May 11th, 2010 The sequence we read books in is many times governed by some organizing force far more substantial than haphazard coincidence. Picking up Emma after putting down Pride and Prejudice is only to be expected, nor are we at a loss to explain why reading one good dystopia leads us to grab another. Have you ever noticed, though, that even when the sequence of our reading has no internal order, even when it is governed by chance or duty, that often times we see surprising thematic connections between books that appear totally unrelated. For example I just finished Cory Doctorow's Little Brother this weekend, which I read because it was picked for a store reading group. It's a brilliant exploration of a near future San Francisco turned into a police state in the wake of a terrorist attack, and a group of teenage hackers who fight the imposition of totalitarian security measures. The next item elevated from my tottering nightstand was The Poacher's Son, by Paul Doiron, which elbowed its way to the top because Paul is coming to the store for a reading on the 20th. The Poacher's Son is a novel about a Maine Game Warden whose woodsman father, no stranger to poaching, is a murder suspect and on the run. The Warden is called in to help track down his father. A fairly random, discordant, reading sequence if there ever was one and yet, having just set down Little Brother, the connections between hacking and poaching seemed obvious to me. Isn't it human nature to try and defeat security measures and penetrate restricted areas, to solve security systems and live off the land, whether virtual or otherwise? And isn't the nature of cat and mouse security struggles determined by the character of the participants, rather than the activity itself? Robin Hood was a hero because Prince John was an evil, cowardly, fiend. Poaching from Good King Richard would have been a different matter entirely. A hacker fighting a police state is a freedom fighter, a hacker pilfering credit cards is a common thief. And what does it all mean? Well, that you should come to our discussion of Little Brother on May 26th at 6:00 pm, and Paul Doiron's Author Appearance on the 20th at 7:00 pm. Here they are! Our weekly picks for the two best: two hardcover, two paperback, and two children's books. The very best new arrivals to leap out of the box and onto our shelves this week. Call or email us if you want more information on any of these titles, or to have us hold you a copy. Or stop in and check them out in person. We'd love to see you. Thanks as always for sharing your reading with us!

 

War By Junger, Sebastian 2010-05 - Twelve 9780446556248 - Hardcover   See Other Formats List Price $26.99 - Your Price: $21.59 Availability: Available To Order Dostoyevsky has yet, alas, been proven wrong in his assertion that "and what can we say of War, they fought before, they're fighting now and they'll fight again." Nonetheless, Perfect Storm author Junger's gripping account, based on following a platoon of U.S. soldiers in eastern Afghanistan for fifteen months, proves many times over that more might indeed be found to say of war. ...More

Vampireology: The True History of the Fallen By Brookes, Archer 2010-05 - Candlewick Press (MA) 9780763649142 - Hardcover   See Other Formats List Price $19.99 - Your Price: $15.99 Availability: Available To Order "True History of the Fallen." Is that a swipe at the hundreds of other Vampire books published recently? Hmmn. Well, as with its ology predecessors Vampirology is the final word in fictional non fiction. ...More

The Physick Book of Deliverance Dane By Howe, Katherine 2010-04 - Hyperion Books 9781401341336 - Paperback   See Other Formats List Price $15.99 - Your Price: $12.79 Availability: Available To Order Now in paperback, Howe's bestselling tour de force reimagining of the Salem Witch Trials provides complex, satisfying characters, and an understated sense of mystery, which makes for a satisfying and enjoyable read. ...More

Horse Soldiers: The Extraordinary Story of a Band of US Soldiers Who Rode to Victory in Afghanistan By Stanton, Doug 2010-05 - Scribner Book Company 9781416580522 - Paperback   See Other Formats List Price $16.00 - Your Price: $12.80 Availability: Available To Order Horse Soldiers Stanton's bestselling account of U.S cavalry soldiers in Afghanistan earns The Weekly Top 2 DBBTONIP (Deserving Big Book That's Out Now In Paperback) rating. ...More

Boom! By Haddon, Mark 2010-05 - David Fickling Books 9780385751872 - Hardcover   See Other Formats List Price $15.99 - Your Price: $12.79 Availability: Available To Order Curious Incident of the Dog at Midnight author Haddon has written a middle grade novel. Boom that is! ...More

My Circus By Deneux, Xavier 2010-05 - Walker & Company 9780802721556 - Board Books List Price $9.99 - Your Price: $7.99 Availability: Available To Order Deneux has followed up his wonderful board book Animals with the even more wonderful Circus! The man is a genius. ...More