The Costco Connection - October 2014

FICTION

A Sudden Light, by Garth Stein. In the summer of 1990, 14-year-old Trevor Riddell gets his first glimpse of Riddell House, the legendary family mansion set on a huge Seattle estate overlooking Puget Sound. Trevor’s bankrupt parents have begun a trial separation, and his father, Jones Riddell, has a plan to sell off the house and property for development, divide up the profits and live happily ever after. But as Trevor explores the house’s secret stairways and hidden rooms, he discovers a lingering spirit whose agenda is at odds with the family plan. This haunting novel effortlessly captures its Pacific Northwest surroundings. (Item #923982, available 9/30)—Shana Stowers

NONFICTION

Cook’s Illustrated Meat Book, by editors at Cook’s Illustrated, and The America’s Test Kitchen New Family Cookbook, by editors at America’s Test Kitchen. The Cook’s Illustrated Meat Book is designed to educate while also serving as a recipe collection. With more than 400 recipes, it’s sure to be a resource you’ll turn to whether you’re grilling steak, pan-searing chicken breasts or turning out a holiday roast. The New Family Cookbook is an all-new edition of the classic cookbook and has more than 1,000 new recipes. King Arthur Flour Whole Grain Baking, by King Arthur Flour, is also available. (Item

#925873, 925890, 925882; available 10/6)

—Alex Kanenwisher

The Innovators, by Walter Isaacson. While I’ve
grown up with computers as an ever-present
part of life, I know that’s not true for everyone.
In his latest work, Isaacson, the writer behind
last year’s biography of Steve Jobs, traces the his-
tory of the computer age. Beginning with Ada
Lovelace in the 1840s and examining person-
alities such as Alan Turing, Tim Berners-Lee,
Bill Gates and Steve Wozniak, Isaacson explores
how these inventors and entrepreneurs were
able to turn their visions into reality. (Item

#923976, available 10/7)—Brian Hovis

JUVENILE

The Blood of Olympus, by Rick Riordan. The crew of the Argo II are still hoping to defeat the earth mother, Gaea. Her giants have risen and they must be stopped before the Feast of Spes, when Gaea plans to have two demigods sacrificed in Athens. She needs their blood in order to wake. But how can a handful of young demigods hope to persevere against Gaea’s army of giants? As dangerous as it is to head to Athens, they have no other option. And if Gaea wakes, it is game over. Fans of the series will be thrilled there’s a new book, but also sad that it’s the last in the series. (Item #917062, available 10/7)—Lindsay Bubitz

October Staff book picks
book picks

FOR NEARLY 30 years the people at the Middleton, Wisconsin–based American Girl company have been bringing history to life for young girls—and showing how the past connects to modern times.

Their historical girls line, now rebranded the BeForever collection, has provided young readers with stories about girls of various ethnicities from different periods in our country’s history. Over the years the company has added new lines, including contemporary girls, to the collection, but it still sees the BeForever collection as a backbone of the company.

“The BeForever line is incredibly impor-
tant to this company,” says Jodi Goldberg,
director of content development for American
Girl. “We want to make sure it stays as excit-
ing and relevant to girls as possible.”
To help keep the series exciting it’s been
given a top-to-bottom refresh, including new
outfits and accessories for the dolls, along
with new book jacket art and new journey
books, where a modern girl travels back in
time to meet a historical girl. Additionally, the
six previously available stories for each girl
have been combined into two longer books,
to reflect girls’ reading habits.
Another change is that Samantha,
one of the original historical charac-
ters, has been brought out of the
archives. (While her books have
been available for the last six
years, the doll and all of her acces-
sories have not been sold online
or in stores during that time.)
“We want to give girls
the opportunity to explore
the past and think about
their future. We want girls to
see the common threads
that run through girls’ lives
at any time,” Goldberg tells
The Connection. “We try
to bring out the drama that
girls relate to, along with the
desire to help others and
protect the environment.
“For our brand, no
matter what we do, we want
to build a girl of strong character—
treat her with respect and help her to
grow into a whole person.”
—Stephanie E. Ponder
The Costco
Connection
Most Costco warehouses
will have a variety of
BeForever packages that
feature Samantha,
Julie, Kaya, Rebecca,
Caroline, Addy and Kit.
Each set includes three
books, a mini doll with
stand and a bookmark
(Item #915614, available late
September). To enter to
win an 18-inch Samantha
doll, see page 54.