Ann Patchett's Blog, page 34
January 15, 2019
Three Fabulous Fiction Reads for January
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Whether you’ve got a gift card burning a hole in your pocket or you just can’t stand to leave your cozy reading fort for the cold world outside, it’s probably time for a new novel or three in your life. If you’re in Nashville, please stop by the shop to say hello and have a browse! If not — or if you really can’t leave your blankets — we’re happy to suggest a few masterful works of fiction here. Just click the titles below to order online, and you’ll only have to shuffle as far as your front door.
[image error]Late in the Day
Our First Editions Club is kicking off 2019 with this gripping story of what happens when a tight-knit quartet of friends suffers a crushing loss. Alex, Christine, Zach, and Lydia met and bonded in their twenties, and it’s thirty years later when Alex and Christine get the call from Lydia that something has happened to Zach. Sometimes loss brings people closer together, but in this case it also dredges up old pain and threatens to fracture friendships beyond repair. Hadley lives in the UK, but an ocean won’t stop us from getting signed first editions to you. So if you’d like an autographed copy of this novel to add to your home library, now’s the perfect time to join the club.
[image error]The Dreamers
Book lovers may remember Walker’s first novel, 2012’s The Age of Miracles, a coming-of-age story set against the backdrop of planetary disaster. She returns to that thematic territory in The Dreamers, where once again families, friendships, and the intimate realities of everyday lives are upended by a mysterious crisis; but this time, the apocalyptic event is a strange illness that’s causing people to drop into deep sleep. Speaking of sleep: don’t expect to get any until you finish this riveting novel, on shelves now. Several Parnassus staffers loved it, as did independent booksellers across the country — it made the January IndieNext list!
[image error]The Weight of a Piano
If music has played any part in your personal history, you’ll enjoy immersing yourself in this expansive story of how one instrument changes lives over a half-century and two continents. Cander weaves multiple narratives together, starting in the 1960s Soviet Union, where a girl named Katya discovers her talent as a pianist after receiving a Blüthner upright piano as a gift from an elderly neighbor. Another storyline takes us to California in 2012, where Clara, a young auto mechanic, considers selling the piano she inherited — but never learned to play — to a man who is interested in it for reasons of his own. The book comes out January 22, and you’re invited to join us for a reading, discussion, and signing with Cander right here in the store on Friday, February 1, 2019.
Now get back to hibernating, readers.
January 11, 2019
“Harvested From My Life” — Greg Howard on His New Novel, The Whispers
Eleven-year-old Riley used to think the Whispers — magical wood creatures that grant your wishes if you leave them tributes — were a made-up part of the bedtime story his mother used to tell him. But then Riley’s mother went missing, and somehow Riley has become suspect number one in the police investigation. Bullied at school for his “condition” — having crushes on boys instead of girls — Riley is concerned that his difference may be the reason why his mother disappeared. Now he believes the Whispers may offer his only chance of finding her, so he sets out on a camping trip with his best friend, Gary, and his eighth-grade crush, Dylan, to find out the truth once and for all.
[image error]For more about The Whispers, check out Tracy Barrett’s review of the novel on Chapter 16
That’s what’s going on in The Whispers, Greg Howard’s new novel for young readers. Can you see how I was hooked?
Nashville-based Howard set his new book in the lush country of South Carolina, the perfect backdrop for this exploration of love, loss, and self-discovery. Much needed by today’s young readers, The Whispers handles issues of identity in a way I hadn’t seen before and found refreshing. A touch of magic and plenty of witty narration round out this winning novel, creating an unforgettable and wholly unique reading experience. Whether you’re a parent or a teacher, I can’t wait for you, your kids, and/or your students to experience it. It was my pleasure to interview Howard about his new book, and if you’re in Nashville, I hope you’ll join us for his book launch celebration at Parnassus next Tuesday, January 15, 2019, at 6:30 p.m. Here’s our Q&A. –Katherine Klockenkemper
Katherine Klockenkemper: Congratulations on your debut middle grade novel! You’ve said that this book is heavily based on your childhood. Tell us about the process of sharing such a personal story — how much or little of yourself did you put on the page?
[image error]Greg Howard: Thank you, Katherine, and great question. Actually, I left quite a bit of myself on the page in The Whispers. I’m sure my family will think so anyway when they read it. I wanted to write about my experiences growing up as a gay kid in the rural deep South and also my relationship with my mother, but in a fictionalized way. So, I lent my main character Riley many of my own memories, experiences, family members, fears, joys, habits, quirks, etc. And I found releasing all those things to Riley came pretty easily. It was profoundly freeing, actually. One example of this is Riley’s dog, Tucker, who is based on my real-life dog, also named Tucker, and he was exactly as described in the book. But I had Tucker as an adult, not as a child. Riley’s grandparents are pretty much my grandparents; I wet the bed like a champ until the fifth grade or so; the trauma Riley experiences was based on my childhood trauma; and many stories from Riley’s life history and family lore — including the burial of can’t and if, the missing family photo albums, and my mother being a local beauty queen — were harvested from my life.
[image error]Tucker, the real-life dog
KK: The details and sense of place were so strong that at times I felt like I was watching a film. Is that the secret to pulling off magical realism in a way that resonates with young readers?
GH: I’ve been told I write cinematically, and I guess that’s because I’ve always been such a huge film buff. I want to see what I’m writing in my mind as I’m writing it. And also, probably because Pat Conroy is my favorite author. His writing is so cinematic and beautifully crafted, especially his descriptions of Southern settings. Conroy’s influence is ever-present in my writing process and I hope it always will be. Plus, having set the story in an area where I spent many years of my youth, when I was describing the setting, I was basically describing it from memory. And during those pre-teen years I think a sense of place gets deeply rooted in our psyche.
As far as incorporating magical realism, I think that comes from that strong sense of place coupled with a decidedly vivid imagination. And at that age, I sure had that in spades, as many kids do. I think it’s easier for kids to accept the possibility of magic, wonder, and fantasy in their material world. They’re more open to it.
KK: How did it feel to write in the voice of an 11-year-old after writing the teenagers in your last book, the young adult novel Social Intercourse? Which age did you find more challenging to write?
GH: It was a completely different experience, for sure. In Social Intercourse, the teen characters are highly self-aware, self-absorbed, and flawed. And though Riley has his own flaws in The Whispers (and I don’t mean the flaws he thinks he has, which he calls his “conditions”), he’s filled with an innocence and a beautiful sense of wonder, kindness, and hope, to which I really enjoyed surrendering myself. And without a doubt, I found the teens in Social Intercourse more challenging to write. But both were extremely satisfying voices to get lost in.
KK: I keep thinking about a character named Sister Grimes — she’s the mother of a bully at Riley’s school. Riley overhears her gossiping about him, suggesting that Riley’s homosexuality would “kill” his mother if discovered. Is this character based on a real person/people or experience from your childhood? (And what is it about hearing things we aren’t meant to hear that motivates us to extremes?)
GH: Ah, yes. Good old Sister Grimes. Well, she wasn’t based on a real person. However, the situation did happen in my childhood when I overheard a lady of the church say exactly that—that it would kill my mama if she knew I was “funny.” I didn’t know what “funny” really meant, but I’d heard it enough to have a pretty good idea. Of course, I wasn’t meant to hear the comment, but I did. And it haunted me for a long time, producing crushing guilt and shame.
When a child hears something like that, especially coming from an adult, it carries a tremendous amount of weight and can do a lot of damage. Adults are always right. That’s what I was always taught, anyway. So, I literally thought that my mama was in mortal danger just because I was who I was — something I knew I couldn’t change.
[image error]KK: When this book first came to my attention, I heard it compared to Bridge to Terabithia. Obviously, your book will be sitting on shelves alongside the classics of children’s literature. What do you hope it adds to those shelves? That is, what does your book offer readers that complements what’s already out there?
GH: Well that’s an incredibly humbling thought. But if it proves true, I think what The Whispers will add to those shelves is representation of a segment of children who don’t see themselves in middle grade books very often and who are sometimes erased all together. Some people have told me that I’m courageous for writing middle grade stories with queer main characters, but it doesn’t feel courageous at all. It just feels right. I have a responsibility to those marginalized and sometimes forgotten kids, to let them know that they’re not alone. That there’s nothing wrong with them. That they are seen, and most of all, that they matter. Because I was in their shoes for many years and I know what a dark and lonely space that can be in which to exist.
KK: I’m curious about what kind of reader you were as a kid. What were your favorite books growing up, and how did they shape you?
GH: Unfortunately, I wasn’t taught good reading habits at home, so the reading I did was in school, and the habits I learned from teachers. I was exceedingly fortunate to have wonderful English and Language Arts teachers all throughout school. As I kid loved the Encyclopedia Brown series, The Boxcar Children, Charlotte’s Web, Stuart Little, and How to Eat Fried Worms. As you can see my tastes were very refined and varied.
KK: Last, our favorite question: What’s your favorite thing about bookstores?
GH: I love all the possibilities that exist inside a bookstore — the many different stories, worlds, and characters waiting to be explored and discovered. And that everyone there is on the same mission — to find that one, or two, or 10 books that we decide to invest a little bit of ourselves in when the choices are as endless as the possibilities.
* * *
Greg Howard
Author of The Whispers
Parnassus Books
Tuesday, January 15, at 6:30 p.m.
This event is open to the public and free to attend. Bring your upper elementary and middle school students to meet the author of this touching soon-to-be classic!
January 8, 2019
Writing “From the Center of a Trauma” — An Interview With Dani Shapiro, Author of Inheritance
As an adoptee in a closed adoption, I’ve observed the growth of DNA testing in recent years with both interest and apprehension. The bright faces, tearful reunions, testimonials of instant, effortless connection — I’m glad it worked out for you, I think, but would I ever truly feel ready for that? Eventually overcome by curiosity, I called on Ancestry.com last year. I was mostly interested in my ethnicity, but when given the option to match my DNA with relatives, I agreed.
After two months, I received my results, discovered I’m very Swedish, and in no time was connected to a second cousin. It was three in the morning just hours later when she put together who my birth father was. Unable to sleep, I’d been scrolling through Swedish art on Etsy when my phone lit up with a notification from her: my father’s picture, then a picture of his mother. Those are my eyes.
One after the other in quick succession, I discovered more relatives: my biological mother, two half-sisters, two half-brothers, aunts, cousins, a grandmother. And it was right around then — with perfect timing — that Dani Shapiro’s upcoming memoir, Inheritance, came to my attention.
[image error]“Dani Shapiro at her best” –Jennifer Egan, author of Manhattan Beach
“A compulsively-readable investigation into selfhood that burrows to the heart of what it means to accept, to love, and to belong.” —Anthony Doerr, author of All the Light We Cannot See
In this book, Shapiro’s fifth memoir (she has also written five novels), she mines for the truth of who she is after taking a DNA test on a whim and making a shocking discovery: the father who raised her along with her mom was not, in fact, her biological father. (Read more about it in this recent Wall Street Journal profile.) Often when reading memoir, I feel my position as a reader is to bear witness while the writer reflects back on life after the dust has settled. The writer speaks from a grounded place, even if she’s writing about an ungrounded past experience. On the contrary, when reading Inheritance, I felt immersed in the storminess of Shapiro’s experience as she considers how this genetic discovery could possibly coexist with what she has always believed about herself and her family. What do we inherit and from whom — and how does it shape who we become? Inheritance takes these essential questions to heart.
All my life, my past has been infinite, my origins infinite. I might’ve come from anywhere, from anybody, every version I dreamed up more glamorous than the last. To know the actual people who made me is to let go of the infinite, to turn away from fantasy and look at the faces before me. It’s a complicated shift not always captured in reunion stories. Throughout this process, Inheritance became a life raft for me, as it will for anyone whose origins have been brought to light and who now must integrate that knowledge into identity. –Betsy Coughlin
Please join us on Wednesday, January 30, 2019, at 6:30 p.m. here in the store, as we welcome Dani Shapiro for a discussion and book signing. Inheritance will be published on January 15; meanwhile, you can pre-order your copy today and enjoy this Q&A with the author right now.
Betsy Coughlin: You write about how your relationship with your appearance — your face in the mirror — shifted throughout your life, especially when you first discovered your biological heritage. (I’ve experienced something similar; I’ve never felt so at rest in my own face since I learned where it comes from.) Fascination with physical appearance can sometimes be dismissed as a superficial concern — but could you speak to how compelling it is, the desire to know and understand one’s own reflection?
[image error]Dani Shapiro: Absolutely, and what a great question. I never really thought much about my relationship to my reflection in the mirror until I made the discovery that my dad hadn’t been my biological father. Suddenly so much became clear — mostly the way I had been absorbed, more than usual, I think — both as a child and as a young woman — with the way that my face somehow didn’t make sense. I didn’t look like either of my parents, really — but it was stark when it came to my dad and his family. I was very fair, blue-eyed, pink-cheeked, and they were quite dark, olive-skinned — but it wasn’t only our different complexions or coloring. I looked like I came from a different part of the world than they did — something I always felt, and pushed away. But it was true. And that truth has been enormously liberating. I love what you say, in your question, about feeling at rest in your own face. The same is true for me.
BC: At times it’s difficult for me to grasp my own search story, because I don’t feel it was entirely my choice — I wasn’t totally prepared for the information to fall into my lap. I wonder how you contend with the technology at work in your story. Is the ability to be “matched” with strangers a good thing or a bad thing? And do you think most people are fully prepared for what DNA testing will enable them to find out?
DS: So many people are doing DNA testing, and for different reasons. For some, it’s idle curiosity, or a sense that maybe they’ll make an interesting (but not too interesting) discovery about some sliver of their heritage, or perhaps find a third cousin. Others do DNA testing because deep down they’ve always suspected something was amiss. But regardless, secrets are tumbling out at such a rapid rate these days, and there is no preparing for making such a monumental discovery that speaks to the very core of identity. Not to mention the sense that many feel betrayed by one or both parents withholding such an essential piece of information.
But regardless of whether we are prepared, the cat’s out of the bag regarding DNA testing. The technology is here to stay, and pretty soon there will be no more secrets involving paternity, or maternity. Ultimately, I think that’s a good thing — even though it has been shocking, of course — but a good thing, because when there’s a closely-held secret about our identity, we’re formed by what we don’t know, the unspoken, the hidden; ultimately it’s liberating to know the truth of ourselves. As a friend said to me in the early days after my discovery: “Once you get to the other side of this, you will be free.”
BC: You wrote this book with a speed and urgency unlike that of your previous memoirs, correct? How else was the process of writing Inheritance different?
[image error]DS: When I made the discovery about my father, it was days – literally days – after I had finished Hourglass, my last book. It was such crazy timing – timing I now view as quite miraculous, because if I had discovered the truth of my identity while still working on Hourglass, I would have had to put that book aside. This journey was one of complete, total absorption. It was literally the story of me, of how I came to be.
My editor and I have joked that Inheritance is the book I was born to write, but in fact there’s truth in that. I began researching, reporting, taking notes almost instantly. I was propelled by the concern that most of the people who might know anything about the history of my conception, or who had known my parents, would have been very old, if they were still living. And so I began calling folks in their late eighties, early nineties. Family friends, relatives, doctors, rabbis, experts — I was in a state of shock, but fueled by a profound need to learn everything I possibly could. I began writing pretty quickly too — attempting to stitch together a narrative as it was unfolding. Of course, as I always tell my students, this is impossible: to write from the center of a trauma. But I decided that those rules didn’t apply to me. When I was about two hundred pages into the manuscript, I went on book tour for Hourglass and had to put it aside for a while. When I returned to it, I re-read it and my heart sank. I threw those pages away and started anew, this time with just enough distance to be able to tell the story.
BC: For those who wonder whether you ever considered giving up on your investigation into your DNA results: What drove your decision to move forward?
DS: Well, it should be said that my investigation into my DNA results — the identifying and contacting of my biological father — took about a nanosecond. Or thirty-six hours, to be precise. It was insanely fast, rather miraculous. But I think that if it hadn’t been so fast, I would have kept going for as long as it took. I wanted to understand who — biologically — I came from. It felt urgent, essential.
[image error]Family scrapbook: Dani Shapiro as a little girl with her dad (and mom, center)
BC: Since writing Inheritance, I imagine you must have been — and will be — approached by so many people whose experience echoes your own with DNA testing. What is that connection like? And how are you feeling about going on book tour this time?
DS: I’m hearing stories every single day, and the book isn’t even out yet! When I speak with someone who is in the throes of a life-altering discovery about their identity, all I want to do is be able to help them, to guide them to resources – and to let them know that they won’t always be dizzy with shock. That time heals. On my website I’ve created a place with helpful links for those who have made DNA discoveries, since of course I won’t be able to speak to each person directly. Many thousands of people are making these discoveries now.
I’m actually really looking forward to this book tour, because I want to talk about it. I feel a sense of purpose in speaking about my experience. I’ve learned so much about what makes a family, about the power of secrecy, about the burden of otherness, about technology and the impossibility of the human heart to keep up with our scientific advances. There’s a purpose in this publication, which feels somewhat different from all my other books. Also, as I travel across the country, my public conversations are going to be with writers, certainly, but also with bioethicists and spiritual leaders. I feel very lucky, and very grateful. I’m glad I discovered the truth of me. And that I could find the words to express that truth.
BC: One of my favorite parts of Inheritance is the role of Judaism. You question your Jewish identity but still call upon it to help you find meaning. Can you tell us what that was like while writing — the relationship between your religious background and the exploration of your newfound origins?
DS: That’s been a very interesting part of my journey. I was raised in an observant Jewish home. It turns out that I am biologically half-Jewish (which explains some aspects of my feeling “other” as I grew up) but psychologically, spiritually, I’ll always be Jewish. My connection with my dad, the dad who raised me, was strong and deep, and rooted in his observance. Though I am not remotely religious, so much of my life, as a wife, a mother, a human being, comes directly from that place. But — to go back to the idea of liberation — it’s also liberating to understand where certain aspects of my nature, and my physical being, come from. A mystery, explained.
BC: Thank you. And one last question we always ask: What do you love most about bookstores?
DS: When I walk into a bookstore I feel surrounded by my people, my tribe. The booksellers, the customers, and all those books on the shelves — they are my church, my temple, my religion. I never feel alone in a bookstore.
* * *
Dani Shapiro, author of Inheritance
in conversation with Mary Laura Philpott
Wednesday, January 30, 2019
6:30 p.m. at Parnassus Books
This event is open to the public and free to attend!
Feel free to pre-order your copy of Inheritance in advance by clicking here — or purchase it at the event.
And check out our online events calendar by clicking here. There’s lots more coming up in January — and in 2019!
December 20, 2018
Shop Dog Diaries: Let It Wag (Plus Last-Minute Gifts!)
Breathe in. Breathe out. Christmas is almost here, and we, the shop dogs of Parnassus Books, stand ready to help you celebrate. Stressed about your holiday to-do list? Come pat a dog. Pat two dogs. Pat three! Still need to get a few gifts? Here are two easy last-minute options:
[image error]Hop online right now and order a gift subscription to the First Editions Club or ParnassusNext box for your fellow book-lover. Once you purchase the membership online, our shop people take care of the rest! All your recipient has to do is check their mailbox every month for the gift of great reading in 2019. Click here to set it up, fast and easy. Then you can go back to singing carols and playing with your pets, which surely we can all agree is the point of this season.
[image error]Give an audiobook lover the ultimate upgrade for their ears: a membership to Libro.fm. It’s the clutter-free gift that offers everything book-listeners love about the the audiobook experience in a sleek, fun-to-use app that supports indie bookstores (unlike that other audiobook app). You can choose whether to email or print the gift certificate, and you can even give a specific audiobook if you like. (Perhaps one of the New York Times 10 best books of 2018? or a bookseller-recommended title?) Everything you need to give this gift in under a minute is right here .
And if you live in Nashville, just pop into the bookstore for your last little stocking stuffers. You can get a Parnassus Books gift card in any denomination you like, and if you want, we can email the gift certificate right to your recipient! We also have lots of fun, small gifts ready to grab-and-go. For example:
[image error]Wear your book-love on your torso! Pictured here: Ann and Cat modeling the newest Parnassus T-shirt designs. Sparky is helping.
[image error]If literature holds the key to their heart, they need this keychain. (FYI: This is also really cute tied on top of a stack of books.)
[image error]Stay gold, Ponyboy! No outfit is complete without a piece of literary-themed jewelry from our extensive collection of necklaces, earrings, and pins.
[image error]A Nashville-themed ornament makes a perfect present topper on the new Nashville book (find signed copies right up by the register) and also looks fabulous on any Christmas tree.
[image error]Books come in all sizes, including lots of great ones in pocket (or stocking!) size. Pick up a bundle of small volumes full of fascinating facts about classic movies, music, or cultural phenomena.
[image error]Take your pick of pouches, totes, and bags. We’re partial to this one. It’s the perfect size for carrying dog treats, and we know you carry dog treats with you everywhere you go.
[image error]There is no such thing as too much merchandise celebrating literary dogs, and you will find no shortage of it here.
Before we get back out to the floor to provide holiday stress relief, let us close by saying on behalf of all of us shop dogs and our shop people: It is our great privilege to serve the book lovers of Nashville and our visitors from around the world. We wish you peace and joy, and we thank you for your friendship.
HOLIDAY HOURS
Saturday, Dec. 22: 9 a.m. – 8 p.m.
Sunday, Dec. 23: 11:30 a.m. – 6 p.m.
Monday, Dec. 24: 9 a.m. – 4 p.m.
Tuesday, Dec. 25: CLOSED – MERRY CHRISTMAS!
Wednesday, Dec. 26: CLOSED — TAKE YOUR DOG ON A WALK
Thursday-Saturday, Dec. 27-29: 10 a.m. – 8 p.m.
Sunday, Dec. 30: 12 noon-5 p.m.
Monday, Dec. 31: 10 a.m. – 4 p.m.
Tuesday, Jan. 1: CLOSED – READ ALL YOUR NEW BOOKS
Then back to the usual!
December 11, 2018
Fiction Faves: Novels and Stories to Read Over the Holidays
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If you’re feeling brave — and confident in your recipient’s taste — give a friend a novel! If you’re not so sure (we get that), check out our gift lists for nonfiction and memoir, and consider this fiction collection your official holiday break reading list. Starting with the late-fall novels we love right now and ending with our greatest hits of 2018, here’s the year’s best fiction as far as your Parnassus staff readers are concerned:
Recommended by Karen
UnshelteredKingsolver pulls us in with two narratives set in different centuries. The stories are tied together by themes of family, science, and truth — and one poorly constructed house. She pulls off a delicate balance, with compelling characters making this a book you will savor.
(Signed copies available while they last!)
Recommended by Catherine
Virgil Wander This is exactly the book to read for the holidays: full of kindness, quirky characters, and a protagonist who keeps you quietly chuckling to yourself.
(Signed copies available while they last!)
Recommended by Sissy
A Ladder to the SkyIf you adored the protagonist of Boyne’s The Heart’s Invisible Furies, you might hate the characters in this one. But you’ll love the story just as much, I promise! How much ambition is too much ambition in the world of writing and publishing? Find out.
Recommended by Mary Laura
The AdultsWhat a fun read! Put a copy into the stocking of every adult family member this season. (And rejoice when they all go off to their separate corners to read quietly.) Exes, new partners, step-parents, secrets, hijinks . . . This funny novel about a Christmas vacation gone wrong has all the right ingredients to entertain and cut the tension surrounding big family holidays.
Recommended by Mary Laura
My Sister, the Serial KillerWhat a perfectly nimble, sharp — and short! — novel about two sisters forever entwined in each other’s lives. Dry, dark humor offsets the uneasy suspense, and what seems at first like a crazy thriller about a psychopath on the loose turns out to be an emotional story of family, love, and the depths we go to for each other.
Recommended by Mary Laura
News of Our Loved OnesDid you love All the Light We Cannot See, but you’re not quite ready to re-read it? Pick up this beautifully written story of a French family living in Normandy during World War II and how the bombing of their home affected them for generations.
Recommended by Keltie
Family TrustA witty story of inheritance and familial deceptions, set in the ambitious land of Silicon Valley. The narrative is presented through the perspectives of four family members in a Chinese American family, and I especially loved the clever mother and daughter who seem always to be one step ahead of the men — but there are a few surprises along the way. A fun contemporary comedy of manners.
Recommended by Keltie
Friday Black I dare anyone to read the first story in this collection and not be gobsmacked. This might not be a book that would usually appeal to me: dystopian short stories with a lot of graphic violence? Not my thing. But I will carry this brilliant work with me forever and will always be haunted by the Finklestein Five. Nana Kwame Adjei Brenyah has earned his spot in the American literary canon.
Recommended by Devin
The Proposal We all know how I lost my mind over Jasmine Guillory’s last book, The Wedding Date. Well, guess what? This is the follow-up, and I lost my mind over this one, too! Nik is at a Dodgers game when her boyfriend of five months proposes in a very public fashion. Carlos swoops in to rescue her from the stares, and their fun, sweet, and just straight-up hot romance begins.
Recommended by Courtney
Bridge of Clay
I’ve read Zusak’s I Am the Messenger 36 times and I can tell you now, having finished Bridge of Clay, that I’ll spend a lifetime rereading this beautiful novel. Clay Dunbar, his bridge, his brothers: they know things about life that I need to embrace if I’m ever to fully live.
(Signed copies available while they last!)
Recommended by John
Sabrina (Graphic Novel) This Booker Prize-nominated graphic novel is a searing representation of our current borderline-personality-disordered American psyche, framed by a murder mystery. As an undercurrent of technology threatens to sweep society off its feet, Sabrina reminds us that to know anyone, we must shut off the screen, and that over-stimulation is nothing more than the putrefaction of our society disguised as one big party.
Recommended by Joy
An Elderly Lady Is Up to No Good By Helene Tursten, Marlaine Delargy (Translator)
These five connected stories about a murderous old Swedish lady are darkly funny and irreverent. Maud is a sympathetic retiree who goes through life looking for trouble and finds it, but also enjoys meting out justice to those who wrong her. I enjoyed this little book much more than I should have.
Recommended by Andy
Past Tense: A Jack Reacher Novel If you know someone who devours the Jack Reacher mysteries, make sure they have the latest installment.
Recommended by Andy
The Fox From the #1 New York Times bestselling author of The Day of the Jackal, another classic-to-be and a must-read for mystery lovers.
Recommended by Andy
Dark Sacred Night (A Ballard and Bosch Novel) We had so much fun when Michael Connelly was here in the store for his event recently. If murder mysteries are your thing, add this to your reading list. It’s phenomenal.
Greatest Hits: More fiction we loved in 2018 (for a full listing of ALL our favorites, click back through all our Staff Picks lists from the year)
The Monk of Mokha by Dave Eggers
The Girl Who Never Read Noam Chomsky by Jana Casale
The Great Believers by Rebecca Makkai
Washington Black by Esi Edugyan
Varina by Charles Frazier
America for Beginners by Leah Franqui
Dear Mrs. Bird by AJ Pearce
Becoming Mrs. Lewis by Patti Callahan
November Road by Lou Berney
Foe by Iain Reid
Sea Prayer by Khaled Hosseini
Southernmost by Silas House
Whiskey When We’re Dry by John Larison
My Year of Rest and Relaxation by Ottessa Moshfegh
The Removes by Tatjana Soli
So Much Life Left Over by Louis de Bernieres
The House of Broken Angels by Luis Alberto Urrea
The Incendiaries by R.O. Kwon
There There by Tommy Orange
Baby, You’re Gonna Be Mine by Kevin Wilson
Back Talk by Danielle Lazarin
A few thrillers & mysteries:
Sometimes I Lie by Alice Feeney
Social Creature by Tara Isabella Burton
The Witch Elm by Tana French
And don’t forget the fabulous fiction selections from our First Editions Club in 2018:
Brass by Xhenet Aliu
An American Marriage by Tayari Jones
Circe by Madeline Miller
Warlight by Michael Ondaatje
Florida by Lauren Groff
A Place for Us by Fatima Farheen Mirza
Anatomy of a Miracle by Jonathan Miles
His Favorites by Kate Walbert
The Wildlands by Abby Geni
Kingdom of the Blind by Louise Penny
(Plus Barbara Kingsolver’s Unsheltered and Leif Enger’s Virgil Wander, above!)
Speaking of which, now’s the PERFECT time to give a pre-paid First Editions Club subscription to a friend or loved one! In a special offer that runs only through Sunday, December 16, purchase a 12-month gift subscription to the First Editions Club and get a $30 gift card FREE with your purchase. (And/or: purchase a 12-month gift subscription to our monthly YA book box, ParnassusNext, and get a $20 card.) Place your order now!
[image error]Did we mention that your First Edition Club books always arrive in an adorable re-usable bag?
Make sure it gets there! Holiday ordering deadlines for shipped gifts:
Media mail rate: December 13
Priority rate: December 19
Want it gift wrapped? We’re happy to wrap any orders FREE — just let us know in the “notes” section at checkout. (Note: All wrapped gifts must be shipped via priority mail. Believe it or not, media mail won’t allow wrapping paper.)
Today’s post is part of our series of holiday gift lists! Coming up next: stocking stuffers and last-minute gifts to grab here in the store.
December 6, 2018
Holiday Gift List: 17 Bookseller-Loved YA Novels
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What a time to be a reader! Every year, just as we think the last year was the best batch of young adult books the world has ever seen, up pops another crop of breathtaking YA reads. It would be impossible to name all our favorites from 2018 in one blog post — you’d have to scroll forever — but here’s a start. If you see any you haven’t read yet, let’s fix that. (And if you have a teen or adult YA-lover in your life, here’s your gift shopping list!)
Our Top 12
These were the young adult novels selected for our ParnassusNext monthly subscription box this year. Every subscriber to our YA book box received an autographed first edition of these books, representing our favorite new releases of each month.
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We can really pick ’em, too. Our 2018 selections went on to earn all sorts of big recognition (see below). Did you miss any? If so, now’s a good time to catch up on that reading:
Love, Hate and Other Filters by Samira Ahmed (three starred reviews, a New York Times bestseller, and a School Library Journal, Cosmopolitan, and Bustle best YA book of the year)
The Hazel Wood by Melissa Albert (five starred reviews, a New York Times bestseller, a New York Times Notable Book, and a Kirkus, Paste Magazine, Bustle, PopSugar, CommonSense Media, and Seventeen best YA book of the year)
The Astonishing Color of After by Emily X.R. Pan (three starred reviews, a New York Times bestseller, and a School Library Journal, Bustle and Paste magazine best YA book of the year)
Picture Us in the Light by Kelly Loy Gilbert (five starred reviews, and a School Library Journal, Kirkus, and Commonsense Media best YA book of the year)
Undead Girl Gang by Lily Anderson (Bustle and Cosmopolitan best YA book of the year)
Furyborn by Claire Legrand (a starred review, a New York Times bestseller, and a Commonsense Media best YA book of the year)
Wild Blue Wonder by Carlie Sorosiak (a starred review)
Darius the Great Is Not Okay by Adib Khorram (three starred reviews, and a Kirkus, Publishers Weekly, and Cosmopolitan best YA book of the year)
A Heart in a Body in the World by Deb Coletti (four starred reviews, a Commonsense Media best YA book of the year)
Hey, Kiddo by Jarrett J. Krosoczka (five starred reviews, plus a New York Times Notable Book and a School Library Journal, Kirkus, Publishers Weekly, NPR, and Commonsense Media best YA book of the year)
The War Outside by Monica Hesse (four starred reviews and a Publishers Weekly best YA book of the year)
Blanca & Roja by Anna-Marie McLemore (three starred reviews and a School Library Journal best YA book of the year)
I’m Not Missing: A Novel Ella, our high school intern, was wild about this one in 2018 — a story of two inseparable teen friends, Syd and Miranda. She explains, “One night, Syd inexplicably vanishes, leaving Miranda to pick up the pieces of her disappearance. This is a wonderful story about family, love, and loss that is perfect for anyone who loved Paper Towns.”
Children of Blood and Bone (Legacy of Orisha #1)
Here’s another favorite from Ella: “This book is perfect in every single way imaginable. It’s a thrilling, action-packed book with superpowers, ancient temples, and a fight for freedom. This is for anyone who loved Leigh Bardugo’s Grishatrilogy and Laini Taylor’s Strange the Dreamer.”
Make sure it gets there! Holiday ordering deadlines for shipped gifts:
Media mail rate: December 13
Priority rate: December 19
Want it gift wrapped? We’re happy to wrap any orders FREE — just let us know in the “notes” section at checkout. (Note: All wrapped gifts must be shipped via priority mail. Media mail won’t allow wrapping paper. It’s weird, we know.)
Today’s post is part of our series of holiday gift lists! Coming up next: Our favorite fiction of 2018, including books you might want to keep for yourself and read over your holiday break. Make sure you’re subscribed to Musing, so you’ll get the list delivered straight to your inbox.
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Meanwhile: Do you live in Nashville? Join us here in the store on Sunday, December 9, at 5:30 p.m. for an after-hours event where our book buyers will present their favorite books for young book lovers, plus the hottest gift ideas for book-loving adults. (You’ll also get to take advantage of the special deal on subscription boxes a day before the general public. Sweet!) Our goal is for you to sit back, relax, and leave at the end of the evening having finished your holiday shopping. Reservations are required. Get more details and save your seat here, and we’ll see you then!
November 30, 2018
Holiday Gift Books for Kids: 41 Fun Favorites
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Is there anything cuter than a child in jammies, curled up in a blanket fort, reading a book? With the holiday break — and lots of free hours — coming up, it’s time to restock the shelves at home with festive new holiday titles, plus picture books and chapter books for young story-lovers. Tip: If you’re a parent, grandparent, aunt, or uncle, any of these Parnassus staff picks would make a perfect gift under the tree, too.
NEW HOLIDAY FAVORITES
Recommended by Katherine
The Christmas Tree Who Loved Trains By Annie Silvestro, Paola Zakimi (Illustrator)
OK, this is the most adorable story ever about the friendship between a boy and a Christmas tree — who both love trains! Add this to your Christmas picture book stack and it will beg to be revisited because it is just so delightful and will make everyone feel cheerful.
Recommended by Stephanie
The Broken Ornament By Tony DiTerlizzi, Tony DiTerlizzi (Illustrator)
Such a poignantly told, beautifully illustrated story about learning to see the true spirit of Christmas.
Recommended by Stephanie
Last Stop on the Reindeer Express By Maudie Powell-Tuck, Karl James Mountford (Illustrator)
I love all the fun interactive elements in this gorgeously illustrated book! Such a sweet story, especially for families who can’t all be in the same place for the holidays.
reserve your seat here, and we’ll see you then!
November 27, 2018
14 Memoirs To Give (Or Keep) This Holiday Season
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Are you a memoir person? Some people swear they’re not, but we wonder if perhaps they just haven’t met the right memoir yet. These autobiographical books range from celebrity retrospectives to real-life reflections by regular people (who just happen to write really, really well). We dare you not to find at least one you’ll want to read yourself or give a friend. Have a look:
NEW MEMOIRS
Recommended by Catherine
Heartland: A Memoir of Working Hard and Being Broke in the Richest Country on Earth This is a must-read for anyone who was intrigued by Hillbilly Elegy but wanted a more rounded view of the issue. Also a must-read for anyone who loves a good memoir.
Recommended by Mary Laura
Congratulations, Who Are You Again? A Memoir Give this one to everyone who has ever had a dream, especially if that dream was to become a writer. In Harrison Scott Key’s new memoir, he shows how youthful obsessions and decades of work finally led up to the publication of his first book, The World’s Largest Man — and all that happened (and didn’t) afterward. A brutally funny reflection on how it feels to get exactly what you wanted.
Recommended by Steve
Heavy: An American MemoirWhat does a radically honest reckoning with the past look like? It looks like Heavy, a memoir that confronts trauma — both personal and political — and never turns away when the answers are painful. Beautiful, hard-earned, and illuminating.
GREATEST HITS OF 2018
Becoming
If you’ve ever dreamed you’re best friends with Michelle Obama, this book will only cement the fantasy. The popular former First Lady dishes about life in the White House, yes, but what makes this memoir so endearing is her warmth and candor in discussing the non-Presidential parts of life: childhood, parenthood, work, and family.
(Note: Every time we receive a new shipment of this book, it flies off the shelves within days — sometimes hours! Feel free to give us a buzz at 615-953-2243 before you stop by to make sure we have it, or order online and we’ll ship it out as soon as we can.)
A Carnival of Losses: Notes Nearing Ninety
On her blog Ann Patchett says, “The book is about who Don was and how he saw the world. I’m here to tell you there is nothing better. Every superfluous word is stripped away and what is left is the pure force of life.”
How to Write an Autobiographical Novel: Essays
Nashville was lucky enough to meet Alexander Chee when he visited for the Southern Festival of Books. His memoir-in-essays is all about identity — how he discovered who he is as a novelist, gay man, activist, and friend. It’s a must-read for all writers and for any reader who loves engaging first-person narratives.
In Pieces
Sally Field knocked our socks off when she came to town to discuss her long-awaited memoir with Nashville readers this fall. We’re still talking about this surprising, candid story of her life, told as only she could tell it.
Educated: A Memoir
If your book club hasn’t read this one yet, go ahead and put it on your list for 2019. It’s the true story everyone was raving about this year — Tara Westover’s account of escaping her violent, survivalist upbringing to seek out an education, ultimately earning a Ph.D. from Cambridge University.
And Now We Have Everything: On Motherhood Before I Was Ready
Give this funny, vulnerable memoir to everyone you know who’s expecting a baby or thinking about having a baby in the future. And while you’re at it, get a copy for yourself to keep on your shelf of real stories about regular lives, the memoirs you turn to when you need to know you’re not the only person feeling what you’re feeling.
Calypso
He’s always a Parnassus favorite, and for good reason: his events keep us open past midnight, laughing along as he tells raucous stories and holds conversations with every person in the signing line. Calypso is as hilarious and brilliant as every essay collection David Sedaris has ever published — maybe even better, as it delves into topics like aging, grief, and caring for elderly parents. (Signed copies available while they last!)
Everything Happens for a Reason: And Other Lies I’ve Loved
Several of us loved this one, but bookseller Betsy put it best: “I read it in one sitting and was ugly-crying and laughing at the same time. Think When Breath Becomes Air in conversation with There Is No Good Card for This.“
I Am, I Am, I Am: Seventeen Brushes with Death
In this exquisitely written collection of memories — ranging from the time she encountered a disturbed stranger on a hiking trail, to an ocean swim that turned scary, to the arrival of a baby with a mysterious medical condition — Maggie O’Farrell holds readers spellbound. You might go into it thinking, “Seventeen near-death experiences? Really?” But what O’Farrell shows us is that we’re all walking the line between life and death every day, and that occasionally we come closer than we may think to crossing it.
You’re on an Airplane: A Self-Mythologizing Memoir
Sissy loved this one, which she recommends for anyone who’s open to a fun, unpredictable reading experience. She does offer one caveat: “If you find [Parker Posey] interesting you will love this book. If you’re not familiar with her work, you may become very confused.” Fair enough.
Small Fry
Andy says demand has been high for Lisa Brennan-Jobs’ memoir this fall, likely because of all the rave reviews — and the public’s fascination with her father, Apple founder Steve Jobs. If interviews like this one on NPR piqued your curiosity, get the book and discover the whole story.
All You Can Ever Know: A Memoir
This book asks, “What happens when an adoptee grows up?” Adopted from Korean American parents by a white couple as a baby, author Nicole Chung grapples with the meaning of her past and present as she starts a family of her own and considers her future. Several of us on staff loved it, as did lots of critics — and Trevor Noah of The Daily Show.
Make sure it gets there! Holiday ordering deadlines for shipped gifts:
Media mail rate: December 13
Priority rate: December 19
Want it gift wrapped? We’re happy to wrap any orders FREE — just let us know in the “notes” section at checkout. (All wrapped gifts must be shipped via priority mail.)
Today’s post is part of our series of holiday gift lists! Coming up next: Our favorite books for kids, from babies to middle schoolers! Make sure you’re subscribed to Musing, so you’ll get the list delivered straight to your inbox. Meanwhile, if you’re shopping for someone special, stop by or give us a call at 615.953.2243 — we’d love to help you pick the perfect book.
November 20, 2018
Cooking, Humor, History, and More: 64 Nonfiction Books Perfect for Giving
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Ready for the holidays, book lovers? Today’s post is the first in a series of staff-loved book lists, and this one’s all about great nonfiction for easy giving: cookbooks, coffee table books, and irresistible history, humor, inspirational, sports, and just-full-of-fun-facts books. (We know it can be hard to choose a novel for your new father-in-law.)
We’ve included our latest staff picks from this season as well as a few our booksellers consider to be 2018’s greatest hits. Make sure to take a spin back through our monthly staff-recommended lists of 2018, too. If you’re ready to cross a lot of presents off your list at once — or if you’d like to show up at holiday festivities with the perfect tokens of thanks for your hosts and hostesses — start here:
TO TALK ABOUT, LAUGH ABOUT, OR THINK ABOUT
Recommended by Ann
If You’re in My Office, It’s Already Too Late: A Divorce Lawyer’s Guide to Staying Together For the record, I bought this because of a hysterical review in the New York Times, not because my marriage is falling apart. Once I started reading I couldn’t put it down. Learn how to do marriage the right way by watching people do it the wrong way!
Recommended by Karen
Always Look on the Bright Side of Life: A Sortabiography When I needed a laugh, this book was perfect.
Recommended by Niki
The Opposite of Hate: A Field Guide to Repairing Our Humanity Dreading the holidays because of difficult relatives? Read this book, then buy everyone you know a copy.
Recommended by Keltie
Paperback Crush: The Totally Radical History of ’80s and ’90s Teen Fiction Perfect fun gift for any 40-something gal who once loved Tretorns, friendship bracelets, and a little Sweet Valley High.
Recommended by River
The Art of Being Bill: Bill Murray and the Many Faces of Awesome By Ezra Croft, Jennifer Raiser
This is the single best book celebrating Bill Murray ever published. A must-have for every fan, it’s at the top of my Christmas wish list.
Recommended by Sissy
The Power of Love: Sermons, reflections, and wisdom to uplift and inspire This slim volume makes an excellent gift for that person you know who is always encouraging others. Go ahead and get it for a loved one who is in need of encouragement as well. Curry ties together the issues of race, religion, and love in a package that is both intellectual and soulful.
Recommended by Sissy
Hope and Other Superpowers: A Life-Affirming, Love-Defending, Butt-Kicking, World-Saving ManifestoSometimes we get overwhelmed by helplessness. When this happens to me I often turn to books to still my whirling thoughts. John Pavlovitz is one of those writers who puts all my thoughts about politics and religion into a concise format and calms me, giving me hope during turbulent times.
Recommended by River
Almost Everything: Notes on Hope This book is sure to be a new favorite for all Lamott fans, but I think it will also serve as a new beginning to usher in readers who will discover her for the first time. This is the perfect time of year to embrace promise.
Recommended by Joy
Good and Mad: The Revolutionary Power of Women’s Anger This is a brilliant and deeply researched treatise, one that should be read by both women and men — or anyone who cares about the potentially game-changing force of women’s anger and the way it has historically been misrepresented and misunderstood. A timely and important intervention.
Recommended by Andy
Yes We (Still) Can: Politics in the Age of Obama, Twitter, and TrumpBy Dan Pfeiffer
By Obama’s former communications director and current co-host of Pod Save America, this book is the perfect gift for your friend or relative who desperately hopes there are brighter days ahead for our nation.
Especially for Book Lovers:
Bibliophile: An Illustrated MiscellanyBy Jane Mount
I’d Rather Be Reading: The Delights and Dilemmas of the Reading LifeBy Anne Bogel
Assorted Other Delights:
Text Me When You Get Home: The Evolution and Triumph of Modern Female Friendship by Kayleen Schaefer
Sad Animal Babies by Brooke Barker
The Best American Nonrequired Reading 2018 edited by Sheila Heti
COOKBOOKS
Recommended by Joy
Milk Street: Tuesday Nights: More than 200 Simple Weeknight Suppers that Deliver Bold Flavor, FastChristopher Kimball has made Americans better cooks. This is probably his most well-executed cookbook to date, its raison d’être being one we can all get behind: easy, weeknight dinners that are big on flavors and short on time. It’s for the home cook who wants to eat well without being a slave to the stove. (Save that for your weekends.)
(Signed copies available while they last!)
Recommended by Andy
Almonds, Anchovies, and Pancetta: A Vegetarian Cookbook, Kind Of Bon Appetit recently started a cookbook book club, and made this its second selection! A beautifully illustrated guide to making vegetables the focus of each meal (but allowing a little meat, too).
Recommended by Carla
Danielle Walker’s Eat What You Love: Everyday Comfort Food You Crave; Gluten-Free, Dairy-Free, and Paleo Recipes Danielle has done it again! If you suffer from food allergies, gut disorders, or just really love eating clean — this book is a must! You’ll have friends and family amazed that grain-free and dairy-free does NOT mean taste-free! (Coming soon: This book will be published on December 4, 2018.)
Recommended by Keltie
Carla Hall’s Soul Food: Everyday and Celebration Ever since that season of Top Chef where she changed Tom Collichio’s mind about the greatness of okra — and we saw the soulfulness of her cooking ooze across the tv screen — I’ve been a fan of Carla Hall. Perfect gift for anyone who loves the kind of cooking that can only come from a hometown Nashville girl. I ask you: WHO WOULD NOT LOVE ZUCCHINI CHEDDAR BREAD?
Don’t miss our event with Carla Hall, in conversation with Kellie Pickler, at 6:30 p.m. on Tuesday, December 4, 2018, here in the store. For details, click here.
Recommended by Catherine
Rose’s Baking Basics: 100 Essential Recipes, with More Than 600 Step-by-Step PhotosTHE book for anyone who wants to feel confident about their desserts. This is such a great mix of classics — those dishes everyone needs a go-to recipe for — and desserts that would impress even Mary Berry and Paul Hollywood.
Recommended by Joy
River Cafe London: Thirty Years of Recipes and the Story of a Much-Loved Restaurant: A CookbookBy Ruth Rogers, Sian Wyn Owen, Joseph Trivelli, Rose Gray
This cookbook is also a work of art. Three decades of the legendary London restaurant sparked this collection of new and classic recipes. For anyone who loves the simple, high-quality Italian cooking that the River Cafe is famous for, it would make a great gift.
A Few More:
Run Fast. Cook Fast. Eat Slow. by Shalane Flanagan, Elyse Kopecky
Israeli Soul: Easy, Essential, Delicious by Michael Solomonov, Steven Cook
Apéritif: Cocktail Hour the French Way by Rebekah Peppler
SCIENCE AND NATURE
Recommended by Andy
She Has Her Mother’s Laugh: The Powers, Perversions, and Potential of Heredity In an age where we have the ability to find out more than we ever thought possible about our DNA, this book explains heredity in engaging, accessible terms.
And Don’t Miss:
The Lost Words by Robert McFarlane, illustrated by Jackie Morris
Rising: Dispatches from the New American Shore by Elizabeth Rush
The Best American Science and Nature Writing 2018 edited by Sam Kean and Tim Folger
HISTORY
Recommended by Andy
The Debatable Land: The Lost World Between Scotland and England History buffs will love this one, which covers a LOT of territory, time-wise: from before there was an England or a Scotland until now.
Recommended by Andy
Imperial Twilight: The Opium War and the End of China’s Last Golden Age The subtitle really says it all on this one. If the subject of trade with China — either hundreds of years ago or right now — interests you, dig into this epic history with surprisingly current implications.
Recommended by Keltie
On Desperate Ground: The Marines at The Reservoir, the Korean War’s Greatest Battle Here’s a little-remembered battle in an oft-forgotten war, where the scene is set against the extreme vanity of General MacArthur and the utter failures of the political leadership — and yet the tales of individual heroism and unfathomable personal bravery in the service of fellow marines facing such a futile endeavor will have you choking back tears.
Recommended by Catherine
How Do We Look: The Body, the Divine, and the Question of Civilization Beard is an amazing historian who writes in such a fun, readable way. Here she expands on the topic she discussed on the BBC/PBS show Civilizations about how art influences the way we view ourselves. Perfect for anyone who loves art, history, or just musing on the human condition.
Recommended by Kathy
The White Darkness Another wonderful true tale from the author of Killers of the Flower Moon, this is the story of a polar explorer determined to recreate Ernest Shackleton’s trek to the South Pole. No one writes narrative nonfiction any better!
Recommended by Andy
Behold, America: The Entangled History of “America First” and “the American Dream” This enlightening book traces the history of the phrases “American dream” and “America First” back to the beginning of the last century. It’s a look at our past that may tell us a good bit about our future.
More of Our Favorite 2018 True Stories
The Monk of Mokha by Dave Eggers
The Feather Thief by Kirk Wallace Johnson
Chesapeake Requiem: A Year with the Watermen of Vanishing Tangier Island by Earl Swift
The Cadaver King and the Country Dentist by Radley Balko and Tucker Carrington
The Spy and the Traitor: The Greatest Espionage Story of the Cold War by Ben Macintyre
The Soul of America: The Battle for Our Better Angels by Jon Meacham
In the Hurricane’s Eye: The Genius of George Washington and the Victory at Yorktown by Nathaniel Philbrick
Barracoon: The Story of the Last “Black Cargo” by Zora Neale Hurston
Dopesick: Dealers, Doctors, and the Drug Company that Addicted America by Beth Macy
Ninety-Nine Glimpses of Princess Margaret by Craig Brown
LOCAL INTEREST
Recommended by Andy
[image error]Nashville Pikes Volume Five 150 Years Along Buena Vista, Whites Creek, Brick Church, and Dickerson Pikes
The fifth volume in Ridley Wills’ tremendously popular Nashville Pikes series. We can barely keep these on our shelves.
POETRY
Recommended by Steve
Monument: Poems New and Selected Even if this book hadn’t been long-listed for the National Book Award (which it was), it wouldn’t be any less essential — a hefty cross-section of work from one of our best poets, plus new work that shows her still at the top of her game.
ARTS & MUSIC
Recommended by Karen
Nashville: Scenes from the New American South By Ann Patchett, Heidi Ross, Jon Meacham
Photographer Heidi Ross captures Nashville as it is today, with hints of what it was and what it will become. Whether you live here or are a visitor, you will want this portrait of our vibrant city on your coffee table.
(Heidi chimes in on this staff pick: “Nashville, this is for you. I love you.”)
Recommended by Karen
Rachel Cobb: Mistral: The Legendary Wind of Provence By Rachel Cobb (Photographer), Bill Buford (Introduction by)
How do you take pictures of the wind? Rachel Cobb does it, and in the most beautiful way possible.
Recommended by Ann
Sara Berman’s Closet A beautiful look back on a mother’s life and liberation. Her closet is so remarkable that it becomes its own traveling art exhibition. Maira Kalman is a consistent genius.
Recommended by Catherine
Beyoncé in Formation: Remixing Black Feminism I couldn’t get over how much I loved this! When my friend Laura told me I needed to read it, she said: “Thought provoking and relatable, this is a journey through Beyoncé’s visual album Lemonade while also being a history lesson on what it means to be black and a feminist.” She’s right!
Recommended by Sissy
Author: The Portraits of Beowulf Sheehan By Beowulf Sheehan, Salman Rushdie (Foreword by)
Are you shopping for someone who loves books so much that you’re too intimidated to choose one for them? You’ll impress the pants off any book lover with this gorgeous volume sporting Donna Tartt on the cover.
Recommended by Andy
Fins: Harley Earl, the Rise of General Motors, and the Glory Days of Detroit Every year, I pick a favorite book to recommend to car buffs, and this is it for 2018! Don’t miss the special photo section in the middle. These automobiles are works of art.
Recommended by Andy
Imagine John Yoko Curated by Yoko Ono, this eye-catching coffee table book will appeal to music fans and art lovers alike, as it’s full of never-before-seen photographs and art.
Recommended by Sissy
Inspired Design: The 100 Most Important Designers of the Past 100 Years By Jennifer Boles, Stephen Drucker (Introduction by)
Did your mom keep every issue of World of Interiors and say you could NOT CUT THEM UP for school projects? Or perhaps it was Southern Accents. (But not Southern Living… it was okay to cut up Southern Living.) Anyway: Get her this book by Sewanee alum Jennifer Boles.
FOR SPORTS FANS
Recommended by Andy
The Patch This is my pick of the season for the sports fan who also loves to read great prose (and for John McPhee devotees in general).
Recommended by Andy
Quarterback: Inside the Most Important Position in the National Football League Another fantastic volume from this prolific sports writer.
Recommended by Andy
Basketball: A Love Story By Jackie MacMullan, Rafe Bartholomew, Dan Klores
If you’ve seen the ESPN series that inspired this book, you need to own the book too — an oral history of basketball, featuring conversations with many of the sport’s all-time greats.
Recommended by Andy
The Game: Harvard, Yale, and America in 1968 It’s about a football game, yes, but it’s really about America in 1968.
BUSINESS, LEADERSHIP, AND TECHNOLOGY
Recommended by Andy
Silicon States: The Power and Politics of Big Tech and What It Means for Our FutureAll about the Silicon Valley power players and how they’re affecting global policy — give this one to your sister or brother who just got a hotshot job at a tech company.
Recommended by Andy
Hello World: Being Human in the Age of Algorithms This is an absolutely fascinating and even fun read about whether algorithms are a good or a bad thing. I bet you can’t put it down once you read the inside flap.
Recommended by Andy
Winners Take All: The Elite Charade of Changing the World How often do you find a book blurbed by billionaire businessperson and philanthropist Bill Gates and Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Isabel Wilkerson? This book asks whether the “good causes” championed by some of the world’s wealthiest people came about in order to fix problems created by those very same people in the first place.
More Biz-World Favorites:
Five Stars: The Communication Secrets to Get from Good to Great by Carmine Gallo
The Challenge Culture: Why the Most Successful Organizations Run on Pushback by Nigel Travis
Coming up next week: Our favorite memoirs of 2018! Make sure you’re subscribed to Musing, so you’ll get the list delivered straight to your inbox. Meanwhile, if you’re shopping for someone special, stop by or give us a call at 615.953.2243 — we’d love to help you pick the perfect book.
Make sure it gets there! Holiday ordering deadlines for shipped gifts:
Media mail rate: December 13
Priority rate: December 20
Want it gift wrapped? We’re happy to wrap any orders FREE — just let us know in the “notes” section at checkout. All wrapped gifts must be shipped via priority mail. (Media mail won’t allow anything but books in the package — not even wrapping paper.)
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Holiday hours:
Wednesday, Nov. 21 — 10 a.m. – 4 p.m.
Thursday, Nov. 22 — Closed for Thanksgiving
Friday, Nov. 23 — open early! – 9:30 a.m. – 8 p.m.
* Saturday, Nov. 23 – open early! – 9:30 a.m. – 8 p.m.
Sunday, Nov. 24 – open late! – 12 noon – 6 p.m.
* Join us Saturday for IndieNashGiving — Enjoy a special storytime, local authors guest-starring as gift wrappers, and other surprises in store all day! Every year on Small Business Saturday (also known as IndiesFirst day in the book business), Parnassus Books teams up with other Nashville-based establishments, each donating a portion of sales to nonprofit organizations doing good work around our city. Your dollars will have exponential impact right here in town — and you don’t have to spend an extra dime. Our beneficiaries this year are the St. Luke’s Community House Toy & Book Store and the Nashville Adult Literacy Council.
November 14, 2018
How One Busy Shopping Day Supports Literacy for All
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It’s the calm before the holiday storm here at Parnassus. We’re one week away from Thanksgiving, which means we’re also a week away from one of the busiest bookstore weekends and one of our favorite days of the year: IndieNashGiving. You may know it as Small Business Saturday — and in the book biz it’s also #IndiesFirst day (go visit your local bookstore, wherever you are!) — but here in Nashville there’s another wonderful layer to this holiday. On the Saturday after Thanksgiving, several locally owned shops and restaurants all over the city pair up with nonprofits of their choice and pledge to give a portion of their sales to a Nashville charity. Why? Because Nashvillians look out for each other.
Whenever you skip the chains and support locally owned establishments, your money stays in your community, feeding your city’s economy. On IndieNashGiving day, your friends and neighbors who own Nashville-based businesses take that concept a step further, making sure that the neediest among us share in the good fortune of a bustling business day.
[image error]Do you run a Nashville-based business or know someone who does? There’s still time to get in on this powerful movement. What local cause will you choose as your beneficiary? Click here to get started!
Here at Parnassus, we’re splitting our IndieNashGiving donations between two organizations we love. You’ve already read about the St. Luke’s Community House Toy & Book Store (which is still taking book donations!). Today, learn more about the tremendous work happening at the Nashville Adult Literacy Council (NALC). Here’s a Q&A with CEO Kim Karesh.
First off: who are the people served by the Literacy Council? How do they find you, and what are they seeking?
[image error]KK: This year, NALC expects to serve more than 1,000 adult learners with the help of more than 500 volunteers. NALC serves two types of learners: American adults who read or comprehend at less than an eighth grade proficiency and adult immigrants who have limited English skills.
Students hear about us from people they know or through referrals from partner programs. When they come to us, they already have their motivation identified. Some want a high school diploma or acceptance into college. Some want a better job or a driver’s license. Some want to be able to read street signs and food labels. Some want to read stories to a child or grandchild. And more than once, a romantic husband has wanted to write a love letter to his wife.
Can you tell us a bit about the different programs you offer?
KK: First and foremost, NALC provides our learners with a safe place to learn and grow. We recognize that not everyone learns in the same way or wants the same things. We do offer some classes, but not all students thrive in a classroom environment, and many have scheduling conflicts that prevent their attendance. These students have a greater opportunity for success in our tutoring programs, where each learner gets the attention needed for success, whatever that might look like for them.
The tutoring programs are made possible by working with hundreds of volunteers throughout the city. They are very popular — we currently have a waiting list of more than 250 students wanting to work with a tutor. We have a significant need for more volunteer tutors in Antioch and South Nashville.
[image error]Two learners with the Nashville Adult Literacy Council
How much of a time commitment is it to volunteer? And if someone wants to get involved as a volunteer, what should they do?
KK: The NALC volunteer experience is rich and rewarding. You get to work directly with people learning improved literacy skills. No teaching experience is necessary. If you come with patience and a positive attitude, we will provide you with everything else you need — training, teacher guides, and learning plans. NALC has two volunteer opportunities:
Start Now is a program that allows students to get started on their learning plans while they wait for a permanent tutor. As a volunteer, you set one-hour appointments at our offices, and you are welcome to schedule as much or as little as is convenient for you. You typically work with a different student every week.
One-on-One volunteers get to work with the same student every week. You can meet in any public place that is convenient for you and your student. You typically spend two to three hours a week with your student, and we do request a six-month commitment.
As I mentioned, our greatest need for volunteers is in Antioch and South Nashville. You can get more information or sign up for a training by calling 615-298-8060 or emailing info@nashvilleliteracy.org.
You’re about to celebrate some of your successes with your annual potluck, right?
KK: Yes! We pause every year, just before the holiday season, to celebrate our learners and tutors. Since I joined NALC as CEO two years ago, I have been overwhelmed with the stories. Sometimes, it’s not the big success stories that get to me… it’s the little details. For example, I asked one man what was his favorite thing to do since NALC that he couldn’t do before. He didn’t even hesitate. He said, “Get the mail.”
[image error]A student in the NALC literacy program reads a book to her child.
What other sorts of changes do you see in people’s lives as a result of their newfound abilities?
KK: There was a man from Haiti. I asked him what brought him to this country, and through broken English, he told me his girlfriend had moved here. He told me — very clearly — he had always been taught to follow his heart. He said, “She is my heart. I followed her.”
There was the woman from Iraq who had been a high school biology teacher, but she struggled here because of language barriers. After working with NALC, she was able to become a citizen, vote, get a job and volunteer at Catholic Charities to help other refugee families coming to the country.
And then there was one our learners of the year, Daniel. Daniel earned his high school diploma at the age of 32. His work is manual labor, and last year, he hurt his hand. He had to have surgery. He was nervous about the surgery, but he told us that he wasn’t so nervous about losing his job… because now he knows how to read.
I could fill pages with stories from just last year. Imagine all of the stories since we were founded in 1982! This is an agency that transforms people’s lives, and the impact lasts for generations to come.
* * *
Nashvillians: Get involved with the Nashville Adult Literacy Council on your own, anytime! Click here for details on volunteering and click here to make a donation.
Book lovers everywhere: You can donate books to the St. Luke’s Toy & Book Store now. Just visit the wish list here.
Nashville independent business owners: Don’t miss your chance to turn a busy business weekend into life-changing outreach for your Nashville neighbors — be a part of IndieNashGiving! Fill out the form here to pledge your donation and choose the nonprofit your business will support. Then use the #IndieNashGiving tag to spread the word on social media.
The following locally owned businesses have committed to participate in IndieNashGiving, and these are their chosen beneficiaries. Look what an impact you’ll have when you shop or dine!
Arcade Nashville -> Nashville Diaper Connection
Ash Blue -> Alliance for Green Hills
Blowout Co. -> American Cancer Society
The Bookshop -> The Martha O’Bryan Center
Dozen -> Mary Parrish Center and Conexion Americas
Five Daughters Bakery -> Given Ministries
Fleet Feet –> Nashville Food Project
The Green Pheasant -> Nashville Food Project
Halcyon Bike Shop -> Oasis Center Bike Workshop
Hester and Cook -> Wonderful Life Foundation
High Garden Tea -> Walden’s Puddle
High Note Gifts -> Room in the Inn
Las Paletas -> Nashville Food Project
Levy’s -> American Cancer Society
Little Gourmand -> Monroe Harding
Little Octopus -> Nashville Food Project
Marché -> Nashville Food Project
Margot -> Nashville Food Project
Otaku Ramen -> Nashville Food Project
Pangaea -> Nashville Humane Association
The Paper Place -> Sexual Assault Center
Parnassus Books -> St. Luke’s Community House Toy & Book Store and NALC
Two Ten Jack -> The Martha O’Bryan Center
The Wine Shoppe Green Hills -> Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation
Woo Skincare & Cosmetics -> The Women’s Fund
Yeast Nashville -> East CAN
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This Thanksgiving, we’re grateful to readers, writers, word-lovers of all stripes, everyone who pats our shop dogs, and the dynamic, friendly city we’re lucky to call home. Thank you, Nashville — we love you!
Holiday hours:
Wednesday, Nov. 21 — 10 a.m. – 4 p.m.
Thursday, Nov. 22 — Closed for Thanksgiving
Friday, Nov. 23 — open early! – 9:30 a.m. – 8 p.m.
Saturday, Nov. 23 – open early! – 9:30 a.m. – 8 p.m.
Sunday, Nov. 24 – open late! – 12 noon – 6 p.m.
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