We've decided to transition and consolidate our writing at one place on our regular Web site, www.destinationsbooksellers.com. New Albany Books Daily will no longer have active new posts. We'll maintain this archive of past writing, but if you want to follow us, change your bookmarks accordingly.
Thank you to readers who followed us here at Blogger, and thanks to Blogger for providing the platform.
Saturday, March 7, 2009
Bookselling and Community
While amazon.com is famously cheap in its prices, it's also become infamously cheap to the community it lives in. The tacit silence over amazon's stinginess was first broken in a 2007 complaint on a Publishers Weekly blog by a rival Seattle bricks-and-mortar bookseller. When Paul Constant, books editor at the Seattle alt-weekly The Stranger, followed up on the post last year, he hit a stone wall: "[amazon.com] has refused to return repeated e-mails and calls from The Stranger about the company's seemingly nonexistent contributions to the Seattle arts scene," he wrote at the time. "Internet searches for any sign of philanthropy on behalf of the company prove fruitless."
Read Paul Collins' complete report at http://www.slate.com/id/2213037/.
Read Paul Collins' complete report at http://www.slate.com/id/2213037/.
Sunday, December 14, 2008
What 2009 Brings to the Book World
Encounter the peaks and the lows of the roller coaster of Diana Joseph's life in her new book, I'm Sorry You Feel That Way. In this exciting and heartening narrative, Diana introduces the men most important to her, or in her case the ones who seem the most important. The first being her son, who she throughout the book refers to as "the boy". Next, there is her father with whom she has a very loose relationship with. He having only called her a handful of times in her life, gave her a warning about becoming a slut at the age of twelve. Needless to say, she didn't actually take his advice much to heart and she ended up having to put up with an ex-husband and a common-law husband. So join in on this memoir and she where modern life takes this sharp woman.Throughout this book, I kept finding myself relating to Diana's feelings and just some of the hard times she was experiencing. She was a very friendly person, yet she only seemed to become acquaintances with boys. I, along with other females I'm sure, have the same feelings. Maybe it's just because I would pick shorts and some sneakers over a dress and heels any day. Or not, I just find it much easier to connect and be friends with males. Another characteristic that Diana and I both share is that we both find relief from our problems with humor. Diana cracked jokes right and left all through the book. Doing so, I think it lightens up the topic manner discussed in the book.
After I finished this book, I came to the realization of something unique about it. It wasn't like anything I have ever read before (this including of wide variety of literature for a 15 year old). Sure, I have read my share of memoirs but this one particularly stood out because of the tone it was written in. But since I was required by my English teacher to compare it to other literature, I would say that it reminded me of The Gravedigger's Daughter by Joyce Carol Oates. The reason for this is because both works have rather sad basis' of what happens, but the way it is written doesn't make it seem that bad at all. That is what makes these mutually splendid reads.
This manuscript is so relatable to the world that it constructs itself to actually be thought-provoking and capable of being read without a drop of boredom. I'm Sorry You Feel That Way investigates many otherwise known as untouchable subjects. Those of which include: raising a child without his father being around, being called promiscuous names, being promiscuous, and others. I'm pretty sure we all know these subjects happen and are apparent in everyday life. The book also mentions what it's like to get married and divorced, which is an unfortunate reality in our world today. Overall, this book is not out there and exaggerated, it's just the plain hard truth from a woman who's seen it all.
I'm Sorry You Feel That Way will be available March 2009 in hardcover for $23.95.
Call the store to pre-order yours today!
Click here to view Diana's website:
http://dianajoseph.net/
Book read & reviewed by:
Sophie Riggs
Tuesday, November 25, 2008
Indie Bestsellers
You've probably not yet tried our secure, private, online purchasing tools at
http://www.destinationsbooksellers.com/.
We're making it easy to try. If you're a Patron Passport Rewards member, we'll rebate you 20% of the book purchase price on any of these Indie Bestsellers. And if you're not, call the store and find out how to become a member.
Bestseller List for December 4th, 2008
Based on sales for the week ending Sunday, November 30th, 2008.
Click on any title to buy it now. We'll rebate you 20% of the book's price.
HARDCOVER FICTION
1. Private Patient - P.D. James, Knopf, $25.95, 9780307270771
2. Story of Edgar Sawtelle - David Wroblewski, Ecco, $25.95, 9780061374227
3. Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society - Mary Ann Shaffer, Annie Barrows, Dial, $22, 9780385340991
4. Hour I First Believed - Wally Lamb, Harper, $29.95, 9780060393496
5. A Mercy - Toni Morrison, Knopf, $23.95, 9780307264237
6. The Christmas Sweater - Glenn Beck, Threshold Editions, $19.99, 9781416594857
7. Gate House - Nelson DeMille, Grand Central, $27.99, 978044653342
8. Cross Country - James Patterson, Little Brown, $27.99, 9780316018722
9. Arctic Drift - Clive Cussler, Dirk Cussler, Putnam, $27.95, 9780399155291
10. Just After Sunset - Stephen King, Scribner, $28, 9781416584087
11. The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo - Stieg Larsson, Knopf, $24.95, 9780307269751
12. Divine Justice- David Baldacci, Grand Central, $27.99, 9780446195508
13. A Lion Among Men: Volume Three in the Wicked Years- Gregory Maguire, Morrow, $26.95, 9780060548926
14. Host - Stephenie Meyer, Little Brown, $25.99, 9780316068048
15. Most Wanted Man- John Le Carre, Scribner, $28, 9781416594888
On the Rise:
17. Ender in Exile - Orson Scott Card, Tor, $25.95, 9780765304964
The latest in the Ender series by the bestselling author of Ender's Game and Speaker for the Dead.
HARDCOVER NONFICTION
1. Outliers: The Story of Success - Malcolm Gladwell, Little Brown, $27.99, 9780316017923
2. Dewey - Vicki Myron, Grand Central, $19.99, 9780446407410
3. Hot, Flat, and Crowded - Thomas L. Friedman, FSG, $27.95, 9780374166854
4. American Lion: Andrew Jackson in the White House - Jon Meacham, Random House, $30, 9781400063253
5. Holidays on Ice - David Sedaris, Little Brown, $16.99, 9780316035903
6. Barefoot Contessa Back to Basics - Ina Garten, Clarkson Potter, $35, 9781400054350
7. Last Lecture - Randy Pausch, Hyperion, $21.95, 9781401323257
8. Goodnight Bush - Erich Origen, Gan Golan, Little Brown, $14.99, 9780316040419
9. Letter to My Daughter - Maya Angelou, Random House, $25, 9781400066124
10. Annie Leibovitz at Work - Annie Leibovitz, Random House, $40, 9780375505102
11. When You Are Engulfed in Flames - David Sedaris, Little Brown, $25.99, 9780316143479
12. Wordy Shipmates Sarah Vowell, Riverhead, $25.95, 9781594489990
13. Panic: The Story of Modern Financial Insanity - Michael Lewis, Norton, $27.95, 9780393065145
14. Alex & Me - Irene M. Pepperberg, Collins, $23.95, 9780061672477
15. Snowball: Warren Buffett and the Business of Life – Alice Schroeder, Bantam, $35, 9780553805093
On the Rise:
19. The Return of Depression Economics and the Crisis of 2008 - Paul Krugman, Norton, $24.95, 9780393071016
A look at the global economic crisis by the winner of the Nobel Prize in Economics.
TRADE PAPERBACK FICTION
1.Shack – William P. Young, Windblown, $14.99, 9780964729230
2. Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao - Junot Diaz, Riverhead, $14, 9781594483295
3. White Tiger – Aravind Adiga, Free Press, $14, 9781416562603
4. Thousand Splendid Suns - Khaled Hosseini, Riverhead, $16, 9781594483851
5. Out Stealing Horses – Per Petterson, Picador, $14, 9780312427085
6. Elegance of the Hedgehog– Muriel Barbery, Europa Editions, $15, 9781933372600
7. Loving Frank - Nancy Horan, Ballantine, $14, 9780345495006
8. Run – Ann Patchett, Harper Perennial, $14.95, 9780061340642
9. Water for Elephants – Sara Gruen, Algonquin, $13.95, 9781565125605
10. Secret Life of Bees – Sue Monk Kidd, Penguin, $14, 9780142001745
11. World Without End - Ken Follett, NAL, $22, 9780451224996
12. In the Woods - Tana French, Penguin, $14, 9780143113492
13. Hearts of Horses - Molly Gloss, Mariner, $13.95, 9780547085753
14. Road - Cormac McCarthy, Vintage, $14.95, 9780307387899
15. Bridge of Sighs – Richard Russo, Vintage, $14.95, 9781400030903
On the Rise:
21. An Incomplete Revenge – Jacqueline Winspear, Picador, $14, 9780312428181
The fifth novel in the popular Maisie Dobbs series is now available in paperback.
TRADE PAPERBACK NONFICTION
1.
2. Audacity of Hope - Barack Obama, Three Rivers, $14.95, 9780307237705
3. Three Cups of Tea – Greg Mortenson & David Oliver Relin, Penguin, $15, 9780143038252
4. Marley & Me-John Grogan, Harper, $13.95, 9780060817091
5. Musicophilia - Oliver Sacks, Vintage, $14.95, 9781400033539
6. Zookeeper's Wife - Diane Ackerman, Norton, $14.95, 978039333060
7. Omnivore’s Dilemma - Michael Pollan, Penguin, $16, 9780143038580
8. Animal, Vegetable, Miracle - Barbara/Camille Kingsolver & Steven Hopp, Harper Perennial, $14.95, 9780660852566
9. The Nine – Jeffrey Toobin, Anchor, $15.95, 9781400096794
10. Our Dumb World: Atlas of the Planet Earth- The Onion, Little Brown, $17.99, 9780316018432
11. Eat, Pray, Love – Elizabeth Gilbert, Penguin, $15, 9780143038412
12. Old Farmer's Almanac 2009 - Old Farmer's Almanac, $6.95, 9781571984531
13. New Earth – Eckhart Tolle, Plume, $14, 9780452289963
14. World Almanac and Book of Facts 2009 - World Almanac, $12.99, 9781600571053
15. Listening Is an Act of Love - Dave Isay (Ed.), Penguin, $15, 9780143114345
CHILDREN'S INTEREST
1. Diary of a Wimpy Kid Do-It-Yourself Book - Jeff Kinney, Amulet, $10.95, 9780810979772
2. Tale of Despereaux – Kate DiCamillo, Candlewick, $7.99, 9780763625290
3. Lump of Coal - Lemony Snicket, Brett Helquist (Illus.), HarperCollins, $12.99, 9780061574283
4.
5. Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Rodrick Rules - Jeff Kinney, Amulet, $12.95, 9780810994737
6. Diary of a Wimpy Kid - Jeff Kinney, Amulet, $12.95, 9780810993136
7.Mysterious Benedict Society – Trenton Lee Stewart, Little Brown, $6.99, 9780316003957
8.
9.
10.
11.
12.
13.
Cornelia Funke, Chicken House, $9.99, 9780439709101
14.Barack Obama: Son of Promise, Child of Hope - Nikki Grimes, Bryan Collier (Illus.), S&S, $16.99, 9781416971443
15.
David Macaulay, Houghton Mifflin, $35, 9780618233786
CHILDREN'S ILLUSTRATED
2.
3.
4.Gingerbread Friends - Jan Brett, Putnam, $17.99, 9780399251610
5.Fancy Nancy: Let's Get Fancy Together! - Jane O'Connor, Robin Preiss Glasser (Illus.), HarperCollins, $17.99, 9780061576713
6.
7.
8.
9.Twilight: The Complete Illustrated Movie Companion - Mark Cotta Vaz, Little Brown, $16.99, 9780316043137
10. How the Grinch Stole Christmas - Dr. Seuss, Random House, $14, 9780394800790
11.
12. Story of Christmas - Carolyn Croll (Illus.), Workman, $15.95, 9780761152507
13.Fifteen Animals! - Sandra Boynton, Workman, $6.95, 9780761130666
14.Fancy Nancy Sees Stars - Jane O'Connor, Ted Enik (Illus.), HarperTrophy, $3.99, 9780061236112
15.
Thursday, October 23, 2008
A funny guy
It can be hard for an author to stand out in a flood of new releases. I received this charming missive from an author this morning, and I enjoyed it so much, I thought you might want to read it, too.
Hello my very good friend (your name here)!
This isn't a full-blown newsletter. It's a half-blown newsletter to say I'm having a contest to give away some free books.
The free books in question are hardcover and trade paperback copies of AFRAID by Jack Kilborn.
Jack Kilborn is JA Konrath, and JA Konrath is me.
AFRAID is being released on November 13 in the UK. It's a very scary book. The US version is coming out in paperback in April. It's also a scary book. In fact, it's the exact same book, except in England they use single quotes rather than double quotes for dialog, and they spell words funny like 'realise' and 'centre' and 'colour.' Also, if you ask for a fag in Britain you get a cigarette, and in the US you get something else entirely.
For info about AFRAID, an excerpt, and the infamous AFRAID flash game, visit http://www.JackKilborn.com.
For info about how to win free books in the Official Jack Kilborn Halloween UK Afraid Contest, visit my blog at http://jakonrath.blogspot.com.
Now for the remainder of this mini-newsletter, here's a bunch of praise from famous authors that you're going to skim over or ignore completely...
"AFRAID is a masterpiece of unrelenting horror. And I'm not exaggerating. Masterpiece. It's the best piece of fiction I've read in several years. It simply NEVER lets up."
— James Rollins, NYT bestselling author of Black Order and The Judas Strain
"AFRAID stands shoulder to shoulder with the very best of Harris, Koontz, and King. A classic horror novel."
— Blake Crouch, author of Abandon
"The moment I heard about this book, I couldn't wait to get my hands on it."
— David Morrell, NYT bestselling author of Creepers and First Blood
"AFRAID is one of the most intense books I've ever read. This one takes no prisoners."
— Marcus Sakey, author of The Blade Itself
"An absolutely relentless nightmare, with some of the most deliciously nasty villains I've ever encountered in a book. Horror fans will be wiping blood out of their eyes with glee."
— Jeff Strand, author of Pressure
“Like the evil so rife in this book, Kilborn kicks down your psyche’s front door, barges into the middle of your spirit, and RAISES HOLY EVER-LIVING HELL. Never have I read a novel so gruesome and simultaneously relentless. This book throbs with unmitigated, inexorable. sheer friggin’ TERROR. You’ll probably need a shrink when you’re done.”
— Edward Lee, author of Brides of the Impaler
"AFRAID is the most cringe-inducing thriller I've read. Twisted, frightening, and definitely not for the fainthearted. I loved every terrifying page."
— Henry Perez, author of Killing Red
"AFRAID never lets the reader rest. Kilborn's debut will have you cheering for the underdog while checking your doors to make sure they're locked."
— Crimespree Magazine
"A startling novel, from its thrilling onset to horrific closing pages. Hands down, AFRAID by Jack Kilborn is perhaps the best psychological horror to come along since Silence of the Lambs."
— Michael Laimo, author of Dead Souls
"A bloody, terrifying, hurtling assault across a landscape of non-stop mayhem. A guilty, guilty pleasure."
— F. Paul Wilson, creator of Repairman Jack
"An amazing debut. I wish I'd written it."
— JA Konrath, author of Fuzzy Navel
Okay, the newsletter is over. Go back to doing whatever you were doing. And remember... I love you.
http://www.JAKonrath.com
Hello my very good friend (your name here)!
This isn't a full-blown newsletter. It's a half-blown newsletter to say I'm having a contest to give away some free books.
The free books in question are hardcover and trade paperback copies of AFRAID by Jack Kilborn.
Jack Kilborn is JA Konrath, and JA Konrath is me.
AFRAID is being released on November 13 in the UK. It's a very scary book. The US version is coming out in paperback in April. It's also a scary book. In fact, it's the exact same book, except in England they use single quotes rather than double quotes for dialog, and they spell words funny like 'realise' and 'centre' and 'colour.' Also, if you ask for a fag in Britain you get a cigarette, and in the US you get something else entirely.
For info about AFRAID, an excerpt, and the infamous AFRAID flash game, visit http://www.JackKilborn.com.
For info about how to win free books in the Official Jack Kilborn Halloween UK Afraid Contest, visit my blog at http://jakonrath.blogspot.com.
Now for the remainder of this mini-newsletter, here's a bunch of praise from famous authors that you're going to skim over or ignore completely...
"AFRAID is a masterpiece of unrelenting horror. And I'm not exaggerating. Masterpiece. It's the best piece of fiction I've read in several years. It simply NEVER lets up."
— James Rollins, NYT bestselling author of Black Order and The Judas Strain
"AFRAID stands shoulder to shoulder with the very best of Harris, Koontz, and King. A classic horror novel."
— Blake Crouch, author of Abandon
"The moment I heard about this book, I couldn't wait to get my hands on it."
— David Morrell, NYT bestselling author of Creepers and First Blood
"AFRAID is one of the most intense books I've ever read. This one takes no prisoners."
— Marcus Sakey, author of The Blade Itself
"An absolutely relentless nightmare, with some of the most deliciously nasty villains I've ever encountered in a book. Horror fans will be wiping blood out of their eyes with glee."
— Jeff Strand, author of Pressure
“Like the evil so rife in this book, Kilborn kicks down your psyche’s front door, barges into the middle of your spirit, and RAISES HOLY EVER-LIVING HELL. Never have I read a novel so gruesome and simultaneously relentless. This book throbs with unmitigated, inexorable. sheer friggin’ TERROR. You’ll probably need a shrink when you’re done.”
— Edward Lee, author of Brides of the Impaler
"AFRAID is the most cringe-inducing thriller I've read. Twisted, frightening, and definitely not for the fainthearted. I loved every terrifying page."
— Henry Perez, author of Killing Red
"AFRAID never lets the reader rest. Kilborn's debut will have you cheering for the underdog while checking your doors to make sure they're locked."
— Crimespree Magazine
"A startling novel, from its thrilling onset to horrific closing pages. Hands down, AFRAID by Jack Kilborn is perhaps the best psychological horror to come along since Silence of the Lambs."
— Michael Laimo, author of Dead Souls
"A bloody, terrifying, hurtling assault across a landscape of non-stop mayhem. A guilty, guilty pleasure."
— F. Paul Wilson, creator of Repairman Jack
"An amazing debut. I wish I'd written it."
— JA Konrath, author of Fuzzy Navel
Okay, the newsletter is over. Go back to doing whatever you were doing. And remember... I love you.
http://www.JAKonrath.com
Saturday, September 6, 2008
The Year We Disappeared: A Father-Daughter Memoir
There's little doubt that this blog is read by adults - readers perhaps, parents perhaps - but few if any teens. Yet, I think there is value in talking to you about a singular memoir that, for whatever reason, has been parked in the young adult market by Bloomsbury.
- The Year We Disappeared
The Year We Disappeared: A Father-Daughter Memoir is their story of a life on the run, hiding out from the criminals who wanted John Busby dead.
I mention the book simply because you won't hear about it otherwise - and then you will. So very many books come out each year that it's hard for us, much less you, to know when a good one arrives unless the mass media (or Oprah) tell you to buy a book. Frankly, I resent that, but since our Web sites will never be mass media, I hope the discerning among you will investigate further (click on the image for more details or to buy it from us online).
Our Sophie has read the book and warns that it is not for the youngest - it's a little too scary and the injuries to John Busby are described quite graphically. But for a mature teen 14 and up, it's a gripping story. In fact, it offers the best of what books can do - it gives a life lesson in bravery that few will ever have to experience. It's important to know these things, but not quite necessary to live them.
For true crime aficionados or anyone looking for a remarkable memoir that will give you a great story to tell at your next watercooler stop, I invite you to check it out.
Saturday, August 30, 2008
John Dominic Crossan
The noted theologian John Dominic Crossan will be a guest on New Albany Now in the coming weeks to discuss his recent book, God and Empire: Jesus Against Rome, Then and Now. Read more on our New Albanist blog.
Spelling snob
I've been thinking about this lately while reading David Wolman's Righting the Mother Tongue: From Olde English to Email, the Tangled Story of English Spelling. Click on the cover photo for more information.
Wolman "suffered" the tyranny of difficulty with spelling as a child, and still carries scars from a quizmistress mother and spelling-segregated classrooms.
During the writing of this book, Wolman visited with a diagnostician, Dr. Uta Frith, who appraised him, tentatively, as a classic case of compensated dyslexia. Frith is the opposite of a bad speller, but "[s]he's adamant that spelling skill has nothing to do with being gifted. 'It's a waste of [mental] resources to learn all that spelling if you don't need it,' she said. 'The fact is you can't help being good or bad at this.'"
According to the author, "The evolution of written symbols, words, and prose is far too recent in human history to be coded into our genes. Instead, the brain has retooled itself for reading and writing, applying, for instance, visual processing powers that evolved for other tasks...the reading system is more tenuous than many of us realize...Reading may be a favorite form of leisure, but for the brain it's no walk in the park."
And yet, society as a whole uses the ability to spell as a shorthand for intellect, or at least for education. Wolman tells the story of an 18th-century "man of quality, who never recovered from the ridicule of having spelled wholesome without the w."
"Spelling as a measure of manners, we know. Spelling as a sign of intelligence, we infer. Think about the last time you read a formal letter with misspellings in it and the unfavorable impression it left behind, not just of carelessness, but also lack of smarts. 'Spelling,' David Crystal told [the author], 'has become the main diagnostic feature for determining whether someone has been educated in English.'"
So, I'm a spelling snob. I've always been good at it. I attribute that to the importance I place on being thought of as "smart." I was "rewarded" for being smart, and spelling was where I excelled, so naturally it became important to me. Today, I cringe when I see misspellings and grammatical groaners like "they was." You can imagine my internal pain during a typical city council meeting!
But, I don't consider myself the spelling police. I groan inwardly. When I think it will be both helpful, and taken as helpful, I'll drop a note to a friend to "help" them over a word they've written that is not orthographically correct.
Much of the book is taken up by recitals of the efforts of spelling reformers, those "valiant exterminators of dialectical vermin," from Samuel Johnson to Noah Webster to Melville Dewey (father of the Dewey Decimal System, who went so far as to change his name to Melvil Dui).
As an end note, consider this anecdote that may explain why I was nurtured to be a good speller. My mother was a tremendous speller. For instance, she could throw a newspaper page down on the kitchen table and within seconds spot the typos without consciously reading a word. My father could sit on the front porch and point out four-leaf clovers from 20 and 30 feet away in the midst of a lawn full of thick grass...not just clovers, but four-leaf clovers. But he couldn't spell a lick. And for the most part, never worried too much about it.
As a girl in school, my mom was dismissed from a spelling bee after spelling catalogue. The judges said oh, no. It's catalog. Period. This despite the fact that almost everything my mother had read spelled it with the -ue ending. Know who was responsible for that little change? Mr. Melvil Dui.
Wednesday, August 27, 2008
Randy has transitioned all of his blogging - show-related, political, books, and other - over to a new site. If you want to, check it out and add it to your favorites and blogrolls.
It is http://newalbanist.wordpress.com/
This blog isn't going away. It's just being joined to a meta-blog.
It is http://newalbanist.wordpress.com/
This blog isn't going away. It's just being joined to a meta-blog.
Tuesday, July 1, 2008
Victory for Common Sense
This just in...
Judge throws out new Ind. law on explicit material
07/01/2008
By KEN KUSMER / Associated Press
A federal judge threw out a new Indiana law requiring bookstores and other retailers to register with the state and pay a $250 fee if they want to sell sexually explicit material.
U.S. District Judge Sarah Evans Barker, ruling Tuesday on the day the law took effect, found it too broad and said it could be applied against "unquestionably lawful, nonobscene, nonpornographic materials being sold to adults."
"A romance novel sold at a drugstore, a magazine offering sex advice in a grocery store checkout line, an R-rated DVD sold by a video rental shop, a collection of old Playboy magazines sold by a widow at a garage sale ... would appear to necessitate registration under the statute," Barker wrote.
The American Civil Liberties Union took on the case for a team of plaintiffs that included the Indianapolis Museum of Art, bookstores and publishers.
"It's a victory for booksellers and the arts community but most importantly for the First Amendment," said Maxwell Anderson, the art museum's CEO. "I'm concerned as we all should be about restrictions on free expression."
Elizabeth Houghton Barden, owner of Big Hat Books, an independent, general interest store in Indianapolis, said she and her fellow plaintiffs did not want to see lingerie shops opening up next to candy stores, but that was a matter for zoning boards.
"Any time we engage in censorship, we've lost our right to free expression," she said.
Rep. Terry Goodin, D-Crothersville, said he wrote the law to stop companies from deceiving communities with weak zoning laws. He noted one company told the southern Indiana community of Dale it planned to operate a truck stop but instead opened an adult business.
The law required people who planned to sell sexually explicit materials to register with the Indiana secretary of state's office, pay the $250 fee and state the types of materials they intended to sell.
"I don't see this gray area that people are talking about," Goodin said. "To me, it's black and white. If you're selling pornography, you know it. If you're not, you don't have to register."
But Barker found the wording of the state law unconstitutionally vague.
"The statute provides no guidance whatsoever to merchants attempting to comply with the law, and surely creates the danger of self-censorship in an effort to avoid criminal penalties," the judge wrote.
Goodin said he would confer with the state attorney general before decided what to do next, but one option included taking the matter back to lawmakers in the 2009 legislative session.
"I've got pencil in hand," Goodin said. "I'm ready to go. I'm not going to let this sleeping dog lie."
ACLU attorney Ken Falk noted the plaintiffs included the volunteer-run Boxcar Books and Community Center in Bloomington, art galleries, and trade associations representing booksellers, publishers, libraries, video rental stores and music companies.
"They are all legitimate businesses that are far from being the "'dirty bookstore,'" Falk said.
___
Associated Press writer Deanna Martin in Indianapolis contributed to this report.
Judge throws out new Ind. law on explicit material
07/01/2008
By KEN KUSMER / Associated Press
A federal judge threw out a new Indiana law requiring bookstores and other retailers to register with the state and pay a $250 fee if they want to sell sexually explicit material.
U.S. District Judge Sarah Evans Barker, ruling Tuesday on the day the law took effect, found it too broad and said it could be applied against "unquestionably lawful, nonobscene, nonpornographic materials being sold to adults."
"A romance novel sold at a drugstore, a magazine offering sex advice in a grocery store checkout line, an R-rated DVD sold by a video rental shop, a collection of old Playboy magazines sold by a widow at a garage sale ... would appear to necessitate registration under the statute," Barker wrote.
The American Civil Liberties Union took on the case for a team of plaintiffs that included the Indianapolis Museum of Art, bookstores and publishers.
"It's a victory for booksellers and the arts community but most importantly for the First Amendment," said Maxwell Anderson, the art museum's CEO. "I'm concerned as we all should be about restrictions on free expression."
Elizabeth Houghton Barden, owner of Big Hat Books, an independent, general interest store in Indianapolis, said she and her fellow plaintiffs did not want to see lingerie shops opening up next to candy stores, but that was a matter for zoning boards.
"Any time we engage in censorship, we've lost our right to free expression," she said.
Rep. Terry Goodin, D-Crothersville, said he wrote the law to stop companies from deceiving communities with weak zoning laws. He noted one company told the southern Indiana community of Dale it planned to operate a truck stop but instead opened an adult business.
The law required people who planned to sell sexually explicit materials to register with the Indiana secretary of state's office, pay the $250 fee and state the types of materials they intended to sell.
"I don't see this gray area that people are talking about," Goodin said. "To me, it's black and white. If you're selling pornography, you know it. If you're not, you don't have to register."
But Barker found the wording of the state law unconstitutionally vague.
"The statute provides no guidance whatsoever to merchants attempting to comply with the law, and surely creates the danger of self-censorship in an effort to avoid criminal penalties," the judge wrote.
Goodin said he would confer with the state attorney general before decided what to do next, but one option included taking the matter back to lawmakers in the 2009 legislative session.
"I've got pencil in hand," Goodin said. "I'm ready to go. I'm not going to let this sleeping dog lie."
ACLU attorney Ken Falk noted the plaintiffs included the volunteer-run Boxcar Books and Community Center in Bloomington, art galleries, and trade associations representing booksellers, publishers, libraries, video rental stores and music companies.
"They are all legitimate businesses that are far from being the "'dirty bookstore,'" Falk said.
___
Associated Press writer Deanna Martin in Indianapolis contributed to this report.
Friday, June 27, 2008
Balm for One of My Pet Peeves
(partial) Quote of the day:
…Ayn Rand, who is to traditionally female attributes like empathy and interpersonal relationships what Grover Norquist is to functioning government… Salon Magazine
Over the past 24 hours, I’ve been pretty busy. For that matter, over the past 24 months, but that’s neither here nor there.
Wednesday evening I was trolling one of the several Internet message boards I scan to keep up with news about books. I came across a posting by an author, Robert Thompson, who was seeking to promote his new book on leadership by offering to do Internet radio interviews. In his sign-off, he blithely told the board to “Order Your Copy Today at: Amazon.com or Barnes and Noble.com.”
I’m sympathetic to the difficulty authors face in getting exposure and sales for their books. In Mr. Thompson’s case, he had taken his professional skills as a trainer and translated that into a book. The book had been picked up by a major publisher of business books, but, as you will see in the correspondence I’m sharing below, he was surprised at how much of the burden of selling his book had fallen to him.
But this blissful ignorance, this example of taking the easiest way, sounded my gong. So I flamed him, albeit gently. Here’s what I said:
Hi, Robert.
I have a new BTR show that will be about half books and half local public affairs. I'm also an independent bookseller.
Should you realize that amazon.com and barnesandnoble.com arent' the be-all, end-all of bookselling, we'd be happy to schedule you on our show.
Every time an author solicits bookseller support and then says "check me out on amazon," another angel falls from heaven.
I thought that was gentle. I have the same reaction when I hear the word “Kentuckiana.”
We Indies, the independent booksellers of America, are an amazing resource for authors of “midlist” books like Mr. Thompson’s. At this moment, I can’t tell you if the Indies would or could make his book a bestseller. His publisher, Jossey-Bass (an imprint of John Wiley & Sons), hadn’t chosen to promote it by sending it out for evaluation and I’m perfectly willing to admit that I would never have heard of it, in all likelihood, or at least I wouldn’t have remembered hearing about it.
Here’s the book, in case you were wondering. If you click on the book jacket, you will be directed to our Web site, where you can purchase it. More about that later.
To his credit, Mr. Thompson (I’ll call him Robert from now on) responded with alacrity.
He wrote: Randy, so sorry for all of the fallen angels. :-)
As a first time author, I am learning I am somewhat clueless to the industry but trying to learn as quick as possible. Thanks for the new lesson…If you ever forgive me, I would be happy to be a guest on your show. If your store carries my book it could be a mutual benefit.
Again, sorry. No offense intended.
Cheers, Robert.
Thus began a rapid-fire exchange in which I tried to educate Robert to the realities of the 1,800 independent booksellers in America who could, unless supremely insulted by the author’s attempt to drive sales to monolithic, soulless, quarterly dividend-chasing online retailers, help to sell his book.
Indies contribute to their local communities at about 150% the rate of chains. As best as I can tell, nonlocal online retailers not only don’t contribute to your community, they, inexplicably, don’t even collect or pay sales taxes.
Over the course of the day, Robert instructed his technical people to insert a link deep on his Web site that would also direct those who are aware of the distinctions between Indies and the chains and online parasites to other choices, including our own www.destinationsbooksellers.com.
Oh, and by the way, Robert’s e-mail signature now reminds his correspondents that they can buy his book at their local independent bookseller. And I learned a bit more about how authors think during the exchange of e-mails, too.
What does this mean for you, the typical reader, a person who likely shops at Destinations Booksellers and gets it? Probably not much. But let me share with you some of the reasons it’s important to shop local first.
First of all (in my words), your shopping choices are your votes. When you shop at Destinations Booksellers, you’re telling us you want us to stay in business, that having a local independent bookseller is something valuable to you. If you were building a city from scratch, wouldn’t you choose to have a bookstore? If you were to, instead, buy your books from national chains or internet purveyors, wouldn’t that be your vote to replace your local bookstore with something else – either something you prefer or, God forbid, another empty building?
But take a look at these reasons (not my words, but ones I wholly endorse):
Thanks for shopping at
Destinations Booksellers
Here's what you just did!
1. You kept your dollars in our economy
For every $100 you spend at one of our local business, $68 will stay in our community. What happens when you spend that same $100 at a national chain? $43 stays in our community.
2. You embraced what makes us unique
You wouldn't want your house to look like everyone else's in the U.S. So why would you want your community to look that way?
3. You created local jobs
Local businesses are better at creating higher-paying jobs for our neighbors.
4. You helped the environment
Buying from a local business conserves energy in the form of less fuel for transportation, less packaging, and products that you know are safe and well made, because we stand behind them.
5. You nurtured community
We know you, and you know us. Studies have shown that local businesses donate to community causes at twice the rate of chains.
6. You conserved your tax dollars
Shopping in a local business district means less infrastructure, less maintenance, and more money available to beautify our community. Also, spending locally instead of online ensures that your sales taxes are reinvested where they belong - right here in your community!
7. You created more choice
We pick the books and gifts we sell based on what we know you like and want. Local businesses carry a wider array of unique products because we buy for our own individual market.
8. You took advantage of our expertise
You are our friends and neighbors and we have a vested interest in knowing how to serve you. We're passionate about what we do. Why not take advantage of that?
9. You invested in entrepreneurship
Creativity and entrepreneurship are what the American economy is founded upon. Nurturing local business ensures a strong community.
10. You made us a destination (Destinations?)
The more interesting and unique we are as a community, the more we will attract new neighbors, visitors, and guests. This benefits everyone.
Love your local
Community, Business, and Neighborhood Alliance
…Ayn Rand, who is to traditionally female attributes like empathy and interpersonal relationships what Grover Norquist is to functioning government… Salon Magazine
Over the past 24 hours, I’ve been pretty busy. For that matter, over the past 24 months, but that’s neither here nor there.
Wednesday evening I was trolling one of the several Internet message boards I scan to keep up with news about books. I came across a posting by an author, Robert Thompson, who was seeking to promote his new book on leadership by offering to do Internet radio interviews. In his sign-off, he blithely told the board to “Order Your Copy Today at: Amazon.com or Barnes and Noble.com.”
I’m sympathetic to the difficulty authors face in getting exposure and sales for their books. In Mr. Thompson’s case, he had taken his professional skills as a trainer and translated that into a book. The book had been picked up by a major publisher of business books, but, as you will see in the correspondence I’m sharing below, he was surprised at how much of the burden of selling his book had fallen to him.
But this blissful ignorance, this example of taking the easiest way, sounded my gong. So I flamed him, albeit gently. Here’s what I said:
Hi, Robert.
I have a new BTR show that will be about half books and half local public affairs. I'm also an independent bookseller.
Should you realize that amazon.com and barnesandnoble.com arent' the be-all, end-all of bookselling, we'd be happy to schedule you on our show.
Every time an author solicits bookseller support and then says "check me out on amazon," another angel falls from heaven.
I thought that was gentle. I have the same reaction when I hear the word “Kentuckiana.”
We Indies, the independent booksellers of America, are an amazing resource for authors of “midlist” books like Mr. Thompson’s. At this moment, I can’t tell you if the Indies would or could make his book a bestseller. His publisher, Jossey-Bass (an imprint of John Wiley & Sons), hadn’t chosen to promote it by sending it out for evaluation and I’m perfectly willing to admit that I would never have heard of it, in all likelihood, or at least I wouldn’t have remembered hearing about it.
Here’s the book, in case you were wondering. If you click on the book jacket, you will be directed to our Web site, where you can purchase it. More about that later.
To his credit, Mr. Thompson (I’ll call him Robert from now on) responded with alacrity.
He wrote: Randy, so sorry for all of the fallen angels. :-)
As a first time author, I am learning I am somewhat clueless to the industry but trying to learn as quick as possible. Thanks for the new lesson…If you ever forgive me, I would be happy to be a guest on your show. If your store carries my book it could be a mutual benefit.
Again, sorry. No offense intended.
Cheers, Robert.
Thus began a rapid-fire exchange in which I tried to educate Robert to the realities of the 1,800 independent booksellers in America who could, unless supremely insulted by the author’s attempt to drive sales to monolithic, soulless, quarterly dividend-chasing online retailers, help to sell his book.
Indies contribute to their local communities at about 150% the rate of chains. As best as I can tell, nonlocal online retailers not only don’t contribute to your community, they, inexplicably, don’t even collect or pay sales taxes.
Over the course of the day, Robert instructed his technical people to insert a link deep on his Web site that would also direct those who are aware of the distinctions between Indies and the chains and online parasites to other choices, including our own www.destinationsbooksellers.com.
Oh, and by the way, Robert’s e-mail signature now reminds his correspondents that they can buy his book at their local independent bookseller. And I learned a bit more about how authors think during the exchange of e-mails, too.
What does this mean for you, the typical reader, a person who likely shops at Destinations Booksellers and gets it? Probably not much. But let me share with you some of the reasons it’s important to shop local first.
First of all (in my words), your shopping choices are your votes. When you shop at Destinations Booksellers, you’re telling us you want us to stay in business, that having a local independent bookseller is something valuable to you. If you were building a city from scratch, wouldn’t you choose to have a bookstore? If you were to, instead, buy your books from national chains or internet purveyors, wouldn’t that be your vote to replace your local bookstore with something else – either something you prefer or, God forbid, another empty building?
But take a look at these reasons (not my words, but ones I wholly endorse):
Thanks for shopping at
Destinations Booksellers
Here's what you just did!
1. You kept your dollars in our economy
For every $100 you spend at one of our local business, $68 will stay in our community. What happens when you spend that same $100 at a national chain? $43 stays in our community.
2. You embraced what makes us unique
You wouldn't want your house to look like everyone else's in the U.S. So why would you want your community to look that way?
3. You created local jobs
Local businesses are better at creating higher-paying jobs for our neighbors.
4. You helped the environment
Buying from a local business conserves energy in the form of less fuel for transportation, less packaging, and products that you know are safe and well made, because we stand behind them.
5. You nurtured community
We know you, and you know us. Studies have shown that local businesses donate to community causes at twice the rate of chains.
6. You conserved your tax dollars
Shopping in a local business district means less infrastructure, less maintenance, and more money available to beautify our community. Also, spending locally instead of online ensures that your sales taxes are reinvested where they belong - right here in your community!
7. You created more choice
We pick the books and gifts we sell based on what we know you like and want. Local businesses carry a wider array of unique products because we buy for our own individual market.
8. You took advantage of our expertise
You are our friends and neighbors and we have a vested interest in knowing how to serve you. We're passionate about what we do. Why not take advantage of that?
9. You invested in entrepreneurship
Creativity and entrepreneurship are what the American economy is founded upon. Nurturing local business ensures a strong community.
10. You made us a destination (Destinations?)
The more interesting and unique we are as a community, the more we will attract new neighbors, visitors, and guests. This benefits everyone.
Love your local
Community, Business, and Neighborhood Alliance
Tuesday, June 24, 2008
More News on Enzo!
The Art of Racing in the Rain, by Garth Stein, has risen to the No. 3 spot on the latest Indie Bestseller list. Those of you paying close attention will have witnessed the correspondence between New Albany Books Daily and the author, including Garth's self-deprecating comment about his standing vis-a-vis "brand-name" authors.
Well, just for comparison, Salman Rushdie sits at No. 4. Stephenie Meyer is at No. 2. Pretty good company, if you ask me.
Plaudits to our staff and to you, our patrons, who have played a small part in elevating Enzo to such rarefied air near the summit of the coveted Indie Bestseller fiction list.
We're almost sold out again and trying to build our order for the coming season. It would be a big help to know how many of you intend to give the book as a gift this Christmas. Send us an e-mail at ops@destinationsbooksellers.com and let us know what you thought about the book. With your permission, we'll post some of the comments, with or without identifying you.
Word of mouth is more important to a book's success than bookseller recommendations, so tell your friends, too.
Well, just for comparison, Salman Rushdie sits at No. 4. Stephenie Meyer is at No. 2. Pretty good company, if you ask me.
Plaudits to our staff and to you, our patrons, who have played a small part in elevating Enzo to such rarefied air near the summit of the coveted Indie Bestseller fiction list.
We're almost sold out again and trying to build our order for the coming season. It would be a big help to know how many of you intend to give the book as a gift this Christmas. Send us an e-mail at ops@destinationsbooksellers.com and let us know what you thought about the book. With your permission, we'll post some of the comments, with or without identifying you.
Word of mouth is more important to a book's success than bookseller recommendations, so tell your friends, too.
Tuesday, June 17, 2008
Sharing a Little Inside Baseball
An intriguing set of survey results fell into my lap this week and I thought I'd share them with you.
The Zogby organization conducted this survey for their client, Random House.
11% of people enjoy reading books digitally.
13% of people under 30 are open to reading books digitally.
6% of people over 65 are open to reading books digitally.
43% of people go into a bookstore looking for a specific book.
77% of people make an additional purchase when looking for a specific book. (Really?)
52% of people are swayed to purchase by cover art.
49% of people are swayed to purchase by reviews.
60% of people are swayed by recommendations from friends or family.
35% of people are swayed to purchase a book because of a cover quote.
86% of people seek out books by authors they like. (That's why we all need to discover new authors!)
49% of people who shop at Indies also shop at chains and online. (Destinations Booksellers is online, too, if that's more convenient for you, and our Patron Passport Rewards apply there, too.)
9% of people usually shop at Indies. (By the way - those 9% who shop at Indies purchase from 16-18% of all books purchased. Thank you.)
Below, you'll find our SOA picks reviews in greater detail. At the radio station's Web site, you can find the list of all of the books recommended on Tuesday's broadcast.
Again, we hope you didn't embarrass you with our appearance on the radio.
The news report is courtesy of Publishers Weekly.
The Zogby organization conducted this survey for their client, Random House.
11% of people enjoy reading books digitally.
13% of people under 30 are open to reading books digitally.
6% of people over 65 are open to reading books digitally.
43% of people go into a bookstore looking for a specific book.
77% of people make an additional purchase when looking for a specific book. (Really?)
52% of people are swayed to purchase by cover art.
49% of people are swayed to purchase by reviews.
60% of people are swayed by recommendations from friends or family.
35% of people are swayed to purchase a book because of a cover quote.
86% of people seek out books by authors they like. (That's why we all need to discover new authors!)
49% of people who shop at Indies also shop at chains and online. (Destinations Booksellers is online, too, if that's more convenient for you, and our Patron Passport Rewards apply there, too.)
9% of people usually shop at Indies. (By the way - those 9% who shop at Indies purchase from 16-18% of all books purchased. Thank you.)
Below, you'll find our SOA picks reviews in greater detail. At the radio station's Web site, you can find the list of all of the books recommended on Tuesday's broadcast.
Again, we hope you didn't embarrass you with our appearance on the radio.
The news report is courtesy of Publishers Weekly.
A Good Day, All in All
Thanks to all the patrons who've commented favorably on our guest spot on WFPL's State of Affairs today. It was a real pleasure to share the microphones with such professionals and I have to say the callers were a "cut above" today, too.
If you missed the show or want to hear it again, or just don't want to navigate through www.wfpl.org, click here to hear the show.
If you missed the show or want to hear it again, or just don't want to navigate through www.wfpl.org, click here to hear the show.
Saturday, June 14, 2008
Listen to WFPL 89.3 on Tuesday!
I'll be appearing again on State of Affairs this Tuesday, June 17, to give my summer reading recommendations.
Thanks to producer Robin Fisher and show host Julie Kredens for inviting Destinations Booksellers to participate! The show runs from 11 a.m. to noon and is rebroadcast that evening at 9. You can also access the show by Web streaming and podcast at http://www.wfpl.org/.
Joining the discussion will be Robert Gieszl of Louisville's Free Public Library and Kelly Estep, one of the family of booksellers at Carmichaels bookstore, a fellow IndieBound independent bookseller.
Here's a preview of the books I'll be discussing.
Thanks to producer Robin Fisher and show host Julie Kredens for inviting Destinations Booksellers to participate! The show runs from 11 a.m. to noon and is rebroadcast that evening at 9. You can also access the show by Web streaming and podcast at http://www.wfpl.org/.
Joining the discussion will be Robert Gieszl of Louisville's Free Public Library and Kelly Estep, one of the family of booksellers at Carmichaels bookstore, a fellow IndieBound independent bookseller.
Here's a preview of the books I'll be discussing.
America America
America America: A Novel
By Ethan Canin
2008 Random House Inc.
Hardcover and unabridged audiobook, HC 9780679456803, $27
The time is the 70s. The place: upstate New York. Corey Sifter is the teenage son of working-class parents in the ultimate company town. Fortune comes calling when Corey’s work ethic catches the eye of the patriarch of the Metarey family, ancestral owners of the land for miles around.
The Metarey family, one and all, bring Corey into their lives, paying to send him to a prestigious boarding school and involving him in their lives of power.
The story actually stretches over more than three decades, but it revolves around those few years leading up to the presidential campaign of 1972. Corey becomes a lowly, but important aide to the classic liberal Sen. Henry Bonwiller, who, backed by the Metarey influence, seeks the Democratic nomination to dethrone Richard Nixon.
It is at once a story of moral clarity, adult responsibility, and gripping mystery. I’m a sucker for stories about political campaigns, but this is far more than a political thriller. The characters are compelling, flawed, and seductive. And you’ll wish you could meet them all.
It belongs on the shelf for anyone who, like me, adores Robert Penn Warren’s All the King’s Men. And I think this will certainly be a finalist on many book-of-the-year lists. It, like several of the picks on today’s show, is an IndieNext selection, what was once called the Book Sense Picks. These books, praised by independent booksellers across the U.S.A., are well worth seeking out.
About the author…decades ago, Canin considered himself a failed writer. So he went to Harvard Medical School and became a doctor. Today, he teaches at the Iowa Writers’ Workshop, having returned in triumph to the locus of his “failure.”
He is the author of numerous other works, including the collections, Emperor of the Air and The Palace Thief.
By Ethan Canin
2008 Random House Inc.
Hardcover and unabridged audiobook, HC 9780679456803, $27
The time is the 70s. The place: upstate New York. Corey Sifter is the teenage son of working-class parents in the ultimate company town. Fortune comes calling when Corey’s work ethic catches the eye of the patriarch of the Metarey family, ancestral owners of the land for miles around.
The Metarey family, one and all, bring Corey into their lives, paying to send him to a prestigious boarding school and involving him in their lives of power.
The story actually stretches over more than three decades, but it revolves around those few years leading up to the presidential campaign of 1972. Corey becomes a lowly, but important aide to the classic liberal Sen. Henry Bonwiller, who, backed by the Metarey influence, seeks the Democratic nomination to dethrone Richard Nixon.
It is at once a story of moral clarity, adult responsibility, and gripping mystery. I’m a sucker for stories about political campaigns, but this is far more than a political thriller. The characters are compelling, flawed, and seductive. And you’ll wish you could meet them all.
It belongs on the shelf for anyone who, like me, adores Robert Penn Warren’s All the King’s Men. And I think this will certainly be a finalist on many book-of-the-year lists. It, like several of the picks on today’s show, is an IndieNext selection, what was once called the Book Sense Picks. These books, praised by independent booksellers across the U.S.A., are well worth seeking out.
About the author…decades ago, Canin considered himself a failed writer. So he went to Harvard Medical School and became a doctor. Today, he teaches at the Iowa Writers’ Workshop, having returned in triumph to the locus of his “failure.”
He is the author of numerous other works, including the collections, Emperor of the Air and The Palace Thief.
The Art of Racing in the Rain
The Art of Racing in the Rain: A Novel
By Garth Stein
2008 HarperCollins Publishers
Hardcover, Luxe PB, and unabridged audiobook, HC 9780061537936, $23.95
The takeaway from this, my favorite book of the season, is to remember: Somewhere the Zebra is Dancing.
This book is deeply philosophical, wryly funny, and frighteningly poignant. But most of all, it’s a great read, and one you’ll want to share with everyone you know.
As I told the readers of my books blog, I really want you to meet my new friend Enzo.
For my readers, I was very careful to keep them in the dark about who Enzo was until they, too, could fall in love with him. For Enzo is an incredibly likable fellow. His philosophy is somewhat simple, but certain and profound.
We meet Enzo near the end of his life. He’s waiting desperately for his lifelong companion, Denny Swift, to return home. Why must he wait? Well, Enzo is a dog. But not just any dog.
Enzo is a dog with a human soul. He’s convinced of it, and you will be too, for Enzo has the insight and empathy, the compassion and love that we all would desire in a life partner.
As Enzo tells the story of his life and the lives of the family he’s raised by, he shares with us the wisdom he has acquired. As Denny’s companion, he’s learned, for example, that there’s more to racing than going fast. That that which you manifest is before you.
He has also learned a key truth from the excessive amounts of TV he has watched, including countless documentaries. A documentary on the dogs of Mongolia changes Enzo’s life. It seems that when a Mongolian dog reaches the end of his life, his owner whispers into his ear the hope that he will return as a man. Once Enzo accepts the concept of reincarnation, he knows he has been put on this earth to prepare.
Yes, it’s frustrating for Enzo to be unable to open doors (no opposable thumbs) or communicate in English (his tongue is just too floppy to form the syllables). But knowing his destiny, Enzo can’t wait to become human.
Stein says he was inspired to tell this story from Enzo’s point of view after hearing Billy Collins at a reading in Seattle. Collins’ poem, The Revenant, begins, "I am the dog you put to sleep...come back to tell you one simple thing: I never liked you—not one bit."
Stein, a former documentary filmmaker from Seattle, wrote two previous novels - How Evan Broke His Head and Other Secrets and Raven Stole the Moon, and a play, Brother Jones.
By Garth Stein
2008 HarperCollins Publishers
Hardcover, Luxe PB, and unabridged audiobook, HC 9780061537936, $23.95
The takeaway from this, my favorite book of the season, is to remember: Somewhere the Zebra is Dancing.
This book is deeply philosophical, wryly funny, and frighteningly poignant. But most of all, it’s a great read, and one you’ll want to share with everyone you know.
As I told the readers of my books blog, I really want you to meet my new friend Enzo.
For my readers, I was very careful to keep them in the dark about who Enzo was until they, too, could fall in love with him. For Enzo is an incredibly likable fellow. His philosophy is somewhat simple, but certain and profound.
We meet Enzo near the end of his life. He’s waiting desperately for his lifelong companion, Denny Swift, to return home. Why must he wait? Well, Enzo is a dog. But not just any dog.
Enzo is a dog with a human soul. He’s convinced of it, and you will be too, for Enzo has the insight and empathy, the compassion and love that we all would desire in a life partner.
As Enzo tells the story of his life and the lives of the family he’s raised by, he shares with us the wisdom he has acquired. As Denny’s companion, he’s learned, for example, that there’s more to racing than going fast. That that which you manifest is before you.
He has also learned a key truth from the excessive amounts of TV he has watched, including countless documentaries. A documentary on the dogs of Mongolia changes Enzo’s life. It seems that when a Mongolian dog reaches the end of his life, his owner whispers into his ear the hope that he will return as a man. Once Enzo accepts the concept of reincarnation, he knows he has been put on this earth to prepare.
Yes, it’s frustrating for Enzo to be unable to open doors (no opposable thumbs) or communicate in English (his tongue is just too floppy to form the syllables). But knowing his destiny, Enzo can’t wait to become human.
Stein says he was inspired to tell this story from Enzo’s point of view after hearing Billy Collins at a reading in Seattle. Collins’ poem, The Revenant, begins, "I am the dog you put to sleep...come back to tell you one simple thing: I never liked you—not one bit."
Stein, a former documentary filmmaker from Seattle, wrote two previous novels - How Evan Broke His Head and Other Secrets and Raven Stole the Moon, and a play, Brother Jones.
A Voyage Long and Strange: Rediscovering the New World
A Voyage Long and Strange: Rediscovering the New World
By Tony Horwitz
2008 Henry Holt & Company, an imprint of MacMillan Publishers
Hardcover and abridged audiobook, 9780805076035, $27.50
Horwitz, author of the acclaimed Confederates in the Attic, brings us another historical trek that reads like an adventure story.
And an adventure story it truly is, one that ranges all across our continent to unveil the brutal and relentless nature of European discovery in America.
The author visited Plymouth Rock a few years ago and, as is his wont, struck up a conversation with the interpretive ranger on site. The Rock is, in many ways, surprisingly unimpressive, especially when surrounded by gum wrappers and marred by souvenir-seekers through the years.
But what launched Horwitz on his undertaking was something the ranger said. It seems that far too many visitors inquired as to why the Rock had the date “1620” inscribed. Why, they asked, didn’t it say “1492?”
No, Columbus didn’t drop off the Pilgrims before returning to Ferdinand and Isabella’s court. But it motivated Horwitz to ask himself why he, trained as a historian and earning a living as a history writer, could not verifiably fill in the blanks of that century and more.
Thus begins a delightful retracing of the routes of Leif Eiriksson (or was it Bjarni Herjofsson in Vinland and Columbus and his successors in the Caribbean.
We learn how close a thing it was that much of America didn’t speak French and how the Spanish of St. Augustine (the oldest continuously inhabited European settlement in the U.S.) and Senor Menendez defeated M. Ribault and the French of what is now Jacksonville.
Ponce de Leon’s journeys lead us to Hernando de Soto’s (properly Soto) grueling and merciless travails throughout the southeast United States.
Meanwhile, Coronado’s quest for Cibola and the “lost” cities of gold becomes much richer in Horwitz’s telling. The delightful “revenge” taken by descendants of the natives he terrorized is one of the better stories in Voyage.
And we learn the real truth about the English and their Virginia colonies that preceded the “Pilgrims” by a generation.
By Tony Horwitz
2008 Henry Holt & Company, an imprint of MacMillan Publishers
Hardcover and abridged audiobook, 9780805076035, $27.50
Horwitz, author of the acclaimed Confederates in the Attic, brings us another historical trek that reads like an adventure story.
And an adventure story it truly is, one that ranges all across our continent to unveil the brutal and relentless nature of European discovery in America.
The author visited Plymouth Rock a few years ago and, as is his wont, struck up a conversation with the interpretive ranger on site. The Rock is, in many ways, surprisingly unimpressive, especially when surrounded by gum wrappers and marred by souvenir-seekers through the years.
But what launched Horwitz on his undertaking was something the ranger said. It seems that far too many visitors inquired as to why the Rock had the date “1620” inscribed. Why, they asked, didn’t it say “1492?”
No, Columbus didn’t drop off the Pilgrims before returning to Ferdinand and Isabella’s court. But it motivated Horwitz to ask himself why he, trained as a historian and earning a living as a history writer, could not verifiably fill in the blanks of that century and more.
Thus begins a delightful retracing of the routes of Leif Eiriksson (or was it Bjarni Herjofsson in Vinland and Columbus and his successors in the Caribbean.
We learn how close a thing it was that much of America didn’t speak French and how the Spanish of St. Augustine (the oldest continuously inhabited European settlement in the U.S.) and Senor Menendez defeated M. Ribault and the French of what is now Jacksonville.
Ponce de Leon’s journeys lead us to Hernando de Soto’s (properly Soto) grueling and merciless travails throughout the southeast United States.
Meanwhile, Coronado’s quest for Cibola and the “lost” cities of gold becomes much richer in Horwitz’s telling. The delightful “revenge” taken by descendants of the natives he terrorized is one of the better stories in Voyage.
And we learn the real truth about the English and their Virginia colonies that preceded the “Pilgrims” by a generation.
Palace Council
Palace Council: A Novel
By Stephen L. Carter
2008 Alfred A. Knopf, Publishers, and imprint of Random House
Hardcover only, 9780307266583, $26.95
Stephen Carter is a literary daredevil.
Palace Council is a sprawling epic of America during its most tumultuous period, and Carter conveys the idealism, the ruthless ambition, and the paranoia of America over two decades, from the Cold War of 1954 to the end of an era, 1974 and the crumbling of the Nixon White House.
Carter is a professor at Yale Law School and the author of two previous novels, The Emperor of Ocean Park and New England White. I think it’s fair to say that his unique talent is an ability to capture, as reviewer David Keymer put it, “the nuances of human behavior on both sides of the color line.”
It’s 1954. Eddie Wesley is a middle-class black man determined to succeed. He gravitates to New York, specifically Harlem, and renews his acquaintance with the people at the highest echelon of black society. Over the course of the novel we’ll observe as that society unravels, but at the start, Harlem society is wielding enormous influence in the culture and in politics.
Put in his place at a party, Eddie stomps off into the night, only to stumble over the body of prominent white Wall Street lawyer Philmont Castle. That begins a twenty-year search for the clues to Castle’s death and the conspiracy that spawned it.
Junie, Eddie’s sister, disappears, then later becomes a notorious fugitive from justice as the most famous member of “Jewel Agony,” precursor to the Weather Underground. Finding her becomes the key to unraveling the conspiracy.
FBI Director J. Edgar Hoover makes recurring cameo appearances, as do Joseph P.Kennedy early, and Jack Kennedy later when Eddie joins the White House speechwriting staff. Richard Nixon, who may be a conspirator or who may be a victim of the conspiracy, summons Eddie several times, seeing him as someone he can confide in.
Langston Hughes, Richard Wright, James Baldwin, and Ralph Ellison show up, too.
It’s a love story, a thriller, and a mystery, and the payoff will surprise you. What makes this a great summer read is that you won’t want to put it down until you solve the mystery yourself.
By Stephen L. Carter
2008 Alfred A. Knopf, Publishers, and imprint of Random House
Hardcover only, 9780307266583, $26.95
Stephen Carter is a literary daredevil.
Palace Council is a sprawling epic of America during its most tumultuous period, and Carter conveys the idealism, the ruthless ambition, and the paranoia of America over two decades, from the Cold War of 1954 to the end of an era, 1974 and the crumbling of the Nixon White House.
Carter is a professor at Yale Law School and the author of two previous novels, The Emperor of Ocean Park and New England White. I think it’s fair to say that his unique talent is an ability to capture, as reviewer David Keymer put it, “the nuances of human behavior on both sides of the color line.”
It’s 1954. Eddie Wesley is a middle-class black man determined to succeed. He gravitates to New York, specifically Harlem, and renews his acquaintance with the people at the highest echelon of black society. Over the course of the novel we’ll observe as that society unravels, but at the start, Harlem society is wielding enormous influence in the culture and in politics.
Put in his place at a party, Eddie stomps off into the night, only to stumble over the body of prominent white Wall Street lawyer Philmont Castle. That begins a twenty-year search for the clues to Castle’s death and the conspiracy that spawned it.
Junie, Eddie’s sister, disappears, then later becomes a notorious fugitive from justice as the most famous member of “Jewel Agony,” precursor to the Weather Underground. Finding her becomes the key to unraveling the conspiracy.
FBI Director J. Edgar Hoover makes recurring cameo appearances, as do Joseph P.Kennedy early, and Jack Kennedy later when Eddie joins the White House speechwriting staff. Richard Nixon, who may be a conspirator or who may be a victim of the conspiracy, summons Eddie several times, seeing him as someone he can confide in.
Langston Hughes, Richard Wright, James Baldwin, and Ralph Ellison show up, too.
It’s a love story, a thriller, and a mystery, and the payoff will surprise you. What makes this a great summer read is that you won’t want to put it down until you solve the mystery yourself.
Saturday, June 7, 2008
Dear Garth,
Oh, I *have* to know what you think! Please post when you finish it! G.S.
That's what "roadgarth" had to say to an earlier posting.
It happens rarely, but I've found that the most astute and reader-centric authors tend to be eager for feedback. These perspicacious wordsmiths make use of the technologies to find out what the world might be saying about them and their works.
So for all of you, and most of all for you, Garth, I make apologies for my failure to live up to my renewed commitment to give you regular and daily blog postings.
When last I left you, I had just completed my third consecutive posting about my new friend Enzo.
Indeed, somewhere the zebra is dancing.
I was late in coming to an appreciation for Garth Stein and his masterful The Art of Racing in the Rain. I'll admit that. If I haven't related the story before, I'll do so now.
While I was aware of the book (mostly as a title from a usually reliable publisher, granted), I hadn't taken it up. We were privileged to receive an advance copy of the book at the Winter Institute (III) of the American Booksellers Association, which this year was held in Louisville at the Marriott. Ann and Mark (our senior bookseller) attended the Friday sessions while I kept the store open and I made it over at the end of the day on Friday.
Ann, I later learned, got to meet Mr. Stein on Saturday during the author appearances. Oblivious to the writer or the book that day (I was concentrating on other authors, including Warren Adler, penman of Funny Boys), I recall Ann being lured by what appeared to be "dog treats" and thus obtaining, as funnyman Steve Martin used to affirm, "a close, personal encounter" with Herr Stein.
[The "dog treat" was, in fact, cookies made for human consumption. As none of us in the Destinations Booksellers' family had a dog at that time, it was an aspirational endeavor. That wishful thinking has been ratified since. We added the lovable "Chloe" to our "family" in the last few weeks.]
As I recall it, it was a Tuesday night and I was nearing the end of a nonfiction title. Spying the attractive cover of The Art of Racing in the Rain, I warned my bride that if she did not take it up before I finished that book, I was going to "take" it. Considering that we seldom read the same book, that was a preemptive threat. Before 11:30 that evening, I picked it up, and 100 pages later I was enthusiastically planning my e-mail to Kerri Sikorski, telesales rep non pareil in the Scranton office of HarperCollins, to enter a massive order for the book.
By Friday morning, before I reached the store (I'm known to walk the 1.7 mile route with my head in a book), I had finished the book and was already worried about running out of my initial distributor order.
In fact, we did run out before the end of that day, which explains why I did not fulfill my commitment to continue my teaser campaign to you, dear readers.
I am happy to report to you the early returns. I cannot recommend this book more highly. I have been embarrassed by the thanks our patrons have expressed for my recommendation of this book. To be sure, I have been effusive in my praise while handselling this book, utilizing my rare "guarantee" that you will adore the book. No one has asked for their money back. I even sent the book to a temporarily invalid friend at a 99.999% discount, knowing full well that when she recovered, she'd gladly remit the appropriate payment.
But what I haven't done yet for blog readers (or the recipients of our well-received e-mail newsletter) is tell you specifically about the book.
Mr. Stein has expertly captured what we believe, rightly or wrongly, are the actual thought processes of "man's best friend." My friend Enzo, I will now confess, is an ultimately perceptive canine. Enzo, who we meet near the end of his life, relates the story of his life and the life of the family that becomes his in Racing.
Do not doubt that you will be captivated before you have finished the first three chapters. Despite clear portents of coming tragedy, you will find your funnybone stimulated for the first half of the book. But it's not, in any way, a whimsical fantasy. At no point did I find myself unwilling to believe that Enzo was anything but sincere and true.
Garth Stein has conveyed the emotional and intellectual life of this dog in a way that is so natural and plausible that I (and other readers) never doubted its sincerity. He captures the naivete we expect from our canine companions - that guileless faith we exploit and revere - and the ratiocination that we project onto our pets. If my intuition is true, Enzo thinks the way my dog Chipper did.
Stein reveals a philosophical side I had never suspected, but one that I found myself captivated by. I can only hope that our dogs understand us as well as the narrator of Racing in the Rain does.
I promised a "reveal," and here it is. Denny, Enzo's human companion, is a uniquely talented road racer. We do not learn whether he carried the talent to excel in championship racing, but we do discover that when it comes to controlling and propelling a high-performance vehicle in less-than-perfect race conditions [read: rain], he has few peers.
Events conspire (partly) to thwart Denny's professional ambitions, but the principles he imparts to his Enzo become a lesson to us all.
You may believe you don't care to read a "dog" story. You may believe that a story about a race car driver won't interest you. Forget it. Fuhgeddaboudit! I know of no one who will regret reading this book.
I'm not prepared to say that Stein's book will be read 100 years from now. But I will say that if you read only one piece of fiction in 2008, you couldn't do better than to read this one.
And when you do, you'll want to pass it on [SUBLIMINAL MESSAGE: Hold on to your copy. Tell your friends to buy their own - or buy it for them].
As I write this, we've again sold out of the "Luxe" larger print editions and we still await the audio version. But I will repeat my contention that before the end of the summer The Art of Racing in the Rain will be hailed as THE book of the season.
We have ample stock of the primary hardcover edition. Let me encourage you to pick it up now and get the jump on the rest of America. I assure you that you'll be proud to have discovered it long before it becomes THE gift book of the year. Go ahead and pick up two copies, because I know you'll want to give this book as a gift at Christmas time.
FYI: I will again be giving my book recommendations on WFPL-FM, 89.3, during State of Affairs' Summer Reading Program, hosted by Julie Kredens. Producer Robin Fisher has extended an invitation to Destinations Booksellers to give our recommendations on-air on Tuesday, June 17, at 11 a.m. and then for later rebroadcast.
Can you guess which book will be my No. 1?
P.S. The bestseller lists haven't yet caught on to this one. But I predict that when we usher in the New Year, Enzo will be haunting the lists. For the measuring period ending last weekend, in Lousville, Stein's book ranked in a three-way tie for 39th.
On this week's New York Times fiction bestseller list (a week later), TAoRitR is 14th. As Mom used to say, "hide and watch." Ms. Hamilton and Mr. Patterson won't be there in 10 weeks, but Mr. Stein will be. Or so I say.
That's what "roadgarth" had to say to an earlier posting.
It happens rarely, but I've found that the most astute and reader-centric authors tend to be eager for feedback. These perspicacious wordsmiths make use of the technologies to find out what the world might be saying about them and their works.
So for all of you, and most of all for you, Garth, I make apologies for my failure to live up to my renewed commitment to give you regular and daily blog postings.
When last I left you, I had just completed my third consecutive posting about my new friend Enzo.
Indeed, somewhere the zebra is dancing.
I was late in coming to an appreciation for Garth Stein and his masterful The Art of Racing in the Rain. I'll admit that. If I haven't related the story before, I'll do so now.
While I was aware of the book (mostly as a title from a usually reliable publisher, granted), I hadn't taken it up. We were privileged to receive an advance copy of the book at the Winter Institute (III) of the American Booksellers Association, which this year was held in Louisville at the Marriott. Ann and Mark (our senior bookseller) attended the Friday sessions while I kept the store open and I made it over at the end of the day on Friday.
Ann, I later learned, got to meet Mr. Stein on Saturday during the author appearances. Oblivious to the writer or the book that day (I was concentrating on other authors, including Warren Adler, penman of Funny Boys), I recall Ann being lured by what appeared to be "dog treats" and thus obtaining, as funnyman Steve Martin used to affirm, "a close, personal encounter" with Herr Stein.
[The "dog treat" was, in fact, cookies made for human consumption. As none of us in the Destinations Booksellers' family had a dog at that time, it was an aspirational endeavor. That wishful thinking has been ratified since. We added the lovable "Chloe" to our "family" in the last few weeks.]
As I recall it, it was a Tuesday night and I was nearing the end of a nonfiction title. Spying the attractive cover of The Art of Racing in the Rain, I warned my bride that if she did not take it up before I finished that book, I was going to "take" it. Considering that we seldom read the same book, that was a preemptive threat. Before 11:30 that evening, I picked it up, and 100 pages later I was enthusiastically planning my e-mail to Kerri Sikorski, telesales rep non pareil in the Scranton office of HarperCollins, to enter a massive order for the book.
By Friday morning, before I reached the store (I'm known to walk the 1.7 mile route with my head in a book), I had finished the book and was already worried about running out of my initial distributor order.
In fact, we did run out before the end of that day, which explains why I did not fulfill my commitment to continue my teaser campaign to you, dear readers.
I am happy to report to you the early returns. I cannot recommend this book more highly. I have been embarrassed by the thanks our patrons have expressed for my recommendation of this book. To be sure, I have been effusive in my praise while handselling this book, utilizing my rare "guarantee" that you will adore the book. No one has asked for their money back. I even sent the book to a temporarily invalid friend at a 99.999% discount, knowing full well that when she recovered, she'd gladly remit the appropriate payment.
But what I haven't done yet for blog readers (or the recipients of our well-received e-mail newsletter) is tell you specifically about the book.
Mr. Stein has expertly captured what we believe, rightly or wrongly, are the actual thought processes of "man's best friend." My friend Enzo, I will now confess, is an ultimately perceptive canine. Enzo, who we meet near the end of his life, relates the story of his life and the life of the family that becomes his in Racing.
Do not doubt that you will be captivated before you have finished the first three chapters. Despite clear portents of coming tragedy, you will find your funnybone stimulated for the first half of the book. But it's not, in any way, a whimsical fantasy. At no point did I find myself unwilling to believe that Enzo was anything but sincere and true.
Garth Stein has conveyed the emotional and intellectual life of this dog in a way that is so natural and plausible that I (and other readers) never doubted its sincerity. He captures the naivete we expect from our canine companions - that guileless faith we exploit and revere - and the ratiocination that we project onto our pets. If my intuition is true, Enzo thinks the way my dog Chipper did.
Stein reveals a philosophical side I had never suspected, but one that I found myself captivated by. I can only hope that our dogs understand us as well as the narrator of Racing in the Rain does.
I promised a "reveal," and here it is. Denny, Enzo's human companion, is a uniquely talented road racer. We do not learn whether he carried the talent to excel in championship racing, but we do discover that when it comes to controlling and propelling a high-performance vehicle in less-than-perfect race conditions [read: rain], he has few peers.
Events conspire (partly) to thwart Denny's professional ambitions, but the principles he imparts to his Enzo become a lesson to us all.
You may believe you don't care to read a "dog" story. You may believe that a story about a race car driver won't interest you. Forget it. Fuhgeddaboudit! I know of no one who will regret reading this book.
I'm not prepared to say that Stein's book will be read 100 years from now. But I will say that if you read only one piece of fiction in 2008, you couldn't do better than to read this one.
And when you do, you'll want to pass it on [SUBLIMINAL MESSAGE: Hold on to your copy. Tell your friends to buy their own - or buy it for them].
As I write this, we've again sold out of the "Luxe" larger print editions and we still await the audio version. But I will repeat my contention that before the end of the summer The Art of Racing in the Rain will be hailed as THE book of the season.
We have ample stock of the primary hardcover edition. Let me encourage you to pick it up now and get the jump on the rest of America. I assure you that you'll be proud to have discovered it long before it becomes THE gift book of the year. Go ahead and pick up two copies, because I know you'll want to give this book as a gift at Christmas time.
FYI: I will again be giving my book recommendations on WFPL-FM, 89.3, during State of Affairs' Summer Reading Program, hosted by Julie Kredens. Producer Robin Fisher has extended an invitation to Destinations Booksellers to give our recommendations on-air on Tuesday, June 17, at 11 a.m. and then for later rebroadcast.
Can you guess which book will be my No. 1?
P.S. The bestseller lists haven't yet caught on to this one. But I predict that when we usher in the New Year, Enzo will be haunting the lists. For the measuring period ending last weekend, in Lousville, Stein's book ranked in a three-way tie for 39th.
On this week's New York Times fiction bestseller list (a week later), TAoRitR is 14th. As Mom used to say, "hide and watch." Ms. Hamilton and Mr. Patterson won't be there in 10 weeks, but Mr. Stein will be. Or so I say.
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