A little bookstore with a whole lot of literature. We're here to support your reading needs.
Jenny Erpenbeck and her translator Michael Hofmann won the International Booker Prize today for her novel âKairos.â The book follows the romance between a young woman and a much older intellectual in East Germany. Erpenbeck is the first German novelist to win the award, while Hofmann is the first male translator to receive the honor. It’s a wonderful story—check it out at Bay Books.
The Book of Gutsy Women: Favorite Stories of Courage and Resilience by Hillary Rodham Clinton and Chelsea Clinton
She couldn’t have been more than seven or eight years old. “Go ahead, ask your question,” her father urged, nudging her forward. She smiled shyly and said, “You’re my hero. Who’s yours?”
Many people – especially girls – have asked us that same question over the years. It’s one of our favourite topics.
HILLARY: Growing up, I knew hardly any women who worked outside the home. So I looked to my mother, my teachers, and the pages of Life magazine for inspiration. After learning that Amelia Earhart kept a scrapbook with newspaper articles about successful women in male-dominated jobs, I started a scrapbook of my own. Long after I stopped clipping articles, I continued to seek out stories of women who seemed to be redefining what was possible.
CHELSEA: This book is the continuation of a conversation the two of us have been having since I was little. For me, too, my mom was a hero; so were my grandmothers. My early teachers were also women. But I grew up in a world very different from theirs. My pediatrician was a woman, and so was the first mayor of Little Rock who I remember from my childhood. Most of my close friends’ moms worked outside the home as nurses, doctors, teachers, professors, and in business. And women were going into space and breaking records here on Earth.
Ensuring the rights and opportunities of women and girls remains a big piece of the unfinished business of the twenty-first century. While there’s a lot of work to do, we know that throughout history and around the globe women have overcome the toughest resistance imaginable to win victories that have made progress possible for all of us. That is the achievement of each of the women in this book.
So how did they do it? The answers are as unique as the women themselves. Civil rights activist Dorothy Height, LGBTQ trailblazer Edie Windsor, and swimmer Diana Nyad kept pushing forward, no matter what. Writers like Rachel Carson and Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie named something no one had dared talk about before. Historian Mary Beard used wit to open doors that were once closed, and Wangari Maathai, who sparked a movement to plant trees, understood the power of role modeling. Harriet Tubman and Malala Yousafzai looked fear in the face and persevered. Nearly every single one of these women was fiercely optimistic – they had faith that their actions could make a difference. And they were right.
To us, they are all gutsy women – leaders with the courage to stand up to the status quo, ask hard questions, and get the job done. So in the moments when the long haul seems awfully long, we hope you will draw strength from these stories. We do. Because if history shows one thing, it’s that the world needs gutsy women.
The Book of Lost Friends by Lisa Wingate
A new novel inspired by historical events: a story of three young women on a journey in search of family amidst the destruction of the post-Civil War South, and of a modern-day teacher who rediscovers their story and its connection to her own students’ lives.
Lisa Wingate brings to life stories from actual “Lost Friends” advertisements that appeared in Southern newspapers after the Civil War, as freed slaves desperately searched for loved ones who had been sold off.
Louisiana, 1875 In the tumultuous aftermath of Reconstruction, three young women set off as unwilling companions on a perilous quest: Lavinia, the pampered heir to a now-destitute plantation; Juneau Jane, her illegitimate free-born Creole half-sister; and Hannie, Lavinia’s former slave. Each carries private wounds and powerful secrets as they head for Texas, following dangerous roads rife with ruthless vigilantes and soldiers still fighting a war lost a decade before. For Lavinia and Juneau Jane, the journey is one of inheritance and financial desperation, but for Hannie, torn from her mother and eight siblings before slavery’s end, the pilgrimage westward reignites an agonizing question: Could her long-lost family still be out there? Beyond the swamps lie the seemingly limitless frontiers of Texas and, improbably, hope.
Louisiana, 1987 For first-year teacher Benedetta Silva, a subsidized job at a poor rural school seems like the ticket to canceling her hefty student debt–until she lands in a tiny, out-of-step Mississippi River town. Augustine, Louisiana, seems suspicious of new ideas and new people, and Benny can scarcely comprehend the lives of her poverty-stricken students. But amid the gnarled oaks and run-down plantation homes lies the century-old history of three young women, a long-ago journey, and a hidden book that could change everything.
UFO Spotted! (Hilde Cracks the Case Book #4) by Hilde Lysiak with Matthew Lysiak, illustrated by Joanne Lew-Vriethoff
Hilde has solved all sorts of tough cases, but her latest case is OUT-OF-THIS-WORLD!
Pick a book. Grow a Reader!This series is part of Scholastic’s early chapter book line, Branches, aimed at newly independent readers. With easy-to-read text, high-interest content, fast-paced plots, and illustrations on every page, these books will boost reading confidence and stamina. Branches books help readers grow!Real-life crime reporter Hilde Lysiak is starring in her very own early chapter book series — inspired by real news stories she has written! In this fourth book, a UFO has been spotted in town! Everyone is convinced aliens are invading, but Hilde isn’t so sure… Hilde and her sister/photographer, Izzy, interview witnesses and follow the facts. And they soon discover what looks like the wreckage of a spaceship! Hilde has cracked all sorts of cases, but how will she solve this one? It is truly out of this world! Joanne Lew-Vriethoff’s personality-filled illustrations appear on every page, bringing Hilde’s adventures to life for young readers!
“I Will Judge You By Your Bookshelf” by Grant Snider
Brief Description:
“A look at the culture and fanaticism of book lovers, from beloved New York Times illustrator Grant Snider.”–Provided by publisher.
Publisher Marketing:
A look at the culture and fanaticism of book lovers, from beloved New York Times illustrator Grant SniderIt’s no secret, but we are judged by our bookshelves. We learn to read at an early age, and as we grow older we shed our beloved books for new ones. But some of us surround ourselves with books. We collect them, decorate with them, are inspired by them, and treat our books as sacred objects. In this lighthearted collection of one- and two-page comics, writer-artist Grant Snider explores bookishness in all its forms, and the love of writing and reading, building on the beloved literary comics featured on his website, Incidental Comics. With a striking package including a die-cut cover, I Will Judge You By Your Bookshelf is the perfect gift for bookworms of all ages.
The Bookshop of Yesterdays by Amy Meyerson
âMiranda Brooks grew up in the stacks of her eccentric Uncle Billyâs bookstore, solving the inventive scavenger hunts he created just for her. But on Mirandaâs twelfth birthday, Billy has a mysterious falling-out with her mother and suddenly disappears from Mirandaâs life. She doesnât hear from him again until sixteen years later when she receives unexpected news: Billy has died and left her Prospero Books, which is teetering on bankruptcyâand one final scavenger hunt.
When Miranda returns home to Los Angeles and to Prospero Booksânow as its ownerâshe finds clues that Billy has hidden for her inside novels on the storeâs shelves, in locked drawers of his apartment upstairs, in the name of the store itself. Miranda becomes determined to save Prospero Books and to solve Billyâs last scavenger hunt. She soon finds herself drawn into a journey where she meets people from Billyâs past, people whose stories reveal a history that Mirandaâs mother has kept hiddenâand the terrible secret that tore her family apart.
Bighearted and trenchantly observant, The Bookshop of Yesterdays is a lyrical story of family, love and the healing power of community. Itâs a love letter to reading and bookstores, and a testament to how our histories shape who we become.â
And so it begins…
Release date is January 21st at 12:01 am. Yes, that’s right! We will be here at Bay Books at midnight to handout Onyx Storm to those who preordered them, and for those who did preorder them, you get the really cool end pages!
If you have a dragon, bring them too!
“To the ones who don’t run with the popular crowd, the ones who get caught reading under their desk, the ones who feel like they never get invited, included, or represented. Get your leathers. We have dragons to ride.”
Get ready to fly or die in the breathtaking follow-up to Fourth Wing and Iron Flame from #1 New York Times bestselling author Rebecca Yarros.
After nearly eighteen months at Basgiath War College, Violet Sorrengail knows thereâs no more time for lessons. No more time for uncertainty. Because the battle has truly begun; and with enemies closing in from outside their walls and within their ranks, itâs impossible to know who to trust.
Now Violet must journey beyond the failing Aretian wards to seek allies from unfamiliar lands to stand with Navarre. The trip will test every bit of her wit, luck, and strength, but she will do anything to save what she loves – her dragons, her family, her home, and him. Even if it means keeping a secret so big, it could destroy everything.
They need an army.
They need power.
They need magic.
And they need the one thing only Violet can findâthe truth.
But a storm is coming… and not everyone can survive its wrath
Get ready to dive into some seriously amazing reads this month at Bay Books! We’ve got something for everyone, whether you’re into heart-pounding fantasy, inspiring non-fiction, or magical children’s stories. Hereâs a sneak peek at just a few of our newest arrivals that are calling your name. Stop by Bay Books today and find your next page-turner. Letâs make this month full of stories you wonât forget! đâš
Get ready to fly or die in the breathtaking follow-up to Fourth Wing and Iron Flame from #1 New York Times bestselling author Rebecca Yarros.
After nearly eighteen months at Basgiath War College, Violet Sorrengail knows thereâs no more time for lessons. No more time for uncertainty. Because the battle has truly begun; and with enemies closing in from outside their walls and within their ranks, itâs impossible to know who to trust.
Now Violet must journey beyond the failing Aretian wards to seek allies from unfamiliar lands to stand with Navarre. The trip will test every bit of her wit, luck, and strength, but she will do anything to save what she loves – her dragons, her family, her home, and him. Even if it means keeping a secret so big, it could destroy everything.
They need an army.
They need power.
They need magic.
And they need the one thing only Violet can findâthe truth.
But a storm is coming… and not everyone can survive its wrath
Small Things like These by Claire KeaganÂ
*An Oprahâs Book Club*
Well, at Bay Books, we thought this book was pretty great all along. In fact, we love all of Claire Keeganâs books but our name isnât Oprah. With that being said, she does pick some fantastically great books and this is another one. Weâre happy to be on the same page as Oprah with this one!
Small Things Like These is award-winning author Claire Keeganâs landmark new novel, a tale of one manâs courage and a remarkable portrait of love and family
It is 1985 in a small Irish town. During the weeks leading up to Christmas, Bill Furlong, a coal merchant and family man faces his busiest season. Early one morning, while delivering an order to the local convent, Bill makes a discovery which forces him to confront both his past and the complicit silences of a town controlled by the church.
âA hypnotic and electrifying Irish tale that transcends country, transcends time.â âLily King, New York Times bestselling author of Writers & Lovers
Our next Books and Wine Book Club is this coming January 14th at 5:30 and we will be discussing Toshikazu Kawaguchi’s novel “Before the Coffee Gets Cold”. The first book in a delightful series, this is sure to be an enjoyable discussion. We may have coffee, but for certain there will be coffee liquor to brighten it up! Is there such a thing as coffee wine?Â
As always, nibbles and adult libations are welcome!Â
“Before the Coffee Gets Cold” by Toshikazu Kawaguchi
*NOW ANÂ LA TIMESÂ BESTSELLER*
*AN INTERNATIONAL BESTSELLER*
The first book in the five million-copy bestselling magical realism series
If you could go back in time, who would you want to meet?
In a small back alley of Tokyo, there is a cafĂ© that has been serving carefully brewed coffee for more than one hundred years. Local legend says that this shop offers something else besides coffee–the chance to travel back in time.
Over the course of one summer, four customers visit the cafĂ© in the hopes of making that journey. But time travel isn’t so simple, and there are rules that must be followed. Most important, the trip can last only as long as it takes for the coffee to get cold.
Prepare to meet four visitors, each of whom is hoping to make use of the cafe’s time-travelling offer in order to:
Heartwarming, wistful, mysterious and delightfully quirky, Toshikazu Kawaguchi’s internationally bestselling novel explores the age-old question: What would you change if you could travel back in time?
Every month we let you know what weâve been reading and our monthly recommendations. Youâll get to see new titles with fabulous reviews from the Bay Books team. Weâre sure youâll love these fantastic books just as much as we do. We recommend a wide range of genres and themes. So get ready to explore more books!
The Seven Circles: Indigenous Teachings for Living Well by Chelsey Luger and Thosh Collins
The teachings in this book represent a diverse swatch of Indian Country which reflects the makeup of the authors’ families. Luger, a Turtle Mountain Band of Chippewa, and Collins, a Seneca-Cayuga and Osage, bring their wealth of indigenous insights into healthy behaviors and mindsets. They do this through focusing on seven circles, or interdependent topics, while including anecdotes and lessons from their own life journeys. Well worth the read and informed, accessible guidance for lifestyle changes are always helpful.
American Vikings by Martyn WhittockÂ
Who isn’t fascinated by the Vikings? This vivid and illuminating new history separates fact from fiction and myth from legend and also explores the early Vikings settlements in North America. Loved it!
WInter Homes: Stylish Living for Cool Climates with introduction by Jeanette Walls
I loved looking through this book. It gave me all kinds of feels of warmth, security, refuge, and comfort and the illustrations are just beautiful. It’s no secret that I love winter and the snow, but even those who may not be as fond of it as I am will enjoy this. It will leave you with a Hallmark kinda feeling—so relaxing!
Walk: For a Calmer You by Becky Dickinson
This is the perfect little book to help you get a little more motivated and start your journey in taking the next steps. Its small size really helps with getting the key information about the benefits and the facts to support how such a small day to day activity can really benefit your life. If you liked this book the author has also written other titles like âTidyâ and âSleepâ and their benefits and impacts on your life as well. If you want to start treating your mind and body better and donât know where to start I definitely recommend these books!
The Half King by Melissa Landers
The young acolyte Cerise is living in a dangerous world. The high houses long ago betrayed and offended their goddess and she had seen fit to punish each noble firstborn with a curse whether it be madness, wynorrific beauty, or even vanishing into shadow when the sun sets. Since the King’s old emissary died it’s now fallen on Cerise who holds no power, but must help King Kian break his curse before he fades to complete shadow. So they set out on a quest to break the curse facing enemies of the land and within their own midst as well as having to pass tests the goddess has laid out to judge who is worthy. With curses, magic, a little romance, as well as blood that may not be what it seems, will they be able to break the curse before her new friends fall into the madness and darkness of their curses? Or will their enemies finally triumph? Great read for any fantasy-romance reader!
Pony Confidential by Christina Lynch
Penny, a middle-aged teacher and mother of a troubled young girl, has never forgotten her beloved childhood pony. Pony, however, has carried a life-long grudge against Penny! When Penny finds herself accused of murder and the outlook is hopeless, help comes from the unlikeliest of sources. This creative and quirky novel is a completely different spin on the mystery genre, and will have you thinking about how we treat animals – and the lengths we will go to for those we love.Â
“Spirit Crossing: A Novel” by William Kent Krueger
INSTANT NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER!
William Kent Krueger offers “one of his most puzzling mysteries to date” (Publishers Weekly) as a disappearance and a dead body put Cork O’Connor’s family in the crosshairs of a killer in the twentieth book in the New York Times bestselling series.
The disappearance of a local politician’s teenage daughter is major news in Minnesota. As a huge manhunt is launched to find her, Cork O’Connor’s grandson stumbles across the shallow grave of a young Ojibwe woman–but nobody seems that interested. Nobody, that is, except Cork and the newly formed Iron Lake Ojibwe Tribal Police.
As Cork and the tribal officers dig into the circumstances of this mysterious and grim discovery, they uncover a connection to the missing teenager. And soon, it’s clear that Cork’s grandson is in danger of being the killer’s next victim in this white-knuckled mystery from “a master storyteller at the top of his game” (Kristin Hannah, #1 New York Times bestselling author).
Mrs. March by Virginia Feito
George March’s latest novel is a smash. No one could be prouder than his dutiful wife, Mrs. March, who revels in his accolades. A careful creature of routine and decorum, she lives a precariously controlled existence on the Upper East Side until one morning, when the shopkeeper of her favorite patisserie suggests that her husband’s latest protagonist–a detestable character named Johanna–is based on Mrs. March herself. Clutching her ostrich leather pocketbook and mint-colored gloves, she flees the shop. What could have merited this humiliation?
That one casual remark robs Mrs. March of the belief that she knew everything about her husband–and herself–thus sending her on an increasingly paranoid journey that begins within the pages of a book. While snooping in George’s office, Mrs. March finds a newspaper clipping about a missing woman. Did George have anything to do with her disappearance? He’s been going on a lot of “hunting trips” up north with his editor lately, leaving Mrs. March all alone at night with her tormented thoughts, and the cockroaches that have suddenly started to appear, and strange breathing noises . . . As she begins to decode her husband’s secrets, her deafening anxiety and fierce determination threaten everyone in her wake–including her stoic housekeeper, Martha, and her unobtrusive son, Jonathan, whom she loves so profoundly, when she remembers to love him at all.
Combining a Hitchcockian sensibility with wickedly dark humor, Virginia Feito, a brilliantly talented and, at times, mischievous newcomer, offers a razor-sharp exploration of the fragility of identity. A mesmerizing novel of psychological suspense and casebook insecurity turned full-blown neurosis, Mrs. March will have you second-guessing your own seemingly familiar reflection in the mirror.
Are you in a book discussion group? Most likely you are and you are always looking for the next book or two for the group to talk about. At Bay Books, we have a hybrid book discussion group that covers a diversity of book genres. Sometimes the book chosen is outside our personal interest and sometimes, we donât all like the choice after reading it. But when we get together to discuss the choice, we oftentimes find that by listening to others, asking questions, and discussing the book without judgment, we change our minds. We definitely get to hear other perspectives. So here is a list of fabulous books that may puzzle some folks in your group, intrigues others but for sure, elicit discussion!
The Light Pirate by Lily Brooks-Dalton
This is book is all about climate change and revolves around a family and an independent woman and how they face the future as the world, as they had known it, changes to survive.
As Florida slowly takes back her environment, due to rising waters and more catastrophic hurricanes, residents are evacuated until the state is finally closed. Those remaining are on their own and the author, Brooks-Dalton, shows the differences between those who have left the state for other places and those who have remained behind. The bottom line is, nature doesn’t need us, so will we evolve with this new face of our world and how will that look? Her writing is exquisitely descriptive of emotions, circumstances and of the main character—the weather. She profoundly describes the humanity and hope that is left behind as the world around us changes. Fantastic piece of literature which revolves around its young protagonist, Grace.
Murder Before Evensong by The Rev. Richard Cole
Great discussion about genre, plots, cultural grievances which are historical, false perspective, what is necessary for a particular genre, all abound in this somewhat quaint murder mystery. The core components of comedy and tragedy are apparent, as well as biases. But does the murder get solved? Who solves it? This book create more discussion and learning than we expected in our book club âBooks and Wineâ.
Sheâs Not Sorry by Mary Kubica
An ICU nurse accidentally uncovers a patient’s frightening past in this chilling thriller and the witness who comes forward with shocking details about the fall, calls everything the authorities know into question. A real âwhodunitâ based on what is the moral thing to do and when you have the power, do you do it? A very twisty ending!
Barons: Money, Power, and the Corruption of America’s Food Industry by Austin Frerick
This is one of three books that I will always have on my bookshelves, not only as a reminder of where food comes from, but also as a reference book. This story follows the rise of seven major food brokers/producers and how they became financially successful because of their exploitation of workers, laws, and the eating habits of manipulated consumers. What are we eating? Where did it come from? At what cost to others and to our health? What price are we paying for convenience and at the same time, unknown health problems? Who, exactly, are we supporting with our purchases?
This well written book is not a simple muckraking exposure, but a well researched book that gives warning and information to us about what we are doing to our bodies, and to each other unknowingly.
Author Frerick shows his expertise in agriculture and antitrust policy by weaving the intricacies and histories of both to paint a compelling picture of how we are getting it wrong in our food industry. This might be a two month discussion—plenty of learning and discussion within these pages.
West with Giraffes by Lynda Rutledge
What a fantastic story this is based on true events. The narrative is interspersed with copies of telegrams and news clippings that actually were posted and the story is built around the Great Depression, the Hurricane of 1938 and the love between humans and animals, in this case, two giraffes. Behind these telegrams and the news clippings, however, is the intriguing story of a young orphan who befriends two giraffes that survived the ocean voyage during the hurricane, ultimately winning over the heart of the man who is in charge of getting them to the San Diego Zoo from the east coast. The novel is expansive with its descriptions of human nature at its best and at it worst. Truly an amazing story based on an event that captured the nation’s attention as we approached WWI from the depths of disaster of the Depression.
Finding the Mother Tree: Discovering the Wisdom of the Forest by Suzanne Simard
This book literally blew my mind. It seemed every other page was filled with new knowledge, based on science, that made totally sense. Simard writes about her love for ‘dirt’ as a child, which led to everything to do with it and how it is used by fungi, trees, native plants, etc. to communicate and help one another. When I read that a dying Douglas fir sends all its nutrients (strength) to the baby firs and other trees as its life end, I realized that trees might be more ‘people’ than people.
As she shares her science knowledge, she weaves her personal life in as well, letting us know what it took to be a great scientist and her struggle with the Forest Service and Monsanto. Outstanding in every way. Go directly to reading The Overstory by Richard Powers.
This is an oldy but goody and if your Book Club, or you, havenât read it yet, itâs time. The New York Times bestselling authorâs time-travel classic that makes us feel the horrors of American slavery and indicts our countryâs lack of progress on racial reconciliation is filled with discussion points and shocks. Written 25 years ago, the story of a Californian Black woman being unexpectedly transported back to the antebellum South is still as riveting as when it was first released. Butler is a master (Mistress?) of Science Fiction.
Portrait in Sepia by Isabel Allende
This piece of Literary Fiction is epic in scope and so richly detailed—-and the story is riveting, bringing to the forefront cultural biases, true love, keeping promises and trauma. Allende has a way of writing that paints a picture in your mind and tugs at your emotions. This is a sequel to Allendeâs âDaughter of Fortuneâ but it stands alone as a fantastic read. Set in San Francisco and Santiago de Chile at the end of the nineteenth century, the culture and perspective on gender roles is well researched and described. War and history are important in this novel and many feminist reflections will occur—or not!
