Florals? For spring? Groundbreaking

Happy spring! Wait, is it spring? It feels like March has flipped the "in like a lion, out like a lamb" adage on it's head and delivered wintry temperatures for the start of equinoctial spring. The pink dogwood tree on my street is starting to bud but I still grab a coat on the way out the door.

Despite pining for milder temperatures, I will accept tomorrow's rainy forecast as Mother Nature's sign that I should spend all day reading. We're sharing some of our recent & current reads today in the newsletter, and I've been having a ton of fun hearing what you're reading on our Instagram stories. There are also a slew of new releases popping up like crocuses on our shelves. Everything will be in full bloom before we know it!

Stay warm,

Mallory

Easter is Sunday, March 31! Our Children's Department assembled all sorts of goodies to help Easter bunnies prepare the most epic Easter baskets around.

Staff Picks

The Hunter by Tana French

Cal and Lena have formed a protective bond with Trey, a vulnerable, brooding adolescent whose father left four years ago. When Johnny Reddy, Trey's father, returns to the bucolic Irish town with a get-rich scheme and an eager investor, everything they have built falls under threat and long-buried secrets and resentments surface. This is an engrossing story, full of complex characters and a compelling plot. - Libby

After Annie by Anna Quindlen

Another homerun form Anna Quindlen, this story follows the untimely death of a young mother and the havoc it raises with her husband, children, and her best friend. Well-written with an emotionally resonant voice this story will haunt you but hope triumphs over loss. - Sally

James by Percival Everett

What a great book! Smart, funny storytelling at its best that opens a whole new reality to the reader. I loved this brilliant reimagining of the Adventures of Huckleberry Finn and hope for a sequel. - Sheila

Everyone On This Train Is A Suspect by Benjamin Stevenson

I loved Benjamin Stevenson’s Everyone In My Family Has Killed Someone and Ernest Cunningham is back as the narrator. Off the success of his first book, Ernest is invited on a writers/authors retreat set on a cross-Australian train journey (think Orient Express). Six authors get on the train - one leaves in a body bag. Ernest is a deeply relatable and irreverent yet spectacularly unreliable narrator, despite his protestations otherwise. He is funny and clever and vocally aware of tropes, plot devices, and the structure of a whodunnit. - Mallory

We Should Not Be Friends by Will Schwalbe

An unlikely college friendship develops over the decades into a lasting bond. Can a gay nerdy bookworm and an outgoing jock become lifelong friends? Yep. A wonderful read about the nature of friendship that will prompt you to call an old friend!

Wandering Stars by Tommy Orange

Told in a lovely lyrical voice, this novel traces several generations of Native Americans forced into assimilation, poverty and addiction. But at the heart of the tale is family, and Tommy Orange’s brilliant storytelling leads the reader down a trail that contains both joy and tears. Dazzling! - Craig

Not Quite a Ghost by Anne Ursu

When Violet moves into an old Victorian house, she is excited about finally getting her own room until she is learns that she tucked away in the attic bedroom with the creepy yellow wallpaper. In addition to the sinister presence lurking in her room, Violet is also starting middle school and experiencing challenges with friends and a debilitating mysterious illness. This is a spine-chilling middle grade read for horror fans! - Rita

A Fate Inked in Blood by Danielle L. Jensen

Dreaming of a better life, a life where she is a warrior, Freya longs for freedom from her horrid husband. After her husband's betrayal to the region's Jarl, Freya is forced to reveal that she has the blood of a goddess in her veins, the power of a shield maiden. A power in which she can repel any attack is not a power that can go unnoticed by power hungry men. This book is steamy, gritty, and perfect for romantasy lovers who read about Norse mythology or want to dive deeper into the genre. - Caroline

The Great Divide by Cristina Henríquez

In 1907, the lives of a group of disparate people converge as The United States begins construction on The Panama Canal. Among the characters in Henriquez’s insightful and beautifully written historical fiction: Francisco, a Panamanian fisherman who resents the presence of The United States in his newly independent country; Ada, a sixteen-year-old stowaway from Barbados who hopes to earn enough money to send home to her ailing sister; and John, a scientist from Tennessee who is in Panama with the sole purpose of eradicating malaria. In a fast-paced narrative full of riveting historical details, “The Great Divide” examines the conflicts between races, ethnicities, families and friends which threatened to derail “the greatest feat of engineering in history.” - Robin

Baumgartner by Paul Auster

I really liked this! It’s a little book about an older man whose wife died years before but he still hasn’t recovered until he finally does and begins to enjoy life again. - Cheryl

Finding Margaret Fuller by Allison Pataki

I just started this new release because I absolutely loved her previous book The Magnificent Lives of Marjorie Post! - Tammy

RSVP today for our event on May 2nd with Allison Pataki + Lee Woodruff at the Darien Library!

The Book Of Love by Kelly Link

Three teenagers and one long lost soul find themselves in their music teacher’s classroom in the middle of the night. They have come back from the dead. They must try to complete certain magical tasks in order to stay alive, and try to figure out the reason for their death. This is a great adult ‘Harry Potter- like’ fantasy novel. - Dorothy

Listen For The Lie by Amy Tintera

I loved this book - it's a fun, edge of you seat thriller that also made me laugh a little. - Yvette

Upcoming Events

We are incredibly excited to be joining Laura Sabia on April 9th at 5:30 pm to celebrate the launch of her book You Can Thank Me Later: Start-up Secrets I Wish I Knew - purchase tickets here.

Karen Olson will be in conversation with Tessa Wegert on Independent Bookstore Day!

Join us in store on Saturday, April 27th at 4:30 pm.

Mark your calendars - Lynne Constantine and Valerie Constantine, sisters who write as Liv Constantine, will be coming to Barrett Bookstore on Friday, June 28th. They will discuss their new book THE NEXT MRS. PARRISH with Tessa Wegert. Pre-order your copy today and if you'd like it signed, please include the name/message in "Order Comments".