Book Sense October 'We Also Recommend…' Preview

To help plan orders, here's a preview of the titles on the October 2004 Book Sense "We Also Recommend…" PDF, which will be posted, along with a file of shelf-talkers, to www.bookweb.org/read/6977 next week.

APOCALYPSE THEN: New Novellas and Stories, by Rick DeMarinis (Seven Stories, $22.95, 1583226370) "The characters in this collection -- men listlessly working in the defense industry, boys struggling for footing as their lives crumble -- are headed for disaster, and they usually know it. Sometimes, they try to stave off doom; more often, they barrel right for it. Either way, the doomed world doesn't end, as the narrator of the brilliant title story observes. But you'll be thrilled by how close it comes." -- Dan Blask, Brookline Booksmith, Brookline, MA

ASTONISHING SPLASHES OF COLOUR, by Clare Morrall (HarperCollins, $23.95, 0060734450) "Suffering a miscarriage and unable to conceive again, Kitty Wellington begins to see her world and the people around her in 'splashes' of color. Through this device, the reader experiences Kitty's anguish and confusion as she attempts to find her own identity with humor and intelligence. A terrific and surprising novel!" -- Deneen Convery, Edgartown Books, Edgartown, MA

A COMPLICATED KINDNESS, by Miriam Toews (Counterpoint, $23, 1582433216) "Miriam Toews brings us the fresh, perceptive voice of Nomi Nickel, a young Mennonite ("the most embarrassing sub-sect of people to belong to if you're a teenager"). As the constraints and demands of this fundamentalist religion cause her older sister and, then, her mother to leave town, your heart aches for Nomi. But she is blessed with both wit and wisdom, and hers is an unforgettable voice in modern literature." -- Marcia Rider, Capitola Book Cafe, Capitola, CA

THE DOUBLE, by Jose Saramago (Harcourt, $25, 0151010404) "If someone looked exactly like you, someone unrelated by blood and with a completely different character, what might happen? Saramago's fascinating, beautiful new novel starts with a seeming sport of nature and works up into a psychological thriller, one full of sharp observations about society and contemporary life." -- Laurie Greer, Politics & Prose Books & Coffee, Washington, DC

HAIRSTYLES OF THE DAMNED, by Joe Meno (Punk Planet Books/Akashic, $13.95 paper, 188845170X) "Tragedy and comedy come fast and never cease in Meno's novel, where sentences blew my mind and catapulted me into the characters. This story of growing up punk on Chicago's south side is full of youth, color, and humor." -- Laura Glazer, Book House of Stuyvesant Plaza, Albany, NY

THE INNER CIRCLE, by T.C. Boyle (Viking, $25.95, 0670033448) "Few novelists would attempt to use the Kinsey Institute as a setting, but T.C. Boyle has never been one to shy away from a challenge. The result is a superb examination of love, commitment, and moral dilemma." -- Bill Cusumano, Nicola's Books, Ann Arbor, MI

THE LAST SONG OF DUSK, by Siddharth Dhanvant Shanghvi (Arcade, $23.95, 1559707348) "This wondrous novel captures India and the pulse of life itself in the story of Anuradha -- who sings in "a voice so beautiful that even the moon listens" -- and her husband, Vardhmaan. This is a brilliant work -- part magic, part mysticism, part music, and spiced with a dash of sensuality." -- Kathy Ashton, The King's English, Salt Lake City, UT

LUCKY GIRLS: Stories, by Nell Freudenberger (Ecco, $12.95 paper, 006008880X) "The five longish stories in this book luminously describe the lives of five women -- all expatriates in one way or another -- making their ways through worlds they may not have chosen, but which they are determined to own. Freudenberger is definitely an author to watch." -- Catherine Weller, Sam Weller's Books, Salt Lake City, UT

THE PAINTING, by Nina Schuyler (Algonquin, $22.95, 1565124413) "These intertwining stories blend seamlessly and give the reader glimpses both of Paris as Prussia invades and of Japan during the Meiji Restoration. A great first novel about two women and one painting that changes men's lives forever (and a great selection for book groups)." -- Chris Vietmeier, St. Helens Book Shop, St. Helens, OR

PUSH NOT THE RIVER, by James Conroyd Martin (St. Martin's, $13.95 paper, 0312311532) "It is the 1790s and we are in Poland as the country tries to defend itself against Catherine the Great, the Prussians, and the Austrians while internal strife is weakening the military and the power of the king. James Conroyd Martin is a skillful writer, a tremendous researcher, and in young Anna Maria Berezowska he has created a character we learn to love and cheer for as she matures in this turbulent time." -- Joci Tilsen, Valley Bookseller, Stillwater, MN

THE REAL MINERVA, by Mary Sharratt (Houghton, $24, 0618462325) "Once again, Sharratt takes on difficult subjects -- class differences, violence against women, small town conformity -- and places them in a bygone era to tell a story that is powerful and haunting. She understands well the shackles that can bind a woman's life, but also the courage and strength that can ultimately lead to freedom." -- Barb Wieser, Amazon Bookstore Cooperative, Minneapolis, MN

SHADE, by Neil Jordan (Bloomsbury, $24.95, 1582344825) "As beautiful and haunting as his earlier books, as creative and imaginative as his films. This tale of a murdered woman revisting her life is quite, quite lovely." -- Elizabeth Wilson, Haversack Books & Gifts, Marietta, GA

SMALL TOWN ODDS, by Jason Headley (Chronicle, $23.95, 0811845362) "When Eric Mercer's Ivy League dream is derailed by an unplanned pregnancy, he resigns himself to the small town life he'd yearned to escape. Six years later, his past and his present collide, and he finally manages to face his future. A thoughtful coming-of-age novel." -- Susan M. Taylor, Wellesley Booksmith, Wellesley, MA

TOO WEIRD FOR ZIGGY, by Sylvie Simmons (Grove, $12 paper, 0802141560) "Reading these stories is like taking a trip into a rock 'n' roll twilight zone. Simmons, a very fine music critic and journalist, has published her first collection of fiction. Loosely strung together, these stories are evidence of a fervid imagining and an all-too-familiarity with the underbelly of the music biz. (And it has great blurbs from Marianne Faithfull, Tori Amos, and Slash!)" -- John L. Barton, BookPeople, Austin, TX

THE WARLORD'S SON, by Dan Fesperman (Knopf, $23, 0375414738) "Join Skelly, a burned-out American foreign correspondent hoping for a last hurrah as the U.S. begins its air war against the Taliban in Afghanistan and his interpreter, Najeeb, the banished son of a tribal warlord, as they cross the border from Pakistan into the war zone. Fesperman writes informed fiction, fiction that breathes with character, atmosphere, and a compelling story." -- Barry Martin, Book'em Mysteries, South Pasadena, CA

AT HELL'S GATE: A Soldier's Journey, by Claude Anshin Thomas (Shambhala, $19.95, 159030134X) "After serving in Vietnam, Claude Anshin Thomas found himself unable to adjust to civilian life. Following years of running from his feelings, he finally found the Buddhist teachings that encouraged him to deal directly with his war experiences, and he is now a Zen monk and peace activist. By writing honestly about his experiences, Thomas shows the true resilience of the human spirit against overwhelming odds." -- Carol Schneck, Schuler Books & Music, Okemos, MI

AN IMPERFECT GOD: George Washington, His Slaves, and the Creation of America, by Henry Wiencek (FSG, $15 paper, 0374529515) "An Imperfect God explores Washington's engagement with slavery, culminating with his decision to set his slaves free upon his death. As a young man, Washington bought and sold slaves without scruple, but ended his days regretting his part in perpetuating slavery in the new republic. Wiencek's book is a must-read for anyone interested in early American history." -- Jodi Kinzler, Vroman's Bookstore, Pasadena, CA

THE MEANING OF EVERYTHING: The Story of the Oxford English Dictionary, by Simon Winchester (Oxford, $13.95 paper, 019517500X) "A fascinating history of the development and publication of the greatest dictionary ever attempted, the Oxford English Dictionary. Winchester follows the trials and travails of the editors and contributors who, against the odds, created the OED. With a lively cast of characters and wonderful etymological digressions, Winchester provides an entertaining and informative read." -- Ben Waller, The Avid Reader, Sacramento, CA

NOT FADE AWAY: A Short Life Well Lived, by Laurence Shames and Peter Barton (Perennial, $12.95 paper, 006073731X) "A remarkable book about one man's extraordinary life and equally extraordinary death. A baby boomer wunderkind, Peter Barton is confronted by an inevitable and totally unexpected early death from cancer. In an attempt to 'leave something meaningful behind,' he teamed up with Shames to write this moving book. No one who reads it will come away without some profound life (and death) lessons." -- Susan Townley, Viva Bookstore, San Antonio, TX

AN ORDINARY PERSON'S GUIDE TO EMPIRE, by Arundhati Roy (South End Press, $12 paper, 0896087271) "With these essays, Arundhati Roy proves, again, that she is one of the best activist speakers out there today. Her convictions clearly evident, her style poetic, and her facts solid, she shows us the terrible price the world is paying for globalization, from the American citizens who give up their freedoms to the poor of the third world who give up their lives." -- Josh Przybylski, Village Bookstore, Menomonee Falls, WI