Kristen's Picks

The Herbal Apothecary: 100 Medicinal Herbs and How to Use Them (Paperback)

By Jj Pursell

$24.95

ISBN: 9781604695670

Availability: Usually Ships in 1-5 Days

Published: Timber Press (OR) - December 30th, 2015

A gorgeous new herbal that covers a wide range of plants, including some you won't find in most other books on herbalism.  As Vermont's own Rosemary Gladstar says, “Well researched and exceptionally well written, The Herbal Apothecary is a brilliant addition to any herbal library.”

Fresh Made Simple: A Naturally Delicious Way to Eat: Look, Cook, and Savor (Hardcover)

By Lauren K. Stein, Katie Eberts (Illustrator)

$20.88

ISBN: 9781612126081

Availability: Usually Ships in 1-5 Days

Published: Storey Publishing - October 20th, 2015

This book's beautiful illustrations evoke the tastes and textures of fresh, nourishing foods while the playful instructions inspire the reader to be creative with simple, accessible ingredients.  A wonderful gift for anyone who loves cooking but just doesn't have the time or energy to get fancy, this book is lush and lighthearted.

The Backyard Homestead Book of Kitchen Know-How: Field-To-Table Cooking Skills (Paperback)

By Andrea Chesman

$23.14

ISBN: 9781612122045

Availability: Usually Ships in 1-5 Days

Published: Storey Publishing - August 25th, 2015

This fascinating book is packed with kitchen survival skills that you'll find indispensible as soon as you know how to do them.  Andrea Chesman (a Vermont author!) has a wonderful way of making once-intimidating tasks approachable.  I'll bet anyone could find some useful information in this book, but it's an especially good pick for aspiring homesteaders and others that would like to be more self-sufficient but haven't known where to start.

Hild (Paperback)

By Nicola Griffith

$20.00

ISBN: 9781250056092

Availability: Usually Ships in 1-5 Days

Published: Picador USA - October 28th, 2014

The story of one of the most powerful women in the middle ages, Hild has a gritty, almost tactile sense of place, deft use of language, and nuanced, complex, and fascinating characters.  A great choice for fans of Tolkein and Arthurian legends, but be warned:  This isn't T. H. White's Middle Ages.  Game of Thrones fans will want to read this as well.

The Tea Party in the Woods (Hardcover)

By Akiko Miyakoshi, Akiko Miyakoshi (Illustrator)

$16.95

ISBN: 9781771381079

Availability: Usually Ships in 1-5 Days

Published: Kids Can Press - August 1st, 2015

This beautifully illustrated story of Kikko's adventures in the woods is genuinely heartwarming.  A great pick for those who love fairy tales and celebrations.

The End of Absence: Reclaiming What We've Lost in a World of Constant Connection (Paperback)

By Michael John Harris

$18.56

ISBN: 9781591847922

Availability: Usually Ships in 1-5 Days

Published: Current - August 4th, 2015

"In this eloquent and thought-provoking book, Harris argues that our greatest loss has been that of absence itself—of silence, wonder, and solitude."

Are you concerned about striking a balance between technology and a meaningful life? Do you have the niggling feeling that being connected 24/7 isn't all it's cracked up to be?  Do you miss daydreaming, and even solitude?  Insightful and funny, The End of Absence is essential reading for all of us who want to use technology as a tool, but find ourselves becoming disturbingly addicted to the gratification of "likes" and "followers".  I've read some great books about social media lately (Writing on the Wall, Rewire, etc), but this is really the one I've been looking for.

A Curious Tale of the In-Between (Hardcover)

By Lauren DeStefano

$19.71

ISBN: 9781619636002

Availability: Usually Ships in 1-5 Days

Published: Bloomsbury U.S.A. Children's Books - September 1st, 2015

I just loved this book.  Like Neil Gaiman's The Graveyard Book, the setting is contemporary and realistic aside from the fact that many of the characters are ghosts.  The fantastic elements are put to good use, and DeStefano creates a wonderful sense of place.  A Curious Tale of the In-Between is, in the end, about the relationships between the characters, and about Pram's own growth as a character.  This makes it a satisfying story both for readers who prefer realistic fiction and for those who are already fantasy fans.

Station Eleven (Paperback)

By Emily St John Mandel

$16.00

ISBN: 9780804172448

Availability: Usually Ships in 1-5 Days

Published: Vintage - June 2nd, 2015

A literary post-apocalyptic page-turner that makes the mundane feel unlikely and magical, Station Eleven is a story that leaks out into your daily life, coloring the way you see airplanes, smartphones, light switches.  Without glorifying modern civilization, it left me, as Jessie Burton (author of The Miniaturist) put it, "wistful for a world where I still live."

Read this book if you've enjoyed The Hunger Games or The Road;  if you love Shakespeare or The Night Circus; if you've ever daydreamed about a world without technology or if you can't imagine not being able to log on.

The Apple Cookbook, 3rd Edition: 125 Freshly Picked Recipes (Paperback)

By Olwen Woodier

$17.34

ISBN: 9781612125183

Availability: Usually Ships in 1-5 Days

Published: Storey Publishing - May 19th, 2015

Featuring recipes like "Beef & Apple Deep-Dish Pie," "Curried Ham & Apples," "Grated-Apple Fritters," and "New York Apple-Bourbon Cake," this book demonstrates what a delicious complement apples can be to pretty much any dish, from sweet to savory.  The photographs are scrumptious, and the format easy to follow.  THE APPLE COOKBOOK is a keeper for any apple lover, and just might convert those not yet charmed by this fall fruit.

The Woodland Homestead: How to Make Your Land More Productive and Live More Self-Sufficiently in the Woods (Paperback)

By Brett McLeod, Philip Ackerman-Leist (Foreword by)

$19.95

ISBN: 9781612123493

Availability: Usually Ships in 1-5 Days

Published: Storey Publishing - June 30th, 2015

Yes!  Finally, a homesteading book for those of us who live in the midst of Vermont's woodlands.  Whether your property is only partially wooded or you find yourself among an abundance of trees, this book will show you that you don't have to clear your land to live more productively and self-sufficiently.