NEWS

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Shake, shake, shake it up.

Dear readers,

I’ve been snip, snip, snipping away at a crafty secret project – gifts for my staff that I’m making using their favorite books in 2022. Our staff collectively reads over 700 books a year, and I want to commemorate the books that stood out to them. I’ll share some photos of the gifts once they’re out in the world (sneak peek right there —>). They’re pretty cute, but in the meantime, stop by the bookstore to browse our individual picks for the best of 2022.

As we turn and look ahead at 2023, I’ve got my eye on this newsletter, and I plan to shake it up, as they say. I’ll continue sharing personal missives once a month; I enjoy that a lot. We’ll also continue sharing new releases, seasonal previews, and event announcements, but we also plan to share interviews, more kids’ reading lists, and customer and bookseller spotlights. Is there something you’d like to see in this newsletter? Just reply to this email.

Right now, we’re working on our Spring Release Preview, which we’ll send to you in late January. But one book is already buzzing among our staff. My 11 year-old saw the cover on our kitchen table and was a bit scandalized by the “thought-provoking” expression on the cover model’s face, so she asked me what the book was about. This got my 13 year-old’s attention; he wanted to see the cover, too.

I haven’t yet read BIG SWISS, coming this February, but Jessica, Melissa, Beth, and Aimée all tell me that it is laugh-out-loud hilarious, expertly crafted, and a wild, wide-open ride (eliciting wildly different content warnings from the four who’ve read it). To my kids, I explained, “It’s a satire of life in Hudson Valley, NY. The main character, Greta, transcribes sessions for a therapist – okay, it’s an unlicensed sex therapist – and becomes obsessed with one of the clients. There’s a lot of sex and zany adult relationship stuff.

11 year-old: Eww. So what’s Big Swiss?

Me: I don’t really know, but I think it’s a nickname for one of the characters.

13 year-old: Oh, like the girl on the cover.

13 year-old: . . . there’s a lot of good things that come from Switzerland.

Me: Oh yeah? What good things come from Switzerland?

13 year-old: Well, their flag’s a plus.”

With chuckles,

PS – We’re shaking up our inventory plans, too, by pushing this annual event back one week. We are OPEN this week and instead closing next Monday and Tuesday. Scroll on for details.

We’re taking stock.

Our brick and mortar shop will be closed next Monday and Tuesday for annual inventory. We will reopen and resume regular hours on Wednesday, January 11.