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STAFF PICKS
From Ken: In his new novel, Ka: Dar Oakley in the Ruin of Ymr (Saga $28.99), John Crowley, with his usual linguistic dexterity, tells the story of Dar Oakley, the Crow, symbol and psychopomp of so many stories in so many cultures, from his role as companion to harbinger. The reader comes to know Dar Oakley through a human narrator who is nursing Dar Oakley back to health in a desolate future. Dar Oakley tells him of his first experience of People, of his many lives and trips to the land of the dead, of his migration to North America, and of his fateful encounter with the Coyote. Mythically rich and graceful in language, this novel reveals how our stories, with symbol and myth, and everything else attached, make us human and as close to immortal as we can get.
From Kaley: Though I grew up loving sci-fi and fantasy, as an adult, I think it can be hard to find books that avoid the outdated, exclusionary pitfalls common to the genre. It's also unusual to pick up one of these books and realize it's completely different from anything else you've ever read. Remarkably, Senlin Ascends by Josiah Bancroft (Orbit $15.99), is able to do both--without tooting its own horn. The settings leap off the page, and each character, no matter how minor, has the depth and complexity of a real person. I can't wait to jump into the next installment in this 4-book series.
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SIGNED COPIES
Spring by Karl Ove Knausgaard (Penguin $27). "In the third of four memoirs addressed to his youngest daughter, Knausgaard returns to form, and to ruthlessness, writing to fight a familial legacy."—NY Times
Autographed books make great gifts; find more of our collection here. Limited quantities are on hand. To reserve, call us, email or order online.
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NEW IN PAPERBACK
The Graybar Hotel: Stories by Curtis Dawkins (Scribner $16). "Dawkins is a flat-out great writer who is also incarcerated for life in a Michigan prison for a drug-related homicide. The stories he tells here are small masterpieces of the daily dramas of prison life, reminiscent of John Cheever or Raymond Carver."—Sarah
Sing, Unburied, Sing: A Novel by Jesmyn Ward (Scribner $17). A National Book Award winner. "...perfectly poised for the moment. It combines aspects of the American road novel and the ghost story with a timely treatment of the long aftershocks of a hurricane and the opioid epidemic devouring rural America."—NY Times
Grief Cottage: A Novel by Gail Godwin (Bloomsbury $16)."Takes on the voice of a bereaved 11 year old boy in this, a gentle ghost story with understated humor and appealingly unorthodox characters, set on a South Carolina barrier island."—Sarah
Glass Houses by Louise Penny (Minotaur $16.99). A Chief Inspector Gamache novel. "You won't want Louise Penny's latest to end.... It takes nerve and skill--as well as heart--to write mysteries like this."—The Washington Post
The Ministry of Utmost Happiness by Arundhati Roy (Vintage $16.95). "Thrilling...[Roy's] luminous passages span eras and regions of the Indian subcontinent and artfully weave the stories of several characters into a triumphant symphony."—Minneapolis Star Tribune
Mister Memory: A Novel by Marcus Sedgwick (Pegasus $15.95). In Paris at the end of the nineteenth century, a man with a perfect memory murders his wife. A dazzling psychological puzzle that connects memory and fate.
Fragile Things: Short Fictions and Wonders by Neil Gaiman (Wm Morrow $16.99). These marvelous creations showcase the invention and storytelling brilliance--and the terrifyingly entertaining wit--of the incomparable Neil Gaiman. Includes the story "How to Talk to Girls at Parties."
Coach Wooden and Me: Our 50-Year Friendship On and Off the Court by Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (Grand Central $17.99). On one of the most enduring and meaningful relationships in sports history.
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WE'VE GOT YOU COVERED FOR MOTHER'S DAY AND GRADUATIONS!
Make QRB your one-stop destination for Mother's Day (this Sunday, May 13) and Graduation Day gifts. Our staff can quickly recommend books for your recipients, and you'll also find:
FRIDAY, MAY 18, 7:00 p.m. Lessa Cross-Smith, Whiskey & Ribbons. Set in contemporary Louisville, Cross-Smith's mesmerizing first novel surrounds the death of a police officer, and is a requiem for marriage, friendship and family. Author Roxane Gay calls Cross-Smith "a consummate storyteller," and several journals and magazines have named Whiskey & Ribbons one of the most anticipated novels of 2018. Join us for a discussion of the book.
SATURDAY, MAY 19, 10:30 a.m. A Special Costumed-Character Storytime With Elephant and Piggie, who will help us read The Itchy Book by LeUyen Pham, in a special Saturday morning Under the Tree Storytime. Join us to hear this new story, to take photos with these huggable characters, and to enjoy your other favorite Elephant and Piggie books.
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BOOK CLUBS & MEETINGS (Everyone welcome)
THURSDAY, MAY 10, 7:00 p.m. LITERARY HORROR, Bird Box by Josh Malerman.
SUNDAY, MAY 13, 2:00 p.m. WRITERS COFFEEHOUSE, Every writer of any kind at any stage in their writing career is welcome to join this discussion and networking group. No set agenda, no fees, no registration, no publishing requirements. Not a peer review/critique group.
MONDAY, MAY 14, 7:00 p.m. NOT FOR MEN ONLY, meeting at Whole Foods Ridgewood. The Blood of Emmett Till by Tim Tyson.
THURSDAY, MAY 17, 7:00 p.m. FOREVER YOUNG: YA FOR ADULTS, The Map of Salt and Stars by Jennifer Zeynab Joukhadar.
SATURDAY, MAY 19, 10:00 a.m. SINGLES, Bel Canto by Ann Patchett.
SUNDAY, MAY 20, 4:30 p.m. LITERARY PURSUITS, Sister Carrie by Theodore Dreiser.
THE FREAKIN' AWESOME BOOK CLUB, for young adults with developmental disabilities, meets Sundays at 4:45 p.m. at QRB or in members' homes. Currently reading Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone by J.K. Rowling. Contact facilitator Marlyn Wells at marlynwells@gmail.com for more information.
TEEN WRITERS COLLECTIVE: Meets at Whole Foods Community Room in Ridgewood Shopping Center, usually on the first, third and fifth Wednesdays of the month at 7:00 p.m. Suggested entry level is rising high school freshman+. Contact Cris Crissman at criscrissman@gmail.com for more information.
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Quail Ridge Books
33 Years of Independent Bookselling
919-828-1588
QuailRidgeBooks.com
“You're never going to kill storytelling, because it's built into the human plan. We come with it.”~~Margaret Atwood
For inquiries concerning QuailMail contact editor Kent Bryant at kent@quailridgebooks.com.
Links to browse or shop the books:
The Soul of America by Jon Meacham
Senlin Ascends by Josiah Bancroft
Ka: Dar Oakley in the Ruin of Ymr by John Crowley
Spring by Karl Ove Knausgaard
The Graybar Hotel: Stories by Curtis Dawkins
Sing, Unburied, Sing by Jesmyn Ward
Grief Cottage by Gail Godwin
Glass Houses by Louise Penny
The Ministry of Utmost Happiness by Arundhati Roy
Mister Memory by Marcus Sedgwick
Fragile Things: Short Fictions and Wonders by Neil Gaiman
Coach Wooden and Me by Kareem Abdul-Jabbar
The Shipping News by Annie Proulx
Bluebird, Bluebird by Attica Locke
Killers of the Flower Moon by David Grann
Going to School in Black and White by Geary and Romocki
All the Agents and Saints by Stephanie Elizondo Griest
Landwhale by Jes Baker
Things No One Will Tell Fat Girls by Jes Baker
Every Body Yoga by Jessamyn Stanley
The World of All Souls by Deborah Harkness
Cloud Diary by Steve Mitchell
Byrd by Kim Church
Whiskey & Ribbons by Leesa Cross-Smith
The Itchy Book by LeUyen Pham
Political Tribes by Amy Chua
The Secret Chord by Geraldine Brooks
Bird Box by Josh Malerman
The Blood of Emmett Till by Tim Tyson
The Map of Salt and Stars by Jennifer Zeynab Joukhadar
Bel Canto by Ann Patchett
Sister Carrie by Theodore Dreiser
Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone by J.K. Rowling