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After
Dark by Haruki Murakami
Knopf. $22.95
Once
you have read a few Murakami books -- you start to look for his totems
in each novel. The cat appears about 3/4th way through this light novel
that is split between two concurrent storylines. The whole novel takes
place in the span of one night and leaves the reader to determine what
exactly happened -- as the sun rises.
- Anna
Kinshu
Autumn Brocade by Teru Miyamoto
New Directions. $14.95
Eloquently
written letters are exchanged between a divorced couple who meet again
by chance. Through their words they sort out what went wrong between
them and which path each wants to choose in their current lives. Although
written in 1982, this is the first translation to english for this author
and hopefully the beginning of bringing his wonderful voice to the west.
- Anna.
Wenner Books. $14.95
Fools Rush In is one of those rare books that you wish you could read for the first time over again. Carter fell deeply in love with a girl named Corrina, but tragically she dies. What follows is an extraordinary story of hope in the face of despair.
It seems an act of fate leads Carter to Bosnia during the war in 1992, where he manages to catch a ride into Sarajevo, with a maverick humanitarian aid convoy called the Serious Road Trip. Liken to the Merry Pranksters this circus of clowns and misfits brought food and supplies where UN could not reach. There in Sarajevo Carter experiences the mind-bendingly torturous siege which became the longest in modern history. When the Bosnian Serbs surrounded the city, cut off it’s supplies and proceeded to attack civilians through shelling and sniping; 10,000 were to die, including almost 2,000 children.
The power of music is something Carter explores movingly. In his quest to share the inspirational message of this community he takes his journey one surreal step further and enlists the help of major rock band U2, who will enable him to broadcast the plight of the Sarajevan’s to the rest of the world. This ultimately leads not only to the infamous live satellite links to Sarajevo from U2’s European leg of their Zoo TV tour in 1993, but also the filming of a documentary, which was to become Miss Sarajevo – a process Carter describes as ‘crystallizing hope through the act of bearing witness’.
Carter’s
sense of the sacredness of life in the face of despair is poetically and
dramatically conveyed in this deeply inspiring account of what one young
man can achieve through passion, determination, and
courage.
- Erin
I've been working in bookstores over fifteen years now and nothing is more satisfying than selling a book to a customer that you know they will like. This is such a book. Even if you don't read much poetry, even if you think you don't like poetry, this book will change your mind in a hurry. Ted Kooser lives in Nebraska and in 1998 was diagnosed with cancer. While he was recovering from his operation, he began taking two mile walks every morning before dawn. These walks inspired the poems. There isn't one bad poem in the book and that's not an exaggeration. Don't miss this one.
- Sterling
The
Hamilton Case by Michelle De Kretser.
Little, Brown and Company. $24.95.
The Hamilton Case is one of the best books I've read
in a long time. De Kretser's writing constantly surprises. I must have
said "wow" to myself a hundred times while reading. The story
is set in Ceylon (now Sri Lanka) and examines the interior world of a
man who is unable to reconcile what and who he believes he is with the
world he inhabits. This one will leave you breathless.
- Sterling
Grove Press. $24.00.
Recommending a book by Jim Harrison is a no-brainer. If you've read Legends of the Fall, Dalva or any of his other books you know what I mean. The man is, quite simply, a master. This novel is about a family tragedy of betrayal and atonement, joy and grief, and justice for the worst of our sins. The setting is the Upper Peninsula of Michigan (mostly) and no one can conjure a sense of place like Harrison. You can almost taste the water in Lake Michigan. The scion of a family of wealthy timber barons, David Burkett realizes he must come to terms with his forefather's rapacious destruction of the Michigan woods. That's all I will say. Read this book and discover this remarkable story for yourself.
- Sterling
Workman Publisher. $16.95.
If you love cheeses like I do then this book is essential. Forget all those flat, square cheeses you put on ham sandwiches. The cheeses described in this informative book are REAL cheeses, mostly handcrafted. Everything you need to know to judge, savor, choose, store and serve these cheeses is covered. The author presents a region-by-region guide through France, Italy and Switzerland, as well as the British Isles, Spain, the U.S., and other cheese-producing countries. This is a complete primer, its features include pairing wine with cheese, orchestrating a cheese course, and local gems to seek when traveling abroad.
- Sterling
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