Search Results for 'John Hoover'
Vermonters present state in fiction, travel, mystery and history
By John Hoover ©The Chester Telegraph – 2014 One of the things that has so impressed me about Vermont, my adopted state, is the wonderful variety of cultural activities that one finds so readily here. For the person who desires to hear music, there are concerts that range from bluegrass to classical. There are so […]
Picks of the litter: Katz, dogs and more books for animal lovers
By John Hoover About 12,000 to 14,000 years ago, a human and a wolf decided to enter into a beneficial partnership (most likely for purposes of hunting) and thus began our species’ relationship with animals. Shortly after the canines, sheep, cats, goats, pigs, cattle and other animals were domesticated. Each year, pet owners across the […]
Hot summer fare runs from mystery to romance, extraordinary writing to easy reading
By John Hoover Although there always seems to be a lot that needs to get done during Vermont’s all too short summer, life also seems to move at a slightly slower pace. If you’re like me, you often find yourself putting off something that needs doing in order to spend time at the lake or […]
Summer travels are as close as a good book
By John Hoover I have met very few people who haven’t wished to travel, to see other parts of our nation or our world, even if only from the comfort of their armchair. Since summer is the time when many people travel, the owners and staff at Misty Valley Books thought we’d share with you some […]
From humor to history, ‘wild card’ books offer a full deck of Good Reads
Editor’s Note: This week, Chester-Andover Elementary School students Taylor Cote and Olivia Wright, under the guidance of teacher Frank Kelley, have taken a turn at book reviewing. Read their review of Wonder by clicking here. By John Hoover When it comes time each month to write the Good Reads column for The Chester Telegraph […]
Escape from mud season with a handful of mysteries
By John Hoover Whether the body is in the drawing room of an English country house or in an alley in some gritty urban area; whether the main character is a police officer, a private detective or an English spinster, the mystery novel, after almost two-thirds of a century of reading, remains among my […]
For March, a bevy of books rich in Irish tradition
By John Hoover Faith and begorrah! T’is the time for the wearing of the green and we here at Misty Valley Books are all ready to celebrate St. Patrick’s Day. Our Good Reads recommendations this month all have something to do with the Emerald Isle either taking place there or dealing with the Irish […]
Snuggle up with a little romance, a lot of love across continents and time
By John Hoover Chocolates in heart-shaped boxes, red roses, candle-lit dinners for two: If it’s February, it must be time for Valentine’s Day and Good Reads’ First Romance Story column. Each month we develop a theme for the Good Reads column, and we can think of no better theme for February than love and […]
Fight the January cold by curling up with a blanket and a novel
By John Hoover January is a great month to get outside and enjoy all the recreational opportunities that Vermont has to offer. But since daylight lasts for well less than half the day what are you doing the rest of the time? You could, of course, sleep for 14 hours but I suspect you […]
Top 10 from 24 months of unique reporting in The Chester Telegraph
By Cynthia Prairie On Jan. 16, 2014, The Chester Telegraph celebrates its second birthday. A few of our faithful readers have asked us to compile a list of the 10 top stories that we covered in 2013. We thought it was a great idea but, since we didn’t do it last year, we decided […]
For sharing and giving: Christmas traditions, joy abound in holiday books
By John Hoover As Christmas rolls around, we at Misty Valley Books tend to revert to our much younger selves and experience again the excitement of the approaching holiday. This month’s recommendations will not only make great gifts, but they will add to the joys of the season and your holiday traditions. Lynne recommends […]
Turning the leaves of a good book: food, founders, football and fall
By John Hoover November means so many things to so many people that it almost became difficult to come up with a unified theme for this month’s column. But, sit back while we at Misty Valley offer you a cornucopia of Good Reads. If you’re the one preparing the Thanksgiving holiday feast, then Amanda […]
OooOooO! It’s time for some spooky, scary good reads
By John Hoover You’re sitting alone in your living room late one night, the only illumination the pool of light produced by your reading lamp. You’re engrossed in the thriller you’re reading when you hear a creaking sound as if someone is walking on the floor above you. But no. It’s just your imagination, so […]
Dust off those school reading lists for some marvelous classics
By John Hoover When I was in high school, we were required to read a list of books each year in English class. Somehow I managed to get by without reading most of them (I was not a very good high school student). Since those days so long ago, I’ve gone back to that abandoned […]
Nonfiction works will enlighten, intrigue and entertain
By John Hoover H ave you ever had a burning question or wanted to know something about a particular subject? While reading a work of fiction is a lot of fun, it often doesn’t answer questions we might have. We at Misty Valley Books we often head for the nonfiction sections of the bookstore where […]
Vacation reading spans the globe and sends us to the Moon
By John Hoover It’s a beautiful summer day and you’re on vacation. Perhaps you’re at the beach or the lake or camping in the woods. Maybe you’ve taken a “staycation” this year and find yourself at home. Wherever you are, the pace of your busy life has slowed and you find yourself able to relax […]
Hey kids! Add these books to your summer reading list
By John Hoover School’s out (or almost), so what are you going to do with all your free time this summer? You could sit inside and play video games – nothing wrong with that – but may we at Misty Valley Books make a suggestion? Find yourself a Good Read, one that you can take […]
May books usher in rich, colorful and rewarding worlds
By John Hoover For the rest of the world, spring began in the month of March with the arrival of the Vernal Equinox. But in Chester, May is the month when spring finally arrives and we put away our winter coats and gloves and boots. May also is Mother’s Day, getting out in the garden […]
Good Reads: A salmagundi of books as the weather breaks
The Chester Telegraph introduces its new column from our friends at Misty Valley Books. Good Reads will be compiled by John Hoover from Misty Valley’s staff recommendations. It will appear the first week of every month in our Community & Arts Life section. Sometimes there will be a theme, sometimes not. Using the Comment form […]
