If you haven’t been to one of our events as yet we invite you to come down to the store on some Tuesday evening at 7PM.  Our events are as varied as our customers.  In the past months we have hosted Garret Keizer talking on the topic of  noise, William Powers about living in a Twelve by Twelve cabin and what that means for the world,  Tim Brookes reminiscing on his latest travel adventure, Chris Bohjalian and Howard Frank Mosher with their newest novels and poets Pamela Harrison and Gary Margolis.

We’ve offered an open poetry event in April for all you budding poets in the area and last year we had a read/sleep-over in the store as a charity benefit.  And I haven’t even mentioned the Children’s Events that take place on Saturday mornings!

Our events are published in local papers and here on our website under the events listing.  We also send out events listing via e-mail newsletter once a month.  If you want to get on the list to receive our newsletters sign up at the top of the page!

As part of Friday’s Montpelier ArtWalk, Bear Pond invited the public in to write letters to the President.  Since the theme of the ArtWalk was The Future of Vermont, we asked people to write about what they hope for Vermont’s future.  We gathered and mailed off a big stack of postcards to 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue this week.  Many of the postcards mentioned sustainable energy issues, many sent their support to President Obama, a few asked the President to come visit Vermont and one young girl with a unique perspective told the President she sees more Cheez-its in our future.  One can only hope!

Here are Bear Pond’s bestsellers for May, hardcover and paperback combined.

1. Eaarth:  Making a Life on a Tough New Planet by Bill McKibben (Bill was here for the release of his new book in May)

2. The Girl Who Played With Fire by Stieg Larsson

3. The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo by Stieg Larsson

4.  Tinkers by Paul Harding (recently received the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction)

5. Cuting for Stone by Abraham Verghese

6. Little Bee by Chris Cleave (a staff favorite!)  TIED WITH

7. The Girl Who Kicked the Hornets Nest by Stieg Larsson

8. Women, Food and God by Geneen Roth

THE FOLLOWING ALL TIED

9. Island Beneath the Sea by Isabelle Allende

10. The Help by Kathryn Stockett

11. The Town That Food Saved by Ben Hewitt

12. The Vegetable Gardener’s Bible by Ed Smith

I am NOT talking about the  dawn chorus of warblers, the fresh wind in the trees, the  Spring Peepers….  There is also the roar of lawnmowers, the blast of car radios, the vroom of motorcycles and ATV’s, to say nothing of coffee grinders, blenders, car key beeps.  The list is endless and this noise causes stress (especially to me).  There are actually three new books on the topic of noise:  Garret  Keizer’s, The Unwanted Sound of Everything We Want as well as Zero Decibels: The Quest for Absolute Silence by George Michelsen Foy and In Pursuit of Silence: Listening for Meaning in a World of Noise by George Prochnik.  Garret Keizer will present a book talk on his book at Bear Pond on Tuesday, June 15 at 7pm.

In a review of the three books in the New York Times,  Dwight Garner says “As the effortlessly intelligent Mr. Keizer points out, noise is among the thorniest class issues of our time, and we tend to utterly ignore its meanings.”  If you want to find out more about noise from the perspective of Keizer,  come to his event in June.  To read more about his book and the two others here is a link to the article: Noise Article

Next time your book group is looking for a great reading suggestion, try this list of our current favorite book group picks.  All these titles are either out in paperback already or will be by early July.  All promise interesting reading and great discussions.  Enjoy!

FICTION

Await Your Reply by Dan Chaon A study of the nature of modern identity that reads like a thriller, this book is a favorite of many of the Bear Pond staff.

Angel’s Game by Carlos Ruiz Zafon Another page turner from the author of The Shadow of the Wine about the perilous nature of obsession, in literature and in love.

Let the Great World Spin by Colum McCann A dazzling and hauntingly rich vision of the loveliness, pain, and mystery of life in New York City in the 1970s.

Little Bee by Chris Cleave Gorgeously creative writing telling the story of Little Bee, a Nigerian refugee in London who tries to find the British couple she once met in Nigeria during a tragic incident.

Her Fearful Symmetry by Audrey Niffenegger When two American girls move into their deceased aunt’s London apartment, they find themselves getting to know their aunt who doesn’t seem to have left the apartment or her old life behind.

Last Night in Twisted River by John Irving A classic Irving novel that sweeps through decades, states and generations.  Yes, there’s a bear and an older woman.

Purge by Sofi Oksanen A Finnish book about an Estonian peasant who survives the Soviet occupation only to face the brutal realities of the post-occupation world when a stranger shows up half-conscious in her yard.

Mrs. Somebody Somebody by Tracy Winn An excellent collection of short stories chronicling life in a New England mill town over the last 60 years.

A Short History of Women by Kate Walbert A novel of four generations of women, from Victorian England to Manhattan’s Upper West Side, their aspirations, the limits imposed on them, and the choices they made.

The Story Sisters by Alice Hoffman This is a novel of three sisters who live in a modern fairy tale-like world – complete with all the dangers found in fairy tales.

That Old Cape Magic by Richard Russo A funny yet poignant novel about mid-life, marriage and aging parents written in Russo’s wonderful style.

The Winter Vault by Anne Michaels The poet and author of Fugitive Pieces brings us another beautifully written story about the nature of love about an English couple living in 1960’s Egypt.

Zeitoun by Dave Eggers This novel is based on the true story Abdulrahman Zeitoun, who stayed in New Orleans after the flood to protect his home and rescue people only to find himself arrested and suspected of being an Al Qaeda terrorist.

NON-FICTION

Twelve by Twelve: A One-Room Cabin Off the Grid and Beyond the American Dream by William Powers Part Annie Dillard, part Bill McKibben, this book offers riveting armchair travel through a landscape rich with clues to personal and global healing.  (Powers will be at Bear Pond for a reading June 22nd – bring the whole group!)

The Bolter by Frances Osborne Osborne tells the story of her great-grandmother Idina Sackville, a Jazz Age celebrity who had five husbands, numerous lovers, drug-fueld orgies and an adventurous spirit that shocked Edwardian society.

Columbine by Dave Cullen An award-winning journalist’s definitive beyond-the-headlines account of the shocking massacre.

For You Mom, Finally by Ruth Reichl When Reichl found her mother’s letters and diaries after her death, she realized she never really knew her mother and what sacrifices she made so Ruth would have better opportunities than she had.

Goat Song by Brad Kessler The New York City novelist lovingly writes the poetic story of his move to Vermont to herd goats, make cheese and find the beauty in rural life.

I Am Nujood, Age 10 by Nujood Ali The true story of the remarkable 10-year-old Yemeni girl who dared to defy her country’s most archaic traditions by fighting for a divorce.

Lit by Mary Karr In her third memoir, Karr entertainingly and movingly tells the story of her battle with and recovery from alcoholism.

Losing Mum and Pup by Christopher Buckley The tragicomic true story of the year in which Buckley lost both of his parents written with wit and warmth.

Mennonite in a Little Black Dress by Rhoda Janzen An engaging and funny story of a grown woman returning to her parents and her Mennonite past after her own life bottoms out.

Age of Wonder: How the Romantic Generation Discovered the Beauty and Terror of Science by Richard Holmes A cleverly conceived investigation of the earliest ideas of deep time and space.

Strength in What Remains by Trace Kidder An unforgettable and inspiring story of one man’s journey that provides brilliant testament to the power of second chances.

We had a great night at Bear Pond Books last night when Bill McKibben came to discuss his new book “Eaarth: Making a Life on a Tough New Planet”.  The very full house was most appreciative of Bill starting with his opening line explaining how he doesn’t know why he’s invited to speak so frequently since he’s “a professional bringer downer”.  To the contrary the evening was informative, entertaining and offered some hope in the fight against global warming.

Bill explained the extra A in the title of the book by saying that we’ve waited too long to address global warming and now we’re dealing with a whole new earth.  One that is so altered it requires looking at in a new way.  He tied the environmental crisis in to the current banking crisis saying that if anything is “too big to fail” than it is by definition too big.  Like so many financial institutions our energy and agricultural systems are too big.  Some other notable quotes from the discussion:

* On why he feels bad for Alan Greenspan: “We lost our money but he lost his whole belief system”

* On Barack Obama: despite liking the President and having campaigned for him, McKibben feels Obama is not doing enough for environmental issues and needs to be inspired to do more:  “Friends don’t let friends miss their historical opportunities”.

* On how to get involved:  this October 10th – 10/10/10 – has been declared the day for a Global Work Party.  Put up solar panels, dig a community garden, build a bike path – do whatever it takes to show the politicians that the world is committed to ending global warming.

Our bestsellers from April include books from Author Events we hosted, the Pulitzer Prize winner for fiction and many titles from our Staff Picks table.

1.  The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo by Stieg Larsson

2. The Girl Who Played With Fire by Stieg Larsson

3.  Little Bee by Chris Cleave

4. Let the Great World Spin by Colum McCann

5. Walking to Gatlinburg by Howard Frank Mosher

6.  Purge by Sofi Oksanen

7. The Town That Food Saved by Ben Hewitt

8. Tinkers by Paul Harding

9. Cutting for Stone by Abraham Verghese

TIED FOR #10:

Food Rules by Michael Pollan

How to Live byHenry Alford

Red Bird by Mary Oliver

Undress Me in the Temple of Heaven by Sarah Jane Gilman

With Haiti in the news after it’s devastating earthquake, many people are yearning to learn more about the poor island country.   Immediately after the disaster Tracy Kidder’s Mountains Beyond Mountains found renewed popularity.  The 2003 memoir is an inspiring account of the work of Dr. Paul Farmer, a global health specialist who founded a groundbreaking hospital and health center in Haiti.

It’s probably not a coincidence that we’re seeing more Haitian literature being published.  Last month saw the first English publication of Love, Anger, Madness by Marie Vieux-Chauvet. Originally published in Haiti in 1968, this book was banned but became an underground success.  It is three novellas about life under the oppressive regime that ruled the island in the 1950’s and an education into the history of that time.  The writing tensely and movingly portrays what happens to communities living under oppression and the bitterness and suspicion that creeps into everyone: neighbors, sisters, and children alike.

Isabelle Allende’s new novel, Island Beneath the Sea, is the story of Tete, a slave woman in French occupied Saint- Domingue (as Haiti was then called) starting in 1770.  The novel follows Tete through the revolution of Toussaint Louverture and as she flees Saint-Domingue to eventually settle in New Orleans with her master to whom she is forever linked.  Rich with history, Allende uses her considerable abilities to describe island life for both the natives and the French. She beautifully captures the spirit of the slaves as they become free and leave the island without ever really doing either.  This is a wonderful book to sink into and feel the heat of Sainte Domingue on your skin.

Emily St. John Mandel’s book starts out with a simple love story.  Eli meets Lilia moves in with her, loves her.  Then the layers begin.  She weaves the tale of how she was abducted by her father when she was a child. She has lived her whole life leaving, moving.  As the book progresses the story becomes more complex and tense as we learn more about the past and present.  I can’t really tell you anymore because the thrill of the book is the way things are revealed – layer upon layer.  Her first novel and I think it’s a great one.