Category: Newsletter

December 2023 Staff Pick: The MANIAC

George with The MANIAC by Benjamin Labatut

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

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

September Staff Pick: Wellness

Wellness by Nathan Hill, (Knopf, out 9/19/23), picked by store co-founder, Judy Blume

* Now out in paperback, Wellness *

If you loved Nathan Hill’s first novel, The Nix, as much as I did and you’ve been waiting seven long years for his next, as I have, rejoice!  You won’t be disappointed.  This brilliant storyteller has done it again. 

At its core Wellness is “a bittersweet, poignant, witty novel about marriage and the pursuit of health and happiness.  Expansive, tender, a reflection of life in America in the 21st Century.  Yet it’s also a sendup of gentrification, toxic internet culture, modern parenting.”  It even explores, briefly, polyamory and what a scene that is!

The story had me laughing while cringing when Jack and Elizabeth put their money down on a Forever home. It reminded me of my early marriage when friends asked one another, Is this your first house or your final house?  If only we’d known then what was ahead of us. 

We come to know Jack and Elizabeth intimately, from being young and madly in love to being married lovers, to twenty years down the road when they have an eight year old son.  We are on this journey with them, getting to know the families they left behind to the family they become. 

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!  There are a few tricky diversions along the way.  Don’t let them stop you.  If they do, skip them and come back later.  But don’t skip anything having to do with Jack or Elizabeth.  They are unforgettable characters. 

There’s a lot to think about, a lot to remind us of who we were and how we became who we are.  If I belonged to a book club I’d want us to read this book, to talk about this book.

Ultimately “this stunning novel of ideas never loses sight of its humanity.” I’m quoting Publishers Weekly here because there’s no way I can say it better. Except to tell you I’m going to read it again.  Starting now.

~ Judy Blume

Celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month

Graphic reads, "Hispanic Heritage Month, Sept. 15 - Oct. 15 with the covers of 8 books:
The Wind Knows My Name by Isabel Allende 
My Time Among the Whites by Jennine Capó Crucet  
Silver Nitrate by Silvia Moreno-Garcia
Family Lore by Elizabeth Acevedo 
Juliet Takes a Breath by Gabby Rivera
What Happened to Ruthy Ramirez by Claire Jimenez 
Hola Papi: How to Come Out in a Walmart Parking Lot and Other Life Lessons by John Paul Brammer 
Invisible by Christina Diaz Gonzalez & Gabriela Epstein (Illustrator)

Celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month (September 15 – October 15) with a book that showcases one of many threads in the tapestry that represents the diverse history, cultures, traditions and experiences of Hispanic and Hispanic American people.

Here are a few of the books we’re reading and recommending:

The Wind Knows My Name by Isabel Allende –  “A beautifully written novel about leaving and loss and families we find and make for ourselves. My own family stories echoed throughout the pages,” writes former store staffer Allison.

My Time Among the Whites by Jennine Capó Crucet – In prose that is both fearless and slyly humorous, My Time Among the Whites examines the sometimes hopeful, sometimes deeply flawed ways in which many Americans have learned to adapt, exist, and—in the face of all signals saying otherwise—perhaps even thrive in a country that never imagined them here.

Store and fan favorite Silvia Moreno-Garcia’s new book Silver Nitrate brings her signature brand of horror to the story of a cursed film.

From the bestselling, National Book Award–winning author Elizabeth Acevedo comes her first novel for adults, the story of one Dominican American family told through the voices of its women as they await a gathering that will forever change their lives, Family Lore.

Now in paperback, the YA novel that Roxane Gay called “F***ing outstanding.”– Juliet Takes a Breath by Gabby Rivera.

What Happened to Ruthy Ramirez by Claire Jimenez is a vivid family portrait, in all its shattered reality, exploring the familial bonds between women and cycles of generational violence, colonialism, race, and silence, replete with snark, resentment, tenderness, and, of course, love.

Hola Papi: How to Come Out in a Walmart Parking Lot and Other Life Lessons by John Paul Brammer – The first time someone called John Paul (JP) Brammer “Papi” was on the gay hookup app Grindr. At first, it was flattering; JP took this as white-guy speak for “hey, handsome.” But then it happened again and again…and again, leaving JP wondering: Who the hell is Papi?

Soon, this racialized moniker became the inspiration for his now wildly popular advice column “¡Hola Papi!,” launching his career as the Cheryl Strayed for young queer people everywhere—and some straight people too. JP had his doubts at first—what advice could he really offer while he himself stumbled through his early twenties? Sometimes the best advice comes from looking within, which is what JP does in his column and book—and readers have flocked to him for honest, heartfelt wisdom, and more than a few laughs.

Invisible by Christina Diaz Gonzalez & Gabriela Epstein (Illustrator) – For fans of New Kid and Allergic, a must-have graphic novel about five very different students who are forced together by their school to complete community service… and may just have more in common than they thought.

Find more picks for Hispanic Heritage Month in store.

Summer Sisters Gets a New Cover

25th Anniversary Cover of Summer Sisters

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.

August Staff Pick: Perilous Times

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 with Perilous Times by Thomas D. Lee on an e-reader.

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!

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!