Monadnock Originals: Colorful Characters from New Hampshire’s Quiet Corner by Alan F. Rumrill
Written in Granite: Monadnock Poems & Stories by Sebastian Lockwood
Murder on Mount Monadnock by J. S. Winter
Showing posts with label Books About NH. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Books About NH. Show all posts
6/15/26
Book of the Week (6/15/2026)
At first, twelve-year-old Dominic Bean is not happy when he and his sister are “dumped” with eccentric relatives on a New Hampshire cattle farm while their scientist parents work on a secret project in the Canadian Arctic. Coping with what he sees as parental abandonment, plus the pressure of bullies, schoolwork and wrangling Harriet (a stubborn pregnant Highlander cow with long, sharp horns) bring out the worst in Dom.
But the sleepy farm turns out to be full of surprises. A developer is trying to buy the Bean family land to build an Arctic-themed amusement park under a plastic dome. Dom’s nemesis at school, Edith, turns out to have a way with Harriet. And reading his dad’s old journal leads Dom to an ancient woolly mammoth tusk that his father once found in the farm’s bog.
Dom learns that his jam-making aunt and whiskey-distilling uncle are in fact in cahoots with his parents on a secret project in the old milking barn ― a project that, if successful, will “de-extinct” the woolly mammoth and possibly help save the planet.--Publisher's blurb
About the author:
Emilie Christie Burack's debut novel, The Runaway’s Gold, was a Notable Social Studies Trade Book for Young People and a winner of the New England Book Festival. She holds an MFA in Writing for Children and Young Adults from Vermont College of Fine Arts and lives in New Hampshire, where she is the co-founder of the New Hampshire Book Festival.
6/1/26
Book of the Week (6/1/2026)
When Celia is murdered by a troubled young man from across the street, her husband Henry and daughters Nora and Lucy are left to navigate the unthinkable in their small town of Kittery, Maine. Desperate to help his daughters heal, Henry sends the girls to spend the summer at Skyland Farm, a remote artists' retreat in the New Hampshire mountains run by his beloved cousin Franny.
But the girls, feeling abandoned, struggle to find their footing among the resident artists. Nora grapples with her complicated feelings about Blake, the young man who destroyed their lives, while forming a new bond with a young sculptor. Lucy, the sole witness to the murder, retreats into silence and the mysterious world of a painting above her bed. Back in Maine, Henry battles his own grief and faces his greatest test when he becomes entangled with Blake's alcoholic mother, threatening his twelve years of sobriety.
As the family struggles separately with their trauma, the buried details of that terrible day slowly surface. When Nora makes a desperate midnight drive home to confront her father, their journey becomes a reckoning that will either destroy what remains of their family or finally allow them to face their loss together.
Set against the rugged beauty of coastal Maine and the mountainous landscape of New Hampshire, Skyland reveals how art, nature, and unexpected friendships can slowly guide us back from the brink―and how families can find their way to one another even after the unthinkable. -- Publishers blurb
About the author:
Ann Joslin Williams is the author of the novel Down From Cascom Mountain, and a collection of linked short stories The Woman in the Woods. She is the recipient of awards from the National Endowment of the Arts, the Spokane Prize for Short Fiction, the New Hampshire Writers’ Project Literary Awards, and the Stegner Program at Stanford University. Her writing has appeared in many journals including The Sun, Carve, Ploughshares, The Missouri Review, and elsewhere. She is an associate professor emerita of English at the University of New Hampshire. She enjoys spending time in Alexandria, New Hampshire at her family cabin, hiking in the White Mountains and enjoying the outdoors with her partner John.
Join Ann at Gibson's Bookstore on Tuesday, July 14, 2026 at 6:30 pm where she will be presenting her newest novel!
5/4/26
Book of the Week (5/4/2026)
This is the story of an audacious owner, two talented Black ballplayers, and a small city in New Hampshire. Together, they undid almost six decades of injustice. In the spring of 1946, Brooklyn Dodgers owner and General Manager Branch Rickey signed African American players Roy Campanella and Don Newcombe. Rickey’s signing of the two players has been largely overlooked because Jackie Robinson had been signed just several months before. But Robinson played in Montreal, Canada in 1946 while Campanella and Newcombe were assigned to play in Nashua, New Hampshire. This meant Roy Campanella and Don Newcombe became the first Black players since 1887 to play on a professional baseball team in the United States. Just as importantly the Nashua Dodgers became the first United States based team in organized baseball to employ Black players in the twentieth century. This is the story of how the owner, the players, and the city made baseball history together. --Publisher's blurb
About the author:
Bill Ranauro is a retired high school History teacher and football coach from New Hampshire. In addition to six books, Bill has authored articles in Scholastic Coach magazine and The Forum, a journal for the New England History Teachers Association. He was honored as the Social Studies Teacher of the Year in New Hampshire in 2007 and was inducted into the New Hampshire Coaches Hall of Fame in the same year. Bill is an avid follower of all Boston sports teams and enjoys reading, traveling, and spending time with his family. He lives in Walpole, New Hampshire, with his wife Lisa.
3/30/26
Book of the Week (3/30/2026)
Since Europeans first landed in Hampton, New Hampshire in 1638, women have played an integral role in building their community. Chronicles of their husbands, fathers, and brothers abound, but little was known about the women who helped create this vibrant seacoast town over the centuries.
Until two local historians set out to change that.
In Building Community, Karen Raynes and Mary Ann Nelligan share the lives of twenty women who history had overlooked but whose impact was great. Veterans and accused witches. Educators and innkeepers. The enslaved and the wealthy.
These are their stories. --Publisher's blurb
3/9/26
Book of the Week (3/9/2026)
This enthralling book was the answer to a promise made many years ago, a commitment given to a group of spirits who caused accidents to get attention. They agreed to stop their activity and go into the light if we would publish their story. This spiritual mystery shares their heart-wrenching stories woven through the journey of the book itself. This is the fascinating story communicated by the Spirits of Amoskeag, The Wounded Heroes of the Manchester Mills.
This story is both compelling and important. In the mid-1800s, Manchester, New Hampshire boasted the longest continuous millyard in the world, producing incredible amounts of cloth daily. The information revealed in this book is part of the fabric that makes up local history. Many people suffered greatly in the name of big business, and their stories deserve to be told. This is the story of the children who worked in the mills and the crimes that were committed upon the children by those in charge. Everyone was affected by what was known as the “Great Unspeakable.” This intense story was guided by Guardian Spirits, told by the spirits of the children and others from the time of the great Amoskeag mills, and includes the story of those placed on our path to create this book. Having been safely guided into the light, many spirits have returned to express deep gratitude for our assistance. They want to be remembered for the hard-working, dedicated young people they were. May we be inspired to take care of our children, that we may better ensure a healthy society. This is not just a ghost story…this is a rescue mission! --Publisher's blurb
About the author:
Born in Yokohama, Japan, a military daughter who traveled the world, she settled in New Hampshire to raise her children. With a successful career as a multi-registered medical professional, corporate trainer, clinical director, and pioneer in the field of diagnostic imaging, Lois is now a success coach and clinical hypnotist. Lois helps children and adults to achieve their goals. Her extensive training in advanced hypnosis techniques includes the Spirit Releasement Therapy that is demonstrated in this book. Involved with integrative medicine since the early ’90s, Lois blends her traditional medical background with her corporate expertise into client sessions and presentations.
3/3/26
3 on a Theme: New England 2
New England Shipbuilding: Vessels That Made History by Glenn A. Knoblock
Floor Burns: A Wild Journey Across the Forgotten Backroads of NAIA Basketball in New England by Mike Whaley
New England Fairies: A History of the Little People of the Hills and Forests by Andrew Warburton
1/26/26
Book of the Week (1/26/2026)
A deeply moving family story unfolding in richly evocative prose and a poetic portrayal of a town in decline during the final decades of the American century, Ashland is a book of metamorphoses—of the dance between permanence and transformation.
In Ashland, New Hampshire, Carolyn, born of a teenage pregnancy, grows up alongside her mother Ellie, her aunt Jennie, and her cousins. Ashland is the type of place that most people plan to leave, but few do. Beauty can be found in small things—the trees in the wind, the sky’s particular shade of blue, a swim in the river, love, and family. But life can often be unforgiving and solace hard to come by. Carolyn reconciles the losses in her own life with an education at Plymouth State, the local university, and then by capturing in words her world and the people who inhabit it.
Recalling the novels of Richard Russo, Paul Harding, Marilynne Robinson, and Elizabeth Strout, Ashland is a debut novel of great intensity and poetry told in the voices of many vivid characters and, through them, in the voice of Ashland itself. --Publisher's blurb
About the author:
Dan Simon is the founder and editor-in-chief of Seven Stories Press. Ashland is his debut novel. Previously, Dan co-wrote a biography of the American revolutionary Abbie Hoffman that was published by Jeremy Tarcher, and translated several books from French, including Pascal Bonafoux’s Van Gogh: Self-Portraits. He divides his time between New Hampshire and New York.
Join Dan on Wed., March 4, 2026 at 6:30 pm at Gibson's Bookstore where he will be discussing his debut novel.
1/3/26
3 on a Theme: Houses
A House of Her Own: Women Writers of New England and Their Homes by Beth Luey
Tales of a Not So Tiny House by Chloe Barcelou & Brandon Batchelder
A Doubtful House by Alice B. Fogel
12/29/25
Book of the Week (12/29/2025)
"Headless in Hancock, 1882" is a historical fiction novel set in the New England village of Hancock at the close of the nineteenth century. At the center of town stands the Hancock Inn where stagecoaches bring travelers from Boston, Concord, and beyond. Each arrival brings new stories—adventure, conflict, romance, and danger—that ripple through the quiet village.Innkeepers Jarvis and Susan Blood, with Jeanette Winterstone at the front desk and Caleb in the barn, keep the tavern running as strangers arrive with tales to tell and secrets to hide. Among the visitors are both imagined and real figures: Ralph Waldo Emerson, frail but still profound; Washington Irving, haunted by his Headless Horseman; and Fly Rod Crosby, America’s first professional woman guide, challenging expectations of her time.The novel immerses readers in the texture of nineteenth-century New England—autumn storms sweeping over Mount Monadnock, stone walls marking the fields, blizzards that test every roof beam, and suppers of cider-braised pork and johnny cakes by the fire. Folklore and superstition linger in the shadows, even as science and modern ideas reshape the world. --Publisher's blurb
About the author:
Storyteller and podcaster Sebastian Lockwood tells the great epics: Gilgamesh, Odysseus, Caesar, Beowulf and Monkey. His studies in Classics and Anthropology at Boston University and Cambridge University in the UK laid the foundation for bringing these great tales into performance. Lockwood’s performances are designed to take complex texts and make them accessible and exciting for audiences from 5 to 95. Lockwood has tutored and taught classes in higher education for 25 years. Lockwood launched two storytelling podcasts in 2022: Blowing Up Stumps- tales from New and Old England (with Maine storyteller Matt Gile), and Monkey- the Journey to the West. He now concentrates on performance, podcasting, workshops, and audiobook narration. Lockwood lives under New Hampshire's Crotched Mountain in a 1792 house with his wife, jazz singer and LUX Lifestyle founder, Nanette Perrotte.
Join Sebastian at The Toadstool Bookshop in Keene, NH on Sunday, January 11, 2026 at 2 pm where he will be presenting his newest book!
12/15/25
Book of the Week (12/15/2025)
In the still woods of small-town New Hampshire, a single gunshot shattered the quiet and the belief that everyone knew everyone.
In 1985, local mechanic Daniel Paquette was found dead in his driveway, one bullet through the chest. For twenty years, the case sat cold. No suspects. No closure. Only silence thick as pine sap and just as suffocating.
But truth doesn’t die. It hides behind loyalty, fear, and the fragile code of a town that prefers to forget. When the past finally cracked open, it revealed more than a killer: it exposed teenage secrets, buried guilt, and a community forced to reckon with what its silence had cost.
Whispers in the Pines: A Teenage Killer and the Silence of New Hampshire blends deep reporting with a restrained, haunting narrative to follow the investigation, confession, trial, and the long echo that reshaped an entire town. It asks the question no verdict can settle:
When everyone shares the secret, who carries the blame? --Publisher's blurb
12/8/25
Book of the Week (12/8/2025)
Get a taste of some of the best hiking and mountain scenery along the entire 2,190-mile Appalachian Trail (AT). Campsites, Hostels, and Huts is the story of a father/daughter section hike of the AT in New Hampshire from the streets of Hanover and Dartmouth College to the Maine state line in the middle of the rugged Mahoosuc Mountains. You don't have to always "rough it" when hiking through the White Mountains in New Hampshire, as there are plenty of great lodging options, from backcountry campsites and shelters to roadside hiker hostels to the famous Appalachian Mountain Club (AMC) High Huts. Come experience all of that and more in this firsthand account of an 18-day trek through some of the most breathtaking mountains in the northeast. --Publisher's blurb
12/3/25
3 on a Theme: Mountains 2
White Mountains State: A Four-Year Journey Hiking and Summiting New Hampshire's 48 Highest Peaks by Keith Gentili
My Mountain Friend: Wandering & Pondering Mount Major by Mary Ellen Humphrey
Glorious Mountain Days: The 1902 Hike That Helped Save the White Mountains by Allison W. Bell and Maida Goodwin
12/1/25
Book of the Week (12/1/2025)
What lurks in the dark woods of New Hampshire? Whose footsteps echo on the covered bridge at night when no one’s there?
Scary Stories from New Hampshire is a collection of supernatural horror drawn from the Granite State’s ghost stories, legends, and chilling local lore. Inside you’ll encounter cursed towns abandoned to the wilderness, haunted orchards where old rules are broken at your peril, and cold, dead hands that clutch at swimmers from below. Each tale pulls from real places and unsettling folklore, blending the strange with the terrifying in ways you won’t forget.
Grim, nightmarish illustrations bring these stories to life, making every page an eerie journey into New England’s haunted heart. Perfect for sharing aloud at night or reading alone with the lights low, this book offers an unforgettable descent into shadows.
Dare to read it—if you’re brave enough. --Publisher's blurb
About the author:
Rex Eldritch is an author and visual artist inspired by the eerie folklore and haunted landscapes of New England. His work combines supernatural storytelling with a folkloric sense of place, drawing on ghost stories, legends, and the darker side of local history. A resident of New Hampshire, he creates fiction that is both unsettling and accessible, written for readers who enjoy tales of mystery, horror, and the uncanny. Beyond writing, he is also an illustrator and game designer, with a lifelong passion for storytelling in many forms.
11/3/25
3 on a Theme: NH Memoirs 2
One Man's Family: Growing Up in Peterborough and Other Stories by Sydney M. Williams
Claremont Boy: My New Hampshire Roots and the Gift of Memory by Joseph D. Steinfield
Counter Culture: Clams, Convents and a Circle of Global Citizens by Eleanor Dunfey-Freiburger
9/8/25
Book of the Week (9/8/2025)
Fifteen towns. Fifteen voices. One unforgettable day.
From icy lakes to quiet libraries, from the bustle of Manchester to the stillness of Alton's hills, this poignant collection captures a single day—March 27—in the lives of everyday people across New Hampshire. A cook dreams of freedom between orders. A boy finds courage in the woods. A caregiver hears echoes of her own grief in a stranger’s silence. Each of these fifteen stories reveals the quiet resilience, heartbreak, humor, and grace that thread through our daily lives.
Told with warmth and realism, Granite Lives invites readers to witness the extraordinary in the ordinary. Perfect for fans of Olive Kitteridge and Our Town, this deeply human mosaic explores what it means to live with purpose, even when no one is watching.
Whether you're from the Granite State or simply drawn to stories that honor place and people, Granite Lives is a literary journey you'll carry long after the last page.
Step into New Hampshire for a single day—and discover how much a life can hold. --Publisher's blurb
About the author:
Born in Connecticut and raised for 28 years in New Hampshire, Jonathan holds a Bachelor’s degree in Social Science and works closely with autistic youth in school settings. With a strong focus on education and neurodiversity, Jon is dedicated to creating supportive, inclusive learning environments where every student can thrive. His work blends compassion, structure, and a deep understanding of individual needs, making him a committed advocate for equitable education.
9/3/25
3 on a Theme: Concord History
Growing Up in Concord, New Hampshire: Boomer Memories from White's Park to the Capitol Theater by Kathleen D. Bailey & Sheila R. Bailey
Crosscurrents of Change: Concord, N.H. in the 20th Century published by the Concord Historical Society
The Concord Theatre and Concord's Love Affair with the Movies by Paul E. Brogan
8/18/25
Book of the Week (8/18/2025)
From the time he published his first story in Yankee in 1977 to the day he retired as its editor in 2025, Mel Allen’s writing has captured the unique essence of New England and the people who call it home. Here for the first time, Allen has collected 45 of his favorite pieces, adding intimate new introductions and postscripts to put them in context. The feel and flavor of New England lives within the covers of this engaging collection. --Publisher's blurb
About the Author:
Mel Allen has spent nearly half a century finding fascinating people and places he wanted to write about and telling the stories of New England. He became Yankee Magazine’s fifth editor in the summer of 2006, after previous roles as writer, senior editor, and executive editor. Mel’s career at Yankee Magazine spanned more than four decades, and he has written for every department in the magazine. In his pursuit of stories, he has raced a sled dog team, crawled into the dens of black bears, and fished with the legendary Ted Williams. In 2018, he was inducted into the Folio Magazine Hall of Fame for editorial excellence. He has taught magazine writing and creative nonfiction for the past 25 years, divided between the University of Massachusetts-Amherst and MFA program at Bay Path University. He lives and writes in New Hampshire.
Join Mel Allen at Gibson's Bookstore on Friday, September 5, 2025 at 6:30 pm where he will discuss his new book!
8/3/25
3 on a Theme: NH Lakes
Images of America: The Boats and Ports of Lake Winnipesaukee by Bruce D. Heald
The Webster Lake Picture Book by Bill Cain
Islands of Southern Lake Winnipesaukee by Stephanie A. Erickson
6/9/25
Book of the Week (6/9/2025)
A surprising and compelling journey into the business of paranormal investigation, and the state of scientific literacy in America.
In 2010, in a small New Hampshire town, next door to a copy center and framing shop, a ghost lab opened. The Kitt Research Initiative’s mission was to use the scientific method to document the existence of spirits. Founder Andy Kitt was known as a straight-shooter; and was unafraid — perhaps eager — to offend other paranormal investigators by exposing the fraudulence of their less advanced techniques. But when KRI started to lose money, Kitt began to seek funding from the paranormal community, attracting flocks of psychics, alien abductees, witches, mediums, ghost hunters, UFOlogists, cryptozoologists and warlocks from all over New England, and the world. And there were plenty of them around.
The Ghost Lab tells the astonishing story of the wild ecosystem of paranormal profiteers and consumers, through the astonishing story of what happened in this one small town. But it also maps the trends of declining scientific literacy, trust in institutions, and the diffusion of a culture that has created space for armies of pseudoscientists to step into the minds of an increasingly credulous public.
With his distinct voice, eye for a story and ability to show how one community's experience reflects that of a society, Matt Hongoltz-Hetling crafts a powerful narrative about just how fragmented our understanding of what is real and what is not has become. --Publisher's blurb
About the author:
Matthew Hongoltz-Hetling is a freelance journalist specializing in narrative features and investigative reporting. He has been named a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize, won a George Polk Award, and been voted Journalist of the Year by the Maine Press Association, among numerous other honors. He is the author of two prior books, A Libertarian Walks into a Bear and If It Sounds Like a Quack. Matthew is currently a reporter for the Valley News, a daily newspaper in Lebanon, New Hampshire.
Join Matthew Hongoltz-Hetling at Gibson's Bookstore on Thu., July 17, 2025 at 6:30 pm where he will be discussing his newest book!
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