local | independent | uniqueBooks
In this issue...
News from Essex
News from Burlington
Hope for Women Prizes
Ladybug Girl- 20% Off!
July Events
Nonfiction
Fiction
Young Adult
Middle Grade
Young Readers
Quick Links

Homepage 

Events Calendar 

Phoenix on FB

Shop Online 

July Events:
All Month - Find Waldo in Burlington - and in Essex, Williston, and Jericho!

7/11 - Knit Night - Crocheters, too! (Essex)

7/14 - Nessa Flax (Burlington)

7/21 - Writing for Young Readers: a workshop with acclaimed author/illustrator Bonnie Christensen (Burlington)

7/21 - Bonnie Christensen book signing (Burlington)

7/26 - Bernd Heinrich (Essex)

7/27 - Bernd Heinrich (Burlington)

7/31 - Waldo parties!

 

 News from Phoenix Essex
A Hot, Frothy Cappuccino
Hellos and goodbyes at the Cafe at Phoenix Essex. 

  Here at Phoenix Essex, we're very sad to be saying goodbye to Rachel Mower, our cafe manager.  Rachel has been with Phoenix since its inception.  She has not only turned booksellers into baristas, but has also been a wonderful bookseller herself, as well as spearheading Newt Night, one of our most popular annual events. We wish Rachel all the best in her new adventures!

We'd also like to welcome our new cafe manager! Kelly's not so meager beginnings here in Vermont landed her in beautiful San Francisco in 1990 where she fell into an amazing serving position at a restaurant called Fleur De Lys.  It was there that she learned about and tasted some of the finest wines produced in the world.  Three years later, she moved to sunny Los Angeles and became the first female server at Patina and Melisse, two of the top French restaurants in the city. She waited on movie stars, wrote wine lists, and finally became a wine distributor calling on A-list restaurants, fine shops, and even the Playboy Mansion! She traveled back and forth to wine country in Napa, Sonoma, and Santa Maria and even got the chance to fly over Napa in a cessna with Tim Mondavi while sipping his cabernet!  It was a fun ride....  Kelly returned to Vermont in the fall of 2004, wanting to raise her children in the beautiful setting where she grew up.  Wine is still her passion, and, now that her kids are both in school, she has time to reflect back on the last 20 years of food and wine.  She looks forward to sharing her discoveries with you!

Kelly has launched a new  series of wine seminars entitled Discoveries in Wine.
The program for each seminar will revolve around six wines from a given wine-making region, as well as a tasty tapas plate  chosen to pair well with those wines. The six featured wines form Phoenix Essex's wine list for the following month. Phoenix has purchased a new Vinotemp machine designed to store wine for weeks with no oxidation. The first seminar took place on June 28th, and was a huge success!  Our next will be on August 30th.  
 News from Phoenix Burlington
 
Photo by Lake Champlain Regional Chamber of Commerce
  Thanks to you, our Grand Opening in Burlington was a huge success!  Mayor Miro Weinberger himself cut the ribbon with the requisite giant pair of scissors! 
  

We've had a great response to our Local Authors' Programs since Local Authors' Day during our Grand Opening weekend.  You can find out all about these at http://www.phoenixbooks.biz/localauthorsprograms .

 

Hinda Miller, Madeleine Kunin, and Andrea Chesman provided a wonderful mix of politics and pickles on Saturday and Sunday!  Thank you to these fantastic local authors for being a part of the festivities!

Some of the prizes we raffled off during our Grand Opening.  Many thanks to the publishers who donated them!

 

 Later in the month, we hosted Pulitzer-prize winner Richard Russo and his daughter Kate Russo.  We packed the house with upwards of 60 people who came to hear Richard and Kate talk about indies, print, and their new book, Interventions.

 

And that was only the beginning!  June was a packed month, with lots of events, from a poetry reading with W. S. Di Piero to the introduction of debut novelist Sarah Healy! 

 

Our favorite part, though, has been meeting new customers in Burlington - and recognizing loyal customers who we first met in Essex.  Thank you for sticking by us, in both of our locations!  

 

 

kidspicks  Win Gorgeous Goodies from
Hope for Women!


Enter to win at
Phoenix Books Burlington or Essex!


We at Phoenix Books are huge fans of this wonderful, local and fair trade company.  Come in all throughout the month of July to enter to win great prizes!  One entry per person per day.  
 
Don't forget to "like" Hope for Women on Facebook!

   

kidspicks  20% Off
July is
Ladybug Girl
Month!

cover image
25% Off Select Picture Books by David Soman and Jacky Davis

Ladybug Girl has all sorts of adventures, both right in her own backyard and further abroad! 

David Soman and Jacky Davis are a husband-and-wife picture-book-creating team.  Ladybug Girl is inspired by their daughter, who used to wear every one of her hats and necklaces at the same time.

  Ms. Davis has worked in publishing as well as in television, producing graphics at Jim Henson Productions.  She currently works as a graphic designer at a local newspaper.  Mr. Soman has been an instructor at the School of Visual Arts in New York City for fifteen years. 

     

*Discount only applies at Phoenix's "brick-and-mortar" locations.

   

Make the Connection   Follow me on Twitter

 
 
Not Sure What
to Read Next?  

Check Out Our Staff Picks Online! 

Check out some of our personal favorites online, at phoenixbooks.biz.  Once you find the book you'd love, give us a ring at 872-7111 in Essex or 448-3350 in Burlington so we can check the shelves and put one on hold just for you.
  
Time To Declare
  

Ready to declare your support for your local, independent bookstore?  Ask us about the Phoenix Book Club next time you're at the register, or visit joinphoenix.com!  
 
 
Thank you for choosing local and indie!
Books! 
at the Essex
Shoppes & Cinema
21 Essex Way #407
Essex, VT 05452
802.872.7111

Downtown Burlington
191 Bank Street
Burlington, VT 05401
802.448.3350

Essex Store Hours:
Mon-Fri: 9am-8pm
Saturday:  10am-8pm
Sunday:    11am-6pm

Burlington Store Hours:
Mon-Thurs: 10am-9pm
Fri-Sat: 10am-10pm
Sunday: 11am-6pm
(Subject to change.)
Join Our Mailing List!
 July 2012
Dear Friends, 

June was chock full of events here at Phoenix Books Burlington and Essex - starting with our Grand Opening!  Thank you to all who joined us for this wonderful weekend.  If you haven't gotten to stop by Phoenix Books Burlington yet, come on in to check out the new space!

Meanwhile, summer is here in full force, and we hope you're enjoying the sun as much as we are!  Anytime you'd like to escape the heat, we invite you in to the (air conditioned) Cafe at Phoenix for a cold and yummy custom-made shake, frappe, or iced latte. We'd also like to invite you to come in and say "hi" to Kelly, our new cafe manager.  Rachel M., who has been with us since the founding of Phoenix Books, is moving on to new adventures.

Below, you can learn about our July events schedule - from Find Waldo to Writing for Young Readers, from Bernd Heinrich's reflections on how animals deal with death to Nessa Flax's reflections on Vermont's values and culture.  You can also find out about some great new reads for the whole family.  See you among the shelves!


Sincerely,

Mike, Renee, Beth, Billy, Colleen, Donna, Evelyn, Heather, Kari, Kathy, Kelly, Kit, Kristen, Leigh Ann, Nick D., Nick L., Phil, Rachel F., Rachel M., Rachel O., Richard, Sarah, Scout, Sean, Tod, and Ziya


kidspicks  YOU'RE INVITED TO...  

Find Waldo in Burlington
 - and in Essex, Williston and Jericho!
All Through July
Phoenix Books Burlington and Essex

Where's Waldo? At Phoenix Books, of course. He's turning twenty-five this year, and to celebrate, the famous fellow in the striped shirt and black-rimmed specs is visiting different local businesses all through the month of July. Those who spot him can win prizes, including buttons, books, and more. Anyone who wishes to participate can come to Phoenix Books to pick up a "Find Waldo" search list with the names of all the businesses.  You can choose to find Waldo in Burlington (hosted by Phoenix Books Burlington) or in Essex, Williston and Jericho (hosted by Phoenix Books Essex) - whichever is closest to you!
  Plus, don't forget to join us on
July 31st at 6:00pm for Waldo Parties in Essex and Burlington!

 

Nessa Flax: Voices in the Hills
Saturday, July 14th from 1-3pm
Phoenix Books Burlington
 

Join us for a reading and book signing with Nessa Flax. Her new book, Voices in the Hills, is a compilation of Nessa's best from her column, 'Rambling Reflections,' which has run for over 10 years in the Journal Opinion. This is a wonderful opportunity to explore Vermont's culture and values. As Bernie Sanders put it, "Any reader...will understand more about Vermont - who lives here, and what our values are, and why we love our state-after spending some time with Nessa's writing."    

  

Writing for Young Readers

A Workshop with Acclaimed Author/Illustrator Bonnie Christensen
Saturday, July 21st from 12-2:00pm
Phoenix Books Burlington
 

Do you want to write picture, middle grade, or young adult books? Do you already write stories for young readers, but want to learn more? Acclaimed author/illustrator Bonnie Christensen will offer an opportunity to ask questions, learn some basics of writing for young readers, and practice writing exercises. (This workshop isn't intended to provide critiques of individual manuscripts.) Refreshments and dessert provided. Bring a brown bag lunch, writing paper and utensils. $50, advance registration required. Register in person or click here to register online.

I, Galileo Book Signing with Bonnie Christensen
Saturday, July 21st at 2:30pm at Phoenix Books Burlington
Join us for an open-to-the-public discussion and book signing of Bonnie's latest book, I, Galileo

  

Bernd Heinrich
Thursday, July 26th at 7:00pm at Phoenix Books Essex
Friday, July 27th at 7:00pm at Phoenix Books Burlington

When a good friend with a severe illness wrote, asking if he might have his "green burial" at Bernd Heinrich's hunting camp in Maine, it inspired the acclaimed biologist/author to investigate a subject that had long fascinated him. How exactly does the animal world deal with the flip side of the life cycle? And what are the lessons, ecological to spiritual, raised by a close look at how the animal world renews itself? Bernd Heinrich is an acclaimed scientist and the author of numerous award-winning books, including the bestselling The Mind of the Raven, Why We Run, and Winter World. He is a frequent contributor to national media, and professor emeritus of biology at the University of Vermont.
 

Books will be available for purchase and to have signed at all author events.  
kidspicks  NONFICTION PICKS
Exploring Health and Home


Eat and Run, by Scott Jurek 

For nearly two decades, Scott Jurek has been a dominant force--and darling--in the grueling and growing sport of ultrarunning. In Eat and Run, Scott Jurek opens up about his life and career--as an elite athlete and a vegan--and inspires runners at every level. From his Midwestern childhood hunting, fishing, and cooking for his meat-and-potatoes family, to his early beginnings in running (he hated it), to his slow transition to ultrarunning and veganism, to his world-spanning, record-breaking races, Scott's story shows the power of an iron will and blows apart all the stereotypes of what athletes should eat to fuel optimal performance. Chock-full of incredible, on-the-brink stories of endurance and competition, fascinating science, and accessible practical advice--including his own favorite plant-based recipes--Eat and Run will motivate everyone to "go the distance," whether that means getting out for that first run, expanding your food horizons, or simply exploring the limits of your own potential. (Hardcover.) 

  

Full Body Burden, by Kristen Iversen 

Full Body Burden is a haunting work of narrative nonfiction about a young woman, Kristen Iversen, growing up in a small Colorado town close to Rocky Flats, a secret nuclear weapons plant once designated "the most contaminated site in America." It's the story of a childhood and adolescence in the shadow of the Cold War, in a landscape at once startlingly beautiful and--unknown to those who lived there--tainted with invisible yet deadly particles of plutonium. It's also a book about the destructive power of secrets--both family and government: her father's hidden liquor bottles, the strange cancers in children in the neighborhood, the truth about what was made at Rocky Flats. (Hardcover.)

  

Domino: The Book of Decorating, by Deborah Needleman, et al 

Recommended by Heather!  

"This book provides guidance on proportions and style. It shows how items can be put together from what we have or what can be purchased on a budget. The back of the book is a treasure trove of sources of tips from stores and online.  Eclectic." 

The editors take readers room by room, tapping the best ideas from domino magazine and culling insights from their own experiences. With an eye to making design accessible and exciting, this book demystifies the decorating process and provides the tools for making spaces that are personal, functional and fabulous.

 

  

 

kidspicks  FICTION PICKS
Summer Thrills


The Night Circus, by Erin Morgenstern 

Kristen's and Rachel O's Staff Pick! 

The circus arrives without warning. No announcements precede it. It is simply there, when yesterday it was not. Within the black-and-white striped canvas tents is an utterly unique experience full of breathtaking amazements. It is called "Le Cirque des Reves," and it is only open at night.
But behind the scenes, a fierce competition is underway: a duel between two young magicians, Celia and Marco, who have been trained since childhood expressly for this purpose by their mercurial instructors. Unbeknownst to them both, this is a game in which only one can be left standing. (Now in paperback!)  

    

Bared to You, by Sylvia Day 

"If I were to recommend any book today to readers who enjoyed 50 Shades...this would be the first one I would offer....scorching love scenes."-Dear Author   

Sylvia Day is an award-winning author of more than a dozen novels written across multiple subgenres. She has won the "Romantic Times" Reviewers' Choice Award and the National Readers' Choice Award twice, and she has been nominated for the RITA twice. A wife and mother of two, she is a former Russian linguist for U.S. Army Military Intelligence. She lives in San Diego, California. (Paperback.) 

  

The Chaperone
, by Laura Moriarty 

Only a few years before becoming a famous silent-film star and an icon of her generation, a fifteen-year-old Louise Brooks leaves Wichita, Kansas, to study with the prestigious Denishawn School of Dancing in New York. Much to her annoyance, she is accompanied by a thirty-six-year-old chaperone, who is neither mother nor friend. Cora Carlisle, a complicated but traditional woman with her own reasons for making the trip, has no idea what she's in for. Young Louise, already stunningly beautiful and sporting her famous black bob with blunt bangs, is known for her arrogance and her lack of respect for convention. Ultimately, the five weeks they spend together will transform their lives forever. (Hardcover.)

  

  Gone Girl,by Gillian Flynn 

On a warm summer morning in North Carthage, Missouri, it is Nick and Amy Dunne's fifth wedding anniversary. Presents are being wrapped and reservations are being made when Nick's clever and beautiful wife disappears from their rented McMansion on the Mississippi River. Husband-of-the-Year Nick isn't doing himself any favors with cringe-worthy daydreams about the slope and shape of his wife's head, but passages from Amy's diary reveal the alpha-girl perfectionist could have put anyone dangerously on edge. Under mounting pressure from the police and the media--as well as Amy's fiercely doting parents--the town golden boy parades an endless series of lies, deceits, and inappropriate behavior. Nick is oddly evasive, and he's definitely bitter--but is he really a killer?  (Hardcover.)   

  

The Risk Agent, by Ridley Pearson 

A Chinese National working for an American-owned construction company is grabbed off the streets of Shanghai in broad daylight. His one-man security detail goes missing as well.
Rutherford Risk is a firm specializing in extraction: the negotiation for, and the recovery of hostages. Private investigation is illegal in today's China. Operating within her borders will be difficult at best.The security company recruits two unique outsiders to do their bidding. Grace Chu is a forensic accountant hired to follow the money; John Knox is a civilian with unparalleled training in both combat and culture. Can Knox and Grace locate the two hostages ahead of the deadline? (Hardcover.)  

  

Sorority Sisters, by Claudia Welch 

In 1975, trying to find a place to belong, four young women find each other in the same sorority pledge class. Through parties and pranks; finals and skipped classes; boyfriends and break-ups, they forge a bond that takes them by surprise. No one expected it to last beyond college graduation. But some bonds are too strong to break. Now they're sisters. And with sisters, it's not about what happens. It's about no matter what happens. (Paperback.) 
 

kidpicks  YOUNG ADULT PICKS
Weather and War

 

Monument 14
, by Emmy Laybourne
 

 

In Emmy Laybourne's action-packed debut novel, six high school kids (some popular, some not), two eighth graders (one a tech genius), and six little kids trapped together in a chain superstore build a refuge for themselves inside. While outside, a series of escalating disasters, beginning with a monster hailstorm and ending with a chemical weapons spill, seems to be tearing the world--as they know it--apart.
(Hardcover.) 

Shadow and Bone
,  by Leigh Bardugo 

Surrounded by enemies, the once-great nation of Ravka has been torn in two by the Shadow Fold, a swath of near impenetrable darkness crawling with monsters who feast on human flesh. Now its fate may rest on the shoulders of one lonely refugee. Alina Starkov has never been good at anything. But when her regiment is attacked on the Fold and her best friend is brutally injured, Alina reveals a dormant power that saves his life--a power that could be the key to setting her war-ravaged country free. Wrenched from everything she knows, Alina is whisked away to the royal court to be trained as a member of the Grisha, the magical elite led by the mysterious Darkling. (Hardcover.)  

 

kidpicks  MIDDLE GRADE PICKS
Adventures of the Imagination

 

Lego Harry Potter
 

Meet the magical minifigures of the LEGO(R) Harry Potter(TM) world in DK's latest addition to our new series, "LEGO(R) Harry Potter(TM) The Characters of the Magical World"! From the multiple variations of Harry and Ron to the unique characteristics of Snape and Voldemort, readers can learn about each minifigure and the magical sets they star in while learning fun and interesting LEGO Harry Potter facts! In-depth profiles alongside dynamic photography will help you to increase your LEGO Harry Potter knowledge and perhaps encourage young readers to conjure up a few spells of their own!


A Boy and a Bear in a Boat
,
by Dave Shelton
 
A boy and a bear go to sea, equipped with a suitcase, a comic book, and a ukulele. The bear assures the boy that they are traveling a short distance and it really shouldn't take very long. But then they encounter "unforeseeable anomalies": turbulent stormy seas! a terrifying sea monster! and the rank remains of The Very Last Sandwich. The odds are pitted against the boy and the bear and their boat. Will the "Harriet," their trusted vessel, withstand the violent lashings of the salty waves? And will anyone ever answer their message in a bottle? (Hardcover.)
 
Dork Diaries #4:  Tales from a Not-So-Graceful Ice Princess
by Rachel Renee Russell

Nikki Maxwell isn't at all surprised to find out that her crush Brandon volunteers at a local animal shelter. He's such a sweet guy--of course he wants to help those adorable puppies! Then Brandon tells her that the shelter is in danger of closing, and Nikki knows she can't let that happen. Especially when she discovers a shocking secret about Brandon that makes keeping that shelter open more important than ever. So Nikki and her friends Chloe and Zoey enter an ice skating competition to help raise money for the shelter, but (big surprise) Mackenzie has to stick her nose in and cause trouble so that she can be the one to swoop in and save the day. No way will Nikki let that happen: She'll just have to come up with some extra creative ideas this time! (Hardcover.)

Deadweather and Sunrise
,  by Geoff Rodkey 

It's tough to be thirteen, especially when somebody's trying to kill you. Not that Egg's life was ever easy, growing up on sweaty, pirate-infested Deadweather Island with no company except an incompetent tutor and a pair of unusually violent siblings who hate his guts. But when Egg's father hustles their family off on a mysterious errand to fabulously wealthy Sunrise Island, then disappears with the siblings in a freak accident, Egg finds himself a long-term guest at the mansion of the glamorous Pembroke family and their beautiful, sharp-tongued daughter Millicent. Finally, life seems perfect. Until someone tries to throw him off a cliff. Suddenly, Egg's running for his life in a bewildering world of cutthroat pirates and villainous businessmen... (Hardcover.) 

 

kidpicks  RAISING PASSIONATE READERS
Good Friends and Good Food

 

Squid and Octopus
by Tao Nyeu

The four tales in this charming picture book show funny moments in the life of best friends Squid and Octopus. Yes, they argue sometimes (about things as silly as whether they should wear mittens or socks to keep their tentacles warm!), but they are always able to cheer each other up in glum times (such as when Squid wakes from the dream of being a superhero and feels disappointed to be plain old Squid again). They are a very lucky duo. As the fortune cookie in the final story says, they will always have a true friend to count on.  (Picture Book Hardcover.)



Dragons Love Tacos
, by Adam Rubin, Illus by Daniel Salmieri 
Dragons love tacos. They love chicken tacos, beef tacos, great big tacos, and teeny tiny tacos. So if you want to lure a bunch of dragons to your party, you should definitely serve tacos. Buckets and buckets of tacos. Unfortunately, where there are tacos, there is also salsa. And if a dragon accidentally eats spicy salsa . . . oh, boy. You're in red-hot trouble. (Picture Book Hardcover.)

  

 
A Home for Bird,  by Philip C. Stead

While out foraging for interesting things, Vernon the toad finds a new friend - a small blue bird who is curiously silent. Vernon shows Bird the river and the forest and some of his other favorite things, but Bird says nothing. Vernon introduces Bird to his friends, Skunk and Porcupine, but Bird still says nothing. "Bird is shy," says Vernon, "but also a very good listener." Vernon worries that Bird is silent because he misses his home, so the two set off on a journey to help find a home for Bird. This is a tender tale of a thoughtful friend who is determined to help his quiet companion, by the author of A Sick Day for Amos McGee, winner of the 2011 Caldecott Medal. (Picture Book Hardcover.)