Next Chapter's Reading Copy

Reading by Booklight

2012-01-18T12:18:00.000-06:00

Hello fellow readers! I've been spending a lot of time reading lately due to the cold weather ( I'm not going out there!!) so here are a few of the titles I've been flying through lately... How to Be an American Housewife by Margaret Dilloway The story behind this book alone should be a reason to read it; Margaret grew up listening to her mother's stories of life in her home country of Japan

Life on the Front Lines: Reading Guidelines

2012-01-16T12:05:00.001-06:00

Hi Readers, This January, we're working hard at Next Chapter to make sure that our inventory is accurate so that we can go right to the book you so desperately want to read. To facilitate this, the store will be closed all day on Monday, January 30th. We will be open regular hours on the 29th and and the 31st, so come in those days to satisfy all of your book needs. Tra la la ... what to read

Life on the Front Lines: Nine Tidbits You May Not Know About Our Store

2012-01-02T18:12:00.000-06:00

Hi Readers, A very happy new year to all of you. I hope your resolutions are reasonable and that you're energized after the holidays. Here at Next Chapter, we're looking forward to 2012 as a year of more books to read and recommend and authors to meet and promote. I've been a Next Chapter Bookshop bookseller for almost six months; I'm still learning new tidbits about the store every day. You,

Life on the Front Lines

2011-12-19T19:39:00.001-06:00

Hi Readers, Today, a treat for you, the top three books of the year from members of our lovely staff. This was a difficult decision for every one. I was even given more than three by some and forced to do the hard work myself. Remember, you can find information on all of these books on our website. Or give us a call (262.241. 6220) and we'll be happy to put a book on hold for you or order it

Reading by Booklight

2011-12-10T19:13:00.001-06:00

It's time for winter books! I realized the other day that I somehow have a habit of reading dark Scandinavian mysteries each winter, apparently the murder and mayhem in them reminds me of cold winter nights. Two years ago I read Girl With the Dragon Tattoo by Stieg Larsson and Ice Princess by Camilla Lackberg back to back, not the greatest idea for dark winter nights! Last year I read the 2

Life on the Front Lines

2011-12-05T12:34:00.001-06:00

Hi Readers, Here, at Next Chapter, we find ourselves fully immersed in the holiday spirit. Icicle lights grace our front windows, a number of our tables are red and green and sparkle themed, and grandparents consistently bring in lists from their grandchildren. We have a whole host of gorgeous and interesting books that are 20% off because they're in our gift guide, which if it wasn't mailed to

Reading by Booklight

2011-12-01T10:02:00.001-06:00

Hello fellow readers!! So this is a mini version of my usual blog because while I've been reading a ton lately I haven't finished any of it. But I do want to tell you about one of my new favorite books that I'm sure some of you have already read; the Tiger's Wife by Tea Obreht. Tiger's Wife by Tea Obreht I have to admit that this story is a hard one to explain, at my last month's book club

Life on the Front Lines

2011-11-21T13:30:00.002-06:00

Hi Readers, I'm looking forward to Thanksgiving as a day to fill my belly with pie and my head with words. I hope it's equally satisfying for all of you. Featured below are reviews from the last burst of author events for the season. On December 3rd, David Sedaris will cap off a very fun summer and autumn of authors sharing their stories at Next Chapter Bookshop. Be sure to reserve your spot

Reading by Booklight

2011-11-16T10:13:00.013-06:00

Happy Turkey Season everyone! I can't think of a better way to celebrate the upcoming holiday than by talking about food. One of my favorite mystery writers has a new historical novel out based on the life of the famous French chef August Escoffier so I think I'm going to talk about that one first. After that I'm picking my 2 favorite new cookbooks out this season. White Truffles in Winter by

Life on the Front Lines

2011-11-07T12:41:00.000-06:00

Hi Readers, Whew, what a busy two weeks it's been at Next Chapter. The week of the 23rd, we had three phenomenal authors in a row; Monday, Karl Marlantes, Tuesday, Tomie dePaola, and Wednesday, Larry Watson. I've got synopses of their events below with an added bonus afterwards. Karl Marlantes wrote Matterhorn, an important novel on the Vietnam War and is currently on tour for What it is Like

Reading By Booklight

2011-11-01T12:38:00.002-05:00

Greetings fellow readers! Its that time of year again, fall, which in the book world means the release of some great books. Fall has traditionally been an awesome time for discovering books by our favorite authors or even finding new favorites. Today I'm going to talk about some recently released books that I'm either excited to start reading or am in the middle of reading right now.Art of

Life on the Front Lines

2011-10-24T15:45:00.000-05:00

Hello faithful Next Chapter Bookshop blog readers, I'm Hannah, the newest bookseller at the store. Before being hired in July, I worked for three different Borders, both in Washington and Wisconsin. I love working here, at a thriving independent bookstore, where it is easy and encouraged to luxuriate in full-on book nerdery. I am starting a new series of posts called "Life on the Front Lines."

Reading by Booklight

2011-10-02T15:40:00.004-05:00

Greetings!! Welcome to my second blog in 2 weeks, yay for being on schedule! I hope many of you were able to get some good banned book reading in last week, I know I did. I'm really excited for the books I'm talking about this week mainly because we are hosting author Erin Morgenstern of Night Circus this Tuesday October 4th at 7pm. Erin is an up and coming author with a ton of talent that

Reading by Booklight

2011-09-23T19:15:00.003-05:00

Hello everyone and welcome to my favorite week of the year, the all important "Banned Books Week" where booksellers, librarians and overall book lovers across the nation celebrate the books we love ( even if others don't!). Books are banned each year for a variety of reasons by schools, churches, libraries and other groups and many of those bannings make us scratch our head and go rreeaalllyyy, I

Reading by Booklight

2011-09-13T12:02:00.002-05:00

Hi everyone!! This is a way overdue blog that I can't wait to write. We've undergone not just one but two new computer systems in the past three weeks here at the bookstore so I'm happy that things have calmed down enough or me to be doing this. The plus side of all of this is that I've had a lot of time to read. Some of my new favorites have just come out so I can't wait to share them with

Reading by Booklight

2011-08-17T11:51:00.004-05:00

Hello readers!! Thanks for waiting for me, it's been a busy few weeks here in the store. We get fancy new computers and programs in 2 weeks that will (finally) bring us into the 21st century so we've been getting ready. I've been reading plenty as well, no worries. Here are some of the fun books that are my latest reads... Mockingbird by Kathryn Erskine This YA novel is told from the point

Reading by Booklight

2011-07-16T17:31:00.002-05:00

Hello readers! I hope you've been enjoying the improvement in our weather the past month and took some time to read outside. I've been very busy reading both books that are currently out as well as some that are due out soon so I have plenty of reviews stored up. How Clarissa Burden Learned to Fly by Clarissa May FowlerClarissa Burden has writer's block. She hasn't just hit a wall with her

Reading by Booklight

2011-06-16T11:02:00.002-05:00

Hello readers! I'm doing a mini-blog this week to talk about the new Darin Strauss book Half a Life and the new Ann Brashares book Sisterhood Everlasting. We are excited to welcome both of these authors to Next Chapter this upcoming week.On Monday June 20th at 7pm we will welcome Darin StraussHalf a Life"Half my life ago, I killed a girl" is the first line of this memoir that captures your

Reading by Booklight

2011-06-04T14:31:00.005-05:00

Hello book lovers! Welcome (finally) to summer! Now that the summer is warmer and school is getting out I will have a lot more time to devote to reading ( and the blog!) and writing up reviews. I picked a few more books that I thought would make a good start to warm weather reading...Peach Keeper by Sarah Addison AllenWilla Jackson has always been known as the town rebel. As a teen she was

Reading by Booklight

2011-05-14T16:28:00.004-05:00

Hello, I've missed you all dearly! This has been quite the spring and while I have been reading, I have not been writing. I have so many books to talk about that I'll have to pace myself. lastnight we had the honor of having Pen/Hemingway winner, Jennifer Haigh, at Next Chapter for a wonderful round table discussion of her latest novel, faith. Jennifer is also the author of Baker's Tower, Mrs

Second Hand Corner

2011-04-10T14:49:00.003-05:00

Greetings from the Second Hand Corner!! Starting today we have a Second Hand sale table set up in the Second Hand corner of the bookstore. There are a variety of titles and authors represented and hopefully you can find something you can enjoy at a lower price! Examples of authors on the table are: Amy Bloom (Away), Robert Goolrick (Reliable Wife), Maeve Binchy (Whitethorn Woods) and many

Reading by Booklight

2011-03-30T10:34:00.007-05:00

Greetings fellow book lovers! I know it's been hard to stay inside this week to read when there are gardens and flower beds to plan so I decided to come up with a list of books to read while you have "Spring Fever". Books that mention flowers, gardens, trees, water etc are some of my favorites; most likely due to the fact that they're southern :) Ok so here is my list for great "Spring Fever"

Reading By Booklight

2011-03-23T10:03:00.003-05:00

Hello fellow booklovers!! Guess what? I'm on spring break for 2 whole weeks from one of my schools so I get to do a blog this week and next week! I know you're very excited for me, I love doing the blog and never get time to do it anymore so I'm taking advantage of this free time. It doesn't hurt that this rainy weather makes me want to stay inside and read or be at the bookstore surrounded by

Reading by Booklight

2011-02-22T17:32:00.003-06:00

Holy cow have I been gone awhile! Sorry about that everyone, you would think I had been on a nice vacation in Savannah (I wish!) or something. Anywho, in the mean time sooo many good books have come to my attention that I need to start sharing them with you again so here goes...Airman by Eoin ColferSo I have to admit that this novel isn't all that new, but it's newly discovered by me! Airman

Reading by Booklight

2011-01-27T10:34:00.003-06:00

Greetings fellow book lovers! The publishing season has picked up again so I can start telling you about some of my new favorites that just came out within the past 2 weeks....The Radleys by Matt Haig- The Radley children, Rowan and Clara, have always known something was different about them; skin rashes in sunlight, allergic reactions to garlic and the inability to get within 30 feet of any

Reading by Booklight

2010-12-29T11:32:00.006-06:00

Greetings fellow readers and happy almost new years! I haven't had much time at all to read lately due to the holiday and family in town but I was able to stay up too late one night and read the new Nora Ephron and it was totally worth it. We may as well start off our list with something funny...I Remember Nothing by Nora Ephron- Ephron's latest is much along the lines of I Feel Bad About My Neck

Reading by Booklight

2010-12-16T16:36:00.002-06:00

Greetings fellow book ( and blog!) lovers!! It's that time of the year again, time to read holiday books! Not everyone loves this as much as I do but I think there is no better way to get in the holiday mood than to read a good book ( and eat cookies of course!). These are just a few of my favorites for the holiday...Great Expectations by Charles DickensI know, I know I should have read this a

Reading by Booklight

2010-12-01T19:18:00.003-06:00

Hello fellow readers!! I am back again with some of my new favorite reads. I am reading so many good books at the moment, I just want the right time to talk about them all. This will actually be my last blog for the year were I talk about " new favorite reads" so I wanted to pick really good ones. My surprise for the week was by far Just Kids by Patti Smith so she deserves first review. This

Reading by Booklight

2010-11-17T13:01:00.011-06:00

So I decided to do something a little bit different this week; I'm reviewing a cookbook! Last week we had the opportunity to work with Nigella Lawson and Shully's to give customers a fun and memorable lunch. Nigella (who has the most beautiful accent!) did a q&a with Lanora and the audience while we thoroughly enjoyed a meal from her latest cookbook. I'll talk more about it after these books...

Reading by Booklight

2010-11-03T12:28:00.006-05:00

Hello everyone and welcome to "Reading by Booklight". I have to say that publishing season is slowing down a little bit right now so it has been harder to find books I really enjoy to write about ( hence the every other week blog now). So I have to say that 2 out of the 3 books I've started recently have truly taken me by surprise; I wasn't planning on liking either of them! I'm going to start

Reading by Booklight

2010-10-20T15:36:00.002-05:00

Greetings fellow booklovers! Sorry I missed last week but no worries I am back! I had a hard time deciding what I was going to talk about this week so I decided to update what I'm reading for author events, new releases and books I keep meaning to read...Saving CeeCee Honeycutt by Beth Hoffman- This is definitely a read for fans of the Sue Monk Kidd novel Secret Life of Bees. Hoffman does a

Reading by Booklight

2010-10-06T20:43:00.005-05:00

Hello night owls!! After getting pumpkins and making 2 soups in a week I've decided it's officially fall, I give in. I think I'm so excited for it to be fall that I want to talk about some new "gothics" I've been reading. I am a firm believer in reading books that fit the season; these titles make you want to find a big comfy chair to curl up in. Grab your blankets, some tea and one of these

Reading by Booklight

2010-09-29T19:17:00.004-05:00

Welcome to Banned Books Week!! In honor of banned books week I want to talk about some of my favorite banned books instead of my usual new reads. I would like to mention that since I talked about To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee not just once in a blog within the past 2 months but twice I won't talk about it- I figure everyone now knows how much I love it. Now on to a few of my other

Reading by Booklight

2010-09-22T13:14:00.006-05:00

Greetings from my reading corner!!! I had quite a time picking what I would talk about this week. There are always books (multiple) that I am in the middle of reading; some I finish within a night ( Little Bee) and some I may never finish ( Tale of Two Cities, sorry Betsy) but many of the ones on my nightstand are somewhere in between that. I picked a little bit between my categories for these...

Reading by Booklight

2010-09-16T11:15:00.011-05:00

So doing the Second Hand Blog was getting a little bit repetitive so I wanted to do someting different, so here is "Reading by Booklight". I always read before I sleep so I thought it would be fun to take a picture each week of what is currently on my bookstand and what I think of it so far. ( Apparently my nightstand gets terrible lighting so this is actually my dining room table but you get the

I know all the right answers...

2010-09-01T09:24:00.004-05:00

That's what we all like to think, right? I like to think that if I do what my gut instinct tells me to then I will be rewarded int he end by having the "right answer", but is it always right? Million Little Mistakes by Heather McElhatton is a highly addicting book because it allows you to test-drive your own life in a Groundhog Day sort of way, minus Bill Murray in the old trench coat.What

Second Hand Books

2010-08-27T14:15:00.004-05:00

Hello and welcome back second hand book readers!! Now that I am back up and running I decided to highlight all of the action/suspense/intrigue books that I got in today. Reading a thriller like these could be a great way to end the summer and begin the fall. Here are just a few of the many great titles we got in today that will keep you up late at night!Lion by Nelson DemilleRembrandt Affair

Last Installment of the Hunger Games series is released Tuesday August 24th!!

2010-08-20T13:26:00.004-05:00

Does everyone have their copy of Mockingjay by Suzanne Collins on order at Next Chapter Bookshop for Tuesday August 24th?? If you don't you should! My fellow booksellers and I have been just as antsy as you readers to find out what finally happens. What will happen? Who will Katniss choose, Peeta or Gale? Will Prim be safe? What will happen to District 12? What exactly is District 13? Is

Night in Chicago with Authors

2010-07-30T09:48:00.006-05:00

Last night booksellers from Boswell Books on Downer, Books & Co in Oconomowoc and I had the privilege of having dinner with 2 great authors, Anne Fortier and Gail Caldwell. Anne Fortier is a Danish-American writer that has written a novel, Juliet, giving a whole new twist on the classic story of Romeo & Juliet. Even though her version may not have Leo DiCaprio, it is still a great ride! There

Second Hand Books

2010-07-23T14:18:00.002-05:00

Happy Friday readers!! The Second Hand Corner recently acquired some great teen titles that would make for some fun summer reading ( before the required reading!). Here are a few of the new titles we received...Owl in Love by Patrice KindlTwilight series by Stephenie MeyerBoyfriend List by E. LockhartLove, Stargirl by Jerry SpinelliSummer to Die by Lois LowryCriss Cross by Lynne PerkinsTruth

Mystery Night with Rebecca Cantrell & Shane Gericke

2010-07-21T11:44:00.006-05:00

Mystery author night! Last night we were honored to have notjust one but two (!) mystery authors at Next Chapter Bookshop. Our first author, Rebecca Cantrell, is in the middle of a 9 book mystery series set in Nazi Germany with main character Hannah Vogel. Rebecca has written A Trace of Smoke and A Night of Long Knives and is currently working on the third installment in her series. Rebecca

YA Bookclub

2010-07-19T10:33:00.003-05:00

Calling all Scouts, Jems and Boos out there, YA Book Club is next Sunday, July 25th at 2pm!!!! While many of you may think that Next Chapter Bookshop's YA Bookclub is only for "kids or teens" you are quite mistaken, YA Book Club is for everyone!! Next Sunday we are inviting anyone and everyone and their grandmother to join us to discuss the classic "To Kill a Mockingbird" by Harper Lee. This

Second Hand Books

2010-07-16T14:38:00.004-05:00

Hello and happy Friday from the Second Hand Book Corner! I was much more busy this week than I thought it would be; why sell back books when you could go to our sidewalk sale??! But because I was so busy I got in many great titles and here is a short preview of everything that I bought today...People of the Book by Geraldine BrooksKitchen Boy by Robert AlexanderGlass Castle by Jeanette

They're HERE!!

2010-07-13T13:07:00.000-05:00

My three favorite books for the summer are all here! Plus, if you haven't heard, Michelle Hoover, author of Quickening, will be here visiting the store on Wednesday, August 4th at 7:00 p.m. It is often difficult to get people to come out to an event for a debut author, but I hope everyone will consider coming to this one. Michelle deserves all the support we can muster as her book is just

Second Hand Books

2010-07-09T14:32:00.005-05:00

Hello and welcome to the Second Hand Book weekly report!! We got books all across the board today; some new and some old but still good! Here are a few of the highlighted books we received in today...Girl That Played With Fire by Stieg LarssonReader by Bernard SchlinkMercy by Jodi PicoultOlive Kitteridge by Elizabeth StroutPiano Tuner by Daniel MasonWhat is the What by Dave EggersWhite Tiger by

Morgan on 50 years of 'To Kill a Mockingbird'

2010-07-07T11:21:00.006-05:00

This week marks the 50th anniversary of the publication of To Kill a Mockingbird. Next Chapter bookseller Morgan K. is the biggest fan of the book many of us on staff have ever met, so we asked her to tell us a little bit about why Harper Lee's classic means so much to her. When I first read To Kill a Mockingbird in 6th grade, I knew immediately that there was something special and different

Second Hand Books

2010-07-02T14:25:00.004-05:00

Greetings from the Second Hand Book Corner!! Summer time means time for lots of cooking and parties and what better way to get it started than with some new, fun second hand cookbooks?? Here is only a small sample of the new second hand cookbooks we received this Friday...New Vegan Cookbook by Lorna SassVegan with a Vengeance by Isa MoskowitzVegan by Tony WestonLick It by Cathe OlsonJulie and

Second Hand Books

2010-06-26T19:54:00.004-05:00

Hello readers!! Here are a few titles we were lucky enough to come across this past Friday during the Second Hand buying hours...One For the Money by Janet EvanovichRemarkable Creatures by Tracy ChevalierHer Fearful Symmetry by Audrey NiffeneggerTortilla Curtain by T.C. BoyleCaught by Harlan CobenInnocent by Scott TurowOmnivore's Dilemma by Michael PollanLace Reader by Brunonia BarryPillars of

Second Hand Books

2010-06-18T16:10:00.003-05:00

Hello happy readers and welcome to the Second Hand Corner news. For the first few hours of buying I was really worried everyone had forgotten about us and then poof, there were customers! Here are the latest and greatest additions to our Second Hand Corner... Happiness Project by Gretchen Rubin Beat the Reaper by Josh BazellReliable Wife by Robert GoolrickShanghai Girls by Lisa SeePiano Teacher

Even the Best Stories Have To End

2010-06-11T11:36:00.000-05:00

My grandmother’s bookstore was not one of those clean, well-lit places with comfy chairs. It smelled of old paper and lemon oil from the antiques she sold to pay for the bookstore part. And yet I remember the tingle of excitement every time I went there, which was often. My parents both worked, and to avoid the stigma of having a latchkey kid I was sent to the store every day after school. I

Second Hand Books

2010-06-04T13:08:00.002-05:00

Greetings from the Second Hand Book Corner!!! Happy Friday readers! So here are the highlights from what I have received so far today in the Second Hand Corner...People of the Book by Geraldine BrooksReliable Wife by Robert GoolrickChelsea Chelsea Bang Bang by Chelsea HandlerHousekeeper and the Professor by Yoko OgawaAddition by Toni JordanOut of Egypt by Andre AcimanBook Thief by Markus

Second Hand Books

2010-05-28T15:32:00.002-05:00

Cheap Thrills :Romance for $1In the words of Anne of Green Gables "how romantical!" For everyone looking for a nice, romance-y summer read we have the cart for you!! Today in Second Hand we received MANY used romance (ha!) novels that I conveniently put on a cart right up front. Come get your romance!! (Ok bad joke...)Love,your favorite Second Hand Romance Buyer

Second Hand Books

2010-05-21T18:08:00.002-05:00

Greetings from the Second Hand Corner!!! Today was quite a busy day! I was lucky to receive all sorts of books today; classics, mysteries and book club favorites. Here is a sample of some of the best titles we received today...Molly Fox's Birthday by Deirdre MaddenIntruder in the Dust by William FaulknerVanity Fair by William ThackerayPoisonwood Bible by Barbara KingsloverSecret Life of Bees

50th Anniversary of "To Kill a Mockingbird"

2010-05-20T13:47:00.003-05:00

I am very excited to share this news with everyone! The 50th anniversary edition of To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee has come in! It is a beautiful and simple replication of the original hardcover put out in 1960. I don't know about all of you readers but To Kill a Mockingbird has been my favorite book since I had to read it for Ms. Duderstadt's 7th grade English class. Who didn't want to

Second Hand Books

2010-05-14T13:29:00.004-05:00

Good morning book lovers! The second hand book corner has been busy and I have a few highlights from this morning...Angelology by Danielle Trussoni **SIGNED**Cutting for Stone by Abraham VergheseLook Again by Lisa ScottolineInheritance of Loss by Kiran DesaiShanghai Girls by Lisa SeeHungry Season by T. GreenwoodTrace of Smoke by Rebecca CantrellCradle by Patrick SommervilleUncommon Reader by

Second Hand Books

2010-05-08T08:59:00.005-05:00

Greetings from the second hand corner!! Yesterday was a busy day, the rain gave customers time to do some spring cleaning and we benefited from it :) We were able to get in quite a few new books and even some good oldies as well. Here are some of the highlights from our latest buy...Caught by Harlan CobenDeeper than the Dead by Tami HoagWhen a Crocodile Eats the Sun by Peter GodwinLast Child

Second Hand Books

2010-05-02T15:28:00.006-05:00

Hello from the Second Hand Corner on a very blustery day ( as Winnie-the-Pooh would say). So this week instead of receiving many of our usual new books we instead got some oldies but goodies and here are some of the highlights...Laws of Our Fathers by Scott TurowMan in Full by Tom WolfeUndaunted Courage by Stephen AmbroseMartin Dressler by Steven MillhauserRapture by Susan MinotFire by Sebastian

New Brunonia Barry Book!

2010-04-30T10:15:00.003-05:00

I had to let everyone know that this Tuesday, May 4th, is when Brunonia Barry's brand new book Map of True Places is landing in our store. We were lucky enough to have Mrs. Barry about a year or so ago for the paperback release of the Lace Reader and she was absolutely wonderful! She began telling us about the new story that she was finishing up and it sounded just as good as Lace Reader so I

YA Book Club

2010-04-28T18:05:00.003-05:00

This past Sunday the Young Adult Book Club met for our monthly meeting. This meeting we discussed Smiles to Go by Jerry Spinelli who is best known for such novels as Stargirl, Maniac Magee and Eggs. Because Spinelli is such a popular author for teens I started the meeting with asking how they thought Smiles to Go compared to some of his other novels and it was pretty much unanimous that

Second Hand Books

2010-04-23T17:11:00.006-05:00

Good Afternoon from the Second Hand Corner!! We received in a bunch of great titles today; a little of something for everyone. Here are only a few of our best titles...Caught- Harlan CobenDeception- Jonathan KellermanRescuing Sprite- Mark LevinMedusa- Clive CusslerDefector- Daniel SilvaPursuit of Honor- Vince FlynnSong Yet Unsung- James McBrideI Feel Bad About My Neck- Nora EphronBook Club

"Young Adult" Fiction

2010-04-21T20:52:00.003-05:00

As a genre, Young Adult fiction was once thought to be merely a bridge between engaging picture books and adult books. It certainly is a genre that is frequently overlooked because it is categorized by its targeted age group alone. Young Adult fiction can cover books that are for kids between the ages of 10-21 and be anything from mystery to fantasy and science fiction to realistic fiction. In

My "Favorite Books of All Time" list just got longer by one title

2010-04-15T12:19:00.011-05:00

It's not often that I read a new book and realize, immediately and beyond the shadow of a doubt, that it's one of my favorite books of all time.But back in January, when I finished Brady Udall's magnificent new novel, The Lonely Polygamist, I had just such a revelation.I had never read Mr. Udall before. I had heard booksellers rave about his last novel, The Miracle Life of Edgar Mint (2001), but

I leave for a week and 2 of my new favorite books come out...

2010-04-11T11:13:00.006-05:00

I've been out of the bookstore for exactly a week and not only has How Clarissa Burden Learned to Fly by Connie May Fowler come out but the paperback version of the Physick Book of Deliverance Dane by Katherine Howe came out as well. I really need to get into work more often...Clarissa Burden is one of those great southerny type reads with ghosts, a little mystery, a very old house and an even

Looking Forward to Historical Fiction

2010-04-07T13:20:00.005-05:00

One of my favorite genres to read is Historical Fiction. Historical Fiction is a broad category that covers many different types of books, but generally I love a book that can recreate the aura of a time past and reconstruct characters, events and the spirit of a time long gone by. It is as close to time travel as I will ever get.As you probably already know, booksellers often get Advance copies

New Second Hand Books

2010-04-03T10:30:00.009-05:00

Hello book lovers!! The second hand book corner has been especially busy this week and we would like to show you some of our favorite ( and hopefully yours!) titles that we've received this week...YA titlesRebel Angels & Great and Terrible Beauty by Libba BrayHunger Games by Suzanne Collins (excellent title!) FictionMarch, People of the Book and Year of Wonders by Geraldine BrooksGhosts of

YA Bookclub

2010-03-28T19:43:00.006-05:00

For today's YA Bookclub meeting we read " Adoration of Jenna Fox" by Mary E. Pearson. The meeting went really well, we talked about how the book surprised us with how interesting it is as well as how well the book's topic relates to what is going on in the medical world today. It was a smaller than usual group today but we had a new member so it was great to get a new opinion in the group. Jenna

Second Hand Books

2010-03-26T17:35:00.004-05:00

Greetings from the Second Hand Book Corner!! Over the past week we have aquired an interesting and rather large collection of classic books, enough so that we have dedicated the first few shelves in Used Fiction to them! Here is a small example of a few titles...Emma by Jane AustenJane Eyre by Charlotte BronteMoveable Feast by Ernest HemingwayPicture of Dorian Gray by Oscar WildeWalden by Henry

Lost States, Found Author

2010-03-20T19:34:00.003-05:00

On Friday, I received a call from one of our best Sales Reps, John Mesjak. John is a sales rep for many publishers, one of which is Quirk Books, an independent publisher out of Philadelphia. Quirk is known most recently for publishing Pride & Prejudice and Zombies. John was calling because he realized that a new publication from Quirk was written by an author in our backyard! He told me that

Great Audio Books for Less

2010-03-19T16:22:00.009-05:00

Greetings from the second hand book corner! Do you crave audiobooks but hesitate to pay the price? We have the perfect solution: second hand audio books. Our second hand buying today yielded some fantastic current audiobooks (on CD) which we are happy to offer you for bargain prices. Here's a sneak peek at some of them: The Help by Kathryn Stockett The Lost Symbol by Dan BrownThe Swan

New Second Hand Books

2010-03-12T12:34:00.008-06:00

Hello and good afternoon from the second hand corner! We have received some great titles, new and old in the past week. Here are a few of the highlights...Tender at the Bone by Ruth Reichl Say You're One of Them by Uwem Akpan Secret Scripture by Sebastian BarryHell at the Breach by Tom FranklinGiver by Lois LowryCrank by Ellen HopkinsIf I have a Wicked Stepmother, Where is My Prince? by Melissa

New Second Hand Books 03/05/10

2010-03-05T13:49:00.007-06:00

Greetings from Next Chapter's secondhand corner on this lovely Friday! We have recently acquired used large print books that are in need of a good home. Know any large print readers? Stock up on these authors . . .David BaldacciSandra BrownMary Higgins ClarkPatricia CornwellCatherine CoulterKim EdwardsJanet EvanovichLisa GardnerTess GerritsenLinda HowardIris JohansenJonathan KellermanStephen

New Second Hand Books 02/26/10

2010-02-26T13:33:00.009-06:00

Hello from the second hand book corner! Susan and I have composed a list of "new" second hand books as of today. We got some great titles in this Friday and still have 30 minutes left to buy. These are some of our favorite titles that we received today...Leviathan by Scott Westerfeld $10.95Await Your Reply by Dan Chaon $14.95The Checklist Manifesto by Atul Gawande $12.95Out Stealing

Winter Institute and "Recombobulating"

2010-02-12T16:15:00.010-06:00

This time last week Lanora, Dave, Taylor, Anne and I were finishing up a week in San Jose at a conference called Winter Institute. Sponsored by the American Booksellers Association (ABA), Winter Institute is designed to bring independent booksellers together for a week of education. This year (the fifth and heretofore known as Wi5), much of the focus was on ebooks and their potential impact on

ALA Medal Judges Influenced by Next Chapter Booksellers

2010-01-18T10:22:00.012-06:00

OK, in all fairness, the title of this blog is probably not true.Still, the three major American Library Association medals went to three of our staff's favorite books, and we couldn't be more excited!The John Newbery Medal went to Rebecca Stead for "When You Reach Me," which was adored and hand-sold by several Next Chapter booksellers.Here's what Joyce had to say about the book:"Rebecca Stead

Happy New Year!

2009-12-31T19:32:00.002-06:00

I love being in the bookstore after we've closed and the lights are off. The store takes on a completely different feel when the bustle of customers and staff are gone. There is a very peaceful quiet. The place does not feel like a bookstore at night. The space is calm, waiting...full of possibility. A bookstore needs people. The activity that happens during the day is what makes this store: the

Top Ten of 2009: Ya/Teen Reads

2009-12-22T11:49:00.004-06:00

Our last post took a look at some of our favorite and/or bestselling biographies of the year. (Missed it? Click here.) This time, we'll share some of our favorite books for young adults and teen readers. Here are daring adventure stories, true-to-life dramas, and fun fantasy novels for reluctant readers and bookworms alike.The Red Blazer Girls by Michael BellOperation Yes by Sara HolmesChange Up:

Top Ten of 2009: Biography

2009-12-16T11:00:00.004-06:00

Last week's list focused on picture books for children. This week, we return to books for adults with our list of the top ten biographies of 2009. (If you missed last week's list you can find it by clicking here). Here are emotional, inspiring stories, behind the scenes looks at famous lives, and tales of ordinary people overcoming impossible odds. Like our previous lists, all the books on this

Top Ten of 2009: Picture Books

2009-12-08T10:12:00.003-06:00

Our last list focused on cookbooks. This time around, we're sharing some of our favorite picture books. (If you missed our last list you can find it by clicking here). These stories were chosen by our Children's Book buyer, our Children's booksellers, and our customers who made some of them bestsellers in our shop. Perfect for reading the aloud or simply looking at the artwork, these are ten

Top Ten of 2009: Cooking

2009-12-01T14:32:00.002-06:00

We love lists and think you might too. Last week we started sharing some of our "Top Ten books of 2009." (If you missed our last list, you can find it by clicking here). We're defining "Top Ten" fairly loosely. Some books have been bestsellers in the shop. Some have been customer favorites, and some, well, we just really like them and feel like featuring them in our lists.In honor of Thanksgiving

Make your wish list and check it twice...or more.

2009-11-25T13:13:00.005-06:00

Did you know that indie bookstores now have our own online wish lists you can use? It's true! (It's a little like Santa got here early, isn't?) If you're a member of IndieBound.org you can set up your own wish list for the holidays, your birthday, or just because you'd like your own books-to-pick-up reminder list. (Click here to find out more about what IndieBound does). Just like other online

Top Ten of 2009: Paperback Fiction

2009-11-23T15:35:00.003-06:00

We love lists. We think you might like them too and, since we're getting close to that time of year we thought we'd share some of our "Top Ten" books of the year in different categories. We're defining "Top Ten" fairly loosely. Some books have been bestsellers in the shop. Some have been customer favorites, and some, well, we just really like them and feel like featuring them in our lists. First

Hunting for Treasure

2009-10-17T14:50:00.013-05:00

When I was six, I wanted to be a paleontologist. This may seem a little strange for a six-year-old, however, it was not really such a far out idea living in my family. My father owns a lapidary/rock shop in Cedarburg called The Gem Shop. Instead of spending my summer vacations going to Disney World, my family drove out west every summer to Wyoming where we would go fossil and rock hunting.My

The Most Exciting (& stressful!) Author Event

2009-10-04T13:56:00.015-05:00

As many of you know, last Thursday night we had Annie Barrows, co-author of The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society come to our store for a talk and signing. This book has been a much beloved story for both our customers and staff. We decided that since most people had already purchased the book, we would have a celebration in the store and make this event a little special. We sold

Spotlight: Next Chapter New Releases

2009-09-29T12:02:00.022-05:00

Here's a quick look at some exciting titles hitting the Next Chapter Bookshop shelves this week. -DaveHardcover Fiction:HER FEARFUL SYMMETRY by Audrey NiffeneggerThis much-anticipated second novel by the author of THE TIME TRAVELER'S WIFE is a spectacularly compelling and haunting story set in and around Highgate Cemetery in London.Jenny loved it!GENEROSITY: AN

Indie Bookstore Tour!

2009-09-28T16:14:00.017-05:00

I spent this past weekend in the twin cities attending the Midwest Bookseller Association’s trade show. Bookseller trade shows usually have two components. I spent the first day attending the “Day of Education” where I attended seminars ranging from learning about inventory management to learning how to use social networking. The second day is in the traditional convention style where we walk

When Mooshie Met Skippy

2009-09-24T14:29:00.008-05:00

It's storytime day at Next Chapter Bookshop and that means Mooshie is on the scene. (For those who have never met him, Mooshie is the little blue friend--pictured in his rocket ship costume--who helps Miss Joyce with storytime every Thursday morning). Today, once storytime was all over and he had some downtime, Mooshie got to meet none other than Skippyjon Jones himself, the Siamese kitty boy who

If only there were something to do this weekend.

2009-09-18T13:27:00.008-05:00

Have you seen what's going on in the metro-Milwaukee area this weekend? Evidently everything! We have the Grafton Community Block Party, Cedarburg Wine & Harvest Festival, The Pig-to-Pig walk to benefit local food pantries, plus Global Union, neighborhood festivals, beer fests, and we've heard that Saturday is National Talk Like a Pirate Day.Phew!In the middle of all of that is our own Family Fun

a Crazy idea

2009-09-11T16:26:00.004-05:00

So, you see the widget to the right on this page? One of our customers a few weeks ago came in the store and told us about the Shine a Light contest. She said "you guys would be perfect for this!" So we looked at the rules and the hoops and decided, hey, why not? What have we got to lose?My husband put together a little video for us, however for some reason the Shine a Light website won't

Our New Program: The Signature Club

2009-09-09T16:06:00.008-05:00

Today we are announcing what we hope you'll think is a fun new events program, the Signature Club. It's a free program that lets you earn discounts and some fun perks just by coming to events at Next Chapter Bookshop. I'll get into the details in a bit, or you can click on the link above to find out more but for the moment I want to talk about why we started the program. The basics are, you get

Newer Writers Should Join Literary Elite

2009-09-04T11:06:00.015-05:00

Joining the Club: Who’s Who in North American Fiction This fall, we’re seeing a slew of North America’s most poplular literary fiction writers releasing major new books. It’s astounding when you look at the list of names: John Irving, Barbara Kingsolver, Alice Munro, Lorrie Moore, Margaret Atwood, Philip Roth, E.L. Doctorow, Richard Russo, Pete Dexter… the list goes on and on. But there are

Why We're IndieBound (and You Can Too)

2009-09-02T14:29:00.007-05:00

As I have mentioned in an earlier post, I get to hear a lot of conversations in the bookshop from my spot behind the magazine rack (which, again, is much nicer than it may sound). The most recent question that got my attention was a man pointing to our IndieBound door sticker (I assume, the door sticker. It could have been our sign near the register, or the Eat Sleep Read poster. It's not a

How Did We Get Annie Barrows?

2009-08-20T09:30:00.010-05:00

Our event with Annie Barrows, co-author of The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society, is now sold out! We are very excited to host her in the shop and judging by how quickly tickets sold, (300 in just three weeks), our customers are too. From my spot in the bookshop I can hear a lot of the conversation between booksellers and customers. (My office is behind the magazines, so if you hear

Case of the Missing (conservative) books

2009-08-03T16:03:00.006-05:00

It looks like we have a secret liberal activist customer. Today one of our booksellers found a stash of books hidden underneath a bookcase, some of which we had been looking for and had assumed stolen. All of them were books from conservative writers, such as Ann Coulter, Bill O'Reilly and Glenn Beck. While I tend to lean toward the liberal end of the spectrum politically, this action offends me.

Why Don't You Have This Book?

2009-07-13T14:41:00.009-05:00

“Why don’t you have this book?”It’s a question I hear at least once a week in the bookstore, and each time I hear it, my heart breaks a little. There is nothing I want more than to have every person walk out of my store happily clutching a book to their chest.I do find it interesting that people get so upset about not finding the book they want. Books evoke a deep emotional response in us, and we

Book Displays: A Hands-On Experience

2009-07-10T11:09:00.038-05:00

A few of us recently took a field trip to another bookstore (that shall not be named) to check out how they display books, among other things. It never hurts to see how others approach things and learn from them. This particular store chose to display books by piling them high on a table and adding a simple sign denoting the category. That's all well and good, but at Next Chapter we have a very

What I Read on Summer Vacation

2009-07-07T14:10:00.008-05:00

Aside from the monumental failure of my sunscreen, I had a very enjoyable vacation. Here’s what I managed to read from my list:Please don’t tell anyone, but I did finish the Terry Goodkind book. It was an especially guilty pleasure because I am supposed to be reading books that aren’t coming out until October or later so I can review them. I only read this one at night before bed. Since this was

Lanora Books a Vacation

2009-07-02T13:57:00.008-05:00

I decided to take a short vacation. This does not sound monumental, but for me it is. In addition to being a classic workaholic, my store is only three months old and I feel like I'm leaving my newborn with the babysitter for the first time (even though in this case the "babysitter" is a staff that is committed, experienced and talented...so maybe more like leaving your

Welcome to our blog

2009-06-10T15:47:00.007-05:00

Hello and welcome to Reading Copy, the blog by booksellers at Next Chapter Bookshop, a new* indie bookshop in Mequon, Wisconsin that opened on April 1, 2009.We'll keep you updated on what we're reading and recommending, authors visiting the bookshop, interesting non-author events we have planned and what it's like being part of a new indie bookshop.*Well. We've actually been around the block a