WNC TOP 75 BOOKS JUNE 20, 2009

June 20, 2009

This list reflects recently published or re-issued books, and their sales. For classics, see Guide to WNC Literature. Books published with the last three months are in boldface. Consult archive of top 50 lists for titles that had appeared previously, but are now more than two years old.

New to the list, not yet ranked
• Culture, Crisis & Conflict: Cherokee British Relations 1756-1765, edited by Anne F. Rogers and Barbara R. Duncan (Museum of the Cherokee Indian Press, July 2009).
• Step Back In Time: A Walking Tour of Black Mountain by Nancy Mason and Jerry Pope (2009). 16 historic points of interest with watercolor paintings by Pope; historical facts, stories and photographs in 48 pages.
• Quote These by Tawan Perry (TMP Publishing). Book of quotations created by Warren Wilson College assistant dean of student life for students.
• The Fitzgerald Ruse by Mark de Castrique (Ingram Publisher Services, Aug. 2009). Sequel to Asheville set-mystery, Blackman’s Coffin, featuring war veteran/detective.
• The Knowing by Jennifer Elizabeth Daigle (XLibris, 2008). Adventure involving street hustlers in fantasy-endowed Dickensian setting.
• Sports in the Carolinas: From Death Valley to Tobacco Road edited by Ed Southern (Novello trade paper, June 2009). Collection of well-written short pieces that adulate sports heroes including Junior Johnson and Choo-choo Justice.

1. Signing Their Lives Away: The Fame and Misfortune of the Men Who Signed the Declaration of Independence by Denise Kiernan and Joseph D’Agnese (Quirk Books hardcover, May 2009). Acclaimed journalists, now Asheville residents, reveal amazing lives.
2. Serena by Ron Rash. Lauded novel about husband and wife lumber tycoons controlling destinies in backwoods and board rooms. (Ecco hardcover, Oct. 2008).
3. Miss Julia Delivers the Goods by Ann B. Ross (Viking hardcover, Apr. 2009, 352 pages, $24.95).
4. The Sugar Queen by Sarah Addison Allen (Bantam trade paper ed., Apr. 2009). Best-selling Asheville author’s second novel, featuring characters involved in food rituals, none more so than a lovelorn 27-year-old who fills her need with candy.
5. Boone: A Biography by Robert Morgan (Algonquin trade paperback ed., Sept. 2008). Full portrait of Boone’s life and times, and of force of development, by novelist and poet.
6. On Agate Hill by Lee Smith (Shannon Ravenel paperback ed., Aug. 2007). Novel about an orphan girl’s progress from ruined plantation to Ashe County
7. Driving with the Devil: Southern Moonshine, Detroit Wheels, and the Birth of NASCAR by Neal Thompson 2006; Three Rivers Press trade paperback, 2007). Popular author’s account of stock car racing’s origins in the 1940s includes some local figures.
8. Thirteen Moons by Charles Frazier (Random House trade paper ed., June, 2007). Novel based on Col. William Thomas and his involvement in Cherokee history.
9. The Blue Star by Tony Earley (Little, Brown hardcover, Mar. 2008). Award-winning author’s sequel to “Jim the Boy,” in which 17-year old Jim Glass’s attraction to a part-Cherokee girl leads to an intensified awareness of Rutherford County.
10. No Room for Doubt: A True Story of the Reverberations of Murder by Angela Dove. Waynesville author’s account if her stepmother’s murder; father’s heart-rending shortfalls; and victim’s mother’s heroism. (Berkley trade paper, Mar. 2009).
11. Palenque: Eternal City of the Maya by George Stuart and David Stuart (Thames & Hudson hardcover, Nov. 2008). Barnardsville resident George Stuart and his son David are world experts on interpreting Mayan culture.
12. The North Carolina Birding Trail Mountain Trail Guide (Apr. 2009, 190 pages, www.ncbirdingtrail.org)
13. In a Dark Season by Vicki Lane. The fourth Elizabeth Goodweather novel uses the mystery genre to convey a lot of authentic local lore. (Dell mass market paper, May 2008)
14. Hiking North Carolina's Blue Ridge Heritage by Danny Bernstein (Milestone Pr. Trade paper, Mar. 2009). The new authoritative guide by everywhere hiker.
15. Two of the Missing: Remembering Sean Flynn and Dana Stone by Perry Deane Young (1975; Press 53 Classics edition, Mar. 2009). Local writer’s account of two photojournalist friends who went missing in Vietnam.
16. Finding Your Way in Asheville by Cecil Bothwell, 2nd ed. (CreateSpace trade paper, Feb. 2009). A popular local guide, updated.
17. Fear in North Carolina: The Civil War Journals and Letters of the Henry Family compiled by Karen Clinard and Richard Russell (Reminiscing Books trade paper, Apr. 2008). The most extensive record in letter of a Civil War and post-war family in the Asheville area.
18. Ghost Cats of the South by Randy Russell (John F. Blair hardcover, Oct. 2008). Russell's fourth ghost story collection transforms folklore into stories with charm.
19. As the Twig Is Bent by Joe Perrone Jr. (CreateSpace, Jan. 2009). Asheville author’s mystery-thriller about murders in Manhattan and trails in chat rooms.
20. King of the Moonshiners: Lewis Redmond in Fact and Fiction ed. By Bruce E. Stewart (U. of Tenn. Pr. Trade paper, Feb. 2009). Three early portrayals of local 19th century outlaw; plus lengthy intro.
21. Cataloochee by Wayne Caldwell (Random hardcover, June, 2007). Memorable novel about the pre-removal Great Smokies community, starting with the advent of Ezra Banks, a hardened farmer and war veteran.
22. Tender Graces by Kathryn Magendie (Bell Bridge Books, Apr. 2009).
23. Nor the Battle to the Strong by Charles Price (Frederic C. Beil hardcover, July 2008). Masterful novel about Revolutionary War in the South, entering the minds of General Nathanael Greene and Private James Johnson.
24. Old Wounds by Vicki Lane (Dell mass market paper, June, 2007). Third mystery featuring Elizabeth Goodweather, working from her mountain farm; Cherokee lore comes to the fore.
25. The Blood-Hungry Spleen and Other Poems about Our Parts by Allan Wolf (Candlewick, Mar. 2008). Exuberantly rhyming verse and uninhibited musings by Asheville poet writing for kids.
26. The Four Lost Men: The Previously Unpublished Long Version by Thomas Wolfe, edited by Arlyn and Matthew J. Bruccoli (U. of South Carolina Press hardcover, July 20, 2008). Story based on Wolfe’s dying father lamenting passing of era as U.S. is about to enter WWI.
27. The Fifth Skull by Terrell Garren (Reprint Co. hardcover, Oct. 2008). Suspenseful and disturbingly true story of the horrors encountered by the “lost boys of the Confederate Junior Reserve.”
28. Cherokee Thoughts Honest & Uncensored by Robert J. Conley (U. of Okla. Press trade paper, Oct. 2008). Sequoyah Distinguished Professor of Cherokee Studies at WCU, and accomplished historical novelist, challenge conventions about Cherokee identity.
29. The Days between the Years by Sherry Austin (Overmountain Press hardcover, Nov., 2007). Widowhood brings a world of memories about her former passionate self to Trixie Goforth, whose voice the authors has taken to a blog.
30. More Than Friends: Poems from Him and Her by Allan Wolf and Sara Holbrook (Wordsong hardcover, Oct. 2008). Award-winning author and performer Wolf teams with colleague to produce back-at-you verse dialogue charting teens’ romance.
31. What Virtue There Is in Fire: Cultural Memory and the Lynching of Sam Hose by Edwin T. Arnold (U. of Georgia Pr. hardcover, April 2009). ASU English professor’s story of an 1899 lynching in his home region—expanded to create a deep cultural study.
32. The Origin of the Milky Way and Other Living Stories of the Cherokee collected and edited by Barbara Duncan (UNC Press trade paper, July 2008)
33. Power in the Blood: A Family Narrative (Race, Ethnicity and Gender in Appalachia) by Linda Tate (Ohio University Press hardcover, Mar. 2009).
34. Mountain Mysteries: The Mystic Traditions of Appalachia by Larry Thacker (Overmountain Press trade paper, Apr. 2007). Guide to the paranormal occurrences includes an understanding of how the dead work in people’s minds.
35. Literary Trails of the North Carolina Mountains: A Guidebook by Georgann Eubanks (UNC Press trade paper, Oct. 2007). Beautifully designed, substantial guide to sites, with excerpts from pertinent works.
36. Basil’s Dream by Christine Hale (Livingston Press trade paper, Apr. 2009). An American family’s move to Bermuda entangles them in politics, romance, and complicated alliances.
37. Warriors by Ed Nielsen (booksurge.com, Jan. 2009). Local authors presents first-person accounts of nine Vietnam War vets, four from WNC.
38. Jack Tales and Mountain Yarns as told by Orville Hicks by Julia Ebel (Parkway Publishers, Apr. 2009). Ebel uses a free verse form to capture the popular storytellers versions of traditional tales.
39. Southern Appalachian Poetry: An Anthology of Works by 37 Poets edited by Marita Garin (McFarland & Co. trade paperback, May 2008).
40. That Magnificent Army of Youth and Peace: The Civilian Conservation Corps in North Carolina, 1933-1942 by Harley E. Jolley (N.C. Office of Archive and History large formal trade paper, Nov. 2007). Veteran historian of the Blue Ridge details and documents rarely treated legacy.
41. A History of Hunting in the Great Smoky Mountains by Bob Plott (History Press trade paperback, Sept. 2008). The veteran mountain hunter provides a history of weapons and adventure through stories.
42. A Cherokee Encyclopedia by Robert J. Conley (U. of New Mexico Press hardcover, Dec. 2007).
43. Hiking North Carolina’s Lookout Towers by Peter Barr (John F. Blair, April 2008). For 26 towers in WNC, the author provides, history, description, directions, and hiking difficulty, and photos.
44. Homunculus by Jerry Stubblefield (Black Heron Press hardcover, March 2009). Novel about failing Appalachian writer whose imaginative, horrifying invention comes to life.
45. Windows of the Heart: The Correspondence of Thomas Wolfe and Margaret Roberts edited by Ted Mitchell (U. of South Carolina Press hardcover, Oct. 2007). Revealing exchange between the author and his influential teacher, who was hurt by “Look Homeward, Angel.”
46. Guide to North Carolina Highway Historical Markers, tenth ed., ed. By Michael Hill (N.C. Office of Archives and History trade paper, Nov. 2007)
47. Asheville: A History by Nan K. Chase (McFarland trade paperback, Sept. 2007). A survey of city history with compelling prose and some special passionate focuses.
48. The Anatomists by Hal McDonald. (Harper mass market paper, March 2008) Mars Hill College English professor’s contest-winning mystery-thriller about grave-robbers in 19th century England.
49. Radical Passions: A Memoir of Revolution and Healing by Kendall Hale (IUniverse, Nov. 2008). Candid, whirlwind account of a life as a student radical, union organizer, feminist musician, health clinic builder, seeker of inner peace, and Fairview mother and farmer.
50. The Magical Campus: University of North Carolina Writings by Thomas Wolfe edited by Matthew Brucoli and Aldo P. Magi (U. of S.C. Press, May, 2008). It contains “The Return of Buck Gavin: The Tragedy of a Mountain Outlaw,” a folk play Wolfe wrote and produced in 1919.
51. The Frontier Nursing Service: America’s First Rural Nurse-Midwife Service and School by Marie Bartlett (McFarland trade paper, Dec. 2008). Compelling account of woman who developed health service in region by working with residents.
52. The Prince of War: Billy Graham’s Crusade for a Wholly Christian Empire by Cecil Bothwell (Brave Ulysses trade paper, Jan. 2008). Unauthorized biography strives to show that Graham’s crusade has involved using the sword of religion to achieve both military and evangelical goals.
53. The Life and Times of Ray Hicks: Keeper of the Jack Tales by Lynn Salsi (U. of Tenn. Press hardcover, Oct. 2008). Many interviews with the late great Beech Mountain storyteller transformed into a memoir that provides insight into mountain ways.
54. Manners & Morals of Victorian American by Wayne Erbsen (Native Ground Books trade paper, March 2009).
55. Birthed from Scorched Hearts: Women Respond to War compiled and edited by MariJo Moore (Fulcrum trade paper, Dec. 2008). Local literary leader presents bold selections, both thematically and chronologically wide-ranging.
56. Pure Bunkum: Reporting on the Life and Crimes of Buncombe County Sheriff Bobby Lee Medford by Cecil Bothwell. First person account of tracking down the Sheriff Medford story. (Brave Ulysses, Nov. 2008)
57. A Game Called Salisbury: The Spinning of a Southern Tragedy and the Myths of Race” by Susan Barringer Wells (Infinity Publishing trade paperback, 2007, 877-BUY BOOK). Story of a series of murders and retributive lynchings that had taken place within the author’s family a century ago.
58. High Vistas: An Anthology of Nature Writing from Western North Carolina & the Great Smoky Mountains, Vol. 1, 1674-1900 by George Ellison (History Press trade paper, July 2008). Presentation of twenty key natural history writers of this region’s past, with biographical prefaces.
59. Circling Home by John Lane (U. of Ga. Press trade paper ed., Mar. 2009). Premiere nature writer from area writes history of land within walking distance of home.
60. Move Over, Mountain: 50th Anniversary Edition by John Ehle (Press 53 trade paper, Aug. 2007) Revered author’s 1957 novel about an African-American’s struggles in segregated North Carolina.
61. Silence by Christopher Brookhouse (Permanent Press hardcover, Jan. 2009). Literary Asheville novelist’s spare portrait of teens finding their way.
62. Asheville's River Arts District (Images of America) by Rob and Henry Neufeld (Arcadia trade paperback, July 2008). The illustrated survey of the resurgent district includes now-and-then photos, documented history, and stories.
63. Highlands (Images of America) by Dr. Randolph Preston Shaffner (Arcadia trade paper, July 2008). Eminent historian of the region presents history in photo book format.
64. Hunting and Fishing in the Great Smokies: The Classic Guide for Sportsmen by Jim Gasque and Jim Cassada (UNC Press trade paper, Aug. 2008). Reissue of 1948 regional classic with intro by noted outdoorsman Cassada.
65. Haunted Hills: Ghosts and Legends of Highlands and Cashiers North Carolina by Stephanie Burt Williams (History Press trade paper, Sept. 2007)
66. Get Rufus by Bob Terrell (Land of Sky Books trade paper, Sept., 2008). Beloved veteran Asheville writer’s western about Jackson County sheriff in 1917.
67. Cabins & Castles: The History of Architecture of Buncombe County, NC by Douglas Swaim and others (Historical Resources Commission, 1981; facsimile edition, Historical Images, 2008). Thousands of homes and buildings of historic note are documented.
68. Wind in the Web by Frederick Bryson (Trafford, July 2008). Bryson’s second novel about the Cherokee Removal follows the revelation and journey of a warrior who redresses the uprooting.
69. Weavers of the Southern Highlands by Philis Alvic (Univ. of Kentucky Pr., 2003; trade paperback, 2009). This history of four centers of activity includes Fireside Industries at Berea and the Penland Weavers and Potters.
70. Littlejim by Gloria Houston (Bright Mountain Books paperback reissue, Apr. 2008). Classic children’s novel about a young man learning the world through his family and Spruce Pine’s lumber industry.
71. The End of Eden: Writings of an Environmental Activist by Thomas Rain Crowe, illustrations by Robert Johnson (Wind Publications trade paperback, Oct., 2008). Essays that muse about Eden and environmental Armageddon; and then testify to an idyllic existence in Jackson County threatened by development.
72. Under the Sun by Glenis Redmond (Main Street Rag trade paperback, Sept. 2008). Award-winning performance poet ventures into themes of civil rights, family, and legacies.
73. The Day of the Knights by Jack Joseph Prather (PublishAmerica, Jan. 2009).
74. The Serial Killer’s Daughter by Pat Riviere-Seel. Poems comprising the story of a woman executed in 1984, told through voice of her daughter. (Main Street Rag, Jan. 2009)
75. Daddyhood: Being a Daddy and Not Just a Father by Charles Blount (Author House trade paperback, Feb. 2008). Book of advice and story of the author’s development as a father before and after divorce, with fatherhood defined non-biologically.
76. When the Dead Dream by MariJo Moore (Renegade Planets, Aug. 2008). Character-rich novel about a woman’s movement within two cultures, Cherokee and white; triumphant sequel to “The Diamond Doorknob.”
77. A Dream of Adonis by David Brendan Hopes (Pecan Grove Press, Sept. 2007). Oracular book of poems recalls the golden age, when beauty was appreciated without sexual taboos and poets were heroes.
78. An Endless Tapestry by Julia Nunnally Duncan (March Street Press, 2007). Marion author of two books of fiction publishes her first book of poems, telling stories in the first person.
79. Beauty: A Novel by Mindi Meltz (Hidden Door Press trade paper, Jan. 2009, 215 pages, $14)
80. Elizabeth and the Old Fool, and Other Stories by Naomi P. Bastow (Vantage, Dec. 2008)
81. Sharks on My Fin Tips: A Wild Woman’s Adventures with Nature” by Simone Lipscomb (Grateful Steps, Oct., 2008)
82. A Precious Window of Time: A Manual for Teaching and Nurturing Middle School Girls” by Howard Hangar and Dr. Vicki Garlock (Lobster Press, 2009)
83. Meigs Line by Dwight McCarter and Joe Kelley (Grateful Steps, May 2009). Rangers explore the Cherokee-settler boundary in the Smokies.
84. Irons in the Fire: Stories from the Flatiron Writers by Genève Bacon, Toby Heaton, and Heather Newton (Green Ridge Books trade paper, 2008, www.flatironwriters.com). Well-received stories by writers who gather in Asheville building.
85. Dwelling in Beulah Land: A Celebration of Rural Church Life by Robin Spencer Lattimore (Hilltop Publications, 2007). Rutherfordton author’s combination of lavish photo album, memoir, and local history.
86. View from My Porch: A Look Back at Plumtree by Fran Vance Clemons (Books Books Books large format trade paperback, Oct. 2008)
87. Montreat (Postcard History Series) by Mary McPhail Standaert and Joseph Standaert (Arcadia trade paper, Apr. 2009).