Hi Friends,

I bet you didn't expect to see a photo of a large chain bookstore in this newsletter! But here we are. I recently visited this store to keep in touch with all options readers have in our community. Whenever I enter a bookstore, I immediately consider how I'm feeling and is it a feeling I should try and replicate or avoid in Read Books. It's not a judgement really, but rather an inventory. In the store pictured I felt happy surrounded by so many colorful covers and spines but also overwhelmed by the quantity of titles and items. And as much as I know this brand of institution is trying hard not to feel, well, institutional, It did feel a little warehouse-ish.

My visit confirmed that there's room for all types of book shopping experiences! It also confirmed that we will continue to strive to offer a cozy, beautifully appointed (thanks @thehouseofhanbury) and highly curated selection. As Laura designs her extended boutique of vintage goods to include our event space, she's considering our need for comfort and connection around books. It's another small business partnership that we love! We hope you can feel our desire to offer a unique and fun experience when you enter our little shop.

Speaking of fun, The Hampton Roads Bookstore Crawl is Back April 19-27 in preparation for Independent Bookstore Day on the 27th! Soooo exciting! Pick up your passport starting next week. And on Independent Bookstore Day, April 27th 2024 we are opening The Reading Room Vintage Boutique and Bookish Event Space at our Pungo Shop! It will be a place to shop vintage decor and new books, relax with your bookish bestie and attend all our bookish events! Those events are live on our website with a little something for everyone! Your book club is also able to rent the space on Tuesday nights from 6-7:30PM or Fridays during the day from 11:00-12:30, and each attending member will receive a 10% off coupon toward any book in the shop!

If that isn't enough excitement, we have a Golden Ticket for IDB!! If you find The Golden Ticket in our shop on April 27th you win a year's worth of audiobooks from Libro.fm

In May we are again partnering with the Moxy VB Hotel and other great local bookstores like @Eleanorsnfk , @the.Violet.Fox.Bookshop and @SeeWhichbooks for a Bevs and Books Book Fair Friday evening the 17th! This event will also be the local release event for @laurenblackwoodwrites new novel The Dangerous Ones!! She'll be there to celebrate and sign copies!

Kristin

In the Shadow of the Greenbrier

By Emily Matchar 

Four generations. One remarkable hotel. Countless secrets.Nestled in the hills of West Virginia lies White Sulphur Springs, home to the Greenbrier Resort. Long a playground for presidents and film stars, the Greenbrier has its own gravitational pull. Over ten decades, four generations of the Zelner family must grapple with their place in its shadow . . . and within their own family.In 1942, young mother Sylvia is desperate to escape her stifling marriage, especially when it means co-running Zelner's general store with her husband. When the Greenbrier is commandeered for use as a luxury prison, Sylvia finds her fidelity strained and her heart on the line.Seventeen years later, Sylvia's daughter, Doree, struggles to fit in, eagerly awaiting the day she'll leave for college and meet a nice Jewish boy. But when a handsome stranger comes to town and her brother Alan's curiosity puts him and Sylvia at risk, Doree is torn between loyalty and desire.An immersive family saga rich with historical detail, In the Shadow of the Greenbrier explores the inevitable clash between past and future and the extraordinary moments in ordinary lives.

The Eyes & The Impossible

By Dave Eggers

NEWBERY MEDAL WINNER - #1 NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER - An enthralling middle-grade novel by award-winning author Dave Eggers, told from the perspective of one uniquely endearing dog-- featuring beautiful color artwork with illustrations by Caldecott honoree Shawn Harris."Johannes is a highly engaging narrator whose exuberance and good nature run like a bright thread through the novel's pages." --The New York TimesJohannes, a free dog, lives in an urban park by the sea. His job is to be the Eyes--to see everything that happens within the park and report back to the park's elders, three ancient Bison. His friends--a seagull, a raccoon, a squirrel, and a pelican--work with him as the Assistant Eyes, observing the humans and other animals who share the park and making sure the Equilibrium is in balance.But changes are afoot. More humans, including Trouble Travelers, arrive in the park. A new building, containing mysterious and hypnotic rectangles, goes up. And then there are the goats--an actual boatload of goats--who appear, along with a shocking revelation that changes Johannes's view of the world.A story about friendship, beauty, liberation, and running very, very fast, The Eyes & the Impossible will make readers of all ages see the world around them in a wholly new way.

Just for the Summer

By Abby Jimenez

A sharp and scintillating summer novel that will make readers laugh out loud and cry happy tears from the New York Times bestselling author of Yours Truly.

Justin has a curse, and thanks to a Reddit thread, it's now all over the internet. Every woman he dates goes on to find their soul mate the second they break up. When a woman slides into his DMs with the same problem, they come up with a plan: They'll date each other and break up. Their curses will cancel each other's out, and they'll both go on to find the love of their lives. It's a bonkers idea... and it just might work.

Emma hadn't planned that her next assignment as a traveling nurse would be in Minnesota, but she and her best friend agree that dating Justin is too good of an opportunity to pass up, especially when they get to rent an adorable cottage on a private island on Lake Minnetonka.

It's supposed to be a quick fling, just for the summer. But when Emma's toxic mother shows up and Justin has to assume guardianship of his three siblings, they're suddenly navigating a lot more than they expected--including catching real feelings for each other. What if this time Fate has actually brought the perfect pair together?

Two of our Newest Book Clubs