Dear Gentle Reader,

Welcome July and Happy Birthday America! Next year we hope to celebrate 250 years of this experiment in democracy, so we are officially at 249 years and counting. Quite impressive. To celebrate, we are having a rare sidewalk sale on Friday (outside, weather permitting)– so come and check us out.

We are still buzzing after the Our State Book Club this past Thursday. Wiley Cash hosted Clyde Edgerton and Bland Simpson. We were witness to a fabulous discussion on the largesse and supportive nature of writers in this state. Mark you calendars as Wiley will discuss nature and writing with beloved author Georgann Eubanks and her partner in crime, photographer, editor and video producer Donna Campbell on Thursday, September 4th from 7-8:30. Light hors d’oeuvres and wine will be served. Tickets can be purchased at ourstate.com/events. Don’t tarry as the ticket window closes August 29th!

McIntyre’s will be open regular hours on Friday, July 4th (10am-6pm). Roost will be open as well, serving beer and pizza with live music by The Toves.

Margot Lester is taking a break this month and will not be here on Wednesday, July 2nd. So  continue to polish those writing projects and be ready to consult with her in the fall!

Next Saturday at 11am we are thrilled to welcome Martin Walker, who is touring for his latest  in the Bruno, Chief of Police series, An Enemy in the Village.

And now for some more summer reading recs…

Johanna
Sylvie Cathrall, A Letter to the Luminous Deep. I started this book without any knowledge or expectations and was blown away! This cozy story sneakily propels the reader to a big finish. As it is composed entirely in letters, I was gently introduced to a stunning and complex fantasy world very unlike our own. Henerey and E. have gone missing, and their loved ones are trying to learn why by piecing together their correspondence. I loved getting to know these characters through their own words in letters and journals; it’s such an intimate look at how they formed their relationships. This novel is a character-driven whimsical fantasy with a fascinating twist of science fiction. Warning: you will want the sequel as soon as you finish this one!

Sarah G.
Chimimanda Adichie’s new novel, Dream Count, is the kind of complex, absorbing reading that makes you forget where you are (and the stifling heat). It’s the story of 4 African women, 3 from Nigeria, 1 from Guinea, as told by the travel writer Chiamaka. Sidelined from traveling because of the Covid pandemic, Chia starts to reflect on her past loves (hence the title) and the choices of her friends. Dream Count is filled with rich characters, big themes and occasionally biting humor (one of the four writes an advice column For Men Only where her answers always start “Remember, men, I’m on your side” before pointing out exactly how wrong they are).

It would be hard to find a novel with more heart, tenderness and levity than The Emperor of Gladness, a worthy successor to Ocean Vuong’s previous On Earth We’re Briefly Gorgeous. 19-year-old Hai and elderly, delusional Grazina are unexpectedly brought together in a deteriorating house in a squalid riverside neighborhood of East Gladness, Connecticut. When Hai gets a job at an “upscale” fast food place in town, the supporting cast of his fellow workers, authentic and hilarious, elevates the book to greatness. You don’t want to miss this.

My final fictional escape this summer is the newest entry in Brendan Slocumb’smusical mystery collection, Dark Maestro. This one centers on Curtis, a young cello virtuoso who manages to rise out of poverty to the top of his profession before it all crashes around him. Drugs, organized crime, big medicine, comic book superheroes and classical music propel this literary thriller that kept me reading way past my bedtime.

Keebe
Jessica Berger Gross, Hazel Says No. There were so many reasons for me not to have read this novel: my daughter’s name is Hazel, she has a dog named Pickle (as does the protagonist) and what the school principal does is heinous.  BUT I started it on a whim while casting about for something to read and could not put it down. The first day of Hazel’s senior year in a new high school, the principal lets her know he chooses one senior each year to have sex with. This year Hazel is the one, according to him. Hazel says no. The fallout, in chapters alternately narrated by Hazel, her mother, her father, and her brother, detail how they pull together through this fraught year. If you lovedLessons in Chemistry and Elizabeth Zott’s struggle against a stacked deck, give this big hearted book a try.

ENjoy your holiday weekend. More recs to come next week–

The Usual Suspects,

Pete, Johanna, Sarah G., Tyler, Amy, Sarah C. and Keebe