Meet a bookseller: Alexander

(And say goodbye for now)

Bookseller Alexander holding The Song of Achilles by Madeline Miller

We’ve had the pleasure of working with Alexander this summer, and before we say goodbye, we’d like you all to get to know a little more about him.

Q: Tell us a little bit about yourself.

A: Hi! My name is Alexander Wilson, and I’ve had the pleasure of working at Books & Books over my summer break back home in Key West. I’m going into my sophomore year of college at the University of Florida in Gainesville, where I’m studying English as well as French & Francophone Studies. On top of that, I’m big on music as well as creative writing. I’ve been coming to B&B since high school, and I’d wanted to work at the store for a little while. Fortunately, the opportunity arose this summer, and hopefully more summers in the future. I knew I would fit in at the store because while I enjoy reading & writing, I absolutely love to interact with other people who feel the same way.

Q: What was your favorite thing about working at the store?

A: By far my favorite part of working at the store has been the environment – the people, the books, and the general air of life that surrounds writing. My fellow employees have been nothing short of wonderful. I feel insanely lucky to have been around such remarkable people in such a remarkable space. Moreover, B&B has customers coming from all over the world. Interacting with teachers, authors, book lovers, and even just those relieved to be out of the heat has taught me a great deal about how much a single work could change someone’s life. Being surrounded by other people’s stories is the closest we can truly get to understanding one other, and this was what surprised me: the close-knit community of reading and writing. It is such a beautiful thing, and I’m so grateful to be a part of it.

Q: What kinds of things do you typically read?

A: Although I’d like to widen my literary taste, much of what I currently read is what I would consider “realistic fiction.” While there are a few memoirs and series of essays that I’ve greatly enjoyed, I’ve found that I feel the most seen and learn the most through a good story. For me, books centered on complex human relationships help me to figure out those in my own life and inspire me to try to capture the massive emotions someone like me feels at eighteen.

I can’t say that I have an all-time favorite book just yet, but there are three I can definitively say will always be special in my life: The Color Purple by Alice Walker made me realize just how moving a novel could be and got me back into reading after a long slump period all through adolescence. The Song of Achilles by Madeline Miller put on display a kind of love that was novel (haha) and inspired me to believe that there are good people out there waiting to be met. Finally, The Outsiders by S. E. Hinton is a testament that it doesn’t matter if you’re in your teens or your 50s, your voice matters and you can write something worth hearing. I deeply recommend each of these books and keep them very close to my heart.

Hot Book Summer

A book, sunglasses and flower artfully arranged on the beach. Text: "Hot book summer"

Whether it’s fake dating and food, or a thorny, political take on ‘will they or won’t they’ or a wicked hot mythical retelling, there’s something for every Romance reader.

Here are a few books we’ve been enjoying or are looking forward to this summer.

Pre-order Meg Cabot’s witchy new Rom-Com, Enchanted to Meet You, which is getting great early reviews. You can get a signed copy from us, just note you want it signed when placing your order.

Lori enjoyed Everything’s Fine by Cecilia Rabess, an opposites attract story, that deals with office politics, politics, race, and more. “Slow burn but the attraction and the obstacles are real and well portrayed,” Lori writes.

Foz Meadows kicks off a new romantic fantasy series with A Strange and Stubborn Endurance. Look for it in paperback in September, and for book 2, All the Hidden Paths in December.

6 Times We Almost Kissed (And One Time We Did) by Tess Sharpe is one of Robin’s favorite books of the year. She loved these tenacious, determined, stubborn young people, and if you’ve ever been a fan fiction reader, she thinks you will too.

Gina is devouring Katee Robert’s Dark Olympus series, and Wicked Beauty doesn’t disappoint.

Both Chef’s Choice by TJ Alexander and Fake Dates and Mooncakes by Sher Lee re charming and sweet, and might inspire you to spend some time in the kitchen with someone you love.

Partners in Crime by Alisha Rai is a second-chance/caper mashup, that will take you for a thrilling ride, while Ms. Demeanor by Elinor Lipman makes house arrest sexy.

It turns out failure is absolutely an option, in Astrid Parker Doesn’t Fail by Ashley Herring Blake, and look for book 3 in this fun series, Iris Kelly Doesn’t Date, coming in October.

Secrets abound in this bookish romance, The Neighbor Favor by Kristina Forest.

The Seven Year Slip by Ashley Poston brings new meaning to the concept of bad timing.

Find these and many more Romances in store.

Bookstore Romance Day 2023

Bookstore Romance Day graphic, "Indies Love Romance, 8.19.23" on a floral background.

We’re Having a Hot Book Summer

Sat. August 19, 2023, join us or indie bookstores across the country to celebrate books about love. On Bookstore Romance Day, we’ll be featuring a great display of our favorite romances, mimosas while supplies last, a giveaway with in-store purchase, a fun raffle, and maybe a surprise or two.

If you won’t be in Key West on the 19th, visit Bookstore Romance Day for a list of participating stores, and check out the slate of online panels featuring some of your favorite Romance writers.

The 2023 slate for virtual panels for Bookstore Romance Day. Find details at https://www.eventbrite.com/o/bookstore-romance-day-34004409231

A Q&A with Meg Cabot

We are always so excited when Meg Cabot has a new book coming out! Meg is the author of The Princess Diaries series, the Little Bridge Island series (set on a fictional island in the Florida Keys, starting with No Judgments) and many other books. We are proud to call her a friend of the store – you can regularly get personalized, signed copies of her books from our store.

The Quarantine Princess Diaries, #12 in Princess Diaries series, is out March 28.

Get ready to read about Princess Mia’s personal (and political) battles while imposing health restrictions on her small European nation; life during lockdown (even in as idyllic a location such as a palace on the Riviera); a suspected royal affair; the invention (and implementation) of an intranasal vaccine by Michael Moscovitz that could change the course of the pandemic – or at least the lives of every citizen in Genovia; and one very demanding royal grandmother.

While we wait for the new book, we had the opportunity to chat with Meg Cabot.

Q: What was it like revisiting the Princess Diaries at this time?

A: So much fun! When the Florida Keys shut down in Spring of 2020 due to COVID, we were all living with so much uncertainty. I kept sane by returning to the world of The Princess Diaries, and writing about how an adult Princess Mia would handle the crisis in Genovia. So this was a comfort read for me—and I hope it will be for others, too.

Q: If you would, tell us a little about VOW for Girls and why this organization is important to you?

A: I was shocked when, during the pandemic, I was contacted by real life Princess Mabel of the Netherlands, who asked if I could help promote the charity she founded, VowForGirls.org, which hopes to end child marriage. For every 18 year old girl in the US who graduates from high school, 6 girls the same age or even much younger are forced into marriage around the world, and that number is only growing higher due to COVID and other recent global disasters. That’s why I’m donating 10% of my author proceeds from Quarantine Princess Diaries to VowForGirls, which devotes 100% of its funding to community-based efforts to help girls choose their own future. Very princessy!

Q: What can you tell us about the Princess Diaries 3 movie? Are you excited?

A: I’m not allowed to say much, but I CAN say I’m excited. I love the direction they’re going.

Q: If you don’t mind saying, what are you working on these days?

A: Thanks so much for asking! I’m actually heading north for my next book, to the fictional town of West Harbor, CT, which appears to be on the verge of apocalyptic collapse. Only a modern day witch can save it (with a little help from a handsome stranger). Enchanted to Meet You, a paranormal rom-com for adult readers, will be out just in time for Halloween 2023!

Q: How long have you lived in Key West? What originally brought you here and from where?

A: Like so many people, my husband and I came to Key West on vacation from New York City. We loved the funky, artistic vibe, which reminded us so much of Greenwich Village—but with tropical weather! So nearly 20 years ago, we bought a house here, intending to split our time between Key West and Manhattan. But as so often happens in Key West, our house came with a cat who adopted us, so we ended up staying full time—and love it more every day!

Q: What are you reading and recommending these days?

A: For readers looking for something light and romantic, I recommend This Time It’s Real by Ann Liang. It’s YA, but set in Beijing, so in addition to all the fun teen drama, there are tons of descriptions of delicious Asian street food. And for readers looking for something slightly more serious, I’m loving Rough Sleepers by Tracy Kidder, a non-fiction exploration of one doctor’s experience dedicating his career to helping the homeless in Boston.

[Ed. note: If you want a signed, personalized copy of The Quarantine Princess Diaries, include the personalization in the order comments.]

A Q&A with Lucy Burdette

Lucy Burdette is the author of the popular Key West food critic mysteries and the standalone novel, The Ingredients of Happiness (Severn House)

Lucy Burdette
Lucy Burdette, photo credit Coppola Photography

Q: Would you tell us a little about the new book, The Ingredients of Happiness? What inspired it? Is it a standalone or the possible beginning of a new series?

A: Thank you so much for asking me about The Ingredients of Happiness, my first venture into contemporary women’s fiction. The story follows Cooper Hunziker, a new Yale professor, who also has also has a pop psychology book on happiness about to be published. She’s under a lot of pressure at work because four people are vying for the same job. Plus the chair of the department is unhappy about her fluffy sideline project. As penance, she’s sentenced to co-lead a self-help happiness group at the New Haven library, which forces her to examine her own life. Is she happy with the path she’s chosen? Does she have the kind of warm friendships that the women in the group seem to have? Like Cooper, I’m a clinical psychologist. I also spent time at Yale during my internship and post graduate training, though I never faced the kind of pressure that she has. But this question intrigued me: what if an expert on happiness is not happy herself? I love reading this kind of story, the kind that focuses on the emotional journey of the protagonist – not a dead body to be found. HAPPINESS will not be a series, but I’m hoping to take one of the minor characters and put her front stage in a novel set mostly in Paris.

Q: Speaking of series, you also have a new Key West food critic mystery coming this summer. What can you tell us about it? How do you keep a long series fresh? 

A: I am also very excited about A Clue In The Crumbs, number 13 in the Key West food critic mystery series, arriving August 8! I’m a little surprised about how long this series has continued, though thoroughly delighted about it too. I’m passionate about trying something new in each book so that I am not foisting a retread of the same plot on potential readers. Luckily, Key West has so many layers that it’s easy to find potential threads and motives for murder. For example, in A Dish To Die For, there was an historical angle based on the Woman’s Club and an old cookbook. In A Clue In The Crumbs, the Scottish Scone sisters from book 11 come to visit Key West to launch a baking contest. This takes place at Williams Hall with the chef (and talented real person) Martha Hubbard in charge. I also work hard to think and write about how the characters will grow and change over the course of the books, as that’s the part of a long running mystery series that I love most.

Q: How did you happen upon a food critic as your protagonist? Are you a foodie yourself?

A: I am not a food critic, but I love to eat, read, and talk about food. I enjoy cooking but also love visiting the Key West restaurants that my character will be reviewing. Back in 2010, as I was searching for the subject of a new mystery series, I heard about an editor who wanted to acquire a series about a food critic, preferably in a tropical setting. Hayley Snow was born!

Q: How long have you called Key West home, and how did you end up here?

A: My husband John and I first visited Key West in 2008, and as happens with so many visitors, we fell in love with the island. By 2014, we’d become residents and now live here six months out of the year. We love being part of the story, rather than outsiders. A big bonus of this for me is serving on the board of the Friends of the Key West Library. This is my fourth year as president, and we’d love to have you join us! https://www.friendsofthekeywestlibrary.org/

Q: What are you reading and recommending these days?

A: I’ve recently read and loved Laura Hankin’s The Daydreams, and J. Ryan Stradal’s Saturday Night At The Lakeside Supper Club. As soon as I finish The Unlikely Pilgrimage Of Harold Fry, I’m looking forward to Barbara Ross’s new Maine clambake mystery, Hidden Beneath, Sarah Stewart Taylor’s A Stolen Child, and Gabrielle Zelvin’s Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow (because I adored The Storied Life Of A.J. Fikry.) I have a teetering TBR pile and the newsletter from Books and Books always adds to the problem—so many books, so little time. All we can do is plug along!

Somebody’s Fool by Richard Russo

The Pulitzer Prize–winning author of Empire Falls returns to North Bath, in upstate New York, and to the characters that captured the hearts and imaginations of millions of readers in his beloved best sellers Nobody’s Fool and Everybody’s Fool.

“A wise and witty drama of small-town life…delivering the generous humor, keen ear for dialogue, and deep appreciation for humanity’s foibles that have endeared the author to his readers for decades.” —Publishers Weekly

Ten years after the death of the magnetic Donald “Sully” Sullivan, the town of North Bath is going through a major transition as it is annexed by its much wealthier neighbor, Schuyler Springs. Peter, Sully’s son, is still grappling with his father’s tremendous legacy as well as his relationship to his own son, Thomas, wondering if he has been all that different a father than Sully was to him.

Meanwhile, the towns’ newly consolidated police department falls into the hands of Charice Bond, after the resignation of Doug Raymer, the former North Bath police chief and Charice’s ex-lover. When a decomposing body turns up in the abandoned hotel situated between the two towns, Charice and Raymer are drawn together again and forced to address their complicated attraction to one another. Across town, Ruth, Sully’s married ex-lover, and her daughter Janey struggle to understand Janey’s daughter, Tina, and her growing obsession with Peter’s other son, Will. Amidst the turmoil, the town’s residents speculate on the identity of the unidentified body, and wonder who among their number could have disappeared unnoticed.

Infused with all the wry humor and shrewd observations that Russo is known for, Somebody’s Fool is another classic from a modern master.

The World Behind the World by Erik Hoel

A fascinating exploration into how the brain creates our conscious experiences—potentially revolutionizing neuroscience and the future of technology—from a Forbes 30 Under 30 scientist.

Throughout history, two perspectives on the world have dueled in our minds: the extrinsic—that of mechanism and physics—and the intrinsic—that of feelings, thoughts, and ideas. The intrinsic perspective allows us to tell stories about our lives, to chart our anger and our lust, to understand our psychologies. The extrinsic allows us to chart the physical world, to build upon it, and to travel across it. These perspectives have never been reconciled; they almost seem to exist on different planes of thought. Only recently, due to the pioneering work of DNA-discoverer Francis Crick, have these two perspectives been conjoined.

This attempt to reconcile these perspectives is the science of consciousness, and posits that the intrinsic aspect of the world, how and what we perceive, can coexist in the extrinsic part of the world, in the realm of physics. The World Behind the World is a grand tour of the state of this science, an exploration of the point where tectonic metaphysical forces meet, often in paradoxical conclusions.

Forbes 30 Under 30 scientist Dr. Erik Hoel lays out the evidence that nothing in the brain makes sense except in the light of a theory of consciousness. Some topics he examines include what the similarities are between our brains and black holes; where consciousness fits into physics and morality; and why it may be impossible for AI to ever become conscious, despite popular belief. The World Behind the World argues that establishing a proven theory of consciousness would trigger a paradigm shift in the field of neuroscience and the future of technology—transforming the very fabric of our society.

What does the science of consciousness tell us about what happens beyond brain death? Does our understanding of consciousness strengthen or weaken the case for free will? Is science itself incomplete in the way Gödel showed mathematics is? By taking us through the heated debates of the field and drawing on Hoel’s own original research to shed light on the latest theories about how the brain creates consciousness, The World Behind the World shows us that at long last, science is coming to understand the fundamental mystery of human existence.

The Last Ranger by Peter Heller

The best-selling author of The River returns with a vibrant, lyrical novel about an enforcement ranger in Yellowstone National Park who likes wolves better than most people. When a clandestine range war threatens his closest friend, he must shake off his own losses and act swiftly to discover the truth and stay alive.

Officer Ren Hopper is an enforcement ranger with the National Park Service, tasked with duties both mundane and thrilling: Breaking up fights at campgrounds, saving clueless tourists from moose attacks, and attempting to broker an uneasy peace between the wealthy vacationers who tromp through the park with cameras, and the residents of hardscrabble Cooke City who want to carve out a meaningful living.

When Ren, hiking through the backcountry on his day off, encounters a tall man with a dog and a gun chasing a small black bear up a hill, his hackles are raised. But what begins as an investigation into the background of a local poacher soon opens into something far murkier: A shattered windshield, a series of red ribbons tied to traps, the discovery of a frightening conspiracy, and a story of heroism gone awry.

Populated by a cast of extraordinary characters—famous scientists, tattooed bartenders, wildlife guides in slick Airstreams—and bursting with unexpected humor and grace, Peter Heller masterfully unveils a portrait of the American west where our very human impulses—for greed, love, family, and community—play out amidst the stunning beauty of the natural world.

Muscle by Roy A. Meals, M.D.

An entertaining illustrated deep dive into muscle, from the discovery of human anatomy to the latest science of strength training.

Muscle tissue powers every heartbeat, blink, jog, jump, and goosebump. It is the force behind the most critical bodily functions, including digestion and childbirth, as well as extreme feats of athleticism. We can mold our muscles with exercise and observe the results.

In this lively, lucid book, orthopedic surgeon Roy A. Meals takes us on a wide-ranging journey through anatomy, biology, history, and health to unlock the mysteries of our muscles. He breaks down the three different types of muscle—smooth, skeletal, and cardiac—and explores major advancements in medicine and fitness, including cutting-edge gene-editing research and the science behind popular muscle conditioning strategies. Along the way, he offers insight into the changing aesthetic and cultural conception of muscle, from Michelangelo’s David to present-day bodybuilders, and shares fascinating examples of strange muscular maladies and their treatment. Brimming with fun facts and infectious enthusiasm, Muscle sheds light on the astonishing, essential tissue that moves us through life.

I’m Glad My Mom Died – Jennette McCurdy

“After growing up watching Jennette McCurdy, this was an insane read! Exposes a lot of filth in the TV/film industry, and sheds light on the complexity of family relationships. Easy to read, hard to swallow.” – Alexander (staff)

* #1 NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER * #1 INTERNATIONAL BESTSELLER * MORE THAN 2 MILLION COPIES SOLD!

A heartbreaking and hilarious memoir by iCarly and Sam & Cat star Jennette McCurdy about her struggles as a former child actor—including eating disorders, addiction, and a complicated relationship with her overbearing mother—and how she retook control of her life. 

Jennette McCurdy was six years old when she had her first acting audition. Her mother’s dream was for her only daughter to become a star, and Jennette would do anything to make her mother happy. So she went along with what Mom called “calorie restriction,” eating little and weighing herself five times a day. She endured extensive at-home makeovers while Mom chided, “Your eyelashes are invisible, okay? You think Dakota Fanning doesn’t tint hers?” She was even showered by Mom until age sixteen while sharing her diaries, email, and all her income.

In I’m Glad My Mom Died, Jennette recounts all this in unflinching detail—just as she chronicles what happens when the dream finally comes true. Cast in a new Nickelodeon series called iCarly, she is thrust into fame. Though Mom is ecstatic, emailing fan club moderators and getting on a first-name basis with the paparazzi (“Hi Gale!”), Jennette is riddled with anxiety, shame, and self-loathing, which manifest into eating disorders, addiction, and a series of unhealthy relationships. These issues only get worse when, soon after taking the lead in the iCarly spinoff Sam & Cat alongside Ariana Grande, her mother dies of cancer. Finally, after discovering therapy and quitting acting, Jennette embarks on recovery and decides for the first time in her life what she really wants.

Told with refreshing candor and dark humor, I’m Glad My Mom Died is an inspiring story of resilience, independence, and the joy of shampooing your own hair.