Announcing: The January/February 2003 Book Sense 76 Top Ten

Dear Booksellers,

Again, thank you! Right after the regional shows, the recommendations started flooding in. Do note that a lot of the ARC's at the shows were for books pubbing February or later, so I've saved those e-mails of yours for the March/April 76, which is already looking fantastic!!

I've tried to keep this 76 to books out now or coming no later than the first week of January, as well as to fill it with a lot of paperbacks and some surprise sections, too. Here's the luscious Top Ten. The full 76 will appear next week in BTW.

Again, thank you, and many, many thanks to all the publishers who supplied reading copies at the shows!!

Carl
[email protected]

1. MICHELANGELO AND THE POPE'S CEILING, by Ross King (Walker, 0802713955; Jan.) Also an Audio Partners Audio (1572703059)

2. THE PASSION OF ARTEMISIA, by Susan Vreeland (Penguin, $13 paper, 0142001821, Dec. 31)

3. COAL: A Human History, by Barbara Freese (Perseus, $25, 0738204005; Jan.)

4. SAMARITAN, by Richard Price (Knopf, $25, 0375411151; Jan. 7) Also a Random House Audio CD (0739302175)

5. THAT OLD ACE IN THE HOLE, by Annie Proulx (Scribner, $26, 0684813076; Dec.) Also an S&S Audio (0743524977; CD, 0743524985)

6. OLD FLAMES, by John Lawton (Atlantic, $24, 0871138646; Jan.)

7. HAIL TO THE CHIEFS: Presidential Mischief, Morals & Malarkey From George W. to George W., by Barbara Holland (Permanent Press, $28, 1579620817; Jan.)

8. FOREVER: A Novel, by Pete Hamill (Little, Brown, $25.95, 0316341118; Dec. 30) Also an S&S Audio (0743509153)

9. SWEET DREAM BABY, by Sterling Watson (Sourcebooks, $22, 140220017X; Nov.)

10. ONE STEP BEHIND, by Henning Mankell (Vintage Black Lizard, $13 paper, 1400031516; Jan. 4)