Madison is a teenager whose life is ice skating. She is on her way to the Olympics when tragedy strikes and she must learn to live her life without skating. Madison finds out just how much she, her family, and friends have given up for her to pursue her dream of skating in the Olympics. You won't want to put this book down!"--Jennifer Hardacre, The Bookshop, Venice, Fla.
Paperback
Mountain Man Dance Moves: The McSweeney's Book of Lists by McSweeney's (Vintage, $12.95, 0307277208). "The first page made me laugh out loud, and I was in tears by the fifth. Intelligent, cheddar-sharp wit and topics ranging from 'Witty Quips to Utter After Relieving Your Bladder On the Subway' to 'Other Places Jimmy Buffet Wasted Away' to a preponderance of unicorns. The titles of the lists alone make this read well worth it."--Whitney Spotts, Schuler Books & Music, Lansing, Mich.
For the Youngest Set
The Topsy-Turvy Towel by Julie Goulis, illustrated by John Ferguson (Bubblegum Books, $14.95, 0975462121). "When the sun goes down on Sam, Sally, and Suzy's day at the beach, their ordinary beach towel transforms their evening into an extraordinary adventure! With its rhythmic text and beautiful illustrations, I can't wait to use this new book during storytimes--it's sure to encourage young readers to engage in the vast, beautiful world of their imaginations!"--Becca Jones, Joseph-Beth Booksellers, Pittsburgh, Pa.
Puppies, Puppies Everywhere! by Cat Urbigkit (Boyds Mills, $12.95, 1590783638). "On the Wyoming sheep ranch the puppies are everywhere. The stunning pictures that make you go ooooh and the text aimed at wee ones combine to make this another adorable book for dog lovers."--Margaret Brennan Neville, The King's English, Salt Lake City, Utah [Editors' note: Considering the subject, the author's first name makes us purr in pleasure.]
[Many thanks to Book Sense and the ABA!]