HUT'S PLACE

Hut's Place

Weekly Words about Books

AUGUST 4, 2013

Two Favorites Now on Bookstore Shelves In Paperback

GHOSTMAN by Roger Hobbs. When I read Ghostman last Fall, I thought it was the best debut novel I'd read in a while, the best crime thriller I'd read in at least at year, and one of my top three favorite books of the year, period. Well, the good news is that Ghostman is now out in paperback, and lovers of the genre should run not walk to your independent bookstore for a copy. ghost

The author, Roger Hobbs, graduated from Reed College in 2011, but Ghostman has an assuredness that belies his age and writing experience. The slew of glowing reviews were further testament to his skill, and his lead character, Jack, has been given a life that's a natural for further adventures if young Hobbs has them in him.

Here's what I wrote in Hut's Place several months ago:

Ghostman has one of the most interesting lead characters I've come across in a while. The name he uses is Jack, but he tells us that's not his real name, and he's a self-admitted armed robber, but that's not his real game. He's a guy who fixes things that go wrong (in this case, an armored truck robbery gone bad) by making them disappear. Jack agrees to sort out the botched hold-up for Marcus, a criminal he hates but to whom he owes a favor, and the book moves back and forth between Jack's investigation and flashbacks to the planning and execution of a spectacular bank robbery that was the cause of Jack's debt to Marcus. I'm not going to go into more detail, but if you're intrigued by now, I'm confident you will find this a terrific page-turner.

ME BEFORE YOU by Jojo Moyes. A bestselling novelist in England, where she lives, Moyes is fast being introduced to American audiences as well. Me Before You got noticed in hardback, and is drawing more attention now that it's in paperback and indie booksellers are talking it up. On top of that, her newest novel, Girl You Left Behind, is getting a big marketing push from her publisher this Fall.

Me Before You is a heart-tugging romance about two totally mismatched people - Louisa Clark, an ordinary girl from a small village and Will Traynor, a globetrotting, daredevil businessman - who are drawn together when Louisa is hired to care for Will after a motorcycle accident leaves him paralyzed and wheelchair bound. The moody, often unbearable patient proves to be a challenge for the small-town Louisa, but her compassion and humor eventually win him over. But is it enough to change his mind about wanting to end his life?

You'll need tissues to be sure, but this is more than just a manipulative tear-jerker as Moyes effectively also tackles ethical issues around disability. I suspect she is on her way to building a solid following.

New Indie Next List Features Insider Title at Top of the List

This month's top pick on the Indie Next list - favorite new books recommended by independent booksellers - probably had a leg up on the competition since it's about book publishing. Actually, it's a history of one specific hothouse publisher - Farrar, Straus & Giroux - whose reputation in the book world is legion.But don't worry - this isn't just for book industry types. It's a fascinating, behind-the-scenes look at what some consider the most influential publishing house of the modern era. And while FSG, as it's known, published the likes of Tom Wolfe, Philip Roth, Susan Sontag, T.S. Eliot, and Joan Didion, it's no ivory tower and there are plenty of egos to go around.

Here's the Indie Next bookseller review for August's #1 Indie Next book:

Hothouse: The Art of Survival and the Survival of Art at America's Most Celebrated Publishing House, Farrar, Straus & Giroux, by Boris Kachka

"Roger Straus, editor and publisher at FSG, was loved, loathed, feared, and admired, and the publishing house with which he came of age was - and still is - perhaps the mightiest producer of quality literature in America. Hothouse perfectly captures the often uneasy alliance between commerce and culture. Through anecdotes and firsthand reminiscences, Kachka weaves a compelling and sometimes hilarious history of 20th century American publishing featuring the geniuses, the egotists, and the neurotics - namely the most important voices in writing and publishing - during a golden era of American literature."

-Mark LaFramboise, Politics and Prose Bookstore and Coffeehouse, Washington, DC

WHERE TO FIND A BOOKSTORE

Many of you already have a favorite local bookstore, but for those of you without such a relationship, this link will take you to a list of Northern California indie bookstores by region.

If you live or work elsewhere, you can click here to find the nearest indie bookstore by simply entering your postal code.

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A LITTLE BIT ABOUT ME

My name is Hut Landon. I'm a former bookstore owner who now runs the Northern California Independent Booksellers Association (NCIBA) in San Francisco.

My goal with this newsletter is to keep readers up to date about new books hitting the shelves, share what booksellers are recommending in their stores, and pass on occasional news about the book world.

I'm not into long, wordy reviews or literary criticism; I'd like HUT'S PLACE to be a quick, fun read for book buyers.If you have any friends who you think might like receiving this column each week, simply click on "Forward this email" below and enter their email address. There is also a box in which to add a short message.