Hello!
I am looking forward to our virtual Readings from Oconomowaukee event with Joanna Quinn for her debut novel, The Whalebone Theatre. It is a delightful book with characters you will not easily forget. It transported me to another place and time filled with wonder. Join us for the virtual event on Tuesday, 10/11 at 2pm. We aren't the only one loving this book! It is also a Jenna Picks for October! I tell you, we are the trendsetters.
Mark your calendars for the Southeast Wisconsin Festival of Books in person on November 4 & 5! Books & Company will be the bookseller again this year. We will have the full list of authors up on our website soon!
So many of us grew up reading library books, taking children to the library, finding a kindred community with other patrons, and being grateful for the librarians who helped us find the right books or information when we needed it most. Libraries are essential cornerstones of our communities. I am sharing the following information with you because I believe it is important and you may not be aware of what is happening.
On October 6, the Oconomowoc Common Council voted 5-3 to cut $50,000 from the Oconomowoc Library's budget. This came after the city's review of all department budgets and the subsequent requests to reduce departmental budgets to bring the overall city budget into balance. The request by an alderman to cut the Library's budget by 3.8%, which is $50,000, will have a tremendous impact on community programs and services currently offered at the Library, as well as possibly affecting hours of services and staffing. Additionally, it would impact the book budget which could increase wait time for popular titles. The City of Oconomowoc has historically funded the Library above the basic minimum required by law, allowing the Library to be a vibrant and valuable resource appropriate to the size of our City, which continues to grow. With this funding, the Library provides Oconomowoc and surrounding communities with the best access to information and library services for individuals, families, seniors, outreach programs, schools, business, and nonprofits. Did you know that if your town does not have a library, your county reimburses the library that you patronize a portion of the cost of your usage? A vibrant library pulls together multiple communities under an umbrella of curiosity, connection, and opportunity to grow and learn.
This is an important topic that will affect us all, even if you don't use the library. If you want to express how the library is important to you and our community, as it is currently funded, you can attend one or both of the upcoming Council meetings, send an email to the Common Council as a whole or to your aldermen, and/or write a letter to the newspaper. If you are not one to jump in with letter writing and meetings, a quiet mention of support to library would be much appreciated as would be sharing the information with others who love and appreciate the role our library has in our community and in our lives. There is still time to ask the Common Council to reconsider. The final budget will be approved on October 18.
Tuesday October 11, 6 pm: Committee of the Whole, Council Chambers (2nd floor City Hall). This is a budget workshop meeting. No public comment is taken at this meeting, but your presence would be welcome.
Tuesday October 18, 7:30 pm: Common Council Meeting, Council Chambers (2nd floor City Hall). Your presence and/or public comment are both welcome.
Call or email your aldermen, contact info here:
The library is like a tree: it stands tall and its roots are deep throughout our community in ways that quietly make us all stronger.
Cheers and Happy Reading!
Lisa with Katrina, Ken, Chloe, Toni, Elisabeth, Beth, Lynn, Judy, Emma, Lizzy, Connie, Susie, Ava, and Keri
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Current Store Hours
Monday - Friday 9:00 - 7:00 Saturday - Sunday 9:00 - 5:00
Curbside pick up and shipping still available.
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Readings from Oconomowaukee
JOANNA QUINN
Tuesday, October 11th
2:00 p.m.
Via Zoom
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Readings from Oconomowaukee presents its October edition featuring Joanna Quinn joining us virtually from the UK for a conversation about The Whalebone Theatre, her irresistible debut novel that takes its heroine from the gargantuan cavity of a beached whale into undercover operations during World War II and through a story of love, bravery, lost innocence, and self-transformation.
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Tuesday, November 1st
6:30 pm
at Books & Company
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Join us for a gift giving holiday book talk with Jason, Random House publisher rep, and Chloe, Books & Company's children's book buyer.
Let us help you enjoy the holiday season by getting an early start on your holiday shopping. Jason and Chloe will share their top picks for everyone on your holiday list. Hear first hand from these avid readers about books that will inspire and entertain readers of all ages. Their recommendations will be featured at 15% off plus free gift wrapping.
Please register for this free event so we have a headcount for seating.
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Books & Company Book Groups
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Wednesday, October 26th
1:00 p.m.
in person at Books & Co.
by Min Jin Lee
registration required-
limited seating available
Wednesday, Nov. 16th*
1:00 p.m.
in person at Books & Co.
by Lynda Rutledge
registration required-
limited seating available
link coming soon
*date change due to Thanksgiving
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Tuesday, October 25th
by Matt Goldman
Two meetings:
4:00 p.m.
In person at Books & Co.
no registration required
6:00 p.m.
via Zoom
Registration required
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Wednesday, October 19th
6:30 p.m.
in person at Books & Co.
by Rachel Hartman
Wednesday, Nov. 16th
6:30 p.m.
in person at Books & Co.
by Neal Shusterman
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BOOK RECOMMENDATIONS - hardcover
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FICTION
New and Favorites in Hardcover!
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#3 Thursday Murder Club
by Richard Osman
Books & Company booksellers LOVE this series and the newest installment is just as good as the rest!
Trouble is never far away where the Thursday Murder Club are concerned. A decade-old cold case—their favorite kind--leads them to a local news legend and a murder with no body and no answers. Then a new foe pays Elizabeth a visit. Her mission? Kill or be killed. Suddenly the cold case has become red hot.
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by Alice Feeney
Trapped on an island where someone is killing them one by one, the Darkers must reckon with their present mystery as well as their past secrets, before the tide goes out and all is revealed. Bookseller Elisabeth says this is a "Fun reimagining of Christie's And Then There Were None. The dysfunctional Darker family is stranded at their Nana's island home and one by one the Darkers are dying during the night."
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by Alexandria Rowland
Kadou, the shy prince of Arasht, finds himself at odds with one of the most powerful ambassadors at court—the body-father of the queen's new child—in an altercation which results in his humiliation. To prove his loyalty to the queen, his sister, Kadou takes responsibility for the investigation of a break-in at one of their guilds. Bookseller Lizzy says this is "An interesting, slow burn fantasy that's perfect for fall! Family drama, political intrigue, and some romance!"
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NONFICTION
New and Favorites in Hardcover!
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by Neil deGrasse Tyson
Bringing his cosmic perspective to civilization on Earth, Neil deGrasse Tyson shines new light on the crucial fault lines of our time—war, politics, religion, truth, beauty, gender, and race—in a way that stimulates a deeper sense of unity for us all.
**Signed copies available while supplies last!**
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by Susan Rogers & Ogi Ogas
A legendary record producer–turned–brain scientist explains why you fall in love with music. This Is What It Sounds Like is a journey into the science and soul of music that reveals the secrets of why your favorite songs move you. Told in a lively and inclusive style, This Is What It Sounds Like will refresh your playlists, deepen your connection to your favorite artists, and change the way you listen to music.
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by Maren Ellingboe King
A cookbook from the heart of Minnesota, inspired by an archive of recipes from the author’s grandmother and great-grandmother. In this debut cookbook, recipe developer and Minnesota native Maren Ellingboe King perfectly combines the nostalgia of traditional midwestern dishes and influences of her Scandinavian heritage with an emphasis on local, unprocessed ingredients.
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BOOK RECOMMENDATIONS - paperback
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FICTION
New and Favorites in Paperback!
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by Lan Samantha Chang
The residents of Haven, Wisconsin, have dined on the Fine Chao restaurant’s delicious Americanized Chinese food for thirty-five years, content to ignore any unsavory whispers about the family owners. Whether or not Big Leo Chao is honest, or his wife, Winnie, is happy, their food tastes good and their three sons earned scholarships to respectable colleges. But when the brothers reunite in Haven, the Chao family’s secrets and simmering resentments erupt at last. Books & Company owner Lisa loves this novel!
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by Catriona Ward
Bookseller Keri says "What could a middle aged man who enjoys staying home & watching TV, a cat who enjoys reading the bible & finding a cozy place to nap, and a young girl who likes to cause mischief & ride her bicycle have in common? Will the secret that binds them together start to reveal itself when a new neighbor moves in next door? This is a psychological horror thriller you don’t want to miss!"
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by Francesca Manfredi
In this captivating English-language debut, three generations of women must face their secrets and regrets when an old family curse awakens. Bookseller Katrina says "A quiet strangeness permeates throughout this novel of growing into womanhood. Translated into perfect sentences from Italian, it's intriguing, mysterious, and unsettling. I couldn't stop thinking about this book!"
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NONFICTION
New and Favorites in Paperback!
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by Gwen Strauss
The Nine follows the true story of the author’s great aunt Hélène Podliasky, who led a band of nine female resistance fighters as they escaped a German forced labor camp and made a ten-day journey across the front lines of WWII from Germany back to Paris.
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by Qian Julie Wang
Inhabiting her childhood perspective with exquisite lyric clarity and unforgettable charm and strength, Qian Julie Wang has penned an essential American story about a family fracturing under the weight of invisibility, and a girl coming of age in the shadows, who never stops seeking the light.
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by Ron Howard &
Clint Howard
By turns confessional, nostalgic, heartwarming, and harrowing, The Boys is a dual narrative that lifts the lid on the Howard brothers’ closely held lives. It’s the journey of a tight four-person family unit that held fast in an unforgiving business and of two brothers who survived “child-actor syndrome” to become fulfilled adults.
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BOOK RECOMMENDATIONS - kids/teen
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by Laurie Keller
The helpful KNOW-IT-ALL in apartment 2C can answer any question. He's such a wealth of information, and all his neighbors depend on him. But one day he is asked a question that he just doesn't understand. How can 2C help his neighbor and also protect his smarty-pants reputation if he doesn't know what the question means?
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by Carly Sorosiak
Leopold the goat owns a delightful bookstore, and he has a talent for matching his customers with the ideal book. But one day, another goat arrives and proceeds to eat every book Leopold offers. Can Leopold find just the right one to tempt this reluctant reader? This funny, charming tale of the transformative power of books is a celebration of that first special story that sparks a child’s love of reading.
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by Ryan T. Higgins
Rupert, Thistle, and Nibbs, the fun-loving mice in Bruce's begrudgingly expansive family, guide readers on a quest for a fun reading experience, with Bruce the ever-reluctant star. As readers turn the page, flip the book, and follow the mice's increasingly silly instructions, Bruce is sent flying and tumbling—all as he looks right up the reader's nose! How will you interact with Bruce?
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by C.C. Harrington
Maggie’s stutter makes school especially hard. She will do almost anything to avoid speaking in class or calling attention to herself. So when her unsympathetic father threatens to send her away for so-called “treatment,” she reluctantly agrees to her mother’s intervention plan: a few weeks in the fresh air of Wildoak Forest, visiting a grandfather she hardly knows. It is there that she experiences an extraordinary twist of fate.
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by Katherine Applegate
Odder spends her days off the coast of central California, practicing her underwater acrobatics and spinning the quirky stories for which she’s known. She’s a fearless daredevil, curious to a fault. But when Odder comes face-to-face with a hungry great white shark, her life takes a dramatic turn, one that will challenge everything she believes about herself—and about the humans who hope to save her.
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by Lynne Rae Perkins
Brother and sister mice Violet and Jobie live a cozy and comfortable life in a humans’ house, where food is plentiful and the television is good. In fact, Violet, tucked safely behind a book in the bookcase, loves to watch nature programs along with the young boy of the family. The boy’s mother, however, isn’t the biggest fan of mice.
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by Phillip Pullman
In this darkly delicious tale, internationally acclaimed author Philip Pullman invites readers to meet the mysterious girl who will one day become the sinister Mrs. Coulter. On a cold winter's night, two art collectors are settled before a fire in the senior common room of a college in Oxford, discussing two new unusual pieces--a portrait of a striking young woman and a bronze sculpture of a fearsome monkey. How could they imagine that they are about to be caught in the cross-fire of a story that has traveled across time and worlds.
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by James Patterson &
Emily Raymond
NOW: Hannah Doe is brought to Belman Psych, kicking and screaming, told she is suffering from hallucinations and delusions.
1347: Hannah Dory and her village are starving to death in a brutal winter. Hannah seeks out food and salvation in the baron's castle. If she is caught stealing, she will surely hang.
NOW: Hannah knows the truth: she is Hannah Doe and Hannah Dory, and she must return to the past before it's too late to save her sister.
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by Andy Mientus
In the fall of 1991, Zooey Orson transfers to the Blackfriars School for Boys hoping for a fresh start following a scandal at his last school. However, he quickly learns that he isn’t the only student keeping a secret. Before he knows it, he’s fallen in with a group of boys who all share the same secret, one which they can only express openly within the safety of the clandestine gatherings of the Vicious Circle. But when the boys unwittingly happen upon the headmaster’s copy of an arcane occult text, they unleash an eldritch secret so terrible, it threatens to consume them all.
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Upcoming events from our friends at Boswell Book Company!
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In-Person Author Event
Kathleen Hale
at Boswell Book Company
Thursday, October 13, 6:30 pm
Journalist and Wisconsin native Kathleen Hale visits Boswell for a presentation about her new book, Slenderman, the first full and authoritative account of the 2014 Slenderman stabbing in Waukesha. This true crime narrative offers a full picture of the tragic event and the influences of mental illness, the American judicial system, the trials of adolescence, and the power of the internet.
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In-Person Author Event
Phong Nguyen
at UWM Curtin Hall Room 175
3243 N Downer Ave
Thursday, October 13
7:00 pm
UWM’s Creative Writing Program Visiting Writers Series presents a program featuring Phong Nguyen, a UWM PhD graduate and author of Bronze Drum, a gripping historical adventure set in ancient Vietnam based on the true story of two warrior sisters who raised an army of women to overthrow the Han Chinese and rule as kings over a united people, for readers of Circe and The Night Tiger.
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Take a look at our previous newsletters, now conveniently archived on our website!
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