New Releases: March 17th, 2015
I'm reading C. W. Gortner's novel right now and loving it - so definitely check that one out, guys! Equally compelling to a fashionista is the new The Battle of Versailles history book; I don't want to miss that one, either. And, on a sadder note, Terry Pratchett's collection of short stories hit the bookshelves just a few days after his death at 66.
NEW RELEASES IN HARDCOVER
MADEMOISELLE CHANEL by C. W. Gortner
For readers of THE PARIS WIFE and Z comes this vivid novel full of drama, passion, tragedy and beauty that stunningly imagines the life of iconic fashion designer Coco Chanel --- the ambitious, gifted laundry woman’s daughter who revolutionized fashion, built an international empire, and become one of the most influential and controversial figures of the 20th century. Historical Fiction
OUR KIDS: The American Dream in Crisis by Robert Putnam
It’s the American dream: get a good education, work hard, buy a house, and achieve prosperity and success. This is the America we believe in-a nation of opportunity, constrained only by ability and effort. But during the last twenty-five years we have seen a disturbing “opportunity gap” emerge. Americans have always believed in equality of opportunity, the idea that all kids, regardless of their family background, should have a decent chance to improve their lot in life. Now, this central tenet of the American dream seems no longer true or at the least, much less true than it was. Robert Putnam-about whom The Economist said, “his scholarship is wide-ranging, his intelligence luminous, his tone modest, his prose unpretentious and frequently funny”-offers a personal but also authoritative look at this new American crisis. Our Kids is a rare combination of individual testimony and rigorous evidence. Putnam provides a disturbing account of the American dream that should initiate a deep examination of the future of our country. Political Science
THE BATTLE OF VERSAILLES: The Night American Fashion Stumbled Into the Spotlight and Made History by Robin Givhan
On November 28, 1973, the world's social elite gathered at the Palace of Versailles for an international fashion show. By the time the curtain came down on the evening's spectacle, history had been made and the industry had been forever transformed. This is that story. Conceived as a fund-raiser for the restoration of King Louis XIV's palace, in the late fall of 1973, five top American designers faced off against five top French designers in an over-the-top runway extravaganza. An audience filled with celebrities and international jet-setters, including Princess Grace of Monaco, the Duchess of Windsor, Paloma Picasso, and Andy Warhol, were treated to an opulent performance featuring Liza Minnelli, Josephine Baker, and Rudolph Nureyev. What they saw would forever alter the history of fashion. Fashion / History
BETTER THAN BEFORE: Mastering the Habits of Our Everyday Lives by Gretchen Rubin
If habits are a key to change, then what we really need to know is: How do we change our habits? BETTER THAN BEFORE answers that question. It presents a practical, concrete framework to allow readers to understand their habits --- and to change them for good. Infused with Gretchen Rubin’s compelling voice, rigorous research and easy humor, and packed with vivid stories of lives transformed, the book explains the (sometimes counter-intuitive) core principles of habit formation. Self-Help / Personal Growth
A BLINK OF THE SCREEN: Collected Shorter Fiction by Terry Pratchett
In the four decades since his first book appeared in print, Terry Pratchett has become one of the world's bestselling and best-loved authors. Here for the first time are his short stories and other short-form fiction collected into one volume. A BLINK OF THE SCREEN charts the course of Pratchett's long writing career: from his schooldays through to his first writing job, and the origins of his debut novel, THE CARPET PEOPLE; and on again to the dizzy mastery of the Discworld series. Fantasy / Short Stories
NEW IN PAPERBACK
ENCOUNTERS AT THE HEART OF THE WORLD: A History of the Mandan People by Elizabeth A. Fenn
ENCOUNTERS AT THE HEART OF THE WORLD concerns the Mandan Indians, iconic Plains people whose teeming, busy towns on the upper Missouri River were for centuries at the center of the North American universe. Elizabeth A. Fenn retrieves their history by piecing together important new discoveries in archaeology, anthropology, geology, climatology, epidemiology and nutritional science, offering us a new perspective on early American history, a new interpretation of the American past. History
THE MERMAID'S CHILD by Jo Baker
Malin has always been different, and when her father dies, leaving her alone, her choice is clear: stay and remain an outsider forever, or leave in search of the mythical inheritance she is certain awaits her. Apprenticed to a series of strange and wonderful characters, Malin embarks on a grueling journey that crosses oceans and continents --- from the high seas to desert plains --- and leads to a discovery that she never could have expected. Fantasy
Peeking into the archives...today in:
2014: Oishinbo A la Carte: Vegetables by Tetsu Kariya and Akira Hanasaki
2013: Ines of My Soul by Isabel Allende
2012: Lunatics by Dave Barry and David Zweibel
2011: Happy St. Patrick’s Day!
2010: Dawn of the Dreadfuls by Steve Hockensmith
2009: Neil Gaiman on The Colbert Report
NEW RELEASES IN HARDCOVER
MADEMOISELLE CHANEL by C. W. Gortner
For readers of THE PARIS WIFE and Z comes this vivid novel full of drama, passion, tragedy and beauty that stunningly imagines the life of iconic fashion designer Coco Chanel --- the ambitious, gifted laundry woman’s daughter who revolutionized fashion, built an international empire, and become one of the most influential and controversial figures of the 20th century. Historical Fiction
OUR KIDS: The American Dream in Crisis by Robert Putnam
It’s the American dream: get a good education, work hard, buy a house, and achieve prosperity and success. This is the America we believe in-a nation of opportunity, constrained only by ability and effort. But during the last twenty-five years we have seen a disturbing “opportunity gap” emerge. Americans have always believed in equality of opportunity, the idea that all kids, regardless of their family background, should have a decent chance to improve their lot in life. Now, this central tenet of the American dream seems no longer true or at the least, much less true than it was. Robert Putnam-about whom The Economist said, “his scholarship is wide-ranging, his intelligence luminous, his tone modest, his prose unpretentious and frequently funny”-offers a personal but also authoritative look at this new American crisis. Our Kids is a rare combination of individual testimony and rigorous evidence. Putnam provides a disturbing account of the American dream that should initiate a deep examination of the future of our country. Political Science
THE BATTLE OF VERSAILLES: The Night American Fashion Stumbled Into the Spotlight and Made History by Robin Givhan
On November 28, 1973, the world's social elite gathered at the Palace of Versailles for an international fashion show. By the time the curtain came down on the evening's spectacle, history had been made and the industry had been forever transformed. This is that story. Conceived as a fund-raiser for the restoration of King Louis XIV's palace, in the late fall of 1973, five top American designers faced off against five top French designers in an over-the-top runway extravaganza. An audience filled with celebrities and international jet-setters, including Princess Grace of Monaco, the Duchess of Windsor, Paloma Picasso, and Andy Warhol, were treated to an opulent performance featuring Liza Minnelli, Josephine Baker, and Rudolph Nureyev. What they saw would forever alter the history of fashion. Fashion / History
BETTER THAN BEFORE: Mastering the Habits of Our Everyday Lives by Gretchen Rubin
If habits are a key to change, then what we really need to know is: How do we change our habits? BETTER THAN BEFORE answers that question. It presents a practical, concrete framework to allow readers to understand their habits --- and to change them for good. Infused with Gretchen Rubin’s compelling voice, rigorous research and easy humor, and packed with vivid stories of lives transformed, the book explains the (sometimes counter-intuitive) core principles of habit formation. Self-Help / Personal Growth
A BLINK OF THE SCREEN: Collected Shorter Fiction by Terry Pratchett
In the four decades since his first book appeared in print, Terry Pratchett has become one of the world's bestselling and best-loved authors. Here for the first time are his short stories and other short-form fiction collected into one volume. A BLINK OF THE SCREEN charts the course of Pratchett's long writing career: from his schooldays through to his first writing job, and the origins of his debut novel, THE CARPET PEOPLE; and on again to the dizzy mastery of the Discworld series. Fantasy / Short Stories
NEW IN PAPERBACK
ENCOUNTERS AT THE HEART OF THE WORLD: A History of the Mandan People by Elizabeth A. Fenn
ENCOUNTERS AT THE HEART OF THE WORLD concerns the Mandan Indians, iconic Plains people whose teeming, busy towns on the upper Missouri River were for centuries at the center of the North American universe. Elizabeth A. Fenn retrieves their history by piecing together important new discoveries in archaeology, anthropology, geology, climatology, epidemiology and nutritional science, offering us a new perspective on early American history, a new interpretation of the American past. History
THE MERMAID'S CHILD by Jo Baker
Malin has always been different, and when her father dies, leaving her alone, her choice is clear: stay and remain an outsider forever, or leave in search of the mythical inheritance she is certain awaits her. Apprenticed to a series of strange and wonderful characters, Malin embarks on a grueling journey that crosses oceans and continents --- from the high seas to desert plains --- and leads to a discovery that she never could have expected. Fantasy
Peeking into the archives...today in:
2014: Oishinbo A la Carte: Vegetables by Tetsu Kariya and Akira Hanasaki
2013: Ines of My Soul by Isabel Allende
2012: Lunatics by Dave Barry and David Zweibel
2011: Happy St. Patrick’s Day!
2010: Dawn of the Dreadfuls by Steve Hockensmith
2009: Neil Gaiman on The Colbert Report