We are a pick-up location for World Book Night. The deadline has been extended to February 6th!

One of the Suffolk Punch draft horses at Merck Forest.

A lot has been written on the elusive work/life balance sought by so many. I search for it, too. I feel happier now, and more content, in my work at the bookstore than I have been at many previous jobs because it is something I really enjoy doing. So the work/life balance feels more attainable to me in part because there isn’t a divide between “work I do to live” and “life.” It just is my life, every moment of it. But I do still search for a balance because if I’m not careful I have a tendency to spend almost 100% of my time working on the store (even late into the  evening from home).

Today was a break from the store. And since it was a relatively mild January day, we packed up the child and headed to Merck Forest in nearby Rupert, VT for a short hike. We even brought Clara (the dog). It was colder and windier at the top than we expected but we had a great time. Merck is one of my favorite places on earth, in all seasons. We ran into a couple like us – just there for a short while and taking the dog for a walk, as well as a family heading for an overnight in one of Merck’s cabins. They looked like they had enough food for a week instead of a night and a day (but they shared some so who am I to complain!). We hobnobbed with the two Suffolk Punch draft horses and said hi to a passel of pigs and some curious chickens.

Back home in front of the fire and sliding into a nap. Not a  bad day for balance!

Snapped this photograph after reorganizing my office this week. It is the time of year to reorganize – this is my chance to do spring cleaning. The rush of the holidays is behind us and the urge is to clear out the old and bring in the new.

So, on the shelf is a collection of books we’ve read for past book clubs in the store, and it’s a pretty stellar selection. Last night a great group gathered to talk about The Secret Scripture by Sebastian Barry. Next month, on Thursday, February 2, we’ll gather to discuss Wuthering Heights by Emily Bronte.

These are books I plan to hold on to, despite the cleaning frenzy that has descended upon Battenkill Books!

Happy New Year! We just concluded a banner year for Battenkill Books – our best ever at least in our tenure at the store. Thank you to everyone who made it possible and who came out and supported us this year.

For the holiday season we decided to open the store a full seven days a week. Well, we liked it so much (and so did our customers) that we are going to try it permanently. So, starting today, here are our new hours:

• Monday 10-6
• Tuesday 10-6
• Wednesday 10-6
• Thursday 10-8
• Friday 10-6
• Saturday 10-6
• Sunday 10-2

January remains a busy month for us. We clear out the old and make room for the new. To that end, all of our calendars and Christmas cards are 50% off. Don’t forget that if you picked up a coupon in our holiday catalog it is still good through the end of this month. And this is a great month to cash in a gift certificate that you might have received for Christmas or Hanukkah for a long-coveted book.

So, Happy New Year to all. We are looking forward to a wonderful, prosperous 2012. We have a ton of events already scheduled – check out January’s in our Upcoming Events section – to help combat cabin fever: fiction book club, the NEW current events book club, kids book club, poetry night, knit night, Jenna Woginrich’s book launch for Barnheart, and a lecture on the historic slate industry in the New York/Vermont border region.

Battenkill Books can accept orders for Going Home, by Jon Katz.  Jon will visit the store to sign and personalize your copy.  Gift-wrapping is free, and our store can ship books anywhere in the world.  Pre-order by calling (518) 677 -2515, email info@battenkillbooks.com, or use the BUY NOW link below. When ordering, we will need your name, address, phone number, and how you’d like the book to be personalized by Jon.

Going Home: Finding Peace When Pets Die, by Jon Katz
$22.00 + tax
($ 28.84 including tax and shipping in the US)

In” Soul of a Dog, Izzy & Lenore, A Good Dog, “and other acclaimed works, “New York Times” bestselling author Jon Katz has written meaningfully about the cherished bond between humans and animals–especially our intense connection to our pets. Now, in this moving and thoughtful book, Katz addresses the difficult but necessary topic of saying goodbye to a devoted companion, and offers comfort, wisdom, and a way forward from sorrow to acceptance.

Battenkill Books is now accepting pre-orders for Barnheart, by Jenna Woginrich.  The author will be on hand to sign and personalize your copy!  Gift-wrapping is free, and our store can ship books anywhere in the world.  Pre-order by calling (518) 677 -2515, emailing info@battenkillbooks.com, or using the PayPal button below. When ordering, we will need your name, address, phone number, and how you’d like the book to be personalized by Jenna. We accept checks, Paypal, or MasterCard, Visa, or Discover. Many thanks for your support!

Barnheart, by Jenna Woginrich 
Publication Date: December 16th, 2011
$14.95 + tax ($21.30 including tax and shipping in the US) 

Whether they’re about raising chickens or herding sheep, the tales of Jenna Woginrich have caught the imagination of thousands of young homesteaders (and homesteaders-to-be). As she learns traditional farming skills by trial and error, Woginrich records her offbeat observations and poignant moments with honesty, humility, and humor. In Barnheart, she lands at a small rented farm in Vermont, where she struggles to find her place in a reserved New England community filled with working farmers who are scraping by and wealthy vacation-home owners with fancy barns that never house livestock. Woginrich explores her new surroundings with a friendly openness (and a ready fiddle) and finds a community of like-minded people who are keeping alive meaningful regional traditions.

Thursday, January 19th, 2012
6:30 PM
Battenkill Books
FREE

In our inaugural meeting of the Battenkill Books Nonfiction Book Club, we’ll be discussing Michael Lewis’ Boomerang.  Lewis, known for Liar’s Poker, The Blind Side and The Big Short, tackles international government debt crises in this latest title.

The New York Times says, “In his new book, “Boomerang,” he actually makes topics like European sovereign debt, the International Monetary Fund and the European Central Bank not only comprehensible but also fascinating — even, or especially, to readers who rarely open the business pages or watch CNBC. The book could not be more timely given the worries about Europe’s deepening debt crisis…How did this situation develop? In “Boomerang” Mr. Lewis captures the utter folly and madness that spread across both sides of the Atlantic during the last decade, as individuals, institutions and entire nations mindlessly embraced instant gratification over long-term planning, the too good to be true over common sense.”

Here’s video of an interview with the author from PBS New Hour (requires Flash).

Watch Michael Lewis’ ‘Boomerang’: ‘Money Thrown Out in Hope, Coming Back in Anger’ on PBS. See more from PBS NEWSHOUR.