Dear Readers,
It's no exaggeration to say that the literary decks are stacked; the new release shelves are filled with seasoned veterans and sensational debut authors. And despite the frenzied, sometimes frenetic pace of back-to-school that leaves many of us playing catch up, it's also an invigorating time of year; new schedules, new activities, and of course a towering stack of new books beckoning us to take a pause and dive in.
Speaking of brand-spanking new releases: our dear Events Coordinator and bookseller Rosanna is featured in the September Indie Next Booksellers newsletter with a recommendation for the TOP PICK, Lauren Groff's stunning nov el, Matrix. Not familiar with Indie Next? Check it out here or swing by the store and browse our Indie Next fixture stocked with the latest and greatest on the list.
Take care,
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Summer reading concluded with an all-consuming tome. Unable to stymie my curiosity about Jonathan Franzen's forthcoming novel, (the first in a trilogy), I spent the better part of the lead up to Labor Day trying to decide whether or not I was content hanging with the Hildebrandt clan. The verdict, frankly, is still out. Whether or not the novel is a success, I'll leave to a later time but what stuck with me was the masterfully painful way Franzen brought sibling dynamics to the forefront. It's with that mindset that I bring you this week's Friday Five where complicated sibling relationships take center stage.
What Could Be Saved has been on my bedside table, perched amidst the chaos with great promise. Upon its release, readers I admire offered heaps of praise. Ironically these enthusiastic reviews sometimes give me a pass. Why travel well-trodden territory if I can simply say to customers: "I haven't read it but readers I respect adore it"! Now out in paperback, I finally gave it go and I'm so grateful I did. The novel follows three siblings growing up in Bangkok. One disappears without a trace leaving the rest of the family shattered until a surprising discovery reignites a long cold case.
The Sisters Brothers, shortlisted for the 2011 Booker Prize and adapted into a 2018 movie by "the French Scorsese" Jacques Audiard, is a Western of sorts starring a brotherly duo of assassins on a mission to do their bosses' bidding. One of the brothers is more murderously inclined than the other, resulting in a tension filled-family business. When the brothers discover an intended target possesses something that makes him more valuable alive than dead, the plot thickens.
Former professional basketball player and poet (I know, what a combo!) Natalie Diaz won the Pulitzer Prize (2020) fo r Postcolonial Love Poem but it's her first collection I've included below for reasons as obvious as the title. When My Brother Was an Aztec details what it was like living with a brother who struggled with meth addiction. Mystical, detail-rich and an interesting look back at the development of a poet, this is an unflinchingly honest collection.
I barely had to whisper the topic of this week's Friday Five to Yvette before she jumped out of her chair with an enthusiastic recommendation for Little Cruelties. The Times (UK) says: The much-decorated writer again displays a flair for plot and an uncanny ability to get under the skin of characters in the dysfunctional family drama ... Nugent builds her narrative skilfully, with the ellipses in each brother’s account gradually filled in by the ensuing tales. All their psychologies are incisively laid out, consistent and layered across all sections ... nobody is a mere cliché in Nugent’s clear, propulsive writing...". Consider me sold.
Finally, just in case you happened to be a bit distracted last year when Hidden Valley Road debuted at number one on The New York Times nonfiction best seller list, it's a masterful work that portrays a family deep in the throes of mental illness. Of twelve siblings, six struggled with schizophrenia; the family became of great interest to researchers working to learn more about how the condition manifests within family units. Heartbreaking, illuminating, and frustrating all in one, Kolker's empathetic journalistic portrait is not-to-be-missed.
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New on the Shelf Cookbook Spotlight |
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I've been a fan of Dinner: A Love Story founder Jenny Rosenstrach for a long time. Her kids are a handful of years ahead of my own and in the online world she's played the part of helpful older sister who dishes all the culinary secrets for feeding a family. Rosenstrach's new cookbook speaks to the moment we're in and is full of tasty recipes that even the most skeptical in my house will eat. On deck for this weekend a cheesy bean casserole that could almost be mistaken for mac and cheese. Give a ring to reserve your copy! |
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Dark Chocolate Sea Salt Brownies, Chocolate Mint Moon Pies, Red Velvet Sheet Cake, Banana Pecan Bread, Cornmeal Pancakes, Blackberry Lemon King Cake...need I go on?
Winner of The Great American Baking Show Vallery Lomas has released the comforting cookbook we're all craving right now. The recipes don't call for any extraneous ingredients making for straightforward execution and delightfully delicious results. I'm excited to cook from and gift this gorgeous book all season long.
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New on the Shelf: Fiction |
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New on the Shelf: Nonfiction + Memoir |
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TICKETS NOW AVAILABLE
*Click on image for more information
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