All posts by Emily Berg

Reader Meet Writer – Virtual Event with TJ KLUNE

May 15, 2020
by Emily Berg

Let us deliver authors to your living room.

TJ KLUNE – THE EXTRAORDINARIES [order here]
THURSDAY JUNE 11th at 4PM EDT

The next author in the Reader Meet Writer series is TJ Klune.  You may have read Kune’s earlier work: THE HOUSE IN THE CERULEAN SEA and others.

TJ Klune will be talking with us THURSDAY JUNE 11th at 4PM EDT about his newest book THE EXTRAORDINARIES and answering your questions.  TJ is one of many authors we’ll be bringing into your living room.

TJ KLUNE is a Lambda Literary Award-winning author (Into This River I Drown) and an ex-claims examiner for an insurance company. His novels include the Green Creek series, The House on the Cerulean Sea and The Exraordinaries. Being queer himself, TJ believes it’s important—now more than ever—to have accurate, positive, queer representation in stories.

The Extraordinaries is Klune’s YA debut, a queer coming-of-age story about a fanboy with ADHD and the heroes he loves. Nick Bell? Not extraordinary. But being the most popular fanfiction writer in the Extraordinaries fandom is a superpower, right? After a chance encounter with Shadow Star, Nova City’s mightiest hero (and Nick’s biggest crush), Nick sets out to make himself extraordinary. And he’ll do it with or without the reluctant help of Seth Gray, Nick’s best friend (and maybe the love of his life).

The House in the Cerulean Sea is an enchanting love story, masterfully told, about the profound experience of discovering an unlikely family in an unexpected place—and realizing that family is yours.

Linus Baker is a by-the-book case worker in the Department in Charge of Magical Youth. He’s tasked with determining whether six dangerous magical children are likely to bring about the end of the world. Arthur Parnassus is the master of the orphanage. He would do anything to keep the children safe, even if it means the world will burn. And his secrets will come to light.

To attend please RSVP here

You can also RSVP by emailing booksandbooks@tskw.org with the subject line “RSVP for TJ KLUNE”

Attendance is limited.

If you elect to attend, we will email you on Thursday morning (6/11) with the link to attend this virtual event, plus the link to purchase books.  If you purchase the book through our website we will automatically send you the login information you need to join the event. If you ordered by phone please RSVP above.  

Happy Reading!

Reader Meet Writer – Virtual Event with LISA WINGATE

May 7, 2020
by Emily Berg

Let us deliver authors to your living room.

Lisa Wingate – THE BOOK OF LOST FRIENDS [order here]
THURSDAY MAY 28th at 7PM EDT

The next author in the Reader Meet Writer series is Lisa Wingate.  You may have read Wingate’s earlier works: BEFORE WE WERE YOURS, BEFORE AND AFTER, TENDING ROSES and others.

Lisa Wingate will be talking with us THURSDAY MAY 28th at 7PM EDT about her newest book THE BOOK OF LOST FRIENDS and answering your questions.  Lisa is one of many authors we’ll be bringing into your living room.

This new novel inspired by historical events and brings to life heart-wrenching stories from actual “Lost Friends” advertisements that appeared in Southern newspapers amidst the destruction of the post-Civil War South, as freed slaves desperately searched for loved ones.

Wingate is a former journalist, an inspirational speaker, and the author of numerous novels, including the #1 New York Times bestseller Before We Were Yours, which has sold more than 2.2 million copies. The co-author, with Judy Christie, of the nonfiction book, Before and After, Wingate is a two-time ACFW Carol Award winner, a Christy Award nominee, an Oklahoma Book Award finalist, and a Southern Book Prize winner. She lives with her husband in North Texas.

To attend please RSVP here

You can also RSVP by emailing booksandbooks@tskw.org with the subject line “RSVP for LISA WINGATE”

Attendance is limited.

If you elect to attend, we will email you on Thursday morning (5/28) with the link to attend this virtual event, plus the link to purchase books.  If you purchase the book through our website we will automatically send you the login information you need to join the event. If you ordered by phone please RSVP above.  

Happy Reading!

Reader Meet Writer – Virtual event with KRISTEN ARNETT

May 6, 2020
by Emily Berg

Let us deliver authors to your living room.

Kristen Arnett – MOSTLY DEAD THINGS [order here]
FRIDAY MAY 15th at 3PM EDT

The next author in the Reader Meet Writer series is Kristen Arnett. You may have read Arnett’s other works in The New York Times, North American Review, The Normal School, Gulf Coast, TriQuarterly, Guernica, Buzzfeed, Electric Literature, McSweeneys, PBS Newshour, Bennington Review, The Guardian, Salon, The Rumpus, and elsewhere

Kristen Arnett will be talking with us FRIDAY MAY 15th at 3PM EDT about her bestselling book MOSTLY DEAD THINGS and answering your questions.  Kristen is one of many authors we’ll be bringing into your living room.

Kristen Arnett is a queer fiction and essay writer. She won the 2017 Coil Book Award for her debut short fiction collection, Felt in the Jaw, and was awarded Ninth Letter’s 2015 Literary Award in Fiction. Her debut novel, MOSTLY DEAD THINGS , is now available in paperback from Tin House. She lives in Florida. Follow her on Twitter @Kristen_Arnett.

To attend please RSVP here

You can also RSVP by emailing booksandbooks@tskw.org with the subject line “RSVP for KRISTEN ARNETT”

Attendance is limited.

If you elect to attend, we will email you on the morning of the event (5/15) with the link to attend this virtual event, plus the link to purchase books.  If you purchase the book through our website we will automatically send you the login information you need to join the event. If you ordered by phone please RSVP above.  

Happy Reading!

Reader Meet Writer – Virtual Event with MARY KAY ANDREWS

May 6, 2020
by Emily Berg

Let us deliver authors to your living room.

Mary Kay Andrews – HELLO, SUMMER [order here]
TUESDAY MAY 12th at 5PM EDT

The next author in the Reader Meet Writer series is Mary Kay Andrews.  You may have read Andrew’s earlier works: THE WEEKENDERS, BEACH TOWN, LADIES’ NIGHT, SUMMER RENTAL, DEEP DISH and others.

Mary Kay Andrew will be talking with us TUESDAY MAY 12th at 5PM EDT about her newest book HELLO, SUMMER and answering your questions.  Mary Kay is one of many authors we’ll be bringing into your living room.

Mary Kay Andrews is the New York Times bestselling author of 24 novels. A native of St. Petersburg, Florida, she received a B.A. in journalism from The University of Georgia and was a newspaper reporter for 14 years. The last ten years of her career were spent as a features reporter for The Atlanta Journal-Constitution.

She is married to her high school sweetheart, Tom Trocheck, with whom she has a 40-year (and counting) collaboration yielding two grown children, two adorable grandchildren and countless memorable kitchen experiences.

To attend please RSVP here

You can also RSVP by emailing booksandbooks@tskw.org with the subject line “RSVP for MARY KAY ANDREWS”

Attendance is limited.

If you elect to attend, we will email you on Tuesday morning (5/12) with the link to attend this virtual event, plus the link to purchase books.  If you purchase the book through our website we will automatically send you the login information you need to join the event. If you ordered by phone please RSVP above.  

Happy Reading!

Reader Meet Writer – Virtual Event with GENEVIEVE HUDSON

May 3, 2020
by Emily Berg

Let us deliver authors to your living room.

Did you miss the event with Genevieve Hudson? Watch the replay here.

Genevieve Hudson – BOYS OF ALABAMA [order here]
TUESDAY MAY 26th at 5PM EDT

The next author in the Reader Meet Writer series is Genevieve Hudson. You may have read Hudson’s earlier works: ​A LITTLE IN LOVE WITH EVERYONE​ (2018), and ​PRETEND WE LIVE HERE (​2018), which was a LAMBDA Literary Award finalist and named a Best Book of 2018 by ​Entropy​.

Genevieve will be talking with us TUESDAY MAY 26th at 5PM EDT about their newest book BOYS OF ALABAMA and answering your questions. Genevieve is one of many authors we’ll be bringing into your living room.

Hudson holds an MFA in fiction from Portland State University. Their writing has been nominated for a Pushcart Prize, selected as The Best Queer Internet Writing by ​them​, and appears in McSweeney’s, Catapult, TinHouse.com​, ​No Tokens, Joyland, Bitch, The Rumpus,​ and other places.

They have received fellowships from the Fulbright Program, The MacDowell Colony, Caldera Arts, and The Vermont Studio Center. They are a Visiting Fiction Faculty member at Antioch University-Los Angeles’s MFA Program, a freelance writer, and also work in​ ​advertising​. They live in Portland, Oregon.

Follow them on Instagram​ ​@gkhudson​, on Twitter​ ​@genhudson​, and on Co-Star @gehudson.

To attend please RSVP here

You can also RSVP by emailing booksandbooks@tskw.org with the subject line “RSVP for GENEVIEVE HUDSON”

Attendance is limited.

If you elect to attend, we will email you on the morning of the event (5/26) with the link to attend this virtual event, plus the link to purchase books.  If you purchase the book through our website we will automatically send you the login information you need to join the event. If you ordered by phone please RSVP above.  

Happy Reading!

Make Mother’s Day (EVEN MORE) Special

April 28, 2020
by Emily Berg

Whether you can be with your mom on Mother’s Day or not it’s still the perfect time to let her know you love and appreciate her. Now through May 10th purchase a $25 dollar gift certificate for Mom and get 15% off all in-stock books in the same order. 

Purchase online or by calling the store any day, 10am to 3pm. (Qualifying online orders will be discounted during processing.)

Orders placed with free media mail shipping must be placed by 3pm on Friday 5/1 for guaranteed delivery before Mother’s Day, Sunday 5/10. 

 

Need some help picking out books for Mom? Fill out the form below and our booksellers will be happy to send you 2-3 suggestions as soon as possible.

What are some of her interests? (Check all that apply)(required)

What kind of books does she like? (Check all that apply)(required)

Reader Meet Writer – Virtual Event with LEE SMITH

April 20, 2020
by Emily Berg

Let us deliver authors to your living room.

LEE SMITH – BLUE MARLIN [order here]
TOMORROW – TUESDAY APRIL 21st at 4PM EDT

The next author in the Okra Picks series is Lee Smith.  You may have read Smith’s earlier works: Dimestore: A Writer’s Life, The Last Girls, Fair and Tender Ladies, among others.

Lee Smith will be talking with us TUESDAY APRIL 21st at 4PM EDT  about her newest book Blue Marlin and answering your questions.  Lee is one of many authors we’ll be bringing into your living room.

Store Founder Judy Blume calls Blue Marlin “absolutely enchanting.” The book follows Jenny, an adventurous thirteen-year-old, down to Key West for a patched-up family vacation following the discovery of her father’s illicit affair.

To attend please RSVP here

You can also RSVP by emailing booksandbooks@tskw.org with the subject line “RSVP for Lee Smith”

Attendance is limited.

If you elect to attend, we will email you on Tuesday (the day of the event) morning with the link to attend this virtual event, plus the link to purchase books.  If you have already purchased the book through our website we will automatically send you the login information you need to join the event. If you ordered by phone please RSVP above.  

Happy Reading!

An Update from Judy – 4/9/20

April 8, 2020
by Emily Berg

Hello BookFriends,

Today I’m thinking of ideas for those of you at home with kids.  And the first thing that
comes to mind is puzzles, puzzles, puzzles!  We have jigsaw puzzles for all age groups.  The whole family can do this together.  Or not.  My family loves to do puzzles when we’re all together for the holidays. I’m not very good at it but I love watching them.  I remind myself it takes practice to get good at anything.

Also, what about art supplies?  A friend just told me she’s doing a small watercolor a day. I felt an immediate urge to do the same. Not that I have any training. The last time I studied watercolor was when I was fifteen and took a weekly class with my friend in “fashion illustration.”  What I remember most about that class was how we were told to draw the model’s feet.  Still, I could try.  I think it would be creatively satisfying. And I know where to go for my supplies. Hello, to our Art Supply Buyer- Emily!

The kids would probably like a set of thin markers with a sketch book.   And there’s a terrific paperback by Lynda Barry(one of my favorite comic writer/illustrators) on creating your own comics.  I know one teenager I’m getting Making Comics for. 

And that brings me to another idea –maybe the kids would be open to keeping a diary or journal of this strange time in their lives. They could Illustrate, too, of course. This could be just for them.  They don’t have to share unless they want to.  We have some pretty great blank books that would make a cool gift.  Not that they can’t do this with whatever supplies they have around the house, but, you know —

I just read an absolutely enchanting novella by Lee Smith. Lee is one of my favorite writers so I was intrigued when she told me it’s set in Key West, in the 50s, during the time that Operation Petticoat was filming here. The cast and crew were housed at the Blue Marlin Motel (yes, the one on Simonton Street) and in this gem of a story, so are 13 year old Jenny and her parents, who are trying to patch up their marriage. Great characters (never mind Tony Curtis and Cary Grant) perfect pitch, generous humor. The next time someone asks, Don’t you have a novel set in Key West? I’ll smile and hand them Blue Marlin. Pre-order now for delivery when it comes out in two weeks (4/21), just when you’ll really need it.  Once we can all get out and about again, I know Lee will come to Books & Books KW and share her stories of spending time here when she was Jenny’s age.

Stay well.
Love,

How Books & Books will continue to serve Key West (and beyond) at this time

April 4, 2020
by Emily Berg

To help slow the spread of COVID-19 to our staff volunteers and customers Books and Books at the Studios has made the difficult decision to close our doors to the public until further notice. 

Everyone needs books (and puzzles and art supplies) now more than ever! Here’s how we will continue to serve Key West: 

Place orders by phone-
Staff will be answering phone calls from 10am to 3pm daily to take orders for shipping and home delivery. 305-320-0208

Place orders online–
Our online store will remain open 24 hours a day for free shipping or home delivery.

Home delivery–
Orders placed by noon of in-stock items are eligible for delivery to your door by 4pm. As of now this extends just to the island of Key West but we hope to expand our delivery area soon. Click here for more information.

Signed and personalized Judy Blume books-
Judy will continue to personalize her books. Orders placed for signed Judy Blume books will be signed daily and are eligible for shipping and home delivery.

Purchase a gift card-

Not sure you need anything right now, but want to support us? Purchase a gift card and give it as a supportive sheltering-at-home gift or use it yourself in the future. Click here to purchase a gift card online or call the store 10am to 3pm daily.

An Update from Judy – 4/3/2020

April 2, 2020
by Emily Berg

Hello BookFriends,

It’s been a hard two weeks for me.  I miss being at the store SO much!  Store Manager Emily keeps us up to date, she drops off books for me to sign.  And Robin keeps us all informed via social media.  Here’s a confession — I’ve never been on Facebook! — I have a Facebook page for Judy the Writer but the real me has never used it personally.  I became a tweeter instead, though not so much these days.  But now I don’t want to miss any news of the store so George has set me up with a Facebook account so I can log on and see what the rest of you do.  How about those window displays!  Talk about turning the store inside-out.  It’s a new way to browse and find the books you may want to read.  I had a weird dream about those windows last night..

I’m thinking of fun reads for kids. I just read an interview with Gene Luen Yang, very popular with middle graders and young teens, whose latest book is Dragon Hoops.  For any young person interested in basketball, or any sport, this could be the right book for this time. Something Yang said in that interview stuck with me:   “Reading fiction is a great way of building empathy.  Graphic novels should be part of every reader’s book diet.”  Not the whole diet, to be sure, but part of it.  The book also examines the history of basketball, including the role of Senda Berenson, who introduced the sport to women.  As a summer camper (and small) I enjoyed the game though in those days we played with Girls’ Rules. You were either a forward or a guard. Because of my height I was always a guard, never a forward.  The only time I got to shoot baskets was during practice. Yang admits he was terrible at sports and especially at basketball.  

I have a couple of ideas for the grownups too. Three novels I recently read and enjoyed – Dear Edward took me out of myself and away from my problems, Separation Anxiety was exactly what I needed for a change of pace, funny and charming, and I’m still thinking of Lily King’s Writers and Lovers.  I’d like to read that one again for the first time. I can’t stop thinking about it. There’s also a new book by Lee Smith coming soon. More on that next time.

These are my ideas for today.  Stay tuned for more. We’re always looking for ideas that might help you help us.  Any thoughts, please let us know.  Our loyal staff is at the store 10-3pm, 7 days a week, to help you shop by phone or online.    

Stay well
Love,