Literature by Locals
We have more great writers within a few blocks of the bookstore than even we can keep up with! Here are a few of our favorites. Like something you see? Email us at: orders@bigbluemarblebooks.com
From bookstore staffer and award-winning writer Rahul Mehta, a compelling debut novel set in rural America and India in the 1980s and ’90s, part coming-of-age story about a gay Indian American boy, part immigrant family saga. $25.99
Janet Benton's novel Lilli De Jong is a 2017 bestseller for us - the story of a young woman who finds the most powerful love of her life when she gives birth at an institution for unwed mothers in 1883 Philadelphia. She is told she must give up her daughter to avoid lifelong poverty and shame. But she chooses to keep her. $26.95
Jon McGoran's first Young Adult novel, Spliced is a gripping sci-fi thriller where genetically altered teens fight for survival in a near-future society that is redefining what it means to be human. $18.95
A staff favorite, this sweet book chronicles how Bunny shares winter with her hibernating friend Bear. $15.99
From Weavers Way Staffer Stephanie Bruneau, a beautifully illustrated book on bees, bee culture, honey and more. $24.99
From Chestnut Hill's best middle-grade novelist and bookstore favorite Amy Ignatow, the second book in her Mighty Odds series. Funny. Thoughtful. Exciting! $16.99
A photographic essay that explore life stories of a diverse group of Philadelphia young people, ages 14–24, identifying as queer (lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, or questioning). $14.95
Another store favorite, Karen Bojar's study of how the Democratic party functions at the ward level in Philly (hint, mainly not democratically) is a map to real change. $16.95
Philadelphian Stephanie Feldman's lushly imagined debut novel that explores the intersections of family secrets, Jewish myths, the legacy of war and history, and the bonds between sisters. $15.99
Words for Blessing the World resonates with traditional Jewish liturgy even as it observes the world through a distinctly modern lens. Words for Blessing the World deals with the theological, the political, and the personal and is presented in both Hebrew and English, anchoring the collection deep within the Jewish tradition. $10.00
Leonard Gontarek is a driving force behind the Philadelphia poetry community, and these sharp, beautiful poems demonstrate why he's a much-in-demand poetry teacher. $18
Ellen Marcus's celebration of a girl who creates her own way, and how that opens the way for other new ideas. $9.95
Flesh Enough is the first chapbook from neighbor Darla Himeles. It is at once tender and fierce, full of longing, grief, and joy. $12
Staffer Elliott batTzedek's first poetry chapbook explores the how life expands after sexual abuse. $10
In jaw-dropping photos taken in Carpenters Woods and the Wissahickon, Doug Wechsler captures the life cycle of the American toad from egg to tadpole to adult. To get these images, Wechsler sat in a pond wearing waders, went out night after night in search of toads, and cut his own glass to make a home aquarium. The resulting photos reveal metamorphosis in extreme close-up as readers have never seen it before. $17.99