Notable New Releases for October 22nd

This nonfiction followup to Wingate’s bestselling novel, Before We Were Yours is about the orphans who survived the Tennessee Children’s Home Society. Many of the long-silent victims of the tragically corrupt system return to Memphis with the authors to reclaim their stories. Author Pam Jenoff says of Before and After, “With a journalist’s keen eye and a novelist’s elegant prose, Christie and Wingate weave together the stories that inspired Before We Were Yours with the lives that were changed as a result of reading the novel. Readers will be educated, enlightened, and enraptured by this important and flawlessly executed book.”

Thomas Alva Edison was possibly the most prolific inventor in history. He founded 120 companies to market his inventions, from the electric lightbulb to the phonograph to the rechargeable alkaline battery; his inventions were invaluable to the modern world. His polymathic mind was never at rest, and the scope of his interests is hard to comprehend. Author Edmund Morris was given access to Edison’s archives which reveal aspects of this great man’s life. Told in a unique narrative, from the end of Edison’s life to the beginning, Morris has succeeded in illuminating the life and times of one of history’s most intriguing geniuses.

For too long, the Southern woman has been synonymous with the Southern belle, a “moonlight and magnolias” myth that gets nowhere close to describing the strong, richly diverse women who have thrived because of—and in some cases, despite of—the South. Garden & Gun’s Southern Women: More than 100 Stories of Trail Blazers, Visionaries, and Icons obliterates that stereotype by sharing the stories of more than 100 of the region’s brilliant women, groundbreakers who have by turns embraced the South’s proud traditions and overcome its equally pervasive barriers and challenges.

Through interviews, essays, photos, and illustrations, these remarkable chefs, musicians, actors, writers, artists, entrepreneurs, designers, and public servants will offer a dynamic portrait of who the Southern woman is now. By reading these stories of triumph, grit, and grace, the ties that bind the sisterhood of Southern women emerge: an unflinching resilience and resourcefulness, an inherent love of the land, and a singular style and wit.

Fellow indie bookseller Jessica Irish from Bookshop Santa Cruz said of le Carre’s latest: “Spies, treason, double-crossing, triple-crossing, and British manners: who can give us all of this with such edge-of-your-seat excitement as John Le Carré can? Nobody, that’s who. This new novel by the master of espionage stars a British agent examining his loyalties in this confusing time of Brexit, Putin, and Trump. With mordant, extremely English humor (or should I say humour) and a memorable cast of characters, you’ll be turning these pages at lightning speed.”

YouTube sensation Binging with Babish creates recipes based on food pulled from popular movies and TV shows for fans to recreate at home. From the Moistmaker Sandwich a la Friends (delicious) to Buddy’s Pasta from Elf (ew), this book is filled with fun facts and behind-the-scenes peeks at all things Babish, including explanations and closeups of Rea’s tattoos. Rea took all of the stunning photos himself, and provides amusing backstory and verdicts for every recipe. A fantastic holiday gift!