“Where’d You Go, Bernadette? by Maria Semple is our new go-to book for anyone who needs to get out of the doldrums, who needs a good belly laugh. A funny funny new novel by the author of This One is Mine, this rockin’ story takes on the PC world of Seattle (Microsoft, rampant blackberry vines, over-polite drivers, coffee shops on every corner) and ends up in Antarctica, while exploring the lighter side of family dysfunction along the way. Roberta likes to say that this book does for Seattle what “Portlandia” has done for Portland. Jonathan Franzen says, ‘Hilarious . . . I tore through this book with heedless pleasure.’ Or this, one of my favorite reviews: ‘If you read only one book this summer about an agoraphobic mother and her broken promise to take her daughter Bee on a trip to Antarctica, make it this one . . .’ Semple is a former writer for Arrested Development, Ellen, and Mad About You; her ability to write snappy, witty dialogue is apparent in this book. And did we mention funny? Did we specifically mention laugh-out-loud, wet-your-pants funny? ‘Cause it is.”—Broadway Books, Portland
Read more and buy Where’d You Go, Bernadette?, The Round House, NW, Flight Behavior, The Twelve Tribes of Hattie, Little Century, The Orchardist and Eight Girls Taking Pictures from Broadway Books or your local indie.
Each day until Christmas, the tireless booksellers at Broadway Books will post a recommendation for a great gift book (or seven!) on the store’s blog, Bookbroads. 24 Days of Books posts are written by Sally McPherson, Roberta Dyer and Kate Bennison.