June News
Greetings!
I love it when people refer to Bookends & Beginnings as “an Evanston institution.” In fact, we haven’t actually been around that long. It was only 7 years ago on June 14 that then-mayor Elizabeth Tisdahl cut our ribbon and then purchased the first four books from us—causing us to suddenly realize that no one had any idea how to work our new credit card terminal!

This month we are honoring our 7 years in business by celebrating the number 7. Here’s the deal:

  • ·        Every day for 7 days, beginning on our birthday June 14th, the 7th customer to make a purchase in the store will receive a $25 gift card to Bookends & Beginnings.
  • ·        On Saturday and Sunday of that week (June 19th and 20th), everyone who makes a purchase in the store will be entered into a drawing for a $77 gift card, with one Saturday winner and one Sunday winner.
  • ·        Customers in the store on Saturday will also receive a little sweet treat with their purchases, to be announced.

On the event front, I want to remind you that we have several fantastic virtual events coming up, including a Literary Lunchbreak next week with Zakiya Dalila Harris about her new novel The Other Black Girl. If you haven’t heard any of the buzz yet around this book, I suggest listening to this wonderful interview with her by Scott Simon that aired on NPR's Weekend Edition Saturday. The book came out today and we have plenty in stock.

And don’t forget to buy your ticket for the launch of In the Heights with Lin-Manuel Miranda on June 15!

More details on these and other events below, so read on in the newsletter.
And, as always, read on!

Yours,
Nina
Upcoming June Events
Join us for the next Midwest Address event, this time with cartoonist and illustrator Archie Bongiovanni and writer Tristan Jimerson discussing their book A Quick and Easy Guide to They/Them Pronouns.

Archie, a snarky genderqueer artist, is tired of people not understanding gender neutral pronouns. Tristan, a cisgender dude, is looking for an easy way to introduce gender neutral pronouns to his increasingly diverse workplace. The longtime best friends team up in this short and fun comic guide that explains what pronouns are, why they matter, and how to use them. They also include what to do if you make a mistake, and some tips-and-tricks for those who identify outside of the binary to keep themselves safe in this binary-centric world. A quick and easy resource for people who use they/them pronouns, and people who want to learn more!

A handy resource for all ages. A Quick And Easy Guide To They/Them Pronouns was a Publishers Weekly Favorite Reads of 2018, and one of YALSA's Great Graphic Novels For Teens.
Archie Bongiovanni is a cartoonist and illustrator living in Minneapolis. Their graphic novel, Grease Bats, was released by BOOM! Studios in fall 2019. Archie has been featured on The New Yorker, The Nib, Vice and Autostraddle. Archie’s newest graphic novel, Mimosa, is slated for publication in 2022 along with their collaboration with A. Andrews: History Comics: Stonewall. Archie's work centers around the queer community and chosen family. Their work as a freelance illustrator has been utilized by universities, app developers, libraries, and LGBTQ digital magazines. 
Tristan Jimerson is a writer, small business consultant, and former restaurant owner. He's been washing dishes and chopping onions professionally since he was 16. He is occasionally published with Limerence Press, The Moth Radio Hour, and MPR. He resides in Minneapolis, MN with his family.
Tue, Jun 8, 2021 7:00 PM CST
A Quick & Easy Guide to They/Them Pronouns
Join us for a lunchtime conversation with the author The Other Black Girl--of one of the summer's most buzzed about new novels: Zakiya Dalila Harris.

Twenty-six-year-old editorial assistant Nella Rogers is tired of being the only Black employee at Wagner Books. Fed up with the isolation and microaggressions, she’s thrilled when Harlem-born and bred Hazel starts working in the cubicle beside hers. They’ve only just started comparing natural hair care regimens, though, when a string of uncomfortable events elevates Hazel to Office Darling, and Nella is left in the dust.

Then the notes begin to appear on Nella’s desk: LEAVE WAGNER. NOW.

It’s hard to believe Hazel is behind these hostile messages. But as Nella starts to spiral and obsess over the sinister forces at play, she soon realizes that there’s a lot more at stake than just her career.
Zakiya Dalila Harris worked in the editorial department at Knopf/Doubleday before leaving to write her debut novel The Other Black Girl. Prior to working in publishing, Zakiya received her MFA in creative writing from The New School. Her essays and book reviews have appeared in Guernica and The Rumpus. She lives in Brooklyn.
Christina Hammonds Reed holds an MFA from the University of Southern California’s School of Cinematic Arts. A native of the Los Angeles area, her work has previously appeared in the Santa Monica Review and One Teen Story. Her first novel, The Black Kids, was a New York Times bestseller and William C. Morris Award Finalist.
Wed, Jun 9, 2021 12:00 PM CST
Zakiya Dalila Harris & Christina Hammonds Reed: The Other Black Girl
Before Hamilton became a global phenomenon, before Lin-Manuel Miranda became a household name, a little show called In the Heights shook up Broadway with its hip-hop and salsa soundtrack and big, bilingual heart. In the new book In the Heights: Finding Home, Lin-Manuel Miranda, Quiara Alegría Hudes, and Jeremy McCartertell the story of the show’s humble beginnings, from rehearsals in a bookstore basement to the Broadway smash (and soon-to-be feature film!) that created an unbreakable community and a new kind of family for everyone involved.

Join Miranda, Hudes, and McCarter for a very special In the Heights Virtual Book Launch on Tuesday, June 15 from 7:00 to 8:00pm CT on Zoom. Sure to be an unforgettable conversation on creativity, community, and finding home, this is your chance to hear directly from the creative team behind the timeless story of how one neighborhood—Washington Heights—can speak to the world.

Your ticket includes admission to this exclusive event, a hardcover copy of In the Heights: Finding Home ($40 retail price), as well as sales tax, shipping, and handling (if applicable). Please contact us with any questions you have for the authors. We can’t wait to see you there!
Tue, Jun 15, 2021 7:00 PM CST
IN THE HEIGHTS Virtual Book Launch
What Are We Reading This Month?
Whether you're curious about what we read, need a recommendation, or just want to scoff at our taste, here's a list of what your favorite booksellers are reading! If you see something that interests you, let us know! We're more than happy to talk about these titles.
George
Still reading Dillard. Still getting blown away. I feel like I can only read so much of the book at one time, because after a while I get the urge to just set it down and go for a walk. Use my eyes, move my body, all the sorts of things she talks about. Overall: excellent thus far.

Tom Lin's debut novel is a intense, gripping narrative situated in the American west, following a man's search for revenge and the fantastical things he encounters along the way. The plot is straightforward and somewhat restrained; there are many times where Lin touches on a deep concept but never quite follows through to a larger thematic payoff. That being said, Lin is a talented writer—the way he conveys the American west makes it seem like a mythic alien landscape. The images he paints of a blasted, ancient region of incomprehensible depth and magnitude is one that will stick with me for quite some time. This is a solid first novel and I'm excited to see what Lin has in store for the future.
Lotte
An erotic romance retelling of Hades and Persephone? Yes please! This book is sure to get the blood pumping and is great for mythology lovers and those who are fans of the webtoon Lore Olympus.
Brooke
This is the start of a brilliant new series by Becky Chambers (author of the Wayfarers series). Centuries ago, the robots on Panga developed self-awareness and disappeared into the wilderness. Now one has resurfaced to check in and ask: "what do people need?". As you might imagine, that's an extremely difficult questions to answer. This is a thoughtful, tender little book that will give you hope for the future.
Nina
Just finished my advance copy of Cloud Cuckoo Land, the forthcoming new novel by Anthony Doerr, author of All the Light We Cannot See. It's a masterpiece, and I don't say that lightly. Yes, you are going to want it in hardcover, and you're going to want to give it to everyone you know for the holidays, so why not just pre-order a few?
Books You Could be Reading...
...and Buying from Us!
Pre-order these books and get them when they're released!
Bookends & Beginnings is a community-centered and community-sustained, full-service, general-interest independent bookstore, now in our sixth calendar year. We are a member of the Chicago Independent Bookstore Alliance (ChIBA), the Great Lakes Independent Bookstore Association (GLIBA), and the American Booksellers Association (ABA). Show your support by shopping in our store (and other Chicago-area independent bookstores), by trading in or donating books of quality and in good condition, by bringing your local and out-of-town friends and family to shop with us, by attending our events, and by "liking" us on Facebook and posting reviews on other social media. Remember that you can always see event photos and news updates on our Facebook page, which is updated almost daily. There you can also subscribe to our events feed with a single click.
 
Above all, keep reading good books! 
Bookends & Beginnings
1712 Sherman Ave Alley #1
Evanston, IL 60202 
224-999-7722

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