Celebrating 25 Years Judy Blume’s Iconic Novel Gets a New Look
Summer Sisters, Judy Blume’s iconic novel of female friendship, is celebrating its 25th anniversary with a beautiful new cover – and it’s the August 2023 Read with Jenna book pick!
Jenna writes, “It’s about that time in your life where you’re trying to figure out who you’re going to be. It is the perfect, perfect beach read but that doesn’t mean that it’s an easy read.” Read more of what Jenna says at https://www.today.com/shop/read-with-jenna.
Plus, keep an eye out for more news about the Summer Sisters tv show, currently in development.
You can order a signed copy of Summer Sisters from us. All copies ordered after this date (8/1/23) will feature the new cover. If you want the book signed, please note in your order comments that you’d like a signed copy. Due to volume, it will be signed only. Also, please note, signed copies ordered now will not ship until November 2023 at the earliest.
Perilous Times by Thomas D. Lee (Ballantine Books), picked by bookseller, Riona Jean
Do you want to fight climate change, battle a dragon, reminisce about lost friends, fight the patriarchy, and more!? Try this new Arthurian Legend on for size.
Bookseller Riona Jean picked Perilous Times as the August featured staff pick because it mixed her favorite genres, fantasy and dystopias.
“It remixes the Arthurian Legend in a new and dynamic way,” she writes.
“Mariam is an ecowarrior with FETA, fighting to save the planet from extreme climate change and rising sea levels. Kay is one of King Arthur’s knights, bound to a resurrection tree by Merlin, called to action whenever Britain is in trouble. With great swaths of the UK under water and major cities falling into ruin, Mariam and Kay stumble their way through trying to do the right thing. Watch out for Lancelot, corporate greed, and a nefarious plot to resurrect Arthur getting in the way!”
“Witty, insightful, and poignant, Perilous Times perfectly marries fantastical legend and dystopian new world order.”
Ed note: Riona read Perilous Times on her Kobo Clara 2E, it’s waterproof, made with recycled plastic, and we have them at the bookstore!
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.
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.]
She’s the author of our July featured staff pick, Factory Girls. Questions by Emily Berg, store manager.
Michelle Gallen (photo credit: Brideen Baxter and Deci Gallen/Simpletapestry.com)
Q: This is a work of fiction, but it does take place in a time and place you lived. Of the three girls, is there one whose feelings and experiences most closely reflect your own?
A: I think each character has strengths, weaknesses, griefs and talents that I envy or fear, and that’s why they are all so vivid to me. I also feel incredibly close to both Deirdre – Maeve’s sister – and I adore Fidelma, the fist-fighting factory worker who elbows her way into the narrative.
Having said that, when I worked in a shirt factory, I did press shirts, and the hard physical experience of that is one I brought to the book. In one way, it was an incredibly zen job – I have never since got so ‘lost’ in my work, or felt so in the flow. But I found the socio-political side of working in the factory hugely stressful – I worked alongside lots of clever, quick-witted people who were also watchful and wary – I never felt like I could keep up with the ‘banter’, and disliked the underlying current of mistrust.
Q: Maeve has some memories of programs set up (in school and out) to bring Catholics and Protestants together. Did you participate in any such programs and, if so, did you find they were successful in anyway?
A: I think the fundamental problem with these programs is that they are based on premise that children who have been brought up in a society that is structurally biased and segregated at almost every level, run by adults who aren’t doing all that much to change the dynamic, will bring about peace simply by hanging out for the weekend and doing some mildly risky outdoors activities. If it were that easy, Mo Mowlam and Bill Clinton would’ve had a much easier time of it in the peace process. I think these programs were better than nothing. But they also placed an enormous burden on our shoulders, while giving us almost no power to make changes. I think if the adults and interested parties had placed all that energy and funding into integrating the schools, our peace process would be a lot more advanced than it currently is – and the current school system would be spending its money on a shared education instead of wasting money segregating students.
Q: The book captured the feeling of having that first apartment, out on your own with a friend. What was your first apartment like?
A: Oh I didn’t live independently until I got to university, and it wasn’t the same experience, as I knew nobody in Dublin and had to room with a total stranger. I know that’s quite a common college experience in the US, but very unusual in Ireland, where everyone knows each other or has family they can stay with. I lived with a student from Newry and one from Tipperary. We were all utterly different from each other but I bonded well with the student who had come from Northern Ireland. Our lives were much more similar than students who had never experienced the Troubles, who had no idea of what the conflict was like. Although I didn’t drink, I loved hosting friends and parties in my flat. I had the only computer in the building, so lots of geeks came to hang out and use the program Eliza to work through their problems, or to play basic arcade games. We also had ‘sessions’ where we’d get together to sing and play guitar. The building I lived in was occupied mostly by students – so I got to meet and mix with people from all over Ireland for the first time. It was an incredible experience, even if I was also homesick for the North.
Q: Have you heard the audio book version of Factory Girls? Did you think the narrator’s accent was accurate? (I believe she’s English.)
A: I actually had the opportunity to hear the shortlisted narrators before the final choice was made, so I was thrilled to discover that Northern Irish actors were in the line up. I loved the selected narrator, Amy Molloy, who grew up in Belfast. She captures all the different voices and characters just beautifully. Nicola Coughlan – who plays Clare in Derry Girls – narrated my first book, Big Girl Small Town. Nicola isn’t from Northern Ireland, but obviously her work in refining her accent for Derry Girls helped her nail the narration too.
Q: What are you currently reading?
A: Oh I’m reading about 10 books at the moment because I’m a bit overloaded juggling the the chaos of a renovation, work and travel. So to escape into the world of a deliciously eccentric character, I’m reading Strange Sally Diamond by Liz Nugent. To improve my French and consider the horror of always being in the first flush of love, I’m reading Mon Mari by Maud Ventura. And to keep myself doing ‘The Work’ I’m reading Waking the Tigerby Peter Levine.
Ed note: In English, Mon Mari is My Husband by Maud Ventura, translated by Emma Ramadan.
Q: Are you working on anything new?
A: I’m silly busy writing at the moment 😱 I’m trying to finish a fourth book instead of redrafting my third, simply because every time I sit down to start the redraft of the third book, the narrator of the fourth book grabs me by the throat and won’t let go until I’ve exhausted that voice. I’m also working on the adaptation of Big Girl Small Town for screen with BBC production company Lookout Point, and working on the adaptation of Factory Girls for TV with Irish Production company Deadpan Pictures. I feel like I am being jostled on all sides by characters, locations, voices and events – on top of finishing up a house renovation, parenting, and travelling for work in the ‘real’ world. It’s funny how exhausting having your dreams come true is 😂
Q: One of my favorite quotes from the book is “If Aoife fell into a barrel of c*cks she’d come out sucking her own thumb.” Is this an idiom I just may not have heard as an American or a Michelle Gallen original phrase? I love it.
A: Hahahahah no it’s a phrase I first heard in Belfast. I can still remember how hard I laughed. It’s TERRIBLE. It’s brilliant! I’m heading up to Belfast shortly for an event and I can’t wait to catch up with all my friends there – it will be like drinking pure comedy gold.
Long lazy days call for a good book – and we have some recommendations.
Lori is readingDrowning: The Rescue of Flight 1421 by T. J. Newman. She writes, “Probably not the best to read before flying cross-country, but it was a great action story and quick read. A take on The Poseidon Adventure (only trapped on an airplane) with a great cast of characters.”
Alexander is looking forward to Small Joys by Elvin James Mensah because of the clever cover and engaging subject.
Robin has had Patricia Wants to Cuddle by Samantha Allen on her TBR since it came out last year. This is the summer for the book that everyone says is unhinged in the best kinds of ways.
Shelly, one of our fabulous volunteers, loves Fiona Davis, and can’t wait to dive into The Spectacular.
Stone Blind by Natalie Haynes (Harper), picked by Bookseller Camila
“I see you. I see all those who men call monsters. And I see the men who call them that. Call themselves heroes, of course. I only see them for an instant, Then they’re gone. But it’s enough. Enough to know that the hero isn’t the one who’s kind or brave or loyal. Sometimes – not always, but sometimes – he is monstrous.
And the monster? Who is she? She is what happens when someone cannot be saved. This particular monster is assaulted, abused, and vilified. And yet, as the story is always told, she is the one you should fear. She is the monster.
Most people that know me, know that I absolutely LOVE Greek mythology. Circe by Madeline Miller is one of my top book recommendations, and when I was just a ‘tween in middle school Clash of the Titans was a favorite of mine! I think I watched that movie over 50 times. Gods and goddesses coming to the aid of our hero Perseus (played by a young Harry Hamlin), demigod and the son of Zeus! I cheered him on while he on on his quest to save Andromeda and slay the gorgon Medusa. When I came across Natalie Haynes’ Stone Blind on the Indie Bestseller list I knew that this was going to be my next book recommendation. I couldn’t wait to delve into the legend of Medusa.
Stone Blind is a beautifully written retelling of the classic myth of the gorgon Medusa. Medusa’s story is narrated by the multiple characters in the book. Each chapter is told from various perspectives including Medusa herself, her gorgon sisters (Sthenno & Euryale), Perseus, Athene, Poseidon, Hera, and many more. We even hear from the “gorgons head” and an olive grove, truly original storytelling!
We learn how the gorgon Medusa came to be as we know her, writhing snakes replacing her beautiful hair, her eyes replaced with a burning weapon that will turn any living creature to stone and condemn her to a life of solitude. Haynes’ storytelling weaves a beautiful tale of love between the gorgon sisters and the heartbreak of what was to come. The vilified gorgons come across as the most human and caring characters while the heroes and gods are petty, callous, cruel and violent. We follow Perseus on his quest to slay Medusa, and while reading we find ourselves on the side of the monsters while abhorring the behavior of the hero Perseus and disgusted by behaviors of the gods & goddesses.
I was already familiar with the legend of Medusa & Perseus. I found myself dreading their eventual confrontation and kept hoping for a different ending. Stone Blind leaves you questioning who really is the monster? And who are the true heroes? Natalie Haynes writes with wit and heartbreak, telling a story that has you rooting for the “monsters.”
White Cat, Black Dog by Kelly Link (Random House), picked by Social Media Manager Robin
“With White Cat, Black Dog, Kelly Link puts her sui generis magic to work on the older magic of fairy tales, forging something revelatory. These stories delight and terrify us, and seem to say, Yes, this is the way the world works—haven’t you been paying attention?I am now. What a glorious and bewitching gift this book is.
— Clare Beams, author of The Illness Lesson
Clare is better at this than I am. I just want to stand around the store and hand White Cat, Black Dog to people. Kelly Link’s newest collection of fairy tale-inspired short stories defies easy description, but is a joy to read.
It’s hard to explain, I say, but it’s really good. It’s smart, funny, creepy, and sneaky. I wouldn’t steer you wrong. It’s excellent – and different – and, after you read it, you might find yourself even more afraid of business travel.
Link takes a nugget of a fairy tale, even if you don’t know the story, you’ll recognize the elements – three princes sent on three quests, the dangers of debts owed to the fae. She takes something from the original tale, and weaves something new and unexpected, meaningful and unexplained.
These are the kind of stories that stick with you. Sometimes enchanting, sometimes scary, always thought-provoking. Highly recommended.
10 Years of Celebrating Indie Bookstores Together!
Plan to join us or the indie bookstore in your neighborhood on Saturday, April 29 for Independent Bookstore Day. Bookstore Day is a nation-wide 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, available only at participating indie bookstores and not until April 29.
Our party will include:
· Doughnuts and mimosas, while supplies last.
· Free book with any purchase plus other assorted freebies.
This year’s totebag
· 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.
One of the most exciting things about Independent Bookstore Day, are the special, limited edition products that debut that day. Follow our social media to see what’s on offer this year!
In this “magical trip worth taking” (Associated Press), the New York Times bestselling author of In Five Years returns with a powerful novel about the transformational love between mothers and daughters set on the breathtaking Amalfi Coast.
Bookseller Gina writes, “One Italian Summer will immerse you in the magic of Positano, and the complex yet powerful bond of a mother and daughter. Katy and Carol will take you to a place you don’t want to leave and on a journey you won’t want to end!”
“Every time I re-read it, I want to book a flight to Italy, just like watching Under the Tuscan Sun.”
Get out your headphones, THE FAREWELL TOUR will make you want to crank up the music. But first, we are delighted to introduce you to author Stephanie Clifford, who took time out of her busy book launch to chat with us. (Read Assistant Manager Allison’s review of THE FAREWELL TOUR.)
Stephanie Clifford, photo credit: Sarah Bode-Clark Photography
Q: How big a music fan were you before writing THE FAREWELL TOUR? What was the first album you bought with your own money?
A: I’ve always adored music, from opera to musicals to rock, and play piano and guitar. But I didn’t fall in love with country until high school—I grew up in Seattle, and worked one summer in Arkansas doing trail maintenance in a national forest there, where the only radio station we could get was country. Suddenly, I was hooked, and returned to Seattle at the height of the grunge era to listen to, like, Tammy Wynette—no one in Seattle understood what on earth I was doing.
First album—for some reason it wasn’t an album I first bought, but a cassette-tape single: Prince (cool), “Arms of Orion” (not very cool).
Q: What was the idea that sparked this novel?
A: Before I began writing this book, I happened to be on a literature-of-the-American-West kick, so Grapes of Wrath and Cormac McCarthy and Larry McMurtry. The landscapes they wrote about were arid and harsh, and I didn’t recognize them. I felt like there was this missing piece of the “Western” genre, that the Northwest, this place I had grown up in—and which, by the way, takes up a rather large geographical chunk of the West!—was completely ignored. So I began playing with the idea of writing a Western—not a shootout-and-saloons story, but one that considers the myth of the West, and how the landscape shapes its characters—that was set in the historical Northwest.
As I read more and more, I also came to feel that even for writers who were women or were sympathetic to women, like Wallace Stegner or Willa Cather, in the era I was writing about—the book starts in the 1920s—the women in these books literally didn’t get to leave their houses. They were stuck inside, cooking, cleaning, and sewing. And I thought of the fierce Northwest women I knew, who would basically skin a deer in the morning and then put on lipstick and go shopping at I. Magnin’s downtown in the afternoon, and I thought, just try keeping a Northwest woman inside her house; good luck.
That became the genesis for Lil, the main character. I wanted to get across the grit and battle scars that so many Northwest women of that era had, and also the desire to survive, and give her a life where she has to be out in the world—in this case, via singing country music—and see what happens.
Q: What was interesting to you about this particular time in history, women’s history or music history?
A: First of all, it’s just this incredibly rich time to imagine and research—Lil’s born on the cusp of the Depression, gets her start as a singer in WWII-era Tacoma, lands in Nashville in its golden era—all a gold mine for a writer. I also wanted her to have to navigate her career and art in a time that wasn’t very open to working women generally, and certainly not in the country music. She’s going to have to make real concessions in order to succeed, which is always interesting to write about.
Q: What were your top 3 songs of 2022? What would be your picks for saddest song? Happiest?
A: Because I was so deep into research for 2022, my Spotify most-played for the year looks like it’s out of 1962! Tammy Wynette, “Apartment No. 9” – Tammy makes everything sound heartbreaking; Sister Rosetta Tharpe, “Didn’t It Rain” – an incredible, pioneering guitar player; “He Is Fine,” Secret Sisters, a fabulous duo. Happiest – I love a musical number for a pick-me-up (my first book, Everybody Rise, has tons of musical references, and the title is from a Sondheim song) – so maybe a classic like “Seventy-Six Trombones.” Saddest, there’s a scene in the book where the characters are discussing the saddest country song, and I think Lil gets it right when she suggests Emmylou Harris’s “Boulder to Birmingham,” written after Harris’s musical partner, Gram Parsons, overdosed and died. Just try not to cry when you hear Emmylou sing that one.
Q: What are you reading and recommending these days?
A: I just (accidentally) read back-to-back two wonderful, thoughtful books on women during times of civil war/domestic terrorism in the ’70s: V.V. Ganeshananthan’s Brotherless Night, set in the Tamil region of Sri Lanka during the civil war there; and Louise Kennedy’s Trespasses, set during the Troubles in Northern Ireland. The books made perfect companions and almost talked to each other.
