New Releases 9/24/13

HARDCOVER FICTION

Cartwheel by Jennifer duBois

Julie says, “I’m a big fan of duBois’s first novel, A Partial History of Lost Causes, so when this one hit my desk I gobbled it down. It definitely has a different tone from her first book – darker, for sure. But what I loved about Partial History is here in Cartwheel, too; duBois is a master at getting inside the heads of her characters, forging an intimacy that never feels contrived. In this case, those characters are a girl in her early twenties who may or may not have murdered her roommate; her parents; her sister; and her sort-of boyfriend. Oh, and the detective who has to figure it all out. At turns creepy, literary, and a smart look at the mysteries of family, Cartwheel works on you. I particularly enjoyed her examination of what it is to be a young and “independent” American woman. Fine reading.”

Doctor Sleep by Stephen King

Stephen King returns to the characters and territory of one of his most popular novels ever, The Shining, in this instantly riveting novel about the now middle-aged Dan Torrance (the boy protagonist of The Shining) and the very special twelve-year-old girl he must save from a tribe of murderous paranormals.

 

The Lowland by Jhumpa Lahiri

From the Pulitzer Prize-winning, best-selling author of The Namesake comes an extraordinary new novel, set in both India and America, that expands the scope and range of one of our most dazzling storytellers: a tale of two brothers bound by tragedy, a fiercely brilliant woman haunted by her past, a country torn by revolution, and a love that lasts long past death. SIGNED COPIES AVAILABLE!

 

The Incrementalists by Steven Brust & Skyler White

As a member of the Incrementalists, a secret society with an unbroken lineage reaching back forty thousand years, Phil has loved Celeste for most of the last four hundred years. But now Celeste, recently dead, embittered, and very unstable, has changed the rules—and not for the better.

 

BOOKPEOPLE EVENT WITH STEVEN BRUST & SKYLER WHITE SUN, OCT 6. – free & open to the public

 

The Outcasts by Kathleen Kent

It’s the 19th century on the Gulf Coast. After escaping the Texas brothel where she’d been a virtual prisoner, Lucinda Carter heads for Middle Bayou to meet her lover, who has a plan to make them both rich. Meanwhile Nate Cannon, a young Texas policeman with a pure heart and a strong sense of justice, is on the hunt for a ruthless killer named McGill. As Lucinda and Nate’s stories converge, guns are drawn, debts are paid, and Kathleen Kent delivers an unforgettable portrait of a woman who will stop at nothing to make a new life for herself.

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HARDCOVER NONFICTION

Jim Henson: The Biography by Brian Jay Jones

Elizabeth, our Book Buyer, says: “Finally! A full authorized biography of Jim Henson – one of the most creative, ambitious, and talented people of the past century. We’ve waited far too long to get the whole story of the man behind the frog and Brian Jay Jones has made it worth the wait. With tons of interviews with Henson’s friends, family, and associates, Jones illuminates what drove this man who was always looking to create something bigger, better, and more fantastic. From his days on local Baltimore TV with Sam and Friends through the Muppets and Sesame Street to feature films like The Dark Crystal and his partnership with the Walt Disney company, Jones covers his entire life and career in this well researched, entertaining read.”

 

Countdown: Our Last Best Hope for a Future on Earth? by Alan Weisman

In his bestselling book, The World Without Us, Alan Weisman considered how the Earth could heal and even refill empty niches if relieved of humanity’s constant pressures. By vividly detailing the burgeoning effects of our cumulative presence, Countdown reveals what may be the fastest, most acceptable, practical, and affordable way of returning our planet and our presence on it to balance.

BOOKPEOPLE EVENT WITH ALAN WEISMAN MONDAY, OCT 28. – free & open to the public

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PAPERBACK FICTION

Mr. Penumbra’s 24 Hour Bookstore by Robin Sloan

Raul says, “Sloan has created something new and exciting – a book that celebrates both books and electronic media! His quirky charactes have feet in both worlds and he incorporates nerdy humor with a brilliant literary verve that drives the story. Allusions to Fantasy books, RPG’s and quest motifs blend harmoniously with computer coding, Google and electronic readers to give background to a story about a 500 year old cypher that may hold the key to eternal life. So much fun!”

Sloan reads from Mr. Penumbra HERE this Thursday, September 26 at 7pm!

 

Flight Behavior by Barbara Kingsolver

Flight Behavior takes on one of the most contentious subjects of our time: climate change. With a deft and versatile empathy Kingsolver dissects the motives that drive denial and belief in a precarious world. She bares the rich, tarnished humanity of her novel’s inhabitants and unearths the modern complexities of rural existence.

 

May We Be Forgiven by A. M. Homes

Harold Silver has spent a lifetime watching his more successful younger brother, George, acquire a covetable wife, two kids, and a beautiful home in the suburbs of New York City. When George’s murderous temper results in a shocking act of violence, both men are hurled into entirely new lives.

 

 

The Round House by Louise Erdrich

Jessica says, “The Round House is an absolutely stunning coming of age story about a young boy on a Native American reservation in North Dakota during the summer of 1988. Infused with beautiful storytelling, admirable characters and Erdrich’s haunting poetic imagery, The Round House is a stick of literary dynamite.”

 

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NEW FOR KIDS

Flora & Ulysses by Kate DiCamillo

Meghan G. says, “In Flora & Ulysses, comic book fan Flora + vacuumed-squirrel-turned-superhero Ulysses = a match made in oddball heaven! With effervescent eccentricity, trademark wit and incomparable heart, Kate DiCamillo gives us the unexpected and unlikely adventures of a super squirrel and the carefully cynical girl who lets him into her heart.”

SIGNED COPIES AVAILABLE!