A HAPPY WITCH ... and 99 more things.

Here's a seasonal kid's book that you will still get a kick out of even after the season is over: How to Draw a Happy Witch and 99 Things that Go BUMP in the Night.

 
I have had no trouble selling the heck out of it, because it's a treasure and priced at only $9.95(minus any discount you may have with the book store*!) Joy Sikorski and now Nick Sunday have partnered to bring this gem to us just in time for All Hallows Eve. But don't expect anything really scary: I mean, the book is for kids age Five and Up (!) and for adults like me who have never grown up and are fond of a cat named Little Man. :D 

Here are a few of the drawing tutorials just to wet your appetite:

I love me some foxes! (so cute)

 Just a few lines and you have a porcupine ...

C'mon now, who can resist kittens drinking milk?

One other piece of good news is that we also have another book by Joy Sikorski on our shelves in the Kids Book Department. Check it out when you come visit us next.

Happy Halloween!

Jan

*If you haven't already, please sign up our Readers Club card (our free discount program.)

Food, Glorious Food!

Hey everyone, check out our new foodbook display!*


Is there any book more tempting than a foodbook? I've decided to rename this genre, because its contents have spilled over like a particularly frothy puree onto the shelves of memoir, fiction and nonfiction. In our store, the cookbook section now includes the ever-growing "food essay" section; home to such recent hits as Gabrielle Hamilton's Blood, Bones & Butter, Suzan Colon's Cherries in Winter, and David Lebovitz's The Sweet Life in Paris. The only unlikely thing about the current surge of popular foodbooks is that it took so long to arrive.
Maybe there was always some deeper insight itching to escape the rigorousness of recipes, the strict how-tos of browning meat or folding in egg whites. I like to imagine the sheer weight of food-borne emotion busting the seams of cookbooks, spawning blogs and research and novels.
We haven't neglected the genre that started it all, and our food-crazed staff have recommended some new classics that you may just start to gnaw on as you stand in line:


Fried Chicken and Champagne by Lisa Dupar
"Congratulations Lisa Dupar! Fried Chicken and Champagne is the winner of the 2011 IACP Julia Child Award. Share the goodness of Pomegranate Bistro with your friends and family."
-Anna







Vegan Soul Kitchen by Bryant Terry
"Proving that healthy doesn't have to equal boring, Terry brings an eclectic "remix" to traditional Southern recipes that is creative and flavorful. Strongly recommended for vegans and non-vegans alike who are looking for some variety."
-Mechio





We also have some citrus-centric novels:

The Particular Sadness of Lemon Cake by Aimee Bender
"Aimee Bender writes a sensitive and insightful character in Rose Edelstein: a young girl whose coming of age is framed, for better or worse, by her ability to taste emotions in the food she eats."
-Anna












Five Quarters of the Orange by Joanne Harris
"Harris dissects village life so well; here in a more somber tone than in "Chocolat." The result is an intriguing, complex interplay of past and present, youth and age, memory and truth. And, of course, food plays a major role."
-Mary









And as we all know, the best gifts are edible, so here's some inspiration for your next project:

Delicious Gifts by Jess McCloskey
"How better to enter into the gift giving season than with this treasure of a book by Jess McCloskey. There is no better way into someone's heart."
-Jan








I'm going to go home and cook something now. Happy Fall!
--Seija

*This awesome sign was made by Jaime.

The Cats of Ulthar, by H. P. Lovecraft

Extra Credit: Cory Doctorow

In case you missed it, you should know that we're giving away 2 copies of Cory Doctorow's new book which is available on our Espresso Book Machine!

For those of you who want to double their luck, we have an extra credit question for you to answer. If you get the answer right, we'll enter you in the drawing twice! Leave your comment here or on the first post and make sure to include your email address for us to contact you. Contest ends at 10am PST on Wednesday 8/17.

Extra Credit Question:

In a pdf version of one of his books, Cory dedicates a chapter to our bookstore and, specifically, our stellar Sci-Fi/Fantasy Buyer, Duane Wilkins.

Cory says: "This scene is dedicated to the University Bookstore at the University of Washington, whose science fiction section rivals many specialty stores, thanks to the sharp-eyed, dedicated science fiction buyer, Duane Wilkins...."

In which book does he give this dedication?

A Dog's Tale, by Mark Twain, Part Four

A Dog's Tale, by Mark Twain, Part Three

A Dog's Tale, by Mark Twain Part Two

A Dog's Tale, by Mark Twain