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Books
Garth Risk Hallberg’s City on Fire is an intimidating (at 944 pages) yet entertaining dive into the bright and dark streets of New York City in the late 1970’s. From punk rockers to Wall Street brokers, this novel has everything, and then some.City on Fire by Garth Risk HallbergKnopf944 pagesFind the New York Times review here.
And, if you love the WalMart brand that is Nicholas Sparks, get set to love See Me. This time it’s Colin Hancock struggling with his ‘second chance’ and Maria Sanchez, ‘the hardworking daughter of Mexican immigrants’. Will they meet and fall in love? Will someone die? You know the drill.See Me by Nicholas SparksGrand Central Publishing496 pages
France’s favorite provocateur Michel Houellebecq likes to stir the pot. His new novel Submission follows a bored Francois a French academic in 2022. When a new Islamic Party sweeps the elections, Francois is offered career advancement in exchange for his conversion to Islam. The satire here is dark, funny, and unexpected.Submission by Michel HouellebecqFarrar, Straus and Giroux256 pagesFind The Guardian review here.
Millions of children and young adults have grown up with Harry Potter. Now there is a beautiful new version of Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone, lavishly illustrated by prize winning artist, Jim Kay. It’s a large format book with the complete text, a perfect Christmas present for the Hogwarts’ student in your life.Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone By JK Rowling Illustrated by Jim KayBloomsbury Press256 pagesUpcoming EventsNational Novel Writing MonthNovember 1 – November 30Go to this website and learn to write a novel in thirty days. What else do you have to do with your November. It won’t be a good novel, but it will be a certain number of words. You can say you wrote a novel. And leave it at that.Moby Dick: A Rehearsal by Orson WellesOrson Welles’ version of Moby Dick takes place on a bare stage where Ahab, Ishmael and others both act their parts and talk about their characters with each other. Steve Willis directs a reading of selections from the play. A Scuppernong Books’ Year of Herman Melville event.Scuppernong Books November 6 7pmTa-Nehisi Coates: Race in AmericaDavidson College November 16 7pmTa-Nehisi Coates is suddenly everywhere. His work on race and racial tension has been a hallmark of the recent years of The Atlantic. His book, Between the World and Me, is nominated for the National Book Award. He just won a MacArthur ‘Genius’ Grant. He’s everywhere! On November 16, he’ll be at Davidson College. You should go.Bland Simpson & Ann Cary SimpsonLittle Rivers and Waterway Tales: A Carolinian’s Eastern StreamsBland and Ann Cary Simpson weave stories of those who have lived and worked in the creeks, streams , and rivers of Eastern North Carolina. It’s a geographical and cultural exploration with beautiful photographs.Scuppernong Books November 17 7pm.
