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.

VIDEO: Neil Gaiman on "Why Fiction is Dangerous"

One of the unquestionable highlights of BookExpo America this year was the opportunity to hear Neil Gaiman speak.  I've been a fan of his work for years, and I've even met him a couple of times, but it didn't occur to me until I was in the room that I'd never actually heard the man speak before.

And what a speaker he is!  He's the sort of charismatic individual who makes what he does look easy--though I'm sure it's not.  This speech to an audience of librarians and booksellers and geeks on the morning of June 1, 2013 both held me rapt and entertained me.  I've found myself thinking about his comments many times in the weeks since.

Before I go on, I must apologize.  It was early on a Saturday morning, the last day of BEA.  I was beyond exhausted; I was barely coherent.  I'm not sure what I was thinking when I whipped out my iPhone moments after he started speaking.  Possibly this was merely for my own reference?  Because I'd never before succeeded in moving lengthy video from my phone to... anywhere.  (And in fact, this marginal success is owed to a trip to the Apple Store, and--I kid you not--about 72 hours of uninterrupted upload time to get this footage onto YouTube!)  Anyway, I don't appear to have been making much effort with the shooting.  I was listening to the man talk.  Consequently, the footage is beyond my normal standard of awful.  You won't see my finger most of the time, but it certainly makes appearances. There are periods where those who are prone to sea sickness should look away.  Honestly, it may be best if you just kick back and listen.  Oh, and sorry about my laughing.  I sound like Fran Drescher.  It's horrifying.

The above are all good reasons to bury this footage and never let it see the light of day.  But it was a really fantastic speech!  And Neil is such a natural story-teller!  This was such a pleasure to hear that, despite my embarrassment at the poor quality, I choose to share.  Part 1 of this video opens with Neil flinging promotional items at his audience.  He discusses the two "accidental" books he is publishing this year.  The Ocean at the End of the Lane (reviewed above) is his novel for adults and Fortunately the Milk is his middle grades novel.  As it happens, I read the signed galley of the latter (gifted to audience members) on the flight home from NY.  It must surely be one of the funniest, most delightful books I've read in years. Neil eventually gets around to the subject of why both non-fiction and fiction are dangerous.





Part 2, below, is the question and answer session Neil does with the assistance of his editor, Jen Brehl, who I've met on several occasions over the years.  (In addition to Neil Gaiman, this impressive woman also edits Joe Hill, Christopher Moore, and countless others.  Is that a list, or is that a list?!)  Questions cover accomplishments, fear of failure, education, worst sentences written, and of course, "hot librarians," among other vital topics of interest.





Sometimes I wonder if it's worth the time and expense to travel 3,000 miles to BEA almost every year.  And then an event like this reminds me that it is.

“Kittens one day, old cats the next.”

The Ocean at the End of the Lane
by Neil Gaiman

I’m not going to tell you much about the plot of Neil Gaiman’s latest, The Ocean at the End of the Lane. It’s a slender book, under 200 pages, and his first novel for adults in eight years. Here, however, is a short exchange that happens early in the tale:

She shrugged. “Once you’ve been around for a bit, you get to know stuff.”
I kicked a stone. “By ‘a bit’ do you mean ‘a really long time’?”
She nodded.
“How old are you really?” I asked.
“Eleven.”
I thought for a bit. Then I asked, “How long have you been eleven for?”
She smiled at me.

That exchange occurs between the unnamed seven-year-old narrator and his new friend, Lettie Hempstock. However, we first meet this narrator about 40 years later in the novel’s prologue. He’s returned to the rural English village of his youth to attend a funeral. After the service, he takes a drive and finds himself strolling down not only the lane of his childhood home, but down memory lane as well. And what this visit unearths are some long-suppressed memories of extraordinary events.

Mr. Gaiman has been candid in admitting that the bookish protagonist of the tale is a stand-in for his younger self, and that the novel has autobiographical elements—though I think it will be clear that they are merely a jumping off point for the fantastic. And fantastic it is! In all senses of the word.

I read The Ocean at the End of the Lane on Father’s Day, which somehow felt appropriate. And I

read it travel-woozy and jet-lagged. Also good, I think. I was halfway into another world already. What I can tell you is this: I read the book in one sitting. I did not eat, drink, or take a bathroom break. I did not move. It’s possible I did not breathe. But I did get chills. The book opens with what I gather was a true incident from the author’s childhood, a tragedy that is the catalyst for all that is the come. And as the tale grew darker and darker, I began to truly fear for these characters Gaiman had brought to life and made me care about.

The story 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, the various legends and cultures from which they may have derived, 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. The narrator asks, “Why didn’t adults want to read about Narnia, about secret islands and smugglers and dangerous fairies?” (Some of us do, Neil, some of us do.) 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.

The writing is evocative, eerie, and very, very good. Dialogue and dialect bring characters’ voices to life. (“Right, my proud beauties,” said Ginnie Hempstock, loudly.) The tale moves quickly. At that length, there is nothing superfluous. More than anything, Mr. Gaiman is a masterful story-teller. When he tells you, in the guise of a pre-adolescent old soul, that a duck pond is an ocean, well, you will believe it.

And then what happened...

Stories: All-New Tales
by Jeffery Deaver

Above are the four words that Neil Gaiman writes about in his introduction to the collection edited by himself and Al Sarrantonio. "And then what happened."--the four words that every storyteller longs to hear. That child-like impulse is the essence of what he and Sarrantonio wanted to evoke with this collection. On that basis, they were largely successful. These diverse stories, written by an impressive array of writers, kept me turning the pages and, yes, wondering what would happen next.

In some cases, I didn't have to wonder long. The stories range in length from a mere three pages to an impressive 48. Despite his name appearing in 72-point font on the book's cover, Mr. Gaiman contributes only one story in addition to his introduction. So, die-hard Gaiman fans, don't be disappointed. Instead, revel in the embarrassment of riches that have been brought together. This story collection features contributors who are among the best in genre fiction (Gene Wolfe, Joe R. Lansdale, Michael Swanwick, Peter Straub), literary fiction (Stuart O'Nan, Joyce Carol Oates, Walter Mosley, Roddy Doyle), and popular fiction (Jeffrey Deaver, Jodi Picoult, Joe Hill, Chuck Palahniuk). Honestly, I barely brushed the surface of all the big-name contributors, so very many of whom are long-time favorites of mine.

I'll be honest, not every single story is a slam dunk, but not one was a stinker. The one I liked best (possibly Carolyn Parkhurst's featuring an unreliable narrator) might be the one you liked least. These things are so subjective. The overall quality of contributions is high. Whether you're looking for quick palate cleansers between longer works, or you're looking forward to reading this collection cover to cover, I feel confident in asserting that there's something for everyone to be found within these pages.