Bookbites Bookends on Main June 2016 Father’s Day Picks Flag Day June 14 Hammer with Eskimo All the Light We Cannot See and Nails friends, and and Lab Girl are other recent Science Olympians When canoeing to the books with a cen- Darcy’s Arctic Ocean. tral father-daughter in the Bookstore The meditation play date relationship. The gets canceled, daddy on the disap- father-son pearing wilder- titles that changes his plans to a Darcy-Daddy Day of shared ness is memora- come to ble while the daughter’s emer- mind are sort of activities. Told mostly from the perspective of the child, gence into adulthood and the grim—Star Wars , this is a cheerful story of father’s reluctant letting go are Hamlet , Cormac father-daughter bonding. poignant. Several pages of nice McCarthy’s The Road , Coates The author is an elemen- color photos illustrate the jour- Between the World and Me. At tary school teacher. ney and landscapes trekked. least Hotel on the Corner of Circling the Sun, Bitter and Sweet ends Braving It is about a father now happily. The com- and his teenaged daughter out in paperback, plex father-son on several ambitious trips starts with an un- theme in Harry Pot- In the Stream to Alaska, winter and sum- usual father- ter may be seen as a —by Charles Smith mer. There is wilderness daughter story set in touchstone for literary pres- A staring, one hiking, trapping, working colonial East Africa. entations of fathers. of hers, lengthens as if a weft Midwest Connections Picks for June wound in pauses seeking some sense Kao Kalia Yang The Bell In Peter Geye's of what it means retells the life of in the new novel Winter- just to wander her father Bee Bridge is ing , the elderly, in the wonder. Yang, a Hmong a magical demented Harry Shadows stippling refugee in Minne- book Eide escapes his stalled in time sota, driven from about a lonely boy’s discovery sickbed and van- finding comfort the mountains of of an echo — or is it another ishes into the in the staid arms Laos by America's Secret War. lone boy answering his bell- forbidding northernmost Min- of worn routines Yang’s poetic songs capture sound when he strikes an nesota wilderness that sur- left unaddressed the emotions of his refugee iron bridge—by poet and Pul- rounds the town of Gunflint— compatriots and his daughter itzer Prize winning author instantly changing the Eide in the reaches pays homage to both in this Ted Kooser. family, and many other lives, of someone’s mind loving rendering of her fa- or lying here The book reverberates with forever. Geye is a first-rate nov- ther’s story that sours and on a sofa the mysteries and possibilities elist gaining a strong reputation hardens in the cold world of a of childhood discovery. The for his adventure novels and in white t-short Minneapolis housing project illustrations echo the warmth detailing of the Minnesota and faded jeans. and on the factory floor. of summer. north. New Fiction Louise Erdrich’s new Typical of Erdich’s novels, this is a com- a job for about forty years and most of novel LaRose is a pow- plicated story of intertwining families modern life seems to have passed her erful exploration of covering many years. It’s wrenching yet by. Almost by accident she ends up in loss, justice, and the deeply compelling like most of her Borg, a dying town in the middle of reparation of the hu- work. nowhere. Of course her oddities man- man heart, and an age to change the luck of the town. unforgettable, dazzling The gentle humor in this novel is infec- tour de force. A much lighter novel tious. The characters are as delightfully is Britt Marie Was Here idiosyncratic as Britt Marie, sort of on The story develops from a horrific deer by the Swedish writer the order of Doc Martin. hunting accident, Landreaux Iron’s Frederik Backman. shooting of his best friend’s youngest When Britt Marie Backman’s first two novels top the Mid- son. Following an ancient tradition of learns that her feckless west bestseller list this week. One book- retribution, the Irons give their son husband is having an store customer who bought A Man LaRose to the grieving parents. LaRose affair with a younger woman, she gets a Called Ove called to tell me she started then becomes the linchpin connecting divorce and sets out to find a job. The reading and laughing at the book on these two families through years of pain problem is that Britt Marie hasn’t held her way home. What better recommen- and grief. dation do you need? Isn’t Wisconsin Great? It’s walk-in-the-woods geological background about the area. cludes Jakes (p. 194). 50 Hikes in The very popular first time and You might want to pair 50 Hikes with Wisconsin Supper Clubs book is in offers 60 Ron Faiola’s Wisconsin Supper Clubs: destinations though its sixth printing. The the title says 50—not books feature beautiful sure the reason for photos, interviews, the discrepancy. Hoff- The books … inspire a menus and resound- man Hills is #10. The summertime “eat, drink, and be ingly inspire “isn’t Wis- book gives instruc- merry” feeling. consin great” and sum- tions on how to get there, maps, gps mertime “eat, drink, and coordinates, information on flora and be merry” feelings. fauna you are likely to see, information about camping and some historical and Another Round . This second book in- Midwest Bestsellers List The Midwest Independent Booksellers Associa- 3. All the Light We Cannot See, Anthony Doerr, Frederick Backman’s My Grandmother Asked tion Bestseller List, as brought to you by 4. The Fireman, Joe Hill Me to Tell You She's Sorry and A Man Called IndieBound and MIBA, for the week ended Ove top the trade paperback list. 5. Britt-Marie Was Here, Fredrik Backman Sunday, May 22, 2016. Based on reporting Here is the link to the complete list: 6. The Nightingale, Kristin Hannah, from the independent booksellers of the Midwest http://www.midwestbooksellers.org/ Independent Booksellers Association. 7. The Nest, Cynthia D'Aprix Sweeney uploads/4/4/1/7/44171411/ For an independent bookstore near you, visit 8. Zero K, Don DeLillo midwest_bsl_5_22_2016.pdf IndieBound.org. 9. The Excellent Lombards, Jane Hamilton HARDCOVER FICTION 10. Everyone Brave Is Forgiven, Chris Cleave ... 1. LaRose, Louise Erdrich, 15. The Atomic Weight of Love, Elizabeth J. 2. Everybody's Fool, Richard Russo, Church Flag Day June 14 Page 2 Kids Picture Books The Knowing Book , Princess Penelopea Former First Lady targeted for ages 5 Hates Peas is “A Tale Laura Bush and and up, encourages of Picky Eating and daughter Jenna the child’s yen for Avoiding Catastro- have put together discovery. Down peas.” The long title an exuberant trib- every path, some- explains the point of ute to our national thing is to be this picture book. parks to help cele- found that may be The last three pages brate 100 years of wonderful or sad, beautiful or sensa- give very good explanations and instruc- the National Park Service. Thebook tional. At the end of the book the ex- tion for parents and caregivers of picky includes a bit of a geography lesson, plorer (a cartoon rabbit in the book) is eaters, plus a new word for this old kid-friendly maps, a road trip, friend- reminded to look up to see the stars, reader, “neophobia.” Some of us have ship, and finally, what’s in our own the wide skies. The moral: returning the opposite inclination—”neophilia”? backyard. This would be a good book home to what the explorers knows best, Penelopea embeds the lesson in a very to take on a long summer car trip. they are a bit wiser than when they set palatable story that is nicely illustrated. out. For Young Readers Ten-year-old Auggie Pullman, who was anti-bullies. classroom reading for a lot of middle born with extreme facial schoolers. It is a “memorable story of Wonder is targeted for 8-12 year olds but abnormalities and was kindness, courage and wonder” that adults have been reading it too. Origi- not expected to survive, flies in the face of the current fad nally published in 2012, it has been goes from being home- among our politicians to put down schooled to entering those who are physically or culturally fifth grade at a private different than themselves. The popular- middle school in Man- a “memorable story of kindness, ity of this book gives support to the hattan. This move en- courage and wonder” belief that more people are generous tails enduring the taunt- and kind than are full of hatred and ing and fear of his classmates as he bias. struggles to be seen as just another stu- surging in popularity and is currently The author’s inspiration for this novel dent, but there are bullies and there are on bestseller lists. The book may be also provides a lesson in kindness. Middle Readers For the10-13 age and intriguing mystery. Ann Treacy teacher has disap- group: brings to vivid life the hardship and peared from Maiden "Here is a real treas- rewards of early twentieth-century rural Rock. Quinnie sus- ure. Authentic and Minnesota in this gem of a pects a kidnapping, beautifully told, "The book." (review quotes) but her mom, the Search for the Home- For adults: Doesn’t the cover look fa- town sheriff, just stead Treasure" miliar somehow? thinks the teacher has left town.