By Elaine Mattson

Welcome May 2013! Rumor has it that the first weekend is even going to be nice and sunny. What more could we want? Oooh, I know! How about a great book, recently out in paperback? For you or your mom! Don’t forget: Mother’s Day is May 12… cannot stress the “do not forget” part enough! A short list of staff favorites [come see us for even more suggestions!]:
“The Orchardist: A Novel” by Amanda Coplin
“Wild: From Lost to Found on the Pacific Crest Trail” by Cheryl Strayed
“Beautiful Ruins” by Jess Walter
“The Art Forger: A Novel” by B. A. Shapiro
“Bobcat and Other Stories” by Rebecca Lee
“Lots of Candles, Plenty of Cake” by Anna Quindlen
“Broken Harbor: A Novel of the Dublin Murder Squad” by Tana French
“The Revised Fundamentals of Caregiving: A Novel” by Jonathan Evison
“The Dog Stars” by Peter Heller. [Coming May 7, 2013.]

May Events at the Edmonds Bookshop.

May 15. Our May Book Club title is “Slaughterhouse-Five: Or The Children’s Crusade, A Duty Dance With Death” by Kurt Vonnegut.
This American classic is the semi-autobiographical account of the firebombing of Dresden, Germany by the British and American air forces in the February of 1945. The destruction of this non-military city so late in the war is still very controversial, and that controversy is central to Vonnegut’s book.

 Published at the height of the Vietnam War in 1969, it is considered by many critics to be Vonnegut’s greatest work. It includes all of the elements that readers expect from him: humor, satire, social criticism, and pacifism. The novel is the result of what Vonnegut describes as a twenty-three year struggle to write a book about the firebombing of Dresden which he witnessed as an American POW incarcerated in a former slaughterhouse. Perhaps not surprisingly, he emerged from the experience an avowed pacifist.
Fun bonus trivia: this novel often makes the lists of “Best first lines…”
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..nope. You’ll have to read it!
Find more details on our Book Club page.

May 16, 5 – 8 p.m. Third Thursday ArtWalk. We welcome, as our Third Thursday Artist: Jill Linzee and her NW Heritage Resources Tours titles. Northwest Heritage Resources is a non-profit organization first established in Washington state in 1995. Its mission is to conserve cultural heritage and to present, promote, preserve and document the diverse cultural traditions of the Pacific Northwest. Visit their web site [https://www.NorthwestHeritageResources.org] for all kinds of great additional information.

Recent book releases of note:
“VB6: Eat Vegan Before 6:00 to Lose Weight and Restore Your Health . . . for Good” by Mark Bittman.
“Bunker Hill: A City, a Siege, a Revolution” by Nathaniel Philbrick. The best-selling author brings his prodigious talents to the story of the Boston battle that ignited the American Revolution.
“Waiting to Be Heard: A Memoir” by Amanda Knox. Ms. Knox recounts her darkest moments in prison. Article in The Seattle Times.
“NOS4A2: A Novel” by Joe Hill. A spine-tingling novel of supernatural suspense from this new master of horror. Chosen for IndieBound.
“Gold: A Novel” by Chris Cleave. The bestseller now in paper. Chosen for IndieBound.
“Beastly Things” by Donna Leon. In paperback.
“Frozen in Time: An Epic Story of Survival and a Modern Quest for Lost Heroes of World War II” by Mitchell Zuckoff. A gripping true story of survival, bravery, and honor in the vast Arctic wilderness during World War II. Great review in The Seattle Times Chosen for IndieBound.
“Paris: The Novel” by Edward Rutherford. With his unrivaled blend of impeccable research and narrative verve, he weaves an extraordinary narrative tapestry that captures all the glory of Paris.
“Snapper” by Brian Kimberling. This debut novel is a loosely connected group of stories about Nathan Lochmueller, a philosophy major turned bird researcher looking for birds, love and the meaning of life. Chosen for IndieBound. New review in The Seattle Times.
“Let’s Explore Diabetes with Owls” by David Sedaris. This new book of essays takes readers on a bizarre and stimulating world tour, as only Sedaris can do!
“Cooked: A Natural History of Transformation” by Michael Pollan. Great review in The Seattle Times

And coming later in May:
“Red Moon” by Benjamin Percy. Exploring one of the oldest themes in alt. fiction—the werewolf—Percy delivers a stunning alternate history epic that transcends its genre trappings to read as a provocative reflection on the contemporary zeitgeist [and you know how much your humble columnist loves a good werewolf tale, I cannot wait!]. Chosen for IndieBound. May 7
“A Delicate Truth: A Novel” by John le Carre. A brand new spy novel from one of the masters of the genre! May 7
“A Constellation of Vital Phenomena” by Anthony Marra. This first novel’s author has garnered numerous awards and this book has all kinds of early great reviews. Chosen for lead review in May IndieBound. May 7
“Dead Ever After : A Sookie Stackhouse Novel #13” by Charlaine Harris. The last Sookie Stackhouse novel! What will her happily-ever-after look like? May 7.
“Inferno: A Novel” by Dan Brown. In the heart of Italy, our favorite Harvard professor of symbology, Robert Langdon, is drawn into a harrowing world centered on one of history’s most enduring and mysterious literary masterpieces . . . Dante’s Inferno. May 14
“And the Mountains Echoed” by Khaled Hosseini. The new novel from bestselling author of “The Kite Runner.” May 21

As always, check our website for all the latest in book news!
Happy reading!

Edmonds native Elaine Mattson has worked at The Edmonds Bookshop off and on since she was 12 years old, and has also worked at a book wholesaler, a book publisher, and for the book publishing division of a large local software company (yes, that one). “I was raised a book lover [thanks, Mom!],” Mattson says. “We got book lights by our beds as soon as we were old enough to read. And then I probably got in trouble for reading too late the very next night. And I still read too late!”