The March/April Book Sense 76 Preview

This is the earliest announcement yet of the Book Sense 76, in order to give you as much lead time as possible to check initials or on-hand.

The March/April 76 with bookseller quotes will run here next week, as we know many of you like to see the quotes early, and to cut and paste them for newsletters, Web sites, and shelf-talkers.

Any on-sale dates that we have for February and March are noted; otherwise, assume January or fall '01 publication, with a few earlier, which is neat.

Thank you again for the flood of passionate nominations, another batch of over a thousand to choose from, plus ongoing carryover from all previous nominations! It makes my life both easier and harder, if that makes sense.

-Carl
Carl@booksense.com

1. THE SECRET LIFE OF BEES, by Sue Monk Kidd (Viking, $24.95, 0670894605) Also a Penguin Audio (1565115384; CD 1565115392)

2. ABSOLUTE ZERO, by Chuck Logan (HarperCollins, $24.95, 0060185724; Feb. 5) Also a Harper Audio (0060083425)

3. BURNING MARGUERITE, by Elizabeth Inness-Brown (Knopf, $23, 0375411968; Feb. 12)

4. FRUITFLESH: Seeds of Inspiration for Women Who Write, by Gayle Brandeis (HarperSan Francisco, $23.95, 0062517244; in stores March 5)

5. RED POPPIES, by Alai (Houghton Mifflin, $24, 0618119647; shipping now) Also a Penguin Audio (1565115279; CD 1565115287)

6. ATONEMENT, by Ian McEwan (Nan Talese/Doubleday, $26, 0385503954; March 19)

7. THE GARDENS OF KYOTO, by Kate Walbert (Scribner's, $13 paper, 0684869497; early March)

8. SOPHIE AND THE RISING SUN, by Augusta Trobaugh (Dutton, $22.95, 0525946276) Also a Random House Audio (0553528866)

9. CROW LAKE by Mary Lawson (Dial Press, $23.95, 038533611X; Feb. 26)

10. POETRY SPEAKS: Hear Great Poets Read Their Work, from Tennyson to Plath, edited by Elise Paschen and Rebekah Presson Mosby (Sourcebooks MediaFusion, $49.95 w/ three CDs, 1570717206)

About Books

THE GREAT AMERICAN PAPERBACK: An Illustrated Tribute to Legends of the Book, by Richard Lupoff (Collectors Press, $60, 1888054506)

WHERE BOOKS FALL OPEN: A Reader's Anthology of Wit and Passion, with paintings by Bascove (Godine, $24.95, 1567921868)

Children's Books

COOKING AROUND THE CALENDAR WITH KIDS: Holiday and Seasonal Food and Fun, by Amy Houts (Images Unlimited, $24.95, 0930643143; Feb.)

THE MISFITS, by James Howe (Atheneum, $16, 0689839553)

Our Two Rediscoveries This Month

THE DANGEROUS LIVES OF ALTAR BOYS, by Chris Fuhrum (Univ. of Georgia Press, $14.95 paper, 0820323381)

SOMETIMES A GREAT NOTION, by Ken Kesey (Penguin, $14.95 paper, 0140045925)

New Fiction in Paperback

AFTERIMAGE, by Helen Humphreys (Picador, $13 paper, 0312420641; March)

BOY STILL MISSING, by John Searles (Perennial, $12.95 paper, 006000780X; March 5)

THE CLOUD SKETCHER, by Richard Rayner (Perennial, $14.95 paper, 0060956135; March 19)

THE DIAGNOSIS, by Alan Lightman (Vintage, $14 paper, 0375725504; Feb. 19)

ESTHER STORIES, by Peter Orner (Mariner, $12 paper, 0618128735)

THE FUNERAL PARTY, by Ludmila Ulitskaya (Schocken, $11 paper, 0805211322)

GOB'S GRIEF, by Chris Adrian (Vintage, $13.95 paper, 0375726241; March 12)

IN SUNLIGHT, IN A BEAUTIFUL GARDEN, by Kathleen Cambor (Perennial, $12.95 paper, 0060007575; March 5)

KISSING THE VIRGIN'S MOUTH, by Donna Gershten (Perennial, $11.95 paper, 0060933585; Feb. 5)

LICK CREEK, by Brad Kessler (Scribner, $14 paper, 0743217756; March)

MISS GARNET'S ANGEL, by Sally Vickers (Plume, $13, 0452282977; March)

OBSERVATORY MANSIONS, by Ed Carey (Vintage, $14 paper, 0375709231; Feb. 5)

THE OLD AMERICAN, by Ernest Hebert (U. of New England Press, $15.95 paper, 1584652136)

OUT OF THE NIGHT THAT COVERS ME, by Pat Cunningham Devoto (Warner, $13.95 paper, 0446678023)

SINGING BOY, by Dennis McFarland (Picador, $14 paper, 0312420625; March)

Featured author: JOHN CROWLEY
Two reissues and a major new book, all hitting stores March 5:

THE TRANSLATOR (William Morrow, $24.95, 0380978628)

LITTLE, BIG (Perennial, $15.95 paperback, 0060937939)

OTHERWISE: Three Novels (Perennial, $15.95 paper, 0060937920)

New Fiction in Hardcover
See also the Top Ten.

THE APPRENTICE LOVER, by Jay Parini (HarperCollins, $24.95, 0066210712; March 5)

THE BUFFALO SOLDIER, by Chris Bohjalian (Crown, $25, 0609608339; March 5)

CHILD'S BOOK OF TRUE CRIME: A Novel, by Chloe Hooper (Scribner's, $23, 0743225120; March)

CLAIRE MARVEL, by John Burnham Schwartz (Doubleday, $25, 038550344X; Feb. 19)

DEEP IN THE SHADE OF PARADISE, by John Dufresne (Norton, $26.95, 0393020207; Feb.)

ENEMY WOMEN, by Paulette Jiles (William Morrow, $24.95, 0066214440)

THE EYRE AFFAIR, by Jasper Fforde (Viking, $23.95, 0670030643; Feb.)

FAIR WARNING, by Robert Olen Butler (Atlantic, $24, 0871138336)

FINGERSMITH, by Sarah Waters (Riverhead, $25.95, 1573222038)

THE GOOD MEN, by Charmaine Craig (Riverhead, $24.95, 157322197X)

THE HOUSE OF BLUE MANGOES, David J. Davidar (HarperCollins, $26.95, 0066212545; March 5)

THE IMPRESSIONIST, by Hari Kunzru (Dutton, $24.95, 052594642X; in stores March 28) Also a HarperAudio (0060012404)

IN THE CASTLE OF THE FLYNNS, by Michael Raleigh (Sourcebooks Landmark, $22, 1570717974; Feb.)

INSECT DREAMS: The Half-Life of Gregor Samsa, by Marc Estrin (Blue Hen, $26.95, 0399148361; Feb. 18)

JUST SHY OF HARMONY, by Philip Gulley (HarperSanFrancisco, $15.95, 0060006323; Feb. 19)

LAMB: The Gospel According to Biff, Christ's Childhood Friend, by Christopher Moore (William Morrow, $25.95, 0380978407; Feb. 19)

LUCKY US, by Joan Silber (Algonquin, $22.95, 1565123204)

MIRACLE AT ST. ANNA, by James McBride (Riverhead, $24.95, 1573222127) Also a HarperAudio (0060093188; CD 0060093196)

A MULTITUDE OF SINS, by Richard Ford (Knopf, $25, 0375412123; Feb. 12) Also a HarperAudio (0060081325)

RED WATER, by Judith Freeman (Pantheon, $24, 0375420924)

THE ROTTER'S CLUB, by Jonathan Coe (Knopf, $24.95, 0375413839; Feb. 19)

SACRAMENT OF LIES, by Elizabeth Dewberry (Blue Hen, $23.95, 039914854X ; Feb. 18)

SEARCHING FOR INTRUDERS: A Novel in Stories, by Stephen Raleigh Byler (William Morrow, $23.95, 0066212944)

SNOW ISLAND, by Katherine Towler (MacAdam/Cage, $25, 193156101X)

THE STARS CAN WAIT, by Jay Basu (Henry Holt, $21, 0805068872)

THE SWEETEST DREAM, by Doris Lessing (HarperCollins, $26.95, 0066213347; Feb. 5)

The Best in New Nonfiction

BATAVIA'S GRAVEYARD: The True Story of the Mad Heretic Who Led History's Bloodiest Mutiny, by Mike Dash (Crown, $25, 0609607669; Feb. 12)

BREAKING CLEAN, by Judy Blunt (Knopf, $24, 0375401318; Feb. 5)

GROWING UP TRUE: Lessons From a Western Boyhood, by Craig Barnes (Fulcrum, $22.95, 1555913504)

IN THE PRESENCE OF FEAR, by Wendell Berry (The Orion Society, $8 paper, 0913098604) -- To place orders, call (888) 909-6568.

LETTERS TO A YOUNG CONTRARIAN: The Art of Mentoring, by Christopher Hitchens (Basic, $22, 0465030327)

MOTHERLAND: Beyond the Holocaust; A Mother-Daughter Journey to Reclaim the Past, by Fern Schumer Chapman (Penguin, $13 paper, 0140286233)

PALESTINE by Joe Sacco (Fantagraphics, $24.95 paper, 156097432X)

RESCUING JEFFREY, by Richard Galli (Griffin, $12.95 paper, 0312283407)

SLEEP DEMONS: An Insomniac's Memoir, by Bill Hayes (Washington Square Press, $15 paper, 0671028154)

A THOUSAND BELLS AT NOON: A Roman's Guide to the Secrets and Pleasures of His Native City, by G. Franco Romagnoli (Steerforth Press $25, 1586420364; March 12)

THE TIPPING POINT: How Little Things Can Make a Big Difference, by Malcolm Gladwell (Back Bay, $14.95 paper, 0316346624)

THE TROUSER PEOPLE: A Modern-Day Explorer Tracks the Victorian Adventurer Who Taught Burma to Play the Empire's Game, by Andrew Marshall (Counterpoint, $26, 1582431205; March 4)

THE VOYAGE OF THE CATALPA: A Daring Escape, a Perilous Journey and Six Irish Rebels' Flight to Freedom, by Peter Stevens (Carroll & Graf, $26, 078670974X; March 12)

Mystery and SF/Fantasy
See the Mystery 76 Top Ten list, in stores or online at BookSense.com.

HELL TO PAY, by George P. Pelecanos (Little Brown, $24.95, 0316695068; March)

TELL NO ONE, by Harlan Coban (Dell, $6.99 paper, 0440236703; Feb. 26)

Nature

THE BIRDS OF HEAVEN, Travels with Cranes, by Peter Matthiessen; illus. by Robert Bateman (North Point, $27, 0374199442)

JOURNEY OF THE PINK DOLPHINS: An Amazon Quest, by Sy Montgomery (Touchstone $16, 0743200268; March)