"I do believe in an everyday sort of magic -
the inexplicable connectedness
we sometimes experience with places,
people, works of art and the like;
the eerie appropriateness of moments
of synchronicity; the whispered voice,
the hidden presence,
when we think we’re alone.”
~ Charles de Lint
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Last week, Katie and I went to Phoenix, Arizona for something called "The Children's Institute" put on by the American Booksellers Association. We were there to learn about "hot" new titles, best practices, sales trends, and how to have the best kids' books we can in this weird, new retail environment. We've had to make a few changes behind the scenes to be better at our recommendations, and so far, the staff are crushing it. After checking in with stores from across the nation, we know just how amazing our staff are at recommending children's books. We remember that we were all kids once, so we tap into the books we all loved as kids, and the magic goes from there! We're having so much fun, and it shows. There's a lot of goofiness going on, and every kid leaves the store with a smile... so far this summer... unless what they really wanted was ice cream... we don't do ice cream... yet.
As always, delving into children's books uncovers so much more than we bargained for. Katie and I encountered "synchronicity" and strange coincidences at every turn:
- Seriously... how many children's philosophy books are there? 2? And I was at a table that discussed the new title?! (Zach is our philosophy specialist, and now he can wax philosophical in the kids' section so look out!)
- Our Lyft driver was the first person in the United States to use GPS for surveying and worked for the same company my brother works for. (Trust me. This is a very small number of people.) I think he was as surprised as I was!
- Katie had just been on a plane the week before with a seatmate who was a children's author from Scotland. (He even said he felt like they were meant to meet one another, and we think it's true! More on that another time.)
- And amid all of the tumult of the week, I received the most responses of any Monday email that I ever have. I'm sure that if I wouldn't have been out of town, the responses would have been so much lower! ha ha (Remember the thunder and lightning questions?) So many of you responded, in fact, that I haven't had enough time to tally the results. I will have those for you next week, along with another mini-survey. (You guys are really good at this. And two of you made me cry!)
The books in this week's email are all of the titles I couldn't get to this year that are on my "to read" list. Happy prospecting!
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Newcomers and fans both will be eager to see what he pulls off in his next book. ~ STARRED PW review
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"The historical context she offers is of a pre–Civil War America of deep moral divides, political differences tearing close families apart, populism and fanaticism run amok.
The similarities to today are riveting and chilling." ~ STARRED Kirkus review
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"Huneven’s descriptions of food are the best I’ve ever read, by far the most vivid prose in the book." ~ NYT Book Review
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"Though the killer is unmasked, the takeaway is much more universal—and satisfying—than just finding out whodunit: This is a story about flawed people just doing the best they can to live their lives and find love.
Vulnerable yet steely, this thriller rises above the rest." ~ STARRED Kirkus Review
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"A taut, blisteringly smart novel, both measured and rageful." ~ STARRED Kirkus Review
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"Gray captures Austen’s tone perfectly ... The Murder of Mr. Wickham will allow many Austen fans an opportunity to revisit the characters they treasure, and solve a mystery to boot." ~ Bookpage
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"This prequel to We Were Liars takes place in 1987 as 17-year-old Carrie Sinclair faces her first summer at the family’s Massachusetts vacation property without her youngest sister, Rosemary." ~ STARRED Kirkus review
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"Fans of emotional historical fiction will be charmed." ~ PW
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"A serious story, luminously told." ~ Kirkus
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Click the Adult or the Kids/YA links in the images and get the jump on tomorrow's releases today!
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You are explorers, navigating your way through an uncharted island collecting as many riches as you can before you have to leave. You face monsters, and a limited number of turns, so strategy is the key to your success!
Let me assure you that this is a resource management game that you learn and then play very quickly. You allllllllmost have enough of what you want, but juuuuuust enough to do what you need. There is a reason this won "Game of the Year in the 2020 Board Game Quest Awards!" It's popularity means it has been out of stock until now. Get them while you can! Click for the full review.
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Ordinary Monsters is the beginning of the next super-famous-epic fantasy series, and I am calling it right now: this is a book that EVERYONE will know by the end of 2022. The book had already sold to Netflix, before it was even published.
This historical fantasy set in Victorian London. It follows two boys on the run: Charlie, a black boy from Georgia, charged with death for killing a white ship owner (it was an accident and not Charlie's fault) and Marlowe, a mysteriously glowing baby found on a moving train car in the hills of England. And a man made of smoke is hunting them both. Click here for the full review.
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Not safe for everyone! Enter these pages at your own risk!
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Shop with us any time of day at:
Visit us:
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307 East Lake Street
Petoskey, MI 49770
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background image credit: Patrick Tomasso @impatrickt
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