http://www.appledorebooks.com Appledore Books: The New England Bookshelf http://www.appledorebooks.com/images/cover1sm.jpg http://www.appledorebooks.com 144 100 The New England Bookshelf http://appledorebooks.com/newsletter/10June/insider.htm Sat, 19 Jun 2010 10:17:47 MST Lori Jareo, senior editor at Turning Point Books in Cincinnati, read Appalachian Odyssey; Walking the Trail from Georgia to Maine and recommended it to her book club.

Julia Older, co-author with Steve Sherman, was the 19th woman to hike the famous 2000-mile Appalachian Trail through 14 states in a single outing. Older is also the author of Tahirih Unveiled, a novel-in-verse about Persia's first women's rights activist. Kevin Walzer of Turning Point Books published the book.

Jareo saw material about Appalachian Odyssey and read the memoir. "I went to college in Appalalchia, but I never made it to The Trail," she said. "I suggested the book to my club because I felt it was a good story."

Some of her book club members are "outdoorsy," Jareo said, but none had been on the Appalachian Trail, although they had friends and relatives who had walked some of it.

One club reader said "the book made her tired just reading it!" Others didn't want to hike the famous trail because many sections seemed dangerous.

"The biggest thing we discussed was water, "Jareo said of the importance of finding it on The Trail. (Sherman and Older write about their dependence on clean water and how attuned they became in often hearing a spring or stream before they saw it.

Added Jareo. "Everyone admired the feat and the writing!"
]]> http://appledorebooks.com/newsletter/10June/insider.htm Sat, 19 Jun 2010 10:20:53 MST Two Verso Digital surveys of book-buying behavior find that avid readers (those who spend at least five or more hours a week reading) comprise 28% of the U.S. population, with avid readers buying 10 or more books a year.

Among 50- to 60-year-olds, 65% said they would not buy an e-reader, a higher figure since an earlier Verso survey. This age group buys 75% of the books in the U.S.
]]> http://appledorebooks.com/newsletter/10May/insider.htm Sat, 19 Jun 2010 10:26:27 MST Matt Kanner of the The Wire weekly pointed out the central fact of what Julia Older and Steve Sherman faced for their 2,000-mile hike of the Appalachian Trail—they had to take 5,000,000 steps on their backpack trip through the 14 states.

Kanner's detailed interview April 21 featured their memoir Appalachian Odyssey; Walking the Trail from Georgia to Maine, selected by the Authors Guild for its 2009 back-in-print series.

A third edition of the popular book, Kanner wrote, "came out last year, garnering the Honorable Mention in the category of Outdoor Classic from the 2009 National Outdoor Book Awards—an award that has been bestowed on such treasured works as Aldo Leopold's Sand County Almanac and a reprint of Henry David Thoreau's Walden."

During their five months of backpacking the ridgelines of the Appalachian Mountain Range, Kanner writes, "the pair became well acquainted with the merciless forces of nature."

They faced 18-degree cold in Georgia, 95-degree heat in New Hampshire, floods in rhododendron thickets in Virginia, trail-enshrouding fog in Tennessee, a sleepy rattlesnake in South Carolina, foxes and vultures, ornery raccoons, nerve-wracking whippoorwills.

Copies of Appalachian Odyssey, signed on request, are available directly from www.AppledoreBooks.com.

]]> http://appledorebooks.com/newsletter/10May/insider.htm Sat, 19 Jun 2010 10:13:16 MST Rich Chasse, congenial owner of Kennebunk Book Port in Kennebunk, Maine, closed his beloved bookshop May 15, 2010. Two years ago he moved his store from Dock Square in the heart of Kennebunkport. Here in the original historic location, the store occupied the second floor and deck of the building constructed the year the Declaration of Independence was signed. Scenes for the movie "Empire Falls" with Paul Newman were filmed here. U.S. Presidents shopped here. But, most notably, here was where customers returned again and again to one of the coziest, archetypical, all-around literary stores anywhere. Rich treated his customers well. He gave them good times and conversation. At book signings, he'd introduce us to everyone who came in. "Have you read this? Have you read that?" Or, "Sure. I can special order it and have it for you tomorrow!" Rich was friend and supporter of writers galore. He'd sell our books before, during and after every one of our signing events. Rich Chasse could sell a book on T.S. Eliot to any cat on the block. We are part of the multitude who will miss him and his Kennebunk Book Port. http://appledorebooks.com/newsletter/10May/insider.htm Sat, 19 Jun 2010 10:15:25 MST Retail sales in bookstores this past March rose 1.6 percent compared with March 2009, according to preliminary figures by the U.S. Bureau of the Census that tracks these commercial figures. The March 2010 sales were estimated at $1,013 million. http://appledorebooks.com/newsletter/10April/insider.htm Sat, 10 Apr 2010 16:49:41 MDT the good stuff. Not surprisingly, Steve Sherman's Maple Sugar Murders, a comic New England village cozy, moves off the shelf faster during each spring season.

The story features cantankerous, boom-voice Amos Reed, who knows how to boil off choice Grade A amber luscious maple syrup. Going price: about $36.00 a gallon. But Amos Reed in Maple Sugar Murders has to deal with sap stealers, land grabbers and sweet-toothed killers. Amos Reed needs help. He needs Hugh Quint, and he resents it. He tells Hugh: "They fired you off the Boston Police, didn't they? Too educated, I guess. Yeah, Harvard. Reading this, reading that. Words, words. GREEKS. Philosopher detective, huh? Philosopher drop-out, sounds to me. You know how to wash a dish?"

"You finished, Amos?"

Rita Dinsmore stopped stuffing wood into the fiery evaporator and smiled. If Tylerton ever had a tough-skinned, environmental activist woman, she was it. Old jeans, scuffed boots, muddy gloves, blue plaid shirt, torn pocket, hair cut like a lawn.

Click Maple Sugar Murders to read more about what made The New York Times say: "An attractive job with a surprise ending." ]]> http://appledorebooks.com/newsletter/10April/insider.htm Sat, 10 Apr 2010 16:49:41 MDT Toadstool Bookshops in southwestern New Hampshire surveyed their customers and found that the majority of them still like the traditional book and to browse in bookstores. So reported the American Booksellers Association (ABA) in its newsletter "Bookselling This Week" March 25.

Based on more than 400 online responses, ten percent of Toadstool customers own e-reader devices. Another 15 percent are considering the purchase of e-readers. E-readers mentioned were the Amazon Kindle, the Apple iPad and the Barnes & Noble Nook.

The Williams found that most customers at the Toadstool Bookshop branches in Peterborough, Keene and Milford did not know that e-books are available through the Toadstool IndieCommerce site. At the same time, these customers would "prefer" to buy e-books through their local bookstore. ]]> http://appledorebooks.com/newsletter/10April/insider.htm Sat, 10 Apr 2010 16:49:41 MDT American Booksellers Association (ABA). The estimates are based on sales from all types of bookstores, which are defined as any retail establishment with sales of more than 50-percent new books and periodicals. ]]>