2004 Book Sense Recommendations--the ultimate reading list!

The Pat Conroy Cookbook: Recipes of My Life
By Pat Conroy
"The cooks, chefs, and Pat Conroy fans on everyone's Christmas list will fall in love with his new cookbook. Even non-cooks will be tempted, and then there are the stories-you will laugh out loud."-Christine Stanley, Bay Street Trading Co., Beaufort, SC

Over the Edge of the World: Magellen's Terrifying Circumnavigation of the Globe
By Laurence Bergreen
"Bergreen has done a wonderful job of bringing the Age of Discovery to life and placing Magellan in the context of his times."-Chris Wilcox, City Lights Bookstore, Sylva, NC

John James Audubon: The Making of an American
By Richard Rhodes
"One of our greatest pioneers-less for his trailblazing than for his singular appreciation for our landscape and wildlife-is brought vibrantly to life by one of our finest historians. A marvelous combination of narrator and subject, this book is as lyrical and boisterous as an old-time ballad."-Jim Hardcastle, Olsson's Books & Records, Alexandria, VA

The Children's Blizzard
By David Laskin
"This account of an 1888 epic prairie snowstorm makes our summer of hurricanes here in Florida seem tame and almost bearable. Not so for the children of the Dakotas as this gripping tale describes. For fans of Isaac's Storm and, yes, even Plainsong." -Hester Jeswald, Sarasota News & Books, Sarasota, FL

Best American Recipes: The Year's Top Picks from Books, Magazines and the Internet (2004 - 2005)
By Fran McCullough and Molly Stevens (Eds.)
"Every year I wait for the next installment in this series, and I'm never disappointed with their foolproof and fresh selections. The editors have again scoured magazines, supermarket flyers, contest entries, and the recipe files of celebrated chefs. I promise you'll add a couple of recipes to your tried-and-true standbys."-Carla Jimenez, Inkwood Books, Tampa, FL

The Birth of Venus: A Novel
By Sarah Dunant
"The Birth of Venus is devilishly seductive. You will quickly get caught up in the life of Alessandra Cecchi and the mystery, romance, sensuality, and politics of 1492 Florence. Precision plotting, well-defined characters, and sharp dialogue make this a standout novel for 2004!" --Emery Pinter, Chapter 11, Lawrenceville, GA

Snow in July: A Novel
By Heather Barbieri
"Eighteen-year-old Erin has had a lot to deal with: the death of her father and the loss of her older sister to narcotics. She and her mother mirror the rugged Montana landscape in which they live as they deal with the fallout of addiction. Barbieri's first novel is at once humorous, tender, and honest.." --Katrina Denza, The Country Bookshop, Southern Pines, NC

The Complete Cartoons of the New Yorker
Edited by Robert Mankoff, foreword by David Remnick
"This comic chronicle (with two CDs containing all the cartoons and profiles and mini-portfolios of key contributors) is the perfect gift for at least one person on everyone's list -- if you can finish browsing it by the time you have to wrap it in December." --Leslie Reiner, Inkwood Books, Tampa, FL

The Coroner's Lunch
By Colin Cotterill
"Colin Cotterill's unlikely and charming detective -- Dr. Siri Paiboun -- must cope with the bureaucracy and politics of the Pathet Lao in 1970s Laos. Siri is a coroner, 'not a very good one at that,' but he still manages to uncover the truth. Once you start reading, you'll hope that the next book in the series follows quickly." --Ann Carlson, Harborwalk Books, Georgetown, SC

Killing the Buddha: A Heretic's Bible
By Peter Manseau and Jeff Sharlet
"Killing the Buddha is like nothing you have read before. This religious pilgrimage across America contains some of the finest writing I've ever read-plus a travelogue of America's kinkiest sects and religious sideshows. The contributing writers represented are among the most intriguing to be found. I couldn't put this book down."-Mamie Potter, Quail Ridge Books, Raleigh, NC

Ada Blackjack: The True Story of Survival in the Artic
By Jennifer Niven
"This is a well-researched story of an amazing Inuit woman and an Arctic exploration that was doomed from the beginning."-Gary Mundinger, The Corner Shelf, Culpeper, VA

True Cross
By T.R. Pearson
"When I read the first paragraph, I knew that this one was worth waiting for. Like all of Pearson's books, this story of small-town life in Virginia deserves to be read, and read again. Pearson always makes me feel as if I am sitting on a porch listening to him tell his stories."-Marie Peerson, Crosshaven Books, Birmingham, AL

The Family Trade (Book One of the Merchant Princes)
By Charles Stross
"This is the start of what looks to be a great fantasy trilogy. Charles Stross writes fantasy with the same sense of humor and care that he displays in his science fiction. Loads of fun."-Caleb Wilson, Davis-Kidd Booksellers, Nashville, TN

Bahamarama
By Bob Morris
"Journalist Bob Morris' new mystery features former Miami Dolphins linebacker Zack Chasteen, lately out of prison and back in trouble, with a kidnapped former girlfriend. This is a great read. I couldn't put it down!" --Will Balk, Jr., Bay Street Trading Co., Beaufort, SC

The Pacific and Other Stories
By Mark Helprin
"Few contemporary writers display Helprin's knack for creating mesmerizing and memorable characters. His stories about people's ability to adapt reflect a certain wisdom and grace, and I was totally immersed in each character and the drama of their lives. This is a fantastic collection of short stories." --Emery Pinter, Chapter 11, Atlanta, GA

Light on Snow
By Anita Shreve
"A tragedy forces a father and his daughter to leave their life in the city and seek refuge in a rural community. The discovery of an abandoned infant, however, forces both parent and child to work through unresolved grief and face buried memories. The novel weaves a tender, almost fragile story about new beginnings and the ways in which people overcome loss with love and courage." --Susan Harrison, The Country Bookshop, Southern Pines, NC

In the Land of Second Chances: A Novel
By George Shaffner
"This sly, slightly feminist fable tells the tale of a mysterious stranger who arrives in a town and brings a message of hope, love, and faith to those who, perhaps, do not know they need it. Humor and charm abound and readers of Life of Pi or Peace Like a River will appreciate this first novel." --Hester Jeswald, Sarasota News & Books, Sarasota, FL

Queenan Country: A Reluctant Anglophile's Pilgrimage to the Mother Country
By Joe Queenan
"Joe Queenan applies skewering wit to his adventures in England. From a cab ride through Liverpool in search of an authentic Beatles experience to an argument in an Edinburgh pub, where he tried in vain to defend Paul McCartney's 'Ebony and Ivory,' Queenan gives us a unique look at British history through an American pop culture lens. It's a hilarious spectacle." --Robert Sheard, Bookshop by the Lakes, West End, NC

Skinny-Dipping: A Novel of Suspense
By Claire Matturro
"Lilly Rose Cleary is an attorney for a Florida law firm that represents physicians in malpractice cases. When her clients begin to turn up dead, and she herself is attacked, she must buckle down to solve the mystery. Sit back and enjoy the ride in this wonderfully entertaining novel." --Susan Diffenderfer, Tall Tales Book Shop, Atlanta, GA

The Darling
By Russell Banks
"Hannah Musgrave's participation in the radical Weather Underground forces her to live unconnected to family or friends. Fleeing the country, she settles in Liberia and becomes a witness to the brutality and destruction of civil war. This riveting novel, vividly told, is set in the'70s and '80s but addresses current issues of terrorism, values, and depravity." --Ann Carlson, Harborwalk Books, Georgetown, SC

Chicken Dreaming Corn: A Novel
By Roy Hoffman
"It's difficult to think that Roy Hoffman's Chicken Dreaming Corn isn't a factual history of the settlement of Jewish merchants from eastern Europe in the South. It's a delicious read, even if you aren't a Southerner descended from eastern European Jewish merchants -- as am I." --Jake Reiss, The Alabama Booksmith, Birmingham, AL

The Fall of Baghdad
By Jon Lee Anderson
"I could not put down this street-side view of our ongoing war. Anderson's comments and interviews with people of all classes in the city -- during and after the siege -- are incredible and enlightening. Highly recommended for anyone who cares about our world." --Deal Safrit, Literary Book Post, Salisbury, NC

The Exile
By Allan Folsom
"The latest thriller from Folsom is even more heart-pounding than The Day After Tomorrow and The Day of Confession. How can the man continue to scare us half to death?" --Virginia Hobson Hicks, Books on the Bluff, Townsend, GA

The Coal Tattoo: A Novel
By Silas House
"Like the characters in his novels, House's writing is pragmatic and fierce. This novel set in the coal mining region of Kentucky depicts the desperation of life lived too close to the bone and the deep, abiding attachment that life has to the land. Mystical, reverent, and elemental, House's books define the shape of a singular culture." --Gee Gee Rosell, Buxton Village Books, Buxton, NC

The Second Life of Samuel Tyne
By Esi Edugyan
"This is a strange dark novel but a fascinating read. It is easy to understand from reading the book why madness descends upon the main character." -- Virginia Hobson Hicks, Books on the Bluff, Townsend, GA

A Perfect Divorce
By Avery Corman
"A Perfect Divorce is a great insight into how two people can be amicable about divorce. But there are always problems with any separation, and the novel also reflects what happens to young people even when the parents are still talking and hoping for the best for their children." -- Donna Henrich, The Bookseller, Cherokee, IA

Liberating Paris
By Linda Bloodworth Thomason
"This well-loved and respected screenwriter applies her considerable talent to a rollicking cast of characters in Paris (Arkansas, that is), and the results are totally unpredictable! An indictment against big-box retailers combined with enduring friendships and all-forgiving love make this book a page-by-page treat for the reader." -- Molly Beck, Quail Ridge Books, Raleigh, NC

Millard Fillmore, Mon Amour: A Novel
by John Blumenthal
"A witty, laugh-out-loud funny take on our collective neuroses. Plato G. Fussell—the author of the definitive 10-volume biography of Millard Fillmore—is a character you won’t soon forget."—Sarah Carr, McIntyre’s Fine Books, Pittsboro, NC

Jonathan Strange and Mr. Norrell: A Novel
By Susanna Clarke
"Susanna Clarke astonishes with a tale full of wonders! The vivid characters, richly defined world of 1806 England, and mystical elements keep the pages turning in this story of how magicians helped the English defeat Napoleon."—Emery Pinter, Chapter 11, Atlanta, GA

See Jane Die
By Erica Spindler
"This fast-paced thriller will keep you guessing until the bitter end." -- Janet Bollum, The Muse Book Shop, DeLand, FL

Pasta Imperfect: A Passport to Peril Mystery
By Maddy Hunter
"Emily and her somewhat peculiar but lovable Iowan senior citizens are off on another tour, this time to Italy with a bunch of romance writer wannabes, and the bodies begin to pile up. Emily finds herself sleuthing with her trans-gender ex-husband, resplendent in spandex and stilettos, while her beloved Etienne is available only by phone and still can't remember what important question he wanted to ask her. What total fun!" -- Lelia Taylor, Creatures 'n Crooks Bookshoppe, Richmond, VA

Rammer Jammer Yellow Hammer: A Journey Into the Heart of Fan Mania
By Warren St. John
"Spend a year following the University of Alabama football team, including the whole tailgating scene, the camaraderie of fans at home, the animosity on the road, and the highs and lows of a roller-coaster season. A fascinating and most enjoyable trip, and a wonderful book." -- Cheryl Upchurch, Capitol Book & News Company, Montgomery, AL

In the Hope of Rising Again
By Helen Scully
"In the Hope of Rising Again has a fascinating story, with rich and well-drawn characters. Scully is on target with events of the 19th century, right on up until the early 20th century. A fine book with a real tale to tell." -- Virginia Hobson Hicks, Books on the Bluff, Townsend, GA

Cruisers
By Craig Nova
"Craig Nova is a master at creating characters who are capable of great amounts of violence. They live, breathe, love, fight, and die, totally human and essentially flawed, and yet completely fascinating. This novel of two men -- seeming opposites but actually much the same -- is a testimony to the power of a writer at the top of his game." -- Robert Segedy, Branch's Chapel Hill Bookshop, Chapel Hill, NC

Amagansett
By Mark Mills
"This first novel masterfully blends murder among the wealthy on eastern Long Island with the lives of the local men who make their living hauling fish from the sea. The reader is fully involved in slowly unraveling a killing, all the while becoming fascinated by the quirks of the minor characters who come so vividly alive." -- June Applen, The Book Mark, Atlantic Beach, FL

By a Spider's Thread
By Laura Lippman
"Baltimore-based private investigator Tess Monaghan is back, this time on the case of a businessman's missing family. The more she delves into the case, the more Tess begins to see what her client doesn't want her to discover, and the tension grows with every page." -- Lelia Taylor, Creatures 'n Crooks Bookshoppe, Richmond, VA

Cat vs. Cat: Keeping Peace When You Have More Than One Cat
By Pam Johnson-Bennett
"If you have more than one cat, you need this book. Period. Johnson-Bennett is a skilled interpreter of feline behavior, and after reading Cat vs. Cat, you will be, too. Fun to read for any cat lover, and it works.What more could you ask?" -- Frazer Dobson, Park Road Books, Charlotte, NC

Acquainted with the Night: An Intimate Journey Through the World After Dark
By Christopher Dewdney
"Dewdney's subject is the night, in terms of science, culture, and world history. Each chapter corresponds with an hour of the night from 6:00 p.m. to 5:00 a.m., with subjects ranging from insomnia and dreams to nocturnal animals, fireworks, and more. A fun book." -- Caleb Wilson, Davis-Kidd Booksellers, Nashville,TN

The Circus in Winter
By Cathy Day
"Based on family stories and old photographs, the author imagines the lives of circus people when they are not in the ring. Spanning the late 1800s through the present day, life in the circus comes alive through the stories of the performers, the circus owners, and their modern descendents." -- Ann Carlson, Harborwalk Books, Georgetown, SC

The Canal House
By Mark Lee
"This story of war and romance, stretched across many exotic hotspots (Uganda, Kosovo, East Timor), does the Hemingway/ Greene tradition proud. Lee, once a roving war reporter himself, has created a wonderful cast of restless globetrotters in a story that offers great tension and a powerful sense of place." -- Jamie Kornegay, Square Books, Oxford, MS

Mortal Love
By Elizabeth Hand
"Told in two time periods -- Victorian London and contemporary New York -- the story hinges on a mysterious woman who influences artists in both London and New York. The suspense builds as Hand explores the connection between art, madness, and the supernatural -- and what happens when they intersect." -- Deb Wehmeier, Garden District Book Shop, New Orleans, LA

Coal Run
By Tawni O'Dell
"Coal Run sings with believable characters; the grim, gritty reality of the life of a coal miner; and essential human truths. A stunning, "can't-put-it-down" read from the author of Back Roads." -- Gee Gee Rosell, Buxton Village Books, Buxton, NC

Angels Crest
By Leslie Schwartz
"When a young boy becomes lost in the woods, a town rallies around the father whose impulsive action brings him unbearable grief. Set in a mountainous area of California and full of unforgettable characters, Schwartz's emotionally powerful novel is resonant with insight and grace, and the story remains with its reader long after the last page." -- Katrina Denza, The Country Bookshop, Southern Pines, NC

The Preservationist
By David Maine
"Listening to Sunday school stories as a child, all the people seemed larger than life, almost as if they were superheroes. David Maine expertly deconstructs this particular image of Noah (or Noe) by portraying a man with immense faith in God but significant doubts about his ability to follow that faith. An absolutely original and fascinating debut novel." -- Mike James, Haversack Books & Gifts, Marietta, GA

Murder in the Bastille: An Aimée Leduc Investigation
By Cara Black
"I'm a big Cara Black fan. Her series featuring Aimée Leduc is sharp as a rapier, packed with action, and written with a tautness that we feel in our own muscles. The series is also a vicarious vacation to gay Paree, as the city of Paris becomes an integral character." -- Keebe Fitch, McIntyre's Fine Books, Pittsboro, NC

Like a Charm: A Novel in Voices
Edited by Karin Slaughter
"A very novel idea -- to have the other crime fiction writers join Slaughter to scare us half to death. You will be unable to put the book down until the last page, and, after finishing it, it will take a while to get your breath back!" -- Virginia Hobson Hicks, Books on the Bluff, Townsend, GA

Bobbed Hair and Bathtub Gin: Writers Running Wild in the Twenties
By Marion Meade
"Meade offers readers a seat at the exclusive Algonquin Round Table in this lively portrait of Zelda Fitzgerald, Edna St. Vincent Millay, Dorothy Parker, and Edna Ferber. Anyone captivated by the era that spawned Jay Gatsby will enjoy this book on the women of the jazz age." -- Jennifer Richards, The Alabama Booksmith, Birmingham, AL

Blood Done Sign My Name: A True Story
By Timothy B. Tyson
"The book takes as its starting point the public beating and killing of a black man in 1970 in the North Carolina town where Tyson lived as a 10-year-old, and where his father was a Methodist minister. Continuing with the repercussions of this event through the years, the book has the immediacy and power of a long conversation with your best friend, who is finally telling you about a life-changing event he has kept hidden for years." -- Tom Campbell, The Regulator Bookshop, Durham, NC

My Old True Love
By Sheila Kay Adams
"An astonishing debut novel, set in the time of the Civil War. Adams captures the voices of Appalachian folk -- the music of the language -- in a richly told tale of honor, struggle, passion, and strength. An absolute must read!" -- Will Balk Jr., Bay Street Trading Co., Beaufort, SC

True North
By Jim Harrison
"Jim Harrison's excellent new novel follows its protagonist across three decades as he wrestles with the destructive legacy of his family's men, who have made their fortunes for generations by pillaging the abundant wilderness of Michigan's Upper Peninsula. A casual epic, brimming on each page with Harrison's trademark insight, wit, and eros." -- Jamie Kornegay, Square Books, Oxford, MS

Tampa Burn
By Randy Wayne White
"Randy Wayne White has been one of our favorite authors since Sanibel Flats. In this, a story involving secrets and abduction, White's writing is as smooth as the sands of the Florida islands. Tampa Burn comes just in time to grab a copy and head for the beach." -- Gee Gee Rosell, Buxton Village Books, Buxton, NC

The Hundredth Man
By Jack Kerley
"Jack Kerley's gripping plot is a work of genius. The Hundredth Man is the best thriller I've ever read! Move over Dennis Lehane." -- Charlotte Cabaniss Robertson, Page & Palette Bookstore, Fairhope, AL

Zinc Fingers: Poems A to Z
by Meinke, Peter
(U. of Pittsburgh Press, $12.95, 0822957248) "Meinke is the Alex Rodriguez of contemporary poets, i.e. the complete package. He can write in classical forms -- sonnets, villanelles, sestinas -- blank verse, free verse, even a concrete poem here and there. Meinke is the most human of poets. His love poems are never blind to the pain of loss, his poems about the humor of daily life always contain a little nod to the heartbreak of living. If I had to put together a team for a Rotisserie Poetry League, my first pick would be Peter Meinke." - Michael Boggs, Carmichael's Bookstore, Louisville, KY

The Laments
By George Hagen
"If you are going to be on a bumpy ride, you sure as heck want pleasant company, and the Lament family is entertaining the whole way along. Leaving Africa, doing some dead-end time around Britain, and taking on America circa 1958, the story of the Laments is touching without being saccharine, complex but easygoing." -- Jean Riescher Westcott, Olsson's Books & Records, Arlington, VA

The Miracle Detective: An Investigation of Holy Visions
By Randall Sullivan
"This is a compelling investigation into the phenomenon of Virgin Mary sightings around the world. Sullivan writes with great thought and insight." -- Emery Pinter, Chapter 11, Atlanta, GA

Pull Me Up: A Memoir
By Dan Barry
"Barry's parents were people who sacrificed and hid (or at least attempted to hide) such pains as the effects of war and displacement as they strove to shield their children from those forces. Moved to connect with them and to understand the very things they tried to protect him from, Barry's memoir shows us the true joys of childhood mingling with his own struggles and trials, and tells a story that is affecting and funny." -- Jean Riescher Westcott, Olsson's Books & Records, Arlington, VA

The Body of Jonah Boyd
By David Leavitt
"This is a great entertainment from David Leavitt, who reveals the quirks of writers and the underestimated power of secretaries. The story is like a labyrinth: One is compelled to reach the end, and the fun is entirely in the journey." -- Erik Swallow, Lambda Rising, Norfolk, VA

The Pearl Diver
By Jeff Talarigo
"This is a poignant and tender story about a young Japanese pearl diver suffering from leprosy who is forced to live her life as an outcast from family and society. Talarigo weaves a story about courage and finding a sense of belonging that will leave a lingering impression on readers." -- Susan Harrison, The Country Bookshop, South Pines, NC

The Jane Austen Book Club
By Karen Joy Fowler
"The members of the Jane Austen book club form surprising new relationships in a novel that is clever without being cold, moving without being saccharine, and delightfully, unexpectedly funny." -- Leslie Reiner, Inkwood Books, Tampa, FL

The Well of Lost Plots: A Thursday Next Novel
By Jasper Fforde
"Fforde has written Thursday Next's most entertaining adventure yet! The best parts of the previous two Thursday Next books -- The Eyre Affair and Lost in a Good Book -- followed the character's exploits within other books, so setting the entire novel in Book World is a real treat. I look forward to reading the next book in the series." -- Mimi Barrett, Coffee Buy the Book, Roswell, GA

Shadow Men: A Max Freeman Novel
By Jonathon King
"With an eclectic, intriguing cast of characters and the Everglades as a backdrop, this wonderful series should be around a long time. I'll be recommending it to our customers who like their detectives a bit gritty and down-to-earth!" -- Susan Diffenderfer, Tall Tales Book Shop, Atlanta, GA

Hot Plastic
By Peter Craig
"Hot Plastic is hip, funny, painful, intriguing, and filled with dry wit. A very entertaining read." -- Emery Pinter, Chapter 11, Atlanta, GA

The Dante Club
By Matthew Pearl
"Renowned writers Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, Oliver Wendell Holmes, and James Russell Lowell, as well as editor J.T. Fields, spring to vivid life as they band together to track down a serial killer who is terrorizing Boston through methods that mirror the punishments meted out to sinners within the circles of Dante's Inferno. Not to be missed!" -- Dea Anne Martin, Chapter 11, Atlanta, GA

You Are Here: A Memoir of Arrival
By Wesley Gibson
"My new favorite neurotic is Wesley Gibson, who tells us his version of what really happens when you move to New York City to pursue your dreams. Moving, scary, and supremely, fabulously funny. If you flipped over Running With Scissors, this should be your next read." -- Kelly Justice, The Fountain Bookstore, Richmond, VA

We're Just Like You, Only Prettier: Confessions of a Tarnished Southern Belle
By Celia Rivenbark
"I'm a Southern female of a certain age, and are we as described in Rivenbark's latest collection of wonderfully funny essays? Yes, we are!" -- Gee Gee Rosell, Buxton Village Books, Buxton, NC

Harriet Tubman: The Road to Freedom
By Catherine Clinton
"Tubman's achievements in the 1850s and 1860s are often overlooked because she did not write a memoir. Here, Clinton has pulled together many accounts of Tubman's exploits and has filled in the gaps with vivid detail on the abolition movement and the underground railroad. Tubman emerges as an incredibly brave woman whose skill and leadership brought hundreds of slaves to freedom and inspired thousands." -- Duff Bruce, The Open Book, Greenville, SC

Goat
By Brad Land
"Land writes with a brutal poignancy that is ra re for any author, especially a young one. His narrative is hauntingly strong for someone who has experienced so much; his straightforward truth survives the brutality he has faced. I couldn't stop reading." -- Daniel Elam, Branch's Chapel Hill Bookshop, Chapel Hill, NC

The Swallows of Kabul
By Yasmina Khadra
"A deeply moving story, set in Kabul, about four people whose lives are affected by the harshness of the Taliban government. Khadra's novel is powerful, and a definite must-read for anyone interested in current events." -- Susan Harrison, The Country Bookshop, Southern Pines, NC

PS, I Love You
By Cecelia Ahern
"A first novel from a 22-year-old author, PS, I Love You is a page-turner. Gerry and Holly were the ideal couple, and life was just as Holly had planned -- that is, until Gerry must face serious illness. This is an amazing love story that I'm going to recommend to all my customers who love fiction." -- Susie Weaver, Broad Street Books, Portsmouth, VA

Loving Che
By Ana Menéndez
"Loving Che is an engrossing narrative that enraptures the reader as the layers of the story unfold. Sensuous and poignant, Menéndez's achie vement reads like poetry." -- Sara Kristof, Island Bookstore, Corolla, NC

Ira Foxglove
By Thomas McMahon
"This posthumously published novel tells the story of a talented inventor who embarks on an intrigu ing odyssey to reclaim his family. I expect we'll begin to see a demand for McMahon's earlier novels as readers discover this one." -- Pete Dickerson, Fireside Bookstore, Forest City, NC

Havana World Series
By Jose Latour
"A heart-pounding reconstruction of a war of misfits just before the revolutionary changes in Cuba. A first-rate crime novel peopled with the lowest of lowlife." -- Virginia Hobson Hicks, Books on the Bluff, Townsend, GA

The Dew Breaker
By Edwidge Danticat
"In The Dew Breaker, Danticat presents a portrait of evil unlike anything I can remember. The horror and brutality of Haiti during the 1960s and '70s is seen through the eyes of a torturer and his victims, who com e to find that he is living among them in the New York City of today. Edwidge Danticat has achieved what so many writers strive for, a novel that matters." -- Mitchell Kaplan, Books & Books, Coral Gables, FL

The Annunciation of Francesca Dunn
By Janis Hallowell
"Hallowell's novel is a delight to read from beginning to end. Her story -- about a young girl who affects others' lives in an unexpected way -- is mixed with tenderness as well as touches of insanity, humor, and sadness. I absolutely loved this book." -- Susan Harrison, The Country Bookshop, Southern Pines, NC

Murder of a Barbie and Ken
By Denise Swanson
"The fun continues in this witty cozy series featuring a school psychologist continually faced with batty relatives, bureaucratic nonsense, and the occasional body or two. In this case, the victims are so 'perfect' almost anyone might have wanted to kill them, and Skye Dennison is right in the thick of the investigation." -- Lelia Taylor, Creatures 'n Crooks Bookshoppe, Richmond, VA

The Breathtaker
By Alice Blanchard
"Were the mutilated corpses the result of a countryside ravaged by a tornado, or something more sinister? Blanchard presents a whirlwind of danger, a vortex of clues, and a funnel cloud of mystery in this fascinating and frighteningly believable thriller." -- Twyla Peace, Chapter 11, Lawrenceville, GA

The Sound of Paper: Starting from Scratch
By Julia Cameron
"Reading one of Cameron's books feels as if I'm getting together with a good buddy. Her friendly prose offers meditative advice on accepting where we are on our creative paths, and on moving beyond our blocks. Her book provides a jump-start for the creativity that is in all of us." -- Katrina Denza, The Country Bookshop, Southern Pines, NC

The Cave
By Jose Saramago
"This is a story of the clash between craftsmanship and the consumer society -- and much more -- told with a rare combination of human richness and philosophical depth, by a master storyteller." -- Tom Campbell, The Regulator Bookshop, Durham, NC

Zingerman's Guide to Good Eating: How to Choose the Best Bread, Cheeses, Olive Oil, Pasta, Chocolate, and Much More
By Ari Weinzweig
"Weinzweig's knowledge of edibles leads the reader to a fuller enjoyment of good food and gourmet dining. A must for cooks and diners." -- Harold Hicks, Books on the Bluff, Townsend, GA

Twisty Little Passages: An Approach to Interactive Fiction
By Nick Montfort
"The first book about the history and theory of interactive fiction, also known as text adventures. Lots of great examples." -- Caleb Wilson, Davis-Kidd Booksellers, Nashville, TN

The Last Time Around Cape Horn: The Historic 1949 Voyage of the Windjammer Pamir
By William F. Stark
"In 1949, a young man abandons his semester abroad in Europe and travels to Australia to fulfill his dream of sailing aboard a 300-foot commercial ship on the last sail-powered passage of Cape Horn. This book succeeds as both an autobiography and a terrific adventure tale." -- Doug Wolfe, Dee Gee's Gifts & Books, Morehead City, NC

Cork Boat
By John D. Pollack
"If you've ever had an outlandish idea and did not pursue it, read this book and you'll be energized to try it. John Pollack actually built a boat out of wine corks and sailed it twice -- the last time down a river in Portugal. A hilarious and touching story about friendships." -- Hester Jeswald, Sarasota News & Books, Sarasota, FL

The Turtle Warrior
By Mary Relindes Ellis
"After his older brother leaves for Vietnam, Bill Lucas must find ways to survive his alcoholic father's abuse and his mother's slow descent into mental illness. A mix of characters narrate Ellis' amazing first novel, including Ernie and Rosemary Morriseau -- the very people who eventually pull Bill back from the depths of his sorrow. An unforgettable novel." -- Katrina Denza, The Country Bookshop, Southern Pines, NC

Beulah Land
By Krista McGruder
"McGruder's collection of literary short stories may be among the best I have ever read. The author's way with words is of a high quality rarely seen in today's writers. Each story is excellent." -- Deal Safrit, Literary Book Post, Salisbury, NC

Apprentice to the Flower Poet Z.
By Debra Weinstein
"When aspiring young poet Annabelle Goldsmith meets up with her idol, the 'Flower Poet' known only as Z., she's thrilled at the prospect of an apprenticeship that will help her learn the true meaning of poetry. The last thing she expects to be doing is sewing buttons on her mentor's jacket -- or learning the ins and outs of Z.'s dysfunctional family. In this hilarious journey through academia, author Weinstein is the playful Toto who pulls the curtain aside to reveal the desperation, jealousy, and lust behind the world of prize-winning poets." -- Gina Webb, Tall Tales Book Shop, Atlanta, GA

Oracle Night
By Paul Auster
"Oracle Night is an intricate web of stories within stories, an intriguing tale of love and intuition, fiction and reality. Auster's tale of a novelist and a mysterious notebook questions the depth of subconscious knowledge, and allows the reader room to believe…or not." -- Dana Barrett, Coffee Buy the Book, Roswell, GA