Bookmarks Holiday 2004 - BOOKLOFT NEWSLETTER
Though early November hardly looks like winter, we know that the holidays will soon be here.
Our cookbook shelves are filled with traditional and new cuisine titles that are bound to add inspiration and spice to your holiday table.
Crafters will find gift and project ideas within the abundant quilting, knitting and other crafts titles. The Complete Stenciling Set and Complete Knitting Set kits are also great gifts.
You may soon be thinking of a trip to more exotic (and warmer) climates. We have a variety of travel guides as well as "armchair travel" titles for you to choose from.
What's Mary Been Reading? ~ Staff Pick ~ New Titles from Bear Creek Press
FEATURED IN THE SKYLIGHT GALLERY
SISKIYOU SILVERWORKS
Jeweler and native crafts artisan Annie Robinson's gallery works include earrings, necklaces, and eyeglass holders using a variety of natural materials, gems, and beads.
Children's books - that's what! And there are some wonderful ones out there. Here are a few of her favorites.
For the 6 and under crowd, there is a new David Shannon book. Alice the Fairy is about a charming little girl who is a temporary fairy. She uses her magic wand to do things like turn her Dad's cookies into hers and make leaves fall from trees. With Shannon's fun, quirky illustrations, the book is all about the power of one's imagination. $15.95, Blue Sky Press
Another sweet picture book is Niccolini's Song by Chuck Wilcoxen. It is about a night watchman at a train yard. When the train engines develop insomnia, Niccodini is able to sing them to sleep. As the local mothers discover his talents, they start bringing fussy babies to the park near the train yard to benefit from his quiet singing. With soft illustrations by Mark Buehner depicting the various night scenes, this book makes a lovely good night book as well as a good choice for little train lovers. $16.99, Dutton
For 8 to 10 year old readers, there is the story of Ida B who lives with her parents in a beautiful place in the country. She has a real connection to the natural world around her and not only names the apple trees in the orchard but talks to them as well. Her world changes when her mother develops cancer and her parents are forced to sell the orchard land to pay medical bills. Ida B learns difficult lessons about coping with change, but discovers that beautiful people and places stay with you always. Ida B is by Katherine Hannigan. $15.99, Greenwillow
You can never have enough horse books, I think, and The Wild Mare by Glenn Balch is a welcome addition. Set in the Owyhee country, it's the story of a wild horse separated from her band. Befriended by a young cowboy, but beset with various difficulties, she has many adventures trying to find her true home. $4.99, Avon
We are all waiting for the next Harry Potter book, but it looks like it will be a while yet. J.K. Rowling has announced a title, Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince, but she is still writing the book. In the meantime, there are some other terrific fantasy adventure writers out there. Cornelia Funke is one of my favorites. Her two previous books, The Thief Lord and Inkheart were great reads. Her latest, Dragon Rider is no exception. It is the story of a band of dragons who are forced to leave their home. They send a dragon named Firedrake to scout out a new place for them. Along with two friends, a boy and a brownie, he sets off on a journey full of magical encounters and dangerous adventures. $12.95, Chicken House
The Oracle Betrayed is part one in a series by archeologist author Catherine Fisher. It is an historic fantasy adventure which takes place is a land which is sort of a combination of ancient Greece and ancient Egypt. The main character, Mirany is a newly appointed attendant to the Speaker for the oracle. When Mirany discovers a plot to sabotage the choice of the next ruler, she must decide who can be trusted to help her uncover this betrayal. Part two is due out in the Spring and I can hardly wait for the story to continue. $16.00, Greenwillow
BIRDS WITHOUT WINGS by Louis de Bernières
This new novel by the author of Corelli's Mandolin is set in a southwestern Turkish mountain village during the final days of the Ottoman Empire. It's filled with beautifully crafted stories revolving around a rich and varied cast of characters - Christians and Muslims of Turkish and Greek and Armenian descentwhose lives are rooted in that region and have been intertwined for untold years. Alongside the villagers' narrative is the account of the rise of Mustafa Kemal, whose military skill during the Great War leads him to a place of power that will allow him, as Ataturk, to shape the future of Turkey. By the end of the novel we are shown how the effects of the war change forever the lives of the villagers and the character of the town that remains. Alfred A. Knopf Hardcover, $24.95
New Titles from Bear Creek Press
GRANDMA'S MEMORIES by Thelma McCulloch
Remembering the Homestead Years: Flora, Oregon 1900-1927
Homesteaders of the early twentieth century shared a fierce self-reliance when it came to staking their claims and building their homes. This book captures that experience through the recollections of the author's grandmother, Edith May Cattron, who began her married life in the farthest reaches of northeast Oregon, in what some called "the north end wilderness." Trade Paper, $8.95
THE TRAIN COMES TO WALLOWA COUNTY -A Brief History
Using early twentieth-century photographs and newspaper articles to trace the arrival of the first train to the county, the reader gets a glimpse of what happened when steel rails and steam engines shrunk the world and eliminated the boundaries of travel. Trade Paper, $8.95
FRONTIER DAYS: The Life of Winslow Powers and the Early Settlement of Eastern Oregon by James W. Powers
The life of Oregon pioneer Winslow Powers reads like chapters in the history of the American West. Powers was, at one time or another, an Oregon Trail emigrant, a gold miner, a homestead farmer, a sheep rancher and a businessman. Along the way he managed to survive Indian wars, epidemics, and all the turmoil that hard labor, brutal winters, and primitive living could throw his way. This book captures a way of living that is all but forgotten now: how we once plowed fields and harvested grain, spun wool and sewed clothes, made soap and brewed coffee. Perhaps most of all, it portrays the independence and resourcefulness such a world demanded from those who lived in it. Trade Paper, $9.95
Looking Ahead to 2005
* We have the Old Farmer's Almanac 2005 - and it's filled with predictions, gardening advice, and an abundance of distractions.
* Facts? We have those, too! The World Almanac and Book of Facts 2005 is brimming with reference material and interesting tidbits.
* Calendars - There's something for everyone: wall calendars, desk calendars, page-a-day calendars, pocket calendars and, of course, the Wallowa County Photo Club calendar featuring a year of lovely vistas from our slice of heaven.
DID YOU KNOW?
You can order any book mentioned in this newsletter. We will gladly take your order in person or via phone --(541) 426-3351 -- email or through this web site's order form. We can take payment in cash, check or credit card and can ship anywhere. Don't forget our free gift wrapping service for any of your purchases.