HOTEL ON THE CORNER OF BITTER AND SWEET WINS

The 2009 Montana Book Award winner is Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet by Jamie Ford, published by Ballantine Books. This annual award recognizes literary and/or artistic excellence in a book written or illustrated by someone who lives in Montana, is set in Montana, or ... Continue reading 2009 Montana Book Award]]>

HOTEL ON THE CORNER OF BITTER AND SWEET WINS

The 2009 Montana Book Award winner is Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet by Jamie Ford, published by Ballantine Books. This annual award recognizes literary and/or artistic excellence in a book written or illustrated by someone who lives in Montana, is set in Montana, or deals with Montana
themes or issues. Presentations and a reception with the winning authors will take place Thursday, April 8, during the Montana Library Association Conference in Bozeman.

Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet is an extraordinary story of commitment and enduring hope. In 1986, Henry Lee joins a crowd outside the Panama Hotel, once the gateway to Seattle’s Japantown.  It has been boarded up for decades, but now the new owner has discovered the belongings of Japanese families who were sent to internment camps during World War II. Henry, a Chinese American, remembers a young Japanese American girl from his childhood in the 1940s–Keiko Okabe, with whom he forged a bond of friendship and innocent love. In Henry and Keiko, Jamie
Ford has created an unforgettable duo whose story teaches us of the power of forgiveness and the human heart.

Four honor books were also chosen:

The 600 Hours of Edward by Craig Lancaster, published by Riverbend Publishing.  Edward Stanton is a man hurtling headlong toward middle age. His mental illness has led him to be sequestered in his small house in a small city, where he keeps his distance from the outside world and the parents. For
the most part, Edward sticks to things he can count on…and things he can count. But over the course of 25 days (or 600 hours, as Edward prefers to look at it) several events puncture the walls Edward has built around himself.

The Big Burn by Timothy Egan, published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. On the afternoon of August 20, 1910, a battering ram of wind moved through the drought-stricken national forests of Washington, Idaho, Montana. Egan narrates the struggles of the overmatched rangers against the implacable
fire with unstoppable dramatic force, through the eyes of the people who lived it.

The Selected Works of T. S. Spivet by Reif Larsen, published by Penguin. When twelve-year-old genius cartographer T.S. Spivet receives an unexpected phone call from the Smithsonian announcing he has won the prestigious Baird Award, life as normal-if you consider mapping family dinner table conversation normal-is interrupted and a wild cross-country adventure begins, taking T.S. from his family ranch just north of Divide, Montana, to the museum’s hallowed halls.

Stick Horses and Other Stories of Ranch Life by Wallace MacRae, published by Gibbs Smith.  McRae tells about his heroes and also the town vagabonds who came and went through the landscape of his growing up as a ranch kid and his adult life as a third-generation Montana rancher. Both humorous and poignant, the people and events in McRae’s stories portray the living Cowboy Code.

The Montana Book Award was founded by the Friends of the Missoula Public Library in 2002 and winners are selected by a committee of individuals representing areas throughout Montana. Members of the 2009 Montana  Book Award committee included Honore Bray, Missoula; Anne Kish, Twin Bridges; Mark Miller, Bozeman; Carole Ann Clark, Great Falls; Jill Munson, Fort Benton; Gordon Dean, Forsyth; and Samantha Pierson, Libby.  Barbara Theroux serves as chair

An opening reception was held at Kepler’s in Menlo Park.  For 54 years, Kepler’s Books has been one of the nation’s premier independent bookstores, famous for its ... Continue reading Dinners and Bookstores at Wi5]]> In addition to panels, workshops, keynotes, and the author reception that I have already posted blogs about, Winter Institute gave me time to socialize and visit area restaurants and bookstores.

An opening reception was held at Kepler’s in Menlo Park.  For 54 years, Kepler’s Books has been one of the nation’s premier independent bookstores, famous for its outstanding author events, knowledgeable staff, and its broad selection of books, magazines and gifts. Its commitment to the local communities it serves has helped define the cultural identity of the San Francisco Bay Area.  Having bus loads of booksellers arrive to sample wine and walk through the maze of books and gifts kept the people at Kepler’s busy.  It was great to see new gift lines, e-book reader displays, and just talk about new books that were on display.  After the reception, Morgan Entrekin from Grove/Atlantic organized a small dinner party at Tamarine, an excellent Vietnamese place in Palo Alto.  It was a pleasant evening with good food and good friends.

After the Author Reception, I was a dinner guest of HarperCollins at Spencer’s.  Seven of their authors were in attendance including: Ally Carter (HEIST SOCIETY), Jef Czekaj (HIP AND HOP), Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni (ONE AMAZING THING), Tom French (ZOO STORY), and Lauren Oliver (BEFORE I FALL).  Seated at my table were Jacqueline Winspear (THE MAPPING OF LOVE AND DEATH: A MAISIE DOBBS NOVEL) and Brunonia Barry (THE MAP OF TRUE PLACES).  We had great conversation based on the question, if you were on a boat for ten days, what three authors–living or dead–would you like to have with you?  Jamie Oliver and Jo Nesbo were two interesting choices…

Tours of Hicklebee’s were offered on the final day.  Hicklebee’s specializes in children’s and young adult books.  Hundreds of artifacts are displayed all over the store–the traveling pants, signed by Ann Brashares; the acorn that fell on Chicken’s Little’s head; Imogene’s antlers; plus a hallway filled with signatures and illustrations of the authors and illustrators who have visited the store.  What a great store!

My final dinner in San Jose was hosted by George Gibson (Walker and Company) and Ken Holland (Macmillan Publishing Services) at 71 Saint Peter.  Authors that joined us were Anchee Min (PEARL OF CHINA), Diane Meier (SEASON OF SECOND CHANCES) and Zachary Mason (THE LOST BOOKS OF THE ODYSSEY).   Having read the three books in advance of the conference, gave time to ask questions and interact with the authors on a different level.  It will be so easy to sell the books and add a few stories for those of you who have time to listen.

One of the highlights of Winter Institute is the Author Reception sponsored by the ABA Publisher Partners.  This year 40 authors and illustrators participated by autographing new or forthcoming titles.  Three of the most talked about adut titles were: MATTERHORN by Karl Malantes,  THE PASSAGE by Jusin Cronin, and THE LONELY POLYGAMIST by ... Continue reading Wi5 Books and Authors]]>      

One of the highlights of Winter Institute is the Author Reception sponsored by the ABA Publisher Partners.  This year 40 authors and illustrators participated by autographing new or forthcoming titles.  Three of the most talked about adut titles were: MATTERHORN by Karl Malantes,  THE PASSAGE by Jusin Cronin, and THE LONELY POLYGAMIST by Brady Udall.  All three books go on sale later this Spring and all are over 50o pages—great summer reading!

Books for the younger audience (and the young at heart) included: MOON BEAR by Brenda Z. Guiberson and illustrated by Ed Young and THE AGENCY by Y.S. Lee.

The reception has proven to be a wonderful venue for booksellers to meet new authors as well as our “handselling” favorites.  Authors, too, appreciate the chance to acknowledge the independent booksellers who have placed their books in the hands of readers across the country.

I shipped a box of books to the store, advance copies to share with David, Eamon and Amanda.  We may never be caught up with our reading, but so nice to have books that we are excited to read and sell.