Wellesley Books Newsletter | April 28th, 2021
It is with the heaviest of hearts that Wellesley Books shares the news that longtime bookseller Barry Hoberman passed away suddenly last Friday. Beloved by staff and customers alike, Barry held court at our front register for over twenty years – he was proud of having been hired on the very first day the bookstore opened on Central Street in 1999. Considered by many the unofficial mayor of Wellesley, he took a genuine interest in those around him, warmly greeting customers (and their dogs) by name and recalling every detail of previous conversations. Barry was a gifted writer and a formidable scholar, possessing a deep knowledge of history, religion, baseball and music. He always relished the challenge of helping a customer track down some esoteric and often out-of-print treatise on one of his favorite subjects. We will miss his sense of humor, his affectionate banter, his freely-expressed opinions, his extraordinary intellect and his kind heart. Our community has lost a dear colleague and a true friend. We love you, Barry. Rest in peace.
Upcoming Online Events
Thursday, April 29th at 7:00 PM
J. Courtney Sullivan, author of Maine and Saints For All Occasions, joins us to celebrate the paperback release of her 2020 bestseller, Friends and Strangers. Courtney will be in conversation with Rumaan Alam, author of Rich and Pretty and his latest, Leave the World Behind.

This is a ticketed event. Your $5 ticket can be used as a coupon off a copy of Friends and Strangers. In order to gain access, attendees must register by clicking the link below:
Friday, April 30th at 7:00 PM
Kids, don your jammies and join us for a super special Bedtime Story with members of the Writers' Loft as they discuss their collaborative book, Friends and Anemones: Ocean Poems for Children.

In order to gain access, attendees must register by clicking the link below:
Wednesday, May 5th at 7:00 PM
Pam Jenoff, author of The Lost Girls of Paris, presents The Woman with the Blue Star, a riveting tale of courage and unlikely friendship during World War II. Pam will be in conversation with Lisa Wingate, author of The Book of Lost Friends.
This event is brought to you in partnership with Park Row Books.

This is a ticketed event. Your $5 ticket can be used as a coupon off a copy of The Woman with the Blue Star. In order to gain access, attendees must register by clicking the link below:
Friday, May 7th at 7:00 PM
Kids, don your jammies and join us for a Bedtime Story with the author and illustrator themselves! Jennifer Frank & David Ezra Stein present The Worm Family Has Its Picture Taken, their hilarious picture book about a young worm who comes to appreciate her very unusual family for who they are.

In order to gain access, attendees must register by clicking the link below:
Tuesday, May 11th at 7:00 PM
Terri Libenson, author/illustrator of the Emmie & Friends series, presents Truly Tyler, the fabulous fifth book in the series. Terri will be in conversation with Jerry Craft, author of New Kid and Class Act.

This is a ticketed event. Your ticket includes a copy of Truly Tyler. In order to gain access, attendees must register by clicking the link below:
Thursday, May 13th at 7:00 PM
Edward Rutherfurd, author of Paris and New York, takes on an exhilarating new world with his trademark epic style in China. Edward will be in conversation with William Martin, author of The Lincoln Letter.

This is a ticketed event. Your $5 ticket can be used as a coupon off a copy of China. In order to gain access, attendees must register by clicking the link below:
Mother's Day Signed Book and Gift Medley
Celebrate the mothers in your life with our Mother's Day Signed Book and Gift Medley. Choose from a selection of newly-released signed books and we'll add assorted goodies from our gift department, including soft bamboo socks, botanical hand lotion and a box of sumptuous, sea-salt dark chocolate peanut butter melts. We can even pop in a pretty note card with your personal message. Your book choices include Come Fly the World, Elizabeth & Margaret, Finding Freedom, Good Company, Libertie, and When the Stars Go Dark—click here to make your selection!
Staff Recommendations
Jess recommends:
Broken Horses by Brandi Carlile
In all honesty, I've been a huge fan of Brandi Carlile's music for a long time and I was impatient for this book's release, and here I am on the other side of it and it was everything I wanted. Brandi Carlile thought if people knew her—a high school dropout, a gay teenager in the 90s—truly knew her, they wouldn't like her. This is a memoir of a whole person, a humble account of her life up to the first Grammy, and our collective lockdown; somewhere teetering on storytelling and mysticism is a story of perseverance. 
Sofia recommends:
Goodbye, Again by Jonny Sun
Jonny Sun has stepped inside my brain and put all of my thoughts and feelings that I find so hard to articulate down on the pages of his new book of essays. To read Sun's work is to know that you're not alone in your anxieties, worries, loneliness and burnout, and to feel comforted by this knowledge. Reading this book is like having a friend come over, give you a hug, and say, "I know how you feel." Fans of his previous book, Everyone's a Aliebn When Ur a Aliebn Too are sure to love Goodbye, Again, as it's filled with insights that harken back to "Aliebn"'s core message of finding comfort through loneliness. With humorous and insightful musings on friendship, identity, plants, and scrambled eggs, this book is a must read.
Sally recommends:
Whereabouts by Jhumpa Lahiri
An unnamed 40 year old woman professor meanders around an unnamed Italian city. She encounters people she knows - her ex, friends, and those she doesn’t - a couple arguing in the street, a cafe worker. She muses about her mother, her therapist, her beautician. And in the gorgeous prose of Jhumpa Lahiri these short scenes come to life. This is a small gem, a beautiful miniaturist painting. And it was written in Italian and translated into English to boot!
For Your Future Shelf: Adults Edition
(Available 5/11/21)
Jennifer Weiner
(Available 5/4/21)
Michael Lewis
(Available 5/11/21)
Emily Henry
(Available 6/1/21)
Casey McQuiston
(Available 5/18/21)
Mary Kubica
(Available 5/18/21)
John Green
(Available 5/18/21)
Lauren Weisberger
(Available 5/11/21)
Daniel James Brown
(Available 6/15/21)
Alex Michaelides
(Available 6/1/21)
Ashley C. Ford
(Available 5/18/21)
Christina Lauren
(Available 5/4/21)
Allison Bechdel
New in Hardcover
Pepper Teigen
Molly Baz
David Baldacci
Michelle Zauner
John Grisham
New in Paperback
Brian Panowich
Merlin Sheldrake
Conor Knighton
Lee Child
Silvia Moreno-Garcia
Bookseller Recommendations for Kids and Teens
Sofia recommends:
Kate in Waiting by Becky Albertalli
Kate and Anderson have been best friends for years. They're close as can be: they do everything together and even have crushes on the same guys. But, their newest crush on Matt is different. Kate and Anderson have both fallen head over heels for him, and it's causing cracks in their relationship to form. A breezy and fun read full of theater and hopeless crushes, this is the kind of book that high school me would have LOVED. From the emphasis on the importance of platonic love, to Jewish, BIPOC, and transgender representation, everything about this book made me happy. This book is perfect for lovers of musicals and romance alike.
New! Middle-Grade Subscription Club!
We're thrilled to announce a new subscription service for kids ages 8-12! Each month, Rachael and Lauren will select a newly released chapter book. Get your hands on the newest and soon-to-be coveted books of the year. We offer monthly and yearly subscriptions, and you can pick up your book at the store or have it mailed to you. Click on the link below for FAQs about the program.

The April 2021 pick is The Anti-Book by Raphael Simon aka Pseudonymous Bosch. To find out more about our subscription service, click here.
Picture Book Subscription Club: A Perfect Gift!
A Child's Library is a subscription service for children ages 0-5! Lauren, our children's book buyer, selects one newly released picture book each month to be sent or picked-up from the store. The goal of A Child's Library is to help foster a love for books within the child's home. It makes a great baby shower gift!

The April 2021 pick is The Duck Who Didn't Like Water by Steve Small. To find out more about our subscription service, click here.
For Your Future Shelf: Kids Edition
(Available 5/4/21)
Anna Dewdney


(Available 5/4/21)
Ryan Higgins
(Available 5/4/21)
Peter Brown
(Available 5/11/21)
(Available 5/4/21)
Erin Entrada Kelly
(Available 5/11/21)
Andrea Tsurumi
(Available 5/18/21)
Maggie Stiefvater
(Available 7/13/21)
Clint McElroy
(Available 6/1/21)
New Releases
Jenny Lee
Kelly Quindlen
In the Gift Department







We have a new garden display up for the gift department! Hats, gloves, watering cans, oh my!
What We're Reading
Dog of the Week
Introducing Mist!

Mist is a 2 year-old black lab and is a very good dog. She loves the snow and sleeps on her back with her belly up. The main reason for this bookstore visit was to work on her impulse control. One cookie! No Jellycats!

Thank you for supporting your community independent bookstore!
Sincerely,
Wellesley Books
82 Central Street
Wellesley, MA 02482
781-431-1160