color logo
May 2014

'Off The Shelf' New in Paperback Newsletter
Bookshelf Stores, Inc.
 Westgate Shopping Center
 3 doors down from Wild Cherries
 
Celebrating the power of the written word and the pleasures of reading since 1992
 
In This Issue
Indie Bound
See our archived newsletters and more on our Website 

Bookshelf Stores, Inc. 

   

 

NTBA Mainstreet 

For Goodness sake 

Think Local First 

IndieBound 

Missed a newsletter? Click Here! 

 

Find us on Facebook 

Join Our Mailing List


Visit our Store

Bookshelf

 

11429 Donner Pass Rd. #2

Westgate Shopping Center

Truckee

800-959-5083

530-582-0515

 

We are now located 3 doors down from  Wild Cherries coffee shop. Come see our new spot!
 






 

 


 

 

Dear Book Lover, 
   We thought you might enjoy a list of what we are recommending in paperback, some of which we loved in hardcover and some are paperback originals.  And of course, there are always new staff picks in the store, as it takes some time to get the e-newsletters out.  Just this week, The Circle, by Dave Eggers, and another one of my staff picks, Inferno, by Dan Brown arrived in paperback. 

Also, we are doing our ARC (advance reader copy) giveaways for frequent buyers.  As we are not renewing cards, you can get a free ARC when you spend $25.00,  or $15.00 in the children's department.  Or you can make a donation to get an ARC.  Help us find a new home for all these ARCs. 
  
Adult Fiction Paperback Readers
 
Above All Things
by Tanis Rideout 
Mt. Everest claimed George Mallory, but the mystery of how his life was taken still follows to this day. This historical fiction novel pieces together the story of Mallory's obsession with reaching the world's highest peak while his wife and three children await his return. A moving love story and a tragic adventure.  I also recommend The Path of Glory (historical fiction) by Jeffrey Archer and Into the Silence (a wonderful non-fiction account) by Ward Davis -- both now in paperback.  (Berkley, $16.00)  Reviewed by Carol 

Ember Island

by Kimberly Freeman

A story that spans a century in time and the tale of two women: Tilly Kirkland in 1891 and Nina Jones in 2012. Though they are separated by years, they both have buried secrets. Tilly ends a trapped marriage and runs away to Ember Island in Australia to become the governess to the prison superintendent's daughter, Nell. In order to start her new life she must keep her past hidden; but unknowingly, Nell watches Tilly and writes her observations in a journal and then hides the pages in nooks all over the manor house.  More than 100 years later, Nina, a bestselling novelist facing writer's block, is struggling to finish her next book and meet her publisher's deadline. As a reporter begins digging into her past to find secrets she is trying to hide, Nina retreats to Starwater House, the recently storm-battered island home of her great-grandmother, hoping for the solitude needed to finish her book. There she discovers the lost diary pages Nell has hidden. Will this give Nina the spark of inspiration she needs for her new novel? Freeman weaves the stories of Tilly and Nina together in a moving tale about chances to make a fresh start in life. A beautifully written novel by the author of Wildflower Hill about secrets, second chances, and learning to trust your heart. Highly recommended for book clubs. (Touchstone, $16.00)  Reviewed by Carol



The Fever Tree
by Jennifer McVeigh
Following the death of her father, 19 year-old Frances Irvine finds herself removed from her sheltered Victorian London home and forced to emigrate to South Africa and make a new life as the bride of a relative stranger.  Naive during her young years, she encounters the hostile beauty of late 19th century South Africa.  Although her journey is both romantic and tragic, it becomes one of courage and self-discovery for Frances.  One of my favorite recent novels which I highly recommend for book clubs.  (Berkley, $16.00)  Reviewed by Carol

Gods of Guilt

by Michael Connelly

Lincoln Lawyer Mickey Haller is back in a fast moving thriller for suspense fans. Mickey is asked to present the defense in a murder case in which the victim was his former client. A prostitute he once represented, thinking he had put her on the path to a better life, has been murdered. Haller has been hired to prove the innocence of the defendant. As he faces the "gods of guilt", the twelve jurors who will deliver the verdict, Haller finds himself battling more than the prosecution: double-dealing and undercover cover-up. Connelly is at his best as he keeps the reader on the edge in building this courtroom suspense. (Little, Brown and Company, $15.00)  Reviewed by Carol

 

The Golem and the Jinni
by Helene Wecker
Open the cover of this magical tale and you will be enchanted by two fabled creatures that find what it means to become human-like beings.  Cheva and Ahmad meet by chance after arriving in New York in 1899 while trying to fit into their Jewish and Syrian neighborhoods while hiding their true nature.  What does the future hold for these fabled two?  Are they powerless, only to remain in servitude?  Or will they be destroyed by their creators?  Enjoy this escape into a unique adventure, a story entwined with folk mythology, historical fiction, and an abundance of magical fable.  (Harper Perennial, $15.99)  Reviewed by Carol

King and Maxwell

by David Baldacci

Former Secret Service agents Sean King and Michelle Maxwell have now turned to private investigating.  Tyler Wingo, the teenage son of a soldier serving in Afghanistan, has learned his father has been killed in action. But when Tyler receives a letter from his father after his supposed death, he hires Sean and Michelle to investigate the mysterious events surrounding his father. Could he still be alive and could his son become the next target? Sean and Michelle discover they're onto something bigger and more dangerous. As they hunt for the truth which leads them to the highest levels of power in the government, they find secrets that may cost them their lives. Suspense fans won't want to miss this. (Grand Central Publishing, $16.00) Reviewed by Carol


Mary Coin
by Marisa Silver
This is the story of a famous photograph and the two women behind that photograph:  the photographer and a forgotten migrant laborer who meet by chance.  1936, in the midst of the Great Depression, Mary Coin sits by a central California farm field with her seven children while pitching a tent. Vera Dar stops, hoping to take a picture documenting laborers in search of work.  Although Mary and Vera never meet again, the photograpph became the image picturing farm conditions for the government in order to help improve poor working conditions.  Silver's compelling novel is an honest reinvention of a true story not to be missed.  (Plume Books, $16.00)  Reviewed by Carol

Mrs. Poe

by Lynn Cullen

This exceptional historical novel gives an electrifying look at this literary genius who wrote some of the best classical fiction of the 19th century. Francis Osgood, a struggling poet and the abandoned wife of a portrait painter who is trying to support herself and her two young daughters, meets the mysterious Mr. Poe in 1845 and seeks his help to advance her career.  The friendship between the two soon evolves into a flirtation that moves on to seduction and finally an illicit affair. Poe's child-wife Virginia wishes to befriend Francis but the relationship between the two becomes full of twists and turns. Cullen's story is based on the author's life and writings and weaves in a vivid description of NYC and the many historical figures of that era. An amazing novel I highly recommend.  (Gallery Books, $16.00)  Reviewed by Carol


The Midnight Rose

by Lucinda Riley

A multilayered story-within-a-story set in India and England spanning four generations --from glittering palaces of the great maharajas to the majestic homes of the aristocratic English. 11 year-old Anahita Chavan forms a bond of friendship with Princess Indir which takes her to England prior to the outbreak of World War I where she meets young Donald Astbury, heir to a remote magnificent estate. Ninety years later, a young American actress, Rebecca Bradley, arrives at Astbury Hall to play a leading role as a 1920s debutante in a film set on the now-crumbling estate. Rebecca's real world is thrown into the path of Ari Malik, Anahita's great-grandson, who is on a quest for answers to his family's past. Rebecca and Ari begin to unravel dark secrets surrounding the Astbury dynasty in a heartbreaking tale with captivating characters caught up in the sweep of history. A compelling romantic novel by the author of The Orchid House and The Lavender Garden.  Highly recommended.  (Atria, $16.00)  Reviewed by Carol


Once We Were Brothers

by Ronald Balson

83 year-old Ben Solomon, a Polish-Jew survivor of the Holocust and now living in Chicago, is arrested for assault on Elliot Rosenzweig, a wealthy philanthropist.   Solomon claims Rosenzweig is actually Otto Piatek, a former Nazi SS officer who was raised as his "brother" in the Solomon home after being abandoned by his Christian German family in 1933.  After his release from jail Ben approaches Catherine Lockhart, a business firm lawyer whose expertise is not criminal law, and Liam Taggart, a private investigator. As Ben tells his story of the Nazi takeover of his Polish homeland and Otto's change of loyalty toward the Solomon family, Catherine risks her position to side with Ben's determination to discredit Rosenzweig's position as a "Chicago treasure". While Rosenzweig tries everything within his wealthy power to stop Ben, Catherine and Liam pull out all the stops to uncover the truth. The author brings his readers a new look at an old story in this passionate presentation that will stay with you long after you turn the last page. Recommended for book clubs. (St. Martin's Griffin, $15.99)  Reviewed by Carol


The Painted Girls
by Cathy Marie Buchanan
It's 1878 in Paris and the three van Goethem sisters have had their lives upended by the death of their father. Left with their mother, a laundress who spends her small wages disappearing into a drunken haze, the sisters have few options other than work.  Maria begins training as a ballerina, but soon finds herself modeling for Edgar Degas, becoming the iconic figure for the artist's statue Little Dancer Aged Fourteen.  The author weaves historical characters into a moving, yet unsentimental portrait of family love and sister rivalry.  Part mystery, part love story, this tale brings the reader compelling characters from the backstage of Paris opera to the art of Degas' studio.  Book clubs will find this a notable reading choice.  (Berkley, $16.00)  Reviewed by Carol

Songs of Willow Frost

by Jamie Ford

Seattle is the backdrop of this moving novel set in 1934 during the Great Depression, reflecting back into the lives of several major characters during the 1920s. 12 year-old William Eng, a Chinese American, has made his home at the Sacred Heart Orphanage for the past five years when an unexpected event sets him on a search for his mother.  What will he find? Happiness or sorrow?  Readers are taken on an emotional journey to discover the longing one has for the comforts of family and home and the price paid for past secrets. This beautiful story is among my top recommendations. (Ballantine, $15.00) Reviewed by Carol


Stoker's Manuscript

by Royce Prouty

A mysterious buyer hires Joseph Barkeley to authenticate a draft of Bram Stoker's Dracula as being original.  Joseph has a "gift": without chemical testing he can determine the authenticity and age of a document. But when he gets this well-paying commission, he travels to Translyvania to deliver the manuscript to the legendary Bram Castle. Barkeley, himself a Romanian orphan, learns that his employer is the son of the infamous Vlad Dracula and finds himself imprisioned in the castle. In order to escape he realizes he must decipher messages hidden in Stoker's manuscript. Barkeley delves into the history of Dracula, which brings up his own lineage as he discovers that his selection for this job was based on more than his talent. This supernatural thriller takes the reader into unique vampire mythology. A fast moving plot which starts with a terrifying life journey and, although filled with tension and horror, it will appeal to fans of Draculan lore. (Berkley, $15.00)  Reviewed by Carol


This House is Haunted 
by John Boyne
Boyne keeps springing surprises at a terrific pace for readers in this Dickensian-like gothic tale.  In 1967, 21 year-old Eliza Caine is orphaned when her father dies and she gives up her job as a teacher in London and answers an ad for a position as a governess at an estate in Norfolk.  When Eliza arrives she finds no parents, only secrets and mysteries, and no one giving her information about why the children, Isabella and Eustace, have been left abandoned.  Eliza is determined to find the truth as she escapes attacks from unusual incidents and ghostly presences that haunt the house.  Will she solve the puzzle and will she and the children be put in a situation that only grows worse?  This is a delightful, but shivery adventure that gathers momentum until the last page that ends with one word, sending a cold finger down your spine. A good old-fashioned ghost story.  (Other Press, $14.95)  Reviewed by Carol 

 
Paperback Non-Fiction

12 Years a Slave
by Soloman Northrup

This is a must read -- an incredible memoir of a freeborn black man living in New York and lured to Washington, D.C. in 1841 on the pretense of earning fast money. But Northrup is drugged, beaten, and sold into slavery where he is transferred to Louisiana, spending the next 12 years of his life on various plantations until he is rescued in 1853 and returned to his family in the North. Northrup's account of his life as property of slave owners, terrorizing black people with physical and psychological violence is a blood-chilling story. His complex narrative does not stereotype slave masters: some brutes, others kind and noble. Northrup depicts his fellow slaves equally: some sensible and generous, others shallow, deceitful and selfish. A courageous story of a black man whose life was ripped from him and who fought to get it back. (Penguin Books, $16.00)  Reviewed by Carol  

 

Gift Cards/Certificates and IndieBound

gift card

 Gift cards are always a welcome gift for a reader, who can then choose exactly what they want.  Our booksellers are always ready with a great book suggestion for adults and children. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

IndieBound is about supporting Independent bookstores and other businesses, and celebrating what makes them unique. It's about reaching out, it's about raising awareness, and it's about taking pride in your community.

 

 


Deborah Lane
Bookshelf Stores Inc