Chapter 11 Books: Your Neighborhood Book Blog

Work to do!

2006-10-19T10:32:00.000-04:00

We're changing some things around the blog.

Give us a moment, and pardon our dust.

Guest Blog From Karen White

2006-10-04T15:43:00.000-04:00

Enter to WIN one signed copy of The Color of Light or Pieces of the Heart.

E-mail contest@chapter11books.com with your NAME and MAILING ADDRESS to be entered to win!!! Contest runs through October 10th. The winners will be announced a few days later.

I have just finished writing my eighth novel and have started on a new novel which will be due May 1st. My first novel was published in 2000 and I've basically had a book out every year.

Now, back in the day when I was young and stupid, um, er, innocent (and that would be pre-first book publication) I always thought that when my first book was published I would automatically be propelled into the stratosphere of Nora Roberts stardom. (It's ok to laugh--I am). In my delirious imagination, I pictured Barbara Cartland wearing her feather boa while dictating her next bestseller to her secretary. I saw Margaret Mitchell wearing fur as she stood outside the Fox Theater for the premiere of the movie they made out of her book. Well, heck, I'm still doing laundry so what does that mean?

To save myself some pride, I will admit that the publishing industry today is nothing like it was when Barb and Meg were penning their prose. There weren't as many writers vying for increasingly smaller shelf space at increasingly more and more mega stores that would prefer to stock a guaranteed bestseller while selling you coffee and muffins than take a chance on an unknown author. No, I'm not knocking the big stores--just mourning the demise of so many great independent stores with their wonderful handselling of great books as well as telling you that it's different to be an author today than it was even twenty years ago.

I've had some successes--I mean, I've sold eight books, right? I've won awards and one of my books became a national bestseller. However, nobody ever asks for my autograph at the meat counter at Kroger. And people still feel completely comfortable walking right by my signing table at a bookstore without a mere glance (or they simply ask me where the bathrooms are). Is this disconcerting? Sometimes. Do I bang my head against the wall in sheer frustration when I know that I'm writing better and better books but I'm still allowed to walk down the street without recognition? More than I'd care to admit.

So why do I do this? I've got two kids that require a great deal of my attention as well as friends and an extended family, a mortgage, a husband, and a new puppy. Wouldn't my life be easier to just stop this writing thing and devote my attention to other things? You bet! But I would feel like half a person. As much fulfillment I get from my role as mom-of-all-hats, there's a part of me that is stamped WRITER. I love creating characters and putting them in a story that I would love to read if I were just a reader. I love pushing my writing skills more than the last book. In other words, I love what I do. It's who I am. I couldn't stop being a writer any more than I could stop being a mom.

I guess I'm relegating myself to more sleep deprivation by signing my next book contract, but maybe sleep is overrated anyway. And I don't discount how very blessed I am to be able to pursue my dreams. Life is very fluid, changing constantly, and in not-so-very-long my children will be living elsewhere and I'll have more time to devote to writing. I guess for now, I'll just keep plugging away at my keyboard, and growling as my puppy attacks yet another mound of the interminable laundry. But I won't let my sight stray from my goal of being a NYT bestseller. It won't happen overnight, but I still like to think that it might. And if it does and you see me bagging my groceries or sitting in the carpool line, give me a thumbs-up. Clint Eastwood could probably say it better, but you would really make my day.

Karen White is the author of several novels, including her two most recent, The Color of Light and Pieces of the Heart. She lives in metro Atlanta, and her first ever book signing was at Chapter 11*. Her website is www.karen-white.com. To learn more about Karen, read the interview below.

Around the South with Karen White

2006-09-28T14:47:00.000-04:00

WIN a signed copy of Pieces of the Heart

or The Color of Light!
Instructions at end of interview.

Karen White's books have been called, "Warmly Southern and deeply moving," by Deborah Smith, author of Charming Grace. Her two most recent novels, The Color of Light and Pieces of the Heart, have won her more fans and brought her national recognition. Karen lives in metro Atlanta and has been a friend of Chapter 11* for a long time. I recently caught up with Karen and asked her questions about her books and being a Southern author.

Chapter 11: Did you know you always wanted to be a writer?

Karen White: Not really. I've always been a voracious reader, and I was always told by my teachers that I could write. But the physical act of writing (not the creating side, but the part about putting the words on paper) was excruciating for me. It's weird, because it's not really hand-to-eye coordination because I've played the piano quite well all of my life. It's just that I have a really hard time physically writing and to this day my horrid handwriting is a testament to this fact. It wasn't until I learned to type when I was a sophomore in high school that I finally found a way to write the words as quickly as my mind could come up with them. That was really a turning point for me; when I discovered the joy of writing. I was a business major in school and then worked in the business world until I had my first child. It wasn't till after that when I discovered that now I could physically write that I actually had time to write, too. And thus my first book was born.

Ch11: What’s your earliest memory of a book?

KW: When I was in third grade, my family moved to Venezuela (my father was with Exxon). There was a small, English-language library at our club (right next to the pool) and I discovered it by accident one afternoon. The librarian introduced me to Nancy Drew--and I think I read through the entire library's collection of them within a week. I was addicted! The first one I read was The Bungalow Mystery, and I don't think I came up for air once I'd started on the first page until I closed the book! It was very frustrating to have to wait for our next trip to the States for me to buy another book since the library didn't have every copy, but that was the beginning of my book addiction that hasn't (thankfully!) abated to this day.

Ch11: What authors do you find really inspiring?

KW: That would be a very long list! At the top would be Pat Conroy, Margaret Mitchell, Diana Gabaldon. I would also have to add Khaled Hosseini (The Kite Runner) and Jodi Picoult (My Sister's Keeper). Both of these hugely talented authors get added to my 'hall of fame'--these books stayed with me long after I'd closed the last page---a sign of a truly remarkable book and a gifted writer. I'm in awe.

Ch11: Your books all have southern settings that are important to the plot (The Color of Light in the South Carolina low country and Pieces of the Heart in the North Carolina mountains). How do you choose your settings?

KW: I write what I know (isn't that the advice all writers are given?). My parents were both born and raised in Mississippi, and my father's family has lived in the South for over two hundred years. Despite having lived all over the world because of my father's job, I have always considered myself a Southerner. Even while living in Europe, I would look forward to my visits to my grandmother's house in Mississippi--to see my aunts, uncles, cousins and other relatives. These visits were always a high point in my life growing up. I guess it was only natural that I would write about Southern settings and people since this is what I feel I know best.

Ch11: What defines “Southern?”

KW: Well, it's not Northern or Western. Seriously--read Tom Wolfe, Harper Lee, Pat Conroy and William Faulkner for a better definition of "Southern." I've always tried to write about what I see---and that would be interesting southern characters drawn from real life. I mean, my grandmother's neighbor (a man) was called Honeydew (not his given name). He lived with this moniker his entire adult life because his wife always started her sentences with "Honey, do...." and it stuck. I'm not making this up and he will eventually find his way into one of my books. Southern people have a collective history different from any other region in this country (just like their accents!)---and their idiosyncrasies and beloved peculiarities are testament to this fact. I've lived all over the place and I feel I can make the observation that people down South do tend to be more polite, a tad more eccentric, and a little bit proud of their family heritage (travel to Charleston if you don't believe this). And they don't mind being written about!

Ch11: If you didn’t make money writing, what non-artistic career would you choose for yourself?

KW: Who says I make money from writing? I worked as an operations manager for a software development firm before I left the workforce to stay home with my firstborn. It was one of those multitasking jobs where I had to have a finger in every aspect of the business which I found very stimulating if not completely fulfilling. I suppose I could do that again--but I couldn't imagine not writing! But if I had to start all over, I would do something with historical restoration of old buildings. I'm obsessed with it and all of my books have an old house or building, so I might as well do it!

Ch11: What’s your next book about?

KW: My next book (Learning to Breathe--March 7, 2007) is set in rural Louisiana and focuses on the youngest of five grown sisters, Brenna O'Brien. Brenna lives on the surface of her life, never delving too deeply into it for fear of being disappointed. She collects unopened war letters, liking the way they feel, as if she is holding in her hand possibilities of what might be. When she discovers an entire mailbag filled with old letters from a WWII soldier who still lives in her town, she uncovers an ill-fated love story and unravels a secret from her own past. This sets in motion a chain of events that forces her to examine the assumptions that underpin her life.

Enter to WIN one signed copy of Pieces of the Heart or The Color of Light.

E-mail contest@chapter11books.com with your NAME and MAILING ADDRESS to be entered to win!!! Contest runs through October 10th. The winners will be announced a few days later.

Buy a signed copy of The Color of Light

Buy a signed copy of Pieces of the Heart

VideoHound's Golden Movie Retriever 2007

2006-09-14T18:10:00.000-04:00

I just received a copy of VideoHound's Golden Movie Retriever 2007, and I've been spending the afternoon thumbing through it. So many movies, so little time. But this guide will help me sort through the bad and find the good.

VideoHound is a comprehensive and up-to-date guide to movies on VHS and DVD that distinguishes itself from its peers by the quality and comprehensiveness of its entries as as the originality of its index categories. Readers will enjoy a 900+ page list of titles A-Z with over 27,000 reviews, including no-bone-"Woof!" to four-bone rating, as well as alternate title, year released, rating, synopsis/review, songs, run time, black and white or color, format, country of origin, cast, director, writer, cinematographer, composer/lyricist, and awards, enough to satisfy even the most demanding film trivia collector.

What more can a film buff ask for? VideoHound editor Jim Craddock has gove above and beyond the normal call of duty with his comprehensive and witty, inclusive, and innovative indices. For example, you could find Full Metal Jacket under the category "Military: Marines" or "Suicide;" Footloose appears under both "Dance Fever" and "Teen Angst." Some of the quirkier new categories for 2007 include "Grim Reaper," "Female Spies," "Exorcism and Exorcists," and "A River Runs Through the Plot."

Before you go to the video store or purchase your next DVD from Chapter 11*, make sure you consult your new best friend, VideoHound.

Buy VideoHound's Golden Movie Retriever 2007 from Chapter11Books.com and save 25%!

- Mike Sussman

On Glass Books Of The Widely-Shut Eyes, or FORCING IT THROUGH

2006-09-12T17:39:00.000-04:00

I’ll admit: I’m a glutton for literary punishment. My favorite books are usually the ones that require three Berlitz language tapes and a serious sense of self-hatred. After all, if the author writes as though the reader’s a wetnap primed for abuse, then I guess, as the reader of said authors, I’m guilty as charged.

As such, when a copy of Gordon Dahlquist’s The Glass Books Of The Dream Eaters arrived on my desk, I was hyperactive (even more so than usual). A monstrosity of a book in size and apparently in scope; I don’t know that for fact, though. I plowed my way through several books over the weekend, including Bookslut favorite Small Acts of Sex and Electricity, and shelved (har har a little book seller humor there) reading a few others, including the worship-worthy Kate Bornstein’s newest book (which has me so excited I feel as though I’ve overdosed on Jolly Ranchers and Pepsi Jazz), to begin trudging through the tome. The back cover (at least, the back cover of the Advance Reader’s Copy) quotes author Diana Gabaldon as saying the novel is “deftly executed” and “relentlessly inventive”.

In the course of my weekend, I managed to make it about 200 pages into Glass Books. Thus far, I’ve found a first novel that’s begging to be Proustian in its flowery (ANOTHER literary joke! I kill me!), hallucinogenic prose style, but that, when distanced from the page-to-page minutiae, lacks any real sense of character.

For those unfamiliar, the publisher's summary of Glass Books reads as such:

"Determined to find out why her engagement to Roger Bascombe was abruptly terminated, Celeste Temple disguises herself to follow her erstwhile fianc‚ to forbidding Harschmont Manor, which becomes a terrifying gate into a seductive and shocking world linked to a terrifying conspiracy.

Basically the plot breaks down like this:

Man leaves woman. Woman says “nope not gonna happen” and stalks man. Woman ends up on train with masked people who are, of course, sexual deviants in some form or fashion and who act like she’s been there all along. Someone named Prince is important, and then sings “When Doves Cry”.

All right, the last bit about the song hasn’t actually happened, but I have about 700 pages left to go, so it very well could. All this while, I can’t help but feel that it seems apparent Glass Books is nothing more than an overhyped expenditure of paper-and-ink that just reheats Kubrick’s “Eyes Wide Shut” like so much Tuesday night T.V. dinner, and then I remind myself: if a film’s released and no one sees it, copping the plot for a novel isn’t plagiarism.

The problem with being a literary masochist is that, in the end, I have to have payoff. There has to be something that makes coming back for the abuse worth it, and thus far I just feel stupid for sitting in front of my overflowing-with-new-stuff bookshelf, waiting for Colonel Doctor Zelig the Fourth to wear his party mask, or some other such going on in Glass Books.

So then, why can’t I just put it down? I could stop this whole thing in its tracks, move forward and onward and upward to other words. Instead, no, I keep plugging onward, forcing it through page after page of literary marshmallow fluff-topped Diet cola.

What is this need that we, as readers, have to finish a book, even when we KNOW better? What’s the last book you MADE yourself finish, and was it worth it? Leave a comment and let us know, and you'll automatically be entered to win...well, to win a GOOD book. The definition of "good" to be determined.

I’ll tell you when I finish Glass Books. And I’ll be submitting receipts for the days of my life I won’t get back.

--Russ Marshalek

Coffey and Margaret Atwood

2006-09-11T02:39:00.000-04:00

Last week, Chapter 11* customer Beth Coffey posted these comments about Margaret Atwood on her blog, A Cup of Coffey. We think you'll find her post and review interesting. Thanks for the plug, Beth!

Thursday, September 07, 2006

Pinch Me!

I’m going to hear Margaret Atwood tonight night at Emory University. In case you’re unfamiliar with her [and please don't tell me if you've never heard of her], she wrote Alias Grace, The Handmaid’s Tale, The Blind Assassin, Surfacing, Cat’s Eye, Lady Oracle, Life Before Man, The Robber Bride, and many more. I’ve loved her books for more than twenty-five years. Tonight she’s going to talk about her latest novel, The Penelopiad: The Myth of Penelope and Odysseus.

From Publishers Weekly:

Drawing on a range of sources, in addition to The Odyssey, Atwood scripts the narrative of Penelope, the faithful and devoted wife of Odysseus and her 12 maids, who were killed upon the master's return. Atwood proposes striking interpretations of her characters that challenge the patriarchal nature of Greek mythology. The chapters transition between the firsthand account of Penelope and the chorus of maids as listeners are taken from Penelope's early life to her afterlife. Laural Merlington charmingly delivers the witty and perceptive Penelope with realistic inflection and emphasis. Some of her vocal caricatures seem over the top, but most voices maintain a resemblance to our perceptions of these mythic people. The maids are presented as a saddened chorus by a cloning of Merlington's voice. These dark figures speak straightforwardly in their accusations of Penelope and Odysseus, while, at other times, they make use of rhyming. This format works well, though sometimes the cadence and rhyming scheme are off beat. This benefits the production by creating an eerie resonance and haunting demeanor that enhances this engaging tale.

I can’t wait to be in the same room with Margaret Atwood. I need to bask in her brilliance right now. I’ve been working on several short stories this summer, and last week I came down with a nasty case of the I’m-a-talentless-hackitis. I hope that hearing Ms. Atwood talk will inoculate me from my inner demons. I need inspiration and some ass-kicking; too much is riding on these stories.

Margaret Atwood. Isn’t she lovely?

Another night in the presence of literary greatness. T. Coraghessan Boyle in July, Richard Ford this fall. See, folks, we ain’t illiterate and culture-free down here in the South, even during college football season.

The purchase link used for The Penelopiad is for a local bookstore chain. Support the independents and buy a copy — or seven — from Chapter 11 Books. Powell's Books isn't the only independent selling online, kids.

Book Fest Photo Recap Part Two

2006-09-07T12:00:00.000-04:00

And we're back with the second and final part of our two-day Chapter 11* Books Decatur Book Festival Photo Wrap-Up. Sure, some other sites and blogs have more amusing photos, but during the festival we were too busy actually working, and we loved every minute of it. Here's the last of our choice photos from the Labor Day gathering of authors and book lovers.

THE man himself, Michael Connelly. His event and signing was SO well hotly anticipated and eagerly attended that it required three security guards for crowd control.

The OTHER man of the hour, Chapter 11* Books infamous webmaster, Mike "The" Sussman. His ongoing quote was "I wasn't even SUPPOSED TO BE HERE today!", after being drafted to work at the Chapter 11* Books tent on Sunday due to overwhelming attendance. He had fun, though. Or something close to it.

Carrie Dumas and Valerie Boyd were just two of the authors whose books we just could NOT keep in stock. For every one we replenished, two flew off the table.

A brief shower temporarily dampens the party. Though it passes quickly, Russ still finds it necessary to run in such a fashion to...do..something?

AJC political cartoonist Mike Luckovich takes a minute to sign some promotional posters we later raffled off.

One of the most anticipated, hot-button authors we had, Ray Suarez, gets into a debate even while signing books.

There you have it. If you came out-it was good to see you! If not-LOOK AT WHAT YOU MISSED! Hopefully you're already marking your calendars for next year's Labor Day-no excuses this time. Thanks for the fun, the conversation, the debates over Dumbledore, and for everyone who bought books based around our recommendations (and then thanked us for them), thank you and you're quite welcome. We can only hope you had as much fun as we did.

Chapter 11* Books would like to wish Steve Berry a speedy recovery and extend the largest thanks possible to the Decatur Book Festival committee and volunteers, the city of Decatur,the AJC, Target (for the free water), all the vendors, every single one of our customers and friends who ventured into the heat to visit us, and, MOST IMPORTANTLY:

the Decatur Square Starbucks.

Once upon a time...there was a Book Fest

2006-09-06T16:56:00.000-04:00

Well, folks, that was something else entirely. In the course of the Decatur Book Festival taking over the downtown Decatur square we laughed, we cried, we got rained on, and we bought freakin' awesome t-shirts.

(No, really, the Decatur Book Festival t-shirts are pretty much the coolest thing ever.)

Ambushed. Swamped. Overwhelmed. So much fun. So. Much. Fun.

Here's part one of our Chapter 11* Books Decatur Book Festival Photo Recap.
Yeah, we're late, but hey, we get to slack SOME TIME, right?

The view from the awake side of 7 a.m. Saturday morning, aka "oh, wow, this is really happening".

It's like the circus going up-the Information Tent gets itself set-up.

Oh, the early morning calm left us with little idea as to what we were in for.

Post-its are your friends.

Russ, who apparently can't discern between Decatur, Illinois and Decatur, Georgia.

Clockwise, from middle: Sonny Brewer, Tom Franklin, and some guy from the AJC. They were instructed to "look unimpressed". Authors never listen.

The NEW new novel Tom Franklin wrote, aka Russ's signed copy of Tom Franklin's Smonk. Seriously, though, this was a highlight, right here.

The security guards, who had to (almost literally) BEAT people away from best-selling thriller author Michael Connelly's appearance Saturday afternoon decided to see what all the fuss was about. Imagine that: cops reading Connelly. Either ironic or fitting.

This picture is courtesy of Russ taking a photo of the Atlana Journal photographerwho was taking a photo of the Chapter 11* Booth. Post-modern!

(see photo below)

And, finally

You probably saw this picture, if you flipped open your Sunday AJC. A girl enjoys a relaxing bean-bag + book experience at the Chapter 11* Books tent at the Decatur Book Fest. Chapter 11* Books: all publicity is good publicity, but great publicity involving cute kids is even better.

(photo from the Atlanta Journal)

Football Recommendations

2006-09-05T04:01:00.000-04:00

Are you ready for some football? Here are some of our pigskin recommendations.

Friday Night Lights Bissinger, H. G.
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Invincible Papale, Vince/ Millman, Chad
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The Undefeated Dent, Jim/ Switzer, Barry (FRW)
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The Junction Boys Dent, Jim
Paperback
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T. O.Owens, Terrell/ Rosenhaus, Jason
Hardcover
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Namath Kriegel, Mark
Paperback
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Rammer Jammer Yellow Hammer (Signed)Warren St. John
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Wins, Losses, And Lessons Holtz, Lou
Hardcover
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Official 2006 National Football League Record & Fact Book Not Available (NA)
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Last Coach Barra, Allen
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The Lion in Autumn Fitzpatrick, Frank
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Cowher Power Eyring, Donna (EDT)
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John Madden's Heroes of Football Madden, John/ Gutman, Bill
School And Library
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Vince Dooley's Tales from the 1980 Georgia Bulldogs Dooley, Vince/ Giles, Blake
Hardcover
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Echoes of Georgia Football Samelson, Ken (EDT)/ Dooley, Vince (FRW)
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What It Means to Be a Bulldog Barnhart, Tony (EDT)/ Dooley, Vince
Hardcover
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Stadium Stories Van Brimmer, Adam
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Kim King's Tales From The Georgia Tech Sideline King, Kim/ Wilkinson, Jack
Hardcover
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Remember the Titans Starring Denzel Washington, Will Patton. Directed by Boaz YakinUnrated Extended
DVD
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Knute Rockne - All American Starring Pat O'Brien . Directed by Lloyd Bacon
DVD
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Friday Night Lights Starring Billy Bob Thornton, Tim McGraw. Directed by Peter BergWidescreen
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Little Giants Starring Rick Moranis. Directed by Duwayne Dunham
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The Longest Yard Starring Adam Sandler, Chris Rock, Burt Reynolds. Directed by Peter SegalWidescreen Version
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Any Given Sunday Starring Al Pacino, Cameron Diaz. Directed by Oliver StoneSpecial Edition
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Rites of Autumn - Complete 10-Episode Series
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The Replacements Starring Keanu Reeves, Gene Hackman. Directed by Howard Deutch
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Does the Potter kid BITE IT?

2006-09-01T10:40:00.000-04:00

YOU SAW IT AT THE DECATUR BOOK FESTIVAL.

YOU TALKED ABOUT IT ON THE DRIVE HOME.

NOW CLICK HERE TO TELL US WHAT YOU THINK!

And, if you HAVEN'T YET, check out CHAPTER 11 BOOKS* at the Decatur Book Festival, in tent 91 right in your path by the Info Booth

Guide to the Decatur Book Festival, Part Five

2006-09-01T09:17:00.000-04:00

Chapter 11* Books presents:

Your Guide to the Decatur Book Festival: Part 5

Well, Friday, September 1st, is here. And you know what that means...something about books...

Tuesday we told you about Jack Pendarvis' The Mysterious Secret Of The Valuable Treasure. In the grand tradition of books keeping me up, I read the collection cover-to-cover last night, and found the entire thing to be a series of witty, self-deprecating musings on, amongst other things, Southern culture and the book industry at large.

To wit, from the collection's title story:

"...The publishing industry should have shut down years ago, having surfeited its pragmatic usage...to use impeccable logic, publishers should subsidize authors for NOT writing, so that the overwhelming surplus of literature could be brought, eventually, under control."

As you know if you've been following, Pendarvis will be appearing in panel along with another Chapter 11* favorite, Smonk author Tom Franklin, on the Courthouse Stage on Saturday at 3pm.

All week we've been telling you why you should visit the Chapter 11* Books tent, located, literally, in the middle of your walking path (because it is our intention to trip you) near the Information Booth. Book giveaways, raffles, bag-stuffers, book recommendations, Harry Potter (yes, Harry Potter), all this and more is yours at our tent.

Now, here is the best reason for you to stop by and say "hi" to us:

Exclusive pre-sales and promo giveaways from, amongst others, Michael Connelly.

You've been stopping in the stores to ask about this, and, YES, it is true: appearing on The Courthouse Stage at 1:45 pm Saturday, best-selling legal thriller author Michael Connelly will be exclusively selling his forthcoming novel Echo Park at the Chapter 11* Books tent. We've got his older releases, too, and we'll also be giving you everything you could possibly want to get signed by Connelly himself.

And that about wraps it up. Remember, a few simple notes:

--Wear comfortable clothes and walking shoes. We are taking over Decatur.

--Bring a friend, or a date, or a friend's date. This is a socializing event, not some stuffy "I am going to sit and whisper in hushed voices about Dickenson" sort of thing. The authors are there for your amusement...and not the other way around.

--There will be live music, activities, games, and vendors of all persuasions. The Decatur Book Fest isn't a five minute stop-and-go. This is your weekend destination.

And now, we're signing off. See you this weekend!

We've got a Book Fest to attend to.

The Decatur Book Fest is Friday, Sept1st through Sunday, Sept 3rd on the Decatur Square. For more information visit the Decatur Book Festival site, and be sure to stop by the Chapter 11* Books tent, located right in the middle of your path by the Information booth.

Guide to the Decatur Book Festival, Part Four

2006-08-31T15:44:00.001-04:00

Chapter 11* Books presents:
Your Guide to the Decatur Book Festival: Part 4

The Decatur Book fest isn't far off at all. Whispers are already starting about what Huffington's going to wear, and the media's already jumping all over themselves to say that the destination of Labor Day weekend will be Decatur. Of course, we've already told you that.

This is all-consuming. If you want to see what life is like for Chapter 11* Books right now (and really, who doesn't want to be in the book industry?), well, here you go:

Boxes, and books. Books, and boxes. I've about had it with these books in these...oh, nevermind.

If it isn't obvious, whatever it is you're looking for, we'll have it at the Chapter 11* Books tent, #91 and right in the middle of your path near the information booth. Make sure you stop in. In fact, make us a must-visit.

For your trip to the Decatur Book Festival:

Steve Berry

Appearing at 4:15 pm Saturday, Sept 2, on the Courthouse Stage

Camden County, Georgia native and lawyer Steve Berry is a popular powerhouse of fast-paced, thrill-oriented historical fiction, which seems to be the hottest literary sub-genre this year. His newest is The Templar Legacy, a cat-and-mouse game with a dirty little Religious secret. He has his legion of fans, and if you're one of them, you are in for an up-close and personal opportunity to discuss where he found the inspiration for the gnostic occult thriller.

Make sure you stop by the Chapter 11* Books tent, where we will be having giveaways and author exclusives all weekend! Look for us right in the middle of your path at booth 91, by the information booth.

Guide to the Decatur Book Festival, Part Three

2006-08-30T16:45:00.000-04:00

Chapter 11* Books presents:

Your Guide to the Decatur Book Festival: Part 3

In our third installment of our Guide to the Decatur Book Festival, we want to point you to one of our own hometown writers, chronicling the life of a Southern literary classic.

Valerie Boyd: Wrapped In Rainbows-The Life of Zora Neale Hurston

Appearing at 3:45 Sunday, Sept 3rd, on the Courthouse Stage

Valerie Boyd, arts editor of the The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, has, with Wrapped In Rainbows: The Life of Zora Neale Hurston, crafted a biography of the beloved writer as eye-opening and moving as Hurston's own work. With a journalist's eye for detail and a literature lover's flowing prose, Boyd presents the first Zora Neale Hurston biography in 25 years, and takes the opportunity to present both the myth and humanity of the legend surrounding the beloved author. More importantly than the outlaying of fact, however, is the way that Boyd paints the life, times and happenings of Zora Neale Hurston and her work into a historical context, bringing classic, powerful pieces such as Their Eyes Were Watching God to the forefront of modern literature-firmly where it belongs.

Valerie Boyd will be discussing her work at 3:45 pm on Sunday on the Courthouse Stage as part of the "African-American Portraits" panel, along with Carrie Dumas and Lawrence Jackson.

Make sure you stop by the Chapter 11* Books tent, where we will be having giveaways and author exclusives all weekend! Look for us right in the middle of your path at booth 91, by the information booth.

Guide to the Decatur Book Festival, Part Two

2006-08-29T20:37:00.000-04:00

Chapter 11* Books presents:

Your Guide to the Decatur Book Festival: Part 2

Yesterday, in part one of our week-long Chapter 11* Books daily guide to the Decatur Book Festival we told you about Tom Franklin's fantastic new book, Smonk. Well, it just so happens that, appearing along with Tom Franklin (and Sonny Brewer) as part of the "Male's Tales" panel on the Courthouse Stage on Saturday at 3pm is Jack Pendarvis.

Jack Pendarvis: The Mysterious Secret of the Valuable Treasure

The former Alabamian, who now calls good ol' Atlanta home, might have a name that rings familiar but that you can't quite place. He's a recognized author who has been published several places, my personal favorite of which being his Mcsweeneys's
Online piece titled "Jim Jarmusch's Notes For A Ghostbusters
Sequel":

Bill Murray goes to an Indian restaurant. He engages in non sequiturs with his waiter. (Backstory, NOT FOR USE IN FILM: Waiter has learned English from advertisements on the benches at bus stops.) Disturbance in kitchen. Bill Murray does not go to investigate. Looks at place mat, lost in indecipherable reflections. Something bursts forth from the kitchen. Bill Murray finds himself "slimed" (offscreen) by the lovable little slime monster from the original film. An emotion flickers over Bill Murray's face. Resignation? Ennui? Ironic detachment? Gentle bemusement? Despair? It is impossible to say.

Pendarvis' new story collection, The Mysterious Secret Of Valuable Treasure, shows off a wit that's at once fanciful and straight to the heart of matters. It'd be easy to group these stories into the category of "New South," but when you have George Singleton, an ace at the modern male whiskey-soaked short Southern Grotesque comedy, comparing the collection to "early T.C. Boyle and Samuel Beckett," you know you've got something special.

Don't miss this amazing, once-in-a-lifetime Southern literary treat as Jack Pendarvis shares the Court House stage with Tom Franklin and Sonny Brewer at the Decatur Book Festival on Saturday, Sept 2nd, at 3pm.

If you need more author or book recommendations, be sure to stop by and see us at the Chapter 11* Books tent. We’ll be giving away books and signed memorabilia from various authors, and would love to chat with you!

Look for Chapter 11* Books at Booth 91, near the Information Booth.

David L Robbins winners

2006-08-29T15:06:00.000-04:00

David L Robbins wrote a pretty good book that we kinda like, The Assassins Gallery. Maybe you've heard of it?

The three lucky winners who will be getting a copy of this heart-pounding work of thrilling historical fiction are Russell Lewis of Sugar Hill, GA, Misha McMurtray of Knightdale, NC, and Michael Stephens of Marietta, GA. Suzanne Witt of Newborn, GA is the lucky winner of the SIGNED FIRST EDITION.

Chapter 11* Books: where people really do win.

Guide to the Decatur Book Festival, Part One

2006-08-28T17:36:00.000-04:00

Chapter 11* Books presents:

Your Guide to the Decatur Book Festival: Part 1

As I’ve mentioned before, we here at Chapter 11* Books are pretty much speechless with child-like glee over the Decatur Book Festival, which is set to take over downtown Decatur this coming Labor Day weekend Sept 1st, 2nd, and 3rd. There are going to be over 100 author events to choose from at the largest gathering of writers and authors in the Southeast.

You’ve doubtlessly already heard about the cornucopia of literary majesty that will be in attendance, not to mention Arianna Huffington giving the Keynote address Friday night at Agnes Scott College.

Chapter 11* Books knows that the author and events list can be slightly daunting, so for this week we’re going to help you plan your Decatur Book Festival experience.Each day we’ll pick a book from a different author who will be appearing at the Decatur Book Festival, and give you a bit of info as to why you should make them a “must-see”.

Tom Franklin: Smonk

Appearing at 3pm Saturday, on the Courthouse Stage

Tom Franklin, author of the powerful, dark Southern tale Hell At The Breech, returns in amazing literary form with his newest novel, Smonk.

What is Smonk?

Smonk is a Spaghetti Western. Smonk is a violent tale of redemption. Smonk is a highly-literate comedy of manners and errors, set in the Wild West. Smonk is Shakespeare with six-shooters.

Most importantly, E.O. Smonk, the titular hero (or is it villain? Or hero? Or villain? Or…) of Franklin’s new novel, is more like Odysseus in a ten-gallon hat than Maverick. Fast-paced, grim, and ultimately a fulfilling yet unsettling experience, Tom Franklin has managed to create a take-no-prisoners piece of work that’s at once funny and frightening. Fans of the show “Deadwood” need to perk up their ears, because Franklin just may have surpassed his source inspiration.

Pre-order Smonk now, or purchase it from us at the Decatur Book Festival.

If you need more author or book recommendations, be sure to stop by and see us at the Chapter 11* Books tent. We’ll be giving away books and signed memorabilia from various authors, and would love to chat with you!

Look for Chapter 11* Books at Booth 91, near the Information Booth.

Favorite Summer Reads

2006-08-25T15:30:00.000-04:00

Books that we at Chapter 11* have loved this summer include The Ruins by Scott Smith, Water for Elephants by Sara Gruen, A Dirty Job by Christopher Moore, The Hard Way by Lee Child, The Memory Keeper's Daughter by Kim Edwards, Leaving Church by Barbara Brown Taylor, The Glass Books of the Dream Eaters by Gordon Dahlquist, and Special Topics in Calamity Physics by Marisha Pessl.

What's your favorite book of the summer?

Screamer of the Summer

2006-08-21T20:02:00.000-04:00

As a former English teacher, one of the first things I always told my students was that mistakes are an inevitable part of life. We should accept them and move on. In the words of Sean Bateman from Bret Easton Ellis' Rules of Attraction: "Deal with it. Rock and Roll."

As such, I'm not going to linger on the fact that I said some bad things about Scott Smith's summer blockbuster of terror The Ruins. I wanted to NOT like it before even READING it. If I want my quotes to come back to haunt me, I called the writing "horrid". I also then re-used the word "horrid" a sentence later for something else. Now, who am I to judge horrid writing? How...how HORRID!

Whoops.

Everybody makes mistakes. And maybe it's been my distaste for admission of error, or maybe it's how hard we at Chapter 11* Books are getting into gear for the upcoming Decatur Book Fest, of which you'll see more information on here very very soon. Either way, I have yet to come back and say what needs to be said:

For all my high-brow literary Joyce love, The Ruins disturbed the heck out of me.

The Ruins is a triumph of a summer book, one straight-for-the-jugular cut that throws the reader off-track on a wild goose chase from the start, by simply laying the plot out one piece at a time in such a way that it's seemingly impossible. Many times throughout the book, I found myself gasping in fear or wretching in grossed-out throes of disgust, all the while checking the number of pages left and thinking "this can't be happening".

Ok, Catch-22 it ain't...or is it? There are hard, hard choices to be made by these friends trapped in the middle of nowhere, Mexico, forced to live (and die) by their wits.

There's a reason why reviews of The Ruins are so minimal on plot detail, and so chockablock with synonyms for "eeeeew": you KNOW what's going to happen, and how it's going to happen, from page 1, but the beauty of the modern adult conscious mind keeps the full horror from sinking in until the end. And it's the unraveling of all you consider holy that keeps this book full-force until the last beautifully horrific page.

This, to me, is the ideal summer book: a compelling, quick read. Though I may be partial to the more literary works of the summer (such as Dominion) when the end of the year comes, but as far as Summer Book Blockbuster? The Ruins is it.

Have you read The Ruins? Thoughts? Love it? Hate it? What has been your favorite summer read thus far? Comment and let us know!

--Russ Marshalek

Do yourself a favor! Buy The Ruins at 30% off NOW!

A Tour Through The Assassins Gallery, with David L. Robbins

2006-08-14T16:47:00.000-04:00

WIN a copy of The Assassins Gallery!
Instructions at end of interview.

Bestselling Historical Fiction author David L. Robbins, whose recent book, The Assassins Gallery, about a fictional plot to assassinate FDR, has been called “heart-stopping” by Publisher’s Weekly and is a favorite here at Chapter 11* Books, recently spoke at an event hosted by the Georgia Center For The Book. David took time out before speaking to an adoring crowd to lounge around the Decatur Square Starbucks and answer some questions for the Chapter 11* Books Blog.

(David asks for, and receives, something that “tastes as much like coffee ice cream as possible”: a coffee Frappuccino)

Chapter 11 Books Blog: Did you go to school to be a writer? What made you decide that you wanted to write?

David L. Robbins: I have a degree in Theater and Speech, with a minor in Psychology, and then I took one year out and went to Law School for three years, and practiced law for a year-none of which I use today. Nothing made me decide that I wanted to write-everything I’ve ever done, everything I’ve ever aspired to do that wasn’t writing was instead of it. Where I come from, you didn’t grow up thinking you could pull it off-and, let’s face it, for a lot of people it’s a dream that never becomes a reality. But I’ve always loved stories, I love jokes, I love comic books, and I could talk to people all day and just ask them “what did you do?” It doesn’t even really have to be exciting, I just like stories. “Once upon a time” makes me sit up on the edge of my seat. I never really decided I wanted to be a writer, writing is something I’ve always wanted to do, and I’m really, really, really lucky and blessed to be able to do it.

C11BB: You practiced Law? That seems like a good career move, why leave it?

DR: My heart wasn’t in it. I, like everyone else who grew up in the late 60’s and early 70’s, had that “save the world” messianic attitude, and, if you’re a bright kid, which I was, and hope I still am, law’s a great avenue to do that. [You think] “Oh, I can right wrongs and I can represent people, the under-represented and the downtrodden”, and then you find out law isn’t a calling, it’s a job, and I thought “hell, this isn’t going to replace my dream of wanting to write”. 50 weeks into my first and only job as a lawyer, I called my dad and said “Dad, I want to quit”. He said I had to finish out the year, so I went to my secretary and asked how much leave time I’d accumulated. When she told me two weeks, I said “great, I’m on leave, and when I’m off I quit”. I packed a cardboard box and I was gone.

C11BB: What’s the first thing you recall being paid to write?

DR: When I was 19, between my Freshman and Sophomore years in college, I worked at an ad agency. See, early on, I knew that I wanted to write but I didn’t think I could ever make it as a novelist, and one of the ways you could make money writing was as a marketing writer, a copywriter. So I went to a small ad agency in Richmond, Kennedy and Green, who are still dear friends. These two men, when I was 19, hired me for $25 a week to write ad copy. I wrote everything: radio commercials, billboards, bus cards, annual reports, travel magazine pieces, you name it, and at the end of the summer they gave me a hundred dollar bonus. This was in 1973. I went off to college, and worked for them again, this time for $50 a week and at the end of the summer I got a thousand dollar bonus. Those two men, Tom Kennedy and Gary Green, are still two of my dearest friends, and my first book is dedicated to them. Advertising writing is a great schoolhouse, because when you have to time, count, or measure your words, and see how many columns they fill, you learn concision. Craft is very important to me, and a large part of craft is concision. It’s like what Ray Charles said about the blues: “the blues is about the notes you don’t play”, and good writing is about what’s implied.

C11BB: How much historical…

(At this point, David leans down and takes the first sip of the Frappuccino that has been resting on the table in front of him. Apparently, this is David’s first Frappuccino ever.)

DR:Whoa! (begins sipping at the Frappuccino intently)

C11BB: Is that what you’ve been looking for?

DR: These have been here all this time? You could sell these on the street corner. Anyway. (Looks back at recorder)

C11BB: How much historical research did you have to do for this book? I don’t come to The Assassins Gallery with the most working knowledge of history, for which I blame my public high school, and I feel like I’m learning a lot.

DR: I wrote a book called The End Of War, where Roosevelt is a character. I did a lot of my Roosevelt research for that book, and so I came to The Assassins Gallery with a lot of knowledge about FDR. One of those bits of knowledge was the conditions of his death, because The End Of War encompasses his death. And I knew, from writing that book, that one of the conditions of his death, as there always is when a president dies of natural causes, there’s always suspicion, there has to be, that he was the victim of foul play. That has to be ruled out. So, for the Assassins Gallery, I just didn’t rule that out. I took Roosevelt’s schedule, from January 1 to April 12, the day he died, and I changed nothing. Everything in this book is exactly as it happened-where he was, who he was with, what destinations he had, what he ate, who he ate with, every minute of Roosevelt’s life as detailed in this book is as it happened I took Roosevelt’s schedule and said “if I change nothing, how do you kill him? What’s the way in?” And I figured out what, I thought would work, and I invented the assassin to do it.

C11BB: You mentioned the assassin, Judith, who sets out to kill FDR. What struck me most was how ambitious and driven you made her. What sort of crafting went into the creation of the character of Judith, and why did you choose to make her female?

DR: In all of my books, up to The Assassins Gallery, tend to have ethical quandaries. They all have ethical dilemmas that have to be worked through…wouldn’t you agree?

(Asks person sitting behind him, person nods)

Someone in Starbucks agrees. Thumbs up. Anyway, the story of Assassins Gallery, as I first conceived it, didn’t have that. It was a good story, a good romp, a good alternate history adventure thriller, but it didn’t have that question.. I invented Judith, first of all, to be plausible, secondly, I put her on the fringes, she’s black, she’s white, depending upon how she conducts herself, as someone who could allow me to explore racial issues in the south, on the home front, in 1945, because the home front in the United States at this time was a fascinating place. We were sending people over seas, and said, to the black man, “Hey, look, we want you to go fight for Freedom and the American way, all of which we’re going to deny you.” I don’t like to let America, in my work, when I can, forget. So Judith is Persian because they look, to a great extent, like a Westerner. They can have blue eyes, coffee-colored skin. She was designed to help me get in my ethical issues, which I think she does in a wonderful way. Now why did I make her a woman? I like greatly switching the roles between her and [The Assassins Gallery hero] Lammeck. Lammeck is as brilliant as I, with the skills I have, could make him. Judith is all visceral. She’s not stupid by any means, but she’s almost animalistic. The juxtaposition between Judith and Lammeck is kind of the same juxtaposition I explored in one of my earlier books, War of the Rats, between a Russian sniper and a German sniper, in which one was all intellect and one was all instinct. She’s designed to be his opposite. It’s also a way of saying that you could be the smartest man in the world, but if I’m 6”9 and 250 lbs, your ass is mine. Intellect is great, but if you’re facing an opponent who can just flat-out kill you, that’s daunting. Judith is designed to be the ultimate physical specimen: she’s powerful, she’s brutal, and she’s scrupulous in how she does her job, she’s not wanton at all. She’s intimidating, and a lot of her intimidation is in that she’s his opposite. And his opposite had to be a woman. Wow, that’s a good answer.

Enter to WIN one signed or one of three unsigned copies
of The Assassins Gallery.

E-mail contest@chapter11books.com with your NAME and MAILING ADDRESS to be entered to win!!! Contest runs through August 27th. The winners will be announced on September 1st.

In celebration of the spectacular The Assassins Gallery, we at Chapter 11* Books have a special offer: purchase any of David L. Robbins' books at 25% off. (We have a few signed copies of The Assassins Gallery in stock at the list price of $25).

Read our review of The Assassins Gallery.

The Art of War's hot. Do you love it?

2006-08-10T11:28:00.000-04:00

Caption contest. Seriously.

On Dominion

2006-08-08T14:18:00.000-04:00

Calvin Baker’s Dominion is easily one of the best books I’ve had the fortune to read this year. In the current publishing landscape, which seems dominated by collection after collection of short stories that barely keep themselves together over the course of a handful of pages, Dominion is a beautiful, sprawling story of Jasper Merian, a newly-freed slave who leaves Virginia for the Carolinas to build what is his home and what will become his legacy. Baker allows Dominion to sprawl in a way that proves both his love for his craft and his intellect, as he traces the Merian family for a decade, and in the process meditates on commitment, personal responsibility, love, and family. The story of Jasper Merian (which is the story of Dominion itself) is told in rich, lush fashion that ties the themes with the narrative, like a campfire tale that resonates long after the final word’s been spoken, reminiscent of the narratives of Toni Morrison and Edward Jones, as well as incantatory cultural mythologies.

All of this high praise for what I’ll unabashedly call a brilliant book led me to a bit of reserved nervous tension last week, when Georgia Center For The Book presented Calvin Baker reading at the Decatur Library for a small but polite crowd. The size of the crowd (as well as my apprehension) didn't matter, as the bright, spry Baker was warm, thoughtful, and a lot younger than I’d anticipated of someone capable of weaving, as he does, the intricate threads of stories lost through the ages with a gently insistent modern voice. “Dominion was inspired by my love of myth and the poetry of beginnings”, Baker said during his reading, and this is evident in the way that the conceptual aspects of the novel never over-ride Baker’s storytelling. The historical aspects of the novel (slavery as painted by approaching eventuality of Revolution) add a depth without a heaviness; it’s obvious Baker’s done his research but, once again, is more concerned with making sure the heart of Dominion beats with warm, authentic blood. As such, Baker passes along his accumulated historical knowledge through golden bits of prose, as when Jasper Merian discusses the impact of having once been enslaved but now living life as a free man with his son, telling him “I want to know when your sleep starts to feel different. After you wake before first light and realize you can sleep all the day and won’t nobody say nothing…the first time you sleep a night knowing the day before you and every one after that is yours. I want you to tell me when it starts to feel great to you.”

Soft, warm, but filled with hard-won truths of humanity, Dominion is that truly rare work of literary fiction that is both smart and captivatingly readable from beginning to end, and shines with the voice of Calvin Baker becoming a master craftsman, echoing with sounds of all the stories of the past and future to come.

-Russ Marshalek

Click to order Calvin Baker's Dominion at 25% off.

(author photo: Henry Leutwyler)

Does the Potter kid bite it?

2006-08-08T10:22:00.000-04:00

So if you, like most of us in the office, follow the world of J.K. Rowling's Harry Potter (and who, in their proper and therefore book-obsessed mind, doesn't?), you've probably already heard about Rowling's recent reading with Stephen King and John Irving at Radio City Music Hall last week for a benefit.

The two aforementioned authors begged her not to follow through with what's been speculated as her plan to, in the forthcoming final Potter book, kill off the beloved character-but the fans had their say, as well.

(photo courtesy of Scholastic)

As reported by Publishers Weekly, she took to the stage to rock-star-like applause, one fan screamed out "DON'T KILL HARRY!", to which Rowling smirked back "No pressure there."

Had I been there, I'd have screamed out "DON'T LISTEN TO THAT KID, KILL THE POTTER BOY!"

In order for Rowling's storytelling prowess to fully maintain the levels we're beginning to place her at (i.e. Lewis, Tolkien, etc), she has to show loyalty to the story, to the world she's created, and not to the fans-in-witch-hats.

I maintain that Harry Potter's gonna die at the end of the next book. I've asked Zach, he disagrees.

What do you think? Let's take a poll. Potter, circa end of Book 7: alive and kicking, or a martyr to literary achievement?

-Russ Marshalek

First Review of Charles Frazier's New Book

2006-08-03T18:22:00.000-04:00

Charles Frazier, author of the mega-bestseller Cold Mountain, returns on October 3rd with his new novel, Thirteen Moons.

Kirkus Reviews has the first review of the new book, and to make a long story short, they say the book is phenomenal:

"Thirteen Moons brings this vanished world (the Cherokee Nation) thrillingly alive, retelling the agonizing stories of “the Removal” (of Indians from their ancestral lands) and the lie of “Reconstruction”; creating literally dozens of heart-stopping word pictures (e.g., autumns display “a few stunted pumpkins still glowing in the fields and a few persistent apples hanging red in the skeletal orchards”)." "One of the great Native American, and American stories, and a great gift to all of us, from one of our very best writers."

Read the full review.

Pre-order Thirteen Moons.

- Mike

And the Winner Is...

2006-08-02T15:25:00.000-04:00

Thank you to everyone who entered our Water for Elephants giveaway. We had so many entries that we decided to pick two winners. Christine Waddill of Raleigh, NC is the winner of the advance reader's copy of the book, and Jim Brown of Atlanta, GA wins a hardback first edition of Water for Elephants.

But everyone wins at Chapter 11. If you entered the giveaway but did not win the book, watch your e-mail for a coupon good on your next purchase at Chapter11Books.com.

Baby, run my bookstore!

2006-08-02T15:10:00.000-04:00

A short time ago, our highly-beloved friends at McSweeneys sent us these:

They're amazingly cute little books by Lisa Brown, basically giving babies the ultimatum they've always needed: BABY, MAKE YOURSELF USEFUL, OR ELSE. Jeez.

We've been batting around suggestions for OTHER "Baby" titles, and Zach's ever-brilliant wife, Alice, has suggested the following:

(note: Alice's suggestions edited for content. Baby doesn't want to read dirty stuff!)

We want to hear your suggestions: what else should baby start doing?

Also, c'mon, admit it,the full set of four would make the best gift ever

Just in time for Christmas...

or a baby shower.

-Russ Marshalek

The Assassins Gallery by David L. Robbins

2006-07-31T17:08:00.000-04:00

Before reading The Assassins Gallery, by David L. Robbins, I was quite a bit down on reading anything new. It seems that finding a book with any level of depth or quality penmanship these days is a pursuit not too unlike eating meatloaf…shallow and pedantic. The Da Vinci Code nearly killed me. Really. I nearly bashed my head in trying to endure that…thing. That, however, is another matter. David Robbins has managed, in one book, to restore my faith and ressurrect my hunt for books (not written a century before) worth my time and effort. I've drilled through all of his previous books, loved them all, but still (due to the previously mentioned angst) approached The Assassins Gallery with a measure of trepidity. Robbins excels in crafting fiction around fact, morphing verifiable history (the actual kind, not the kind that authors make up and throw about like a child with a handful of wet noodles) into a personal stroll through aspects of the past you may not, beforehand, have given a second look. In his previous novels, Robbins took us through various moments of World War II, specifically detailing the matters involved in the Eastern Front of Europe and the quest to capture Berlin. This time, we're off the warfront, back in the States and on the chase for an assassin believed to be targeting none other than Franklin Delano Roosevelt.

It's a chase against time and Mikhal Lammeck, an expert on assassins, has been given the task of hunting an assassin that has never been seen, never been confirmed, and to all in the government does not exist. From a small beach in New England to the Little White House in Warm Springs, Georgia, Lammeck pursues the assassin the only way possible: He has to think, act, behave like and become an assassin himself. The action is swift, hitting you squarely in the first chapter and leaving you stuck to the pages throughout. When the action brings us to the story's climax, when you've finally taken that breath you've been holding since page one, Robbins lays out the biggest gamble of them all, found in the book's final pages.

To simply say that Robbins is a skilled artisan is leaving much yet on the table. What makes The Assassins Gallery worth the read is his investment in character and research. History is a living, breathing, functioning character and is given as much respect and leeway as any character in the book. You invest yourself in them all, feel what they feel, but are left with more, historically speaking, than absorbing one of the best books of the year. You learn and grow with a history you never knew existed and that--if there were no other reason--is why you will run to tell everybody about The Assassin's Gallery.

Was there truly a plot to kill FDR? Did he really die of an aneurism at Warm Springs as history tells us? Or did the assassin succeed and alter the course of a nation's war? - Zachary Steele

Meet David L. Robbins at the Decatur Library on Thursday, August 10 at 7:15 pm. (Co-sponsored by the Georgia Center for the Book).

Order a signed copy of The Assassins Gallery.

On the road...AGAIN?

2006-07-27T13:01:00.000-04:00

I really don't understand the purpose behind
printing the entire unedited scroll of Jack Kerouac's On The Road. That kinda seems like an exercise in run-on sentences.

Also-is there really THAT much of the book left unpublished? If so, Kerouac's editor needs an award of some sort.

-Russ Marshalek

July 27th Newsletter Now Available

2006-07-26T19:30:00.000-04:00

Autographed Books, J.A. Jance, Daniel Silva, David L. Robbins, Tom Petty, Pharrell, Animaniacs, Final Destination 3, Water for Elephants Givewaway

What's all this about? Read the Chapter11Books.com newsletter online!

Russ's Dirty Guilty Pleasure

2006-07-26T16:01:00.000-04:00

I won’t deny the fact that I’m a bit snobbish when it comes to what I read. I try to avoid most comics and graphic novels (though I do have a Sandman fondness, and I just made my way through Alison Bechdel’s Fun Home). However, I’ve spent so much time thinking in absolutely dire, serious literary terms as I prep for Wednesday’s event with Calvin Baker (who I will be interviewing for Chapter 11), whose recent novel Dominion is destined to be lavished with awards and praise, sponsored by the Georgia Center for the Book and the Decatur Public Library, that I’ve been in dire need of something fast, simple, easy. The book equivalent of microwavable mac-n-cheese.

Our stores have been selling through copies of Scott Smith’s The Ruins as though there’s a magical formula for Coke that could be stolen and sold to Pepsi contained inside. Mike, Chapter 11 Books’ friendly neighborhood webmaster, has been as excited about reading this as it seems our customers are. So when a battered-but-readable galley (promotional copy) of The Ruins showed up on my desk, I snagged it up and ran outside to take lunch.

On that lunch, I read. Scott Smith’s writing is horrible. Insulting. Choppy. The Ruins is horrible. Disgusting. Vile. Think of the most offensive things possible that could result from being lost in the woods of Mexico, and then pile them on top of one another. There’s a scene with a dog covered with live, bloated ticks and maggots that I read while eating.

And I can’t stop reading it. In one sitting I made it 160 pages in. It’s a putrid, putrid terror of a book. I’ll finish it tonight and report back.

-Russ Marshalek (russ.marshalek@chapter11books.com)

Leonard Cohen

2006-07-25T15:26:00.000-04:00

We received a promotional print of Leonard Cohen's new poem, Titles, from his new poetry book, Book of Longing. Russ is in awe of it, and he's framing it above his desk. In the meantime, if you're new to the work of the beloved, acclaimed singer-songwriter-author-poet, you should check out his masterpiece novel Beautiful Losers and the soundtrack to the current Cohen bio-pic, I'm Your Man: The Songs of Leonard Cohen.

Water for Elephants Giveaway

2006-07-21T03:20:00.000-04:00

One of the most colorful and captivating books to cross our path here at Chapter11Books.com this year has been Water for Elephants by Sara Gruen. This fictional account of narrator Jacob Jankowski as he looks back on his life with a traveling circus sparkles with a fairy-tale quality balanced with the gritty day-to-day circus reality of mistreated animals, sideshow freaks, and even the threat of murder. Water for Elephants has been a slow-burning bestseller since its release earlier this year in hardback (a huge feat for any book, much less a first novel with a smallish print run), and has reaped huge amounts of praise from Booksense and Bookslut, amongst others.

To celebrate the launch of the new Chapter11Books.com Blog, we’ve paired with our good friends at Algonquin Books to bring you an advanced reader's copy of this marvelous treat of a book. The success of books like Water for Elephants makes bookselling a pleasure, and we’d like to pass that on to you.

Due to the limited number of advanced copies printed and the book's bestseller status, this is destined to become a collector's item. To enter the drawing, e-mail your name, mailing address, and e-mail address to contest@chapter11books.com. The last day to enter is July 31, 2006, and the winner will be drawn during the first week of August.

Good luck, and thanks for reading!

July 21st Newsletter Now Available

2006-07-21T03:11:00.000-04:00

To read about this week's happenings at Chapter11Books.com, read our newsletter online!

The Book of the Summer!

2006-07-18T18:58:00.000-04:00

"The book of the summer." That's how Stephen King describes The Ruins by Scott Smith in Entertainment Weekly. "Smith intends to scare the bejabbers out of you and succeeds. [This book] does for Mexican vacations what Jaws did for New England beaches in 1975."

Smith is known for his bestselling novel, A Simple Plan, which was also made into a movie starring Billy Bob Thornton. Thirteen years later, Smith returns with his second novel, which is more horror than thriller.

Lev Grossman, book critic at Time magazine, writes, "PLEASE, PLEASE let this be the most disturbing novel of the year."

And Phil Kloer, book critic at the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, writes, "I was more than halfway through the new horror novel The Ruins when it struck me: There are no chapters. No breaks of any kind. Just one story that keeps unspooling. Relentlessly, inexorably. Bathroom break? You're on your own."

Sounds like a winner to me. Stay tuned for our review coming soon!

Between Here and the Yellow Sea by Nic Pizzolatto

2006-07-18T00:58:00.000-04:00

Nic Pizzolatto, Between Here and the Yellow Sea
Grade: A

In my fledgling days here at Chapter 11 Books, I expressed to Joe Davich, Assistant Director of the Georgia Center for the Book, a need for a book that was, as I phrased it, “achingly good”. As such, he passed me a copy of Nic Pizolatto’s debut short story collection Between Here and the Yellow Sea. It takes a lot for a short story to reach me on both an intellectual and an emotional level--usually for me the format falls far short of satisfying. Pizolatto’s stories, however, ring with a bare and honest truth of emotion, the sort of emotional vignette usually reserved for authors much, much older (read as: dead). Although I, during my initial reading, actually at times attempted to put the book down and break away, I was continuously pulled back in until I’d devoured the entire thing in one sitting. The simple, elegantly composed prose stories all are thematically united through the common thread of modern society’s inability to truly connect with one another for very long, if at all (as Bret Easton Ellis once wrote, “people are afraid to merge”). From a story about BASE jumping to a few simple words on a woman competing for love with her sister’s ghost, Between Here and the Yellow Sea holds tightly to the ghostly, grey fog of memory clouded by perception. Pizzolatto makes a powerful, and possibly self-aware, statement when, in the titular story, he writes, " answer isn't the same thing as a solution, and a story is sometimes only an excuse".

If this is just the start of Pizzolatto’s career, I look forward with the utmost anticipation to what’s to come. This is one of the greatest things I’ve read this year.

--By Russ Marshalek (media/events/sales) (russ.marshalek@chapter11books.com)

Also Recommended: Julie Orringer, How To Breathe Underwater

A New Discovery (for me)

2006-07-16T19:54:00.000-04:00

I like to read thrillers, and some of my favorite authors include Lee Child, Tess Gerritsen, James Patterson, Carl Hiaasen, James Grippando, and Bill Fitzhugh. But I have now discovered an author that many of you may already know, Christopher Moore.

I'm currently reading Moore's new novel, A Dirty Job, and it's great! It's the story of Charlie Asher, an average person leading an average life until his wife dies shortly after giving birth to their daughter. Death seems to follow Charlie wherever he goes, plus, he's seeing glowing objects, hearing voices, and being chased by ominous shadows. It turns out that Charlie has been selected to be a death merchant, whose job is to collect soul vessels (ordinary objects that contain a recently deceased person's soul) before the deities of death can claim them. This is not a job that Charlie wants, but he has no choice but to accept it.

Charlie is surrounded by a hilarious cast of offbeat characters. The dialogue is witty, and the situation Charlie find himself in is wacky and fascinating. I'm only 100 pages into the book so I'm not able to write a complete review yet, but it's obvious that Charlie is on a crash course to a full confrontation with the deities of death, and the fun is going to be seeing how he gets there.

It may seem odd to call a book about death fun, but it is. Moore is the author of several outlandish novels such as The Stupidest Angel, Lamb, and The Lust Lizard of Melancholy Cove, and now that I've discovered him, I can't wait to read his other books.

Mike, webmaster

Welcome to the Chapter11Books.com Blog

2006-07-16T18:26:00.000-04:00

Miss Manners would start this as “Gentle Reader,” so I’m not going to. However, I’d like to express similar warm sentiment in introducing to you to the Chapter11Books.com Blog. I’m Russ Marshalek--I do sales, media, marketing, and events for Chapter 11, and have been a reader my entire life. I am also a former English teacher. My favorite authors include Dave Eggers, Djuna Barnes, Bret Easton Ellis, and Toni Morrison. Working with books all day, every day, we here at Chapter 11 formulate a lot of opinions, and feel very strongly about what we like…and just as strongly about what we DON’T like. We look forward to presenting you with news, reviews, happenings, and a little piece of our minds from the book world.

If there's anything you're interested in, like, don't like, want to see, don't want to see, or if you just want to pass a little note saying "PSST! READ THIS BOOK!", please don't hesitate to e-mail me at russ.marshalek@chapter11books.com. Thanks for reading!
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Greetings! I'm Mike Sussman, and it's my pleasure to welcome you to the Chapter11Books.com Blog. I've worked for Chapter 11 for nearly 13 years as a bookseller, store manager, and webmaster. You may have noticed that Chapter11Books.com has a new look lately, and we're now selling CDs and DVDs online. In order to serve you better, we're now introducing this blog.

We look forward to letting you know about new releases, upcoming events, and our favorite books, CDs, and DVDs. In addition to publisher information, we'll be including reviews written by our own booksellers, the most knowledgeable in Atlanta! And we want to know what you think. Let us know if you agree or disagree with a review; tell us about your favorite books, CDs, and DVDs; or make a suggestion for our physical stores or Chapter11Books.com. Please feel free to e-mail me at contact@chapter11books.com.

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Howdy, howdy, howdy. I'm Zachary Steele and I am a puppet. They pull the strings and I dance. That's just the way it is folks. Je suis un...er, puppet. I am the director of business-to-business, I facilitate outside events and I shine a few shoes here and there. I'm a reader and writer to my core, I've been selling books for what seems like an Era and I shade towards satire and comedy (I need a good laugh 'cause I'm not really that funny folks). I'm obsessed with Terry Pratchett, Neil Gaiman, Douglas Adams (oh alas, poor Douglas, I knew him...er, not really all that well) and the kid in me can't get enough of Harry Potter. If you've got a bee in your ear and you want to shoot me a comment, you should probably do something to get the bee out first, 'cause that might be mighty painful, having a bee sting your ear you know. My email address is: zachary.steele@chapter11books.com or if you have too much time on your hands you can find me (like the rest of the god-forsaken world) on My Space. Bon bon!