THE SUNDAY TIMES BESTSELLER

by Shaun Bythell

Are you the sort of person/reader who just cannot walk by a bookstore without going in? Have you ever dreamed about being the one to own the shop? Anyone who answers yes will want to give this title a look. It is an entertaining, sometimes curmudgeonly take, on what it means to be the one in charge.

The author owns a used bookshop in Scotland that I hope to visit one day!

Many thanks to NetGalley and Profile Books for this title. All opinions are my own.

Pub Date: 29 August 2019

CONFESSIONS OF BOOKSELLER and SEVEN KINDS OF PEOPLE YOU FIND IN BOOKSHOPS

A very funny life with books.

“Bythell’s wicked pen and keen eye for the absurd recall what comic Ricky Gervais might say if he ran a bookshop.”—Wall Street Journal

“Warm, witty and laugh-out-loud funny…”—Daily Mail

“Bythell is a skillful writer . . . he creates a full, appealing world populated with colorful characters . . . an endearing and thoughtful book.”—Minneapolis Star Tribune

“…amusing and often cantankerous stories [that] bibliophiles will delight in, and occasionally wince at…”—Publishers Weekly

Praise for Shaun Bythell and Confessions of a Bookseller

“Something of Bythell’s curmudgeonly charm may be glimpsed in the slogan he scribbles on his shop’s blackboard: “Avoid social interaction: always carry a book.” —The Washington Post

“Bythell’s wicked pen and keen eye for the absurd recall what comic Ricky Gervais might say if he ran a bookshop.” —The Wall Street Journal

“Irascibly droll and sometimes elegiac, this is an engaging account of bookstore life from the vanishing front lines of the brick-and-mortar retail industry. Bighearted, sobering, and humane.” —Kirkus Reviews

“Amusing and often cantankerous stories [that] bibliophiles will delight in, and occasionally wince at.” —Publishers Weekly

Thanks to Tabitha Bailey and Spark Press for providing me with information on this new novel.

About the book: 

 This intriguing and fast-paced novel takes a look into the nature of Silicon Valley professionals, the obsession with success and current state of the tech industry. From the perspective of Mike Trigg, a veteran of the industry, the novel serves as a great read for those well-educated on the topic and those who are interested in finding out more. 

Forty something Sam Hughes is at a crossroads disillusioned 

professionally, stretched financially, strained in family life. As he teeters toward midlife crisis, a return to his midwestern roots and fortunate mishap give his start-up career one more chance but also forces him to choose between massive entrepreneurial success and his morals, friends, and family.

Just as he’s wondering if his start-up career and marriage might both be over, an inadvertent discovery pulls Sam back into his former company, where he begins to unravel the insidious schemes of the founder and venture investors that led to his ouster. Driven by his desire for redemption, he discovers a conspiracy of fraud, blackmail, and manipulation that leads to tragic outcomes threatening to destroy not only the company but Sam’s moral compass as well. Entangled in a web of complicity, how far will he go to achieve his dreams of entrepreneurial success and personal wealth?

The author:

Mike Trigg was born in Kentucky and raised in Wisconsin. He earned a BA from Northwestern University and an MBA from University of California, Berkeley. Over his twenty-five-year career in Silicon Valley, he has been a founder, executive, and investor in dozens of venture-funded technology start-ups, as well as a contributor to TechCrunch, Entrepreneur, and Fast Company. He lives in Menlo Park, California, with his wife and two sons. Bit Flip is his first novel

An excerpt:

Sam rationalizing his actions to Heather, his wife (p. 273)  

“I thought you’d be excited. This is what we always wanted.” 

“This is what you always wanted! I just wanted a normal marriage, a normal family. Crazy money was never my dream—especially not this way.” 

“What do you mean ‘this way’? It’s not like I broke the law or something.” 

“Sam . . .” Heather paused, her agape mouth expressing the sentiment that seemed so self-evident it didn’t need stating. “You’re covering up misstated revenue, fake customer accounts, and a sexual assault by one of your board members. I’m not a corporate attorney, but that seems pretty much like breaking the law. You can’t lie to get the company sold. That’s not you.” 

“Or maybe this is just what it takes to make it,” Sam said. “Maybe I’ve just been the nice guy too long—grinding away, working my ass off my whole career, trying to do things the ‘right way,’ whatever the hell that means, and not even realizing it’s the guys who lie and cheat and manipulate who make it. I’m forty-five! I don’t have that many more shots on goal. I’ve got to get this win.” 

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by Jackie Azúa Kramer

#TheGreenUmbrella #NetGalley

What could be cuter than a large pink pig with a (less than large) green umbrella? The illustrations in this picture book are adorable and just so sweet. The story is imaginative and will be enjoyed by young children as they meet the animals and find out about the umbrella’s adventures. Children will be left with a new affection for their bumpershoots!

Many thanks to NetGalley and North South Books for this title. All opinions are my own.

Pub Date 18 Oct 2022

It would be fun to: EXPLORE BREATHTAKING PLACES IN THE WORLD

by Sati Achath

#DazzlingDestinations #NetGalley

Thinking about a trip? Want to go somewhere that may dazzle you? This book looks at attractions and more in a number of interesting travel destinations. These include Vietnam, Thailan, Mongolia, Tajikistan, Sri Lanka, Tanzanio, Uganda, Poland, Romania and Bolivia. Each of these countries has been visited by the author.

Each entry includes lots of information. There is also artwork that I think was done by the author who writes in a style that directly addresses the reader.

Armchair or true travelers may enjoy taking a look at this title.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Notion Press for this title. All opinions are my own.

Pub date: 06 June 2022

This week’s The Short List suggestions:

Other e book bargains

by Susan Barba (Edited by), Leanne Shapton (Illustrated by)

#AmericanWildflowersALiteraryFieldGuide #NetGalley

Anyone who knows (or is) a nature lover, here is the perfect gift! Edited by a poet, Ms. Barba has organized a wonderful and diverse collection of poetry and prose about American wildflowers. She also writes an excellent introduction. There are contributors who are alive, dead, white, black, indigenous,male, female, so all welcoming and inclusive. Biographies of the contributors may be found at the end of the book. The water color illustrations throughout this title are gorgeous and coexist perfectly with the text. All in all, a delightful, thoughtful book and one to savor.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Abrams for this title. All opinions are my own.

MARK YOUR CALENDAR: PUB DATE: 08 November 2022

by Jeanne and Mark K. Shriver (Authors); Laura Watson (Illustrator)

#PairsofPeople #NetGalley

Pairs of People is a counting book that features, not surprisingly, pairs of children and adults. Pairs from 1 to 10 and more are shown in inclusive, bright, colorful and appealing illustrations.

Of note is that this is also a book about community and people helping one another. That makes this book a bit different from other counting books that I have seen. It offers kids a nice message in a fun way.

Many thanks to NetGalley and 4U2B Books and Media for this title. All opinions are my own.

Pub date: 19 September 2022

A Novel

by Annie Hartnett

#UnlikelyAnimals #NetGalley

This unique and quirky novel was a book club pick for Good Housekeeping. It tells the story of Emma. She is a young woman who has had her struggles. She has left medical school and seemingly has lost her way.

Emma returns to the place where she grew up. Things are no easier there. Emma’s father is dying. Emma’s mother judges her. Emma’s brother has issues. Emma’s good friend is missing. There is much to cause despair.

This is a novel that invites readers into a world and asks them to consider some big issues. This is all done in a work that is both funny and heartbreaking at times as readers spend time with both human and animal characters.

Many thanks to Random House-Ballantine and NetGalley for this title. All opinions are my own.

Pub date: 12 April 2022. 345 pages

From the Publisher

Editorial Reviews

Review

“A quirky, poignant novel about family, community and love for our animal friends.”—The Washington Post

A Table for Two

by Sheryl Lister

A Table for Two invites the reader in with the cover’s idyllic table setting. Readers will wonder who that table is set for and how the relationships of those characters will develop.

Serenity and Gabriel are the couple in the story. One is a nurse, the other an app developer. Readers will watch as they get to know each other over meals at Serenity’s supper club. Will they get their happy ending? Read this food filled, small town romance novel to find out. It is an enjoyable quick read with likeable characters.

Many thanks to Forever-Grand Central Publishing for this title. All opinions are my own.