When the weather turns cold, there’s nothing better than curling up with a book by the fire. Here are six picks from the staff at WordsWorth & Co. Books.
1. “Escape Velocity: A Charles Portis Miscellany” by Charles Portis; edited by Jay Jennings
We now have an answer to one of the most frequently asked questions at WordsWorth: “Has Charles Portis written anything new lately?” “Escape Velocity,” written by Charles Portis and edited by “Carry the Rock” author Jay Jennings, collects Portis’ nonfictional writings and short stories. There is even a previously unpublished play, titled “Delray’s New Moon,” which was featured in the fall issue of the Oxford American. An invaluable contribution to Arkansas’ renowned literary heritage, this book is a must for any Charles Portis fan.
2. “Telegraph Avenue” by Michael Chabon
Best-selling author and Pulitzer Prize winner Michael Chabon is back with “Telegraph Avenue,” a novel of class, race, family and lively pop culture that explores the stories of two California families, one white and one black. Archy Stallings and Nat Jaffe are co-owners of a used vinyl record store, when their business is suddenly threatened by the advent of a mega chain store on Telegraph Avenue. As the friendship of these two men — and the bonds of their two families — are tested by profound life changes, Chabon weaves his trademark humor and insight into their multi-layered stories.
3. ”The Diviners” by Libba Bray
“The Diviners” is the first in a new young adult fiction series by award-winning author Libba Bray. Set in 1920s New York City, the book is equal parts ghost story, mystery and coming-of-age-story. The protagonist, Evie O’Neill, is sent off to the city to live with her eccentric uncle in his Museum of American Folklore, Superstition, and the Occult, and Evie’s insatiable curiosity soon lands her in the middle of a murder investigation. Evie is also guarding a closely kept secret that just might help her stop the murderer, unless he finds her first.
4. “The Panther” by Nelson DeMille
At WordsWorth, we accommodate some of the most well-read mystery fans in the state, and, luckily, there are quite a few new titles to choose from this fall. Nelson DeMille, author of “The General’s Daughter,” recently released an exciting new mystery called “The Panther.” This thriller centers on Anti-Terrorist Task Force agent John Corey and his FBI agent wife Kate Mayfield, who are sent overseas to track down an al-Qaida operative known only as the Panther. This is a follow-up to the 2010 best-seller “The Lion” and is the sixth DeMille novel to feature Agent John Corey.
5. “The Casual Vacancy” by J.K. Rowling
It has been five years since the publication of “Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows” (and four years since “The Tales of Beedle the Bard”), and we are more than ready for more J.K. Rowling! She is back this fall with a brand new mystery for adults, titled “The Casual Vacancy.” An esteemed member of the English village of Pagford suddenly dies, leaving open a seat on the parish council. What ensues is nothing short of open war, as citizens of this seemingly peaceful town vie for the coveted position. Nothing is as it appears to be in Pagford, as the election brings out the worst even among the best people.
6. “Thomas Jefferson: The Art of Power” by Jon Meacham
Jon Meacham’s “American Lion: Andrew Jackson in the White House” won the 2009 Pulitzer Prize and was a very popular holiday gift item at WordsWorth. Meacham returns this year with “Thomas Jefferson: The Art of Power,” which details Jefferson’s years as America’s third president, and confirms his status as a man of great passions and ideas. This book has been heavily lauded by Abraham Lincoln biographer Doris Kearns Goodwin, as well as Steve Jobs biographer Walter Isaacson, and is one of the most anticipated works of nonfiction to come this fall. “Thomas Jefferson: The Art of Power” goes on sale Tuesday, Nov. 13.
6 Books Our Facebook Friends Are Reading
1. “Jelly Roll: A Black Neighborhood in a Southern Mill Town” by Charles E. Thomas
2. “A Wrinkle in Time” by Madeleine L’Engle
3. “The White Queen” by Philippa Gregory
4. “Let’s Pretend This Never Happened (A Mostly True Memoir)” by Jenny Lawson
5. “Running the Books: The Adventures of an Accidental Prison Librarian” by Avi Steinberg
6. “Lost Horizon” by James Hilton