5225 Canyon Crest Drive #30A, Riverside, CA 92507 | 951.787.7807 | cellardoorbookstore.com
News & Resources
April 2020
Dear Customers,

We want to assure you that we take the health and well-being of our community, staff, and customers very seriously. Like you, we're closely monitoring the quickly developing effects of the Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic.

We have temporarily closed our store to help prevent the spread of COVID-19 and to maintain the most effective "physical distancing and social solidarity. The combination of these efforts engenders both a specific public health practice and a reminder that we are in this together; especially for those vulnerable populations that are at the greatest threat of both health and economic injustice." (Thank you Dr. Moazzum Bajwa for the wording and beautiful, clear statement!)

Most importantly, I want to thank you for your incredible outpouring of support and concern for Cellar Door Bookstore at this time. We will miss seeing you in our store, but please do not try to visit. It's nearly impossible for us to see you and not let you in, but it's best for everyone if we abide by these restrictions.

We're still open online 24/7! Ordering books on our website will help us, so please place your orders online. We will ship orders from the store and through our distributor, so place your orders through our website and we'll process them in the most effective, safe way possible. We will not allow any curbside pickup nor in-store pickup until we are told it's safe to do so. Please understand we're all trying to do whatever we can to stop this pandemic.

If you have questions or would like suggestions for what to order online, please feel free to send an email to info@cellardoorbookstore.com or linda@cellardoorbookstore.com. You can also find us on our social channels to keep updated. Book clubs will continue online; you should be receiving information about them the week before your scheduled book club.

We are all in this together. We will continue to monitor the COVID-19 situation and will follow guidance from public health officials and government agencies. Please stay safe!
Sincerely,

Linda Sherman-Nurick
Cellar Door Bookstore
(951) 787-7807
linda@cellardoorbookstore.com

Customer service: info@cellardoorbookstore.com

P.S. There are so many in our community who are most vulnerable to the effects of the Coronavirus pandemic. Take a look at MoValMeals.org and see if you can’t donate a bit to help someone; it’ll do you good :)
Un-Sheltered in Place

So we’re sheltered in place - but come on! We are BOOK PEOPLE. Stay physically sheltered while you explore world altering ideas, thoughts, opinions… yup, that means books! We are looking at ways to engage family members during this time, and if you are interested in any of the following, please send an email to info@cellardoorbookstore.com or linda@cellardoorbookstore.com and tell us what you’re interested in. If we get enough folks, we’ll set up programs and send you links to the discussion. All groups will be held online.

Book discussion of The Shock Doctrine by Naomi Klein: I’m listening to this on Libro.fm and wondering what the powers that be could do with a global pandemic when they have done such damage in more localized catastrophes. We’re already seeing evidence, and this is an important book for us to ponder in these times.

For teens:
  • Stamped by Jason Reynolds and Ibram X. Kendi: If you read my blurb in the last newsletter, you know how important I think this book is, and we have an opportunity now to engage those brilliant teens in an online discussion of this book. I envision meeting 3 times a week, in the afternoon at 2 pm to discuss chapters in the book. This will be a discussion led by the kids for whom this book was written. So if you’re interested, please let me know and I’ll set it up. 
  • A Phoenix First Must Burn edited by Patrice Caldwell: Although we were disappointed not to have Patrice here with us, our book club still enjoyed the discussion of the stories in this book, but we thought each of these stories deserved its own discussion, so if anyone would like to come together and discuss individual stories from this collection, let me know. Two or 3 times a week sounds about right for this as well, but let me know what you think.

For kids:
  • The Unicorn Rescue Society is calling! I know you guys can probably do more than a book a week, but I can’t, and I definitely want to be part of the Unicorn Rescue Society discussions. So, I think one book every week (or two weeks) until we get through them all? Let me know if you’re interested and what times would work best.
Ways to Support Independent Businesses During Coronavirus

Buy a Book
Or two, or three, or more! We're still monitoring our website, and you can order books from us online at any time (see above for more details). Many other bookstores are continuing their sales online, as well.

Listen to Audiobooks
Many of you have already signed up for Libro.fm. THANK YOU! We hope you're enjoying your audiobooks! For those who haven't signed up yet, Libro.fm is a digital audiobook service that partners with over 900 bookstores in the U.S. and Canada, and your purchase directly supports your chosen bookstore. You can become a member, or buy audiobooks a la carte - either way, your purchase benefits an independent bookstore. Libro.fm has two offers to help support bookstores right now:
  • When you start a membership with code SHOPBOOKSTORESNOW, you'll get two audiobooks for the price of one ($14.99), and 100% of your payment will go to your local bookstore. Start a membership
  • You can purchase a one-month audiobook gift membership for $15 and 100% of your purchase will go to your bookstore. Gift a One-Month Membership

Pre-Order Books
You already know you want to read them, so why not purchase them now? Pre-orders help keep us afloat, and you'll have the book in your hands on the day it comes out. You can pre-order audiobooks on Libro.fm, too!

Social Media and Newsletters
Follow us (and any indie businesses you're fond of) on social media! Like and respond to posts, and share posts and website links with your followers. Sign up for newsletters, open them, and read them.

Please support your local businesses now. Our fellow small business owners (restaurants, jewelers, vacuum shops, nurseries, bike stores, and more) are struggling, so rather than order online at a big, corporate store, please keep your dollars local. Most businesses are available online or by phone. Take the time to support them, please!
March Best-"Cellars"
1) A Phoenix First Must Burn, ed. by Patricia Caldwell
9781984835659 | Viking Books for Young Readers
2) Stamped: Racism, Antiracism, and You by Jason Reynolds & Ibram X. Kendi
9780316453691 | Little, Brown Books for Young Readers
3) The Watchmaker of Filigree Street by Natasha Pulley
9781620408346 | Bloomsbury
4) The Great Alone by Kristin Hannah
9781250229533 | St. Martin's Griffin
5) Dragons and Marshmallows (Zoey & Sassafrass #1) by Asia Citro
9781943147090 | The Innovation Press
6) The Life We Bury by Allen Eskens
9781616149987 | Seventh Street Books
7) Tales of the Mighty Code Talkers by Lee Francis III
9781478868088 | Reycraft Books
8) Winterhouse by Ben Guterson
9781250294197 | Square Fish
9) American Dirt by Jeanine Cummins
9781250209764 | Flatiron Books
10) White Fragility by Robin Diangelo
9780807047415 | Beacon Press
April Staff Picks
Spring 2020 Kids Indie Next List Pick
Efrén Divided by Ernesto Cisneros: Within these pages, Cisneros offers us a gift. He intended the gift for his daughter who asked why people in this country don't want people like her here, but this book is a gift to parents, to educators, to children who, in seeing the "issue" of immigration through the eyes of a middle school kid, may finally understand the depth of the crisis. Efrén navigates the halls of middle school as does any other bright, kind student, but his family is poor and his parents are undocumented, so when his mother is caught in an ICE raid at a local market and sent back to Mexico, everything changes, and Efrén and his family struggle to find a way to be whole again. No matter what you think you know, please read this book. It is a beautifully told story powerfully relevant to conversations and actions we must have to regain our humanity. - Linda
November 2019 Indie Next List Pick
Running with Sherman: The Donkey with The Heart of a Hero by Christopher McDougall: Even before this new crisis, people were coming into the store asking for books that gave hope and this was one of the books I gave them. I'm not a runner, but my name is Sherman and donkeys have held a special place in my life since I was a kid, so when I saw this book I decided I had to give it a shot, and I'm so grateful! This is a book about Sherman, a donkey on the doorstep of death who McDougall's family rescued from a hoarder. But giving Sherman friends, a purpose, and reasons to push on turned this little guy into a competitor in the Colorado Burro races. The beauty of this book, however, is in the constant reminder that there are ways to overcome all kinds of difficulty and the power resides in our own will and our relationships with others. An important book for us all right now. Believe! 
- Linda
Baby Teeth by Zoje Stage: Children are supposed to be innocent, true paragons of purity and incapable of evil. This deep-seated understanding runs through the psyche of every parent, propping up the young as helpless creatures unable to make their own decisions and in desperate need of protection. What happens to that dynamic when a child is hopelessly, irrevocably damaged? What happens to that parental sense of duty when the child in question is a manipulative sociopath hell-bent on destroying an already fragile family? How do you reason with a child that only speaks in character as a centuries-dead French witch? How do you protect someone who wants to hurt you? And the real question: should you? Stage examines these questions and more as she bounces back and forth from mother to daughter, forcing both of them to reckon with their ideas of family, love, and obligation as she drives them ever closer to the breaking point.
- David
Libro.fm Audiobook Picks
Skin Folk by Nalo Hopkinson, narrated by Bahni Turpin: Warning! All fifteen stories in Skin Folk will impact you; not in a gentle way, but more like a boot stomping, wake-your-senses-up way. Hopkinson allows no part of a human being to walk away untouched. Add to that Bahni Turpin’s perfectly pitched readings and be prepared to be terrified by “Snake,” electrified by “Fisherman,” warned by “The Glass Bottle Trick,” and heartbroken by “Greedy Choke Puppy.” Caribbean folklore weaves itself into the lives of ordinary people and reveals the extraordinary that lives just a bit underneath. Brilliant, beautiful and a must read! - Linda
We Set the Dark on Fire by Tehlor Kay Mejia, narrated by Kyla Garcia: The dark is not the only thing Dani and Carmen set on fire in this young adult debut about walls, privilege, rebellion and unexpected love! Let me say that I love this book, and if you have Libro.fm, listen to it read by Kyla Garcia. She’s incredible! Look up Caitlyn Paxson’s review on NPR. The second book in the series is out (yes, I’ve been trying to write this for a long time, but now I have and you should just read it or listen to it!). - Linda
In the Land of Men by Adrienne Miller, narrated by Cassandra Campbell: This coming-of-age memoir from the first female literary editor of Esquire hits close to home for me, a twenty-something woman seeking meaningful work in editorial. But it will also strike a chord for 90's literary New York aficionados, women working corporate positions within male-dominated fields, fans of McSweeney's, and readers of David Foster Wallace - perhaps those who enjoy his writing and even those who don't. (Be forewarned: you may not like this guy after listening.) Campbell's narration perfectly personifies both Miller's voice and her cast of mythic literary characters.
- Destenie
Book Clubs for Adults
Cellar Door Book Club (Meets the fourth Sunday of the month at 2 pm)
  • *Sunday, April 5: The Watchmaker of Filigree Street by Natasha Pulley
  • *Sunday, May 14 at 1 pm: The Great Alone by Kristin Hannah
Mystery Book Club (Meets the third Thursday of the month at 6 pm)
  • Thursday, April 16: The Life We Bury by Allen Eskens
  • Thursday, May 21:Wife of the Gods by Kwei Quartey
Science-Fiction & Fantasy (Meets the third Saturday of the month at 5 pm)
  • Saturday, April 18: Infinite Detail by Tim Maughan
  • Saturday, May 16: Witchmark by C.L.Polk
Historical Fiction Book Club (Meets the fourth Saturday of the month at 5 pm)
  • Saturday, April 25: The Map of Salt and Stars by Jennifer Joukhadar
  • Saturday, June 27: A Hero Born: Legends of the Condor Heroes 1, by Jin Yong
Agatha Christie Book Club (Meets the third Tuesday of the month at 6:30 pm)
  • Tuesday, April 21: Third Girl
  • Tuesday, May 19:Mrs. McGinty's Dead
Philosophical Horror (Meets the third Monday of the month at 6 pm)
  • Monday, April 20: Dracula by Bram Stoker
  • Monday, May 18: The Ballad of Black Tom by Victor LaValle
Black Lit Book Club (Meets the final Friday of the month at 6 pm)
  • Friday, April 24: Girl, Woman, Other by Bernardine Evaristo
  • Friday, May 29:She Would Be King by Wayetu Moore
Speculative Fiction Book Club (Meets the second Saturday of the month at 4 pm)
  • Saturday, April 11: A Phoenix First Must Burn ed. by Patrice Caldwell
  • Saturday, May 9: The City We Became by N.K. Jemisin
LGBTQ Book Club (Meets the fourth Thursday of the month at 6 pm)
  • Thursday, April 23: A Little Life by Hanya Yanagihara
  • Thursday, May 28: Keepers of the Cave by Gerri Hill
Bucket List Book Club (Meets the third Sunday of the month at 3 pm)
  • Sunday, April 29: The Age of Innocence by Edith Wharton
  • Sunday, May 17:No Great Mischief by Alistair MacLeod
Phy-Sci Book Club (Meets the fourth Wednesday of the month at 6 pm)
  • Wednesday, April 22: Elemental by Tim James
  • We, May 27:The Poison Squad: One Chemist's Single-Minded Crusade for Food Safety at the Turn of the Twentieth Century by Deborah Blum
Current Affairs Book Club (Meets the second Sunday of the month at 4 pm)
  • *Sunday, April 5: The New Silk Road by Peter Frankopan
  • Sunday, May 10: Factfulness by Hans Rosling
Feminist Book Club (Meets the first Tuesday of the month at 6 pm)
  • Tuesday, April 7: She Said by Jodi Kantor
  • Tuesday, May 5: Girls Burn Brighter by Shobha Rao
Graphic Novel Book Club (Meets the first Monday of the month at 6:30 pm)
  • Monday, April 6: Two Brothers by Gabriel Ba
  • Monday, May 4: Persepolis: The Story of a Childhood by Marjane Satrapi
History Book Club (Meets the first Wednesday of the month at 6 pm)
  • Wednesday, April 1: Ocean of Milk, Ocean of Blood by Matthew King (including a discussion with the author!)
  • Wednesday, May 6: Midnight in Chernobyl by Adam Higginbotham
Outdoor Lit (Meets every other month on the first Sunday at 2 pm)
  • Sunday, May 3: The Invention of Nature: Alexander Humboldt's New World by Andrea Wulf
  • Sunday, July 5: The Golden Spruce: A True Story of Myth, Madness, and Greed by John Vallaint
Book Clubs for Kids & Youth
Early Readers Book Club (Meets the second Saturday of the month at 1 pm)
  • *Saturday, April 11: West Meadows Detectives: The Case of the Snack Snatcher by Liam O'Donnell
  • Saturday, May 9:Okay Witch by Emma Steinkellner
Kids' Book Club (Meets the second Thursday of the month at 6 pm)
  • Thursday, April 9: Framed! by James Ponti
  • Thursday, May 14: Nevermoor: The Trials of Morrigan Crow by Jessica Townsend
NEW! Teen Book Club (Meets the first Friday of the month at 7 pm)
  • Friday, April 3: Baby Teeth by Zoje Stage
  • Friday, May 1: Black Leopard, Red Wolf (Part 1) by Marlon James
There are no official sign-ups or fees for our offered book clubs, but we do ask that you purchase these books from us in order to participate. *Starred meetings are not held at their usual date and/or time.

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