arts & entertainment
November
Book buyers’ picks
Buyers’ picks
Nonfiction
The Time of Our Lives, by Tom Brokaw. Few
American broadcasters command respect like
Tom Brokaw. His journalistic integrity on
Today, NBC Nightly News and Meet the Press
has made him one of the most trusted names in
news, and he has been welcomed into households around the world for more than 30 years.
In his latest book, Brokaw draws on lessons
from generations past to create his vision of
how we can reboot the American dream.
—Jeffrey Purtell
inventory control specialist, books
about the past as a way to understand how the world operates today. In this history of Western civilization, Ferguson lays out the argument hat 500 years ago the West came up with six powerful new concepts: competition, science, the rule of law, consum- erism, modern medicine and the work ethic. Now, his argument goes, the West’s reign is coming to an end as the rest of the world has adopted those concepts while the West has lost
faith in itself. This is a fascinating and eye-
opening read.
—Josh Lilly, inventory control specialist, books
Fiction
Out of Oz: The Final Volume in the Wicked
Years, by Gregory Maguire. It’s been years
since I read Wicked, but my love for the book
remains strong. In fact, I’ve been captivated
by each novel in the series as Maguire reimag-ines one of my favorite childhood stories, The
Wizard of Oz. In the last installment in the
series, the Emerald City is preparing to invade
Munchkinland, Glinda is under house arrest
and the Cowardly Lion is on the run from the
law. Amid all of the chaos, Elphaba’s granddaughter has come of age—and she’s ready to
fulfill her legacy in an Oz wracked by war.
—Shana Lind, assistant buyer, books
Burton; War and Peace, by Leo Tolstoy; The
Iliad and The Odyssey, by Homer; and collection of works by Edgar Allan Poe, Robert
Louis Stevenson, Jane Austen, Sir Arthur
Conan Doyle, the Brothers Grimm, Charles
Dickens and Mark Twain.—JE
House of Cash: The Legacies of My Father,
Johnny Cash, by John Carter Cash. John
Carter Cash, the namesake son of legendary
singer Johnny Cash, has pulled together previously unpublished photographs, lyrics, notes
and recollections from the family’s archives to
create an intimate portrait of his father. A must
for any fan of “the man in black,” the book also
comes with an exclusive CD with eight previously unreleased Johnny Cash recordings.
—Jonna Erickson, assistant buyer, books
Juvenile
Nancy Drew Complete Box Set, by Carolyn
Keene. Nancy Drew has been solving mysteries for more than 75 years. I read every Nancy
Drew book I could get my hands on as a
young girl and am eager to introduce this
savvy sleuth to my daughter when she’s ready.
Costco is offering all 64 titles in one beautiful
box set. This set makes a great gift for Nancy
Drew fans young and old and should be a part
of every personal library collection.
—Melissa McMeekin, assistant buyer, books
Christmas Memories, Have Yourself a Very
Vintage Christmas, It’s a Wonderful Christmas and Under the Tree, by Susan Waggoner.
These books offer a fascinating look at
Christmas past. Each is packed with an amazing amount of information and/or tips for having a fab retro holiday of your own. For
example, you’ll learn that a holiday ham cost
$0.57 per pound in 1948 (today’s equivalent is
$5.05), and find out how to make a 1950s-style
candy-cane-striped candle. Discover the history of Rudolph—did you know the names
Rollo and Reginald were rejected? —JE
The Night Eternal, by Guillermo del Toro
and Chuck Hogan. This is the third and final
novel in the Strain trilogy. A series of coordinated power-plant explosions around the
globe has brought on a nuclear winter. The sun
shines only one hour each day. This is horrible
for humans, but great for vampires. Those
lucky enough to not be turned into vampires
live in constant fear or worse—often forced to
live and breed in what are essentially human
feedlots. Readers who are looking for an exciting and decidedly not young-adult-oriented
vampire story should check it out; it’s one of
the best vampire horror series in a long time.
—Scott Losse
inventory control specialist, books
Picture-book slipcase sets, from Little Tiger
Press. If you have a little one who loves story
time, you’ll be pleased to know that Costco
will have four picture-book sets available this
fall, with two jacketed hardcover books in
each slipcase box. Available sets include:
There’s No Such Thing as Monsters and The
Great Monster Hunt; Me and My Mommy
and Me and My Daddy; I Love You as Big as
the World and When We’re Together; and
Bedtime for Little Bears and I Love You,
Sleepyhead.—MM
Civilization: The West and the Rest, by Niall
Ferguson. I’ve long been intrigued by reading
Deluxe leather classics, from Baker & Taylor.
These updated classics make great gifts. The
content is the same, but the covers have been
completely redesigned with new images and
beautiful end papers. There are 10 titles to
choose from, all of which would look very
elegant on any bookshelf. Titles include The
Arabian Nights, translated by Sir Richard
