Fiction, Historical

Bloomsbury Girls by Natalie Jenner

The Jane Austen Society #2 To say I pestered our sales rep endlessly for a manuscript of Bloomsbury Girls would be an understatement. As soon as I knew it was coming (summer 2020 when I did a virtual event with Natalie for the bookstore) I asked at least biweekly when I would be allowed to… Continue reading Bloomsbury Girls by Natalie Jenner

Fantasy, Fiction, Historical

When Women Were Dragons by Kelly Barnhill

I love all things pertaining to dragons and I was immediately sucked in by the description of When Women Were Dragons. I'd heard wonderful things about Kelly's middle grade novels and her first adult novel certainly did not disappoint. Synopsis From the publisher marketing:Alex Green is a young girl in a world much like ours,… Continue reading When Women Were Dragons by Kelly Barnhill

Biography, Nonfiction

The Kennedy Heirs by J. Randy Taraborrelli

John, Caroline, and the New Generation: A Legacy of Triumph and Tragedy In addition to being an Anglophile royalist, I also enjoy keeping up with our own "American Royalty," the Kennedys. While I've learned quite a bit about Joe Jr., JFK, RFK, Kick, Ted, Eunice, Pat, Jean, and Rosemary, I wanted to learn more about… Continue reading The Kennedy Heirs by J. Randy Taraborrelli

Fiction, Historical

Lessons in Chemistry by Bonnie Garmus

I read this book in September of last year when I was in a "mid-century feminist fiction" mood and had just finished The Kitchen Front and Bloomsbury Girls and was looking for a book with a similar feel. This one had just come across my desk from the publisher and I hungrily devoured it in… Continue reading Lessons in Chemistry by Bonnie Garmus

Contemporary, Fiction

Home or Away by Kathleen West

Every season I peruse thousands upon thousands of titles from all the major publishers, and some smaller ones, to decide which books to bring into the store. In the 6 years that I've been the adult book buyer, I have never come across an adult book featuring women hockey players. Not once. Never. And if… Continue reading Home or Away by Kathleen West

Book Club, History, Nonfiction

Black Flags, Blue Waters by Eric Jay Dolin

The Epic History of America's Most Notorious Pirates As a well known lover of pirates, this book had been on my TBR for quite some time. When Nonfiction Book Club was disappointed by the lack of pirateyness in The Last Pirate of New York, I suggested we read this real pirate book! Synopsis From the… Continue reading Black Flags, Blue Waters by Eric Jay Dolin

Book Club, History, Nonfiction, STEM

The Disappearing Spoon by Sam Kean

And Other True Tales of Madness, Love, and the History of the World from the Periodic Table of the Elements This was one of my selections for Nonfiction Book Club! Continuing on my obsession with radiation and chemistry, it was a most enthralling read. Synopsis From the publisher marketing:From New York Times bestselling author Sam Kean comes… Continue reading The Disappearing Spoon by Sam Kean

Diary of a Bookseller

International Women’s Day 2022: #BreakTheBias

Today is International Women's Day - a global day celebrating the social, economic, cultural, and political achievements of women. The day also marks a call to action for accelerating women's equality (definition from the IWD website). Each year there is a theme to International Women's Day and this year's theme is Break the Bias. As… Continue reading International Women’s Day 2022: #BreakTheBias