Attica Locke's novel, "The Cutting Season"

Locke's novel is a superb, multilayered, historical/mystrey/thriller. If you like female heroes, courageous but troubled single mothers, African-American history, Louisiana and the trouble caused by the discovery of a dead body, you will love this book. The story protagonist, Caren Gray is a law school drop-out who returns to the sugar plantation-turned tourist attraction where her mother worked and where she spent her childhood. Branded as a failure by the father of her nine year old daughter, Caren is not so much a quitter as she is a person that wants to impose her will on her own life story instead being subject to the wills of others. Her troubles are compounded when the body of a latina migrant worker is found in a ditch alongside the road that divides the ancient  plantation grounds from the cane fields. It is also rumored that the slave quarters that still stand are haunted by the ghosts of her ancestors. I highly recommend this book.

--Edgar

Bookseller Summer Reading: Part 3

The next bookseller to weigh in on the question, "What did you read this summer?" is Sandy Scott.

My summer reading list is shorter than I'd like, but I've managed to get
a few good books under my belt. My favorites have been:
1. The Borrower, by Rebecca Makkai, which is a novel about a 26 year old librarian whose involvement in a young patron's life leads to an unplanned kidnapping.
2. Seraphina, by Rachel Hartman, a young adult fantasy with a main character who pulled me right into her story. Seraphina is a talented musician whose world is built on an uneasy truce between humans and
dragons, who are able to shift into human form. With the 40th anniversary of the original peace treaty approaching, tensions are high and a dangerous secret that Seraphina guards is threatened with discovery. Excellent writing, fascinating dragons, and a strong female lead character should appeal to fans of the Eragon series and Kristin
Cashore's Graceling trilogy.
I've also enjoyed Tina Fey's Bossypants; Archer Mayor's forthcoming novel, Paradise City; Privacy, by Garret Keizer; Penelope, by Rebecca Harrington; The Diviners, by Libba Bray; and Liar & Spy, by Rebecca Stead.

Bookseller Summer Reading: Part 2

Diane Grenkow is the second bookseller to ring in with an answer to our "back to school" question: What did you read this summer? 

Here are some of the books I've read this summer.  I really did read The Pickled Pantry even though it is about pickling and doesn't really tell a story exactly.  Except maybe the story of summer.  I read it cover to cover anyway and stuck slips of paper in where there are recipes I want to try.  It turns out, it would have been easier to mark the ones that I DON'T want to try.  I have been reading Anne of Green Gables books to my daughter and wishing we could run off to Prince Edward Island.  My son suggested I read the Ranger's Apprentice series and I'll admit I picked up the first one just to be nice because he asked me to.  Then I couldn't put them down and neglected the things that should have been pickled because I was too busy reading the whole series.  Whoops!  The Man Who Quit Money provided food for thought about how to live one's life and how to relate to money and what we do to get it and keep it that might not be in our best interest.  I love Archer Mayor and Toni Morrison, whatever they write.  Birds of a Lesser Paradise, a collection of stories, and Wild took me places the way you want a good summer read to take you.  Right now I am reading Louise Erdrich's forthcoming novel, The Round House.  It tells a brutal story but I'm completely taken with it so far.

Bookseller Summer Reading: Part 1

Hey! We're back! And we're turning a (virtual) fresh page on the blog with a new series of bookseller Q&A.

For the first question, we're tweaking the quintessential "What I did on my summer vacation" a bit and asking, "What did you read this summer?"

Our first answer comes from Edgar Davis, who has two books to recommend:

Blonde Faith, by Walter Mosley, is part of the Easy Rawlings Detective Series which includes Devil in a Blue Dress and Little Yellow Dog. This installment deliver the same detailed, imaginative and introspective narration from the story's hero, Ezekial Rawlings, a private-eye and Korean War veteran who makes his home in the L.A. of the 1950's, 60's and 70's. While using his detective's skill  to aid a member of of his close-knit African-American community, Easy's own life becomes complicated when he's abandoned by Bonnie, the love of his life.

The Devil's Storybooks, by Natalie Babbitt, is a delightfully collection of fables written with a rare combination of light-heartedness and sharp wit. The tales are both funny and profound. A good book for anyone from 13 to 30.

Review: Oh, No, George!

Every dog--and every kid--knows that the best intentions can be blown to the wind in the face of temptation, and this is what the hapless hero of Oh, No, George! discovers, time and again.

" 'Yes,' says George 'I'll be very good.' I hope I'll be good, George thinks," when Harry steps out for a little while. But, "Oh, no, George!," the lure of a cake, a playful cat, and a garden bed prove too strong to resist. How will the poor, disgraced pup redeem himself?

Using a vibrant palette of reds and purples, author/illustrator Chris Haughton paints George and his antics in an abstract style that allows the characters expressions to shine through, eliciting both laughter and sympathy for this well-meaning pooch.

Haughton wrote a fantastic, well-illustrated, blog post about the process of writing and illustrating this book, from conception to layout. Click here to read all about it!

Wake up, little blog!

Whew, it's been much too long since we've blogged here, but we're making a resolution to do better from now on. (Who says you can only make resolutions at New Year's?)

Thought 2011 is not over yet, the yearly lists are coming out now, and we'd like to share two of our favorites:

The New England Independent Booksellers Holiday Catalog is a list of some of the top choices of booksellers around our region.

The Association of Booksellers for Children (ABC) has also put out their annual catalog of Best Books for Children, and it must be said, there is a great crop of children's books this year.

Picks from the Pros

The fine members of the New England Children's Booksellers Association (NECBA) read and review advance book galleys at a furious pace each season in an attempt to cover as many new children's books as possible. The reviews are shared with others via listserv so that we don't all have to read every book, as much as we might want to. These reviews are then gathered, analyzed, catagorized, and finalized into the Spring (or Fall) Review Project by one of the intrepid booksellers of NECBA--this year, the amazing Carol Chittenden of Eight Cousins book store in Falmouth, Mass.

For the Top 10 (or A Baker's Dozen), you can view the snazzy poster, or get the full list, with reviews, here. I'm excited to say that I have two reviews included in this list, including Katherine Hannigan's True...(sort of), which is one of the Top 10 (a.k.a. Top 13) picks of the Spring List! While I'm at it, I will throw my wholehearted support behind these other Top Picks, which I read and loved: The Penderwicks at Point Mouette (the Penderwick family is always a delight to spend time with, and I'm so happy that there are two more books to come), Okay for Now (Gary Schmidt is an amazing writer and he perfectly captured the humor and tragedy of Doug Swieteck's eighth grade year), Blink and Caution (a fast-paced novel about two teens forced to trust one another when they separately stumble into a very dangerous situation), and Delirium (falling in the dystopian fiction genre, envisioning a world in which falling in love has been outlawed).

Of course, in the immortal words of Levar Burton, "You don't have to take my word for it."

How Many Cups of Tea, Exactly?

I read Three Cups of Tea along with countless others- it was even required reading for troops deploying to Afghanistan at one time. I was as captivated and inspired as most; I greatly admired Greg Mortenson for doing the scary, difficult work that I would never undertake myself. In short, he was the change that I wanted to see in the world.

Then came the allegations. A special investigation into Mortenson and his nonprofit, Central Asia Institute (CAI) by 60 Minutes "revealed" that parts of the book may be "fabricated" and author Jon Krakauer, once on the board of CAI says that Mortenson uses his charity like his own "personal ATM," citing his lack of documentation, receipts, and the one tax statement that the CAI has made public, which shows that they spent a great deal on helping Mortenson promote his books than on building actual schools in Afghanistan and Pakistan. Mortenson went from "hero" to "fraud" in the blink of an eye.

I couldn't bring myself to jump on the proverbial bandwagon and add Greg Mortenson to the "bad author" list alongside the likes of  James Frey. Condensing, expanding, perhaps even a little exaggeration, hey, chalk it up to creative license. One of Mortenson's alleged lies is that he wrote that he visited a village in Pakistan called Korphe (the town which purportedly inspired him to start his nonprofit) in 1993 after getting lost while attempting to climb the world's second highest peak, K2. It turns out that he probably visited the village in 1994 after another attempt at climbing the mountain.

There are more examples like the one above, but I find I am neither shocked nor offended by them.  And here is why: people generally won't donate to a cause unless they are asked, whether this is via ads on television, people on street corners, emails, catalogs, etc. Charities exist because we cannot be counted on to take care of each other without some prodding and pushing. After directing our attention to a cause they then employ tactics to make average citizens look into their hearts (and then their wallets) using combinations of bribery ("free gift with every donation!") and guilt-inducing bullying ("if you don't donate you are effectively killing the children on this screen") to fund the work they do. These tactics, while not the most efficient or tasteful, work on some level.

If Mortenson had written a book that simply bemoaned the plight of girls in Afghanistan and Pakistan, it never would have become the phenomenon that it is today. Mortenson was wise to weave those elements in with his own Indiana Jones-like tale because as a nation we prefer our heartbreak cut with a dose of heroism.  If Mortenson lied about the need that existed ("oh wait, there are plenty of schools for girls throughout Afghanistan!") I would have felt angry and cheated indeed. He didn't lie about the need. The need is there.

I don't want to be an apologist for those who commit crimes or defraud investors, but I am not ready to hang Greg Mortensen or his organization out to dry. It sounds like Mortenson's nonprofit suffers from moderate mismanagement (which, from my experience, is the nature of the beast when it comes to nonprofits) and would benefit greatly from some restructuring and additional oversight. Mortenson could definitely profit from taking a business class or two. But with so many criminals on Wall Street walking away scot-free (many with millions of dollars in bonuses) after swindling the American public out of their life savings, telling me that Greg Mortenson is the villain to watch out for just falls flat.

Read Three Cups of Tea. Take it not as gospel but as more of a suggestion. It is a compelling read, regardless. And most importantly, don't let programs like 60 Minutes divert your attention away from the real  frauds in this country. He may not be perfect, but there is no doubt in my mind that Greg Mortenson is at least attempting to do good work, if not completely succeeding.

Book Review: We, The Drowned

We, The Drowned by Carsten Jensen

This is a rare book in this age, and is all the more spellbinding for that. Spanning one hundred years in the life of a small town in Denmark, this extraordinary novel chronicles the lives of the people of Marstal who are all in some way bound to the sea. The story begins in the age of sail, and carries the reader through time to the day the Germans surrender to end World War Two. Each character introduced to the story is more powerful than the last, and events and places also come marvelously to life on every page of this nearly 700 page novel. Whether it is the life of schoolboys in Marstal, sailors unloading salt cod in Portugal, women managing their shipping companies, or a young Danish sailor looking for his father in the South Pacific, readers will be enthralled by these characters and their adventures as they come to life in this epic novel.

~ Linda

Amelia Bloomer Project

There are probably as many "best books of __" lists in existence as there are stars in the sky. And I'm touting yet another one! But this particular list has some very specific criteria, more specific than "decently written" in any event, and one that I think is certainly worth taking (more than) a glance at. I'm talking about the Amelia Bloomer Project, which recently announced its top 10 of 2011 list! This is a really neat organization affiliated with the ALA that creates a yearly booklist for the top feminist books for readers aged 0-18.  Not just a nod to literature featuring plucky, brave, daring and genius female characters navigating their way out of sticky situations, the books on this list (a mix of non-fiction and fiction) must be actively feminist. What does that mean exactly, you might ask? To meet the list's criteria books must openly acknowledge- and confront- the disparities that women face and show them dealing with and overcoming obstacles. Just as importantly, the stories must be told in an engaging, thoughtful, well-written and age appropriate way.  Looking for an alternative to Bella Swan? How about a graphic novel by Jane Yolen about a girl who, in addition to feeling like a misfit at school, is also a master swordswoman? I know I would have appreciated a list like this when I was younger (I most certainly appreciate it now) and look forward to using the list as a gift guide for the egalitarian-minded young people in my life. You can find the list here.

Book review round-up

As I mentioned last post, I have been reading some excellent books recently, and today I've got a blurb for each.



I'll start with Little Bee, by Chris Cleave, which is likely to be my favorite book of the summer, if not the year. Little Bee isn't brand new--it was first published in the States last year--but it took me a while to get to it. I am so glad I finally did. Cleave's writing is simply brilliant, and Little Bee is a heartbreaking and beautiful character. Little Bee is a 16 year old Nigerian refugee whose escape to the UK awarded her a two year stay in a detention center. She speaks to the reader as if over a cup of tea, with candor and with patience for all that you do not understand about the world. Her story is one that you will not soon forget.

Having struggled through The City & the City last year, only to realize as I closed the book that I really liked it, I was excited to read China Mieville's new novel, Kraken. This is a novel for fantasy readers, certainly. Reminiscent of books like Neil Gaiman's Neverwhere, our Everyman in this story is Billy Harrow, a curator at the London Museum of Natural History. The museum has recently acquired an enormous giant squid specimen that has been getting a great deal of attention from the public. When the squid mysteriously vanishes--tank and all--Billy is sucked into a strange layer of London life that encompasses cults of all descriptions (including, naturally, a group of squid worshipers), gods, monsters, angels, an evil tattoo, and two especially horrifying assassins. It's a chaotic ride, but a fun one, full of literary references and Mieville's playful use of language.

I found The Tale of Halcyon Crane, by Wendy Webb, to be a perfectly delicious ghost story with a splash of romance. Halcyon lost her mother in a fire when she was young but had a perfectly happy childhood with her loving father. It comes as a shock to receive a letter informing her that her estranged mother died a few weeks ago. Hallie's grief and confusion are compounded when her father passes away soon after. Determined to unearth the mystery of her own past, Hallie travels to the island where her mother had been living and where--though she has no memory of it--she spent her earliest years. Just creepy enough for a few shivers without being the stuff of nightmares, The Tale of Halcyon Crane is  a light, cool breeze of a book, perfect for summer reading.

Currently, I'm in the middle of two books by authors on our summer schedule: Imperfect Endings, by Zoe Carter, and The Unwanted Sound of Everything We Want, by Garret Keizer. Carter's book is an honest and intimate memoir of her mother's decision to end her life after a long struggle with Parkinson's Disease. Keizer writes about the history of noise and its often overlooked consequences. While very different in style and subject, both books are excellently written and captivating.

To wrap up, a teaser for three books that will be published in the coming months. Dennis Lehane fans will be thrilled to learn that he is bringing back Patrick Kenzie and Angela Gennaro for his new mystery, Moonlight Mile (November). Revisiting the case that tore them apart twelve years before, Kenzie and Gennaro's investigations put their lives and the life of the girl they're searching for in grave danger. Though I felt this was missing some of the grittiness of previous books in the series, it's good to be back on the case with these two Boston detectives.

I was privileged to have dinner with Joyce Hinnefeld a couple of years ago, when her novel In Hovering Flight was published. She is a lovely woman, and I was delighted to receive an advance copy of her new book, Stranger Here Below (October). In it, Hinnefeld introduces three generations of women, their individual strengths and fragility, and explores the sometimes tenuous bonds of friendship. This is an excellent book to share among sisters, mothers, daughters, and friends.

Finally, one for the YA crowd (though I highly recommend these books for adults, as well.) The Chaos Walking trilogy is the series I most expect and hope will get a big boost from the end of Suzanne Collins' Hunger Games trilogy (the final installment, Mockingjay, arrives August 24). It shares some similar elements--a corrupted world, far removed from our own, in which two teenagers may be the last hope for humanity's redemption--but is completely original in its characters and style. Beginning with The Knife of Never Letting Go, the reader journeys with Todd and Viola in search of hope. Todd was born on the planet called "New World," and has grown up in a village where men's (and animals') thoughts are always "heard" by everyone around them and all of the women died long ago. Viola is a newcomer to the planet, ejected from a scout ship that preceded a larger ship bringing a new group of colonists to New World. Together, they are pitted against the cruel Mayor, who has plans to conquer New World and reshape society to his own wishes. You will quickly find yourself caring deeply about the characters that Patrick Ness has created and his pacing will put you on the edge of your seat as they battle against the Mayor as well as with their changing understanding of themselves and their world. The final installment, Monsters of Men, will be on shelves at the end of September, which means that if you haven't had a chance to check out this series yet, you'll be able to race through the books back to back, all the way to the thrilling conclusion.

ONE noisy book, ONE spotted book, TWO counting books

My 7 month old niece is visiting from Virginia this weekend, and of course I have to bring her a book when I see her. Also of course, I left the shopping till last minute, so I've been doing a bit of my own browsing in between helping customers. There are so many wonderful books, but today, I'm leaning toward counting books.

A few days ago, we got in a fantastic little board book called Ten Black Dots. In the context of counting dots, the book explores the multitude of things you might create or imagine from those simple black circles.  One black dot could be a sun or it could be a moon. Four dots could become seeds or radio dials. With seven dots, you could have a spotted snake or some stones. The illustrations are simple but colorful and I love the playfulness of the dots being rearranged into different scenarios.

The Noisy Counting Book is just as playful and a lot more raucous--this is a great read-aloud. One boy, fishing in a pond, finds his nice quiet day becoming less so as a frog and some ducks and fish and, finally, six buzzing mosquitoes each add their noises to the chorus. I think that readers and listeners will have a lot of fun repeating the animal sounds, ending each time with the big frog's "GA-DUNK!"

There are...well, I was going to say "countless," but that seems inappropriate to the subject, so instead I'll say...numerous books about counting, some better than others. These two absolutely fall on the "better" side and are worthy additions to any beginning counter's library.

This Summer's Big Read: The Passage (and a give-away!)

Now, when I say "big read," I'm not just using that term metaphorically. This is a BIG book--784 pages. And it's a big story--the end of the world as we know it, and what happens next. It's been getting buzz since the ARCs (advance reader copies) began to circulate among booksellers sometime last fall. If those of us who've had a chance to read it already have our way, Justin Cronin's The Passage is going to be the bestseller of the summer.

I'd read Cronin's novel The Summer Guest a few years ago -- a quiet story about the complicated love of family, set at a summer camp on a lake in the woods. Though many of the details escape me at the moment, I still remember the enjoyment of reading the book, and would recommend it to anyone looking for a well-written novel with a good story and good characters. When I heard about this new vampire novel coming out in the summer, I didn't even connect the Justin Cronin of The Summer Guest with this Justin Cronin.

Until I realized that they were one in the same person, I hadn't actually planned on reading The Passage, despite the reviews, because I didn't feel compelled to read a book about a vampire apocalypse. No doubt, some of you reading this may feel the same, and I'm not going to say it's for everyone. But. The same novelist who wrote a lovely story about a family at a camp has taken his writing talent and skillfully applied it to a new genre--and what a book he's written.

Cronin has been quoted as saying that he wrote The Passage in response to his daughter's request that he write a story about a girl who saves the world. That girl is Amy, an orphaned child kidnapped by FBI agents as the final test subject for a virus that is being studied in a top-secret bunker--a virus that has the potential to cure disease and lengthen life indefinitely. I'm sure you can guess how that will turn out.  The virus turns people into monsters with a bottomless hunger for blood. These are not your sparkly vampires, or your hypnotic-eyed caped counts; these are creatures that embody fear and violent, horrible death. The virus spreads through blood, which means that those victims who are not killed join the ranks of the "virals," as they are called. Their strength, speed, and numbers quickly overrun the country, leaving a veritable wasteland in its place.

The one chance of salvation lies in Amy, who is rescued by one of the same agents who kidnapped her, from the facility where she is being held. Her response to the virus is not the same as that of the infected adults--though she develops an aversion to sunlight and seems to sense the thoughts and movements of the virals, she is not one of them. In that fact lies a glimmer of hope that the human race may still be saved.

This book is bound to be compared to The Stand, and Stephen King's high praise, printed large on the back cover, will enforce that comparison: "Every so often a novel-reader’s novel comes along: an enthralling, entertaining story wedded to simple, supple prose, both informed by tremendous imagination."

While The Passage has all of the elements of your typical apocalyptic story (our government makes a hubristic attempt to harness an unknown element that ends up destroying life as we know it, etc.) I promise you that the care with which this story and its characters have been crafted elevate it from the ranks of run-of-the-mill, direct-to-mass-market* territory.

Just one more note (some might view it as a MILD SPOILER, but I was glad to have the information in advance) - there is a cliffhanger ending. I'm anticipating the sequel already!

Intrigued? Here's your chance to win my dog-eared ARC, before the book is available in stores:

Leave a comment here, between today and Tuesday, May 18 . We'll choose a winner at random from the comments.

Or, if you don't want to take a chance with luck, Pre-order your copy today! (Available June 8)

For more about The Passage:

Justin Cronin's website

Find Subject Zero

*In case you're not familiar with the term, mass market is the small, fat type of paperback often associated with romances and thrillers found in the supermarket. Not that there's anything wrong with that.

Three reviews

March, and often into April, seem to me especially good months for reading. It's a transitional time when winter's fading but the really lovely, warm spring weather hasn't arrived (except in a teasing "soon, but not yet" sort of way). I like to hunker down with a stack of books until green things start poking through last year's dead grass and the last of the snowbanks have finally disappeared from the yard--total escapism.

This week, we're each going to share one book that has kept us occupied (and sane) this season.

Linda:

I Thought You Were Dead by Pete Nelson (Find it on our Staff Picks table now!)


Talking dog? I had my doubts. But in the same way that I want a reader to take a risk--say when I am trying to sell them a book about sheep farmers in Iceland--I figured I owed it to this book to give it a try. In short, the relationship between Paul and his dog Stella is the best relationship between any characters--human, canine, feline, bovine--anything or anyone in fiction, and probably in life. I'd welcome Paul and Stella on my doorstep any day, and in the meantime I'll be so happy I met them while I was reading.

Sandy:

Will Grayson, Will Grayson by John Green and David Levithan (available April 6)


I love this collaboration between David Levithan and John Green.  It's the story of two boys named Will Grayson who live in different suburbs of Chicago. One Will Grayson lives by rules that will keep him out of the spotlight, number one of which is "Shut up." Unfortunately for him, it's hard to avoid the spotlight when your best friend is Tiny Cooper, "world's largest person who is really, really gay."  The other Will Grayson faces a daily battle with depression and finds his only solace in online meetings with a guy named Isaac. One night, the Will Graysons' paths cross, and each boy finds his life changed in ways he wouldn't have imagined. Engaging from the first page, the story is funny, heartbreaking, redemptive, and completely captures the frustration of those teenage years when you're trying so hard to understand who you are and how to deal with life's highs and lows. (Not to say that ends as soon as the teen years are over.)


Stella:

My Name is Mary Sutter by Robin Oliveira (available May 13)

Robin Oliveira's debut novel is a Civil War story full of wonderful historical detail and strong writing. Mary Sutter is a woman who wants to become a surgeon, succeeds, and discovers her strengths and limitations along the way.  The book is loosely based on the life of Mary Edwards Walker, the first American female surgeon and the first woman to receive the Congressional Medal of Honor. [edited 3/29: Though some aspects of the character's life might be similar to that of Mary Edwards Walker and other female surgeons of the Civil War, the author would like to note that Mary Sutter is a completely fictional character.]

(I really enjoyed this book, but if you have a weak stomach there are some graphic descriptions of battlefield wounds and amputations that you might want to skip past.)

It's here! The pace quickens...

Wow, just like that, we've been dropped into the holiday season. Sorry I missed last week--what with Thanksgiving falling on my usual blog-writing day, it kinda slipped my mind. However, I hope you all had as lovely a day with family, friends, and food as I did!

It's hard to believe that it's really December, but that's what the calendar seems to say. I won't remind you how many shopping days! are Left! till Christmas! because that drives me nuts, but I will mention that The Galaxy Bookshop has put together a list of the books that we're excited to recommend as great gifts (whether for someone else or for yourself.)

Here are the links to our various lists (which you will also find along the right had side of our website):

Babies & Toddlers , Growing Readers , Fiction , Non-fiction , for the Do-It-Yourself-ers , Seasonal titles , Vermont-centric , Marvelous Miscellany

You can also take a look at the New England Independent Booksellers' Holiday Catalog for more suggestions from our cohorts in  bookselling around the region.

After you've made your gift/wish list, come to our Annual Sirius Reader Sale & Party tomorrow--December 5! There will be sales on many of the titles from our Holiday Picks list; coffee, juice, and baked goodies; a good selection of advance reading copies to pick through (a suggested $1 donation per book will benefit the Hardwick Area Food Pantry); and you can help us officially name the two kittens (yes, they're still here!) by voting for your favorite names.

On top of that, we have two authors coming for book signings during the day.

At 11 a.m., meet Leon Thompson, author of Not Too Awful Bad: A Storyteller's Guide to Vermont. He's got a unique and funny take on the state, and we are looking forward to getting to know more about this new Vermont author.

At noon, Ethan Hubbard will be here to sign copies of his new book of collected photos, Thirty Below Zero: In Praise of Native Vermonters. Well, we HOPE he'll be signing copies--as I type this, the books are being held up by Homeland Security in Boston (routine procedure)--but Ethan does have some copies to flip through. In the worst case scenario, we'll take orders for the book and expect to get them to you, autographed, in time for Christmas.

In other holiday news, cats love to help decorate:

[caption id="" align="alignleft" width="207" caption="Hmm...let's see what's in here."][/caption]

[caption id="" align="alignright" width="186" caption="Shh--don't tell Linda I used this pic!"][/caption]

Book Review: Graceling

Graceling, by Kristin Cashore

On the back cover of Graceling, you'll read a snippet of a review comparing the book to Twilight, and of course the publisher would want to appeal to the legion of Twilight fans who are hungry for something new to read, now that Stephenie Meyers' series is finished. If I were to compare this book to anything in the pop culture consciousness, however, I'd lean towards Buffy the Vampire Slayer. Yes, it is a fantasy novel with a romantic vein, but this is above all a book about a young woman who is strong and independent and who wants to empower other girls to take care of themselves.

Gracelings are indentifiable by their eyes, which are of two different colors, and each Graceling has his or her own unique abilities. Some are more mundane than others--they can range from an affinity for cooking to psychic knowledge of weather patterns. Katsa's Grace manifested itself when, at eight years old, she killed an uncle who was making inappropriate advances toward her. Since then, Katsa has been employed by another uncle, King Randa of the Midlunds, as his personal assasin and enforcer. She has trained and honed her superhuman skill for killing and maiming until she can take out an army of men on her own.

Although she is forced to deliver horrible and often unfair punishments to her uncle's subjects, the injustices Katsa sees all around her lead her to form a secret Council that works to save victims of tyranny and abuses of all kinds. On one such mission, rescuing an elderly prince from the dungeons of a neighboring kingdom, Katsa meets a stranger who will change her life and everything she believes about herself and her Grace.

Prince Po of the island kingdom of Lienid is also Graced with fighting abilities, and he is searching for his grandfather--the same prince that Katsa helped to rescue from prison. Together, Po and Katsa seek to discover who kidnapped the elder Lienid prince and for what dark purpose.

I was thrilled to read this book, with a heroine whose strength and independent spirit does not give way at the entrance of a handsome, romantic young man. Though she doesn't always understand it, Katsa embraces her strength, protecting others and teaching them to protect themselves. The men she allows close to her are not intimidated by her power but respect and love her for that very strength. This is a book I am very happy to recommend to young women--and young men--looking for a story full of action, adventure, and romance, with characters they can cheer for and admire.

[Note: Graceling has just been published in paperback. Fans will be eager to read Cashore's next book, Fire, which is about different characters, but still set in Katsa's world.]

[Note, part II: Check out Kristin Cashore's website and blog for more information about the author and her books and books-in-progress!]

The Books of Summer: Part 2

Last week, we posted links to other peoples' recommended reading lists. This week, we'd like to offer our own suggestions.

First up, the books we've read and highly recommend:

Border Songs by Jim Lynch - Set along the Washington-Canada border, this novel tells the story of a two small communities, separated by a ditch and not much else, that are shaken up by increased pressure by Homeland Security to patrol the comings and goings across that ditch. The loveable and misunderstood Brandon Vanderkool falls right in the center of the turmoil by accidentally becoming the border patrol's most successful agent. It's a great story by a great author, and we're looking forward to welcoming Jim Lynch to the bookstore on July 10!

The Selected Works of T.S. Spivet by Reif Larsen - A fascinating, unusual story packaged in a gorgeous book. T.S. Spivet is a cartographic genius who has won a prestigious award at the young age of 12. During his cross-country train trip to the award ceremony, he ruminates on his life and fractured family, interspersing the story with numerous maps and notes in the margins.

Outcasts United by Warren St. John - A compelling journalistic style of writing makes this story about a refugee youth soccer team a must-read. St. John weaves historical and cultural background in with the stories of various children and their families who are trying to make a new home in a town that is unsure of how to handle the sudden influx of  foreigners into their community.

The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie by Alan Bradley - This little mystery is quick to read and has a wicked sense of humor, thanks to its protagonist. Flavia de Luce is an 11 year old girl with a passion for chemistry (especially poisons) who takes on the task of clearing her father's name in a murder that took place on the family estate.

John Adams by David McCullough - A very accessible account of this fascinating early American leader. Don't let the size of this book intimidate you--it is an absorbing read.

The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins - This middle grade/young adult novel is a gripping story about a girl who is forced to fight for her life in a government-sponsored reality show that pits teenagers against one another for the honor of their district and the entertainment of the Capitol. Read (or re-read) it before the sequel, Catching Fire, comes out in September!

The Absolutely True Diary of a Part Time Indian by Sherman Alexie -  This novel in journal format is about a reservation kid who defies tradition and his best friend to go to school  with white kids, 22 miles and a whole world away. Funny and poignant and discussion-provoking, this is a fantastic book for teenaged boys (or girls) and adults.

Bayou by Jeremy Love - Bayou collects the first four chapters in a webcomics series about a menacing world in which the small but brave daughter of a black sharecropper fights racism, in the form of men and monsters, and is joined by one particular monster named Bayou in her search for justice.

And now, the books that we're looking forward to reading this summer:

My Dearest Friend - The letters of John and Abigail Adams offer a personal look at a pivotal point in our history.

The Family Man - Elinor Lipman's latest promises to be a light, funny, and heartwarming read.

The Mysterious Benedict Society and the Perilous Journey - The first book was delightful, and the adventures and mysteries just keep coming.

Southern Vampire series (Living Dead in Dallas, #2) - You can't open a magazine these days without seeing those gorgeously gothic photos advertising the t.v. series True Blood. For those of us that don't have cable, original books, by Charlaine Harris, are entertaining servings of romance, mystery, and the supernatural.

The Elegance of the Hedgehog - This translated novel about lives in an apartment building in France sounds like a good, character-driven story with the added charm of a Parisian setting.

Whiskey Rebels - Treason, deception, redemption, and a host of real-life characters make this sound like the perfect thrilling historical novel to get lost in on a lazy summer day.

Of course, this is by no means a complete list. What are your recommendations, or the books that are on your planned summer reading list? Let us know in the comments (or stop by the store--one thing we never get tired of is talking about books!)

Review: All Other Nights

Written by Sandy (I'd meant to post this over a month ago, when the book was first published, but it got lost in the shuffle. Time to dust it off--this book could be a great vacation read!)

All Other Nights, by Dara Horn

All Other Nights is the story of Jacob Rappaport, a young Jewish solder who is forced to decide whether to betray his country or betray his family when he is ordered to murder his uncle, who is suspected of plotting to assassinate President Lincoln. Telling himself that it is the right thing to do for his country, Jacob follows orders, fully expecting some reward or recognition for his dedication. Instead, upon returning to his regiment, he is sent on another undercover  mission, this time to infiltrate a family of female spies by winning the confidence and love of their supposed ringleader, Eugenia. Despite himself, Jacob learns to care deeply for Eugenia, and is once again trapped between his country and the people he loves. Whatever his choice, he may never be able to redeem himself to the ones he betrays.

By exploring the roles of Jewish Americans in the Civil War, Dara Horn offers a fresh take on this well documented period in history. Jacob is a witness to anti-Semitism in his own life, through thinly veiled comments of his peers and superiors. He sees blame placed on all Jews for the actions of individuals like his uncle and Judah Benjamin, the Secretary of State of the Confederacy. Intolerance and hypocrisy is rampant, as men who claim to fight for freedom do not believe in the same freedoms for every person, and people whose ancestors escaped from slavery now keep slaves of their own.

I enjoyed Dara Horn's previous book, The World to Come, but it was certainly a more challenging read. All Other Nights is, I believe, a much more accessible book, and should win Horn many new fans. Her writing is engaging and thoughtful, her characters intriguing and relatable. Whether you're looking for history, suspense, or romance, this is a book that will satisfy from the first page to the last.

Visit the author's website.

A couple of brief reviews

Written by Stella

The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society by Mary Ann Shaffer and
Annie Borrows has been one of the best books that I have read in a long
time. Mostly humorous, but at times poignant, the story is set in post WW II
London, where a young writer, Juliet Ashton, is trying to find an
interesting subject for her next book. She unexpectedly finds it when a pig
farmer from the Guernsey Islands writes to her with an unusual request.

Written in a letter format, the book draws you into the story of each of the
appealing characters. Anyone interested in historical fiction will find this
a captivating read.

This book is now available in paperback!







Written by Sandy


All Other Nights, by Dara Horn

All Other Nights is the story of Jacob Rappaport, a young Jewish solder who is forced to decide whether to betray his country or betray his family when he is ordered to murder his uncle, who is suspected of plotting to assassinate President Lincoln. Telling himself that it is the right thing to do for his country, Jacob follows orders, fully expecting some reward or recognition for his dedication. Instead, upon returning to his regiment, he is sent on another undercover  mission, this time to infiltrate a family of female spies by winning the confidence and love of their supposed ringleader, Eugenia. Despite himself, Jacob learns to care deeply for Eugenia, and is once again trapped between his country and the people he loves. Whatever his choice, he may never be able to redeem himself to the ones he betrays.

I also enjoyed Dara Horn's previous book, The World to Come, but it was a tougher book to recommend because of its tendency toward magical realism. All Other Nights is, I believe, a much more accessible book, and should win Horn many new fans. Her writing is engaging and thoughtful, her characters intriguing and relatable. Whether you're looking for history, suspense, or romance, this is a book that will satisfy from the first page to the last.

Visit the author's website.

Review: The Selected Works of T.S. Spivet

The Selected Works of T.S. Spivet, by Reif Larsen

Want the short review? I'm fairly confident in calling this my favorite novel of the year. You should read it--you'll love it, too.

Want the longer version? Here it is:

Tecumseh Sparrow "T.S." Spivet is always making maps. He maps water tables, bird migrations, his room, his home state of Montana, the paths of dreams and conversations, and the motions of his sister shucking corn. His maps have won him the attention of the Smithsonian Institution and the prestigious Baird Award. The only problem with this is that T.S. is only 12 years old and doesn't have a way to get from Montana to Washington, D.C. to accept the award. Well, there is one way, which is to hop a train, like the hobos he's learned about in school.

During his journey, T.S. reflects on his life's work and on his family, from whom he feels distanced. His mother is withdrawn into her scientific studies, his tough and practical rancher father can't understand the bookish T.S., his older sister is more sympathetic but often self-centered in a teenage, can't-wait-to-get-out-of-here way. Then, there's Layton, T.S.'s beloved younger brother, whose death constantly hovers in T.S.'s thoughts.

In T.S., Reif Larsen (who apparently made quite the stir in the publishing world with his debut) has created a character with a wholly original and memorable voice. I loved that, even though he is a tremendously intelligent child, Larsen stops short of the unbelievably precocious by retaining T.S.'s childish sense of wonder, excitement, and fear. This was a character I was willing to follow, wherever he decided to take me, which included many stops in the margins, where a good deal of the story is told. This is what makes the book truly unique—the margins are full of T.S.'s maps, drawings, and explanatory notes. The author describes these as “exploded hyper text,” but my initial comparison (suggested by the boy's destination) was to descriptive plaques in a museum, offering the deeper story behind the scene or object in front of you.

It is a story beautifully told and also beautifully presented—the book is slightly oversized, with a gorgeous dust jacket and embossed cover (plus all of the marginal illustrations inside)--it's the kind of book that makes you want to run your hands over it, pore over the illustrations, and maybe give it a hug. (Yes, I did those things when I took it out of the box. You might be able to guess that I haven't become an e-book convert.)

So, there it is--favorite book of the year; buy a copy--buy two, because once you're finished, you'll want to share it (but you won't want to give up your copy).

I recommend visiting the book's very cool interactive website. Be sure to give yourself some time to explore!