Let's Go To The Bookstore #1

29 April 2026· by Renee - ItsBookTalk

Five Star Fiction table…my photo taken June 2025 at a local Barnes & Noble.

Hello!

I was sitting in the cafe of my local Barnes and Noble yesterday, enjoying my coffee and perusing a stack of books I found after a robust 45 minutes of browsing the shelves. My basic method of book browsing is to simply look for titles or covers that catch my eye within my favorite sections. Those are: new releases, general fiction, mystery/thriller, new nonfiction, personal growth, and business (I typically just look at the forward facing books in this section as those are usually new and/or picked because they’re worthy of attention1).

I find the act of browsing the book shelves to be relaxing, yet it also gives me a jolt of reading energy because it reminds me that there are many hidden gems out there just waiting to be discovered.

While I’m browsing, if a book catches my eye I’ll pull it off the shelf and read the first paragraph or two of the book jacket synopsis and then flip to the first page and read the first paragraph or two. I’m just seeing if I’m interested. In the story itself, yes, but also in the writing style. If I like what I read, I’ll take a photo2. If it really grabs me, I’ll take a photo and put it in my stack to take with me to read a bit more while I have coffee. Of the stack I take to the cafe, I often end up buying one book.

The Book I Bought Yesterday…

Unreasonable Hospitality: The Field Guide by Will Guidara - This was forward facing in the business section and I actually had the release date on my calendar because I LOVED the audiobook Unreasonable Hospitality: The Remarkable Power of Giving People More Than They Expect and I planned on buying this to find out more about the how of unreasonable hospitality.

Over the years, I’ve taken so many photos of books I’ve read and loved with the intention of sharing them on Instagram. These days, I rarely post on there, so I thought…why not start sharing those photos here in my newsletter.

With this in mind, I’m making Let’s Go To The Bookstore a reoccurring featured newsletter. I’ll take you with me as I literally walk the shelves of the bookstore and share recommendations as I come across books I’ve read and loved. I’ll also share interesting curated displays like the five star fiction table in the photo above (check out the books I loved from that table below), plus books I spot that I want to read and/or have been meaning to read.

Ok, let’s browse the shelves….

The Last Child by John Hart - If you like literary mysteries and haven’t read this one, run don’t walk to get a copy! This is one of my greatest bookstore browsing finds and it came from a display at Borders Books (RIP) way back in 2010. I bought it, binged it, and have been a John Hart fan ever since. This is a riveting coming of age combined with a missing child storyline. It’s very atmospheric and would make a great summer read. I spy The Unwilling in the photo which I also gave 5 stars, I still want to read Down River.

Last Summer on State Street by Toya Wolfe - Another book that would make a great summer read, this debut is set during the summer of 1999 (that timeline will alternate with present day). This is a friendship and family story filled with nostalgia and heartbreak. I love when a narrator is telling a story from a time in the future and Wolfe has the main character Felicia (FeFe) do this in a way that heightens tension and anticipation. Hard things happen for FeFe and her friends, but the juxtaposition with the happy times of their friendship made for great storytelling. Spotted in the pic- The Interestings by Meg Wolitzer which has been on my tbr for years!

Live Fast by Brigitte Giraud Translated from French by Cory Stockwell - An under the radar gem! I listened to this short autobiographical book (176 pages) that was structured as a countdown that follows “one woman’s quest to comprehend the motorcycle accident that took the life of her partner Claude at age 41.” In examining the “maddening twists of fate” that might have led to a different outcome, the author created a riveting, can’t look away story in which I found myself thinking maybe he really didn’t die all the while knowing that wasn’t true. This is a beautiful depiction of fate, of the what ifs, and what might have been. At its heart it’s a memorable love story.

The Five Star Fiction Table In the Photo Above

I spy many books I gave 5 stars to on this table including my all time favorite book A Little Life by Hanya Yanagihara. Others I loved: The Vanishing Half by Brit Bennett, The Paper Palace by Miranda Cowley Heller, The Lincoln Highway by Amor Towles, The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo by Taylor Jenkins Reid, My Name is Lucy Barton by Elizabeth Strout, and Bel Canto by Ann Patchett.

Book I Spotted That Sounds So Good

Ghost Wedding by David Park - A potential under the radar gem….I’ve never heard of this book, but now I must read it! Irish fiction fans take note. What caught my eye….the title, the Irish fiction mention, and the words love and betrayal in the description

A poignant story of love and betrayal, from a master of contemporary Irish fiction.
When George Allenby is put in charge of building a lake in the grounds of an imposing Irish manor house, he intends to do the job as swiftly as possible and return to Belfast. Allenby is still wrestling with his time as an officer during the First World War, burdened by the many things he could have done differently.

Almost a century later, Alex and Ellie are preparing for their wedding, sparing no expense to hire a venue overlooking the very lake Allenby built all those years ago.

Like Allenby before him, Alex is haunted by decisions he made in the past. Now, with the wedding drawing ever closer, he is at a crossroads. Telling the truth might free him from his guilt; it might also take away everything he cares about, including Ellie.

I hope you enjoyed browsing the shelves with me….

Do you see any books on the five star fiction table that you loved? What books have you found at a bookstore lately?