Open MondaySaturday 9 am9 pm; Sundays 10 am6 pm
Open Memorial Day, Monday, May 28, 9 am6 pm
From Tony:
Fiction, like life, can be messy. Sometimes the people we care about are not perfect, or even innocent of murder. In The Mars Room (Scribner $27), Rachel Kushner puts us inside the head of Romy Hall, who is in prison for killing a man who was stalking her. Kushner also puts us in the head of her victim. Kurt Kennedy is a real scumbag, but one whose needs and pain we feel. It's these tangential characters, like Kennedy, and their stories that made the book so devastating for me. I was fortunate enough to hear the author read from the book recently, and was reminded just how funny it is, even amidst the violence and the sorrow. Like life.
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STAFF PICKS
Two from Matt: Twilight of the Gods: A Journey to the End of Classic Rock by Steven Hyden (Dey Street $25.99). I've been harping on this for a long time now, and finally there's a text ... to accompany me on the harp. What happens now that "classic radio" has practically ceased to exist and the valued artists of the 60s, 70s and 80s are on their final tours? Do we reassess their work and decide it wasn't that classic? Without radio to decide for all of us what classic rock is--sales, artistic endeavor, live performance quality--is there even a way to decide what "classic" will be in the future? Have we been duped? A funny, insightful, well-researched, modest book that exceeds on every level; go for it.
Guardian Angels and Other Monsters by Daniel H. Wilson (Vintage $16) is a perfectly-sized book of short stories that captures Wilson's skills at their peak. Combining the wistful nature of Ray Bradbury's early harder science fiction and the tragic nature of (let's say) the technology-related television series, Black Mirror, each story spins a dense web. End-of-everything tale "The Blue Afternoon That Lasted Forever" will stick with me for a long, long time to come--it's got everything!
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NEW IN PAPERBACK
Less: A Novel by Andrew Sean Greer (Back Bay $15.99). Winner of the Pulitzer Prize. "The voice is charming, the characters are hilarious and delightful, and you cheer for Arthur Less through this trek across the globe to find himself and what will make him truly happy. A perfect feel-good literary beach read!"—Amber
Walkaway by Cory Doctorow (Tor $18.99). A multi-generation science fiction thriller about the wrenching changes of the next hundred years ... and the very human people who will live their consequences.
Chasing Space: An Astronaut's Story of Grit, Grace, and Second Chances by Leland Melvin (Amistad $15.99). "Who else could say "If I don't make it in the NFL, I can always fall back on being an astronaut. Leland Melvin not only lived his own dream, but is now involved in helping youngsters meet theirs. If you can't be inspired by this guy, you can't be inspired."—Bill
October: The Story of the Russian Revolution by China Miéville (Verso $17.95). On the revolution's centenary, the renowned fantasy and science fiction writer has provided his own distinctive take on its history.
Dinner with DiMaggio: Memories of An American Hero by Dr. Rock Positano and John Positano (Simon & Schuster $16). A revealing account of the great Baseball Hall of Famer from the man who knew him best in the last ten years of his life.
American Fire: Love, Arson, and Life in a Vanishing Land by Monica Hesse (Liveright). "... an excellent summer vacation companion. It has all the elements of a lively crime procedural: courtroom drama, forensic trivia, toothsome gossip, vexed sex. It also happens to be a very good portrait of a region in economic decline."—NYTimes
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Prolific and decorated American author Philip Roth has died at age 85. Read more at PublishersWeekly.com.
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AWARDS
Tim Tyson has won the Robert F. Kennedy Award for The Blood of Emmett Till, his book about the brutal 1955 murder that virtually launched the Civil Rights movement. Tyson said, "Robert F. Kennedy taught us that whenever we reject what Martin Luther King, Jr. called the 'thingification' of human beings, when we battle injustice, when we grasp a hand in friendship and solidarity, we send forth 'a tiny ripple of hope', and crossing each other from a million different centers of energy and daring those ripples build a current which can sweep down the mightiest walls of oppression and resistance." Read more at DocumentaryStudies.Duke.edu.
The Man Booker International Prize was announced last night in London. The winning book is Flights by Olga Tokarczuk, translated from Polish by Jennifer Croft. The novel combines the observations of a fretful modern traveller with the story of a wandering Slavic sect, a biography of a 17th-century Flemish anatomist and an account of the posthumous journey of Polish composer Chopin's heart. Worth $70,000, the prize celebrates the finest English translation of world fiction, with the award split between author and translator. Visit TheGuardian.com to read more about Tokarczuk and the novel. We're hoping to get copies of the novel soon.
Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America has presented the 52nd Annual Nebula Awards. The Best Novel award was given to N.K. Jemisin for The Stone Sky, the conclusion to her award-winning Broken Earth trilogy, about a far-future Earth that experiences periodic, devastating apocalyptic events. Find out about the rest of the Nebulas at TheVerge.com.
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NC BOOKWATCH ON UNC-TV
Thursday at 5:00 p.m., D. G. Martin's guest is Mark de Castrique, with Hidden Scars, book six in his Asheville-set Sam Blackman mystery series. Sunday at 11:00 a.m., D. G. talks to Charlie Lovett with his novel, The Lost Book of the Grail. Find the full Bookwatch schedule and a link to watch online here.
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QRB EVENTS
TONIGHT, MAY 23, 7:00 p.m. Paula McLain, Love and Ruin. In conversation with Therese Anne Fowler. Called the "new star of historical fiction" by Ann Patchett, the bestselling author of The Paris Wife continues to explore the women in Ernest Hemingway's life. In this new novel, McLain focuses on Martha Gellhorn, a fiercely independent, ambitious young woman who would become one of the greatest war correspondents of the 20th century, in addition to being Hemingway's wife. McLain will discuss Love and Ruin with Therese Anne Fowler, author of the forthcoming A Well-Behaved Woman: A Novel of the Vanderbilts. Click here for information on attending this reserved seating event.
SATURDAY, MAY 26, 10:00 a.m.12:00 p.m. How to Find an Agent and Get Published: A Workshop with Scott Reintgen, author of young people's fiction. Reintgen will share his tips and tricks of the trade for querying literary agents and navigating the publishing industry once you have an agent. The fee is $40, and all participants will also receive a signed copy of Scott's young adult science-fiction novel Nyxia, plus the forthcoming sequel Nyxia Unleashed (July 2018). For an additional $10, participants will receive a personalized query-letter critique via email from Scott. "If you're serious about getting your book published, then take Scott's workshop...his presentation is highly focused, packed with information, and also fun and approachable. I've been to countless industry workshops and I would rank this one at the top."—Cara Brunello, workshop attendee. Email [email protected] to sign up, or for more information.
WEDNESDAY, MAY 30, 7:00 p.m. Maya Rao, Great American Outpost: Dreamers, Mavericks, and the Making of an Oil Frontier. When the Bakken Oilfield in North Dakota was rumored to produce profits of $17,000 a month for a single worker, a Gold Rush-style flood of capitalists rushed in. Rao, Washington correspondent for the Minneapolis Star-Tribune, focuses on a surfer from the Outer Banks, and others from the Carolinas and Southern states, who went to North Dakota in search of better opportunities, but often experienced devastating outcomes.The book reads like a frontier novel and has been described as "part-Barbara Ehrenreich, part-Upton Sinclair." You can listen to a discussion of the book at WBUR.org/Onpoint.
SATURDAY, JUNE 2, 3:00 p.m. QRB Teen Advisory Board Book Club Bash. You don't have to be in a book club to come to our inaugural TAB Book Club Bash, but if you are in one, you won't want to miss out on QRB TAB members recommending their favorite young adult and adult titles for your book clubs to discuss. There will be treats to enjoy, giveaways, and guaranteed fun. For readers ages 12 through adult.
SUNDAY, JUNE 3, 2:00 p.m. Sundry Poets. We welcome three North Carolina poets reading from their works. M. Scott Douglas is publisher and managing editor of The Main Street Rag near Charlotte. His debut collection, Just Passing Through, takes the reader on a literal and figurative road trip of life's journey. Patricia Hooper, winner of the Anita Claire Scharf Award, presents her fourth book of poetry, Separate Flights. And Michael Beadle, poet and N. C. historian, will delight listeners with selections from his sixth volume of poetry, Beasts of Eden. Poet Chris Abbate will moderate.
MONDAY, JUNE 4, 7:00 p.m. Rick Bragg, The Best Cook in the World: Tales from My Momma's Table. From the beloved, best-selling author of All Over but the Shoutin', a delectable, rollicking food memoir, cookbook, and loving tribute to a region, a vanishing history, a family, and, especially, to his mother. Includes seventy-four mouthwatering Bragg family recipes for classic southern dishes passed down through generations. Our staffer Helen says, "This is the funniest cookbook in the world! Bragg's brilliant storytelling and old black-and-white photographs bring his relatives to life. But most of all, his mother's voice comes through loud and clear. I absolutely love this book! And I recommend the pecan pie." Click here for information on attending this reserved seating event. If you have already purchase the book from us before, you can receive a ticket for a reserved seat.
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BOOK CLUBS & MEETINGS (Everyone welcome)
**We will not have Children's Storytime on Saturday, May 26 or Monday, May 28.
THURSDAY, MAY 24, 7:00 p.m. SCI-FI/FANTASY, The Immortals by Jordanna Max Brodsky. The club's selections include a focus on strong female protagonists and diverse themes such as gender.
SATURDAY, MAY 26, 7:00 p.m. TRIANGLE ORIGAMI FOLDERS UNITED (TOFU), Open to any skill level.
SATURDAY, JUNE 2, 10:30 a.m. CAROLINA KINDER GERMAN STORYTIME. Introduce children ages 4–7 to German language and culture with stories, songs, games and crafts.
SUNDAY, JUNE 3, 4:30 p.m. THE QRB BOOK CLUB, At the Water's Edge by Sara Gruen.
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 [email protected] 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 [email protected] for more information.
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Quail Ridge Books
33 Years of Independent Bookselling
919-828-1588
QuailRidgeBooks.com
“I would sooner read a timetable or a catalog than nothing at all.”~~W. Somerset Maugham
For inquiries concerning QuailMail contact editor Kent Bryant at [email protected].
Links to browse or shop the books:
The Mars Room by Rachel Kushner
Twilight of the Gods by Steven Hyden
Guardian Angels and Other Monsters by Daniel H. Wilson
Less by Andrew Sean Greer
Walkaway by Cory Doctorow
Chasing Space by Leland Melvin
October by China Miéville
Dinner with DiMaggio by Dr. Rock Positano and John Positano
American Fire by Monica Hesse
The Blood of Emmett Till by Tim Tyson
Flights by Olga Tokarczuk
The Stone Sky by N.K. Jemisin
Hidden Scars by Mark de Castrique
The Lost Book of the Grail by Charlie Lovett
Love and Ruin by Paula McLain
The Paris Wife by Paula McLain
A Well-Behaved Woman by Therese Anne Fowler
Nyxia by Scott Reintgen
Nyxia Unleashed by Scott Reintgen
Great American Outpost by Maya Rao
Just Passing Through by M. Scott Douglas
Separate Flights by Patricia Hopper
Beasts of Eden by Michael Beadle
The Immortals by Jordanna Max Brodsky
At the Water's Edge by Sara Gruen
Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone by J.K. Rowling