1. The House of Broken Angels, by Luis Alberto Urrea
2. Love and Ruin, by Paula McLain
3. Paris by the Book, by Liam Callanan
4. Warlight, by Michael Ondaatje
5. The Immortalists, by Chloe Benjaming
6. Manhattan Beach, by Jennifer Egan (event with Egan and Andrew Sean Greer on Fri 6/15 at Boswell - ticket info here)
7. Little Fires Everywhere, by Celeste Ng
8. Robert's Rules, by J.F. Riordan (event Thu 5/24 at Boswell)
9. The Great Alone, by Kristin Hannah
10. Kindest Regards, by Ted Kooser
Warlight is the latest novel from Michael Ondaatje. Chrysler Szarlan of the Odyssey Bookshop described it thus: "Warlight is the unexpected story of two teenagers abandoned by their enigmatic parents in post-war London. Casually watched over by a dodgy cast of characters - petty criminals, opera singers, and panting greyhounds - Nathaniel and Rachel try to make sense of their new world while struggling to define their parents' shadowy wartime pasts. Years later, Nathaniel embarks on a quest to discover the disturbing truth, and his own unwitting part in it." More Indie Next picks here.
Hardcover Nonfiction:1. Barracoon, by Zora Neale Hurston
2. The Soul of America, by Jon Meacham
3. A Higher Loyalty, by James Comey
4. Beauty in Broken Places, by Allison Pataki (event Mon 5/14 at Lynden Sculpture Garden - Ticket info here)
5. Leonardo Da Vinci, by Walter Isaacson
6. Prairie Fires, by Caroline Fraser
7. Educated, by Tara Westover
8. Fascism, by Madeleine Albright
9. Parisian Charm School, by Jamie Cat Callan (event Wed May 23 at Boswell)
10. Assume the Worst, by Carl Hiaasen
Taking the top nonfiction spot is Barracoon: The Story of the Last "Black Cargo." Published for the first time, here is the true story of Cudjo Lewis, an 86-year-old man who told of the raid that led to his capture and bondage 50 years after the Atlantic slave trade was outlawed in the United States. Here's a story about the journey to publication of Barracoon by Lily Rothman in Time magazine.
Paperback Fiction:1. The Ministry of Utmost Happiness, by Arundhati Roy
2. Sing, Unburied, Sing, by Jesmyn Ward
3. The God of Small Things, by Arundhati Roy
4. Sour Heart, by Jenny Zhang (In-Store Lit Group at Boswell, Mon 7/2)
5. The Tea Girl of Hummingbird Lane, by Lisa See (In-Store Lit Group at Boswell, Mon 6/4)
6. The Paris Wife, by Paula McLain
7. Lincoln in the Bardo, by George Saunders
8. The Underground Railroad, by Colson Whitehead
9. Circling the Sun, by Paula McLain
10. Homesick for Another World, by Ottessa Moshfegh (event at Boswell, Tue 7/24)
My family has been passing around Jenny Zhang's Sour Heart, winner of the PEN/Robert W. Bingham Prize for Debut Fiction. We hadn't read a story collection for a while in our In-Store Lit Group so this seemed like a great choice. Jia Tolentino in The New Yorker's essay on the work begins: "Jenny Zhang’s astounding short-story collection, Sour Heart, combines ingenious and tightly controlled technical artistry with an unfettered emotional directness that frequently moves, within single sentences, from overwhelming beauty to abject pain."
Paperback Nonfiction:1. Rock 'n' Roll Radio Milwaukee, by Bob Barry
2. The Death and Life of the Great Lakes, by Dan Egan (event at Schlitz Audubon, Thu 5/17 - Registration required at 414-352-2880 x0)
3. The Color of Law, by Richard Rothstein
4. Meaty, by Samantha Irby
5. We Are Never Meeting in Real Life, by Samantha Irby
6. Lost Milwaukee, by Carl Swanson
7. Killers of the Flower Moon, by David Grann
8. The Story of Act 31, by J.P. Leary
9. Janesville, by Amy Goldstein
10. North Point Historic Districts, by Shirley Du Fresne McArthur
Here are two fascinating but not particularly useful insider fact about the reissue of Meaty, Samantha Irby's first essay collection, now repackaged and updated by Vintage. It was originally going to continue the chicken motif of the Curbside Splendor edition, and only later changed to the hedgehog, which got a little angrier in another revamp. The book was also going to be turquoise, not pink. I think yellow, hot pink and turquoise would look great together. I wouldn't write off turquoise for book #3. Lime green would also be nice. Fans also learned that the FX deal talked up in our marketing is off, but they are still hoping for a development deal at another network.
Books for Kids:
1. Positively Izzy, by Terri Libenson2. Invisible Emmie, by Terri Libenson
3. The Way You Make Me Feel, by Maurene Goo
4. The Novice V1, by Taran Matharu
5. The Burning Maze V3, by Rick Riordan
6. The Golden Thread, by Colin Meloy, with illustrations by Nikki McClure
7. Dog Man and Cat Kid V, by Dav Pilkey
8. Outcast V4, by Taran Matharu
9. One and Only Ivan, by Katherine Applegate
10. Bob, by Wendy Mass and Rebecca Stead
I watched Amie hand-sell Bob at the annual Ozaukee Family Services luncheon featuring Barbara Rinella. Here's Boswellian Jen Steele's recommendation: "10-year-old Livy is visiting her Gran in Australia. It's been five years since she visited her Gran, and that's a long time - long enough to forget all about the adventures that were had. Like meeting a green talking chicken named Bob. You'd think that would be unforgettable. Not to Livy, and now, Bob is waiting for Livy to remember him and her promise to help him. If only she'd remember. Bob by Wendy Mass and Rebecca Stead is magical, laugh out loud story that's sure to warm your heart."
Journal Sentinel Book Report!
--Also originally appearing in USA Today is Sharon Peters's review of Allison Pataki's new memoir. She will be appearing at the Lynden Sculpture Garden tomorrow (ticket info here--only 15 slots left). "In Beauty in the Broken Places: A Memoir of Love, Faith and Resilience, Allison Pataki (daughter of former New York governor George Pataki) tells the story of the fear-filled roller-coaster months after her husband, David Levy, had an in-flight stroke on June 9, 2015...Pataki, a novelist (The Accidental Empress), chronicles the days and months of her husband’s hospitalization and rehab in a compelling and straightforward way."
--Nara Schoenberg of the Chicago Tribune reports on the success of Natasha Tarpley's I Love My Hair, 20 years after publication. From the story: "In the book, a little girl named Keyana, rendered in lively, evocative watercolors by the Caldecott Honor-winning artist E.B. Lewis, cuddles in her mother’s lap, wincing when the comb hits a tangle, crying out when the pain get too great, until her mom strokes her head gently and tells her a secret: 'Do you know why you’re so lucky to have this head of hair, Keyana? Because it’s beautiful and you can wear it in any style you choose.'"
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