"Antony Beevor matches his magnificent Stalingrad with this powerful account of the aftermath of D-Day and the prolonged, brutal struggle to dislodge the Nazis from France. He gives life to this protracted battle which has often been glossed over and proves once again his work belongs in the realm of luminaries like John Keegan in the military history field."

--Bill Cusumano, Nicola’s Books

"I can't thank you enough for sending me Dead End Gene Pool! One night last week as I sat reading it, I was laughing so hard that the book fell and I lost my page. I picked it up and just started reading it all over again! What a wonderful book. The stories are so crazy- yet, I can relate to how Wendy created a world she could exist in to deal with the hurt she endured."

--Greg Szczeszek, Ivy Bookshop

"This will flat out, be the hit of summer 2010. Wendy’s story of growing up in the “Vanderbilt” family is both killingly funny and wretched. We will sell this with a money back guarantee"

--Julie Norcross, Mclean and Eakin Booksellers

"Although Rennie Airth's fans have had a long wait between books, the good news is that The Dead of Winter is well worth the wait! When a WWII land girl attached to retired Inspector John Madden's farm is murdered on a trip to London, Madden is caught up in the search for her killer - who won't hesitate to kill anyone else who gets in his way."

--Carol Schneck, Schuler Books and Music

"The death of one Polish refugee in war-torn London would not have merited prolonged investigation, but Rose Nowak was a land girl on John Madden's farm, and he wants answers. The retired Scotland Yard DI joins forces with his former colleagues to in this riveting page-turner."

--Jennie Turner-Collins, Joseph Beth Booksellers

"Dogged Pursuit is the sweet, funny story of the author's quest to make an unlikely rescue dog into an agility champion. Rodi's insights into how his own personality is affecting his dog Dusty make this more than just another cute dog story."

--Carol Schneck, Schuler Books and Music

"Big news for horror fans...a reimagining of the original designed to launch a series of books and, probably, movies. I really liked the fact that the vampire in this story is evil. Viciously, maliciously, joyfully evil the way vampires are supposed to be. The vampire in question, however, is not the Count of the original novel but the historical figure the Countess of Bathory who, it turns out, was Dracula’s intended target in Bram’s novel because he is God’s warrior in the fight against evil. Sound convoluted? And entirely too modern? Well, yes, and purists will be up in arms but I think your general vampire readers will like it. Lots.."

--Debra Davis, Partners

"I read Dracula the Un-Dead and enjoyed it. It was like reading a movie, and he threw in everything he could..drugs, Jack the Ripper, etc. It was an exciting, quick read."

--Deb McDonald, Garden District Book Shop

"Vampires may be in vogue right now, but nothing will ever compare to the original vampire bad boy, Dracula. Dracula expert Ian Holt and Bram Stoker’s great-grandnephew Dacre Stoker have produced an amazing sequel which features Mina and Jonathan’s grown son Quincey as one of the main characters, and even Bram Stoker himself makes an appearance. The story focuses on the Jack the Ripper murders and ties them into the original Dracula story. In addition, the reader is introduced to a side of Dracula we never knew. The book reads like a horror movie with vivid description and more gore than the original novel. I highly recommend this sequel not only to Dracula fans but to anyone who likes traditional vampire tales and who wants an alternative to the romanticized vampires which are so prevalent right now.""

--Heather Burns, Joseph-Beth Booksellers- Pittsburgh

Quote Sheet
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"Junior Thibodeaux has heard a voice since he was in his mother’s womb. The voice tells him things, and it’s never wrong. So, Junior knows without a doubt that a comet will obliterate the earth when he is 36. Which raises the question: Does anything matter? I guarantee, this book will surprise you. Funny, dark, clever, and, most impressively, overflowing with heart and humanity. I can’t recommend it highly enough!"

--David Mallmann, Next Chapter Bookshop

"In his first book, Ron Currie, Jr., killed god; in Everything Matters, he blows up the world. But this is more than the empty daring of a young writer. Currie takes a disaster movie plot and infuses it with philosophy, real emotion, and humor (dark as it may be). He continues to impress. I look forward to being a life-long reader of his work."

--Mike Campbell, Harvard Bookstore

"Loved it, looking forward to selling it, and I'm sure you'll send me something gutwrenchingly painful to read again soon. Looking forward to it."

--Drew Williams, Little Professor Book Center

"I LOVED Everything Matters. Loved, loved, loved it. The characters all became so real to me – I especially loved the characterization of Junior’s father – so taciturn, so gruff – yet so full of love that he can’t show – what a perfect picture of a father from that era. And Junior himself – working so hard to save humanity – and yet unable to save his own family. And when given the choice, at the last moment, to do it all again – he chooses love over a myriad of other available options. Wonderful."

--Rachel Ray, Joseph Beth Booksellers

I just finished Everything Matters by R. Currie and really enjoyed it. I thought it was a great coming-of-age tale, mixed in with a little sci fi with a love story to boot. Really good stuff and I'll be pushing it, may do well with the college kids for sure.

--Bill Pillow, Appalachian State University Bookstore

"Everything Matters is terrific! The book is compelling, if a little depressing. I know, it is supposed to be ultimately uplifting, and to some extent it is. People who read Brief History of the Dead or The Road will find it a much more cheerful apocalyptic vision... I also think people who like Nicole Krause or Michael Chabon might like it, and those who liked The Traveler by Jonathan Twelve Hawks would like this."

--Amy Rosenfield, Joseph Beth Booksellers

"Farms in Oakland? Impossible? Novella Carpenter moves to one of the scummier parts of Oakland where hookers, gun fights and drug deals are just part of the landscape. She turns a scruffy piece of land into an urban farm, complete with animals. In one delicious scene she has been called by the post office to come quickly to pick up the box of bees she has ordered by mail. It seems the bee box is attracting other bees who are invading the mail room. Carpenter may not make you decide to start an urban farm, but she will have you laughing and thinking about a life filled with what she calls 'nostaligic for the present.'"

--Elaine Petrocelli, Book Passage

"If you’re the kind of person that ever worries that you’re not doing enough by just planting some lettuce in the backyard and shopping at farmer’s markets once in a while, then Novella Carpenter’s book will make you hang your head in shame. Starting with just a few plants and chickens in a vacant lot in a gritty part of Oakland, her urban farm soon exploded to include ducks, turkeys, bees, rabbits, and pigs, not to mention heirloom vegetables and fruit trees of all kinds. Carpenter aptly describes the trials, tribulations and victories of hardcore urban farming, and to top it all off, she’s also a really great person and local to boot."

--Julia Sheng, Pegasus Books

"Local girl does good! An unforgettably funny tale of a local city girl who raises bees, greens, 'meat birds' and pigs implausibly all in her Oakland ghetto backyard. A pioneer in urban farming, Novella takes the 'eat local' food movement to new extremes -- after reading this book, you may catch the farming bug yourself."

--Christin Evans, The Booksmith

"Robert Crais has created one of the truly distinctive characters in fiction in Joe Pike. Pike is one of George Orwell’s rough men which society, sadly, still needs so often. When a former associate is killed in a home invasion, Pike confronts the Serbian mafia in another of Crais’ beautifully crafted morality tales."

--Bill Cusumano, Nicola’s Books

"A world famous (but not beloved) food critic on his deathbed in Paris takes us on a gastronomic tour as he recalls the culinary and sensory delights of his past, from his grandmother’s kitchen to the streets of Tangiers, searching his memory for a particular sublime experience that he desperately hopes to repeat one last time. This lush, elegant and witty novel engages all the senses as it charms and delights..."

--Mary Benham, Book Passage

"This is a book to be 'savored' more than once. I loved it and was surprised and amused at the unexpected ending."

--Polly Gorder, Book Passage

"This is the best kind of thriller - the hero is an assassin but he only kills really bad people. He can be shot, stabbed, beat up and still keep going in order to get his job done. He's very intelligent and intuitive. His name is Gentry. He finishes one job in the Middle East and then has only a few days to get to Normandy, with multiple teams of international assassins trying to kill him every step of the way. I hope there will be more books with Gentry in them - outstanding excitement and great enjoyment!"

--Susan Wasson, Bookworks

"A page-turner that is so well crafted it's nearly impossible to set down! I kept thinking "just one more chapter", and before I knew it I was finished. Ellis' pacing is impeccable; the surprising plot twists had me hooked, and the story is rich with emotional insight. A very satisfying read!"

--Jennie Turner-Collins, Joseph Beth Booksellers

"Joe Pernice is not just a great storyteller; he has an ear for authentic dialogue and an eye for the striking detail that makes It Feels So Good When I Stop a sweet and entertaining joy to read."

--Carol Schneck, Schuler Books and Music

"In It Feels So Good When I Stop, Joe Pernice’s characters could be our own next door neighbors, sisters, convenient store clerks or girlfriends. Oddly reminiscent of High Fidelity, the musical references add a whole other layer to this simply told, but emotionally rich book. Plus it’s a quick read that plucks the heart strings of anyone who has ever experienced a failed romance."

--Maren Monitello, Joseph Beth Booksellers

"This book satisfies on so many levels. It brings to light a not often told piece of South American and World War II. It has an amazing assured and commanding narrative voice and it wrestles with the big themes of truth, the power of words and the power of stories, in both the personal and public arenas. While clearly this book will appeal to fans of Latin American literature and those of the Ian McEwan of Atonement, it is also clear that we have been introduced to a new distinct voice, and nothing is more satisfying than that."

--Robert Sindelar, Third Place Books

"A book about circumcision would not normally catch my attention. However, since my wife knows I like unusual stories, she put this book in my hands. With the historical narrative of Bill Bryson, the wacky characters of John Berendt and the milk-out-the-nose humor of J. Maarten Troost, David Farley took me on a wonderfully insane journey to solve an improbable quest."

--James Jensen, Warwick’s of La Jolla

"In this fascinating post-apocalyptic novel, Taylor crafts the story of the last survivors of The Flood: a family of four isolated in the simplicity of their own little Eden. But from the beginning we sense something eerie suffusing the idyllic atmosphere, and when the harmony of their world is breached by a stranger, ugliness erupts and relationships begin to disintegrate."

--Jennie Turner-Collins, Joesph Beth Booksellers

"In 1901, a young man with a mechanical bent comes to New York City and signs on to help build the first subway system. In The Kingdom of Ohio, a young princess of mathematical genius is born. With a complex and intricate blend of philosophy, history and imagination, Flaming constructs a vehicle to transport us back in time to an age of great invention, and like an inventor he takes the commonplace and uses it to create something rather extraordinary."

--Jennie Turner-Collins, Joesph Beth Booksellers

"Peter Force is in New York City in the early 1900's working in the subway tunnels. He meets a woman and through her meets JP Morgan, Thomas Edison & Nikola Tesla, in what becomes a quest to discover if travel to another world is possible. Get ready to be transported through time yourself as you read this book."

--Beth Carpenter, The Country Bookshop

"No matter you'll be running to Google and Wikipedia to see how much of this historical fiction is truly "historical" and how much "fiction," the book reads true -- it feels true. And even in the face of facts, Matthew Flaming is so convincing that I've been talking about the book as if it's true. The power triangle of J.P. Morgan, Tesla, and Edison, the construction of the NYC subway system, a sovereign nation in the middle of Ohio, and a timeless love story -- what else does a good book need?"

--Land Arnold, McIntyre's Fine Books

"High Fidelity grows up.

Any Nick Hornby is a treat, he always gives 110%.

Spot on within the pop culture moment, Hornby's characters exude honesty, wit, and accessibility. "Hey, I'm like that, too," the laughing, engaged reader notices. We're searching for the same answers, listening to the same soundtrack. Juliet, Naked is for fans of Pitchfork, expectingrain and Blood on the Tapes, the Merge forums and BitTorrent. If you've ever been in love, had a favorite record, wondered if you could be a good parent, or read a rock 'n roll blog, this is your book.

One scene stuck in my craw though, Nick. When Annie makes it to London to see Tucker, she goes to a Charring Cross Road bookshop. It's not open yet. She muses, "Nobody ever waited impatiently outside a bookstore for it to open." Hey, y'all, come to Durham, NC! There's always someone waiting outside the door when we open! That's rock 'n roll bookselling, in't it?

And come September, they'll be outside waiting for their copy of Nick Hornby's latest! Thanks for a (another) fantastic book. "

--John Valentine, Regulator Bookshop

"Duncan is a middle-aged Englishman who is obsessed with Tucker Crowe, an American singer-songwriter who disappeared from the music scene 10 years ago under mysterious circumstances. Duncan spends most of his time online with other fanatical groupies, speculating about everything from when Tucker will make a comeback to what the lyrics of his songs really mean. Annie is Duncan's long-suffering girlfriend. They have been together for 15 years, mainly out of convenience rather than any great passion. When Annie accidentally discovers a copy of Tucker Crowe's newest release, an acoustic version of his most famous album, Juliet, she listens to it, and then decides to post her own opinion online. To her great surprise, Tucker answers her, and they begin an email friendship. Juliet, Naked is Hornby at his best; writing about music, family and relationships."

--Sharon Nagel, Boswell Book Company

"Kuzneski has found fresh historical fodder to spin his latest modern day adventure for ancient treasure. The story weaves intrigue through the past and present sites of Greece and Europe with a smartly paced, compelling plot. Kuzneski enhances the story with interesting insights to its culture, social and religious aspects. He delivers another thoroughly exciting read."

--Russell Kierzkowski, General Books Manager

"A success in paper originals, Chris Kuzneski, makes his hardbound debut with a rollicking thriller that is sure to vault him into the upper echelon of the field. It is obvious the author is having as much fun with the adventures of his heroes as will the readers of this series."

--Bill Cusumano, Nicola's Books

"Trevor, along with Alice Munro, is the best writer practicing his craft today. No one writes better of the disillusion of love, in a style that is detached yet poignant."

--Matthew Lage, Iowa Book and Supply

"The writing is so clear and lovely that sometimes I just pause and sit in admiration. I am savoring every word and I am not that kind of reader, as I am usually racing to the end of a book to see what happens. It is the perfect book for people who treasure fine writing."

--Deb McDonald, Garden District Book Shop

"I was up until some ungodly hour last night finishing The Magicians. I’m completely taken aback by this book. One of the fundamental experiences of being a reader as kid is the moment you read your first Narnia book, or your first Harry Potter or whatever magical, mythical coming-of-age series you find (mine was Lloyd Alexander’s Book of Three) and spending nights wishing you could find the right enchanted piece of furniture to get there yourself. Grossman has managed to capture all the desperate wishing and then write a story about the aftermath of those wishes coming true that I’d classify as much horror as it is fantasy.

I’m struggling to write about this book not because there’s not much to say but rather because there’s too much to talk about…I imagine myself running outside and shaking pedestrians until they promise to read it. It’s fantasy, it’s horror, it’s a tongue-in-cheek skewering of Rowling and Lewis, it’s a coming-of-age story and it’s about the horrible, creeping ennui of the early twenty-something.

I’m going to stop because I’m over-excited (we’re discussing our favorite parts as I write this in the store) and I’m just going to start gushing. My mission is to make this book a bestsellers in our store."

--Chris Rickert, Joseph Beth Booksellers

"Lev Grossman's The Magicians is a fairy tale for grown-ups: magical fantasy, fairy kingdoms, and all. But, it is for grown-ups and so, with power comes responsibility; with sex comes emotions; and good is always mixed up with evil. It's a great ride and a fantastic story, but it's also a powerful meditation on mankind's relationship with the world. What a tremendous book: destined not only for bestseller lists around the world, but also for extraordinary critical acclaim. This is one summer blockbuster that will be on holiday gift lists and all the year-end round-ups."

--Michael Barnard, Rakestraw Books

"Less "Harry Potter goes to college" and more "real people go to Hogwartz," The Magicians asks what would happen if real people with flaws and problems and sticky relationships found magic. Quentin Coldwater is an everyman for those of us who grew up with our noses buried in books and who are now continually depressed by the nature of the real world. Anyone with a Liberal Arts degree can identify with Quentin's struggle to find happiness even after his dreams have come true, his crushing sense of boredom, and his confusion and lack of purpose. Lev Grossman's world resonates with life and truth, and despite the magic, everything feels remarkably real, partly because his ideas of magic are so classic (he nods heartily to J.R.R Tolkien, T.H. White, C.S. Lewis, and J.K. Rowling) and partly because the story he has to tell is so universal. My only complaint is that there wasn't more to read."

--Allison Laubach, Book People

"This book is Harry Potter for grown-ups. Quentin Coldwater arrives at his Princeton alumni interviewer's house to find the man dead on the floor. A paramedic hands him an envelope containing a note and book six of Quentin's favorite 5-part series, a Narnia-esque fantasy for children. But before he can read the manuscript, he finds himself transported to upstate New York, where he is accepted to a magical academy that no one has ever heard of. Thus begins a very unconventional college experience--it involves the usual drama of drinking and relationships, plus the added stress of advanced spell work. Quentin's struggles with power and responsibility, and his search for happiness within the world he's always dreamed of, make this a compelling and strangely believable novel. I couldn't put it down."

--Jessica "Jake" Hallman, A Great Good Place for Books - Montclair Village

"Harry Potter, with sex" would be almost fair (and might sell a lot of books); it's much better than that, but if people start it without expectations they will like it even more. I was much more engaged with the boyfriend/girlfriend stuff than the "quest," which I think was part parody...it's a great book, potentially a big seller..."

--Jack Rems, Dark Carnival Bookstore

"The Magicians – Lev Grossman’s response/riposte to the Harry Potter phenomenon – starts off well enough. Actually, it starts off damn enjoyable, with just enough of a balance between hat-tipping to J K Rowling and tweaking her British nose. Pretty much the entire first book maintains an distinct balancing act of fleshing out its characters, its magic, and it's world (or rather, reminding us which features it shares with Rowling's, Le Guin's, White's, and of course Lewis's worlds). The main character of Quentin stops just short enough of making a deep impression to allow Grossman to tweak our image of him later on, but all the secondary characters immediately leap to life, complete with tics, failings, secrets, and, most importantly, full fledged, multi-tiered personalities. The kids feel like people - except not quite ready people, because, well, they also feel like kids.

And then comes book two. Grossman was doing a great job both conjuring up real twenty-somethings with cigarettes clenched in their hands and unrequited lust in their - well, not in their hearts, that's for sure. He was doing a great, great job of pulling off that perfect teenage urge of no-one-gets-me I'm-meant-for-greater-things-but-also-drowning-in-unbearable loneliness; all that goes right the hell out the window in a deluge of drugs, party scene mistakes, and alcoholism. Otherwise known as the mistakes of a lot of kids make when they’re that age. Here, it would be tempting to write The Magicians off as a 'hard-edge Harry Potter clone', but that doesn’t do justice to just how closely the reader is tied to these characters, even as they casually destroy their lives.

And then redemption comes. If book one is a love letter/sly riposte to Rowling, and book two an attempt at bringing gritty 'realism' to the realm of modern fantasy, book three transcends them both - and any other label or title or witticism I can come up with. It is simply - in a word, in a term, in the characters, in their relationships, in their world, in every single sentence on every single page - fantastic. And this is coming from someone who is not in the least bit a fan of C.S. Lewis's bible-as-storybook Narnia series, of which Grossman most closely patterns his last third with. Instead, we get archetypical hero's journey as morality tale as referendum on the lives each of his characters have led, no flaw left unexamined, no sin left unregarded, no act of mercy unpunished.

And then there's the ending. I love the possibilities it suggests, I hate the possibilities it doesn't reject. Which is exactly where the brilliance lies. It’s en ending that’s not an ending; not quite - it suggests that there is an ending, and there is an answer, and there is just the tiniest hint of an improbable possibility that Quentin's suffering will have earned him something - or possibly that his suffering was never his to own all along, that his sins were his, and only by moving beyond them will he be who he is truly meant to. And that seems, to me, to be the point of all great fantasy - the story goes on, in its own realm beyond my imagination or the author's, long after the final cover has been closed."

--Drew Williams, Little Professor Book Center

""It was like Narnia or Wrinkle in Time after the kids grow up. (The Magicans) built slowly and by the time I read the final battle scene ... I was breathless. It makes me want to read all of Harry Potter again. I wanted to be with magic some more..."

--Deb McDonald, Garden District Book Shop

"'. . . was he amoral or mentally ill?' asks author Allison Hoover Bartlett--or was the man who loved books too much a bit more like us book lovers than would would care to allow? Decide for yourself--but be led not into temptation!"

--Katherine LeCroy, Joseph Beth Booksellers

"I was in NYC for Easter visiting my daughter but spent much of the holiday in India as I was reading The Marriage Bureau For Rich People. I have to admit that as I started this book I was feeling like I had read this type of book before, as in No.#1 Ladies Detective Agency, but the author starting to change course as the pages turned and I got hooked. It was a new story and I was fascinated by the people, food, setting but most of all the caste system and the whole arrangement of Indian marriages in their culture. So it was a great book and I thank you for sending me an advance copy."

--Fred Powell, Main Street Books

"Total delight! I agree with my sales rep. Deb Lewis - no violence- no sex - no abusive family memoir. It gave me a look at the lives of people of another culture and how we all are on this planet to survive and learn to love on another for who we are not for what we have or what cast we belong to. I will recommend this to all customers who want a change or who like Mc Call Smith or Jane Austin. A fun insightful read!"

--Sharon Graves, Through The Looking Glass Bookstore

"I have to tell you I couldn’t put The Marriage Bureau for Rich People down once I started it. It absolutely charmed my socks off! I sure hope Mr. Zama has follow-ups planned for these delightful characters!!!!!"

--Sue Sloan, Bay Books, Inc.

"My heart alternately bled and soared over the course of the seven hours in which I was powerless to set this book aside and compelled to read it straight through. Judy Shepard's meditations on the "meaning of [her son] Matthew"'s complicated life and horrific death is much more than an extended eulogy or a plea for gay rights. Her intimate portrait of her own family ultimately mirrors the human family, in which Matthew is son or brother to us all."

--Katherine Le Croy, Davis-Kidd, Nashville

"Ten years after her son's murder in Wyoming, Judy Shephard tells Matthew's story with eloquence. Her memoir is both a moving portrayal of a strong family dealing with the grief of their loss and a powerful testimony for human rights and the full inclusion of gay and lesbian people into society."

--Blake Hardy, Outwrite Bookstore

"Ariana Franklin has established the Mistress of the Art of Death series as one of the absolute finest in the historical fiction genre and her latest effort is no exception. As Adelia Aguilar accompanies Henry II’s daughter, Joanna, to Sicily, Franklin uses the journey to plot suspense, mystery and throughout illuminate an era headed further into ignorance that can offer a lesson to today’s society."

--Bill Cusumano, Nicola’s Books

"The Postmistress takes you back to the time of trains, letters and radio, when news was not as immediate as it is today. Folks at home could wait in a time warp believing a loved one was safe even as they continued to write letters wishing them home. . Thousands of people could also be shuffled into a line to await their death months before anyone was aware of it.

The beautiful prose of this novel lasts long after you have finished the page. I found myself thinking of the scenes Sarah Blake had painted in my mind. The characters were real and I cared about what would become of them, from Emma, the young doctor’s wife, wishing she could “stretch time like taffy” as she said good-bye to her husband, to the vivid descriptions from the radio reporter Frankie, as she “collected” voices for her stories. And then there is Iris, the postmaster, who fervently believes that if she does her job, she helps keep order in the world.

The beginning of World War II is the time frame of this book, and as life ends on the other side of the globe, it continues to cheerfully go on in Cape Cod, not because of human nature, but as Frankie calls it, “American nature.”

As I read, I found myself jotting down phrases so that I could remember them long after I read this tale. I want to be able, as I remember one line stating, to “pay attention.” I finished this book with tears in my eyes, not only because of the story, but because of the sadness that a wonderful story was over!!"

--Nona Camuel, CoffeeTree Books

"A postmistress in Cape Cod and reporter Frankie Bard have letters to deliver, both of which were written to the wife of a doctor serving in England during the Blitz. The postmistress prides herself on her dedication to her work, and Bard had vowed to deliver her letter. But unforeseen circumstances make both stop and wonder if they should make their delivery. This is a wonderful story of the secrets we choose to keep and the effects of war on our everyday lives."

--Beth Carpenter, The Country Bookshop

"The Postmistress--I finished it last night and can't get some of those scenes out of my head. It is a wonderful piece of writing. The descriptions of the Blitz and the scenes on the trains are vivid and gut wrenching. The scenes and the character of Frankie Bard are so carefully and tightly drawn--Emma and Iris also are so alive and well put together. Franklin-Provincetown-is also carefully and accurately described as are the characters living there. I can't wait to sell this book. We all loved The Help and this book is as good - if not better. Many thanks for the chance to read The Postmistress and my congratulations to Sarah Blake for a wonderful piece of writing.

IT'S A WINNER!!"

--Nancy Landon, Brewster Bookstore

"I truly was captured on page 1. Mixed in with the up close and personal history of the war is a beautifully written examination of human relationships. What stands out and makes this such an initmate look at the realities of war is the consideration of close relationships as well as relationships with strangers--both recurring strangers and those that just pass through your life and are gone. I found myself talking to this book, begging it to not let certain things happen and pleading with characters not to do something. I've always said that reading is a two-way endeavor, but The Postmistress takes that to a whole new level."

--Rona Brinlee, The Bookmark

"There is a sense of emotional intimacy in this book, as the author weaves her story so evocatively that we are transported by the voices of the past. Set on the eve of America's entrance into World War II, The Postmistress is narrated by Frankie Bard, who is an American reporter for the BBC in London, working with Edward R. Murrow. She tells a story that begins in Cape Cod, and takes us on a harrowing train trip through war torn Nazi-occupied Europe, as she seeks to understand the unrelenting random cruelty of the War. This is a book that will move you to tears and stay with you long after you've finished."

--Jennie Turner-Collins, Joseph Beth Booksellers

"The Postmistress is an amazing work of historical fiction, taking you from a pre-WWII small town Massachusetts to the middle of the bombing of London. Sarah Blake writes beautifully, and believably, about her characters, and makes each of them, from the town's troubled doctor, volunteering in London, the American reporter on the scene, the postmistress herself, and the people she serves, all understandable and compelling. Flawlessly mixing historical characters with her own, Blake brings back the world of letters and radio,their limits as well as their irreplaceable magic. While her characters struggle with both theological and moral issues, Blake comes down strongly on our responsibility for one another, the need for community, and the importance of individual action. On top of it all, she has written a wonderful, suspenseful novel, illuminating the period before America entered the war, and given us, in Iris and Frankie, two remarkable women we are unlikely to forget."

--Leslie Reiner, Inkwood Books

"This is a wonderful read. The characters are alive; I felt that I knew them and could see them, and far out Cape Cod and London in the Blitz as well. The pictures in my mind of what Frankie experienced in London and on the trains in Europe in 1941 are going to be in my head for a long time, and the people of Franklin, Massachusetts are even closer. And, of course, the love between Emma and Will and Harvey and Iris, the Postmistress, are understandable and evocative. The glimpses of the fleeing people on trains all over Europe are now mine as well as Frankie's.

This will be an all time best read for many, many people.

Thank you, Sarah Blake!"

--Janet Boreta, Orinda Books

"Sarah Blake draws in her perfectly formed characters one at a time, each one with such affection and subtle humor that from the moment the Postmistress arrived in town I was hooked on this story. They are a collection of outsiders - real people, imperfect, passionate, doubting - circles that start from lonely orbits, move closer together, intersect, overlap, finally becoming a whole. Without preaching or cliche,but with a knife that cuts right to the bone, The Postmistress asks us to consider what difference an individual, a small and seemingly powerless person, a person with troubles and faults of their own, a person just like ourselves, could make in the life of another if we really saw them, really listened to what they were saying."

--Kitty Clark, Books Inc., Opera Plaza

"When you are ready to spend some quality time with a well told story, pick up The Postmistress by Sarah Blake. A tender, heartbreaking story of love, duty, and honor set during the days leading up to America's involvement in WWII, the characters will charm you completely. The feisty Postmistress James, new to the coastal town at the end of the cape, faces a dilemma which we hope we will never have to do. She is bound to deliver the mail-good or bad. She is given a letter to be delivered upon the death of the town's doctor, who has fled to London to help during the bombings (and therefore soothing his own demons). You will only want happiness for everyone, even though we know that war has a way of dashing hopes and dreams. Frankie Bard-radio correspondent and protege of Edward R Murrow, shines as she describes the horrors of nightly bombings in London. I was transported completely. Another hit for the new Amy Einhorn imprint and one that we will relish sharing with our customers."

--Valerie Koehler, Blue Willow Bookshop

"...the perfect book to recommend to people whose reading habits you really aren’t familiar with because it has a variety of things to like about it: great characters (especially female characters), dramatic plot lines, emotional depth, and an easy-to-read writing style...not dense or over-descriptive. The cover alone will sell it to some people, but the first chapter really does a great job of getting you hooked to the plot."

--Christina Meek, Davis-Kidd Booksellers

"Reading The Postmistress made every book I read afterwards seem pale and inconsequential. By giving the victims of Nazi persecution a voice in the tense interval between their identification as victims and their condemnation to concentration camps, the book shows people still clinging to a slim hope that they might escape, a hope those who know their history recognize as a false hope. This is so much more emotionally powerful than the oft’ told story of life and death once they are in the concentration camps. By choosing one set of victims in one well documented period of persecution, the book awakens in the reader the realization that there are victims of government oppression in many parts of today’s world—we just can’t hear their voices. By introducing us to the inhabitants in the postmistress’ small town who try to forget what’s happening in Europe while they try to find happiness in their own lives (in spite of more personal tragedies), the book spreads the suffering of one kind or another to all who live and love. By the end of the book, the reader is counting his or her blessings (in spite of personal tragedies). Readers of The Help will want to broaden their compassion for the victims of extreme prejudice by reading The Postmistress. " t."

--Betsy Rider, Otto Bookstore

"Every so often, not often enough, a book comes along that makes us say, "Whoa, Nellie!" Shadow of the Wind was one of them. So was Water for Elephants. Let's not forget King of Lies or Serena. Sometimes it just happens. And it has happened again. Meet our new favorite book, which will be yours too.

R. J. Ellory (known to me as Roger; we've exchanged emails) is a proper Englishman who decided rather than follow the edict of "write what you know," decided he'd rather write what interested him. And that just happened to be the American South. His new novel A Quiet Belief in Angels is set in southern Georgia starting at the time World War II is breaking out. Joseph Vaughan is thirteen, and living in the small-town world of Augusta Falls. The calm and sense of community get shattered early on when young girls start turning up murdered. The killer remains a shadowy presence throughout the novel. Joseph becomes obsessed with the murders, and gathers his friends to become the Guardians. Together, they try to keep the girls of Augusta Falls safe.

The past, of course, follows Joseph even when he moves to Brooklyn to be a writer. Faulkner's famous quote "The past is never dead. It's not even past" really applies here. You won't believe what happens, and you won't see the ending coming at all. (Sally claims she did; I have my doubts!)

A Quiet Belief in Angels is simply stunning. The writing is gorgeous and evocative; you'd never believe it was written by a non-Southerner. It's rich and deep, and the prose is positively Conroy-esque in its description. Sally and I both stayed up way too late reading this novel.

Read this book. Just read it."

--Frazer Dobson, Park Road Books

"I read the prologue. I read the first page. Then I had to close the book and catch my breath. What an extraordinary writer! Vigorous and tender. Beguiling. Allow yourself to open this book. Be amazed."

--Jennie Turner-Collins, Joseph Beth Booksellers

"Chevalier's written another fabulous story about two women who become friends as they search the English coast for fossils. Elizabeth Philpot is a spinster, 20 years senior to the younger, uneducated Mary Anning, who discovers a fossilized skeleton of an unknown creature. You won't be able to put this book down once you start reading it."

--Beth Carpenter, The Country Bookshop

"I really think this (Remarkable Creatures) is her best book yet. It is a novel but is based largely on the lives of two women who were fossil hunters in Lyme Regis, England, in the early 19th century. Though I think the title is meant to refer to the fossils they found, these two women were remarkable creatures themselves. Their lives coincided with the early days of modern geologic studies, and their work greatly contributed to its foundations. However, because they were living in the era before women were accorded any status, they had to struggle for recognition of their accomplishments. Joyce, Jessica and I have all been hooked by this book -- read the first paragraph or two and see if you can put it down!

--Margot Wilcox, City Lights Bookstore, Sylva, NC

"Ms Ledger has managed to draw the characters in a way that brings out the different sides of each--revealing to the reader the contradictory nature of the human psyche, and I enjoyed this book quite a lot. For instance, the main character, Simon Bear, is alternately likable in his genorosityand annoying in his arrogance. Because Ms Ledger has provided enough background about the characters, the readers are beset with the decisions of deciding how much these people are formed by their backgrounds, or consciously choosing their destinies. This duality adds depth to what otherwise might have been a mediocre approach. Am looking forward to more of Ledger's writing."

--Lorayne Burns, Librarian

"I can't remember the last time I read a book that affected me as strongly as this one did. Rescue Ink is the story of a group of tattooed bikers who have dedicated their lives to rescuing animals in trouble and to fighting animal abuse. Fascinating and inspirational, Rescue Ink is both a great read and a call to action. Highly recommended!"

--Carol Schneck, Schuler Books and Music

"I just finished Rosemary and Rue last night and was quite impressed. It was like a cross between Melissa Marr (who writes dark YA stories about fairies for Harper) and Jim Butcher's Dresden Files. But, what impressed me the most was the use of language. Every once in a while, I'll come across an author who makes me stop and re-read sentences just for the sheer joy of seeing how they're put together."

--Billie J. Bloebaum, Powell's

"Beth Hoffman spins a sweet Southern tale of a young girl leaving her past behind and starting over with an aunt and her cook in Savannah. Cecelia Rose is a voracious reader of books and falls into step with the new women in her life. There is nothing like learning about and witnessing good & bad karma! Saving CeeCee Honeycutt is every bit of a good read as the note-worthy authors who have sent their hearty endorsement – Mary Kay Andrews, Kim Edwards and Luanne Rice."

--Emily Bell, Page & Palette

"Saving CeeCee Honeycutt will make you laugh, cry and remind us of true kindness. A debut Southern novel full of strong women and a generous extended family reads like the first bite into a warm juicy peach on a sultry summer afternoon. I hope you fall in love with young Cee Cee as much as I did."

--Annie Philbrick, Bank Square Books

"Set in a future world in which a caste system of color rigidly defines each individual, our naive young hero, who wants nothing more than to marry up-color, is sent to conduct a chair census as punishment for prideful behavior. Here, on the outskirts of the civilized world, he falls in love with a girl with a retrousse nose, who raises uncomfortable questions and exposes dangerous truths. No one can match the originality of Jasper Fforde. His characters are quirkily fresh and engaging, and he draws from a seemingly bottomless well of hilarity. Funny, fast-paced, and fabulous!"

--Jennie Turner-Collins, Joseph Beth Booksellers- Cincinnati

"Mattia and Alice are like prime numbers: they don't fit in anywhere and have trouble conforming to the expectations of their parents and peers. Through the years they try to lead normal lives, but always come back to the comfort of isolation. This is a wonderful study of two people with childhood tragedies learning to cope with ordinary life."

--Beth Carpenter, The Country Bookshop

" "In a book that many of us have long waited for, first to read for our own pleasure, then to put into the hands of many others, Chang-rae Lee offers his biggest book - in every way - and his most intimate. Spanning much of the twentieth-century's last half, and spanning much of the world, THE SURRENDERED tells the story of a woman and man navigating their way through enormous change, doing so luminously and movingly."

--Rick Simonson, Elliott Bay Book Company

"I just finished This is Where I Leave You. It was terrific! This is the first Jonathan Tropper I have ever read and now I think I will have to go back and read all of his books. It was so perfect - the way you inhabited his world - and so engrossing that I had to finish it in two sittings. I laughed out loud throughout and could identify with almost every one of the characters."

--Micheal Fraser, Joseph Beth Booksellers

"Jonathan Tropper may be the most underrated humorist alive today. Maybe that's because he writes real, emotional, character-driven novels that also happen to be screamingly funny. In This is Where I Leave You, Judd - who has just left his wife after catching her in his bed with his boss - is forced into close quarters with his family after his father's death. If you've read Jonathan Tropper, you'll know that mayhem will inevitably ensue. If you haven't read Jonathan Tropper, you're in for a treat."

--Carol Schneck, Schuler Books and Music

"The death of Judd Foxman's father falls on the heels of the discovery of his wife's infidelity. Adding more clamor to chaos is the seven day shiva his father requested from his deathbed. A dysfunctional family reunion ensues with enough humor, heartbreak, and confusion to create a novel of unforeseen redemption and closure. Jonathan Tropper is an author enlightened bibliophiles discovered years ago; this is the book that could bring him to the mass public."

--Megan Fecko, Joseph Beth Booksellers

"I'm enjoying the review copy you sent of This Is Where I Leave You by Jonathan Tropper. I like Tropper's style, and his sense of humor is similar to mine--dry, somewhat in your face. I thought the scene where the main character finds his wife sleeping with his boss walked that precarious thin line between overboard and just enough shock factor."

--Kelly Pickerill, Lemuria Books

"Jonathan Tropper will have you begging for fewer R-rated movies and more R-rated books! A Jewish family is gathered to sit Shiva at the request of their deceased (and atheist) father. This is a family that shouldn’t be around each other for an hour, much less a week. The antics that ensue are often baudy, occasionally raunchy, mostly off-color, and always utterly hilarious. Tropper is a comic genius!"

--Dave Mallmann, Next Chapter Bookshop

"I just finished the book today, and it was FANTASTIC! Hilarious, baudy, rauncy, touching, poignant, and extremely well-written. I can't wait to sell it!"

--David Mallmann, Next Chapter Bookshop

"Jonathan Tropper’s book is fantastic! The dialogue between the Foxman family had me whipping through the pages to see what shocking thing they’d say next. The story is sometimes heartbreaking, but Tropper’s colorful array of characters with their sharp-forked tongues, leave you not only gasping for breath from laughing hard but wishing you could be as blunt as the Foxmans are with your own family members."

--Christina Meek, Joseph Beth Booksellers

"Mort Foxman's dying wish is that his wife and four children sit shiva for him. With acute and sardonic perception, we view these seven days of enfored togetherness through the eyes of the middle son, Judd. The result is a narrative that is both hilarious and poignant. You won't want to miss this one!"

--Jennie Turner-Collins, Joseph Beth Booksellers

"There's nothing like a good crisis to bring a family together...tear them apart...and hopefully put them back together again. In Jonathan Tropper's latest examination of families, mother and children are foisted upon each other for seven days of religiously dictated mourning. Tropper manages to combine great insights into characters and relationships with irreverent humor and a keen eye for the absurd. Juxtaposing grief and the requisite self-analysis that follows, with repeatedly odd circumstances, he treats the reader to unending revelations and good storytelling."

--Rona Brinlee, The Book Mark

"Tropper gives us a wry, insightful glimpse into a family that represents the best and worst in all of us. From deadbeat to dad, the main character puts all his emotions on the page and lets us sort them out for ourselves, and then brings us along on his crash course in reality. A fun, honest read that keeps us wondering what could possibly happen next."

--Maren Monitello, Joseph Beth Booksellers

"You've got a big winner on your hands. I think it's his best book so far."

--Roger Pantano, Book Passage

"It’s time to sit shiva "Tropper" style! This is Where I Leave You is Jonathan Tropper at his best—funny, sardonic, heartfelt, grappling with loss, and undeniably human—readers will be laughing through their tears. He has a way of accurately depicting the angst of thirty-something men caught in the dance of the middle place, desperately trying to figure out where they belong in the world and whether they’re ready to take on the commitments and the responsibilities of full blown adulthood. Here at A Great Good Place Jonathan Tropper is one of our best-selling authors, This is Where I Leave You is to be at the top of our list when it lands."

--Kathleen Caldwell, A Great Good Place for Books

"I usually don't read books with so much sex and discussion of anatomy, but every one of Tropper's books has made me laugh out loud. Many times. And This Is Where I Leave You is no exception. Set in the seven day Shiva period of mourning for Mory Foxman, the novel has an ensemble cast of family and friends who are in various stages of putting their lives together or having them fall apart. The dialog is perfect, the family unforgettable, and in the middle of the R rated scenes there is a real beating heart."

--Leslie Reiner, Inkwood Books

"It is a very interesting portrayal of the dynamics of a family. The opening scene of his wife in bed with his boss was almost too vivid to read. This only made me want to read it even more."

--Thea Kotroba, Chester County Book and Music Company

"Thanks again for the ARC of the Tropper book. It kinda reminded me of Nick Hornby crossed with the show 'Arrested Development'. I enjoyed it."

--Jason Bouck, Joseph Beth Booksellers

"I loved it...The dialogue was clever, funny and sarcastic. The human stories were relevant and authentic. What a great novel."

--Suzy T., The Book Cellar

"Fans of character-driven suspense writers like Elizabeth George, Reginald Hill and Ruth Rendell will love Susan Hill's Simon Serrailler series. While Serrailler and his team attempt to solve a series of apparently random shootings, his sister Cat and her husband - both doctors - struggle with a diagnosis that will change all their lives. A great read!"

--Carol Schneck, Schuler Books and Music

"In a new and refreshing examination of The Iliad, Caroline Alexander gives fascinating perspective on the Western world’s first epic poem. Delving into questions of duty, honor, obligation and moral authority, Ms. Alexander gives us an Achilles more heroic than his legend and asks us to seriously question what lessons were intended to be imparted in the original narration."

--Bill Cusumano, Nicola’s Books

"A charming tale, reminiscent of Tom Jones, in which a young wet nurse chronicles her life, which is replete with heartbreak, tragedy, joy, longing, love and humor. Wonderfully real characters...just delightful!"

--Jennie Turner-Collins, Joseph Beth Booksellers

"Full of interesting anecdotes and character studies of the leading participants, and sheds new light on the outcome of the conference with the opening of Soviet files after the fall of the USSR. Yalta makes for a good comparison to Paris, 1919. A good read"

--Steve Corrigan, Davis Kidd- Memphis