Blog Post
Fabulous Fiction Firsts #29
by muffy
You might as well hear about it here, no doubt you will be hearing a lot about this book.
The Glass Books of the Dream Eaters was THE buzz among librarians and booksellers at the American Library Association annual conference. Some of us stood in line with a coupon in hand, just to pick up a preview copy. The reviews for this debut novel thus far have been mixed but the storyline is intriguingly complex, and the telling mesmerizing.
Miss Celeste Temple travels from her tropical island home to Victorian London in search of her fiancé after receiving a cryptic message from him breaking their engagement. This 768-page doorstopper is part adventure, part fantasy, part mystery, part romance, but 100% entertainment. It should appeal to Diana Gabaldon readers.
The author Gordon Dahlquist is an award-wining playwright and a director of experimental films. He lives in New York.
Blog Post
Beach Reads 2006 (#4, mostly Fabulous Fiction Firsts)
by muffy
Blow the House Down by Robert Baer. Riveting and complex debut spy thriller by an ex-CIA operative whose memoir inspired the film Syriana.
A Field of Darkness* by Cornelia Read. A tough-talking, shotgun-toting, ex-debutante being drawn into a cold case involving a double homicide. (A noteworthy FFF - primed as a mystery series opener).
The Futurist* by James P. Othmer. Wildly entertaining and deadly serious satire on global politics and personal integrity. (A FFF)
The Girls* by Lori Lansens. The lives, loves and dreams of a set of conjoined twins. Unforgettable, from a noted Canadian author.
Inside the Mind of Gideon Rayburn* by Sarah Miller. A wild ride inside the head of a sensitive, funny, and a bit lusty 15 year-old prep school hunk. (Another FFF!)
The Know-It-All: One Man's Humble Quest to Become the Smartest Person in the World by A.J. Jacobs. Entertaining nonfiction account of one man's attempt to read the whole Encyclopedia Britannica. (Recommended by Sancho Panza).
Little Beauties by Kim Addonizio. FFF from a noted poet, about a has-been junior beauty queen, a pregnant teenager and a baby girl determined to carve out her own future. Moving and engaging. Reminds me of Billie Lett's debut novel Where the Heart is.
Owl Island by Randy Sue Coburn. A romantic and wise look at first loves, set in the Pacific Northwest. You will be hard pressed to find a better beach read.
* = Starred reviews
Blog Post
Fresh Air Picks from the Week of July 10th, 2006
by nosch
Publishers Weekly calls Edmund White "a prolific essayist, novelist, biographer (of Proust and Genet), travel writer, critic and all-around man of letters." On Tuesday, White discussed his new autobiography My Lives, described by PW as a collection of "…gracefully written pieces...[that] engage the intellect, the emotions and even that part of us that responds to name-dropping." Click here to listen to the piece.
Maureen Corrigan, an author on the subject of books and reading, reviewed Elisabeth Hyde’s new title The Abortionist’s Daughter on Wednesday’s show. Anita Shreve, reviewing this title for Publishers Weekly, wrote "Were it not for its fully realized characters and crisp prose, one might be tempted to see The Abortionist's Daughter as just another legal thriller for the beach. The elements are all there…[y]et it is precisely Elisabeth Hyde's arresting prose and astute observations about family life that elevate her fourth novel to domestic tragedy." Listen to Corrigan's review on Fresh Air here.
On Thursday, philanthropist and investor George Soros discussed his new book, The Age of Fallibility: Consequences of The War on Terror. Fresh Air describes Soros this way: “Soros, whose worth has been estimated at over $7 billion, has directed his philanthropic efforts toward defeating George W. Bush in 2004, overthrowing communism in Eastern Europe, helping black students attend university in apartheid South Africa and repealing drug prohibition laws internationally.” In his new book, Soros - “legendary financier-and founder of the Open Society Institute - offers crucial insight into the real meaning of freedom, and how societies can best promote it” (publisher comments). Click here to hear the piece on Fresh Air.
Blog Post
Staff Picks, Summer 2006
by muffy
You asked for it and here they are - staff picks from a few of our very well read folks. We asked them to suggest fiction titles and authors that are engaging and fun, nothing dark. Some are old favorites, a few are new stars. It's a long list. Be sure to click on "read more". Hope you'd enjoy them.
Albert's Picks:
The British mystery series by Deborah Crombie.
At Weddings and Wakes by Alice McDermott.
Revenge of the Middle-age Woman by Elizabeth Buchan.
The Young Wan by Brendan O'Carroll.
Saying Grace by Beth Gutcheon.
A Big Storm Knocked it Over by Laurie Colwin.
Love and Other Impossible Pursuits by Ayelet Waldman.
The Maisie Dobbs series by Jacqueline Winspear.
The Namesake by Jhumpa Lahiri.
From a very shy librarian:
Crazy for You by Jennifer Crusie.
Lucy Sullivan is Getting Married by Marian Keyes.
Bubbles Unbound by Sarah Strohmeyer.
The Viscount Who Loved Me by Julia Quinn.
Little Bitty Lies by Mary Kay Andrews.
Amy's picks:
In the Company of the Courtesan by Sarah Dunant.
The Minotaur by Barbara Vine.
From Sernabad:
Knitting: A Novel by Anne Barlett.
Poet of Tolstoy Park by Sonny Brewer
My Latest Grievance by Elinor Lipman.
Maybe a Miracle by Brian Strause.
From Mazie:
Dead Hollywood Moms Society by Lindsay Maracotta. Funny mystery.
The Pale Horseman by Bernard Cornwell. Rousing historical action/adventure.
The Inn at Lake Devine by Elinor Lipman. A favorite romantic story with social commentary.
The Camomile Lawn by Mary Welsey. A tart romantic family story from this older British author.
The Way I Found Her by Rose Tremain. A delicious coming of age novel.
Turtle Moon by Alice Hoffman. My favorite of her offbeat romantic fantasies.
And finally, if you like Bridget Jones, try:
Marsha Moyer's The Second Coming of Lucy Hatch.
Patricia Scanlan's Francesca's Party.
Suzanne Finnamore's Otherwise Engaged.
Christina Bartolomeo's Cupid and Diana.
India Knight's My Life on a Plate.
Jenny Colgan's Talking to Addison.
Blog Post
Beach Reads 2006 (#3)
by muffy
His Majesty's Dragon* by Naomi Novik. Alternate history set in the Napoleonic Wars, flying dragons and sea battles make for a fantastic read.
The Last Spymaster by Gayle Lynds. Young maverick CIA agent matches wit with a legendary spymaster. Complex and engrossing.
Looking for Mr. Goodfrog by Laurie Graff Searching for one's prince in the rather muddled urban dating pond. Deadly hilarious.
Love in the Present Tense by Catherine Ryan Hyde. An engaging encore from the author of Pay it Forward, on the many incarnation of love and the nature of family.
Make Him Look Good* by Alisa Valdes-Rodriguez. Six women and their relationships with one Latin heartthrob. Sexy fun.
The Penultimate Chance Saloon* by Simon Brett. Comedy of sexual manners for a mature single guy, with wit and compassion. For fans of Julie and Romeo and Philosophy Made Simple.
The Virgin of Small Plains* by Nancy Pickard. Love and deceit behind a 17-year-old unsolved murder in a small town. A stand-along from the award-winning author of the Jenny Cain and Marie Lightfoot series. A must for Cold Case fans.
The World to Come* by Dara Horn. Two siblings are tangled up with a stolen Chagall of suspect provenance, Jewish folklore and family history. Intelligent and imaginative.
* = Starred reviews
Blog Post
Beach Reads 2006 (#2)
by muffy
School’s out. Grab these and head out for some fun and a little sun. Remember to sign up for the Summer Reading program.
The Attack by Yasmina Khadra. A Tel Aviv surgeon’s life is turned upside down by his link to a suicide bomber. Intense and timely.
Eye Contact by Cammie McGovern. Autistic Adam is the only witness and the prime suspect in another child’s murder. A gripping literary thriller.
The Mangler of Malibu Canyon by Jennifer Colt. Second crime-solving romp by the sleuthing McAfee twins on their pink Harley – this time involving a headless corpse in Aunt Reba’s Malibu digs. Wildly entertaining.
The Piano Man by Marcia Preston. A grieving mother tries to save the talented musician who received her son's transplanted heart. Compelling and graceful.
Proven Guilty by Jim Butcher. Modern crime fantasy series set in Chicago where wizards battle black magic to protect the mortal population. A TV pilot is expected to air this summer.
Restoring Grace by Katie Fforde. A sparkling, breezy read about an old crumbling mansion, three women in need of a home, and finding much more in the end. (Her previous titles are just as delightful).
Revenge of the Kudzu Debutantes by Cathy Holton. Three Georgian beauties exact revenge from straying spouses with aplomb and style. The Ya Ya Sisterhood meets the First Wives Club!
Slipstream by Leslie Larson, Drama, romance, and misfortune entangle the desperate souls working at LAX. Rich and seriously frightening.
Blog Post
Lambda Literary Award Winners
by nosch
The 18th Annual Lambda Literary Award winners were announced today. Celebrate LGBT literature (or literature that happens to be LGBT) and be the first to get one of these titles - as I write, many of our copies are still on the shelves! Categories and titles for which AADL has holdings are:
Anthology Freedom in This Village: 25 Years of Black, Gay Men's Writing ed. E. Lynn Harris
Belles Lettres The Tricky Part by Martin Moran
Biography February House by Sherill Tippins
Gay Men's Debut Fiction You Are Not the One by Vestal McIntyre
Gay Men's Poetry Crush by Richard Siken
Humor Don't Get too Comfortable by David Rakoff
Lesbian Fiction Wild Dogs by Helen Humphreys
Lesbian Mystery Desert Blood: The Juarez Murders by Alicia Gaspar de Alba
Lesbian Poetry Directed by Desire: Collected Poems by June Jordan
Sci-Fi/Fantasy/Horror Daughters of an Emerald Dusk by Katherine V. Forrest
Blog Post
Fresh Air Picks from the week of May 29th, 2006
by nosch
Joseph R. Gannascoli, known until recently as mob captain Vito Spatafore on The Sopranos, has tried his hand at writing. Check out his new crime novel, A Meal to Die For, about a mobster and gourmet chef who has to prepare a feast for a boss who is about to be sent to jail. While you're at it, check out the first five seasons of The Sopranos on DVD: 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5. Listen to Gannascoli talk about his new book on Fresh Air here.
Jamaican singer Desmond Dekker died last week at the age of 64. Check out The Best of Desmond Dekker, or hear his 1969 hit "Israelites" on one of several compilations: Rhythm and Blues Beat (Volume 2, 1964-1969), Caribbean Playground, and The Best of and the Rest of: Greatest Original Reggae Hits. Rock historian Ed Ward remembers Dekker on Fresh Air - listen here.
David Douglas Duncan is best known for his war photography, but he was also a frequent photographer of Picasso. Check out Viva Picasso or Duncan's photographic autobiography Photo Nomad, which includes seven decades of photos. Hear an interview with Duncan from July 2, 1990 here.
Blog Post
Beach Reads 2006 (#1)
by muffy
They are delightfully fresh voices in fiction, for the most part still under the media radar. That also means no long waiting lists. Enjoy.
The Faithful Spy by Alex Berenson. A deep cover CIA agent in the al-Qaeda camp is sent home to unleash the most devastating post-9/11 terrorist attack. A heart-pounding debut thriller by a former New York Times reporter.
Last Bite by Nancy Barr. A debut culinary romance by veteran cookbook author and Julia Child’s executive chef. Delicious and dishy, and rumored to be slightly autobiographical.
London is the Best City in America by Laura Dave. Emmy accompanies her very confused brother, Josh on a pre-wedding road trip and comes to see herself clearly for the first time. An absorbing debut novel not to be missed.
The Lost Art of Keeping Secrets by Eva Rice. An impulsive taxi ride with a stranger in 1950s London indelibly changes Penelope Wallace's life. British Chick Lit. with substance.
Sun Storm by Asa Larsson. Winner of Sweden’s Best First Crime Novel Award. Attorney Rebecka Martinsson is drawn into a murder case and a dark, nostalgic trip home. An atmospheric and chilling procedural.
Triangle by Katharine Weber. The truth behind the 1911 Triangle Shirtwaist Factory fire that killed 146 and the secrets kept by feisty Esther Gottesfeld, the last remaining survivor. Another gem by the author of The Little Women.
Voodoo Heart by Scott Snyder. Dark and an absurdly funny collection of short stories by a fiercely original young writer, populated by odd and unforgettable characters that will steal your heart before you know it. A sure bet.
Blog Post
Fabulous Fiction Firsts # 25
by muffy
Historical mystery fans – here is a new reason to rejoice. Let’s see… exotic locale, opulent settings, a tough, savvy amateur sleuth, plenty of seduction, danger and intrigue, not to mention a few dead bodies. Could we ask for more?
Jason Goodwin, a noted historian turns to fiction for the first time with The Janissary Tree, a mystery set in the waning days of the Ottoman Empire. The sultan’s eunuch (Warning: DO NOT jump to conclusions here) Yashim Togalu suspects the involvement of the Janissaries’, an elite troop in a series of barbaric murders and jewel theft around Istanbul and the royal court.
This is the impressive debut of a projected series.