September 2005 Book Sense Picks and Notables Preview

Here is the full listing of the September Book Sense Picks, with booksellers' comments, as well as a preview of the September Notables. Independent booksellers in the Book Sense program will be receiving their Picks fliers in the August Red Box.

1. THE WIDOW OF THE SOUTH: A Novel, by Robert Hicks (Warner, $24.95, 0446500127) "Hicks' novel deftly combines the epic scope of a forgotten, tragic historical event and the finely crafted detail of good literary fiction. At its core is Carrie McGavock, who is transformed by the circumstances of the U.S. Civil War that confront her. She will be remembered as one of the great heroines from this year's new fiction." --Stuart Lamson, Bank Square Books, Mystic, CT Also a Time Warner Audio (Abridged CD, 1594831092)

THE TENDER BAR: A Memoir, by J.R. Moehringer (Hyperion, $23.95, 1401300642) "J.R. Moehringer's narrative is like a river. The current sweeps you up and carries you along past wild events and rich characters. His story of growing up is a very human book, and you can't help but recognize pieces of yourself and people you know in everyone involved in his life. I will look back at this book with a bit of nostalgia, a lot of warmth, and a longing for that moment when I first opened The Tender Bar." --Paul Haskins, Village Books, Bellingham, WA Also a Hyperion Audio (Abridged CD, 1401383289)

IF YOU WANT ME TO STAY: A Novel, by Michael Parker (Algonquin Books, $19.95, 1565124847) "Sweet soul music is a character in this novel about the journey of two white boys to find their mother. The book is a riveting, original read." --Dana Brigham, Brookline Booksmith, Brookline, MA

TYRANNOSAUR CANYON, by Douglas Preston (Forge, $24.95, 0765311046) "Douglas Preston has done it again. Set in the Badlands of New Mexico, the novel follows the search for an incredible relic of the Jurassic Era. This is an action-packed read with a satisfying ending that leaves readers with an intriguing question to consider." --Linda Walonen, Bay Books, San Ramon, CA Also an Audio Renaissance Audio (Unabridged CD, 1593977794)

IMMORAL: A Novel, by Brian Freeman (St. Martin's Minotaur, $22.95, 0312340427) "Newcomer Freeman has written a tight, clever thriller in his first outing. This story of a brutal serial killer is fast-paced, exciting, and gripping. Just when you think you have it figured out, Freeman pulls a fast one and gives the reader a totally unexpected and stunning conclusion." --Tim Schulte, Mitchell Books, Fort Wayne, IN Also a Blackstone Audiobooks Audio (Unabridged CD, 0786177780)

LITTLE STAR OF BELA LUA: A Novella and Stories, by Luana Monteiro (Delphinium, $22.95, 1883285267) "I loved this collection of haunting, mystical stories set in rural Brazil. Each one was so different and yet connected -- it was a pleasure to savor them all!" --DeDe Teeters, Armchair Books, Port Orchard, WA

FAITHLESS: A Novel, by Karin Slaughter (Delacorte, $25, 0385339453) "Sharply drawn, fascinating characters distinguish this ingenious thriller. Seemingly separate plot strands involving domestic violence and a sequestered religious group weave in and out and, finally, come together in a breathtaking fashion. Once you begin, you will not be able to put Faithless down." --Dea Anne Martin, Chapter 11, Atlanta, GA Also A Random House Audio (Abridged CD, 0739322508)

GARDENIAS: A Novel, by Faith Sullivan (Milkweed, $24.95, 1571310452) "When you meet Lark, scorned when she and her Rosie-the-Riveter inspired mom and aunt arrive in California from Minnesota, all previous World War II fictional characters will move aside. Faith Sullivan's novel is a moving, multilayered coming-of-age story." --Cheryl McKeon, Third Place Books, Lake Forest Park, WA

PARDONABLE LIES: A Maisie Dobbs Novel, by Jacqueline Winspear (Holt, $23, 0805078975) "It's not often that someone comes up with a fresh new take on the series detective novel, but Jacqueline Winspear has done it beautifully with young female private investigator Maisie Dobbs. Two investigations take Maisie back to her past as a nurse in WWI. While she looks into the deaths of two British soldiers, someone is trying to put an end to her investigations -- by killing her." --Carol Schneck, Schuler Books & Music, Okemos, MI Also an Audio Renaissance Audio (Unabridged CD, 1593978146)

THE HIGHEST TIDE: A Novel, by Jim Lynch (Bloomsbury, $23.95, 1582346054) "Thirteen-year-old Miles O'Malley, a loner and a seeker who is obsessed with the rich marine life of the tidal flats of Puget Sound, discovers marvels about the sea, the planet, humankind, and himself. This is a beautifully written and thought-provoking tale about our relationship with the natural world and how to find a place in it." --Karen Frank, Northshire Bookstore, Manchester Center, VT Also an Audio Renaissance Audio (Unabridged CD, 1593978278)

THE LAST DAYS OF DOGTOWN: A Novel, by Anita Diamant (Scribner, $25, 0743225732) "This novel is based on a settlement on Cape Ann, Massachusetts, in the 1800s, a destitute area populated by prostitutes, freed slaves, widows, orphans, and misfits. However, the tale of the kindnesses among them will touch the heart. This is a novel well worth reading." --Barbara Hoffman, Bohannons' Books With a Past, Georgetown, KY Also a Simon & Schuster Audio (Unabridged CD, 0743550986)

THE MYTH OF YOU AND ME: A Novel, by Leah Stewart (Shaye Areheart Books, $21.95, 1400098068) "Cameron and Sonia were inseparable for a decade but a huge rift, begun in a cloud of dust in a Texas parking lot, has come between them. Told in present tense from Cameron's point of view, we're reminded that we only ever see our half of any story. Touching and engaging -- a great read." --Caitlin Sasser, The Fountain Bookstore, Richmond, VA Also a Random House Audio (Abridged CD, 073932327X)

A COMPLICATED KINDNESS: A Novel, by Miriam Toews (Counterpoint, $13.95 paper, 1582433224) "What a beautiful, heart-stopping book. Miriam Toews takes that most familiar of stories -- teen angst, isolation, and self-consciousness -- and shines a fresh new light on what it's like to be young and feeling helpless in a world created by others." -- Debbie Morris, Barbara's Bestsellers, Chicago, IL

A SUDDEN COUNTRY: A Novel, by Karen Fisher (Random House, $24.95, 1400063221) "This story of pioneers on the Oregon Trail is told with a depth of detail and emotion that puts it above any pioneer story I have ever read. The canvas Fisher paints on is breathtaking in its beauty and size, the hardships the characters face are so real I could feel the aches of their hunger and taste the dust of their long road. Amazing!" --Lillian Welch, Queen Anne Books, Seattle, WA

AN UNREASONABLE WOMAN: A True Story of Shrimpers, Politicos, Polluters, and the Fight for Seadrift, Texas, by Diane Wilson (Chelsea Green, $27.50, 1931498881) "Many a novelist will envy Wilson's storytelling flair and the vibrant cast of characters in her real life. Her struggle to stand up to a giant chemical corporation reads like a John Nichols novel." --Jean Matthews, Chapter One Book Store, Hamilton, MT

BAIT AND SWITCH: The (Futile) Pursuit of the American Dream, by Barbara Ehrenreich (Metropolitan, $24, 0805076069) "This look at the world of the white-collar unemployed is another great expose from the author of Nickel and Dimed." --Patricia Pacilio, Sackets Harbor Bookshop, Sackets Harbor, NY Also an Audio Renaissance Audio (Unabridged CD, 1593977298)

THE PAINTED DRUM: A Novel, by Louise Erdrich (HarperCollins, $25.95, 0060515104) Available after September 6. "Faye Travers is asked to assess the estate of a recently deceased retired Indian agent. When she discovers a large decorated ceremonial drum, Faye feels compelled to secretly remove the drum. What follows is a magical story that traces the drum backwards and forwards in time, narrating the lives of those who passed into the range of its beat." --Bob Sommer, Changing Hands Bookstore, Tempe, AZ Also available from HarperAudio (Unabridged CD, 0060828161)

HUNGER'S BRIDES: A Novel of the Baroque, by Paul Anderson (Carroll & Graf, $35, 0786715413) "Set in 17th century Mexico and 20th century Canada, this story of Sor Juana, a Mexican poet, and Beulah Limosneros, a graduate student who is researching her life, is told, in part, by a professor who may (or may not) have had something to do with Beulah's death. This wonderful, engaging novel is sure to please fans of all genres." --Kathleen E. Raymond, Davis-Kidd Booksellers, Memphis, TN

THE ART OF UNCONTROLLED FLIGHT: A Novel, by Kim Ponders (HarperCollins, $19.95, 0060786086) "Ponders' writing is clean and spare and yet her main character, Annie Shaw, is remarkably complex. When you've finished this novel, you continue thinking about her complicated relationships with the men in her life, flying in the Air Force, and the difficulties that come with being a women at war." --Susan Thomas, CoffeeTree Books, Morehead, KY

THIRTY-THREE TEETH: A Novel, by Colin Cotterill (Soho, $24, 1569473889) "Dr. Siri Paiboun is the reluctant national coroner in the Communist Laos of post-revolutionary 1977. With a dry wit and a giant heart, he navigates a puzzle framed by an imitation panda bear, deposed royalty, a were-tiger, a contraband circus, and some truly ferocious puppets." --Eric Robbins, Apple Valley Books, Winthrop, ME

Fiction

CLEARCUT, by Nina Shengold (Anchor, $13 paper, 1400079691)

ORDINARY WOLVES, by Seth Kantner (Milkweed, $14.95 paper, 1571310479)

THE MONSTERS OF GRAMERCY PARK, by Danny Leigh (Bloomsbury, $23.95, 1582346461)

A MOUTH LIKE YOURS, by Daniel Duane (FSG, $22, 0374217327)

THE SECRET FRUIT OF PETER PADDINGTON, by Brian Francis (Harper Perennial, $12.95 paper, 0060792442)

26A, by Diana Evans (Morrow, $23.95, 0060820918) Available after September 6.

UNDER THE PERSIMMON TREE, by Suzanne Fisher Staples (FSG, $17, 0374380252)

WILD DUCKS FLYING BACKWARD, by Tom Robbins (Bantam, $25, 0553804510)

THE YEAR THE MUSIC CHANGED: The Letters of Achsa McEachern-Isaacs and Elvis Presley, by Diane Thomas (Toby, $22.95, 1592641229)

Nonfiction

A BED OF RED FLOWERS: In Search of My Afghanistan, by Nelofer Pazira (Free Press, $15 paper, 0743281330)

THE CASE FOR PEACE: How the Arab-Israeli Conflict Can be Resolved, by Alan Dershowitz (Wiley, $22.95, 0471743178)

HIS OLDEST FRIEND: The Story of an Unlikely Bond, by Sonny Kleinfield (Times Books, $24, 0805075801)

THE LAST COACH: A Life of Paul "Bear" Bryant, by Allen Barra (Norton, $26.95, 0393059820)

LOVE MY RIFLE MORE THAN YOU: Young And Female in the U.S. Army, by Kayla Williams, Michael E. Staub (Norton, $24.95, 0393060985)

A MAN WITH NO TALENTS: Memoirs of a Tokyo Day Laborer, by Oyama Shiro, Edward Fowler (Cornell, $21, 080144375X)

THE TRUTH BOOK: Secrets of a Jehovah's Witness Family, by Joy Castro (Arcade, $25, 1559707879)

Mystery/Suspense

COLD GRANITE, by Stuart MacBride (St. Martin's Minotaur, $24.95, 031233995X)

NECKLACE OF KISSES, by Francesca Lia Block (HarperCollins, $21.95, 0060777516)

SPLINTERED ICON, by Bill Napier (St. Martin's, $6.99 paper, 0312936680)

THE TRUDEAU VECTOR, by Juris Jurjevics (Viking, $24.95, 0670034371)