July 1, 2008
There is no getting around the sad fact that weeks for publishing new releases will never make the list of things which are created equal. People, leopard frogs, tinned hams, are created equal. But it would not be strictly true to say that July 1st is an outstanding week for new releases. This truth raises yet another of those soul testing moral dilemmas which shape the human character. As I see it there are three basic options. Option 1: Change our newsletter title this week to DDG's Weekly Tolerable Okay 2. Option 2: Fudge it entirely by slipping in already released books that we haven't used yet. Option 3: Fudge it slightly by mixing in some already released material with this week's top titles. To help us decide we'll consult this week's moral guide, Jean Paul Sartre. Sartre said that, "All human actions are equivalent and all are on principle doomed to failure." Good to know, but it throws the ball back in our court rather. He also mentioned that, "Every existing thing is born without reason, prolongs itself out of weakness, and dies by chance." This would seem to favor Option 1. On the other hand Sartre declared that it is "better to have beasts that let themselves be killed than men who run away." Now this thought clearly supports Option 2. Most conclusively, however, Sartre asserts that "Being is. Being is in-itself. Being is what it is." Phew! Option 3 it 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!
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