From René:

Jason Mott's The Crossing (Park Row $26.99) is a book that begs to be discussed! As a reviewer said, it is "Beautifully written and touching on some fascinating ideas.... [Mott] brings his lyrical writing and soulful insight to an end-of-the-world-as-we-know-it storyline." The story is about twins who are trying to find some meaning in their degenerating world, and on their journey, learn the positives and negatives of their devotion to each other. They discover "beauty, betrayal, danger, goodwill". Mott earned two MFA's at UNC-W and lives in North Carolina. He is the author of the novel The Returned which airs on TV under the title Resurrection. Jason Mott will be here to discuss The Crossing this Tuesday, May 22, at 7:00 p.m.

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STAFF PICKS

From Helen: In Young Washington: How Wilderness and War Forged America's Founding Father (Ecco $35) by bestselling author Peter Stark, George Washington grows up. In the beginning, Washington, in his early twenties, is whiny, impulsive, self-centered, and lovesick for the wife of his best friend. By the end he is a cautious, empathetic leader who learns from his mistakes and finds a real relationship when he marries Martha. A great book for young people starting out in life!

From Broche: A variety of human experiences and personalities are explored in Keziah Frost's debut novel, The Reluctant Fortune-Teller (Park Row $15.99), as a lonely and poor older man finds himself becoming the newest project of the "Club" – a group of older women lifelong friends. Reluctantly, as the title states, Norbert Zelenka ("Norbert Z.") uses his gifts to read the cards of the people who join him at a local cafe. In the end, no life is left untouched by his quiet observations.

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SIGNED COPIES

Pops: Fatherhood in Pieces by Michael Chabon ( $19.99). A collection of essays--heartfelt, humorous, insightful, wise--on the meaning of fatherhood.

The Destiny Thief: Essays on Writing, Writers and Life by Richard Russo (Knopf $25.95). Russo's broad interests are reflected here, from a comprehensive analysis of Mark Twain's value, to the story of how an oddly placed toilet made him reevaluate the purpose of humor in art and life.

The Perfectionists: How Precision Engineers Created the Modern World by Simon Winchester (Harper $29.99). Traces the development of the single component crucial to our advancement—precision, in a superb history that is both an homage and a warning for the future.

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

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NEW IN PAPERBACK

The Range Bucket List by James Dodson (Simon & Schuster $17). "Entertaining and insightful, this is Dodson's personal account of his life in pursuit of completing his bucket list including experiences with famous golfers, good friends and other interesting characters."—Linda
Lincoln's Lieutenants: The High Command of the Army of the Potomac by Stephen W. Sears (Mariner $18.99). From the best-selling author of Gettysburg, a multilayered group biography.
Mozart's Starling by Lyanda Lynn Haupt (Back Bay $16.99). Explores the remarkable bond between the composer and one of earth's most common birds, and provides an unexpected window into human-animal friendships, music, and the secret world of starlings.
Mrs. Fletcher: A Novel (Scribner $26). "Tom Perrotta NAILS suburbia! A 46-year-old, single mom sends her only child off to college. Her expectations for the next phase of her life are small and limited. Her son's expectations for college life are huge and limitless. Both characters are surprised."—Abbe

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AUTHOR CHRIS OFFUTT ON THE KINDNESS OF NANCY OLSON

Chris Offutt, author of short stories and novels, most recently Country Dark, kicked off his first book tour in 1994 at Quail Ridge Books. Then owner, Nancy Olson, helped out Chris with his difficulty in driving, even chauffeuring him to his events at her competitors' bookstores. Read more about Chris's story at AuthorsRoundtheSouth.com

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SWITCH FROM AUDIBLE TO LIBRO.​FM AND TAKE TWO CREDITS WITH YOU

Indie bookstores like us are partnering with Libro.fm to offer you access to an extensive selection of audio books, ready to download to your iOS or Android device, at very reasonable prices. Libro.fm offers over 90,000 titles, bookseller reviews, playlists from partners like The New York Times, IndieNextList, and more. When you create an account with Libro.fm and choose QRB as your Indie partner, with every purchase you'll throw some support our way, so that we can keep doing what we do best for you.

Current members of Audible who sign up for a Libro.fm membership can switch over up to two credits by contacting [email protected] with the email address attached to the new account, or just come into the store to let us know. We'll have Libro.fm apply the credits. Libro.fm's $14.99 per month membership offers excellent benefits, and you can cancel anytime and keep all your books. Find out more on our website, or click here to go to Libro.fm to create a QRB-linked account.

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KIDS' SUMMER BOOK CLUBS ARE FILLING UP FAST

The Page Turners book club for kids ages 8–10 has filled up. We are currently registering kids for the Summer B.I.R.D.S. book club for kids ages 5–7 (Beautiful Independent Readers Developing Soon), as well as The Around the Clock Readers, for ages 11–14. There is a fee for the book clubs, and parents receive a 21% discount on the books purchased for clubs. Find more details at on our website. To register, visit us in the store, or call 919-828-1588. For waiting list information, email [email protected].

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QRB IS A FINALIST FOR BEST BOOKSTORE OF THE TRIANGLE 2018

Thank you to everyone who cast their vote for Quail Ridge Books in the Indyweek Best of Triangle nominations--we're a finalist! Anyone can participate in the final voting, going on through May 21, and we'd love your vote! It's at Indyweek/BestOfTriangle2018. (Find bookstores under the 'Shop' category.)

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NC BOOKWATCH ON UNC-TV

Thursday at 5:00 p.m., D. G. Martin's guests are Cindy Waszak Geary and LaHoma Smith Romocki, with Going to School in Black and White. The authors call the book "the story of how we, Cindy and LaHoma, one of us white and one of us black, come of age in the midst of 1970s' court-ordered school desegregation--and what this experience means to us now." Sunday at 11:00 a.m. D. G. talks to Mark de Castrique about Hidden Scars, book six in his Asheville-set Sam Blackman mystery. Find the full Bookwatch schedule and a link to watch online here.

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QRB EVENTS

TONIGHT, MAY 16, 7:00 p.m. Jon Meacham, The Soul of America: The Battle for Our Better Angels. Reserved seats are sold out for the program. Pulitzer Prize winner Jon Meacham offers a way to help understand present American politics and life by re-examining critical times in our history when, as Abraham Lincoln put it, the "better angels of our nature" overcame divison and fear. Filmmaker Ken Burns says of the book, "Rather than curse the darkness, Jon Meacham, with his usual eloquence and surpassing knowledge of our history, has offered us all the sublime and calming reassurance that as threatening as so much of the present moment seems, Americans have weathered such storms before and come out on the other side with fresh and progressive horizons."

FRIDAY THROUGH MONDAY — MAY 18–21. Come shop the Spring Readers' Club Sale! Readers' Club members take 20% off most books, magazines & merchandise. Shop in-store, by phone, by email, or shop online. Not a member? Join now and enjoy the sale, then save for a full year. Annual RC membership is only $15, but is complimentary to those age 60 or better, and to educators preschool–12th grade. The regular RC discount is 10%, and members always take 30% off current NYTimes hardcover bestsellers. We're stocked with the best titles of this publishing season, and giftwrapping is always free.

FRIDAY, MAY 18, 7:00 p.m. Leesa 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. Cross-Smith will discuss the book in conversation with Raleigh author Angela Belcher Epps (Salt in the Sugar Bowl). The News & Observer's Bridgette Lacy discusses interviews Cross-Smith here.

SATURDAY, MAY 19, 10:30 a.m. A special Under the Tree Storytime with costumed characters Elephant and Piggie, who will help us read The Itchy Book by LeUyen Pham. Join us to hear this new story, to take photos with these huggable characters, and to enjoy your other favorite Elephant and Piggie books.

SATURDAY, MAY 19, 11:30 a.m. Local musician Bruce Emery will be playing acoustic guitar for everyone's enjoyment during the Readers' Club Sale. Bruce is the creator and publisher of the Skeptical Guitarist and the Guitar/Ukelele From Scratch instructional books series, and he has several music CDs.

TUESDAY, MAY 22, 7:00 p.m. Jason Mott, The Crossing. North Carolina author of The Returned and The Wonder of All Things, Jason Mott returns with a dystopian thriller focused on the unbreakable bond of twins, set in a future where a deadly contagion and devastating world war rages. Seventeen-year-old orphans Virginia and Tommy Matthews must navigate the dangers and wonders of this changed world as they try to outrun the demons of their past. Kirkus Reviews has praised Mott for his "lyrical writing and soulful insight."

WEDNESDAY, 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 discuss her new novel 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.

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BOOK CLUBS & MEETINGS (Everyone welcome)

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.

MONDAY, MAY 21, 7:00 p.m. UNDERSTANDING THE MIDDLE EAST, Pity the Nation by Robert Fisk, chapters 1–10. (Chapters 11–18 will be discussed in June.)

MONDAY, MAY 21, 7:00 p.m. CONTEMPORARY FICTION, meeting at member's home; email John B. at [email protected] for info. Vinegar Girl by Anne Tyler.

TUESDAY, MAY 22, 7:00 p.m. TREATMENT TALES, The Immortalists by Chloe Benjamin. Treatment Tales is a discussion group for young adults 18–29 who are living with cancer, from diagnosis to remission, to discuss shared experiences as well as books that address the subject.

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.

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

“All our words from loose using have lost their edge.”~~Ernest Hemingway, Death in the Afternoon

For inquiries concerning QuailMail contact editor Kent Bryant at [email protected].

Links to browse or shop the books:
The Crossing by Jason Mott
The Returned by Jason Mott
Young Washington by Peter Stark
The Reluctant Fortune-Teller by Keziah Frost
Pops by Michael Chabon
The Destiny Thief by Richard Russo
The Perfectionists by Simon Winchester
The Range Bucket List by James Dodson
Lincoln's Lieutenants by Stephen Sears
Mozart's Starling by Lyanda Lynn Haupt
Mrs. Fletcher by Tom Perrotta
County Dark by Chris Offutt
Going to School in Black and White by Geary and Romocki​
Hidden Scars by Mark de Castrique
All the Agents and Saints by Stephanie Elizondo Griest
The Soul of America by Jon Meacham ​
Whiskey & Ribbons by Leesa Cross-Smith
Salt in the Sugar Bowl by Angela Belcher Epps
The Itchy Book by LeUyen Pham
Love and Ruin by Paula McLain
The Paris Wife by Paula McLain
A Well-Behaved Woman by Therese Anne Fowler
Nyxia by Scott Reintgen
The Map of Salt and Stars by Jennifer Zeynab Joukhadar
Bel Canto by Ann Patchett
Sister Carrie by Theodore Dreiser
Pity the Nation by Robert Fisk
Vinegar Girl by Anne Tyler
The Immortalists by Chloe Benjamin
The Immortals by Jordanna Max Brodsky
Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone by J.K. Rowling
Death in the Afternoon by Ernest Hemingway