Queen Anne Books

Read Around the World - our Summer Reading Program

WOW! That's all I can say about the tables here in the store almost overflowing with new releases. It feels like we're getting ready for the Christmas buying frenzy, but actually we're headed for a Summer (hopefully we'll have a Summer) of great reading. It's also great to see so many of our favorites out in paperback all at once.

Click on "Read More" to see what's reviewed in this month's Flyer. Stop by the store to be overwhelmed (in the best way) by the exciting new releases.

The Art of Racing in the Rain
by Stein, Garth
I'm not usually drawn to 'animal stories' but I'd heard this new one by Seattle-ite Garth Stein was good, so I picked it up and started it. At five pages, I was hooked. Within ten pages, I was a little teary-eyed, which is REALLY unusual for me. At twenty pages, I was laughing out loud and ready to go to the pound and get my own puppy. This book just swept me off my feet!

The Art of Racing in the Rain is the story of Enzo, a mixed-breed dog, and his lifelong friendship with Denny, his race-car-driving owner. It takes place in Seattle so the story is peppered with fun references to many familiar places around town. What makes this book refreshing is that Enzo narrates the story, and so the reader gets to see the world from a dog's perspective. This can be tricky to pull off, but Stein does it perfectly. He gives Enzo just enough human-like qualities (intelligence, humor, hope) while maintaining his best canine characteristics (innocence, loyalty). Since Denny works during the day and leaves the TV on while he's out, Enzo's world is shaped largely by what he sees on TV. From a Discovery Channel documentary on Mongolia, he learns that some dogs are reincarnated as humans. As Enzo strives to be the best friend he can be, he also prepares himself for his next [human] life, hopefully as a race-car driver. The Art of Racing in the Rain made me laugh and cry (and wish that my condo allowed pets). It's a sweet and unforgettable story that both adults and teens will enjoy. The ending is so good, that when I finished the book, I immediately went back and re-read the last 15 pages… TWICE! I've never done that before. This book’s ending contains the most beautiful, poignant passage I’ve read in a long time [sigh].~ Hilary

Upcoming EVENTS at QAB

Book Clubs

We offer two monthly book clubs. Both are "drop-in, no-guilt" groups which means that you don't have to sign up, nor are you expected to read every book. The current books for both groups are always 10% off. There are always cookies or snacks at both book clubs! How can you pass that up?
To learn more about our book clubs, what we're reading, or what we've read in the past, click on "read more".

The Reluctant Fundamentalist
by Hamid, Mohsin
For June 4th and 9th:
At a cafe table in Lahore, a bearded Pakistani man converses with an uneasy American stranger. As dusk deepens to night, he begins the tale that has brought them to this fateful encounter . . . Changez is living an immigrant's dream of America. At the top of his class at Princeton, he is snapped up by the elite valuation firm of Underwood Samson. He thrives on the energy of New York, and his budding romance with elegant, beautiful Erica promises entry into Manhattan society at the same exalted level once occupied by his own family back in Lahore. But in the wake of september 11, Changez finds his position in his adopted city suddenly overturned, and his budding relationship with Erica eclipsed by the reawakened ghosts of her past. And Changez's own identity is in seismic shift as well, unearthing allegiances more fundamental than money, power, and maybe even love.

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