Newsletter, Jan 27th, 2023
Recently a fellow bookseller posted the below about Amazon's Smile program and it reflected my thoughts so perfectly, that I'm presenting it verbatim:
"Have you heard the news? Amazon has decided it doesn't want to spend money on its charitable give-back program anymore. But do you know who does give back to local communities? Local businesses. And I'm not just talking about our shop. ALL the small businesses I know are supporters of local projects, local people, and local organizations. It's what we do.
If you are a nonprofit that will be scrambling to replace funds from the Smile program, let's chat! We are happy to host in-store book fairs and “spirit nights” for community organizations, allowing you to earn cash for your important programs. We also offer standing discounts for schools and nonprofits if you need to buy books."
As an example, February is Read-a-thon month at Deephaven Elementary. We are partnering with the Deephaven PTO to provide gift cards and coupons for the readers. In addition, all purchases for the read-a-thon for the first two weeks of February (1-14) will bring money back to the Deephaven PTO to support programs like the Read-a-thon!
Now that's a reason to Smile :)
UPCOMING EVENTS AT THE SPOT
Saturday Jan 28th 10:30a - Intro to Dr. Fun - America's Fun Science is a group that runs STEM workshops around town for elementary-age kids and we are excited to partner with them to offer those workshops at The Thinking Spot later in the year. This session is a free introductory one to meet the people behind the group and experience some of the “fun” experiments firsthand!
Friday Feb 10th 6:30pm - Evening in a Bookstore Bookstore scavenger hunt, beverages, dessert, prizes and more! Come by yourself, bring a partner or a book-loving friend! $30/person includes drinks, desserts, and a “blind-date-with-a-book” selection! Plus, prizes and discounts on purchases made that evening! Join us for a fun evening! Limited to 10 participants. Sign up early to help me plan!
Sunday Feb 26th 2p - Intro to Generative AI - Our first session was very well received. One participant stated - “… it gave me all I needed to know in a short period of time to keep me current on this new trend…” We're offering another session in February, in case you missed the first. Whether you're just hearing about it, know the basics, and are curious about how others are using it or you consider yourself an expert, come join us, let's discuss!
ONGOING EVENTS
Thursday Feb 2nd 4-8pm - Family Board Game Nights are every Thursday 4-8 pm. As usual, registration closes at 3pm on the day of. Walk-ins are welcome till 6pm. You're also welcome to bring your own dinner or dessert. Coffee/Tea/Water are always free! Participation on these game nights has been low. I will continue to offer, however, would love to hear from you. Are you interested? If yes, would you prefer another day/time? Any other change/comment? Please let me know so I can adjust.
BOOK CLUBS
Sunday Jan 29th 2p - Yoga for the mind - Nonfiction club is wrapping up “Forgetting”. Our next pick is “Four Lost Cities” by Annalee Newitz. Named a “Best Book of the Year” by NPR, it is a quest to explore some of the most spectacular ancient cities in human history - and figure out why people abandoned them. Come join our growing group of book lovers for fun discussions and digressions on a Sunday afternoon!
Sunday February 5th 2p - * NEW BOOK CLUB ALERT * This is the first meeting for a fiction book club. If interested, please join us as we pick the first book and pick out regular meeting dates/times. If you are an avid fiction reader, we'd love to have you join and guide us in the selection!
Sunday February 5th 4p - Smart Reads Ages 8-12 meeting for “Once upon a Camel” - a novel by Newbery Honoree Kathi Appelt that follows a creaky old camel out to save two baby kestrel chicks during a massive storm in the Texas desert. March pick is “A Rover's Story” - from another Newbery Honor–winning author, the tale of a small machine with a big heart, Resilience, a Mars rover determined to live up to his name.
Sunday Feb 19th 10am - Business/Tech Book club - * NEW BOOK CLUB ALERT * - This Book club will be run by Arun. The group plans to read “Artificial Intelligence for Dummies” as their first book to level set before they dive into deeper topics around AI. If you were waiting for a business/tech book club, wait no more. Signup/show up to participate and influence the next pick.
OTHER UPDATES
Blind-Date-With-A-Book packages can be purchased online for pickup in-store. They will be ready by Wednesday, Feb 1st. Come check them out, and pick up one for yourself or a loved one!
I still have one ticket left for the Stages Theatre show. Show runs through Feb 12th. Tickets are free (regular $17) with purchase of the “Maybe” book. Just email me to reserve - first come, first serve.
Our MAKE ROOM FOR 2023 sale is ongoing. 30-40% off select books from all categories, including kids' books. New books are added daily, come find your next read and help us make room for all the new releases starting to come in 2023.
SCIENCE NEWS
Star Trek continues to inch closer to reality. Or is it the other way around? Either way, a real working tractor beam!
You know how the not-so-young consider ourselves “young at heart”? Well, now that could literally be true if this anti-aging gene pans out.
NEW RELEASES THIS WEEK
Sprout Branches Out
By Jessika von Innerebner
January 24th 2023; Juvenile Fiction / Science & Nature; Ages 3 to 6
Discover the unbe leaf ably adorable story of a young plant with mulch to learn in this feel-good tale perfect for fans of The Bad Seed and Grumpy Monkey.
Sprout the plant lives on a small porch, in a little town. She’s only been able to grow two leaves and knows exactly why. Home is just not enough for her—she needs to venture out to the wild woods, the wise forest, and the lush jungle to find what she needs to thrive. But once she’s out in the world, Sprout quickly learns that what she really needs may not be what she thought at all . . . Meet a budding new picture-book character with roots in this hilarious and heartfelt adventure about growing up, taking risks, and finding home again.
Jessika von Innerebner is an author, artist, imagination instigator, creative thinker, and adventurous soul. If she were a plant, she would be a Monstera because even though she needs her space to spread out, she also loves being around others. Jessika has an awesome community of fronds and has grown a lot because of them. Though she often leafs in search of adventure, Jessika always returns home to her roots. jessvoni.com
The Moon Tonight
By Jung Chang-hoon
January 24th 2023; Juvenile Nonfiction / Science & Nature / Astronomy; Ages 3 to 7
Follow our moon as it waxes and wanes across the night sky in this informative and stunning nonfiction picture book by an astronomer and award-winning illustrator.
Everyone on Earth can look up and marvel at our moon in the night sky. It is an experience we share across cultures and continents. As our closest celestial neighbor, the moon touches on many aspects of our lives and has inspired interest from people across centuries.
In The Moon Tonight, you can share that same sense of wonder with your child through the eyes of a father-daughter duo as they learn the science behind the twenty-nine-day lunar cycle and the moon’s four phases: crescent, quarter, full, and new.
With age-appropriate and easy-to-follow scientific explanations by astronomer Jung Chang-hoon paired with stunningly beautiful acrylic drawings by an award-winning Bologna Book Fair Illustrator of the Year, Jang Ho, this picture book offers families a reading experience that is both poetic and educational.
A perfect STEM classroom read and bedtime story for little readers curious about where the moon goes and why!
Printed on responsibly sourced FSC-certified paper with vegetable inks.
Selected as illustrator of the Year at the Bologna Book Fair, Jang Ho is one of South Korea's most renowned illustrators of children's picture books. Jung Chang-hoon is an astronomer from South Korea and served as a reporter and chief editor for Science Monthly, Newton Monthly, Science for Kids Monthly, and Stars and Space Monthly.
National Geographic Kids 5-Minute Baby Animal Stories
By National Geographic KIds
January 24th 2023; Juvenile Nonfiction / Animals / Baby Animals; Ages 6 to 8, Grades 1 to 3
Curl up with 12 true tales about some of the most adorable baby animals on the planet, from National Geographic Kids! Each story is the ideal length to be read aloud in five minutes, perfect for bedtime, story time, or anytime. From inspiring tales of baby manatee and baby wombat rescues to irresistible stories of how panda cubs, penguin chicks, and more babies grow up, this nonfiction 5-minute storybook will engage and enchant animal lovers of all ages. Illustrated with colorful photographs, these true stories are the heartwarming tales you can only get from National Geographic Kids. Each one can be read in about five minutes—perfect for any time you need a little boost of cute! If baby animals make you go aww, this collection of stories is the book for you! Author Bio: NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC KIDS inspires young adventurers to explore the world through award-winning magazines, books, website, apps, games, toys, television series, and events, and it is the only kids brand with a world-class scientific organization at its core.
Border Crossings
By Sneed B. Collard
January 24th 2023; Juvenile Nonfiction / Science & Nature / Environmental Science & Ecosystems; Ages 6 to 9, Grades 1 to 4
Follow two endangered ocelots as they attempt to cross the border in this powerful picture book about the environmental impact of the Wall. Explore the beauty and biodiversity of our spectacular border area and see how the Wall impacts plants and animals. As two endangered ocelots attempt to cross the border, they face obstacles that drive home the catastrophic effects of the Wall--and the many benefits of keeping the border barrier-free. Powerful storytelling introduces young readers to the wildlife that thrives along the border and urges budding nature buffs to value and protect our environment. Story Locale:East Texas, Sonoran Desert, United States-Mexico border region
Sneed B. Collard III is the author of more than seventy-five nonfiction books for young readers, including Little Killers: The Ferocious Lives of Puny Predators; One Iguana, Two Iguanas: A Story of Accident, Natural Selection, and Evolution; and Insects: The Most Fun Bug Book Ever. He explores the great outdoors in Missoula, Montana. Howard Gray has always been fascinated with wildlife and has been drawing pictures (often of animals!) for as long as he can remember. He pursued both passions, completing a PhD in zoology, studying dolphins in the Arabian Sea, and becoming a children’s book illustrator. He has illustrated several picture books, including Mega-Predators of the Past and Sing Some More! Howard lives with his family in the picturesque city of Durham, England. www.howardgrayillustrations.com
BOOT: The Creaky Creatures
By Shane Hegarty
January 24th 2023; Juvenile Fiction / Robots; Ages 7 to 9, Grades 2 to 4
This is a thrill-ride of an adventure, with illustrations by Ben Mantle bringing Boot's world to life. Fans of Toy Story and Charlie Changes into a Chicken will love this hilarious, warm-hearted story about a small robot on a big adventure: full of fun, friendship, and a large number of malfunctioning robot pets. 'Fast, funny and furious. These are definitely my favourite robots.' Eoin Colfer Boot was once a toy robot, but it has come a long way since it was scrapped and woke back up with only two-and-a-half glitchy memories. When Boot catches sight of a robot pet it used to know - Mr Piggles - our hero and pals follow it to a beautiful green square in the city of skyscrapers. Here they find not just real nature, but also a haven for broken and rejected pets. They also meet the children who look after the pets, and for whom this green space is a sanctuary too. But Boot is distracted by its emotions, swinging from happy to sad ... maybe Boot is broken? Can it work out what is wrong, with the help of its friends? Illustrated throughout in glorious black and white by the award-winning Ben Mantle, this is an unforgettable tale of resilience and hope. Read more of Boot's adventures - shortlisted for the Sainsbury's Book Award - including Boot: small robot, BIG adventure and The Rusty Rescue.
Shane Hegarty (Author) Shane Hegarty was a journalist and editor of the Irish Times, and before that worked in radio and the music business. Now a full time writer, he is the author of the bestselling middle-grade series, Darkmouth - which is currently being developed into a big screen animation. Darkmouth was nominated for the Waterstones Prize. Boot is his first series for younger readers. He lives near Dublin with his wife and a brutally honest young readers focus group - otherwise known as his four children. Ben Mantle (Illustrator) Ben was born in Leamington Spa in 1980, and developed a very early interest in things artistic, designing programme covers for school productions and even coming first in his local library colouring-in competition. From there he went on to study animation at Surrey Institute of Art & Design, graduating in 2003. He moved to Brighton to work as 'Head of Animation' in a media company, focusing on Character and Background design. Since 2008, Ben has been working as a Children's Book Illustrator from his shared studio in Brighton.
The Pattern Seekers
By Simon Baron-Cohen
January 24th 2023; Psychology / Psychopathology / Autism Spectrum Disorders
*A New York Times Editors’ Choice Pick* An “ambitious work” (Washington Post) tracing the links between autism and ingenuity
Is the ability to invent things unique to humans? In The Pattern Seekers, Cambridge University psychologist Simon Baron-Cohen argues that it is, and proposes that autistic people have played a key role in human progress for seventy to one hundred thousand years, from the first complex tools like the bow and arrow and the first musical instrument to the digital revolution.
He presents the science that the same genes that contribute to autism enable a special kind of pattern seeking that is essential to our species’ inventiveness. However, these abilities come at a cost for autistic people, including social and neurological challenges. Baron-Cohen calls on us to support and celebrate autistic people in both their disabilities and their talents. Ultimately, The Pattern Seekers isn’t just a new theory of human evolution, but a call to reconsider how society treats those who think differently.
Simon Baron-Cohen is professor of psychology and psychiatry and director of the Autism Research Centre at Cambridge University. He is the author of over six hundred scientific articles and four books, including The Science of Evil and The Essential Difference.
The Spike
By Mark Humphries
January 24th 2023; Science / Life Sciences / Neuroscience
The story of a neural impulse and what it reveals about how our brains work We see the last cookie in the box and think, can I take that? We reach a hand out. In the 2.1 seconds that this impulse travels through our brain, billions of neurons communicate with one another, sending blips of voltage through our sensory and motor regions. Neuroscientists call these blips “spikes.” Spikes enable us to do everything: talk, eat, run, see, plan, and decide. In The Spike, Mark Humphries takes readers on the epic journey of a spike through a single, brief reaction. In vivid language, Humphries tells the story of what happens in our brain, what we know about spikes, and what we still have left to understand about them. Drawing on decades of research in neuroscience, Humphries explores how spikes are born, how they are transmitted, and how they lead us to action. He dives into previously unanswered mysteries: Why are most neurons silent? What causes neurons to fire spikes spontaneously, without input from other neurons or the outside world? Why do most spikes fail to reach any destination? Humphries presents a new vision of the brain, one where fundamental computations are carried out by spontaneous spikes that predict what will happen in the world, helping us to perceive, decide, and react quickly enough for our survival. Traversing neuroscience’s expansive terrain, The Spike follows a single electrical response to illuminate how our extraordinary brains work.
Mark Humphries is Chair in Computational Neuroscience at the University of Nottingham. He is the founding editor of The Spike, a Medium online publication. He lives in Sheffield, England. Twitter @markdhumphries
Outsmart Your Brain
By Daniel T. Willingham
January 24th 2023; Self-Help / Personal Growth / Memory Improvement
In this revolutionary, comprehensive, and accessible guide on how the brain learns, discover how to study more efficiently and effectively, shrug away exam stress, and most of all, enjoy learning. When we study, we tend to focus on the tasks we can most easily control—such as highlighting and rereading—but these practices only give the illusion of mastery. As Dan Willingham, professor of psychology and bestselling author, explains, familiarity is not the same as comprehension. Perfect for teachers and students of all ages, Outsmart Your Brain provides real-world practices and the latest research on how to train your brain for better learning. Each chapter provides clear and specific strategies while also explaining why traditional study processes do not work. Grounded in scientifically backed practical advice, this is the ultimate guide to improving grades and better understanding the power of our own brains.Dan Willingham received his PhD from Harvard University in cognitive psychology and is now a professor of psychology at the University of Virginia. He is the author of several books, including Outsmart Your Brain and Raising Kids Who Read. A fellow of the American Psychological Association and the Association for Psychological Science, you can follow him on Twitter @DTWillingham.
How Medicine Works and When It Doesn't
By F. Perry Wilson
January 24th 2023; Medical / Health Care Delivery
Blending personal anecdotes with hard science, an accomplished physician, researcher, and science communicator gives you the tools to avoid medical misinformation and take control of your health: "A brilliant step toward patients and physicians alike reclaiming a sense of confidence in a system that often feels overwhelming and mismanaged" (Gabby Bernstein, #1 New York Times bestselling author of The Universe Has Your Back). We live in an age of medical miracles. Never in the history of humankind has so much talent and energy been harnessed to cure disease. So why does it feel like it’s getting harder to live our healthiest lives? Why does it seem like “experts” can’t agree on anything, and why do our interactions with medical professionals feel less personal, less honest, and less impactful than ever? Through stories from his own practice and historical case studies, Dr. F. Perry Wilson, a physician and researcher from the Yale School of Medicine, explains how and why the doctor-patient relationship has eroded in recent years and illuminates how profit-driven companies—from big Pharma to healthcare corporations—have corrupted what should have been medicine’s golden age. By clarifying the realities of the medical field today, Dr. Wilson gives readers the tools they need to make informed decisions, from evaluating the validity of medical information online to helping caregivers advocate for their loved ones, in the doctor’s office and with the insurance company. Dr. Wilson wants readers to understand medicine and medical science the way he does: as an imperfect and often frustrating field, but still the best option for getting well. To restore trust between patients, doctors, medicine, and science, we need to be honest, we need to know how to spot misinformation, and we need to avoid letting skepticism ferment into cynicism. For it is only by redefining what “good medicine” is—science that is well-researched, rational, safe, effective, and delivered with compassion, empathy, and trust—that the doctor-patient relationship can be truly healed.
F. Perry Wilson, MD grew up in Connecticut before attending Harvard College, where he graduated with Honors in Biochemistry. He then attended medical school at Columbia College of Physicians and Surgeons, before completing his internship, residency, and fellowship at the University of Pennsylvania. In 2012, he received a master’s degree in Clinical Epidemiology, which has informed his research ever since. At Yale, since 2014, his goal has been to use patient-level data and advanced analytics to personalize medicine to each individual patient. To that end, he holds multiple NIH grants and is the Director of Yale’s Clinical and Translational Research Accelerator. Dr. Wilson is internationally recognized for his expertise in the design and interpretation of medical studies, and has appeared on CNN, HLN, NPR, MedPageToday.com, Medscape.com, Vox.com, the Huffington Post and the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, among others. His free online course, entitled “Understanding Medical Research: Your Facebook Friend Is Wrong” is one of the most popular courses on Coursera.org.
Hanging Out
By Sheila Liming
January 24th 2023; Social Science / Sociology / Social Theory
A smart and empowering book about the simple art of hanging out ... and of taking back our social lives from the deadening whirl of contemporary life. Almost every day it seems that our world becomes more fractured, more digital, and more chaotic. Sheila Liming has the answer: we need to hang out more. Starting with the assumption that play is to children as hanging out is to adults, Liming makes a brilliant case for the necessity of unstructured social time as a key element of our cultural vitality. The book asks questions like what is hanging out? why is it important? why do we do it? how do we do it? and examines the various ways we hang out—in groups, online, at parties, at work. Hanging Out: The Radical Power of Killing Time makes an intelligent case for the importance of this most casual of social structures, and shows us how just getting together can be a potent act of resistance all on its own.
Sheila Liming is an associate professor at Champlain College (Burlington, VT), where she teaches classes on literature, media, and writing. She is the author of two books, What a Library Means to a Woman (Minnesota UP, 2020) and Office (Bloomsbury, 2020), and the editor a new edition of Edith Wharton’s The Age of Innocence (W.W. Norton). Her essays have appeared in venues like The Atlantic, McSweeney’s, Lapham’s Quarterly, The Los Angeles Review of Books, Public Books, and The Point.