The April Book Sense Picks and Notables Preview

Booksellers have spoken regarding the number-one title on the April Book Sense Picks list, and ... it's a tie.

When the tabulating was done, The Madonnas of Leningrad, a novel by Debra Dean (Morrow), and Saving the World, a novel by Julia Alvarez (Algonquin), had received an equal amount of support from independent booksellers in the Book Sense program.

"We never expected that this would happen," said Dan Cullen, Book Sense Picks editor-in-chief, "but, when we saw the level of nominations for each title, the best solution was the obvious one -- to honor them both."

This is the first time that two titles have shared the number-one spot on a Book Sense Picks list.

Below is a full listing of the April Book Sense Picks list, with booksellers' comments, and a preview of the Book Sense Notables selections for April. Independent booksellers in the Book Sense program will be receiving their April Picks fliers in the March Red Box. (The flier includes jacket images, bibliographic information, and bookseller quotes.)

1. THE MADONNAS OF LENINGRAD: A Novel, by Debra Dean (Morrow, $23.95, 0060825308) "Readers follow Russian migr Marina Buriakov back and forth from the present-day American Northwest, where she battles the effects of Alzheimer's, to World War II Leningrad, where she is a tour guide at the Hermitage Museum. The Madonnas of Leningrad is a heartbreakingly lovely story of a woman who is able to see and celebrate beauty despite the ravages of war, time, and disease." --Theresa Grossman, Tuesday Books, Williamston, MI

1. SAVING THE WORLD: A Novel, by Julia Alvarez (Algonquin, $24.95, 156512510X) "Saving the World ensnared and captivated my imagination, while nourishing and enlarging my view of our troubled planet. It's one of those rare novels in which history, ideas, and story are brought together to create a thoroughly original, and compulsively readable, book." --Janet Brown, The Elliott Bay Book Company, Seattle, WA

A DIRTY JOB: A Novel, by Christopher Moore (Morrow, $24.95, 0060590270) "In Christopher Moore's hilarious and unsettling new novel, Charlie Asher loses a wife, gains a baby daughter -- and suddenly becomes Death's representative on earth. Of course, there's more to it than that. Compelling and entertaining!" --Carol Schneck, Schuler Books & Music, Okemos, MI

BIRDS IN FALL: A Novel, by Brad Kessler (Scribner, $24, 074328738X) "I am so glad to have read Birds in Fall. Although the story is based around a tragic airliner crash, it is so much more than that. Kessler's sensitivity to his characters drew me into their lives. He has written a touching story of grief, recovery, and, in the end, survival after tragedy." --Sue Richardson, Maine Coast Book Shop, Damariscotta, ME

HOW ELIZABETH BARRETT BROWNING SAVED MY LIFE: A Novel, by Mameve Medwed (Morrow, $24.95, 0060831197) "Whether you have an old heirloom in the attic or a bad boyfriend in your past, Medwed's newest comedy is sure to satisfy your hopes, your revenge fantasies, and, especially, your funny bone." --Daniel Goldin, Harry W. Schwartz Bookshop, Milwaukee, WI

IN A PARIS MOMENT, by Meredith Mullins (M. Publishing, $29.50 paper, 0977358402) "If you can't spend April in Paris this book may provide your next best option. The dramatic black-and-white photographs capture the essence and soul of Paris, and the beautifully written short essays are both personal and universal. But, be warned, you may quickly find yourself phoning your travel agent." --Chuck Robinson, Village Books, Bellingham, WA

THE SECRET SUPPER: A Novel, by Javier Sierra (Atria, $25.95, 0743287649) "The Secret Supper grips the reader immediately with its story of the mystery and intrigue involved in the painting of Da Vinci's magnificent portrayal of the Last Supper. Sierra has captured the daily life and times during which Leonardo painted. A real puzzler to the end!" --Harold Hicks, Books on the Bluff, Townsend, GA

THE LIGHTNING KEEPER: A Novel, by Starling Lawrence (HarperCollins, $25.95, 0060825243) "Set in the early years of the 20th century, the end of the gaslight era, this intriguing novel centers around the development and popularization of electricity. With uncommon attention to the tenor and sensibilities of the times, the author has richly depicted a world on the threshold of cataclysmic change." --Patricia F. Colrick, Landmark Books, Manasquan, NJ

THE GLASS CASTLE: A Memoir, by Jeannette Walls (Scribner, $14 paper, 074324754X) "Jeannette Walls gives us an insight into her life growing up in a family of contemporary nomads, and she proves that, with determination and perseverance, it is possible to reach your goals. A memoir, a social study, and a surprising comment on our society." --Daniel Thomas, Browsing Bison Books, Deer Lodge, MT

FANTASYLAND: A Season on Baseball's Lunatic Fringe, by Sam Walker (Viking, $25.95, 0670034282) "Sam Walker spends a season in fantasy baseball and takes the reader on a wild ride through this realm of obsession. The visceral reactions he experiences will be familiar to many, but, in the end, the book mirrors the game itself: It is filled with pathos, humor, sorrow, tragedy, and triumph." --Bill Cusumano, Nicola's Books, Ann Arbor, MI

APEX HIDES THE HURT: A Novel, by Colson Whitehead (Doubleday, $22.95, 038550795X) "When you're a genius at marketing, when everything is spin and names and associations that you conjure up, it can be tough to see what, if anything, is real. Apex Hides the Hurt is a marvelous allegory of marketing, meaning, race, and redemption -- another winner from one of our very best young writers." --Tom Campbell, The Regulator Bookshop, Durham, NC

DEATH WITHOUT COMPANY: A Novel, by Craig Johnson (Viking, $23.95, 0670034673) "Johnson's outstanding new novel, set in Wyoming, is full of wonderful characters. Sheriff Walt Longmire and his friends and deputies get involved with the murder of a woman in the Basque community. This will appeal to everyone who enjoys a well-written book that also provides exciting entertainment." --Susan Wasson, Bookworks, Albuquerque, NM

L'AMERICA: A Novel, by Martha McPhee (Harcourt, $25, 0151011710) "This story of an American and an Italian who meet on a small Aegean island is a novel rich for the senses. The love at the center of the book is so powerful that you feel as if it was your own great love." --Jeni Harris, Carpe Librum Booksellers, Knoxville, TN

TO HELL WITH ALL THAT: Loving and Loathing Our Inner Housewife, by Caitlin Flanagan (Little, Brown, $22.95, 0316736872) "This is a book for moms (both stay-at-home and employed outside the home) to read and to discuss at their book groups. Flanagan's trenchant take on the roles of housewife and mother will resonate with every woman!" --Susan Taylor, Wellesley Booksmith, Wellesley, MA

SECRET GIRL: A Memoir, by Molly Bruce Jacobs (St. Martin's, $22.95, 0312320949) "Jacobs' memoir of meeting her 'secret' younger sister, born with hydrocephalus and hidden away in mental institutions by her parents for over 30 years, is nothing short of totally brave, heartbreakingly honest, and beautifully written. An incredible story of loss and healing." --Debby Creasy, Booksandcoffee, Dewey Beach, DE

THE MERCY ROOM: A Novel, by Gilles Rozier (Little, Brown, $22.95, 0316159735) "Set in Occupied France, this novel tells the story of a protagonist of unspecified gender who hides a Jewish man, Herman, in a cellar room and subsequently falls in love with him. As danger from outside the cellar pushes in, the difference between mercy and being at someone's mercy becomes apparent. I couldn't put this book down until the startling resolution of wars, both political and personal." --Mark Mazzoli, The River's End Bookstore, Oswego, NY

MURDER IN MONTMARTRE, by Cara Black (Soho Crime, $23, 1569474109) "Aimee Leduc is a spunky PI in Paris who finds herself running across snow-covered rooftops as she tries to clear her friend from murder charges. This is an exciting addition to the Aimee Leduc series." --Mary Jane Weber, The Town Book Store, Westfield, NJ

SWEETNESS IN THE BELLY: A Novel, by Camilla Gibb (Penguin Press, $23.95, 159420084X) "Lilly, a white British Muslim woman, was eight years old when she was abandoned at a Sufi shrine in Morocco. This is her story of surviving the multiple traumas of death, war, violence, loneliness, and stark, devastating poverty -- and, ultimately, emerging with the ability to hope and love again." --Linda Beall, Island Books, Middletown, RI

A YEAR IN JAPAN, by Kate T. Williamson (Princeton Architectural Press, $19.95 paper, 1568985401) "Lesser-know cultural aspects of Japan are exquisitely depicted in watercolors along with short essays on each subject in A Year in Japan. I never knew there was such a large sock business in Japan -- due to the removal of shoes before entering a house! Williamson has crafted a charming book sure to please art and Japan fans alike." --Sherri Gallentine, Vroman's Bookstore, Pasadena, CA

THE BRIGHT FOREVER: A Novel, by Lee Martin (Three Rivers, $14 paper, 0307209865) "At the center of this spellbinding story, is nine-year-old Katie Mackey, her family, and the people in the town where she lives -- those whose lives touch hers both directly and indirectly. This is a novel about the small, seemingly insignificant acts that lead to life-altering events and their irreversible consequences. Quite impossible to put down, it will linger long after the final page is turned." --Tova Beiser, Brown University Bookstore, Providence, RI

Fiction

CATBIRD, by Stephen March (Permanent Press, $26, 1579621260)
A HIGH AND HIDDEN PLACE, by Michele Claire Lucas (HarperSanFrancisco, $13.95, 0060833033 )
THE LAST WITCHFINDER, by James Morrow (Morrow, $25.95, 0060821795)
ME & EMMA, by Elizabeth Flock (Mira, $12.95 paper, 0778322858)
A MOST UNCOMMON DEGREE OF POPULARITY, by Kathleen Gilles Seidel (St. Martin's, $21.95, 0312333269)
THE NYMPHOS OF ROCKY FLATS, by Mario Acevedo (Rayo, $13.95 paper, 0060833262)
PHILOSOPHY MADE SIMPLE, by Robert Hellenga (Little, Brown, $23.95, 0316058262)
A ROSE FOR THE CROWN, by Anne Easter Smith (Touchstone, $16.95 paper, 0743276876)
SECOND HONEYMOON, by Joanna Trollope (Bloomsbury, $23.95, 1596910380)
A SHORT HISTORY OF TRACTORS IN UKRAINIAN, by Marina Lewycka (Penguin, $14 paper, 0143036742)
TWO WOMEN OF GALILEE, by Mary Rourke (Mira, $21.95, 0778323749)

Nonfiction

ABSOLUTE CONVICTIONS: My Father, a City, and the Conflict That Divided America, by Eyal Press (Henry Holt, $25, 0805077316)
BOUND FOR CANAAN: The Epic Story of the Underground Railroad, America's First Civil Rights Movement, by Fergus M. Bordewich (Amistad, $14.95 paper, 0060524316)
THE BOY WHO FELL OUT OF THE SKY: A True Story, by Ken Dornstein (Random House, $23.95, 0375503595)
PARTY OF THE CENTURY: The Fabulous Story of Truman Capote and His Black and White Ball, by Deborah Davis (Wiley, $24.95, 0471659665)
PATRIOTS ACT: Voices of Dissent: An Oral History, by Bill Katovsky (The Lyons Press, $22.95, 1592288162)
THE $64 TOMATO: How One Man Nearly Lost his Sanity, Spent a Fortune, and Endured an Existential Crisis in the Quest for the Perfect Garden, by William Alexander (Algonquin, $22.95, 1565125037)
WHAT JESUS MEANT, by Garry Wills (Viking, $24.95, 0670034967)

Mystery/Suspense

THE AMERICAN, by Andrew Britton (Kensington, $24, 0758213336)**
18 SECONDS, by George Shuman (Simon & Schuster, $23, 0743277163)

**Visit www.kensingtonbooks.com to download materials that will help you market The American by Andrew Britton, an April Book Sense Notable, in your store! Materials available for download include an e-postcard, a flyer/endcap sign and a shelf-talker.