Indiespensable #53 from Powell's Books

I am so excited to finally get my second shipment from the Indiespensable book club!  Indiespensable used to ship about every six weeks but this box arrived 3 months after the last shipment back in April.  I'm not sure if this means they are going to switch to quarterly shipment or not.  I never received an email or other notification explaining why they delayed shipping this installment but I'm happy it's here.  Here is a look at what was included in this installment:

Featured Book:  A Diver's Clothes Lie Empty by Vendela Vida

Synopsis from Amazon: 

From the acclaimed author of Let the Northern Lights Erase Your Name and The Lovers comes a taut, spellbinding literary thriller that probes the essence and malleability of identity.

In Vendela Vida’s taut and mesmerizing novel of ideas, a woman travels to Casablanca, Morocco, on mysterious business. While checking into her hotel, the woman is robbed of her wallet and passport—all of her money and identification. Though the police investigate, the woman senses an undercurrent of complicity between the hotel staff and the authorities—she knows she’ll never recover her possessions. Stripped of her identity, she feels burdened by the crime yet strangely liberated by her sudden freedom to be anyone she chooses.

A chance encounter with a movie producer leads to a job posing as a stand-in for a well-known film star. The star reels her in deeper, though, and soon she’s inhabiting the actress’s skin off set, too—going deeper into the Casablancan night and further from herself. And so continues a strange and breathtaking journey full of unexpected turns, an adventure in which the woman finds herself moving further and further away from the person she once was.

Told with vibrant, lush detail and a wicked sense of humor, The Diver’s Clothes Lie Empty is part literary mystery, part psychological thriller—an unforgettable novel that explores free will, power, and a woman’s right to choose not her past, perhaps not her present, but certainly her future. This is Vendela Vida’s most assured and ambitious novel yet.

Advance Reader Copy:  Above the Waterfall by Ron Rash

Synopsis from Amazon:

In this poetic and haunting tale set in contemporary Appalachia, New York Times bestselling author Ron Rash illuminates lives shaped by violence and a powerful connection to the land

Les, a long-time sheriff just three-weeks from retirement, contends with the ravages of crystal meth and his own duplicity in his small Appalachian town.  Becky, a park ranger with a harrowing past, finds solace amid the lyrical beauty of this patch of North Carolina.

Enduring the mistakes and tragedies that have indelibly marked them, they are drawn together by a reverence for the natural world. When an irascible elderly local is accused of poisoning a trout stream, Les and Becky are plunged into deep and dangerous waters, forced to navigate currents of disillusionment and betrayal that will force them to question themselves and test their tentative bond—and threaten to carry them over the edge.

Extras:  Fuller Serious Cheesy Puffs in Siracha and Cheddar

Each box also includes a booklet with information about the book selections and a special interview with the featured author.

Cost of Box:  $39.95 (shipping included)
Impressions:   I have not read anything from either of the authors included in this box but I am looking forward to reading both books.  The plots of both books sound interesting and The Diver's Clothes Lie Empty has good ratings on Amazon.  I really like that Indiespensable brought back the special slipcase covers for the featured book too!  I have several bookshelves to display my books and I really like the look of old looking matte fabric covers more than shiny dust-jackets.   It's nice that the featured book is signed by the author as well.  And I think it's great that Indiespensable offers advance reader copies like Above the Waterfall which will be released on September 8, 2015.   The siracha and cheedar cheesepuffs are very good.  They are a little spicy but I like spicy snacks.  I had to restrain myself from eating them all in one sitting!  I like that they are baked (not fried) and include simple, natural ingredients so I don't feel so guilty about inhaling them!  :)

It's hard to place a value on a box like Indiespensable because it includes exclusively designed and printed or advanced reader copy books.  But here is some information to give you an idea of pricing to get similar versions of the box items:

• A Diver's Clothes Lie Empty, $17.76 (Amazon.com, hardcover)
• Above the Waterfall, $14.13 (Amazon.com pre-order, hardcover)
• Fuller Serious Cheese Puffs - Siracha and Cheddar flavor, 3 oz, $5

As a book lover, the appeal and "value" of Indiespensable is in the autographed book, the exclusively designed book covers, the interview with the featured author, advance reader copies and the special box curation by fellow book lovers.  And you have to take in to consideration that the subscription price includes the cost of shipping the weight of these books to you.  I'm very happy with this installment because I plan to read both books and I liked the tasty snack they included.  I'm looking forward to the next installment!