EVENTS BUZZ – May 20, 2013

Dear Friends of Annie’s Book Stop of Worcester,

Memorial Day is just around the corner, which brings us the official kick-off of “summer” festivities. Even in the celebration, though, the staff at ABSW wants to take a  moment to thank the men and women who defend our freedoms—including the important First Amendment, allowing us to read and write what we want—for all the work they do and the many sacrifices they make to keep us free. Thank you!

Memorial Day is also a big day for the science fiction and fantasy fans as there are many conventions that weekend, including many of the ABSW folks. Cat is away at Anime Boston, for example, while Trish is working a table and giving panels at Balticon.

Here at 65 James Street, though, we’ve still got a lot going on!

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Spinning Yarns continues every Wednesday night. Come in for 7:00 PM to listen to an audio drama or audiobook while working on your favorite craft: knitting, crocheting, or anything.

Patty continues The Blog Stoker’s DRACULA Project, where, from May 3^rd through November 8^th, she’s posting passages from Bram Stoker’s 1897 epistolary novel.  You can find the characters’ journals, letters, telegrams, and newspaper clippings at blogstokersdracula.wordpress.com and on Facebook. Friends who subscribe to the blog or follow us on Facebook are eligible for special coupon offers!

On May 24^th, Worcester Storytellers returns from 7PM-8:30PM to ABSW with their Open Mic, featuring Mike Land. Land has published creative nonfiction, fiction, journalism and poetry in places ranging from the independent publications Brevity and So To Speak, to journals such as the Chronicle of Higher Education, as well as our own Worcester Telegram. He directs the Community Service Learning Program at Assumption College, where he also teaches journalism, creative writing, and literature.

On May 30th, we will be offsite at a book sale at The Lodge at Eddy Pond, an assisted living center at 667 Washington Street in Auburn.  If you’re in the area, come visit us!  [The bookstore itself will be open for regular hours from 10AM to 8PM, as well.]

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Come June, we’ve got three events in the works.

Saturday, June 8^th, from 2PM-5PM, brings YA suspense author and paranormal investigator Joni Mayhan to the store to read from her Angels of Ember trilogy and discuss her paranormal experiences.

On Sunday, June 9^th, from 2PM-4PM, Worcester native, Patricia A. Glodis brings her beautiful novel, Snooky, to ABSW for a reading and discussion about a determined puppy in ‘40s and ‘50s era Quinsigamond Village.

Then, on Saturday, June 22, ABSW invites three Christian authors, Michael Hoogasian, Perry Jones, and Debra Braudrick, for an Afternoon of Theology.

Finally, on Friday, June 28, from 7PM-8:30PM, join us for another monthly Open Mic with  Worcester Storytellers, featuring D.M. Roberts.

Also, in June, keep an eye on our blog as we work in a new schedule for daily posts!

So, make Annie’s Book Stop of Worcester at 65 James Street one of your shopping destinations during this spring and summer!

SPINNING YARNS! Crafty Creations Meet Tales That Span Time and Space – Wednesday, 5/22 at 7pm

Join us for “Spinning Yarns” at Annie’s Book Stop of Worcester, at 65 James Street, on Wednesday nights starting at 7pm.

Bring your textile craft, your drawing pad, your journal, or your laptop to this weekly social event where we listen to audiobooks and radio plays while devoting time to our various works in progress.  Everyone is welcome!

This Wednesday, May 22nd, we start a new tale - Part 1 of the young adult novel PETER AND THE STARCATCHERS by bestselling authors Dave Barry and Ridley Pearson, as read by Jim Dale [known for his record-breaking range of voices on the HARRY POTTER audiobooks].

Fans of the television series ONCE UPON A TIME will enjoy this fresh look at J.M. Barrie’s pivotal childhood novel [treated as a prequel to both the  original book version and the Disney animated movie version], and will enjoy hijinks with pirates, mermaids, and guardians of “starstuff”.

The audiobook is complete and unabridged, and we’ll be listening to all six cassettes over the next few weeks.  Take some social and creative time for yourself!

—Patty and the staff at Annie’s Book Stop of Worcester

GHOSTS, SPIRITS AND THE AFTERLIFE – Saturday, 5/18 at 2pm

Tomorrow, Saturday the 18^th from 2PM-5PM, we resurrect the panel that would not die!

“Ghosts, Spirits, and the Afterlife”, featuring three New England authors talking about their work and research, had been canceled due to two snowstorms—but now it’s back and, and definitely not resting dead!

Join ABSW as we welcome Terri Bruce, Morven Westfield, and Jennifer Pelland to read from their works, discuss their favorite stories of the undead and ghosts, and talk about some of their research and inspiration. (Some parts of this panel may not be suitable for children.)

The authors’ websites can be found at:

http://www.terriebruce.net

http://www.jenniferpelland.com

http://www.morvenwestfield.com

A book signing will follow the presentation, and books from each author will be available for purchase.

NEW ARRIVALS – Thursday, May 16, 2013

More new books have arrived here at Annie’s Book Stop of Worcester! Among them are two nonfiction titles - Wild, by Cheryl Strayed and Tarot for Healing, by Kara Owl; two new novels – Gold, by Chris Cleave and Naked, by Raine Miller; and a YA debut - Winger, by Andrew Smith.

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Wild is Cheryl Strayed’s memoir about her incredible journey along more than a thousand miles of the Pacific Crest Trail from the Mojave Desert through California and Washington State. It’s a journey she made on a whim after having felt she lost everything when her mother died, her family became scattered, and her marriage fell apart. Wild tells the story of Strayed’s trials and terrors along the hike that maddened, strengthened, and ultimately  healed her.

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Tarot for Healing by Kara Owl addresses the use of spirituality in the treatment of chronic illness.  When she was first diagnosed with fibromyalgia in the 1990′s, the author tried several holistic practices to mitigate the pain.  As a New Age practitioner, she found that the understanding of self gained through her use of the Tarot led to some surprising levels of relief.

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Chris Cleave’s debut novel Incendiary won a 2006 Somerset Maugham Award, was shortlisted for the 2006 Commonwealth Writers Prize, and won the United States Book-of-the-Month Club’s First Fiction award 2005.  His follow-up novel Little Bee was a national bestseller. Gold is his third novel, it introduces Kate Meadows as she is poised to compete for her last chance at an Olympic gold medal. She’s sacrificed her dreams for her family over years, all the while watching her best friend and closest rival, Zoe, conquer it all. Kate has never won a gold, and she’ll have to go through Zoe to get it – and now her eight year old daughter is fighting for her life against a recurrence of childhood leukemia. How can Kate do right by her daughter without abandoning all of her dreams?

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Raine Miller returns with a new series in Naked: The Blackstone Affair, Book 1. Brynne Bennet has done her best to leave the scandal in her past behind her, living the good life as a part-time student, part-time photographic model. Ethan Blackstone is a London businessman, and when he buys Brynne’s nude portrait he wants more than just her image – he wants her, in every way possible. Brynne is captivated at first, but can’t be certain if his dominant nature will awaken or dispel the demons she carries inside. They each have secrets in this relationship. Can Ethan erase the scars of her past, or will the shadow cast by his own past mysteries destroy any chance they have at happiness?

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Ryan Dean West is fourteen, a junior at Pine Mountain boarding school for rich kids, living in the dorms for troublemakers, room-mates with the biggest jerk on the rugby team, and completely in love with his best friend who sees him as nothing more than a little kid. His life? Complicated. Andrew Smith’s new book Winger follows Ryan as he tries to get a grip on life. Ryan has a lot of tough decisions to deal with, and a lot of mistakes to make along the way. Things get even more complicated when the unthinkable happens, and Ryan  has to figure out how to hold on to the important things in life. No matter what.

Be sure to come find these titles and many, many more here at your local bigger-on-the-inside bookstore.

KIDS AND TEENS – Wednesday, May 15, 2013

We’ve got a great variety of children’s picture books, middle-reader chapter books, and young adult books on the shelves right now!

Pete the Cat and His Four Groovy Buttons recently arrived as a new book. Pete is a pretty cool cat, and he has some pretty groovy buttons on that yellow button-down of his. He likes them so much that he even has a song he likes to sing about them. What happens when one of his buttons falls off? It’s cool! Three buttons can be just as groovy as four. Count down with Pete the Cat in this colorful new story.

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Also on our new book shelf are some fun picture books by Lawrence Schimel, written in Spanish.

La Casa De Los Espejos follows two sisters during their trip to the zoo. It isn’t so much fun when they aren’t able to see any of the animals through the crowd, so instead they find their way to the house of mirrors!

In ¿Lees un libro conmigo? Antonio wants to share his reading with his family, but they’re all too busy with their own daily lives. When he meets an older gentleman who is blind, Antonio decides to read him a story instead.

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In anticipation of one of this summer’s blockbuster movies, we have restocked all the titles in Cassandra Clare’s “Mortal Instruments” series, including City of Lost Souls in hardcover.

We are also huge fans of William Joyce’s “Guardians of Childhood” series, adapted last year into the marvelous movie RISE OF THE GUARDIANS, and have restocked his chapter books – Nicholas St. North and the Battle of the Nightmare King, E. Aster Bunnymund and the Warrior Eggs at the Earth’s Core!, and Toothiana: Queen of the Tooth Fairy Armies.  We are anxiously awaiting the fourth book, due out this Fall, titled The Sandman and the War of Dreams.  The accompanying picture books, focusing on The Man in the Moon and his “backup” Sanderson Mansnoozie, are also available to be ordered.

Last but certainly not least, we would be remiss in neglecting to mention the delightful middle-grade magic-in-Regency-London trilogy by Stephanie Burgis – Kat, Incorrigible, Renegade Magic, and Stolen Magic.

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We’ve also gotten some great used books as well!

You’ll want to read Puppy Love: The Story of Esme and Sam, the story of an up-town poodle and a downtown mutt who find true love in one another’s company.

We also have D’Aulaire’s Book of Greek Myths, as well as Every Child’s Book of Nursery Songs. We even have a big copy of Disney’s Princess Treasury, and of course, much more!

So gather the little ones and take a trip down here to Annie’s Book Stop of Worcester.

BRITISH SCIENCE FICTION – Spotlight on Iris Wildthyme

Come down to Annie’s Book Stop of Worcester Massachusetts and discover the audio escapades and exploits of “Trans-Temporal Adventuress” Iris Wildthyme for yourself.

A character originally created by author Paul Magrs for the DOCTOR WHO range of BBC Books, Iris has long since made herself comfortable in the  DOCTOR WHO audio range from Big Finish as well.  The IRIS WILDTHYME audios star Katy Manning, who had originally played the Third Doctor’s companion Jo Grant in the television series.

Iris travels the universe in a TARDIS disguised as a red double-decker bus which is remarkably smaller on the inside than it is on the outside. Her modus operandi involves getting into scrapes and enjoying a good stiff drink wherever she goes.

Iris’s audio adventures began in the DOCTOR WHO story “Excelis: Dawn”, starring Peter Davison as the Fifth Doctor, and continued in “The Wormery” alongside Colin Baker’s Sixth Doctor. And it wasn’t long before she embarked on her own series of adventures… first alongside a stalwart companion named Tom, and then alongside a sentient stuffed panda named…. Panda.

The casual listener needn’t know the history of Iris or of DOCTOR WHO to enjoy the series, and it’s easy to jump into the audios at any point. However, her adventures began with “Iris At Large” and continued in “The Devil and Ms. Wildethyme”. Both Series Two and Series Three are available in boxed set form only, as opposed to the singles of Series One.

So come on down to Annie’s Book Stop of Worcester, located at 65 James Street, or visit us online at www.anniesbooksworcester.com, and get yourself wrapped up in the world of Iris Wildthyme and Panda. You won’t be disappointed, Chuck!!

NEW ARRIVALS – Thursday, May 9, 2013

Three new titles have hit the shelves here at Annie’s Book Stop of Worcester. Chantress, by Amy Butler Greenfield; Doll Bones, by local author Holly Black; and The Enchantress, sixth book in Michael Scott’s The Secrets of the Immortal Nicholas Flamel series.

Amy Butler Greenfield is a new author on the scene, and Chantress is her debut fantasy novel. Main heroine Lucy has been living shipwrecked on an island for seven years, warned that she must never, ever sing, or terrible things may happen. The story follows young Lucy as, on her fifteenth birthday, she embarks on an unintentional adventure when she sings to a tantalizing music in the air. Lucy  is brought into a world that she had been hidden away from and discovers that she is the last Chantress, spell-singers who have all been hunted down and killed by the Lord Protector – all but Lucy!

Doll Bones is the latest work of local author Holly Black. This is the story of Zach, Poppy, and Alice; they’ve been friends forever, and have been playing a game of imagination for just as long. Within the game their world is populated by pirates, thieves, mermaids, and warriors – and ruling them all is the Great Queen, a bone-china doll kept in a cabinet overlooking all and cursing any who displease her. The years of middle school brings pressure from Zach’s father to give up these childhood games, and when Zach decides to give up the game it seems their friendship might come to an end as well – until Poppy reveals that she’s been having strange dreams about the Great Queen, and the ghost of a girl who will not rest until the china doll is buried in her empty grave. Is the doll just a doll? And if there is a ghost, will it let them go now that is has them in its clutches? Join these three friends as they set out on one last adventure, one which will blur the lines between their imagination and their reality.

If you’ve been following along with Michael Scott’s The Secrets of the Immortal Nicholas Flamel series, you’ve probably been waiting for the paperback release of the sixth installment in this ongoing tale, The Enchantress. Nicholas and Perenelle Flamel are left with one day left to live, and one job left – to defend San Francisco against the monsters gathered on Alcatraz Island. Will the two succeed in their fight, or is this the beginning of the end of the human race?  Meanwhile, Sophie and Josh Newman have traveled thousands of years into the past to join in on a legendary battle – but no-one is sure which side the twins will choose. Will they stand together? Or will they stand apart – one to save the world and one to destroy it?