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Articles by Bill Bushnell
BUSHNELL ON BOOKS: ‘Outermark’ and ‘Warm Your Bones’
OUTERMARK Of short stories, writer Neil Gaiman says: “A short story is the ultimate close-up magic trick — a couple of thousand words to take you around the world or break your heart.” And mid-coast Maine writer Jason Brown does all of that magic and more in this powerful short story collection. Brown is a Maine Book Award winner for his short stories, and “Outermark” is his fourth collection.
BUSHNELL ON BOOKS: ‘A Life in the Garden’ and ‘Bitter Passage’
A LIFE IN THE GARDEN: TALES AND TIPS FOR GROWING FOOD IN EVERY SEASON American homespun philosopher Texas Bix Bender has this advice for gardeners: “The best way to garden is to put on a wide-brimmed hat and some old clothes. And with a hoe in one hand and a cold drink in the other, tell somebody else where to dig.” This advice works well if you have a lot of summer houseguests. Put them to work.
BUSHNELL ON BOOKS: ‘The Busy Body’ and ‘Patchwork Quilt Murder’
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BUSHNELL ON BOOKS: ‘Tell Me Everything’ and ‘The Maine Standard’
TELL ME EVERYTHING About people, British writer Somerset Maugham (1874-1965) said: “I’ve always been interested in people, but I’ve never liked them.” Maine author Elizabeth Strout, however, does like people, but fans of her novels and her fascinating yet profoundly unhappy characters may ask, why?
BUSHNELL ON BOOKS: ‘The Space Between You and Me’ and ‘Oxbow Island Gang: Summer Bats’
THE SPACE BETWEEN YOU AND ME An unknown pundit once said: “There is nothing wrong with teenagers that reasoning with them won’t aggravate.” Try telling your teenage daughter not to date that boy. South Portland author Julie True Kingsley’s debut young-adult romance novel, “The Space Between You and Me,” is a high-energy tale of young star-crossed teens awash in hormones, idealism, dreamy romantic images, and an age-old culture clash that threatens to upend everyone’s hopes.
BUSHNELL ON BOOKS: ‘Real Spies Don’t Use Rowboats’ and ‘Hard Line’
REAL SPIES DON’T USE ROWBOATS Of boys, J.B.S. Haldane (1892-1964) said: “A fairly bright boy is far more intelligent and far better company than the average adult.” And that surely describes grade-school brothers Sam and John Hassenfuss of Cricket Cove, Maine. “Real Spies Don’t Use Rowboats” is central Maine author Jeffrey Hope’s debut novel for young readers, 8-12 years old.
BUSHNELL ON BOOKS: ‘Flood Tide’ and ‘Stephen King’s Maine’
FLOOD TIDE The Chief of Police of Laurel, Maine, LT Nichols, is a small-town cop with a big heart, quick fists and a stubborn streak. He also does not like being pushed around by people who think he is just a Barney Fife with a badge. And now he has a case that just might bury him. “Flood Tide” by Kennebunkport author Al Waitt is the second book in his excellent mystery series featuring LT Nichols (LT stands for his undesirable nickname), following “The Ruins of Woodman’s Village” in 2023.
BUSHNELL ON BOOKS: ‘The Cliffs’ and ‘Death by Chocolate Raspberry Scone’
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BUSHNELL ON BOOKS: Trio of books for children from Maine authors
THE STORY OF NEEPS AND TATTIE The authors and illustrator (two from Maine) combine their talents to tell the story of two tortoises who have lived in Annie McKay’s garden in Scotland for more than 50 years, for ages 4-8. This is a tender story of a woman who rescued Neeps (turnip) and Tattie (potato) when she was just 10 years old. The tortoises dig in the dirt, eat cucumbers, and play with Annie’s two dogs.
BUSHNELL ON BOOKS: ‘A Gardener at the End of the World’ and ‘The Sea Flower’
A GARDENER AT THE END OF THE WORLD As with the Black Death in Europe in 1353, the worldwide COVID-19 pandemic in 2020 had a profound effect on human history, for as author Margot Anne Kelley says: “The entire inhabited world changed.” And it remains to be seen if it has changed for the better.
BUSHNELL ON BOOKS: ‘Downtown, Up River’ and ‘Bungalow Terrace’
DOWNTOWN, UP RIVER: BANGOR IN THE 1970s About photography, German designer Karl Lagerfeld said it best: “What I like about photographs is that they capture a moment that’s gone forever, impossible to reproduce.” Fortunately, Waldo County native and author Emily Stoddard Burnham and the photographers at the Bangor Daily News have captured those nostalgic, often forgotten moments of Bangor’s life in the 1970s in “Downtown, Up River.” Burnham is the arts and culture journalist for the BDN, lives...
BUSHNELL ON BOOKS: ‘To Woo and To Wed’ and ‘Ghost Town’
TO WOO AND TO WED Comedian Alan King once said: “If you want to read about love and marriage you’ve got to buy two separate books,” but he was wrong. Clearly, he had never read any of the Victorian romance comedies in the “Regency Vows” series by Portland author Martha Waters. She combines both beautifully. Waters has penned five novels in her delightfully charming and funny Victorian rom-coms, and “To Woo and To Wed” is the fifth and final book in the series.
BUSHNELL ON BOOKS: ‘Fire Exit’ and ‘Art of Penobscot Bay’
FIRE EXIT At age 54, Charles Lamosway is a man burdened by regret — regret for what he did do and for what he didn’t. And he still cannot make up his mind which is worse. “Fire Exit” is the debut novel by Morgan Talty, a citizen of the Penobscot Indian Nation and the winner of eight prestigious literary awards for his short-story collection, “Night of the Living Rez” (Tin House, 2022).
BUSHNELL ON BOOKS: ‘Kate Meader’ and ‘Good Dog, Bad Cop’
KATE MEADER In 1900 it was common for cities and towns in New England to operate an almshouse, a charitable place to house the poor, invalid, sick and other unfortunate souls labeled as “morons” and “idiots.” Gardiner, Maine had its own almshouse called the City Farm where “inmates” were placed out of sight and out of mind, and Kate Meader was the cook. This is a captivating story by Mount Vernon writer Deborah Gould, an award-winning author of short fiction and three other novels.
BUSHNELL ON BOOKS: ‘Sparrow Being Sparrow’ and ‘Trapped: Deep Waters, Darker Secrets’
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BUSHNELL ON BOOKS: ‘Pete and Alice in Maine’ and ‘Tributaries: Essays from Woods and Waters’
PETE AND ALICE IN MAINE Marriage is not a thing, it’s a process that takes effort. French author Guy de Maupassant (1850-1893) tells us just how tenuous that effort can be: “It is better to be unhappy in love than unhappy in marriage, but some people manage to do both.” And that describes the marriage of Pete and Alice perfectly.
BUSHNELL ON BOOKS: ‘The Buoyant Letters of Mimsy Bell’ and ‘ The Prints of Siri Beckman’
THE BUOYANT LETTERS OF MIMSY BELL Mimsy Bell is an aging rock star, a survivor of the sex, drugs and rock ‘n’ roll eras of the ’60s, ’70s and ’80s. She is 80 years old now and has returned to her western Maine hometown of Menotomy to do two things: find a place to be buried, and to settle an old score with the river.
BUSHNELL ON BOOKS: ‘A Symmetry of Husbands’ and ‘Simmering, Savory and Deadly’
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BUSHNELL ON BOOKS: ‘Easter Basket Murder’ and ‘Just Up The Road’
EASTER BASKET MURDER If the Easter Bunny shows up at your house carrying a knife, duct tape, zip ties and trash bags, don’t let him in. It’s not chocolate he’s after.
BUSHNELL ON BOOKS: ‘We’re Going Home’ and ‘Princess of the Wild Sea’
WE’RE GOING HOME: A TRUE STORY OF LIFE AND DEATH Grief is a powerful emotion that can take many forms, all of them painful, especially when one suffers the loss of a beloved and cherished spouse. British author C.S. Lewis (1898-1963) understood this when his wife died: “No one ever told me that grief felt so like fear.” And now Gouldsboro author Cynthia Thayer knows exactly what Lewis meant.
BUSHNELL ON BOOKS: ‘Death in Venison’ and ‘Forgotten Industries and Institutions of Maine’ Original
DEATH IN VENISON: MAINE NEWSPAPER MYSTERIES WITH NATE AND NASTY Wilbur Storey (1819-1884), a famous newspaperman nobody has ever heard of, correctly said: “It is a newspaper’s duty to print the news and raise hell.” And that’s exactly what the local paper in fictional Venice, Maine does. This is the debut book by husband and wife writers James and Luanne Napoli, career journalists with a keen eye for plot, structure, characters, dialogue and atmosphere.
BUSHNELL ON BOOKS: ‘Leap Frog’ and ‘Death of a Clam Digger’
OXBOW ISLAND GANG: LEAP FROG The Oxbow Island Gang is back in another exciting, suspenseful mystery set on an island in Casco Bay where kids and adults refreshingly get along (mostly), and nobody has a cell phone glued to their hand. “Leap Frog” is the fourth volume in this delightful series for middle-grade readers. The author, Rae Chalmers, lives on a Maine island and is a talented, imaginative writer.
BUSHNELL ON BOOKS: ‘The Fifth Student’ and ‘Our Maine’
THE FIFTH STUDENT Cheating on college exams has become frightfully easy and sophisticated, and five pre-med students at Maine State University think they have the perfect system for acing an important test; that is, until one of them makes a subtle adjustment to an answer sheet, the cheating is discovered and murder is the result.
BUSHNELL ON BOOKS: ‘The Stones of Riverton’ and ‘To Swoon and to Spar’
THE STONES OF RIVERTON: STORIES FROM A CEMETERY Cemeteries are interesting places. They can be peaceful, sublime and scary, but two things are certain according to American journalist Arthur Brisbane (1864-1936): “The fence around a cemetery is foolish, for those inside can’t come out and those outside don’t want to get in.” “The Stones of Riverton” is one of the most original and clever collections of short stories in recent years.
BUSHNELL ON BOOKS: ‘Twas the Bite Before Christmas’ and ‘The Maine Roadshow’
‘TWAS THE BITE BEFORE CHRISTMAS: AN ANDY CARPENTER MYSTERY ‘Tis the season to be jolly, and there’s nothing like a Christmas story full of gangsters, killers, double-cross and multiple murders to put a smile on Santa’s bewhiskered face. Damariscotta author David Rosenfelt is just the writer to tell this exciting tale of holiday mayhem and courtroom antics, featuring reluctant criminal defense attorney Andy Carpenter.
BUSHNELL ON BOOKS: ‘Christmas Mittens Murder’ and ‘The Garden Maker’s Book of Wonder’
CHRISTMAS MITTENS MURDER Christmas should be a time of joyous simple pleasures; after all “what other time of the year do you sit in front of a dead tree in your living room eating candy out of your socks.” Unless Santa and murder both come calling. This book presents a trio of short murder-mystery novellas just in time for Christmas, featuring three well-known cozy-mystery writers who offer clever tales of holiday mayhem, malice and mittens.
BUSHNELL ON BOOKS: ‘The Narrow Seas’ and ‘When the Island Had Fish’
THE NARROW SEAS: BOOK XI OF THE NORSEMEN SAGA When Viking warlord Thorgrim Night Wolf gives his word to friend or foe, he keeps it. If friend or foe gives their word but doesn’t keep it, the swords, spears and axes come out in swift reply. And Thorgrim doesn’t believe anybody’s word for anything, which is why he’s still alive.
BUSHNELL ON BOOKS: ‘Hidden Beneath’ and ‘Body of Water’
HIDDEN BENEATH: A MAINE CLAMBAKE MYSTERY Chipmunk Island is an exclusive offshore enclave of rich people in big houses — no roads, no cars, no rentals, and island rules that ensure unwashed tourists are not welcome. And if somebody dies on Chipmunk Island the rich folks really clam up, no scandal and no publicity until it’s a murder.
BUSHNELL ON BOOKS: ‘Hunger Hill’ and ‘Hector Fox and the Daring Flight’
HUNGER HILL When low-life, petty crook Patrick Grogan is found dead in the back of his store, everybody, even the police, think it’s clearly a suicide. His business was failing, the neighborhood hated him, so good riddance, right? But, a smart police detective spots something that just looks out of place.
BUSHNELL ON BOOKS: ‘Coastal Kitchen’ and ‘The Road to Dalton’
COASTAL KITCHEN: NOURISHING SEAFOOD RECIPES FOR EVERYDAY COOKING Some people might think reading a cookbook would be a boring waste of time, but it’s actually a delightful experience. It doesn’t matter if you are hungry or not because when you get to that one special recipe — you’ll be ready to eat.
BUSHNELL ON BOOKS: ‘Dead Man’s Wake’ and ‘Bangor’
DEAD MAN’S WAKE When Maine Game Warden Investigator Mike Bowditch attends his engagement party at a beautiful lakeside cottage on Labor Day weekend, he never dreamed he would soon be up to his gun belt in his most puzzling and dangerous investigation yet. “Dead Man’s Wake” is Maine author Paul Doiron’s 14th novel in the mystery series featuring the head-strong Bowditch, and this is the fastest-paced, most intricate mystery — complex, suspenseful and full of plot twists and surprises.
BUSHNELL ON BOOKS: ‘Bald Eagles, Bear Cubs and Hermit Bill’ and ‘Death of an Ice Cream Scooper’
BALD EAGLES, BEAR CUBS AND HERMIT BILL: MEMORIES OF A MAINE WILDLIFE BIOLOGIST When Ron Joseph became a wildlife biologist in 1978, he probably never expected his first job would be to wander around the North Woods counting deer poop. However, it was the unglamorous start to a wonderful, nearly 40-year career filled with adventure, wonder and terrific stories.
BUSHNELL ON BOOKS: ‘The Ugly History of Beautiful Things’ and ‘Just East of Nowhere’
THE UGLY HISTORY OF BEAUTIFUL THINGS: ESSAYS ON DESIRE AND CONSUMPTION About beauty, economist John Kenneth Galbraith (1908-2006) said: “There is certainly no absolute standard of beauty. That precisely is what makes it’s pursuit so interesting.” However, as Maine science writer Katy Kelleher so clearly argues, the pursuit of beauty has unpleasant costs affecting humans, plants, animals, and the earth.
BUSHNELL ON BOOKS: ‘Northeaster’ and ‘Acadia National Park’
NORTHEASTER: A STORY OF COURAGE AND SURVIVAL IN THE BLIZZARD OF 1952 Maine has always had fierce winter storms, but the Blizzard of 1952 reveals just how powerful Mother Nature can be and how strong and resilient Mainers respond. “Northeaster” is Allagash author Cathie Pelletier’s outstanding nonfiction story of that famous winter storm and its impact throughout New England, but most importantly its impact in Maine.
BUSHNELL ON BOOKS: ‘Teach Her a Lesson’ and ‘Irish Coffee Murder’
TEACH HER A LESSON Alexis Jordan loves being a high school English teacher, but a psychotic teenage boy, delusional and obsessed, will turn her life into a nightmare of fear and helplessness. “Teach Her a Lesson” is a very scary psychological thriller by award-winning author Kate Flora, a masterful writer of mysteries and true crime.
BUSHNELL ON BOOKS: ‘Pauline Gray Investigates’ and ‘Conversations: Ranger Tales from Maine’
PAULINE GRAY INVESTIGATES: A PAULINE GRAY MYSTERIES OMNIBUS The Golden Age of detective fiction was in the 1930s and 1940s, with mystery writers like Eric Ambler, A.A. Fair and Ngaio Marsh attracting legions of fans.
BUSHNELL ON BOOKS: ‘The Reading Life’ and ‘Comfort is an Old Barn’
THE READING LIFE: THE COLLECTED COLUMNS A savvy book lover once proclaimed: “Televisions are furniture, but books are life.” And Bridgton book lover Peter Bollen knows that better than anyone. Bollen is an award-winning editor, journalist, essayist, reviewer, book collector (more than 700 volumes), author of eight books and writer of the bi-weekly review column “The Reading Life” in the Bridgton News.
BUSHNELL ON BOOKS: ‘Reading the Glass’ and ‘The Ruins of Woodman’s Village’
READING THE GLASS: A CAPTAIN’S VIEW OF WEATHER, WATER AND LIFE ON SHIPS Despite man’s ingenuity and the technology of satellites, aircraft and computer modeling, weather understanding and forecasting remains elusive, and no one knows that better than professional mariners.
BUSHNELL ON BOOKS: ‘And Poison Fell From The Sky’ and ‘The Mystery of Lake Kanakodah’
AND POISON FELL FROM THE SKY: A MEMOIR OF LIFE, DEATH, AND SURVIVAL IN MAINE’S CANCER VALLEY In 1962 environmentalist Rachel Carson (1907-1964) warned us: “Every human being is now subjected to contact with dangerous chemicals, from the moment of conception to death.” And nobody listened. For three decades, 1960s-1980s, Terry Martin and her husband tried to warn the people of Rumford, Maine of the deadly dangers of toxic paper mill pollutants. And nobody listened.
BUSHNELL ON BOOKS: ‘Death by Chocolate Marshmallow Pie’ and ‘This is Homeschooling’
DEATH BY CHOCOLATE MARSHMALLOW PIE When Jake Tiptree fled New York City and moved to Eastport, Maine, with her young son 15 years ago, she left behind a philandering husband and some shady business partners who’d really like to find her. Now firmly established in Eastport as the co-owner of the Chocolate Moose bake shop with her best friend Ellie, Jake thinks life is pretty sweet. Then her past catches up with her.
BUSHNELL ON BOOKS: ‘Speak to the Winds’ and ‘Murder on the Class Trip’
SPEAK TO THE WINDS Fans of masterful fiction and colorful stories about Maine will be pleased that Islandport Press has published another magnificent novel by beloved author Ruth Moore (1903-1989), and this one is a delightful blend of drama and humor. “Speak to the Winds” was originally published in 1956 and is the sixth of Moore’s 14 novels.
BUSHNELL ON BOOKS: ‘Perilous Obsession’ and ‘Eastport’
PERILOUS OBSESSION: A MEDICAL THRILLER When Dr. Brad Parker walked into a room full of doctors, he sensed immediately that the diagnosis would be bad. He just didn’t know then how bad and how deadly. “Perilous Obsession’ is Ogunquit author Geoffrey Cooper’s fifth mystery in his thriller series featuring Brad Parker and FBI Special Agent Karen Richmond. And this is probably the best one of all.
BUSHNELL ON BOOKS: ‘Oxbow Island Gang: Winter Crows’ and ‘Citizen K-9’
OXBOW ISLAND GANG: WINTER CROWS Oxbow Island out in Casco Bay seems like a nice place to live. Folks there are happy, industrious, helpful and a bit quirky, but even Oxbow Island has its mysteries. This is the third book in Peaks Island author Rae Chalmers’ series of environmental mysteries for middle-grade readers, featuring 11-year-old Bear and his adult and kid friends as they solve two more puzzling island mysteries.
BUSHNELL ON BOOKS: ‘Lobsters Without Borders’ and ‘Mountain Girl’
LOBSTERS WITHOUT BORDERS When rookie police officer Jane Roberts is assigned by the Maine State Police as the public safety officer for St. Frewin’s Island in Penobscot Bay, she never thought she’d be investigating a manure pile, an illegal crematorium and the curious case of the runaway underpants. But then she discovers a dead body.
BUSHNELL ON BOOKS: Books for adults and the kids
RIPPED OFF: AN IAN CONNAH THRILLER When hitman Ian Connah retires from Boston’s Irish mob, he thinks he’s all set. Four divorces with alimony payments don’t faze him; after all, he’s got a $3 million retirement nest egg in the bank. Then his financial advisor steals all the money and skips town, leaving Connah broke and back in the game. And he’s not happy.
BUSHNELL ON BOOKS: ‘The Midcoast’ and ‘The Best I Can Do’
THE MIDCOAST: A NOVEL On wealth, French philosopher Honore de Balzac (1799-1850) once wrote: “Behind every great fortune there is a crime.” And when Andrew returned to his hometown of Damariscotta, Maine, he walked right into both and did not know it. “The Midcoast” is Damariscotta native Adam White’s debut novel, a dark, brooding story about one midcoast Maine family, how it began dirt poor, grew, prospered, gathered wealth and prestige until one day it all fell apart.
BUSHNELL ON BOOKS: ‘Notes on the Landscape of Home’ and ‘The Outhouse in Winter’
NOTES ON THE LANDSCAPE OF HOME At the end of nature writer Susan Hand Shetterly’s new book, “Notes on the Landscape of Home,” she offers a thought from American naturalist Aldo Leopold (1187-1948): “When we see land as a community to which we belong, we may begin to use it with love and respect.” Leopold’s quote might have been better located at the start of the book, because Shetterly presents a collection of 32 essays that explore her sense of community not just as a place, but as the...
BUSHNELL ON BOOKS: ‘Soft Features’ and ‘A Countryman’s Journal’
SOFT FEATURES Television journalism is bad news with graphic video and talking heads. Radio journalism is vivid word pictures and a passionate tone. And that is why Coralie Threlfell is public radio journalist with the WMPR station in Maine. “Soft Features” is the debut novel by central Maine author Gillian Burnes, a tragic-comic story about a radio-news reporter whose passion for the job flames out in spectacular fashion.
BUSHNELL ON BOOKS: A trio of books for kids
LUCY’S IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD: A NOVEL OF MAINE It’s 2020, and 64-year-old unmarried Lucy Bouchier owns and operates a Waterville pizza and sandwich joint named “Lucy’s in the Neighborhood.” She’s a beloved character in the neighborhood. And then one night after closing she sees a mysterious man in the street, someone she recognizes from her past. She can’t believe her eyes, the image disappears and then the memories return.
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