Family Vacation!

I apologize for my lack of blogging and posts on Facebook this week... we are on a mini family vacation :)  I decided to take a couple of minutes to share some of the fun bookish things we've done this vacation thus far :)

My husband and I celebrated our third wedding anniversary on October 8th.  We had initially planned on letting Everett stay at Grandma and Grandpa's for the day, but ended up taking a little family trip instead.  We drove to Sheboygan, WI and visited Bookworm Gardens... an amazingly awesome place for any age!  This is unlike any garden I've ever seen... it is filled with literary references!  There's a Giving Tree, a Magic School Bus, Little House in the Big Woods cabin, The Three Bears and their three chairs, and even the Three Little Pigs houses.  My parents and I took Everett here earlier in the year, and he wasn't too into it, but he LOVED it this time.

Everett enjoying Bookworm Gardens

Checking out Winnie-the-Pooh's house at Bookworm Gardens

We also made a couple stops to bookstores this week and added a couple titles to our libraries.  Everett got a new Halloween book Who am I? Halloween, and we also picked up a Thanksgiving book for next month, Thanks for Thanksgiving.  I, of course, had to pick up Lisa Van Allen's new book The Night Garden which came out on Tuesday (LOVE her books!).  I also picked up a copy of The Taste of Apple Seeds by Katharina Hagena, which I've heard is supposed to be similar to Sarah Addison Allen's writing.  Lastly, my husband surprised me with a book for part of my anniversary gift, Dream It! Do It!: My Half-Century Creating Disney's Magic Kingdoms by Martin Sklar (I absolutely LOVE it when he surprises me with books! And I'm a huge fan of Disney World... so this was perfect!  I can't wait to read it!).

I am currently working on reading four books as well... Bird Box by Josh Malerman, The Things We Cherished by Pam Jenoff, The Night Garden by Lisa Van Allen, and A Fatal Grace by Louise Penny (which are all excellent!) although I haven't taken a lot of time to read this week.  We've been busy apple picking, taking day trips, and attending local festivities like the Zoo Boo at our local zoo.  So much fun! 

Apple picking

At the Zoo Boo with my little pumpkin!

What are some bookish things you've done on vacation?  And, don't worry I haven't forgotten about the awesomely fun announcement I have... it's coming soon... :)  Please like and share my Facebook page and follow this blog to be the first to know!

Thank you for being a part of my little corner of the book world, and happy reading!

Michael Perry Author Event

A few months ago, one of our associates told me that there's a new Michael Perry book coming out in September.  Michael Perry's memoirs have always been extremely popular in our store for two reasons 1. He's a Wisconsin author writing about life in Wisconsin and 2. They're incredibly funny while still being heartwarming. I was thrilled to hear he had a new book coming out, but was shocked to see that it was labeled young readers fiction.

Scavengers is the story of a young girl named Maggie who is living during tough times.  The world has been divided into two halves: communities that live "UnderBubble" and the people who chose to live as scavengers "OutBubble." Maggie's family decides/is forced to live "OutBubble" where even basic needs such as food and shelter are not guaranteed.  The story contains adventure, family, and a terrific female protagonist that readers from ages 8 to 98 will enjoy.

I was beyond thrilled when Michael Perry agreed to come to our store a couple weeks after his book release to do a reading and signing.  Now, you should know, Michael is a writer, singer (his band is called Michael Perry & The Long Beds), nurse, radio show host, firefighter, and a real family man.  He's kind of the epitome of jack-of-all-trades.  This makes his readings entirely entertaining.  He read and spoke for about an hour, sharing snippets from his book Scavengers as well as From the Top.  The audience laughed so hard at his anecdotes... stories about his brothers, neighborhood, and creating the book Scavengers.  He puts on such an incredible event... I think the audience could have listened to him for hours!

After his reading, he signed books for everyone, chatted, and answered questions. Michael was so gracious to everyone who came out and thanked everyone personally as they stopped to get their books signed.  He even made one little girl's night by complimenting her pink princess dress and thanking her for coming because she reminded him of his two little girls at home (it was a super sweet moment, and one mom and daughter will not soon forget).  

When his event was through, he stayed to sign stock for the store and chatted with me about the events he has scheduled and how much time he spends touring (he tours like a madman!).  For Scavengers, he's doing even more touring because of school visits.  He says he absolutely loves doing these events because it lets him meet the people who read his books and allows him to keep his dream of writing, but you can tell it's hard to be away from his wife and two girls.

Authors do a lot of traveling and promoting to get the word out about their books. Obviously, they love to meet their fans, but next time you go to an event, thank the author for visiting your town/city/state.  As much as it's "part of the job," they're probably missing home and tired from the road, so give them an extra special thank you for spending this time with you and other fans.  Then go out and let everyone know how much fun you had meeting them and how much you love their books.  This will be the best thank you you can give to any author... word of mouth is the greatest advertisement for their books.

On that note: A huge THANK YOU from me and everyone who has attended author events at Barnes & Noble Appleton to all of the phenomenal authors who have visited us and spent time sharing their books with us.  I cannot say how many wonderful things I've heard about each and every event we've had, and we absolutely love having authors visit.

Now, go out and grab one (or all) of Michael Perry's books (they're all phenomenal and will definitely make you laugh out loud) and find out information about Michael's tour dates from his website here.

Happy Reading :)
  

Small Town Wisconsin

Everyone likes to read books that take place in their home state.  It's fun to see how authors use scenery that we are so familiar with to create these marvelous stories (and it's fun to check their accuracy!).  Being a Wisconsin girl, I enjoy picking up books not only by Wisconsin authors, but books that are set throughout the state.  What's funny is most Wisconsin books tend to take place in "small town" Wisconsin.  Since I grew up in Green Bay, I've never lived in a rural area, but I've definitely seen my fair share of small town life.  I love the way many books that take place in these small Wisconsin towns show what an effect an incident or story can have on an entire town. 

Two novels that I would highly recommend for this "small town" Wisconsin feel are:

The Mourning Hours by Paula Treick DeBoard
5 of 5 Stars

I discovered this book before its release while looking through an advance magazine at work.  I saw the words Manitowoc, Wisconsin and had to stop and read the description (I mean honestly how many books take place outside Manitowoc, WI??).  The Mourning Hours is the story of a teenage girl, Stacy, who goes missing from her small town.  The last person to see her was her boyfriend, Johnny, the local high school's star wrestler.  The thing I love the most about this book is the narrator is Johnny's younger sister, Kirsten, who at the time of Stacy's disappearance is just nine years old.  The reader only knows and sees what Kirsten experiences, which adds such an unique element to the story.  
The mystery of Stacy's whereabouts tests the entire town and basically splits it in half.  It really shows how one event impacts everyone, since everyone knows with everybody else, and can leave even those who think they know Johnny and Stacy reevaluating their opinions.
Bottom line: This book kept me turning pages way past my bedtime.  I was addicted to the storyline and Paula's writing.  I recommend it for anyone looking for a great mystery/family drama... anyone who lives/lived in Wisconsin... anyone who likes books that feel like they're ripped from the news headlines... anyone who likes well written novels...really to anyone.
The best news: Paula's second book, The Fragile World, comes out exactly two months from today!  I *might* have a countdown going for this release date... and I *might* have to take off from work and read it all day!

Shotgun Lovesongs by Nickolas Butler
4.5 of 5 Stars

This book was actually a book club pick.  It was one of those books that I had heard wonderful things about, but had I not been told to read it for book club, I probably would have never picked it up.  One of the many reasons I adore my book club!  
How much I enjoyed Shotgun Lovesongs actually surprised me.  The novel is told from alternating perspectives of four men and one woman who grew up together in a small town just outside Eau Claire, Wisconsin.  There isn't a lot of action or anything overly dramatic about the plot, and I loved that.  It's a down-to-earth story of friendship, love, and real life.  Nickolas Butler does an amazing job creating the characters and setting for his novel.  I was completely immersed in this small town and the lives of those living in it.  I felt what the characters felt because the emotions and struggles they were facing are so universal... it could have been a story about anyone's life.  
Bottom line: I really hope Nickolas Butler is working on something new, because I would love to read another book by him.  I would recommend this book to anyone looking for an escape from the action-based, thrill-seeking, drama of many novels to a quiet little town filled with characters with human hearts and minds.


What are some of your favorite Wisconsin books?  Or books from your home state that you've enjoyed?