June 2004 -- We Also Recommend...

MY OLD TRUE LOVE, by Sheila Kay Adams (Algonquin, $23.95, 1565124073) "An astonishing debut novel, set in the time of the Civil War. Adams captures the voices of Appalachian folk -- the music of the language -- in a richly told tale of honor, struggle, passion, and strength. An absolute must read!" --Will Balk Jr., Bay Street Trading Co., Beaufort, SC

THE RULE OF FOUR, by Ian Caldwell and Dustin Thomason (Dial, $24, 0385337116) "Finally, something truly engaging to offer fans of The Da Vinci Code! Secret codes, hidden messages, clues hidden in paintings and engravings. The Hypnerotomachia Poliphilo, a centuries-old text that scholars believe contains an explosive secret message, provides fascinating fodder for this thriller, as it reaches from the Renaissance to grab readers today." --Megan Scott O'Bryan, Scott's Bookstore, Mount Vernon, WA

SOMETHING BORROWED, by Emily Giffin (St. Martin's, $24.95, 031232118X) "Rachel falls for the wrong man who might just turn out to be Mr. Right. I loved this book! It's a smartly written modern romance that I couldn't put down." --Janet Caldwell, Great Northern Bookstore, Oscoda, MI

URSULA, UNDER, by Ingrid Hill (Algonquin, $25.95, 1565123883) "You begin this novel by reading about a little girl, Ursula Wong, who falls down a mine shaft in Michigan. Then, you are transported to the world of her distant ancestor, Qin Lao, a second-century B.C. Chinese alchemist. An irresistible, magic carpet ride of a tale, which takes you on an epic journey through time and space." --Bob Gray, Northshire Bookstore, Manchester Center, VT

BLOOD DONE SIGN MY NAME: A True Story, by Timothy B. Tyson (Crown, $24, 0609610589) "The book takes as its starting point the public beating and killing of a black man in 1970 in the North Carolina town where Tyson lived as a 10-year-old, and where his father was a Methodist minister. Continuing with the repercussions of this event through the years, the book has the immediacy and power of a long conversation with your best friend, who is finally telling you about a life-changing event he has kept hidden for years."--Tom Campbell, The Regulator Bookshop, Durham, NC

BOBBED HAIR AND BATHTUB GIN: Writers Running Wild in the Twenties, by Marion Meade (Doubleday/Nan A. Talese, $26.95, 0385502427) "Meade offers readers a seat at the exclusive Algonquin Round Table in this lively portrait of Zelda Fitzgerald, Edna St. Vincent Millay, Dorothy Parker, and Edna Ferber. Anyone captivated by the era that spawned Jay Gatsby will enjoy this book on the women of the jazz age." --Jennifer Richards, The Alabama Booksmith, Birmingham, AL

THE BOOK CLUB COOKBOOK: Recipes and Food From Your Book Club's Favorite Books and Authors, by Judy Gelman and Vicki Levy Krupp (Tarcher/Penguin, $15.95, paper, 158542322X) "This book is a treasure trove of ideas for book clubs. The arrangement of the titles is superb. Featuring wonderful recipes, this is a must for all book clubs." --Susan Danner, Danner's Books & Gifts, Muncie, IN

CRAZY WOMAN CREEK: Women Rewrite the American West, edited by Linda M. Hasselstrom, Gaydell Collier, and Nancy Curtis (Mariner, $14, paper, 0618249338) "Essays and poetry by women who live and work in the land west of the Mississippi, this collection reflects the lives of women, both on and off the range, including all areas of the West and bringing into play the realities of life." --Jan Sloan, The King's English, Salt Lake City, UT

FUNNY CIDE: How a Horse, a Trainer, a Jockey, and a Bunch of High School Buddies Took on the Sheiks and Blue Bloods ... and Won, by The Funny Cide Team with Sally Jenkins (Putnam, $24.95, 0399151796) "This book tells the unknown story of the owners, trainers, and other individuals involved in the success story of Funny Cide. I found this book to be terrific reading and enjoyed it immensely" --Albert Hunt, Friar Tuck, Delmar, NY

GUNPOWDER: Alchemy, Bombards, and Pyrotechnics -- The History of the Explosive That Changed the World, by Jack Kelly (Basic, $25, 0465037186) "Though not much thought about these days, gunpowder was perhaps the great shaper of latter human history. The use of gunpowder affected the formation of nearly every nation in the world today. --Kit Marx, Third Place Books, Lake Forest Park, WA

THE ITALIAN BOY: A Tale of Murder and Body Snatching in 1830s London, by Sarah Wise (Metropolitan, $26, 0805075372) "The story of the The Italian Boy murder case was fodder for many of the lurid body-snatching tales that later emerged from the pens of Edgar Allen Poe, Mary Shelley, and Bram Stoker. This absorbing narrative evokes Fagin and Bill Sykes, the charred alleys, tottering hovels, droves of beggars, prostitutes, and low drinking dives of Oliver Twist or Bleak House. Snappy writing, excellent research, and vivid descriptions make this an extremely engrossing book." --Steven Fidel, Powell's Books, Portland, OR

SEVEN DAYS OF POSSIBILITIES: One Teacher, 24 Kids, and the Music That Changed Their Lives Forever, by Anemona Hartocollis (PublicAffairs, $25, 1586481967) "Hope, music, and love!..You can't miss with that trio. The true story of a Finnish jazz singer turned music teacher to students at public school in the Bronx speaks to the power of music and the importance of sharing across cultures, and honestly portrays the complex politics of the New York City public school system." --Jan Owens, Millrace Books, Farmington, CT

SUCH MEN ARE DANGEROUS: The Fanatics of 1692 and 2004, by Frances Hill (Upper Access, $22.95, 0942679288) "In the flood of political nonfiction inspired by the Bush administration, Hill dares to get past complaining, actually making an intelligent case for learning from history." --Eric Robbins, Apple Valley Books, Winthrop, ME

THE BOOK OF DEAD BIRDS, by Gayle Brandeis (Perennial, $12.95, 0060528044) "A beautifully written story of strong women told with humor and sympathy. In an attempt to become closer to her mother, Ava Sing Lo joins a rescue effort to save birds in the Salton Sea. This is a unique story that shows the universal emotions shared by women and the bonds of mothers and daughters across cultures and generations." --Luisa Smith, Book Passage, Corte Madera, CA

KARTOGRAPHY, by Kamila Shamsie (Harvest, $13, 0156029731) "Kartography traces the secret history of two families in Karachi and offers a portrait of life in Pakistan's largest city. With insight, playfulness, and lyricism, Kamila Shamsie puts faces and hearts to the complexities of class, social conscience, and the legacy of civil war in Pakistan in this rich and moving novel." --Herman Fong, Odyssey Bookshop, South Hadley, MA

LIKE A CHARM: A Novel in Voices, edited by Karin Slaughter (Morrow, $21.95, 0060583304) "A very novel idea -- to have the other crime fiction writers join Slaughter to scare us half to death. You will be unable to put the book down until the last page, and, after finishing it, it will take a while to get your breath back!" --Virginia Hobson Hicks, Books on the Bluff, Townsend, GA

MURDER IN THE BASTILLE: An Aimée Leduc Investigation, by Cara Black (Soho, $13, 1569473641) "I'm a big Cara Black fan. Her series featuring Aimée Leduc is sharp as a rapier, packed with action, and written with a tautness that we feel in our own muscles. The series is also a vicarious vacation to gay Paree, as the city of Paris becomes an integral character." --Keebe Fitch, McIntyre's Fine Books, Pittsboro, NC

OUT OF THE DEEP I CRY: A Clare Fergusson/Russ Van Alstyne Mystery, by Julia Spencer-Fleming (Minotaur, $23.95, 0312312628) "Reverend Clare Fergusson and police chief Russ van Alstyne look into another crime together while trying to keep their feelings for each other at bay. Tragic events in the distant past drive events in the present in a mystery that combines small town hominess with suspense and action. A winner." --Linda Hillegass, Lee Booksellers, Lincoln, NE

SOME DANGER INVOLVED, by Will Thomas (Touchstone, $22.95, 0743256182) "This mystery debut from Will Thomas is simply one of the best things that I've read since The Alienist by Caleb Carr. Enquiry Agent (i.e., private investigator) Cyrus Barker and Thomas Llewelyn, his newly hired apprentice, work to find the villains behind the horrific crucifixion of a young rabbinical scholar. This story comes alive with a fascinating cast of truly memorable characters." --Joe Drabyak, Chester County Book & Music Company, West Chester, PA

WAY PAST LEGAL, by Norman Green (HarperCollins, $24.95, 0060564547) "Green gives us Manny, a pro burglar whose latest score struck a lot more gold than anyone bargained for. Green is an engaging writer with a shrewd sense of pace and a real gift for writing sympathetically of marginal low lifes and for giving them hope. I love his stuff." --Barbara Peters, The Poisoned Pen, Scottsdale, AZ