Wellesley Books Newsletter February 7th, 2024

Where did January go? Time flies just like books off of our shelves! February is Black History Month and our kid's department has a collection of books from Black authors and illustrators, across all genres and age groups. Come browse and find old favorites or exciting new titles to add to your library at home.

Upcoming Events

TOMORROW

Thursday, February 8th at 7 PM (in-person)

Margot Livesey, author of The Boy in the Field and The Flight of Gemma Hardy, joins us to discuss her new novel, The Road from Belhaven, about a young woman whose gift of second sight complicates her coming of age in late-nineteenth-century Scotland.

"Margot Livesey is an incandescent writer, generous and graceful, always imbuing her characters with astonishing humanity and grace. I love all Livesey’s books, but The Road From Belhaven has become my new favorite; I felt so deeply for Lizzie that I worried about her fate with the same love and indignation and hope I would have for a flesh-and-blood friend of my youth. This book is a cold, clear, perfect lake."

–Lauren Groff, author of The Vaster Wilds

RSVP here

Thursday, February 22nd at 7 PM (in-person)

Award-winning journalist Meg Kissinger discusses her powerful and insightful memoir, While You Were Out: An Intimate Family Portrait of Mental Illness in an Era of Silence. Meg will be in conversation with Paul Summergrad, M.D., Professor of Psychiatry and Medicine at Tufts University School of Medicine and Tufts Medical Center.

While You Were Out begins as the personal story of one family’s struggles then opens outward, as Kissinger details how childhood tragedy catalyzed a journalism career focused on exposing our country’s flawed mental health care. Combining the intimacy of memoir with the rigor of investigative reporting, the book explores the consequences of shame, the havoc of botched public policy, and the hope offered by new treatment strategies.

RSVP here

Bookseller Recommendations

Sarah recommends: The Berry Pickers by Amanda Peters

This is one of my top books from 2023! An indigenous family from Nova Scotia travels to Maine every summer to harvest blueberries, but when the main character's sister goes missing during a pick, the family must leave without their daughter and live with her absence-- especially Joe, her older brother. Told through the perspective of Joe and a second character named Norma, this book is full of emotion and questions what it means to inherit memories from your family (and what to do with them after). The tension between Joe and Norma, characters who have never met but seem destined to, propelled me through this novel!

Ashleigh recommends: Everyone On This Train is a Suspect by Benjamin Stevenson

Another hit by this funny and creative author and his leading man Ernie. Stuck on a train in the middle of Australia, authors start dying. Can a group of crime writers solve the mystery? A delight to read or listen to on Libro.fm.

Lorna recommends: The Mystery Guest by Nita Prose

The Mystery Guest is the sequel to The Maid. If you haven't read The Maid stop what you're doing right now and read it. If you have, then you will thoroughly enjoy this sequel. It picks up the main character's story where readers left off, working at the hotel and enjoying the comforts of new friends...But a mysterious death gets her tangled up in trying to solve the case. The set up to this novel is clever and interesting, and leads you into learning more about the character's relationship with her nemesis from the first book.

New in Hardcover

Andrew Ewell

Francis Spufford

Paul Theroux

Kristin Hannah

The Year of the Locust

Terry Hayes

Float Up, Sing Down Laird Hunt

Click here for more new hardcovers!

New in Paperback

The Blackhouse

Carole Johnstone

All the Knowledge in the World

Simon Garfield

The House of Eve

Sadeqa Johnson

The Diary Keepers

Nina Siegal

The Dirty Tricks Department

John Lisle

Maame

Jessica George

Click here for more new paperbacks!

Bookseller Recommendations for Young Readers

Lia recommends:

What Goes on Inside a Beaver Pond? by Becky Cushing Gop

Oh, my! One of my favorite adult books is Eager: The Surprising, Secret Life of Beavers and Why They Matter and here is a fabulous, fascinating nonfiction book for children on all things beaver! Gorgeous full page color illustrations enhance the lively narrative of the life and journey of a young beaver, expertly told by Massachusetts author, Becky Cushing Gop, regional Director of Mass Audubon.

New Books for Kids

City Spies Book 5: Mission Manhattan

James Ponti

Drawing Deena

Hena Khan

Amulet Book 9: Waverider

Kazu Kibushi

New Books for Young Adults

ASAP

Axie Oh

How the Boogeyman Became a Poet

Tony Keith Jr.

Bloodmarked

Tracy Deonn

Click here for more new kids' & YA!

Kids' Book Subscriptions

A Child's Library and Middle-Grade Monthly are our two book subscriptions for children aged 0-5 and 8-12, respectively. Each month, Lauren and Kali select a newly-published picture book or middle-grade novel. Subscriptions can be purchased on a month-to-month basis, or for a year, and may be shipped to the child's home or picked up in-store. They make a great gift! Our February selections are The Last Stand by Antwan Eady, Jerome and Jarrett Pumphrey and The World Famous Nine by Ben Guterson and Kristina Kister. Please click on the covers for more information.

In the Gift Department

Come and get a tasty snack! Staff approved, Poppy's Hand-Crafted Popcorn comes in Dill Pickle, Mexican Street Corn, and Mediterranean Herb flavors. Just one bag won't last you long so try them all!

What We're Reading Now

Geoff

Rebecca

Sally

Pub 4/23/24

Catherine

Infectious Generosity

Liz

Dust Off the Bones

Jerry

Mercury

Shanna

Most Ardently

Kali

House of Flame and Shadow

Ashleigh

Dog of the Week

Josie

Josie is an 8 year old poodle who looks very fashionable in bows! She loves coming to Wellesley to shop, since there are many stores that allow dogs (and give cookies). She is vocal and chatty and will give good book recommendations.