| Bookpost #43 -- The Email Newsletter
of Rakestraw Books -- January 2004 Dear Friends,
As I write this issue of "Bookpost," the reports that will be used to conduct
inventory tomorrow are printing. Hundreds of pages itemizing our stock on hand (we hope!)
which will be checked against each and every book on the shelf. A somewhat tedious chore,
but it means that as we move forward into the new year, we will know what's on our
shelves. And, it will give us the freedom to restock appropriately. Then, there is the
sale that always follows in the wake of inventory. Come in starting Wednesday for some
great bargains!
This month, and next, are months of joy and renewal here at Rakestraw Books. Join us as we
celebrate the completion of our successful campaign for the Danville Public Library and as
we welcome old friends Chris Bohjalian and Susan Vreeland back to Rakestraw Books. Come in
to choose a book for your next book group discussion. Become a member of one of our book
groups here at the shop. Make a new year's resolution to read at least one new author in
the next three months and let us help you choose! We look forward to visiting with you
here at Rakestraw Books "The Bookstore in Danville." Come see us soon!
Best Wishes and Happy Reading!
Michael Barnard
and the Staff of Rakestraw Books
Inside this issue of "Bookpost":
- 1000 Books for New Year 2004 Celebration;
- Calendar of Events for January-February 2004;
- Rakestraw's Readers Recommend;
- A Thousand Books for New Year 2004;
- Book Gift Certificates;
- Book Group News. |
| 1000 BOOKS
CELEBRATION -- IT'S A PARTY! Hardly a day has gone by these last months that
some of you have not come and purchased books for donation to the Danville Public Library
as part of One Thousand Books for New Year 2004 campaign. We have received donations
ranging from $10 to $1000 and we would like to take this opportunity to thank all of you.
Please join us as we celebrate the completion of this year's campaign with an evening
party on Wednesday, 28 January 2004 at 6:00 PM. Come in have a glass of wine, chat with
your friends and neighbors, meet author Chris Bohjalian, and -- most of all -- take a
chance to examine some of the books we have all donated. Thank you for all that you have
done to help make this gift to our community a reality.
Please make reservations for this special evening event by calling us at (925) 837-7337. |
| CHRIS BOHJALIAN
VISITS WED., 28 JANUARY AT 7:00 PM  Following his many
beloved novels, Chris Bohjalian has at last released a collection of his acclaimed
newpaper columns. Written weekly for the Burlington Free Press, the essays which
comprise the volume Idyll Banter cover a broad range of topics from being a kid in
contemporary America to sugaring off. Frank Howard Mosher, the novelist, calls the book
"the best book I've ever read about life in a contemporary village. There's no doubt
that Chris Bohjalian has established himself as one of America's finest, most thoughtful,
and most humane writers."
It is our great pleasure to welcome Chris Bohjalian back to Rakestraw Books as we
celebrate the publication of Idyll Banter on Wednesday, 28 January 2004 at 7:00 PM.
Reading with a signing to follow. Please note that this event is in conjunction with 1000
Books for New Year 2004 celebration (see above article). Please join us!
Visit
Chris Bohjalian's official website. |
| DAVID MACAULAY VISITS
THURS., 19 FEBRUARY AT 10:00 AM  Following the tradition
he established with his first book, Cathedral: The Story of Its Construction, and
in the many books he has published in the thirty years since, David Macaulay has created a
spectacular new book, Mosque. As always, the gorgeous illustrations complement an
informative text serving to explain the how and the why in a way that is both accessible
and entertaining.
David Macaulay's books have been favorites of mine since I was a young child, so it is a
special treat to be able to welcome him to Rakestraw Books. Please join us on Thursday, 19
February at 10:00 AM for a morning's presentation, followed by a book signing. Class
reservations are essential; please call us (925) 837-7337 for more information on this
special event.
Read
an interview with David Macaulay about his new book Mosque. |
| SUSAN VREELAND VISITS
WED., 25 FEBRUARY AT 7:00 PM  It is always a joy to
welcome old friends back to Rakestraw Books. And when the friend is Susan Vreeland, our
joy knows few bounds. Susan's graciousness, kindness and talent have made her friendship a
pleasure since the September afternoon in 1999 when she stopped in to sign the copies of Girl
in Hyacinth Blue we had on hand. That debut effort went on to be one of our
bestselling hardcover novels of all time. Her second book, The Passion of Artemisia
became an even bigger national bestseller.
For her third novel, Susan has once again chosen to recreate the life of a relatively
unknown woman artist. Emily Carr lived and painted in the Pacific Northwest one hundred
years ago. Her paintings record a land and a people in the midst of great change. Susan's
novel The Forest Lover evokes the beauty and power of this woman's life. It's a
simply terrific read.
Join us as we welcome Susan and celebrate the publication of The Forest Lover on
Wednesday, 25 February at 7:00 PM.
As a special treat, we will be hosting a wine and cheese reception with Susan Vreeland
begining at 6:00 PM. Bring a friend and join us. Please make reservations for the
reception.
Visit
Susan Vreeland's website for more about Emily Carr and The Forest Lover. |
RAKESTRAW'S READERS RECOMMEND
This month we are delighted to present recommendations from independent booksellers around
the country. It's wonderful to see titles we love so articulately supported. As of this
writing, all of these fine books are in stock. We look forward to sharing them with you.
The Lady and the Unicorn by Tracy Chevalier "Imagining the creation of
the famous tapestries now hanging in Paris' Cluny Museum, Chevalier creates a wonderful
tapestry of narrative voices; each one provides a slightly different perspective on the
artistic process and the relationships among the characters. If you loved >Girl With
a Pearl Earring (and who didn't?), you will want to line up for this one." --
Robert Sheard, Bookshop by the Lakes, West End, NC
The Floating Book: A Novel of Venice by Michelle Lovric "Take a mental
gondola ride with the lush prose of this tale set in Venice in 1468, wherein three men who
dare to publish the poems of Catullus are linked together by a mysterious beauty named
Sosia. A dazzling debut." -- Tara O'Donnell, Paperbacks Plus, Bronx, NY
Any Human Heart by William Boyd "Using fictional diary entries, Boyd
has created a magnificent portrait of a man whose life touches on many of the high and low
points of the 20th century. Real historical figures are deftly woven into a narrative so
real it's hard to believe the diarist, Logan Montstuart, isn't truly the writer. After
following Logan's life -- with its humor, adventure, and pathos -- you'll be saddened when
it must come to an end." -- Kathi Kirby, Powell's City of Books, Portland, OR
Reading Lolita In Tehran: A Memoir in Books by Azar Nafisi "Nafisi
tells of her life in Iran, her experiences teaching literature at a university, and her
secret meetings with a group of women who come together to read and discuss books
forbidden by Iran's Islamic government. With Iran and Iraq in the news every day, I was
excited to find a book that put a human face on this region." -- Terrell Aldredge,
Wide World Books & Maps, Seattle, WA
Idyll Banter: Weekly Excursions to a Very Small Town by Chris Bohjalian
"Bohjalian and his wife traded their bulletproof apartment in Brooklyn for a yellow
house in Lincoln, Vermont. His essays paint Keillor-esque images of small-town life, where
the ladies' auxiliary still holds a bake sale at the polling station each Election Day.
What a delight!" -- Jean Sycle Martin, Joseph-Beth Booksellers, Cleveland, OH
Mrs. Kimble by Jennifer Haigh "I love to begin a book without first
reading the jacket copy...especially one like this, where I managed to get well into the
book before realizing exactly what was going on. The character of each of the three Mrs.
Kimbles was beautifully developed -- and through these women, we learn about Mr. Kimble.
What a great book-club book!" -- Liz Murphy, Learned Owl Book Shop, Hudson, OH
The 37th Hour by Jodi Compton "This first novel features Minneapolis
Detective Sarah Pribek, who must find her missing husband. I quickly got caught up in
Compton's characters and was disappointed when I turned to the final page. I can't wait
for the next book featuring Pribek." -- Sue Richardson, Maine Coast Book Shop,
Damariscotta, ME
If
you would like the full Books of the Year 2003 list, just send us an email and we will
happy to send it to you. |
| GIFT CERTIFICATES In
addition to our wonderful brown paper Rakestraw Books Gift Certificates (available in any
amount), we are pleased to be able to offer Booksense Gift Certificates redeemable in more
than 1,200 independent bookstores nationwide. If we are unable to help you choose a book
for your farway reader, a Booksense Gift Certificate is the way to go.
Click
here for a list of Booksense bookstores across the country. |
| A Thousand Books for
New Year 2004  To celebrate our
thirtieth anniversary, Rakestraw Books “The Bookstore in Danville”™
launched a major charity campaign on behalf the Danville Public Library. Our goal was very
simple: working in association with the Library, the Friends of the Danville Library, as
well as several local businesses, we encouraged the people of Danville and Alamo -- as
individuals, families, businesses, and community groups -- to purchase a thousand books
for the Danville Library in time for New Year 2004.
Working with librarian Stephanie Van Ogtrop and her staff, we developed wish lists from
which we encourage you to choose or you may, of course, present a book of your choice. To
get the campaign started, Rakestraw Books donated the first hundred books. And to
encourage your generosity, we discounted all books purchased for donation by 20% and
placed book plates with the donor's name in each volume.
In addition to our initial donation of books, Rakestraw Books conducted a number of other
fundraisers throughout the Fall to benefit "A Thousand Books for New Year 2004"
including a bake sale and a special author reading.
We have extended the deadline for this special project through Wednesday, 28 January
2004 (see above article) and look forward to your support.
For
more information about the Friends of the Danville Library, click here. |
| BOOK GROUP NEWS We
host four book groups here at Rakestraw Books: an Evening Group, a Morning Group (NEW!), a
Spanish Group (NEW!), and the Mother-Daughter Group. The details of their January meetings
are as follows:
The Morning Book Group resumes meeting in January. Our selection for the month is Quattrocento.
This month's meeting is on Wednesday, 28 January at 10:00 AM.
The Evening Book Group resumes meeting in January. We will be discussing Neverwhere
by Neil Gaiman. This month's meeting is Wednesday, 21 January at 7:00 PM.
Spanish Book Group Do you read comfortably in Spanish? Would you like to practice
your Spanish discussion skills? Would you like to spend an enjoyable evening discussing
books with other Spanish speakers? Then our new El Club de Libros is for you!
During our meeting on Tuesday, 10 February at 7:00 PM, we will be discussing El casa en
Mango Street por Sandra Cisneros. Please join us! Veteran Spanish teacher Carolyn
Thiessen facilitates this group.
The Mother-Daughter Book Group resumes discussions in January. Our selection for
the month is Journey to the River Sea by Eva Ibbotson, winner of the Smarties Gold
Prize. We will meet this month on Tuesday, 27 January at 7:00 PM. Please join us. |
And, that's Bookpost #43 We hope you
found it interesting, useful, and enjoyable. Of course, if you need more information,
please feel free to contact us by telephone at (925) 837-7337. Or, if you are in the
lovely San Ramon Valley, stop by the real books-and-mortar shop at 409 Railroad Avenue,
Danville, California 94526. Or, if you prefer not to leave your computer, simply email us
at rakestraw_books@yahoo.com.
Best wishes for a joyous new year. We look forward to seeing you soon.
Sincerely,
Michael Barnard
and the Staff of Rakestraw Books
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