Wellesley Books Newsletter | August 20th, 2020
With hopes that the hottest, most humid days of summer are beginning to give way to cooler weather, we can begin to imagine that hint of fall that reminds us the most glorious of New England's seasons is just around the corner. Soon, the pace of new releases will quicken and we'll luxuriate in all the wonderful new books publishers always save for this time of year. Although we may not be there quite yet, we still have a wealth of wonderful new titles to share with you this week, and our virtual events series continues apace as well. Read on for all the details! And, remember, we are now open for walk-in visits via our front door on Central St., in addition to scheduled appointments and curbside pickup.
Upcoming Online Events
Thursday, August 20th at 7:00 PM ***TONIGHT!***
Heidi Pitlor, author of The Birthdays and The Daylight Marriage, presents Impersonation, a timely, insightful, and bitingly funny story of ambition, motherhood, and class. Heidi will be in conversation with Jennifer Haigh, author of Heat and Light.

This free online event will take place through Zoom. In order to gain access, attendees must register by clicking the link below.
Friday, August 21st at 7:00 PM
Carole Lindstrom reads We Are Water Protectors, her bold and lyrical picture book about protecting nature's most sacred resources.

This free online event will take place through Zoom. In order to gain access, attendees must register by clicking the link below:
Friday, August 28th at 7:00 PM
Kids, don your jammies and come listen to a bedtime story read by the author himself! Raj Haldar reads his clever and funny take on an alphabet book, P Is for Pterodactyl: The Worst Alphabet Book Ever.

This free online event will take place through Zoom. In order to gain access, attendees must register by clicking the link below:
Wellesley Books is happy to announce our inaugural A Child's Library: a subscription service for children ages 0-5 (or anyone who loves picture books)! Each month, our children's book buyer, Lauren, will select one newly released picture book to be sent or picked-up from the store. The purpose 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 August 2020 pick is Oliver the Curious Owl by Chad Otis. To find out more about our subscription service, click here.
Bookseller Recommendations
Rachael recommends:
Home Before Dark by Riley Sager
Riley Sager has cornered the market on summer thrillers that are perfect for reading at the beach. Or at the pool. Or sitting at home with the air conditioning blasting. And his latest novel, Home Before Dark, is no exception. Fun, fast paced, and full of twists you won’t see coming, Home Before Dark tells the story of a young woman’s return to the house that was made famous by her father’s horror memoir. Now, twenty-five years after she and her parents fled Baneberry Hall in the middle of the night, Maggie Holt wants answers. Her homecoming is far from a welcoming one. The locals aren’t thrilled to see her, reporters are lurking around every corner, and something much more sinister seems to be stalking Baneberry’s halls.
Sally recommends:
The Death of Vivek Oji by Charlotte Wood
Vivek is a gentle young boy born in Nigeria to an African father and Indian mother. He and his cousin Osita were like brothers, grew up together, and later developed their close bond. As Vivek grew older he began to have small disorienting blackout spells, and as an adolescent decided to stop cutting his hair. These initial changes reflected his feelings that he was “a piece that didn’t much match everything else”. After an unsuccessful time away at college, he returned home, spending all of his time with Osita and the daughters of the Nigerwives, the foreign born women married to Nigerian men. When he was found dead lying at the doorstep of his parents’ house, Osita, along with the girls revealed the first of many secrets to explain Vivek’s true life and his untimely death. This is an important, powerful, and beautifully written novel.
Peter recommends:
Dewey Defeats Truman by A.J. Baime
If you're not familiar with the story of the incumbent presidential candidate whom many considered an unelectable amateur -- and his opponent, the shoo-in candidate whose message was "unity" -- now is the time for you to read up. The parallels aren't perfect, but the presidential race of 1948 offers sobering lessons for our consideration in 2020. A.J. Baime brings to life the candidate who surprised everyone but himself, amid the multiple warring factions that threatened to pull the country apart a mere three years after the end of WW2. This is a must-read about an oft-overlooked, but pivotal, period in modern American history.
New In Hardcover
Margot Livesey
Tiffany McDaniel
Emma Jane Unsworth
Heidi Pitlor
Micheline Aharonian Marcom
Kate Manne
New In Paperback
Sarah vaughan
Alexandra Horowitz
Chanel Miller
Beth O'Leary
George R.R. Martin
André Aciman
Gretchen Anthony
Susan Isaacs
Bookseller Recommendations for Young Readers
Cassie recommends:
The Princess Will Save You follows Princess Amarande of the recently deceased warrior king who must rescue her beloved stable boy before she is forced into marriage to a prince from a neighboring kingdom. The Princess Will Save You is filled with little moments of your favorite lines, iconic scenes, but is rife with original, lush storytelling that you’ll be swept up in this new adventure with new beloved characters before anyone can give you the proper definition of inconceivable. And yes, for all those at home, it is a kissing book.
New Books For Kids
Kimberly Brubaker Bradley
L.M. Elliott
Saadia Faruqi & Laura Shovan
Jordan Ifueko
Nnedi Okorafor
New Books For Young Adults
Jessica Goodman

Kiku Hughes
Kat Cho
Jennifer de Leon
Pintip Dunn
Shveta Thakrar
In the Gift Department
We can't say anything yet, but we will have some very exciting news for fans of our gift department any day now! Keep your eye out for our e-mail announcement -- coming soon!
What We're Reading Now...
Jane
Geoff
Gillian
Colleen L.
Sally
Cassie
Pete
Andy
Peter
Dog of the Week
Dog of the Week is taking a rest this week and will return in our next issue. In the meantime, we have had the best time seeing our favorite furry friends over the last few weeks, and we know from their wagging tails and general excitement how thrilled they are to be able to get those treats once again. If you and your pooch haven't stopped by for a treat yet, we hope to see you both soon!
Thank you for supporting your community independent bookstore!
Sincerely,
Peter Sherman, for Rebecca Stimpson
82 Central Street
Wellesley, MA 02482
781-431-1160