Books for the Fall

Three really exciting, super thrilling new books!

1. Blood of Olympus by Rick Riordan
I mean...come on. It's the LAST BOOK! Then we have to wait for Magnus Chase (which is set IN BOSTON!). Did I mention that we have signed copies?

2. Red Knit Cap Girl and The Reading Tree by Naoko Stoop
We love the Red Knit Cap Girl in general. But we love her even more when there are books involved.

3. A Bean, A Stalk, and a Boy Named Jack by William Joyce
I love him. I love him. William Joyce's books are lovely and funny and just so brilliantly rendered. His newest, a take on Jack and the Beanstalk, is no exception.

A little while back I did a post on books that reminded me of summer. Now, it's fall and it's my favorite season and I haven't talked yet about books that feel like fall. This is a very important season.

So let's do that now. In no particular order I present Books That Remind Amy of Fall:

1. Doll Bones by Holly Black
Maybe it's the creepy factor. The potentially possessed doll, the late night bus ride, the cemetery. But this book makes me think of fall. Dead leaves and moonlit skies.

2. Fletcher and the Falling Leaves by Julia Rawlinson
My love for this book is no secret, neither are its ties to fall. When the leaves start falling Fletcher worries that is friend the tree is sick. It's sweet and lovely.

3. First Test by Tamora Pierce
Back to school books often have a fall-ish air to them, even though school starts in the summer. This isn't technically school and the books spans a year so it covers all of the seasons but there's still something so essentially autumnal about it.

4. 5th Wave by Rick Yancy
I could probably say that this reminds me of fall because it's sort of about the fall of humanity but that's not it...I don't think. It just has the same sort of Fall feel.

5. Flora's Very Windy Day by Jeanne Birdsall
The fall colors, the dead leaves, the wind stealing a sibling. I mean that all just screams fall!

6. Book of Shadows by Cate Tiernan
The start of school in the midwest mixed with a setting of graveyards and the discovery of magick. Tiernan's entire Sweep series is the perfect read for an autumn week.

7. Ballad by Maggie Stiefvater
This one I find interesting because the first in the series, Lament feels like a spring book to me. But this is the darker side to the story. It has more of an edge and that is all fall.

8. Unspoken by Sarah Rees Brennan
This is all fall. Creepy woods and sorcerers and small towns.

9. Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark by Alvin Schwartz
Do I even need to say anything about this one?

10. The Lost Boy by Greg Ruth
Creepy woods. Even creepier creatures. Beautiful and unique artwork. A boy finds an old fashioned recorder on which he hears the story of a boy years before who gets caught in a good versus evil battle that goes wrong.


I was sitting here trying to figure out what it is about these books that make me think of fall. I'm not really sure what it is to be honest. As I was thinking of titles I was very quickly dismissing titles with a brief "No, that's winter/spring/summer." I'm not sure if it's just setting, or an unsettling plot, or just a feeling but something about all of these titles reminds me of fall.

-Amy

For the First Day of Actual Fall

I cheated on one of the releases.... shhhh!

The Fall of Summer Reading

We got so many exciting books in this week but my top three are:

1. The Iron Trial by Holly Black and Cassandra Clare
This book is awesome. It's Harry Potter meets Loki's Wolves with a dash of extra sinister forces. I was completely blindsided by the twist. The series is in great hands.

2. Egg and Spoon by Gregory Maguire
Gregory Maguire writes a book based in Russian Folklore. Yes.

3. Animalium by Jenny Broom
The animal version of last year's Maps. This book is filled with stunning illustrations in a book that's equally as beautiful in its large format.

 

Do you see that? Do you realize what those are? Those are picture books on display. That is a beautiful sight. That many picture books on display means one thing. 

Summer reading is gone. 

Summer reading being gone is indicative of a number of things. One of these is that it's almost Fall and that delights me. Another is that we get to choose some of our favorite picture books and put them up on display for ease of browsing.

Perhaps most importantly, is that this means that some things in the kids section have moved. Why? Because if we're dismantling Summer Reading we might as well shift some things around. 

First, we had the privilege and pleasure of giving Fairy Tales, Mythology, and  Poetry actual space.

See that? It gets a whole case. We have so many beautiful books in these sections this is legitimately exciting. It was tough choosing which books deserved the honor of being displayed.

 

Our addition to this section is the selection of miniature books that has suddenly exploded. They're beautiful but so tiny that they got lost in the picture book shelves. Now they have their own, snuggled nicely between mythology and poetry.

Then we had the exciting, albeit a bit daunting, task of putting out a selection of our Halloween books.

Halloween is my favorite holiday so, I'm pretty psyched to see things for it and feel a little bit more legitimate in the fact that I'm already plotting our details for my costume. We have so many books we still haven't managed to fit everything out.

And, of course, the initial excitement of putting some of my favorite picture books on display. We have a Natasha favorite, Ungerer's Three Robbers. A few Amy favorites (Virginia Wolf, Little Elliot Big City, Numberlys). Some Clarissa favorites (Julia's Home for Lost Creatures, Any Questions). Some great new ones like Otoshi's beautiful new companion to One and Zero: Two. The surprisingly new Dr. Seuss Horton and the Kwuggerbug and More Lost Stories. The beautiful biography Hello, I'm Johnny Cash by G Neri. Even a picture book that Peter likes, Dubuc's The Lion and the Bird.

Basically, all of the picture books you could ever want and that we love.

Another change that I couldn't manage to dive around people to get a picture of (you see what lengths I go to for this blog?) is an awesome shelf beside the Halloween display of some of the boxed sets we carry, it's a great place to check out some gifts.

Things are beginning to change in the Kids section. I mean, it is almost Fall. But this is when things start getting really crazy. When the new exciting new releases come out faster than we can display them or show the proper amount of enthusiasm. When the holidays start coming so quickly that the displays start changing almost weekly.

This is my favorite time of year. Sure, school has started. But that means Summer Reading has come down and that is a sign of all good things.

Well, almost all good things.

That used to be alphabetized.

-Amy

Crunchy Leaves, Smooth Books

Autumn time is the happiest time of year for bookstore types. All the best books are coming out, the weather is perfect for warm tea or pumpkin spice lattes while you curl up in a cozy blanket and read all the books, or curl up in a nice scarf and fend off the chubby squirrels preparing for winter in the Common. There are tons of great books the store is jazzed about released this fall: Jumpa Lahiri's Lowland, I've already started tucking into Anya von Bremzen's Mastering the Art of Soviet Cooking and the new David Wiesener book Mr. Wuffles are just the tip of the autumnal iceberg.

In addition to all the new fall books, the UBC has cured curated a fine selection of meats books that are perfect for autumn: Ivy League campuses going back to school, spooky New England ghost stories, young couples falling into piles of leaves, the whole gamut of super-satisfying fall time reads! We've got a nice new case at the top of the stairs, for the discerning book lover on the go who might not have the time to get lost in our subterranean bookshelves. The selection changes daily so come quickly and come often! And if there's a special book you love to reread every fall, let me know in the comments!

It won't be summer forever.

Now that temperatures have subsided from the raging yet sticky inferno that was last week, it's easy to wish that summer would last forever. There are moments when I harbor that wish myself. But then I remember that if summer didn't end, we'd never get to the fall releases. And they are delicious. A few I've checked out that I'm looking forward to handing to customers:




Flora is kind of a strange girl. Ulysses is an even stranger squirrel. I won't tell you which one of them writes poetry, but Flora's more into comics. In fact, brief sections of the story are told in a graphic format. (Intermediate.)



Hilary's father thinks she belongs in a charm school. He's wrong. Before you can say "The Very Nearly Honorable League of Pirates," she's found her way to sea. Very nearly honorably. (Intermediate.)



After a tumultuous junior year, Josh decides to escape for his senior year. What better place to mull things over than with his uncle, Jackie Chan's biggest fan? (Young adult.)



This companion to Code Name Verity (which also stands alone) tells the story of Rose, an eighteen-year-old World War II pilot who's captured and brought to Ravensbrück, a women's concentration camp. Intense though it sometimes is, it has a lighter touch than some Holocaust novels, and the characters' personalities make the difficult setting easier to take. (Young adult.)



I'm a sucker for a good secret, and if anyone's good at the slow reveal, it's Patrick Ness. There were parts that made me shake my fist, but that just means I cared. (Young adult.)

Keep mining that awesome summer reading list, guys. But know that when you've gotten through it, some great fall books await.

SCARVES: a blog post.

Sorry to consistently pad my blog posts with nostalgia from my childhood (just clawing at my eyeballs for that emmy nod, dudes) but I kind of don't know how else to write a blog post. My life is kind of like a psychadelic drudgery, if you can imagine that. I work a lot, it's wet and grey out, and nothing makes sense. Emotions and urges kind of float around in the ether and I pluck at them at random. I bought a pair of earrings today because they matched my outfit. Like that's a thing I can afford? Nope. Wrong. I ate popcorn for dinner last night. I basically just arrange greeting cards and watch the clock run out on the grace period on my student loans, cultivating unrequited longings and pointedly not going to the gym.

Oh my god I'm so sorry, am I OVERWHELMING YOU WITH A NAMELESS DREAD?! Sorry sorry sorry. That happens sometimes. Moving on.

WHEN I WAS A KID I didn't really adhere to a collecting mentality. The idea of collecting things just for the hell or it wasn't something that interested me, possibly due to a complete aversion to anything remotely competitive that I honed early on in life. Beany babies, trading cards, GI Joes, countless childhood fads passed me by and while I participated, I didn't really feel the same wild fervor that a few choice other kids did. Unknowingly, I just let the tide of all these one hit wonders collect and abate on my tiny, undeveloped brain.

Despite all that, a collection snuck up on me when I wasn't paying attention, and it's one I can't really quantify or explain. I think it probably has something to do with my maternal grandmother. I have two grandmothers, as one must, at least on paper anyway, and while they are not entirely unalike they don't share many similarities, in appearance especially. My father's mother enjoys a style that has a purpose; a lot of sweaters, slacks, a lot of black and khaki. Fancy shoes abandoned long ago for an all-purpose, all-black men's sneaker (genius, in my opinion, and I can't wait till they call my number on that matter) which cushions and supports just right.

My Mom's Mom, however, is a much fancier lady. If anybody can be described as "swanning" about, it's my maternal grandmother. She tends to swan about wearing billowing, sheer floral blouses, tens of gold bangles on her thin wrists that glitter and clack as she gesticulates or opens a tin of cat food. She has forever wound her grey hair into a foot-high bouffant on top of her head, and we spot her that way, in supermarkets and malls, a soft grey thumb bobbing away from us in the distance.

It's those blouses that caught my attention; like paper, water; I'm finding it hard to explain them without using the word "silky", which is odd, using a word to describe itself, since some of them where at least part silk or meant to look like it, at any rate. Fabric that floated, made itself seem precious or important in some way, probably just in its utter uselessness. Scarves have a very small section of use, and even then, purpose is relegated to warmth, which completely negates the existence of the sheer. Light summer scarves, sheer scarves; there's no place for them in reason, they hover just outside of utility but are firmly grounded in the decorative.



The lovely and fragrant Helena

I took to collecting scarves without realizing I was doing it, I just started wanting them. I kept them in a hinged basket and then later, an additional faux suitcase and then later, an additional plastic bin. I never wore them, I would play with some of them but for the most part they where just there to be had, and touched and appreciated, but never used for anything. Occasionally, on Halloween especially, they would come in spectacularly handy, and I would think yes, why doesn't everyone have a scarf collection, it makes total sense. When I grew up, the scarves went away for a little while, but once I began to create a style for myself I brought them out again. I wear scarves I've had for decades, holding on to them for a reason I was never quite sure of. I am somewhat known around the store for buying scarves before they even hit the floor and have a chance to be sold organically.



Cheeseball's Anonymous



Sometimes we all have to step into the decorative circle, or else we go banana pants and start stockpiling for the apocalypse. So I will see you there, Brookline. Come check out our newest scarf shipment in the card and gift room. I've already bought three. I'm not even joking. You have to get here before I buy all the good ones. As this autumn creeps into our beds and our lungs and our hearts, so much becomes about necessity. Boots for the rain and snow, heavy coats, thick scarves, hats, gloves. No more bicycles or straw summer hats, just fleece and four wheel drive and Halls mentholated. If you need to stop in and get yourself something a little precious, a little floaty, and a little sheer? I promise not to tell. Oh my god just kidding, you know I'll tell everyone, but who cares?

Autumn Reads

©artist Robert The; www.bookdust.com

It's that time, dear Reader. I shook my head and ignored it when I saw pumpkin beers infiltrating the market, and on my birthday a week ago when I had to bring a sweater, but the death knell came this week when two important things happened:

1) My craving for a pumpkin smoothie won out at the end of a long shift, and
2) When I got a hankering to read Virginia Woolf.

Typically, Orlando is my favorite, and reading Woolf in autumn started with Mrs. Dalloway, but this year I was thinking of that scene with the deer head and the veil when I saw about the 800th horned-animal accessory (so hot right now) in a row. Sometimes, kids, you just have to surrender to what the universe is telling you to read. I just finally got caught up on Mad Men, and some lines that stuck with me might be subconsciously pushing me to pay attention to Lily Briscoe this time around. Who knows?!

Other Booksmithereens have similar seasonal traditions. Bonnie in the C&G reads Raymond Carver as the trees die. And other friends, my bestie Katia for one, reads Oscar Wilde.

How about you? Any big autumnal reading plans? If not, stop by and get inspired! Or if you're soured on reading, get inspired by Robert The's super-cool book sculptures, then come in and buy cheap $1 to hack up. Autumn is the perfect, contemplative weather for crafting beside a cup of tea.

Not every fall book is about goblins and bad little witches...

Halloween is right around the corner! October always goes by way to fast for me, but I can't let it get away without sharing more fall recs with you. I already introduced you to Fletcher, now it's time for Gianna.

Gianna enjoys running through leaves, not collecting them as homework. And, her procrastination habits aren't exactly helping her. But if she doesn't collect all 25 of her New England leaves and identify them, she will not be able to compete in the upcoming track meet. The Brilliant Fall Gianna Z is the quintessential fall book. Kate Messner's imagery of autumn is stunning and her way of describing people through what kind of tree they are is, indeed, brilliant. This book is great to read year round, but even more so in the middle of fall as the leaves change and fall right outside of your window.

More eye catching Halloween and autumnish titles:

Halloween Kid by Rhode Motijo
This western style tale leaves no room for hooligan ghosts, vampires, or werewolves. When non-candy items are being handed out, the kids think that Halloween might be on its way to being canceled for good. Halloween Kid can solve this problem on his own...or, maybe not. Join the Halloween Kid and trick-or-treaters as they band together against menacing goblins to keep Halloween safe for all -- with candy, too.

Ghosts in the House by Kazuna Kohara
This ghost story picturebook is like no other. I'll just say there are no scary ghosts roaming round this story, but this little witch girl has a mind of her own. After she catches these ghosts, she puts them through the washer, hangs them out to dry, and on the story goes. Charming and resourceful, Kohara only uses three colors -- orange, black, and white -- and is very deserving of the 2008 NYT Best Illustrated Book award.

AlphaOops: H is for Halloween by Alethea Kontis
Why is the alphabet always told in the same old format: first the a, then the b, then along comes the c? As long as all of the letters are there, it's still the alphabet, right? Join these letters as they put on a show for Halloween...dressed up in costume to their own costumed themes.

Seed Sprout Pumpkin Pie by Jill Esbaum
Here is a great non-fiction Halloween and autumn book. It's all about pumpkins. This book shows how a pumpkin grows and how different people use them -- from jack-o-lantern carvings, to giant boats, to kitchen delights. It's the whole squash family! "Have you picked your pumpkin?"

Leaves of the Season: Stained Glass Coloring Book by Ruth Soffer
Leaves are beautiful to watch, but what about making your own and hanging them on the window? This book provides a great indoor activity for oneself or a group of friends. It's not just for fall, but every season of the year. With 16 different leaves to color and explore, better go grab your markers!

Happy Autumn!

Fall at the bookstore

Regular readers of our blog may have noticed that posts (at least my own) have been a teensy bit sporadic lately. The reason for this is that we are BUSY! Holy cow, are we busy. I never noticed how much more intense things get at the start of September until this particular September happened. Usually I'd notice the increase in traffic on the road or the lack of parking spots around town. But this month it feels like everything is happening everywhere, all at once.

The store is truly bustling. A Wednesday afternoon feels like a Saturday afternoon with phones ringing off the hook, customers lining up and lots of questions in the aisles. Part of the reason for this is our amazing fall event lineup that just got going: Gary Shteyngart and Per Petterson last week, William Gibson tomorrow night, and Michele Norris of NPR on Thursday. People are really excited about these authors and tickets are flying out the door. (So call and reserve yours today for our other exciting fall events. Amy Sedaris in November!!)

Obviously, the start of school is also responsible for some of the increase in phone calls and foot traffic. But I've also heard the words "Christmas shopping" uttered in a few of my transactions at the register. You guys are already starting! And I don't blame you. Kerri has brought in a ton of awesome jewelry and bags and fall-oriented home items into the Card and Gift Room. Not to mention cute and goulish Halloween stuff. Yup, it's already that time, too. Yikes. (Seriously? Halloween? Wasn't it just July??)

And don't even get me started on all the new, truly excellent books coming out. Okay, maybe you should get me started since that's the whole point of our store. I'm currently in the midst of Moby Dick, Skippy Dies and The Cookbook Collector and every week I get inspired to read something else that just arrived. There are some seriously good reads on our shelves and we are doing our best to keep those shelves full.

Fall (which officially arrives tomorrow) at Booksmith is exciting and crazy. Come on in and join the fun!