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November/December
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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| THE TOP TEN VOTE-GETTERS |
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Lydia Cassatt Reading the Morning Paper
by Chessman, Harriet Scott
(Seven Stories/Permanent Press, $24.00, 1583222723)
"To admire an artist's work and then to imagine and create a world for the reader is a wonderful form of art itself. I was completely drawn into Lydia's world, and Chessman's language and gift for storytelling painted a very clear picture in my mind of the Cassatts and the mercurial Degas. So, so beautifully written." - Lesley Kleiser, Montgomery Book Co., Cincinnati, OH
Ella
Minnow Pea
by Dunn,
Mark
(MacAdam/Cage, $22.00, 0967370167) "A treasure of a novel. Dunn has an
incredibly fascinating and clever way of using the English language, with or
without all the letters of the alphabet. This witty satire and moving fable
is a must-read for everyone who loves words...and free speech!" - Susan
Wasson, Bookworks, Albuquerque, NM
Limbo: A Memoir
by Ansay, A. Manette
(Morrow, $25.00, 0688172865)
"Ansay writes memoir as wonderfully as she writes fiction. Her rural and strictly religious upbringing collides with her great piano talent and with the mysterious illness that has left her partially disabled. It led her to write, and we are so glad she has." - Judy Rodel, Downtown Books, Hudson, WI
 City
of Dreams: A Novel of Early Manhattan
by Swerling, Beverly
(Simon & Schuster, $26.95, 0684871726)
"A wonderful epic novel set during Manhattan's early days. Through the saga of two competing families of surgeons and physicians, Swerling brings compelling characters to her telling of a fascinating story. Well researched, she also exposes the social and medical of the day. A book I heartily recommend to all!" - Dave Kaverman, Little Professor, Ft. Wayne, IN
 Lying
Awake
by Salzman,
Mark
(Vintage, $12.00, 0375706062) "A cloistered nun's severe headaches are
accompanied by ecstatic visions and bursts of great creativity. When she discovers
that this may be a neurological disorder that can be corrected through surgery,
she struggles with a decision that tests her faith and her very way of life
as a nun. Salzman renders the contemplative life and a crisis of faith with
utter believability and profound respect. This book is like a beautiful prayer."
- Stan Hynds, Northshire Bookstore, Manchester Center, VT
 Falling
Angels
by Chevalier,
Tracy
(Dutton, $24.95, 0525945814) "Chevalier quietly and seemingly without fanfare
totally pulled me into this story, which begins as our characters awake in London
at the dawn of a new century, January 1901. For 10 years we follow two families
and get totally engrossed in their lives and the changing history unfolding
behind them. This is a remarkable follow-up to Girl
With a Pearl Earring." - Laura Cummings, White Birch
Books, North Conway, NH
 Hoop
Roots
by Wideman, John Edgar
(Houghton Mifflin, $24.00, 0395857317)
"The intelligent vehemence of Wideman's writing reverberates in my mind. I found myself out of breath while reading this new memoir, in which basketball becomes the purveyor of his dreams and recollections, his past and his future. His staccato edginess addresses the black predicament so soundly, and resonates like a ball pounding on an urban court. This must be read." - Margot Liddell, Booksmith, Falmouth, MA
 Borrowed
Finery: A Memoir
by Fox, Paula
(Holt, $23.00, 0805068155)
"Fox's is the story of the unconventional upbringing of an unwanted child. It takes place in New York, California, Florida, Cuba, and Pennsylvania, as she was repeatedly summoned and abandoned by her restless, artistic parents. Fox grew up to become a novelist and children's book author, and her clear, beautiful prose makes this book a standout amid the current group of memoirs." - Laurie Greer, Olsson's Books & Records, Bethesda, MD
 Zen
Dog
by Tucker, Toni and Judith Adler
(Clarkson Potter, $17.00, 0609608797)
"Not only does this little gift book for dog (or Zen) lovers have wonderfully expressive photographs combined with matching Zen quotations, the introduction alone is worth much tail wagging. All of us who are owned by dogs will fall in love with this one." - Nancy Hale, Annie's Book Stop, Branchville, NJ
Bridge, The
by Marlette, Doug
(HarperCollins, $26.00, 0060186305)
"While this novel is based on the true life of an elderly Southern woman who fought for the right to join unions in the early 1900s, it is also about her large, extended family. It's is Marlette's first novel, and one of the best novels to come out of the South in recent years." - Rhett Jackson, The Happy Bookseller, Columbia, SC
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