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We’re thrilled to announce our first virtual event: An Evening with Lin and Tom!
November 12 at 7:00 pm

Minnesota authors Lin Enger (Undiscovered Country and The High Divide) and Tom Maltman (The Night Birds and Little Wolves) each have a new book which was released in October. The books have similar settings—extremist religious groups in northern Minnesota—and we’re looking forward to welcoming them for a lively conversation. Lin’s book is American Gospel; Tom’s is The Land. The event is free; click here to participate on November 12 at 7:00. Feel free to share the link.

Signed copies of both books are available at the store. We’d be glad to ship them to you.

Interview with Jen and Tom Maltman

Jen: Have the events of 2020 affected your creativity? Either stifled or jumpstarted it?

Tom: I feel that I’ve done some of my best writing during the pandemic. The time I write, first thing in the morning while the rest of the family sleeps, is a sacred time for me. I don’t check the news or social media. It’s my time to dream on the page while the world sleeps. In this sacred space, the manifold problems we face can’t touch me yet.

Jen: What’s been your favorite bookstore/author/reader response to the events of 2020?

Tom: I’ve been fortunate to be part of several virtual events that bring authors and readers in conversation with each other. These have been fun, enlightening activities. Now more than ever this world needs good stories!

Jen: What are you reading?

Tom: Books that I’ve read recently include Northernmost by Peter Geye, a lovely read with winter approaching. William Kent Krueger’s This Tender Land is our American odyssey. And of course, when I read American Gospel by Lin Enger, the book immediately found a place on my favorite’s shelf.

Jen: What books are you recommending?

The novels I mentioned above are all highly recommended! This semester I’m teaching students the book Braiding Sweetgrass by Robin Wall Kimmerer, which is a book for our times. Now more than ever we need to consider how to create positive interactions between humans and the environment and to seek out those wild spaces!

Jen: Do you plan to write about 2020 in future books?

Tom: Yes, the current novel I’m writing, Ashes to Ashes, takes place in 2020. Set on the prairies west of Alexandra, it takes place during a Lenten season. When the ashes administered during an Ash Wednesday service won’t wash off, people wonder if they’ve been blessed or cursed. The novel also explores the legend that Vikings discovered Minnesota in 1362, bringing to life local lore. With both magical realism and legend mixing in, the book has been a delight to write.

Do you have a pet? If so, we’d love a picture of the two of you

I don’t have a picture of me with our dog, Sammy, a Cavalier King Charles Spaniel, but here’s one of him.

It's beginning to feel a lot like shopping season!

• Books will be in high demand for the holidays, as they have been since the pandemic started.
• We’re aware of the potential for paper shortages, supply chain disruptions, and delayed inventory shipment. (If you’ve seen empty shelves at your local grocery store, you’ve already experienced this.) It is expected that these problems will affect all businesses which sell books.
• Strong support during the fourth quarter will help keep independent bookstores in business.

We’ve slowly been increasing our inventory of both books and non-book items such as puzzles, games, and greeting cards to ensure that you will have a good selection when you shop. At this point, it will be possible for you to place orders for books we don’t have in the store and receive them in a timely manner. The later such orders are placed, the more difficult it will be to be confident books will arrive in time.

Our popular holiday catalog will be available in the store by November 1st. and you may have received one in the mail as well. Books from the catalog are in stock and on display at the front of the store. Here’s the link to the online version of the catalog.

Remember, there are several ways to shop at Beagle and Wolf:

• At the storefront
• From our online store, beagleandwolf.indielite.org
• Every day, we take orders over the phone (218-237-2665), by email info@beagleandwolf.com, and by Messenger and/or Facebook. You may pick up items in the store or we will ship them
• We continue to offer personal shopping, subscription services, curbside service, free delivery within the area, and free gift wrapping

And here’s our pledge to you: we will not play holiday music in the store until November 27!

Shap Early Shop Local with Libro.fm!
Give the gift of audiobooks!

If you’re ready to get a start on your holiday shopping, audiobook memberships through Libro.fm make the perfect gift! You choose the membership (1, 3, 6, or 12 months/credits), your gift recipient picks their own audiobooks, and you support Beagle and Wolf Books & Bindery with your purchase. 

BONUS: When you buy a 12-month audiobook gift membership through Beagle and Wolf Books & Bindery we’ll get half of the retail price on those sales—that’s $90 from your purchase! 

Libro.fm audiobook gift memberships are available worldwide, and you can purchase them for yourself in addition to giving them as gifts. If you want to gift a specific audiobook, you can do that too!

Start shopping now!

Also in November:

Park Rapid’s traditional tree lighting
November 27

The Chamber of Commerce is still working on the details for the event so that it’s safe in this time of pandemic. When details are available, they’ll will be available on the Events Calendar at Parkrapids.com If you prefer to participate from home, link to the downtown webcam.

The store will be open for an hour after the conclusion of the tree lighting.

Small Business Saturday
November 28

Beagle and Wolf is a family-owned store, and the third generation is now involved in an official capacity!

Lightning Strike
William Kent Krueger

In case you missed it, William Kent Krueger recently posted this on his Facebook page!

“Here’s the stunning cover for LIGHTNING STRIKE, my next novel in the Cork O’Connor series. I love the brooding blue of the sky, the eerie mist, the solitary kid on a bike. When you read the book, you’ll understand the importance of all these elements. Just a little teaser here: LIGHTNING STRIKE is a prequel to my Cork O’Connor series. It follows Cork in his adolescence, shortly before he turns thirteen, the year before his father is killed in the line of duty. There are mysterious deaths at the heart of the story, of course, but it’s really an opportunity for me to explore the relationship Cork had with his father, which shaped him significantly in becoming the man who occupies center stage in the series. I love the story, and I think readers will embrace this compelling peek at Cork as he comes of age.

Okay, a little bad news. It will be a while before you can buy the book. It’s not scheduled for release until August of 2021. But honestly, I believe the wait will be worth it.

Page OneStaff PicksYouth YakBook Groups News