2012 February

February Vacation Reads

February 18, 2012 By adenise Leave a Comment

Whether you’re traveling with family or staying close to home, February vacation is the perfect time to encourage kids to get hooked on a new book. Here are some recent Barrington Books staff favorites…

Young Readers – Ages 4-8

“Grandpa Green” by Lane Smith *2012 Caldecott Honor Book*

From the creator of the national bestseller It’s a Book comes a timeless story of family history, legacy, and love.

Grandpa Green wasn’t always a gardener. He was a farmboy and a kid with chickenpox and a soldier and, most of all, an artist. In this captivating new picture book, readers follow Grandpa Green’s great-grandson into a garden he created, a fantastic world where memories are handed down in the fanciful shapes of topiary trees and imagination recreates things forgotten.

In his most enigmatic and beautiful work to date, Lane Smith explores aging, memory, and the bonds of family history and love; by turns touching and whimsical, it’s a stunning picture book that parents and grandparents will be sharing with children for years to come.

“Me Jane” by Patrick McDonnell *2012 Caldecott Honor Book*

In his characteristic heartwarming style, Patrick McDonnell tells the story of the young Jane Goodall and her special childhood toy chimpanzee named Jubilee. As the young Jane observes the natural world around her with wonder, she dreams of “a life living with and helping all animals,” until one day she finds that her dream has come true.

One of the world’s most inspiring women, Dr. Jane Goodall is a renowned humanitarian, conservationist, animal activist, environmentalist, and United Nations Messenger of Peace. In 1977 she founded the Jane Goodall Institute (JGI), a global nonprofit organization that empowers people to make a difference for all living things.

With anecdotes taken directly from Jane Goodall’s autobiography, McDonnell makes this very true story accessible for the very young–and young at heart.

“Bink & Gollie” by Kate DiCamillo and Alison McGhee; illustrated by Tony Fucile *2011 Theodore Seuss Geisel Award Winner*

Meet Bink and Gollie, two precocious little girls — one tiny, one tall, and both utterly irrepressible. Setting out from their super-deluxe tree house and powered by plenty of peanut butter (for Bink) and pancakes (for Gollie), they share three comical adventures involving painfully bright socks, an impromptu trek to the Andes, and a most unlikely marvelous companion. No matter where their roller skates take them, at the end of the day they will always be the very best of friends.

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Middle Grade Readers – Ages 9-12

“Wonderstruck” by Brian Selznick

From Brian Selznick, the creator of the Caldecott Medal winner THE INVENTION OF HUGO CABRET, comes another breathtaking tour de force.

Ben and Rose secretly wish their lives were different. Ben longs for the father he has never known. Rose dreams of a mysterious actress whose life she chronicles in a scrapbook. When Ben discovers a puzzling clue in his mother’s room and Rose reads an enticing headline in the newspaper, both children set out alone on desperate quests to find what they are missing. Set fifty years apart, these two independent stories–Ben’s told in words, Rose’s in pictures–weave back and forth with mesmerizing symmetry. How they unfold and ultimately intertwine will surprise you, challenge you, and leave you breathless with wonder.

“The One and Only Ivan” by Katherine Applegate; illustrated by Patricia Costello

Inspired by a true-story of a captive gorilla who lived in a shopping mall.

Ivan is an easygoing gorilla. Living at the Exit 8 Big Top Mall and Video Arcade, he has grown accustomed to humans watching him through the glass walls of his domain. He rarely misses his life in the jungle. In fact, he hardly ever thinks about it at all.

Instead, Ivan thinks about TV shows he’s seen and about his friends Stella, an elderly elephant, and Bob, a stray dog. But mostly Ivan thinks about art and how to capture the taste of a mango or the sound of leaves with color and a well-placed line.

Then he meets Ruby, a baby elephant taken from her family, and she makes Ivan see their home—and his own art—through new eyes. When Ruby arrives, change comes with her, and it’s up to Ivan to make it a change for the better.

Katherine Applegate blends humor and poignancy to create Ivan’s unforgettable first-person narration in a story of friendship, art, and hope.

“Dead End in Norvelt” by Jack Gantos *2012 Newbery Honor Winner”

Melding the entirely true and the wildly fictional, DEAD END IN NORVELT t is a novel about an incredible two months for a kid named Jack Gantos, whose plans for vacation excitement are shot down when he is “grounded for life” by his feuding parents, and whose nose spews bad blood at every little shock he gets. But plenty of excitement (and shocks) are coming Jack’s way once his mom loans him out to help a fiesty old neighbor with a most unusual chore—typewriting obituaries filled with stories about the people who founded his utopian town. As one obituary leads to another, Jack is launced on a strange adventure involving molten wax, Eleanor Roosevelt, twisted promises, a homemade airplane, Girl Scout cookies, a man on a trike, a dancing plague, voices from the past, Hells Angels . . . and possibly murder. Endlessly surprising, this sly, sharp-edged narrative is the author at his very best, making readers laugh out loud at the most unexpected things in a dead-funny depiction of growing up in a slightly off-kilter place where the past is present, the present is confusing, and the future is completely up in the air.

“The Fingertips of Duncan Dorfman” by Meg Wolitzer

At first glance, Duncan Dorfman, April Blunt, and Nate Saviano don’t seem to have much in common. Duncan is trying to look after his single mom and adjust to life in a new town while managing his newfound Scrabble superpower – he can feel words and pictures beneath his fingers and tell what they are without looking. April is pining for a mystery boy she met years ago and striving to be seen as more than a nerd in her family of jocks. And homeschooled Nate is struggling to meet his father’s high expectations for success.

When these three unique kids are brought together at the national Youth Scrabble Tournament, each with a very different drive to win, their paths cross and stories intertwine . . . and the journey is made extraordinary with a perfect touch of magic. Readers will fly through the pages, anxious to discover who will take home the grand prize, but there’s much more at stake than winning and losing.

Young Adult Readers – Ages 12-17-

“Legend” by Marie Lu

Fans of The Hunger Games books will enjoy the first installment of this all-new dystopian sci-fi series.

What was once the western United States is now home to the Republic, a nation perpetually at war with its neighbors. Born into an elite family in one of the Republic’s wealthiest districts, fifteen-year-old June is a prodigy being groomed for success in the Republic’s highest military circles. Born into the slums, fifteen-year-old Day is the country’s most wanted criminal. But his motives may not be as malicious as they seem.

From very different worlds, June and Day have no reason to cross paths – until the day June’s brother, Metias, is murdered and Day becomes the prime suspect. Caught in the ultimate game of cat and mouse, Day is in a race for his family’s survival, while June seeks to avenge Metias’s death. But in a shocking turn of events, the two uncover the truth of what has really brought them together, and the sinister lengths their country will go to keep its secrets.

“Beautiful Chaos” by by Kami Garcia & Margaret Stohl (Beautiful Creatures Series Book #3)

Fans of Stephanie Meyer’s Twilight have a new gothic romance series to sink their teeth into: Beautiful Creatures. The third book out of a planned four, Beautiful Chaos, was released this past fall. (A film based on the series – starring Emma Thompson and Viola Davis – is also in the works.)

Ethan Wate thought he was getting used to the strange, impossible events happening in Gatlin, his small Southern town. But now that Ethan and Lena have returned home, strange and impossible have taken on new meanings. Swarms of locusts, record-breaking heat, and devastating storms ravage Gatlin as Ethan and Lena struggle to understand the impact of Lena’s Claiming. Even Lena’s family of powerful Supernaturals is affected – and their abilities begin to dangerously misfire. As time passes, one question becomes clear: What – or who – will need to be sacrificed to save Gatlin?

For Ethan, the chaos is a frightening but welcome distraction. He’s being haunted in his dreams again, but this time it isn’t by Lena – and whatever is haunting him is following him out of his dreams and into his everyday life. Even worse, Ethan is gradually losing pieces of himself – forgetting names, phone numbers, even memories. He doesn’t know why, and most days he’s too afraid to ask.

Sometimes there isn’t just one answer or one choice. Sometimes there’s no going back. And this time there won’t be a happy ending.

“Cinder” by Marissa Meyer (Lunar Chronicle Series Book 1)

The first book in a planned quartet, this is the story of Cinderella with a futuristic twist.

Humans and androids crowd the raucous streets of New Beijing. A deadly plague ravages the population. From space, a ruthless lunar people watch, waiting to make their move. No one knows that Earth’s fate hinges on one girl. . . .

Cinder, a gifted mechanic, is a cyborg. She’s a second-class citizen with a mysterious past, reviled by her stepmother and blamed for her stepsister’s illness. But when her life becomes intertwined with the handsome Prince Kai’s, she suddenly finds herself at the center of an intergalactic struggle, and a forbidden attraction. Caught between duty and freedom, loyalty and betrayal, she must uncover secrets about her past in order to protect her world’s future.

Find these and other great titles for kids and teens in-stock today at Barrington Books; or visit our website at www.barringtonbooks.com to order online!

The Doctor is In

February 15, 2012 By adenise Leave a Comment

As an active surgeon and former department chairman, Dr. Paul Ruggieri has seen the good, the bad, and the ugly of his profession. In CONFESSIONS OF A SURGEON: The Good, the Bad, and the Complicated…Life Behind the O.R. Doors, he pushes open the doors of the O.R. and reveals the inscrutable place where lives are improved, saved, and sometimes lost.

Dr. Ruggieri took a few moments out of his busy day to speak with READ LOCAL about the book, and what motivated him to write this revelatory new memoir.

RL: This book is something of a lightening rod in that it reveals an awful lot about what goes on behind the OR doors — the imperfections of the system and surgeons themselves. As a surgeon, why write a book that lays bare the sometimes ugly truth?

Dr. R: I’ve always wanted to write a truthful book that takes the public into my mind during all types of situations, and directly into the operating room to see what I see. I wrote this book for me and for my patients. I wanted to show the public that surgeons are human beings, with human emotions and frailties that react to human stresses despite all the good things we do. I’ve always been very honest with my patients no matter what my outcomes are. People respect honesty and sincerity. To me the truth is not ugly, it’s the real world in which I live. Patients need to know the truth and become informed of their expectations before entering surgery.

RL: Have you had any strong reactions from colleagues to the book?

Dr. R: All of my colleagues who have read the book really enjoyed it because they live what I wrote about every day.

RL: In the book you describe a culture of brutal workloads, sleep deprivation, fear, competitiveness and even abuse that permeated your medical school and residency training; yet you also express some misgivings about the recent reforms that led to gentler, more humane surgical training programs across the country. What are your concerns, and would you roll back some of those reforms if it were up to you?

Dr. R: Yes, I trained in an era (not that long ago) where there were no work hour restrictions, no maximum 16 hour work day or 80 hour work week. Today, the surgical training programs are very different in that regard. I do express some concerns about how surgical residents are trained today. My concerns center on whether or not residents today are getting enough continuous patient care and operative experience. I believe the jury is still out on this because the rules changed in 2003.

I’m also concerned residents today might be developing a “shift like” mentality when they have to drop what they’re doing and leave the hospital because their hours are up. Surveys have shown that some residents resent having to leave the hospital in the middle of caring for someone, having to “hand off” their patient to the next resident.

Once training is up and you move out into the real world, there are no work hour restrictions. When you’re in practice and on call… up all night, there’s no one to take your place the next day.

RL: One of the more poetic phrases in the book is when you discuss having to confront “the conflict between the emotions in my heart and the scalpel in my hand,” after describing how you had to perform surgery on a man who committed a heinous crime. Most surgeons, and you yourself in the book, refer to the level of emotional distance they must put between themselves and a patient while in the throes of exacting surgical procedures. Do some surgeons take this distance too far (in your opinion) to the detriment of their patients?

Dr. R: Some surgeons probably do separate themselves too far emotionally from their patients. Some probably do it as a protective defensive mechanism. I don’t think it’s to the detriment of their patients, however. It may make them seem like they have no personality, no bedside manner, but it really wouldn’t affect their surgical abilities. Every one of us in unique in how we deal with our own emotions and stresses. Most of us, including myself, don’t dwell on our emotional reaction to stressful situations. We can’t or we couldn’t do our job on a daily basis. There’s always another ill patient waiting for your expertise the next day.

RL: There are quite a few “edge of your seat” moments in the book where you describe some very harrowing surgical situations, as well as quieter, reflective moments that reveal a humility in the face of issues of life and death. Your candidness in describing both seems truly unprecedented. What do you hope readers take away from this uncensored glimpse into the surgical world?

Dr. R: I hope the readers understand that a surgeon’s daily routine is never routine at all. I want readers to understand most surgeons truly care about their patients and despite being human, often do extraordinary things in the face of unique adversity.

RL: Thank you, Dr. Ruggieri, for speaking with us, and we look forward to seeing you at Barrington Books on the 18th.

Dr. R: My pleasure. Thank you.

About The Author

Paul A. Ruggieri, M.D., is a practicing board-certified general/laparoscopic surgeon who has been operating for over 20 years. Dr. Ruggieri performed his surgical training at the world-renowned Washington University School of Medicine, Barnes Hospital, in St. Louis. He then spent three years as an active duty general surgeon in the U.S. Army. Currently, he is former chief of the department of surgery at a large community hospital in Fall River, Massachusetts, the very hospital he helped build as an ironworker before attending medical school nearly 30 years ago. Dr. Ruggieri has written several books for patients. He lives in Rhode Island with his wife and three stepsons. Visit his website at www.paulruggieri.com.

Dr. Ruggieri will be signing copies of his book, CONFESSIONS OF A SURGEON, at Barrington Books this Saturday, February 18th from 1:00-3:30pm. To reserve your signed copy today, click here or call us at 401-245-7925. Barrington Books is located at 184 County Road in Barrington, RI.

Filed Under: Uncategorized Tagged With: Confessions Of A Surgeon, Dr. Paul Ruggieri Book Signing

Valentine’s Day 101

February 8, 2012 By adenise Leave a Comment

It was Valentine’s Day, 1987. My boyfriend was a boy I’ll call “Todd.”

I watched as several classmates were greeted by their significant others with flowers, candy and teddy bears.

“How, lame,” I quipped to a friend. “Teddy Bears?” (Eye-roll.)

I spotted Todd walking up the hill towards me. He was carrying only his backpack. I thought perhaps he’d tucked one long stemmed red rose under his jacket. Or maybe there was a small tastefully-wrapped gift in that backpack of his? No matter. As long as there was no gaudy Teddy Bear wearing an “I Heart You” t-shirt, holding a bunch of mylar balloons on a stem…I was happy. I’d even be happy with a card, I told myself. A thoughtful card would be enough.

“Hey,” said Todd with an amiable grin. “You ready to go?”

“Sure, um…Happy Valentine’s Day,” I said as nonchalantly as possible. Then I pulled an oversized card and a mix-tape (that’s right, mix tape) I’d made him from my backpack. I’d wrapped the tape in a page from a collection of well-known love sonnets and tied it with a bright red silk ribbon.

“Oh, I…didn’t get you anything,” Todd stammered.

“Nothing?!” I said, trying to keep my voice low so no one around us heard. “Not even a… card?”

“It’s just a Hallmark holiday,” said Todd, repeating the words he must have heard someone else say. Someone clearly without a girlfriend of EIGHT weeks and FIVE days.

Suddenly, my oversized card seemed ridiculous. It looked absurdly huge in the vast vaccuum that was created by his LACK OF CARD. Or gift for that matter! I looked down at the wrapping on my mix tape: “How do I love thee? Let me count the ways…” Elizabeth Barrett Browning was mocking me.

We walked home in awkward silence.

Later, Todd would bring me a Teddy Bear in a t-shirt, a heart-shaped box full of candy, and an oversized card featuring “Snoopy” from Peanuts. I forgave him, and we dated for a full THREE weeks and TWO days after that.

The moral of the story? Any person who says she (or he) doesn’t want a gift on Valentine’s Day, is… how do I put this… LYING! The truth is, we don’t care if Hallmark or the Dalai Lama is responsible for this holiday! We’d like a card. Something sweet. Or funny. Or both. And yes, a GIFT! A thoughtful one. It’s Valentine’s Day, dangit’, and we want to be acknowledged! And appreciated! And most of all… we want to feel loved.

So, in case any of you came perilously close to pulling a “Todd”… the gift gurus at Barrington Books and The Studio have kindly put together this quick list of Valentine’s Day gift suggestions that are romantic, thoughtful, and about as a far as from a Teddy Bear in a t-shirt as you can get.

Real Love

What’s more romantic than reading the true love stories of others? These books celebrate love between compelling real-life couples and make a great gift for the person with whom you share your own love story.

Gabby: A Story of Courage and Hope by Gabrielle Giffords and Mark Kelly with Jeffrey Zaslow

Intimate, inspiring, and unforgettably moving, Gabby: A Story of Courage and Hope provides an unflinching look at the overwhelming challenges of brain injury, the painstaking process of learning to communicate again, and the responsibilities that fall to a loving spouse who wants the best possible treatment for his wife. Told in Mark’s voice and from Gabby’s heart, the book also chronicles the lives that brought these two extraordinary people together—their humor, their ambitions, their sense of duty, their long-distance marriage, and their desire for family.

My Faraway One: Selected Letters of Georgia O’Keeffe and Alfred Stieglitz, Edited by Sarah Greenhough

There are few couples in the history of 20th-century American art and culture more prominent than Georgia O’Keeffe (1887–1986) and Alfred Stieglitz (1864–1946). In O’Keeffe’s sparse and vibrant style and Stieglitz’s fervent and lyrical manner, the letters describe how they met and fell in love in the 1910s; how they carved out a life together in the 1920s; how their relationship nearly collapsed during the early years of the Depression; and how it was reconstructed in the late 1930s and early 1940s. At the same time, the correspondence reveals the creative evolution of their art and ideas; their friendships with many of the most influential figures in early American modernism and their relationships and conversations with an exceptionally wide range of key figures in American and European art and culture.

Recipes for Romance

These two books will help you cook-up a little romance this Valentine’s Day, proving what chefs and lovers have known for centuries: Any recipe made with love is an aphrodisiac.

Gifts from The Kitchen: 100 Irresistable Homemade Presents for Every Occasion by Annie Rigg

This beautiful cookbook makes a great gift; or better yet, purchase it for yourself and make some of the edible gifts to show the special ones in your life how much you love and appreciate them. With a huge variety of imaginative recipes for every season and occasion, from Turkish delight, Chinese fortune cookies, and macarons, to herbal teas, pesto, and summer berry vodka, there is sure to be something for everyone in this beautiful new book. Annie’s inventive ideas will inspire homemade gifts that are filled with love and originality.

Aphrodisia: Homemade Potions to Make Love More Likely Pleasurable and More Possible by Jill Bruton Seal and Matthew Seal

Who needs a prescription when you can mix your own? Aphrodisia is filled with simple make-your-own recipes, lists of commonly available ingredients, history, lore, and the science behind the world’s most celebrated aphrodisiacs–all beautifully illustrated.

Aphrodisia doesn’t rely on magic or mysticism or an advanced degree—just artful combinations of time-honored natural ingredients that together get the mojo flowing.

The Classics

The gift of classic literature says you value her mind as well as her heart. And let us assure you: Real men read Brontë, cozied up with their sweethearts in front of the fire with a nice glass of Pinot Noir.

Jane Eyre by Charlotte Brontë

The story of Jane Eyre and Edward Rochester holds its place in history as one the greatest love stories of all time, and Brontë holds hers as a novelist ahead of her time.

With this paperback edition perfect for Valentine’s Day, rediscover this classic story of passion, love, longing, and the complexities of the human condition.

Romeo & Juliet by William Shakespeare

Tragic young love rules the day in one of Shakespeare’s most-performed and influential plays. Countless adaptations have been created on stage, page and screen. (One might argue that there would never have been a “Bella Swan” or an “Edward Cullen” if there hadn’t been a Romeo and a Juliet. One might argue… if one were a seventeen-year-old girl.) This Valentine’s Day, rediscover the original — in all its iambic pentameter!

Words from the Heart

If you have trouble expressing your love in deep and eloquent ways, don’t worry! Let the pros do it for you! A gift book of poems is just the thing for the shy or tongue-tied Valentine.

Rumi’s Little Book of Love: 150 Poems that Speak to the Heart

Rumi, one of the most celebrated mystics of all time, chose poetry to communicate his deep spiritual experiences. His language, that of love in its purest form, speaks to us today as it did seven hundred years ago, surpassing time and bridging cultures.

These poems, most of them translated into English for the first time from the original Persian, were carefully selected from two thousand of Rumi’s quatrains. Arranged thematically, they take us on a journey of the soul. Persian calligraphy enhances the beauty of the poems.

Discover the depths of a mystic’s soul. Fly with him on his beloved’s wings. Fall with him into the despair and fear of losing his beloved forever. Discover the beauty and love contained in this wonderful little book of poetry.

Haiku for the Single Girl by Beth Griffenhagen

“I feel its approach

Inevitable as death:

Internet dating.”

It can’t all be love and light, and heart and soul, and bla bla bla, right? What about the single ladies (or single men) on your Valentine’s Day list? The unattached among us deserve gifts too! And what better than a humorous portrait of the single life, expressed in hilarious haiku.

Gifts of Love

Now that you have some romantic reads… you might want to add a gift that is outside the box — or inside the box — depending on what that marvelous little box contains. Here are a few fabulous gift ideas that come all wrapped up with love.

Alex & Ani - Key To My Heart

Tell her she holds the key to your heart with this beautiful charm on Alex and Ani’s patented Expandable Wire Bangle. Available in Russian Gold and Russian Silver.

Or, choose from our extensive selection of Alex & Ani “Words Are Powerful” collection and send a message of LOVE to your Valentine.

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Red Silk Album by Rag & Bone

Inside this lovely album from Rag & Bone Bindery, you’ll find twelve pages to fill in with thoughts such as, “My favorite way to spend the day with you is…,” “I’ve always admired the way you…,” “When you’re away this is what I miss most about you…” and more.

Includes a “to” and “from” inscription page and a glassine envelope for a love letter or photo.

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Archipelago Paramour Candle by Votivo

Archipelago Paramour candle exudes pomegranate, papaya & mango for an exotic scent designed especially for lovers. Jar is poured in a beautiful oversized glass using only the finest ingredients and fragrance oils available. Light this candle to get a romantic evening off to a sweetly-scented start.

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Only 6 days left to Valentine’s Day! Stop in to Barrington Books and The Studio today and browse our collection of Valentine’s cards, books and gifts for your sweetheart.

Filed Under: Uncategorized Tagged With: Valentine's Day Gift Ideas