Announcing the November 2004 Book Sense Picks

September 23, 2004

Here is a preview of the November Book Sense Picks. Independent booksellers in the Book Sense program will receive the Picks fliers in the October Red Box.

The picks flier is designed for stores to use during the month of November, and it is one component of the monthly Picks program, which also includes a downloadable PDF flier of 20 additional titles and online listings of bibliographic information for more titles that have been nominated for this time period by independent booksellers with Book Sense, but that have not been chosen for either of the other two lists. These will be available online at www.bookweb.org/read/6977 in the next few weeks.

Future lists are in production, and Book Sense Picks Editor-in-Chief Dan Cullen encourages booksellers to send in nominations for their favorite titles.

This Friday, September 24, is the deadline for the Winter Children's Book Sense Picks.

Booksellers have noted that the upcoming months will see the publication of a wealth of notable children's titles, and we strongly encourage booksellers to nominate titles. Without your help, the list won't represent the best of independent bookselling.

In addition, the deadline for the December Picks list is Friday, October 8.

Send nomination to dan@booksense.com or use the convenient Web form at www.bookweb.org/read/6305.

And many thanks for all your contributions to Book Sense!

CASE HISTORIES: A Novel, by Kate Atkinson (Little, Brown, $23.95, 0316740403) "A literary page-turner that explores the enormous cost, over time, of four unresolved crimes on the lives of the survivors. A beautifully crafted, tender, witty look at the precarious, ephemeral nature of life and the way love makes us vulnerable to unspeakable pain." --Sheila Daly, Barrett Bookstore, Darien, CT

HOW TO BE LOST, by Amanda Eyre Ward (MacAdam/Cage, $24, 1931561729) "Three sisters muddle through their 1950s childhoods in haphazard fashion -- until the youngest girl disappears. Now grown, when one of them, the narrator, sees a photograph of her missing sister and sets off in pursuit of her, the entire family hurtles out of somnambulism and into real life. An engrossing and touching novel about ties that bind us -- for good or ill." --Betsy Burton, The King's English, Salt Lake City, UT

DOUBLE SHOT, by Diane Mott Davidson (Morrow, $24.95, 0060527293) "Double Shot is a delicious new mystery featuring the fully caffeinated caterer/sleuth Goldy Schulz and her gang of friends and family. This is another perfect blend of crime, craziness, and cooking!" --Shelley Robson, Enchanted Forest Books, Forest City, IA Also a HarperAudio (Unabridged CD, 0060738766)

THE DARLING, by Russell Banks (HarperCollins, $25.95, 0060197358) "Hannah Musgrave's participation in the radical Weather Underground forces her to live unconnected to family or friends. Fleeing the country, she settles in Liberia and becomes a witness to the brutality and destruction of civil war. This riveting novel, vividly told, is set in the'70s and '80s but addresses current issues of terrorism, values, and depravity." --Ann Carlson, Harborwalk Books, Georgetown, SC Also a HarperAudio (Unabridged CD, 0694524239)

A THOUSAND DAYS IN TUSCANY: A Bittersweet Adventure, by Marlena De Blasi (Algonquin, $23.95, 1565123921) "Chef/writer Marlena De Blasi embraces her new life in Tuscany with a passion that sucks the reader right into the soil, food, and people of San Casciano dei Bagni. A year of discoveries, wonderful fresh food, and commitment to a place all make this book a delight." --Becky Milner, Vintage Books, Vancouver, WA

BANISHING VERONA: A Novel, by Margot Livesey (Holt, $24, 0805074627) "Like her previous novel, Eva Moves the Furniture, Livesey's latest work proves her talent as one of the finest contemporary writers. Banishing Verona is a suspenseful and quirky love story that is lyrical and beautifully written." --Tim Huggins, Newtonville Books, Newton, MA

GILGAMESH: A New English Version, by Stephen Mitchell (Free Press, $24, 074326164X) "More than 1,000 years before Odysseus voyaged home from the Trojan War, the Sumerian king Gilgamesh faced epic struggles over wielding his power wisely; facing his demons and his gods bravely; and, finally, accepting the weaknesses that made him human. Stephen Mitchell's translation makes this ancient story come vividly to life." --Nina Barrett, Women & Children First, Chicago, IL Also a Recorded Books Audio CD (Unabridged, 1402597665)

SKINNY-DIPPING: A Novel of Suspense, by Claire Matturro (Morrow, $23.95, 0060567058) "Lilly Rose Cleary is an attorney for a Florida law firm that represents physicians in malpractice cases. When her clients begin to turn up dead, and she herself is attacked, she must buckle down to solve the mystery. Sit back and enjoy the ride in this wonderfully entertaining novel." --Susan Diffenderfer, Tall Tales Book Shop, Atlanta, GA

QUEENAN COUNTRY: A Reluctant Anglophile's Pilgrimage to the Mother Country, by Joe Queenan (Holt, $22, 0805069801) "Joe Queenan applies skewering wit to his adventures in England. From a cab ride through Liverpool in search of an authentic Beatles experience to an argument in an Edinburgh pub, where he tried in vain to defend Paul McCartney's 'Ebony and Ivory,' Queenan gives us a unique look at British history through an American pop culture lens. It's a hilarious spectacle." --Robert Sheard, Bookshop by the Lakes, West End, NC

IN THE LAND OF SECOND CHANCES: A Novel, by George Shaffner (Algonquin, $21.95, 1565124405) "This sly, slightly feminist fable tells the tale of a mysterious stranger who arrives in a town and brings a message of hope, love, and faith to those who, perhaps, do not know they need it. Humor and charm abound and readers of Life of Pi or Peace Like a River will appreciate this first novel." --Hester Jeswald, Sarasota News & Books, Sarasota, FL

THE STOWAWAY: A Novel, by Robert Hough (Arcade, $24, 1559707453) "The Stowaway is a spiritual and courageous story of a Romanian stowaway and the sailors on board the containership Maersk Dubai who choose life with justice over intimidation. I was captivated by the rich language and pure integrity of Hough's sea story. A must-read for all adventure lovers!" --Jill A. Johnson, Beagle Books, Park Rapids, MN

CHEAT AND CHARMER: A Novel, by Elizabeth Frank (Random House, $25.95, 1400060915) "Two sisters live quite different lives during the McCarthy era in Hollywood, and we are observers of their most private and tormented struggles with marriage, sex, screenwriting, and life in the wake of blacklisting. Frank's novel is a rich and thought-provoking story." --Cyndy Gardner, Chapter One Book Store, Hamilton, MT

THE TWELVE LITTLE CAKES, by Dominika Dery (Riverhead, $24.95, 1573222836) "An utterly charming memoir of a girl growing up in Soviet-controlled Czechoslovakia during the 1970s. What should be a bleak account of the daughter of dissidents is instead a warm, funny story that shows the power of love and a strong family." --Carol Dunn, Northwind Book & Fiber, Spooner, WI

DARWIN'S WINK: A Novel of Nature and Love, by Alison Anderson (Thomas Dunne, $23.95, 0312331991) "I got lost in the island worlds created in this novel -- the physical island on which the novel is set, the emotional islands the two main characters create around themselves, and the island of love they both come to inhabit. Give this one a try!" --Andrea Avantaggio, Maria's Bookshop, Durango, CO

LIGHT ON SNOW, by Anita Shreve (Little, Brown, $24.95, 0316781487) "A tragedy forces a father and his daughter to leave their life in the city and seek refuge in a rural community. The discovery of an abandoned infant, however, forces both parent and child to work through unresolved grief and face buried memories. The novel weaves a tender, almost fragile story about new beginnings and the ways in which people overcome loss with love and courage." --Susan Harrison, The Country Bookshop, Southern Pines, NC Also a Time Warner Audio (Unabridged CD, 1586216376)

THE PIRATES! IN AN ADVENTURE WITH SCIENTISTS: A Novel, by Gideon Defoe (Pantheon, $15.95, 0375423214) "This witty, hilarious novel had me laughing out loud more than any book I've read in recent memory. After the Pirate Captain and his men are deceived into capturing Charles Darwin and HMS Beagle, their adventures take them to London, where, disguised as scientists ... well, you'd better just read the book! Arrrgh!" --Carol Schneck, Schuler Books & Music, Okemos, MI

THE PACIFIC AND OTHER STORIES, by Mark Helprin (Penguin, $25.95, 159420036X) "Few contemporary writers display Helprin's knack for creating mesmerizing and memorable characters. His stories about people's ability to adapt reflect a certain wisdom and grace, and I was totally immersed in each character and the drama of their lives. This is a fantastic collection of short stories." --Emery Pinter, Chapter 11, Atlanta, GA

BAHAMARAMA, by Bob Morris (St. Martin's, $21.95, 0312328893) "Journalist Bob Morris' new mystery features former Miami Dolphins linebacker Zack Chasteen, lately out of prison and back in trouble, with a kidnapped former girlfriend. This is a great read. I couldn't put it down!" --Will Balk, Jr., Bay Street Trading Co., Beaufort, SC

THE AMATEUR MARRIAGE: A Novel, by Anne Tyler (Ballantine, $14.95 paper, 0345470613) "This is the less-than-simple story of a marriage that might have been a mistake, but maybe wasn't. There are no easy answers, no pat ending; just wonderful characters you care about, get exasperated with, and, ultimately, wish well." -- Anne Whalen, Brookline Booksmith, Brookline, MA Also a Random House Audio (Unabridged CD, 0739310429)

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