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Tattered Cover
Book Store
News and Reviews
August 2017
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Greetings friends of Tattered Cover:
In last month's newsletter, on the occasion of the ownership transition of the store, we paid tribute to Joyce Meskis and promised to discuss our goals for the future in the following newsletter. Guess what? This IS the following newsletter.
So, with that in mind...
Len and Kristen's Goals as the New Owners of Tattered Cover:
1.
Don't screw it up. Really, we mean that. Tattered Cover is a bookselling icon and a Denver institution for a reason. (Lots of reasons, actually). Our first goal is to honor and preserve the legacy and tradition that has made Tattered Cover great.
2.
Continue to put the customer first. Customer service has always been a focus of the store, and we're going to double down on that concept. We're instituting expanded staff training with a focus on customer service, store ethos, smart shelving, and more. All members of the staff will go through this training (and retraining) regularly.
In addition, we're planning to launch a friends of Tattered Cover membership program sometime in calendar 2018. We're still sorting out the details, so watch this space for more information.
3.
Become enmeshed in the community. Since we arrived in Colorado in 2015, we have been spending a good deal of our time meeting civic groups and leaders, other business people, and everyone in and around Denver connected to books, reading, and writing. We are always looking for opportunities to support the community and partner with others. If you have thoughts on how we could be better community partners, don't hesitate to let us know.
4.
Grow young readers. We believe kids who read and have access to books -- and there are studies that support this -- lead happier, better adjusted, and more successful lives. Since we arrived at Tattered Cover,
Kristen has been meeting with schools all over Metro Denver (if you're an educator and haven't been in contact with Tattered Cover, you can email Kristen). Through these contacts we've been putting authors in schools (free of charge to the school!) and conducting in-store school fundraisers; we've launched Teen Advisory Boards in two of our stores; we are holding the Second Annual Colorado Teen Book Con this fall (free to teens); and we have expanded our offerings of in-store storytimes; we continue to host a robust schedule of kids events
, including some big names this fall; Sarah J. Maas (
Throne of Glass
), R.L. Stine (
Goosebumps
) with Marc Brown (
Arthur
), and Chris Grabenstein (Escape from Mr. Lemoncello's Library) to name only a few. A
nd finally, we're very excited to be hosting an Educator Night on
September 7
.
5.
Upgrade our technology. Our old computer system -- a proprietary, UNIX-based platform developed in the 1990s -- had reached the end of its life. As such, we implemented a new computer system to handle everything from point of sale transactions to inventory control to finances. Now, if we're being honest, the implementation -- after 13 months of planning, we went live
February 1 -- could have gone more smoothly. We want to take a moment to apologize for any inconvenience experienced at Tattered Cover this past spring as a result of this change.
We're now six months into the new system, and the wrinkles are mostly ironed out. We expect this system to allow us to better serve you moving forward in myriad ways, not the least of which is more easily helping you find the right book.
6.
Host even better and bigger events. Tattered Cover is already famous for hosting world class author events. In addition to the kids events noted above, this year we are hosting (or partnering with others to host) Dan Brown, Dan Rather, Joe Biden, Louise Penny, Joyce Maynard, Bruce Campbell, and many, many more wonderful authors and cultural icons. Tattered Cover is a place where there is ALWAYS something interesting happening. Be sure to check our
event listings to see what's coming up soon.
7.
Launch new website. We have begun a process to upgrade TatteredCover.com. The goal is to present you with better organized content and a more seamless shopping experience. We're targeting late fall for the launch, but that date is still a bit squishy. Stay tuned for more information.
In addition to all of this, we're taking a critical look at our behind the scenes processes and procedures, all with the aim of better serving you, our customer.
What about you? Are there changes you would like to see? Do you have thoughts on how to make Tattered Cover even better? Send a note to
Len Vlahos
to let us know what you think.
As always, and on behalf of the best bookstore staff anywhere, thank you for your patronage and support of Tattered Cover.
Len and Kristen
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Book Clubs!
Everyone is welcome to join us for one (or more) of the following book club meetings.
TC LoDo Book Club
Travel Lovers' Book Club
Third Thursday Book Club
Mystery
Book Club
by Ragnar Jonasson
Aspen Grove
Non-Fiction
Book Club
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New!
Friday, August 4,
6:00 pm,
Aspen Grove
Book Talk
Thursday, July 27,
6:00 pm,
Aspen Grove
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Coming soon!
August on ICE
Watch out for news on our big upcoming inventory clearance extravaganza sale towards the end of the month.
Connect with us to stay up-to-date:
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Wesley Snipes and Ray Norman signing books before their discussion of
Talon of God at the Alamo Drafthouse Sloans Lake on July 27. Find autographed copies on shelves now!
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Don't miss out on these special events...
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There are so many great books being published, it can be difficult to decide what to read with your book club. We have the perfect solution for this admittedly good problem to have—Book Club Happy Hour! Join us as Tattered Cover staff members offer their favorite choices for book club reading and discussing. Find out what other book clubs are reading and mingle while enjoying wine and light refreshments. Register here.
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Thursday, August 24, 7:00 pm, Aspen Grove
We had so much fun during our first Coloring Night for Adults, we had to do it all again! Color your stressful day away with Tattered Cover. Each ticket includes coloring sheets, colored pencils, markers, crayons, and refreshments. See you there!
This event is 21+ and you can register here.
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Upcoming ticketed events!
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Tuesday, September 5, 7:00 pm,
Lone Tree Arts Center
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Wednesday, September 13, 7:00 pm, Lone Tree Arts Center
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Thursday, September 21, 7:00 pm, Alamo Drafthouse Sloan's Lake
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Wednesday, October 4, 7:00 pm, Davis Auditorium, DU Campus
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Friday, November 3,
7-8:00 pm, Colfax Avenue
Saturday, November 4, all day, Littleton High School
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Wednesday, November 15, 7:30 - 9:00 pm, Denver Marriott Tech Center
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Mark your calendars...
8/21 - Monday
Solar Eclipse
8/30 - Wednesday
Frankenstein Day
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This month
in literary history...
8/13/1996
Mary Higgins Clark, suspense writer, signs a 3-book contract with Simon & Schuster for $3
million per book
8/15/1457
Oldest known book printed with a date, Mainz Psalter by Jean-Baptiste Say, is completed
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From the pages of
TC history...
On June 24, 2006, Tattered Cover Cherry Creek opened for business for its final Saturday. The store closed early to begin the move to its new home, an old renovated theater. Then on June 26 at 9:00 am, Tattered Cover Colfax opened for business!
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Happy Birthday to You!
Send us an
e-mail with your birthday month, and we'll send you a special discount certificate for your birthday!
Author Birthday:
Mary Shelley was born on August 30, 1797. She would be 220-years-old.
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Dom Testa is an author, advocate for children's education and the host of Dom in the Morning on Mix 100.3. He loves reading and we love sharing his book reviews with you. Check out
his blog
and happy reading!
This month's selection is The Nightingale by Kristin Hannah.
Mention Dom's Book Club when making your purchase in-store to receive 20% off the current selection.
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Meteorologist Lisa Hidalgo not only knows the weather, she knows great books, and is an avid reader! Check out her picks each month and read along with Lisa!
This month's selection is The Ministry of Utmost Happiness by Arundhati Roy.
Mention the 7News Book Club when making your purchase in-store to receive 20% off the current selection.
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Every now and then we encounter a new book that we’re so excited about we want to shout it from the rooftops, so we've created the
Tattered Cover V.I.B.
That means it’s a true stand-out in a season of many excellent and compelling new books.
Check out all our recent picks for
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adults' pick...
by Charles Frazier
As we look forward to the plethora of fabulous fiction coming this fall, we decided to choose one of our all time favorite novels for our August VIB. Cold Mountain for the hot summer. Charles Frazier's masterpiece of civil war, love, and loss is celebrating the 20th anniversary of its publication. -- Stephanie Coleman, associate frontlist buyer
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kids' pick...
"I love Thick as Thieves by Megan Whalen Turner!
It takes place in the world of the
Queen's Thief Chronicles (best of the best in young adult fantasy) with a nodding glance at some of the characters from there. No need to have read the other books though: this book stands alone. The story involves a slave- on the order of the Greek slaves - who knows the rules well and works to expand his role in this city-state. But life gets in the way. This is a thrilling, adventuresome book with characters that are neither saints or villains, but saints with flaws and villains with goodness. World-building is magnificent and the writing is elegant. As an adult or young adult, if you read this book you will want to read everything by Megan Whalen Turner!
" -- Judy Bulow, frontlist kids buyer
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What else are we reading?
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On shelves now
by Sherman Alexie
"This book is complicated, gripping, beautiful--and painful. Which makes sense, because Sherman Alexie's mother was a liar, a healer, an alcoholic, a storyteller, sober, cruel, and compassionate. It's her contradictions that are the focus this new memoir. Seamlessly mixing prose and poetry, Alexie pursues the ghosts of family members who have passed away, ghosts of stories misremembered, and ghosts called up by the centuries of violence enacted on American Indians to make his way towards the question - how do we know we love and are loved? All of this big, heady stuff is filtered through Alexie's signature pointed, funny voice, and as a reader I couldn't look away. When one character 'thanks God for the brief/ Moments when we are loved well/ And for those stretched-taut days/ When we are barely loved at all,' you'll want to do the same." --
Bethany Strout, bookseller
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On shelves now
by Michael Crichton
"Released almost a decade after the author's untimely passing, Dragon Teeth plucks our protagonist from his eastern Ivy League classroom and takes him on an adventure to the wild west, where he meets some of the 19th century's most fascinating figures and makes one of paleontology's most exciting discoveries. Crichton's talent for suspense, inclusion of real-life characters, and his addictive style of writing make for a fun read, and I found that his passion for 19th century science and American history sparked my own imagination and curiosity. Highly recommended!" -- Dan Grossett, security & bookseller
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On shelves now
by Hiromi Kawakami
"If you need a break from pulse-pounding white-knuckle goosebump-raising thrillers this is just the prescription for you. A pleasant read from start to finish with a gentle sensibility that charms the soul while opening a window into another culture, this book is a great summer read. An ensemble of characters, each with distinct quirks populate Mr. Nakano’s shop as customers, employees and relatives. They initiate a bright variety of circumstances surrounding the oddments that
come into the shop and, sometimes, go out. As a window into Japanese culture and social dynamics this book is something of a revelation. We are
inclined to forget that the rest of the world does not see things in the same way we do." -- Eric Boss, special to Tattered Cover
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On shelves now...
by Ariel Levy
"In 2013, journalist Ariel Levy's essay about giving birth to a baby who only lived for a few minutes was published in The New Yorker and shortly thereafter went viral!
The Rules Do Not Apply is not only an extension of that essay, but a candid peek into a marriage and a woman writer finding her way in a male-centric world. Ariel Levy has some powerful writing chops. Her sense of humor and unapologetic grief is something to be admired. I am a better woman for having read this book." --
Stephanie Coleman, associate frontlist buyer
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This month's #1...
by Joshilyn Jackson
“Leia Birch is pretty much a rock star in the comic world, but her personal life has taken over the drama of her heroines, Violet and Violence. Leia is pregnant with a biracial child after too much tequila and a one-night stand at Comic-Con, her sister’s perfect marriage is imploding, and it appears her sweet, proper Southern grandmother has been hiding all kinds of improper things, including advancing dementia. As always, Jackson is witty and charming, and her characters are so wonderfully drawn, it’s hard to believe you don’t actually know these people. The Almost Sisters is a hopeful book about our ability to preserve the dignity of one another while still helping them grow and change.”-- Susan Thomas, CoffeeTree Books, Morehead, KY
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New in paperback...
by Alice Hoffman
“Faithful is compulsively readable and includes all of the traits we have come to love and expect from an Alice Hoffman novel. It is a coming-of-age tale of the emotional journey of a girl overcome with heartbreak after a tragic accident, who is now attempting to redefine herself. It is a hopeful lesson in faith, love, friendship, forgiveness, and opening up to new possibilities. A friendly warning: Expect a craving for Chinese food and a desire to adopt a rescue dog after reading.”-- Tarah Jennings (W), Mitzi's Books, Rapid City, SD
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You are eligible to get tickets for the incredible low price of $38.50 (plus a low-cost service
charge of only $5 per ticket) through Colorado Public Television 12.
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Order tickets with a low-cost service charge through Colorado Public
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Bringing People & Books Together Since 1971
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Colfax Avenue, 303-322-7727
Historic LoDo, 303-436-1070
Aspen Grove, 303-470-7050
Visit our Union Station and airport stores.
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