1858: Abraham Lincoln, Jefferson Davis, Robert E. Lee, Ulysses S. Grant and the War They Failed to See by Chadwick, Bruce Format:  Hardcover (Cloth) Price:  $24.95 Published: Sourcebooks, 2008 Inventory Status: Usually Ships in 1-5 days   See all editions of this title. By linking the stories of Abraham Lincoln, Jefferson Davis, Robert E. Lee, Ulysses S. Grant, and others, Chadwick creates the historical period at the near-end of the antebellum era. Included is a great portrait of a rather delusional president who is over-confident of his own policies and sure that history will absolve his stands.--Dan Domike, Jackson Street Books (Seattle, WA)
	Belong to Me by de los Santos, Marisa Format:  Hardcover (Cloth) Price:  $24.95 Published: William Morrow & Company, 2008 Inventory Status: Usually Ships in 1-5 days   See all editions of this title. Belong To Me is a portrait of suburban assimilation filled with heart, laughter, and recognition. Marisa de los Santos manages to write about the funny, awkward situations that so many of us have endured, while creating characters as real as your own next-door neighbors.--Danielle Marshall, Powell's Books, Inc (Portland, OR)
	The Man Who Turned Into Himself by Ambrose, David Format:  Trade Paperback Price:  $13.00 Published: Picador USA, 2008 Inventory Status: Usually Ships in 1-5 days   See all editions of this title. After a bizarre car accident, Rick discovers that he is living within the brain of another version of himself--Richard--an appalling individual who has made all the wrong decisions in life. Rick's quest to liberate himself from this psychological prison and establish his 'real' self challenges the reader to consider the multiple personas that exist within our own minds. Part science fiction, part psychological thriller, this novel shocks with twist after twist.--Kelly Wells, The King's English Bookshop (Salt Lake City, UT)
	Girls in Trucks by Crouch, Katie Format:  Hardcover (Cloth) Price:  $21.99 Published: Little Brown and Company, 2008 Inventory Status: Usually Ships in 1-5 days   See all editions of this title. This first novel by Katie Crouch turns the high-fallutin' notions of Southern debutante culture on its ear with a dark and frankly sexual tale of awakening. A page-turner by every account, Girls in Trucks blends steamy scenes and heartbreak with an infectious, dreamlike prose, to deliver a graceful work of literature--not to be read while wearing white lace gloves!--Kevin Hunsanger, Green Apple Books (San Francisco, CA)
	The Outcast by Jones, Sadie Format:  Hardcover (Cloth) Price:  $24.95 Published: Harper, 2008 Inventory Status: Usually Ships in 1-5 days   See all editions of this title. Sadie Jones displays rare skills in her debut novel. The story of a troubled young man in post-WWII suburban London is heartbreaking and wonderful. The book evokes both the best emotions of Catcher in the Rye and the spirit of quiet rebellion of The Razor's Edge, with characters who are well-written and real. I love this book.--Brooke Raby, Joseph-Beth Booksellers (Lexington, KY)
	Memory by Grimbert, Philippe Format:  Hardcover (Cloth) Price:  $19.95 Published: Simon & Schuster, 2008 Inventory Status: Usually Ships in 1-5 days   See all editions of this title. Philippe Grimbert has crafted the most amazing novel/memoir of his life as a Jewish youth in a family struggling to survive in Paris and Lyons during World War II. His images are memorable and breathtaking: his family, the 'sporting life' of the 1930s, and the cities, especially the shops. I could not put down this beautiful book!--Kathleen Dixon, Islandtime Books & More (Washington Island, WI)
	The Shadow Year by Ford, Jeffrey Format:  Hardcover (Cloth) Price:  $25.95 Published: William Morrow & Company, 2008 Inventory Status: Usually Ships in 1-5 days   See all editions of this title. I loved The Shadow Year. In this story of the secrets of a 1960s Long Island suburb, Ford's writing is hypnotic, as he examines the dark side of living in a small town through the lives of three siblings.--Roberta Rubin, The Book Stall At Chestnut Ct. (Winnetka, IL)
	The Baum Plan for Financial Independence: And Other Stories by Kessel, John Format:  Trade Paperback Price:  $16.00 Published: Small Beer Press, 2008 Inventory Status: Usually Ships in 1-5 days   See all editions of this title. John Kessel's writing exists at the edge of things, in the dark corner where the fiction section abuts the science fiction shelves, in the hyphen where magic meets realism. This is one of those too rare short story collections that you can recommend with confidence to both the literary snob and the hard-core computer geek.--Rich Rennicks, Malaprop's Bookstore/Cafe (Asheville, NC)
	The Blue Star by Earley, Tony Format:  Hardcover (Cloth) Price:  $23.99 Published: Little Brown and Company, 2008 Inventory Status: Usually Ships in 1-5 days   See all editions of this title. I have been recommending Earley's novel Jim the Boy for years. Now he has written a sequel, set at the outbreak of World War II, with Jim as a high school senior in the same North Carolina community. Highlighting the devastation of prejudice and the emotional turmoil of first love, it is just as wonderful as its predecessor.--Mary Gleysteen, Eagle Harbor Book Company (Bainbridge Island, WA)
	The View from the Seventh Layer by Brockmeier, Kevin Format:  Hardcover (Cloth) Price:  $23.05 Published: Pantheon Books, 2008 Inventory Status: Usually Ships in 1-5 days   See all editions of this title. Heartfelt confessions scrawled in yearbooks, 'Choose-Your-Own-Adventure, ' Captain Kirk's love life, and spontaneous periods of absolute silence--these are just a few subjects touched upon in the new short story collection from the author of The Brief History of the Dead. Once again, Brockmeier beautifully demonstrates his unique gift for making the commonplace extraordinary and the extraordinary wonderfully ordinary.--Matt Kandarian, Books On The Square (Providence, RI)
	The Resurrectionist by O'Connell, Jack Format:  Hardcover (Cloth) Price:  $24.95 Published: Algonquin Books of Chapel Hill, 2008 Inventory Status: Usually Ships in 1-5 days   See all editions of this title. On the surface, The Resurrectionist is a story of just how far a father will go to get his son back. However, this is not the typical missing-child story--it's a soul-searching adventure combined with dark humor, quirky characters, and an alternative world that, at times, seems all too real. The novel is unique and absolutely captivating. My advice to readers: Suspend all disbelief and hang on for the ride!--Nancy Simpson, Book Vault (Oskaloosa, IA)
	Twenty Chickens for a Saddle: The Story of an African Childhood by Scott, Robyn Format:  Hardcover (Cloth) Price:  $24.95 Published: Penguin Press, 2008 Inventory Status: Out of Print   See all editions of this title. An astonishingly written story of growing up in modern-day Africa with loving, eccentric, and adventure-loving parents. Every character in this book could fill a novel.--Lillian Kinsey, Bohannons' Books With a Past (Georgetown, KY)
	The Fourth Man by Dahl, K. O. Format:  Hardcover (Cloth) Price:  $23.95 Published: Minotaur Books, 2008 Inventory Status: Usually Ships in 1-5 days   See all editions of this title. K.O. Dahl's Detective Inspector Frank Frolich is a worthy addition to the Scandinavian sleuths created by Henning Mankell and Arnaldur Indridason. The entire cast of characters is composed of interesting people, in fact, and the plot is strong and original. I'm happy to find a new author for those who prefer mysteries with depth and complexity.--Betsey Detwiler, Buttonwood Books & Toys (Cohasset, MA)
	Olive Kitteridge by Strout, Elizabeth Format:  Hardcover (Cloth) Price:  $25.00 Published: Random House, 2008 Inventory Status: Usually Ships in 1-5 days   See all editions of this title. I have fallen truly, madly, and deeply in love with Olive Kitteridge. The artistry of Strout's craft is awe-inspiring, and the compassion and psychological depth which with these ordinary people are presented simply blew me away. This novel, presented in interlinking stories, serves to remind us that empathy is the true mission of fine fiction.--Andy Lillich, University of Oregon Bookstore (Eugene, OR)
	Unaccustomed Earth by Lahiri, Jhumpa Format:  Hardcover (Cloth) Price:  $25.00 Published: Alfred A. Knopf, 2008 Inventory Status: Usually Ships in 1-5 days   See all editions of this title. Jhumpa Lahiri's new collection of stories overflows with insights about the secrets we can hide. While these stories examine the crossing and commingling of Indian and Western cultures, the feelings of pride, love, and loneliness ring true in any society. They are jewels.--Rosemary Pugliese, Quail Ridge Books & Music (Raleigh, NC)
	Girls Like Us: Carole King, Joni Mitchell, Carly Simon: And the Journey of a Generation by Weller, Sheila Format:  Hardcover (Cloth) Price:  $27.95 Published: Atria Books, 2008 Inventory Status: Usually Ships in 1-5 days   See all editions of this title. Sheila Weller's story of three of the most important women in the history of pop music--Carole King, Joni Mitchell, and Carly Simon--captures the '60s better than any novel, recalling the stories and songs that have become ingrained in the psyche of America's soul. I would rate this book a 98--it has a great beat and you can dance to it.--Jerry Brown, The Bookstore (Radcliff, KY)
	Knockemstiff by Pollock, Donald Ray Format:  Hardcover (Cloth) Price:  $22.95 Published: Doubleday Books, 2008 Inventory Status: Usually Ships in 1-5 days   See all editions of this title. Knockemstiff is one of the best short story collections I've read in years, and, possibly, ever. Pollock somehow manages to portray some of the most damaged characters imaginable in a style that reads at a fast clip while maintaining strong literary skill throughout. Knockemstiff does for dark small-town America what Didion's Play it As it Lays did for 1960s Hollywood.--Katherine Whitfield, Davis-Kidd Booksellers (Memphis, TN)
	The Ten-Year Nap by Wolitzer, Meg Format:  Hardcover (Cloth) Price:  $24.95 Published: Riverhead Hardcover, 2008 Inventory Status: Special Order - Subject to Availability   See all editions of this title. Raised to believe they could do anything (and everything), a group of well-educated New York City friends now face difficult decisions after having spent the past 10 years as stay-at-home moms. There are no easy answers here, and Wolitzer brilliantly pulls off a satire of modern life that is also sympathetic.--Susan Fox, Red Fox Books (Glens Falls, NY)
	The Tenderness of Wolves by Penney, Stef Format:  Trade Paperback Price:  $15.00 Published: Simon & Schuster, 2008 Inventory Status: Usually Ships in 1-5 days   See all editions of this title. Backwoods Canada in the 1860s comes vividly to life in this cinematic historical mystery when a mother sets out in the snowy wilderness to find her son accused of a brutal murder. Penney's screenwriting experience shows in a riveting novel told in powerful short takes.--Marian Nielsen, Orinda Books (Orinda, CA)
	House Rules: A Memoir by Sontag, Rachel Format:  Hardcover (Cloth) Price:  $24.95 Published: Ecco, 2008 Inventory Status: Usually Ships in 1-5 days   See all editions of this title. Sontag's account of growing up in a home with a father obsessed with control is a story of conversations that spin in never-ending circles and the maze facing a young woman trying to learn what is true and what is not. House Rules is an honest and painfully accurate telling of the vague, convoluted, and terrifying experience of mental abuse.--Stacie Williams, Harry W. Schwartz Bookshop (Milwaukee, WI)