The Phoenix Review
December 2009
|
Dear Friends,
Vermont has many seasons, but here at Phoenix Books the holiday season may just be our favorite. After all, it's when we get to help you find just the right present for everyone on your list - and matching books with people is what we do best!
But there is, of course, more to it than that: When you choose to shop at Phoenix, you're not just getting great gifts for your family and friends. You're giving us the gift of your support, and giving yourself, your family, and your neighbors the gift of a strong, vibrant community. We truly can't thank you enough!
In this issue, we've included a few of our favorite things, from humorous fare to breathtaking children's books. You'll also find that our packed schedule of author events continues, with such exciting additions as a dramatic reading and a demonstration of seasonal cooking. Yum!
Sincerely,
The staff of Phoenix Books
|
| DECEMBER EVENTS
|
|
Come Sample Stories and Seasonal Fare!
 Our Open Mic Night will take place on Wednesday, December 2, 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.
Join us on Saturday, December 5th from 10:00 am to noon in welcoming Tracey Campbell Pearson! This beloved children's author/illustrator will read from one of her books, and then be available for autographing.
 Later that same day, on Saturday, December 5th at 7:00 pm, Phoenix will host a dramatic reading from the The Kids Are All Right, featuring coauthor Liz Welch and locals Liz and Laura Subin. Told in the alternating voices of Welch and her three siblings, who were orphaned at ages 19, 16, 14, and 8, this is a memoir People calls, "A blisteringly funny, heart-scorching tale of remarkable kids shattered by tragedy and finally brought back together by love." Don't miss this unique event! Equal parts
heart-warming and heart-wrenching, this inspiring performance is sure to
leave you crying, laughing out loud, and reaching for your scrapbooks to recall your own childhood memories.
 On Monday, December 7th at 7:00 pm, bestselling mystery author Louise Penny will read from and autograph her newest novel, The Brutal Telling. "This superb novel
will appeal to readers who enjoy sophisticated
literary mysteries," lauds Library Journal. "Penny...is a world-class storyteller," adds The Kirkus Review.
Knit Night (Crocheters, too!) will take place on the usual second Wednesday, on December 9 from 6:00-8:00 pm. All skill levels welcome. See you there!
 Saturday, December 12th will be packed full of mouthwatering, spine-tingling goodness: From 2:00 throughout the afternoon, Diane Imrie will offer a delectable demonstration of local, seasonal fare from her new book Cooking Close to Home. (And yes, there will be free samples!) At 4:30, Queen City Ghostwalk guide Thea Lewis will dish up plenty of chills with a dollop of history and a hearty pinch of humor when she reads from her new book, Haunted Burlington.
Then on Thursday, December 17th at 6:30 pm, Inge Schaefer will give us a taste of Colchester's past when she reads from her newest book, Chronicles of Colchester. Come learn about the history of this Lake Champlain community, from its remarkable early settlers (including Ira Allen) to the keeping of the Colchester Reef Lighthouse.
Visit our website for more info. Events at Phoenix are free and open to the public.
|
THE CAFE AT PHOENIX
|
|
Savoring the Season
The holidays can get hectic, so we'd like to invite you to avail yourself of our cafe offerings and take a few moments - or longer! - to savor the season. If you're looking for a hot, fortifying beverage, our lattes are now available in holiday flavors like Cozy Eggnog, Pumpkin Pie, Warm
Gingerbread, Sweet Peppermint, Hot Buttered Pecan, Brown Sugar
Cinnamon, and Maple. Mmm!
With our meal-sized sandwiches, hand-crafted to order and toasty, melty, hot, there's no reason to shop hungry. Has the cold weather got you craving soup? Our rotating selections are made from scratch - no condensed nonsense here, and nothing delivered on a tractor trailer from some corporate headquarters, either! And to top it all off, we have plenty of sweets and yummies baked with love by your very own, local, bookseller-baristas!
|
THIS SEASON, WRAP UP A GREAT IDEA!
|
|
Why a Book Makes Such a Great Gift
Here are a dozen of our favorite reasons:
- It comes fully charged.
- Costs less than a movie and popcorn.
- It can change someone's life.
- It can make someone laugh.
- It's a thoughtful gift. A personal gift. And more original than a tie or a sweater.
- One-stop shopping: Phoenix has something for everyone on your list, from your two-year-old to your boss.
- You're
not alone: At Phoenix, we pride ourselves on helping you find gifts
for even your "hard-to-fit" friends and family members.
- In the midst of your holiday shopping, you can take a relaxing and reviving break in the Cafe at Phoenix.
- It's a gift of escape, fun, romance, and adventure.
- It's portable.
- It's easy to wrap.
- You can never have too many.
Why do you think a book is the best gift this holiday season? Email us, and we'll post your reasons here, on our full-length list!
|
ON THE SHELVES
|
|
A Few of Our Favorite Things...
More Information than You Require, by John Hodgman
The NYT bestseller by The Daily Show's "Resident Expert"!
 From his strange vantage point as a
Famous Minor Television Personality, Hodgman has realized that there is
some world knowledge yet to be documented. His newest book consists of
brief articles, overlong lists, frighteningly complex charts, and
beguiling narratives on new and familiar themes such as:
THE PAST (because there is always more of it)
THE FUTURE (because they say there is still some left)
CRYPTOGEOGRAPHY (including Canada)...and MUCH MORE!
PLUS!: This paperback edition includes a special self-expanding
fold-out edition of THE TAXONOMY OF COMPLETE WORLD KNOWLEDGE, which you
have probably never seen before because it has been carefully hidden.
UNTIL NOW.
The Piano Teacher, by Janice Y. K. Lee
"A rare and exquisite story...Transports you out of time, out of place, into a world you can feel on your very skin." --Elizabeth Gilbert
 In the sweeping tradition of The English Patient, Janice Y.K. Lee's
debut novel is a tale of love and betrayal set in war-torn Hong Kong.
In 1942, Englishman Will Truesdale falls headlong into a passionate
relationship with Trudy Liang, a beautiful Eurasian socialite. But
their affair is soon threatened by the invasion of the Japanese as
World War II overwhelms their part of the world. Ten years later,
Claire Pendleton comes to Hong Kong to work as a piano teacher and also
begins a fateful affair. As the threads of this spellbinding novel
intertwine, impossible choices emerge-between love and safety, courage
and survival, the present, and above all, the past.
Knit Two, by Kate Jacobs
The sequel to the beloved #1 NYT bestseller, The Friday Night Knitting Club.
 At the Manhattan knitting store founded by Georgia Walker, the members
of the Friday Night Knitting Club - including Georgia's daughter Dakota,
now a college freshman - continue to rely on each other for help as
they struggle with new challenges: for Catherine, finding love after
divorce; for Darwin, the hope for a family; for Lucie, being both a
single mom and a caregiver for her elderly mother; and for seventy-something Anita, a proposal of marriage from her sweetheart
that provokes the objections of her grown children. As the club's
projects - an afghan, baby booties, a wedding coat - are pieced together,
so is their understanding of the patterns underlying the stresses and
joys of being a mother, wife, daughter, and friend.
Oneness With All Life, by Eckhart Tolle
Inspirational Selections from A New Earth.
 In A New Earth, renowned spiritual
teacher Eckhart Tolle attempts to bring about a
shift in consciousness, an awakening, in the reader. An essential
part of this awakening is the recognition of the ego, and our
attachment to things, the past, and enemies. Now, in Oneness With All
Life, Eckhart Tolle has picked the essential phrases and
paragraphs - the gems of the book - that he feels are most important and
reorganized them so readers can focus on the most powerful ideas.
Beautifully packaged with evocative artwork and design, it is the
perfect gift for anyone with a well-worn copy of A New Earth who
wants deeper insight into this seminal work.
|
CHRISTMAS CHEER FOR YOUNG AND OLD
|
|
Anticipate the Season with a Festive Read
What's Coming for Christmas?, by Kate Banks
 "A gently thrilling reminder of all the elements that make for a celebratory season." --Publishers Weekly
You can see it in the way the snowman's eyes sparkle. Hear it in the
voices of carolers echoing in the streets, and in the sounds of
children trimming the tree. You can feel it in the warm fire dancing in
the hearth. Meanwhile, the mother hen hushes her chicks, the pigs'
little tails curl in excitement, and the sheep nod knowingly as all
wait in eager anticipation for a joyous Christmas surprise. (Ages 3 and up.)
The Spirit of Christmas, by Nancy Tillman
"Tillman's ethereal illustrations...are surreal but captivating." --Publishers Weekly
 Bells jingle, sleds dash through the snow, trees are topped with
sparkling stars, and children everywhere dream of candy canes and
presents. But the best gift of all - the most magical gift of the
season - is when we spend Christmas with those we love.
Once
again, this New York Times-bestselling author and artist has created a
special, beautiful book that families will want to share year after
year. (And readers will want to look for the Spirit of Christmas image
that Nancy has hidden on every page!) (Ages 4 and up.)
An Irish Country Christmas, by Patrick Taylor
Snow is rare in Ulster, as are miracles, but that doesn't
mean they never happen...
 Christmas may be drawing
nigh, but there is little peace to be found on earth, especially for the
young doctor Barry Laverty, plying his trade in rural
Ireland. Along with his senior partner, Barry has his hands full dealing with seasonal coughs and
colds, as well as the occasional medical emergency. To add to the
doctors' worries, competition arrives in the form of a patient-poaching
new physician whose quackery threatens the health and well-being of the
good people of Ballybucklebo. Can one territory support three hungry
doctors? Barry has his doubts.
But never fear, the wintry days and nights are
not without a few tidings of comfort and joy...
|
BOOK CLUB PICK OF THE MONTH
|
|
Our Choice, by Al Gore
 Our Choice "gathers in one
place all of the most effective solutions that are available now and
that, together, will solve this [climate] crisis. It is meant to depoliticize the
issue as much as possible and inspire readers to take action - not only
on an individual basis but as participants in the political processes
by which every country, and the world as a whole, makes the choice that
now confronts us. There is an old African proverb that says, 'If you want to go quickly, go alone; if you want to go far, go together.' We have to go far, quickly. We
can solve the climate crisis. It will be hard, to be sure, but if we
can make the choice to solve it, I have no doubt whatsoever that we can
and will succeed." --Al Gore, from the introduction
Did you know? Book clubs are eligible for a 15% discount on books ordered from Phoenix! At least five copies must be ordered, and all copies must be purchased through your book club's coordinator, for discount to apply.
| |
|
|
|
|
