Hello!
If you are an NPR listener, you may have caught Scott Simon's conversation with Lan Samantha Chang on Saturday's Weekend Edition for her new book, The Family Chao. You might have even caught last week's review by Maureen Corrigan for Tessa Hadley's new book Free Love.
Did you have that moment where you said to yourself, wait a minute.... aren't these the two authors my bookstore is hosting this month? Yes, yes they are!
If you missed them listen HERE and HERE.
The Family Chao is a spectacular reboot of Dostoyevsky’s The Brothers Karamazov centered around a family-run Chinese restaurant set in Haven (possibly Appleton), Wisconsin. There's food, laughter, and a murder! Lan Samantha Chang will be in conversation with Chang-Rae Lee, author of My Year Abroad.
Free Love explores the awakening of Phyllis, a middle-aged mother living in 1967 suburban London whose life is unexpectedly overturned when the son of a family friend comes to dinner. But it isn't just Phyllis who is undergoing an awakening. London is swinging and revolution is in the air. Tessa Hadley explores the inner lives of her characters so smoothly and with such satisfaction that by the end, you not only see the inevitable course their actions take, you have an itchy understanding of the social forces afoot and the necessity of change against the backdrop of traditional conformity.
Our Valentine blind date with a book tradition lives on this year! When you make a purchase in store at Books & Company from Saturday February 12- Monday, February 14, you will get a chocolate kiss and a wrapped advanced readers copy of a title already published while supplies last.
Cheers and Happy Reading!
Lisa with Katrina, Ken, Chloe, Genavieve, Toni, Kristen, Elisabeth, Beth, Lynn, Judy, Emma, Lizzy, Connie, and Grace
|
|
Current Store Hours
Monday - Friday 9:00 - 7:00 Saturday- Sunday 9:00 - 5:00
Masks are optional if you are vaccinated,
required if you are not.
Curbside pick up and shipping still available.
|
|
Readings from Oconomowaukee
TESSA HADLEY
in conversation with
Daniel Goldin & Lisa Baudoin
Thursday, February 10th
2:00 p.m.
Via ZOOM
|
Join us for the February Readings from Oconomowaukee installment, featuring author Tessa Hadley, author of Free Love- a compulsive new novel about one woman’s awakening in 1960s London.
|
|
LAN SAMANTHA CHANG
in conversation with
CHANG-RAE LEE
Thursday, February 24th
7:00 p.m.
Via ZOOM
|
Boswell Book Company of Milwaukee and Books & Company of Oconomowoc present a virtual evening with Lan Samantha Chang in conversation with Chang-rae Lee for her latest novel The Family Chao: a kaleidoscopic, highly entertaining portrait of a Chinese American family grappling with the dark undercurrents of a seemingly pleasant Wisconsin small town.
|
|
Readings from Oconomowaukee
NANCY JOHNSON
Tuesday, March 8th
7:00 p.m.
Via Zoom
|
Join us for our March installment of Readings from Oconomowaukee. This month, Daniel Goldin and Lisa Baudoin will be in conversation with author Nancy Johnson for her debut novel The Kindest Lie- a powerful and unforgettable story of an American family that reveals the secrets, lies, and promises we make to protect one another.
|
|
ADRIANA TRIGIANI
Saturday April 30th
2:00 p.m.
The Sharon Lynne Wilson Center
3270 Mitchell Park Dr.
Brookfield, WI
|
CHECK BACK FOR TICKETING INFORMATION! COMING SOON!
Tickets will include a signed copy of The Good Left Undone.
Boswell Book Company and Books & Company of Oconomowoc present an afternoon with New York Times bestselling author Adriana Trigiani, who visits with her latest book The Good Left Undone- a lush, immersive novel about a hardworking family of Tuscan artisans with long-held secrets.
|
|
Pre-Order these signed copies at 20% off! |
|
Wednesday, February 23rd
1:00 p.m.
Zoom Meeting
by Paulette Jiles
Wednesday, March 23rd
1:00 p.m.
Zoom Meeting
by Freya Sampson
|
|
Wednesday, February 16th
6:30 p.m.
Zoom Meeting
by Darcie Little Badger
Wednesday, March 16th
6:30 p.m.
Zoom Meeting
by Stacey Lee
|
|
Wednesday, February 23rd
6:00 p.m.
Zoom Meeting
by Stephen Spotswood
Wednesday, March 23rd
6:00 p.m.
Zoom Meeting
by Terry Roberts
|
|
Sunday, March 27th
3:00 p.m.
Zoom Meeting
Sunday, May 29th
3:00 p.m.
Zoom Meeting
Registration coming soon
|
|
BOOK RECOMMENDATIONS - hardcover |
|
FICTION
New and Favorites in Hardcover!
|
|
by Sequoia Nagamatsu
In 2030, an Arctic plague will reshape life on Earth for generations to come, quickly traversing the globe, forcing humanity to devise a myriad of moving and inventive ways to embrace possibility in the face of tragedy.
Bookseller Katrina says "I loved, loved, loved this stunning collection of interconnected stories. It's so imaginative, intelligent, and unique. What may seem like a dark book is actually quite comforting and full of hope. This is one that is going to linger with me for a long time to come. "
|
|
by Thrity Umrigar
Bookseller Lynn says "Thrity Umrigar writes the stories of women in India much like Nadia Hashimi writes of the women of Afghanistan. Both bring you into cultures where women are treated (or, rather, mistreated) because of their sex. Honor is an exceptional story of two women; one who left India as a child for America and the other who lives in a small, backwards Indian village. I haven't read Umrigar's books since The Space Between Us. I read that many years ago but it still stays in my mind and heart. Honor will be the same."
|
|
by Isabel Allende
This is the epic story of Violeta Del Valle, a woman whose life spans one hundred years and bears witness to the greatest upheavals of the twentieth century. Through the eyes of a woman whose unforgettable passion, determination, and sense of humor carry her through a lifetime of upheaval, Isabel Allende once more brings us an epic that is both fiercely inspiring
**signed copies available, while supplies last!**
|
|
NONFICTION
New and Favorites in Hardcover!
|
|
by Rosemary Sullivan
Less a mystery unsolved than a secret well kept...
Using new technology, recently discovered documents and sophisticated investigative techniques, an international team—led by an obsessed retired FBI agent—has finally solved the mystery that has haunted generations since World War II: Who betrayed Anne Frank and her family? And why?
|
|
by Silvia Vasquez-Lavado
Endless ice. Thin air. The threat of dropping into nothingness thousands of feet below. This is the climb Silvia Vasquez-Lavado braves in her page-turning, pulse-raising memoir following her journey to Mount Everest. Bookseller Katrina says "This is an intense, but inspirational story of survival and climbing mountains- real and personal."
|
|
by Thomas Halliday
The past is past, but it does leave clues, and Thomas Halliday has used cutting-edge science to decipher them more completely than ever before. In Otherlands, Halliday makes sixteen fossil sites burst to life on the page. This book is an exploration of the Earth as it used to exist, the changes that have occurred during its history, and the ways that life has found to adapt―or not.
|
|
BOOK RECOMMENDATIONS - paperback |
|
FICTION
New and Favorites in Paperback!
|
|
by Allison Epstein
An Elizabethan espionage thriller in which playwright Christopher Marlowe spies on Mary, Queen of Scots while navigating the perils of politics, theater, romance—and murder. Pairing modern language with period detail, Allison Epstein brings Elizabeth's lavish court, Marlowe's colorful theater troupe, and the squalor of sixteenth-century London to vivid, teeming life. Bookseller Ken says "England 1585 and poet Christopher (Kit) Marlowe is spying for Elizabeth I. Lots of atmosphere and colorful characters in this entertaining novel."
|
|
by Antoine Laurain
How can you mend a broken heart? Do you write a letter to the woman who left you and post it to an imaginary address? Buy a new watch, to reset your life? Or get rid of the jacket you wore every time you argued, because it was in some way responsible? Combining the wry musings of a rejected lover with playful drawings in just three colors. Sharp, yet warm, whimsical and deeply Parisian, this is a must for all Antoine Laurain fans.
|
|
by Kirstin Valdez Quade
It’s Holy Week in the small town of Las Penas, New Mexico, and thirty-three-year-old unemployed Amadeo Padilla has been given the part of Jesus in the Good Friday procession. He is preparing feverishly for this role when his fifteen-year-old daughter Angel shows up pregnant on his doorstep and disrupts his plans for personal redemption. With weeks to go until her due date, tough, ebullient Angel has fled her mother’s house, setting her life on a startling new path. Books & Company owner Lisa loved this novel- it was on of her favorite books of 2021!
|
|
NONFICTION
New and Favorites in Paperback!
|
|
by John Douglas &
Mark Olshaker
From John Douglas—the legendary FBI criminal profiler, #1 New York Times bestselling author, and inspiration for the Netflix show Mindhunter—comes a chilling journey inside the mind and crimes of Larry Gene Bell, one of the most dangerous serial killers Douglas confronted, and the desperate effort to identify and catch him.
|
|
edited by Ibram X. Kendi
& Keisha N. Blain
Four Hundred Souls is a unique one-volume “community” history of African Americans. The editors, Ibram X. Kendi and Keisha N. Blain, have assembled ninety brilliant writers, each of whom takes on a five-year period of that four-hundred-year span. The writers explore their periods through a variety of techniques: historical essays, short stories, personal vignettes, and fiery polemics.
|
|
by John Birdsall
In stirring, novelistic detail, The Man Who Ate Too Much brings to life a towering figure, a man who still represents the best in eating and yet has never been fully understood—until now. This is biography of the highest order, a book about the rise of America’s food written by the celebrated writer who fills in James Beard’s life with the color and meaning earlier generations were afraid to examine.
|
|
BOOK RECOMMENDATIONS - kids/teen |
|
by Maggie Tokuda-Hall
Set in an incarceration camp where the United States cruelly detained Japanese Americans during WWII and based on true events, this moving love story finds hope in heartbreak. Beautifully illustrated and complete with an afterword, back matter, and a photo of the real Tama and George—the author’s grandparents—Maggie Tokuda-Hall’s elegant love story for readers of all ages sheds light on a shameful chapter of American history.
|
|
by Sonia Sotomayor
In a story inspired by her own family's desire to help others, Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor takes young readers on a journey through a neighborhood where kids and adults, activists and bus drivers, friends and strangers all help one another to build a better world for themselves and their community.
**Signed copies available while supplies last!**
|
|
by Kate Gardner
A charming, classic picture book that imagines all the different types of places you could live—from the author of Lovely Beasts, Kate Gardner, and award-winning illustrator Christopher Silas Neal.
Have you ever imagined what it would be like to live... in a treehouse, underground, in a castle,
or even in a spaceship?
If You Live Here is a whimsical tribute to the unique and special places we call home.
|
|
by Aisha Saeed
In this compelling companion to New York Times bestseller Amal Unbound, Amal's friend Omar must contend with being treated like a second-class citizen when he gets a scholarship to an elite boarding school.
|
|
by Elana K. Arnold
From the award-winning author of A Boy Called Bat comes a new young middle grade series in the tradition of Ramona and Clementine, starring an unforgettable girl named Harriet.
|
|
by Jamar J. Perry
Inspired by West African and Igbo history and mythology, this adventurous middle-grade fantasy debut perfect for fans of Aru Shah and Tristan Strong celebrates the triumphs and challenges of a boy finding his truth path to greatness.
|
|
by Tahereh Mafi
To all the world, Alizeh is a disposable servant, not the long-lost heir to an ancient Jinn kingdom forced to hide in plain sight. The crown prince, Kamran, has heard the prophecies foretelling the death of his king. But he could never have imagined that the servant girl with the strange eyes, the girl he can’t put out of his mind, would one day soon uproot his kingdom—and the world.
|
|
by Marieke Nijkamp
A heartbreaking, emotional and timely page-turner that will keep you on the edge of your seat. Bookseller Katrina says "When the plague hits, the kids and teens at Hope Juvenile Treatment Center are abandoned and forgotten. They must band together to survive and find out what's going on. A fast-paced, intense read that feels entirely plausible in today's world. "
|
|
by Ruta Sepetys
Romania, 1989. Communist regimes are crumbling across Europe. Seventeen-year-old Cristian Florescu dreams of becoming a writer, but Romanians aren’t free to dream; they are bound by rules and force. Cristian is blackmailed by the secret police to become an informer. He’s left with only two choices: betray everyone and everything he loves—or use his position to creatively undermine the most notoriously evil dictator in Eastern Europe.
|
|
Upcoming events from our friends at Boswell Book Company! |
|
Virtual Event
Katherine May
in Conversation with Sally Haldorson
Wednesday, February 16
12:30 pm
Boswell and Porchlight Book Company present an afternoon with Katherine May, author of Wintering, for a conversation about The Electricity of Every Living Thing, a life-affirming exploration of wild landscapes, what it means to be different and, above all, how we can all learn to make peace with our own unquiet minds. For this event, May will be in conversation with Sally Haldorson, Managing Director at Porchlight Book Company.
|
|
A Virtual Event
Quan Barry
Tuesday, February 22
7:00 pm
Boswell presents an evening with poet and novelist Quan Barry, author of We Ride Upon Sticks, the novel that was called “spellbinding” by O, The Oprah Magazine, for a conversation about her latest, When I’m Gone, Look for Me in the East - a luminous novel that moves across a windswept Mongolia, as estranged twin brothers make a journey of duty, conflict, and renewed understanding.
|
|
Why Join Libro.fm?
Over 215,000 audiobooks to choose from
Membership credits never expire
Monthly membership and à la carte purchasing options
Every purchase supports an independent bookstore
Members receive 30% off à la carte purchases
World-class customer support
Gift specific audiobooks and memberships
Recommendations from expert booksellers
|
|
Take a look at our previous newsletters, now conveniently archived on our website!
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
