Book of the Week (1/13/2020)

Brightword by Kimberly Burwick (Pittsburgh, PA : Carnegie Mellon University Press, 2019).

Meriden, New Hampshire poet Kimberly Burwick has published her fifth collection of poetry titled, "Brightword".

"Brightword, [is] a stunning lyric meditation forged under the threat of child-loss. In the poems in Brightword the speaker, a mother, contemplates the microcosm and macrocosm of dissection. Physically, her son is at constant risk of a life-threatening cardiac event. Environmentally, her son is obsessed with nature and the threat of eco-catastrophes. Through lyric exchange, images become the principal of repose." --Gibson's website

Join Kimberly on Tuesday, January 28th, 2020 at 6:00pm at Gibson's Bookstore in Concord, NH!

Book of the Week (1/6/2020)

Throne of Darius by Mark McLaughlin (Independently Published, 2019).

Throne of Darius is a story of high adventure, romance and war - especially war, told with heart and a sense of humor. Mark McLaughlin paints a unique and irreverent portrait of Alexander the Great, who certainly was not "great" to everyone. Unlike the majority of historical and literary works, this novel does not glorify the Macedonian king but instead tells the tale of the young conqueror from the point of view of those who fought against him. -- Publisher's blurb.

NH author Mark McLaughlin will be at The Toadstool Bookshop in Peterborough on Saturday January 11th, 2020 at 11 am and he will also be at The Toadstool Bookshop in Keene on Saturday, January 25th, 2020 at 11 am to discuss his new novel Throne of Darius.

Book of the Week (12/30/2019)

Cub by Cynthia Copeland (Chapel Hill, NC : Algonquin Young Readers, 2020).

NH author Cynthia Copeland has written her first YA graphic novel memoir that evokes both laugh-out-loud humor and empowerment for young readers. 

"Twelve-year-old Cindy has just dipped a toe into seventh-grade drama—with its complicated friendships, bullies, and cute boys—when she earns an internship as a cub reporter at a local newspaper in the early 1970s. A (rare) young female reporter takes Cindy under her wing, and Cindy soon learns not only how to write a lede, but also how to respectfully question authority, how to assert herself in a world run by men, and—as the Watergate scandal unfolds—how brave reporting and writing can topple a corrupt world leader. Searching for her own scoops, Cindy doesn’t always get it right, on paper or in real life. But whether she’s writing features about ghost hunters, falling off her bicycle and into her first crush, or navigating shifting friendships, Cindy grows wiser and more confident through every awkward and hilarious mistake." --Author's website

Join Cynthia at the Toadstool Bookshop in Keene, NH on January 11, 2020 at 2:00 pm.

Book of the Week (12/23/2019)

See You at the Summit: My Blind Journey from the Depth of Loss to the Heights of Achievement by Randy and Tracy Pierce (Independently published, 2018).

Randy Pierce was on top of the world, 22 years old, fresh out of college and thriving at an excellent job. His promising future seemed certain. Then, in just two short and devastating weeks, an unexpected neurological disorder plunged him into blindness. Randy, believing his future had vanished in the blink of an eye, wondered, “How can my life have meaning now?” -- Publisher's blurb
About the author: Born and raised in New Hampshire, Randy spent his early years fully sighted. His transition to total blindness is far from his greatest adventure. Randy’s passion for experience encouraged him to use adversity as a positive catalyst for growth and opportunity, resulting in such amazing adventures and honors as his earning his second-degree black belt; achieving historic hiking accomplishments in New Hampshire’s White Mountains, Africa’s highest peak (Mount Kilimanjaro), and Machu Picchu in the South American Andes; winning a national marathon championship and running three consecutive Boston Marathons; competing in Tough Mudder events; and being inducted as a fan into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in Canton, Ohio. In 2010, Randy and his wife Tracy founded a 501(c)3 charity called 2020 Vision Quest, which funds crucial services for the visually impaired. The Pierce's proceeds from their book “See You at the Summit” will be donated to this organization.

Randy Pierce visits Gibson's Bookstore on Saturday, January 4, 2020 at 2 pm to share his uplifting account of his journey.

2019 Ladybug Winner

New Hampshire children have chosen Can I Be Your Dog? by Troy Cummings as the winner of the 2019 Ladybug Picture Book Award.

There were 23,265 votes cast this year at 180+ sites across the state. The winning book received 7,831 votes.  A flyer with the complete list of voting results is available on the Ladybug Picture Book Award website.