Independent since 1974 · (413) 528-1521 · Mon-Wed 10-7 · Th-Sat 10-6 · Sun 11-5 · Contact Us
332 Stockbridge Rd. Great Barrington, MA 01230 · Map
Note our current WINTER HOURS (through April) · Monday-Wednesday 10:00-7:00 · Thursday-Saturday 10:00-6:00 · Sunday 11:00-5:00
Bookseller: Catherine
Title: Moo Moo in a Tutu
Comments:
Some children's books have beautiful illustrations, wonderful prose and address important life themes. But, NONE OF THAT MATTERS if the kids don't like the book! Tim Miller writes for kids using kid language and kid humor. This book will make kids laugh out loud! Recommended for children 3+ as well as children who are learning how to read.Side note: Fans of the "Elephant and Piggie" books will love "Moo Moo in a Tutu."
Bookseller: Catherine
Title: Marguerite's ChristmasComments:
Not your usual Christmas story. I found this beautifully illustrated picture book to be a welcome change from Santa Clauses, reindeer, bells and the holly jolly holidays. Some may consider it a "downer" of a holiday book, but don't be put off. I found it to be a touching, sweet and believable story. As I read the book, I found myself thinking lovingly of my own grandmother. This would be a wonderful book to read together as a family during the holidays, especially if you have a connection with an elderly person.PS The book was originally written in French and takes place in France. My grandmother is French and Columbo was one of her favorite television shows!
Bookseller: Catherine
Title: My Name is Lucy BartonComments:
As a big fan of Elizabeth Strout’s Pulitzer prize winning novel, Olive Kitteridge I had high hopes for her new novel. I am happy to report that My Name is Lucy Barton, did not disappoint! The novel is a love story between a mother who is visiting her daughter in the hospital, a daughter from whom she has been estranged for years. The love between them is fierce, animalistic and not always pretty. We learn that as a child Lucy was struck by both her parents, and had been locked up in a truck for hours when her parents left the house. When Lucy recalls the bitter cold which numbed her bones as a child during the winter months I felt chilled myself.We meet Lucy when she is grown up, lives in New York City and many years have passed since her childhood in Amgash, Illinois, where she grew up in abject poverty. Social status is not a topic that Americans are comfortable discussing openly and this fact helps the reader feel the discomfort that haunts Lucy in the new life she has created in the big city.
Lucy’s incommunicable isolation makes sense to us, the readers, and we have compassion for Lucy who, although she looks the part of a big city wife, mother and author, feels she does not belong.
When her mother appears at her hospital bedside, Lucy’s relief and love are tangible. The topics of their conversations are surface level but the bond between them, which neither woman is able to articulate, is deep.
There is a rare wealth of emotion in this book, from darkest suffering to pure and simple joy.
Bookseller: Catherine
Title: Among the Ten Thousand Things
Comments:My pick for Summer Read 2016! Among Ten Thousand Things offers a completely fresh and unexpected take on that familiar staple of novels, the unhappy family. As a middle/high school teacher of 27 years, I appreciate the author's ability to create believable pre-teen and teen age characters. The book comes alive when Pierpont gets into the heads of the children and follows them around. Poignant and sad but with comic moments scattered about just when you need them, this book opens with a bang and takes you places you would not predict. I predict, however, that Julia Pierpont's debut novel will not be her last. This woman can write!
Bookseller: Catherine
Title: Quackers
Comments:
Hooray! A "message" book for young children that is not sappy. Quackers is fun, funny and is guaranteed to make children giggle. Quackers is a duck, a duck with whiskers, paws and a tail. Even though he does not like to get wet, Quackers is content living by the pond with his duck friends. One day, Quackers meets a duck who also has whiskers, paws and a tail. The new duck, Mittens, introduces Quackers to his friends at the barn. Quackers fits right in with Mittens and his friends, even though for some reason they insist on calling themselves cats. Soon, however, Quackers begins to miss his duck friends at the pond. After a visit to the pond, Quackers makes the happy discovery that he can belong to TWO groups even though they don't have a lot in common. A book about belonging and fitting in, great as a read-aloud book for children 3-6.
Bookseller: Catherine
Title: Amos & Boris
Comments:A well-written, quirky novel - I can see why this book is a best-seller in several European countries. The characters are eccentric, well-fleshed out and likeable. I have to admit that I became quite fond of the main character, a professor of linguistics and German at a University in Spain. This would be a great book to read on a plane or at the beach!
Bookseller: Catherine
Title: Sapiens
Comments:I don't own many books. I read books and give them away. However, I will NOT be giving away my copy of Sapiens: A Brief History of Humankind. It's a keeper!
Sapiens was an intense read for me. I found myself taking breaks every dozen pages or so. Not because I was bored- just the opposite. I needed time to let the author's perspective on the history of our species (you, me, us!) sink in. Yuval Noah Harari is irreverent at times and makes mind-blowing assertions in his book. You may not agree with all of his theories, but what he claims will make you see yourself as the animal you are in a refreshing new light. It's even possible that after you read Sapiens your view of the human condition will have shifted dramatically.Suberbly translated from the original Hebrew into English by the author himself, Sapiens is accessible to readers of all types of non-fiction and fiction alike.
Bookseller: Catherine
Title: English Is Not Easy
Comments:How do you like your grammer books? Mild, medium, spicy? This book qualifies as extra spicy! Written by an artist from Barcelona, this book will hold your attention as you contemplate the subtleties of modal verbs in English (see page 271). Funny and risque with a very European flair.
Note: R Rated
Bookseller: Catherine
Title: Can't We Talk about Something More Pleasant?
Comments:
What better way to approach the topic of death and dying than through humor? Roz Chast, a regular contributor of cartoons for the New Yorker magazine, has chronicled the last ten years of her parents' lives in this memoir. Don't let the colorful cartoons fool you - this is a serious book about death and dying, care-taking for aging parents and the relationship of an only daughter with her mother and father as they approach the end of their lives. This book is also very, very funny! Roz Chast's dry, quirky humor is at its best. This book is a testament to her talent as a cartoonist and a writer. Laugh-out-loud funny and gut-wrenchingly moving, I recommend this book to those who have enjoyed Roz Chast's cartoons for years as well as those who are just discovering her now.PS If you buy this book, you'll also want to check out the New Yorker 4 minute video, "At Home with Roz Chast." You can find it on You Tube.
Bookseller: Catherine
Title: Flirting with FrenchComments:
This book, an in-depth and very funny look at a 57-year-old American's attempt to learn French in an intense year of self-designed language study,, will appeal to you IF you answer YES (or oui) to at least two of the following questions:Have you attempted to learn a second (or third) language and struggled?
Are you looking for ways to sharpen your cognitive skills as you get older?
Are you a Francophile?
Do you know any French, even just a little?
Are you interested in languages or language acquisition?
If you answered YES to two or more of these questions, then you will most likely enjoy this book very much. If you answered YES to four or more of these questions, then you will probably LOVE this book. (C'est vrai!)
If you answered NO to most of the questions and/or were annoyed by the use of four French words here, please put the card back in the book, the book on the shelf, and enjoy browsing in our store for a different read. We have lots!
Obviously, I highly recommend this book, but not to everyone.
Bookseller: Catherine
Title: Hondo & FabianComments:
"Hondo & Fabian" is, without a doubt, my NUMBER ONE pick for children one to three years old. I have given this book to many toddlers, all of whom absolutely loved it. The pictures are playful and calming at the same time. This is a must-have for any children's library.
Bookseller: Catherine
Title: Cat SenseComments:
A MUST-READ for all cat owners. Why? If you have a cat, you probably know your pet well. But, how well do you know your cat as an animal? This book is not your standard "How to" book for cat owners (though there are a lot of helpful tips!). It's an informative and very interesting book by a zoologist about domestic felines. I know that I am a better owner and friend to my cats now that I have read this book. (They told me.)
Bookseller: Catherine
Title: The Secret History
Comments:
A psychological thriller, a mystery, a coming-of-age and loss-of-innocence story... this gripping book is difficult to characterize. During the dead of winter in a small New England college, a gropu of bright and eccentric students cross the line between good and evil. Not at all a "who dunnit", but more of a "why dunnit", this book is a well-written and literary page-turner.
Booksellers: Catherine and Laurie
Title: Naked Mole Rat Gets DressedComments:
A book about a cat? Been there, done that. A dog? Ho-hum. A bird (say, a pigeon?) So many! "NAKED MOLE RATE GETS DRESSED" provides childrens book readers and readees with a welcome and very fun break. Yes! Naked mole rats do exist in real life - you can look it up. Do they also like to get dressed up once in a while? We like to think that they just might! A very fun and funny book with an important message about diversity. Enjoy!
Booksellers: Catherine
Title: Mrs. McTats & Her House Full of CatsComments:
I have read this book over and over and I enjoy it more every time. Kids will love picking out their favorite cats (there are 25 to choose from) and following them in the illustrations as the story develops. The twist at the end will please readers of all ages.My favorite cat is "Fuzzy." Read this book and pick YOUR favorite!
(Ages 3-7)
Booksellers: Catherine and Laurie
Title: The True Story of the 3 Little PigsComments:
This is a HILARIOUS, laugh-out-loud version of the 3 Little Pigs, told from the perspective of the wolf. (Alexander T. Wolf, but you can call him "Al.") Al has quite the knack for telling a great story! I found this version far more entertaining than the original. Highly recommended as a "read-aloud" book(Ages 3-8)
Bookseller: Catherine
Title: Sophie's Window
Comments:
"Sophie's Window" is a charming tale of friendship between a bird and a dog. The story is funny, sweet and the dialogue lends itself well to being read aloud. Children will be entertained by the action in the story as well as comforted by the fact that Caruso (the bird) is able to overcome his fear of flying with the help of his new friend.
Bookseller: Catherine
Title: FablesComments:
A must-have book for any home library of children's book. "Fables" is just that, Fables, but with a whimsical twist. Very popular with children and adults alike, this book has been one of my favorites since the first day I read it. It is a wonderful read-aloud book.
Bookseller: Catherine
Title: Amos & BorisComments:
A beautiful, funny story about a special friendship between a mouse and a whale. The bittersweet ending is very touching. I have never met a child or an adult who did not LOVE "Amos & Boris."
Bookseller: Catherine
Title:Rufus: The Bat Who Loved Colors
Comments: RUFUS is the story of a bat who discovers the world of daylight and color but ultimately learns and accepts that he is a creature of the night. Rich with themes of acceptance, difference and resilience, not to mention the classic pairing of light/dark and good/evil. I am not a fan of "fluff" children's books about puppies and kittens and rainbows. Children are intelligent beings. They deserve intelligent literature. RUFUS is an intelligent, captivating and beautiful picture book. Most importantly, kids will love it!
Bookseller: Catherine
Title: Dragons Love Tacos
Comments: Who doesn't love dragons? Who doesn't love tacos? Who doesn't like parties? NOBODY, that's who! (And in case you were wondering, YES, that WAS a double negative.)It's clear that the author and illustrator are two guys who know how to have fun. This book oozes fun! A kid-pleaser, for sure.
SO, get this book and get those tacos ready! (But don't forget to bury ALL of the salsa in the backyard.
Independent since 1974 · (413) 528-1521 · Mon-Fri 10-7 · Sat 9-6 · Sun 11-4 · hello@thebookloft.com · Map
