Fans (and there are many) of Peace Like a River (2001) by Leif Enger have been patiently awaiting his second novel, and finally it is here!  I haven’t had a chance to read it yet, but all of the reviews (especially bookseller reviews) are terrific!  The new book, So Brave, Young and Handsome, is set in 1915, follows the misadventures of bestselling author Monte Becket, who cannot make his second novel work (is this somewhat autobiographical?).  He is just about to reclaim his old job at a small town Minnesota post office when he meets Glendon Hale, a former outlaw who is traveling to Mexico to find his estranged wife. Let the adventure begin!

Village Books is proud to offer a book club discussion open to the public. On Sunday, April 27 from 6:00 - 7:30 pm in the bookstore, Kathy Jackson, Ph.D., will lead a discussion of Life Class by Pat Barker. The novel tells the story of a group of young students who gather in an art studio for a life drawing class in the spring of 1914. With WWI looming, Paul Tarrant and Elinor Brooke are two sides of a love triangle who turn to each other, raising questions of art and war, social class and much more. There is a $10 facilitator fee. Call Village Books at 310-454-4063 or click here to sign up and/or order a copy of the book at a 15% discount.

We've had a wonderful tradition through the years here at Village Books as we've discovered that some of us love to bake as much as we love to read. What has evolved is something we call "Bickie Thursdays," when we pause in the afternoon to take a "tea and bickie" break. In Australia and other parts of the British Commonwealth a biscuit, or bickie, is what Americans call a cookie. Voila! Connie, Jessica and Andrea take turns baking bickies to share with one another and any customers who stop by. Recently, they all enjoyed Anzac Biscuits from The Gourmet Cookbook, edited by Ruth Reichl.  This buttery, salty-sweet amalgam of hearty oatmeal, coconut, and treacle - or golden syrup – was created by wives, mothers, and girlfriends concerned for the nutrition of their loved ones in the Australian and New Zealand Army Corps (ANZAC) during WWI. Look  for more recipes by clicking on "Inside Village Books" from the menu at the left, and stop by some Thursday afternoon and enjoy a bickie with us!