The Times Record asked Mid-coast bookstore and publishing house owners and managers what their six favorite or most influential books were, and why. Here are the responses we got:

BOWDOIN STORE

2 Station Ave., and David Saul

Smith Union,

Bowdoin College,

Brunswick.

1-800-524-2225, store.bowdoin.edu.

Supervisor: Jason Harvie

The Bowdoin Store features an extensive collection of apparel, gifts, general books, diploma frames, and sustainable items with a focus on local products. 1. Strength in What Remains by Tracy Kidder. (nonfiction) Perhaps you need perspective on your daily grind? If yes, then read about Deo’s flight from civil war and genocide. It’s a jaw-dropping journey of perseverance, intelligence, and dumb-luck, with a discovery of kindness in the wake of narrowly escaping the worst of what humanity offers. Indeed, the darkness in this story is not for the faint of heart. As I found, however, you just may gain a fresh and rewarding appreciation for everything that is close to you. Runty little problems, like mismatched socks, are now, and forever, frivolous to me. 2. John Adams by David McCullough. (nonfiction) Years after reading this biography, I remain profoundly impressed with the level of sacrifice made by John and Abigail Adams during the delicate creation of the United States. This is a remarkable love story and a tale of adoring commitment to one another and to country. Abigail Adams, highly intelligent, strong, politically savvy, and the balance to the second president of the United States, is revealed. John Adams reminds me to stay true to my values. 3. On Writing by Stephen King. (nonfiction) In our day of age with random tweets, vapid texts, and hasty emails, I enjoy picking this up and letting King’s enthusiasm inspire me to break out of lazy ruts and to strive to be the best writer I can be. Stephen King’s personal story and revelations pull me in, and, I believe, make it one of the most poignant books about the writing process available. On Writing keeps me focused. 4. A Walk in the Woods by Bill Bryson. (nonfiction) I appreciate dry humor, and Bill Bryson is a master of the trade. I’ve had my own dalliances with Appalachian Trail, so I take to heart Bill Bryson’s smart and witty tale of his own formidable trek with his Suzie-Q eating hiking partner. I read A Walk in the Woods simply to laugh and to lighten up my mood. I hear a movie is on the way! 5. Endurance: Shackleton’s Incredible Voyage by Alfred Lansing. (nonfiction) For most of my professional career I have managed people. When I find myself in a professional pickle I ask, what would Earnest Shackleton do? My management problems are mere toddler’s play compared to the insurmountable and dire circumstances faced by Shackleton during his blighted exploration of Antarctica. Reading Endurance makes me better at my job. 6. The Hobbit by J.R. R. Tolkien. (fiction) Bilbo, a Hobbit, goes on a journey to help a group Dwarves reclaim their homeland. At nine-years old, The Hobbit opened up my imagination and it has been my far-reaching bar of private escapism ever since. The Hobbit turned me on to fantasy and language. I get as much out of The Hobbit as an educated, sometimes cynical adult, as I did as a little boy. I am looking forward to venturing back to Middle-Earth with my own young children.

GULF OF MAINE BOOKS

134 Maine Street, Brunswick. 729-5083; gulfofmainebooks.blogspot.com Owners: Gary Lawless & Beth Leonard Gulf of Maine Books is an independent alternative bookstore in Brunswick, founded in 1979 by Beth Leonard and Gary Lawless and still going strong! 1. The Weir by Ruth Moore. (fiction) Ruth Moore’s classic novel of life on a Maine island in the 1930s – (Gott’s Island, off Bass Harbor) The first of her 16 books, originally published in 1946 and a timeless story of island life. 2. Olive Kittredge by Elizabeth Strout. (fiction) Maine author Elizabeth Strout’s Pulitzer Prize winning novel, set in a small Maine town at times sounding a lot like Brunswick (having a Cooks Corner, a bike path, the widest Main Street …).This novel made of short stories depicts life in a coastal Maine town with honesty and compassion. Ruth Moore would have loved the character of Olive Kitteridge. 3. But Beautiful: A Book About Jazz by Geoff Dyer. (fiction) This charming book is made up of a series of vignettes inspired by the lives and music of some legendary jazz artists including Bud Powell, Lester Young, and Charles Mingus. 4. How To Live On The Planet Earth by Nanao Sakiki. (poetry). The collected poems of the 20th century wandering Japanese poet Nanao Sakaki, a favorite poet at Gulf of Maine Books, and one of many who have read their poems at the bookstore. 5. What You Should Know: A Field Guide to Three Sisters Farm by Russell Libby. (poetry) Russell Libby was a Maine native, a Bowdoin graduate, a farmer, a husband, a father, and the executive director of the Maine Organic Farmers and Gardeners Association. These poems pass on his love for his farm – the earth, the water, the trees, the gardens, to his family and friends. Russell passed away a year ago, at age 56. 6. The Kid : The Immortal Life of Ted Williams by Ben Bradlee Jr. (nonfiction) A book for every member of Red Sox Nation and a perfect Holiday gift – a 900 page biography by Ben Bradlee Jr. (with a dedication to the memory of Brunswick author Matt Herrick)

OPEN DOOR BOOKS

178 Front Street, Bath.

443-8689 opendoorbooks.us

Owner: John Ring Specializes in rare, out of print books, hard- to- find books, and Maine books. 1. Welcome to Hard Times, by E.L. Doctorow. (fiction) 1870’s North Dakota mining town, aptly named Hard Times, struggles to survive. Doctorow’s first and best book. The real dirty west. 2. Mountain Man by Vardis Fisher (fiction) Tough and resourceful, they were pretty much gone by 1850, as the west populated. The basis for the movie, Jeramiah Johnson, staring Robert Redford. 3. Basketball is My Life by Bob Cousey (nonfiction) It was my life too for the first 60 years. Great autobiography of basketball and Celtics first point guard. 4. Coming out of the ice: An Unexpected Life by Victor Herman (nonfiction) A Ford Motor Co. employee is arrested by KGB sent to Siberian Gulag for 20 years, ignored by Ford he lives to describe life in camps. 5. Gone With the Wind, by Margaret Mitchell (fiction) The South in the Civil War, eye opener for a northerner, who never went to war. 6. The Stand, by Stephen King (fiction) His best book, not as scary as insightful into human nature, still all too possible today.

THE LIBRARY BOOKSTORE

194 Front Street, Bath.

Sponsored by the

Friends of Patten Free

Library. 443-1161 www.patten.lib.me.us.

Proceeds benefit the

Patten Free Library

Manager: Sandra Weiss

Gently used books, bookson CD, music CDs, DVDs, and puzzles for all ages are available for purchase thanks to a steady flow of donations from the community. Come enjoy a friendly, vibrant atmosphere with new selections added to the shelves almost daily. A colorful children’s section allows little ones to find their own favorites. Donations can be delivered to 194 Front St. during store hours, where Friends of the Library volunteer to staff the store. 1. Stuart Little by E.B. White. (fiction) In this childhood favorite, Stuart Little demonstrates that life can be a journey. With determination and good cheer, obstacles can be overcome. This “can do” attitude of a little mouse wore off on me. Especially when, as the youngest of four children, my parents dragged me along on adventures that I was ill prepared for. Entertaining, humorous, sometimes sad, and a little scary, Stuart Little caught my attention at a time when reading remained low on my priority list. 2. The Poisonwood Bible: A Novel by Barbara Kingsolver. (fiction) An elaborate depiction of the extreme sacrifice a family undertook to fulfill the missionary zeal of the patriarch, Baptist preacher, unfolds in The Poisonwood Bible. His uncompromising conviction relocates his wife and four daughters from Georgia, USA to a remote village in the politically unstable Belgian Congo in the 1960s. It is the detailed, beautifully written inspection of this family’s metamorphosis that intrigued me. Witnessing family dynamics, particularly when under pressure and out of their comfort zone, can be revealing and potentially instructive. The contrast to my childhood kept my attention and instigated many reflections for years to come. 3. Cutting For Stone by Abraham Verghese. (fiction) If you liked the sound of The Poisonwood Bible, you may be interested in this unique story of conjoined twins as well. The two books have a great deal in common – a family saga, missionary work, mostly set in Africa, well researched and beautifully written, to name a few. But very different personalities and purposes drive the medical staff at the Missing Hospital in Cutting For Stone. They are welcomed with gratitude as opposed to resented for the religious conversion attempt in the previous book. With such well-developed characters in both books the roller coaster emotions and constant struggles sucked me in. The theme that “every individual deserves to be cared for” in Cutting For Stone still stays with me. 4. Last Child in the Woods: Saving Our Children from Nature-Deficit Disorder by Richard Louv. (nonfiction) After school I spent hours in the field, woods, or puddles. This may have cut into my homework, but at that time, it didn’t concern me. What does concern me today is clearly presented by Richard Louv in his book The Last Child in the Woods. He discusses “saving our children from nature-deficit disorder.” The relatively recent explosion of electronic “must haves” and safety concerns for our children are at least partially to blame for limiting our kids’ exposure to nature. Based on Mr. Louv’s research he also connects this relative lack of nature in our children’s lives to health issues such as obesity, ADD and depression. Individuals and even communities seem to be listening. Locally we are fortunate to have attentive land trusts, libraries and environmental organizations that are providing excellent programs for children and families to counteract this trend. 5. Survival Stories – (nonfiction) It is still a mystery to me why I gravitate to survival stories. I have no desire to have any part in an experience like that of Louis Zamperini as told by Laura Hillenbrand in Unbroken: A World War II Story of Survival, Resilience and Redemption. Louis’ excellent physical condition and unshakable perseverance carried him through surviving his bomber’s crash in 1943, weeks floating on the ocean, and years of captivity. Equal resilience and resistance by Ingrid Betancourt comes out loud and clear in her retelling of her abduction and brutal life as a prisoner of the FARC in Even Silence Has an End: My Six Years of Captivity in the Colombian Jungle. Fearless: One Woman, One Kayak, One Continent by Joe Glickman relates a different kind of survival. Freya Hoffmeister planned and executed a 332-day solo circumnavigation of Australia by kayak in 2009. Perhaps I vicariously participate sufficiently to not need to have my own survival experience.

JUST WRITE BOOKS

Topsham. 729-3600, jstwrite.com. [email protected]

Owner: Nancy Randolph

Just Write Books is a book publisher selecting, producing and selling quality Maine books by Maine authors telling Maine stories. Our published books are available in many local bookstores such as Maine Coast Books, Gulf of Maine Books, Bath Book Shop & Shaw’s Supermarkets, at jstwrite.com and online booksellers. 1. Psychocybernetics by Maxwell Maltz. (nonfiction) I learned that I, like other people, saw myself inaccurately. My perceptions were distorted by erroneous beliefs imbedded in my subconscious mind by my living in a hellacious household of abuse and poverty. I learned to “re-program” my mind to do and see what could be. That has served me well throughout my life. 2. The Prophet by Kahlil Gibran. (poetry) A book of 26 prose poetry essays written in Eng lish by a Lebanese writer (and philosopher and artist). Before the death of my first husband in 1997, I read many of these poems aloud to George as the cancer affected his eyesight before his death. Gibran’s poem “On Death” helped me watch George live at the end rather than watch my best friend die. “And when the earth shall claim your limbs, then shall you truly dance.” 3. Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance by Robert Pirsig. (memoir) In this story about a motorcycle road trip, Pirsig explores the question of how to live with technology without allowing it to degrade our life. Since I work many hours a day with computers, it has been key for me to be the technonerd with the ability to fix my own “motorcycle” on my “daily ride.” Working with technology yet not allowing the technology to take over my art and my connection with society has been a key lesson of what I received from my reading of ZAMM. 4. 1984 by George Orwell. (fiction) This dystopian novel emphasizes a world in which conformity is rewarded, introduced the warning, “Big Brother is watching you” and fashioned the term Newspeak–creating words helping the government control its people. 1984 inspired me to write a journal. My journaling has continued over the years–if sporadically. 5. Wherever You Go, There You Are: Mindfulness Meditation in Everyday Life by Jon Kabat Zinn. (nonfiction) This book deepened my understanding of mindfulness. I have lived a life that some people would say is exciting. Sometimes I have been very stressed to do what I have chosen to do in my life. Mindfulness helps me stay connected to the present and what matters. 6. Emotional Intelligence by Daniel Goleman. (nonfiction) Goleman gave ink to my innate belief that there was more than IQ determining a child’s ability to survive and even thrive in environments of poverty and despair. The five elements of emotional intelligence are self-awareness, self-regulation, motivation, empathy, and social skill. These, then, determine our success. They can be learned and improved. I was lucky, I didn’t settle for what I was born into.

ANNIE’S BOOK STOP

8 Independence Dr.,

Freeport. 865-3406. [email protected]

Owners: Kevin &

Laurie Cole

New & used books, special orders are our pleasure. 1. Sharpe’s Rifles series by Bernard Cornwell. (fiction) The story of a British sergeant during the Napoleonic wars, who saves the life of the Duke of Wellington and is raised to Lieutenant. Throughout the series, Sharpe fights the French across Europe (with some flashbacks to India). Action, romance, violence, humor, what more could one want? These books made Kevin want to be an 18th century British soldier. Maybe more realistic goals would have been better. 2. Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen. (fiction) “It is a truth universally acknowledged, that a single man in possession of a good fortune must be in want of a wife.” Thus begins Pride and Prejudice, a witty satire of middle class British society of the 19th century. No novel could be more widely read or talked about. Mr. Darcy still makes women swoon. Laurie still reads this one every year. While she knows modern romance isn’t always like this, she likes to imagine that it should be. Laurie also likes to imagine a world where people use good manners even when hurling insults at one another. 3. The Count of Monte Cristo by Alexandre Dumas. (fiction) The story of a man wrongfully imprisoned, his daring prison escape, and his vicious revenge against those who caused his downfall. A classic adventure story filled with action, gripping suspense, and moral uncertainty. The themes of overcoming obstacles and escaping from bondage are common ones, this early example is sure to make your blood pound in your veins. Make sure you read an unabridged edition! 4. It’s a Book by Lane Smith. (children’s) Can it tweet? Can it wi-fi? No, silly, it’s a book. This wonderful picture book will appeal to all ages with its wit and humor as two animals discuss all the things books can’t do and how wonderful they are anyway. Also available for the youngest bibliophiles as It’s a Little Book. It’s nice to be reminded that not everyone wants the latest gadget and that simple pleasures are often the best. 5. The Color of Magic by Terry Pratchett. (graphic novel) Before he wanted to fight Napoleon, Kevin wanted to be a wizard. Perhaps he should have picked a better role model than Rincewind, the most inept wizard on the Discworld. Rincewind does his best to not fall off the edge of the world while dealing with Discworld’s first tourist, an aged barbarian warrior, and homicidal luggage. Spoiler alert: He’s not always successful! Pratchett combines fantasy and adventure with satire to create an incredibly engrossing story in the first of his long running series. 6. A Discovery of Witches by Deborah Harkness. (fiction) When a young scholar finds a long-lost book in an Oxford library she attracts the attentions of vampires and various other creatures that have long been searching for it. As the story progresses she begins to unravel not only the mysteries of the book but also of her own family. This is the best supernatural novel I’ve read. The plot moves along quickly, the characters and world mythology are well-developed, and it is filled with fascinating historical details. Laurie likes to immerse herself in a fantasy would and forget all her day-to-day worries. This book fulfills that need in spades.

THE MAINE COAST BOOK SHOP

58 Main St., Damariscotta. 563-3207 mainecoastbookshop.com

Owner: Susan Porter The Maine Coast Book Shop is a proud independent bookstore strategically located on the midcoast in Damariscotta, providing the newest and best as well as the eclectic, older, and great sale books, toys and creative sidelines. 1. Once Upon A Memory by Nina Laden, Illustrated by Renata Liwska. (children’s) “Does a feather remember it once was a bird?” “Does a book remember it once was a word?” This gentle poem portrays the world through the eyes of a young, curious boy. Beautifully illustrated in soft, muted tones, this book is sure to charm adults and children alike. “Will you remember you once were a child?”— Lorilee Buzby, staff 2. Wolf Hall by Hilary Mantel. (historical fiction) “Hilary Mantel’s Wolf Hall may be the greatest work of historical fiction written in the last fifty years. Each character is deftly and sympathetically drawn, and Tudor England roars to life in Mantel’s vivid prose. The story of Thomas Cromwell’s rise to power feels contemporary, gripping readers as strongly as any modern political drama.”— Ledlie Loring, staff 3. Winter’s Tale by Mark Halprin. (fiction) “This dreamlike, sweeping epic is a multi-layered tale of love, loss, and the timeless and magical allure of New York City. The language is masterful, the imagery evocative, and I can think of few books more appropriate to a snowy evening by the fire.” — Chloe DeBlois, staff 4. When We Were the Kennedys. by Monica Wood (nonfiction) “This year millions of words will be written about the 50th anniversary of the assassination, none will be as moving as “When We Were the Kennedys”(Yankee Magazine). Wood’s memoir goes way beyond her family’s grief alone, and connects us to an earlier time, of small towns across the country and the raw vitality of American life. It isn’t about being sad, I will say through my tears, it’s about being a family and about connecting. — Nicole Olivier, staff 5. The Telling Room: A tale of Love, Betrayal, Revenge, and the World’s Greatest Piece of Cheese. by Michael Paterniti (travel writing) “This winding tale of a man’s journey to Spain to find the story behind a fantastic piece of cheese is a joy to read. It is a memoir, a travel tale and part history. Michael travels to a small village in Spain with his wife and young children where he attempts to understand why a cheese maker is plotting a murder… among other mysteries. I have been reading this slowly because it is a joyful read and I am savoring every bit of it. After I have finished reading, I will attempt to find some of this cheese to savor as well.” — Susan Porter, Owner 6. Burial Rites by Hannah Kent. (fiction) Burial Rites is a compelling historical novel based on the last execution of a woman in Iceland. Set in the early 1800’s, Kent draws you into the landscape, the daily lives, and heartache of those affected by the ‘internment’ of Agnes Magnusdottir while she awaits her fate. This lyrical, well-researched and multi-layered novel is hard to put down and stay away from. I regret having closed the door on it by finishing it, and can only hope that Kent’s next book will be as atmospheric. —Lauri Campbell, staff