Now out in paperback...

So, for readers who were wondering about these "shelf talker" reviews I mentioned in my last post, shelf talkers are the little signs you've probably seen written by bookstore employees recommending their favorite titles.  As a one-time top 100 book reviewer on Amazon.com, I write a lot of them.  Bookstores really like when the staff write these things, but one day I asked my manager, "Am I writing too many shelf talkers?"  And he was like, "If you have to ask the question..."  I am undeterred.

Several books I reviewed last year (and a few I never got around to) have recently come out in paperback, including some that made my top 10 list for the year.  Those books are noted by an asterix (*).  Here for your browsing pleasure is a selection of recent paperback releases:


The Ocean at the End of the Lane
by Gaiman, Neil (William Morrow Paperbacks)
Neil Gaiman’s first novel for adults in 8 years is a heady combination of fantasy, horror, nostalgia, and coming-of-age tale. Like all of Mr. Gaiman's work, there is much subtext to be mined. One could discuss the fascinating Hempstock women at length--their mythic origins and their relationship to other Hempstocks in the author's catalog. Or, you could concentrate on how the author examines adulthood from a child's perspective and childhood from an adult's perspective. Or, you could identify the influences of numerous other writers on this work, and explore the importance of literature in our lives and the power of story within the tale. What I'm saying is, that while The Ocean at the End of the Lane may be short on page count, it's quite long on substance. This one’s fantastic--in every sense of the word!



Bad Monkey
by Hiaasen, Carl (Grand Central Publishing)
As I read the opening pages of Bad Monkey, I was hit by an overwhelming sense of Hiaasen-ness. More than anything, it was the protagonist

that won me over. That would be police detective (demoted to restaurant inspector) Andrew Yancy. He’s determined to solve a case involving a disembodied arm and get reinstated. Mr. Hiaasen has constructed an enjoyable mystery and a fun police procedural. But of course, added to the mix are all the wackiness of both Hiaasen and South Florida. Possibly they are one in the same. There are fraud perpetrators, real estate speculation, voodoo priestesses, truly filthy restaurants, and, yes, a really bad monkey. Bad Monkey will go down smooth with an umbrella drink on the beach. And if you can’t have the umbrella drink or the beach, it just might be your consolation.



& Sons *
by Gilbert, David (Random House Trade Paperbacks)
This novel opens at the funeral of Charles Topping and is narrated by his youngest son, Philip, whose life is a mess. Attending the funeral is Charlie's oldest friend, the legendary, reclusive novelist A.N. Dyer. Women are very much secondary in the story. It is about the complicated and sometimes fraught relationships of men, especially fathers and sons. Mr. Gilbert is the most delightful sort of prose stylist--smart, sophisticated, inventive. As I read, I reflected that for whatever reason, there are few novels that examine, in depth, the internal lives and relationships of men. Mr. Gilbert has a great sensitivity for nuance, and has created some endearingly flawed and fallible characters. This novel was truly a joy to read and one which it's a pleasure to recommend.

The People in the Trees *
by Yanagihara, Hanya (Anchor)
“Never had men gotten closer to eternal life than they did with Norton's discovery. And yet never had such a wonderful promise slipped away so quickly: a secret found, a secret lost, all within the space of a decade." The People in the Trees opens with a bang, in the form of news articles describing the arrest and conviction of a Nobel Laureate scientist for the rape of one of his 43 adopted children! The bulk of the book comprises Norton’s prison memoir (punctuated with asides from his best friend) recounting the 1950’s expedition that made his career. They traveled to a remote Micronesian Island and discovered a “lost tribe” with astonishing longevity. This is an extraordinary tale, beautifully written, and perfect for readers who don’t mind a rather unlikeable protagonist.



Discretion
by Leotta, Allison (Touchstone)
Assistant U.S. Attorney Anna Curtis has been looking for a high-profile case to boost her career, but this may be a little more than she bargained for. A beautiful young woman has been pushed from the balcony adjacent to Congressman Emmett Lionel's hideaway office in the U.S. Capitol building. Anointed “the female John Grisham,” this is Allison Leotta’s second Anna Curtis thriller, and it is a fine entry point for the series. Anna is a terrific character to build a series around. She’s very human, and her personal life is as compelling as her cases. Additionally, Leotta has built a fine cast of well-drawn secondary characters. The author is intimately familiar with the novels’ DC setting, and does the town full justice. Ultimately, mysteries come down to their plotting. The plotting here was both smart and tight. I stayed up far too late reading. Just one warning—this novel’s ending will leave readers clamoring for the next book in the series!



The Impossible Lives of Greta Wells * 
by Greer, Andrew Sean (Ecco)
 I read 225 books last year and this one was my favorite! The eponymous Greta opens the tale with, “The

impossible happens once to each of us.” She should know. Having sought out electroshock therapy in 1985 due to depression, Greta awakens in 1918 in a different version of her life. From that time, another therapy has her awakening in 1941 in yet a different version of her life, surrounded by loved ones both familiar and unfamiliar. Throughout the novel she cycles through these three versions of her life, trying to decide which is best. Is any life perfect? Greer get so much right with his fantastic tale! I was fascinated with the juxtaposition of the beginning of one war with the end of another, with the Spanish flu and the plague of AIDS. Mr. Greer has surprising insight into the lives of women, and his language is simply beautiful. I love this book!



The Cuckoo's Calling
by Rowling, J. K. (Mulholland Books)
I was not a fan of J.K. Rowling’s adult debut, therefore I didn’t rush to read The Cuckoo’s Calling when she was revealed to be the author. My loss. When I finally got around to it, it proved to be a real favorite. For me, the difference was in the characters. In short, I fell in love with wounded, down-on-his-luck private detective Cormoran Strike and his new office temp Robin Ellacott. The case they’re investigating involves the death of a supermodel, widely accepted as a suicide, but her brother, an old acquaintance of Cormoran’s, insists it cannot be. “Galbraith” crafts a perfectly credible mystery that will keep you guessing to the end. Still, for me, the success is all about the central characters. No one was more delighted than I to hear there’d be an on-going series. As someone once said, this could be the start of a beautiful relationship.



Lexicon
by Barry, Max (Penguin Books)
In fantasies, words—spells—have the power of magic. But what if you could be taught through science and

psychology to be “good with words?” What if your words could profoundly influence the people around you? What if words could kill? What might that be worth? These are a few of the provocative ideas explored in this speculative, thrilling, and darkly funny novel by Max Barry. I won’t lie, this is a strange, and at times challenging novel. The telling is highly non-linear, and you have to pay close attention to the timeline. But this thriller is utterly unique, fast-paced, and you’ll never guess the ending. Are you ready for something completely different? This novel wowed me!

The Unchangeable Spots of Leopards
by Jansma, Kristopher (Penguin Books)
This tale begins in the form of a (fictional) author's note. It launches, "I've lost every book I've ever written." And ends,"These stories all are true, but only somewhere else." The novel's first-person narrator seems earnest enough, but be prepared for sleight of hand--or whatever the literary equivalent might be. The storytelling here is unconventional, it's meta-fictional, it's challenging, it's non-linear, it's literary, and, oh yes, it is always interesting. His writing is fantastic! It's read-aloud, eminently quotable, just a pleasure to absorb. Everything about this novel is stylish, stylized, and sophisticated. It's also very funny. It's gonzo, romantic, clever, and the sort of book to remind readers and writers both why they do what they do. In short, this is an exhilarating debut novel.



The Interestings * 
by Wolitzer, Meg (Riverhead Trade)
So, I’ll start by saying that I read all 538 pages of this book in a single day, so consumed was I by this tale of six friends. They meet in 1974 as teenagers at a summer camp for the arts, and the story follows their con- tinuing (or interrupted) relationships for the next several decades as one by one they either “make it” or resign themselves to more ordinary lives. Wow, did I relate to these characters! They’re not too much older than me, and the events and references of their lives, so carefully observed by Ms. Wolitzer, mirror my own. Each of these six, as well as a supporting cast, is a fully-fleshed and rather fascinating character. Artsy people are endlessly entertaining, and even more so in the hands of this talented writer with a deep understanding of people. Additionally, she has a true gift for language that is as accessible as it is elegant.


So, let me know how this format works for you,  Look for posts on new fiction, non-fiction, thrillers, speculative fiction, juvenile fiction, and more in the near future.

Top 10 Books of 2013

Happy New Year, readers!  It's a fresh year, so I'm making a resolution to get back on the blogging bandwagon.  So, what can I tell you about 2013? Well, I read 225 books in total. Yes,

that's a record. Yes, that's ridiculous.  I will be sharing the full list in my next post, for those who are curious.  I can tell you that roughly 158 of them were published in 2013, 42 of them were debut novels, 20 were re-reads, 18 were YA titles, 14 were non-fiction, 14 were trashy underwater fiction, and 9 were short story collections. But who's counting.

Again roughly, my star rankings were as follows: (1) one star, (8) two stars, (36) three stars, (92) four stars, and (87) five stars. (I'm aware that's one short. One book was not rated.)  It was a superlative reading year, obviously. Here, for the purposes of this discussion are my top ten books of the year.  The first two are tied for first place, the rest are in completely random order.  In the cases that I've written a review, I've linked it here.  Other's will hopefully appear on the blog in the weeks to come.



1. The Impossible Lives of Greta Wells - Andrew Sean Greer

1. The Golem and the Jinni - Helene Wecker

Tenth of December - George Saunders

The Interestings - Meg Wolitzer

Maddaddam - Margaret Atwood

The Serpent of Venice - Christopher Moore

& Sons - David Gilbert

The People in the Trees - Hanya Yanagihara

The Circle - Dave Eggers

A Constellation of Vital Phenomena - Anthony Marra


A few additional notes... I generally try to pick books published in the year ended for my top 10

list. I made an exception for Christopher Moore's The Serpent of Venice, which will be released on April 22, 2014. It's as good as anything he's ever written. And I thought I was bad last year, with three Bay Area authors making my top 10 list. This year there are five Bay Area writers! I'm sorry, we just have some wicked talented people in this part of the world.  It's also worth noting that three of the above are debut novels.  Wow.

Winnowing a list of 225 books down to just 10 is pretty awful. I flat out loved all the books above. I loved the 10 honorable mentions below almost as much, and they might have just as easily made the top 10 list were the competition not so brutal.


The Goldfinch - Donna Tartt

The Son - Philipp Meyer

Eleanor & Park - Rainbow Rowell

The Cuckoo's Calling - Robert Galbraith

This is the Story of a Happy Marriage - Ann Patchett

A Tale for the Time Being - Ruth Ozeki

We Need New Names - NoViolet Bulawayo

The Ocean at the End of the Lane - Neil Gaiman

Night Film - Marisha Pessl

The Unchangeable Spots of Leopards - Kristopher Jansma


Tell me, readers, what were your favorite books this year?  Truly, I'd love to know!

VIDEO: David Gilbert and Adam Johnson in conversation

My fall got off to a rocky start health-wise. I’ve been out of balance, and I’ve been having trouble writing for the past few weeks. Ridiculous, I know. But the good news is, I’ve been attending some amazing literary events around town. Sometimes I’m bad about sharing or uploading the video I shoot, but I think this week is the week to feature some seriously awesome events.

The following video was shot several weeks ago—shortly before I contracted the flu, hence the delay in posting. This is the sort of evening that makes me grateful to live in San Francisco, a city where authors like David Gilbert come on book tour, and a city that is home to an extraordinary local literary community. The night of Mr. Gilbert’s lit event at the Book Passage Ferry Building store epitomized what I’m talking about.

Make no mistake, I was pretty excited to hear David Gilbert speak. His novel, & Sons, is

unquestionably one of the best novels I will read this (or any) year. You may read my rave review here. The novel is wonderfully substantive, and I was really curious to hear what the author had to say about it. It wasn’t until the day of the event that I learned he’d be “in conversation” with Pulitzer Prize-winning novelist Adam Johnson. Amazing! Where but San Francisco can you see these two literary powerhouses in conversation at your local independent bookseller’s?

Now, readers of this blog may recall that I’m a huge fan of Adam Johnson, professionally and personally. I don’t know the man well, but as far as I can see, he’s the nicest person on the planet.  Seriously, the man’s sweetness and gentleness has been the subject of more than one conversation among the local literati. The opinion is unanimous. And, Adam, I’m sorry to embarrass you if you ever—God forbid—happen to read this.

Here’s the other thing that is consistently amazing about the San Francisco literary community… They come out to support each other. On this particular evening, Andrew Sean Greer, Scott Hutchins, and Tom Barbash were among the audience. I’m friendly with all of them, so it was a great social atmosphere. And we were discussing this very thing—the terrific, supportive literary community—after the talk. I said something along the lines of San Francisco having possibly the best local lit community in the country. I said that people always talk about Brooklyn, but that by all accounts, it’s super-competitive out there. Tom Barbash came back with a quote from Vendala Vida: “In New York, writers read each other’s reviews. In San Francisco, writers read each other’s books.” That’s it in a nutshell.

It goes without saying that the conversation between Johnson and Gilbert was fascinating. And I’m so delighted to be able to share it with you in its entirety. Enjoy!





P.S.:  I am confident that Book Passage would be happy to sell/ship you a signed copy of either of these authors' work!

“It became one of those stories, never told honestly.”

& Sons
by David Gilbert

I think I was about 7% into David Gilbert’s sophomore novel, & Sons, when I started emailing friends that it was brilliant. That was a pretty snap judgment, but by the time I made it to 100% I knew my instincts about this novel were dead on. Now I’m going to use Mr. Gilbert’s words more than my own in this review, as it quickly became apparent that he is the most delightful sort of prose stylist—smart, sophisticated, inventive. Here, for instance, is how he introduces a character:

“Richard was handsome in the style of generations of handsome men who marry and pass along their handsome genes like pieces of family silver, in a pinch pawnable. Whatever former hard living had colored his face with almost exotic damage, like a psychological tan. He. Had. Lived.”

The novel opens at the funeral of Charles Topping and is primarily narrated by his youngest son, Philip, whose life is in something of a crisis. An extramarital affair has caused the dissolution of his marriage, as well as the loss of his teaching job. Attending the funeral is Charlie’s oldest friend, the legendary, reclusive novelist A.N. (Andrew) Dyer, about whom it is written:

“…his last novel, The Spared Man, was published roughly ten years ago and most of that was cribbed from something he had abandoned 20 years before—since then nothing new from the celebrated author of Ampersand and Here Live Angry Dogs and Brutal Men and a dozen other books, not even a decent letter of length. It seemed a vital piece had gone loose in his brain and he could feel the bit rattling around, a temporal gear that had slipped its carriage and no longer stamped thoughts into proper words and sentences. He was, in effect, broken.”

Upon hearing that Philip is renting a room at a depressing residence hotel, Andrew extends an invitation to stay at his large Upper East Side apartment with himself and his teenage son, Andy. The two families have always been close:

“It seemed that no matter where we were, the Dyers and Toppings were within shouting distance—New York, Southampton, Hobe Sound—brought together by mothers who took the obligation of our fathers’ friendship more seriously than our fathers ever did. I think that these women hoped that the continuation of this history might provide the missing words from these heavily redacted men, as if we might fill in a full and pleasing account of their life together.”

Women are very much secondary in this novel. It is about the complicated and sometimes fraught

relationships of men. And more than anything else, as the novel’s title would suggest, it’s about fathers and sons. The other central characters in this tale are Andrew’s two adult sons, Richard and Jamie, half-brothers to young Andy, as well as Richard’s teenage son, Emmett. This is a family drama, but along the way there is more than a hint of satire of both the publishing and film industries. Much hay is made of the literary trappings.

And then, just when you think you know the story you’re reading, Mr. Gilbert throws in a real shocker from out of left field. As I reader I was like, “Wha…?” But that’s okay, it was a bold choice. It wasn’t the only time that Mr. Gilbert surprised me in the course of this tale. & Sons is wonderfully character-driven, but much happens within its 448 pages. He does not stint on story.

As I read, I reflected that for whatever reason, there are few novels that examine, in depth, the internal lives and relationships of men. Mr. Gilbert has a great sensitivity for nuance, and has created some endearingly flawed and fallible characters. This novel was truly a joy to read and one which it’s a pleasure to recommend.

NOTE: Check out the unusually fun book trailer below.  Brooke Shields gets top billing, but the stalkerish fan featured is the author.  And San Francisco readers, please note the Mr. Gilbert will be reading and speaking at the Book Passage's Ferry Building location on Wednesday, August 7, 2013 at 6:00pm.  See you there!