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Lauren

Lauren, our Events & Publicity gal, was born in Louisiana and shipped up to Massachusetts at the ripe old age of six; Marblehead was quite the culture shock for the kid with a southern accent and the big hair to match. The fall after high school, Lauren headed for Elmira College, situated in the beautiful nothingness that is just below the Finger Lakes region of “upstate” New York. After four years, lots of coffee and deadline driven all-nighters, one short lived radio show, millions of hours in the campus art building, and a myriad of memories, she returned home. Lauren found out at once that there’s only so far that a Bachelor’s degree in Studio Art, with a concentration in Printmaking will get you. Lauren saves the odd dollar or two by making most of her own jewelry, and avoiding (insert art supply store here) until she really, absolutely is out of something or needs it badly. When she’s not working, Lauren reads until her eyes fall out, then she puts them back in and explores any type of art she can get her hands on. Well, any type that will fit into the smallish space she currently shares with numerous books, artwork, tables made in college furniture courses, boxes of jewelry and art supplies, and a cat.

The Bell Jar (Paperback)

By Sylvia Plath
$13.99
ISBN-13: 9780060837020
Availability: Usually Ships in 1-5 days
Published: Harper Perennial Modern Classics, 8/2005
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Esther Greenwood like most girls of a certain age is struggling to find her place in the world. She doesn't know what "category" of girl she fits into, or what she should do with her life. With all of these answerless questions Esther begins to lose hold of both reality and her sanity. Eventually she sees death as the only resolution to her life's queries. Esther makes many failed attempts at suicide all of which she fails at. Though this intelligently penned story is not an "upper" as it were, it isn't difficult to identify with Esther's character on the most basic human level. This book is a must read, and a true classic despite the slight stigma it has acquired as being a depressing downer of a story.

Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West (Paperback)

By Gregory Maguire
$16.00
ISBN-13: 9780060987107
Availability: Usually Ships in 1-5 days
Published: William Morrow Paperbacks, 12/2000
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You'll never look at Oz the same way again. Everyone knows the tale of how Dorothy Gale trucked her way down a road of yellow bricks and ultimately kills a wicked witch, this is not that story. Wicked is the story of Elphaba Thropp, the Witch of the West. After reading this book, it's hard for me to call her "wicked." Gregory Maguire's telling of the events breathes new life into the story of the witch. This story has it all, adventure, political intrigue, a scandalous affair, and ultimate tragedy. Wicked shines a light on the utmost humanity in the green and seemingly un-human witch making her extremely worthy of the reader's sympathy.

The Traveler (Hardcover)

By Daren Simkin, Daniel Simkin

ISBN-13: 9780374116392
Availability: Special Order - Subject to Availability
Published: Farrar, Straus and Giroux, 11/2008
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Charlie doesn't know what to spend all of his time on. What in life would be worthy of the expenditure of his days, months, weeks and years? Charlie is at a loss for the answer, so he packs up all of his time to save it until he has it figured out. He travels the world in search of the perfect thing to spend is time on, leaving everything behind only to find that he can't find anything. Before Charlie realizes it, he is an old man, and his precious time is slipping away. This story is a mesmerizing tale written in the style of a children's book for children of all ages.

Lamb: The Gospel According to Biff, Christ's Childhood Pal (Paperback)

By Christopher Moore
$14.99
ISBN-13: 9780380813810
Availability: Usually Ships in 1-5 days
Published: William Morrow Paperbacks, 2/2003
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Lamb is the hysterical story of Jesus through the eyes of his childhood best friend Biff. Christopher Moore takes the reader on a journey unlike any other. The reader get's to see in imagined version of the completely human man behind the son of God. A completely laugh out loud comedy, Lamb is sure to entertain. Read it as a lighthearted twist on a story you already know, just don't take it too seriously.

The Red Tent (Paperback)

By Anita Diamant
$14.95
ISBN-13: 9780312195519
Availability: Usually Ships in 1-5 days
Published: Picador, 9/1998
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_The Red Tent_ is a captivating tale of three of the Bible's most heard of women. Rachel, and Leah's story begins the book and is soon followed by the story of Leah's daughter, Dinah. Dinah's story is a messy and tragic tale of love (reciprocal but forbidden) and life at its best and worst. The Red Tent is a compelling read about women, by a woman, for women. Whether you're familiar with the Bible or not The Red Tent is well worth the read.

The Undomestic Goddess (Paperback)

By Sophie Kinsella
$15.00
ISBN-13: 9780385338691
Availability: Usually Ships in 1-5 days
Published: Dial Press Trade Paperback, 4/2006
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This book from the author of the Shopaholic series is definitely a part of the "chick lit" genre if ever anything was. _The Undomestic Goddess_ spins the tale of a high powered lawyer on the fast track to the big leagues, until one mistake brings it all to a screaming halt. Samantha Sweeting abandons her post at a prestigious law firm and finds herself in a completely new life almost overnight. In losing everything she's ever worked for she finds things that she had been missing, as well as things she never knew she was. A fantastic read for a weekend trip or just to escape the drudgery that can become everyday life. If you liked _Confessions of a Shopaholic_, you'll love this book, and if you didn't give this one a try!

The Great Kapok Tree: A Tale of the Amazon Rain Forest (Paperback)

By Lynne Cherry
$7.99
ISBN-13: 9780152026141
Availability: Usually Ships in 1-5 days
Published: Sandpiper, 3/2000
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_Lauren's Kid Pick!_ In _The Great Kapok Tree_, Lynne Cherry weaves a captivating tale about the peril of the Amazon Rainforest, and one man's role in being a part of the problem, or a part of the hope for a solution. Illustrated with beautiful and rich drawings, _The Great Kapok Tree_ is a must have in any kids' book collection.

A Farewell to Arms (Paperback)

By Ernest Hemingway
$16.00
ISBN-13: 9780684801469
Availability: Usually Ships in 1-5 days
Published: Scribner, 6/1995
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A story that is surely underappreciated by high school English students everywhere, _A Farewell to Arms_ is a gripping historical wartime romance. It has the male appeal of war, with all the feminine pull of a captivating romance between a nurse and a soldier. If you haven't read this novel do so, and if you did in your school days, do so again with fresh eyes.

How the Garcia Girls Lost Their Accents (Paperback)

By Julia Alvarez

ISBN-13: 9780452268067
Availability: Out of Print
Published: Plume, 6/1992
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Written by Dominican author Julie Alvarez, _How the Garcia Girls Lost Their Accents_ is a coming of age story about four sisters whose family leaves the Dominican Republic for the United States. After their father takes part in the assassination of their nation's dictator, he moves the family to New York City, complete culture shock. Written as a flashback of sorts, the story starts with the girls as fully Americanized adults and works its way back through each of their stories. Regardless of whether or not you can relate to the cultural side of this story, if you're a woman you're sure to find correlations between the Garcia girls and yourself.

Julie and Julia: My Year of Cooking Dangerously (Paperback)

By Julie Powell
$14.99
ISBN-13: 9780316013260
Availability: Usually Ships in 1-5 days
Published: Back Bay Books, 9/2006
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This story is based on one woman's real life insane foray into the world of French cooking, Julia Child style. Julie Powell is in a dead end secretarial job and a potentially "going nowhere" life. In attempt to save her sanity, find purpose, and just to do something, Julie decides to tackle all 524 recipes in vol. 1 of Julia Child's _Mastering the Art of French Cooking_ in just one calendar year. She does so while simultaneously maintaining a job, a marriage, and a dilapidated apartment. Oh, and she blogs about the whole thing. This is a biography that reads like a novel in the most entertaining sense. You'll laugh, you might want to vomit a few times, and never want to hear the words "butter" or "cream" again, but you're sure to find something in this book for you. One of the funniest true stories I've read, read this book then Google the blog for fun, and read that too.