New Releases & Event Bingo!
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Dear Bibliophiles,

The month may be short, but there are lots of interesting new books coming out.  Our event calendar is out and features what I'd call "event bingo," a string of events daily from February 20 to 26.  We actually didn't win, yet, because there's still an opening on February 27th.  We also filled in our 2nd Monday with a new science fiction book club, coordinated by Jason and Jocelyn.  The first selection, on February 8th, is The Anubis Gates by Tim Powers.  While you're in a speculative mode, check out our new SF subsections.  We're now the source for all your sci-punk reading needs!

Here are some great books now available in trade paperback.  You'll find them on our front tables.

The Believers: A Novel by Zoe Heller
When Joel Litnvinoff is beset by a stroke, the family is thrown into a tizzy, particularly his wife Audrey, perhaps the meanest heroine you've come across in a comic novel in some time.  It's one of those stories where folks go from angel to devil and back, depending on who is telling the story.  It's also one of those great New York novels that is nothing short of delicious, lauded by The New York Times, and earning a spot on the coveted Man Booker Longlist for last year's prize.  ($14.99)

A note about Haiti.

What should the store be doing? Some friends of mine at other bookstores sell annual memberships (an enhanced Boswell Benefits program, of sorts) and are donating the proceeds for the month to relief efforts.

We don't sell memberships, but we do have an option. You know those five dollar coupons you receive for each hundred dollars you spend at our store? For a limited time, you can allocate your active coupon (less than two months old) to Partners in Health, and we will donate that money to the Stand with Haiti campaign.

Partners in Health is connected to Paul Farmer, the inspirational figure profiled in Tracy Kidder's Mountains Beyond Mountains.   The organization helps provide health care to the poor, and Haiti has been one of the main focus of their efforts.  It's a much-lauded organization with an infrastructure in place to help.   No surprise, there's been increased interest in the book since Haiti's devastating earthquake.   This is up and running now.

 

The Red Convertible by Louise Erdrich
Erdrich is such a strong novelist that her stories are often overlooked, but this hefty collection is filled with gems.  I remember Boswellian Carl telling me how much he loved this book when he read it about six months ago.  You'd think after reading 50 more books his thoughts on the book would be fuzzy, but he immediately launched into a description and recommendation of "The Bingo Van."  Great insights into the challenges of modern Native American culture, filled with biting humor.  ($14.99)

Bicycles: Love Poems by Nikki Giovanni
Poet, activist, mother, and professor Nikki Giovanni's most recent collection of poems was hailed by Essence magazine as her most powerful to date.  This is a companion to her classic Love Poems collection, where, beset by the tragedies of life, Giovanni discovered the antidote: romantic love and all its manifestations.  The collection makes a great Valentine's Day gift (if you're reading this by the 14th) or a "Honey, I'm sorry I forgot to get you something for Valentine's Day" gift (if you're reading this afterwards).  ($11.99)

You are Here: A Portable History of the Universe by Christopher Potter
What is nothing made of?  How was the moon formed?  You could be knocking your head against the wall, trying to answer these questions, or you could just pick up Potter's history of the cosmos that offers, in the words of The New Yorker, "A foothold to the foundering with evocative description."  To second that, The London Times called it "The most thoughtful pop science book of the last few years."  ($14.99)

Daniel Goldin
with Amie, Anne, Beverly, Carl, Conrad, Greg, Jason, Jocelyn, Mark, Melissa, Pam, Rebecca, Sharon, and Stacie.


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