Ron Charles, fiction editor at the Washington Post and Marjorie Kehe, book editor of the Christian Science Monitor sat down with Kerri Miller today on MPR's Midmorning program to review their picks for the year's must-reads. Among their choices were some you've likely heard of already--Wolf Hall, The Angel's Game--and some you probably don't yet know--The Anthologist, Border Songs, Yesterday's Weather. There were even suggestions for younger readers, such as Rick Riordan's excellent Percy Jackson series and the delightfully-titled Al Capone Shines My Shoes.
You can listen to the whole show here:
You might hear a few ideas to pick up at our New Year's Day sale. Everything in the store will be 25% off on January 1, 2010.--David E
Thursday, December 31, 2009
Citizen Review: The Unnamed
We continue our occasional series of customer reviews with loyal M&Q customer Jess Horowitz, writing about Joshua Ferris' second novel.
The Unnamed will be published on January 18, 2010.
The Unnamed |
![]() Throughout the novel, Tim and Jane are repeatedly separated and reunited, having to reestablish their sense of home and continuity. While reading, I was frustrated, relieved, and again frustrated by their actions, which I imagine was Ferris’ intention. As in his first novel, he excels at creating characters that we can’t help but follow down the path to insanity. Many novels and films take on a strained marriage, but Ferris’ story is original and unusual. Much of the book takes place in winter, so it’s highly recommended to read it in these cold months, to make the book’s feeling of cold all the more vivid. |
Jess Horwitz lives in Uptown and likes her books arranged by color. |
Saturday, December 26, 2009
New Year's Day Sale
M&Q is kicking 2010 off in style. We will be open New Year's Day from 10:00am to 8:00pm, and everything in the store will be 25% off. (This does not include special orders.)
There will be refreshments and maybe even live music. So come in and stock up on your winter reading.--David E
There will be refreshments and maybe even live music. So come in and stock up on your winter reading.--David E
Wednesday, December 23, 2009
Holiday Hours
Please note our holiday hours:
- Dec 23: 10:00am to 10:00pm
- Dec. 24:10:00am to 4:30pm
- Dec 25: Closed
- Dec 26: 10:00am to 10:0pm
Really?!
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The readingest cities are
1. Seattle
2. Washington, DC
3. Minneapolis
4. Pittsburgh
5. Atlanta
6. Portland, OR
7. St. Paul
8. Boston
9. Cincinnati
10. Denver
That's right, folks. Washington, DC, is bigger on reading than Minneapolis. We used to own this list, and now we have fallen to number three. Hang your head in shame for a minute, then get out there and visit a library, buy a local magazine, attain some education, and (do I have to say it?) go to a local bookstore!
USA Today's article is here. The original data is available here.--David E
Tuesday, December 22, 2009
Santa Wears a Wig
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They won't last long, so stop in and get your copy today, before they're all gone.--David E
Sunday, December 20, 2009
All in the Family
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Visit the Carl Sandburg NHS here--virtually at least.--David E
Saturday, December 19, 2009
Got to Put It Someplace
The Lithuanian branch of Frank Zappa's fan club donated a bust of the singer to his hometown, Baltimore. The city, however, was at a loss as to where to put it. In the end they decided to put the statue (pictured above) outside the Highlandtown branch of the city's public library system.
Details are here.--David E
Friday, December 18, 2009
Built In
dbd Studio - Digitally Fabricated Bookshelf from Adam Crain on Vimeo.
A tip of the hat to the Bookshelf blog.--David EThursday, December 17, 2009
Coming Soon
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"A recent New York University graduate, Mengiste was voted a "new literary idol" by New York magazine and garnered a Pushcart Prize nomination. Her honors do not belie her skill, for this book is stunning." (The full review is here.)
You can meet Maaza Mengiste when she reads from her novel at Magers & Quinn--Sunday, January 24, at 5:00pm. Don't miss it.--David E
Wednesday, December 16, 2009
E-Writing
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I'm going to start with Mai Ueda’s Domain Poems (.pdf), a work composed entirely of found domain names, but I'm sure I won't stop there. The full list is here.--David E
Read a new poem by Darci Schummer
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What Light is a part of mnLIT, which is presented by Magers and Quinn Booksellers and mnartists.org. All the winning poems, as well as the short stories from our flash fiction competition miniStories will be published on magersandquinn.com and mnartists.org in the months to come. So come back soon!
Click here to read Darci's poem and to learn more about the mnLIT contest.--Jay P
Beat the Winter Doldrums
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Here's what we're reading:
- Jan 12--The Road by Cormac McCarthy
- Jan 26--The History of Love by Nicole Krauss
- Feb 9--Ender’s Game by Orson Scott Card
- Feb 23--Ray of the Star by Laird Hunt
- Mar 9--The White Tiger by Aravind Adiga
- Mar 23--City of Thieves by David Benioff
Tuesday, December 15, 2009
Going Once, Going Twice...
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The auction runs through Sunday, so don't procrastinate. Browse the items here.--David E
Monday, December 14, 2009
Meet Mitch Omer
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In his new cookbook, Damn Good Food, Mitch Omer reveals the recipes that have made his restaurant a pleasure seeker's destination, including inventions like his tart, ethereal Lemon-Ricotta Hotcakes; dark, wild Bison Sausage Bread; and sweet, creamy Mahnomin Porridge. These dishes have the hungry and eager queued up out the doors of Hell's Kitchen, often for hours, but now you can make them at home.
"Mitch Omer makes Anthony Bourdain look like an altar boy."--Jacques Pepin
Stop by Magers & Quinn to get a copy of Damn Good Food, get it signed, and get inspired to make your best holiday meal ever.
Citizen Review: The Farmer's Daughter
We continue our occasional series of customer reviews with M&Q's own Shawn Neary reviewing the new collection of three novellas from Jim Harrison.
The Farmer's Daughter |
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Shawn Neary is excited to write a 200 word review of Updike's Rabbit novels. He could kind of go for a pizza right now and misses Book It in a bad way. |
Sunday, December 13, 2009
Monstrous
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The Big Bang Book Club is a monthly book club for non-scientists that relishes in folding arts and science into a heady brew. It is sponsored by
- Magers & Quinn Booksellers
- the Center for Science, Technology, and Public Policy, which works to engage the public on science or technology issues to deliver the knowledge and experience of Humphrey Institute experts
- Secrets of the City--the daily digest of Twin Cities culture
- Grumpy's Downtown
Five Dollah Five!
Bargain hunters, take note. Magers & Quinn has a super special cart of beautiful books on the sidewalk in front of the store. They're all priced to move at only $4.99 each. Check them out.--David E
Saturday, December 12, 2009
We Sold One!
Today, nineteen days after the book was first released, M&Q sold its first copy of Going Rogue. We're in the big leagues now!--David E
M&Q is Your Source for Breaking News
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Word is out that Natalie Portman will both produce and star in a film adaptation of the spoof/mashup Pride and Prejudice and Zombies: The Classic Regency Romance -- Now With Ultraviolent Zombie Mayhem!. Author Seth Grahame-smith broke the news when he spoke to our monthly beer-infused book club back in May. The New York Daily News reported the news yesterday (here).
Magers & Quinn--we're booksellers and gossipmongers.--David E
The Making of...
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The Utne Reader's "Great Writing" blog clued me in to this article in Poets & Writers. It tells the story behind the Historical Thesaurus of the Oxford English Dictionary With Additional Material from a Thesaurus of Old English, published earlier this year by Oxford University Press. (Read more about that here.)
P&W includes news of a near-disaster. "In 1978, things nearly went up in smoke when the building housing the sole copy of the work-in-progress caught fire." The whole article is here.--David E
Friday, December 11, 2009
Checking It Twice
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Here's a gift for the book collector on your list. This reproduction of Thomas Jefferson's bookstand let the polymath president consult five volumes at once.
Buy one here, but be warned: innovation in solid mahogany doesn't come cheap.--David E
Tuesday, December 8, 2009
Read Caroline Ore's short fiction on our mnLIT page
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All the winning stories, as well as the poems from our What Light contest will be published on magersandquinn.com and mnartists.org in the months to come. So come back soon!
Caroline was selected as a winner by local novelist David Oppegaard, whose novel Wormwood, Nevada was just published by St. Martin's Press.
Click here to read Caroline's story and to learn more about the mnLIT contest.--Jay P
Wednesday, December 2, 2009
Not Zombies
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Details are here.--David E
A new poem by Greg Watson
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What Light is a part of mnLIT, which is presented by Magers and Quinn Booksellers and mnartists.org. All the winning poems, as well as the short stories from our flash fiction competition miniStories will be published on magersandquinn.com and mnartists.org in the months to come. So come back soon!
Click here to read Greg's poem and to learn more about the mnLIT contest.--Jay P
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