Awesome book club for AFF

Photo by RebeccaA

Last week, I had the great pleasure of attending my first book club for A Familiar Fate. MichelleT was an amazing host - she even managed to serve up pizza bagels (a book reference for those who haven't read it). And, excitedly, there was some beer served along with the wine!

I'd like to thank all those who attended: Catherine, Julie, Heather, Lisa, Nan and Rosa (sorry you couldn't make it, Mary). It's exciting to field questions as well as ask readers about their impressions. For example, one of my favorite things to ask is what Stance looks like. I've heard brunette, blond, cute, average looking, and more. That's fun because, as a reader, I always form my image of a character whether or not an author provides a lot of detail. In reality, Stance and the rest are what you make of them. Of course, one day, we might get to casting, but we can cross that bridge at a later date :)

As I mentioned to the ladies at the meeting, I'm working on the sequel. I try not to drop spoilers, but it's safe to say that things will be interesting given one of the sister's new possessions.

For anyone else interested in a book club, let me know. I'm happy to make a trip - with or without pizza bagels involved.

AFF on the Shelf

A Familiar Fate on the shelves
at the Bookstore of Gloucester

After so much time working with spiral-bound printouts from Staples, it's fun to see A Familiar Fate in true book format and in unfamiliar places - in this case, retail shelves. With a few key scenes based in Gloucester, I'm excited that it's available in town.

The Bookstore at Gloucester might not have much of a website, but you should definitely visit if you get the chance (61 Main Street). Janice, the owner, and Abby will be sure to help you find just what you need. And for dog lovers, make sure you spend time with Diego, the incredibly cute/sweet rescue that watches over the place like a real-world Hazel.

And, speaking of my favorite town, after you finish up at the bookstore, you might:

• Stop by Alexandra's Bread. Check out the amazing fresh bread and other goodies made by Jon and cousin Alexandra. The only problem is that late risers may be out of luck finding what they want. Arrive early. The store is located at 265 Main Street.


• Book a trip with Connemara Bay Charters. The sport season is almost over, but there might be a few trips left with Captain Kevin O'Maley. Sign up for next summer, though, and you'll be sure get to spend time on the local waters with Kevin and his son Kellen. There is a rumor that a fisherman similar to the captain may show up in the sequel to AFF.

Tom Clancy's Hunt for Red October created quite a stir for boys in the 1980s

US Army armored personnel carriers cruise
down the German autobahn in 1985 (US Army)

Tom Clancy passed away on October 1 at the young age of 66 (see the New York Times obituary). His death reminded me of devouring his early books during the mid 1980s at the time when the Cold War seemed pretty hot and my friends and I worried if our Selective Service registration might actually lead us to be deployed in the Fulda Gap (interestingly, I later met a friend who described learning to distinguish silhouettes of Soviet armor for his deployment in Germany). For my kids, this seems more than a far-fetched notion, but at that time we were inundated with entertainment and news that made it difficult to sleep at times (see the section at the end of this post for things I distinctly remember).

Clancy's first novel, The Hunt for Red October was more than just a great read for a boy my age. One of the coolest things about it was the impact it had on people involved with US defense issues. My father had spent part of the 1970s working on such things as the SALT I Treaty, and he and his colleagues were blown away by some of the information the book presented, such as the once mega topic secret SOSUS system designed to detect Soviet subs in the North Atlantic.

Should indie bookstores hate Amazon more than B&N?

Ask the people that run your local, independent bookstore about Amazon and you can watch their blood begin to boil. Most don't just credit the online retailer with attempted murder - trying to eradicate indies - they also see the company as destroying American literature. Basically, the narrative is that Amazon will sell books at any price and co-opt authors in order to sell, sell, sell [insert a variety of goods] regardless of the profit and the health of the book market.

However, an article in The Digital Reader tries to make the case that the "big box bookstores" like Barnes & Noble and the defunct Borders were the real culprits. The evidence? The recent indie bookstore resurgence and the idea that Amazon wasn't a super-strong player in the worst era of indie decline.

In an informal bit of research, I asked an indie owner about this hypothesis and her reply was that Amazon was and is the problem, the argument from The Digital Reader notwithstanding.

The good news is that no matter who is to blame for their period of decline, local bookstores seem to be winning lately and even growing, relying on the personal touch and in-store events to court the ever-shrinking population of book readers (an article in the Atlantic Wire notes that just 50% of adults read literature for pleasure). The possible bad news - that Amazon is killing American literature itself - can't be proven yet, but one thing is sure: indie book owners are not Amazon fans no matter what happens and no matter the evidence.