Little, Brown and Company

Sherman Alexie at Barnes and Noble Union Square, 6/16/17

Alternate History Novels - Hey, it Could Have Happened!

[via Audible.com]

What would our world be like if the other side had won WWII? If JFK had never been assassinated? If the Black Death had been much, much worse? The genre of alternate history explores questions like these and paints rich, imaginative versions of worlds that could have so easily existed, if just one pivotal moment in the past had turned out differently…

Loving this UNDERGROUND AIRLINES shout out.

So much love for this book. #mariasemple #todaywillbedifferent

Today Will Be Different by Maria Semple

(Raquel Zaldivar/NPR)

We meet Eleanor Flood, the main character of Maria Semple’s new novel, on a day when she has resolved to change some things about her life. She and her family recently moved to Seattle from New York, where she had worked as an animator on a hit TV show. She’s still working a bit, but she has also become overwhelmed by the basics of daily life. Semple tells NPR’s Rachel Martin, “She has decided, instead of trying to accomplish a lot, to set the bar very low for herself … and try to at least get through the day with just a basic amount of dignity.”

Overwhelmed Mom Seeks ‘A Basic Amount Of Dignity’ In 'Today Will Be Different’

(via nprbooks)

ICYMI: It’s not too late to stock up on DISCOUNTED e-books!

Image: George and Willie Muse were frequently exhibited as Eko and Iko. (Courtesy of Robert Stauffer)

When journalist Beth Macy first moved to Roanoke, Va. almost 30 years ago, a colleague told her about a tragic story that no one had ever been able to get: Two young African Americans, the Muse Brothers, had been stolen by a carnival in the late 19th or early 20th century — and exhibited in sideshows, because they were albinos.

Macy eventually did get the story, and it became her new book, Truevine.

‘Truevine’ Tells The Tale Of 2 Black Albino Brothers Forced To Work For The Circus