 Parnassus on Wheels
by Christopher Morley
General Fiction
The Modern Library
Paperback, 204 pages
In 1917 William Morley anticipated the bookmobiles of today! In this short and charming novel Roger Mifflin, a squat, balding, red-bearded man, plies his trade as an itinerant bookseller from a horse-drawn cart called Parnassus. Seeming to have had about enough of it, he seeks to offer it for sale to a farmer-turned-author who lives in isolation with his sister. Instead, the sister (old and fat by her own reckoning) and seeking escape from the drudgery of her lonely life, preemptively buys the Parnassus herself and sets out with Roger to learn the trade. What follows is a sweet tale of love and marriage bound together by a love of books.
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 The Little Paris Bookshop
by Nina George
General Fiction
Broadway Books, 2016
Paperback, 416 pages
$16.00
Okay…Parnassus was a horse-drawn book wagon. The Literary Apothecary is a book barge moored along the bank of the Seine from which the owner, Jean Perdu, dispenses books that he prescribes for those suffering the slings and arrows of modern life. The only patient he seems unable to heal with this literary pharmacy is himself and the heart that was broken when he was left by his great love. So, finally he sets sail to ply the rivers of southern France (with blocked author and a lovelorn Italian chef) dispensing wisdom along with his paper-bound pharmaceuticals. Not as deep as the Seine, but winsome little book.
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 The Bookstore Mouse
by Peggy Christian
Early Readers
HMH Books for Young Readers, 2002
Paperback, 144 pages
$6.95
Cervantes is a mouse who lives in a bookstore. Not just any bookstore, but an antiquarian bookstore. He loves words and knows his way around and in books. His diet is of delicious words from fancy cookbooks. He can throw sharp words and pointed remarks...and does at Milo, the bookstore cat who would love to get his claws on Cervantes.
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 84, Charing Cross Road
by Helene Hanff
Memoirs
Penguin Books, 1990
Paperback, 112 pages
$14.00
In the mid-20th century Charing Cross Road at Cambridge Circus, London was an enclave of salons and accompanying businesses of the literary world including bookstores. In this quirky little novel one such was Marks & Co. whose chief buyer was a man named Frank Doel. A New York writer, Helene Hanff, responding to an ad began a 20-year exchange of letters with Frank and, from time to time, a few others in the store. Her letters are brash and witty. His are formal and frank. Their sweet and savory correspondence ranges widely across literature and life in general. Their epistolary relationship matures and deepens. Helene takes on a charitable role as war rationing settles on London and she sends food parcels that are received with huge enthusiasm. An enchanting little book!
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 Wilderness Warrior
by Douglas Brinkley
History
Harper Perennial, 2010
Paperback, 960 pages
$19.99
The national park system would not be what it is today without the bold and visionary actions of Theodore Roosevelt. “I so declare it!” he said (presaging the executive orders of our current president). And so it was that over 230 million acres of America’s forests, wild lands and waters, and the wildlife that called them home were protected from development and desecration by the mere scratch of a quill. Roosevelt believed deeply that it was the very essence of democracy to ensure that every American could experience a personal connection with the magnificent natural legacy contained within America and her territories. He was literally disgusted with the greed, corruption, and petty profiteering of his fellow man and committed his life to fighting the forces of destruction and protecting America’s treasure for future generations. In The Wilderness Warrior, Douglas Brinkley tells this captivating story of an extraordinary and complex man and how he and his compatriots accomplished what seemed impossible. A terrific book!
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 The Hour of Land: A Personal Topography of America's National Parks
by Terry Tempest Williams
Reflections on Nature
Sarah Crichton Books, 2016
Hardcover, 416 pages
$27.00
One of our favorite books and bestsellers in the shop is Terry Tempest Williams’ memoir/meditation When Women Were Birds. Now, on the 100th anniversary of the creation of the National Park Service we have her brilliant reflection on the American national parks. But, don’t take it from us! Andrea Wulf, author of the prizewinning biography of Alexander von Humboldt, says this: “The Hour of Land is one of the best nature books I’ve read in years… My only advice is to read the book. And then read it again, with pen in hand. And then visit a national park, because as Williams reminds us, they are ‘portals and thresholds of wonder,’ the ‘breathing spaces for a society that increasingly holds its breath.”
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 The Seven Stairs
by Stuart Brent
Memior
Touchstone, 1989
Paperback, 256 pages
$17.95
A week or so ago a young woman came into the store and asked if we had known Stuart Brent. Well, no we hadn’t. So, who was he? He was her father (or, maybe, grandfather) and he had a place on Bark Point on the south shore of Lake Superior not far from here. And, he was the founder in 1946 of the Seven Stairs bookstore on Rush Street in Chicago. Interesting! She returned a few days later and handed us a copy of The Seven Stairs. Embarrassing! Little had we known that one of the great literary lights of the upper Midwest had been our neighbor. He had died here on his Bark Point place within days of the opening of our bookstore in 2010. This is the memoir of one of the most colorful and revered independent booksellers in the country. He knew them all – on the back cover of the book is a group photo of him with Studs Terkel, Robert Parrish, Stephen Spender, Jack Conroy and Nelson Algren! The subtitle is An Adventure of the Heart – a love affair with life and literature. We wish we had known him!
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 A Storied Wilderness: Rewilding the Apostle Islands
by James W. Feldman
Reflections on Nature
University of Washington Press, 2011
Hardcover, 320 pages
price varies
"Rewilding" - as Feldman conceives it- is not about simply eradicating the traces of human presence and activity in the natural world, but rather recognizing the shared roles of people and nature in restoring and maintaining wild places. His laboratory is the marvelous landscape of the Apostle Islands - once a bustling hive of human community and commerce - which came to be the only area in the continental United States granted "wilderness" status during the presidency of George W. Bush. One of the key "stories" in the book is that of the Noring Farm - an abandoned homestead on Sand Island. In his forward, the eminent historian William Cronon describes his own experience of the fading remnants of the old farm and points out how Feldman drew upon it to demonstrate his insights into the intertwining of human and nonhuman nature. This is one of many of his stories of the Apostle Islands and as Cronon puts it, "[These] stories will remain legible on these pages in all their poignant ambiguity for a very long time to come."
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 Jewels on the Water
by Jeff Rennicke
Reflections on Nature
Hardcover
$24.95
We display this book as the must-have book on the Apostle Islands. Layne Kennedy’s photos are stunning. Jeff Rennicke’s text is fluid and knowledgeable. Unlike many coffee-table-style books this one has more than a pretty face. It was inspired by Martin Hanson and his cohorts and was published as a project of The Friends of the Apostle Islands. The Friends is a nonprofit organization which, in alliance with the National Park Service, serves to advance the interests of the park and its visitors. Check it out and become involved!
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 Apostle Islands: From Land and Sea
by Craig Blacklock
Reflections on Nature
Adventure Publications
Hardcover
$24.95/$8.95
The beauty of our namesake Apostle Islands is legendary. Never before have they been captured with such splendor and intimacy. Craig Blacklock arrives by sea kayak and shoots the spectacular sea caves, pristine beaches, light houses, flora, and fauna in brilliant color prints. There is a succinct introductory page of text and the rest is gorgeous color. There are two versions of the book: the Gallery Edition is 10 x 12 inches and 72 pages - coffee table style; the Souvenir Edition is 6.75 x 8 inches and 48 pages - quick reference style. Craig has simultaneously released a similar pair of books on the Pictured Rocks of the Upper Peninsula - equally beautiful. But, the Apostle Islands are home!
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 Environmental Politics and the Creation of a Dream: Establishing the Apostle Islands National Lakeshore
by Harold C. Jordahl with Annie L. Booth
Reflections on Nature
University of Wisconsin Press, 2011
Paperback, 360 pages
$24.95
In Environmental Politics and the Creation of a Dream, Harold (Bud) Jordahl, one of the primary advocates for designating the islands as a national park, discloses the full story behind the effort to preserve their natural beauty for posterity. He describes in detail the political and bureaucratic complexities of the national lakeshore campaign, augmented by his own personal recollections and those of such prominent figures as Wisconsin Senator Gaylord Nelson and President John F. Kennedy. Writing in collaboration with Annie Booth, Jordahl recounts how activists, legislators, media, local residents, and other players shaped the islands’ future establishment as a national park.
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 On Sand Island
by Jacqueline Briggs Martin
Childrens/Local Interest
HMH Books for Young Readers, 2003
Hardcover, 32 pages
$17.95
Based on her summer living as an Artist in Residence on Sand Island, one of the largest and westernmost of the Apostle Islands, Martin wrote this captivating story of early 20th century life on Lake Superior. Carl, a boy in a family of Norwegian immigrant fishermen who live on Sand Island, wants to have a boat of his own. Through dogged persistence and the barter of his labor for the materials and supplies, he achieves his dream. The illustrations by David Johnson are exquisite. This is the perfect children’s book for the Apostle Islands.
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 Wintering
by Peter Geye
General Fiction
Knopf
Hardcover, 320 pages
$26.95
There are two stories in play here, bound together when the elderly, demented Harry Eide escapes his sickbed and vanishes into the Minnesota wilderness —instantly changing the Eide family forever. He'd done this once before, thirty-some years earlier, in 1963 with his son Gus. It's certainly a journey Gus has never forgotten. Now—with his father pronounced dead—Gus relates this harrowing story to Berit Lovig, who'd waited nearly thirty years for Harry. So, a middle-aged man rectifying his personal history, an aging lady wrestling with her own, and with the entire history of Gunflint. This is a story about the power of relationships the power of storytelling. Peter's use of language is mesmerizing. Trust us; if you loved The Lighthouse Road, you will be amazed by this breathtaking story.
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 Richard III
by William Shakespeare
Penguin Classics
Paperback, 208 pages
$8.00
“Now is the winter of our discontent.” Thus begins Shakespeare’s dramatic account of the Machiavellian rise to power of the ugly hunchback, King Richard III, and his brief reign. In the opening monologue Richard draws us in league with him as he sets about his nefarious business. Throughout the play his soliloquies and asides keep the audience “in the know” regarding his actions and intentions and keep us somewhat on his side. This is the second longest of Shakespeare’s canon (after Hamlet) and it is often abridged in a variety of ways. But always, when Richard is unhorsed in the Battle of Bosworth Field, his cry of “A horse, a horse, my kingdom for a horse!” resounds throughout the house.
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 If Not For You
by Bob Dylan
Childrens
Atheneum Books for Young Readers
Hardcover, 32 pages
$17.99
As a dog savors time spent with his rambunctious puppy, his thoughts turn to... Bob Dylan. Although the bittersweet text describes how bereft the narrator would be without his loved one, Walker—with his palette of nursery blues and greens and a cast that resembles cuddly plush toys—keeps the mood mostly light. At times, Dylan’s lyrics force Walker to slip into something more existential—a mood that can feel out of step with the way children think about the parent-child dynamic. The line “I’d lay awake all night/ Wait for the mornin’ light” finds Dad by himself on his bed at 4am, looking up at the moon with an expression of mild anxiety. Is he pondering the inexorable passage of time? His own mortality? The cost of raising kids? Don’t think twice, Dad—it’s all right.
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 Raymie Nightingale
by Kate DeCamillo
Middle Readers
Candlewick
Hardcover, 272 pages
$16.99
Raymie Clarke has come to realize that everything, absolutely everything, depends on her. And she has a plan. If Raymie can win the Little Miss Central Florida Tire competition, then her father, who left town two days ago with a dental hygienist, will see Raymie's picture in the paper and (maybe) come home. To win, not only does Raymie have to do good deeds and learn how to twirl a baton; she also has to contend with the wispy, frequently fainting Louisiana Elefante, who has a show-business background, and the fiery, stubborn Beverly Tapinski, who’s determined to sabotage the contest. But as the competition approaches, loneliness, loss, and unanswerable questions draw the three girls into an unlikely friendship — and challenge each of them to come to the rescue in unexpected ways.
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 Don Quixote
by Cervantes
General Fiction
Penguin Classics
Paperback, 1072 pages
$17.00
There is nothing lightweight about Don Quixote – the Penguin Classic edition weighs in at 1072 pages. It is widely considered to be the first modern novel with its wit and innovative form. Seduced by tales of chivalry, Quixote and his squire, Sancho Panza, roam the world and engage in all sorts of wonderful exploits. Tilting at windmills is only the tip of the iceberg! The splendid translation is by John Rutherford and there is a brilliant critical introduction by Roberto Gonzalez Echeverria. It’s never too late sit down with this one!
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 Alexander Hamilton
Ron Chernow
History
Penguin Books
Paperback, 832 pages
$20.00
Well, you can’t get a ticket, but you can read the book! The wildly popular Broadway musical, Hamilton, is inspired by this book. While the musical is the unlikely hip-hop inspired retelling of Hamilton’s role in our revolutionary history, the book is an equally (on its own terms) compelling biography of this enigmatic figure. He arrived on our shores from the Caribbean orphaned, penniless, and not knowing a single soul. He became the most influential of the founding fathers, or perhaps of all subsequent American leaders, to never achieve the presidency. Clearly this is the best biography ever written of the man and Chernow combines superb historiography with a moving narrative story. How it inspired a hip-hop version on Broadway is a story unto itself!
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 I Am Malala: How One Girl Stood Up for Education and Changed the World
Malala Yousafzai
Young Readers Non-fiction
Little, Brown Books
Hardcover, 240 pages
$17.00
Adapted from the adult bestseller, this inspiring memoir by activist Yousafzai sketches her brave actions to champion education in Pakistan under the Taliban. The narrative begins with a prologue in which a Taliban gunman boards her school bus and asks, "Who is Malala?" The authors then offer insight into the cultural and political events leading up to the shooting that followed and Yousafzai's dramatic recovery. Yousafzai highlights the escalating tensions as the Taliban takes hold—including the strictures against girls attending school, the obliteration of Western influence, violence, and the eventual war—but also brings the universal to life as she quarrels with her brothers, treasures her best friend, and strives to earn top grades. It's a searing and personal portrait of a young woman who dared to make a difference. Ages 10–up.
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 The Past
Tessa Hadley
Mystery/Thriller
Harper Collins
Hardcover, 320 pages
$26.99
Many of us up here have experienced the drama of being in a circle of siblings faced with dealing with a treasured country house or cottage. As was said about old age, “It ain’t for sissies”! Likewise for familial co-ownership! Here four adult siblings have inherited their grandparent’s country home and are there for their annual reunion. They are faced with the problem of what to do with it. The tangled memories and relationships range from les evenements of Paris in May, 1968 to the “disappeared” in 1970’s Argentina. Hadley writes with magical phrasing and seems to get everything just right. Her clear-sightedness and sensitivity are reminiscent of Alice Munro. An odd factoid: there is a character named Grantham Fellowes - shades of Downton Abbey! Wonderful book!
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 Testament of Youth
Vera Brittain
Memoirs
Penguin Classics
Paperback, 688 pages
$20.00
First published in 1933, this memoir of the First World War still holds a place in the modern era because it so beautifully captures a time in which the virtues and illusions of an old age were put to death in a way that no other generation has yet to live through. Written by a woman in a time when most war literature came from men, it brings a different perspective to the genre.
Vera Brittain was a young woman in her first year at Somerville College, Oxford, when the Great War broke out. Putting her studies on hold to become a nurse, she spent four years helping with the war effort and simultaneously watching all the men she loved die. Though shattering, the novel is also beautiful and uplifting, as Vera details life after, including her efforts with the League of Nations, feminism with the women's vote, and simple survival as life continued.
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 Dead Wake: The Last Crossing of the Lusitania
Erik Larson
History
Broadway Books
Paperback, 480 pages
$17.00
NOW IN PAPERBACK! In May of 1915, a torpedo fired from a German submarine struck the RMS Lusitania, a British passenger ship with nearly 200 Americans aboard. She sunk off the coast of Ireland in less than 20 minutes, killing 1,200 passengers and crew, fully half of whose remains were never recovered. Common knowledge has it that this event drove the United States to enter a European war that would become World War I, but, in fact, while the Lusitania's fate played some role in that decision, it took two full years and the secret German Zimmerman telegram for the U.S. to enter the war in 1917. The Lusitania's story is in itself moving, and carries great historical significance, but these events positively glitter with life in Larson's engaging, quick-paced and captivating prose. Though it incorporates well-documented history, Larson's writing still contains elements of suspense for all but the most expert readers. Dead Wake is a masterpiece of gripping narrative nonfiction, arguably the most riveting of Larson's works.
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 Brooklyn
Colm Toibin
General Fiction
Scribner
Paperback, 288 pages
$15.00
It’s getting to be Oscar time and one of the nominees for Best Picture (it won’t win!) is based upon Colm Toibin’s Brooklyn. This quiet, poignant novel chronicles the life of a young Irish immigrant, Eilis Lacey, in Brooklyn in the early 1950’s. Her leave taking from home and family in Enniscorthy was wrought with inevitability and anguish. The voyage to America was ghastly. Her seeming passivity made her a ghost to those who encountered her in the New World. Her love with an Italian-American young man is fraught. And then she is called home. In our humble opinion there is no better contemporary writer than Colm Toibin.
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 Dark Money
Jane Mayer
Political Science
Doubleday
Hardcover, 464 pages
$29.95
In this age of insipid political self-promotion on the one hand and political hatchet jobs on the other, comes this robustly reported account of the incredible strategic achievements of the right-wing Koch brothers. Mayer, a long-time writer for The New Yorker, spent five years on this thick, scrupulously-documented volume and the result is both impressive and frightening. First off, for a book of this type, Mayer’s story is nicely structured, her prose is a pleasure to read, and her conclusions are clear as a bell. Secondly, she shows how the Koch project, begun under the radar in 1980 (coincident with the election of Ronald Reagan), has been an overwhelming success in redefining so-called “conservatism” and winning the election of its adherents to public office at all levels of the American political system. In many ways it now holds an iron grip. This is must reading for any student of the American political process as well as for any truly engaged citizen.
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