Inside Jacket

In a great new title from Penguin, “Paris Underground: The Maps, Stations, and Design of the Métro,” Mark Ovenden takes readers on a tour of the system’s history through its maps, signage, and iconography. Ovenden calls it “one of the most important untold stories in the history of graphic design in the mass-transit environment,” and after pouring over initial designs for stations, discarded route plans (including one by Gustave Eiffel the year after his tower went up), Second World War-era German-language maps (and English-language maps, prematurely produced in 1942 with the title “Yank’s Guide to Paris Subways,” in anticipation of an American liberation), and shiny plastic wallet cards from the nineteen-eighties, I had to agree with him. The history is dense—a chapter on the relative virtues of a diagrammatic or schematic map notes that there have been so many different attempts to make one “true” diagram because it’s virtually impossible to do so—“there are generally at least half a dozen different types of cartographic solutions required for the varying needs of any reasonably sized urban-rail system.” The chapter goes on to break down “the functions of each type of need,” which sounds like it might make for tedious reading, but Ovenden breaks his paragraphs up with lots of eye candy, and every few pages or so we are treated to a lengthy of spread of maps from different eras and designers presented side by side.

Other chapters are simply sublime. There’s one on Hector Guimard’s art-noveau station-entrance signs that includes his earliest sketches, made in 1900, in which, Ovenden writes, correctly, “It is not possible to see quite how he intended to sign the stations.” But they do show his unique lettering style, which aimed to “make the text fit the rest of his creations; hence the uneven form of each character—bulging and thinning where least expected.” The organic approach meant that each different type of Métro entrance employed a slightly different lettering style. Another chapter, on unofficial Métro maps, is titled Chapter 13bis, in honor of a cartographic mistake made in 1935, when an official map was produced that erroneously designated the short line from La Fourche to Porte de Clichy as “Ligne 13b.” Ovenden notes gleefully: “This mistake was repeated not just for a few maps … but for almost forty years!”

(Middle image: a Guimard sign. Bottom image: today’s official Métro map.)

On the The Guardian’s book blog, Evan Maloney wonders whether a common love of reading is important in a relationship. "What difference does it make … if both partners are notorious readers, or if one partner reads voraciously while the other has no interest in literature? Does ‘must love books’ represent a categorical imperative, an optional extra or a quality of no consequence in a book lover’s search for an ideal partner?" he asks.

Maloney says he once thought "the best woman for me was the one who most accurately reflected my own interests." But now he is in a relationship with a woman who has read just one novel in the eight years they’ve been together. Obviously, his "categorical imperative" position has become quite squishy.

I’m not a big fan of the "must love books" position in a relationship. But I do think it helps. A bookshelf can tell you a lot about a person, and though a fan of Sarah Palin’s "Going Rogue" could live happily ever after with someone who loves "An Incovenient Truth" by Al Gore, I wouldn’t bet those odds.

I fall somewhere north of the "optional extra" category. Books can be wonderful for starting conversations among strangers, and fueling conversations among friends and lovers. Why else are so many of in book clubs? Books present us with new ideas, and take us to new lands. I suppose a reader/non-reader relationship can thrive if there are other common values (like the Baltimore Ravens, poodles or reality TV), but sprinkling some novels or non-fiction here and there certainly wouldn’t hurt.

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Viking/Penguin's Elizabeth Gilbert Kicks Off Her National Publicity Campaign for Committed

#1 New York Times bestselling author Elizabeth Gilbert kicked off a national publicity campaign for her highly anticipated new book Committed: A Skeptic Makes Peace with Marriage, which went on sale this past Tuesday from Viking. She began her cross country tour with a reading and signing at the Barnes & Noble Union Square on pub date where she met a packed house, following a fantastic interview on ABC’s "Good Morning America".

Gilbert will also appear on "The Oprah Winfrey Show" on Wednesday, January 13th, in a show discussing marriage around the world, and was featured on ABC’s “Nightline” this past Monday evening, as well as “The Diane Rehm Show” yesterday; she will appear on NPR’s “Weekend Edition” tomorrow. The book is receiving great reviews: a front page rave by Curtis Sittenfeld in this coming Sunday’s New York Times Book Review calls it “consistently entertaining and illuminating and often funny.”

Committed begins where Eat, Pray, Love ended—just after Gilbert fell in love with Felipe, a Brazilian-born man of Australian citizenship who’d been living in Indonesia when they met. The couple was forced to reconsider their vow never to marry (both were survivors of previous bad divorces) when Felipe was unexpectedly detained at a U.S. border crossing. Having been effectively “sentenced to wed,” or Felipe would never be allowed to enter the country again, Gilbert tells the story of her efforts – through contemplation and extensive conversation with everyone she knew or met on her travels – to make peace with marriage before entering its estate again.

Listen to our recent podcast with Elizabeth Gilbert and read an excerpt from Committed.
 

Publishers Weekly Covers Pam Dorman’s Return to Penguin Group (USA)

In the January 4th issue of Publishers Weekly, Pam Dorman is profiled in the “Home Again” section highlighting her return to Penguin Group (USA) last year to head her own imprint, Pamela Dorman Books. PW news editor Rachel Deahl explores the launch of the imprint this month with Saving Ceecee Honeycutt (due out next week), how it will be primarily focused on the kinds of books she loves most — debut women's fiction (she previously acquired and edited Sue Monk Kidd's The Secret Life of Bees and The Memory Keeper's Daughter by Kim Edwards). In the piece, Pam also praises the Penguin sales force for helping The Help by Kathryn Stockett (Amy Einhorn/Putnam) become such a huge success. Dorman says, “That's the kind of sales power we have. That's what gives me hope, that we can still do that, even in a time when people are not so willing to part with their money.”

To read the full article, click here.
 

Avery Sweeps Morning Shows on January 6th with Two Authors on “The Today Show” and One on “The Early Show” 

Avery authors hit the ground running to kick off 2010. On Wednesday, January 6th, not one but three Avery authors made appearances on major morning shows: two on “The Today Show” and one on “The Early Show.” Stephanie Nelson, author of The Coupon Mom’s Guide to Cutting Your Grocery Bills in Half, was interviewed by Matt Lauer on "The Today Show", where she discussed how to save big at the grocery store with coupons. This was just the start of the strong nationwide publicity campaign. Over the next few weeks she’ll be interviewed about the book on shows such “The Doctors,” “Extra,” and “700 Club;” the book will also be featured in the New York Times Business Section, USA Today’s Money Section, Jean Chatzky’s column at the New York Daily News, Chicago Tribune, and Parenting magazine. Read an excerpt from the book and watch a video here.

Shortly after Stephanie’s appearance, CNBC senior analyst Ron Insana sat down with Meredith Viera to talk about his book, How to Make a Fortune from the Biggest Bailout in U.S. History. His “Today Show” appearance also kicked off a national campaign, featuring a slew of national TV and radio shows such as CNBC’s “Power Lunch;” MSNBC’s “Morning Joe;” “Weekend Today Show;” ESPN Radio; an ABC Radio tour, and CNBC’s “The Closing Bell with Maria Bartiromo,” among others. Read an excerpt from the book here.

Finally, to round out a very busy morning, CBS Medical Correspondent and OB-GYN Dr. Jennifer Ashton appeared on part one of a two-part series on “The Early Show” to talk about her book, The Body Scoop for Girls. In the series, she sits down with a group of young girls and their mothers to discuss how much they know about their own sexual development (and what their parents may or may not have told them!). Dr. Ashton will continue her publicity campaign by appearing on major TV shows including “The Dr. Oz Show,” “The Joy Behar Show,” a CBS TV Satellite Tour, and a CBS radio tour. The book will be featured in major magazines such as Cosmopolitan, American Cheerleader, Parade, and Seventeen. Look for major online and blog coverage in the weeks to come. Read an excerpt from the book here.

Viking’s Jasper Fforde Embarks on a National Publicity Tour for Shades of Grey

Viking’s own rock star of a fantasy author, Jasper Fforde, kicked off his US tour for his latest novel, Shades of Grey, with his signature style of “shaking up genres—fantasy, comedy, crime, sci-fi, parody, literary criticism” as coined by The Miami Herald. In Shades of Grey, Fforde continues this tradition and transports readers into a dark, wild world where the black and white of moral certainty have been reduced to shades of grey.

Jasper’s tour started with a bang here in NYC earlier this week with over 200 people at his B&N event and over 100 people at his Partners & Crime event. Books were flying off the shelves! In a rave review, the Los Angeles Times says “it’s great fun to waste time in Fforde's company,” and one group that attended both NYC events this week surely agrees as they are on a self-proclaimed “Fforde tour” traveling to other cities to see him as well. For an instant chuckle, check out Fforde’s hilarious and informative blog on which he’s begun documenting the best/worst eggs benedict as he travels through the rest of his US tour, among other zany things you’ll find on his website.

Read an excerpt and reviews here.
 

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Christine Feehan’s Latest Title Debuts at #1 on the New York Times Mass Market List

 

Christine Feehan’s Street Game (Jove) debuts at #1 on the New York Times mass market fiction list for the week of January 17th. Street Game is the newest book in Feehan’s bestselling Ghostwalker series about a group of genetically-enhanced warriors fighting for their country and their own survival. In 2009, all four books that Feehan published with Berkley, each representing one of her four different series, debuted at #1 on the New York Times mass market fiction list!

 

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Dutton’s Tami Hoag Debuts at #7 on the New York Times Hardcover Fiction List

 

After a two year hiatus, #1 New York Times bestselling author Tami Hoag lands a slot on the New York Times hardcover fiction list with her new thriller. Deeper than Dead, her first novel with Dutton, debuts at #7 on the list for the week of January 17th.

Hoag is currently in the midst of a national publicity tour to promote the book, with scheduled stops in Phoenix, Houston, Dayton, Chicago, Cincinnati, Delray, Wellington, Naples, and Miami.

Explore our reading group guide for Deeper than Dead discussion questions.

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The New York Times Bestseller Highlights for the Week of January 17th 

Eight new Penguin Group (USA) titles debut on the New York Times bestseller list for the week of January 17th: Fired Up by Jayne Ann Krentz (Putnam), The Honor of Spies by W.E.B Griffin and William E. Butterworth IV (Putnam) and Deeper Than the Dead by Tami Hoag (Dutton) hit at #5, #6 and #7 respectively on the hardcover fiction list; Street Game by Christine Feehan (Jove), Black Ops by W.E.B. Griffin (Jove), and Early Dawn by Catherine Anderson (Signet) hit at #1, #12, and #14 respectively on the mass market paperback list; Lords of Finance by Liaquat Ahamed (Penguin) debuts at #11 on the paperback nonfiction list; and Food Rules by Michael Pollan (Penguin) debuts at #2 on the paperback advice, how-to and miscellaneous list.

Here are more New York Times bestseller highlights:

On the hardcover fiction list, The Help by Kathryn Stockett (Amy Einhorn Books/ Putnam) is #2 in its 40th week; and U is for Undertow by Sue Grafton (Putnam) is #11 in its fifth week.

On the hardcover nonfiction list, Stones into Schools by Greg Mortenson (Viking) is #5 in its fifth week and Too Big to Fail by Andrew Ross Sorkin (Viking) is #10 in its eighth week.

On the trade paperback fiction list, The Piano Teacher by Janice Y.K. Lee (Penguin) is #4 in its seventh week; and Bed of Roses by Nora Roberts (Berkley) is #14 in its tenth week.

On the mass market paperback list, Arctic Drift by Clive Cussler and Dirk Cussler (Berkley) is #17 in sixth week.

On the paperback nonfiction list, Three Cups of Tea by Greg Mortenson and David Oliver Relin (Penguin) is #2 in its 153rd week; The Omnivore’s Dilemma by Michael Pollan (Penguin) is # 14 in its 118th week; Eat, Pray, Love by Elizabeth Gilbert (Penguin) is #18 in its 152nd week; and In Defense of Food by Michael Pollan (Penguin) is # 20 in its 30th week.

In the young readers sector, on the children's picture books list, Lego Star Wars by Simon Beecroft (DK) is #2 in its twelfth week; The Night Before Christmas by Clement C. Moore is #6 in its 27th week; Otis, written and illustrated by Loren Long (Philomel), is #9 in its eighth week; and Skippyjon Jones, Lost in Spice by Judy Schachner (Dutton) is #10 in its sixteenth week. On the children’s chapter books list, Along for the Ride by Sarah Dessen (Viking) is #8 in its fourteenth week. On the children's paperback books list, Lock and Key by Sarah Dessen (Speak) is #2 in its nineteenth week; Three Cups of Tea: Young Readers Edition by Greg Mortenson and David Oliver Relin (Puffin) is #7 in its 50th week; Just Listen by Sarah Dessen (Speak) is #8 in its 29th week; and Impossible by Nancy Werlin (Speak) is #9 in its eighth week. On the children’s series list, Vampire Academy by Richelle Mead (Razorbill) is #9 in its 20th week; and The Alex Rider Adventures by Anthony Horowitz (Philomel/Speak) is #10 in its 61st week.

At the Lapham’s Quarterly Winter Religion Issue launch party last week, which was held in the exquisitely pastel and chandeliered St. Paul’s Chapel, made pewless for the occasion, Deirdre, delighted at drinking alcohol in a place of worship, and perhaps eager to demonstrate to her editor that she has been doing her book-club reading, quoted Patricia Highsmith:

If one has enough sense of guilt, it is not necessary to belong to a church.

It’s a great quote, isn’t it (and one, I think, that at least a couple of the participants in last week’s reading—Honor Moore, Andy Borowitz, Jeff Sharlet, and Lewis Lapham—might sympathize with). It’s from an essay written in 1968 called “Jane Austen and Philby,” in which Highsmith considers the question of religion, and basically decides that the main problem with it is that it requires you to be a “joiner.” Yet, “it is not in the nature of truly religious people to join anything. The religious person is ascetic and lives alone.”

Highsmith was raised in the Southern Calvinist tradition (she grew up “Texas tough,” in Fort Worth) which, Schenkar argues, gives her work the strong moral underpinnings that are crucial to understanding it. It was also responsible “for the Big Chill at the center of her work: the one she defined so aptly as ‘the presence of the absence of guilt.’ ”

I noted in my first post on this book that Highsmith sang in her church choir until she was thirty-seven. Though she stopped attending, she seems to have believed in God—or at least to have struggled with the question of his existence—throughout her life; and she was spiritual, though the way she came to experience this was, Schenkar writes, through “a kind of ensorcelled and ecstatic union with a long list of female lovers.” And through arguing with her mother, who had embraced Christian Science, about Jesus, with whom Highsmith “tended to identify.”

What to make of the peculiar Miss Highsmith’s peculiar mode of religiosity? I can’t come up with anything neater than Schenkar does: “God was a long argument Pat seemed to be having with herself, and it was an argument she eventually lost.”