What's New On the Shelves...rainy week edition

It's raining , it's pouring, the old man is snoring...

Well maybe he wouldn't be if he had a good book this week!  Here is what has hit our shelves recently.

Cozies for weather that calls for "cozy"

Fundraising the Dead By Sheila Connolly

At The Society for the Preservation of Pennsylvania Antiques, fundraiser Eleanor "Nell" Pratt solicits donations-and sometimes solves crimes. When a collection of George Washington's letters is lost on the same day that an archivist is found dead, it seems strange that the Society president isn't pushing for an investigation. Nell goes digging herself, and soon uncovers a long, rich history of crime.

Pinned for Murder By Elizabeth Lynn Casey

The members of South Carolina's Sweet Briar Ladies Society sewing circle are as loyal and close-knit as the day is long. But when the richest and meanest woman in town turns up murdered, the new Yankee librarian Tori Sinclair finds that some threads can bind dangerously tight.

Todd's pick for staying HOME
 

At Home; A Short History of Private Life By Bill Bryson
Bill Bryson and his family live in a Victorian parsonage in a part of England where nothing of any great significance has happened since the Romans decamped. Yet one day, he began to consider how very little he knew about the ordinary things of life as he found it in that comfortable home. To remedy this, he formed the idea of journeying about his house from room to room to “write a history of the world without leaving home.” The bathroom provides the occasion for a history of hygiene; the bedroom, sex, death, and sleep; the kitchen, nutrition and the spice trade; and so on, as Bryson shows how each has fig­ured in the evolution of private life. Whatever happens in the world, he demonstrates, ends up in our house, in the paint and the pipes and the pillows and every item of furniture.



And a little something to make the rain go away (at least in your head)

Happy Reading!

Review: The Search for WondLa

The Search for WondLa
by Tony DiTerlizzi (creator of Spiderwick Chronicles)
Simon & Schuster
Genre: YA Fantasy

Take a little bit of "The Wizard of Oz" and "Alice in Wonderland", toss in some "Star Wars" and "Planet of the Apes", mix well by a talented writer and you'll have an idea of this book. From the fantastic mind of Tony DiTerlizzi, creator of the Spiderwick Chronicles, this is the first of a three part series.

The story concerns a twelve-year-old girl, Eva Nine, who has been raised in an underground sanctuary by a robot named Muthr. When a vicious hunter destroys the sanctuary in search of Eva, she is forced to go above ground for the first tie in her life. Up there, she finds odd creatures, but no one like her. She sets off across the land to find other humans. With the help of kind, though strange, friends, she runs for her life from the hunter and heads for the badlands where it is rumored she may find other humans.

Mr. DiTerlizzi is a master craftsman with this genre. His characterizations, world building, and settings are so well done, you believe there may actually be a world like this one. The story flows well and is enjoyable from page one to the last chapter. According to the information accompanying this pre-pub copy, there will also be an interactive web site so readers can journey along with Eva and her friends, just the sort of thing any young tween would like.

If there are any drawbacks at all for me, it is that the last page leaves you dangling. This is definitely not a stand alone book and it will be necessary to get the other books to finish the story, a marketing ploy that continually frustrates me. But other than this minor, and not unexpected, issue, I highly recommend The Search for WondLa. I am definitely looking forward to the others.

~Vicky Burkholder

New On Our Shelves- NonFiction Edition

Our semi-weekly blog about what is new and interesting on our shelves.

The World in 2050; Four Forces Shaping Civilization's Northern FutureBy Laurence C. Smith
A vivid forecast of our planet in the year 2050 by a rising star in geoscience, distilling cutting-edge research into four global forces: demographic trends, natural resource demand, climate change, and globalization. The World in 2050 combines the lessons of geography and history with state-of-the-art model projections and analytical data-everything from climate dynamics and resource stocks to age distributions and economic growth projections. But Smith offers more than a compendium of statistics and studies- he spent fifteen months traveling the Arctic Rim, collecting stories and insights that resonate throughout the book.   Packed with stunning photographs, original maps, and informative tables, this is the most authoritative, balanced, and compelling account available of the world of challenges and opportunities that we will leave for our children.

Even Silence Has an End; My Six Years of Captivity in the Colombian Jungle
By Ingrid Betancourt
Ingrid Betancourt tells the story of her captivity in the Colombian jungle, sharing powerful teachings of resilience, resistance, and faith.  Born in Bogotá, raised in France, Ingrid Betancourt at the age of thirty-two gave up a life of comfort and safety to return to Colombia to become a political leader in a country that was being slowly destroyed by terrorism, violence, fear, and a pervasive sense of hopelessness. In 2002, while campaigning as a candidate in the Colombian presidential elections, she was abducted by the FARC. Nothing could have prepared her for what came next. She would spend the next six and a half years in the depths of the jungle as a prisoner of the FARC. Even Silence Has an End is her deeply personal and moving account of that time. Chained day and night for much of her captivity, she never stopped dreaming of escape and, in fact, succeeded in getting away several times, always to be recaptured. In her most successful effort she and a fellow captive survived a week away, but were caught when her companion became desperately ill; she learned later that they had been mere miles from freedom.

The Accidental Billionaires By Ben Mezrich (new paperback edition)
“The Social Network, the much anticipated movie…adapted from Ben Mezrich’s book The Accidental Billionaires.” —The New York Times

Best friends Eduardo Saverin and Mark Zuckerberg had spent many lonely nights looking for a way to stand out among Harvard University’s elite, comptetitive, and accomplished student body. Then, in 2003, Zuckerberg hacked into Harvard’s computers, crashed the campus network, almost got himself expelled, and was inspired to create Facebook, the social networking site that has since revolutionized communication around the world.  With Saverin’s funding their tiny start-up went from dorm room to Silicon Valley. But conflicting ideas about Facebook’s future transformed the friends into enemies. Soon, the undergraduate exuberance that marked their collaboration turned into out-and-out warfare as it fell prey to the adult world of venture capitalists, big money, lawyers.

A Family of Readers; The Book Lover's Guide to Children's and Young Adult Literature By Roger Sutton (Editor); Martha V. Parravano (Editor)

A must have for every teacher, librarian, and parent of a young reader!

Two of the most trusted reviewers in the field join with top authors, illustrators, and critics in a definitive guide to choosing books for children—and nurturing their love of reading. A FAMILY OF READERS is the definitive resource for parents interested in enriching the reading lives of their children. It’s divided into four sections:

1. Reading to Them
2. Reading with Them
3. Reading on Their Own
4. Leaving Them Alone
Roger Sutton knows how and why children read. He must, as the editor in chief of THE HORN BOOK, which since 1924 has been America’s best source for reviews of books for young readers. But for many parents, selecting books for their children can make them feel lost. Now, in this essential resource, Roger Sutton and Martha V. Parravano, executive editor at the magazine, offer thoughtful essays that consider how books are read to (and then by) young people. They invite such leading authors and artists as Maurice Sendak, Katherine Paterson, Margaret Mahy, and Jon Scieszka, as well as a selection of top critics, to add their voices about the genres they know best. The result is an indispensable readers’ companion to everything from wordless board books to the most complex and daring young adult novels.

...and now for some lighter fair (well, not for those that are trying to cut down on calories!)

Tea and Cookies; Enjoy the Perfect Cup of Tea--with Dozens of Delectable Recipes for Teatime Treats
By Rick Rodgers

In Tea and Cookies, acclaimed cookbook author Rick Rodgers celebrates this time-honored combination of beverage and dessert, offering delicious hot and cold tea varieties as well as sweet things to nibble on between sips. Rodgers starts with tea, revealing its rich history and demystifying the process of preparing the perfect cup—from choosing the right tea leaves to the proper steeping times for every flavor. Here, too, are an array of recipes, from the indulgent Orange Spice Tea and Rooibos Hot Cocoa to the refreshing Mango Tea Slush and Peachy Iced Tea Cooler.  Rodgers then provides dozens of recipes for whipping up the perfect accompaniments, including international delicacies like French madeleines and macarons and Scottish shortbread; elegant varieties such as Chocolate Sandwich Cookies with Earl Grey Ganache; and tearoom treats like Pistachio Meringues and Currant Cream Scones.  Whether you are serving a large group of friends, preparing a quiet tea for two, or indulging in a personal treat, this book will guide you through the perfect pairings of tea and cookies.


HAPPY READING!

Celebrate Your fREADom!

Throughout the country, children have started a new academic year and teachers are sending out their lists of required readings, with parents beginning to gather books. In some cases, classics including “The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn,” “The Catcher in the Rye,” and “To Kill a Mockingbird,” will not be included in curriculum or available in school libraries due to challenges made by parents or administrators. In recent years a school district in our own region faced challenges to books presented in the high school classroom.


Aaron’s Books supports the right of every person in our community to choose books freely for themselves, and we are proud join a national awareness campaign known as Banned Books Week (Sept. 25 through Oct 2). Since its inception in 1982, Banned Books Week has reminded the nation that while not every book is intended for every reader, each of us has the right to decide for ourselves what to read or view.

Since 1990, the American Library Association (ALA) has recorded more than 10,000 book challenges, including 513 in 2008 and 460 in 2009. The ALA estimates the actual number of challenges is four times higher. A challenge is a formal, written complaint requesting a book be removed from library shelves or school curriculum. Approximately three out of every four challenges are to material in schools or school libraries, while the rest are to material in public libraries.

It is thanks to the commitment of librarians, teachers, parents, and students that most challenges are unsuccessful and reading materials like “I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings,” “Slaughterhouse-Five,” and “The Kite Runner” remain available in public and school libraries.

The most challenged and/or restricted reading materials have been books for children. However, challenges are not simply an expression of a point of view; on the contrary, they are an attempt to remove materials from public use, thereby restricting the access of others. Even if the motivation to ban or challenge a book is well intentioned, the outcome is detrimental. Censorship denies our freedom as individuals to choose and think for ourselves.

Aaron’s Books and thousands of libraries and bookstores across the country will celebrate the freedom to read by participating in special events, exhibits, and read-outs that showcase books that have been banned or threatened. We encourage citizens to visit their libraries this week and check out a banned or challenged book. We have our own display of recently banned or challenged books in the store.

In addition to ALA, the national sponsors of Banned Books Week are: the American Booksellers Association, the American Booksellers Foundation for Free Expression, the American Society of Journalists and Authors, the Association of American Publishers, and the National Association of College Stores. The Library of Congress Center for the Book endorses the observance.

As Lancaster County’s full service family owned independent bookstore we are happy to support our local and county libraries. Because libraries provide free access to a world of information, they bring opportunity to all people. They are also the strongest defenders against censorship in all forms. Read a book, support your library, and celebrate your freedom.

Be sure to check out our FaceBook page during Banned Books Week.  We'll be highlighting one of the most challenged books in 2009 & 2010 each day.

Here are some Banned Books Week Resources~
http://www.bannedbooksweek.org/info.html
http://bannedbooksweek.org/Mapofbookcensorship.html
http://www.ala.org/ala/issuesadvocacy/banned/bannedbooksweek/index.cfm

http://www.ala.org/ala/issuesadvocacy/banned/bannedbooksweek/ideasandresources/free_downloads/index.cfm

Review- Holy Ghosts by Gary Jansen

Holy Ghosts Or, How a (Not-So) Good Catholic Boy Became a Believer in Things That Go Bump inthe Night
By Gary Jansen
(Tarcher, Hardcover, 9781585428199, 224pp.)

"Holy Ghosts" is a true story about one man's journey to find a link between his religion and the paranormal. It is also a ghost story - a real ghost story.

Gary Jansen, a respected editor and writer, is not given to flights of fancy, but the events of his life would strain even the most skeptical of us. Growing up in Long Island, his mother often claimed their home was haunted. He wasn't sure he believed her, but strange things did seem to happen in the house. When he moved back into his family home in 2001, he had to accept that the odd occurrences were real. By 2007, he knew he had to do something. His son refused to go into his room, and both Gary and his wife had experienced strange incidents in house.

Through friends, he contacted Mary Ann Winkowski, the inspiration for TVs "The Ghost Whisperer." With her help, he rid his home of the two very real ghosts living there.

This is a wry, sometimes funny, sometimes frightening look at the paranormal and how it relates to the Catholic religion. It is a ghost story, but it is also a a deeply religious memoir of Gary trying to understand the place of spirits and the afterlife in respect to his faith.

This is a relatively short, quickly read, excellently written book for anyone searching for the link between life, death, religion, and what happens next. Recommended for anyone with an interest in religion and/or ghosts.

~Vicky