The Book Shop of Beverly Farms

Greetings!
Have we ever greeted the Spring and Summer seasons with more joy and anticipation than we do this year? The idea of heading off to the beach or into the woods with a fascinating new book has never seemed more inviting. So...it's time to sweep out the fireplace and dust off the porch chairs. Spring is always a major publishing season and this year is no exception. Our gardening shelf is particularly inspiring. You're sure to find fresh ideas in The Complete Planting Design Course by Thomas and Wooster. Another appealing volume for green-thumb enthusiasts is Organic Kitchen Garden by Juliet Roberts. It's full of sound advice for novice and experienced gardeners alike.

If sports are more "your thing," come in and check out Freddie and Me: Life Lessons from Freddie Bennett, Augusta National's Legendary Caddy Master. Also of interest to sports fans is Bill Reynolds' new book '78: The Boston Red Sox, a Historic Game, and a Divided City. If sailing floats your boat, you might dip into With Reckless Abandon: Memoirs of a Boat-Obsessed Life, by Capt. Jim Sharp. Before you head out to sea, though, be sure to pick up one of our 2009 Tide Charts! (Our customers tell us these are extremely helpful when planning dog walks, too!)

Missing John Updike
We were heartbroken when we learned of the passing of our dear friend and long-time "local" author John Updike. Mr. Updike brightened up our store with his visits for nearly a quarter of a century. We keep thinking he's going to walk through our door to celebrate and sign his latest book, conduct research for a New Yorker assignment, or just relax for a while in the back office. His generosity, humor, and incomparable intelligence made him a welcome presence in our lives. He gave so much to our store and to the world of literature. If he's looking down from Heaven, he'll see that we're keeping our Updike shelves well stocked in his honor. May he rest in peace.

John Updike continued writing until the end of his life. Endpoint and other Poems, has just been published and two more titles are due soon: My Father's Tears (June 2) and The Maples (August 4).

The Whole Five Feet

This is a smart, big-hearted book about rediscovering the great classics. It was written by a young man who set out to read all of the titles assembled 100 years ago in a series called the Harvard Classics. Christopher Beha was recovering from a devastating illness when he turned to the shelf of books in his grandmother's home for reassurance. "Christopher Beha has written a unique memoir: intimate, confiding, deeply moving, and yet wonderfully informative and "intellectual" in the very best sense of the word," writes Joyce Carol Oates.

In House of Cards, William D. Cohan presents an intriguing account of greed gone wild. This highly readable and convincing account of a financial empire unraveling in just 10 days is stunning in its detail and unsparing in its honesty. Names are named, frantic deals are exposed, and its quick pace make it a real page turner.

The importance of 'thinking about thinking' as Jonah Lehrer puts it in this delightful book, is an engaging look at the way the mind works. In a clear and convincing study, using neuroscience as the basis, he shows us how to 'avoid making stupid mistakes' in our life choices. Men in particular will relate to his clever quarterback, airline pilot and war analogies. A great gift for an analytical man who is interested in learning how the mind and real life intersect.

After missing a historical society meeting, Mary Larcom Dow was nominated by her peers to write her memories about Beverly Farms for future generations. Old Days at Beverly Farms is Dow’s account of “the Farms” as it used to be: farms with “beautiful fields, stretching from the woods to the sea, where cows and oxen grazed…”