 |
The Concord Bookshop, est. 1940 |
 |
 |
 |
 What better
location for an
independent bookshop than Concord,
Massachusetts? Less than a mile from the historic Old
North Bridge, where the minutemen fired the "shot
heard 'round the world," an easy walk from the homes
of such quintessentially American writers as Emerson,
Thoreau, Alcott, and Hawthorne, and not five miles from
Thoreau's beloved Walden Pond, the Concord
Bookshop has been a fixture on the town's quaint and
cozy Main Street since 1940. (See our Store History.)
Our staff includes former
school librarians, editors, educators and writers -- we also employ a former college professor, travel agent, chowder jockey, hash slinger and bard -- all of them
enthusiastic readers who can track down just about any
book in print (or out, for that matter). If you need
suggestions for gift books (which we will gift wrap free
of charge), great
vacation reads, or your book
group's next selection, ask us -- or see our
store picks and monthly bestsellers. We're open seven days a week, so
come in and browse or stop by for one of our Store Events.
|
 |
 |
|
The
Concord
Bookshop
regularly hosts author
signings, readings,
and
other events in an
effort to contribute to
our literary community.
View some of our past events at event videos NEXT EVENT!! Title of Event: George Daughan "If By Sea"
When: Sunday, June 1, 2008 3:00 PM Location: The Concord Bookshop Description: Please join us Sunday, June 1st at 3 PM as we welcome George Daughan, discussing his new book, "If By Sea: The Forging of the American Navy--from the Revolution to the War of 1812" George C. Daughan holds a Ph.D. in American History and Government from Harvard University. He spent three years in the United States Air Force during the Vietnam War. He taught at the Air Force Academy and was also director of the MA program of international affairs there. Subsequently, he held a professorship at Connecticut College, and also taught at the University of Colorado, the University of New Hampshire, and Wesleyan University. He now resides in Portland, Maine.
(Read More!)
|
 |
 |
|
See what our employees recommend! We all enjoy different books - from politics to pulp fiction, spirituality to silliness, literature to lazy day light reads - so take some time and browse our favorites!
(Read More!)
 |
The Host
by
Meyer, Stephenie
Author of the acclaimed teen vampire series including titles "Twilight" and "Eclipse", Meyer's brand new science fiction novel, "The Host", is her first venture into adult fiction.
The story follows the adventures of one soul, Wanderer, and her host body, Melanie. Unlike most hosts, Melanie's mind refuses to disappear and her thoughts and desires fill Wanderer's every waking thought. Soon the lines between species blur as human emotions of love, hate, betrayal and compassion complicate the relations between Melanie's family and Wanderer, and turns into an odd love story as Wanderer, feeling Melanie's own emotions and thoughts as her own, begins to fall for the man Melanie loves as well.
Meyer's new science fiction novel is imaginative, creative and surprisingly sweet as Wanderer for the first time deals with human emotions of love and sadness. Meyer keeps the plotline entertaining and moving quickly. Readers of Meyer's vampire series should be forewarned that "The Host" is very different type of story from "Twilight" and "Eclipse", but Meyer's creativity and easy writing style show through.
~Lilah |
|
 |
 |
|
Spring book group suggestions There's still a little snow, but the birds are returning, the occasional bud appears, and the golf courses are beginning to open. Springtime is here, and along with it, new books for your group!! Call us or come in the store to see our staff suggestions!
(Read More!)
 |
Peony in Love
by
See, Lisa
"I finally understand what the poets have written. In spring, moved to passion; in autumn only regret." For young Peony, betrothed to a suitor she has never met, these lyrics from The Peony Pavilion mirror her own longings. In the garden of the Chen Family Villa, amid the scent of ginger, green tea, and jasmine, a small theatrical troupe is performing scenes from this epic opera, a live spectacle few females have ever seen. Like the heroine in the drama, Peony is the cloistered daughter of a wealthy family, trapped like a good-luck cricket in a bamboo-and-lacquer cage. Though raised to be obedient, Peony has dreams of her own. Peony's mother is against her daughter's attending the production: "Unmarried girls should not be seen in public." But Peony's father assures his wife that proprieties will be maintained, and that the women will watch the opera from behind a screen. Yet through its cracks, Peony catches sight of an elegant, handsome man with hair as black as a cave-and is immediately overcome with emotion. So begins Peony's unforgettable journey of love and destiny, desire and sorrow-as Lisa See's haunting new novel, based on actual historical events, takes readers back to seventeenth-century China, after the Manchus seize power and the Ming dynasty is crushed. Steeped in traditions and ritual, this story brings to life another time and place-even the intricate realm of the afterworld, with its protocols, pathways, and stages of existence, a vividly imagined place where one's soul is divided into three, ancestors offer guidance, misdeeds are punished, and hungry ghosts wander the earth. Immersed in the richness and magic of the Chinese vision of the afterlife, transcending even death, "Peony in Love" explores, beautifully, the many manifestations of love. Ultimately, Lisa See's new novel addresses universal themes: the bonds of friendship, the power of words, and the age-old desire of women to be heard. "From the Hardcover edition." |
|
 |
|
 |
 |
 |

|
 |
Illustrator of the Month - Leo LionniThis month's featured children's illustrator is Leo Lionni.
Leo Lionni wrote and illustrated more than 40 highly acclaimed children's books. He received the 1984 American Institute of Graphic Arts Gold Medal and was a four-time Caldecott Honor Winner--for Inch by Inch, Frederick, Swimmy, and Alexander and the Wind-Up Mouse.
(Read More!)
Frederick
by
Lionni, Leo
Illus. in full color. "While other mice are gathering food for the winter, Frederick seems to daydream the summer away. When dreary winter comes, it is Frederick the poet-mouse who warms his friends and cheers them with his words."--"Wilson Library Bulletin," |
|
 |

|
 |
Signed Book GalleryChris Bohjalian stopped by the Bookshop recently, and signed copies of his novels, including his latest, "Skeletons at the Feast". Simon Winchester's "The Man Who Loved China", is available in signed first editions. Also, we have "Songs Without Words" by Ann Packer. "Living in Concord", a collection by local author Jim Leahy is available.
Quantities are limited, so please call and reserve your copy!
(Read More!)
Songs Without Words
by
Packer, Ann
Ann Packer's debut novel, "The Dive from Clausen's Pier," was a nationwide best seller that established her as one of our most gifted chroniclers of the interior lives of women. Now, in her long-awaited second novel, she takes us on a journey into a lifelong friendship pushed to the breaking point. Expertly, with the keen introspection and psychological nuance that are her hallmarks, she explores what happens when there are inequities between friends and when the hard-won balances of a long relationship are disturbed, perhaps irreparably, by a harrowing crisis. Liz and Sarabeth were childhood neighbors in the suburbs of northern California, brought as close as sisters by the suicide of Sarabeth's mother when the girls were just sixteen. In the decades that followed--through Liz's marriage and the birth of her children, through Sarabeth's attempts to make a happy life for herself despite the shadow cast by her mother's act--their relationship remained a source of continuity and strength. But when Liz's adolescent daughter enters dangerous waters that threaten to engulf the family, the fault lines in the women's friendship are revealed, and both Liz and Sarabeth are forced to reexamine their most deeply held beliefs about their connection," Songs Without Words" is about the sometimes confining roles we take on in our closest relationships, about the familial myths that shape us both as children and as parents, and about the limits--and the power--of the friendships we create when we are young. Once again, Ann Packer has written a novel of singular force and complexity: thoughtful, moving, and absolutely gripping, it more than confirms her prodigious literary gifts. |
|
 |

|
 |
We're on the verge of moving from the primaries to the big event, so here's some reading for the next 5 months.
We have many new books on politics and the elections, so come on in!!!!
(Read More!)
Unconventional Wisdom: Facts and Myths about American Voters
by
Kaufmann, Karen,
Shaw, Daron,
Petrocik, John
Late deciders go for the challenger; turnout helps the Democrats; the gender gap results from a surge in Democratic preference among women--these and many other myths are standard fare among average citizens, political pundits, and even some academics. But are these conventional wisdoms--familiar to anyone who watches Sunday morning talk shows--really valid? Unconventional Wisdom offers a novel yet highly accessible synthesis of what we know about American voters and elections. It not only provides an integrated overview of the central themes in American politics--parties, polarization, turnout, partisan bias, campaign effects, swing voters, the gender gap, and the youth vote--it upends many of our fundamental preconceptions. Most importantly, it shows that the American electorate is much more stable than we have been led to believe, and that the voting patterns we see today have deep roots in our history. Throughout, the book provides comprehensive information on voting patterns; illuminates (and corrects) popular myths about voters and elections; and details the empirical foundations of conventional wisdoms that many understand poorly or not at all. Written by three experts on American politics, Unconventional Wisdom serves as both a standard reference and a concise overview of the subject. Both informative and witty, the book is likely to become a standard work in the field, essential reading for anyone interested in American politics. |
|
 |

|
 |
Unique and provocative selections from a great diversity of voices...all personally recommended by the independent booksellers of America.
(Read More!)
The Plague of Doves
by
Erdrich, Louise
Louise Erdrich's complex history of the families in a North Dakota, mixed-blood reservation town reveals its secrets slowly through the unique voices of the community. These characters require us to pay attention and to move from psychological and philosophical musing to delightful storytelling full of magic and intrigue. Thoroughly enjoyable.--Kathleen Costello, Maria's Bookshop (Durango, CO) |
|
|