Hardcover fiction:1. The Impossible Lives of Greta Wells, by Andrew Sean Greer
2. TransAtlantic, by Colin McCann
3. And the Mountains Echoed, by Khaled Hosseini
4. The Ocean at the End of the Lane, by Neil Gaiman
5. The Illusion of Separateness, by Simon Van Booy
Elaine Petrocelli at Book Passage has a recommended list that we can get behind in a big way. not only are several of her recommendations match Sharon's picks this past Tuesday (Sisterland and The Yanahlossee Riding Camp for Girls), but two of them make our top two. She calls The Impossible Lives of Greta Wells "a terrific story" and she also picks The Illusion of Separateness, "an intricately woven story based on true events." Read about all her picks here.
Hardcover nonfiction:1. Dad is Fat, by Jim Gaffigan
2. Let's Explore Diabetes with Owls, by David Sedaris
3. Dirty Wars, by Jeremy Scahill
4. True Food, by Andrew Weil
5. Nothin' but Blue Skies, by Edward McClelland
True Food, Andrew Weil's new book of healthy eating, an IACP Crystal Whisk Award finalist, came out last fall, but I don't remember it hitting our top five before this week. This is based on True Food Kitchen, an Arizona restaurant opened with co-writers Sam Fox of Restaurant Concepts. The restaurants seem to be at malls and lifestyle centers in Arizona, California, and Colorado. Here is a nice piece (not a review) from Mary McVean at the Los Angeles Times, tied into the opening of one of their restaurants.
Paperback fiction:
1. Beautiful Ruins, by Jess Walter
2. The Light Between Oceans, by M.L. Stedman
3. Where'd You Go, Bernadette?, by Maria Semple
4. The Buddha in the Attic, by Julia Otsuka
5. The Yellow Birds, by Kevin Powers
You may be thinking that two out of our top five fiction titles are event alums, and yes, Jess Walter and Maria Semple read at Boswell in May. But don't forget that Kevin Powers made a visit for the hardcover, a last minute addition that nonetheless made an impact. The Yellow Birds won the UK Guardian's First Book Award and he has an interview in that paper that is very useful to book clubs. He also hints at the next book, about the murder of a former plantation owner, set just after the Civil War.
Paperback nonfiction:1. You Don't Know Me, but You Don't Like Me, by Nathan Rabin
2. The Stolen Dog, by Tricia O'Malley (event on Friday, July 12, 7 pm)
3. Mary Nohl: Inside and Out, by Barbara Manger and Janine Smith
4. Monkey Mind, by Daniel Smith
5. The Tools, by Phil Stutz and Barry Michels
A little inspiration from Phil Stuz and Barry Michaels this week, as The Tools: 5 Tools to Help You Find Courage, Creativity, and Willpower--and Inspire You to Live Life in Forward Motion cracks our bestseller list. It is, after all, "the motivation book that everyone in Hollywood is obsessed with", according to Punch Hotton's gift guide in Vanity Fair.
Books for Kids:1. Mary Nohl: A Lifetime in Art, by Barbara Manger and Janine Smith
2. Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children, by Ransom Riggs
3. Heroes of Olympus #2: Sons of Neptune, by Rick Riordan
4. The Cats of Tanglewood Forest, by Charles de Lint, with illustrations by Charles Vess
5. One Gorilla: A Counting Book, by Anthony Browne
Quill and Quire (T=the Publishers Weekly of Canada) recommends Charles de Lint's book, The Cats of Tanglewood Forest. "No simple rehash of an old tale, this newly expanded version of a de Lint classic (A Circle of Cats) has a wonderfully old-fashioned fable-like feel to it, imparting a message of “be careful what you wish for” through beautifully descriptive, finely tuned prose that leaves no doubt about the lesson being taught, yet makes the learning of it a joy."
In the Journal Sentinel, Jim Higgins celebrates the release of a collection of interviews with Jorge Luis Borges called The Last Interview and Other Conversations. Higgins suggests novices start with Ficciones, Labyrinths, or Collected Fictions. And here are Summerfest performers, the Avett Brothers, talking with the Journal Sentinel's Piet Levy about their love of reading. Among their recommendations are Middlesex and Hellhound on his Trail.
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