1151 Church Street, Northbrook IL (847) 498-4999
"Open" 24 hours a day at BookBinNorthbrook.com
March 2022 E-Newsletter
Welcome Readers,

Hello lads and lassies!

We've seen smiling faces over the past two days for which we are so grateful; we seem to be coming around to a more normal way of life again. Please remember all those who are choosing to wear a mask may not actually have a choice and may be immuno-compromised. In our store, only kindness to all will be tolerated. Winter is nearing its end, and hope is such a good thing to have, yes? We hope to see you at the store soon!

Kindly,
Alli & Amy
Book Bin Owners

Share with us a few moments and view this month's

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Please consider writing us a quick review online:

Hours:
Monday through Saturday
Open 10:00am to 4:00pm

Last Month's Bestsellers

The Paris Bookseller
by Kerri Maher


Maus I: A Survivor's Tale
by Art Spiegelman


The Lincoln Highway
by Amor Towles


The Boy, the Mole, the Fox and the Horse
by Charley Mackesy


The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo
by Taylor Jenkins Reid


The Maid
by Nita Prose


History of the Rain
by Niall Williams


Wish You Were Here
by Jodi Picoult


Daisy Jones & The Six
by Taylor Jenkins Reid


The Nature of Fragile Things
by Susan Meissner

One Two Three
by Laurie Frankel


Book Bin's Upcoming Events
What is Independent Bookstore Day?

Independent Bookstore Day is a one-day national party that takes place at indie bookstores across the country on the last Saturday in April. This year's event will take place Saturday, April 30, 2022. In addition to authors, live music, cupcakes, scavenger hunts, kids events, art tables, readings, barbecues, contests, and other fun stuff, there are exclusive books and literary items that you can only get on that day. Since every store is unique and independent, every party is different. We'll be participatin gin the Chicago Bookstore Crawl, where one can earn a year-long discount by visiting a certain number of stores in one day!

Save the date to visit us and MANY other Chicagoland participating Bookstores (:
Award-winning humorist and bestselling author Jenny Lawson discusses her book "Broken (in the best possible way)" and her body of work.
Join us for an evening with the #1 New York Times bestselling author and award-winning humorist Jenny Lawson!
Jenny is an American journalist, author, and blogger known for her great candor in sharing her struggle with mental illness. Her previous books Let's Pretend This Never Happened and Furiously Happy were #1 New York Times bestsellers.  
Presented in partnership with Illinois Libraries Present, a statewide collaboration between public libraries.

Please join us as we discuss History of the Rain by Niall Williams with Sheila Whalen as our discussion group leader. 

The date of the in-person discussion is Thursday, March 3 at 7:00 pm.

(Your RSVP is important for us in our setting up for the evening, so please call us or click below; we will no longer host the discussion over Zoom.)

The Book Bin's Adult Book Discussion has a long history behind it of great questions, deep diving into the novels we select, and a general feeling of community. We'd love to have you here.

" History of the Rain is charming, wise and beautiful. It is a love letter to Ireland in all its contradictions, to literature and poetry and family. It acknowledges that faith itself is a paradox, both possible and necessary. And faith carries this novel--faith that stories can save us, that love endures, that acceptance is within reach, and finally, that it is possible to get to the other side of grief." -- Shelf Awareness
Mystery Book Club

The date for our next in-person Mystery Book Club will be Monday, March 14 at 7:00 pm.

(We'd appreciate if those of you planning to attend would call or email us with your RSVP.)

Our discussion of The Lady in the Lake by Laura Lippman, will be lead by Alli Gilley & Ron Oberman. Detective Ron and Detective Alli are excited to get to the heart of this mystery with you as our partners! As with our Adult Book Discussion, there will not be a Zoom option this year.

"The story is bigger than the crime, and the crime is bigger than its solution, making Lippman's skill as a mystery novelist work as icing on the cake. The racism, classism, and sexism of 50 years ago wrapped up in a stylish, sexy, suspenseful period drama..."
-- Kirkus Reviews (starred review)
Next Month's Book Discussion Night

Our Adult Book Discussion is back in person! Please join us as we discuss Agent Sonya by Ben Macintyre with Sheila Whalen as our discussion group leader. 

This true-life spy story is a masterpiece about the woman code-named “Sonya.” Over the course of her career, she was hunted by the Chinese, the Japanese, the Nazis, MI5, MI6, and the FBI—and she evaded them all. 

The date of the in-person discussion is Thursday, April 7 at 7:00 pm. Your RSVP is important for us in our setting up for the evening, so please call us or click below; we will no longer host the discussion over Zoom.
A few of March's Mysteries
Harper
Available March 22nd
Grand Central Publishing
Available March 15th
Atlantic Monthly Press
Available March 15th
Written by James Patterson and Dolly Parton
Published by Little, Brown & Company
Available in Hardcover on March 7

When was the last time you were really excited to read a new James Patterson mystery? Was it the last Alex Cross story or the most recent in the Women's Murder Club series? Well, I just about jumped out of my chair when I heard that Mr. Patterson was teaming up with Ms. Dolly Parton herself! This mystery takes a while to warm up, but the journey is well worth it. Young country singer Annie Lee Keyes has just arrived in Nashville and is trying to make her dreams come true. It won't hurt her chances that the Dolly Parton character is willing to take Annie Lee under her wing. The big problem is not how talented Annie Lee is, but it is the past from which she is running. Will it catch up with her before she can outrun it? Iconic and unforgettable characters make this mystery a must-read.

Reviewed by Alli Gilley
The Night Shift
Written by Alex Finley
Published by Minotaur Books
Available in Hardcover Now


The Night Shift will keep you hooked while taking you on a thrilling ride. Four teenagers, working late at an ice cream shop in a small town are murdered in what looks like the work of a killer who first struck in a similar massacre fifteen years earlier. In both crimes, there is just one survivor left to piece together the details. Is this the work of the same killer, a copycat, or someone out for revenge? The lone survivor of the original crime, now a psychologist, is brought in to help the latest survivor, only to add more confusion about both crimes. With local police hoping for redemption for how they handled the original suspect, and wanting to solve the case quickly, they refuse to share details when the FBI is brought in. However, agent Keller is savvy, cunning, and cool under pressure while leaving no detail unchecked. She will quickly become one of your favorite FBI characters of all time. When she teams up with the young public defender who just so happens to be (secretly) the brother of the original suspect, things get very interesting. Everyone seems to have something to hide, but do their secrets lead to a killer? This clever, fast-paced thriller keeps you engaged, with great characters and a dynamic plot that will keep you up late just to find out what happens.

Reviewed by Andrea Fossier
A Taste of March's Fiction
Delacorte Press
Available March 8th
Knopf Publishing
Available March 22nd
Atria Books
Available March 1st
Written by Karen Joy Fowler
Published by G.P. Putnam's Sons
Available in Hardcover on March 8

Although John Wilkes Booth is the most well-known member of the Booth family today, some of the other members of his family were famous in their day. Karen Joy Fowler writes of his sisters (Rosalie and Asia), his brothers (June, Edwin, and Joe), as well as his parents (Mary and Junius). Rosalie was a spinster while Asia was the feisty and outgoing sister; Junius and Edwin were both famous actors, while June and Joe's acting careers were both second rate. Booth delves into the events and psyche of each family member. All were flawed, but they cared deeply for each other. Fowler begins each section with a small interlude about Abraham Lincoln which describes his life in comparison to the Booths' at the time. The deeper I read into Booth, the more I became engrossed with all members of this interesting family and the descriptions of life in our country during this period. This is a great work of historical fiction.

Reviewed by Nancy Randall
Written by Kate Quinn
Published by William Morrow
Available in Hardcover on March 29

Kate Quinn continues this mission: “Like my previous novels….[this book] was inspired by my never-ending search to find and highlight badass women of the past.”. This time she introduces us to Lyudmila (“Mila”) Pavlichenko: a bride and mother at 15, a Graduate student, a wanna-be historian, a library researcher, and also Lady Death- one of the deadliest snipers in the Red Army during WWII. Although she’d prefer to be leading her team, lying in camouflage and waiting for her targets on the battlefield, after 18 months the Soviet Union sends Mila on a tour to the US to encourage its citizens and FDR to join the USSR in its fight against Hitler. While in the US she becomes a quasi-celebrity and a close friend of the First Lady, Eleanor Roosevelt. I love the extensive research that Kate Quinn does for each of her novels. She brings historical figures to light that I don’t know much about and she does a great job of creating a story out of the sorely lacking information available about these women and their accomplishments. Kate’s extensive research for this book included A LOT of battlefield strategy and war details which, admittedly, I ended up glossing over a bit. However, I enjoyed her overall story involving the relationships that Mila had with the men and few women that served with her and, particularly, her friendship with Mrs. Roosevelt. It was also interesting to get the perspective of WWII through Mila’s Russian (actually Ukrainian) eyes- as the Germans invaded a homeland that she was determined to protect. There was also a secondary (almost unnecessary but still entertaining) story about a US sniper who had been hired to assassinate FDR and make it look like Mila, “the Commie” visiting the US, was actually the culprit. Will he succeed? Enjoy this fascinating new book when it is released at the end of March.

Review from Julie Harms-Muth
New Children's Fiction
Simon & Schuster
Available Now
Greenwillow Books
Available March 8th
Greenwillow Books
Available Now
Our "Clubs"!

We pride ourselves on our friendliness and our service to our customers and community. As we pondered everything we offer, we came up with this list of "clubs" available to you at the Book Bin. Invite your friends!

Frequent Reader Club
... Upon which we punch holes for each $10 you spend working towards $10 off your next purchase

Our Book Club
... In which we meet on the first Thursday night of the month to discuss an enthralling paperback book, with Thursday March 3 and Thursday April 7 as our next meetings

Book Bin Detective Club
... In which we read a new paperback mystery novel and meet on a Monday night mid-to-late month to discuss it, with Monday March 14 set as our next meeting

The Booklovers Club
... In which we send a book a month to a recipient of your choosing, such as a new baby, a voracious middle-grade or teen reader, or an adult, say for a birthday gift that "keeps giving"
Quick Question: Do you think we'll get any more snow in Spring 2022?
Yes, unfortunately
No, probably not
Please! I hope so.
Last Month's "Quick Question" Results:
What is your favorite gift to receive on Valentine's Day??

"Flowers" was the winner, receiving 39% of the votes;
"Chocolate" received 28.5% of the votes (Yum!);
"Wine" received 1.5% of the votes (Hmmm... I think that single vote was me!);
and "A Book!" received 31% of the votes (Yay!).

We received 67 responses;
Thanks for participating (:

We love helping our customers throughout the year! We’re here to assist you— in the store, over the phone, with an email, or online.
Thank you for reading and for shopping locally. We appreciate your support!

Kindly,
The Book Bin Staff
Thank you very much!
Dear Customers:
  • We are so thankful you have continued shopping with us throughout the pandemic.
  • While shopping here, we ask that you consider your social distancing with our staff and the other customers.
  • Remember way back when we had customers wear gloves while shopping?! (#interabang)
  • Although we NO LONGER REQUIRE masks in the store, we do encourage them and appreciate them, but it is your choice.
Why Shopping Local Matters

Buying local boosts the local economy.
When you buy local, more of the money you spend stays in the community. Local businesses like us, are more likely to use other local businesses and services to support our operations.

Book Bin Services
1. Free gift wrapping, cards, and gold stickers on your purchases
2. Easy shipping available on any purchases via the USPS
3. Contactless Curbside Pick-ups from our bench
4.  Fast order fulfillment of any book in print
5. Friendly people to recommend your next great read

Not a Superstore... just a Super Store!