Wellesley Books Newsletter | September 17th, 2020
This Sunday we celebrate Wellesley Books' 10th anniversary! While we can't have an in-person party (yet), we hope you'll get up from your computer and do a little dance. Maybe throw those arms in the air and bend those knees, or play your favorite song. Perhaps you're a fan of our Used Book Cellar, the Staff Favorites section, or just love coming in to talk to our staff. Whatever brings you in, we're happy to be here for you. The last six months have been hard for everyone and we just want to say THANK YOU for staying with us by ordering books through our website, calling us to order over the phone, and visiting us for the last few months. We appreciate you all so much and hope to see your names and faces, or hear your voices, as we move into our 11th year and the fall season.
Upcoming Online Events
Thursday, September 17th at 7:00 PM
Jami Attenberg, author of The Middlesteins, joins us to celebrate the paperback release of All This Could Be Yours, her timely, piercing exploration of what it means to be caught in the web of a toxic man who has abused his power. Jami will be in conversation with J. Courtney Sullivan, author of Maine and her latest, Friends and Strangers.

This free online event will take place through Zoom. In order to gain access, attendees must register by clicking the link below.
Friday, September 18th at 7:00 PM
Kids, don your jammies and join us for a Bedtime Story read by the author himself! Narwhal and Jelly spread some holiday cheer (and warm waffle pudding) in Happy Narwhalidays, the festive fifth book of Ben Clanton's blockbuster graphic novel series.

This free online event will take place through Zoom. In order to gain access, attendees must register by clicking the link below:
Tuesday, September 22nd at 7:00 PM
Cameron Kelly Rosenblum presents The Stepping Off Place, her stunning YA contemporary realistic debut that tackles friendship, grief, and mental health. Cameron will be in conversation with Kim Savage, author of In Her Skin and After the Woods. In addition to discussing The Stepping Off Place, Cameron and Kim will talk about strong female friendships across YA genres.

This free online event will take place through Zoom. In order to gain access, attendees must register by clicking the link below.
Thursday, October 8th at 7:00 PM
Arden Myrin, comedian, actress (seen on such shows as Insatiable and Grey's Anatomy), and podcaster, presents Little Miss Little Compton, a hilarious and heartfelt memoir about navigating adulthood and her rise on the comedy scene despite an unconventional upbringing.

This free online event will take place through Zoom. In order to gain access, attendees must register by clicking the link below:
Wellesley Books is happy to announce A Child's Library: a subscription service for children ages 0-5 -- or anyone who loves picture books! Each month, Lauren, our children's book buyer, will select one newly released picture book to be sent or picked-up from the store. The mission of A Child's Library is to help foster a love for books within the child's home. This makes a great baby shower gift!

The September 2020 pick is Digging for Words by Angela Burke Kunkel. To find out more about our subscription service, click here.
Bookseller Recommendations
Cassie recommends:
This is How You Lose the Time War by Amal El-Mohtar and Max Gladstone
Red and Blue are on opposite sides of the Time War - one a part of the collective entity known as The Garden, and the other a soldier of the Commandant, a high-tech-centered group. But this story, for all it’s expansive and ambitious concepts, focuses instead on the hunger of Red and Blue, for competition, for experience, for each other.

Reading This is How You Lose the Time War, a 2020 Hugo Winner, was like experiencing a work of art in person for the first time after only having read and heard about it in textbooks. The sheer joy el-Mohtar & Gladstone have for their craft, for the language and storytelling, shines brightly on every page. You’ll find yourself simultaneously reading a love letter for the written word and love letters between two characters on opposite sides of the Time War.
Rachael recommends:
The Daughters of Ys by M. T. Anderson & Jo Rioux
Based on the ancient Breton folktale about an Atlantis-like city lost beneath the ocean, The Daughters of Ys tells the story of two sisters who are driven apart after their mother's inexplicable death, and the power that they both hold.
Jess recommends:
We Are All the Same in the Dark by Julia Heaberlin
A young girl is found on the side of a highway outside a Texas town known for a famous double murder. The man who picks her up and brings her home, is the same man who is the suspect. He is hunted daily, followed by fans and haters alike, so of course someone reports him with the girl. Officer Odette Tucker sets out for his house and towards the history they share. She finds the girl sitting on his couch, untouched, and Odette can't look away. The girl is missing an eye. Odette shares the story of her missing leg. We are All the Same in the Dark is a deep psychological thriller with many turns with everyone looking to prove something.
Peter recommends:
Here We Are by Graham Swift
Jack Robinson the renowned stagemaster, and his showstopping magic act The Great Pablo and Eve, bring innocent escape to the vacationers in their drab English seaside resort. This deceptively slim volume -- almost a novella -- holds its own magical, yet haunting, story. Graham Swift conveys the deepest emotion with the simplest strokes of the pen.
New In Hardcover
Claudia Rankine
Ruth Ware
Michael Cohen
Bob Woodward
Robert Galbraith
Ben Macintyre
Christopher Paolini
Jill Lepore
Susanna Clarke
New In Paperback
Søren Sveistrup
Alexander McCall Smith
Katherine Center
Elin Hilderbrand
Sherrod Brown
Binyamin Appelbaum
Jack Goldsmith
Benjamin Moser
Caitlin Moran
Natasha Lester
Clive D. L. Wynne, PhD
Bookseller Recommendations for Young Readers
Rachael recommends:
Séance Tea Party by Reimena Yee
If you’re not already familiar with Reimena Yee and her work, then her debut middle-grade graphic novel, Séance Tea Party, is a perfect place to start. After watching her friend group grow up and start to lose touch with each other, Lora is determined to still have fun on her own. What Lora doesn’t expect is for that fun to come in the shape of Alexa, the ghost that’s haunting her house and her former “imaginary” best friend. The two soon become inseparable as Lora helps Alexa acclimate to modern times and Alexa provides Lora with the companionship she’s been desperately missing. But with the passage of time, the girls find themselves drifting apart as Lora grows older and rekindles relationships with old friends and begins, like all kids, to grow up. Séance Tea Party is Reimena Yee’s vibrant, heartwarming love letter to childhood, told through the eyes of a girl who’s afraid to grow up and the ghost of a girl who never will.
Cassie recommends:
Cemetery Boys by Aiden Thomas
If you are looking for a book to salivate over, a book to savor, this is the book for you. The descriptive writing! The character development! Aiden Thomas has crafted a warm, and eerie story about Yadriel, a young brujo who only wants to show his traditional Latinx family that he has what it takes to join the men of the family in their daily and upcoming Dia de los Muertos rituals. All that feels nearly impossible while his family continues to deadname him and misgender him. And then Yadriel accidentally summons the ghost of the recently-deceased local “bad boy.” Who cares deeply for his family. And tries to protect his friends. Whose restless energy fills whatever room he’s in. And has a cute smile. Oh no, Yadriel. A sweet #ownvoices YA read filled with friendly and not-so-friendly ghosts; complex, growing family relationships; brujxs; cemeteries; marigolds; giant pit bulls definitely not named after mutant turtles; and fierce cousins. You won’t want to miss this tenderly woven and magical story.
New Books For Kids
Dusti Bowling
Sharon Creech
Neil Patrick Harris
Donna Barba Higuera
Kory Merritt
Kelly Yang
New Books For Young Adults
Tracy Deonn
Lori Goldstein
Tessa Gratton
Tiffany D. Jackson
Amra Sabic-El-Rayess
Nita Tyndall
In the Gift Department
The new Wellesley Books Annex is a success! Stop by for our late summer sales and lookout for new fall inventory! We wanted to add a space that allows for more socially distancing shopping. Autumn is our favorite time of the year, as well as the busiest, so what better way to give you more space to get a jump on your holiday gifts!
What We're Reading Now...
Gillian

Geoff
Andy
Rachael
Jess
Sally
Jane
Cassie
Colleen C.
Dog of the Week: Meet Buddy!
Buddy lives at home with our gift merchandiser, Shannon, and her family. He loves bananas. He's a lap dog, for sure. We may not have bananas at the store, but we think he'll still like a nice crunchy treat next time he visits.
Thank you for supporting your community independent bookstore!
Sincerely,
Wellesley Books
82 Central Street
Wellesley, MA 02482
781-431-1160