The 401 BOOKS
BY DANA LAVERTY
By the Book Eight titles by local authors sure to warm up your midwinter days .
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OW THAT A FULL NEW ENGLAND WINTER IS UPON US , the only thing I want to do is curl up on the couch , nestled under a blanket , with a hot cup of coffee and a book . If , like me , you much prefer indoor winter pursuits — think après-ski over skiing , etc . — to actual outdoor pursuits , then I ’ ve rounded up books by local authors worthy of your time this season . So brew up a bracing pot of joe and settle in for a midwinter literary feast .
The Secret of Honeycake
By Kimberly Newton Fusco Kimberly Newton Fusco ’ s fifth book for young readers centers on Hurricane , a quiet girl who finds her life upended when she must live with her spirited and opinionated Aunt Claire . A host of new friends , plus one mangy cat with a crooked tail , helps Hurricane find her voice . A former journalist turned novelist , Fusco lives in Foster . The Secret of Honeycake was published in January .
The Stark Beauty of Last Things
By Céline Keating When outsider Clancy inherits the last undeveloped parcel of land in Montauk , New York , the hamlet ’ s residents all have
opinions on the outcome . The novel explores our connection to nature and what happens when that link is threatened . Author Céline Keating lived in New York City and Montauk for many years before settling in Bristol .
The Care and Maintenance of a New England Home
By Tom Lopatosky New England homes are just built differently : Some date back to the 1700s , some marinate in the salty sea air year-round , and some have been lovingly — but questionably — added on to throughout the years . Whatever the state of your abode , you ’ ll likely find the answers to your home maintenance questions within the 500 pages of The Care and Maintenance of a New England Home , penned by home improvement expert Tom Lopatosky , owner of Rumford-based Lopco Contracting .
The Couscous Chronicles : Stories of Food , Love , and Donkeys from a Life Between Cultures
By Azzedine T . Downes Animal welfare activist and cultural shapeshifter Azzedine T . Downes — a Providence resident who heads the International Fund for Animal Welfare — has shuttled between northwest Africa , Eastern Europe , Morocco , Israel and his native United States throughout his career . Along the way , he ’ s broken bread with Fez shoemakers , been cursed at a couscous feast gone very wrong , and dodged bullets during his daily commute . Downes recounts all the adventures in The Couscous Chronicles , his first book .
Barnflower : A Rhode Island Farm Memoir
By Carla Panciera Westerly native Carla Panciera recounts her childhood growing up on the Tum-A- Lum dairy farm with her parents , especially her father , Aldo , a famous cattle breeder . Barnflower is a tender love story about the bond between a daughter and her father , a way of life that ’ s slowly vanishing , and the special ties between humans and animals .
Wild Places : The Life of Naturalist David Attenborough
By Hayley Rocco with illustrations by John Rocco Ideal for any budding conservationist in your life , this picture book biography details the career of naturalist and broadcaster David Attenborough , whose nature documentaries have fascinated viewers for seven decades . Rhode
PHOTOGRAPH : GETTY IMAGES / OLEZZO ; COVERS COURTESY OF AUTHORS .
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