Bridgeside Books picks essay collection for One Town, One Book read
April 28, 2023 | By Lisa ScagliottiBridgeside Books kicks off its second One Town, One Book annual reading project on Saturday with a pile of copies of Williston author Anne Averyt’s collection of essays about life in Vermont titled “Vermont Perspectives: Sense of Place, State of Mind.”
The announcement comes on the 10th annual national Independent Bookstore Day that the store will mark on Saturday with special author visits, discounts and prizes for local readers.
A prolific writer and longtime commentator on public radio, Averyt’s volume was published in 2022. Bookstore owner Katya d’Angelo chose it as this year’s selection for the project that resembles a town-wide book group. The goal is for readers throughout Waterbury and the surrounding community to read the same title this spring and summer and engage with their friends and neighbors in conversation about the book.
The nature of Averyt’s essays is such that d’Angelo hopes the book will appeal to both longtime Vermonters and those new to the community or visiting the state. “The mission is get everyone on the same page, literally and figuratively,” d’Angelo said, describing Averyt’s writing as “atmospheric and celebratory.”
“Vermont Perspectives” offers observations and musings on a multitude of facets of life in Vermont from listening to a serenade of peepers in a roadside marsh or hearing the deep-woods call of the native hermit thrush, to harvesting vegetables or enjoying an old-fashioned fiddle hoedown. In another, Averyt explains the ritual many around Vermont take part in as they wager the exact moment a cinder block will plunge through the ice at Joe’s Pond in West Danville, officially signaling the end to Vermont winter.
Last spring, Bridgeside Books launched One Town, One Book by choosing debut author Catherine Drake’s novel, “The Treehouse on Dog River Road.” More than 300 readers purchased the title and more borrowed it from the library or shared with neighbors, according to local booksellers. The independent bookstore also made it their theme in Waterbury’s 2022 Not Quite Independence Day parade with a float bearing the message of “Waterbury On the Same Page.”
On Saturday at 1 p.m. One Town, One Book launches with a special announcement and a stack of 100 signed copies of Averyt’s book ($17.95). Some will contain hidden “golden tickets” to redeem for prizes and store discounts. Additional copies of the book will be available to borrow from the Waterbury Public Library.
Other events at specific times at the shop include:
11 a.m.: Children’s storytime with award-winning children's book author Zoe Tilley reading her picture book, “The Night Wild.”
3 p.m.: Author, teacher and mitten-maker Jen Ellis of Essex Junction visits to sign copies of her new memoir, “Bernie’s Mitten Maker.” Ellis rose to notoriety after U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders was spotted wearing mittens she crafted from old sweaters.
The store plans an additional author event next week at The Local beer and wine shop in Middlesex. On Wednesday, May 3, at 5:30 p.m. local author Sarah Strohmeyer will share her new mystery thriller, “We Love to Entertain.” The event is free and open to the public.
More information: BridgesideBooks.com