Shop Local

Image via Gotham Writers

I'm obsessed with my new local bookshop. I could spend (masked) hours but of course lately I'm always in and out. I call to see if they have what I'm looking for and if they don't, they order it. Ta-da! Basically as convenient as Amazon and an excuse to leave the house (and practice my driving).

Recently I purchased and devoured A Very Punchable Face and Group, and the first two books of the Mercy Watson series for Liv. Five stars all around.

Colin Jost is entertaining and endearing as he spills the beans about his childhood, schooling and working at SNL. I laughed out loud many times. I also cringed many times. Lots of boy humor and TMI on bodily functions but still a thumbs up.

Group is a new all-time favorite. A true story about one woman's experience in group therapy, it's beautifully written and heartbreakingly open. Writer Christie Tate is a master storyteller and her memoir reads like compelling fiction. I learned much about her personal coming of age experiences and struggles with mental health, and about our greater humanity. I couldn't put Group down, and I carry its lessons with me.

Thanks to the Kids Book Club Liv and I partake in, I learned about Mercy Watson. Liv and I have read the first two books in the series and I'm about to call Elm Street Books and inquire about the third. These are quick, silly chapter books for kids ready to graduate from picture books. We're big fans.

Happy shopping,
AES