The Phoenix Review
October 2009
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Dear Friends, Our fall line-up can't be beat! Starting with Vincent Feeney and his account of the Irish in Vermont, we're inviting you to help us celebrate Vermont's wealth of local talent - as well as some from further afield. Check out our calendar below, and mark your own calendars for appearances by Joe Citro, Stephen Bissette, Marc Estrin, Pierrette Nicole Gagnon Berglund, Julie Kay Clark, Dan Close, Don Bredes, Nasrin Safai, and Rusty DeWees - and that's just in October! In this issue, you'll discover all the new fall flavors available at the Cafe at Phoenix. You'll also find a selection of our favorite new titles, many of which are 15% off!* So come on in and treat yourself - no tricks involved! Sincerely,
The staff of Phoenix Books
PS: We want to make it easy for you to find time for your holiday shopping, so Phoenix Books is open until 8:00 pm every evening, now through December 23rd!
*While supplies last. Discount valid on in-store purchases only.
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 OCTOBER EVENTS
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Thrills, Chills, and General Rowdiness
On Tuesday, October 6th at 6:30, Vincent E. Feeney will read fro m his new book, Finnigans, Slaters, and Stonepeggers: A History of the Irish in Vermont.
Our Open Mic Night will take place on Wednesday, October 7th, from 6:00-8:00 pm.
Want to perform? Call 872-7111 and ask for Michael to sign
up.
 On Saturday, October 10th at 6:30, Joseph A. Citro and Stephen R. Bissette will visit Phoenix to present their newest collaboration, The Vermont Monster Guide. In this book, Citro,
respected monster hunter, brings to light over sixty Vermonsters, many
captured in exquisite, ghoulish detail by the pen, brush, and ink of
artist Bissette. Young and old will enjoy this opportunity to usher in Halloween a few days early!
 We have two Knit Nights (Crocheters, too!) this month: The usual second Wednesday on October 14th from 6:00-8:00 pm, as well as Tuesday, October 27th from 6:00-8:00 pm. All skill levels welcome. See you there!
On Thursday, October 15th at 6:30 pm, Burlington's Marc Estrin will read from his newest novel, The Good Doctor Guillotin: An Anatomy of Five. This tale follows five characters to a common destination: the  scaffold at the first guillotining of the French Revolution.
On Saturday, October 17th at 2:30 pm, Pierrette Nicole Gagnon Berglund will read from her new inspirational book Cries of Despair! and talk about this book and her life.
On Sunday, October 18th from 2:00-4:00 pm,  singer- songwriter Julie Kay Clark, all the way from Nashville, Tennessee, will perform at Phoenix for the continuation of our Coffeehouse Series.
On Wednesday, October 21st at 6:30 pm, poet Dan Close will read from his new book What the Abenaki Say About Dogs.
 On Saturday, October 24th at 2 pm, Don Bredes will read from his new literary thriller, The Errand Boy.
On Wednesday, October 28th at 6:30 pm, Nasrin Safai will return to Phoenix for a guided meditation and channeling session. Because of the time and effort to conduct the session we will ask for a
$5 cover charge which will be credited towards any purchases of Nasrin's
books and  jewelry.
On Thursday, October 29th at 7 pm, Vermont's own Rusty DeWees has promised to read from his book, Scrawlins,
play the guitar,
and generally be his rowdy entertaining self before he signs his
book/calendar/DVDs. This will be a short, fun evening preceding his
signing.
Don't miss this star of stage, screen and television at his only
appearance this year at Phoenix Books.
Visit our website for details on these and more upcoming events. Events at Phoenix are free and open to the public.
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THE CAFE AT PHOENIX
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Fall Flavors
With an October chill in the air, it's time for all those steamy, comforting foods you've missed over the summer. Hot, local apple cider is back on the menu, as well as hot chocolate and our seasonal latte flavors: Pumpkin Pie, Maple, Peppermint Mocha, Gingerbread, Italian Eggnog, and Cinnamon Brown Sugar. Our deeeeelicious scones go great with a hot drink, especially our newest flavor: Maple!
Soups are back on the menu, too: Selections vary weekly, and include flavors like Creamy Tomato Bisque, Savory Beef & Barley, and Hearty Potato & Cheese. Stop in to enjoy a cozy cup today!
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TRICK OR TREAT
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Halloween Picks for All Ages
 The Vampire Seduction Handbook, by Luc Richard Ballion
The ultimate guide to love and lust, vampire-style.
In this step-by-step guide, you'll learn why vampires make the best lovers and the best places to find them--and,
no, it's not in graveyards. You'll want to know about vampire turn-ons, games
vampires play, dealing with jealousy, and finally, whether or not to
consider becoming a vampire yourself. Ballion includes descriptions of trysts across the ages,
compatibility checklists, and an A-to-Z of troubleshooting.
 The Witch's Guide to Cooking with Children, by K. McGowan
"Yum." --Kirkus Review
When Sol and Connie move to Grand Creek, one of the first
people to welcome them is an odd older woman with her
friendly dog, who carries a strange bone in his mouth. Sol
knows a lot more than the average eleven-year-old; when he
identifies the bone as human, he and Connie begin to wonder about their
new neighbor. In a spine-tingling adventure, Sol and Connie
discover that solving mysteries can be a dangerous game. (Middle Grade.)
Jeremy Draws a Monster, by Peter McCarty
"A top-notch Harold and the Purple Crayon for a new generation." --Booklist
Jeremy draws a monster. Then the monster wants
lunch! As his creation takes over, Jeremy begins to wonder how he will
ever get rid of the monstrous nuisance. With more than a dose of
humor, McCarty cleverly blurs the line between his own drawings
and Jeremy's, and so subtly questions the line between reality
and imagination. (Ages 4-6.)
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NEW FICTION
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Suspects and Suspect Motives
 Love and Summer, by William Trevor
"Trevor...[displays a]...wise psychological understanding of the fluster beneath the
surface of ordinary lives." --Booklist
It doesn't go
unnoticed when Florian, a dark-haired stranger, arrives in Rathmoye on his bicycle. A few miles out in the country, Dillahan, a farmer
and a decent man, has married again: Ellie, a convent girl, came to work for him when he was widowed. Florian
is planning to leave Ireland and start over. Ellie is settled in her
new role as Dillahan's wife. But a reckless attachment begins.
 Tears of Pearl, by Tasha Alexander
"...will please
readers of Anne Perry, Laurie R. King, and Deanna Raybourn seeking a
new fan-favorite author." --Library Journal
Lady Emily
and Colin Hargreaves set out toward Turkey for an exotic honeymoon. But
on their first night in the city, a harem girl is found
murdered. Sir Richard St. Clare, an Englishman who works at the embassy
in Constantinople, is present and recognizes the girl as his own
daughter who was kidnapped twenty years earlier. Emily and Colin
promise the heartbroken father they'll find her killer...
 Murder at Longbourn, by Tracy Kiely
"Jane Austen fans will welcome...[this] engaging adventure that will hopefully be but the first of many." --Publishers Weekly
Planning to rid her life of all things
unhealthy, Elizabeth has dumped fatty foods, processed sugar,
and her two-timing boyfriend. Indeed, the invitation to join her Aunt
Winnie for a How to Host a Murder Party at Winnie's
new B & B comes just in time. But when the local wealthy
miser ends up the unscripted victim, Elizabeth must unearth old secrets
and new motives to clear her beloved aunt of suspicion...
 Evil at Heart, by Chelsea Cain
"Popular entertainment--the kind that mixes crime, horror, and...black comedy--just doesn't get much better..." --Booklist
Gretchen
Lowell is on the loose, and thanks to sensationalist news
coverage, she's more of a
cause celebre than a feared killer. Archie Sheridan hunted her for a
decade; his
last ploy to catch her went spectacularly wrong. A new body is found with Gretchen's
trademark heart, and Archie is forced back into
action. Has the Beauty Killer returned, or has the
cult surrounding her created a whole new evil?
 The Hidden Man, by David Ellis
"...precise character studies, an original plot and a surprising but
logical twist at the end." --Publishers Weekly
When two-year-old Audrey Cutler
disappeared from her home, Griffin Perlini was arrested, but never
convicted. When Perlini is murdered nearly thirty years later, Jason Kolarich--a young, intelligent maverick--is asked to represent the defendent: Sammy Cutler, his estranged childhood best friend. With both of their lives in the balance, Kolarich must find out what really
happened to Audrey...
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NONFICTION PICKS
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Considering Independence, Leadership, and Justice
 The Mom & Pop Store, by Robert Spector
"This excellent book is about real America since 90 percent of all U.S.
businesses are family owned or controlled, and though some are large,
mostly they are mom and pops." --Booklist
Long fascinated by the "direct connection" people feel as merchants and
customers when they do business in neighborhood shops, and responding
to the growing "buy local" movement across the country, Spector sets
out to discover the state, and the state of mind, of independent
retailing in America.
 Tried by War, by James M. McPherson
A Pulitzer Prize-winning author reveals how Lincoln won the Civil War
and invented the role of commander in chief as we know it.
Tried by War offers a revelatory (and timely) portrait of
leadership during the greatest crisis our nation has endured.
Suspenseful and inspiring, this is the story of how Lincoln, with
almost no previous military experience,
assumed the powers associated with the role of commander in chief, and
through his strategic insight and will to fight changed the course of
the war and saved the Union.
 Justice: What's the Right Thing to Do?, by Michael J. Sandel
"Erudite, conversational and deeply humane..." --Publishers Weekly
An exploration of the meaning of justice, this book
invites readers to consider familiar
controversies in fresh and illuminating ways. Affirmative action,
same-sex marriage, abortion, patriotism and dissent, the moral limits of markets--Sandel
dramatizes the challenge of thinking through these conflicts, and shows
how a surer grasp of philosophy can help us make sense of politics,
morality, and our own convictions as well.
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RAISING PASSIONATE READERS
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Our Picks for Children and Teens
The Adoration of Jenna Fox, by Mary E. Pearson
"...a breath of fresh air in the...world of teen literature." --ELLEgirl
Seventeen-year-old Jenna Fox has just awoken from a year-long coma--so
she's been told--and she is still recovering from the terrible accident
that caused it. But what happened before that? Why won't anyone in her family
talk about the accident? Jenna is becoming more curious. But she is
also afraid of what she'll find out if she gets up the courage
to ask her questions. What happened to Jenna Fox? Who is she really? (Young Adult.)
 The Brilliant Fall of Gianna Z., by Kate Messner
"Laced with humor and heart..." --Booklist
Gianna Zales is a star runner with one more hurdle to jump before she
goes to cross-country sectionals--a monster leaf collection project.
To get it done, she'll have to survive a rival who desperately wants to
take her place at sectionals, a grandmother who leaves her false teeth
in the refrigerator, and a best friend whose feelings about her are
changing like the leaves. Gianna Z needs a stroke of brilliance to make
it work! (Middle Grade - and by a local author!)
The Cat on the Mat is Flat, by Andy Griffiths
"Imagine the outcome if Dr. Seuss, Dav Pilkey, and Lane Smith were
locked in a room until they came up with a book for beginning or
reluctant readers." --School Library Journal
This collection of nine wacky and wonderful rhyming animal stories makes learning to read even more fun than usual. Stick-figure sketches "enhance the zaniness factor and offbeat, ironic humor," says Publisher's Weekly. (Beginning Reader.)
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BOOK CLUB PICK OF THE MONTH
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Home, by Marilynne Robinson
 The author of Gilead returns with
a retelling of the prodigal son parable, set at
the same moment and in the same Iowa town as Gilead. The Reverend
Boughton's hell-raising son, Jack, has come home after twenty years
away. Artful and devious in his youth, now an alcoholic carrying two
decades worth of secrets, he is perpetually at odds with his
traditionalist father. As
Jack tries to make peace with his father, he begins to forge an intense
bond with his sister Glory, herself returning home with a broken heart
and turbulent past. Home is a luminous and healing book about
families, family secrets, and faith from one of America's most beloved
and acclaimed authors.
Did you know? Book clubs are eligible for a 15% discount on books ordered from Phoenix! At least five copies must be ordered in-store, and all copies must be purchased through your book club's coordinator, for discount to apply.
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