R.J. Julia Booksellers


Click on any event below for more information or to order an autographed copy...

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

Directions

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

Faith Middleton

The Book Show
WNPR-Connecticut Public Radio
90.5 FM Hartford/New Haven
89.1 FM Norwich/New London
88.5 FM Stamford/Greenwich
91.3 FM Southampton
99.5 FM Storrs

"My book buddies, Roxanne Coady of R.J. Julia Booksellers in Madison, CT, Dr. Rose Quiello, lecturer in English at Albertus Magnus College in New Haven, and enthusiastic reader Sally Gessner join me in the studio every two weeks. Occasionally Lee Jacobis, author and former professor at the University of Connecticut, drops in as well.

We tell you about the books we've enjoyed recently, and listeners are invited to tell us about your favorite books on line. E-mail us at faithwnpr@aol.com. Tell us in a couple of sentences about an all-time favorite book, or a recent great read, and why you love it. Adults and children are welcome! We'll read your letters over the air."

- Faith Middleton

RECENT BOOKS

Show Date: December 7, 2007

Interview with Archer Mayer:

Chat
by Archer Mayer

A new Joe Gunther mystery set in New England (mainly Vermont, but it spills into Connecticut also), this explores the shady world of Internet chat rooms, an unexplained murder, and family crises.

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ROXANNES'S PICKS:

Born Standing Up: A Comic's Life
by Steve Martin

Not quite an autobiography, not quite a memoir, more a guidebook to the life of this talented and multi-faceted artist. Written the same way he performs, this covers Martin's life from his (not so happy) childhood through the many roles (comedian, actor, essayist, playwright, banjo-player, etc.) he has played throughout his life. This is also available as a CD version, which Martin reads.

Cheating at Canasta
by William Trevor

A new collection of short stories: Trevor writes about the ordinariness of everyday life, sad but with enormous hopefulness. You sink into his characters and come out feeling wiser emotionally, with a realization that little moments matter and determined to live life in the present.

Here's a Little Poem: A Very First Book of Poetry
by Jane Yolen, illus by Polly Dunbar

Another great kid's poetry book - kids will love the rhyme and rushed parents will love how little time it takes to read. These are playful, silly and fun - both the poems and the illustrations by Polly Dunbar - and guaranteed to put you in a good mood.

Maynard and Jennica
by Rudolph Delson

This is a love story told consecutively by 26 different people (including the participants), and surprisingly it works! It is playful and fresh; you might not 'learn' anything, but you will have a really good time reading it.

The Diving Bell and the Butterfly
by Jean-Dominique Bauby

The movie of this just opened to rave reviews - and you should really read the book first. It is brilliant and extraordinary. Bauby was an editor who, at 44, was stricken with a rare form of stroke. When he awoke from his coma he found that he was mentally fine, but virtually imprisioned within his body, able only to blink his left eye. By doing so he composed this book - and amazing and emotionally impactful testament to life.

Nigella Express: 130 Recipes for Good Food, Fast
by Nigella Lawson

Lawson is one of my favorites and these are really fast, really good recipes. She doesn't care about fads or rules (no carbs, low carbs, nothing white, etc.) only that the food tastes good. Perfect for every time-starved cook you know.

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ROSE'S PICKS:

Is Paris Burning
by Larry Collins, Dominique LaPierre

Hitler's dictum had been to burn Paris rather than let it fall into the Allied hands. The fact that it was liberated, and not reduced to rubble was something of a miracle. I don't know much about history, and am not a history buff, but not only did I learn a great deal, but this book 'knocked my socks off'.

Smilla's Sense of Snow
by Peter Hoeg

Smilla knows and loves snow and ice but has few friends except for 6-year old Isaiah. When he falls off a roof to his death shortly before the holidays, she puts her knowledge to work to solve the crime. This is an exploration of both the boy's death and of Smilla. One of my favorites.

Charming Billy
by Alice McDermott

Opening at the premature funeral of Billy Lynch, charming, alcoholic, and self-destructive, this is the story of his life, and, more importantly, the reminiscences of his friends and family. McDermott pays close attention to the details and small traces of affection that occur between Billy and his friends. This is a simple book in plot, but gifted writing makes it powerful, intelligent and sensitive.

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LEE'S PICKS:

A Life of John Milton
by A. N. Wilson

December 8th is the 400th anniversary of John Milton's birth. Known to most of us as a noted poet (Paradise Lost), he also is responsible for a surprising number of our religious and political beliefs today: our attitudes towards divorce, book censorship, and republicanism (a elected government without a monarch), all stem from Milton. Sympathetic and brilliant.

Widow's Walk
by Robert B. Parker

This is a classic Spencer book - fun, stylish, and a great read. Altogether a wonderful bonbon!

Back When We Were Grownups
by Anne Tyler

A widow wonders how she became the person she is, instead of the person she thought she should have been. As with all of Tyler's work, you fall into this book, and just keep getting pulled along, coming out with increased emotional insight.

Edmund Wilson: A Biography
by Jeffrey Meyers

We tend to discard writers after their time, and Edmund Wilson, a contemporary of F. Scott Fitzgerald, is one that we need to remember. Wilson was a remarkable writer with an strong sense of excellence and this biography does his life and his work justice.

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FAITH'S PICKS:

The Ropewalk
by Carrie Brown

This is a favorite - wise and dear. It is the story of a summer in the life of Alice (her 10th), a young tomboy, and the author is pitch-perfect in her voice as a child, and showing that children think and feel much more that we imagine. This would be an amazing gift for anyone.

Life is Still Good: Rob Szymaszek
by Bryant Carpenter

Written by the sports editor of the Meriden Record-Journal, this is the story of Maloney High School's beloved football coach and guidance counselor, Rob Szymaszek. Diagnosed with a brain tumor, this is both about football and about his fight with cancer, and you can read excerpts from it at www.myrecordjournal.com

Walking the Gobi: 16,000 Mile-Trek Across a Desert of Hope and Despair
by Helen Thayer

An adventurer (in her 60's), named one of the great explorers of the 20th century by National Geographic, and her husband (in his 70's) set off to walk 1600 miles across the Gobi desert, a sea of sand. They succeeded and gained an understanding of the people who live in the area, but not without danger, suspense, and drama. This is a fascinating journey, beautifully written, and if you dream of adventure, this is definitely the book for you.

A Shattered Peace: Versailles 1919 and the Price We Pay Today
by David A. Andelman

An amazing and enlightening book, this is the story of the Versailles Treaty of 1919, when the victors of WWI arbitrarily carved up the world as they saw fit, with little regard to history, culture, or existing populations. The results are the cause of so many of today's political quagmires.

SHOW ARCHIVES