Titcomb's Bookshop January 2014 Newsletter 
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Holiday Hours:  Tuesday, 
New Year's Eve 9am - 3pm   
Closed New Year's Day  
Happy New Year!!!
 
In This Issue
Upcoming Events
 
Puzzles!!!

When it's cold and snowy outside, isn't it wonderful to sit down with a cup of hot chocolate or tea and do a jigsaw puzzle? 

We've got lots of beautiful puzzles for all ages from companies such as Ravensburger, Pomegranate, Masterpiece Puzzles and more.  5 pieces to 1500.  $6.99-$44.99

 


 
Sandwich 375th Anniversary 
 
Sandwich, 375 Years: Photos, Fact & Fables of Cape Cod's 
Oldest Town

A compilation of stories and photos by present and former Sandwich residents, students and historians. Click here for a sneak preview. Available around January 15th. $23.53 + sales tax ($1.47) = $25.00 
 
We are taking 
pre-orders now.  
Upcoming Events  

Knitting Club  knitting
Monday, January 6th 

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.  No registration.

Book Club  Savannah by Eugenia Price Tuesday, January 21st 7:00pm
No registration.  All are welcome.
 
This month, we are featuring a book by the beloved and prolific Southern writer Eugenia Price.  Savannah, written in 1983, is the first of quartet of historical novels set is this beautiful city.  Orphan Mark Browning was only twenty when he renounced his father's fortune and sailed to Savannah, his mother's birthplace . . . and the home of two remarkable women. The first is Eliza McQueen Mackay, his mentor's beautiful wife, whom Mark loves with a deep, pure love that can never be spoken. The other is lovely young Caroline Cameron, whose life is blighted by a secret that has tormented her grandparents for half a century--a secret that affects Mark more closely than he imagines.  Mark must confront the ghosts of a previous generation, and face the evil smoldering hate, before he can truly call Savannah his home.  Reg. $17.95; our price $14.36

Book Talk and Signing
Sunday, January 26th 1-2pm

Dan McCullough
Sailing Alone on Sundays
How often have you read Dan McCullough's columns  in the Cape Cod Times, marveling at how he can move you so much with his stories and insights and humor?  Please join us for a conversation with Dan as we celebrate his new book, which brings together 49 columns he selected from his writings over the past 26 years.  Dan shares his  perspective on such topics as love, laughter, the sea, friendships, family, and more.  $20.00

Dan McCullough is an award-winning Professor of Philosophy at Cape Cod Community College, a columnist for The Cape Cod Times, and a dynamic speaker. He has published many short stories, and 5 of his plays have been turned into full stage productions.

Food and a Book Series
Yes, Chef: A Memoir by
Marcus Samuelsson

Momo's Food Emporium
598 Route 6A, East Sandwich
Wednesday, February 26th 6:30pm
Reservations required. $36.00
We are very happy to announce that our popular "Food and a Book" series will begin in February as we read and discuss Yes, Chef by the award-winning chef and author Marcus Samuelsson.  The amazing cooks at Momo's will offer a cooking demonstration and samples of the delicious cuisine featured in the book.

Yes, Chef  chronicles Samuelsson's remarkable journey from Ethiopia to Sweden to some of the most demanding and cutthroat restaurants in Europe to an acclaimed New York City culinary career.

Winner of the James Beard Award and author of several cookbooks, Marcus Samuelsson has appeared on numerous national television shows, including "Top Chef Masters", where he took first place. In 1995,  Samuelsson became the youngest chef ever to receive a three-star review from The New York Times. His newest restaurant, Red Rooster, recently opened in Harlem, where he lives with his wife.

Reservations for the evening are required and include the book, a cooking demonstration by Momo's and delicious cuisine. Make reservations by calling or stopping by the bookshop (508-888-2331). Be sure to make your reservation early!

Staff Reviews and New Releases  

 

Adult Fiction

   

The Invention of Wings by Sue Monk Kidd

We are so excited to announce that this much awaited historical novel by the author of The Secret Life of Bees will soon be on our shelves!  Hetty "Handful" Grimke, a slave in early 19th century Charleston, yearns for life beyond the suffocating walls that enclose her within the wealthy Grimke household. The Grimke's daughter, Sarah, has known from an early age she is meant to do something large in the world, but she is hemmed in by the limits imposed on women.  Kidd's sweeping novel is set in motion on Sarah's 11th birthday, when she is given ownership of 10 year old Handful. We follow their remarkable journeys over the next 35 years, as both strive for lives of their own, dramatically shaping each other's destinies. Sarah will experience betrayal, unrequited love, and ostracism before finding her place alongside her fearless younger sister, Angelina, as one of the early pioneers in the abolition and women's rights movements.  Available January 7.  List price $27.95.  Our price $22.36

On Such a Full Sea, by Chang-rae Lee  
From the brilliant, award-winning author of Native Speaker and The Surrendered, a highly provocative, deeply affecting story of one woman's legendary quest in a shocking, future America.  Fan is a female fish-tank diver, who leaves her home in the B-Mor settlement (once known as Baltimore), when the man she loves mysteriously disappears. Fan's journey to find him takes her out of the safety of B-Mor, through the anarchic Open Counties, where crime is rampant with scant governmental oversight, and to a faraway charter village, in a quest that will soon become legend to those she left behind.   Chang-rae Lee tells a stunning, surprising, and riveting story that will change the way readers think about the world they live in.  Available January 7.  List price $27.95.  Our price $22.36
 
Someone Else's Love Story by Joshilyn Jackson 
From Kathy:   I absolutely loved this book! Someone Else's Love Story pulls you in and doesn't let go until the very last sentence. Set in the Atlanta area, this novel is a thoughtful, often funny, and very insightful story of three unique young people discovering their own true stories. It's a novel about discovering what we want and ultimately finding what we need. If you're looking for a book that is well written, unpredictable, with complex and quirky characters, this is for you. List Price: $26.99 Our Price: $21.59

A Star for Mrs. Blake by April Smith 
From Elizabeth M.: April Smith has written a well researched historical novel about a little known episode in U.S. History. In the 1930s, Gold Star mothers, whose sons died in WWI, were given the opportunity to travel to France to visit their sons' graves.  The story revolves around Cora Blake, a small-town librarian and single mother from Maine, and a diverse group of women, including a Russian immigrant chicken farmer who defies her husband to go, an Irish Catholic housemaid from Boston who lost two sons, a woman who has been in and out of mental institutions since her son was killed, and a well-to-do society matriarch.  Twists and turns throughout the story keep the reader enthralled as these women seek closure for the deaths of their sons and deal with the tragedy of war. 
Available January 14th.  List price: $24.95  Our price: $19.96

Hen Who Dreamed She Could Fly by Sun-Mi Hwang 
From Vicky:  This is an enchanting and beautifully written fable from Korea about a hen named Sprout who yearns with all her heart to escape her cage and raise a child of her own like the animals she can see roaming the farmyard.  When she finally manages to escape, she must face the dangers of the outside world, including the bullying of the barnyard animals and an ever hungry weasel.   She finds friendship, too, with another outsider, a duck named Straggler.  You will fall in love with this brave little hen who would risk all for the chance to raise a child of her own. 2 million copies of this heartwarming, inspiring and unforgettable little book have been sold in South Korea.  I think it will be a best-seller here, too!  $15.00


The Kept by James Scott
From Karen:  A dark tale of retribution set in upstate New York in 1897, when life was as hard as an over-whetted knife's edge. This is a beautifully crafted novel that will leave the reader haunted.  
Elspeth Howell, midwife and mother of five, tromps through a blizzard to return home after weeks spent performing her duties, and finds a grisly bloodbath: her Native American husband, Jorah, and four children have been murdered.  Only middle son Caleb, 12, survives. Startled while hiding in the pantry, the boy accidentally shoots and wounds his mother. The novel dips briskly back in time to reveal that Elspeth's children were all abducted as infants from other households, since she is unable to conceive children of her own. The price of these crimes manifests itself in the tragedies she now faces. Elspeth and Caleb decide to track down the killers, and their search forces mother and son to adopt new identities in distant locales. Together, they face a host of angry villains, any of which could've been responsible for the executions. List price: $25.99 Our price: $20.79 


Tenth of December: Stories by George Saunders
One of the most important and blazingly original writers today, George Saunders is an undisputed master of the short story, and Tenth of December, now available in paperback, is his most honest, accessible, and moving collection yet, named one of the 10 Best Books of the Year by the New York Times Book Review.
In the taut opener, "Victory Lap," a boy witnesses the attempted abduction of the girl next door and is faced with a harrowing choice: Does he ignore what he sees, or override years of smothering advice from his parents and act? In "Home," a combat-damaged soldier moves back in with his mother and struggles to reconcile the world he left with the one to which he has returned. And in the title story, a stunning meditation on imagination, memory, and loss, a middle-aged cancer patient walks into the woods to commit suicide, only to encounter a troubled young boy who, over the course of a fateful morning, gives the dying man a final chance to recall who he really is. Writing brilliantly and profoundly, Saunders cuts to the core of the contemporary experience.  Highly recommended for discussion.  $15.00


Under the Jeweled Sky by Alison McQueen 
From Gail: In India, Sophie Schofield escapes the harsh realities of war-torn London, but not those of her unloving and unlovable mother.  Sophie connects with the exotic beauty of India, the freedom to explore race, religion and traditions, the intensity of a soul mate, and the desire to be someone worthy of love.  Some of those connections have severe consequences that she must overcome before she can hope to grasp the promises that India offers her. It's a truly beautiful story that covers a quarter century of change on three continents. $14.99


What I Had Before I Had You, Sarah Cornwell 
In What I Had Before I Had You, a woman must face the truth about her past in this novel set in the faded, gritty world of the New Jersey Shore.
Olivia was only fifteen the summer she left her hometown of Ocean Vista. Two decades later, on a visit with her children, her nine-year-old son Daniel, recently diagnosed with bipolar disorder, disappears. Olivia's search for him sparks tender and painful memories of her fiercely loving and secretive mother, Myla, an erratic and beautiful psychic, and the discovery of heartbreaking secrets that shattered her world.  Available January 7.  List price $24.99.  Our price $19.99 

A Tale for the Time Being by Ruth Ozeki
From Vicky: I first heard about this brilliantly written book from Kathy Johnson at the Sandwich Public Library, who always suggests great reads.  It is the brilliantly written story of a teenage girl, Nao, who was born in California and has moved with her family back to Japan after her father lost his job.  It is also the story of Ruth, a writer who discovers Nao's journal and other writings in a lunchbox that has washed up in British Columbia years later.  As Ruth reads Nao's journal, she is drawn into Nao's life, which was made miserable by her father's depression and the heartbreaking bullying she faces at school.  Nao finds solace with her great grandmother, a 104 year old Buddhist nun, an anarchist and feminist whose son had been forced to become a kamikazi pilot in WWII.  Nao  wrote the journal to chronicle her great grandmother's life before ending her own. This is such a powerful, poignant novel - heartbreaking and funny and true - with insights into Japanese culture, teenage life and Buddhist traditions.  $16.00


The Yellow Eyes of Crocodiles by Katherine Pancol
When her chronically unemployed husband runs off to start a crocodile farm in Kenya with his mistress, Josephine Cortes is left in an unhappy state of affairs. The mother of two--confident, beautiful teenage Hortense and shy, babyish Zoe--is forced to maintain a stable family life while making ends meet on her meager salary as a medieval history scholar. Meanwhile, Josephine's charismatic sister Iris seems to have it all--a wealthy husband, gorgeous looks, and a tres chic Paris address--but she dreams of bringing meaning back into her life. When Iris charms a famous publisher into offering her a lucrative deal for a twelfth-century romance, she offers her sister a deal of her own: Josephine will write the novel and pocket all the proceeds, but the book will be published under Iris's name. All is well--that is, until the book becomes the literary sensation of the season. $16.00

Vintage Teacup Club by Vanessa Greene 
When Jenny Davis comes across a beautiful vintage tea set at an outdoor market in the English countryside, she's convinced it's fate. A young bride on a budget, she has her heart set on a vintage tea-party theme for her wedding--and the gorgeous gold-rimmed china before her is perfect. There's only one problem. Two other women have fallen in love with it, too. So they come up with a solution: They'll share it. They establish a sisterhood, sharing the ups and downs of their lives--from broken hearts and weddings, to family drama and career dreams. When a figure from Jenny's past threatens to ruin her big day, Alison's teenage daughter pushes her to the limit, and Maggie's romantic life is thrown into turmoil, the members of the Vintage Teacup Club band together--proving their newfound friendship will last a lifetime.  $15.00


Radiance of Tomorrow: A Novel by Ishmael Beah 
When Ishmael Beah's A Long Way Gone was published in 2007, it soared to the top of bestseller lists, becoming an instant classic: a harrowing account of Sierra Leone's civil war and the fate of child soldiers that "everyone in the world should read" (The Washington Post). Now Beah, whom Dave Eggers has called "arguably the most read African writer in contemporary literature," has returned with his first novel, an affecting, tender parable about postwar life in Sierra Leone.  With the gentle lyricism of a dream and the moral clarity of a fable, Radiance of Tomorrow is a powerful novel about preserving what means the most to us, even in uncertain times.  Available January 7.  List price $25.00; Our price $20.00 

 
 
Life After Life by Kate Atkinson
On a cold and snowy night in 1910, Ursula Todd is born, the third child of a wealthy English banker and his wife. She dies before she can draw her first breath. On that same cold and snowy night, Ursula Todd is born, lets out a lusty wail, and embarks upon a life that will be, to say the least, unusual. For as she grows, she also dies, repeatedly, in any number of ways. Ursula's world is in turmoil, facing the unspeakable evil of the two greatest wars in history. What power and force can one woman exert over the fate of civilization -- if only she has the chance?  Wildly inventive, darkly comic, startlingly poignant -- this is Kate Atkinson at her absolute best. $18.00
 


Adult Non Fiction

Final Flight; 10 Northeastern Birding Spots at Risk from Climate Change by Trevor Lloyd-Evans 
To raise awareness about how climate change is affecting birds, Manomet Banding Director Trevor Lloyd-Evans and Communications Director Dave McGlinchey wrote Final Flight, which interweaves the beauty of bird watching and the looming reality of habitat and species loss.
The authors chose locations that are impressive from a bird-watching point of view and are susceptible to the effects of climate change. The list highlights 10 spots in the northeast that are good for birding as well as vulnerable to the effects of a warming climate. (Includes South Beach and Monomoy in Chatham)  $9.99
 
My Beloved World by Sonia Sotomayor
An instant American icon--the first Hispanic person on the U.S. Supreme Court--tells the story of her life before becoming a judge in an inspiring, surprisingly personal memoir told with startling candor and intimacy. Available in paperback January 7. $15.95




The Body Book: The Law of Hunger, the Science of Strength, and Other Ways to Love Your Amazing Body by Cameron Diaz
Cameron Diaz shares her formula for becoming happier, healthier, and stronger in this positive, essential guide that is grounded in science and inspired by personal experience.  The Body Book offers a comprehensive overview of the human body and mind, from the cellular level up. The Body Book does not set goals to reach in seven days or thirty days or a year. It offers a holistic, long-term approach to making consistent choices and reaching the ultimate goal: a long, strong, happy, healthy life.  Perfect for all of our January Resolutions!  $25.99
 
 
Unremarried Widow by Artis Henderson   
Unremarried Widow describes the heart-rending love affair between the author and her military husband, Miles, who died in a horrific helicopter crash while serving overseas. Her narrative begins in the early days of their marriage, then lurches forward to the accident, then back to their meeting, and then even further back to an airplane crash that killed her father. Unremarried Widow is an unflinching, honest and raw book that will likely evoke a strong emotional reaction from the reader.  If you like true love stories (even tragic ones) and good writing, give this book a try. Just be ready to break out the tissues.  Available January 7.  $25.00
 
Little Failure: A Memoir by Gary Shteyngart   
Author of celebrated novels like Super Sad True Love Story, Shteyngart actually produced his first literary work, "Lenin and His Magical Goose", at age five. In this funny memoir, he recalls his early years in the crumbling Soviet Union, then at age seven coming to America--land of the enemy--following a deal between presidents Carter and Brezhnev guaranteeing Soviet Jews safe passage in exchange for U.S. grain. The hapless Shteyngart didn't fit in and surely wasn't going to be a lawyer, as his parents wanted; hence his mother's more or less affectionate nickname for him, Failurchka--that is, Little Failure. She was wrong. Available January 7.   27.00

Weeknight Wonders:  Delicious, Healthy Dinners in 30 Minutes or Less by Ellie Krieger
From Elisa: I own 3 of Ellie Krieger's cookbooks, and I go back to them time and again to find new recipes.  Many of her dishes have become staples in our household not only because they are healthy, but also because they are easy and taste delicious!  In her new cookbook Weeknight Wonders, nutritionist and healthy eating chef Ellie Krieger showcases a selection of flavorful, no-hassle recipes with the busy cook in mind. You won't be able to resist the Pizza Strudel or the Orzo with Shrimp, Peas, Herbs and Feta.  Krieger's recipes are never complicated and her ingredients are simple and easy to find.  There are some great vegetarian recipes, too. $29.99 
 

Children's Books

Clark the Shark Dares to Share by Bruce Hale
Join Clark the Shark as he discovers the true meaning of sharing and caring in this colorful and funny read-aloud picture book.  Our favorite boisterous shark learns that sharing is caring--but sometimes the lesson is a little confusing. Clark shares his funky shark dance with the class, but Mrs. Inkydink tells him he has to wait his turn. Clark shares his reef-hockey skills, but his teammates would rather Clark share the puck. With help from his friends and with his trademark lively rhythms and rhymes, Clark learns how to share in this follow-up to Clark the Shark. $17.99
  


Build, Dogs, Build: A Tall Tail
by James Horvath
 
Join head foreman Duke and his crew of worker dogs on a busy day of construction fun in this colorful picture book written and illustrated by James Horvath. With lively scenes showing accurately illustrated vehicles in action, this book will be a joy to read out loud for truck-obsessed readers and their parents!  In Build, Dogs, Build, our favorite doggy construction team is pulling down an old building to make way for a new one! Using equipment like cranes, bulldozers, dump trucks, and cement mixers, these busy dogs must race to finish the job in this fun follow-up to Dig, Dogs, Dig. Ages 4 to 8. $15.99


Lifetime: The Amazing Numbers in Animal Lives by Lola Schaefer A fascinating and beautifully illustrated picture book!  In one lifetime, a caribou will shed 10 sets of antlers, a woodpecker will drill 30 roosting holes, a giraffe will wear 200 spots, and a seahorse will birth 1,000 babies. Readers will learn about the wondrous things that can happen in just one lifetime.   Ages 5 to 8. $17.99


 
  

Sophie Scott Goes South by Alison Lester
Nine-year-old Sophie is going on a month-long voyage to Antarctica, with her dad, the captain of the icebreaker Aurora Australis. Sailing the frozen seas round-trip from Australia to Mawson Station in the South Pole, Sophie recounts the adventure of a lifetime in her own words, illustrations, and color photographs. She shows us icebergs, penguins, seals, and whales. 
  This friendly, informative, and beautifully presented picture book is based on the author's own experiences and shows the wonder of Antarctica through a child's eyes.  [Have you been following the news recently about the people trapped in the Antarctic Ocean?  If you look closely, you'll see that the Aurora Australis was one of the icebreakers which attempted to rescue them!]   Ages 6 to 9. $17.99

 
Clementine and the Spring Trip by Sara Pennypacker
For Clementine, spring is a really big deal. It's the time for seeing her apple tree start to grow, for watching her friend Margaret go crazy with spring cleaning, and for going on the school trip to Plimoth Plantation. Clementine is ready for Ye Olden Times, but she isn't so sure about surviving lunch there-the fourth graders have strict rules about no eating sounds.
Hearing the pilgrim lady talk about why she made the long journey from England makes Clementine think about rules. Who makes them, and what do they mean to the people who have to live with them? Clementine finds herself having to decide which rules to keep and which are made to be broken.  Ages 7-10  $5.99

 
Young Adult

The Impossible Knife of Memory by Laurie Halse Anderson
After four tours in Iraq and Afghanistan and an injury that ended his military career, veteran Andy Kincaid "could turn into a werewolf even when the moon wasn't full," according to his daughter Hayley, a high school senior.  What's the point, she wonders, of trying to build a future when she's constantly rescuing her father from drowning in his past?  Anderson, the award winning author of Speak, deals with the timely and moving topic of a teen coping with a parent's post-traumatic stress disorder, weaving serious content with threads of dark humor.  Longtime Anderson fans won't be disappointed, and readers newly discovering her work will understand why she's earned a reputation as one of the most honest authors writing for teens today.  $18.99
 
Roomies by Sara Zarr and Tara Altebrando
From Vicky Roomies is the story of two very real, very different and very likeable girls facing the challenges, joys and anxieties of the summer before they leave home for college.  EB is an independent girl from New Jersey.  She's outgrown a relationship with her boyfriend and struggles with her divorced mother's rather messy dating life.  Lauren lives in San Francisco.  Her life is focussed on her family and work as she helps her overwhelmed but loving parents deal with 5 younger brothers and sisters.  As the girls find their lives and relationships with friends, boyfriends and families changing, they turn increasingly to each through emails.  Told with humor and heart, and characters that are both complex and realistic, this book has been awarded three starred reviews.  $18.00

Hollow City: The Second Novel of Miss Peregrine's Peculiar Children by Ransom Riggs
Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children was the surprise best seller of 2011--an unprecedented mix of YA fantasy and vintage photography that enthralled readers and critics alike. This second novel begins in 1940, immediately after the first book ended. Having escaped Miss Peregrine's island by the skin of their teeth, Jacob and his new friends must journey to London, the peculiar capital of the world. Along the way, they encounter new allies, a menagerie of peculiar animals, and other unexpected surprises. Complete with dozens of newly discovered (and thoroughly mesmerizing) vintage photographs, this new adventure will delight readers of all ages. Available January 14. $17.99

Independent Study by Joelle Charbonneau  
Book two in Joelle Charbonneau's dystopian trilogy, this is every bit as thrilling as The Testing, which began the series.  Since Cia Vale's gained admission to the University, she's got more questions than answers: What really happened during The Testing? Who can she trust? What does it take to be a good person and a good leader? Are her intelligence and instincts enough to help her to succeed and survive? The only things Cia knows for certain is that one wrong answer could cost her her life.  Ages 12 and up.  Available January 7th.  $17.99


Killing Woods by Lucy Christopher 
Fatal attraction, primal fear, survival in the forest: From the author of the Printz Honor Book STOLEN.  Emily's dad is accused of murdering a teenage girl. Emily is sure he is innocent, but what happened that night in the woods behind their house where she used to play as a child? Determined to find out, she seeks out Damon Hillary, the enigmatic boyfriend of the murdered girl. He also knows these woods. Maybe they could help each other. But he's got secrets of his own about games that are played in the dark.
  Ages 13 and up.  Available January 7th.  $17.99


Bargain Books 

We have lots of great new bargain books in our basement!  But hurry!  Supplies are limited!


Chronicles of Narnia 

Boxed Set by C. S. Lewis  $19.99
Fresh & Green Table by Susie Middleton
Our price: $9.99  (Original price $24.95)
Susie Middleton is a chef, food writer, and gardener on Martha's Vineyard.  She is the editor-at-large for Fine Cooking magazine and author of Fast, Fresh & Green.  
Girl Who Fell from the Sky by Heidi W. Durrow
Our price: $6.99 (Original price $22.95)
Won the 2008 Bellwether Prize for best fiction manuscript addressing issues of social justice.
My Big Box of Horses and Ponies (with 3 model horses) by Don Harper 
Our price: $9.99 (Original price $19.99)



Pearl of China by Anchee Min
Our price: $8.99 (Original price $24.99)
Powerful story of the friendship of a lifetime, based on the life of Pearl S. Buck.
Season of '42:  Joe D., Teddy Ballgame, and Baseball's Flight to Survive a Turbulent First Year of War by Jack Cavanaugh
Our price: $9.95 (Original price $24.95)
Pocket Dangerous Book for Boys:  Facts, Figures, and Fun byConn Iggulden
Our price: $5.99


 

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