“In 1842 New York City, P.T. Barnum opened his American Museum. It was part zoo, part freak show, part natural history museum, part theater, part restaurant, part . . . You get the picture. Among the Wonderful imagines the lives of two of its employees—Ana Swift, Giantess, and Emile Guillaudeu, Taxidermist. They are very different …
“One of my favorite books of the summer so far. I’ve described it to people as a sci-fi book version of The Goonies filled with video games and tons of 80’s trivia . . . If you know me, you know I love me some Goonies, but add references to “LadyHawke” and just about every …
“Here’s my quick disclaimer: This is not a self-help book, even though the title might suggest otherwise. Kravitz, a former Parade magazine editor-in-chief, has written a memoir of one year of his adult life—a year in which he connects with family and friends he’s overlooked during his intensely busy career as a journalist, husband and …
“This is a hilarious, beautiful, meaningful coming-of-age story. The main character, Donna, lost her father several years ago. Her brother has been away at college; her mother doesn’t understand her; and she feels invisible at school. During her senior year, she realizes that the only place she really feels comfortable, the only place she really …
The book blogger at Well Read Fish wrote an effusive love note to Seattle’s Queen Anne Books after a recent first visit. “This is the indie bookstore of lore, of old times,” she writes. “I wouldn’t be surprised if you could set up an account to be billed later, like my childhood pharmacy . . …
“Flannery O’Connor takes center stage in this absolutely superb novel that bristles with tension and perfectly-drawn characters. Set in Millidgeville, Georgia (O’Connor’s hometown), the story opens on the eve of Cookie Himmel and fiancé Melvin Whiteson’s wedding. Flannery’s herd of wild peacocks set the town’s nerves on edge with their nightlong screeching, nearly derailing the …
“One of my favorite things as a bookseller is The Discovery: finding a book in the pile of advance reading copies that speaks to me in a way that is utterly unique and compelling, a story that sings directly to my heart and stuns me with its voice. So far, Dean Bakopoulos’s latest novel is …
“There’s something about this fascinating novel for teens that reminds me of a modern gothic. Told in the first person from the point of view of Chloe, the little sister to captivating Ruby, the book stays on the edge of spooky without any trappings of a ghost story. The girls’ mother is a well-known alcoholic …
We’re hearing about great results from Unbridled Books‘ three-day offer last week of 25 eBooks for 25 cents each at IndieCommerce stores selling Google eBooks (i.e. You were out of luck if you bought a Kindle). For bookstores, it was a way to raise awareness about their eBook programs, which was part of Unbridled’s plan …
Nothing to do with hoops skills—this is the original WNBA, the Women’s National Book Association, and they have awarded Seattle’s Queen Anne Books a 2011 Pannell Award, recognizing “booksellers who stimulate, promote and encourage children’s and young people’s interest in books.” Queen Anne is the single nationwide recipient in the general bookstore category, praised by …
