Chapter 3

Open Doors

Dear Reader

After being in business for over a month, it was so lovely to celebrate the opening of our little bookstore over the past weekend. Our first guest author event went really well and we are enthusiastic to bring you more cultural occasions and fun evenings. Welcoming you into our bookstore is definitely our pleasure and we hope if you have not yet had a chance to stop by you have a chance to do so soon.

Today’s newsletter includes

• Kid’s Storytime Calendar

• Language Learning Reading Groups

• Next book clubs

• Reading suggestions

Storytime schedule

We had our first Storytime as part of our celebration weekend this past Saturday. Maria will be starting regular reading mornings in October with the next few dates being:

No reservation is necessary but due to limited space we ask that to prioritise children we only have one parent per child.

English Language Learning Reading Groups

Just a quick reminder: our intermediate English Reading Groups start later this month and spots are available. Group sizes are capped at five, run for 8–12 weeks and are focused on reading and discussion (not grammar drills). A space for readers who already enjoy books and would like to develop their language skills with others at their level.

Find more information for the Middle Grade, High School and Adult groups you can find information online.

If you are interested in a future group with a different level, another language, or a different age range? Complete this short form and we'll keep you posted.

Upcoming Book Clubs 

Originally Italian: Friday 25 September - Tangerinn by Emanuela Anechoum (translated by Lucy Rand) 

STILL A FEW SPOTS LEFT
A tender debut about migration, identity, and inheritance. When her Moroccan-born father dies, thirty-year-old Mina leaves London and returns to her childhood home on the Calabrian coast, to the bar he ran, the Tangerinn, once a haven for migrants and misfits, now struggling to survive. Piecing together her father's memory, Mina is forced to confront her own fractured sense of belonging: to a place, a lineage, and a self. 

Small Press: Friday 9 October - The Mulai by Munir Hachemi (translated Julia Sanches)
FULL

NEW Originally Italian: Friday 16 October - Forbidden Notebook by Alba de Céspedes (translated by Ann Goldstein)
A rediscovered classic by an Italian-Cuban novelist, poet and screenwriter. The Forbidden Notebook follows a wife and mother as she starts writing in a secret notebook and starts to uncover her dissatisfaction with her life.

NEW Should I have Read this by Now?: Friday 23 October - The Haunting of Hill House by Shirley Jackson
A perfect one in the lead up to Halloween. A classic of the haunted house genre. Will they all make it out?
[Note copies of the book will only be in store from next Thursday]

If you already have the book you can join a book club by purchasing a €5 ticket in store.

If you would like to reserve a book or a spot, please send us an email: hello@nationofnowherebooks.com

Why I Love It:

The question this book raised for me is when does love become too obsessive? Gu discovers her lover's dead body and proceeds to clean and then eat him (yup you read that right). We get a dual narrative from Gu as well as Dam, from his perspective as a now deceased person.

As well as delving into this intense love story the book also explores grief, which is one concept that I always appreciate in a book.

Perfect for fans of:

Hunger is a commentary on the more personal sphere of love and grief but if you liked the weirdness of Convenience Store Woman by Sayaka Murata, I think you will enjoy this one.

🌟 Maria’s recommendation for kids

This is Not My Hat - Jon Klassen

Picture Book (Ages 3-8)

Part of Klassen’s beloved hat series with a surprising but subtle ending. We get the story of a sneaky fish who has stolen someone’s hat and thinks he has gotten away with it. One that the adults will enjoy just as much as the kids.

Why I Love It:

There's a kind of deadpan, slightly wicked humour here that both children and grown-ups appreciate. It's a great one for kids who like a story that doesn't spell everything out for them.

Happy Reading from your Friendly Booksellers!

Maria and Michelle

Instagram | Facebook | Libro.fm