The town is Fowler, Michigan, a middle-class community with 1,100 residents – and 2,500 wedding dresses. The building is Becker’s Bridal, home to each of those dresses, a figurative blizzard of white. Jeffrey Zaslow takes readers to this remarkable small-town bridal shop to explore the hopes and dreams parents have for their daughters. He weaves this true story using a reporter’s research and a father’s heart. Jeff came to Fowler not just to write about wedding gowns and what they represent. He came to understand the women wearing them, their fears and yearnings, and through them, he tells a larger story about the love between parents and daughters today.

In this magical book, Zaslow examines women on the brink of commitment, whose stories, secrets, and memories will pull you in from the moment they first see their reflection in this iconic room.

Jeffrey Zaslow is a columnist for The Wall Street Journal and the author of the New York Times bestseller The Girls from Ames. Through his writing, he has told the stories of some of the most inspirational people of our time. He is co-author, with Chesley Sullenberger, of Highest Duty, and with Randy Pausch, of The Last Lecture, the #1 New York Times bestseller now translated into forty-eight languages. Zaslow is currently collaborating with Rep. Gabrielle Giffords and her husband, astronaut Mark Kelly, on their memoir. He lives in suburban Detroit with his wife, Sherry, and daughters Jordan, Alex, and Eden.

Appearing onstage with his band the Long Beds (featuring special guest hotshot Andy Dee of Big Top Chautauqua Blue Canvas Orchestra), Mike will weave stories and humor (including material from The Clodhopper Monologues) throughout a lively concert of original songs, including those on his most recent album, Tiny Pilot (Ambledown Records).

Tickets $12 in advance (plus service charge) or $15.00 at the door.  Buy advance tickets here or at Monkey See Monkey Read, 425 Division Street South, Northfield, MN beginning Dec. 15th.

Listen to a cut off Tiny Pilot here:

http://ambledown.com/artists/michael-perry-and-the-long-beds

or stop by the shop. Tiny Pilot will be in full rotation this month.

A damn fine book.

The Tiger’sWife by Tea Obreht-In a Balkan country mending from war, Natalia, a young doctor, is compelled to unravel the mysterious circumstances surrounding her beloved grandfather’s recent death. Searching for clues, she turns to his worn copy of The Jungle Book and the stories he told her of his encounters over the years with “the deathless man.” But most extraordinary of all is the story her grandfather never told her—the legend of the tiger’s wife.

Alvin loved this one.

Making a Friend by Alison McGhee-Bestselling author, Alison McGhee reminds us all that nothing that has been cared for can ever disappear for good, for, “What you love will always be with you.” And, this tender story about the power of friendship will stay with readers long after they turn the last page.

Another winner from Alison McGhee

The Chronicles of Harris Burdick by Chris Van Allsburg-For more than twenty-five years, the illustrations in the extraordinary Mysteries of Harris Burdick by Chris Van Allsburg have intrigued and entertained readers of all ages. Thousands of children have been inspired to weave their own stories to go with these enigmatic pictures. Now we’ve asked some of our very best storytellers to spin the tales. Enter The Chronicles of Harris Burdick to gather this incredible compendium of stories: mysterious, funny, creepy, poignant, these are tales you won’t soon forget.

The Clodhopper Monologues by Mike Perry-Not so long ago, author, humorist and amateur pig farmer Michael Perry fed the chickens, changed his boots, kissed his wife and daughters, and drove downstate to a refurbished opera house in Stoughton, Wisconsin. Waiting for him onstage was a microphone; waiting in the seats was a sold-out house full of folks ready to laugh. For the next two hours the walls of the old opera hall echoed with stories of love and long underwear, happily failed bachelors, aggressive roosters, one-eyed joke-telling butchers, the glories of pickup-truck-based courtship…and wave after wave of laughter. And then – right at the end there – came the story of the little girl, the guinea pig, and a math lesson gone wrong.

okay this one’s not a book, but it’s so damn funny.

Set Cubed-SET Cubed is A Curious Game of Clever Connections, challenging a player’s ability to identify SETs between the dice in their hand and those already on the board.  Players can play up to 3 dice per turn making as many SETs as possible. Create SETs up, down and across the board, the more SETs you create, the higher your score. As the number of dice on the board increases so do the possible SET combinations. Rack up points by using BONUS SQUARES! Roll a WILD die and unleash the possible number of SETs that can be made during your turn! How many SETs can you make?! The player with the most points wins!

My favorite game

Unbroken by Laura Hillenbrand-In her long-awaited new book, Laura Hillenbrand writes with the same rich and vivid narrative voice she displayed in Seabiscuit.  Telling an unforgettable story of a man’s journey into extremity, Unbroken is a testament to the resilience of the human mind, body, and spirit.

Simply an amazing story. Highly recommended

Haruki Murakami-We have a number of his books you could choose including his latest 1Q84. Murakami is always a delight to read.

Tiny Pilot by Mike Perry and the Longbeds-Like so many before him, Michael Perry learned to sing in church. Then a Waylon Jennings 8-track got him hooked on boogety-boogety. This combination yielded the mix of straight-up twang and churchly harmonies found in Perry’s music. Tiny Pilot is Michael Perry’s second full-length release with his band the Long Beds. The songs on Tiny Pilot range from boot-stomping country to roughneck folk ballads and are populated by characters drawn straight from rural and small-town America. The music made by Perry and his Long Beds has been described as ‘country folk,’ ‘folk-twang,’ and Americana.

Just like Gordon Lightfoot…only zippier. Seriously, I love this album.

Big Little Brother by Kevin Kling-“This charming first children’s book by celebrated storyteller Kevin Kling, with whimsical drawings by Chris Monroe, traces a familiar arc from sibling rivalry to brotherly love.”

An as always, we’ll wrap you gifts for free in some of our lovely wrapping paper.

Twin Cities Metro magazine calls this reimagining of Dickens’ A Christmas Carol “light” and “witty.” Mary Ann Grossman from the St. Paul Pioneer Press writes, “Tom Hegg turns his considerable talent loose on a book of light verse to commemorate the 200th anniversary of Charles Dickens’ birth.” Also, watch an interview with the author on Kare 11.

Tom Hegg, author of the modern holiday classic A Cup of Christmas Tea, takes several immortal Dickens characters from different novels, mixes them together with newly minted ones, puts them all in mortal danger, and sets the story to wickedly clever verse. This well-produces hardcover book is further enhanced by the lively illustrations of Kevin Cannon.

Tom Hegg is an American author, teacher, and theatrical professional who performed for many seasons as a member of the Tyrone Guthrie Theatre in Minneapolis, MN. Hegg lives with wife Peggy Hegg in Eden Prairie, MN. Hegg is best known for selling 1.5 million copies of his first book, A Cup of Christmas Tea, illustrated by Warren Hanson. Hegg and Hanson’s working relationship continued with nine more illustrated books including three books featuring a colorful bear named Peef. Hegg has also collaborated on The Handsome Prince with illustrator Kevin Cannon.

We will donate 10% of our Winter Walk sales to the Haslett-Marroquin family’s support fund.

A poem from Billy Collins for Tuesday.