Wednesday, December 31, 2014

The Original Folk and Fairy Tales of the Brothers Grimm: The Complete First Edition



When Jacob and Wilhelm Grimm published their "Children's and Household Tales" in 1812, followed by a second volume in 1815, they had no idea that such stories as "Rapunzel," "Hansel and Gretel," and "Cinderella" would become the most celebrated in the world. Yet few people today are familiar with the majority of tales from the two early volumes, since in the next four decades the Grimms would publish six other editions, each extensively revised in content and style. For the very first time, " The Original Folk and Fairy Tales of the Brothers Grimm" makes available in English all 156 stories from the 1812 and 1815 editions. These narrative gems, newly translated and brought together in one beautiful book, are accompanied by sumptuous new illustrations from award-winning artist Andrea Dezso.

From "The Frog King" to "The Golden Key," wondrous worlds unfold--heroes and heroines are rewarded, weaker animals triumph over the strong, and simple bumpkins prove themselves not so simple after all. Esteemed fairy tale scholar Jack Zipes offers accessible translations that retain the spare description and engaging storytelling style of the originals. Indeed, this is what makes the tales from the 1812 and 1815 editions unique--they reflect diverse voices, rooted in oral traditions, that are absent from the Grimms' later, more embellished collections of tales. Zipes's introduction gives important historical context, and the book includes the Grimms' prefaces and notes.

A delight to read, "The Original Folk and Fairy Tales of the Brothers Grimm" presents these peerless stories to a whole new generation of readers."

Tuesday, December 30, 2014

Song of Dewey Beard: Last Survivor of the Little Bighorn



The great Native American warriors and their resistance to the U.S. government in the war against the Plains Indians is a well-known chapter in the story of the American West. In the aftermath of the great resistance, as the Indian nations recovered from war, many figures loomed heroic, yet their stories are mostly unknown. This long-overdue biography of Dewey Beard (ca. 1862-1955), a Lakota who witnessed the Battle of Little Bighorn and survived the Wounded Knee Massacre, chronicles a remarkable life that can be traced through major historical events from the late nineteenth into the mid-twentieth century.

Beard was not only a witness to two major battles against the Lakota; he also traveled with William "Buffalo Bill" Cody's Wild West show, worked as a Hollywood Indian, and witnessed the grand transformation of the Black Hills into a tourism mecca. Beard spent most of his later life fighting to reclaim his homeland and acting as "old Dewey Beard," a living relic of the "old West" for the tourists.

With a keen eye for detail and a true storyteller's talent, Philip Burnham presents the man behind the legend of Dewey Beard and shows how the life of the last survivor of Little Bighorn provides a glimpse into the survival of Indigenous America.

Monday, December 29, 2014

A Time for Action

I wanted to thank you for all our support. This petition has shown that Wellsboro wants a bookstore, and that we just aren't Wellsboro's bookstore. People visit the world over. People often visit when they are back visiting family. It's not usual to hear a foreign language spoken. Just this year we had visitors from France, England, Ontario, Denmark and New Zealand.

This Christmas season, we had a visitor from Buffalo, and he commented that he wished there were such a store in Buffalo, New York, a much bigger place than Wellsboro Pennsylvania. It's not easy running a bookstore in this day and age, but we've always paid our rent and on time. The landlord doesn't want to renew our rent because of problems with our co-tenants, but we never broke the lease.

We offered our co-tenants and our landlord is simply lazy and doesn't want to deal, but having a bookstore is good for Wellsboro and Main St, including the property our landlord owns. Having a bookstore in town makes the building we are in, and all of his property on Main St. worth more.

Now is the time for action. Having a bookstore is good for Wellsboro and even this landlord. He simply isn't a good enough businessman to see it. What we want to do now is go to mediation and work this out. It's for everyone's good.

You signed the petition, but now I'm asking you to write the landlord, write your local representative, write the Tioga County Commissioners. These people talk about job creation. They talk about community. Well, From My Shelf Books is a part of the community and a viable business. Why destroy that. It's already here. Let's keep it here.

Wellsboro is a small town and there's no where to go. Though we started the bookstore to create a bookstore in the community we grew up in, it became more, and our business model needs visitors and walk ins. We need you.

Kevin Coolidge, owner From My Shelf Books

The Dress Shop of Dreams


For fans of Alice Hoffman, Sarah Addison Allen, and Adriana Trigiani, The Dress Shop of Dreams is a captivating novel of enduring hopes, second chances, and the life-changing magic of true love.

Since her parents’ mysterious deaths many years ago, scientist Cora Sparks has spent her days in the safety of her university lab or at her grandmother Etta’s dress shop. Tucked away on a winding Cambridge street, Etta’s charming tiny store appears quite ordinary to passersby, but the colorfully vibrant racks of beaded silks, delicate laces, and jewel-toned velvets hold bewitching secrets: With just a few stitches from Etta’s needle, these gorgeous gowns have the power to free a woman’s deepest desires.

Etta’s dearest wish is to work her magic on her granddaughter. Cora’s studious, unromantic eye has overlooked Walt, the shy bookseller who has been in love with her forever. Determined not to allow Cora to miss her chance at happiness, Etta sews a tiny stitch into Walt’s collar, hoping to give him the courage to confess his feelings to Cora. But magic spells—like true love—can go awry. After Walt is spurred into action, Etta realizes she’s set in motion a series of astonishing events that will transform Cora’s life in extraordinary and unexpected ways.

Friday, December 26, 2014

Hey Marsh-mellows



Are you a Marsh-mellow? A Marsh-mellow is a fan of the TV show Veronica Mars. I always thought it was one the least appealing names for fan, but it was a great show. I always though Martian would be better, but as much as I don't like the fan name, I love the show. I was glad to see the movie made, and now there are several books.

The Thousand-Dollar Tan line came out earlier this year in March. It starts ten years after graduating from high school in Neptune, California, Veronica Mars is back in the land of sun, sand, crime, and corruption. She’s traded in her law degree for her old private investigating license, struggling to keep Mars Investigations afloat on the scant cash earned by catching cheating spouses until she can score her first big case.

Now it’s spring break, and college students descend on Neptune, transforming the beaches and boardwalks into a frenzied, week-long rave. When a girl disappears from a party, Veronica is called in to investigate. But this is no simple missing person’s case; the house the girl vanished from belongs to a man with serious criminal ties, and soon Veronica is plunged into a dangerous underworld of drugs and organized crime. And when a major break in the investigation has a shocking connection to Veronica’s past, the case hits closer to home than she ever imagined.

In Veronica Mars, Rob Thomas has created a groundbreaking female detective who’s part Phillip Marlowe, part Nancy Drew, and all snark. With its sharp plot and clever twists, The Thousand-Dollar Tan Line will keep you guessing until the very last page.

Today I found out that the second book in the series, Mr. Kiss And Tell, is coming out in January. The Neptune Grand has always been the seaside town’s ritziest hotel, despite the shady dealings and high-profile scandals that seem to follow its elite guests. When a woman claims that she was brutally assaulted in one of its rooms and left for dead by a staff member, the owners know that they have a potential powder keg on their hands. They turn to Veronica to disprove—or prove—the woman's story.

The case is a complicated mix of hard facts, mysterious occurrences, and uncooperative witnesses. The hotel refuses to turn over its reservation list and the victim won’t divulge who she was meeting that night. Add in the facts that the attack happened months ago, the victim’s memory is fuzzy, and there are holes in the hotel’s surveillance system, and Veronica has a convoluted mess on her hands. As she works to fill in the missing pieces, it becomes clear that someone is lying—but who? And why? Available for pre-order at From My Shelf Books.








Tuesday, December 23, 2014

Marvel Encyclopedia


Timed perfectly with Marvel's 75th Anniversary, DK's bestselling Marvel Encyclopedia is now fully revised, extended, and updated.
Bring the Marvel Universe home with this all-inclusive encyclopedia detailing little-known facts and information about the iconic Marvel characters. This essential tome has been fully updated with 32 additional pages.
Created in full collaboration with Marvel Comics, the revised pages of Marvel Encyclopedia now feature new entries on the latest characters and teams, updated facts on existing ones including their latest looks and story lines, and expanded entries on major superheroes such as Spider-Man, Thor, and The Avengers. Special double-page features have also been added highlighting recent major crossover events in the Marvel Universe, such as Fear Itself, and the new Marvel Now series.
This book wouldn't be complete without the newly commissioned cover art by well-known Marvel artist Mike Deodato Jr..

In Wolf Country tells the story of the first groups of wolves that emigrated from reintroduced areas in Idaho to re-colonize their former habitat in the Pacific Northwest, how government officials prepared for their arrival, and the battles between the people who welcome them and the people who don't, set against the backdrop of the ongoing political controversy surrounding wolf populations in the Northern Rockies. The political maneuvering and intense controversy that has defined wolves' recovery in the West makes this a compelling and timely read.

Monday, December 22, 2014

Zoo Is Closed Today!: Until Further Notice


But when John and Sue arrive at the zoo, they are in for a big surprise! What is wrong with all of the animals? From Edward the elephant to Marcel the monkey, the animals have tummy aches and toothaches, runny noses and sore throats. Pete the zookeeper can barely keep up with taking care of them and has to close the zoo. And the next day, John and Sue are in for an even bigger surprise! This charming tale, illustrated with humor and warmth, demonstrates the value of sweet friendship.

Sunday, December 21, 2014

How to Make Your Cat an Internet Celebrity: A Guide to Financial Freedom



The Internet offers an unprecedented opportunity for cats to become superstar “personalities” with revenue-generating multimedia brands—but only if you know how to cash in. With How to Make Your Cat an Internet Celebrity, readers can unlock the secrets of grooming your kitty for success, creating a terrific viral video, managing your cat’s burgeoning stardom, and much more. Packed with practical tips and helpful diagrams, this indispensable resource shows how ordinary housecats can follow in the venerable pawprints of the Internet’s brightest stars.

Saturday, December 20, 2014

Have You Signed the Petition?



It's the last Saturday before Christmas, and it's a busy one for everybody. I wanted to take time to thank everyone who's signed our petition. If you don't know about the petition. You can find it here.

The situation is that our landlord isn't renewing our lease, which expires March 31, 2015. Wellsboro and Tioga County need a bookstore, and if you are familiar with the area, there just isn't anywhere to go. We moved to this location almost three years ago, and had to take out a second mortgage to finance the move.

Our landlord has his reasons, but they are stated to make him not look like he's being vengeful. Now, the landlord doesn't have a legal obligation, though we have always paid our rent and always paid on time. If you check the petition, you'll see names from all over Pennsylvania, the United States, and even Europe. We have several international visitors a year, and it's not unusual to hear a little French, or German being spoken, and last week we had a friendly Aussie visiting(is there any other kind?)

So, if you haven't signed, it just takes 20 seconds. If you'd like to make a little more effort, drop a letter to the landlord at LYDA LLC, PO Box 246 Wellsboro PA 16901, or write a letter to the editor of your local paper, or just keep supporting us with buying books. If you have signed, thank you we all appreciate it.

Friday, December 19, 2014

When Books Went to War: The Stories That Helped Us Win World War II


When America entered World War II in 1941, we faced an enemy that had banned and burned over 100 million books and caused fearful citizens to hide or destroy many more. Outraged librarians launched a campaign to send free books to American troops and gathered 20 million hardcover donations. In 1943, the War Department and the publishing industry stepped in with an extraordinary program: 120 million small, lightweight paperbacks, for troops to carry in their pockets and their rucksacks, in every theater of war.
Comprising 1,200 different titles of every imaginable type, these paperbacks were beloved by the troops and are still fondly remembered today. Soldiers read them while waiting to land at Normandy; in hellish trenches in the midst of battles in the Pacific; in field hospitals; and on long bombing flights. They wrote to the authors, many of whom responded to every letter. They helped rescue "The Great Gatsby" from obscurity. They made Betty Smith, author of "A Tree Grows in Brooklyn," into a national icon. "When Books Went to War "is an inspiring story for history buffs and book lovers alike.

Thursday, December 18, 2014

Hogfather


Who would want to harm Discworld's most beloved icon? Very few things are held sacred in this twisted, corrupt, heartless--and oddly familiar--universe, but the Hogfather is one of them. Yet here it is, Hogswatchnight, that most joyous and acquisitive of times, and the jolly, old, red-suited gift-giver has vanished without a trace. And there's something shady going on involving an uncommonly psychotic member of the Assassins' Guild and certain representatives of Ankh-Morpork's rather extensive criminal element. Suddenly Discworld's entire myth system is unraveling at an alarming rate. Drastic measures must be taken, which is why Death himself is taking up the reins of the fat man's vacated sleigh . . . which, in turn, has Death's level-headed granddaughter, Susan, racing to unravel the nasty, humbuggian mess before the holiday season goes straight to hell and takes everyone along with it.

Wednesday, December 17, 2014

Little Critter: Just a Snowman


Hooray! It is a snow day! And what a perfect time to make a snowman. But Little Sister needs help putting on her boots, Dad needs a hand with the shoveling, and Gator wants to build a fort. Will Little Critter ever get to build a snowman?

Tuesday, December 16, 2014

Little Blue Truck's Christmas


t's the most wonderful time of the year Little Blue Truck is spreading cheer by delivering Christmas trees to his animal friends. Can you help count each green tree from one to five and back again? Don't forget to save one for Blue "Beep Beep "
With the gentle rhythm and signature illustration style that made "Little Blue Truck" a household name, Blue's new adventure is full of holiday warmth. Sturdy cardstock pages, a compact and child-friendly text, and flashing colored Christmas lights on the final page come together in a novelty gift book that's sure to be the favorite treat of the season.

The Little Christmas Elf


Nina, the littlest elf in Santa's workshop, doesn't finish the teddy bear she's making in time for it to get loaded onto Santa's sleigh-but, encouraged by Santa Claus himself to not give up, she works far into the night to finish it. While Santa is out delivering presents, a baby is born. Santa comes back for Nina's now-finished bear—and guess who he takes along to deliver it?

Monday, December 15, 2014

The Animals' Santa


When Big Snowshoe tells Little Snow that the animals’ Santa is coming with presents for everyone, Little Snow wants to know who he is. The animals say they have never seen him. Maybe he’s a badger, a moose, a polar bear, or a wolf, they tell him. But this spunky little rabbit thinks they are just fooling him.

On Christmas Eve, Big Snowshoe finds a way to see the animals' Santa when a Snowy Owl in a red cap swoops down with a pack full of presents. Never again will an excited Little Snow doubt that there is an animals' Santa.

Sunday, December 14, 2014

Wild: From Lost to Found on the Pacific Crest Trail


At twenty-two, Cheryl Strayed thought she had lost everything. In the wake of her mother’s death, her family scattered and her own marriage was soon destroyed. Four years later, with nothing more to lose, she made the most impulsive decision of her life. With no experience or training, driven only by blind will, she would hike more than a thousand miles of the Pacific Crest Trail from the Mojave Desert through California and Oregon to Washington State—and she would do it alone. Told with suspense and style, sparkling with warmth and humor, Wild powerfully captures the terrors and pleasures of one young woman forging ahead against all odds on a journey that maddened, strengthened, and ultimately healed her.

Saturday, December 13, 2014

The Storied Life of A. J. Fikry

A New York Times Bestseller, a #1 Indie Next Pick, and a #1 LibraryReads Selection

“This novel has humor, romance, a touch of suspense, but most of all love--love of books and bookish people and, really, all of humanity in its imperfect glory.” —Eowyn Ivey, author of The Snow Child

A. J. Fikry, the irascible owner of Island Books, has recently endured some tough years: his wife has died, his bookstore is experiencing the worst sales in its history, and his prized possession--a rare edition of Poe poems--has been stolen. Over time, he has given up on people, and even the books in his store, instead of offering solace, are yet another reminder of a world that is changing too rapidly. Until a most unexpected occurrence gives him the chance to make his life over and see things anew.

Gabrielle Zevin’s enchanting novel is a love letter to the world of books--an irresistible affirmation of why we read, and why we love.

“Readers who delighted in Mary Ann Shaffer and Annie Barrows’s The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society, Rachel Joyce’s The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry, and Jessica Brockmole’s Letters from Skye will be equally captivated by this adult novel by a popular YA author about a life of books, redemption, and second chances. Funny, tender, and moving.” —Library Journal, starred review

Friday, December 12, 2014

The Elf on Our Shelf Must Die: A Picture Book for Adult Children



The frustration of trying to live up to the unreasonable expectations of Santa Claus causes a sensitive boy to snap. When his cries for help go unanswered by dis-functional family, he takes matters into his hands. In the end, his nemesis Santa Claus is out of his life, and all of his dreams come true.

Thursday, December 11, 2014

How Not to Be a Dick: An Everyday Etiquette Guide



On the one hand, nobody wants to be a dick. On the other hand, dicks are everywhere They cut in line, talk behind our backs, recline into our seats, and even have the power to morph into trolls online. Their powers are impressive, but with a little foresight and thoughtfulness, we can take a stand against dickishness today. "How Not to Be a Dick" is packed with honest and straightforward advice, but it also includes playful illustrations showing two well-meaning (but not always well behaved) young people as they confront moments of potential dickishness in their everyday lives. Sometimes they falter, sometimes they triumph, but they always seek to find a better way. And with their help, you can too.

Tuesday, December 9, 2014

A Response to the Owner of LYDA LLC

I cannot recommend renting from the landlord known as David Zavetsky. I know people who have rented residential and commercial from the man behind LYDA LLC, David G. Zavetsky, with detrimental results, but I’ll write only of my own experience. Those stories are theirs to tell. I’ll also clarify some of the nasty, false statements stated by David Zavetsky.

David Zavetsky is a lazy landlord. OK, so he just wants to own real estate, and sit back and collect checks. I can’t fault him for that, but it’s not how the world works. Property and relationships need be maintained. I rented from David for around 5 years, and had few problems, because the rent check was always there.

The real problems started after I signed the lease to move into 25 Main St. As I said, he’s a little lazy with details. First, the floor plan was wrong. It was a big deal in this case, because I was renting the space with a co-tenant.
The lease had to be modified because of his mistake. To make matters worse, the building was stuck by a SUV and was damaged. Repairs had to be made, and it took months after we moved in to 25 Main St. to complete repairs.

Meanwhile, the co-tenants, and the bookstore had a nasty divorce. I’ve always heard to never go into business with friends or family, but I work with my wife. We had known Julian for several years. He rented a corner in our basement store at 87 Main St. He seemed like a good guy. We started game nights together. It was a sound business relationship. We invited and encouraged him to rent space in the building at 25 Main Street. I don’t like to throw the word synergy around, but I used it.

It ended up being a horrible idea. You know how some married men are completely different people with their wife around? That’s Julian. Neither my wife nor I really knew her. She never came into the store, never came to game night. We didn’t know her, and once we got to know her. We just didn’t like her.

Anja is really a difficult person. Most of us can be at times, but she seemed to go out of her way. Everything from the color of the paint we used to the nature of my relationship with my wife, to comments about my wife’s bipolar disorder.

I guess I should have known something was off when we looked through where the former Enchanted Hollow used to be located. They were located upstairs at 25 Main St, and when I dream, I dream big. I was interested in maybe renting that space for writer’s group, author signings etc.

We were shown the rooms after the business was closed for the day. I love the Enchanted Hollow. It truly feels magical. I loved going through it and thinking how we would use the space once they relocated to the corner that they now are open at.

Anja wouldn’t even walk through the room that Willow gave her tarot card readings in. I thought this was a little weird, but tarot cards aren’t new to me. We sell them. I’ve had a reading. I don’t take it real serious, and consider tarot cards as tools to self-discovery at best, and usually just items of artwork.

OK, so what? She’s super conservative. Everyone has the right to be what they are, but it was like mixing oil and water. The bookstore isn’t conservative. We sell all kinds of books. We even have a GLBT section, and have had one for years. Anyone who is over 40 and grew up in Wellsboro knows that takes a certain amount of chutzpah. Some people don’t like it.

Still not a problem until the Stams decided to do whatever it took to get us evicted. Yes, David Zavetsky is a lazy, lout of a landlord, but he mostly just wants to keep the checks and the quiet coming. He was still willing to let us stay, even after the eviction notice was given. We were almost at an agreement, but the Stams just wouldn’t stand for it.

One of the documents shows that my wife, Kasey, took fruit snacks, and paid a dollar is restitution. As long as I’m writing a novel, let me explain a little about that. My wife isn’t a thief, and who would steal fruit snacks? As I said, we went into this building with our co-tenants as friends, or at least sound business partners.

Julian, the owner of Pop’s Culture, invited us to help ourselves to items from the small fridge downstairs. Now, this was before the Great Divorce. I knew we were not friends any more, but that’s just to give you a sense of what the relationship was like before it went bad.

My wife has some medical problems. She doesn’t try to hide it. She had bipolar disorder. It’s slow cycling, which mostly means it’s manageable with medication and care. She also sometimes has some blood sugar problems. She’ll have an incident every once in awhile.

Julian knows this. He’s actually seen it for himself. He actually held orange juice to her lips while she was shaking and having what looked like a seizure to me, while I called 911. I hate it when my wife has these. I always feel so powerless.

My wife doesn’t even remember taking the fruit snack. For those of you that have had these low blood sugar incidents, you probably don’t even remember them. My wife doesn’t. My friend Jen who has type one diabetes seldom remembers anything that happens during these. Your brain runs on glucose. If there’s a problem with your glucose, there’s going to be a problem with memory.

She wasn’t even charged with theft, but a form of trespass and charged a dollar for restitution, which she paid. We probably should have fought that. She has medical tests where the hospital was trying to find out the source of the problem. It’s not diabetes. I guess that we never thought anyone could be such a despicable person to use that as an excuse to evict someone. I mean if she was going to steal something why chose fruit snacks that weren’t even worth a dollar?

On LYDA’s page, there’s also a police incident report about some games. By the way, these aren’t secret court documents. They are a matter of public record. In September, of 2012, I was getting ready to leave the store. Kasey had left, and I was going to turn off the air conditioning for the night. The thermostat at that time was between spaces rented by the bookstore, and our co-tenant. There was this little “glory hole” that I could reach in to reach the controls. This corner was where we used to have the Pepsi machine. Those of you that know me know I’m not a small guy. I never was, and frankly I’ve gotten fat working at a sedentary desk job.

I bumped into the hastily erected dividing wall, and some games fell off on the other side. I didn’t really think much of it. We sell some games, and they fall of the shelves sometimes. They are packaged well and enclosed in plastic. It seldom hurts them. They aren’t made of glass. It’s not like I was going to call the Stams anyway. We were no longer friends.

The wall I bumped was built without my permission. The owners of Pop’s Culture in fact trespassed to build the diving wall in the middle of the night on a Saturday when the bookstore was closed.

I know they trespassed, because I saw an email from Julian to David Zavetsky saying they had to move some of my shelves to do it, which were all in my space, and thus he had to trespass in order to do it. Also, the door in our space that leads to the cellar was marked with tape when we left for the night, and it was broken, letting me know the door had been opened.

I had suspected that someone was using that door after we closed. Actually, I didn’t think it was Julian at the time. Our spaces were connected at one time, and Julian held game nights long after the bookstore was closed for the night. One Saturday morning, we arrived to find our front door unlocked.

Our door locks from the outside with a key. I think one of the attendants of game night decided to leave through the front door instead of the side door that Pop’s Culture uses. I blamed Julian for this, not because I think he allowed it, but because he just doesn’t have much control over groups of older boys.

I demanded some way to make the space secure, but I never authorized a wall. I never said I would build a wall. I thought about blocking him from Main Street, a great source of walk in and tourist traffic, but I thought that would be too cruel to do even to a man that I know longer considered a friend.

So, the police came about the games, I paid for the damages. Much like if you had broken something in a store and that was the end of it. There were no criminal charges filed. I paid for being the proverbial bull in a china shop.

This incident and the great fruit snack controversy was the majority of the basis for having me evicted. Oh, there was the not having trash in the right spot, not having my insurance on file(which he had from before, as he was my landlord at 87 Main St) and a utilities check I had not paid yet. See, we split the utilities bills here with Pop’s Culture, but the lease did not specify when I was to pay the Stam’s(they put them both in their name), or where the trash went.

The Stams demanded the lease be changed to arrange these, and it was done by the landlord and agreed to by me. So, those were not lease violations as they were not specified in the lease, and once they were, I always followed the lease.

The Pennsylvania Supreme Court agreed. You can Google the result yourself; just type in Kevin Coolidge and Pennsylvania Supreme Court and the decision will come up. In Pennsylvania in order to be in material breach of the lease, you must meet five criteria, and I did NOT meet any. Also, in my case, there were three judges, and all three judges decided in my favor.

One of those judges even questioned the opposing attorney if this case should even be here in court, and another judge said that the police would never even have responded to such a call. The decision calls the case “petty” My landlord should never have served an eviction. I should never had to defend myself in court.

This situation was handled poorly by everyone involved, some more than others. I know I am not always a diplomat, and my wife and I sought the help of someone more experienced in these matters. We approached Terry Ginn, an attorney in town who has specific training in mediation techniques. The owners of Pop’s Culture and our landlord refused this offer.

They wanted us out and they didn’t care how. I’ve read emails that were subpoenaed that show that Julian was interested in renting the space that From My Shelf Books occupied, and certain behaviors led me to believe this before it was confirmed by these emails.

If you come into the bookstore, you will see what many refer to as the Berlin Wall. It reaches maybe ¾ of the way to the ceiling. Why only that much? It doesn’t reach to the ceiling and it does not block the sound coming from the Pop’s Culture business. The bookstore isn’t a library, but a bookstore is a quiet environment. It’s now obvious that the wall was not supposed to be up for very long.

The owners of the game store cry “harassment” but there is no harassment from the bookstore. Julian cried harassment when I started to diversify my inventory, as every successful bookstore has in the last several years. Yet it was Pop’s Culture that started selling many of the same products as the bookstore does, as soon as they were opened for business.

Anyone who has been in the bookstore when events have been going on in the game store can decide for themselves about harassment. Ask our New York Time best seller visitor Carolyn Turgeon, and what the response was when an attending Mansfield professor went over to ask the owners of Pop’s Culture to quiet down.

We tried to find solutions. If the dividing wall was built higher, or with quality materials, or a little sound proofing, it would solve the noise problem. The landlord wants nothing to do with anything that makes his life a little harder, even though the bookstore has always paid rent on time and a valuable anchor on Main Street.

Now he’s a bad landlord and he served an eviction notice that should not have been served? It’s not the first time. Hell, I’m not sure I would be a good landlord. We won in court and no material breach of the lease was found, but it’s the things he’s done after that eviction notice was done that made him into a terrible landlord.

The eviction notice was what he called “frontloaded” It was full of nonsense that was meant to scare us, and make us just leave instead of fight what I knew was not a breach of the lease. I’m not a lawyer and I don’t pretend to be, but I having a bookstore, I do read, and my wife is the daughter of a lawyer.

What he fails to mention on his Facebook page is any of the many dirty things he did. He does his awkward best to make us sound like criminals where no criminal charges exist. He fails to mention the “anonymous” letter making fun of my wife’s bipolar and calling me a “nancy boy” an antiquated term for a homosexual male. It would be funny if it wasn’t so creepy. I’m not homophobic. In fact, the bookstore has a quiet reputation of being safe for the gay community. Anyone with Psychology 101 under their belt has to wonder what dresses are in Mr. Zavetsky’s closet?

He tried to evict our cat Hobo. Hobo is no longer with us, but he was a local celebrity and a main attraction for our store. He was with us at 87 Main Street, and he was with us at 25 Main St. We have a wooden statue out front of him, he has his own book, and people knew of him from all over the country.

Now this cat “eviction” came when several other businesses and tenants in the same building had animals. The Enchanted Hollow has Luna, a very nice, if not as famous cat as Hobo, and the Mountain Home Magazine upstairs has several dogs, one who had to wear a diaper in his elder years.

Our lawyer set him straight, but it just shows how low this landlord was willing to go, and I haven’t listed everything. I might add to this list in the future, but I want to get this up on my blog and as a review on his Facebook page. I’ve had reports from supporters that he is Facebooking and emailing everyone who signs the petition, and I wanted to respond

I’m not going to respond to his comments. I’ve tried engaging this man with not so good results. Several of my close friends and supporters have, and you can read his garbled, poorly constructed replies for yourself. If you are an English teacher, I encourage you NOT to do that, or you will be forced to break out the red marker.

Those of you that know me personally know I’m not the best diplomat, though I’m a loyal friend. I’ve made mistakes during this time. Running a small business under the best of times is a challenge, and I’ve been stressed. I’ve yelled when I shouldn’t have, though I wanted to punch someone. So, it really was the better choice.

Friends are friends and business is business. I rented from LYDA because I needed a place to house From My Shelf Books. I don’t want to deal with this ridiculous and petty little man, but moving will cost me money. My business plan is based on walk-in and tourist traffic. The current location is a perfect location for a bookstore.

This landlord owns at least three building on Main Street, and he told me that he was going to “poison the well” against me by talking to other landlords and advising them not to rent to me. His actions are not the actions of a man that just wants to get rid of a bad renter. His actions are the actions of a man with a vendetta. The actions of a man who wants to destroy my business. It’s not the first, and from what I’ve heard through the grapevine,it's not the last business he is doing that to.

My goal with this petition is not so much to change this landlord’s mind. I’m not sure anything could do that. If he can’t see through his hate to the good business sense of having a bookstore that not only pays the rent, but adds value to his property, and the town he live in, then I don’t see what will change his mind.

My goal is to get media coverage, real media coverage. There’s a story here. Not just my story, but they story of the people this landlord has hurt. There’s the story of a little bookstore that just wanted to sell books in their hometown--a town that didn't have a bookstore when I was growing up, and didn't have one when we started. It’s the story of an underdog, that doesn’t want to believe the American dream is dead.

I would very much appreciate it if you would sign the petition. You can find it here. Sharing this would also be appreciated. I started a fundraising campaign to help us recover the senseless courtcase our landlord dragged us through. You can find that here We are actually almost 2/3 of the way to our goal, and paying our lawyer back.

I really feel we have a case of taking our landlord to court. He hasn't just tried to evict me. He's trying to bankrupt me, and destroy my character, but I should probably pay my lawyer off first. Anything you can do to help will be appreciated. Everyone at From My Shelf Books thanks you. The owners, the staff, and even Huck & Finn, the bookstore cats.

Bear in Long Underwear



The star of Bear in Underwear and Bear in Pink Underwear returns in another adventure. It's wintertime, and Bear and his friends go outside to play in the snow. As Bear sheds his clothes in order to dress his newly-built snowman, he's left--not with his signature tighty-whities--but with LONG underwear. And now, all his pals want cool long underwear of their own.

Monday, December 8, 2014

Christmas in Pennsylvania: A Folk-Cultural Study



The return of a bestselling classic with new material Full-color vintage images for the first time A new selection of recipes from Pennsylvania's Christmas past

Originally published in 1959 and written by one of the seminal figures in American folklife studies, this classic work examines the folk origins of Christmas in the Keystone State. Composed of interviews and contemporary newspaper reports, it records holiday traditions from the eighteenth century through the early twentieth century, including mummers, Christ-Kindel and Kriss Kringle, Christmas trees and trimming, Belsnickels, the Philadelphia carnival of horns, Moravian pyramids and putzes, Pittsburgh firecracker celebrations, and holiday treats. Now with full-color images, this edition includes Don Yoder's new expanded afterword on recent research of Christmas customs and a selection of traditional recipes.

Sunday, December 7, 2014

The Night Before the Night Before Christmas



It's December 23, and Christmas is just around the corner. But one family is having trouble getting its act together. Once again, Natasha Wing follows the rhythms and meter of Clement Moore's classic Christmas poem, yet gives it her own entirely original twist.

Dex T-Rex: The Mischievous Little Dinosaur



Dex is a mischievous little dinosaur who runs around creating havoc. He kicks He smashes He shreds until he realizes that his rambunctious actions have devastating effects to the animals and the forest. He resolves to make things right, and sets out ...

Saturday, December 6, 2014

My Big Fat Zombie Goldfish



When Tom’s big brother decides to become an Evil Scientist, his first experiment involves dunking Frankie the goldfish into toxic green gunk. Tom knows that there is only one thing to do: Zap the fish with a battery and bring him back to life! But there’s something weird about the new Frankie. He’s now a BIG FAT ZOMBIE GOLDFISH with hypnotic powers . . . and he’s out for revenge!

Friday, December 5, 2014

"Bye Bye Bubbly" Episode 6 Season One of From My Shelf Books Vs. The Evi...

Getting Rooted in New Zealand



Craving change and lacking logic, at 26, Jamie, a cute and quirky Californian, impulsively moves to New Zealand to avoid dating after reading that the country's population has 100,000 fewer men. In her journal, she captures a hysterically honest look at herself, her past and her new wonderfully weird world filled with curious characters and slapstick situations in unbelievably bizarre jobs. It takes a zany jaunt to the end of the Earth and a serendipitous meeting with a fellow traveler before Jamie learns what it really means to get rooted.

Show Your Work!: 10 Ways to Share Your Creativity and Get Discovered


In his "New York Times" bestseller "Steal Like an Artist," Austin Kleon showed readers how to unlock their creativity by stealing from the community of other movers and shakers. Now, in an even more forward-thinking and necessary book, he shows how to take that critical next step on a creative journey getting known." Show Your Work " is about why generosity trumps genius. It s about getting "findable," about using the network instead of wasting time networking. It s not self-promotion, it s self-discovery let others into your process, then let them steal from you. Filled with illustrations, quotes, stories, and examples, "Show Your Work " offers ten transformative rules for being open, generous, brave, productive. In chapters such as You Don t Have to Be a Genius; Share Something Small Every Day; and Stick Around, Kleon creates a user s manual for embracing the communal nature of creativity what he calls the ecology of talent. From broader life lessons about work (you can t find your voice if you don t use it) to the etiquette of sharing and the dangers of oversharing to the practicalities of Internet life (build a good domain name; give credit when credit is due), it s an inspiring manifesto for succeeding as any kind of artist or entrepreneur in the digital age."

Thursday, December 4, 2014

Krampus: The Devil of Christmas



..".an arresting terror " -- Rick Kogan; Chicago Tribune Magazine With an ADDITIONAL 32 pages, superior printing, and a secure HARDCOVER binding, KRAMPUS: The Devil of Christmas picks up where the softcover edition of The Devil in Design leaves off. In the early Christmas traditions of Europe, the Krampus was St. Nicholas' dark servant-a hairy, horned, supernatural beast whose pointed ears and long slithering tongue gave misbehavers the creeps Whereas St. Nicholas would reward children who'd been good all year, those that had behaved badly were visited by the Krampus. This NEW and IMPROVED edition includes an introduction, a historical survey of the character, and over 180 lavish pre-World War 1 Krampus postcards. KRAMPUS: The Devil of Christmas is a lush, hair-raising collection guaranteed to give even Stephen King the creeps.

Wednesday, December 3, 2014

Krampusnacht: Twelve Nights of Krampus


For bad children, a lump of coal from Santa is positively light punishment when Krampus is ready and waiting to beat them with a stick, wrap them in chains, and drag them down to hell-all with St. Nick's encouragement and approval. "Krampusnacht" holds within its pages twelve tales of Krampus triumphant, usurped, befriended, and much more. From evil children (and adults) who get their due, to those who pull one over on the ancient "Christmas Devil." From historic Europe, to the North Pole, to present day American suburbia, these all new stories embark on a revitalization of the Krampus tradition. Whether you choose to read "Krampusnacht" over twelve dark and scary nights or devour it in one "nacht" of joy and terror, these stories are sure to add chills and magic to any winter's reading. Featuring stories by Cheresse Burke, Guy Burtenshaw, Jill Corddry, Elise Forier Edie, Patrick Evans, Scott Farrell, Caren Gussoff, Mark Mills, Jeff Provine, Colleen H. Robbins, Lissa Sloan, and Elizabeth Twist.

Tuesday, December 2, 2014

Krampus!



Meet the Krampus, yuletide terror and punisher of wicked children. Long imprisoned for his outdated methods, the holiday horror suddenly finds himself freed and tasked with a mission: recover the stolen power of the Secret Society of Santa Clauses With his flying wolf Stutgaard, the Krampus crosses the globe, encountering various figures of winter lore and uncovering a sinister scheme to topple the Santas and change Christmas as we know it forever Collects Krampus #1-5 and extras, including all-new material.

Monday, December 1, 2014

The Long Haul


A family road trip is supposed to be a lot of fun . . . unless, of course, you're the Heffleys. The journey starts off full of promise, then quickly takes several wrong turns. Gas station bathrooms, crazed seagulls, a fender bender, and a runaway pig--not exactly Greg Heffley's idea of a good time. But even the worst road trip can turn into an adventure--and this is one the Heffleys won't soon forget.

Krampus: The Yule Lord



Santa Claus, my dear old friend, you are a thief, a traitor, a slanderer, a murderer, a liar, but worst of all you are a mockery of everything for which I stood. You have sung your last ho, ho, ho, for I am coming for your head. . . . I am coming to take back what is mine, to take back Yuletide . . .
—from Krampus

The author and artist of The Child Thief returns with a modern fabulist tale of Krampus, the Lord of Yule and the dark enemy of Santa Claus
One Christmas Eve in a small hollow in Boone County, West Virginia, struggling songwriter Jesse Walker witnesses a strange spectacle: seven devilish figures chasing a man in a red suit toward a sleigh and eight reindeer. When the reindeer leap skyward, taking the sleigh, devil men, and Santa into the clouds, screams follow. Moments later, a large sack plummets back to earth, a magical sack that thrusts the down-on-his-luck singer into the clutches of the terrifying Yule Lord, Krampus. But the lines between good and evil become blurred as Jesse's new master reveals many dark secrets about the cherry-cheeked Santa Claus, including how half a millennium ago the jolly old saint imprisoned Krampus and usurped his magic.
Now Santa's time is running short, for the Yule Lord is determined to have his retribution and reclaim Yuletide. If Jesse can survive this ancient feud, he might have the chance to redeem himself in his family's eyes, to save his own broken dreams, . . . and to help bring the magic of Yule to the impoverished folk of Boone County.