We're OUT of Jonathan Franzen tickets!

Blue Elephant Book Shop is completely out of tickets to Jonathan Franzen's keynote speech for the Decatur Book Festival. I hope that all those who snagged tickets enjoy it and that everyone enjoys the rest of the Festival's events. Blue Elephant will be on hand at Booth #415, so we'll see you there on September 3-5!

Staff Book Picks for July 2010

The Secret Lives of Baba Segi's Wives
by Lola Shoneyin

Baba Segi should have read Malcolm Gladwell's book, The Tipping Point. Then maybe he would have had second thoughts about adding a fourth wife—a university graduate, no less—to a household already complicated by the personalities, needs, wants, demands of three women and their seven children. Bolanle's arrival in the household not only changed the dynamics, but threatened the foundation on which it was built. Shoneyin gives us wonderful sketches of characters, culture, and circumstances and teases us along with a carefully unfolding plot.
—Laura

Blockade Billy
by Stephen King

Stephen King has always been a great storyteller, but his technical chops as a writer have refined over time. Both skills are on their best display here in Blockade Billy, King's love song to 1950s American baseball, and the included novella "Morality," about a financially strapped couple persuaded into sin. No gory slasher schlock, no gibbering phantasms here; just excellent stories and clean, stripped-down prose of slowly dawning psychological intimacy and horror.
—Kimberly

The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet's Nest
by Stieg Larsson

If you have not been reading Stieg Larsson's books, you are the only one. The long-awaited third book, The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet's Nest, has arrived and delivers. My experience with all of these books went something like this: Start reading Monday on the sofa, move to bed, back to sofa, finish, ask myself, "It's Wednesday, did I leave the house?" So if you have not read any Stieg Larsson, you must begin with the first book, The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, but be prepared, like me, to lose days of your life. Really, they are that addictive.
—Erin

Faithful Place
by Tana French

In this hard-edged mystery set in Dublin, Tana French introduces a new police detective, Frank Makey. Frank must return to his old neighborhood, after twenty-two years, to answer old questions and resolve old relationships. I hope this is the beginning of a new series.
—Linda

I Thought You Were Dead
by Pete Nelson

Stella is Paul's best friend, greeting him with warm and sometimes sarcastic comments (she says, "I thought you were dead" every time she doesn't see him for several hours), but she is always there for him, which is good since Paul's life is unraveling. Stella is an aging Labrador Retriever, but is constantly at the ready with advice for Paul. This is a touching novel of how best friends (be they human, canine, or other) can help keep a person sane.
—Teresa

Magic Bleeds
by Ilona Andrews

Kate Daniels the sword-slinging, Jeep-driving mercenary is back in this fourth book set in an alternate Atlanta plagued by destructive waves of magic and techological breakdowns. Ilona Andrews has a flair for humor and action scenes that knocks her above most urban fantasy writing. And the prospect of downtown Atlanta overrun by cranky werewolves and evil, sentient virus-fungi is deeply entertaining.
—Kimberly

The Taken
by Inger Ash Wolfe

The second mystery by mysterious Inger Ash Wolfe opens with Hazel recuperating from back surgery in the basement of her ex-husband's house, tended by her mother and her ex-husband's wife. She is feeling decidedly sorry for herself and perhaps too dependent on pain medication. She is jolted out of her convalescence by a deadly scavenger hunt. She and her team are racing the clock trying to save an unknown victim from an unknowable fate, led on by the weekly serial in the town paper and a disturbing live computer feed. Whoever is behind the Inger Ash Wolfe pseudonym is a master—braiding together an utterly human and appealing detective in Hazel Micallef, an inhuman and riveting plot, and enough grounding in time, place, and supporting characters to make a well-rounded whole.
—Laura

Broken
by Karin Slaughter 

Broken continues to merge the stories of Special Agent Will Trent and Dr. Sara Linton. They are both in Grant County and dealing with deaths both current and past. This new hardback and Slaughter's new paperback, Undone, are among my favorites.
—Linda

The Passage
by Justin Cronin

At the sight of a military experiment, the world forever changes within 32 minutes, ending all of life as we know it, and creating a new world, one full of danger for the few remaining survivors. The Passage is an epic novel of allegiance and endurance, the subtitle of which could be When Government Experiments Go Horribly Awry. What Cronin has created is a story that is entertaining and absorbing and, although it is uniquely different, reminiscent of Stephen King's The Stand.
—Teresa

Kraken
by China Miéville

If Paul the Psychic Soccer Octopus hasn't convinced you that there's something eerie about cephalopods, Kraken will with its darkly amusing take on the titular tentacled terror of the sea. A giant squid vanishes mysteriously from the guarded halls of London's Natural History Museum, triggering a wave of government magical conspiracies, squabbling scientists, and more Lovecraftian eldritch horrors than you can shake a prehensile arm at.
—Kimberly

For Children

Baby & Kindergarten

Dogs Don't Do Ballet
by Anna Kemp

Dogs don't do ballet! Or do they? Biff wants nothing more than to be a ballet dancer and he will do anything to make him dream come true.
—Teresa

Teen

Linger
by Maggie Stiefvater

Maggie Stiefvater's Shiver was one of my favorite young adult novels of the past year, an understated romance between a teenage girl and an awkwardly charming werewolf. Now Grace and Sam return in this winning sequel that's as beautifully designed as a physical book as it is written.
—Kimberly

Janet Geddis has "a quintessential independent bookstore moment"

Shelf Awareness gives us a nod from Athens bookseller Janet Geddis. Janet writes here at Beyond the Trestle about her serendipitous encounter in Blue Elephant last year:

So here we had an indie bookseller whose shop was pretty new; a soon-to-be indie bookseller whose high school English teacher was in a book club with the existing bookshop owner; a writer whose debut novel ended up being a great read and whose sister is the uber-famous “tween” writer; a local music store owner who’d recommended Blue Elephant Book Shop to me; and his daughter, an avid reader whose favorite author’s sister was standing right. next. to. her.

I have told that story many times myself as an example of the wonderful encounters that make bookselling so entertaining. I always add one detail that Janet omitted; the review of Susan Rebecca White's book was written by my friend Gina Webb . I think these sorts of experiences as being the flip side of six degrees of separation—i.e., six degrees of connection.

—Laura

In the news: "New Location No Mystery for Blue Elephant Book Shop"

Today Decatur News Online has an interview with our glorious leader Laura, talking about the move to downtown Decatur and Laura's love of mysteries. And check out the pictures of our new interior!

Blue Elephant Book Shop is now open at our new location!

Blue Elephant has moved! We're now located at 407 W Ponce de Leon Avenue, in downtown Decatur. Our new home is two doors west of Taqueria del Sol, two doors east of Dancing Goats Coffee Bar, and directly across the street from Watershed Restaurant.
You can call us at our new phone number (404) 373-1565 or drop us an e-mail with any questions.

Staff Book Picks for April 2010 (a little late, oops)

Just think of it as "double the picks in May!" rather than "accidentally skipping over April!" Indeed. (Sorry about that.)

The Last Time I Saw You by Elizabeth Berg I always read Elizabeth Berg—even short stories, even writing guides. She just seems to speak to me of real people, in real situations. So having said that, maybe it's just the time of year or maybe it's because my Agnes Scott reunion is fast upon me, but I felt particularly attuned to this new novel. In it we are dropped into the lives of a handful of folks heading toward their fortieth high school reunion. All of them are hoping for something: to reclaim old glory; take a second chance at love; find solace; even redemption. And the satisfying thing is that at this reunion, we can watch from behind the curtain without revealing our own wrinkles, pounds, foibles. —Laura

Tomorrow River by Lesley Kagen In rural Virginia in the summer of 1969, 11-year-old Shenandoah Carmody must protect her twin sister, Woody, and find her own answers to her mother's disappearance. This is a spellbinding story of a southern family in a time of change. —Linda

Arcadia Falls by Carol Goodman Motivated by her love of a childhood book, newly-widowed Meg takes a teaching job at the school founded by the authors, who have always had a great influence on her life. The school is located in a remote, artsy town and proves to be even creepier than Meg and her daughter first realized when a mysterious death challenges everything Meg thinks is true about the lives of her idols. —Teresa

Elegy for April by Benjamin Black This follow-up to Christine Falls and The Silver Swan is an engrossing crime novel which again follows Garret Quirke, a Dublin pathologist. It is equal parts mystery, character study, and study of the social climate of the 1950s. —Linda

Warriors edited by George R. R. Martin & Gardner Dozois With novellas from science fiction and fantasy legends including Joe Haldeman, Laurence Block, Joe R. Lansdale, Diana Gabaldon, James Rollins, David Weber, and George R. R. Martin, this action-packed anthology of heroics has something to satisfy every discerning genre reader. Among my favorites are Peter S. Beagle's "Dirae," a haunting account of time travel and broken memories; "Seven Years from Home" by Naomi Novik, in which a military explorer reports on being caught between warring alien forces; and "The Mystery Knight" by George R. R. Martin, the first new story in Martin's Song of Ice and Fire series in five years. —Kimberly

The Man in the Window by K.O Dahl K.O Dahl's latest Norwegian thriller The Man in the Window weaves together a story of murder, betrayal, lost love, and family secrets. When antique dealer Reidar Jesperson is stabbed with a bayonet, stripped, and displayed in his store's front window, detectives Frank Frolich and Chief Inspector Gunnarstranda are called to the scene. Frolich and Gunnarstranda quickly assume the motive is personal. The only problem is everyone who knows Jesperson has motive to kill him. While Dahl's characters are all flawed, he manages to capture well how strong and lasting human emotions can be. —Erin

Split Image by Robert Parker The newest and reportedly last Jesse Stone novel also includes private investigator Sunny Randall and a sizeable list of murder suspects. Jesse and Sunny have become two of my favorite crimefighters. —Linda

Dead End Gene Pool by Wendy Burden Wendy Burden, the great-great-great-great granddaughter of Cornelius Vanderbilt, provides an insider's view of life inside one of the most influential, well-known, and dysfunctional American families. Taking her family in stride and remaining lighthearted and witty, Burden covers all the bases: greed, charity, wealth, debt, substance abuse, and all the other things that come with being from old money. —Teresa

For Children Baby & Kindergarten Once I Ate A Pie by Patricia MacLachlan and Emily MacLachlan Charest Accompanied by sweet illustrations, Once I Ate a Pie is a collection of dog thoughts and opinions. Wupsi knows he is so cute; Louis likes to bark, bark, bark; Pocket thinks he is huge (although he's not); and Mr. Beefy steals tubs of butter from the table and once ate an entire pie. —Teresa

Memoirs of a Goldfish by Devin Scillian and Tim Bowers Sometimes houses get crowded. This book captures a big family well. It's very cute. —Erin

Elementary The Popularity Papers: Research for the Social Improvement and General Betterment of Lydia Goldblatt and Julie Graham-Chang by Amy Ignatow Fans of Diary of a Wimpy Kid will love this hilarious shared diary of two girls determined to analyze and replicate the formula for instant popularity the year before they enter junior high school. Handwritten notes, explanatory sketches, snarky doodles, and very odd diagrams catalog these best friends' best-laid plans going awry. —Kimberly

Middle School Alchemy and Meggy Swann by Karen Cushman Born lame in Elizabethan England, Meggy Swann has grown up sharp-tongued and suspicious under the mockery and superstition to which she's been subjected. Now Meggy has been packed off to London, with only a pet goose for company, to live with the father she's never met. Meggy slowly learns to navigate the streets of London on her crutches and the trickier balancing act of making friends. But overhearing a murder plot against the nobility threatens the precarious new life she's built for herself. Newbery Award-winner Cushman has a knack for bringing medieval England to vibrant life, with no illusions about its grimy, earthy realities. —Kimberly

Teen A Conspiracy of Kings by Megan Whalen Turner The fourth book in Turner's series about the historical-Greece-influenced country of Attolia, A Conspiracy of Kings follows Sophos, the modest and somewhat lazy heir to a small nation-state. After being kidnapped and enslaved in a political coup, Sophos finds himself fighting for his life and embroiled in a violent struggle for power just as he's never been more powerless. With complex characters and political conflict as taut as any thriller, Attolia is among the best historical fantasy series in current publication, for adult readers as well as teens. —Kimberly

Staff Book Picks for March 2010

Bone Fire
by Mark Spragg

If you read and loved An Unfinished Life, you're going to be so pleased—in Paul Harvey's words—to hear the rest of the story. Griff and her grandfather Einar have made a life for themselves in Ishawood, but reality is rearing its ugly head. Einar is beginning to fail physically, Griff is torn about leaving him to return to college, and Jean is drinking too much and fears that her husband is deceiving her. And then there are McEban and Kenneth, Crane, Helen, and Paul. The characters are so solidly drawn and the writing is so lovely that it is a treat to be invited back into their lives.
—Laura

The Crazy School
by Cornelia Read

Narrated by snarky, tough Madeline Dare, The Crazy School is a gritty, no-holds-barred mystery. After two students are murdered in what first appears to be a double suicide, Madeline is accused of the crime. Not being the kind to sit around and do nothing, Madeline investigates and unravels the mystery herself.
—Teresa

Await Your Reply
by Dan Chaon

The story begins with three strangers who are each beginning a journey. Their individual quests become complicated by the question of identity. This is a great story of interesting people.
—Linda

Major Pettigrew's Last Stand
by Helen Simonson

Major Pettigrew is adjusting—has adjusted, he would tell you—to life in Edgecombe St. Mary, to his quiet life of retirement, without his beloved wife, and to his disappointment with their only child. He values his quiet, his privacy, his sense of dignity, and, above all, to the fine pair of guns left to him and to his brother by their father. He has more adjustments to make, however, some painful and some liberating. You'll love watching the Major lose a little of his starch and gain a little humanity.
—Laura

The Locavore's Handbook: The Busy Person's Guide to Eating Local on a Budget
by Leda Meredith

This handbook is chock-full of helpful information on sourcing local food, foraging, and growing your own. I like the nifty chart of which fruits and veggies are in season at what time of year. The author also explains the importance of supporting local farmers and how eating local is healthier and can be cheaper than buying from grocery stores.
—Teresa

Death of a Valentine
by M. C. Beaton

Death of a Valentine is the newest Hamish MacBeth mystery. The unambitious police sergeant and his new assistant have set a wedding date, but they are in the midst of a murder inquiry. As usual, this is great fun.
—Linda

The Crossing Places
by Elly Griffiths

Set in the remote saltmarshes of Norfolk, Detective Chief Inspector Harry Nelson and archeology professor Ruth Galloway are knee deep in a series of mysteries ancient and modern. Vivid descriptions of the desolate countryside add an effective backdrop to the story of girls missing, bodies found, anonymous taunts, and an interesting cast of characters, with a judicious seasoning of personalities and quirks.
—Laura

The First Rule
by Robert Crais

In this story of family and loyalty, Joe Pike seeks to find and punish the killer of Frank Meyer and his entire family. Frank was one of Pike's "men" in their mercenary days, but he may have become a target of the Russian mafia through illegal activities. There are twists and turns and action aplenty.
—Linda

Burning Bright
by Ron Rash

Ron Rash's new collection of stories spans from the last days of the Civil War to the present day. Set against the backdrop of Southern Appalachia, the stories show the harsh reality of life in the area across the 150-year time period. I most enjoyed "Dead Confederates" and the title story, "Burning Bright."
—Teresa

For Children

Baby & Kindergarten

That Cat Can't Stay
by Thad Krasnesky & David Parkins

Dad doesn't like cats, so the cat-loving members of the family have to trick him into letting one stray cat stay. Well, one turns into five and soon they have taken over everything, including Dad's favorite chair. This is my new favorite kids' book!
—Teresa

Elementary

Rumblewick's Diary: My Unwilling Witch Gets a Makeover
by Hiawyn Oram

Rumblewick is Haggy Aggy's right-hand cat. It is his job to shape her into the best witch she can be, only Aggy prefers pink to black, dresses to broomsticks, and is on her way to get a makeover. What's an unwilling witch's cat to do?
—Teresa

Middle School

I Am Spartapuss
by Robin Price

This is the diary of slave cat Spartapuss in a Roman empire ruled entirely by cats. There are lots of cat puns and characters like Catligula, Clawdius, Mewlia, Cleocatra, and the cleverest of all, Russell the crow. I dare you to read it and not laugh.
—Teresa

Teen

Split
by Swati Avasthi

Amid all its snarkery and teen drama, Split is among the best fictional accounts I've ever read of the lingering effects of child abuse and domestic violence. Its characters are all sweethearts, suspicious cynics, and very human. One of the things I like most is the emphasis that violence is a choice-committing and perpetuating violence, refraining from violence, these are human choices. The difficult choices the characters make within their limitations are what matter.
—Kimberly