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HomeNewsArchivesDockside Bookshop's Book Picks for the Season

Dockside Bookshop's Book Picks for the Season

"Wishin' and Hopin'" by Wally Lamb “The Complete Bookshop”

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“The Complete Bookshop”
Mon, Wed., Thurs, Sat. – 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Tues and Fri. – 9 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Sun. – 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.
340-774-4937
E-mail: dockside@islands.vi
Here is where you will find what’s new at St. Thomas’s well known Dockside Bookshop at Havensight Mall. Every week you will find new titles to peruse. Look for updates of our "picks" for fiction and non-fiction.
We will gladly order any books you want. E-mail us at dockside@islands.vi or call 340-774-4937.
BOOK PICKS FOR THE SEASON
“Blue Mountain Trouble” by Martin Mordecai, Arthur A. Levine Books, juvenile fiction hardcover (ages 8-12), pp. 341, $16.99
Way up in the misty island mountains lives eleven-year-old twins Pollyread and Jackson Gilmore. Pollyread is smart as a whip and tart as a lime. Jackson’s sweet as a mango. Both of them know all of the rules of their village – and how to break them.
But then a young thug named Jammy sweeps in to stir up the twins’ world. He even seems to be targeting their family. But are Pollyread’s sass and Jackson’s steadiness enough to take him on – or will Jammy and his secret change the Gilmore family forever?
“Total Eclipse of the Heart” by Zane, Atria Press, fiction hardcover erotica, pp. 320, $25.99
Brooke Alexander, a waitress who has self-esteem issues regarding her lackluster existence and her fluctuating weight, is in love with Patrick Sterling, one of the most prominent attorneys in Washington, D.C. On his good days, Patrick is the man in every woman’s dream. On his bad days, Patrick’s behavior is demeaning and he is angry at the world.
Damon Johnson, who’s been married to Carleigh for four years, is one of "the last good men" — compassionate and honest, he worships the ground his wife walks on. But Carleigh treats Damon like a trophy husband, allowing her friends to salivate over him and disrespect their happy home. Damon has dreams beyond his six-figure corporate job, and Carleigh views his life aspirations as a joke. Her selfish nature makes Damon wonder if he made the right decision when he asked for her hand in marriage.
When a tragic event causes Brooke’s and Damon’s lives to intersect, truths unfold as they begin to reflect on their own relationships. In this provocative tale of love and heartbreak, Zane explores what happens when you cater to your emotional well-being and discover the meaning of unconditional love…or, rather, experience a total eclipse of the heart.
“ More” by Austin Clare, Amistad Press, West Indian fiction hardcover, pp. 300, $25.9
At the news of her son BJ’s involvement in gang crime, Idora Morrison, a maid at the local university, collapses in her basement apartment. For four days and nights, she retreats into a vortex of memory, pain and disappointment that becomes a riveting expose of her life as a Caribbean immigrant living abroad. While she struggled to make ends meet, her deadbeat husband, Bertram, abandoned her for a better life in New York. Left alone to raise her son, Idora has done her best to survive against immense odds. But now that BJ has disappeared into a life of crime, she recoils from his loss and is unable to get out of bed, burdened by feelings of invisibility. As she summons the strength to investigate her son’s troubles–and her own weaknesses–the book quietly builds to its crescendo. Eventually Idora finds her way back into the light with a courage that is both remarkable and unforgettable.
"More" zeroes in with laser-like intensity on the interior life of an extraordinary "ordinary woman," showcasing Clarke’s skill as a writer of inimitable force.
“Hubert Harrison – The Voice of Harlem Radicalism, 1883-1918” by Jeffrey B. Perry, Columbia University Press, West Indian biography hardcover, pp. 600, $37.50
One of our most famous Crucians, Hubert Harrison was an immensely skilled writer, orator, educator, critic and political activist, who, more than any other political leader of his era, combined class consciousness and anti-white-supremacist race consciousness into a coherent political radicalism. Harrison’s ideas profoundly influenced “New Negro” militants, including A. Philip Randolph and Marcus Garvey, and his synthesis of class and race issues is a key unifying link between the two great trends of the Black Liberation Movement: the labor- and civil-rights-based work of Martin Luther King Jr., and the race and nationalist platform associated with Malcolm X.
The foremost black organizer, agitator and theoretician of the Socialist Party of New York, Harrison was also the founder of the “New Negro” movement, the editor of Negro World, and the principal radical influence on the Garvey movement. He was highly praised journalist and critic (reportedly the first regular black book reviewer), a freethinker and early proponent of birth control, a supporter of black writers and artists, a leading public intellectual, and a bibliophile, who helped transform the 135th Street Public Library into an international center for research in black culture. His biography offers profound insights on race, class, religion, immigration, war, democracy and social change in America.
“The Blue Bottle” by Jill Sheeley, Courtney Press, fiction trade paper for teenagers and older, pp. 266, $16.95
A Caribbean Adventure: Smell the fragrant island breezes while savoring this adventure novel that delivers travel, suspense and drama. It’s about finding hope and friendship in unexpected places, including the Virgin Islands. Courtney and Natalie lead separate lives until one fateful day…
“All This Is Love: A Collection of Virgin Islands Poetry, Art and Prose” by Elaine Warren Jacobs, Daisy Holder LaFond, Hilda Lewis Joyce, Jeanne O’Day and Tregenza A. Roach, AuthorHouse, V.I. literature hardcover, pp. 126, $ 25
All This is Love: A Collection of Virgin Islands Poetry, Art & Prose is a poignant reminder of the reservoir of artistic talent constantly percolating in the Virgin Islands.
The contributors, each an accomplished artist in her or his own right, have brought a plethora of personal experiences and insight gleaned from individual journeys. Yet these stories, poetic entries, and artwork often recount, retell, and recapture the essence of Virgin Islands and West Indian narratives.
Thematically and stylistically variant, the works by Elaine Warren Jacobs, Daisy Holder Lafond, Hilda Lewis Joyce, Jeanne O’Day and Tregenza A. Roach carve out their own paths; but in the process encourage the readers to re-imagine ourselves in relationship to our cultures, traditions, histories and each other.
In point of fact, the construction of personal and national identities is not done for ideological exploitation, but rather emerges as the authors maneuver through a series of self-interrogation, reflection, and testimonies. At the center of this work is a clear allegiance and respect for the oral tradition, and an unabashed will to preserve and promote it.
This is a timely collection with its rich cultural-traditional-personal tapestry that is fraught with introspection and interpretation of individual and collective realities contextualized in the vibrant West Indian landscape. But, fortunately for the reader, this is a work that blends a series of literary devices that make the negotiating of this text a welcome endeavor.
All This is Love is aptly entitled, motivated as it were by a sincere love of the art of oral elaboration, of telling; guided by a passionate love of traditions, cultures, and histories and sealed and delivered by an even more abiding love for the Virgin Islands and humanity itself.
“Me and My Beloved Virgin and More Tales for Me and My Beloved Virgin” by Guy H. Benjamin, AuthorHouse, V.I. literature, pp. 174, $26
Have you ever wondered exactly how to get rid of a “jumby”? In case you didn’t know, a “jumby” is a ghost or spirit that may bring all sorts of bad luck if not dealt with properly. The people of the Virgin Islands have detailed ways of getting rid of a “jumby’ once an individual has been afflicted. In Me and My Beloved Virgin and More Tales for Me and My Beloved Virgin, Guy H. Benjamin muses over these and other revelations that he came to understand in the years he spent growing up on the island of St. John, Virgin Islands. With the special flair of an intriguing storyteller, Benjamin introduces the reader to a glorious palette of sensory delights intrinsic to this particular location.
In a style uniquely his own, he expounds on the sunny days spent enjoying the warm tropical climate, the harsh fury of particularly violent hurricane, the taste of the local cuisine, and the social dynamics of his small community, where everyone was familiar and few secrets went undisclosed. Benjamin’s recollections are a must-read for anyone interested in absorbing the delightful flavor of the Caribbean. The vivid assortment of anecdotes that make up Me and My Beloved Virgin and More Tales for Me and My Beloved Virgin are a fascinating examination of the lifestyle, customs, and beliefs of island culture told from the perspective of an engaging and eloquent narrator.
“Caribbean Houses: History, Style and Architecture” by Michael Connors, Rizzoli, West Indian architecture hardcover, pp. 272, $60
“Caribbean Houses" is a lavishly illustrated account of the development of historically significant houses in the West Indies. Author Michael Connors, a West Indian decorative arts scholar and resident of St. Croix, examines venerable houses that remain as a testimony to the rich history and vibrant lifestyle that was, and continues to be, an important part of Caribbean culture. The book is divided into five chapters, one for each European heritage: the Spanish Antilles, the Dutch Leewards, the English Islands, the French Lesser Antilles and the Danish Virgin Islands, including St. Thomas. An authoritative text sheds light on the area’s rich architectural and interior design history and gives the reader a unique view of houses that combine the tradition of European styles with the vernacular island forms and decorative motifs. The lavish new photography captures the stunning exteriors and provides a rare look into the interiors of these historic houses, with exotic tropical hardwoods, indigenous stone, and a blending of local crafts and handiwork with antiques and contemporary furnishings. With the disappearance of so much of the Caribbean’s historic domestic architecture, the colonial residences that still exist represent an important historical record of the Caribbean’s material culture.
“St. Croix Historic Photos 1860-1917/Historiske Fotos” by Elizabeth Rezende and Anne Walbom, Danish West Indian Society, V.I. photography/history, pp. 137, $40
The book tells of text and images on the time from the 1860s when St. Croix was part of the Danish West Indies until the sale of the West Indies in 1917. The images provide a unique insight into a society of great tensions between workers and planters. The book is written in Danish and English and many of the beautiful early photographs have never been published.
The book’s authors are Elizabeth Rezende (anthropologist at St. Croix) and Anne Walbom (president of the Danish West Indian Company).
“Neighborhoods of Christiansted, St. Croix 1910-1960” by Karen Thurland, AuthorHouse, hardcover, $33.50
Former residents of the town of Christiansted on the island of St. Croix, U.S. Virgin Islands reflect on their childhood days growing up in neighborhoods that were nurturing and teeming with traditions and cultural activities. The participants’ stories tell of childhood friends, games, foods, prominent merchants, historical figures, masquerades and colorful characters who lived in Watergut, Free Gut, Gallows Bay and other neighborhoods. The stories are about life in a Caribbean town that had Danish and English influences, and, after 1917, an American influence. The photographs reflect the time period 1910-1960, and in addition, several cultural artifacts are depicted in the stories.
“Pops: A Life of Louis Armstrong” by Terry Teachout, Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, biography hardcover, pp. 475, $30
Louis Armstrong was the greatest jazz musician of the 20th century and a giant of modern American culture. He knocked the Beatles off the top of the charts, wrote the finest of all jazz autobiographies – without a collaborator – and created collages that have been compared to the art of Romare Bearden. The ranks of his admirers included Johnny Cash, Jackson Pollock and Orson Welles. Offstage he was witty, introspective and unexpectedly complex, a beloved colleague with an explosive temper, whose larger-than-life personality was tougher and more sharp-edged than his worshipping fans ever knew. Wall Street Journal arts columnist Terry Teachout has drawn on a cache of important new sources unavailable to previous Armstrong biographers, including hundreds of private recordings of backstage and after-hours conversations that Armstrong made throughout the second half of his life, to craft a sweeping new narrative biography of this towering figure that shares full, accurate versions of such storied events as Armstrong’s decision to break up his big band and his quarrel with President Eisenhower for the first time. Certain to be the definitive word on Armstrong for our generation, "Pops" paints a gripping portrait of the man, his world and his music that will stand alongside Gary Giddins’ "Bing Crosby: A Pocketful of Dreams" and Peter Guralnick’s "Last Train to Memphis: The Rise of Elvis Presley" as a classic biography of a major American musician.
“YOU: Having a Baby” by Michael F. Roizen, M.D. and Mehmet C. Oz, M.C., Free Press, diet and health hardcover, pp. 464, $26.99 Can I get a cavity filled while pregnant? Will avoiding spicy foods make my kid a picky eater? Can I really increase my baby’s IQ while she’s in utero?
Whether you’re pregnant for the first time, are trying to start your family, or already have enough children to start your own basketball team, you’re bound to have questions about what it means to be pregnant and how you can increase your odds of having a healthy and happy pregnancy. But no matter how much you’ve read, watched, studied or talked about this amazing biological journey, you have never read anything like this.
In this groundbreaking book, Dr. Michael Roizen and Dr. Mehmet Oz act as myth busters for the hundreds of questions surrounding pregnancy in the same scientific, informative and entertaining ways that have made them America’s doctors. In these pages, you’ll learn everything you need to know about the miracles of fetal development, your health throughout the pregnancy, and providing the best possible environment for your growing child.
Pregnancy is a complicated balancing act, but it doesn’t have to be frightening. The doctors will help you de-stress as they describe accurately and rationally what happens during a thrilling nine months of life. While every pregnant body is different, odds are you’ll experience some of the cravings, crying and discomfort that almost all women go through. Your best tactic? Learn why these things are happening — and what you should do about them. "YOU: Having a Baby" will teach you everything you need to know about what to eat (should I be eating for two?), how much to exercise, and what guilty pleasures will actually make pregnancy easier on you (and the loved ones who get to be around you for the whole thing). Each phase of pregnancy has different challenges, but the right information will prepare you for what’s ahead. The interactive week-by-week calendar inside provides an even more detailed guideline for how and what you should feel through every step of the process.
Exciting, cutting-edge scientific research in the field of epigenetics has changed the way the medical profession looks at pregnancy, and now it can change your perspective, too. Epigenetics explores what makes us develop in certain ways — why some people thrive at math while others are prone to chronic diseases. It turns out that there are easy things you can do that will not just help your baby’s development in utero but will actually improve his or her chances of living a healthy, fulfilling adult life.
Filled with recipes for nutritious, satisfying snacks and meals even Pop can cook (yes, he can!), safe exercises for staying fit, and tons of YOU tips that will help you stay comfortable, "YOU: Having a Baby" is the ultimate guidebook for what to do from the moment of conception to the weeks after your child has arrived home. From morning sickness and food cravings to choosing a doctor and changing a diaper, "YOU: Having a Baby" will give you the real scoop about what’s in store for you during this amazing time in your life.
“The Golf Book” by Sports Illustrated, Sports Illustrated Books, sports hardcover, pp. 296, $29.95
In a history spanning more than 500 years, a Scottish seaside pastime has become the passionate pursuit of 60 million players and 10 times as many fans worldwide. Along the way, golf has provided heroes, heroines and moments that live forever in the hearts of those who follow the sport. In its 296 stirring pages, “The Golf Book” offers a spectacular tribute to an old game that never runs short of surprises–a celebration of the grand, still-unfolding story of golf.
100 Contemporary Fashion Designers A-Z” by Kristin Kladstrup, Candlewick Press, photography – fashion design, pp. 800, $59.99
This two-volume compilation brings together highlights from Taschen’s renowned "Fashion Now!" books and offers a comprehensive study of fashion design around the world at the beginning of the 21st century. Up-and-coming fashion designers – tomorrow’s superstars – are featured alongside the field’s most respected practitioners.
“Webster’s Third New International Dictionary with CD-ROM” by Mirriam-Webster Inc., Mirriam-Webster Inc., reference dictionary hardcover, $149
Combines print and electronic versions in one great package!
– Unsurpassed quality and reliability
– Over 476,000 entries
– CD for Windows and Macintosh
– Includes free 1-year subscription to Merriam-Webster Unabridged Web site
Unsurpassed quality and reliability are the hallmarks of Webster’s Third New International Dictionary, Unabridged.
“A Treasury of Princess Stories” by Amy Ehrlich, Candlewick Press, children’s fairytales with pop-up scenes, pp. 80, $19.99
This is the quintessential collection of classic princess tales, fondly and faithfully retold and lavished with rich, expressive illustrations. Spirited or sacrificing, spoiled or innocent, the iconic heroines in these cherished tales have long had a hold on children’s imaginations. Amy Ehrlich deftly recaptures these princess stories with warmth and wit, never diluting their central power. And Gary Blythe brings them to life in splendid paintings that glow with true enchantment.
This exquisite collection features six of the world’s best-loved princess stories: The Wild Swans, The Sleeping Beauty in the Wood, The Princess and the Pea, Snow White, The Twelve Dancing Princesses and The Frog Prince.
“Wishin’ and Hopin’: A Christmas Story” by Wally Lamb, Harper, fiction hardcover, pp. 275, $19.99
It’s 1964 and ten-year-old Felix is sure of a few things: the birds and the bees are puzzling, television is magical, and this is one Christmas he’ll never forget. LBJ and Lady Bird are in the White House, "Meet the Beatles" is on everyone’s turntable, and Felix Funicello (distant cousin of the iconic Annette) is doing his best to navigate fifth grade–easier said than done when scary movies still give you nightmares and you bear a striking resemblance to a certain adorable cartoon boy. Back in his beloved fictional town of Three Rivers, Connecticut, with a new cast of endearing characters, Wally Lamb takes his readers straight into the halls of St. Aloysius Gonzaga Parochial School–where Mother Filomina’s word is law and goody-two-shoes Rosalie Twerski is sure to be minding everyone’s business. But grammar and arithmetic move to the back burner this holiday season with the sudden arrivals of substitute teacher Madame Frechette, straight from Quebec, and feisty Russian student Zhenya Kabakova. While Felix learns the meaning of French kissing, cultural misunderstanding, and "tableaux vivants," "Wishin’ and Hopin’" barrels toward one outrageous Christmas. From the Funicello family’s bus-station lunch counter to the elementary school playground (with an uproarious stop at the Pillsbury Bake-Off), "Wishin’ and Hopin’" is a vivid slice of 1960s life, a wise and witty holiday tale that celebrates where we’ve been–and how far we’ve come.
“Julie Andrew’s Collection of Poems, Songs and Lullabies” by Julie Andrews, Emma Walton Hamilton and James McMullan, Little Brown, Children’s collection hardcover, pp. 192, $24.99
Julie Andrews and her daughter, Emma Walton Hamilton, have hand-selected a wonderful mix of their most cherished poems, songs and lullabies in this rich and diverse poetry collection. Brought to life with James McMullan’s stunning watercolor paintings, this volume features nearly 150 treasured works, including beloved classics and modern favorites from Robert Frost, Emily Dickinson, Jack Prelutsky, Shel Silverstein, Rodgers and Hammerstein, and more — 21 of which are theatrically and playfully read aloud by Andrews and Hamilton on the accompanying CD.
Andrews introduces each of the nine themed sections with intimate stories and family memories, offering readers a glimpse into her world and her personal connection to many of the selections. There are even a number of special poems written by the authors themselves as well as contributions from close family members.
This deluxe anthology is bound to inspire an early love of poetry and song and become a classic for families to grow with and treasure throughout the years.
“The Illustrated Atlas of Wildlife” by Bambaradeniya, Channa, Flores, Cinthya, Ginsberg, Joshua, Holing, Dwight, Lumpkin, Susan, Mckay and George, University of California Press, photography – nature, pp. 288, $39.99
Have you ever seen an antelope the size of a cat, or a frog bigger than a lapdog? What kinds of animals thrive in the Sahara? Earth is full of incredible creatures, all specially adapted to survive in even the most inhospitable environments. This vividly illustrated atlas is the essential wildlife reference, providing a spectacular visual survey of animals and their habitats across the globe. Divided into eight geographic areas and organized by continent and habitat type, "The Illustrated Atlas of Wildlife" leads readers from the Great Barrier Reef to the Appalachians and from the ocean floor to the cloud forests, showcasing in scientific detail the bizarre, beautiful and highly specialized wildlife of each location. Learn about the critically endangered mountain gorilla, the reptiles of the Everglades, a desert spider that transforms into a wheel, and hundreds of other endemic and endangered species, as well as the threats and challenges they face.
*Details the ecology and wildlife of the continents, oceans and poles
* Includes the most up-to-date conservation and preservation data
* Features hundreds of beautiful color photographs, illustrations and maps
* Chronicles evolution and adaptation over the ages, as well as current issues
* Explores human impacts upon the world’s complex ecosystems
“Blended Nation: Portraits and Interviews of Mixed-Race America,” by Mike Tauber, Channel Photographs, pp. 136, $34.95
What are you? On the 2000 U.S. Census, for the first time, multiracial individuals were allowed to indicate more than one race. Nearly seven million Americans did so. “Blended Nation: Portraits and Interviews of Mixed-Race America” features individuals from this rapidly growing demographic of mixed- race Americans across the country who identify as more than race. Through words and images, Mike Tauber and Pamela Singh explore the concept of race in America through the prism of the very personal experiences of people of mixed-race heritage. Ann Curry writes in her foreword, “As Dad would say, ‘You are the best of both worlds,’ and so are the people you see on these pages, who cannot but strengthen America’s dream, as they are living proof it comes true.”
How should we define race and who should define it? Genetically we are the same. Society has carved out categories in which to classify people so that it can better understand itself. But what is it like to be ‘racially ambiguous’ and what is race really?
WE HAVE A NEW AND EXPANDED SALE SECTION FILLED WITH EXCITING BOOKS FOR ALL AGES INCLUDING: CHILDREN’S PICTURE BOOKS, EXERCISE, BUSINESS, HISTORY, NONFICTION, LITERATURE, FICTION AND LOTS MORE
“The Complete Bookshop”
Mon, Wed., Thurs, Sat. – 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Tues and Fri. – 9 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Sun. – 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.
340-774-4937
E-mail: dockside@islands.vi
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