A New Steinbeck Novel!

Here's the skinny on this week at the 'wick - lots of new fiction, a few notable biographical works, and another full slate of author events.

• Imperfect Birds by Anne Lamott - Lamott's first novel since Blue Shoe brings back some characters from earlier novels and has been getting some great early reviews. PW: "Straddling a line between heartwarming and heartbreaking, this novel is Lamott at her most witty, observant, and psychologically astute."  Even better, Anne will be here on Thursday, April 15th at 7:30!
• Lake Shore Limited by Sue Miller - the new novel from the bestselling author of The Senator's Wife and The World Below.  From the pub: "A powerful love story; a mesmerizing tale of entanglements, connections, and inconsolable losses; a marvelous reflection on the meaning of grace and the uses of sorrow, in life and in art."
• This Time Together by Carol Burnett - her memoir. I have a feeling this book (and Carol) is going to be everywhere in the coming weeks.
• The Last Time I Saw You by Elizabeth Berg - a great book club read: somewhat more cynical than her usual, this novel of reconnecting at a 40th high school reunion deals with the prospect of aging. Berg's other books include Home Safe, The Pull of the Moon, The Year of Pleasures.
• What Becomes by A.L. Kennedy - a new collection of short stories by the Scottish author, twice named to Granta's list of Best Young British Writers. Starred reviews from Kirkus ("Sensitively observed, elegantly written snapshots of the human condition") and Publisher's Weekly.

• In the Shadow of the Cypress by Thomas Steinbeck - the second novel by John's son.  Set in...Monterey, California, this novel is about the communities of Chinese immigrants living there. Centering on 3 men from various time periods of Chinese life on the California coast, Booklist called it "upbeat, captivating, provocative, and classy." It also has an awesome cover.
• The Bridge: The Life & Rise of Barack Obama by David Remnick - Remnick is a Pulitzer Prize winner & editor of the New Yorker - this is his entry into the Barack Obama biography sweepstakes.  I think Remnick's sheer writing ability will make this more interesting than most. Jon Meacham from Newsweek wrote that "Remnick's biography depends not on nuggets (of information) but on his characteristically dispassionate, richly observed assessment of his subject. Without sermonizing or sentimentalizing, Remnick sheds light on the complicated role of race in Obama's rise and victory and, perhaps most relevantly, in the conduct of his presidency."
• In the Green Kitchen: Techniques to Learn By Heart by Alice Waters - every new book from sustainable food guru Alice Waters is a major big deal. This is a step-by-step guide to how she cooks - with 50 recipes that highlight fresh, local flavors.
• Seized: A Sea Captain's Adventures Battling Scoundrels and Pirates While Recovering Stolen Ships in the World's Most Troubled Waters by Max Hardberger - c'mon, admit you're a little bit hooked by that subtitle! Pirates!

New in paperback:  How it Ended: New & Collected Stories by Jay "Bright Lights, Big City" McInerney.

Happenings:
Steve Poizner, Monday - Mount Pleasant
Jason Shiga, Tuesday afternoon - Meanwhile
David Deardorff & Kathryn Wadsworth, Tuesday night - What's Wrong with My Plant? (And How Do I Fix It?)
Anchee Min, Thursday night - Pearl of China

Just a reminder:  Coffee with a Bookseller, April Edition is coming up - Tuesday, April 13 at 10am. See you there!