We chatted with the experts, the bookworms, and bookstore owners, and here’s our roundup of local books, or books written by local authors, that were published in 2023. Find them at Leelanau County’s locally-owned, independent bookstores: Cottage Book Shop in Glen Arbor, Bay Books in Suttons Bay, Dog Ears Books in Northport, and Leelanau Books in Leland; or at your local library. Happy reading!
RIP, Mary Sutherland, a longtime Glen Arbor resident, teacher, feminist and champion for gender equality, who was perhaps best known as the matriarch of a large entrepreneurial, athletic, and public-spirited clan that has had an outsized impact on Leelanau County and the Grand Traverse region. Here is F Josephine Arrowood’s story we published just over a decade ago on the occasion of Mary reissuing her self-help book “Claim Your Self,” which was originally published in 1983. Mary passed away on Saturday, Jan. 28, at age 92, her son Bob, president of Cherry Republic, confirmed.
What follows is part two of our short survey of adult books by, or including, area authors, poets and essayists, as well as books with a connection to the area. From first-time to familiar authors, their ability to harness words will impress you and leave you impatient for more. Grab the woolen blanket and come along for the ride.
Here they are again. The holidays. Time for gift giving, followed by curling up with a good book. Or read a good book, then buy a second copy as a gift. A huge inventory exists of local books, defined here as those about the area, set in the area or authored by area folk.
Award-wining Michigan brothers, Jack and Dave Dempsey, have teamed up to write Ink Trails, a literary trip around the state of well-known and sometimes obscure authors introducing the breath of their works accomplishments. Sharing their discoveries and how the Michigan landscape helped shape their writing leads to a greater appreciation. Benzie authors Bruce Catton and Gwen Frostic and Glenn Ruggles of Antrim County are included along with Robert Frost, Carl Sandburg, Arthur Miller, Robert Traver, James Oliver Curwood and Jane Kenyon. The Dempseys will visit the Cottage Book Shop in Glen Arbor on Saturday, June 15 at 2 p.m. to share their journey and findings. Other books by Dave include William. G. Millikan, Waters of Michigan, Great Lakes for Sale and by Jack, Michigan and the Civil War.
This year’s Cottage Antique Market is certain to be as fabulous as last year’s event. It will be held at the Cottage Book Shop, at 5989 Lake Street in Glen Arbor on Wednesday, July 18, the same day as the Glen Arbor Art Fair. Midwest dealers from Michigan, Wisconsin and Iowa will sell their antique and vintage goods including antique, vintage, rustic, hand painted and shabby chic furniture; vintage jewelry and jewelry fashioned from old pieces; fishing and hunting decoys and collectibles; home and garden pieces; pottery and china; and unique items for cottage and home décor.
What’s the best-selling hardcover book in northern Michigan this year? Is it John Grisham’s Calico Kid or Catching Fire by Suzanne Collins? Surprise. It’s Chickadees At Night, a picture book for all ages by Empire author Bill O. Smith. According to Horizon Books in Traverse City, hundreds of these Chickadees have been flying off the shelves since the book’s release in late April. “People see it as an heirloom book,” says Jill Beauchamp of Horizon. “They are delighted by it and want to pass it along to their families.” Smith is quick to add that “it doesn’t hurt at all” that the illustrator is the gifted Traverse City watercolorist Charles R. Murphy.
You’ve read every book on the New York Times bestseller list, and gifts of holiday cash have left your book budget bulging. What to read next? When was the last time you grazed titles by local authors or books about local places and people?