R.J. Julia Booksellers


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Fri, 5/16 4 PM		Jerry Spinelli - Kids Smiles to Go

Wed, 5/21 7 PM		Carl Hiaasen - Golf The Downhill Lie

Tue, 5/27 7 PM		Robert H. Patton Patriot Pirates

STORE INFORMATION

RJ Julia Booksellers
768 Boston Post Road
Madison, CT 06443
203.245.3959
800.74.READS
books@rjjulia.com

Mon-Sat: 9am – 9pm
Sun 10am – 6pm

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RJ CAFÉ

Serving Lunch, Dinner, Homemade Pastries, Coffee and Tea
Mon-Sat: 9am - 9pm
Sun: 10am - 6pm

Managed by La Rosticceria, Carry Out Caterers

The RJ Café is proud to display unique art exhibits from the ALVA Gallery in New London, CT

NEWS FROM RJ JULIA

FEATURES

Faith Middleton Show

Our History

R.J. JULIA AWARDS


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THE FAITH MIDDLETON SHOW ON WNPR

Show Date: June 10, 2005

ROXANNE'S PICKS:

Swallows of Kabul
by Yasmina Khadra

Now out in paperback, this is one of the most extraordinary books that I've read in the last 10 years. The story is about 2 couples living under the Taliban in Afghanistan. It really helps you understand what it's like to live in a country where you have no ability to protect yourself and your family. It is very compelling and also makes you think how you would act in a similar situation.

My Life So Far
by Jane Fonda

She's had a fascinating life growing up with a mother who committed suicide, a famous father, famous brother and 3 husbands. She wrote this book herself – no ghost writer - and she did a great job. Fonda is a fiercely intelligent woman and her message underneath all of this is that we each remain active and we do so by educating ourselves thoroughly on the issues.

A Kick in the Head
by Paul Janeczko

An everyday guide to all types of poetic forms like a haiku or a couplet. It gives the definition of each poetic form and then a poem that was written in that specific form. This book also has wonderful illustrations. It's great for kids and adults.

The Good Wife
by Stuart O'Nan

A couple in a lower middle class income forces the husband into illegal activity. The husband winds up in jail and the wife stays married to him. There are no big moments in the story, but it's written so well that it kept me totally engaged.

Art of Possibility
by Rosamund Stone Zander and Benjamin Zander

Written by a married couple – a musician and a psychiatrist - they alternate writing chapters. It's not a how-to book, but it provides you with the tools for your transformation. A great gift to give to a graduate.

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FAITH'S PICKS:

Orange Blossom Special
by Betsy Carter

This is the perfect book to read on vacation. It's the story of a mother and a daughter. The mother loses her husband so the two of them are left on their own with very little money. The mother knows she has to do something to salvage their lives, so she goes to the library everyday and starts studying maps. They decide to move to Gainesville, Florida and the book shows them trying to enter a new community. It is the most endearing story.

Good Morning Sleepyhead
by Laura Vescovi

A small, tender children's book to read, not at night, but in the morning. Written by a local author, each page is about the promise of a new day and the many things and people you encounter each day.

A World of Ideas
by Lee Jacobus

This is actually a college textbook written by Lee. I read this while traveling through France, it was so fantastic because here is a book filled with so many classics that you've always wanted to learn more about. It's a selection of great people throughout history and their work – their story, speeches, etc.. Lee introduces each person in a fascinating way, pointing out various things to watch for while reading their material.

50 Signs of Mental Illness
by Dr. James Whitney Hicks

Hicks theory is based on the affect popular culture (such as TV shows and movies lik Monk, Sopranos, As Good as it Gets) have gottten us to talk about mental illness and are more open and interested about it now. It's no longer considered a shameful secret. Hicks also gives great insight on the signs of noticing a significant mental illness compared to just being in a funk.

Fairway to Heaven
by Roberta Iseleib

Isleib is a local author who has written a series of golf murder mysteries. Her latest one follows a girl named Cassie, a struggling golfer, who goes to her friend's wedding at Pinehurs. Lots happens and you can tell Roberta has a lot of fun writing about the golf community.

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ROSE'S PICKS:

War is a Force that Gives Us Meaning
by Chris Hedges

A war veteran himself, Hodges argues two things about war: that it's addictive and that it gives us purpose and meaning. He thinks there is a time for war, but we have to look at the enemy with compassion and humility.

The Elegant Universe
by Brian Greene

Written by a lead physicist, he takes a very fascinating, complex idea – string theory - and breaks it down in a way that anyone can understand it. A great combination of the use of words and the use of science.

The Path Between the Seas
by David McCullough

An epic journey about the Panama Canal written by the fabulous David McCullough. It is very well documented and makes for a very compelling story.

The Success Principles
by Paul Canfield

Written by the author of "Chicken Soup for the Soul" series. Canfield discusses how to get what you want by devoting energy to visualization – imagining where you want to be, what matters to you. He gives examples of instances where it works, one being an Olympic athlete winning the gold medal and imaging the whole experience. This book is a different way to think about how to achieve your goals.

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LEE'S PICKS:

Saturday
by Ian McEwan

This book starts off with a neurosurgeon heading to play squash, gets caught up in a peace demonstration, and he winds up in a bad situation with a bunch of thugs. He avoids a run-in with them by noticing one of the men has a neurological disorder. Among the very impressive things in this book, you learn about the details of brain surgery. It makes you realize how most books are filled with fascinating information that you would otherwise not know about.

Body of Diminishing Motion
by Joan Seliger Sidney

Sidney is a woman who has suffered from MS over the last 40 years. She's a teacher of creative writing and the daughter of a holocaust survivor. The first half of the book is all her poetry and the second half of the book is a memoir of living with her disorder. It is a wonderful insight on courage, honesty and friendship.

The Bell Jar
by Sylvia Plath

I finally just read this for the first time. Originally published under a pseudonym, this is the story of Plath's own personal experience in dealing with depression. She spent a month writing at Mademoiselle magazine. After an unsuccessful time at the magazine, she then finds out she is not accepted into a writing seminar at Harvard University. This sends her in a tailspin and her psychiatrist recommends electroshock therapy.

My Antonia
by Willa Cather

I had not read this book before. My Antonia is very touching, sentimental and written exceptionally well. Written in the 1920's and set in the 1890's, Antonia was a bohemian from Czechoslovakia whose family tried their hand at farming. The story is about her life, her hard work on the farm, her raising 11 children and a long-standing friendship with a married man. It's filled with great images and wonderful little episodes.

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