 Once again, Norwich, Vermont ushered Pages in the Pub into our holiday plans, and for a second time due to the pandemic we met via Zoom. And once again, the presenters - this time presenting as pairs - Vermont librarians Lucinda Walker and Peter Money; booksellers Emma Nichols and Sam Kass; and cartoonists Emma Husinger and Tillie Walden, did an incredible job of raising a lot of money for our beloved Norwich Public Library (thanks to the generosity of the Norwich Bookstore), confining their Zoom reviews to 90 seconds and their written reviews to six words (harder than it sounds), helping many finish (or at least start) their holiday shopping, and giving all of us a GREAT list of books to give and get (and maybe start reading today). Presenter bios are listed below the presenters' recommendations so that you can know a little bit more about the amazing and accomplished people who gave us all such great recommendations and six-word reviews. We thank them all! For ease of shopping from an indie bookstore, just use the Norwich Bookstore's online ordering page for this event. INSPIRING COOKBOOKS  Baking with Dorie: Sweet, Salty & Simple by Dorie Greenspan (2021). Deliciously easy & always yummy bakes! ~ Selected by Lucinda  Well Fed Weeknights by Melissa Joulwan (2016). Paleo-ish, easy dinners, under 30 minutes! ~ Selected by Tillie & Emma H.  Gastro Obscura by Cecily Wong (2021). Fun facts, Delicious dishes, tantalizing travels. ~ Selected by Sam & Emma N. PICTURE BOOKS FOR KIDS (UNDER 8) – FOR FAMILIES TO READ TOGETHER DURING THE FIRST SNOW STORM  Professional Crocodile by Giovanni Zoboli (2017). Dreamy with few words, ode to routine. ~ Selected by Tillie & Emma H.  The Creature of Habit by Jennifer E. Smith (2021). Careful creature takes chance on chaos. ~ Selected by Sam & Emma N. EARLY CHAPTER BOOKS (3-8) BECAUSE SOMETIMES YOU WANT TO BE A BIG KID, EVEN IF YOU AREN’T  Dory Fantasmagory by Abby Hanlon (2015): Pirates! chickens! fairy queens! walkie-talkies! friends! nemeses!). ~ Selected by Sam & Emma N. POETRY FOR PEOPLE WHO WANT BEAUTY AND TRUTH  Summer Snow by Robert Hass (2020). Sage, smart, tender, vital timely observations. ~ Selected by Peter BOOKS FOR YOUNG READERS (AGES 8-12) – THOSE BEYOND TONKA TRUCKS AND TEA PARTIES BUT NOT YET READY FOR TEEN TOPICS  The List of Things that Will Not Change by Becca Stead (2020). Heart-warming story + authentic voice = excellent read!. ~ Selected by Lucinda  Troubled Girls of Dragomir Academy by Anne Ursu (2021): Daring 'delinquents' undaunted by the patriarchy. ~ Selected by Sam & Emma N.  Jukebox by Nidhi Chanani (2021). Colorful musical adventure through time. ~ Selected by Tillie & Emma H. BOOKS FOR YOUR FAVORITE HIGH SCHOOLER  A-Okay by Jarad Greene (2021). Acne and asexuality in middle school! ~ Selected by Tillie & Emma H.  Fat Chance, Charlie Vega by Crystal Maldonado (2021). Smart. Wry. Ambitious. Loved. Fat. Charlie. ~ Selected by Lisa NON-FICTION OR REFERENCE BOOKS FOR PEOPLE WHO LIKE TO THINK AND CHAT WHILE SITTING BY THE WOODSTOVE  New England's Roadside Ecology by Tom Wessels (2021). Indispensable reference for our region's hikers. ~ Selected by Sam & Emma N.  A Little Devil In America by Hanif Abdurraqib (2021). Black art shapes our whole culture. ~ Selected by Sam & Emma N.  A Distant Mirror by Barbara Tuchman (1987). In which the medieval feels ... modern. ~ Selected by Sam & Emma N. GRAPHIC BOOKS BECAUSE PICTURES ADD 1,000 WORDS  Here by Richard McGuire (2014). A brilliant time-traveling graphic novel. ~ Selected by Tillie & Emma H. MEMOIRS/BIOGRAPHIES FOR PEOPLE WHO ENJOY LIVING VICARIOUSLY THROUGH OTHERS  Life Among the Savages by Shirley Jackson (2015): Author famous for gothic horror also makes a mean pudding. ~ Selected by Sam & Emma N.  You’ll Never Believe What Happened to Lacey by Amber Ruffin and Lacey Lamar (2021). Racism. Education with Humor. Engaging sisters. ~ Selected by Lisa FICTION FOR ANYONE WHO NEEDS AN ENGROSSING NOVEL TO RECOVER FROM THE NEWS  When Two Feathers Fell from the Sky by Margaret Verble (2021). Beautiful story of a Cherokee horse-diver. ~ Selected by Lucinda  I Was Never The First Lady by Wendy Guerra (2021). Daughter/mother coping in dream[e]scape Cuba. ~ Selected by Peter  The Bass Rock by Evie Wyld (2020). Three women, three histories, daring prose. ~ Selected by Tillie & Emma H. SHORT STORY COLLECTIONS BECAUSE SOMETIMES YOU NEED A QUICK FIX  Sarahland by Sam Cohen (2021). Hilarious, queer, short stories; very 2021. ~ Selected by Tillie & Emma H. MYSTERIES / THRILLERS FOR ANYONE WHO LOVES TO GUESS THE ENDING  Falling by T. J. Newman (2021). “Speed” on a plane - heart pounding! ~ Selected by Lucinda  Northern Spy by Flynn Berry (2021). Sisters' relationship tested by IRA resurgence ~ Selected by Lucinda PRESENTERS  Lucinda Walker is the Director of the Norwich Public Library. In the words of Eloise, she “loves, loves, loves” her job, her colleagues and the Norwich community. She is addicted to podcasts (Brave Little State, Ear Hustle & Mortified are current favorites), a daily walk or run and dark-roasted coffee. Lucinda lives in Brownsville with her writer/librarian husband Peter Money (see below) and two kids, Hartley & Lily.  Tillie Walden is a cartoonist and illustrator from Austin, TX. She is a graduate of the Center for Cartoon Studies, where she now teaches. As of 2022, she has published three graphic novellas with the London based Avery Hill Publishing and three with First Second Books, including her Eisner Award-winning books Spinning and Are You Listening?. She currently lives in Norwich, Vermont with her wife Emma Hunsinger (see below) and two cats Stan and Tatiana.  Emma Nichols wanted to grow up to become either a librarian or a witch, but she's delighted to be co-owner of the Norwich Bookstore instead (close enough, right?). Her first, and only, tattoo is a quote from a story by Kelly Link, and she wishes more people would ask her for short story recommendations. If she's not at the bookstore, you'll most likely find her reading, baking bread, or tinkering with spreadsheets.  Peter Money is currently the Mary L. Blood Memorial Library librarian in Brownsville (West Windsor), Vermont, where Civil War artifacts and taxidermy --named Olivia, Newton, and John--keep him company. Married to "big city" librarian Lucinda Walker (see above), Peter is firstly a poet, novelist, and teacher who performs with the poetry band Los Lorcas. In 2019, his novel Oh When the Saints--set in Dublin--was launched in Ireland by Nuala O'Connor (the author of 2021 Best Seller Nora) and praised by Peter Orner. Peter's other books include American Drone: New & Select Poems, Che: A Novella In Three Parts, and translations of Saadi Youssef with Sinan Antoon, Nostalgia, My Enemy. In addition to Last Night In America with Los Lorcas, Peter's spoken word album Blue Square is available on Apple Music. RTE aired his streamable radio essay, "Loves: Silence and the music of JS Bach." When not "booking," Peter may be found painting, mowing, or wide-eyed at something his grown son and daughter have done. Some version of himself is found at petermoney.com, @poetpetermoney (I), @petermoneyhere (T).  Sam Kaas has been a bookseller for most of his adult life, and still thinks it's just about the best gig a person could have. He is the co-owner, with his partner Emma Nichols (see above), of the Norwich Bookstore. Originally from the Pacific Northwest, he has a fondness for strong coffee and dark, rainy days. He knows more than you might expect about classic cars, off-brand guitars, and the Drive-By Truckers discography.  Emma Hunsinger is a cartoonist from Connecticut. She started her career making New Yorker gags before getting her MFA at the Center for Cartoon Studies. Her short comic "How To Draw a Horse" appeared in pages of the New Yorker and was nominated for an Eisner. She currently lives in the Upper Valley where she spends most of her time trying to stay warm. The Book Jam Lisas  Lisa Christie, co-founder of the Book Jam, was, in previous times, the Founder/Executive Director of Everybody Wins! Vermont and USA, literacy programs that help children love books. She currently works as a part-time non-profit consultant, school board member (who is ever grateful to our teachers, administrators, staff, students, and parents/guardians), and all-the-time believer in the power of books. She lives in Norwich with her musician/podcasting husband, two superb teenage sons (well only when the oldest is home from college), and a very large dog. She often dreams of travel.  Lisa Cadow is the co-founder of the Book Jam. When not reading or experimenting in her kitchen, she is a full time student of counseling at the University of Vermont. She fervently believes that health outcomes would improve if doctors could prescribe books to patients as well as medicine. Lisa lives in Norwich with her husband, three cats, and a fun border collie and loves it when her three adult children visit.
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