Recordpub.com - One for the Books: Book Club Recommendations

If you're picking a book for a discussion group, you want a good read, but you probably want the book to give you something more. Perhaps it introduces you to a different place and time, opens your mind to new or controversial ideas, or offers a mystery that only the reader can solve. I have found some novels to recommend for book clubs.

The wonderful best-seller "People of the Book" by Geraldine Brooks is now in paperback. Its protagonist is Dr. Hannah Heath, a book conservator who is called upon to examine a one-of-a-kind volume: The "Sarajevo Haggadeh." The book is "a famous rarity, a lavishly illuminated Hebrew manuscript made at a time when Jewish belief was firmly against illustrations of any kind." Hannah has degrees in chemistry, ancient Near Eastern languages and fine art conservation, and she uses every bit of that collective knowledge in her work. She also has "an intuition about the past. By linking research and imagination, sometimes I can think myself into the heads of the people who made the book. I can figure out who they were, or how they worked," she says. As she meticulously examines the "Haggadeh," she discovers between its pages tiny particles that she pulls out for further investigation: an insect's wing, a crystal of salt, a wine stain, a white hair. Then we are taken -- whether in her mind or back in time -- to the point when each item found its way into the pages of the book. We travel back through the centuries and meet characters in Vienna, Sarajevo, Venice, Tarragona, Seville, London, Boston, Sydney and Jerusalem. We see how the book survived Catholic censors, the Nazis, and the flames of the Inquisition.

This is a great page-turner. More happens in the first 40 pages than in some entire books! It contains fascinating information about book conservation, such as how the bright colors for the illustrations were created using ground lapis lazuli or dried worms. There's also history, romance, war, bigotry, torture, murder and more. It is often moving and sometimes disturbing. I truly liked some of the characters: "Serif, the most learned person she had ever met, was also the only person who never let her feel the least bit stupid." What a wonderful thing to say about someone. It's the kind of epic I'm always looking for, yet its modest length makes it accessible. It's an excellent, very satisfying read.

"The Story of Edgar Sawtelle" by David Wroblewski takes us to the woods of Wisconsin, where the Sawtelle family breeds and trains a special kind of dog. Young Edgar can't talk, but he learns to train the dogs by using sign language, just as he speaks to his parents. The plot includes birth, death, mystery, ghosts, coming of age, love, tragedy, and a literal and figurative journey. The writing is absolutely beautiful, as in this passage with Edgar's dog, Almondine: "When the night came on, she stood in the outer kennel run listening to the spring peepers begin their cacophony and the bats flickering overhead and she looked at the frozen oculus of the moon as it rose above the trees and cast its blue radiance across the field."

Anyone with an affection for animals will fall in love with Almondine and the other dogs. And I loved the boy Edgar. But I didn't really like most of the adults in the story, who are more or less cardboard cutouts. The passages that describe the meticulous dog training were monotonous for some readers; I liked them, myself. This was one of Oprah's Book Club picks, and most people seem to love it. I must say, I loved parts of it. But I read and read and read and read and thought it would never end. And when it was finished, I wanted to take the book and fling it across the room. Unfortunately, I was reading it on my Kindle, so I couldn't. If I had thrown the actual book, which is 566 pages huge, I might have dented the wall. I feel that it needed somebody with a sharp blue pencil to edit it down to a reasonable number of pages. And I really kind of wish I had never read the horrible ending. But it would make for a great book club discussion.

"The Lace Reader" by Brunonia Barry tells a bizarre, haunting story that begins and ends without clarity: "Never believe me. I lie all the time," says Towner Whitney as the book opens. She comes "from five generations of crazy" women in Salem, Mass., but has moved to California to escape them. Now, a family tragedy has brought her back to Salem and face-to-face with some of the traumas, within a complex lacework of relationships, that have caused her to become mentally unbalanced.

All the women in her family are lace readers. That is, they can hold up a piece of lace in front of a person's face and tell the person's past, present and future. "I can read lace, and I can read minds," says Towner. But she refuses to use her talent, ever since the death of her twin sister. The plot contains several mysteries, not the least of which is this: What is real? Things are hinted at, but from the beginning, the reader doesn't know what to trust, so that when the "truth" finally came out, I wasn't sure whether I was supposed to believe it. There are ghosts, a witch, a messianic cult leader, and an island populated by damaged women.

There's a whole lot going on, and questions that may not be answered. It's a complicated, confusing, uneven, puzzling, disturbing, dark, magical, dreamlike, psychological thriller. The mood and story remind me of "The Thirteenth Tale." It has some very pretty writing, especially in the interspersed philosophical passages from the fictitious "Lace Reader's Guide": "There is lace in every living thing: the bare branches of winter, the patterns of clouds, the surface of water as it ripples in the breeze." It would not make a good musical comedy, but it would make for an interesting discussion.

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What's Happening: The Friends of Pierce-Streetsboro Library will host a book sale from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. March 20 and 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. March 21. Members Preview Night will be held from 6 to 8 p.m. Thursday.

The Friends of Reed Memorial Library in Ravenna book sale begins with a Preview Night for Friends members from 4 to 8 p.m. Thursday. Sale hours are 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. March 20, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. March 21, and 1 to 4 p.m. March 22.

For book news and more, go to www.recordpub.com and visit my blog, "Shine A Light," or click on "News," then "Lifetimes," and look for "One for the Books" online.

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BOOK NOTES, One for the Books Extra Online Exclusives:
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Check out my new blog on books, inspiration, fun and thought-provoking goodies! It's called "Shine A Light!"

http://blogs.dixcdn.com/shine_a_light/

If you lose that link, go to www.recordpub.com. Click "Blogs" in the blue bar at the top of the page, and find "Shine A Light."

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Book Sales:

The Friends of Pierce-Streetsboro Library will host a book sale on March 20 and 21. The sale will run during library hours, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Friday and 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday. It will be held in the meeting room of the Pierce-Streetsboro Library, 8990 Kirby Lane.

Hardback books will be available for 50 cents each, or three for $1. Paperback books will be 25 cents each, or five for $1. Videos and other audiovisual materials will be $1 each. In addition, there will be special items individually priced.

A special preview sale for members of the Friends of Pierce-Streetsboro Library will be held on March 19 from 6 to 8 p.m. Only members will be admitted to the preview sale, and the library branch will not be open for regular business that day.

The Friends of Pierce-Streetsboro Library is a support group for the local library, and new members are always welcome. Funds raised by the group support Storytimes, summer reading club, and programs for adults and children. Membership in the Friends group is $5 per year. To become a member, stop in at the library or mail name and address with the membership fee to Friends of Pierce-Streetsboro Library, 8990 Kirby Lane, Streetsboro, OH 44241. Membership applications can also be printed from www.portagelibrary.org, and memberships will be available the evening of the preview sale.

Donations of books in good condition will be accepted at the library in advance of the sale. However, Reader's Digest condensed books, obsolete science, reference or computer books, and books that are moldy or in poor condition will not be accepted.

For additional information, contact Ellen Poole at 330-626-3749.
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The Friends of Reed Memorial Library in Ravenna will hold their semi-annual book sale March 19 to 22. Preview Night for Friends members will be held from 4 to 8 p.m. March 19. Hours are 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Friday, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday, and 1 to 4 p.m. Sunday, when patrons can have as many items as they want for a monetary donation.

A wide assortment of materials available include CDs, DVDs, vinyl records, cassettes, puzzles, games, and books. There are many elementary and secondary school textbooks, workbooks and teacher's guides.

Sue Matuk is again leading the children's room, Donna Narney and Barbara Richards will be in charge of the premium room, and Linda Huggins and Joan Kollman will be guiding the buyers through all the romance novels. This is the last sale that Joanne Williard and Linda Hall will co-chair. Sue Mouck will take over for the Balloon-A-Fair sale.
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LOCAL BOOK CLUBS:

The Book Discussion Group at the Randolph Library meets the first Monday of the month, except August, at 6:30 p.m. in the Randolph Senior Center. The group is open to everyone, and new members are always welcome. The library will stock copies of the books each month. Call the library at 330-325-7003.

Pierce-Streetsboro Library's Book Discussion Group meets regularly on the second Monday of each month at 6:45 p.m. in the library's meeting room. New members are always welcome to attend and participate in the discussion. The library is located at 8990 Kirby Lane in Streetsboro, next to the administrative offices of the Streetsboro City Schools. For more information, call the library at 330-626-4458.

The Book Discussion Group at the Mogadore Branch of the Akron-Summit County Library meets at 6:30 p.m. Wednesdays to discuss books as follows:

March 18: Caesar's Women by Colleen McCullough
April 1 TBA
May 6 TBA
May 20: Caesar: Let the Dice Fly by Colleen McCullough
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NCR Online has printed a review of IN DUE SEASON: A CATHOLIC LIFE, calling it "a spiritual classic." --

"Paul Wilkes has written the first 21st-century Christian classic. His "In Due Season: A Catholic Life' will rank alongside, not run second to, Thomas Merton's The Seven Storey Mountain. It is its companion volume."

http://ncronline.org/node/12544

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NCR Online reviews THE FAITH OF SCIENTISTS: IN THEIR OWN WORDS, edited by Nancy K. Frankenberry:

http://ncronline.org/node/12580

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from Shelf Awareness: New Titles Out March 10:

Hunted by P.C. Cast and Kristin Cast
The Book of Love by Kathleen McGowan
Life Sentences: A Novel by Laura Lippman
A Lion Called Christian: The True Story of the Remarkable Bond between Two Friends and a Lion by Anthony Bourke, John Rendall and George Adamson
A Saint on Death Row: The Story of Dominique Green by Thomas Cahill

Now in paperback:

Emergency: This Book Will Save Your Life by Neil Strauss

New Titles Out March 17:

Never Give Up!: Relentless Determination to Overcome Life's Challenges by Joyce Meyer
The Mirror Effect: How Celebrity Narcissism Is Seducing America by Drew Pinsky and S. Mark Young
Power Rules: How Common Sense Can Rescue American Foreign Policy by Leslie H. Gelb
The Weight of a Mustard Seed: The Intimate Story of an Iraqi General and His Family During Thirty Years of Tyranny by Wendell Steavenson
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Wall Street Journal Best-sellers-Books
By The Associated Press

FICTION
1. "Handle with Care: A Novel" by Jodi Picoult (Atria)
2. "Eclipse" by Stephenie Meyer (Little, Brown Books for Young Readers)
3. "Diary of a Wimpy Kid: The Last Straw" by Jeff Kinney (Amulet)
4. "Breaking Dawn" by Stephenie Meyer (Little, Brown Books for Young Readers)
5. "The 39 Clues: The Sword Thief" by Peter Lerangis (Scholastic)
6. "The Associate" by John Grisham (Doubleday)
7. "Promises in Death" by J.D. Robb (Putnam)
8. "Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Rodrick Rules" by Jeff Kinney (Amulet Books)
9. "Run for Your Life" by James Patterson (Little, Brown)
10. "The Host" by Stephenie Meyer (Little, Brown)
11. "Heart and Soul" by Maeve Binchy (Knopf)
12. "Night and Day: A Jesse Stone Novel" by Robert B. Parker
13. "One Day at a Time" by Danielle Steel (Delacorte Press)
14. "White Witch, Black Curse" by Kim Harrison (Eos)
15. "Graveyard Book" by Neil Gaiman (Harper Collins)

NONFICTION
1. "Act Like a Lady, Think Like a Man: What Men Really Think About Love, Relationships, Intimacy, and Commitment" by Steve Harvey (Amistad)
2. "Outliers: The Story of Success" by Malcolm Gladwell (Little, Brown)
3. "The Yankee Years" by Joe Torre and Tom Verducci (Doubleday)
4. "The Power of Soul" by Zhi Gang Sha (Atria)
5. "The Sandler Rules: 49 Timeless Selling Principles and How to Apply Them" by David Mattson (Pegasus Media World)
6. "StrengthsFinder 2.0: A New and Upgraded Edition of the Online Test from Gallup's Now, Discover Your Strengths" by Tom Rath (Gallup Press)
7. "The Last Lecture" by Randy Pausch, Jeffrey Zaslow (Hyperion)
8. "Out of Captivity: Surviving 1,967 Days in the Colombian Jungle" by Marc Gonsalves, Tom Howes, Keith Stansell with Gary Brozek (William Morrow)
9. "The Secret" by Rhonda Byrne (Atria Books/Beyond Words)
10. "Miles to Go" by Miley Cyrus (Disney Hyperion)
11. "Emotional Freedom" by Judith Orloff (Harmony)
12. "The 4 Day Diet" by Ian K. Smith, M.D. (St. Martin's Press)
13. "The Lost City of Z: A Tale of Deadly Obsession in the Amazon" by David Grann (Doubleday)
14. "Flat Belly Diet" by Liz Vaccariello and Cynthia Sass (Rodale Books)
15. "Dewey: The Small-Town Library Cat Who Touched the World" by Vicki Myron, Brett Witter (Grand Central)

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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Publishers Weekly Best-sellers-Books
By The Associated Press

HARDCOVER FICTION
1. "Handle with Care: A Novel" by Jodi Picoult (Atria)
2. "The Associate" by John Grisham (Doubleday)
3. "Promises in Death" by J.D. Robb (Putnam)
4. "One Day at a Time" by Danielle Steel (Delacorte Press)
5. "The Host" by Stephenie Meyer (Little, Brown)
6. "Run for Your Life" by James Patterson, Michael Ledwidge (Little, Brown)
7. "Heart and Soul" by Maeve Binchy (Knopf)
8. "White Witch, Black Curse" by Kim Harrison (Eos)
9. "Night and Day: A Jesse Stone Novel" by Robert B. Parker (Putnam)
10. "Terminal Freeze" by Lincoln Child (Doubleday)
11. "Storm from the Shadows" by David Weber (Baen)
12. "The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society" by Mary Ann Shaffer & Annie Barrows (Dial)
13. "Fool" by Christopher Moore (William Morrow)
14. "Paths of Glory" by Jeffrey Archer (St. Martin's Press)
15. "The Story of Edgar Sawtelle" by David Wroblewski (Ecco)

HARDCOVER NONFICTION
1. "Act Like a Lady, Think Like a Man: What Men Really Think About Love, Relationships, Intimacy, and Commitment" by Steve Harvey (Amistad)
2. "Outliers: The Story of Success" by Malcolm Gladwell (Little, Brown)
3. "The Yankee Years" by Joe Torre, Tom Verducci (Doubleday)
4. "The Last Lecture" by Randy Pausch and Jeffrey Zaslow (Hyperion)
5. "Dewey: The Small-Town Library Cat Who Touched the World" by Vicki Myron, Brett Witter (Grand Central)
6. "The Secret" by Rhonda Byrne (Atria Books/Beyond Words)
7. "Flat Belly Diet" by Liz Vaccariello and Cynthia Sass (Rodale Books)
8. "Out of Captivity: Surviving 1,967 Days in the Colombian Jungle" by Marc Gonsalves, Tom Howes, Keith Stansell with Gary Brozek (William Morrow)
9. "The Lost City of Z: A Tale of Deadly Obsession in the Amazon" by David Grann (Doubleday)
10. "Uncommon: Finding Your Path to Significance" by Tony Dungy and Nathan Whitaker (Tyndale House Publishers)
11. "The Gamble: General David Petraeus and the American Military Adventure in Iraq, 2006-2008" by Thomas E. Ricks (Penguin Press HC)
12. "The 4 Day Diet" by Ian K. Smith, M.D. (St. Martin's Press)
13. "A Bold Fresh Piece of Humanity" by Bill OReilly (Broadway)
14. "Multiple Blessings: Surviving to Thriving with Twins and Sextuplets" by Jon Gosselin, Kate Gosselin (Zondervan)
15. "The Great Depression Ahead" by Harry S. Dent, Jr. (Free Press)

MASS MARKET PAPERBACKS
1. "The Whole Truth" by David Baldacci (Vision)
2. "Maverick" by Lora Leigh (St. Martin's Press)
3. "The Grand Finale" by Janet Evanovich (Harper)
4. "Montana Creeds: Dylan" by Linda Lael Miller (HQN)
5. "Hold Tight" by Harlan Coben (Signet)
6. "Bones" by Jonathan Kellerman (Ballantine)
7. "Lost Souls" by Lisa Jackson (Zebra)
8. "Plague Ship" by Clive Cussler with Jack DuBrul (Berkley)
9. "First Comes Marriage" by Mary Balogh (Dell)
10. "The MacKade Brothers: Rafe And Jared" by Nora Roberts (Silhouette)
11. "Danger in a Red Dress" by Christina Dodd (Signet)
12. "The Appeal" by John Grisham (Dell)
13. "Small Favor" by Jim Butcher (Roc)
14. "The Vampire's Bride" by Gena Showalter (HQN)
15. "Revolutionary Road" by Richard Yates (Vintage)

TRADE PAPERBACKS
1. "Watchmen" by Alan Moore, Dave Gibbons (DC Comics)
2. "The Shack" by William P. Young (Windblown Media)
3. "Dreams from My Father" by Barack Obama (Three Rivers Press)
4. "The Reader" by Bernhard Schlink (Vintage)
5. "Three Cups Of Tea: One Man's Mission to Promote Peace ... One School at a Time" by Greg Mortenson and David Oliver Relin (Penguin)
6. "Suze Orman's 2009 Action Plan" by Suze Orman (Spiegel & Grau)
7. "Eat This, Not That! Supermarket Survival Guide" by David Zinczenko and Matt Goulding (Rodale Books)
8. "Sundays At Tiffany's" by James Patterson, Gabrielle Charbonnet (Grand Central Publishing)
9. "Firefly Lane" by Kristin Hannah (St. Martin's Griffin)
10. "The Middle Place" by Kelly Corrigan (Voice)
11. "The Audacity of Hope: Thoughts on Reclaiming the American Dream" by Barack Obama (Three Rivers Press)
12. "American Wife" by Curtis Sittenfeld (Random House)
13. "Eat This, Not That!" by David Zinczenko and Matt Goulding (Rodale Books)
14. "What to Expect When You're Expecting" by Heidi Murkoff, Sharon Mazel (Workman Publishing Group)
15. "The CalorieKing Calorie, Fat & Carbohydrate Counter 2009" by Alan Borushek (Family Health Publications)
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USA Today Best-sellers-Books
By The Associated Press
Key: F-Fiction; NF-Nonfiction; H-Hardcover; P-Paperback

1. "Act Like a Lady, Think Like a Man: What Men Really Think About Love, Relationships, Intimacy, and Commitment" by Steve Harvey (Amistad) (NF-H)
2. "Watchmen" by Alan Moore and Dave Gibbons (DC Comics) (F-P)
3. "New Moon" by Stephenie Meyer (Little, Brown Books for Young Readers) (F-P)
4. "Twilight" by Stephenie Meyer (Little, Brown Books for Young Readers) (F-P)
5. "Eclipse" by Stephenie Meyer (Little, Brown Books for Young Readers) (F-H)
6. "The Shack" by William P. Young (Windblown Media) (F-P)
7. "Breaking Dawn" by Stephenie Meyer (Little, Brown Books for Young Readers) (F-H)
8. "Handle with Care: A Novel" by Jodi Picoult (Atria) (F-H)
9. "Diary of a Wimpy Kid: The Last Straw" by Jeff Kinney (Amulet) (F-H)
10. "Lost Souls" by Lisa Jackson (Zebra) (F-P)
11. "Montana Creeds: Dylan" by Linda Lael Miller (HQN) (F-P)
12. "The MacKade Brothers: Rafe And Jared" by Nora Roberts (Silhouette) (F-P)
13. "The Whole Truth" by David Baldacci (Vision) (F-P)
14. "The Grand Finale" by Janet Evanovich (Harper) (F-P)
15. "The Reader" by Bernhard Schlink (Vintage) (F-P)
16. "The 39 Clues: The Sword Thief" Peter Lerangis (Scholastic) (F-H)
17. "The Love Dare" by Stephen Kendrick and Alex Kendrick (B&H) (NF-P)
18. "The Matchmakers" by Debbie Macomber (Harlequin) (F-P)
19. "One Day at a Time" by Danielle Steel (Delacorte Press) (F-H)
20. "The Associate" by John Grisham (Doubleday) (F-H)
21. "Promises in Death" by J.D. Robb (Putnam) (F-H)
22. "First Comes Marriage" by Mary Balogh (Dell)
23. "Bones" by Jonathan Kellerman (Ballantine) (F-P)
24. "Maverick" by Lora Leigh (St. Martin's) (F-P)
25. "The Host" by Stephenie Meyer (Little, Brown) (F-H)
26. "Eat This Not That! Supermarket Survival Guide: The No-Diet Weight Loss Solution" by David Zinczenko, Matt Goulding (Rodale Press) (NF-P)
27. "Plague Ship: A Novel of the Oregon Files" by Clive Cussler and Jack DuBrul (Berkley) (F-P)
28. "Hold Tight" by Harlan Coben (Signet) (F-P)
29. "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)
30. Danger in a Red Dress by Christina Dodd (Signet) (F-P)
31. "Run for Your Life" by James Patterson (Little, Brown) (F-H)
32. "The Appeal" by John Grisham (Dell) (F-P)
33. "Outliers: The Story of Success" by Malcolm Gladwell (Little, Brown) (NF-H)
34. "Secrets" by Jude Deveraux (Pocket) (F-P)
35. "The Yankee Years" by Joe Torre and Tom Verducci (Doubleday)(NF-H)
36. "Diary of a Wimpy Kid" by Jeff Kinney (Amulet) (F-H)
37. "Revolutionary Road" by Richard Yates (Vintage) (F-P)
38. "Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Rodrick Rules" by Jeff Kinney (Amulet Books) (F-H)
39. "Firefly Lane" by Kristin Hannah (St. Martin's Griffin) (F-P)
40. "Suze Orman's 2009 Action Plan: Keeping Your Money Safe and Sound" by Suze Orman (Spiegel & Grau) (NF-P)
41. "Confessions of a Shopaholic" by Sophie Kinsella (Dell) (F-P)
42. "Naruto, Volume 40" by Masashi Kishimoto (VIZ Media LLC) (F-P)
43. "The Clique: P.S. I Loathe You" by Lisi Harrison (Poppy) (F-P)
44. "Sundays At Tiffany's" by James Patterson, Gabrielle Charbonnet (Grand Central Publishing) (F-P)
45. "The Middle Place" by Kelly Corrigan (Voice) (NF-P)
46. "The Vampire's Bride" by Gena Showalter (HQN) (F-P)
47. "Honor Thyself" by Danielle Steel (Dell) (F-P)
48. "Dreams from My Father" by Barack Obama (Three Rivers Press) (NF-P)
49. "Marked" by P.C. Cast, Kristin Cast (St. Martin's Griffin) (F-P)
50. "Naruto, Volume 38" by Masashi Kishimoto (VIZ Media LLC) (F-P)

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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The following authors are making the media rounds, talking about their books:

--Richard Price, Lush Life
--Martin Lindstrom, author of Buyology: Truth and Lies About Why We Buy
--Jennifer Thompson-Cannino, author of Picking Cotton: Our Memoir of Injustice and Redemption
--Simon Critchley, The Book of Dead Philosophers
--Larry Smith and Rachel Fershleiser,Six-Word Memoirs on Love and Heartbreak: by Writers Famous and Obscure
--Jeffrey Sachs, Common Wealth: Economics for a Crowded Planet
--Robert Roper, Now the Drum of War: Walt Whitman and His Brothers in the Civil War
--Azar Nafisi, Things I've Been Silent About: Memories
--Ronald White Jr., A. Lincoln: A Biography
--Frank Keating, author of The Trial of Standing Bear
--Ivan Eland, Recarving Rushmore: Ranking the Presidents on Peace, Prosperity, and Liberty
--David Bach, author of Fight For Your Money: How to Stop Getting Ripped Off and Save a Fortune
--Tavis Smiley, author of Accountable: Making America as Good as Its Promise
--Mary Carlomagno, author of Secrets of Simplicity
--Chelsea Handler, author of Are You There, Vodka? It's Me, Chelsea
--Bryant Terry, author of Vegan Soul Kitchen: Fresh, Healthy, and Creative African-American Cuisine
--Harold Varmus, author of The Art and Politics of Science
--Jennifer Thompson-Cannino, author of Picking Cotton: Our Memoir of Injustice and Redemption
--Sylvia Brown, author of All Pets Go to Heaven
--Con Coughlin, author of Khomeini's Ghost: The Iranian Revolution and the Rise of Militant Islam
--Felix Rohatyn, author of Bold Endeavors: How Our Government Built America, and Why It Must Rebuild Now
--Bruce D. Perry, author of The Boy Who Was Raised as a Dog
--Mark Bittman, author of Food Matters: A Guide to Conscious Eating with More Than 75 Recipes
--Richard Zoglin, author of Comedy at the Edge: How Stand-up in the 1970s Changed America
--Russell Brand, author of My Booky Wook
--Molly Haskell, Frankly, My Dear: "Gone with the Wind" Revisited
--Jeffrey Couchman, The Night of the Hunter: A Biography of a Film
--Chuck Sudetic, Madame Prosecutor: Confrontations with Humanity's Worst Criminals and the Culture of Impunity
--Robin Gerber, Barbie and Ruth: The Story of the World's Most Famous Doll and the Woman Who Created Her
--Shmuley Boteach, author of The Kosher Sutra: Eight Sacred Secrets for Reigniting Desire and Restoring Passion for Life
--Carl Wilson, author of Let's Talk About Love: A Journey to the End of Taste
-- Edward Humes, Eco Barons: The Dreamers, Schemers, and Millionaires Who Are Saving Our Planet
--Mikhail Baryshnikov, Merce My Way
--Jonathan Torgovnik, Intended Consequences
--Mark Bittman, author of Food Matters: A Guide to Conscious Eating with More Than 75 Recipes
--Bart Ehrman, author of Jesus, Interrupted: Revealing the Hidden Contradictions in the Bible (And Why We Don't Know About Them)
--Dave Zinczenko, author of Eat This Not That! Supermarket Survival Guide: The No-Diet Weight Loss Solution
--John Haskell, author of Out of My Skin
--Kent Whitaker, author of Murder by Family: The Incredible True Story of a Son's Treachery and a Father's Forgiveness
--Jennifer Thompson-Cannino, author of Picking Cotton: Our Memoir of Injustice and Redemption
--Steven Johnson, author of The Invention of Air
--Kitty Burns Florey, Script and Scribble: The Rise and Fall of Handwriting
--Tom Zoellner, Uranium: War, Energy and the Rock That Shaped the World
--Bryan Prince, A Shadow on the Household: One Enslaved Family's Incredible Struggle for Freedom
--Rashid Khalidi, author of Sowing Crisis: The Cold War and American Dominance in the Middle East
--Donovan Campbell, author of Joker One: A Marine Platoon's Story of Courage, Leadership, and Brotherhood
--Michael Kimball, author of Dear Everybody
--Debra Haffner, author of What Every 21st-Century Parent Needs to Know
--Michael Korda, author of With Wings Like Eagles: A History of the Battle of Britain
--Sana Butler, author of Sugar of the Crop: My Journey to Find the Children of Slaves
--Garry Leech, author of Beyond Bogota: Diary of a Drug War Journalist in Colombia
--Martha Sandweiss, author of Passing Strange: A Gilded Age Tale of Love and Deception Across the Color Line
--Thomas P.M. Barnett, author of Great Powers: America and the World After Bush
--Jeff Benedict, author of Little Pink House: A True Story of Defiance and Courage
--Zoe Heller, The Believers
--Rose George, The Big Necessity: The Unmentionable World of Human Waste and Why It Matters
--Kim Bensen, Finally Thin! How I Lost Over 200 Pounds and Kept them Off"and How You Can Too
--Kym Douglas, The Black Book of Hollywood Pregnancy Secrets
--Steven Johnson, The Invention of Air
--David Weber, Storm from the Shadows
--Martha Sandweiss, author of Passing Strange: A Gilded Age Tale of Love and Deception Across the Color Line
--Christopher Dickey, Securing the City: Inside America's Best Counterterror Force--The NYPD
--Hugh Howard, The Painter's Chair: George Washington and the Making of American Art
--Jean Chatzky, author of The Difference: How Anyone Can Prosper in Even the Toughest Times
--Michael F. Roizen and Mehmet C. Oz, authors of YOU: Being Beautiful: The Owner's Manual to Inner and Outer Beauty
--James Mann, author of The Rebellion of Ronald Reagan: A History of the End of the Cold War
--Kathleen Rooney, author of Live Nude Girl: My Life as an Object
--Susie Orbach, author of Bodies: Big Ideas/Small Books
--Nathaniel Frank, author of Unfriendly Fire: How the Gay Ban Undermines the Military and Weakens America
--Cheryl Forberg, author of The Biggest Loser 30-Day Jump Start: Lose Weight, Get in Shape, and Start Living the Biggest Loser Lifestyle Today
--Craig Mullaney, author of The Unforgiving Minute: A Soldier's Education
--Jean Chatzky, The Difference: How Anyone Can Prosper in Even The Toughest Times
--Jerry Oppenheimer, Toy Monster: The Big, Bad World of Mattel
--Dalton Conley, Elsewhere, U.S.A.: How We Got from the Company Man, Family Dinners, and the Affluent Society to the Home Office, BlackBerry Moms, and Economic Anxiety
--Wendell Steavenson, The Weight of a Mustard Seed: The Intimate Story of an Iraqi General and His Family During Thirty Years of Tyranny
--Mac Destler, In the Shadow of the Oval Office: Profiles of the National Security Advisers and the Presidents They Served--From JFK to George W. Bush
--Joel C. Rosenberg, Inside the Revolution: How the Followers of Jihad, Jefferson & Jesus Are Battling to Dominate the Middle East and Transform the World
--Nathaniel Frank, author of Unfriendly Fire: How the Gay Ban Undermines the Military and Weakens America
--Howard Fineman, author of The Thirteen American Arguments: Enduring Debates That Define and Inspire Our Country
--Miley Cyrus, Miles to Go
--Kristin Armstrong, Work in Progress: An Unfinished Woman's Guide to Grace
--Scott Hamilton, author of The Great Eight: How to Be Happy (Even When You Have Every Reason to be Miserable)
--William Cohan, House of Cards: A Tale of Hubris and Wretched Excess on Wall Street
-- Brad Gooch, Flannery: A Life of Flannery O'Connor
--Dr. Stuart Brown, Play: How It Shapes the Brain, Opens the Imagination, and Invigorates the Soul
--Joel Berger, author of The Better to Eat You With: Fear in the Animal World
--Thomas Ricks, The Gamble: General David Petraeus and the American Military Adventure in Iraq, 2006-2008
--Myron Uhlberg, author of Hands of My Father: A Hearing Boy, His Deaf Parents, and the Language of Love
--Mario Batali, Spain: A Culinary Road Trip
--Peter Walsh, author of Enough Already!: Clearing Mental Clutter to Become the Best You
--Frank Bidart, author of Watching the Spring Festival: Poems
--Emmanuel Jal, author of War Child: A Child Soldier's Story
--Tom Zoellner, Uranium: War, Energy and the Rock That Shaped the World
--Peter Singer, The Life You Can Save: Acting Now to End World Poverty
--David Ewing Duncan, Experimental Man: What One Man's Body Reveals about His Future, Your Health, and Our Toxic World
--Bethenny Frankel, Naturally Thin: Unleash Your SkinnyGirl and Free Yourself from a Lifetime of Dieting
--Cari Beauchamp, Joseph P. Kennedy Presents: His Hollywood Years
--Stephen Mitchell, The Second Book of the Tao
--Herb Kent, The Cool Gent: The Nine Lives of Radio Legend Herb Kent
--Anthony Bourke, A Lion Called Christian: The True Story of the Remarkable Bond between Two Friends and a Lion
--Jeff Benedict, Little Pink House: A True Story of Defiance and Courage
--Thomas Ricks, The Gamble: General David Petraeus and the American Military Adventure in Iraq, 2006-2008
--Gholam Reza Afkhami, author of The Life and Times of the Shah
--Dan Baum, Nine Lives: Death and Life in New Orleans
--Ann Coulter, Guilty: Liberal 'Victims' and Their Assault on America
-- Fred Kaplan, Lincoln: The Biography of a Writer
--Paul Fitzgerald and Elizabeth Gould, Invisible History: Afghanistan's Untold Story

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Here are links to other recent One for the Books columns. More links are available on my blog at http://blogs.dixcdn.com/shine_a_light/one-for-the-books/

Lighter goodies -- http://www.recordpub.com/news/article/4535339

Slavery -- http://www.recordpub.com/news/article/4525809

Memoirs of Women Searching -- http://www.recordpub.com/news/article/4515783

Return to Amish Country -- http://www.recordpub.com/news/article/4511270

President-elect Barack Obama -- http://www.recordpub.com/news/article/4501793

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"One for the Books" appears the second and fourth Fridays of the month in the Record-Courier. Extra columns may appear on occasion, especially preceding Christmas and Hanukkah.