Snow Daze

During the warm summer months I find it easy to picture myself surviving the cold winters comfortably curled on the couch in front of a roaring fire with a cup of tea in one hand and the latest release by a favorite author in the other. Outside my window the wind howls and snow accumulates unbeknown by me.

Last night I tried to envision this inviting picture, but was unable to get past the reality of the situation as I drove home through whiteout conditions. I had every intention of skipping out a little early. After all, there was a blizzard raging and it had been an hour since the last customer walked through the door. What harm could it do to close up a few minutes early on an evening when no one in their right mind would be out and about?

As I flicked off the back lights, the door opened and a family of three came in, brushing off the snow and stomping their boots as they looked around with excitement. Chances of a snow day were looking good and they wanted to be prepared. After much discussion and deliberation, they each chose a couple of novels and were on their way.

As I locked the door, I thought that absolutely nothing would make me go out in that weather. Then I thought about being snowed in for hours or possibly even an entire day without anything to read. I was wrong, that thought would be more terrifying to me than venturing out into the storm.

Luckily, I have an entire stack of books waiting patiently on my nightstand for the day I get snowed in and have time to read them all. Currently I am reading Watch Me by Brenda Novak. This romantic suspense still has me guessing over half way through the book. It is no easy feat to keep this mystery fanatic in suspense. Hopefully I will get my answers before the end of the weekend. I have two more of the same genre waiting for reviews and then the latest by my Goodreads friend Ben Tanzer. I had the pleasure of reading his first, Lucky Man and am looking forward to finding out if Most Likely You Go Your Way and I'll Go Mine is just as edgy. One of my favorite YA authors, Sara Shepard, will be releasing her first adult novel in May and I was fortunate enough to receive an advanced reading copy. My daughter and I are still fighting over who gets to read The Visibles first. I may have to move that one up on my list if I can finish my current read before she finishes hers.

What about you?

What books are waiting for your attention?

On the Hunt

Are you a hunter? If so, WHY? Do you hunt because your father hunted and his father before him? Was it something you were led into or is it a passion you took up later in life? Do you hunt to stock your freezer for the year or to get closer to nature?

There is no doubt that deer hunting has grown in popularity. In 1900 the gun season began on November first and lasted 20 days. There were 32,086 licenses sold that season. In 2007 there were 643,172 licenses sold. So, what is the draw?

In the past twenty years I think my husband missed only one hunting season. In the past twenty years I think my husband brought home three deer. There must be more to it than what this hunting widow suspects. I am hoping to find my answers tomorrow.

Robert Willging will be visiting BayShore Books. He holds a bachelor’s degree in wildlife management and a master’s degree in wildlife sciences, works as a wildlife biologist for the U.S. Department of Agriculture and is an enthusiastic sportsman. He knows a thing or two about deer. He is also an author. I am hoping his book, On the Hunt: The History of Deer Hunting in Wisconsin , will reveal all of the secrets our area hunters keep hidden under their blaze orange. Or at least help my husband and others like him understand why I see more deer from my kitchen window than he does during his annual trek through the woods.

What Percent are You?

While driving to work one morning I tuned in to a radio call in contest which really caught my attention. The question was, “What percent of women would rather receive a novel than sexy lingerie for Valentines Day?” The three gentleman callers all guessed in the 60%-70% range, which surprised me. Apparently they do know who the lingerie is really for. This is February in Wisconsin. Am I the only one wearing three layers and wrapped in a quilt? My husband and I recently celebrated our twentieth wedding anniversary, so maybe that has something to do with it.

I decided to run my own pole on the subject and I can say the results didn’t surprise me in the least. 100% of the women in my household would rather receive a novel than lingerie or flowers. Chocolate was a toss up. A box of chocolate to devour while reading the new novel would be the perfect gift for Valentines Day or any other day. That is the opinion of my daughter and I anyway.

How about you?

What book do you think would make a great Valentines Day gift?

Something by Nicholas Sparks? Stephen King? A cookbook or a book of poems?
Or are you one of another generation who would still prefer the lingerie

ReadKiddoRead

It should come as no surprise that James Patterson has another new book out. Run for Your Life, which is coauthored with Michael Ledwidge, is a continuation of his newest series with unlikely hero Detective Mike Bennett. What makes Patterson such a popular author? Could it be that he has written something for everyone ? Mystery fans are familiar with Alex Cross and the Women’s Murder Club. If you prefer romance, you are probably familiar with Sam's Letters to Jennifer, Sundays at Tiffany's or my personal favorite, Suzanne's Diary for Nicholas. Who hasn’t fantasized about joining Max and the gang in the young adult series, Maximum Ride? Have I left anyone out? Oh yes, what about younger children?

No, I’m not going to tell you about Patterson’s new picture book. Although he has always been a huge supporter of children’s literacy, giving away more than $600,000 between 2005 and 2007 through his annual PageTurner Awards, he realized there had to be a better way to get kids excited about reading. From that idea was born his newest PageTurner project, ReadKiddoRead.com.
“One of the best ways to get kids reading is to find books they love,” Patterson explains to Publishers Weekly. “There are millions of kids who’ve never read a book they liked. I always say that if movies were taught in school and they started with Ingmar Bergman, we wouldn’t like movies.” His goal is to get kids reading by helping parents and educators choose books they won’t want to put down.

If you are a parent, grandparent, teacher or librarian, this site is a well organized place to find exactly what your young readers are craving from the best of the best illustrated books to great advanced reads. There is no pressure to buy, but if you do decide to make a purchase, the IndieBound Link is clearly visible. Better yet, stop in and visit us and let us help you choose.

Independent Bookstore Reader's Challenge

If you are like me, you love a good challenge and I found the perfect one. This challenge came to us from the brilliant minds of Kim and Claire at The Bookstore People. Their Independent Bookstore Reader’s Challenge involves a very few simple guidelines:

Go to independent bookstores that are new to you between January 1 and December 31, 2009 and have some sort of interaction. Here are the different levels you can sign up for:

· Scout - Visit 2 independent bookstores (easy!)
· Specialist - Visit 2 subject matter specialty bookstores (i.e., travel, children, cooking)
· Nationalist - Visit 2 independent bookstores and 1 additional bookstore in a state you do not live in
· Continental - Visit 2 independent bookstores and 1 additional bookstore in another N. American country (that would be the USA, Canada or Mexico)
· Globetrotter - Visit 2 independent bookstores and 1 additional bookstore on a different continent (if you’re going to Europe, check out Bookstore Guide)
· Type A Personality to the Max - Satisfy any two categories

To find other great independent bookstores in your area, check out the IndieBound Store Finder.. While there, join the IndieBound Community where you can add indie retailers in your area, become a fan of your favorites and add reviews.

Visit The Bookstore People blog whose primary purpose is “to highlight independent bookstores wherever we find them to encourage people to visit them and buy their books from them. We believe that bookstores are an essential part of a community, a place where ideas and thoughts are shared and explored.” They’ll list everyone who is participating and provide updates and information. They will also be posting reviews of the stores you’ve found and liked, so if BayShore Books is one of them, please let Kim or Claire know. At the end of the year they’ll have a random drawing among everyone who satisfied their challenge for a gift certificate from IndieBound.

Good Bye 2008!

This will be the last post of 2008. Talk about pressure! I must have done something right during 2008. You are, after all, still reading this blog. Of course, some of you may be thinking there is much that can be improved on.

Well, now is your chance to share, vent, brag, whatever!

What do you love about BayShore Books?

What improvements would you like to see in the new year?

Are you a cyber buddy who has never actually been to the store?

Don’t feel left out! What is your favorite independent bookstore and why?

Help all of us make your experience even better in 2009.

Books Every Man and Woman Should Read

Good news – it looks like all of us lucky people in Wisconsin are going to have a white Christmas! Was there really any doubt? Especially considering our fourth snowstorm of the season struck today and winter doesn’t even begin until Sunday.

The holiday season has been busy, which is why this blog is posting so late today. I didn’t want to disappoint all of you faithful readers, so here I am to wish you all a happy holiday season for those of you who are politically correct and a very Merry Christmas for those that aren’t.

In the meantime, checkout these lists:

75 Books Every Man Should Read

and

75 Books Every Woman Should Read

How many have you read?