I’m putting the moral of this story right up front so no one misses it. Buy the book before it’s gone.

This is a lesson I learned long ago, but our Library of Forgotten Books project drilled the knowledge into me yet again. For the project, I (like everyone else in the store) had to choose a favorite book that had fallen out of the public eye and spotlight it so that a new audience could find the same joy in it that I did. Easy peasy. I’m often paralyzed by choice, but in this case I knew immediately who to turn to: Penelope Fitzgerald.

This was the third in our series of author talks presented in conjunction with the Mercer Island Arts Council (the first two events featured Maria Semple, author of Where’d You Go, Bernadette and Tara Conklin, author of The House Girl). Three terrific, award-winning authors, all speaking right here in downtown Mercer Island. We’ll continue to host authors next fall and really hope to share these remarkable events with more people. Hint, hint....Read More

(Our store journal keeps you posted on books we're excited about, our literary musings, and other reading-related rambles. Remember, you can sign up to receive our posts by email.) 

In 1991, the shortlist for the Booker Prize, the UK’s most prestigious literary award, consisted of six male authors and no women at all. To that point, in fact, only ten percent of all shortlisted books in the history of that prize had been written by women. But the 1991 list was the one that sparked a movement of sorts, as a group was formed dedicated to doing something about this particular kind of gender disparity. By 1996 they’d launched their own award for women’s writing, with a corporate sponsor to promote it and an anonymous donor who agreed to contribute the funding for a £30,000 annual prize. Thus was born the Orange Prize, open to female writers from any nation whose books were published in the UK. Over the years, winners have included Ann Patchett, Zadie Smith, Rose Tremain, Ann Michaels, and many others. As of last year, the telecommunications company that had long sponsored the prize decided to focus its efforts elsewhere, so while new sponsorship is being sought, the award is officially referred to as The Women’s Prize for Fiction. I prefer the handle my colleague Cindy coined—The Prize Formerly Known As The Orange Prize, or The P.F.K.A.T.O.P. for short....Read More

                          "Writing is, of all arts, universally admitted to be that which is most useful to society.                        
It is the picture of the past, the regulator of the future, and the messenger of thought."
—Motto of the International Association of Master Penmen, Engravers, and Teachers of Handwriting

Our editoral board met at Miriam’s house for breakfast last week to hash out the May newsletter. Amidst coffee, croissants, and six month old twins, I was assigned Mother’s Day for the theme of the owner’s letter. It was impressive watching the mother of twins in action. It struck me that these beaming, gurgling little people have absolutely no idea of the sacrifices already made on their behalf and this is just year one. When I witness my wife tending our ripening fruit (ages 17 and 19), I am in awe of her ongoing versatility, capability and just sheer willingness to get out of bed and care for all of us each day. This is bigger magic than I can claim. Bigger magic than I can describe.   My mother passed last month after a long and mostly peaceful decline. My siblings and I are corresponding about an upcoming memorial service. Words have never seemed so inadequate and powerless. As with any great sacrifice or gift, there is really no way to express your gratitude. Billy Collins captures this perfectly in "The Lanyard" (yes, I am asking you to read another poem!–it's worth it):   The other day I was ricocheting slowly off the blue walls of this room, moving as if underwater from typewriter to piano, from bookshelf to an envelope lying on the floor, when I found myself in the L section of the dictionary where my eyes fell upon the word lanyard.   No cookie nibbled by a French novelist could send one into the past more suddenly— a past where I sat at a workbench at a camp by a deep Adirondack lake learning how to braid long thin plastic strips into a lanyard, a gift for my mother.   I had never seen anyone use a lanyard or wear one, if that’s what you did with them, but that did not keep me from crossing strand over strand again and again until I had made a boxy red and white lanyard for my mother.   She gave me life and milk from her breasts, and I gave her a lanyard. She nursed me in many a sick room, lifted spoons of medicine to my lips, laid cold face-cloths on my forehead, and then led me out into the airy light   and taught me to walk and swim, and I, in turn, presented her with a lanyard. Here are thousands of meals, she said, and here is clothing and a good education. And here is your lanyard, I replied, which I made with a little help from a counselor.   Here is a breathing body and a beating heart, strong legs, bones and teeth, and two clear eyes to read the world, she whispered, and here, I said, is the lanyard I made at camp. And here, I wish to say to her now, is a smaller gift—not the worn truth   that you can never repay your mother, but the rueful admission that when she took the two-tone lanyard from my hand, I was as sure as a boy could be that this useless, worthless thing I wove out of boredom would be enough to make us even.   Buy mom a card and this book of poetry. Make a small effort on her great behalf.  Warmly, Roger Page Owner and Bookseller MOTHER'S DAY IS SUNDAY, MAY 12TH Best Bets for Mom This is the time each year we think about Mom and wonder, what would she really enjoy? Our handpicked gifts—including fine jewelry, chocolates, bags, soaps, candles—are a great way to show her how much you care. But the perfect way to let her know that you understand her is to give her a book she'll love. More STAFF PICKS FROM THE LIBRARY OF FORGOTTEN BOOKS Oldies But Goodies Our highly literate staff has selected an assortment of volumes that haven’t gotten the love they deserve, including a heartfelt memoir of a marriage of opposites, essays on old New York, and writing about the singular pleasures of the table. More   HOT TOPICS ON OUR STORE JOURNAL Reading-Related Rambles Our blog approached from many angles this month, including reflections on reading in light of recent tragedies, a recap of last month's store book club meeting, and an examination of books that bring the landscape of North Korea to life. By the way, did you know you can get our Store Journal by email? More GET IN TOUCH 3014 78th Ave. SE MI, WA 98040 (206) 232-6920 info@mercerislandbooks.com Store Hours Mon-Wed: 9:30 - 7:00 Thurs: 9:30 - 8:00 Fri: 9:30 - 7:00 Sat: 9:30 - 6:00 Sun: 11:00 - 5:00 More

Upcoming Events Sat, May 4, 6:30pm: PJ Story Time with Norm Brecke Tues, May 7, 7:30pm: Jonathan Evison, author of The Revised Fundamentals of Caregiving Sat, May 18, 4pm: Galen Longstreth, author of Yes, Let's Thurs, May 30, 7:30pm: Open Book Club: The Orchardist by Amanda Coplin Here's What You Just Did Discover ten ways that by shopping local you help our community. More Bike-To-Work Day Friday, May 17th is Bike to Work day.  We asked the experts at Mercer Island's independent bike shop, Veloce Velo, to tell us what we should be reading to get our pedals spinning. More Open Book Club Island Books hosts an open book club that meets the last Thursday of each month at 7:30pm. All are welcome to attend, and if you purchase your book here in the store you'll always get a 10% discount. More 20% Off Indie Bestsellers Catch up on the titles dominating the indie bestseller lists and save 20% when you order online. More eBooks Did you know you can download ebooks from our website and read them instantly? Or that we sell top-notch ereaders and tablets ourselves? Read more about it. You'll be glad you did. More Selling Books Since 1973           Keep Up With Us! Store Journal

At Lady Molly’s begins with Nicholas Jenkins, having broken off his affair with Jean and now concocting “scenarios” for the film industry, being introduced through a studio colleague to the slackly-run home of the titular Lady Molly Jeavons, where he meets various members of the sprawling Tolland family (of which Molly is a part) and hears the news of Widmerpool’s engagement to an older woman, Mildred. Jenkins later lunches with Widmerpool, who quizzes him awkwardly on the propriety of premarital intercourse with one’s intended. Quiggin invites Jenkins to weekend in the country with him and Mona, who have been cohabiting since she divorced Templer. While there, Jenkins meets Quiggins’ landlord, the wealthy but left-leaning eccentric Erridge, who heads the Tolland family, and his sisters, realizing instantaneously that he’s fated to marry the younger one, Isobel. Jenkins then dines at a night club with a group that includes a jaundiced Widmerpool and his fianceé. Mr. Jeavons confidentially reveals to Jenkins a long-ago connection he has to Mildred, and dances her off as Widmerpool retires from the scene because of his illness. Erridge travels to China to investigate the political situation there, bringing Mona with him and creating a minor scandal. Widmerpool’s engagement founders, and Jenkins’ is made public. During another party at Lady Molly’s, Mildred’s brother-in-law discreetly reports to Jenkins that she dropped Widmerpool after a fumbling failure in the bedroom, immediately followed by the appearance of the jilted fiancé, who offers Jenkins advice on marriage.

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Either the books are getting better or I’m becoming more amenable to Powell’s style (or both), because At Lady Molly’s was probably my favorite in the series so far. Long out of school, the characters seem to be playing for higher stakes, and their gossip is juicier than ever....Read More

(Our store journal keeps you posted on books we're excited about, our literary musings, and other reading-related rambles. Remember, you can sign up to receive our posts by email.)  

April 23rd is the International Day of the Book. It’s official—the UN passed a declaration about it in 1995. Why did they pick that date? Well, it’s Shakespeare’s birthday, for one thing. It’s also La Diada de Sant Jordi, a major holiday in Barcelona and the rest of Catalonia since the fifteenth century. In English, we call it St. George’s Day.

Historically, Catalonian men gave women roses on that day, and women gave men a book to celebrate the occasion—”a rose for love and a book forever.” In modern times, the books go to both genders, and half of all books sold in the region every year are exchanged on April 23rd.