Hello!
Our 2022 calendars are arriving! Oh where, oh where has the time gone? Before we slip quickly into the Fall and Winter months, savor the bounty of our summertime in Wisconsin. Our gardens and farmers markets are bursting and the trails, rivers, and lakes are beckoning!
Our shelves are full of Wisconsin trail, river, and nature guides and beautiful cookbooks to inspire adventures, meals, and ways to preserve the harvest. Stop by to be inspired!
This afternoon at 2:00, Lisa and Daniel will be in conversation with Jennifer Chiaverini to chat about her new book The Women's March, a historical novel about the suffrage movement and the march on Washington the day before Woodrow Wilson's inauguration. It is a rousing story told from the perspective of Alice Paul, Ida B. Wells-Barnett, and Maud Malone. It will be a lively conversation! Register NOW.
Our September Reading from Oconomowakee is a family friendly event with Amy Timberlake, author of Egg Marks the Spot - her new Skunk and Badger book, on September 15 at 2:00pm. Bring the kids, the grandkids, the classroom, or just yourself to fun and entertaining presentation! Register NOW.
And hot of the scheduling press is a bonus Readings from Oconomowaukee with Lauren Fox, author of Send for Me, for September 28, at 2:00pm. We'll talk about Send for Me and lots of other books with avid reader Fox. If you're looking for a delightful hour of conversation and book recommendations, this Readings from Oconomowaukee event is for you.
Next week we are hosting a virtual dance themed story time in partnership with Aspire Dance Center. We will read stories, learn a few dance moves, and make a craft. The take away bag will include supplies for the craft and the books associated with your purchased ticket.
On Sunday, August 29, Books & Company will be closed from 12:30-2:30 for a in-person event with author William Kent Krueger. We are excited to welcome Kent Krueger back to Books & Company for his new novel Lightning Strike, a prequal to the Cork O'Connor series. Register NOW.
August promises to be a month full of reading adventures, whether it is in the kitchen, in a hammock, or on a boat we have you covered!
Cheers and Happy Reading!
Lisa with Katrina, Ken, Chloe, Genavieve, Toni, Kristen, Elisabeth, Beth, Jewell, Lynn, Judy, Sarah, Erica, and Emma
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Current Store Hours
Monday - Friday 9:00 - 7:00 Saturday- Sunday 9:00 - 5:00
Masks are optional if you are vaccinated,
required if you are not.
Curbside pick up and shipping still available.
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JENNIFER CHIAVERINI
in Conversation with
Daniel Goldin & Lisa Baudoin
Thursday, August 5th
2:00 p.m.
Via Zoom
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and receive 20% off list price!
(on sale 7/27/21)
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Tuesday, August 10th
6:30 p.m.
Virtual Zoom Event
Zoom link comes with ticket purchase
Celebrate the power of dance with our special virtual story time, in partnership with Aspire Dance Center! We will be reading two stories about dance and have a demonstration from a real dancer!
Each ticket comes with a Dance Party Take-away bag containing supplies to make a magic dance wand, book(s) associated with the ticket, and your Zoom event link.
Tickets are $12 each
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WILLIAM KENT KRUEGER
Sunday, August 29
1:00 p.m.
Limited seating available-
registration required.
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We are excited to welcome William Kent Krueger back to Books & Company for an in-person event for his new book Lightning Strike, a prequal in the Cork O'Connor series.
Books & Company will close from12:30-2:30 to the public for this event. Our capacity is limited and we want to ensure everyone remains comfortable during the event. Out of caution and with an eye to continuing limited in-person events, we request face masks to be worn during the event.
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AMY TIMBERLAKE
in Conversation with
Daniel Goldin & Lisa Baudoin
Wednesday, September 15th
2:00 p.m.
Via Zoom
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September Readings From Oconomowaukee is a special event with author Amy Timberlake, author of Skunk and Badger! The second book in the series, Skunk and Badger: Egg Marks the Spot, will be discussed by Amy Timberlake with Daniel of Boswell Books and Lisa of Books & Company.
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Wednesday, August 25th
1:00 p.m.
Zoom Meeting
by Robert D. Harris
Wednesday, September 22nd
1:00 p.m.
Zoom Meeting
by Minne Darke
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Wednesday, August 18th
6:30 p.m.
Zoom Meeting
by Samira Ahmed
Wednesday, September 15th
6:30 p.m.
Zoom Meeting
by Nick Lake
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Tuesday, August 24th
6:00 p.m.
Zoom Meeting
by Tim Mason
Tuesday, September 28th
6:00 p.m.
Zoom Meeting
by Halley Sutton
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Sunday, September 26th
3:00 p.m.
Zoom Meeting
by Tom O'Neill
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BOOK RECOMMENDATIONS - hardcover |
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FICTION
New in Hardcover!
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by Alex Michaelides
Edward Fosca is a murderer. Of this Mariana is certain. But Fosca is untouchable. A handsome and charismatic Greek tragedy professor at Cambridge University, Fosca is adored by staff and students alike—particularly by the members of a secret society of female students known as The Maidens. Mariana Andros is a brilliant but troubled group therapist who becomes fixated on The Maidens when one member, a friend of Mariana’s niece Zoe, is found murdered in Cambridge. Bookseller Jewell says" This spooky murder mystery is set at a college in dark academian Cambridge. In a sick combination of Greek mythology, malicious professors, and never-ending lies, Mariana must work to discover who is really tormenting her former campus."
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by Chuck Wendig
Long ago, Nathan lived in a house in the country with his abusive father—and has never told his family what happened there. Long ago, Maddie was a little girl making dolls in her bedroom when she saw something she shouldn’t have—and is trying to remember that lost trauma by making haunting sculptures. Long ago, something sinister, something hungry, walked in the tunnels and the mountains and the coal mines of their hometown in rural Pennsylvania. Now, Nate and Maddie Graves are married, and they have moved back to their hometown with their son, Oliver. And now what happened long ago is happening again and it is happening to Oliver. Bookseller Ken read and enjoyed this creepy novel!
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by Willa C. Richards
Bookseller Katrina says "During the brutal summer of 1991 in Milwaukee, a young woman disappears. This is completely overshadowed by the high counts of missing young men and the discoveries inside the apartment of Jeffery Dahmer. While Dahmer is sensationalized, Peg and her family receive little to no help searching for the missing Dee. Peg spirals down, down, down and though she may be the only one with clues to her sister Dee's disappearance, she can't quite get to them or share them with anyone else. A dark story of grief and memories, and why we keep holding onto the tarnished sliver of hope even when it seems that our whole world has turned bleak and cold."
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Preorder a signed copy of the new novel by Jodi Picoult- Wish You Were Here- a deeply moving novel about the resilience of the human spirit in a moment of crisis.
on sale 11/30/2021
*while supplies last
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NONFICTION
New in Hardcover!
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by Winifred Gallagher
Winifred Gallagher brings to life the riveting history of the little-known women--the White, Black, and Asian settlers, and the Native Americans and Hispanics they displaced--who played monumental roles in one of America's most transformative periods. Like western history in general, the record of women's crucial place at the intersection of settlement and suffrage has long been overlooked. Drawing on an extraordinary collection of research, Gallagher weaves together the striking legacy of the persistent individuals who played a vital, unrecognized role in the women's rights movement and forever redefined the American woman.
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by Catherine Raven
When Catherine Raven finished her PhD in biology, she built herself a tiny cottage on an isolated plot of land in Montana. She was as emotionally isolated as she was physically, but she viewed the house as a way station, a temporary rest stop. Then one day she realized that the mangy-looking fox she'd seen on her property was now showing up every afternoon at 4:15 p.m. She brought out her camping chair, sat as close to him as she dared, and began reading to him from The Little Prince. From the fox, she learned the single most important thing about loneliness: we are never alone when we are connected to the natural world.
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by Kristen Radtke
There is a silent epidemic in America: loneliness. Shameful to talk about and often misunderstood, loneliness is everywhere, from the most major of metropolises to the smallest of towns. In Seek You, Kristen Radtke's wide-ranging exploration of our inner lives and public selves, Radtke digs into the ways in which we attempt to feel closer to one another, and the distance that remains. Through the lenses of gender and violence, technology and art, Radtke ushers us through a history of loneliness and longing, and shares what feels impossible to share.
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BOOK RECOMMENDATIONS - paperback |
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FICTION
Now in Paperback!
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by Lisa Unger
Selena Murphy is commuting home on the train when she strikes up a conversation with a beautiful stranger in the next seat. The woman introduces herself as Martha and soon confesses that she's been stuck in an affair with her boss. Selena, in turn, confesses that she suspects her husband is sleeping with the nanny. When the train arrives at Selena's station, the two women part ways, presumably never to meet again. Then the nanny disappears. Bookseller Judy says "Two women, each with a personal crisis that has taken on a life of its own. How can they help each other? Can they? Will they? A taut, fast paced, jaw dropping book that kept me guessing until the end!"
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by Peter Geye
Bookseller Kristen says "Northernmost brings us the story of the original Odd Einar Eide, whom I've wondered about ever since I read The Lighthouse Road, and the story of his great great great granddaughter Greta. Once again Mr. Geye has me entranced by his landscapes and family stories. I feel tied to the characters in the Eide family and I also feel drawn to visit Northern Minnesota and Norway because of the beautiful descriptions. The word choice and flow to the storytelling suck you in and cause you to stay up well past your bedtime. If you love tender family stories and/or stories with a strong sense of place then this book is one to get."
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by Charlotte McConaghy
Franny Stone has always been the kind of woman who is able to love but unable to stay. Leaving behind everything but her research gear, she arrives in Greenland with a singular purpose: to follow the last Arctic terns in the world on what might be their final migration to Antarctica. Franny talks her way onto a fishing boat, and she and the crew set sail, traveling ever further from shore and safety. But as Franny’s history begins to unspool, it becomes clear that she is chasing more than just the birds. Bookseller Sarah says "Have you ever read a book that broke you? No? Well, read this one with tissues nearby... Heartbreaking and beautiful- a truly stunning book!"
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NONFICTION
Now in Paperback!
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by Martha Ackmann
On August 3, 1845, young Emily Dickinson declared, “All things are ready” and with this resolute statement, her life as a poet began. Despite spending her days almost entirely “at home” (the occupation listed on her death certificate), Dickinson’s interior world was extraordinary. She loved passionately, was hesitant about publication, embraced seclusion, and created 1,789 poems that she tucked into a dresser drawer. Martha Ackmann unravels the mysteries of Dickinson’s life through ten decisive episodes that distill her evolution as a poet.
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by Sarah Stewart Johnson
Johnson's fascination with Mars began as a child in Kentucky, turning over rocks with her father and looking at planets in the night sky. She now conducts fieldwork in some of Earth's most hostile environments, such as the Dry Valleys of Antarctica and the salt flats of Western Australia, developing methods for detecting life on other worlds. Here, with poetic precision, she interlaces her own personal journey--as a female scientist and a mother--with tales of other seekers.
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by Rachel Cohen
In the turbulent period around the birth of her first child and the death of her father, Rachel Cohen turned to Jane Austen to make sense of her new reality. For Cohen, simultaneously grief-stricken and buoyed by the birth of her daughter, reading Austen became her refuge and her ballast. She was able to reckon with difficult questions about mourning, memorializing, living in a household, paying attention to the world, reading, writing, and imagining through Austen’s novels.
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BOOK RECOMMENDATIONS - kids/teen |
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by Gracey Zhang
Oh, there goes Lala! She carries a pot of water around the corner, down the block, and over the fence, to a patch of dirt and concrete where tiny weeds sprout. "Hello, hello, friends!" she whispers. Lala waters the plants every day, but it is her kind words that make them sway and nod.
Lala's wild nature and quiet compassion enchant in this evergreen story about the power of kind words and the magic of being loved for who you are.
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by Patricia MacLachlan
In this moving evocation of love and loss by a Newbery Medalist, a grieving boy remembers his grandfather by thinking of the hobby they shared. Milo's grandfather is fascinated with birds. He can't see like he used to, so Milo helps him spot and take care of some of his favorites: hovering Kestrels, fragile Chickadees, and the soaring Bald Eagle. One day when Milo comes home, Grandpa isn't there, but when he sees a Bald Eagle swoop through the sky above, he knows Grandpa got his wish of being reborn in the skies.
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by Margaret Cardillo
A fun and educational picture book about all the real jobs dogs can have! Have you ever wondered what dogs do all day when their people leave for school or their jobs? What if they went to work, too? This clever picture book describes all the real jobs that dogs do. From a therapy dog to a mayor dog and even a lobster-diving dog, the possibilities will surprise you!
But, of course, there is one job that dogs love more than any other: being a best friend.
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by Gordon Korman
Link, Michael, and Dana live in a quiet town. But it's woken up very quickly when someone sneaks into school and vandalizes it with a swastika. Nobody can believe it. How could such a symbol of hate end up in the middle of their school? Who would do such a thing?
The mystery deepens as more swastikas begin to appear. Some students decide to fight back and start a project to bring people together instead of dividing them further. The closer Link, Michael, and Dana get to the truth, the more there is to face-not just the crimes of the present, but the crimes of the past.
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by Greg Van Eekhout
Jake Wind is trying to stay under the radar. Whose radar? Anyone who might be too interested in the fact that he has shapeshifting abilities he can’t control. Or that his parents found him as a ball of goo when he was a baby. Keeping his powers in check is crucial, though, if he wants to live a normal life and go to middle school instead of being homeschooled (and if he wants to avoid being kidnapped and experimented on, of course). Things feel like they’re going his way when he survives his first day of school without transforming and makes a new friend.
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by Cynthia Rylant
From Newbery Medalist Cynthia Rylant comes the sweet and resonant follow-up to the critically acclaimed Rosetown, continuing the story of nine-year-old Flora Smallwood’s life in quiet Rosetown, Indiana. It's August. Ten-year-old Flora is having a calm and busy summer filled with old friends and new projects, dear pets, and, of course, many hours at her favorite place: Wings and a Chair Used Books. It is her constant and her comfort. But change may be ahead for Wings and a Chair, and Flora is uneasy about what it will bring. Bookseller Chloe loved the first book in this charming series!
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by Geraldine McCaughrean
Every summer Quill and his friends are put ashore on a remote sea stac to hunt birds. But this summer, no one arrives to take them home. Surely nothing but the end of the world can explain why they’ve been abandoned—cold, starving and clinging to life, in the grip of a murderous ocean. How will they survive such a forsaken place of stone and sea? Bookseller Ken recommended this novel in a previous Book Group newsletter and says "I was deeply moved by this book. I could feel the rush of the waves, hear the squawking of the birds and smell the ever present ocean. Lives are changed forever in this novel."
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by Jessica Goodman
Stella and Ellie Steckler are only a year apart, but their different personalities make their relationship complicated. Stella is single-minded, driven, and she keeps to herself. Cross-country running is her life and she won't let anything get in the way of being the best. Her sister Ellie is a talented runner too, but she also lets herself have fun. With regionals approaching and college scouts taking notice, the pressure is on. Each girl has their future on the line and they won't let friendships get in their way. But when the new girl Mila goes out on a training run and never returns, no one knows what happened- but all eyes are on the Steckler sisters.
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by T.J. Klune
Flash Fire is the explosive sequel to The Extraordinaries! Through bravery, charm, and an alarming amount of enthusiasm, Nick landed himself the superhero boyfriend of his dreams. Now instead of just writing stories about him, Nick actually gets to kiss him. On the mouth. A lot. But having a superhero boyfriend isn’t everything Nick thought it would be—he’s still struggling to make peace with his own lack of extraordinary powers. When new Extraordinaries begin arriving in Nova City, it’s up to Nick and his friends Seth, Gibby, and Jazz to determine who is virtuous and who is villainous.
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Upcoming events from our friends at Boswell Book Company! |
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Virtual Author Event
Andrea Bartz,
In Conversation with Jennifer Hillier
Monday, August 9th, 7:00 pm
Elm Grove Public Library and Boswell present Milwaukee-area native Andrea Bartz, author of The Lost Night and The Herd for an event featuring her latest thriller, a novel that travels from Milwaukee to Cambodia for a backpacking trip with deadly consequences.
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Virtual Event
in Conversation with Chris Herring
Tuesday, August 10th, 7:00 pm
Boswell Book Company presents a virtual event with sports writer Mirin Fader for a discussion of her new book, which charts the inspiring story of Giannis Antetokounmpo and his rise to superstardom. In conversation with Chris Herring, Senior Writer for Sports Illustrated.
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Support Books & Company with your audiobook purchases this summer and play Libro.fm Audiobook Bingo! You’ll earn a free audiobook for calling bingo and a chance at the grand prize: a year’s supply of audiobooks!
--Download the bingo card
--Track and share your progress with #SummerListeningChallenge
--Submit your completed bingo!
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