October 2012 eNewsletter

"Easy reading is damn hard writing." —Nathaniel Hawthorne

October with its dark and stormy nights makes me think of childhood campfire

stories. Around the fire, beneath the stars, everyone had to have one scary story and you took turns telling those beating, thumping, howling tales until at last Dad told the one that sent you shivering to the safety of your sleeping bag. These were folktales, urban myths, Edgar Allan Poe ripoffs. Short stories that had instant atmosphere, a hook, a little journey, a twist, and a full stop ending. Stories for one sitting.

This month we are celebrating short stories in the store. Sure, there will be scary ones, but there are also the tales you tell your two-year-old lying on the bed winding towards the end of a very full day. Peter Rabbit, Miss Rumphius, Curious George. And then there are the tales that hitchhikers tell, or barkeeps, lovers, travelers, or spiritual guides. Stories that have a frame, a time, a place; stories that carry us; stories that we can carry with us. Pocket stories. Common coal.

Modern short story writers have applied pressure to the old forms and produced startling gems. Unforgettable, challenging, lovely, perfect pieces that can be read in a single go. I highly recommend the new collection Object Lessons from the editors of Paris Review in which twenty contempory authors introduce their favorite short stories from the last fifty years. It comes (as do many, many stories--see below) with that ultimate commendation, “you gotta read this.”

Roger Page
Owner and Bookseller

SHORT STORIES

Celebrate Short Storytelling

There's something very special about a tale that can be read in one sitting. Short stories are a ageless tradition--we've been gathering around the fire to hear them told since before history began. Whether they're strange, suspenseful, and scary or a reflection of our everday lives, they're worth far more than the brief time you spend with them. Check out our list of classics old and new.

Hunting and Pecking

At the end of the month, we'll be taking our old typewriters off the upper shelves of the store and putting them--and you--to work. Bring your bookstore memories and your imagination and get those fingers moving, whether they're fumbling or fleet. The keys won't stop clacking until the day is done. Join the typing pool!

Scary Stories to Haunt Your Shelves

When Halloween's on the horizon, spookiness is the order of the day. Get your goblins in the mood for trickery with these bookish treats.

Reports from Island Books

Catch up on recent posts from our Message in a Bottle blog, including one about an author who didn't do a very good job of covering his tracks, and another about a tribute to a septuagenarian singer. Week in and week out, free speech is what we're all about.

By the way, did you know you can get our Store Journal by email?

Fall into Healthier Dining

The leaves are turning gold, but our plates are turning green. Browse our list of sumptuous--yes, sumptuous--vegetarian cookbooks. They're not just for vegetarians.

Cindy's October Pick:

The Last Policeman

We read a lot, and despite ourselves, we're guilty of playing favorites. For example, this month Cindy's excited about a new novel from Ben Winters called The Last Policeman. It poses a provocative question: What’s the point in solving murders if we’re all going to die soon, anyway? Detective Hank Palace has asked himself this ever since asteroid 2011GV1 hovered into view. There’s no chance left. Just six precious months until impact. He’s investigating a death by hanging in a city that sees a dozen suicides every week—except this one feels suspicious, and Palace is the only cop who cares. As Palace’s investigation plays out under the shadow of 2011GV1, we’re confronted by hard questions way beyond “whodunit.” What basis does civilization rest upon? What is life worth? What would any of us do, what would we really do, if our days were numbered?

Here, our booksellers share their other October recommendations.

See More Staff Picks