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Weekly Words about BooksNOVEMBER 3, 2013
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New Books on The Shelf,
Although Not For Long
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WE ARE WATER by Wally Lamb. Back in 1992, Wally Lamb was an unknown author with a first novel, She's Come Undone - a coming of age odyssey about a girl named Dolores Price. In December of 1996, his life changed when the  book was a selection of the Oprah Book Club. Unknown no more, Lamb became a bestselling author almost overnight, which is is a reminder of the clout that Ms.Winfrey's book club possessed in those days. In 1998, lightning struck again for Lamb when he was two-timed by Oprah, who chose his second novel I Know This Much Is True. No Oprah this time around, but Lamb doesn't need her anymore. We Are Water has hit bestseller lists a week after publication, and review praise is arriving as well. The story revolves around Annie, middle-aged, long married wife, mother and artist who leaves her husband to marry her new love - a cultured Manhattan art dealer named Viveca. They plan to marry in Annie's hometown in Connecticut, where same-sex marriage has been recently legalized, but the upcoming nuptials bring to the surface a host of family secrets. It's a modern family saga, combining elements of mystery, betrayal, and redemption into an emotionally gripping narrative. THE VALLEY OF AMAZEMENT by Amy Tan. Another unconventional family saga from a bookseller favorite and the author of The Joy Luck Club and The Bonesetter's Daughter, among others. In her latest novel, Tan again explores the relationship between mothers and daughters in a sweeping epic of two  women's intertwined fates and their search for identity in the early 20th century. Here's what one enthusiastic independent bookseller had to say about The Valley of Amazement: "Tan's newest novel is utterly engrossing. Spanning more than four decades and two continents, this tale transports readers from Shanghai to San Francisco as it reveals the lives of two women, Lucia and Violet, an American courtesan mother and her half-Chinese daughter. The story details their attempt to undo their past, leading to forgiveness and bringing about redemption. The final pages signal the possibility of a sequel that would be welcome, indeed!" - Carol Hicks, Bookshelf, Truckee, CA
THOMAS JEFFERSON: The Art of Power by Jon Meacham. October and November are a time for big books, titles that publishers hope will make holiday gift lists. Two popular genres at this time of year are U.S. History and Biography, and if you can publish a book that combines both, all the better.  It's one of the reasons that biographies of past presidents often do well, as evidenced last year when Jon Meachan's book on Thomas Jefferson was a huge bestseller. With Thomas Jefferson: The Art of Power now out in paperback, it's likely to find a second life on bookshelves, as well it should. Meacham is no stranger to presidential bios and he's no slouch as a writer; his 2008 volume on Andrew Jackson, American Lion, won the Pulitzer Prize, and Thomas Jefferson received high praise from the press. A Washington Post review noted that Meacham "accomplishes something more impressive than dissecting Jefferson's political skills by explaining his greatness, a different task from chronicling a life, though he does that too -- and handsomely."
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Three Recommended Fall Books For Kids
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| Here are three new titles endorsed by independent children's booksellers and taken from The Autumn '13 Kids' Indie Next List; you can access the entire list here.
THE SNATCHABOOK by Helen Docherty, illustrated by Thomas Docherty (ages by 3-6).
"A classic is born! The Snatchabook is an engaging and winsome story celebrating the precious tradition of bedtime stories. 'In every house, in every bed, a bedtime book was being read, ' when trouble in the form of a tiny creature named Snatchabook swoops into town and begins absconding with everyone's stories. Eliza, the bunny, sets out to solve the missing story mystery and learns that Snatchabook is sad and lonely because he has no one to read stories to him. A fitting solution: in a town that loves stories, Snatchabook finds himself welcomed into all homes to share in bedtime stories. Highly recommended!"
- Nancy Simpson-Brice, Book Vault,
Oskaloosa, IA
FLORA AND ULYSSES: The Illuminated Adventures, by Kate DiCamillo, illustrated by K.G. Campbell (ages 4-8).
"You just can't go wrong if you throw a squirrel into the picture. But squirrel poetry? Sheer genius!  DiCamillo has taken all probable and improbable squirrel-related antics, mixed them with a superhero-obsessed but very lonely child, added generous helpings of wonderfully quirky characters, and the result is a froth of fantastic fun. At the same time, she tells a touching tale of deep yearning for acceptance, to be seen and to be loved. Delightful!"
- Elizabeth Anker, Alamosa Books, Albuquerque, NM
FORTUNATELY, THE MILK by Neil Gaiman, illustrated by Skottie Young (ages 8-12).
"It starts out as a normal day: Mom is on a business trip; boy wants a bowl of cereal but there is n o milk; Dad goes out for milk. But Dad is gone a long time and comes home with a story that will end up being one of your favorites. Dad is taken by aliens, jumps through a door marked 'Do Not Open for Any Reason,' falls through the space-time continuum, is found by pirates, and rescued by a stegosaurus - and that's just the beginning! A tale that begs to be read out loud, with dinosaurs and piranhas, volcano gods and coconuts, wumpires and ponies, this is destined to become a children's classic!"
- Angela Mann, Kepler's Books & Magazines, Menlo Park, CA
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A LITTLE BIT ABOUT ME
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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.
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WHERE TO
FIND AN INDEPENDENT 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.
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