The Printed Page

I’m a very visual person and love beautiful, or interesting, cover art. It entices, and invites, me to stop and take a peek instead of walking right on by. This week’s Cover Attraction is:

Title: Distant Waves: A Novel of the Titanic Author: Suzanne Weyn Release date: Today

From the author’s website: Plenty of fiction has been set aboard the Titanic, but Weyn’s take on the infamous disaster is wholly original. For starters, the doomed ocean liner doesn’t appear until the book is two-thirds finished. Instead of using the tragedy as a plot engine, Weyn employs it as but one of the historical forces she juggles to propel her unusual story. Most central is the turn-of-the-century spiritualist movement: Jane is one of five daughters born to a well-known spirit medium, and although she wants to believe in the practices of her mother—and particularly her eerie twin sisters—she finds herself constantly struggling at the intersection of faith and science. The latter camp is represented by real-life scientist Nikola Tesla; his inventions indirectly lead to Jane meeting her true love (and, in a neat bit of historical revisionism, even have something to do with the Titanic’s fate). Various other luminaries drift in and out of the story, and only occasionally do their appearances feel forced. The ending, too, requires a leap of faith some readers may not be willing to take, but the sweeping action, mysticism, and romance should ensure that most will gladly take the plunge. A wonderful author’s note clearly sifts fact from fiction. –Booklist, starred review

One word: haunting

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What’s your favorite cover attraction this week? Don’t forget to leave a link to your Cover Attraction post.

Welcome to By the Chapter. This week’s featured book is The Cellist of Sarajevo by Steven Galloway. Sharing hosting duties with me this week is Elizabeth from As usual, I need more bookshelves.

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If you’re not familiar with The Cellist of Sarajevo here’s a little background on the book from Amazon: Canadian Galloway (Ascension) delivers a tense and haunting novel following four people trying to survive war-torn Sarajevo. After a mortar attack kills 22 people waiting in line to buy bread, an unnamed cellist vows to play at the point of impact for 22 days. Meanwhile, Arrow, a young woman sniper, picks off soldiers; Kenan makes a dangerous trek to get water for his family; and Dragan, who sent his wife and son out of the city at the start of the war, works at a bakery and trades bread in exchange for shelter. Arrow’s assigned to protect the cellist, but when she’s eventually ordered to commit a different kind of killing, she must decide who she is and why she kills. Dragan believes he can protect himself through isolation, but that changes when he runs into a friend of his wife’s attempting to cross a street targeted by snipers. Kenan is repeatedly challenged by his fear and a cantankerous neighbor. All the while, the cellist continues to play. With wonderfully drawn characters and a stripped-down narrative, Galloway brings to life a distant conflict.

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This story is based around true events, The Siege of Sarajevo.

Time stands still yet moves forward. Time is unique in this story. For Kenan and Dragan it passes in minutes and hours. For Arrow it passes in days. Kenan continues his journey to the brewery and back for fresh water. Meanwhile Dragan is still debating the merits of crossing the street, not only with himself but now with a family friend who has happened by. Arrow is protecting the cellist while giving us glimpses into the mind of a sniper.

Our characters battle demons that plague their decision making. What is happening is not of their choosing. They resent the circumstances that dictate the mental and physical paths they must travel. They rail against the men that have driven them to this point.

With the blink of an eye the day takes a dramatic turn from uneasy peace. Kenan and Dragan encounter death. Each comes face to face with their own mortality. What to do? Who’s to say that one life is worth more than another? But a choice must be made.  This time each man chooses himself. Then question becomes why? What causes a person to react the way they do? Some light has been shed but I believe the internal struggle for both men will continue to rage as I read on.

Arrow is facing difficulties of her own. She wonders and worries over the smallest detail while plotting location and setup. She’s a natural at her job but her adversary is every bit as good or better. Arrow lays in wait for the perfect moment, the perfect shot. And then the unthinkable happens. The sniper exhibits human emotion, a natural reaction to the cellist’s music, and possibly a change in the outcome.

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I’ve finished this wonderful book already, sorry Elizabeth, and I have so much I want to say but I’m having trouble articulating what it is I want you to know. I had no idea what to expect starting out. This is one those stories that touches on a wide range of emotions. Writing this post has been a challenge for me. Normally I write, tweak, publish. No so with this post. I’ve spent hours rewriting, tweaking, starting completely over. What I feel about and for these characters isn’t coming across as I’d like.  But here it is. To me it feels unfinished hopefully it won’t to you. Enjoy!

This is both an easy and a challenging book to read. It’s short, 256 pages, and not complex on the surface. I could race right through it not vesting my time digging into the feelings of these characters. I could take it at face value and leave it there. But this book isn’t written that way. I believe author wants me to connect with these characters on deeper level. Therein lays the complex part. I’m immersing myself in the emotions and decisions associated with living day to day in a worn torn country. As one character pointed out “One of the things about the war is that I’ve been down a lot of streets I’d never been on before. It has changed my geography”. Section Two, Dragan chapter, Kindle section 945-51]. Emina actually meant this in terms of physical geography. War is forcing her take different routes for safety. Suddenly she finds herself walking streets and sections of town she’s never walked before yet they are only a block or two off her beaten path. But as I write this today reflecting on my reading I find myself applying her analogy to mental geography. Think how the mental landscape of our characters has been altered, essentially shattered. Routines are no longer routine. They, the men on the hill have changed the rules. We, the lead characters don’t want any part of this, it’s not of our making. Surviving becomes a game of mental gymnastics – what was, what is and what will be. They must alter their mental geography to fit the new landscape. We’ll see how well they do.

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If you’ve read, or are currently reading, The Cellist of Sarajevo please share your thoughts with us.

*** This week’s reading scheduling: Monday: The Printed Page Tuesday: Elizabeth from As usual, I need more bookshelves Wednesday: The Printed Page Thursday: Elizabeth from As usual, I need more bookshelves Friday: The Printed Page/Elizabeth from As usual, I need more bookshelves

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Amazingly I’m not a reader who hoards her books, only cats! For a while now, behind the scenes, I’ve been passing the books I’m finished with along to friends. I’ve decided to offer my books to all Mailbox Monday contributors. No book should be homeless. As long as I have books to share I’ll do so. Here’s the important stuff:

Updated March 14, 2010

A small change to Read It Forward. I’ve been finding new homes for my books with other bloggers and have enjoyed doing so this last year. This 2nd year of RIF brings one small change. Due to decreased buying budgets in my smaller library system and limited book collections I’ve decided to donate those books sent to me that aren’t ARCs. Books marked as ARCs will still be passed along to fellow book bloggers.

• All books in my Mailbox Monday posts will be available starting the week of April 6th.
• Each week new homes will be chosen at random. See I really do read the comments you leave with the links to your Mailbox Monday posts. Just ask someone who commented, in passing, about wanting to read a book I’ve posted.  This is not a structured giveaway or contest. I will simply chose names from those Mailbox Monday contributors who have expressed an interest in one of my posted books. The only stipulation is you must have a Mailbox Monday post with a link I can verify, not just a comment expressing interest in a book.
• If you have more than one choice include your selections in order in case your 1st choice has been claimed.
• It’s too time consuming to respond to all requests so I will only be emailing the new owner. Claimed and unclaimed books will be updated on the corresponding Mailbox Monday posts and the Read It Forward widget on my blog’s right side bar. Be sure to keep an eye on your spam folder just in case
• I will mail to all US and Canadian addresses. If you live overseas I can do two of those a month. If you do live overseas please include that tidbit of information upfront.
• So that I can spread the wealth I’m asking that you claim a book once every two months. If you’re selected in May please don’t request again until July. So that no one gets selected more than once every two months I’m tracking the new homes on a spreadsheet. And hopefully it will keep me from giving away the same book twice!

** Please be patient with me. Just like you my reading schedule is packed full of good books and reading commitments such as By the Chapter. I will try and remember to let you know when I anticipate mailing a book in the initial email. And I will email again when your post office day comes around. **

This week’s featured book is The Cellist of Sarajevo by Steven Galloway.

Follow today’s discussion over at Elizabeth’s blog, As usual, I need more bookshelves

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This week’s reading scheduling: Monday: The Printed Page Tuesday: Elizabeth’s blog, As usual, I need more bookshelves Wednesday: The Printed Page Thursday: Elizabeth’s blog, As usual, I need more bookshelves Friday: The Printed Page/Elizabeth’s blog, As usual, I need more bookshelves

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If you’ve read, or are currently reading, People of the Book, please stop by and share your thoughts with us.

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About the Author:

Although published in various genres of romance, both in print and electronic format, Robin Maderich’s first novel was historical, released by Warner Books (before the big merger with Time) in 1989. Faith and Honor has since been reprinted and the second in the trilogy released. Most recently Robin is enjoying an association with New Concepts Publishing and had a brief but satisfying association with Inara Press. She has also illustrated a children’s e-book which was released last year.

The rural village in Pennsylvania where Robin resides with her husband and multiple pets has provided much of her recent inspiration. The fact her three sons are all grown has allowed her more time to pursue writing. As one might expect, Robin’s feelings regarding that circumstance are mixed.

Robin’s love of history, research, the intricacies of detail and stretching her imagination have aided her immensely through the ever-expanding process of learning her craft.

For more information please visit Robin Maderich

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About the Book:

Rescued from the harrassment of British officers in Colonial Boston by handsome, secretive Fletcher Irons, Faith Ashley’s slumbering passions are ignited, until the discovery that Fletcher himself is an officer of the army she has come to despise, a man who is the enemy. Yet with persistence, Fletcher wins the fiery Faith’s love. When the colonies erupt in Revolution, Faith refuses to choose between her loyalty to the cause and her love for the man who is far more than the color of his uniform. Will her honor be her undoing?

Welcome to By the Chapter. This week’s featured book is The Cellist of Sarajevo by Steven Galloway. Sharing hosting duties with me this week is Elizabeth from As usual, I need more bookshelves.

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If you’re not familiar with The Cellist of Sarajevo here’s a little background on the book from Amazon: Canadian Galloway (Ascension) delivers a tense and haunting novel following four people trying to survive war-torn Sarajevo. After a mortar attack kills 22 people waiting in line to buy bread, an unnamed cellist vows to play at the point of impact for 22 days. Meanwhile, Arrow, a young woman sniper, picks off soldiers; Kenan makes a dangerous trek to get water for his family; and Dragan, who sent his wife and son out of the city at the start of the war, works at a bakery and trades bread in exchange for shelter. Arrow’s assigned to protect the cellist, but when she’s eventually ordered to commit a different kind of killing, she must decide who she is and why she kills. Dragan believes he can protect himself through isolation, but that changes when he runs into a friend of his wife’s attempting to cross a street targeted by snipers. Kenan is repeatedly challenged by his fear and a cantankerous neighbor. All the while, the cellist continues to play. With wonderfully drawn characters and a stripped-down narrative, Galloway brings to life a distant conflict.

***

This story is based around true events, The Siege of Sarajevo.

The Cellist of Sarajevo is told from three points of view: Arrow, a defender of the city and a female army sniper; Kenan, a married father of three children; and Dragan, a gentleman in his 60s who has sent away his wife and child.

This is a quiet book, character perspective driven. There isn’t any real action to speak of. We follow the story as it affects these individuals and their struggle to survive in a war torn city. Their feelings and thoughts propel us through daily routines. Arrow is seeking out the enemy, destroying before she is destroyed. For Kenan and Dragan such seemingly simple tasks as getting drinking water or crossing a street take on new meaning.

Arrow, Kenan and Dragan have lost everything: family, friend, homes, jobs, freedom. They spend their days remembering, dwelling on, the time before the war. Sarajevo was a beautiful city filled with culture, commerce and the promise of a good life. Kenan might meet a friend for coffee or lunch. Dragan might stop on his way to work at the newspaper stand and trade a few words with the vendor. Life was peaceful. Waking up to a new day wasn’t filled with fear and dread. Their lives are haunted by ghosts of yesterday.

Peace is no more. Freedom is a distant thought. Now every move is tracked by sniper fire. Be it crossing a street or fulfilling your obligation to protect what is most dear to you. They never know when or who but they know its coming. It’s only a matter of whether today is their day to live, or die. Imagine standing on that familiar street corner, just standing, waiting seconds or minutes even, until that feeling comes over you saying ‘now, now it’s safe to cross, it’s not your time’. Out you step, still wondering if it’ll be last time you do.

And the cellist of Sarajevo has just been introduced. This man, every day for 22 days, will play his cello in the streets of Sarajevo defying the snipers. Even though it isn’t an assignment Arrow initially wants she will protect the cellist.

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Normally a book this reserved wouldn’t suit me but I’ve become lost in their lives. The mundane task of living has taken on a new meaning. What should be normal isn’t. I find myself slowing down to read paragraph. Really trying absorb their thoughts and feelings. How they process what has taken place and what might be yet to come. I’m finding myself more involved with Kenan and Dragan than Arrow at this point. I find their stories more compelling right now. Their loses larger in magnitude.

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If you’ve read, or are currently reading, The Cellist of Sarajevo please share your thoughts with us.

*** This week’s reading scheduling: Monday: The Printed Page Tuesday: Elizabeth from As usual, I need more bookshelves Wednesday: The Printed Page Thursday: Elizabeth from As usual, I need more bookshelves Friday: The Printed Page/Elizabeth from As usual, I need more bookshelves

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If you’re new to Mailbox Monday welcome! Thank you to everyone who stops by Mailbox Monday. Whether you comment or visit I appreciate your taking the time to drop in.

Books just seem to keep making their way to my house. Yay!

Chick lit/romance ~ For the Love of Pete by Julia Harper (aka Elizabeth Hoyt) (new-to-me author/Hachette) (Claimed by Cindy)

Zoey Addler moved back to Chicago to stay near her sister and take care of her baby niece, Petronella—Pete, for short. Unfortunately Pete’s father is the key witness in a Mob trial, and Tony the Rose decides to exert some pressure by having Pete kidnapped. Luckily, Zoey’s upstairs neighbor Dante (or Lips of Sin, as she calls him) is an undercover FBI agent. Zoey and Dante chase the kidnapper across the city until the kidnapper’s baby and Pete are accidentally snatched by two bumbling Indian aunts who are trying to track down their illegally imported saffron. Zoey, Dante, and the Indian ladies take a journey from the top of the state to the bottom, and amid all the gunfights and federal business, Zoey and Dante discover they might be drawn together by more than just the need to get Pete home safe and sound.

Fiction ~ The Wish Maker by Ali Sethi (new-to-me author/Shelf Awareness) (Claimed by Staci)

The unforgettable story of a fatherless boy growing up in a household of outspoken women, The Wish Maker is also a tale of sacrifice, betrayal, and indestructible friendship. Zaki Shirazi and his female cousin Samar Api were raised to consider themselves “part of the same litter.” Together they watched American television and memorized dialogue from Bollywood movies, attended dangerous protests, and formed secret friendships. In a household run by Zaki’s crusading political journalist mother and iron-willed grandmother, it was impossible to imagine a future that could hold anything different for either of them.

Memoir ~ A Lucky Child: A Memoir of Surviving Auschwitz as a Young Boy by Thomas Buergenthal (new-to-me author/Hachette) (Claimed by Melanie)

You think you’ve heard it all: the roundups, deportations, transports, selections, hard labor, death camps (“That was the last time I saw my father”), crematoriums, and the rare miracle of survival. But this one is different. The clear, nonhectoring prose makes Buergenthal’s personal story––and the enduring ethical questions it prompts––the stuff of a fast, gripping read. Five years old in Czechoslovakia at the start of World War II, Buergenthal remembers being crowded into the ghetto and then, in 1944, feeling “lucky” to escape the gas chambers and get into Auschwitz, where he witnessed daily hangings and beatings, but with the help of a few adults, managed to survive. In a postwar orphanage, he learned to read and write but never received any mail, until in a heartrending climax, his mother finds him. In 1952, he immigrated to the U.S., and now, as human-rights lawyer, professor, and international judge, his childhood’s moral issues are rooted in his daily life, his tattooed number a reminder not so much of the past as of his obligation, as witness and survivor, to fight bigotry today.

Historical/contemporary fiction ~ The Physick Book of Deliverance Dane by Katherine Howe (new-to-me author/Every Woman’s Voice) (Claimed by Jessica)

Harvard graduate student Connie Goodwin needs to spend her summer doing research for her doctoral dissertation. But when her mother asks her to handle the sale of Connie’s grandmother’s abandoned home near Salem, she can’t refuse. As she is drawn deeper into the mysteries of the family house, Connie discovers an ancient key within a seventeenth-century Bible. The key contains a yellowing fragment of parchment with a name written upon it: Deliverance Dane. This discovery launches Connie on a quest–to find out who this woman was and to unearth a rare artifact of singular power: a physick book, its pages a secret repository for lost knowledge.

As the pieces of Deliverance’s harrowing story begin to fall into place, Connie is haunted by visions of the long-ago witch trials, and she begins to fear that she is more tied to Salem’s dark past then she could have ever imagined.

Suspense/thriller ~ The Dead Man by Joel Goldman (new-to-me author/Authors on the Web)

Careful What You Dream. Milo Harper wants former FBI agent Jack Davis’ help. People in Harper’s study of the human brain are starting to die – and dying exactly in the very ways they have dreamed…Harper wants Jack to get to the truth and counter lawsuits aimed at the foundation. But when Jack investigates, the truth explodes: a serial killer is lurking inside one of the most advanced research facilities in the world. For Jack, the case will shatter illusions, raise ghosts, and take him onto both sides of the law – and into the path of a murderer’s terrifying rage.

Historical fiction ~ Royal Blood by Rona Sharon (new-to-me author/FSB Associates) (Claimed by Mari)

In the Tudor Court of 1518, your friends and enemies can be one and the same…During the annual celebration of the Order of the Garter, Sir Michael Devereaux arrives in King Henry VIII’s court on a mission for his benefactor. The celebration’s endless feats and sumptuous women delight the charismatic newcomer, who becomes captivated by the enigmatic Princess Renee of France. But evil, it seems, has followed Michael to the court. Shortly after his arrival, an unknown killer claims several victims, including the Queen’s lady-in-waiting, and the powerful Cardinal Wolsey asks Michael to help with the investigation. As he searches for the killer, Michael is haunted by disturbing images of the victims – flashes of violence that lead him to doubt his own sanity. Michael soon realizes that the key to solving the crime is connected to both the Pope’s Imperial vault in Rome and a mystery from Michael’s own past – revealing a secret that is so damning, it could forever alter the future of mankind.

Memoir ~ Picking Cotton: Our Memoir of Injustice and Redemption by Jennifer Thompson-Cannino, Ronald Cotton, and Erin Torneo (new-to-me author/Authors on the Web) (Claimed by Kristi)

Jennifer Thompson was raped at knifepoint by a man who broke into her apartment while she slept. She was able to escape, and eventually positively identified Ronald Cotton as her attacker. Ronald insisted that she was mistaken– but Jennifer’s positive identification was the compelling evidence that put him behind bars. After eleven years, Ronald was allowed to take a DNA test that proved his innocence. He was released, after serving more than a decade in prison for a crime he never committed. Two years later, Jennifer and Ronald met face to face– and forged an unlikely friendship that changed both of their lives. In their own words, Jennifer and Ronald unfold the harrowing details of their tragedy, and challenge our ideas of memory and judgment while demonstrating the profound nature of human grace and the healing power of forgiveness.

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What books came into your house last week? Don’t forget to leave a link to your Mailbox post or a list of books if you don’t have a blog.

Today’s pondering:

J. Atticus Payne, the star of Paul Levine’s newest suspense thriller Illegal has more trouble than he can handle. His life is unraveling and he hasn’t got a thread to grab. His law career is slip sliding away. His personal life is nonexistent. He’s in love with his ex-wife and she’s engaged to a local hot shot, loud mouthed TV pundit. J. Atticus isn’t even his real name. And, of all things, he’s accused of bribing a judge and on the run to nowhere fast. Add into this mix his world has been torn apart by a terrible and tragic accident for which he blames himself and suffers debilitating guilt. He’s a tortured and tormented lost soul. Then Tino, a young illegal immigrant, cross paths with Payne. Tino is searching for his mami. While attempting a Border crossing they’ve become separated. Tino is bound and determined to be reunited with his mother and enlists Payne’s help on this foolhardy mission. But will the search for Tino’s mother be his saving grace or the end of Payne?

I loved Illegal. Right for the start I was on Payne’s side. He is the consummate broken down good guy with a heart of gold and redeeming faults. How could I not be in his corner? I figured this book would take the usual twists and turns but there were some surprises along way. Payne and Tino face insurmountable odds both in the US and Mexico. Tino is by the far the most resourceful young man I’ve come across. His antics are clever and effective. There are times when Payne rues the day Tino came into his life. There is corruption throughout, high speed chases, small town cops, human trafficking, and a wealth of tight spots that keeps the reader entertained page after page. It gets a bit rough and tumble, touch and go but eventually the results justify the means.

Mr. Levin is a new-to-me author but I’m looking forward to getting better acquainted with his work. If his other novels are as engrossing as Illegal I expect this will be a rewarding and worthwhile reader/author relationship.

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A good book should leave you…slightly exhausted at the end. You live several lives while reading it. ~William Styron, interview, Writers at Work, 1958

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Today’s pondering:

So one might think The Midwife: A Novel of Memoir of Birth, Joy and Hard Times by Jennifer Worth would be an odd selection for me. Let’s face it I’m the least child oriented person I know. I don’t have single maternal bone in my body. No ticking biological clock here. But the book snippet sounded like it would make fascinating reading. And … it did. This is a memoir chalk full of human drama. Imagine the living and working conditions of England’s East End in the 1950s. They were deplorable to say the least. Now pack a mass of humanity into these wretched surroundings and you have one riveting story.

Yes this book is about Ms. Worth’s job as a midwife but it’s so much more than that. It’s about people. The people who made the East End their home. We get a glimpse back in time to an era where birth control was nonexistent. Women had baby after baby, being pregnant for years in a row. Families were large, often numbering into the teens living in two, maybe, three room flats. Privacy was unknown and you slept 3, 4, 5 or even more to a bed, if you had a bed. Life was hard, money was short. You didn’t take anything for granted and took every little advantage that came your way no matter how small.

She comes in contact with characters you’d want absolutely nothing to do with. And you meet husbands, wives and children who touch you to the depth of your soul. There’s Mrs. Jenkins. She’s dirty, unkempt, a nuisance. Uncannily showing up when a child is born Ms. Worth would like nothing better than to avoid her. Mrs. Jenkins is always asking about the health of the new mother and baby. I figured she’d lost a child in birth or shortly thereafter. Her story is so much more than that. She risks living in a workhouse if it means keeping her children safe and feed with a roof over their heads. It’s one of personal torment and shows just how far a mother will go to protect her children.

We meet Len & Concita Warren. The love between husband and wife jumps off the page. They have this remarkable marriage despite an age difference and language barrier. And talk about baby factory! By the time she’s done it either child #24 or #25. Mr. Warren is a unique man for his era putting Concita and the children above all else. Concita is pregnant, sick beyond belief giving birth to a premature baby boy. By all rights this child shouldn’t have lived and his story is harrowing. Mother and child need serious medical attention but Concita won’t leave her home. Len stands by Concita’s decisions and backs her 100% though you’re just sure it’s all wrong. Through sheer love and determination Concita wills herself and this child to live.

We meet Ted and Winnie. Ted’s an older widower, with no children from his first marriage, lucky enough to find love the second time around with Winnie. They meet, marry and have a child. All is right with the world or so it seems. Ted’s ecstatic. He has a healthy, beautiful son. But things could go downhill from here. From all appearances the baby, Edward, shows signs of being of ethnic origin. He most certainly isn’t Ted’s child. Ted, knowing that life for Edward will be difficult, takes high road. The face he shows to the world is one of playing the fool while all the time he’s a wise man.

The nuns, the sisters who share Ms. Worth’s work and home life are an eye-opening group. From the bizarre behavior of Sister Monica Joan, to hard case Sister Evangelina to clumsy, tongue tied Sister Chummy they are a variety of astonishing personalities. And just like any family they have their moments. They pick on each other. They care for each other. But most of all they love each other. For all their faults their acts of humility and kindness shine brightly.

There’s triumphant and tragedy. You’ll find yourself laughing and crying. You’ll marvel at the how these babies, and families, survived in horrible conditions with limited resources. Most of all you have hope for the human condition. It puts life’s everyday happenings in perspective. I couldn’t put this book down. Every story contained within these pages is gripping. If you’re looking for a hypnotizing, mesmerizing book I don’t think you’d go wrong with The Midwife.

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A good book should leave you…slightly exhausted at the end. You live several lives while reading it. ~William Styron, interview, Writers at Work, 1958

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I’m a very visual person and love beautiful, or interesting, cover art. It entices, and invites, me to stop and take a peek instead of walking right on by. This week’s Cover Attraction is:

Title: In the Courts of the Sun Author: Brian D’Amato Release date: March ’09

From Fantastic Fiction: A mind-bending, time-bending, zeitgeist-defining novel about the days leading up to December 21, 2012 – the day the Maya predicted the world would end 

December 21, 2012. The day time stops. Jed DeLanda, a descendant of the Maya living in the year 2012, is a math prodigy who spends his time playing Go against his computer and raking in profits from online trading. (His secret weapon? A Mayan divination game – once used for predicting corn-harvest cycles, now proving very useful in predicting corn futures – that his mother taught him.) But Jed’s life is thrown into chaos when his former mentor, the game theorist Taro, and a mysterious woman named Marena Park, invite him to give his opinion on a newly discovered Mayan codex.

Marena and Taro are looking for a volunteer to travel back to 664 AD to learn more about a ‘sacrifice game’ described in the codex. Jed leaps at the chance, and soon scientists are replicating his brain waves and sending them through a wormhole, straight into the mind of a Mayan king.

Only something goes wrong. Instead of becoming a king, Jed arrives inside a ballplayer named Chacal who is seconds away from throwing himself down the temple steps as a human sacrifice. If Jed can live through the next few minutes, he might just save the world.

For the past several years my hubby and I have vacationed in the Mexican Riviera area. We’ve became fascinated with the Mayan civilization and have had the opportunity to visit a couple of preserved ruins such as Chichen Itza and Coba. We’ve even have our wedding date translated into the Mayan calendar format. It’s a beautiful piece of art but impossible to read. So it comes as no surprise that this cover and plot line caught my attention and instantly went on the wish list.

And as a added bonus I absolutely couldn’t resist including a cover tribute to the late Paul Newman. Title: Paul Newman: A Life Author: Shawn Levy Release date: May ’09

From Amazon: Paul Newman, the Oscar-winning actor with the legendary blue eyes, achieved superstar status by playing charismatic renegades, broken heroes, and winsome antiheroes in such revered films as The Hustler, Cool Hand Luke, Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid, The Verdict, The Color of Money, and Nobody’s Fool. But Newman was also an oddity in Hollywood: the rare box-office titan who cared about the craft of acting, the sexy leading man known for the staying power of his marriage, and the humble celebrity who made philanthropy his calling card long before it was cool.

The son of a successful entrepreneur, Newman grew up in a prosperous Cleveland suburb. Despite fears that he would fail to live up to his father’s expectations, Newman bypassed the family sporting goods business to pursue an acting career. After struggling as a theater and television actor, Newman saw his star rise in a tragic twist of fate, landing the role of boxer Rocky Graziano in Somebody Up There Likes Me when James Dean was killed in a car accident. Though he would joke about instances of “Newman’s luck” throughout his career, he refused to coast on his stunning boyish looks and impish charm. Part of the original Actors Studio generation, Newman demanded a high level of rigor and clarity from every project. The artistic battles that nearly derailed his early movie career would pay off handsomely at the box office and earn him critical acclaim.

He applied that tenacity to every endeavor both on and off the set. The outspoken Newman used his celebrity to call attention to political causes dear to his heart, including civil rights and nuclear proliferation. Taking up auto racing in midlife, Newman became the oldest driver to ever win a major professional auto race. A food enthusiast who would dress his own salads in restaurants, he launched the Newman’s Own brand dedicated to fresh ingredients, a nonprofit juggernaut that has generated more than $250 million for charity.

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What’s your favorite cover attraction this week? Don’t forget to leave a link to your Cover Attraction post.