Reviewed Books

We’re about bookstores.  Independent bookstores, to be precise.  But — to be wildly simplistic about the whole thing — without books there wouldn’t be bookstores.  We like books and that’s why we like bookstores.  So while we’re going around spreading the word of the independent bookstore, we’re also occasionally giving the nod to specific books, either through our “recommended reading” series (which tend to be about books that relate to a specific holiday or time of year), our night stand updates (which includes a list of the books we’re reading or have just read or are about to read) and the books that bookstore owners or employees have recommended to us (which often give us some insight into the store).

Which means that while our goal in keeping this Web site going isn’t necessarily to review books, we find ourselves doing a lot of just that.  We decided that we should keep a running list of the books we mention on our pages, so that anyone who wants to can check out our opinions.  There was some discussion of the best way to organize the books: we agreed on alphabetical but by author or title?  As the co-founder with the least amount of available memory, I argued for organizing by title which I have at least a SMALL chance of remembering, unlike authors’ names which just sail right over me without visiting for a second.

So, alphabetic by title, here we go:

1491: New Revelations of the Americas Before Columbus, by Charles C. Mann

The 39 Clues: The Maze of Bones, by Rick Riordan

84, Charing Cross Road, by Helene Hanff

25 Month Until College:  The Don’t Panic, Step-by-Step, What-When-Why-How Guide for Students and Parents, by Judy McNeely

“Brother Robber,” by Helen Christaller

America, America, by Ethan Canin

Animal Life, by Charlotte Uhlenbroek

Anne of Green Gables, by L.M. Montgomery

The Art of Racing in the Rain by Garth Stein

Art: The Definitive Guide, by DK Publishing

As a Driven Leaf  , by Milton Steinberg

Atonement,  by Ian McEwen

The Autobiography of Alice B. Tolkas, by Gertrude Stein

Back to the Coast by Saskia Noort

A Beautiful Blue Death, by Charles Finch

Beauty Salon, by Mario Bellatin

Breaking Dawn, by Stephenie Meyer

Catching Fire, by Suzanne Collins

Citizen Vince, by Jess Walter

City:  Rediscovering the Center, William H. Whyte

Clash of Civilizations Over an Elevator in Piazza Vittorio, by Amara Lakhous

The Concubine of Shanghai, by Hong Ying

Doubt, by John Patrick Shanley

Eclipse, by Stephenie Meyer

The Elegance of the Hedgehog, by Muriel Barbery

The Encyclopedia of Earth: A Complete Visual Guide, by Michael Allaby

From Green to Gold, by Harold Enrico

Frost/Nixon, by Peter Morgan 

Gardens Private & Personal: A Garden Club of America Book, by Nancy D’Oench

G’DEE, by Helen Fine

The Girl Who Played with Fire by Stieg Larsson

The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society , by Mary Ann Shaffer and Annie Barrows

The Housekeeper and the Professor , by Yoko Ogawa

 The Idea That Is America, by Anne-Marie Slaughter

L.A. Modern, by Tim Street-Porter

Life Studies, by Susan Vreeland

Louvre: 400 Masterpieces, by Erich Lessing

A Mindful Christmas, by Barbara Elizabeth Kilikevicius

Moscardino, by Enrico Pea

Mr. Lincoln’s Boys, by Staton Rabin, illustrated by Bagram Ibatoulline

My Name is Red, Orhan Pamuk

New Moon, by Stephenie Meyer

Nickel and Dimed: On (Not) Getting By In America , by Barbara Ehrenreich

Nine Stories, by J.D. Salinger (look at the stories starting at number 39)

No Angel, by Penny Vincenzi

Old Filth , by Jane Gardam

The Painted Veil by W. Somerset Maugham

Performance: Richard Avedon, by Richard Avedon

Poetry Matters, by Ralph Fletcher

Race Matters, by Cornell West

The Reader, by Bernhard Schlink

The Return of the Prodigal Son, by Henri Nouwen

Revolutionary Road, by Richard Yates

The Shadow Catcher, by Marianne Wiggins

Shantaram, by Gregory David Roberts

The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants, by Ann Brashares

Snow Flower and the Secret Fan , by Lisa See

So You Want to be President?, by John Warner

 The Story of Edward Sawtelle by David Wroblewski

The Story of Marriage by Andrew Sean Greer

The Swallows of Kabul, by Yasmina Khadra

Tad Lincoln’s Father, by Julia Taft Bayne

Tears of Autumn , by Charles McCarry

“The Thanksgiving Visitor”  by Truman Capote

The Thief and the Dogs, by Naguib Mahfouz

The Things They Carried, by Tim O’Brien

Triangle, by Katherine Weber

Twilight, by Stephenie Meyer

Valentines, Ted Kooser

Vanity Fair: The Portaits: A Century of Iconic Images, by Graydon Carter

Wherever I Lie is Your Bed, edited by Margaret Full Costa and Marilyn Hacker 

The Wordy Shipmates, by Sarah Vowell

The Writing Class , by Jincy Willett

“A Worn Path,” by Eudora Welty

X-Rays: See Through the World Around You, by Nick Veasey

Yves Saint Laurent:  Style, by Pierre Berge