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Weekly Words about New Books in
Independent Bookstores
May 31, 2015
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New in Paperback - Tragedy Exposes Buried Family Tensions, While New York Food Scene Is Setting for Delicious Coming-of-Age Story
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Everything I Never Told You by Celeste Ng. This exquisite debut novel has Book Group Favorite written all over it. It's about a biracial family living in 1970s small-town Ohio, a time and place not yet fully accepting of mixed marriage. The relationship between Marilyn (white) and  James (Chinese) Lee is fragile at best, and when tragedy strikes, family secrets are exposed and long-suppressed emotions are brought to a head.
Middle daughter Lydia is the favorite child of the Lees, the one her parents are determined will fulfill the dreams they were unable to pursue - in Marilyn's case that her daughter become a doctor rather than a homemaker, and in James's case that Lydia be popular at school and have an active social life. When Lydia, deathly afraid of the water, is found drowned in the local lake, the delicate balancing act that has been keeping the Lee family together tumbles into chaos. James, consumed by guilt, sets out on a reckless path that may destroy his marriage. Marilyn, devastated and vengeful, is determined to find a responsible party, no matter what the cost. Lydia's older brother, Nathan, is certain that the neighborhood bad boy Jack is somehow involved. But it's the youngest of the family - Hannah - who observes far more than anyone realizes and who may be the only one who knows the truth about what happened.
Delicious! by Ruth Reichl. Anyone with a passing interest in food and dining out knows Reichl from her acclaimed career as a New York Times restaurant critic and editor of Gourmet magazine. She's also the author of two bestselling memoirs, Tender at the Bone and Comfort Me With Apples. And now she has written her first novel, set in the worlds she knows so well. This description f rom the publisher should tempt fans to sample Reichl's latest creation:
Billie Breslin has traveled far from her home in California to take a job at Delicious!, New York s most iconic food magazine. Away from her family, particularly her older sister, Genie, Billie feels like a fish out of water until she is welcomed by the magazine's colorful staff. She is also seduced by the vibrant downtown food scene, especially by Fontanari's, the famous Italian food shop where she works on weekends. Then, when "Delicious!" is abruptly shut down, Billie agrees to stay on in the empty office, maintaining the hotline for reader complaints in order to pay her bills.
And then, a miraculous discovery. In a hidden room in the magazine's library, Billie finds a cache of letters written during World War II by 12-year-old Lulu Swan to the legendary chef James Beard. Lulu's letters provide Billie with a richer understanding of history, and a feeling of deep connection to the young writer, who inspires Billie to comes to terms with her fears, her big sister, and her ability to open her heart to love.
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Now In Paperback and Just in Time for Graduation Season
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The Opposite of Loneliness by Marina Keegan. An affecting and hope-filled posthumous collection of essays and stories from the talented young Yale graduate whose title essay captured the world's attention in  2012 and turned her into a spokeswoman for her generation. The book includes an introduction by author Anne Fadiman, who was one of Keegan's professors at Yale.
For those of you unfamiliar with Keegan's story, her star was on the rise when she graduated magna cum laude from Yale in May 2012. She had a play that was to be produced at the New York Fringe Festival and a job waiting for her at The New Yorker. Tragically, five days after graduation, Marina died in a car crash. As her family, friends, and classmates joined to create a memorial service, Keegan's deeply affecting last essay for The Yale Daily News, The Opposite of Loneliness, went viral, receiving more than 1.4 million hits.
The book contains more than the now-iconic essay, of course, and other pieces prove that Keegan had the talent to fulfill her dream of being a writer. But The Opposite of Loneliness is obviously the well-deserved centerpiece of this inspiring volume, and her first line sets the tone for the thoughts that follow:
"We don't have a word for the opposite of loneliness, but if we did, I could say that's what I want in life."
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WHERE TO FIND
AN INDEPENDENT BOOKSTORE
Many of you already have a favorite local bookstore, but for those of you without such a relationship,
this link
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indie bookstores
by region.
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A LITTLE BIT ABOUT ME
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My name is Hut Landon. I'm a former bookstore owner who now runs the Northern California Independent Booksellers Association (NCIBA) in San Francisco.
My goal with this newsletter is to keep readers up to date about new books hitting the shelves, share what booksellers are recommending in their stores, and pass on occasional news about the book world.
I'm not into long, wordy reviews or literary criticism; I'd like HUT'S PLACE to be a quick, fun read for book buyers. If you have any friends who you think might like receiving this column each week, simply click on "Forward this email" below and enter their email address. There is also a box in which to add a short message.
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COMMENTS, FEEDBACK
I always love hearing from folks, so please feel free to let me know what you're reading, make a comment, or ask a question.
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