Bridgeside Books announces One Town, One Book pick ahead of Independent Bookstore Day
April 17, 2026 | By Lisa Scagliotti
Cover image for 'Second Pocket First' by Gregory Grosvenor
Bridgeside Books has chosen the title for the fifth One Town, One Book reading project this year, just ahead of Independent Bookstore Day, when the book’s author plans to visit the Waterbury book shop.
The selection for the unofficial townwide book club is “Second Pocket First” by former Waterbury resident Gregory Grosvenor. The work of fiction is a humorous story set in Vermont about prolific thief who comes to question his life choices as unexpected circumstances put him in the spotlight when he returns to his hometown.
Grosvenor, who now lives in Massachusetts, will visit Bridgeside on Saturday, April 25, from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. to talk about and sign copies of the book. The event will fall on Independent Bookstore Day, promoted nationally by the American Booksellers Association to spotlight independent booksellers.
One Town, One Book is an annual reading project organized by Bridgeside Books in Waterbury to highlight an independently published work of fiction or nonfiction each spring and summer.
The bookstore encourages local readers to join in by reading and discussing the story on their own in the coming months. The project usually concludes in late summer with a gathering at the bookstore, that often includes the author.
Bridgeside staffers say they have been pleased to see their annual reading suggestion easily take root in the community over the past several years.
“We’ve seen neighbors on Maple Street start book clubs to discuss ‘Treehouse on Dog River Road,’ we themed our Not Quite Independence Day parade float around our book pick, and we have sold a combined 917 books across all four One Town, One Book titles,” said Bridgeside manager Jenna Danyew. The “Treehouse” title was the book club’s 2022 selection, written by Catherine Drake.
Formerly a Waterbury resident, Gregory Grosvenor's book 'Second Pocket First' is the One Town, One Book selection for 2026. Courtesy photo
Bookstore owner Katya d’Angelo and Danyew select the book for the project each year with the goal of choosing a title from a small press, either independent or self-published. They only consider books set in Vermont and prioritize Vermont authors.
This year’s choice is the first book written by an author who lives outside of Vermont. Grosvenor, who now lives in Cambridge, Massachusetts, previously lived in Waterbury and was married at The Old Stagecoach Inn.
As they combed through book options -- some even suggested by small publishers who are now aware of the annual reading project -- d’Angelo and Danyew said they both landed on “Second Pocket First” as the story they want local readers to dive into this year.
“It’s firmly set in Vermont with small-town quirk and charm playing a huge role … but it’s something a little different than previous years with so much comedy, petty theft, and cartoonish shenanigans,” Danyew said, offering a teaser without any spoilers.
The story’s main character is Issey who considers himself a masterful thief, skillful with lockpicking tools and partial to ankle boots and slimming turtlenecks. He finds himself back in his Vermont hometown in the fictional Bell River Valley where he begins a crime spree, but unexpected circumstances put him in the unlikely role of local hero. There’s a mysterious love interest, a past associate and a twist that reconnects Issey with everything he’s ever stolen.
Find the copies of the book for purchase at Bridgeside Books and to borrow from the Waterbury Public Library. Later this spring and summer, copies also are likely to pop up in the many little lending libraries in neighborhoods around Waterbury.