New Arrivals This Week!

Bill of Wrongs: The Executive Branch’s Assault on America’s Fundamental Rights (Random House $24.95) is Molly Ivins’ last collaboration with Lou Dubose. From the introduction, they write, “To all the daring, courageous, or just plain stubborn ‘ordinary’ Americans who have ever gotten up on their hind legs, and said, “Well, that’s not right, that’s not fair’: This book is dedicated to you.” She is missed.

The ever witty and erudite Bill Bryson has penned Shakespeare: The World as Stage (Atlas Book/HarperCollins $19.95) and examines the life of the Bard. It is another in the Eminent Lives series, edited by famed biographer James Atlas.

Steve Martin and Roz Chast have produced a fine and funny children’s book, The Alphabet from A to Y with Bonus Letter Z! (Flying Dolphin Press $17.95). It is a very funny book, with text by Martin (“Amiable Amy, Alice, and Andie Ate all the anchovy sandwiches handy”), illustrations and captions by Chast. All 26 letters are included, and as they say, each and every one a Star!.

New in paperbacks include Diane Setterfield’s novel The Thirteenth Tale (Washington Square Press $15.00), and features a Reading Club Guide. Tammy's favorite book of last year is now out in paperback: The Book of Lost Things, by John Connolly (Washington Square Press, $15.00). (This is a book I'm going to re-read every year.~Tammy) The Willow Field (Vintage $14.95) is William Kittredge’s first novel, and is the story of thousand mile drive and Rossie Benasco’s coming of age. And for food lovers everywhere, The United States of Arugula: The Sun-Dried, Cold-Pressed, Dark-Roasted, Extra Virgin Story of the American Food Revolution (Broadway Books $14.95) where David Kamp describes how American chefs have transformed our perceptions with cooking.

Late Night Gorillaz Music Cafe

We've been hearing music outta the back bedroom for a while, but this one song keeps haunting me everytime it comes up on the kid's playlist. And, it comes on everyday. I finally asked, and it's Clint Eastwood! You need to go listen!

Then Danton gave me two more:

Feel Good Inc


19-2ooo
This is good shit people!

signed smug Mom who loaned the boy her M.I.A KALA cd! I think I've updated that to her homepage, but it's huge, hard to load. Be warned.

UPDATE: Here's a rocking youtube of M.I.A. at last August's Lollapalooza of my favorite cut. There's the studio version on the sidebar. Makes me wish I was young.

Doc Bussard

I know a Rocket Scientist. Really, I do. He has been a long time customer of Seattle Mystery, an omnivorous reader of mysteries. Robert. huh. We knew him as Doc. We cut our internet eye-teeth on emailing with Doc and Dolly, didn't ever tumble to the fact that he was a Rocket Scientist. A guy who could talk about Inertial Electrostatic Confinement.

He and his lovely wife Dolly have been long-time friends and political mentors. When they would come to town, it was like your favorite Aunt and Uncle visiting. The ones you liked. You wanted to stand up taller, say something intelligent. Long after finding out his tastes in fiction, we discovered he was a big deal in the Science Universe. He's such a big brain, Poul Anderson used his science in his books. His discovery and theory was so right on, Star Trek used it for their main transport system to travel Where No Man Has Gone Before... They aren't called Bussard Ramjet Thrusters for nothing people!

Coupla years back he raced in the Americas Cup and we followed his journey with glee. Wouldn't you just know his boat was named Uproarious?

You can see the timeline of how his theory has been dismissed by the ruling governments. His company went from being one of the brightest possibilities to losing their NASA, and other, grants. From that, he rose like a phoenix with private funding, Because, Ultimately he is right. And I do believe that truth will out. Power and Control covers his career nicely.

Doc died last week. I'm grieving.

Pigs Inna Blanket!

Hey Kids! at 5 pm I'll be serving up mass quantities of my signature dish and an amazing assortment of mustards! Dead Guy Ale will be on ice, and you're all invited over! It's been a long week after the whole Christopher Columbus debacle: Day Off? or Retail Worker/Slave? Come party Early to kick off the Weekend!

Oh, yeah. There's gonna be this band from Missoula playing and signing some books.

New This Week!

The tenth Easy Rawlins thriller, Blonde Faith (Little Brown$25.99) is Walter Mosley’s latest. We should have a few signed copies on Thursday. I Am America (And So Can You!) (Grand Central $26.99) has already won the coveted Stephen T. Colbert Award for Literary Excellence. Congrats, Stephen! Eric Clapton’s Autobiography (Broadway Books$26.00) is out. I haven’t heard much about it, but I find it interesting that it follows on the heels of Patti Boyd’s memoir. I’m sure it will be interesting for Rock ’n’ Roll history fans, following Clapton’s career from the John Mayall group, to the Yardbirds, to Cream, to Blind Faith and his solo career. And Robert Greer’s latest C.J. Floyd novel, The Mongoose Deception (Frog, Ltd. $25.95) now graces our shelves.

There is also some great paperback releases. Julia Child’s memoir of discovering FOOD, My Life in France (Anchor $14.95) was co –written with her nephew, Alex Prud’homme. Dave Eggers widely acclaimed novel, What is the What (Vintage $15.95) tells the tale of the Sudanese born Valentino Achak Deng, one of the Lost Boys, forced to flee his home. Maya Angelou’s Hallelujah! The Welcome Table: A Lifetime of Memories with Recipes (Random House $19.95) is nicely spiral-bound for kitchen use. And Hampton Sides’ Blood and Thunder: The Epic Story of Kit Carson and the Conquest of the American West (Anchor Books $15.95) has a subtitle that says it all.

October 9th happens to be my birthday. Thanks! I share it with both John Lennon and Jackson Browne. If only I’d their song-writing talents. A tip of the hat to them and a toast to my fellow Librans.

The hermans are coming!

I've been wall-papering Capitol Hill. Hope they like it.

SPECIAL BULLETIN TO ALL SEATTLE TROOPS: On Thursday, Oct 11th, the hermans will stalk Jackson Street Books. At 5 pm, the hermans will rock the parking lot and sign copies of Stalking America: the Diary of an Unknown Rock and Roll Band (Running Press, $17.95). Come join us for an insider look at an up-and-coming indie band. If you can't make it, contact us to arrange for a "personalized" copy. Considering it's the hermans, who knows what you'll get!

I will be serving my signature dish, "Pigs-inna-Blanket" and other tasty treats!
~SeattleTammy

The Book Report!

A Nail Through the Heart, by Timothy Hallinan (HarperCollins, $24.95) This is certainly a book that lives up to it's title. While giving us a glimpse into Thailand's inner society and soul, it manages to convey the grandeur and cruelty of Bangkok's extreme poverty and sex trade. It is also a completely perfect mystery, right down to the 'the Blonde walked into my office' conceit. I've been a big fan of Hallinan's work since his Simeon Grist/L.A. detective series. After too long a hiatus, the Poke Rafferty series will definitely satisfy.

"One reason people come here, as I believe you said in your book," Hofstedler continues comfortably, "is that here it is possible to behave openly in ways that one would hide at home."
"I wrote that?" Rafferty says.
"It makes you wonder, does it not," Hofstedler says, "What kind of behavior one would hide in Bangkok."

Poke Rafferty is the successful author of the "Looking for Trouble" Travel Series, and now the publisher's attention-getting advance has brought him to Bangkok to write Looking for Trouble in Thailand. Unfortunately, that is not enough money to let him marry former Patpong go-go dancer Rose, or adopt Miaow, the eight year old gum seller he has rescued from the street.

Persuaded by his ally on the local police force, Arthit, that taking the Blonde's case and finding her missing Australian Uncle will get him both "owed favors" and needed monies, Poke must take to the streets and bars that no longer lure him. Peeling this onion of Bangkok two months after the tsunami reveals dance girls, abandoned children, sadistic sex tourists and Cambodian killers that mingle with the "hungry ghosts" from that great wave.

I must say, one of the things that make this such a haunting read are the echoing chapter titles. I love chapter titles when they are so finely tuned as these.

Penitent Liberal Lesbian and I recently had the honor of attending Tim's workshop, "Finishing Your Novel". You can explore that inspirational session at his website, Writer's Resources.

A Nail Through the Heart is available at Jackson Street Books and Fine Independent Bookstores everywhere.

democommie™™™™®© was unable to help in the writing of this book report as we have assigned him to procure a sound system for next week. I told him we need an amp that goes to 11.


SPECIAL BULLETIN TO ALL SEATTLE TROOPS: On Thursday, Oct 11th, the hermans will stalk Jackson Street Books. At 5 pm, the hermans will rock the parking lot and sign copies of Stalking America: the Diary of an Unknown Rock and Roll Band (Running Press, $17.95). Come join us for an insider look at an up-and-coming indie band. If you can't make it, contact us to arrange for a "personalized" copy. Considering it's the hermans, who knows what you'll get!

I will be serving my signature dish, "Pigs-inna-Blanket" and other tasty treats!
~SeattleTammy