Dads Rock!.... and read

Happy Father's Day!  

 You Can't Go Wrong with a Book

 The forecast for Sunday:

Dads with sunny dispositions--those, that is, who receive a gift of a thoughtfully chosen new book.  We have a lot of good ideas, so come in and ask us about them.  

  
A few titles we've singled out:

On Our Fiction Shelves

Mission to Paris by Alan Furst ($27). This hot new title by the master of the historical spy novel is not to be missed1 A Hollywood star sent to Paris in 1938 to make a movie becomes entangled in a Nazi campaign and an informal spy service run out of the U.S. Embassy.  Furst will discuss and sign his book at The Book Stall on Monday, June 18, at 7 pm. 

Canada by Richard Ford ($27.99).  A young man is forced by catastrophic circumstance to reconcile himself to a world that has been rendered unrecognizable.  "A masterpiece by one of our finest writers working at the top of his form," writes the New York Times.

Calico Joe by John Grisham ($24.95). The baseball is thrilling in this story of  fathers and sons and Major League Baseball teams (the Cubs, even), but it's what happens off the field that makes it a classic.

Cain at Gettysburg by Ralph Peters ($25.99) is both a brilliant portrayal of the battle of Gettysburg and a haunting evocation of the human tragedy.

A Blaze of Glory by Jeff Shaara ($28) vividly recreates one of the Civil War's bloodiest and most iconic engagements--the Battle of Shiloh.

The Lower River by Paul Theroux ($25).  A former Peace Corps volunteer returns to Malawi after 40 years and finds the village he left much changed.

Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn ($25). A beautiful young wife goes missing on her fifth wedding anniversary, and her husband is a suspect. But nothing in this book is ever as it seems, leaving readers to reserve judgment until the last white-knuckle-inducing page.  We have autographed copies.

Robert B. Parker's Lullaby by Ace Atkins ($26.95).  Parker passed away in 2010, but Boston P.I. Spenser lives on.  Author Atkins was handpicked by the Parker estate to be the keeper of the Spenser franchise.  "He rises flawlessly to the occasion," writes Kirkus Reviews.

The Skeleton Box by Bryan Gruley ($25). Chicago author Gruley returns to the small Michigan town of Starvation Lake and newspaperman Gus Carpenter, who investigates a case that gets very personal.

Excellent in Nonfiction

 The President's Club: Inside the World's Most Exclusive Fraternity by Nancy Gibbs and Michael Duffy ($32.50). This is a fascinating glimpse into the Presidency and the men who carry its burdens.  The often bitter rivalries of partisan politics are quickly replaced by a network of  respect and support based on experience afforded only a select few.

 Russia: A 1,000 Year Chronicle of the Wild East ($37.95) by Martin Sixsmith.  This book has attracted a lot of attention, and for good reason.  With Sixsmith's strong scholarly credentials and his compelling narrative and anecdotal style, the panorama of Russian history comes alive.

The Second World War by Antony Beevor ($35). This is a breathtaking single-volume history (and there are, remarkably, so few of them) that provides an intimate account of a war that included every major power and still commands attention and an audience today. The author will speak at the Pritzker Military Library on Thursday, June 21. Details below.

Lions of the West: Heroes and Villains of the Westward Expansion by Robert Morgan ($29.95). America's Manifest Destiny comes to life in the stories of Thomas Jefferson and nine other Americans whose adventurous spirits and lust for land pushed the westward boundaries.

Drift: The Unmooring of American Military Power by Rachel Maddow ($25).  The author charts what she calls America's dangerous drift into a state of perpetual war in this NY Times #1 bestseller. The book has drawn praise from Rachel fans and critics alike.

Service: A Navy SEAL at War by Marcus Luttrell ($27.99).  This thrilling story by a veteran of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan is also a profound tribute to the warrior brotherhood and the belief that nobody goes it alone and no one will be left behind.

Golden Gate: The Life and Times of America's Greatest Bridge by Kevin Starr ($16) is a compact but comprehensive history of a bridge that is an engineering marvel, a symbol of a city and a state, and a classic work of art. It celebrated its 75th anniversary this year.

Johnson's Life of London: The People Who Made the City That Made the World by Boris Johnson ($27.95). Just as London takes center stage with the 2012 Olympics, along comes its mayor with a history written with his trademark combination of brilliance, erudition, and wit. It's a kind of relay race of outsized characters who made London one of the world's most exciting and influential places.

The Vineyard at the End of the World: Maverick Winemakers and the Rebirth of Malbec by Ian Mount ($26.95). Read about the 400-year history of a wine mecca high in the Andean desert and the nefarious scams, business innovations, and backroom politics that put Malbec on the map.

Weber's Smoke by Jamie Purviance ($21.95). Learn basic and advanced smoke cooking methods for smokers and standard backyard grills, as well as characteristics of smoking woods and 10 tips for the best results on any grill.  

Charred and Scruffed by Adam Perry Lang ($24.95). "Meat maestro" Lang employs his extensive culinary background to refine and concentrate the flavors and textures of barbecue and reimagine its possibilities.