The cherry blossoms are in full bloom in Washington, D.C., and the Calhouns are in the midst of hosting their annual party to celebrate the best of the spring season. With a house full of friends, neighbors, and their beloved three adult children, the Calhouns are expecting another picture-perfect event. But a brutal murder in the middle of the celebration transforms the yearly gathering into a homicide scene, and all the guests into suspects.
Behind their façade of perfection, the Calhoun family has been keeping some very dark secrets. Parents who use money and emotional manipulation to control their children. Two sons, one the black sheep who is desperate to outrun mistakes he’s made, and the other a new father, willing to risk everything to protect his child. And a daughter: an Instagram influencer who refuses to face the truth about the man she married.
As the investigation heats up, family tensions build, and alliances shift. Long-buried resentments surface, forcing the Calhouns to face their darkest secrets before it’s too late.
Such a Lovely Family takes place in a blooming Washington, D.C., and author Aggie Blum Thompson has put together such a lovely list of bookstores that you’ll definitely want to add to your itinerary if you’re on a trip to the D.C. area!
By Aggie Blum Thompson:
Is there anything better than curling up with a good book and a cuppa? Whenever I visit a new city or town, one of the first things I do is find out where the local independent bookstore is and plan a visit. Luckily, no matter where you are in Washington D.C. area, you are spoiled for choices. Below is a non-exhaustive list of bookstores in the city, and nearby spots to grab a bite.
We’ll start at Politics and Prose, located at 5105 Connecticut Ave. NW. in the quiet, almost suburban neighborhood of Chevy Chase, D.C. Politics is on the marquee of this store for a reason — this is the launching pad for the books of so many of D.C.’s power players. Folks like Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama. The political section is deep here, but so is the fiction and mystery and, more recently, a romance section. Downstairs is dedicated to children and YA lit, and a small café to grab a drink. Their calendar is always chock-full of events with a variety of authors. Some who are world-known like J.K. Rowling and Salman Rushdie, and others who are local – like me (I’ve launched two of my novels here).
Continuing down Connecticut Avenue, you’ll find Kramers, which has operated in the heart of Dupont Circle since 1979. In its heyday, it was open 24 hours and was described by the New York Times as “one part bookstore, one part restaurant and perhaps one part singles bar.” The attached restaurant is still going strong — check out their popular weekend brunch — and the store hosts events such as trivia night. The D.C. institution has drawn notable shoppers such as Barack Obama and Maya Angelou, and an episode of Veep with Julia Louis Dreyfuss was filmed there. Political junkies may remember the role the store played in the Monica Lewinsky scandal – Kramers successfully fought off a subpoena for records of what books Lewinsky had purchased there. (According to the Starr report, one of the books was Vox by Nicholson Baker.)
Across Dupont Circle, at the corner of Twentieth and P streets, is Second Story Books, named one of the ten best used and rare bookstores in the country by USA Today. Founded in 1973, it boasts an enormous collection of not only books, but collectible manuscripts, maps, prints, and posters in both its D.C. and Rockville locations. Every topic imaginable is represented. If you love hunting for treasures in bookstores with floor-to-ceiling shelves boasting everything from first edition classics to the latest in fiction, this is the store for you. Second Story books does not have a café, but a few blocks away on R Street you’ll find Teaism, a serene teahouse that serves light Japanese & Thai-style fare along with more than fifty types of tea.
Heading over to Capitol Hill, you’ll find several independent bookstores all within a fifteen-minute walk of each other. Start at Little District Books, which is on Barracks Row, Capitol Hill’s historic 8th Street SE commercial corridor. This small shop focuses on stories that represent the full spectrum of LGBTQIA+ identities and queer literature, and also has a great gift section. Continue up 8th Street SE and swing a left when you come to Pennsylvania Avenue to find East City Bookshop, which opened in 2016. This quintessential neighborhood shop hosts not only author readings, but story times for children and more than a dozen book clubs with topics as different as social justice and romance. Just a block north is another used bookshop called Capitol Hill Books. Stepping into this small shop that has books crammed into every nook and cranny is like stepping back in time, an effect enhanced by the previous owner’s handwritten note prohibiting mention of Amazon and Kindle. The store hosts a small party on the second Saturday of most months, where customers can enjoy a drink or nibble and get ten percent off their purchases. If you’re ready for your own nibbles, you’re in luck because across the street is Eastern Market, a food hall with dozens of vendors featuring everything from macarons to ribs.
Finally, head up to the U Street Corridor to the original Busboys and Poets. There are now seven additional locations, but this local independent bookstore chain began at 14th & V Streets NW in 2005. The store is located on “Langston Hughes Way” — V street between 13th and 14th Streets — which is the inspiration for the store’s name. A restaurant, bar, bookstore, and community gathering place, Busboys and Poets does more than sell books. It is a political and cultural hub, buzzing with events from open-mic nights to its series of continuing talks on race. Stop by the bar to try one of the signature cocktails, such as the D.C. Tap Water or the 51st State.
Click below to order your copy of Such a Lovely Family, available now!
Leave a Reply