Category: Newsletter

The Year in Review: 2022 Featured Staff Picks

November 25, 2022
by Robin Wood

We had a lucky baker’s dozen of featured staff picks this year. Any one of these will make an excellent gift for the discerning readers on your holiday shopping lists.

Store manager Emily launched the year with A Certain Hunger by Chelsea G. Summers (Unnamed Press), which she said “checked all the boxes.” Emily continued, “How did she become a ruthless killer? Did her victims have it coming? Will she ever find the perfect duck confit? I had to know.” Read the review.

To coincide with Black History Month, in February, bookseller Lori picked Yonder by Jabari Asim (Simon & Schuster, out in paper Jan. 10), which she especially recommended for readers who enjoyed The Prophets by Robert Jones, Jr. (out in paper, Feb. 8). Read Lori’s review.

Social media manager Robin is still thinking about Black Cake months later. “Twisty, fun and moving, you’ll enjoy this book where everyone has (a lot of) secrets,” Robin wrote. Read her review.

“Taste reminds me that whomever you are and wherever you come from the sharing of food connects us,” wrote bookseller Gina about Taste: My Life Through Food by Stanley Tucci (Gallery Books). “Plus,” she notes, “I learned how to make the ‘perfect’ martini!” Read her review.

Store co-founder George wrote of Booth by Karen Joy Fowler (G.P. Putnam’s Sons), “This is historical fiction at its finest.” He continues, “When I learned that Fowler, author of the witty and surprising We Are All Completely Beside Ourselves had a new novel, I jumped at the chance to preview it.” Read George’s review.

“This is an enthralling tale that will sweep you off into the night,” bookseller Riona Jean writes of
Daughter of the Moon Goddess by Sue Lynn Tan (Harper Voyager). Read Riona’s review, dive into Daughter of the Moon Goddess and it’s sequel, Heart of the Sun Warrior.

July was a double feature. Store co-founder Judy picked Love Marriage by Monica Ali and George picked River of the Gods by Candice Millard. Read what they had to say.

“This isn’t the kind of fairy tale where the princess marries a prince. It’s the one where she kills him,” reads the jacket copy for Nettle & Bone by T. Kingfisher (Tor Books, look for the paperback Feb. 28). Bookseller Camila loved it, calling it “a perfect summer read, a blend of fantasy, horror, unforgettable characters, humor, and a brave feminist protagonist.” Read Camila’s review.

Written for a middle-grade audience, Unseen Magic by Emily Lloyd-Jones (Greenwillow Books, look for the paperback Feb. 21) will also appeal to adults looking for a charming mystery with Scooby-Doo vibes. Read Robin’s review.

“Do you love weird animal facts? Do you love academia? Do you love sticking it to the patriarchy?” Then bookseller Riona Jean has just the book for you. Read her review of Bitch: On the Female of the Species by Lucy Cooke (Basic Books).

Assistant manager Allison calls A Minor Chorus by Billy-Ray Belcourt (W. W. Norton & Company) “A gorgeously written debut novel that poses the question, how can I write a novel, how can I expose myself to life and love through the lens of queer indigenous authenticity.” Read her review.

“Tragic, but hopeful and completely enthralling. The Light Pirate by Lily Brooks-Dalton (coming Dec. 6, Grand Central Publishing) is an essential read.” Read Emily’s review and don’t miss our event with author Lily Brooks-Dalton, Judy Blume and Emily in-person December 8.

Find even more books we love, on our staff recs shelf and scattered around the store, and online on our staff recs page.

Gift cards = happy choices

October 30, 2022
by Robin Wood

Not sure if your gift recipient would enjoy The Marriage Portrait or Ina Garten’s Go-To Dinners? Give a Books & Books @ The Studios of Key West gift card and let your loved ones pick out their own #nextfavoriteread.

Call the store or order online. Individual gift cards are mailed First Class mail for free. Gift cards are good for books, art supplies and holiday gifts, and your recipient can shop online or in store.

We have several ways to make your gift card stand out. For $4.99 (plus shipping), add a fun pouch that makes a great gift card presentation and then can be used for coins or other small knickknacks.

For $2.00 extra (First Class shipping included free) have the gift card mailed in a festive holiday card. For any of these gift card options, upgrade to tracked, 3-day expected Priority mail for $9.00. Note your upgrade choices in the comments section if ordering online.

Courtesy of the American Booksellers Association

November Staff Pick: A Minor Chorus

October 28, 2022
by Robin Wood

A Minor Chorus by Billy-Ray Belcourt (W. W. Norton & Company), picked by Assistant Manager Allison

From November 2022: The first thing we ask when we meet a new bookseller is: What are you reading and recommending?

Allison Rand, our new assistant manager, hit her answer out of the park, offering up this month’s featured staff pick, A Minor Chorus by Billy-Ray Belcourt. Read her review below.

Allison is an experienced bookseller, having worked at RJ Julia in Madison, CT, The Harvard Coop in Cambridge, MA, and Collected Works in Santa Fe, NM.

Her favorite genre is literary fiction. She recently read Lucy by the Sea by Elizabeth Strout and The Marriage Portrait by Maggie O’Farrell, and is currently reading Getting Lost by Annie Ernaux.

***

A gorgeously written debut novel that poses the question, how can I write a novel, how can I expose myself to life and love through the lens of queer indigenous authenticity.

Growing up Cree in Northern Alberta, Billy-Ray Belcourt’s narrator knows he has to leave the rez. Now, living in Edmonton as a grad student and meeting men on Tinder, he starts slipping into a depression.  He begins to ask, what of love, of excess, of finding the loudness, the bigness of one’s own voice and expression?  He poses these questions and more to his people from the past and academic present. 

In a stream of conversations, Belcourt uses the language of academia and literature to find a path to the heart. If you loved Ocean Vuong’s On Earth We are Briefly Gorgeous, and Tomasz Jedrowski’s Swimming in the Dark, you won’t want to miss A Minor Chorus. 

~ Allison, Assistant Manager

    

Shop Books & Books for the Holidays

October 28, 2022
by Robin Wood

In addition to books for all ages and a wide range of interests and tastes, we have lots of fun gifts – some you can only find in store during the lead up to the holiday season. Come see what’s new!

There are art supplies and tarot cards, puzzles and games, socks and crafts and swag with our name on it. We’re happy to help you find just the right gift for everyone on your list, and wrap it for you! Or add a Books & Books tote bag to your gift for instant eco-minded wrapping.

And, if you’re just not sure, a gift card is always a perfect fit!

Vote for the Winners in our Art Contest

September 30, 2022
by Robin Wood

Through Oct. 12, vote in store or online for the winners in our 6th annual Art Contest. The art showcases a wide range of style and approaches, all on a distinctive 4-inch by 12-inch canvas, the same shape as the store bookmarks that will eventually feature the winning art.

Vote online at https://booksandbookskw.com/vote-for-your-favorites-in-our-summer-art-contest

This year the winners will be selected in two categories – the most online votes and the most in-store votes. All contestants are eligible for the grand prize. One grand prize winner will appear on a special edition bookmark, have their canvas show in the bookstore through the end of the year and receive a $25 Art Supply gift card from Books & Books.

Want a great piece of art with a cool backstory? Some of the canvases are available for purchase. Contact us if you’d like more information about buying one.

Last year’s winners

October Staff Pick – Bitch: On the Female of the Species

September 30, 2022
by Robin Wood

Bitch: On the Female of the Species by Lucy Cooke (Basic Books), picked by bookseller Riona Jean

Do you love weird animal facts? Do you love academia? Do you love sticking it to the patriarchy?

This book boasts all three with panache and grace.

Cooke is an accomplished zoologist who interviews a bevy of scientists across the globe in order to expose the glaring gap in knowledge about the female of any species (from insects to mammals to birds). Her writing is feisty, fierce, and witty without being grandiose or over-embellishing facts.

Learn about murderous meerkats, polyamorous birds, and frisky bonobos, all while discovering how scientific studies contradicting the patriarchy have been dismissed, hidden, or unfunded. I can’t get this book into your paws fast enough!

~ Riona Jean

Riona enjoyed this book as an audiobook (read by the author). Get it from our audiobook partner, Libro.fm. Bitch: On the Female of the Species (audiobook)

September Staff Pick: Unseen Magic

August 25, 2022
by Robin Wood

Unseen Magic by Emily Lloyd-Jones (Greenwillow Books), picked by social media manager Robin

Written for a middle-grade audience, Unseen Magic will also appeal to adults looking for a charming mystery with Scooby-Doo vibes.

Aldermere is the first place that’s ever felt like home to 11-year-old Finley, but it has a few quirks: you have to remember to pay the ravens, and you should be wary of unmarked doors, they could lead anywhere.

Fin doesn’t mind a few random rules. She has a list of her own – things to avoid – certainly, adults who look angry, but also ringing phones and knocks at the door. Fin manages her fears with the help of a special tea from the roving, magic tea shop. Then one day, the tea shop owner gets hurt, and Fin’s attempts to make the tea herself result in a monster made of tea.

In order to find out who the monster really is, Fin will have to face her fears, rely on her friends, and discover she is braver than she knows.

Unseen Magic is a middle-grade monster romp that will appeal to fans of Rick Riordan and Kelly Barnhill. It’s insightful, fast-paced, twisty, and fun.

Celebrate Your Freedom to Read

August 25, 2022
by Robin Wood

Banned Books Week: September 18 – 24, 2022

Courtesy of the American Library Association, ala.org

The goal of Banned Books Week is to draw attention to the fact that books are often challenged or banned, pulled from school and community libraries, with relatively little fanfare. But this year, book banning has not been quiet.

In 2021, the American Library Association Office for Intellectual Freedom said it received reports of 729 challenges, representing 1,597 books. This up sharply from the 2020 numbers of 156 challenges, representing 273 books.

PEN America reports that it found 1,586 book bans in 86 school districts in 26 states between July 1, 2021 and March 31, 2022.

This is a tactic designed to push marginalized writers and readers off the page, and to shut down discussions about race and sexuality, among other topics, that many people find controversial. But what one person finds controversial, another may find enlightening or affirming. The goal of Banned Books Week is to encourage people to read widely and make up their own minds — and to encourage us all to stand up for the right of everyone to read freely.

Celebrate your right to read with us September 18 – 24. You might be surprised to see many old favorites in our banned books display, including several of Judy Blume’s books, as she is one of the most frequently challenged authors of the 21st century. Pick up a book that someone else doesn’t think you should read. Read dangerously!

If you want to make your voice heard, standing against censorship, you can join booksellers and their customers in a petition condemning book banning. Also, check out the ALA’s new campaign, Unite Against Book Bans.

August Staff Pick: Nettle & Bone

July 28, 2022
by Robin Wood

Nettle & Bone by T. Kingfisher (Tor Books), picked by Bookseller Camila

“The trees were full of crows and the woods were full of madmen. The pit was full of bones and her hands were full of wires.”

first line, Nettle & Bone

I was browsing for a summer read amongst our new releases when I came upon this brief description on the back jacket of one of our bestsellers.

“This isn’t the kind of fairy tale where the princess marries a prince. It’s the one where she kills him.”

Well, that grabbed my attention and I started Nettle & Bone that very evening. Marra is our princess and the hero of this story, or rather dark & twisty fairy tale. She is the youngest of three sisters in a kingdom struggling to maintain its power. Marrying off the sisters seems to be the only way to keep it safe from invasion, even if the marriage is to a powerful yet abusive prince. We follow our hero Marra while she plans a rescue mission to save her sister, murder a wicked prince, and topple his throne. In order to receive the help she needs to fight such an evil adversary, Marra needs to succeed in this insurmountable quest:

  • Build a dog of bones
  • Sew cloak of nettles
  • Capture moonlight in a jar.

Along the way she meets new friends and gathers a fierce team of the quintessential fairy tale variety which includes a courageous yet disgraced ex-knight, a fairy godmother with unreliable magic, a dog of bones, an ornery grave witch, and a demonic chicken. Can they save her sister and survive this mission? Will they have their happy ending?

I loved reading this dark fantasy and devoured it within one sitting. Nettle & Bone is a perfect summer read… especially if you like a blend of fantasy, horror, unforgettable characters, humor, and a brave feminist protagonist. Enjoy the journey, I sure did.

~ Camila