The Selected Works of T.S. Spivet was not only the literary news in the current issue of Vanity Fair - there was actually quite a lot of bookish content. Dorothy and Thomas Hoobler's upcoming book The Crimes of Paris: A True Story of Murder, Theft and Detection is excerpted. I interviewed the Hooblers a couple of years ago and they are authors of both the charming Samurai mystery series for MG readers and the wonderful inside look at the Shelleys and Lord Byron, The Monsters:Mary Shelley and the Curse of Frankenstein. (I love that they funded the research on that one from "Who Wants to be a Millionaire" winnings.)

Crimes is about the 1911 theft of the Mona Lisa. PW did not like it but I like the Hooblers method of "scattered history"; it often provides a lot more context to historical events then more straightforward histories.

There is also an excerpt of David Brinkley's The Wilderness Warrior: Theodore Roosevelt and the Crusade for America in which we learn that TDR was a great conservationist who also liked to kill things. Go figure - the man was complex. Younger readers interested in the pres should look forward to Camping with the President by Ginger Wadsworth due this fall from Calkins Creek/Front Street. It follows the 1903 camping trip between TDR and John Muir in Yosemite National Park. (I'm assuming no big game hunting takes place in that one.) Karen Dugan did the illustrations on this one and it looks lovely (due in Sept. - more on this catalog later this week)

Steampunk is the new vampire as evidenced both by Scott Westerfield's new sp trilogy debuting this fall with Leviathan (set during WWI, "Clankers" vs "Darwins"). The man is always cutting edge when it comes to teen lit trends so readers take note. (Due from S&S in early Oct.) Also Cherie Priest has left the southern monsters behind for a bit and recently unveiled the preliminary cover for her new steampunk title, Boneshaker (which interestingly enough is blurbed by Scott Westerfield). I'm a fan of Cherie's writing anyway but how can anybody look at that lovely illustration and not feel compelled to give the story a gander? Also due in October, it's a pb original from Tor. (So cool and affordable!!)

Back to the literary wonders found in VF, the "Hot Type" page includes mention of a YA title, The Vast Fields of Ordinary by Nick Burd. I've heard beans about this (from Dial due in early May) and honestly, I'm confused as to why it merits extra notice. The description, other than being about a gay teen, could be pretty much the story of a zillion coming-of-age titles and honestly, there have been many COA titles like it about gay teens as well. Tell me what you think:

It’s Dade’s last summer at home. He has a crappy job at Food World, a “boyfriend” who won’t publicly acknowledge his existence (maybe because Pablo also has a girlfriend), and parents on the verge of a divorce. College is Dade’s shining beacon of possibility, a horizon to keep him from floating away.

Then he meets the mysterious Alex Kincaid. Falling in real love finally lets Dade come out of the closet—and, ironically, ignites a ruthless passion in Pablo. But just when true happiness has set in, tragedy shatters the dreamy curtain of summer, and Dade will use every ounce of strength he’s gained to break from his past and start fresh with the future.

Does Pablo kill himself or kill Alex or try to kill Dade? Is that the big hook? (Because perish the thought that a boy could fall in love with another boy without something tragic happening...) Somebody read this and tell me about it, please. (My COA column is in June and I'm done with it so no more "finding yourself" titles for me for a little while.)(Interesting additional sidenote: my family shopped at a Food World when I was growing up but I think they are out of business now. It was not up to Albertson's level but certainly equal to Winn Dixie - and way above Pantry Pride and Piggily Wiggily...if that gives you an idea as to what our options were.)

Emily Chenowith's Hello Goodbye might very well be a lovely book but this bit of the description made me want to retch:

Heartbreaking and luminous, Hello Goodbye deftly explores a family’s struggle with love and loss, as a summer vacation becomes an occasion for awakening rather than farewell, and life inevitably blossoms in the face of death.

The mother is dying. They travel to a resort so all of her friends can say goodbye and it "becomes an occasion for awakening rather than farewell..."? I get so frustrated with books that romanticize dying. I'm sorry, in the end if it is someone you love - someone you care about - then it sucks and all the gifted novelists in the world aren't going to change that.

Just my opinion of course - but it's a pet peeve.

Yet another bird book that is awfully pretty: Birds by Jeffrey and Christine Fisher. I am beginning to think I could just write about bird books and still fill my column every single month. (Birdslut????)

VF concludes with yet another ringing endorsement of Colson Whitehead's Sag Harbor. If you're looking for a critical darling, this one seems to be it. (And really - couldn't have happened to a more deserving author.)