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Titcomb's Bookshop
May 2010 Newsletter
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Titcomb's Bookshop
432 Route 6A
East Sandwich, MA
(508) 888-2331
titcombsbookshop.com
HOURS:
Mon-Sat 9am-6pm
Sunday 12-5pm
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Do You Love The PERCY JACKSON Series?
|  | Were you sad when the Percy Jackson and the Olympians series ended? Well, good news! Rick Riordan is starting a new series called The Kane Chronicles. Book 1, The Red Pyramid, is coming out on May 4th. This series is about a brother and sister who battle gods of Egypt.
FREE RAFFLE for tickets to TOMB a fabulous interactive Eqyptian adventure in Boston. (Tickets are normally $20 per adult!) Enter the raffle from May 4th - May 11th. There will be 8 winners selected to win 2 tickets each.
Everyone who enters will receive a $2 off coupon for TOMB.To learn more about TOMB, CLICK HERE |
SPRIG: Kid-Powered,
Battery-FreeToys!
|  | We have another new line of toys to tell you about! Sprig!
Sprig is an eco-friendly line of really fun kids' toys. They are designed in Colorado and made in Canada out of a durable, child-safe, bio-composite material of reclaimed wood and recycled plastic.
We like recycled toys, but the most important thing is that they're fun! One look at the Dino Adventure truck above and you know that you are looking at hours of play!
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| The Strange Case of Origami Yoda | Click on the picture to see the video  | |
Looking for a fun book for someone in the middle grades (grades 4-6)? Try The Strange Case of Origami Yoda by Tom Angleburger ($12.95).
In this funny
portrait of the dynamics of a 6th-grade class and of the greatness
that sometimes comes in unlikely packages, Dwight, a misfit, talks to his
classmates via an origami finger puppet of Yoda.
My boys liked it so much, they made a video recommendation! (click on the picture above).
Want to make your own Origami Yoda? It's easy! Follow these video directions from the author.
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Did You Know That..
|  | ...in Milan it is a legal requirement to smile at all times, except during funeral or hospital visits?
...there are an estimated 10,000 trillion ants on Earth - roughly 1.6 million ants per person? Their combined weight is equivalent to the weight of the entire human population
....China is the 6th largest wine producer?
...in 1895 5% of Britain was covered by woodland but by 2003, the figure was 11.3%?
...in the United States, 14.5% of men are over 6 feet tall, but among CEOs of Fortune 400 companies the figure is 58%?
As usual, the trivia is from the wonderful book You Are One Third Daffodil and Other Facts To Amaze, Amuse and Astound compiled by Tom Nuttall ($10.99).
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This Is Not Just
Chick Lit!
|  | Elizabeth's husband Gilbert wrote a rave review of the The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo for our blog a couple of weeks ago. Check it out |
Stay Tuned!
Make sure you keep in touch. We have some great events coming this summer!
- Carl Hiaasen
- Linda Greenlaw
- Thomas Moore |
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 It's May and springtime has finally come to Cape Cod! This year,
March showers (and lots of them!) brought beautiful May flowers. We had lots of fun in April, including a lovely visit with
Elizabeth Berg. Here she is reading from her newest novel The Last Time I Saw You. We had her
sign extra copies of this wonderful book about a 40th high school reunion
because we knew it would make a fun Mother's Day gift. (Hint, hint!)
 We knew that she was a Titcomb's kind of author when we found recipes on
her website. Our Elizabeth Merritt made the Strawberry Lemon
Tart recipe for the signing and all thought it was delicious. Wanna try it? For the recipe, Click Here |
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UPCOMING EVENTS
Titcomb's Bookshop Knitting Club
Monday May 3rd, 2-3pm
Join our growing group of friendly knitters! Spend an hour working on your project. All skill levels welcome. No registration required.
 Reading & Book Signing
"The Red Thread" by Ann Hood
Tuesday May 4th, 7:00pm
Ann Hood (The Knitting Circle) will join us to discuss her newest novel, The Red Thread. The book tells the story of Maya Lange. After the loss of her young daughter, Maya opens an adoption agency which specializes in placing baby
girls from China with American families. For more information about the book, watch this video by Ann Hood (and sneak a peek at her own adorable daughter).
 Make Your Own Sundae Party
With Author Lauren Myracle!
Friday
May 7th, 7:00pm
East Sandwich Grange Hall
Author Lauren Myracle (ttyl, Eleven) will help us celebrate the release of her new Winnie Perry book (Thirteen Plus One) with a Make Your Own Sundae Party with 13+1 toppings! She will talk about her books and answer questions while we snack! Time for book signing will follow.
Tickets are $2 per person and advance registration is required. (Co-sponsored by the Sandwich Public Library)
 Book Signing
Schooner: Building A Wooden Boat on Martha's Vineyard
Sunday May 16th, 3:00-5:00pm
Written by Tom Dunlop with photographs by acclaimed photographer
Alison Shaw, Schooner takes you through
the construction of Rebecca, a 60-foot wooden
schooner designed and built by the Gannon and Benjamin Marine Railway.
At the time of her construction, Rebecca was the largest sailing vessel
built on the island of Martha's Vineyard since the election of Abraham
Lincoln. Nearly every part of her is built, cast or fashioned by hand.
 Titcomb's Bookshop Book Club
Tuesday May 18th, 7:00pm
Little Bee by Chris Cleave
For May, we will be reading Little Bee by Chris Cleave ($14.00, our price $11.20). This book has the most intriguing back cover description I have read in a while!
"WE DON'T WANT TO TELL YOU TOO MUCH ABOUT THIS BOOK.It is a truly special story and we don't want to spoil it. Nevertheless, you need to know something, so we will just say this: It is extremely funny, but the African beach scene is horrific. The story starts there, but the book doesn't. And it's what happens afterward that is most important. Once
you have read it, you'll want to tell everyone about it. When you do,
please don't tell them what happens either. The magic is in how it
unfolds."
 Question & Answer and Book Signing
So You Want To Be A Garden Designer
by Love Albrecht Howard
Sunday
May 23rd, 3:00pm
Are you one of those passionate gardeners who thinks to yourself, "There
must be a way to turn this into a career"? So You Want to Be a Garden
Designer helps you turn that dream into reality by providing the
practical information every budding designer needs to
develop and nurture a thriving business. (Co-sponsored by Sandwich Agway)
Local Author Open House
Sunday May 30th, 1-3pm
There is something about the sand and the sea that has attracted authors to Cape Cod for years. Our little arm jutting out into the sea (see, I am trying to sound author-y just typing this!) shelters many writers and we are proud to showcase them. Come to Titcomb's on Sunday May 30th for food and drink and mingle with local authors. Find out about some great books for children and adults that you won't find just everywhere.
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STAFF RECOMMENDATIONS
 From Karen: This Body of Death by Elizabeth George ($28.99, our price $23.19) Fans of the Inspector Lynley mysteries (like me!) have been anxiously
awaiting this latest book and it's hot off the presses! It does not disappoint. The book
picks up where Careless in Red left off, with plenty of subtle hints
that this will certainly not be the last in the series. A murder in an English cemetery and
the lost art of roof thatching; who could ask for more? Maybe tea with
the amazing Inspector Lynley!
 From Elizabeth: Pearl of China by Anchee Min ($24.00, our price $19.20) Only recently has Pearl Buck come to be celebrated in China, the land that she
loved.(Buck is the
author of a number of novels about life in China, most notably The Good Earth for which she was the first woman writer to win the Nobel Prize
for Literature.) Pearl of China is a moving story of a
friendship which spanned many years. Growing up, Pearl hid her blond and curly hair under a black
knit cap because she wanted to be like her Chinese friends. She felt
very close to the culture of China because she spent most of her formative years in Asia. This well written story will give you a sense of the
strength of friendship possible between people who come from very different
backgrounds.
 From Vicky: Crunch by Leslie Connor ($16.99) This is one of those
marvelous stories of resourceful children on their own. When 14 year
old Dewey's parents are stuck miles from home due to a gas shortage, he and
his brothers and sisters must manage life and the family bike shop. Since the gas shortage has affected their town, the bike shop is suddenly very, very busy! In the midst of
everything, there's a mystery to solve. Crunch has the
feeling of an old-fashioned classic. I loved the strong sense of
family, independence, and the interdependence of community and
friends It's a fabulous story! [By the way, Leslie
Connor is also the author of the amazing story Waiting for
Normal.] Ages 9-12
 From Kathleen: Be The Noodle: Fifty Ways To Be A Compassionate, Courageous, Crazy-Good Caregiver by Lois Kelly ($20.00) This
book was inspired by the author's experience caring for her dying mother on Cape Cod. As the author writes "approximately 50 million people, mostly women,
woke up to a job they never wanted and have no training for." With wit
and humor and in short, short chapters (the
longest was two pages!) the author shares what helped her,
her mother and her family during their last few months together. This
book is not depressing. It is just good old fashioned
common sense and practicality. Don't know what to say or what to do but
you want to help? Well, this has a quick guide to let you know what
could be truly meaningful and maybe it takes 30 seconds! Or you are the
caregiver and no one around seems to understand? Here is someone who does. As a hospice volunteer, I highly recommend this
book!
 From Kathleen: Care of the Soul in Medicine: Healing Guidance for Patients, Families, and the People Who Care for Them
by Thomas Moore ($24.95) In simple prose Moore examines the
importance of acknowledging the soul when a person arrives at the hospital or
examining room. He also explores the ways society and our doctors build
hospitals that systematically ignore the needs of the individual when
they arrive, whether it be in the emergency room or for a simple
check-up. He reminds us that many health professionals choose their
field in order to help or serve humanity. Moore encourages us to acknowledge that illness may
also be considered a right of passage and so to honor this very
important time in a person's life. I am excited to tell you that Thomas Moore will
be coming to Titcomb's in August!
 From Vicky: Blockhead: The Life of Fibonacci by Joseph d'Agnese ($16.99) This book is a wonderful introduction to the famous medieval mathematician who led the way in converting Europe from Roman numerals to Hindu-Arabic numerals. School children are most familiar with the amazing Fibonacci Sequence, which starts with 0, 1 and the following number is the sum of the previous 2 numbers. (i.e. 0,1,1,2,3,5 etc.).The sequence has later been found to appear in amazing ways throughout the natural world.
The book gets its name from the fact that Fibonacci also called himself "Bigollo" which means traveler, but also absent-minded or blockhead. The idea of a brilliant blockhead will certainly appeal to children! The illustrations by John O'Brien are exquisite and perfect for a book about the Middle Ages.
If you'd like to take a peek at the book, see this video.
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NEW TO THE SHELVES
 The Last Stand: Custer, Sitting Bull, and the Battle of
the Little Bighorn by Nathaniel Philbrick ($30.00). From the National Book Award winning author of In The Heart of the Sea comes the story of the Battle of Little Big Horn. The 1876 battle has been equated with other
famous last stands, from the Spartans' defeat at Thermopylae to Davy
Crockett at the Alamo. Nathaniel Philbrick sketches the two larger-than-life
antagonists: Sitting Bull, whose charisma and political savvy earned him
the position of leader of the Plains Indians, and George Armstrong
Custer, a man with a
reputation for fearless and reckless courage. (Released May 4th.)
 North by Northwestern: A Seafaring Family on Deadly Alaskan Waters by Sig Hansen ($25.99) In the tradition of Sebastian
Junger and Linda Greenlaw comes Captain Hansen's (from the Discovery Channel series Deadliest Catch) rags-to-riches epic of
his immigrant family's struggle against deadly Alaskan seas, freezing
shipwrecks, and dangerously brutal conditions to achieve the American
Dream.
 The Swimming Pool by Holly Lecraw ($25.95) A heartbreaking affair, an unsolved murder, an explosive romance:
welcome to summer on the Cape in this powerful debut. Seven summers ago, Marcella
Atkinson fell in love with Cecil McClatchey, a married father of two.
But on the same night their romance abruptly ended, Cecil's wife was
found murdered--and their lives changed forever.
 Innocent by Scott Turow ($27.99) The sequel to the genre-defining, landmark bestseller Presumed
Innocent, Innocent continues the story of Rusty Sabich and Tommy Molto
who are once again pitted against each other twenty years later in a
riveting psychological match after the mysterious death of Rusty's wife. (Released May 4th.)
 We The Children: Keepers of the School #1 by Andrew Clements ($14.99) Hugely popular children's author Andrew Clements has started a brand new historical adventure series for ages 8-12. 6th grader Benjamin Pratt discovers an old leather
pouch that contains a parchment scroll written by three students in
1791. In the first title of this six-book series, Ben, his tech-savvy
friend Jill, and the class know-it-all Robert uncover their school's historical legacy. A good thing too, as their school is slated to be destroyed. Watch a fun short video preview of the book, Click Here
NEW IN PAPERBACK
 Down Around Midnight: A Memoir of Crash and Survival by Robert Sabbag ($15.00) A bestselling author's terrifying and inspiring story of survival. Around midnight on June 17th, 1979,
Air New England flight 248 crashed into the woods on Cape Cod, killing
the pilot and leaving nine survivors- including Robert Sabbag-wounded
and stranded in the woods.
 The Fate of Katherine Carr by Thomas Cook ($13.95) George Gates used to be a travel writer who specialized in places where people had disappeared--until his own young
son was murdered. When he gets drawn into the unsolved case of
Katherine Carr, he begins to suspect that her tale holds the key not
only to her fate, but to his own as well.
 The Wildwater Walking Club by Claire Cook ($13.99) As the Wildwater women walk and talk they tally
their steps, share their secrets, and let life take them in some new
and surprising directions. Throw in a road trip to Seattle for a
lavender festival, a career coaching group, a clothesline controversy that could only happen in the
'burbs, plenty of romantic twists, and a quirky
multigenerational cast of supporting characters, and the result is pure
Claire Cook--fun, fast, and just what the beach bag ordered.
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OLD BOOKS
May means Mother's Day. I shopped the bookstore today with Mother's Day in mind. Acting as your personal shopper, this is what I found. (Remember, we only have single copies of these books): "I Love Lucy": The Complete Picture History of the Most Popular TV Show Ever by Michael McClay ($8.00). A coffee table type book with great pictures and stories from the TV show. America's Queen: The Life of Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis by Sarah Bradford ($6.00) A hard cover with DJ with a stunning black and white photo of Jackie on the cover in a slinky black evening gown. Living History by Hillary Rodham Clinton ($6.00) Hardcover with DJ in like new condition. The President's Table: Two Hundred Years of Dining and Diplomacy by Barry H. Landau ($8.00) A coffee table sized book with pictures and text and stories about etiquette and dining at the White House. Once I saw the sub-title under the Jimmy Carter section about "peanut butter waffles", I was hooked! C'mon Over! Hassle-Free, Hussle-Free Entertaining by Pillsbury ($4.50) Spiral bound colorful cookbook with fun entertaining recipes like Margarita Slush, Grilled Lemon Rosemary Chicken and Roasted Potato Garlic Dip. Cookies Unlimited by Nick Malgieri ($6.00) A hardcover with DJ. The title says it all! Woodsmith Custom Woodworking: Bookcases, Shelves and Cabinets ($6.00) A beautiful book that only becomes a Mother's Day present if it comes with a promise to build whatever she chooses from the book! To search a portion of our old books inventory, Click Here |
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For You Mom, Finally
Many Miles: Mary Oliver Reads Mary Oliver 
Beach: A Book of Treasure
Summer At Tiffany
The Ever Blooming Garden
Cape Cod & The Islands Reflections