In Like a Lion and Out Like a Lamb: March’s Book Recommendations Offer Ferocious Teen Fiction and Gentle Meditative Prose

Our local booksellers and the Half Moon Bay Library have compiled some new and old titles to please the March reader.  This first part of our series features recommendations from Harbor Books and Gallery, the Half Moon Bay Library, and Bay Books.  Look for Part two soon, featuring Coastside Books, Ocean Books, and Ink Spell’s picks for March.

At Harbor Books and Gallery in Princeton, Carole Brehm chooses some spiritual, thought-provoking titles for March.

Be Love Now: The Path of the Heart by Ram Dass.  His book Be Here Now was popular in the '70s and told the story of Dass meeting his guru.  A spritual teacher ever since, he now offers his stories and wisdom.

Twelve Steps To A Compassionate Life by Karen Armstrong.  Armstrong has written about Buddism, Islam, Christianity and other forms of religion.  Here she takes a slightly different turn to demonstrate how to be the best you can.

Beachcombing At Miramar: The Quest For An Authentic Life by Richard Bode.  “This is about taking time off and looking at your life,” says Brehm.  “It offers a local connection; he lived in Miramar.” The author has passed on and Brehm feels fortunate to have copies of his work to sell.

The Hemlock Cup: Socrates, Athens, and the Search for the Good Life by Bettany Hughes.   A February release about a man of the ancient world who dared to question everything, from the popular history author Hughes.

Pillar Point Harbor Shoppes, 270 Capistrano Road,

Princteon, 726-4241, open Tuesday-Sunday 10 a.m.-5 p.m.

Once again, Karen Choy, Youth Services Librarian, has put together a list of recommendations from her fellow librarians.    

What the Moon Saw by Laura Resau.  The author will visit Cunha Intermediate School on March 18 at 7 pm, and Choy says her books about Spanish speaking characters are popular with elementary, middle, and home school audiences.  What the Moon Saw centers around a 14-year-old who is invited to her grandparents' home in Mexico.  There, she takes note of the cultural differences.

Lots of Dots by Craig Frazier.  The graphic designer encourages us to take a closer look at things around us, such as finding the dots in his artwork.

Cake Wrecks:  When Professional Cakes Go Hilariously Wrong by Jen Yates.  From monstrosities of frosting to grammatical and spelling errors, this book is delicious with humor, featuring a divorce cake reading, “Go die in a car fire” and a celebratory “It A Gril” cake.

Portrait in Sepia by Isabel Allende.  An historical novel set at the end of the 19^th Century in Chile, this family story follows the author’s Daughter of Fortune.

620 Correas Street, Half Moon Bay, 726-2316

Open Monday-Wednesday 10 am-8 pm, Thursday 1 p.m.-8 p.m., Friday 10 a.m.-6 p.m., Saturday 10 a.m.-5 p.m., Sunday 1 p.m.-5 p.m.

Many fiction novels are on the top of manager Jeff Broyles’ March reading list, with the exception of a historic biography.  An author to watch, says Broyles, is Michael Koryta.  “He needs to be on people’s radars." 

His March picks are:

Colonel Roosevelt by Edmund Morris.  This third book by the Pulitzer Prize author completes a trilogy about Roosevelt and is “just stellar,” according to Broyles.

Delirium by Lauren Oliver.  A teen/young adult reader pick of which Broyles says, “Here, love has been eradicated and treated as a disease.” With the characters going through procedures to disconnect their love, will they discover it’s okay to fight the powers that be?

The Name of the Wind by Patrick Rothfuss.  “We’ve been waiting for three and a half years for this,” says Broyles.  “His first book is the single best first fantasy from a new author I’ve ever read.”  Characters are once again vivid, engaging, and intriguing, making this series comparable to Harry Potter for some reviewers.

Agent X by Noah Boyd.  This is the second novel from Boyd, where the main character, a former FBI agent, is brought back into the case.  “It has excellent characters and is well done,” says Broyles.

80 N. Cabrillo Highway, Suite F, Half Moon Bay, 726-3488

Open Monday-Thursday 10 a.m.-8 p.m., Saturday 9 a.m.-9 p.m., Sunday 10 a.m.-7 p.m.