The 2004 Valentine's Day Top Ten

This week Book Sense announces the 2004 Valentine's Day Top Ten. The list is produced in conjunction with the Association of American Publishers' (AAP) Get Caught Reading initiative. This is the first in a series of seasonal Top Ten lists that Book Sense and AAP will be creating this year based on the nominations of independent booksellers nationwide.

Booksellers in the Book Sense program will be receiving the Valentine's Day Top Ten in the January White Box. For a downloadable PDF file of the 2004 Valentine's Day Top Ten, click here. For past Book Sense 76 lists, click here.

The next Book Sense and AAP Get Caught Reading list will be an Easter/Passover Top Ten, with a deadline of January 23. As was the case with the Valentine list, please send nominations for frontlist or backlist, adult or children's titles, directly to Book Sense 76 Editor-in-Chief Dan Cullen at [email protected].

Cullen noted to BTW that he's hopeful booksellers will send in photos of Book Sense 76 displays, reminding booksellers what an effective marketing tool Book Sense 76 displays are. The photos will be part of future BTW coverage and, also, are presented at ongoing meetings with publishers.

Photos may be sent in digital format, approximately 3" x 5" and 300 dpi, if possible, saved as JPEG or TIFF files. E-mail files to [email protected], or send photos via postal mail to Attn. Dan Cullen, ABA, 828 South Broadway, Tarrytown, NY 10591

1. THE TIME TRAVELER'S WIFE: A Novel, by Audrey Niffenegger (MacAdam/Cage, $25, 1931561648) "There isn't a better Valentine than this intelligent, sexy, and touching love story. Claire meets Henry when she is six, and he is 36. They marry when she is 23, and he is 31. Suffering from Chrono-Displacement Disorder, Henry spontaneously hurtles through time and space in incidents that are both amusing and moving, and utterly believable. Niffenegger surrounds the surreal with the real, as Henry and Claire struggle with the all-too-common challenges of love." --Leslie Reiner, Inkwood Books, Tampa, FL Also a Highbridge Audio (Abridged CD, 1565118278)

2. THE DOT & THE LINE: A Romance in Lower Mathematics, by Norton Juster (SeaStar Books, $7.95, 1587170663) "'Once upon a time there was a sensible straight Line who was hopelessly in love with a beautiful Dot.' So begins my favorite gift for Valentine's Day. The Dot, unfortunately, is taken by the wild and unkempt squiggle. Not until the Line discovers angles and can express himself in new ways does he have a chance with the beautiful Dot. With wit and humor, Norton Juster tells his wonderful tale of relationships, mathematical and human." --Carole Horne, Harvard Book Store, Cambridge, MA

3. CLIFFORD'S VALENTINES, by Norman Bridwell (Cartwheel Books, $3.99, 0439183006) "Everyone loves Clifford, so, with the cooperation of Mother Nature, Clifford thinks of a clever way to wish everyone Happy Valentine's Day in this charming level-one early reader." --Susan Fruncillo, Lake Country Booksellers, White Bear Lake, MN

4. CONSIDER LOVE: Its Mood and Many Ways, by Sandra Boynton (Little Simon, $12.95, 0689859082) "Sandra Boynton gives us the many faces of love, laced with her irresistible rhymes and illustrated with her trademark cartoon critters. A 'love problematic' (a pair of porcupines) captures the tone throughout this great Valentine's Day gift for all ages." --Jan Owens, Millrace Books, Farmington, CT

5. FRANKIE'S PLACE: A Love Story, by Jim Sterba (Grove, $23, 0802117473) "There are many types of love: love of another person; love of place; love of one's work; and, yes, love of self. Jim Sterba's Frankie's Place deals with all of these as he lets us into his life. As a New York Times foreign correspondent, Sterba has been all over the world. Fellow writer and Pulitzer Prize-winner Frances 'Frankie' FitzGerald and her 'place' enticed him home, and we are the beneficiaries of the telling of the journey in his wonderful prose." --Ruth Heffron, Compass Rose Bookstore, Castine, ME

6. HUG, by Jez Alborough (Candlewick, $6.99, 0763615765) "A baby monkey searches for his mother in the jungle. This mini board book for kids has terrific illustrations and a happy ending!" --Kelly Medici, New York University Bookstores, New York, NY

7. JULIE AND ROMEO, by Jeanne Ray (Onyx, $6.99, 0451409973) "You'll cheer for Julie and Romeo, as love does conquer all -- even the four-generation feud that keeps them from speaking throughout the 50-some years of their lives. Their efforts to hide their affair from his mother, their grown children, and the small town where they both own florist shops will keep you laughing, and the sweet-but-not-saccharine affection that perseveres will earn this witty novel a place in your heart." --Cheryl McKeon, Third Place Books, Lake Forest Park, WA

8. THE FEAST OF LOVE: A Novel, by Charles Baxter (Vintage, $13, 037570910X) "The perfect gift for your Valentine, male or female, this is one of my favorite books. It is not just a feast of love, it is a feast of great characters and a feast of great stories. With a look at love that is funny, humane, and bittersweet, Baxter has created an unforgettable read." --Vincent Desjardins, The Snow Goose Book Store, Stanwood, WA

9. THE GREAT FIRE: A Novel, by Shirley Hazzard (Farrar, $24, 0374166447) "Shirley Hazzard's The Great Fire, like her earlier novels, makes love the flame that illumines the human condition. What an incredible prose stylist: Every sentence invites rereading to appreciate the intricacy and polish of her prose." --Marian Nielsen, Orinda Books, Orinda, CA

10. THE MONK DOWNSTAIRS: A Novel, by Tim Farrington (HarperSanFrancisco, $14.95, 0062517864) "The Monk Downstairs is a charmer with a lot of heart. This winning novel is more intelligent than a sheer romance, and some scenes are unforgettable!" --Sue Carita, The Toadstool Bookshop, Milford, NH