| The February 2013 Staff Picks can also be viewed or printed as a PDF Staff Picks February 2013 (1.2MB) |
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FEBRUARY FEATURE
Frances and Bernard by Carlene Bauer  I am sure I would have fallen head over heels
for the fantastic Ms. Frances, the title character
in this exceptional epistolary novel. (Sadly,
she would have been quite out of my league.)
My unfamiliarity the real-life characters, the
writers Flannery O'Connor and Robert Lowell,
on which this amazing novel is based, in no way diminishes my
great admiration and complete enjoyment of it. The writing is
nothing short of extraordinary. ~ Stan Hynds For more about the "real" Frances, read Flannery: A Life of Flannery O'Connor by Brad Gooch
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| NEW HARDCOVER | NEW PAPERBACK | |
 The Dangerous
Animals Club by
Stephen Tobolowsky.
The character actor
you've seen in
everything weaves a
memoir from his life
both on and off the
set. Filled with hilarity,
balanced with insight. A must-read for
all actors, a great read for everyone else.
~ Stan Hynds |
 The Hour of Peril: The
Secret Plot to Murder
Lincoln Before the
Civil War by Daniel
Stashower. The last
city on Lincoln's
1,900-mile journey
to Washington after
his 1861 election was
Baltimore, a hotbed of secessionist
fervor. Here is a tense, day-by-day
examination of an elaborate plot to
assassinate the president-elect.
~ Alden Graves |
 Calling Dr.
Laura by Nicole
Georges. A palm
reader's predictions
lead to a mess of
troubles in zinester
and pet portrait
artist Georges's
thoroughly charming memoir. Her
naive illustrations can be deceptive -
this quirky comic packs one helluva
wallop. ~ Charles Bottomley |
 Unknown Pleasures:
Inside Joy Division by Peter Hook. Joy
Division's career
ended abruptly with
singer Ian Curtis's
suicide, but the band
is as influential as The
Beatles or Nirvana.
Bass player Hook reveals this dour
group actually lived a booze-sodden life
of calamity closer to Spinal Tap than
Sartre. A wonderful rock memoir!
~ Charles Bottomley |
 Monty Python's
Flying Circus:
Complete and
Annotated by Luke
Dempsey.
Six pounds of
Pythony greatness!
A must for die-hard
fans and a perfect way to introduce the
troupe to the uninitiated.
~ Sarah Teunissen |
 Quiet by Susan
Cain. A wonderfully
important book,
which may help
us survive and
thrive. Clear,
readable, combining
emerging science
and sociological
perspective as well as deep empathy
and intelligence. Readers will feel
empowered to find their own
comfort level for living. ~ Karen Frank |
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 Little Wolves by
Thomas Maltman.
The humdrum
existence in a small
Minnesota town
is shattered when
a teenager brutally
murders a deputy
sheriff. Lyrically written, with an
unfolding folk tale woven into
the narrative - a strikingly original
novel that will sweep over you like a
winter wind off the prairie.
~ Alden Graves |
 Cold Days by Jim
Butcher. It's well and
truly hit the fan for
Harry this time. The
world is coming to
an end in 24 hours,
he's become Queen
Mab's whipping
boy and he needs
to explain to his friends why he
isn't dead. Another winner in the
Dresden Files.
~ Sarah Teunissen |
 The Tell by Hester
Kaplan. Owen
and Mira stumble
through their days
until Wilton Deere,
a wealthy ex-TV
personality, inserts
himself into their
marriage, showering
them with gifts and seducing Mira
into the nether world of gambling
addiction. A fascinating study
of relationship - what is known,
what we allow others to see. ~ Amy
Palmer |
 The Last Runaway by Tracy Chevalier.
Despite thousands
of stories about
those involved with
the Underground
Railroad, this novel
adds an extra dash
of personality as
we follow a young Englishwoman
transplanted to the American
Midwest in the 19th century.
Chevalier masters the art of infusing
history with humanity and soul. ~ Karen Frank |
 Tenth of December:
Stories by George
Saunders. These
stories are beautiful
and awful. They
are mind-freaking.
How have I not
read George
Saunders until now?
This is the best collection of short
stories I have read in years.
~ Stan Hynds |
 Contents May Have
Shifted by Pam
Houston. Whether
riding a recalcitrant
camel in Tunisia,
performing CPR on
a seizing sled dog or
viewing a sky burial
in Tibet, Houston's
acute observations of life are part
spiritual quest, part healing - always
depicted with humor and insight!
~ Amy Palmer |
 The Golden Calf by Helene Thursten.
Swedish detective
Inspector Irene
Huss returns in
a case involving
the murders of
three men in an
upscale Goteborg
neighborhood. The only link is
a dot-com superstar, the wife of
one of the victims, who refuses
to cooperate. Well-written, very
entertaining police procedural.
~ Sarah Knight |
 A Teaspoon of
Earth and Sea by
Dina Nayeri. A
stunning literary
debut set in post-
Revolutionary
Iran as one young
woman tries to cope
with the mystery of
her missing mother and twin sister.
The author's Iranian heritage brings
insight to the new and old Iran
~ Jess Krawczyk |
 All This Talk of
Love by Chris
Castellani.
Castellani's best
yet, an instantly
engaging, authentic
story about a
multigenerational
Italian-American
family planning a trip to their
ancestral village. Love, resentment,
deception and tenderness - all the
complexities of a family in love
and in conflict - are handled with
beauty, precision and assurance.
~ Stan Hynds |
| OLD FAVORITES | GRAPHIC NOVEL | |
 Woman on the Edge of Time by Marge Piercy. One of my
all-time favorites! An epic battle for justice as one woman
communicates with the year 2137 while fighting to maintain
her sanity. The future? A choice between a utopian society or an
Atwood-esque dystopian nightmare. The ending? Unforgettable.
~ Jess Krawczyk |
 Earthly Powers by Anthony Burgess. There's a lot
more to Burgess than A Clockwork Orange. This
bustling novel, taking in the whole 20th
century, brims with intoxicating language and
sparkling ideas - the kind of literary feast
they just don't serve up any more.
~ Charles Bottomley |
 Blue by Pat
Grant. Like a
briny tidal pool,
Grant's seaside
coming-of-age
story teams
with odd creatures, animal emotions
and childlike wonder. Its marvelous
artwork and enticing depths should
be navigated again and again. Too
early to be one of the best books of
the year? I think not.
~ Charles Bottomley |
 FAVORITE THINGS Walking Sticks An assortment of beautiful, lightweight, sturdy, handcarved
walking sticks. Absolutely beautiful craftsmanship! Lion, dragon,
horse and more. ~ Jess Krawczyk |
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