3 More Events! (including 1 cinematic adaptation)

1.  PREMIER EVENT: Walter Mosley

Thursday, June 16, 2016, 7:30 p.m.

Charcoal Joe: An Easy Rawlins Mystery

Tickets are available at Kepler's and online at Brown Paper Tickets

Kepler’s is honored to host legendary novelist Walter Mosley for his latest Easy Rawlins novel, Charcoal Joe. This is a fantastic time for the author to meet his fans, having just been named a Grand Master by the Mystery Writers of America. When told of the honor, Mosley said, "Receiving the Grand Master Award is the apex of my career as a crime writer; as a writer.  It is, joyfully, one of the seminal events of my life."

His latest novel, Charcoal Joe, picks up where Rose Gold left off in Los Angeles in the late 1960s. Ezekiel “Easy” Rawlins is in flux, about to get married and starting a new detective agency. Things go awry why Easy’s friend Mouse introduces him to old Rufus Tyler, known as Charcoal Joe. Joe’s friend’s son, who is top of his class at Stanford, has been charged with the murder of a white man; proving the young man’s innocence could be a tall order even for Easy.

Walter Mosley is one of the most acclaimed and prolific writers of our time. In addition to his hugely popular Easy Rawlins series, he has also written numerous novels about Leonid McGill, Fearless Jones and Socrates Fortlaw, as well as social criticism, science fiction, plays and graphic novels. He is an American classic, revered among his contemporaries in crime writing and imbued with a cutting intellect and an incredible compassion for a community whose history he carries with him. We hope you’ll join us to celebrate an incredible writer whose works are all about finding a deeper truth in a divided country.

2.  We all know that Amazon has opened a brick and mortar bookstore, its first, in Seattle.  Well, now they have just announced that they plan to open another 300-400 throughout the country.  And they're targeting malls for their locations.  I'm obviously a big fan of independent bookstores (Recycle, Kepler's, Books, Inc., Book Passage, etc.).  But I'm still in favor of anybody who brings us more physical bookstores!

3.  Harlan Coben is making only 1 Northern California appearance to promote his new book, Fool Me Once (pub date March 22).  It's at Book Passage in Corte Madera.  The date is March 25, a Friday night.  People, if you haven't seen Harlan in person, try to get there.  He is like a stand-up comic.  He's not only very funny, but he's also interesting.  You will get a lot of insight into his writing process and the book industry as a whole.  Joni and I will definitely be there.   

4.  Here is a clip from the upcoming movie adaptation of JoJo Moyes' Me Before You. The movie comes out on June 3.  Can't wait!
USA TODAY Life

22 hrs · 

It's like a Game of Thrones/Hunger Games mashup, only without all the violence and despair.

Also,

Sneak peek: Emilia Clarke, Sam Claflin find love in 'Me Before You'

An exclusive early look at the film adaptation of Jojo Moyes' best-selling love story.

USATODAY.COM

Another Local Author Makes Good - at least IMHO

How did I come to read Veronika Layne gets the Scoop by Julia Park Tracey?  Well, it happened through LinkedIn.  Julia made contact with me and asked if I was interested in reading one of her books.  I said "Sure" because I always say "Sure."  I usually even buy the book.  But that doesn't mean I always read said book.  In this case, though, I had just finished Memory of Water (very short review coming soon) for the Los Gatos Library Evening Book Club and needed something light.  This definitely fit the bill.  However, that doesn't mean it didn't have substance.  Because it really did.

It's synopsis time (back of the book):

Veronika Layne.  Sassy, tattooed, twenty-something newspaper reporter.  Never saw herself working for the "man."  When her small weekly is swallowed up by Singh Media Group, that's exactly where she ends up.  Stuck writing fluff pieces that might as well be ads, how can she resist digging into rumors that a real estate developer is destroying native burial grounds?  Warned away at every turn by her editor, she worries whether the story will see the light of day.  And dazzled by her sexy rival-turned-coworker, what is she going to do about her love life?

Besides being a fun read, this is also well-written and very clever.  Here are some examples:

When Veronika finds out that she will be covering senior citizens and animal events, she says - "I felt like a Goth forced to wear cheerleader's clothing."

When Veronika faces her editor, she says - "I felt like something he'd blown into a handkerchief."

"Thoughts chased around my mind like a couple of squirrels on the back fence, up the tree, down the roof, and onto the birdfeeder."

I mentally shook myself like an Etch-a-Sketch, let the thought disappear."

Julia's got this kind of stuff throughout the book.  Doesn't she conjure up great visual images?  Say yes.

But there's something else I really liked about this book.  Julia does a great job of describing different scenes without going overboard.  She tells us about a massage; a seashell hunt with an 80-year old; the historical significance of buried bones, rocks, and arrowheads at a construction site; and an archaeological dig, among a few others.  And in each case, you can see and FEEL what she's describing.  What I've said about this book may make you think you're reading fluff.  But I assure you that there is depth to what she writes.  Give it a try.  You will get some chuckles, have a few laughs,  shed a tear or two, and even shake your head a little.  What you won't get or be is bored.

P.S.  I loved the ending.

Barry Eisler Launches The God's Eye View at Keplers

You already know what I thought of Barry Eisler's The God's Eye View.  I wrote a review of it on Jan. 29 and gave it a resounding 4/4 (can a book rating "resound?").  Well, last Tuesday night, Feb. 2, Barry actually had his launch for TGEV at Kepler's.  And not only did Barry speak, read, and answer questions.  But one of our favorites (and a former RBC author), Keith Raffel, introduced him.  It's always fun to have Keith around.  Between the 2 of them, it was truly a great evening.

Here are a few pictures from the event.  And, in case you haven't heard this ad nauseum from me, please read this book.  It's just so darn good.

Keith Raffel, introducing Barry

Barry giving his spiel (a little Yiddish for you)

Barry reading from The God's Eye View

Keith talking to a beautiful attendee while everybody else was queuing up for the book signing - oh, wait, that's Joni!

Barry signing books

Meg Waite Clayton at the RBC

This is the email, with pictures, that I sent out to the RBC members this afternoon.  

We had a fantastic evening last night with Meg Waite Clayton.  Her book, The Race for Paris, is one of the most highly rated books by members that we've had in our 27 meetings.  

We learned how she started out as an attorney, before she took up writing full-time.  We found out that it took 10 years to get her 1st book published.  And that she started writing Race (book #5) 15 years ago!  Finally, we learned about the research that went into this book, and what Meg had to do in order to get the history right.  Everybody was very engaged, and we had a lot of questions that Meg answered for us.  On top of that, we had a great turnout - 19 people, including 6 newbies.  Welcome to them and, as always, our regulars.

Our next meeting is 2 weeks from last night, Feb. 17th.  We will be reading The Right Wrong Thing by Ellen Kirschman.  We will return to our normal schedule - 6:30-7:00 for members, and 7:00-8:00 for Ellen.  Hope to see many of you there, despite the quick turnaround!

P.S.  All books through May are in the store (Recycle Books, Campbell).  Cara Black's book, Murder on the Champ du Mars, is in the store in hardcover.  The paperback comes out the beginning of March.  Recycle should have that in the store right around March 1.  That still gives you the bulk of the month, in case you prefer the paperback.

Below you will find announcements for 2 upcoming events from the RWA (Romance Writers of America, Silicon Valley chapter), 1 very exciting nomination for Books, Inc., AND the 1st announcement for Litquake Palo Alto.  Litquake skipped Palo Alto last year, but it's back this year.  It's Sunday, March 13, from 2:00-8:00.  There will be a bunch of  panel discussions to choose from and tons of authors (plus food and beverages).  I have gone a number of times, and it is a lot of fun.

Finalists Named for 2016 PW Bookstore of the Year

This year’s bookstore finalists represent a broad range of general independent bookstores, both big and small. The winner will be named in March.

Save the date! Litquake returns to Palo Alto March 13.

Litquake Palo Alto 2016

San Francisco’s legendary literary festival returns to the Oshman Family JCC on Sunday, March 13. Expect all the rollicking literary fun of great authors, ideas and conversation. There will be a variety of salons on intriguing topics from thrillers to memoirs to cross-cultural writing. Plus, special…

PALOALTOJCC.ORG

The Latest from Barry Eisler - and, boy, is it good

I just finished the ARC for Barry Eisler's latest novel, The God's Eye View.  It hits the bookstores this coming Tuesday, Feb. 2.  In fact, I will be going to the launch at Kepler's (got my tickets a month ago!).

I'm a big fan of Eisler's books (especially the John Rain series), so it was a no-brainer to order this one from Kepler's, where I will pick up my copy and get it signed Tuesday night. In the meantime, I was fortunate enough to have Nicole send me the ARC.  That way, I could read and review it before the event.  I could also then post it on my blog, on Goodreads, and on Amazon.  Of course, it would help if I liked it.  Did I?  That's a resounding YES!  I think it's terrific.

Normally, I quote either the back of the book or the Goodreads synopsis.  I'm not going to do that here.  All I'm going to tell you is that the book centers on Ted Anders, the director of the NSA (National Security Agency); Mike Remar, Anders' right-hand man; Evelyn Gallagher, a computer scientist in the NSA who also has a 4-year old deaf son; and Manus and Delgado, who do jobs for Anders and Remar that don't strictly come under any of our country's laws.

What I'm going to do instead is show you a couple of quotes about the book:

"Eisler has managed to evoke a half-hidden global conflict that is still largely misunderstood even by many of its own participants.  In documenting the parts and making accessible the whole, he has done the public a profound service that goes well beyond entertainment." - Barrett Brown, activist and journalist

"Read this book because it's wildly entertaining.  Respect it because it paints a portrait of America that is more timely, terrifying, and relevant than anything gracing the bestseller lists.  The God's Eye View is one of the most important books that will be published this year." - Blake Crouch, author of Wayward Pines

Intrigued?  Yes?  Good answer.  This is one heckuva interesting premise.  And besides all of that, it's really well-written and very exciting.  I loved it.  I would even say that it's as good as Harlan Coben's best stuff.  Yep.  And I mean that, too.

So, from the quotes I've posted and the comments I've made you can probably guess that The God's Eye View paints a pretty grim picture of the NSA.  It fictionalizes what many people feel is not fiction at all.  And Eisler definitely makes it feel real.  But there's more to the book than that.  For example:

1.  Eisler's book reminds me of the recent movie, The Big Short.  Both of them take great pains NOT to dumb down the material.  We get explanations for events that force us to think.  Sometimes that's tough for me(!), but not this time.
2.  He creates a brutal hit man (Manus) and yet makes us sympathetic toward him.  That's no easy feat.
3.  He brings Evelyn and her son together with Manus and makes us absolutely care about all 3 of them and their relationships with one another.  (You're going to love the baseball scene.)
4.  Eisler made me cry (a fair amount for this type of book), smile, grimace (quite a bit), feel joy, and whoop.  (There's one scene where I actually cried and whooped at the same time!)
5.  Although I've already said this, it bears repeating.  This is an extremely well-written book.  There is tons of drama, and many of the storylines are very clever.  I always appreciate a well-written book that also grabs me emotionally.  Bingo!
6.  If you are under 18, DO NOT READ THIS BULLET POINT.  There is a sex scene in the book that reminded me of Lie Down with Lions by Ken Follett.  And maybe a little bit of the limousine scene in the movie No Way Out.  If you've read the one or seen the other, then you know what I mean!

To recap, get a hold of this book Tuesday (or shortly thereafter).  At least put it near the top of your TBR pile.  I'm telling you that this is an outstanding book.  In fact, I'm going to give it the highest compliment of all - I will be putting The God's Eye View on my Sunday morning, Farmer's Market, recommendation table.  Only the very best enjoy this privilege.  Way to go, Barry.

NOTE OF CAUTION:  There is some pretty graphic violence.  If you are squeamish, you may want to skim through those parts.  Just don't give up on the book because of it.

Barry Eisler spent three years in a covert position with the CIA's Directorate of Operations, then worked as a technology lawyer and startup executive in Silicon Valley and Japan, earning his black belt at the Kodokan International Judo Center along the way. Eisler's bestselling thrillers have won the Barry Award and the Gumshoe Award for Best Thriller of the Year, have been included in numerous "Best Of" lists, and have been translated into nearly twenty languages. Eisler lives in the San Francisco Bay Area and, when he's not writing novels, blogs about torture, civil liberties, and the rule of law.

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Review of Station Eleven, a Novel by Emily St. John Mandel

I thought that if I keep reading literary novels, I would become literary.  As my 3-year old granddaughter says whenever Joni sings, "eh eh."  When will I learn that I'm just a low-tech reader?  Probably never.  Station Eleven is such a novel.  I liked it, but I didn't really get it. Once again I say that this is NOT the book's or author's fault.  Lauren recommended it initially.  And I saw several highly rated reviews from fellow bloggers.  I take full responsibility for picking it.  Would I recommend it?  It's a 2.75/4.  So I would say not so much.  A little, maybe, but not a lot.

As I often do, I'm going to quote the back cover of the book:

Kirsten Raymonde will never forget the night Arthur Leander, the famous Hollywood actor, had a heart attack onstage  during a production of King Lear.  That was also the night when a devastating flu pandemic arrived in the city, and within weeks, civilization as we know it came to an end.

Twenty years later, Kirsten moves between the settlements of the altered world with a small troupe of actors and musicians. They call themselves the Traveling Symphony, and they have dedicated themselves to keeping the remnants of art and humanity alive.  But when they arrive in St. Deborah by the Water, they encounter a violent prophet who will threaten the tiny band's existence.  And as the story takes off, moving back and forth in time, and vividly depicting before and after the pandemic, the strange twist of fate that connects them all will be revealed.

I have to say that I was immediately caught up in the story.  It starts with Arthur's death during a performance and goes right into the flu that kills off much of the people in the world.  I'm not opposed to a good dystopian novel.  And I even liked how it went from 20 years in the future back and forth to the years, days, and months prior to the calamity.  But I just really wasn't able to make sense of how it ends.  And, unfortunately (here it comes...ready?), I never made any emotional connection with any of the characters.  Is that common in a dystopian story?  I can't say.  I can only address this one.  I knew I was in trouble when there was a "big reveal" on page 280 (of 333), and I said out loud:  "So what."

To be sure, there is some good writing here.  Such as:

"He felt extravagantly, guiltily alive.  The unfairness of it, his heart pumping faultlessly while somewhere Arthur lay cold and still."  (That's pretty evocative)

"There was something obnoxious, he thought, in people who introduced themselves by their surnames while calling one by one's first." (Haven't we all felt this way, at one time or another?)

And then there are 3 passages that reminded me, 1st, of a movie, 2nd, of my dad, and 3rd, of a play.  In the 1st, shoe polish is used to cover up scuffs.  Remember the opening scene of Pretty Woman?  In the 2nd, people live in an IHOP.  In my father's later years, I used to take him to an IHOP near his residence once a week so that he could order the Rooty Tooty, Fresh and Fruity.  And, coincidentally, this weekend I had lunch at an IHOP off of highway 5 on my way to Los Angeles.  Too weird!  And in the 3rd, some friends of mine and I put on 2 performances of Guys and Dolls on 12/31/99 in honor of the Millennium.  During one of our early rehearsals, when we were reading our lines, Nathan Detroit said "clopping" instead of "eloping."  So when I saw "clopping" on page 301, I had to chuckle.

That' it, folks.