Whew, what a long month. Started out fast. I was gone the first two weeks, first at a book confab, then visiting family in California, but man, I tell you, coming back from a vacation is tough. It seems you work twice as hard as you did before you left just trying to catch back up. Not that I'm complaining, I'd take another two weeks off tomorrow if I could, just making a lazy man observation. The book confab was great. 500 booksellers, various publishers, and sixty authors of various genres talking books and the business of books for three days. Bumped into old friends, made some new ones, and came away reinvigorated and very happy with my career choice. Best thing about the whole thing, though, were the books. Here's a preview of a couple of titles that really stood out for me.

The first is by Brady Udall. Some of you out there might remember him for his first novel The Miracle Life of Edgar Mint which I really enjoyed. Nine years later he's back with The Lonely Polygamist and I can tell you that the wait has been worth it. Golden Richards has four wives, twenty-eight children, and one heck of a mid-life crisis. The trouble maker of the family is Rusty who only wants his fathers attention. Trish is the youngest wife and all she wants is her husbands love. All three feel so alone even while surrounded by so much family and it is with great skill and empathy that Mr. Udall explores this sense of alienation that threatens the Richards family. At first I didn't know what to expect from this big sprawling novel but soon the characters took me by the hand and led me into the Richards clan where I slowly got to know everyone and saw the complicated family dynamics and could understand how easy it is to feel alone while surrounded by so many. This is a generous, full-hearted, novel that will be coming out in April.

Next is a novel, also coming out in April, that took thirty years to write. After reading it I can understand why. Matterhorn by Karl Marlantes is a powerful novel set in Vietnam. It is the story of a callow marine Lieutenant named Waino Mellas who figures a tour of duty and a couple of medals will look good on the resume when he gets home and starts his political career. Over three months he goes from naive newbie to angry radical to cynical resignation as the pointlessness of war grinds him down. Nothing new there. But combine that short outline with the scenes in the jungle and back on base that had me sweating and drunk and dirty and you have the most realistic war novel I have ever read. Everything felt so real I was taken back to my childhood watching the news before crying myself to sleep because I was afraid my father was going to have to go to Vietnam and die. Powerful, powerful, powerful, is the best way to describe this book.

Until next time,
Pete

Wow, it's been awhile since I posted anything. Time sure can slip past fast when you're busy. And boy have I been busy reading, reading, and reading some more. Unfortunately I have to work, eat, sleep, and occasionally see family and friends, otherwise I'd read even more. Especially now. This is one of my favorite times of year because all our sales reps are coming by to take orders for the summer and they always bring lots of goodies like the new Ivan Doig, Craig Childs, and Lee Child among others. While those won't be out until the spring and summer, here are a few current titles that I think are particularly good.

As I said way back on my first post; I love mysteries. They're my television and I'm always looking for someone new who's willing to step away from the tried and true. With Gerald Elias and his book Devil's Trill I may have found that person. Yes, the plot is as formulaic as most mysteries. A rare Stradivarius violin is stolen and Daniel Jacobus, musical iconoclast, must solve the crime or be accused of it. What made this different is Daniel is blind. The scenes where he is listening to a recital or his students and can tell exactly where their hands are placed, how tight the tuning, and a myriad of other observations that us sighted folk miss because we aren't paying attention, are just brilliant. Plus, the musical history and the seamy dark side of the classical music world made this a very worthwhile read.

In my television room, where the television is rarely turned on, I have a table in front of the coach with stacks of books staring at me. One evening shortly before Christmas I was leafing through Time Magazine and its year-end best of lists. The last one was for books and I'm going "hmm", "hmm", "interesting", "what?", then at the very last a heavy "huh" because there in the middle of my stack was the last book on this particular critics list, The Financial Lives of the Poets by Jess Walter. I pulled it out of the pile and began to read and didn't stop. I loved this book! Matt Prior is an unemployed reporter about to lose his house, his wife, his father and everything else he has worked for unless he comes up with enough money in six days to stave off foreclosure. A late night visit to the local 7/11 gives him an idea. A crazy idea but an idea nonetheless. From this point on a very poignant, humorous, caring, and kind story evolves into a novel that is a perfect snapshot of the country we live in today. Let me say it again, I loved this book! What a great way to finish out the reading year.

As I ended the year with a bang, I begin the new with a big KABOOM. Another empathetic novel that actually had me tearing up in places. The Unnamed by Joshua Ferris is for the daring reader willing to go out on limb and trust that the author knows what he is doing. Tim Farrnsworth is a high powered lawyer with a wonderful family and an inexplicable need to walk, a need that strikes at the oddest moments and doesn't end until he lies exhausted miles from where he started. The medical community is baffled, declaring that it's all in his head. Slowly this need to walk ruins his job and destroys his family. This is where things get interesting and we see the resilience of the human spirit as he continues to walk and his family continues to care for him. Each watching over the other long distance even unto death. Joshua Ferris knows what he is doing and the daring reader will learn that if they decide to walk out on that limb with him.

So there you have it. Three good books to start the year off with. Hopefully I'll have more next week.
Until then,
Cheers!