99% Of The People Are Gone, But Lucy's Still Alive and Trying To Stay That Way

Ashes, Ashes

Jackie says:
"When a plague of hemorrhagic small pox wipes out 99% of the world's  population, 16 year old Lucy is a survivor.  She's alone, having made a camp in the The Wilds, what had been Central Park.  At least until a pack of dogs, trained by The Sweepers (people who are looking supposedly looking for the infected) causes her to meet Aidan, a teenage boy living in a scavenger settlement several miles away.  He saves her from the dogs and leaves her rattled--it was her first contact with another human being in over a year.

The global warming has wreaked havoc on the planet, and the seasons are different and brutal.  Lucy wakes up one morning in her camp to look out at the Hudson sea and knew what was coming--the water was sucking itself out to sea in order to come roaring back as a tsunami.  She grabs what she can and just barely makes it to safety, everything she had gone with the water.  Reluctantly, she goes to Aidan's camp to try to live with people again.

There she finds out a bigger picture, and sees a Sweeper raid where they take part of that community away for seemingly no reason, and she wants to fight back.  When she's nearly taken in a second raid, and a member of the community "escapes" from the Sweepers only to tell them that they had infected him with the plague on purpose, she become part of a small band to go rescue the others taken by the Sweepers.  Only to discover that SHE is the one the Sweepers want most of all.

This is a fantastic read, and, sadly, all to easy to visualize happening.  It's going to be a long time before I can forget the 'burial by building' description, or the vivid moment of crossing the ragtag bridge for the first time.  Treggiari really has a gift for making the page come to life."

Andrea P Wants To Put This Book On The Radar

Part memoir, part how-to, all Baxter Black, Lessons from a Desperado Poet is a humorous, witty take on making a living by doing the right thing and trying everything. According to Baxter Black, success “does not require a genius; it just requires the persistence of a glacier. Remember, often it’s not ability that gets you ahead, it’s reliability. The world is run by those who show up.”

A mind-tickling romp through the formation, fermentation, and fruition of the author’s career as a poet in a country where publishing poetry is “practically illegal,” Lessons from a Desperado Poet boldly injects a poem now and again when it is relevant, just to prove a point! It’s instructional for the entrepreneur, inspirational for the ambitious, and entertaining for the teeming masses.

Since it is also a story of continuously overcoming the odds, Lessons from a Desperado Poet leaves a trail of self-improvement and motivational tortilla crumbs that readers will follow with delight—before, that is, squirreling them away in their own cerebral pockets for later use.

Read an interview with the author.

Andrea adds that:
It does seem that the business is a good place for it, but it would probably be a great suggestion for anyone looking for:
--motivational books applicable to life in general (not just business)
--books by well known regional authors
--books by/about cowboy, veterinarian poets who are also NPR comentators
--funny books

TC Tidbit: There's A Bit More Crime on the Internet These Days

Thanks to Vintage Books and their new website The Weekly Lizard, which is devoted to news and feature content about crime and mystery writing. 

Dispatch From The Field: Joe Makes Friends With Weeds

The true story—and true glories—of the plants we love to hate.


From dandelions to crabgrass, stinging nettles to poison ivy, weeds are familiar, pervasive, widely despised, and seemingly invincible. How did they come to be the villains of the natural world? And why can the same plant be considered beautiful in some places but be deemed a menace in others?


In Weeds, renowned nature writer Richard Mabey embarks on an engaging journey with the verve and historical breadth of Michael Pollan. Weaving together the insights of botanists, gardeners, artists, and writers with his own travels and lifelong fascination, Mabey shows how these "botanical thugs" can destroy ecosystems but also can restore war zones and derelict cities; he reveals how weeds have been portrayed, from the "thorns and thistles" of Genesis to Shakespeare, Walden, and Invasion of the Body Snatchers; and he explains how kudzu overtook the American South, how poppies sprang up in First World War battlefields, and how "American weed" replaced the forests of Vietnam ravaged by Agent Orange.


Hailed as "a profound and sympathetic meditation on weeds in relation to human beings" (Sunday Times), Weeds shows how useful these unloved plants can be, from serving as the first crops and medicines, to bur-dock inspiring the invention of Velcro, to cow parsley becoming the latest fashionable wedding adornment. Mabey argues that we have caused plants to become weeds through our reckless treatment of the earth, and he delivers a provocative defense of the plants we love to hate.

Joe says:
"Richard Mabey subtitles his latest book, 'In Defense of Nature's Most Unloved Plants,' and it is an apt description of this fascinating and enjoyable book. Part botanical history, part cultural study and part gardening memoir, Mabey takes his reader on a world-wide tour of weeds.

 

This book was originally published in England in 2010, and is rather British-focused. But that does not lesson its impact or enjoyment. Since our nation was colonized not only by British subjects, but also their weeds, the locales may be different, but the plants are similar. Tracing the histories of certain weeds from ancient times to the present, Mabey highlights the changing fortunes of these plants. Sometimes worshipped, sometimes cultivated for food or medicine, and sometimes eradicated with ruthless vigor, weeds may be as much a part of the human landscape as the natural world. Richard Mabey takes on weed-based tours of the English countryside, through the kudzu-ravaged American south, the bombed fields of World War I Flanders and Blitz-ravaged London.

 

I was mesmerized by the names of the plants, even as I struggled to identify them in my garden, realizing that these nearly universal weeds tend to take on very local flavor. Another thing that amazed me about this book is that it started off rather slow and bucolic and toward the end of the book, I was fiendishly highlighting sentences and tearing through pages, enraptured as I was by not only the story Mabey wove, but the way he told it.

 

If you are having troubles with the weeds in the garden, this book is no lesson in weed abatement. But if you want to understand the history of those very weeds, this is the book. Already I know that as I pick out the burrs of burdock from the fur of my dogs, I will always know it was this same nuisance that spawned the idea for Velcro. Mabey makes a good case that there is no one-size-fits-all definition of a weed, nor is there necessarily a reason to either vilify or idolize these weeds. They are here, just as we are, doing their thing. That thing can be beautiful and wonder-causing just as it can thwart our own plans for the future."

***Joe is a former store manager for Tattered Cover, and now a full time farmer and remote reviewer for us from his farmhouse in Illinois.  Check out his blog about the farm here.

New and Cool on the Shelves

The annual Crazy 4 Cult art show in LA has quickly become a phenomenon, with thousands of visitors, a million hits on its website on opening day, and high profile buyers including Kevin Smith and Edgar Wright.

Why? Because the cream of the pop culture-influenced art scene - including Shepard Fairey, creator of the Obama 'Hope' poster - come together to celebrate cult movies with art that is surprising, beautiful and very, very cool.

This lavishly produced book presents the best of the first 4 years of the show, with art inspired by such movies as The Big Lebowski, Edward Scissorhands, Blade Runner, Donnie Darko, A Clockwork Orange, Pulp Fiction and many more.

Read an interview with Gallery 1988 founder Jensen Karp.

Crazy 4 Cult 3D - Short doco by Mat de Koning from Mat de Koning on Vimeo.

TC Tidbit: Paddywax Has Come Out With Something Special for the Literary Nose

Library Collection For all the bibliophiles in our lives we present the Library Collection. Pairing favorite quotes with exquisite fragrances, we pay homage to the literary greats.

Check out the authors and the scents here.

Lisa C. On Lisa See (You can meet them both tomorrow night!)

I always find myself on a plane going across the ocean or at least across the country when I’m reading books by Lisa See. Why, because she never lets me down. I know that I’ll be involved in the story from page one and her books keep me so focused that I don’thave to think about the plane, fellow passengers, or the lack of leg room.

 

That’s what happened with Shanghai Girls. I purposely saved it for my trip to England. I had a brief stopover in Canada and as we took off again, I was glued to the chapter where May and Pearl and their mom are trying to get out of China before the Japanese find them. BANG – I hear it and then see a FLASH of light and feel the plane drop. Everyone in the cabin yelled. I thought to myself, “OMG we’ve been struck by lightning…..God, I hope the plane doesn’t go down because I want to finish this book.”

 

That was probably not the reaction of your normal person, but I love reading and once a book grabs me –the world goes away. It was much the same, when I opened Dreams of Joy, the sequel to Shanghai Girls. Dreams debuted at #1 on the New York Times Bestseller list on June 19th.

 

This time I was only flying to Pittsburgh, but had a stopover in Baltimore and was looking forward to reading Dreams of Joy. Once again, the way Lisa See researches the time periods in China and the women in China – always amazes me. I could probably count on one hand how many of my friends even knew about the Great Leap Forward. Sure, we all studied Mao’s Cultural Revolution, but somehow the Great Leap Forward (which was really Great Famine of Death) was missed. 

 

I found myself sympathizing with Joy’s “mothers” about her choice to move back to China to find her father and her culture, while at the same time fearing for her because of her innocence. But then I realized that Joy’s innocence was also a symbol for the innocence of many Chinese people who endured promises of a rich life through Mao’s brainwashing tactics. Joy symbolized so many Chinese women who believed naively that life would be better and more equal for all under his leadership.That’s what really drew me into the novel. I wanted to know how women managed day to day in a life like that. Lisa See answered all the questions, and readers, be sure to read the notes at the end because she talks about all her interviews including one with the wonderful Chinese journalist and author Xinran whose book The Good Women of China – opened a door for western readers that hadn’t existed before. 

Dreams of Joy was a wonderful sequel to Shanghai Girls. Book clubs will have plenty to discuss. If you are in the Denver area on June 29th, come to the Tattered Cover Book Store on Colfax Ave. at 7:30pm and meet Lisa See for yourself.

-- Lisa Casper – Tattered Cover Events Staff and avid reader.

"It Must Be Witchcraft" says Pete

Theo and Raquel Motherwell are the only newcomers to the sleepy town of Wick in fifteen-year-old Ginger Pritt's memory. Hampered by a lingering innocence while her best friend, Cherry, grows more and more embroiled with boys, Ginger is instantly attracted to the worldliness and sophistication of this dashing couple.


But the Motherwells may be more than they seem. As Ginger's keen imagination takes up the seductive mystery of their past, she also draws closer to her town's darker history-back to the days of the Salem witch trials-and every new bit of information she thinks she understands leads only to more questions. Who-or what-exactly, are the Motherwells? And what is it they want with her?

Both a lyrical coming-of-age story and a spine-tingling tale of ghostly menace, The Beginners introduces Rebecca Wolff as an exciting new talent in fiction.



Pete says:
"'It must be witchcraft...' sang Frank Sinatra many years ago. And it just may be again for the tiny New England town of Wick, when a mysterious young couple arrives just as bookish, good girl Ginger Pritt is about to come of age. Witches didn't have it so good 400 years ago in those parts; they were drowned, hung, or burned at the stake at the mere accusations from imaginative teenagers. So what are they doing back in Wick? Is it payback time, or possibly to recruit new members? Perhaps they're not witches at all but opportunists intent on robbing the innocence of impressionable young girls.

Ginger is indeed a beginner but certainly no fool. She knows her town, its inhabitants and their secrets, both past and present. When seduction (evil or otherwise) presents itself, it is not entirely without want. As an awkward adolescent living in the shadow of  her dead brother, Ginger is essentially invisible in her own life. She comes to find that when you're a ghost the possibilities are endless. The things she wants, to be looked at, to be kissed, to be loved, are suddenly within reach. But then, when real life rears its sometimes ugly head, it turns out that witchcraft becomes the least of her problems.

I could say that the author casts a fine spell, or stirs up a delightfully mysterious potion, but will leave it at 'It must be witchcraft...' Or is it?"

Jackie's Shelf Safari Find of the Week: Sidewalk Genius

 The pavement chalk artist is a master of art, perspective, creativity and performance. Julian Beever is one such extraordinary master.

More than just traditional flat drawings, the works Beever creates are uniquely three-dimensional anamorphic drawings. They are drawn in perspective and distorted so the subject can be viewed properly only from one particular viewpoint. For those who are standing in the right place, his chalk drawings invite them to step right into the scene or, in the case of the artist's well-known Swimming Pool in the High Street, dive right into the water.

Pavement Chalk Artist includes a fabulous selection of Beever's most intriguing anamorphic drawings. Each one is accompanied by a description of the techniques he used and the challenges he overcame. These photographs record the development of his unusual skill and understanding of perspective. Readers can see how his art progresses and matures as he takes on commissioned works and a wealth of original, inventive subjects in locations worldwide.


The photographs tell the story, giving readers both an understanding of the principles of this 3-D art form and the pleasure of sharing the scenes that passersby once enjoyed before these unique works disappeared forever.


 Jackie says:
"I'm just amazed by this insanely detailed and very convincing drawing form.  To find a whole book about a specific artist was like hitting the jackpot.  Seriously, it doesn't get much cooler than this!"

TC Tidbit: We Think These Scroll Bookshelves Are Kind of Cool

brought to our attention by our friends at boingboing.com

Heather Says This Book "is a truly wonderous read."

 

Set in Victorian London with char-acters real and imagined, The Map of Time is a page-turner that boasts a triple play of intertwined plots in which a skeptical H. G. Wells is called upon to investigate purported incidents of time travel and to save lives and literary classics, including Dracula and The Time Machine, from being wiped from existence.

What happens if we change history? Felix J. Palma explores this question in The Map of Time, weaving a historical fantasy as imaginative as it is exciting—a story full of love and adventure that transports readers to a haunting setting in Victorian London for their own taste of time travel.

Read an interesting interview with the author.

Heather says:
"This book is not what you think it is. It is a Victorian mystery, a love story, and a dark science fiction classic -- but with its twists and turns and revelations around each corner, it is altogether something more.

Each of the three linked sections mix famous and infamous historical figures: Jack the Ripper, Joseph Merrick (the Elephant Man), Bram Stoker, Henry James, with some of the most inventive characters I've ever read. And the ever present H.G. Wells ties everything together as a central figure in the larger mystery.

The exploration of time travel is at the heart of The Map of Time, but not in the way readers might first imagine! The novel is full of adventure, deception, murder, and love (and lust), and it is truly a wondrous read."

Booklist says: "Poet Groom’s stunning memoir reads more like poetry than prose and leaves the ‘brain singing with neurons like a city at night.’ "

At the age of fifteen, Kelle Groom found that alcohol allowed her to connect with people and explore intimacy in ways she’d never been able to experience before. She began drinking before class, often blacked out at bars, and fell into destructive relationships. At nineteen, already an out-of-control alcoholic, she was pregnant. Accepting the heartbreaking fact that she was incapable of taking care of her son herself, she gave him up for adoption to her aunt and uncle. They named him Tommy and took him home with them to Massachusetts. When he was nine months old, the boy was diagnosed with leukemia—but Kelle’s parents, wanting the best for her, kept her mostly in the dark about his health. When Tommy died he was only fourteen months old. Having lost him irretrievably, Kelle went into an accelerating downward spiral of self-destruction. She emerged from this free fall only when her desire to stop drinking connected her with those who helped her to get sober.

In stirring, hypnotic prose, I Wore the Ocean in the Shape of a Girl explores the most painful aspects of Kelle’s addiction and loss with unflinching honesty and bold determination. Urgent and vital, exquisite and raw, her story is as much about maternal love as it is about survival, as much about acceptance as it is about forgiveness. Kelle’s longing for her son remains twenty-five years after his death. It is an ache intensified, as she lost him twice—first to adoption and then to cancer. In this inspiring portrait of redemption, Kelle charts the journey that led her to accept her addiction and grief and to learn how to live in the world.

Through her family’s history and the story of her son’s cancer, Kelle traces with clarity and breathtaking grace the forces that shape a life, a death, and a literary voice.

 

TC Tidbits: A New Literary Mix Tape

from our friends at flavorwire.com  
This one features Max, from Where The Wild Things Are

Come Visit the Sisterhood With Us Tomorrow Night

Return to the Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants . . . ten years later
 
From #1 New York Times bestselling author Ann Brashares comes the welcome return of the characters whose friendship became a touchstone for a generation. Now Tibby, Lena, Carmen, and Bridget have grown up, starting their lives on their own. And though the jeans they shared are long gone, the sisterhood is everlasting.

Despite having jobs and men that they love, each knows that something is missing: the closeness that once sustained them. Carmen is a successful actress in New York, engaged to be married, but misses her friends. Lena finds solace in her art, teaching in Rhode Island, but still thinks of Kostos and the road she didn’t take. Bridget lives with her longtime boyfriend, Eric, in San Francisco, and though a part of her wants to settle down, a bigger part can’t seem to shed her old restlessness.

Then Tibby reaches out to bridge the distance, sending the others plane tickets for a reunion that they all breathlessly await. And indeed, it will change their lives forever—but in ways that none of them could ever have expected.

As moving and life-changing as an encounter with long-lost best friends, Sisterhood Everlasting is a powerful story about growing up, losing your way, and finding the courage to create a new one.

Ann Brashares will be reading from and discussing her new book  Monday evening, June 27, at 7:30 pm at our Colfax Avenue store.

What a Fun Way To Learn!

The Adventures of Medical Man

Being sick or injured is no fun for children, but not knowing what is happening may be worse. 

Enter Dr. Michael Evans, who will explain to young readers everything they need to know when an illness or injury occurs. Uniquely structured around five different movie genres and one comic book, each chapter features a common illness or injury with Dr. Mike in the starring role, explaining the causes, symptoms and cures.

Whether it’s a nut allergy in the action-packed “They Came From Mars!,” a broken wrist in the bone-chilling “The Werewolf Who Snapped” or strep throat in the suspense-filled “Adventures of Medical Man and Wondrous Boy,” each story is packed with fascinating medical information. Other common conditions covered in the book include concussion, ear infection and asthma — all vividly explained.

Complete with diagrams, sidebars and a glossary — and dramatized by Gareth Williams’s stunning illustrations — this book will be a comfort to any child dealing with an injury or illness.

TC Tidbit: Now That's The Kind of Celebration We Can Really Support!

To celebrate the publication of her first picture book, Shoes for Me!, illus. by Mike Laughread (Marshall Cavendish, Mar.), author Sue Fliess decided to give something back, organizing a shoe-and-book drive, partnering with two nonprofit organizations, Soles4Souls and Bring Me a Book. Local bookstores, schools, and Fliess’s church served as drop-off points, and the author spread the word online. Fliess began with a goal of 100 books and 100 pairs of shoes, but in six weeks, the “Run to Read” drive collected 647 books and 651.5 pairs of shoes “Yes,” said Fliess, “there was a single shoe donated.” (via Publisher's Weekly)

  

 Shoes for Me!

When she realizes that her feet have grown, a young hippo is allowed to choose which new shoes to buy.

More Books From Craig's "Dude Approved" List

Man Up!

From career and relationships to grooming and gaming and more, Man Up! is the guys' ultimate manual for living. The tips run the gamut--from how to mix up a killer punch for a party to how to throw a punch when there is no other way out.

 Something For Nothing

It's the mid-1970s, and Martin Anderson's small aircraft business is tanking, as is his extravagant suburban lifestyle. So when he's given the opportunity to clear his debt by using one of his planes to make a few drug runs between California and Mexico, Martin doesn't think twice . . . or at all, for that matter.

 Blind Your Ponies

In the tradition of such films as "Hoosiers, Breaking Away," and "Rocky, Blind Your Ponies" is an inspiring story about the rundown town of Willow Creek, Montana, and the handful of people that lives there with a sense of fateful resignation.

 Cardboard Gods

Wilker marks the stages of his life through the baseball cards he collected as a child. He captures the experience of growing up obsessed with baseball cards and explores what it means to be a fan of the game.

Two Beautiful Steampunk Art Books

Steampunk is a burgeoning counter-cultural movement; a genre, community, and artform. The Steampunk movement seeks to recapture the spirit of invention, adventure, and craftsmanship reminiscent of early-nineteenth century industrialization, in part, to restore a sense of wonder to a technology-jaded world. Packed with 1,000 color photographs, 1,000 Steampunk Creations features a showcase of stunning jewelry, fashion, accessories, headgear, artwork, home decorations, and curious contraptions.

And coming soon (available for pre-order now):

The Art of Steampunk seeks to celebrate the world of Steampunk: a world filled with beauty and innovation.  A world in which steam power and technology intertwine to create machines that are not only functional and practical, but unique and striking.

Inside, you will find the fantastical and stunning artwork of Steampunk artists from around the world.  The 17 artists featured on these pages, among the frontrunners of the Steampunk genre, have had their work displayed at an exhibition at The Museum of History of Science at the University of Oxford, UK and have attracted the media attention of BoingBoing, one of the world’s largest blogs.  Their artwork consists of everything from clocks and watches to light fixtures and jewelry, but every piece demonstrates hours of painstaking work and devotion from its creator. 

You will find that the artists themselves are just as unique and colorful as their masterpieces.  Fully embracing Steampunk ideology, many have adopted a Victorian alter ego—a mad scientist persona to match the complicated intricacies of their artwork.

The Art of Steampunk brings the vision of the Steampunk artist alive on the page, providing a unique insight into the captivating and dynamic world of a vastly underground genre.

TC Tidbit: Don Calame's Top 10 Funny Teen Boy Books

from our friends at The Guardian

Meet Erica Jong Tonight!

Sugar in My Bowl

When it comes to sex, what do women want? In this eye-opening and courageous collection, Erica Jong reveals that every woman has her own answer.

Susan Cheever talks about the "excruciating hazards of casual sex," while Gail Collins recounts her Catholic upbringing in Cincinnati and the nuns who passionately forbade her from having "carnal relations." In "Everything Must Go," Jennifer Weiner explores how, in love, the body can play just as big a role as the heart. The octogenarians in Karen Abbott's sharp-eyed piece possess a passion that could give Betty White a run for her money. Molly Jong-Fast reflects on her unconventional upbringing and why a whole generation of young women have rejected "free love" in favor of Bugaboo strollers and Mommy-and-me yoga.

Sex, it turns out, can be as fleeting, heavy, mundane, and intense as the rest of life. Indeed, Jong states in her powerful introduction "the truth is—sex is life."

Acclaimed poet, novelist, and essayist Erica Jong will read from and sign her new book tonight at 7:30 pm at our Colfax Avenue store.

Another Palin Hit's the Bookshelves

Bristol Palin lived the life of an average American teen. She loved being outdoors, spending time with family and friends, and focusing on schoolwork and sports. But when her mother became the Republican vice presidential candidate in 2008, Bristol’s world would change forever. She was instantly propelled into the national spotlight, becoming the focus of intense public and national media scrutiny at the age of seventeen.

In the pages of this personal memoir, Bristol opens up for the first time ever, taking readers behind the scenes of her life, from growing up in Alaska to coming of age amid the media and political frenzy surrounding her mother’s political rise; from becoming a single mother while still a teenager to coping as her relationship with the baby’s father crumbled publicly—not once, but twice. Through all of these ups and downs, Bristol learned how to face her challenges head-on with courage and grace, traits she put to good use as a contestant and finalist on Dancing with the Stars.

In Not Afraid of Life, Bristol speaks candidly of her aspirations and of the deep religious faith that gives her strength and inspiration. Plainspoken and disarmingly down-to-earth, Bristol offers new insight and understanding of who she is and what she values most.

TC Tidbit: The Brooke Jackman Foundation's First "Best Books For City Kids" List

The Brooke Jackman Foundation’s vision is that every single child is entitled to a life full of possibilities. The Foundation brings a sense of personal value, joy, and hope to its program participants. We know that children are our future, and unless they are taken care of in their early years, the possibility of their contribution to society is less viable. We hope to lessen the achievement gap, helping each child to reach his or her potential. (Read more.)


Link to the List

TC Bonus Tidbit: Fresh from the UK: Pottermore is LIVE Now!!!

"This is definitely the funniest book I've read all year" says Lucas

Simple Times

Lucas says:
"I've listened to this craft book on cd (yes, you can learn how to craft via audio book) and I've also read the book the old-fashioned way. This book is HILARIOUS in both formats. 

With the audio book you get some fun old-timey music, some good voice acting, and the advantage of visualizing how you are going to craft something such as a 'Tampon Ghost.' With the hardcover book you get photos, lots and lots of wonderfully entertaining photos. There is even a photo how-to guide for stretching before crafting and the craft of love making (both models are, of course, wearing bright yellow bath robes). 

This definitely is the go-to crafting guide for the poor college student in your life or the poor college graduate who majored in liberal arts. This is definitely the funniest book I've read all year."

More Science Fun for the Workbench Warrior

The Practical Pyromaniac

Combining science, history, and DIY pyrotechnics, this book for the workbench warrior explains humankind’s most useful and paradoxical tool: fire. William Gurstelle, author of the bestselling Backyard Ballistics, presents 25 projects with instructions, diagrams, photos, and links to video demonstrations that enable people of all ages to explore and safely play with fire. From Franklin’s stove to Diesel’s engine, explosive and fascinating tales are told of the great pyromaniacs who scientifically revealed the mysteries of fire such as “Gunpowder” Joseph Priestly, who discovered oxygen; Antoine Lavoisier, the father of chemistry; and Humphrey Davy, whose chemical discoveries and fiery inventions saved thousands of lives. By following the directions inside, the curious can replicate these breakthrough scientists’ experiments and inventions from the simply fascinating one-candlepower engine to the nearly magical fire piston and an incredible tornado of fire.
(Don't miss his other books, like Absinthe & Flamethrowers: Projects and Ruminations on the Art of Living Dangerously)

An interesting introduction to the author:

TC Tidbit: "Tell No One" Is Finally Being Made for the US Silverscreen

Tell No One

Harlan Coben, one of the biggest selling mystery writers in America, is finally in line to have one of his books made into a major Hollywood film. And all he had to do was make a detour through France.  Get the scoop at Deadline.com.

Bonus TC Tidbit: J.K. Rowling Will Be Launching the New Harry Potter Webiste Tomorrow!!!

What could it be?  It's not a new book or a movie tie-in, so......?????

The Rocky Mountain Land Series Presents Hannah Nordhaus TONIGHT!

Award-winning journalist Hannah Nordhaus tells the remarkable story of John Miller, one of America’s foremost migratory beekeepers, and the myriad and mysterious epidemics threatening American honeybee populations. In luminous, razor-sharp prose, Nordhaus explores the vital role that honeybees play in American agribusiness, the maintenance of our food chain, and the very future of the nation. With an intimate focus and incisive reporting, in a book perfect for fans of Eric Schlosser’s Fast Food Nation, Michael Pollan’s The Botany of Desire, and John McPhee’s Oranges, Nordhaus’s stunning exposé illuminates one the most critical issues facing the world today, offering insight, information, and, ultimately, hope.

The honey bee is a willing conscript, a working wonder, an unseen and crucial link in America's agricultural industry. But never before has its survival been so unclear—and the future of our food supply so acutely challenged.

Enter beekeeper John Miller, who trucks his hives around the country, bringing millions of bees to farmers otherwise bereft of natural pollinators. Even as the mysterious and deadly epidemic known as Colony Collapse Disorder devastates bee populations across the globe, Miller forges ahead with the determination and wry humor of a true homespun hero. The Beekeeper's Lament tells his story and that of his bees, making for a complex, moving, and unforgettable portrait of man in the new natural world.





Nordhaus will be discussing and signing her book tonight at 7:30 at our Historic Lodo Store.

Science and Fun Go Hand In Hand In This Amusing Book

Ken Denmead struck a chord with parents and kids across America with his GeekDad blog on Wired.com, which receives more than one million page views per month. His debut book, Geek Dad, was on bestseller lists and in its seventh printing just two months after hitting store shelves. With The Geek Dad's Guide to Weekend Fun, he keeps the nerdtastic novelties coming, with projects that teach readers how to:

*Build homemade robots from scratch
*Write and direct simple stop-motion movies
*Hack into mechanical toys to add cool electronic twists, and more
United by the premise that to really understand science and how something works you must design and build it yourself or remake it better, Geek Parents everywhere will celebrate this latest installment of weekend workshop wonders.

TC Tidbit: Add A French Twist To Your Summer Reading

A summer's worth of French reading from the folks at Jacket Copy.

Summer Reading With Western Ties From Cathy and Ron

Tattered Cover's own Cathy Langer, along with Ron Krall from Steamboat Springs' Off The Beaten Path Book Store got together some summer recommendations with a tie to the West for the CPR program Colorado Matters.  You can listen to the podcast here.

Fire Season by Philip Connors

Nothing Daunted by Dorothy Wickenden

The Ringer by Jenny Shank

The Bride's House by Sandra Dallas

Phantoms in the Snow by Kathleen Benner Duble

Women Icons of the West by Julie Danneberg

Finally, This "Hypnotic" International Best Selling Mystery Hits US Bookshelves!

In the frigid clime of Tumba, Sweden, a gruesome triple homicide attracts the interest of Detective Inspector Joona Linna, who demands to investigate the murders. The killer is still at large, and there’s only one surviving witness—the boy whose family was killed before his eyes. Whoever committed the crimes wanted this boy to die: he’s suffered more than one hundred knife wounds and lapsed into a state of shock. Desperate for information, Linna sees only one option: hypnotism. He enlists Dr. Erik Maria Bark to mesmerize the boy, hoping to discover the killer through his eyes.

It’s the sort of work that Bark has sworn he would never do again—ethically dubious and psychically scarring. When he breaks his promise and hypnotizes the victim, a long and terrifying chain of events begins to unfurl.

An international sensation, The Hypnotist is set to appear in thirty-seven countries, and it has landed at the top of bestseller lists wherever it’s been published—in France, Holland, Germany, Spain, Italy, Denmark. Now it’s America’s turn. Combining the addictive power of the Stieg Larsson trilogy with the storytelling drive of The Silence of the Lambs, this adrenaline-drenched thriller is spellbinding from its very first page.

This isn't the US cover, but this trailer/teaser really sets the tone!

The secret is out--watch an interview with the authors who, together, are "Lars Kepler":

TC Tidbit: How Cool Is THIS?!

Get this, copies of Cherie Priest's Boneshaker and Scott Westerfeld's Leviathan will be hidden all over Seattle, including at the Seattle Public Libraries. Clues can be found at the library's teen blog Push to Talk. The only rule is that once you've read the book, you need to pass it on, either by handing it off to a friend or caching it somewhere another teen can discover it: on a bus seat or a park bench, at a boat dock or a graduation party-take your pick! Give the suggested steampunk reading list a look and be sure to watch the promo video for the program, all available at Steampunk Summer's webpage. (via School Library Journal)

Seattle is our kind of book town!

Jackie's Shelf Safari Led Her to a Summertime Favorite

Dave Matthews Band has one of the largest and most loyal followings of any band today—after twenty years of constant touring and several acclaimed, multiplatinum albums, the members enjoy a connection with their fans that few other acts can match. Ask DMB devotees and they’ll happily tell you tales of amazing sold-out summer shows, the stunning venues they’ve seen the band play all around the world, classic live show recordings . . . and memories of good times with great friends, old and new. For hundreds of thousands of people, affection for DMB goes far beyond simple fan adulation—it’s a way of life.

Journalist (and fan) Nikki Van Noy bridges the gap between the band and their followers, looking at the DMB phenomenon from all perspectives—including interviews with the band, Charlottesville insiders who knew them in the early days, and, of course, the DMB fans who witnessed it all. This lively, insider book offers insights into:

• The beginnings of the band in Charlottesville, VA—which gave rise to the culture of taping and trading live   shows, and the early online networking that laid the groundwork for their later explosive success.
• The heady success of their first several albums—when the small “club” of DMB fans suddenly became a lot less exclusive.
• Their creative misfires in the early 2000s—including the leaked Lillywhite Sessions.
• The crushing sudden loss of saxophonist LeRoi Moore—and how the band emerged stronger than ever.


A chronicle of the live Dave Matthews Band experience and what it means to be a part of it, So Much to Say is a comprehensive biography of this incredible group and the fans who helped them achieve such enduring success.

Jackie says:

"Dave Matthews Band taught me the magic of a live show--I learned that there are seemingly endless ways to perform a song, that the audience can be as much a part of the music as the band, and that huge groups of happy people dancing, singing, dancing and crying are amazing.  I catch Dave whenever he comes around (which is about every other year to Colorado), and this book by a converted fan and the culture of DMB couldn't help but catch my eye.  Their concerts are the image of summer for me now, and Van Noy catches the essence of it all."  

Enter to Win Tickets To a DMB Show Courtesy of Simon and Schuster

A Lively Piece of Colorado's Past

Nothing Daunted

In the summer of 1916, Dorothy Woodruff and Rosamond Underwood, close friends from childhood and graduates of Smith College, left home in Auburn, New York, for the wilds of northwestern Colorado. Bored by their soci-ety luncheons, charity work, and the effete young men who courted them, they learned that two teach-ing jobs were available in a remote mountaintop schoolhouse and applied—shocking their families and friends. “No young lady in our town,” Dorothy later commented, “had ever been hired by anybody.”

They took the new railroad over the Continental Divide and made their way by spring wagon to the tiny settlement of Elkhead, where they lived with a family of homesteaders. They rode several miles to school each day on horseback, sometimes in blinding blizzards. Their students walked or skied on barrel staves, in tattered clothes and shoes tied together with string. The man who had lured them out west was Ferry Carpenter, a witty, idealistic, and occasionally outrageous young lawyer and cattle rancher. He had promised them the adventure of a lifetime and the most modern schoolhouse in Routt County; he hadn’t let on that the teachers would be considered dazzling prospective brides for the locals.

That year transformed the children, their families, and the undaunted teachers themselves. Dorothy and Rosamond learned how to handle unruly children who had never heard the Pledge of Allegiance and thought Ferry Carpenter was the president of the United States; they adeptly deflected the amorous advances of hopeful cowboys; and they saw one of their closest friends violently kidnapped by two coal miners. Carpenter’s marital scheme turned out to be more successful than even he had hoped and had a surprising twist some forty years later.

In their buoyant letters home, the two women captured the voices and stories of the pioneer women, the children, and the other memorable people they got to know. Nearly a hundred years later, New Yorker executive editor Dorothy Wickenden—the granddaughter of Dorothy Woodruff—found the letters and began to reconstruct the women’s journey. Enhancing the story with interviews with descendants, research about these vanished communities, and trips to the region, Wickenden creates an exhilarating saga about two intrepid young women and the “settling up” of the West.

TC Tidbit: Chris Columbus Acquires "The Cypress House"

Chris Columbus and 1492 Pictures have acquired screen rights to The Cypress House, a Michael Koryta novel that Columbus will write the script for and produce with 1492 partners Michael Barnathan and Mark Radcliffe.

Read the rest of the Deadline.com article here.

Hector's Back!

The irresistible second installment in the beloved series that has sold millions of copies worldwide. 
 
Since his first captivating adventure in Hector and the Search for Happiness, Hector the young French psychiatrist has continued to explore the mysteries of the human soul. Having found that love seems virtually inseparable from happiness, he begins taking notes on this powerful emotion. But unbeknownst to him, Clara, the doctor's beloved, is making her own investigations into love.

As much a love story as a novel about love, Hector and the Secrets of Love is a feel-good life manual wrapped in a globetrotting adventure, told with the blend of a fairy tale's naïve wisdom and a satirist's dry wit that has won Hector fans around the world.


Jackie says:
"Hector, the loveable and ever curious French psychiatrist, is on a new mission.  He has been asked to find a research scientist who has disappeared of his own volition.  He's working on a drug that would help to make love more permanent--a very valuable drug indeed.  But it seems he took a bit of the drug himself and has run off with one of his research assistants.  Hector does find the rather eccentric gentleman, and gets dosed with the drug himself at a time when he and his beloved Clara are not doing so well.  The whole experience, and his travels with the scientist, get him to thinking about love and writing one of his famous lists, this time calling his thoughts 'seedlings' because each is 'a tiny thought, like a seedling that has just sprouted and nobody knows what it will be yet.'  As things go along, he also begins an essay on the components of heartache, since that often comes round with love.  Once again, Hector in the main character in book that has tremendous depth belied by the simplistic and understated writing style of Lelord.  It is a delight to read."

Deaver, Jeffrey Deaver Will Be In The House Tomorrow With His Brand New James Bond Novel!

Carte Blanche

“The face of war is changing.
The other side doesn't play by the rules much anymore.
There’s thinking, in some circles,
that we need to play by a different set of rules too …”

James Bond, in his early thirties and already a veteran of the Afghan war, has been recruited to a new organization. Conceived in the post-9/11 world, it operates independent of MI5, MI6 and the Ministry of Defense, its very existence deniable. Its aim: To protect the Realm, by any means necessary.

A Night Action alert calls James Bond away from dinner with a beautiful woman. Headquarters has decrypted an electronic whisper about an attack scheduled for later in the week:

Casualties estimated in the thousands, British interests adversely affected.

And Agent 007 has been given carte blanche to do whatever it takes to fulfill his mission . . .

The new thriller by Master of the Mind Game Jeffrey Deaver  featuring James Bond as you’ve never seen him before.

This teaser has the British cover, but everything else is exactly what you will get from the new Bond:


Meet the author tomorrow night at 7:30 pm at our Highlands Ranch Store.

Jeffery Deaver is the international bestselling author of Roadside Crosses, The Bodies Left Behind, The Broken Window, The Sleeping Doll, The Bone Collector, and twenty-one other suspense novels. He has been nominated for six Edgar Awards from the Mystery Writers of America and is a three-time recipient of the Ellery Queen Reader’s Award for Best Short Story of the Year. Jeffery Deaver has been selected by Ian Fleming Publications to write the new James Bond thriller. The plot of the new novel—which features a contemporary setting and brings Fleming’s legendary 007 character firmly into the modern age—is being kept tightly under wraps until publication. 

TC Tidbit: Artist Michael Bukowski Is Drawing Every Lovecraft Monster

Check it out here.