As your cozy winter reads become a cold and distant memory and your summer reading list heats up, we asked a few local booksellers which new releases earned space on their coveted new and recommended shelves.
Coincidentally, all three bookshops I bopped into last week had one thing in common that really stuck out: they all were eager to share with readers new books that have thematic or geographical roots that tie back to our region.
Many readers of local lore are, for example, drawn to the complicated family landscape of Louise Erdrich’s latest, “The Mighty Red,” which is set in a jarringly familiar fictionalized community not too far from Fargo-Moorhead. There’s also Leif Enger’s Duluth-ish, Odyssey-esque “I Cheerfully Refuse,” which has been on rotation in book clubs since being released in 2024. (Both are must-reads.)
But for eager readers of contemporary northern plains narratives, Erdrich’s “Red” and Enger’s “Refuse” are already old news. The good news is there’s more of the same local flavor to be read and discovered, many titles now available at local bookstores.
More Than Words
More Than Words is the kind of bookshop I can only go into with a list of books in mind for purchase. Otherwise I don’t leave until I’ve amassed a car payment’s worth of books, secured a part-time job at the counter and joined a strangers’ book club.
Owner Sydni Kreps looked immediately overwhelmed (in all the best ways!) when I stopped in to ask her about which books were selling in her store.
“There’s just so many things we’re excited about,” she said. The bookshop focuses on creating community around the love of reading and writing, and they’re equally as helpful online where they offer pre-orders on some of the most anticipated books of the year.
On the preorder list for July at MTW:
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- “The Enchanted Greenhouse” by Sara Beth Durst, a “cozy fantasy nestled on a far-away island brimming with singing flowers, honey cakes, and honeyed love,” according to MTW’s website.
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- “Glorious Rivals: The Grandest Game #2,” is a YA series by Jennifer Lynn Barnes that follows players of a high-stakes game that tests each one’s understanding of love and life.
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- “Not Quite Dead Yet” by Holly Jackson is due out on July 22 and follows the story of a woman trying to solve her own murder.
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- “The Woman In Suite 11” by Ruth Ware follows “The Woman in Cabin 10,” a best-seller among nail-biting suspense readers.
Side note: Due to downtown Moorhead construction, navigating to MTW is atrocious but the detour is worth it. The shop’s impeccably curated shelves are fully stocked with something for everyone.
40 4th St N, Moorhead, MN 56560
Phone: (701) 297-2407
Ferguson Books
When asked which books were selling this season, Ferguson Books owner Dane Ferguson got visibly excited to share shoppers’ “most anticipated,” which happens to be one of his, too.
“Butterfly Pinned” is the latest by playwright and fiction writer Leslie Liautaud, who is popular among books lovers who like mysteries and psychological thrillers.
The Kirkus Review, which gave the book high accolades, describes the book as a “compelling narrative with complex characters” in which a college freshman eager to escape her troubled past attempts to start anew in Chicago. The protagonist ends up entangled in the life of a fellow student who introduces her to a world of luxury and high society. Emotional intensities ensue.
Ferguson said he and store regulars appreciate Liautaud’s previous book, “Black Bear Lake,” for its regional ties to Wisconsin and the upper Midwest.
“We couldn’t keep that one in stock,” Ferguson said. “ ‘Butterfly Pinned’ came out last week and is already receiving excellent reviews, so I think people are going to want to know about this one.”
In addition to stocking many new releases, Ferguson Books carries a large stock of used books, including titles by local authors and publishers, such as NDSU Press.
Before flying off, Ferguson told me Liautaud is married to Jimmy John’s sandwich franchise owner Jimmy John Liautaud. Save that interesting fact for your next book club!
214 Roberts Alley, Fargo
701-369-1419
Words To Live By
Jill Johnson, owner of Words to Live By in downtown Moorhead, specializes in selling used titles and is currently preserving portions of a sprawling private collection of books near the front of her store.
When I walked in, Johnson was dusting a pink flamingo lawn ornament, a colorfully surprising detail as unique as the contents of her shop.
“We don’t get the latest new releases in,” Johnson said, shining the flamingo’s beak with a rag and explaining how her customers prefer to shop previously owned. “But we do make sure to highlight our local authors as much as we can.”
Johnson goes out of her way to show appreciation for promoting and supporting local writers as much as possible, dedicating a sizable section to local authors and their books.
One particular title that stands out for her this year is “The Red Ball,” a children’s book by a former elementary and local author Daniel Wolf and freelance illustrator Julia Wolfe.
An author reading of “The Red Ball” is set for 11 a.m. on June 21 at Words To Live By. Johnson said the Wolfes, who are married, plan on reading the book and providing an interactive activity for participants.
Words To Live By
819 Center Ave, Moorhead, MN 56560
Phone: (218) 284-2929
At libraries
Of course, you can have all you could ever want to read for free at your local library. All it takes is the courage to sign up for a card and the curiosity to explore what interests you.
In addition to other free-to-all programming, most of our region’s public libraries have adult, teen and children’s summer reading programs that give rewards when participants surpass unique reading challenges. It can be a fun way to while away reading time while at the pool or beach.
No matter how you find your books, summer might not be the season of cozy reads, but thanks to our local booksellers, there is no shortage of great regionally-inspired titles to explore and enjoy all year long.
This article is possible thanks to a partnership with Forum Communications.
