Wellesley Books Newsletter | June 22nd, 2022
These last two weeks of June are crunch time for so many families. Let us help you with your summer reading! We have displays of local school required reads near both registers, and binders full of summer reading lists in case you leave yours at home. We're also deep into the best time of year for new paperbacks, which makes it easy to stock up before that first week of July. Many of last fall's biggest books are landing on our new paperbacks table this month; scroll down for a selection. Fill up a bag, hop in your car and go!
Upcoming Events
Thursday, June 23rd at 7:00 PM (in-person)
Bob Ryan, former sportswriter for The Boston Globe, presents his new book, In Scoring Position: 40 Years of a Baseball Love Affair.

Featuring some of the game's biggest names and wildest scenarios, this is a fascinating romp through baseball history, exuding a pure zeal for this sport that fans of all teams will recognize in themselves.

Bob has been referred to as "the quintessential American sportswriter," and is a recipient of the PEN/ESPN Lifetime Achievement Award for Literary Sports Writing.
Tuesday, June 28th at 6:00 PM (online)
Geraldine Brooks, Pulitzer Prize-winning author of March and People of the Book, joins Wellesley Books and other indies online to celebrate the release of her new novel, Horse.

Based on the remarkable true story of the record-breaking thoroughbred Lexington, Horse is a novel of art and science, love and obsession, and our unfinished reckoning with racism.

"[Brooks] has penned a clever and richly detailed novel about how we commodify, commemorate, and quantify winning in the United States, all through the lens of horse racing."
–Library Journal
Wednesday, June 29th at 7:00 PM (in-person)
Peter S. Canellos, former Editorial Page Editor for The Boston Globe, presents his new biography, The Great Dissenter: The Story of John Marshall Harlan, America's Judicial Hero.

Spanning from the Civil War to the Civil Rights movement and beyond, The Great Dissenter is a “magnificent” (Douglas Brinkley) and “thoroughly researched” (The New York Times) rendering of the American legal system’s most significant failures and most inspiring successes.

"The riveting story of a courageous Kentucky lawyer who initiated significant challenges to anti-civil rights measures during an era of ubiquitous bigotry."
–Kirkus
Bookseller Recommendations
Ashleigh recommends:
Reading this book is like being swept into an epic song, and it is extraordinary! Magic is music and music is magic; and Jennings’ writing is absolutely superb. This is one of the most imaginative and enchanting books I’ve read in ages; I love the tone, the language, the delicacy in handling Hurricane Katrina trauma, and the utterly fantastic world-building in both New Orleans and Nola. This is an exquisite, astonishing debut and I adored it!
Tracy A. recommends:
Flying Solo by Linda Holmes
Big fan of Linda Holmes and Maine here! Flying Solo is a light summer read filled with the perfect combination of mystery, romance, nostalgia, and friendship. Anyone who has ever agonized about whether or not to get married or move in with a significant other or move cross-country to be with a partner will connect with the main character's dilemma(s). As will people who fiercely guard their independence and alone time. Bonus: readers of the author's previous novel Evvie Drake Starts Over will appreciate the references to a few popular characters from that novel. I flew through this book!
Cassie recommends:
The Stardust Thief by Chelsea Abdullah
The Stardust Thief is the kind of book that makes you feel like a small child who is encountering a fairy tale for the first time. Everything feels new, tangible, and magical. There were times when I felt like I couldn't read fast enough, and others where I was berating myself for not savoring the luxurious writing more. This epic fantasy reminds us why the genre works and what it can bring to the table in a master craftsman's hands. Not only am I waiting with bated breath for Abdullah's next, but I can't wait to dive back into Loulie, Qadib, Mazen, and Aisha's adventures and pick up on all the little details I missed in my first read. Who can resist a story about the power of storytelling plus the beginnings of a found family cobbled together by hardship, blood, magic, and adventure?
New In Hardcover
Paraic O'Donnell
Elin Hilderbrand
signed copies available
Alix E. Harrow
Ottessa Moshfegh
Jamie Brenner
Alison Fairbrother
Meg Mitchell Moore
Katy Tur
Hilary Mantel
Marie Brenner
New In Paperback
Paula Hawkins
Dana Spiotta
John Grisham
Anthony Veasna So
Jules Ohman
Tracey Lange
Brandon Taylor
Atticus Lish
Helene Wecker
John N. MacLean
Gigi Georges
George Packer
Susan Orlean
Suzanne Simard
Bookseller Recommendations for Young Readers
Colleen L. recommends:
Operation Do-Over by Gordon Korman
Everything is just great with Mason and his childhood buddy Ty until the day Ava moves into town. The 7th grade boys are obsessed with time travel and Ava. Winds of change threaten the bond of their friendship. Will time travel mend their relationship? Read to find out! An awesome summer pick.
Cassie recommends:
Pilar Ramirez is a fantastical fast-paced adventure novel, following the title character, a budding photojournalist, as she’s determined to track down what happened to her aunt in the DR. While waiting for a meeting to start with a professor who might have some archived documents she can look at, Pilar falls into a fantastical world where Trujillo’s reign of terror still runs rampant. Pilar’s courage and desire to document the things adults don’t like talking about spurs her on to face monsters. She is not afraid to kick some butt and take names. For fans of a voice-driven middle grade novel, fantasy inspired by Dominican folklore, books written in Spanglish, this is the one for you.
Middle-Grade Monthly: A Subscription Club
Middle-Grade Monthly is our subscription service for kids ages 8-12! Each month our children's book buyer Lauren and school liaison Cassie select a newly-released chapter book. Get your hands on the newest and soon-to-be coveted books of the year. We offer monthly and yearly subscriptions, and you can pick up your book at the store or have it mailed to you. Click on the link below for FAQs about the program.

The June 2022 pick is Rabbit Chase by Elizabeth Lapensee & Kc Oster. To find out more about our subscription service, click here.
Picture Book Subscription Club: A Perfect Gift!
A Child's Library is our subscription service for children ages 0-5! Lauren and Cassie select one newly-released picture book each month to be sent or picked-up from the store. The goal of A Child's Library is to help foster a love for books within the child's home. It makes a great baby shower gift!

The June 2022 pick is Miss Rita, Mystery Reader by Sam Donovan, Kristen Wixted & Violet Tobacco. To find out more about our subscription service, click here.
New Books for Kids
David Almond & Marta Altés
Maggie Edkins Willis
New Books For Teens
Melissa Grey
Anthony Ray Hinton, Laura Love Hardin & Olugbemisola Rhuday-Perkovich
Erica George
Sasha Alsberg
Kalynn Bayron
In the Gift Department
Set the 4th of July table with all things red, white and blue.
What We're Reading Now...
Eliza
Colleen L.
Caroline
Dog of the Week
Tucker
Tucker is a 9-year-old Cockapoo who enjoyed an extended nap while his mom shopped on a hot day. We were all drawn to him and his cozy vibe for pats and cuddles; it turns out he's a therapy dog at Wellesley and Babson colleges. He's also the star attraction at Read to Tucker Time at the Needham Public Library. In addition to books and scritches, he also loves dog agility. Our floor is always yours for the splooting, Tucker.
Thank you for supporting your community independent bookstore!
Sincerely,
Rebecca Stimpson
82 Central Street
Wellesley, MA 02482
781-431-1160