Devon Fredericksen is a mild-mannered bookseller by day...
...And sleeps at night.
Devon's dad raised her on books: First children's books, then novels, and finally journalistic non-fiction. It may be no wonder then that she now has a B.A. degree in environmental journalism and aspires to write and publish her own books some day.
A believer in the importance of independent bookstores, Devon feels honored to work at Spellbinder. She's livin' the dream-- selling books, freelance writing, substitute teaching, and enjoying the wonders of the East Sierra. A life-long backpacker, Devon is currently undertaking the fun and ambitious task of co-authoring a full-color hiking guide for the Owens Valley.
Devon's taste in books is diverse, but for her, nothing can beat the feeling of reading either a great work of literature, or an inspiring book of non-fiction. Included in her list of favorites are some powerful novels, both classic and new, that explore the mysteries of the human condition. Also in the list are impressive works of investigative journalism and non-fiction titles about environmental and social justice.
Read her sporadic stories on her personal blog at: www.dfredericksen.wordpress.com
$28.00
ISBN-13: 9780374158460
Availability: Usually Ships in 1-5 days
Published: Farrar, Straus and Giroux, 8/2010
Franzen's new novel is a layered story about a modern family torn apart by politics, defiance, selfishness and betrayal within the context of our times. The novel is impressive in scope, tackling a range of different styles: part memoir by one of the protagonists, part soap opera, and part commentary on the current state of our world. The characters are so transparent and raw that at times, you'll cringe. But what makes them so memorable is their humanity, and how Franzen captures the realness of each person so well that at times, you can't believe you're reading fiction. A truly modern epic, it's a story of family struggle, love, despair, and forgiveness.
$15.00
ISBN-13: 9780385343725
Availability: Usually Ships in 1-5 days
Published: Dial Press Trade Paperback, 9/2010
If there is a better short story fiction author than Kurt Vonnegut, I dare you to prove that to me. Once again, Vonnegut demonstrates his signature ability to entertain, inspire and engage readers. One of his rules of short-story writing was to ensure that a reader's time was never wasted. He certainly stays true to that rule in this collection of stories that was unpublished during his lifetime. Thankfully, through the power of posthumous publishing, Vonnegut lives on!
$15.00
ISBN-13: 9781416589648
Availability: Usually Ships in 1-5 days
Published: Simon & Schuster, 2/2010
Refreshingly powerful. An absolutely beautiful story of sacrifice, human weakness and strength. Cleave's novel has been added to my all-time favorites list. Well-written, thought-provoking and suspenseful-- a truly memorable book.
$16.00
ISBN-13: 9780312427993
Availability: Usually Ships in 1-5 days
Published: Picador, 6/2008
This book is one of the most important works of investigative journalism I have ever read. Klein explores some of the most intriguing and horrifying events of our time-- tracing them back to their source: "disaster capitalism."
$18.00
ISBN-13: 9780140178241
Availability: Usually Ships in 1-5 days
Published: Penguin (Non-Classics), 6/1993
A must-read if you live in the Owens Valley! Cadillac Desert is an impressive manifesto. Reisner takes the reader on a witty and well-informed journey through America's water history. The book is both entertainingly informational and extraordinary in its depth of detail.
$15.00
ISBN-13: 9780812971835
Availability: Usually Ships in 1-5 days
Published: Random House Trade Paperbacks, 10/2008
This has made my top ten fiction favorites list. Olive is a memorable character--feisty, fiery, opinionated and loving (in her own way)--she's sure to become a literary legend. It's a terrific story, with Olive as the central thread weaving the other characters' lives together.
$20.00
ISBN-13: 9781400079988
Availability: Usually Ships in 1-5 days
Published: Vintage, 12/2008
If you take the time to read this, you will not regret it. This is partly because if you devote the amount of time it will take you to get through this book, the only way you can justify spending that much time on anything is by making yourself believe that is completely worth your while. But if you finish, you will also realize that this book is truly a masterpiece. The plot's soap opera-like nature is entertaining and the breadth of topics that Tolstoy covers is thought-provoking and if nothing else, incredibly impressive. It's hard to say what this book is about, because truly, it's about everything: war, peace, marriage, love, religion, death, politics, power, pride, free will, individualism, history, truth and the human spirit. In all honesty, it's a long slog, but by the end, you will not be disappointed.
$14.99
ISBN-13: 9780061122415
Availability: Usually Ships in 1-5 days
Published: HarperOne, 4/2006
This book is one of my absolute favorites. There's a reason millions of copies have sold. It's the only book I have a re-read over and over again-- because I always discover something new. A simple story packed with wisdom and inspiration.
$11.00
ISBN-13: 9780143116387
Availability: Usually Ships in 1-5 days
Published: Penguin (Non-Classics), 12/2009
If you have an hour and care about your health and the health of the planet, read this book. Pollan has whittled down the essentials for a concise, comprehensive eater's guide. His humorous, pithy, and well-researched book will have you putting down the potato chips and running to the store or farmer's market for yams the minute you finish the last page.
$15.95
ISBN-13: 9781585422371
Availability: Usually Ships in 1-5 days
Published: Tarcher, 4/2003
A compassionate book written from the cross-generational perspective of mother and daughter, Hope’s Edge is both informative and inspirational. The authors travel around the world to explore how different international communities are both combating hunger and cultivating reasons for hope and positive change.
$14.99
ISBN-13: 9780805087222
Availability: Usually Ships in 1-5 days
Published: St. Martin's Griffin, 3/2008
What makes us happy? More stuff or more stuff to do within our communities? For anyone who craves insight into how to curb consumption and our destruction of the planet, this is a must-read. McKibben's conversational writing style and eye-opening statistics make for an enjoyable read and an urgent call to action.
$16.00
ISBN-13: 9780812973013
Availability: Usually Ships in 1-5 days
Published: Random House Trade Paperbacks, 1/2004
This is one of those books that I always recommend to people who want to read a truly inspirational true story. Whether you're interested in medicine, journalism, biography, heroism, or the human condition, this is a powerful book.
$14.95
ISBN-13: 9780618711659
Availability: Usually Ships in 1-5 days
Published: Mariner Books, 4/2006
Told from a 9 year old's perspective, Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close is both laugh-out-loud funny and incredibly heart-wrenching. Protagonist Oscar Schell will win you over with his innocent charm, ingenious ideas, and relentless hope of solving a mystery his father left for him before he died in the World Trade Center the morning of September 11. Foer's novel is clever, creative and memorable.
$16.00
ISBN-13: 9780375725197
Availability: Usually Ships in 1-5 days
Published: Vintage, 10/2009
Williams always amazes me with her humanity. The honesty of her writing and the way her words string together like poetry create a beautiful piece of work. Somehow, she is able to write about mosaics, prairie dogs and the Rwandan genocide in a seamless series of passages that piece together like a mosaic.
$15.99
ISBN-13: 9780316154680
Availability: Usually Ships in 1-5 days
Published: Back Bay Books, 6/2009
Sedaris is hilarious, as always. His humor is dark and all his own. While on a bike tour, six of my friends and I passed this book around like a hot potato, it was such an easily enjoyable quick read.
$25.95
ISBN-13: 9781594487590
Availability: Special Order - Subject to Availability
Published: Riverhead Hardcover, 6/2010
Crosley has done it again with this one. Her second book after I Was Told There'd Be Cake, this book of short essays one has everything her first book has: her honesty, her impeccable knack for writing, and sentence after sentence of hilarity.
