Top 10 June Best-Sellers...

Brisingr is Coming...
There's still time to take advantage of the ABFAS Internet Only Special!
10% Pre-purchase discount!

Oaths Sworn...loyalties tested...forces collide.

Release date: September 20th for the third book in
Christopher Paolini's Inheritance Cycle - Pre-purchase yours today!
Order today for our ABFAS Internet Only Special and get a 10% Pre-purchase Discount on all copies of Brisingr - Book 3 of the Inheritance Cycle!

Following the colossal battle against the Empire's warriors on the Burning Plains, Eragon and his dragon, Saphira, have narrowly escaped with their lives. Still there is more at hand for the Rider and his dragon, as Eragon finds himself bound by a tangle of promises he may not be able to keep.

Christopher Paolini's first book, Eragon, told the story of a 15-year old farm boy who discovers his destiny as a Dragon Rider, swept into a dangerous world of magic, glory and power. In his second book, Eldest, imaginative creatures abound and Eragon's world unfolds as he hones his Dragon Riding skills and now... Brisingr.

Eragon is the greatest hope to rid the land of tyranny. Can this once-simple farm boy unite the rebel forces and defeat the king?

Continue the Cycle...

Click here for a special message from Christopher Paolini to his Fans about Brisingr!

Buy a copy of Eragon for $10.95
Buy a copy of Eldest for $12.99

Pre-Purchase a copy of Brisingr for $27.50 $24.75

Pick up a Book by John Maclean - A Writer that Knows Wildland Fire and Those That Fight

Our summers in beautiful Central Washington are filled with outdoor activities: scenic drives, exhilarating hikes, camping, biking, boating, swimming, and it's all topped off by the warm, sunny weather that we treasure. Those of us who live here or those who visit frequently are also aware of the fragility of this beauty as a result of that same warm sunny weather; a dangerous dichotomy that we learn to watch with a wary eye. These same warm, arid conditions are a potent ingredient for wildfires.

We are fortunate to have many brave and talented firefighters in our region, yet when wildfire strikes, nature can be a powerful contender. To understand these fires and the men and women who fight them, there is one man who is recognized as being one of the best writers of non-fiction books on wildfire and his latest book, The Thirtymile Fire, has just come out in paperback. The Thirtymile Fire raged 30 miles north of Winthrop, Washington in July 2001. It began with a campers's fire and ended as the second deadliest fire in Washington history with the loss of four lives and years of controversy. John Maclean's The Thirtymile Fire tells the tale of this deadly fire, the firefight, and the aftermath.

Maclean's father, Norman Maclean (A River Runs Through It) was the author of Young Men and Fire, the classic account of the Mann Gulch Fire, the deadly 1949 fire that took 13 lives in Montana. Following in his father's footsteps, John Maclean saw the similarities of the 1994 South Canyon Fire in Colorado to the Mann Gulch Fire and wrote Fire on the Mountain, which was awarded MPBA best nonfiction title of 1999.

Maclean subsequently wrote the book Fire and Ashes (Chicago Tribune Best Book of 2003), which recounts the 1953 Rattlesnake Fire in the Mendocino National Forest, which claimed the lives of fifteen firefighters and the life- threatening 1999 Sadler Fire in Nevada that trapped six firefighters, then he revisits Mann Gulch, the site of his father's classic book, and a survivor's interview is included. Mann Gulch remains one of the worst disasters in the history of smoke jumping.

Pick up a copy of The Thirtymile Fire or one of these other titles today. It will increase your appreciation for the courage and spirit of our wildland firefighters as well as for the awesome power of nature.

Buy The Thirtymile Fire by John Maclean - 14.00
Buy Fire on the Mountain by John Maclean - 14.00
Buy Young Men and Fire by Norman Maclean - 16.00

Fire and Ashes by John Maclean is currently out of print, but don't forget, you can put our ABFAS out-of-print book search to work for you! Click here to Order Fire and Ashes and we'll contact you as soon as we've found the book with information on availability and price.

Hey Cat Lovers! Pounce on these Meow Playing Cards!

When I play with my cat, how do I know that she is not passing time with me rather than I with her? — Montaigne

The next time you're passing time with a deck of cards, bring along your love of those furry felines with Meow Playing Cards from Umbra! All of the die-cut playing cards are illustrated in full-color and with the name and picture of a different breed of cat on each card, you'll not only have fun with these cards, it's a chance to learn something too! The translucent, molded case not only protects your cards, it's even designed in the adorable shape of a cat! Your favorite cat lover will absolutely love this!

Take a closer look by clicking here!

Hey Dog Lovers! These K9 Playing Cards are Just for You!

A boy can learn a lot from a dog: obedience, loyalty, and the importance of turning around three times before lying down — Robert Benchley (1889 - 1945)

Your dog is a loyal friend, now K9 Playing Cards from Umbra can show everyone you're as loyal to being a dog lover as your dog is to you! 52 die-cut playing cards with a different dog breed represented on each card. Each one fully illustrated in color. By the time you've played a couple of hands, identifying the different breeds will be a snap! No more missing stray cards either since you also get a translucent, molded case as well to protect your cards when you aren't playing. The case is available in a selection of colors, designed in the shape of a sweet pup!

Your dog would totally fetch these for you himself if he could.

Take a closer look by clicking here!

Don't want to carry a purse or wallet? The Bungee Business Card Case Is the Answer!

Whether you carry it every day or just on the days when a wallet or purse is just too bulky, you'll find that the Bungee Business Card Case by Umbra is the handiest new practical accessory to come along in a long time!

This pocket-sized card case will store your license, credit cards, cash, business cards, and even your keys, all in one compact spot. Made of aluminum with molded plastic caps it closes securely to keep your items safe. An elastic cord closure makes it even more convenient to carry along.

Take it hiking, take it to the store, take it to work… You'll love it for work and play - your kids will carrying it to school. This is great for the whole family!

Click here to get the full scoop!

Book Clubs

September is a great month to settle in with a new book and our local book groups have picked some fantastic titles.

Wednesday Book Group —	Loving Frank by Nancy Horan
		– The story that once shocked Chicago Society. The lives of Mamah Borthwick Cheney and Frank Lloyd Wright are intermingled once more, this time in Nancy Horan's compelling tale of fact and fiction.
	Buy Loving Frank - $14.00
Girl's Night Out —	Out Stealing Horses by Per Petterson
		– A quiet yet powerful novel. Winner of the 2007 IMPAC Dublin Award A Time Magazine Best Book of the Year One of the NYT Book Review's 10 Best Books of the Year
	Buy Out Stealing Horses - $14.00
Moab —	Last Days of Dogtown by Anita Diamant
		– Widows, orphans, spinsters, scoundrels, whores, free Africans, and witches. An intriguing chapter of early 1800s life, set in the early 1800s with a wide array of fascinating characters.
	Buy The Last Days of Dogtown - $15.00
Faith Lutheran Book Club —	Everything Must Change: Jesus, Global Crises and a Revolution of Hope by Brian D. McLaren
		– What do the life and teaching of Jesus have to say about the most critical global problems in our world today?
	Buy Everything Must Change - $21.99
Enchantment Book Club —	The Tenth Circle by Jodi Picoult
		– The powerful story of an American family, the bond between parent and child, and the dangerous repercussions of trying to play the hero.
	Buy The Tenth Circle - $15.00
Due to timing issues, we've been listing the Beaver Valley Reader's Book Group picks late each month. It's time to bring them up to date!
Beaver Valley Readers — August Pick:	The Memory Keeper's Daughter by Kim Edwards
		– What if you lost your child, and she grew up without you? An astonishing tale of redemptive love that begins on a wintry night in 1964...
	Buy The Memory Keeper's Daughter - $14.00
Beaver Valley Readers — September Pick:	Mountains Beyond Mountains by Tracy Kidder
		– A powerful narrative set in the impoverished region of Haiti. One person truly can make a difference.
	Buy Mountains Beyond Mountains - $15.95

"So Long!" to Poe Camp 2008 !

The mystery has been solved and the case has been cracked… The mirth and mayhem comes to a close as ABFAS says "So Long!" to another brilliant batch of contented campers!

We made plenty of memories and new friends (along with some pretty spectacular crafts) and we can hardly wait until 2009 when we get to do it all over again! The theme for Book Camp 2009 will be… Now, you didn't really think it would be that easy did you? Just like every other year, 2009's Book Camp theme is top secret and we can't ruin the surprise, now can we?

But if you click below, we will show you a few pictures from this year's Poe Camp!

Click here to share the fun of Poe Camp 2008!

StoryTime at ABFAS!

Have your kids met Madeline, Ferdinand, and Horton? And when's the last time they visited with that curious little monkey named George and the unrelenting Sam-I-Am? They are all waiting for your preschooler in our kid's room where Harold has his purple crayon, Max knows 'Where the Wild Things Are' and that Pigeon still wants to drive the bus! Imagination, wonder and laughter are plentiful in the world of children's reading and we love to share it every week at StoryTime.

Bring your preschooler once a week to StoryTime! Every Tuesday from 11:45-12:15.

Dave Divulges

Dave Varner Reviews:
Dark Summit: The True Story of Everest's Most Controversial Season and Dead Lucky: Life After Death on Mount Everest

There is nothing I like more than an epic survival story. They really bring out the best and worst in people. Two that I enjoyed recently are Dark Summit by Nick Heil and Dead Lucky by Lincoln Hall. Both deal with the tragic 2006 climbing season on Mount Everest where 11 climbers died. Dark Summit provides a detailed account of all the expeditions on the mountain that year while Dead Lucky is a personal account of Lincoln Hall's near fatal but successful climb during the same period.

Both books deal with many of the same individuals and events but from entirely different perspectives. Surviving extreme conditions on the world's highest peak is only one of the themes of these books. They also explore the nature of modern commercial climbing where events are almost instantly sent around the globe via the Internet. Who is ultimately responsible for bringing incapacitated climbers down from such a difficult location when even the guides are weak from the exertion and lack of sufficient oxygen? These questions and more are scrutinized in detail, but the answers are mixed. These books were informative and entertaining and I would recommend both to any lover of adventure stories.

Dark Summit: The True Story of Everest's Most Controversial Season - $26.00

Dead Lucky: Life After Death on Mount Everest - $24.95

A Green Tip from JipKiss!
No More Plastic Grocery Sacks!

Plastic Grocery Sacks are everywhere and they're taking over! They hold much less than most reusable or paper bags so you end up with twice as many; when you get home all you see are mounds of plastic bags everywhere and you have to deal with them. Enough! It's time to make a switch. How about an effort that won't seem like an effort?

More and more people are making the move to eco-friendly, reusable bags for their shopping. Most of us recognize this as the "right thing to do" for the environment, but we often forget to bring the bags, or just find it a hassle a drag them along. Well, no more! Eco-friendly AND stylish, Envirosax reusable shopping bags are here!

We've found a line of environmentally friendly bags that are stylish and inexpensive; lightweight and durable; and they roll up small enough to stow in your glove-box or handbag! The problem of forgetting your green bags has been solved! It's so easy to pop one of these little, 1.4 ounce lightweight and compact packages into your purse or car that when a larger shopping trip comes along, multiple bags are no extra hassle!

A selection of styles is available, but everyone who sees your Envirosax bags will want one too so better get yours while the gettin' is good!

Click here to take a closer look!

Who's That in the Back?

Occasionally you see her sitting in the back of the bookstore by the cook books, but you're not really sure what she's doing there. That's Lilly-Anne Wilder or LA. She's the Events Coordinator and webmaster at the bookstore. She works with Pat and the rest of the staff planning, organizing and promoting events. When she's not at the bookstore, she's at home working on the web sites.

When she's not working, LA likes to go climbing, hiking, or fly-fishing. "Leavenworth Rock, by local climber Viktor Kramar, goes with me everywhere," says LA. "The diagrams and directions are great! Anyone climbing in Leavenworth needs this book. Another great new book is Central Washington Bouldering," exclaims LA. It has opened my eyes to all the great bouldering spots around here."

When she's not climbing rocks, LA's out hiking with friends or husband, Dave Varner, who also works at the bookstore. "I just bought the new Trail Map of Wenatchee & Leavenworth to keep in my car. It's a good overall trail reference map. It covers most of the areas where I hike, including Wenatchee, Blewett Pass, Alpine Lakes Wilderness and Lake Wenatchee. The map is waterproof and won't tear easy," says LA. "I've actually discovered some trails I didn't know about while looking over the map," she declares. "I've been looking for some place new to hike. I can't wait to check them out!"

In the winter, LA does some cross-country skiing, but what she really looks forward to is traveling to warmer climates. "I thrive on new experiences," admits LA. "That's why I love to travel to new environments. I'm always looking for something new to experience. Lonely Planet puts out what I consider the best travel guides to foreign countries. The information is extensive and well organized. Last year Dave and I went to Hawaii and took an hour ride in an ultra-light plane. The year before, we went to Belize and explored two miles deep inside a cave through seven waterfalls. Wow, just talking about it gives me goose bumps!" she blurts out. "I can't wait for my next new adventure!"

You can find out what LA's been up to on her web site lawilderdesigns.com, where she posts information, pictures and video of her latest hikes and travelogues.

Buy Leavenworth Rock - $26.00
Buy Central Washington Bouldering - $25.00
Buy Trail Map of Wenatchee and Leavenworth - $10.99

Pat's Corner

I just returned from Gampo Abbey, a Buddhist monastery on the northwest tip of Cape Breton Island, Nova Scotia. I went for a week's silent retreat, where retreatants enter into the daily life of the monks and nuns, eating, praying and working together. I had my concerns about how it would all turn out, but my worries were for naught. It seemed unreal the way I stepped out of one life into another; the quiet peace of the abbey along with the stunning natural beauty of the monastery sitting on a cliff overlooking the Atlantic Ocean transported me into a time and place where I could let go of my daily routines and live in the moment. Although monastic life was foreign to me, I easily slipped into getting up at 5:30 AM, dressing in the dark, running a brush through my hair and hurrying down the path to join in morning chants and meditation. Not bothering with makeup or blow drying my hair was very freeing for that week. The discovery of a library well-stocked with a diverse selection of books and, who would have guessed, a small bookstore added to my growing comfort!

How I ended up signing on to fly across the country into Halifax and then taking a 6 1/2 hour car ride up the island coast, started with a book and then another book. Elizabeth Gilbert's bestselling book, Eat, Pray, Love inspired me to do some soul searching of my own. It also nudged me to take a look into an author Gilbert was inspired by; Pema Chodron. I went to our bookshelves and chose Chodron's book, When Things Fall Apart, not because things were falling apart but because it was the slimmest of her books and I already had the ubiquitous stack of books I was working my way through. It was an auspicious choice for it was there that I read about Gampo Abbey and knew right away that I wanted to experience monastery life for myself.

On my last day there, I spied one of a family of fox who shared the Abbey grounds. As I watched the fox inch closer and closer to our deck, obviously tamed by the care of the nuns and monks, I couldn't help but think of the tamed fox from The Little Prince by Antoine De Saint-Exupery. With this image in my head, I realized no matter how far I am from home, I always have a home in literature and books.

Buy Eat, Pray, Love - $15.00
Buy When Things Fall Apart - $6.99
Buy The Little Prince - $10.00