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.

April is Poetry Month

April is Poetry Month, superimposed over a typewriter

Celebrate with a great selection of poetry books and books by poets! Find many more in store.

A selection of titles for poetry month.

The Wonder of Small Things: Poems of Peace and Renewal edited by James Crews

The editor of the bestselling poetry anthologies How to Love the World and The Path to Kindness presents a collection of highly accessible, uplifting poetry celebrating the small wonders and peaceful moments of everyday life.

Poetry as Spellcasting: Poems, Essays, and Prompts for Manifesting Liberation and Reclaiming Power by Tamiko Beyer, Destiny Hemphill, & Lisbeth White

Written for poets, spellcasters, and social justice witches, Poetry as Spellcasting reveals the ways poetry and ritual can, together, move us toward justice and transformation. It asks: If ritualized violence upholds white supremacy, what ritualized acts of liberation can be activated to subvert and reclaim power?

In essays from a diverse group of contributing poets, organizers, and ritual artists, Poetry as Spellcasting helps readers explore, play, and deepen their creativity and intuition as integral tools for self- and communal healing and social change.

Raised by Wolves: Fifty Poets on Fifty Poems by Graywolf Press

Raised by Wolves is a unique and vibrant gathering of poems from Graywolf Press’s fifty years. The anthology is conceived as a community document: fifty Graywolf poets have selected fifty poems by Graywolf poets, offering insightful prose reflections on their selections. What arises is a choral arrangement of voices and lineages across decades, languages, styles, and divergences, inspiring a shared vision for the future.

Spine Poems: An Eclectic Collection of Found Verse for Book Lovers by Annette Dauphin Simon

A charming, clever, and original collection of more than 100 spine poems–a popular form of found poetry composed by arranging book spines—illustrated with 110 full-color photographs.

Roses, in the Mouth of a Lion by Bushra Rehman

Punctuated by both joy and loss, full of ’80s music and beloved novels, Roses, in the Mouth of a Lion is a new classic: a fiercely compassionate coming-of-age story of a girl struggling to reconcile her heritage and faith with her desire to be true to herself.

Ed note: We had a chance to interview Bushra Rehman before our event last month.

All the Fighting Parts by Hannah V. Sawyerr

In the vein of Grown and The Poet X, Hannah V. Sawyerr’s All the Fighting Parts is a searing and defiant young adult novel in verse about reclaiming agency after a sexual assault within the church community.

Dog Poems edited by Christopher Wait

This book brings together some of the finest poems on dogs by a range of poets from Diogenes to Dorothy Parker, from Chaucer to Clarice Lispector. Gertrude Stein once said, “I am I because my little dog knows me,” and this collection proves it: with their wit, their wisdom, and their delights, these poems—and the dogs that inspired them—hold up a mirror to our better selves.

Cat Poems By New Directions, edited by Tynan Kogane

Across the ages, cats have provided their adopted humans with companionship, affection, mystery, and innumerable metaphors; cats cast a mirror on their beholders; cats endlessly captivate and hypnotize, frustrate and delight. And to poets, in particular, these enigmatic creatures are the most delightful and beguiling of muses (Charles Baudelaire: “the sole source of amusement in one’s lodgings”) as they go about purring, prowling, hunting, playing, meowing, and napping, often oblivious to their so-called masters (Jorge Luis Borges: “you live in other time, lord of your realm—a world as closed and separate as a dream”).

The Angel of Indian Lake by Stephen Graham Jones

The final installment in the most lauded trilogy in the history of horror novels picks up four years after Don’t Fear the Reaper as Jade returns to Proofrock, Idaho, to build a life after the years of sacrifice—only to find the Lake Witch is waiting for her in New York Times bestselling author Stephen Graham Jones’s finale.

It’s been four years in prison since Jade Daniels last saw her hometown of Proofrock, Idaho, the day she took the fall, protecting her friend Letha and her family from incrimination. Since then, her reputation, and the town, have changed dramatically. There’s a lot of unfinished business in Proofrock, from serial killer cultists to the rich trying to buy Western authenticity. But there’s one aspect of Proofrock no one wants to confront…until Jade comes back to town. The curse of the Lake Witch is waiting, and now is the time for the final stand.

New York Times bestselling author Stephen Graham Jones has crafted an epic horror trilogy of generational trauma from the Indigenous to the townies rooted in the mountains of Idaho. It is a story of the American west written in blood.

There’s Always This Year by Hanif Abdurraqib

A poignant, personal reflection on basketball, life, and home—from the author of the National Book Award finalist A Little Devil in America.

“Mesmerizing . . . not only the most original sports book I’ve ever read but one of the most moving books I’ve ever read, period.”—Steve James, director of Hoop Dreams

Growing up in Columbus, Ohio, in the 1990s, Hanif Abdurraqib witnessed a golden era of basketball, one in which legends like LeBron James were forged and countless others weren’t. His lifelong love of the game leads Abdurraqib into a lyrical, historical, and emotionally rich exploration of what it means to make it, who we think deserves success, the tension between excellence and expectation, and the very notion of role models, all of which he expertly weaves together with intimate, personal storytelling. “Here is where I would like to tell you about the form on my father’s jump shot,” Abdurraqib writes. “The truth, though, is that I saw my father shoot a basketball only one time.”

There’s Always This Year is a triumph, brimming with joy, pain, solidarity, comfort, outrage, and hope. No matter the subject of his keen focus—whether it’s basketball, or music, or performance—Hanif Abdurraqib’s exquisite writing is always poetry, always profound, and always a clarion call to radically reimagine how we think about our culture, our country, and ourselves.

The Emperor and the Endless Palace by Justinian Huang

“A sweeping triumph in queer romance.” -Booklist

“What if I told you that the feeling we call love is actually the feeling of metaphysical recognition, when your soul remembers someone from a previous life?”

In the year 4 BCE, an ambitious courtier is called upon to seduce the young emperor–but quickly discovers they are both ruled by blood, sex and intrigue.

In 1740, a lonely innkeeper agrees to help a mysterious visitor procure a rare medicine, only to unleash an otherworldly terror instead.

And in present-day Los Angeles, a college student meets a beautiful stranger and cannot shake the feeling they’ve met before.

Across these seemingly unrelated timelines woven together only by the twists and turns of fate, two men are reborn, lifetime after lifetime. Within the treacherous walls of an ancient palace and the boundless forests of the Asian wilderness to the heart-pounding cement floors of underground rave scenes, our lovers are inexplicably drawn to each other, constantly tested by the worlds around them.

As their many lives intertwine, they begin to realize the power of their undying love–a power that transcends time itself…but one that might consume them both.

An unpredictable roller coaster of a debut novel, The Emperor and the Endless Palace is a genre-bending spicy romantasy that challenges everything we think we know about true love.

AUTHOR’S NOTE: The Emperor and the Endless Palace is a heart-pounding romantasy, full of shocking twists, morally shifty characters, and erotic thrills. When it comes to the romance within this novel, you can expect equal parts mess and swoon, but its central thread is an epic tale of true love against all the odds.

Nourish by Gisele Bündchen

World-renowned model and wellness advocate Gisele Bündchen presents 100 delicious and approachable recipes based on everyday ingredients. The cookbook focuses on kickstarting and maintaining a healthy lifestyle while finding balance and intention.

Superstar model and philanthropist Gisele Bündchen believes wellness begins with food. At home she chooses lean, healthy proteins and nutrient-rich vegetables; she also believes in eating with flexibility (pizza night with the kids!). This means recipes that are gluten free and rely on body-fueling ingredients like almond flour, avocado oil, and dates.

  • Everyday Fruits: Papaya-Almond Smoothie; Acai Bowls; Banana Ice Cream
  • Breakfast + Breads: Brazilian Cheese Bread (Pão de Queijo); Veggie Frittata; Coconut Milk Two Ways
  • Salads: Steak Salad; Beet and Arugula Salad with Herby Goat Cheese
  • Soups: Sneeze-Be-Gone Soup; Ramen-Style Soup with Vegetables
  • Everyday Vegetables: Summer Rolls with Ginger-Cashew Dipping Sauce; Pizza Night; Pesto Chicken Wrap
  • Favorite Proteins: Grilled Ribeye with Chimichurri; Sheet Pan Squash and Chickpeas; Chicken Meatballs
  • Crunchies + Condiments: Maple-Harissa Cashews; Tamari Dressing 3 Ways
  • Sweets: Pecan Bars; Banana Dream Pie; Carrot Muffins

From breaking cycles to journaling and setting intentions, minimizing waste, meal planning, and preparing healthful meals for your kids, Nourish is as much about living with mindfulness as it is about cooking.

Poor Deer – Claire Oshetsky

“Margaret Murphy is only 4 years old when tragedy sets her life in motion. Living with her mother and aunt has its ups and downs as she tried to navigate the future and understand the past. This book and its unreliable narrator is not for everyone but for us weirdos it is a gem of a read.”
– Emily, Books and Books Staff

A wondrous, tender novel about a young girl grappling with her role in a tragic loss—and attempting to reshape the narrative of her life—from PEN/Faulkner Award nominee Claire Oshetsky

Margaret Murphy is a weaver of fantastic tales, growing up in a world where the truth is too much for one little girl to endure. Her first memory is of the day her friend Agnes died.

No one blames Margaret. Not in so many words. Her mother insists to everyone who will listen that her daughter never even left the house that day. Left alone to make sense of tragedy, Margaret wills herself to forget these unbearable memories, replacing them with imagined stories full of faith and magic—that always end happily.

Enter Poor Deer: a strange and formidable creature who winds her way uninvited into Margaret’s made-up tales. Poor Deer will not rest until Margaret faces the truth about her past and atones for her role in Agnes’s death.

Heartrending, hopeful, and boldly imagined, Poor Deer explores the journey toward understanding the children we once were and the stories we tell ourselves to make sense of life’s most difficult moments.

James: A Novel by Percival Everett

NAMED A MOST ANTICIPATED BOOK OF THE YEAR BY TIME, NPR, THE SEATTLE TIMES, ELLE, THE ATLANTA JOURNAL-CONSTITUTION, AND OPRAH DAILY

A brilliant, action-packed reimagining of Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, both harrowing and ferociously funny, told from the enslaved Jim’s point of view • From the “literary icon” (Oprah Daily) and Pulitzer Prize Finalist whose novel Erasure is the basis for Cord Jefferson’s critically acclaimed film American Fiction

If you liked Demon Copperhead, by Barbara Kingsolver, read James, by Percival Everett” —The Washington Post

When the enslaved Jim overhears that he is about to be sold to a man in New Orleans, separated from his wife and daughter forever, he decides to hide on nearby Jackson Island until he can formulate a plan. Meanwhile, Huck Finn has faked his own death to escape his violent father, recently returned to town. As all readers of American literature know, thus begins the dangerous and transcendent journey by raft down the Mississippi River toward the elusive and too-often-unreliable promise of the Free States and beyond.

While many narrative set pieces of Adventures of Huckleberry Finn remain in place (floods and storms, stumbling across both unexpected death and unexpected treasure in the myriad stopping points along the river’s banks, encountering the scam artists posing as the Duke and Dauphin…), Jim’s agency, intelligence and compassion are shown in a radically new light.

Brimming with the electrifying humor and lacerating observations that have made Everett a “literary icon” (Oprah Daily), and one of the most decorated writers of our lifetime, James is destined to be a major publishing event and a cornerstone of twenty-first century American literature.

Barbie: The World Tour by Margot Robbie and Andrew Mukamal

For the press tour following the record-breaking release of Greta Gerwig’s award-winning, acclaimed Barbie movie, producer and star Margot Robbie and her stylist Andrew Mukamal immersed themselves in some of Barbie’s most iconic outfits and curated vintage pieces, then approached designers, from Giorgio Armani to Donatella Versace, to create looks inspired by the doll-size originals. Many of these looks were not seen as the official Barbie press tour was cut short—so Margot and Andrew worked with renowned fashion photographer Craig McDean to shoot her in the looks exactly as they were curated: Schiaparelli in Los Angeles, Vivienne Westwood in London, vintage Chanel with matching Steamline luggage at the airport, and beyond.
 
Accompanying McDean’s sumptuous photography are original Barbie dolls from the period, a treasure trove of rare materials from Mattel’s Barbie fashion archives, and the designers’ sketches and Polaroids from fittings, layered into evocative collages by Fabien Baron, who conceived and produced the shoots and art-directed the book. With text by Margot Robbie and Andrew Mukamal, as well as handwritten contributions from the designers behind the looks (from Olivier Rousteing and Michelle Ochs to Manolo Blahnik and Jeremy Scott), this unique book blends the serious chic of high fashion with the serious fun of Barbie world—the dolls, the history, and the style that have captured imaginations for 65 years.