Was growing up a bad idea? Like any other middle-schooler, Wimpy Kid Greg Heffley wished that he could speed up the process of getting older. What he didn't anticipate was all the changes and responsibilities that came with it. And why didn't anyone warn him about the possible pratfalls of boy-girl parties? Jeff Kinney's new Diary of a Wimpy Kid saga will touch the soul of every self-conscious youngster, which is to say every youngster.

When Santa Signs Books, the Elves Will Sing at B & B Booksellers!
Music with Margaret Miles and a visit by Santa Claus to sign your favorite Christmas book. Buy a new book at 25% off or bring an old favorite. Refreshments and libations to warm your spirit.

Leaving the Bellweathers by Kristin Clark Venuti

Not being active bloggers, we realized that most of the posts were the 'bestsellers of the week'. I think that once a month might work better for me...
I loved this book. I bought my copy the day we had Kristin in for the booksigning and really wished that I had had it read before she got here so I could tell her how fab it is. (well, I'm sure she knows...) Anyway, highly recommended for your 8-12 year old.
BTW! We still have 2 autographed copies left on the shelf...hurry in before they're both gone!

Leaving the Bellweathers - A 2010 E.B. White Read Aloud Award Honor book, by Kristin Clark Venuti

The young Bellweathers — fourteen-year-old Spider, thirteen-year-old Ninda, and the nine-year-old triplets, Brick, Spike, and Sassy — and their equally peculiar parents have brought constant chaos to the once-peaceful village of Eel-Smack-by-the-Bay. Still, no one has suffered more than their loyal butler, Benway, who has finally had enough. He is secretly writing his tell-all memoirs, packing his bags, and planning his move to a tropical location, Far, Far Away.

But when the siblings discover Benway is preparing to leave their lighthouse home, they band together to prove how much he’s needed, as only Bellweathers can. . . .

Full of comic capers and close calls, an art heist, albino alligators, and good intentions gone wrong, Kristin Clark Venuti’s hilarious debut novel introduces a new family that is absolutely unforgettable.

Adrienne Dealey has spent the past six years working for hotels in exotic resort towns. This summer she has decided to make Nantucket home. Left flat broke by her ex-boyfriend, she’s desperate to earn some fast money. When the desirable Thatcher Smith, owner of Nantucket's hottest restaurant, is the only one to offer her a job, she wonders if she can get by with no restaurant experience. Thatcher gives Adrienne a crash course in the business...and they share an instant attraction.
But there’s a mystery about their situation: what is it about Fiona, the Blue Bistro's chef, that captures Thatcher's attention again and again? And why does such a successful restaurant seem to be in its final season before closing its doors for good? Despite her uncertainty, Adrienne must decide whether to open her heart for the first time, or move on, as she always does.

Leaving the Bellweathers - A 2010 E.B. White Read Aloud Award Honor book, by Kristin Clark Venuti

The young Bellweathers — fourteen-year-old Spider, thirteen-year-old Ninda, and the nine-year-old triplets, Brick, Spike, and Sassy — and their equally peculiar parents have brought constant chaos to the once-peaceful village of Eel-Smack-by-the-Bay. Still, no one has suffered more than their loyal butler, Benway, who has finally had enough. He is secretly writing his tell-all memoirs, packing his bags, and planning his move to a tropical location, Far, Far Away.

But when the siblings discover Benway is preparing to leave their lighthouse home, they band together to prove how much he’s needed, as only Bellweathers can. . . .

Full of comic capers and close calls, an art heist, albino alligators, and good intentions gone wrong, Kristin Clark Venuti’s hilarious debut novel introduces a new family that is absolutely unforgettable.

Back on top again for the second and third time!

Book review by Betty:
A great read! This thriller/mystery has a great plot, with enough twists and turns to keep you guessing, yet doesn't seem contrived. Add strong characters and a good sub-plot and you'll know why I couldn't put it down!

WE DON'T WANT TO TELL YOU TOO MUCH ABOUT THIS BOOK.

It is a truly special story and we don't want to spoil it.

Nevertheless, you need to know something, so we will just say this:

It is extremely funny, but the African beach scene is horrific.

The story starts there, but the book doesn't.

And it's what happens afterward that is most important.

Once you have read it, you'll want to tell everyone about it. When you do, please don't tell them what happens either. The magic is in how it unfolds.

The Lake Almanor Basin of Plumas County, California has historically a long association with the pursuit of recreational activities. By the early 1860s, it became a popular camping spot for vacationers from the Sacramento Valley who were escaping that valley’s hot summers. In 1867, Dr. Willard Pratt constructed a hotel to accommodate the tourists, the first for the basin. Shortly thereafter, Pratt had a town site surveyed and appropriately named Prattville . On October 13, 18 68 the Big Meadows Post Office was established there with Dr. Pratt serving as its first postmaster. On March 2, 18 74 , the Post Office name was changed to Prattville .
In 1869, Luther Wellington “Wells” Bunnell arrived on the scene, and he too, also developed a summer resort to the west of Pratts. Bunnell, like many of the other residents of Big Meadows, also prospered equally as well with a dairy operation.

In 1882, Julius M. Howells, a civil engineer for Agassiz & Shaw was hired to study the geological features of the Feather River country. After two years of employment Howells left for the mid-West and then to Santa Fe , New Mexico where he learned about hydraulic gravity fill dams. In the 1890s, Howells returned to California , where he became involved with the development of electric power projects. In 1901, he returned to Plumas County to gather statistics and refresh his memory of the hydroelectric potential of Big Meadows and the Feather River . Shortly thereafter Howells was introduced to Edwin Earl, of Los Angeles , who had done very well financially in the citrus packing industry and was branching out into other endeavors.
It was determined that time was of the essence to acquire the rights to Big Meadows and its water resources before some one else would realize its potential too, and it nearly happened. Edwin Earl contacted his brother, Guy C. Earl, an Oakland an attorney and the wheels were set into motion. In the spring of 1902, acquisition of Big Meadow ranches and water rights began by the Earls. Yet, construction would take over a decade, one to form a corporation-the Great Western Power Company-and bond issues to finance the venture. In 1914, the first dam at Big Meadows was completed, flooding 14,000 aces and thus creating Lake Almanor . The lake was named for Guy Earl's three daughters: Alice, Martha and Elinore. The dam was enlarged in 1926 and more than doubled the size of the lake.

Then, of course, the nearby Red River Lumber Company at Westwood certainly left its imprint in the Lake Almanor Basin, with logging operations and camps in the Basin. As a matter of fact, one its camps at Lake Almanor was the set for the 1924 silent movie Big Timber!, starring William Desmond and based on the novel "The Heart of the Night Wind" by Vingie E. Roe.

Tales of a Female Nomad is the story of Rita Golden Gelman, an ordinary woman who is living an extraordinary existence. At the age of forty-eight, on the verge of a divorce, Rita left an elegant life in L.A. to follow her dream of connecting with people in cultures all over the world. In 1986 she sold her possessions and became a nomad, living in a Zapotec village in Mexico, sleeping with sea lions on the Galapagos Islands, and residing everywhere from thatched huts to regal palaces. She has observed orangutans in the rain forest of Borneo, visited trance healers and dens of black magic, and cooked with women on fires all over the world. Rita’s example encourages us all to dust off our dreams and rediscover the joy, the exuberance, and the hidden spirit that so many of us bury when we become adults.

Mikael Blomkvist, crusading publisher of the magazine Millennium, has decided to run a story that will expose an extensive sex trafficking operation. On the eve of its publication, the two reporters responsible for the article are murdered, and the fingerprints found on the murder weapon belong to his friend, the troubled genius hacker Lisbeth Salander. Blomkvist, convinced of Salander’s innocence, plunges into an investigation. Meanwhile, Salander herself is drawn into a murderous game of cat and mouse, which forces her to face her dark past.

An international publishing sensation, Stieg Larsson’s Girl with the Dragon Tattoo combines murder mystery, family saga, love story, and financial intrigue into one satisfyingly complex and entertainingly atmospheric novel.

Harriet Vanger, scion of one of Sweden’s wealthiest families, disappeared over forty years ago. All these years later, her aged uncle continues to seek the truth. He hires Mikael Blomkvist, a crusading journalist recently trapped by a libel conviction, to investigate. He is aided by the pierced and tattooed punk prodigy Lisbeth Salander. Together they tap into a vein of unfathomable iniquity and astonishing corruption.

Unconditional love is the most powerful stimulant of the immune system. The truth is: love heals. Miracles happen to exceptional patients every day--patients who have the courage to love, those who have the courage to work with their doctors to participate in and influence their own recovery.

"Run, don't walk, to the nearest bookstore and get this amazing book that explains how you can 'think' yourself sick or well...Every family should have a copy. It can be a lifesaver."
--Ann Landers

In this heartfelt book, author Juliene Allman hopes to touch the hearts of parents and remind them to slow down, make each moment last and truly share their child’s journey in life. Meet Juliene Allman Saturday, May 29, 2010, 3:30—6 p.

Not long after Rhoda Janzen turned forty, her world turned upside down. It was bad enough that her husband of fifteen years left her for Bob, a guy he met on Gay.com, but that same week a car accident left her injured. Needing a place to rest and pick up the pieces of her life, Rhoda packed her bags, crossed the country, and returned to her quirky Mennonite family's home, where she was welcomed back with open arms and offbeat advice. (Rhoda's good-natured mother suggested she get over her heartbreak by dating her first cousin—he owned a tractor, see.)

Written with wry humor and huge personality—and tackling faith, love, family, and aging—Mennonite in a Little Black Dress is an immensely moving memoir of healing, certain to touch anyone who has ever had to look homeward in order to move ahead.