November 25, 2008 
A special thank you to everyone who made the Autumn Community Book Week, our partnership event with Mallett school, such a success. Allan Sockabasin and Elizabeth Bluemle (pictured below left signing a book on Jammie night), the two authors who came and shared their books with the students, were both wonderful.  Reading specialist Vicki Foster, and principal Tracy Douglas were huge supports. Most of all though one wishes to thank Mallet's librarian. I can't recall who the Greek God or Goddess of Libraries was, some niece or nephew of Clio I imagine, but what is clear is that she walks the earth again in the form of the amazing Betsy Turcotte, (pictured across to the right on jammie night addressing the throng). What a fantastic job she did! All in all, by working together and pooling resources, we raised over $250.00 for the library, thrilled the kids, and had a great time doing it. You can't beat that."  
One other matter of moment is to mention two marvelous new reprints of classic Maine themed picture books by the beloved artist Dahlov Ipcar. I admit to being very fond of Ipcar's work. Her
One Horse Farm was a book I read and re read many times as a child. These two beautiful reprints by Maine's Islandport press are certainly treasures in their own right.
The Little Fisherman, by Good Night Moon author Marjorie Wise Brown is exquisite, and one can hardly avoid reusing that superlative on
My Wonderful Christmas Tree. One thing to note is that Islandport is long on quality and short on book industry technology. Their books are not registered on book industry databases, hence if you'd like a copy of either of these new books just Email us, we have plenty in stock!
Here they are! Our weekly picks for the two best: two hardcover, two paperback, and two children's books. The very best new arrivals to leap out of the box and onto our shelves this week. Call or email us if you want more information on any of these titles, or to have us hold you a copy. Or stop in and check them out in person. We'd love to see you. Thanks as always for sharing your reading with us! |
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Arctic Drift: A Dirk Pitt Novel, #20
By Cussler, Clive Cussler, Dirk 2008/12 - Putnam Adult 9780399155291 - Hardcover List Price $27.95 - Your Price: $22.36
The new Dirk Pitt novel, Arctic Drift, is out today. Clive Cussler's long running Dirk Pitt novels are likable and fun. A few novels back Clive brought his son Dirk into the franchise as a co-author. Bringing in the next generation to insure the longevity of the family business has stood contractors, plumbers, and electricians, in good stead over the years. Whether this is true for novelists as well remains to be seen. One is glad that the Cussler's are a close knit family to be sure, but truth to say having another Dirk on the cover of The Dirk Pitt novels is a bit distracting. One does in fact wish that Clive had gone the route of most family businesses, and used a Cussler and Sons type byline instead, sparing us the knowledge that he named his son after his main character. Oh well... ...More
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The Private Patient
By James, P. D. 2008/11 - Knopf Publishing Group 9780307270771 - Hardcover List Price $25.95 - Your Price: $20.76
The new Adam Daiglish Mystery, The Private Patient is out today! Unlike Clive Cussler, P.D. James did not name either of her two children Adam after her lead character. The fact that James had two daughters may have factored into that decision, but more likely James' impeccable taste and sound judgment played the leading role there....More
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A Thousand Splendid Suns
By Hosseini, Khaled 2008/11 - Riverhead Books 9781594483851 - Trade Paper List Price $16.00 - Your Price: $12.80
The publishing industry has a lot of truisms concerning the difficulty which highly popular first novelists have with their second novel. None of them applied to Khaled Hosseini's second novel A Thousand Splendid Suns. This novel by the author of the Kite Runner has if anything, exceeded its predecessor both in terms of sales and quality....More
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Exit Ghost
By Roth, Philip 2008/11 - Vintage Books USA 9780307387295 - Trade Paper List Price $14.95 - Your Price: $11.96
It is quite the week for new books in long standing literary series, as the final book in Philip Roth's acclaimed Zucherman series is out in paperback this week. Exit Ghost finishes what Roth began with The Ghost Writer began in 1979.
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Bee-Wigged
By Bell, Cece Bell, Cece 2008/11 - Candlewick Press (MA) 9780763636142 - Hardcover List Price $16.99 - Your Price: $13.59
All right, it's 5:15 and I'm still trying to put the newsletter to bed, but that doesn't mean that Bee-Wigged is going to get short shrift. (It may mean that the last book, do you love me? will get short shrift though.) In any case, Bee-Wigged is one of the funniest picture books I've ever read. It tells the tale of a bee who hopes to fit in at school by disguising himself with a wig. He wins everyone over until the wind blow his wig off, at which point his new friends start to flee. They are stopped in their tracks, however when the wig, which turns out to be a "very hairy guinea pig" named Wiglet, addresses them. After Wiglet's emotional appeal Jerry Bee, Wiglet, and all the human kids at the school agree to be friends together. Not only is Bee-Wigged side splittingly funny, but it's good message gets across with a great deal more stealth and strnegth than a serious approach could ever have mustered. ...More
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Long Shadows
By Hunter, Erin 2008/12 - HarperCollins 9780060892142 - Hardcover List Price $16.99 - Your Price: $13.59
Long Shadows, the latest installment of the enormously popular upper elementary to middle grade fantasy series, Warriors comes from a series so well established, and is itself so self assured, that it can deal with getting short shrift from a newsletter maker who needs to finish up and still make it over to the health food store for dinner ingredients before said store closes in fifteen minutes. Praise indeed!...More
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