TEXTBLOCK | NOVEMBER 2022
Happy Holidays from Weller Book Works!
This holiday season, we’re excited to recommend an abundance of excellent books for your gifting consideration (and perhaps for your own wishlist). Whoever the recipient, they’re sure to be engrossed by these delightful reads. Our booksellers have chosen favorites from all over our store, from rare to romance, from history to horror, from picture books to poetry.

Weller Book Works staff picks are customer favorites. We know this because many staff picks are perennial store best sellers. So, in addition to this guide, we're going to make your holiday gift giving easier by presenting our favorites for the holidays to you. It'll be fast, furious, and entertaining—just like our booksellers. Kids books, cookery books, novels, music, science, even a rare book or two...you'll hear about them and more on Tuesday, December 6 at 10:00am.

Our staff of intelligent, eclectic readers are making their lists and checking them twice. So grab a warm drink from our friends across the hall at MyAmour and a free bagel from us, sit back, and address your bookish holiday needs.

Event date: 
Tuesday, December 6, 2022 — 10:00am to 11:00am
Rare & Unique Gifts of Spirit
By Tony Weller
In the gift-giving seasons I enjoy running my eyes through the rare book department and choosing great books that could become cherished gifts. There is a book for every personality, and humanity is diverse so it’s challenging. Most book interest begins with content, but in rare book space, we find extra pleasure in the physicality of books. Ideas may be seminal, but it is mostly paper and ink that holds it intact for our taking. The object that contains compelling ideas and great stories will gain totemic presence in the mind of the affected. Most books don’t provide a wide array of choices but the iconic books of a culture are frequently published in numerous ways. It is hard to explain, but great copies of great books make me very happy. These books shown here are a mere sampling of the thousands we showcase. We’ve already acquired other great editions. Should you need assistance: we are here to help.
In store, but not online, we are showing a 16-inch internally lit globe in an attractive wooden frame for $750. It is an elegant and smart piece of furniture as you can see.
Surrealists, climbers and philosophers might enjoy our paperback copy of René Daumal’s 1952 novel, Mount Analogue: A Novel of Symbolically Authentic Non-Euclidean Adventures in Mountain Climbing. This uncommon book can be found in hardcover. This nice paperback from 1983 costs $35
Deseret Alphabet primers are a fun glance at 19th century Mormon strangeness. We have a few. Here is a well-kept copy of the Deseret Second Book for $275. No, it’s not a code, it is phonetic English.
A Christmas Book by Elizabeth Goudge contains nine Christmas tales. The 1967 first edition is hard to locate. The jacket on Lila Weller’s copy has a few chips and short tears and the price is clipped. All in all it’s a very nice copy. $200
Hanna-Barbera Cartoons is the 1998 pictorial history by Michael Mallory and published by Warner Brothers. It is a quarto hardcover with an illustrative color gel set into its front cover. Episode lists of favorite cartoons. Great illustrations. $85
The Columbus Museum of Art published Optic Nerve: Perceptual Art of the 1960s by Joe Houston in 2007. Over 200 pages of visually boggling and baffling art. Cool. $100
C.G. Jung: Word and Image is Princeton University’s Bollingen Series book XCVII : 2, published in 1979 in quarto aqua cloth. A well-illustrated view of Carl Jung’s life. Clean copy in a nice dust jacket. $55
David Lee was Utah’s first Poet Laureate. In 1990, 300 copies of Paragonah Canyon – Autumn were printed from handset types by the Brooding Heron Press on Waldron Island in Washington. Here is a hand-sewn copy in umber wraps. $35
The Joyous Guests, a collection of stories by Maud Lindsay and verses by Emilie Poulsson arranged into the twelve nights of Christmas. Illustrated with color plates by W.M. Berger. Attractive olive green cloth with pictorial decoration in yellow, black and red. Boston: Lothrop Lee and Shepard, 1921. Delicate hinges. $50
First edition of Our Father’s War: Growing Up in the Shadow of the Greatest Generation, Tom Mathews’ 2005 book inscribed warmly to Sam Weller by Tom and Lucille Beachy Mathews. $60
“Pooh?” “Yes, Piglet.” “Oh nothing—I just wanted to be sure of you.” A full set of the four A.A. Milne Winnie-the-Pooh titles in uniform style. 1961 printings in respectable dust jackets. $200
Sam Weller owned a 1936 4th edition copy of H.L. Mencken’s American Language: An Inquiry into the Development of English in the United States. The copy was inscribed in 1936 by Mencken to Dr. Louise Pound, a renowned folklorist and linguist. In the book are laid an announcement for Mencken’s 1930 marriage to Sara Powell in an envelope addressed to Pound; a 1943 letter from Mencken to her; and an envelope with a note to Pound referring her to Ramon F. Adams for cowboy lingo. $250
Extra copies of Eleanor Roosevelt’s 1958 memoir On My Own were printed for special gifts to her friends and Harpers’. They were signed by her on a tipped in sheet. Our copy is in very good condition but lacking the slipcase in which it was issued. $700
Take a different peek at the look of our community in pioneer times through Charles Savage’s photographic lens. Here we present a nice suite of eight scenes chromolithographically printed on 6 x 4 inch cards. Council House, City Hall, Salt Lake Hotel, Devil’s Gate, Echo Canyon, the Unknown River and a double card scene of Salt lake Valley looking south. Very pretty. $175
Annalee Skarin’s self-published Ye Are Gods has been printed repeatedly since its first appearance in 1948. In 1952, she was ex-communicated from the LDS church for ideas she expressed in it. Our first edition is for sale for $175
The Grapes of Ralph: Wine According to Ralph Steadman. A very nice 1992 first edition in a clipped dust jacket. Color illustrations throughout. $40
Marvelous folio edition of Alfred Lord Tennyson’s Idyll’s of the King with the esteemed and abundant illustrations of Gustave Doré. A very pretty volume in slate gray cloth with elaborate lettering, illustrations and vignettes in black and gilt. Gilded edges, decorative endsheets and cloth hinges. Henry Altemus, 1889. $475
Warhol Live: Music and Dance in Andy Warhol’s Work is LP-sized, square and metallic with a round window (record label-sized) through which we see Andy with tambourine. It was published by the Montreal Museum of Fine Arts in 2008. Packed with great images. $50
Receive 20% off when you purchase during November & December
Mariner Books
Hardcover
Sale price $23.19

Reviewed by Frank Pester

Growing up in Salt Lake City, I remember my Dad coming home from work talking about strange conspiracies about cattlemen and the land. I never paid much attention, but after reading This America of Ours, I can see that maybe my Dad was right. No other book that I have read has painted a more vivid picture of our country in the ’30s through the ’50s.

Reading this book will change the way you see how our country has been plundered and the ways unscrupulous politicians and land grabbers have threatened our country’s most fundamental ideals. It’s the story of a unique couple that, though opposites in many ways, stuck to each through thick and thin: Bernard and Avis DeVoto.

Bernard was born in Ogden; his father was a land title abstractor for the Union Pacific Railroad, “a Byzantine puzzle on a rugged frontier rife with fraud.” Schweber writes that through this upbringing, “Bernard learned public lands law by apprenticing for his father, one of the few people he ever called ‘genius.’ With a stunning mind he grew from reciting nursery rhymes to Homer and by the time he was a teen he found solace up in the mountains above Ogden, sleeping alone and reading philosophy, poems, history, religion and American History.” These activities “planted the seeds of his life’s focus—to explain America.”

Helen Avis MacVicar grew up around Houghton, Michigan on the heavily forested Keweenaw Peninsula by the icy waters of Lake Superior. She was opinionated and very observant from the time she was very young. She was fascinated by the people around Houghton and connected to them through her favorite passion, cooking. She wrote in a teenage essay “about her favorite youthful indulgences: ‘Next in order to sleep in my category of the delights of life, comes food, food!’”

They met while Bernard was teaching at Northwestern and fell deeply in love. They married and each visited the country where they grew up and found both lands devastated by the plunder of lumbering, mining and cattle overgrazing. They made their home in Massachusetts where Bernard taught at Harvard and wrote. He tried his hand at fiction, but soon realized that nonfiction was what he was best at.

As the country grew up through the thirties, the effects of the plundering of the land came into stark reality as the winds blew the soil into great dust storms and as water flooded down canyons unchecked. It was also during this time that other winds were blowing, weakening and replacing the agencies put in place to protect our lands and resources. Corrupt politicians seeking wealth and fame let those who supported them be heard and silenced those who opposed them.


A leading figure in the land grab was Pat McCarran, Senator from Nevada. He worked the political and private channels to his favor and was a powerful force on the Appropriations Committee. He would give money to self-serving interests and take funds from the agencies who opposed him.

Bernard DeVoto saw what was happening to the country, and, by traveling through the country and getting personal views from those being effected, used his pen to make public what was passing in secret. This not only won him friends and support, but angered those whose secrets were revealed.

So much of what I didn’t know about DeVoto is skillfully brought to light by Nate Schweber’s research and excellent prose. This is an engaging and revealing story that has so much to offer us in the times we are living. Through his writing, Bernard DeVoto helped keep the conservation movement going, stopping some of the projects that would have even weakened out National Parks.

Schweber adds human interest to his narrative by highlighting the harsh effects of the opposition Bernard faced and the loving support and help he got from Avis, who edited his writing, answered his mail, and generally gave him direction. Her later life brought to the spotlight a dear friend, Julia Child, of Mastering the Art of French Cooking fame.

This is a book for readers interested in the conservation movement, the lives of writers, and the underside of our political system. Well-told and researched, it moves along at a fair pace and involves the reader with the personal lives of those involved.
Kids
PICTURE BOOKS
A Bear, A Bee, and a Honey Tree by Daniel Bernstrom, illustrated by Brandon James Scott ($18.99 HC).
I dare you to read this and not laugh. It's impossible. (Claire)
The Christmas Book Flood by Emily Kilgore, illustrated by Kitty Moss ($18.99 HC). “On the 24th of December, people gift books as a sign of love, of hope, during a dark time of year. Reading is magic—when you have the right book.” The illustrations are luscious, the words are melodic, and the sentiment is truly lovely. Spread joy with a book this Christmas Eve! (Claire)
Beginning by Shelley Moore Thomas, illustrated by Melissa Castrillon ($18.99 HC). Perfect for an ending or a beginning, this book is sure to warm the heart of anybody who reads it. Each illustration is gorgeous - perfect for you to meander through and pick up new, wondrous details time and time again. The breezy words are comforting and musical like a lullaby. Read this book and enjoy a moment of calm in your day. (Claire)
MIDDLE GRADE
Monster Club by Darren Aronofsky and Ari Handel ($18.99 HC). What would you do if you had magic ink that brings your drawings to life? For Eric, the answer is easy: monsters! But what happens when his illustrations fly out of control? With a Bob's Burgers vibe (and a huge dose of magic), our plucky heroes must find the nerve to face their fears and stand up to bullies and monsters. (Claire)
The Vanquishers by Kalynn Bayron ($16.99 ). Vampires have been extinct for years. Or, that's what everybody thinks... Get your garlic and your stakes, and get ready for one big thrill ride through San Antonio. Join Malika "Boog" Wilson and her friends as they are thrown into an action-packed adventure in order to save their friend. With twists, turns, and excitement around every corner, you won't want to put this book down! (Claire)
A Field Guide to Mermaids by Emily B. Martin ($13.99 HC). There is something so satisfying and wonderful about field guides to mythical creatures. The specific types and species of mermaids are beautifully crafted and open a world of imagination. I'd love to live in a world with diverse, stunning mermaids at every turn. (Claire)
I Can Explain by Shinsuke Yoshitake ($17.99 HC). For stubborn children and parents alike. I initially was drawn to this book by the adorable illustrations, but I stayed for the hilarious concept: what if there were truly some obscure, selfless reason behind actions we consider “bad” habits? I, too, anxiously tap my leg in order to communicate with underground mole communities. (Ceci)
YOUNG ADULT
A Thousand Steps into Night by Traci Chee ($18.99 HC). Miuko isn’t beautiful or clever. She’s completely ordinary. But when she’s kissed and cursed by a demon, she must go on a quest for a cure. She’s aided and impeded by spirits, gods, monsters, and even other demons. These supernatural characters are utterly human in personality and actions. This Japanese-inspired fantasy is engrossing and humorous. Every page is welcomingly entertaining and readable. (Bess)
Lord of the Fly Fest by Goldy Modavsky ($18.99 HC). This laugh-out-loud book has made it into my pile of favorites this year. Something about jaded, wry narration absolutely kills me, and Moldavsky nailed it here. With glee, she leads you headfirst into a savage satire that fires shot after shot at influencer culture. Which, let's be honest, is already ludicrous. The dialogue is top notch, and the characters are so well written, it's crazy. Each scene builds perfectly on the last, ramping up the absurdity of the situation our characters find themselves in to a fantastic crescendo. Do yourself a favor and read this book! (Claire)
Nonfiction
A Primer for Forgetting: Getting Past the Past by Lewis Hyde ($18.00 PB). Sometimes forgetting is the best way to remember. Sometimes a monolith obscures the very thing meant to be memorialized. Truth, memory, loss, (in)justice, all are explored fluently and intuitively in a way that is deeply impactful to this reader. (Stephanie)
Index, A History of the: A Bookish Adventure from Medieval Manuscripts to the Digital Age by Dennis Duncan ($30.00 HC). Truly a book for book lovers! Author Dennis Duncan takes the reader on an unapologetically joyous and wonder-full exploration of the humble index and how it developed. If you think this book will be dry or boring, you will be wrong. There’s history, controversy in the middle ages and present, and gobsmacking facts throughout. Also the infectious writing of Duncan. This is a great gift for book lovers and scholars of all stripes. (Catherine)
Serious Face: Essays by Jon Mooallem ($28.00 HC). “I’d been puzzling over myself, torturously trying to unlock the truth of who I was. The truth is, I am the puzzling” writes Mooallem in his introduction, and it’s rewarding to read as he puzzles meaning into not just himself but his wide range of topics, including wild rhesus monkeys in Florida, Neanderthals, and a pigeon-breeding Ponzi scheme. (Bess)
The Song of the Cell: An Exploration of Medicine and the New Human by Siddhartha Mukherjee ($32.50 HC). Mukherjee, author of the magisterial Emperor of All Maladies, has given us another bracing deep dive into the future of medicine by way of a tour through the history of medicine. It’s a bit magical, really. By drilling in a very detailed fashion into the discovery of the cell and its physiology, the author shows us the larger world of the human body and the ways we look forward to treating it in the future. This is a big, thick book, but do not despair. Mukherjee’s writing can be downright lyrical, creating the loveliest passages about cellular damage you'll ever read. (Catherine)
MEMOIR
A Year with Swollen Appendices by Brian Eno ($26.95 HC). I bought this as a gift to myself but would’ve rather had someone gift it to me! This beautifully bound 25th Anniversary Edition of Brian Eno’s diary was plucked straight from every music nerd's dreams. Would make a great addition to any coffee table, or placed prominently on a bookshelf as a frequent reminder to all that pass that you own Brian Eno’s diary and are very, very cool. (Ceci)
Poet Warrior: A Memoir by Joy Harjo ($16.95 PB). A soulful look at Joy Harjo’s life and influences through the amazing world of her Native American family. The interweaving of song, poetry and narrative really grabbed me. All the influences of nature, memory, family and friends are beautifully expressed. (Frank)
Go West, Young Man: A Father and Son Rediscover America on the Oregon Trail by BJ Hollars ($19.95 PB). A tender and humorous look at the history of the Overland Trail revisited in modern times by a father and his son. I enjoyed their humorous and tender bonding. I loved the father’s history lessons and hopeful expressions for the future; and the son’s observations, drawings and comments that could only come through the eyes of the young. (Frank)
I’m Glad My Mom Died by Jenette McCurdy ($27.99 HC). If you know someone born between 1998-2001, chances are they watched the sitcom iCarly on Nickelodeon. If that same person was also an absolute little freak as a child, chances are they felt extreme kinship with the character Sam Puckett played by Jennette McCurdy (I, self-proclaimed little freak, sure did), and learning about what was going on in McCurdy’s personal life behind the scenes broke my heart. This blunt, brutally-honest memoir brings into question the evils of Hollywood, the commodification of young girls, and how these two things can be exacerbated by an overbearing and abusive mother. (Ceci) A candid account of the complex and exploitative relationship between mother and daughter. Jennette McCurdy doesn’t hold back. (Aura)
Just Kids by Patti Smith ($16.99 PB). If you only read one music memoir in your lifetime, let it be this one. Patti Smith manages to package the grit and electricity of 1960s-70s New York City into a beautiful love letter to the late Robert Mapplethorpe, her dearest friend and partner-in-grime (not a typo). This book gives many of us the closest thing we'll ever get to a time machine, allowing us to experience the birth of the NY punk movement through the lens of one of its most iconic and influential leaders. (Ceci)
HISTORY
Jim Bridger: Trailblazer of the American West by Jerry Enzler ($29.95 HC). A history that can really be called a history. Full of new information about the amazing Jim Bridger and his world, this is well researched, chronological, and brutally honest. It’s one of those books that will be a cornerstone for sometime. (Frank)
Say Nothing: A True Story of Murder and Memory in Northern Ireland by Patrick Radden Keefe ($18.00 PB). This is an enthralling story of the Troubles in Northen Ireland from the ’70s to the ’90s and their influence on the present. It’s a gripping narrative of politics, family, murder, conviction and paramilitarism. Keefe’s writing is engrossing and reads like a political thriller or murder mystery. (Bess)
River of the Gods by Candice Millard ($32.50 HC). I LIVE for petty drama and historical figures who were extra AF. I got both in this book. The 19th century gentlemen explorers Richard Burton and John Hanning Speke were all levels of catty toward each other as they barged and blustered across Africa in their search for fame, glory, and the source of the Nile River. The lengths these men took in their endeavor to be the first Europeans to explore this vast territory are absurd and add up to one insane story of betrayal and obsession. (Claire)
The Book of Uncomformities: Speculations on Lost Time by Hugh Raffles ($22.50 PB). The Neolithic Standing Stones of Stenness were nearly completely destroyed after thousands of years when an aggravated farmer started blowing them to bits one Christmas morning in the late 1800s until a local scientist intervened. Such narratives fill the gaps in the geohistorical timeline in The Book of Uncomformities. I read the first chapter of this book while coincidentally retracing the author's footsteps through northern Scotland and the Orkneys, pondering the natural geological formations as well as the ancient man-made ones inspired by them. (Stephanie)
NATURE & ENVIRONMENT
Pilgrim at Tinker Creek by Annie Dillard ($16.99 PB). For fans of meditation, this is an outstanding practice in slow looking. Join Dillard in gaining time by letting it travel downstream, maybe never again to be seen, in this nature writing classic. (Kelly)
Home Waters: A Chronicle of Family and a River by John N. MacLean ($16.99 PB). A family history, a river, and the fine art of fly-fishing. MacLean, Norman MacLean’s son, writes beautifully about the majesty of the Blackfoot River, his family’s history in the area, and their sometime separations from yet invariable return to the land of A River Runs Through It. It shows the influence of the areas we grow up in and how they shape our lives. (Frank)
Fox and I: An Uncommon Friendship by Catherine Raven ($18.00 PB). In this beautiful and touching story of survival, Raven writes about the isolation and wilderness around her and her view of nature. Through her eyes as a professionally trained academic, she makes detailed observations of a fox that visits her through the seasons. (Frank)
Savage Dreams by Rebecca Solnit ($26.95 PB). Rebecca Solnit is a genius—if I could magically be gifted with an author’s writing abilities, I would choose hers. I encourage anyone who has ever found themselves compelled to pick up Edward Abbey to pick up Solnit as well (or, dare I say, instead). This book is a great stepping-stone into contemporary environmental writing and forces us to question how white, Western society values land and the different consequences people face because of it. (Ceci)
PHILOSOPHY
The Atheists' Guide to Christmas edited by Robin Harvie and Stephanie Meyers ($14.99 PB). A collection of astute and often hilarious essays by atheist figures, ranging from Richard Dawkins to Brian Cox, which offers guidance on how to enjoy the holiday season without believing. A perfect gift for that one relative who can’t help themselves from arguing about the existence of God at the Christmas dinner table. (Cal)
Every Day is an Atheist Holiday by Penn Jillette ($17.00 PB). Not for everybody, but if you’re a fan of Jillette’s irreverence, you will find his unhinged ranting and raving entertaining if not insightful. The perfect gift to cheer up the curmudgeonly skeptic in your life. (Cal)
Fiction
Hester by Laurie Lico Albanese ($27.99 HC). A mesmorizing, feminist reimagining of The Scarlet Leterr. (Aura)
Dinosaurs: A Novel by Lydia Millet ($26.95 HC). While reading the first chapter of Millet’s latest novel I thought the book would be about a road trip; then, a full on journey story; then, a thriller à la Rear Window. It was none of those. Dinosaurs is a lovely work more along the lines of Jane Austen than anything else. Characters meet, seek connections, prize authenticity and the fullness of a good life. Millet’s incisive prose and sensitive portrayals of her characters keep the book from being mawkish. A wonderful quiet, read; the perfect antidote to these dramatic supercharged times. (Catherine)
Swann in Love by Marcel Proust, translated by Lucy Raitz ($22.00 PB). Normally I don't get too excited about new translations of Proust's masterpiece, but this one is just too beautiful. A perfectly lovely gift and introduction to his prose. (Stephanie)
The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie by Muriel Spark ($14.99 PB). Six girls come under the tutelage of a rigidly romantic, idealistic role model in her prime. Add sex, Edinburgh, and the wilderness of the female interior and you have this deliciously tart and insightful novel by Ms. Spark. (Emma)
Scattered All Over the Earth by Yoko Tawada ($16.95 PB). A Japanese refugee—the islands have flooded—in Denmark creates the new language Panska (pan-scandinavian) to help her navigate the northern countries. A linguist sees her and is enthralled by her language, and maybe her. A sushi chef assumed to be Japanese appears bloodied in a tunnel in Germany—But wait! He's really from Greenland. Gradually a small troupe of young people gathers and begins traveling through Europe on assorted but not unrelated quests. This beautifully written novel about language, longing, has been called “cheerfully dystopian” and is a National Book Award nominee. (Catherine)
SCI-FI & FANTASY
The Witness for the Dead and The Grief of Stones by Katherine Addison ($16.99 and $25.99). For fans of Addison’s The Goblin Emporer comes this series that continues the story of Celehar. Here he must use his ability to converse with the dead to solve mysteries like a busy P.I. These books have ghouls, goblins, elves and ghosts. I love the language and naming conventions Addison has created! (Bess)
Babel: Or the Necessity of Violence: An Arcane History of the Oxford Translators’ Revolution by R.F Kuang ($27.99 HC). A magical exploration of the power of language. Perfect for any dark academic that longs to live out their Oxford dreams. (Aura)
The Book of Martyrs (Warhammer 40,000) by Danie Ware, Alec Worley, and Phil Kelly ($16.00 PB). I adore other writing from all three of these authors, and this book certainly offers each of them a chance to shine as they explore the myriad dangers of the far future through the lens of the holy battle sisters known as the Adepta Sororitas. Compelling characters and well crafted stories made this book a memorable one for me, and there was never a moment of boredom to be had while reading it. I really couldn't put it down. (Thomas)
DUNGEONS & DRAGONS

Immerse yourself in a D&D fantasy with these guides!
The Game Master's Book of Traps, Puzzles and Dungeons by Jeff Ashworth ($29.99 HC). A fantastic resource for any dungeon master, this book is abundant in new challenges for any group of players. I find that clever puzzles are almost impossible to improvise when I'm running a game of D&D, so having the option to reach into this bag of tricks and introduce its contents in just about any session is truly convenient. I especially like the implementation of generating dungeons with dice rolls for maximum randomness at the back of the book. (Thomas)
The Monsters Know What They're Doing by Keith Ammann ($28.99 HC). A combat encounter in Dungeons & Dragons can become a slog of boring and repetitive actions as the player characters and their adversaries duke it out. This is a comprehensive guide for preventing that, as well as breathing life into the otherwise static stat blocks of the monster manual. Any nerd excited by the prospect of a knowledgeable interpretation of the background lore into easy-to-follow behavior descriptions for each monster will really dig what this book has to offer. (Thomas)
HORROR
We Have Always Lived in the Castle by Shirley Jackson ($17.00 PB). If you have ever thought, "With any luck at all I could have been born a werewolf," this quietly suspenseful thriller will seem like a mirror into your soul. (Emma)
All the White Spaces by Ally Wilkes ($27.00 HC). This is a horror powerhouse! I could not put it down, and when I did, I couldn't stop thinking about it. Atmospheric, moody, and damn scary, this book will hold you hostage up until the last page. A growing sense of dread looms behind the action as our heroes are dragged beyond the point of no return in the deep Antarctic winter. Soon they find that they are not as alone in the desolate wilderness as they think. (Claire)
MYSTERY & SUSPENSE
A Tidy Ending by Joanna Cannon ($26.99 HC). Linda makes incisive and witty comments about her unexciting life as a housewife and fantasizes about the former occupant of her house, whose glossy magazines she continues to receive. Linda is an increasingly disquieting narrator, and this turns into a delightfully uncomfortable book. Fair warning: It does not have a tidy ending. (Bess)
Rebecca by Daphne du Maurier ($16.99 PB). Follow the sweeping curve of the drive to Manderley, a mansion estate in Cornwall overhung with brooding trees and sinister shadows, for a psychological thriller that asks: What is a haunting? The answer may haunt you. (Emma)
The Woman in the Library by Sulari Gentill ($16.99 PB). This book has three stories nested within each other, each with a mystery, and each of which drew me in. The inciting event is a scream in the Boston Public Library, and the following mysteries interweave the stories and characters in unexpected and delightful ways. (Bess)
A Solitude of Wolverines by Alice Henderson ($16.99 PB). Nature enthusiasts will relish this fast-paced wilderness-survival-mystery-thriller that focuses on biologist Alex Carter's remote work. This book reignited my love for outdoor settings with the expertly crafted details of the terrain and wildlife. The thrilling parts are heart-pounding entertainment and I'm glad it's a series I can continue reading. (Alechia)
Thursday Murder Club by Richard Osman ($17.00 PB). Agatha Christie fans won't be disappointed with this cozy murder mystery series where a mischievous club of older folks meddle in police work. I was pleasantly surprised by the likeability of all the characters and was very invested in their entertaining journey. The story is built perfectly with a solid mystery, sleuthing, twists, red herrings and cheeky banter. (Alechia)
ROMANCE
Rosaline Palmer Takes the Cake by Alexis Hall ($15.99 PB). This is Great British Bake Off meets rom-com—and it’s delicious. Rosaline has scored a spot on a TV baking competition, but her path to glory is complicated by her competitors, some of whom she’d like to get to know better outside the baking tent. This is a tasty and hilarious book, sure to satisfy a romantic sweet tooth. I loved the open mimicry of GBBO, especially the innuendo-spouting host. (Bess)
The City Baker's Guide to Country Living by Louise Miller ($16.00 PB). For fans of Gilmore Girls, Anne of Green Gables or Virgin River. It's a perfect feel good book, without overdoing the sugary sweetness. Quintessential rural small town charm, deliciously described foods, endearing characters, self discovery and friends-to-lovers trope all make for a great recipe. (Alechia)
The Dead Romantics by Ashley Poston ($17.00 PB) A charming, spooky story of finding love in the most unexpected of ways. When they said romance is dead, they meant literally. (Aura)
Miscellany
POETRY
50 Things Kate Bush Taught Me about the Multiverse by Karina McGlynn ($15.95 PB). Each poem is prefaced with a Kate Bush lyric, and many of McGlynn’s references are based in ’90s adolescent and teenage experiences. They are incisive, hilarious and sometimes devastating. (Bess)
Love Poems in Quarantine by Sarah Ruhl ($16.00 PB). I immediately connected to the pandemic experiences Ruhl writes about, those that are unexpected and positive, and those that are upsetting. George Floyd’s murder is a prominent theme, as well as Ruhl’s grappling with what it means to be a white person writing about race and racism. (Bess)
Time is a Mother by Ocean Vuong ($24.00 HC). Pretty little words, to be saved and rearranged, endless on Vuong’s stoop. (Kelly)
COMIX
Book Love by Debbie Tung ($14.99 HC). Get all the cozy feelings with this short graphic work that explores ways books matter to voracious bibliophiles. Both humorous and relatable, this will brighten any bookish person's shelves. (Alechia)
COOKING & BAKING
Snacking Cakes: Simple Treats for Anytime Cravings by Yossi Arafi ($24.00 PB). Arefi’s recipes are unfussy and quick—meaning you can have a delicious cake in a jiffy. I love her fruity and chocolaty cakes—especially the strawberry, …, and chocolate peanut butter cakes, and more! (Bess)
Korean American: Food That Tastes Like Home by Eric Kim ($32.50 HC). Who could not love a cookbook that compares the anxiety of influence to learning to cook in a way individuated from one’s parents? Kim’s essays and recipe headers are humorous and heartfelt. Kim’s writing and recipes show his love of food, cooking, and his family. (Bess)
I Dream of Dinner (So You Don’t Have To): Low-Effort, High-Reward Recipes by Ali Slagle ($29.99 HC). What a delicious book! The recipes are compelling and don’t overwhelm the easily-overwhelmed and hungry cook (each includes no more than ten ingredients), and most include variations to help you riff, making dinner even easier to prepare. (Bess)
YOUR HELPFUL HOLIDAY BOOKSELLERS

Emma Fox, Bess Hayes, Cal Hylkema, Stephanie Leitch, Claire Margetts, Aura Martinez, Thomas Moore, Frank Pester, Ceci Rigby, Alechia Skripko, Kelly Watanabe, Catherine Weller, and Tony Weller.
Click here for our November events newsletter.

And, as always, view our events calendar to see all of our upcoming events.

We host both virtual and in-person events, and we look forward to seeing you soon.

Check out our YouTube, Facebook and Instagram to watch past virtual events.
Come visit us!
SUNDAY 12-5
MONDAY-THURSDAY 11-7
FRIDAY & SATURDAY 10-9

OUR HOLIDAY HOURS:
11/23 WEDNESDAY: CLOSING AT 6PM
11/24 THURSDAY: CLOSED FOR THANKSGIVING
12/24 SATURDAY: CLOSING AT 6PM
12/25 SUNDAY: CLOSED FOR CHRISTMAS
12/31 SATURDAY: CLOSING AT 6PM
1/1 SUNDAY: CLOSED FOR NEW YEAR'S DAY
Can't make it to the store?
Support your local indie from home!

Order by phone or online, then pick up at the store or the curb! We also ship!
Give us a call at 801-328-2586.

Shop new books on our website.

Browse our entire inventory of new, used and rare books on Biblio.com.

Listen to audiobooks from Libro.fm.

Read ebooks from Kobo.
Thanks for supporting your local, independent bookstore!

Weller Book Works | 801-328-2586
Store hours: Sunday 12PM-5 PM | Monday-Thursday 10AM-8 PM | Friday & Saturday 10 AM-9 PM
Connect with us!