The September/October 2003 Book Sense 76

August 14, 2003

1. UNIFORM JUSTICE: A Commissario Guido Brunetti Mystery, by Donna Leon (Atlantic Monthly Press, $19.95, 0871139030) "A riveting mystery set in Venice captures the heart and mood of this beautiful city. Commissario Brunetti proves a likeable, intelligent detective, and his family and other characters in the book stay with you long after the book is completed." --Susan Diffenderfer, Tall Tales Book Shop, Atlanta, GA

2. ORCHARD: A Novel, by Larry Watson (Random House, $24.95, 037550723X) "This beautiful and uncompromising portrait of three lives delves into the mysteries of human connection and artistic inspiration. With a deceptively simple style, Watson lays out the lives of Sonja and Henry House, from their courtship through the births of their children, to the depths of their grief. With the intersection of the artist Ned Weaver into their lives comes the question of what holds a marriage together or breaks it apart." --Alayne Hopkins, Ruminator Books, Saint Paul, MN Also a Recorded Books Audio (Unabridged Cassette, 1402563582)

3. THE KNOWN WORLD: A Novel, by Edward P. Jones (Amistad Press, $24.95, 0060557540) "I am in awe of Edward Jones' precise language and the weave of the story, but what I most admire is his brutal honesty. Every reader will again have to confront the horrors of slavery and how it brutalized every individual who was involved. That the slave owners are themselves black adds a new, terrifying dimension. This is a masterful novel." --Carla Cohen, Politics and Prose Bookstore and Coffeehouse, Washington, DC Also a HarperAudio (Unabridged Cassette, 0060569433)

4. THE MAMMOTH CHEESE: A Novel, by Sheri Holman (Atlantic Monthly Press, $24, 0871139006) "This is an amazing and unforgettable book, peopled with the most bizarre and unusual characters. Imagine a Thomas Jefferson impersonator, a hormonal teenager, and a "decatuptlet" plus one birth, and that's only the beginning of this wonderful cast of characters. Say bye-bye American Pie and welcome to American Cheese!" --Fern Jaffe, Paperbacks Plus, Bronx, NY Also a Brilliance Audio (Unabridged Cassette, 1593551126)

5. DEAFENING: A Novel, by Frances Itani (Atlantic Monthly Press, $24, 0871139022) "Deafening is a beautiful book. The juxtaposition of Grania O'Neill's silent world with the unceasing thunder of the siege guns at the Somme was striking, and Itani makes the pathos of those waiting for news on the home front as dramatic as the events in the muddy trenches of Flanders." --Marian Nielsen, Orinda Books, Orinda, CA Also a Brilliance Audio (Unabridged Cassette, 1590869125)

6. THE VALLEY OF LIGHT: A Novel, by Terry Kay (Atria Books, $24, 0743475941) "It isn't very often that you read a book, fall in love with it, pass it on to your coworkers, and they love it as much as you do! This is a book of soft, evocative writing that pulls the reader into the lives of all the characters (not just the major ones) in this story set in a small North Carolina community in the late 1940s. Absolutely one of the best books we have read in quite some time." --Sue Richardson & Frank Slack, Maine Coast Book Shop, Inc., Damariscotta, ME

7. AMERICAN WOMAN: A Novel, by Susan Choi (HarperCollins, $24.95, 0060542217) "This is the most exciting piece of fiction about the American '60s and '70s radical movement that I have read to date. It captures both the idealism and the paranoia of the time. If it's possible, Choi has elevated her writing from The Foreign Student, which was an outstanding debut." --Paul Ingram, Prairie Lights Books, Iowa City, IA

8. MOUNTAINS BEYOND MOUNTAINS, by Tracy Kidder (Random House, $25.95, 0375506160) "Dr. Paul Farmer is an infectious-disease expert, anthropologist, winner of a MacArthur genius grant, founder of Partners in Health, and a brilliant and tireless worker in bringing health care to the world's poorest people. He proved radical change is possible with his work in Haiti. If Kidder brings wider attention to this remarkable man, it will be one of the most important books published this year." --Carole Horne, Harvard Book Store, Cambridge, MA Also a Random House Audio (Unabrided CD, 0739307657)

9. NOT FADE AWAY: A Short Life Well Lived, by Laurence Shames and Peter Barton (Rodale, $22.95, 1579546889) "Peter Barton lived large, and, faced with an incurable cancer, he decided to bear witness to his dying in a way that he hoped would help others to understand the incomprehensible a bit better. The result is this collaboration, with chapters alternating between Barton's musings on both his life and his dying, and Shames' observations and commentary. The sum is a terrifically affecting and inspiring look at a subject we'd all rather avoid, and a book that achieves Barton's goal, without a doubt." --Donna Urey, White Birch Books, North Conway, NH

10. STRAPLESS: John Singer Sargent and the Fall of Madame X, by Deborah Davis (Tarcher/Penguin, $24.95, 1585422215) "Strapless is gossipy entertainment and heartbreaking biography stirred together to deliver a colorful portrait of the belle epoque. Art fans and others should savor this delicious concoction." --Elizabeth Cook, Emerson and Cook Book Company, Old Saybrook, CT

ALMOST FRENCH: Love and a New Life in Paris, by Sarah Turnbull (Gotham Books, $25, 1592400388) "Thanks to Sarah Turnbull, I now know why the French are so ... French! Her struggles to make new friends, start a new career, and nurture a relationship with a dyed-in-the-wool Frenchman are by turns hilarious and thought-provoking. A must-read for anyone thinking of moving to France, for a few weeks or forever." --Susan Hickman, Distant Lands Travel Books, Pasadena, CA

IN ME OWN WORDS: The Autobiography of Bigfoot, by Graham Roumieu (Manic D Press, $12.99, 091639784X) "Bigfoot's journals show his life is at once more complex and more bizarrely humorous than I ever suspected. Make sure to read this one with people around so you can share your favorite lines and pictures! (On his political career -- 'This picture ruin Bigfoot.')" --Maryelizabeth Hart, Mysterious Galaxy Books, San Diego, CA

STONE GARDEN: A Novel, by Molly Moynahan (Morrow, $23.95, 0060544260) "Moynahan's debut novel is a literate, painful, and realistic accounting of the inner life and resiliency of modern teenagers. Perhaps The Catcher in the Rye for this generation, Stone Garden should be on the short list for mature teens ready to head out into the world." --Nan Carmack, Bookends, Forest, VA

THE TIME TRAVELER'S WIFE: A Novel, by Audrey Niffenegger (MacAdam/Cage, $25, 193156146X) "The love story of Henry and Clare is complicated by Henry's strange genetic affliction -- involuntary time travel as unpredictable and uncontrollable as a sneeze. This is a complex and captivating novel of love, loss, and acceptance, with an amazing twist at its end." --Sharon Miller, Vista Book Gallery, Boise, ID

BEANS: Four Principles for Running a Business in Good Times or Bad, by Leslie A. Yerkes and Charles Decker (Jossey-Bass, $19.95, 0787967645) "I found this book to be very insightful, and I was so impressed that I have passed it on to my local chamber of commerce and job service. It should be helpful to many businesses." --Lee Musgjerd, Lee's Book Emporium, Glasgow, MT

BIG LIES: The Right-Wing Propaganda Machine and How It Distorts the Truth, by Joe Conason (Thomas Dunne Books, $24.95, 0312315600) "This handy little compendium takes each of the right-wing's lies ('Conservatives are fiscal conservatives'; 'Democrats are not pro-defense'; etc.) and rebuts them in witty and well-researched detail. Perfect for that argument around the dinner table at the in-laws." --Matthew Lage, Iowa Book LLC, Iowa City, IA

BRIEF INTERVALS OF HORRIBLE SANITY: One Season in a Progressive School, by Elizabeth Gold (Tarcher/Penguin, $24.95, 1585422444) "Think of this as the perfect back-to-school book: a thought-provoking look at how theory plays havoc with reality in one 'progressive' school. Gold's book should be to teachers what Nickel and Dimed was to the working class." --Tara O'Donnell, Paperbacks Plus, Bronx, NY

DEEP SURVIVAL: Who Lives, Who Dies, and Why, by Laurence Gonzales (Norton, $24.95, 0393052761) "Accidents and survival are the subjects of Gonzales' gripping account of why some people survive impossible conditions while others die. Drawing on personal interviews of survivors, accident reports from various high-risk activities, and his own experiences as an outdoorsman and aerobatics pilot, Gonzales has crafted a fascinating book from which all readers can benefit." --Joe Monroe, The Country Bookshop, Southern Pines, NC

AN EXECUTION IN THE FAMILY: One Son's Journey, by Robert Meeropol (St. Martin's, $25.95, 0312306369) "Robert Meeropol was three years old when his parents, Ethel and Julius Rosenberg, were arrested and charged with conspiracy to commit espionage. His memoir shows us a child trying to survive a nightmare, a young man struggling to understand and honor his parents' legacy, and his reflections on patriotism and treason today." --Joan Grenier, Odyssey Bookshop, South Hadley, MA

THE MIDDLE MIND: Why Americans Don't Think for Themselves, by Curtis White (HarperSanFrancisco, $23.95, 0060524367) "White shows how our world, filled with devices he calls 'prostheses,' handicap us because we experience the world through machines -- that we even adapt ourselves to our machines. Not only is The Middle Mind great, but, after finishing it, I want to go and read up on the authors White mentions throughout the book." --Walter Conklin, The Putnam Book Center, Carmel, NY

THE OATH: The Remarkable Story of a Surgeon's Life Under Fire in Chechnya, by Khassan Baiev (Walker, $26, 0802714048) "Dr. Baiev gives voice to the Chechen people who have suffered generations of terror largely in isolation. Through Chechen wars, he heroically lives the Hippocratic oath, treating Russians and Chechens with equal measures of humanity, until he becomes a man hunted by extremists from both sides. The Oath brings depth and understanding to a part of the world we often encounter only in passing headlines." --Linda Ramsdell, The Galaxy Bookshop, Hardwick, VT Also a Recorded Books Audio (Unabridged cassette, 1402563590)

RAISING A READER: A Mother's Tale of Desperation and Delight, by Jennie Nash (St. Martin's, $19.95, 0312315341) "Raising a Reader contains great hints on helping your child develop a love of reading. I really enjoyed this delightful book and will recommend it to my customers." --Linda Vinstra, Great Northern Bookstore, Oscoda, MI

SICKENED: The Memoir of a Munchausen by Proxy Childhood, by Julie Gregory (Bantam, $24.95, 0553803077) "I'll never understand how Gregory survived her childhood, much less went to college and now freely shares details of her childhood horrors in order to save others. Her story is so mesmerizing that, as hard as it is to read the details, you can't stop." --Susan Wasson, Bookworks, Albuquerque, NM

THEY MARCHED INTO SUNLIGHT: War and Peace Vietnam and America October 1967, by David Maraniss (Simon & Schuster, $29.95, 0743217802) "This is a compelling narrative that reconstructs two battles that occurred during the same seven days -- one in Vietnam and one on the campus of the University of Wisconsin -- to present an in-depth analysis of what it was like to be alive in America in October 1967. Like a seismic fissure, the effects of this era permeate contemporary American politics." --Miriam Sontz, Powell's Books, Inc., Portland, OR Also a Simon & Schuster Audio (Abridged Cassette, 0743533690)

TICKET TO RIDE: Inside the Beatles' 1964 World Tour That Changed the World, by Larry Kane (Running Press, $22.95, 0762415924) "Legendary broadcast journalist Larry Kane, the only American reporter in the official Beatles entourage during their history-making tours of 1964 and 1965, offers up a memorable account that is revelatory, fun, and refreshingly self-effacing. This book will ring in your heart like the opening chord of 'A Hard Day's Night'!" --Joe Drabyak, Chester County Book & Music Company, West Chester, PA

TRIANGLE: The Fire That Changed America, by David Von Drehle (Atlantic Monthly Press, $26, 0871138743) "Triangle is an engaging look at the heroes, martyrs, and villains of this infamous chapter in the history of the American labor movement. Von Drehle has created something rare -- a history that reads like fiction." --Jennifer Laughran, Cover To Cover Booksellers, San Francisco, CA

TRUE NOTEBOOKS: A Writer's Year at Juvenile Hall, by Mark Salzman (Knopf, $24, 0375413081) "Salzman's account of a writing course he taught at a juvenile detention facility in Los Angeles is surprising in every way. The stories of the teenage writers exhibit a great depth and array of feelings, and Salzman allows them to speak for themselves through dialogue and their writing. This book will almost certainly open eyes to how society's outcasts are redeemable simply as human beings." --Stan Hynds, Northshire Bookstore, Manchester Center, VT Also a Random House Audio (Abridged CD, 0739307134)

BRICK LANE, by Monica Ali (Scribner, $25, 0743243307) "Brick Lane has two of the best characters I've come across in a long time -- Nazneen and her husband, Chanu. In some ways, this novel is reminiscent of A Suitable Boy; it has that same sweetness and humor. I loved, loved, loved it!" --Felice Farrell, Ariel Booksellers, New Paltz, NY

COILED IN THE HEART, by Scott Elliott (Putnam, $23.95, 0399150382) "What a great story of the redemptive power of love. With writing as eloquent and as detailed as this, we can all hope that this debut novel is a portent of great things to come." --Mike Jones, Hawley-Cooke Booksellers, Louisville, KY

DAUGHTER, by asha bandele (Scribner, $23, 0743211847) "Bandele writes of the cost of silences and the redemptive power of putting memory into words, and interwoven seamlessly into the story are the harsh realities of everyday racism and the sometimes quiet brutality of family expectations. Yet, when the last page is read, what the reader is left with is the possibility of hope." --Linda Bryant, Charis Books & More, Atlanta, GA

DAUGHTER'S KEEPER, by Ayelet Waldman (Sourcebooks, $24, 140220096X) "In Waldman's wonderful novel -- the first outside the Mommy-Track Mysteries -- she brings a huge amount of her professional knowledge (as a public defender) to bear on a story of a young woman -- and her family -- caught in the drug war this country continues to wage. There's redemption, there is forthrightness; there is a messy lot of love, and there is a ringing indictment of how we go about dealing with drugs in our country." --Melissa Mytinger, Cody's Books, Berkeley, CA

THE DISTANCE FROM NORMANDY, by Jonathan Hull (St. Martin's, $24.95, 0312314116) "I love The Distance From Normandy. This story of a widowed World War II veteran and his grandson who are struggling one summer to understand each other should be required reading for anyone who has, knows, or teaches teenage boys." --Liz Murphy, Learned Owl Book Shop, Hudson, OH

THE FORTRESS OF SOLITUDE, by Jonathan Lethem (Doubleday, $26, 0385500696) "Everything Jonathan Lethem has written thus far has been extraordinary. What he does in this novel tops even what he has previously done, however, as he has delivered an unusually rich, dense, compelling whirlwind of a book, a story that takes readers through several life-altering, threshold moments in its central characters' lives. This book flies." --Rick Simonson, The Elliott Bay Book Company, Seattle, WA Also a Random House Audio (Unabridged Cassette, 0739306464)

FOUR SPIRITS, by Sena Jeter Naslund (Morrow, $26.95, 0066212383) "With this powerful new novel of the civil rights struggle, Naslund has topped the literary magic she created in Ahab's Wife. Four Spirits will move you." --Jake Reiss, The Alabama Booksmith, Birmingham, AL Also a HarperAudio (Unabridged cassette, 0060569425)

HOW TO BREATHE UNDERWATER: Stories, by Julie Orringer (Knopf, $21, 1400041112) "Orringer's luminous debut collection takes us into the lives of young girls finding their way through the emotional minefields of childhood and adolescence. These nine stories resonate with compassion and intelligence. Welcome one of this fall's freshest and brightest voices." --Karl Kilian, Brazos Bookstore, Houston, TX

IDLEWILD, by Nick Sagan (Putnam, $24.95, 0399150978) "Idlewild opens in a Tim Burton-esque world, flowing into The Matrix, and ending in a world reminiscent of Philip K. Dick. Our narrator, Halloween, awakes with a bout of amnesia and the feeling that someone is trying to kill him. As he slowly regains his memory, he learns that life -- real and virtual -- is not what he thinks. Sagan's brilliant!" --Erin Coston, Davis-Kidd Booksellers, Nashville, TN Also a Highbridge Audio (Unabridged Cassette, 1565117905)

ISLE OF PALMS: A Lowcountry Tale, by Dorothea Benton Frank (Berkley, $22.95, 0425191362) "Isle of Palms was good from the first page. The writing is seamless through changes of time, and it is full of the wonderful humor that's a signature of the author. I love it." --Christine Stanley, Bay Street Trading Co., Beaufort, SC

JAMESLAND, by Michelle Huneven (Knopf, $24, 0375413820) "In a riff on The Varieties of Religious Experience, Huneven follows a group of soul-searching folks, including William James' great-great granddaughter, her semi-senile aunt, and the Unitarian minister who is doing battle with the church elders for being too churchy. In their quest for life's answers, whether religious, psychiatric, or just plain psychic, Alice and her cohorts bounce off each other like protons, finding solace and even some answers in each other's friendship." --Daniel Goldin, Harry W. Schwartz Bookshop, Milwaukee, WI

THE LORD OF CASTLE BLACK: Book Two of the Viscount of Adrilankha, by Steven Brust (Tor Books, $27.95, 0312855826) "Return to Brust's Dragearea, where the adventure continues! From the ashes of the fallen empire a new empire is struggling to rise --with swashbuckling nobles and opportunistic highwaymen, witchcraft and sorcery, revenge, battle, and true love! Brust spins a tale worthy of Dumas' The Three Musketeers (complete with courtly manners and intrigue). I cannot recommend this series highly enough." --Scott Werbin, The Tudor Book Shop and Cafe, Kingston, PA

LUCKY GIRLS: Stories, by Nell Freudenberger (Ecco, $22.95, 0060088796) "The five longish stories in this book luminously describe the lives of five women -- all expatriates in one way or another -- making their ways through worlds they may not have chosen, but which they are determined to own. Freudenberger is definitely an author to watch." --Catherine Weller, Sam Weller's Books, Salt Lake City, UT

LUNCH AT THE PICCADILLY, by Clyde Edgerton (Algonquin, $22.95, 1565121953) "In our store we have a one-sentence review for Edgerton's Walking Across Egypt --'This is one of the funniest books I've ever read!' Now, we have Lunch at the Piccadilly, which is even funnier. I can't wait to hand sell this one." --Linda Johnson, Books at Stonehenge Market, Raleigh, NC

MAILMAN, by J. Robert Lennon (Norton, $24.95, 0393057313) "The manic, hypnotic obsessiveness of this novel as displayed through its wildly engaging main character, Albert Lippincott (the mailman in question), mirrors the reader's kinetic attachment to this funny, disturbing, and exhilarating novel. This is the kind of book you enjoy so much you wonder if there is something wrong with you." --Robert Sindelar, Third Place Books, Lake Forest Park, WA

MY COLD WAR, by Tom Piazza (Regan Books, $24.95, 0060533404) "The legacy of family, the inexorable grip of the past on the present, history itself and how we struggle to understand it -- these are the themes that inform Piazza's compelling and memorable debut novel. His story resonates with emotional intelligence, humor, and insight." --Lily Bartels, The Open Door Bookstore, Schenectady, NY

THE NAMESAKE, by Jhumpa Lahiri (Houghton Mifflin, $24, 0395927218) "The Namesake is a beautifully written novel about two generation of Bengali-Americans facing the challenges of assimilation and identity that have confronted immigrants from many countries who have come here seeking the 'good life.' This is a good tale, admirably told." --Bob Sommer, Changing Hands Bookstore, Tempe, AZ

THE POLISHED HOE, by Austin Clarke (Amistad Press, $24.95, 0060555653) "Set on the island of Bimshire in the West Indies, The Polished Hoe occurs in just 24 hours as Mary-Mathilda gives her statement about murdering Mr. Bellfeels, the plantation owner to whom she is mistress. The statement encompasses the entire colonial and post-colonial history of Bimshire, and, as I read this novel, I felt amazed wonder at the intricate, sustained power of this complex, tour de force." --Helen Sinoradzki, Annie Bloom's Books, Portland, OR

PRAIRIE NOCTURNE, by Ivan Doig (Scribner, $26, 0743201353) "Tucked in chronologically between Dancing at the Rascal Fair and English Creek and featuring many familiar characters, Doig's newest effort moves from the Montana Rockies to 1920s Harlem, touching on themes of racism and the inescapable presence of the past in our lives. His characteristic handcrafting of each sentence remains, as always, a hallmark of his writing." --Russ Lawrence, Chapter One Book Store, Hamilton, MT

PRESENT VALUE, by Sabin Willett (Villard, $24.95, 1400060869) "A decent man is caught up in the downfall of both his Fortune 100 Company and his personal life in this witty novel about corporate greed. Willet's social commentary is both hilarious and profoundly sad. A truly American novel, and maybe a great one." --Terry Whittaker, Viewpoint of Columbus, Columbus, IN

THE RABBIT FACTORY, by Larry Brown (Free Press, $25, 0743245237) "Larry Brown's latest novel is a wild departure from his previous work. It begins in Memphis with a man rescuing a stud dog who is no longer able to perform his duties, and, then, like a Robert Altman film, we follow various characters and their stories -- a prostitute, a boxing sailor, an incompetent gangster, and others who may never meet, but whose lives are connected nonetheless. Readers have an excellent view from above as we watch these savagely funny stories of the human comedy unfold." --Lyn Roberts, Square Books, Oxford, MS Also a Recorded Books Audio (Unabridged cassette, 140254653X)

SAUL AND PATSY, by Charles Baxter (Pantheon, $24, 0375410295) "Charles Baxter continues to cement his place in the upper echelon of current authors. Saul and Patsy is a brilliant novel of obsession and the toll it can take upon faith and belief." --Bill Cusumano, Nicola's Books, Ann Arbor, MI Also a New Millennium Entertainment Audio (Unabridged Cassette, 1590074726)

SECOND SUNDAY, by Michele Andrea Bowen (Warner Books/Walk Worthy Press, $22.95, 0446530336) "Second Sunday takes a hilarious look at the politics, players, and inner workings of African-American church life. Gethsemane Missionary Baptist Church members are faced with an unexpected turn of events just as the church is preparing for its 100th Anniversary. The feuding begins, sides are selected, and each camp wants the other to 'bring it on.' Bowen opens our hearts to appreciate people who are generally not associated with the right looks or lifestyle, and Second Sunday demonstrates how when spider webs unite the lion can be conquered." --Emma Rodgers, Black Images Book Bazaar, Dallas, TX

SECRET FATHER, by James Carroll (Houghton Mifflin, $25, 0618152849) "Carroll's novel is a fast-paced thriller, an historical novel, and a wonderful study of what it means to be a father. Set in the '60s in the divided city of Berlin, Secret Father is elegantly written, with wonderfully drawn characters. I can't think of anyone I know who wouldn't enjoy it." --Mary Gleysteen, Eagle Harbor Book Company, Bainbridge Island, WA

THE 6TH LAMENTATION, by William Brodrick (Viking, $24.95, 0670031917) "An older woman in London, knowing she has not long to live, sees a familiar face on TV and decides that she wants her beloved granddaughter to know about the secrets of her past: namely, that she worked for the French resistance to help Jewish children escape, but that things went terribly wrong. Then a German SS officer seeks refuge in an Episcopal priory in rural England. These two compelling stories are deftly tied together, and you will find this novel hard to put down." --Pat Kehde, The Raven Bookstore, Lawrence, KS Also a Highbridge Audio (Abridged Cassette, 1565117816)

THEATER OF THE STARS, by N.M. Kelby (Hyperion, $23.95, 0786868589) "This beautiful, mysterious, and frightening book has me under its spell. This story about the tragedy of war, the Manhattan Project's impact on the world of physicists, and mothers and daughters, will interest a wide range of readers. Kelby is a gifted and intelligent writer." --Joci Tilsen, Valley Bookseller, Stillwater, MN

WELL, by Matthew McIntosh (Grove Press, $23, 0802117511) "Structured as a series of short stories focused on the working-class Pacific Northwest suburb of Federal Way, Well begins with interlaced narratives revolving around minor obsessions but escalates into more stunning, emotionally rewarding vignettes of profound addiction, heartbreak, and loss." --Peter Mayo, Square Books, Oxford, MS

THE BITCH IN THE HOUSE, by Cathi Hanauer (Ed.) (Perennial, $13.95, 0060936460) "If there's a better snapshot of middle-class white women's lives today, I'd like to see it. The essays collected in The Bitch in the House are funny, smart, and meaningful. Read it for the absorbing peer inspiration; read it to understand women in your life and the complexities they sometimes shield from you; read it for an unabashed and clear vision of what family, love, self, and work mean to these women." --Joan Barberich, Food For Thought Books, Amherst, MA

BLUE LATITUDES: Boldly Going Where Captain Cook Has Gone Before, by Tony Horwitz (Picador, $15, 0312422601) "What a fantastic book. It is a well-written, fascinating account of Captain Cook and the colonization and devastation of the Pacific. And, of course, mixed in with the grim and tragic is Horwitz's characteristic wit. I couldn't put it down." --Julia Green, Front Street Books, Alpine, TX

LAST TRAIN TO PARADISE: Henry Flagler and the Spectacular Rise and Fall of the Railroad That Crossed An Ocean, by Les Standiford (Three Rivers, $14, 1400049474) "I am as excited about this as I was about Longitude and Isaac's Storm. Standiford's narrative is as driven and engrossing as one of his well-crafted mysteries. There is a keen and abundant interest in the histories that happen between the lines." --Mitchell Kaplan, Books & Books, Coral Gables, FL

NEED FOR THE BIKE, by Paul Fournel (Bison Books, $15, 0803269099) "Paul Fournel is an award-winning French novelist and a publisher, but equal to these interests for him is his lifelong love of biking, which he whimsically chronicles in this fun(ny) and fascinating book. Written in short, two- to four-page chapters, it is the perfect book to take along on a ride, for reading during water (wine?) breaks." --Curt Witteveen, Annie Bloom's Books, Portland, OR

OFF TO THE SIDE: A Memoir, by Jim Harrison (Grove Press, $14, 0802140300) "This is my favorite book by Harrison (I say that about each of his books) because this beautifully written memoir is most like listening to him speak. I found sentences on each page that break the world open, that glitter in the darkness. The French are masters of the aphorism, but I don't know of any other contemporary American writer who does it as well as Jim Harrison." --Karl Pohrt, Shaman Drum Bookshop, Ann Arbor, MI

THE PLOT THICKENS: 8 Ways to Bring Fiction to Life, by Noah Lukeman (Griffin, $12.95, 0312309287) "The First Five Pages has been on my shelf for a few years now; I always re-read it before I declare anything done. The Plot Thickens, with all the intense character work, is sure to become the book I read before I start anything. Lukeman's two titles are enjoyable to read and teach me something every time I pick them up." --Scottie Hill, Kepler's Books & Magazines, Menlo Park, CA

THE BOOK OF ILLUSIONS, by Paul Auster (Picador, $14, 0312421818) "Auster splices together the stories of a bereaved college professor and an enigmatic silent film comedian who becomes the object of his obsessive study. With customary deftness, he blurs the distinctions between life and art, and we are left wondering what is real and what is merely a flickering illusion." --Jennifer Gay, Book People, Austin, TX

COASTLINERS, by Joanne Harris (Perennial, $13.95, 0060958014) "This is about a classic father-daughter struggle, set on an island off the coast of France. Half-truths and partially understood family legends lead to an explosive display of tempers involving the entire island. Scenic, beautiful, and wild -- this is Harris' best yet." --Maryann Eastman, White Birch Books, North Conway, NH

THE CRIMSON PETAL AND THE WHITE, by Michel Faber (Harvest, $15, 0156028778) "Set in the London of Queen Victoria in the early 1870s, this brings the sights, sounds, and odors of the era vividly to life. Sugar is the crimson petal, a whore known for her willingness to do anything a customer wants, and Agnes is the white, a married woman still so innocent that she has no idea how she could be the mother of a little girl. Lovers of Dickens will enjoy the tale, as will everyone else who enjoys old-fashioned storytelling." --Susan Taylor, Wellesley Booksmith, Wellesley, MA

THE HEAVEN OF MERCURY, by Brad Watson (Norton, $14.95, 0393324656) "All the elements of the very best in Southern fiction unfold in this brilliant novel like Kudzu spreading over an old cotton field. Here are rich characters rooted and shaped by place and history, a love story, a mystery, and a whiff of the supernatural alongside the scent of bourbon and honeysuckle. Watson is a writer of enormous talent and sensitivity." --Tom Campbell, The Regulator Bookshop, Durham, NC

THE LAST GIRLS, by Lee Smith (Ballantine, $14.95, 0345464958) "Based on a real-life raft journey down the Mississippi that the author took with her buddies, this novel imagines four of those friends 35 years later as they undertake another journey to spread the ashes of a fifth friend. A delicious read, this is Smith at her prime!" --Julie Jacobson, The Book Stall At Chestnut Court, Winnetka, IL

MOON'S CROSSING, by Barbara Croft (Mariner Books, $12, 0618341536) "This historical fiction takes us from the 19th century, when the affluent were cultured and in quiet control, to the roaring, fast-advancing, industrial modern age. Jim Moon, a gentle, simple man, reads about the White City in Chicago and is so drawn to it that he leaves his wife and son to travel there. Weaving together three stories, this is the story of the kinds of people who worked at the fair, came to the fair to see the dream city, and became lost in its wonder." --Dorie Schultz, Harry W. Schwartz Bookshop, Mequon, WI

A SACK OF TEETH, by Grant Buday (Raincoast Books, $13.95, 1551924579) "It is a rare moment in literature when a writer can capture the voice and internal world of a child, and rarer still to sustain this voice for the length of a novel. Buday achieves this feat, seemingly effortlessly, in his portrayal of six-year-old Jack Klein, on his harrowing first day of school. The characters in A Sack of Teeth, along with the lilt of its language and the pacing of its dialogue, will stay with you long after you slowly, regretfully turn the last page." --Andrea Tetrick, Spellbinder of Bishop Books & Coffee Bar, Bishop, CA

THE TRUE STORY OF HANSEL AND GRETEL: A Novel of War and Survival, by Louise Murphy (Penguin, $13, 0142003077) "Murphy deftly weaves the tale of Hansel and Gretel into the story of a family in Nazi-occupied Poland, giving meaning to one of the most meaningless periods of history. At times beautiful and horrifying, this is a powerful story not easily forgotten." --Kimberly Fox, Schuler Books & Music, Grand Rapids, MI

DEAD FAMOUS, by Carol O'Connell (Putnam, $24.95, 0399150846) "Kay Scarpetta, Sara Linton, and Dr. Temperance Brennan take a back seat to Kathy Mallory, who has to be the most interesting and complicated character in suspense fiction today! Take the phone off the hook, close the window blinds, and settle in for some great entertainment." --Emery Pinter, Chapter 11, Atlanta, GA Also a Listen & Live Audio (Unabridged cassette, 1593160178)

EVERY SECRET THING, by Laura Lippman (Morrow, $24.95, 0060506679) "Writing outside her Tess Monaghan series, Lippman has created a fast-paced novel that will have you on the edge of your chair. With mystery, murder, intrigue, and betrayal, this is a wow of a book!" --Virginia Hobson Hicks, Books on the Bluff, Townsend, GA

LAST CAR TO ELYSIAN FIELDS: A Dave Robicheaux Novel, by James Lee Burke (Simon & Schuster, $25, 0743245423) "A long-missing blues singer, a wealthy writer and her wealthier father and husband, an Irish killer, and an assortment of Louisiana lowlifes pull Robicheaux into a viscous roux of angst and murder in one of Burke's best mysteries in years." --Betsy Burton, The King's English, Salt Lake City, UT Also an Audioworks Audio (Unabridged cassette, 0743533313)

THE LAST NAZI, by Stan Pottinger (St. Martin's, $24.95, 0312276761) "Another well-written thriller by Pottinger. The specter of biological warfare is all too real in these troubled times. I could not put it down and stayed up until one in the morning to finish it." --Alec Milner, Vintage Books, Vancouver, WA

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