Recordpub.com - One for the Books: Road Trips

Come with me on some literary road trips.

In "Breakfast with Buddha," author Roland Merullo takes us on an imaginary car ride across the Northeastern United States, including Ohio, that turns into another kind of journey altogether.

Otto Ringling, 44, has a great job in New York City and is living the good life with his wife and children. When his parents are killed in a car crash, it's left to him and his sister, Cecelia, to go "home" to North Dakota and settle their estate. Otto makes plans for the trip with his slightly flaky New Age "psychic" sister, but ends up taking along not his sister, but her strange guru, a monk named Rinpoche. The two men are a study in contrasts: Otto likes comfortable hotel rooms, has gourmet tastes and plans meals ahead of time. Rinpoche can sleep on the floor, wears only a robe and eats almost nothing. Otto, who thinks he's got it all together, eventually opens his mind to the wise, witty guru's interesting ideas and begins to contemplate life and its meanings.

His travels make Otto think about the America he loves: In Pennsylvania, he imagines living the Amish way of life. In Youngstown, he wonders what happened to the once-lively factory city. In Chagrin Falls, the men share a life lesson while standing above the falls. It turns out that Rinpoche isn't exactly who or what Otto thinks; he is, in fact, much more. The road trip, which is fun in itself, ends up being a spiritual journey.

This book is funny, easy and wonderful. The writing is lovely, as in this passage describing Otto's grief for his parents: "It was more than bereavement. It was a kind of sawing dissatisfaction that cut back and forth against the fibers of who I believed myself to be." The pacing of Otto's discoveries about Rinpoche and about himself are just right. I relate to his excitement about life, his pride in America. It's fiction, but it feels like a memoir. Despite the title, it isn't really about Buddhism; it's more a nondenominational spiritual encounter, with the monk quoting from all the major holy books. The ideas expressed "are drawn from 30 years of reading across the religious, philosophical, and psychological spectrum," the author explains, and he lists suggested books for further reading -- splendid works by Krishnamurti, Ram Dass, the Dalai Lama, Thich Nhat Hanh and more.

I completely, thoroughly and absolutely loved it. It is just so special! As I was reading it, I felt so lucky to have found it. I'm comparing it to "Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance" and my favorite book last year, "Eat, Pray, Love." This may turn out to be my favorite book this year!

In another fictional journey, best-selling author Michael Chabon takes us to 10th century Khazaria in "Gentlemen of the Road." The two main characters are con men: Zelikman is a tall, skinny "scarecrow" of a man, and Amram is a large African who carries -- and isn't afraid to use -- a big ax. Zelikman spells out his occupation: "I am not overly encumbered by principle, as you know ... I am a gentleman of the road, an apostate from the faith of my fathers, a renegade, a brigand, a hired blade, a thief." On their way to Azerbaijan along the famous Silk Road, our "heroes" are constantly in peril. The book is filled with horse thieves, kidnapping, looting and pillaging, murder and chase scenes, set in exotic locales and peopled with brooding characters whose names ring with mystery.

The fast-paced tale reminds me of the classic adventure stories of my childhood. The old-style writing makes it seem like legend; Chabon even uses old-fashioned words like "verisimilitude" and "gainsaid." The chapter titles, such as "On Discord Arising from the Excessive Love of a Hat," are amusing. Even the type is larger than usual. And the illustrations are just like those of the great old books I remember.

Chabon, of course, won the Pulitzer Prize for his "The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier & Clay," and his "Yiddish Policemen's Union" is winning nominations and awards all over the place. This one is a different direction for Chabon. It won't change your life, but it's fun while it lasts.

For a nonfiction trek, Jonathan Mooney takes us on a very real road trip in "The Short Bus: A Journey Beyond Normal." The short school bus is "the essence, symbol, and vehicle" of the author's 35,000-mile trip around the United States and represents the world of special education. Mooney was diagnosed as dyslexic at the end of third grade -- "I had faked reading most of my life," he said -- and ended up graduating from Brown University with a 4.0 grade point average. After he was labeled "learning disabled," he says, "My world changed. ... My parents and I were told I was broken, and that my deficits should be diagnosed, treated, and cured." Here's a heart-breaker: In sixth grade, he made up a story and, because he had trouble writing, his mother wrote it down for him. It was so good, the principal accused him of plagiarism, saying, "People like you, Jonathan, can't have ideas like this."

On the short bus, he tells us, the labeled kids were all grouped together: "These passengers included kids with physical disabilities, Down syndrome, learning disabilities, autism, as well as emotional problems. Special education and the short bus grouped together all these different students, expanding our culture's definition of 'disabled.' The short bus as a symbol of special education says as much (or more) about that culture -- its values, beliefs, fears, aspirations, and injustices -- as it ever did about people with disabilities."

As he drives around the country, he introduces us to artists and creative people with interesting talents, though other people would call them "disabled." He's trying to prove that everybody has a gift and shouldn't be dismissed just because they don't fit the system's mold. So his trip is also a journey through the U.S. educational system, where we see "the disabled" in a new light. Yes, he's bitter, and I'm sure educators will want to present their own side of the issue. But they weren't on the bus.

For a list of best-sellers and other book news, go to www.recordpub.com, click on "Lifetimes," and check out "One for the Books" online. Send news to Books@recordpub.com.

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BOOK NOTES,
One for the Books Extra Online Exclusives:

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Here's the list of suggested books for March from BookSense.com:

http://www.booksense.com/bspicks/Mar08.jsp

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Prolific science fiction author and visionary of the future Arthur C. Clarke died March 19 at the age of 90. Here is the link to the New York Times obituary:

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/03/19/books/19clarke.html?_r=1&ref=books&oref=slogin

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Amazon.com has completed the purchase of Audible.com, making Audible a wholly owned subsidiary of Amazon.

http://news.moneycentral.msn.com/provider/providerarticle.aspx?feed=ACBJ&date=20080319&id=8362531

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The winners of the 2008 Christianity Today Book Awards have been announced:

http://www.ctlibrary.com/ct/2008/april/10.28.html

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from Publishers Weekly:
Hachette is taking interactivity to the next level by bringing favorite fictional characters right to readers' Web browsers. Beginning on April 1, Hachette's FaithWords division will have the five main characters in its new All About Us YA series begin blogging.

Check out the blog site at

http://www.allaboutusbooks.net

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"A former German World War II fighter pilot has claimed he shot down French literary hero Antoine de Saint-Exupery, author of "The Little Prince," 63 years after the event."
-- from The Telegraph

He also said, "If I had known it was Saint-Exupery I would never have shot him down."

For the whole story, visit

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=/news/2008/03/16/wprince116.xml

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The finalists for the 2008 Thriller Awards have been announced. Winners will be announced July 12. Here's the link to the full list of finalists:

http://www.thrillerwriters.org/

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Here's a link to the list of nominees for the 2008 Hugo Awards:

http://www.denvention3.org/hugos/08list.pdf

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A copy of J.R.R. Tolkien's "The Hobbit" has been sold for a world-record price:

http://books.guardian.co.uk/news/articles/0,,2266390,00.html

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Meanwhile, a rare first edition of the first Harry Potter brought in a nice chunk of change, but aroused an inquiry into whether it was stolen from a library, whose label appears on the book.

http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601085&sid=a6xpxFPPfNXQ&refer=europe

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The winners of the 2008 Book Sense Book of the Year Awards have been announced by the American Booksellers Association. The winners:

Fiction: A Thousand Splendid Suns by Khaled Hosseini (Riverhead/Penguin)
Nonfiction: Animal, Vegetable, Miracle: A Year of Food Life by Barbara Kingsolver, with Steven L. Hopp and Camille Kingsolver (HarperCollins)
Children's Literature: The Invention of Hugo Cabret by Brian Selznick (Scholastic Press)
Children's Illustrated: Knuffle Bunny Too: A Case of Mistaken Identity by Mo Willems (Hyperion Books for Children)

Find a list of all the honor books here:

http://news.bookweb.org/5922.html

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Shel Silverstein's "Don't Bump the Glump! and Other Fantasies" is available for the first time in almost 30 years.

http://www.harpercollinschildrens.com/HarperChildrens/Parents/BookDetail.aspx?isbn13=9780061493386&WT.mc_id=news_HCC_MAR08

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from Publishers Weekly:

The 59th annual Christopher Awards have been announced:

In the Preschool category, Taking a Bath with the Dog and Other Things That Make Me Happy by Scott Menchin (Candlewick);
ages 6-8, How Many Seeds in a Pumpkin? by Margaret McNamara, illustrated by G. Brian Karas (Random House/Schwartz & Wade);
ages 8-10, Owen & Mzee: The Language of Friendship by Isabella Hatkoff, Craig Hatkoff, and Dr. Paula Kahumbu, photos by Peter Greste (Scholastic Press);
ages 10-12, The Wild Girls by Pat Murphy (Viking);
and Young Adult, Diamonds in the Shadow by Caroline B. Cooney (Delacorte).
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PUBLISHERS WEEKLY BEST-SELLERS

HARDCOVER FICTION
1. "Change of Heart" by Jodi Picoult (Atria)
2. "The Appeal" by John Grisham (Doubleday)
3. "Remember Me?" by Sophie Kinsella (Dial Press)
4. "7th Heaven" by James Patterson, Maxine Paetro (Little, Brown and Company)
5. "A Prisoner of Birth" by Jeffrey Archer (St. Martin's Press)
6. "Dead Heat" by Joel C. Rosenberg (Tyndale House)
7. "A Thousand Splendid Suns" by Khaled Hosseini (Riverhead Hardcover)
8. "Lush Life" by Richard Price (Farrar, Straus and Giroux)
9. "Killer Heat" by Linda Fairstein (Doubleday)
10. "Christ the Lord: The Road to Cana" by Anne Rice (Knopf)
11. "Honor Thyself" by Danielle Steel (Delacorte Press)
12. "World Without End" by Ken Follett (Dutton)
13. "The Dark Tide" by Andrew Gross (William Morrow)
14. "Black Widow" by Randy Wayne White (Putman)
15. "Duma Key" by Stephen King (Scribner)

NONFICTION/GENERAL
1. "The Secret" by Rhonda Byrne (Atria Books/Beyond Words)
2. "Beautiful Boy" by David Sheff (Houghton Mifflin)
3. "Losing It:And Gaining My Life Back One Pound at a Time" by Valerie Bertinelli (Free Press)
4. "Stop Whining, Start Living" by Laura Schlessinger (Harper)
5. "Stori Telling" by Tori Spelling (Simon Spotlight)
6. "In Defense of Food: An Eater's Manifesto" by Michael Pollan (Penguin)
7. "Become a Better You: 7 Keys to Improving Your Life Every Day" by Joel Osteen (Free Press)
8. "How Come That Idiot's Rich and I'm Not?" by Robert Shemin (Crown)
9. "Women & Money: Owning the Power to Control Your Destiny" by Suze Orman, (Spiegel & Grau)
10. "The Third Jesus: The Christ We Cannot Ignore" by Deepak Chopra (Harmony)
11. "Liberal Fascism: The Secret History of the American Left, From Mussolini to the Politics of Meaning" by Jonah Goldberg (Doubleday)"
12. "You: Staying Young: The Owner's Manual for Extending Your Warranty" by Michael F. Roizen and Mehmet C. Oz (Free Press)
13. "I Am America (And So Can You!)" by Stephen Colbert (Grand Central Publishing)
14. "The Dangerous Book for Boys" by Conn and Hal Iggulden (Collins)
15. "The Age of Miracles" by Marianne Williamson (Hay House)

MASS MARKET PAPERBACKS
1. "I Heard That Song Before" by Mary Higgins Clark (Pocket)
2. "Obsession" by Jonathan Kellerman (Ballantine)
3. "Naughty Neighbor" by Janet Evanovich (Harper)
4. "The 5th Horseman" by James Patterson, Maxine Paetro (Grand Central Publishing)
5. "Sacred Stone" by Clive Custer and Craig Dirgo (Berkley)
6. "The Alibi Man" by Tami Hoag (Bantam)
7. "High Profile" by Robert B. Parker (Putnam)
8. "Deep Storm" by Lincoln Child (Anchor)
9. "Star Wars Legacy of the Force: Revelation" by Karen Traviss (Del Rey)
10. "The Innocent Man: Murder and Injustice in a Small Town" by John Grisham, (Dell)
11. "What the Dead Know" by Laura Lippman (Harper)
12. "Absolute Fear" by Lisa Jackson (Zebra)
13. "The Other Boleyn Girl" by Philippa Gregory (Pocket Star)
14. "Thigh High" by Christina Dodd (Signet)
15. "Tom Clancy's EndWar" by David Michaels (Berkley)

TRADE PAPERBACKS
1. "A New Earth: Awakening to Your Life's Purpose" by Eckhart Tolle (Plume)
2. "Eat, Pray, Love: One Woman's Search for Everything Across Italy, India and Indonesia" by Elizabeth Gilbert (Penguin)
3. "Three Cups of Tea: One Man's Mission to Promote Peace ... One School at a Time" by Greg Mortenson and David Oliver Relin (Penguin)
4. "The Other Boleyn Girl" by Philippa Gregory (Pocket Star)
5. "Nineteen Minutes" by Jodi Picoult (Washington Square Press)
6. "The Audacity of Hope:Thoughts on Reclaiming the American Dream" by Barack Obama (Three Rivers Press)
7. "The Power of Now: A Guide to Spiritual Enlightenment" by Eckhart Tolle (New World Library)
8. "The Friday Night Knitting Club" by Kate Jacobs (Berkley)
9. "Dreams from My Father" by Barack Obama (Three Rivers Press)
10. "John Adams" by David McCullough (Simon & Schuster)
11. "Marley & Me" by John Grogan (Harper Paperbacks)
12. "Eat This Not That!" by David Zinczenko, Matt Goulding (Rodale)
13. "The Kite Runner" by Khaled Hosseini (Riverhead)
14. "Water for Elephants" by Sara Gruen (Algonquin)
15. "Atonement" by Ian McEwan (Anchor)
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USA TODAY BEST-SELLERS
Key: F-Fiction; NF-Nonfiction; H-Hardcover; P-Paperback

1. "A New Earth: Awakening to Your Life's Purpose" by Eckhart Tolle (Plume) (NF-P)
2. "The Final Warning: Maximum Ride" by James Patterson (Little, Brown) (F-H)
3. "Horton Hears A Who!" by Dr. Seuss (Random House Books for Young Readers) (F-H)
4. "Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Rodrick Rules" by Jeff Kinney (Amulet) (F-H)
5. "Eat, Pray, Love: One Woman's Search for Everything Across Italy, India and Indonesia" by Elizabeth Gilbert (Penguin) (NF-P)
6. "The Other Boleyn Girl" by Philippa Gregory (Touchstone) (F-P)
7. "Change of Heart" by Jodi Picoult (Atria) (F-H)
8. "Three Cups Of Tea: One Man's Mission to Promote Peace ... One School at a Time" by Greg Mortenson and David Oliver Relin (Penguin) (NF-P)
9. "Twilight" by Stephenie Meyer (Little, Brown) (F-P)
10. "Diary of a Wimpy Kid" by Jeff Kinney (Abrams Books for Young Readers) (F-H)
11. "The Appeal" by John Grisham (Doubleday) (F-H)
12. "Eat This Not That!" by David Zinczenko, Matt Goulding (Rodale) (NF-H)
13. "The Secret" by Rhonda Byrne (Atria Books/Beyond Words) (NF-H)
14. "Atonement" by Ian McEwan (Anchor) (F-H)
15. "New Moon" by Stephenie Meyer (Little Brown for Young Readers) (F-H)
16. "The Audacity of Hope:Thoughts on Reclaiming the American Dream" by Barack Obama (Three Rivers Press) (NF-P)
17. "Nineteen Minutes: A Novel" by Jodi Picoult (Washington Square Press) (NF-P)
18. "The Power of Now: A Guide to Spiritual Enlightenment" by Eckhart Tolle (New World Library) (NF-P)
19. "John Adams" by David McCullough (Simon & Schuster) (NF-P)
20. "Eclipse" by Stephenie Meyer (Little, Brown) (F-H)
21. "Bratfest At Tiffanys" by Lisi Harrison (Poppy) (F-P)
22. "I Heard That Song Before" by Mary Higgins Clark (Pocket) (F-P)
23. "Remember Me?" by Sophie Kinsella (Dial Press) (F-H)
24. "The Friday Night Knitting Club" by Kate Jacobs (Berkley) (F-P)
25. "Ranger's Apprentice: the Battle for Skandia" by John Flanagan (Philomel) (F-H)
26. "The Story of Easter" by Patricia A. Pingry and Lorraine Wells (Ideals Children's Books) (F-H)
27. "Marley & Me" by John Grogan (Harper Paperbacks) (NF-P)
28. "Dreams from My Father" by Barack Obama (Three Rivers Press) (NF-P)
29. "The Pillars of the Earth" by Ken Follett (NAL Trade) (F-P)
30. "Into the Wild" by Jon Krakauer (Anchor) (NF-P)
31. "Fancy Nancy: Bonjour Butterfly" by Jane O'Connor (HarperCollins) (F-H)
32. "Water for Elephants" by Sara Gruen (Algonquin) (F-P)
33. "The Kite Runner" by Khaled Hosseini (Riverhead) (F-P)
34. "Fruits Basket, Volume 19" by Natsuki Takaya (TokyoPop) (F-P)
35. "Beautiful Boy" by David Sheff (Houghton Mifflin) (NF-H)
36. "Losing It:And Gaining My Life Back One Pound at a Time" by Valerie Bertinelli (Free Press) (NF-H)
37. "Skinny B----" by Rory Freedman and Kim Barnouin (Running Press) (NF-P)
38. "7th Heaven" by James Patterson, Maxine Paetro (Little, Brown and Company) (F-H)
39. "Naruto, Volume 28" by Masashi Kishimoto (VIZ Media LLC) (F-P)
40. "Dead Heat" by Joel C. Rosenberg (Tyndale House) (F-H)
41. Martha Stewart's Cookies: The Very Best Treats to Bake and to Share" (Clarkson Potter) (NF-P)
42. "90 Minutes in Heaven: A True Story of Death and Life" by Don Piper with Cecil Murphey (Revell) (NF-P)
43. "Dora the Explorer: Dora's Rainbow Egg Hunt" by Kirsten Larsen, art by Steven Savitsky (Simon Spotlight/Nickelodeon) (F-H)
44. "The Spiderwick Chronicles: The Field Guide" by Holly Black and Tony DiTerlizzi (Simon & Schuster) (F-H)
45. "No Country for Old Men" by Cormac McCarthy (Vintage) (F-P)
46. "The 5th Horseman" by James Patterson, Maxine Paetro (Grand Central Publishing) (F-P)
47. "The Shack" by William P. Young (Windblown Media) (F-P)
48. "Where Are Baby's Easter Eggs: A Lift the Flap Book" by Karen Katz (Little Simon) (F-H)
49. "The Memory Keeper's Daughter" by Kim Edwards (Penguin) (F-P)
50. "Junie B., First Grader: Dumb Bunny" by Barbara Park and Denise Brunkus (Random House Book for Young Readers) (F-H)
Reporting stores include: Amazon.com, B. Dalton Bookseller, Barnes & Noble.com, Barnes & Noble Inc., Books-A-Million and Bookland, Booksamillion.com, Borders Books & Music, Bookstar, Bookstop, Brentano's, Davis Kidd Booksellers in Nashville, Jackson, Memphis, Tenn., Doubleday Book Shops, Hudson Booksellers, Joseph-Beth Booksellers (Lexington, Ky.; Cincinnati, Cleveland), Powell's Books (Portland, Ore.), Powells.com, R.J. Julia Booksellers (Madison, Conn.), Schuler.
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WALL STREET JOURNAL BEST-SELLERS

FICTION
1. "The Final Warning: Maximum Ride" by James Patterson (Little, Brown)
2. "Change of Heart" by Jodi Picoult (Atria)
3. "The Appeal" by John Grisham (Doubleday)
4. "New Moon" by Stephenie Meyer (Little Brown for Young Readers)
5. "Remember Me?" by Sophie Kinsella (Dial Press)
6. "Eclipse" by Stephenie Meyer (Little, Brown)
7. "Dead Heat" by Joel C. Rosenberg (Tyndale House)
8. "7th Heaven" by James Patterson, Maxine Paetro (Little, Brown and Company)
9. "A Prisoner of Birth" by Jeffrey Archer (St. Martin's Press)
10. "A Thousand Splendid Suns" by Khaled Hosseini (Riverhead Hardcover)
11. "Killer Heat" by Linda Fairstein (Doubleday)
12. "Lush Life" by Richard Price (Farrar, Straus and Giroux)
13. "Christ the Lord: The Road to Cana" by Anne Rice (Knopf)
14. "Honor Thyself" by Danielle Steel (Delacorte Press)
15. "Black Widow" by Randy Wayne White (Putman)

NONFICTION
1. "The Secret" by Rhonda Byrne (Atria Books/Beyond Words)
2. "Beautiful Boy" by David Sheff (Houghton Mifflin)
3. "StrengthsFinder 2.0: A New and Upgraded Edition of the Online Test from Gallup's Now, Discover Your Strengths" by Tom Rath (Gallup Press)
4. "How Come That Idiot's Rich and I'm Not?" by Robert Shemin (Crown)
5. "Losing It:And Gaining My Life Back One Pound at a Time" by Valerie Bertinelli (Free Press)
6. "Stop Whining, Start Living" by Laura Schlessinger (Harper)
7. "Stori Telling" by Tori Spelling (Simon Spotlight)
8. "In Defense of Food: An Easter's Manifesto" by Michael Pollan (Penguin Press)
9. "Good to Great" by Jim Collins (Collins)
10. "Women & Money: Owning the Power to Control Your Destiny" by Suze Orman, (Spiegel & Grau)
11. "The Third Jesus: The Christ We Cannot Ignore" by Deepak Chopra (Harmony)
12. "Become a Better You: 7 Keys to Improving Your Life Every Day" by Joel Osteen (Free Press)
13. "Predictably Irrational: Hidden Forces that Shape our Decisions" by Dan Ariely (HarperCollins)
14. "Liberal Fascism: The Secret History of the American Left, From Mussolini to the Politics of Meaning" by Jonah Goldberg (Doubleday)"
15. "You: Staying Young: The Owner's Manual for Extending Your Warranty" by Michael F. Roizen and Mehmet C. Oz (Free Press)
The Wall Street Journal's list reflects nationwide sales of hardcover books during the week ended last Saturday at more than 2,500 Barnes & Noble, B. Dalton, Bookland, Books-a-Million, Books & Co., Bookstar, Bookstop, Borders, Brentano's, Coles, Coopersmith, Doubleday, Scribners and Waldenbooks stores, as well as sales from online retailers Amazon.com and barnesandnoble.com.

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from Shelf Awareness -- New Titles Out March 25:

Buckingham Palace Gardens: A Novel by Anne Perry
Hollywood Crows: A Novel by Joseph Wambaugh
Compulsion: An Alex Delaware Novel by Jonathan Kellerman
In the Frame: My Life in Words and Pictures by Helen Mirren
Yankee Stadium: The Official Retrospective by Al Santasiere and Mark Vancil
Mistaken Identity: Two Families, One Survivor, Unwavering Hope by Don and Susie Van Ryn, Newell, Colleen and Whitney Cerak
The Cure for Modern Life: A Novel by Lisa Tucker
Olive Kitteridge: Fiction by Elizabeth Strout
Blue-Eyed Devil by Lisa Kleypas
Lost Souls by Lisa Jackson

In paperback:
Dog Whisperer with Cesar Millan: The Ultimate Episode Guide by Jim Milio, Melissa Jo Peltier and Cesar Millan
Me to We: Finding Meaning in a Material World by Craig Kielburger and Marc Kielburger
Hokus Pokus by Fern Michaels

New Titles Out April 1:
Armageddon in Retrospect by Kurt Vonnegut
A Remarkable Mother by Jimmy Carter
Home: A Memoir of My Early Years by Julie Andrews
Maya Angelou: A Glorious Celebration by Marcia Ann Gillespie, Rosa Johnson Butler, Richard A. Long and Oprah Winfrey
Infected: A Novel by Scott Sigler
Nightshade by Susan Wittig Albert
Sepulchre by Kate Mosse
Small Favor by Jim Butcher
Winter Study (Anna Pigeon Mysteries) by Nevada Barr
Searching for Paradise in Parker, PA by Kris Radish
Belong to Me: A Novel by Marisa De Los Santos
Guilty by Karen Robards
Pleasure by Eric Jerome Dickey
The Bin Ladens: An Arabian Family in the American Century by Steve Coll
Vindicated: Big Names, Big Liars, and the Battle to Save Baseball by Jose Canseco

In paperback:
The Quickie by James Patterson and Michael Ledwidge
For One More Day by Mitch Albom
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Looking for a good book? The longlist for this year's Orange prize is out:

http://books.guardian.co.uk/orange2008/story/0,,2266167,00.html

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Al Roker's Book Club for Kids on the Today Show has chosen "Chasing Vermeer" as its newest book.

http://today.msnbc.msn.com/id/23616742/

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from Publishers Weekly -- Comics On-Sale Calendar
March 19, 2008:
With the Light of Raising an Autistic Child Vol. 2 (Yen Press)
Outsiders: Five of a Kind (DC)
Repo (Image)
Spider-Man: Reign (Marvel)
Hack Slash Omnibus Vol. 1 (Devils Due Publishing)
Gakuen Alice Vol. 2 (Tokyopop)
Alice on Deadlines Vol. 2 (Yen Press)
Painkiller Jane Vol. 2: Things Explode (Dynamite Entertainment)
North World Vol. 1 (Oni Press)
Psycho Busters Vol. 2 (Del Ray Manga)
Blood Alone Vol. 4 (Infinity Studios)
Phoenix Vol. 12: Early Works (Viz Media)

On sale March 26:
Haunted (Drawn & Quarterly)
Flight Explorer Vol. 1 (Villard Books)
Apocalypse Nerd (Dark Horse)
Night Wing: The Lost Year (DC)
Last Winter (Image)
Spiderman: One More Day (Marvel)
Stardust Kid Vol. 1 (BOOM! Entertainment)
Paul Goes Fishing (Drawn & Quarterly)
Funeral of the Heart (Fantagraphics)
The Salty Air (Top Shelf)
Fairy Tail Vol. 1 (Del Ray Manga)
Strawberry Panic (Seven Seas Entertainment)
Blood Alone Vol. 3 (Infinity Studios)

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The finalists for the Children's Choice Book Awards have been announced. Children may vote for their favorites until May 4 at:

http://www.bookweekonline.com/index1.html

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The finalists for the romance fiction RITA and Golden Heart awards have been announced.

http://www.rwanational.org/

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The top mystery best-sellers for February according to the Independent Mystery Booksellers Association:

Hardcovers
1. An Incomplete Revenge by Jacqueline Winspear
2. L.A. Outlaws by T. Jefferson Parker
3. Atomic Lobster by Tim Dorsey
4. Aunt Dimity, Vampire Hunter by Nancy Atherton
5. The Anatomy of Deception by Lawrence Goldstone

Paperbacks
1. The Faithful Spy by Alex Berenson
2. Money Shot by Christa Faust
3. Thistle & Twigg by Mary Saums
4. Magic City by James Hall
5. Puss 'n Cahoots by Rita Mae Brown

For the complete list:

http://www.mysterybooksellers.com/bestsellers.html

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If you'd like to sign up for free e-newsletters, podcasts and more from the National Catholic Reporter, including a weekly column from the wonderful Sister Joan Chittister, follow this link:

http://ncrcafe.org/node/27

Two new books have been added to the National Catholic Reporter's site for the NCR Book Club --

God's Mechanics
and
The Spiritual Brain

http://ncrcafe.org/blog/6722

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Authors currently making the media rounds for their books:

--Jean Chatzky, author of Make Money, Not Excuses: Wake Up, Take Charge, and Overcome Your Financial Fears Forever
--Eleanor Clift, contributing editor of Newsweek and author of Two Weeks of Life: A Memoir of Love, Death and Politics
--Aram Roston, author of The Man Who Pushed America to War: The Extraordinary Life, Adventures and Obsessions of Ahmad Chalabi
--Wagner James Au, author of The Making of Second Life: Notes from the New World
--Robin Wright, Washington Post staff writer whose new book is Dreams and Shadows: The Future of the Middle East
--Brian Fagan, author of The Great Warming: Climate Change and the Rise and Fall of Civilizations
--Nick Smith, author of I Was Wrong: The Meanings of Apologies
--Jeffrey Sachs, author of Common Wealth: Economics of a Crowded Planet
--Vikki Stark, author of My Sister, My Self: Understanding the Sibling Relationship that Shapes Our Lives, Our Loves, and Ourselves
--Susan Jacoby, author of "The Age of American Unreason"
--Bart D. Ehrman, author of "God's Problem: How the Bible Fails to Answer Our Most Important Question -- Why We Suffer"
--Laura Schlessinger, author of "Stop Whining, Start Living"
--Greg Mortenson, author of "Three Cups of Tea"
--Scott Simon, author of "Windy City: A Novel of Politics"
--Scott Spencer, author of "Willing"
--Kate Torgovnick, author of Cheer! Three Teams on a Quest for College Cheerleading's Ultimate Prize
--Amy Sutherland, author of What Shamu Taught Me About Life, Love, and Marriage: Lessons for People from Animals and Their Trainers
--California poet laureate Al Young talks about his latest collection of poetry, Something About the Blues
--Dee Dee Myers, "Why Women Should Rule the World"
--David Rieff, author of Swimming in a Sea of Death: A Son's Memoir
--Jeffrey Sachs, author of "Common Wealth: Economics of a Crowded Planet"
--Robin Wright, "Dreams and Shadows: The Future of the Middle East"
--Nick Trout, animal surgeon and author of the new memoir, Tell Me Where It Hurts: A Day of Humor, Healing and Hope in My Life as an Animal Surgeon
--Mark Schapiro, author of Exposed: The Toxic Chemistry of Everyday Products and What's at Stake for American Power
--Michael Shermer, author of The Mind of the Market: Compassionate Apes, Competitive Humans, and Other Tales from Evolutionary Economics
--Robert Bennett, author of In the Ring: The Trials of a Washington Lawyer
--Geoffrey Stone, author of Top Secret: When Our Government Keeps Us in the Dark
--Carl Cannon, co-author of Reagan's Disciple: George W. Bush's Troubled Quest for a Presidential Legacy
--John Dominic Crossan, author of The Birth of Christianity and Who Killed Jesus? whose latest title, God and Empire: Jesus Against Rome, Then and Now
--Kathy Kastan, author of WomenHeart's All Heart Family Cookbook
--Susan Pinker, author of The Secual Paradox: Men, Women and the Real Gender Gap"
--Larry Winget, author of "You're Broke Because You Want to Be: How to Stop Getting By and Start Getting Ahead"
--Meg Wolitzer, author of "The Ten Year Nap"
--Katie Lee Joel, author of "The Comfort Table"
--China Achebe, author of "Things Fall Apart"
Sen. Chuck Hagel, author of "America: Our Next Chapter: Tough Questions, Straight Answers"
--Gene Wilder, author of "The Woman Who Wouldn't"
--Suze Orman, author of "Road to Wealth" and "Women & Money: Owning the Power to Control Your Destiny"
--Sara Moulton, author of "Sara's Secrets for Weeknight Meals"
--Maggie Greenwood-Robinson, author of The Biggest Loser Success Secrets: The Wisdom, Motivation, and Inspiration to Lose Weight--and Keep It Off!
--Senator Arlen Specter, author of Never Give In: Battling Cancer in the Senate
--Cesar Millan, author of Cesar's Way: The Natural, Everyday Guide to Understanding and Correcting Common Dog Problems and subject of Dog Whisperer with Cesar Millan: The Ultimate Episode Guide
--Shirley Abbott, author of "The Future: A Novel"
--Hillary Jordan, author of "Mudbound"
--Matthew Parker, author of Panama Fever: The Epic Story of One of the Greatest Human Achievements of All Time--the Building of the Panama Canal
--Pico Iyer, author of The Open Road: The Global Journey of the Fourteenth Dalai Lama
--Brian Fagan, author of The Great Warming: Climate Change and the Rise and Fall of Civilizations
--Don Van Ryn, author of Mistaken Identity: Two Families, One Survivor, Unwavering Hope
--William T. Vollmann, author of Riding Toward Everywhere
--James Gustave Speth, author of The Bridge at the Edge of the World: Capitalism, the Environment, and Crossing from Crisis to Sustainability
--Susan Choi, author of A Person of Interest
--Helen Mirren, author of In the Frame: My Life in Words and Pictures
--Senator Arlen Specter, author of Never Give In: Battling Cancer in the Senate
--Pamela Paul, author of Parenting, Inc.
--Don Van Ryn, author of Mistaken Identity: Two Families, One Survivor, Unwavering Hope
--Joshua Kendall, author of The Man Who Made Lists: Love, Death, Madness and the Creation of Roget's Thesaurus
--Jose Canseco, author of Vindicated: Big Names, Big Liars, and the Battle to Save Baseball
--Trevor Paglen, author of I Could Tell You But Then You Would Have to Be Destroyed by Me: Emblems from the Pentagon's Black World
--Former San Francisco mayor Willie Brown, author of Basic Brown: My Life and Our Times
--Alton Brown, author of Feasting on Asphalt: The River Run
--Susan Choi, author of A Person of Interest
--James Gustave Speth, author of The Bridge at the Edge of the World: Capitalism, the Environment, and Crossing from Crisis to Sustainability
--Jan Egeland, A Billion Lives: An Eyewitness Report from the Frontlines of Humanity
--Dr. Laura Schlessinger, Stop Whining, Start Living
--Parag Khanna, author of The Second World: Empires and Influence in the New Global Order

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