It’s become popular vernacular, an everyday reference whose origins may be, “What I want to do before I kick the bucket.”  Like many things, it has new meaning since our introduction to COVID-19.  We’ve always known that life on the planet is finite.  We understand that some of us cross the …

Last weekend my husband and I took a quick getaway up the coast to Camden, Maine.  It’s an occupational hazard that I must stop into any bookstore that exists in any town we are visiting. On the one hand, I want to buy a book and show support for my fellow independent bookstores. On the othe…

A salmonella outbreak linked to backyard poultry has prompted U.S. health officials to issue a stern warning: Don’t kiss or snuggle your ducks and chickens.  

Books come through the store in a relentless tide, which is great.  And they are all good books, since I am the gatekeeper against lesser works.   But since everything is so interesting, I get caught up in reading instead of working (part of the job I say.)  This often leads to great rewards.

 I don’t have any “favorite” diseases, but my least “favorite” is Canine Heartworm Disease.  It is a very risky disease to treat and requires a very long period of inactivity and isolation. It can be prevented by using anti-microfilarial medicine such as Heartguard (Macrocyclic lactones) and…

While the official start of summer may be June 20, for me Memorial Day weekend has always signaled the start of the season.  With the upcoming long weekend in mind, here are a few books I’ve already read but am excited for you all to get to read on the beach, by the pool, and late into the l…

Hmmm.  It’s the million-dollar question, and the answer isn’t one-size-fits-all.  Part of it may depend on where we were before COVID.  We are all in a different place now, that’s for sure.

In the forward to Twin Lights Tonic, by Paul St. Germain and Devlin Sherlock, Philip Elliot Hopkins, Co-executor of the Twin Lights Trust, recalls a childhood trip to the Little Art Cinema in Rockport.  He was there watching a special screening of Cinema Paradiso, eating popcorn and sipping …

Does your dog’s bad breath keep the two of you from spending more time together?  Do you wish you could give your dog a breath mint? “doggy breath” is not normal.  In fact, it could be one of the first signs that your pet has dental disease.  Dental disease is a painful condition that occurs…

Most of the time I have a reading project.  Like when I read the Top Hundred 20th Century children's chapter books (according to Scholastic).  (What a great experience!)  Or, I'm reading within my ongoing unending project to read all the literary classics (a richly rewarding never ending sag…

Manchester native Sarah Beckmann’s Naiad Blood is a first collection of poems, published this month by Fishing Line Press.  It’s described as a “vibrant formal intelligence at once various in its embodiments and dexterous at every turn. With near mythic urgency, these poems evoke the pulse a…

Jennifer Dupee has released her first novel, The French Bridal Shop, which is already gaining traction and awards, including being named to Good Housekeeping magazine’s top Book Club pick last month.  Readers will find the setting of Dupee’s book very familiar. 

We use the word "germs" to refer to bacteria and viruses.  Bacteria is the proverbial "both…and" if there ever was one: lifesaving and life-altering.  We live in a world of "normal" bacteria – invisible, everywhere, and even inside of us.  It's our friend and enemy all at the same time.  The…

On Sunday, April 25, I had the pleasure of moderating a panel discussion with an exceptional group of writers who also own bookstores: Ann Patchett, author most recently of The Dutch House and owner of Parnassus Books in Nashville, TN; Kelly Link, author of short story collections like Get I…

We have come to view each other as potential vectors of disease, becoming suspicious of our neighbors, colleagues, closest friends, and family.  “How careful are you?”  “Have you been vaccinated?”  “Are you out in public yet?”  We are social creatures by design and have had to morph into a M…

People in my shop often ask, How do you get your books?  And I say, “There's this little old lady who lives deep in the woods and I go to her house at midnight on the full moon and she gives me piles of books.  The only catch is that she claims I will owe her something after I'm dead.  But I…

Your feline friend’s healthcare plan must continuously evolve to keep up with his growth and lifestyle. Your feline buddy might seem self-sufficient, but he needs you to help uncover any pain and discomfort that he could be hiding.  Your veterinarian is trained to spot clues to your cat’s he…

Acting FCC chair Jessica Rosenworcel is asking you to help the FCC determine where broadband is "truly" available.  "To close the gap between digital haves and have nots, we are working to build a comprehensive, user-friendly dataset on broadband availability," she said. 

How did Newburyport put together such a prestigious festival each year?  After a friend connected me to one of the directors and I found myself joining monthly meetings to help plan the following year’s festival, the answer soon became clear: a small group of passionate and dedicated volunte…

We have withdrawn, retreated, and have lowered our expectations… drastically.  When someone asks what “we’ve been up to,” who knows how to respond?  The most popular answer by far is, “not much.”  Yet here we are.  The panic is fading.  Can you feel it to

The Manchester Historical Museum is now offering a free mobile tour of Manchester-by-the Sea to use on your mobile device or computer. Learn about the history of the town from its colonial farms and fishing times to the furniture making era and on to the Gilded Age.

Long time writer and author Anna Kasabian recently completed the Trustees of Reservations book Castle Hill on the Crane Estate.  The book captures the essence of Chicago industrialist Richard Teller Crane Jr.’s summer home’s history and serves as well as a visitor's guide.

Vaccination is one of the easiest and most important ways to protect your dog’s health.  But we live in an age of “overvaccination” scares and a lot of misinformation on the web, and some pet owners are hesitant to vaccinate their dogs.  What is the right way to think about canine vaccinations?

An interesting meme popped up in my digital world this week. In it, a young father made an elegant point of arguing that some older books, shows, and other media, indeed deserve disclaimers explaining how the content might offend. Not because people today are overly sensitive or want to obfu…

Whenever a book of poems comes into the shop, I read a poem from it before I put it on the shelves. So, I've read hundreds of poems from hundreds of books over the last 22 years.  And yet, I invariably will read the shortest poem in the book!

Often in my work with families facing serious and life-limiting illnesses, I have been privileged to witness and participate in profound moments shared with me.  The old saying goes that we learn the most from adversity. 

Behavioral problems affect more dogs and cats than any other medical condition and are one of the most common causes of euthanasia and abandonment. You might think that veterinarians only know about medicine and questions about pet behavior are best left to trainers, but veterinarians have t…

I love books that break my heart. I can’t help it. I love a good cry in the safe space of a fictional character’s life. I also love fiction that helps me understand real-life situations better than real life can, or than my real life has the opportunity to. And if it’s beautifully written to…

We’ve had the opportunity to have learned many things, aged many years, and traveled many theoretical miles this past year. Whatever the outcome, we are not the same as we were in March 2020.