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7/03/06
Greetings, Readers!
You may be wondering why, exactly, I am sending this
email out so early. Almost 24 hours early, as a matter of fact. Well,
Readers, there's no time like the present! And besides, we will be closed
tomorrow (the 4th of July, that is), so that all of the hardworking people
that call Book People home can take some time off to be with their families
and celebrate our nation's birthday. And, on that note, Readers, I would
like to take this opportunity to wish all of you a safe and happy 4th of
July, however you may choose to spend it.
Now, we do have a few things for you today. The esteemed
Mr. Bill London has sent in a few book reviews for your perusal, and there
are a few important event reminders. I hope you enjoy our little update!
Alert Reader Aly wrote in to tell us this:
The Palouse Clearwater Environmental Institute will be
hosting their 3rd Annual Women's Bike Clinic this summer. There are two
parts: PART ONE Sunday, July 9 is bike maintenance. How to change tires, oil
and lube your bike, adjust for proper fit, etc... (lunch included!)
PART TWO Saturday, August 19 is mountain bike basics on the mountain for all
levels of . riders. Learn techniques to help you succeed in uphill climbs,
obstacles, descents, etc. (lunch included!) Prizes from local shops as well
as a goodies bag for each participant. Cost: $65 per clinic or $120 for
both. You can register on line at
http://www.pcei.org/ bike_clinic
And Alert Reader Sharon wanted us to let you all know
about this exciting news:
Women Who Write, Unite! Moscow area members of the
International Women's Writing Guild-Sharon Cousins, Candace Esquivel,
Therese Harris, and Joan Opyr-are planning a special day in the great
outdoors for regional women and girls who write (ages 13-17 welcome with
signed agreement and parental permission, younger girls welcome with an
adult companion). Whether you write for professional reasons, personal
satisfaction, or both, this event is for you.
We'll meet at 10 am (8 am for set-up crew) in the
Monument Picnic Area at Laird Park (15 minutes northeast of Potlatch ID) for
a day of fun that includes a bring-your-own bag-lunch picnic, mini-workshops
(including one that will be kids/teens-only, facilitated by a teen writer),
time for socializing or enjoying the park's swimming hole or nature trail,
and an evening potluck & barbecue, followed by a campfire with readings (and
marshmallows!) as time allows (3 min. limit-time your piece!), ending at
9pm, with one hour to load up and pack out before the gate closes. There is
a suggested minimum donation of $5.(barbecue included), but no one will be
kept from registering and attending due to an honest lack of funds.
Posters as well as flyers that include a registration
form and agreement/permission slip for under-18 teens will begin hitting
local bookstores, libraries, and other writers' hangouts on 7/1. If you know
of somewhere that should have flyers and doesn't yet, please let us know!
Help spread the word about this special event! For further information, to
offer your help with the event or promotion, or to let us know about places
we should put posters or flyers, call Sharon at 208-882-9028 or email her
at: writersguildgal@moscow.com (Sharon will be camping parts of the next two
weeks, so responses may be temporarily delayed.)
One last reminder: Julie Monroe will be at Book People
July 22nd between the hours of 10:00am and noon. She will be signing copies
of her book, Images of America - Latah County, which contains over 200
stunning black-and-white pictures of local history! Stop by today and pick
up your copy - they are going fast!
And now, Readers, the promised Book Reviews! A big
Thank-You to Bill London for sending these in!
"Book Review #1
By Bill London
Not Buying It: My Year Without Shopping
By Judith Levine
Judith Levine's latest book is a very intimate look at
her life and finances during the year 2004. She chose that year to throw off
the bonds of consumerism, and buy nothing that was not necessary. Oh, and to
arrange with Simon and Schuster to publish her results.
With her cohabitating partner Paul, she agonizes page
after page, seeking a definition of "necessary" purchases. They end up
including the New York Times, specially-roasted coffee beans, and diabetes
medicine for their cat. For a childless couple of urban professionals
(besides their place in Manhattan, they stay at their country home in
Vermont for half the year), giving up theatre and taxis was viewed as
cutting their links to contemporary culture and setting themselves adrift.
I began the book curious about their choices, and quickly
found their concerns almost comical. They never get very close to the kind
of simplicity that would redefine their lives.
I kept reading because of the various mentors, teachers
and hucksters she finds and includes in the tale. And I kept going because
she is just such a good writer. For example, check out this description from
the book (on page 77) about Moscow's own MaryJane Butters: "A new entry
(among the simplicity lifestyle magazines), MaryJanesFarm, is Martha Stewart
Living with dirt under its nails and a clean criminal record."
The experiment lasts a full year. Judith falls off the
wagon a few times (the first time was the compulsive purchase of $130
pants), but at the end of the year, she figured that she saved $8,000 and
spent lots of time doing fun free stuff with Paul and others. And surviving
with a better idea of the insidious nature of consumerism today."
"Book Review #2
By Bill London
Harvest: a year in the life of an organic farm
By Nicola Smith, with photographs by Geoff Hansen
Harvest is an improbable book. It's thick and heavy,
weighted by the slick paper commonly used in coffee table photo books. About
one-fourth of the 274 pages are full-page photographs, so most of the book
is text. That's an unusual ratio for a slick photo book.
The topic is unlikely as well. The entire book focuses on
a year of operations of the Fat Rooster Farm in South Royalton, Vermont, and
the lives of the family that lives there: Jennifer Megyesi and Kyle Jones,
and their four-year-old son Brad.
Fat Rooster is a small organic farm, surviving by selling
vegetables, eggs, and meat raised carefully and methodically.
This book could have been a sentimental stroll through
the farm's flower-filled meadows, but instead is a realistic, honest, and
surprisingly intimate portrait of a well-educated and well-intentioned
couple who chose this organic path for all the right reasons.
Life at the Fat Rooster is difficult. The stress
associated with not enough money and too much work piles up as the year goes
on. Their winter planning session finally devolves into a discussion of the
d-word - divorce.
Throughout the book, Smith's prose draws the reader
onward. Even more than the photos, the words tell the story of their
difficult lives and difficult choices. This is a fascinating book for anyone
who cares about organic agriculture, or really for anyone who eats."
Thanks, Bill! And thank you all, Readers, for reading!
Have a happy 4th of July!
-Book People of Moscow
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