By Alec Clayton
Browsers Bookshop has a full schedule of art exhibits, book readings and book-club discussions in its newly remodeled event area upstairs. The art exhibit for August will feature paintings by Olympia’s Brett Rude, a self-taught artist whose work relates to the color-field artists of the mid-20th century.
Browsers hosts, not one, not two, but three book clubs. The regular club meets monthly to discuss mostly fictional books available in paperback. Most recently it discussed Exit West by Mohsin Hamid, a love story set partly in an unnamed Middle Eastern country. Next will be Magda Szabo’s The Door, one of The New York Review of Books’ 10 best books of 2015. Book club members vote on which books to read and discuss. Anybody can join, and anyone can sit in on the discussion without buying the book.
On September 13 at 7 p.m., the present writer will read from his latest novel, This is Me, Debbi, David, with a book signing to follow.
Next is Jane Mount. “I am really excited to have Jane Mount of Ideal Bookshelf promoting her new book in September,” Griffith says. “We have sold her notecards, mugs, pins, puzzles, bags and her previous book for years now. She has created an entire career painting book spines.” The book is Bibliophile: An Illustrated Miscellany, and the event takes place September 17 at 7 p.m. Browsers Bookshop is even featured in the book. “This will be such a fun evening,” Griffith adds.
Events have only been scheduled through September, but Griffith promises, “We will have a full October and November. I am hoping to have Anne Bogel of Mrs. Darcy [a blog and podcast] fame promoting her new book: Modern Mrs. Darcy. She’s a big deal among many young-ish women readers. We’re also getting Laurie Frankel, Seattle novelist, on the calendar for either late October or early November. Her latest novel, This Is How It Always Is, is in paperback and a hot topic. It’s a loving look at how one family navigates having a transgender child.”
WHAT
Alec Clayton reading and signing
WHERE
Browsers Bookshop, 107 Capitol Way N, Olympia
WHEN
7 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 13, 2018
HOW MUCH
Free to attend, $12 for the book
LEARN MORE
360-357-7462