From Sarah:
My friend Keebe emailed me this weekend from Oxford, Mississippi. She was attending the Southern Foodways Symposium and discovered a book she had to share. Keebe is the owner of McIntyre's Books in Fearrington Village and a true connoisseur of books and food. The book is Vinegar and Char: Verse from the Southern Foodways Alliance (Univ. Georgia Press $19.95), edited by Sandra Beasley and illustrated by Julie Sola. Besides being beautiful to look at, the book is, as Keebe wrote, "...soooooo good. I would highly recommend starting dinner with a benediction/blessing reading of a poem from this book. It's just wonderful with generous dollops of humor and packed with beautiful writing." I couldn't agree more. Not especially recommended for vegetarians. Otherwise it will make you happy and it will make you hungry.
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STAFF PICKS
From Bill: I've always been a fan of Nathaniel Philbrick's style of history writing, and his choice of the stories he tells. I've read a lot about the American Revolution, and learned to respect George Washington's military prowess. But without a navy, even Washington would have eventually been defeated. Philbrick's latest, In the Hurricane's Eye: The Genius of George Washington and the Victory at Yorktown (Viking $30), tells how Washington coordinated with the French Navy to finally defeat the British and win our independence. From the land battles of Nathanael Greene and Lafayette to the Battle of the Chesapeake on water, Philbrick details the suspenseful final year of America's fiery birth.
(The author will be here to discuss the book with us on Friday, October 26th at 7:00 p.m., and you'll receive a ticket for a reserved seat and the signing line with pre-purchase of the book from QRB.)
From Samantha: The hallmark of Simon Van Booy's writing is its precision. There is not a superfluous word in his work, yet he is able to convey the deepest emotion; the details of a landscape, the nuanced import of a sideways glance. If you've never read his work, I urge you to read his new story collection, The Sadness of Beautiful Things (Penguin $16). And if you like it, please read his novel Everything Beautiful Began After—a brilliant work of literary fiction. P.S. He was one of QRB founder Nancy Olson's favorite authors.
From Abbe: Nowhere Boy by Katherine Marsh (Roaring Brook $16.99). If I ruled the world, I would require every adult to read this uplifting novel with a young person. It is the story of two boys; one is a 13-year-old, white American from an upper middle class family, and the other is a 14-year-old Syrian refugee who has lost his entire family. Both boys are struggling when they meet and become friends. There is plenty of action and intrigue to qualify this as a riveting page-turner. These young characters are brave, empathetic, kind and have a strong moral compass. An important and inspiring book.
From Mamie: Can Jacqueline Woodson write a book of no import? The answer is a resounding "No!" Her newest, a book for middle graders entitled, Harbor Me (Nancy Paulsen Books $17.99), addresses the issues facing the marginalized child. An astute teacher sends six kids to a room where they are allowed free rein without adult supervision. In the safety of the space and each other, the students unburden themselves and become a close-knit support group of friends. I've never read a middle grade book, and it was interesting to recall my own junior high school anxieties and examine them through the eyes of these contemporary kids. (I also loved Woodson's multi-award-winning Brown Girl Dreaming for young adults, and the National Book Award-winning Another Brooklyn, for adults.)
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NEW AUTOGRAPHED BOOKS
Limited quantities are on hand. See more of our signed books here.
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NEW IN PAPERBACK
The Last Girl: My Story of Captivity, and My Fight Against the Islamic State by Nadia Murad (Tim Duggan Books $16). Foreword by Amal Clooney. Murad, a survivor of the Islamic Stateled genocide of the Yazidi people, tells her harrowing yet ultimately inspiring story. She is a co-recipient of the 2018 Nobel Peace Prize for her efforts to end the use of sexual violence as a weapon of war and armed conflict.
Asymmetry by Lisa Halliday (Simon & Schuster $16). A novel that explores the imbalances that spark and sustain inequities in age, power, talent, wealth, fame, geography, and justice. A debut hailed as "extraordinary" by The New York Times, "a brilliant and complex examination of power dynamics in love and war" by The Wall Street Journal, and "a literary phenomenon" by The New Yorker.
Mrs. Osmond by John Banville (Vintage $15.95). Continues the story of Isabel Archer, the young protagonist of Henry James's The Portrait of a Lady. "...brilliant and beguiling...a reminder to us that not only does great literature endure, it engenders."—Minneapolis Star Tribune
Smile: A Novel by Roddy Doyle (Penguin $16). "Has anyone written as beautifully as Doyle on how love and violence lean right up against each other in childhood?...Doyle's books bruise and cheer at the same time."—The Boston Globe
Interior States: Essays by Meghan O'Gieblyn (Anchor $16). "A unique compendium of contemplative musings... thought provoking... A solid choice for intellectually curious readers."—Library Journal
The River of Consciousness by Oliver Sacks (Vintage $16.95). Essays that display Sacks's passionate engagement with the compelling ideas of evolution, creativity, memory, time, consciousness, and experience.
Titans of History: The Giants Who Made Our World by Simon Sebag Montefiore (Vintage $20). These queens and kings, conquerors, prophets, artists, psychopaths, and explorers—lived lives of astonishing drama, courage and adventure, debauchery and slaughter, virtue and crime.
The Best American Series 2018 is just out; it's an annual showcase for the finest work in short fiction and nonfiction genres. Leading writers in each field have guest-edited the volumes, such as Sam Kean for Best Science and Nature Writing, N.K. Jemisin for Best Science Fiction and Fantasy, and Louise Penny for Best Mystery Stories. Other genres are Essays, Travel, Food, and Sports Writing. Most are $15.99, published by Mariner. Come browse our special display of these in the store too!
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THE GREAT AMERICAN READ: LAST CHANCE TO VOTE!
The PBS television series The Great American Read started with nominations for the 100 most-loved books, and the list of the current top 10 consists mostly of well-known classics. But there is still time to vote for any or all of your favorites out of the 100. The cut off is 11:59 p.m. Pacific Time tomorrow night, Oct. 18th. There are four ways to vote: online, social hashtag, text, and toll-free call. The winning book will be revealed in the Grand Finale episode on Tuesday, October 23 at 8:00 p.m. Cast your vote at PBS.org.
NC Bookwatch on UNC-TV has been airing special episodes with host D.G. Martin discussing The Great American Read with North Carolina authors. This Tuesday at 7:30 p.m., NC Bookwatch leads into the Great American Read finale as D.G. talks with Charlie Lovett, Tom Santopietro, and T.R. Simon about the some of the books' impacts on the literary world.
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AWARDS
2018 MAN BOOKER PRIZE ANNOUNCED — Given each year for the best original novel written in the English language and published in the UK, the 50th Man Booker Prize has been awarded to Northern Irish author Anna Burns for Milkman, an "utterly distinctive" and "incredibly original" story set during the Troubles, about a young woman being sexually harassed by a powerful man. We have copies on order from our British distributor and hope to receive them in a couple of weeks (pre-order at [email protected]. A U.S. edition will be published by Graywolf in December. Read more at TheGuardian.com.
NATIONAL BOOK AWARD SHORTLISTS — The finalists for this year's NBAs in Fiction, Nonfiction, Poetry, Translated Literature, and Young People's Literature have been announced. Three of the five Fiction books were QRB staff picks! The winners will be announced on November 14.
THE NEW ACADEMY PRIZE — The New Academy was formed when it was announced that the Nobel Prize in Literature would not be given this year. The "New Prize in Literature" has been awarded to Maryse Condé, a Guadeloupean author whose historical fiction explores race, gender and societal issues. She writes in French. Read more at the New Academy's website.
CARNEGIE MEDAL LONGLISTS — The Andrew Carnegie Medals for Excellence in Fiction and Nonfiction were established in 2012 to recognize the best books for adult readers, published in the U.S. Kudos to our staff, who have recommended over half of the 25 books chosen for the Fiction longlist this year! View the lists at AmericanLibraryAssociation.org.
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NORTH CAROLINA WRITERS' NETWORK FALL CONFERENCE
The NCWN 2018 Fall Conference is November 2–4 in Charlotte, and the deadline to pre-register and save 50% is Friday, October 26. The conference attracts hundreds of writers from around the country and provides a weekend full of activities including banquets with readings, a keynote address by Randall Kenan, classes on fiction, nonfiction, poetry, and stage and screen, and the opportunity for manuscript critiques. Conference faculty includes professional writers from North Carolina and beyond. Register at NCWriters.org.
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QRB SEASONAL JOB OPENINGS
Love books? Love readers? Quail Ridge Books is hiring! We are looking for seasonal part-time booksellers for our Kid's and Teen department, as well as seasonal cashiers to help us through the holiday crush. Find out more at QRB.com/JobOpenings.
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UPCOMING QRB EVENTS
THURSDAY, OCT. 18, 7:00 p.m. Cressida Cowell, The Wizards of Once: Twice Magic. Fantasy fiction for ages 9+ from the author of the How to Train Your Dragon series. Cowell's stunning artwork and a heartfelt adventure combine perfectly in this spellbinding sequel to The Wizards of Once. This is not a reserved seating event, but the after-presentation signing line is ticketed--receive a ticket with QRB purchase of Twice Magic.
FRIDAY, OCT. 19, 7:00 p.m. Abigail DeWitt, News of Our Loved Ones. What if your family's fate could be traced back to one indelible summer? In her third novel, North Carolinian Abigail DeWitt follows two generations of one French family through France and into America, whose lives are all touched by the tragic D-Day bombings in Normandy. Join us as DeWitt discusses this haunting and intimate examination of love and loss, beauty, and the cost of survival.
SATURDAY, OCT. 20, 4:00 p.m. Lisa Joy Mitchell, Sacred & Delicious: A Modern Ayurvedic Cookbook. Mitchell brings us a food memoir, a primer on India's traditional dietary approach to wellness, and a glorious cookbook--with over 100 enticing gluten-free and vegetarian recipes (most with vegan options), and more than 60 full-page photos. This book celebrates the healing power of food and spices, embodying ancient Ayurvedic wisdom while appealing to a modern American palate.
SATURDAY, OCT. 20, 6:00 p.m. Linda Kay Klein, Pure: Inside the Evangelical Movement That Shamed a Generation of Young Women and How I Broke Free. In the 1990s, purity rings, purity pledges, and purity balls came with a dangerous message: girls and young women are potential sexual stumbling blocks for males, and any expression of a girl's sexuality could reflect the corruption of her character. From a woman who has been there and back, this is a potent combination of journalism, cultural commentary, and memoir.
SUNDAY, OCT. 21, 2:00 p.m. Hal Crowther, Freedom Fighters and Hell Raisers: A Gallery of Memorable Southerners. Hillsborough's Hal Crowther has known most of the folks he profiles and has lived in their landscape for decades. He'll join us to tell their stories, with an appreciation for their particular accomplishments and their particular surroundings.
MONDAY, OCT. 22, 7:00 p.m. Charles Belfoure, The Fallen Architect. Belfoure is the award-winning author of The Paris Architect. In this new novel, fingers point at architect Douglas Layton when a theater's balcony collapses, killing over a dozen people. He can't fight a guilty verdict, and when he is released from prison he must rebuild his life. But soon Layton finds himself digging up the past in a way he never anticipated. If the collapse was not an accident...who caused it?
WEDNESDAY, OCT. 24, 7:00 p.m. John Scalzi, The Consuming Fire. Reserved Seating Event. This sequel to The Collapsing Empire (a Hugo Award Best Novel finalist and 2018 Locus Award winner) continues John Scalzi's Interdepency series. Humanity's interstellar empire is on the verge of collapse when "The Flow" that makes travel between the stars possible begins to disappear, leaving entire star systems stranded. Click here for information about attending this event.
THURSDAY, OCT. 25, 7:00 p.m. Three of the founders of The March for Our Lives , the young people's organization to stop gun violence, join us to discuss their new anthology, Glimmer of Hope: How Tragedy Sparked a Movement. Tickets to this event are available through Eventbrite. A $20 ticket includes a copy of the book and admission to the greeting line. A free ticket option, for admission to the program only (does not include book), is available to those 18 or under and all college students with valid ID. Find out more and get tickets at Eventbrite.com.
FRIDAY, OCT. 26, 7:00 p.m. Nathaniel Philbrick, In the Hurricane's Eye: The Genius of George Washington and the Victory at Yorktown. Reserved Seating Event. Join us to dive into the thrilling story of the year that won the Revolutionary War, from Nathaniel Philbrick, the award-winning author of In the Heart of the Sea and Valiant Ambition. Spoiler alert: the American Revolution may have been won by a sea battle masterminded by George Washington, but waged without a single American ship. Click here for information about attending this event.
SUNDAY, OCT. 28, 2:00 p.m. Editors Wade Hudson and Cheryl Willis Hudson, We Rise, We Resist, We Raise Our Voices. Panel Discussion With Contributors. This new anthology offers a rousing call for children and parents to stand up for their beliefs; it offers positive ways for children to respond to hateful words and actions surrounding race, gender, immigration, and disability. Kirkus Reviews calls the collection "A love song from children's literature's brightest stars to America's Indigenous children and children of color, encouraging them to be brave and kind." We Rise features original art and prose from diverse creators, including Kelly Starling Lyons, Carole Boston Weatherford, Tameka Fryer Brown, Jeffery Weatherford, and Eleanora E. Tate, who will read and display their work. For ages 8 to adult, this is a collection that will inspire people from all backgrounds.
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BOOK CLUBS & MEETINGS (Everyone welcome)
SATURDAY, OCT. 20, 10:00 a.m. SINGLES, Secret Daughter by Shilpi Somaya Gowda.
SUNDAY, OCT. 21, 4:30 p.m. LITERARY PURSUITS, Frankenstein by Mary Shelley.
MONDAY, OCT. 22, 7:00 p.m. CONTEMPORARY FICTION, Lilac Girls by Martha Hall Kelly.
THURSDAY, OCT. 25, 7:00 p.m. SCI-FI/FANTASY (meeting location tba), Something Wicked This Way Comes by Ray Bradbury. The club's selections include a focus on strong female protagonists and diverse themes such as gender.
SATURDAY, OCT. 27, 7:00 p.m. TRIANGLE ORIGAMI FOLDERS UNITED (TOFU). Open to any skill level.
SUNDAY, OCT. 28, 4:30 p.m. THE QRB BOOK CLUB, The Girl in the Red Coat by Kate Hamer
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 Chamber of Secrets by J.K. Rowling. Email [email protected] for more information.
QRB TEEN WRITERS COLLECTIVE. Always meets virtually and usually meets physically at the NC State University Club on the first, third and fifth Wednesdays of the month at 7:00 p.m. Email [email protected] for more information.
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Quail Ridge Books
34 Years of Independent Bookselling
919-828-1588
QuailRidgeBooks.com
“The tools I need for my work are paper, tobacco, food, and a little whiskey.”~~William Faulkner
For inquiries concerning QuailMail contact editor Kent Bryant at [email protected].