July 29, 2008
Last Saturday was Farmington's annual street fair, The Strawberry Festival. As the day loomed I called my friend Marsha Planting, the organizer, admitted my lack of prior preparation, and vowed, however belatedly, to enter the fray. Galvinized into action after this exchange, the entire DDG staff rallied round and took to our festival planning like famished cheetahs grappling with a wounded gazelle. Reid Brechner took one for the team by wearing our Strawberry Hat all day. He can be seen wearing it (above right) at our Stephanie Meyer Trivia Contest, which was great fun. A fantastic part of the festival was working with The Franklin County Children's Task Force on a fund raiser.  We set up a booth together which featured our children's books, and all sales went to benefit the Task Force. The booth was a great success. It's pictured to the left. And so, even if my own name for the festival, when it was renamed some years ago from Moonlight Madness, The Kumquat Orgy, was voted down, I'm putting that firmly behind me and looking forward to next year with unabated enthusiasm!
Here they are! Our weekly picks for the two best: two hardcover, two paperback, and two children's books. The very best new arrivals to leap out of the box and onto our shelves this week. Call or email us if you want more information on any of these titles, or to have us hold you a copy. Or stop in and check them out in person. We'd love to see you. Thanks as always for sharing your reading with us! |
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What I Talk about When I Talk about Running
By Murakami, Haruki Gabriel, Philip 2008/07 - Knopf Publishing Group 9780307269195 - Hardcover List Price $21.00 - Your Price: $16.80
A memoir from Murakami, one of the world's finest, and most private, writers is worth taking note of. This is a brief, highly topical book. Yet, as is often the case, the narrowness of Murakami's topic gives rise to a much fuller, broader result than that achieved by authors whose aim is broader, and whose page count is higher. ...More
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The Lace Reader
By Barry, Brunonia 2008/08 - William Morrow & Company 9780061624766 - Hardcover List Price $24.95 - Your Price: $19.96
The Lace Reader opens as follows. "My name is Tower Whitney. No, that's not exactly true. My real first name is Sophya. Never believe me. I lie all the time." If you enjoy fencing with the narrator first time novelist Barry certainly hits the ground running. Early reviews have been strong, the publisher is fired up, and we're eager to know what you think! ...More
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Thursday Next: First Among Sequels: A Thursday Next Novel
By Fforde, Jasper 2008/08 - Penguin Books 9780143113560 - Trade Paper List Price $15.00 - Your Price: $12.00
This is a bold statement by store favorite Jasper Fforde for the fifth book in his Thursday Next series since the second book, Lost in a Good Book, has clearly been the best so far. Hmmmn. "The inexplicable departure of comedy from the once-hilarious Thomas Hardy Novels. The Council of Genres trying to broker a peace deal." It does sound like Jasper's back on top of his game. ...More
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Run
By Patchett, Ann 2008/08 - Harper Perennial 9780061340642 - Trade Paper List Price $14.95 - Your Price: $11.96
Ann Patchett's Run makes it's paperback debut today. Her exploration of the the ties that bind features the same integrity and insightfulness that marked Bel Canto....More
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The 13 Clocks
By Thurber, James Simont, Marc Gaiman, Neil 2008/06 - New York Review of Books 9781590172759 - Hardcover List Price $14.95 - Your Price: $11.96
The New York Review of Books strikes yet again with another fabulous reprint, this time of James Thurber's wonderful 13 Clocks. Armed with a new introduction by Neil Gaiman, this book stands ready to pounce into the laps of parents looking for something mutually delightful to read with their children....More
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Night of the Soul Stealer
By Delaney, Joseph 2008/08 - HarperTrophy 9780060766269 - Trade Paper List Price $7.99 - Your Price: $6.39
The narrator in the Frog and Toad story The Shivers tells us that after listening to a scary story the two friends "were having the shivers. It was a good warm feeling." Giving the shivers to middle grade and teen readers is the main idea of Joseph Delaney's entertaining The Last Apprentice series. Book three, Night of the Soulstealer is out today....More
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