Our peeps! On bikes!

So for the last few years, we have been partial sponsors of a group of crazies who ride their bikes in the mud. Have you ever heard of cyclo cross? Non? Well, visit here the local organizers of semi-weekly races to get a better picture.

The main sponsors are our friends at Staccato Gelato in Portland. We were given the opportunity to help out and said, why not? We like bikes. Lots of people who ride bikes read books too, right? Ok, the logic may be a bit flawed, but whatever. Here are some pics of a few members of the team:



Here is our logo on the back of the jersey:



Doesn't everyone look swell? We will write about books again soon.

Ack! It is the last day of August!

We have been woefully absent from this blog. It doesn't mean we aren't reading, or thinking of books. It just means we are busy selling books and enjoying the summer. I sense that fall is in the vicinity. The light outside has changed. Did you notice? It happened very subtly. You were probably too busy swimming, or camping or complaining about the heat. The angle of the light is at a greater slant. I love this. I love the way it changes not just the shadows of the everyday stagnant objects around you, but the colors of them as well.

Slight distraction. We are headed to the PNBA Trade Show next week. That is the Pacific Northwest Booksellers Association Trade Show. We hope to meet with some authors, chat with other booksellers and gather information about the best books for the fall. This blog post is actually a break from writing orders for the show. Is there something in particular that you want?

-S

Fall books

We are finishing our fall buying right now and I must say the upcoming list looks very, very promising. A lot of these titles are coming out in October and November but you can come in and pre-order any of them now. There are so many good titles coming out I can't list all of them, but here is a little taste of what to expect this fall.

Young Readers

Waddle by Rufus Butler Seder: Seder has two other Scanimation books to his name but this one will be in color. (Available Oct. 1st)

Day Is Done by Peter Yarrow: Here is another book/Cd combo for those of you who loved Puff the Magic Dragon and the Peter Yarrow songbook. (Available Oct. 6th)

The Mysterious Benedict Society and the Prisoner's Dilemma by Trenton Lee Stewart: This is the third book featuring the wonderful Mysterious Benedict Society. Perfect for kids who like a light mystery story. (Available Oct. 6th)

Ghost in the Machine: Skeleton Creek #2 by Patrick Carman: A really creepy series set in a fictional Oregon logging town. This book has a multi-media approach. Kids can read the story and watch mysterious videos online. Lots of fun for adults and kids. (Available Oct. 1st)

Sent: Missing Book 2 by Margaret Peterson Haddix: Found: Missing Book 1 is on the Battle of the Books list for Oregon students this year. I haven't read anything from this series, but I have heard from many enthusiastic kids that it is fantastic. (Available August 25th)

Young Adult

Shiver by Maggie Stiefvater: This book is perfect for Stephenie Meyer fans. It has werewolves, intrigue and a bit of a love story. Teens will love this first book in a planned series. (Available August 1st!)

The Amanda Project Book 1: Invisible I by Stella Lennon: This book is a bit like The 39 Clues but it is geared for teen girls. The Amanda Project has a dedicated website and the author is planning multiple books. If you want to get your teen hooked on a new series, this is a good one to try. (Available September 22nd)

Catching Fire: The Second Book of the Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins: Collins does not disappoint with this follow up to The Hunger Games. I'm already looking forward to Book 3! This book is great for guys and girls because it has strong male and female characters. (Available Sept 1st)

Fire by Kristin Cashore: Cashore's first book, Greaceling, is one of my top YA picks of 2008. Fire is presented as a companion to Graceling, but the books only share one character. If you have a teen girl who can't get enough to read, steer her to Cashore. The author does a wonderful job creating strong female characters who know what they want (and it's not always a boyfriend) (Available Oct. 5th)

The Maze Runner by James Dashner: I finished this book earlier this week and I cannot stop raving about it. Dashner creates a Lord of the Flies type world, only the boys are not completely wild, they have no memory of where they come from, they spend every day trying to figure out how to get out of a maze and there are really creepy creatures that try to kill them once they enter the maze. So, not really like Lord of the Flies, but a tense, quick read. Great for adults and teens. (Available Oct. 6th)

Adult

Gathering Storm: Wheel of Time #12 by Robert Jordan: It's almost here! (Available Nov. 3rd)

Lost Symbol by Dan Brown: I know a lot of people have been waiting years for this title. At 528 pages let's hope it's as intense as his other books. (Available Sept. 15th.)

Children's Book by A. S. Byatt: I'm working through this 688 page book right now. Even though it's long, it is very compelling and I am enjoying it. (Available Oct. 6th 2009)

Where Men Win Glory by Jon Krakaeur: Who doesn't love a new Krakaeur book? His subject this time around? Pat Tillman and what exactly happened to him. (Available Sept. 15th)

Stones into Schools by Greg Mortenson: Three Cups of Tea is still selling well for us. I know a lot of people who can't wait to get their hands on this book. (Available Dec. 1st)

Sense and Sensibility and Sea Monsters by Winters, Ben H: For all of you who have bought, read, and loved Pride and Prejudice and Zombies, here is another great title from Quirk Books. (Available Sept. 15th)

Angela

Finally, an update!

Well, it's been far too long since we updated our blog! We've all been busy with getting out of school frenzy, early summer camping trips and, of course, selling books. I spent this past weekend in the Cave Junction / Grants Pass area and I finally got around to reading Coop, the latest by Michael Perry.

If you haven't read anything by Michael Perry you should check him out soon. I would recommend reading Truck: a Love Story first because Coop picks up where it left off. In Coop Perry writes about his family, the arrival of his first child and his new role as a farmer. As usual he writes with a certain Midwestern flair that will have you laughing one moment and wiping away tears the next.

For fans of the current vampire / paranormal craze I recently finished the Mortal Instruments series by Cassandra Clare. I like this series because it appeals to teens and adults and it has more adventure than romance. This is a fast-paced read with lots of fight scenes that will appeal to everyone. Another plus of this series: it features every paranormal creature imaginable and the author does a wonderful job weaving the different factions together.

A few more updates: This week we received Border Songs, the new book from Jim Lynch, and The Angel's Game by Carlos Ruiz Zafon. Next week the new Janet Evanovich will be available. This makes #15!!

We have most of the Battle Books available now. If you buy 10 off any list you get a 10% discount. Come in now and stock up!

Book Pirates!

Share this with a kid!




Thanks to Jessica at The Written Nerd for the link.

-Sylla

Books as personality identifiers

In an article in this week's New York Times (the Fashion & Style section no less!) author Joanne Kaufman addresses the Kindle's affect on literary snobbism. She points out that seeing what other people read is for many a way to compartmentalize an individual. We have all scanned a friend's bookshelf and whether you want to admit it or not, you are impressed to see a dog-eared collection of Jane Austen's novels. Or someone who actually made it through one of Pynchon's doorstop books. With the Kindle, the ability to be surreptitious in your nosiness is a lot harder. Maybe the Kindle will become some kind of class equalizer (once they are free of course) and we will no longer judge a book by its cover?

I have mixed feelings about the Kindle. I touched my first one last week. It wasn't an entirely bad experience. Am I going to buy one? No, they are far too expensive for me. But I appreciate that they can be quite handy and imagine in some settings (especially academic circles) their usefulness is being embraced with arms wide open. Frequent travelers too would also appreciate the ease of use. However, for me, part of the fun of traveling is in visiting other bookstores and picking something up that I missed in my own. There are many arguments in favor of e-readers, but for now I am going to stick to my ink & paper reader.

-Sylla

Must-Reads

We booksellers are lucky enough to get advanced copies of forthcoming titles. Here are some excellent titles from the first half of this year. A few of them aren't published yet, but that will give you time to get caught up on the author's other books!

Last night I finished Little Bee by Chris Cleave. What an amazing book. I'm not sure I even have words to describe how wonderful it is. Before its release the publishers didn't say very much about the book because they wanted readers to discover its content on their own. All I will say is that this is a very good novel about immigration, globalization and refugees. And it is definitely worth buying in hardcover.

If I Stay by Gayle Forman

This book is a must read for any teenager who is uncertain about leaving home for any reason. If you have a 16-18 year old in your life make sure they read this book. It's great for adults too, but I think it will really resonate with teens in the midst of making big life choices. If I Stay follows 17-year-old Mia for 24 hours after she and her family get in a horrific car accident. This is a fantastic story and it's available now.

The Angel's Game by Carlos Ruiz Zafon

This is a prequel to The Shadow of the Wind and it is full of the intrigue and drama that Zafon does best. (June 16th 2009)

The Girl Who Played with Fire by Stieg Larsson

This is the second book in a planned trilogy by Swedish author Steig Larsson. The series was going to feature at least ten books but Larsson only completed three before dying suddenly of a heart attack. I don't usually read crime fiction, but these books are so compelling and well written I found myself wishing Larsson would return from the grave and write seven more titles. (July 28th)

Border Songs by Jim Lynch

Jim Lynch is my new favorite author. He has two fiction titles under his belt, Border Songs and Highest Tide. Highest Tide is the Mac Reads pick for this year and Mr. Lynch himself will be in town at the end of April. If you haven't read Highest Tide you have plenty of time left to do so. Both of Jim Lynch's books are set in Washington state and feature spectuacular characters. He will be in the store on April 30th from 3-4 pm for a signing before his 7:30 talk at the Nicholson Library at Linfield. (Border Songs pubs June 16th).

- Angela