In addition, for the first time ever, we're running a holiday promotion! Buy $200 worth of books, and we'll give you a coupon for 20% off a future purchase, redeemable in January or February 2023. This is a great way to knock out most of your holiday shopping in one go, and score a nice little gift for yourself in the going!

Emily and Graham say... Shop Early, Shop Local! Beginning your holiday shopping now is the best way to support Next Chapter Booksellers and make sure you get the books you want for the people you love. Stop by the store today, browse our website, or call us at 651-225-8989. We'd love to suggest a book for that relative that's got you stumped, or order an out-of-stock title for you at no additional charge. We also offer free gift-wrapping!

The World We Make – N.K. Jemisin

All is not well in the city that never sleeps. Even though the avatars of New York City have temporarily managed to stop the Woman in White from invading the mysterious Enemy has more subtle powers at her disposal. A new candidate for mayor wielding the populist rhetoric of gentrification, xenophobia, and "law and order" may have what it takes to take down NYC from the inside. The avatars will have to join together with the other Great Cities of the world in order to bring down the Enemy for good and protect their world from complete destruction in the spectacular conclusion to Jemisin's Great Cities Duology, which began with The City We Became.

Galatea – Madeline Miller

An enchanting short story from Madeline Miller that boldly reimagines the myth of Galatea and Pygmalion, now in hardcover for the first time and featuring a new afterword by the author! In ancient Greece, a skilled marble sculptor has been blessed by a goddess who has given his masterpiece—the most beautiful woman the town has ever seen—the gift of life. After marrying her, he expects Galatea to please him, to be obedience and humility personified. But she has desires of her own and yearns for independence. In a desperate bid by her obsessive husband to keep her under control, Galatea is locked away under the constant supervision of doctors and nurses. But with a daughter to rescue, she is determined to break free, whatever the cost . . .

And Yet – Kate Baer

Kate Baer shot into the literary stratosphere with the publication of her debut poetry collection, What Kind of Woman, which became an instant #1 New York Times bestseller. Kate’s second full-length book of traditional poetry dives deeper into the themes that are the hallmarks of her writing: motherhood, friendship, love, and loss. Taken together, these poems demonstrate the remarkable evolution of a writer and an artist working at the height of her craft, pushing herself and her poetry in a beautiful and impressive way. Intimate, evocative, and bold, Kate’s beguiling poetry firmly positions her in the company of Dorianne Laux, Mary Oliver, Maggie Nelson, and other great female poets of our time.

What's For Dessert – Claire Saffitz

Claire Saffitz returns with 100 recipes for all dessert people—whether you’re into impressive-yet-easy molten lava cakes, comforting rice pudding, or decadent chestnut brownies. In this all-new collection, Claire shares recipes for icebox cakes, pies, cobblers, custards, cookies and more, all crafted to be as streamlined as possible. (No stand mixer? No problem!) Claire makes sure each recipe is extra efficient, whether you’re making a Whipped Tres Leches Cake with Hazelnuts or Caramel Peanut Popcorn Bars. Fans will find all the warmth, encouragement, and deliciously foolproof recipes with loads of troubleshooting advice that they’ve come to count on from Claire.

Now Is Not The Time To Panic – Kevin Wilson

One summer in Coalfield, Tennessee, sixteen-year-old Frankie—aspiring writer, indifferent student, offbeat loner—meets Zeke, a talented artist who has just moved into his grandmother’s house. Romantic and creative sparks begin to fly, and when the two make an unsigned poster with an enigmatic phrase, it proves unforgettable to anyone who sees it. As the posters proliferate, people wonder who is behind them. Satanists, kidnappers—the rumors won’t stop, and soon the repercussions spread far beyond the town. Twenty years later, Frankie gets a call that threatens to upend her carefully built life: a journalist is writing a story about the Coalfield Panic of 1996... Might Frances know something about that?

The Light We Carry – Michelle Obama

Drawing from her experiences as a mother, daughter, spouse, and First Lady, Michelle Obama shares the habits she has developed to successfully adapt to change and overcome obstacles. She details practices like “starting kind,” “going high,” and assembling a “kitchen table” of trusted friends. With humor, candor, and compassion, she also explores issues connected to race and gender, encouraging readers to work through fear, find strength in community, and live with boldness. A rewarding blend of powerful stories and profound advice that will ignite conversation, The Light We Carry inspires readers to examine their own lives, identify their sources of gladness, and connect meaningfully in a turbulent world.

Smitten Kitchen Keepers – Deb Perelman

Deb Perelman is the author of two best-selling cookbooks and one of the internet's most successful food bloggers. Here, in her third book, she gives us 100 recipes (including a few favorites from her site) that aim to make shopping easier, preparation more practical and enjoyable, and food more reliably delicious for the home cook. These are the fail-safe, satisfying recipes you’ll rely on for years to come—from Perelman’s forever files to yours.

A World of Curiosities – Louise Penny

As the villagers prepare for a spring celebration, a young man and woman have reappeared, many years after their mother was murdered, leading Gamache and Beauvoir’s memories of that tragic case to come rushing back. What's more, Gamache discovers a letter written by a long dead stone mason, describing his terror when bricking up an attic room somewhere in the village. When the room is found and reopened, Gamache, Beauvoir, and the villagers discover a world of curiosities. But there’s more in that room than meets the eye: puzzles within puzzles, hidden messages warning of mayhem and revenge. In unsealing that room, an old enemy is released into the very heart of Armand Gamache’s home.

On January 6, 2021, insurgents stormed the U.S. Capitol, an act of domestic terror without parallel in American history, designed to disrupt the peaceful transfer of power. In a resolution six months later, the House of Representatives called it "one of the darkest days of our democracy," and established a special committee to investigate how and why the attack happened. Celadon Books, in collaboration with The New Yorker, presents the committee's final report, the definitive account of January 6th and what led up to it, based on more than a year of investigation by nine members of Congress and committee staff, with a preface by Pulitzer Prize winner David Remnick, and an epilogue by Congressman Jamie Raskin of Maryland, a member of the committee.

A Dangerous Business – Jane Smiley

Monterey, 1851. Ever since her husband was killed in a bar fight, Eliza Ripple has been working in a brothel. It seems like a better life, at least at first. But when the dead bodies of young women start appearing outside of town, a darkness descends that she can't resist confronting. Side by side with her friend Jean, and inspired by Edgar Allan Poe’s detective Dupin, Eliza pieces together an array of clues to try to catch the killer, all the while juggling clients who begin to seem more and more suspicious. Eliza and Jean are determined not just to survive, but to find their way in a lawless town on the fringes of the Wild West, as what will become the Civil War looms on the horizon.

NCB Manga Club: Look Back

Come to NCB at 5pm on the second Saturday of every month to talk manga with other weebs! Hosted by our resident manga experts Emily and Graham (yours truly), the Manga Club provides free Japanese snacks, a 10% discount on ALL manga in the store, and most importantly, a forum to discuss a new title every month. For the wistful late fall, we're discussing an artist's manifesto in manga form, a standalone story by modern manga master (and Chainsaw Man creator) Tatsuki Fujimoto. Look Back is a perfect little cup of tea: rich, sweet, complex, and just a little bitter. If you've ever had complicated feelings about art, mourned a lost friendship, or shared a dream, don't miss this month!

Next Chapter Booksellers will be hosting a reading/signing to celebrate the release of the thirteenth volume of the Saint Paul Almanac, entitled A Path to Each Other! We've gathered a TON of contributors to read their pieces from this wonderful anthology, and then we'll mingle! You can expect to see Wendy Brown-Báez, Annette Gagliardi, Tara Flaherty Guy, Heidi Fettig Parton, Lee Colin Thomas, Sara Dovre Wudali, Maryam Marne Zafar, and James Zimmerman. Hope to see you there!

In the aftermath of her husband’s logging accident, Elsa struggles to carry on while caring for their two small children in the unfinished house he was building for them in the woods of rural Wisconsin. To cope with the challenges of winter, she forges her own relationship with the land, learning from and taking comfort in the trees her husband had so loved. If she wants to stay in their home, she must discover her own capabilities, and accept help from the people and places she least expects. Carol Dunbar is a former actor, playwright, and coloratura soprano who left her life in the city to move off the grid. Her writing has appeared in The New York Times, The South Carolina Review, Midwestern Gothic, and on Wisconsin Public Radio. Peter Geye is author of the award-winning novels Safe from the Sea, The Lighthouse Road, Wintering (winner of the Minnesota Book Award), and The Ski Jumpers. He teaches the yearlong Novel Writing Project at the Loft Literary Center. Born and raised in Minneapolis, he continues to live there with his family.

The Whalebone Theatre –  Joanna Quinn

In the years between wars, the Seagrave siblings - Cristobel, Flossie, and Digby - grow up in a Dorset manse. Fueled by Cristobel's imagination they establish a summer theater in the skeleton of a beached whale. As WWII looms, all three serve in one way or another as undercover agents. All in all - a whale of a book that touches every human emotion.

-Jean

In the time since the Industrial Revolution, 136 billion tonnes of carbon have been released globally from soil (one of the five great carbon sinks) into the atmosphere. Soil-to-soil practices are designed to create carbon-negative agricultural systems by focusing on region-appropriate farming techniques. Increasing the soil's organic matter (i.e., carbon) content also boosts its moisture-retention, and thus lessens reliance on external water sources and protects against erosion and drought. Composting, windbreaks, hedgerows are all potentially important techniques in a soil-to-soil system.

Fibershed by Rebecca Burgess and Courtney White

My wife and I are new parents and we're really sleep deprived. Last night, I was up feeding my son and I thought he'd somehow gotten a teardrop tattoo near his eye. In the end, it was just a teardrop-shaped piece of lint. I know I probably should've brushed it away, but I didn't. I glued it on so the other kids at his daycare know what's what.

While my son is the biggest sleep disrupter, he's not the only one to blame. Lately my wife and I are riddled with anxiety, grappling with a bunch of tough parenting choices. For instance, is that security system we installed an absolute necessity? Some nights I think I'll call the security company and cancel it, but then I look over at my precious child sleeping next to me in the soothing green light of our panic room, with his valuable baby kidneys and those gold doubloons I've hidden in his baby cleavage and I'll think to myself "Is 1:00 a.m. too late to take another Ambien?"

[...] The last few nights have been awful. To be honest, my wife and I are really starting to slip. When I went to bed last night I forgot to close the panic room baby gate and I found my son standing near the edge of the stairs. Luckily, I scooped him up before he fell down and broke his head open on the reinforced steel door of our guest panic room.

Ultimately, everything is clearer in the light of day. This morning, my son and I sat on the couch and read books and we played a ton of peek-a-boo. Whenever a gold doubloon fell out of one of his thigh folds, I picked it up and shoved it back in there for safe keeping. He usually laughs whenever I do this, but I usually start hyperventilating because I can only thing about how few gold doubloons are stuffed in his legs and how many of them college is going to cost us in 2035.

-John Jodzio (collected in This Was The Decade I Kept Getting Stabbed)

Do you buy books for your loved ones for Christmas?

These are about the results I was expecting :) I have to admit, this was a bit of a push-poll, because I'm very much hoping that those of you who responded that you do buy books for your loved ones will consider starting your shopping now rather than in mid-December!

Now for this week's poll! Click on "Select" to choose your answer! The results will be in the next newsletter. And our question is: