June 16, 2008 It it is well known that there is nothing so laudable as routine, and so we are exceedingly remorseful to be sending out The Weekly Top 2 on Monday rather than Tuesday - particularly shocking since most of the books in the newsletter are in fact released on June 17th. We are not suggesting, that in your understandable zeal to pick up these titles, that you should dash immediately into the store, overpower our staff, and seize the books from the receiving area. It would be far better to wait until tomorrow to pick up these titles. The truth of the matter is that I'm out of town on business until Thursday, and am thus forced into this reprehensible earliness. So please accept our apology! This week we've decided to picture a really great sideline in action, BookBright, "The World's Only Wearable Book Light!" This is a fantastic book light which clips onto your shirt so that you can just sit or lay down and read the book without ever thinking about the light! And finally we are very sorry to be saying goodbye, at least for a while, to our awesome Assistant Manager Aileen Pelkey, pictured here at the height of her powers at our Pirate Adventure Party. Aileen is going off on maternity leave and we wish her all the best and will miss her. Yes, perhaps she'll be back a bit here and there, even if she and Lance have moved to China! (China, Maine that is.) 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!   Kick the Balls Kick the Balls: An Offensive Suburban Odyssey an Offensive Suburban Odyssey By Black, Alan 2008/06 - Hudson Street Press 9781594630477 - Hardcover List Price $23.95 - Your Price: $19.16 Availability: Available   Preorder Title Back Order While early youth soccer is never too far removed from potential comedy, this account of a transplanted Scotsman's attempt to bring his obsessive sensibility to a northern California team of eight and nine year olds is not only very funny but a fascinating study of cross cultural dysfunction into the bargain....More   Fearless Fourteen By Evanovich, Janet 2008/06 - St. Martin's Press 9780312349516 - Hardcover List Price $27.95 - Your Price: $22.36 Availability: Available   Preorder Title Back Order The Fourteenth Stephanie Plum novel is out Tuesday and Evanovich is still right on top of her game. You have to love a book whose complications include " murder, kidnapping, destruction of personal property, and acid reflux." And which promises that "thrills, chills, and incontinence may result." The regular annotation with this title (the 'more' link) contains an interesting review with Evanovich by Karen Holt....More   Lean Mean Thirteen By Evanovich, Janet 2008/06 - St. Martin's Press 9780312349509 - Mass Market List Price $7.99 - Your Price: $6.39 Availability: Available   Preorder Title Back Order Whether you've been waiting for Fearless Fourteen to come out in Hardcover or Lean Mean Thirteen to come out in paperback, the hour has come....More   Leviathan: The History of Whaling in America By Dolin, Eric Jay 2008/07 - W. W. Norton & Company 9780393331578 - Trade Paper List Price $15.95 - Your Price: $12.76 Availability: Available   Preorder Title Back Order This superb account of American Whaling uses a broad array of primary sources to cover the subject from stem to stern, including many many fascinating excursions into lesser know nooks and crannies such as, "Stories, Songs, Sex, and Scrimshaw, " and an entire chapter dedicated to "An Enormous Filthy Humbug."...More   Off Go Their Engines, Off Go Their Lights Off Go Their Engines, Off Go Their Lights By Milusich, Janice Gordon, David 2008/06 - Dutton Books 9780525479406 - Hardcover List Price $15.99 - Your Price: $12.79 Availability: Available   Preorder Title Back Order This delightful picture book combines two things, a parent's desire for a child to go to sleep, and a child's love of vehicles. Page ofter page features a vehicle working hard during the day and going to bed at night. David Gordon's exquisite illustrations will seal the deal for young listeners. "All over the city, boxes of gadgets and gizmos, books and shoes were delivered today, to people in their apartment houses and shops. Now its hold empty, the big brown truck return to the warehouse. There it will stay until the next day. Off goes its engine. Off go its lights. Good night, brown delivery truck, good night." ...More   Robots By Gifford, Clive Picini, Frank 2008/06 - Atheneum Books 9781416964148 - Hardcover List Price $21.99 - Your Price: $17.59 Availability: Available   Preorder Title Back Order For our final children's book title we had something of a dilemma. It was clearly our duty to promote Clive Gifford's Robots. What's not to love about a fantastic interactive book about a subject which, despite having coached robotics programs for six years, I can still be objective enough about to realize that everyone finds fascinating. On the other hand there would be no excuse to ignore a book, Horse, which is so touching, and so exquisitely illustrated that even someone who had sworn a vow to revile horses would love. Well, the wisdom of Solomon demanded that we fudge it by slipping both books in one blurb. ...More