The Secret Life of the Lonely Doll by Jean Nathan

Everyone in the small town is made better by his visit, but nobody has any idea who the man was.Īn Unfinished Life by Mark Spragg (Knopf) Brinlee calls it 'the most Southern story set in Nebraska.' A colorful group of great characters are explored when a salesman comes to town selling games of chance. Laura Hansen owns Bookin' It in Little Falls, Minn. In the Land of Second Chances by George Shaffner (Algonquin Books)

In the novel, he then flees to the small Italian village of Bolzano in pursuit of Francesca - the only woman he's ever really loved. The story springs from historical fact, Casanova's 1756 escape from prison. The interwoven story that follows is told from six points of view.Īnother Brinlee pick concerns one of history's best-known lovers, Casanova. But his obsession with her leads him to kidnap her son. Rona Brinlee says the protagonist in Australian Elliot Perlman's Seven Types of Ambiguity hasn't been in touch with his ex-girlfriend for nearly a decade. Seven Types of Ambiguity by Elliot Perlman (Riverhead Books)Ĭasanova in Bolzano by Sandor Marai (Random House) Rona Brinlee of The Book Mark, Atlantic Beach, Fla. But for holiday gift ideas, NPR's Susan Stamberg asked independent booksellers around the country to suggest some hidden gems from their shelves. Detail from the cover of Barbara Bordnick's Searchings: Secret Landscapes of Flowers.ĭan Brown's The Da Vinci Code and America by Jon Stewart and his Daily Show cohorts are topping best-seller lists right now.

The Secret Life of the Lonely Doll by Jean Nathan