Window Reader With Style: you're next!

There is still time and space for you to sign up to read in our window.
It's a treat you owe to yourself! An hour with your book. How can you resist.
You won't believe how unobtrusive you are in the window.

This Week's Bestsellers (Ending 5 December 2009)

1. The Old Farmer's Almanac

2. Natural Areas of Rensselaer County

3. Stillwater by Linda Sanders

4. 1,001 Things They Won't Tell You: An Insider's Guide to Spending, Saving, and Living Wisely By Jonathan Dahl, et al.

5. Eclipse by Stephanie Meyer

The Feast of St. Nicholas, December 6

By Edward Hays, from A Pilgrim's Almanac, Forest of Peace Publishing, 1989 (C), pages 191-192.

The Pay-less Shoe Gift Shop & Hobbit Gifts

Feast of Saint Nicholas, Bishop of Myra in Asia Minor in the fourth century, patron of children, pawnbrokers and sailors. Nicholas, known for his generosity, is also the patron saint of Greece, Russia and Sicily. Today in many European countries this Dutch Sinter Klaus, or Santa Claus, gives gifts of fruit, candy and sweets. Pray today for the heart of a child so as to enjoy this magical and mystical season of Christmastide.

One of the patron saints of this Advent season is good old St. Nicholas whose feast is December 6. Legend tells that he was the holy bishop of a city in Asia Minor. He is the patron of children, sailors, young women who wish to be married and pawn brokers—an interesting collection of persons to have the same guardian. But we might also add one more to the list of clients for the patronage of this kindly and generous saint: holiday shoppers.

By every advertising means at hand, we are encouraged to buy gifts for our loved ones. Christmas is the time when we empty our bank accounts in an attempt to satisfy our desire to find the right gifts for all those we love. Clever minds create commercials telling us that the cost of the gift speaks of the depth of our love. Hassled, hurried and haggled, we crowd our way through stores attempting the impossible feat of balancing our affection with our bank accounts. And each year, as the cost of goods increases, we find it harder to give a gift that truly speaks of our love. Woe to those who struggle through purchaser's purgatory!

But then, in the midst of our depression, comes St. Nicholas with a solution that's nearly a miracle (for which he was well known on land and sea). And it is fitting that the feast of St. Nicholas comes at the beginning of Advent and the beginning of the shopper's season. As the patron saint of shoppers he proclaims, "Keep it simple!" Keep it simple enough to fit in a shoe (as you may recall, in Europe it is St. Nicholas who gives gifts to children, leaving presents in their shoes or stockings). True, a diamond ring or a gold watch could fit inside a shoe, but that's not quite the idea behind this St. Nicholas advice.

One gift that could fit in a wooden or leather shoe, or in a stocking hanging on the fireplace, is a note that speaks of one of our most precious gifts, the gift of time. Such a St. Nicholas note might read: "My gift to you, Mom, is an offer to dry the dishes every night for the next three months." Or, "The gift I give you, dear, is half an hour of quality conversation each night right after the dishes are done." We can appreciate the value of such a gift if we keep in mind that according to a recent sociological survey, the average married couple in America has only thirty minutes a week of communication outside of exchanges that take place at the family table. And that thirty minutes a week even includes arguments! As you can see, the possibilities are almost unlimited for these St. Nicholas shoe gifts. Such love gifts imply that what you hide in the shoes of your loved one is yourself.

Come, St. Nicholas, patron of shoppers and gift-seekers, and make Christmas this year fun, creative and love-filled!

This Week's Bestsellers (Ending 28 November 2009)

1. Birds in Fall by Brad Kessler

2. The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society

3. The Bell Casters of Troy by The Hudson-Mohawk Industrial Gateway

4. The Lacuna by Barbara Kingsolver

5. Under the Dome by Stephen King

When You Reach Me by Rebecca Stead

I just finished this book. And I don't have time to write about it. But you're gonna love this one... hang on for the review!
Stanley

Volunteers wanted! Generosity needed!

We're always looking for the perfect gift. And here it is: yourself!

We do free gift wrapping all year round, but during the holidays we ask for donations. This year we are collecting money for the Regional Food Bank of Northeastern New York. They need money more than canned goods. For every $1.00 given they can purchase $12.00 worth of food! Imagine how little it takes to feed so many?

There are those who are caught in these desperate times. Let your spirit of generosity extend well beyond your reach. Give your time. And give a few dollars. Skip that cup of coffee today and drop the money in the container.

Call or come by the store if you want to help with wrapping. The busiest time for wrapping is 12Noon-4PM, but any time you have will be a help. AND you get to hang out in the bookstore. That's a perk to me!

HOLIDAY HOURS: (we're now open EVERY DAY from now until Christmas)

SUNDAYS: 10AM-2PM
MONDAY-SATURDAY: 10AM-6PM
FRIDAYS in December 10AM-7PM
and YES!
Thanksgiving: 8AM-12Noon.

Don't forget, we're also continuing our 5th Birthday celebration! If you spend $50 we will give you a $5 gift certificate (good only in January & February, 2010)

There Once Lived a Woman Who Tried to Kill Her Neighbor's Baby by Ludmilla Petrushevskaya

There Once Lived a Woman Who Tried to Kill Her Neighbor's Baby: Scary Fairy Tales by Ludmilla Petrushevskaya
2009-09 - Paperback
Penguin Books
9780143114666
$15.00

This is certainly a mouthful, but it is also a delightful collection of scary fairy tales by the a leader of the women's fiction movement in Russia today. This Sunday's New York Times contains a review of this book. Intrigued by the title, I looked around, spotted a couple of copies of the book in our Albany store and brought one home to check it out.

Well, I am hooked. The stories are strange; macabre is a very good descriptive word for them. Once again, the blurbs on the cover say it better than I can, so I quote "Vanishings and appartitions, nightmares and twists of fate, mysterious ailments and supernatural interventions haunt this book of otherworldly power." " Blending the miraculous with the macabre, and leavened by a mischievous gallows humor, these bewitching tales are like nothing being written in Russia - or anywhere else in the world - today." Grab a copy and read it for yourself. It's pure escape and entertainment- albeit a bit disturbing.

Marggie

This Week's Bestsellers (Ending 21 November 2009)

1. Saving Troy by William Patrick

2. Going Rogue by Sarah Palin

3. Constellation Finder by Dorcas Miller

4. Graceling by Kristin Cashore

5. Christmas Poems by Albert Hayes, ed.

Window Sitters Wanted

December is almost here and we are asking our customers and friends to come and hang out with a good book in our window as part of our window dressing. Yes, that's right, we want YOU to be our decorations. The rocker is cozy, you just need to bring a book to curl up with and read. Think of yourself as part of a living Advent calendar!

There are one-hour time slots available.

Bring a book. (Please no electronic devices.) We are wanting to promote reading books (you know, the kind we sell).

Dress warmly (and festively if you like). A small space heater will be provided to offset the winter chill.

We as you to refrain from advertising and promotions. Reading is our promotion.

Children must be accompanied by an adult.

Call if you have any questions. Stop by if you're in the neighborhood to take a slot. You won't believe how restorative it can be. And though you're in the window it's not like being "on display!" Many passersby think you're just a mannequin with a book!

We hope to see you in our window.
--Stanley

The Buy Local Bash: In case you missed it

If you don't read the Troy Record you might have missed the article about the Buy Local Bash in downtown Troy tomorrow, Saturday the 21st of November.

Check out the ARTICLE.

The Healing of America by T. R. Reid.

The Healing of America: A Global Quest for Better, Cheaper, and Fairer Health Care by T. R. Reid,
2009-08 - Hardcover
Penguin Press
9781594202346
$25.95

I just finished this very readable and informative survey of the delivery of health care and its cost in most of the industrial nations of the world by Mr. Reid, former chief of the London and Tokyo bureaus of the Washington Post. He was on a personal mission, to find a "cure" for an injured shoulder that was causing pain and hampering his golf swing. He was also on a mission to find the the best, most cost effective health care delivery system, that could be used as a model for health care reform in America. We've heard all of the rhetoric, information and misinformation. This book carefully sorts it all out, giving the history of reform in other countries, and the different choices that were considered and adopted in Canada, Britain, France, Germany, Japan, Taiwan and Switzerland. All of these countries have decided that everyone has a right to health care, though there are significant differences among them as to how this care is delivered and financed. Do yourself a favor and read this book. You'll have a much better understanding of this complicated issue.

Marggie

Five Years! Thank You, Troy!

We are happy to announce that we are celebrating FIVE years since our store opened its doors on November 18, 2004. To commemorate the day, we'll have a little cake and cider on the day. And from now until December 24 we will be giving away $5 gift certificates* for every $50 dollars you spend.

Come by for a visit. Sorry for the last minute notice on the cake. It's a vegan pumpkin spice cake, dairy-free and oil-free. And delicious! But don't worry. I'm in a baking mood and there will be more cakes this year before Christmas comes!

(Stanley)

* The gift certificates MUST BE REDEEMED during the months of January and February, 2010.

I love to cook!

In case you didn't know that fact, I love cooking. Zen and the art of food preparation are what I love most. There's something calming about chopping, mincing, stirring, sauteing and baking. I just love it. My diet prevents me from indulging too much in my food but it doesn't put a cramp in my "practice." Like meditation, I keep my practice going. And Monday is the day I do it for the whole week. I get my lunches and dinner meals prepared so they are ready to go when I need them.

You see, I don't keep processed food in the house. Okay, there is a pint of lemon sorbet in the freezer, but that's been there for two weeks already. I'm slow to eat that kind of stuff lately. So, everything requires time. Time I am happy to give, but during the week I don't that kind of time.

I found a new web page today that helps me keep track of my cookbooks AND the recipes held therein! It's called Cookbooker. It's a book data base, but for cookbooks. And I have plenty of cookbooks and can never remember where a certain recipe is located. This is for folks like me.

AND!!!

Last week I picked up a copy of I Know How to Cook by Ginette Mathiot
2009-10 - Hardcover
Phaidon Press
9780714857367
$45.00

This is the cookbook of the homes of France. Think "Joy of Cooking" for the French. This is the first time it's published in English. It's a cozier version of the Larousse Gastronomique (which I adore!). At least that's how I see it. There are some fascinating recipes that you NEVER see in American cookbooks. I'm particularly fascinated by the fish recipes. If only I can find the right fish in this area. But this book is as much a reference as it is a tool. I tend to read cookbooks as if they were novels. I love to see how foods are prepared and constructed. It's like getting to a climax of the plot. Cookbooks just make me happy.

Stanley

This Week's Bestsellers (Ending 14 November 2009)

1. Half the Sky by Nicholas Kristof & Sheryl WuDunn
2. Hudson Valley: A Cultural Guide by Benjamin Sweet
3. Diary of a Wimpy Kid #1 by Jeff Kinney
4. The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society by Mary Ann Shaffer & Annie Barrows
5. The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo by Stieg Larsson