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July/August
2001 Book Sense 76 Picks
Unique and provocative selections from a great diversity of voices...all personally recommended by the independent booksellers of America.
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 Astronauts:
And Other Stories
by Iribarne, Matthew
(Simon & Schuster, 0743203801) "A remarkable debut collection that moved
me as much as Poachers and Welding with Children. The title story is about two
brothers -- one recently divorced and one manic-depressive -- who go on a cross
country trip to visit their childhood house in an effort to rediscover youth.
All the stories show a great range and imagination. This is a beautiful collection
that I loved and highly recommend." - Tim Huggins, Newtonville Books,
Newton, MA
Collected Stories of Richard Yates, The
by Yates, Richard
(Holt, 0805066934) "Nothing this season has pleased me more than the publication
of this book. These stories are the collected proof of the greatness of a perfect
American author." - Nicholas Sichterman, Blue Hill Books, Blue Hill,
ME
Gardens of Covington, The
by Medlicott, Joan
(St. Martin's, 0312275552) "A thoroughly charming story of women's friendships
that cast a gentle light on aging, cultural change, and how wit and grace can
rule the day." - Gee Gee Rosell, Buxton Village Books, Buxton, NC
I Wish I Had a Red Dress
by Cleage, Pearl
(William Morrow, 0380977338) "This is about love, change, and saving the
world, one young woman at a time. It's totally accessible, funny, sweet, and 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
 John
Henry Days
by Whitehead,
Colson
(Doubleday, 0385498195) "Absolutely first-rate. A complex yet highly entertaining
(and occasionally hilarious) yarn from the author of The Intuitionist that
explores the effects of technological revolutions on the souls and bodies of
two black men. I would compare it very favorably to Don DeLillo's Underworld."
- Kevin Ryan, Green Apple Books, San Francisco, CA
Kissing in Manhattan
by Schickler, David
(Dial Press, 0385335660) "A year ago, one of the most exciting stories from
the New Yorker's summer fiction issue was " "The Smoker."
" It is now one in a series of stories in which the characters, all
of whom live in a mythic New York City apartment building, show up in one another's
stories. This fiction is disturbing, erotic, and suspenseful in some places; in
others, delightful, reverent, and sweet. Schickler is a major new talent."
- Richard Howorth, Square Books, Oxford, MS
Last Time They Met, The
by Shreve, Anita
(Little, Brown, 0316781142) "Anyone who has loved and lost and dreamed of
what could have been will be touched by this bittersweet love story. A great book
for discussion groups." - Annette Meurer, Joseph-Beth Booksellers, Cincinnati,
OH
Miracle Life of Edgar Mint, The
by Udall, Brady
(Norton, 0393020363) "If only every novel were this good. The bizarre story
of Edgar Mint is told in a wonderfully engaging fashion, and the ending was entirely
unanticipated. The best book I've read in years!" - Carrie Huston, Chapter
Two Bookstore, Charleston, SC
 Muse
Asylum, The
by Czuchlewski, David
(Putnam, 0399147454) "In this surprising debut novel, Czuchlewski has created
a densely layered mystery which raises intriguing questions concerning the nature
of authorship and identity. This is a story of academic ambition gone
awry, of genius turning to madness, and of madness ultimately leading us to the
truth." - Christine Hayes, Garden District Bookshop, New Orleans, LA
No
One Thinks of Greenland
by Griesemer, John
 (Picador,
0312274572) "This debut novel places the most eccentric and believable of
love stories in the zany no-man's-land of a top-secret military hospital. It is
at once a thriller and a comedy, and I haven't read anything quite like it since
the heyday of Ken Kesey and Joseph Heller." - Margot Liddell, Booksmith,
Falmouth, MA
Sputnik
Sweetheart
by Murakami,
Haruki
(Knopf, 0375411690) "In this compact volume, Murakami has once again concocted
a literary Mobius strip of life, longing, and shifting realities. This is a
perfect introduction for those new to this highly addictive writer."
- Gerry Donaghy, Powell's, Portland, OR
Theory of Relativity, A
by Mitchard, Jacquelyn
(HarperCollins, 0066210232) "With Mitchard's deep sense of understanding
of human nature, the reader is able to relate to each and every family member
in this wonderful new novel by the author of The Deep End of the Ocean."
- Virginia Hobson Hicks, Books on the Bluff, Townsend, GA
Things I Know Best, The
by Hinton, Lynne
(HarperSanFrancisco, 0062517279) "Once again, Hinton delves into the heart
of small-town Southern life with her new book. She introduces the Ivy women,
a group blessed (or cursed, depending on how you look at it) with the gift of
'knowing.' Hinton examines the ties that nurture our souls and define who we
think we are. This is a book you'll want to give to closest friends and family;
it's a keeper." - Kathleen Caldwell, Readers Books, Sonoma, CA
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