All posts by Robin Wood

April Staff Pick: The Creative Act

Sara holding The Creative Act by Rick Rubin

The Creative Act: A Way of Being by Rick Rubin (Penguin Press), picked by our Assistant Manager, Sara

Sara holding The Creative Act by Rick Rubin

With The Creative Act: A Way of Being by Rick Rubin, I found myself going back to it whenever I needed a little inspiration. It is an extraordinary book that captures the practice of creating.

The Creative Act is a collection of short reflections from Rubin’s career as a legendary music productor who is well known for helping artists connect with their own creativity by creating a space where they can offer who they really are to the world. With his own insights from his experiences, the tools he provides is as simple as listening to your own intuition, finding out what works for yourself, and incorporating your own creative routine with habits that include meditating, being in nature and exercises. These insights are then elaborated further in different chapters that are easy to pick up and follow. I read it and listened to the audiobook, which I found relaxing and enjoyable.

One takeaway from the book is that we are all creators of something in our daily lives. It does a great job capturing the sacred practice of trusting one’s own intuition and being free to experiment with finding ways to express yourself. My favorite quote from the book reads, “Look for what you notice but no one else sees.”

When I am not at the bookstore, I enjoy walking the island and taking pictures. This is my way of creating something while also documenting it for memories my own journal that I get to share with friends and family. It’s nothing serious, just a hobby I picked back up during the pandemic that I have grown to love doing. During this process, I allow my mind to wander as I take in the simple act of walking in nature. This book reminded me to touch back on my hobbies and how important it is to have routines and continue to create – or what creating means to me. I have become more mindful as I capture the beauty of what I see in hopes that others can see it too.

Another component that drew me into this book was the cover. It’s the alchemical symbol for the sun which represents life, energy, and spirituality where I found the simplicity of it had so much depth behind it that it made it even more meaningful. Rubin has a minimalist way of living so it only fit that the book would represent this in some way too with keeping everything simple.

Independent Bookstore Day 2024

Independent Bookstore Day 2024 logo

Join us Saturday, April 27, for the biggest indie bookstore party of the year!

Plan to join us or the indie bookstore in your neighborhood on Saturday, April 27 for Independent Bookstore Day. Bookstore Day is a nationwide celebration of what makes indie bookstores special – and of the people who love them.

Here in Key West, expect doughnuts, mimosas, freebies, a couple of raffles, and, of course, the Bookstore Day exclusives. We’ll make exclusive available online after Bookstore Day (if we have any left), but if there’s something you want to make sure and grab, come shop in store or give us a call on Bookstore Day.

Follow our social media to see what the exclusive products will be this year!

Our party will include:

· Doughnuts and mimosas, while supplies last.

· Free book with any purchase plus other assorted freebies.

· Entry into our In-store Basket of Books Raffle with any purchase (must be picked up in-store).

· Entry into our Online & Phone Mystery Box Raffle with any purchase (will ship, U.S. addresses only).

· Plus, watch for a big sale from our audiobook partner, Libro.fm. Check out Libro.fm’s plans for IBD.

And join us for a special event with Lydia Millet, discussing her new book, We Loved it All: A Memory of Life at 6:30PM ET on Sat. the 27th in the Pear House Courtyard at the bookstore. Register in advance to assure attendance.

March Staff Pick: Under the Henfluence

Bookseller Camila with one of her chickens and Under the Henfluence, by Tove Danovich

Under the Henfluence, by Tove Danovich (Agate Midway), picked by Bookseller Camila

Bookseller Camila with one of her chickens and Under the Henfluence, by Tove Danovich

“This book is about chickens, yes, but it is also about how they can change your life if you let them,” Tove Danovich, Under the Henfluence.

It’s March! Spring is in the air and what better way to celebrate the upcoming season, than to immerse yourself in the weird and wonderful world of chickens. Tove’s book (newly released in paperback), Under the Henfluence: Inside the World of Backyard Chickens and the People Who Love Them expertly weaves the history and business of chicken keeping with extensive research and personal anecdotes. Tove not only raises her own backyard flock of chickens, she is a gifted researcher, storyteller, and journalist.

“It’s a mix of stories from my own flock and reporting on chickens as a species which asks the question of what we owe to the animals we’ve tamed,” Tove Danovich.

I have my own backyard flock of hens. They are what you would call “corona chickens,” or chickens purchased during COVID-19 while we were stuck at home with time on our hands. They are our pets that not only provide eggs, they bring us joy, love, and endless entertainment. “When times get tough, as one hatchery employee told me, people turn to chickens.”

I connected with Tove’s personal anecdotes on her experiences with her flock. Her stories were my stories. We shared in the joys and heartbreak that go with loving your flock. It was also fascinating to learn about our 3,000 (plus) years of chicken domestication. She writes about the chicken industry, 4-H clubs, chicken showing, chicken therapy, all the while sharing her personal journey and experiences. While reading this book, I found myself becoming mindful about where we get our eggs and poultry. I learned what “free-range” versus “cage-free” really means, and how terrible the lives of chickens can be in large industrial facilities meant to provide us with eggs and meat. Where we get our food matters. How animals are treated matters.

I laughed, I cried, and I connected with Tove’s informative book about the world of backyard chicken keeping. You don’t need a flock of your own to LOVE this book! You’ll certainly gain an appreciation for our feathered friends and the people that love them!

~ Camila

A Q&A with Bushra Rehman, author of Roses, in the Mouth of a Lion

Bushra Rehman with her book, Roses, in the Mouth of a Lion

We are excited to host Bushra Rehman, author of Roses, in the Mouth of a Lion on Saturday, March 16 at 6:30 at Hugh’s View. Prior to hearing from her in person, we had the opportunity to ask a few questions:

Q: Would you tell us a little about Roses, in the Mouth of a Lion and what you hope readers will get out of it?

A: Roses, in the Mouth of a Lion is a story about female friendship and queer desire in a Pakistani-American community. The main character, Razia grows up amid the wild grape vines and backyard sunflowers of Corona, Queens, with her best friends by her side. As she and her friends get older, they embark on a series of small rebellions: listening to scandalous music, wearing miniskirts, and cutting school to explore the city. 

When Razia is accepted to high school in Manhattan, the gulf between her and her world in Queens, between the person she is and the daughter her parents want her to be widens. At her new school, Razia meets Angela, an Italian-Greek girl, and is attracted to her in a way that blossoms into a new understanding.

Roses, in the Mouth of a Lion is a book for anyone who’s ever had to leave the world they grew up in to be who they needed to be, anyone who’s felt different or struggled with limiting expectations. It’s for those who remember what it was like to be queer and not have the words to express it at first.

Razia is a character I’ve always wanted to see in literature: a young Muslim woman experiencing both her Muslim spirituality and her queer desires. I’ve rarely seen three-dimensional portrayals of us as Muslim women or of our families: our love, resilience, and humor. I hope Roses lessens that void.

Q: For you, as a poet and a fiction writer, what do you feel your work as a poet brings to your fiction?

A: The seed of Roses, in the Mouth of a Lion was a series of poems I wrote about the beauty of Corona. I wanted to share both the danger and the joy of what it felt like to grow up there. As the poems started to become a novel, the character of Razia Mirza emerged. Even when the poems morphed into fiction, I treated each sentence as a line of poetry. This is probably why it took forever to write this book.

Q: Sense of place appears to be incredibly important to your work (the New York Public Library named Corona, your prior novel, one of its favorite books about the city), what do you find yourself noticing or paying attention to about other places as you travel?

A: I love to travel, and I treat all travel like a journey. I love going to oceans, mountains, rivers and forests. When I travel to towns, I love visiting bookstores and public parks.  Wherever I go, I like to spend time walking, observing and journaling. And what I love about Key West is it’s an adventure of a walking island with deep literary history.

Q: And on a similar point, what are you looking forward to doing or seeing in Key West?

A: I’m excited to see the sunsets in Key West, to eat food at local restaurants, to soak in the sunshine (it’s been a grim winter in NY!) and to meet up with old and new friends. I’m so honored and excited to meet readers at Books & Books @ The Studios of Key West and to join in the literary world of Key West.

Thirty years ago, ago, when I was much younger, I used to spend time in Key West with a friends who lived here. I used to get on the Greyhound from NYC! I even wrote a story in which Razia is on the way to Key West. Perhaps this trip will inspire the chapter of what happens next. I’d love to weave in Key West’s distinctive literary history into this story.

Q: Is there anything you’d like to share about works in progress or upcoming publications?

A: I’ve been writing about the adventures of Razia after the ending of Roses. The Key West story is one of these stories. There are also stories that take place at a Puritan village in Salem, Massachusetts, and in the Strand bookstore in NYC. In the Strand story, Razia has just returned to NYC and gets a job at the Strand. The year is 1989 and The Satanic Verses controversy is raging. While other stores stop carrying the book, the Strand continues to sell it. Razia is swept up into protests, counter-protests and debates on freedom of expression that are marred by Islamophobia. She finds solace in her mentors at the Strand, including the iconic bookseller Ben McFall.  

Q: What are you reading and recommending these days?

A: I’m currently reading and recommending Ibtisam Barakat’s A Palestinian Childhood, Kamilah Aisha Moon’s She Has a Name and Starshine & Clay, Noor Hindi’s Dear God. Dear Bones. Dear Yellow, Mosab Abu Toha’s Things You May Find Hidden in My Ear, the collection A Light in Gaza, and Lamya H’s Hijab Butch Blues.

I also love recommending books which influenced me early on: Betty Smith’s A Tree Grows in Brooklyn, Toni Morison’s Song of Solomon, Audre Lorde’s Black Unicorn and Sister Outsider, Vijay Prashad’s Karma of Brown Folk, Sharon Olds’s The Dead and the Living and Satan Says, Dorothy Allison’s Bastard out of Carolina and of course Judy Blume’s books especially, Are You There God? It’s Me, Margaret. I related so much to Margaret who has her own relationship with the divine. I saw myself in her. I hope readers will feel the same about Razia.

March is Women’s History Month

Background is various stylized faces of women with the text overlaid, "March is Women's History Month"

Find books that showcase women’s history online and in store. Here are a few new, recent and notable titles.

The Women by Kristin Hannah

50 Years of Ms. edited by Katherine Spillar

Becoming Ella Fitzgerald: The Jazz Singer Who Transformed American Song by Judith Tick

Good Books for Bad Children: The Genius of Ursula Nordstrom by Beth Kephart, illustrated by Chloe Bristol

The Women of NOW: How Feminists Built an Organization That Transformed America by Katherine Turk

Letters from Cuba by Ruth Behar

The First Ladies by Marie Benedict & Victoria Christopher Murray

Judy Blume Will Curate Baby’s First Library

Do you need a special gift for a new baby, expectant family or toddler? Author and store founder Judy Blume will curate a Starter Library especially for your little one.

She will choose books that she loves and knows your baby or toddler will too. Start by filling out our personalized gift form.

You tell us your price point and we’ll gift wrap and send with a personal note from Judy.

Coming Soon, Pre-order Now

As soon as you see upcoming books getting buzz, you can pre-order them. Buy it while you’re thinking about it and get a happy surprise later. Here are a few books we are looking forward to:

Everyday Ayurveda for Women’s Health: Traditional Wisdom, Recipes, and Remedies for Optimal Wellness, Hormone Balance, and Living Radiantly by Kate O’Donnell, (Photographs by Cara Brostrom)

Find a deeper sense of wellness fueled by self-care, nurturing routines, healing foods, and herbal remedies—for women of any age.

Learn the ancient wisdom of Ayurvedic living through 60+ recipes and practices, including 50+ photos.

The ancient science of Ayurveda brings us back into relationship with the rhythms of our lives, streamlining our daily habits and attuning our activities by time of day and seasons. Everyday Ayurveda for Women’s Health delivers insights into personal health, hormonal balance, and connection to nature, all from the simplest practices: what we eat. 

Food and herbs are medicine for body, mind, and soul. Kate O’Donnell empowers women of any age to become intimate with their body, how it works, how it changes over time, and how to listen to its messages. Her practical guide will inspire you to experience radiant health from the inside out. 

With Everyday Ayurveda for Women’s Health you can:  

  • Reclaim your health by adopting a more healing diet

  • Balance your hormones by choosing foods, herbs, and healing practices that are right for your constitution—60+ recipes, including herbal ghees, shatavari, beneficial oils, and more 

  • Become more luminous and empowered with divine feminine and lunar energy, the subtle body, and more  

  • Understand your current season of life—whether it involves menstruation, pregnancy, infertility, perimenopause, or menopause

The traditional Ayurveda wisdom in this book is accessible for all and will help you navigate any stage of life with grace.

Coming April 23, 2024. Pre-order now.


The Demon of Unrest: A Saga of Hubris, Heartbreak, and Heroism at the Dawn of the Civil War by Erik Larson

The #1 New York Times bestselling author of The Splendid and the Vile brings to life the pivotal five months between the election of Abraham Lincoln and the start of the Civil War—a simmering crisis that finally tore a deeply divided nation in two.

One of Time’s Most Anticipated Books of the Year

On November 6, 1860, Abraham Lincoln became the fluky victor in a tight race for president. The country was bitterly at odds; Southern extremists were moving ever closer to destroying the Union, with one state after another seceding and Lincoln powerless to stop them. Slavery fueled the conflict, but somehow the passions of North and South came to focus on a lonely federal fortress in Charleston Harbor: Fort Sumter.

Master storyteller Erik Larson offers a gripping account of the chaotic months between Lincoln’s election and the Confederacy’s shelling of Sumter—a period marked by tragic errors and miscommunications, enflamed egos and craven ambitions, personal tragedies and betrayals. Lincoln himself wrote that the trials of these five months were “so great that, could I have anticipated them, I would not have believed it possible to survive them.”

At the heart of this suspense-filled narrative are Major Robert Anderson, Sumter’s commander and a former slave owner sympathetic to the South but loyal to the Union; Edmund Ruffin, a vain and bloodthirsty radical who stirs secessionist ardor at every opportunity; and Mary Boykin Chesnut, wife of a prominent planter, conflicted over both marriage and slavery and seeing parallels between them. In the middle of it all is the overwhelmed Lincoln, battling with his duplicitous secretary of state, William Seward, as he tries desperately to avert a war that he fears is inevitable—one that will eventually kill 750,000 Americans.

Drawing on diaries, secret communiques, slave ledgers, and plantation records, Larson gives us a political horror story that captures the forces that led America to the brink—a dark reminder that we often don’t see a cataclysm coming until it’s too late.

Coming April 30, 2024. Pre-order now.


Long Island by Colm Toibin

From the beloved, critically acclaimed New York Times bestselling author comes a spectacularly moving and intense novel of secrecy, misunderstanding, and lovethe story of Eilis Lacey, the complex and enigmatic heroine of Brooklyn, Tóibín’s most popular work twenty years later.

Eilis Lacey is Irish, married to Tony Fiorello, a plumber and one of four Italian American brothers, all of whom live in neighboring houses on a cul-de-sac in Lindenhurst, Long Island, with their wives and children and Tony’s parents, a huge extended family that lives and works, eats and plays together. It is the spring of 1976 and Eilis, now in her forties with two teenage children, has no one to rely on in this still-new country. Though her ties to Ireland remain stronger than those that hold her to her new land and home, she has not returned in decades.

One day, when Tony is at his job and Eilis is in her home office doing her accounting, an Irishman comes to the door asking for her by name. He tells her that his wife is pregnant with Tony’s child and that when the baby is born, he will not raise it but instead deposit it on Eilis’s doorstep. It is what Eilis does—and what she refuses to do—in response to this stunning news that makes Tóibín’s novel so riveting.

Long Island is about longings unfulfilled, even unrecognized. The silences in Eilis’ life are thunderous and dangerous, and there’s no one more deft than Tóibín at giving them language. This is a gorgeous story of a woman alone in a marriage and the deepest bonds she rekindles on her return to the place and people she left behind, to ways of living and loving she thought she’d lost.

Coming May 7, 2024. Pre-order now.


Stolen Pieces by S. K. Golden

OCEAN’S 8 meets Janet Evanovich, this fast-paced crime caper features one badass mother, with a certain set of skills who is forced to come out of retirement to protect her son, and teach a few men a few lessons

Ex-con artist Bee Cardello is going legit. Divorced from her mafia boss husband, she is determined to stay on the straight and narrow. So, when ex-hubby Charlie steals $37.5 million from a dangerous kingpin, who puts out a hit on Bee and her ten-year-old son Oliver, she finds herself pulled back into the life she’s worked so hard to escape.

Part of that old life being one Adam Gage – an old flame and all-round sexy badass who Charlie’s now employed to keep her and Oliver safe . . . well, that’s what he tells her. Bee has been in this game long enough to know that everyone is in it for themselves, and she’d be stupid to trust Adam . . . again.

When Oliver is snatched from right under their noses, rather than risk losing him forever, Bee gathers her old team, dusts off all her old grifting tricks, and comes out of retirement to get her son back

Coming May 7, 2024. Pre-order now.


The Dead Cat Tail Assassins by P. Djèlí Clark

The Dead Cat Tail Assassins are not cats.
Nor do they have tails.

But they are most assuredly dead.

Eveen the Eviscerator is skilled, discreet, professional, and here for your most pressing needs in the ancient city of Tal Abisi. Her guild is strong, her blades are sharp, and her rules are simple. Those sworn to the Matron of Assassins—resurrected, deadly, wiped of their memories—have only three unbreakable vows.

First, the contract must be just. That’s above Eveen’s pay grade.

Second, even the most powerful assassin may only kill the contracted. Eveen’s a professional. She’s never missed her mark.

The third and the simplest: once you accept a job, you must carry it out. And if you stray? A final death would be a mercy. When the Festival of the Clockwork King turns the city upside down, Eveen’s newest mission brings her face-to-face with a past she isn’t supposed to remember and a vow she can’t forget.

Coming August 6, 2024. Pre-order now.

February Staff Pick: The Reformatory

The Reformatory by Tananarive Due (S&S/Saga Press), picked by Bookseller Lori

The Reformatory is a novelized account of the Dozier School and all of the horrors perpetrated against its residents. Set in the time of the Jim Crow south, a 12-year-old boy sentenced to the school finds that his ability to see and speak to ghosts takes him on a dark journey to the true violent history of the school.

A horror masterpiece that will stay with you long after you finish the book.

~ Lori

Ed note: Like horror? Check out this round up of Black Horror.

Black Horror: What Are You Scared Of?

Our Black History Month display features a wide range of books showcasing the diversity of experiences of Black Americans, but riffing off of Lori’s featured staff pick this month, here are some titles to terrify you:

All The Sinners Bleed by S. A. Cosby – This was Lori’s October featured staff pick. Read her review.

Lone Women by Victor LaValle – Out in paper, Feb. 6.

Out There Screaming: An Anthology of New Black Horror, edited by Jordan Peele – If you’re new to the genre, anthologies are a great way to try out a new bunch of authors.

You’re Not Supposed to Die Tonight by Kalynn Bayron – A creepy, fun YA take on a camp slasher.

The Scourge Between Stars by Ness Brown – Horror in space.

The Black Guy Dies First by Robin R. Means Coleman & Mark H. Harris – Nonfiction on Black Horror at the movies.

Sweet & Spicy Reads for Valentine’s Day

Here are a handful of new and favorite Romance books for Valentine’s Day. We have many more in store, ask a bookseller for their favorites!

Enchanted to Meet You by Meg Cabot

Bride by Ali Hazelwood (Feb. 6)

Astrid Parker Doesn’t Fail by Ashley Herring Blake

A River of Golden Bones by A.K. Mulford

Second Chances in New Port Stephen by TJ Alexander

Funny Story by Emily Henry (April 23)