The Actor and the Housewife by Hale, Shannon Format:  Hardcover (Cloth) Price:  $24.00 Published: Bloomsbury Publishing PLC, 2009 Inventory Status: On Our Shelves Now Becky Jack is a typical Mormon housewife until she stumbles into an unlikely, platonic, friendship with handsome Hollywood actor Felix Callahan. This modern fairy tale asks the question of what happens when your secret celebrity crush starts to mix with your ordinary, happy home life. This was a delightful read and gives me hope for a friendship with George Clooney!--Avery Dickey, Inkwood Books (Tampa, FL)
	The Lace Makers of Glenmara by Barbieri, Heather Format:  Hardcover (Cloth) Price:  $24.99 Published: Harper, 2009 Inventory Status: On Our Shelves Now   See all editions of this title. Would you look for a new beginning in an old country? Kate Robinson does.Exhausted from devastating losses in every aspect of her life, young fashion designer and seamstress, Kate, travels to Ireland, making good on a promise to her dying mother to visit their ancestral home. Sadly unable to make the long planned and hoped for mother-daughter trip any longer, Kate travels alone, trying to outdistance her sadness and anger.Through Kate, the reader is introduced to Glenmara, a tiny, close-knit fishing community of determined inhabitants intent on maintaining their existence and their traditions. Stopping to rest on her pedestrian journey through Ireland, Kate is quickly accepted by the widow Bernie, who is part of a lace making group???caretakers of the hand-made lace craft passed along for generations in their community. As Kate is taught to make lace, she begins to ???pick up the thread??? of her life. Bringing her own talents to the lace makers??? lack of sales of traditional linens, tablecloths and towels, she is able to teach them to reimaging their craft. The reader is drawn into the circumstances of each of the lace makers, who discover that changing the lace, changes their lives.I easily recommend this book to others;??? no needlework experience required. The finely developed characters left this reader hoping for a sequel so that I might continue further into the life of Glenmara and the people that I???d come to know and appreciate.--JK Campbell, Colorado State University Bookstore (Fort Collins, CO)
	Building a Home with My Husband: A Journey Through the Renovation of Love by Simon, Rachel Format:  Hardcover (Cloth) Price:  $24.95 Published: Dutton Books, 2009 Inventory Status: On Our Shelves Now   See all editions of this title. Rachel Simon's book Building a Home with My Husband is a memoir of a couple's life through a home renovation project that utilized all of his expertise as an architect and a student of Buddhism and all of her expertise as a survivor in life and love. When I finished reading it, I thought of all the people to whom I could hand-sell it. Obviously, anyone who read Simon's earlier book, Riding the Bus with My Sister, would consider it a must-read. But my son-in-law who renovates sub-standard houses has to read it for all the technical ins and outs of his profession - from green construction to choosing and dealing with contractors. Then my daughter who is married to said real estate investor needs to read it to learn how to ride the waves of all the stuff that happens as the book phrases it. (I wonder if Simon originally used another word four letter word for that phrase and an editor changed it.) Still another daughter who has held a position in social work would love the insight into recovering from a dysfunctional upbringing. She would also appreciate Simon's habit of turning acquaintances and strangers into fast friends. And any number of friends who are working on their marital and family relationships could appreciate Rachel and Hal???s style of loving and communicating. A book worth reading andre-reading, Building a Home with My Husband, makes recommending it seem like a gift in itself.--Betsy Rider, Otto's, A Booklover's Paradise (Williamsport, PA)
	Hothouse Flower and the Nine Plants of Desire by Berwin, Margot Format:  Hardcover (Cloth) Price:  $24.00 Published: Pantheon Books, 2009 Inventory Status: On Our Shelves Now   See all editions of this title. Who knew that a city girl could get swept away by an adventurous tale about tropical plant magic? But that's exactly what happened - I loved it! Hothouse Flower and the Nine Plants of Desire is enchanting and exotic, a perfect summer read. Escape to the Yucatan with Lila in this fast-moving mystical debut novel, a story that is sure to inspire passion for all kinds of journeys.--Kelly Amabile , The Written Word Bookstore (Ripley, OH)
	You or Someone Like You by Burr, Chandler Format:  Hardcover (Cloth) Price:  $25.99 Published: Ecco, 2009 Inventory Status: On Our Shelves Now   See all editions of this title. Anne, a wife and mother is living the Beverly Hills good life. She leads book groups for directors, screenwriters, producers, and actors. It's not that she planned to do this, it just happened because she's so well read, so brilliant, so delightfully British. But from the opening scene in which we see her highly connected, Hollywood deal-maker husband packing to leave, she must use her literary brilliance to maintain her equilibrium and to fight ferociously for the life she knows that she deserves. Anne ultimately confronts one of the thorniest issues of our time in this finely crafted and deeply moving novel, --Bob Sommer, Changing Hands Bookstore (Tempe, AZ)
	Love Begins in Winter: Five Stories (P.S. (Paperback)) by Van Booy, Simon Format:  Trade Paperback Price:  $13.99 Published: Harper Perennial, 2009 Inventory Status: On Our Shelves Now I was so thrilled when I discovered that Simon Van Booy had a second collection of stories coming out in May titled Love Begins in Winter. His first one was published two years ago (Secret Lives of People in Love) and it was such a mesmerizing revelation that all the months waiting for new work since then have felt endless . The wait thankfully is over and I was excited to let myself completely slip into the dreamlike world of this unique writer. It is akin to sipping a potion and being suspended in ethereal places. These stories are borne out of loss and longing but also out of careful destiny, and their characters are ultimately brought to crossroads in their lives where harmony, or at least a measure of accepted balance, is offered to them. Brave gypsies, a gift of eggs, acorns and a cello, birds and kites, a photograph of a little girl and a snowy park, these are just a few elements of carefully intricate stories brimming with supple and mysterious energy. One never knows with Van Booy???s distinctive style what will happen next, what will break your heart and will heal it at the same time, what symbolic gesture will be ample in coincidences. His writing is pitch-perfect and he has such great respect for his characters. Van Booy deserves many more fans--Marie du Vaure, Vroman's Bookstore (Pasadena, CA)
	Everything Matters! by Currie, Ron, Jr., Currie, Jr. Format:  Hardcover (Cloth) Price:  $25.95 Published: Viking Books, 2009 Inventory Status: On Our Shelves Now What would you do if you knew the hour and the day that earth was to be destroyed by a meteor? This is the struggle of Junior Thibodeaux. As he reaces against time to save everything he loves the reader will be transfixed and ultimately transformed by this big-hearted, brilliant novel--christopher bowe, Longfellow Books (Portland, ME)
	How Shall I Tell the Dog?: And Other Final Musings by Kington, Miles Format:  Hardcover (Cloth) Price:  $19.95 Published: Newmarket Press, 2009 Inventory Status: On Our Shelves Now This is a wonderful and original memoir told through letters from British journalist Miles Kington to his editor, Gil. His letters, short and to the point, contain ideas for books as well as other thoughts on life. These letters show Kington's amazing ability to find humor in the darkest moments of life.--Selina Moraes, The Book Mark (Atlantic Beach, FL)
	It's Not Me, It's You: Subjective Recollections from a Terminally Optimistic, Chronically Sarcastic and Occasionally Inebriated Woman by Wilder-Taylor, Stefanie Format:  Hardcover (Cloth) Price:  $23.99 Published: Simon Spotlight Entertainment, 2009 Inventory Status: On Our Shelves Now   See all editions of this title. Stefanie Wilder-Taylor's latest book of true to life tales of her exploits as a young transplant to Hollywood is like sitting with a good bottle of wine with your best friend for a night of love and laughter.--Sam Droke-Dickinson, Aaron's Books (Lititz, PA)
	A Happy Marriage by Yglesias, Rafael Format:  Hardcover (Cloth) Price:  $26.00 Published: Scribner Book Company, 2009 Inventory Status: On Our Shelves Now   See all editions of this title. A Happy Marriage is the story of Enrique and Margaret Sabas. Margaret is dying after a battle with cancer, and the novel unfolds as we see her planning her goodbyes and death interspersed with the story of their courtship and long marriage. I came to it with hesitation despite Wendy Sheanin's compelling letter only because as a partner in a 30 year marriage myself I didn't see how this novel would be appealing. I know that sounds strange (yes, my marriage is as happy as theirs was). He captured the maturing of feelings, the frustrations of having young children, the issues around sex and the assumption of roles in such a way that I was riveted, entranced and moved to and sometimes beyond tears. The novel was both insightful and entertaining despite it's inevitable sad conclusion. We know that Margaret will die, but the journey towards that end is beautiful. Absolutely brilliant.--Cathy Langer, Tattered Cover Book Store (Denver, CO)
	Shimmer by Barnes, Eric Format:  Hardcover (Cloth) Price:  $25.95 Published: Unbridled Books, 2009 Inventory Status: On Our Shelves Now   See all editions of this title. One mark of a superior novel is its ability to lodge in the mind as Shimmer does by creating a foreign but believable world. One one level, a story of high-tech, corporate chicanery as current as today's news, Shimmer is also a gripping description of how people can become dehumanized in their single-minded devotion to success. In a fast-food world, Shimmer provides a stick-to-the-ribs meal for the mind.--Joe Strebel, Anderson's Bookshop (Naperville, IL)
	The Angel's Game by Ruiz Zafon, Carlos Format:  Hardcover (Cloth) Price:  $26.95 Published: Doubleday Books, 2009 Inventory Status: On Our Shelves Now   See all editions of this title. In the tradition of Dickens, who wrote books that enjoyed massive success in their time, The Angel's Game is a guaranteed page turner with many twists and turns of plot, a touch of horror, and much suspense. The story takes us back to the gothic universe of the Cemetery of Forgotten Books, the Sempere and Son bookshop, and the winding streets of Barcelona's old quarter, in a masterful tale about the magic of books and the darkest corners of the human soul. The book is an examination of the power of books to change our lives in ways we don't even realize.--Milane Christiansen, The Book Works (Del Mar, CA)
	Border Songs by Lynch, Jim Format:  Hardcover (Cloth) Price:  $25.95 Published: Knopf Publishing Group, 2009 Inventory Status: On Our Shelves Now   See all editions of this title. Border Songs Jim Lynch, author of The Highest Tide, brings us another marvelous novel, one which inspires delight and wonder in the natural world, illuminates the follies of border rivalries and drug wars and examines the vagaries of small town life through the experiences of Brandon Vanderkool a beguiling amateur naturalist whose autism and dyslexia make him an unlikely border patrolman. Set in dairy country in Lynden and Blaine, this is a funny, sweet, yet cautionary tale for our time.--Mary Gleysteen, Eagle Harbor Book Company (Bainbridge Island, WA)
	The Case of the Missing Servant: A Vish Puri Mystery by Hall, Tarquin Format:  Hardcover (Cloth) Price:  $24.00 Published: Simon & Schuster, 2009 Inventory Status: On Our Shelves Now   See all editions of this title. Vish Puri, part Hercule Poirot and part Precious Ramotswe--with a nod to Sherlock Holmes -- deploys his team of undercover operatives at Delhi's Most Private Investigators, Ltd, with shrewd skill. He's an old fashioned, principled man not afraid of modern technology as it changes the face of India where strict class divisions and gender roles still rule. Irresistible, this quirky story should appeal to readers of every stripe, mystery and non, and it provides at least one excellent surprise as Puri cracks a case. Although this debut may seem like a riff on Smith, Puri is uniquely his own man.--Barbara Peters, The Poisoned Pen (Scottsdale, AZ)
	The Cutting by Hayman, James Format:  Hardcover (Cloth) Price:  $24.95 Published: Minotaur Books, 2009 Inventory Status: On Our Shelves Now   See all editions of this title. A killer is on the loose in Portland, Maine in this clever and suspenseful thriller by debut novelist James Hayman. Detective Michael McCabe moves from the fast-paced life of New York City to the more peaceful and idyllic Portland, Maine in order to escape his past. Unfortunately, his new life is shattered by the appearance of a serial killer who abducts his victims and then cuts out their hearts. When the trail McCabe follows starts to hit close to home, it is up to McCabe to stop this madman before he strikes again. Hayman brings the city of Portland, Maine to life while introducing us to characters we will want to meet again.--Bob Connolly, Jabberwocky Bookshop & Cafe (Newburyport, MA)
	Black Water Rising by Locke, Attica Format:  Hardcover (Cloth) Price:  $25.99 Published: Harper, 2009 Inventory Status: On Our Shelves Now   See all editions of this title. First time author, Locke, debuts with a riveting novel set in Houston in the early 1980s. Two former civil rights activists find themselves in a new fight for justice for laborers in the Big Oil industry of Texas.--Sarah Bagby, Watermark Books (Wichita, KS)
	How I Became a Famous Novelist by Hely, Steve Format:  Trade Paperback Price:  $14.00 Published: Grove Press, 2009 Inventory Status: On Our Shelves Now A hilarious send-up of being an author, and all other aspects of the book business. Hely has written a captivating novel about writing a bestselling novel, while doing as little work as possible. The fake NY Times bestseller list alone is worth the price of this book! alone--Mitch Gaslin, Food For Thought Books (Amherst, MA)
	So Happy Together by McFadden, Maryann Format:  Hardcover (Cloth) Price:  $23.99 Published: Hyperion Books, 2009 Inventory Status: On Our Shelves Now   See all editions of this title. Maryann McFadden's written another great summer read in So Happy Together. As the title states, all the characters will be happy together by the end of the book, but it's the getting there that makes this one so much fun to read.-- Beth Carpenter, The Country Bookshop, Inc. (Southern Pines, NC)
	The Blue Notebook by Levine, James A. Format:  Hardcover (Cloth) Price:  $22.95 Published: Spiegel & Grau, 2009 Inventory Status: On Our Shelves Now How could a doctor and medical researcher at the Mayo Clinic capture the hidden life of a 15 year-old Indian prostitute? Levine's fictional journal (The Blue Notebook) of a literate sex-slave, reveals a life few could imagine and is a testimony to the power of youthful imagination to escape an intolerable reality. This raw depiction of one child's life, symbolic of a world-wide child abuse problem, will leave you gasping.--Darwin Ellis, Books On The Common (Ridgefield, CT)
	Sworn to Silence by Castillo, Linda Format:  Hardcover (Cloth) Price:  $24.95 Published: Minotaur Books, 2009 Inventory Status: On Our Shelves Now   See all editions of this title. A small Amish town seems to have a serial killer, again! Is this the same killer from 14 years ago? Does the police chief, ostracized from the Amish family in which she grew up, know who the killer is but would put her family at risk if she talks? Gruesome murders, excellent plotting and a variety of law enforcement personnel with fresh personalities all add up to a book that is unique in its Amish setting and vividly creative in its storyline. This is an impressive debut and I hope we see a lot more of this author.--Susan Wasson, Bookworks (Albuquerque, NM)