We have some great events coming up, so mark your calendars. Vicky Moon's new book, Equestrian Style: Home Design, Couture and Collections from the Eclectic to the Elegant, is now on sale. We have signed copies!

Breaking Dawn, the final book in Stephenie Meyer's incredible Twilight Saga, goes on sale at midnight at Books & Crannies on Friday, August 1. We'll reopen the store at 11:00 p.m. for a Midnight Madness party and you can be among the first to buy this book at midnight. These are hugely popular vampire love stories—no, that's not an oxymoron—and this final book wraps up all the loose ends and determines the fate of the main characters.

On August 9, we will host Ellen Crosby for brunch (11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m.) at the Middleburg Country Inn. She will discuss and sign her latest wine country mystery, The Bordeaux Betrayal. This series is set in Middleburg and environs and there are many familiar landmarks—and occasionally people—who make these books just right for us. If you can't make brunch, Ellen will be at Books & Crannies from 2-4 on the 9th.

A true story of murder, love, and headhunters, Now The Hell Will Start tells the remarkable tale of Herman Perry, a budding playboy from the streets of Washington, D.C., who wound up going native in the Indo-Burmese jungle—not because he yearned for adventure, but rather to escape the greatest manhunt conducted by the United States Army during World War II. Best selling author George Pelecanos calls this "a fascinating, untold story of the Second World War, an incendiary social document, and a thrilling, campfire tale adventure."

Feed the Hungry: A Memoir with Recipes by Nani Power, who was a caterer before she was a writer, is the story of her family told through the metaphor of food. And don't we all relate to that? The writing is lovely; the discussion of family and cuisine is entertaining and interesting. This is an altogether enjoyable book.

Art in America by Ron McLarty is a funny, heartwarming novel about a down-on-his-luck writer who gets an offer to write a historical play in Creedmore, Colorado—or should we say "hysterical" play, because that's what ensues. David Baldacci calls this a "ribald, riotously funny but also poignant novel. You'll never look at the theater or the state of Colorado in quite the same way."

Pour yourself a glass of wine, a cup of tea or whatever is your preference and settle in with The Art of Racing in the Rain by Garth Stein. This is a perfect book for Middleburg because it's about the inner life of an adorable, irrepressible lab terrier mix. Enzo is frustrated that he can't talk and has no opposable thumbs, but he is an acute observer of life who longs for rebirth as a man. This book might make you cry, and it will make you laugh. This is an ultimately uplifting and beautifully written gem.

The Condition by Jennifer Haigh concerns someone with Turner's syndrome, a genetic condition that keeps the body from growing into adulthood. The repercussions of this "condition" are what this novel is about, how the family copes with one member's disability and the toll it takes on their lives. It's also about coming to terms with who we really are and accepting ourselves just as we are.

Orchids as the mechanism for freedom—that is at the heart of The Disorder of Longing by Natasha Bauman. In 1890s Boston, Ada is strong-willed and independent, much to the dismay of her husband, who tries to keep her like a hothouse flower, just as he does his treasured orchids. When she gets a chance for an Amazon adventure, she jumps on it. Like its settings, this is a steamy novel full of rich prose and a real sense of atmosphere. Great summer reading!

Robert Parker, perhaps best know for his Spencer mysteries, has written a wonderful tale of the Old West. In Resolution, he masters yet another genre. Just consider this little excerpt: "I had an eight-gauge shotgun that I'd taken with me when I left Wells Fargo. It didn't take too long for things to develop. I sat in the tall lookout chair in the back of the saloon with the shotgun in my lap for two peaceful nights. On my third night it was different. I could almost smell trouble beginning to cook." Doesn't that make you want more?

There are also some wonderful books out for children and young readers. For young adults we have Secrets of My Hollywood Life by Jen Calomita. What if? Your picture was taped inside teenage boys' lockers across America, your closets were bursting with never-worn designer clothing, and the tabloids constantly asked whether you were losing your "good girl" status? It's a glamorous life, but 16-year-old Kaitlin Burke, co-star of one of the hottest shows on TV, is exhausted from the pressures of her fame. So she decides to spend two months undercover as an ordinary high school student. But could it be that real life high school is just as harsh as cutthroat Hollywood?

The Calder Game by Blue Balliett and Brett Helquist is for readers ages 9-12. When Calder Pillay travels with his father to a remote village in England, he finds a mix of mazes and mystery, including an unexpected Alexander Calder sculpture in the town square. Both the boy and the sculpture seem to be out of place, and then, on the same night, they disappear! Calder's friends Petra and Tommy must fly out to help his father find him. This mystery has more twists and turns than a Calder mobile with more at stake than first meets the eye.

For young readers, we suggest Cowboy and Octopus by Jon Schieszka. Meet Cowboy and Octopus—the next great pair to become a household name. Cowboy likes beans'n'bacon and bacon'n'beans. Octopus eats raw seafood. Octopus prefers knock-knock jokes, but Cowboy doesn't get them. How will these two ever be friends?

Jane O'Connor brings us another installment of Fancy Nancy, in Fancy Nancy's Favorite Fancy Words from Accessories to Zany. Can you say 'parasol'?

And then we have United Tweets of America: 50 State Birds, Their Stories, Their Glories by Hudson Talbot. Yes, this book introduces us to the 50 birds who have the honor of being designated state birds. This book is adorable.