Hi Everybody-

Hope you had a great holiday season and that your New Year is off to a good start. I spent Christmas Day at my sister's house, watching my niece and nephew pretty much glowing with excitement. My four-year-old nephew actually received a drum set - not sure what Santa was thinking there, but my nephew loved it.

I just wanted to take the opportunity to mention the current trial of Orhan Pamuk, certainly the best known modern Turkish writer, and a longtime Olsson's favorite. He's facing a jail sentence in his native Turkey for mentioning the early twentieth-century Armenian genocide - a matter of public record around the world - in an interview last year.

The only way to fight the war on ideas is to continue to engage with, and spread, them. Olsson's stocks most of Pamuk's books, including the terrific novels Snow and My Name Is Red, and his fascinating nonfiction study of his native city, Istanbul.

I strongly encourage all our customers to read the works of Orhan Pamuk. He's a brilliant writer, and his words deserve to be shared.

Happy New Year Everyone!

-Joe Murphy, Head Book Buyer