Member Blogs Archive > December 2018
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from Journey of a Bookseller
Freefall by Jessica Barry
Sun, 16 Dec 2018 09:00:00 PermalinkWhen Allison sees her mother help her father die with morphine to save him the excruciating pain of cancer, she decides she hates her because she killed him. She doesn't see any mercy, just feels the sense of having lost someone she didn't want to let go. She moves out and doesn't contact her mother for years.Vintage Digital sent me an ARC of this book to read for review (thank you). It will be published January 31st.Allison has no job skills but she applies to be a waitress at a night club and gets the job. They give her a Read More -
from Journey of a Bookseller
A Risky Undertaking for Loretta Singletary by Terry Shames
Sat, 15 Dec 2018 09:00:00 PermalinkBeing a police chief in a small town shouldn't be that big a deal but it depends on the town. The first thing that happens is a local goes missing. No one knows where she went or what she was doing. If that's not enough to shake things up, another woman her same age is missing in the next town. When they find her dead, they really worry about Loretta...Seventh Street Books sent me an ARC of this book to read for review (thank you). It will be published January 15th.With help from his younger employees, he finds out Loretta Read More -
from Journey of a Bookseller
Once Upon a River by Diane Setterfield
Fri, 14 Dec 2018 09:00:00 PermalinkThere's a popular tavern in town where the men go to drink and tell stories to each other. An incident can develop any number of different endings in time. Each tells their own story with their own version of the ending. But when an injured man comes into the tavern with a young girl in his arms, it's going to take some time before this tale is told...Emily Bestler Books sent me an ARC of this to read for review (thank you). According to the ARC, it will be published January 1st.The young girl looks like a doll. The nurse Read More -
from Books Tell You Why
Top 10 Children's Books for the Holiday Season
Fri, 14 Dec 2018 08:00:00 PermalinkWhether you’re eight years old or eighty, there’s something magical about receiving a children’s book as a holiday gift. Whether it's a story you knew and loved as a child, or one you're passing on to a new generation, children's books stir old memories and create new. You open up the wrapping paper to find a beautiful story that transports you to a different place and time. It is also a meaningful experience for the gift giver, wanting to pass along a character or story that they loved as a child. And for those merely ‘young at heart’, what a Read More -
from Kristian Strom, Bookseller
Top Blogs that Stay-at-Home Mom Can Start
Fri, 14 Dec 2018 07:47:28 PermalinkMost of the women who stay-at-home at some or other point comes to a thought where she feels to have a break. So, why not take that break in an excited form in by becoming a blogger? Write down all your stupid or great thoughts for an hour a day and start sharing something you […] Read More -
from Journey of a Bookseller
Run Cold by Ed Ifkovic
Thu, 13 Dec 2018 09:00:00 PermalinkEdna has come to Fairbanks to get a bit more background material and maybe an old prospector's tale or two so she can finish up her book. She meets the man that supposedly is the meanest man in Alaska but now he's old and mostly drunk. He has a friend named Sam, who also knows tales but doesn't want to share them. Then, suddenly, they are both dead...Poisoned Pen Press and Edelweiss allowed me to read this book for review (thank you). It will be published February 19th.Just reading the story made me feel cold. The author depicts the weather Read More -
from Journey of a Bookseller
Skull and Pestle: New Tales of Baba Yaga by Kate Forsyth (Author), Lissa Sloan (Author), Kate Wolford (Editor)
Thu, 13 Dec 2018 09:00:00 PermalinkBaba Yaga has been around for a long time. I first read about her in a children's book with Russian fairy tales. Here are some new tales about her with the variations you can get from different story tellers. The most interesting ones are the ones that are different from the original tale.World Weaver Press sent me a copy of this book to read for review (thank you). It will be published January 22nd.My favorite story is the one where a boy comes and asks the witch to help him get rid of a bully. He's even willing to let Read More -
from Books Tell You Why
Collecting Saul Bellow
Thu, 13 Dec 2018 08:00:00 PermalinkDuring his long writing career, Saul Bellow wrote 17 books that were reviewed in The New York Times over a period of six decades. Many of those reviews were written by prominent writers in their own right, such as Cynthia Ozick, Irving Howe, and Alfred Kazin. Even earlier, Bellow himself was writing articles for the newspaper on other authors’ works and questions about his own texts. And that’s not all. He also wrote a play, and he was interviewed hundreds of times over the years in which he wrote. He also began editing a literary magazine, News from the Republic Read More -
from Journey of a Bookseller
Ghost Busting Mystery: Shady Hoosier Detective Agency Series Book 1 by Daisy Pettles
Wed, 12 Dec 2018 09:00:00 PermalinkRuby Jane and Veenie are senior sleuths working in a detective agency. When the Sheriff gets reports of ghosts in the apple trees of an abandoned house, he gives the case to them. The man reporting it is not all there and the Sheriff is not into ghost busting. He'll get involved before it's all over, though.Hot Pants Press and Net Galley let me read this book for review (thank you). It has been published and you can grab a copy now.This story is half silly and half serious. It's a light read with crime going around RJ and Veenie Read More -
from Books Tell You Why
Book Spotlight: Wag-by-Wall by Beatrix Potter
Wed, 12 Dec 2018 08:00:00 PermalinkBeloved children's book author and illustrator Beatrix Potter was a staple in many childhoods. Perhaps best known for her Peter Rabbit stories, Potter was a prolific writer with familiar, enchanting illustrations. In 1944, Wag-by-Wall, originally intended for The Fairy Caravan, was published for the first time in The Hornbook Magazine. When published as a book, illustrations were omitted since Potter did not include them in any drafts. The setting of the book is based on the Lake District Potter lived in and loved. Her detailed descriptions of the setting and characters serve as an excellent example of Potter’s skill as Read More -
from Journey of a Bookseller
A Hug Is for Holding Me by Lisa Wheeler, Lisk Feng
Tue, 11 Dec 2018 09:00:00 PermalinkHave you ever thought about how nature hugs? Dogs and cats hug. So do flowers...Abrams Appleseed sent me a copy of this book to read for review (thank you). It is being published today.You see a mother bird hugging her eggs. A flower all close because it hasn't opened yet. And cocoons open up and let butterflies out.But the best hugs of all? From your parents when they hold you close Read More -
from ten pound island book company
Signs
Mon, 10 Dec 2018 10:24:35 PermalinkThe signature Shriner’s Camel oversees goings-on at the Shriner’s Auditorium in Wilmington, Mass. Let’s get the words out of the way first. Specifically our report on Marvin Getman’s 20th annual Holiday Antiques, Vintage, & Decorative Arts Show and Sale with “Book and Paper Row” (whew!) This is the show I look forward to every year because it’s not just books and paper. It’s got texture – a mishmosh of funky nostalgia, decorative, antique, and wonderful, strange stuff – not to mention the aforementioned “Books & Paper.” This event will never be confused with the Winter Antiques Show and, for Read More -
from Journey of a Bookseller
Past Due for Murder: A Blue Ridge Library Mystery by Victoria Gilbert
Mon, 10 Dec 2018 09:00:00 PermalinkThey are going to have a May Day celebration in town to bring in the tourists. Amy is coordinating a folk tale event to share with the participants. When a college student disappears and the folk tale teller ends up dead, it turns into a murder investigation.Crooked Lane Books and Net Galley allowed me to read this book for review (thank you). It will be published February 22nd.The college student is in a coma and they aren't sure if there is brain damage or if she will remember anything. When Amy picks up on college gossip and finds out they Read More -
from Books Tell You Why
Cornelia Funke: Fantasy for All Ages
Mon, 10 Dec 2018 08:00:00 PermalinkGerman writer Cornelia Funke was born in 1958 in Dorsten in what was formerly West Germany. She studied pedagogy at the University of Hamburg and after graduation, worked for three years as a social worker. She married book printer Rolf Frahme in 1979 and shortly after, left social work to briefly pursue illustration. However, she quickly turned to writing her own books, and her efforts have been supremely successful. Her first books, which in English were titled Ghosthunters and the Incredibly Revolting Ghost and C.H.I.X., were published in 1993, and each were the the first book in a series for Read More -
from Journey of a Bookseller
Murders and Metaphors: A Magical Bookshop Mystery by Amanda Flower
Sun, 09 Dec 2018 09:00:00 PermalinkViolet and her grandmother Daisy are doing a book signing at one of the local wine grower's home. There's a confrontation between sisters, the author disappears and Violet starts getting ready to leave when she notices her cat has sneaked away from her tote. She goes outdoors to run him down and finally locates him in the field of grapes. Unfortunately, he's discovered a dead body...Crooked Lane Books and Net Galley allowed me to read this book this book for review (thank you). It will be published February 22nd.The dead woman is their author and there are plenty of suspects. Read More -
from Journey of a Bookseller
The Book Artist: A Hugo Marston Novel by Mark Pryor
Sat, 08 Dec 2018 09:00:00 PermalinkHugo is still at the embassy and his boss tells him to be at one event and then changes his mind and sends him to another. The art display he's attending has a beautiful young woman artist. She makes her sculptures with books and that's one of Hugh's favorite things so they hit it off well. He's even thinking of dating her. They've already been to dinner and it was fun for both of them. He never expected to find her dead during the first day of her exhibit...Seventh Street Books sent me an ARC of this book to read Read More -
from Books Tell You Why
Remembering James Thurber
Sat, 08 Dec 2018 08:00:00 PermalinkOn December 8, 1894, James Thurber was born in Columbus, Ohio to Charles and Mary Thurber. His father was a clerk and minor politician with bigger dreams of being a lawyer or actor. Thurber was the middle child and while playing a game of “William Tell” with his brothers, he was shot in the eye with an arrow and from the accident, lost sight in one of his eyes. Although sight remained in the uninjured eye, he had various vision problems throughout his life. His wound left him unable to participate in normal activities for children his age, which left Read More -
from Journey of a Bookseller
The Suspect by Fiona Barton
Fri, 07 Dec 2018 09:00:00 PermalinkTwo girls take a trip to Thailand after they graduate from high school. They anticipate seeing the sights and having fun. But nothing matches what they've seen on tourism websites. It's more run down and crowded...Berkley and Net Galley let me read this book for review (thank you). It will be published January 22nd.Alex's girlfriend cancels at the last minute and she ends up traveling with a girl she doesn't know that well. It doesn't take long for her to decide Rosie was not a good choice. All she wants to do is party and sleep with the boys in Read More -
from Tavistock Books
The ABAA's Northern California Chapter Annual Holiday Dinner… a Night in Pictures
Fri, 07 Dec 2018 08:44:08 PermalinkAs many of you loyal Tavistock Books blog followers (mom, I’m talking to you) know, every year we here at Tavistock Books attend the annual Northern California Chapter Holiday Dinner – a night of fun and food, goings over of the years events as they relate to our chapter of booksellers, and the sharing of […] Read More -
from Journey of a Bookseller
Escape from the Palace by Santa Montefiore, Simon Sebag Montefiore, Kate Hindley
Thu, 06 Dec 2018 09:00:00 PermalinkThe ratzis are still irritated by being bested by a small rabbit. Now they are plotting to scare the President of the United States and embarrass America and England both. They decide they need to get rid of Shylo first so he can't interfere in this plan...Aladdin and Edelweiss let me read this book for review (thank you). It will be published January 22nd.I enjoy this series. Shylo is small and not very strong so to accomplish his goals he has to use his brains. I admire those who use their brains and not brawn to win a disagreement.The first Read More -
from Books Tell You Why
The Real Man Behind Santa Claus (And the Books That Made Him Famous)
Thu, 06 Dec 2018 08:00:00 PermalinkAt this time of year, it is common to hear cheery adults ask wide-eyed children, “What do you want from Santa Claus?” In the lead-up to Christmas day, one can find a white-beard wielding, red suit wearing, rosy-faced man at most every shopping center and holiday event, and whether the young children are excited to tell him their Christmas wishes or run screaming in terror at the thought of sitting upon his lap, imagining Christmas without Santa Claus is incredibly difficult. Indeed, Santa has become so intertwined with the Christmas holiday that for many, he takes center stage of December Read More -
from Journey of a Bookseller
Valentine Candy Murder by Leslie Meier
Wed, 05 Dec 2018 09:00:00 PermalinkIn Valentine murder, Lucy is a brand new board member for the library. She goes to her first meeting and they find the librarian has gone missing. When she goes down to the basement to see if she's there, she finds her dead. This is not a good start to a new job...Kensington Books and Net Galley allowed me to read this book for review (thank you). It will be published December 18th.No one knows why someone would have killed the new librarian. There really aren't any clues to be found. But it almost had to be someone with library Read More -
from Books Tell You Why
Hugo vs. Disney: The Changing Case of Notre-Dame
Wed, 05 Dec 2018 08:00:00 PermalinkWalt Disney and his successors have a long tradition of retelling famous stories. Their history of changing the original work is usually rationalized as making the content more suitable for children, but, in some cases, the changes go past small edits. As with most books changed into movies, in order to condense a long work into only 90 minutes, certain more unnecessary plot points must be cut. When remaking The Hunchback of Notre-Dame, however, Disney did more than simplify and streamline. Some elements were removed by necessity, such as much of the violence and many attempted seductions of Esmeralda, to Read More -
from Journey of a Bookseller
Not A Creature Was Stirring by Christina Freeburn
Tue, 04 Dec 2018 09:00:00 PermalinkMerry is all ready to go to a Christmas show where she usually sells well. She's bought a used RV and has filled it with goods to go on display at her table. She takes her guinea pig with her for company. The easy trip gets more obnoxious as they go. She thinks Ebenezer must be letting farts go, but it's worse than that. The first thing she does on arrival is try to find what's causing that awful fragrance. Then she wishes she hadn't...Henery Press and Edelweiss let me read this book for review (thank you). It will Read More -
from Journey of a Bookseller
Broken Ground by Val McDermid
Mon, 03 Dec 2018 09:00:00 PermalinkIt's supposed to be her inheritance and it's looking good when they dig the first motorcycle out. The second motorcycle has an attachment, though. There's a dead body on it...Atlantic Monthly Press and Net Galley allowed me to read this book for review (thank you). It will be published on the 5th.Since the body has been there for twenty-five years or more, the coroner calls DCI Pirie to investigate. Her boss is not happy about that; she's the one that gives orders, not coroners. As she works on the case, she gives a new man in her office work on another Read More -
from ten pound island book company
Great Expectations
Mon, 03 Dec 2018 03:44:00 PermalinkGot the basement flood mess all cleaned up, and it wasn’t nearly as bad as it could have been. In fact there were some beneficial side effects. Everything got moved around – kinda like turning my garden over in the spring. First and most importantly, we were forced to get a dumpster in which to throw the wet paper and other water-damaged stuff.That only partially filled it. So now we’re on a throwaway binge.Continue reading Great Expectations at Ten Pound Island Book Company. Read More -
from Journey of a Bookseller
The Unteachables by Gordon Korman
Sun, 02 Dec 2018 09:00:00 PermalinkMr. Kermit knows the Superintendent of Schools doesn't like him. A long time ago one of his students copied test results and shared them with his class. They got an award for having the best results until that was discovered. Kermit had no idea it happened. The Superintendent blames him anyway. And now he's looking for a way to get rid of him. Kermit plans on taking early retirement anyway, but being threatened doesn't help. And now he's been saddled with a class of seven students known as "The Unteachables". He gives them worksheets and tries to ignore them for Read More -
from Books Tell You Why
David Macaulay's Books For All Age
Sun, 02 Dec 2018 08:00:00 PermalinkDavid Macaulay's books and illustrations are as thought-provoking as they are whimsical. He first had his idea for a French gargoyle story, which became Cathedral: The Story of its Construction, in the early seventies. While the lovely gargoyle ladies of medieval France did not make the cut, he was left with a drawing of a cathedral. This inspired a trip to Europe for research and resulted in the aforementioned Cathedral: The Story of its Construction's publication in the spring of 1973. Macaulay was given the Caldecott Honor Award for his efforts. He had been an interior designer and a high Read More -
from Journey of a Bookseller
Crewel and Unusual: A Haunted Yarn Shop Mystery by Molly MacRae
Sat, 01 Dec 2018 09:00:00 PermalinkKath is looking forward to the opening of the Blue Plum Vault. It's in an old bank building that has been remodeled and now will house several small shops where artists will sell their work. When two nosy sisters visit her yarn shop and tell her about a linen they saw there, she goes to see if she can peek at it before they open. She gets to see it but the next time it's taken out of the box, it has been destroyed...Pegasus Books and Net Galley let me read this book for review (thank you). It will be Read More -
from Books Tell You Why
Four of Jan Brett's Snowy Stories
Sat, 01 Dec 2018 08:00:00 PermalinkAs winter approaches, it is nice to curl up with a book and a blanket, or, if one is lucky enough to live someplace warm, to pretend it is cold. One author and illustrator especially suited for snowy day reading is Jan Brett. Due to her extensive research, Brett’s illustrations hold an element of realism, which helps readers connect to the characters and settings. With over 30 books, readers are presented with many options to choose from when finding a snowy story. Enjoyable by adult and child readers, Brett’s books provide a perfect winter read. Read More
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