Book Notes New Hampshire

Book of the Week #44

noreply@blogger.com (MaryR) — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 17:28:00 +0000

Pennies for Elephants by Lita Judge (New York : Disney/Hyperion Books, 2009)

This book by Peterborough author Lita Judge was chosen to receive the 2009 NH Literary Award for Outstanding Work of Children’s Literature.

"As she did in One Thousand Tracings, Judge weaves a compelling tale based on a true, heartwarming incident...Warm sepia tones lend atmosphere, too, and splashes of bright red, blue, purple and yellow in the children’s outfits echo their sunny, can-do demeanor." Publishers Weekly, 6/22/09

Book of the Week #43

noreply@blogger.com (MaryR) — Wed, 28 Oct 2009 13:44:00 +0000

Following the Water: A Hydromancer’s Notebook by David M. Carroll (Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 2009)

It has been an eventful month for writer, naturalist, and artist David M. Carroll, a resident of Warner, NH. This book, according to the jacket copy, is "the intensely observed chronicle of Caroll's annual March-to-November wetlands immersion." It is also a 2009 finalist for the National Book Award. Mr. Carroll was also selected as the 2009 recipient of the New Hampshire Literary Award's Lifetime Achievement Award. This past summer Mr. Carroll was interviewed by Yankee Magazine.

"At the earliest openings of the ice in the overwintering niches of the spotted turtles, as minute glimmers of quickening water appear in acres of wetlands still locked in ice and snow, I forsake my winter paths: the worn floor
by the kitchen table and fireplace; the even more worn threshold of the narrow doorway to the Oriental-carpeted passage down the back hall, the narrow gallery hung with paintings and drawings above agreeably overburdened bookcases, lined along the floor with stacks of more books and empty frames; the footwarn stair treads up to my studio workrooms, with their slender passageways among bookcases, drawing and writing tables, and shelves, all impossibly piled with papers, notebooks, pencils, pens, and paintbrushes. With the opening up of the earth and water I go beyond my few, close-to-home outer trails of the cold season: my way to the woodshed, as trodden as an ancient deer path, and my modest snowshoe circlings through the back filed and bordering woods. At thaw I begin to walk a wider way again, beyond house and gardens, in places every bit as home to me as those." (p. 1)

Book of the Week #42

noreply@blogger.com (MaryR) — Fri, 23 Oct 2009 18:26:00 +0000

Tupperware Unsealed: Brownie Wise, Earl Tupper, and the Home Party Pioneers by Bob Kealing (University Press of Florida, 2008)

I love books about the history of a specific thing -- Salt, Olives, Aprons, etc. -- and this volume is part of that literary set. Tupperware was invented by Earl Tupper, a native of Berlin, NH, who later settled in Shirley, Mass.

"Postwar America was a period of tremendous innovation, in business adn at home. Countless products were invented for and marketed to the housewife, promising to make her work easier, to make her home cleaner, and her family's life better. More than a half-centure since its invention, Tupperware remains among the most memorable from those years of excess and optimism. While his product languished on department store shelves, eccentric inventor Earl Tupper sought a new way to market and sell his durable plastic storage containers. He found the sales revolution he was looking for in trailblazing businesswoman Brownie Wise. She
led the company from obscurity to millions in sales through a remarkable innovation: the Tupperware home party." (from book jacket)

The author spoke about his book at a Orlando Public Library program available on YouTube.

Book of the Week #41

noreply@blogger.com (MaryR) — Sat, 17 Oct 2009 14:02:00 +0000

The Lost Constitution by William Martin (New York: Tom Doherty Associates, 2007)

I seem to be developing a bit of an American history theme with recent Books of the Week. This latest novel from New England Book Award winner William Martin was recommended to me by my Mom who is a fan of Martin's novels. A national treasure -- a first draft of the Constitution annotated by the New England delegation -- disappears in 1787. Now Peter Fallon and Evangeline Carrington must find it. Their hunt takes them through the notches and across New Hampshire, through two centuries of American history, and ends at Fenway Park on the first night of the World Series.

Book of the Week #40

noreply@blogger.com (MaryR) — Tue, 06 Oct 2009 09:10:00 +0000

Abigail Adams: Witness to a Revolution by Natalie S. Bober (New York: Atheneum Books for Young Readers, 1995)

Most weeks I choose the "Book of the Week," but this time I am going with the book that was chosen by the Merrimack Public Library for its One Book, One Town community-wide reading program. The book discussion group at the Merrimack Public Library reads books within a seasonal theme, currently "Women of the Revolution," so Natalie Bober's Abgail Adams: Witness to a Revolution fits in nicely.

Throughout October 2009 there will be events related to the life of Abigail Adams held at the Merrimack Public Library including appearances by John Perrault, Michaeline Della Fera, and even John Quincy Adams. All the events are free, but you need to reserve a seat by calling the library at 603-424-5021.

Browsing Through The Leaves

noreply@blogger.com (MaryR) — Mon, 05 Oct 2009 11:52:00 +0000

Numerous Granite State libraries are participating in Browsing Through the Leaves: The New Hampshire Statewide Library Book Sale Tour on Saturday October 10, 2009. Enjoy the brilliant fall colors as you drive from library to library, all in quaint New England towns, checking out some excellent book bargains. You’ll help participating libraries raise some much-needed cash. Book it on up to New Hampshire for leaf-peeping and bargain books. Below is a listing of participating libraries, with street address, phone number (all are area code 603), and book sale hours:

ALSTEAD - Shedd-Porter Memorial Library, 3 Main Street, 835-6661, 10am–2pm
BARRINGTON - Barrington Public Library, 39 Province Lane, 664-9715, 11am–2 pm
BEDFORD - Bedford Public Library, 3 Meetinghouse Road, 472-3023, Saturday 10am-3pm, Sunday 1-5 pm
BRADFORD - Brown Memorial Library, 78 W. Main St, 938-5562, 9am–2pm
BRENTWOOD - Mary E. Bartlett Library, 22 Dalton Road, 642-3355, 9 am-noon
CHESTER - Chester Public Library, 3 Chestnut St. (Jct. Routes 121 & 102), 887-3404, 9am-3pm
LANCASTER - Weeks Memorial Library, 128 Main Street, 788-3352, 9am-3pm
NEW LONDON - Tracy Memorial Library, 304 Main Street, 526-4656 , 9am-1pm
ROLLINSFORD - Rollinsford Public Library, 3 Front Street, 516-2665, Saturday
9am–3 pm, Sunday 1pm–5pm, Monday 9am–2pm
SPRINGFIELD - Libbie Cass Library, 2748 Main St (Rt 114), Springfield NH, 763-4381 , 9am to noon and 1pm-4pm
SOMERSWORTH - Somersworth Public Library, 25 Main Street, 692-4587, 9am–5pm
TROY - Gay-Kimball Library, 10 South Main St., 242-7743, 9am–2pm
WILMOT - Wilmot Public Library, 11 North Wilmot Road, 526-6804, 10am-2pm

Questions? Contact Tim Sheehan, Chester Public Library, 887-3404.

Book of the Week #39

noreply@blogger.com (MaryR) — Fri, 02 Oct 2009 19:30:00 +0000

The Hidden Life of Deer: Lessons from the Natural World by Elizabeth Marshall Thomas. (New York: Collins, 2009)

"One of the most widely read American anthropologists, Elizabeth Marshall Thomas has observed dogs, cats, and elephants during her half-century-long career. In the 1980s Thomas studied elephants alongside Katy Payne—the scientist who discovered elephants' communication via infrasound. In 1993 Thomas wrote The Hidden Life of Dogs, a groundbreaking work of animal psychology that spent nearly a year on the New York Times bestseller list. Her book on cats, Tribe of Tiger, was also an international bestseller. She lives in Peterborough, New Hampshire, on her family's former farm, where she observes deer, bobcats, bear, and many other species of wildlife." Here she "turns her attention to wild deer, and the many lessons we can learn by observing nature." This book is based on the twelve months Thomas spent studying the local deer population near her home. (quotes are from the HarperCollins website)

Ms. Thomas was a recent guest on The Exchange and will be talking about her book at local bookstores during October.

Gibson's on Thursday, October 8, 2009 at 7pm

Toadstool Bookshop (Keene), Saturday, October 10, 2009 at 2pm

Water Street Bookstore, Friday, October 16, 2009 at 7pm

Barnes & Noble (Manchester), Saturday, October 17, 2009 at 7pm

JEFFERSON’S DREAM at Discover Portsmouth Center

noreply@blogger.com (MaryR) — Thu, 01 Oct 2009 13:08:00 +0000

On Sunday 4 October at 2pm, Portsmouth Historical Society presents JEFFERSON’S DREAM, a concert and reading presented by former Portsmouth Poet Laureate, John Perrault.

Based on his new book and CD of the same title just published by Hobblebush Books, the program focuses on eight great Americans—women and men—who carried the values of the Declaration forward into our lives. Through the medium of ballads, John Perrault traces Jefferson’s vision as it dramatically broadens with Lincoln’s reading, and gives impetus to abolitionism and women’s rights. He will be joined by popular Seacoast musicians, Barbara London and Mike Rogers.

The program is part of the Sunday Salon Series at the Portsmouth Historical Society’s Discover Portsmouth Center. Tickets are $10 ($7 for PHS Members) and may be purchased at the door. For information contact the Portsmouth Historical Society at info@portsmouthhistory.org or 603-436-8420.

Book of the Week #38

noreply@blogger.com (MaryR) — Thu, 24 Sep 2009 16:54:00 +0000

To My Countrywomen: The Life of Sarah Josepha Hale by Muriel L. Dubois; illustrated by Lisa Greenleaf. (Bedford, NH: Apprentice Shop Books, 2006)

This Saturday is the National Book Festival on the Mall in Washington, DC. The Center for the Book at the NH State Library was, as in previous years, asked to select a book to be featured on the Pavillion of the State's “Discover Great Places Through Reading” map. We chose to feature this work by and about New Hampshire women.

Muriel Dubois and Lisa Greenleaf are both residents of the Granite State and have created this illustrated biography of America's first woman editor. Sarah Josepha Hale was an early activist for women's education and property rights. She is best known for her role in the establishment of Thanksgiving as a national holiday and as the author of "Mary Had a Little Lamb."

The Sarah Josepha Hale Award, one of New England's oldest and most distinguished literary awards, is named for this famous daughter of Newport, NH.

What's happening at NH bookstores this week?

noreply@blogger.com (MaryR) — Mon, 21 Sep 2009 17:12:00 +0000

Here is a sampling of events taking place this week at local bookshops. If your events aren't here, please add me to your store's mailing list!

Water Street Bookstore

On Tuesday 9/22 at 7pm -- Oyster River grad, now journalist and teacher with a book published by Globe Pequot, Ethan Gilsdorf is returning to his hometown New Hampshire to share his secret shame: he was a closet gamer, Dungeons and Dragons aficionado, lover of fantasy realms and science fiction. As an adult, he wondered how others like him balance their imaginary worlds with the real one. So he found them and he asked them--grown men who build hobbit holes and speak Elvish, Tolkien scholars, live action role-players, Harry Potter tribute bands. Memoir, travelogue, pop-culture analysis, Fantasy Freaks and Gaming Geeks is highly readable and incredibly timely. Online role-playing is a multi-million dollar industry and growing in popularity everyday. Come discover what the hoopla is all about with the man who can explain both sides.
On Friday 09/25 at 7pm -- Hosting Anthony Flint, author of the new book, Wrestling With Moses: How Jane Jacobs Took on New York's Master Builder and Transformed the American City.

Toadstool Bookshops

Saturday, September 26, 2009 11:00 a.m. (Peterborough store) -- Elizabeth Thomas will sign and discuss The Hidden Life Of Deer.
Saturday, September 26, 2009 11:00 a.m. (Milford store) -- A Reading from My Side of the Street by poet Martha Deborah Hall
Saturday, September 26, 2009 2:00 p.m. (Milford store) -- Ravenous Romance Novelists Gregory L. Norris writing as Jo Atkinson and Roxanne Dent! Come meet the stars of The Home Shopping Network's first ever line of Romance Novels!

Gibson's

French Poetry in Translation, with J. Kates, Thursday, September 24, at 7 PM.
J. Kates is a poet, literary translator and the president and co-director of Zephyr Press, a non-profit press that focuses on contemporary works in translation from Russia, Eastern Europe and Asia.
Nicholson Baker--Thursday, Sept. 24, around 1:00 PM.
One of our favorite writers, Nicholson Baker, will be dropping by to meet readers and sign books after an appearance on NHPR. He will not be reading--this will be a more informal event.
Casey Sherman, Bad Blood: Freedom and Death in the White Mountains Thursday, October 1, at 7 PM.
Bad Blood is the riveting account of the long-standing feud between Franconia, New Hampshire, police officer Bruce McKay, 48, and Liko Kenney, 24.

Granite State Reads on the radio

noreply@blogger.com (MaryR) — Thu, 17 Sep 2009 19:19:00 +0000

Either tomorrow or Monday between 5:30 and 9am WGIR (AM 610) will be running a short piece about our Granite State Reads grant project. We appreciate their efforts to spread the word about this grant opportunity for NH's literacy projects!

No More Ads on Our Book of the Week Widget

noreply@blogger.com (MaryR) — Wed, 16 Sep 2009 21:08:00 +0000

Several months ago I created a widget that you could include on your blog or website to display the Center's book of the week. Many of you added it to your sites which was wonderful.
Today I heard from the Whipple Free Library in New Boston that they were getting pop-up ads on our widget and wanted to know why. I was unaware of this and looked into it right away.

The ads were the result of a change to the terms of the free subscription to widgetbox that I used to create the widget. I have now upgraded our widgetbox account and the ads should be gone. I have the widget installed on the Center for the Book blog and the ads on our widget went away without my doing anything special when I upgraded the account. If you continue to see them on your copy of our widget, please try reinstalling the widget. If that doesn't make the ads go away, please let me know.

If you were feeling inspired to buy stuff when you saw the ads, how about a membership in the Center for the Book at the NHSL?

Book of the Week #37

noreply@blogger.com (MaryR) — Tue, 15 Sep 2009 19:50:00 +0000

Olive's Pirate Party by Roberta Baker; illustrated by Debbie Tilley (Little, Brown & Co., 2005)

"When Olive Elizabeth Julia Jerome turned seven, she wanted a party with pirates."

Who can blame her? This wonderful picture book by Roberta Baker of Tilton, NH would be a fun addition to your celebration of Talk Like a Pirate Day (Saturday, September 19, 2009) when everyone is encouraged to talk like a pirate.

Book of the Week #36

noreply@blogger.com (MaryR) — Thu, 10 Sep 2009 14:25:00 +0000

Catamount: A North Country Thriller by Rick Davidson (Center Ossipee, NH: Beech River Books, 2008)

Rick Davidson, a resident of Freedom, is a teacher, photographer, and--with the publication of this, his first novel-- author.
Man's sacrilegious infringements on Nature's delicate balance calls down a forgotten Indian curse and releases a raging mountain lion, a catamount in the North Woods. This creature is not supposed to be there and is not supposed to prey on humans, but two young children and their dog pick up its trail behind an isolated summer camp not far from the Canadian border. The children do not return and a search and rescue party sets out after them, but the rampages of the malevolent ghostlike cat hinders their efforts and a violent storm sets off a serious forest fire in the tinder-dry forest.

"June.
The silence is not normal for the time of year. If Rob Schurman, the local conservation officer, was there, he might notice that suddenly, for no apparent reason, all the forest noises stop. Indeed, after relative silence, he would wonder why every bullfrog, cricket, whippoorwill, and peeper within hearing distance suddenly resumes, creating a cacophony of outback nature sounds. This concert would invariably stop in unison again only moments later. It would not have been unthinkable for someone to be in the woods videotaping the sights and sounds of early summer. Had that person been there, his camera might have caught a glimpse of something black as it slowly emerged from the underbrush. Neither the conservation officer nor a videographer was there. There was only the full moon, a large expanse of field, five deer feeding on the low grass, and a shadowy creature moving slowly just below the tops of the wild grass." (p. 5)

The Digital Bookmobile is coming to New Hampshire!

noreply@blogger.com (MaryR) — Sat, 05 Sep 2009 18:37:00 +0000

The Digital Bookmobile is a high-tech, 18-wheel download experience with instructional videos and interactive computer stations. Check it out and learn more about Overdrive Downloadable Audiobooks.

Wednesday, Sept. 9 – Manchester
Saturday, Sept. 12 – Keene

Book of the Week #35

noreply@blogger.com (MaryR) — Wed, 02 Sep 2009 11:52:00 +0000

Then, Something by Patricia Fargnoli (Tupelo Press, 2009)

This is the latest volume of poetry from New Hampshire's most recent past poet laureate, Patricia Fargnoli. Ms. Fargnoli will read from this newly-released book on Thursday, Sept. 10, 2009, 6:30-8:30pm at the Robert Frost Farm. This reading, which will also include poet Stephen Scaer, is part of the Hyla Brook Reading Series. An Open Mic will follow the readings and all audience members are invited to share their work.

“Patricia Fargnoli’s poems are vividly and gratefully aware of the comforts and assurances of the natural world; she does not miss a stitch of beauty, neither does she avoid the darker aspects of . . . human awareness of our continual aging, to which she gives sharp and poignant attention. I have been her champion since her first book Necessary Light was published, and I continue to be so.”
—Mary Oliver

Do you have a library card?

noreply@blogger.com (MaryR) — Tue, 01 Sep 2009 17:21:00 +0000

Do you have something that fits in your pocket and that gives you access to books, magazines, videos, CDs, downloadable audiobooks, online databases, and more -- all for free?
If you have a library card you do!
If you don't have a library card September is a great month to visit your local public library and get one. September is Library Card Sign Up Month and many New Hampshire libraries, including my local library, are having special promotions and events that make your library card even more valuable.

Grants Available for NH Literacy Projects

noreply@blogger.com (MaryR) — Fri, 28 Aug 2009 17:08:00 +0000

The Center for the Book at the New Hampshire State Library is pleased to announce that the Granite State Reads grants program is currently accepting applications for 2010.

Granite State Reads offers financial support to New Hampshire organizations that provide literacy assistance to New Hampshire residents. An organization with a project that improves the literacy skills of New Hampshire children or adults is eligible to apply for a Granite State Reads grant of $500 or more. The deadline to apply is December 1, 2009. Grant recipients will be notified by February 5, 2010.

Since 2003, nearly $97,000 has been distributed to New Hampshire literacy programs through Granite State Reads. Previously funded projects include a program that provided books to babies and toddlers, several family reading initiatives, guided reading groups, and literacy programs for people with learning challenges. Granite State Reads is currently a program of the Center for the Book with funds collected by Verizon through its “Check Into Literacy” program.

Those interested in applying for a Granite State Reads grant should visit http://granitestatereads.org/ for details and to download the required application. You can contact Granite State Reads at gsr@dcr.nh.gov.

Book of the Week #34

noreply@blogger.com (MaryR) — Tue, 25 Aug 2009 12:50:00 +0000

Joseph Emerson Worcester: A Distinguished and Gracious New England Lexicographer by Matthew Higgins (Concord, NH: Duncross Books, 2007)

Born in Bedford, New Hampshire on August 24, 1784 Joseph Emerson Worcester had, by 1860, "produced the finest product of American lexicography up to that time -- a dictionary that established the particular pattern that would distinguish the American Dictionary of the English language." (from the back cover)

This brief biography was written by Matthew Higgins, former NH State Librarian.

Book of the Week #33

noreply@blogger.com (MaryR) — Tue, 18 Aug 2009 17:05:00 +0000

Fishing in New Hampshire: A History by Jack Noon (Warner, NH: Moose Country Press, 2003)

According to Eleanor O'Donnell, writing in a 2004 "New Hampshire Books" column:

"This history of freshwater fishing in New Hampshire extends from the Abenaki Indians fishing for food to the sport fishing of the present day. Chapters focus on the Piscataqua River, Amoskeag Falls, and the Merrimack River, Bellows Falls, and the Connecticut River, and Lake Sunapee, chronicling the abundance of fish when the European settlers arrived to the decline and extinction of many species due to pollution. Noon also writes about the various fish found in these waters through the years. The book is illustrated by color fish chromolithographs created by Sherman F. Denton over a century ago."

Jack Noon was a guest on NHPR's Front Porch just after this book was published.

NHABA Book Fair This Sunday

noreply@blogger.com (MaryR) — Fri, 14 Aug 2009 16:54:00 +0000

The NH Antiquarian Booksellers Association (NHABA) is holding their 35th annual book fair this Sunday, August 16, 2009 at the Everett Arena in Concord from 10am to 4pm.

The NHABA Book Fair gives you an opportunity to "visit in one morning the bookshops of dealers from across New England and the Eastern U. S.. " If you need more encouragement than that to stop by, check out 12 Reasons for Coming to the NHABA Book Fair. (There is also a coupon there for free admission.)

Book of the Week #32

noreply@blogger.com (MaryR) — Tue, 11 Aug 2009 11:12:00 +0000

The Devil of Great Island: Witchcraft and Conflict in Early New England by Emerson W. Baker (NY: Palgrave Macmillan, 2007)

Emerson Baker, a professor of history at Salem State College (in Massachusetts) tells the story of 17th century witchcraft that took place on the island now known as New Castle.

"For the entire summer of 1682, George and Alice Walton's tavern in Great Island, New Hampshire, was the target of what one eyewitness called 'lithobolia, or the stone-throwing devil.' Hundreds of flying stones plagued the tavern and its proprietors and guests for months on end, causing considerable damage. Amazingly, no one ever saw anyone throwing the rocks." (p. 1)

"When people speak of seventeenth-century New England, most really mean Massachusetts. The founding myths of Plymouth Colony and Massachusetts stand as part of our national epic, embedded deep in every schoolchild's memory. Indeed, as the first settlement established by the Massachusetts bay Colony, Salem had secured a place in American history long before the witch trials took place. While Salem and Massachusetts have been given a central place in the narrative of American history, New Hampshire and Great Island have been pushed to the margins. It is time to refocus our vision of early America, for as the events in this book show, northern New England has a rich and overlooked history that can teach us a great deal about the foundations of America, and in the process perhaps reveal something about our present situation as well." (p. 5)

Book of the Week #31

noreply@blogger.com (MaryR) — Thu, 06 Aug 2009 14:25:00 +0000

Cotton: The Cookbook by Jeffrey Paige; photographs by Brian Smestad; Foreword by John Clayton (Portsmouth: Blue Tree, 2009)

I have featured the beautiful work of Portsmouth photographer Brian Smestad before. Here he has teamed up with Manchester chef Jeffrey Paige to create a book that looks as delicious as a meal at Cotton actually is. Black and white images of the restaurant staff are mixed in with gorgeous full page color images of the food.

Jeffrey Paige is the author of several books of recipes from his time at the Canterbury Shaker Village, and here he has presented 25 favorites from the menu at Cotton. Pan-fried crab cakes, the wedge, buttermilk fried chicken, meatloaf, and the pomegranate martini are all included.

Saturday Morning at Bayswater

noreply@blogger.com (MaryR) — Mon, 03 Aug 2009 01:38:00 +0000

This past Saturday I visited Bayswater Book Company in Center Harbor for a booksigning event with Barbara Delinsky. Ms. Delinsky lives (part-time) in the lakes region and many of her fans, and neighbors, turned out on this beautiful Saturday morning to see her and get their books signed. In the picture at left she is signing The Secret Between Us for my Mom.

Book of the Week #30

noreply@blogger.com (MaryR) — Thu, 30 Jul 2009 15:35:00 +0000

Secrets of Truth and Beauty by Megan Frazer (New York: Disney/Hyperion, 2009)

In a starred review of this novel Publisher's Weekly said "In a beautifully written coming-of-age story, first-time author Frazer shows how an overweight teen gets her groove back."

This Friday, July 31st at 4pm, Megan Frazer will be talking about and signing her book at Water Street Bookstore. Ms. Frazer now lives in Maine, but she graduated from Oyster River High School where she was a student of Water Street's own Liz Whaley.