|
|
|
Titcomb's Bookshop Newsletter
October 2013
|
|
Spooky Fun!!! 
| |
Sure candy is fun, but we have hairy spiders, cute little owls, glowing rings, kitties with witches' hats and fun cards to make your Halloween celebration extra special! (And the prices won't hurt your candy budget!)
|
|
|
Stuffies!
It's what's inside that counts!
| 
| |
We love our new Stuffies line of stuffed animals. Stuffies have 7 secret pockets for children to hide their precious cargo. They are supersized and super soft...we all love squeezing them!!! Each Stuffie comes with a storybook and surprise. They also make the perfect traveling buddy. We have many styles in stock. $29.99
|
Crazy Aaron's
Thinking Putty
Grab some stress relieving, hand exercising, mind expanding, totally fun and addictive Thinking Putty! Lots of colors plus GLOW-IN-THE-DARK. We also have the Super Magnetic Thinking Putty which has unique and mind-blowing magnetic properties. Curious? Watch this awesome video to learn more! We have two sizes of Thinking Putty. $2.99-$14.99
|
|
|
|
Bargain Books
 Mighty Bright Classic Book Light
List price: $11.99 Our price: $5.99
 The Composer is Dead by Lemony Snicket
List price: $17.99 Our price: $7.99 Hardcover.
Children's book with CD by the San Francisco Symphony.
 Shrek! by William StiegList price: $16.99 Our price: $6.99 Hardcover.
Read the book that inspired the movie!
 The Chronicles of Harris Burdick by Chris Van Allsburg - and more!
List price: $24.99 Our price: $8.99 Hardcover.
Kate diCamillo, Jon Scieszka, Stephen King, Jules Feiffer and more collaborate in this fabulous book beautifully illustrated by Chris Van Allsburg.
 The Atmosphere of Heaven: The Unnatural Experients of Dr. Beddoes and His Sons of Genius by Mike Jay
List price: $22.00 Our price: $6.99 Paperback.
 Elizabeth I: A Novel by Margaret George
List price: $30.00 Our price: $9.99 Hardcover.
 Trees & Forests of America by Tim Palmer
List price: $40.00 Our price: $17.99
Gorgeous coffee table book!
|
|
|
Eugenia Price
From Elizabeth M: It is always good to hear when a favorite author's out-of-print books have become available again. Long time resident of St. Simon's Island in Georgia, Eugenia Price was the author of historical novels set in the American South. I suggest you might like to start with The Lighthouse, the first in the St. Simon's Trilogy. It is the story of James Gould, who was raised in post Revolutionary Granville, MA. His travels took him Bangor, Maine, then to the coast of Florida and Georgia. On St. Simon's he built the lighthouse and became the first keeper.
$17.95
 
|
|
|
|
|
Fall has arrived and it's the perfect season to be on Cape Cod. The air is cool and crisp, the traffic is much less hectic, the farmer's markets are filled with local produce and the cranberry bogs have been flooded and filled with those amazing red berries.
October brings a bounty of wonderful authors to the bookshop and several other local venues. In addition, we are excited to announce that we will have signed copies of two very special books. Pulitzer prize winning poet Mary Oliver and hockey legend Bobby Orr have agreed to provide the bookshop with signed copies of their new books. We'll take orders for the books now for pick up or shipping around October 15th. Read on for more information.
Happy fall!!
|
|
Upcoming Events
 Book Talk and Signing with Stephanie Lehmann
Astor Place Vintage
Friday, October 4th 7:00pm
Centerville Historical Museum
If you are interested in vintage fashion, old New York, and entrepreneurial women, come to a talk by Stephanie Lehmann, New York author of Astor Place Vintage, a tale that links past and present as two women, separated by a century, are drawn together by their love of fashion. Ms. Lehmann's illustrated talk about her book, vintage fashion, and the emergence of New York's department stores will be enhanced by garments from Centerville Historical Museum's collection of vintage clothing. Members: $6, Non-members: $8.
 Story Time and Signing with Jim Coogan
Cecelia the Seal Gets a Meal!
Saturday, October 5th 2-3pm
What's a hungry little harbor seal to do when fish are in short supply and she has an empty tummy? Follow her nose, that's what! And if that takes her to the state fish hatchery in Sandwich, what could be better? This book is based on a true story!
Jim Coogan lives in Sandwich and is the author of several children's books including Clarence the Cranberry Who Couldn't Bounce, as well as a number of books on Cape Cod history for adults, including Sail Away Ladies and Cape Cod Voyage.
 Knitting Club
Monday, October 7th
1:00-3:00 pm
What could be more fun than sitting around the bookshop, talking, laughing, getting (and giving!) advice - and knitting?!! Knitters of all levels of experience are welcome to come by and join the conversation. It's a great way to get those holiday gifts started early this year!
  Book Talk and Signing with Edie Clark
What There Was Not to Tell
Saturday, October 12th 2-3pm
This is a book about war, what war does to anyone it touches, how the loss of one man had a lasting effect on so many lives in so many ways. Tom, the man Edie's mother hoped to marry, was killed in the war. In this book, Edie tells the story of her parents and the lasting impact World War II had on their lives.
Edie Clark is the author of several books, including The View from Mary's Farm. She also writes the very popular column "Mary's Farm" and other feature stories for Yankee Magazine, where she has served as a senior editor and senior writer for a number of years. $19.95
 Book Signing with Theresa Mitchell Barbo
The Daring Coast Guard Rescue of the Pendleton Crew
Sunday, October 13th 1-2pm
Meet the author of this gripping new chapter book set in the icy waters off Cape Cod as a boy and his dog become part of the greatest small boat rescue in American history. Jack Nickerson and his faithful lab Sinbad wake early one snowy Cape Cod morning, ready for winter fun. Meanwhile, miles away in the ocean, the crew of the tanker ship Pendleton is in serious trouble. A raging nor'easter has ripped the tanker in two, leaving the crew to cling for their lives in the storm. The Coast Guard leaves Chatham Harbor in search of the Pendleton, unaware that Jack and Sinbad have snuck aboard the rescue boat. Ages 8-12 $14.99
 Book Club
A Hundred Flowers by Gail Tsukiyama
Tuesday, October 15th 7:00pm No registration. All are welcome. Gail Tsukiyama will be calling to discuss this powerful novel about an ordinary family facing extraordinary times at the start of the Chinese Cultural Revolution. In 1957, Chairman Mao declared a new openness in society. "Let a hundred flowers bloom; let a hundred schools of thought contend." Many intellectuals fear it is only a trick, and Kai Ying's husband, Sheng, a teacher, has promised not to jeopardize their safety or that of their young son, Tao. But one July morning, just before his sixth birthday, Tao watches helplessly as Sheng is dragged away for writing a letter criticizing the Communist Party and sent to a labor camp for "reeducation."
 Book Talk and Signing with Thomas Mickey
America's Romance with the English Garden
Tuesday, October 15th 7:00pm
Sandwich Public Library
America's Romance with the English Garden is the story of the beginnings of the modern garden industry in the late 1800s, when nursery catalogs began to deliver inspirational garden images to front doorsteps from California to Maine, and the English garden became the look of America. The most prominent of these catalogs showed beautiful chromolithographs of middle-class homes surrounded by sprawling lawns, lush plants, and the latest garden accessories - in other words, the quintessential English-style garden.
Please join author Thomas Mickey as he talks about his fascinating new book at the Sandwich Public Library. Mr. Mickey is a former Professor of Communication at New England College and Professor Emeritus from Bridgewater State University. He is also a master gardener and a graduate of Harvard University's Landscape Institute. His garden columns have appeared in a number of New England newspapers and he is also the author of Best Garden Plants for New England. His book was just featured in the Boston Globe with some wonderful photos. Please click here to view. $26.95
  Book Talk and Signing with Mike O'Connor
Why Do Bluebirds Hate Me? More Answers to Common and Not-So-Common Questions about Birds and Birding
Saturday, October 19th 2-3pm
Mike O'Connor knows bird watchers as well as he knows birds. In Why Do Bluebirds Hate Me?, O'Connor applies his deep knowledge and wonderful sense of humor to all things avian as he answers the burning and bizarre questions that every bird enthusiast and amateur bird watcher has wondered at one time or another, but might be too embarrassed to ask: Do woodpeckers take baths? Is there such a thing as a wild parakeet? Do Northern Cardinals have anything to do with Catholic cardinals? Questions range from the practical ("Should I rotate the seed in my feeder?") to the quirky ("Why are vultures eating my vinyl screen door?") to the adorable ("Are those birds kissing or feeding each other?").
Please join Mike for what is sure to be a fun and informative talk. Oh, and he'll also answer the question, "Why do bluebirds hate me?"
  Book Talk and Signing with Anthony Sammarco
A History of Howard Johnson's: How a
Massachusetts Soda Fountain Became an American Icon
Sunday, October 20th 1-2pm
Howard Johnson created an orange-roofed empire of ice cream stands and restaurants that stretched from Maine to Florida and all the way to the West Coast. Popularly known as the "Father of the Franchise Industry," Johnson delivered good food and prices that brought appreciative customers back for more.
Boston historian and author Anthony M. Sammarco recounts how Howard Johnson introduced twenty-eight flavors of ice cream, the "Tendersweet" clam strips, grilled frankfurts and a menu of delicious and traditional foods that families eagerly enjoyed when they traveled.
 Book Talk and Signing with Jessica Keener
Women in Bed
Monday, October 21st 2:00pm
East Dennis Memorial Library
1020 Old Bass River Road
Dennis, Massachusetts
508-385-2255Join Jessica Keener as she discusses her extraordinary debut novel, Night Swim, which has captivated readers with its eloquence, insight, and humanity.
This is a collection of nine stories that thematically address variations of love - love of self, family, and sexual relationships - from loneliness and isolation, desperation and rejection - to need and passion, forgiveness and, finally, to love found. $11.95
|
|
|
|
|
|
Upcoming Events Continued
  Book Talk and Signing with Elise Richer
Always in Season: Twelve Months of Fresh Recipes from the Farmer's Markets of New England
Saturday, November 2nd 2-3pm
Always in Season is an absolutely gorgeous cookbook with delicious recipes. Organized by month, the book features seasonal produce you can buy at local farmers' markets. Entrees, side dishes, soups, and baked goods are all featured, showcasing traditional and contemporary ways of using what is available locally, along with recipes from far-flung locations that put those same local ingredients to use in creative new ways.
Elise Richer has worked in several restaurants, run her own baking business, and cooked a lot of family meals. As an adult, she lived and worked in Washington, DC, where she was spoiled by a long growing season and abundant peaches. She moved to Portland, Maine in 2003 and has been learning to love cabbage ever since. Check out her blog : www.alwaysinseasoncookbook.com.
|
|
Exciting Signed Books Available for Pre-Order!
We are really, truly excited to announce that Mary Oliver and Bobby Orr have agreed to supply the bookshop with signed copies of their wonderful new books.
These books will make very special gifts for the holiday season (and of course for yourself!), so place your pre-order now while we have first printings of both available. Supplies of signed copies limited. (These are not in-store signings.)
Mary Oliver, winner of both the National Book Award and the Pulitzer Prize, is one of America's most beloved poets. She has kindly offered to sign her new book for our bookshop! As a special bonus, the illustrator, John Burgoyne, will add his signature to each book, too.
In this wonderful new book, Mary Oliver celebrates the dogs that have enriched her world. Dog Songs is a collection of some of her most cherished poems together with new works, offering a portrait of her relationship to the furry companions who have accompanied her daily walks, warmed her home, and inspired her work. The many dogs of Oliver's life emerge not only as fellow travelers, but also as guides capable of opening our eyes to the lessons of the moment and the joys of nature and connection.
Signed books will be available around mid-October for pick up at the bookshop or by mail. $26.95
Orr: My Story by Bobby Orr (Signed copies available) Bobby Orr, one of the greatest sports figures of all time, breaks his silence in a memoir as unique as the man himself. He has never written a memoir, authorized a biography, or talked to journalists about his past, but now he is finally ready to tell his story. Bobby Orr is often referred to as the greatest ever to play the game of hockey. From 1966 through the mid-seventies, he could change a game just by stepping on the ice. No defenseman had ever played the way he did, or received so many trophies, or set so many records, several of which still stand today. But all the brilliant achievements leave unsaid as much as they reveal. They don't tell what inspired Orr, what drove him, what it was like for a shy small-town kid to suddenly land in the full glare of the media. They don't tell what it was like when the agent he regarded as a brother betrayed him and left him in financial ruin. They don't tell what he thinks of the game of hockey today. He is speaking out now because "I am a parent and a grandparent and I believe that I have lessons worth passing on." Orr: My Story is more than a book about hockey--it is about the making of a man. Signed copies available October 15th. $27.95
|
Staff Recommendations and New Releases
 From Vicky: The Rosie Project by Graeme Simsion
We're all raving about this delightful, laugh-out-loud funny, poignant love story! Don Tillman is a brilliant Australian geneticist with Asperger's Syndrome who decides that the most efficient and logical way to find a suitable wife is to screen prospective women with a highly detailed survey. However, he soon he finds himself falling in love with the totally unsuitable Rosie, a cigarette smoking, disorganized barmaid and student who is searching for her biological father.
Don is an absolutely delightful narrator and seeing the world through his eyes is at times poignant and hilarious! He knows his brain is wired differently from others. He is most comfortable in a world ruled by logic and consistency. He cannot begin to fathom how to navigate the intricate social cues and subtleties of personal relationships, especially with someone as unpredictable as Rosie. She completely befuddles him. The Rosie Project won the 2012 Victorian Premier's Literary Award for the best unpublished manuscript in Australia. We all think you'll agree that this book is a total winner! List price: $24.00 Our price: $19.20
 From Edye: Longbourn by Jo Baker
Jane Austin fans know Longbourn as the Bennet family home in Pride and Prejudice, where Lizzie and her sisters play out their love stories in upstairs rooms. Now British author Jo Baker re-imagines the drama at Longbourn through the lives of the household servants downstairs. Against an endless cycle of harsh labor, housemaid Sarah yearns for a life and a love beyond the confines of her known world. Mr. Bennet's hire of a new footman, and the sister's visiting suitors' manservants soon promise to fulfill her dreams, but not without tremendous complications. Longbourn is a wonderful love story, played out against the strong backdrop of the Austin classic. This book stands on its own, so if you have never read Pride and Prejudice you are in for a treat. If you are a loyal Austin fan, you will also enjoy Longbourn without guilt of betraying the original. Available October 8th. List price: $25.95 Our price: $20.76
 From Elisa: Lookaway, Lookaway by Wilton Barnhardt
Hold on to your hats...it's going to be a bumpy ride! The Johnston family gives new meaning to the term dysfunctional, but in the most delightful and charming way. The author manages to roll rape, theft, abortion, alcoholism, attempted murder and bankruptcy into a touching, often laugh-out-loud satire of Southern traditions and family secrets. This novel is as bawdy as Mae West, Marilyn Monroe and Dolly Parton rolled into one and you won't want to put it down. Lookaway, Lookaway! is pure pleasure filled with fun, decadence, and of course all the social graces of the South. List price: $25.99 Our price: $20.79
 From Elizabeth S.: The Signature of all Things by Elizabeth Gilbert
This is a stunning and expansive novel that tells the story of Henry Whittaker, who turns brains and wiles into riches, and his daughter Alma, who turns riches and passion into knowledge. This book is beautifully written and detail oriented and a surprisingly a fast read! Think Barbara Kingslover meets James Michener. If you loved Eat, Pray, Love you will enjoy this book. And even if you didn't like it, The Signature of All Things will make an Elizabeth Gilbert fan out of you! List price: $28.95 Our price: $23.16
 From Vicky: Night Film by Marisha Pessl
I do not like scary books! But I'd heard about how good Night Film by Marisha Pessl was and decided to try a few pages. I was immediately (if reluctantly) hooked. This is the story of a disgraced reporter who, with two enigmatic sidekicks, investigates the alleged suicide of a 24 year old music prodigy, the daughter of a completely reclusive horror movie director. The book is extremely well written, clever, complex and edgy, grabbing the reader from the start and then slowly building to a scenario you know will scare the living daylights out of you! The book keeps pulling me back, and I tell myself I can read a few more pages.... and a few more. If you think you can handle it, give Night Film a try! You won't be disappointed. List price: $28.00 Our price: $22.40
 From Karen: Mrs. Poe by Lynn Cullen
Frances Sargent Osgood was a mid-19th century poet and children's author who, some believe, was romantically involved with Edgar Allen Poe. In 1845, Poe is the toast of literary New York, having just published the sensationally successful poem "The Raven." She was spurned by her philandering artist husband when she meets the illustrious Poe at a series of literary salons (many featuring cameos by other famous people of Poe's day). Mrs. Osgood and Poe develop a mutual attraction, as noticed not only by their peers, but also by Poe's young and fragile wife, Virginia. Ill-fated romance, tragedy and the hardships of women in the 1850's are well portrayed in this historical novel.
List price: $26.95 Our price: $21.56
 From Elizabeth S.: The Husband's Secret by Liane Moriarty
This is a story of three different women and the Berlin Wall. The author does a great job of systematically drawing the women's lives together in this well written, humorous novel. The book starts with a letter found by a wife that reads, "To be opened on the event of my death." Secrets and relationships show how one decision made in these women's lives puts them on a path that collides. Told in alternating chapters by each woman, it is a modern Pandora's box story with a great epilogue that brings everything together in the end. Very enjoyable read! List price: $25.95 Our price: $20.76
 From Karen: The Spymistress by Jennifer Chiaverini
This well written novel tells the true story of Elizabeth Van Lew, a young well-to-do lady of Richmond, Virginia during the turbulent Civil War. She risked her life as a Union sympathizer to pass information to Northern forces and offer aid and comfort to the wounded Union prisoners of war who lived in deplorable conditions. The author deftly tells Van Lew's story and offers readers a fascinating portrait of this amazing woman.
List price: $26.00 Our price: $20.80
 From Fran: Bodies of Water by T. Greenwood
Bodies of Water tells the story of Billy Valentine, a lonely isolated housewife in a small Massachusetts town in the not so liberated 1960s. Billy is busy raising her two daughters and navigating the dark waters of her husband's alcohol induced rages. When a new family moves in across the street, Billy finds more than a new friend, she finds a soul mate and lover. Billy's love affair with Eva Wilson sets in motion a ripple effect that has tragic repercussions. T. Greenwood portrays with harsh honesty how a forbidden love can destroy everyone directly and indirectly involved. $15.00
From Elizabeth M.: We are Water by Wally Lamb 
After twenty-seven years of marriage Annie Oh announces that she has fallen in love with Viveca, the woman who has championed her art career. They plan to wed in Connecticut where gay marriage has been legalized. Once again Wally Lamb writes compassionately about families, their secrets and their difficult decisions. The story moves from New York to New England where much of it takes place on Cape Cod. Available October 22nd. List price: $29.99 Our price: $23.99
 From Elizabeth M.: Guests on Earth by Lee Smith
As the self appointed president of the Cape Cod Lee Smith Fan Club, the publication of her latest novel this month is cause for celebration. Smith spent years researching this story and has created a fascinating tale that weaves fact and fiction. Evalina Toussaint is the thirteen year old daughter of an exotic dancer from New Orleans. After the death of Evalina's mother in the mid 1930's, she is sent to Highland Hospital in Asheville, N.C. where she meets fellow patient Zelda Fitzgerald. The head of the hospital is the well known psychiatrist, Robert C. Carroll, famous for his treatment of mental illnesses through a combination of exercise, diet, artistic endeavors and experimental shock therapy. Evalina, a piano prodigy, is first taken under the wing of Carroll's wife and then Zelda. Sadly, Zelda Fitzgerald perished in the unexplained and tragic fire at Highland Hospital on March 11,1948 which claimed the lives of nine women patients.
Available October 15th. List price: $25.95 Our price: $20.76
 Mrs Queen Takes the Train by William M. Kuhn
This book is an absolute delight! Mrs Queen Takes the Train wittily imagines the kerfuffle that transpires when a bored Queen Elizabeth strolls out of the palace in search of a little fun, leaving behind a desperate team of courtiers who must find the missing Windsor before a national scandal erupts. Reminiscent of Alan Bennett's The Uncommon Reader, this lively, wonderfully inventive romp takes readers into the mind of the grand matriarch of Britain's Royal Family, bringing us an endearing runaway Queen Elizabeth on the town--and leading us behind the Buckingham Palace walls and into the upstairs/downstairs spaces of England's monarchy. Available October 8th. $14.99
 The Paris Architect by Charles Belfoure
A gifted architect reluctantly begins a secret life devising ingenious hiding places for Jews in Nazi-occupied Paris. Like most gentiles in Nazi-occupied Paris, architect Lucien Bernard has little empathy for the Jews. So when a wealthy industrialist offers him a large sum of money to devise secret hiding places for Jews, Lucien struggles with the choice of risking his life for a cause he doesn't really believe in. Ultimately he can't resist the challenge and begins designing expertly concealed hiding spaces--behind a painting, within a column, or inside a drainpipe--detecting possibilities invisible to the average eye. But when one of his clever hiding spaces fails horribly and the immense suffering of Jews becomes incredibly personal, he can no longer deny reality.
Available October 8th. List price: $25.99 Our price: $20.79
Adult Non Fiction
 From Vicky: One Summer by Bill Bryson (Signed copies available)
Hurray! Bill Bryson has a new book! One Summer: America 1927 features Bryson's brilliant writing, wonderful insights, incredible sense of humor and immense curiosity about all things big and small. Bryson turns his attention to the summer that America began to dominate the world in technology, culture, sports and economy. Lindbergh crossed the Atlantic to a level of fame almost unheard of before in the world; Babe Ruth set out to break his own home run world record; Sacco and Vanzetti were executed; and the eugenics movement was on the rise. This was the summer when the country was set on the road to a depression, when a man sat on a flagpole for 12 days, and when President Calvin Coolidge took a three month vacation in the Black Hills of South Dakota. It's a great choice for anyone who loves history or just diving into a really good read. $28.95
 Creative Makers: Simple Knitting: 30 Quick-To-Knit Projects for Stylish Accessories by Ros Badger
Contemporary knitting queen Ros Badger has created more than 20 really simple projects for gorgeous on-trend accessories - gloves, socks, scarves, bags, and even knitted jewelry. For those new to knitting, Ros provides all the information you need to get started, with an overview of yarns, terminology and step-by-step instructions on how to knit.
All the projects in the book are made with just two stitches (either knit or purl) and most use simple squares, oblongs or tubes for super-easy knitting. Gorgeous photographs capture the sheer pleasure of wearing what you knit. $19.99
 David and Goliath: Underdogs, Misfits, and the Art of Battling Giants by Malcolm Gladwell
In David and Goliath, Malcolm Gladwell challenges how we think about obstacles and disadvantages, offering a new interpretation of what it means to be discriminated against, or cope with a disability, or lose a parent, or attend a mediocre school, or suffer from any number of other apparent setbacks. Gladwell begins with the "real" story of what happened between the Biblical giant and the shepherd boy who defeated him. From there, the book examines Northern Ireland's troubles, the minds of cancer researchers and civil rights leaders, murder and the high costs of revenge, and the dynamics of successful and unsuccessful classrooms---all to demonstrate how much of what is beautiful and important in the world arises from what looks like suffering and adversity. $29.00
 Beatrix Potter's Gardening Life: The Plants and Places That Inspired the Classic Children's Tales
Beatrix Potter's Gardening Life is the first book to explore the origins of Beatrix Potter's love of gardening and plants and to show how this passion was reflected in her work. The book begins with Potter's biography, highlighting the key moments and places throughout her life that helped define her, including her home, Hill Top Farm, in England's Lake District. Next, the reader follows Beatrix Potter through a year in her garden, with a season-by-season overview that truly brings her gardens alive. The book culminates in a traveler's guide, with information on how and where to visit Potter's gardens today. Richly illustrated and filled with quotations from her books, letters, and journals, it is essential reading for all who know and cherish Beatrix Potter's classic tales. Available October 8th. $25.95
 1,227 Quite Interesting Facts to Blow Your Socks Off by Anne Miller
Did you know? Cows moo in regional accents. The international dialing code for Russia is 007. The water in the mouth of a blue whale weighs more than its body. Pants are responsible for twice as many accidents as chain saws.
Saddam Hussein's bunker was designed by the grandson of the woman who built Hitler's bunker. Heroin was originally sold as cough medicine. 1,227 Quite Interesting Facts to Blow Your Socks Off is a trove of the strangest, funniest, and most improbable tidbits of knowledge--all painstakingly researched and distilled to a brilliant and shocking clarity. (Please note that this is listed as an adult book!) $15.95
 The Diary of Edward the Hamster 1990 - 1990 by Miriam Elia and Ezra Elia
The darkly comic musings of a deeply thoughtful rodent--the perfect gift for pet lovers and anguished existentialists of all ages.
Edward is a hamster. Trapped in a cage with a wheel that taunts him with its meaninglessness, Edward records the existential ennui that is the sum of his short life. It is also an extraordinarily funny book that has had bookshop staff reading pages to each other and laughing out loud! This dark, pithy, irresistibly witty diary, with illustrations by acclaimed artist Miriam Elia, makes the perfect gift. It won't take long before readers recognize that Edward is not just a hamster--he is a state of mind. $14.95
 Survival Lessons by Alice Hoffman
One of America's most beloved writers shares her suggestions for finding beauty in the world even during the toughest times. Survival Lessons provides a road map to reclaim your life from this day forward, with ways to reenvision everything from relationships with friends and family to the way you see yourself. As Alice Hoffman says, "In many ways, I wrote 'Survival Lessons' to remind myself of the beauty of life, something that's all too easy to overlook during the crisis of illness or loss. I forgot that our lives are made up of equal parts of sorrow and joy, and that it is impossible to have one without the other. I wrote to remind myself that despite everything that was happening to me, there were still choices I could make." Wise, gentle, and wry, Alice Hoffman teaches all of us how to choose what matters most. $13.95
 Killing Jesus by Bill O'Reilly
Millions of readers have thrilled to author Bill O'Reilly and historian Martin Dugard's Killing Kennedy and Killing Lincoln, page-turning works of nonfiction that have changed the way we read history. Now the outspoken anchor of The O'Reilly Factor details the events leading up to the murder of the most influential man in history: Jesus of Nazareth. Nearly two thousand years after this beloved and controversial young revolutionary was brutally killed by Roman soldiers, more than 2.2 billion people attempt to follow his teachings and believe he is divine. Killing Jesus will take readers inside Jesus's life, recounting the seismic political and historical events that made his death inevitable--and changed the world forever $28.00
 Levels of Life by Julian Barnes
Julian Barnes, author of the Man Booker Prize-winning novel The Sense of an Ending, gives us his most powerfully moving book yet, beginning in the nineteenth century and leading seamlessly into an entirely personal account of loss--making Levels of Life an immediate classic on the subject of grief.
Levels of Life is a book about ballooning, photography, love and loss; about putting two things, and two people, together, and about tearing them apart. One of the judges who awarded Barnes the 2011 Booker Prize described him as "an unparalleled magus of the heart." This book confirms that opinion. "Spare and beautiful...a book of rare intimacy and honesty about love and grief. To read it is a privilege. To have written it is astonishing." --Ruth Scurr, "The Times of London"
$22.95
 Knocking on Heaven's Door: The Path to a Better Way of Death by Katy Butler
Beautifully and honestly written, this is one of those important books that makes the reader stop and think about the choices we make at end of life and how medical practice can sometimes lead to utter heartbreak, prolonged suffering and financial ruin. Katy Butler's 79 year old father suffered a debilitating stroke and was later outfitted with a pacemaker that would keep his heart beating and condemn him to a slow and agonizing death. since doctors refused to disable it. Soon after he died, Katy's mother also faced a grave illness. She rebelled against her doctors, refused heart surgery and met death head on.
With a reporter's skill and a daughter's love, Butler comes to the provocative thesis that modern medicine, in its pursuit of maximum longevity, sometimes creates more suffering than it prevents. She also chronicles the rise of Slow Medicine, a new movement trying to reclaim the Good Deaths our ancestors prized. [From Vicky: This is such a moving and eye-opening book! I can't recommend it highly enough. Katy Butler's writing is brrilliant and she raises vitally important issues we should all be aware of.] $25.00
Cookbooks
 The Coastal Table: Recipes Inspired by the Farmlands and the Seaside of Southern New England by Karen J. Covey
When Karen Covey moved to the South Coast of Massachusetts, she found an exceptional community of farmers, winemakers, chefs, cheese-makers, and fishermen thriving upon the region's unique coastal geography, quietly producing some of the best food in the Northeast. Until recently, though, few outside the culinary world have discovered the breadth and caliber of ingredients available from the coastline of Southern New England. That's about to change. From Elisa: Our Titcomb's staff absolutely love this cookbook. We've poured over the recipes at lunchtime more times than we can count. Recipes feature fresh local ingredients easily attained and not all seafood as one might expect...but the seafood recipes are astounding! Our favorite dishes include crostini with wilted kale and goat cheese, chilled paella salad with shrimp, brussel sprouts salad with apples and lemon verbena sun tea. I could list more but truthfully every recipe in the book sparked my imagination and made me want to run to the farmer's market and then my kitchen! $29.95
 King Arthur Flour Cookie Companion: The Essential Cookie Cookbook
The perfect chocolate chip cookie, the versatile sugar cookie, the best chewy brownie--they're all here, plus many more old favorites and many others you may not know. And all created and thoroughly tested by the never-fail team of bakers at King Arthur Flour headed by Sandwich's own PJ Hamel.
You'll find a thorough overview of the essential ingredients of cookie baking, along with step-by-step instructions and how-to drawings of techniques that will have you creating great looking, incredible tasting cookies in no time. You'll also learn tips on substitutions and variations; measuring and weighing ingredients; instructions for making icings, fillings, and dips; and even advice on high-altitude baking. Also, each recipe is accompanied by a complete nutritional analysis. $24.95
Young Adult
 Etiquette & Espionage (Finishing School) by Gail Carriger
It's one thing to learn to curtsy properly. It's quite another to learn to curtsy and throw a knife at the same time. Fourteen-year-old Sophronia is a great trial to her poor mother. Sophronia is more interested in dismantling clocks and climbing trees than proper manners--and the family can only hope that company never sees her atrocious curtsy. Mrs. Temminnick is desperate for her daughter to become a proper lady. So she enrolls Sophronia in Mademoiselle Geraldine's Finishing Academy for Young Ladies of Quality. But Sophronia soon realizes the school is not quite what her mother might have hoped. At Mademoiselle Geraldine's, young ladies learn to finish...everything. Certainly, they learn the fine arts of dance, dress, and etiquette, but the also learn to deal out death, diversion, and espionage--in the politest possible ways, of course.
Available October 8th. $10.00
 Steelheart by Braondon Sanderson
Ten years ago, Calamity came. It was a burst in the sky that gave ordinary men and women extraordinary powers. The awed public started calling them Epics. But Epics are no friend of man. With incredible gifts came the desire to rule. And to rule man you must crush his will. Nobody fights the Epics . . . nobody but the Reckoners. A shadowy group of ordinary humans, they spend their lives studying Epics, finding their weaknesses, and then assassinating them. And David wants in. He wants Steelheart--the Epic who is said to be invincible. The Epic who killed David's father. For years, like the Reckoners, David's been studying, and planning--and he has something they need. Not an object, but an experience. He's seen Steelheart bleed. And he wants revenge. $18.99
Children's Fiction
 Flora and Ulysses: The Illuminated Adventures by Kate DiCamillo
Holy unanticipated occurrences! A cynic meets an unlikely superhero in a genre-breaking new novel by master storyteller Kate DiCamillo.
It begins, as the best superhero stories do, with a tragic accident that has unexpected consequences. The squirrel never saw the vacuum cleaner coming, but self-described cynic Flora Belle Buckman, who has read every issue of the comic book "Terrible Things Can Happen to You!, " is the just the right person to step in and save him. What neither can predict is that Ulysses (the squirrel) has been born anew, with powers of strength, flight, and misspelled poetry -- and that Flora will be changed too, as she discovers the possibility of hope and the promise of a capacious heart. From #1" New York Times" best-selling author Kate DiCamillo comes a laugh-out-loud story filled with eccentric, endearing characters and featuring an exciting new format -- a novel interspersed with comic-style graphic sequences and full-page illustrations. $17.99
 Fortunately, the Milk by Neil Gaiman
"I bought the milk," said my father. "I walked out of the corner shop, and heard a noise like this: T h u m m t h u m m. I looked up and saw a huge silver disc hovering in the air above Marshall Road." "Hullo," I said to myself. "That's not something you see every day. And then something odd happened." Find out just how odd things get in this hilarious story of time travel and breakfast cereal, expertly told by Newbery Medalist and bestselling author Neil Gaiman. $14.99
 The House of Hades by Rick Riordan
Finally! The new Rick Riordan book is almost here!! Annabeth and Percy have tumbled into a pit leading straight to the Underworld. The other five demigods have to put aside their grief and follow Percy's instructions to find the mortal side of the Doors of Death. If they can fight their way through the Gaea's forces, and Percy and Annabeth can survive the House of Hades, then the Seven will be able to seal the Doors from both sides and prevent the giants from raising Gaea. But, if the Doors are sealed, how will Percy and Annabeth be able to escape? If the demigods don't succeed, Gaea's armies will never die. In about a month, the Romans will march on Camp Half-Blood. The stakes are higher than ever in this adventure that dives into the depths of Tartarus. Available October 8th. $19.99
 The Year of Billy Miller by Kevin Henkes 16.99
Award-winning, nationally bestselling author Kevin Henkes introduces second-grader Billy Miller wonderfully written and funny story about friendship, sibling rivalry, and elementary school. When Billy Miller has a mishap at the statue of the Jolly Green Giant at the end of summer vacation, he ends up with a big lump on his head. What a way to start second grade, with a lump on your head! As the year goes by, though, Billy figures out how to navigate elementary school, how to appreciate his little sister, and how to be a more grown up and responsible member of the family and a help to his busy working mom and stay-at-home dad. Newbery Honor author and Caldecott Medalist Kevin Henkes delivers a short, satisfying, laugh-out-loud-funny school and family story that features a diorama homework assignment, a school poetry slam, cancelled sleepovers, and epic sibling temper tantrums. This is a perfect short novel for the early elementary grades. $16.99
 Anton and Cecil: Cats at Sea by Lisa Martin and Valerie Martin
A swashbuckling story of two very different cat brothers and their adventures at sea. Cecil and Anton are as different as port and starboard. Cecil, stocky and black with white patches, thirsts for seafaring adventure as he roams the docks of his harborside home, taking day trips on fishing boats. Slim, gray Anton prefers listening to the sailors shanties at the town saloon. But one day when Anton goes to port, he's taken to be a ratter on a ship bound for the high seas. Knowing little of the wide open ocean that lies beyond the harbor, Cecil boards another ship in hopes of finding Anton. But what begins as a rescue mission turns into a pair of high-seas adventures. Anton takes on a fierce rat, outwits hungry birds, and forges a forbidden friendship, while Cecil meets dolphins and whales and finds himself in a pirate raid. On an ocean as vast as the one Anton and Cecil have discovered, will they ever see home or each other again? Valerie Martin and Lisa Martin present a colorful cast of characters, rich historical detail, and lyrical storytelling that will delight fans of such classic animal adventures as The Wind in the Willows and Stuart Little. $16.95
Children's Non-Fiction
 Lego Minifigure Year by Year: A Visual History [With Three Collectable Figurines] by Gregory Farshtey and Daniel Lipkowitz
Includes 3 iconic minifigures! Here is the evolution of the Minifigure for the first time ever, with exquisite photography and fascinating facts about each and every minifigure included. Featuring more than 2,000 of the most significant, popular, and rare minifigures, this engaging reference guide explores minifigures chronologically by theme.
List Price: $40.00 Our price: $32.00
 NFL Today: New England Patriots by Jim Whiting
No professional sports league in America can match the popularity of the National Football League, and no books can match the drama and excitement of NFL Today! Featuring our own New England Patriots, this book has been revised and updated to tell the origins, stars, and unforgettable moments of the team. Brilliant photos capture the game's hard-hitting energy, while "Sideline Stories" and "Meet the Team" panels present fascinating anecdotes and introductions to all-time gridiron greats. Available October 8th. $9.99
Children's Picture Books
 The Bear's Song by Benjamin Chaud
This is an exquisitely illustrated picture book about two bears on a big-city adventure. Papa Bear is searching for Little Bear, who has escaped the den. Little Bear is following a bee, because where there are bees, there is honey! When the quest leads both bears into the bustling city and a humming opera house, theatrical hijinks ensue, culminating in a deliciously harmonious reunion. Children and parents alike will savor Benjamin Chaud's lush illustrations, and enjoy the book's bonus seek-and-find elements. Ages 3-6 $17.99
 How to Train a Train by Jason Carter Eaton
This wonderful picture book has everything you need to know about finding, keeping, and training your very own pet train. Children who love locomotives (and what kid doesn't?) will discover where trains live, what they like to eat, and the best train tricks around--everything it takes to lay the tracks for a long and happy friendship. All aboard! Ages 3-7 $16.99
 Scaredy Squirrel Prepares for Halloween by Melanie Watts
Who better than Scaredy Squirrel to educate readers about the safest ways to survive Halloween? In eight brief chapters, Scaredy explains how to carve pumpkins (don't use an ax or chainsaw, and "always go with a friendly look"), decorate one's home (stick to "unscary" black and orange items like top hats and popsicles), pick a costume, and host a party ("Pipe organ music makes a great soundtrack for dancing. The very gloomy tempo will slow festivities down"). And if things get too scary, there's always the most Halloween-worthy defense mechanism of all: playing dead. The timid and brave alike will laugh their way through this clever and funny holiday book. Ages 4 - 8. $17.95
|
|
|
|
|
|
