Wellesley Books Newsletter | June 9th, 2021
June at the bookstore means summer reading lists, teacher gifts, big cookbooks for those new graduates' first apartments, and all things Father's Day...but, nearest and dearest to many booksellers' hearts, it also means Pride Month! This year, we've assembled some of our favorite LGBTQ+ books in support of OUT MetroWest. Shop our suggestions for adults and for kids; we'll donate a portion of all sales from these two lists to OUT, which has long been a source of community for local LGBTQ+ youth. We hope you enjoy browsing--and come into the store for even more Pride picks!
Upcoming Online Events
Thursday, June 10th at 7:00 PM
Paul Greenberg, celebrated food and environmental writer, joins Wellesley Books and Sustainable Wellesley for a book group discussion of The Climate Diet: 50 Simple Ways to Trim Your Carbon Footprint. Greenberg's short book is an accessible guide to caring for the planet right now, providing readers with a list of urgent, achievable actions that could add up to big impact.

The book group meeting will include a slide-show presentation and Q&A with the author, followed by community discussion. Wellesley Books will donate a portion of book sales to Sustainable Wellesley.
Friday, June 18th at 7:00 PM
Kids, don your jammies and join us for a Bedtime Story with the author/illustrator himself! Christopher Minor reads Lily's Grooves, a picture book about a wild, bouncy kitten who causes mayhem during the opening of a new record shop.
Bookseller Recommendations
Gillian recommends:
The Hard Crowd by Rachel Kushner
I was drawn to these essays by a love for Kushner’s fiction and they definitely didn’t disappoint. Her searing voice and formidable intellect blaze through each sharp portrait of compelling artistic and cultural issues, including her own lawless youth on the San Francisco music scene.
Cassie recommends:
One Last Stop by Casey McQuiston
A 1970's & present-day Sapphic remix of Kate and Leopold. A full-hearted novel that reaches for your hand and holds you close when you need it most. A love letter to new places and new friends that call you home, McQuiston's sophomore novel brings all the charm and banter that I fell in love with from her debut novel, Red, White & Royal Blue.
Colleen L. recommends:
One Two Three by Laurie Frankel
Love abounds in this tragic-turned-heroic story of fictitious Bourne and its downtrodden citizens. Love of what was, love of what is not, love of the special bond between parents and children--or between siblings--and first love all fuel decisions. Relationships are put to the test. It's about doing what's right versus yielding to the pressures of elders and the promise of prosperity. This web of producers, consumers and apex predators will keep you turning the page! Will the youth of the town accept the challenge and burden that adults have either disregarded or not been able to rectify? Will love win? Should it? With original and fully realized characters, Frankel keeps the reader caught up in the life--or death--of this unique community.
New in Hardcover
Taylor Jenkins Reid
Tia Williams
Zakiya Dalila Harris
Lisa Taddeo
Bill Clinton & James Patterson
Elin Hilderbrand
Helene Wecker
Edward St. Aubyn
Kristen Arnett
Lawrence Wright
Peter Wohlleben
Ben Rhodes
New in Paperback
Raven Leilani
Anna Solomon
Stephen King
Lisa Jewell
Curtis Sittenfeld
Natasha Trethewey
Jonathan C. Slaght
Christie Tate
Bookseller Recommendations for Kids and Teens
Cassie recommends:
The Sea is Salt and So Am I by Cassandra Hartt
Harlow wants to get better SAT scores, save West Finch from falling into the sea, and for her best friend Ellis to stick to The Plan. Ellis wants to make varsity track, and to stick to The Plan, more or less. Tommy, Ellis’ twin brother, wants to not be living any more. Three teenagers fracture and fall together as they navigate their small-town coastal Maine summer, constantly trying to rewrite, remember, and forget the past while also keeping the future on a narrow track. These deeply empathetic characters are constantly making ill-advised choices, navigating their stormy waters the only ways they can figure out. The complexities and intricacies of their relationships with each other and the world around them move at a breakneck speed so compelling I couldn’t put the book down.
Ashleigh recommends:
The Mirror Season by Anna-Marie McLemore
A modern, queer, pastry-filled retelling of “The Snow Queen” that handles sexual assault, coping with trauma, and recovering yourself with absolute delicacy and honesty. It's a must-read. Anna-Marie’s work to reimagine fairy tales with queer, Latinx representation is genuinely splendid. In this latest marvel, they weave together environmental commentary with flora turning to mirrors; intersperse recovering painful memories with gentle waves of pastry magic; explore and condemn white, heteronormative privilege; challenge the stigmas against male victims; and illuminate robust female relationships. All of this in their distinctively luscious writing creates an absolute powerhouse novel.
New! Middle-Grade Subscription Club!
We're thrilled to announce a new subscription service for kids ages 8-12! Each month our children's book buyer Lauren and school liaison Cassie 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 June 2021 pick is Pawcasso by Remy Lai. 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 and Cassie select 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 June 2021 pick is Ruby's Reunion Day Dinner by Angela Dalton. To find out more about our subscription service, click here.
Books to Celebrate Pride Month
Jodie Patterson & Charnelle Pinkney Barlow
Tami Lewis Brown & Keith Negley
Lisa Robinson & Lauren Simkin Berke
Maulik Pancholy
A.J. Sass
Kacen Callender
Kevin Panetta & Savanna Ganucheau
New Releases for Kids & Teens
Cynthia Leitich Smith
Rob Buyea
Joseph Bruchac
Jules Machias
Sandhya Menon
Eliot Schrefer
Gayle Forman
Caroline O'Donoghue
Bethany C. Morrow
Deb Caletti
Jason June
Mason Deaver
In the Gift Department
We're ready for--what else?--Father's Day. Outfit Dad with a swanky new ice bucket and shaker (and a Mixology candle). For the dapper Dad, we have an assortment of tasteful socks and ties, as well as fan-favorite Dr. Squatch soap.
What We're Reading
Sally
Rebecca
Dog of the Week
Sammy Cream Pie is a one-year-old Mini Dachshund, so named after his English Cream coat. His coloring is so unusual for a Dachshund, that, believe it or not, all of seven people have asked if he was a Golden Retriever. His birthday's coming up, but, unlike a Golden, he'll be staying this small (and mighty). If you see him around town on June 16th, wish him a happy day!
Thank you for supporting your community independent bookstore!
Sincerely,
Rebecca Stimpson
82 Central Street
Wellesley, MA 02482
781-431-1160