Manda picks:Light Boxes by Shane Jones

In Shane Jones's Light Boxes, we are introduced to a town that is stuck in a near perpetual February. The residents can remember and long for spring and summer, birds and balloons and sunshine, and so they plan a rebellion against the god of winter. The tale is told by several characters in prose that is nearly poetry. Jones uses different fonts, point sizes, and layout of the words on the page to convey the emotions of the characters instead of using written descriptions. A story that is reminiscent of the fairy tales you read as a child.

Tom picks: Children of Hurin by J. R. R. Tolkien
In today's world of "internet speak", lingo, and acronyms, it can be hard to maintain faith in the English language. I'm certainly no linguistic scholar myself, but it can be unnerving to watch the standard of quality for writing drop. That's why it has been so refreshing to read Children of Hurin. Here's something that was written in the 1900's, yet adheres to a complex poetic format and reads like a greek tragedy. Tolkien's linguistic mastery is allowed to fully shine in this tale, but it doesn't make it inaccessible. To the contrary, it is much more adult than the Hobbit and much shorter than Lord of the Rings, making it easy to get into. Also, because it is fleshing out more the history and lore of the world Tolkien created, fanboys like myself have plenty to dig into as well. I'd say the only real deterrent I found while reading this book was just how tragic the story actually is, which is also a testament to its' legitimacy. The story itself details the tragic story of Hurin, a great leader taken prisoner in battle, and his enemy's attempt to break his will by forcing him to witness the convoluted and intertwined downfall of the rest of his family. The bulk of the tale focuses on the son, Turin, who's greatest motivation comes from avenging his presumed dead father. His struggle to rise to greatness ripples outwards, sending events into motion on a larger and larger scale that further his and his family's doom. The myriad plotlines that develop, the attention to detail, and the brutally ironic nature of the book are handled perfectly by Tolkien.

J. R. R.'s son, Christopher, edits this and all of his other posthumous works. Unlike the other works, however, the text of this story runs uninterrupted by notes, and seems minimally altered. After hearing about the battle J. R. R. had with his editors over his other books, it's good to know that his son took care to keep this story genuine.

George picks: Three books,-what a surprise!!

The Tricking of Freya by Christina Sunley

This was one of our Iceland selections for the May Mystery Club reading and was really a wonderful surprise. Set in the Canadian town of Gimli [also known as New Iceland] and in Iceland itself, it's the story of Freya Morris, her mother, and her unforgettable, magnetic, crazy Aunt Birdie. Freya, haunted by the the accident she feels she's caused her mother to have and her aunt's increasing unbalance and subsequent suicide [on Freya's birthday, no less], abandons the family for a solitary New York life. 15 years later, she's called back to Gimli for her grandmother's 100th birthday. While there, she overhears talk of a child her aunt had and gave up for adoption. Freya searches for the mysterious cousin. The book's about family history, about Norse mythology, and about the wondrous beauty and history of Iceland. It's lovely. Really. Read it.

The Bullpen Gospels by Dirk Hayhurst

You've probably never heard of Dirk Hayhurst. He's pitched mostly in the minors, with a couple cups of coffee in the majors. He's a bullpenner. He's also written what might be the best baseball book I've read next to Ball Four. [Nothing's better than Ball Four. Thank you, Jim Bouton.] Gospels is the story of Hayhurst's life in the minor leagues: the teammates, the travel, the travails. It's hilarious. It's heartbreaking. It's baseball. I'd quote some excerpts here, but I really can't...

The Magicians by Lev Grossman

How to describe this book? Magic for grown-ups? Harry Potter with an inferiority complex? Quentin Coldwater, a high school senior math whiz who's obsessed with a fantasy land called Fillory, stumbles - or is he drawn? - into a magic college. Suddenly, he's at home. Sort of. There, he makes friends and meets the woman who may be the love of his life. Oh, and he learns how to do magic. Quite nicely, too. Then, he graduates, and he and his friends are magicians with no purpose or goal, just ennui and disillusionment. Betrayals and bitterness soon follow, so when the chance to embark on an actual Quest - to Fillory! - arises, Quentin and friends leap at it. Magicians is occasionally very funny and frequently very horrifying. It's always compelling. I had images of scenes from this running through my head for quite a few days after I finished it. Grossman is a very good writer.

Part Annie Dillard, part Bill McKibben, this book offers riveting armchair travel through a landscape rich with clues to personal and global healing.

Why would a successful American physician choose to live in a 12' x 12' cabin without running water or electricity? To find out, Powers visits Dr. Ashley Benton in rural North Carolina. No Name Creek gurgles through Benton's permaculture farm and she strokes honey bees' wings as she shares her "wildcrafter" philosophy of living on a planet in crisis. Powers house sits here for a season, befriends the eclectic neighbors, and discovers a way of life under threat in opposition to the globalized American dream.

William Powers hails from Long Island, NY and has worked for over a decade in development aid and conservation in Latin America, Africa, Washington, D.C., and Native North America. He is a 2004-2005 recipient of the Open Door Foundation for non- fiction and the author of the Liberia memoir Blue Clay People, the Bolivian memoir Whispering in the Giant's Ear.

SIGNING: SATURDAY, JULY 3, TIME:TBA
STEPHEN KIERNAN / AUTHENTIC PATRIOTISM

Patriotism has become a loaded word: one that is wielded against people with whom we might disagree, or whose cultural origins don't match our own. But our founding fathers--Washington, Jefferson, Adams, and others--saw patriotism as a dynamic force: an act of service, in an evolving nation that defined its purpose by offering all people a better way of life.

In Authentic Patriotism, author and award-winning journalist Stephen P. Kiernan explores the original ideals that have been lost in our current climate, where war and economic turmoil have eroded our sense of civic obligation.

TUESDAY, JULY 6 AT 7PM
HOWARD NORMAN / WHAT IS LEFT THE DAUGHTER

Norman, widely regarded as one of this country's finest novelists, returns to the mesmerizing fictional terrain of his major books-The Bird Artist, The Museum Guard,and The Haunting of L--in this erotically charged and morally complex story. Set on the Atlantic coast of Canada during WWII, Norman's latest book is an expertly crafted tale of love during wartime.

Howard Norman(and family) are frequent customers at Bear Pond Books when they are in Montpelier and Howard's events here are always popular. He lives with his wife poet Jane Shore in Washington, DC and Vermont.

SUMMER IS PARTY TIME !

Keep posted for more details at the store and on our website.