Reasonably Crazy, Unreasonably Funny

Hello again, bloggers. We’re proud to share the good news with you about another fresh offering from Tin House Books – Your Wildest Dreams, Within Reason features a collection of hilarious pieces (several of which were featured in The New Yorker, Vanity Fair, and other publications). David Sedaris of the New Yorker’s Book Bench called it a “standout” book in his yearly review, adding that “he has his finger on a very particular button, this guy, and when he pushes it, I double over laughing.” It may be a good rule to avoid judging a book by its cover, but even that gets tossed out the window by the cleverly mundane image of Captain America checking his mail. “With Your Wildest Dreams,” writes Joe Wurster, “Mike Sacks proves himself to be one of today’s best humor writers. He also proves himself to be completely and utterly out of his mind. Seriously, I don’t want this guy anywhere near me or any of my stuff.” Luckily for you, you won’t need him near you or your stuff to shake with laughter at this compilation of eye-widening juxtapositions and absurdist what-ifs. Look for it at your favorite bookseller today!

Soho a Seattle Favorite

Rock Paper Tiger receives a serious nod this week from the Seattle Times, snagging top billing on Adam Woog’s top 14 crime novels of 2010.  While the plot may be full of twists and intrigue, there is no mystery behind this praise to Lisa Brackmann’s latest.  The story’s foul-mouthed heroine is forced on the run, racing across rural China, while simultaneously chasing down clues on the internet, dealing with her past in Iraq and a broken marriage to a former mercenary love.  Worse, her new Chinese boyfriend might just be more than a charming, passionate artist.  What’s it going to take to get this shell-shocked former medic a break, or at least five minutes away from the Men in Black and her host of lurking stalkers?  Pick up Rock Paper Tiger today and find out.

New Mystery from Soho!

More good news and New York Times reviews for Soho this week.  Every Bitter Thing takes its turn basking in the limelight, owing the attention to its main character and the “elasticity of his ethics,” says reviewer Marilyn Stasio. Chief Inspector Mario Silva discovers the depths of a crime that could be pinned on an innocent, unless the inspector finds justice outside the boundaries of the law – but vigilante justice isn’t all Soho’s latest hit has to offer.  Leighton Gage sets his police procedural in refreshingly exotic Brazil, with fresh twists and the challenges of a corrupt criminal justice system plaguing our detective who “must constantly refine the skills that allow him to function.” What are you waiting for? Pick up the latest in the series Publishers Weekly called “intelligent and subtle… suspenseful and sophisticated,” and the New York Times called “Top notch,” and grab one for the suspense fan on your Christmas list, too.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Hey there bloggers and blog readers. We here at Benay would like to wish you all a very happy Thanksgiving. All the best to you and your families on this day of thanks. Now go on, eat 'til you can't walk, and then read a good book by the fire (or watch the Jets/Bengals game.)

Collusion Garners NYT Spotlight and other Notable Soho Press Releases

Collusion, a crime-fiction novel by Stuart Neville (now being called an Irish Noir), has earned itself a mention in last weekend's New York Times book review. We've mentioned the book here on our blog in the past and cited the critical amounts of success it has garnered in this age of the super-violent crime-thriller. For those interested in a brief summary of the novel, check out our previous post. The NYT review praised the novel for its gripping intensity and its unrelenting view of reality. "He doesn’t hold out any hope for is an end to the cycle of violence — not in Northern Ireland, where even today, in the midst of peace, organized crime is relentlessly intruding." unrelen The success of Collusion has also garnered Neville a 2-page profile in October's issue of Mystery Scene magazine.

Some of Soho's other releases are also receiving positive reviews from prominent sources:

Every Bitter Thing, a political crime-thriller by by Leighton Gage, has been praised by Lisa's Book Critiques for "giving us another glimpse at a beautiful country, suffering from poverty, violence, and corruption, and a small group of men who struggle against terrible odds to try to maintain a semblance of order" and will also be featured in the NYT on December 12.
Kirkus Reviews said of Devil-Devil, a fictional tale of distrust between the indigenous islanders of the Solomon Islands and the British colonial authorities by Graeme Kent, "The mystery takes a back seat to his knowledge of the exotic location and the combustible chemistry of his protagonists (the oddest couple since The African Queen), which add immensely to his story's charm.”

So if you're looking for a good mystery for this Thanksgiving or gift for the coming Holiday season, here are some great new books from Soho Press

Binghamton University Marketing Major Publishes First Novel Independently

This one's not about any of our clients, but I thought it was a very interesting story, and it happened in Binghamton, NY (which is where I'm blogging from, BING REPRESENT!). A senior marketing major at Binghamton University wrote a novel last year in his spare time working at an auto dealership and has, just this month, gotten it published by the independent publishing house Black Rose Writing. There are several things great about this story:

1.) Yes, I said marketing major; not English, not Creative Writing, MARKETING!!!
2.) He wrote this book at WORK; he started it in his spare time between selling cars and then took it with him on his semester abroad and finished it in Prague.
3.) The book has been picked up and has already garnered a positive review from Kirkus Reviews.

It's really a great story. It goes to show that there is no conventional way to write a book and get it published, and no one should ever be discouraged from trying to put something out there. For more details, here's the BU student newspaper article. The book is The Ancillary's Mask, and it's written by Daniel Cohen.

Great New Books from Soho Press

Gee Yikes!!! It's been a while since I've blogged anything. Guess I've got some catching up to do.

All right readers, get excited! There are some great new reads coming out from Soho Press and getting some pretty impressive media buzz.

Let's start with Collusion by Stewart Neville, a sequel to his award-winning debut novel, The Twelve (released as Ghosts of Belfast in the US). Collusion follows former paramilitary killer, Gerry Fegan, into New York City. There, he hides from a past he escaped at a terrible cost. The novel is thrilling, suspenseful, and receiving huge buzz. Carlo Wolff of the Pittsburgh Post Gazette wrote, "Neville has a lock on dread... full bodied and credible... The question Neville raises with singularly artful drama is whether survival is enough to keep one going. We'll see." Joseph B. Hoyos of GumshoeReview.com writes, "Collusion is highly recommended reading for those who enjoy gritty crime fiction, especially Irish noir. This complex thriller contains numerous twists and surprises." Furthermore, Collusion earned Neville a spotlight blog on Large Hearted Boy (a MUSIC Blog!), where he revealed his hard-rocking playlist for Collusion. So what is Irish noir exactly? Go pick up Stewart Neville's books now and see for yourself.

Here's another good one: Crown of Dust by Mary Voler. The New York Journal of Books calls Crown of Dust "a lovely paean to all the little towns born during the California gold rush, and an emotional elegy to the forgotten souls who worked, loved, and died in such places."

And of course some of the great books we have spotlighted in the past (Love Songs from a Shallow Grave and Rag and Bone) continue to garner positive reviews.

Don't you have some reading to do?