Bookstore Touring in Connecticut, Part 2 - The Hickory Stick Bookshop

My original plans for today include a train ride from Connecticut to New York to visit Books of Wonder and to stop by Bergen Street Comics for George O'Connor's book release party.  Let's just say 100+ degree heat and humidity and some other issues cropped up causing a change in plans.  As a consolation trip, my sister and aunt agreed to travel around northwest Connecticut searching for independent bookstores with me.  We managed to make it to three shops in one afternoon.


Our first stop was in Washington Depot, CT.  Yep, never heard of it before either and I grew up in Connecticut.  However, if you are coming through the Connecticut/New York area you might want to get to know The Hickory Stick Bookshop.  It is probably my favorite of the three stores that I stopped in today.  And author friends - I understand that they have quite a number of book signings.  I know I will certainly be recommending this off-the-beaten-track hidden jewel to everyone I know.

This place was a great find.  Friendly staff and a well stocked children's section were noticeable from the beginning.  There was even a shelf with autographed books including a whole collection of books by Wendell Minor and several by Lane Smith.
It's A Book signed by Lane Smith
I also found Cleopatra's Moon by Vicky Alvear Shecter already out in the wild.  I was so excited that I had to pick up a copy right then and there.
apologies for the poor lighting


After visiting with the store, my sister and aunt and I headed over to The Pantry for lunch.  This was not your typical New England restaurant or menu.  Aside from a full range of gourmet packaged foods available for sale, there were creative entrees and sandwiches on the menu along with some fabulous desserts.  I tried the Apricot Chicken Almond Salad Wrap which was quite delish.



On our way out, I noticed this great sign for an after school art program right next to the bookstore.


If you are in the area and looking for a somewhat cooler place to spend some time and love books and food, I would suggest placing The Hickory Stick Bookshop on your places to visit list.

Bookstore Touring in Connecticut, Part 1

After following John's (@mrschureads on twitter) Adventures Out West '11 posts about all his great bookstore finds, I thought it would be fun to stop in at several indie bookstores in Connecticut while I was back east visiting my parents.  Now of course I don't have a travel buddy like Donna (@akgal68) who gets just as excited about books.  In my case, I traveled around with a loving but reluctant sister who tried not to cringe every time I pulled out my camera.  

Thanks to the New England Independent Bookseller Association Website I had a place to start.  My first Literary Adventure started with the Dr. Seuss National Memorial Sculptured Garden in Springfield, MA.


Of course, I had to sit in the famous "Oh, the places you'll go" seat.
Let me just say....in nearly 100 degree weather that chair is hot, hot, hot! 

Dr. Seuss with the Cat in the Hat!

On our way back home, we stopped at The Alphabet Garden in Cheshire, CT.

It is a small store with a great selection of books.  I found some of my favorites.
Marty McGuire by Kate Messner
Chicken Butt by Erica Perl
Finally, I could have sat in this great chair and read for a couple of hours but my ride would have left without me. :-)

Finishing up the day, we had to stop at my favorite Italian Ice Shop - Rita's in Southington, CT.


This is a once a year treat and I got my favorite - watermelon and cantaloup (which is hidden below the watermelon).  It is made from real fruit so it is especially yummy!!!


Book Review: Bake Sale

Author/Illustrator: Sara Varon
Publisher: First Second (August 30, 2011)
Audience:  Ages 9 to 12 years old
Source: Advanced Readers Copy for Review
Graphic Novel * Middle Grade * Friendship

Description from GoodReads:

Cupcake’s life is pretty good. He’s got his bakery, and his band, and his best friend, Eggplant. His days are full of cooking, socializing, and playing music. But lately, Cupcake has been struggling in the kitchen. He’s sure the solution to all his problems is out there somewhere. But maybe that solution is hiding closer to home.


Sara Varon returns with an ageless tale as dreamy and evocative as her break-out hit graphic novel Robot Dreams. At once deeply metaphorical and hilariously literal, Bake Sale is a story for anyone who’s ever looked for an easy answer to life’s intractable difficulties. It’s also a cookbook: Varon includes seven delicious recipes, from classic cupcakes to sugared flower petals to marzipan.

Relatable book characters, things that make me laugh, and brownies are all things I like.  When all of these elements are included in the same book, it is a definite win.  Sara Varon's Bake Sale has all of those features and not just one recipe but seven (and I have heard from a reliable source that the dog biscuit recipe makes a lot and are well liked by furry friends).  Cupcake owns a bakeshop, hangs out with his best friend Eggplant, and plays drums in a band.  Life is good, and then Eggplant invites Cupcake on a trip to Turkey to meet his aunt who is friends with Turkish Delight.  Imagine being invited on a vacation where you will be able to meet one of your idols?  The challenge - getting the money to go.

Bake Sale is one of those graphic novels that will appeal to a variety of people.  Varon tackles issues of friendship, choices, consequences and sacrifices.  Cupcake's life struggles are realistic even if depicted in a humorous manner.  Children will enjoy it because of the friendship and how ultimately everything works out for Cupcake and Eggplant.  Adults will likely catch the deeper messages of how going after one desire may put in jeopardy some of the other things that are important in our lives (friendships or even work).  Everyone can enjoy Varon's simple yet distinct drawing style which will hook a reader.  Of course, there are still the recipes and I plan to make the brownie recipe when I book talk this one at my next teacher/librarian/bookseller group meeting.

This was my first Sara Varon graphic novel and when I finished reading Bake Sale, I immediately went to the bookstore to check out Robot Dreams.  I look forward to how I can use both Bake Sale and Robot Dreams with students this year.  

Bio from First Second:
Sara Varon is one of the rising stars in the indy comics scene. Her previous projects include the graphic novel Sweaterweather and the picture book Chicken and Cat, a 2006 Parent's Choice silver honor award winner. Originally from outside Chicago, Sara now resides in Brooklyn, where she likes to ride her bike, see movies, and hang out with dogs.

You can check out her website here: http://saravaron.com/

Book Review: Starcrossed

Author: Josephine Angelini
Published: HarperTeen (May 31, 2011)
Audience: Young Adult
Source: Purchased a copy
Young Adult * Paranormal Romance * Greek Mythology

Description from Goodreads:

How do you defy destiny? 

Helen Hamilton has spent her entire sixteen years trying to hide how different she is—no easy task on an island as small and sheltered as Nantucket. And it's getting harder. Nightmares of a desperate desert journey have Helen waking parched, only to find her sheets damaged by dirt and dust. At school she's haunted by hallucinations of three women weeping tears of blood . . . and when Helen first crosses paths with Lucas Delos, she has no way of knowing they're destined to play the leading roles in a tragedy the Fates insist on repeating throughout history.

As Helen unlocks the secrets of her ancestry, she realizes that some myths are more than just legend. But even demigod powers might not be enough to defy the forces that are both drawing her and Lucas together—and trying to tear them apart.

There has been a lot of hype about Starcrossed. I've seen it explode everywhere, from the book-blogosphere to Goodreads, to dominating shelves in Borders and Barnes & Noble, so to say that I was a little intrigued would be an understatement. I started this book a few days ago just as something to pass the time while I packed, so I could get all the early boring backstory out of the way and dive into the meaty stuff while on vacation.... except the book never made it on the plane. I devoured Starcrossed in less than 24 hours. I was that absorbed by it. It was a very cute paranormal romance, but it also had some great fresh elements that made it stand out from the crowd -- especially the roots in Greek mythology.

One of the coolest things about this story was the Greek mythology. The protagonist, Helen, and her love interest, Lucas, are intertwined -- starcrossed lovers, actually, if you'll allow me the pun -- in a way that involves the old Greek stories. I won't spoil it for you, but I thought it was a very original concept, especially since Josephine Angelini didn't rely on the old vampire/werewolf/fallen angel/faerie standby. You don't have to know anything about Greek mythology to appreciate the story, but if you are familiar with some of the stories then you might catch some subtle references that the general reader might miss. As someone who knows very little about Greek mythology, I loved that every new plot development caught me by surprise and I wasn't able to anticipate where the story was going. (And when I did start to "figure it out," a few chapters later, I realized I was wrong.) My favorite element of young adult literature is usually the budding romance, but this is one of the few paranormal romance novels wherein I actually found myself more drawn to the plot action and world of the story than the boy-girl interaction.

I say this, but I also loved the Lucas-Helen interaction. I liked that their relationship didn't start off as a love at first sight scenario, when two days later they are professing the inability to breathe without each other. The relationship has a rather interesting start and grows at a believable pace, and they have such great chemistry on the page. I was particularly fond of Lucas and his story. Helen was also interesting, especially in how she comes to realize that she is part of the "paranormal" (or "Greek") world. Her hallucinations are genuinely creepy and information is revealed slowly, rather than building up to a "big reveal" chapter.

I just loved how Angelini paced the novel, always keeping you guessing, but never frustrating you... unless it was absolutely necessary. The characters were very interesting, especially in Lucas' family -- I loved Hector probably more than Lucas even -- and there are several exciting things that happen at the end that leave me on the edge of my seat. As someone who reads a lot of teen paranormal romance, I will admit that there were some elements of the romantic plotline that were similar to a couple other novels I've read, which is probably why I preferred the action plot that was totally unpredictable. I wouldn't call this a cliffhanger ending per se, but Starcrossed definitely ends as things are kicking up several notches. Just remembering those last 50 or so pages gets my heart racing. I really enjoyed this and highly recommend, especially to fans of Stephenie Meyer's Twilight series, Maggie Stiefvater's The Wolves of Mercy Falls series, and Shannon Delaney's 13 to Life series. A must-read for fans of paranormal romance, looking for something a cut above most and wildly original.


Josephine Angelini is a Massachusetts native and the youngest of eight siblings. A real-live farmer's daughter, Josie graduated from New York University's Tisch School of the Arts in Theater, with a focus on the classics. She now lives in Los Angeles with her husband. Starcrossed is her first novel. You can follow her on twitter: @josieangelini or on her blog: http://www.josephineangelini.com/blog/

Her official website is: http://www.josephineangelini.com/