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Open for Shipping, Delivery, & Curbside Pickup!
Our physical store is closed, but you can still shop online!
DUE TO THE HIGH VOLUME OF SALES & THE LIMITED NUMBER OF BOOKSELLERS THAT CAN SAFELY BE IN THE STORE WE ARE RUNNING SEVERAL DAYS BEHIND IN PROCESSING ONLINE ORDERS.
This is a wonderful problem to have and we are so thankful for your support. Please see the website for more details.
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“Once you learn to read, you will be forever free.”
―
Frederick Douglass
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Happy Fourth of July!
Parades and fireworks may be cancelled (or maybe not… what are your neighbors setting off?) but hopefully you can still celebrate Taylor Swift’s favorite holiday. Get that grill fired up! Don’t forget the watermelon and potato salad and strawberry shortcake. Will anyone else be joining me in my annual viewing of the movie
Independence Day
? What’s more American than Will Smith and Jeff Goldblum defeating aliens! (If your answer is no because you’re watching Marvel movies or the
Hamilton
movie, this is acceptable. These are the only movies more American than
Independence Day
. If your answer is no for any other reason, this is unacceptable).
American pride has always been unique. I’ve been baffled by it at times, and other times my heart has swollen with it. Lately it’s felt difficult to me to have pride in this country, but when we fight for someone else’s freedom, that makes me proud. I hope that feeling sustains.
I’ll also be spending this holiday weekend trying to find some sunshine and warmth in cloudy, cool Maine. Of course I’ve got a great book to hole up with. I’m reading
The Vanishing Half
by Brit Bennett, about two black twins who “pass” as white. They run away together, but one returns to their small hometown with her black child, while the other becomes a white woman. I can’t stress enough how good this book is!
--Heather
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Join our next virtual event!
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Damien Echols
Angels and Archangels,
Tuesday, July 14th at 7PM
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Join us for a talk with Damien Echols, hosted on Crowdcast! This event is free and open to all.
“Angels do not belong to any one single religion, system, or dogma,” teaches Damien Echols. “They are almost pure energy—the very substance the cosmos is made of. They’re also incredibly willing to work with us if asked.”
With
Angels and Archangels,
this bestselling author presents an essential resource for understanding what angels are, how they make themselves available, and magickal practices to invoke their power to transform your life. In this lucid and information-packed guide, Damien shares his unique understanding and experience of magickal practices refined in the crucible of his wrongful death row imprisonment.
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J. Courtney Sullivan with Joanna Rakoff
Friends and Strangers,
Thursday, July 16th at 7PM
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Porter Square Books is delighted to welcome J. Courtney Sullivan in conversation with Joanna Rakoff for
Friends and Strangers!
Hosted on Crowdcast, this event is free and open to all.
An insightful, hilarious, and compulsively readable novel about a complicated friendship between two women who are at two very different stages in life, from the best-selling author of
Maine
and
Saints for All Occasions
(named one of the
Washington Post
's Ten Best Books of the Year and a
New York Times
Critics' Pick). A masterful exploration of motherhood, power dynamics, and privilege in its many forms,
Friends and Strangers
reveals how a single year can shape the course of a life.
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Want to show your love of Porter Square Books? Available for 2 weeks only, order your very own Porter Square Books t-shirt!
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Porter Square Books is proud to partner with the
Prison Book Program to help provide access to books to people in prison. Order any title off this wish list and select the "Curbside Pick Up" shipping option and we'll give to the Prison Book Program to distribute.
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Miss getting great recommendations from your favorite booksellers? Never quite got the hang of the whole online orders thing? Now you can sign up for a time slot to chat with a bookseller! Currently available on Saturday and Sunday between 10-4 pm.
Up this weekend: Josh on Saturday and Stacey on Sunday!
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Antiracism Books: A Place to Start
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Digital Audio Books:
A terrific way to support local indies!
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Want book recommendations, personalized
just for you?
Fill out our form with your likes and dislikes, genres and favorites, and we'll crowdsource a bunch of great picks for you with our crack team of
real life
booksellers. Give it a whirl!
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As with many of us, my ability to focus while reading has been subpar over the last few months. I’ve written before about how graphic novels have helped me with this, but today I wanted to touch on another type of literature that I have been enjoying recently and that has proven perfect for my somewhat-distracted brain: short story anthologies.
I’ve discovered over the past few weeks that short story anthologies are a great solution for my quarantine reading struggles. I like that I can sit down with a collection, give it 20 or 30 minutes, and have read a whole story that is a complete narrative. It gives me a sense of accomplishment, and it means that I don’t have to hold onto any information from one reading session to the next. This has been a helpful way for me to read recently, because I can decide to read one story before I make dinner, or two stories before I go to sleep at night, and it all has nice, finite edges. A few that I’ve read recently and enjoyed have been
Out Now
,
the sequel to
All Out
,
which are two YA anthologies edited by Saundra Mitchell that feature queer characters written by queer YA authors.
All Out
focuses on historical stories and characters, and
Out Now
focuses on contemporary stories and characters.
All Out
is probably my favorite YA short story anthology out there, and
Out Now
did not disappoint as a follow up.
This week, I also read
Color Outside the Lines,
which is another YA anthology, edited by Sangu Mandanna, featuring interracial love stories from a number of different YA authors. This is a fun collection because there is massive variety between the stories—there are stories with black girl vigilantes, ghost pirates, colonial India, and sweet-sixteen parties. I also recently read the middle grade anthology
Once Upon An Eid
, edited by S.K. Ali, which celebrates stories about Eid. It’s all about celebrating family, friends, community, and connection and it’s so lovely and full of joy.
For me, reading these collections has been a great way to still be reading but to be able to keep my focus and get to explore all these little narratives within smaller time frames. If you are also struggling to focus on books right now, I’d recommend picking up some essays or short stories for a sense of accomplishment and the ability to read smaller, contained narratives within manageable amounts of time. --
April
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A Burning
by Megha Majumdar, featuring a cast of readers
For readers of Tommy Orange, Yaa Gyasi, and Jhumpa Lahiri, an electrifying debut novel about three unforgettable characters who seek to rise--to the middle class, to political power, to fame in the movies--and find their lives entangled in the wake of a catastrophe in contemporary India.
“Majumdar’s suspenseful narrative holds a mirror up to society at large, reflecting the lies people tell themselves to rationalize sacrificing morality for personal gain. Unintended consequences from an impulsive social media post explode against a backdrop of deep economic insecurities and centuries-old prejudices. A searing debut, this novel is timely and timeless. It packs a punch way above its weight. Brilliant.”
--
Lisa Johnson, Penguin Bookshop
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Alert! New bookseller bundles available now!
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Our 'get 3 paperbacks' bundle options have expanded to include Caleb, Meaghan, and Shana! Get 3 paperbacks handpicked by the bookseller that fit in with their theme. You can find all bundles.
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EXPANDED OPTIONS:
Journals, Stationery & Crafts
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Sometimes a new notebook is what it takes to get the juices flowing!
We have now made a much wider variety of notebooks, journals, and even calendars available for order from our website,
like this classic Moleskin
. Now, along with items with an inventory status of "On Our Shelves Now," you can order journals, notebooks, diaries, calendars, planners, and more with an inventory status of "Available at Warehouses."
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Face Masks
Face coverings are going to be with us for a while, so
we’re now offering non-medical grade cloth masks (including kid size) from a variety of makers. Right now quantities are limited, but additional styles are on the way. We’ll keep you posted!
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Book Bundle Offerings
Make your shopping easy by buying bundles, handpicked by our expert booksellers!
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Old Hollywood: From Page to Screen
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Black Authors Adapted
Hollywood has never been accused of being diverse. When Hattie McDaniel won her Best Supporting Oscar for
Gone With the Wind
in 1939, she was hailed as trailblazer for the Black community – after all, she was the first Black actor to win an Oscar. However, her win did not boost her career and soon after she was again relegated to playing maids. It wasn’t until 1963 when Sidney Poitier won the Best Actor Oscar for his sublime performance in
Lilies of the Field
that another Black actor was so honored.
It took another 20 years for Louis Gossett, Jr. to win his Oscar in 1982 for
An Officer and a Gentleman
, followed by Denzel Washington in 1989 for
Glory
and Whoopi Goldberg in 1990 for
Ghost
. Since then more Black actors have been acknowledged for their work in movies; slowly, they are finally being recognized for their talent and stellar performances.
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Two of the first important A pictures, although now dated, that centered around a Black cast were
Stormy Weather
(1943) with an original story by Seymour B. Robinson and Jerry Horwin and starred the incomparable Bill Robinson, Lena Horne and Cab Calloway. The second was M-G-M produced
Cabin in the Sky
, based on the Broadway musical with Ethel Waters and Eddie “Rochester” Anderson and again Lena Horne. Both films received good reviews and box-office.
James Baldwin’s 1974 novel,
If Beale Street Could Talk
was adapted into a film twice: First in 1998 as a French version –
À La Place du Coeur
– and then again in 2018 with actor Regina King getting a Best Supporting Oscar nomination. A TV adaptation of his novel
Go Tell It On the Mountain
(1985) starred Paul Winfield and aired on PBS’s
American Playhouse
.
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Winning the Pulitzer Prize for fiction and the National Book Award Alice Walker’s
The Color Purple
became a huge hit movie in 1985. Starring Whoopi Goldberg, Danny Glover and Oprah Winfrey it was nominated for 11 Academy Awards. Thirteen years later Toni Morrison’s novel
Beloved
(1987) was adapted for the screen in 1998; despite good reviews the movie flopped at the box office.
In 1977 on ABC television Alex Haley’s novel (1976)
, Roots: The Saga of an American Family
premiered to glowing reviews, stellar ratings, 37 Emmy nominations and was considered a cultural sensation.
Roots: The Next Generation
(1979) followed the original series and in 2016 a new version was produced by the History Channel.
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Playwright and author August Wilson had four of his plays adapted into films
: The Piano Lesson
(1995) a television movie which aired on Hallmark Hall of Fame;
The Naked Proof
(2003), an independent film with Wilson as narrator; the period drama
Fences
(2016) starring Denzel Washington and Viola Davis, Oscar winner for Best Supporting Actress. Wilson’s
Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom,
filmed in 2019 is a period drama, which has yet to be released.
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Filmmaker Spike Lee has written, produced and directed many original films, but he has also used books as source material for his films.
Malcolm X
(1992) was based on Alex Haley and Malcolm X’s book,
The Autobiography of Malcolm X.
Clockers
(1995) was an adaption of the Richard Price novel;
25
th
Hour
(2002) was based on the novel by David Benioff and
Miracle at St. Anna
, (2008) adapted from the book by James McBride.
Angela Bassett starred as Tina Turner in a 1993 film adaptation of her memoir:
What’s Love Got to Do With It
(1986). Terry McMillian’s story
Waiting to Exhale
(1995) was adapted into a movie with Angela Bassett and Whitney Houston. Called a neo-noir,
Devil in a Blue Dress
(1995) was based on a novel by Walter Mosely. Halle Berry (Best Actress Oscar for
Monster’s Ball
in 2001) starred in
Their Eyes Were Watching God
from the novel of the same name (1937) by acclaimed author Zora Neale Hurston.
There is hope that in the near future, Black authors, actors, directors and producers will have equal opportunities in the film industry. As we live our lives in the summer of 2020, perhaps we can sense that change is indeed possible.
--Nathan
Next Up: The 1990’s
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What would it be like to have Oprah read you a good night story? Well, you don't have to imagine, as she's here to share
The Hula-Hoopin' Queen by Thelma Godin.
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Support Cafe Zing Baristas!
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Although Cafe Zing is its own business separate from ours, we really don't see it that way: Zing workers are part of the Porter Square Books family. They keep us well supplied - very well supplied - with caffeine, kindness, and some great tunes. Sometimes they give us staff picks; sometimes we give them exact change because we've bought the same, perfect, comforting, delicious beverage twice a day five days a week for how long, now?
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They're here! Check out our bookseller's favorite books this month, and enjoy that sweet, sweet discount.
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In this relatable YA novel Ned Vizzini manages to take a heavy topic like mental illness and deliver it in an entertaining and comical way. This story follows a fifteen year-old boy, Craig, who is hospitalized for his depression. On his journey to recovery he meets a variety of interesting characters along the way. They are so well developed that it felt as though they might jump right out of the pages. This book gave me the best company in the days where I felt the most alone- it gave me a good share of laughs too. The intriguing setting as well as the electric character dynamics earned this book a forever place in my top 10. --
Hannah
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You've seen those author interviews where the question is inevitably asked, "if you were to host a dinner party and could invite anyone you wanted who would you invite and why?" In this volume, Erica Heller, daughter of author Joseph Heller, makes it lunch and brings together the responses of 50 notable personalities like Michael Douglas, Daniel Bellow, and Bob Balaban to name a few. Questions one has always wanted answered by a loved one or admired mentor are fully fleshed out over a shared meal. Lovely distracting reading for our current times.--
Ellen
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We want to hear from you!
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Have you participated in a virtual book club?
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Yes, and it was wonderful!
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No, I'd rather wait until we can gather in person again.
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I haven't, but I'd be interested to join one!
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See you next time here at Shelf Stable!
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Did you miss an installment, or want to share with a friend? The Shelf Stable Archive has all our past issues!
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And don't forget to subscribe to our Events Newsletter for the full line up of events coming up, and our Kids Newsletter for
all the latest on events, new books, reviews, and more for young and young-at-heart readers.
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Looking for other ways to keep up with us? Check us out on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and YouTube:
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25 White St. Cambridge, MA 02140
617-491-2220
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