Looking Forward to Fall at River Bend

Note from a Bookseller

Hello, River Bend readers! Audrey here.

We’re ramping up for an exciting fall season at the shop. (See some of my picks just below!) Our second annual Author Stage, at Glastonbury Arts’ On the Green Fine Arts and Crafts Festival, is just around the corner on Saturday, September 10 and Sunday, September 11. We can’t wait to welcome local authors Deborah Freedman, Rebecca Podos, Cindy L. Rodriguez, Nancy Tandon, Jeanne Zulick Ferruolo, John Opalenik, Jen McGuinness, and more — look for the full lineup to be announced!

Emily Sullivan, who will also join us at Author Stage, launches her newest romance novel, The Hellion and the Hero. It was so exciting to have her in the shop–on Bookstore Romance Day, no less!--to sign a big stack of her books. Check out our interview with Emily below and get your personalized copy from riverbendbookshop.com.

Lastly, New York Times bestselling author Isaac Fitzgerald joins us Friday, September 16 at Hops on the Hill for an author talk celebrating his memoir-in-essays, Dirtbag, Massachusetts. Registration is free or you can snag a VIP ticket for a reserved seat and pre-paid drink ticket!

See you at the shop–or out and about Glastonbury–soon!

— Audrey, Manager

River Bend Bookshop

Audrey's Upcoming Book Picks

Three Pockets Full by Cindy L. Rodriguez, illus. by Begona Fernandez Corbalan

Beto doesn’t want to wear the guayabera–a traditional Mexican wedding shirt–that his mother gave him. But as his excuses pile up, it becomes clear his objections might not really be about the shirt at all. This is a charming picture book that views coping with change (specifically the bittersweet feelings that come when a parent remarries) through a beautiful cultural lens.

If I Survive You by Jonathan Escoffery

MAJOR DEBUT ALERT! I absolutely loved this book. Each chapter stands alone as a short story, yet each also draws the reader deeper into fraught father-son dynamics and complicated intersections of race and ethnicity pulsing at the core of this book. Every word vibrates. Perfect for literary fiction fans hungry for outstanding character development and stories driven by complex familial relationships.

How to Not Drown in a Glass of Water by Angie Cruz

An utterly captivating and original new novel from the author of Dominicana. Cara Romero has lost everything. Her factory job. Her relationship with her son. And probably her apartment, at this rate. But through a series of interviews with a job counselor for seniors, I came to know, love, and have hope for Cara. An ideal story for folks that love a (ultimately sympathetic) curmudgeon.

Hot Stock! Recent Best Sellers

Check out what your friends and neighbors have been reading!

Here were the Top Sellers for July:

Tomorrow and Tomorrow and Tomorrow by Gabrielle Zevin

Top Sellers Kids Book

Top Sellers at River Bend

It Ends with Us by Colleen Hoover

(pre-order It Starts with Us - out Oct.18!)

Untamed by Glennon Doyle

Dirtbag, Massachusetts: A Confessional by Isaac Fitzgerald

The Hotel Nantucket by Elin Hilderbrand

The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo by Taylor Jenkins Reid

• Remarkably Bright Creatures by Shelby Van Pelt

Book Truck and Author Events

Back in gear, the River Bend Book Truck will pop up at these local spots:

• Riverfront Summer Concert Wed. Sept. 7

• Glastonbury Farmers Market - Sept. 17

• Colchester Farmers Market - Sept. 18

• Market at 1115 Main, Manchester - Oct. 8

• Glastonbury Apple Harvest Fest - Oct. 15-16

Check Our Calendar of Events

In addition to our 2nd annual Author Stage, save the date for these great literary events: Isaac Fitzgerald Sept. 16 at Hops on the Hill in South Glastonbury, Sebastian Junger Sept. 21 at CT Historical Society in West Hartford, Ann Leary Oct. 3 at East Granby Public Library. And mark Oct. 16 on your calendars for an amazing kid lit author event at the shop with Josh Funk, Rajani LaRocca, and Elly Swartz!

Author Chat with Emily Sullivan

Join Emily and other local authors at our upcoming River Bend Author Stage, Sept. 10-11 at the Glastonbury Arts’ On the Green show.

What can fans of the series and newcomers alike be excited about in this story?

Like A Rogue to Remember, this book is partially set outside of England—this time in Monte Carlo. It was a lot of fun to research and I think seasoned romance readers will enjoy the change of scenery!

Is there a character you absolutely love writing for in your books?

I do like having side characters who help provide some lighter moments. In this book, the heroine has a whole passel of siblings, so it was fun writing about her relationships with her younger brother and sister.

Who inspired your reading/writing as a kid?

I was raised in a family of readers and I still remember being read to by my parents at bedtime. I also always loved fairy tales and Victorian-era children's books like Peter Pan and The Secret Garden. When I started writing my own stories as a kid, those were definitely big influences. I also read a ton of Babysitters Club books, which I like to think provided a good education for writing a series!

What author do you always love to read?

I love anything by Deanna Raybourn but especially her Veronica Speedwell series and am so excited for her upcoming contemporary about a group of female assassins, Killers of a Certain Age. I am also a huge fan of Sherry Thomas. I fell in love with her romances but her Lady Sherlock series is just fantastic!

What's the last book you read and/or loved?

I recently finished How to Fake It In Hollywood, which is Ava Wilder's debut. I just loved this funny, angsty, heartfelt book about an up-and-coming starlet who enters into a PR relationship with a reclusive movie star (who also happens to be her childhood crush).

What are you currently reading? Right now I'm in the middle of Truly, Madly: Vivien Leigh, Laurence Olivier, and the Romance of the Century by Stephen Galloway. It's full of old Hollywood gossip, insights into the world of English theater, the toll of international celebrity, and Leigh's heartbreaking struggle with mental illness during a time when it was poorly understood.

Books you keep recommending:

A Curious Beginning by Deanna Raybourn, A Study in Scarlet Women by Sherry Thomas, and Lonesome Dove by Larry McMurtry

River Bend Bookshop will be closed for Labor Day.

Hours: Monday-Tuesday 10-4, Wednesday-Friday 10-6, Saturday 10-4, closed Sunday

River Bend Bookshop | 2217 Main Street Glastonbury, CT 06033 | riverbendbookshop.com