The July Book Sense Picks & Notables Preview

Here is the full listing of the July 2006 Book Sense Picks, with booksellers' comments, as well as a preview of the month's Notables. Independent booksellers in the Book Sense program will be receiving their July Picks fliers in the June Red Box. (The flier includes jacket images, bibliographic information, and bookseller quotes.)

Also available are the June Notables flier with jacket images and booksellers' comments and shelf-talkers, both in PDF format.

1. BETWEEN, GEORGIA: A Novel, by Joshilyn Jackson (Warner, $22.99, 0446524425) "Following on the heels of Gods in Alabama, Joshilyn Jackson's new novel will be welcomed by readers and fans. A small (population 90) town with two feuding families is drawn together by the infant Nonny -- born of the Crabtrees, raised by the Freets." --Mary Gay Shipley, That Bookstore In Blytheville, Blytheville, AR

TWO TIME, by Chris Knopf (Permanent Press, $28, 1579621295) "From its explosive beginning to the satisfying ending, Two Time is a story of murder, love, and money. The writing is wonderful -- flowing and lyrical passages delight and the atypical hero does exactly what he is supposed to do: Solve the crime. A great summer read!" --Jean Utley, Book'em Mysteries, South Pasadena, CA

TOMORROW THEY WILL KISS: A Novel, by Eduardo Santiago (Back Bay, $13.99 paper, 0316014125) "Eduardo Santiago has created a kaleidoscope of female characters in a novel that is as irresistible and addictive as a telenovela. His Cuban women in exile will wrap you up in their stories, as they illuminate the immigrant experience in a tapestry of memory, dreams, friendship, nostalgia, and humor." --Cristina Nosti, Books & Books, Coral Gables, FL

THE DRESSMAKER: A Novel, by Elizabeth Birkelund Oberbeck (Holt, $23, 0805080333) "This delightful love story between a tailor and a woman for whom he is fashioning a wedding dress is as frothy as the tulle wedding veil on a masterpiece gown. The characters are instantly likeable and well drawn, and the setting (France and the Parisian world of couture) delights. Having a male protagonist and telling the story from his perspective gives the reader a truly different way to think about the highs and lows of a once-in-a-lifetime affaire de coeur." --Gladys Levis-Pilz, HearthFire Books of Evergreen, Evergreen, CO

ROCK OF AGES, by Howard Owen (Permanent Press, $26, 1579621287) "Owen's Rock of Ages is further proof that he is a Southern novelist not to be overlooked. Revisiting the setting of Scots County, North Carolina, this story of guilt, lust, and murder had me emotionally gripped on every page." --Kelly Justice, The Fountain Bookstore, Richmond, VA

FIRMIN: Adventures of a Metropolitan Lowlife, by Sam Savage (Coffee House, $14.95 paper, 1566891817) "This story of a literate rat born in a bookstore is the kind of novel that pulls readers in with its very premise -- its absurdity and zaniness leaving me to wonder how in the world it could possibly be pulled off in a believable and meaningful way. Yet it happens. I loved the book more and more with each page." --Hans Weyandt, Micawber's Bookstore, Saint Paul, MN

THE BIRTHDAYS: A Novel, by Heidi Pitlor (Norton, $23.95, 0393061272) "When the Miller family travels to the coast of Maine, their purpose is to celebrate their father's 75th birthday. However, tragedy changes the atmosphere and challenges the relationships among this dynamic family. A beautifully written novel that explores the complexities and joys of family life, it will remain with readers long after the story ends." --Holly Frakes, Schuler Books & Music, Okemos, MI

THE ART OF DETECTION: A Novel of Suspense, by Laurie R. King (Bantam, $24, 0553804537) "King's novel opens with the murder of a man who is an avid collector of Sherlock Holmes memorabilia, including what may be an unpublished manuscript from Sir Arthur Conan Doyle himself. Could the value of the manuscript be the motive for the man's death? Read it to find out. You won't be disappointed." --Jessilyn Krebs, McLean & Eakin Booksellers, Petoskey, MI

THE YELLOW-LIGHTED BOOKSHOP: A Memoir, A History, by Lewis Buzbee (Graywolf, $17, 1555974503) "Settle down in a cozy chair in your favorite independent bookstore to read this love letter to books and bookstores. The essays explore Buzbee's experiences with book lust as well as bibliophilia through the ages. An extremely welcome addition to every book lover's collection of books about books." --Dana Harper, Brystone Children's Books, Fort Worth, TX

PEGASUS DESCENDING: A Dave Robicheaux Novel, by James Lee Burke (Simon & Schuster, $26, 0743277724) "Dave Robicheaux will always be haunted by the memories of his past. However, for the readers of James Lee Burke, it's a blessing. In his most powerful and evocative novel yet, two murders, one past and one present, threaten to drag everyone involved into the grave." --Geoffrey B. Jennings, Rainy Day Books, Fairway, KS

TERRORIST: A Novel, by John Updike (Knopf, $24.95, 0307264653) "Terrorist is the best Updike novel I've read in years. In this story of 18-year-old Ahmad Ashmawy Mulloy, the son of an Irish-American mother and an Egyptian father, Updike's capacity to channel so many disparate voices creates a virtuoso performance." --Matt Lage, Iowa Book, LLC, Iowa City, IA

PIECE OF MY HEART: A Novel of Suspense, by Peter Robinson (Morrow, $24.95, 006054435X) "If you grew up in the era of sex, drugs, and rock 'n' roll, pay attention because Peter Robinson's latest pairs a case from 1969 with one from the present, and each involves rock music and murder. We're treated to a wonderful ramble through the music of the time and through the lives of the musicians, groupies, and fans involved in that world. A first-rate mystery." --Betsy Burton, The King's English, Salt Lake City, UT

WINKIE, by Clifford Chase (Grove, $16.95, 0802118305) "Clifford Chase has written an absurdly believable novel that sharply parodies our unbelievably absurd times; a refreshing dose of political satire that respects your intelligence as well as your funny bone." --Gerry Donaghy, Powell's City of Books, Portland, OR

CHOSEN BY A HORSE: A Memoir, by Susan Richards (Soho, $20, 1569474192) "Richards has woven a marvelous read, delicately entwining her life with those of her horses. One in particular, Lay Me Down, is her soul mate, and the two heal one another's wounds from the past on their journey through life. Sad at the end, but beautiful and positive all at the same time. This is truly a wonderful, tender book." --Wendy Kerop, The Turning Page, Old Lyme, CT

EYE CONTACT: A Novel, by Cammie McGovern (Viking, $24.95, 0670037656) "Here is a story about the murder of a 10-year-old girl during recess. However, the real mystery here is autism, and McGovern's insight about it is the strength of this story. Many of the book's characters have varying levels of autistic tendencies, their portraits are fascinating, as are the descriptions of the female caregivers and the effect that autism has on family members." --Mary Muller, Market Block Books, Troy, NY

ERRORS AND OMISSIONS: A Novel, by Paul Goldstein (Doubleday, $24.95, 0385517173) "Facing certain disbarment for being drunk in a judge's chambers, and with his marriage on the rocks, attorney Michael Seeley is a man in crisis when he flies to Los Angeles to complete some seemingly routine legal work for a motion picture studio. Instead, he unearths a hornet's nest of betrayal, corruption, and murder. With cinematic prose, Goldstein has written a tight, entertaining legal thriller worthy of Grisham." --Anne Wagner, Porter Square Books, Cambridge, MA

CLUELESS GEORGE IS WATCHING YOU!, by Pat Bagley (White Horse, $7.95 paper, 097448606X) "Great comic relief at a time when we most need it. Pat Bagley encapsulates, or should I say cans, what has to be the modus operandi of this administration." --Janet Bollum, The Muse Book Shop, Deland, FL

THE DEVIL AND MISS PRYM: A Novel of Temptation, by Paulo Coelho (HarperCollins, $24.95, 0060527994) "This is a small, meaty tale of Good, Evil, Temptation, Life and Death. I couldn't stop reading." --Becky Milner, Vintage Books, Vancouver, WA

THE CATASTROPHIST: A Novel, by Lawrence Douglas (Other Press, $24.95, 1590512197) "Douglas has created a tragicomic academic novel that dances nimbly along the appallingly misguided life of Holocaust studies professor Daniel Wellington, as he stumbles from one catastrophe of his own making to another. Jumping from a small academic New England town to Berlin and London and back again, the book is witty, well-written, and filled with shrewd observations on contemporary cultural life." --Nat Herold, Amherst Books, Amherst, MA

NO GOOD DEEDS: A Tess Monaghan Novel, by Laura Lippman (Morrow, $24.95, 0060570725) "What a great book! In this story about the unsolved murder of a young federal prosecutor, Tess Monaghan and her boyfriend, Edgar 'Crow' Ransome, are growing as people -- and Laura Lippman is growing as a writer." --Diggitt McLaughlin, Good Yarns Bookshop, Hastings on Hudson, NY

Fiction

CALLING OUT, by Rae Meadows (MacAdam Cage, $22, 159692165X)

DUCHESS OF AQUITAINE: A Novel of Eleanor, by Margaret Ball (St. Martin's, $25.95, 0312205333)

LAST BITE: A Novel of Culinary Romance, by Nancy Verde Barr (Algonquin, $22.95, 1565124952)

SAVE YOUR OWN, by Elisabeth Brink (Houghton, $23, 0618651144)

SWEET RUIN, by Cathi Hanauer (Atria, $24, 0743277341)

TENDERWIRE, by Claire Kilroy (Harvest, $14 paper, 015603204X)

Nonfiction

BASILICA: The Splendor and the Scandal: Building St. Peter's, by R.A. Scotti (Viking, $25.95, 0670037761)

DANCING UNDER THE RED STAR: The Extraordinary Story of Margaret Werner, the Only American Woman to Survive Stalin's Gulag, by Karl Tobien (WaterBrook, $14.95 paper, 1400070783)

HOTEL CALIFORNIA: The True-life Adventures of Crosby, Stills, Nash, Young, Mitchell, Taylor, Browne, Ronstadt, Geffen, the Eagles, and Their Many Friends, by Barney Hoskyns (Wiley, $25.95, 0471732737)

THE HUNDRED-YEAR LIE: How Food and Medicine Are Destroying Your Health, by Randall Fitzgerald (Dutton, $24.95, 0525949518)

PROUST AT THE MAJESTIC: The Last Days of the Author Whose Book Changed Paris, by Richard Davenport-Hines (Bloomsbury, $24.95, 158234471X)

PUBLIC RADIO: Behind the Voices, by Lisa A. Phillips (CDS Books, $25, 1593151438)

RUMSPRINGA: To Be or Not to Be Amish, by Tom Shachtman (North Point, $25, 086547687X)

SONG FOR MY FATHERS: A New Orleans Story in Black and White, by Tom Sancton (Other Press, $24.95, 159051243X)

TWEAKED: A CRYSTAL MEMOIR, by Patrick Moore (Kensington, $15 paper, 0758212658)

UNDERWATER TO GET OUT OF THE RAIN: A Love Affair With the Sea, by Trevor Norton (Perseus, $25, 0306814870)

Mystery/Suspense

THE ABORTIONIST'S DAUGHTER, by Elisabeth Hyde (Knopf, $23.95, 0307263665)

BLACK ORDER, by James Rollins (Morrow, $24.95, 0060763884)

THE LAST ASSASSIN, by Barry Eisler (Putnam, $24.95, 0399153594)

THE WORTHY: A Ghost's Story, by Will Clarke (Simon & Schuster, $23, 074327315X)