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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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| The Best in New Nonfiction |
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 Batavia's
Graveyard: The True Story of the Mad Heretic Who Led History's Bloodiest Mutiny
by Dash, Mike
(Crown, $25.00, 0609607669) " I loved this, in a deeply unsettling way. Dash
has a unique ability to transport you into the historical detail of the time.
I was completely captivated. " - Sarah Costin, The Northshire Bookstore,
Manchester Center, VT
Breaking Clean
by Blunt, Judy
(Knopf, $24.00, 0375401318)
"A rancher on the Montana highline, Blunt fought bitter cold and isolation, as well as fighting for herself, knowing that as a rancher's daughter and a rancher's wife, she would never really inherit the ranch. This is a beautifully written memoir, as good as anything I've ever read on the rural West. " - Marcia Rider, Capitola Book Café, Capitola, CA
Growing Up True: Lessons From a Western Boyhood
by Barnes, Craig
(Fulcrum, $22.95, 1555913504)
"A lovely memoir of a family in post-war America told by their youngest son. The parents give their sons a strict but loving childhood with lessons that are as relevant today as yesterday. A gentle reminder of the values that have made our country great; a kind of William Bennett for the rest of us. " - Margaret Maupin, Tattered Cover Book Store, Denver, CO
In the Presence of Fear: Three Essays for a Changed World
by Berry, Wendell
(Orion Society, $8.00, 0913098604)
"In this small book, Berry has condensed the recipe for social, political and economic change. The fear we experienced after Sept. 11 can be a catalyst to straighten our priorities on every level. If you feel confusion and sense of dissonance as business as usual eclipses our recent horrors, then read this book. Berry is a modern day Thoreau. " - Margaret Shindler, Ecola Square Books, Cannon Beach, OR
 Letters
To a Young Contrarian: The Art of Mentoring
by Hitchens, Christopher
(Basic, $22.00, 0465030327) "In a sparkling style, Hitchens gives advice
to young dissenters everywhere. Like a version of C.S. Lewis's Screwtape Letters
written for the real, modern world, this should be on every bookseller's graduation
tables this summer. " - Doug Anderson, The Book Bag, Valparaiso, IN
 Motherland:
Beyond the Holocaust; A Mother-Daughter Journey to Reclaim the Past
by Chapman, Fern Schumer
(Penguin, $13.00, 0140286233) "An amazing book about a woman who travels
back to Germany with her mother, who, as a 12 year old girl, was sent away by
her parents during WWII. The parents died in concentration camps, and this journey
is made to make peace with the past. It touched me deeply, and we're recommending
it to book clubs." - Sue Boucher, Lake Forest Book Store, Lake Forest,
IL
 Palestine
by Sacco, Joe
(Fantagraphics, $24.95, 156097432X)
"This may be the most creative and important work ever produced on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Sacco is utterly unique, a courageous comics journalist who brings the reader closer to the real lives behind the headlines. The drawings are forceful and honest, the narrative is utterly compelling. An absolute must; on a par with Spiegelman's Maus. " - Asher Brauner, Bookshop Santa Cruz, Santa Cruz, CA
Rescuing Jeffrey
by Galli, Richard
(Griffin, $13.95, 0312283407)
"Richard and Toby Galli faced a parent's worst nightmare in 1998: Trying to convince doctors to allow them to make the decision to let their 17-year-old son Richard die following a diving accident which left him paralyzed. You will be moved by this heart-wrenching book. " - Molly Beck, Quail Ridge Books, Raleigh, NC
 Sleep
Demons: An Insomniac's Memoir
by Hayes, Bill
(Washington Square Press, $15.00, 0671028154)
"I loved Hayes' look at the mythology of sleep. His book effortlessly drifts between topics, seamlessly blending research on sleep disorders with a candid memoir. It is a work unlike any other I have read, and one with which I am sure many readers will identify. " - Vincent Desjardins, The Snow Goose Bookstore, Stanwood, WA
A
Thousand Bells at Noon: A Roman's Guide to the Secrets and Pleasures of His Native
City
by Romagnoli, G. Franco
(Steerforth Press, $25.00, 1586420364)
"Romagnoli is a master at setting scenes and portraying characters. This book will open up the ancient city to anyone who doesn¹t have an intimate knowledge of it. " - Liza Bernard, Norwich Bookstore, Norwich, VT
 Tipping
Point, The: How Little Things Can Make a Big Difference
by Gladwell, Malcolm
(Back Bay, $14.95, 0316346624) "This was my favorite book of 2000, and it's
now in paperback. A fascinating subject and examination; don't miss it. "
- Mary Vituccio, Sugden Book Store, Marietta, OH
The
Trouser People: A Modern-Day Explorer Tracks the Victorian Adventurer Who Taught
Burma to Play the Empire's Game
by Marshall, Andrew
(Counterpoint, $26.00, 1582431205)
"Marshall sets out to explore the pre-colonial history and present condition of mysterious Burma. A stunning book, wonderfully told. " - Michal Drannen, Powell's Books, Portland, OR
The
Voyage of the Catalpa: A Daring Escape, A Perilous Journey and Six Irish Rebels'
Flight to Freedom
by Stevens, Peter
(Carroll & Graf, $26.00, 078670974X)
"A potential bestseller, this is an extremely well-written account of a heretofore little known event in 1800s American history. As best as I can summarize, an Irish rebel who has gone on to literary glory in Boston undertakes a yearlong sea voyage to rescue six countryman exiled in Australia by the British. Read it for yourself; it's a fascinating, fascinating true story. " - Steve Foley, Joseph-Beth Booksellers, Cleveland, OH
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