Here are some fresh book recommendations from bookstores around the borough.
WORD’s pick: “Bleeding Edge” by Thomas Pynchon
This book is a moving target through and through, and trying to sum it all up feels impossible. Instead, I give you a list of things you can expect: ‘90s and ‘00s references; mafiosos, hackers and dotcom billionaires; unscrupulous government agents of uncertain affiliation; terrorism (this is, after all, a novel about 9/11); finances both legit and shady; conspiracy theories; underground videotapes and the Deep Web; murders; karaoke nights, parties, school playgrounds; the Hamptons; and New York City, the most important character in the whole book, both blazing and shady at the same time.
— Jenn Northington, WORD [126 Franklin St. at Milton Street in Greenpoint, (718) 383–0096, www.wordbrooklyn.com].
The BookMark Shoppe’s pick: “The Racketeer ” by John Grisham
John Grisham, author of twenty-five New York Times bestselling novels has proved once again why he has staying power. “The Racketeer,” now released in paperback, is a fast-paced thriller with a new twist on the typical courtroom story. The protagonist tells his story from a place he usually tries to keep his clients out of — a jail cell. But it is the safest place for Malcolm Bannister to be, because he knows a secret, a deadly secret that both the Federal Bureau of Investigation as well as the seedier sort of people would love to find out. But every thingcomes at price, including information. And Malcolm Bannister plans to trade this information for his life. “The Racketeer” brings me back to why I fell in love with Grisham novels.
— Bina Valenzano, co-owner, The BookMark Shoppe [8415 Third Ave. between 84th and 85th streets in Bay Ridge, (718) 833–5115, www.bookmarkshoppe.com].
Greenlight Bookstore’s pick: “The Facades” by Eric Lundgren
The fictional Midwestern city of Trude is in some ways the main character in Lundgren’s noirishly surreal novel, and it will be both familiar and extremely strange to anyone who grew up in Middle America. The unreliable narrator is searching for his missing wife, a beloved opera singer, and meets Kafka-esque resistance from the powers that be while he also explores the history of madness, architecture, and industry in his beloved Trude. Sometimes grotesque, sometimes heartbreaking, often funny, this is the kind of book that makes its way into your conversations (and maybe your dreams) for a long time after reading.
— Jessica Stockton Bagnulo, co-owner, Greenlight Bookstore [686 Fulton St. between S. Elliott Place and S. Portland Avenue in Fort Greene, (718) 246–0200, www.greenlightbookstore.com].
