Authors Andrew McAleer and Hank Phillippi Ryan
Thursday, October 25, 2007 at 07:00 PM
Join us for an evening of mystery. These two Massachusetts residents are coming to BookEnds to discuss the art of suspense! Each have written Bay state capers: McAleer is a well-respected author and has just published, with his father, a guide to writing mysteries; Ryan—the TV news reporter—is just starting her writing career with her second novel about a star reporter chasing leads on a murder case. ...More

Children’s Author Judy Judy Schachner
Sunday, October 28, 2007
Judy Schachnmer is the author of the Skippyjon Jones series, featuring a popular character for the preschooler. These humorous picture books follow the adventures of a kitten who thinks that he is a chihuahua in disguise. Ms. Judy Schachner is wonderfully entertaining, reading her stories with much drama in her beautiful Mexican accent, so be sure to stop by the store on this Sunday afternoon. ...More

Author Frank Delaney
Tuesday, November 27, 2007 at 07:00 PM

The author of Ireland, a well-reviewed historical novel, has just written a new book, Tipperary. Delaney himself is a native of Tipperary, and this story again enlivens Irish history with a much less sprawling plot. Set at the turn of the century, readers will fall in love with the main character and the lore that accompanied the emergence of a nation.

Some might say that October is the best month in New England the muggy days of summer are replaced with the crisp and colorful days of autumn, and the blistering cold days of winter are not even imaginable. We at BookEnds value this season for its literary excitement: the best of the best are debuting their novels as the holidays slowly creep closer. Russo and Patchett, Tavares and Willems these are just a few of the great authors who have just published new books. Below are some of our featured favorites, but come in soon to find a book that complements this wonderful season of glorious weather. ...More

Judy M. writes: Ursula Hegi’s Stones from the River was one of my all-time favorite novels. Her latest, The Worst Thing I've Done (1416543759), is equally riveting. Hegi’s strong characters engage in themes of friendship, premature death, love and suicide. It’s about a young woman, self-discovery and the aftermath of one horrible choice that changes everything. This story will hold your attention right to the last page!...More

Gretchen writes: In Alex von Tunzelmann’s Indian Summer: The Secret History of the End of an Empire (0805080732), “Indian summer” defines the period leading up to the birth, in 1947, of Pakistan and India as sovereign nations, ending 89 years of the British raj (rule). Oxford-educated von Tunzelmann has thoroughly researched her subject. As background for a dramatic story, she provides 50 pages of detailed notes, maps of the Indian subcontinent before and after partition, and even a glossary and short notes on Indian names and titles to illuminate the book for her readers. The “secret history” refers to revealing and often startling new material on both people and events that the author gleaned from recently accessible British and Indian archives. This is, indeed, a fascinating period with Lord Mountbatten, his wife Edwina (a striking and finally rather heroic personality), Prime Minister Nehru and Gandhi as the prime characters in a vividly told story that combines authoritative history-writing with a lively point of view....More

The subtitle of The Piano Shop on the Left Bank (0375758623) by Thad Carhart says it all: “Discovering a Forgotten Passion in a Paris Atelier.”  I renewed my acquaintance with this charming book after six years and found the return trip more than rewarding. Carhart discovers the shop during walks around his Parisian neighborhood and, fueled by curiosity and a most necessary introduction, he manages to gain admittance to the hitherto mysterious backroom filled with glorious old pianos. He soon becomes friends with the owner, Luc, who encourages him toward further musical exploration. Carhart kindly takes us along on this true story of fulfillment, through selecting his one special piano to mastering the process (and discipline) of playing his instrument. And then he reveals perhaps the greatest pleasure of all: learning how to use “internal concentration to know a part of what we call beauty.”  All this and Paris, too!...More

Dede writes: The characters in Ann Patchett’s new novel Run (0061340634) are so fully realized that the reader feels that it would be possible to chat with them at a family reunion. They are as complex and interesting and maddening as your own cousins and uncles. As a young couple, the Doyles are ambitious—he for political clout and she for children to fill their big brownstone in Boston's South End. He becomes Mayor of Boston, and they have three smart, lively boys at home. When the young mother dies, the family is grief-stricken. Doyle is determined to raise the children with all the love and care that their mother would have wished. When their eldest, a dangerously disaffected young teenager, is the driver in a fatal car accident, Mayor Doyle sabotages his own political career in a cover-up. He is then absorbed into the lives of his two young sons, African-American brothers adopted as babies, and has fierce love and pride in their accomplishments. A second accident, when these boys are young adults, is fateful. It is at once startling and inevitable that their birth mother is involved—another loss for the boys, and, at last, a gift. Parental love and expectations, and the bond between siblings are explored in the beautiful novel with Ann Patchett’s own keen insight and compassion....More

Another family saga from popular Australian novelist Monica McInerny, The Faraday Girls (0345490231) brings the reader to Tasmania. (I looked it up on the map!) The family migrates from Great Britain following the dreams of their botanist/inventor/ eccentric father, Leo. When their mother dies suddenly, the five sisters grow up mothering their niece, Maggie. Family dynamics are dramatic with five differing personalities and talents, and their loyalties to each other wax and wane from week to week, year to year. The story moves from Tasmania to Great Britain and Ireland as Leo hits it big with one of his inventions, and you will keep turning the pages quickly to keep up with their fortunes. This writer has a talent similar to Maeve Binchy’s. An absorbing read, one of our customers came in a few days ago to say that her sister said it was “the best book!”...More

Alice writes: First, I need to second Dede’s review of Patchett’s novel. It’s wonderful from the first page to the last. Patchett is extremely talented, and this book shouldn’t be missed.

Also, I love Richard Russo unconditionally. Although I will be the first to admit that his books tend to roll around the same themes featuring many comparable characters, there is absolutely no reason not to read all of them and adore each story. His new book, Bridge of Sighs (0375414959), is no exception to the rule. His mastery of characterization is beyond commendable, and his ability to make readers fall in love with the people in his stories makes us race through his novels. Set in Thomaston, N.Y., where a tannery’s runoff is slowly spreading carcinogenic ruin, this novel centers on Lou C. Lynch. With humor and empathy, the story moves back and forth between childhood memories and present day, unveiling a quintessential “Main Street” town. Mainly it is Lou who narrates, for he is writing a memoir, a sentimental testament to a town he loves and the people who have formed his personality. Through the history of the people and place, Russo touches on family dynamics, on economic and racial struggles, on friendship and loyalties.

Ann Packer is the kind of author whom readers of Jodi Picoult, Anita Shreve, Jane Hamilton and Alice Sebold would love. She packs (no pun intended) an emotional punch in stories framed around strong female characters. Packer’s debut novel, The Dive from Clausen’s Pier, was extremely popular, and her latest, Song without Words (0375412816) follows a similar tale of friendship between women. Liz and Sarabeth were childhood friends, now grown and leading very different lives—Liz is a suburban housewife, and Sarabeth is an artsy, urban single woman—although they maintain a strong connection. As a teenager, Sarabeth had moved in with Liz’s family after her mother committed suicide. When a similar tragedy strikes Liz’s family decades later, their friendship is tested as well as Liz’s relationship to her own family. Packer’s strength as a writer lies in her ability to relay the emotions of characters, and, as in a good movie, I felt my moods swinging up and down as I raced through the novel....More

Pat writes: Daniel Kirk’s Library Mouse (0810993465) is a colorful picture book about a little mouse who writes books. Living in a little hole in the wall behind the children’s reference books, Sam has a very good life. Asleep during the day, while the library is filled with people, he wakes at night to read and read and read. One day he decides to write a book himself. He shares the books with the library’s visitors until the time comes when they want to meet the author. Whatever was Sam to do? With a surprising ending, Sam is able to share his love of books and writing with the children in the library. This is a good story to read aloud to children in primary school as it encourages them to write and illustrate stories themselves....More

Any child who has a very special soft and furry friend should have read the popular book by Mo Willems, Knuffle Bunny. In the new Knuffle Bunny Too (1423102991), a cautionary tale, Trixie is now in Pre-K, but she still has her much-loved and one of a kind “Knuffle Bunny.” Walking to school with Dad, Trixie is excited to share her Knuffle Bunny with her new friends. Upon arriving at school, Trixie discovers that her classmate, Sonia, also has a Knuffle Bunny. Unfortunately the Knuffle Bunnies spend the day in the teacher’s cupboard. That evening, when bedtime arrives, Trixie cuddles up, ready for sleep, with her animal. In the middle of the night she realizes something is terribly wrong—this is not her bunny! Colorful cartoon-like illustrations superimposed on photographs of New York make this a fun read-aloud for preschool aged children....More

Judy H. writes: Ivan the Terrier (1416912479) by Peter Catalanotto chronicles the adventures of Ivan, a dog who keeps interrupting the narrator as he tries to tell a fairy tale. The narrator unsuccessfully attempts to relay the stories of the three billy goats, the three bears, the three pigs, and other classic fairy tales but is rudely interrupted by Ivan.  What Ivan does to the story of the gingerbread man—well, you have to see it to believe it!!!! This is a great story for the young dog lovers.

In The Lonely Moose (1423101731) by John Segal, a moose, who is living alone in the forest, finds companionship when he saves and nurses back to health an injured bird. During the spring, as a forest fire is raging, the bird takes off, leaving the moose all by himself again. Kids and parents will love the ending to this colorfully illustrated picture book.

For the early elementary school reader, a new novel is out in the “Hoofbeat” series. Silence and Lily: 1773 (0525478523) by Kathleen Duey is set before the start of the American Revolution and tells the story of Silence, the daughter of a wealthy Boston merchant, and her beloved mare, Lily. In the novel, the tension between the colonies and King George mounts, resulting in the famous Tea Party. These events cause much turmoil in Silence’s family as does the mystery of who has been riding Lily secretly at night. This is an excellent historical fiction book which gives a realistic portrayal of the fear and confusion the colonists experienced in trying to decide whether to remain loyal to the Crown or to side with the rebels....More

Marilyn writes: In The Book of Time (043988375X), Guillaume Prevost has created a fast-paced adventure, the first book in a planned trilogy. Sam Faulkner’s father is missing. It’s not the first time it’s happened, but he’s never been gone this long before—at least not as far as Sam knows. While searching the basement of his dad’s antiquarian bookstore for clues, Sam discovers a hidden room containing an old book, a strange coin and an even stranger statue that transports him to medieval Iona just in time for a Viking invasion; to France during WWI; to ancient Egypt, and to Renaissance Brussels. The book ends with Sam’s discovery of a message from his father. The story will appeal to older elementary and middle school students who will surely anticipate the next book eagerly....More