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OUR TAKE TEN STAFFER FOR MAY: BELINDA HAYES

From Mamie: A team member in our Institutional Sales Department, Belinda is a repeat staffer who worked at QRB more than a dozen years ago. (She keeps turning up like a bad penny, she says.) She enjoys taking pictures with her Nikon camera, petting her family's rescue rat terriers Blue and Gypsy, and taking tea every day. She loves to immerse herself in Southern fiction and considers To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee to be the best book ever written! She claims she was absent on the day science and math genes were handed out, but a compulsion to learn and her familial proximity to several engineers pushed her to the Science section of the store for her favorites. Many of Belinda's Take Ten selections will make great Mother's Day gifts!:

When Breath Becomes Air by Paul Kalanithi, Abraham Verghese (Random House $25) is the memoir of a neurosurgeon diagnosed with terminal cancer during his residency training. I am deeply grateful to Dr. Kalanithi for his eloquence in relating the technical aspects of his circumstances while marveling at life's remarkableness and for leading me to more fully feel life's wonders.

Through Lab Girl by Hope Jahren (Vintage $16), I recaptured my childhood delight when the zinnia seeds I planted blossomed brilliantly in my parents' back yard. Dr. Jahren's story of her devotion to and struggles in studying everything green leaves me in awe of these impossibly persistent living marvels and their vital roles in our lives.

The Glass Universe: How the Ladies of the Harvard Conservatory Took the Measure of the Stars by Dava Sobel (Penguin $18) had me dumbfounded at the extraordinary devotion of the women who helped chart the stars for the Harvard College Observatory. The author spotlights these unheralded heroines and deftly champions their contributions to subsequent discoveries and revelations.

Seven Brief Lessons on Physics by Carlo Rovelli (Riverhead $18) gave me the priceless gift of newfound understanding and left me giddy. This book helped me grasp basic concepts of physics that heretofore eluded me: Einstein's general theory of relativity, quantum mechanics, black holes, thermal science, and much more.

Obsessive Genius: The Inner World of Marie Curie by Barbara Goldsmith (Norton $14.95) brilliantly pierces the skewed portrait of two-time Nobel Prize winner Marie Curie. I felt in awe of the woman behind the myth--a fiercely dedicated scientist and combatant of prejudices, personal challenges, and world intrusions whose research begat discoveries and insights into our world.

The Usefulness of Useless Knowledge by Abraham Flexner with commentary by Robbert Dijkgraaf (Princeton $9.95) compelled me to shout "YES!" and fist pump the fundamental truth of these two essays written more than 75 years apart: that discovery is inexorably linked to unfettered curiosity, or in Flexner's words, the "unobstructed pursuit of useless knowledge."

Storm in a Teacup: The Physics of Everyday Life by Helen Czerski (Norton $15.95) deftly bridged my gap of understanding between the ordinary and the mysteries of the universe. The author's explanations and examples are so wonderfully relatable that I now see the unremarkable items in my daily routine as anything but.

The Genius of Birds by Jennifer Ackerman (Penguin $17) compelled me to view the birds at my backyard feeder with newfound respect and astonishment. Armed with revolutionary research, the author ascribes an extraordinary range of skills, abilities and remarkable intelligence to these avian beings that had me cheering my feathered friends and those devoted to learning about and understanding them.

The River of Consciousness by Oliver Sacks (Knopf $27) is a collection of essays that superbly captures the author's fascination with discovery, the human mind, and our connection to others in the world. His profundity led me to recognize the contributions of past thinkers, our reliance on other species, and our innate human foibles.

Polio: An American Story by David M. Oshinsky (Oxford $16.95) took me back to the time of terror when the fear of polio relentlessly stalked the nation. Through the author's skill and use of primary source letters, lab notes and interviews, I was brought to tears from the desperation, wrenching regrets, and ultimate success of those who combated this dreaded disease.

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SIGNED COPIES

Adjustment Day by Chuck Palahniuk (Norton $26.95). From Matt: Am I ever glad to see a top-rate Chuck Palahniuk book! Sure to spawn outrage and provoke critical thought, this new novel is a fine return to form. In a political hijacking mind-twister, racial divides are plowed under, glorified, geographically separated, revolutions are fostered and fomented, and the collapse of all civilizations as we've known them ensues. Probably not for the close-minded on your gift list--the author is still fond of a good grossout--but it's nonetheless pure American treasure.

On Friday we expect to have signed copies of The Last Castle by Denise Kiernan (new in paperback, Touchstone $17). It's the epic history of love, loss, and American royalty at Biltmore House.

Limited quantities are available. To reserve, call us, email or order online. Autographed books make great gifts; find more of our collection here.

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NEW IN PAPERBACK

Hillbilly Elegy: A Memoir of a Family and Culture in Crisis by J. D. Vance (Harper $16.99). A passionate and personal analysis of a culture in crisis--that of white working-class Americans.
Dear Ijeawele, or A Feminist Manifesto in Fifteen Suggestions by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie (Anchor $8.95). From the best-selling author of Americanah , a powerful new statement about feminism today--written as a letter to a friend--and the perfect gift for Mother's Day.
Modern Death: How Medicine Changed the End of Life by Haider Warraich (St. Martin's Griffin $16.99). The Duke physician says that death needs to be closer to home, preceded by lesser disability and less isolation. "We must all confront death; Dr. Warraich offers insights that will allow us to make this more natural and less frightening."—Rene
Chuck Klosterman X: A Highly Specific, Defiantly Incomplete History of the Early 21st Century by Chuck Klosterman (Penguin $16). His writing spans the realms of culture and sports, while also addressing interpersonal issues, social quandaries, and ethical boundaries.
Shattered: Inside Hillary Clinton's Doomed Campaign by Jonathan Allen (Broadway $17). "If, like so many others, you wonder what on earth happened in November 2016, this is all the explanation you need."—Kirkus (starred review)
The Unquiet Grave: A Novel by Sharyn McCrumb (Atria $16). "In this compelling story, McCrumb continues to relate the dynamic tales of Appalachia and its people."—Library Journal
Men Without Women: Stories by Haruki Murakami (Vintage $16). Murakami observes the lives of men who, in their own ways, find themselves alone. Here are vanishing cats and smoky bars, lonely hearts and mysterious women, baseball and the Beatles.
The End of Eddy by Edouard Louis (Picador $16). An autobiographical novel about growing up gay in a working-class town in Picardy. "No one has told this story as eloquently."—Edmund White

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QUAIL RIDGE BOOKS HAS YOU COVERED FOR MOTHER'S DAY AND GRADUATION!

Make QRB your one-stop destination for Mother's Day (May 13) and Graduation Day gifts. In addition to great book recommendations from our staff, you'll find:

• Our exceptional selection of Mother's Day and Graduation cards
• Music CDs in classical, bluegrass, jazz, and local artists
• Limited-edition Indie Bookstore Day merchandise
• Literary-themed totes, t-shirts and prints
• Book lights, games, puzzles, socks and scarves
• Quail Ridge Books Gift Cards

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NC BOOKWATCH ON UNC-TV

Thursday at 5:00 p.m., D.G. Martin talks to Philip Gerard about his mystery novel about Hatteras Island, The Dark of the Island, which brings together storylines of German submarines spying along our coastline, and modern efforts to find and exploit oil deposits off those same shores. Sunday at 11:00 a.m., D.G.'s guest is Stephanie Elizondo Griest with All the Agents and Saints: Dispatches from the U.S. Borderlands. Find the full Bookwatch schedule and a link to watch online here.

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QRB EVENTS

TONIGHT, MAY 2, 7:00 p.m. We're thrilled to host North Carolina author Stacy McAnulty with her debut novel for ages 9+, The Miscalculations of Lightning Girl. We've been hardcore fans of her picture books and chapter books for years, and the Kids Dept. staff adores this new work. Lucy (a.k.a. Lightning Girl) is a once-struck-by-lightning, middle-school math genius with a serious case of OCD. She has a lot to deal with: new friend drama, rescue dogs that need adopting, and learning how to understand adults. Her story reminds us to get out of our comfort zones and embrace what makes us different. This is part of the 99th annual Children's Book Week, April 30–May 6.

THURSDAY, MAY 3, 7:00 p.m. On-Sale Celebraton of A Court of Frost and Starlight by Sarah J. Maas. Though Sarah is not touring this year, we are still excited to celebrate the release of book four in The Court of Thorns and Roses young adult series, for ages 15+. The QRB Teen Advisory Board is hosting a winter-themed party and we encourage dressing in costume! There will be a Court of Thorns and Roses trivia game, hot chocolate and cookie-decorating, an open mic activity, and we'll have an exclusive video message from Sarah. Plan to be there! We're taking pre-orders for the book now.

FRIDAY, MAY 4, 7:00 p.m. Jennifer Zeynab Joukhadar, The Map of Salt and Stars. Interweaving a Middle Eastern fable and a modern refugee story, this lyrical debut coming-of-age novel is to Syria what The Kite Runner was to Afghanistan. "A must-read for teens and adults, this is a moving and lush story of family and friends, meaningful culture, changing landscapes, and universal hope."—Broche. The pre-event dinner with the author is sold out. The book is a YA For Adults Book Club selection and a Signed First Editions Club pick.