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Staff Picks...

Laura Hansen   Maryjude Hoeffel   Wendi Fogelberg   Donna   Jackson/Kids   Local Interest


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!

Laura Hansen was named Great River Arts Association's August 2010 Artist of the Month. Click here to read the article.

let's take the long way home: a memoir of friendship by gail caldwell

Gail Caldwell was recently interviewed on NPR. I immeditaly ordered the book and read it straightaway. The story of two writers who become fast friends while walking their dogs and end up sharing their lives, hobbies and recovery from addiction. Caldwell writes about her life before, during and after the loss of her friend, Caroline Knapp, the author of Drinking; A Love Story.

 

 

If you haven't read any Caroline Knapp, I do recommend that you read Drinking and also - for dog lovers - Pack of Two.


You can also find me on www.goodreads.com and Facebook.

prayers and lies by sherri wood emmons ($15.00 kensington 02/2011)

I thoroughly enjoyed this book. It begged to be read in one sitting. Bethy, an Indiana girl who visits her Coal River cousins every year, feels a sisterly bond to her cousin Reana Mae who is scarecly tolerated by her Mother let alone loved. At the same time Bethy prays for her cousin she also hides her darkest secrets. A wonderful new voice in fiction for fans of Lee Smith, Dorothy Allison, Ron Rash.

Fans of Carolyn Wall's Sweeping Up Glass or of Velva Jean Learns to Drive take note. Place your orders now for your winter reading list; 632-1848.

 

The Tale of Halcyon Crane by Duluth author, Wendy Webb, Trade Paper.

A modern gothic set on Grand Manitou, a fictional Great Lakes Island cut off from cell phone reception and without motorized transportation. Hallie James is drawn away from her Pacific Northwest home after the death of her father when she recieves a letter from the mother she never knew and thought was dead. Hallie travels to insular world of Grand Manitou at the behest of her Mother's attorney and proceeds to learn the strange and tragic story of a family haunted by loss and troubling "gifts". A great rainy night read. An April 2010 Midwest Connections Pick.

 

I really loved Vendela Vida's book, Let the Northern Lights Erase Your Name, so I decided to give her upcoming book a try. The Lover's will be released in July and is about a recently widowed American woman traveling in Turkey.

The Lovers by Vendela Vida

Yvonne, recently widowed, heads off to Turkey to revisit the site of her honeymoon. Once there, she realizes not only how much the place has changed, but how much she has as well. No longer the free-spirited, always prepared traveler she had been, Yvonne sets out on a drive to find ...something. What she finds is a beach, a small intrepid little boy selling sea shells, and a chance to meditate on her role as wife and mother. I liked Yvonne's openness to strangers and the experiences it allowed her to have. I am much more insular and self-contained as a traveler. Not all goes well for Yvonne and I really related to her occasional panic attacks as she tries to find her way through foreign cities and strange landscapes. As many Americans do (according to her new friend Ozlem) Yvonne tries to always do the right thing and ends up doing the typically American thing instead. Yvonne learns that some things you can't fix and some things fix themselves.

The Singer's Gun by Emily St. John Mandel Hardback Release May 2010

“Reads like an enchantment. Stunning. Anton Waker wants a moral life, a simple everday American job, to do anything other than follow in his family’s shady footsteps. His one mistake is to start his new life with a lie he can never take back. Anton’s thinking is seductively convincing. He makes us believe his good intentions as much as he does. It is scary how relatable he is..”—Laura Hansen, Bookin’ It

The Number One Pick for the May IndieNext List! Author guest blog bleow answers Laura's question about keeping the suspense:

[Topic: (Laura asks) I guess I would want to know how she (Emily) decided how much to reveal to the reader when...it is a tricky business holding out on the reader (maintaining the mystery) and holding their attention (without frustrating them) at the same time.]

In a book like The Singer’s Gun, where almost every character has a secret, maintaining the tension of the plot was a delicate task. What to reveal, when: give it all away too quickly and you have nowhere to go after the first hundred or so pages, give it away too slowly and the plot goes slack.

This probably isn’t a very original metaphor, but I think of the plot as a sort of wire strung between two points. The two points are the first word of the book and the last, and the trick is to avoid slackening at all costs. “The plot must sing with tension,” my editor said, in the course of the revision process, and every plot decision I made afterward was based on that idea: will this increase the tension of the plot, or lessen it? My editor’s words struck me as good advice for every book I write in the future.

I don’t start a book with much knowledge of the plot. I start books based on vague premises—what if someone kept traveling forever? What if a man left his wife on their honeymoon?—and images—a car on a desert highway, a passport changing hands in a café. Once I have a premise or an image to go on, I just start writing and figure it out as I go along.

I don’t think I can work in any other way, but setting out in this fashion means that my initial draft is always unspeakably rough; the book comes together in successive rewrites. Decisions about dramatic tension are made in the revisions, when the book is taken apart and pieced back together and rewritten and retooled until the version that my agent finally sees bears almost no resemblance to the unwieldy mess of a thing that I’d once thought of fondly as a first draft. When I was revising The Singer’s Gun I changed the order of revelations several times, searching for the highest possible level of tension. - Emily St. John Mandel

 

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.

From best-selling author Jeannette Walls (The Glass Castle)

Half Broke Horses; A True-Life Novel is based on the amazing hardscrabble life of Walls' own grandmother. If you like tales of gutsy women and pioneers, you'll love this one. Told in plain-spoken fashion, just the way her grandmother would have told it. Half Broke Horses is going to be a huge hit.

 

Burning Bright; Stories by Ron Rash (author of Serena) March 2010

These magnificent short stories center around tough choices in limited circumstances. Rash once again captures the voice of the Appalachians in stunning prose.

The first two stories (Hard Times, The Back of Beyond) alone and in juxtapostion are worthy of discussion. Two men taking different approaches to "ridding the snake from the henhouse"; the first of which turns out to be a harmless young girl, the second a meth-addicted nephew who is selling aff the farm a little at a time until his elderly parents move out of the house and into their son's unheated trailer in fear of him and his drugged out friends.

In Dead Confederates and Ascent we see a grown man and a young boy making similar self-justifications for stealing. And in The Woman who Believed In Jaguars we find a woman grappling to hold on to a lost reality by trying to prove the existance of another.

There is desolation in these sotries, loneliness, and tenderness, too, little fires flaring in the night, moments when men step wrong and there is no turning back, a thin connecting thread of hopes dreamed and hopes dashed.

I highly recommend Rash's earlier books One Foot in Eden and Saints at the River (a Bookin' It Contemporary Fiction Book Club Selection). His book Serena, now available in paperback, was a New York Times Notable Book of the Year.

Then Came the Evening by Brian Hart (Hardback, Dec. 2009)

Reviewers compare this book to the work of Cormac McCarthy who I haven't read, but I am sure they are correct. Bandy Dorner is a man who courts tragedy, is a magnet for it. And life isn't any easier for his son. Set in Idaho, I get a hint of Ron Carlson's Five Skies (a book I loved) and also of Ron Rash's books One Foot in Eden and Burning Bright. It has been a long long time since I cried at the end of a book and I'm not sure why I did so for a character as unredeemed as Bandy, but I did.

31 Hours by Masha Hamilton

What would you do if you couldn't locate your college age son? What if you found out he'd met a man named Masoud and traveled in secret to Pakistan with him? How does one spawn a home-grown terrorist? Masha Hamilton considers all these things and more in her gripping new novel, 31 Hours.

Masha Hamilton's best work since Staircase of a Thousand Steps. I enjoyed it in the same way as Ann Patchett's Run with its compact time frame and small cast of well-defined characters.

 

The Day the Falls Stood Still by Cathy Marie Buchanan
(September 2009, $24.99)

This a wonderful historical novel in the vein of another book club favorite of ours, Grand Ambition (Lisa Michaels). Set immediatley before and after WWI, Bess's story is powered by the falls and whirlpools and mists of Niagra and by the mysterious riverman, Tom Cole, who shares his love for the river with her.

Buchanan does a marvelous job of juxtaposing the cultured life Bess is accustomed to with the rough and dangerous life of the river stuntmen and hydro-electic construction crews of the era.

For all that, this is a love story at its heart and I found myself waiting as anxiously as Bess for Tom to reappear along the road or along the shore. The Day the Falls Stood Still is a joy to read.


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.

All the Living by C.E. Morgan (Coming soon in paperback)

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.

A Reliable Wife by Robert Goolrick, Algonquin Books now in paperback

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.

A Reliable Wife wins NAIBA's "Book of the Year" for fiction. Midwest Booksellers "2009 Choice Award" honor book.

The Crossing Places by Ellie Griffiths January 2010, $25.00

Ellie Griffiths opens a great new mystery series with The Crossing Places. Professor of Archaeology, Ruth Galloway, who lives at the edge of wind-blown saltmarsh with her two cats Sparky and Flint, is asked to help the police in a missing child case when bones are found not far from her cottage. Thoroughly enjoyable. How could I not love a heroine who reads Ian Rankin in bed at night?

Stop in now for this 2010 release, especially if you are a fan of Erin Hart's mysteries. Speaking of Erin Hart....False Mermaid is due March 2010.

Novelist Erin Hart who will be at our Linden Hill Author Tea Retreat in May gave us permission to quote her review of The Crossing Places from her goodreads post.

"Against the eerie backdrop of the Saltmarsh—a dangerous, desolate stretch of coastline that’s not quite earth, not quite sea—forensic archaeologist Ruth Galloway stirs up fears and passions among the living even as she unearths ancient remains.

Although she’ll admit to being a walking cliché—she’s an overweight, unmarried, cat-loving academic—Ruth Galloway actually defies such slender classification. She’s an uncommon heroine whose acute insight, wry humor, and depth of feeling make her a thoroughly engaging companion on this spooky, sometimes harrowing ride." - Erin Hart (Haunted Ground, Lake of Sorrows, False Mermaid)

A Toast to Murder by Michele Scott (paperback original, 4/2010)

This is Scott's 6th Wine Lover's Mystery featuring Nikki Sands and the Malveaux Estates Winery. I fell in love with these light hearted mysteries from the very start and they have become my guilty little pleasures. When a new one comes in I drop everything knowing I can finish it in a day - a thoroughly enjoyable day at that - and get back to my real life. In this latest Wine Lover Mystery series book, Michele Scott is back in form after a couple of weak outings. Here is all the wine county detail, snappy dialogue, and humor we've come to love in the first three books in the series. A wedding - Nikki and Dereks's - goes terribly wrong when Simon's brother is shot walking Nikki down the aisle. Once again Scott tests both Nikki's ability to keep it together in trying circumstances as bodies turn up along with an old love.

Necessary As Blood, A Duncan Kincaid/Gemma James Mystery
by Deborah Crombie

Another well-thought-out mystery by Crombie. Thoroughly enjoyable. Gemma James gets involved with a missing persons case that turns into murder. Though the case is assigned to her partner Duncan Kincaid, Gemma continues to search out answers in order to protect a young girl orphaned by the murder. Rich in background detail of immigrant London, and of its Bangladeshi subculture. Very good and makes me want to go back and read The Case of the Missing Servant by Tarquin Hall which I have tucked away at home somewhere and also Brick Lane by Monica Ali.

A Beautiful Place to Die by Malla Nunn (Trade Paperback)

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. Let the Dead Lie, will be released April 2010.

 

Let The Dead Lie by Malla Nunn (Trade Paperback, April 2010)

The early part of this book is hard reading mainly because it is so uncomfortable to see the hero of Nunn's previous book, A Beautiful Place to Die, in such different circumstances, stripped of his Detective's Badge and reclassified as non-white. Not a big deal? In 1950's South Africa it changes everything for Emmanuel Cooper. Cooper is nonethless drawn in to a new murder investigation and quickly becomes a suspect on the run in the racially mixed streets of Durban. Cooper does eventually come to accept the help of his friends, a Jewish doctor and a black police officer he met in the previous book. With the help of his friends, the brooding tone and hopelessness of the story lifts slightly. Cooper must solve three murders and protect a Russian defector and his pregnant wife from a murderer and a rogue policeman. Let the Dead Lie is an apt title as all of Cooper's problems stem from his inablilty "let the dead lie". Even when he knows repsonsible parties will never be broguht to justice and that innocent people may be hurt in the pursuit of justice, and the consequences for his own life are dire, he is unable to stop himself in the pursuit of the truth.

Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet by Jamie Ford, (Now in PB)

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.

Remarkable Creatures by Tracy Chevalier

Remarkable Creatures is a fairly quiet book, not for fans of high adventure and gripping plots. It is, however, an excellent historical novel that will appeal to fans of historical fiction and to book clubs. Mary Anning's life as a fossil hunter and her friendship with spinster Elizabeth Philpot is convincingly presented. What intrigues most is their efforts to understand the world in view of their finds and their struggle to be acknowledged in the male-centric world of academics and gentleman collectors they are thrust among.

The School of Essential Ingredients by Erica Bauermeister is absolutley charming and Bauermeister's writing is chock full of beautiful metaphors. Now in trade paperback.

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.

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.

 

The Fire Engine that Disappeared by Maj Sjowall and Per Wahloo

Part of The Martin Beck Police Mystery Series set in Sweden and written by a husband and wife writing team. In this book, not Martin Beck but the cranky and contemptous Detective Gunvald Larsson is the main character. He has just saved a number a people from a burning building that exploded while under police surveillence. Larsson's fellow officers are content to call it an accident, but Larsson is sure it was arson. This series of ten mysteries set in 1960's Sweden is being re-released by Vintage paperbacks and I plan to delve into the whole series. Great for fans of Henning Mankell or Steig Larsson.

 

South of Hell by PJ Parrish

Another taut and dazzling read for fans of Parrish's Florida PI, Louis Kincaid. In this outing Kincaid finds himself traveling back to Michigan to help out on a cold case he was loosley connected tom years before. At the same time a young girl is hitchhiking home, straight into the arms of a killer.

 

 

 

 

My Only Home, Poems by Freya Manfred (Red Dragonfly Press, $12.00)
Midwest Booksellers' Association 2009 Book of the Year Winner for Poetry

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 richness.

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 circles" (p. 46).

I just received a copy of Beloved on the Earth; 150 Poems of Grief and Gratitude (June 2009) and have already liberally sampled the poems included. I find this to be an absolutley essential collection. Some of my favorite poets are represented here (Kooser, Oliver, Berry, Clifton) and many are new to me. But this is just a remarkable and thoughful collection and the poems are well-crafted and not dripping with sentimentality as so many of these types of collections tend to be.

 

Exley by Brock Clarke, Algonquin, October 2010

I read this book at the start as a tribute to my dear friend Max and because I loved the twisted brilliance of A Fan's Notes, but in the end I read it to find out how any truth could come out of the story of an imaginative boy, his missing father, and his seemingly equally disturbed "mental health professional". Turns out the "truth" is, as it is so often, that love transcends a lot but it doesn't make life perfect or enduring or even - at times - acceptable. Loved Miller and his huge love for his less-than-perfect father, though it is I suspect a book for a particularly adventurous kind of reader. It has all the strange truth-bending charm of A Fan's Notes. A worthy paen to its namesake, yet Brock Clarke writes in a truly distinctive voice.

From Kirkus Reviews: Another literary high-wire performance by a novelist who is establishing himself as a unique voice in contemporary fiction.

This novel shares significant qualities with its predecessor (An Arsonist's Guide to Writer's Homes in New England, 2007), which provided a critical breakthrough for Clarke. Both have protagonists who are good-hearted, well-intentioned and self-delusional, thus as unreliable as they are likable. And both have a metafictional, book-about-books quality. In this case, as the title suggests, the creative springboard is Frederick Exley's A Fan's Notes, a memoirist novel that itself confuses the real with the imagined. A seriously playful novel about the interweave of literature and life.

"Sometimes you have to tell the truth about what you've done so that people will believe you when you tell them the truth about other stuff you haven't done," says Miller, who is in for as many surprises as the reader.

I have authored a poetry chapbook titled Diving the Drop-off. It is available at Bookin' It, the Gift Shop at GRAA, 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. Talking Stick 17 available soon.

 

 

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. In stock now at Bookin' it.

Among the many writers represented are Dave Bengtson of Long Prairie and Bookin' It owner, Laura Hansen.

Maryjude Hoeffel,
Spirituality Book Discussion Group (SBDG) Coordinator/Bookseller

My reading choices are mostly non-fiction, though you'll find novels (mostly historical) in my selctions as well. I gravitate to spirituality, 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.

They're Your Parents,Too! How Siblings Can Survive Their Parents' Aging Without Driving Each Other Crazy by Francine Russo
Many families are unprepared for the difficult decisions that must be made when their aging parents need assisance and care. Siblings often have differing opinions on what is "best for Mom & Dad". Russo's book offers a deep examination of the transition that siblings must go through from the "old" family of their childhood to a "new" family after their parents are gone. Full of wise insights and practical advice. Highly recommended.




No Way Down - Life and Death on K2 by Graham Bowley
I've been reading mountaineering stories since 1972 when I was holed up with strep throat at 10,000 feet at Camp Muir on Mt. Rainier. This one is a real page-turner. Bowley recounts the 2008 disaster on K2, the world's second-highest mountain. As gripping as Into Thin Air by Jon Krakauer, No Way Down reveals the dangers of high-altitude mountaineering and the people willing to risk their lives to make the summit..





Hamlet's BlackBerry A Practical Philosophy for Building a Good Life in the Digital Age by William Powers
Got a laptop, a Blackberry, an IPad? Do you have a Facebook or Twitter account? The digital technology many of us own have opened new worlds and connected us with hundreds of other users,, but at what cost? In this timely new book, author Powers says that we've bought into the idea that the more connnected we are, the better. But this constant connectedness comes with a cost: out lives have lost depth. How can we regain a balance between our outer and inner lives? Powers provides practical tools for all of us who'd like to spend more time "disconnected."


The House on Teacher's Lane: A Memoir of Home, Healing and Love's Hardest Questions by Rachel Simon
I enjoyed Simon's previous memoir: Riding The Bus With My Sister and so picked this one up with a sense of anticipation. I wasn't disappointed. Simon uses the saga of the renovation of the Delaware row-house home she shares with her husband, Hal, as the vehicle for exploring the fracturings and repairs we experience in our lives. Beautifully written; filled with insights you'll want to share.




A Secret Gift - How One Man's Kindness - and a Trove of Letters - Revealed the Hidden History of the Great Depression by Ted Gup
In 2008, Gup's mother gave him an old suitcase, containing letters written to a Mr. B. Virdot, in Canton, Ohio, in December, 1933. The authors were all responding to an ad Mr. B. Vidot had placed in the Canton paper, offering $10 to each of 75 families in distress. Mr. B. Virdot was none other than Gup's grandfather, Sam Stone. Gup, totally surprised by this secret that had been kept for 75 years, decides to track down the descendants of the recipients of this gift and in so doing, reveals a very personal and poignant picture of the Great Depression.
This book will be published in October, 2010
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Tattoos on the Heart: The Power of Boundless Compassion
by Gregory Boyle

Quite simply, this is a book that grabbed my heart and I can do no better than to quote author Anne Lamott's review: "An astonishing book . . . about suffering and dignity, death and resurrection, one of my favorite books in years. It is lovely and tough and tender beyond my ability to describe and left me in tears of both sorrow and laughter."




At Home - A Short History of Private Life by Bill Bryson
I'm a big fan of Bryson and his latest, to be published in October, 2010, is a delightful tour through a century and a half of the history of the home. Bryson and his family live in England in a Victorian parsonage. He uses each room of the house as a jumping off point for his far-ranging musings about domestic life. Entertaining and fascinating.







Impatient With Desire by Gabrielle Burton
If you've taken note of my fiction choices, nearly all are historical fiction; not a surprise since History was my favorite subject. In this novel, Burton brings to life Tamsen Donner, the wife of George Donner, head of the ill-fated party of pioneers who were trapped in the Sierra Nevada Mountains for 4 months in the winter of 1846-47. Exhaustively researched and drawing on the 17 extant letters of Tamsen Donner, Burton's novel is an engrossing read.

 



Put "Em Up - A Comprehensive Home Preserving Guide for the Creative Cook from Drying and Freezing to Canning and Pickling by Sherri Brooks Vinton
I grew up near the truck farms of southeastern Michigan and learned "putting foods by" from my mom.
Some folks think it's hard to do, but it's not and this book is a great place to begin. I really like the layout - Vinton begins with a section devoted to the various techniques of food storage and preservation, then goes on to recipes which are organized alphabetically by food. For example, in the section on apples, recipes include dried apple rings, apple brandy, applesauce and spiced apple chutney, to name a few. Before long, you'll be impressing your friends with your homemade treats.

Passages in Caregiving - Turning Chaos into Confidence by Gail Sheehy
Gail Sheehy's milestone book, Passages, was published in 1976 and became an instant best-seller. Her latest, I believe, is destined for the same honor. This is one of the clearest, most helpful books on caregiving that I have read and I highly recommend it to anyone who is tackling the sometimes dificult, but often rewarding job of caring for another person. Sheehy likens the caregiving journey to a walk in a labyrinth, with several "turnings" on the path. She covers each stage of the journey, giving wise counsel and practical advice based on her own experiences.



Nomansland by Lesley Hauge
I try to read a Young Adult novel now and again and this one is intriguing. Following the near destruction of humanity, a group of women inhabit an island which they protect from the enemy --- men. Keller is one of the Trackers - adolescent equestrians and archers - whose job it is to patrol the borders. But a chance discovery of something from the Before Time brings all of Keller's beliefs into question. For ages 12 and up.

To be published in late June.



The Personal History of Rachel DuPree by Ann Weisgarber
The unforgiving South Dakota Badlands is the setting for this debut novel about a black family struggling to homestead at the turn of the 20th century. Historical fiction fans will find an unforgettable character in Rachel Dupree.

To be published in August, 2010






Stuff - Compulsive Hoarding and the Meaning of Things by Randy O. Frost and Gail Steketee
The authors tell us there are more than 6 million compulsive hoarders in this country and in this fascinating book, you'll meet some of the hoarders that Frost, a psychologist and Steketee, a social worker, inteviewed and worked with in their decade of studying this form of compulsion. Frost and Steketee share their insights into this behavior which has crippled so many lives. "Stuff answers the question of what happens when what we own starts to own us."






Exiles by Ron Hansen
A beautiful novel about the 19th century poet, Gerard Manley Hopkins and the tragic sinking of a ship carrying five young German nuns to America that inspired one of his greatest poems, The Wreck of the Deutschland. Hansen deftly weaves the story of Hopkins, who ended a seven year silence to write the poem, and the nuns, who drowned that December night in 1875. Hopkins' complete poem is included in the book.



Caring for Your Parents - The Complete Family Guide by Hugh Delehanty and Elinor Ginzler

AND

How to Find the Best Eldercare by Marilyn Rantz, PhD, RN, FAAN and Mary Zwygart-Stauffacher, PhD, RN, FAAN

Many people my age have found themselves called upon to assist their parents with long term care decisons. I have found these two books to be very helpful in navigating the issues of eldercare. Full of practical advice from experts in the field, these are great resources for anyone expecting to be involved in their parents' care.

Healthy Bread in Five Minutes a Day by Jeff Hertzberg & Zoe Francois
The folks that brought you Artisan Bread in Five Minutes a Day are back, this time with recipes for delicious, artisan, whole-grain and gluten-free breads and rolls.






I'm in awe of artists and craftspeople of all sorts and love to browse craft magazines, galleries and craft stores for inspiration. This past November, my mother-in-law taught me to knit and now I can't go into a yarn shop without drooling and gazing longingly at all I'd love to buy. It's the same with craft books. I can't possibly buy all I'd like to own, but here are some recently published books I've got my eye on:

Knitting 24/7 by Veronik Avery
This is a great book for knitting on the go. Avery has designed 30 stylish projects that are perfect for when you have a few moments to spare - while waiting for an appointment. The projects are easily portable and designed with stitch patterns you can memorize.






Fast, Fun & Easy Fabric Cover-Button Jewelry: Create Gifts & Glamour in One Afternoon by Laura West Kong
October, 2009 $14.95

 

 

 



Hattitude: Knis for Every Mood by Cathy Carron
November, 2009 $19.95











Inchies: Creative Miniature Works of Art Using Textiles and Mixed Media Techniques by Peggy Donda-Kobert
April, 2010 $13.95






 

Things That Make Us [Sic] by Martha Brockenbrough
Are you tired of hearing your friend refer to that strong Italian coffee as an "expresso"? Does your sister always refer to something as being further (instead of farther) away? Now there's hope in this funny and oh-so-helpful book on the often-overlooked subject of the correct useage of English. Brockenbrough, the founder of SPOGG, the Society for the Promotion of Good Grammar reviews all the important things you learned in elementary school but might have forgotten. She intersperses her "lessons" with the funny e-mails and letters she's sent to grammar violators, including the Toronto Maple Leafs and the White House.



In Cod We Trust by Eric Dregni
Eric Dregni grew up with a father who always extolled his Norwegian heritage. When he was awarded a Fullbright Fellowship in Trondwheim, Norway, Dregni and his wife, Katy, who was pregnant with their first child, left for a year-long adventure to the land of luttefisk, lefse and the dreaded moreketid (dark night of the Norwegian winter). A humorous and poignant memoir that you don't have to be Norwegian to enjoy
.





The Boy Who Harnesed the Wind by William Kamkwamba

Inventiveness, persistence and hope all fuse beautifully in this inspiring book about a boy who builds a windmill to improve the lives of his family and community in famine-ravaged Malawi.









Baking Cakes in Kigali by Gaile Parkin
I can best describe this book as a "Patty Jane's House of Curl" meets "The No. 1 Ladie's Detective Agency". Angel Tungaraza is a cake baker extraordinaire in Kigali, Rwanda. But her talents as a baker are equaled by her compassionate heart and her ability to change lives - lives that have been touched by AIDS and the horrors of the Rwandan genocide. Readers of Lorna Landvik and Adrianna Trigiani will enjoy this first novel by Parkin, a native of Zambia.





Sacred Hearts by Sarah Dunant
Dunant's newest novel (she wrote Birth of Venus and In the Company of the Courtesan) is just what I look for in historical fiction: wonderful writing and a story that immerses you in another time and place. The setting for this one is the 1570s in the northern Italian city of Ferrara where Serafina, a 16-yr. old passionately in love with a young singer, is forced into the convent of Santa Caterina against her will. She longs to escape, yet feels a growing attachment to Suora Zuana, the convent's herbalist/apothecary to whom she is apprenticed. Dunant offers us a glimpse into a medieval convent, one of the only places where women held power and used political intrigues of their own.



The Blue Notebook by James A. Levine
Levine's debut novel 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.


 

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.


Cake Keeper Cakes - 100 Simple Recipes for Extraordinary Bundt Cakes, Pound Cakes, Snacking Cakes and Other Good-to-the-Last-Crumb Cakes by Lauren Chattman.
Chattman's done it again with this scrumptious collection of recipes for fantastic cakes your family will love. Chattman has the busy baker in mind, so these cakes don't take a lot of time or effort. I made the Cranberry-Walnut Bundt Cake with
Maple-Espresso Glaze. Yummm!




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!


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!

Healthy Bread in Five Minutes a Day by Jeff Hertzberg and Zoe Francoise
The sequel to Artisan Bread in Five Minutes a Day, features whole grain breads with the simple, no-knead recipes the authors made famous in their first book. It's the answer for all of us who enjoy healthy, artisan bread, but who don't have the time for the classic time-consuming process. I love this bread and as soon as you discover how simple it is, you will too.

 


Wendi Martin-Fogelberg, Bookseller/Horsewoman/Crafter

 

 

Polar Obsession by Paul Nicklen is as intense and timely as it is beautiful. Wildlife photograper Nicklen goes to the extremes of the artic to gather the images in this collection, including diving into the icy waters normally only inhabited by Narwals, seals, penguins and polar bears. The result is a photographic exploration of Artic lands that is at once intimate and startling.

A good companion read would be Richard Ellis' On Thin Ice; The Changing World of the Polar Bear (11/2009)

 

 

The Bone Garden by Tess Gerritsen (available in mass market paperback, $7.99)

I listened to this one on audiobook and really enjoyed the suspense and period detail. I'll definitely be adding Tess Gerritsen to my list of authors to watch. In this story, 1830's Boston meets present day rural Massachusets when a human skull turns up on the grounds of a new home. A Kirkus Reviews starred review.

 

 

The Birthing House by Christopher Ransom

This psychological thriller with supernatural overtones begins as a story of possession and sexual obsession and ends ultimately in murder, as a centuries-old crime is reenacted in the present with devastating consequences.

Trade paperback, $14.99, to be released August 3, 2010.

 

 

Last Night at the Lobster by Stewart O'Nan (Trade Paperback)

You know how you have a book on your pile for ages and never seem to get to it and then you pick it up and read it straight through and think, "Hey, that was great!" and wonder why you waited so long to read it? That was my experience with Last Night at the Lobster, a really fun and funny book with a good bit of heart.

 

 

Chelsea Cain is one of my new favorites for her high suspense mysteries:

 

The Hour I First Believed by Wally Lamb

What can I say, I just love Wally Lamb. Now availalbe in Trade Paperback!

 

 

 

 

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.

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.

Richard's latest book, Saddled, How a Spirited Horse Reined me in and Set Me Free, has just arrived at the store.

 



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 books, Swing! and Waddle!

 








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.

There are a lot of serious titles and fine literature in these staff picks, but I'm here to tell you we need a little fun, too! Howl along with us at the irreverent (to say the least) Book of Bunny Suicides and its follow-up Return of the Bunny Suicides. Like the Far Side, there is even a tie-in card line and YES we do have some of them in stock. If you thought that 100 Uses for a Dead Cat was outrageous fun, you "ain't seen nothin' yet"

Disclaimer: You'll remember that we ARE the bookstore with a bunny in our logo and we do love the little critters dearly and we mean them no harm, but these crazy little line drawings that sometimes run to whole comic strips really are a hoot.

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.

 

 

 

 

I'll be testing the recipes in this one soon. They look easy, tempting and crowd-pleasing.

 

 


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!

 

 

Donna has been reading books so fast lately I can hardly keep up with her new Staff Picks. Here are three of her recent recommendations soon to be published:

 

 

 

 

 

 

New York Times Bestselling author, Tana French, (In the Woods, The Likeness) returns with Faithful Place set in Ireland. Pub. Date July 13, 2010.

Minnesota favorites, PJ Tracy, are back with a new Monkeewrench mystery. Shoot To Thrill will be available sometime in May.

Internationally bestselling and award winning author, Nathaniel Philbrick, writes about Custer, Sitting Bull and The Battle of Little Bighorn in The Last Stand. Pib. DateMay 4, 2010.
Donna also recommends Philbrick's earlier book, Mayflower.

One Good Dog by Susan Wilson, March 2, 2010

By now you've figured out that I love dogs and - ergo - dog stories. And I am here to tell you, I just loved this book. A story of salvation in the very best sense.

 

 



The Information Officer by Mark Mills

Donna recently read The Information Officer and recommends it highly. she also read and enjoyed Mills' Amagansett. We like this review from Shelf Awareness by Darwin Ellis:

"Pinched between Nazis in Italy and in North Africa, Malta--a speck of a British colony--is taking a nightly pounding. The function of the 'information' officer is to keep up the morale of the troops and local populace. But how can he when there is a murderer on the loose who might be a spy? "--Darwin Ellis, Books on the Common, Ridgefield, Conn.

 

13 1/2 by Nevada Barr

Donna says, "I couldn't put it down!" Barr makes a departure from her popular Anna Pigeon Mystery Series in the taut psycholological thriller. Barr, who once lived in Minnesota, spins her fictional tale off actual events of the 1970's, when a young boy murders nearly his whole family. Set partially in Rochester, MN, Barr draws on a number of true crimes in constructing her fictional character.

 

 

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. The customer feedback on this one has been fabulous!

 

June 9, 2009 Hardback Release

Sworn to Silence by Linda Castillo (June 2009 Hardback)

Ohio. Amish country. Chief of Police Kate Burkholder is chasing a murderer through deep snow, working a case that carries too closely to her own past. Great characters, well-paced, but reader beware...the murders are brutal and graphically described.

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 2009. Now available in paperback with a sequel due this year as well.

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)

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.

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 Now in Trade paper

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 sequel, Thereby Hangs The Tail, just arrived!

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

 

The Brutal Telling by Louise Penny (Hardback, 10/2009)

Ovee the course of the past year, I have discovered and enjoyed this wonderful sereis by Louise Penny featuring Chief Inspector Gamache. They are a traditional village mystery set in Three Pines in Canada. Reviewers call Penny's mysteries "sophisticated" and "literary", and refer to her as a "world-class storyteller". I heartily agree and The Brutal Telling is her best yet.

 















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.....and some of ours too.

Don't Slam the Door! by Dori Chaconas
One slam begins a domino-effefct of household chaos in this humorus read-aloud.












How Rocket Learned to Read by Tad Hills
An inspirational teacher opens Rocket's world to words.













Brontorina by James Howe
She may be big and doesn't have the right shoes, but Brontorina is a ballerina in her heart. A story about following your dreams.










Creak Said the Bed by Phyllis Root
On a dark, stormy night, Momma and Poppa are sleeping peacefully until Evie, Ivy and Moe want to climb into their bed. But will there be room for Fred? You won't want to miss this great read-aloud.








Chalk by Bill Thomson
A wonderfully illustrated wordless story of what happens when three children find a bag of chalk on the playground.








Guess Again by Mac Barnett
Barnett's rhyming book asks kids to fill in the missing word at the end of each verse. Think you know the answer? Guess again. Young ones will enjoy this as a read-aloud.








Step Into Reading Level 2, Shampoodle ($3.99)

Filled with lively dogs and plenty of laughs. Perfectly written for first readers.

 

 

 

 

 

A Friend Like You by Tanja Askani

A Friend Like You is a great book for kids showing friendship between various animals. For fans of The Blue Day Book, Owen and Mzee or Stranger in the Woods. Features delightful animal photographs that will appeal to all ages.

Photographer Askani adopts orphaned or injured animals, and under her care, unexpected friendships form. This collection of heartwarming photographs, accompanied by simple text celebrating the comforts and delights of friendship is sure to appeal to anyone who loves animals and appreciates a true friend. Full color.

 

Here are three books that celebrate things that Minnesotans love...rocks, moose & loons.

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.

Puffling by Margaret Wild and Julie Vivas

Simple, endearing text follows a young puffin from birth to his first leap into the big ocean. As he waits safe in his nest from the scary gulls, he asks each day when he will be big and brave enough to leave home. Gentle illustrations by Julie Vivas reflect the muted tones and foreshortened light of the artic regions.

 




Skippyjon Jones Lost in Spice by Judy Schachner
Skippyjon Jones is back and his latest adventure - a trip to Mars - is out of this world.. A fun read aloud with tongue-twisting alliteration and sprinklings of Spanish. This Siamese cat who think he's a chihuahua is a hoot!









Otis by Loren Long
This reminded us of the classic "Mike Mulligan and His Steam Shovel". A sweet story for the very young about friendship and loyalty. We love the muted palette Long used for his illustrations.


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

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.

These sweet board books feature beautifully-sewn felt finger puppets that pop out from their family dwellings on every page. A delight for babies and toddlers. Also availalbe: In My Pond.

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.

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.

Shape by Shape by Sue Macdonald

Bright simple shapes, creative cut-outs, and a fun guessing game make this book a great way to learn shapes. Macdonald is a Caldecott Honoree.

 

 

 

Totty a board book by Paola Opal (part of the So Small Series of books)

Totty is the last of the turtles to emerge from the sand. So how does Totty become the first of his siblings to reach the sea? Told in simple, graphic pictures and a minimum of words. A perfect start for the littlest ones.

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.

 

 


Billy Twitters and His Blue Problem by Marc Barnett Illustrated by Adam Rex (Frankenstein Makes a Sandwich)

We're not sure why Billy's Mother thinks buying him a big blue whale as a pet is a suitable punishment for not cleaning his room, but one morning there it is - parked just outside the house with his big sleepy eye peering in the window. What will Billy do with his new pet? Fun, humor enough for the whole family, and more cetacean facts tucked in than you ever thought you needed to know.

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

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.

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.

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.


Of Local Interest

Two new books by local authors:

Awesome Possum by Faye Sandy

Rural Roots; A Memoir by Delores Thoma

The Minnesota Table

This beautiful cookbook and travelogue includes and interesting sidebar on the Franciscan Sisters ofLittle Falls and an article on the Annual Bethel Lutheran Lutefisk Supper also in Little Falls.

Travel along in spring, summer, fall, and winter as we hunt morels, pick blueberries, winnow wild rice, and come nose-to-nose with yaks, elk, and bison. Meet gardening nuns and artisan farmers who breathe color and warmth into the argument for sustainable agriculture; try new twists on classic and regional recipes that take the pure flavors of fresh, local ingredients to new heights. Recipes include Grilled Rainbow Trout with Chive-lemon Pepper Butter, Wild Rice Dried Cranberry Salad with Clementine Vinaigrette, and MapleSugar Creme Brulee.

Charming watercolors and color photography illustrate the stories and recipes.

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.

 

 



Now available, Lambert's Minnesota County Fairs.

 

 

 

 




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.

Back in Stock!
"About Little Rock" The Story of a Small Town Boy by Harvey Starr

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.

Temporarily Out of Stock.

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

 

 

 

 

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.

 


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.

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.

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

 

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.


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

 

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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