BOOK GROUP NEWSLETTER
JULY 2023
As Cole Porter said in a song from his musical KISS ME, KATE...."It's too darned hot!"  I've disliked hot weather since I was a kid. The older I get, the sweatier I become. Oof!  

When I was growing up in the 50s and the 60s my family didn't have air conditioning. We had several fans, but I don't remember them doing much good.  

Back then, If you came into my house on a particularly hot day you'd find my father sitting in his boxer shorts in his favorite chair snoring the heat away. My mother would be sitting on the sofa fanning herself with her latest copy of Redbook or Ladies Home Journal. And I'd be propped against the sofa as close as I could get to the side porch screen door, hoping to catch a wafting breeze. I'm not even sure if breezes wafted back then.

There were times when the heat was so oppressive that my mother would say, "Kenny, you're not sleeping upstairs tonight!" (Yes, my upstairs bedroom was a sauna) "You're going to sleep in the back room!" So she and I would trudge up the stairs and grab my mattress and finagle it down the steps. Crash! Boom! Thump! Thump! Thump! and give it a toss into the back room. As Opie Taylor from the ANDY GRIFFITH SHOW would say, "That's adventure sleeping!"

I don't know if any of you did any "adventure sleeping" during the latest hot spell. But I know you've been reading. After all, you can escape into your book and forget about the 90 degree weather. Besides, I'll bet you have air conditioning....and a fan or two.  

I've selected four books that have a summer feel to them. They're light, lively, and fun.  


Have a great July and Happy Reading!
Ken
by Mike Gayle

The author of ALL THE LONELY PEOPLE comes up with another excellent novel. Shortly after her mother dies, Jess is cleaning out her mom's house when she comes across an old set of encyclopedias. Yes, the books are outdated and ready to be recycled, but to Jess they represent the future that her mother always wanted her to have. They're the last connection she has with her mother. Jess discovers a place called THE MUSEUM OF ORDINARY PEOPLE online where she takes the encyclopedias. The museum is housed in an old rundown Victorian warehouse. Jess soon finds herself its official custodian, along with the warehouse's mysterious owner. This is a thought-provoking story of memory and loss, of the things we leave behind, and the future we create for ourselves. Booklist says, "moving and heartwarming, this is a story about love and loss and holding onto the memories that make us who we are. Fans of the character-driven relationship fiction by Claire Pooley, Rachel Joyce, and Freya Sampson will want to pick this one up." 
by Katherine Center

I was totally enchanted with this great novel. Actually, it's my favorite of the four novels I've chosen this month.  Hannah Brooks is an Executive Protection Agent (a.k.a. "bodyguard"), and she just got hired to protect superstar actor Jack Stapleton from his middle-aged, corgi-breeding stalker. When Jack's mom gets sick, he goes home to the family's Texas ranch to help out. Only one catch: He doesn't want his family to know about his stalker. Or the bodyguard thing. And so Hannah--against her will and better judgment--finds herself pretending to be Jack's girlfriend as a cover. Even though her ex says no one will believe it. Author Emily Henry calls the novel "as funny and sweet as all the very best nineties rom-coms, but with Center's signature heart-tugging depth. A shot of pure joy." Author Susan Mallery says THE BODYGUARD is "an irresistible, delightful, perfect read. Clear the calendar, settle in your favorite chair, and enjoy every amazing word. Then tell your boss you're going to need the next day off, because you're going to want to read it again."
by Viola Shipman

Set in a small town (hence the title) in Northern Michigan and written by Wade Rouse (pen name Viola Shipman), this novel is all about cherry pit spitting, summertime on Lake Michigan, and eighty-year-old Mary Jackson who has owned the Very Cherry General Store for years. Cherry Mary runs this community hub---part post office, bakery and sandwich shop. Into her life comes Becky Thatcher, a city woman, who has come to Good Hart on vacation. Bursting with memorable characters and small town lore this new novel from Rouse is a magical story about the family you're born with, and the one you choose. Author Robyn Carr calls the book, "a heartwarming story of determination, inspiration and creating your own destiny." Author Heather Webber says the novel is "full of summertime delight... and sweet, nostalgic charm. It's a beautiful reminder to fully embrace the magic that lives inside you."
by Marie Bostwick

When Esme Cahill loses her publishing job in New York, she journeys to her family's fishing retreat near the Biltmore Mansion in Asheville, North Carolina at the request of her late grandmother. There Esme discovers the once charming lakeside retreat run by her family is sliding toward financial ruin, so with the help of her grandfather George; estranged mother, Robyn; and a traveling chef, Dawes (maker of the world's best grilled cheese sandwich), they set to work. During the exploration of the attic, Esme unearths something magical: a trove of museum-worthy art quilts sewn by her grandmother. Piecing together the inspiration behind the quilts, Esme discovers a forgotten chapter in her family history and her grandmother's untold story of a gifted artist who never received her due. Author Kristy Woodson Harvey says, "Marie Bostwick wows with this wise, warm-hearted novel about taking risks, chasing dreams, and finding solace in places you love most." 
BOOKS & COMPANY BOOK GROUPS
Open to the Public
Wednesday, July 26th
1:00 p.m.
in person at Books & Co.
by Elizabeth Letts
Registration required-
limited seating available



Wednesday, August 23rd
1:00 p.m.
in person at Books & Co.
by Doug Tallamy
Registration required-
limited seating available
link to come
Wednesday, July 19th
6:00 p.m.
in person at Books & Co.
by Joanna Ruth Meyer


No registration required for PRADAS book group meetings.


Wednesday, August 16th
6:30 p.m.
in person at Books & Co.
by Sabaa Tahir
Tuesday, July 25th
4:00 p.m.
in person at Books & Co.
by Stuart Turton


No registration required for Mystery book group meetings.


Tuesday, August 22nd
4:00 p.m.
in person at Books & Co.
by Carol Goodman
UPCOMING EVENTS!

KATHLEEN ERNST

Tuesday, July 11
6:30 p.m.
Books & Company 
Join us in welcoming author Kathleen Ernst back to Books & Company for a lovely evening event centered around her new novel- the second Hanneke Bauer mystery, The Solace of Stars.








KRISTINE HANSEN

Thursday, August 17
2:00 p.m.
Books & Company 

JENNIFER CHIAVERINI

Thursday, August 17th
6:00 p.m.
Oconomowoc Public Library 
 Join us for a lovely evening at the Oconomowoc Public Library with author Jennifer Chiaverini for her new book Canary Girls- a lively and illuminating novel about the "munitionettes" who built bombs in Britain's arsenals during World War I, risking their lives for the war effort and discovering camaraderie and courage on the soccer pitch.

This free event is sponsored by the Oconomowoc Woman's Club and co-hosted with Books & Company. 

WILLIAM KENT KRUEGER

Friday, September 22nd
7:00 p.m. 
at the Sharon Lynne Wilson Center
Dawes Studio Theater 
3270 Mitchell Park Dr, Brookfield, WI 53045 
 
 
Join Boswell Book Company and Books & Company for a lovely evening with author William Kent Krueger for his new novel The River We Remember at the Sharon Lynne Wilson Center for the Arts.