"It is well known that reading quickens the growth of a heart like nothing else." - Catherynne M. Valente

Autumn is one of my favorite seasons. I'm of the opinion that the reason one lives in the northeast is for the seasons: for the delight as each turns to the next and you remember the joys each holds.

I like to call it autumn and not fall. I spent undergrad in Baltimore, Maryland, where, September - November, the leaves turned brown and fell off the trees: Baltimore has fall. In New England & New York, where I grew up, we have autumn, where the leaves change color, the harvest comes in, and we can marvel at the beauty of plant and animal cycles, of the fruiting and the dormancy autumn brings.

And the weather is perfect. Hear me out: it's nice to be able to wear cozy clothing, or even just bike or walk to work without arriving sweat-soaked. My house smells like applesauce cooking down, and the breeze makes biking, hiking, running, and climbing enjoyable. Yes, the days are getting shorter, but we can still bask in the sun, still harvest perfect tomatoes and peaches, but not be drenched in sweat as we do so.

This past weekend, my partner and I biked 28 miles to an orchard, picked apples, and biked them another 28 miles home. We marveled at the views, the weather, the trees dripping and dipping with fruit. It was a beautiful day, a day that started with a pullover, transitioned to sunshine and short-sleeves, and ended with long sleeves on the porch. A cool breeze fanned the ride, our bodies given a jolt by the sugar from apples and cider.

Our world is on fire right now, that cannot be denied. But it's important to take space to appreciate what we have, to acknowledge the place we live and the cycles around us. You may do this as a part of your holiday practice (some of my apples are destined for honey-dipping), as you harvest your crops, or simply walk the neighborhood. To whatever extent you find space, you may find it enriched by one of my favorite books: Braiding Sweetgrass.

I'm returning to Kimmerer's book this season. Her writing helps me to reexamine the world around me, from the minutiae of moss and lichens to the systems and stories needed to live sustainably in this land. Reading her work makes me feel like I've taken a step to the side, and am viewing the world from a different angle. (It's also a good title if you're seeking to decolonize your reading list.) The book is scientific and spiritual, reading it is enlightening and immersive...perfect for an evening spent on the porch wrapped in a blanket, or laying in a hammock, soaking up the sun.

Happy autumn! May you find joy and wonder in the falling leaves, the changing landscape, the delicious harvest, and illuminating books. (On the topic of illuminating books, check out Shana's recommendations below!)

Curbside Pick Up: Daily, 3PM-7PM

Virtual: Mark Oshiro with Ann Davila Cardinal, Each of Us a Desert

Join Porter Square Books for a virtual event with Mark Oshiro, author of Each of Us a Desert, in conversation with Ann Davila Cardinal! Each of us a Desert is a powerful coming-of-age fantasy novel about finding home and falling in love amidst the dangers of a desert where stories come to life. This event is hosted on Crowdcast, and is free and open to all.

Xochitl is destined to wander the desert alone, speaking her troubled village's stories into its arid winds. Her only companions are the blessed stars above and enigmatic lines of poetry magically strewn across dusty dunes. Her one desire: to share her heart with a kindred spirit. Fresh off of Anger Is a Gift's smashing success, Oshiro branches out into a fantastical direction with their new YA novel, Each of Us a Desert.

Virtual: Helen Macdonald with Kathryn Schulz, Vesper Flights [Ticketed]

Porter Square Books is pleased to present a virtual talk with Helen Macdonald, author of H Is For Hawk, for the release of her new book Vesper Flights, in conversation with Kathryn Schulz! An entry link will be emailed to ticket holders in the week of the event. The signed book included in your ticket can be shipped or picked up, simply choose your preferred method at check out. Books will be available prior to the event.

In Vesper Flights Helen Macdonald brings together a collection of her best loved essays, along with new pieces on topics ranging from nostalgia for a vanishing countryside to the tribulations of farming ostriches to her own private vespers while trying to fall asleep.

By one of this century's most important and insightful nature writers, Vesper Flights is a captivating and foundational book about observation, fascination, time, memory, love and loss and how we make sense of the world around us.

I had already planned out to do a transgender follow up to my Aces High collection of queer science fiction and fantasy. I love doing the Queer SFF bundles, and I love showing people representation they may not have realized existed. Being able to see yourself in fiction is powerful. Being able to see OTHER people in fiction is also powerful. Reading encourages empathy. If you know someone's story, you know a little more what it's like to be them.

For instance, if certain well-known children's authors had read more books by and about transgender people, they might not have felt the need to be so vitriolically transphobic on twitter or in any books that they published. I really did not plan for this to be so exceptionally timely. And honestly, I'm bummed that it is. I don't want to spend too much time on Rowling's latest nonsense. I feel like Julian from Cemetery Boys put my position on it best: "Hay niñas con pene, niños con vulva y transfóbicos sin dientes." 

A lot of the illustrators I follow on Instagram have been drawing what they're wearing. If you want a drawing prompt, it's a great place to start. But I found myself taking it a step further. When I think of what I'm wearing, I think of the stories behind the clothing: where I got it, who gave it to me, where I've worn it, what it reminds me of. Earlier this week I wore a pair of shorts I used to wear under my field hockey kilt in middle school. I suddenly found myself writing about the games, practices, and emotions I'd had at twelve. Yesterday, I wore my trail running shoes, which I'd acquired the week before my last cancer treatment, a promise to myself that this year I would be well and able to get out and use them; that's a story. Right now, I wear a sweater handed down from my mom's best friend. I can smell her brownies baking, hear the sound of her spinning wheel, feel the tug of the ocean a block away...

First, draw or list the items of clothing you're wearing or have worn in the past few days. I also added bruises and scrapes*. Then, write the first thing that comes to mind about the item.

Revisit the list. What's calling to you? What item has sensory memories associated with it? Set a timer for five minutes. Write about the item, letting the memories take you where they will. It's okay if the writing deviates from the clothing and brings you elsewhere, the goal is to simply write.

When the timer goes off, you can continue with the item you're working with, or move on to the next. If you're feeling stuck, try interviewing the clothing item (like the podcast "Everything is Alive").

This writing exercise can also be combined with cleaning out your closet: is there a memory or feeling associated with an article of clothing? Is it a memory you want to dispose of? Will your writing capture and keep the memories from that dress you never wear, so it's free to go to someone else, who can make new memories with it?

Happy writing!

*When exiting a car on either side, please do the Dutch Reach.

Our bookseller bundles have expanded again! For the kiddos Stacey will send you three middle grade (ages 8-12) paperbacks. They'll be quirky or heartwarming or maybe creepy or maybe esoteric or maybe all of the above! But whatever they are they'll be great books. Kate will send you 3 paperbacks from all over the store. Type a word or phrase in the order comments and Kate will pick out three paperbacks for you. Kate reads widely, but you may especially like her picks if you enjoy slightly-off-kilter fiction, works in translation, poetry, and little books about big landscapes.

Or check out our event for Think Like a Feminist with Carol Hay!

And don't forget to subscribe to our Events Newsletter for the full line up of events coming up, and to our Kids Newsletter for all the latest on events, new books, reviews, and more for young and young-at-heart readers.