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Browse through a selection of recommended reading including staff favorites, local authors & regional history. We ship anywhere and we’re happy to help with special orders and out of print book searches.
Find out what The Bookloft owner, Mary Swanson has read lately, plus new releases and new books of local interest.
About The Bookloft
For 36 years The Bookloft has been home to good books for all of the readers in Wallowa County. Current owner Mary Swanson has had the store since 1988. Small and selective, the store reflects the unique flavor of our beautiful location. Wallowa County is located in the extreme northeast corner of Oregon. We are surrounded by the Wallowa Mountains and Hells Canyon, the gorge of the Snake River. [read more]
Mary's 10 Favorite books read in 2012
RESTORATION by Olaf Olafsson
A novel set in Italy during World War II that shows the impact of the war on a small village in and its inhabitants. It explores themes of love and loss through the experiences of a woman art restorer and a particular painting whose true history is a mystery. 14.99
THE WEIRD SISTERS by Eleanor Brown
Three sisters have returned to their parents' home due to individual crises. What they are forced to face is the fact that our families are chosen by fate and not choice. Yet we are bound to these people for life. 15.00
DROWNING RIVER BY CHRISTOBEL KENT
A good mystery set in Florence, Italy. Ties between a missing young American art student and an elderly man who has taken his own life ae discovered by a disgraced ex-policeman. 14.95
ELEGY FOR EDDIE by Jacqueline Winspear
It seems like the latest Maisie Dobbs novel is always on my favorite list! These post WAorld WAr II novels are well-plotted and have great characters. 15.99
STATE OF WONDER by Ann Patchett
Her latest is about a pharmaceutical worker who has disappeared in the jungle of South America. The co-worker who is sent to see what happened, becomes deeply involved with the native people to surprising resluts. 15.99
THE ORCHARDIST by Amanda Coplin
This wonderful new voice in Pacific Northwest literature tells the tale of a man who lives a solitary life among his trees until two young girls enter his life. 26.99
THE DOVE IN THE STONE by Alice O. Howell
This thought-provoking book contains so many interesting elements: rambles on the Celtic isle of Iona, explorations of the feminine aspect of wisdom, ancient symbolism and other ideas about finding the sacred in the commonplace. 12.00
FROM HERE YOU CAN'T SEE PARIS by Michael Sanders
Yes, this was pre-travel reading before my big trip this year. Whether you are a Francophile or not, this was a fascinating look at small village life in central France. 13.99
SONG OF ACHILLES by Madeline Miller
A beautiful retelling of the legend of Achilles, told by his beloved companion Patroclus. It shows another side to the warrior Achilles. The author's blending of the myths of gods and men makes the characters of this well know story seem fresh and so very human. 14.99
FLIGHT BEHAVIOR by Barbara Kingsolver
In her brilliant way, Kingsolver takes a look at global climate change and the divisiveness that plagues our country through an interesting fictional tale. 28.99
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Mary's Favorite Picks of 2011
THE BIRD SISTERS by Rebecca Rasmussen A beautifully written novel about two sisters whose lives are entwined through events that occur in a particular summer when they were teens. 14.00
THE THOUSAND AUTUMNS OF JACOB DE ZOET by David Mitchell A historic novel with some mystical elements, this book tells a tale set in feudal Japan in its earliest days of trading with western merchants. The clash of cultures is seen throught the experiences of a young clerk. 15.00
QUEEN OF AMERICA by Luis Alberto Urrea The sequel to his wonderful novel, The Hummingbird's Daughter, continues the story of Teresita, the saint of Cabron, as she journeys north. 25.99
OLIVE KITTERIDGE by Elizabeth Strout A series of linked stories set in a small town, in which Olive, the former librarian has interactions with various townspeople. Through her, we get a good look at their lives and personalities. 14.00
THE WISE MAN'S FEAR by Patrick Rothfuss This sequel to The Name of the Wind, seamlessly continues the saga of Kvothe. There will be more! 19.00
MARCELO IN THE REAL WORLD by Francisco X. Stork A really good young adult novel about a young man, who has a form of autism. The story is set at a pivotal point in his life as he ends his time at a private, special needs school and first ventures out into a real job in the hard, real world. There he has much to learn about competetiveness, egos, ethical dilemmas, and the development of friendships. 8.99
THE WISE HEART by Jack Kornfield With beautiful writing and sweet humor, this book offers ways to keep a caring and tranquil heart even in the face of the many challenges of modern life. 20.00
FREEDOM by Jonathan Frantzen A masterfully written novel that explores all aspects of life at the end of the 20th century through the experiences of one family. 16.00
HER FEARFUL SYMMETRY by Audrey Niffenegger Set in a vistorian house located next to the Highgate Cemetery in London, this contemporary novel has a gothic feel to it. The bonds of relationship are explored through a cast of twins, ghosts and other eccentric characters. 15.00
DEATH COMES TO PEMBERLEY by P.D. James In this sequel to Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice, James has captured the feel and writing of Austen while adding a murder mystery in her own marvelous style. 25.95
Mary's 10 Favorite Books read in 2010:
WINTER VAULT by Anne Michaels
A very beautifully written novel about the evolution of relationships and the give and take needed to sustain them. 15.00
SWAN THIEVES by Elizabeth Kostova
A crime involving a piece of art occurs and the person responsible refuses to speak about it. A psychologist must unravel the story of the accused to discover how he came to commit the act. 15.99
LITTLE BEE by Chris Cleve
The lives of two very different women intersect with life-changing results for both. 15.00
WILD COMFORT by Kathleen Dean Moore
Lovely essays about the power of the natural world to help us through difficult times. 15.95
MAPPING OF LOVE AND DEATH by Jacqueline Winspear
The latest in the Maisie Dobbs series set in post World War I Britain. Maisie is a psychologist/private investigator and if you have not discovered Maisie yet, you are missing out! 25.99 (coming in paper in March 14.00)
THE SIGNAL by Ron Carlson
I love the way Carlson does dialogue. This novel is part exploration of the end of a relationship and part thriller, both thoughtful and compelling. 14.00
A SHORT HISTORY OF WOMEN by Kate Walbert
A novel about five generations of women each seeking a sense of self and meaning and purpose in their lives balanced against their domestic obligations. 15.00
SKY TIME IN GRAY’S RIVER by Robert Michael Pyle
The naturalist reflects on the course of a year at his homestead near the mouth of the Columbia River. Pyle shows us how to really appreciate the everyday beauty right around us. 13.95
RECKLESS by Cornelia Funke
Terrific fantasy adventure novel. 19.99
MY LADY JUDGE by Cora Harrison
Very good historic murder mystery set in ancient Ireland. I could easily make ALL of my picks period pieces. This one had great characters, plot and setting. 13.99
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To The Screen Door: A Dedication in One Sentence
I dedicate this sentence to the Bookloft’s screen door and to all the readers of books passing through this entrance, who will appreciate what artist Steve Arment has created to cover the tallest doorway in all of Oregon -
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New Releases of Local Interest:
Pure Beef by Lynne Curry - and essential guide to artisan meat with recipes for every cut. 27.00
Moraines of Wallowa Lake by Ellen Morris Bishop and David Jensen - this exploration of the geologic wonder is full of color photographs. 10.00
Lostine: Heart of the Wallowas by Irene Barklow - an interesting and comprehensive history of the town and its environs with lots of photographs. 39.95
Always by Catherine Jontos Putnam - lovely new poetry. 14.00
Eastern Oregon Horse Pack Trips: 27 Trips in 6 Wilderness Areas by Dr. J.R. Groupe has detailed descriptions of the trips including a really good trail rating chart showing miles, traffic, camps, trailer access and trailhead amenities. 19.95
LITTLE PRINCE SPAGHETTI by Joan Madsen
is a charming new
children’s book from the illustrator of Twas the Night Before Roundup.
Even as a puppy, Little Prince knows exactly what he wants—to be a
“Top Show Dog” like his father and grandfather before him. His life is
all planned out, until the day his world comes crashing down. Can Little
Prince crawl out from underneath and come out on top? A story of hope,
humiliation and heart. 12.00
GOVERNOR JOSEPH GALE AND HIS INDIAN FIRST LADY by
Lillian Cummings Densley & Aaron Densley
Did you know that Eliza Gale, the wife of the first governor of Oregon
was the daughter of Old Chief Joseph? Neither did I. Eliza Gale was
half-sister to Young Chief Joseph and Ollokot. Learn more in this new
book. 35.00
THE LONG JOURNEY OF THE NEZ PERCE: A BATTLE
HISTORY FROM COTTONWOOD TO BEAR PAW by Kevin Carson.
A former U.S. Army engineering officer, Carson reconstructs in detail
the battles and skirmishes along the entire route of the Nez Perce
conflict. 26.00
Slices of Life by Jean Falbo, a collection of poems reflecting the world of her life experiences from teaching to traveling to serving in the Peace Corps 14.95
Century Farms & Ranches of Wallowa County by Wallowa Land Trust, a history of 15 of Wallowa County’s heritage farms and ranches. 5.00
Four Lines a Day: The Life and Times of an Imnaha Ranch Woman
Janie Tippett’s long-awaited book based on the journals of Mary Marks who lived in the canyon country of Wallowa County from the 1930s until her death in 2007. It is a fascinating look at a vanishing way of life. (Second edition-with maps) 16.00 Pika Press