B&N Recommends

Haunting story about first love and being the newcomer in a small southern town.  The residents of Civil War memorial, DAR and buttermilk pie Gatlin South Carolina don't like anything or anyone who messes with their way of life.  When creepy Macon Ravenswood's niece Lena comes to town and lives with him in the "haunted mansion" she doesn't stand a chance of fitting in.  Ethan Carter Wate has spent his young life trying to get out of Gatlin but feels strangely drawn to Lena.  Could they have a shared past and possible future?  Did I mention it is also a ghost story... Things fall apart pretty fast waiting for Lena's 16th birthday which in her family means life altering changes.  Beautiful Creatures is well written and deals with Romeo and Juliet teen angst without language, drugs and adult behavior issues- perfect for younger teens and even adults who love a good love story. 

Gaiman's book is perfect for getting into the Halloween mood. This Newbery Award winner is an amazing book for young readers and adults. The book tells the coming-of-age story of Nobody Owens (Bod), whose family was murdered when he was just a baby. Baby Bod managed to escape by toddling out of his crib, up the street, and into the local graveyard, whose ghostly residents took him in to save his life. They grant him the Protection of the Graveyard, which allows him to learn how to disappear into shadow, slide through solid objects, and even haunt peoples' dreams. As Bod grows up, however, the residents of the graveyard stay as they are, and Bod realizes that he does not truly belong among either the dead or the living.

The Graveyard Book was inspired partially by Rudyard Kipling's The Jungle Book  -- both tell the stories of young boys cast out of human societies and raised by others, and both Bod and Mowgli struggle to find their places in the world. But The Graveyard Book is about more than just a quest for identity: it is also about friendship, and taking risks, and learning from your mistakes, and yes, about death. However, since Bod was raised in a graveyard by a family of ghosts, death is not scary for him. When his caretaker, Silas, tries to convince Bod that he must start attending school with the living, Bod remarks, "But everyone I know is dead." This familiarity with death takes away the scariness of it, and may be useful in opening a dialogue about a difficult subject between parents and children.

I heartily recommend The Graveyard Book for adults and children alike. (The 8-12 age group should be able to handle the themes and the few "scary" scenes.) Author Neil Gaiman's strengths are creating enchanting new worlds and engaging, memorable characters, and his skill in these areas is what will draw all readers in. Even a graveyard becomes a home full of eccentric family members from various historical eras, and even a boy raised among the dead learns to embrace life. The Graveyard Book is not a book you want to miss!

When first told to try the Southern Vampire Series, I was skeptical at first since I had heard about a show on HBO (True Blood) based on them and it didn't really seem like "my thing." I was so wrong! Dead Until Dark is the first of 9 (for now) books by Charlaine Harris about the feisty heroine, Sookie Stackhouse. It took me less than one day to finish and I bought all of the rest the next day so I didn't have to wait for the next book should I finish while the bookstore was closed for the night. This book (and the rest that followed) were laugh-out-loud funny! Sookie is such a dynamic character and she fills the pages with uproarious wit and stubborn panache. Her exploits, while firmly in the realm of fantasy, are so well-written that I felt as though I was right there with her, tending tables at Merlotte's.

The premise behind the Southern Vampire Series is also part of the appeal of the novels. While reading vampire novels in the past, I have always wondered what it would be like if the vampires were no longer condemned to the hidden underworld. Charlaine Harris begins her first novel of the series by answering this very question. In the series, vampires have just "come out of the coffin" due to the invention of synthetic blood. Since they have synthetic blood, they do not need to be a danger to humans and announce themselves to the world. Sookie sees the announcement on television and her bar, Merlotte's begins to carry True Blood, just in case. Sookie meets her first vampire when he comes into the bar for a drink and is drawn into the vampires' no-longer-hidden world due to her own abilities as a psychic and her blossoming relationship with the small town's very own resident bloodsucker.

Dead Until Dark combines so many elements of fiction, I recommend it to everyone. If you are looking for humor, fantasy, romance, drama, or just something new to try, I very highly recommend trying out Dead Until Dark. In the style of truly entertaining reading, it is extremely addictive and very hard to put down so beware! Should you wind up hooked on them as myself and so many others, the next books are Living Dead in Dallas (Sookie Stackhouse / Southern Vampire Series #2),  Club Dead (Sookie Stackhouse / Southern Vampire Series #3),  Dead to the World (Sookie Stackhouse / Southern Vampire Series #4),  Dead As a Doornail (Sookie Stackhouse / Southern Vampire Series #5),  Definitely Dead (Sookie Stackhouse / Southern Vampire Series #6),  All Together Dead (Sookie Stackhouse / Southern Vampire Series #7) , From Dead to Worse (Sookie Stackhouse / Southern Vampire Series #8), and  Dead and Gone (Sookie Stackhouse / Southern Vampire Series #9) .

If you enjoyed the suspense of The Hunger Games and Catching Fire, then you will love this book. 

Set in the future, Thomas wakes up in a metal enclosure and when he comes out into the world, he finds himself in the middle of a glade, surrounded by a maze.  The boys that surround him speak in a slang he finds awkward and bizarre. The walls move at night mechanical bugs watch their every move. The Grievers that run through the maze at night are terrifying. The intensity of the boys passion to leave the glade prison makes him sure that he wants to be a maze runner.  There is no way out that anyone can tell, but when a strange girl is sent through the same box that brought Thomas, and the supplies are cut off, the kids know they have little time to try and fight their way to freedom, even if it means someone else has to die to do it.

This book had me reading late into the night.  The beginning of a new series,  I highly recommend this book. 

This year Edgar Allan Poe turned 200.  What better way to celebrate the author who truly started the Horror and Detective genres than by reading his tales and poems. 

These two collection are the top of The Eerie Coterie's List for Poe books.  The first is a brand new collection of some of his most famous tales and poems of the macabre, where the latter is the definitive collection of his entire work.  It is hefty so you may want to look into the Vintage Trade edition for your pocket and keep the larger volume at home to peruse.

Happy Birthday Edgar Allan Poe (1809-2009) and Happy Halloween to all.

If you were to mix Dickens with a shot of Twain, and economize the amount of words, you would get something like this.  It is, oversimply, a gothic tale of an orphan searching for answers to his mysterious past - most notably, his missing hand.  On his journey, he encounters con men, petty thieves, grave robbers, and a mousetrap factory.  It is a joy to read, a treasure of the best kind.

Some of you may have seen my posts about Sookie Stackhouse and the Southern Vampire Novels. This is the most recent addition to the collection. Be aware before you get too excited: this is a collection of short stories already published in various anthologies!  Nevertheless, I am a diehard fan of the series (aka I cannot WAIT for more!) and loved getting to stave off my craving for a little longer. The wait between books can sometimes feel like forever so a little extra Sookie was nice. That being said, if you're NOT a diehard fan just looking for every last little bit of Sookie you can get, this will probably not be satisfying for you. The stories are pretty short (even as short stories go) and don't really have much to them. They feel more like deleted scenes from previous books (which I happen to like to watch in movies so that works for me). It fills in some interesting tidbits. You get to see when Sookie first hears about (and then meets) Claude. You also get to see her first encounter with Mr. Cataliades and her first run-in with the Queen of Louisiana. There's also a little bit of Bubba (and who doesn't love that?) and some insight into Eric's personality. There's also a part where you realize that Niall actually is a pretty cool guy to have as a great-grandfather (if a bit unconventional in the way he handles Christmas gifts...).

All in all I liked it a whole lot but will tailor my recommendation just for people who feel the same way I do about picking up every little bit possible. Enjoy these deleted scenes and I'll be back in May when the next book comes out!

PS - The short story collections are Wolfsbane and Mistletoe,  Many Bloody Returns,  Bite,  Unusual Suspects, and  Powers of Detection.

Where would we be without Opus?  Or Steve Dallas?  Or the hair-ball producing, electric-tongue playing Bill the Cat?  Our lives would have far less laughter.  Berkeley Breathed debuted his political send-up strip in the Washington Post on December 8, 1980, with the famous "Whopper, hold the bun" strip - and we never looked back.  Bloom County ran until 1989 and spawned two offshoots - Outland and Opus - and several picture books but the strip was never published in its entirety.  Until now.  Volume 1 contains all the strips in chronological order from the debut to September 26, 1982; Volume 2 is in the works for Spring 2010 and more volumes are expected.  I carted my precious Volume 1 home the day it came in and spent a the entire evening (night) chortling over Milo hunting Commies, aka ducks, with his Grandpa, Steve Dallas's inept womanizing, and Bobbi's attempts to control her classroom.  Breathed takes all the 80s cliches and politics and throws them back at you - no holds barred.  What makes the Complete Library extra-special are the margin notes provided by Breathed pointing out little tidbits and asides (he'll tell you where Milo got his hame) and the inclusion of some strips from The Academia Waltz, Breathed's strip for The Daily Texan at UT-Austin.  This is my all-time favorite comic-strip; I was too young to appreciate Milo and the gang when they were in the paper but fell in love with the wacky crew through Bloom County Babylon and Billy and the Boingers Bootleg.  Now I get to read the strips not included in previous Bloom County collections and I couldn't be happier.  This is the perfect addition to any comic-strip aficionado's collection. 

Whenever someone asks me what the best book I've read this year is, I answer with The Hunger Games. In Katniss Everdeen's world, which is set in a not-so-different future, America has come to be run by a totalitarian government, and has simply been divided into thirteen districts. The people of Katniss's District 12 live mostly in poverty, thanks to the legend of District 13. The story goes that District 13 tried to rebel against the government, which then nuked the entire district. In order to keep the remaining twelve districts from trying anything similar, the government came up with the Hunger Games.

Every year, all children from the ages of 12-18 must enter their name in the Reaping. One boy and one girl from each district are selected at random to participate as tributes in the Hunger Games, in which all twenty-four children must fight to the death in a diabolical stadium. The Games are all broadcast live, and they don't end until there is only one child left alive. The prize for winning? Food, wealth, and a sturdy home for the winner and their family for the rest of their life. Poor children can enter their names into the Reaping more than once for an extra rations of food, making their chances of being picked even greater -- but the risk is worth it, since the government controls the trade of food between districts so tightly. The Games are a symbol of the government's power to the people of the districts, but to those who live in the Capitol (a place of great wealth, vanity, and frivolity), the Games are pure entertainment. It's a twisted mess of survival and reality television where drama and danger can earn you helpful gifts from your sponsors based on how much the Capitol viewers like you.

16-year-old Katniss, of course, ends up as a tribute in the Hunger Games. Katniss is a born fighter -- she alone has provided food for her family since her father died. She relies only on herself, and is very clever and stubborn. She has a real chance of winning the games and coming home like she promised her little sister she would. She steels herself to be ready to do what's necessary to get home, but when the Games begin, she finds that she has more trouble with the concept of killing the other tributes than she realized. This compassion, and the subsequent anger and frustration at the world she lives in, is part of what makes Katniss such a relatable narrator. She is forced to become a person she doesn't like (which includes killing and participating in a fake romance to garner sympathy from viewers) in order to survive.

Once you pick up The Hunger Games, you won't be able to put it down. It's definitely a thrill ride, with Katniss facing inevitable death with every turn of the page, but it's also got plenty of heart, as Katniss struggles to remain herself through this horrible ordeal. The series is classified as Teen, but it has widespread appeal, and adults will love it, too.

And once you've devoured The Hunger Games, you can pick up the second book in the trology, Catching Fire, which was just released. Catching Fire is just as terrifyingly good as the first book, but it delves even more into the history and politics of the Capitol and the Districts, and you'll discover the lengths the Capitol is willing to go to in order to crush any sign of a rebellion.

Michigan is a great state for leaf-peepers because of its abundance of trees and lovely vistas. Especially at this time of year, nature mapping enthusiasts are on the road mapping out the fall color tours.

Stan Tekiela's "Trees of Michigan" is a concise and handy field guide to more than 100 of the most common trees in the state. The book includes color photos of tree leaves, barks, flowers, and fruits. Its well organized easy to follow giving readers the information  ranging from family to habitat to fall color, includes the author's helpful notes, and is small enough to carry with you.

This little field guide is a must for student projects, fall color tourist, or anyone who just wants to learn more about Michigan trees.

It is so refreshing to read a teen book that doesn't talk down to kids or take the easy way out.  Scott Westerfeld's new creation takes us on a wonderful journey that combines historical events and people with fantastical weaponry and imagery.  After the assassination of Archduke Ferdinand and his wife their son is woken up in the middle of the night and told he has to be taken to a safe place.   He is not the outright heir to the Austro-Hungarian empire and is running for his life.  Our other main character is a young girl who dreams of flying.  In her disguise as a boy she takes to the skies to fight for the British Darwinists in their fantastic airships that resemble animals.  What really makes this book come alive is the pencil drawings- think Hugo Cabret.  I am really looking forward to the next book in what is sure to be a successful series.  Boys and girls from the pre-teen group will really enjoy this as well as the seasoned teen fantasy readers.

In this quick and hysterical read you will meet all of the customers that you love to hate.  It will also remind you why you love to work in retail.  Despite the crazy hours and the angry customers, working in retail is an addiction.  Freeman will make you laugh out loud and want to read passages to your coworkers.    

Freeman worked at Nordstrom's in the handbag(never the purse) department for years.  He tells you about all of his regulars- the good, the bad, and the ugly.  He recalls the people that made his job the best and worst thing that ever happened to him.  

If you like the writing that Jen Lancaster brought to the table you will love Retail Hell.

It's hard to believe Sesame Street is now 40 years old. When the show had its debut on NET (a predecessor to PBS) in the fall of 1969, it was a bold new experiment no one was quite sure would work. Over a generation later, it's an indelible part of America's cultural landscape. Veteran TV Guide scribe Michael Davis takes readers not just behind the scenes of this children's TV mainstay, but back to the beginning. He traces the roots of the show's core creative team — Joan Ganz Cooney, Jon Stone, Sam Gibbon, Dave Connell, and of course Jim Henson — as well as the evolution of educational children's TV, from Howdy Doody to Ding Dong School to Captain Kangaroo. The show's debut doesn't even occur until halfway through the book, but by taking this approach, the audience gets a clearer understanding of where Sesame Street came from, and the disparate paths that brought its creators together. 

The show's early years are tumultuous, with numerous cast changes and character tweaks (in the first year, Big Bird was quite literally stupid, and Oscar was a sort of rusty orange color) as they fine-tune the format, not to mention behind-the-scenes battles to maintain the show's federal and corporate funding. Later years are marked by numerous departures, including the heartbreaking loss of Will Lee (Mr. Hooper), the painful downward spiral of Northern Calloway (David), and the untimely deaths of Jim Henson, songwriter Joe Raposo, and Muppet performer Richard Hunt. And then, there's Elmo. While I still can't stand the character, Street Gang certainly gave me a greater appreciation for his performer, Kevin Clash, who has taken up Henson's mantle as one of the guiding creative forces behind the show today.

Davis' love for his subject manages to seep from every page without the book coming across as fawning or a puff piece. He certainly doesn't shy away from things unpleasant (as his material on Northern Calloway clearly shows). Street Gang is a fast, entertaining read, and one that will deepen your appreciation for the show which made education fun.

(A chapter on actor Roscoe Orman, the third and longest-running Gordon, is available on the book's website, and will be included in the upcoming trade paperback edition of Street Gang.)

Kate DiCamillo has done it again!

Peter, a young orphaned boy was taken in some years ago by an embittered soldier, who was his father's comrade. He has spent the last few years learning how to be a good soldier like his father, and although he wants to respect his dead father, his heart lies elsewhere. One day, a fortuneteller's tent pops up out of nowhere, and a force compels Peter to visit her and ask a question. Once he meets her, he doesn't even need to ask his question, but is told, "You must follow the elephant. She will lead you there." After all these years, he is faced with the hope that his little sister is still alive and that he will actually find her if he can just figure out this elephant of a riddle.

This captivating story unfolds with a dreamlike quality. The chain of events set up by the arrival of the fortuneteller constantly provokes us to ask ourselves "What if?" The beauty of this story lies in that single thought, and questioning the impossible. "What if?"...when the impossible proves not to be, one cannot help but be filled with hope.

This is a timeless fable that could definitely earn a Newbery, but more importantly inspire kids and adults in abundance. This book feels like Amelie-meets-children's-literature, and I can't wait to start recommending it.

The title says it all, doesn't it?  After seeing Julie & Julia, I immediately had to go get the cookbook, Mastering the Art of French Cooking and start cooking all the delicious foods I saw.  And they were delicious.....and the recipes made a lot of food.  But when you are just cooking for one or two people, leftovers can be frustrating, eating the same thing for three days. 

Enter this cookbook.  It wonderfully allows us to cook remarkable foods (including Julia's famous Boeuf Bourguignon), allowing us to adjust the meal to our own taste, all while keeping the portions just-big-enough.  This cookbook is wonderful for those cooks out there who love spending time creating wonderful meals, but don't want to be swamped with a weeks worth of leftovers.

I had no idea when I picked this book up how much I would love it.  Set in Mississippi, during the turbulent 1960's a privileged, young,  white woman dreams of being a writer.  Skeeter applies to several publishing houses, but has no previous writing experience.  A woman that works at a publishing house sends her a letter and tells her to write whenever and whatever she can.  When Skeeter finds a job writing a "how-to" cleaning column for the local paper she realizes she needs help.  She finds the answers in the form of her best friends black maid.  What starts as a basic request for cleaning tips soon turns into an unbreakable bond.

You will not want this book to end and once it  does you will want to tell everybody you know to read it.  

This book is one that can take you to many different places. For me the message was one of strength and love. Stargirl has a life full of ups and downs like we all do, but she never lets them become negatives. This character is one all young girls should look up to for her attitude about life and its purpose.