Wow, what a week! Martin House Books has officially reached its first milestone. Our one-year anniversary fell on April 4th. Thanks to everyone who attended our Friday and Saturday events. For those of you who were unable to join us, we have some photos for you.
It’s hard to believe a year has already passed. The support this community has given Martin House Books over the past year has been nothing short of amazing. To the staff, customers, family and friends who helped make last year a success, THANK YOU. None of this would have happened if it weren’t for you. This wonderful community fumbles me every day. I’m excited to see what the future holds!
Thank you
Gretchen
Dear Book Lovers,
A heartfelt thank you to everybody who came out this weekend to say hello to our local authors, fill your bags with books, and make merry. To celebrate our first year, we’ve hidden golden tickets inside our Martin House Books-branded chocolate bars (courtesy of local chocolatier Hauser Chocolates). Stop by, purchase a bar, and perhaps you’ll be the lucky winner of gift cards to Martin House Books and Cafe 1888. What’s sweeter than books and chocolate, if not winning more books and coffee at your community independent bookshop?
Speaking of community, the Best Of Rhode Island polls are now open. If you’re voting this year, consider showing some love to our partner, Cafe 1888.
Martin House Books wouldn’t be the welcoming, cozy space it is without Brittany Fox’s fantastic cafe. Brittany and her staff are extraordinary, and they make us better.
→ Vote here!
Scroll to see more April events and some new releases we’re particularly looking forward to. We also have recommendations for National Poetry Month, a peek at some classic boardgames in our Gift Spotlight, and a note from Cafe 1888.
Happy reading, everybody!
Upcoming events
Cafe 1888: Wine Tasting
Thursday, April 10th from 5:30-7:00PM
Cafe 1888 says: Don’t miss our wine tasting on April 10 from 5:30-7:00 PM. Help us and local connoisseur Kylie Sarosi choose wines for our spring menu! We are featuring wines that embody the light, fresh feeling that Springtime brings.
Cold, windy days are starting to taper off, bringing flowers, sunshine, and all the beauty of spring. We can't wait to share the flavors of spring with you!
The Peculiar Book Club with Chrissie Lorraine
Friday, April 11th from 6:30-7:30 PM
Join Chrissie Lorraine and Bookseller Jess for the next Peculiar Book Club! In April, we'll be discussing Mona Award's Rouge, which has been called "a surreal fairy tale," "tragic and funny at once," and a "dreamy (or perhaps nightmarish) gothic fairy tale about a mother, a daughter, and their shared obsession with their own beauty. Like all of Awad’s novels, it reels you in, shakes your brain until you’re not sure what you’re seeing, and then floats off cackling on a cloud of smoke."
→ Rouge by Mona Awad (April’s pick)
→ The Daughter of Doctor Moreau by Silvia Moreno-Garcia (May’s pick)
Storytime with Deb Adamson
Saturday, April 12th at 11:30 AM
Join us for a storytime and book signing with author Deb Adamson for her new book A Thank You Letter to my Homeschool! The storytime will begin at 11:30 AM on Saturday April 12th, and will be followed by the book signing. We hope to see you there!
→ A Thank You Letter to My Homeschool
Dante Society Author Talk with Joseph Luzzi
Saturday, April 19th at 1:00 PM
Westerly Library
Join the Dante Society of Westerly for an engaging event. Professor Joseph Luzzi will explore the ongoing fascination of the great Italian poet and philosopher Dante. He will discuss translation as both a practice and a metaphor, the often-overlooked power of storytelling in scholarly works, and the uncanny ability of literature to represent a kind of home to the severely displaced and even persecuted.
→ More event information at Westerly Library’s event page
→ Dante’s Divine Comedy: A Biography by Joseph Luzzi
→ Vita Nuova by Dante Alighieri, trans. Joseph Luzzi
Ocean House Author Series: Lisa Unger
Sunday, April 23rd from 6:00-7:00 PM
Join us as Ocean House owner and award-winning author, Deborah Goodrich Royce moderates a conversation with our featured author. This week, New York Times bestselling author Lisa Unger will be discussing (and signing) her novel: Close Your Eyes and Count to 10.
Tickets include wine, light bites, and a signed copy of the featured book.
→ More event information & ticketing
Author Talk: World Fantasy Award-winning Author C.S.E. Cooney in conversation with Christa Carmen
Friday, April 25th from 6:30-7:30 PM
World Fantasy Award-winning author C. S. E. Cooney’s new book, Saint Death’s Herald (Saint Death #2), is out Tuesday, April 22nd—and we’re thrilled to host her at Martin House Books on Friday, April 25th. She will b~9686
e in discussion with Bram Stoker Award-winning local author, Christa Carmen. Book signing will follow.
→ Preorder Saint Death’s Herald (#2)
→ Or reserve a copy of Saint Death’s Daughter (#1)
Independent Bookstore Day!!
Saturday, April 26th from Open to Close
Every year bibliophiles across the country unite, venturing forth to visit their favorite local indies—sometimes more than one! How many bookshops are you planning to visit? We hope to see you.
Can’t make it? Shop our webstore!
To see the rest of our upcoming events, visit the Events page on our website.
New releases
Coming Tuesday, April 8th
Audition by Katie Kitamura
Psychological Thriller, Fiction, Incisive
One woman, the performance of a lifetime. Or two. An exhilarating, destabilizing Möbius strip of a novel that asks whether we ever really know the people we love. Audition has been called “hypnotic and finely observant” (Library Journal), “gorgeously disquieting” (Hernan Diaz, author of Trust, and a “blisteringly incisive, coolly devastating tour de force of controlled menace” (Boston Globe). What will you say about it?
The Griffin Sisters’ Greatest Hits by Jennifer Weiner
Fiction, Friendship, Family Life
One of the most anticipated books of the year, from #1 New York Times bestselling author Jennifer Weiner, a glimmering novel set in the world of pop music about sisters, motherhood, young love, and the dreams we chase.
The Cat Who Saved the Library by Sosuke Natsukawa
Fiction, Translation, Magical Realism
The long-awaited sequel to the #1 international bestseller The Cat Who Saved Books—an uplifting tale from Japan about a talking cat, a book-loving girl and the power of books to make a difference in the world.
Big Chief by Jon Hickey
Fiction, Indigenous, Suspenseful
There, There meets The Night Watchman in this gripping literary debut about power and corruption, family, and facing the ghosts of the past.
Maid’s Secret by Nita Prose
Mystery, Thriller, Cozy
A daring art heist on the eve of Molly’s wedding reveals long-buried secrets in this intriguing and heartwarming novel from the #1 New York Times bestselling author of The Maid and The Mystery Guest.
Happy Land by Dolen Perkins-Valdez
Tags, Tags, Tags
Inspired by true events, Happy Land is a transporting multi-generational novel about the stories that shape us and the dazzling courage it takes to dream.
Flirting Lessons by Jasmine Guillory
Romance, Contemporary Romance
A captivating and sizzling new queer romance by New York Times bestselling author Jasmine Guillory. Booklist says: "Best-selling Guillory's sexy-sweet, opposites-attract, friends-to-lovers romance, enriched with found-family vibes, is an absolute delight."
The Butcher’s Masquerade by Matt Dinniman
Science Fiction, Action Adventure
A lush jungle teeming with danger. Savage dinosaurs seeking blood. A fallen princess intent on vengeance. A mysterious, end-of-floor celebration for the top crawlers, dubbed “The Butcher’s Masquerade.” But that’s not all… Join Carl and Princess Donut as they refuse to be prey in the fifth book of the Dungeon Crawler Carl series.
The Book That Held Her Heart by Mark Lawrence
Fantasy, Trilogy, Final Book
Two people once connected by a vast and mysterious library are now separated and must overcome time and distance to reunite and bring peace to their worlds, in the final book of the Library Trilogy.
Curious what else is coming out soon?
April is National Poetry Month
April is National Poetry Month! In honor of poetry, and in the hope of either introducing you to an old friend or a new favorite, we’ve curated this list of poetry collections. Click here to peruse.
Alive Together by Lisel Mueller
Pulitzer Prize Winner, Poetry
Jess says: Lisel Mueller is one of my absolute favorite poets of all-time, and this collection may be one of my most frequently gifted books. I have an extra copy at home just in case I want to give it to someone and am willing to rhapsodize about Lisel Mueller any time. Just ask. For a taste, read Monet Refuses the Operation, Reading the Brothers Grimm to Jenny, or Alive Together.
Local Poetry Events:
Drop-in Write-In at Thought Fox Den in the Velvet Mill. More information here.
Thursday, April 10th, 6:00 PM to 8:00PM. Not poetry specific, but you can work on poetry if you like!The Poetry Gathering at Westerly Library & Wilcox Park. More information here. Monday, April 14th, 5:00 PM - 7:00 PM. Bring poetry to share, or just listen to poets!
Michael DePaola Literary Salon & Open Mic at the United Theatre. Jess MCs.
Wednesday, April 23rd, 7:00 PM - 8:45 PM. A mélange of poetry, prose, acoustic music, all things literary and wonderful!
Gift Spotlight on Vintage Bookshelf Board Games
As Rhode Islanders, we know Spring weather is not to be trusted. One day is so beautiful it’s hard to tear your eyes away, the next is rainy and dismal. Whichever way the wind blows, it’s a perfect time to start a board game night.
We’re excited to show off our new line of classic board games. Feast your eyes on these beautiful Vintage Bookshelf Editions of Clue, Monopoly, Candyland, Sorry!, and Trivial Pursuit. These classic games come in easy-to-transport bookish boxes and look fantastic on the shelf.
→ Clue
→ Monopoly
→ Sorry!
Did you know our friends over at the United Theatre have a free Game Night on the last Wednesday of every month? Check out their calendar here.
The latest at Cafe 1888
Thank You for Celebrating One Year with Us!
To our wonderful Martin House/ Cafe 1888 community—thank you from the bottom of our hearts for making our one-year anniversary so special! Your support, kind words, and smiling faces made it a celebration to remember. We’re so grateful to be part of your lives and this amazing bookstore space.
Wine Tasting This Thursday!
We’re keeping the celebration going with a spring wine tasting on Thursday, April 10 from 5:30 to 7:00 PM. Join us for a relaxed evening featuring Sauvignon Blanc and Rosé—perfect picks to welcome the warmer days. Bring a friend and sip with us!
New Specials Coming Soon
Keep an eye out for a fresh new specials menu rolling out soon, inspired by the flavors and brightness of spring. We can’t wait to share what we’ve been mixing up.
Here’s to another season of good food, great wine, and even better company. See you soon at Cafe 1888!
Warmly,
The Cafe 1888 Team
Martin House Books opens daily at 9AM, Cafe 1888 opens at 7AM. We’re open until 6PM Monday–Wednesday, until 8PM Thursday–Saturday, and until 5PM on Sundays.
Thanks for stopping by,
Martin House Books