The Phoenix Review
January 2009
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Dear Friends,
Happy New Year! 2008 was a challenging one, to say the least, and we can't help but be glad to have a fresh year on the calendar. That being said, our holiday season was quite the success - thanks to you! Check out The Owner's Nook (owner Michael DeSanto's blog) to find out more. In this issue, you'll find the usual news and updates, as well as some ideas to help you ring in the new year. Here's to 2009! Sincerely,
The staff of Phoenix Books
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JANUARY EVENTS AT PHOENIX
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Featuring...You!
We'll kick off the month - and 2009! - with an Open Mic Night on Wednesday, January 7 from 6:00-8:00 pm. Come check out the local talent at your local, independent bookstore! Want to be the local talent? Call 872-7111 and ask for Michael to sign up. Keep an eye out for our Open Mic Nights on the first Wednesday of each month throughout 2009.
Then, on Wednesday, January 14 from 6:00-8:00 pm, we'll be holding our third Phoenix Books Knit Night (and Crocheters, too!) All skill levels welcome. See you there!
Don't forget to stop by our cafe and check out the artwork featured in our gallery. You'll find works in a variety of mediums, by members of the Essex Art League.
For more information on these and other upcoming events, click here.
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NEW YEAR'S RESOLUTIONS
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Books to Inspire
New Year's resolutions may be easier to make than to keep, but the right information/inspiration can help you keep your resolutions all year round. Below, we've listed a few popular resolutions, along with a helpful title for each. If you don't find your resolution on the list, just give drop by, and one of our knowledgeable booksellers will be happy to suggest a book to help keep you on track.
Resolution #1: Go Green
A book of this very same title, by Nancy H. Taylor, offers user-friendly suggestions and case studies for individuals, schools, hospitals, businesses and communities on building or remodeling a green home,  starting green programs in your community, and finding out what really matters about transportation, food, and renewable energy.
Resolution #2: Shop Local
Plenty: Eating Locally on the 100 Mile Diet tells the remarkable adventures of a Canadian couple who make a year-long attempt to eat foods grown and produced within a 100-mile radius of their apartment - and learn the simple joys of reconnecting with community and home ground in the process. (For more titles to go with these first two resolutions, check out our Green and Sustainable Living section!)
 Resolution #3: Practice Good Money Management
In a year when this is especially important - and confusing - Suze Orman's 2009 Action Plan: Keeping Your Money Safe and Sound steps up to offer answers and pro-active solutions to your financial quandries.
Resolution #4: Get Fit
As we all know, even a journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step, and so may the journey to good health. Walking may seem to be an unremarkable activity, but it becomes downright fascinating in the hands of Geoff Nicholson, author of The Lost Art of Walking: The History, Science, Philosophy, and Literature of Pedestrianism.
 Resolution #5: Learn Something New
We
have books at Phoenix to help you and your children learn everything
from the ABCs to Czech, but if you're looking for some suggestions,
page through Lost Crafts: Rediscovering Traditional Skills,
by Una McGovern. This relevant and inspiring guide includes
instructions for brewing beer, kitchen gardening, dry-stone walling,
and navigating by the stars, as well as dozens of other practical
skills and crafts.
Resolution #6: Practice Volunteerism
Knitting for Peace: Making the World a Better Place One Stitch at a Time, by Betty Christiansen, is an exceptional book that celebrates the long heritage of knitting for others. It tells the stories of 28 contemporary knitting-for-peace endeavors, and features patterns for easy-to-knit charity projects.
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ANTICIPATING INAUGURATION DAY
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January 20, 2009
Want to learn more about our future president? Here are some reading suggestions:
   Dreams From My Father: A Story of Race and Inheritance is Barack Obama's autobiography. He went on to write The Audacity of Hope: Thoughts on Reclaiming the American Dream, a book the Chicago Tribune called "an upbeat view of the country's potential and a political biography that concentrates on the senator's core values." And if you're more concerned with Obama's plans than with his past, pick up a copy of Change We Can Believe In: Barack Obama's Plan to Renew America's Promise.
 World-renowned economist and educator Robert Kuttner offers another point of view in Obama's Challenge. "Robert Kuttner has incisively captured the political moment, underscored by the deepening economic crisis. Lucidly and passionately, he lays out the hurdles facing an Obama presidency and challenges him to seize the moment and achieve greatness by redeeming the promise of America," writes Arianna Huffington, co-founder and editor-in-chief of The Huffington Post.
 
For younger readers, Barack Obama: Son of Promise, Child of Hope is a picture book about Obama's life. Yes We Can is a middle grade biography that takes readers from Obama's grade school days through his victory in the November 2008 election.
Staff Pick:
Beth Recommends...
 The President's Daughter, by Ellen Emerson White. Sarcastic, funny, and smart, Meghan Powers is a typical high school sophomore. Meg lives a completely ordinary life in a Boston suburb - hanging out with friends at the mall, teasing her brothers, and walking the dog - until her life is turned upside down when her mother, a U.S. senator, decides to run for president. It's challenging enough being a teenager, but try being a teenager with the Secret Service breathing down your neck! Meg's story is complicated, intense, and often serious, but always entertaining. Highly recommended. Ages 12 and up.
Sequels: White House Autumn, Long Live the Queen, Long May She Reign
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NEWS FROM THE CAFE AT PHOENIX
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An Authentic Espresso and Wine Bar
 It's time to decompress from all the excitement of the holidays, and here at the Cafe at Phoenix, we have a couple of new options to help you do just that.
First, we've instituted a weekly special. In December, we featured such delectable drinks as the Peppermint Mocha. We now invite you to try an Aromatic Eggnog Latte with sweet whipped cream and cinnamon, for only $3! We've also added a few beer selections for the winter months. We'll continue offering Long Trail Ale, and will add IPA, Blackberry Wheat, and Hibernator to the mix. Cheers! Hungry for more? Review our menu at the cafe webpage.
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RING OUT THE OLD YEAR, RING IN THE NEW
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Calendars and Christmas Cards
  Our calendars are as carefully chosen as our books and periodicals, so stop by and treat yourself or a friend to a unique wall calendar or date book. You never know what you might find, from The Zen of Hiking to the tongue-in-cheek (and PG-rated) Porn for Women. Come in soon for the best selection!
Meanwhile, Christmas cards and books are now 30% off! It's a great time to get a jump-start on 2009's holiday shopping!
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PHOENIX ONLINE
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Local Links
Phoenix isn't just any local bookstore: It's your local bookstore. So we've added a page to our website detailing the many ways in which Phoenix chooses to go green and go local. Check it out!
 And remember, on those occasions when the winter weather is keeping you in, but you just can't wait to open your next book, you can still shop local. Just click on the image at right, and shop Phoenix Books Online! | |
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