Claudia's Barefoot list for September

September is the time to reminisce about the golden, sultry summer hours: ice cream, sun lotion, listening to the serenades of cicadas, walking barefoot on the beach...

Let's have one more summer moment and "Kick off your shoes and go Barefoot".

Barefoot Books celebrate art and story and touch the hearts and minds of children and adults. Be enchanted by the fables from the Islamic world, delve into the wisdom and compassion of Buddhist teaching through stories from India, China, Japan and Tibet. Find solace in the beautiful rendition of an age-old Hindu tale and follow the story Solomon told in Jerusalem:

The Wise Fool by Shahrukh Husain & Micha Archer (Barefoot Books, $19.99)

The Barefoot Book of Buddhist Tales, retold by Sherab Choedzin & Alexandra Kohn (Barefoot Books, $14.99)

The Story of Divaali, retold by Jatinder Verma (Barefoot Books, $16.99)

One City, Two Brothers by Chris Smith (Barefoot Books, $16.99)

The Barefoot Book of Princesses by Caitlin Matthews (Barefoot Books, $15.99)

Claudia Vesterby, September 2012

Claudia's August Recommendations for Writers-to-Be

Last spring I took a writing workshop with Mount Airy's Writing Highness Minter Krotzer. It was an inspiring experience and convinced me to become famous in this field and have my name on the New York Times Bestseller List. These are my tools to lead me to the road to success:

The Elements of Style by William Strunk, Jr., and E.B. White (Longman, $9.95)

Tyrannosaurus Lex by Rod L. Evans
(Penguin, $14.00)

Poemcrazy by Susan Goldsmith Wooldridge
(Random House, $13.95)

For Writers Only by Sophy Burnham
(Penguin, $15.95)

Bird by Bird by Anne Lamott
(Random House $15.95)

Claudia Vesterby, August 2012

Claudia’s Five Summertime Books

It's hot out there. Perfect books for a sultry, sweltering July.

Love In The Time of Cholera by Gabriel Garcia Marquez (Random House, $14.95)

State of Wonder by Anne Patchett (HarperCollins, $15.99)

The Alchemist by Paulo Coehlo (HarperCollins, $14.99)

The Poisonwood Bible by Barbara Kingsolver (HarperCollins, $14.99)

Like Water for Chocolate by Laura Esquivel (Random House, $15.00)

Claudia Vesterby, July 2012

Der Mai ist gekommen...

...and brings with it blue, blue skies, warm winds and an exuberance of colors and fragrances.

The month of May also contains National Children's Book Week; here are five favorites that will remain part of my family's literature journey FOREVER:

Grandfather Twilight by Barbara Berger (Puffin $6.99)

Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What Do You See? by Eric Carle (HenryHolt, $7.95 board, $16.99 hardcover)

If You Were My Bunny by Kate McMullan (Cartwheel, $6.99)

D'Aulaire's Book of Greek Myths (Random House, $29.99 hardcover, $19.99 paperback)

The Owl Who Was Afraid of the Dark by Jill Tomlinson (Egmont, $8.95)

Mesmerizing illustrations, sweet and heart warming story lines will make your and your children's heart happy and light.

AND these books will create unforgettable memories of cozy snuggle times (your teen will cringe now, but it’s all right).

Claudia Vesterby, May 2012

Claudia's Love List for February

Soo... its this time of year where common people are bombarded with chocolate hearts, heart decorations, heart cakes, hearts, hearts, hearts.....

That makes me think of the movie Love Actually with the grandiose Bill Nighy. You remember the lyrics: I can feel it in my fingers, I can it feel in my toes. Love (actually Christmas) is all around us...

My list contains only titles that reflect on this hearty time:

Peony in LOVE by Lisa See (Random House; $4.00)

The Forty Rules of LOVE by Elif Shafak (Penguin Books; $16.00)

The I LOVE You Book by Todd Parr (Little, Brown and Company; $9.99)

One LOVE, based on the song by Bob Marley, adapted by Cedella Marley (Chronicle books; $16.99)

Fancy Nancy LOVES! LOVES! LOVES! A reusable sticker book - wow - based on Jane O'Connor (Harper Festival; $6.99)

Happy Valentine!

February 2012, Claudia Vesterby

Claudia’s Five Steamy Reads

Some like it steamy...
Are you one of the girls who secretly read erotic novels?! Hiding them underneath pillows and mattresses? I confess: I am. When I was in my late teen years a good friend of mine gave me about fifty Playboy magazines from her dad. Uhh, I can’t remember what was more exciting: the content and pictures or the fact that I had to hide them.

So if you are in a sensuous mood to spice up the last summer month and be a naughty girl you HAVE to devour the books by Victoria Janssen. She is a superb writer and needs to get a gold star in the erotic novel category. Titles like The Moonlight Mistress or The Duke and The Pirate Queen do not only promise a wild ride, they leave you breathless and more... Victoria is also super nice and her book release parties at the Big Blue Marble Bookstore are the climax of the day. (I hope she has a new one coming out soon ).

“Remove the petals carefully from the roses…” Ahh, Tita's famous "Quail in Rose Petal Sauce". Laura Esquivel combines a love story and piquant Mexican recipes and lets them simmer on a slow flame. The heat is on.

You can't get enough steam??!! Then treat yourself to The Steampunk Bible, “an illustrated guide to the world of imaginary airships, corsets and goggles, mad scientists, and strange literature.” Different kind of steamy.

Getting hot now?? Come to our lovely cafe and cool off with a cold drink.

The Duchess, Her Maid, the Groom and Their Lover by Victoria Janssen (Spice, $13.95)

The Moonlight Mistress by Victoria Janssen (Spice, $13.95)

[Editor's Note: Moonlight Mistress is also one of Jen's July 2010 Picks.]

The Duke and the Pirate Queen by Victoria Janssen (Spice, $13.95)

Like Water for Chocolate by Laura Esquivel (Random House, $14.00)

The Steampunk Bible by Jeff Vandermeer (Abrams, $24.95)

[Editor's Note: For more adventures in steampunk, see Erica's October 2010 Picks.]

August 2011, Claudia Vesterby

5 Books that help Claudia not to sweat the small stuff

The humid, sweltering summer days are upon us, which translates, yes into sweat
(especially in Philadelphia). The following books will help you to "keep your cool" : in the heat, in life's ups and downs, transitions, daily routines etc., etc., etc. If the high temperatures make you suffer, at least you do not want to sweat over the small things in life.

Radical Acceptance: Embracing your life with the heart of a Buddha by Tara Brach (Bantam, $16)
I recently heard a talk with Tara Brach in Philadelphia. She pointed out how important it is to learn to love yourself and by doing so becoming more forgiving. Throughout the day put your hand onto your heart, whisper I love you and forgive the person who is honking the car horn at you.

The Heart of the Buddha's Teaching by Thich Nhat Hanh (Broadway Books, $14.95)
The Vietnamese Buddhist monk, poet and peacemaker applies Buddha's teachings to your daily lives.

Gift from the Sea by Anne Morrow Lindbergh (Pantheon Books, $9.95)
This is one of my dearest reads and I take it always to the beach with me. The author shares her pearls (or may I say shells) of wisdom about youth and age; love; peace and transitions with gentle tenderness. After reading the chapter about the Moon Shell you feel calm and peaceful and more kind. Read it!!!

Loving Kindness by Sharon Salzberg (Shambala Classics, $14.95)
Have you finished book no.3 ?! Good! Then go and top off your gained wisdom with this insightful exploration of the deepest meaning of empathy and caring. Your heart will overflow with goodness and equanimity and you might want to hug the person who honked the horn at you and show him that its not worth to sweat the small stuff.

Zen Birds by Vanessa Sorensen (Adventure Publications, $8.95)
If you favor delicate and beautiful illustrations you definitely want to take a peek at this little booklet. Inspired by traditional Asian brushwork and haiku this pearl will calm you down and soften your heart.

Please devour the recommendations and you will never lose your cool.

June 2011, Claudia Vesterby

Claudia’s 5 Short Story Collections

Claudia’s 5 Short Story Collections

Short stories are what their names reveal: they are short. But even though they are short and you can finish one probably in less than 30 minutes, good ones can propel you into circumstances you don't want to leave. You encounter characters that become your best friends. And in the end you scream in despair: "Please one hundred pages more!"

Here are five master storytellers who lured me into their worlds with elegant and exquisitely written prose and breathtaking sometimes even shocking endings. In the short and sweet you will encounter pearls of wisdom and humanness that might linger with you for a long time.


Unaccustomed Earth by Jhumpa Lahiri (Vintage Books, RH, $15)

Interpreter of Maladies by Jhumpa Lahiri (Mariner Books, $14.95)

Dubliners by James Joyce (Penguin Classic, $11)

The Empty Family by Colm Toibin (Scribner, $24)

Like Life: Stories by Lorrie Moore (Vintage Books, $14)



-March 2011, Claudia Vesterby

Claudia's 5 Winter Mysteries

Claudia’s 5
Winter Mysteries

In the bleak mid-winter ......curl up in front of a fireplace, enjoy a warm drink and devour a couple of relentlessly gripping mysteries.

Faceless Killers by Henning Mankell (Vintage Crime, $14.95)
Follow dour cop Kurt Wallander to a remote Swedish farmhouse and become a reading witness how he will solve his first crime.

Don't Look Back by Karin Fossum (Harcourt, $14.00)
Fossum, Norway's queen of crime, introduces Inspector Konrad Sejer, a refreshingly gentle and wise senior police investigator in Oslo. An idyllic Norwegian village is the crime scene and will be changed forever...

The Beekeeper's Apprentice by Laurie R. King (Picador, $15.00)
Meet retired Sherlock Holmes and fifteen-year-old, feisty Mary Russell, and accompany these two sleuths across the Sussex Downs, where they solve their first case.

And Then There Were None by Agatha Christie (St. Martin's, $6.99)
The ultimate Dame of crime will take you to the coast of Devon where chilling murders will let the hair on your neck curl up. Compelling!

Death at La Fenice by Donna Leon (Penguin/Grove, $7.99)
Bongiorno commissario Brunetti. May we follow you through the canals of Venice to observe your fine criminalistic sense? A mystery drafted multo bene.

Feel inclined to read more mysteries by the above authors?! You will find their books in our cozy bookstore.

February 2011, Claudia Vesterby

Anatole's Five All-Time Favorite Books about Mice (by Claudia)

As you know from my Happy Go Lucky picks in April, I share my life with a furry companion named Anatole. Anatole is not only a handsome and smart and compassionate and wise and most loving and and and ... cat; like his owner he appreciates books, especially the ones that tell a good mouse story. Celeste, Chrysanthemum, Frederick, Cookie mouse and Babymouse became treasured friends, and the cozy illustrations and humorous language make us purr with delight.

So let's daydream into the summer with Anatole’s mice friends.

A Nest for Celeste by Henry Cole (HarperCollins, $16.99)

Chrysanthemum by Kevin Henkes (William Morrow, $6.99)

If You Give a Mouse a Cookie by Laura Joffe Numeroff (HarperCollins, $16.99)

Frederick by Leo Lionni (Random House, $6.99)

Babymouse by Jennifer L. Holmes and Matthew Holm (Random House, $5.95)

July 2010, Claudia Vesterby

Claudia's June Picks: Five Books by John O'Donohue

For the month of June I would like to introduce you to John O'Donohue.

John O'Donohue was an Irish teacher and internationally respected poet and author, whom the Times in London described as "a man of the soul". He passed away very untimely and unexpectedly at the age of fifty, leaving behind a treasury of inspirational books, filled with poetic language and spiritual insights drawn from Celtic traditions. Readers of all faith will find solace and guidance in his beautiful blessings, prayers, and mesmerizing prose. The books will meander through life's thresholds and serve as an invaluable companion in your odyssey. Please treat yourself to these timeless gems:

To Bless the Space Between Us: A Book of Blessings (Doubleday, $22.95)

Anam Cara: A Book of Celtic Wisdom (Perennial, $14.99)

Beauty : The Invisible Embrace (Perennial, $13.99)

Eternal Echoes : Celtic Reflections on Our Yearning to Belong (Perennial, $13.99)

Conamara Blues: Poems (Perennial, $13.99)

June 2010, Claudia Vesterby

Claudia’s May Picks: Five Books by Cynthia Rylant

Cynthia Rylant is the author of more than one hundred books for children. The five books I picked for the lovely month of May celebrate our beautiful world -- a world that is filled with so many wonderful things and creatures: sparkling stars, birds flying through the blue sky, peaches growing on trees, blooming flowers, purring cats, joyful children, you and me. The writer works with illustrators like Nikki McClure and Tiphanie Beeke. The text and illustrations will nurture your heart and soul and let you rejoice in the beauty and goodness of life.

The Beautiful Stories of Life: 6 Greek Myths Retold
(Harcourt; $16.00)

The Wonderful Happens
(Simon & Schuster; $7.99)

The Stars Will Still Shine
(HarperCollins; $16.99)

All in a Day
(Abrams Books; $17.95)

Moonlight, the Halloween Cat
(Harper Trophy; $6.99)

May 2010, Claudia Vesterby

Claudia's Happy-Go-Lucky List for April

1. Anatole and the Cat by Eve Titus; Random House; $14.95
Anatole is a mouse living in Paris who supports his 12 little children and his lovely wife Doucette as a cheese taster with a great reputation. But then the cheese factory owner's cat causes a lot of turmoil in Anatole's life. I loved this sweet book written in 1950 so much that I actually named my cat Anatole.

2. Let Your Life Speak by Parker J. Palmer; Jossey-Bass; $18.95
A dear friend recommended this little passionate book about finding your vocation in life.

3. Operating Instructions by Anne Lamott; Random House; $13.95
This memoir is filled with sweet, heart-wrenching and hilarious funny anecdotes and reminiscences; a must-read for chronically depressed people because it puts life in perspective.

4. Bird by Bird by Anne Lamott; Random House; $15.00
The title is my mantra in life.

5. In My Den by Sara Gillingham and Lorena Siminovich; Chronicle Books; $8.99
On rainy or cold nights when I am snuggling with my cat Anatole, I will read this book to him. He loves it.