The October 2005 Book Sense Picks and Notables Preview

Here is the full listing of the October 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 October Picks fliers in the September Red Box.

1. JULIE & JULIA: 365 Days, 524 Recipes, 1 Tiny Apartment Kitchen, by Julie Powell (Little, Brown, $23.95, 031610969X) "In order to elevate her life from her ho-hum existence as a secretarial temp, Julie Powell embarks on a mission to prepare every recipe in Julia Child's Mastering the Art of French Cooking. That's 524 recipes. In one year. Her account is hilarious, irreverent, and, ultimately, inspiring." --Dee Robinson, Village Books, Bellingham, WA

ANANSI BOYS: A Novel, by Neil Gaiman (Morrow, $26.95, 006051518X) "A father's funeral is going to be tough, no doubt about it. Discovering that you have a brother you didn't know about and, by the way, that your father is one of the Old Gods would throw anyone's life more than a little out of kilter. No one can blend ancient mythology with contemporary society like Gaiman, and Anansi Boys is one of the most entertaining reads of the year." --Russ Harvey, Cody's Books, Berkeley, CA

JESUS LAND, by Julia Scheeres (Counterpoint, $23, 1582433380) "This unsparing memoir -- a sad and poignant tale of abuse, alienation, and, ultimately, personal redemption -- is reminiscent of Mary Karr's The Liars' Club. Julia Scheeres's always hopeful voice lends humanity to the story and makes me imagine her as a flower that grows between the unforgiving cracks in a sidewalk." --Danielle Marshall, Powell's City of Books, Portland, OR

A CRACK IN THE EDGE OF THE WORLD: America and the Great California Earthquake of 1906, by Simon Winchester (HarperCollins, $27.95, 0060571993) "This informative look at the devastating 1906 San Francisco earthquake is also a fascinating perambulation through time and place. This book opens your eyes to the fragility of our place in the world." --Richard Bennett, Shiretown Books, Woodstock, VT

THE CITY OF FALLING ANGELS, by John Berendt (Penguin Press, $25.95, 1594200580) "Can't decide if you're in the mood to read a mystery, great literature, travel writing, or history? All this, and more, is brilliantly captured in this truly sensational look at the fire that destroyed one of the most treasured landmarks in Venice, the world's most beautiful city." --Jake Reiss, The Alabama Booksmith, Birmingham, AL

THE MARCH: A Novel, by E.L. DOCTOROW (Random House, $25.95, 0375506713) "Here, in this story of Sherman's final march through the South at the climax of the Civil War, Doctorow has created a large cast of unforgettable characters capable of great love and great loathing, great destruction and great healing, all in a novel where the futility of war reveals a message for all time." --Susan Avery, Ariel Booksellers, New Paltz, NY

THE GRACE THAT KEEPS THIS WORLD: A Novel, by Tom Bailey (Shaye Areheart Books, $24, 0307238016) "Set in the Adirondack North Woods, this wonderful novel tells the story of a family whose father is trying to preserve the old way of life and whose sons are venturing into the 'new' world. Told by various members of the community in which they live, this is a wonderfully written tale of family, redemption, and community spirit." --Sue Richardson, Maine Coast Book Shop, Damariscotta, ME

THE MERCY OF THIN AIR: A Novel, by Ronlyn Domingue (Atria, $24, 0743278801) "Domingue weaves an achingly tender love story that spans more than 70 years and bridges the gap between the living and the dead. Beautiful and atmospheric, The Mercy of Thin Air is just superb." --Megan O'Bryan, Scott's Bookstore, Mount Vernon, WA

DON'T GET TOO COMFORTABLE: The Indignities of Coach Class, The Torments of Low Thread Count, The Never-Ending Quest for Artisanal Olive Oil, and Other First World Problems, by David Rakoff (Doubleday, $22.95, 0385510365) "In the spirit of David Sedaris and Sarah Vowell at their funniest, he pokes fun at himself and the world around him. David Rakoff is hysterical." --Marggie Skinner, Book House of Stuyvesant Plaza, Albany, NY

MAYBE A MIRACLE: A Novel, by Brian Strause (Ballantine, $21.95, 1400064643) "When teenager Monroe Anderson heads out to the family pool house to smoke a joint, he notices his little sister floating face down in the pool and jumps in and saves her. But Annika is in a coma, and learning to live with her 'persistent vegetative state' causes Annika's family members to veer off in unexpected directions. When religious miracles, with Annika as the central figure, begin to occur, the Andersons' already stressful home life becomes a sideshow of epic proportions. I highly recommend this funny, observant first novel." --Anne Edkins, Vroman's Bookstore, Pasadena, CA

X OUT OF WONDERLAND: A Saga, by David Allan Cates (Steerforth, $17.95, 158642095X) "David Cates pushes all the buttons and takes the reader to another comfort zone to look at religion, sex, and economics. Hang on to your hat, dive in, and get ready to rumble with this quirky tale!" --Barbara Theroux, Fact & Fiction, Missoula, MT

WOLF POINT: A Novel, by Edward Falco (Unbridled, $23.95, 1932961089) "Edward Falco has written a taut, finely tuned story that will suck you in like a great film. He understands people, and he gives his readers credit by allowing them access to complex characters, whose decisions, motivations, and judgment are not at all black and white." --Colin Rea, University of Oregon Bookstore, Eugene, OR

POISON STUDY, by Maria V. Snyder (Luna, $19.95, 0373802307) "Even with her magical powers, Yelena is practical and down-to-earth -- traits necessary for survival as the Commander's food-taster. As she copes with the political struggles of the present, Yelena learns how to overcome the horrors of her past. This is a book you'll stay up late to finish." --Beth Hull, The Avid Reader, Davis, CA

THE POINT OF FRACTURE, by Frank Turner Hollon (MacAdam/Cage, $24, 1596921269) "This gripping tale of a carefully planned murder and the resulting criminal trial is enhanced by Hollon's gift of insight into human psychology." --Phil Smith, Brace Books & More, Ponca City, OK

SPOOK: Science Tackles the Afterlife, by Mary Roach (Norton, $24.95, 0393059626) "Not sure if there is life after death? Have you always wondered whether reincarnation is possible? With objectivity and wit, Mary Roach (the author of Stiff: The Curious Lives of Human Cadavers) compiles many theories into a well-written, fun-to-read history of the afterlife." --Mary Martiniak, Changing Hands Bookstore, Tempe, AZ

THE BIG OVER EASY: A Nursery Crime, by Jasper Fforde (Viking, $24.95, 0670034231) "Humpty Stuyvesant Van Dumpty III has been murdered, and it's up to Detective Jack Spratt and his new assistant, Sgt. Mary Mary, to get to bottom of it, while facing several unbelievable obstacles, including an alien on staff and Jack's compulsion to kill giants. Fforde's latest is a real treat." --Aislinn Evans, Davis-Kidd Booksellers, Memphis, TN

JAPANLAND: A Year in Search of Wa, by Karin Muller (Rodale, $23.95, 1594862230) "Muller brings fresh eyes to the complex, rapidly changing Japan that exists side by side with the less frequently seen traditional one. Her book knocked me over." --Karen Maeda Allman, The Elliott Bay Book Company, Seattle, WA

FRESHWATER ROAD, by Denise Nicholas (Agate, $23.95, 1932841105) "This novel tells the unforgettable story of how Celeste Tyree, a sheltered, black middle-class young woman from Detroit, comes of age during the summer of 1964 -- Freedom Summer -- as a Civil Rights volunteer in rural Mississippi. This wonderful book will speak to younger readers as much as it will to those of us who remember that era as observers or participants." --Emma Rodgers, Black Images Book Bazaar, Dallas, TX

THE STRANGER HOUSE, by Reginald Hill (HarperCollins, $24.95, 0060820810) "When two young strangers appear separately in an isolated, clannish English village and start asking questions, it becomes obvious that the people of the village have many secrets to hide -- and that some of its residents will stop at nothing to keep them hidden. This is my nomination for thriller of the season!" --Carol Schneck, Schuler Books & Music, Okemos, MI

THE TOWN THAT FORGOT HOW TO BREATHE, by Kenneth J. Harvey (St. Martin's, $24.95, 0312342225) "Past meets present in this creepy but cozy portrait of a small fishing village in Newfoundland, where technology meets mythology and some great and original characters wrestle with reality and super-reality. Very interesting and engaging!" --Karen Frank, Northshire Bookstore, Manchester Center, VT

Fiction

THE BEST THING THAT CAN HAPPEN TO A CROISSANT, by Pablo Tusset (Canongate, $14 paper, 1841957151)

CIRCLE OF THE MOON, by Barbara Hambly (Aspect, $13.95 paper, 0446694045)

COTTON, by Christopher Wilson (Harcourt, $24, 0151011230)

CRASHING AMERICA, by Katia Noyes (Alyson, $14.95 paper, 1555839118)

THE ENGLISH TEACHER, by Lily King (Atlantic, $23, 0871138972)

IMAGINARY MEN, by Anjali Banerjee (Downtown Press, $13 paper, 1416509437)

MINARET, by Leila Aboulela (Grove/Black Cat, $13 paper, 0802170145)

THE PIRATES! In an Adventure with Ahab, by Gideon Defoe (Pantheon, $15.95, 0375423850)

VITA, by Melania G. Mazzucco, Virginia Jewiss (Trans.) (FSG, $25, 0374284954)

Nonfiction

BALLAD OF THE WHISKEY ROBBER: A True Story of Bank Heists, Ice Hockey, Transylvanian Pelt Smuggling, Moonlighting Detectives, and Broken Hearts, by Julian Rubinstein (Back Bay, $13.95 paper, 0316010731)

THE BEGGAR KING AND THE SECRET OF HAPPINESS: A True Story, by Joel ben Izzy (Algonquin, $12.95 paper, 1565125126)

THE COMMITMENT: Love, Sex, Marriage, and My Family, by Dan Savage (Dutton, $23.95, 0525949070)

THE FALL OF BAGHDAD, by Jon Lee Anderson (Penguin, $16 paper, 0143035851)

HOW TO COOK YOUR DAUGHTER: Growing Up in a World Where Nothing Was Sacred, by Jessica Hendra (Regan Books, $24.95, 0060820993)

A MAN WITHOUT A COUNTRY, by Kurt Vonnegut, Dan Simon (Ed.) (Seven Stories, $23.95, 158322713X)

VOWS: The Story of a Priest, a Nun, and Their Son, by Peter Manseau (Free Press, $25, 0743249070)

THE YEAR OF MAGICAL THINKING, by Joan Didion (Knopf, $23.95, 140004314X)

Mystery/Suspense

THE BELEN HITCH: A Sasha Solomon Mystery, by Pari Noskin Taichert (University of New Mexico Press, $24.95, 0826339158)

THE DOUBLE EAGLE, by James Twining (HarperCollins, $24.95, 0060762098)

THE GREEN ROOM, by Deborah Turrell Atkinson (Poisoned Pen Press, $24.95, 1590581989)