All Entries in the "Good Reads" Category
After four years, Hoover bids farewell to Good Reads column
Editor’s Note: Four years ago, The Chester Telegraph began the Good Reads column. It was a collaboration with Misty Valley Books, with bookseller, John Hoover, compiling the monthly recommendations of the staff and adding his own. It has been a genuine pleasure to work with John. I have enjoyed editing his columns and discovering new […]
Embrace the chill with these warming, thrilling & chilling books
By John Hoover © 2016 Telegraph Publishing LLC We’ve passed the winter solstice and we’ve survived the end of December holidays. The days are slowly lengthening but we still have considerable winter to get through. While some of our readers might be planning their gardens or reading travel guides to warmer places, over here at […]
Let these books lure you happily into the spirit of Christmas
By John Hoover © 2016 Telegraph Publishing LLC As December rolls around once again the staff at Phoenix Books Misty Valley are reminded that lots of our customers need to find that perfect gift for this holiday season. Each of us have come up with a book or two that we think would either be […]
A lot of mystery, a little magic and a couple of true tales
By John Hoover ©2016 Telegraph Publishing LLC Each month I try to pick a theme for this column that relates to the month itself or to the season or time of year. But every once in a while, I can’t come up with what I think of as an appropriate theme. At that point, to […]
Leaf through fall’s flavors, New England’s bewitching history
By John Hoover ©2016 Telegraph Publishing LLC Autumn makes its own special mark on our senses: fall foliage and Halloween costumes to delight our eyes; cider and pumpkin pie to tantalize our taste buds; the aroma of wood fires to excite our sense of smell. In line with this new season the staff at Phoenix […]
Celebrate the books that were banned, by reading them!
By John Hoover Every year the American Library Association designates the last week of September as Banned Books Week. The ALA has two categories: challenged books and banned books that they track each year. Challenged books are those where an attempt has been made to remove or restrict materials based upon the objections of a […]
Mysteries rule for August’s Good Reads
By John Hoover ©2016 Telegraph Publishing LLC During the life of the Good Reads column we’ve done a variety of themes but one that we’ve used with some frequency is mysteries (most likely because I dearly love a good mystery/thriller). Since I’ve read several good mysteries lately I decided it was time to revisit that […]
Vacation treats, retreat found in the pages of these books
By John Hoover ©2016 Telegraph Publishing LLC Going on vacation? Perhaps to the beach or the lake where you’ll get a chance to relax and have some free time? May we humbly suggest that you take along something to read? This month’s column contains a number of books that the owners — current and former […]
On and off the pages, turn summer reading for kids into adventures
By John Hoover ©2016 Telegraph Publishing LLC Lockers have been cleaned out, goodbyes have been said and the last bus has pulled out of the parking lot. School’s out and you have the entire summer stretching in front of you. So, what are you going to do with all that free time? You know from […]
Spine-chilling thrillers filled with mayhem, mystery and murder
By John Hoover ©2016 Telegraph Publishing LLC Spies and counterspies, murder and mayhem and mystery: In the publishing industry they’re all part of the genre known as thrillers. Since thrillers are one of my favorite types of books and since I get to decide the monthly theme for this column, thrillers it is for May. […]
From Buddhism to biography: Take a chance on non-fiction
By John Hoover ©2016 Telegraph Publishing LLC Most often this column recommends works of fiction. This month, however, the folks at Misty Valley Books are suggesting some non-fiction works that we found to be informative, intriguing, educational and/or just plain good reads. From Buddhism to history and biography the books we’ve chosen for April are […]
Take a break from the icy mud with adventures, amusements
By John Hoover ©2016 Telegraph Publishing LLC Winter officially ends later this month as we begin the slow climb to the warmer temperatures of spring. Casting about for a theme that might convey a spring-like mood, but unable to come up with anything terribly original, I told my colleagues at Misty Valley Books to do […]
Explore best-seller lists and see why they sell
By John Hoover © 2016 Telegraph Publishing LLC There are many best-seller lists — the New York Times, USA Today and Publisher’s Weekly to name a few. At Misty Valley Books we post the American Booksellers Association’s Indie Best-seller lists for hardbound and paperbacks. I asked the staff here to pick a best-seller to review […]
Winter is the season for reading by the fire
By John Hoover ©2016 Telegraph Publishing LLC As we enter into January, the days are starting to lengthen but the temperatures and precipitation are telling us that we are a long way from spring. If the past is any indication, I imagine we can expect some significant snowstorms this month, so besides bringing in firewood […]
To give and to get: Books to put you in the holiday spirit
By John Hoover ©2015 Telegraph Publishing LLC It’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas. Wreaths decorate doors, windows are lit with candles and, as the sun sets, twinkling lights appear to light the night. It’s that time of year when we try to find the perfect gift for everyone on our list. To help you find […]
Anything Goes: Open up to fiction, history and memoir
By John Hoover ©2015-Telegraph Publishing LLC In casting about for November’s Good Reads theme I remembered these lyrics by Cole Porter: In olden days, a glimpse of stocking Was looked on as something shocking, But now, God knows, Anything goes. This inspired me to turn the Misty Valley Books staff loose with the only direction […]
Compelling, creepy and scary treats for your Halloween reading
By John Hoover ©2015 Telegraph Publishing LLC September is drawing to a close as I write this column. The days have started to cool and the nights have become downright chilly. Very shortly the Autumnal Equinox will announce the official beginning of fall and, following close on its heels comes October, one of my favorite […]
Discover the world through other people’s lives
By John Hoover ©2015 Telegraph Publishing LLC Searching for a theme for this month’s Good Reads, Bill came up with the title, “Try to Remember…” his way of suggesting that we review a memoir we’ve read. Kim suggested that a biography would also fit the theme, which I thought was a grand idea. So, this […]
Eclectic mix of books tantalizes with beautiful writing
By John Hoover ©2015 Telegraph Publishing LLC As the summer of 2015 nears its end, I left it up to the folks here at Misty Valley Books to choose whatever they wanted to review for our August Good Reads column. Their choices are, as always, an eclectic mix of titles (much like the titles that […]
Fun and easy reads to crack open under the July sun
By John Hoover ©2015-Telegraph Publishing LLC Hopefully, dear readers, you will be able to get away on vacation sometime this summer. If you do, and you’re like us here at Misty Valley Books, you’ll want to take something to read with you. Just in the nick of time we’re here to provide you with our […]
