The Norwich Bookstore, Norwich, VT

— Staff Picks —

 As our 🔥Featured Independent Bookstore🔥 we're pleased to be sharing The Norwich Bookstore’s "Staff Picks" of some of their current favorite recommended authors from New England:

Beth Reynolds Brenna Bellavance Carin Pratt Lisa Christie Liza Bernard Penny McConnel Sara Johnson Susan Voake

I loved Rowley's first book, Lily and the Octopus, with an intense passion, so I was skeptical of feeling as connected to his second book. But I opened it and started reading and laughing along with his character. A few chapters in and I was beyond smitten. His take on the publishing industry is full of these little nods to the reader that invite us along for a front row seat to the authorly escapades. James's search for his ending drives us to the inevitable end of Rowley's novel and we are left happier for having the adventure, but still sad that it's over. Maybe you could use a little more Jackie in your life too? This book is the read you didn't know you needed. Centering around a mother/son relationship and perfect for Mother’s Day.

I was surprised to see that an author I admire (her Still Writing is a permanent bedside fixture) had written a non-fiction book that was straight out of the fiction she had been creating all these years. As I was reading, I kept thinking how lucky she was that she could turn to her words for help. The very act of writing allowed her to make sense of something that could have been devastating. She did what she’s always advised us to do—she wrote her way out. This slim work touches on many universal themes: The meaning of family, both biological and chosen. What we are given by our parents and what we honor enough to pass along to our children. The examination of the loss of identity and the questioning of self. Heartbreaking and utterly hopeful, this book help me revisit all that I hold dear. 

I often associate Brian Lies with his bat stories, which are fun, but I picked this up because I can’t pass up a fox story. This book broke my humpty-dumpty heart when I wasn’t expecting it, but then it knitted it back together again. I have found that the best stories often come at you sideways, and this one deals with grief in such a universal way that most everyone who reads it will be changed by the last page turn. Beautiful illustrations and an engaging story, proving once again, that picturebooks really are for everybody. Maybe you know someone who needs a little help over their own rough patch...

In her fifteen years in the Upper Valley, Brenna Bellavance has had a number of jobs, doing a number of things. The only real constant has been her love of books- most especially the stories that propel her into different worlds, different lives, different perspectives. She loves contemporary sci-fi, dark fairy tales, funny memoirs, middle school adventures, beautifully illustrated picture books, books about physics and theology, and cookbooks that don’t take themselves too seriously. And about a dozen other types of books. Her to-be-read list grows faster than she could possibly cross titles off.

Dead Voices by Katherine Arden (VT)

Katherine Arden writes a heck of a scary story. Her trio of heroes, Ollie, Brian, and Coco, return in the author’s second Vermont ghost story, venturing this time to a remote ski resort - once an orphanage with a terrifying history – where a blizzard traps them with their parents. Taxidermied animals that move when no one is looking, mirrors that lead to a shadowed world, and an inconvenient (but relatable) power-outage all contribute to this nail-biting page-turner.

Small Spaces by Katherine Arden (VT)

This is a wonderfully creepy book. Set in a small town in rural Vermont, Arden is such a gifted storyteller, and creates a sensory experience. I fell into the story like Alice down a hole. A hole in a cornfield maze, and surrounded by come-to-life scarecrows bent on my destruction. For anyone who wants a really good ghost story.

Carin Pratt moved to Strafford, Vermont, eight years ago from Washington D.C. where she worked at CBS News for 27 years, the last 20 as Executive Producer of Face the Nation. Her husband, John Echeverria, is a professor at Vermont Law School, and she has two grown sons. She likes to hike, cook, garden, bike, horseback ride. She reads a lot.

I've always wanted to know how to build a lava moat, and what do you know, along comes a book with intricate instructions how to. Randall Munroe, known for What If? and Thing Explainer, has written "the world's most entertaining and useless self-help guide," with illustrated instructions for tasks as various as predicting the weather, making an emergency landing, playing the piano, catching a drone AND (just in time) winning an election. And that lava moat, of course.

The Border: A Novel (Power of the Dog #3) by Don Winslow (RI)

"Shakespearean," "Game of Thrones of the Mexican Drug Cartels," -- both apt descriptions of Winslow's masterful third and last book in the Border trilogy. (Power of the Dog and Cartel being 1 and 2). This is narco noir at its best, if that word can be applied to something as violent and evil as the Mexican drug trade. In The Border, Arturo Keller is now head of the DEA, tasked with stopping the flow of heroin into the U.S. while rival drug cartels feud. Reviewer Janet Maslin (NYT) wrote that you don't read these books "you live in them." She is right. (And while timely and, unfortunately, all too realistic, the book contains a lot of violence.)

Lisa Christie, a former bookseller, lives in Norwich with her two active boys, Hank and Mateo and her husband, Chris. A nonprofit consultant, Lisa is the founder of Everybody Wins! Vermont, a program that brings reading mentors into local schools. She and Lisa Cadow - also a former bookseller - created The Book Jam, a fun blog about books to "alleviate book jams (e.g., what to read tonight, what to take on that trip to Italy, what to get your mom, your best friend, your brother)". The Book Jam also supports the Norwich Bookstore and other independent booksellers through links to indie web sites and periodic live events.

Here To Stay by Sara Farizan (MA)

A great book about high school life today. The main character, Bijan Miajidi, is pulled from the obscurity of JV basketball to the varsity limelight, which he hopes will help make it easier to talk to his crush Elle. Instead, he is targeted by an internet photo doctored to make him appear as a terrorist. As he tells the story of what happens next, his narrator voice is joined by his internal narrators - ESPN basketball commentators Reggie Miller and Kevin Harlan - providing color commentary and comic relief to the often difficult events of the novel. In short, Ms. Farizhan compassionately and effectively covers coming out stories, cyberbullying, pressure to get into the right colleges, sports, and racism, without preaching, in a true page-turner.

We Were the Lucky Ones (A Novel) by Georgia Hunter (CT)

Yes, this is another WWII novel. But this one about the lives of a family of Polish Jews and their efforts to survive the onslaught of the Holocaust and the German and Russian armies, seems especially important in light of current political rhetoric. The fact that all the characters and their escapades, deaths and near-deaths are based on the truths of the author's own family had my heart in my throat at times. A moving debut novel about family, survival, and living.

Liza Bernard has had many careers including weaver, cookbook writer, art show director, graphic designer, and bookseller. All of these taught her the different skills needed to do the many things necessary to keep the Norwich Bookstore afloat. She lives in Pomfret with husband Brian and enjoys occasional visits from her grown daughter Rachel, who was known as the "bookstore baby" because she spent a lot of time here when both the bookstore and she were under a year old!

Black Is the Body: Stories from My Grandmother’s Time, My Mother’s Time, and Mine by Emily Bernard (VT)

Emily Bernard writes from the - sadly - somewhat unique perspective of a black professor in Vermont. Though there are things we share the experience of being a daughter, a mother, a wife, her world is different than mine in ways I want and need to understand. These essays are personal and revealing, and beautifully expressed. A gift for us all.

Crossing on Time: Steam Engines, Fast Ships, and a Journey to the New World by David Macauley (VT)

With his signature detailed drawings, David Macaulay uses his personal story of immigrating to the US in 1957 to explore the history and design of engines and ships. He plays with scale - a huge hand on the page moves parts of a machine to show how it works - to explain complexities. The amusing details - a rabbit startled by a moving piston, a face peeking out a porthole, and a half eaten cookie on a drafting table - draw the reader into the story behind the science. There is more to discover with each reading!

New Kid by Jerry Craft (Author & Illustrator) (CT)

While this graphic novel is about being the new kid in middle school, it is perhaps more importantly about being one of the few minority students in a private school. Jordan loves drawing but his parents want him to have the advantage of strong academics. He processes his experiences through his art and the reader gets to see the world from his perspective - and it is not always pretty... Good story to enjoy and a great discussion starter for all ages.

A Spark of Light (A Novel) by Jodi Picoult (NH)

Once again, Jodi Picoult takes on a hot-button issue! In A Spark of Light, she shows readers multiple perspectives on the issues of abortion through interwoven stories. Set during a hostage crisis in a clinic in the south, the commonalities between the anti and pro forces are highlighted as much their differences. A teenager looking for birth control as a step toward being responsible is trapped alongside a right-to-life activist who was spying for incriminating materials. A Catholic doctor is wounded by a distraught father. The line between hero and villain is not clear and the reader is asked to bring understanding and compassion...

Bury the Lead: A Joe Gunther Novel (Joe Gunther Series #29) by Archer Mayor (VT)

Joe Gunther has his team back together for this 29th book! Set in Vermont in a grocery warehouse, at a ski resort, and in a small hospital, Mayor has built a complicated plot. Arson, deadly refrigeration chemical leaks, a tractor trailer crash, a pregnant corpse, and a deadly infectious outbreak might all be connected. But it is the strong relationships between the main cast of characters that propels this series. Witty and quirky as always, the detectives and their families are the real story behind the mysteries they unravel.

How to Be a Good Creature: A Memoir in Thirteen Animals by Sy Montgomery (NH), Rebecca Green (Illustrator)

Sy Montgomery celebrates her animal friends and family in thirteen essays that are essentially love letters! Starting with Molly, the Scottish terrier who was her big sister, and Christopher Hogwood, who we met in The Good Good Pig, we learn about the personalities and quirks of a weasel, an octopus, a trio of emus and others. Interspersed with these stories are delightful drawings by Rebecca Green and the book closes with a collection of photos of the author and her four-legged and feathered friends. A good read for all ages!

The Game: Harvard, Yale, and America in 1968 by George Howe Colt (MA)

George Howe Colt takes a moment 50 years ago and, by examining the lives of participating individuals, paints a richly detailed portrait of a particular slice of history. College students, coaches, fans, their extended families, and friends all add color to the picture. He writes about what shapes a person, an institution, and society in general by telling the personal stories of veterans and conscientious objectors, rich and poor, jew and Christian, white and black... For football fans, history buffs, and anyone interested in the quirky history of our culture. Colt is a genius storyteller!

The Underneath by Melanie Finn (VT)

Local and global issues are explored in this intimate and intense novel by Melanie Finn. From East Africa to the Northeast Kingdom of Vermont, love and cruelty abound. Kay, a journalist struggling with the constraints of a marriage and family, searches for meaning and discovers other, ugly realities surrounding her. Perceptive and perplexing portraits of unique and sometimes damaged individuals illuminate universal dilemmas of love and belonging.

How to Write an Autobiographical Novel: Essays by Alexander Chee (VT)

A collection of essays to savor! Alexander Chee explores issues of identity, family, art, gardens, life as a writer, and so much more. He shares his discoveries about himself and our culture in these thoughtful - and thought-provoking - essays. His perspectives on the creative process are intensely personal and at the same time universal. I found myself backtracking to re-read passages for the combination of simple beauty of the language he used to express the truth he revealed.

Points North: Stories by Howard Frank Mosher (VT)

A bittersweet collection of Mosher's last writings about his beloved Kingdom. Set again in the Northern Vermont community he called home and completed just weeks before his death, he gracefully ties up all the loose ends in the Kinneson family's history.

The Wine Lover's Daughter: A Memoir by Anne Fadiman (CT)

In writing this colorful homage to her father, Anne Fadiman paints a portrait of a specific time, location, and culture. Much of what drove Clifton Fadiman was leaving the poor, Jewish, Brooklyn neighborhood of his childhood. She explores the meaning of family, friends, wine, and the power of words.

Penny McConnel has worked in bookstores for almost 40 years. Since reducing her hours at the bookstore (although remaining a co-owner) she is spending more time gardening, reading, cooking and traveling to be with her grown sons and their families in France, Phoenix, Arizona and Marin County, California. She and husband Jim live in Norwich.

Right As Rain by Lindsey Stoddard (VT)

Norwich native Stoddard, following on the heels of her first novel for young readers, has written another marvelous story for readers who are interested in reading something other than fantasy. Our heroine Rain and her family have recently moved from Vermont to Brooklyn to start over after a family tragedy. Rain is finding it difficult to adjust to so many new changes and is also harboring a secret that she is determined her family do not discover. This is a gentle yet strong and heartfelt story about family, change and friendships.

Where We Live by W. D. Wetherell (NH)

Lyme resident Walter Wetherell has been giving his loyal readers good books for years. Be they essays, fiction, non fiction, books of nature or fishing, Wetherell never disappoints. His newest book of short stories is yet another gem. His imaginative plots are developed and concluded in often less than 20 pages and the reader comes away feeling as satisfied as if she had read a novel.

Rising: Dispatches from the New American Shore by Elizabeth Rush (RI)

I believe this book may be the "Silent Spring" for our times. At first, I was not sure that I could write a review, for it is both a beautiful and yet devastating read. From New England to the Eastern Coast to California, the seas are rising, the marshes are flooding and we are in great peril. There once were bayous in Louisiana that no longer exist. There are people whose homes are now under water. Yes, the tale is at times overwhelming, but somehow Rush's poetic and flowing language draw the reader further into her story. Descriptions of the scientists and volunteers who are working daily to combat these dire conditions, as well as the personal commentaries of people whose lives have been affected recount courage and elicit empathy. I found myself loving this book and looking forward each morning to reading a few more pages.

David Biello in the NYT Sunday Book Review gave "Rising" a glowing review:
 "This is a book for those who mourn the changing climate and coast, as well as, perhaps, America's diminishing literary culture: sadness benefits from lyrical prose."

The Boggart Fights Back by Susan Cooper (MA)

Allie and Jay are visiting their grandfather in Scotland when they discover that the castle next door is being bought by a rather nasty American who plans to turn it and all of the surrounding land into a very fancy resort. With the help of the local Boggart, a magical, mischievous, and friendly beast who lives in the loch, things get turned around in a most delightful way. Susan Cooper has written another sequel to her wonderful book of several years ago titled, The Boggart. Like the others, this one is part fantasy and part story about family. Perfect for the reader who likes a quiet book that addresses good and bad without violence.

Just Like Jackie by Lindsey Stoddard (VT)

Lindsay Stoddart grew up in Norwich and was a classroom teacher for 10 years, has written a wonderful novel for middle grade readers. Robinson Hart, age 11 does not have a mother, father or siblings. She lives with her grandfather with whom she is very close in a small town in Vermont. Robinson's secret worries about her grandfather's memory loss is making her act out at school, but when she is put into a small group of 4 other students to "talk about what is troubling them" she realizes that everyone is going through something. This is a lovely story about acceptance and family and I loved it.

Before We Sleep by Jeffrey Lent (VT)

I have long believed that Jeffrey Lent is one of the finest living writers in our country. Sadly, he has not yet gained recognition outside of New England. His newest novel contains all of the fine writing and use of language that his fans have long associated with his novels. The story of a mother and daughter in Vermont and the man who loved them takes us from the post war years of the 1940s to the dawning of the wild ‘60s, I was engrossed in this beautiful tale of family and awakening from beginning to end.

Hourglass: Time, Memory, Marriage by Dani Shapiro (CT)

Dani Shapiro is a writer appreciated for her memoirs and novels. Reading "Hourglass" which is a memoir, I felt as if I were sitting down with a friend for a heartfelt conversation---no holds barred. Shapiro has a way of sharing with the reader stories and details about her life and marriage with such intimacy and truth that I felt a deeper understanding of my own life story.

Sara Johnson has lived happily in the Upper Valley since 2004. She has worn many professional hats but has always been a reader. Books have been good friends, storied teachers, inspirational and just plain fun. Besides "breaking bread" with friends and family, sharing a good book - a good cook book!- is a favorite thing. Sara is an avid gardener, competent and experimental cook, and novice birdwatcher.

Leading Men (A Novel) by Christopher Castellani (MA)

A beautifully visual and ultimately heartbreaking novel about the glamorous era of the post war American playwrights, specifically Tennessee Williams, and their effects and influence. But also woven into the storylines are the ravaging expectations and destructive reversals of fame. Frank Merlo, William’s lover during his most successful run of plays and movies, is dying in a NY hospital, waiting for Tennessee to visit him one last time. Williams hasn’t had a hit since their breakup years earlier. Anja Bloom, once a world renown actress turned recluse, also reminisces about Frank, plagued by memories of ignoring his plea to come to the hospital. Their connection born a life time ago at an outrageous party thrown by Truman Capote in Italy and sealed by an experience that became Suddenly, Last Summer. It’s a sweeping novel that brilliantly blends fact with fiction - a favorite type of story of mine.

Susan Voake, former librarian at the Marion Cross School, lives in Norwich with her husband and springer spaniel. She collects antique dolls, buys and sells Victorian ladies' sentimentalia and ephemera, bakes yummy cookies and enjoys visiting her daughters and their families, treasure hunting, or working in her perennial garden.

Lost Roses: A Novel by Martha Hall Kelly (CT)

If you enjoyed Martha Kelly’s earlier historical novel Lilac Girls, you will certainly want to read this prequel. In alternating chapters replete with compelling cliff hangers, three women tell their stories that intersect in time and sometimes place. Set in the St. Petersburg countryside, post- war Paris, and New York, heiress Eliza Ferriday traces the disappearance of her Russian friend Sofya Streshnayva, whose aristocratic White Russian family attempts to flee from the Bolsheviks with the help of a local fortune teller’s daughter, Varinka. Heroes and villains abound in the aftermath of war as the struggle of desperate immigrants displaced by conflict is lightened only by the deeds of kind people willing to offer what they can.

The Bear and the Nightingale: A Novel (Winternight Trilogy #1) by Katherine Arden (VT)

A Russian folktale? Yes!! The deep Russian winter, the enormous tile stove, Baba Yaga, the evil stepmother, the two daughters, the Tzar, the woodcutter, and perhaps even a firebird or two. They are elaborated here in sensual detail. If you loved these stories as a child, you will gobble this novel as an adult. If you never had the opportunity to read or hear a Russian folktale, this is your chance to indulge in a close to mystical experience.