Roxanne's Favorites

Dear Reader,

I have an idealistic belief in the magic of books. We now live in a world where work goes on ceaselessly; we are barraged with messages and face the constant expectation that everything needs to be done in the next five minutes.

Sometimes when I am feeling sorry for myself about the onslaught of things to be done, I sit down to read a book, and as I start to read I realize that my whole rhythm has changed: my breathing slows; I relax; I am immersed. I hope my selections here can help you find the books that will enable you to experience this wonderful sense of release and escape from your busy lives.


Roxanne Coady – Owner

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Listed below are Roxanne's most recent suggestions. Click on "Roxanne's Picks" to see all of her previous selections.

Super Sad True Love Story
$ 26.00
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Super Sad True Love Story

By Gary Shteyngart

Our Shelf Talker

Gary Shteyngart is brilliant and so clever. I wondered if I was too old to be reading this, but realized I'm young enough to recognize his genius.
- Roxanne
Great House
$ 24.95
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Great House

By Nicole Krauss

Our Shelf Talker

Nicole's new book is glorious - she is one of the most exquisite fiction writers today.

This book will be released October 10th
Barrelhouse Words: A Blues Dialect Dictionary
$ 26.95
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Barrelhouse Words: A Blues Dialect Dictionary

By Stephen Calt

Our Shelf Talker

Blues might be my favorite music - so you can imagine my joy when I discovered "Barrelhouse Words." Not just a dictionary of commonly-used terms, this is a wonderful way to learn about an important part of American cultural history.

- Roxanne
1001 Children's Books You Must Read Before You Grow Up
$ 36.95
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1001 Children's Books You Must Read Before You Grow Up

By Julia Eccleshare

From Publishers Weekly
This British import, a survey of influential children's books (part of the 1001 series and edited by the Guardian's children's books editor), offers a comprehensive and diverse compendium of more than a century's worth of essential reads. The compact and encyclopedia-thick format is divided into five age ranges. A review of each book is accompanied by original publication information (readers will have to research current availability, especially as some titles differ in the U.S. market) and themes, with cover and interior art interspersed throughout. Favorites like Bridge to Terabithia will satisfy traditionalists, while crossover books like Italo Calvino's The Baron in the Trees and international selections (for example, Swedish author Pernilla Stalfelt's The Death Book) will broaden the canon. An asset for all those who've caught—or never lost—the bug.
The World is Your Oyster
$ 16.95
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The World is Your Oyster

By Tamara James

What do you do when your world is raining cats and dogs, you’re up to your neck in alligators, and all you want to do is bury your head in the sand? When children read this empowering book of animal idioms illustrated in gorgeous, vibrant watercolors, they learn new ways to express themselves. This playful book teaches the complexities of language — and that's straight from the horse’s mouth!
William Trevor: The Collected Stories
$ 30.00
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William Trevor: The Collected Stories

By William Trevor

Our Shelf Talker

William Trevor is the king, the prince, the genius of fiction for me. Stunningly, heartbreakingly real with the classic Trevor style that always leaves me breathless.
- Roxanne
The Salterton Trilogy
$ 25.00
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The Salterton Trilogy

By Robertson Davies

Our Shelf Talker

Robertson Davies is one of my favorite writers of all time - I’ve read everything he’s written. This trilogy centers around an amateur theatre troupe in Canada -just wonderful.
- Roxanne
Letters of E.B. White
$ 19.95
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Letters of E.B. White

By E.B. White

Our Shelf Talker

E.B. White loves the same two places I love - Maine and New York City. White is funny, self-deprecating, and observant. You can hardly do better than this book.
- Roxanne
One Writer's Beginnings
$ 15.00
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One Writer's Beginnings

By Eudora Welty

Our Shelf Talker

I could read Welty talking about paint drying, never mind talking about the story of how she became a writer. She has the most exquisite Southern quality, a lovely simpleness. I just love the way she thinks.
- Roxanne
How They See Us: Meditations on America
$ 14.00
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How They See Us: Meditations on America

By James Atlas

Our Shelf Talker

Americans can often have a myopic view of themselves and their place in the world; "How They See Us" really opens our eyes, for good and for bad. Extremely well done.
- Roxanne
Pearl of China
$ 24.00
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Pearl of China

By Anchee Min

Our Shelf Talker

As good as anything Anchee Min has written, "Pearl of China" tells the fictionalized story of Pearl Buck. You'll really feel transported to China, and you'll be enthralled by the story of a friendship between two exceptional women.
- Roxanne
The Girl Who Fell From the Sky
$ 22.95
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The Girl Who Fell From the Sky

By Heidi W. Durrow

Our Shelf Talker

I was mesmerized! Like Cisneros’s "The House on Mango Street," Durrow’s novel took me by the hand and heart, guiding me into the veiled life of a remarkable girl.

- Roxanne
What About Bear?
$ 16.95
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What About Bear?

By Suzanne Bloom

Our Shelf Talker

You know I stress all the time the importance of reading to young children and this is just a great picture book with its fun illustrations. Perfect to read aloud.
- Roxanne
Making Toast
$ 21.99
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Making Toast

By Roger Rosenblatt

Our Shelf Talker

Roger is a funny writer and a wonderful guy. This is the story about his daughter, a wife, mother and pediatrician who died unexpectedly from an asymptomatic heart problem. Roger and his wife leave their home to move in with their son-in-law and help care for their two young grandchildren.
The “making toast” of the title refers to what Roger could do best as they all struggled. He teaches us how they moved through tragedy and how renewal came through the relationship between grandparent and grandchild.
- Roxanne
In Fed We Trust: Ben Bernanke's War on the Great Panic
$ 26.99
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In Fed We Trust: Ben Bernanke's War on the Great Panic

By David Wessel

Our Shelf Talker

This is one of the best books out there for people who are curious about the recent financial melt-down. Wessel addresses the incompetence and the hubris, that was not immediately apparent to the rest of us. Frustrating but important reading.
- Roxanne

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Best of Connecticut 2008