Magers and Quinn Booksellers Newsletter #42

January 2010 - Vol 4, Issue 6

In This Issue
	New Books for the New Year January Events The Big Bang Book Club Diamonds in the Rough Books & Bars Goes Bi-Monthly for 2010

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For Further Reading...
	Book Blog of the Month: 10,000 Books The New York Times' "100 Notable Books of 2009" Bernd Heinrich Finds the Beauty in Winter Minneapolis Falls to #3 on the List of Most Literate Cities Friend M&Q on Facebook



Winter is no excuse for staying home. Let Magers & Quinn tempt you with fascinating new books, great author readings, and friendly book clubs. They're all in this month's newsletter. Read on.

New Books for the New Year

Here are just a few of the fine new books that will be available in January.

Food Rules: An Eater's Manual


In the store: $9.99 Online: $8.25 (plus S/H) Publisher's price: $11.00 Available Now

Michael Pollan, our nation's most trusted resource for food-related issues, offers this indispensable guide for anyone concerned about health and food. Simple, sensible, and easy to use, Food Rules is a set of memorable rules for eating wisely, many drawn from a variety of ethnic or cultural traditions. Whether at the supermarket or an all-you-can-eat-buffet, this handy, pocket-size resource is the perfect guide for anyone who would like to become more mindful of the food we eat.

Read the introduction here.

Committed: A Skeptic Makes Peace With Marriage


In the store: $23.99 Online: $20.21 (plus S/H) Publisher's price: $26.95 Available January 5

At the end of her bestselling memoir Eat, Pray, Love, Elizabeth Gilbert fell in love with Felipe, a Brazilian-born man of Australian citizenship who'd been living in Indonesia when they met. Resettling in America, the couple swore eternal fidelity to each other, but also swore to never, ever, under any circumstances get legally married. (Both were survivors of previous horrific divorces. Enough said.) But providence intervened one day in the form of the United States government, which--after unexpectedly detaining Felipe at an American border crossing--gave the couple a choice: they could either get married, or Felipe would never be allowed to enter the country again. Having been effectively sentenced to wed, Gilbert tackled her fears of marriage by delving into this topic completely, trying with all her might to discover through historical research, interviews, and much personal reflection what this stubbornly enduring old institution actually is. Told with Gilbert's trademark wit, intelligence and compassion, Committed attempts to "turn on all the lights" when it comes to matrimony, frankly examining questions of compatibility, infatuation, fidelity, family tradition, social expectations, divorce risks and humbling responsibilities. Gilbert's memoir is ultimately a clear-eyed celebration of love with all the complexity and consequence that real love, in the real world, actually entails.

Now in Paperback--Animals Make Us Human: Creating the Best Life for Animals


In the store: $14.35 Online: $11.96 (plus S/H) Publisher's price: $15.95 Available January 12

In her groundbreaking, best-selling book Animals in Translation, Temple Grandin drew on her own experience with autism as well as her experience as an animal scientist to deliver extraordinary insights into how animals think, act, and feel. Now she builds on those insights to show us how to give our animals the best and happiest life-- on their terms, not ours.

Knowing what causes animals physical pain is usually easy, but pinpointing emotional distress is much harder. Drawing on the latest research and her own work, Grandin identifies the core emotional needs of animals and then explains how to fulfill the specific needs of dogs and cats, horses, farm animals, zoo animals, and even wildlife. Grandin teaches us to challenge our assumptions about animal contentment and honor our bond with our fellow creatures.

Animals Make Us Human is the culmination of almost thirty years of research, experimentation, and experience. This is essential reading for anyone who's ever owned, cared for, or simply cared about an animal.

January Events

Thursday, January 7, 7:30pm--Alex Lemon discusses his new book Happy: A Memoir


In the store: $22.45 Online: $18.75 (plus S/H) Publisher's price: $25.00 Available Now

His freshman year at Macalester College, Alex Lemon was supposed to be the star catcher on the baseball team. He was the boy getting every girl, the hard-partying kid who everyone called Happy, often without even knowing his real name. In the spring of 1997, he had his first stroke.

For two years Lemon coped with his deteriorating health by sinking deeper into alcohol and drug abuse. His charming and carefree exterior masked his self-destructive and sometimes cruel behavior as he endured two more brain bleeds and a crippling depression. After undergoing brain surgery, he is nursed back to health by his free-spirited artist mother, who once again teaches him to stand on his own.

"Lemon is a brave, headlong writer, and he captures the life of the body with vivid and memorable intensity."--Mark Doty, author of Dog Years and Fire to Fire: New and Selected Poems

"If ever a book was written in blood, it is this one."--Nick Flynn, author of Another Bullshit Night in Suck City

Tuesday, January 19, 7:30pm--Ellen Sandbeck discusses Green Barbarians: Live Bravely on Your Home Planet. This event is co-sponsored by Twin Cities Green.


In the store: $13.45 Online: $11.21 (plus S/H) Publisher's price: $14.95 Available Now

Hatched during a simple family picnic, Green Barbarians urges a return to a more primitive, uncivilized, enjoyable way of life. With extensive research to support her convincing arguments, Ellen shows how many modern conveniences--even some that profess to be "green" or "organic"--are actually harmful to our health and our planet.

Ellen's common sense, no-holds-barred approach will appeal to anyone who feels confused or inundated by the contradictory information about organic and green products now dominating our marketplace. Green Barbarians shows that by mustering a bit of courage, and arming ourselves with information, we can live happier, safer, more ecologically and economically responsible lives.

This event is co-sponsored by Twin Cities Green (2405 Hennepin Ave S, Minneapolis; 612/374-4581). At TC Green, you'll find a diverse collection items--recycled, reclaimed, natural, organic, sustainable--for your home and life, all deeply researched to provide you with the best guilt-free green products at the most affordable prices. Visit the store at 2405 Hennepin Avenue S, Minneapolis, or shop online at www.twincitiesgreen.com.

Sunday, January 24, 5:00pm--Maaza Mengiste reads from her novel Beneath the Lion's Gaze.


In the store: $24.95 Online: $18.74 (plus S/H) Publisher's price: $24.95 Available January 11

This memorable heartbreaking story opens in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, 1974, on the eve of a revolution. Beneath the Lion's Gaze tells a gripping story of family, of the bonds of love and friendship set in a time and place that has rarely been explored in fiction before. It is a story about the lengths human beings will go in pursuit of freedom and the human price of a national revolution. Beneath the Lion's Gaze is emotionally gripping, poetic and indelibly tragic.

Read an excerpt at www.maazamengiste.com.

"Beneath the Lion's Gaze is an extraordinary novel, which assembles a dauntingly broad cast of characters and, through them, tells stories that nobody can want to hear, in such a way that we cannot stop listening."--Claire Messud, BookForum

Friday, January 29, 7:30pm--Four Twin Cities authors read from Interfictions 2


In the store: $14.35 Online: $12.00 (plus S/H) Publisher's price: $16.00 Available

Interfictions 2: An Anthology of Interstitial Writing is a genre-spanning collection of short stories from 21 authors from around the world. An amazing four of the authors are from Minneapolis, and they'll all be reading at Magers & Quinn Booksellers this month.

Alan DeNiro is the author of Skinnydipping in the Lake of the Dead and Total Oblivion, More or Less. He was shortlisted for the O. Henry Award and co-founded the Rabid Transit series of fiction anthologies. "Skinnydipping in the Lake of the Dead was always my favorite. I'm thrilled to see him in bookstores at last."--Jonathan Lethem

David Schwartz is the author of the Nebula-nominated novel Superpowers. "A thoughtful and convincing blend of magic and realism. I believed in these ordinary, recognizable college students with their extraordinary abilities."--Karen Joy Fowler, author of The Jane Austen Book Club

Kelly Barnhill has published several nonfiction books for kids, short fiction for adults in venues as diverse as Postscripts and The Sun, and a novel forthcoming in 2010 from Little, Brown. "Absolutely marvelous worldbuilding."--Aliette de Bodard, The Fix

William Alexander's short fiction has appeared in several anthologies and magazines both literary and gleefully genre. He teaches writing at the Minneapolis College of Art & Design. "Alexander has a unique and welcome voice."--Charles Tan, SF Signal

Join us for a fascinating evening of stories both real and imagined. It's sure to be a lively night for fans of speculative fiction and aspiring writers alike.

Sunday, January 31, 5:00pm--Amelia Klem Osterud reads from The Tattooed Lady: A History. This event is cosponsored by Live Fast Die Young Tattoos.


In the store: $23.99 Online: $20.75 (plus S/H) Publisher's price: $27.00 Available

Today, almost a quarter of Americans now have tattoos. Yet there was a time--not very long ago at all--when tattoos were not at all acceptable in mainstream society. To be tattooed was to be an outcast and a freak. Many women found freedom in their decorations, traveling the country, performing nearly nude on carnival stages, making a living as "The Tattooed Lady."

The first book of its kind, The Tattooed Lady: A History uncovers the true stories behind these tattooed women of the circus sideshow, bringing them out of the sideshow and examining their working-class lives. These gutsy women spun amazing tall tales about abductions and forced tattooing at the hands of savages, but shared little of their real lives, and though they spawned a cultural acceptance of tattooing that we still see today, they have largely faded into history. Combining thorough research with more than a hundred historical photos, this lushly illustrated social history reveals tattoo origins, women's history, and circus lore. The Tattooed Lady uncovers the remarkable women of the sideshow--many of whom were born and lived in the Midwest.

Amelia Klem Osterud is a tattooed academic librarian from Milwaukee, Wisconsin. She has a Masters in history from University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee and writes and lectures on the subject. The Tattooed Lady is her first book. Visit her blog at www.tattooedladyhistory.vox.com.

This event is cosponsored by Live Fast Die Young Tattoo (44 Lowry Ave NE, Minneapolis; 612/789-5339). Nestled in the Northeast Minneapolis arts district, you'll find LFDY, in the big green building on the corner of Grand and Lowry. Inside is a shop like none other--complete with free wireless internet for browsing images, an extensive art library, and talented artists capable of creating a kustom tattoo for you. In addition, be sure to check out our growing body jewelry selection. It's all wrapped up in a vintage tattoo, cult-movie and kustom culture decor, complete with a half a Cadillac and gas pump! Visit them online at www.livefastdieyoungtattoos.com .

To keep up with all the latest news on readings at Magers & Quinn, just visit the events page on our website.

The Big Bang Book Club

The Big Bang Book Club is a science book club for non-scientists. Our next meeting will be 7:00pm, Thursday, January 28, at Hennepin Avenue United Methodist Church, 511 Groveland Avenue (at Lyndale), in Minneapolis.


In the store: $13.45 Online: $11.21 (plus S/H) Publisher's price: $14.95 Available Now

This month, The Big Bang Book club is meeting in conjunction with the Science & Religion Roundtable. Their motto is "You don't have to be a person of faith to participate in the Roundtable, just have an interest in the relationship between religion and science." We'll meet at Hennepin Avenue United Methodist Church, 511 Groveland Avenue (at Lyndale), in Minneapolis, at 7:00pm on Thursday, January 28.

We'll be discussing Why God Won't Go Away: Brain Science and the Biology of Belief by Andrew Newberg. The book explores the complex relationship between spirituality and the brain.This fascinating, eye-opening book examines both the miracle and the biology of our enduring relationship with God.

The Big Bang Book Club mixes arts and science into a heady brew. It is sponsored by

Magers & Quinn Booksellers
the Center for Science, Technology, and Public Policy, which works to engage the public on science or technology issues to deliver the knowledge, experience and alliances of Humphrey Institute experts
Secrets of the City--the daily digest of Twin Cities culture
Grumpy's Downtown

Diamonds in the Rough

Bargain hunters, take note. Magers & Quinn has a super special cart of beautiful books on the sidewalk in front of the store. They're all priced to move at only $4.99 each. Check them out while they last.

Books & Bars Goes Bi-Monthly for 2010

To accommodate the ever-growing crowds clamoring for their regular dose of beer, books, and conversation, Books & Bars is expanding. The Twin Cities' best book club is now twice as good. Plow through the winter doldrums with a double dose of fiction. We're reading two great novels each and every month. Join us on the second and fourth Tuesdays at Bryant-Lake Bowl. Doors open at 6:00pm. The discussion starts at 7:00pm. Visit www,booksandbars.com for more details and to start talking to fellow book club members today. Jan 12�-The Road by Cormac McCarthy Jan 26-The History of Love by Nicole Krauss Feb 9�-Ender's Game by Orson Scott Card Feb 23-Ray of the Star by Laird Hunt Mar 9-The White Tiger by Aravind Adiga Mar 23-City of Thieves by David Benioff Books & Bars is not your typical book club. We provide a unique atmosphere for a lively discussion of interesting authors, fun people, good food and drinks. You're welcome even if you haven't read the book. Visit booksandbars.com for details and to talk to fellow members!

Magers & Quinn is the largest independent bookstore in the Twin Cities. Stop in today or check our inventory on our website any time.

We'll be back next month with more great book news.

Until then,

David Enyeart

Magers and Quinn Booksellers

Write us: info@magersandquinn.com

Call us: 612/822-4611

Or visit our website: http://www.magersandquinn.com