Hi Everyone-

Well, the last two weeks have certainly provided their share of sobering moments. Everyone I've talked to is equally heartsick about what has happened to the Gulf Coast since the hurricane. It causes one to wonder all over how human beings manage to cope with the unthinkable. Oddly (for me at least), this comes at a time when I happen to be reading a book on that very subject, Joan Didion's forthcoming memoir The Year of Magical Thinking.

Didion has always been a brilliant, razor-sharp writer, but this memoir of the sudden death of her husband and the extremely dire illness of her daughter—at the same time—is a powerfully moving and stunningly frank account of how she confronted this dual tragedy. Didion turned to her intellect and reason—as well as a good deal of literature, medical and otherwise—to try to cope rationally with the sudden, tragic changes in her life. It's not the approach that everyone might take, but that makes her story even more compelling. My own usual inclination is to avoid memoirs of tragedies, but the direct and straightforward manner in which Didion relates her experiences, combined with her beautifully wrought prose, make this an unforgettable reading experience. It's really something special. It comes out in October, and we'll be featuring it as a Buyer's Choice at 20% off. Please reserve your copy today at any of our stores.

Best Wishes,

-Joe Murphy, Head Book Buyer