| The February 2012 Staff Picks can also be viewed or printed as a PDF Staff Picks February 2012 (2.5MB) |
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 Quiet by Susan CainA wonderfully important book which may help the human race survive and thrive. Clear and readable, combining emerging science and sociological perspective as well as deep empathy and intelligence, Cain has done a superb job of making us think. Readers will recognize behaviors at both ends of the introvert/extrovert personality spectrum and everything in between and feel empowered to find their own comfort level for living. ~ Karen Frank |
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NEW PAPERBACK
 The Sinner's Grand Tour: A Journey Through the Historical Underbelly of Europe by Tony PerrottetThe subtitle explains it - indulge your inner libertine and read this book! ~ Sarah Teunissen |
 Pacific Crucible by Ian W. TollThe tumultuous year following the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor is chronicled in this meticulously researched book. Although America was caught totally unawares on December 7, 1941, its fleet of carriers was at sea. It would prove to be a decisive factor in the Battle of the Coral Sea and at Midway the following year. Mr. Toll recounts the conflict from both the American and Japanese perspectives and presents a harrowing and hellish picture of warfare at sea. ~ Alden Graves |
 The End: The Defiance And Destruction Of Hitler's Germany, 1944-1945 by Ian KershawWhy in the name of common sense and simple humanity did Germany fight on long after the war was hopelessly lost ? An absolutely brilliant study of fanatical and delusional Nazis, a cowed military, and of course a weary, fearful, citizenry just hoping it would all end. Kershaw's finest work since his unexcelled biography of Hitler. ~ Bill Lewis |
NEW PAPERBACK
 Poison: An Illustrated History by Joel LevyPoisons surround us and any substance can be lethal with the correct dosage. In this lovely book you will meet poisoners, their preferred methods and their victims. "Poison File" pages highlight specific poisons with symptoms, overviews and antidotes, if any. A joy! ~ Sarah Teunissen |
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Richard M. Ketchum
1922-2012 Scholar & Friend  With a mixture of appreciation, admiration and sadness
the staff of the Northshire Bookstore notes the passing of
Richard M. Ketchum. For the entire thirty-six year history
of the Northshire, Dick Ketchum's many superlative history books about the
American Revolutionary era have graced our shelves and at last count had
sold well over 2,500 copies. His most recent titles, Saratoga and Victory at
Yorktown, continue to appeal to readers who appreciate superb scholarship,
elegant writing and masterful insight. To recommend Ketchum's books has
been (and continues to be) a pleasure. But Richard Ketchum was much more
than an admired and respected historian. He was our valued customer, our
familiar neighbor and our good friend. He will be missed throughout our
community - but nowhere more than at the Northshire. - Bill Lewis
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NEW PAPERBACK
 The Balfour Declaration by Jonathan SchneerThoroughly researched, even handed and superbly written, this history explains the origins and importance of the document, signed during the tumult of World War I, that reshaped the Middle East for the next century. An important and fascinating look at the people involved and their politics and warring philosophies. ~ Louise Jones |
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 The Flight of Gemma Hardy by Margot LiveseyLiterature is full of orphans and atmosphere and Livesey makes great use of both in this absorbing story of a young woman in 1960's Scotland who strives to define her true self and find her path in a life fraught with peril. A great book for curling up and indulging in a bit of intelligent romance. ~ Karen Frank |
 The House of Silk by Anthony HorowitzIt's 1920 and WW 1 veteran Inspector Ian Rutledge has one single clue into the investigation of the body of a murder victim found floating in the Thames. What starts as a search for the man's true identity leads to the discovery of two additional mysterious deaths at the beginning of The Great War. Once again Todd weaves a splendid tale of intrigue and murder. ~ Sarah Teunissen |
 The Orphan Master's Son by Adam JohnsonHow can a novel set in North Korea, one of the dreariest places on earth, be so good? Under the eye of Dear Leader Kim Jong-Il, a romance blooms whose unlikeliness boggles the mind even as its ultimate triumph moves the heart. ~ Charles Bottomley |
 Instruments of Darknessby Imogen RobertsonThis page turner set in 1780 has plenty of twists and turns, murders and shady characters. The first in what is sure to be a nail-biting series. I loved this book! ~ Sarah Teunissen |
 Ten Thousand Saints by Eleanor HendersonOne of The New York Times favorite books of 2011 is one of mine, too. A wonderful story about a Vermont misfit who discovers an unlikely family in the underbelly of 1980s Manhattan. ~ Charles Bottomley |
OLD FAVORITE
 Ratking by Michael DibdinThe first Aurelio Zen mystery exposes the institutional corruption and violence endemic in Italian society. Zen, the rare honest cop, questions authority as he searches for the kidnappers who snatched a wealthy industrialist. A fine introduction to Dibdin. ~ Louise Jones |
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OLD FAVORITE
 Wuthering Heights by Emily BronteThis Valentine's Day, give Downton Abbey a rest and experience British passion at its wildest. True forces of nature, Heathcliff and Catherine are the lusty poster children for every bodice-ripper since. This Bronte sister knocks that wishywashy Jane Eyre into a chamber pot ~ Charles Bottomley |
OLD FAVORITE
 The Beekeeper's Apprentice by Laurie R. KingThe inimitable Sherlock Holmes returns! King's take on the history of Sherlock Holmes, this time with a fifteen-year-old girl as a partner, is witty, inventive and utterly enjoyable from start to finish. King deftly creates an underworld of villainy and a sleuthing duo worthy of Doyle himsel ~ Cheryl Cornwell |
OLD FAVORITE
 All The King's Men by Robert Penn WarrenIt takes a few pages to get used to Warren's writing style, but once you do, you'll realize that this novel was well deserving of the Pulitzer it won. Visceral and extremely well written. ~ Chris Morrow |