Many of you belong to wonderful Greeley Book Clubs. Here, if I may suggest, are titles that would be new to all members, are very “discussable” books, and include a Reading Group Guide.

• THE LOVE SEASON, by Elin Hilderbrand
  “A sensitive portrayal of a young motherless woman on a journey of self-discovery, and her guilt-ridden godmother’s attempt to find the courage to confront the past.
• THE DAY MY MOTHER LEFT, by James Prosek
  “The novel is based on the author’s experience navigating the stormy seas of divorce. In the days and years after his mother left, James found solace in nature and his art. A short novel that teaches that what does not destroy us strengthens us.”
• MY LATEST GRIEVANCE, by Elinor Lipman
  “An award winning book and Lipman’s eighth novel filled with her wit, sharp societal observation, and lovely command of language…want to know more…stop by and find the book!”
• EYE CONTACT, by Cammie McGovern
  “Eye Contact is a thriller of hypnotic suspense and a powerful story of the bond between a mother and a very special child. Cammie McGovern brings to the page an empathetic understanding of the lock that autism places on a mother’s child.”
• DEVILS IN THE SUGAR SHOP, by Timothy Schaffert
  “From the author of THE SINGING AND DANCING DAUGHTERS OF GOD comes a comical whirlwind of deception adultery, desperation, drag queens, stiff cocktails, nervous breakdowns, an anonymous stalker and suburban swingers.”
• WITHOUT A MAP, by Meredith Hall
  “Hall charts one of the bravest stories, the journey from disrupted youth up through that most tricky and forbidding territory, the family circle. This is a memoir of survival; of narration; and of forgiveness.”

Dr. Doris Steffy had a wonderful day on June 15, as she visited with former friends and UNC colleagues…AND, signed more than 40 copies of her touching family story entitled: Mrs. Steffy, Our Mother, the Mortician. This book is fast becoming a top-seller in our store…stop by and “have a read.”

Another well-attended event was our talk and meditation evening with Monk Kelsang Rinzin. (www.meditateinfortcollins.org)
Rinzin will return for another free evening of conversation on Tuesday, August 21st.

We continue to receive compliments regarding the wide selection of titles to choose from and also from our gifts and art, all done by local artists and crafters. New to An Open Book are:

• Fairy Gifts, from Corrine Gansar in Niwot
• Matted Photography, from Christine Sperry
• Warm Hug Mixes, by Suzanne Sereff
  www.warmhugsmixes.com
• Art in a Bookmark, by Cindy Dennis
• Recycled Tea Bags as note cards and greeting cards,
  by Libby James
• Stamped and “Scrapbooked” note cards,
  by Chalice Springfield

We continue to add to our note cards from local photographers, Jerry and Kathleen Long….wait until you see the Colorado scenes he captures from his viewfinder! Their website is:
www.jandklongphotography.com

Keep an eye on our website, our email, and in our store bags regarding an exciting “book talk and study” that will begin in September. This is will free and open to the public. Our first book will be THE ENGLISH READER, WHAT EVERY LITERATE PERSON NEEDS TO KNOW. We will have two respected teachers leading our discussion, Sue Knott and John Loftus. The book is available for all participants at a 20% discount. Sign-up now!

It is hot and you want a place to relax and cool down! An Open Book LLC is just the place! Or, maybe you are leaving on a vacation and need a new book to take with you…or the kiddos need to continue to read this summer. We have great new titles and as always, can provided recommendations.

HARRY POTTER AND THE DEATHY HALLOWS will be here soon. Thank you to so many of you who came in and pre-ordered with us. Your book will be held for your arrival! We will open at 7:00AM on July 21 for those “early readers!”

GREEN BOOKS: We continue to take pride in our selections. New selections on salvaging architectural treasures of unwanted houses, natural timber frame homes, and Sarah Susanka’s new book: THE NOT SO BIG LIFE are in the store.

HEALTHY LIVING: We have new titles for safe, nontoxic cleaning: THE NATURALLY CLEAN HOME, and CLEAN HOUSE, CLEAN PLANET. Also popular is: THE LIVE EARTH GLOBAL WARMING SURVIVAL HANDBOOK. Are you even “thinking” of being a vegetarian? Well…we have a new book, in fact two new books…one on “becoming” a vegetarian, and a beautiful book from the REFRESH vegan restaurant…delicious recipes and exquisite pictures. Gluten Free and Raw Foods cooking also have new titles.

PHILOSOPHY: Stop by and read our newest “find”…LITTLE BIG MINDS, SHARING PHILOSOPHY WITH KIDS. This great book is a guide to sharing the enduring ideas of the biggest minds throughout the centuries – from Plato to bell hooks – with the “littlest” minds. A new best seller for adults in the same genre is: PLATE AND PLATYPUS WALK INTO A BAR…UNDERSTANDING PHILOSOPHY THROUGH JOKES.

SO YOU WANT TO BE AN AUTHOR! Thanks to a great suggestion from a local author/retired teacher, we are creating a bookshelf with YOU in mind! Some of our “tempting” titles, so far, include: BIRD BY BIRD, by Anne Lamott (some instructions on writing and life), 101 BEST SCENES EVER WRITTEN, A ROMP THROUGH LITERATURE FOR WRITERS AND READERS. **One more thought, stop by and see Sara Paretsky’s newest: WRITING IN AN AGE OF SILENCE. (Sara explores the traditions of political and literary work, against the repression of free speech and thought in the USA today.)

***One more book that has to be mentioned is: SONGS OF OURSELVES, The Uses of Poetry in America, by Joan Shelley Rubin. This book is an unusually wide-ranging, admirably researched study of the crucial importance of poetry in the making of American Culture – not only in the past but in our own time as well. Oh my….from immigrant classrooms a century ago to poetry slams today!!

Our two Fairy Tea Parties are SOLD OUT! We are excited to partner with Connie Gansar, from Niwot, Colorado…she truly is a “fairy expert.” Look for another tea party in the autumn.

We will have fairy books available for all customers both before and after the event.

ALL AMERICAN GIRL fans?? We will be starting a club and book talk featuring these books and the wonderful young ladies who READ these books…YOU! Keep in touch with our email and our website for more details!

Paperbacks are definitely the “rage” this summer. We have many new titles in the store…here are just a few!

• REVOLUTIONARY CHARACTERS, by Gordon W. Wood
  Winner of the Pulitzer Prize. The life of Washington, Adams, Jefferson, Franklin, Hamilton, Madison, and Paine is presented individually as well as collectively, but the thread that binds these portraits together is the idea of character as a lived reality. They were members of the first generation in history that was self-consciously self-made….men who understood the arc of lives, as of nations, as being one of moral progress.
• SLEEPING WITH FEAR, by Kay Hooper (thriller/suspense)
• THE HUSBAND, by Dean Koontz (mystery)
• THE MAN FROM STONE CREEK, by Linda Lael Miller (historical romance)
• SUNRISE, by Karen Kingsbury (Christian romance)

NO! I DON’T WANT TO JOIN A BOOK CLUB, by Virginia Ironside….I know, this is a hardback…but it is receiving great reviews from our readers…guaranteed to make you laugh!

Another hardback book to savor during these hot summer days is:

LUNCHEON OF THE BOATING PARTY, by Susan Vreeland. Vreeland returns with a vivid exploration of one of the most beloved paintings in the world…the instantly recognizable Renoir masterpiece.

Strong sellers still include: Water for Elephants, The Kite Runner, Memory Keeper’s Daughter, and Beach Music.

Oh, these are a find! Stop by my Booksense table and discover some of the best novels for “independent” minds! Smile

• THE BEST OF FRIENDS, by Sara James and Ginger Mauney
• CONSEQUENCES, by Penelope Lively
• DIVISADERO, by Michael Ondaatje
• CHOSEN BY A HORSE, by Susan Richards
• THE BLOOD OF FLOWERS, by Anita Amirrezvani

My summer staff includes:

Ann Lacefield, owner
Melissa Morningstar (soon to be Garrett)
Lynda McManus
Tami Regan

Our CONGRATULATIONS to Melissa as she weds the “love of her life”…Dan Garrett. Dan and Melissa were married on July 9, 2007 at the Tapestry House in Laporte, Colorado. A honeymoon will occur at the end of July….oh, what will I do without her!!??

All of you give “reading” a good name! Thanks for your loyalty to An Open Book, and for finding the beauty in such a variety of books! We are always searching for new titles that would make for worthwhile discussions…your input is also invaluable!

Make sure that you see the NEW AND NOTABLE link in this email…and stop by to preview our new, local bestseller…MRS. STEFFY, OUR MOTHER THE MORTICIAN. Doris Johnson has included discussion questions in her book….oh, and what a heart-grabbing book it is!!