When Melissa wrote the post on writers of the West this summer, a number of customers mentioned the numerous authors of mysteries set in the west as being worthy of note as well.  One friend/customer in particular pointed out Michael McGarrity as being a mystery writer who addresses the connection between a character and his/her landscape well, while also writing a great police procedural mystery.  I have stumbled on a few McGarrity novels and appreciated them as well – set in the mountains and cities of New Mexico, the characters and landscape both are recognizable and authentic.  So…. this friend/customer just recently brought in his whole McGarrity collection and we are well stocked!  For a little while at least, because they  may go fast!  His other recommendations include James Lee Burke and CJ Box if you get here a little late….

The brief bio on Fantastic Fiction website has the following info on McGarrity:

   “Michael’s debut novel,”Tularosa” was nominated for an Anthony Award, a Dilys Award and a Spur Award from the Western Writers of America, and was selected as one of the best books of the year by “Publishers Weekly”. “Serpent Gate”, the third novel in the Kevin Kerney series, was a “Booklist” top-ten crime novel of 1998-1999. “Under the Color of Law” garnered kudos as a Top 10 bestseller list for 2001 of the Independent Mystery Booksellers Association. It was also judged as one of the best books of 2001 by Deadly Pleasures Magazine. Deadly Pleasures also gave a nod to the cover art as a top book cover of 2001. In 2003, Michael was nominated for two awards, the New Mexico Governor’s Award for Excellence in the Arts, and the Western Writers of America Spur Award for Best Western Novel, his second Spur nomination and in 2004, Michael was not only nominated but was awarded the New Mexico Governor’s Award for Excellence in the Arts — Literature.”

Whew!  We just got in a huge set of Eyewitness Books by DK/Knopf.  These are the oversized children’s science and history books with pages of bright illustrations and drawings and note sized text tidbits that kids can pore over for hours.  I always have folks looking for the Rocks & Minerals, and Seashells guides, and they are in this set, along with Whales, Elephants, Fish, Volcanos, Mummies, and many more! If you are looking for informative AND entertaining science  books that highlight the things all of us really want to know, hurry in because I don’t think they will last long.

If you have been shopping the aliens and star traveler shelves, you’ve probably noticed a dearth of new (to us) books…well we’ve just restocked the Ben Bova shelf with 14 of his more than 100 sci-fi classics.  Bova is a technically knowledgeable as well as prolific writer, he’s credited with predicting the Star Wars Defense system, and electronic books as well as many other modern marvels.  His bio explains that he was involved in the U.S. space program two years before the creation of NASA.   Later, after focusing on writing, he was editor of Analog and Omni magazines,  a science fiction professor at Harvard, and winner of six Hugo Awards among other accomplishments.  So if escape to a galaxy far, far, away sounds like the perfect antidote to this hot August weather, please come check out the new Ben Nova stock… Mars, Colony,  Being Alien,  Cyberbooks,  Orion, and more! 

If you have made your way to the back of the store, we also have a nice new stack of Jim Butcher, a contemporary author in science fiction and fantasy.  He’s one people are freqently searching for, and our stock is always low.  He is well known for his Dresden series.

How about the “new”genre of dystopian fiction?  Am I the only one who has not heard of that label?  It is the hot ticket for young adult reading now, with the very popular Hunger Games series topping the popularity charts.  (#3, Mockingjay, was just released this month).  My family listened to The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins on a road trip, and it was an excellent, thought provoking, mile burner.  What would happen if one state/community/race controlled all the food and used the rest of the virtual slaves as production minions and reality tv entertainment?  Hmmmm.  I have several new copies on the shelf if you want to give it a try, and I would recommend it for older pre-teens and teens.  Dystopia, in case you are wondering, is defined as:

dys·to·pi·a n. 1. An imaginary place or state in which the condition of life is extremely bad, as from deprivation, oppression, or terror.2. A work describing such a place or state: “dystopias such as Brave New World” (Times Literary Supplement)

Apparently it’s a genre with a history since Brave New World qualifies, but don’t look for a new shelf at East Side Books just yet… Hunger Games can be found in Young Adult or on the top of the Children’s shelf.

It may be too hot to quilt by hand on your lap, but it is just perfect for reading the beautiful new quilting books we just got in!  Another two box batch of amazing quilting books, mostly traditional designs but also some painted art quilts and other techniques.  I am sure if you start now, you’ll be ready for the Tri-County Fair!  Personally, I have not gotten past the reading stage, but I am a huge admirer of all quilters and hope someday to join your ranks.

If I was a quilter, this book would definitely be my first choice, I can barely leave it on the shelf as it is!  Quilts from the Quiltmaker’s Gift by Joanne Larsen Line et al, shares 20 gorgeous, and easy patterns intended for experienced quilters to team up with children or novices for mult-generational quilting.  It is based on the children’s book  The Quiltmaker’s Gift, and those beautiful watercolor illustrations by Gail de Marcken show up throughout.  Excerpts are sprinkled through too, of the character that makes quilts for the poor and homeless, and one king when he learns his lesson.  I love both the children’s book and now this quilting book…. Call if you want this one, because it isn’t going to last long!  If you appreciate the literary/quilt connection, there is also a book in this batch with patterns based on those mentioned by Laura Ingalls Wilder in her Little House series.

Another book that is just a beautiful art book as well as a quilting pattern book, is Quiltmaking by Hand by Jinny Beyer.  There are lots of detailed and well illustrated instructional pages, but there are also many lovely illustrations with quilts in historic settings and with various other artifacts.  It would make a nice gift for a quilter in your life. 

Create Your Family Quilt by Barbara Brackman includes a Design CD.  These patterns use State blocks and symbols.  There are applique designs for birds and flowers representing each state, and dozens of blocks to symbolize each state, like a Mayflower block for Massachusetts.  You can combine these to represent your family history,  and learn some US history while you are at it! Southern Pine blocks for Alabama, Dogwood or Virginia Worm Fence for Virginia, Buckeye Beauty for Ohio… there are lots of really creative blocks as well as traditional favorites.

If you want a smaller project than a quilt, check out Prarie People, Cloth Dolls to make and Cherish by Marji Hadley and J.Dianne Ridgley.  Some of the folk doll patterns show up in quilts as well, but the three- diminsional dolls are very cute.  You could make a few for Christmas.

A scarce title, and also in the doll-sized realm, Easy Paper-Pieced Minatures by Carol Doak has 17 patterns for quilts no bigger than 16″ square.  It also has detailed instructions on using the paper piecing techniques. 

Two more technical manuals include The Border Workbook by Janet Kime and 250 Continuous-Line Quilting Designs for Hand, Machine, & Long-Arm Quilters by Laura Lee Fritz.  I am amazed at how these typically secondary aspects of a quilt  become the art in these two volumes.

One last volume to highlight here, Quilt Art, Color Your Quilts with Trish Stuart shows how to paint/draw watercolor type designs onto your quilts using crayons and inks and layering colors.  Templates are also included.  I have seen painted quilts like these that were very impressive, I am sure it would be a fun technique – it involves crayons after all.

 I hope these titles tempt you to come in and check out the full assortment of new quilting books.  There are some beauties here, and one I was going to write about appears to be on its way to Ireland, so they may not last long!  See you soon.

Thanks,

Diane