Author Archive for John Hoover
After a 35-year career as a high school social studies teacher, John Hoover and his wife, Sally, retired to Vermont. He lives in Windham where he serves as a Justice of the Peace and Library Trustee. He works part time as a book-seller at Misty Valley Books, is active at St. Luke's Episcopal Church and sings in several choral groups.
After four years, Hoover bids farewell to Good Reads column
Editor’s Note: Four years ago, The Chester Telegraph began the Good Reads column. It was a collaboration with Misty Valley Books, with bookseller, John Hoover, compiling the monthly recommendations of the staff and adding his own. It has been a genuine pleasure to work with John. I have enjoyed editing his columns and discovering new […]
Embrace the chill with these warming, thrilling & chilling books
By John Hoover © 2016 Telegraph Publishing LLC We’ve passed the winter solstice and we’ve survived the end of December holidays. The days are slowly lengthening but we still have considerable winter to get through. While some of our readers might be planning their gardens or reading travel guides to warmer places, over here at […]
Let these books lure you happily into the spirit of Christmas
By John Hoover © 2016 Telegraph Publishing LLC As December rolls around once again the staff at Phoenix Books Misty Valley are reminded that lots of our customers need to find that perfect gift for this holiday season. Each of us have come up with a book or two that we think would either be […]
A lot of mystery, a little magic and a couple of true tales
By John Hoover ©2016 Telegraph Publishing LLC Each month I try to pick a theme for this column that relates to the month itself or to the season or time of year. But every once in a while, I can’t come up with what I think of as an appropriate theme. At that point, to […]
Windham board says town now has less control over wind funds
By John Hoover ©2016 Telegraph Publishing LLC Windham Town Treasurer Peter Chamberlain has told the Windham Select Board that while Iberdrola’s latest offer, presented on Oct. 4, totals $1 million, most of it will not be available for the town to decide how to use. Portions of the $1 million will go to the fire […]
Windham board’s budget work includes wind project legal costs
By John Hoover © 2016 Telegraph Publishing LLC Even budget discussions took on the cast of wind development as the Windham Select Board discussed legal and other expenditures related to the situation at its Monday, Oct. 3 meeting. Selectman Kord Scott was absent due to illness. Under Iberdrola wind project related items, chair Frank Seawright […]
Iberdrola cuts number of turbines in Windham, ups its financial packages
By John Hoover and Cynthia Prairie ©2016 Telegraph Publishing LLC At its much anticipated meeting with Windham residents on Tuesday, Oct. 4, Iberdrola Renewables has changed its industrial wind proposal by cutting the number of turbines planned for the Town of Windham from 20 to 16 and raising the benefits package from $715,000 to $1 […]
Leaf through fall’s flavors, New England’s bewitching history
By John Hoover ©2016 Telegraph Publishing LLC Autumn makes its own special mark on our senses: fall foliage and Halloween costumes to delight our eyes; cider and pumpkin pie to tantalize our taste buds; the aroma of wood fires to excite our sense of smell. In line with this new season the staff at Phoenix […]
Windham to count 2nd homeowner ballots after Nov. 8 vote
By John Hoover ©2016 Telegraph Publishing LLC As Windham lurches toward a November vote on a proposed wind farm, it is no surprise that a number of items at the Windham Select Board’s bimonthly meeting Monday night dealt with the commercial wind installation proposal in the Stiles Brook tract owned by Meadowsend Timberlands of New […]
Windham second homeowners to be polled on wind project
By John Hoover © 2016 Telegraph Publishing LLC Overflow crowds recently have made it necessary to move the Windham Select Board meeting from the town office to the Windham Meeting House and Tuesday was no exception as the board waded into questions of who should vote on a proposed wind project and how those votes […]
Celebrate the books that were banned, by reading them!
By John Hoover Every year the American Library Association designates the last week of September as Banned Books Week. The ALA has two categories: challenged books and banned books that they track each year. Challenged books are those where an attempt has been made to remove or restrict materials based upon the objections of a […]
Mysteries rule for August’s Good Reads
By John Hoover ©2016 Telegraph Publishing LLC During the life of the Good Reads column we’ve done a variety of themes but one that we’ve used with some frequency is mysteries (most likely because I dearly love a good mystery/thriller). Since I’ve read several good mysteries lately I decided it was time to revisit that […]
Vacation treats, retreat found in the pages of these books
By John Hoover ©2016 Telegraph Publishing LLC Going on vacation? Perhaps to the beach or the lake where you’ll get a chance to relax and have some free time? May we humbly suggest that you take along something to read? This month’s column contains a number of books that the owners — current and former […]
On and off the pages, turn summer reading for kids into adventures
By John Hoover ©2016 Telegraph Publishing LLC Lockers have been cleaned out, goodbyes have been said and the last bus has pulled out of the parking lot. School’s out and you have the entire summer stretching in front of you. So, what are you going to do with all that free time? You know from […]
Spine-chilling thrillers filled with mayhem, mystery and murder
By John Hoover ©2016 Telegraph Publishing LLC Spies and counterspies, murder and mayhem and mystery: In the publishing industry they’re all part of the genre known as thrillers. Since thrillers are one of my favorite types of books and since I get to decide the monthly theme for this column, thrillers it is for May. […]
From Buddhism to biography: Take a chance on non-fiction
By John Hoover ©2016 Telegraph Publishing LLC Most often this column recommends works of fiction. This month, however, the folks at Misty Valley Books are suggesting some non-fiction works that we found to be informative, intriguing, educational and/or just plain good reads. From Buddhism to history and biography the books we’ve chosen for April are […]
Take a break from the icy mud with adventures, amusements
By John Hoover ©2016 Telegraph Publishing LLC Winter officially ends later this month as we begin the slow climb to the warmer temperatures of spring. Casting about for a theme that might convey a spring-like mood, but unable to come up with anything terribly original, I told my colleagues at Misty Valley Books to do […]
Explore best-seller lists and see why they sell
By John Hoover © 2016 Telegraph Publishing LLC There are many best-seller lists — the New York Times, USA Today and Publisher’s Weekly to name a few. At Misty Valley Books we post the American Booksellers Association’s Indie Best-seller lists for hardbound and paperbacks. I asked the staff here to pick a best-seller to review […]
Winter is the season for reading by the fire
By John Hoover ©2016 Telegraph Publishing LLC As we enter into January, the days are starting to lengthen but the temperatures and precipitation are telling us that we are a long way from spring. If the past is any indication, I imagine we can expect some significant snowstorms this month, so besides bringing in firewood […]
To give and to get: Books to put you in the holiday spirit
By John Hoover ©2015 Telegraph Publishing LLC It’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas. Wreaths decorate doors, windows are lit with candles and, as the sun sets, twinkling lights appear to light the night. It’s that time of year when we try to find the perfect gift for everyone on our list. To help you find […]
