"The love of learning, the sequestered nooks,
And all the sweet serenity of books."
~Henry Wadsworth Longfellow
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mid-March 2010
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Greetings!
Greetings. Yeah, we're late to your InBox this month, and believe me, you don't want to hear the drudgery that has kept us from writing you. Well, it's a new day, and a pretty nice one at that. So onward!
Robin Allen Photography  |
In today's newsletter: the Book of the Month (with an amusing 2-minute video), eight new books we think you'll like, and a McSweeneys event to get you away from this computer and out of the house.
And because it's a little sleepy in here today, and because you are a loyal Green Apple customer who deserves it, a coupon is below: 30% off any one item (unless it's already discounted). Come see us and buy something for yourself or a loved one--it's gotta be somebody's birthday soon, right?
Oh, and our recently revamped web site is here, our blog is here, we Twitter here, and our eBooks are here (for Palm, EPub for IPhones, and Adobe).
Thanks for reading.
Sincerely,
Pete et al
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Revisit our Kids Section
Welcome to the New Kids Section  |
Well, the dust has mostly settled on our annual moves. We have expanded sections that have been selling well of late, like graphic novels and children's books. And while we still have some work to do, the new kids section on the mezzanine of the main store is way more browse-able, comfortable, and organized.
Please bring your little ones by to check it out, and by all means, tell us what they think.
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Book of the Month: Monsieur Pain
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Each month, we present a brand-new book about which we're so enthusiastic that we guarantee it 100%. Our third of 2010 is Roberto Bolano's Monsieur Pain. Here 's our pitch:
While everyone raves about 2666
and The Savage Detectives, most
people are missing the true
Bolano--the finished, polished, masterful Bolano. He has been
published in America by New Directions since 2003, all of them
masterfully translated by Chris Andrews (who has won two awards for his
translations of Bolano).
This book is a strange and funny novel of the
streets of Paris in 1938. Read Monsieur Pain and you will get a sense of what the
Chileans knew well before his American fame. --NPB
Are you curious about our process in choosing the Book of the Month? Need a smile on your face? Got two minutes? Enjoy our most recent video, and see why we're better at bookselling than acting.
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| Eight Interesting New Books
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The Tablehopper's Guide to Dining and Drinking in San Francisco by Marcia Gagliardi
Ready for a guide to eating and drinking in San Francisco that has personality? Oh, you are? I was asking rhetorically. Cool. Well, here it is. If you read Tablehopper, the weekly e-column about all things food and drink in SF, I need say nothing more. If you don't, check out her latest issue here. What differentiates this book from other food guides to SF are the lists, like her suggestions for Flying Solo, Old-School Power Lunch, Bromance, or Dude Food. Highly recommended and fits in your purse!
Chasing the White Dog by Max Watman
This book is a good ol' time! A heady mix of
history, personal narrative, how-to, road tripping, taste-testing,
legend-meeting and more.
It's a fun taste of moonshine
and the people around it, from the backwoods of Appalachia to the gritty nip joints of Philadelphia. Even for those with no interest in NASCAR. Fun, informative, and--dare I say--inspiring?
The Whale by Philip Hoare
A masterful work about the giants of the sea; Mr. Melville would have surely approved, and Green Apple does, too.
And so does Mark Kurlansky, author of Salt and Cod, ""Philip Hoare's THE WHALE is everything you want from a book. It is
unpredictable and amusing and informative and original, cavorting
between biology, history, travel writing, and memoir with an engaging
sense of the subject's charisma. And the book is even handsome."
The Lost Books of the Odyssey by Zachary Mason
Says Green Appler Martin, "I loved this book. It contains forty-four different variations on a classic. If you have ever enjoyed The Odyssey or Greek Mythology at all, I think you'll like this book. It's playful, smart, and somehow still a page-turner. I'm pretty sure Homer himself would have enjoyed it."
The Harvard Psychedelic Club by Don Lattin
READ about what a BS artist Timothy Leary really was!
LEARN just how sneaky and self-motivated that rat-fink Andrew Weil was!
GASP at all the sexy shenanigans ol' Ram Dass pulled off!
By an extraordinarily respected journalist, here's the truth about the death of the Fifties in America. Tune in, Turn on, Drop out, my ear!
The Big Short by Michael Lewis
OK, I'll admit that I haven't even read this yet (it just arrived Tuesday). But everything I've ever read by Michael Lewis has been great: Liar's Poker, Moneyball, and so on. And during the economic meltdown of 2008, I read anything he wrote on the topic (like this Vanity Fair article on Iceland). And I can just guarantee as an experienced reader and bookseller that this book will be clear, entertaining, character-driven and insightful. Pair an excellent journalist with a fascinating topic and you've got a great read.
Blackout by Connie Willis
Green Appler Martin says, "This book might have been subtitled 'The Time Traveler's Guide to World War II.' And this might be the best of Willis's time travel books, which is a bold statement indeed.
"Blackout follows three different history students from the future 'observing' Second World War London. However when they become stranded in time, history assumes a reality it hadn't before. A word of caution: Blackout is only part one of two, with All Clear to be published in October."
Where the God of Love Hangs Out by Amy Bloom
By all accounts, Amy Bloom is one of the best short story writers in America. Alas, most of America is loathe to buy short story collections. Well, America, or Green Apple loyalists, at least, loathe no more. Stop depriving yourself.
This book is a little more unified than some story collections, with two sets of linked stories (four to each set) and a few free-standing tales. It's sly and sensuous and passionate. The New York Times review is here, and if I have not yet convinced you to try this book, maybe that will.
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A McSweeney's Event
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James Hannaham and Jessica Anthony
Monday, March 29 at 7pm
Gre en Apple is pleased to welcome two debut novelists to our Side Room Series, both published by McSweeney's. Now it's notoriously hard to draw a crowd for first-time novelists,
but it's also your chance to be the first to say "I read that. I met
them." And the McSweeney's reputation precedes these two gifted
writers, so you'll come, right?
It's sure to be an interesting evening. For more information about their books, including some rave reviews, click here.
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Thanks for reading!
Sincerely,
Pete et al
Green Apple Books and Music
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Save 30% on any one item
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Print this out (or show it to us on your phone or PDA or whatever) and we'll give you 30% off any one item that we sell (unless it's already discounted): new books, used books, rare books, LPs, CDs, DVDs, cards, blank books, games, Green Apple shirts--whatever you want! Oh, it does not apply to gift cards--that wouldn't be in the spirit of the thing. See you soon!
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Offer Expires: March 31, 2010
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