Happy Holidays to all! It’s a hectic but often fun time of year; please let us help you relax with our knowledgeable and friendly staff. Come into the store or log onto our website to find just the right gift for each and every one of your family and friends. We have created lists of our favorite non-fiction and fiction books, so we’re hopeful that we can match the right title with your reader. Not only do we have the novels you need, we also have a lot of great gifts—ornaments, bookends, candles, decorations, magnets, notecards, calendar… Call us, email us or stop by to find the one place for your holiday shopping needs. We’d love to help, and we have many suggestions. The following are just a few…   

Dede writes: Light from Heaven (0670034533) is the last title in Jan Karon’s beloved Mitford series, and she has not lost her touch.  Father Tim and Cynthia are now house-sitting at a farm and even though he is “retired,” there is lots for him to do and lots of problems to be solved. The author’s trademark humor and sympathy is intact, so if you like this series, you will not be disappointed.

For a very special and beautiful gift, consider The Times Concise Atlas of the World (0007157290) . This is a big book—but not awkwardly so—and easy to use. Now fully revised and updated, this is a useful reference. We all need to know more about our complicated world.

We have just unpacked P.D. James’ new mystery The Lighthouse (030726291X). The review in Publishers’ Weekly concludes that “each new Dalgliesh novel should be treated as a gift by mystery fans everywhere.”

Finally, I can’t think of anyone who would not like to receive Billy Collins’ new book, The Trouble with Poetry (03755503822X). 

Alice writes: I have long been a fan of Kurt Vonnegut and have just finished his most recent book, A Man Without a Country (158322713X). In this collection of his short essays and speeches composed over the last five years and illustrated throughout with his artwork, Vonnegut is both angry and funny, thoughtful and light about the state of our nation and the world. Now 82, he sometimes waxes a little Michael Moore-ish and a bit conversational, but if you like Vonnegut, I think you’ll like this short book.

We cannot keep David Halberstam’s The Education of a Coach (1401301541) in the store. Bill Belichick has worked in the NFL for 31 years, a career marked by amazing achievements. In a book that takes a new look at the coach, Halberstam explores the nuances of both the game and the man behind it. One customer said that he had read it in a night and that it was the perfect gift for anyone. Although I would think you’d need to be interested in football to enjoy this book, that’s a powerful promotion.

I can’t think of a better small gift than Sudoku. While you run the risk of creating an addict, there are worse things to be strung out on. The craze has already attacked the nation, so aren’t you a little bit curious? We have calendars, books and how-to manuals—check them out. A good place to start is with the handwritten puzzles of varied difficulty: Original Sudoku (0761142150).

Finally, next up, on Tuesday, December 13^th from 7-8 p.m., we will be reading Lan Samantha Chang’s Inheritance (0393327116). The novel begins in 1925 when Chanyi, the narrator’s grandmother, goes to get her fortune told—a reading that will precipitate her suicide. Her daughters, Junan and Yinan, vow never to leave each other. However, when the Japanese invade in the ‘30s, Junan is separated from her soldier husband, and Yinan goes to take care of him. This is a decision that’s repercussions will trickle down to the next generation. As in Jung Chang’s Wild Swans (0743246985), this novel follows the women in a Chinese family as their lives become entwined in political and social chaos. Set both in China and the U.S., L.S. Chang—who won awards for her first book and is the director of the Iowa Writer’s Workshop—paints a picture of a family burned by betrayal over many generations. Haunting and engaging, her beautifully-written story explores the limitations of love and culture.

Eric writes: The science fiction/western Serenity was one of the best movies I’ve seen recently, and Serenity: The Official Visual Companion (1845760824) certainly lives up to that standard.  It is mainly made up of the shooting script, which includes conception art, deleted scenes, storyboards and movie stills. What makes this guide excellent is the massive interview with the movie’s creator, Joss Whedon (who has done everything from Toy Story to Buffy the Vampire Slayer).  I recommend this guide and the movie to anyone who loves strong characters who carry the plot and excellent writing that easily and smoothly blends serious with humorous and fantastic with contemporary.

FROM THE CHILDREN’S ROOM:

Pat writes: In Adam Relf’s Fox Makes Friends (1402727569), Little Fox decides he needs a friend. Taking his mother's advise, he sets out to make one—but not in the usual way. Through full-page, charming and colorful illustrations, we discover how Fox makes the best friends he could ever imagine. This is a truly delightful, fun story for the young preschool child with a lesson about making friends.

Raymond Briggs’ The Snowman (039489730) is a wonderful book for every New England child’s library. This classic, award-winning book is dressed in a new glittering cover. Even a preschooler can read this story because it is told without a single word!  It is the adventure of a youngster and the snowman he built in his yard one night while his parents were cozy and warm in their bed. But was the adventure real or just a dream? 

Holly Keller, the author/illustrator of Farfallina & Marcel (0064438724), has a new book. Sophie’s Window (006056282x) is about a little pigeon, Caruso, who is terrified to fly. A gust of wind suddenly sweeps him from his safe little home, high into the sky, where he eventually lands on the window sill of another building blocks away.  He makes friends with a kind and helpful pooch named Sophie who lives there.  Sophie helps by carrying Caruso back to his rooftop coop.  Time passes, and one day Sophie again discovers Caruso on her window sill, this time from his own power. Perfect for the preschool to primary school aged child, this story is about friends, trust and timing.

Caralyn Buehner’s Snowmen at Christmas (0803729952) is a perfect snowy-evening read-aloud. Reintroducing the snowpeople from Snowmen at Night, in this book the snowmen and women venture out at night while everyone is asleep. The townspeople are preparing to gather in the town square to visit Santa Claus. With the text in rhyme and the illustrations in an evening blue with a moonlight glow, this picture book is fun Christmas-time reading.

Marilyn writes: Penelope in Winter (0439673607) by Anne Gutman is my favorite new children’s interactive book. This bright, colorful book has pull tabs that are easy to operate. You, or your favorite young person, can help Penelope dress warmly to play outside, build a snowman, ride a sled, go skiing and (whew!) get ready for bed. Halfway through, I knew I had to get a copy for my three year old grandaughter!

The Penderwicks (0375831436) by Jeanne Birdsall is a charmingly old fashioned story with modern details. Four distinctively different sisters and their botanist father head off for a summer holiday they will never forget. There are adventures, friendships, rescues, computers, Latin, rabbits and more. This year’s recipient of the National Book Award, this is a wonderful story for boys and girls aged eight to twelve.

Student reviewer Perry D. raved about Birdwing (0439211670) by Rafe Martin. She writes, “I loved it. It takes a very old story and brings it to life, with memorable characters, action and humor. Birdwing is not just your average fairytale. There is an old, little known Brothers Grimm story in which seven boys are turned into swans. Their sister pays a high price to save them, but when the curse is lifted, the youngest boy remains part swan...He wishes he were a normal boy, but when his father decides to remove Ardwin's swan wing, he runs away and embarks on a grand adventure, looking for his place in the world.”  Recommended for readers aged twelve and up.

Judy H, writes: If you are looking for a great family book for Christmas, Caroline Kennedy’s A Family of Poems (0786851112) is a terrific choice. Her selection of poems, poets and illustrations makes this collection of verses a perfect gift for the family.

Walter Wick’s Night Before Christmas (0439769272) is the newest book in his series of Can You See What I See books. The photographic illustrations depict traditional Christmas scenes and items: elves, Santas, sleighs, angels, sugar plums and more.  This is a fun book of photographic puzzles for preschool to third grade children.

A Northern Light (0152053107) by Jennifer Donnelly is a historical fiction book based on an actual murder. Set in 1906 in upstate New York, the novel blends elements of romance and mystery. The story line explores the hardships and limited opportunities young girls and women experienced at the start of the twentieth century. This beautifully written work is appropriate for adults and high school aged students.