July 2019

May 5, 2020

No flowery speeches today. We've got a lot of news to tell you. Curbside pickup is back. We're hosting a bunch of virtual events this month. And there's book news. 

Curbside pickup is back Next Chapter Booksellers is happy to announce that we are resuming curbside pickup. Recent guidance from the state of Minnesota means that we can again offer you the option of picking your books up at our store. This is a contactless transfer. We cannot invite you into the store, nor can we meet you in person.  Curbside pickup is available 10am to 3pm daily. Call us at 651/225-8989 a few minutes before you arrive at the store. We’ll put your order on the small table outside our front door. Fine print: All orders must be paid for in advance (either online or by phone). We cannot accept payment at the time of pickup.

May's virtual book readings Meet great authors in the comfort of your own home. We have several new events to announce since our last email. Curt Brown talks about the 1918 pandemic. Store manager David talks to Maria Reva, author of his favorite book of the year. William Kent Krueger catches up with Christopher Bremicker. And NCB's owner Nick chats with Elizabeth Wetmore, author of Valentine . It's easy to join us for these readings. Register in advance (links are below), and you'll get a reminder email on the day of the event. Click and join and enjoy!

William McKeever discusses E mperors of the Deep: Sharks--The Ocean's Most Mysterious, Most Misunderstood, and Most Important Guardians --Thursday, May 7, 6:00pm At once a deep dive into the misunderstood world of sharks—specifically, great whites, makos, hammerheads, and tigers—and an urgent call to protect them, Emperors of the Deep tells the true story about the ocean’s most mysterious, most misunderstood, and most important guardians. From the family-friendly waters of Cape Cod to the coral reefs of the Central Pacific, where great whites mysteriously congregate every fall in what scientists refer to as Burning Man for white sharks, Safeguard the Seas founder William McKeever introduces us to scientists, conservationists, and world-renowned shark experts who have started unlocking the species’ most closely guarded secrets. He also profiles activists around the world fighting to protect sharks and infiltrates a mako-only shark tournament in Montauk to figure out why fishermen continue to hunt sharks despite their declining numbers.  Register now.

Outside the Margins, NCB's Speculative Fiction Book Club, talks about Infinite Detail --Tuesday, May 12, 6:00pm An act of anonymous cyberterrorism has permanently switched off the Internet. Global trade, travel, and communication have collapsed. The luxuries that characterized modern life are scarce. In the Croft, Mary—who has visions of people presumed dead—is sought out by grieving families seeking connections to lost ones. But does Mary have a gift or is she just hustling to stay alive? Like Grids, who runs the Croft’s black market like personal turf. Or like Tyrone, who hoards music (culled from cassettes, the only medium to survive the crash) and tattered sneakers like treasure. “A singular speculative debut,  Infinite Detail  asks crucial questions about the nature of our relationship to technology. A lively and provocative novel particularly equipped for the challenges of our moment.” —Jeff VanderMeer, author of  Borne  and the Southern Reach trilogy Register now. 

JUST ANNOUNCED! Curt Brown discusses "Minnesota 1918: When Flu, Fire, And War Ravaged the State"--Thursday, May 14, 7:00pm In 1918, Minnesota and its residents were confronted with a series of devastating events that put communities to the test, forcing them to persevere through untold hardship. First, as the nation immersed itself in the global conflict later known as World War I, some 118,000 Minnesotans served in the war effort, both at home and "over there"–and citizens on the home front were subjected to loyalty tests and new depths of government surveillance. While more than 1,400 Minnesotans were killed on the battlefields, an additional 2,300 soldiers were struck down by another destructive force working its way across the globe in 1918: the influenza pandemic, which left more than 10,000 dead in Minnesota alone. Then, in mid-October, fires raged across 1,500 square miles in seven counties of northeastern Minnesota, leaving thousands homeless and hundreds dead.  In Minnesota, 1918 , journalist and author Curt Brown explores this monumental year through individual and community stories from all over the state, from residents of small towns up north obliterated by the fire, to government officials in metropolitan centers faced with the spread of a deadly and highly contagious disease, to soldiers returning home to all this from the "war to end all wars." Register now. 

JUST ANNOUNCED! Maria Reva talks about her debut book "Good Citizens Need Not Fear"--Friday, May 15, 6:00pm " Good Citizens Need Not Fear  is a fantastic collection of nine interlocking short stories, set in and around one Ukrainian village, before and after the fall of the USSR. With mordant dark humor, Maria Reva deftly guides the reader along the fine line between tragedy and comedy, through transitions political and personal. As satisfying as a novel, but sprightlier,  Good Citizens Need Not Fear  is gloomy and dark and funny as all hell. I loved it."--David Maria Reva and NCB's manager David will talk about her fantastic short story collection, Communism, and humor in dark times. Register now. 

JUST ANNOUNCED! Christopher G. Bremicker talks about his book "Song for My Baby and Other Stories"--Saturday, May 16, 7:00pm Song for My Baby and Other Stories is best described as a work with great variety. What begins with the sudden demise of a father on a hunting trip transforms into a collection that deals with mental illness, hitting bottom, and an appreciation for those who stick around in the worst of times. Bremicker takes readers for a ride with no degree of certainty: From a high stakes golf game to pay off a son’s cocaine debt, a dating service that results in twelve dates in twelve months, a kidney transplant, a heart attack, a relapse on alcohol, to years in an out of psych wards and veterans’ homes, the book shifts gears from story to story. Christopher G. Bremicker will discuss his book with bestselling author William Kent Krueger. Register now. 

JUST ANNOUNCED! Elizabeth Wetmore talks about her novel "Valentine"--Wednesday, May 20, 7:00pm "Valentine is the story of Glory Ramirez, a young Mexican American girl, who is brutally attacked and raped by a roughneck in Odessa Texas during in the mid 70s. It’s also the story of the five courageous women touched by the attack. It’s hard to believe this is Elizabeth Westmore’s first novel. She writes beautifully, expertly exploring the complexities of race, relationships, and life in small town West Texas. The characters are so compelling and the descriptions of the land so vivid that this story will stay with me for a long time. Valentine will very likely top my list of favorites for 2020."--Nick “Valentine, Elizabeth Wetmore’s fierce and brilliant debut novel... joins the best Texas novels ever written.”-- Minneapolis Star Tribune Register now. 

Jennifer Ackerman discusses The Bird Way: A New Look at How Birds Talk, Work, Play, Parent, and Think --Friday, May 22, 7:00pm From the  New York Times  bestselling author of  The Genius of Birds , a radical investigation into the bird way of being, and the recent scientific research that is dramatically shifting our understanding of birds — how they live and how they think. Drawing on personal observations, the latest science, and her bird-related travel around the world, from the tropical rainforests of eastern Australia and the remote woodlands of northern Japan, to the rolling hills of lower Austria and the islands of Alaska’s Kachemak Bay, Ackerman shows there is clearly no single bird way of being. In every respect, in plumage, form, song, flight, lifestyle, niche, and behavior, birds vary. It’s what we love about them. As E.O Wilson once said, when you have seen one bird, you have not seen them all. Register now. 

#werecommendbooks Whether you're reading to escape or reading to engage, we've got you covered. Here are a few books you might enjoy. Click the cover to order online, or call us between 10:00am and 3:00pm daily at 651/225-8989, and we'll help you find what you're looking for.

INTROVERTS, UNITE! In a time of social distancing and isolation, a meditation on the beauty of solitude from renowned Buddhist writer Stephen Batchelor Ours is a hyperconnected world that is at the same time plagued by social isolation. This book shows how to enjoy the inescapable solitude that is at the heart of human life.

NOW MORE THAN EVER True resilience is much more than enduring terrible conditions. We need resilience every day to raise a family, work at a job, cope with stress, deal with health problems, navigate issues with others, heal from old pain, and simply keep on going. This practical guide is full of concrete suggestions, experiential practices, personal examples, and insights into the brain. It includes effective ways to interact with others and to repair and deepen important relationships.

PERFECT FOR NEW GRADS! A revelatory, uplifting, and gorgeously illustrated meditation on dedication, hard work, and the power of perseverance from the beloved, New York Times bestselling, and two-time National Book Award–winning Jesmyn Ward. Beautifully illustrated in full color by Gina Triplett, this gorgeous and profound book will charm a generation of students—and their parents. Ward’s inimitable voice shines through as she shares her experience as a Southern black woman and addresses the themes of grit, adversity, and the importance of family bonds.  Navigate Your Stars  is a perfect gift for anyone in need of inspiration from the author of  Salvage the Bones ,  Men We Reaped , and  Sing, Unburied, Sing .

NO REASON... This guide will make you laugh, remind you why your relationship is better than everyone else’s, and solve all your problems. Nuggets of advice include: If you must breathe, don’t breathe so loudly. It is easier to stay inside and wait for the snow to melt than to fight about who should shovel. Queen-sized beds, king-sized blankets. Patricia Marx has been contributing to  The New Yorker  since 1989.

THINK OF IT AS A SAMPLER Literature is long. Comics are short. Long Story Short  offers 100 pithy and skewering three-panel literary summaries, from curriculum classics like  Don Quixote, Lord of the Flies , and  Jane Eyre  to modern favorites like  Beloved, The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao , and  Atonement , conveniently organized by subjects including “Love,” “Sex,” “Death,” and “Female Trouble.” 

CRAFT LOCAL Tonight, we’re getting crafty like it’s 1999. This book provides ten simple projects, accompanied by iconic photographs of the artist in action, for fans who want a touch of superstardom in their lives. Each project has clear step-by-step instructions, as well as suggestions for how to show off these fabulous creations. Learn how to make a finger Prince. Laugh with a handmade purple crane. Fall in love with some raspberry crochet. 

"Ask a Bookseller" returns Thursday, May 28, 4:00pm Looking for your next great novel? A gift for a graduate? A cookbook full of inspiration? We're hosting an occasional series of informal meetings with booksellers. Tune in for some good old-fashioned bookselling and help us figure out how to recommend books in this brave new world. Ask a question or make your own suggestion. We'll spend 30-45 minutes talking about books. This installment of AaB will be focused on sci-fi and fantasy. Spaceships and swords, as it were. Emily will be your guide to all things bookish and fantastic. Register now.

We have puzzles We still have a selection of puzzles in the store. They may not last long, so order now, before they're gone. Browse our puzzles.

Thanks for reading all the way to the end. We've got lots more great books in the store. We hope you'll talk to us soon for a recommendation. Follow us on social media for the latest news. We’re Next Chapter Booksellers on Facebook ; we’re @nextchapterbooksellers on Instagram ; and we’re @NextChapterMN on Twitter .  --all of us at Next Chapter Booksellers