Soon there will be 7!Spring 2007 edition of the BOOKLOFT NEWSLETTER
Soon there will be 7!
As most of you know, HARRY POTTER AND THE DEATHLY HALLOWS will be released on July 21. As usual, we will open early at 6 a.m. for our Potter party. Join us for the fun. There will be activities and refreshments from the wizarding world. Come in costume, in your pajamas ( it will be very early), or as yourself.
While you are waiting for the big day enter our 7 Questions of Harry Potter contest. Every two weeks we will open a sealed envelope from the publisher containing bookmarks with a question that we are hoping J.K. Rowling will answer in the last book. The Bookloft is giving $7.00 gift certificates for those who guess correctly.
Come by the store, guess all seven questions, collect bookmarks, and RESERVE YOUR COPY TODAY.
Books for young readers
A DOG'S LIFE by Ann M. Martin
Squirrel is a stray mutt who has lived most of her life on her own. Born in an old shed on the property of some summer residents, Squirrel along with her only litter mate, Bone, learn the basics of survival living on the edges of the human world. But poor Squirrel loses both her mother and brother when she is still quite young and has to make her own way in the world. Over the course of her life she has good and bad experiences with humans and meets two special friends, one canine and one human who impact her life in a big way. This is a charming story which will be enjoyed by any dog lover, young or old. $5.99 Scholastic
THE MISADVENTURES OF BENJAMIN BARTHOLOMEW PIFF by Jason Lethcoe
Recently orphaned, Ben lives unhappily at Pinch's Home for Wayward Boys. When by chance he makes the perfect birthday wish, his life changes completely. Unbeknownst to him, his wish has created chaos at the Wishworks Factory (established in 1185 by Cornelius Bubbdouble the creator of birthday cake and candles). Suddenly, Benjamin is involved with fairies, leprechauns, and jinns in a fight to re-establish order in the balance between the Wishworks Factory and the evil Curseworks Factory. Full of adventure, humor, funny names and weird creatures of all sorts, this novel was a really good read. $9.99 Grosset & Dunlap
THE PENDERWICKS by Jeanne Birdsall
This is the story of four sisters, their father and the family dog on their summer vacation at a cottage on a large estate called Arundel, a perfect setting for their holiday, complete with huge gardens, lawns perfect for archery or soccer and woods nearby for interesting walks. The Penderwick sisters make the acquaintance of the other estate residents, including a young gardener, the son of the owner, and two pet rabbits. The sisters, aged from 4 to 12, are each unique in personality and interests. Over the course of their three week stay, they manage to have adventures and mishaps of all sorts. They are delightful characters and I hope there will be further stories about this charming family. Yearling $6.50
New Books of Local Interest
OREGON'S DRY SIDE by Alan D. St. John
This new book explores Oregon East of the Cascades and contains sections on natural history as well as driving and hiking tours of the region. The author is a naturalist and photographer. The book is beautifully illustrated with his photographs as well as some by our favorite local photographer, David Jensen. $29.95 paperback, Timber Press
THE BATTLE OF THE BIG HOLE by Aubrey L. Haines
From an array of original documents and first-person accounts, the author presents the only exhaustive retelling of the of the landmark conflicts in the Nez Perce War of 1877. $12.95 Globe Pequot Press
A perennial best seller, THE PRAIRIE KEEPERS by Marcy Houle has recently been updated and republished. Featuring a lovely new cover as well as a new epilogue, the new edition describes the rugged beauty of the Zumwalt Prairie, on of the last native prairie in the United States. Houle relates her experiences studying the relationship between the ranchers and the wildlife who coexist on the prairie. Her conclusions about these partnerships provide hope that they will continue to encourage stewardship and sustainable cattle grazing. $19.95 Oregon State University Press
What's Mary Been Reading?
THE LOST ART OF KEEPING SECRETS by Eva Rice
The blurbs on the back of the book were intriguing with their mentions of P.G. Woodhouse reborn and "perfect if you loved Gosford Park and want to know what life was like twenty years later". I love both Woodhouse and a good period piece and must say I am in agreement with other reviewers about this novel. Set in England in 1955, it is told in the first person by Penelope Wallace, a sixteen year old living with her mother and brother in a huge crumbling house called Milton Magna Hall. Penelope's father was killed in World War II and his family house, like so many others of that time, was falling into serious disrepair.
When Penelope meets another young woman, Charlotte, her life takes a decided turn. Charlotte works as a secretary for her Aunt Clare, and lives with Clare and her son Harry. The three young people become friends and through them we are given a look at the social life of the first group of young people to embody the term teenagers. Having only known life during the war years, they come into their own during a post-war time of heady freedom and a new wildness having all to do with a new kind of music and a new attitude about being young. We follow Penelope and her friends through the course of a Fall and Winter, as they fall in and out of love, idolize new musicians from America and learn the power of their feelings and desires. $14.00 Plume
THE NAME OF THE WIND by Patrick Rothfuss
I don't often treat myself to a big fat fantasy epic. However, I recently received a copy of a book by a new author with a letter from the president and one of the editors of DAW books, which is a major publisher of science fiction and fantasy books. In it, she states that the book in my hands was " the most brilliant first fantasy novel I have read in over thirty years as an editor" Well, I thought, this one I must read. And it was indeed the treat promised. The main character, Kvothe, is a fascinating character and as his narrative begins we get a glimpse of the breadth of his experiences his childhood traveling with a troupe of players and later, on his own in a dangerous and crime-riddled city, his admittance to a university where he can pursue his interest in learning the secrets of magic. Throughout, he displays an intelligence and prowess beyond his years, although his inexperience in the world also lands him in some precarious situations. It is a compelling story full of adventure and the author's skill in writing creates Kvothe's world with a richness which adds to this grand novel. It is part one of a projected trilogy. I can't wait for more. DAW Books $24.95
New From Bear Creek Press
ACCIDENTAL COWGIRL by Kristy St. Clair
Subtitled "a city slicker's life on an Eastern Oregon ranch",
this memoir tells of the author's experiences moving with her husband from
Portland to a four thousand acre cattle ranch in Izee in 1973. Over the
years, she learned to ride, brand and hunt, to drive cows, deliver calves,
fix fences and cut firewood. But more importantly, she was able to find
a home between distant horizons and among good neighbors far from her previous
city life. $13.00 Bear Creek Press
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