Happy #Bookbday! (01/27/15)

It’s time to celebrate! Happy #bookbday to:

The Almost Nearly Perfect People by Michael Booth

“If, like many, you may never make it to Denmark, Iceland, Norway, Finland, or Sweden, this is your book, and Booth is your guide. He is congenial, game, funny, and observant. And he tells it like it was (Who forgot to sit on a towel—in the highest and hottest row, no less—in the all-buff Finnish sauna?). This travelogue is filled with personal experiences, opinions, research, and details memorable, hilarious, and downright peculiar (check out the percentage of Icelanders who currently believe that elves exist). Can we blame the booze, poured freely in most places and probably needed to give a bit of warmth in these cold regions? No. But we can raise a glass to the endurance, honesty, quirkiness, and human-foible- and honor filled denizens Booth introduces us to, from local citizens to higher-ups, on the job and not. Thanks to Booth’s good-natured description of his adventures—and his honest admiration—we may head for Scandinavia after all (bringing some elf-off spray, just in case).”—Booklist

“A shrewd look at Nordic life….In this bright, witty cultural critique, Booth concludes that Scandinavia’s success is no myth….Booth offers an affectionate, observant, engaging look at Scandinavia, where trust, modesty and equality proudly prevail.”—Kirkus Reviews

“An immersive, insightful, and often humorous examination of a most curious culture.”—Publishers Weekly

The Mime Order by Samanatha Shannon

“An impressive new voice in fantasy literature…One gets the feeling that anything is possible [for Shannon] if the spirit moves her.”—USA Today

“A great imagination at work.”—People

“Terrific—intelligent, inventive, dark, and engrossing… Shannon has me hooked.”—NPR.org

The Sasquatch Hunter’s Almanac by Sharma Shields

“Mythological creatures inhabit the pages of Shields’ sparkling first novel, interrupting and interfering with human lives. Eli’s quest is not unlike Ahab’s, and Shields writes with piercing insight about the monsters that keep us from connecting with one another in this funny and wise first novel.”—Booklist

YA/Mature Readers: The magic realism and multitude of mythological creatures will hook sophisticated teen readers.

Inside A Silver Box by Walter Mosley

“Terrific genre-defying work…Mosley really pulls out all the stops, managing with improbable success to combine a struggle for the fate of all existence with a story about two New Yorkers from very different backgrounds coming to understand each other and address the mistakes they’ve made in their own lives. Wild concepts and deep thoughts sit comfortably alongside the musings of ordinary people undergoing radical changes in this top-notch tale.”—Publishers Weekly (starred review)

“Fans of Mosley’s brand of SF—big ideas, carefully drawn characters—should really like this one.”—Booklist