The May 2006 Book Sense Picks & Notables Preview

Here is the full listing of the May 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 May Picks fliers in the April Red Box. (The flier includes jacket images, bibliographic information, and bookseller quotes.)

1. THE GIRLS: A Novel, by Lori Lansens (Little, Brown, $23.95, 0316069035) "I believe that the best writing these days is coming out of Canada, and Lori Lansens is another one of the great ones. The Girls is as interesting a book as I've ever read about love and the many forms it takes. These girls, conjoined twins, are thoroughly lovable and are presented without a sappy note. I feel Rose and Ruby are part of my life." --Paul Ingram, Prairie Lights Books, Iowa City, IA

THE STOLEN CHILD: A Novel, by Keith Donohue (Nan A. Talese/Doubleday, $23.95, 0385516169) "The Stolen Child is one of those fairy tales that seems completely true, in the way that the best fairy tales are true. The changeling Henry Day and the child whose life he usurps are marvelous characters, and their stories are rich, complex, and moving." --Bob Deloria, Books Inc., San Francisco, CA

GATSBY'S GIRL: A Novel, by Caroline Preston (Houghton, $24, 0618537252) "Caroline Preston gives us the wonderful story of the lives of F. Scott Fitzgerald and his first love, Ginevra King. She brings to life their young infatuation, their breakup, and their growing disillusionment with life as they become older. Highly recommended!" --Jerry Quick, Partners Village Store, Westport, MA

THE LOST ART OF KEEPING SECRETS: A Novel, by Eva Rice (Dutton, $24.95, 0525949313) "Penelope Wallace is 18 in 1954 London, and just waiting for something -- anything! -- to happen to her. That something comes in the form of a charming and eccentric girl at the bus stop, a meeting that changes Penelope's life in more ways than she can imagine. I loved it!" --Megan O'Bryan, Scott's Bookstore, Mount Vernon, WA

ONCE UPON A DAY: A Novel, by Lisa Tucker (Atria, $24, 0743492773) "I couldn't put Lisa Tucker's latest novel down. In a world that is unfair and violent, how do we reconcile protecting the ones we love with the risk of losing them? This inventive novel of family secrets, gut-wrenching hurt, and unnecessary loss is deftly woven in an intricate plot, adeptly observed." --Sarah Bagby, Watermark Book Co., Wichita, KS

BED REST: A Novel, by Sarah Bilston (HarperCollins, $23.95, 0060889934) "Bed Rest is a quirky romp through the ups and downs of marriage, miscommunication, and the Modern Woman's List of Things to Do Before Hitting 30. Funny and delightful." --Aubrey Davis, Arches Book Company, Moab, UT

SAVANNAH BREEZE, by Mary Kay Andrews (HarperCollins, $24.95, 0060564660) "A con man, a run-down motel on a beach, and a cranky, good-looking fishing captain combine to make this another winner for Mary Kay Andrews. Pure entertainment!" --Susan Wasson, Bookworks, Albuquerque, NM

BLACK SWAN GREEN: A Novel, by David Mitchell (Random House, $23.95, 1400063795) "It's as if Black Swan Green encompasses an entire English village -- with more than 150 characters and all the laughter and grief and cruelty of life, all brilliantly chronicled by 13-year-old Jason Taylor. The verbal pyrotechnics are breathtaking, the plot turns dazzling and hilarious and heartbreaking. What a book." --Nick DiMartino, University Book Store, Seattle, WA

BEAUTIFUL LIES: A Novel, by Lisa Unger (Shaye Areheart Books, $23, 0307336689) "This story of unexpected events after an act of heroism is surprisingly engrossing. Author Lisa Unger plays no cheap tricks. She has created a gutsy character, who seizes the situation and takes control of her destiny -- demanding answers to questions her family and friends will not answer." --Sheryl Cotleur, A Clean Well-Lighted Place, San Francisco, CA

THE TRAVELING DEATH AND RESURRECTION SHOW: A Novel, by Ariel Gore (HarperSanFrancisco, $13.95 paper, 0060854286) "A stigmatic must reconcile her faith while traveling with a spiritual sideshow. Ariel Gore offers compelling characters, structured stream-of-consciousness writing, an interesting but simple plot, and a note of redemption at the end of a dark tunnel (with a few lanterns along the way). Incredibly satisfying!" --Stacie Williams, Harry W. Schwartz Bookshop, Milwaukee, WI

QUEEN OF THE ODDBALLS: And Other True Stories From a Life Unaccording to Plan, by Hillary Carlip (Harper Paperbacks, $13.95 paper, 0060878835) "Hillary Carlip has lived a life we all wish we could claim ... and never has being so different seemed so unbelievably cool. You will want to claim your inner oddball and let it radiate on the world around you!" --Cynthia St. John, Kepler's Books & Magazine, Menlo Park, CA

A DEATH IN BELMONT, by Sebastian Junger (Norton, $23.95, 0393059804) "Junger approaches the story of the Boston Strangler from a unique and personal angle -- Albert DeSalvo, the confessed strangler, was doing carpentry work at Junger's childhood home when a woman was strangled in the neighborhood. The ensuing tale of the wrongful conviction of Roy Smith, a black day laborer, is absorbing and thorough. Even if you are not a true crime fan, you will enjoy this book." --Susan Taylor, Wellesley Booksmith, Wellesley, MA

SUITE FRANAISE, by Irene Nemirovsky (Knopf, $25, 1400044731) "Imagine being someone fortunate enough to have read War and Peace or All Quiet on the Western Front upon their original publication. You can join those privileged ranks by reading Suite Franaise. This novel of World War II France is a work of searing power and soaring humanity and truly justifies using the term masterpiece." --Bill Cusumano, Nicola's Books, Ann Arbor, MI

MALINCHE: A Novel, by Laura Esquivel (Atria, $22.95, 074329033X) "Laura Esquivel's novel tells the story of Malinalli, the Nahuatl slave girl reviled in Mexican history as the translator and lover of Hernan Cortes, who was responsible for the destruction of the Aztec Empire. Esquivel masterfully interprets the life and beliefs of this remarkable young woman and reveals the tragedy and redemption of a person caught between her native culture and religious beliefs and those of the conquering Spanish." --Jan Mayer-Gawlik,Maria's Bookshop, Durango, CO

EVERYMAN'S RULES FOR SCIENTIFIC LIVING: A Novel, by Carrie Tiffany (Scribner, $23, 0743286375) "Set in Australia in the 1930s, Tiffany's novel features an engaging heroine, Jean Cunningham, a lecturer in domestic economy who marries a plant scientist and settles in the Mallee to bring scientific farming to the other settlers. The story can be wryly humorous, but also incredibly poignant, as it describes the lives of people trying to scrape a living out of a marginally viable agricultural economy. Highly recommended." --Marian Nielsen, Orinda Books, Orinda, CA

GUESTS OF THE AYATOLLAH: The First Battle in America's War with Militant Islam, by Mark Bowden (Atlantic, $24, 0871139251) "A fascinating account of the Iran Hostage Crisis. Initially intended to be a short-lived student sit-in, the seizing of the American Embassy in Tehran quickly spiraled out of control and changed the course of history. The election of Ronald Reagan, the Iran-Iraq War, the rise of Muslim extremism, the war on terror, the war in Iraq, and many other events can be linked to these events in 1979. A must-read for any student of history or politics!" --Marci Blankenbaker, Joseph-Beth Booksellers, Lyndhurst, OH

TWO FOR THE ROAD: Our Love Affair With American Food, by Jane and Michael Stern (Houghton, $24, 0618329633) "This is a memoir describing what it's really like to have a dream job. The Sterns have spent 20 years becoming experts in American cooking by driving and eating on the back roads of America. A fast, funny, and illuminating read." --Mary Muller, Market Block Books, Troy, NY

THE GIRLS WHO WENT AWAY: The Hidden History of Women Who Surrendered Children for Adoption in the Decades Before Roe v. Wade, by Ann Fessler (Penguin Press, $24.95, 1594200947) "Ann Fessler writes of the secrets of a time when unmarried women were coerced to give up their babies. She reveals not only what happened to those girls but also tells of the life-impact that these decisions made on the young women, their babies, and the rest of their families. This is a story that needs to be told, and Ann Fessler has done an excellent job." --Dorothy Dickerson, Books & More, Albion, MI

HOOKED: Pirates, Poaching, and the Perfect Fish, by G. Bruce Knecht (Rodale, $24.95, 1594861102) "Much more than a fish story! It was hard to put down this contemporary, true account of how our culinary tastes and greed can deplete a fish population. This fast-paced adventure chronicles the events that lead up to an exciting chase on the high seas in order to capture a vessel of poached Patagonian toothfish (known to gourmands as Chilean sea bass). This one will appeal to many interests." --Laurie Krushenisky, MacDonald Book Shop, Estes Park, CO

A SEASON OF FIRE & ICE: A Novel, by Lloyd Zimpel (Unbridled, $23.95, 1932961194) "Lloyd Zimpel's A Season of Fire & Ice is similar to both Plainsong and Peace Like a River in the beauty of the language, its compelling story, and the sweeping harsh landscape." --Cathy Langer, Tattered Cover Bookstore, Denver, CO

Fiction

BLUE NUDE, by Elizabeth Rosner (Ballantine Books, $22.95, 0345442229)
COLOR OF THE SEA, by John Hamamura (Thomas Dunne, $24.95, 0312340737)
HOW OPAL MEHTA GOT KISSED, GOT WILD, AND GOT A LIFE, by Kaavya Viswanathan (Little, Brown, $21.95, 0316059889)
LIGHTHOUSEKEEPING, by Jeanette Winterson (Harvest Books, $14 paper, 0156032899)
LIVING ON AIR, by Anna Shapiro (Soho Press, $22, 1569474311)
LIZZIE'S WAR, by Tim Farrington (HarperSanFrancisco, $14.95, paper, 006083448X)
THE PRIEST'S MADONNA, by Amy Hassinger (Putnam, $23.95, 0399153179)
THE SECOND COMING OF MAVALA SHIKONGO, by Peter Orner (Little, Brown, $23.95, 0316735809)
THE SUITORS, by Ben Ehrenreich (Counterpoint Press, $23, 1582433356)
WHICH BRINGS ME TO YOU: A Novel in Confessions, by Steve Almond, Julianna Baggott (Algonquin Books, $23.95, 156512443X)

Nonfiction

AMERICA'S BOY: A Memoir, by Wade Rouse (Dutton, $24.95, 0525949348)
CLEMENTE: The Passion and Grace of Baseball's Last Hero, by David Maraniss (Simon & Schuster, $26, 0743217810)
MY LIVES: An Autobiography, by Edmund White (Ecco, $25.95, 0066213975)
OVERTHROW: America's Century of Regime Change From Hawaii to Iraq, by Stephen Kinzer (Times Books, $27.50, 0805078614)
THE SCENT OF GOD: A Memoir, by Beryl Singleton Bissell (Counterpoint Press, $24, 1582433488)
STUMBLING ON HAPPINESS, by Daniel Gilbert (Knopf, $24.95, 1400042666)
SWEET AND LOW: A Family Story, by Rich Cohen (Farrar, Straus and Giroux, $25, 0374272298)

Mystery/Suspense

COCAINE BLUES, by Kerry Greenwood (Poisoned Pen Press, $24.95, 1590582365)
PROMISE ME, by Harlan Coben (Dutton, $26.95, 0525949496)
THROUGH A GLASS DARKLY: A Commissario Guido Brunetti Mystery, by Donna Leon (Atlantic Monthly Press, $23, 0871139375)