OlovesM Bags

Looking for the perfect holiday gift? Or wanting to treat yourself to something fashionable, fun and unique? How about one of our new OlovesM bags? Designed and hand sewn in Colorado, these bags are the perfect gift (for someone on your list, or for yourself).

We have a variety of styles, from everyday purses to small clutches. The bags are the perfect blend of function and style, using two different mediums. The combination of yoga mat and fabric provide each bag with a different look.

Plus, these bags are eco friendly. The yoga mats are re-purposed and saved from landfills. And the fabric is primarily overruns. Straps and handles are leftover Chaco sandal webbing. All scraps are used for something, so very little goes to the landfills :-)

So, if you're looking for something fun and unique, come in and check them out. To see more, visit The Bookstall or www.olovesm.com

JOAN ANDERSON -- THE SECOND JOURNEY

This Thursday, August 14, inspirational author Joan Anderson will give a presentation and booksigning from 5-7 p.m. at Harriet's, 9 Cottage Street, Marion. The Bookstall will provide refreshments.

THINK CHRISTMAS

2009 calendars are here, including Shirley Bell Designs watercolor prints for desk and wall.

As hard as it is to believe, Christmas is around the corner, and our holiday cards have just arrived. Come in to see.

HOT OFF THE PRESS

THE DANGEROUS DAYS OF DANIEL X for readers aged 10 to 110

James Patterson's newest book for younger readers tells the story of an orphan intent on hunting down his parent's assassins.

"Daniel has the ability to manipulate objects and animals with his mind. He can re-create himself in any shape he chooses." This is a thrilling adventure.

ANN'S READING...

When the latest email came out, it seemed that no one knew what I was reading. Because it's such a good book, I wanted to let you know I'm deeply engrossed in David Baldacci's THE WHOLE TRUTH. It's billed as his first international thriller, and what a complex (and troubling) tale he has created. Baldacci never disappoints his readers!!

SHIRLEY BELL

We have just received Shirley Bell's beautiful, boxed notecards. She's a talented water colorist from Jamestown, R.I. Her cards have delightful summer images of whales, sailboats, dragonflies, shells, etc. We are also lucky enough to have her desktop 2009 calendars. Please come in to see them.

Magnif-i

Can't read the menu, phone book? We have the solution for you. Magnif-i credit cards are perfect for the wallet. Magnif-i bookmarks are right there when you need them. Not enough light? Lighted Magnif-i is perfect for your purse. The pocket book light is perfect for the glovebox, reading nautical charts, or clipping onto your book to read at night while your better half is sleeping.

Penny Vincenzi

AN ABSOLUTE SCANDAL--Penny Vincenzi's new novel hot-off-the-press has just arrived. We're looking forward to reading it and hope it's as good as her previous novels.

Bequet Caramels

They are back in and are still the best caramel I have ever put in my mouth and I have tried more than a few!! Bequet's Sea Salt caramel is my personal favorite but the chocolate and soft are pretty delicious as well. They make a nice hostess gift too.

Father's Day

Just a reminder that Father's Day is this Sunday and we have great cards for that special father in your life and some wonderful presents for them too. Come visit us and see what's new. Everyday we are getting new merchandise and new books. It feels like Christmas everytime the UPS driver shows up!! Very fun!

Botanicus Diffusers

Opening your summer house? Botanicus Diffusers are a must-have for refreshing that stale air! These diffusers are alcohol free so they last longer than other diffusers. We also have Botanicus "puff balls" -- jars with holes in their tops, filled with fragrant but not overpowering scented balls. Perfect for the closet and dresser drawers to remove that mothball, "old air" odor. Try the travel size in the car. We also have travel sized Botanicus candles, great for the bathrooms in lots of different fragrances.

Mistress of the Sun

Sandra Gulland is a terrific writer, and her new book Mistress of the Sun is as beautifully written as her Josephine B. Trilogy. It's an historical novel, based on the life of Louise de la Valliere, the beloved consort of France's Louis XIV. I haven't quite finished it, but I am thoroughly enjoying it. Mimi

SILK TIES

Fathers Day is June 15 and we have gotten the perfect gift for that special man in your life.....100% pure silk neckties, several with different nautical themes, one for the golfer, and one for the dog lover.
Very affordable!! So please come in and see our table full of Fathers Day gifts.

NEW AND NOTABLE BOOKS

RECKLESS IN RED by Elizabeth George
HOUSE ON FORTUNE STREET by Margot Livesey
MIRACLE AT SPEEDY MOTORS by Alexander McCall Smith
FRIDAY NIGHTS by Joanna Trollop
THE SECOND JOURNEY by Joan Anderson
AUDITION by Barbara Walters

FLIP NOTES

Would you believe that we have the Flip Notes as seen on Ugly Betty.

GREAT BOOK

A book we love to recommend is ASTRID AND VERONIKA by Linda Olsson. It's a beautifully written story of the friendship that forms when a young woman rents a house in Sweden and is befriended by her elderly neighbor and their life stories unfold.

ELDRIDGE TIDE CHARTS

FYI, according to our customers, West Marine does not have Eldridge Tide Charts. If you need one, come see us. Your GPS is great, but it doesn't tell you what the currents are doing when you're out on the ocean.

PERFECT FOR THE SUMMER

Just in this morning are new note cubes from Lifeguard Press as well as boxed note cards. Perfect for that quick thank you note and the cubes are great for jotting down that quick message to the kids that they can find you on beach!! 3 different designs for the cubes and 2 for the note cards. Come in and check them out.

May Bookstall Newsletter

Dear Readers,

We ladies at the Bookstall are looking forward to the return of our summer families. This spring has been so absolutely beautiful here that we have already put up our screen door, making us feel that summer is around the corner even though this glorious weather may not last.

Celebrating springtime inside the shop are the beautiful, dried flower collages made by Laura von Zweck. We have both originals and giclee prints, plus her greeting cards --delicate and delightful.

We've returned to our regular store hours -- 10:00 to 5:00, Monday thru Saturday.

May 11th, Mothers Day- we have wonderful gifts, lap desks, garden stakes, new Vera Bradley accessories, candles, hand crafted by Nancy Alexander purses, paperweights and of course fabulous Mothers Day cards.

May 15th we will be having a special Wine, Cheese and a Book Please. Jack (J. North) Conway, author of Cape Cod Canal: Breaking through the Bared and Bended Arm, will be joining us to sign copies of his book. "The cradle of New England's shipping doubled as its casket, earning the sailing route around Cape Cod the nickname of graveyard of the Atlantic. J. North Conway plunges into the character of Cape Cod, from its discovery to its chowder, and of the man who managed to cut a path through it."

I am off to New York to the National Stationery Show in NYC this month and I am sure I will find all sorts of treasures for the store. I am particularly looking for anything "green", recycled/reused.

June 15th, Fathers Day- We have some terrific ideas for that special man in your life from books on golf, Eldridge Tide Guides to nautical ties. How about a signed copy of Cape Cod Canal?

June 19th- we will be having our own local author, Randy Peffer joining our Wine, Cheese and a Book Please. His new book, Old School Bones a Cape Islands mystery has just been released. For those of you who read his novel Provincetown Follies Bangkok Blues, he has brought Michael DeCastro back for this mystery of murder, secret societies and racially motivated crime. Please join us for a tasting and author event.

July 17th- Charlie Poekel author of Babe and the Kid will be here for the 2nd time to sign and discuss his book. He came this winter and we had a wonderful turn out. Have a baseball fan, Babe Ruth fan? If so, this is a must have.

August 14th- Our guest will be renowned author, Joan Anderson, presenting and signing her fourth and newest book, The Second Journey: The Road Back to Yourself.

Of course we will send you a reminder as these events grow nearer.

YEAH SPRING!

Mimi

NEW ARTIST ON DISPLAY

Artist, Laura Von Zweck is now showing at the Bookstall. Laura works with her own pressed dried flowers and handmade papers. Her prices are very reasonable and they would make a great Mothers Day present. I will post pictures when I have more time so in the meantime come in and admire her wonderful art. Would you believe she actually sold one while she was hanging them up!! They may be a must for someone in your life. We have originals as well as Giclee prints. I think her work is fabulous so come on in and check it out for yourself.

STORE HOURS

As of May 1st we have returned to our regular store hours. We are open 10:00 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday to Saturday. We look forward to seeing you soon.

LAP DESKS

I have searched high and low for 2 years looking for lap desks and finally found them. I use mine everyday for all sorts of things, writing either in bed or on my lap in front of the TV, breakfast in bed, reading etc.. Maybe it is just me but I think everyone should have one. The best is that they aren't terribly expensive. A great graduation, mother's day or birthday present!!

NEW FROM MELISSA & DOUG

Very cool build-your-own Mighty Jet Plane...ages 6 and up.

For the little ones, Sound and Shape Puzzle and Chunky Puzzle Shapes...ages 2 and up.

New floor puzzle called "Going Places." It's 4 separate puzzles in one box for ages 3 and up.

PILLARS OF THE EARTH

It's Mimi here...........Just finished possibly one of the best books I have read this year. "Pillars of the Earth" by Ken Follett. It's the story of the building of a cathedral in the fictional town of Kingsbridge, England. Sounds like it could be boring but it's NOT, actually it's a true page turner, the kind of book that all you want to do is read it!! The best part is he has just published another story placed in the same town "World Without End". I can't wait to start that one! For those of you who not enjoy long books you can forget this one because it's a tome, 900 plus pages!!!

I have just started reading "Shantaram" and will let you know about this one when I am a little farther into it. So far though it has definately caught my attention.

INPUT REQUESTED FROM OUR PATRONS

As some of you know from emails and this blog and visits to the store, we do a monthly Wine, Cheese and a Book, Please event the third Thursday of each month. We would like to liven things up a bit and are requesting your input either here by adding a comment, calling us at 508-748-1041 or stopping by the store as to your ideas of what you might like to see happen at these events. Poetry reading, special book discussions, theme night have all been suggested. Any takers on those or any other ideas? This is your local bookstore and we would like to have your input to make this event more meaningful for you.

In addition, if you have any suggestions for any other events that we could hold, please let us know as well.

Thank you for taking the time to respond.

and remember, so many books.... so little time....

Mimi

FOR OUR FUTURE AUTHORS?

As many of our customers are asking for information about expanding their horizons, we thought you might be interested in the following from Curry College.

Blue Hills Writing Institute at Curry College has an expanded selection of workshops and classes planned for the coming spring and summer months.

· Allan Hunter is teaching a new short workshop on May 31 and June 7 called “Writing Using the Power of the Archetypes Within You,” based on his new book Stories We Need to Know: Reading Your Life Path in Literature (Findhorn Press, 2008, ISBN 978-1-84409-123-2). This workshop will meet from 9:00 a.m-4:00 p.m. and the cost is $320.

· For those who look forward to Sandy Kaye’s Advanced Memoir, we’re breaking that out into a seven week course on Tuesday evenings running from July 8 through August 19. The cost is $960.

· Of value to those writing either fiction or nonfiction, Suzanne Strempek Shea will teach “Writing Around the Corner—Setting Stories in Your Hometown” on Monday and Tuesday August 11 and 12 from 10:00 a.m.-5:00 p.m. The cost is $320. Suzanne is currently touring to promote her new book Sundays in America: A Yearlong Road Trip in Search of Christian Faith (Beacon Press, April 2008, ISBN 978-0-8070-7224-0).

· Connie Griffin will teach another round of her short workshop on “Storytelling: The Craft of Creative Nonfiction” on Wednesday and Thursday August 13 and 14 from 10:00 a.m.-5:00 p.m. The cost is $320.

Full details are available on the Blue Hills Writing Institute web pages, which can be reached by clicking on this link: www.curry.edu/BHWI

Spring Starts on March 20th!

Well, hard to believe, but Spring is upon us! From here on out we can expect to see more and more daffodils and tulips peeking out from the cold earth to welcome in this spectacular time of year here in Marion!

In addition to all our books (remember we can special order most any book you wish to add to your collection), The Bookstall has a lot of great items for giving expected to come in in the weeks to come. There is Mother's Day in May, Father's Day in June and yes, graduation's coming as well!

We are expecting Lap Trays the week of April 18th. These are great for a breakfast in bed or snack in front of your favorite movie. Neckties are due in May just in time to plan for Father's Day! If you are planning any summer trips, we have some great Luggage Tags that will make your bag easily identifiable! Other gift ideas needed? We expect theme styled Memory Boards, for example, one is shaped like a sailboat, to put up your favorite pictures or reminders or shopping lists. We will add to our picture frames for those graduates to house the reminder of their very special day. We will also be carrying Botanicus Diffusers, Travel Candles and Fragrance Puff Jars that will help whisk away the musty odors in homes that have been closed up for the winter. If you are interested in planning some summer by the sea parties we will also be carrying cocktail napkins for that special occasion. Need a special gift to take to someone? If you like to take a good bottle of wine, you can "dress it up" with bottle covers-a lighthouse, a captain's uniform, or a beach comber-male or female! We will also have guest books for you to keep track of all those summer visits from friends and family!

As usual, we will have note cards and calendars, Flip Notes, and Note Wallets by Julia Bell.

We are adding to our already extensive collection of cards for just about any occasion. Stop by and stock up so you are ready for that birthday, graduation, anniversary or wedding. We also have blank cards that you can inscribe with your own special sentiments!

Look forward to seeing one and all and remember,

so many books . . . . so little time . . . . MIMI

New mysteries from Lakeville author

Lakeville author Joyce Keller just stopped in with 3 volumes of her Pittsley County Chronicles, murder mysteries set in the local area: "Juckets," "Swamp Yankees" and her latest "Bog Men."
We've read and find Ms. Keller to be a fine, taut storyteller who teases us with mysteries using local landmarks in Southeastern Massachusetts.

Here are two older books which would make good book club selections:

"The Human Stain" by Philip Roth
Set in 1998, a story of the classic denial of one's racial heritage

"Cold Comfort Farm" by Stella Gibbons
A heartwarming and comic parody of melodramatic novels

We are told ALL the time that we have wonderful greeting cards, and we DO if we say so ourselves!! We feature everything from photographic cards by local artists to bookmark cards. We will be receiving a large shipment of new cards next week, everything from birthday to congratulatory. Come on in and see what's new in what we call our "FUN ROOM."

Book Club Reads

For those of you looking for a new book, here are what some of the book clubs in Marion are reading:

• 
  The Gathering by Anne Enright
  An unflinching look at a grieving family. Paperback
• 
  Typical American by Gish Jen
  Comic, insightful novel of immigrants experiencing the trails and triumphs of
  American life. Paperback
• 
  Ladies of Covington Send Their Love by Joan Medlicott
  Warmhearted look at enduring friendship. Paperback
• 
  Loving Frank by Nancy Horan
  A novel written about Frank Lloyd Wright and his mistress. Hardcover
• 
  Beginner's Greek: A Novel by James Collins
  Just out this month, a brilliant, understated comedy of manners. Hardcover