BookSense.com

January 2005


	1. Baker Towers: A Novel By Jennifer Haigh "Baker Towers is set in a small coal mining town in western Pennsylvania in the years following World War II. The many facets of this company town are told through the five children of the Novak family after the early death of their father. Haigh's writing has great feeling for the inner workings of a community of immigrants pushed by their bosses to work beyond human endurance." --Jane Laclergue, Fireside Bookstore, Olympia, WA

	The Ha-Ha: A Novel By Dave King "Silent and scarred, Howard Kapotash has been living on the edges of community since Vietnam, until nine-year-old Ryan moves in and forces him to open up in this novel of reparations and found families. Here is a first novel from a new voice to welcome without hesitation." --Melissa Olm, The Reader's Loft, De Pere, WI

	The Family Tree By Carole Cadwalladr "Carole Cadwalladr has written a tour-de-force first novel. This tale of a young, pregnant woman whose scientist husband questions her genes while she questions nearly everything she knows (or thinks she knows) is a complex and moving novel reminiscent (but no clone) of works by such notable contemporary British novelists as Kate Atkinson and Margot Livesey." --Betsy Burton, The King's English, Salt Lake City, UT

	The Cold Dish By Craig Johnson "Craig Johnson's first book has completely won me over. This suspenseful story of a possible murder in small-town Wyoming is well plotted and features characters so richly drawn that I nearly moved in with them. A real find!" --Sheryl Cotleur, A Clean Well-Lighted Place for Books, San Francisco, CA

	Out: A Novel By Natsuo Kirino "It's not just that Natsuo Kirino has written one of the most believable, compelling, and eerie mysteries I've read in years, it's that reading Out is like taking a trip to Japan with Alfred Hitchcock as your tour guide." --Steve Mort, DIESEL, A Bookstore, Oakland, CA

	The Memory of Running: A Novel By Ron McLarty "Smithy Ide is an overweight, alcoholic Vietnam vet who suffers several devastating losses. When he begins a quest across the country on his childhood bicycle, he discovers himself along the way. This beautifully written first novel features characters so well-written that you won't be able to put this book down." --Lisa Zupke, Harry W. Schwartz Bookshop, Shorewood, WI

	Dancing Naked at the Edge of Dawn By Kris Radish "Dancing Naked at the Edge of Dawn was a delightful read and a breath of fresh air. I hope anyone who reads this novel will get the message, that life does go on, and it's what you decide to make of it that counts." --Tina Fraser, The Bookcase, Wayzata, MN

	The Lost German Slave Girl: The Extraordinary True Story of the Slave Sally Miller and Her Fight for Freedom By John Bailey "Based on Louisiana court records, this book tells the story of Sally Miller, a young German girl who became the slave property of a French cabaret owner in the 1840s.The trial to free her became an internationally celebrated case, and the book reads fast and furious with twists that will rival any novel." --Rodney Knolton, Davis-Kidd Booksellers, Memphis, TN

	Too Beautiful For You: Tales of Improper Behavior By Rod Liddle "As I read this delightful book, Rod Liddle's first, I was constantly catching bits and pieces of other author's styles. Usually, the good bits. I encountered the stripped-down language of Hemingway, the dark humor of Chuck Palahniuk, and a complete disregard for taboo that's all Liddle's own." --Josh Przybylski, Village Bookstore, Menomonee Falls, WI

	Meritocracy: A Love Story By Jeffrey Lewis "Lewis captures both the dreams and the uncertainties of these Yale grads, members of the Vietnam generation. This is a moving portrait of John Kerry's and George Bush's Ivy League classmates. Highly recommended." --Marian Nielsen, Orinda Books, Orinda, CA

	Entombed: A Novel By Linda Fairstein "Entombed takes place in the old New York haunts of Edgar Allan Poe, and, as is typical of Fairstein, you learn as much about the rich history of New York City as you do about solving a crime. The prose is tight, and the mystery takes you through to the end. This is perhaps Linda Fairstein's best yet." --Jenny Lawton, Just Books, Greenwich, CT

	Revolution No. 9: A Novel By Neil McMahon "Carroll Monks, the emergency room physician we've met in McMahon's previous books, leaves the hospital setting for the Northern California mountains, where his son has joined a violent cult. Monks not only wants to get his own son out, but also the young, deathly ill, diabetic son of the cult's leader. The tension never lets up -- this is a terrific addition to McMahon's series." --Susan Wasson, Bookworks, Albuquerque, NM

	Valley of Bones: A Novel by Michael Gruber "I was hooked all the way through! Gruber's follow-up to Tropic of Night follows Miami detective Jimmy Paz' attempts to solve the murder of a wealthy oilman. Very impressive from start to finish." --Candice Lahr, Books at the Buzz, Benton, IL

	The Vanished Hands: A Novel By Robert Wilson "Wilson continues to smash all the rules set for thriller/mystery writing with this sequel to The Blind Man of Seville. There is so much depth to his characters, especially homicide detective Javier Falcon of Seville, that they leap off the page, and force you to see things from inside their heads." --Seth Marko, Warwick's, La Jolla, CA

	Hedwig and Berti By Frieda Arkin "From the moment Hedwig and Berti -- two upper-class German Jews forced to leave their homeland during the rise of the Nazis -- stepped into the life of the narrator, I was utterly hooked on this book. The London of the late 1930s comes alive, but the best part of this story is the glorious characters that Arkin has created. " --Karen L. Keyte, Books Etc., Falmouth, ME

	Blue Plate Special : A Novel of Love, Loss and Food By Frances Norris "I've read quite a few books with food themes, but this one takes the cake. Julia's struggles to deal with her father's death, a controlling stepsister, and an unfulfilling food stylist job at a magazine all blend together to create some tasty food for thought." --Tara O'Donnell, Paperbacks Plus, Bronx, NY

	Downtown: My Manhattan By Pete Hamill "Start spreading the news, Pete Hamill has written a paean to New York filled with nostalgia for those of us lucky enough to call ourselves natives -- and for every tourist who ever fell in love with this exciting, maddening, one-of-a-kind city." --Susan Avery, Ariel Booksellers, New Paltz, NY

	Bury the Chains: Prophets and Rebels in the Fight to Free an Empire's Slave By Adam Hochschild "Adam Hochschild follows his great King Leopold's Ghost with an amazing account of the few men who gathered together in late 18th century England to stop the slave trade and who, stunningly, succeeded." --Bill Cusumano, Nicola's Books, Ann Arbor, MI

	The True and Outstanding Adventures of the Hunt Sisters: A Novel By Elisabeth Robinson "Start your book club off to a great New Year with Robinson's story of two sisters: Olivia, a Hollywood producer who lives in the fast lane, and Maddie, a Midwestern homemaker who is seriously ill. Their joys and sorrows are captured through e-mails, letters, and phone messages. You will want to call your sister or close friend when you finish this book, just to say hello and thanks." --Barbara Theroux, Fact & Fiction, Missoula, MT

	Graphic Discovery: A Trout in Milk and Other Visual Adventures By Howard Wainer "Howard Wainer, an entertaining writer employing color and wit, lets us know how and why graphs are the best way to find the structure and surprises hidden in otherwise mundane collected data." --Marcus Rector, Builders Booksource, Berkeley, CA


	Bad Dirt: Wyoming Stories 2 By Annie Proulx "In this second collection of stories, Proulx invokes multiple dimensions of Wyoming, from the locals that inhabit Elk Tooth's three bars to the myriad wackos who end up living off the grid. This is a fine collection to fix a hankering for Western literature."-Rachel Otto, The King's English, Salt Lake City, UT

	Call for the Dead By John le Carré "Le Carré is one of a kind a prince among writers, and here is the wonderful novel that introduced the world to George Smiley. With a mesmerizing ability to keep you up all night and desperately turning the pages, le Carré's stunning prose darts from wicked humor to mournful empathy in the blink of an eye."-Georgie Lewis, Powell's Books, Portland, OR

	The Empire of Wolves: A Novel By Jean-Christophe Grange "A blockbuster novel of international intrigue set in Paris and Istanbul. The Empire of the Wolves is a brutal and brilliant saga of one woman's fight against her fate. Fans of Frederick Forsyth, Robert Ludlum, and John Le Carré will devour this novel." -Emery Pinter, Chapter 11, Atlanta, GA

	The Final Solution: A Story of Detection By Michael Chabon "Michael Chabon not only channels Sherlock Holmes, but also a gray African parrot, in this beautiful and poignant novella about a mute German boy who turns up in England in 1943 with a number-squawking parrot on his shoulder. This is truly Sherlock Holmes' last case."-Marian Nielsen, Orinda Books, Orinda, CA

Welcome to the Fallen Paradise: A Novel
By Dayne Sherman
"This outstanding first novel reads like a chapter from a blood-soaked Old Testament, featuring family, revenge, avarice, a skateboard-riding, fire-and-brimstone midget preacher, and one man who attempts to make sense out of a world that has gone way beyond the pale. Truly outstanding"-Robert Segedy, Branch's Chapel Hill Bookshop, Chapel Hill, NC


	Altars of Power and Grace: Create the Life You Desire - Achieve Harmony, Health, Fulfillment, and Prosperity with Personal Altars Based on Vastu Shastra By Robin Mastro, Michael Mastro "Altars of Power and Grace explains the Hindu tradition of vastu shastra with integrity and is filled with lively and practical suggestions. Beautifully illustrated and fun!"-Adam Jones, Inklings Bookshop, Yakima, WA

	Collapse: How Societies Choose to Fail or Succeed By Jared Diamond "In a brilliant complement to Guns, Germs, and Steel, Diamond tells the compelling story of how environmental destruction, climate change, population growth, and external pressure have caused powerful civilizations to collapse. It is a history both revelatory and cautionary."-Bill Cusumano, Nicola's Books, Ann Arbor, MI

	Crazy in the Kitchen: Food, Feuds and Forgiveness in an Italian American Family By Louise DeSalvo "Crazy in the Kitchen is a part painful, part mouthwatering, totally intriguing memoir of life for a New Jersey family still close to their Southern Italian roots. This book carries the reader into the heart of the family."-Becky Milner, Vintage Books, Vancouver, WA

	Enslaved by Ducks: How One Man Went from the Head of the Household to the Bottom of the Pecking Order By Bob Tarte "In an attempt to please his new wife, Tarte opens his home not only to ducks but to turkeys, geese, parrots, canaries, parakeets, baby starlings, doves, pigeons, and an occasional rabbit. Readers not usually enamored of animal stories will find themselves captivated by Tarte's ironic wit and engaging storytelling."-Dianne Pohrt, Shaman Drum Bookshop, Ann Arbor, MI

	Feast: Food to Celebrate Life By Nigella Lawson "With Feast, Nigella Lawson's full contribution to special-occasion cooking is made through recipes that are detailed but never contrived, tips that are practical, and an always infectious zeal for the celebratory meal!"-Scott Linder, Olsson's Books & Records, Washington, DC

	The Heart of the World: A Journey to the Last Secret Place By Ian Baker "Ian Baker writes of his attempt to reach the previously unexplored inner reaches of the Tsangpo Gorges of Tibet. That he ultimately succeeds in this daunting task is a testament to the spirit of this man and to the Spirits of the place. An engaging story that is not about conquest but, rather, about searching for an open heart."-Sheryl Cotleur, A Clean Well-Lighted Place for Books, San Francisco, CA

	The Last Time Around Cape Horn: The Historic 1949 Voyage of the Windjammer Pamir By William F. Stark "In 1949, the square-rigger windjammer Pamir unfurled 37,000 square feet of sail (almost an acre) and made way on the last great transit around Cape Horn. Stark's recounting of his youthful adventure as an ordinary seaman is an engrossing read and a great look at the bygone days of sail."-Dave K., Bookshelf, Quincy, CA

	The Little Book of Snowflakes By Kenneth Libbrecht "This photographic study of snowflakes and quotations about nature makes a fascinating title and a great little gift-book to read in winter by the fireside."-Linda Stivala, Gansevoort House Books, Little Falls, NY

	The Success Principles: How to Get from Where You Are to Where You Want to Be By Jack Canfield "This book, and the ways this author advises us to live our lives, gets us on our way to health and happiness."-Virginia Hobson Hicks, Books on the Bluff, Townsend, GA

	Carry Me Home By Sandra Kring "This beautiful first novel about life on the Wisconsin home front during WWII is narrated by Earl 'Earwig' Gunderman, a brain-damaged 16-year-old, who sees the world a little differently than his neighbors. Kring writes with humor and warmth about small-town life and gives Earwig a voice that readers won't forget. Perfect for reading groups."-Ken Favell, Harry W. Schwartz Bookshop, Brookfield, WI

	The Floating Book By Michelle Lovric "If you have an ongoing love affair with books and Venice, you'll love this lavish, sensuous, beautifully written historical novel set in 15thcentury Italy."-Susie Fruncillo, Lake Country Booksellers, White Bear Lake, MN

	The Lady and the Unicorn By Tracy Chevalier "Tracy Chevalier does a magnificent job of creating a plausible story to explain the origins of the series of the Lady and the Unicorn tapestries that hang in the Museé National du Moyen Age in Paris. Her fictional account encompasses love, lust, spirituality, and pride, all while keeping the reader glued to the page."-Susan M. Taylor, Wellesley Booksmith, Wellesley, MA

	Oracle Night: A Novel By Paul Auster "Oracle Night is an intricate web of stories within stories, an intriguing tale of love and intuition, fiction and reality. Auster's tale of a novelist and a mysterious notebook questions the depth of subconscious knowledge and allows the reader room to believe ... or not." -Dana Barrett, Coffee Buy the Book, Roswell, GA

	The Deadly Dance: An Agatha Raisin Mystery By M.C. Beaton "Agatha Raisin is like a female Hercule Poirot-the same total indifference to people's feelings, yet you like her, you laugh, and, then, you get caught up in the case and hold your breath! I like Agatha, brassiness and all."-Cris Walrath, Browsing Bison Books, Deer Lodge, MT

	A Question of Blood: An Inspector Rebus Novel By Ian Rankin "I am amazed that each new Ian Rankin title is better than the last, and A Question of Blood is no exception. In this well-crafted mystery about murders at a Scottish boarding school, Inspector John Rebus adds a complexity to the story that will have fans eagerly awaiting the next one."-Sue Richardson, Maine Coast Book Shop, Inc., Damariscotta, ME