Let's see...in a coastal Maine bookstore

...whatever could be selling the best?

Maine authors with new books coming out this summer include:

Linda Greenlaw - Fisherman's Bend  (#2 in the June Bunker mystery series)

Jeff Lewis - Adam the King ...set in a coastal Maine village

Mary Duncan - Sightless (sequel to Eyes of Garnet)...set in Maine

Perennial Maine favorites topping the list include Names of Maine by Brian McCauley; the Local historian David Van Horn's Brief History of Penobscot Bay; area artist Robert Shetterly's Americans Who Tell the Truth;  and light-hearted as well as factual Moose-cellania by nature photographer Bill Silliker.

Maine-based children's books are always strong sellers.  Miss Rumphius, One Morning in Maine,  Blueberries for Sal,  A Time of Wonder,  L Is for Lobster, and Fishing for Numbers fly off the shelves any time of year, giving children "from away" a taste of Maine.   New to the list this year is

Boatyard Ducklings by Heather Austin...set here in CASTINE!

There are many new books & series for the teens and tweens. Included among the choices are Newbery Medal (or Honor book) authors Kate Dicamillo & Carl Hiaasen; mysteries by Blue Balliett (#3 in her series is out now); works by fantasy authors Brian Jacques [pronounced "Jake"], Cornelia Funke, Gail Carson Levine, Shannnon Hale, & Christopher Paolini; the fascinating pop-up books created by Robert Sabuda; any of Shel Silverstein's poetry; and new this spring is a wild, historical, time machine adventure by Ted Bell - Nick of Time.

Less tourism-centered best sellers for adults include Michael Pollan's The Omnivore's Dilemma and In Defense of Food, Barbara Kingsolver's Animal, Vegetable, Miracle, Sara Gruen's Water for Elephants, Khaled Hosseini's A Thousand Slendid Suns, (and still on the national best sellers lists:  John Grogan's Marley & Me -back again now that it is available as a paperback; Greg Mortenson's Three Cups of Tea; and Kate Jacobs's The Friday Night Knitting Club), a variety of delicious cookbooks and inspiring gardening books, and... just about anything by David McCullough.

Staff (and customer ) Picks:

Come in and check our displays of new arrivals and staff/customer picks!! 

The shelves are always changing.  Currently on display are many Maine /Maine-authored books:

Compleat Tales of the Little Drummer Boy of Castine by Justin Cooper (from Castine)a compilation of the various stories of the British drummer boy whose drumming still "haunts" the town.  [All proceeds to benefit the Castine Town Band.]

Eyes of Garnet by Mary Duncan (from nearby Sedgwick, ME) - intriguing novel set in old Scotland;  the sequel to be set in...can you guess?

How to Catch a Lobster by Leslie S. Moore (from nearby Brooksville, ME) - great, colorfully illustrated book...just right for the young and not-so-young alike...from Maine or "away".

Letters Home from Sea by Lucy Webster & Meg Noah - Discovered letters and diary entries among members of the family of Solon J. Hanson give glimpses of everyday community and seafaring life of 1850's Maine.

Monhegan Island by Jan Bailey - a collection of images of the island by area artists includes the watercolor "Monhegan Light" by Castine artist Gregory Dunham.