Dear READER, Summer/Fall 2021 Four stores on five floors in three buildings one hundred feet apart on the Square in Oxford, Mississippi Thank you for your interest in Dear Reader, the quarterly bulletin of new books and related news from Square Books – four bookstores in three buildings 100 feet apart on the historic Oxford, Mississippi, town square. Directly opposite the stately Lafayette County courthouse, one can’t help noticing the cantaloupe-colored Square Books, which opened in 1979 and is our largest store, and open 7 days a week. Off Square Books, open Monday- Adam Harris Saturday, began in 1993, and is the host site for all author events and Thacker Mountain Radio – a weekly live The State Must Provide radio show featuring authors and musicians -- in addition to housing a broad selection of lifestyle books (cooking, 8/31 Virtual gardening, travel, and more) as well as used books, bargain books and an amusing assortment of gifts and cards. Crossroads Book Group In 2003 we opened Square Books Jr, crammed with books for children, yet also spacious, where the ambiance is unbridled joy. Up the stairwell adjacent to Jr one may discover the entirely different environment ofRare Square Books, august and quiet, where there are hundreds of first editions, signed books and posters. Rare Square Books opened on the main store’s fortieth anniversary, Sept. 14, 2019, and is open Tuesday-Saturday. You may want to inquire specifically about the hours of each store, as that has been somewhat subject to change in the time of Covid. Presently masks are recommended but not required, but that is subject to change as well. We can’t sufficiently express the gratitude for the support so many of you have shown Square Books during the pandemic, be it visiting the stores or shopping online or phoning for books to ship, pick up or deliver. All staff at Square Books stores are vaccinated, but we continue to wear masks, as recommended by reliable health experts. If you have not been vaccinated, we ask, please, that you do so at your earliest opportunity – as it’s the best, or only, way to protect yourself and those you love, as well as those you don’t even know. Lately, our business has rebounded and compares favorably to the same period of 2019; that, too, is subject to change, of course – so, by all means, keep it up!
Anderson Cooper Vanderbilt: The Rise and Fall of an American Dynasty 9/24 The Main Store Lifestyle & Bargain Children’s books & toys Up the stairwell adjacent to Virtual 160 Courthouse Square 129 Courthouse Square 111 Courthouse Square Square Books Jr. 662-236-2262 662-236-2828 662-236-2207
DELIVERY & PICKUP www.thackermountain.com Square Books offers curbside pickup for Thacker Mountain Radio book orders. Delivery is also offered for is broadcast statewide orders within a 5 mile radius of the square. Orders under $50 will be subject to a $5 on Saturdays at 7 p.m. on delivery fee. Mississippi Public Radio.
Scan the QR code for links to events! 2 EVENTS
Adam Harris Maurice Carlos Ruffin Double Author Event Robert Khayat Dan Yaccarino The State Must Provide The Ones Who Don’t Megan Abbott & Laura Lippman 60: A Year of Sports, The Longest Storm 8/31 Say They Love You The Turnout & Dreamgirl Race & Politics 9/8 Virtual 9/1 9/1 9/2 Virtual Crossroads Book Group @ Off Square Books with Friends and Fiction @ Ford Center Virtual
Bobby Rush Atticus Lish Heather Cass White Susan Verde Margaret Renkyl Kendare Blake I Ain’t Studdin Ya The War for Gloria Books Promiscuously I AM COURAGE Graceland, At Last All These Bodies 9/23 9/9 Read 9/10 9/16 9/21 @ Off Square Books Virtual 9/9 Virtual with SIBA Virtual @ Off Square Books Virtual
Anderson Cooper Daniel de Vise Vanderbilt: The Rise Tarriona “Tank” Ball Sasha Graham Joshua Nguyen Jonathan Franzen King of the Blues and Fall of an American Vulnerable AF Magic of Tarot Come Clean Crossroads 10/14 Dynasty 9/28 9/29 10/8 10/14 @ Lyric Theatre 9/24 @Off Square Books Virtual @ Off Square Books Virtual Virtual
Susan Orlean Robin Preiss Glasser Aurielle Marie Gene Kwak William Boyle On Animals Grand Jete and Me Gumbo Ya-Ya Go Home, Ricky! Shoot the Moonlight Out 10/19 10/20 10/20 10/26 11/1 @ Virtual Virtual @ Off Square @ Off Square Books Off Square Books Books -Ticketed-
Double Author Event Event calendar is subject to change. David Magee & Ivan Maisel Dear William & I Keep Trying to Catch Visit www.squarebooks.com/event His Eye for the most up-to-date list. 11/3
3 DAMNATION SPRING FICTION by Ash Davidson Scribner, $28.00; pub. 8/3 MATRIX A sweeping family saga of love and grief and the deeply personal by Lauren Groff tragedies that occur when our planet is abused. This is the kind Riverhead Books, $28.00; pub. 9/7 of novel I’ve been craving for ages. Ambitious in its scope, Signed Copies Available masterful in its execution. This stunning story, written in pitch- The chronicle of an abbey in 12th century England perfect prose, announces Ash Davidson as a major new voice in provides the basis of an exceptional novel about faith American Literature. Every page stirred my soul. and power. Lauren Groff uses the experiences of abbess Marie and her attendant nuns to delve deeply into the subjects of THE GUIDE religion, love, sexuality, gender, identity, violence, passion and so many by Peter Heller other emotions that comprise the human experience. -Bill Knopf, $27.00 pub. 8/24
CLOUD CUCKOO LAND Peter Heller’s riveting thriller is set in the American by Anthony Doerr wilderness, but the threats gathering around Jack, the young Scribner, $30.00; pub. 9/28 fishing guide of the title, come from man, not nature… Unnerving…A chilling reminder of the dangers that might lie Signed Copies Available in wait for us all. Cloud Cuckoo Land is ambitious, audacious, and a work of absolute artistry. Doerr somehow blends a multitude of eras BEWILDERMENT and genres in a manner that is breathtaking and in the end by Richard Powers creates a work of mythology of his own. It is books like this that make our W.W. Norton & Company, $27.95; pub. 9/21 business such a joy. We all read many books, but then something like Cloud comes along and we experience the same epiphany as Zeno realizing we have Signed Copies Available reached the culmination and completion of a quest. – Bill This novel is about animals, consciousness, ecology, extraterrestrials, entropy, family, humanity, memory, THE LINCOLN HIGHWAY politics, relationships, and veganism; but most of all, by Amor Towles Bewilderment is a modern-day science fiction novel that Viking, $30.00; pub. 10/5 explores and implores empathy. -Conor Signed Copies Available Amor Towles takes his own ride on that endless highway CROSSROADS with this novel of two brothers in 1954 searching for a by Jonathan Franzen new life in a country on the edge of massive changes. His Farrar, Straus and Giroux, $30.00; pub. 10/5 mastery of driving a plot informs the quest of the pair as they discover danger can come from friend or foe but also Signed Copies Available/Event on 10/14 redemptive help until they reach a powerful conclusion. -Bill Crossroads is the name for the church youth group that, with its junior pastor, collides with the family -- a senior pastor and his wife and their four mostly teenage children -- to form the ONCE THERE WERE WOLVES centrifugal force of this sixties-era novel, another 600-page masterpiece from the by Charlotte McConaghy writer who continues to depict our age and blaze its literary path. -Richard Flatiron Books, $27.99; pub. 8/3 Signed Copies Available HARLEM SHUFFLE Once There Were Wolves is the unforgettable story of a by Colson Whitehead woman desperate to save the creatures she loves—if she isn’t Doubleday, $28.95; pub. 9/14 consumed by the wild that was once her refuge. Colson Whitehead takes the baton that has been passed from Chester Himes to Walter Mosley and adds his own distinctive touch in a novel set in early ‘60s Harlem. With his usual attention to detail and a subtle humor he tells the THE WAR FOR GLORIA story of Ray Carney, a furniture dealer who sometimes steps by Atticus Lish over the line when it comes to business transactions. At the same time as the Knopf, $28.00; pub. 9/7 author delineates this hidden world he uses it as a mirror that perfectly reflects Event on 9/9 our own era and demonstrates that very little has changed in many respects Lish tells the coming -of-age story of Corey Goltz, a boy who over the course of six decades. Like his legendary predecessors Whitehead uses lives with his mother, Gloria, to whom he is devoted. His the crime fiction genre to not only tell a mesmerizing story but also a sharp dreams of an adventurous life come crashing down when Gloria commentary on the society in which it is placed. -Bill is afflicted by ALS, and becomes increasingly dependent on POISON FOR BREAKFAST Corey. Complicating this situation is the re-appearance of his by Lemony Snicket creepy, pretentious father, whose evil Corey struggles to expose. The writing is Liveright, $17.95; pub. 8/31 fertile, rich with interior details of Corey’s mind, bringing him into sharper focus and strengthening our connection to him. -Lisa Full of Snicket’s trademark clever whimsy. It is the sort of pleasant bewilderment that comes from letting your mind wander down unfamiliar paths. Steadfast fans of Lemony Snicket will surely be pleased with this new entry into his canon. 4 DAMNATION SPRING FICTION PALMARES by Ash Davidson by Gayl Jones Scribner, $28.00; pub. 8/3 Beacon Press, $27.95; pub. 9/14 A sweeping family saga of love and grief and the deeply personal THE EVERY tragedies that occur when our planet is abused. This is the kind by Dave Eggers From a literary standpoint, Jones’s form is impeccable; from of novel I’ve been craving for ages. Ambitious in its scope, McSweeney’s Publishing, $28.00; pub. 10/5 a historical standpoint, she stands at the very cutting edge masterful in its execution. This stunning story, written in pitch- of understanding the modern world, and as a Black woman perfect prose, announces Ash Davidson as a major new voice in With brilliant humor and enormous suspense, The writer, her truth-telling, filled with beauty, tragedy, humor, American Literature. Every page stirred my soul. Every examines how technology is indelibly redefining and incisiveness, is superb. what it means to be human, and how it already has. A SINGLE ROSE THE GUIDE by Muriel Barbery by Peter Heller Europa Editions, $22.00; pub. 9/14 Knopf, $27.00 pub. 8/24 THE BOOK OF FORM AND EMPTINESS by Ruth Ozeki The novel balances lush, cultivated gardens and Viking, $30.00; pub. 9/21 Peter Heller’s riveting thriller is set in the American weighted symbolism with mischievous foxes, matcha, wilderness, but the threats gathering around Jack, the young sliced eel, and sushi, all forming “one happy chaos” and a fishing guide of the title, come from man, not nature… This compassionate novel of life, love and loss glows in the fascinating maze of emotional release. Unnerving…A chilling reminder of the dangers that might lie dark. Its strange, beautiful pages turn themselves. If you’ve lost your way with fiction over the last year or two, letThe in wait for us all. OH WILLIAM! Book of Form and Emptiness light your way home. by Elizabeth Strout BEWILDERMENT Random House, $27.00; pub. 10/19 BEAUTIFUL WORLD, WHERE ARE YOU by Richard Powers Signed Copies Available W.W. Norton & Company, $27.95; pub. 9/21 by Sally Rooney Farrar,Straus and Giroux, $28.00; pub. 9/7 Elizabeth Strout has the uncanny ability to portray the Signed Copies Available mysteries, complexities and challenges of everyday life. This novel is about animals, consciousness, ecology, Signed Copies Available Both first time readers and loyal fans will get to enjoy the Sally Rooney is a master at taking everyday situations and extraterrestrials, entropy, family, humanity, memory, nonpareil talent of a modern master. -Bill politics, relationships, and veganism; but most of all, dialogs and using them to convey all the complexities of Bewilderment is a modern-day science fiction novel that daily life which eventually comprise the essence of human explores and implores empathy. -Conor existence. -Bill FIGHT NIGHT by Miriam Toews WHEN THE GHOSTS COME HOME Bloomsbury Publishing, $24.00; pub. 10/5 by Wiley Cash William Morrow $28.99; pub. 9/21 Signed Copies Available Fight Night is a headlong rush of a novel narrated by a Signed Copies Available precocious eight-year-old girl who is doing everything Wiley Cash has written a suspenseful, yet heart-tugging she can to keep her troubled mother from falling apart novel about community, duty, loss, racial divides, family and her irrepressible grandmother alive. Tender, heart- and love. When Ghosts Come Home is a compassionate wrenching, darkly funny, and ultimately joyful, this and timely gem. novel pulses with life. SANKOFA HARROW by Chibundu Onuzo by Joy Williams Knopf, $26.00; pub. 9/14 Catapult, $26.00 pub. 10/5
In an uncertain time two youngsters find themselves amidst Sankofa follows Anna, a mixed race woman raised in London an unnamed residential complex where an elderly gang by her white mother, as she searches for the African father gets in their last licks on this faltering world. With balletic she’s never known. It hits that sweet spot of being easy to writing and wit to go with it, Williams has created a kind of nursing home read, while also tackling some complex issues, such as racism, romp that readers will be talking about for some time. Entertaining, fun, and identity, politics, power and privilege. The result is a satisfying thought-provoking, a great read from one of our very best writers. -Richard page-turner that kept me up reading past my bedtime. -Jude
THE ONES WHO DON’T SAY THEY LOVE YOU MY MONTICELLO by Maurice Carlos Ruffin by Jocelyn Nicole Johnson One World, $26.00; pub. 8/17 Henry Holt and Co., $26.99, pub. 10/5 Event on 9/1 The Ones Who Don’t Say They Love You is an ode to My Monticello is a magnificent debut that holds so much in its all that makes us human. Each story grabs your heart, POISON FOR BREAKFAST gaze—great love and great oppression, tremendous individual squeezes the hell out of it, and then, somehow, makes it courage and systemic racism, futures of joyful justice and futures by Lemony Snicket fuller. Liveright, $17.95; pub. 8/31 of extremism. This breathtaking, artful story collection is a gift.
Full of Snicket’s trademark clever whimsy. It is the sort of pleasant bewilderment that comes from letting your mind wander down unfamiliar paths. Steadfast fans of Lemony Did you know that many of our virtual events are available to watch on YouTube? Snicket will surely be pleased with this new entry into his Check out at www.squarebooks.com canon. 5 FICTION
GO HOME RICKY! by Gene Kwak I LOVE YOU BUT I’VE CHOSEN DARKNESS The Overlook Press, $28.00; pub. 9/7 by Claire Vaye Watkins Riverhead Books, $27.00; pub. 10/5 Event on 10/26 Go Home, Ricky! is a rambunctious and constantly surprising novel about wrestling, absent fathers and father There’s some kind of genius sorcery in this novel. It’s figures, and the personas we’ll wear on the way to figuring startlingly original, hilarious and harrowing by turns, finally out who we really are. Kwak’s sly, big-hearted novel transcendent. Watkins writes like an avenging angel. It’s resists easy answers, making Ricky’s odyssey all the more thrilling and terrifying to stand in her wake. satisfying and true. LATE CITY THE MAGICIAN by Robert Olen Butler by Colm Toibin Atlantic Monthly Press, $27.00; pub. 9/7 Scribner, $28.00; pub. 9/7 Samuel Cunningham is the oldest WWI veteran at one Colm Toibin presents a nuanced, incisive fictionalized hundred and fifteen-years-old, and he’s dying. Through a portrait of the life of Thomas Mann. What stands out is that conversation with God, we see the span of Samuel’s personal Mann, in addition to living as a conflicted human being, was relationships play out over worldwide historical cataclysm. a German who had to endure two major wars, the rise of Robert Olen Butler has written a novel full of charm, grace, Hitler, exile from his home country and eventually even the and tragic sincerity. -Conor wrath of McCarthyites in America. -Bill SIGNED FIRSTS CLUB
What would it be worth to have a signed, first edition from some of the best contemporary writers in the world delivered to you each month? Our Signed Firsts subscription does just that and the cost is just the book’s list price and shipping. We have several options for your reading pleasure: Signed Fiction, Signed Fiction 18, Signed Non- Fiction, and Mix. For more information, or to join, call us at 662-236-2262 or email [email protected]. POETRY
GOLDENROD STONES by Maggie Smith by Kevin Young Atria/One Signal Publishing, $20.00; pub. 7/27 Knopf, $27.00; pub. 9/28
Maggie Smith has a way of turning the mundane into A book of loss, looking back, and what binds us to life, by the profound, and in the process, she’ll astound you a towering poetic talent, known as one of the poetry stars with her brilliant insights into modern life. of his generation.
WINTER RECIPES FROM THE COLLECTIVE PLAYLIST FOR THE APOCALYPSE by Louise Glück by Rita Dove Farrar, Straus and Giroux, $25.00; pub. 10/20 W.W. Norton & Company, $26.95; pub. 8/17 This book is like chamber music, an invitation into that privileged US poet laureate Dove is here, audaciously playful and realm small enough for the individual instrument to make itself grave, alternating poignant meditations on mortality heard, while at the same time being large enough to contain and acerbic observations of injustice. Playlist for the a whole lifetime, the inconceivable gifts and losses of old age, Apocalypse takes us from the smallest moments of presence of the sun, its brightness measured by the darkness it redemption to catastrophic failures of the human soul. casts. COME CLEAN POET WARRIOR by Joshua Nguyen by Joy Harjo Graywolf Press, $26.00; pub. 10/5 W.W. Norton & Company, $25.00; pub. 9/7 Signed Copies Available/Event on 10/8 An unflinching look at how one tries to make order and sense Moving fluidly between prose, song, and poetry, Harjo of the messy dazzlement of life. Nguyen is one of the strongest recounts a luminous journey of becoming, a spiritual map poetic debuts you’ll come across this decade. that will help us all find home.Poet Warrior sings with the jazz, blues, tenderness, and bravery that we know as distinctly Joy Harjo. 6 MYSTERY, THRILLERS & SCIENCE FICTION
The Judge’s List SHOOT OUT THE MOONLIGHT by John Grisham by William Boyle Doubleday, $29.95; Pegasus Books, $25.95; pub. 11/2 pub.10/19 Event on 11/1 Signed Copies Available As wildly funny and sweet as it is frenetic and harrowing, He has a list, with the names Oxonian William Boyle’s new novel is full of dark splendor. The of his victims and targets, all grandly talented Boyle is still in the Brooklyn neighborhood unsuspecting people unlucky where he grew up. He knows the music of the Italian American voices, from punk to bar stool to operatic, like nobody else: Mob enough to have crossed his path goons, college dropouts, melancholy widows and pink-haired and wronged him in some way. LATE CITY rockers mix it up in this deliciously convoluted tale. The Judge’s List is by any measure by Robert Olen Butler Atlantic Monthly Press, $27.00; pub. 9/7 John Grisham’s most surprising, chilling novel yet. THE LAST GRADUATE by Naomi Novik Samuel Cunningham is the oldest WWI veteran at one Del Rey, $28.00; pub. 9/28 hundred and fifteen-years-old, and he’s dying. Through a conversation with God, we see the span of Samuel’s personal A budding dark sorceress determined not to use her formidable relationships play out over worldwide historical cataclysm. AN ELDERLY LADY MUST NOT BE powers uncovers yet more secrets about the workings of her Robert Olen Butler has written a novel full of charm, grace, CROSSED world in the stunning sequel to A Deadly Education, the start of and tragic sincerity. -Conor by Helene Tursten Naomi Novik’s groundbreaking crossover series. Novik skillfully Soho Crime, $14.99; pub. 10/5 combines sharp humor with layers of imagination to build a fantasy that delights on every level. The six linked stories in Swedish author Tursten’s delightful novel showcase the ingenious murder methods that Maud, an idiosyncratic octogenarian with MY HEART IS A CHAINSAW questionable motives, has devised over the years… by Stephen Graham Jones Assured prose matches an irresistible heroine. Readers Gallery/Saga Press, $26.99; pub. 8/31 are sure to welcome a third entry in this beguiling series. Stephen Graham Jones can’t miss. My Heart Is A BILLY SUMMERS Chainsaw is a painful drama about trauma, mental health, by Stephen King and the heartache of yearning to belong...twisted into a Scribner, $30.00; pub. 8/3 DNA helix with encyclopedic Slasher movie obsession and a frantic, gory whodunnit mystery, with an ending both Billy Summers is the story of a hit man with a heart who savage and shocking. decides to do one last job. Replete with tension and plot twists, even subtle references to previous Kings novels, Billy Summers is a good example of how literature can be great entertainment. NO ONE GOES ALONE (AUDIO ONLY) by Erik Larson, read by Julian Rhind-Tutt SHE WOULDN’T CHANGE A THING Random House Audio, $30.00; pub. 9/28 by Sarah Adlakha Forge Books, $25.99; pub. 8/10 The author of The Splendid and The Vile and other bestsellers, Erik Larson, believes that ghost stories are Adlakha’s debut is a truly compelling read, making best told, not read. His first work of fiction, No One Goes the reader consider what they would do if offered Alone, will be available only on audio in cd format or a second chance, how they might deal with an digitally with our partners at libro.fm. impossible choice, and what is most important in life. The characters are relatable, the story is gripping, and the blend of domestic fiction with a hint of science fiction is just plain great. Libro.fm brings you the best digital LIGHTNING STRIKE audiobooks for adults and children alike. by William Kent Krueger You’ll find bestsellers, great books, and Atria Books, $27.00; pub. 8/24 over 150,000 titles hand picked by Square Books and other independent bookstores. William Kent Krueger is a master storyteller By choosing Libro.fm, you support a at the top of his game with Lightning Strike. A local bookstore and invest in your local pitch perfect, richly imagined story that is both community. Visit libro.fm/ squarebooks to an edge-of-your-seat thriller and an evocative, start listening. emotionally-charged coming of age tale that explores the complex bonds between fathers and sons and the long simmering animosities of the past. This is a beautifully written novel that packs a powerful 662-236-2262 punch. 7 BIOGRAPHY, MEMOIRS AND NON-FICTION
CAPOTE’S WOMEN THE MAMA CHRONICLES by Laurence Leamer by Teresa Nicholas G.P. Putnam’s Sons, $28.00; pub. 10/12 University Press of Mississippi, $25.00; pub. 9/15 This deep dive into the lives of the extraordinary women Growing up in the Delta town of Yazoo City, Mississippi, Teresa who were Truman Capote’s ‘swans’ is an entertaining study Nicholas believed that she and her country-born and -bred mother of femininity, privilege, and heartbreak. The story of the weren’t close. As her mother’s health deteriorated, Nicholas found meteoric rise—and tragic fall—of the infamous writer and herself spending more time in the small town she thought she had his beautiful muses offers a captivating combination of first- left behind. rate gossip and solid social history. Fascinating. THE BOYS by Ron Howard William Morrow, $28.99; pub. 10/12 WALK WITH ME by Kate Clifford Larson Signed Copies Available Oxford University Press, $27.95; pub. 9/1 This extraordinary book is not only a chronicle of Ron’s and Kate Clifford Larson’s page-turning biography of Fannie Clint’s early careers and their wild adventures, but also a primer Lou Hamer takes readers on the journey of a woman born on so many topics—how an actor prepares, how to survive as a into the grinding poverty and racism of the Mississippi kid working in Hollywood, and how to be the best parents in the Delta who rose to become the voice of the unheard and the world. The Boys will surprise readers with its humanity. conscience of a nation.: “I’m sick and tired of being sick and tired.” GRACELAND, AT LAST by Margaret Renkl Milkweed Editions, $26.00; pub. 9/14 UNTIL I AM FREE by Keisha N. Blain Signed Copies Available/Event on 9/16 Beacon Press, $25.95; pub. 10/5 In personal and reported essays, Renkl highlights some underheard voices of the South: A group of teenagers who organized a youth march for Black Lives Matter. Church parishioners sheltering the In Until I Am Free, Dr. Keisha N. Blain has written a rich, homeless. Throughout, readers will find the generosity of spirit and detailed, and moving portrait of Fanny Lou Hamer, one of deep attention to the world, human and not human. the most important civil rights activists in American history. ON FREEDOM BOOKS PROMISCUOUSLY READ by Maggie Nelson by Heather Cass White Graywolf Press, $27.00; pub. 9/7 Farrar, Straus and Giroux, $25.00; pub. 7/6 Signed Copies Available Event on 9/2 For Nelson, thinking publicly through the knots in our culture— This book is about the pleasures of reading and its power in from recent art-world debates to the turbulent legacies of sexual shaping our internal lives. It advocates for a life of constant, liberation, from the painful paradoxes of addiction to the lure disorderly, time-consuming reading, and encourages readers of despair in the face of the climate crisis—is itself a practice of to trust in the value of the exhilaration and fascination such freedom, a means of forging fortitude, courage, and company. reading entails. DEAR WILLIAM 12 BYTES by David Magee by Jeanette Winterson Matt Holt, $28.00; pub. 11/2 Grove Press, $27.00; pub. 10/12 Signed Copies Available/Event on11/3 This is more than just another addiction story. It’s about a A vigorous, sharp mind probes the world of computer science father making sense of his son’s addiction and death while and more. Digestible, witty, and provocative, tucked into the seeking his own identity, a broken family fighting to repair corners of these erudite essays are multitudes of fascinating facts itself, and, ultimately, a commitment to making a difference and thoughtful what-if speculations. Winterson is excellent at from and through grief. Magee also resides in Oxford. compressing a great deal of technical, scientific, philosophical, INDIGO literary, and religious material. by Padgett Powell I KEEP TRYING TO CATCH HIS EYE Catapult, $16.95; pub. 11/9 by Ivan Maisel Signed Copies Available Hachette Books, $28.00; pub. 10/26 Most of these essays take us on Powell’s adventures into Signed Copies Available/ Event on 11/3 swamps, Swedish arm wrestling matches, noir New Orleans, Maisel’s gem of a book bravely bridges two worlds to help translate or a rock ‘n roll tour bus--and they are hilariously observed- the many facets in grieving a child’s death. Unvarnished and -but for me his most brilliant observations are in his spot-on unsparing, this award-winning sportswriter turns the lens on his discussions--far from academic--of writers and books that own journey to make sense of the unimaginable, demonstrating have influenced him and his off-beat fiction. -Lisa how we get through it without ever getting over it. VANDERBILT by Anderson Cooper & Katherine Howe Harper, $30.00; pub. 8/24 Signed Copies Available/Event on 9/24 Working with historian and novelist Katherine Howe, Cooper breathes life into the ancestors who built the family’s empire, doubled the Commodore’s wealth, hosted lavish galas, and became synonymous with American capitalism and high society. 8 LIFE, LIBERTY, & THE PURSUIT OF HAPPINESS THE MAMA CHRONICLES HERO OF TWO WORLDS THE CAUSE by Teresa Nicholas by Joseph J. Ellis University Press of Mississippi, $25.00; pub. 9/15 by Mike Duncan Public Affairs, $30.00; pub. 8/24 Liveright, $30.00; pub. 9/21 Growing up in the Delta town of Yazoo City, Mississippi, Teresa Event on 10/28 Nicholas believed that she and her country-born and -bred mother Most legends consist of far more myth than substance and such Duncan takes the reader on a gripping roller-coaster weren’t close. As her mother’s health deteriorated, Nicholas found is the case for the common narrative of the American revolution. ride that follows the Marquis de Lafayette’s fortunes herself spending more time in the small town she thought she had This is an essential read for anyone wishing to learn the true through decades of victory, defeat, and revolution on left behind. origin story of the nation and not the numerous falsehoods that two continents. Hero of Two Worlds is biography and have been promoted for over two centuries. -Bill narrative at its best. LIBERTY IS SWEET TRAVELS WITH GEORGE by Woody Holton by Nathaniel Philbrick Simon & Schuester, $37.50; pub. 10/19 Viking, $30.00; pub. 9/14 This book should be required reading, especially for Signed Copies Available those who like to invoke the Founding Fathers to In the fall of 2018, Nathaniel Philbrick embarked on his own fortify their beliefs. After the colonies were able to journey into what Washington called “the infant woody country” gain their independence, over 80% of the population to see for himself what America had become in the past 229 years. was ineligible to vote, making claims of democracy and Writing in a thoughtful first person about his own adventures GRACELAND, AT LAST freedom more than incongruous and setting the stage with his wife Melissa and their dog Dora, Philbrick follows by Margaret Renkl for an even bloodier conflict 80 years later. For anyone Washington’s presidential excursions. Milkweed Editions, $26.00; pub. 9/14 interested in the actual story of the creation of a nation, Signed Copies Available/Event on 9/16 this is an important and essential history. -Bill ENDS OF WAR by Caroline E. Janney In personal and reported essays, Renkl highlights some underheard ROBERT E. LEE voices of the South: A group of teenagers who organized a youth The University of North Carolina Press,$30.00; pub. 5/11 by Allen C. Guelzo march for Black Lives Matter. Church parishioners sheltering the Knopf, $35.00; pub. 9/28 homeless. Throughout, readers will find the generosity of spirit and Weaving together the words of people caught up in the deep attention to the world, human and not human. Allen C. Guelzo has written exactly what the nation tangled dramas of emancipation, surrender, and victory, urgently needs right now—an example of mature thinking Caroline Janney presents an unforgettable tapestry of a ON FREEDOM about complex, flawed people who took difficult actions defining moment in American history. This is a work of by Maggie Nelson in contexts not of their making or choosing. humanity, insight, and skill. Graywolf Press, $27.00; pub. 9/7 Signed Copies Available WILDLAND THERE SHE WAS by Evan Osnos For Nelson, thinking publicly through the knots in our culture— by Amy Argetsinger Farrar, Straus, and Giroux $30.00; pub. 9/14 from recent art-world debates to the turbulent legacies of sexual Atria/One Signal Publishers, $28.00; pub. 9/7 liberation, from the painful paradoxes of addiction to the lure of despair in the face of the climate crisis—is itself a practice of Concentrating on three disparate areas, Chicago, West Virginia In this wildly entertaining journey into an American freedom, a means of forging fortitude, courage, and company. and Greenwich, Ct., Evan Osnos delineates how continuing institution, we see how beauty is quantified and calibrated. systemic inequities in politics and society have led to a culture of Surprisingly, some of the biggest disrupters, the people 12 BYTES extreme partisanship and tribalism. This is a world where massive who want the crown to be about more than superficial by Jeanette Winterson amounts of capital and deregulation have created gaps of income beauty, are at the very heart of the country’s most Grove Press, $27.00; pub. 10/12 and power in society and driven many to anger against all levels celebrated beauty pageant. of government. Anyone attempting to understand the incredibly A vigorous, sharp mind probes the world of computer science THE MATTER OF BLACK LIVES polarized world in which we now live would be advised to read this and more. Digestible, witty, and provocative, tucked into the by Jelani Cobb painstakingly researched account. -Bill corners of these erudite essays are multitudes of fascinating facts Ecco, $35.00; pub. 9/28 THE STATE MUST PROVIDE and thoughtful what-if speculations. Winterson is excellent at by Adam Harris compressing a great deal of technical, scientific, philosophical, This anthology from the pages of the New Yorker Ecco, $27.99; pub. 8/10 literary, and religious material. provides a bold and complex portrait of Black life in I KEEP TRYING TO CATCH HIS EYE America, told through stories of private triumphs and Event on 8/31 by Ivan Maisel national tragedies, political vision and artistic inspiration. The definitive history of the pervasiveness of racial inequality Hachette Books, $28.00; pub. 10/26 A collection of The New Yorker‘s groundbreaking writing in American higher education. The State Must Provide is the on race in America—including work by James Baldwin, definitive chronicle of higher education’s failed attempts at equality Signed Copies Available/ Event on 11/3 Toni Morrison, Ta-Nehisi Coates, Hilton Als, Zadie and the long road still in front of us to remedy centuries of racial Maisel’s gem of a book bravely bridges two worlds to help translate Smith, and more—with a foreword by Jelani Cobb discrimination—and poses a daring solution to help solve the the many facets in grieving a child’s death. Unvarnished and underfunding of HBCUs. unsparing, this award-winning sportswriter turns the lens on his own journey to make sense of the unimaginable, demonstrating how we get through it without ever getting over it. Book Bundles Want to send some love, books, and gifts, while supporting Square Books? Reach out by sending Square Care Packages to friends, family, co-workers, employees—or even yourself! Simply go to our website, answer a few questions about preferences and reading habits, and we’ll take care of the rest. The classic Square Care Package includes a hardback or paperback book, a Square Books coffee mug, and our Square Books coffee blend. The hardback bundle also includes an Oxford themed sticker. Visit www.squarebooks.com to get started. 9 MUSIC & ARTS MUSIC IS HISTORY by Questlove WOODY GUTHRIE Abrams Image, $29.99; pub. 10/12 by Nora Guthrie Chronicle Books, $35.00; pub. 10/12 Music Is History focuses on the years 1971 to the present, not only the country’s most complex and rewarding half-century The timely, passionate, and humanely political work of when it comes to the ways that pop culture and culturally America’s greatest folk singer and songwriter is presented diverse history intersect and interact, but also the years that through his own words and art—curated by Woody’s overlap with acclaimed musician Questlove’s own life. daughter—in this essential self-portrait, including never-before published lyrics and personal writing, and testimony from contemporary writers and musicians on HOW TO ENJOY ART his powerful relevance today. by Ben Street Yale University Press, $20.00; pub. 9/14 COLORIZATION Debunking the pervasive idea that specialist knowledge is by Wil Haygood required to understand and appreciate art, How to Enjoy Knopf, $30.00; pub. 10/19 Art focuses on experience and pleasure, demonstrating how anyone can find value and enjoyment in art. An important, timely book from a distinguished journalist, Colorization gives us both an unprecedented history of Black cinema and a groundbreaking perspective on racism in modern America. CHASING ME TO MY GRAVE by Wilfred Rembert Bloomsberry Publishing, $30.00; pub. 9/15 FRIDA KAHLO: HER UNIVERSE by Frida Kahlo Chasing Me to My Grave offers a powerful, unfiltered RM/Museo Frida Kahlo, $65.00; pub. 9/7 look at life growing up Black in Jim Crow Georgia . . . A stunning portrait of hope in the face of evil, barbarity, and This compendium presents the rich diversity of themes, racism. ideas, concepts and emotions generated around two fundamental, iconic figures of modern Mexico: painter Frida Kahlo and her husband, muralist Diego Rivera. KING OF THE BLUES by Daniel de Vise WAYS OF HEARING Grove Press, $30.00; pub. 10/5 by Scott Burnham Event on 10/14 Princeton University Press, $19.95; pub. 9/28 B.B. King was a marvelous man and an international ambassador for the blues. King of the Blues tells the Music conservatories have a required course called Ear inspirational story of his life in great detail, and an Training that teaches students not to impose affect, extraordinary story it is. narrative, or imagery on the music itself. May this volume become required reading for musicians and music lovers THE ISOLATION ARTIST alike. by Bob Keyes David R. Godine, $21.95; pub. 9/7 THE STORYTELLER by Dave Grohl Attention art lovers and those who enjoy legal dramas! This Dey Street Books, $29.99; pub. 10/5 book is a crazy trip documenting the decline of the acclaimed pop artist and the astonishing flim-flam surrounding his The Foo Fighters frontman share “a collection of artwork. Keyes has talked to friends, enemies, assistants, and memories of a life lived loud”, from “hilarious childhood attorneys to get to the bottom of the mysterious Big Grab mishaps, touching family moments, leaving home to see at the end of his life. He points to his leaving New York and the world at eighteen, spectacular stories about Nirvana,” isolation as the beginning of the tarnishing of his legacy. and more. 1,000 YEARS OF JOYS AND SORROWS THE HISTORY OF BONES by Ai Weiwei by John Lurie Knopf, $28.95; pub. 5/4 Random House, $28.00; pub. 8/17 In this splendid memoir, Ai Weiwei unravels his The quintessential depiction of 1980s New York and the tribulations and those of his father (who Neruda once called downtown scene from the artist, actor, musician, and “the prince of Chinese poets”), giving us a palpable sense composer John Lurie. His raucously frank, sardonic, of life under totalitarian control over a century, including sex-saturated, compulsively detailed, and hard-charging prison and forced labor -- being made to clean village memoir is incandescent with illuminations of his latrines for years -- and deftly demonstrates how poetry and musical mission, including his film scores, his friendship art, abetted by family love, may prevail over an impossibly with Jean-Michel Basquiat, and his conflicts with Jim restrictive environment. This is one of the most interesting Jarmusch. and pleasurable books of my life. - Richard www.squarebooks.com 10 SPORTS & RECREATION FOR FUN
RULERS OF THE SEC LITTLE PIECES OF HOPE by James R. Crockett by Todd Doughty University Press of Mississippi, $25.00; pub. 9/15 Penguin Life, $16.00; pub. 10/12
This book chronicles a unique period in Mississippi A dazzling spiritual grab n’ go of big ideas, positive thoughts, athletic history when Mississippi State University and and helpful suggestions that will lift and delight readers the University of Mississippi were in the upper echelons everywhere. Through the lens of debut author and friend of the Southeastern Conference in football, baseball, and of Square Books Todd Doughty, the weary world goes basketball. technicolor. Feast on high octane mixtapes, curated book titles, travel for the curious, and the best in film, theater, and sports. ALL IN by Billie Jean King A CARNIVAL OF SNACKERY Knopf, $30.00; pub. 8/17 by David Sedaris Little, Brown and Company, $32.00; pub. 10/5 Signed Copies Available All In is a must-read about an authentic American hero, These latest diary installments once again are a brilliant and one of the twentieth century’s most consequential distillation of David Sedaris’ trademark droll, hilarious, and figures in the fight for gender equality and human rights. incisive slices of life. To read Sedaris is to love (and laugh at) THE FORGOTTEN FIRST him. by Keyshawn Johnson University of Chicago Press, $35.00; pub. 9/6 WHERE THE DEER AND THE ANTELOPE PLAY by Nick Offerman Marion Motley, Bill Willis, Kenny Washington, and Woody Dutton, $28.00, pub. 10/12 Strode played a role in the history of football that’s not known by most people. They helped give Black players an opportunity that was not previously available to them. Offerman not only explores his Paul Bunyan-like image with tongue-in-cheek lessons on manliness, complete with THE BASEBALL 100 illustrations and advice, but also offers poignant memories of by Joe Polanski his childhood growing up in Illinois and hilarious anecdotes Avid Reader Press/ Simon & Schuster, $40.00, pub. from his career as a TV star. 9/28 NORTH AMERICAN MAPS FOR CURIOUS MINDS Engrossing, surprising, and heartfelt, The Baseball 100 is a by Matthew Bucklan magisterial tribute to the game of baseball and the stars who The Experience, $19.95, pub. 10/12 played it. This simple book serves the schoolroom for all ages, the coffee FIGHT SONGS table of any household, the shelf in any library, and a font of wonderfulness for any trivia gamer. Big fun! by Ed Southern Blair, $25.95, pub. 9/7 A CONFEDERACY OF DUMPTYS This book is about so much: the South, love, history, and by John Lithgow how sports define, degrade, refine, and redeem us. Holding Chronicle Prism, $22.95; pub. 10/12 this gumbo of ideas together is—what else?—football. IT’S BETTER TO BE FEARED A Confederacy of Dumptys takes us through a history by Seth Wickersham of twenty-five “American Scoundrels” in this all- Liveright, $30.00; pub. 10/12 new collection of actor Lithgow’s satirical poems and illustrations. Seth Wickersham, one of the country’s finest long form and investigative sportswriters, tells the full, behind- CABIN TRIPPING the-scenes story of the New England Patriots, capturing by JJ Eggers the brilliance, ambition, and vanity that powered and Artisan, $24.95, pub. 9/28 ultimately unraveled them. Whether readers are seeking a once-in-a-lifetime adventure 60: A YEAR OF SPORTS, RACE & POLITICS or a quiet retreat, a cozy night around a firepit or a summery by Robert Khayat lakefront sojourn, Cabin Tripping delivers. Beacon Press, $24.95; pub. 8/10 Event on 9/2 With this second book in eight years, our former Chancellor THE NEW YALE BOOK OF QUOTATIONS is becoming Storyteller Emeritus. In Sixty he hones in by Fred R. Shapiro on that one year, 1960, while often reflecting deeply both Yale University Press, $50.00; pub. 8/31 before and beyond it, on race, family, sports, and its wide cast of characters -- politicians, athletes, lawyers, scholars, friends and foes -- all the while recognizing achievements and failings alike. An authoritative addition to any trivia buff’s collection. What’s not to like from the University of Mississippi leader who has given it so much? -Richard 11 THE SECRET OF LIFE by Howard Markel SCIENCE & NATURE W.W. Norton & Company, $30.00; pub. 9/21 THE ELEMENTS by Philip Ball The Secret of Life captures the heart-pounding excitement, University of Chicago Press, $35.00; pub. 9/6 the unique personalities, and the interplay of chance, inspiration, doggedness, and sound scientific method that Ball has once again produced a terrific book, one that allowed for the decoding of DNA. presents a tremendous amount of the history of chemistry in a manner that is engagingly written, beautifully illustrated, THE SPECKLED BEAUTY and conscientious about avoiding the usual traps of popular by Rick Bragg science: triumphalism, a Eurocentric and male bias, and a Knopf, $26.00; pub. 9/21 reliance on just-so stories that are inadequately supported by Signed Copies Available the evidence. Written with Bragg’s inimitable blend of tenderness and THE HUMMINGBIRD HANDBOOK sorrow, humor and grit, The Speckled Beauty captures the by Stephon Alexander extraordinary, sustaining devotion between two damaged Basic Books, $28.00; pub. 8/31 creatures who need each other to heal.
Hail The Hummers! This overview offers hummer trivia, ORWELL’S ROSES by Rebecca Solnit mythology, and new discoveries. Vivid, full-color photos Viking, $28.00, pub. 10/19 appear on almost every page, and other visuals include maps and multi-photo comparison charts. There is nothing more political than a garden, and Rebecca Solnit brings Orwell’s life and writing vividly alive through his quiet determination to love the surface of the BIRDS OF AMERICA earth. Orwell’s Roses shows how intimately aesthetics is by John James Audubon intertwined with ethics, and in doing so, Solnit has given us Prestel, $50.00, pub. 10/12 a truly beautiful book.
Straddling the line between science and art, this beautiful TREEPEDIA book mesmerized 19th-century audiences around the by Joan Maloof world; today it stands as a reminder of the spectacular Princeton University Press, $16.95; pub. 8/10 biodiversity of the North American continent, and of the In this wonderful book, readers can explore the pioneer spirit that Audubon himself revered. historical and cultural importance of trees while learning about the botanical, anatomical, and SAVING THE WILD SOUTH physiological marvels of trees. by Georgann Eubanks The University of North Carolina Press, $25.00; pub. 10/19 THE BOOK OF HOPE Tackling the compelling story of conservation of the rich by Jane Goodall plant biodiversity of the South, Saving the Wild South Celadon Books, $28.00; pub. 10/19 shines a light not only on plants but also on the diverse people engaged in conservation across the region. Let’s Goodall’s infectious optimism and stirring call to action pay attention. make this necessary reading for those concerned about the planet’s future. Her rousing testament will resonate THE PLANT HUNTER widely. Thank goodness. by Cassandra Leah Quave Viking, $26.00, pub. 10/12 ON ANIMALS by Susan Orlean In The Plant Hunter, Cassandra Quave traces her fast- Avid Reader Press/ Simon & Schuester, $27.00; pub. paced and barrier-breaking path to become a scientist, 10/12 and takes us on a romp through jungles, swamps, deserts, and mountains in search of the holiest of Event on 10/19 botanical grails: tomorrow’s life-saving medicines. Another delightful winner from the author of The Orchid Thief featuring the author’s trademark blend of meticulous research, scintillating writing, and humor. SCIENTIST E.O. WILSON: A LIFE IN NATURE FUZZ by Richard Rhodes by Mary Roach Doubleday, $30.00, pub. 10/19 W.W. Norton & Co., $26.95; pub. 9/14 Signed Copies Available Wilson’s life and substantial accomplishments— Combining little-known forensic science and conservation many have called him the “natural heir” to genetics with a motley cast of laser scarecrows, langur Darwin—are ripe topics for exploration, and impersonators, and trespassing squirrels, Roach reveals as particularly important as we continue to confront much about humanity as about nature’s lawbreakers. When the climate crisis’ effects on biodiversity. Ants and it comes to “problem” wildlife, she finds, humans are more humans everywhere will love this book. often the problem—and the solution. Fascinating, witty, and humane, Fuzz offers hope for compassionate coexistence in 12 662-236-2262 our ever-expanding human habitat.
662-236-2828 FOOD AND DRINK Visit OFF SQUARE BOOKS for BOURDAIN travel, gardening/home, humor, by Laurie Woolever cooking, architecture, and health, Ecco, $29.99; pub. 9/28 plus gifts, magazines, and bargain books. Laurie Woolever has spoken to nearly a hundred of the people who knew Tony best, from his kitchen colleagues to his writing, publishing, and television partners to his GASTRO OBSCURA: A FOOD ADVENTURER’S daughter and closest friends. This will be the definitive GUIDE look at a fascinating guy from a range of perspectives. by Cecily Wong Workman Publishing Company, $40.00, pub. 10/12
THE OXFORD COMPANION TO SPIRITS An ambitious, exciting, and zany anthology of heritage foodways, AND COCKTAILS Gastro Obscura tells the stories no one else is telling. In creating by David Wondrich a magnum opus that manages to be simultaneously daring as well Oxford University Press, $65.00; pub. 10/14 as fundamentally delicious, this is a high-wire act of culinary anthropology that delivers on its promise and then some. Shining a light on the multitude of forms, facets and nuances found around the world, this is an TASTE essential guide for those new and curious to the world of by Stanley Tucci drinks and for seasoned enthusiasts alike. Cheers! Gallery Books, $28.00, pub. 10/5
WHY FOOD MATTERS Who doesn’t love Da Tooch, in all his fabulous screen by Paul Freedman manifestations, and now he’s writing and talking about food? Yale University Press, $26.00; pub. 9/28 Who can resist? T his book is a memoir of his life and obsession with food, and everything about it, and includes recipes for A rich and fascinating narrative that reaches deep into (mostly) home-cooked Italian meals and--huzzah!--his favorite the historical and cultural larder of societal experience, cocktails! So fun! Mangia, Mange! And remember this book in powerfully illustrating the myriad ways that food December--a perfect holiday gift for eaters, cookers, and people matters as an essential condiment for humanity. like me with a huge crush on this guy! -Lisa
BLACK FOOD PRINCESS PAMELA’S SOUL FOOD COOKBOOK by Bryant Terry by Pamel Strobel 4 Color Books, $40.00; pub. 10/19 Rizzoli, $30.00, pub. 9/7 Pamela’s recipes have the clarity gained from a lifetime of Bryant Terry captures the broad and divergent voices of practice—cardinal versions of Fried Chicken and Collard the African Diaspora through the prism of food. With Greens, but also unusual gems like Pork Spoon Bread and contributions from more than 100 Black cultural luminaires Peanut Butter Biscuits—all peppered with sage advice on from around the globe, the book moves through chapters living and loving. Her book stands out for its joie de vivre and exploring parts of the Black experience, from Homeland to pathos as well as the skill of its techniques and is now available Migration, Spirituality to Black Future, offering delicious for cooks everywhere to re-create these soul-satisfying dishes at recipes, moving essays, and arresting artwork. home.
THE CORNBREAD CORNER Y’ALL COME OVER by Rebecca Lang GETTING SOMETHING TO EAT IN JACKSON Universe, $45.00, pub. 9/28 by Joseph C. Ewoodzie Jr. Princeton University Press, $27.95, pub. 10/5 Holistic hosting involves every room of the house, beyond just the kitchen and dining room. Lang brings Ewoodzie documents the foodways of Black Mississippians across readers through her own elegant, well-appointed home, the economic spectrum, from homeless men and middle-class offering practical, applicable wisdom to set your own strivers to single mothers and a mayoral candidate. What emerges is house up for easy, gracious entertaining. a memorable and lucid account of life and struggle, food and family in the modern American South. Kudos to our capital city! CHERYL DAY’S TREASURY OF SOUTHERN BAKING SOUTHERN GRIT by Cheryl Day by Antonis Achilleos Artisan, $40.00; pub. 10/26 Chronicle Books, $29.95; pub. 8/10
Cheryl Day’s Treasury of Southern Baking includes the In Southern Grit, Kelsey Barnard Clark presents more than 100 sweet and savory recipes remniscent of our mother and recipes that are made to be shared with family and friends. Indulge grandmothers. Whether you are a baking novice or a your loved ones in delicious modern Southern meals, including seasoned professional, this will soon become your Bomb Nachos, Savannah Peach Sangria, Roasted Chicken and batter-spattered go-to bible. Beautifully illustrated, this heartfelt work Drippin’ Veggies, and six variations of Icebox Cookies. is not only a love poem to the cooks who created the recipes, it is, quite simply, a masterpiece. 13 IT'S A PUZZLEMENT
THE MYTHICAL WORLD by Good Wives and Warriors THE WORLD OF SHAKESPEARE Laurence Simpson, $19.99 1,000 PIECE PUZZLE by Adam Simpson Laurence Simpson, $19.99 Combining mythology and folklore from all across the globe, this 1000-piece jigsaw enables you to experience the fabled creatures in their Piece together the world of Shakespeare in this places of creation, all from the comfort of your art jigsaw puzzle depicting the London of his day. living room. CLASSIC PAPERBACKS 1,000 PIECE PUZZLE by Richard Baker Princeton Architectural Press, $16.95 Piece together your own colorful collection of vintage paperback book covers! Classic Paperbacks 1000-Piece Puzzle features artist Richard Baker’s incredible paintings of beloved real books, including works by Emily Dickinson, Richard Wright, Sandra Cisneros, and Susan Sontag, among other literary luminaries. SQUARE BOOKS STYLE Soft and comfy, our shirts are 100% cotton and available in a variety of colors. Perfect for reading, strolling, and looking awesome.
Classic Square Books T-Shirt Square Books Sweatshirt Square Books 1979 T-Shirt All Are Welcome T-Shirt Short sleeve $18 $27.99 $18 $26 Long sleeve $20 Look cool while staying warm A special design evoking the Fortune's 100% cotton featuring our manifesto of This 100% cotton shirt is timeless. Sizes S-3XL ice cream sign in 100% cotton. hospitality to everyone. In rainbow on Sizes S-3XL Navy, dark green, gray, black Sizes S-3XL cream. Navy, red, black, gray, white, light Ginger or white Sizes S-3XL blue
Square Books Mug Square Books Tote Oxford Rainbow Socks $12.99, 10 oz Square Books Baseball Caps $12.99 $12.99 Enjoy coffee in a Square Books mug $20.00 Ecologically responsible, stylish, Look no further for the pot of gold; featuring quotes from our favorite The same cap singled out by the and made in the USA. it's here. authors: William Faulkner, Eudora Welty, WSJ in an article. Larry Brown, or Barry Hannah "The Ultimate Humblebrag" Wyatt Waters Oxford Mug $16.99,16 oz This tall mug has the same beautiful paint- ing of the Oxford Square that graces the cover of The Oxford Sketchbook and our 14 giftcards. Variety author notecards and envelopes by Princeton Architectural Press, $15.95 Lorde, Witman, Thoreau, Dickinson, Einstein, and Woolf
RARE & SQUARE The newest Square Books with the oldest books. Offering collectible books of all kinds. AGRICULTURE IN ANTEBELLUM MISSISSIPPI MUHAMMAD ALI: HIS LIFE AND by John Hebron Moore TIMES First edition, good condition without dust jacket, $60.00, by Thomas Hauser Bookman Associates Published 1958 First edition, as new condition, $700.00, Simon & Schuster, Published 1991 Moore’s objective study is arranged along chronological and topical lines and assesses the agricultural history of the whole The story of the greatest heavyweight boxer of all state to the eve of the Civil War without romanticism. time. Signed by Ali on the page. Most copies in LIFE OF PI circulation are signed on bookplates rather than the by Yann Martel page. Illustrated edition, as new condition, $225.00, Harcourt, Inc., Published 2001
The contemporary classic in an illustrated format. Signed by the author, Martel, as well as the illustrator Tomislav Torjanac.
THE COLLECTED STORIES OF PETER TAYLOR by Peter Taylor First edition,very good condition, $350.00, FSG Associates Published 1969
A collection of stories from the master of the urban South.
FOLLOWING THE EQUATOR by Mark Twain Visit RARE SQUARE BOOKS, which First edition, good condition, $450.00, American Publishing features collectible, vintage, first Co, Published 1897 edition books across a broad Twain’s travelogue from his voyages abroad in the late 19th price range. century. Largely non-fiction discussions of foreign people and places, the work is spiced with Twain’s trademark wit and satire Open Tues. to Sat., 10am to 5pm, with a dash of fiction. or by appointment,
THE ARCHITECTURAL STYLE OF A. HAYS 662-234-5921. TOWN by A. Hays Town First edition, good condition, $1,000.00, Bookman Associates Published 1985 106 preliminary sketches by one of the greatest southern residential architects. Town designed over 1,000 homes, schools, www.squarebooks.com churches and other buildings in a unique style that blended Spanish, French and Creole elements. This is one of 5,000 first printings and signed by Town. SQUARE BOOKS, JR. Monday-Saturday: 9 am-6 pm Sunday: Closed visit www.squarebooks.com/junior or call (662) 236-2207
PICTURE BOOKS DETECTIVE MOLE by Camilla Pintonato, illus. Camilla Pintonato UNI THE UNICORN IN THE REAL WORLD HarperCollins, $17.99; pub. 10/20; Ages 4-8 Readers will learn the jargon and tropes of by Paris Rosenthal, illus. Brigette Barrager detective work and laugh as Chef Mole tries his Random House, $18.99; pub. 9/21; Ages 4-8 best to become Detective Mole. Each spread is A sweet story for anyone who needs to find a full of clues and fun details kids will love. little sunshine and sparkle.
THE SMART COOKIE CHANGE SINGS by Jory John; illus. Pete Oswald by Amanda Gorman, illus. Loren Long Harper Collins, $18.99 pub. 10/6; Ages 4-8 Viking Books for Young Readers, $18.99; pub. Cookie has never felt like a smart cookie no matter 9/21; Ages 4-8 how hard she tries, especially in comparison to As a young girl leads a cast of characters on all the clever cupcakes and brilliant rolls in the a musical journey, they learn that they have bakery. Could a dash of creativity and a sprinkle of the power to make changes—big or small— confidence be all she needs? in the world, in their communities, and most importantly, in themselves. Guess What! RUBYLICIOUS Candlewick, $17.99; pub. 3/30; Ages 4-8 by Victoria Kann, illus. Victoria Kann Signed Copies Available HarperCollins, $18.99; pub. 9/1; Ages 4-8 In Guess What!?, Zoom Squirrel is excited to go Signed Copies Available to the beach. But what will happen when Zoomy The #1 New York Times bestselling author-artist and pals finally get there? Do you know more of the Pinkalicious series, Victoria Kann, is back about going to the beach than the Squirrels do? with an all-new original hardcover picture You will by the end of this book! adventure starring Pinkalicious and her brother, Peter, about generosity of spirit that will make you look at wishes in a whole new way. THIS IS A GIFT FOR YOU by Emily Winfield Martin GRAND JETÉ AND ME Random House, $18.99; pub. 9/14; Ages 3-7 by Allegra Kent, illus. Robin Preiss Glasser Emily is known for capturing special moments HarperCollins, $17.99; pub. 9/22; Ages 4-8 with tender and painterly illustrations. Simple Event on 10/20 but meaningful rhyming text with words that are easy to read that express big concepts that This book will introduce young readers to parents love to share. ballet, broadening their knowledge of the performing arts. Kent has also included extensive back matter, explaining key ballet terms. DRAGONBOY by Fabio Napoleoni DINOSAURS AND OTHER PREHISTORIC LIFE Little, Brown Books for Young by DK Children Readers,$17.99; pub. 9/14; Ages 4-8 DK Children, $19.99; pub. 9/14 Dragonboy is curious. He is playful, pensive, This collection of amazing dinosaurs, plants, and and kind. More than anything, he is himself: an other prehistoric life will wow children and many imaginative little boy who loves to be a dragon. adults, too. Showcasing more than 90 remarkable His stuffed animal friends—Darwin, Yellow fossils, such as a fearsome Tyrannosaurus skull, Kitty, Simon, and Drako—are always by his side delicate fern leaf, and perfectly preserved woolly as he explores and discovers something new. mammoth, everyone will find something to be Because the best part of an adventure is being 16 captivated by. with the ones who know you best. PICTURE BOOKS PETE THE CAT’S GROOVY IMAGINATION GRAPHICA by James Dean, illus. Kimberly Dean HarperCollins, $18.99; pub. 8/11; Ages 4-8 JUST ROLL WITH IT Signed Copies Available by Lee Durfey-Lavoie, illus. Veronica Agarwall Pete the Cat almost gets the rainy day blues Random House, $12.99; pub. 10/5 until he discovers a cardboard box that’s full of fun once he dreams big and uses his cool A charming, compassionate story that’s sure to cat imagination. resonate with anyone who’s ever stayed up worrying. THE PEOPLE REMEMBER by Ibi Zoboi GREAT POWER, NO RESPONSIBILITY Balzer + Bray, $19.99; pub. 9/21; Ages 4-8 by Steve Foxe Signed Copies Available Graphix, $8.99; pub. 9/28 The People Remember tells the journey of African After long being derided by the citizens of New descendants in America by connecting their York, Spider-Ham has finally been recognized for history to the seven principles of Kwanzaa. By his outsized contribution to the city’s safety, and turns powerful and revealing, this is a lyrical receives the key to the city from none other than THE SMART COOKIE narrative that tells the story of survival as well the mayor... Of course, Spider-Ham isn’t paying by Jory John; illus. Pete Oswald as the many moments of joy, celebration, and attention to the fine print telling him he didn’t Harper Collins, $18.99 pub. 10/6; Ages 4-8 innovation of Black people in America. actually get to keep the key, and he swings off Cookie has never felt like a smart cookie no matter without returning the highly coveted oversized how hard she tries, especially in comparison to NORMAN DIDN’T DO IT! (YES HE DID) object. The next day, when the mayor’s office finally all the clever cupcakes and brilliant rolls in the by Ryan Higgins, illus. Ryan Higgins gets in touch to ask for the key back, Spider-Ham bakery. Could a dash of creativity and a sprinkle of Disney-Hyperion, $17.99; pub. 9/7; Ages 3-5 realizes he must have dropped it sometime in the last 24 hours. YIKES! confidence be all she needs? Signed Copies Available Norman is a porcupine. Mildred is a tree. Norman THE MAGIC TREEHOUSE: THE KNIGHT AT DAWN and Mildred are best friends. Just the two of by Mary Pope Osborne and Jenny Laird them. And only the two of them. But when a Random House, $9.99; pub. 9/21 surprise pops up, life will never be the same again. Magic Tree House is hand down the #1 bestselling RETURN OF THE UNDERWEAR chapter book series, and recently returned to the New York Times series bestseller list. With vibrant DRAGON colors and active scenes, this new look will keep by Scott Rothman, illus.Pete Oswald young readers engaged and inspired! Random House Studio, $17.99 pub. 10/12; Ages 3-7 Once again, Sir Cole sets out on a valiant quest. This time it isn’t to conquer the Underwear BESTIES: WORK IT OUT Dragon—it’s to help him learn how to read. by Kayla Miller, Jeffrey Canino, illus. Kristina Luu Etch/Clarion Books, $24.99; pub. 10/19 Signed Copies Available THERE’S A GHOST IN THIS HOUSE When aspiring entrepreneurs Beth and Chanda by Oliver Jeffers land a lucrative dogsitting gig, they’re sure that Philomel Books, $17.99 pub. 9/14; Ages 4-8 fame, fortune, and popularity can’t be far behind, but nothing can prepare them for the mishap that A young girl lives in a haunted house, but she has throws their business plan—and friendship—into never seen a ghost. Are they white with holes for chaos! eyes? Are they hard to see? Step inside and help the girl as she searches under the stairs, behind the sofa, and in the attic for the ghost. WITCHES OF BROOKLYN: WHAT THE HEX by Sophie Escabasse IT FELL FROM THE SKY Random House, $12.99; pub. 8/31 by Terry Fan & Eric Fan Effie is EXCITED to meet so many witches, but what Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers, $17.99; is going on with her friends? Suddenly Effie is no pub. 9/28; Ages 4-8 longer the newest kid in school, and it seems like her Signed Copies Available friends are happy to grow their little group, but Effie isn’t so sure. On top of that, learning magic is HARD It fell from the sky on a Thursday. None of the WORK! insects know where it came from, or what it is.
Some say it’s an egg. Others, a gumdrop. But whatever it is, it fell near Spider’s house, so he’s 662-236-2207 17 convinced it belongs to him. MIDDLE GRADE A TALE OF SORCERY PAHUA AND THE SOUL STEALER by Chris Colfer by Lori Lee Little, Brown Books for Young Readers, $18.99; Rick Riordan Presents, $16.99; pub. 9/7 pub. 9/28
With its unforgettable characters, unique nature- Brystal Evergreen is running out of time. To based magic system, breathtaking twists and make matters worse, something dark and reveals, and climactic boss battle, this story based malignant has risen from deep within the earth, on Hmong oral tradition offers everything a fantasy threatening life as we know it. lover could want. PARADISE ON FIRE DAUGHTER OF THE DEEP by Jewell Parker Rhodes by Rick Riordan Little, Brown Books for Young Readers, $16.99; pub. 9/14 Disney-Hyperion, $19.99; pub. 10/5 Signed Copies Available If you have ever craved a story that will leave Addy is face-to-face with her destiny and haunting your heart racing, your lungs gasping from the past. Developing her courage and resiliency against the numerous twists and turns, your soul heaving from raging fire, it’s up to Addy to lead her friends to safety. the effort of now carrying an ensemble cast, you Not all are saved. But remembering her origins and will find all that and more in these pages. grandmother’s teachings, she’s able to use street smarts, wilderness skills, and her spiritual intuition to survive. THE LAST KIDS ON EARTH AND THE PONY DOOMSDAY RACE by R.J. Palacio by Max Brallier Knopf Books for Young Readers, $17.99 pub. 9/28 Viking Books for Young Readers, $14.99: pub. 9/14 Signed Copies Available With his zombie-controlling powers growing From the #1 New York Times bestselling author of stronger, Jack Sullivan and his buddies are road- Wonder comes a new American classic about a boy tripping toward the mysterious Tower. Their on a quest to find his father, guided by a ghost and a journey is sidetracked when they are swept up by mysterious pony. Part True Grit, part War Horse, Pony the Mallusk, an enormous centipede monster carrying is an enthralling story of adventure, friendship, and the world’s largest shopping mall on its back. the invisible bonds that connect us. BEASTS AND BEAUTY FAST PITCH by Soman Chainani by Nic Stone Harper Collins, $17.99; pub. 9/21 Crown Books for Young Readers, $17.99; pub. 8/31 Signed Copies Available Chainani’s writing is raw in what it lays bare on Black girl magic hits a home run in Stone’s latest the page, perfectly appropriate to revisiting these novel. Tensions are high as the plot bounces beloved, ubiquitous stories that may have left between gameplay and sleuthing, ultimately readers with naïve expectations or dissatisfied reaching a satisfying conclusion…. Readers of all conclusions. For any lover of fairy tales who seeks ages will cheer for Shenice. alternative endings. TIDE SONG by Wendy Xu THE OUTLAWS SCARLETT AND BROWNE by Jonathan Stroud Quill Tree Books, $12.99; pub. 11/16 Knopf Books for Young Readers, $17.99; pub. 10/5
Sophie is a young witch whose mother and grandma Scarlett McCain is a shoot-first ask-questions-later put pressure on her to attend the best magic school kind of outlaw. She scrapes by on bank heists, her wits— in the realm, even though her control over her magic and never looking back. She’s on the run from her latest is shaky at best. To help her prepare for the school’s crime when she comes across Albert Browne. He is the entrance exams, they send her away to train with relatives she’s sole survivor of a horrific accident, and against her better never met. judgement, Scarlett agrees to guide him to safety. WE ARE FAMILY by Lebron James & Andrea Williams HarperCollins, $17.99; pub. 8/31 PAX, JOURNEY HOME by Sara Pennypacker, illus. Jon Klassen We Are Family is an inspiring, original middle Balzer + Bray, $17.99 pub. 9/7; Ages 8-12 grade novel by NBA superstar LeBron James and acclaimed author Andrea Williams that The book’s message is most simply put by Pax follows five new friends as they band together when he tells his kit that “after loving, you are to save their basketball season and prove that afraid,” but it is still worth it. It’s a hard heart that sometimes getting a chance is all it takes. will keep the tears away for this one, so have plenty of tissues nearby.
18 TEEN THINGS WE COULDN’T SAY BLACK BIRDS IN THE SKY by Jay Coles by Brandy Colbert Scholastic Press, $18.99, pub. 9/21 Balzer + Bray, $19.99, pub. 9/8 Signed Copies Available A fantastic new novel about a bi Black boy Award-winning author Brandy Colbert arrives with a finding first love . . . and facing the return of bold, unflinching, unforgettable new work of nonfiction the mother who abandoned his preacher family that tells the story of one of the most deadly and when he was nine. destructive acts of racial violence in American history: the 1921 destruction of the Greenwood district of Tulsa, Oklahoma, commonly known as the Tulsa Race Massacre. HEARTLESS PRINCE by Leigh Dragoon WHITE SMOKE Disney-Hyperion, $14.99; pub. 11/30 by Tiffany D. Jackson Katherine Tegen Books, $18.99, pub. 9/14 A fierce warrior must save the heart of her Signed Copies Available beloved prince before it’s too late. Evony makes Tiffany Jackson takes the classic haunted house story to it her mission to retrieve Ammon’s heart and the next level by infusing it with her trademark twists save Nissa, taking her into the mysterious and turns and her brilliant and unflinching prose.White Witchlands. There, she will discover a secret Smoke is a gripping, unsettling, and incisive novel by a YA about her past that will change everything. powerhouse who knows her thrills—and her chills.
ALL THESE BODIES WITCH RISING by Kendare Blake by Paige McKenzie & Nancy Ohlin Quill Tree Books, $18.99; pub. 9/21 Little, Brown Books for Young Readers $17.99, pub.9/14 Signed Copies Available/Event on 9/21 Rival covens have to set aside their differences to investigate a radical anti-magic group, and their Summer 1958. A gruesome killer has been plaguing increasing role in the political arena. Can the witches the Midwest, leaving behind bodies completely rise above their problems, big and small, to save drained of blood. #1 New York Times bestselling themselves? author Kendare Blake crafts a riveting, true- crime-inspired novel about a teenage girl accused of a grisly string of murders and the sheriff’s son she chooses to confess to. DEFIANT : GROWING UP IN THE JIM CROW SOUTH THE HAWTHORNE LEGACY by Wade Hudson by Jennifer Lynn Barnes Crown Books for Young Readers, $17.99; pub. 10/12 Little, Brown Books for Young Readers $17.99, pub. 9/7 Born in 1946 in Mansfield, Louisiana, Wade Hudson came of age against the backdrop of the Civil Rights Thanks to a DNA test, Avery knows that she’s not Movement. This powerful memoir reveals the a Hawthorne by blood, but clues pile up hinting struggles, joys, love, and ongoing resilience that it at a deeper connection to the family than she had took to grow up Black in segregated America, and the THE OUTLAWS SCARLETT AND BROWNE ever imagined. There are threats lurking around lessons that carry over to our fight for a better future. by Jonathan Stroud every corner, as adversaries emerge who will stop Knopf Books for Young Readers, $17.99; pub. 10/5 at nothing to see Avery out of the picture—by any means necessary. Scarlett McCain is a shoot-first ask-questions-later Junior’s Dozen kind of outlaw. She scrapes by on bank heists, her wits— and never looking back. She’s on the run from her latest THE FALLING GIRLS There is no better way to foster a lifetime love of crime when she comes across Albert Browne. He is the by Hayley Krischner reading than to give children their very own books. sole survivor of a horrific accident, and against her better Razorbill, $18.99; pub. 10/5 Junior’s Dozen makes it easy by carefully selecting a judgement, Scarlett agrees to guide him to safety. book each month, considering the age and interests Shade and Jadis are everything to each other. of each child. These hardbound books or board books When Shade unexpectedly joins the cheerleading have a unique Square Books, Jr. bookplate naming team, Jadis can hardly recognize who her best the giver and reader, personalizing a gift that will be friend is becoming. Jadis won’t give Shade up so cherished for years. easily, though, and the pull between her old best friend and her new teammates takes a toll on Subscriptions may be billed monthly at just $20 ($25 Shade as she tries to forge her own path. So when one of the cheerleaders dies under mysterious shipped) or annually at $240 ($300 shipped). Annual circumstances, Shade is determined to get to the subscribers will receive a bonus 13th book. bottom of her death. Because she knows Jadis— and if her friend is responsible, doesn’t that mean Signing up is easy, just call Square Books Jr at 662-236- she is, too? 2207 for bookseller assistance. 19 – on the Oxford Square since 1979 – U.S. POSTAGE PERMIT #285 OXFORD, MS 38655 STANDARD MAIL
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