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It's October! Time to carve your pumpkins and buy your bags of Snickers, Nestle Crunch, Paydays and Reese's Peanut Butter Cups. MMMMM! Delicious! Time to decorate your house with orange lights, skeletons, bats and cobwebs. And don't forget to buy a spooky novel or two to celebrate the month.
Besides the regular books I'm featuring in this month's newsletter, I've included a few booga-booga books from our horror section to make you cringe and shudder in the spirit of Halloween.
OUT THERE SCREAMING: An Anthology of New Black Horror edited by Jordan Peele
Peele has frightened us with movies like "Get Out", "Us" and "Nope." And now he presents an anthology of new horror stories by Black writers.
THE BONUS ROOM by Ben H. Winters
This is a reissue of a novel called BEDBUGS. When Susan and Alex move into a gorgeous Brooklyn brownstone, creepy things begin to happen. Every morning Susan awakens with fresh bug bites, but neither Alex nor their daughter has any welts. This is a cringe-worthy story destined to make your skin crawl.
THE TROOP by Nick Cutter
A boy scout troop heads into the Canadian wilderness for a long weekend camping trip. When a shockingly thin, disturbingly pale, and voraciously hungry intruder stumbles upon their campsite he turns out to be a human carrier of a bioengineered nightmare. Bookseller Katrina and I gave this a 10 on our shudder scale.
SALEM'S LOT by Stephen King
King's second novel will always be a favorite of mine. Ben Masters has returned to Jerusalem's Lot in hopes that exploring the history of the Marsten House, an old mansion long the subject of rumor and speculation, will help him cast out his personal devils and provide inspiration for his new book. King is a master at setting and tone.
A HEAD FULL OF GHOSTS by Paul Tremblay
The lives of the Barretts, a normal suburban New England family, are torn apart when fourteen-year-old Marjorie begins to display signs of acute schizophrenia. To her parents' despair, the doctors are unable to stop Marjorie's desent into madness. So they reluctantly turn to a local Catholic priest who believes the teenager is the victim of demonic possession.
I've also chosen four worthy novels for your reading group pleasure. I hope you enjoy them.
Happy Reading!
Ken
kenbksco@gmail.com
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PIECES OF BLUE
by Holly Goldberg Sloan
Sloan's first adult novel follows the adventures of Lindsey Hill and her three children after her husband drowns in a surfing accident. When Paul's life insurance comes through she buys a ramshackle motel in Hawaii (sight unseen) hoping to start over. Though the kids adjust to their move and new life fairly quickly, Lindsey has no idea how to bring a motel and herself back to life. Enter Chris Young who stayed at the motel while his now deceased wife went through cancer treatments. He becomes Lindsey's all-around handyman... and maybe more. Author Meg Wolitzer calls the novel "as propulsive as it is observant and atmospheric. Sloan understands her characters deeply and makes us need to know what happens to them. In fact, a lot happens to them, and we want to know it all. This novel is a family story, a love story and a mystery. I couldn't put it down." Author Maria Semple calls the novel, "a brilliant and bighearted page-turner."
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NORTH WOODS
by Daniel Mason
A beautifully written novel that totally intrigued me. Mason imagines a house in the woods of Massachusetts and tells his tale through the lives of those who inhabit it across centuries. As the back cover of the galley says, "following the cycles of history, nature and even language, North Woods shows the myriad, magical ways in which we're connected to our environment, to history, and to one another. It is not just an unforgettable novel about buried secrets and inevitable fates but a way of looking at the world that asks the timeless questions: How do we live on, even after we're gone?" Author Maggie O'Farrell says "North Woods is a monumental achievement of polyphony and humanity. Relating the narrative of an entire country via a single plot of land, it sweeps the reader through hundreds of years and an array of protagonists with a deft, heartbreaking, idiosyncratic zeal. I loved it." I'll bet this wonderful novel ends up on a lot of "Best Of" lists this year.
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THE HEAVEN & EARTH GROCERY STORE
by James McBride
McBride sets his latest novel in the dilapidated neighborhood of Chicken Hill in the town of Pottstown, Pennsylvania. It's here where immigrant Jews and African Americans have lived side by side for decades, sharing ambitions and sorrows. My favorite characters are Moshe and Chona Ludlow. Moshe is a Romanian-born theatre owner who integrated the town's first dance hall. His wife Chona runs the Heaven & Earth Grocery store, which serves blacks and European immigrants. McBride's compassion and deep faith in humanity shows through this unforgettable novel. Danez Smith of The New York Times Book Review says the book is "charming, smart, heart-blistering, and heart healing." Ron Charles of The Washington Post says, "we all need...we all deserve...this vibrant, love-affirming novel that bounds over any difference that claims to separate us." If your reading group is looking for a book with incredible depth of character and amazing dialogue, then this is the novel for you.
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THIS OTHER EDEN
by Paul Harding
Pulitzer Prize winner Paul Harding's latest novel is based on a true incident in Maine history. It's set on Apple Island- a small area of land off the coast of Maine, home to a mixed race fishing community from the mid 1800s to 1917. It was there that eugenic-minded authorities decided to "cleanse" the island in the name of public health. The state of Maine evicted 47 residents from their homes and exhumed and relocated their buried dead. Eight islanders were committed to the Maine School for the Feeble-Minded. Harding uses these facts to create an incredibly rich novel that focuses on the families that inhabit the island and the teacher who comes to the island every summer to teach the children. Harding's poetic prose brings Apple Island to life and celebrates the characters that he creates. Author Esi Edugyan says, "In boldly lyrical prose, This Other Eden shows us a once-thriving racial utopia in its final days, at a time when race and science were colliding in chilling ways. In the stories of the Apple Islanders---especially that of Ethan Honey, spared a destructive fate because of his artistic gifts and his fair skin---we are made to confront the ambiguous nature of mercy, the limits of tolerance, and what it means to truly be saved. A luminous thought-provoking novel." The book has been named a finalist for the National Book Award, the winners to be announced in mid-November.
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BOOKS & COMPANY BOOK GROUPS
Open to the Public
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Wednesday, Oct 25th
1:00 p.m.
in person at Books & Co.
The Heart's
Invisible Furies
by John Boyne
Registration required-
limited seating available
CLICK HERE TO REGISTER
Wednesday, Nov 15th*
1:00 p.m.
in person at Books & Co.
The Bad Muslim Discount
by Syed M. Masood
Registration required-
limited seating available
link to come
*note date change due to Thanksgiving
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Wednesday, Oct 18th
6:30 p.m.
in person at Books & Co.
The Taking of
Jake Livingston
by Ryan Douglass
No registration required for PRADAS book group meetings.
Wednesday, Nov 15th
6:00 p.m.
in person at Books & Co.
Legendborn #1
by Tracy Deonn
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Tuesday, Oct 24th
4:00 p.m.
in person at Books & Co.
Dear Child
by Romy Hausmann
No registration required for Mystery book group meetings.
Tuesday, Nov 21st**
4:00 p.m.
in person at Books & Co.
The Paris Apartment
by Lucy Foley
***3rd Tuesday due to Thanksgiving
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In Person Event-
SEWI Festival of Books
DAVID FANTLE and TOM JOHNSON
authors of C'mon Get Happy
Friday, October 13
7:00-8:30 p.m.
Registration is NOT Required
in the Hub
UW Milwaukee Waukesha
1500 N. University Drive
Waukesha, WI 53188
The Southeast Wisconsin Festival of Books presents an evening with film historians David Fantle and Tom Johnson, who will give an in-person talk on their latest book: C’mon, Get Happy :The Making of Summer Stock.
Books are available for purchase from Books & Company, the official SEWI Festival of Books bookstore. A percentage of sales will be donated back to the Southeast Wisconsin Festival of Books.
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In Person Book Release Event
MARY ANN NOE
Thursday, October 19th
6:00 p.m.
Tricia’s Troops Event Room
2410 Milwaukee St Suite C
Delafield, WI 53018
The event will be hosted by Tricia's Troops, a nonprofit based in Delafield that provides financial support to cancer patients and their families. Mary Ann will discuss her new book- Water the Color of Slate, how she became an author in retirement, and how being a cancer survivor has impacted her writing journey.
click here for more info
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In Person Author Event
Readings from Oconomowaukee
NATHAN HILL
in conversation with Daniel Goldin
& Lisa Baudoin
Monday, October 23rd
2:00 p.m.
Books & Company
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Join us for an afternoon event with author Nathan Hill for his new novel Wellness- a poignant and witty novel about marriage, the often baffling pursuit of health and happiness, and the stories that bind us together. From the gritty '90s Chicago art scene to a suburbia of detox diets and home-renovation hysteria, Wellness reimagines the love story with a healthy dose of insight, irony, and heart.
There will also be an event held at Boswell Book Company in Milwaukee featuring Hill in conversation with Goldin and Baudoin at 6:30 pm the same day. Click here for more info about that evening event.
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Poetry Reading
CHRISTY PRAHL & MARGARET ROZGA
in Conversation with
KIM SUHR
Tuesday, October 24
6:30 p.m.
Books & Company
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Join us for a lovely poetry reading and discussion! Poets Christy Prahl and Margaret Rozga will be in conversation with author Kim Suhr celebrating Prahl's book We Are Reckless.
Please register for this free event.
Click here for more info!
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In Person Event-
SEWI Festival of Books
BOB WOODWARD
THE PAST, PRESENT AND FUTURE OF THE AMERICAN PRESIDENCY
Thursday, November 2nd
7:00-8:30 p.m.
the Lunt Fontanne Theatre
UW Milwaukee Waukesha
1500 N. University Drive
Waukesha, WI 53188
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The Southeast Wisconsin Festival of Books and UWM-Waukesha present an evening with Legendary Pulitzer Prize-Winning Investigative Journalist Bob Woodward. He will speak on The Past, Present and Future of the American Presidency.
Sponsored by the Tommy G. Thompson Center for Public Leadership
Please register for this free event.
Doors open at 6:00 p.m.
Click here for more info!
Books are available for purchase from Books & Company, the official SEWI Festival of Books bookstore. A percentage of sales will be donated back to the Southeast Wisconsin Festival of Books.
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In Person Keynote Event-
SEWI Festival of Books
DAVID ZUCKER
in conversation with
Gino Salomone
Friday, November 3rd
7:00-8:30 p.m.
the Lunt Fontanne Theatre
UW Milwaukee Waukesha
1500 N. University Drive
Waukesha, WI 53188
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David Zucker will be in conversation with Gino Salomone, WITI Channel 6 Film Critic. They will discuss David Zucker's new book Surely You Can’t Be Serious: The True Story of Airplane!, the making of the classic movie Airplane!, as well as Zucker's connection to Wisconsin. Surely You Can't Be Serious is an in-depth and hysterical look at the making of 1980's comedy classic Airplane! by the legendary writers and directors of the hit film.
A book signing will follow the event.
Doors open at 6:00 p.m.
Books are available for purchase from Books & Company, the official SEWI Festival of Books bookstore. A percentage of sales will be donated back to the SEWI Festival of Books.
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Southeast Wisconsin Festival of Books
Saturday, November 4th
9:00am - 5:00pm
UW Milwaukee Waukesha
1500 N. University Drive
Waukesha, WI 53188
The Southeast Wisconsin Festival of Books is an annual community celebration of literacy and the arts held the first weekend of November. It is a free event where local and national authors and readers of all ages come together to enjoy presentations, performances, creativity and conversation.
Books & Company is the official bookstore of the SEWI Festival of Books. A percentage of sales will be donated back to the SEWI Festival of Books.
Click here to see the events for the day!
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We support over 50 private book groups with their monthly selection available on the Book Group shelf in store. If your book group is registered with us, we offer 15% off of the book group title each month. To register your book group, just let us know what your book group name is and what you're reading, as well as a contact name for the group. As long as we have an updated list of your books, we will have them on the book group shelf in the store and listed on our website. Books & Company hosts two Book Group celebrations a year, as well as book talks for your book group. To set up a book talk for your book group with a bookseller, please email info@booksco.com
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Books & Company
1039 Summit Ave Oconomowoc, WI
262-567-0106
HOURS
Mon-Fri 9:00-7:00
Sat-Sun 9:00-5:00
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