empire, however, is a more lucrative lucrative more a is however, empire,
PRSRT STD that within Hidden Union. Soviet the
U.S. POSTAGE of rubble the on empire investment U.S. POSTAGE community. our
PAID
former KGB colonel who built a global global a built who colonel KGB former
FRANKLIN, TNTN of vitality the
PERMIT NO. 357
513 Octavia Street, New Orleans, Louisiana 70115 PERMIT NO. 357 a Kharkov, Ivan is man such One pendents and and pendents
dominance of its old enemy, the U.S. U.S. the enemy, old its of dominance - inde of spirit
empire lost and to challenge the global global the challenge to and lost empire Celebrating the the Celebrating
of Stalinists is plotting to reclaim an an reclaim to plotting is Stalinists of
oil wealth and where a new generation generation new a where and wealth oil
now. This is a new Moscow – awash in in awash – Moscow new a is This now.
learn. He’s playing by Moscow rules rules Moscow by playing He’s learn.
choupitoulas. choupitoulas. T and Magazine
of spycraft, even he has something to to something has he even spycraft, of
and Laurel Streets between between Streets Laurel and Allon to Russia, he fi nds that, in terms terms in that, nds fi he Russia, to Allon
at the corner of Octavia Octavia of corner the at When the death of a journalist leads leads journalist a of death the When
($26.95, Putnam, 978-0-399-15501-7). 978-0-399-15501-7). Putnam, ($26.95, Located in uptown New Orleans New uptown in Located
in again yet delivers espionage, and intrigue Moscow Rules Moscow and gratitude confl ict with morality, love, and the truth. the and love, morality, with ict confl gratitude and
Daniel Silva, the bestselling novelist of international international of novelist bestselling the Silva, Daniel in a complex web of events in which loyalty, politics, sex, sex, politics, loyalty, which in events of web complex a in
Moscow Rules Moscow
campaign gains momentum, Corey fi nds himself caught up up caught himself nds fi Corey momentum, gains campaign
t. S as ul to upi ho Tc
begins to leave behind the world of his upbringing. As the the As upbringing. his of world the behind leave to begins
himself involved with one of the Metarey daughters and and daughters Metarey the of one with involved himself
the search for people to call family and a place to call home. call to place a and family call to people for search the . St n io at Annunci
who is running for president. Before long, Corey fi nds nds fi Corey long, Before president. for running is who
978-0-446-52901-3) by Billie Letts is an unforgettable story of of story unforgettable an is Letts Billie by 978-0-446-52901-3)
boarding school and an aide to the great New York senator senator York New great the to aide an and school boarding
($24.99, Grand Central, Central, Grand ($24.99, behind. left
Made in the U.S.A. the in Made
. St l ure La
the family’s generosity, he becomes a student at a private private a at student a becomes he generosity, family’s the
no phone number and, clearly, no interest in the kids he he kids the in interest no clearly, and, number phone no
O
Jeffer
Jo grand estate of the powerful Metarey family. Through Through family. Metarey powerful the of estate grand ct
Las Vegas in search of a father who has no known address, address, known no has who father a of search in Vegas Las sep
av
so
S h
son of working-class parents, becomes a yard boy on the the on boy yard a becomes parents, working-class of son ia A n
Choosing instead to hightail it out of town, they head to to head they town, of out it hightail to instead Choosing t.
S
ve.
a young man’s life. In the early 1970s, Corey Sifter, the the Sifter, Corey 1970s, early the In life. man’s young a t. kids are suddenly faced with becoming wards of the state. state. the of wards becoming with faced suddenly are kids
family, politics and tragedy, and the impact of fate on on fate of impact the and tragedy, and politics family, t.
ance S ance while shopping, Floy keels over and the two motherless motherless two the and over keels Floy shopping, while
st on C
small town during the Nixon era about America and and America about era Nixon the during town small
her father. As if their life is not dismal enough, one day, day, one enough, dismal not is life their if As father. her
t.
S
azine House, 978-0-679-45680-3), a stunning novel set in a a in set novel stunning a 978-0-679-45680-3), House,
Mag Fate, and Floy Satterfi eld, the 300-pound ex-girlfriend of of ex-girlfriend 300-pound the eld, Satterfi Floy and Fate,
($27, Random Random ($27, comes Canin Ethan America, America America America,
Spearfi sh, South Dakota with her twelve-year-old brother, brother, twelve-year-old her with Dakota South sh, Spearfi Spearfi sh, South Dakota with her twelve-year-old brother, brother, twelve-year-old her with Dakota South sh, Spearfi
From bestselling author author author bestselling bestselling From From Sunday 12 Noon - 5 pm 5 - Noon 12 Sunday
the god-forsaken town of of town god-forsaken the
America, America America America, America,
Monday - Saturday - Monday 15-year-old Lutie lives in in lives Lutie 15-year-old
Open 10 am - 6 pm 6 - am 10 Open his fortune in Las Vegas, Vegas, Las in fortune his
father long gone to fi nd nd fi to gone long father
ticking fast. ticking ticking fast. ticking S HOUR STORE
mother long dead and her her and dead long mother … and the clock is is clock the and … … and the clock is is clock the and …
everything. With her her With everything. weapons to al- Qaeda Qaeda al- to weapons [email protected]
to places, and to almost almost to and places, to
most sophisticated sophisticated most octaviabooks.com
attachments ... to people, people, to ... attachments
to deliver Russia’s Russia’s deliver to 504-899-READ (7323) 504-899-READ
has taught her to avoid avoid to her taught has dealer and he is about about is he and dealer
New Orleans, LA 70115 LA Orleans, New
Lutie McFee’s history history McFee’s Lutie Kharkov is an arms arms an is Kharkov
513 Octavia Street Octavia 513 Made in the U.S.A. the in Made
and deadly business: business: deadly and
S BOOK VIA TA OC
National Character National
8
0
0
2
r
e
b
m
e
t
p
e
S
/
t
s
u
g
u
A
MAY WE RECOMMEND… DOING OUR PART TO KEEP At Octavia Books we love talking about great books with AMERICA INTERESTING customers. Here are a few recent staff favorites: ALDEN EAGLE RECOMMENDS... Share your inspiration at indiebound.org e Great Derangement: A Terrifying True Story of War, Politics, and Religion at the Twilight of the American Empire by Ma Taibbi Autumn is just around the ($24, Spiegel & Grau, 978-0-3855-2034-8) corner and it’s the season Rolling Stone’s Matt Taibbi goes undercover to for going back to school and document the hilarious and disturbing excesses of gathering the harvest. It is the movements at the fringes of U.S. politics. Taibbi time of year that offers new splits his time between speaking in tongues at a Texas mega-church and learning and awareness, new concocting elaborate explanations with 9/11 conspiracy theorists. Great chapters in life and a time to Derangement mixes these gonzo journalism conceits with a serious look refl ect on what’s important. at an increasingly out of control Congress that fi lls the day voting on new names for post offi ces and hides all important decisions in small rooms Our circle of kindred spirits in in the middle of the night. Taibbi weaves these elements into a portrait of the book business — independent U.S. politics at the end of the Bush administration comically reminiscent booksellers across the country — are refl ecting a change this season of the waning years of Rome. as well. You’ll notice that we’re sporting a new graphic that celebrates everything independent. Across the country, there’s a quiet revolution happening — people are reconsidering where they shop and do CHAEL STODARD RECOMMENDS... business. Choosing Main Street America and independently-owned e 19th Wife businesses is once again on our minds. People from east to west want to by David Ebersho reclaim the uniqueness of their communities, renew ties to friends and ($26, Random House, 978-1-4000-6397-0) neighbors and build healthy local economies. This novel takes the history of the Mormons and intertwines it with a fi ctitious story about a present- IndieBound, a new campaign created by the American Booksellers day murder which takes place on the compound of a Association, allows us to celebrate what we “indie” businesses have renegade cult not recognized by the Church. It gave in common … independence, passion and community. Since you’re me a solid understanding of what might be going on reading this newsletter, you’re likely one of us. You appreciate an in the deserts of Utah. The narrator is a man who independent spirit, enjoy a creative and personal touch, and believe life was “removed” from the compound years ago. His mother, the 19th wife is a lot more interesting when everything doesn’t look or feel the same. of his father, has been imprisoned for murdering her husband. As this In this issue of The Octavian, you’ll discover a cornucopia of story unfolds, we go back into the early days of the church through diaries wonderful books we’ve discovered that have just arrived or will be and papers left behind by Mormons to learn dark and dirty secrets. I available within the next few weeks. From books that will help young loved the historical backdrop, all based on facts and on the actual diary adults make decisions about college and careers to cookbooks that of Brigham Young’s 19th wife, Anne Eliza Young. If you liked Big Love, celebrate the season, from intelligent books on current issues to well- you’ll love this book. written novels by some of today’s greatest authors, we promise you’ll fi nd more than a few enticing reads. DOUGLAS WESTGATE RECOMMENDS... As we say good-bye to summer and welcome the autumn season, we The Red Scarf hope you’ll stop by Octavia Books — proud to be an indie bookseller in by Kate Furnivall New Orleans — where there’s a whole store of books we’ve selected just ($15, Berkley, 978-0-4252-2164-8) for you and our community. By the author of The Russian Concubine, here is another wonderful story set in the labor camps and collective farms of Russia in the 1930s with its roots reaching back to the onset of the Russian Revolution. Sofi a escapes from Davinsky Labor Camp in Siberia with the hopes of saving the life of her friend Anna. The people she meets along her journey are complex and vividly described as is life in Russia during the time. There are many twists and turns, but the resilience of the human spirit shines throughout this very well-written story. Fabulous Fiction Page 3
O Season e Condition Acclaimed novelist Anne Rivers Siddons’s Off Unaware of the long-standing grievances harbored Season ($24.99, Grand Central, 978-0-446-52787-3) by their divorced parents, three adult siblings is a stunning tale of love, loss, and re-evaluating embark on a tumultuous summer when the oldest, everything you know. For as long as she can a successful Manhattan doctor, investigates his remember, Lilly and Cam were happily married and sister’s chromosomal disorder against his mother’s partners in life. Then, after decades of marriage wishes. Written with compassion, honesty and and after Cam’s death, Lilly takes a lone road trip wit, Jennifer Haigh’s The Condition ($25.95, to one of their favorite spots on the remote coast HarperCollins, 978-0-0607-5578-2) explores the of Maine. It’s the place where they fell in love and power of family mythologies – the self-delusions, where their ghosts still dance – and where she denials, and inescapable truths that forever bind returns to begin imagining her future. fathers and mothers and siblings.
e Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel e Bible Salesman Pie Society When career criminal Preston Clearwater picks In 1946, as England emerges from the shadow of up hitchhiking Henry Dampier, an innocent World War II, writer Juliet Ashton fi nds inspiration 19-year-old Bible salesman, he immediately for her next book in her correspondence with a recognizes him as just the associate he needs. Yet native of Guernsey and his eccentric friends, who as Henry falls in love and questions his religious tell her about their island, the books they love, training, he begins to see he’s being used – that German occupation, and the Guernsey Literary the fun and games are over, that he is on his own and Potato Peel Pie Society, a book club born in a way he never imagined in The Bible Salesman as an alibi during German occupation. Authors ($23.99, Little Brown, 978-0-3161-1751-7), the Mary Ann Shaffer and Annie Barrows serve up a latest from Clyde Edgerton. charming novel in The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society ($22, Dial, 978-0-3853-4099-1). e Sister Reunited after a forty-year estrangement, Ginny, Iodine a solitary lepidopterist living in the crumbling Living a highly functional if impoverished existence family home in rural Britain, and Vivien, who had after running away from her abusive home, fl ed her family’s eccentricities for the normalcy unconventional college senior Tracey Sue is forced of London, struggle to come to terms with their to face her painful past when she falls in love with stormy past and a web of hidden family secrets. a much-older man, prompting her to re-experience The Sister ($23.95, Knopf, 978-0-3072-6816-7), a traumatic suppressed memory that makes her by Poppy Adams, is a haunting debut novel about realize that much of her present life is a carefully betrayal, trust, passion, and destructive family constructed illusion. Haven Kimmel returns relationships. with her fourth novel, Iodine ($24, Free Press, 978-1-4165-7284-8).
Ancient Highway Bret Lott, the bestselling author of Jewel, offers a haunting novel of home, family, and the pursuit of lost dreams. Ancient Highway ($25, Random House, 978-1-4000-6374-1) weaves together the hopes and regrets of three characters from three generations as they reconcile who they are and who they might have been. Lott beautifully renders the lives of ordinary people with extraordinary faith in this tale of love and letting go. Page 4 Discussible Reads New in Paperback Full of Grace For Big Al and Connie, their move from New Jersey to the retirement paradise of Hilton Head, South Carolina, has been fraught with complications, especially for their daughter Grace, a thirty-one-year-old single Catholic woman struggling for independence and living with a commitment-phobic, possibly atheistic doctor. Dorothea Benton Frank sets the stage for a major showdown, an unexpected crisis and perhaps a miracle or two in Full of Grace ($12.95, Avon, 978-0-0613-7453-1) by Dorothea Benton e Lace Reader Frank. What may be the biggest discussible book this year was previously a self-published debut novel. The Lace Reader ($24.95, Wm. Morrow, Still Summer 978-0-06-162476-6) is set in the 1990s in Salem, MA and features an Bestselling author Jacquelyn Mitchard explores unlikely, reluctant, curmudgeonly heroine named Towner Whitney, her the bonds of friendship, the love between mothers mother, May, and her Great Aunt Eva Whitney who, at 85 years old, is and their children, and the strengths we don’t most famous for being able to read lace – to be able to see someone’s know we possess until we are faced with our future by staring into a piece of lace until images start to appear. A own mortality in Still Summer ($13.99, Grand bewitching, brilliant novel by Brunonia Barry. Central, 978-0-4466-9673-9). Twenty years after a shared childhood marked by their considerable Netherland popularity, Tracy, Olivia, and Holly reunite on a Abandoned amid the offbeat inhabitants of the Chelsea Hotel when his luxury Caribbean cruise during which a chance English wife and son return to London following September 11th, Hans, mistake triggers a series of devastating events that a banker originally from the Netherlands, struggles to fi nd himself in puts their survival in jeopardy. his adopted country, until he stumbles upon a vibrant New York cricket subculture and the charismatic Chuck Ramkissoon. Netherland ($23.95, Girls of Riyadh Pantheon, 978-0-3073-7704-3) by Joseph O’Neill involves us in the struggle Originally banned in Saudi Arabia, Girls of Riyadh for meaning that governs any single life. ($14, Penguin, 978-0-1431-1347-8), is the tale of four young women university students who e Other navigate the precarious paths between desire, David Guterson, author of Snow Falling on Cedars, returns with a tale of fulfi llment, and Islamic tradition while witnessing two boys from profoundly different backgrounds, brought together by the ways in which the Arab world is being their fi erce love of the natural world. They meet at age 16, but they pursue changed by new economic and political realities. vastly different paths in life, one as a devoted schoolteacher, and the other A daring fi rst novel by Rajaa Alsanea that is new as a recluse seeking refuge in the wilderness. The Other ($24.95, Knopf, in paperback. 978-0-7393-2786-9) is a dramatic story of youth and idealism, adulthood and compromises, and powerfully different visions of what it means to live Tipperary a good life. Charles O’Brien offers to help April Burke, a beautiful, much younger Englishwoman, reclaim Away and restore her family’s Irish estate, and in Arriving in America alone after her family is destroyed in a Russian doing so, proceeds to fall in love. As Charles pogrom, Lillian Leyb receives word that her daughter Sophie might still be pursues April, he risks not only his heart but alive and embarks on a risky odyssey that takes her from New York’s Lower also his life in Tipperary ($15, Random House, East Side to Seattle’s Jazz District, Alaska, and along the Telegraph Trail 978-0-812-97594-9) by Frank Delaney, a richly toward Siberia to fi nd the missing girl. Just out in paperback, Away ($14, textured saga set against the Irish struggle to Random House, 978-0-8129-7779-0) by Amy Bloom is an intimate story of regain land taken from them by England’s a dangerous innocent and an accidental heroine. colonization from 1860 to 1922. Enriching Our Lives Page 5
Love as a Way of Life Reading Magic In The Five Love Languages, Gary Chapman Ask any of us who learned to love books as brought to light the different ways people children and we agree that there’s no greater express love. In Love as a Way of Life: The Seven gift to pass along to a child. Mem Fox, literary Secrets Behind Every Language of Love ($19.95, expert and author of the beloved Time for Doubleday, 978-0-385-51858-1), he explores the Bed, offers an updated and revised edition qualities that help us express love – kindness, of Reading Magic: Why Reading Aloud to Our patience, forgiveness, humility, courtesy, giving, Children Will Change Their Lives Forever ($12, and honesty – as well as the obstacles and Harcourt, 978-0-15-603510-1), with helpful tips misunderstandings that undermine relationships. on selecting the right books and reading aloud This is a heartfelt guide to reaping the joys of together. Give this one to all new parents and living a love-driven life. those who need to take more time reading to their children. e Happiness Trap If life is fi lled with ups and downs, why do so many fear the dark side of life? In The I Love Dirt! Lure the kids away from video games and TV! Happiness Trap: How to Stop Struggling and Start Jennifer Ward offers ideas to engage children Living ($14.95, Shambala, 978-1-590-30584-3), aged four to nine in exploring the outdoors in physician and psychotherapist Russ Harris I Love Dirt!: 52 Activities to Help You and Your suggests that if we embrace the notion that Kids Discover the Wonders of Nature ($12.95, every life is touched by disappointment and Shambala, 978-1-590-30535-5). Organized diffi culty, we can apply specifi c techniques of by season, this is the perfect resource to help acceptance and commitment to release what parents, teachers and care-givers introduce holds us back and begin to live a more rich and children to the wondrous outdoors. meaningful life. Being With Dying e Homeschooling Book of Lists How do we prepare for the moment we say What new ideas will you use this year to keep good-bye to those we love or to say our own learning fun and interesting? Mary Leppert fi nal farewells? Joan Halifax draws upon her and Michael Leppert, publishers of The Link three decades of working with the dying to homeschool newsletter, offer a treasury of provide comfort, inspiration and practical skills teaching materials, curriculum ideas, teaching in Being with Dying: Cultivating Compassion and methods and models, lesson plans, tests and Fearlessness in the Presence of Death ($22.95, transcripts, online enrichment tools, sources Shambala, 978-1-570-62469-8). Drawing upon and suppliers, and a state-by-state listing of legal Buddhist principles, Halifax helps us transform requirements in The Homeschooling Book of Lists suffering and resistance into courage for this ($24.95, Jossey-Bass, 978-0-787-99671-0). Here’s natural rite of passage. to a great year of learning!
Life is a Gi Stress-Free Po y Training How might you live the rest of your life if you No two children experience toilet-training in had the wisdom that comes with facing death? exactly the same way. For all facing this rite Bob and Judy Fisher share insights from more of passage in their household, look to Stress- than 100 interviews with hospice patients in Free Potty Training: A Commonsense Guide to Life is a Gift: Inspiration from the Soon Departed Finding the Right Approach for Your Child ($12.95, ($19.99, Faithwords, 978-0-446-19636-9). From AMACOM, 978-0-8144-0162-0) by Sara Au and delicate issues about family and priorities to Peter L. Stavinoha, Ph.D. You’ll fi nd out how to the challenges of regret and forgiveness, you’ll know when your children are ready, how to move fi nd powerful stories about lessons learned that them past their comfort zone, and how to handle encourage living life to the fullest – right now. accidents and set-backs in this helpful guide. Page 6 cuddle Up and Read
Off Go Their Engines Little Blue Truck As sunset falls upon the city, a yellow taxi zips When Blue the pickup truck gets stuck in the mud along the busy streets and passes many other after helping to push a dump truck out of the vehicles shutting down for the night at the end of muck, his farm animal friends do whatever it takes their challenging day, including a police car with its to get their pal back on the road. Little Blue Truck fl ashing lights, a sturdy dump truck covered in dirt, ($16, Harcourt, 978-0-1520-5661-2), written by and a bright red pump truck having just returned Alice Schertle and illustrated by Jill McElmurry, from assisting with a fi re. Off Go Their Engines, Off has become one of our new favorites. Will they get Go Their Lights ($15.99, Dutton, 978-0-525-47940-6), the truck out of the muck? Come fi nd out! Ages 3-7 written by Janice Milusich and illustrated by David Gordon, is a wonderful new bedtime story. Madam President Imagining what it would be like if she were Let’s Dance, Little Madam President, a little girl thinks about all the things she would do if she were in power, Pookie including vetoing tuna casseroles and establishing Beloved author and treaties amongst fi ghting pets. Perfect for the illustrator Sandra political season, Madam President ($16.99, Boynton returns with Hyperion, 978-1-423-10846-7) by the newest by another story of Pookie. one of our favorite authors, Lane Smith. Ages 4-8 When Pookie’s Mom proposes a lively dance, Adele & Simon in America Pookie is somewhat When Adèle and Simon visit their Aunt Cécile reluctant. But Pookie is quickly drawn into dance – in New York City, she takes them on a train hopping, marching, shimmying – and singing too in trip around the United States, but from Boston Let’s Dance, Little Pookie ($5.99, Robin Corey Books, to San Francisco to Washington, D.C., Simon 978-0-375-84519-2). An adorable board book for ages 1-4. keeps losing his belongings, despite his sister’s Available August 12. reminders. You’ll also discover fascinating facts about the places they visit in Adele & Simon in Henry’s Amazing Imagination America ($16.95, FSG, 978-0-3743-9924-5) by When his classmates start to challenge Henry the Barbara McClintock. Ages 4-8 mouse about the truth of his fantastical stories – such as his neighbor’s pet dinosaur and the How I Learned Geography alien he once met, and he is suddenly called a As he spends hours studying his father’s world fi bber – the little mouse realizes that he must fi nd map, a young boy escapes the hunger and misery another way to channel his imagination so that of refugee life; he is transported to exotic places everyone can appreciate the grand stories he loves without ever leaving the room, and eventually to tell. How wild can Henry’s stories be? Find out comes to realize that the map feeds him in a way in Henry’s Amazing Imagination ($15.99, Viking, that bread never could. How I Learned Geography 978-0-6700-6296-6) by Nancy Carlson. ($16.95, FSG, 978-0-374-33499-4) by Uri Shulevitz is based on the author’s own childhood experience living in Kazakhstan as a Polish refugee during Born to Read World War II. Ages 4-8 Everyone will love this wonderful read-aloud rhyme by Judy Sierra and Marc Brown, the award- winning collaborators of the bestseller, Wild About Books. From Sam’s infancy, when his mother reads “The more that you read, the more picture books to him, through his school years, Sam devours books. He later reveals his secret: things you will know. The more you “Readers win and winners read” in Born to Read learn, the more places you’ll go.” ($16.99, Knopf, 978-0-375-84687-8), an up-beat – Dr. Seuss story about the importance of reading. Ages 4-8. Available August 12. Kids Who Read, Succeed Page 7
The Boxer and the Spy Frozen Fire After uncovering some dangerous facts about An unusual phone call from a half-human, the dead high school student that washed up on half-spirit stranger sets in motion a dangerous shore, fi fteen-year-old Terry is certain that he mission as Dusty tries to help the mystery didn’t die by suicide and now fi nds himself in being in the hopes of saving his life from the dangerous sights of those who don’t want unknown forces, and fi nding her brother who the truth to be known. The Boxer and the Spy disappeared more than a year ago. Filled with ($17.99, Philomel, 978-0-3992-4775-0) by Robert suspense and atmosphere, Frozen Fire ($17.99, B. Parker is a well-written thriller packed with 978-0-3992-5053-8) by Tim Bowler is a story intrigue. Ages 12+ of whirlwind events that will leave you with lingering questions. Ages 12+ The Love Curse of the Rumbaughs Fairies and Magical Creatures When she makes a shocking discovery in the Some books are just so wonderful you have basement of the Rumbaugh pharmacy, Ivy to open their pages to experience the art and exposes the strange lives of Abner and Adolph creativity – like this one. Journey into a fairy Rumbaugh, who harbor a powerful and twisted realm where magical trees fi lled with foliage love for their dead mother, and their family are in full bloom, fl owers of diverse colors cover curse, which profoundly – and strangely – the land, and a crystalline elfi n castle rises into impacts Ivy and her own mother. The Love the clouds in Fairies and Magical Creatures: Curse of the Rumbaughs ($7.99, Square Fish, Encyclopedia Mythologica ($27.99, Candlewick, 978-0-312-38052-6) by Jack Gantos was chosen 978-0-7636-3172-7), a beautiful 3-D pop-up by the American Library Association as a Best book with fantastical creatures. The perfect gift! Book for Young Adults. Ages 12+ Ages 5+ Undone Sixteen-year-olds Serena and Kori look alike but have opposite personalities and live very Savvy different lives in Kismet, Colorado. But when Eagerly waiting to discover what her secret power tragedy strikes, Serena decides to complete will be when she turns thirteen in just two days, Kori’s list of “5 Secret Things” and uncovers, in Mib’s plans are thrown for a loop when she the process, the mystery that has bound them discovers her Poppa has been in an accident. Mib together. Brooke Taylor’s Undone ($16.99, Walker tries to reach him by sneaking on a salesman’s & Co., 978-0-8027-9763-6) is about family, bus which leads her on a curious adventure in school and being best friends. Ages 14+ the wrong direction where the secrets of others are suddenly revealed in Savvy ($16.99, Dial, 978-0-8037-3306-0) by Ingrid Law. Ages 9-12 Kenny & the Dragon When the townsfolk in Kenneth’s sleepy City of Time little village catch With time running out for the world as the moon wind that there’s a gets ever closer to the earth, Cati, Owen, and dragon running loose the Doctor know they must travel to the perilous in the countryside, they City of Time to discover why this is happening call George – a knight and and possibly negotiate buying more time in the dragonslayer – out of retirement. It is up to hopes of saving everyone they love from certain Kenneth to protect these two (who happen to annihilation. City of Time ($16.99, Wendy Lamb be his two best friends) in the delightful Kenny Books, 978-0-3758-3912-2) is another thrilling & the Dragon ($15.99, S&S, 978-1-4169-3977-1), adventure from Eoin McNamee. Ages 9-12 written and illustrated by Tony DiTerlizzi. Ages 8-12 Page 8 Making Wise Decisions
Teens’ Guide to College & Career Planning There are some important decisions ahead and the Teens’ Guide to College & Career Planning ($13, Peterson’s, 978-0-7689-2610-1) has helped young adults make the transition from middle school to high school, understand the role high school plays in their future, plan for college, fi nd ways to pay for college, and stimulate thought about careers. Used by teachers as well as students for years, this bestselling guide continues to be updated with the latest career Moving Forward opportunities. When something devastating has happened, it can be hard to get back on track and continue on. At some point we’re ready to lift ourselves up Winning the College and move on. Bestselling author Dave Pelzer has lived through horrifi c trauma, through healing and ultimately back into life. His new book, Admission Game Moving Forward: Taking the Lead in Your Life ($22.99, Center Street, What college would make the best fi t for your 978-1-599-95065-5), offers wisdom, support and even tough love for real child – and how can you be most successful in people who are ready to hurdle life’s challenges. getting that celebratory letter that announces ‘You’re accepted!’? Look to Winning the College Admission Game: Strategies for Parents ($15, Transparency Dysfunction in any organization is often caused by the lack of courage to Peterson’s, 978-0-7689-2491-6) for insider speak the truth. Why is being honest so diffi cult even though it’s necessary thoughts about the roles of tests, the application to create a healthy environment? Warren Bennis, Daniel Goleman and itself, interviews, visits or tours, and fi nancial James O’Toole expose the biggest challenge of leadership in Transparency: aid, written by former dean of admissions and Creating a Culture of Candor ($22.95, Jossey-Bass, 978-0-470-27876-5). This trusted consumer advocate Peter Van Buskirk. book is a must-read for anyone eager to improve the fl ow of information and achieve a culture of truth and openness. Scholarships 101 Free money is not just for straight-A students or athletes anymore. Today, there are many e New Retirementality The face of retirement is changing, becoming more tailored and personal opportunities for the student who has than ever before. Create your next chapter in life with the latest edition of the potential for a great college career to The New Retirementality: Planning Your Life and Living Your Dreams … At access funds. You’ll fi nd tips, advice and Any Age You Want ($19.95, Wiley, 978-0-470-25508-7). Top fi nancial planner encouragement from Kimberly Stezala, founder Mitch Anthony will introduce you to the concepts of “wealthcare” and of the only online scholarship database, in Scholarships 101: The Real-World Guide to “return on life” in this engaging guide that helps us rethink these years of our lives. Getting Cash for College ($17.95, AMACOM, 978-0-8144-0981-7). Now What? “Dwell in possibility.” We all face crossroads in life and one of the most – Emily Dickinson challenging for many is understanding what kind of work to pursue. Career coach Nicholas Lore, author of the bestselling The Pathfi nder, connects with young people and gently guides them through the process of making wise decisions and taking steps to accomplish their life and work goals. Now What?: The Young Person’s Guide to Choosing the Perfect Career ($16, Fireside, 978-0-743-26630-7) is a practical and caring gift for young people struggling with what’s next. Understanding Our World Page 9
Green America at Home As gas prices continue to soar, more and more In the midst of an election year, it’s easy to people want to see some progress across the focus on what separates us, but there’s much globe on renewable, clean energy sources. Jane that unites us as well. Come take a look at the Hoffman and Michael Hoffman offer their years photographs in America at Home ($40, Running of experience to cut through the partisan chatter Press, 978-0-762-43415-2) for a reminder of what on global warming and offer a survey of what makes the U.S.A. a special place. Through the other countries are doing – and what actions talents of hundreds of professional and amateur the U.S. should be taking – in Green: Your Place photographers, you’ll get an intimate capsule of in the New Energy Revolution ($15.95, Palgrave, Americans at home, capturing the daily lives of 978-0-230-60544-2). a remarkable diversity of people, cultures, and accomplishments across the land. I.O.U.S.A. The national debt has now topped a half million What You Should Know About dollars per U.S. household. How can the federal government overspend, year after year, and how Politics… But Don’t If you’re tired of the spin and would like some will we all end up paying? Financial analyst non-partisan input on the issues, look to Jessamyn Addison Wiggins offers an incisive analysis of Conrad’s What You Should Know About Politics… the mounting debt, declining value of the dollar, But Don’t ($15.95, Arcade, 978-1-559-70883-8), and what it means for the future of America where you’ll learn about the economy, the war in I.O.U.S.A.: The Country That Can’t Save a in Iraq, health care, oil and renewable energy Dime Is Out to Save the World ($19.95, Wiley, sources, climate change and more. Conrad breaks 978-0-470-22277-5). it all down and details who stands for what – and why. Waiter Rant The service industry remains the only part of the economy that has shown any sizeable growth, Hamdan v. Rumsfeld Appointed to defend Salim Ahmed Hamdan, but what’s life really like on the other side of confessed driver of Osama bin Laden and a the counter? Based on the award-winning blog Guantanamo Bay detainee scheduled to appear WaiterRant.net, Waiter Rant ($24.95, Ecco, 978- before a special military tribunal, Navy Lieutenant 0-061-25668-4) in book form describes the daily Commander Charles Swift challenged the experiences of a waiter’s life at an upscale New tribunal’s legality before the Supreme Court – and York restaurant. Through outrageous stories, won. Hamdan v. Rumsfeld: A Historic Challenge Waiter Rant tells of customer stupidity, arrogant to the President ($25, FSG, 978-0-374-22320-5) misbehavior, and unseen bits of human grace by Jonathan Mahler is a fascinating look at the transpiring in the most unlikely places. Want to trial that had a signifi cant impact on American know the secret of getting great service? Come presidential power and the rule of law. fi nd out. Moral Clarity With the elections upon us, how do we decide? Susan Neiman, American philosopher and former professor at esteemed universities of the world, looks to the Age of Enlightenment for a moral “I wonder sometimes, if we compass. Drawing upon the virtues of the era – happiness, reason, reverence, and hope – as well as ever give God a headache.” on literature and other contemporary disciplines, Neiman suggests this is the framework for clear – Dontay Hall, Age 8 decisions and responsible actions in Moral Clarity: A Guide for Grown-Up Idealists ($26, Harcourt, 978-0-15-101197-1). Page 10 Savoring the Season
Outstanding in the Field Lunch Boxes & Snacks It is harvest time and we invite you to travel You want it all – food they’ll love, but food with Jim Deneven to dinner tables in fi elds, that is fresh and nutritious too. Chef Annabel ranches, dairies, vineyards and community Karmel delivers both in Lunch Boxes and gardens across the country in Outstanding in Snacks ($16.95, Atria, 978-1-416-54892-8). the Field: A Farm to Table Cookbook ($32.50, From fi nger foods and roll-ups to soups and Potter, 978-0-307-38199-6). Celebrate locally sweet treats, Karmel offers more than 100 grown foods that reconnect us with the land and recipes that will tempt even picky eaters while people that produce our food with 100 seasonally helping increase energy and fi tness levels and inspired farm-fresh dishes. boost the immune system. Perfect for families on the go.
Heirloom Tim Stark was working as a government 100 Best Vegetarian Recipes consultant when he walked past a dumpster During the time of harvest when we have full of discarded lumber and decided to build fresh vegetables in abundance, look to Carol germination racks for heirloom tomatoes and Gelles for all-time favorite meatless dishes cart them to his family’s inactive farm. Fifteen in 100 Best Vegetarian Recipes ($16.95, Wiley, years later, Tim is the owner of an organic farm 978-0-470-18550-6). Gelles has won both the that produces heirloom tomatoes that grace the Julia Child and James Beard awards for her menus of New York’s most demanding chefs. classic 1,000 Vegetarian Recipes, and now serves Heirloom: Notes from an Accidental Tomato up her most favorite recipes that will appeal to Farmer ($24, Broadway, 978-0-767-92706-2) is a vegetarians and non-vegetarians alike. beautifully written memoir about rediscovering a still vital way of life in America. Vegetarian Times Fast and Easy What’s especially great about using fresh Passion on the Vine vegetables is that you can quickly put together When Sergio Esposito immigrated to America, an absolutely fabulous meal. The editors of he so missed the simple country wines that were Vegetarian Times Magazine have gathered so much a part of his family life in Naples that he 250 recipes of their favorite dishes that take opened Italian Wine Merchants and made wine 15, 30 or 45 minutes to prepare. Put fl avorful the center of his life. Passion on the Vine ($24.95, meals together that celebrate the season with Broadway, 978-0-767-92607-2) – his personal Vegetarian Times Fast and Easy: Great Meals celebration of food, wine, and family – is a most You Can Make in Minutes ($19.95, Wiley, beautiful love letter to Italy. 978-0-470-08552-3).
e Unlikely Lavender Queen Jeannie Ralston had a fl ourishing career, but meeting the love of her life would change all “Wine and cheese are ageless that. Her fi ancé Robb, a photographer for companions, like aspirin and National Geographic, hated big city life, while Jeannie was loath to leave. The Unlikely Lavender aches, or June and moon, Queen ($23.95, Broadway, 978-0-767-92795-6) is or good people and noble Ralston’s memoir of her unexpected adventure ventures ...” that led to living in a converted barn, planting a lavender farm, and developing a thriving – M.F.K. Fisher enterprise. Local Flavors Page 11 e House on First Street: My New Orleans Story Channel 4 made household names out of Morgus the Magnifi cent, Hap Glaudi, John by Julia Reed Pela, Phil Johnson, Bill Elder, and Angela Hill. ($23.95, HarperCollins, 978-0-0611-3664-1) e Good Pirates of the Forgo en Bayous Julia Reed came to New Orleans in 1991 to cover Edwin Edwards reelection. Seduced by the city’s sauntering pace, its by Ken Wells rich fl avors and exotic atmosphere, she was never entirely able to ($25, Yale University Press, 978-0-3001-2152-0) leave again. After almost fi fteen years of living like a vagabond With a long and colorful family history of defying storms, the on her reporter’s schedule, she got married and bought a house seafaring Robin cousins of St. Bernard Parish make a fateful in the historic Garden District. Four weeks after she moved in, decision to ride out Hurricane Katrina on their hand-built Hurricane Katrina struck. fi shing boats in a sheltered Civil War–era harbor called Violet With her house as the center of her own personal storm as well as the ever-evolving Canal. But when Violet is overrun by killer surges, the Robins stage set for her new life as an upstanding citizen, Reed traces the fates of all who must summon all their courage, seamanship, and cunning to enter to wine, dine, tear down walls, install fi xtures, throw fi ts and generally leave save themselves and the scores of others suddenly cast into their mark on the house on First Street. There’s Antoine, Reed’s beloved homeless their care. handyman with an unfortunate habit of landing in jail; JoAnn Clevenger, the Auntie Louisiana native Ken Wells provides a close-up look at the harrowing experiences in Mame—like restaurateur who got her start mixing drinks for Dizzy Gillespie and the backwaters during and after Katrina. Focusing on the plight of the intrepid Robin selling fl owers from a cart; Eddie, the supremely laid-back contractor with Hollywood family, whose members trace their local roots to before the American Revolution, ambitions; and, with the arrival of Katrina, the boys from the Oklahoma National Wells recounts the landfall of the storm and the tumultuous seventy-two hours Guard, fl eets of door-kicking animal rescuers and the self-appointed (and occasionally afterward, when the Robins’ beloved bayou country lay catastrophically fl ooded and naked) neighborhood watchman. Finally, there’s the literally clueless detective who all but forgotten by outside authorities. Wells follows his characters for more than two investigates the robbery in which the fi rst draft of this book was stolen. Through it all, years as they strive, amid mind-boggling wreckage and governmental fecklessness, to Reed discovers there really is no place like home. rebuild their shattered lives. This is a story about the deep longing for home and a Rich with sumptuous details and with the author’s trademark humor well in the proud people’s love of the fertile but imperiled low country that has nourished them. fore, The House on First Street is the chronicle of a remarkable and often hilarious homecoming, as well as a thoroughly original tribute to our city. Yellow Moon: A Novel by Jewell Parker Rhodes Two Bobbies: A True Story of Hurricane Available August 19th Katrina, Friendship, and Survival ($24, Atria, 978-1-4165-3710-6) A jazzman, a wharf worker, a prostitute, all murdered. Wrists by Kirby Larson and Mary Nethery punctured, their bodies impossibly drained of blood. What Illustrated by Jean Cassels connects them? Why are they rising as ghosts? ($16.99, Walker & Co., 978-0-8027-9754-4) Marie Levant, the great-great granddaughter of the Voodoo Available August 5th Queen, Marie Laveau, knows better than anyone New During Hurricane Katrina, evacuating New Orleans residents Orleans’s brutal past – the legacy of slavery, poverty, racism, were forced to leave their pets behind. Bobbi the dog was initially chained to keep and sexism – and as a doctor at Charity Hospital’s ER, she her safe, but after her owners failed to return, she had to break free. For months, treats its current victims. Bobbi wandered the city’s ravaged streets – dragging her chain behind her – followed Echoing with the heartache and triumph of the African-American experience, the by her feline companion, Bob Cat. After months of hunger and struggle, the Two soulful rhythms of jazz, and the horrors of racial oppression, Yellow Moon gives us an Bobbies were fi nally rescued by a construction worker helping to rebuild the city. unforgettable heroine – sexy, vulnerable, and mysterious, while it powerfully evokes a When he brought them to a shelter, volunteers made an amazing discovery about the city on the brink of catastrophe. devoted friends – Bob Cat was actually blind! He had survived the aftermath of the Yellow Moon is part two of the New Orleans trilogy that began with Voodoo Season – storm by following the sound Bobbi’s chain made as she dragged it along the ground. magical realist fi ction that takes the legend of the voodoo priestess Marie Laveau, as At the shelter, the two bob-tailed friends refused to be parted, even for a moment. imagined by Jewell Parker Rhodes in the bestselling Voodoo Dreams, into the Could rescue workers fi nd the Bobbies’ owners? Or could they fi nd a new home that present day. would take them together? This remarkable true story of devotion and survival is a testament to the spirit that defi ned post-Katrina rescue missions, and is a perfect way Swan Peak: A Dave Robicheaux Novel to commemorate the anniversary of this day in history. Ages 4-8 by James Lee Burke ($25.95, Simon & Schuster, 978-1-4165-4852-2) New Orleans Television James Lee Burke’s new novel fi nds Detective Robicheaux far Images by Dominic Massa from his New Iberia roots, attempting to relax in the untouched ($19.99, Arcadia, 978-0-7385-5404-4) wilderness of rural Montana. He, his wife, and his buddy Clete Available August 11th Purcell have retreated to stay at an old friend’s ranch, hoping More than 50 years ago, with the fl ip of a switch and the to spend their days fi shing and enjoying their distance from the turn of a dial, local television became an unforgettable part of harsh, gritty landscape of Louisiana post-Katrina. New Orleans culture. For many viewers, the memories remain But the serenity is soon shattered when two college students vivid, even if much of what they saw was in black and white. are found brutally murdered in the hills behind where the Robicheauxs and Purcell This collection of vintage photographs highlights the history of are staying. They quickly fi nd themselves involved in a twisted and dangerous mystery popular programs and personalities, beginning with the city’s fi rst station, WDSU-TV. involving a wealthy, vicious oil tycoon, his deformed brother and beautiful wife, After signing on the air in 1948, Channel 6 introduced favorites like Mrs. Muffi n, The a sexually deviant minister, an escaped con and former country music star, and a Great MacNutt, and Midday while building a news team that included local icons Mel vigilante Texas gunbull out for blood. At the center of the storm is Clete, who cannot Leavitt, Nash Roberts, and Alec Gifford. In 1957, WWL-TV took to the airwaves, shake the feeling that he is being haunted by the ghosts from his past – namely Sally developing a reputation for quality local programming and dominant news coverage. Dio, the mob boss he’d sabotaged and killed years before. Jay Hakes Tom Piazza Reading & Book Signing Book Launch, Reading & Book Signing A Declaration of Energy Independence City of Refuge Monday, July 28, 6 pm Tuesday, August 19, 6 pm A Declaration of Energy Independence ($27.95, Wiley, In November 2005, Octavia Books hosted the event 978-0-4702-6763-9), written by one of the country’s that launched Tom Piazza’s Why New Orleans Matters. The top energy experts, outlines seven economically and book that defi ned New Orleanians’ response to Hurricane politically viable paths to energy independence. It also Katrina and the impact on our people and culture. Now, in answers the questions many Americans have been City of Refuge ($24.95, HarperCollins, 978-0-0612-3861-1), asking: How can we break the links between oil consumption, terrorism, this brilliantly talented, award-winning writer reaches deeper and wider to and the war in Iraq? Will it wreck our economy if we deal with the tough offer a shattering, panoramic novel that traces the stories of two families – issues of energy? Which new technologies can help get us out of our current one white and one black – as lives are torn apart by the storm and then slowly energy predicaments? What kind of a president do we need to lead us to a stitched back together in its aftermath. better energy future? Should we be pessimistic or optimistic about our energy prospects? Amanda Boyden Author Reading & Book Signing Rev. Run & Justine Simmons Book Signing Babylon Rolling Take Back Your Family: ursday, August 21, 6 pm A Challenge to America’s Parents Told in fi ve achingly real voices, Babylon Rolling Friday, August 8, 2 pm ($23.95, Pantheon, 978-0-3754-2533-2) is the story of Rev Run and Justine Simmons, the stars of MTV’s one year on Orchid Street, a place where lives clash and award-winning reality series “Run’s House,” share collide, and where the humid air is charged with constant their advice for raising successful and happy children, wanting. challenging today’s parents to take charge of their home It is the summer of 2004, and Orchid Street is changing. Newcomers Ariel and connect with their kids. Taking readers behind-the- May and her husband, Ed, relocated from Minnesota, are trying to make sense scenes of Run’s House and right inside the Simmons family, Rev. Run and of the Southern city. From her front porch, Philomenia Beauregard de Bruges Justine show how they have built the strong foundation on which their family watches her new neighbors, the Guptas, as they move into one of the biggest thrives. With humor and love, Rev Run and Justine talk openly about their six homes. Across the way, Daniel Harris, aka Fearius, has just been released from unique children, how they have tackled universal parenting challenges, and the juvenile detention. And Cerise Brown, a longtime resident now in her late proven principles they implement in order to create a healthy and happy home seventies, hopes only to pass the rest of her days in peace. in Take Back Your Family (25, Penguin, 978-1-5924-0381-3). But with one random accident, a scene of horror on Cerise’s front lawn, the whole neighborhood converges on the sidewalk to help, to cast blame, and to Phil Steinberg, Jordan Flaherty & Jacob Wagner offer hope. And as Hurricane Ivan churns his way toward the city, bringing a Presentation & Book Signing different series of challenges, these new relationships tighten, intertwining the What Is a City? Rethinking the Urban a er families’ paths for better and for worse. Hurricane Katrina Tony DiTerlizzi Wednesday, August 13, 6 pm Reading & Book Signing Planners, architects, policymakers, and geographers Kenny & the Dragon from across the political spectrum have weighed in on how best to respond to the destruction wrought by ursday, August 28, 4:30 pm Hurricane Katrina. The contributors to What Is a City? Don’t miss this exciting opportunity to meet the co- ($19.95, Univ. of Georgia Press, 978-0-8203-3094-5) unpack post-Katrina creator of the international phenomenon The Spiderwick discourse, examining what expert and public responses tell us about current Chronicles! and listen to his illustrated reading of his new attitudes not just toward New Orleans, but toward cities. As volume co-editor book, Kenny & the Dragon ($15.99, Simon & Schuster, Phil Steinberg points out in his introduction, “Even before the fl oodwaters 978-1-4169-3977-1). had subsided . . . scholars and planners were beginning to refl ect on Hurricane What do you do when your new best buddy has been designated a scourge Katrina and its disastrous aftermath, and they were beginning to ask bigger by the community and marked for imminent extermination? Just ask Kenny questions with implications for cities as a whole.” Rabbit. When the simple folks in the sleepy little village of Roundbrook catch The experience of catastrophe forces us to reconsider not only the material wind that there’s a dragon running loose in the countryside, they get the wrong but the abstract and virtual qualities of cities. It requires us to revisit how we idea and the stage is set for a fi ght to the death. So it’s up to Kenny to give think about, plan for, and live in them. his neighbors front-row seats to one of the best-known battles in history – the legendary showdown between St. George and the dragon – without losing a friend in the fray. Ages 8-12