Phoenix Books and Cafe


The Phoenix Review

March 2010


Dear Friends,

Is it just our imagination, or is spring in the air?  In Vermont, March is a capricious month, masquerading as lion and lamb in turn.  But whether you're hankering after the green of a garden, forty shades of green, or green living, come on in and we'll find the title to keep you going through March's more predatory moods.

Below, we've listed a slew of books for all ages and interests, as well as a note from our cafe and this month's event schedule - featuring iconic Vermont author Howard Frank Mosher and Newsweek war correspondent Michael Hastings.  See you there!

Sincerely,
The staff of Phoenix Books

MARCH EVENTS
  Featuring H. F. Mosher's Civil War Novel:  M. Hastings' Modern War Memoir

Our Open Mic Night will take place on Wednesday, March 3rd, 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.Howard Frank  Mosher

We're excited to announce that Howard Frank Mosher will be visiting Phoenix for a book signing, on Saturday, March 6th between 11:00 am and 12:30 pm.  Come get an autographed copy of Mosher's latest novel, Walking to Gatlinburg, a story of survival, wilderness adventure, mystery, and love during the Civil War.

I Lost My Love in BaghdadKnit Night (Crocheters, too!) will take place on the usual second Wednesday, on March 10th from 6:00-8:00 pm.  All skill levels welcome.

On Thursday, March 25th at 6:30 pm, Michael Hastings will visit Phoenix to speak about his new memoir, I Lost My Love in Baghdad:  A Modern War Story.

Visit our website for more info.  Events at Phoenix are free and open to the public.

CAFE THE CAFE AT PHOENIX
   An Authentic Espresso and Wine BarA Hot, Frothy Cappuccino

Our menu features a little something for everyone & every budget. Pair a satisfying breakfast option with one of our custom coffee/espresso beverages & you've got yourself the perfect start to your day!  Later on, how about an affordable vacation-in-a-cup? Stop by for a sweet coconut latte to warm up from the inside out or kick back with a taste of the tropics with a mango smoothie!!
FICNEW FICTION

  Love, Ambition, and Matters of Perception

Eternal on the WaterEternal on the Water, by Joseph Monninger
"[An] eloquently rendered tale."  --Booklist
From the day Cobb and Mary meet kayaking on Maine's Allagash River and fall deeply in love, the two approach life with the same sense of adventure they use to conquer the river's treacherous rapids. But rivers do not let go so easily...and neither does their love. So when Mary's life takes the cruelest turn, she vows to face those rough waters on her own terms and asks Cobb to promise, when the time comes, to help her return to their beloved river for one final journey.  (Paperback.  By a local author!)




A Fortunate AgeA Fortunate Age, by Joanna Smith Rakoff
"Mesmerizing." --Booklist
Rakoff 's richly drawn and immensely satisfying first novel details the lives of a group of Oberlin graduates whose ambitions and friendships threaten to unravel as they chase their dreams, shed their youth, and build their lives in Brooklyn during the turn of the twenty-first century.  Set against the backdrop of the vast changes of the era - from the decadent age of dot-com millionaires to the sobering post-September 2001 landscape - Smith Rakoff's deeply affecting characters and incisive social commentary are reminiscent of the great Victorian novels. (Paperback)



Little BeeLittle Bee, by Chris Cleave
"Ambitious and fearless." --The Guardian
"Most days I wish I was a British pound coin instead of an African girl. Everyone would be pleased to see me coming. Maybe I would visit with you for the weekend and then suddenly, because I am fickle like that, I would visit with the man from the corner shop instead - but you would not be sad because you would be eating a cinnamon bun, or drinking a cold Coca Cola from the can, and you would never think of me again. We would be happy, like lovers who met on holiday and forgot each other's names."  So begins this stunning novel that defies description. (Paperback)



Alice I Have BeenAlice I Have Been, by Melanie Benjamin
"Benjamin offers a finely wrought portrait of Alice that seamlessly blends fact with fiction." --Publishers Weekly
Few works of literature are as universally beloved as Alice's Adventures in Wonderland. Now, we meet the young girl whose bright spirit sent her on an unforgettable trip down the rabbit hole - and the grown woman whose story is no less enthralling. A love story and a literary mystery, Alice I Have Been brilliantly blends fact and fiction to capture the passionate spirit of a woman who was truly worthy of her fictional alter ego.  (Hardcover. An Indie Next pick!)



Book Cover ImageThe Theory of Light and Matter, by Andrew Porter
"...honors the history of the short story form while blazing a new trajectory all its own." --Atlanta Journal-Constitution

These ten stories take us across the country - from rural Pennsylvania to Southern California to suburban Connecticut--and deep into characters struggling to find meaning in their day-to-day lives. "Porter's collection of short stories explores aspects of life in American suburbia, including the effects and subtleties of loss, grief, and sacrifice. They're beautiful and evocative," -- Bridget.  (Paperback)



Shades of GrayShades of Grey, by Jasper Fforde
"Fforde has built a complex, engaging, and unique world full of surprises, serious ideas, and serious fun..." --Library Journal

"At once an inquiry into a fabricated caste system (based on which part of the visible color spectrum one can see) and a love story that defies these rules. Fforde is a masterful writer. His words are a delight to read; clever, soulful, funny, and surreal. I truly enjoyed this book."  --Bridget

(Hardcover)



SCIMYSTERY AND MAGIC

  Cures, Codes, and Strange Behavior



The Girl with Glass FeetThe Girl with Glass Feet, by Ali Shaw
"...romance and tragedy in a melancholic yet whimsical British debut." --Kirkus Review
Strange things are happening on the remote and snowbound archipelago of St. Hauda's Land. Unusual winged creatures flit around the icy bogland, albino animals hide themselves in the snow-glazed woods, and Ida Maclaird is slowly turning into glass. Ida is an outsider in these parts, a mainlander who has visited the islands only once before. Yet during that one fateful visit the glass transformation began to take hold, and now she has returned in search of a cure. (Hardcover/Fiction.)




Bellfield HallBellfield Hall, by Anna Dean
"...a sure bet for fans of historical mysteries."  --Booklist
1805. An engagement party is taking place for Mr Richard Montague, son of wealthy landowner Sir Edgar Montague, and his fiancee Catherine. During a dance with his beloved, a strange thing happens: a man appears at Richard's shoulder and appears to communicate something to him without saying a word. Instantly breaking off the engagement, he rushes off to speak to his father, never to be seen again. Distraught with worry, Catherine sends for her spinster aunt, Miss Dido Kent, who has a penchant for solving mysteries...  (Hardcover/Mystery.)



The Puzzle Lady vs. the Sudoku LadyThe Puzzle Lady vs. the Sudoku Lady, by Parnell Hall
"Acerbic Cora...is always good value, especially for puzzle fans who delight in the requisite crosswords and sudokus." --Kirkus Review
It's the battle of the century when Minami, the Sudoku Lady, shows up in Bakerhaven, Connecticut, to meet Cora Felton, the Puzzle Lady, whose sudoku books have just edged Minami's off of the Japanese bestseller list. Before the rivals have a chance to square off, a killer strikes, and a sudoku puzzle is found at the scene of the murder. Now it's a fight to the finish to see who can unmask the killer.  (Hardcover/Mystery.)



David Falkayn:  Star TraderDavid Falkayn: Star Trader, by Poul Anderson
The second volume in the first complete edition of Poul Anderson's Technic Civilization saga.
The Polesotechnic League of star traders was prospering, and Nicholas Van Rijn, its most flamboyant member, was prospering most of all. But not all League members played fair when trading. Van Rijn could not be everywhere, and relied on his representatives, foremost among them his young protege, David Falkayn, and the members of David's trader team: Adzel, a large dragon-likr being who practiced Buddhism, and Chee-Lan, a brilliant but hot-tempered felinesque extraterrestrial.  (Paperback/Sci Fi.)



NONFICTION PICKS

  Health and Medicine, from Daily Choices to Credit Due


The Butcher and the VegetarianThe Butcher and the Vegetarian, by Tara Austin Weaver
"A very human exploration, from heart-searching to heart-gladdening."  -Kirkus Review
Tara never thought she'd stray from vegetarianism. But she found herself in poor health, and a doctor finally ordered her to eat meat. Tara embarks upon a sometimes hilarious, sometimes frightening whirlwind tour that takes her from slaughterhouse to chef's table, from urban farm to the hearthside of cow wranglers. She meets an unforgettable cast of characters who all seem to take a vested interest in whether she opts for turnips or T-bones. (Hardcover.)




Decision TreeThe Decision Tree, by Thomas Goetz
Taking Control of Your Health in the Era of Personalized Medicine
A new strategy for thinking about health applies cutting-edge technology and sound science to put us at the center of the equation. An individual's Decision Tree begins with genomics, where $400 and a test tube of spit provides a peek at how your DNA influences your health. It taps self-monitoring and collaborative health tools, and turns to new screening techniques. Full of thoughtful, groundbreaking reporting on the impact personalized medicine will have, The Decision Tree will show you how to take advantage of this new frontier in health care. (Hardcover.)



Book Cover ImageThe Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks, by Rebecca Skloot
"Skloot tells a rich, resonant tale of modern science...and how easily it can exploit society's most vulnerable...Publishers Weekly
Scientists know her as HeLa. She was a poor Southern tobacco farmer who worked the same land as her slave ancestors, yet her cells - taken without her knowledge - became one of the most important tools in medicine. HeLa cells were vital for developing the polio vaccine; uncovered secrets of cancer, viruses, and the atom bomb's effects; and have been bought and sold by the billions.
Yet Henrietta Lacks remains virtually unknown - buried in an unmarked grave - until now.  (Hardcover.)


RAISING PASSIONATE READERS

  Picks for All Ages


The Easter EggThe Easter Egg, by Jan Brett
"A satisfying, gentle tale..."  -Booklist
Jan Brett's lovable bunny hero, Hoppi will enchant readers as they pore over illustrations filled with dazzling Easter eggs. If Hoppi can make the best Easter egg, he will get to help the Easter Rabbit deliver the eggs on Easter morning. But it is not so easy. Discouraged, he goes into the woods to think when a blue robin's egg tumbles out of its nest. Hoppi keeps it safe and warm until the baby bird hatches, and when the Easter Rabbit arrives, he chooses the empty blue eggshell to reward Hoppi for his kindness. (Hardcover/Picture Book.)




Book Cover ImageFrankie Pickle and the Pine Run 3000, by Eric Wight
"The black-and-white illustrations make the text 'woooosh' along just like the fast-paced race scenes..." --School Library Journal
Meet Frankie Pickle...the kid with the world's most amazing imagination! It takes him on adventures. It helps him save the day. And sometimes...it gets him into trouble. If he wants to move up in rank with the other Possum Scouts, Frankie must win the model car derby known as the Pine Run 3000. He dreams up the slickest speedster ever, but when he tries to build it on his own, his creation crashes and burns! Will Frankie get left in the dust before he gets to the starting line? (Hardcover/Beginning Reader.)




The Night FairyThe Night Fairy, by Laura Amy Schlitz
"This finely crafted and unusually dynamic fairy story is a natural for reading aloud." --Booklist
What would happen to a fairy if she lost her wings and could no longer fly? Flory, a young night fairy no taller than an acorn and still becoming accustomed to her wings is about to find out. What she discovers is that the world is very big and very dangerous. But Flory is fierce and willing to do whatever it takes to survive. If that means telling others what to do -- like Skuggle, a squirrel ruled by his stomach -- so be it. Not every creature, however, is as willing to bend to Flory's demands.  (Hardcover/Middle Grade.)




Finnikin of the RockFinnikin of the Rock, by Melina Marchetta
"Magic, romance, intrigue, and adventure all play their parts as this dense, intricate epic unfolds, and flawed, memorable heroes fight for their kingdom's redemption." --Publisher's Weekly
Finnikin was only a child during the five days of the unspeakable, when the royal family of Lumatere were brutally murdered. Finnikin, now on the cusp of manhood, is compelled to join forces with an arrogant and enigmatic young novice named Evanjalin, who claims that her dark dreams will lead the exiles to a surviving royal child and a way to pierce the cursed barrier and regain the land of Lumatere.  (Hardcover/Young Adult.)


BOOK CLUB PICK OF THE MONTH

  Born Under a Million Shadows, by Andrea Busfield

Born Under a Million ShadowsEver the optimist, Fawad hopes for a better life, and his dream is realized when Mariya finds a position as a housekeeper for a charismatic Western woman, Georgie, and her two foreign friends. The world of aid workers and journalists is a new one for Fawad, and living with the trio offers endless curiosities for the wickedly observant boy - including Georgie's destructive relationship with the powerful Afghan warlord Haji Khan, whose exploits are legendary. Fawad grows resentful and worried, until he comes to learn that love can move a man to act in surprisingly good ways. But life, especially in Kabul, is never without peril, and the next calamity Fawad must face is so devastating that it threatens to destroy the one thing he thought he could never lose: his love for his country. (Paperback.)

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.

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