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March/April
2002 Book Sense 76 Picks
Here are the 76 most
noteworthy new and recent books, as compiled from hundreds of recommendations
by independent booksellers across America. One bookseller's quote has been
chosen to represent each of these top vote-getters.
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| Top Ten Vote-Getters |
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 The
Secret Life of Bees
by Kidd,
Sue Monk
(Viking, $24.95, 0670894605) "Kidd creates a narrator that the reader will
grow to love. White, 14, and a runaway, she finds the true meaning of family
in a very unusual place: The home of three black sisters who raise bees. Beautifully
written, this is a page turner. " - Kathy Westover, The Bookworm, Edwards,
CO
 Absolute
Zero
by Logan, Chuck
(HarperCollins, $24.95, 0060185724) "A former undercover cop. Double-crosses
and triple-crosses. A main character narrating from the depths of a coma. A very
angry ostrich. Logan's latest has it all, and it all adds up to a fast-paced thriller
that puts its author in the same league as Elmore Leonard. " - Drew Philips,
Warwick's, La Jolla, CA
 Burning
Marguerite
by Inness-Brown, Elizabeth
(Knopf, $23.00, 0375411968) "This deserves our wild collective support. A
really fresh and seamless story; can't think of this story being told before.
It's utterly amazing that it's a first novel. I may have to ask for more time
out front in order to handsell this book; I heartily recommend it! "
- Melissa Mytinger, Cody's, Berkeley, CA
Fruitflesh:
Seeds of Inspiration for Women Who Write
by Brandeis, Gayle
(HarperSanFrancisco, $23.95, 0062517244)
"This is juicy and delicious. Brandeis is a creative muse and her feminine thought-provoking exercises are truly 'seeds of inspiration' designed to unleash our creative spirit. If she has her way, we will all be fountains of creativity. " - Gayle Seminara Mandel, Transitions Bookplace, Chicago, IL
 Red
Poppies
by Alai
(Houghton Mifflin, $24.00, 0618119647) "This enchanting tale transported
me to mysterious Tibet with the story of the son of a powerful, poppy-growing
chieftain and his opium-addicted Chinese wife. The writing is so earthy and sensuous.
This is Cain and Abel, the Godfather, and Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon, all
rolled up into one great read. " - Susie Fruncillo, Lake Country Booksellers,
White Bear Lake, MN
Atonement
by McEwan, Ian
(Nan A. Talese/Doubleday, $26.00, 0385503954) McEwan weaves an absorbing tale
that starts one afternoon in 1935 and unfolds for years to come, profoundly altering
the lives of those involved. Readers are entrapped in a tale that commands attention
from start to finish. A beautifully written and masterfully crafted tale of growing
up, finding love, and the dangers of a runaway imagination." " -
Kyle Beachy, Verbatim Booksellers, Vail, CO
 The
Gardens of Kyoto
by Walbert, Kate
(Scribner, $13.00, 0684869497) "As Ellen recounts the real and imagined details
of her first love as a young girl, we are reminded of the power of first love
and how it can affect our lives for years to come. Walbert has written a haunting,
beautiful book." - Rebecca Jestice, Dicken's Book Shop, Lebanon, OH
Sophie and the Rising Sun
by Trobaugh, Augusta
(Dutton, $22.95, 0525946276)
"A charming story wrapped in current themes and issues. What is it about Southern writers that allow them to capture a sense of time, temperature, and place so very well? This is a treasure and I have placed in the hands of many readers who voice the same enthusiastic. " - Marilyn R. Scheerbaum, Bickerton and Ripley Books, Edgartown, MA
 Crow
Lake
by Lawson, Mary
(Dial Press, $23.95, 038533611X) "I love this book. Lawson's writing moves
seamlessly between past and present in the telling of a family torn apart by circumstance
and mended by love and valor. It has everything that makes a great story: love,
pathos, humor, suspense, and a strong sense of place. " - Mary Kay Watson,
Sister Wolf Books, Dorset, MN
Poetry Speaks: Hear Great Poets Read Their Work, from Tennyson to Plath
by Pashen, Elise and Rebekah Presson Mosby, eds.
(Sourcebooks MediaFusion, $49.95, 1570717206)
"The lyrical voices of these poets remind us of the exhilaration of time, patience and the sound of words. " - Karen Hannah, City Lights Bookshop, San Francisco, CA
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