Anthology Book Company

In our effort to expand your reading and writing experiences, we proudly announce the start of two new activities at Anthology. Beginning Monday, August 23, 2010 an Aspiring Authors group will meet from 2:00 – 4:00 PM at the bookstore, and continue to gather the 2nd and 4th Mondays of each month. We will use half of our meeting time for two writers to read aloud and hear reactions. A portion of each meeting will also be devoted to reviewing the skills necessary to become published authors. Members will teach lessons in their areas of expertise.

This group is open to writers of fiction, nonfiction or poetry for children and adults, however the number is limited to ten writers seeking a critique group. For more information, contact Terri Jones at (970) 776-9149 or teresajones@usa.net

Additionally, staff member Jessica is leading a SciFi/Fantasy book club that will meet the first Tuesday of each month, beginning September 7, 2010 at 6pm. Similar in scope to Anthology Readers’ Circle, book titles will be selected and discussed, with books available for purchase at a 20% discount. The Windup Girl by Paolo Bacigalupi is the first selection. Become a founding member of this exciting new discussion group.

I just finished reading The Quickening, an outstanding debut novel by Michelle Hoover.  This is a lovely and harrowing book that is sure to appeal to fans of Kent Haruf (Plainsong) as well as to those who enjoyed Outlander, (Gil Adamson) and The God of Animals, (Aryn Kyle).  Set in the farmlands of Iowa during the years of the Great Depression, The Quickening is the story of two women whose lives are intertwined through friendship, circumstance, and desperation.  I once heard poetry described as the effort to convey the essence of a thing in as few words as needed.  This serves as an apt description of this novel, whose pacing and prose are elegant, straightforward and elemental.  Yet for all the spareness and simplicity, there is a richness and fertility here. The depth and intimacy with which this story is told can only come from someone whose roots extend deep into this soil.  And indeed, Ms. Hoover seems to draw on her family’s farming history to deliver a beautiful and powerful book.

From the author’s website:

Recently, I had the great pleasure of taking a backpacking trip in Rocky Mountain National Park.  Of course I had to bring some books with me, but I had to keep my pack light because I intended to be on the trail for six days.  Without question I had to bring my Rocky Mountain National Park hiking guide to reference maps and trails.  A good hiking guide is an indispensable book for the outdoor enthusiast such as myself.  From my hiking guide, I learned of some more obscure and remote hikes in the area, perfect for somebody looking for some peaceful nature solitude.  In addition to learning of different hikes in the park, the book was loaded with information about elevation gain, scenery, wildlife, and trail difficulty.  Here at Anthology we have a wonderful selection of hiking guides including hiking guides for Rocky Mountain National Park, the Denver and Boulder area, Colorado 13ers, and a selection of the best hikes for children.

In addition to my hiking guide, I also brought some field guides with me.  Frequently when hiking or climbing I come across a particular tree, plant, or animal that I am not familiar with.  Carrying tree, wildflower, and bird identification books made the trip so much more enjoyable, as well as a learning experience.  Here at the bookstore we also have an excellent selection of field guides.  We have field guides to help you identify trees, mushrooms, birds, animals, wildflowers, rocks and minerals, animal tracks and edible and medicinal plants.  Studying these books will certainly add a new dimension to your outdoor exploration.

I couldn’t only bring field guide type books with me on my trip, I had to have something for leisurely reading.  For this I chose to bring a new book I picked up called God Makes the Rivers to Flow by Eknath Easwaran.  This spellbinding book contains selections from the sacred literature and scriptures of the world, collected into one volume specifically for slow meditative reading.  There was no greater joy in my trip then sitting by a small mountain stream, slowly reading these wonderful poems and prose, contemplating the beauty of nature and the universe.  Whatever your reading interests, Anthology has something for you to enjoy while also enjoying the splendor and majesty of nature.

Thanks for reading and have a beautiful day!

Matt

Old Firehouse Books in Fort Collins celebrates 30 years in business this week, marking its 10th year with current owners Susie Wilmer and Richard Sommerfeld. Having changed both its location and its name, Old Firehouse continues to provide a unique retail service to Fort Collins, as do we here in Loveland.  Independent bookstores become a community in themselves, offering a place to browse, exchange ideas and tap into the local flavor and authors of a region. Local authors look to indie bookstores to help handsell their books, as was the case with many authors who got “their start” thanks, in part, to the promotional efforts of indie bookstores.

When you visit us, remember we are here to assist you in searching for the latest titles from authors of northern Colorado. Our local author section offers a wealth of  books ranging local history  to books for children, self-help titles,  and more.  It’s a section well worth your perusal and we encourage you to support these authors.

Brunonia Barry at Anthology

Anthology Book Company hosted acclaimed author Brunonia Barry June 12th.  Avid readers of Ms. Barry’s first book, The Lace Reader, and those who are new to her works,  gathered to listen, spellbound, as she shared the background and stories of how the “map of her life” led to her success as an author. The Lace Reader quickly became a favorite of book clubs nationwide. The novel is being made into a movie with the screenplay being written now in Hollywood. Who will be cast as Towner?!

Her latest book, The Map  of True Places, is being promoted in a nationwide tour. We follow the struggles and questions Zee has in her life, as she comes to grips with her mother’s suicide, her father’s failing health, her career and her engagement. There are elements of celestial navigation, Yeats and Hawthorne…all colliding in a novel that is very readable.  It was a book that you wish wouldn’t end, as you feel as close to the characters as you did in The Lace Reader. Clearly Ms. Barry has a gift as a storyteller. She shared there are two more books in the works…a third that she wouldn’t reveal and a fourth, where the stories and characters from The Lace Reader and The Map of True Places come together.

We were so fortunate to have her at our bookstore. It was a joy! Anthology has copies of both of her books for purchase.

Author Brunonia Barry (The Lace Reader) shares thoughts on indie bookstores, particularly her hometown store, Spirit of ’76 in Marblehead, MA, in a post at the blog  She Is Too Fond of Books.

“This is the kind of store where the staff learns your tastes and often puts a book or two aside for you,” she wrote. ” They also know when to stretch your reading horizons, suggesting books you’ll love but might never have found on your own.”

Barry also praised the bookstore as a place with a real sense of community, and noted that it was through her connections there that she began utilizing book clubs as early readers of her work.

“I think the synergy between booksellers and book clubs is a strong one…” Barry observed. “The fact that they are also supportive of local writers played a huge part in what was to become a great success and ultimately fulfill my dream of being a full time writer.”

Anthology is very pleased to welcome Ms. Barry as she makes a stop on her nationwide tour promoting her new book The Map of True Places. I had the opportunity to meet Brunonia at the American Booksellers Association Winter Institute in San Jose, CA this past February. Brazenly I asked…”would you come to Anthology?”  She said she would love to stop at our store and the connection was made! A warm, energetic and talented writer, Brunonia Barry is quite attuned to independent book stores and the readers that frequent them.  She would love to meet all of you, so please plan to stop in June 12 at 2 pm for our event. Both copies of her latest book and The Lace Reader are available for purchase and signing.

Cougar bench outside of Anthology

I recently pondered what motivates individuals to support local businesses. There seems to be a number of reasons, ranging from convenience to a deep moral commitment to one’s community.  In today’s society, people are very much accustomed to instantaneous satisfaction and response. What can I get now? and how does it best serve me? We’ve become silos; individuals who are able to find any resource, material good or answer to our deepest questions at the mere browsing of the internet. What effect can this possibly have on human relationships? What effect does this have on our local community and economies? Anthology truly appreciates your business and strives to be place where you can turn for assistance in finding just the right book for your reading pleasure.

We are happy to order books that are available from our distributors or help find out-of-print books.  This level of customer service is what separates us from the chain book stores and “the river”…Amazon. We don’t charge for shipping on books in print, and our service fee for shipping and handling of out-of-print books is $7.50.

This is your hometown.  We appreciate your business and support of Anthology Book Company.