Broadway Books - Independently owned and supporting the NE Portland community since 1992.

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Did you know?

That you can order books 24/7 on our website? Select "pay in store/pick up in store," and we'll notify you when they're ready for you to pick up!


That we sell Kobo eReaders and eBooks that you can read on any device (including your iPad) except Kindle devices?

That we happily gift wrap any of your purchases from us at no additional charge?

That our gift certificates never expire? If we don't expire, they don't expire!

That more than almost anything else we love helping you choose just the right gift? So don't hesitate to ask for ideas if you're stuck.

That we are long-time supporters of local literary and educational activities?



 


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Sunday
Noon to 5 pm
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Broadway Books
A Great Little Store with Great Big Service
July 2015 Newsletter
 
  

The Dog Days of Summer arrived early this year, and they seem to be lingering like an exhausted coonhound on the front porch. It sure is hot outside! But it's deliciously cool at Broadway Books, so if you're looking for a little relief from the heat, please come to visit. We have so many beautiful and interesting books to tempt you while you're here.

July is especially busy for us this year. We're tackling some "home improvement" projects in the store this month: new carpet, and new paint inside and out! We are also having one of our most popular sales events of the year and hosting a reading by an Irvington author from her new book about the Oregon Coast Trail. Check out the details below.

Whatever your summer plans include, don't you need some books? We can help you with that. Come enjoy a cool hour with us.

Sally McPherson and Kim Bissell
Broadway Books, 1714 NE Broadway, Portland, OR 97232
(503) 284-1726
bookbroads@qwestoffice.net
What's Happening in July?

Tuesday, July 14th: Harper Lee Makes History with the Publication of Another Book!

No, Harper Lee will not be reading at the store on this day. That would be tough to pull off for so many reasons. But her new book, Go Set a Watchman, goes on sale the moment we open at 10 am on Tuesday, July 14th.

Originally written in the mid '50s, this book was the novel Harper Lee first submitted to her publishers before To Kill a Mockingbird. The manuscript was lost for decades but rediscovered in late 2014.

Go Set a Watchman acts as a sort of sequel to To Kill a Mockingbirdfeaturing the same characters some twenty years after one of the most famous trials in American fiction. Returning home to Maycomb to visit her father, Jean Louise Finch (Scout) struggles with issues both personal and political involving Atticus, society, and the small Alabama town that shaped her. The author explores how the characters are adjusting to the turbulent events that transformed America at that time. The publication of this book casts a fascinating new light on Ms. Lee's Pulitzer-Prize-winning classic.

If you purchase a copy of Go Set a Watchman
at our store on July 14th,  we'll give you 14% off a copy of To Kill a Mockingbird so you can refresh your memory of  these beloved characters' early years. Even if you already have a copy of this beloved book, isn't there someone in your life that needs one?  

 

Call or email today to reserve your copy of

Go Set a Watchman!

 

July 17th - 19th (Friday - Sunday):  

NE Broadway Summer Super Sale  

We're so excited about this year's NE Broadway Summer Super Sale (also known as the Sidewalk Sale), which takes place the weekend of July 17th, as it's one of our biggest annual events.

This is the one time of the year when we sell Advance Reader's Copies (ARCs), which are special pre-publication editions that we receive from the publishers. These one-time-only ARCs are on sale for $4 each or 3 for $10. We donate the proceeds from these sales to Literary Arts' Writers in the Schools program. Come early and often, as we will be restocking these tables throughout the weekend. In most cases we have only one copy of each ARC.

We're adding an especially delightful component to this year's summer sale: A Choose-Your-Own-Discount offer on regularly priced books in a single purchase! Here it is:

Choose one book and get 5% off
Choose two books and get 10% off both books
Choose three books and get 15% off all three books
Choose four books and get 20% off all four books

These books do not count toward your frequent buyer card, and no additional discounts can be applied. All discounts are taken from the full price of each book taken from regular stock. Sale books are not eligible for these discounts.

This is your chance to stock up on some summer reading, plan ahead for upcoming gift needs, and explore those books you've been curious about but hesitant to take a risk on.

A boatload of other businesses on Broadway will also be offering special sale items and prices. Check out the NE Broadway website to read about them all. As part of this community celebration, our lovely neighbors at Furever Pets will be holding a pet fair from 11 to 3 on Saturday.

Please join us for the festivities!
   
Wednesday, July 22nd: BB will be closed

While it is unlikely to gather the media attention of the PDX Airport carpet change, we have decided that after twenty-three years it's time to install new carpeting in our store. As you might imagine, it's going to be quite the endeavor; but we're excited to see how clean and shiny the store will look when it's done. 

 

To make the magic happen, we will close at 5 pm on Tuesday, July 21st, so we can move the bulk of the furniture out of the store. On Wednesday we'll be closed all day while the installers do their magic. We hope to open at our regular time on Thursday, July 23rd, but there is a slight chance we might run a little late.  

 

We are sorry for any inconvenience this causes you. We will try to minimize the pain for all. Come see how pretty we look when all is said and done! 

 
Tuesday, July 28th, 7 pm: Connie Soper
Portland resident and author Connie Soper will be here to present her newly published book, Exploring the Oregon Coast Trail.

Spanning nearly four hundred miles from the Columbia River to the California border, with over half those miles located on Oregon's public beaches, the Oregon Coast Trail is one of our state's most valued and valuable assets. Ms. Soper has hiked the trail in its entirety twice and was greatly inspired by her experiences to share what she learned with others. This book serves as a practical trail guide that describes how to navigate forty consecutive day hikes starting at Fort Stevens State Park and ending in California. Those walking the trail will experience the majesty of Oregon's beaches in personal and immediate ways and will come to appreciate the open access to our shores, a privilege not possible in most other coastal states.

Descriptions of the hikes are accompanied by detailed maps and include useful tips such as knowing which hikes are tide dependent. The book also includes many historic and contemporary photographs, as well as stories about points along the trail. Exploring the Oregon Coast Trail weaves together a unique hiking experience with a better understanding of the history, personalities, and places that make the Oregon Coast so special. It's a must-read for any Oregon hiker, beach walker, natural history student, or lover of Oregon history.
Adult Coloring Books
Fortunately, my little sister isn't one to say "I told you so." (This is Sally writing.) She has been using adult coloring books as a tool for relaxation and stress relief for years. Now it seems she was on the cutting edge of a major movement. 

Everywhere we turn these days we're hearing about the joys and benefits of adults coloring. Recently Audie Cornish interviewed Johanna Basford on NPR about her books Secret Garden and Enchanted Forest -- and shortly thereafter her books sold out everywhere.

Now we're seeing coloring books of all types -- mandalas, flowers, birds, art nouveau, Paris scenes, naturescapes, seascapes -- and even one based on the characters in The Game of Thrones (coming this fall).

We've got a full array of coloring books to choose from. Come check them out. Who of us couldn't use a little break from the rushed pace of our daily lives?
New in Hardcover
The Small Backs of Children, Lidia Yuknavitch
Portlander Lidia Yuknavitch's new novel is guaranteed to spark passionate discussion. The Small Backs of Children has it all -- experimental forms, shifting personas, questions about art, war, and sex, and bodily fluids of every sort, especially blood. Author Whitney Otto calls it "intelligent yet accessible, provocative in the best way." Those book groups that appreciate the grotesque mingled with the beautiful should give this slender book serious consideration. Is there anyone writing more fearlessly, fiercely, provocatively, and beautifully about issues of our humanity?

Yuknavitch's two previous books were the memoir The Chronology of Water and the novel Dora: A Headcase, both published by Portland's Hawthorne Books. 
The Little Paris Bookshop, by Nina George
Nina George's The Little Paris Bookshop would appear to be the diametric opposite of
Small Backs. Yes, it has whimsy and humor aplenty, and even a few recipes. But hidden in the charm lie some Yuknavitch themes: the danger of making grief a constant companion, friendship as a saving grace, female sexuality as a force to be reckoned with. The eponymous bookshop is actually a barge on the Seine, and when our hero casts off we're on a tour of La Belle Pays that will have you calling AirFrance. 
Pirate Hunters, by Robert Kurson
Good news for adrenaline-junkies: Robert Kurson returns to our nonfiction shelves with a new book, Pirate Hunters: Treasure, Obsession, and the Search for a Legendary Pirate Ship. One of the heroes from his earlier book Shadow Divers is back, hanging out in Spanish libraries and Caribbean waters seeking the wreck of an unjustly overlooked pirate from the 17th century.

Kurson glories in true stories about tough guys in diving suits who enjoy historical research. His new book once again blends history, suspense, and the dangers of deep-sea diving. Brad Meltzer, a bestselling mystery writer, says that Pirate Hunters "takes you to the far tip of the plank and plunges you deep to the bottom of the ocean."
The Oregon Trail, by Rinker Buck

When Rinker Buck finds himself broke, divorced, unfulfilled at work, and gaining weight, he does what any of us would do: he get three mules and a wagon and heads off on the Oregon Trail in the company of his Falstaffian brother and a Jack Russell terrier. 

Across two thousand miles and six states, he regales us with history and humor in his book The Oregon Trail: A New American Journey. One reviewer claims that the Oregon Trail is part Laura Ingalls Wilder, part Jack Kerouac. (But the mules steal the show!) 


 

Then again, not everyone has such a cool name, or such a cool life. Buck's previous book, Flight of Passage, told of the adventure he and his brother shared when they restored an old Piper Cub airplane and became the youngest duo (15 and 17) to fly across America, from New Jersey to California. 


Is your book club looking for ideas for new books? We'd love to brainstorm with you. And we're always happy to let you know if books are readily available and when they'll be published in paperback. 

Contact Information
Sally McPherson or Kim Bissell
Broadway Books
(503) 284-1726
bookbroads@qwestoffice.net