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Staff Picks...
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Laura
Hansen, Owner/Bookseller
I love
language at least as much
as I love story. You’re
likely to find lots of lyrical
writing in my selections.
I rarely fall in love with
a book written in a style
the reviewer describes as
“spare” or “sparse”.
I demand good writing even
in the mysteries I read.
I also prefer stories that
cover a short intense period
of time; a day, a week,
as opposed to multi-generational
sagas.
I read literary fiction,
mysteries, travel writing,
an occasional memoir and
I also read and write poetry.
My friends also know that
I am a sucker for any book
with water or a dog on the
cover!
I also participated in
the Jackpine Writers' Bloc
20X20 Project last summer
pairing 20 writers with
20 visual artists.
You
can find
me on www.goodreads.com!
 Goat
Song by Brad
Kessler June 2009
Goat
Song is written with
tenderness, humor and intelligence.
Kessler's writing seamlessly
combines his personal experience
and observations with thoughtful
asides that range from etymolgy
and mythology to economics,
ecology, religion, and faith.
Kessler's writing is so
fluid you would read just
about anything he chose
to write about, but the
most joyous sections are
his descriptions of life
as a goatherd and of his
own unique flock. Brilliant.
Recommended for fans of
Hit by a Farm, Marley
and Me, Michael Perry's
Coop, or Barbara Kinglsolver's
Animal, Vegetable, Miracle.
 The
Lord of Death by Eliot
Pattison (The Skull
Mantra, Water Touching Stone,
Bone Mountain, Beautiful
Ghosts, Prayer for the Dragon)
grabs you from page one
and doesn't let go. A gripping,
powerful tale of Tibet under
Chinese rule and of the
lengths one man will go
to ease another's suffering.
Pattison continues the Detective
Shan series by sending him
to the foot of Tibet's most
famous mountain, Everest,
where he must help an enemy
in order to save his son.
 Whitelines
journals and paper have
finally arrived!
We've been waiting
for the US release of this
Swedish innovation since
we went to trade show last
fall. Whitelines paper has
a lightly toned non-glare
background with white lines
that disappear when you
photocopy, scan or fax.
Whitelines give you the
guide lines or grids you
need to make a neat document
while being less busy and
distracting, especially
user-friendly for anyone
who suffers from astigmatism
or dyslexia. Available hardbound
or wirebound.
 Dream
Big starring Olivia
by Ian Falconer ($9.99)
A
great little book for graduates
or anyone needing a little
bit of inspiration. Falconer's
Dream Big features the
precocious Miss Olivia the
Pig from the best-selling
children's book series.
Falconer pairs Olivia in
all her glory with quotes
from famous folks. Who could
better demonstrate such
lofty thoughts than the
amazing unstoppable Olivia.
GREAT
FOR GRADUATION!
 Sweeping
Up Glass by Carolyn
Wall Trade Paper August
2009
With the rich detailing
and clear voice of Lay
that Trumpet in Our Hands
(Susan Carol McCarthy)
and the gripping emotional
and historical impact of
David Hill's Sacred Dust,
Sweeping the Glass is a
wonder.
Olivia lives in the Kentucky
mountains, befriending wolves,
tending her grandson and
fractious mother, and nursing
the wounds of the past.
When she digs too deep into
her family's secrets, she
dredges up trouble enough
to endanger an entire town.
 Hannah's
Dream by Diane
Hammond Coplin Hammond,
Harper Paperbacks, September
2008, $13.95
In
Hannah's Dream, author
Diane Hammond takes a snippet
of news footage about an
aging elephant and her keeper
and expands it into a marvelous
novel. Hammond creates a
vibrant and believable cast
of characters to fill her
fictional world not the
least of which is the amazing
elephant Hannah whose uncertain
future is pivotal to the
story. I was quickly and
completley absorbed by the
story and so will any reader
who has ever looked into
the eyes of an animal and
seen a familiar soul looking
back.
 Hotel
on the Corner of Bitter
and Sweet
by
Jamie Ford,
Release
Date 1/27/2009, $24.00 Jamie
Ford's Hotel on the Corner
of Bitter and Sweet
casts a lasting
glow. The characters are
fully realized, the title
is a real attention grabber,
and the story fleshed out
with plenty of local and
period detail. Ford provides
an intimate look at life
on the homefront during
WWII from the uncommon perpective
of an earnest Chinese-American
boy and his Japanese-American
school friend. I think Henry
and Keiko are two of the
most engaging characters
I've come across in a long
while and I will not soon
forget them, nor Sheldon,
the saxophone player who
befreinds them. I'm not
the type of reader that
necessarily longs for a
happy ending, but this one
certainly satisfies.
 A
Reliable Wife by Robert
Goolrick, Algonquin Books
March
2009, $23.95
With
A Reliable Wife,
Robert Goolrick has given
us a rare treat, a story
so good we are loathe to
start another book for fear
it will fail utterly in
comparison.
It
is 1907 and Ralph Truitt
is seeking a wife. Catherine
Land is the woman who answers
his call. In the midst of
a swirling snowstorm, she
steps off of the train and
into his life. She is not
what he expected. Nor is
he as naïve as she
had hoped.
What
follows is a skillfully
told tale of lies and betrayals,
of rampant passion and unchecked
desires, and occasionally
of hope and compassion.
Fierce and original, sensual
but never crass, Goolrick
spins a remarkable tale
that takes the reader from
the sophistications of Chicago
to a bitterly cold and barren
Wisconsin winter to the
opium dens and music halls
of St. Louis.
Just
announced! A Reliable Wife
will be an MBA MIDWEST Connections
Pick!
 Time
Is A River by Mary Alice
Monroe January 2009
paperback
Mia Landon travels to a mountain
sanctuary near Asheville,
North Carolina, while she
begins her recovery from breast
cancer. There, she discovers
the long lost journal of a
well-known fly-fisherwoman
from the 1920s--an account
which draws her back into
the world around her.
Monroe's depiction of a woman
coming to terms with life
after breast cancer and her
husband's betrayal is thoughtfully
done and worthy in itself,
but the setting and backstory
are what really kept me hooked.
I loved the mountain setting,
the cabin by the river with
its unusual contents, and
the intriguing tale of a reclusive
woman who was a master fly-fisher
in the 20's. Monroe successfully
and subtlety weaves the lessons
of fly-fishing into Mia's
story of recovery. A thoroughly
restorative book.
 The
School of Essential Ingredients
by Erica Bauermeister (9780399155437,
$24.95, January 2009, Fiction,
Putnam) is absolutley charming
and Bauermeister's writing
is chock full of beautiful
metaphors.
On Monday nights, Lillian
closes her restaurant to customers
and opens her arms to the
students of her cooking class.
Not one to depend on recipes,
Lillian opens her students
eyes, hearts and minds by
concentrating on each ingredient
as a guest at the table to
be admired and enjoyed and
paired with other interesting
"friends". Bauermeister
lays out this delectable spread
one student at a time, giving
voice to the sometimes subltle
and sometimes dramatic ways
the class has changed their
outlook on life.
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 A
Beautiful Place to Die
by Malla Nunn
January 6, 2009 $25.00
A
Beautiful Place to Die
is a roaring good mystery.
Malla Nunn combines issues of
race, politics, and small town
power struggles in this powerful,
provocative, and atmospheric
novel. Rural Jacob's Rest, South
Africa in the 1950's is held
in an uneasy truce between blacks,
coloreds and the ruling whites
until someone crosses social
taboos and a policeman ends
up dead. Detective Emmanuel
Cooper is sent to investigate
and finds himself in a writhing
bed of lies and betrayal and
ends up fighting not only for
the truth but for his life.
 Starvation
Lake; A Mystery by Bryan Gruley
(Trade Paperback Original, $14.00,
March 2009)
Want to read
one of those books that keeps
you up at night and makes you
late for work? Bryan Gruley's
Starvation Lake is just
that kind of unflinching straight-ahead
reads. Full of small town characters
and big city vice, Gruley nails
his Michigan setting and shows
a deft hand at laying down a
plot line that teases the reader
steadily along. And, man, can
he describe a goalies-eye view
of the hockey rink. Few writers
enter the literary world with
such an impressive debut. Reporter
Gus Carpenter has some trouble
on his hands and the snowmobile
that just surfaced from the
bottom of the lake is just the
tip of the iceberg...
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 The
Girl With the Dragon Tattoo
by Stieg Larsson (June 09 Paperback)
In his remarkable
debut, Stieg Larsson tops even
the disturbing tales of fellow
Swede Henning Mankell. This
mystery is rich in detail, full
of plot twists, and complicated
by familial antagonism and deception,
yet is cleanly and cleverly
told. Larsson tells the story
of a financial reporter who
takes on a major coporation
and loses and while in retreat
from his humiliationg defeat
is hired by a Swedish Industrialist
to write a family history. Blomquist
is aided in his research by
a disturbed but brilliant young
woman who can hack into anyone's
life, including Blomqusit's
own. Intense and absorbing and
at times brutal in its depictions
of the dark side of human nature.
 Italian
Shoes; A Novel by Henning
Mankell, (4/2009, $26.95).
Marvelous.
As so often when reading Mankell,
I found myself reading late
into the night. While this book
about a man torn from a long
self-imposed isolation is wholly
unlike any of Mankell's Kurt
Wallander mysteries, it has
some Mankell trademarks - characters
written so strong and clear
you could see them through a
deep fog, an unparalleled depiction
of the Swedish landscape, and
brief shocking moments of violence.
 Shatter
by Michael Robotham
03/2009 Hardback
In Michael
Robotham's latest thriller,
psychologist Joe O'Loughlin--the
appealing hero of "Suspect"--tries
to prevent a suicide and finds
himself locked in a deadly duel
with a very clever and chillingly
cold-hearted killer.
Retired Inspector Ruiz (of "Suspect"
and "Lost") is called
in to aid his friend and they
alternately parry and partner
with the solid and irracible
DI Veronica Cray. Great characterizations
and gripping detail make this
the psychological suspense novel
of the year. Top-notch suspense,
totally relevant to the contemporary
scene.
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 The
White Tiger by Aravind Adiga
(April 2008) is fresh, brutal,
powerful and engrossing. What
a distinctive voice! I highly
recommend it. (Touches on India's
"Electronic City"
(Bangalore) that we are introduced
to in Theroux's The Elephanta
Suite. These two books would
make a great pairing.)
Adiga
writes in a one-of-a-kind voice
in this novel of an Indian Driver
who calls himself The White
Tiger but who is referred to
as Country-Mouse by his peers
in the servant class. In an
intriguing plot device, our
"hero" writes emails
to the Premier of China who
is scheduled to visit India.
In these emails Balram (The
White Tiger) wishes to dispel,
in advance, the false picture
of Modern India that the government
will no doubt show the visiting
Premier. Balram sets about depicting
the true India by telling in
nightly installments the story
of his own life as he scratches
his way up from poverty to entrepreneurship.
Just
announced: The
White Tiger has WON
the Man Booker Prize.
Click
here to play the NPR interview
with the author.
 The
Elephanta Suite; Three Novellas
by Paul Theroux (paperback)
A master of the travel narrative
weaves three intertwined novellas
of Westerners transformed by
their sojourns in India, in
this startling and satisfying
book. Excellent for fans of
VS Naipaul and Rohinton Mistry.
As always,
Theroux's writing style is impeccable,
the landscapes palpable, the
characters clearly and heartbreakingly
described. And yet this -- as
is the case with so many tales
of India - is not an easy read.
Where this slim volume of three
novellas succeeds most clearly
is in its ability to cause discomfort
in the reader, the same discomfort
and distress that each of the
American travelers navigate
in their personal transformative
journeys with the teeming soul
of India as their enigmatic
guide. Now available in Trade
Paperback.
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Pomegranate Soup
and Rosewater and Soda
Bread by Marsha Mehran.
both in quality paperback.
Read these
two small delightful books together
in one "sitting".
Three sisters flee revolutionary
Iran and arrive after a time
in a small Irish village where
they turn the town on its ear
by opening the Babylon Cafe.
The voices ring so true in Mehran's
deft storyteller's hands that
they keep on singing in your
head long after the stories
are read and set aside. Lovingly
told and peppered with humor
and heart.
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 As
I began reading Robert Olmstead's
Coal Black Horse,
I immediately felt as one with
the traveler who crosses remote
and dusty roads bearing a fateful
message. Not since disovering
Joe Coomer's The Decatur
Road back in the 80's have
I found myself so quickly transported
by the language of a book and
its sure-footed cadence. Olmstead
uses language like a seduction,
one that lulls both the reader
and the main character, fourteen
year old Robey, into a waking
dream-state. I wanted to ride
Olmstead's words hard and fast
past the horrors of war and
to hold on to the reigns of
his story until I was safely
back at Robey's mountain home.
This is a book, like Elie Wiesel's
Night and Tim O'Brien's
The Things They Carried,
that everyone should read at
some time in their lifetime.
(Available in Trade Paperback,
May 2008.)
 Far
Bright Star
by Robert Olmstead
$24.95,
May 2009, Algonquin Books of
Chapel Hill
Olmstead
has the ability to imagine a
world, a rich fully realized
world, and to put it into words
so that the reader walks in
the very same landscape that
the characters do, thinking
their thoughts and suffering
their pain. And Olmstead’s
Far Bright Star is indeed
filled with pain, inflicted
trauma, violence and two very
strong brothers linked by a
lifetime of service in pointless
wars and desolate lands. And
throughout their travels and
travails there are horses, strong,
winded, “blown”, skeletal,
strong horses.
 All
the Living by C.E. Morgan
All the
Living reads like a waking
dream on a hot August afternoon.
The language is a delerious
mix of colloquialism and lyricism.
Like Coomer's Decatur Road,
I feel myself wanting to read
it twice; once for the sheer
enjoyment of the story and the
second time to revel in the
language. Ms. Morgan writes
a story that seeps into you,
permeates like the musk of the
soil, envelopes the reader with
the acrid scent of the farmstead
and the heat of hard work. Through
it all Aloma's nervous fingers
are tapping out melodies on
door frames and tabletops and
her denim-clad thighs, while
Orren's remain motionaless at
this sides. Reminds me a bit
of Jaskunas' Hidden.
 Madewell
Brown
by
Rick Collignon
This book
takes you by the hand and draws
you up onto the porch inviting
you into the story of Obie Poole
and Madewell Brown and the South
Cairo Grays. Madewell Brown
is as much about the vagaries
of memory and the slippery slope
of truth as it is about the
old Negro baseball leagues.
Collignon's sense of place,
from the misty river's edge
of South Cairo, Illinois to
the high mesa outside of Guadalupe,
New Mexico is unerring and he
gives clear voice to Obie and
to Rachel and to Cipriano as
they each search for a truth
that will be different for each.
A marvelous read.
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 The
Pirate's Daughter by
Margaret Cezair-Thompson
When I was
told the basic premise of The
Pirate's Daughter, I wasn't
so sure it would be my cup of
tea. But this mostly fictional
tale of Errol Flynn's dalliances
in Jamaica and the difficult
life of May, his illegitimate
daughter, is remarkably believable
and engrossing. The writing
dances between Jamaican patois
and formal letters, slipping
in some truly fine metaphors
and landscapes in between. The
characters of Flynn and his
famous and wealthy friends as
well as those of the islanders,
in particular May's mother Ida
and her kin, are engaging and
clearly drawn. This is a book
filled with the desire for adventure,
unfulfilled romantic intentions,
and a bold and startling history.
 Caspian
Rain by Gina Nahai
The writing
in Caspian Rain is so lyrical
and flowing that you almost
forget just how hard life can
be for someone who is doomed
to be an outsider. Bahar, who
marries above her station, finds
that she is isolated from both
the family and society she marries
into and the family and friends
she left behind. Set in Tehran,
Iran in a time when Jews lived
under a measure of protection
afforded by the Shah, Bahar's
story and that of her unfortunate
family is beautifully told by
her daughter. Nahai has written
a novel that illuminates a complex
society while offering up a
very specific and moving story
of one woman's desire to maintain
her dignity and tenuous standing
within a diffident society.
The Sound of Butterflies
by Rachael King (now
available in trade paperback)
The Piano
Tuner, Easter Island,
Letters from Yellowstone,
The Hungry Tide and nowThe
Sound of Butterflies. Our
book club loves it when I find
them a "grand adventure"
to read each year and this one
will definitely be on our list.
I've only read 4 or 5 books
this spring and summer that
really made me want to hunker
down and read straight through
and Rachael King's story certainly
did that for me. The Sound
of Butterflies engages from
the very first page. King's
writing style makes smooth sailing
for the reader of this historical
novel about an amateur naturalist
whose voyage to the Amazon leaves
him a changed man. More tortuous
is the journey his wife must
take to find the mystery behind
his unnerving transformation.
Rich in detail and well-researched.
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 City
of Thieves by David Benioff
-- Trade Paperback now available!
Benioff writes
of harrowing times with amazing
gentleness and good humor. A
mis-matched pair of prisoners
- both accused of minor crimes
- are released by a Russian
officer in need of a favor.
The two unlikely companions
join together on an adventure
that will take them behind German
lines and ally them with a band
of resistance fighters. Not
once did I forsee how this engaging
tale would end.
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  The
Creator's Map by
Emilio Calderon (Hardback,
July 2008) (Trade Paper, July
2009)
The
writing in Caleron's historical
novel captivates and enchants.
The Creator's Map is
filled with images and names
evocative of another time, Rome
in the Fascist Era of Hitler,
Franco and Mussolini, rich in
intellectual and philopsophical
ideas, and rife with the exigencies
and vagaries of world politics.
Calderon wraps these timeless
details around a complex romantic
web.
Through
the eyes of a Spanish architect
in Rome, the dark period surrounding
the rise and fall of Fascism
roars to life as an architect,
a passionate young librarian,
and an Italian prince become
entangled in a web of intrigue,
love, and deceit involving a
fateful map.
If
you are a fan of Carlos Ruiz
Zafon's Shadow of the Wind
with its Labyrinthine streets
and reliquary of "lost"
books, or Orhan Pamuk's Snow
for its incomprehensible
politics and hapless narrator
used by every side, or Peter
Cameron's Andorra with
its intriguing mix of ex-patriots
thrown together in a historic
setting, or even the religious
intrigue of secret sects found
in The Da Vinci Code,
here's a book for you.
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 Valeria's
Last Stand by Marc Fitten
May 2009
Valeria
is aging and, by all accounts,
none too gracefully. Having
left middle-age behind and with
it any hopes at ending her spinsterhood,
she is feared for her sharp
tongue and abrupt manner. But
Valeria, it turns out, is a
woman who inspires. I loved
her from her first maniacal
rant against anyone so fey and
foolish as to openly whistle
in public. Valeria counters
the incursions of modern day
capitalism into her off-the-beaten-path
Hungarian village with daily
doses of vitriol and and invective.
but at 8, Valeria life is about
to turn inside out and upside
down.
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 A
Guide to the Birds of East Africa
a debut novel by Nicholas Drayson
A men's
club version of The Ladies No.
1 Detective Agency filled with
miscalclations, mishaps, misnomers,
misteps, misgivings, birds,
betting men, and a most happy
ending. The members of Kenyas
Asadi Club love to make bets
- outrageous and pointless bets.
Unassuming Mr. Malik - businessman,
birdwatcher, and widower - has
taken a fancy to Rose Mikawba,
the leader of the weekly birdwatchers
walk. He's been working up the
nerve to ask her out when flashy
over-bearing Harry Khan, an
old classmate and irritant,
walks in and appears to sweep
rose off her feet. The club
members propose a bird-watching
contest to sort it all out.
Mr Malik encounters one trial
after another in his attmepts
to fill out his bird list as
Mr. Khan gads about on expensive
trips and guided safaris in
pursuit of his goal. Marvelous.
 The
Cuckoo's Haiku and other Birding
Poems by Michael Rosen and
Stan Fellows $17.99 March 2009
Apparently
intended as a young person's
primer on birds, I see no reason
to confine this lovely book
to the chidren's section. Rosen
and Fellows pair beautiful illustrations
with haiku poems that truly
express the nature of each breed
of bird in a sort of field diary
reminiscent of MaryJo Koch and
Claire Leslie Walker (Keeping
A Nature Journal.)
This long-time favorite, now
available in a redesigned paperback
edition, makes me desperate
to be able to draw. A must for
anyone who loves to spend time
in communion with nature and
longs to learn the art of close
observation.
From the
day it was released in 2000,
"Keeping a Nature Journal"
has struck aprofound chord among
naturalists of all ages. In
response to this groundswell
of enthusiasm here is the revised
edition with an updated interior
design and a new cover.
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 Mudbound;
A Novel by Hillary Jordan
March 2008
You can feel
the salt in your eyes and the
sun-baked mud on your arms.
You can feel the quiet desperation
straining along your shoulders
like a drawn bowstring. Hillary
Jordan's portayal of sharcropping
in the Mississippi Delta in
the 1940's is exceptional. A
wonderful reading experience.
I predict this will be a huge
success as a book discussion
group selection.
 Resistance
by Owen Sheers
Donna
told me this book was very good
and we added it to her staff
picks. What she didn't tell
me was that it is absolutely
fabulous. The writing is rich
and lyrical, the story thought-provoking
and the tension holds throughout.
Sheer's story presumes that
the Germans successfully invaded
the British Isles in 1944. Sheers
builds a finely written tale
of the women of a Welsh village
and their interactions with
a German patrol that has been
sent into their remote valley.
Publishers Weekly calls it an
"outstanding debut"
and we completely agree.
Look who else is a fan of
Resistance : Sara
Gruen, author of Water for
Elephants says "An
astonishing and compelling study
of human nature." Peter
Ho Davies, author of The
Welsh Girl says "That
rare gift, a literary thriller
whose pages we turn slowly,
savoring every word."
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 I
love Michele Scott's Wine Country
Mysteries for a quick Sunday read.
Though her previous book, A Vintage
Murder, was a letdown I've sort
of grown fond of the characters and
decided to go on and read Corked
By Cabernet and she is back
in good form. This series is printed
as paperback originals so go ahead
and indulge your lighter side. Recipes
and wine pairings included!
This series is
the ultimate in summer fun, beach
reading.
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I have authored a
poetry chapbook titled Diving
the Drop-off. It is available
at Bookin' It, the Gift Shop at GRAA, Mind,
Body, Spirit in St. Cloud, Beagle Books
in Park Rapids, and Drury Lane Books in
Grand Marais. You can also click
here to read a few samples
of my poetry (I've just added a new one
avid readers may enjoy), where I've been
published and what writing awards I've won.
You can also read some of my work in The
Talking Stick: Volume 16 "Finding The
Words" available at Bookin' It and
other Minnesota bookstores.
 Here's
the final outcome of the 20X20 project;
side-by-side compilation of all the artwork
and resulting poems. Currently available
at www.lulu.com.
Or check back later for copies that may
be available locally.
 And
here is the cover image of County Lines,
a collection of poems by Minnesota poets
about Minnesota places. It was produced
by the League of Minnesota Poets with grant
support from the Minnesota Sesquicentiennial
Committee.
Among the many writers represented are
Dave Bengtson of Long Prairie and Bookin'
It owner, Laura Hansen.
Other publications
you'll catch my "byline" in are
the May/June 2008 issue of Lake Country
Journal Magazine and the July/August
2008 issue of Minnesota Moments Magazine!
And here's
a pick for National Poetry Month coming
up in April:
My Only Home, Poems by Freya
Manfred (Red Dragonfly Press, $12.00)
Freya Manfred's poetry collection is dedicated
to "my two favorite places to swim"
and, indeed, a large section of the book
is an ode to lakes. But in My Only Home,
Freya doesn't just praise lakes, she becomes
them, sinking into the dark waters of grief,
the welcoming waters of home, into deep
communion with family, self, and place.
My throat constricts with recognition as
Manfred describes how grief over her father's
death weighed "a heavy fieldstone"
on her chest that carries her "to the
bottom of the lake". I return again
and again with her to the dock and the boathouse,
to the lake bottom and the far shore, and
to the perfect metaphor of "A Body
Heals/the way a lake heals/in wider and
wider cirlces" (p. 46).
 I
have recently fallen in love with the poetry
of Freya Manfred. Like me she loves water,
in her case lakes, in my case rivers and
lakes, and she knows them as she knows her
own family. These poems are regional only
in the sense they dwells in the depths and
the reflections of the water Manfred seeks
out. And these are indeed poems of great
depth and clarity and richnes.
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Maryjude Hoeffel,
Spirituality Book Discussion Group (SBDG)
Coordinator/Bookseller
I
read a mix of fiction and non-fiction.
I gravitate to spirituality titles,
historical fiction, non-fiction history
and adventure, with some memoir and
travel thrown in for good measure.
I love to cook, bake, & create,
so you'll find cookbooks among my
picks as well as art/craft selections.
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 The
Blue Notebook by James A. Levine
This
first novel, due to be published on
July 7, 2009, haunted me long after
I finished reading it. The blue notebook
of the title is a diary kept by Batuk,
a 15-year-old prostitute in Mumbai,
India, who was sold into sexual slavery
by her father at the age of nine.
For Batuk, the act of writing is a
way to transcend the grim reality
of her life. All of the U.S. proceeds
fom this novel will be donated to
the international and National Centers
for Missing and Exploited Children.
Prayers
for Sale by Sandra Dallas
The latest novel by popular Denver
author Sandra Dallas (Tallgrass,The
Persian Pickle Club) tells the
story of an unlikely friendship between
two women, 86 year-old Hennie Comfort
and 17 year-old Nit Spindle in the
depression-era Colorado mining town
of Middle Swan. Dallas's story-telling
powers are at her peak in this novel
about secrets, stories and survival.
Junk Beautiful - Room by Room
Makeovers with Junkmarket Style by
Sue Whitney & Ki Nassauer
and Junk Beautiful Outdoor Edition
by Sue Whitney with Kimberly Melamed
My favorite flea-market junkies are
back with two new books.
Learn from these pros how you can
turn your garage-sale and flea market
"trash" into interior design
treasure.
 Life
is a Verb: 37 Days to Wake Up, Be
Mindful, and Live Intentionally by
Patti Digh.
This book is a gift. Patti
Digh's writing is from the heart and
will touch yours profoundly with its
truth. Digh's stepfather died 37 days
after his diagnosis with lung cancer.
His death made Patti ask herself:
"What would I be doing today
if I had only 37 days to live?"
She outlines 6 care practices for
a more meaningful and intentional
life: Say Yes, Trust Yourself, Slow
Down, Be Generous, Speak Up and Love
More.
A book
I'm recommending to everyone.
 Mister
Pipp by Lloyd Jones
This book has just been added to my
personal list of the "10 best
books I've ever read". As
booksellers, we don't have the time
to read every book that arrives here.
I'd read great reviews of this one
but hadn't gotten around to reading
it. I recommended it to a customer
based on reviews, then asked if she'd
let me know what she thought. So here's
a thank you to Mary Jo for being my
"reader and reviewer".
Set on a tropical island torn by civil
war, Jones explores the power of story
and imagaination through the eyes
of 13-year-old Matilda as she listens
to her teacher, the last remaining
white man on the island, read from
the only textbook available: Charles
Dicken's Great Expectations.
Sarah's Key by Tatiana de Rosnay
A novel based on a dark day in France's
history: the round-up, by French police
of several thousand Jews in Paris
on July 16, 1942. Ten-year-old Sarah
and her family are caught in the round-up,
but believing she'll return in a few
hours, she locks her younger brother
in their secret cupboard, promising
she'll return for him. Sixty years
later, an American journalist writng
an article about the round-up, becomes
obsessed with Sarah's story when her
research reveals a possible connection
to her French husband's family.
Resistance - A Woman's Journal
of Struggle and Defiance in Occupied
France by Agnes Humbert
I was drawn to this title because
of my interest in France's Resistance
movement during WWII. I hadn't known
much about women's roles in the Resistance
and Humbert's memoir, translated into
English for the first time since it's
publication in 1946, is riveting.
Humbert was one of the organizers
of what is believed to be the first
Resistance cell formed in Paris after
the German occupation in 1940. Her
group was betrayed to the Gestapo
and Humbert details for us, with great
immediacy, what she experienced after
that horrible day.
The Prison Angel - Mother Antonia's
Life of Service in a Mexican Jail
My 86-yr-old uncle recommended this
book to my mom who passed the tip
on to me. At age 50, Mary Clarke gave
up her comfortable life in Los Angeles
and moved into a small, cold-water
cell in La Mesa, a prison in Tijuana,
Mexico with the sole purpose of serving
the prisoners and their families.
Inspiring, and uplifting; a story
that beautifuly illustrates the power
of one person to change lives.
 Little
Heathens - Hard Times and High Spirits
on an Iowa Farm During the Great Depression
by Mildred Armstrong Kalish
Perhaps I was attracted to
this book because I live on an old
farmstead, in an old farmhouse and
know about unheated upstairs rooms.
But even if you never lived on a farm,
Kalish's memoir will delight you.
My favorite chapters were "Thrift"
and "Medicine" under the
section titled "Building Character".
 Here
If You Need Me by Kate Braestrup
Kate Breastrup's husband,
a Maine State Trooper, had dreams
of a second career as a minister but
his untimely death ended them. Instead,
Kate decided to enter the seminary
herself and upon her ordination, she
became one of the first chaplains
appointed to the Maine Warden Service,
the agency called upon in search-and-rescue
missions. In her moving and often
funny book, Braestrup relates her
own journey from grief to a new faith
and happiness, while telling the stories
of those she serves: the anxious families
awaiting word and the wardens who
often have to give the news the families
fear to hear.
Dessert Espress - 100 Sweet Treats
You Can Make in 30 Minutes or Less
by Lauren Chattman
I inherited a sweet tooth from
my Grandma Hoeffel, but unlike my
grandma, I don't have a lot of time
to spend in the kitchen. When this
book arrived in the store, I grabbed
it and am happy to recommend it to
you. Chattman, a former pastry
chef, finds ingenious shortcuts
for made from-scratch goodies to satisfy
every sweet tooth. Try the
Oatmeal-Chocolate Chip Waffle Cookies,
the Chocolate-Hazelnut & Raspbery
Panini, the Mocha Marshmallow Mousse....
they're all wonderful!
Cook It in a Cup!: Quick Meals
and Treats Kids Can Cook in Silicone
Cups [With Silicone Baking Cups] by
Julia Myall
How cool is this! Myall shows
that these nifty silicone baking cups
(6 of them included) are not just
for making cupcakes. Her book includes
recipes for breakfast, main courses,
side dishs and sweets. Kid-friendly
design; color photos. A big thumbs
up!
 Eat
This, Not That! by David Zinczenko
with Matt Goulding
This handy guide will help you make
smart, healthy and low-cost food choices
at the supermarket. Covers all sections
of the store, from the produce aisle
to the frozen food section and includes
thousands of foods. Among the info:
"11
Secrets the Food Industry Doesn't
Want You to Know", "The
20 Worst Packaged Foods in America"
and "Your Save-Money Shopping
Guide". Also in the series:
Eat This, Not That for Kids
and Eat This, Not That! (focuses
mostly on chain restaurants, but also
includes special occasion meals and
some supermarket info.)
 Simply
Salads by Jennifer Chandler
The
subtitle of the book says it all:
"more than 100 delicious creative
recipes made from prepackaged greens
and a few easy-to-find ingredients."
Perfect for all of those time-stressed
folks who want a healthy, gourmet
salad in minutes. Full-color photos
of each salad. Chandler includes recipes
for salads with greens, meat, seafood,
veggies, fruit, grains and pasta and
dressings to compliment them.
 Flatbreads
and Flavors - A Baker's Atlas by Jeffrey
Alford and Naomi Duguid
In their James Beard Award-winning
cookbook "Flatbreads and Flavors"
Alford and Duguid share more than
sixty recipes for flatbreads of every
origin and description: tortillas
from Mexico, pita from the Middle
East, naan from Afghanistan, chapatti
from India, pizza from Italy, and
French fougasse. In addition, they
provide 150 recipes for traditional
accompaniments to the flatbreads,
from chutneys and curries, salsas
and stews, to such delectable pairings
as Chinese Spicy Cumin Kebabs wrapped
in Uighur nan or Lentils with Garlic,
Onion, and Tomato spooned onto chapatti.
Redolent with the tastes and aromas
of the world's hearths, "Flatbreads
and Flavors" maps a course through
cultures old and intriguing, and,
with clear and patient recipes, makes
accessible to the novice and experienced
baker alike the simple and satisfying
bread baker's art.
I tried the bulgur bread (no yeast)
with the Armenian Eggplant-Tomato
Salsa. YUM!
 Simply
Organic - A Cookbook for Sustainable
Seasonal and Local Ingedients by Jesse
Ziff Cool
Both a primer on eating organic,
locally-grown food and a wonderful
cookbook. Organized by season and
illustrated with beautiful color photos.
I'm going to try the Herb Garden Angel
Food Cake (with roses and basil in
the batter!)
-
 Artisan
Bread in Five Minutes a Day: the Discovery
That Revolutionizes Home Baking by
Jeff Hertzberg and Zoe Francoise
Here's
the answer for all of us who enjoy
artisan bread, but who don't have
the time for the classic time-consuming
process. Hertzberg, a physican and
serious hobby bread baker, developed
a recipe that cuts the prep time to
a minimum. No kneading and the dough
can be kept in the refrigerator for
two weeks. When you want to bake a
loaf, just whack of a piece, form
it and let it rest a bit, then bake!
He teamed up with pastry chef, Zoe
Francoise to write this book, which
includes the master recipe as well
as many variations including pizzas,
whole grain breads, even caramel rolls!
Yumm! PERSONAL ENDORSEMENT: I have
been baking this bread for several
months now and it's wonderful!
The
Suspicions of Mr. Whicher by Kate
Summerscale
The 1860, on a rural estate, 3-year
old Saville Kent is found in the privy
with his throat slit. The brutal murder
shocks Victorian England and inspired
detective genre writers Charles Dickens
and Wilkie Collins. Scotland Yard's
top detective, Jonathan Whicher, is
dispatched to search for the killer.
His solution to the mystery causes
an uproar. Summerscale's book was
recently awarded the UK's 2008 Samuel
Johnson Prize, an annual prize given
to the best non-fiction. Now out
in paperback.
 The
Not So Big Life by Sarah Susanka
Susanka, a
former Minneapolis architect and proponent
of the "Not So Big House"
philosophy, has written an inspiring
book helping readers to "remodel"
their lives, learning in the process
how to make room for things that really
matter. Using architectural principles
such as "Composition", "Bigger
Isn't Necessarily Better", and
and "Openability", Susanka
gives the reader a blueprint for a
new way of living.
Prayers
to the Great Creator - Prayers &
Declarations for a Meaningful Life
by Julia Cameron
Now for the first time, Julia
Cameron, author of The Artist's
Way, offers all four of her classic
prayer books in one volume: Heart
Steps (rousing the artist within all
of us) , Blessings (the nature of
gratitude), Transitions (embracing
transformations) and Answered Prayers.
A wonderful gift book or for your
own bookshelf.
Sweater
Surgery - How to Make New Things With
Old Sweaters by Stefanie Girard.
This book is so much fun! You'll be
inspired to take those old sweaters
and recycle them into items fashionable
and funky, usful and unique. Designer
and author, Stefanie Girard shows
you how to cut, restitch, felt and
embellish old sweater fabric. 35 step-by-step
projects with diagrams and patterns.
Collage,
Assemblage, and Altered Art - Creating
Unique Images and Objects by Diane Maurer-Mathison
Last year, I took a collage
class at the Great River Arts Association
and had so much fun playing. So you
can imagine that I went ga-ga over this
book .Lots of projects to inspire and
get your creative juices flowing, with
clear instructions for a variety of
techniques. Color photos throughout.
Visual
Chronicles - The No-Fear Guide to
Creating Art Journals, Creative Manifestos
& Altered Books by Linda Woods
and Karen Dinino
Woods
and Dininohave created a book for
those who say "but I'm not an
artist." Their "no-fear"
approach to making journals makes
the process fun and liberating. Check
out their latest offering below. It's
just as good!
MORE BY THE SAME AUTHORS...
Journal Revolution: Rise Up and
Create Art Journals, Personal Manifestos
and Other Artistic Insurrections by
Linda Woods and Karen Dinino
 How
To Make Books - Fold, Cut & Stitch
Your Way to a One-of-a-Kind Book by
Esther K. Smith
I took a bookbinding class
last year and this was one of the
resources the instructor recommended.
Great for familes and teachers too
since many of the projects can be
done by younger kids. Clear illustrations
and instructions. You'll learn non-sewn
books (accordian and folded books)
as well as several techniques for
stitched bindings.
AND WHILE WE'RE ON CREATIVITY...
The Artists's Way - A Spiritual
Path to Higher Creativity by Julia
Cameron
You're right, this book isn't
new; in fact, it's 16 years old, but
it's new and tremendously meaningful
for me. My sister, Margaret, gave
it to me for my birthday several years
ago and it languished on my bookshelf
for all that time. Monica, another
sister, insisted recently that I remove
it, read it, and DO IT (it's a 12-week
program for recovering your creative
self). I'm so excited about whats'
been happening with my creative life
as a result that I just had to recommend
this book.
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Wendi
Martin-Fogelberg, Bookseller/Horsewoman/Crafter
 
  My
husband says I can be awfully bossy sometimes.
Maybe that is why I like these two little
books so much. Like Bossy Bear, I wonder
if I'll ever be able to change my bossy
behavior.
Here's
a fun book for anyone who loves to entertain...
I used ideas from this book to help me decorate
the tables for the 2008 Author Tea Retreats
at Linden Hill and everyone was really wowed
by the different napkin folds. The photos
do a great job of showing the folding steps.
Sometimes I completed them without even
referring to the written instructions. This
book has napkin folds for both cloth and
paper napkins, and from simple to elegant
to whimsical.
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 The
Hour I First Believed by
Wally Lamb
What
can I say, I just love Wally Lamb.
Annie
Freeman's Fabulous Traveling Funeral
by Kris Radish
The
delivery of a UPS package with a pair
of red high top sneakers filled with
ashes and a note...the lives of 5
women will change forever.
As
they set off on a traveling funeral
for their friend Annie they encounter
miracles, fun, secrets, broken hearts
and second chances.
Annie
Freeman's Fabulous Traveling Funeral
is a heartwarming, fun adventure that
I someday hope to go on.
Water
for Elephants
by Sara Gruen
This book
is fantastic. Gruen's depiction of
circus life in the dust bowl years
is gritty and realistic, her characters
drawn with bold , bright strokes.
On the surface Water for Elephants
is about the life of a young man whose
family is displaced from their home
leaving him uable to finish his Veterinary
education. In a moment of blind desperation
he hops a train which he soon learns
is owned by a second rate traveling
circus. He becomes the shows unoffficial
Vet and the self-appointed protector
of the lovely young equestrian star,
Marlena. The true hero of this story,
however, is the magnifcent Rosie the
Elephant. I also very much enjoyed
Gruen's two earlier books, Flying
Changes and Riding Lessons.
All are available in paperback.
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Chosen
by a Horse; A Memoir
by Susan Richards
For
everyone who has ever loved a horse
this one will really tug at your heart
strings. Susan tells the heartwarming
story of an abused woman and horse
who find each other and learn to love
and trust again. Having owned an abused
horse myself it brought back many
emotions of what we went through to
get to that place only to lose him
in the end. June
2007 Trade Paperback.
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 Gallop
- A Scanimation Action Book by Rufus
Butler Seder
Kids will
love this ingenious "moving picture"
book of animals in motion. Reminiscent
of an old-fashioned kinetiscope. Check
out the amazing follow-up book, Swing!
 A
Mama for Owen by Marion Dane Bauer
This a true story
about Owen a baby hippo who is washed
out to sea and loses his mother. When
the tsumami waves wash him back to
shore he finds a 130 year old tortoise
named Mzee who he at first thinks
is his mother so he lays down by him
and goes to sleep. Mzee and Owen become
close friends and play, sleep and
eat together just like he did with
his mother.
 Roger
Burrow's Images Travel Kit by Roger
Burrows
Burrows' distinctive
geometric designs from his innovative
Image series are included in this
fun pack. Comes with a 100-page book
with Wire-O binding and perforated
pages, a hardback lap board, colored
pencils in a pouch, and pencil sharpener.
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 You
On a Diet; the Owner's Manual for
Waist Management by Michael
Rozien and Mehmet Oz
This extensive
look at what research tells us about
our bodies requirements is chockful
of doable tips to improve your health
and maintain an appropriate weight.
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Donna Plante, Bookseller Emeritus
 I'm
currently enjoying a mix of Nordic
mysteries, American Westerns, and
memoirs that take me around the world.
I've always loved to travel and especially
enjoyed my visits to Russia, China,
Australia and New Zealand. These days
I find that the vicarious travel I
get from books is a little more in
my budget (but no less exciting).
I also love to do Jigsaw puzzles,
usally 1000 piece puzzles that keep
me up at night and busy for weeks.
Stop in at Bookin' It to see some
of the beautiful Sunsout Puzzles that
are available. Laura likes to stock
the ones that aren't square, but die-cut
to the shape of the animal image.
Tough, but really fun!
 The
Color of Lightning by Paulette
Jiles
This
well-written historical novel evolved
from a side-story that Jiles came
across while researching her highly
praised "Enemy Women". Jiles
expands on the story of Britt Johnson,
a freed slave who travels with his
family after the Civil War from Kentucky
to the dangerous Texas frontier.
 Dog
On It
by Spencer Quinn February 2009 Hardback
Release
Oh
what fun. Dog On It is narrated
by Chet, a very large and voluble
dog who is totally devoted to his
PI owner, Bernie. As Bernie's protector
and sidekick, Chet proves to be a
wonderful observer and readers will
enjoy his ironic dogs-eye-view of
Bernie's life and of life on the streets.
In their mystery debut, Bernie and
Chet are working on the case of a
missing teenager. While Bernie works
the case, Chet goes off on a few misadventures
of his own. Whether keeping eyes on
Bernie or using his wits to get himself
out of trouble, Chet shows himself
to be one of those great canine heroes
we'd all love to have on our side.
 The
Little Sleep, A Novel by Paul
Tremblay (Paperback origingal,
March 2009)
This
wickedly funny mystery features a
narcoleptic PI who gets into the darnedest
situations. Fantastic! I loved it.
Library
Journal Starred Review
 Bronx
Justice by Joseph Teller (Paperback
original, April 2009)
Here is a
fine new talent for fans of John Grisham
and of courtroom damas. Teller's novel
is based on one of his own cases and
rings true at every level.
"Is it the
late 1970's and criminal defense attorney
Harrison J. Walker, better known as
Jaywalker for his rebellious tactics,
is struggling to build his own practice
when he receives a call from a desperate
mother. Her son, Darren Kingston,
has been arrested for raping five
white women in Castle Hill, an area
of the Bronx long forgotten by the
city
A young, good looking
black man, Darren is positively identified
by four of the victims as the fifth
prepares to do the same. Everyone
- from the prosecution to the community
at large - sees this as an open-and-shut
case with solid eyewitness testimony.
Everyone, that is, except for Jaywalker."
(Lori's Reading Corner)
Also available,
The Tenth Case. Having
married her elderly billionaire husband
when she was 18, sexy young Samara
Moss is now accused of stabbing him
to death. Enter criminal defense attorney,
Harrison J. Walker. (Paperback Original,
October 2008).
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 The
Fate of Katherine Carr by Thomas
H. Cook June
2009
Two
usolved mysteries serve as the backdrop
to this unusual story which is part
mystery, part traveler's tale. I found
it to be "excellently good"
with a nice twist at the end. Publishers
Weekly, in a starred review, calls
Cook's work "eerily poignant."
 The
Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie
by Alan Bradley
A unique debut
-- an 1950's English Cozy-style murder
mystery featuring a precocious 11-year
old sleuth named Flavia de Luce. There
is a good reason this was the top
IndieNext Pick for April.
Only those who
dislike precocious young heroines
with extraordinary vocabulary and
audacious courage can fail to like
this amazingly entertaining book.
Expect more from the talented Bradley.(Booklist)
 Tomato
Rhapsody by Adam Schell June
2009
Adam Schell invites
readers to join in the ribald and
at times bawdy hijinks of a 16th century
village in Tuscany as they celebrate
The Feast of the Drunken Saint. Told
with wry good humor, Rhapsody ridicules
the superstitions, prejudices, and
even the clergy in this inventive
fable of love and how the tomato came
to Italy.
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The
Physick Book Of Deliverance Dane,
A Novel by Katherine Howe
A Top IndieNext List Pick and
a Starred Review in Booklist
"The
Physick Book of Deliverance Dane"
travels seamlessly between the Salem
witch trials in the 1690s and a modern
woman's story of mystery and discovery.
Author Katherine Howe's ancestores
were among those accused of being
withches.
June
9, 2009 Hardback Release
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 Mountain
Madness; Scott Fischer. Mount Everest
& A Life Lived on High by
Robert Birkby
The
inspiring life story of Scott Fischer,
co-founder of the outfitter Mountain
Madness and one of the Mt. Everest
climbers featured in Jon Krakauers
bestselling "Into Thin Air,"
who died during this treacherous expedition."
Haunting.
I just can't get it out of my head.
Mountain Madness goes far beyond Krakauer's
Into Thin Air in telling the whole
life story of Scott Fischer's inspiring
life and tragic death on the world's
most inforgiving mountain.
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 The
Disagreement; A Novel
by
Nick Taylor
(Tade Paperback, March 2009, $15.00)
A fine historical
novel and a very good read. An intriguing
look at the Civil War from a fresh
perpective. At the start of the novel,
it is 1861 and many in "The South"
including 16- year-old John Alan Muros'
father, believe the political troubles
that are brewing will soon pass.
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 Blood
and Thunder; An Epic of the American
West
by Hampton Sides
Wow! An
epic history of the American West
in which the history of the Navajo
nation is finely detailed. Most interesting!
Put this one on your Christmas
wish list, if you are an American
history buff, western reader, or are
intrigued by Native American life
and culture. NOW AVAILABLE in paperback.
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 Friend
of the Devil; A Novel of Suspense
by Peter Robinson
I've
been a long-time fan of Robinson's
atmospheric British mysteries and
I think Friend of the Devil
is his best yet. Fans of Deborah Crombie,
take note. Publishers Weekly Starred
Review.
Now
available in paperback ($7.99)
 All
the Colors of Darkness by Peter
Robinson
Detective
Inspector Alan Banks returns in another
electrifying novel from theacclaimed,
award-winning author of "Friend
of the Devil." Available March
2009.
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Books
for Kids ...lullabies, tall tales,
fun facts, lift-the-flaps, art projects;
think of us as a playground for your
child's mind!
Meet
our official store greeter....Jackson.
 Jackson
(a Schipperke/Schnauzer mix)
is our official store greeter. Jackson
likes to sit in our laps and listen
as we read aloud the newest children's
books. He's also an excellent doorbell.
Read
on to discover some of his favorites.....
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 Nico
& Lola; Kindness shared between
a boy and a dog by Meggan Hill
A
Staff and Midwest Connections Pick!
Great for teaching kids how to treat
a new puppy, an older family pet,
and also how we should all learn to
be "so kind" to each other.
Nico is asked to take care of Aunt
Sue's pug and finds it isn't so hard
to be kind if he just pays attention
to what Lola needs and what he'd want
in the same situation. Irresistable.
Gorgeuous photographs that will
appeal to fans of the Carl Sams series
Stranger in the Woods, Lost
in the Woods and First Snow
in the Woods.
 Is
My Dog a Wolf? by Janet Bidner
Kids will love this book that explores
the similarities between their pet
dog and a wild wolf. Great photos,
especially the cover!
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 I
Spy With My Little Eye Minnesota
by Kathy-Jo and Ed Wargin
Another winner
from Sleeping Bear Press. Included
in these pages are bright bold photographs,
Minnesota "Photo Facts",
search and find challenges and side
by side spot-the-difference photo
collages.
 Now
also: I Spy Hockey
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 Fancy
Nancy Fans TAKE NOTE! Goldilicious
is here!
In this enchanting
follow-up to her "New York Times"
bestsellers "Pinkalicious"
and "Purplicious," Kann
brings to life a magical new character--a
roller-skating, kite-flying, high-jumping
unicorn.
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 Bark
George by Jules Feiffer
A fun take on the traditional
"a cat says meow" book.
Feiffer's simple drawings capture
tons of emotions as George's mother
enourages George to find his true
voice.
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Cookies;
Bite-size Life Lessons
by
Amy Krouse Rosenthal illustrated by
Jane Dyer
Part dictionary,
part Miss Manners for kids, this fun
and lively book will stir up good
times and life lessons for parents
or grandparents to share with little
ones. Bake up a batch of cookies (let
the kids help) and sit down together
with this delightful book.
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 Origami
Master by Nathaniel Lachenmeyer
Shima the origami Master lives
on a mountain in Japan. One morning,
Shima finds a new origami animal on
his desk. The next day, another creature
appears. Who is making these wonderful
creatures? In finding his answer,
the master learns a wise lesson. Paper-cut
art illustrations by Aki Sogabe.
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 On
the Farm by David Elliot, illustrated
by Holly Meade
We are huge fans
of woodcuts and Holly Meade uses them
to bright and wonderful effect here.
Each spread features a farm animal
and a lively poem that aptly shows
the animal's character.
"New York
Times" bestselling author and
a Caldecott Honor-illustrator evoke
life on a farm with simple, lyrical
text and boldly expressive images.
Full color woodcuts.
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 Danny's
First Snow by Leonid Gore
Little Apple Goat prefers munching
apples, pears and cherries from the
farmer's orchard to munching grass.
But one stormy night, all of the orchard's
trees are blown down. How will Little
Apple Goat manage without her fruit?
After a while,
something mysterious begins to happen
on the farm..
.
Young readers will delight in this
sweetly illustrated tale.
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A Horse
by Malachy Doyle
Follow
one foal as he grows into a magnificent
horse. Incredibly beautiful, lush
illustrations. Perfect for all horse
fans.
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 Fine
As We Are by Algy Craig Hall
The arrival of
a new sibling can be a time of uncertainty
for youngsters. This new book about
Little Frog's big brother experience
is one that parents and children will
enjoy time and time again
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Horns & Wrinkles by
Joseph Helgerson
One
hundred twenty miles south of Minneapolis,
tucked between the bluffs and sandbars
of the Mississippi River, is a place
where river trolls, rocks trolls and
ancient blue-wing fairies still practice
their magic barely hidden from the
modern world. When Claire and her
cousin, Duke, get mixed up with a
threesome of bumbling but almost likeable
river trolls, strange "riverish"
things start to happen. With Duke
growing a bully's horn and his parents
turned to stone, it is up to Claire
to unlock this riddle of missing miners,
falling stars and lucky crickets that
never tell the truth.
One
thinks of these type of fantasies
taking place on the moors in England
or amongst the celts of Ireland or
in some dark castle in a namelss country
far away. I like that Helgerson brings
the magic right into our own time
and to familiar territory.
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 We
love The King's Taster by Kenneth
Oppel June 2009
Oppel appeals
to kids and parents alike in this
creatively illustrated book about
a beagle belongs to the Royal Cook
and is the official King's Taster.
When a new King is crowned, the cook
and his hound travel far and wide
to find foods to suit the new King's
taste.
 Do
Unto Otters - A Book About Manners
by Laurie Keller
Adults at the book fair I was
at recently came over to my table
to see what all the laughter was about.
I just couldn't help it; Keller's
book is the best kids' intro to the
Golden Rule I've read. Rabbit is surprised
to discover that The Otters, have
moved in next door. He wonders if
he'll get along with his new neighbors
when his friend, Owl, reminds him
of the rule put forth by Socrates
for maintaining harmonious relationships.
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A Bold Carnivore; An Alphabet
of Predators by Consie Powell
A Bold Carnivore
is another wonderfully illustrated
book by naturalist, Consie Powell
(Leave Only Ripples). Powell
spends part of the year on an island
near Ely, MN and the BWCA. In this
book she finds some unexpected carnivores
like Mergansers and Shrews and Toads.
Kids who love Nature's Yucky
and Backyard Detective will
eat this one up. Interesting for adults,
too, with an informative Glossary
included.
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Of
Local Interest
 State
Fair - The Great Minnesota Get-Together
by Susan Lambert Miller
From 10,000 photos
shot over four years, Miller has selected
100 images that capture the fair's essence.
A delight for first-timers and annual-goers
both.
 Camp
Ripley 1930 - 1960
by Sandra
Alcott Erickson
The author of this book has served as the
administrator of the Minnesota Millitary
Museum, located at Camp Ripley, for the
last 13 years. This 127-page pictorial hisory
includes rare photographs of Camp Riply's
early history.
 Minnesota
13 - "Wet" Wild Prohibition Days
by Elaine Davis
Davis, a Professor
of Management at St Cloud State University,
has written a fascinating account of the
Prohibition era in Stearns County, Minnesota.
In these pages, you'll meet makers of moonshine,
bootleggers and gangsters. And, if you can
trace your heritage back to this part of
Minnesota, you might even meet your relatives!
 Minnesota
State Fair An Illustrated History
by Kathryn Strand Kolutsky & Linda Kolutsky
From the pair that brought us Minnesota
Eats Out and Minnesota Vacation Days
comes the newest title about the Great MN
Get-Together. Filled with wonderful photos,
this book is a must for every fair lover
and for those who've never been to the best
10 days of late summer.
 Land
of Amber Waters; the History of Brewing
in Minnesota by Doug Hoverson contains
a good deal of information on Little's Falls
Kiewel Brewing Company; richly illustrated.
LOCAL GRAD
PUBLISHED BY HARLEQUIN
Helen Brenna, 1979 Graduate of Little Falls
Community High School (Helen Twomey) was
in Little Falls this summer signing books
at Bookin' It. See our signed copies page
for titles available as signed stock. Helen's
book, Peak Performance, is available
now.
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Broken Hart; Small Town, Short Stories
by Jerry Mevissen of Nimrod, MN
Jerry
is just a great guy and we hope you'll
give his book a look. Jerry's earlier
book is The Nimrod Chronicles.
Jerry is a very active member tof
the Jackpine Writers' Bloc.
 A
Place to Call Home; a memoir by
Faye Schreder of Sartell, MN $12.95
A
well-written and interesting book
filled with short anectodal stories
of growing up in rural Cental Minnesota
in the early 1940's.
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 SIGNED
copies still available.
Legends
& Legacies; Fish Stories from
Northern Minnesota
- A History of the Nisswa Guides'
League by Ray Gildow, Published by
Evergreen Pres, May 2005, $24.95
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We've been
wanting to offer this Classic Minnesota
CD by Fyder and Everhart for some
time and AT LAST they are here...Goin'
Up North is the perfect
gift for Minnesotans in exhile, hardy
northwoods fishermen, or the family
comedian. Goin' Up North
pairs beautifully for Father's Day
with the recently released book, Legends
& Legacies (above). Funny,
poignant, and always distinctly Minnesotan...Fyder
and Everhart are singer/songwriters
that know the human heart and illuminate
the humorous moments in our everyday
lives. Also availalbe: Hooks and
As Is; solo CD's by Glen Everhart.
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Written
by long-time Little Falls art teacher,
Ren Holland, the book is about the
search for the source of the Mississippi
River, the early days of Itasca State
Park, and life in the area around
the park. Of more general interest
are stories of rural schools and logging.
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Long Prairie's resident poet, Dave
Bengtson (Broken Lines),
chats with visiting author Sheila
O' Connor (Where No Gods Came)at
a book signing at Bookin' It in the
fall of 2003. Bengston's poetry was
recently selected to be aired on Garriosn
Keillor's Writer's Almanac
and in U.S. Poet Laureate Ted Kooser's
American Life in Poetry.
Learn more about David Bengtson's
poetry and readings at: http://web.mac.com/dbengtson1
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Local Historian Maurice Faust spends
his retirement heralding the towns
and events of Morrison County:
 Beyond
the Horizon - A Collage of World Wide
Adventure is a collection of stories
from the varied travels of Maurice
and his wife, Maggie. Join this adventurous
couple as they roam from Norway to
Mexixo, Jamaica to Hudson Bay to discover
the gifts of other cultures.
The
Great Experiment: Prohibition
in the United States and Central Minnesota
is a look at the days of stills, blind
pigs, moonshine and rum-runners and
the failed attempt to make the country
dry.
Aitkinsville to Zerf
is an alphabetical tour through
the early history of immigrants putting
down permament roots in Morrison County...from
paper towns, platted and still on
record to towns that showed great
early promise only to fail to towns
held together by the glue of religion,
their original churches still in use
today.
Pounded By Tramps:
A Probe Into the Dark Side of Local
History includes accounts
of lynchings, hangings, brutal murders,
bounty hunters, sheriff's posses and
crime on freight trains.
Remember, No Electricity;
A Reminiscence is Faust's
most personal book. Faust recalls
his years growing up in Agram township
and tells tales of card games and
shopping at the JC Penney where your
change was hoisted down from the office
above on a cable.
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Moving personal
account of frontier women left behind
in Minnesota when their husbands went
west to prospect for gold in Colorado
and Montana in the mid-1800s.
"These
richly detailed letters portray the
lives of many 'widows,' who share
their fears and hopes, and also provide
a vivid description (from James) of
life in the mining communities."
-- CHOICE
Temporarily out of stock. check back
again soon.
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Lindbergh Looks
Back; A Boyhood Reminiscence by
Charles A. Lindbergh, Foreword by Reeve
Lindbergh
Lindbergh's personal and intimate
recollection of his boyhood days on his
family's Minnesota farm on the banks of
the Mississippi River.
With remarkable detail,
warmth, and accuracy, Charles A. Lindbergh--aviator,
author, scientist, and conservationist--recalls
the boyhood experiences that led to his
later life of international fame and significant
achievement. Lindbergh introduces readers
to the curly-haired boy and serious-minded
youth who grew to manhood from 1902 to 1920
on a farm along the banks of the upper Mississippi
River near Little Falls, Minnesota. There,
long before the Spirit of St. Louis and
its celebrated flight, he learned the country
ways that nourished his love of the natural
world and its preservation, inspired his
practical knowledge of working machinery,
and revealed the importance of careful observation
and perseverance.
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