Along with Publisher’s Weekly and The Kirkus Reviews, The Library Journal is one of the top three publications that give early reviews to upcoming books. The magazines guide purchasing decisions for the book trade: bookstores, gift shops and libraries. So I was thrilled when the Journal published the first review of Unquenchable below today, especially the Highly Recommended verdict. (Librarians are a tough lot to please … remember your high school librarian or English teacher?)
Here’s the review:
MacLean, Natalie. Unquenchable: A Tipsy Quest for the World’s Best Bargain Wines. Perigee: Berkley. Nov. 2011. c.368p. index. ISBN 9780399537073. $24. BEVERAGES
Many readers would have enjoyed swapping places with MacLean, an award-winning wine writer, as she traveled the world in search of good value and great taste in a bottle. She focuses on finding a wine to pair with a typical dinner each day of the week.
Her overriding goal, however, is introducing readers to less familiar wine-producing regions of the world. In the process, MacLean introduces an array of colorful vintners and teaches readers how to choose good representative wines. She supplements the chapters with URLs to further information on her website.
The instruction is wrapped in an engaging travelog that includes references to local literature and narratives of mouthwatering meals. MacLean is a charming and disarming author, freely admitting to her love of a bargain (so long as it is delicious) and the intoxicating fun of having wine in her glass.
VERDICT: An informative adventure in wine appreciation that should have broad appeal. Highly recommended.
—Peter Hepburn, University of Illinois at Chicago
You can pre-order the book online now:
Doubleday Canada
• Indigo/Chapters
• Amazon.ca
• McNally Robinson
Penguin USA
• Amazon U.S.
• Barnes & Noble
• Powells
