TAB at the Book Store: YA Books, Authors, Fun!

Recently at the store, insightful and passionate new voices have emerged from a group of local teen bibliophiles who meet here once a month.

Fueled by our Advance Reader Copies (ARCs) of pre-publication titles, our TAB (Teen Advisory Board) members not only talk about their responses to YA books, they also write recommendations like the many you see by our booksellers. We’re proud of this exceptional group! Often the meetings are simply a chance to talk about books they are reading. We sometimes feel like flies on the wall, as they banter back and forth about everything from what kind of book cover art they DON'T like, why they don't want romance all the time, to when a character's voice sounds authentic. There is always a lot of enthusiasm at the end when they get to pick out newly available titles. 

 
Their reviews are well-written and insightful.  We share them with authors, and often get wonderful notes back. We put the reviews on the book shelves in the YA section, and will soon be using them in our quarterly print newsletter.

Sometimes visiting authors get together with our TAB! We recently hosted Seattle author Jennifer Longo for the debut of her latest, Up to this Pointe. And, above, our teens got to have an amazing talk with Nashville's Jeff Zentner about his upcoming book The Serpent King.

We learn a lot from our TAB members, and they are shaping the way we buy and market books for our YA readers!

Are you a teen interested in joining? Call us, or drop by the store for an application!

And thanks to TAB member Finn T. for the great pictures!

Every Sunday, we sit down and look at our weekly sales and see what makes our bestseller list. It's really fun to see what changes from week to week! Since we report our sales to both the New York Times and the American Booksellers Association (which compiles the Indie bestsellers lists from independent bookstores), our sales have an impact on what people are reading across the country!

Sometimes there is a runaway bestseller, often based on word of mouth or (most often) the words of an EHBC bookseller. This week that book is Boys in the Boat by Daniel James Brown, which tells the fascinating story of the University of Washington rowing team that stunned the world with a victory at the 1936 Berlin Olympics.

Other bestsellers are driven by author events here and elsewhere on Bainbridge Island. Island author Barbara Berger's beautiful children's picture books take up a good part of our bestsellers list this week because of the wonderful show of her art at the newly opened Bainbridge Island Museum of Art (if you haven't been, you must go!).

The visit to Eagle Harbor Books by Seattle Times science writer Sandi Doughton put her book on earthquakes in the Pacific Northwest, Full Rip 9.0, high on our charts. Her conversation with Bainbridge writer Bruce Barcott made for a extremely interesting afternoon.

Finally, summer reading is big business in our bookstore and this year the lists of suggested reads for Hyla Middle School have sold well, and not just to Hyla families! Come see our table with their suggestions -- there are some great reads for middle schoolers.

So what books are making the bestsellers list in your home this summer? Are you looking for easy summer escapes? Do you like to read the newest and hottest titles? Or are you burrowing into nonfiction books in preparation for a summer adventure? We'd love to hear!

Kids in the garden

There is something special about kids and gardens. The sight of a youngster digging in the dirt, planting seeds or starts, eagerly waiting for that magic to happen. The pure joy when seeds sprout or vegetables begin to form. The epiphany that occurs when they actually get to taste something they've nourished -- sometimes something that they never would have tasted had it simply been set on their plate at the table.

We are excited that Seattle author Katherine Pryor will be visiting us Sunday, June 9, at 3pm, to talk about her picture book starring an initially reluctant young gardener, Sylvia's Spinach. And in the spirit of her book, we are inviting young gardeners and their families to send us pictures of their own gardens, the more unique and crazy, the better! Have you ever planted herbs in a boot, or spinach in a wagon? Let's see your favorite garden pictures, and we'll post them on our website during the month of June!

Color Wheel of Books!

We have a table back toward our children’s department that has been a carousel of colors lately! The first week the books were all bright yellow and we had lots of compliments on the interesting, cheerful display. No themes, just color. But lots of interesting books are yellow.

Ellyn, who does many of our displays, decided to go with the karma. Since then, our wheel of color table has been blue, orange, and purple. This week, in light of the dreary weather forecast, it is all grey.

But still, the books are all lovely and intriguing! You want to linger. And as you watch the table, you are amazed at all the intriguing covers in so many shades.

We’ll probably end up with a rainbow table toward the end. But until then, what color would you like to see? Bet you can’t stump us!

-Victoria

New Title Tuesday: March 13th

Happy Tuesday! As soon as I saw the cover of Let's Have A Tree Party! by David Martin I knew that I had to get a copy in my hands. John Manders illustrations are similar to those in some of my favorite books, such as You Will Be My Friend! by Peter Brown and I Want My Hat Back by Jon Klassen. I am also very excited to read Gail Carson Levine's Forgive Me, I Meant to Do It: False Apology Poems. Booklist finds that, "Levine includes [William Carlos] Williams' poem and encourages readers to write their own false-apology verses, in your own cruel ways. But, she warns, You have to be mean and grouchy." I am sure any fan of snark, wit and silly poems will enjoy this book!

Arcadia by Lauren Groff

City of Bohane by Kevin Barry

How to Eat a Cupcake by Meg Donohue

Let's Have A Tree Party! by David Martin

An American Spy by Olen Steinhauer

Forgive Me, I Meant to Do It: False Apology Poems by Gail Carson Levine

The Dog Who Danced by Susan Wilson

I AM A BOOKSELLER

 Local author and bookseller Ann Combs has written a lovely job description for her position at our bookstore. She is incredibly witty and charming and one of my favorite people to work with, especially on Sunday nights. If you are looking for a fabulous book recommendation from Ann, check out her favorite books on our website or come into the store and say hello! 

Congrats Susan Wiggs!

Bainbridge Island author Susan Wiggs has made it back onto The New York Times Best Sellers list with the mass market paperback reissue of her 2005 novel, Table for Five.

As described on www.susanwiggs.com, "Table for Five is the story of two people, Lily Robinson and Sean McGuire, who have nothing in common. Lily guards her independent lifestyle with a ferocity that hides a fear of love and the pain it can bring. Sean has always been a rolling stone, making his own way. But with the sudden death of a couple close to them both, the two become joined in grief and a knowledge that they must step up and care for the orphaned children of their friends. With little more than hope and dedication, these five embark on a cross-country road trip filled with the ups and downs, the joys and frustrations that make up a family. Along the way, Lily and Sean and these troubled children will discover that even when you’ve lost everything, love still remains."

Susan Wiggs is a fantastic customer and friend of Eagle Harbor Books. We carry many of her books and if you would like to order a signed copy, please visit our website or contact the store directly here.