Fig Garden Bookstore

When Everything Changed

2009-11-03T10:28:00.001-08:00

Picking up where her previous successful, and highly lauded book, America's Women, left off, Gail Collins recounts the sea change women have experienced since 1960. A comprehensive mix of oral history and Collins's keen research, this is the definitive book about five crucial decades of progress, told with the down-to-earth, amusing, and agenda-free tone this beloved New York Times columnist is known for. The interviews with women who have lived through these transformative years include an advertising executive in the 60s who was not allowed to attend board meetings that took place in the all-male dining room; and an airline stewardess who remembered being required to bend over to light her passengers' cigars on the men-only 'Executive Flight' from New York to Chicago.

We, too, may have forgotten the enormous strides made by women since 1960--and the rare setbacks. "Hell yes, we have a quota [7%]" said a medical school dean in 1961. "We do keep women out, when we can." At a pre-graduation party at Barnard College, "they handed corsages to the girls who were engaged and lemons to those who weren't." In 1960, two-thirds of women 18-60 surveyed by Gallup didn't approve of the idea of a female president. Until 1972, no woman ran in the Boston Marathon, the year when Title IX passed, requiring parity for boys and girls in school athletic programs (and also the year after Nixon vetoed the childcare legislation passed by congress). What happened during the past fifty years--a period that led to the first woman's winning a Presidential Primary--and why? The cataclysmic change in the lives of American women is a story Gail Collins seems to have been born to tell.

Dear John by Nicolas Sparks

2009-10-26T14:57:00.000-07:00

An angry rebel, John dropped out of school and enlisted in the Army, not knowing what else to do with his life--until he meets the girl of his dreams, Savannah. Their mutual attraction quickly grows into the kind of love that leaves Savannah waiting for John to finish his tour of duty, and John wanting to settle down with the woman who captured his heart. But 9/11 changes everything. John feels it is his duty to re-enlist. And sadly, the long separation finds Savannah falling in love with someone else. "Dear John," the letter read...and with those two words, a heart was broken and two lives were changed forever. Returning home, John must come to grips with the fact that Savannah, now married, is still his true love--and face the hardest decision of his life.

Superfreakonomics

2009-10-26T14:46:00.001-07:00

Novel Teas

2009-10-21T13:15:00.000-07:00

Spend teatime with CS Lewis, Rita Mae Brown, Alice Hoffman, and more as they share their thoughts on the delights and comforts of tea and books on each individually printed tea tag. These just arrived today and they could be on of the "hotest" gifts ideas for all of your bookie friends!

Bed of Roses by: Nora Roberts( Bride Quartet Series #2)

2009-10-11T16:44:00.000-07:00

Release Date: October 27, 2009 Check your local bookstores.

Love blooms in the second novel in Nora Roberts's celebrated Bride Quartet series.
As little girls MacKensie, Emma, Laurel, and Parker spent hours acting out their perfect make believe "I do" moments. Years later their fantasies become reality when they start their own wedding planning company to make every woman's dream day come true. With perfect flowers, delicious desserts, and joyful moments captured on film, Nora Roberts's Bride Quartet shares each woman's emotionally magical journey to romance.
In Bed of Roses, florist Emma Grant is finding career success with her friends at Vows wedding planning company, and her love life appears to be thriving. Though men swarm around her, she still hasn't found Mr. Right. And the last place she's looking is right under her nose.
But that's just where Jack Cooke is. He's so close to the women of Vows that he's practically family, but the architect has begun to admit to himself that his feelings for Emma have developed into much more than friendship. When Emma returns his passion-kiss for blistering kiss-they must trust in their history...and in their hearts.

Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Dog Days

2009-10-08T13:54:00.000-07:00

Monday, October 12th, is going to be a happy day for a lot of kids.

Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Dog Days, the fourth book in Jeff Kinney’s “Wimpy Kid” series, hits bookstores everywhere on Oct. 12. With a whopping first printing of 4 million copies, Dog Days is the largest children’s book release this year, according to a press release from Abrams, Kinney’s publisher. The press release also offered the tidbit (the first I’d heard) that a Wimpy Kid movie is in the works with an April 2 release date.

Photojojo by Fresno's own Kelly Jensen

2009-10-06T12:49:00.000-07:00

Photojojo! - Photojojo began life as a website devoted to photo tips and DIY projects with photos. The book puts it all in a lovely (and irreverently funny) portable format. There's a section on taking better pictures, using your computer to "help" the not-so-great ones, and of course, tons of fun things to do with them. Gift Ideas: A magnetic dress up doll for your quirky friends; a photo voodoo doll for your most vindictive friends; photo ornaments for everyone.

And most exciting of all the great book is by one of Fresno's own, Kelly Jensen.

Shop Local

2009-10-06T12:33:00.001-07:00

2009-09-20T15:50:00.000-07:00

Andrew Zimmern, the host of The Travel Channel’s hit series Bizarre Foods, has an extraordinarily well-earned reputation for traveling far and wide to seek out and sample anything and everything that’s consumed as food globally, from cow vein stew in Bolivia and giant flying ants in Uganda to raw camel kidneys in Ethiopia, putrefied shark in blood pudding in Iceland and Wolfgang Puck's Hunan style rooster balls in Los Angeles. For Zimmern, local cuisine — bizarre, gross or downright stomach turning as it may be to us — is not simply what’s served at mealtime. It is a primary avenue to discovering what is most authentic — the bizarre truth — about cultures everywhere. Having eaten his way around the world over the course of four seasons of Bizarre Foods, Zimmern has now launched Bizarre Worlds, a new series on the Travel Channel, and this, his first book, a chronicle of his journeys as he not only tastes the “taboo treats” of the world, but delves deep into the cultures and lifestyles of far-flung locales and seeks the most prized of the modern traveler’s goals: The Authentic Experience. Written in the smart, often hilarious voice he uses to narrate his TV shows, Zimmern uses his adventures in “culinary anthropology” to illustrate such themes as: why visiting local markets can reveal more about destinations than museums; the importance of going to “the last stop on the subway” — the most remote area of a place where its essence is most often revealed; the need to seek out and catalog “the last bottle of coca-cola in the desert,” i.e.disappearing foods and cultures; the profound differences between dining and eating; and the pleasures of snout to tail, local, fresh and organic food. Zimmern takes readers into the back of a souk in Morocco where locals are eating a whole roasted lamb; along with a conch fisherman in Tobago, who may be the last of his kind; to Mississippi, where he dines on raccoon and possum. There, he writes, "People said, 'That's roadkill!' ‘No it's not,’ I said. ‘It's a cultural story.

Vampire Diaries

2009-09-13T13:51:00.001-07:00

I just watched the first episode of "Vampire Diaries." It looks like it's going to be a great series. It's also based on a book by L.J. Smith. If you like to order the series, check your local book stores.

"Vampire Diaries" air every Thursday at 9pm.

How many books can James Patterson publish?

2009-09-09T07:14:00.000-07:00

James Patterson has signed a 3 1/2 year deal with Hachette for a whopping 17 books. For those keeping count, that's roughly 4.85714 books a year from now 'til 2012.

Monaco Centerpiece

2009-09-06T13:42:00.000-07:00

Just got this new centerpiece at the bookstore on Friday. Natali and I did a beautiful fall display with this and it turned out great. Check it out at our bookstore.

The Shiksa Syndrome by: Laurie Graff

2009-08-31T09:00:00.000-07:00

Do shiksas really have more fun? A Jewish girl is about to find out in Laurie Graff’s wickedly witty novel.

SHIK•SA (shik'sə)
n. Yiddish
1. A non-Jewish woman. 2. A quintessential blonde beauty. 3. A Jewish boy’s dream. 4. A Jewish girl’s nightmare.

Manhattan publicist Aimee Albert knows a good spin, but she’s the one who winds up reeling when her gorgeous, goyishe boyfriend breaks up with her–on Christmas! Aimee dusts herself off and decides to seek companionship with a member of her own tribe. There’s just one problem: all the shiksas are snapping them up!
So when the very cute, Jewish, and gainfully employed Josh Hirsch catches Aimee’s eye at a kosher wine tasting and mistakes her for a shiksa, what’s a girl to do? Unfortunately, the charade goes on longer than Aimee planned, and her life becomes more complicated than a Bergman film. But Aimee begins to discover that her identity isn’t as easily traded as a pair of Jimmy Choos, and she must decide if having the man of her dreams is worth the price of giving up so much of who she is.

ACCIDENTALLY DEAD by: DAKOTA CASSIDY

2009-08-30T14:51:00.000-07:00

It's a lousy first day on the job for Nina Blackman when a patient, loopy from the anesthesia, bites her. At least he was cute. But for real drama she can't beat the next evening. Nina wakes up with a set of razor-sharp fangs, bionic vision, supersonic hearing, and a taste for blood. But there's a good explanation: It's her patient, Long Island vampire Greg Statleon. Actually they're perfect for each other—if Nina's willing to commit to one man for eternity.

Onesie Cupcakes from Baby Bunch

2009-08-26T16:49:00.000-07:00

Just in from Baby Bunch, these are baby onesies, two yellow and two white, made to look like cupcakes. Very creative and perfect as a baby shower gift.

MY TWEEN LIFESTYLE COLLECTION by Marlene Wallach

2009-08-24T09:00:00.000-07:00

MY BEAUTY: Want flawless skin and a perfect smile? Although no one's perfect, Wilhelmina Kids & Teens modeling agency president Marlene Wallach will let you in on all the secrets you need to look your very best. From getting a really great haircut to finding the ultimate lip gloss, Marlene's tips make polishing your natural beauty simple and easy so that all the best things about you shine through. Packed with fun quizzes; spa treatments; interviews with beauty industry insiders such as celebrity dermatologist Dr. Howard Murad and makeup artist Paula Dorf; and more, My Beauty will help you discover your unique dazzle, whether on the runway, in the classroom, or on the soccer field.

MY LOOK: Want to know the secrets of creating your personal fashion style? Learn how to feel beautiful inside and out. Wilhelmina Kids & Teens modeling agency president Marlene Wallach shares tricks of the trade so you'll know all the things fashion professionals know. From how to put together the perfect outfit to fashion dos and don'ts galore, Marlene's tips make looking and feeling fabulous a breeze. Packed with fun quizzes, games, and lots more, My Look will help you discover the style that suits you best, whether on the runway, in the classroom, or on the soccer field.

MY LIFE: People often don't realize that health and fitness are essential to any beauty routine. Wilhelmina Kids & Teens modeling agency president Marlene Wallach shares with you all the secrets to looking beautiful from the inside out. From exciting ways of exercising to the importance of sleep, Marlene's tips make getting fit fun and easy. Packed with quizzes, delicious recipes, interviews, and games, My Life will help you create a healthy, natural routine that suits your lifestyle, whether it's on the runway, in the classroom, or on the soccer field.

Smencils

2009-08-23T13:26:00.000-07:00

We just got this new item in store. Flavored smell color pencils.

The Rainbow Fish by Marcus Pfister

2009-08-22T17:20:00.000-07:00

I read this book when I was little and it helped teach me how to share. Not only does this book have a great message, but it is also very eye-appealing. The scales used on the fish are made of holographic foil that changes colors when light shines on it. A great choice for preschool kids.

Jericho's Fall

2009-08-21T09:37:00.000-07:00

Too Good to be True: The Rise and Fall of Bernie Madoff by Erin Arvedlund

2009-08-19T17:51:00.000-07:00

One of the first journalists to question Bernie Madoff's investment practices, Erin Arvedlund tells the full story of the man who pleaded guilty to running a $65 billion Ponzi scheme and how he fooled so many smart investors for so long. This book explores the inner workings of Madoff's hedge fund and presents a sweeping narrative of Madoff's career-from his youth in Queens, New York, to his early days working for his father-in-law, to his time as chairman of the NASDAQ exchange, and finally to infamy as the world's most notorious swindler. She offers a riveting glimpse of Madoff the man-an indifferent student with little ambition who transformed himself into a star with a talent for trading, a reputation for innovation, and an unmistakably erratic nature.

Propeller Racer

2009-08-17T18:24:00.001-07:00

This is a simple and fun toy to build. Once you put it together and connect the wires, it goes pretty fast on a flat surface. My younger brother got one of these and he had fun with it. For ages 8 and up.

Anne Frank on the Big Screen

2009-08-15T07:52:00.000-07:00

A movie version of Anne Frank's classic The Diary of a Young Girl is in the works, with none other than David Mamet signed up as both producer and screenwriter.

For details, take a look at the Variety story.

PANDA & POLAR BEAR by Matthew J. Baek

2009-08-14T15:00:00.000-07:00

A little polar bear wonders what's beyond his wintry world—and when he falls over the edge of an ice cliff, he finds out! He's soon befriended by a panda who mistakes the mud-covered polar bear for one of his own. The two become quick pals. But what happens when the polar bear's muddy splotches wash off? Will the two bears stay friends?
From the much lauded author of Be Gentle with the Dog, Dear! comes a clever take on a timeless theme. With plenty of heart and humor—plus a gratifying surprise ending—kids are sure to flip back to the beginning for more.

Hug a Bug by Eileen Spinelli

2009-08-13T17:41:00.000-07:00

A tiny squeeze is all it takes. With this simple action you can turn a frown into a smile and show that you care. One hug can mean everything, so hug your mom, hug your dad, hug your sister or your brother, and hug your friend.

Eileen Spinelli and Dan Andreasen create a sweet, simple, and poetic picture book about the power of a loving hug that is a sure bet to brighten your day—just like a hug.

This book is the cutiest. Illustrations are beautiful and it's a perfect book for a kindegartener because it's got a little ryhme in it too.

Barack Obama: Son of Promise, Child of Hope by Nikki Grimes

2009-08-12T18:00:00.000-07:00

This book tells about the journeys of Barack Obama from growing up in Hawaii to being elected president in 2008. The illustrations by Bryan Collier are very sharp and vivid and seem to pop out of the page. A great book for kids who want to read about the life of our 44th president and how he became what he is today.