 The BookMark
220 First Street
Neptune Beach, FL 32266
(904) 241-9026
Website: bookmarkbeach.com
Extended Holiday Shopping Hours:
Monday - Saturday 10 am - 8 pm
Sunday 11 am - 5 pm
Open Christmas Eve 9 am - 5 pm
Your Independent Bookstore by the Sea |
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Greetings!
It's that time of year again, and we're happy to be here to help you select the perfect book for those special people on your list. 2013 has been a great year (and still is), and 2014 promises to be wonderful as well. We're starting to schedule authors and events.
We did enjoy some great authors recently and have a limited number of signed books available. Other authors who have visited The BookMark throughout the year also left signed copies, and these make extra special gifts.
In the spirit of helping, we've included a list of books for various tastes and the bestsellers for the year from independent bookstores around the country. This is just a start. We're here to give you personal service anytime.
Perhaps one of your New Year's resolutions is to join a book club in 2014. We host three in the store and invite you to participate.
Mostly what I want to say in this end of the year newsletter is thanks. Thanks for your support, your friendship, and your love or books.
We look forward to seeing you during the holiday season and to all the wonderful books and events that 2014 promises.
Happy Holidays from all of us at The BookMark!
Rona
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Drew Perry, Kids These Days (Algonquin), Wednesday, January 15, 7 pm
Walter and Alice are expecting their first baby, but their timing is a bit off. Walter, once a successful loan officer, has been unexpectedly downsized. They've had to  relocate to Florida so that they can live rent-free in Alice's deceased aunt s condo. When Alice's brother-in-law Mid offers Walter a job, he literally can t refuse. But what he doesn't know about the nature of the job, about the depth of Mid's shady dealings, about what he's really supposed to be doing far outweighs what he does know. And soon enough, things escalate so out of control that Walter is riding shotgun with Mid in a bright yellow Camaro chased by the police. Drew Perry paints a landscape of weird and beautiful Florida and its inhabitants all wholly original and hilarious, and utterly believable.
Tim Dorsey, Tiger Shrimp Tango, (William Morrow & Co), Friday, February 7, 7 pm
Determined to save a damsel in distress, the Sunshine State's favorite serial killer and encyclopedia of Florida lore Serge Storms dances a tango of death and mayhem in  this funny and dementedly entertaining crime caper. Thanks to the Internet, America has become a playground for ruthless scam artists out to make an easy buck. And where do these models of entrepreneurship hail from? Why, the Sunshine State of course! No one loves Florida more, or can keep it safe from invasive criminal species better than self-appointed Sunshine Sheriff Serge Storms. When a particular scam leads to the death of a few innocents and a young woman's disappearance, Serge and his perpetually self-bent sidekick Coleman--aided by his new pal, latter-day noir private eye Mahoney--load up the car for a riotous road trip to do right.
Book Club Night with HarperCollins,
Monday, February 24, 6:30 pm
 HarperCollins sales representative Eric Svenson will present some of his favorite choices for book clubs. This is a wonderful chance to find out about books that would inspire great discussions and books to add to your reading list. The evening includes light refreshments, good conversation, and prizes!
Annette Simon, Robot Burp Head Smartypants! (Candlewick), Sunday,
March 2, 2 pm 
The mechanical friends from Robot Zombie Frankenstein! are back with a new game - and the thirst to win it. Burp to ten? Easy! Burp by tens while blindfolded, juggling, and skateboarding? Simple! Now add the alphabet? REBOOT! Kirkus calls it an "effervescent return." This is a particularly special event for us since Annette is part of The BookMark family.
Jan-Phillipe Sendker, A Well-Tempered Heart (Other Press), Wednesday,
March 19, 7 pm
Sendker's follow-up to The Art of Hearing Heartbeats picks up the story a decade after Julia Win traveled to Burma, seeking her missing father. Now a high-powered  attorney mourning the end of her engagement, Julia has started hearing the voice of a bereft, heartbroken woman in her head. This voice propels Julia back to Burma, where she is reunited with her half brother, U Ba, who believes the voice belongs to Nu Nu, a woman who recently dropped dead while out for a walk with her sister. U Ba and Julia seek out Nu Nu's sister, who tells them the sad tale of Nu Nu's life.
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Recent Events
 Lee Smith kicked off our "Southern Women's Fiction Month." And it was a great beginning! In talking about Guests on Earth, she gave lots of new information about Zelda Fitzgerald and how women were treated during the period from 1936-1948. Smith began by quoting a letter from Zelda stating that she wanted to "love" and "then live", to which she responded "Me too!". It was a glorious evening with fans, new readers, and book clubs who read one of her books in anticipation of her visit.
Just days later, Cassandra King took us back to Highlands, North Carolina to a fine
house on the lake. She explained her inspiration for Moonrise and the haunted house she wrote it in. She admitted it may be considered somewhat of a mystery. There are certainly lots of secrets.
Joshilyn Jackson capped off the month with Someone Else's  Love Story. The intriguing title invites the reader to ponder whose love story it is.... Jackson entertained with stories noting that she hates to write but loves to revise. She defined writing as when "a mentally ill person meets a ream of paper." Lots of people nodded in agreement or at least understanding.
 | Authors Dorothy Fletcher & Laura Lee Smith join the staff for the day.
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This year we combined the third annual Small Business Saturday with Indies First, a first annual (hopefully) event orchestrated by author Sherman Alexie. Five authors volunteered to work at The BookMark and sign copies of their books. Laura Lee Smith (Heart of Palm) wrapped and shared some of her favorites with customers; Dorothy Fletcher (Lost Restaurants of Jacksonville) signed books and reminisced about restaurants long gone; Annette Simon (Robot Zombie Frankenstein!) managed to sign books while handling her regular work load; local author Ruth Coe Chambers introduced customers to her two titles (Chinaberry Album and Heat Lightning); and Stephanie Miller drove from Gainesville to help out as well (Warpaint Trilogy).
 Imagine doing what you love for a living. John Kretschmer boasts that he's never had a job--he's a sailor and gets paid to deliver boats and train others to sail. Talking about his latest book Sailing a Serious Ocean, he waxed poetic about the sea. He also told very funny stories about how he negotiated the purchase of a boat by delaying a counter offer with a request to speak to his financial adviser, who in fact was his 10-year-old daughter. She thought the asking price was too high, and he ended up paying a lot less for the boat of his dreams.
Not surprisingly, James W. Hall entertained fans with stories of his exploits as a  writer. These included publishers asking him to "search and replace" a new character to make him Thorn, the earthquake that disturbed his Hollywood movie dreams, and his friendship with Elmore Leonard. Hall admitted that if he followed Leonard's 10 rules for writing, he might be more successful, but he loves writing about the weather (and Leonard says never to do this). And he proudly proclaimed that he "lies for a living", explaining to his wife that that's how they pay the bills--he's a storyteller. His latest, Going Dark continues Thorn's exploits.
Remember, signed books make a special gift. We have limited copies of these books and those by other authors as well.
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End of the Year News
Bestsellers 2013
This year, we decided to share the "best of" list from independent bookstores  throughout the United States. The American Booksellers Association prepared this list, based on reports during the year from participating stores (including The BookMark). Here is the list of "Best Books of 2013".
NPR Picks...a note from Rona
Many of you have stopped by to tell me "I heard you on NPR!" For thirteen years, Susan Stamberg has called me twice a year for recommendations for Summer Reading and Books for the Holidays from three independent booksellers. She recently called to let me know that NPR/Morning Edition will no longer be doing this show. I've been honored to be part of this for these many years and finally got a chance to thank her for the opportunity. The good news is that NPR is expanding its book coverage in other ways. It's always a great place to find recommendations. Of course, you will still hear my recommendations in the store, in this newsletter, and elsewhere.
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Last Minutue Holiday Shopping Tips & Ideas
There are so many great books, we are confident there is the perfect one for everyone on your list. Our staff loves finding that match. If you have something special in mind and we don't have it in stock, we are happy to order it for you. Often these orders arrive in just a day or two.
In addition to gift certificates, there are a number of great "book-related gifts" and stocking stuffers to consider. Here are just a few:
 A company called "The Unemployed Philosophers Guild" continues to delight with innovative ideas. This year, we have wallets that sing or talk, including one for Elvis, Enlightenment, Baseball, Shakespearean insults and more. These are the same people who created the  "disappearing" mugs. When the liquid inside is hot, Van Gogh's ear disappears, or the Cheshire Cat vanishes, leaving only the grin. This year, there is one perfect for the beach--a shark appears in the water with swimmers, or the stars appear in the night sky.
There are journals and pens, and a variety of bags, including signature ones from Moleskine, the maker of your favorite journals.
The list could go on and on with puzzles, bookends, and more! And don't forget the Elf on the Shelf--boys and girls.
Let us help you, and please let us gift wrap for you. And to save you that awful trip to mail packages, we offer mailing services as well.
 We have extended our hours during the holidays for your shopping convenience. There is also parking designated for BookMark and Sliders customers in the lot behind the store to make your visit even easier. Look for the sign.
Donate books....The BookMark has partnered with Community Connections in support of their literacy program. If you have any books for children (ages 0 - teen), we invite you to bring them to us. We'll be sure they get into the hands of this program. In fact, The Grinch invites us all do three good deeds this holiday season. This is a good start. Thanks!
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Book Club Notes
 The Wednesday morning book club celebrated the holidays and still found time to discuss Lee Smith's "The Last Girls." While the group nibbled great food and sipped Mimosas, members talked about the different characters in Smith's book. Most liked the story and the writing, although some weren't attracted to all the characters. Those who attended Smith's event for Guests on Earth added insights into the author and her personality. Thus ended another year for the club that began in 1999!
The group selected The Dressmaker, by Kate Alcott for January (Wednesday,
January 29 at 10:30 am). It's a vivid, romantic, and relentlessly compelling historical novel about a spirited young woman who survives the Titanic disaster only to find herself embroiled in the media frenzy left in the wake of the tragedy.
The evening fiction book club met in November to discuss Ian McEwan's  Sweet Tooth. Most readers really enjoyed the book and appreciated the skillfully crafted double edged espionage story. They found it both smart and funny, and a great finale to an enjoyable year of reading and discussions. Members noted McEwan's skill in creating engaging characters and the delightful way he "tipped his hat" to the long standing tradition of the British spy novel (and some of its memorable personalities, both fictional and real.) We thought McEwan must have had a lot of fun writing this book.
 The evening group chose The Dog Stars by Peter Heller for January (Wednesday, January 29 at 7 pm). This powerful novel is about a pilot living in a world filled with loss, and what he is willing to risk to rediscover love. He survived the flu that killed everyone he knows. His wife is gone, his friends are dead. But when a random transmission somehow beams through his radio, the voice ignites a hope deep inside him that a better life--something like his old life--exists.
At the group's annual holiday party, members took care of some important business. After voting, the winners of the 2013 "Academy Awards" for books were announced. And the winners are.......
- Best Book: Sweet Tooth, by Ian McEwan
- Best Author: Russell Banks (Continental Drift)
- Favorite Female Character: Serena Fromm (Sweet Tooth), with Mary Anne Schwalbe (End of Your Life Book Club) a close second
- Favorite Male Character: Fermin Romero de Torres from Prisoner of Heaven
- Best Plot: Center of the World, by Thomas Van Essen
- Most thought-provoking: Sense of an Ending, by Julian Barnes
- Book you would never have read on your own: Cloud Atlas
- Book you think would make a great movie: Prisoner of Heaven, by Carlos Ruiz Zafon (close second was Sweet Tooth, by Ian McEwan)
The evening non-fiction book club discussed King Leopold's Ghost: A Story of Greed, Terror, and Heroism in Colonial Africa by Adam Hochschild (Mariner Books)  in November. This book details King Leopold II of Belgium's systematic plundering, brutality and implementation of slavery in the Congo for his own private financial gain. For over 20 years at the turn of the 20th century Leopold managed to convince the world that he was a true humanitarian and benevolent leader of the native populations in Central Africa when the exact opposite was the case. Hochschild's skill in describing the enormity of the problem and the courage of individuals to expose the truth at great personal risk is a wonderful description of what can happen when people join together for a greater cause. The book club was unanimous in its praise of the book, and gave it 5 out of 5 stars.
On Wednesday, December 11 at 7 pm, the group will discuss Leonardo and the Last Supper by Ross King (Bloomsbury). In 1495, Leonardo da Vinci began what would become one of history's most influential works of art, "The Last Supper."
 The commission to paint The Last Supper" was a small compensation, and his odds of completing it weren't promising. Amid war and the political and religious turmoil around him, and beset by his own insecurities and frustrations, Leonardo created the masterpiece that would forever define him. Ross King unveils dozens of stories that are embedded in the painting, and overturns many of the myths surrounding it. Bringing to life a fascinating period in European history, he presents an original portrait of one of history's greatest geniuses through the lens of his most famous work.
This group chose The Inventor and the Tycoon: The Murderer Eadweard Muybridge, the Entrepreneur Leland Stanford, and the Birth of Moving Pictures, by Edward Ball (Anchor Books) for January (Wednesday, January 8 at 7 pm). Nearly 140 years ago, in frontier  California, photographer Eadweard Muybridge captured time with his camera and played it back on a flickering screen, inventing the breakthrough technology of moving pictures. Yet the visionary inventor Muybridge was also a murderer who killed coolly and meticulously, and his trial became a national sensation. Despite Muybridge's crime, the artist's patron, railroad tycoon Leland Stanford, founder of Stanford University, hired the photographer to answer the question of whether the four hooves of a running horse ever left the ground all at once--and together these two unlikely men launched the age of visual media.
New members are welcome to join any of these book clubs, and the books are available at The BookMark.
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Especially for the Holidays
Fiction
We are Water by Wally Lamb (HarperCollins $29.99)
 In this ambitious novel, Lamb tells the many stories of the Oh family. Middle-aged artist Annie Oh has left her husband after 27 years to be with the successful female art dealer who has championed her career. Ex-husband Orion is struggling to accept Annie's choice and find a way forward as he leaves his career at a local university. Their three outwardly successful children exhibit an array of "symptoms" from being raised by two functional but profoundly unhappy parents. Underlying all of this is the mystery of what really happened to an African American craftsman who once lived on the Oh's property. Lamb guides his characters through the darkness of confusion, loss, tragedy, and cruelty and finds a way for them to emerge into the light of compassion and meaning in their lives.
Valley of Amazement by Amy Tan (Ecco Press $29.99) 
Spanning more than forty years and two continents, Tan's latest resurrects pivotal episodes in history. A deeply evocative narrative about the profound connections between mothers and daughters, The Valley of Amazement returns readers to the compelling territory of Amy Tan's The Joy Luck Club. With her characteristic insight and humor, she conjures a story of inherited trauma, desire and deception, and the power and stubbornness of love.
Moonrise by Cassandra King (Maiden Lane Press $26.95)
 It's hard to decide if this is a novel or a mystery. Set in North Carolina, a close-knit group of friends reacts (not always well) to the introduction of a new wife. The question that haunts the books, and perhaps the house on the lake, is how the first wife died tragically in a car accident. Cassandra King knows how to tell a story and how to keep a secret!
Fallen Land by Patrick Flanery (Riverhead $27.95)
The author of Absolution has done it again. This is more of a thriller with surprises along with social commentary. Fallen Land is a novel that tackles the greed of developers along with the hopes and dreams of families. All this combines in a page-turning story of how one family's dream house becomes something much scarier. Flanery writes with a sense of urgency that mirrors the action in the book.
The Explanation for Everything by Lauren Grodstein (Algonquin Books $24.95)
 As an anthropologist, Rona was naturally attracted to a book that pits theories of evolution against theories of intelligent design. She also admits to being a little ambivalent. In the end, Grodstein's novel is more about the value of understanding and how compassion can be found in science as well as in faith. Nothing beats a good story of human growth and relationships paired with a vigorous scientific and moral debate.
Guests on Earth by Lee Smith (Algonquin $25.95) It's 1936 when orphaned thirteen-year-old Evalina Toussaint is admitted to Highland Hospital in Asheville, North Carolina, a mental institution known for its innovative treatments for nervous disorders and addictions. Taken under the wing of the  hospital's most notable patient, Zelda Fitzgerald, Evalina witnesses the cascading events leading up to the tragic fire of 1948 that killed nine women in a locked ward, Zelda among them. Through her artful blending of fiction and fact, Lee Smith has created a mesmerizing novel about a world apart a time and a place where creativity and passion, theory and medicine, tragedy and transformation, are luminously intertwined. Lee Smith is the bestselling author of Last Girls, Fair and Tender Ladies, On Agate Hill, among others. Someone Else's Love Story by Joshilyn Jackson (William & Morrow & Co $26.99) The bestselling author of Gods in Alabama delivers another novel that "perfectly 
captures the flavor and rhythm of Southern life." At twenty-one, Shandi Pierce is juggling finishing college, raising her three-year-old genius son, and keeping the peace between her eternally warring parents. She's got enough complications without being caught in the middle of a stick-up in a gas station and falling in love with the man who saves her and her son from the armed robber. Together, the two meet their so-called destinies head on, making choices that will reveal unexpected truths about love, life, and the world they think they know. Kirkus Review says Someone Else's Love Story is "a surprising novel, both graceful and tender. You won't be able to put it down." The First Phone Call from Heaven by Mitch Albom (Harper $24.99)
The bestselling author of Five People You Meet in Heaven returns with the stor y of a small town on Lake Michigan that gets worldwide attention when its citizens start receiving phone calls from the afterlife. Is it the greatest miracle ever or a massive hoax? Sully Harding, a grief-stricken single father, is determined to find out. An allegory about the power of belief, and a page-turner that will touch your soul, Albom's masterful storytelling has never been so moving and unexpected.
Mysteries/Thrillers Gods of Guilt by Michael Connelly (Little, Brown & Co $28.00) Defense attorney Mickey Haller gets the text, "Call me ASAP - 187," and the  California penal code for murder immediately gets his attention. Murder cases have the highest stakes and the biggest paydays, and they always mean Haller has to be at the top of his game. When Mickey learns that the victim was his own former client, a prostitute he thought he had rescued and put on the straight and narrow path, he knows he is on the hook for this one. He soon finds out that she was back in LA and back in the life. Far from saving her, Mickey may have been the one who put her in danger. King & Maxwell by David Baldacci (Grand Central Publishing $$28.00) It seems at first like a simple, tragic story. Tyler Wingo, a teenage boy, learns the awful news that his father, a soldier, was killed in action in Afghanistan. Then the  extraordinary happens: Tyler receives a communication from his father . . . after his supposed death. Tyler hires Sean and Michelle to solve the mystery surrounding his father, but their investigation quickly leads to deeper, more troubling questions. Could Tyler's father really still be alive? What was his true mission? Could Tyler be the next target? Sean and Michelle soon realize that they've stumbled on to something bigger and more treacherous than anyone could have imagined. And as their hunt for the truth leads them relentlessly to the highest levels of power and to uncovering the most clandestine of secrets, Sean and Michelle are determined to help and protect Tyler--though they may pay for it with their lives. Command Authority by Tom Clancy (Putnam Adult $29.95)  The #1 "New York Times"-bestselling author and master of the modern day thriller returns with his All-Star team. There's a new strong man in Russia but his rise to power is based on a dark secret hidden decades in the past. The solution to that mystery lies with a most unexpected source, President Jack Ryan. Tatiana by Martin Cruz Smith (Simon & Schuster $25.99)
In Smith's riveting seventh Arkady Renko novel, Renko, now a "Senior Investigator  forVery Important Cases, " looks into the apparent suicide of crusading investigative journalist Tatiana Petrovna, who fell from a window to her death in Moscow. Renko's bosses have no problem accepting the suicide theory, but Renko and his loyal partner and friend, Det. Sgt. Victor Orlov, continue to search for answers. Smith spins a complex plot involving the Russian mafia, a teenage genius struggling to crack the code of Petrovna's notebook, and an excursion to Kaliningrad, the isolated Russian enclave on the Baltic.
A touch of Christmas from a classic........
A Mark Twain Christmas: A Journey Across Three Christmas Seasons by Carlo Devito (Cider Mill Press $15.95) This tiny hardcover delivers the joy of the holidays. While Twain is celebrated as the sharpest satirist in American letters, he always had a soft spot for Christmas. Looking  in on three holiday seasons with Twain, we learn more about the man than we knew before, and we discover fascinations from gifted elephants to burglar letters to Santa's bootprints. The introduction from Twain expresses his "heart-warming and world-embracing Christmas hope and aspiration that all of us, the high, the low, the rich, the poor, the admired, the despised, the loved, the hated, the civilized, the savage (every man and brother of us all throughout the whole earth), may eventually be gathered in a heaven of everlasting rest and peace and bliss, except the inventor of the telephone." How prescient! |
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History/Biography/Current Affairs
Knitting Yarns: Writers on Knitting edited by Ann Hood (W.W. Norton $24.95)
 This collection of essays about knitting includes pieces by some of your favorite authors, including Ann Patchett, Anita Shreve, John Dufresne, and Andre Dubus. Each weaves a tale about a project, a favorite person who knits, how they learned to knit and more. Rona says, "This is the most interactive book I've ever read. I found myself writing my own stories in the margins. There were so many familiar stories about making that first scarf (always on size 10 needles) and ending up with more or less stitches than I began with. I was really surprised when I found my superstition about knitting for my husband validated. It's called the "knitting curse". Women everywhere share the fear that once you knit for a boyfriend, you inevitably break up."
1963: The Year of the Revolution: How Youth Changed the World with Music, Art, and Fashion by Leve Ariela and Robin Morgan
(It Books $25.99)
This is the first book to recount the kinetic story of the twelve months that witnessed a demographic power shift--the rise of the Youth Quake movement, a  cultural transformation through music, fashion, politics, and the arts. Leve and Morgan detail how, for the first time in history, youth became a commercial and cultural force with the power to command the attention of government and religion and shape society. 1963 recounts the incredible roller-coaster ride of those twelve months, told through the recollections of some of the period's most influential figures--from Keith Richards to Mary Quant, Vidal Sassoon to Graham Nash, Alan Parker to Peter Frampton, Eric Clapton to Gay Talese, Stevie Nicks to Norma Kamali, and many more.
History of the World in 12 Maps by Jerry Brotton (Viking $40)
 In this masterful study, historian and cartography expert Jerry Brotton explores a dozen of history's most influential maps, from stone tablet to vibrant computer screen. Starting with Ptolemy, "father of modern geography," and ending with satellite cartography, A History of the World in 12 Maps brings maps from classical Greece, Renaissance Europe, and the Islamic and Buddhist worlds to life and reveals their influence on how we--literally--look at our present world.
The Boys in the Boat: Nine Americans and their Epic Quest for Gold at the 1936 Berlin Olympics by Daniel James Brown (Viking $28.95)
The triumphant moment at the 1936 Berlin Olympics when the eight rowers and one coxswain in the Husky Clipper won the gold medal for the United States  has not only gone down in Olympic record books but also is captured in the glorious rowing sequences in Leni Riefenstahl's Olympia, one of the greatest films about athletic competitions. Daniel James Brown's enthralling history of the run-up to the 1936 Olympic victory shows in vivid detail the many factors, including their coach Al Ulbrickson's strategy for keeping his rowers on edge and hungry, that had to come together between 1933 to 1936 so that the Husky Clipper and its crew would be first to cross the finish line.
One Summer: America, 1927 by Bill Bryson (Doubleday $28.95)
 The Iowa-born, England-based Bryson, whose works range from language to science to genial travelog, here returns home with a truly focused treatment of a time when America made a crucial leap to the world stage. The players range from Charles Lindbergh to Al Capone, so it's not all heroics.
The Bully Pulpit: Theodore Roosevelt, William Howard Taft, and the Golden Age of Journalism by Doris Kearns Goodwin (Simon & Schuster $40)
Bestselling author Goodwin ( Team of Rivals) continues her presidential coverage in her latest history book, this time constructing a narrative around the friendship of  two very different Presidents, Theodore Roosevelt and William Howard Taft. When they angrily part ways it has ramifications for them and the country, eventually leading to Woodrow Wilson's election. Both wives, Nellie Taft and Edith Roosevelt, appear to have shaped history in their own ways. By shining a light on a little-discussed President and a much-discussed one, Goodwin manages to make history very much alive and relevant.
Double Down: Game Change 2012 by Mark Halperin and John Hellemann (Penguin Press $29.95)
 The authors of Game Change present an account of the 2012 presidential election that draws on hundreds of insider interviews to illuminate what the election meant to both parties, covering such topics as the dramatic Republican nomination fight, the rise and fall of Mitt Romney, and Barack Obama's election day victory.
The Kid: The Immortal Life of Ted Williams by Ben Bradlee (Little, Brown & Co $35)
Williams was the best hitter in baseball history. His batting average of .406 in 1941 has not been topped since, and no player who has hit more than 500 home runs has  a higher career batting average. Those totals would have been even higher if Williams had not left baseball for nearly five years in the prime of his career to serve as a Marine pilot in WWII and Korea. He hit home runs farther than any player before him. During his 22 years with the Boston Red Sox, Williams electrified crowds across America and shocked them, too. Yet while he was a God in the batter's box, he was profoundly human once he stepped away from the plate.
The Men Who United the States: America's Explorers, Inventors, Eccentrics and Mavericks, and the Creation of One Nation, Indivisible by Simon Winchester (Harper $29.99) 
This book is billed as history. But trust the author of "New York Times" bestsellers like the Map that Changed the World to couch his understanding of how various New World territories became the United States in terms of scientific endeavor. Winchester tells his story by looking at explorers like Lewis and Clark and the engineers whose building of the transcontinental telegraph and the interstate highway system bound the country together.
The Southerner's Handbook: A Guide to Living the Good Life by the Editors of Garden & Gun (Harperwave $27.99)
This compilation of more than 100 instructional and narrative essays offers a  comprehensive tutorial to modern-day life in the South. From Food and Drink to Sporting & Adventure; Home & Garden to Style, Arts & Culture, you'll discover essential skills and unique insight from some of the South's finest writers, chefs, and craftsmen--including the secret to perfect biscuits, how to wear seersucker, and to the right way to fall off of a horse. You'll also find: Roy Blount Jr. on telling a great story; Julia Reed on the secrets of throwing a great party; Jonathan Miles on drinking like a Southerner; Jack Hitt on the beauty of cooking a whole hog; John T Edge on why Southern food matters; and much more.
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Especially for Young Readers
Read-to-Me Book of Fairy Tales, by Michael Hague & Allison Grace  MacDonald (HarperCollins $19.99)
Compiled especially for reading aloud with the whole family, this book illustrates happily-ever-after. This is the perfect gift for children and adults alike.
Poems to Learn by Heart, by Caroline Kennedy and Jon J. Muth (Disney Hyperion $19.99) 
Caroline Kennedy has hand-selected more than 100 of her favorite poems for memorization. The full-color illustrations are memorable too!
Everything Goes by Sea, by Brian Biggs (Balzer + Bray $14.99)
 Sail away in this interactive book, chock full of funny details, cool cutaways, and look-and-find activities that will provide hours of fun. This is a a wonderful celebration of sailboats, submarines, and many other interesting sea vehicles.
How the Meteorite Got to the Museum by Jessie Hartland (Blue Apple $17.99)
This non-fiction picture book details the steps that brought a meteor from outer  space, across the United States, to the roof of a car in New York, and finally to the Museum of Natural History. It's never to early to marvel at the wonders of science, and this book makes it all easy to understand.
Peck, Peck, Peck by Lucy Cousins (Candlewick $15.99)
 When a little bird learns to peck, there's no stopping him! Comical and original, this vivacious picture book from the creator of Maisy features a lovable new character. Little woodpecker has just learned to peck. Yippee! He's having so much fun that he peck-peck-pecks right through a door and has a go at everything on the other side. Children will be drawn to the young bird's exuberance at learning a new skill.
The Snatchabook by Helen & Thomas Docherty (Sourcebooks $16.99).
It's bedtime in the woods of Burrow Down, and all the animals are ready for their  bedtime story. But books are mysteriously disappearing. Eliza Brown, a young rabbit, decides to to stay awake and catch the book thief. It turns out to be a little creature called the Snatchabook who has no one to read him a bedtime story. Where have all the stories gone? Find out in this Seuss-like rhyming story that begs to be read aloud. But don't forget the wonderful pictures.
Captain Cat by Inga Moore (Candlewick $15.99)
 What happens when Captain Cat's furry companions rid an island of rats? Will Captain trade them to the Queen for untold treasures? Never fear, adventurers.
Allegiant (Divergent Trilogy) by Veronic Roth (Katherine Tegen Books
 $19.99)
What if the whole world was a lie? What if a single revelationNlike a single choiceNchanged everything? The explosive conclusion to Roth's #1 "New York Times"-bestselling Divergent trilogy reveals the secrets of the dystopian world that has captivated millions of readers.
Some fun books just for Christmas...
Pinkalicious: Merry Pinkmas! Victoria Karr (Harper Festival $6.99)
You only thought the colors of Christmas were red and green! This year Pinkalicious has decided she wants a bright pink artificial Christmas tree. But Mommy and Daddy
 immediately say no--the Pinkertons always get real trees for the holidays. Pinkalicious is disappointed, but she tries to put on her best cheerful face. Then, the day before Christmas, Mommy and Daddy surprise her by coming home with a gorgeously pink tree, and Pinkalicious is delighted! It's pinkatastic! Karr includes 8 holiday cards, a fold-out poster, and stickers. For the special little girl on your list.
Merry Christmas, Splat by Rob Scotton (Harper $9.99)
It's the night before Christmas. Can Splat stay good enough to get a really big present? Isn't this every child's wish and worry? We have a wonderful Splat the Cat plush to go with the book.
Pete the Cat and His Magic Sunglasses by James Dean & KimberlyDean (HarperCollins $17.99)
Children of all ages have fallen in love with Pete the Cat and his white shoes, his groovy buttons, and now his magic sunglasses. In this latest adventure, Pete the Cat wakes up feeling grumpy. Nothing seems to be going his way. But with the help of some magic sunglasses, Pete learns that a good mood has been inside him all along. Readers and listeners can also get a Pete plush, a Pete Santa, and a Pete puppet.
There's nothing more special than a personalized book....
Robot Zombie Frankenstein! by Annette Simon (Candlewick $16.99)
In what has become a BookMark classic, this is the story of two robots...their friendship...their competition...and in the end, their shared love of pie. BookMark bookseller and author Annette Simon will happily sign copies and inscribe them to that little one on your list. Add a little Christmas love from the author herself.
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Unable to attend any of these events? Call us at 241-9026 and we will reserve a copy for you.
Did you know...For every $100 spent in an independent business, $73 stays in the community, compared to only $43 for a national chain. None of the money spent online stays in the community. Shopping locally makes good sense for you and good cents for your local economy. |
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