A New VIB!

It's a new month, and that means we, here at the Tattered Cover, have selected a new V.I.B. (Very Impressive Book).

November's selection is a book I've talked about here before: Stitches by David Small.

Even more of our booksellers have read this book, and we've all decided more people need to read this book. It's so impressive. Stunning. Harrowing. Beautiful. Amazing. Those are some of the adjectives booksellers have told me about this book.

Here is what some of our booksellers are saying:

'Stitches' by David Small is a fantastic example of good literature in the graphic novel genre. This book is a graphic memoir centered around David's experience with cancer as a
young man. What this book is really about is family, independence, and coming of age. This book does well at what is best about graphic novels. Visuals have a way of producing emotional responses in ways that words can't. The loneliness and frustration in this book are palpable. On an artistic note, there are some fantastic visual transitions. If you don't read graphic novels this would be a great introduction to them. If a picture is worth a thousand words 'Stitches' is a massive and powerful tome.
--Chuck.

I finally sat down and read this book this weekend. The tales are true--it reads really quickly. Unless, like me, you get lost in the haunting illustrations that kept me mesmerized for minutes on end. His artistry is masterful and nearly overwhelmingly powerful. His story is heart breakingly bleak, his ability to keep himself together and find a life of happiness and love through art is awe inducing and as inspirational a tale as I have ever heard. Please, give yourself the gift of reading this book.
--Jackie.

I read through it--it took about an hour. I cried. Then I read it again.
--Charles

Here is a link to some of David Small's other books.

Do yourself or a loved one a favor, and take a look at this powerful, unforgettable book. (And here is a link to older entries in this blog about this book.)

Ree Drummond: Author of The Pioneer Woman Cooks (and Blogger Extraordinaire)

I actually did a little happy dance when I found out that Ree Drummond, author of The Pioneer Woman Cooks and blogger extraordinaire was coming to Tattered Cover to do a signing (there are some publishing people in New York who are still giggling about THAT). But I fell for Ree hook-line-sinker and spur. This isn't just a cookbook she's written--she's chronicling life on a ranch with a growing family in a down-to-earth, self effacing, charming and utterly irresistible way. And the woman can COOK!!! But she's very honest, and probably most funny, when talking about the disasters that occurred in her kitchen, as well. The added bonus of her exceptional photography in the book is just icing on a very delicious cake. Come see Ree (and me!) at our Colfax Store on Monday, November 2 at 7:30 pm.

Jackie Blem

Here's my review of her book:

The Pioneer Woman Cooks
by Ree Drummond

This book is a lot of fun. Part cookbook, part scrapbook (complete
with the author's own photography and honest to goodness clip art),
and all love affair with food, family and ranch life. There are homey
tidbits (like what NOT to scratch after seeding a jalapeno), old
fashioned recipe instructions ("throw on a big pile of pico de gallo"
or "if your husband walks in as you're completing this step, shield
the bowl with your body and stir quickly. What he doesn't know won't
hurt him.") and other hilarities, this book is as much fun to simply
sit and read as it is easy to follow the recipes which include tons of
step by step photographs. There are also plenty of pictures of the
kids, the cowboys, the horses, the basset hounds and even the dirty
dishes to show that anything good tends to make a bit of a mess. This
is cooking for cowboys and kids, and it couldn't be more entertaining
or mouthwatering! She's also got a great blog with a recipe share
link called Tasty Kitchen (with even MORE fabulous recipes).
Foodies--check her out and I think you too will fall under her
humorous charm: www.thepioneerwoman.com.

Nocturnes

Kazuo Ishiguro's latest novel, Nocturnes, Five Stories of Music and Nightfall, has really struck a chord (argh, but it's true!) with a number of our booksellers.

When we heard that he had a new novel coming out, many of us scrambled to get a chance to read the advanced copy. We only had one copy that we passed from bookseller to bookseller.

Here's what some of those who have read the book had to say:

Ishiguro conceived of this book as if it were a piece of music in five movements. It is his first collection of short stories, coming after his six very accomplished and nuanced novels. The theme of music is woven into each of these stories, connecting them, and sometimes the
characters, as if with a gossamer thread. I am not usually a short story reader, but I absolutely loved this book! It is sometimes heartbreaking, always lyrical, and surprisingly humorous - I laughed out loud at times. He is so skillful at using narrative in a way that lets the reader in on insights about his characters that they are unaware of. His prose is clear and precise.
This is an extraordinary piece of writing that gently and insistently pulls you from one story to the next, rewarding you every step of the way.

--Linda

Wow. Just read this book in one sitting. Utterly sublime. These five short stories of music and nightfall just highlight what a wonderful writer Ishiguro is. Each of these stories stand on their own, but read as an ensemble, their slow & gentle power carries the reader away. The stories are full of heartbreak and loss, of the sweet music of memory, of spare descriptions that paint a picture so perfectly, the reader is sitting in the hotels, the piazzas and hearing the music. Each is told from a first-person narrator, not always visible to us. This adds an intimacy to the stories that really brings out the emotional impact of each. Highly recommended. I would like to sit back down and re-read them again and again, like listening to music.

--Joe

After reading Joe and Linda's glowing reviews, I had to give this one a try for myself. It really is a wonderful book, and for it was a great introduction to an author I have previously avoided (blame the cure-for-insomnia movie that was made from his "The Remains Of The Day"). I'm especially pleased with his character development given the fact that these are short stories--really short, since there is 5 of them in this slim volume. But each story gave me both a character that I could identify with and a character that I had to puzzle over. The themed stories (music and nightfall) and the interwoven characters added a nice touch as well. They read quickly but give you plenty to think about. In a nutshell--I'm impressed.

--Jackie

Introducing VIB

Greetings everyone. It's a new month, and we here at the Tattered Cover are proud to announce a new initiative: V.I.B., or Very Impressive Book. Every month or so, the staff here are going to announce the arrival of a new book we are very impressed by, and think you will be, too.

Our very first V.I.B. is the latest book by Joyce Maynard, Labor Day.

Here is what some of our booksellers have to say about this book:

I haven't read anything by Maynard before, but she's certainly on my list of authors to read more of now. This story, which I easily devoured in a lazy day at home, is touching on so many levels. Told through the eyes of a 13 year old boy, it's the story of five days when an escaped criminal comes to live with him and his mom, changing their lives forever. Henry feels responsible for his recluse mother, Adele, and spends all of his time with her. He's a bit of an outcast himself, being rather small for his age yet beginning the inevitable battle with his raging hormones. They meet Frank in one of their rare shopping excursions in town, and both immediately take to the bleeding man with the kind eyes. Frank does just enough "bad guy" stuff to help them pass a lie detector test should the need ever arise, but mostly he brings both of these broken people out of their shells and into remembering what being loved and being a family is like. This gentle story of love and hope is sure to be a hit.

I think this is a little gem of a book. When you're tired of just another story, this is the book for you, because it is definitely not just another story. Utterly unique and charming, I was quickly pulled into this quirky meeting of lost souls. And, in the most unlikely of places and in the most unlikely of ways, love manages to sweetly rear its hopeful head. You won't forget these characters or this weekend they spend together or they way it changes all of them, and you, just by having read it.

Wow. I feel as if I have just read one of the books of the year. Joyce Maynard's "Labor Day" is simply put: gorgeous. What, on the surface, seems like such a small story: a bleeding man approaches a boy in a discount store, and he & his Mom take him home for the long Labor Day weekend, becomes a stunning work on the nature of love and forgiveness. This book made me weep, I'm not ashamed to say. I wept from the beauty and simplicity and deep truths contained in its pages. Maynard's prose is perfect. An absolute must read.

And don't take just our word for it, it's also the main selection for the August Indie Next List.

"In Labor Day, Joyce Maynard has created three well-written and engaging characters, has put them in an extraordinary situation, and has delivered a wonderful book. I admit to being teary during the last few pages." --Lisa Sharp, Nightbird Books, Fayetteville, AR

So come into any one of our stores, and look for the V.I.B. displays, or order it from our website.

Jackie's July Picks

Building A Home With My Husband by Rachel Simon

It's a wonder that Rachel and her husband, Hal, are together at all--they are very different people. Rachel is a writer and an advocate for people with disabilities with an admitted problem with physical things like the third dimension. Hal is an architect who designs the physical world and a musician who creates his own world. These two dated/lived together for 13 years, broke up for 6 years, and
then, finally, got married. Then their house got burglarized, prompting at first the need to move, but that was just not affordable in the current economy. So they decided on a green renovation. This of course results in all the expected trauma and drama--though theirs
goes to an extreme not experienced by many (I don't want to spoil it for you). But the interesting thing about this book is that it's not only the house that gets renovated--it's Rachel and Hal and who they are together that goes through the most amazing overhaul. This book is full of insights and philosophical ponderings about the relationships of people to each other, their geographic place, their material things, their memories and much more. It certainly has its funny moments, but don't be fooled by them--this is a book with great depth.


How Shall I Tell The Dog? by Miles Kington

This is the last work of British author and humorist Miles Kington, an editor for Punch, writer and reviewer for the London Times and columnist for 22 years in The Independent. Written as a series of letters to his agent, Kington explores the many ways to "cash in on cancer" with book ideas, displaying great grace and humor while staring down pancreatic cancer with less than a year to live. It's gallows humor to an extent, but very creative and very British, and shows the indomitable nature of the man. For instance, at one point he declares that one of the 100 things he wants to do before he dies is learn to whistle with two fingers in his mouth. Another idea was, as his last literary effort, to write "Cancer, the IFAQs" (infrequently asked questions), featuring
such topics as 'Who is the patron saint of cancer' (after all there is one for everything else, right?) or 'Do people who are born under the sign of Cancer actually suffer more from cancer than people born under other signs?'. Serious issues are addressed as well, but always in a light tone, making this a book of many laughs and very few tears, though much regret that such a charming voice is no more.

What I Thought I Knew by Alice Eve Cohen

44 year old Alice was sick. Months of tests and doctor's exams left her with a portfolio of diagnosis--early menopause, a bladder disorder, middle age loss of muscle tone, a malformed reproductive system because of her mother's use of DES, sore breasts from wearing underwire bras, anemia, depression, and a large lump in her lower abdomen. Finally a new doctor sends her to the hospital for an emergency CAT scan and the real problem is revealed--Alice is 6 months pregnant (despite having an internal exam by her gyn just 4 weeks before who somehow missed the fact there was a baby in there). Which is a REAL problem given all of the medications she's been taking, no pre-natal care until that point, her age and the condition of her uterus. Her story is horrifying--a litany of medical malpractice and callous behavior that ran a chill up and down my spine. Her agony is palpable and haunting. You won't forget her story.



Last Light Over Carolina by Mary Alice Monroe

This new novel by the author of Time Is A River takes us to the coast of South Carolina and into the world of the shrimping industry, hit hard by the current economy and imports of foreign shrimp to American markets. It's the story of Bud and Carolina, whose decades of marriage is on shaky ground. It's also the story of a down on its luck town who, when emergency strikes, pulls together and takes care of its own while forgetting all the rivalries and resentments and worries that generally plague them. The story moves back and forth between the present and scenes from Bud and Carolina's past, giving depth and background to the characters to this well told story.

Attention Paranormal Romance Fans!

Are you having Buffy withdrawal? Well, if so, I've got a new book for you!

Death's Daughter by Amber Benson.

This book came out earlier this year, but recently caught my attention because it's written by Amber Benson, the actress who played Tara on the Buffy The Vampire Slayer television series, of which I am a fan. I had to see how she did.

The verdict--pretty darn good. Calliope Reaper-Jones had run away from the family business, going so far as to put a Forgetting Charm on herself so she could be "normal". The charm is broken by her father's assistant who comes to find her when her father, sister, and the whole
board of Death, Inc. are kidnapped. Calli is the only one who can help find them--if she's able to complete the tasks to become Death in her father's absence. This is a very readable book with lots of interesting twists and turns and plenty of creativity. It's the first
of a planned series.

It's a bit gorey at times, and there is some sex talk, but nothing worse than what anyone with cable is seeing in prime time really. I think this will be a great recommend for fans of Charleine Harris, Kim Harrison, Mary Ann Davidson or Kim Harrison--in other words, folks who like some funny with their paranormal.


--Jackie

Jackie's June Picks!

I know, it's the 3rd of July, and therefore no longer June. But I'm just getting to posting Jackie's recommendations that came out in June. That should mean they are all here, waiting for you!

The Physick Book of Deliverance Dane by Katherine Howe

Oh, this is a juicy one! This is about witches--modern day and those involved in the Salem Witch Trials in the 1600s, a debut novel written by one of the descendants of those witches who dreamed this story up while studying for her PhD qualifying exams in American and New
England Studies in Boston.

The main character, Connie Goodwin, stumbles upon an amazing thing while cleaning out her grandmother's long neglected house and working on her dissertation proposal near Salem. She discovers a name--Deliverance Dane--mysteriously hidden in an old Bible and her investigation of who that was leads her to the possibility of finding a New England grimoire, or spell book--something that has never before surfaced, and the suspicion that Deliverance Dane was one of the undocumented Salem witches. With the help of some new friends, including her advisor, who seems unduly obsessed with the possibility of this discovery, Connie goes on a wild ride through nearly 400 years of history to find secrets long buried that have a more personal connection to her than she ever dreamed.

This is a wonderful, fast-moving, yet scholarly, book that weaves fact and fiction seamlessly into a tale that you will not be able to put down. It moves back and forth in time, feeding you pieces of the puzzle and introducing many strong women characters throughout. To say this book is well researched is a vast understatement. Howe is one HECK of a storyteller!


The Strain by Guillermo del Toro and Chuck Hogan

Sit up and take notice vampire fans, there is a new dynamic duo writing a spine tingling, fast paced and very smart trilogy that's going to hit the genre like a storm. "The Strain" is the first book in the series and sets up the concept of what amounts to a biological attack by a rogue master vampire on the human race, starting in NYC. The main humans that are fighting it are two doctors from the CDC, an old holocaust survivor who has been tracking this particular vampire all of his life, and an exterminator who specializes in rats. It's an interesting collection that works very, very well. The momentum of this book is relentless--by the second night of the infection, you won't be able to put it down. It's going to be a frustrating wait until this time next year for the second book to come out!


Sworn To Silence by Linda Castillo

There's a new name in the thriller category, but she fits right in with the heavy hitting veterans who have read a praised her amazing debut. The lead character is unforgettable--Kate Burkholder is the chief of police in the small Ohio town where she grew up, though Kate the child and Kate the woman are vastly different. Violence and trauma took away Kate's young Amish innocence and made her the tough "English" (the term the Amish use for the non-Amish) cop she is today.
But is she tough enough to stop a brutal serial killer terrifying her town, especially since the new murders have echoes in them from her past? Add a burned-out BCI agent and a cast of characters rife with small town quirks and you get a fantastic, page turning, electrifying read.

Do be warned that there are some rather graphic descriptions and some harsh language in this book, so those sensitive to that sort of thing should probably stay away.

Castillo has garnered praise already from the likes of Sandra Brown, Lisa Scottoline, Chelsea Cain, Alex Kava and C.J. Box. I think all of their fans will love this book, and I'd throw in Lisa Gardner and Lisa Unger into that mix as well. (What is it about the name Lisa and thriller writing, I wonder?) She's definitely going to be an author to keep our eye on.


Goat Song by Brad Kessler

Writer Brad Kessler and his photographer wife, Dona, had a successful Manhattan life, but longed for the country: for fresh air and the chance to grow their own food. At last they found the perfect place in Vermont, and decided to become dairy farmers--specifically goats. They string fencing over a 3 acre square, refab an old chicken coop into a barn, and buy their first 4 goats. And so the adventure
begins. And what an adventure it is. This is a love story between human and animal, past and present, earth and food. Kessler has an eye for detail in his storytelling that lets you hear the soft "talking" of the goats, smell the hay, feel the sun on your face and the cool forest breeze on your skin. And while there is plenty of the nitty gritty of life with goats (manure and hormones, antics and worries), there is also the joy of being there when a man realizes his dream as his first tomme of cheese glistens from it's mold in perfection and promise on a warm summer night. It's the cold but mesmerizing trek through snow covered woods trying to figure out where a coyote went. It's helping your neighbors just because you can, and savoring the spice of food grown, picked and cooked with your own two hands. I LOVED THIS BOOK!!!


A Short History of Women by Kate Walbert

This new novel by renowned author Kate Walbert gives us glimpses into the lives of 5 related women over four generations. It begins in England in 1914 when Dorothy Townsend chooses to starve herself to death in the name of women's suffrage, leaving her two children
orphaned. So begins the legacy of how this family's women deal with what was called in the 19th century, "The Woman Question". Bouncing about in time to show various vignettes between the women and their families over the years, it's a fascinating study of society's treatment of women and their various reactions to it over the past hundred years or so.



Once Dead,Twice Shy by Kim Harrison

Kim Harrison is the author of the very popular adult paranormal fiction series known as "The Hollows". She's trying her funny charm and fiendish imagination on the teenage crowd now, still dealing with what I at least would call paranormal beings--angels. It's a very
complex world full of Time Keepers (humans who can bend time and control angels), Dark Reapers (angels who scythe humans when fate says it's their time) and Light Reapers (angels who try to prevent that fate from happening), Guardian Angels of various aptitudes, and more. Madison has learned all of this since she was scythed on the night of the junior prom, but there were some complications with all of that. The Dark Reaper went rogue and stole her body, but she managed to steal his amulet (a kind of power source) which has left her soul on Earth and given her the illusion of a body so that no one but the angels actually know she's dead. The whole book is a cat and mouse game of them trying to find each other and take back what was stolen from them. I think this is a fine start to a new series that should capture teen-age interest, let alone please Harrison's mighty legion of fans.


The Neighbor by Lisa Gardner


A young woman, blond and beautiful, disappears from her home one night, leaving her 4 year old child alone, a possible witness to whatever may have happened. The husband, who works nights, is immediately suspected of some sort of foul play, especially since he is uncooperative with the police after reporting his wife's disappearance several hours after he discovered it. It's true that he's hiding something, but it's not what the police think. This is a book of many levels of intrigue and mystery, well written and fast paced with plenty of surprises.




A Thread of Truth by Marie Bostwick

This is a sweet story, apparently second in a series about the women involved in a quilt shop, though it stands alone just fine. This one is about a woman, Ivy, on the run with
her kids from an abusive husband. After a couple of years of drifting, she finds a true home in the small Connecticut town of New Bern, and a job she's good at: taking care of internet orders for the quilt shop. One day the shop is filmed for an upcoming television special and Ivy is accidentally caught on tape. Her husband comes after her and Ivy learns the true value of her co-workers and friends as she fights for her new life and the freedom and safety she wants for her family. This is very much a female power/bonding sort of novel, with a bit of religion mixed in without a lot of fanfare. Fans of Kate Jacobs and Earlene Fowler will certainly embrace this series whole-heartedly. It would also make a fine book club read.

Jackie's May Picks

Running From The Devil by Jamie Freveletti

This is a great read--fast paced, smart and unusual, particularly since the main hero of the piece is a woman. Emma Caldridge, a biochemist for a cosmetics company, survives a crash landing of a hijacked plane in the jungles of Columbia. She's no lab nerd, she's an elite marathon runner as well as a brilliant scientist, two things she leans heavily on to survive the terrorists who are searching for her since it seems that she might just be the reason the plane was hijacked. I don't want to say much more because part of the pace of this book depends on finding out bits of information at very specific times in the story and I don't want to spoil a thing for you. If you are a political intrigue/thriller fan, you're going to love this book. And best yet, it's the first in a series by a fascinating new author--she's a competitive runner, a blackbelt and teacher in aikido, and a former trial attorney who holds degrees in law, political science and international studies which means she has the background for some exciting plot lines for her readers.


Coop by Michael Perry

Michael Perry has made a name for himself writing about small town life: Population: 485 about being a volunteer fire fighter, Truck: A Love Story (and an Indie hit) about meeting his wife, etc. "Coop" picks up where he left off as he, his wife, his "given" daughter (he hates the word 'step') and a soon to be born addition to the family move onto a farm formerly owned by his in-laws. The book covers about a year in the family's life and his filled with absolute hilarity (don't make my mistake and read this while dining alone in a quiet restaurant unless you LIKE being thought insane for laughing and snorting to yourself), bouncing between present day and his childhood where whatever notion he's struggling with got planted, including what it means to be a father and a provider. He walks (and sometimes falls off of) a balance beam of earning his living as a writer (with deadlines, book tours, etc) and being a farmer with a family and endless chores that need done each and every day. His honesty is complete--he does not make himself a hero, though the sainthood of his wife is nearly guaranteed. There's a lot of nitty gritty farming stuff here--let's just say they start out with chickens and hogs and end up with a stuffed freezer for the winter and you're with them every step of the way.

But it's also about the land, family, tradition, marriage, parenting, the role of religion over a lifetime, writing and being true to your vision of yourself. It's a great book for both making you laugh and making you think. I cannot recommend it highly enough!

The Well and The Mine by Gin Phillips

This book, Phillips' debut novel, came out last year but is getting a lot of attention now because Penguin just bought the rights. And well it should--this is a marvelous novel. Set in 1931 in Carbon Hill, Alabama, this book is more of a snapshot of life in a southern coal town than anything else. There is a bit of a mystery--a nine year old girl sees an unfamiliar woman throw a baby in a well one night--but it's biggest asset is the wonderful, detailed and delightful character development throughout the book. It centers on a family--Albert, who has mined coal his whole life; Leta, his hardworking and kindhearted wife; Virgie, the couple's teenage daughter whose beauty terrifies her parents; Tess, the middle child who is 9 and longing for adventure; and Jack, the ornery 7 year old little brother of the family. In some ways this reminds me a great deal of The Waltons, but the depth of the characters and the carefully crafted atmosphere transcend that similarity by light years. I was left aching for more when the last page was turned. I'm going to miss this family. And I'm going to watch out for Gin Phillips books--she's going to be an amazing southern voice in literary fiction.


When Skateboards Will Be Free by Said Sayrafiezadeh

Sayrafiezadeh is half Iranian (poppa's side) and half Jewish (mama's side) and was raised completely Socialist by separated, but like-minded parents who both were staunch activists in the Socialist labor movement. His father even ran for the president of Iran as a Socialist (along with 175ish other folks, which is a story in and of itself). His was NOT the typical childhood, to say the least.
He offers us a glimpse into a world that many of us have never seen or experienced, offering painful revelations and rib cracking humor side by side throughout the book.

This book reads rather quickly and does not allow itself to be bogged down by political theory or rhetoric--it is simply full of his observations of the world he grew up in.
It's really a fascinating story and I absolutely recommend reading it.


The Wildwater Walking Club by Claire Cook

Summer is coming and so ,of course, is a new, hilarious book by Claire Cook (Must Love Dogs, Summer Blowout, Life's A Beach). This one follows 32 days in the lives of 3 neighboring women who come together for fellowship and understanding as they set their pedometers fortheir daily walks. Noreen just took a buyout from her job and got dumped by her boyfriend. Tess is a school teacher suffering through her daughter's last contentious summer at home before leaving for college. And Rosie is a "tweener", raising young sons and taking care of her father and his lavender farm after the death of her mother. Cook once again blends familiar and serious issues with her keen sense of humor to serve up yet another summer treat for her vast legion of fans.


Broken by Lisa Jones

Local author Lisa Jones set out to write a book about Stanford Addison, a quadriplegic medicine man and horse breaker who lives up in Wyoming's Wind River Indian Reservation.
And certainly he was a main character (and an EXTREMELY fascinating one whose broken body freed him to soar), but Broken is more about Lisa herself. She finds a home, and more importantly, herself, while interviewing this amazing man and hanging out with his large, eclectic and somewhat wild family. She's fearless about telling her story, even when it paints her and her own family in a less than flattering light. I think women everywhere, especially women who feel a bit "broken" themselves by what their life has handed them, will identify with her. In addition, she does a tremendous job of capturing the spirit of the west as it lives and breathes today within the shadows of it's violent past. The 'medicine" in this book is thought provoking and hope-giving, especially Stan's tale of what the animals taught him about medicine, healing and living life. Read this book and see what all it has to offer for
yourself--and to yourself.

How To Buy A Love of Reading by Tanya Egan Gibson

Gibson had me at the title, I have to say. And the premise is very interesting: after 15 year old Carly admits on a school questionnaire that she's "never met a book I liked", her very rich, very status-conscious parents decide to commission a book just for Carly. They actually hire an author to move into their house(well, mansion, complete with it's own bra museum) and write a book that Carly would actually like to read. That starts a lot of balls rolling in their little, monied town. The true story is about relationships: overweight and somewhat outcast Carly and her best
friend, model-perfect but strung out womanizer, Hunter; the author Bree and her long-ago love, Julian, who happens to be hiding out in this same berg; the complex machinations of high society marriages in which social standing means more than personal happiness. I identified with Carly so much I cringed and cried for her as her mother alternated between bullying and ignoring her and as she continued to love others with her arms wide open even as they continued to not deserve her. I ached for Hunter's empty life and his need to escape. All of the characters in this book, the author's first, are drawn with great depth and sensitivity. There are times when things got a bit muddled, when flashbacks or fantasies or
fictional tv shows seemed to get tangled into the story a bit too much, but overall the beauty of the story, and it's somewhat tragic, somewhat deeply satisfying ending, make all of that ignorable and this debut book very much worth the read.

Currently available to pre-order.


Home Game by Michael Lewis

This is a hilarious account of learning to be a father in the 21st century. I actually
gave this book to a guy friend of mine who is struggling with the idea of marriage and fatherhood in the near future, and he stayed up all night reading and laughing, which is amazing since he's even more of a reluctant reader than he is a reluctant grownup. Myself, I was able to read it in just a few hours--it's light and amusing but makes some real points about the naturalness of maternity versus the learned behavior of paternity. This should make a fun gift for any expectant or new father this coming Fathers Day.



Madewell Brown by Rick Collignon

Though this is a book meant to be an answer to a mystery created in an earlier book, Perdido, it stands alone quite well. It involves a forgotten team in the Negro League baseball of long ago, one old man who tells its stories over and over, another old man who keeps a dark secret about it until his death bed, and the younger people who inherit the stories and the pall of the secrets. It's a rambling story, changing voices and eras effortlessly, but a fine one, showing the importance of memory and oral storytelling in keeping the past alive long enough for the present to learn from it.

It's published by our local friends at Unbridled Books.

Jackie's April Picks!

Here are some recommendations for books coming out this month:

Secret Recipes for the Modern Wife by Nava Atlas

This little book, done up in 1950's cookbook style, is hilarious. It includes recipes such as "Control Freak Cookies", "Bean and Weenies of Sexual Tension" and "Hypercritical Cinnamon Rolls" among many others, with instructions to let things marinate with lost dreams and repressed rage, or offers the option to spice with cinnamon or cyanide, cook's choice. There are a few happy recipes in there too (her editor made her add them), but this is truly just a giggle for those of us whose rose colored glasses got lost a long time ago, about the same time as our tired souls turned a deep shade of jade.

The Household Guide To Dying by Debra Adelaide

Don't let the title fool you, or at least read the whole title, which continues: "a novel about life". Because that's certainly what it is. The main character, Delia, is an advice columnist for domestic stuff, as well as a writer of several books based on a modern and cheeky interpretation of the 1861 classic "Mrs. Beeton's Book of Household Management". She also happens to be a mother with a loving husband, two young daughters, and end-stage cancer. She figures that her final book should be, in fact, how to manage a household dealing with death. She's flippant, upbeat, well read and extremely funny while dealing with enormous issues head-on (mostly) and unflinchingly. The book moves around in time a bit, back and forth between 17-year-old Delia who was making her way in the world as an unwed teenage mother in a small town and the current organized, irreverent, dying-in-as-practical-way-as-she-can Delia. The scope and generosity of her story is difficult to pull away from--there are quiet insights throughout the book that sneak up on you in unexpected ways but hit you like a hammer. It's a charming and ultimately hopeful story that I sincerely gets a lot of attention--it deserves it.


Laura Rider's Masterpiece by Jane Hamilton

Jane Hamilton, author of the emotionally wrenching "A Map of the World" and "The Book of Ruth", is trying her hand at humor this spring in this tale of two marriages and four profoundly disassociated people.

Laura and Charlie Rider are childless and the proprietors of a grand and successful plant nursery where Laura does the designs and Charlie does the hard work (including the quiet work of fixing Laura's designs). Laura is bold, bright, ambitious, completely self centered and just as completely uninterested in Charlie anymore. Charlie is an immature, simple, pleasant guy who prides himself mostly for being great in bed despite most of the town being convinced he's gay. They run the business together and make up stories about their 4 cats to give them something to talk about with each other.

Jenna Faroli is the town celebrity, hosting a syndicated radio talk show that brings in all the stars, hot authors and politicos. She is married to Frank who is a judge, Rhodes Scholar and budding amateur chef 15 years her senior and still in love with his college sweetheart who married his best friend. Jenna and Frank's marriage has been basically passionless since the complicated birth of their daughter 20-some years ago (an emotionally troubled and clingy young woman prone to multiple frantic calls to her mother every day). Theirs is a marriage of intellects more than anything.

Things change when Charlie and Jenna meet by accident just about the time that Laura decides that she wants to write romance novels. Trying to figure out a plot, she begins to experiment on Charlie and Jenna, with Charlie's knowledge, establishing an email relationship between the two (that she partially ghost writes) until an actual affair begins. That's when things begin to get out of control for everybody.

This is a darkly hilarious novel that I would categorized as "suburban Machiavellian chic lit with a slight literary twist". It's also an extremely quick read--I knocked it out in a matter of a few hours. While it doesn't resonate like Hamilton's previous work, it's definitely worth the read for it's creativity and wicked humor.


Thanks for the Memories by Cecelia Ahern

Ahern , queen of the "soul mates will find each other" chic lit fairy tales, has another winner on her hands. There's always a bit of magic involved in her tales, but this one has the biggest dose yet. Protagonist Joyce takes a tumble down some stairs, losing her baby (and ultimately her marriage) and needing a blood transfusion. While still in the hospital, she discovers she has all sorts of new knowledge-- architectural , artistic, historic, a grasp of languages--that she had no actual way of having gained. And then the memory flashes begin--of a woman on a picnic blanket, a tow headed little girl she's never met, and a life she has never lived. She's getting intimate glimpses of someone else's past, and she becomes obsessed with figuring out whose. A couple of chance meetings with a tall man set sparks flying and the comedic dance of trying to get two strangers who are meant to be together ACTUALLY together begins. It's a fun, light read coming out just in time for Spring Break.

Recent New Releases

Anything But Typical by Nora Raleigh Baskin

This is a charming and disarming book written in the voice of a 12-year old autistic boy. Jason writes wonderful stories on a website called Storyboard because that is the one place that he can make himself be understood. The rest of the time,especially since he's been mainstreamed into the public school system, he can't make himself heard or understood by the "neurotypical" folks, even his own family. A young girl also on Storyboard writes back to him with emails getting away from stories and more just friendly chatter. This is a new and treasured thing for Jason--a friend who sees him as talented and interesting instead of "different". But when a chance comes along for Jason and his correspondent to meet, his world is thrown into panic as he struggles with who he is and who he'd like to be. This is truly a wonderful book, designed for ages 10-14, but I was enthralled with it and I'm a rather high multiple of those ages.

Reunion by Therese Fowler

Therese Fowler's sophomore book shows that she just keeps getting better and better. Reunion tells the story of Blue Reynolds, a nationally popular talk show host with a past that she's hidden for years--a short time in her heartbroken youth that led her to partying, doing drugs and ultimately giving a baby up for adoption. She discretely begins to search for that child 20 years later, ironically at the same time her career leads her to the same man who broke her heart back then. Past and present collide in many ways for Blue, making this a very interesting read indeed with a satisfying but teasing ending. Fowler is very good a creating multi-dimensional characters that stay with you long after the last page is turned.


A Homemade Life by Molly Wizenberg

Molly Wizenberg is a food writer with a monthly column in Bon Appetit and a popular blog called Orangette ( http://orangette.blogspot.com/ ), as well as being a contributor in several other publications as well as NPR and PBS. "A Homemade Life: Stories and Recipes From My Kitchen Table" is her first book, made up mostly of past entries on Orangette. It's a biography told in recipes--amazingly accessible recipes that made my mouth water and my feet itch to get into the kitchen and start experimenting myself. This book (and the blog, on which I am now hooked) is extremely personable and personal--she talks about food solidly in the context that is has in her life. Her father's french toast, a recipe for Tarte Tatin in which the memory of a young heartbreak in Paris is a silent but important ingredient, Dutch Baby pancakes made for her by one of her friend Rebecca's husbands (Rebecca says everyone needs two husbands: for her one is straight-- John, the cook-- and one is gay-- Jimmy, the baker-- and all three have successfully lived together for years). This book reads very much like a chat at the table over coffee with your best friend--one who is a fanatic about food and has been known to experiment with recipes for years before finally being satisfied. I read the advanced copy, so I don't know about the finished book illustrations, though there is a note that they willbe in black and white, which is disappointing after seeing the stunning photography used in the blog. That will not, however, keep me from recommending this fabulous book to every foodie (or wannabe foodie) in my sphere of influence.


The Lost Quilter by Jennifer Chiaverini

The winds of March are bringing in an eagerly awaited treat--the next book in Jennifer Chiaverini's extremely popular Elm Creek Quilts series. The Lost Quilter once again visits slave times, continuing the story of Joanna begun in The Runaway Quilt (2003) . Even if you haven't read the first book, this one will grip you from beginning to end with her plight as a captured run-away slave who eventually helps fight the Civil War by spying in Charleston just before it burns. This story, for all of it's horror and brutal truths about life as a slave, is incredibly uplifting and inspiring.

Chiaverini has done it again!



Handle With Care by Jodi Picoult
I haven't read anything by Picoult in a few years, and I had forgotten how brilliant she is at blending multiple voices throughout a hefty, impressively researched novel. This book grabbed me hard and didn't let me go (sleep was lost, bus stops missed, etc). The personal, ethical, moral and social issues contained in this book will keep bookclubs talking for weeks.

The story, in a nutshell, is a mother of a precocious but severely disabled child decides, in order to get the cash necessary to keep up with her medical bills and special needs, to sue her obstetrician for "wrongful birth". This means that she must swear under oath that she should have been given all the facts about her daughter's illness in time to have an abortion. The same child that she adores, who is old enough and smart enough to understand what her mother is saying, but not why she is saying it.. Add to that the fact that her best friend is the doctor she is suing. In a small town. As you can see, the scenario is fraught with dramas and dilemmas even without side stories about her lawyer and her other daughter running throughout. There is a twist, at the very end, that will knock the breath out of you (I'm still stunned by so bold a plot turn myself).

One thing I disliked about the book is the recipes running throughout it--Charlotte, the main character, was a pastry chef before Willow's problems forced her into being a stay home mom, so they aren't completely out of place, but I felt like they did more to disrupt the flow of the book than add dimension to it. Still, I give it 5 stars with no hesitation.

The Lie: She Said And He Said

Many of us here loved Chad Kultgen's first novel, Average American Male. Now his second novel is out, entitled The Lie. Today, Jackie & Joe present us with their reviews of it.

Jackie says:
I have a sort of morbid fascination with this author after reading his first book The Average American Male. To say his writing style is saying misogynistic is like saying the Grand Canyon is a big hole. It terrified me that when I gave that book to a guy friend of mine he gobbled it up and reviewed it by saying "Ya, that's pretty much how we think". This gave me a full body shudder that I've never been quite able to shake.

Kultgen's second book, The Lie, trumps the first soundly. This is the story of three college kids--2 males, one female. One guy is relatively normal, at least at the beginning of the book. The other guy is an over-privileged fiend that goes out of his way to invent humiliating sexual situations to put women in and has an extensive catalog of offensive descriptions for, and opinions of, women. Completing the triangle is a status conscious, brainless and seemingly soulless young woman. The book tells the tale of how these 3, over the course of their 4 years at college, do their best to destroy each other.

There is some suspense, or at least a hovering sense of impending doom, that kept me turning the pages of this book. It is definitely NOT for the faint of heart or the easily offended. It is sick, twisted, dark and hypnotic. And yes, I will be giving my copy to that same guy friend to see what he thinks. I'm afraid. Very afraid.

Bret Easton Ellis and Chuck Palahniuk fans will easily fall into the Cult of Kultgen.

Joe says:
Chad Kultgen's second novel is quite possibly even more biting than his first. The story of a love triangle gone bad, then worse, then oh-my-god-how-could-it-have-gotten-even-worse-but-it-does. Some of the scenes were not only laugh-out-loud funny, they had me shaking and giggling so much it caused the folks in front of me on the plane I was on to ask what was wrong. And then I let them read it, and they then joined me in laughing as well. (All three of them were women, and I hesitated in letting them read it, as the scene concerned the thoughts of the female character while having sex. I was so relived when they started laughing!) The author doesn't shy away from delving into the horrible inner natures we harbor...and letting his characters live with the nasty debris. This book is not for the feint of heart, nor is it for someone who firmly believes in the trans formative (for the good) power of love. This book is not for any person who finds any derogatory term for women offensive. They all exist here in spades. In the world of this novel, love is a lie and can only bring hell. But if you're looking for a book to describe the inner workings of today's youth, this is the one.


This is a book I could not put down, except when I was laughing too hard, or too gut-punched by the lows each of the three characters managed to take themselves into. I recommended it to a friend of mine, a woman I have known since college, a little unsure what she might think of me as she read the book. She is enjoying the book immensely, saying that she thinks it's hilarious and sadly true.

Happy Birthday, Jackie, and Thank You!

Tomorrow, the 28th, is Jackie's birthday, and we just want to say two things Jackie:

1) Happy Birthday!
2) Thank you!

Thank you for your tireless enthusiasm for the Tattered Cover. Every time we see you behind the bar in the LoDo coffee shop, we see you smiling & greeting the customers by name & helping out the baristas!

Thank you for all you do to help keep our goodreads site up. Fantastic work! And for tweeting, as well!

Thank you for all the blog fodder you send here. The reviews, the links, the reviews, the reviews. How do you have time to read so many books? It's truly an inspiration and a wonder, and something we don't thank you enough for. So thank you!

If you, Dear Reader, find yourself in our LoDo store, check out Jackie's Corner. It's on the first floor, near the stairs & the new paperbacks. It's full of her recommendations and reviews (including March's IndieNext Pick: Fool by Christopher Moore!). Look for her in the coffee shop, where she is the manager, and say "hi" and talk to her about books. She is a tireless bookseller!

And look for more book reviews from Jackie here at Between the Covers, we got three reviews from her this morning!

Book Review: Sonata For Miriam

Sonata For Miriam by Linda Olsson

The first thing you come to in this complex book is a quote from Symon Laks: "But words must be found, for besides words there is almost nothing." This thought is central to all of the story lines in this novel of memories, silence and history - both shared and hidden.

On the same day that Adam Anker loses his only remaining family, a teenage daughter, he finds an obscure lead to his father that takes him on an amazing journey through post-war-torn Europe and it's survivors. Secrets long untold are slowly revealed and truths come to painful light that somehow complete the circle of who Adam is and what he is meant to do in this life. The idea that no true love is ever lost reoccurs over and over again.

Mostly told in Adam's voice, there is a brief section where the author says that one of the other characters just "had to be allowed to speak for herself... Nobody else could possibly tell her story." While jarring at first, this change in tone, and the glimpse into years of silence it offers us, is perhaps one of the most moving parts of this emotional book.

This book truly spotlights the value of words, especially stories of people, and their ability to bring us closer together and ease our pain. Full of loss, this is nevertheless one of the most hopeful books I've read in some time.

--Jackie

Some new books this week

This week has turned out to be a big week for some fantastic new releases we love:
Irreplaceable by Stephen Lovely

This is a very intriguing novel about two families--one the family of an young organ donor in Iowa, the other of the recipient of one of those organs in Chicago. Though typically donations are kept
confidential, an overheard conversation between doctors leads the curious and very grateful Janet, who received a very needed heart transplant to the names and addresses of her donor's husband, who wants nothing whatsoever to do with her, and mother, who embraces the chance to hold on to this last piece of her daughter. This is a very deep book, dealing with all sorts of tough things--the many forms of grief, the dynamics of organ donation on both the donors and the recipients and their families, dealing with chronic illness, the nature of gratitude and responsibility, and much more. The common thread seems to be how we deal with choices--both the ones we make and the ones that others do. Lovely obviously poured a lot of research into this book and it rings true on every page. This book will really make you think. -- Jackie

This is a haunting elegy to love & loss, grief & guilt. Beautifully, compellingly, written. I marvelled at the way Stephen Lovely painted his characters: so real & so flawed. As Jackie said, not an easy read, but most definitely a rewarding one. Especially recommended for folks who want to read about Chicago - some great descriptions of the Andersonville and Pilsen neighborhoods! -- Joe


The Spare Room by Helen Garner

Award winning writer Helen Garner returns to fiction after 15 years to write this short, intense and beautiful novel about friendship and dying. It seems intimately personal since the narrator is also named Helen, and the emotions are so raw and powerful. The premise--Helen agrees to let her friend stay with her for 3 weeks while she undergoes an alternative cancer therapy in Melbourne (where Helen lives). What she didn't know was just how very sick her friend is. Both women are in their 60s and on their own, and it becomes a struggle between needing help and asking for it, wanting to help but knowing what personal limits there are, and the boundaries of friendship and love. The issue of truth comes up again and again--facing the truth of an illness, the realities of a moment, and the sum of a life. This is a quick read, but not an easy one. -- Jackie

Addition by Toni Jordan

After reading a couple of books about people dealing with death, I was SOOOOOO ready for this light-hearted, quirky story, and in fact nearly swallowed it whole on a lazy, cloudy Saturday. This is a story about Grace, who lives with a form of obsessive/compulsive disorder that demands that she count EVERYTHING and live by the rule of numbers. This can be rather demanding, as you can probably guess. But she is absolutely adorable, with an acerbic wit that made me giggle many, many times. This book is all about learning to embrace, and even flaunt, who you are, no matter what. It's a first novel by Australian author Jordan who is bound to set the chic-lit world on it's ear with this delicious down-under treat! -- Jackie


A Rose By Any Name by Douglas Brenner and Stephen Scanniello

I'll start out by fully admitting that I did not read this whole book--I skipped around, sampled, and savored. This book is incredible. It's literally the history of the names of roughly 1200 (of the 15,000 that exist today) rose varieties. The stories are far more interesting than I ever dreamed they could be. I can't wait to see the finished book--the illustrations and photographs are going to be AMAZING. There is politics, intrigue, flattery, mockery, and espionage involved. Who knew?! -- Jackie




Bloodprint by Kitty Sewell

There are so many plot twists, especially in the last hundred pages or so, you might fell like you are on a roller coaster ride. This is the story of two women: Madeleine Frank, artist and psychologist, and the secrets that have formed her and her family's lives; and Rachel Locklear, former prostitute and now devoted mother trying desperately to escape the clutches of a crime family that has owned her for too long. These women meet by chance (that might not be chance) and their stories slowly come together into a hurricane of intrigue and fear that changes who they are forever. The characters in this book are very vivid, even the most minor, which makes an already interesting
story rich with depth and color. In short, this is a fantastic read! -- Jackie

Little Bee by Chris Cleave

This book is painful and beautiful and bound to be HUGE. Little Bee, a Nigerian girl who fled after the murder of her whole village by oil men, ends up in England searching for the two people she knows outside of Nigeria, two people who helped to spare her life once before. Her appearance back in Andrew and Sarah's life sets off a string of events that changes all of their lives forever--though forever is not as long for some of them as for others. There is horror (some of it graphic) and hope in this novel, and it's told in such a strong, fresh voice--you won't forget Little Bee and her story. Governments at their very worst, human beings at their very best and how they clash--it's haunting.

This would make a superb bookclub book! -- Jackie




Dog On It by Spencer Quinn

February might be a short and bleak month, but this year we have the debut of a new, unstoppable, hilarious, hard hitting crime fighting duo--Bernie and Chet--to look forward to. Bernie is a human private investigator with more heart than money. Chet is an almost completely trained police dog (there was an incident with a squirrel during the final field test--he'll tell you about it if he gets time later). And that's the real kicker to this team--Chet narrates the action in a very "dog nation" kind of way. Their current case is a missing 17 year old girl that many people don't want to be found. It's a good mystery with interesting clues, and the charm of the storytelling style just can't be beat. The great news is that this is the first book in what promises to be a popular ongoing series--author Spencer Quinn and his dog Audrey are busy on the next one even now! -- Jackie

I've gotta tell you all that I started reading this book with a raised eyebrow: really, another book narrated by a dog? And then I promptly devoured it! Chet is a great narrator. All dog: there are times when he is on the hunt, focused, and wham! what's that smell? The mystery kept me glued, with all its twists and turns, and had me rooting for down-on-his luck Private Investigator Bernie. Highly recommended! -- Joe

Fool by Christopher Moore

In his latest, Christopher Moore takes on the Bard, Shakespeare, in his hilarious retelling of King Lear. Rip-roaringly funny, with lots of gross-out humor, this book is for any fan of Christopher Moore. Irreverant, while somehow still being respectful of the original, this book had me bent over laughing! -- Joe

Moore is at it again, this time taking on Shakespeare. It follows (relative term here) the plot and characters of King Lear (including the Ghost--there's ALWAYS a bloody ghost), though Moore freely admits to generously borrowing lines from several other Shakespearian plays (to confuse the critics, supposedly). I am no Shakespearian scholar, so I was worried that perhaps I wouldn't "get" this book--but it really didn't matter. The few things that need to be explained are explained and the rest is just rib-achingly hilarious. This is an EXTREMELY bawdy/raunchy/R-rated novel--even Moore feels the need to put a warning at the front of the book. Bodily fluids feature greatly, as do the racier body parts, there is a bit of graphic violence and a great deal more graphic sexual moments. But mostly there is laughter and the sharp, snappy wit of Christopher Moore. This is his homage to British humor more than anything, and I found it spot on! -- Jackie

Whew! I told you it was a big week for new releases! Hopefully there's something here for everyone.