|
|
Weekly Words about BooksSeptember 7, 2014
|
 |
|
Meet Interesting Women, Real and Imagined
|
The Miniaturist by Jessie Burton. This debut novel is a September Indie Nextpick and already making a splash in independent bookstores. Set in 17th century Amsterdam, the story's protagonist is 18-year-old Nella Oortman, who has been married off to an illustrious (and much older) merc  hant trader named Johannes Brandt. It's not much of a life for the innocent young bride - her husband is kind but distant, absorbed in his work and leaving Nella alone with his sister, the sharp-tongued and forbidding Marin.
Burton has a flair for historical fiction, and the sumptuous Amsterdam - with a citizenry obsessed by money and God - is a critical and welcome character. The Miniaturist should be a big hit with book groups.
Liar, Temptress, Soldier, Spy: Four Women Undercover in the Civil War
by Karen Abbott. Here's a great book for American history buffs as well as fans of spy novels and strong women. Abbott introduces and illuminates one of the most fascinating yet little known aspects of the Civil War: the stories of four courageous women - a socialite, a farmgirl, an abolitionist, and a  widow - who were spies during the Civil War.
After shooting a Union soldier in her front hall with a pocket pistol, Belle Boyd became a courier and spy for the Confederate army, using her charms to seduce men on both sides. Emma Edmonds cut off her hair and assumed the identity of a man to enlist as a Union private, witnessing the bloodiest battles of the Civil War. The beautiful widow Rose O'Neale Greenhow engaged in affairs with powerful Northern politicians to gather intelligence for the Confederacy, and used her young daughter to send information to Southern generals. Elizabeth Van Lew, a wealthy Richmond abolitionist, hid behind her proper Southern manners as she orchestrated a far-reaching espionage ring, right under the noses of suspicious rebel detectives.
Abbott weaves the adventures of these four little-known daredevils into the tumultuous landscape of that era, evoking a secret world that will surprise even the most avid enthusiasts of Civil War-era history.
| |
|
|
|
A Favorite Author Among Booksellers
| |
The Bone Clocks by David Mitchell. It's no surprise that indie booksellers' top recommendation for September's Indie Next list is the latest novel from David Mitchell. Among his fans, this guy is a rock star, thanks to books like The Thousand Autumns of Jacob de Zoet, Black Swan Green, and especially Cloud Atlas (a perfect example of the old bookseller saying, "Never judge a book by its movie.") Mitchell isn't for everyone - his novels are literary, complex, and can be challenging to read. The Bone Clocks is a vast, intricate novel that weaves six narratives and spans from 1984 to the 2030s in telling the story of a secret war between a cult of soul-decanters and a small group of vigilantes called the Night Shift who try to take them down. Not exactly a quick read. But his legions of fans are unswayed, praising his ambitious style, skill with language, and storytelling a  bilities. And I can guarantee that The Bone Clocks will be prominent on bestseller lists next week. Here's one bookseller's review: "Once again, Mitchell's inventiveness and imagination prove to be nothing short of genius. He combines dark fantasy, boldly original prose, and finely drawn characters who will keep the reader riveted from Holly Sykes' initial angst-ridden teen thought to the very last, hopeful sentence. Mitchell proves once again that he is a writer of no equal when it comes to the invention of language, place, and time, taking the reader to the edge of both the real and the imagined as if he were guiding you personally by the hand. I will not have to persuade anyone to enjoy The Bone Clocks!" - Javier Ramirez, City Lit Books, Chicago, IL
|
|
|
Books Inc. Produces Video For Banned Books Week
| |
San Francisco's Books Inc. is marking Banned Books Week (September 21 - 27) with a big, companywide celebration that includes storytimes, book clubs, and a new video written and "doodled" by Maggie Tokuda-Hall, Books Inc. children's department director of marketing and events. Take a look:
 | | Let fREADom Ring! |
|
|
COMMENTS? FEEDBACK?
Please email me anytime with thoughts, opinions, or your own book recommendations.
|
|
Join the
Get Hut's Place
Every Week -
No Charge!
If You're Already a Subscriber, How About Forwarding to a Friend?
Your e-mail will
never be shared!
|
|
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.
|
|
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.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
