March Newsletter
- Stephanie Coughlan
- Apr 30
- 3 min read
"It was one of those March days when the sun shines hot and the wind blows cold: when it is summer in the light, and winter in the shade."
-Charles Dickens, Great Expectations
March Book Club
Spanning 25 countries, I think I can safely say that this month's book club was our most international yet! Unfortunately I didn't take notes on the translator of each book discussed, but the original language can be seen in the flag to the left of each title.
May Book Club
April book club (James Patterson) was revealed in last month's newsletter, so in today's newsletter, I'm introducing our May theme, Reading Varvet! To qualify, read a novella in one sitting (a marathon if you will!), and then come to book club at the end of the month to discuss. If you're feeling competitive, feel free to time your pace to compare with other book clubbers.
Find out more information about our April book club by following the link below, and stay tuned to our blog to be the first to know when May Book Club is open for registration.
Påskekrim
This year, I learned about a Norwegian tradition called Påskekrim - that is, gifting and reading crime novels over Easter break 🐣 I was even more excited than usual to hear this news knowing that our April book club centers around one of the most well-known crime writers around, James Patterson!
So this weekend, I encourage you to dip your toes in this tradition by picking up an oversized egg (I got mine at Panduro) and some "deckares" to squeeze inside for the amateur sleuth in your life ❤️
Can't decide on just one? Pick up a "Blind date with a body count" next time you're in the shop to try a variety of popular crime authors and genres 🕵️
Nina's Book Nook
This month, our resident crime enthusiast Nina has read and recommended two books from our shelves. Read her reviews below - both books are available now in-store and online!
The Punishment She Deserves, Elizabeth George: A man dies in a police custody in a small English village. Was it a suicide? Or murder?
Detective Sergeant Havers and her boss are sent to investigate the death but some uncomfortable facts are overlooked.
The case is soon reopened and Havers and Detective Inspector Lynley have one week to find the truth.
Secrets and the pattern of events both point to something sinister.
Engaging characters and descriptions of everyday life mixed with social commentary and mystery make for a very interesting read!
Dead at First Sight, Peter James: Roy Grace is investigating a woman's suicide and it leads to him and his team discovering an internet dating scam turned deadly.
A woman in Germany is murdered after talking to a man on a dating site for months. Are the deaths connected? Is the same person behind the deaths and the internet dating scams? And has a notorious killer for hire returned to Brighton?
A page-turning crime novel involving very modern themes.
According to feedback from last month's newsletter, my blog was well-received so I will continue it in short form above this month's video! Our monthly sales were up 50% (!!) over our low last March, so I am cautiously optimistic about the shop's future. That said, we must not get complacent! History tells us that sales slow as the weather improves and people spend more time outside, so we must combat this trend by spreading the word and supporting the shop by turning over our stock. During your spring cleaning, empty those shelves and bring in books to replace with new favorites. Also remember that you can still support the shop by buying and listening to books through our audiobook partner, Libro.fm, which is the perfect activity for those springtime walks.
On a personal level, I got out of my February reading slump by reading seven books and listening to five. My favorites were A Tree Grows in Brooklyn and Strong Female Character, the first which was recommended to me by a shop regular and the second from our February Silenced Voices book club! Speaking of which, a few of us participated in a book club outing to see Project Hail Mary which was fantastic!! While the book was a little too slapstick and scientific for me, the movie struck the perfect balance and so became one of the few instances in which I thought the movie was better. Hopefully, we will continue to watch future adaptations together going forward - Devil Wears Prada, anyone?! If you want to join our WhatsApp group and be notified about these types of activities, send me your number through e-mail or Instagram and I'll get you added!
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