Book Bites: End-of-Summer Favorites
Submitted by blue willow con... on Wed, 08/18/2021 - 3:44pm
Summer is winding down, school is back in session, and here at the shop we’re preparing for another busy fall publishing season. There are a lot of really exciting books coming our way in the next couple of months (Kate DiCamillo! Amor Towles! Jennifer Mathieu!), but we don’t want you to miss out on a few last summer releases that we think you’ll love. Here, we’ve collected our most recent favorites, ranging from a tender middle grade novel to the autobiography of a tennis legend. The ball’s in your court: Which books can we serve up for you this week?
There’s a fresh bag of apples in the fridge, a new backpack lies waiting in the closet, and the smell of freshly-sharpened pencils is in the air. How is it already back-to-school season again? Of course, for some of our younger readers, the whole affair isn’t quite so routine. We had them in mind when we created the list of books below—you’ll find books to assuage fears, soothe doubts, and maybe even get your kiddos excited about the start of a new school year. Read on!
Here’s our two cents’ worth: It’s time for you to get a new book. As a matter of fact, get two. We’ll make it easy for you—this week, we have two recommendations from Alice, two from Cathy, two from our Teen Advisory Board, and two from Valerie. Together, they span a wide range of ages and interests, running the gamut from a middle grade story collection to a gripping historical mystery. Read our list of recommendations below, or come by and see us sometime soon. Shall we say... two o’clock?
The summer heat is showing no signs of letting up. Fortunately, neither is the barrage of great new books coming into the shop each week. We suggest that you grab a stack and settle in for some air-conditioned (or poolside!) reading. Below, we have a list of recent recommendations for all ages—from a picture book biography of a Tejano icon to gentle middle grade, teen thrillers, literary fiction, and laugh-out-loud essays. Read on!
Summer reading is in full swing, and we have great new releases rolling onto our shelves every week to prove it. This week, we’re focusing mostly on novels, from cutting literary fiction to an effervescent new rom-com from the one and only Jasmine Guillory. (But for good measure, we’ve thrown in a great new series that straddles the line between early reading and middle grade, too.) So clear off some space on your bookshelf or nightstand and get ready to read—there are a few books below you won’t want to miss!
It’s summer in Houston, and the days are long, hot, and humid. In other words, conditions are perfect for diving into a good book. Luckily, we have just what you need in order to practice a little shelf care. Here, dig into staff reviews of six new novels we think you’ll love. If you’re feeling factual, we’ve thrown in a nonfiction title, too—inspired by a classic novel written by the author’s father. Read on!
Did you know that June is audiobook month? How about that audiobook purchases can support local, independent bookstores like yours truly? That’s right—our audiobook partner, 
We’re getting to that time of year when we pretty much want to do one thing: Settle in with a nice pile of books, directly underneath the strongest A/C vent we can find. (Maybe with an occasional trip to the poolside thrown in for variety’s sake.) Happily, there have been some great June releases hitting our shelves that will make building the perfect stack a breeze. Settle in for our latest recommendations, from middle grade to YA rom-com to summery novels to nonfiction. We’ve even thrown in a cookbook, in case you get peckish. Read on!
June is a month of celebrations, friends, and we’re here to remind you that books make the best gifts. So we’ve compiled a list of recommendations to help you celebrate the grad or dad in your life. Whether you’re seeking inspiration, words of wisdom, or just a bunch of cute animals to lift the spirits, you’ll find it in our grad section below. Scroll a little further, and you’ll come across a collection of dad-tested, dad-approved titles in fiction and non. Did we mention that we gift wrap? Oh, the places you’ll go… now that you have your gift-giving sorted out.
It was another rainy summer week in Houston, so if you’re anything like us, you’ve been mowing through your TBR list like nobody’s business. Lucky for you, we’re here with a fresh batch of recommendations to spruce up your shelves. This week, we have nine new titles for your consideration, from YA historical fiction to breezy beach reads to a book of essays about Juneteenth. So take a peek at our reviews below and clear some space on your nightstand—we think you’re going to find something you’ll love.