From Karen: The Technologists by Matthew Pearl

The Technologists by Matthew Pearl is a fascinating blend of fiction, history, and suspense. Mr. Pearl is well-known for his historical novels, based on some fact, with a lot of mystery, intrigue and imagination thrown in.  The Technologists follows the small first graduating class of MIT, and as much as the students are infatuated by technology, the world outside the walls of their dear school is frightened by the rapid advances in mechanics, technology and science itself. A series of bizarre mechanical catastrophes threatens Boston and the new Massachusetts Institute of Technology in 1868.  My uncle is a graduate of MIT (geology), and my daughter of Harvard (their rivals), and I live in Massachusetts, so I particularly enjoyed this fascinating novel, and especially appreciated that the author filled the reader in at the end as to which characters were based on actual people and all they accomplished in their lives. A dark and thrilling novel that reminds us that at the infancy of the technological age, people faced the fear of the unknown and of technological advances as being dangerous enough to want to stop its progress.  List Price: $26.00 Our Price: $20.80

From Vicky: Orphan Master's Son by Adam Johnson

Life in North Korea is brought vividly to life with all its horror and craziness in this gripping and brilliant new novel. Pak Jun Do is raised in an orphanage where his life of utter brutality and abuse begins. We follow him on a journey as he becomes a spy on a fishing boat, participates in a diplomatic mission to Texas and ends up in a North Korean prison camp. The abuse he encounters is horrific and the society so absurdly cruel as to seem surrealistic. We meet people from all levels of life - lowly fishermen, prison camp inmates, military leaders and even the "Dear Leader" himself, Kim Jong Il. Along the way, there is also humor and, despite it all, there is love. Adam Johnson visited North Korea and the book is well researched. This is a very difficult book to read and it's a very difficult one to put down! List Price: $26.00 Our Price: $20.80

From Karen: The Flight of Gemma Hardy by Margot Livesey

Many are referring to this novel as a 'remake' of Jane Eyre, but I just sat back and allowed myself to be enveloped in this beautifully written literary novel. Set in the 1960s, Gemma is orphaned as a young girl and taken from her native Iceland to live with her uncle, aunt and cousins.  She is embraced by all except her aunt who turns her into more or less a slave. Through hard work and intelligence, she ends up graduating from boarding school and becoming an au pair on the Orkney Islands in Scotland, taking care of a troubled young girl and falling in love, until a dark secret is revealed that turns her life in a completely different direction.  List Price: $26.99 Our Price: $21.59

From Karen: The Sisters by Nancy Jensen List

This is a gripping novel of how one missed connection between two sisters can affect the generations to follow. The author came up with the plot of this book when she overheard someone refer to her grandmother's sister, of whose existence she'd never known. When she questioned her family, they clammed up and refused to acknowledge this lost relative's presence in the world. The novel covers generations of women beginning in 1927 and ending in 2007. Each of their lives changed because of one misunderstanding. Each generation struggles to find their own way in life and to maintain the fragile connections of family. Hauntingly real, this will make a great book club choice. Price: $24.99 Our Price: $19.99

From Karen: The Art of Hearing Heartbeats by Jan-Philipp Sendker

This is a magical and heart-rending tale told of love lost and possibly found (I'm not telling!). Set mostly in a small Burmese village in the 1950s, the book is lushly descriptive of the setting and of the heart's ability to survive loss and disappointment, to never give up hope that love will return. It is also an inspiring tale of overcoming great physical and mental obstacles, and of keeping hope alive in the struggle to survive. You'll need to keep a box of tissues handy! $14.95

From Elisa: The French Slow Cooker by Michele Scicolone $22.00

I will admit I was a disbeliever when I saw the title. How can you really make good French food in a slow cooker? Upon reading the book, I realize you can! And surprisingly well. Scicolone gives you wonderful ideas and tips on how to make delicious and healthful meals with the slow cooker. The Ginger Creme Brulee is first on my list to attempt along with the classic Chicken with Forty Cloves of Garlic. The author has also written The Italian Slow Cooker, which I can't wait to read!

From Vicky: Same Sun Here by Silas House and Neela Vaswani.

River is a 12 year old boy in the mountains of Kentucky. Meena is a 12 year old Indian girl living in New York City. They become penpals and discover that despite their many differences, they have much in common. Both are from families who are struggling economically and their fathers must work away from home. Meena's family is studying to become US citizens. River helps lead his town in a fight against a devastating mountaintop removal. Through their letters, they share their fears and joys and everyday thoughts. I loved the voices in this wonderful new novel by these very talented authors. $15.99 (Available February 14; ages 8-12)

From Elizabeth:  Treasure Chest Series (Angel of the Battlefield and Little Lion) by Ann Hood

Our good friend, Ann Hood is writing a series of eight books of time travel for middle grade children. The first two are available now. The stories are set in Newport, R.I. where12 year old twins, Felix and Maisie Robbins have moved from New York City with their mom after their parents have divorced. They are living on the third floor in what was once the servants' quarters of an old mansion, Elm Medona, which had been owned by their ancestors. There are many adjustments to be made--they miss their dad who was moved far away, their mother is starting a new job in a law firm and the twins are forced to be in separate class rooms in their new school. After taking a tour of the mansion Felix and Maisie decide to return to the Treasure Chest, a mysterious room full of old furniture and artifacts. On their first trip to the Treasure Chest they find an old scroll which, when they handle it. transports them to a farm in Massachusetts in the year 1836. They are befriended by Clara Barton and spend time with her before landing back in the present in Rhode Island. On their second escapade they find an old coin which transports them to the island of St. Croix in 1772 where they meet 17 year old Alexander Hamilton. The three of them travel by ship to New York City where the twins fantasize about reclaiming the life they had there.  

Each are $6.99 (Ages 9-12)

From Vicky: Ghost Buddy: From Zero to Hero by Henry Winkler and Lin Oliver.

Those of you who have heard Henry speak here in Sandwich know how passionate he is about children and reading. Henry and Lin, the creators of the very popular Hank Zipzer series, have now introduced a new series about a boy named Billy Broccoli. Billy is not a cool kid. He's just moved to a new town because his mother (his school's principal!) has remarried (to a dentist!) and his new neighbor is a bully. Billy finds an ally and coach in everything cool when he meets a decidedly supercool ghost named Hoover, who sounds A LOT like The Fonz. $5.99 (Ages 7-10)

From Vicky: Mighty Miss Malone by Christopher Paul Curtis.

It's always exciting when a favorite author has a new book, and The Mighty Miss Malone does not disappoint! The author of The Watsons Go to Birmingham and Bud, Not Buddy has written the story of a family torn apart by the Great Depression. Deza Malone is a very confident girl and proud to be considered the smartest girl in her class. When her father leaves home to find work in Flint, Michigan, however, the family loses their home. Deza, her mother and older brother set off for Flint, too, and end up in a hobo camp (or Hooverville) outside the city. Deza rises to the unexpected challenges and biases. She keeps in her heart the family motto, "We are a family on a journey to a place called wonderful." Seeing the hobo camp through Deza's eyes really made it come to life!

$15.99 (Ages 9 to 12)

From Elisa: Plant a Kiss by Amy Krouse Rosenthal After Little Miss planted a kiss she digs a hole and kisses the soil the girl waters her planting and waits, at first patiently, and then with doubt and a pout. At last her kiss sprouts, and a swirling fountain of polka dots and glitter emerges. Carrying her shimmering kisses in a bowl, the girl shares them generously with others until her supply is depleted. She gets a lovely surprise when she returns to her garden and sees a geyser of kisses rising from the ground, more vivid and sparkly than ever. The illustrations, especially the glitter, are so sweet and the leap off the page. This is a magical book any little one would want to cuddle up and read...especially on a chilly February day.  $14.99

From Elisa (well, really Jacob):  The Big Fat Cow That Goes Kapow by Andy Griffiths

Look inside! This book has a mouse with a house,
and a mole in a hole, and a squirmy worm, and a spiky bike.
And, of course, it has a big fat cow that goes 5, 4, 3, 2, 1 . . .
KAPOW!

This book is great for the early reader who don't want to read!!! My son, Jacob, hasn't put it down in two weeks.  The rhymes and tongue twisters crack us all up!  $6.99

Adult Fiction

Believing the Lie by Elizabeth George  Inspector Thomas Lynley is mystified when he's sent undercover to investigate the death of Ian Cresswell at the request of the man's uncle, the wealthy and influential Bernard Fairclough. The death has been ruled an accidental drowning. But when Lynley enlists the help of his friends Simon and Deborah St. James, the trio's digging soon reveals that the Fairclough clan is awash in secrets, lies, and motives. List Price: $28.95 Our Price: $23.16 

Death of Kings by Bernard Cornwell 

 As the ninth century wanes, Alfred the Great lies dying, his dream of a unified England in danger and his kingdom on the brink of chaos. While his son, Edward, has been named his successor, there are other Saxon claimants to the throne--as well as ambitious pagan Vikings to the north. 

Uhtred, the Saxon-born, Viking-raised warrior, whose life seems to shadow the making of England itself, is torn between his vows to Alfred and his desire to reclaim his long-lost ancestral lands and castle in the north.  Now he must make a momentous decision, one that will forever transform his life . . . and the course of history: take up arms--and Alfred's mantle--or lay down his sword and allow the dream of a unified kingdom to fall into oblivion. List Price: $27.99 Our Price: $22.39

The Story of Beautiful Girl by Rachel Simon 

It is 1968.  Lynnie, a young white woman with a developmental disability, and Homan, an African American deaf man, are locked away in the School for the Incurable and Febbleminded, and have been left to languish in the institution, forgotten.  Deeply in love, they escape and find refuge in the farmhouse of Martha, a retired schoolteacher and widow.  But the couple is not alone - Lynnie has just given birth to a baby girl.  When the authorities catch up on them that same night, Homan escapes into the darkness and Lynnie is caught.  Before she is forced back into the institution, she whispers two words to Martha:  "Hide her."  And so begins the forty-year epic journey of Lynnie, Homan, Martha and baby Julia - lives divided by seemingly insurmountable obstacles, yet drawn together by a secret pact and extraordinary love.  $12.00

Red Ruby Heart in a Cold Blue Sea by Morgan Callan Rogers 

A captivating debut, introducing a spirited young heroine coming of age in coastal Maine during the early 1960s. When her mother disappears during a weekend trip, Florine Gilham's idyllic childhood is turned upside down. Until then she'd been blissfully insulated by the rhythms of family life in small town Maine: watching from the granite cliffs above the sea for her father's lobster boat to come into port, making bread with her grandmother, and infiltrating the summer tourist camps with her friends. But with her mother gone, the heart falls out of Florine's life and she and her father are isolated as they struggle to manage their loss.  With Fannie Flagg's humor and Elizabeth Stroud's sense of place, this debut is an extraordinary snapshot of a bygone America through the eyes of an inspiring girl blazing her own path to womanhood.  List Price: $26.95 Our Price: $21.56

The Snow Child by Eowyn Ivey

Alaska, 1920: a brutal place to homestead--and especially tough for recent arrivals Jack and Mabel. Childless, they are drifting apart. In a moment of levity during the season's first snowfall, they build a child out of snow. The next morning the snow child is gone--but they glimpse a young, blonde-haired girl running through the trees.  This little girl, who calls herself Faina, seems to be a child of the woods. She hunts with a red fox at her side, skims lightly across the snow, and somehow survives alone in the Alaskan wilderness. As Jack and Mabel struggle to understand this child who could have stepped from the pages of a fairy tale, they come to love her as their own daughter. But in this beautiful, violent place things are rarely as they appear, and what they eventually learn about Faina will transform all of them.  List Price: $24.95 Our Price: $19.96    

Adult Non-Fiction 

Lady Almina and the Real Downton Abbey:  The Lost Legacy of Highclere Castle by Lady Fiona Carnarvon.  Lady Almina and the Real Downton Abbey tells the story behind Highclere Castle, the real-life inspiration and setting for Julian Fellowes's Emmy Award-winning PBS show, and the life of one of its most famous inhabitants, Lady Almina, the 5th Countess of Carnarvon. Drawing on a rich store of materials from the archives of Highclere Castle, including diaries, letters, and photographs, the current Lady Carnarvon has written a transporting story of this fabled home on the brink of war.  This rich tale contrasts the splendor of Edwardian life in a great house against the backdrop of the First World War and offers an inspiring and revealing picture of the woman at the center of the history of Highclere Castle.  $15.99

The Best Homes from This Old House by Kevin O'Connor  

This Old House is America's longest-running home improvement show, airing on PBS since 1979. In this book, host Kevin O'Connor will chronicle 10 of the finest transformations rendered by the craftsmen and artists from the past decade of filming the show. Never before have completed projects from This Old House been displayed in such detail. From interiors to exteriors, with insights from every step of the process, the works presented in this book will give devotees of This Old House something they've never had before--the rarely shown finished spaces. With more than 200 stunning photographs showing the before-and-after of the best houses on the show, and unique insights and stories from O'Connor and some of the well-known crew members, fans of "This Old House "will be clamoring for this volume.  List Price: $35.00 Our Price: $28.00  

Roger Williams and the Creation of the American Soul: Church, State, and the Birth of Liberty by John M. Barry  

A revelatory look at how Roger Williams shaped the nature of religion, political power, and individual rights in America. For four hundred years, Americans have wrestled with and fought over two concepts that define the nature of the nation: the proper relation between church and state and between a free individual and the state. These debates began with the extraordinary thought and struggles of Roger Williams, who had an unparalleled understanding of the conflict between a government that justified itself by "reason of state"-i.e. national security-and its perceived "will of God" and the "ancient rights and liberties" of individuals.  List Price: $35.00 Our Price: $28.00

Girl Scouts: A Celebration of 100 Trailblazing Years by Betty Christiansen 

To commemorate its 100th anniversary, Girl Scouts of the USA is launching a yearlong celebration that kicks off with this special look at its history. The organization has culled iconic photographs, documents, and letters from its vast archives that honor the unique sisterhood of Girl Scouts, some never before seen.   List Price: $29.95 Our Price: $23.96

Thinking Small: The Long, Strange Trip of the Volkswagen Beetle by Andrea Hiott 

Sometimes achieving big things requires the ability to think small. This simple concept was the driving force that propelled the Volkswagen Beetle to become an avatar of American-style freedom, a household brand, and a global icon. Journalist and cultural historian Hiott retraces the improbable journey of this little car that changed the world.  List Price: $26.00 Our Price: $20.80

Children's Picture Books

East Dragon West Dragon by Robyn Eversole

East Dragon and West Dragon live on opposite sides of the world. They have never met--and they like it that way. But when some meddlesome knights start a riff between their two kingdoms, East Dragon and West Dragon are finally forced to come face-to-fire-breathing-face. Full color. $16.99

George Washinton's Birthday - A Mostly True Tale by Margaret McNamara   From award-winning author McNamara (How Many Seeds in a Pumpkin?) and New Yorker artist Blitt comes this partly true and completely funny story of George Washington's seventh birthday. In this clever approach to history, readers will discover the truths and myths about George Washington. Readers young and old who are used to seeing George Washington as an old man will get a new look at the first president--as a kid. Full color.  $17.99 

The Turtle Sisters of Cape Cod Pond by Susan Baur

When two little stinkpot turtles are threatened by a hungry snapping turtle, they inadvertently gain the protection of a swimmer. Can the turtle sisters train her to come to the pond every evening at dinner time? And will the swimmer become as fascinated by them as they are of her?

Based on observations spanning five years, local author, Susan Baur has drawn an affectionate picture of both a little-known turtle and the joys of exploring.  $9.95  

Princess Sylvie by Elsa Beskow

A beloved Swedish author's picture books are finding their way into English more than 85 years after their original publication. This tale from 1934 is the second to appear in 2011, and while not quite so enchanting as The Land of Long Ago, it shares the same straightforward simplicity. Princess Sylvie and her father love going for walks in the palace gardens. The "big strong king" wears his red cloak and sash (and his crown, of course), and his velvets have a pocket of sweets for Sylvie. She and her dog, Oskar, want to leave the gardens to explore the woods beyond, but the king is doubtful.  $17.95

The Camping Trip That Changed America by Barb Rosenstock

In 1903, President Theodore Roosevelt joined naturalist John Muir on a trip to Yosemite. Camping by themselves in the uncharted woods, the two men saw sights and held discussions that would ultimately lead to the establishment of America's National Parks. Full color.  $16.99

Jackhammer Sam by Peter Mandel

"Atta-RATTA-batta-blam!"  Jackhammer Sam isn't just any old construction worker--he's the sidewalk blasting man. He stops traffic, splits the sidewalk, and digs right down to the subway, all the while singing his song: "Atta-RATTA-binga-bong. Atta-RATTA-pinga-pong."  "Lively illustrations by David Catrow portray a larger-than-life construction worker (and the bystanders who become caught up in his destruction) in hilarious detail as he choppa-chops his way through the city streets, outer space, and beyond in this fun and frenetic tribute to road workers of all kinds. $16.99

Children's Book: 

 Ages 7-12

The One and Only Ivan by Katherine Applegate

Ivan is an easygoing gorilla. Living at the Exit 8 Big Top Mall and Video Arcade, he has grown accustomed to humans watching him through the glass walls of his domain. He rarely misses his life in the jungle. In fact, he hardly ever thinks about it at all. Instead, Ivan thinks about TV shows he's seen and about his friends Stella, an elderly elephant, and Bob, a stray dog. Then he meets Ruby, a baby elephant taken from her family, and she makes Ivan see their home--and his own art--through new eyes.  Katherine Applegate blends humor and poignancy to create a story of friendship, art, and hope.  $16.99

Mega MASH-Up: Dinosaurs V Romans on Mars by Nikalas Catlow

These books take great subjects for boys and combine them into short, bonkers, and funny stories that are incredibly easy to read. The illustrations are bold and crazy, and there's plenty of space left on each page -- together with suggestions for how to fill it -- so kids can add their own drawings. The books read as hilarious, zippy stories that look a lot like novels but are terrific doodle books as well.  $6.99  

Teen and Young Adult

Fracture by Megan Miranda

Eleven minutes passed before Delaney Maxwell was pulled from the icy waters of a Maine lake by her best friend Decker Phillips. By then her heart had stopped beating. Her brain had stopped working. She was dead. And yet she somehow defied medical precedent to come back seemingly fine. Everyone wants Delaney to be all right, but she knows she's far from normal.  $17.99

The Pregnancy Project by Gaby Rodriguez

It started as a school project...but turned into so much more.

Growing up, Gaby Rodriguez was often told she would end up a teen mom. After all, her mother and her older sisters had gotten pregnant as teenagers; from an outsider's perspective, it was practically a family tradition. Gaby had ambitions that didn't include teen motherhood. In "The Pregnancy Project," Gaby details how she was able to fake her own pregnancy--hiding the truth from even her siblings and boyfriend's parents--and reveals all that she learned from the experience. But more than that, Gaby's story is about fighting stereotypes, and how one girl found the strength to come out from the shadow of low expectations to forge a bright future for herself.  $17.99

Under the Never Sky by Veronica Rossi

Since she'd been on the outside, she'd survived an Aether storm, she'd had a knife held to her throat, and she'd seen men murdered. This was worse. Exiled from her home, the enclosed city of Reverie, Aria knows her chances of surviving in the outer wasteland--known as The Death Shop--are slim. If the cannibals don't get her, the violent, electrified energy storms will. She's been taught that the very air she breathes can kill her. Then Aria meets an Outsider named Perry. He's wild--a savage--and her only hope of staying alive.  $17.99