Bookshop.org
Making a differnce one book at a time!
Bookshop.org is making a huge difference for independent bookstores. Founded less than 2 years ago, it is giving bookshops hope for the future. Bookshop.org is an online retail store designed to compete with Amazon and help independent bookstores at the same time. Book buyers can choose to support specific member bookstores or if you don’t choose a particular store, 10% of all profits are divided among participating stores. For Indies that are registered through Bookshop.org, they earn a whopping 25% commission on top of the 10% already allotted to them. It also provides an easy online platform for small bookstores. Rather than stocking a large volume of books and spending precious time and money ordering, storing, and mailing books, Bookshop.org does all the work. There is a catch though, and one you can see coming. In order for Bookshop.org to generously reward member bookstores, it does not discount prices as significantly as an online retailer. Currently, most books are reduced by about 10%. I noticed for many books (especially backlisted titles or those that are on the bestseller list) the price difference is fairly small. Though it costs a few dollars more, it is worth knowing I am supporting a local small business. To me this is a good trade off.
For Northern VA Readers: New Bookstore Alert!
I am excited a new bookstore is open in Leesburg, VA — Birch Tree Books. Ever since moving to Virginia, I have bemoaned living in a book desert. With the exception of thrift shops, there has been nowhere within 30 minutes to browse and buy books. Leah, the owner of Birch Tree Books, is hoping to make her small shop a hub for booklovers. She hosts weekly children’s story time, a monthly book club, and local author events. I have linked books mentioned in this newsletter to Bookshop.org to help Birch Tree Books. I have also been working with Leah to help select books and work on special projects. To find out more follow Birch Tree Books.
Isn’t it the cutest?
Christmasy Reads
If you like to read books with a Christmasy theme, here are some to consider this December:
For Advent: Tsh Oxenreider’s Shadow and Light is a lovely book that provides an overview of Advent as well as short daily readings covering the four weeks leading up to Christmas. If you want to be more spiritually intentional this season, this is a great option.
Fun Family Listen: The Best Christmas Pageant Ever, first published in 1972, is a modern classic for kids. This short but heartwarming story is only an hour in length (audio version) but so much fun. This story about “the worst kids ever” and their part in the Christmas Play reminds me a bit of Mrs Piggle Wiggle crossed with Junie B Jones. A recent discovery, I listened to this on my own before insisting my family all listen as well.
A Christmas Mystery - I Am Half Sick of Shadows is my favorite of Alan Bradley’s Flavia De Luce Series. A film crew descends on the family’s decrepit mansion during the holidays and becomes snow bound. When someone ends up dead, its the perfect country-house mystery. This book has just the right amount of Christmas and danger. If you haven’t read this series, the main protagonist is Flavia De Luce, an eleven year old who loves chemistry and can’t keep herself out of harm’s way.
A Very Cozy Christmas - Winter Solstice by Rosmund Pilcher is a wonderful read this time of year. Set in England and Scotland during the Christmas season, her cast of big-hearted characters and fabulous settings will warm anyone’s heart. If you like found family and happy endings, you are always in good hands with R. Pilcher.
Fans of A Christmas Carol- The Man Who Invented Christmas is a fascinating look at the circumstances around Charles Dickens when he wrote A Chirstmas Carol. It had been a number of years since any of his writings had made money, publishers refused to publish the story and he had to self publish. The book became a huge sensation and is credited with reinvigorating the popularity of Christmas which was only minimally celebrated in England at that time. The author also covers book publishing during this time and Dickens’ life after A Christmas Carol, and would make a great gift or read for his fans.
For the Season rather than the Holiday: One of last year’s surprise bestsellers was a nonfiction book called Wintering. Part memoir and part meditation on facing seasons of struggle (winters) in her life, author Katherine May’s book is wonderful. We all face seasons of wintering - those of grief, loss, illness, etc. Her reflections on her own winters and how she navigates them is beautiful and insightful. I am currently relistening to this quite reflective book and am appreciating it all over again.
And I came across this link of Christmas Book Recommendations.
Bookish Holiday Gifts
You can’t go wrong checking out this list of Bookish gift ideas from my favorite blogger Anne Bogel.
Oprah also has a great list of ideas (of course she does). In recent years I have been gifted a personalized mug, a bookish puzzle, a cozy bookish candle and of course a number of well chosen books. All of which I have enjoyed thouroughly.
Recent Reads
Yippee! I am so thankful that Amor Towles’ new book lives up to my high expectations. I am always a bit nervous when the author of a favorite (in this case, Gentleman In Moscow) publishes a new book. The Lincoln Highway is a joy, filled with lovable but flawed characters at a crossroad in life. A true “journey” novel that takes place over the course of 10 days, the book follows the escapades of brothers Emmet and Billy, and friends Wooley and Duchess. They start out for California but end up taking a lengthy detour. Emmet is trying to follow the straight and narrow to give a foundation for his younger brother Billy. Duchess is on the lookout to improve his life and his friend Wooley will help him get there. He also wants to mete out some much needed justice. There is also a cast of interesting side figures and stories along the way. I don’t want to give away too many details, but this book is a fun read with a perfect balance of plot and character development. Towles is one of a few authors that I believe can be equally enjoyed by men and women. In fact, Steve started this book first and encouraged me to pick it up. Lincoln Highway is the perfect Christmas gift for just about anyone who loves to read.
The second novel in the Thursday Murder Club Mystery series was just published in September. The first book involving four friends in a senior residence home in the UK was a breakout hit last year. I can report that The Man Who Died Twice is even better than the first. The characters are already developed so they can just be themselves while Orsman crafts humorous dialogue and a clever story. The plot revolves around an ex-spouse who can’t be trusted, missing diamonds, and MI5 — but the real focus is the deep friendship between our main characters and two detectives.
Rabbit Cake is a backlisted title that I heard a lot about when it was published in 2017. This story is about grief. Elvis is trying to come to terms with the unexpected death of her mother. Following in her mother’s footsteps, she finds solace in studying animal behavior. Though only ten, she is wise beyond her years while somewhat clueless about the adults around her. Though the youngest in her family, she is trying to keep things running smoothly while her dad disconnects and her sister spins out of control. If you like found family novels and stories involving grief, this is a good pick for you. I don’t want to over emphasize the grief aspect, there is a lot of hope in this book; Elvis’ family genuinely loves each other even though they are each struggling in their own way.
As a mystery lover and someone who occasionally listens to true crime podcasts, I thought The Cold Vanish would be just the thing for me. This book is about the search for missing 20 year old Jacob Gray. A day after he left on a long distance biking trip, his bike and all his gear is found parked on the side of a road in Olympic National Park. This begins Jon Billman’s investigation of what happened to Jacob, as well as examining many other cases of missing persons that have occured in National Parks, US Forests and other government parklands. I had no idea so many people go missing each year and how many of those people become so very lost so quickly. This is not a “crime” book since most have gone missing because of their own misfortune: getting caught in bad weather, becoming lost, not being prepared, stepping off the trails, and so on. Though fascinating and well researched, this book is a bit of a downer. The stories of people found alive are few and far between. As the author joins in the search with Jacob’s father, it becomes clear that the ones left behind suffer the most.