• A Book Sense Book of the Year!
  

The Prize Winner of Defiance, Ohio: How My Mother Raised 10 Kids on 25 Words or Less
by Ryan, Terry
"In the 1950's, Evelyn Ryan managed to support her family and to inspire them with pride, hope, and confidence. By using her wits to enter thousands of jingle contests, she won food, appliances, a bicycle, a car, and enough cash to make the mortgage payments! An alternately heartbreaking and humorous true story about a woman whose courage will go straight to your heart." - Ellen Davis, Dragonwings, Waupaca, WI

Empire Falls
by Russo, Richard
"This is Russo's best book yet! Miles Roby, lead protagonist and decent son and father, is a beautifully crafted character. He follows in the usual Russo tango: one step forward and two steps back. This is a brilliant book loaded with heart. I simply loved it." - Kay Marcotte, Page One Books, Albuquerque, NM

Mystic River
by Lehane, Dennis
"Lehane has forged an urban crime novel of surpassing darkness, but it also has the legs to stand as a fiction of its time and place like, say, Fitzgerald's The Great Gatsby. It's truly an amazing work. Don't miss it." - Barbara Peters, The Poisoned Pen, Scottsdale, AZ

Close to Shore: The Terrifying Shark Attacks of 1916
by Capuzzo, Michael
"Capuzzo doesn't sensationalize the attacks of 1916 or make the shark out to be a monster. Instead, he creates a vivid picture of life in the early 1900s, a time of blazing change and discovery. This is a very compelling book." - Cory Combs, Christopher's Books, San Francisco, CA

God-Shaped Hole
by DeBartolo, Tiffanie
"Beautifully written and lovingly told, this story is full of clear, biting prose, a sensual and spirited plot, and wildly amusing characters. Poignant and emotional, this novel will touch your soul." - Maryann Eastman, White Birch Books, N. Conway, NH

Year of Wonders
by Brooks, Geraldine
"Brooks takes us to a village in the 1666 Derbyshire during the Plague. She shows us every facet of human nature, as the villagers have voluntarily decided to isolate themselves for the duration of the sickness. An unforgettable reading experience; the best book I have read so far this year." - Louise Blake, Deerleap Books, Bristol, VT

Bel Canto
by Patchett, Ann
"One of my favorite books in 2001, I'm looking forward to recommending this to all of our book groups in paperback. A wonderful story about a hostage situation in a foreign embassy, with fascinating characters you grow to know and love, and not always just the 'good guys.'" - Liz Morgan, Village Bookstore, Menomonee Falls, WI

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Wonderful Rediscoveries

Crossing to Safety
by Stegner, Wallace
"We love this book, and many of our book clubs have read it. There's so much to talk about and characters that you feel you can touch. This is a book that you can read at ages 20, 40, and 60; you will take something new away every time." - Valerie Koehler, Blue Willow Bookshop, Houston, TX

Geek Love
by Dunn, Katherine
"One of my favorite books; I still recommend it to people all the time. To this day, I have never read anything like it and I don't think I ever will. It is fantastic, bizarre storytelling at it's finest." - Alie Rosenberg, Brookline Booksmith, Brookline, MA

To Kill a Mockingbird
by Lee, Harper
"Harper Lee crafted a perfect novel that transcended the printed page and became part of the American cultural memory. The author wrote with a razor, thinly slicing scenes, laying them bare with the most innocent, yet irresistibly seductive, prose. To call it one of my favorite books is like calling oxygen one of my favorite atmospheres." - Erik C. Barnum, Northshire Bookstore, Manchester Center, VT

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More Fiction in Paperback

All We Know of Heaven
by Rougeau, Remy
"This novel is set in the framework of a factual and unpretentious account of a contemporary monastic life. It is quite heartfelt and enduring." - Christopher Sullivan, Copperfield's Books, Calistoga, CA

Assorted Fire Events
by Means, David
"A man is brought back to the moment his brother drowned, a distraught businessman goes off to find peace and is met by violence, and in the Pushcart Prize-winning story, 'What They Did,' suburban sprawl leads to personal disaster. Means establishes himself as a tremendous new presence in contemporary American literature." - Mike Barnard, Rakestraw Books, Danville, CA

Backpack
by Barr, Emily
"Witty, self-deprecating, and snappy, this is a refreshing take on the single, neurotic British female genre. Taking a year to travel Asia, our heroine finds romance, intrigue, many highs, and even some happiness." - Genevieve Heater, Scott's Bookstore, Mount Vernon, WA

Bitch Goddess
by Rodi, Robert
"Rodi's novels are among the funniest I've ever read, and this one sees his riotous wit turned on Hollywood. You'll love, pity, and be exasperated by Viola Chute, the B-grade sex bomb whose career Bitch Goddess charts." - Kevin Stevens, Outwrite Books, Atlanta, GA

Cane River
by Tademy, Lalita
"Tademy blends fact and fiction to create a powerful story based on her own family's history: a story of Southern life in the mid-1800s, of four generations of women, each determined to make a better life for her children, and of the perseverance and strength needed to rise from slavery to freedom." - Joan De Lorenzo, The Book Shop, Morristown, NJ

Chalktown
by Haynes, Melinda
"The author follows her debut novel with a brilliant work that brings forth a wonderful collection of characters in the most bizarre town in Southern literature. An unforgettable read!" - Jake Reiss, The Alabama Booksmith, Birmingham, AL

Clay's Quilt
by House, Silas
"An amazing book. House's ability to depict the Appalachian region, coupled with his wonderful storytelling ability, makes this a delight to read." - Angie Coleman, Joseph-Beth/Davis-Kidd Booksellers, Cincinnati, OH

The Cold Six Thousand
by Ellroy, James
"Kick started just moments after JFK's assassination and racing up to the fevered summer of 1968, the master of neo-noir takes readers on a pedal-to-the-metal underworld tour of the lunatic '60s. Ellroy's prose style is as hard-hitting and brutal as the tale he tells, but once you catch the rhythm and get swept up in the conspiracy, it's an exhilarating ride." - Jim Cornelius, Paulina Springs Book Company, Sisters, OR

The Collected Stories of Richard Yates
by Yates, Richard
"Although set primarily in post-WW II New York, these stories have lost none of their relevance. Yates sketches scenes from the lives of average Americans and shows how the American dream remains, for most, out of reach. This collection is essential for any serious student of American culture and literature." - Candler Hunt, Olsson's Books and Records, Washington, DC

The Cranberry Queen
by DeMarco, Kathleen
"DeMarco's protagonist is a self-deprecating NYC professional who experiences a great loss. This is a poignant story of growth and discovery that takes her into a world entirely unlike any other she has known, and into a family closer to her than she could have imagined." - Amy Wynn, Builders Booksource, Berkeley, CA

The Dancer Upstairs
by Shakespeare, Nicholas
"A remarkable novel, somewhat reminiscent of those by Joseph Conrad. Loosely based on the capture of a Peruvian guerrilla, and with great plotting and characters, it's one of the most satisfying novels in years." - Brian Rood, Avenue Books, Berkeley, CA

Entering Normal
by LeClaire, Anne D.
"This is the story of two mothers who come from two different worlds, but, together, they learn to heal their grief and become more than just friends." - Claire Watkinson, Scott's Bookstore, Mount Vernon, WA

First Lady
by Malone, Michael
"Though not a mystery per se, the plot is initiated by a murder, the main characters are cops, and it's wonderful. I love Malone; he's a cross between Clyde Edgerton and Richard Russo, and with a mystery bent." - Louise Jones, The Northshire Bookstore, Manchester Center, VT
Five Quarters of the Orange
by Harris, Joanne
"Harris has written a wonderful book, one even better than her Chocolat. The sense of time and place are as perfect as are her beautifully drawn characters." - Nancy Perkins, Book Passage, Corte Madera, CA

The Gardens of Covington
by Medlicott, Joan
"A thoroughly charming story of women's friendships that casts a gentle light on aging, cultural change, and how wit and grace can rule the day." - Gee Gee Rosell, Buxton Village Books, Buxton, NC

Good in Bed
by Weiner, Jennifer
"A 'Bridget Jones' with soul. I wanted to put my arm around the character and say, 'hey, you are going to be okay.'" - Diana Cohen, Books & Company, Oconomowoc, WI

The Good People of New York
by Nissen, Thisbe
"An extraordinary first novel and the best coming-of-age story I've read in years. You will love feisty Roz and her daughter Miranda, and you'll both cheer and boo the men who enter their lives." - Kara Howland, St. Mark's Bookshop, New York, NY

The Gospel of Judas
by Mawer, Simon
"This book is incredible, and it hooked me from the very first line. It has it all: romance and betrayal, history (both recent and biblical), and loads of suspense." - Katrina Denza, The Country Bookshop, Southern Pines, NC

Grand Ambition
by Michaels, Lisa
"Compulsive, vivid, and filled with human drama, this novelization of Bessie and Glen Hyde's Grand Canyon adventure grips us throughout. This is a winner!" - Laura Hansen, Bookin' It, Little Falls, MN

Hotel World
by Smith, Ali
"This Booker Award finalist weaves its stories around the lives (and afterlife) of five women whose lives tangentially intersect at a particular run-down chain hotel in a nondescript corner of England at the cusp of the millennium. It is an uplifting work." - Anthony Finney, Inkwood Books, Tampa, FL

In Cuba I Was a German Shepherd
by Menendez, Ana
"A masterful collection of connected short stories about Cuban immigrants in Miami. This book offers an insider's view of what life was like, and may still be, in Castro's Cuba." - Molly Beck, Quail Ridge Books and Music, Raleigh, NC

John Henry Days
by Whitehead, Colson
"A complex yet highly entertaining (and occasionally hilarious) yarn that explores the effects of technological revolutions on the souls and bodies of two black men. I would compare it very favorably to DeLillo's Underworld." - Kevin Ryan, Green Apple Books, San Francisco, CA

The Last Samurai
by DeWitt, Helen
"This is the best novel I've read in awhile. It's an over-the-top intellectual novel that, rather than failing its initial promise, actually gets better and better. It's wise and funny and beautiful; an amazing first novel!" - Nat Herold, Atticus Books, Amherst, MA

The Last Report on the Miracles at Little No Horse
by Erdrich, Louise
"This book is a deep journey of spirit, moving through the illusions and realities of sensuality, sexuality, gender, and religious belief. A complex story that is the framework for simple truth." "- Linda Bryant, Charis Books and More, Atlanta, GA

The Lecturer's Tale
by Hynes, James
"A dazzling novel about academic ambitions, as a college professor will do anything to keep his job. Literary theory, semiotics, psychobabble, and sexual identity all combine for a rollicking satire." - Claudia Pino, Chinook Bookshop. Colorado Springs, CO

Mary and O'Neil
by Cronin, Justin
"My favorite novel of last year is now in paperback. A debut novel that follows two people through college, into marriage, and having children, it's a story of family relationships that will strike an emotional chord with readers of any age or gender." - Jan Levinsky, The Book Stall at Chestnut Court, Winnetka, IL

Mirabilis
by Cokal, Susann
"Cokal creates a wonderful tension between the often outrageous elements of her story and the precision and mastery of her style. At the center of the story is a wet-nurse in medieval France and her unlikely comrades. A spellbinding, absolutely present tale." - Marjorie Darraugh, Pegasus Books, Berkeley, CA

Moon Women
by Duncan, Pamela
"A gritty yet tender look at the ties that bind daughter to mother to grandmother. Even if you are far removed from their rural way of life in the North Carolina mountains, you will find common ground with the Moon women. This book touched me deeply." - Margie Frazier, Frazier's Books, Lexington, NC

My Dream of You
by O'Faolain, Nuala
"A beautifully written, surprisingly humorous novel about a woman at midlife trying to escape her grief over her best friend's sudden death. She travels to her homeland, Ireland, to research a novel and finds herself reconnecting with her family and sense of place and purpose. This is all you could wish for in a literary novel." - Linda Barrett Knopp, Malaprop's, Asheville, NC

Never Change
by Berg, Elizabeth
"Who knew that in helping a friend die one could learn to live again. This book was written from the heart, for the heart. I fell in love with all of the characters in Berg's latest book. A joyful tear-jerker." - Kim Andis, Viewpoint Books, Columbus, IN

No One Thinks of Greenland
by Griesemer, John
"This is one of the best books I've read in a long time. When we discover what really lies beneath these characters on a secret Army base in Greenland, our hearts are moved beyond belief." - Lynne Shotton Reed, Misty Valley Books, Chester, VT

Our Arcadia
by Lippincott, Robin
"With elements of Woolf and Forster, but in an entirely American fashion, Lippincott has created a gorgeous work celebrating friendship, art, and the feminine spirit in life. This is a book that lingers and inspires." - Erik Swallow, Lambda Rising Bookstore, Norfolk, VA

Passage
by Willis, Connie
"Writing about researchers looking into near death experience, Willis does her usual fine job juggling millions of details, humor and pathos in one great novel." - Kathy Magruder, Lee Booksellers, Lincoln, NE

Perfect Arrangement
by Berne, Suzanne
"It is very easy to slip into the separate worlds of these two modern parents. It is even easier to see how each step they took to cope with the demands of modern parenting and two incomes led them deeper into trouble. An engaging, believable, and captivating novel." - Tom Heywood, The Babbling, Book, Haines, AK

Pink Cadillac
by Dunn, Robert
"This novel will transport you to the birthplace of rock and roll as it also chronicles the beginning of the end of Jim Crow in Memphis. The characters are larger than life, and yet believable in the way that it takes giants to effect cultural change. The author knows blues and early rock in the intimate way of a guitarist caressing people's lives out of his guitar strings. This is one super book." - Bob Spear, The Book Barn, Leavenworth, KS

Salt and Saffron
by Shamsie, Kamila
"A Pakistani woman returning home after completing college in America must reconcile her yearnings with her familial responsibility. Her world is a complex tapestry of old ways and new, woven together by family legends and secrets. Shamsie imbues the story with a fresh and uncommon lyricism, mingling drama, mystery, romance, history, and comedy, with a hint of Rushdie-esque wit and magic. This book overflows with pleasures and pure enchantment." - Herman Fong, The Odyssey Bookshop, South Hadley, MA

These Granite Islands
by Stonich, Sarah
"Stonich has captured, in a unique way, the essence of ambiguity relationships can have before they mature or break apart. The suspense, as the summer unfolds, holds the reader's attention in quite a satisfying way. It's a great book group selection." - Anita Zager, Northern Lights Books & Gifts, Duluth, MN

A Tortoise for the Queen of Tonga
by Whitty, Julia
"A brilliant (scintillating even) collection of stories about a highly original array of characters, ranging from Charles Darwin to a tortoise from Aldabra. Whitty uses her knowledge of the natural world as few other writers of fiction have even attempted. She joins Andrea Barrett in offering fiction of the natural world with vision, elegance and authority." - Elise White, Orinda Books, Orinda, CA

The Torturer's Apprentice
by Biguenet, John
"What powerful, haunting writing! I would read one story, take a breath, then go back for more." - Marge Grutzmacher, Passtimes Books, Sister Bay, WI

The Wooden Sea
by Carroll, Jonathan
"The latest book by one of the most honored authors of fantasy is rooted in present-day reality. An unusual book, but so readable that the fantasy is understandable and provocative." - Libby Price, Full Circle Bookstore, Oklahoma City, OK