Warwick's Guest Bloggers-“This is What Happens When You’re a Guest”

“This is What Happens When You’re a Guest”
By Katharine Allen and Laura Derickson

The candid, charming, and outrageously funny Fred Stoller paid a visit to La Jolla as part of his tour for his new acclaimed novel Maybe We’ll Have You Back, in which he recounts his life as a “perennial T.V. guest star.” Stoller has been described as the hardest working man in Hollywood, with a resume boasting over 100 guest appearances. Even so, he has maintained his sense of humor, his aura of humility and his genuine likeability.

Katherine and Laura with Fred Stoller at Warwick's

We had the privilege of sitting down with Stoller before his book signing at Warwick’s in La Jolla [on May 21, 2013] and asked him a few questions. Never having spent much time with famous people, we weren’t sure what to expect. To our delight, not only is Fred Stoller a hilarious writer and stand-up comedian, but he is also the type of guy two high-school juniors could have a blast talking to. He answered all of our questions with the ease and graciousness of someone comfortable enough with himself to make us both feel comfortable with ourselves. He gave us anecdotes from his book and life, tips for breaking into acting, and invaluable dating advice. In the end, our biggest regret was that there was so much to talk about and so little time.

One of the first things one notices about Stoller is perhaps his most endearing quality: his art of self-deprecation. When speaking about casting calls he described casting directors telling him "not so pathetic,” and then responded to them by saying, “I was being myself.” He never reached the stage of instant stardom over night. Stoller recalled experiences of being booed off the stage, yelled at by crowds, and getting booed at in parking lots. He bounced back by thinking of those crowds as “drunk idiots.” “It’s helped,” he said. When he felt rejection, he would call friends who would listen to him, sometimes all night. "You're a doomed Jew from Brooklyn," Larry David once told him, but he persevered, partially because he couldn’t come up with an alternative career.

Stoller opened up about his rise to fame, his mother, his one-night stand with Kathy Griffin, and his surprisingly modest lifestyle. “Everyone always says; ‘You must live over there,’ pointing at the Hollywood mansions and I say ‘no’ and point them in the right direction,” he told us.

We asked Stoller when he first realized he was funny, and he explained, “I just knew I was a misfit and wasn’t made for the real world, and I didn’t know what I wanted to do. But then I saw quirky character actors on T.V. and I thought: ‘Oh I could do that,’ but I didn’t know how to pursue it.” Stoller then began to experience stand up comedy first-hand when he started to visit a comedy club with his older sister, where he “just started hanging out watching comedians,” and his future was set in motion. But not everyone was pleased with his decision. One chapter of his book is entitled “You’re too Depressed to Be a Comedian,” because when Stoller explained to his mother than he was going to pursue a career in stand up comedy she replied; "You are so depressed, how are you going to make people laugh.” Little by little he began to put an act together, even though he was shy at first. Stoller then realized that “being nervous become my act. I had my head down and I wouldn’t look at the audience and I would just say crazy things that had really happened to me,” he said. Stoller can be seen on almost any popular T.V. series as the “awkward guy, weird guy, scared guy, nervous guy, or guy who trips.”

Of all of Stoller’s accomplishments, or credits, he has had many fabulous T.V. experiences, Seinfield standing out from the rest. He knew at the time that being part of such a show allowed him to be a part of T.V. history. “To be part of it in any facet is a thrill,” he commented. Stoller has not only acted for Seinfeld, but has also spent time as a writer for the show. He admitted, though, that guest starring is far less glamorous then being a full-time actor. He recalled that when working on a Friends episode, his “bathroom had been torn down to make a gym for the stars.” With respect to his book, Maybe We’ll Have You Back, Stoller said that “there’s actually more rejection in writing a book than stand up comedy because it’s your life.” Although he writes less than flattering stories about many famous people in the book, the only person he has heard from directly is his mother. She, he said, is “less than thrilled,” with his newest endeavor. Of course, this led to a careful conversation about his mother and his childhood. His mother is the subject of many portions of the book. She is described as “always scared” and “very negative.” Stoller openly admitted that she lacked much support for his dreams. Once when Stoller considered getting a job at Burger King, he said that his mother told him, “yeah, they’re waiting for you.”

How do all of these things impact Stoller’s work? He notes that he is not a failure. He understands his “type.” He has embraced his shmuck-ness. Stoller, while fidgety and nervous, has a remarkably thick skin. Although Stoller names other celebrities in the book, in our interview he suggested that if either of us ever thought of writing a book we may want to consider changing all of the names. We asked if Kathy Griffin ever contacted him, and he laughed, shook his head, and said that she made a reference to the book on her television show basically stating that she had so much sex during the 90s that she really couldn’t remember him.

And with such a demanding career, we were tentative to ask about his love life. With a chuckle, a flustered Stoller said, “How do you get a girl to like you?” He asked. “Be funny?” we answered. He shakes his head, and smiles. “You can’t get a girl to like you; she just has to like you. You can’t work someone, it’s predetermined, like auditions,” he said, “don’t make the mistakes I’ve made. Don’t check your phone.” As if remembering a sudden tip, he also stated, “It’s a bad thing if a woman is on her phone looking for the next date on a dating site. When you see that, get out of there.” and he even admitted that that had in fact happened to him. And because he knows Tinsel Town, Stoller specifically addresses dating stars, “If you’re an actor, it’s a catch 22. You want someone not like you and not competitive with you, but other people might not get you.”

As we were leaving, Stoller gave his advice for both the aspiring actor and the average teenager. For the aspiring actors out there he stated, “Class is good, but don’t be a permanent student,” he said with a decisive note in his voice, “you can’t learn to be funny. Trust your feelings. Embrace who and what you are and don’t try too hard to figure out what they are looking for because it’s always going to change. People prey on vulnerable people. Stay away from experts and acting coaches. There are so many self-anointed experts out there; the insecurity is like Facebook times 1000. It’s always ‘me, me, my thing, come to my show’.” And, always the comedian, Stoller, smiled when asked if people in show business are generally narcissistic, then he laughed and responded with a sarcastic, “Oh please.” He recalled advice that Quentin Tarantino had given him on dealing with such people, “If you say there’s a they, you create a they.”

Stoller left us with some parting advice, when questioned on his “greatest regret.” “My greatest regret was giving in to desperation,” he explained, “trust your feeling. You wouldn’t ask someone ‘do I have a headache?’” We feel safe speaking for everyone at the book signing, when we say, Mr. Stoller, we would love to have you back.

Our Guest Bloggers, Laura and Katherine are high school students in La Jolla

2013 Warwick’s Summer Reads

It's Summer, time for sun, surf, vacation and reading! Take a look at the Warwick's Staff's Summer Reading List. These are the books we are excited to share with you or are just plain excited to get our hands on. Take a look at what our diverse staff is pouring over this summer.

Adriana, bookseller: After Her by Joyce Maynard (out 8/20/13)
I love everything that Joyce Maynard writes and this one is no exception.

Heather, Marketing Coordinator: Night Film by Marisha Pessl (out 8/20/13)
Pessl’s sophomore effort (her debut was Special Topics in Calamity Physics) is a fantastic mystery steeped in horror and Hollywood mythology. Pessl ingeniously incorporates webpages, torn sheets of paper, and other items into the text, making it not only a written tale, but in a way, multimedia. I was absolutely absorbed by Night Film.

Julie, Director of Events and Community Relations: Transatlantic by Colum McCann (out 6/4/13)
You read Colum McCann because you love to read beautiful writing. I am awed by his ability to tell so much in so few words. He shows us, in such sparse and beautiful verse, that we all can survive tough and difficult periods of time. He is a master storyteller, telling this story through the voices of four generations of women. If you are already a fan of bi-planes and Irish history - what a bonus. For everyone else, it is the sheer enjoyment of reading Colum McCann's words and, in the process, he will make you a fan! I savored every last minute with this book, because I knew it would be a long time before I'd get the chance to read something by this wonderful writer. Thank you, once again, Colum McCann for giving us this treasure

John, Book Buyer: Lawrence in Arabia: War, Deceit, Imperial Folly, and the Making of the Modern Middle East by Scott Anderson (out 8/6/13)
I'm finishing up two weighty historical tomes at the moment, so I have barely dipped into Lawrence in Arabia. I really look forward to reading it for a number of reasons. First, Scott Anderson is a veteran war correspondent and an excellent writer. So far, it reads like a thriller. Second, Anderson relied on extensive primary source research, and many of the sources have only seen the light of day recently. Third, the book focuses not only on Lawrence but a small group of officers and adventurers who in many ways shaped the Arab Revolt against the Turks, and therefore had a decisive impact on the modern contours and conflicts of the Middle East. This book will make a perfect follow-up to the book I'm just finishing, Return of a King: The Battle for Afghanistan by William Dalrymple

Janet, bookseller: The Silver Star by Jeanette Walls (out 6/11/13)
I just finished Jeanette Walls new novel, The Silver Star. It’s about two young sisters all, but abandoned by their flighty mom, who make their way across the country to find a home with an eccentric relative in the deep South. Fans of The Secret Lives of Bees and Labor Day will love this engrossing story.

Acacia, bookseller: Burial Rites by Hannah Kent (out 9/10/13)
An absolutely stunning literary debut in the tradition of Atwood’s Alias Grace, this story follows the last days of Agnes Magnusdottir, the last woman to be executed for murder in Iceland. Kent brings to life the harsh landscape of the early 19th century countryside and the heated love affair that might have eventually led her to murder. A must read for anyone looking for a fresh take on historical fiction.

Camilla, Book Receiver: The Shining Girls by Lauren Beukes (out 6/13/13)
After being a dedicated non-fiction and history reader for a few years now, I have finally decided it is time to return to fiction for the summer. The Shining Girls by Lauren Beukes will provide the perfect escapism necessary, in the format of a dark, creepy thriller. Writer Tana French loved the book but said, “It creeped the holy bejasus out of me.” French is no stranger to dark writing, and should be a sign to anyone who enjoys King, or French that this book is worth taking a look at. The plot centers around a time-traveling serial killer who leaves a souvenir with each of his victims. This modus operandi works well for many years, until one of his victims survives. While this is certainly not a light hearted summer read, it is one that will likely take hold of any reader who enjoys a thriller or mystery.

Barbara, bookseller: The Light in the Ruins by Chris Bohjalian (out 7/9/13)
This newest novel by Bohjalian is a wonderful story taking place in Tuscany at the end of WWII and ten years later. It’s got everything from romance, to intrigue, to murder. I loved it.

The Yonahlossee Riding Camp for Girls: One of This Summer's Most Anticipated Books

The Yonahlossee Riding Camp for Girls, now there’s a mouthful. I predict that this book title will be the most butchered title of the summer. It just might be up there with the like of The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society and Divine Secrets of the Ya-Ya Sisterhood. That being said, this book has already been named a most anticipated book for Summer 2013 by The Wall Street Journal and Publishers Weekly, and it’s only fair to say that booksellers should get used to the different interpretations of this title that will be bandied about as the word spreads and book clubs tromp through the doors to get their hands on the new hot read.

Here’s the plot in brief:
It’s 1930; America is in the midst of the Great Depression, families are losing money, homes, and their lives. In the midst of the country’s turmoil sits 15-year-old Thea Atwell, the only daughter of a Florida doctor and his beautiful wife. Thea’s family is wealthy thanks to her mother’s citrus groves, and has led a sheltered, unstructured life, roaming her family’s fields on the back of her pony Sasi with her twin brother Sam at her side. When we meet Thea she is in the midst of familial banishment, shunted out to the mountains of North Carolina, so far and so drastically different than Florida, to The Yonahlossee Riding Camp for Girls, an elite boarding school for the daughters of the upper echelons. It is here, that Thea, banished from her family due to mysterious circumstances, must fit into the complicated social order that is an all-girls school, while dealing with her own issues of guilt, resentment, and abandonment toward her family.

I’ll start by saying that I was immediately immersed in this book. Told from an adult Thea’s perspective as she looks back at her life, is it easy to empathize with her teenage self; separated from her idyllic home and thrust into the competitive environment of other teen girls, mourning the lost connection with her twin with whom she has been inseparable, and suffering the shunning from her mother. As the story progresses and the reader learns more about Thea’s life and the probable reasons of her banishment that involve the only other teen she had contact with—her cousin George, the sympathy remains, along with a twinge of contempt for the naivety of her mother, and the willful blindness she displayed to the goings on. Author Anton DiSclafani know just how to pull the heart strings, with the right amount of angst and resentment and that cleverness perfectly sucks the reader into the story and firmly implants Thea as a solid, yet tragic hero. The brilliance of this writer is truly displayed in how she slowly and subtlety adds more to Thea’s character and backstory, throwing in little tastes of Thea’s less than perfect traits, stacking them up slowly, so that when the reasons behind the banishment are learned, the reader is so enmeshed in the world through seen through Thea’s eyes, that it becomes nearly impossible to condemn her actions. I say brilliance because the actions of Thea are really reprehensible when removed from the context of the narrative (actually, in my mind they are reprehensible period), and when the shameful reason behind her exile comes to the forefront the reader is still on her side. It’s like being caught up in the gaze of a hypnotist, difficult to breakaway, and in the case of Thea, even harder to condemn.

Having finished, and been given time to digest the plot and motives of its main character, I have come to a far different conclusion; Thea is not a victim—she made her choices willfully and defiantly, but she can be sympathized with to some extent as being a product of her time. Instead of being villains, the Atwell parents bring on their own destruction, both because of the era and the hardships of the Depression, but also because in separating their family from the world at large, they in a sense engineer their own demise. Yet, in the end, when looking back at all that Thea has wrought by her actions, it is clear how much of a path of destruction she left behind her. She is a product of the time—a girl, naïve in her approach to worldly things like sex, politics, money, and society in general, yet because of her isolated upbringing both she and her twin Sam were unable to blossom into fully formed moral human beings capable of becoming healthy members of the world. I’m philosophizing here, but Thea is an almost sociopathic blend of naivety and selfishness, it is her actions that set the ball rolling in a downward spiral, she needs to be punished, and yet in reality it is not Thea who is ultimately punished, it is the family that turned her away, incapable of moving on. Thea is hero and villain, her family the tragic remnants of a battle they didn’t even know had started, and it is they, not Thea who suffer the price. Thea is the champion in this narrative, winning the reader to her side, but upon further contemplation, she is a harbinger of destruction, both contemptible in her actions, but oddly amazing in her resilience, something her parents lack.

I’m torn. This book was phenomenally good. I really felt for Thea, I hoped her parents suffered for their abandonment, for choosing Sam over her. Ultimately, their eventual suffering, even though it stemmed from their own blindness and bad judgment, was so shattering that I can’t help but be frustrated. You love a character, skim over her sins, but when everything else is destroyed by her choices how can you enjoy the aftermath? I was enthralled by the first three quarters of The Yonahlossee Riding Camp for Girls, and irritated by the last quarter because of Thea’s blasé attitude and seeming lack of awareness that she was the catalyst of all the misery. Maybe these feelings speak to the talent of the author and her compelling narrative. Perhaps they are a more accurate depiction of what happens when a child is denied socialization and accountability. Maybe if Thea’s parents dealt with the issue instead of just removing the elephant in the room, the outcome would have been different. Life is a series of what ifs; postulating on the parents mistakes, the role of society in that era, and Thea’s choices isn’t going to give me anything, but a headache, and it is this that speaks to Anton DiSclafani’s talent as a storyteller, she is making me think, there might even be a catharsis somewhere in there. A good storyteller charms you with the lore, a great one makes you deconstruct it and feel emotion, positive and negative, question it, revel in it. I might be ethically frustrated by the outcomes of this novel, but while reading it I was invested, and it is that investment, created by the mesmeric narrative, which makes it a book worth reading and discussing.

Reading Beth Hoffman

It is great fun to find fantastic debut novelists. It’s something that every bookseller gets to enjoy, and do quite frequently, but I have to admit to a bit of nerves when it comes to sophomore efforts. There’s nothing worse than falling in love with a debut author, only to have those feelings thrown in your face with the production of a lackluster second novel. It happens more often than not, and as a reader it is always a bit crushing. So, it was with some trepidation that I picked up Beth Hoffman’s new book Looking for Me. I absolutely loved her debut Saving CeeCee Honeycutt and was a little afraid that I would be disappointed by this second novel. Well, let me tell you how foolish those worries were.

Looking for Me is a fantastic second novel. It possesses the same charm as its predecessor, drawing readers in with its southern warmth and anecdotal tone, while also maintaining the remarkable insight and depth that I believe readers will begin to associate with Hoffman’s writing. Beth Hoffman has that rare quality as an author to present a seemingly light and easy read, only to have a fully-fledged novel that is not only engrossing, but also intelligent, and brilliantly written. Her use of language is beyond simple charm, her sentences flow like warm honey to be savored and reread, and her characters are fully functioning, living and breathing people—ones you wish with all your heart you could get to know.

Told in first-person, and bouncing back and forth through time, Looking for Me tells the story of Teddi Overman, a talented furniture restorer and owner of an antique shop in South Carolina. Born on a farm in Kentucky, readers are introduced to the Overman family; Teddi, a girl who’s love from antique furniture leads her on a road of self-discovery, Teddi’s silent and wonderful father Henry, her perpetually disappointed mother Franny, and her brother Josh whose affinity with nature, in particular rare birds of prey, provides readers with a heartbreaking mystery. As Teddi’s life unfurls, bouncing between her present and memories of her childhood, I was delighted to only be captivated be her life, but to also be engrossed by her love of antiques—learning more about restoration and estate shopping in a way that was both entertaining and emotional, than I ever could have thought. These instances are so well-written in fact, that I, who have never had an interest in these things, found myself wanting to look up terms on Google and pop out to the next big estate sale in my neighborhood. To get non-crafty me interested in furniture restoration is a fete in itself! Hoffman also manages to effectively and lastingly tug on the proverbial heartstring as she addresses Teddi’s strained relationship with her mother, and her brother’s mysterious disappearance, in a way that manages to forgo the mawkish sentiment or cheesiness that so often finds its way into novels.

This is a deceptively complex story that is beyond readable, it’s enchanting, lovable  beautiful, and full of depths that one would not expect from a novel that might appear lighter in content than some. Looking for Me is one of those books you pick-up and literally do not put down, not because of suspense or turmoil, but because it is so well-written, and the characters so believable and rich, that it mesmerizes with the first paragraph. Beth Hoffman is just that good and I will never again feel trepidation that her next novel won’t be good enough—she’s secured my fandom for life.

Come meet Beth Hoffman at Warwick's on Tuesday, June 4, 2013 at 7:30 pm. Details available at http://warwicks.indiebound.com/event/beth-hoffman-2013.

And The Mountains Echoed: A Q&A with Khaled Hosseini (Courtesy of the Publisher)

Khaled Hosseini (c) Elena Seibert

What most excites you about meeting your readers across America?
Meeting the wide range and diversity of people who have responded to my books, people from all walks of life, all religions, races, cultures, from varsity wrestling team members to hipsters to CEOs to middle-aged accountants to octogenarians. It is always a reminder to me, when I meet these kaleidoscopic demographics, of the ability of fiction to connect people through the expression of basic, common human experiences.

You’ll be on the road for five weeks—what are you planning to bring to read on your tour?
I have already bought a few books for just that purpose and they are now sitting on my desk! Some are new, some are older books that I have always meant to read and never got around to. They are:

Birds of America by Lorrie Moore
The Twelve Tribes of Hattie by Ayana Mathis
Dear Life by Alice Munro
American Pastoral by Philip Roth
The History of Love by Nicole Krauss

Not sure I will get through all of them, but I will knock off a few.

What do you like to do with your downtime during your book tour?
I read. I exercise, if I can find the time. I watch parts of movies. I call home. I try to write but never can. I end up reading a lot.

What do you pack in your suitcase that might surprise us?
I always pack—though I never end up wearing it—my SF 49ers cap, which I consider my good luck hat. Also, I have started taking guitar lessons (as a show of solidarity, really, with my son), and sometimes I will pack a small travel guitar for practice on the road. (A bit of parental trickery is at work here, of course; i.e., if I can find time to practice on a national book tour, then my son can find twenty minutes in his day to do the same. Sometimes you have make people feel so bad that they’ll do the right thing.)

What are your children reading right now?
My daughter, who is ten, is reading A Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine L’Engle.
My son, twelve, just finished The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time by Mark Haddon.

Come listen to and meet Khaled Hosseini on June 26th! Event and ticket information available at http://khaledhosseinisd.eventbrite.com

And the Mountains Echoed is available for purchase on May 21, 2013.

Kaleidoscopes—My Journey into the Warwick’s Gift Dept.

I don’t often get the chance to peruse the Office and Gift Departments of Warwick’s. I have excuses: I work in books, I’m chained to my desk, the always popular—we have a Gifts Dept.?, or the ever promising—I’m lazy! I’m sure I could come up with more, but really, there are some great gems in our Gift Dept., it’s just sometimes I’m moving too fast to notice. That’s why, when a co-worker stopped me in my tracks to show me some new jewelry, I wasn’t terribly surprised to find something truly unique, and well—awesome: kaleidoscope necklaces.

Yes, I'll admit it, I think kaleidoscopes are cool, but let me back-up. Growing up kaleidoscopes were kind of a thing for me, my cousins, and siblings. It’s not that we were all kaleidoscope mad, or even eager to own and play with kaleidoscopes, it’s that our grandmother collected them and whenever we visited her inner sanctum (bedroom) we got to investigate them to our hearts content. From simple little $2 cardboard tubes, to elaborate glass contrivances, my grandma had an eclectic and often beautiful collection and it gave us all  a sense of pleasure to pick-up one and discover a world of shape and color. My grandmother has since passed, and I have the pleasure of temporarily harboring those wonderful devices, and each time I get a glimpse of one out of the corner of my eye when walking through the house, I think of her.

So, back to those kaleidoscope necklaces at Warwick’s—seeing them displayed on our jewelry counter immediately made me think of my grandma, particularly since she probably purchased some of her kaleidoscopes here. With Mother’s Day around the corner, I couldn’t help but think how much she would have loved one of these beautiful necklaces. It just really ended my day with a smile.

Now I’d like to share a little information about these truly unique pieces. The kaleidoscope necklaces are created by Healy Designs, run by jewelers Deborah and Kevin who have been making kaleidoscopes since the 1990’s. As told by the designers “The swirling colors and patterns of Kaleidoscopes have enabled us to add a new dimension to how our jewelry may be enjoyed. As artists, we feel fortunate to participate in the revelatory and peaceful world of Kaleidoscopes."1
Warwick’s features the necklaces, and other fine jewelry in our Gift Department, with prices ranging from $99 to $345, each handmade and filled with pieces of colorful sea glass, and of course all are working kaleidoscopes. I’ve provided a few pictures, but honestly they don’t do the necklaces justice, my suggestion  is to come into the store and check them out—if only to see how intricately they are made. Also, the Gift Dept. staff is well versed on the jewelry and can answer any questions you might have.


I guess I’ve now learned that if I am able to make such a find by traveling to the other side of the store I should probably do it more often and I must urge those of you who only peruse books to do the same. Who knows what amazingly perfect item you may find or what memories of your own those items might evoke.

As a side note, Warwick’s also sells some stunning full-size kaleidoscopes, the picture here depicts three kaleidoscopes by Sea Parrot, which are handmade and use unique colors and materials, sure to stun the eyes.


Heather is the Marketing Coordinator for Warwick's

1 http://www.healydesigns.com

John's Playlist

It's that time once again to feature one amazing Warwick's bookseller and their current "must reads", or as we call it, their "playlists". This week John is presenting a unique selection of books, both fiction and non-fiction sure to entice a diverse group of readers. John, who has been at Warwick's since March of 2000, is someone who wears many hats at Warwick's, among them book buyer, bookseller, and receiver--his enthusiasm for smart literature and fascinating non-fiction helps to make him one of our most well-rounded readers, as seen in his picks below.

Behind the Beautiful Forevers: Life, Death, and Hope in a Mumbai Undercity by Katherine Boo
Boo, a Pulitzer Prize winning journalist, writes evocatively and movingly about the people living in Annawadi, a slum in the shadow of the Mumbai airport and a row of the city’s luxury hotels. The people you meet in this book (especially Abdul) will stay with you, will haunt you, as powerfully as any character you have ever encountered in fiction. Given both the hands-on depth of her research and her restrained yet evocative writing, I am certain that no better book has ever been written, or ever will be written, about how the struggle to survive in conditions of abject poverty shapes and distorts human personalities, families, and communities.

Big Data: A Revolution That Will Transform How We Live, Work, and Think 
by Viktor Mayer-Schönberger & Kenneth Cukier
Analyzing big data — that is, massive and complex collections of data — has already yielded astonishing results and will utterly transform the world. This is a must-read book for, among others, scientists, doctors, policymakers, and business people. Really, if you care about the future, you should read this!

The Book of Barely Imagined Beings: A 21st Century Bestiary 
by Caspar Henderson
This book won me right away with the sheer beauty of its cover, typography, and illustrations — all of which remind one of the medieval bestiaries that inspired this book. This A-Z bestiary (Axolotl to Zebra Fish) of weird, delightful, amazing, and very real creatures entertainingly weaves together natural history, human history, philosophy, science, and literature. It certainly achieves the goal set by the author of better understanding and imagining “being and beings.” You will indeed think about the world, its beings, and yourself differently and more profoundly after reading this book.

Ghostman by Roger Hobbs
A compelling “bad guy” protagonist, “wise” dialogue, an almost geek-like fascination with criminal machinations, a high body count, and a ticking clock suspense plot — this debut thriller has a lot going for it, and . . . it delivers! Hopefully, this will be the first in a long series of books.

Gulp: Adventures on the Alimentary Canal by Mary Roach
Nobody writes science with more humor, with more of a love of scientists and the crazy things they study, with more of a mischievous delight in enlightening her readers by making them squirm than the brilliant Mary Roach. Her current book, a tour of the human body from sniffing to chewing to digestion to excretion — that is, mouth to anus — is quite possibly her best one yet. I guarantee that you will not only be entertained and enlightened, you will also find it nearly impossible not to share with your friends and family all of the fascinating things you learn about saliva.

How to Create the Perfect Wife: Britain's Most Ineligible Bachelor and his Enlightened Quest to Train the Ideal Mate by Wendy Moore
Possesed of a love of liberty and of stoicism, moved especially by a terrifically bad reading of Rousseau, Thomas Day adopts some orphans and, having failed to get anyone to the altar, sets about to create a well-educated, stoically virtuous, and obedient wife. Wendy Moore develops out of this crazy story a grounded and nuanced portrait of the interplay of education, enlightenment notions of liberty, and gender in Georgian England. Day’s activities would ultimately be a source for many literary works, but the story of what eventually happened both to him and to Sabrina is perhaps the most fascinating part of this entertaining and, at times, jaw dropping social history.

How to Get Filthy Rich in Rising Asia by Moshin Hamid
Narrated by “you,” Hamid’s novel is a “self-help” book, one that in relating the life story of its narrator, proposes to show the reader how to thrive amidst the corruption, wild entrepreneurship, crime, violence, and rapid urbanization that characterizes the “Asia” of the title. This is also a modern love story, a tale of personal rise and fall, and a satirical take on the ravages of urbanization and modernization. Hamid's inventive, unsentimental prose and his sharp wit will have you flying through this book.

Lost in Shangri-La: A True Story of Survival, Adventure, and the Most Incredible Rescue Mission of World War II by Mitchell Zuckoff
In 1945, a plane crashed in an isolated valley in the mountains of Papua New Guinea. The three survivors of the crash — a WAC and two GIs — found themselves wounded and trapped in a valley populated by warrior tribes. Their dramatic rescue was global front page news in 1945. Zuckoff has peppered this compulsively readable narrative with fascinating details. Great stuff!

Thinking Fast and Slow by Daniel Kahneman
The work of Daniel Kahneman and his collaborator Amos Tversky transformed cognitive science, the study of psychology, and led to the emergence of behavioral economics. Many popular books in business and science are rooted in their work. Now you can get a more detailed and nuanced portrait of their work and its results directly from the source in this intellectual masterpiece. Most surprising is how accessible and entertaining this book truly is. It will also, if you work at it, improve your thinking.

Wolf Hall by Hilary Mantel
Wolf Hall is one of the best historical novels I have ever read. The only recent rival for me is Mantel’s second book in the Cromwell trilogy, Bring Up the Bodies (in paperback in May). Her prose is far more vital than one usually finds in a historical novel, and her ability to write and observe believably from inside the head of Thomas Cromwell is staggering. I thought I was done reading about the Tudors until I read the first page of Wolf Hall.

"The River of No Return"

Fans of Deborah Harkness’s A Discovery of Witches rejoice—The River of No Return is here!

No, it’s not another book in the Witches series, and no it is not another book from Harkness herself. Instead, it is a debut novel written by another professor (Harkness is at USC); this time by a professor of English literature at Bryn Mawr College, Bee Ridgeway, and her story is 100% sure to grab your attention and devotion if you are a fan of Harkness.

The River of No Return (not to be confused with the Robert Mitchum/Marilyn Monroe film) follows the story of Nick Davenant, nee Lord Nicholas Falcott, a young man thrust through time during the heat of battle in 1813, landing in 2003 to discover he has a unique gift, one that allows for the manipulation of time. It is there that he is taken under the wing of the Guild, a group of powerful men and women with the same abilities as Nick. Ten years later, Nick is plunged through time once again, this time by the Guild, in order to investigate a terrible hole (called “the Pale”) that is threatening the future. Back in his own time Nick is reacquainted with his young love Julia Percy, a Lady with mysterious ties to time, the Guild, and the Guild’s enemies, and who may have the answer to everything.

There is obviously much more to the plot, it’s a fantasy that weaves between time and characters, building itself a rich history and background, laying the groundwork for future sequels. Much like it’s counterparts in fiction, Diana Gabaldon’s Outlander and the Deborah Harkness books, The River of No Return has a plot that is intricately drawn and difficult to describe in detail without divulging too much of the plot (something that drives me crazy in reviews). Yet, unlike the books by Harkness, Ridgeway’s book is much more tightly edited, without the pages of droll description or meandering conversation about subjects that have no real bearing on the plot (wine and yoga in the case of Witches). The pacing is good, and only slows to a squeaking (not quite screeching) halt when the concept of “the River” and time are philosophized upon. The book is of course not without fault. Its characters are interesting, although with a few of them it is clear that the author is trying desperately to give them depth and mysterious undercurrents, but instead reduces them to over-dramatic and somewhat farcical creatures. The writing at times loses its crispness, not the plot mind you, but the writing—something that is more common with debuts, and is sure to be honed by the time the sequel arrives. Also, it does leave readers hanging; a plot device that, in this series driven world of entertainment, is something that seems as unavoidable as death, and yet is done in such a way that readers will not be prone to throwing their books across the room in frustration (yes, I’ve done this) because nothing has been resolved.

In all, The River of No Return is a wonderful read. It is fantasy, it is historical, it is romance, and it is intrigue— all those things that help to create a rich and entertaining narrative. If you love those genres, or are a fan of A Discovery of Witches, you will thoroughly enjoy Bee Ridgeway’s debut, and like me, be eagerly waiting on the next installment.

Janet's Playlist

The Warwick’s Staff is a rich and diverse group of individuals with a variety of tastes that appeal to readers across the board. For years we have papered our store with personalized book recommends, to the point that many of our fantastic customers know which booksellers read what, and whose recommends you most identify with. Now, for the first time we will dedicate a display wall to individual booksellers, displaying a small selection of their favorite reads, both current and classic, aptly called The Bookseller’s Playlist. This week we are featuring Janet’s Playlist. Janet has been at Warwick’s since 2003, and when not sharing her expertise in the Children’s Department, she is avidly reading novels written by some of the best and brightest authors around. If you haven’t had a chance to check it out in-store, here are some of the books Janet loves right now.

Leaving Everything Most Loved by Jacqueline Winspear
I am a huge fan of Jacqueline Winspear and her indomitable heroine, Maisie Dobbs. So of course, I’m thrilled that her newest novel is one of her best! Leaving Everything Most Loved finds Maisie delving into the murder of a woman from India and, as always, challenging herself, and expanding her horizons further.

The Burgess Boys by Elizabeth Strout
The Burgess Boys is first and foremost a book about family. Two brothers and one sister are forever bound by the tragic circumstances of their father's death and their hardscrabble upbringing in Maine. Each suffers through trials and tribulations both public and private that will eventually bind them together stronger than ever. In true Elizabeth Strout style, this is not a sugar-coated fantasy family, but flesh and blood people whose characters are so finely drawn you'll feel like you know them. This Pulitzer Prize-winning author has surpassed herself in this timely and eloquent novel.

Flight Behavior by Barbara Kingsolver
Dellarobia Turnbow is a young wife and mother already too tied down and trapped in her tiny Appalachian town. On her way to an ill-fated meeting, she witnesses a natural phenomenon. What she cannot understand, she considers a life-changing miracle for herself, her family, and the townspeople. The flight of the monarchs through the Blue-Ridge Mountains is not only a comment on climate change, but also a beautifully written and heart-warming story of a girl searching for more than what life has dealt her. Barbara Kingsolver at her best! I loved it!

Waiting for Sunrise by William Boyd
Meet Lysander Rief, a young Londoner staying in Vienna pre-World War I. Follow him as he enjoys the pleasures of the beautiful European capital. While there, he becomes fluent in German, enters psychotherapy, and begins an obsessive affair with a beautiful, if eccentric artist. Ensnared in one twist of fate after another, he’s spirited back to England and forced into dangerous undercover work for the War Office—his success is essential not only to the war effort, but to his personal salvation. This is William Boyd at his suave and intriguing best!

The Dovekeepers by Alice Hoffman
Four powerful women tell the stories of their harrowing and arduous journeys to the Masada-the last Jewish stronghold against the Roman invasion in Judea 70 C.E. The engrossing narrative tells how the women came to depend on each other in a life and death struggle. Shrouded in the mysteries of the ancient past, where religion, magic, and superstition were intimately intertwined, The Dovekeepers is a powerfully written and riveting saga of tragic destiny and hope. We were enthralled from beginning to end!

The Child’s Child by Barbara Vine (aka Ruth Rendell)

The Distant Hours by Kate Morton
Last night I dreamt of Milderhurst - the castle that takes center stage in Kate Morton’s much anticipated new novel, Distant Hours. When publisher’s assistant, Edie Burchill sets out to uncover the origin of a classic children’s tale set in the castle, her research reveals more than she ever expected, including secrets involving her own mother’s past. Long ago mysteries and half-truths involving the castle’s inhabitants and their personal tragedies are brought to light and finally laid to rest. As sweeping and dramatic as the classic, Rebecca, The Distant Hours is finely wrought and enthralling to the very end.

Afterwards by Rosamund Lupton
Clear your schedule because you won't want to stop reading this once you start! Rosamund Lupton has done it again. If you loved Sister then you love the style of storytelling that she has now perfected. The finely tuned plot of Afterwards twists and turns weaving timely and relevant women's issues into the story of a mother and daughter locked in a harrowing struggle between life and death. What really happened at the children's school? How will the truth play out? Danger flares and tension mounts in every page-turning moment in this dramatic and compelling literary thriller that answers every mother's question: How far would you go to protect your children?

The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry by Rachel Joyce

Life After Life by Kate Atkinson
Indescribably well-written, this beautifully constructed novel is a miracle of beginnings and endings. Ursula Todd’s life in all its permutations will keep you engrossed and guessing—because after all, who among us really knows on which point our destiny is balanced? I almost never re-read a book, but I’m looking forward to reading Life After Life again and again!

Before the Poison by Peter Robinson


Keep your eyes peeled for more Bookseller Playlists in the upcoming weeks and months!

March Mystery Madness with Jim and the Warwick'sKids Dept.

All of us are searching for the book that will grab and keep our attention, something we just can’t put down. Mysteries often fill this need. The same is true for children and middle school readers. Who delight in finding a book that can put them in another world, living vicariously through the characters.

With this in mind, Warwick’s introduces its own March Madness with a sale of selected children’s young adults’ mystery books giving customers 20 percent off on their purchase. A kid sleuth starring in detective stories can be one of the best page-turners around.

For example, a staff favorite is Maureen Sherry’s Walls Within Walls in which the children in a New York apartment discover their new home is filled with hidden panels and a mysterious book, putting them on an adventure through the city. Solving this puzzle could lead to a great fortune.

Several publishers have series that will keep a youngster reading one book after another. Kids love series (always starting with the first one, of course) so that adventure can be relived in story after story.

For younger readers, the most popular chapter books include Geronimo Stilton, A to Z Mysteries (b for The Bald Bandit), and the Ballpark Mysteries (i.e. The Astro Outlaw) among many others. Those who enjoyed the Fancy Nancy children’s books will find her now with her own detective series, Nancy Clancy.

Middle readers can enjoy Blue Balliett’s detective series, including The Calder Game and Chasing Vermeer. Illustrations help carry the reader from chapter to chapter. A contemporary Hardy Boys series, Brixton Brothers, puts the kids in some exciting adventures. A modern Nancy Drew might be the Sleuth or Dare series, with Norah, Darcy and their business, Partners in Crime. Another favorite could be Agatha, Girl of Mystery, with her first adventure, The Curse of Pharaoh.

A step up from there would be Barrie Sumy’s I So Don’t Do Famous series. Prequels include I So Don’t Do Spooky and I So Don’t Do Makeup featuring a middle school girl who solves mysteries with the help of her mother, who happens to be a ghost. There’s also Gilda Joyce, Psychic Investigator, also assisted by the paranormal.

Not with spirits, but his own cunning, is Theodore Boone, Kid Lawyer written by John Grisham (The Last Juror, The Pelican Brief, etc.). Teddy’s parents are both private investigators, but their son’s talents are much needed to solve the firm’s challenges.

The whole family might enjoy an evening reading one or more of these mystery books, providing a valuable diversion from TV or movies.

Jim is a bookseller at Warwick's

Buyers Corner: Spring 2013

Recently booksellers from all over the country descended upon Kansas City, MO for Winter Institute 8, our annual trade show that focuses on education, community and industry best practices. Despite the travel challenges presented by the winter storms that hit the Midwest, attending booksellers were focused, energetic and optimistic. We spent 3 days in educational sessions that covered a wide-range of topics, were inspired by keynote speakers, Daniel Pink and Malcolm Gladwell and had the opportunity to meet 61 attending authors (and one adorable coonhound named Maddie) at the Saturday evening author reception.

These industry gatherings remind me of the fact that booksellers are resilient, passionate and generous in their sharing of ideas and business practices.

As we prepare to turn our clocks forward I’m also reminded that spring is just around the corner and with it comes a lovely bumper crop of new books. Here are some favorites from the season. Happy Reading!

GOOD READS…

Ghostman by Roger Hobbs (Available now)
A “ghostman” is an expert at disappearing and helping others disappear. Jack Delton is one of the best, but even the best make mistakes. When a former “employer” asks for a favor, it’s a request that he can’t refuse. His task is a to find a bundle of cash that disappeared during a botched casino heist. Unfortunately the bundle is a federal payload containing a packet of indelible ink set to explode in 48 hours…so the clock is ticking! Even Jack’s considerable skills are put to the test in this addictive, electrifying thriller. The sensation of the Frankfurt Book Fair in 2011, this debut marks the beginning of what I hope is a great new series!

The Andalucian Friend by Alexander Soderberg (Available 3/12/13)
When nurse and single mom, Sophie Brinkmann meets patient, Hector Guzman, she has no idea how this chance encounter will forever alter her peaceful life. Ruthless international crime rings and the cops who will do anything to bring them to justice makes it hard to distinguish the good guys from the bad! Compulsively readable…reminiscent of early Ludlum and Forsyth.

Criminal Enterprise by Owen Laukkanen (Availble 3/21/13)
Carter Tomlin appears to have the perfect life…great job, pretty wife, two kids and a big house. Unfortunately he’s never told his wife that he’s lost his job! As the unpaid bills begin piling up, out of desperation, he robs a bank. When no one comes to arrest him he robs another and quickly becomes addicted to the adrenaline rush as well as the easy cash. MN state investigator, Kirk Stevens and FBI Special Agent Carla Windermere (they first appeared in The Professionals) team up again and are soon hot on his trail. This suspenseful thriller will keep you reading right up to the action-packed end.

Life After Life by Jill McCorkle (Available 3/26/13)
It’s been 17 long years since Jill McCorkle’s last novel! Her new novel, set against the backdrop of the Pine Haven Retirement Center, is a beautiful exploration of life and death, that “charts the precarious line…the split moment when the reader is aware of both places at once…that brief spark of connection and recognition before the paths continue in different directions.” Her characters are endearing, authentic and entertaining. I loved, loved, loved this book!

LIFE STORIES, WELL TOLD…

The Still Point of the Turning World by Emily Rapp (Available 3/7/13)
Emily Rapp’s son, Ronan, is 9 months old when he is diagnosed with Tay-Sachs disease, a fatal degenerative disorder with no cure and a life expectancy of 3-4 years. She shares her journey--through the devastating diagnosis and the ultimate loss of her son--in this brave, honest, and beautifully written memoir.

Her by Christa Parravani (Available now)
 “Studies of twins have shown that when an identical twin dies, regardless of the cause, the surviving twin’s life is immediately at risk.” When Christa loses her twin sister, Cara, she finds herself “wrestling with a powerful desire to become her sister. Beautifully written, mesmerizingly rich and true, Christa’s account of being left one half of a whole and of her desperate struggle for survival is informative and unforgettable.” This would be a great book group selection.

After Visiting Friends: a Son’s Story by Michael Hainey (Available now)
Michael Hainey is only 6 years old when his family receives the tragic news that his journalist father, Bob Hainey, has been found dead in the night, alone on a dark Chicago street. Cause of death is listed as a heart attack and the obituary states that Bob died, “after visiting friends” and Michael grows up without ever hearing any specific details. Years later he decides to employ his own investigative reporting skills to answer the questions that have haunting him throughout his childhood. This engaging, powerful memoir about family secrets and one man’s search to uncover the truth surrounding his father’s death will stay with you for a long time.

ANIMAL MAGNETISM…

Once Upon a Flock: Life With My Soulful Chickens by Lauren Scheuer (Available 3/19/13)
Based on her popular blog, Scratch and Peck, Lauren’s whimsical book about her feathered flock is pure fun! Her backyard chickens have BIG personalities (the term “pecking order” takes on a whole new significance!) and are endlessly entertaining as well as productive. Charming illustrations and lots of candid shots reinforce the cute factor. Chickens just may be the next great family pet!

Maddie On Things by Theron Humphrey (Available 5/1/13)
 When Theron set out on a roadtrip to cover all 50 states in 365 days he had no idea where that journey would take him or the significant impact it would have on his life and future. In the grand tradition of Steinbeck’s Travels with Charley, his rescued coonhound, Maddie, goes along for the ride and somewhere early on he decides to photograph her standing on things as a way to document the trip. Maddie is irresistibly photogenic, and loves posing for the camera. This delightful collection will make you smile! (We’re excited to be hosting Maddie and her human on Wednesday, 8/28 at 7:30pm! Information on the event will soon be posted on www.warwicks.com.)

IN THE KITCHEN… 

Nigellissima: Easy Italian-Inspired Recipes by Nigella Lawson (Available now)
Culinary goddess, Nigella Lawson, indulges her personal passion for all things Italian in her newest cookbook. Filled with lush photographs and entertaining personal notes, Nigellissima is beautiful to look at, fun to read and should serve as the springboard for many delicious meals.

The Little Paris Kitchen by Rachel Khoo (Available now)
Khoo moved to Paris to study patisserie and fell in love with city and it’s fabled cuisine. Her belief that you don’t need a lot of space or fancy equipment to cook delicious food and entertain friends (as amply demonstrated on her TV show) is carried through in this beautifully produced cookbook. Reading these recipes will inspire you to create a taste of Paris in your home…without breaking the bank!

LOOKING FORWARD…

The Art of Simple Food II by Alice Waters (Available 4/2/13)
Visionary chef and owner of Chez Panisse creates recipes that showcase flavor, and inspiration from the new kitchen garden.

It’s All Good by Gwyneth Paltrow (Available 4/2/13)
Award-winning actress and author of the bestselling cookbook, My Father’s Daughter “returns with recipes for the foods she eats when she wants to lose weight, look good, and feel more energetic.”

A Tale for the Time Being by Ruth Ozeki (Available 3/12/13)
“Ruth is a writer living in a remote corner of the Pacific coast of British Columbia who is currently thwarted by writer's block as she attempts to compose a memoir. One day she finds a collection of materials contained in a lunchbox that has washed up on the beach. The life she has stumbled into is that of a Japanese teenager, who, believing suicide is the only relief for her teenage angst, nevertheless is determined, before she commits that final act, to write down the story of her great-grandmother, a Buddhist nun.” (This is our April Signed First Editions Club Pick!)

Life After Life by Kate Atkinson (Available 4/2/13)
“If you could travel back in time and kill Hitler, would you?” This question is at the heart of Atkinson’s latest venture into alternate realities. She is a master storyteller!

The Famous and the Dead by T. Jefferson Parker (Available 4/18/13)
“Edgar-winner Parker's complex, sixth and final Charlie Hood novel (after 2012's The Jaguar) finds the affable, tireless deputy in the Los Angeles County Sheriff's office working undercover for the Federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms. Posing as an arms dealer named Charlie Hooper, Hood is trying to stop the flow of guns between Southern California and Mexico and locate the elusive Mike Finnegan, a mixture of Professor Moriarty and Doctor Faustus who featured prominently in The Jaguar.” (We’re pleased to be hosting an event with Jeff Parker on Thursday, 4/18 at 7:30pm! Click here for more details.)

A Constellation of Vital Phenomena by Anthony Marra (Available 5/7/13)
“Marra's sobering, complex debut intertwines the stories of a handful of characters at the end of the second war in bleak, apocalyptic Chechnya.” His beautiful prose helps to ease the toughness of the topic.

The Son by Philipp Meyer (Available 5/28/13)
From the author of American Rust comes a multi-generational saga of power, blood in the Lone Star State. For readers of Cormac McCarthy and Lonesome Dove.

Looking For Me by Beth Hoffman (Available 5/28/13)
Looking for Me brilliantly melds together themes of family, hope, loss, and a mature once-in-a-lifetime kind of love.” Much love in house for this new novel by the author of Saving CeeCee Honeycutt.

Adrian is the Head Book Buyer at Warwick's

Me Before You: A Riveting Read

Have you ever picked up a novel expecting it to be a great read, but instead find yourself being pummeled with a “message”? You know the type, the ones where some highly publicized real life event is bastardized by a fiction writer in an attempt to capitalize on the sensation, or tell the other side of the story, or worse, push a personal agenda in the guise of thoughtful fiction. Now, don’t get me wrong, I’ve read, and enjoyed a few of those very books, but being smashed in the head with a hammer loses its appeal after a while. So, unless it’s done in a very tongue and cheek manner (thank you Max Barry) I try to avoid hot button novels.

Jojo Moyes, author of The Last Letter from Your Lover, a book I enjoyed, has produced with her newest novel Me Before You, a hot button novel, in that the story tackles the issue of assisted suicide. Usually, this has me running to me pile in search of something else to read, but in the case of Moyes’ work, what could have been a politically and socially fired look at suicide and Dignitas (a non-profit Swiss assisted dying group that helps those with terminal illness and severe physical and mental illnesses die through the aid of doctors), what readers get instead is a moving portrait of lost dreams, family, friendship, and unlikely love.

Me Before You is the story of Louisa Clark and Will Traynor. At the end of her financial rope, 26-year-old Louisa takes a job as companion to Will, a wealthy go-getter and thrill seeker, who is now a quadriplegic with little joy in his life, a large chip on his shoulder, and a far-reaching plan to end his suffering. As a reluctant friendship ensues, Lou must find a way to teach Will that he still has a life worth living.

This is a touching tearjerker that manages to display humor, love, and warmth. The characters are well-drawn, showing complexity that is rarely present in these types of books. Their chemistry is a blend of fire cracker and over-enthusiastic childlike behavior that creates a constant tug of war for the readers, drifting emotionally from embarrassed discomfort, gut-clenching laughter, snide snickers, misty eyes, and gulping tears; a mixture that works to enrapture and captivate through the novel’s beautifully written conclusion.

What easily could have been a story where an author shoves her opinion down the readers’ throats becomes a wonderfully touching narrative that presents the information and conclusion softly, allowing us to digest and process in our own ways. Author Moyes handles a rather controversial subject with a deft and a respectful hand; a thoughtful way to approach such a difficult topic, one which is too infrequently used by some authors (who will not be named here). So, if you are looking for a novel that approaches a real concept and handles it humanely, with three-dimensional characters you grow to love, scars and all, Me Before You is your book. A quietly riveting novel from beginning to end.

*You can meet Jojo Moyes and learn more about this book on Tuesday, February 12th at 7:30pm. Click here to learn more.

The 2012 Warwick's Bestseller List

Happy New Year! 2012 was a wonderful year for readers and Warwick's Events. Here is a list of the year's 50 bestsellers at Warwick's.

1. Fifty Shades of Grey - E L James
2. My Personal Panther - Jerry Cesak*
3. Wonder - R.J. Palacio*
4. Joseph Anton - Salman Rushdie* 
5. Hunger Games - Suzanne Collins
6. Catching Fire - Suzanne Collins
7. Rules of Civility - Amor Towles*
8. Service - Marcus Luttrell*
9. Fifty Shades Darker - E L James
10. The Sense of an Ending (paperback) - Julian Barnes
11. Mockingjay - Suzanne Collins
12. In the Garden of Beasts -Erik Larson*
13. Fifty Shades Freed - E L James
14. The Language of Flowers - Vanessa Diffenbaugh
15. Gone Girl - Gillian Flynn
16. The Tiger’s Wife - Téa Obreht*
17. Wild - Cheryl Strayed*
18. State of Wonder - Ann Patchett*
19. Sky of Red Poppies - Zohrah Ghahremani
20. Shadow of Night - Deborah Harkness*
21. The Secret Keeper - Kate Morton*
22. Lone Wolf - Jodi Picoult*
23. Fabulicious!: Fast and Fit - Teresa Giudice*
24. Mrs. Kennedy and Me - Clint Hill*
25. Dreams of Joy - Lisa See*
26. The Alzheimer’s Prevention Program - Gary Small*
27. The House at Tyneford - Natasha Solomons

28. The Sense of an Ending - Julian Barnes
29. Barefoot Contessa Foolproof - Ina Garten
30. Shantaram - Gregory David Roberts
31. Unbroken - Laura Hillenbrand
32. The Age of Miracles - Karen Thompson Walker*
33. Sister - Rosamund Lupton
34. Admission Possible - Marjorie Hansen Shaevitz*
35. Life Is Not a Reality Show - Kyle Richards*
36. Nowhere Yet - Edward Cozza*
37. Food Lover’s Guide to San Diego - Maria Desiderata Montana*
38. Tiny Beautiful Things - Cheryl Strayed*
39. Where’d You Go Bernadette - Maria Semple
40. The Red Circle - Brandon Webb*
41. Killing Lincoln - Bill O’Reilly
42. Killing Kennedy - Bill O’Reilly
43. The Likeness - Tana French
44. Unlikely Friendships -Jennifer Holland
45. The Tuscan Sun Cookbook -Frances Mayes*
46. No Easy Day - Mark Owen
47. Diary of a Wimpy Kid: The Third Wheel - Jeff Kinney
48. The Amateur - Edward Klein
49. Control the Crazy - Vinny Guadagnino*
50. Bring Up the Bodies - Hilary Mantel

*indicates sales from an author event

Looking Ahead to 2013

Booksellers at Warwick’s have the privilege of reading many books long before they are released to the public, this is a great perk and an opportunity for our booksellers to get ahead of the game so that when you, the customer come in asking about the latest and greatest books out we can answer quickly and thoroughly, providing you with the best titles available whether they are from well-known established authors or debuts. 2013 brings with it many fantastic new books, some of which you won’t hear about in the national news, but you will want to read. So, in preparation for the New Year our booksellers have each picked a book that they can’t wait to share with you in 2013.


Samantha S., Bookseller:
Calling Me Home by Julie Kibler (February 12 Release): Being compared to To Kill a Mockingbird and The Help, this debut novel is sure to deliver.

Heather, Marketing Coordinator:
Looking for Me by Beth Hoffman (May 28 Release): Hoffman’s (author of Saving CeeCee Honeycutt) sophomore novel is an absolute delight. So well-written, with fully realized characters, and just the right amount of heartbreak and charm, Looking for Me is most definitely the book I am most looking forward to putting in people’s hands.

Alexa, Bookseller:
The Death of Bees by Lisa O’Donnell (January 2 Release): Dark, cynical humor is right up my alley! Looking forward to her being in Warwick’s also (1-30-13 appearance)

Janet, Bookseller:
The Burgess Boys by Elizabeth Strout (March 26 Release): The Burgess Boys is first and foremost a book about family. Two brothers and one sister are forever bound by the tragic circumstances of their father's death and their hardscrabble upbringing in Maine. Each suffers through trials and tribulations both public and private that will eventually bind them together stronger than ever. In true Elizabeth Strout style, this is not a sugar-coated fantasy family, but flesh and blood people whose characters are so finely drawn you'll feel like you know them. This Pulitzer Prize-winning author has surpassed herself in this timely and eloquent novel.

Julie, Director of Events and Community Relations:
A Constellation of Vital Phenomena by Anthony Marra (May 7 Release): This will probably be my favorite book for 2013. So well written!

Mary Lee, Bookseller:
The Fever Tree by Jennifer McVeigh (April 4 Release): Gone with the Wind meets Out of Africa. Amy Einhorn Books—love her imprint.

Camilla, Bookseller:
Searching for Zion by Emily Raboteau (January 1 Release): Good thing this book will be released the first day of the New Year! I am eagerly awaiting the arrival of Searching for Zion, the second novel by Raboteau. As a biracial woman, Raboteau says she never really felt at ease in the still racially divided United States, but had heard of “Zion” in several contexts: used by Bob Marley as well as by Jewish friends. To a young Raboteau, Zion simply meant a place of peace, or to be at home. While visiting a friend in Israel, Raboteau sees black Jews for the first time and is surprised at their existence and is inspired to seek out other black communities who had traveled during the Diaspora to find their own “Zion” or home. The author states that her goal was to ask all these groups, “have you found the home you are looking for?”

Special Guest Blogger Reviews "Falling Kingdoms"

Let me say that Falling Kingdoms by Morgan Roads is one of the most fascinating books that I have ever read. Falling Kingdoms has so many perspectives; there is Jonas, who is enraged at any injustice such as his brother’s murder and or Princess Cleo, who lives in royalty and likes peace. In this book, there is rich and food living Auranos, poor Palesia, and mean and bloody Lumeros. The plot of this book is that Lumeros and Palesia are jealous of Auranos, so they engage in war and overtake Auranos. I think the author was trying to tell people who read this book that jealousy can lead to bad things. I bet that if you read this book, you will not want to put it down.

I think overall this book was really good and I give it 4 ¾ stars out of 5!

Matthew is 11 years old