A very long (near endless) night last night with a sick child and then a "get here in 20 minutes for the only appointment we have open" mad dash this morning to the pediatrician. The boy is fine - more lovely cold-induced asthma. (If anyone wants evidence that the Earth is polluted look no further than the insane increase in asthma and diabetes for children.)
So not a very substantial post here, but a peek at many upcoming books from the catalogs that have been arriving lately at breakneck pace.
From Harcout Adult:
Lady of the Snakes by Rachel Pastan. About a scholar in the field of 19th century Russian literature (I think this would appeal to you Kelly!), who is making her name on the life of a famous novelist and his "long-suffering" wife. She uncovers evidence that the wife might have been more than just muse and/or helpmeet to the famous husband and sees it as her ticket to "academic superstardom". Our heroine also has a husband and child herself however and things get out of hand - the book is billed as appealing to "any woman who has ever aspired to have it all".
Sounds a bit like Possession, but I'm intrigued by the "have it all" angle, both for the modern researcher and the Russian wife from the past.
The Florist's Daughter by Patricia Hampl. I recently reviewed Hampl's Blue Arabesque and found it hard to describe - a memoir/travelogue/cultural history that was very compelling and certainly well written. This title seems to be far more personal, focusing on Hampl's revisit to her childhood as her mother slowly dies. It is a "tribute to the ardor of supposedly ordinary people." Honestly though - Hampl could write the directions for how to make paste and I would be on board. She's just a beauty of a writer.
Aaronsohn's Maps by Patricia Goldstone. A biography of the Jewish scientiest/diplomat/spy who was key to the British capture of Jerusalem during WWI and compiled the area's first detailed water maps. He also created "a plan for Palestine's national borders that predicted and - in its insistence on partnership between Arabs and Jews - might have prevented decades of conflict to come." I think this might be a frustrating read - evidence yet again that greed trumped sanity - but it seems like an important and worthy read; the sort of book that we all need to tackle to better undersand the history of the Middle East.
The Theory of Clouds by Stephane Audeguy. There is something about this title that is so damn compelling sounding. It's about a Hiroshima survivor who is a collector of "all literature having to do with clouds and meteorology." He hires a young woman to catalog his library and there appear to many digressions in the story into the lives of other cloud lovers, both real and imagined. The librarian goes to London in search of a book by a famous cloud photographer and encounters "a quest no less wondrous and strange" than her employer's.
I've found this sort of idea before, first as insect research in Nicholas Christopher's Trip to the Stars and again in human anatomy in Barbara Hodgson's The Sensualist. It's a plot device I never get tired of, and I hope this title is as wonderful as those.
From Tenspeed Adult:
The Pastry Queen Christmas by Rebecca Rather. Okay, I'm not ever going to be able to make the kind of desserts this woman makes but I swear - it sure is damn pretty. The whole catalog copy makes me feel kind of bad in a "Martha Stewart kicks my ass" sort of way but still; talk about pretty cake!!! (And no - I won't be reviewing it. I'm totally incapable of even knowing how to adequately review cookbooks.)
From Chronicle Kids:
Cowboy Stories Illustrated by Barry Moser. This one looks flat out gorgeous - as any fan of Moser's can imagine. It is a great idea though; a collection of cowboy short stories by authors like Elmore Leonard, Louis L'Amour, O. Henry, Annie Proulx and Dorothy Johnson now brought together for YA readers. I was crazy for westerns when I was around 12-13 and I think a book as well done as this one looks to be needs to be reviewed and appreciated alot to get the word out.
From Front Stree:
I'm Being Stalked by a Moonshadow by Doug Macleod. Okay, Seth Parrot wants Miranda to be his girlfriend but needs advice on how to make that happen. So, Seth starts reading the teen magazine "Dolly" for help while also trying not to be driven insane by his family. "Dealing with a melodramatic younger brother, a housing inspector bent on destroying the Parrot home, and a gardener who would prefer all flowers dead, Seth navigates his way into Miranda's heart."
Sounds way to funny to resist - I wish it was out this summer as it seems to be a great beach read, but I'll be looking forward to it in October.
Let Sleeping Dogs Lie by Mirjam Pressler. Johanna knows her grandfather as someone who founded the largest clothing story in town - built from the ground up, etc etc. But on a class trip to Israel, she finds out he acquired the company during the Nazi regime (legally) and now worries that her family's wealth is due to injustice. Should she leave it alone?
I'm not a huge fan of more WW2 books - so many stories have already been told to death, but this kind of story sounds quite unique and interesting. How do you cope with the unsavory actions of your parents/grandparents/ etc? Pressler is a renowned YA author in Germany, so she should be well acquainted with stories like this one.
From Kingfisher:
Dinomummy by Dr. Phil Manning. So, in 2000 a teenage dino-hunter discovers the fossil remains of a hadrosaur in N. Dakota. Turns out it's actually a three dimensional mummified dinosaur. He hooks up with Manning, a paleontologist from England and this excavation changes the way we think of dinosaurs. The book follows the excavation and shows us what "Dakota" has revealed. The intro is by Tyler Lyson - former teen fossil hunter and now studying for his PhD in paleontology.
I mean really - could there be a better book for kid crazy about dinosaurs?!
From Houghton Mifflin Kids:
Emi and the Rhino Scientist by Mary Kay Carson and The Whale Scientists by Fran Hodgkins. These are two new entries into the fantastic "Scientists in the Field" series and I can not recommend this series enough. A recent marine bio title, Tracking Trash, will be the Cool Read in my June column and I just love every one of these titles I've come across. Lots of phots/maps/illustrations, straightforward text, fascinating subjects. It's all good. Every library should have them and they are perfect for readers of any age really - Trash blew my mind and also impressed other adults I've given it to as well. (Homeschoolers - jump on them!)
Houghton Mifflin Adult:
The Hearts of Horses by Molly Gloss. A crossover title for adults and YAs, it is the story of a young woman in 1917 who arrives at an Oregon ranch for the job of breaking horses. With war time labor shortages she gets the job but surprises everyone by using the "horse whisperer" approach of making peace with the animals, not breaking their spirit. It's a story about "connections between and among people and animals" and sounds pitch perfect for horse lovers regardless of age. I hope it lives up to the copy.
As I hear about more, I'll let you know!
May 24
2007
03:42 AM
Yay, new Molly Gloss! This makes me incredibly happy!