August 25, 2000 September - October Book Sense 76, page two Why 76? Independence * 1776 * Independents 76 great books, picked by booksellers with experience, knowledge and passion. A diverse, eclectic range of choices. September / October 2000 Page One Top Ten Vote-Getters Books for Harry Potter Fans Books for Teens Illustrated Books for Children Fiction in Paperback Page Two Hardcover Fiction History, Memoir and Current Events Mystery and Science Fiction Poetry Spirituality Hardcover Fiction See also the Top Ten BLACKBERRY WINE, by Joanne Harris (Avon, $24, 0380978725) "Return to Joanne Harris's France and the setting for her book Chocolat, where she will have you thirsting for the opportunity to partake of the wine and the local characters in her newest story of magical reality, Blackberry Wine. Pure pleasure!" --Glenna Martin, Auntie's Bookstore, Spokane, WA (Chocolat has held a spot on the Book Sense Bestseller List for a very long time.) CHANG AND ENG, by Darin Strauss (Dutton, $23.95, 0525945121) "Chang and Eng Bunker spent their entire 63 years together as curiosities of the world. One of history's most famous oddities, they found celebrity status touring the world's stages in a cage. Straus rescues the twins from the sideshow of history, drawing from their extraordinary conjoined lives a novel of exceptional beauty."--Ingrid Nystrom, Stacey's Bookstore, San Francisco, CA CONDITIONS OF FAITH, by Alex Miller (Scribner, $25, 0684869357) "In 1923, a French/Scotch engineer travels to Australia to enter a competition to build a bridge across Sydney Harbor. He and Emily Stanton fall in love and, against her father's wishes for an academic life, she marries and moves with George to Paris. She finds marriage stifling, searching for ways to express her own personality and intelligence. We ask, is Emily a dissatisfied young woman or a proto-feminist? This novel is an exciting brew of passion, intelligence, and travel. Miller has a gift for description, from life in Paris to an archeological dig in Tunisia."--Carla Cohen, Politics & Prose, Washington, DC DROWNING RUTH, by Christina Schwarz (Doubleday, $23.95, 038549971X) "This is a riveting story of sisters, of sorrow, and of loss. When Amanda Starkey returns to her birthplace, it is to take refuge with her beloved sister and niece. Months later, the sister's mysterious and untimely death sets in motion a chain of events, all balanced tenuously on the lies of one tragic night that will take years to unravel. Absolutely haunting and suspenseful."--Megan Scott, Scott's Bookstore, Mt. Vernon, WA GRANGE HOUSE, by Sarah Blake (Picador, $24, 0312245440) "Maisie Thomas spends every summer with her family at Grange House, an island hotel off the coast of Maine, but her life changes when two lovers are found dead in each other's arms. This novel is beautifully written; a real gem." --Lori Haggbloom, Kepler's Books & Magazines, Menlo Park, CA THE HATBOX BABY, by Carrie Brown (Algonquin, $22.95, 1565122992; due out mid-Sept.) "When the author gave birth to premature twins, she came across a photograph of a traveling exhibit of the tiny babies in their incubators from the 1930s. This photo inspired this wonderful new novel, named for the baby delivered to the incubator in a hatbox. Brown's story follows the fate of the baby, who becomes part of an exhibit in the 1900 Chicago World's Fair. A blend of historical fact and intriguing fiction, this is yet another great book by Carrie Brown."--Amanda Tobier, Third Place Books, Lake Forest Park, WA AN INVISIBLE SIGN OF MY OWN, by Aimee Bender (Doubleday, $22.95, 0385492235) "In The Girl in the Flammable Skirt, the reader was introduced to Bender's mind-boggling ability to craft startling tales of contemporary magical realism. In this new book, this unique talent is greatly expanded upon, with main characters fleshy and whole, emotions puzzling and poignant, actions shocking and surreal. There is superstition, disbelief, aching, discovery, and redemption. If there is another young author out there who writes with the blessed skill and precision of Aimee Bender, then I would certainly like to know about it." --Jules Davis, Pendragon Books, Oakland, CA JAYBER CROW, by Wendell Berry (Counterpoint, $25, 1582430292) "Berry takes us back again to Port William, Kentucky, and to a world that, if not already lost, we are losing more each day. Berry offers a marvelous tale of faith and community with all his usual intelligence and compassion. Several of us here have read it and we all highly recommend it."--Brian McCarthy, Wordsworth, Cambridge, MA THE MAN WHO ATE THE 747, by Ben Sherwood (Delacorte, $19.95, 0553801821) "Keeper of the Records J.J. Smith goes to Nebraska to verify that Wally is eating a 747 to prove his love for Willa. Full of references to records of biggest or best, this novel really celebrates the beauty of the ordinary and how the truly important things in life often get hidden by the outrageous."--Lise Friedman, Dutton's Brentwood Books, Los Angeles, CA (Also on audiotape.) THE NAME OF THE WORLD, by Denis Johnson (HarperCollins, $22, 0060192488) "Johnson's latest work combines his poetic insight and narrative ability into a telling account of loss and how we survive" --Kevin Bauer, Book Revue, Huntington, NY (Johnson is the author of Jesus' Son, a new film.) NEARER THAN THE SKY, by T. Greenwood (St. Martins, $23.95, 0312265034) "Greenwood's previous novel, Breathing Water, is one of our real favorites, and this new one is even better. Indie Brown has fled from her dysfunctional Arizona home to Maine and a strong, loving relationship. When she is called back to help her sister care for her mother, the past she has tried to bury confronts her again. The subject matter is dark, but Greenwood's writing skill makes it a compelling story told in masterful language." --Donna Urey, White Birch Books, N. Conway, NH NOWHERE ELSE ON EARTH, by Josephine Humphreys (Viking, $24.95, 0670891762; due out Aug. 31) "Told during and after the Civil War in remote Carolina pine lands, this novel is eerie in its evocation of partisan feuds, family, and personal loves. Through a perceptive young woman's eyes, we see her enter adulthood during a time of intense cultural and gender turmoil. We seldom reflect on women's views of war and its calamitous effects, but here is a point of view worth pondering."--Ruthanne Kah, Malaprop's Bookstore Café, Asheville, NC PERFECT SILENCE, by Jeff Hutton (Breakaway Books, $23, 1891369202) "This is a winner. It's a story of a young Virginia man's love of baseball amidst the horror of the Civil War. Joseph Tyler, a Confederate soldier, rescues a wounded Yankee soldier from a fire following the horrible Battle of the Wilderness. When the soldier dies from his wounds, Joe finds an unmailed letter to a woman in New York--a letter that in the ensuing years changes Joe's life. Perfect Silence is so well-written; we are quite excited to have the chance to put this book in our customer's hands."--Barry Johnson, Books at Stonehenge, Raleigh, NC ROPE BURNS: Stories from the Corner, by F.X. Toole (Ecco Press, $23, 0060198206) "In real life, Toole was a seasoned corner man. He brings the grit of his profession to this accomplished collection of fight stories. Toole obviously knows boxing, but just as important, he knows how to craft great fiction that challenges the reader to see and feel the disturbing but often beautiful world of the 'sweet science.' A must for fans of Thom Jones and Pete Dexter."--Steve Henry, Hawley-Cooke Booksellers, Louisville, KY TAKING LOTTIE HOME, by Terry Kay (Morrow, $25, 0688176461; due out in Oct.) "A beautifully crafted story of dreams, dreamers, and values--trust, integrity, family, and love. Set in the early 1900s, Terry Kay's imaginative gathering of unforgettable characters is a great read for both men and women." --Lee Duffus, Bookworks, Aptos, CA WHEN WE WERE ORPHANS, by Kazuo Ishiguro (Knopf, $25, 0375410546) "Ishiguro's amazingly compelling new novel gives us the story of Christopher Banks, a 1930s British detective whose parents disappeared in Shanghai when he was young. Upon his return to China as an adult, expecting to find his parents alive and well, he finds the Chinese and Japanese at war in a surreal landscape where his parents remain tantalizingly out of reach. Try this one for your book club; you won't be able to stop talking about it."--Joe Murphy, Olsson's Books and Records, Washington, DC Like Having a Friend in the Business With thousands of new books being published each month, how can you know what's really good and worth the price? Reviews help, and there's word-of-mouth from friends. A great objective source is the pros who work in independent bookstores--professional booksellers who have years of experience in discovering the truly great books and who put their reputations on the line every time they recommend a book to you. It's about passion, objectivity...and trust. History, Memoir and Current Events See also the Top Ten BLACKBIRD: A Childhood Lost and Found, by Jennifer Lauck (Pocket, $26, 0671042556) "There are no words to describe all of my feelings about this very special book. It is poignant, beautifully crafted--a tribute to a gifted writer and the author's incredible spirit. I was struck by the fact that there was so little laughter in her life, yet she clung to the words of her mother and father who continued to give her strength." --Patsy Madden, Bennett Books, Wyckoff, NJ (Also on audiotape.) BOWLING ALONE; The Collapse and Revival of American Community, by Robert Putnam (Simon & Schuster, $26, 0684832836) "This is a blueprint for social action in the next century; very provocative and engaging. Please read it!"--Margie Skinner, Book House of Stuyvesant Plaza, Albany, NY CHANGE ME INTO ZEUS'S DAUGHTER: A Memoir, by Barbara Robinette Moss (Scribner, $24, 074320218X) "This is an insightful account of a childhood in poverty and a powerfully inspiring story for women. Barbara's character and inner strength pulled her through a nightmarish adolescence, one marred by a facial disfigurement. This is a transforming story, and one you will want to share."--Jan Weissmiller, Prairie Lights Books, Iowa City, IA COLTER: The True Story of the Best Dog I Ever Had, by Rick Bass (Houghton Mifflin, $22, 0395926181) "No matter how much we try to maintain some order of dominance over a dog we are reminded that sometimes there is more allegiance to a tossed ball than to us. Rick Bass has experienced such times and has written a wonderful story of friendship, trust, and devotion. The words move with all of the grace, humor, and honesty that Bass has brought to us before."--David Henkes, University Bookstore, Bellevue, WA COMMAND PERFORMANCE: An Actress in the Theater of Politics, by Jane Alexander (Public Affairs, $25, 1891620061) "As Alexander takes us through the machinations of Congress, we see that her prior experience in the theater gives her an insider's take on Washington. The battle for government funding of the arts in the era of Gingrich is certainly worthy of a dramatic reading. There is enough celebrity gossip to make this excellent memoir fun, but in the end it is a passionate argument for the preservation of the NEA from someone who should know."--Heather Stewart, A Different Light Bookstore, New York, NY ECOLOGY OF A CRACKER CHILDHOOD, by Janisse Ray (Milkweed, $14.95 paper, 1571312471) "To write about your people and a place requires wisdom and knowledge. Ray's life story and story of the Georgia long-leaf pine ecosystem are beautifully interwoven in this biography of place." --Barbara Theroux, Fact and Fiction, Missoula, MT HIDING PLACES: A Father and His Sons Retrace Their Family's Escape from the Holocaust, by Daniel Asa Rose (Simon & Schuster, $25, 0684854783) "This memoir is as captivating and suspenseful as a well-written mystery. Rose and his sons retrace the path of their relatives' escape from the Holocaust, becoming sleuths digging for truth. The tenderness and insight put forth both to Rose's sons and the reader make this book stand out as a wonderful memoir about connecting with past, present and future generations."--Natalia Cooper, Newtonville Books, Newton, MA (This book was just selected as the current New England Booksellers' Discovery Book of the Month.) THE INEXTINGUISHABLE SYMPHONY: A True Story of Music and Love in Nazi Germany, by Martin Goldsmith (John Wiley & Sons, $24.95, 0471350974) "This previously unknown chapter in the story of Nazi persecution is also a love story and moral conundrum. I looked forward to every moment that I could pick it up. The moral questions of who was best served by the formation of the Kulturbund (Orchestra)--the Jews or the Nazis--is one that I continue to ponder. This fascinating book stays with you." --Betsey Detwiler, Buttonwood Books, Cohasset, MA KIND OF BLUE: The Making of the Miles Davis Masterpiece, by Ashley Kahn (Da Capo Press, $23, 0306809869) "There's plenty of detail here to please any jazz purist yet it is accessible and entertaining for the average fan. Peppered with quotes from those involved and other musical luminaries, Kahn takes us through every step of Kind of Blue's recording and its impact on the jazz world. Utilizing unedited transcriptions of the master-session tapes and many unpublished photographs, Kahn lets us witness the genius of creation. With album sales still going strong, we all know someone who deserves this book." --Ken Pawlina, Talking Leaves Books, Buffalo, NY POSTVILLE: A Clash of Cultures in Heartland America, by Stephen Bloom (Harcourt, $25, 0151006520) "This is a keenly observed story of friction between local residents of a small Iowa town and the Hasidic Jews who buy the slaughterhouse. Bloom manages to get both sides to tell him their story and confess their attitudes, warts and all. A fascinating book about cultural change in the American heartland." --Brian Weese, Bibelot Books, Baltimore, MD WAITING: True Confessions of a Waitress, by Debra Ginsberg (HarperCollins, $22, 0060194790) "This is a great look inside a profession that we all know little about but is part of our everyday lives. Ginsberg's funny, insightful, behind-the-scenes look at restaurants--the staff, the customers, the good and the ugly--is a compelling read. I loved it."--Carole Carden, Esmeralda Books, Del Mar, CA WHERE RIVERS CHANGE DIRECTION, by Mark Spragg (Riverhead, $12.95 paper, 1573228257) "These essays are a MUST read for all who care about animals, nature, and the West."--Susan Wasson, Bookworks, Albuquerque, NM (This book was the Mountains and Plains Booksellers' Regional Book Award Winner for 2000.) YOU CAN'T WIN, by Jack Black; intro. by Wm. Burroughs (AK Press, $16 paper, 1902593022) "At last! My bookselling days are now complete! With AK reissuing my favorite book of all time, I can ride into the sunset, as my customers buy a new copy of this, instead of waiting for a rare OP copy. Much more than crime, much more than an autobiography of San Francisco's greatest hobo thief, You Can't Win is an entertaining, engrossing testament to an era very long gone. Masterful!"--Kevin Hunsanger, Green Apple Books, San Francisco, CA Chorus of Enthusiasm The books in this group of 76 books were nominated by hundreds of independent booksellers. By email, fax, postcard and handwritten letter, their enthusiasm poured in. We chose the letter that best captured the essence of the nominations for each book to be printed here. So, while just one 'voice' for each book appears here, there is a chorus behind it. (And many of our choices in the past months have been validated with prestigious award nominations and appearances on regional and national bestseller lists....including our own Book Sense Bestseller List.) Mystery and Science Fiction BURIED EVIDENCE, by Nancy Taylor Rosenberg (Hyperion, $24.95, 0786866195; due out Sept. 6) "I loved it! The husband was horrible, the wife wonderful, and the daughter whiney. LOVED IT! Rosenberg's as good as Lisa Scottoline or Richard North Patterson."--Melissa Wade, Vero Beach Book Center, Vero Beach, FL DARK MATTER: A Century of Speculative Fiction from the African Diaspora, edited by Sheree R. Thomas (Warner/Aspect, $24.95, 0446525839) "From the vision and wonder of Samuel Delaney to the 'rhythm travel' of Amiri Baraka to an experience in an extraterrestrial jook joint, this volume is fantastic!" --Patrice Suncircle, Cody's, Berkeley, CA A DEADLY DOZEN, edited by Susan Casmier et al. (Ugly Town Productions, $13 paper, 0966347323) "A dozen mystery stories by writers pushing the edges out of their way. Scary, funny, and full of twists to please the well-read mystery reader as well as the novice."--Marian Fleischman, Sedalia Book & Toy, Sedalia, MO HOT SPRINGS, by Stephen Hunter (Simon & Schuster, $25, 068486360X) "1946. Decorated veteran Earl Swagger is asked to train a group of young law officers for another tough invasion: the wide-open and totally corrupt town of Hot Springs, Arkansas. In action as hot as their tommygun's barrels and writing as sharp as Earl's aim, Hunter has given us a thunderous book peopled with vivid and engaging souls. An audacious addition to the Swagger saga."--JB Dickey, Seattle Mystery Bookshop, Seattle, WA (Also on audiotape.) SEARCH THE DARK, by Charles Todd (St. Martin's, $5.99 paper, 0312971281) "This is the 3rd book in a fabulous series featuring Scotland Yard's Inspector Ian Rutledge. Non-mystery readers and mystery buffs alike will love these."--Helen Sinoradzki, Annie Bloom's Books, Portland, OR TEN THOUSAND ISLANDS, by Randy Wayne White (Putnam, $23.95, 0399146202) "This may be the best yet in the excellent Doc Ford series. For those who have yet to meet the former CIA operative turned marine biologist, it's a first-rate introduction to White's Southwest Florida and its quirky characters and ruthless developers. Fans of John D. MacDonald need look nowhere else; Travis McGee's heir apparent is Doc Ford."--Ted O'Brien, Garden District Book Shop, New Orleans, LA Poetry KIN, by Crystal Williams (Michigan State U. Press, $15.95 paper, 0870135481) "To say that Williams is a powerhouse of a poet is an incredible understatement. She is passionate, powerful, funny. In this first collection, she unearths her roots (she was adopted at four-days-old by a black jazz musician and a white school psychologist), and her command of words and rhythm causes her poems to leap from the page and consume the reader in a delightful feast of images and feeling."--Tracey Calhoun, The Bookery, Ithaca, NY RIOT IN THE CHARM FACTORY, by Todd Colby (Soft Skull, $13 paper, 1887128387) "You will be reading these poems out loud to everyone that you know! This book is funny, insightful and outrageous." --Jen Reynolds, Joseph-Beth Booksellers, Cincinnati, OH Spirituality ALWAYS WE BEGIN AGAIN: The Benedictine Way of Living, by John McQuiston II (Morehouse, $7.95 paper, 0819216488) "This little book is our perennial bestseller. The author is a lawyer who was searching for a balanced life. Just short of 100 pages, it's a 'contemporary interpretation' of the Benedictine Rule. It reads like poetry and offers a path towards mindfulness and thanksgiving in everyday life for folks who do not live in a monastery. It's lovely."--Laura Helper, Burke's Book Store, Memphis, TN A WOMAN'S PATH: Women's Best Spiritual Travel Writing, edited by Lucy McCauley et al. (Traveler's Tales, $16.95 paper, 1885211481) "Thirty-two women writers lend their distinctive voices to this moving chorus of essays in which their physical journal sometimes reflects, often impacts their spiritual unfolding." --Cathy Zehms, Little Professor, Green Bay, WI a bestseller list with a difference Ask us about the Book Sense Bestseller List, the only national bestseller list gathered from over 350 independent bookstores, based on real sales not wholesale demand. Also see it each Thursday on-line at BookSense.com.  special orders If you can't find one of the '76 books' of interest to you on our shelves, we will gladly special order it for you...and you'll have it in no time. You will have supported an independent business in the process, and we thank you. full disclosure These 76 books have been chosen by the independent booksellers of America and the staff at Book Sense, after which publishers were approached for promotional funds to help underwrite the ongoing Book Sense marketing campaign. Books appear here whether or not the publishers have agreed to participate, but many have...and we appreciate it. The bookseller/publisher partnership is vital to our search for a diversity of voices and opinions. subject to change We are not responsible for publisher price increases at the last moment. And despite all best efforts to ensure that all of these 76 are in stores by Sept. 1, some will be not be available until later in the month...and some are due out in October. Topics: News - Books, Book Sense,