The July/August Book Sense 76

June 06, 2002

Chosen from almost ... drumroll ... 1,500 nominations! Phew, this is getting tougher. But it’s great, and kudos to all of you!

Carl
Carl@booksense.com

1. THE SOLACE OF LEAVING EARLY, by Haven Kimmel (Doubleday, $23.95, 0385499833; June 18) "This novel is terrific. I love these characters for having absorbed literature and philosophy, and then remembering it as they tried to make sense of their lives and others. Flawed as they were, so many of the characters were so good and lovable. I'll be handselling this book starting the minute it comes in." --Diane Leslie, Dutton’s Books, Brentwood, CA

2. LIFE OF PI, by Yann Martel (Harcourt, $25, 0151008116; June) "Martel weaves a brilliant tale that is part adventure story and part spiritual quest. The part of the book that relates how Pi becomes a practicing Hindu/Moslem/Christian is worth the price of the book, and the portion that deals with Pi and a Bengal tiger adrift on the ocean in a lifeboat together is everything you might imagine and more." --Stephen Grutzmacher, Passtimes Books, Sister Bay, WI

3. THE LOVELY BONES, by Alice Sebold (Little, Brown, $21.95, 0316666343; July) "This remarkable first novel is narrated by Susie, a 14-year-old murder victim who watches from heaven as her family and friends struggle with their grief, pain, and desperation to understand. What could be maudlin is instead a spirited, devastating, and ultimately hopeful book about love and healing. Susie will enter your heart and you will be enriched by her." --Tripp Ryder, Carleton College Bookstore, Northfield, MN

4. PERMA RED, by Debra Magpie Earling (Blue Hen/Putnam, $24.95, 039914899X; June) "There are some stunning passages in this novel. Earling distills beauty and complexity from the hopelessness of the Flathead Indian Reservation and from the landscape and the people, as well. She also gives us flashes of a mythic world that not all of us are privileged to know. Earling may soon be joining the ranks of Erdrich, Silko and Welch." --Danielle Zielinski, Harvard Book Store, Cambridge, MA

5. THE EMPEROR OF OCEAN PARK, by Stephen L. Carter (Knopf, $26.95, 0375413634; June) "This fantastic literary mystery is the perfect substitute for War and Peace this summer. At 650 pages, it is well worth the time and energy. The main character's challenge to solve the puzzle left behind by his dead father keeps the pages turning, and the descriptions of the characters and their complicated relationships are fascinating." --Terry Lucas, Open Book, Westhampton Beach, NY Also a Random House Audio (055371337X; CD, 0553713388)

6. THE MONK DOWNSTAIRS: A Novel, by Tim Farrington (HarperSanFrancisco, $22.95, 0062517856; July) "In prose as spare and serene as the character Michael himself, Farrington celebrates the love between a divorced mother and her tenant, a monk who has just left the monastery, and the possibility of hope in a time of transition. It will have a long life on our staff pick table." --Kathleen Caldwell, Readers’ Books, Sonoma, CA

7. PERFECT MATCH, by Jodi Picoult (Pocket, $25, 0743418727; May) "Picoult is one of my favorite writers, and this is one of her best. Assistant DA Nina Frost must deal with the emotional turmoil that comes when a crime strikes her own family. If you have never read this author, this is the place to start. I guarantee you will want to read all her books." --Dana DeVito, Moravian Book Shop, Bethlehem, PA

8. FRAGRANT HARBOR, by John Lanchester (Marian Wood/Putnam, $25.95, 0399148663; June) "Lancaster, who wrote the wonderful Debt to Pleasure, has done it again. Set in Hong Kong from 1935 to the present, he follows a man traveling on a ship to start a new life. Add in the story of a young Chinese missionary nun, and there begins a trail of intrigue dealing with crime, money and the Hong Kong undercurrents of modern business. I just loved it." --Roberta Rubin, The Bookstall at Chestnut Court, Winnetka, IL

9. MORAL HAZARD, by Kate Jennings (Fourth Estate/HarperCollins, $21.95, 0007141084; May) "This novel takes the seemingly opposite worlds of Wall Street finance and the loss of a spouse to disease and shows parallels that one normally would never see. It is amazing that in such a relatively short book, Jennings can address complicated subjects with both the candor and delicacy that they deserve. This novel is one of survival and compassion, and it is a must read." --Maret Orliss, Vroman's Bookstore, Pasadena, CA

10. WITHOUT RESERVATIONS: The Travels of an Independent Woman, by Alice Steinbach (Random House, $13.95 paper, 0375758453; March) "An elegantly written, thought-provoking, and inspiring account of Steinbach's journeys in search of the ‘self’ she'd lost touch with in the process of being a wife, mother and reporter." --Susan Hickman, Distant Lands Travel Store, Pasadena, CA

Summer reading for kids? See the Children’s 76 flier, available at this store. And a Teen Summer Reading List will be ready soon.

CUBA DIARIES: An American Housewife in Havana, by Isadora Tattlin (Algonquin, $24.95, 1565123492; May) "Tattlin is an American whose European husband was posted to Cuba in the ’90s. By Cuban standards, they are comfortable, but still she has to resort to Kafka-esque maneuvers. It’s hilarious, empathetic, and, finally, it's a more compelling portrait of Cuba than any of the angry, politically correct accounts." --Gay Falk, Cody’s, Berkeley, CA

DOGS BARK, BUT THE CARAVAN ROLLS ON: Observations from Then and Now, by Frank Conroy (Houghton Mifflin, $23, 061815468X; April) "A lovely collection of Conroy’s essays from three decades about writers and reading, learning pool, and playing jazz piano." --Claudia Pino, Chinook Bookshop, Colorado Springs, CO

DRAKE'S FORTUNE: The Fabulous True Story of the World's Greatest Confidence Man, by Richard Rayner (Doubleday, $23.95, 0385499493; May) "Oscar Hartzell was involved in the infamous Drake Estate swindle, in which people ‘invested’ in the attempt to win back Sir Francis’ legendary fortune from the British Government. Rayner's enthusiasm for the subject makes for a fun and entertaining read; many of the stories of the Roaring Twenties, with its get-rich-quick mania, sound as if they could have been lifted from newspapers of the dot.com era." --Curt Witteveen, Annie Bloom's, Portland, OR

DRESS CODES: Of Three Girlhoods--My Mother's, My Father's, and Mine, by Noelle Howey (Picador, $24, 0312269218; May) "If you’ve wondered how girlhood has changed over the years or why an outwardly successful man could defect to the other gender, read Howey's poignant and charming story of three very different and admirable women." --Karen Maeda Allman, Elliott Bay Book Company, Seattle, WA

HOBO: A Young Man's Thoughts on Trains and Tramping in America, by Eddy Joe Cotton (Harmony, $22, 0609607383; June) "Cotton is a 20-something, self-proclaimed hobo who has hopped freight trains for the past nine years. Bouncing through what is left of our contemporary frontiers, maneuvering around truck stops and casino buffets, his stories evoke broken American landscapes, brimming with our excesses of consumption and waste. He is a finder and a seeker." --Cleve Corner, Politics & Prose, Washington, DC

HOW TO LOSE FRIENDS & ALIENATE PEOPLE, by Toby Young (Da Capo; $24, 030681188X; July) "All the horrible things you’ve ever heard or imagined about rich Manhattan in general, and the Vanity Fair zeitgeist factory in particular, are confirmed in Young’s wicked account of his stint as a contributing editor for the premier arbiter of celebrity buzz. Young’s short-lived exercise in precipitous downward mobility combines Woody Allen’s humor, Christopher Hitchens’s bad habits, and Candide’s conviction that no matter how lousy things get, surely this is still the best of all possible worlds. Truly a cynic’s delight." --Bob Gray, The Northshire Bookstore, Manchester Center, VT

AN INTIMATE LOOK AT THE NIGHT SKY, by Chet Raymo (Walker, $26, 0802713696; May '01) "Long summer nights beg long evenings looking up at the stars. Raymo gives us a loving look upward by someone who knows what to see." --Russ Harvey, Cody’s, Berkeley, CA

AN ITALIAN AFFAIR, by Laura Fraser (Vintage, $12, 0375724850; May) "This is evocative, tenderly amusing and worthy of a thoughtful read. The description of Fraser’s progress through a tough transition in her life rang true to me, as it will to anyone who has had a relationship fall on difficult times and has lived through it and gone on to a fuller, more fulfilled life. A great choice for a book discussion group." --Nicola Rooney, Nicola’s Books, Ann Arbor, MI

MY FATHER'S WAR, by Julia Collins (Four Walls Eight Windows, $24.95, 1568582242; May) "I am very excited about this memoir, which follows Collins’s father as he does a tour of duty as a Marine in the Pacific, alternating with passages of Julia’s youth, where her father and mother are both alcoholics. Ugly arguments and broken promises are counterpointed by nostalgic memories." --Daniel Goldin, Harry W. Schwartz Bookshops, Milwaukee, WI

RUNNING WITH SCISSORS: A Memoir, by Augusten Burroughs (St. Martin’s, $23.95, 0312283709; July) "This book is like a hybrid offspring of the writings of Derrick Jensen and David Sedaris, as the author’s story is both insightful and humorous. Anyone who reads this book will have a greater understanding and respect for those who had difficult or unusual circumstances or challenges in their youth. I highly recommend this book." --Lin Orndorf, Malaprop's Bookstore/Café, Asheville, NC

SIBERIA BOUND: Chasing the American Dream on Russia’s Wild Frontier, by Alexander Blakely (Sourcebooks, $22.95, 1570719446; July) "Blakely’s idealistic dream: to help Russians rebuild their country on the foundation of the free-market system. The results: a wildly funny, well-written account of life in Siberia and its many wonderful people." --Kay Marcotte, Page One Books , Albuquerque, NM

A THOUSAND DAYS IN VENICE, by Marlena De Blasi (Algonquin, $23.95, 1565123212; June) "If you’ve ever questioned the chance of a divorced woman on vacation meeting a handsome stranger, read this. The author catches the eye of a handsome stranger in a Venetian café and romance ensues. A deliciously true story that spares none of the difficulties of starting a new life in a new culture with someone you barely know, but it skips none of the beauty or joy either." --Babette Heistand, R.J. Julia’s, Madison, CT

WHAT ZIZI GAVE HONEYBOY: A True Story About Love, Wisdom, and the Soul of America, by Gerald Celente (William Morrow, $23.95, 0066212669; March) "This is a tender story of love and family that touches the heart, as well as critically evaluating where America stands today. Zizi’s homegrown philosophy sparkles through as she and a friend play Scrabble and eat pasta. We need to listen to Zizi's perceptive ideas." --Barry Samuels, The Golden Notebook, Woodstock, NY

WHY I'M LIKE THIS: True Stories, by Cynthia Kaplan (William Morrow, $23.95, 0688178502; July) "Kaplan is smart, funny, brave, wise, and totally original. It’s an amazing collection, one you'll want to read again and pass on to all of your friends. You'll think you're reading the female David Sedaris; it's that good." --Paula Herman, Book Passage, Corte Madera, CA

Featured Series: Penguin Lives CHARLES DICKENS by Jane Smiley (Viking, $19.95, 0670030775; May) "Smiley provides a great novelist’s insights into the personal, social, and literary evolution of one of the world's greatest novelists. This slim but rich biography can be read as an introduction to Dickens’s work or an invitation to reread his novels from a new perspective." --Ann Prewitt, Midsummer Books, Galveston, TX (Some of the other book in this great series: NAPOLEON, by Paul Johnson; BUDDHA, by Karen Armstrong; MOZART, by Peter Gay.)

THE AUTOBIOGRAPHY OF AN UNKNOWN INDIAN, by Nivad C. Chaudhuri (New York Review Books Classics, $16.95 paper, 094032282X; Oct. ‘01) "The New York Review of Books brings another classic back into print. I know of no other autobiography that illustrates with such detail, sharp wit, and style the complete absorption of two differing cultures: Bengali and European." --Jay Weaver, University Bookstore, Seattle, WA

THE GO-BETWEEN, by L.P. Hartley (New York Review Books Classics, $14.95 paper, 0940322994; March) "Years ago as a young teenager, this was one of the first books that I checked out from the ‘grown-up’ section of the library. From the opening sentence of its prologue, I found myself captured by its wistful tone. As an adult reader, I found its tale of a 60-year-old man recalling a painful episode in his youth even more heartbreaking. It remains one of my favorite books." --Vincent Desjardins, Snow Goose Bookstore, Stanwood, WA

PAPER MOON: 30th Anniversary Edition, by Joe David Brown (Four Walls Eight Windows, $13.95 paper, 1568582307; April) "This classic is a must read for anyone who loved The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn and To Kill a Mockingbird." --Tonya Barrow Boggan, Mountain Lore Bookstore, Hendersonville, NC

THE STORIES OF BREECE D'J PANCAKE, by Breece D’J Pancake; Foreword by Andre Dubus III (Back Bay, $13.95 paper, 0316715972; July) "Leaving behind only one collection of short stories, Pancake was dead at the age of 26, a suicide. In his wake, this collection has stood the test of time and continues to dazzle first-time readers and critics alike. Since I read this book over 20 years ago, it has never left my memory. Now it’s your turn to find out why." --Robert Segedy, McIntyre’s Fine Books, Pittsboro, NC

THE WILDER SHORES OF LOVE: The Exotic True-Life Stories of Isabel Burton, Aimee Dubucq de Rivery, Jane Digby, and Isabelle Eberhardt, by Lesley Branch (Carroll & Graf, $14 paper, 0786710306; April) "Short biographies of four 19th century women who gave up the constraints of their native (mostly Victorian) upbringing to find liberation in the Near East. Isabel Arundell follows Richard Burton to Arabia; de Rivery is abducted and given as a gift to the ruler of the Ottoman Empire; Lady Digby joins a Bedouin tribe; and the mystic Eberhardt enters the closed world of desert Arabs by dressing as a man. Lusty and good-natured, this book is great for a summer of beaches and airplanes." --Karl Killian, Brazos Bookstore, Houston, TX

HOUSEWRIGHTS, by Art Corriveau (Penguin, $13 paper, 0142002097; June 25) "What a well-written, wonderful story. A lovely, sad picture of life in an early 1900s Vermont town. It is PERFECT for book discussions, and it will definitely be a ‘Liz Pick.’" --Liz Murphy, Learned Owl Book Shop, Hudson, OH

NOTABLE AMERICAN WOMEN, by Ben Marcus (Vintage, $12.50, 0375713786; March) "A funny and unsettling read, set in a world where words, bodies, and food items are interchangeable objects and the grisly old conflict between parents and children takes its place in the pantheon of physical laws. Guaranteed to reshuffle your own mind’s parts in a significant way." --Sacha Arnold, Bookshop Santa Cruz, Santa Cruz, CA

AT SWIM, TWO BOYS, by Jamie O’Neill (Scribner, $28, 0743222946) "A tender and tragic love story that resonated with the political and historical events of Ireland's Easter Rising. It is also exceptional in its depiction of first love." --Ron Atkins, Outwrite Books, Atlanta, GA

DESIRABLE DAUGHTERS, by Bharati Mukherjee (Hyperion, $24.95, 0786865989) "This is the story of sisterly love and alienation told from the perspective of the youngest sister from a Bengali family who comes to affluent California, only to reconfirm and understand her relationships with herself and her family. This is an absorbing and sensitive story that deserves high praise!" --Heather Cummins, The Booksmith, San Francisco, CA

ERNIE'S ARK: Stories, by Monica Wood (Chronicle, $22.95, 0811834611) "I loved this book. A small town is in crisis, and through the voices of nine characters, the author has woven the fabric of life: uncertainty, tension, loss, love, and hope, all brought into a satisfying collage." --Trudy Chambers Price, Maine Coast Book Shop, Damariscotta, ME

THE GOD FILE, by Frank Turner Hollon (MacAdam/Cage, $23, 1931561044) "This is the story of Gabriel Black, who has taken the rap for a murder committed by his lover and is sentenced to life without parole in an Alabama prison. He starts a file on the existence of God, and what follows is a collection of stories and letters, some horrific and some poignant, including an extraordinary passage on evolution versus creation. It is simply one of the best books I have ever read." --Michael Davis, The Alabama Booksmith, Birmingham, AL

THE LAST BOY, by Robert Lieberman (Sourcebooks Landmark, $22, 1570719438) "Part thriller, part eco-allegory, this is a book that will make you sit up and think about what we are doing to our planet." --Jan McKeag, Journeys of Life, Pittsburgh, PA

THE REPUBLIC OF EAST L.A., by Luis J. Rodriguez (RAYO, $23.95, 0066212634) "A powerful collection of stories by one of America's most dynamic and gritty writers, Rodriguez’ tales simmer with urban desperation. This book is a testimony to the power of community." -- Bill Pillow, Regulator Bookshop, Durham, NC

SANDS OF PRIDE, by William Trotter (Carroll & Graf, $28, 0786710136) "A compelling and spellbinding work of historical fiction, set in the early days of the Civil War on the Carolina coast. Weaving historical figures into a cast of interesting and complex characters, from blockade runners to conscripts from the mountains, Trotter provides a fresh look at life during these times. Quite simply a great book." --Barry Johnson, Books at Stonehenge, Raleigh, NC

WALKING THROUGH SHADOWS, by Bev Marshall (MacAdam/Cage, $25, 1931561052) "What is it about Mississippi that produces such gifted storytellers? Marshall deftly reveals the characters in this story through their own revelations about her unlikely and tragic heroine." --Karen Wentzel, Old Market Book Cellar, Omaha, NE

ACID ROW, by Minette Walters (Putnam, $24.95, 0399148620; June 27) "I hadn’t read Walters before, and I regret that now. Here she tells the story of life in subsidized housing with complexity and depth. It reads like real life: good people, bad people, and wise and foolish choices. It is riveting." --Wendy Leavens, Wild Iris Books, Gainesville, FL

ANGEL ROCK, by Darren Williams (Knopf, $23, 0375414517; June) "The rural Australian setting figures as prominently as any of the complexly drawn characters in this story of childhood perils. With strong writing that belies its intelligence with page-turning quality, it reminded me of the works of Russell Banks and Ian McEwan." --Jean Westcott, Olsson's Books & Records, Arlington, VA

ANGELS, by Marian Keyes (William Morrow, $24.95, 0060008024; May) "Keyes writes the perfect summer read. Humor abounds, but messages about what is important in life reach right out and grab you. I chuckled and read nonstop about the wonderful and touching Walsh Sisters!" --Janet Murphy, JW Beecroft Books & Coffee, Superior, WI

THE COLOR MIDNIGHT MADE, by Andrew Winer (Washington Square Press, $24, 0743439902; July) "You'll love Conrad Clay, an intense 10-year-old, whose generous, open nature guides him through a series of disappointments that should defeat him. Imagine Pip in Oakland. These encounters with both innocence and corruption are mirrored in Winer's spare, tight prose, enfolding the familiar in unusual and surprising contexts." --Linda Schmenk, Lido Village Books, Newport Beach, CA

THE DREAM OF SCIPIO, by Iain Pears (Riverhead, $27.95, 157322202X; June) "Pears’s latest novel weaves the stories of three apparently very different men from Provence, all struggling with the devastating historical events of their times: the barbarian invasion of Roman Gaul, the Black Plague, and Nazi occupation. Each character grapples with the moral questions generated by an ancient text called the Dream of Scipio. This book tingled my intellect with such rich characters; it is simply a joy to read." --Kerry Skiffington, Deerleap Books, Bristol, VT

FIVE BOYS, by Mick Jackson (William Morrow, $24.95, 006001394X; June) "The five boys live in Devon during WW II, as the Americans move in and requisition great parcels of the local land to practice maneuvers. This is a great coming-of-age tale, with elements of favorites like Chocolat. A difficult story to describe, but a great one to read!" --Megan Scott O’Bryan, Scott’s, Mt. Vernon, WA

FRESH EGGS, by Rob Levandoski (Permanent Press, $26, 1579620485; July) "Only an author of Levandoski's gifts could become a modern muckraker, spinning a harsh but bewitching tale from modern factory farming, and thereby laying bare the separate visions cherished by fathers and daughters. An imaginative and provocative novel." --Barbara Peters, The Poisoned Pen, Scottsdale, AZ

LEARNING TO FLY, by April Henry (Minotaur, $23.95, 0312290527; May) "A real page-turner with a great set-up and inventive characters. Henry plants the hook in a very graphic first chapter and never lets go. Her most skillful book yet." --Steven Fidel, Powell’s, Portland, OR

MALAISE, by Nancy Lemann (Scribner, $23, 0743215486; June) "Peopled with debauched, quixotic characters, Lemann examines the vast difference between the East and West Coasts, between the Old World and the New, and ultimately between living a life of nostalgia or a life committed to reality. In turns hilarious and haunted, this wry novel captures what it means to live in exile, both in geography and in the heart. --Carolyn Mikulencak, Garden District Bookshop, New Orleans, LA

MEET JOHN TROW, by Thomas Dyja (Viking, $24.95, 0670030996; May) "A marketing exec going through a mid-life crisis seeks excitement by joining Civil War reenactments. In studying the dead soldier’s persona he has been assigned to recreate, he finds himself becoming possessed by the soldier’s spirit. The author really nails the Civil War buff mentality, and his characters are treated with an even hand. This is a very well-crafted novel." --Bob Spear, Book Barn, Leavenworth, KS

MUST LOVE DOGS, by Claire Cooks (Viking, $23.95, 0670031062; July) "This book is laugh-out-loud funny! A divorced preschool teacher is completely endearing as she tries to understand the dating scene, a place she’s not been for many a year. Mix in an eccentric Boston-Irish family, a few dogs, and some questionable men, and you are swept up in a madcap romp." --Donna Cressman, Maxwell Books, DeSoto, TX

OYSTER, by John Biguenet (Ecco, $23.95, 0060198362; June) "This is a first novel, following the author's award-winning short story collection, and it’s a dark, atmospheric story set within the fishing culture of Louisiana." --Nancy Olson, Quail Ridge Books, Raleigh, NC

PASADENA, by David Ebershoff (Random House, $26, 0375504567; July 9) "This is one of the best books we’ve read in recent years! Ebershoff establishes the ambiance of the changing world of Pasadena in the early 1900s with characters we truly care about: Dieter, his daughter, and the brooding man he brings home from World War I. But it is Ebershoff's brilliant, enthralling writing that holds you to the end and beyond." --Jane Dawson and Jane Jacobs, The Concord Bookshop, Concord, MA

PRAGUE, by Arthur Phillips (Random House, $24.95, 0375507876; July) "The setting is Budapest in the ’90s, when locals thought far more was happening in Prague. The bars and cafes salute the Jazz Age, catering to a generation in search of riches, the past, and a culture to call their own, but not ready to face the truth. I loved this book." --Barbara Theroux, Fact & Fiction, Missoula, MT

THE RAINBOW SINGER, by Simon Kerr (Hyperion; $23.95, 0786867981; June) "Kerr combines themes of patriarchal belonging, the violence of mass culture, and religious/political dogma to tell the story of Mike, a 14-year-old Irish-Protestant kid and the war into which he, like so many others, is unwittingly born. This is a unique, gutsy little novel; readable, charming, and disturbing all at once." --Margaret Shindler, Ecola Square Books, Cannon Beach, OR

THE REAL McCOY, by Darin Strauss (Dutton, $24.95, 0525946519; June) "Strauss follows up his wonderful debut novel, Chang & Eng, with another historical fiction about the legendary con artist/boxer who became the basis for one of America's best-known slang terms. And when it comes to great writing, Strauss is the real McCoy." --Tara O’Donnell, Paperbacks Plus, Bronx, NY

RIVER THIEVES, by Michael Crummey (Houghton Mifflin, $24, 0618145311; June 19) "I endorse this book highly. Set in Newfoundland, with strong dialogue that enhances the characterizations, here is a wonderful storyteller at work." --Clayton Dudley, Millrace Book Store, Farmington, CT

RUSH HOME ROAD, by Lori Lansens (Little, Brown, $23.95, 0316069027; May) "Every minute is a treasure as you become intimate with the lives of Addy Shadd and Sharla Cody. Sharla is five years old and abandoned by her mother, left with Adelaide Shadd, a 70-year-old black woman, who opens her heart to the child." --Vicki Garland, Tome on the Range, Las Vegas, NM Also a TimeWarner Audio (1586212788)

A SIMPLE HABANA MELODY, by Oscar Hijuelos (HarperCollins, $24.95, 0060175699; May 28) "A beautiful story. A Cuban composer returns to his much-loved native country after his recovery from the traumas he experienced during WW II, and we then journey with him through his memories, witnessing how a simple song he composed charted the course of his life. A wonderful choice for reading groups...and don't wait for the paperback!" --Lesley Kleiser, Montgomery Book Company, Cincinnati, OH Also a HarperAudio Audio (Unabriged, 006009480X)

SOME DAYS THERE’S PIE, by Catherine Landis (St. Martin’s, $23.95; 0312283849; May) "This is the kind of first novel that makes us glad to be booksellers and fiction readers. Ruth and Rose are an unlikely team, but they bring sass and the wisdom of years to the page. The dialogue is crisp and funny and the setting is beautifully rendered. Delightful!" --Duff Bruce, The Open Book, Greenville, SC

A STRAND OF A THOUSAND PEARLS, by Dorit Rabinyan (Random House, $23.95, 0375508112; June 18) "This is a story of marriage, both real and imagined, and it is beautifully written and infused with magic. It reads like a fairy tale for grown-ups." --Katrina Denza, Country Bookshop, Southern Pines, NC

VERTICAL BURN, by Earl Emerson (Ballantine, $24.95, 0345445899; May) "This is the story of fire-fighting, and Emerson takes you to there to feel the heat and smell the smoke. The story and characters are spot on, and this is a first-class read that will keep you guessing ’til the end." -- Judith Chandler, Third Place Books, Lake Forest, WA

YOU ARE NOT A STRANGER HERE, Adam Haslett (Doubleday, $21.95, 0385501676; July) "This first collection of stories is astounding. They’re all vastly different from each other, connected only by their brilliance. This is Alice Munro territory; great stuff." --Anne Whalen, Brookline Booksmith, Brookline, MA

COMING IN PAPERBACK AUGUST 20 The independent bestseller and Book Sense Book of the Year Winner for Fiction --Leif Enger’s PEACE LIKE A RIVER. (Visit BookSense.com that week for an author interview and a brand-new reading group guide to this beautiful book; go now to see a list of all the Book Sense Award Winners.)

AMERICAN GODS, by Neil Gaiman (HarperTorch, $7.99, 0380789035; May) "Spectacular. Gaiman updates ancient myths into modern incarnations, and his take on what happens to gods when their followers no longer believe in them is fascinating. Gaiman has finally come into his own in what may well be one of the best books this year, fantasy or otherwise." --Peggy Hailey, Book People Bookstore, Austin, TX

CHOKE, by Chuck Palahniuk (Anchor, $13, 0385720920; June) "Palahniuk never seems to disappoint. His bizarre and obscure storytelling just sucks you right in. Choke takes you on a journey through one man’s insanely twisted life. Enjoy the ride!" --Andrea DiDonato, Ariel Booksellers, New Paltz, NY

DOGHOUSE ROSES, by Steve Earle (Mariner, $12, 0618219242; June) "Get a glass of bourbon and stay up late reading Earle’s stories and listening to his music." --John Evans, Lemuria’s Bookstore, Jackson, MS

FOLLY, by Laurie King (Bantam, $11.95, 0553381512; May 28) "Don't even think of starting this gripping book unless you have a clear calendar. Telling the story of a middle-aged woman who begins to rebuild her life on a remote island, this book becomes an excellent exploration of depression and paranoia, as well as great suspense." --Laura Hudson, Bookloft, Great Barrington, MA

I WISH I HAD A RED DRESS, by Pearl Cleage (Perennial, $12.95, 0380804883, July) "This is about love, change, and saving the world, one young woman at a time. It’s totally accessible, funny, sweet, and it’s wise to the violence and destruction waiting out there for all the women who want to be free. I loved it." --Linda Bryant, Charis Books and More, Atlanta, GA

MAN AND BOY, by Tony Parsons (Scribner Paperback Fiction, $12, 0743225082; May) "You know when you hit that moment when your life feels ordered and safe, and then the impulse to chuck it all suddenly becomes overwhelming? Harry Silver does not resist this impulse, and on the eve of his 30th birthday wrecks every piece of his world. This is a sweet tale of a journey from boy to man to boy, and then doing it again while paying attention." --Tara Thomas, Pandora's Books, Berkeley, CA

OF CATS AND MEN, by Nina de Gramont (Delta, $12.95, 0385335032; April) "These are beautifully written stories about the lives of women, their men, and a cast of cats, told with amazingly sharp honesty and humor." --Nell Hanley, Armchair Bookstore, Dennis, MA

A PLACE CALLED WIREGRASS, by Michael Morris (River Oak, $14.99, 1589199669; May) "Run, don't walk, to read this uplifting and inspiring book. Morris's incredible talent shines through from the very first page of this compelling debut novel of the journey to escape domestic violence and poverty. This man can write!" --Sally Brewster, Little Professor Book Center, Charlotte, NC

RED CLAY, BLUE CADILLAC, by Michael Malone (Sourcebooks Landmark, $15, 1570718245; May) "How could any red/blue-blooded Southern woman not read this wonderful book? We can see ourselves clearly in these tales of ‘wonder women.’" --Virginia Hobson Hicks, Books on the Bluff, Townsend, GA

SCHOOLING, by Heather McGowan (Vintage, $13, 0375714324; June) "This complex and stylish debut novel deserves a wider audience. It’s the story of a 13-year-old American girl who is struggling to fit in at her English boarding school and coping with the loss of her mother to cancer. McGowan's stream of consciousness style and unconventional structure beautifully communicate the girl’s emotional state and lend the novel a powerful momentum." --Robert Peterson, Prairie Lights Books, Iowa City, IA

STAIRCASE OF A THOUSAND STEPS, by Masha Hamilton (Blue Hen, $13, 0425185303; May) "Set in 1960s Jordan, Hamilton has hit on two universal truths: That children never believe they will be as old as their elders, and that the way our relatives are in our youth is how we will always remember them. She captures the myths of a culture in dramatic style. Wonderful!" --Laura Hansen, Bookin’ It, Little Falls, MN

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