the books in Bill Davis's estate

Concering the books for sale from the estate of William "Bill" Davis, Jr., of Wellsboro, PA:

BRIEF BIO, FROM WHERE WE CAME IN:

Even for those of you who knew Bill, the extent of his achievements and influence in the world of 20th century firearms and ballistics engineering may come as a surprise. Close friends and family say that he was more than modest, he was also discreet, especially concerning various government projects he worked on.

A beautiful, page-long "In Memoriam" column in the September 2010 edition of "American Rifleman" celebrates the longtime ballistics editor for the magazine, naming Davis, among other accolades, as "one of the most brilliant and accomplished ballisticians and firearms engineers of the 20th century," whose "knowledge was not merely theoretical" but instead "practical and applied frequently."*

In addition to writing over 50 feature articles for "American Rifleman" over the years, Davis published the book "Handloading", in 1981, with the NRA, as well as acting as a main writer for the Encyclopedia Britannica's section on Ammunitions.

His professional contributions are, quite literally, too numerous to list here. I do feel compelled to mention one of the projects Davis was instrumental in: identifying and resolving many of the early problems with the M16 which particularly plagued our troops in Vietnam.

After working as an ordnance engineer for the military at the Aberdeen Proving Grounds, the Frankfurt Arsenal and the Rock Island Arsenal at various points in his career, Davis retired from government work to set up his own consulting firm. The Tioga Engineering Company was founded by Bill Davis in 1972, right here in Wellsboro, and for the next three decades, Davis acted as firearm and ballistics consultant, expert witness and self-employed engineer. People from all over the world consulted him for his expertise on a daily basis.

The collection of books that Davis has left behind attest to the wide range of his accomplishments, the depth of his expertise, and the tremendous esteem accorded to Bill from experts around the world. Many of his books are first editions, are inscribed to him by the authors with warm personal greetings, or were given to him as gifts by the founders and CEOs of large firearms companies. We hope that Davis's books will find new homes with people who will truly appreciate his legacy.

-- Kasey Cox, manager
From My Shelf bookstore
Wellsboro, PA
September 12, 2010

*"In Memoriam", American Rifleman, September 2010, pg. 34, by Mark A Keefe, IV, Editor in Chief

A Walk on the Nightside

If you’re looking for a little sci-fi adventure with a liberal dose of the fantastic, disguised as a pulp-fiction detective novel, take a walk on the Nightside. Simon R. Green, veteran author of other books of fantasy adventure, introduces a new series with Something from the Nightside. The Nightside is a horrible, intriguing place, where beings from all different worlds come to satisfy any and every secret desire or twisted appetite. Fans of Neil Gaiman’s Neverwhere will recognize the idea of a secret, hidden London, a parallel darker heart which lives beats deep below the bright London streets. The Nightside is simultaneously broader and darker, encompassing many more planes of existence and much more depravity and violence than Gaiman’s whimsical Neverwhere.

For his tales from the Nightside, Green has created an interesting protagonist, a paranormal detective named John Taylor, who was actually born and raised in the Nightside, whose name alone makes most of the population of the Nightside either steer well clear of him or target him for murder, for reasons even Taylor does not completely understand. He has a powerful “gift” – not unusual for residents of the Nightside – thanks to his mother, whom he doesn’t remember. She left him and his father after revealing that she wasn’t human. Green makes it very obvious that the mysteries of John Taylor’s mother will add more to the plot later (bold font intended; cue loud, ominous, melodramatic music).

In the meantime, John has left the Nightside when he felt he could no longer outrun all the powers that wished to kill him. When Something from the Nightside opens, John has been living in regular, modern-day London for five years, barely scratching out a living as a private detective. The narrative begins with the stereotypical film noir, hard-boiled detective scene – dingy, small office; rainy city night; bills that need paid; the knock on the door by a rich, pretty dame with attitude who immediately begins verbally sparring with the rough-looking P.I. with enough blasé attitude to match her feisty one. The clichéd Raymond-Chandler-esque phrasing is pretty heavy-handed here, but read on, and give the book a chance, because this new client leads Taylor back into the Nightside – a journey filled with nods to worlds as varied as the Cthulhu mythos to the Twilight Zone, but an unique creation completely belonging to Green.

Taylor’s first foray back to the Nightside after his – er, sabbatical – brings him into contact with such quirky, dangerous characters as Shotgun Suzie, an assassin who lives to kill; Razor Eddie, a cold-blooded killer who, upon his death, asked to be resurrected so he could use his death-skills to murder the truly evil; and other folks known only by a label, such as the Collector, whose singular goal is to collect the most unusual, most rare, most sought-after items from any time or place in history, and who will do anything to get these items. John Taylor’s gift is that he really is a “private” eye – his third eye is so powerful, he can find anything in the Nightside. Nothing is hidden from the supernatural spotlight in his head – unless the Authorities who govern the Nightside, or something else equally powerful, has hidden it. Like the teenage daughter of his new client, who came to the Nightside, and seems to have vanished.

These books are a quick, fun read – what one critic called “brain candy, hard-boiled” – but they offer something that feels at once familiar and original. While the descriptions can get a bit repetitive, I often got the sense that Green was playing with the genres he was mixing like a mad scientist in his lab, laughing as he made a parody of the very ingredients he was using. Ultimately, Green’s writing is not his real strength, but his complete lack of fear with experimenting makes the stories quite compelling. The reader, like the inhabitants of and visitors to the Nightside, never knows what will turn up around the next corner, or on the next page. Having enjoyed the first book, I soon picked up the second book in the series, Agents of Light and Darkness, where I found the plot a little stronger, the writing a little smoother, and the characters given some added dimension. Remember, the point of the Nightside is that there’s something here for everyone ….

Paranormal investigator? Or Third eye blind? Email me at from_my_shelf@yahoo.com Missing column? Investigate at http://frommyshelf.blogspot.com Hobo goes hard-boiled in his new detective novel, “Hobo Gets A Clue”, dames, cats, and murder…

I Hate Writing

Kevin Coolidge

“There's nothing to writing. All you do is sit down at a typewriter and open a vein.” ~Walter Wellesley "Red" Smith

I hate writing. I love having written, and I’m in good company. Ernest Hemingway, Mark Twain, Dorothy Parker—all have been credited with this widely quoted line. I happily credit them all because I understand. I stare at the blank screen. I write an opening paragraph, but I change my topic, and now it doesn’t fit. I delete it. I wish I had not. I start over. I hate writing.

I hate writing so much that I thought I should write a regular column. So that I wouldn’t be alone in my misery, I convinced Kasey to suffer along with me, because she hates writing too. We do, however, love books, and Ray Bradbury, a well-known and prolific writer, gives the advice of “Write only what you love, and love what you write” and so the column was to be about books, or rather reading, or maybe it should be writing about reading. Basically, if there’s a topic we wanted to write about, there was sure to be a book about it. “We won’t ever run out of material,” I pointed out. “Why, we could write for years on the books we have already read.”

Now, we only had to get someone to buy the idea. Luckily, the editor of the Wellsboro Gazette hates writing, but loves reading. “Sure, we can give it a shot, but I’m going to need something by this afternoon.” I remember that first column, punched out on the keyboard, making sure to spell every word correctly and not use the word ‘very’ in a sentence. I finished with minutes to spare, and with a satisfied click, thumped my first deadline. It was my best column, because it was my first column.

I couldn’t write a second, or a third, or fourth years’ worth of columns until I wrote that first one. Many authors attempt a “starter” novel, to prove they can create a narrative that will actually be read. Often that first work is safely squirreled away in a dark, inaccessible spot, so that no one will be forced to say that it is merely “good,” or if they are honest, that they didn’t like it, not at all. Only with experience and effort does a writer learn to “leave out the parts that people skip.”

Rereading my past work can be overwhelming. I see lines I wished I had omitted, an awkward phrase. What was I saying here? What was I thinking? There was a better way I could have expressed that, and it will never be exactly what I wanted to say. It will never be perfect. But I also gain much satisfaction. This part almost captured exactly what I was seeking, and here I was able to say the same thing with fewer words. I’ve read that “being a good writer mostly means being a good observer and a good thinker”, and with work, zest, gusto, and a good editor—I still hate writing, but I love having written…

Reading? Writing? Or Arithmetic? Drop me an email at from_my_shelf@yahoo.com Miss a past column? Four years’ worth just crammed with rich, creamy chocolate chips at http://frommyshelf.blogspot.com , grab a cold glass of milk and drink it in before the expiration date. Miss the farm? Catch “Hobo Finds a Home” a children’s book written by a cat, because when someone said mouse, Hobo heard muse…

A Midsummer's Newsletter!

From My Shelf
Newsletter: July 2010

News! : important recaps from June’s newsletter:
*If you haven’t checked out the website recently, check in for some of the new things we’ve added! Of course, there’s always something new at the “Events” calendar link, but we’ve also added new photos, links to our youtube videos, and more! Don’t forget to visit the website every once in a while, since we’re always adding new & different content for you! In fact, go bookmark us now, at www.wellsborobookstore.com

*We have added/changed our Wednesday special members’ sale! Wednesdays are now 25% off ALL children’s books, new or used, all summer long! Keep the kids reading: keep their minds sharp and your nerves intact by bringing them to the bookstore each week for high quality, great selection, reasonably-priced summer entertainment! And be sure to watch our calendar of events for a TON of great activities all summer long.

Upcoming Events at the Bookstore: (see calendar on website for details)

*Moms’ Night Out Book Club: Wednesday, July 14th, 6 to 8pm: Moms! Join the women from our local MOPS (Mothers of Pre-schoolers) for a fun evening of light book discussion & light refreshments. Participants should try to read the at least the first of the two books in Irene Hannon's "Heroes of Quantico" series, Christian romantic thrillers. We have these books for sale at the bookstore on big discount for those participating. You need not be an official member of MOPS, just a woman, preferably a mom, who needs a night out to socialize a little with some other women!

* GAME NIGHT! Friday July 16, 5 to 9pm: Open game play night, featuring the newest release of Magic the Gathering’s 2011 Core Set. Although there will be great sales on the 2011 Core Set, and we anticipate a lot of Magic players attending, this is not a strict tournament, nor is this Game Night only for experienced Magic players. Join us for great specials on games of all kinds, learn how to play something new, or revisit an old favorite. Free & open to the public, no age restrictions, although this particular night is better for ages 10 & up.

*The Mad Hatter Tea Party! Wednesday, July 21st, 6 to 9pm: hosted by the Tween/Teen Book Club at From My Shelf, open to all ages. Come celebrate Lewis Carroll's classic "Alice in Wonderland" and all its permutations. Participants are asked to re-read the original "Alice in Wonderland" or read it for the first time, so that we may discuss it over tea, Wonderland-style. Other books that may be fun to discuss include Frank Beddor's series "The Looking Glass Wars" (including ‘The Looking Glass Wars’, ‘Seeing Redd’, and ‘Archenemy’, as well as 2 graphic novels about ‘Hatter M’; and/or Melanie Benjamin's "Alice I Have Been". There are also several graphic novel adaptations and expansions of the Alice story. Copies of the poems of the "Jabberwocky" and "the Walrus and the Carpenter" would make additional interesting conversation. All of these are available at the bookstore at discounted prices for the Tea Party.

Discussion groups and games may be divided up into age-appropriate groups, depending on the books discussed and the range of ages of those who come for Tea. This Tea Party, however, has NOTHING to do with President Obama, Sarah Palin, Boston, the American Revolution, or taxes.

Wear your best Victorian garb, or go for the more sartorially-splendid Mad Hatter approach. Tea, biscuits and finger-sandwiches to be served. To buy a lovely, new, but inexpensive copy of the original "Alice" before the party, the bookstore will be selling them for $3. If you buy your book with us, admission to the tea party is free; without an "Alice"-related book purchased at From My Shelf, admission is $3.

*Author Event! Friday, July 23rd, 11am to 2pm: local author, Norman Davis, of Galeton, PA, presents his collection of nature essays, entitled “Nature Ramblings”. This anthology includes many of Norm’s previously published columns from the Potter Leader. The book, which Norm self-published through Infinity Press, has been a special labor of love for Norm, his wife, and the staff of From My Shelf, who helped Norm edit and format his paper files to the appropriate computer data necessary for the publication. The finished project is a beautiful book, full of reminders to LOOK around us in this lovely area in which we live, throughout every season. The photo gracing the front cover, as well as the pen & ink drawings beginning every season’s reflections, are Norm’s handiwork. This is the perfect book for every summer cabin, hunting camp, beach house, naturalist’s bookshelf, and hiker’s backpack.

*Author Event! Saturday, August 7th, 12 to 3pm: Terry Drake, family therapist, licensed social worker, life coach, author of “Live Happily Ever After…Now!”. Based on his professional experiences and age-old techniques such as those used in positive psychology, Ericksonian hypnosis, and the Law of Attraction, Terry has penned this book to help people learn how much control they actually have over your life, discover their beliefs and attitudes about themselves, others and the world in which we live. Terry outlines how to understand what you can control, then how to use the 9 simple steps to make changes and begin living the life you want.

August Plans:
Help with summer required reading: an evening in early August for kids & teens who would like help understanding and finishing their required reading this summer….

Two writers’ seminars: one repeat of our highly-praised seminar, introducing authors to the pros & cons of self-publishing; the other, a more in-depth look at PR & marketing strategies for authors, both self-published and more “traditionally” published writers ….

An evening to brainstorm and start gathering resources & volunteers for October’s Bookfest…

Stay tuned for more details!


Michelle’s corner:

She’s Come Undone by Wally Lamb
The title caught my eye, ‘She’s Come Undone’. Yep, I thought to myself…I’ve felt that way before. Little did I know that this book would take me on an emotional rollercoaster and leave me sitting in a moment of silence after I read the last words. It is the story of Delores Price, who comes from a dysfunctional family, is raped at age 13 then spends the next few years insulating herself from people & feelings, by watching TV and eating. She soon finds that she is 257 pounds, cynical, angry, suicidal and feels unlovable. This is her journey to understand her life, to forgive, to let go and to love. This book touches your heart and may make you see things in your life in a whole new light. Expect to be moved!!
*Interesting note* I had a whole other article wrote up for this month, but this book would not let go of me. I know that this is not my usual kind of read. It is intensely emotional and deeply moving, but it needs to be read!So step away from your usual and give it a try!




Michelle’s picks for new releases not to miss
(These series need to be read in order)**
**June 29th – Pray For the Dawn: The Dark Days Series, book 4 by Jocelynn Drake (OOPS! Missed this last month)
**July 6th – Undead & Unfinished: Queen Betsey, book 9 by Mary Janice Davidson
**July 20th – Troublemaker: Alexander Barnaby Series, book 3 by Janet Evanovich (This is her debut graphic novel)
**July 27th - Eternal Kiss of Darkness: Night Huntress World, book 2 by Jeaniene Frost
**July 27th - Waking the Witch: Women of the Otherworld, book 11 by Kelley Armstrong
**July 27th – Wait for the Dusk: The Dark Days Series, book 5 by Jocelynn Drake
July 27th – Kiss Me If You Can: Most Eligible Bachelor, book 1 by Carly Phillips

July 27th – A Kiss at Midnight by Eloisa James

For those addicted to the Stephanie Bond “Body Movers” Series – On the author’s website it says that Sony pictures is interested in developing her series into a TV pilot, but until they decide, she cannot release books 7 & 8. Please hurry and make up your mind , SONY!



This just in! New releases/new inventory to celebrate!
•The Fiddler in the Subway by Gene Weingarten
•The Good Men Project: Real Stories from the Front Lines of Modern Manhood
•The Magicians by Lev Grossman
•The Merry Misogynist by Colin Cotterill.
•Confessions of a Counterfeit Farm-Girl by Susan McCorkindale
•Separation of Church & State by David Barton
•Mixed Skills in Math, Grades 7-8 by Marge Lindskog
•Physics for Future Presidents by Richard Muller
•Cross My Heart and Hope to Spy by Ally Carter
•The Passage by Justin Cronin
•Sizzlin’ Sixteen by Janet Evanovich
•Sheep in a Shop by Nancy Shaw
•Take Four (Above the Line series #4) by Karen Kingsbury
•Best Friends Forever by Jennifer Weiner


From My Shelf bookstore
87 Main Street
Wellsboro PA 16901
www.wellsborobookstore.com
(570) 724-5793

Together, we’re building community one book at a time …..

When I'm Gone

Kevin Coolidge

"Death is not the end. There remains the litigation over the estate." Ambrose Bierce.


Never saw Joe in a tie before – or a suit, now that I think of it. Hair combed, shoes polished, pants ironed: he’s looking pretty good for a dead guy. There’s a large turnout here at the funeral home. Joe knew just about everyone, and everyone knew Joe. Give Joe a chance and he’d talk your ear off. Telling a joke to get a laugh, or telling his favorite fishing story—Joe loved fishing so much that his wife used to joke that he’d die fishing. She was right, but there’s worse ways to go. I’m sure going to miss Joe, but I wonder if I’m ever going to get back my fly-tying vice?

I knew Joe didn’t want to be buried in the cold, dark ground, but rather cremated and his ashes scattered at his favorite fishing hole. I knew it, because he told me over a cold beer on a hot summer day, but he never actually wrote it down anywhere. Death, funerals, burials, wills—these are things that you never talk about, but someday you’ll have to plan for them, for yourself, or for a loved one. It’s not an easy thing to plan for, but Death for Beginners by Karen Jones, and When I’m Gone by Kathleen Fraser, can make it a little easier.

Why think about death? Sure, deep down we know that none of us are getting out of here alive, but why dwell on it? Your mother raised you to be considerate of others, and this is really what’s it all about. Your loved ones are going to be grieving. In order to keep wrong decisions being made, money wasted, or feelings hurt, shouldn’t there be an instruction manual?

Death for Beginners is broken down into useful chapters—such as “what to do with the body”, or “So who wants or needs to know”. You don’t have to have an expensive, traditional service. It was once common to hold the viewing in the deceased’s home, and if you’d rather not buy a cemetery plot, you can leave your body to science.

How many times have you read the obituaries or read in the paper that the funeral was yesterday? There’s a chapter that will help you decide whom to tell and when. As well as advice for your obituary, how to do it—such as focusing on the life lived rather than a notice of death. Also in our digital age, don’t forget notification on Facebook and other social media website pages.

Where is your password? Your PIN numbers? The key to the back door? How is your wife going to be able to access your Paypal account? When I’m Gone is a practical fill-in record book and resource manual to give instructions to those who are left behind, not only on will, funeral arrangements, or insurance, but on the day-to-day details of your life and household—such as your landlord’s phone number, or what your post office box number is.

Death can be a long-awaited trip, or an unexpected stop, but we all have to make the journey. Shouldn’t you leave your family a practical road map? So, pack your bags, update your passport, and get one of these books for your travel guide. Now that wasn’t so bad, was it? You are only going to get one chance to plan your funeral, and you know what happened the last time you let your aunt navigate...

The Deadliest Men

Kevin Coolidge

“When you have to shoot, shoot!—Don’t talk.”


Loyalty, honor and courage are among the many virtues of the warrior. Heroes fascinate and fill our lives, from the epics of Homer and “The Iliad” to Hollywood’s latest man of action. These men fight for their lives, survive terrible wounds, endure pain, make incredible escapes, and triumph over overwhelming odds. But how many such men have there been, really?

The Deadliest Men: The World’s Deadliest Combatants throughout the Ages by Paul Kirchner profiles forty “battle-glad” men and four “strife-eager” women, ranging from the glory hound Alexander the Great to a backwoods conscientious objector. There are gunfighters, a poetry spouting Viking, and even a professional baseball player.

Ty Cobb led the American League in batting, had a career average of .367, and was the first player voted into the Baseball Hall of Fame, but he also intentionally spiked players, brawled with umpires, beat up hecklers, and pistol whipped a mugger so thoroughly that he couldn’t be identified at the morgue…the meanest man who ever played baseball.

Audie Murphy was only 5 foot 5 and 112 pounds when he signed up for WW II, but became the most decorated American combat soldier of the war, winning every award for valor. His portrait on the cover of Life magazine brought him to attention of Hollywood. He played himself in To Hell and Back, but the movie minimized his actual record of kills for reasons of taste…truly an army of one.

Miyamoto Musashi was a famed swordsman. In the absence of war, dueling was the only way for a samurai to gain renown. By controlling the time and circumstances of his duels, and arriving when he chose, Musashi fought over sixty duels and became Japan’s most notorious ronin. In addition to the sword, he practiced calligraphy, sculpture, and painting, and wrote A Book of Five Rings, a book of strategy still read today…a master of the pen and the sword.

James Bowie, born in the bayou of Louisiana, grew up wrestling alligators. He invested in land with money that he made importing smuggled slaves, and he was a Southern gentlemen with a penchant for fighting. The famous American fighting knife that bears his name was conceived when his gun misfired and he swore he’d never be without a reliable weapon again. He died at the Alamo. When his mother heard of his death she said, “I’ll wager no wounds were found in his back” …So, if you’re going to bring a knife to a gunfight….

Why did these individuals fight? Honor? Self-defense? Love of adventure? Some of these characters were born to privilege and wealth, some born in poverty, some were powerful men, and some were small of stature, but the call of battle called them all, and they answered…

The Good? The Bad? Or the Ugly? Shoot me an email at from_my_shelf@yahoo.com Miss a previous column? Never fear; they’re all stored here at http://frommyshelf.blogspot.com Be sure to look for Hobo’s new book on his neighborhood’s meanest cats like Krazyshanks, Henry, and Velvet...

Thanks To All 2009 Bookfest Authors

Dear Authors:

We wanted to thank you again for participating last October in Wellsboro’s very first BookFest. You all helped make this new event a big success and a great launching point for the years to come. We have big plans for this year’s event, and even bigger dreams for the future, and we hope you will join us along the way.

BookFest 2010 will be held on Saturday, October 16th at the Wellsboro high school. We will have full access to the high school library, cafeteria, and gymnasium, all of which connect together at one end of the building. Both the cafeteria and the gym as individual spaces are bigger than the Wellsboro Fireman’s Annex, where BookFest was last year, so with all three spaces available to us, we will have exponentially more room, facilities, and traffic flow than last year. Since we learned so much from last year, we are excited to be able to be that much more organized in the entire layout and process of this year’s festival.

Wellsboro’s BookFest provides authors with the chance to sell their own books; market to a large, willing crowd who are all interested in books, writing, literacy, and reading; network with other authors and publishers, as well as with teachers, parents, librarians, and store owners. We expect most authors who come to BookFest to be in charge of their own cash boxes for sales: you sell your own book; you collect the money and sales tax; you keep all of your own profits. We will not take a cut of your sales. If you cannot sell your own book as a result of contractual terms, or prefer to make other arrangements with the bookstore regarding the sales of your book(s) for BookFest, please let us know.

This year we will add the chance for authors to do readings of their work or demonstrations/talks about a relevant topic, in 15 to 30 minute sessions, scheduled to take place in a section of the library, which will be away from the general roar of the crowds. Let us know if you are interested in giving one of these sessions.

Other activities and attractions for this event will include lunch foods and baked goods for sale (sponsored by student groups and/or local nonprofits); a large used book sale; a ticket-raffle for a variety of beautiful items donated by local businesses and crafters; story-time for young children; 4 to 5 hours of live radio broadcasts, including interviews with many of you authors. Our offer to you is this: we’ll bring the crowds; you sell your books!

The cost of registering this year is $30, which gets you months of pre-advertising and PR, including ads and articles on www.booksalefinder.com, facebook, twitter, our monthly newsletters, local newspapers (including the Wellsboro Gazette, the Potter Leader, the Elmira Star Gazette, and the Williamsport Sun Gazette), the state websites for both the PA teachers’ union and the educational support staff union, at least two local radio stations, and more. Your registration fee also provides you with a large rectangular table just for you (no sharing this year, I promise), folding chairs, bottled water, reserved parking, plastic bags for your customers, access to a “bank”, and a volunteer assistant for the day. If you donate a copy of one of your books (must be a real book, not an ARC) to the ticket-raffle, then your registration fee is $20. Please make checks payable to “From My Shelf” and mail your check (and book, if you choose) to us at: From My Shelf, 87 Main St, Wellsboro, PA 16901.

Authors (plus family or other willing assistants) can arrive Friday, and/or stay Saturday, if they like, to make a nice weekend of the event. We will gladly help authors find appropriate lodging, although in order to accommodate everyone’s needs, the sooner you make these plans, the better, since October is a very popular time of year for tourism in Wellsboro. We can help you find great deals on motel/hotel/camping/B&B’s, who may offer incentives for the authors in this event. We may also be able to find “host families” for a single author or a couple, where you might stay the night with a local family, but again we’d need to know several months in advance if you would like us to make these arrangements for you. These kinds of lodging arrangements are the modus operandi for the Endless Mountain Music Festival in August, and both musicians and locals have really enjoyed this way of meeting people and talking about common interests in the arts.

Meals will not be provided, although we will have volunteers available to you all day on Saturday, who can run to get you the food of your choice. There will also be food for sale at the high school, as a part of BookFest. As for meals for Friday, or for Saturday evening, I may be able to arrange for discounts or “prix fixe” menus for participating authors, once I know how many people would want to participate. We want to make this a wonderful experience for everyone involved, and you authors are a key part of what makes this event so special.

Please let us know if you can join us this fall, to make the second annual Wellsboro BookFest THE regional literary event of the year!

Warmly yours,


Kevin Coolidge & Kasey Cox,
The staff at From My Shelf,
Hobo the cat,
and the educators of the Wellsboro Area School District.

Forgotten Tales of Pennsylvania

Kevin Coolidge

Where are you from? It’s a question I’ve heard no matter where I’ve traveled. What do you answer? Do you tell them where you were born? Where you grew up? Where you went to college? I’ve always known where I’m from: I’m from Pennsylvania, home of Pittsburgh steel, birthplace of a nation filled with hard-working people, and site of some mighty peculiar history.

You already know that the Declaration of Independence was signed in Philadelphia. You probably know that portions of Western Pennsylvania were disputed territory between the colonial British and French during the French and Indian War, but do you know about the act of cannibalism that occurred in May of 1872 at the Pennsylvania House Hotel in the city of York? Or that giant skeletons were excavated in some of the state’s ancient burial grounds, and a human skull with horns was discovered in Bradford County?

Historian Thomas White has spent countless hours pouring over books about the big events in Pennsylvania history, and along the way has stumbled across those little tidbits of history that get ignored in school. His book, Forgotten Tales of Pennsylvania, covers the strange stuff--those bizarre anecdotes, legends, and forgotten stories that I like the best.

This book contains over 160 of Pennsylvania’s lesser-known tales. There are stories of the supernatural. I wasn’t aware that Pennsylvania had such a rich history of werewolves, ranging from the werewolf of Clinton County’s recorded by Henry Shoemaker, the werewolf of Shenango valley who could run on both two and four legs, to May Paul’s werewolf admirer. There are also witches, ghosts, monsters, alien big cats and even a leprechaun credited with saving a child’s life.

There are bizarre tales of spontaneous combustion in Coudersport, raining snails in Chester County, and the spooklights of the Lackawanna Valley. I loved the story about the goldfish credited with putting out a fire in Philadelphia, and the tale of the Frenchman’s gold rumored to be buried near Coudersport makes me want to grab my shovel and go for a hike in God’s country.

There are also trivia and news stories that don’t usually make the history books. Did you know that the smallest officially-designated wilderness area in America is in Pennsylvania? Or that the original Jeep was designed and constructed by the American Bantam Car Company in Butler County? There are also accounts of circus accidents, dam disasters, a communist working for the FBI, and an exploding rattlesnake.

Most of the tales are short, to the point, and fun to read. If you enjoyed Flatlanders and Ridgerunners by Jim Glimm or The Monsters of Pennsylvania by Patty Wilson, or if you just enjoy quirky stories, then pick up a copy of Forgotten Tales of Pennsylvania, because it doesn’t really matter where you are from; it’s where you are going…

Ruled and schooled? Or satisfy your own thirst? Email me at from_my_shelf@yahoo.com Miss a past column? Explore the archives at http://frommyshelf.blogspot.com and catch up on past columns, comments, and more. Pennsylvania has at least one tawny cat, and that’s Hobo, author of Hobo Finds A Home, a children’s book about Hobo’s favorite subject, Hobo…

Rental textbooks: let us help you save money at Chegg!!

Everyone knows how expensive their college textbooks were at the start of the term. Here we are, it’s the end of the term and the bookstore wants to give you pennies on the dollar for your books. I say forget the bookstore! You can make some real dough by going to www.chegg.com/buyback/ . They’ll pay you top dollar for your books, like $40 each – and no lines because it’s online. What could you do with double the money the bookstore would give you? Chegg even pays the shipping!

How about the fact I have a promo code CC128580 that gets you an extra $5 with your order?

GET lots of cash + GET more cash = A green way to sell your books

Go to www.chegg.com/buyback/, you can get your used textbooks sold now. After all, you read your books cover to cover, or at least that’s what your professor believes, so you should be smart enough to know where to sell them for the extra buck, smarty pants.

June 2010 newsletter

From My Shelf Newsletter: June 2010

News! *If you haven’t checked out the website recently, check in at some of the new things we’ve added! Of course, there’s always something new at the “Events” calendar link, but we’ve also added new photos, links to our youtube videos, and more! Don’t forget to visit the website every once in a while, since we’re always adding new & different content for you! In fact, go bookmark us now, at www.wellsborobookstore.com

*Punch cards: once again, we’ll be putting the “punch card” on summer hiatus – we won’t be punching any cards this summer, but, if you have a full punch card, you can still redeem it for $10 off a purchase at the store any time.

*We have added/changed our Wednesday special members’ sale! Wednesdays are now 25% off ALL children’s books, new or used, all summer long! Keep the kids reading: keep their minds sharp and your nerves intact by bringing them to the bookstore each week for high quality, great selection, reasonably-priced summer entertainment! And be sure to watch our calendar of events for a TON of great activities all summer long.

*In order to accommodate everyone who wants to trade books in this summer, we’re asking all of our members to (1)PLEASE schedule an appointment to bring your books in; during the summer we really can’t deal with drop-ins. If you are coming to Wellsboro from out of town, you still need to give us a call before you come. (2)Please bring only 10 books for your trade-in. If you have more than 10 books, you can schedule another appointment for later, or you could bring us the books you feel will earn you the most credit and donate the others on elsewhere.

Thanks for your understanding! If everyone sticks to the “10 books” and definitely scheduled program, then we can do have 2 people trade-in each day and have plenty of appointments to offer. When we get swamped, we get behind, and then the program gets too bogged down to accommodate all our members!

*Hobo will soon be making regular visits to the bookstore again!! We’ll be scheduling his “appearances” from 1 to 3pm most Saturday afternoons, beginning in June! Check the store events calendar to confirm.

*New merchandise at the store! We are now carrying beverages from the Pepsi Co. company, including cold Ocean Spray juices, Lipton iced teas, regular & diet sodas, Aquafina bottled water, and Starbucks cold coffee drinks in cans. We’re also proud to announce that we are co-op’ing with our fabulous local sweets-and-snacks company, Highland Chocolates! We have the famous chocolate barks in a huge variety of flavors, as well as small molded chocolates (especially cats) and their little snack mix packages. Highland Chocolates is a nonprofit company providing employment opportunity for area folks with developmental disabilities, and their pretzel bark is regionally famous!

Upcoming Events at the Bookstore: (see calendar on website for details)
*Friday, June 4th, 6 to 9pm: Game Night! “Open” game night, meaning we’ll play whatever you want to! Bring games you like, or show up and see what some of our regulars like to play. Free and open to the public.

*Friday, June 11th, 6 to 9pm: Game Night! This game night will focus on Heroclix, a miniatures strategy game featuring heroes and villains from DC and Marvel comics. If you’ve played before, bring a couple of your favorite teams; if not, here’s your chance to learn! This game is not difficult to learn, nor is it too expensive to begin playing. Plus, on Game Nights, Woolverine Games offers many extra discounts on starter sets and booster packets. ‘Clix not your style? Bring your own game to share, and we’ll play a board or card game with you. Free and open to the public.

*Sunday, June 13th: We’re open 11am to 3pm on Sundays now …. Stop in and see us, grab a cold drink, and watch Wellsboro’s famous Pet Parade meander down Main Street about 1:30pm. (Last year, Kasey couldn’t stop laughing at the “fainting goats”. Really. They exist. And they were right here on Main St.)

*Wednesday, June 16th: Moms! Join the women from our local MOPS (Mothers of Pre-schoolers) for a fun evening of light book discussion & light refreshments. Participants should try to read the first half of Irene Hannon's "Against All Odds", a Christian romantic thriller. We have this for sale at the bookstore on big discount for those participating. You need not be an official member of MOPS, just a woman, preferably a mom, who needs a night out to socialize a little with some other women! The second and final meeting for this book club event is Wed, July 14th.

*Wednesday, June 30th: the kick-off event for our ‘tween and teen book activities for this summer! Participants should be between the ages of 11 and 18. If necessary, we can divide into two smaller groups for any given activity. Please bring $3 to cover cost of pizza or snacks. For this first event, you’re asked to read a book on the theme of survival. Possible books include Hatchet (by Gary Paulsen); Julie of the Wolves (by Jean Craighead George); Island of the Blue Dolphins (by Scott O’Dell); Shipwreck: Island, Book 1 (by Gordon Korman); Alive: the Story of the Andes Survivors (by Piers Paul Read); Crazy for the Storm (by Norman Ollestad); Adrift (by Steven Callahan); Touching the Void (Joe Simpson); Life As We Knew It (Susan Beth Pfeffer). We have all of these books available at the bookstore, specially discounted if you are planning on joining us.

Michelle’s corner:
Author Katie MacAlister

The Aisling Grey, Guardian Series
The Dark Ones Series (vampires)
The Steampunk Series
The Dragon Series (people who change into dragons)
Plus many, many mysteries, AND romance – contemporary, paranormal, and/or historical

This month was difficult for me. I knew that I wanted to write about Katie MacAlister, but I couldn't decide what series to write about, so I'm just going to say, read them all! Katie is a fun, zany, quirky, crazy author. As you can see from the above list, whatever your cup of tea is, I guarantee you great laughs & a fun ride.

Okay, I would be remiss if I did not also tell the readers out there thatI also love the women in her books. Many of them are just average-looking and some have a little extra padding around the middle. Well that just excites me, doesn't it you? To know that some sexy, dark, brooding vampire might want to suck my blood and make me his Queen of the Night or a dragonman might throw me over his shoulder and make me his love slave even with my excess pounds... well that just gives a girl hope. Now I know what you’re going to say. Vampires and dragonmen are not real, but a girl can have her dreams, right? (picture me lifting my eyebrows up and down rapidly). Thanks Katie!

Michelle's picks for new releases not to miss

May 25th - Chronicles of Nick by Sherrilyn Kenyon
(Sorry I missed this last month, but this is the first book in a new series based on the life of Nick, a character from her Dark hunters Series)
June 29th - One Season of Sunshine by Julia London

(These series need to be read in order)

June 1st - Bullet:The Anita Blake Series by Laurell K. Hamilton
(This is the first time ever that she has released two books in one year. Her other book, 'Flirt', was just a fun story that she came up with, but this promises to get back to her main characters)

June 22nd - Sizzlin Sixteen: The Stephanie Plum Series by Janet Evanovich
June 29th - The Darkest Lie: Lords of the Underworld (Gideon's story) by Gena Showalter
June 29th - Love in the Afternoon: A Hathaways Novel by Lisa Kleypas

Books just in! New releases/new inventory to celebrate!
* “The Second Short Life of Bree Tanner: An Eclipse Novella”
by Stephenie Meyer
RELEASE DATE: Saturday, June 5th
For all you “Twilight” fans, this little novella is a spin-off story about the “illegally”-created newborn vampires ravaging the city of Seattle. Perfect reading before the movie version of “Eclipse” hits theaters June 30th.

*USA Today Logic Puzzles – remember the cool ones with the grids? Finally found some! Ordered by popular request!
*Sudoku for Kids – finally found some! Ordered by popular request!
*Sh*t My Dad Says, by Justin Halpern – snort-milk-through-your-nose funny!
*Physics for Future Presidents, by Richard A. Muller
*Fiddle Tunes for the Violinist
*The Tractor in the Haystack, by Scott Garvey
*a TON of gently used, hardcover Hardy Boys mysteries!
*A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Future, by Michael J. Fox
*The Night Before Summer Vacation, by Natasha Wing
*Rattler Tales from Northcentral Pennsylvania, by C.E. Brennan
*Forgotten Tales of Pennsylvania, by Thomas White
*Brisingr, by Christopher Paolini -- now in paperback!
*Food Not Lawns! By H. C. Flores


From My Shelf bookstore
87 Main Street
Wellsboro PA 16901
www.wellsborobookstore.com
(570) 724-5793

Together, we’re building community one book at a time …..