Browse our selection of the best books of the season! From fiction to nonfiction to our favorite picks for kids, we guarantee you’ll find the perfect book for every reader.
Wanda M. Morris
"Ellice Littlejohn is a corporate attorney in Atlanta, who goes into the office for a meeting and finds her boss dead. She is offered his job, but can she trust the others in the executive circle? This debut thriller is a page-turner full of twists you won’t see coming." – Jennifer H., Powells.com
Sally Rooney
"I expected this novel to make me sad, but what I did not expect was for Beautiful World, Where Are You to soothe the instinct for nihilism with a wild kind of hope. A hope, as the novel offers, 'that new things will keep happening, that nothing is over yet.'" – Sarah R., Powells.com
Richard Powers
"Powers’s author note made me cry, and its simple, astonishing empathy for children and the natural world only strengthens with each page of this beautifully wrought, difficult story about a loving father and raging son grieving for the Earth and its inhabitants." – Rhianna W., Powells.com
Ruth Ozeki
"I love this heartbreaking, inventive story about teenage Benny, who hears voices from the objects around him, and his mother Annabelle, who has a hoarding problem. The eclectic group of friends that Benny makes along the way adds a richness to this story that made it a true pleasure to read." – Jennifer H., Powells.com
Amanda Gorman
"Like so many, I was transfixed and moved by Amanda Gorman’s performance of her poem "The Hill We Climb" at President Biden's inauguration, and now I can’t wait to read her first full collection." – Keith M., Powells.com
Anthony Doerr
"I’m not sure how Anthony Doerr made this beautiful novel simultaneously epic and intimate, but he did. It’s also impressively imaginative, hopeful, and a glorious celebration of the power of books and stories. Just what I needed." – Keith M., Powells.com
Jonathan Franzen
"If you've never read Jonathan Franzen's fiction, you may be surprised by how insightful and moving Crossroads is. If you're a fan, you'll see a new humbleness and empathy in his writing that makes this story of a family in crisis in the early 1970s Franzen's best book yet." – Adam P., Powells.com
Susan DeFreitas, ed.
"Dispatches From Anarres is why I read. This remarkable anthology of short stories in tribute to Ursula K. Le Guin is filled with thoughtful, heartbreaking, funny tales. Some will remind you of Le Guin and others of her spirit. I found myself pausing to think and breathe after many of the stories. This book is both readable and deep." – Doug C., Powells.com
Brent Spiner
Brent Spiner, the actor who portrayed the beloved android Data on Star Trek: The Next Generation, pens this fictional memoir of his time on the show. It’s a delightful whodunit full of laugh-out-loud moments, twists, turns, and heart. I read the book in one sitting — it’s that entertaining. The perfect gift for the Star Trek fan in your life! – Matt K., Powells.com
Miriam Toews
"How my bookseller heart leapt when I heard there was a new Miriam Toews novel on the horizon! This tender, funny family portrait, narrated by nine-year-old Swiv in a letter to her estranged father, had me in stitches and in tears and introduced me to a grandmother I won’t soon forget." – Tove H., Powells.com
Charlotte Higgins
"Using tapestry as framework and metaphor, Higgins draws her retellings from imaginary textiles the female characters are weaving. A cunning and intriguing structure that allows for beautiful illustrations (and nods to the centrality of weaving in Greek mythology), Greek Myths is for lovers of Madeline Miller, Pat Barker, and D’Aulaires’ Book of Greek Myths." – Rhianna W., Powells.com
adrienne maree brown
"Brown has emerged as a powerhouse of the social justice movement in recent years. Her fiction debut is a bleak, haunting exploration of loss, grief, and anger shot through with resilience and hope. Like all of her works, Grievers explores how we work to create a world in which we want to live." – Emily B., Powells.com
Colson Whitehead
"Colson Whitehead has shown himself to be a master of multiple genres, and here he adds to that list with his take on crime fiction. Following a furniture salesman in 1960s Harlem, Whitehead shows that when historical forces meet a fast-changing city, it creates many opportunities for the crooked." – Keith M., Powells.com
Amor Towles
"Few book releases make me as happy as a new Amor Towles release because few books make me as happy as every novel he’s ever written. His latest feat, a 1950s cross-country picaresque set on a freight train, might even top the charm, inventiveness, and sheer delight of A Gentleman in Moscow." – Rhianna W., Powells.com
Sang Young Park (Trans. Anton Hur)
"We’re in a real renaissance of great Korean literature being translated into English. Sang Young Park has continued that trend, but opened up a window into a milieu I’ve never seen depicted before: contemporary queer life in Seoul. His book is revealing, moving, and beautiful." – Keith M., Powells.com
Colm Tóibín
"As with everything Colm Tóibín sets his masterful hand to, The Magician is a great imaginative achievement — immensely readable, erudite, worldly and knowing, and fully realized." – Richard Ford
Elizabeth Strout
"Strout's characters teem with angst and emotion, all of which [she] handles with a mastery of restraint and often in spare, true sentences….It's not for nothing that Strout has been compared to Hemingway. In some ways, she betters him." – Publishers Weekly (Starred Review)
Hiromi Kawakami (Trans. Ted Goossen)
"People From My Neighborhood marries small-town drama with magical realism in a series of interconnected flash fiction vignettes. Every person in this neighborhood could inspire a book of their own, but the glimpses we’re afforded here, in Kawakami’s spare and agile prose, make for a beguiling (and quick!) read." – Tove H., Powells.com
Louise Erdrich
"After a betrayal and incarceration, Tookie gets a job at Birchbark Books (a real bookstore owned by Erdrich). Set in Minneapolis between 2019-2020, Tookie, her family, and friends try to make sense of a year marked by grief, fury, and despair. Despite it all, they perform acts of kindness, seek out meaningful connections, and express their love." – Lucinda G., Powells.com
Louise Penny and Hillary Rodham Clinton
"State of Terror is an absolutely gripping, utterly believable, heart-stopping thriller that will make readers question how much is fiction and how much is based on reality. Clinton and Penny are each a force on their own — put together they are unstoppable." – Karin Slaughter
Louise Glück
"I am overjoyed to have a new collection from Nobel Laureate Louise Glück! These poems are beautiful and haunting, and I have many rereads ahead of me as I continue to engage with their language and consider their depths." – Keith M., Powells.com
Ai Weiwei (Trans. Allan H. Barr)
"A powerful and absorbing look at life in China before, during, and after the Cultural Revolution. Whether you are familiar with his work as an artist, human rights activist, and dissident or not, Weiwei will leave you with a new understanding of the importance of art, particularly in the face of repression." – Emily B., Powells.com
Nikole Hannah-Jones
"The 1619 Project from The New York Times, as conceived of by Nikole Hannah-Jones, is one of the most influential undertakings in journalism in recent years. And it was met, in many places, with an angry backlash, making this book-length expansion as vital and important as volumes of history get." – Keith M., Powells.com
Colin Kaepernick, ed.
"Carefully curated, incisively conceptualized anthologies like Alain Locke's The New Negro and Toni Cade Bambara's The Black Woman can transform worlds. Abolition for the People is in this tradition. Kaepernick has assembled a community of visionary thinkers who unequivocally show that the path to freedom requires abolition." – Barbara Smith
Angela Chen
"Angela Chen shares a set of feelings and experiences — her own and others' — that are under-expressed and under-explored, and that is a tremendously valuable project. It's truly above and beyond that she does it so smartly, making this book both delightful and essential." – Keith M., Powells.com
Michelle Zauner
"Crying in H Mart is a skillfully written and deeply moving portrait of Zauner’s mother and their close, and at times strained, relationship. It is also a rumination on cultural distance and the power of food to bridge the gap — it is a book that induces empathy for grief and hunger for Korean cuisine in nearly equal measure." – Keith M., Powells.com
Dorie Greenspan
"A Dorie Greenspan recipe is one that you can make successfully on the first try. Her recipes are simple and straightforward, easy to read and follow, and the end result is invariably incredible. In this new book, she gives us new recipes for classic items. I'll be baking my way through this book all winter long!" – McKenzie W., Powells.com
Joe Pera and Joe Bennett
"Joe Pera has written the sweetest, softest, funniest book to address everyday social anxiety. Please consider picking up this gentle book if you've ever appreciated a small room with a lock as a short-lived safe haven from social obligations or responsibilities — or if you just want to be surprised by your own chuckles while reading." – Michelle C., Powells.com
Daniel Levy and Eugene Levy
"Schitt’s Creek is basically universal: almost everyone I know reveres this show as much as I do. It was essential 2020 comfort watching (or re-watching). I’m so glad this book exists, because I feel like that needs to be celebrated." – Keith M., Powells.com
Bryant Terry
"Mouthwatering, visually stunning, and intoxicating, Black Food tells a global story of creativity, endurance, and imagination that was sustained in the face of dispersal, displacement, and oppression….Pulling together activists, thinkers, and creatives from around the Black world, Black Food will endure like your grandmothers' recipe cards." – Imani Perry
Laurie Woolever
"The story of Tony’s life told simply and honestly by those who knew him best. This book fills a small part of the gaping hole left by his passing, and is an engaging read for anyone his life has touched." – Deana R., Powells.com
David Sedaris
"With this second volume of diary entries, we embark on the daily adventures and observations of a more seasoned, more experienced David Sedaris. The hilarity of the everyday is still there, but there is also a deeper nostalgia and sometimes tragedy that comes through. I read this volume more slowly and liked it better for its complexity." – McKenzie W.
Judith Mackrell
"An exhilarating read packed with emotion and genuine humanity. A vivid portrayal of six remarkable women who made history reporting on World War II." – Kirkus Reviews (Starred Review)
David Graeber and David Wengrow
"The Dawn of Everything reimagines the human story from its earliest beginnings. Easily one of my favorite books of the year, every chapter left me with something to chew over. This is one of those books that will challenge you to reconsider everything." – Emily B., Powells.com
Alex Day, Nick Fauchald, and David Kaplan
"If you’re like me and read recipe books like novels and love to dive deeply into food nerdery, this new offering from America’s most influential cocktail bar will be right up your alley. There’s loads of information on the why and how of creating cocktails, as well as more than 400 new recipes. A must-have for any cocktail enthusiast!" – Deana R., Powells.com
John Koenig
"The Dictionary of Obscure Sorrows wanders through ideas and images like an infinitely scrolling collage. It makes me cry at times, laugh at others, miss the things I have lost, yearn for the moments that haven't happened yet. Give this book to the readers, artists, and dreamers in your life. I hope they love it as much as I do." – McKenzie W., Powells.com
Gregory Gourdet and JJ Goode
"Gregory Gourdet’s Everyone’s Table is an almost magical tome filled with delicious and surprising recipes for your next grain-free/dairy-free/legume-free feast. Nourishing and sumptuous, these dishes bring all the benefits of eating healthily without the disappointments of… eating healthily." – Rhianna W., Powells.com
Angela Dimayuga and Ligaya Mishan
"Is Filipinx the perfect cookbook? Every recipe is mouthwatering, every page is gorgeous and informative. I feel incredibly lucky that Dimayuga has shared these tasty dishes, made them accessible (even for a so-so cook like myself), and brought so much joy to my kitchen table. Be prepared to cook through the whole book." – Michelle C., Powells.com
Mary Roach
"Mary Roach always offers absorbing, entertaining science, and Fuzz, all about 'when wild animals break laws intended for people,' delivers the funny and fascinating goods — full of facts, wry wit, and important commentary on the ways animals and humans (in all their goodness and not-so-goodness) can coexist." – Gigi L., Powells.com
Cecily Wong and Dylan Thuras
"For me, this extended period of 'stay-at-home' has nourished an insatiable wanderlust. The greatest pleasures in traveling — both food and knowledge — are laid on the table in the brilliantly photographed Gastro Obscura. Leaf through this tome to discover beer made from fog, the delicacies of Delaware, and a fake banana, among other wonders." – Tina M., Powells.com
Joshua McFadden and Martha Holmberg
"The chef who changed the vegetable game with Six Seasons is back with a whole book devoted to the weird whole grains that beckon in the bulk aisle only to languish in the pantry. From quinoa tempura to sweet and savory takes on barley, Grains will get your hungry butt in the kitchen faster than you can say, 'kamut pilaf.'" – Rhianna W., Powells.com
Shea Serrano and Arturo Torres
"Hip Hop (And Other Things) is like the best kind of road trip conversation, when everyone is at their funniest and smartest and willing to dive deep into seemingly silly pop culture debates. Shea is perfect, Arturo is perfect, these essays will give you new (and sometimes goofy) ways to appreciate some top-tier musical greats." – Michelle C., Powells.com
Thor Hanson
"Hanson writes a hopeful and compelling story exploring various climate adaptations in the animal and plant worlds with a rare combination of engrossing clarity and robust interrogation….Each enormously engaging essay proves what I've known for some time: Thor Hanson is a marvel whose enthusiasm for this planet is utterly contagious." – Aimee Nezhukumatathil
Philipp Dettmer
"As someone living with an autoimmune disease, I've long had a love-hate relationship with my immune system, but I've rarely thought about the system as a whole. Dettmer rectified that. Immune is an engrossing illustrated primer on the wonders and horrors of the immune system that will leave you with a new appreciation for the human body." – Emily B., Powells.com
Ben Detrick and Andrew Kuo
"This is a highly opinionated and entertaining illustrated encyclopedia of all the things that make the NBA so fun to watch. It contains player profiles, historical tidbits, statistics, and colorful graphs. It is sure to be a hit with every kind of basketball fan." – Jennifer H., Powells.com
Andrew Roberts
"A royalist apologia for America’s last king, or a correction for centuries of political shade? You choose, after reading Roberts’s gloriously well-researched biography of King George III. Whether you decide on King George the Pompous Idiot, the Tragicomic Madman, or (Roberts’s take) the Talented Leader Tragically Beset by Illness and Intrigue, you’ll be absolutely riveted." – Rhianna W., Powells.com
Haruki Murakami (Trans. Philip Gabriel)
"I'm a sucker for a thoughtful collection, and Haruki Murakami is a very thoughtful collector. With photos of his T-shirts accompanied by short essays of associated memories, this is the perfect book for a slightly snoopy fan, or anyone who likes to ponder how printed clothing accumulates in your wardrobe and what it adds up to." – Michelle C., Powells.com
Toshimitsu Fukiharu
"Mushrooms are having a moment (or maybe are always en vogue in the Pacific Northwest). These gorgeous illustrations from the 18th and 19th centuries are captivating, whether you're a fan of fungi in the culinary, scientific, or strictly aesthetic realm." – Michelle C., Powells.com
Questlove
"A fascinating look at the connections between music and history, filled with lists, personal anecdotes, and a wide-ranging collection of music. Questlove chooses one song for each year and then comments on his choice. His encyclopedic knowledge of musical history makes this a fun and informative read." – Mary Jo S., Powells.com
Susan Orlean
"From tigers as household pets to show dogs, backyard chickens, and one very famous whale, Orlean is in fine form in this collection of essays detailing our various relationships to animals. As always, her prose is insightful, informative, and full of incisive metaphors." – Mary Jo S., Powells.com
Rebecca Solnit
"A contemplation on the life of one of the 20th century's greatest essayists, journalists, and truth-tellers by one of the 21st century's greatest? I'm in! I dropped everything on my TBR with plans to fly through it in a weekend, but quickly slowed down because this is an adroit, scholarly collection that deserves to be savored with deliberative reflection." – Emily B., Powells.com
James Rebanks
"What a terrific book: vivid and impassioned and urgent — and, in both its alarm and its awe for the natural world, deeply convincing. Rebanks leaves no doubt that the question of how to farm is a question of human survival on this hard-used planet. He should be read by everyone who grows food, and by everyone who eats it." – Philip Gourevitch
Phoebe Robinson
“She did it again! Whip-smart, laugh-out-loud, and unabashedly honest, this collection feels like a long-awaited weekend with an old friend. Phoebe brings you in with her hilarity, and keeps you with her unparalleled social commentary. After the past year, I needed this!” – Abbi Jacobson
Joy Harjo
"Adroitly combining poetry and prose, Harjo details her journey from leaving home as a teenager to escape abuse to becoming a celebrated poet and teacher. Compassionate, wise, and lyrical, Poet Warrior details Harjo's love of words and her deep connection with the world around her." – Mary Jo S., Powells.com
Barack Obama and Bruce Springsteen
"When I first heard that the Boss and the former president were collaborating on a podcast, I thought they’d make an odd couple, but then I listened and it made perfect sense. I’m glad to be able to read — and to give — this expansion with photos and additional material." – Matt K., Powells.com
Sarah Ruhl
"Perhaps it’s because Sarah Ruhl is a genius playwright that the voice of her memoir about motherhood and illness is so wise and true and generous. This is such a beautiful and important book; I know it will be a tremendously helpful and profound reading experience for many." – Keith M., Powells.com
Dave Grohl
"Grohl’s path with the Foo Fighters, his activism in gun control and LGBTQ+ rights, and experiences raising a family while on the road are all explored in this highly anticipated collection of essays by a talented and prolific musician, one who's largely responsible for the fabric of the rock music landscape from the 1990s and beyond." – Kim T., Powells.com
Jimmy Chin
"In There and Back, Jimmy Chin tells the story of his remarkable life through a selection of breathtaking photos accompanied by passages of insightful text. The end result is an extraordinary work of art." – Jon Krakauer
Tarana Burke
"Intensely moving and unapologetically frank, Burke's fearless memoir will uplift and inspire the next generation of survivors, advocates, and truth-tellers." – Publishers Weekly (Starred Review)
Billy Porter
"As satisfying as celebrity memoirs can get, Porter’s story of childhood trauma and struggle slowly evolving into a rewarding and much-decorated Broadway and TV career hits all the right notes." – Moses M., Powells.com
Nick Offerman
"Join Nick Offerman, Jeff Tweedy, and George Saunders on a journey to Glacier National Park. Offerman’s observations about conservation, history, and geology, and humorous musings about the area, will make you feel like you’re right alongside him, selecting gear from REI, sipping on coffee, and smelling the fresh air together with your pals." – Kim T., Powells.com
Thich Nhat Hanh
"Nhat Hanh's empowering voice and example will be valuable to those seeking wisdom in a frenetic, threatened world." – Publishers Weekly
Andrea Beaty and David Roberts
"Aaron Slater dreams of telling stories but his struggles with reading and writing make him fear it’s impossible. Can some imagination and inspiration help Aaron tell a story that’s all his own? Full of joyful art, earnest encouragement, and the most fun story time rhymes around, here is another excellent addition to this wonderful series." – Sarah R., Powells.com
Benjamin Alire Sáenz
"Sáenz packs a whole lot into these pages, but it's a testament to the characters that he's created that it never feels like too much. There's an unhurried quality to the author's wistful, tender prose that feels utterly intimate. Messily human and sincerely insightful." – Kirkus Reviews
Kate DiCamillo and Sophie Blackall
"Anything DiCamillo writes is gold, but her newest fantasy tale, replete with gorgeous illustrations by Sophie Blackall, has a particularly brilliant shine. From the glorious opening chapter on the delightfully vicious Answelica the goat, I was hooked. You will laugh, you will cry, and you will walk away filled with the importance of sharing stories and love." – Madeline S., Powells.com
Jeff Kinney
"I’m old enough to remember when book #1 came out; I was a bookseller at the time (I really am old!) and so it’s no surprise to me that the series is still going strong so many years later. Now that there’s a TV show, too, Greg really is a big shot (you probably shouldn’t tell him, though)." – Lucinda G., Powells.com
Dav Pilkey
"I love Dave Pilkey’s newest series, which really focuses on how fostering creativity can help us in all aspects of our lives. Also, it shows just how much fun it is to make — and read — your own comics." – Matt K., Powells.com
Rick Riordan
"Riordan’s first standalone delves into a more modern “myth” — 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea. Ana Dakkar, descendant of Captain Nemo, is a freshman at the famed Harding-Pencroft Marine Academy. When tragedy strikes, she and her friends (a diverse cast that highlights Riordan’s commitment to representation in fiction) may be the only ones who can save the day!" – Madeline S., Powells.com
DK
"It is a truth universally acknowledged that there is nothing cooler than dinosaurs. Compiled with beautiful illustrations, fossil photography, and teeming with Triassic trivia to wow your friends, your bookshelf (and my 7-year-old self) deserve this fourth volume in the unbelievably stunning DK Anthology series." – Sarah R., Powells.com
Gayle Forman
"A beautiful and tender story about the discovery of a powerful friendship, starring two fantastic kids and one extraordinary family." – Rebecca Stead
Marissa Meyer
"Can there be too many retellings of Rumpelstiltskin? (Trick question, the answer is no.) An unlikely and wonderful combination of Grimm Brothers fairy tale, Persephone myth, and the curse of Cassandra, Gilded is a cancel-all-plans adventure story born of lies, love, and desperation." – Lucinda G., Powells.com
Antonella Capetti and Melissa Castrillón
"How Beautiful, indeed! I was absolutely stunned by Melissa Castrillón’s illustrations: fascinating to explore, without being too busy. And Antonella Capetti’s text asks all the right questions about what we call 'beautiful.'” – Keith M., Powells.com
The Fan Brothers
"While I love this delightful story of the wonderment that comes from a mystery and the way greed can soften into graciousness, the artwork is the star: luscious black and white landscapes with bursts of yellow and green. And the hats! Oh, what magical detail and charm!" – Gigi L., Powells.com
Margaret Owen
"This uniquely smart, emotionally resonant, brilliantly funny standalone is a fairy tale retelling hijacked off the beaten path by protagonist Vanya, who would like to know the going rate and where she can hock it. My favorite read of 2021, and a perfect gift for fans of Six of Crows." – Madeline S., Powells.com
Mo Willems
"Mo Willems proves once again that he is a true master of the picture book, this time with an invitation to explore opposites with abstract ideas, clever comparisons, and eye-popping color. The thoughtful prompts Willems provides will have readers, young and old, looking at the world with curiosity and wonder." – Sarah R., Powells.com
Jewell Parker Rhodes
"The book is sparsely written, poetic in its style. Despite the destruction, the narrative is fundamentally optimistic, rooted in the power of nature and community to bring us back to ourselves when we fear all is lost." – The Los Angeles Times
R. J. Palacio
“R. J. Palacio, author of a modern classic children's book of our era, has somehow crafted what feels like an entirely different breed of classic: page-turning and heart expanding, elegiac and adventurous, reminiscent of Jack London, with mediations on love and faith that feel timeless and utterly necessary to our current moment.” – Gayle Forman
Natasha Bowen
"The most engrossing, thought-provoking, beautiful novel I've read in ages. Skin of the Sea knocks your socks off and leaves you wanting more.” – Namina Forna
Darcie Little Badger
"Darcie Little Badger burst onto the YA scene with 2020’s indie fave Elatsoe. In her mesmerizing sophomore novel, she again draws on her Lipan Apache identity and heritage, as Lipan girl Nina (believer of the old tales) and cottonmouth kid Oli (denizen of the land of spirits and monsters) are drawn together when their worlds collide." – Madeline S., Powells.com
Jason Reynolds and Raúl the Third
"With a vibrant visual and textual flair, Jason Reynolds and Raúl the Third have created an entrancing fusion of image and text in this story that sensitively depicts a difficult and confusing situation with just the right amount of whimsy and pathos." – Keith M., Powells.com
Emily Winfield Martin
"Portland local Emily Winfield Martin’s dreamy, inspiring artwork — somehow both vintage and incredibly new — elevates her books from great to excellent, and This Is a Gift for You is no exception. It’s exactly what I needed to read in the midst of a very tough stretch of time." – Madeline S., Powells.com
Jory John and Pete Oswald
"This cookie feels a bit crumby; it's not always able to keep up in class. But that idea was half-baked, and when the teacher asks for each student to create something truly original, this is one cookie that doesn’t crumble. This tale is smart and sweet!" – Keith M., Powells.com
Katherine Applegate
"Eleven-year-old Willodeen is the first to notice how disruptions in the ecosystem may be the root of her village’s trouble. This fairy tale-like story mixes Willodeen’s determination with a little bit of magic to encourage young readers to speak up, harness their anger, and never stop caring deeply for the world around them." – Sarah R., Powells.com
Sandra Boynton
"Sandra Boynton is a favorite author in my household. In Woodland Dance!, she introduces a new set of forest-dwelling characters and their magical, musical woodland home. I know already that there will be many pajama dance parties in my immediate future!" – McKenzie W., Powells.com