Square Books Recommends

by Paul Hendrickson

Focusing on the years 1934 to 1961, from Hemingway's pinnacle as the reigning monarch of American letters until his suicide, National Book Critics Circle Award-winner Hendrickson traces the writer's exultations and despair around the one constant in his life during this time: his beloved boat, Pilar.

Great Valentine's Day Gift


THE NEWS FROM SPAIN
7 Variations on a Love Story
by Joan Wickersham

Each one of these seven stories stands on its own merit, but taken together they paint a challenging, messy, and sometimes funny picture of love. Stylistically adventurous and moving, these stories are impressive in many ways. And I look forward to the author's future works. JE

Selected Letters of William Styron

We are immensely pleased to celebrate the publication of this excellent book when we host Rose Styron in conversation with Blakeslee Gilpin at Off Square Books at 5 pm on February 11th.



An unsurprising but happy discovery among the many riches to be found in William Styron’s letters is his correspondence with Willie Morris, his fellow Southern expatriate and dear friend for decades. Styron also had a connection to Oxford, where for Life magazine he covered Faulkner’s funeral, eloquently; later came to visit Willie here and speak on campus -- making an inspiring impression on a young law student named John Grisham; had a book signing at Square Books with Sophie’s Choice, the first time anyone stood in line to buy a book in Oxford, Mississippi; and appeared at the first Oxford Conference for the Book, when, with George Plimpton, he stood behind the counter at the bookstore in a champagne toast to the Paris Review’s 40th birthday before setting out for Plimpton’s fireworks show in, no lie, Paris, Mississippi. The letters begin with those as a college student and novice fiction writer to his father and cover his years in Europe, where he met and married Rose Burgunder; the lives of his books -- the controversial Pulitzer winner, Confessions of Nat Turner and best selling Darkness Visible; his many later friendships -- the Kennedys, Mailer, Miller, Warren, Woodward, and Roth, among others; and, all the while, the art and toil of the writing that formed one of the most important literary figures of our time.  RH    

(Oxonians in line for Sophie’s Choice, in 1980 at the original Square Books location upstairs over what is now Square Books, Jr.)

WHAT'S YOUR TYPE


Penguin has just released the first six volumes in their Drop Caps series. These hard cover, well-designed volumes of classics have a beautifully rendered initial on the cover of each, e.g. "A" for Austen, and painted edges. Stunning individually, but as a collection they will make dramatic display on your bookself and would be a lovely gift for a young reader beginning his own library.
Only $20-22 each and if you agree to buy 11 as they are released we'll send your 12th free. Keep collecting through the alphabet and we will send you the 24th.  
Now available:
A is for Austen, PRIDE & PREJUDICE
B is for Bronte, JANE EYRE
C is for Cather, MY ANTONIA
D is for Dickens, GREAT EXPECTATIONS
E is for Eliot, MIDDLEMARCH
F is for Flaubert, MADAME BOVARY

George Saunders Highlights Early 2013 at Square Books

When CivilWarLand In Bad Decline was published in 1996, few had heard of its author or were familiar with his stories, and we worked pretty hard here at Square Books to urge folks to come to his reading on the evening of March 16. We were wild about this first book by George Saunders, and the curious Oxford crowd made a strong showing. He read "Offloading For Mrs. Schwartz," and has enjoyed a very loyal following here ever since. He has returned a few times over the years, with some of his subsequent books and to appear at Ole Miss, and now we are as excited as we were back in 1996 because his new book, Tenth of December, his first book of stories in seven years, remains so fresh, wild, and entertaining. But we're not his only fans. He received a MacArthur "genius grant," and the new book and its author are the subject of a recent essay by Joel Lovell in the New York Times, entitled "The Best Book You'll Read This Year."         
Again we urge you to join us -- on January 24, 2013 -- to meet and hear George Saunders, who leads an exciting group of writers who will be coming here early this year, and about whom we'll be blogging later, including Susan Puckett (Eat, Drink, Delta), Jan. 22; Dan Gutman (Genuis Files: You Only Die Twice) at Square Books Jr Jan. 27 (and in local schools the following day); Molly Crosby (The Great Pearl Heist) Jan. 30; and Cory Doctorow (Homeland) February 18.  RH

*Purchase your book in advance and up to 2 seats will be reserved for you at the event.

WBN Deadline Jan. 23!


APPLY NOW TO BE A WORLD BOOK NIGHT GIVER

Apply by January 23 for Square Books' 2nd annual World Book Night. An independent panel of librarians and booksellers select 30 books to choose a single title. The authors of the books waive their royalties and the publishers agree to pay the costs of producing the specially-printed WBN U.S. editions. In the week before WBN you receive 20 copies of your selected title at no charge to be handed out to those who rarely read and/or people who don't have access to printed books on April 23, 2013, Shakespeare's birthday.

Take advantage of this great opportunity to put books in hands and thoughts in minds.