The Learned Owl Book Shop, March 1, 2016
Kate's Corner

Happy March!
With Super Tuesday upon us and the mud slinging shifting into high gear, I thought everyone could use a little reminder of the kindness of strangers.

Two weeks ago my dad was driving my mom and me to the Akron Canton Airport for a long awaited mini vacation. It was about 5:30 am and a brisk
0 degrees. One exit before the airport, we had a blowout. We made it to a gas station where we tried the local cab company (closed) and AAA (unspecified amount of time for help to arrive).

With a little under an hour left for us to get to the airport, the nice young man at the Circle K offered to help my dad change the tire. Next thing we knew, another man who had just gotten off work stopped and asked if we were OK. He didn't hesitate to help, and between the three of them they were able to get us back on the road. We did make our plane, and my dad was able to get home without further incident. It was definitely one of those moments that restores your faith in humanity.

So, thank you again for our two heroes, and to all of you for your support. Happy reading!

- Kate
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Author & book group events

H.W. Brands
Thursday, March 3, 7 PM (Hudson Library)
New York Times-bestselling historian H. W. Brands will talk about his newest book, Reagan: The Life. Register online or call (330) 653-6658 x1010.

Monday, March 7, 1 PM OR Tuesday, March 8, 7 PM (at The Owl)
Join us as our Learned Owl Book Club discusses The Wives of Los Alamos by Tarashea Nesbit. New members are always welcome.

Brent Glass Thursday, March 10, 7 PM (Hudson Library)
Brent D. Glass, Director Emeritus of the Smithsonian's National Museum of American History, will discuss 50 Great American Places: Essential Historic Sites Across the U.S. The book includes well-known sites as well as some unusual and lesser-known surprises like Hudson's own Village Green. Register online, or call (330) 653-6658 x1010.

Saturday, March 12, 1-3 PM (at The Owl)
Join us for a storytime, craft activity, and signing with author Linda Stanek (Once Upon an Elephant).

Saturday, March 12, 1-3 PM (at The Owl)
Amy Loring and Lori Smith will introduce their books for children, What Do I Want to Be When I Grow Up?, which explore occupations starting with every letter of the alphabet.

The Key to ExtraordinaryBig Pigs Tuesday, March 15, 4-6 PM
(at The Owl)
Come celebrate Hudson's Right to Read Week with author/illustrator Leslie Helakoski (Big Pigs) and author Natalie Lloyd (The Key to Extraordinary)!


New for adults: fiction & mysteries

Flight of Dreams Flight of Dreams by Ariel Lawhon
[Doubleday Books, $25.95]
A suspenseful, heart-wrenching novel that vividly brings the fateful voyage of the Hindenburg to life... Flight of Dreams is that rare novel with spellbinding plotting that keeps you guessing till the last page and breathtaking emotional intensity that stays with you long after. [read more]
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The Passenger The Passenger by Lisa Lutz
[Simon & Schuster, $25.99]
She's left her dead husband - and within forty-eight hours Tanya Dubois is a fugitive. It's almost impossible to live off the grid today, but Tanya-once-Amelia-now-Debra and Blue, a bartender, have the courage, the ingenuity, and the desperation to try. Hopscotching from city to city, Debra especially is chased by a very dark secret. Can she outrun her past? [read more]
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[Knopf Publishing Group, $26.95]
From her earliest writing to her most recent, Maeve Binchy's work has included both nostalgic pieces and sharp, often witty, writing which is insightful and topical. But at the heart of all her fiction are the people and their relationships with each other. This volume offers a collection of the very best of her stories, full of the warmth, charm and humor that has always been an essential part of her writing.
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Far from TrueFar from True by Linwood Barclay
[New American Library, $27.00; available March 8]
Linda says: Sometimes you just want to read a book that straps you in and bolts you out onto the track, and for that kind of book you want Linwood Barclay. Accidental death, murder, nefarious goings-on in a hidden room between pillars of the community - what more could you want in a thriller? Barclay doesn't disappoint in this, his newest novel. You will be thrilled and compelled to read when you should be doing something else! [read more]
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And the Best Title Award goes to...

And Then There Were Nuns by Kylie Logan
[Berkley Books, $7.99]
Meet the author at our Book Club in a Bar on March 31!
B and B owner Bea Cartwright has taken on the responsibility of taking meals to ten visiting nuns, who are on retreat at the Water's Edge Center for Spirit and Renewal on picturesque South Bass Island on Lake Erie. But the peace of the retreat is shattered when one of the nuns is found at the water's edge - murdered. And when a second nun is killed, Bea and the other members of the League of Literary Ladies - Chandra, Kate, and Luella - start to wonder about eerie parallels with the Agatha Christie mystery classic And Then There Were None.
Since Bea has the trust of the sisters, the local chief of police asks her and the other Literary Ladies to interview each of them. Expecting a confession may be asking for a miracle, but Bea hopes she can at least find the killer before another nun gets crossed off the guest list...
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New for adults: Looking for answers

by Carlo Rovelli
[Riverhead Books, $18.00]
Seven Brief Lessons on Physics is a book about the joy of discovery. Rovelli offers a playful, entertaining, and mind-bending introduction to modern physics, offering surprising and surprisingly easy to grasp explanations of Einstein's general relativity, quantum mechanics, elementary particles, gravity, black holes, the complex architecture of the universe, and the role humans play in this weird and wonderful world. He takes us to the frontiers of our knowledge: to the most minute reaches of the fabric of space, back to the origins of the cosmos, and into the workings of our minds. Here, on the edge of what we know, in contact with the ocean of the unknown, shines the mystery and the beauty of the world, Rovelli writes. And it's breathtaking.
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Apostle Apostle: Travels Among the Tombs of the Twelve by Tom Bissell
[Pantheon Books, $28.95]
Peter, Matthew, Thomas, John: Who were these men? What was their relationship to Jesus? Bissell provides rich and surprising answers to these ancient, elusive questions. He examines not just who these men were (and weren't), but also how their identities have taken shape over the course of two millennia. Written with warmth, empathy, and rare acumen, Apostle is a brilliant synthesis of travel writing, biblical history, and a deep, lifelong relationship with Christianity. The result is an unusual, erudite, and at times hilarious book - a religious, intellectual, and personal adventure fit for believers, scholars, and wanderers alike.
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New for kids

We loved this book!
Meet the author at The Owl on March 15!
The Key to Extraordinary The Key to Extraordinary by Natalie Lloyd
[Scholastic Press, $16.99]
Everyone in Emma's family is special. Her ancestors include Revolutionary War spies, brilliant scientists, and famous musicians - every single one of whom learned of their extraordinary destiny through a dream.
For Emma, her own dream can't come soon enough. Right before her mother died, Emma promised that she'd do whatever it took to fulfill her destiny, and she doesn't want to let her mother down.
But when Emma's dream finally arrives, it points her toward an impossible task: finding a legendary treasure hidden in her town's cemetery. If Emma fails, she'll let down generations of extraordinary ancestors, including her own mother. But how can she find something that's been missing for centuries and might be protected by a mysterious singing ghost?
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by David Walliams, illustrated by Tony Ross
[HarperCollins, $16.99]
The UK's #1 bestselling children's author, David Walliams, bursts onto the American market with Demon Dentist - and this is one dentist appointment you don't want to miss.
Something strange is happening in Alfie's town. Instead of shiny coins from the Tooth Fairy, kids are waking up to dead slugs, live spiders, and other icky, terrible things under their pillows. Who would do something so horrific? Alfie is sure that Miss Root, the new dentist in town, is behind it all. There's nothing Alfie hates more than going to the dentist, but to solve this mystery, he may have to book an appointment... For ages 8-12.
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New storybooks

Hoot and Peep Hoot and Peep by Lita Judge
[Dial Books, $17.99]
Kate says: I instantly fell in love with Hoot and Peep! Having an older brother, I can relate to the story. I know what he's getting for his birthday this year! [read more]
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Dylan the VillainDylan the Villain by K. G. Campbell
[Viking Books for Young Readers, $17.99]
Kate says: As diabolically delicious as purple parsnip preserves!
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President Squid by Aaron Reynolds, illustrated by Sara Varon
President Squid [Chronicle Books, $16.99]
Squid knows all about being president. It means living in a big house, doing all the talking - oh, and having a tie is crucial. He's all set! Publishers Weekly said, "An antic extravaganza. Savvy readers will not miss the startling similarity between the megalomaniacal squid and a certain presidential candidate."
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"Make it a rule never to give a child a book you would not read yourself."
- George Bernard Shaw