Click here for our events calendar and preview upcoming events through August.
Click here for more complete descriptions and to buy signed copies online.
Members always save 20% on event books. Click here to register!
(There are no weekend events scheduled during the month of August.)

 

We have some interesting events this week. First, Charles Peters, the founder and former editor-in-chief of The Washington Monthly, will be here on Friday, July 30 to present his contribution to Times Books American Presidents series, a biography of LYNDON B. JOHNSON(Henry Holt/Times Books, $23). While Peters acknowledges many flaws in Johnson’s character, he argues that Johnson’s political skills produced huge domestic legislative achievements and compensated for his failings. A fascinating contribution from a witness to the making of history in Washington.

On Monday, August 2, Sonia Shah (The Body Hunters: Testing New Drugs on the World's Poorest Patients, Crude: The Story of Oil, and Dragon Ladies) will share her latest book, THE FEVER: How Malaria Has Ruled Humankind for 500,000 Years(Farrar, Straus, and Giroux, $26), which is based on five years of original reportage in countries including Cameroon, Malawi, and Panama. As before,she is garnering critical acclaim for her socially conscious investigative reporting and her historical, scientific, economic, political, and social analysis. A brilliant thinker and writer, she turns her attention to the historical impact of malaria and how this disease affects contemporary public health policy and international economic development. Click here to listen to Terry Gross's interview with Sonia Shah on Fresh Air to get a preview of this book talk.

As for Kevin Canty, we turn the words over to one of our booksellers, Laurie Greer.

EVERYTHING (Nan A. Talese, $25.95)
By Kevin Canty
Canty’s seventh work of fiction is a quiet novel of quiet lives played out in the rugged Montana hill country. Quiet but not uneventful, the narrative is a series of changing and multi-faceted portraits of RL, fisherman, guide, and tackle-store proprietor; his daughter Layla, his employee Edgar, and assorted old friends. These characters’ shifting views, rather than shifts of plot, drive the story; as the group variously experiences loneliness and connection, comes to grips with illness, greets new babies, and faces loss yet again, they keep revising their understanding of each other and themselves. In Canty’s understated, crystalline prose, the sharp edges of emotion catch the light and illuminate a truth that Edgar, an artist, describes as being in “the face, where the inner person, the stranger, unknowable, surfaces a little into the world. It was all there, you just had to know how to look.” - Laurie Greer

Kevin Canty will present his book on Tuesday, August 3 at 7 p.m. Please join us!

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These titles were store favorites when they were in hardcover. Click FICTION or NON-FICTION to browse a more complete selection of recent paperback releases.

Margaret Atwood’s visionary THE YEAR OF THE FLOOD (Anchor, $15) continues where Oryx and Crake left off. The long-awaited "flood" - actually a plague - has destroyed most human life on the planet, but two women remain: Toby and Ren. Having once lived together in the religious organization God’s Gardeners, devoted to the preservation of the natural world, now the two women lead completely different lives. Each has survived in her own way, and their memories reveal the painful events which brought them to their present situation. Atwood perfectly creates a dystopic future world, where gene-splicing, corporate power, cosmetic perfection, and class disparities have spiraled out of control. - Adam Waterreus

THE LACUNA (Harper Perennial, $16.99) is Barbara Kingsolver's first novel in nine years, and it boasts her courageous—but always literary—concern for injustice and cultural difference. Born into a confused heritage—his father absent, his mother Mexican—Harrison Shepherd is a fictional diarist who reflects on the crowds, caprices, and injustices of 20th-century North America. Harrison’s experiences encapsulate those of both countries. Through his eyes we witness the Bonus Army riots, the murals of Diego Rivera, Trotsky’s assassination, World War II metal drives, and the McCarthy trials. Lively renderings of Frida Kahlo, Trotsky, and even Richard Nixon combine with documentary support from Times articles (authentic and fabricated) and a heartbreaking concern for the fate of truth in the infancy of the media age. This is the rare sort of novel - totally absorbing in its fictional world and profoundly engaging in its historical realities. - Lila Stiff

Jon Krakauer has the skillful writer's ability to weave together two stories - of Afghanistan and a pro football player - into one fasci­nating account. WHERE MEN WIN GLORY: The Odyssey of Pat Tillman (Anchor, $15.95) tells how these tales tragically met in a small canyon near the Pakistan border when Pat Tillman was killed by friendly fire from his own platoon. Krakauer discusses the subsequent military cover-up and how Tillman’s family forced the truth to be told. Krakauer's reportage includes hun­dreds of interviews, on-the-ground research in Afghanistan, and excerpts from Tillman’s journals and letters. Through it all shines the story of a thoughtful, dedicated, and exceptional young man, driven by his moral compass, and the effect his brief life had on so many. - Bill Leggett

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Click here to browse more of our 2010 Summer Reading Recommendations. All the books in the Politics & Prose 2010 Summer Newsletter are 20% off to members through Labor Day.

 

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THE REMBRANDT AFFAIR
signed by Daniel Silva
First editions, first printings.
(Putnam, $26.95)
Hardcover - July 2010

Click here to see more of our signed books.

 

 

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On Wednesday, August 11, 7 p.m., Politics & Prose will host country musician Rosanne Cash for the release of her new memoir, COMPOSED (Viking, $26.95), at the Sixth & I Historic Synagogue. Tickets may be purchased for $10 or receive two free admission tickets when you buy the book from Politics& Prose. Click here to reserve your book and tickets now!

On Thursday, September 23, 3-4:30 p.m., best-selling teen author Suzanne Collins will be signing MOCKINGJAY (Scholastic, $17.99) at Politics & Prose. We are excited about hosting Suzanne Collins and look forward to having you join us. This is a ticketed event. One free ticket will be distributed when any book from THE HUNGER GAMES trilogy is purchased from Politics & Prose. Each participant must have a Politics & Prose event ticket and may have ONE book signed.

The publisher, Scholastic, stipulates that because Suzanne Collins suffers from hand strain, she will be “signing” books with a special stamp custom made for Mockingjay events.
- Ms. Collins will sign ONE book per person.
- Ms. Collins will not personalize books.
- Fans must be present in line to get a book signed. Ms. Collins will not sign books left at the store.

- Please note that this event is a book-signing only.

Click here to pre-order your copy of Mockingjay and to read more information about this book-signing event!

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Please note: You may click the links below to enroll in any of these classes online. However, selecting "Pay at Store" will NOT reserve your registration. Please submit a credit card payment to complete your enrollment or call the store at 202-364-1919 to register by telephone.

Saturday, September 18, 10 - 12 a.m.
JOURNAL KEEPING: Create Your Own Inspiration, One Day at a Time
with Phyllis Theroux

Many people start journals only to stop. There is an art to journal-keeping that is as easy as reaching up and screwing in a light bulb above your head. Imagine, years from now, that you or someone else opens up your journal and is inspired, because of what you have written down.  Join Phyllis Theroux, author of the memoir, The Journal Keeper (Atlantic Monthly, $24), for this practical seminar.  Cost: $40.  Space is limited. Reservations required. Click here to enroll online.

 

 

Wednesdays, September 22 – October 27
THREE NOVELS BY F. SCOTT FITZGERALD :
   This Side of Paradise, The Great Gatsby, Tender is the Night
with Jackson R. Bryer, Professor Emeritus of English at the University of Maryland

This course will study Fitzgerald’s three best completed novels, in chronological order. The emphases in class will be on discussion of the common themes and characters they share, the development shown by Fitzgerald through his career, his fiction as a reflection of the times in which he wrote, and the fictional techniques utilized in each novel and how - from novel to novel - they were both similar and varied.

$100 for non-members, $80 for members.
Class meets for 6 consecutive Wednesdays beginning, September 22 – October 27, 1-2:30 p.m., with the exception of October 13 when the class will meet from 3-4:30

Click here for more information and to enroll in the class.

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P&P Members always save 20% on our top twelve FICTION and NON-FICTION hardcover bestsellers. To purchase these books, click the titles.

FICTION

NONFICTION

1. Hamlet's BlackBerry: A Practical Philosophy for Building a Good Life in the Digital Age, by William Powers (HarperCollins, $24.99)
2. Masters of the Game: Inside the World's Most Powerful Law Firm, by Kim Eisler (Thomas Dunne, $26.99)
3. Spoken from the Heart, by Laura Bush (Scribner, $30)
4. Fur, Fortune, and Empire: The Epic History of the Fur Trade in America, by Eric Jay Dolin (W. W. Norton, $29.95)
5. Morning Miracle: Inside the Washington Post A Great Newspaper Fights for Its Life, by Dave Kindred (Doubleday, $26.95)
6. The Big Short: Inside the Doomsday Machine, by Michael Lewis (W. W. Norton, $27.95)
7. Operation Mincemeat: How a Dead Man and a Bizarre Plan Fooled the Nazis and Assured an Allied Victory, by Ben Macintyre (Harmony, $25.99)
8. Lyndon B. Johnson: The American Presidents Series: The 36th President, 1963-1969, by Charles Peters (Times, $23)
9. War, by Sebastian Junger (Twelve, $26.99)
10. Game Change: Obama and the Clintons, McCain and Palin, and the Race of a Lifetime, by John Heilemann and Mark Halperin (HarperCollins, $27.99)
11. The Ninth: Beethoven and the World in 1824, by Harvey Sachs (Random House, $26)
12. Medium Raw: A Bloody Valentine to the World of Food and the People Who Cook, by Anthony Bourdain (Ecco, $26.99)

 

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If you can't attend a talk, but would like to reserve a signed copy or a recorded author talk,
click the title links to purchase online. P&P members save 20% on these author event titles.

 

Thursday July 29

Dave Kindred - Morning Miracle: Inside The Washington Post
7 p.m. The digital age has put newspapers under tremendous stress; are they doomed to fade, or do they offer something that’s still essential? Kindred, a veteran Washington Post journalist who has been in the business for some 40 years, gives a detailed, heart-felt look at the venerable publication.

Friday July 30

Charles Peters - Lyndon B. Johnson
7 p.m. This latest entry in the American Presidents Series is a balanced account of the 36th Chief Executive. Peters, the founder and former editor of The Washington Monthly, acknowledges the many flaws of Johnson’s character, but he argues that Johnson’s political skills, which produced huge domestic legislative achievements, compensated for his failings.

Monday, August 2

Sonia Shah - The Fever: How Malaria Has Ruled Humankind for 500,000 Years
7 p.m. Malaria kills a million people annually and debilitates another 300 million. The disease has been with us throughout human history, and has played a part in the fall of armies and empires. Shah’s story of the mosquito-borne Plasmodium parasite weaves together science, history, and economics, showing how we have both combated and accommodated the illness.

Tuesday, August 3

Kevin Canty - Everything
7 p.m. Set in Montana, Canty’s seventh work of fiction is as ruggedly beautiful and tough as its backcountry landscape. Two stories in one, the novel follows RL and June as June marks the 11th anniversary of her husband’s death and RL prepares to help a close friend undergo treatment for cancer. RL’s daughter, meanwhile, is embarking on an affair with a married older man. Themes of loss and connection bring the characters to life.

Wednesday, August 4

Jamie Ford - Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet

7 p.m. Ford’s first novel alternates between the 1940s and 1986 in Seattle, recounting Henry Lee’s wartime adolescence and affection for a Japanese girl, and his later loss of his wife to cancer. Lee’s first love, already complicated by the war, encountered further difficulties with Lee’s  Chinese father’s hatred for the Japanese, and these public and private tensions spiral through Lee’s later life.

Thursday, August 5

Andrew Bacevich - Washington Rules: America's Path to Permanent War

7 p.m. In his new critique of American foreign policy, the author of The Limits to Power argues that the United States continues to operate according to a consensus of power, formed 50 years ago, that relies on our armed presence in every region of the world. As American influence falters, and with a new administration in charge, now is the time to rethink our assumptions and priorities.

To see the complete schedule and to purchase any of the above books, click here.

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CHILDREN'S BOOK OF THE WEEK

(20% off through 08/04/2010)
A sweet little girl in a red pattern dress and red shoes gets tangled up in yarn that has been unspooled by a variety of felines with large personalities. While picturing life with each type of cat, she declares, “I DON'T WANT A COOL CAT” (Little, Brown, $15.99), a prize cat, or a howly, yowly, scowly cat. All she wants is what every cat-loving girl, little or big, wants: a curl-up-in-my-lap cat, lovingly depicted by Emma Dodd with big green eyes and soft silver fur. Ages 2-6 Dara La Porte

 

 

Don't forget to pick up a copy of our 2010 Summer Favorites from our Children's Department or click here to shop for them online.

While these titles are not discounted as the adult recommendations are, remember that we offer 10% discounts on all school reading list books. Bring your summer reading lists into Politics & Prose and we'll help you meet your requirements for the fall!

Read about - and buy - more of our favorite books for children by clicking here. 

 

 

Sale on puzzles in the Children and Teens' Department

All children's puzzles are 20% off for members through Saturday, July 31. 
The perfect way to spend a vacation evening or to play during a long plane or car trip!

REVIEWS BY KIDS, FOR KIDS!
Share your favorite books with us and each other this summer!

Readers entering grades K-6 can click here to download a book log for recording your reading progress. Read a book, write down the title, the author, and your rating (on a scale of 1-5, 5***** = BEST), and you can keep track of your reading accomplishments throughout the summer! You can also submit your reviews on the attached sheet to the Children and Teens' Department.

The second page in the book log is a form for writing reviews. If you write a review and submit it to the Children and Teens' Department, we will post a couple of reviews each week on our web site! Let us know what you are reading and we will share it with your friends at Politics & Prose!

 

JUST FOR OLDER TEENS

Check out our PG-15 section online! "Like" us on Facebook (Politics and Prose Teens), follow us on Twitter (@PnPteens), and read the teen book blog. We'll keep you up-to-date with news about events, new books, and reviews from our staff and from you! Just send reviews, written by you, of your favorite books to Dana at dchidiac@politics-prose.com. We will post at least one new review each week.

Story time takes a break during the summer.

We will resume after Labor Day on Monday, September 13 at 10:30 a.m.

For upcoming events and more from the Children and Teens' Department, click here.

 

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VIJAY IYER’S SOLO

Pianist Vijay Iyer’s trio album from last year, Historicity, was the consensus jazz album of the year. He mixed originals with exciting covers of songs from Leonard Bernstein, Andrew Hill, M.I.A., Julius Hemphill, and Stevie Wonder. Vijay’s new CD, SOLO (ACT, $16.99), takes the same approach: songs by Duke Ellington, Steve Coleman, and Thelonious Monk; standards old (“Darn That Dream”) and new (“Human Nature”); and the rest, originals. In this season of great jazz piano albums, you must check out Mr. Iyer.

SUMMER SOUNDS OF BEST COAST

Bethany Cosentino writes catchy, boy-crazed tunes drenched in big reverb that are perfect summer listening. Her group, Best Coast, has a fun new album, CRAZY FOR YOU (Mexican Summer, $12.98) that was reviewed in the Washington Post. She was also interviewed last Sunday on NPR.

Click here for more reviews and news. Please call us at 202-364-1919 to order these CDs.

• András Goldinger