We’ve collected the books debuting on Indiebound’s Indie Bestseller List for the week ending April 26, 2015–a sneak peek at the books everybody will be talking about next month.
(Debuted at #3 in Hardcover Fiction) God Help the Child by Toni Morrison: “At the center: a young woman who calls herself Bride, whose stunning blue-black skin is only one element of her beauty, her boldness and confidence, her success in life, but which caused her light-skinned mother to deny her even the simplest forms of love.” (April 2015)
(Debuted at #4 in Hardcover Fiction) Memory Man by David Baldacci: “Amos Decker’s life changed forever–twice. The first time was on the gridiron. A big, towering athlete, he was the only person from his hometown of Burlington ever to go pro. But his career ended before it had a chance to begin. On his very first play, a violent helmet-to-helmet collision knocked him off the field for good, and left him with an improbable side effect–he can never forget anything.” (April 2015)
(Debuted at #5 in Hardcover Nonfiction) Missoula by Jon Krakauer: “Missoula, Montana, is a typical college town, with a highly regarded state university, bucolic surroundings, a lively social scene, and an excellent football team — the Grizzlies — with a rabid fan base. The Department of Justice investigated 350 sexual assaults reported to the Missoula police between January 2008 and May 2012. Few of these assaults were properly handled by either the university or local authorities. In this, Missoula is also typical. ” (April 2015)
Any new release by Krakauer is bound to be controversial, but with Missoula, a look at campus rape across America, he's created a lightning rod for vigorous debate. Well-written and incredibly thought-provoking, Missoula uses a broad array of case studies and interviews to assess the campus rape problem and explore the troubling mechanics of our [...]
Ahead of a trip, many of us gravitate toward books that depict the history and culture of our travel destination. But it can work the other way around, too. Sometimes a book provides such a powerful sense of place that we find ourselves longing to visit the area we read about. Some of us even [...]
A deadly storm striking tragedy on unsuspecting climbers isn't subject matter I would typically expect to inspire adventure. Yet Jon Krakauer's riveting account of a disastrous 1999 ascent of Mt. Everest did just that. At its heart, this outstanding book thrillingly recounts an ill-fated and deadly climb. But the remarkable reportage also captures the striking [...]
I spent two years with Mormon people, with Mormon books, and embraced by Mormon history to write American Crucifixion: The Murder of Joseph Smith and the Fate of the Mormon Church. People constantly ask me: Well, what did you think of them? What were the Mormons like? I respond that I started this project mildly [...]
The new long form nonfiction site Byliner has counted more than 50,000 free downloads of Jon Krakauer‘s scathing expose about the work of Greg Mortenson.
Following a 60 Minutes report questioning the veracity of Mortenson’s memoirs, Viking will review his work. Upcoming issues of Byliner will feature work by William Vollmann and Anthony Swofford.
Here’s more about the Byliner essay: “Mortenson has built a global reputation as a selfless humanitarian and children’s crusader, and he’s been nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize. He is also not what he appears to be. As acclaimed author Jon Krakauer discovered, Mortenson has not only fabricated substantial parts of his bestselling books Three Cups of Tea and Stones into Schools, but has also misused millions of dollars donated by unsuspecting admirers like Krakauer himself. This is the tragic tale of good intentions gone very wrong.”
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Journalist Jon Krakauer has published an expose of author Greg Mortenson with a new long form journalism site, Byliner. As a promotion, you can download a PDF copy for free today; a Kindle Single edition will be published on Wednesday.
Following a 60 Minutes report questioning the veracity of Mortenson’s memoirs, Viking will review his work. Upcoming issues of Byliner will feature work by William Vollmann and Anthony Swofford.
Here’s more about the Byliner essay: “Mortenson has built a global reputation as a selfless humanitarian and children’s crusader, and he’s been nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize. He is also not what he appears to be. As acclaimed author Jon Krakauer discovered, Mortenson has not only fabricated substantial parts of his bestselling books Three Cups of Tea and Stones into Schools, but has also misused millions of dollars donated by unsuspecting admirers like Krakauer himself. This is the tragic tale of good intentions gone very wrong.” (Via Paul Bogaards)
New Career Opportunities Daily: The best jobs in media.