Step into a world of literary wonder at the Shepherdstown Book Festival.
Immerse yourself in a captivating celebration of books, authors, and the joy of reading. Explore the aisles of Four Seasons Books and discover an array of titles to satisfy every reading appetite. Meet talented authors who are passionate about sharing their stories and insights. Whether you're a lifelong bookworm or just starting your reading journey, the Shepherdstown Book Festival is a haven for bibliophiles of all ages. Join us in the heart of Shepherdstown and be part of this exciting literary tradition. Keep an eye on our event calendar for details on upcoming panels and special author appearances. Four Seasons Books: Where words come to life.
Miss the event? Purchase signed copies shipped directly to you or picked up in store!
Please note that pick up prep time & shipping will vary. Not all orders are eligible for shipping. Personalization is available for *some* but not all listed books. For any questions or concerns regarding an order please email the store directly - referencing your first & last name as well as any applicable order information.
Goodbye Days | Jeff Zentner
$12.99
Biographical Note:
Jeff Zentner is the acclaimed author of The Serpent King. In addition to writing, he is also a singer-songwriter and guitarist who has recorded with Iggy Pop, Nick Cave, and Debbie Harry. Goodbye Days is his love letter to the city of Nashville and the talented people who populate it. He lives in Nashville with his wife and son. You can follow him on Facebook, on Instagram, and on Twitter at @jeffzentner.
Review Quotes:
"Jeff Zentner, you perfectly fill the John-Green-sized hole in our heart." --Justine Magazine
"Evocative, heartbreaking, and beautifully written." --Buzzfeed"Masterful." --Teen Vogue"Tender, honest, moving, and lyrical. Zentner is the real thing." --Benjamin Alire Sáenz, winner of the PEN/Faulkner Award for Fiction and Printz Honor winnerAn Indie Next List Selection" Zentner does an excellent job in creating empathetic characters, especially his protagonist Carver, a budding writer whose first-person account of his plight is artful evidence of his talent."-- Booklist, Starred"Racial tensions, spoiled reputations, and broken homes all play roles in an often raw meditation on grief and the futility of entertaining what-ifs when faced with awful, irreversible events."-- Publishers Weekly, Starred" [E]xquisite and tragic." - Shelf Awareness, Starred"[A] novel full of wisdom." -- Kirkus"[The] kind of intelligent, intense, and life-affirming tale that will resonate with teens seeking depth and honesty." -- SLJ"An organic, frequently raw narrative." - Horn Book"Tissues not optional." -- The Bulletin
Praise for Jeff Zentner's The Serpent King
A William C. Morris Award Winner
A New York Times Notable Book
An Amazon Best Book of the Year
A Kirkus Reviews Best Book of the Year
A Publishers Weekly Best Book of the Year
A BuzzFeed Best YA Book of the Year
An Indie Next List Top Ten Selection
A Paste Magazine and Popcrush Most Anticipated YA Book of the Year
A Publishers Weekly Spring Flying Start
" Move over, John Green; Zentner is coming for you." --The New York Public Library" Will fill the infinite space that was left in your chest after you finished The Perks of Being a Wallflower." --Book Riot"A story about friendship, family and forgiveness, it's as funny and witty as it is utterly heartbreaking." --P aste Magazine"A brutally honest portrayal of teen life . . . [and] a love letter to the South from a man who really understands it." -- Mashable"Zentner's great achievement -- particularly impressive for a first novel -- is to make us believe three such different people could be friends. He also manages to blend a dank, oppressive, Flannery O'Connor-esque sense of place with humor and optimism .... I adored all three of these characters and the way they talked to and loved one another." -- New York Times Book Review
Publisher Marketing:
What would you do if you could spend one last day with someone you lost? From the award winning author of The Serpent King comes an acclaimed story of grief, guilt and the chance to say goodbye. And don't miss the author's highly anticipated new book, In the Wild Light!
"Gorgeous, heartbreaking, and ultimately life-affirming." --Nicola Yoon, #1 New York Times bestselling author of Everything, Everything.
Where are you guys? Text me back. That's the last message Carver Briggs will ever send his three best friends, Mars, Eli, and Blake. He never thought that it would lead to their death.Now Carver can't stop blaming himself for the accident and even worse, a powerful judge is pressuring the district attorney to open up a criminal investigation.Luckily, Carver has some unexpected allies: Eli's girlfriend, the only person to stand by him at school; Dr. Mendez, his new therapist; and Blake's grandmother, who asks Carver to spend a "goodbye day" together to share their memories and say a proper farewell.Soon the other families are asking for their own goodbye day with Carver--but he's unsure of their motives. Will they all be able to make peace with their losses, or will these goodbye days bring Carver one step closer to a complete breakdown or--even worse--prison?
"Hold on to your heart: this book will wreck you, fix you, and most definitely change you." --Becky Albertalli, Morris Award-winning author of Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda
If We Were Villains | M.L. Rio
$28.99
Biographical Note:
M. L. Rio has worked in bookstores and theatres for years, and holds a master's in Shakespeare studies from King's College London. If We Were Villains is her debut novel.
Review Quotes:
"Nerdily (and winningly) in love with Shakespeare...Readable, smart."
--New York Times Book Review
"Pulls the reader in from the first page... A well-written and gripping ode to the stage...A fascinating, unorthodox take on rivalry, friendship, and truth, IF WE WERE VILLAINS will draw readers in and leave them pondering the weight of our biggest actions and their consequences."
--Mystery Scene"Echoing such college-set novels as Donna Tartt's The Secret History and mixing in enough Shakespearean theater to qualify readers for the stage, Rio's debut mystery is an engrossing ride...Rio crafts an intricate story about friendship, love, and betrayal. Recommended for readers who enjoy literary fiction by authors such as Tartt or Emily St. John Mandel."
--Library Journal, starred review
"Bloody, melodramatic, suspenseful debut... This novel about obsession at the conservatory will thoroughly obsess you."
--Kirkus, starred review
"This is a rare and extraordinary novel: a vivid rendering of the closed world of a conservatory education, a tender and harrowing exploration of friendship, and a genuinely breathtaking literary thriller. I can't recommend this book highly enough, and can't wait to read what M. L. Rio writes next."
--Emily St. John Mandel, New York Times bestselling author of Station Eleven"Much like Donna Tartt's The Secret History, M. L. Rio's sparkling debut is a richly layered story of love, friendship, and obsession. Both comic and tragic, this novel asks what people are willing to sacrifice in the name of ambition. Expertly plotted, beautifully written, If We Were Villains will keep you riveted through its final, electrifying moments."
--Cynthia D'Aprix Sweeney, New York Times bestselling author of The Nest"If We Were Villains is a whip-smart, chilling tale of a group of Shakespeare students who are, as the Bard put it, "a little more than kin, and less than kind" -- especially after one of their own meets a horrific fate. Full of friendship, betrayal, and passionate devotion, this is a page-turning literary thriller whose final, shocking twist you won't soon forget."
--Miranda Beverly-Whittemore, New York Times bestselling author of Bittersweet and June"A tale worthy of the Bard himself...ending in one final, astonishing twist. Recommended for readers with refined literary tastes, and those looking for 'something like' Donna Tartt."
-- Booklist"Intriguing...a solid mystery that keeps the pages turning."
-- Publishers Weekly
Publisher Marketing:
"Much like Donna Tartt's The Secret History, M. L. Rio's sparkling debut is a richly layered story of love, friendship, and obsession...will keep you riveted through its final, electrifying moments."
--Cynthia D'Aprix Sweeney, New York Times bestselling author of The Nest
"Nerdily (and winningly) in love with Shakespeare...Readable, smart."
--New York Times Book Review
On the day Oliver Marks is released from jail, the man who put him there is waiting at the door. Detective Colborne wants to know the truth, and after ten years, Oliver is finally ready to tell it.A decade ago: Oliver is one of seven young Shakespearean actors at Dellecher Classical Conservatory, a place of keen ambition and fierce competition. In this secluded world of firelight and leather-bound books, Oliver and his friends play the same roles onstage and off: hero, villain, tyrant, temptress, ingénue, extras.But in their fourth and final year, good-natured rivalries turn ugly, and on opening night real violence invades the students' world of make-believe. In the morning, the fourth-years find themselves facing their very own tragedy, and their greatest acting challenge yet: convincing the police, each other, and themselves that they are innocent.If We Were Villains was named one of Bustle's Best Thriller Novels of the Year, and Mystery Scene says, "A well-written and gripping ode to the stage...A fascinating, unorthodox take on rivalry, friendship, and truth."
Review Citations:
- Kirkus Reviews 02/15/2017 pg. 23 (EAN 9781250095282, Hardcover) - *Starred Review
- Publishers Weekly 02/27/2017 (EAN 9781250095282, Hardcover)
- Booklist 03/15/2017 pg. 23 (EAN 9781250095282, Hardcover)
Contributor Bio: Rio, M L
M. L. Rio has worked in bookstores and theatres for years, and is currently pursuing her MA in Shakespeare Studies at King's College London. If We Were Villains is her debut novel.
In the Wild Light | Jeff Zentner
$12.99
Biographical Note:
JEFF ZENTNER is the author of New York Times Notable Book The Serpent King, Goodbye Days, Rayne & Delilah's Midnite Matinee, and In the Wild Light. He has won the William C. Morris Award, Amelia Elizabeth Walden Award, International Literacy Association Award, Westchester Fiction Award, been longlisted for the Carnegie Medal and UKLA and was a finalist for the Southern Book Prize and Indies Choice Award. He was a Publishers Weekly Flying Start and an Indies Introduce pick. Before becoming a writer, he was a musician who recorded with Iggy Pop, Nick Cave and Debbie Harry. He lives in Nashville with his wife and son. You can visit him online at jeffzentnerbooks.com and on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook.
NAMED ONE OF THE BEST BOOKS OF THE YEAR BY The New York Times - Buzzfeed - Kirkus Reviews - Publishers Weekly - Chicago Public Library"Redefines friendship as something that must be protected, sacrificed for, and tended to with wisdom, patience, and love." --Ocean Vuong, New York Times bestselling author of On Earth We're Briefly Gorgeous
A poignant coming-of-age novel about two best friends whose friendship is tested when they get the opportunity to leave their impoverished small town for an elite prep school. For fans of Looking for Alaska.Life in a small Appalachian town is not easy. Cash lost his mother to an opioid addiction and his Papaw is dying slowly from emphysema. Dodging drug dealers and watching out for his best friend, Delaney, is second nature. He's been spending his summer mowing lawns while she works at Dairy Queen. But when Delaney manages to secure both of them full rides to an elite prep school in Connecticut, Cash will have to grapple with his need to protect and love Delaney, and his love for the grandparents who saved him and the town he has to leave behind. Jeff Zentner's new novel is a beautiful examination of grief, found family, and young love.
Rayne & Delilah's Midnite Matinee | Jeff Zentner
$11.99
Biographical Note:
Jeff Zentner is the author of The Serpent King, a New York Times Notable Book, winner of the William C. Morris Award, and recipient of many other accolades; and Goodbye Days, named an ALA-YALSA Top Ten Best Fiction for Young Adults title. Jeff was a Publishers Weekly Flying Start and an Indies Introduce pick. Rayne & Delilah's Midnite Matinee is his ode to best friends who make things together. He lives in Nashville with his wife and son. You can follow him on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram, or visit him at jeffzentnerbooks.com.
"Anyone can break your heart--Jeff Zentner can also make you laugh out loud!" --RAINBOW ROWELL, #1 New York Times bestselling author of Carry On and Eleanor & ParkFrom the Morris Award-winning author of The Serpent King comes a contemporary novel about two best friends who must make tough decisions about their futures--and the TV show they host--in their senior year of high school.Every Friday night, best friends Delia and Josie become Rayne Ravenscroft and Delilah Darkwood, hosts of the campy creature feature show Midnite Matinee on the local cable station TV Six.But with the end of senior year quickly approaching, the girls face tough decisions about their futures. Josie has been dreading graduation, as she tries to decide whether to leave for a big university and chase her dream career in mainstream TV. And Lawson, one of the show's guest performers, a talented MMA fighter with weaknesses for pancakes, fantasy novels, and Josie, is making her tough decision even harder.Scary movies are the last connection Delia has to her dad, who abandoned the family years ago. If Midnite Matinee becomes a hit, maybe he'll see it and want to be a part of her life again. And maybe Josie will stay with the show instead of leaving her behind, too.As the tug-of-war between growing up and growing apart tests the bonds of their friendship, Josie and Delia start to realize that an uncertain future can be both monstrous...and momentous."I laughed, cried, and fell over-the-moon in love with Rayne & Delilah's Midnite Matinee." --JENNIFER NIVEN, New York Times bestselling author of All the Bright Places and Holding Up the Universe"A testament to the power of friendship and big dreams, Rayne & Delilah's Midnite Matinee had me laughing aloud on one page and sobbing on the next. A resounding triumph." --NIC STONE, New York Times bestselling author of Dear Martin"Rayne & Delilah's Midnite Matinee starts as comedy about the wildly imperfect, and ends as poetry about the ever-hoping heart. I don't know how you write that book. Fortunately, Jeff Zentner does." --JESSE ANDREWS, New York Times bestselling author of Me and Earl and the Dying Girl
Serpent King | Jeff Zentner
$11.99
Biographical Note:
JEFF ZENTNER is the author of New York Times Notable Book The Serpent King, Goodbye Days, Rayne & Delilah's Midnite Matinee, and In the Wild Light. He has won the William C. Morris Award, Amelia Elizabeth Walden Award, International Literacy Association Award, Westchester Fiction Award, been longlisted for the Carnegie Medal and UKLA and was a finalist for the Southern Book Prize and Indies Choice Award. He was a Publishers Weekly Flying Start and an Indies Introduce pick. Before becoming a writer, he was a musician who recorded with Iggy Pop, Nick Cave and Debbie Harry. He lives in Nashville with his wife and son. You can visit him online at jeffzentnerbooks.com and on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook.
Named to ten BEST OF THE YEAR lists and selected as a William C. Morris Award Winner, The Serpent King is the critically acclaimed, much-beloved story of three teens who find themselves--and each other--while on the cusp of graduating from high school with hopes of leaving their small-town behind.This gorgeous paperback edition with a full-color step-back cover will have teens everywhere itching to discover the book that everyone is talking about. Perfect for fans of John Green's Turtles All the Way Down."Move over, John Green; Zentner is coming for you." --The New York Public Library"Will fill the infinite space that was left in your chest after you finished The Perks of Being a Wallflower." --BookRiot.com
Dill isn't the most popular kid at his rural Tennessee high school. After his father fell from grace in a public scandal that reverberated throughout their small town, Dill became a target. Fortunately, his two fellow misfits and best friends, Travis and Lydia, have his back.But as they begin their senior year, Dill feels the coils of his future tightening around him. His only escapes are music and his secret feelings for Lydia--neither of which he is brave enough to share. Graduation feels more like an ending to Dill than a beginning. But even before then, he must cope with another ending--one that will rock his life to the core.Debut novelist Jeff Zentner provides an unblinking and at times comic view of the hard realities of growing up in the Bible belt, and an intimate look at the struggles to find one's true self in the wreckage of the past."A story about friendship, family and forgiveness, it's as funny and witty as it is utterly heartbreaking." --PasteMagazine.com
"A brutally honest portrayal of teen life . . . [and] a love letter to the South from a man who really understands it." --Mashable.com"I adored all three of these characters and the way they talked to and loved one another."--New York Times
In These Hallowed Halls | M.L. Rio
$26.95
ENROLLMENT BEGINS NOWA beguiling, sinister collection of 12 dark academia short stories from masters of the genre, including Olivie Blake, M.L. Rio, Susie Yang and more!In these stories, dear student, retribution visits a lothario lecturer; the sinister truth is revealed about a missing professor; a forsaken lover uses a séance for revenge; an obsession blooms about a possible illicit affair; two graduates exhume the secrets of a reclusive scholar; horrors are uncovered in an obscure academic department; five hopeful initiates must complete a murderous task and much more!Featuring brand-new stories from:
Olivie Blake
M.L. Rio
David Bell
Susie Yang
Layne Fargo
J.T. Ellison
James Tate Hill
Kelly Andrew
Phoebe Wynne
Kate Weinberg
Helen Grant
Tori BovalinoDefinition of dark academia in English:
dark academia
1. An internet subculture concerned with higher education, the arts, and literature, or an idealised version thereof with a focus on the pursuit of knowledge and an exploration of death.
- 2. A set of aesthetic principles. Scholarly with a gothic edge - tweed blazers, vintage cardigans, scuffed loafers, a worn leather satchel full of brooding poetry. Enthusiasts are usually found in museums and darkened libraries.
Contributor Bio: Rio, M L
M. L. Rio has worked in bookstores and theatres for years, and is currently pursuing her MA in Shakespeare Studies at King's College London. If We Were Villains is her debut novel.
Molly's Tuxedo | Vicki Johnson
$18.99
Molly wants to look her best for picture day at her school, and what looks better than a tux?Molly's school picture day is coming up, and she wants to have a perfect portrait taken to hang on their wall. Her mom has picked out a nice dress for her, but Molly knows from experience that dresses are trouble. They have tight places and hard-to-reach zippers, and worst of all, no pockets! Luckily, she has the perfect thing to save picture day--her brother's old tuxedo!But mom doesn't want her to wear a tuxedo in the photo; she thinks Molly looks best in the dress. Can Molly find the courage to follow her heart and get her mom to realize just how awesome she'd look in a tux? This book highlights a gender nonconforming main character and is published in partnership with GLAAD to accelerate LGBTQ inclusivity and acceptance.
YumUniverse Pantry to Plate | Heather Crosby
$19.95
What you crave + What's in your cupboard = Joyful cooking your wayHeather Crosby loves a good recipe, but most of the time, she simply cooks pantry to plate. What's that? It's taking stock of what you have on hand and what you're in the mood for--and then, well, improvising!For example: Do you have some veggies, a protein, a binder, and some herbs and spices for flavor? Mix it up and you'll have veggie burgers . . . no recipe required. In this one-of-a-kind cookbook, Heather shares:30 ingenious recipe templates to help you freestyle plant-packed, gluten-free meals and snacks on the fly: Breakfast Cookies, Bites & Tots, Tacos & Wraps, Hand Pies, and more.Plus, 100 delicious recipes that show the templates in action, from Maple-Spiced Pear & Toasted Pecan Parfait (based on the Coconut Yogurt template) to Pesto Chickpea & Quinoa Scramble (based on the Scrambles template).Are you a recipe renegade who likes to bend the "rules"? A health-conscious cook seeking more kitchen confidence? Are you busy or tired of going shopping for just one missing ingredient? With the flexible templates in YumUniverse Pantry to Plate, gluten-free, plantiful goodness is at your fingertips.
Growing Tomorrow | Forrest Pritchard
$24.95
Meet the local farmers who feed America--in stories, photos, and 50 recipes!When Forrest Pritchard went looking for the unsung heroes of local, sustainable food, he found them at 18 exceptional farms all over the country.In Detroit, Aba Ifeoma of D-Town Farm dreams of replenishing the local "food desert" with organic produce. On Cape Cod, Nick Muto stays afloat and eco-friendly by fishing with the seasons. And in Washington State, fourth-generation farmer Robert Hayton confides, "This farm has been rescued by big harvests. . . . For every one great season, though, you've got ten years of tough."With more than 50 mouthwatering recipes and over 250 photographs, this unique cookbook captures the struggles and triumphs of the visionary farmers who are Growing Tomorrow.
Start Your Farm | Forrest Pritchard
$19.95
A totally modern, all-purpose handbook for today's agricultural dreamers--covering the challenges and triumphs of launching any successful farm--from two leading lights in sustainable farmingDo you dream of starting your own farm but wonder where to begin? Or do you already have a farm but wish to become more sustainable to compete in today's market? Start Your Farm, the first comprehensive business guide of its kind, covers these essential questions and more:
- Why be a farmer in the 21st century? Do you have what it takes?
- What does sustainable really mean, and how can a small (as little as one acre) to midsize farm survive alongside commodity-scale agriculture?
- How do you access education, land, and other needs with limited capital?
- How can you reap an actual profit, including a return on land investment?
- How do you build connections with employees, colleagues, and customers?
- At the end of the day, how do you measure success? (Hint: Cash your lifestyle paycheck.)
More than a practical guide, Start Your Farm is a hopeful call to action for anyone who aspires to grow wholesome, environmentally sustainable food for a living. Take it from Forrest Pritchard and Ellen Polishuk: Making this dream a reality is not for the faint of heart, but it's well within reach--and there's no greater satisfaction under the sun!
Gaining Ground | Forrest Pritchard
$18.95
With humor and pathos, Forrest Pritchard recounts his ambitious and often hilarious endeavors to save his family's seventh-generation farm in the Shenandoah Valley. Through many a trial and error, he not only saves Smith Meadows from insolvency but turns it into a leading light in the sustainable, grass-fed, organic farm-to-market community. There is nothing young Farmer Pritchard won't try. Whether he's selling firewood and straw, raising free-range chickens and hogs, or acquiring a flock of Barbados Blackbelly sheep, his learning curve is steep and always entertaining. Pritchard's world crackles with colorful local characters--farm hands, butchers, market managers, customers, fellow vendors, pet goats, policemen--bringing the story to warm, communal life. His most important ally, however, is his renegade father, who initially questions his son's career choice and eschews organic foods for the generic kinds that wreak havoc on his health. Soon after his father's death, the farm becomes a recognized success and Pritchard must make a vital decision: to continue serving the local community or answer the exploding demand for his wares with lucrative Internet sales and shipping deals. More than a charming story of honest food cultivation and farmers' markets, Gaining Ground tugs on the heartstrings, reconnecting us to the land and the many lives that feed us.
Upcoming Events
Stephen AltmanStephen Altman, a respected local author renowned for their expertise in Keats studies, will be hosting a thought-provoking event titled "A Joy Forever: Why Keats Still Matters."
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Iron Flame Book Release PartyCelebrate the highly anticipated release, Iron Flame by Rebecca Yarros. There will be standing refreshments, door prizes, raffles, crafts, trivia, and more! Enjoy themed activities to celebrate the Four Quadrants. Cosplay encouraged!
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The New Blue Stockings Book ClubNamed for the 18th-century English society of intellectual women who gathered to discuss literature and bold new ideas, the New Bluestockings at Four Seasons read literary fiction & nonfiction by and about women, for everyone.
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