Day 47: Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone by J K Rowling : Illustrated edition

Chatting Books Online Day 47: Today’s recommended book is the illustrated version of J K Rowling’s : Harry Potters and the Sorcerer’s Stone . First let me say I find it almost unbelievable that I have made it all the way to day 47 before recommending this book . Take a ride on a magical train into another world and meet a young misfit named Harry as he explores a new school , meets new friends , and for the first time in his life feels valued and like he belongs. Several years ago J K Rowling’s started introducing these beautifully illustrated versions of her beloved series releasing just one book in the Harry Potter series (years in Hogwarts time) each year . Currently years 1-4 are available in these illustrated versions and we are hoping for year 5 this October. Each of these oversized ( 1.1" H x 10.5" L x 9.1" W (3.34 lbs) 256 pages) hardcover books is illustrated with over 100 full color , imagination spurring images that will help keep even the most reluctant reader turning the pages . These illustrated volumes are $39.99 each.

To purchase this , or any , book just message me. I can send you an online invoice link via email . We can then either mail the book to you or you can pick it up from our front bench during one of our twice daily , no contact , pick up window which are between 9am and 9:30 in the morning and between 4pm and 4:30 in the afternoons Monday - Saturday . Be well .

Day 46: Where the Crawdads Sing by Delia Owens

Chatting Books Online Day 46. Ok, I admit it I am a book snob. I REALLY did not want to like this book . Actually, since it came out in August of 2018 I have cringed every time someone came in to buy a copy or raved over it to their friends . But they did , and in huge numbers . But every time my response was “I’m sorry, I just can’t read a book with ‘crawdads’ in the title “. And that was really all I knew about it . I had no idea of the story line . I did not even know it was a mystery. I love mysteries ! So this weekend, after yet another bookclub chose this book, I decided to see what all the fuss was about and I was completely prepared to feel vindicated that I was correct and anything that used the word “crawdad” would obviously be drivel . Well, I started the book on Saturday afternoon and stayed up past midnight on Monday night to finish it .

So today’s recommended book is Where the Crawdads Sing by Delia Owens . This book is actually a highly readable , page turner of a mystery, with a bit of a tale of friendship , an underdog story, and even a love story thrown in . And the best part ? They only actually used the word “crawdad” three times in the whole book .

To purchase this , or any , book just message me. I can send you an online invoice link via email . We can then either mail the book to you or you can pick it up from our front bench during one of our twice daily , no contact , pick up window which are between 9am and 9:30 in the morning and between 4pm and 4:30 in the afternoons Monday - Saturday . Be well .

Day 45 : Living Among the Dead by C H Lawler

Chatting Books Online Day 45. Today’s recommended book is historical fiction that takes place in Louisiana (actually both Prytania street uptown and right here at the river in St Francisville so doubly familiar placement for me ). I recommend Living Among the Dead by C H Lawler .

And I understand the author Dr Lawler is hosting an online bookclub discussion this Friday evening so the timing is perfect to get started on this one today . Here’s a bit about the book :

In 1925, on Prytania Street in New Orleans, an old man sets about recording his memories of the days when he was a young man working in St. Matthew Parish, Louisiana. Poor health has taken his ability to speak, and there are people in his house whom he doesn't recognize, including "the woman downstairs who is not the hired girl" and "the Spaniard." But his memory of sixty years before is still sharp, and he can still write, and as he does, it becomes clear that this is more than a recollection of happy times. It is the confession of a youth filled with atrocities. Living Among the Dead is a story of betrayal, regret, and the thirst for forgiveness, set in the wake of the Civil War. (C. H. Lawler Stories)

We have copies of this book available in paperback for $19.99.

To purchase this , or any , book just message me. I can send you an online invoice link via email . We can then either mail the book to you or you can pick it up from our front bench during one of our twice daily , no contact , pick up window which are between 9am and 9:30 in the morning and between 4pm and 4:30 in the afternoons Monday - Saturday . Be well .

Day 44 : The Storied Life of A.J.Fikry by Gabrielle Zevin

Chatting Books Online Day 44. I have been wanting to recommend this book from the very beginning but could not decide what to say about it . This book was given to me as a gift by a dear friend the year before we opened the bookstore (her parents were on the trip with us where the idea was born). It was one of my first glimpses into owning a bookstore and one of the reasons I love books set in bookstores . So with so much to say about it I have been unable to say anything at all which is why I have chosen to instead give you the info from the back cover .
Without further ado (for someone who claims to have nothing to say I have been typing for awhile). Today’s recommended book is :
The Storied Life of A J Fikry by Gabrielle Zevin.
A faded sign hangs above the porch of the Victorian cottage that is home to Island Books. It bears the adage

"NO MAN IS AN ISLAND; EVERY BOOK IS A WORLD."

A. J. Fikry, the bookstore’s irascible owner, is about to discover what that means.

“The Storied Life of A. J. Fikry reminds us of what saves us all from a life of loneliness and isolation: our sense of empathy; our ability to love and be loved; our willingness to care and be cared for.” ―Garth Stein, author of The Art of Racing in the Rain

“A breezy, big-hearted treat, especially if you’ve ever wondered about the inner workings of America’s national treasures―neighborhood bookstores.” ―Jami Attenberg, author of The Middlesteins

“This novel has humor, romance, a touch of suspense, but most of all love―love of books and bookish people and, really, all of humanity in its imperfect glory.” ―Eowyn Ivey, author of The Snow Child

We have copies of this book available in paperback for $15.95.

To purchase this , or any , book just message me. I can send you an online invoice link via email . We can then either mail the book to you or you can pick it up from our front bench during one of our twice daily , no contact , pick up window which are between 9am and 9:30 in the morning and between 4pm and 4:30 in the afternoons Monday - Saturday . Be well .

Day 43: Introducing the Sunday Week in Review!

Chatting Books Online Day 43. Introducing a new feature for Chatting Books Online , starting today Sundays will be “The Week in Review “.
This week I told you about a variety of books including a powerful new memoir by Ruthie Lindsey in “There I Am” , a delightful regional retelling of a favorite children’s story in “Petite Rouge”. I told you about books of paper airplanes to keep little hands and minds occupied, and a book that turns into a bouquet of flowers to delight friends and family by mail . We discussed the musical and turbulent “Bel Canto” by Ann Patchett , and we capped off the week with vampires invading a Charleston book club in “The Southern Book Club’s Guide to Slaying Vampires”.
In case you missed these posts you can read more about any or all of these books by visiting http://www.conundrumbooks.com/chatting-books-online
where each recommendation is posted (sometimes it takes me a day or two to catch up ). Just scroll backward to see all 42 recommendations made so far .

To purchase these , or any , book just message me. I can send you an online invoice link via email . We can then either mail the book to you or you can pick it up from our front bench during one of our twice daily , no contact , pick up window which are between 9am and 9:30 in the morning and between 4pm and 4:30 in the afternoons Monday - Saturday . Be well .

Day 42: The Southern Book Club's Guide to Slaying Vampires

Chatting Books Online Day 42 . Ok, not since the mid-eighties have I considered myself a fan of vampire novels but when you hear today’s recommendation and then remember that I just recommended Fevre Dream on Day 32 I just might think I am . Today’s recommended book is Grady Hendrix brand new novel The Southern Book Club’s Guide to Slaying Vampires .

Before starting this book I have to admit I have been having trouble getting into any book since this crisis began but ya’ll I could not put this one down . Yes, it is brain candy; but it is about a book club, and southern women in the 1990s, and VAMPIRES! So yeah , thoroughly enjoyed it and I guess I am a fan of vampire novels once again .
This hardcover novel sells for $22.99.

To purchase this , or any , book just message me. I can send you an online invoice link via email . We can then either mail the book to you or you can pick it up from our front bench during one of our twice daily , no contact , pick up window which are between 9am and 9:30 in the morning and between 4pm and 4:30 in the afternoons Monday - Saturday . Be well .

Day 41: Paper Airplanes !

Chatting Books Online Day 41 . Today’s recommendation is for books that keep little minds and hands busy ! We have 2 books on making paper airplanes . The first: Go Fun Paper Airplanes, is recommended for kids ages 5-8 and has origami type paper pages in bright colors printed with airplane templates for your little one to assemble. It comes with step-by-step folding instructions and stickers to embellish the finished products ! Go Fun Paper Airplanes sells for $10.99 a copy .

The second book: Paper Airplane Book for Kids, is recommended for kids 8-12 . This book also has step-by-step instructions . It starts with easier designs and progresses to the advanced . As an added bonus it also covers the science of the basic principles of flight and aerodynamics so that curious minds can learn why some planes fly better than others . This book sells for $13.99 a copy .

To purchase this , or any , book just message me. I can send you an online invoice link via email . We can then either mail the book to you or you can pick it up from our front bench during one of our twice daily , no contact , pick up window which are between 9am and 9:30 in the morning and between 4pm and 4:30 in the afternoons Monday - Saturday . Be well .

Day 40: Bouquet Books

Chatting Books Online Day 40. Today’s recommended book is a nice way to send happiness through the mail . The “Happy Day” and “Succulents” Bouquet Books are nice little hardcover books . When you send one they open the book and find full color card stock pages inside with the first page including a little card that says “To” and “From” attached to the page with a grommet. Swing the card up on it’s grommet and it seems to stand above the page as if on a florist pick . Then each page features a different flower or succulent . In the Happy Day flower book each page tells you the name of that flower and some interesting information like what it means then someone sends you that flower , and where that meaning came from . The succulent book identifies the succulent and gives you interesting info on it . Each flower / plant is also on a grommet and swings up . When you have turned each flower or plant on its grommet you can “arrange “ the flowers and remove the dust jacket from the book revealing a vase on the cover . They can then stand this sturdy little book on their table or mantle and have a lovely arrangement sent with love . Each book sells for $16.99.

To purchase this , or any , book just message me. I can send you an online invoice link via email . We can then either mail the book to you or you can pick it up from our front bench during one of our twice daily , no contact , pick up window which are between 9am and 9:30 in the morning and between 4pm and 4:30 in the afternoons Monday - Saturday . Be well .