PLA Buzz Books
There’s been plenty of opportunity to hear from authors here at PLA. The two titles librarians are talking about the most are:
The Art of Racing in the Rain
Garth Stein
Hardcover: $23.95 Publisher: Harper (May 13, 2008) ISBN-10: 0061537934 ISBN-13: 978-0061537936 Audio CD: $34.95 Publisher: HarperAudio; Unabridged edition (May 13, 2008) ISBN-10: 0061565407 ISBN-13: 978-0061565403
Garth Stein charmed listeners when he spoke here about his third novel, told from the point of view of Enzo, a dog, about his human companion, who races cars. The PW review is mixed, but this is on order for most libraries and in high quantities for some. Stein will also appear at BEA.
The Latehomecomer: A Hmong Family Memoir
Kao Kalia Yang
Paperback: $14.95 Publisher: Coffee House Press (April 1, 2008) ISBN-10: 1566892082 ISBN-13: 978-1566892087
A book from an important local independent press about local people — the Hmong from Vietnam who immigrated to this area. I missed Kao Kalia Yang’s presentation, but by all accounts, she held the crowd breathless as she quietly and earnestly talked about her family’s journey into American culture. PW’s review said, “By the end of this moving, unforgettable book, when Yang describes the death of her beloved grandmother, readers will delight at how intimately they have become part of this formerly strange culture.” This is on order in modest quantities in most libraries.