Book Review: Olivetti

Publisher Summary

A heartfelt debut middle-grade novel told from the unique vantage points of a witty typewriter and an introverted boy—for fans of Wishtree and A Rover’s Story.

Being a typewriter is not as easy as it looks. Surrounded by books (notorious attention hogs) and recently replaced by a computer, Olivetti has been forgotten by the Brindle family—the humans he’s lived with for years. The Brindles are busy: Dad and Mom work constantly, three of their children put the extra in extra-curriculars, and Ernest, their shy twelve-year-old, goes off alone to read.

When Olivetti learns Mom has mysteriously gone missing, he believes he can help find her. He breaks the only rule of his ‘kind’ and types back to Ernest, who must face what he and his family have been running from, The Everything That Happened. Only by working together will they find the parts of themselves they’ve lost.

Bookseller Review

This bookseller devoured Olivetti in one sitting. I was in awe of the beautiful cover and whimsical summary, but this beautiful book was not at all what I have come to expect of Middle Grade Fiction; and it was magical. Millington writes the kind of hope and heartbreak and love that gets you in the corners of your heart and makes you want to laugh and cry and hug someone (or your book) all at once. Shy Ernest and opinionated Olivetti will capture your imagination and you will fall in love with the community that Millington has created. A truly enchanted tale of a boy, a typewriter, and becoming more than you thought you could be.

“A wonderful story that encourages the reader to use their imagination and solve a sweet mystery. Most importantly: the typewriter that witnesses it all; can it pull the family together?”

— Kristina Webb

Field Trips: Bring Your Class or Group to The Story Shop!

Need another way to work in some whimsy and magic into your day? Bring your class or group to experience a private story time in our magical Narnia Wardrobe!

Field Trips are offered for grades Pre-K to 6th, including a new addition for those diving into chapter books.

During a field trip, our amazing staff will read a few books, engage the students in theme-related activities, and assist in the exploration of the shop.

Need to eat your packed field trip lunches? Add on our Celebration Room for an on-site place to eat! (Maximum of 20 students.)

Simply pick a theme, choose a day, and book your trip!**

**Availability outside of our regularly scheduled Field Trip Days and accommodations for smaller or bigger groups may be worked out upon request.

We’re adding to our field trip themes to include upper elementary and early middle grades!

You can now schedule a Book Tasting Field Trip for your middle grade readers!

Geared toward 4th through 6th grades, students will have time to peruse some of the shop’s favorite chapter books.

Our Book Tasting Field Trip is a wonderful way to get students engaged in reading and familiarize them with a wide variety of genres. They will rotate through several books and fill out their book tasting “menus” in our “Story Shop Café” to take home. After “tasting” the books, students will also participate in a scavenger hunt throughout our magical store.

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Need to bring a bigger group or two classes at once? Book a Double Session! A Double Session Field Trip is double of everything that’s included in a Single Session Field Trip. While once class or group is in the Wardrobe with one Theme, the second class or group is in the Celebration Room with our Book Tasting Theme!* Since a Double Session is, in fact, two whole Field Trips, the cost is $10/child due to planning and staffing for larger group dynamics. Well worth it for the extra fun without having to leave the shop!

*The Book Tasting Theme will be adjusted based on the age of the students, of course.

Into The Heartless Wood: A Review & An Event

Bookseller Review:

A witch. A king. A tree siren. A boy.

A thrilling read from the start, Meyer’s newest novel is fantastic!

Atmospheric and earthy, it’s perfect for a reader who loves complex characters who are both thoughtful and impulsive. Owen and Seren are characters to root for, even or especially in their contrasting ordinariness and otherworldliness.

Meyer’s storytelling will cut right to your soul and is perfect for fans of myth and fairytale.

Get cozy, you’ll want to read it in one sitting!

Publisher’s Summary:

The forest is a dangerous place, where siren song lures men and women to their deaths.

Deep in the wood lives a witch queen and her eight tree siren daughters. For centuries, they have harvested souls to feed the heartless tree, using its power to grow their ever reaching kingdom of ash, birch, and oak.

Owen Merrick lives at the edge of the forest, mapping the stars for the king in his father's observatory. For years, he has resisted venturing over the garden wall, until one day he must enter the woods to find his missing sister. But one of the witch's tree siren daughters, Seren, decides to save his life instead of end it. Now, no matter how hard he tries, he can't stop thinking about her -- the birch-bright hue of her skin and the way violets bloom in her hair. Every night, he goes into the wood to meet her, and their love for each other grows.

But when the constellations shift, the stars foretell an inevitable war between the witch queen and the king. With Seren compelled to fight for her mother, and Owen forced to join the king's army, they are plunged into the heart of a conflict that seemingly no one can win and that might destroy both their kingdoms forever.

“A luminous, impassioned fairytale, alternately dark as choking briars and shot through with pulsing starlight. You may enter the Heartless Wood with your soul intact, but you'll surely leave a piece of it behind.” --Laura E. Weymouth, author of The Light Between Worlds, A Treason of Thorns, and A Rush of Wings

Joanna will be in conversation with Hanna C. Howard for our event. Learn more about Hanna’s book, Ignite the Sun!

Publisher Summary:

Once upon a time, there was something called the sun... In a kingdom ruled by a witch, the sun is just part of a legend about Light-filled days of old. But now Siria Nightingale is headed to the heart of the darkness to try and restore the Light--or lose everything trying.

Sixteen-year-old Siria Nightingale has never seen the sun. That's because Queen Iyzabel shrouded the kingdom in shadow upon her ascent to the throne, with claims it would protect her subjects from the dangerous Light.

The Darkness has always left Siria uneasy, and part of her still longs for the stories of the Light-filled days she once listened to alongside her best friend Linden, told in secret by Linden's grandfather. But Siria's need to please her strict and demanding parents means embracing the dark and heading to the royal city--the very center of Queen Izybel's power--for a chance at a coveted placement at court. And what Siria discovers at the Choosing Ball sends her on a quest toward the last vestiges of Light, alongside a ragtag group of rebels who could help her restore the sun...or doom the kingdom to shadow forever.

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Virtual Author Event:

Interested in Meyer’s work or a fan of fantasy young adult books?

Join us for a virtual event with Joanna Ruth Meyer and Hanna C. Howard in conversation about Joanna's newest book, Into the Heartless Wood on January 22 starting at 8:00pm!

Tickets include a copy of Into the Heartless Wood and some fun themed goodies. Add on Meyer’s other titles or Howard’s book for the full reading experience!

Order by January 6th for personalized bookplates. Make the note of who you would like the book(s) inscribed to in the Review Section of checkout!

MCBF 2020: Team Up Mentoring's Storybook 5K & Fun Run

Kick off MCBF 2020 with a Storybook 5K and Fun Run!

The 5K race is open to all ages and abilities including walkers.

Team Up Mentoring has a few new surprises up our sleeve, including:

• A new course that runs right through the heart of downtown Monroe

• An earlier start time (9:00 AM Fun Run & 9:30 AM 5K)

• Encouraging runners to bring their pooches for the run with awards for the top four-legged runners

As usual, Team Up will also host the interactive Fun Run through Childer's Park and will be presenting awards for the best storybook costumes for children, adults and pets alike!  

The best part of this event? 100% of all proceeds will help to support critical wellness, education, mentoring and empowerment services for young people ages 3-21 affected by trauma. Find out more about Team Up Mentoring by visiting www.teamupmentoring.org. 

Register by 5/1/20 to ensure you get a shirt!

Moonlight Magic and Powerful Characters

An Evening in Conversation with Authors
Isabel Ibanez and Rebecca Ross

Join us for a cozy and magical evening with two phenomenal young adult authors January 17 at 6:00pm! See below for more details.

“A lush, vibrant feast of a book, set in a world as colorful and inventive as the fierce heroine’s magical tapestries. I could have remained lost in its pages forever.”

— Margaret Rogerson, NYT bestselling author of An Enchantment of Ravens

Woven in Moonlight

 A lush tapestry of magic, romance, and revolución, drawing inspiration from Bolivian politics and history.

Ximena is the decoy Condesa, a stand-in for the last remaining Illustrian royal. Her people lost everything when the usurper, Atoc, used an ancient relic to summon ghosts and drive the Illustrians from La Ciudad. Now Ximena’s motivated by her insatiable thirst for revenge, and her rare ability to spin thread from moonlight.

When Atoc demands the real Condesa’s hand in marriage, it’s Ximena’s duty to go in her stead. She relishes the chance, as Illustrian spies have reported that Atoc’s no longer carrying his deadly relic. If Ximena can find it, she can return the true aristócrata to their rightful place.

She hunts for the relic, using her weaving ability to hide messages in tapestries for the resistance. But when a masked vigilante, a warm-hearted princess, and a thoughtful healer challenge Ximena, her mission becomes more complicated. There could be a way to overthrow the usurper without starting another war, but only if Ximena turns her back on revenge―and her Condesa.

Carpe Noctem! Seize the Night!

Isabel Ibañez was born in Boca Raton, Florida and is the proud daughter of two Bolivian immigrants. A true word nerd, she received her degree in creative writing and has been a Pitch Wars mentor for three years. he currently lives in Winter Park, Florida with her husband, their adorable dog, and a serious collection of books. Say hi on social media at @IsabelWriter09.

The Queen’s Resistance

If you haven’t read the first in this tapestry of a world, The Queen’s Rising, skip the below and see the summary here.

Brienna is a mistress of knowledge and is beginning to settle into her role as the daughter of the once disgraced lord, Davin MacQuinn. Though she’d just survived a revolution that will return a queen to the throne, she faces yet another challenge: acceptance by the MacQuinns.

But as Queen Isolde Kavanagh’s closest confidant, she’ll have to balance serving her father’s House as well as her country. 

Then there’s Aodhan Morgan, formerly known as Cartier Évariste, who is adjusting to the stark contrast between his pre-rebellion life in Valenia and his current one as lord of a fallen House. As he attempts to restore the Morgane name, he let his mind wander—what if he doesn’t have to raise his House alone? What if Brienna could stand by his side?

But Brienna and Cartier must put their feelings aside, as there are more vital tasks at hand—the Lannons' trial, forging alliances, and ensuring that no one halts the queen’s coronation. Resistance is rumbling among the old regime’s supporters, who are desperate to find a weakness in the rebels’ forces.

And what makes one more vulnerable than love?

Rebecca Ross grew up in Georgia, where she continues to reside with her husband, lively dog and endless piles of books. She received her bachelor's degree in English from UGA and enjoys rainy days, endless cups of coffee and DIY projects.

Register today for this magical event!

Each ticket gets one book for signing, a hot chocolate bar, & delicious biscotti!

Anne Bogel

Meet writer, blogger, & podcast host
Anne Bogel!

Join us at The Story Shop! Anne will work her literary matchmaking magic, answer reader's questions, talk about her fantastic new book I'd Rather Be Reading, & more!

September 11 at 6:30pm

On top of being present for Anne's presentation, Q&A, & book signing, attendees will receive:

• A glass of wine*
• Refreshments
• A copy of Anne's new book, I'd Rather Be Reading
• 10% discount on any titles Anne recommends that evening

Tickets are $25 per person.

We're sold out! Call us to be put on the wait list. (678-635-8801)

*Hot tea available for those who abstain from alcohol

Learn More About the Author

Anne Bogel is the creator of the popular blog Modern Mrs Darcy and the podcast What Should I Read Next? Her book lists and reading guides have established Bogel as a tastemaker among readers, authors, and publishers. The author of Reading People, she lives in Louisville, Kentucky.