Expand your reading! This month is National Small Press Month, an opportunity to read and celebrate work published by small, independent publishers. As more books are published by a smaller number of publishing houses (as major U.S. publishers have merged and consolidated over the years), small presses are a vital part of the landscape of literature. And when you discover something particularly gobsmacking, original, trenchant, and daring when combing the titles at your local bookstore, chances are it is published by a small press.

Come explore staff-selected small press gems we're displaying in the bookstore (and here on harvard.com) this March. A resilient young peach farmer flees to the Colorado mountains, struggling to survive in the wilderness when tragedy strikes in Go as a River—published by Spiegel & Grau (a recently relaunched publisher with a truly unique story). His Name Was Death, written by Mexican writer Rafael Bernal in 1947, is an insect apocalypse tale and legendary precursor to eco-fiction, now in English for the first time with a translation by Kit Schluter—published by New Directions. Neither memoir, essay, nor poetry, Book of Mutter is an uncategorizable text that draws upon a repertoire of genres, embracing shadow while in the throes and calm of grief, published by Semiotext(e). Who is Dead Papa Toothwort and what does he want? Find out in Max Porter's novel Lanny, published by Graywolf Press. Melissa S. is "still haunted by the subtle horror laced throughout."

Find these and more truly unique small press titles this month at Harvard Book Store.

Tuesday, March 14, 7PM

Bill Janovitz—author and a founding member of the band Buffalo Tom—discuses Leon Russell: The Master of Space and Time's Journey Through Rock & Roll History. Joining in conversation is bestselling novelist Tom Perrotta. Masks required. Join us.

Thursday, March 16, 7PM

Gesine Bullock-Prado—acclaimed pastry chef, baking instructor, and host of Food Network’s Baked in Vermont—discusses her new cookbook My Vermont Table: Recipes for All (Six) Seasons. Joining in conversation is Joanne Chang, James Beard award–winning chef and co-owner of Flour Bakery. Masks required. Join us.

This weekend you'll find new titles from Bloomsbury Academic in our Publisher Focus window, including new titles in the captivating Object Lessons and 33⅓ series. Object Lessons is a series of concise, collectable, beautifully designed books about the hidden lives of ordinary things. Watching The Last of Us and need some assurance on fungi? Pick up Mushroom. 

33⅓ is a series of short books about pop music, focusing on individual albums by artists ranging from ESG to Madvillain. Also new from 33⅓ is the Genre series, which guide the reader through musical sub-genres like Trip-hop and Death Metal. 

In case you missed it, check out our latest "New This Week" newsletter, and come browse our virtual New Arrivals shelves for all the very latest new books, updated every Tuesday. Our weekly store best sellers are updated on Mondays (and they are 20% off for Frequent Buyer Card members!). And on a monthly basis, we recommend dozens of recently published featured titles, plus members of our Signed First Edition Club receive a new book of great literary merit, selected by our staff.