Posts by Robin Wood | Books & Books

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Our Favorite Books of 2023

November 23, 2023

Wellness by Nathan Hill tops store co-founder Judy Blume’s list this year. She wrote, “Wellness is compelling and quirky and yes, funny, because this is Nathan Hill writing, but it sometimes broke my heart. It goes deep but never tries too hard, never shouts look at me!” Read her full review.

She also recommends, Absolution by National Book Award winner Alice McDermott.

Bookseller Leslie loved Tomorrow and Tomorrow and Tomorrow by Gabrielle Zevin. She writes, “This book was a surprise because I almost didn’t pick it up since it was ‘about gaming’ a topic that I’m not all together interested in. To me, it’s not really about gaming, but people, and relationships. I was so invested in the characters, and really cared about all of them.”

Store manager Emily loved Go As a River by Shelley Read, a debut novel inspired by the destruction of a town in the 1960s.

S. A. Cosby has another hit in All the Sinners Bleed, which was Lori’s featured staff pick in October, which she calls “a wild, wild ride!”

You know we’re giving you the good stuff with our featured staff picks. This month’s pick The MANIAC by Benjamin Labatut, also tops co-found George Cooper’s year-end list. “Don’t be fooled by the title, or its listing as fiction. This is a brilliant biography of the greatest genius of the 20th century, John von Neumann, inventor of Game Theory and the modern digital computer,” George writes.

Social Media Manager Robin writes of Camille Dungy’s Soil, “This is a smart, beautiful, wide-ranging book that will draw you in and change how you look at the world around you.”

Of Time and Turtles by Sy Montgomery, and illustrated by Matt Patterson is Bookseller Gina’s favorite book of the year. “Did you know that turtles lived with the dinosaurs?” asks Gina. “Ever watched Jurassic Park? The sound of a Velociraptors “bark” in the movie is actually the sound of giant tortoises mating! With another amazing tale of rescue, release (sometimes) & the humans behind the scenes, Sy Montgomery will captivate your heart, mind, and make you think about driving safer with this great book.”

And, she adds, “the pictures are astounding!”

Bookseller Camila loved Demon Copperhead, Barbara Kingsolver’s Pulitzer Prize winning novel.

Bookseller Sara brings two books to your attention:

Lighter by Yung Pueblo. She writes, “I was on a self development path when I came across the author Yung Pueblo and this book was everything I was looking for. Lighter is a book that will bring you towards a deeper understanding of yourself.”

And Lessons in Chemistry by Bonnie Garmus. “This was a book that I couldn’t put down. It was witty, empowering and demonstrated Elizabeth’s determination to challenge societal norms of being a woman in the 1960s in her unconventional way. As a chemist, she navigated her new career path as a host in a television show by staying true to herself – cooking using scientific reasoning with trial and error to make the perfect dishes for dinner at six.”

Share with us on social media what your favorite books of the year were, and stay tuned for more excellent reading in 2024.

A Q&A with Jen Golbeck & Stacey Colino

October 30, 2023

by Robin Wood

Meet the authors of The Purest Bond: Understanding the Human–Canine Connection (Atria Books, out Nov. 14)

If you’re a dog person, your dog is probably one of your favorite people, but you might not know just how important that relationship is.

“Every dog lover knows how valuable their relationship is with their dogs and considers their dogs to be part of their family,” write Jen Golbeck & Stacey Colino, authors of The Purest Bond: Understanding the Human–Canine Connection. “But they may not realize the profound ways their beloved pooches affect their health and well-being, physically, emotionally, socially, and cognitively, as they will discover in The Purest Bond. Our hope is that the book will give readers a new appreciation for all the ways their dogs make their lives richer, healthier, happier, and more meaningful—and that they’ll discover the extent to which the benefits from this relationship are reciprocal. Dogs love us back just as much as we love them!”

We had the opportunity to find out a bit more about Jen & Stacey, and their pets, prior to their signing event on Nov. 18. Come meet them in the store Nov. 18 from 11am-1pm and get your copy of The Purest Bond signed. This is not a seated event, come anytime between 11 and 1 for an informal signing and meet & greet. Can’t make it on the 18th? Preorder The Purest Bond and leave signing information in the order comments.

Q: Please, tell us a little about your rescue work and The Golden Ratio?

*The current pups of the Golden Ratio squad.*

A: Jen and her husband live on Sugarloaf Key and rescue special needs Golden Retrievers, usually those with complex medical needs, seniors, and hospice cases. They usually have between five and seven dogs, and share their lives on social media as @theGoldenRatio4 where they give followers a wholesome look at the happy, gentle, love-filled life they get to have here in the Florida Keys. At this point, the Golden Ratio has more than 1 million followers from around the world.

Jen and her husband currently have five dogs in The Golden Ratio squad: Guacamole, Chief Brody, Venkman, Remoulade, and Feta. Stacey and her family have Sadie, a chocolate-Lab/shepherd mix they rescued in September 2020.

Q: What’s something that will surprise most people about dogs?

A: As we did research for the book, we uncovered lots of surprising things about how dogs relate to humans—and how sensitive they are to our emotions and other changes in us. It may surprise people to discover the extent to which dogs experience the world through their noses. They can see into the past with their sense of smell, being able to tell whether someone they know was previously in their space based on their lingering scent. And they can detect subtle changes in the chemicals human bodies produce that could point to infections, the presence of diseases (like cancer), changes in blood sugar among people with diabetes, and in the scent of sweat before a seizure in those with epilepsy. We, humans, wouldn’t be able to do that.

Q: What was the collaboration process like for the two of you?

A: It was beautiful! We met during the process of conceptualizing and writing this book and really became friends. We bonded over our love of dogs, among other things, and we turned out to have perfectly compatible working styles. We liked the process so much that we’re now working on a second book together!

Q: Besides your own, what books would make good holiday gifts for animal lovers?

A: There are lots of good books in this category. We highly recommend: The Soul of All Living Creatures: What Animals Can Teach Us About Being Human by Vint Virga, D.V.M.; Dog Is Love: Why and How Your Dog Loves You by Clive D.L. Wynne, Ph.D.; and The Emotional Lives of Animals: A Leading Scientist Explores Animal Joy, Sorrow, and Empathy—and Why They Matter by Marc Bekoff (new edition coming April 2024).

November is Native American Heritage Month

October 30, 2023

by Robin Wood

November is Native American Heritage Month

Native American Heritage Month celebrates the history, traditions, contributions, and living cultures of our nation’s indigenous peoples. Here are a few of the books we are reading and recommending. We have many more in store.

We Are Water Protectors by Carole Lindstrom, (Illustrated by Michaela Goade)

Inspired by the many Indigenous-led movements across North America, We Are Water Protectors issues an urgent rallying cry to safeguard the Earth’s water from harm and corruption—a bold and lyrical picture book written by Carole Lindstrom and vibrantly illustrated by Michaela Goade.

Never Whistle at Night by Shane Hawk & Theodore C. Van Alst, Jr. (Eds)

Many Indigenous people believe that one should never whistle at night. This belief takes many forms: for instance, Native Hawaiians believe it summons the Hukai’po, the spirits of ancient warriors, and Native Mexicans say it calls Lechuza, a witch that can transform into an owl. But what all these legends hold in common is the certainty that whistling at night can cause evil spirits to appear—and even follow you home.

These wholly original and shiver-inducing tales introduce readers to ghosts, curses, hauntings, monstrous creatures, complex family legacies, desperate deeds, and chilling acts of revenge. Introduced and contextualized by bestselling author Stephen Graham Jones, these stories are a celebration of Indigenous peoples’ survival and imagination, and a glorious reveling in all the things an ill-advised whistle might summon.

An Indigenous Peoples’ History of the United States by Roxanne Dunbar-Ortiz

Today in the United States, there are more than five hundred federally recognized Indigenous nations comprising nearly three million people, descendants of the fifteen million Native people who once inhabited this land. The centuries-long genocidal program of the US settler-colonial regimen has largely been omitted from history. Now, for the first time, acclaimed historian and activist Roxanne Dunbar-Ortizoffers a history of the United States told from the perspective of Indigenous peoples and reveals how Native Americans, for centuries, actively resisted expansion of the US empire.

Shutter by Ramona Emerson

This blood-chilling debut set in New Mexico’s Navajo Nation is equal parts gripping crime thriller, supernatural horror, and poignant portrayal of coming of age on the reservation.

Braiding Sweetgrass by Robin Wall Kimmerer

Drawing on her life as an indigenous scientist, and as a woman, Kimmerer shows how other living beings–asters and goldenrod, strawberries and squash, salamanders, algae, and sweetgrass–offer us gifts and lessons, even if we’ve forgotten how to hear their voices. In reflections that range from the creation of Turtle Island to the forces that threaten its flourishing today, she circles toward a central argument: that the awakening of ecological consciousness requires the acknowledgment and celebration of our reciprocal relationship with the rest of the living world. For only when we can hear the languages of other beings will we be capable of understanding the generosity of the earth, and learn to give our own gifts in return.

The Storyteller by Brandon Hobson

From National Book Award finalist Brandon Hobson, a kaleidoscopic middle-grade adventure that mixes the anxieties, friendships, and wonders of a Cherokee boy’s life with Cherokee history and lore.

Indigenous Ingenuity: A Celebration of Traditional North American Knowledge by Deidre Havrelock & Edward Kay

Corn. Chocolate. Fishing hooks. Boats that float. Insulated double-walled construction. Recorded history and folklore. Life-saving disinfectant. Forest fire management. Our lives would be unrecognizable without these, and countless other, scientific discoveries and technological inventions from Indigenous North Americans. Spanning topics from transportation to civil engineering, hunting technologies, astronomy, brain surgery, architecture, and agriculture, Indigenous Ingenuity is a wide-ranging STEM offering that answers the call for Indigenous nonfiction by reappropriating hidden history. The book includes fun, simple activities and experiments that kids can do to better understand and enjoy the principles used by Indigenous inventors. Readers of all ages are invited to celebrate traditional North American Indigenous innovation, and to embrace the mindset of reciprocity, environmental responsibility, and the interconnectedness of all life.

The Lost Journals of Sacajewea by Debra Magpie Earling

In this visionary novel, acclaimed Indigenous author Debra Magpie Earling brings this mythologized figure vividly to life, casting unsparing light on the men who brutalized her and recentering Sacajewea as the arbiter of her own history.

American Indian Myths and Legends by Richard Erdoes & Alfonso Ortiz

More than 160 tales from eighty tribal groups present a rich and lively panorama of the Native American mythic heritage. From across the continent comes tales of creation and love; heroes and war; animals, tricksters, and the end of the world.

Stand With the Banned

September 30, 2023

by Robin Wood

Banned Books Week, October 2023

Banned Books Week celebrates the resilience of literature, the fact that often the same books that are challenged and banned are, in other circumstances, recommended, proudly displayed, and most importantly, read and enjoyed.

Not every book is for every reader, but look closely at those who think they should get to decide across-the-board what’s appropriate for everyone. Increased book banning efforts, and new legislation have created an atmosphere that chills. Make no mistake. This is about control – control over what young people can read, learn, and even think. (Although no one can ban thoughts – yet.)

Until recently most book challenges were brought by parents or community members concerned about specific books, but in the last few years book bans have become a state-sponsored agenda in which multiple titles are being challenged at the same time, often cavalierly.

“These efforts to chill speech are part of the ongoing nationwide ‘Ed Scare’ — a campaign to foment anxiety and anger with the goal of suppressing free expression in public education,” write the authors of PEN America’s Banned in the USA report. “As book bans escalate, coupled with the proliferation of legislative efforts to restrict teaching about topics such as race, gender, American history, and LGBTQ+ identities, the freedom to read, learn, and think continues to be undermined for students.”

Book banning is also happening in public libraries. The American Library Association’s Office for Intellectual Freedom documents a record number in the more than 20 years they have been tracking book banning efforts. “ALA recognizes all of the brave authors whose work challenges readers with stories that disrupt the status quo and offer fresh perspectives on tough issues,” said the president of ALA. “Closing our eyes to the reality portrayed in these stories will not make life’s challenges disappear.”

Last year over 40% of all book bans occurred in school districts in Florida. But if you aren’t a K-12 student looking for The Bluest Eye by Toni Morrison, I Am Ruby Bridges, a picture book about Ruby’s life, or any one of thousands of other titles, you might not believe book bans happen here.

They do.

And always, kids are the real losers. The very child who may need a book to find a character just like them, to know they’re not alone, loses that chance. They lose the chance to read widely. They lose the chance to discover, to find out, to question.

What about the teachers and librarians whose jobs are threatened, who can lose their pensions? How do we protect them? The fear is palpable. “I’ve worked 35 years to bring books and young readers together,” a visiting school librarian from another district told us. “And now I can lose my pension if I don’t comply. Well, I’m not going to do it. I’m going to keep standing up for the kids. It’ll be hard if I lose my job and pension but I’ll figure out another way to earn a living.” Another told us, “I just close my classroom door and continue teaching the way I always have, by bringing in the best books I can. And if the day comes when I can’t teach that way, I’ll quit. I hate to lose my pension. I’ve worked long and hard for that. But I’m not going to give in to this craziness.”

But how many can afford to say that?

What about here in Key West?

Key West is not Florida. This is commonly heard among those of us living in the Keys, especially in Key West. We feel isolated not only geographically but also politically from anything we find alarming on the mainland. Life can be good in the Key West bubble but it’s important to not lose track of what’s happening in our own back yard.

We understand that during the past summer recess, media specialists in the district were required to go through their school libraries to determine that all materials were in compliance with new, and stricter, state and district guidelines. The outcome of that process is unclear. We have had sharply conflicting reports from parents, teachers and administrators. We doubt that we have seen an end to this process. But whatever is happening, this is exactly why we all should be paying attention. Don’t rest on the assumption that book bans aren’t happening where you live.

Here’s what you can do:

If you have a child in a public school ask them what they’re reading in school and if they get to visit the media center regularly.
Check out the online catalogs of schools in your district (most are posted publicly on the school’s website. In Florida they’re required to make media center catalogs open to the community). If a book from a banned books list appears available don’t stop there. Do what you can to make sure it’s actually on the shelf and available to students.
Check to make sure new books are available. Counties are able to “ban by omission.” Though books may not have been pulled, ask about titles they’re choosing not to include in the school library.

Teachers and media specialists need and deserve our support in standing up for their students and their right to read, even those books that make some uncomfortable. Any one book could be the key that saves a young person’s life. The threats to these educators have escalated – their jobs are at stake, their pensions could be lost, and felony charges can be brought against them. It’s a nightmare, as one teacher said.

Many of the things we are doing in store for Banned Books Week are fun – we’ll have Banned Books Bingo cards, a special bookmark, stickers, and interesting and informative displays – but we also hope you’ll think about what would be missing in your life if you couldn’t pick up and read the books of your choice.

So speak out! You’re not alone. There are groups and organizations who can help you whether you’re a teacher, librarian, parent, student, or a reader who cares about others having free access to books and learning. You’re busy. We know that. But if you read just one of these websites and if you can become a member, you’re helping.

National Coalition Against Censorship’s Kids’ Right to Read Project
Learn more and get involved with PEN America’s Free the Books
In Florida, check out the Florida Freedom to Read Project
UniteAgainstBooksBans.org: This grassroots anti-censorship campaign has social media tools to show your support, background information, and resources on how to oppose book banning locally.

December 2023 Staff Pick: The MANIAC

September 26, 2023

by Robin Wood

George with The MANIAC by Benjamin Labatut

The MANIAC by Benjamin Labatut (Penguin Press), picked by store co-founder, George Cooper

Now out in paperback!

Don’t be fooled by the title, or its listing as fiction. This is a brilliant biography of the greatest genius of the 20th century, John von Neumann, inventor of Game Theory and the modern digital computer (known by the acronym MANIAC, which his wife Clara called the JONNYAC) that was first used to design the hydrogen bomb.

Rather than taking us dryly through von Neumann’s endless accomplishments, many of which are beyond explaining to laymen, the author beguiles us with the voices of the genius’s celebrated scientific colleagues (who either loved or hated him) and his wives (who felt the same). We thus become witness not only to von Neumann’s triumphs but also his peccadillos and (in)humanity. The book is full of vignettes, from private meetings to marital quarrels, which give it a fascinating and compelling life.

He was a consultant to the Manhattan Project, drifting in from time to time and quickly solving problems other mental giants had been struggling with, and went on to a fruitful career with the U.S. Defense Department. But the problem that challenged him most was trying to generalize the process uniting biology, technology, and computer theory to explain all self-replicating phenomena, from life on earth to the possibility of machines doing the same.

He died at only fifty-six from cancer, in 1959, in a special suite provided for him by the government at Walter Reed Hospital, surrounded by dignitaries and attendants, hoping to catch the last pearls of wisdom from the fruitful mind of this singular polymath.

When asked what it would take for a machine to think and behave like a human being, he said it would have to “understand language, to read, to write, to speak. And it would have to play like a child.” But his death preceded the development of the truly powerful computers of today (still operating on the fundamental principles of MANIAC) that are doing just that. The very first project of DeepMind, a leading Artificial Intelligence machine, was playing Go, the game universally acknowledged to be the most intellectually difficult, and beating its human master. (The book concludes with a dramatic blow-by-blow description of this five game challenge match.)

When asked how he could bring together his ideas on computers and self-replicating machines with those on the brain and mechanisms of thought, von Neumann offered: “Cavemen created gods, I see no reason why we shouldn’t do the same.”

Don’t miss this book if you’re interested in biography, science or even science-fiction, because both were part of von Neumann’s world.

~ George Cooper

Meet the authors of The Purest Bond: Understanding the Human–Canine Connection (Atria Books, out Nov. 14)

All the Sinners Bleed by S. A. Cosby (Flatiron Books), picked by bookseller Lori

Banned Books Week, October 2023

The MANIAC by Benjamin Labatut (Penguin Press), picked by store co-founder, George Cooper

Now out in paperback!