Picks of the Month 2023 - Powell's Books

October 2023 Picks

A Man of Two Faces

Viet Thanh Nguyen

“A Man of Two Faces is a searing and sensitive memoir on the long shadow that war casts on those who manage to survive it. This book is a work of love and anger and care and it will resonate with everyone who has lost a home.” – Laila Lalami

Going Infinite

Michael Lewis

Michael Lewis has always been smart about the people he chooses to profile. He started shadowing Sam Bankman-Fried for what was sure to be an interesting book about cryptocurrency and philanthropy. Then his subject’s empire crumbled and the result is a much more interesting book than he set out to write. – Keith M.

Monica

Daniel Clowes

This graphic novel about a woman’s life is told in stylish vignettes, adding up to a rich portrait of the forces that prey on lost people. This book is nothing short of astonishing. I’m still buzzing, months after I finished it. I’m calling it: Monica is a masterpiece. – Keith M.

More Is More

Molly Baz

As a self-proclaimed cookbook addict, More Is More has quickly become one of my top picks this year. I love the personal stories Baz shares throughout the book, and the QR codes linking to instructional videos are a game-changer. I’ll definitely be cooking from this book all winter! – Rudy K.

Starling House

Alix E. Harrow

“Alix E. Harrow is an exceptional, undeniable talent, and Starling House, with its gentle reassurances of the homes we make and the love we deserve, is more than satisfying. It’s pure loveliness in book form.” – Olivie Blake

Menewood

Nicola Griffith

In the much anticipated sequel to Hild, Nicola Griffith’s Menewood transports readers back to seventh-century Britain, a land of rival kings and religions poised for epochal change.

Blackouts

Justin Torres

Blackouts, the long-awaited second book from Justin Torres, doesn’t give its secrets away easily, or for free. Torres demands your time and focus, and earns your respect and awe. This is an experimental and moving book, sure to be read and reread in the years to come. – Adam P.

Brooklyn Crime Novel

Jonathan Lethem

“The levels of mystery here astound....Lethem is not only interrogating the form of the crime novel, but the venture of storytelling itself. All of this while remaining a joy to read, full of strange characters and expertly rendered place. This brilliant, genre-defying work will leave certainly a mark.” – Percival Everett

The MANIAC

Benjamin Labatut

“Labatut’s unique framing of John von Neumann’s brilliance and his descriptions of the transcendent power of computers and AI creates a disturbing, awe-inspiring, and inevitable vision, one foreseen by von Neumann, of an ominous future dominated by near infinite technological possibilities.” – Booklist (Starred Review)

Death Valley

Melissa Broder

Melissa Broder’s novel about an author dealing with her ailing dad and husband while being lost in the desert searching for a magical cactus speaks to me. Grief is a weird desert that allows you to get lost and parched while you’re trying to find magic you thought you lost. – Vicky K.

Roman Stories

Jhumpa Lahiri

“Stunning...A finely calibrated collection about insiders and outsiders, natives and foreigners...Rome with its echoing past and mercurial present is a potently evocative setting for Lahiri’s exquisitely incisive, richly empathetic, and profoundly resonant stories.” – Booklist (Starred Review)

Alfie and Me

Carl Safina

“Little Alfie unleashed a meditation about life itself and how our culture has shaped our way of seeing the world and our place in it. A unique book that is scientific and spiritual at the same time.” – Isabella Rossellini

If I Was a Horse

Sophie Blackall

What would you do if you were a horse? The imaginative narrator of this delightful new picture book from Caldecott Medalist Sophie Blackall has some ideas! Classic, playful, and charming — sure to garner many a suggestion for your horse-ish to-do list at story time. – Sarah R.

Zilot & Other Important Rhymes

Bob Odenkirk and Erin Odenkirk

“Everyone should have a family like the Odenkirks, who, in this delightful book, share their love of reading, art, and whimsy with all of us.” – Carol Burnett

Legends of Norse Mythology

Tom Birkett and Isabella Mazzanti

Legends of Norse Mythology is a fully illustrated anthology of Norse gods, giants, monsters, and heroes retold anew.

Here, and Only Here

Christelle Dabos (tr. Hildegarde Serle)

“Imagine all your middle-school nightmares made manifest. Add to that an eerie paranormal aspect that elevates the whole to the maximum level and you have this wildly creative and engaging tale of the middle school from hell.” – Eric Boss

September 2023 Picks

Chasing Me to My Grave

Winfred Rembert

“An unparalleled account of the devastating legacies of American slavery and a luminous self-portrait of one defiant artist’s extraordinary triumph over white supremacy and segregation.” – Douglas A. Blackmon

Doppelganger

Naomi Klein

“A dazzling, hallucinatory tour de force that takes the reader through shadow selves and global fascism, leaving them gasping by the end.” – Molly Crabapple

Roaming

Jillian Tamaki and Mariko Tamaki

From the cousins that wrote This One Summer comes a coming-of-age graphic novel about friendship, crushes, loyalties, exploring New York City, and figuring out how to take care of the people you care about without sacrificing yourself. Beautiful, nostalgic, and so, so good. – Kelsey F.

Fermenter

Aaron Adams and Liz Crain

Portland, OR is the most vegan-friendly city in the US, and with restaurants like Fermenter leading the charge, it's no wonder how. Seaweed kraut, tempeh bacon, and chickpea miso are just a few of the wonders local chef and vegan educator, Aaron Adams, has cooked up for you. – Stacy Wayne D.

Idlewild

James Frankie Thomas

If the teen friendship isn’t all-consuming, is it even real? Idlewild provides a dark, funny, devastating picture of friendship and dissolution from all angles, wrapped in a campus novel, and sprinkled with “coming of age in the second Bush presidency.” – Michelle C.

Loved and Missed

Susie Boyt

“Loved and Missed is a story of parental love and human failing that’s more funny than it has any right to be, more heartbreaking than you think you can bear; it’s the sort of book you can’t wait to recommend to everyone you know, the sort of book we are lucky to have.” – Rumaan Alam

Wild Geese

Soula Emmanuel

“Soula Emmanuel’s prose is breathtaking: searingly sharp, deliciously funny, profound. Wild Geese is a beautiful and devastating read. An extraordinary debut. I loved this deeply intelligent and emotionally powerful novel.” – Danielle McLaughlin

Daughter

Claudia Dey

Oof. This book is sharp, devastating, prickly, irascible, and so, so feelingly written. Daughter is about shifting loyalties within a volatile family, cannibalizing yourself and others for art, the demands of a life lived on your own terms, and the extreme grief of facing a future you hadn’t planned for. – Kelsey F.

Land of Milk and Honey

C Pam Zhang

C Pam Zhang’s latest is a meditation on appetite, on merit, on resilience, on identity and inheritance, on planning and chaos, on the future we might be able to build. And, it’s a love letter to food and craft and pleasure, in the face of overwhelming bleakness. I loved every word. – Michelle C.

Rouge

Mona Awad

You would never guess that Tom Cruise, skincare, jellyfish, cults, and roses would fit together, but here we are. When Belle’s mother dies mysteriously, she follows clues to figure out what happened, and it ultimately leads her down a dangerous path of the pursuit of beauty and youth. – Vicky K.

The Fraud

Zadie Smith

A rollicking work of historical fiction, Zadie Smith takes readers from Charles Dickens’s London to colonial Jamaica and back. Asking big questions about social roles, public morality, the value of art, and the usefulness of truth; Smith’s latest is entertaining and thought-provoking. A joy to read! – Keith M.

Dearborn

Ghassan Zeineddine

“Dearborn is one of the funniest, truest, and most heartfelt books I have ever read. Zeineddine writes with so much grace and understanding, so much love and compassion, so much mastery that these stories will become part of who you are.” – Morgan Talty

The Secret Hours

Mick Herron

“A deft knockout of a story, with an arc of history, written with humor and style. Mick Herron is one of the best writers of spy fiction working today.” – Martin Cruz Smith

Of Time and Turtles

Sy Montgomery

“Writing from the height of her powers, Sy Montgomery shows us in magnificent and essential ways how much we are connected, even with the most unlikely of animals.” – Aimee Nezhukumatathil

The Lights

Ben Lerner

These poems seem to tightly spiral in on themselves while simultaneously unraveling, outlining both the awe and fear that language can inspire. – Kai B.

Dogtown

Katherine Applegate

A three-legged dog, a robot dog, and a (trilingual) mouse that speaks in sign bond at a shelter over the search for their forever homes. This is an early middle-reader with short chapters, charming illustrations, and a heart-string-tugging adventure. I recommend you cuddle up next to your pooch (robot, stuffed animal, or otherwise) and enjoy. – Sarah R.

Hooky (Hooky #3)

Míriam Bonastre Tur

Dorian, Dani, and all the witches and non-magical people of the kingdom must decide once and for all: who will they be, and will they use their power and influence for good?

Cat on the Run in Cat of Death! (Cat on the Run #1)

Aaron Blabey

A hilarious look at the precarity of fame, this action-packed book is purr-fect for fans of cute cat videos and big explosions. Litter-ally, something for everyone! – Keith M.

Wonderful Seasons

Emily Winfield Martin

I am obsessed with Portland local Emily Winfield Martin’s dreamy artwork, which never fails to feel like it came from from a forgotten, beloved childhood fairytale. This charming board book follows The Wonderful Things You Will Be and Wonderful Babies, highlighting wonderful wee ones in all four seasons. – Madeline S.

Percy Jackson and the Olympians: The Chalice of the Gods

Rick Riordan

I’m a bit obsessed with Rick Riordan. I’ll try anything he writes, and his Rick Riordan Presents imprint is always quality (and a great example of true allyship), but it all started with Percy — and now he’s graduating! I feel like Mushu in Mulan: “My little baby’s all grown up!” – Madeline S.

This Book Is Banned

Raj Haldar and Julia Patton

“Well done and adorably funny...a really great introduction to the subject of banned books for little ones.” – Youth Services Book Review (starred review)

Something, Someday

Amanda Gorman and Christian Robinson

The difficulty of making change can be overwhelming. Amanda Gorman’s beautiful poetry and Christian Robinson’s gorgeous art will inspire readers of any age who want to help make a better world. – Keith M.

Mall Goth

Kate Leth

Kate Leth’s delightful look at mall culture in the early 2000s has a lot to say about when to keep your guard up, when to let it down, and the problems that come from misjudging that balance. – Keith M.

Champion of Fate

Kendare Blake

“Immersive from the very first moment — I would follow Kendare Blake into any world she creates” – Amie Kaufman

The Spirit Bares Its Teeth

Andrew Joseph White

Andrew Joseph White blew me away with Hell Followed With Us, so I was on board for this one before ever reading the synopsis. Somehow, AJW has asserted a new corner of queer horror that is retrograde, demented, and deeply personal. Del Toro but make it YA, trans, and more bloody. This book! – Stacy Wayne D.

August 2023 Picks

Seed to Plate, Soil to Sky

Lois Ellen Frank

“Seed to Plate, Soil to Sky is more than a beautiful and empowering book. It is a landmark in the culinary world, helping us remember timeless traditions and put them to use at a time when healthful traditions are needed most.” – Neal D. Barnard, MD

Tom Lake

Ann Patchett

“Tom Lake is the story of a reunited family in the early days of the pandemic; the adult daughters of the narrator are eager to hear more details of their mother’s past lives and loves. A reminder to all that our parents led full and complicated lives long before we were born.” – Bry H.

Terrace Story

Hilary Leichter

It’s the story of a young couple’s small apartment and the terrace that only appears when a particular friend visits. The magic in this story is incidental to the ways that our small choices can affect others in devastating, unexpected ways. Consistently surprising and filled with wonderful and aching emotional depth. – Kelsey F.

Thornhedge

T. Kingfisher

“Kingfisher weaves elements of fairy tale, folklore, and history in this beautifully crafted story of loss, endurance, terror, and kindness. Thornhedge is sheer magic from beginning to end!” – Juliet Marillier

The Heaven and Earth Grocery Store

James McBride

Full of mystery and set against the backdrop of a 1970s small town on the East Coast, McBride’s newest novel explores what it means to live outside the boundaries of white, Christian hegemony, and how, when the going gets rough, it is love and community that save us. – Michelle F.

Bride of the Tornado

James Kennedy

“Kennedy puts an eerie, surrealist twist on the American Midwest, highlighting everything unusual about small-town living...Horror fans who value ambiance over jump scares will want to check this out.” – Publishers Weekly

Swim Home to the Vanished

Brendan Shay Basham

“In Swim Home to the Vanished, Brendan Basham has delivered a profoundly moving novel of originality, full of grief and hope. It is a bold and powerful new work of fiction.” – Brandon Hobson

Mobility

Lydia Kiesling

Mobility is simultaneously a coming-of-age story and a meditation on the state of the world. It’s about finding your place in the world just as the world seems to spin out of control. Lydia Kiesling’s skillful layering of theme and compelling storytelling is an absolute masterclass. – Keith M.

The Museum of Human History

Rebekah Bergman

I loved The Museum of Human History so much! It’s a very literary, heartbreaking, speculative page-turner about the tragedy of memory, the desire to hold onto the best moments in your life, and the ways life stories are written and re-written as we move through time. – Michelle C.

Sun House

David James Duncan

“Sun House is a book of healing that will earn a place on the shelf between the world’s ancient wisdom texts and Mark Twain...Here is a book like nothing I have ever read, an epic story about how we may be made whole in a broken time.” – Kathleen Dean Moore

With Love, from Cold World

Alicia Thompson

With Love, From Cold World is about two coworkers at a failing, beloved, non-trademarked, winter-themed amusement park in Orlando. Alicia Thompson has created such a swoon-worthy, fun romance about two people growing together — while featuring Secret Santa shenanigans, genuine emotional vulnerability, and one of the best housemate found families of all time. – Michelle C.

Prophet

Helen Macdonald and Sin Blaché

“The first novel by writer and musician Blaché and Macdonald of H is for Hawk fame is shrewdly imagined, sharply crafted, witty, chilling, psychologically lush, grotesque, and romantic.” – Booklist

Witness

Jamel Brinkley

“Jamel Brinkley is one of the best story writers we have. Witness is a book of psychological acuity, of graceful sentences, of devastation and heart. Read everything this man writes, and know the world anew.” – Justin Torres

The Place We Make

Sarah L. Sanderson

“Through her own story, written in beautiful prose, Sarah demonstrates that we do not live in an historical vacuum. On the contrary, the specters of American history will only be laid to rest when we acknowledge their presence in the past and present.” – Marlena Graves

The Underworld

Susan Casey

“Prepare to submerge. Susan Casey is a reporter in a league of her own. She will go anywhere to get her story. This one is full of astounding news, great characters, wondrous explorations, and a full measure of outrage. Deep-sea mining, you will come to understand, must be stopped.” – William Finnegan

A Horse Named Sky

Rosanne Parry

A fast-paced animal survival story about wild horses, family bonds, and a changing environment.

The Story of a Book

Joy McCullough and Devon Holzwarth

Illustrated with rich colors and flowing energy and filled with a diverse array of young readers, The Story of a Book is an imaginative ode to the magic of books and the uniqueness of our relationships to them. – Gigi L.

Two Tribes

Emily Bowen Cohen

“The story is well crafted, with Jewish and Muscogee beliefs integrated to great effect and art that enhances the text. A powerful graphic novel about honoring every part of our identity.” – Kirkus Reviews

Ghost Book

Remy Lai

“Absolutely gorgeous and a completely unique adventure. Remy Lai is a master storyteller!” – Christina Soontornvat

In the Dark

Kate Hoefler and Corinna Luyken

“A marvelous mix of autumnal spirits with a deeper call for understanding.” – Kirkus Reviews

The Year My Life Went Down the Toilet

Jake Maia Arlow

“Via Al’s plucky, plain-spoken first-person narration, Arlow presents an honest and exceptional story of a tween’s experience dealing with rapid and abundant change, while tenderly reflecting upon themes of chronic illness, found family, interdependence, and queerness.” – Publishers Weekly (Starred Review)

Mexikid

Pedro Martín

“Mexikid is poignant, laugh-out-loud funny, and masterfully weaves road trip misadventures with history and family legacies. This is one of those books that kids will pass to their friends as soon as they have finished it.” – Victoria Jamieson

Guardians of Dawn: Zhara

S. Jae-Jones

“[This] is the kind of fantasy that first made me a reader. Tender and bewitching, joyous and thoroughly transporting. Zhara and Han are not just protagonists you root for, but characters you feel you’ve known your whole life. S. Jae-Jones weaves a spell on every page.” – Roshani Chokshi

Forty Words for Love

Aisha Saeed

“Filled with Aisha Saeed’s dazzling writing and profound insight into the human heart, Forty Words for Love is a tale of shimmering magic and searing heartbreak, a story of unexpected adversaries and surprising allies, and an unforgettable romance that’s equal parts gentle and powerful.” – Anna-Marie McLemore

The Brothers Hawthorne (The Inheritance Games #4)

Jennifer Lynn Barnes

Four brothers. Two missions. One explosive read. Jennifer Lynn Barnes returns to the world of her #1 bestselling, TikTok sensation Inheritance Games trilogy, and the stakes have never been higher.

July 2023 Picks

Nothing Special

Nicole Flattery

“Flattery’s sentences are astonishing. Their wit and ingenuity, the apt oddness of her metaphors, are addictive and relentlessly delightful, and then all of a sudden her language snaps into an exactness of feeling that knocks you sideways. A special, singular, blazingly original and truly achieved first novel.” – Colin Barrett

Hope

Andrew Ridker

“A funny, incisive, and keen novel of family, citizenship, and the fundamental American promise...Sweeping yet intimate. Ridker’s distinctive talent is his eye for both realism and comedy.” – Sanjena Sathian

All-Night Pharmacy

Ruth Madievsky

This book has it all: drugs, sex, dive bars, emergency rooms, a missing sister, a romance with a psychic. Visceral, hilarious, unsettling, and entirely new. An incredible debut from Ruth Madievsky. – Kelsey F.

Immortal Longings

Chloe Gong

“Gong keeps the pages flying with pulse-pounding action, tension, and intrigue, creating an adventure that will linger in readers’ minds long after the last page.” – Publishers Weekly

A Little Luck

Claudia Piñeiro (tr. Frances Riddle)

“Piñeiro (Elena Knows) offers an engaging story of a woman’s reinvention and reckoning with the past....a striking meditation on loss and the search for home.” – Publishers Weekly

Crook Manifesto

Colson Whitehead

Is there anything better than a new Colson Whitehead book? Crook Manifesto is a strong argument that the answer is “no.” Continuing the story of Ray Carney, Whitehead brings his usual exceptional writing and keen insights. He is also clearly having a blast, making this book a compulsive and joyful read. – Keith M.

Ripe

Sarah Rose Etter

This book is such a wonderful heartache — which I felt grow like a pit in my stomach as I read about the whims of Silicon Valley and selfish men, corporate greed and bodily needs. Sarah Rose Etter has written an astounding, sharp, deeply intimate book. – Kelsey F.

The Librarianist

Patrick deWitt

“Readers come to deWitt...for his brand of slightly off-kilter storytelling blessed with exuberant characterizations, gleeful dialogue, and a proprietary blend of darkness and charm, all strung up in lights here. Gripping, random, and totally alive? Check, check, and check.” – Booklist (Starred Review)

The St. Ambrose School for Girls

Jessica Ward

“Completely original, quietly chilling. Mean Girls meets We Were Liars in this compelling, cat-and-mouse thriller featuring enemies made, secrets kept, and tables turned.” – Lisa Gardner

Silver Nitrate

Silvia Moreno-Garcia

This new book from the always-so-fun Silvia Morena-Garcia takes us on a trippy, unsettling ride through horror cinema and satanic rituals, romantic tension and deeply held secrets. So twisty, so good. – Kelsey F.

Days at the Morisaki Bookshop

Satoshi Yagisawa (tr. Eric Ozawa)

One of those slice-of-lifes that tend to reveal the magic in the ordinary, the power of unintended connection, and the excitement in the undetermined. If kind gestures and gentle pleasantries are your thing: here, have a treat. – Stacy Wayne D.

Tabula Rasa

John McPhee

“The cogency, potency, and temperance of [McPhee’s] voice never wavers...A gem from an exemplar of narrative nonfiction.” – Kirkus Reviews (Starred Review)

Ode to Hip-Hop

Kiana Fitzgerald

Celebrate the music that has shaped the culture and given us some of the greatest hits of all time with this vibrantly illustrated anthology, featuring 50 of the most lauded, controversial, and iconic hip-hop albums!

Eight Bears

Gloria Dickie

Gloria Dickie takes us a thoughtful, thorough, and eminently readable tour of the eight remaining bear species, which is (of course!) a tour through the challenges and creative coping methods required for living on our increasingly complicated planet. Pick this one up if you’re a fan of Fat Bear Week or Paddington. – Michelle C.

So to Speak

Terrance Hayes

“Hayes’ invention allows his poetry to house almost anything: from the political to the sensual, from a magic goat to a talking cat. He is a singular poet, and this book a singular achievement.” – Nick Laird

The Truth about Max

Alice Provensen and Martin Provensen

The busy and occasionally mysterious life of a mischievous barn cat, rendered in beautiful ink and watercolor. Published posthumously from a Caldecott-winning couple and based on their real-life cat, readers will surely love recognizing their own feline friends in Max’s tale. – Sarah R.

Eerie Tales from the School of Screams

Graham Annable

Want to traumatize your kids the same way Scary Stories To Tell In The Dark traumatized you? Of course you do. This bone-chilling anthology is sure to keep your kids (and you) up at night. I love imagining the next generation of kids reading these stories at sleepovers. Ghoulishly good fun! – Stacy Wayne D.

The Skull

Jon Klassen

A young runaway befriends (and capably protects!) a skull in this spooky-charming folklore retelling perfect for little readers who get thrills from a few bone-rattling chills. Trust picture-book master Jon Klassen to turn this setup into a perfectly weird and atmospheric tale of friendship, humor, heroism, and suspense. – Sarah R.

The Very Unfortunate Wish of Melony Yoshimura

Waka T. Brown

Anya’s Ghost and Coraline combine to give us this perfectly told and vivid reimagining of a timeless Japanese folktale. Is there anything better than a quizzical girl getting through life with the help (or hinderance) of the paranormal? Hint: the answer is no.” – Stacy Wayne D.

Abeni’s Song

P. Djèlí Clark

“Abeni’s Song is simply unlike anything else in the field. An astonishing adventure that managed to thrill, scare, and delight, all while telling a story that is beautifully complicated and moving. Middle grade readers, meet your new favorite author.” – Mark Oshiro

A Funny Thing Happened After School . . .

Davide Cali and Benjamin Chaud

This whimsical picture book offers many important lessons. Among them: 1. space is cool, 2. life keeps you busy, and 3. teachers just don’t understand. – Keith M.

When Rubin Plays

Gracey Zhang

A cacophonous, celebratory, cat-filled concerto about finding your own musical voice and finding your audience. Beautifully illustrated and just plain fun. You’ll want to pick up a violin, a paintbrush, or maybe both. – Sarah R.

The King Is Dead

Benjamin Dean

“All hail this royal debut that twists, turns, and revels in palace intrigue and deceit.” – Kirkus Reviews (Starred Review)

All That’s Left to Say

Emery Lord

“...a tender, unsensational examination of what it means to love, to lose, and to live.” – Booklist (Starred Review)

Those Who Saw the Sun

Jaha Nailah Avery

This preservation of stories over 300 years in the making should be required reading, especially considering the conservative podcasters and talking heads stating that African American history, specifically involving slavery, is “embellished.” Avery’s mission to herald history as truth — bare, brutal, beautiful — sees its accomplishment met here. – Stacy Wayne D.

June 2023 Picks

Pageboy

Elliot Page

The first time I saw Elliot Page... I wasn’t sure if I had my first celebrity crush, or perhaps someone I wanted to be more like.... I’ve been so thrilled to hear about his memoir and I’m eager to read about his experience. – Rin S.

Stamped from the Beginning

Ibram X. Kendi and Joel Christian Gill

“A book that educates and entertains in a way that makes it an indispensable teaching tool, while simultaneously establishing Gill is a master of this medium.” – David F. Walker

Us

Sara Soler and Joamette Gil (tr. Silvia Perea Labayen)

This beautiful graphic memoir is both moving and deeply funny. A wonderful reminder that self-realization inevitably involves change and hardship, but can give rise to a greater empathy and love than was previously possible. Informative and heartwarming! – Keith M.

Small Fires

Rebecca May Johnson

“One of the most original food books I’ve ever read, at once intelligent and sensuous, witty, provoking and truly delicious, a radical feast of flavours and ideas.” – Olivia Laing

Morgan Is My Name

Sophie Keetch

“A very real, passionate retelling of Morgan le Fay’s story, with detail about political and magical lives, and the women who are such a vital part of the tale.” – Tamora Pierce

Killingly

Katharine Beutner

“This is a superb novel, suffused with dread, riddled with covert motivations and desires, reckoning with painful secrets, artfully rendering the myriad facets of this mysterious case while bearing witness to the sacrifices many women have made to live — and die — authentically.” – Elizabeth McKenzie

I Am Homeless If This Is Not My Home

Lorrie Moore

“Her unnerving, gothic, acutely funny, lyrically metaphysical, and bittersweet tale is an audacious, mind-bending plunge into the mysteries of illness, aberration, death, grief, memory, and love.” – Kirkus Reviews, starred review

Lost on Me

Veronica Raimo (tr. Leah Janeczko)

How does one become a writer? In Veronica Raimo’s delightful autofiction, it’s unclear if having an eccentric family is required, but it seems to help. This account of her youth in Rome doesn’t claim to answer that question, but by the end you’ll know just how skilled a writer Raimo has become. – Keith M.

Open Throat

Henry Hoke

Now here is something really, really special. A dreamy, meta-heavy novel of stunning beauty and insight about a mountain lion trying to survive in our deeply flawed human world. Your heart will ache with love for this creature, and you will long to be a better human because of them. – Devin S.

The Memory of Animals

Claire Fuller

The Memory of Animals has done the impossible — made me eagerly anticipate a novel that involves a pandemic in the year 2023. It’s also got marine biology and experimental technology that allows users to revisit their memories, and it promises to be an immersive, thought-provoking, and haunting-in-a-good-way literary masterwork. – Michelle C.

Between Two Moons

Aisha Abdel Gawad

“Between Two Moons is a generous, beautiful portrait of both the joys and fears of Muslim life, one that doesn’t treat lived experience only as tragedy. It is a moving look at family, survival, and celebration, one that will echo for decades.” – Hanif Abdurraqib

My Murder

Katie Williams

“I couldn’t have inhaled My Murder more ravenously. Beautifully written, eerie, and darkly comic, with an irresistible premise flawlessly executed....My Murder is a revelation.” – Katie Gutierrez

The Imposters

Tom Rachman

“Rachman’s nuanced exploration of creativity’s staying power, a writer’s inherent desire for relevance, and the marketplace’s malleable definition of success unfolds with refined subtlety through interconnected tales.” – Booklist, starred review

Goblin Mode

McKayla Coyle

Do you ever feel strange, gross, chaotic, underappreciated, or like you don’t quite fit in? Great news: you might be a goblin! That means your imperfections and idiosyncrasies are the most awesome things about you… Goblin Mode will help you rethink your relationship with your self, your home, your community, and the earth.

Graveyard of the Pacific

Randall Sullivan

“Vividly evoking Sullivan’s deep fascination with the Pacific Northwest and thirst for friendship and adventure, this is a thrill ride.” – Publishers Weekly

Out There

Seaerra Miller

I love this story of a father and daughter on a road trip, looking for aliens and navigating their complicated relationship. The illustrations are gorgeous and really bring the characters and the UFO convention to life. If you like graphic novels and want to believe, this book is for you! – Jen H.

The Hidden World of Gnomes

Lauren Soloy

“[This] cheeky, cheerful book is incredibly endearing....An utterly charming gnome tome for anyone searching for wonder.” – Booklist, starred review

Greenwild

Pari Thomson

“Bursting with charm and imagination, Greenwild is a rare and wondrous treasure that had me spellbound from first page to last.” – Catherine Doyle

The Many Masks of Andy Zhou

Jack Cheng

“Andy’s quiet courage and budding artistry have readers cheering him on as he searches to define himself and learns there are no boundaries to who we are — and who we can become. With honesty and gentle humor, Jack Cheng explores the joys and heartaches of growing up.” – Paula Yoo

Just One Little Light

Kat Yeh and Isabelle Arsenault

“No matter what kind of darkness children are confronting, the book suggests there’s always a glimmer of hope to hold on to if readers remember they have a small spark of light within themselves....A sweet, upbeat guide to cultivating optimism in young children.” – Kirkus Reviews

Wildlife Compendium of the World

Tania McCartney

From amphibians and reptiles to monotremes and pilosa, discover our world of enchanting fauna in this stunning, illustrated book.

The Faint of Heart

Kerilynn Wilson

“Beautiful, tender, and relevant. Full of mystery, and not surprisingly, full of heart.” – Tillie Walden

The Grimoire of Grave Fates

Created by Hanna Alkaf and Margaret Owen

If you loved Harry Potter but long for a magical school that’s actually welcoming to all, look no further than Galileo Academy! Well, they’re working on it… Each chapter in this brilliant book is penned by a YA great and follows a different Galileo student as they attempt to unravel the mystery… – Madeline S.

The Shadow Sister

Lily Meade

“From its glorious first line to the final page, The Shadow Sister heralds an exciting and exquisite new voice. Lily Meade has arrived!” – Angeline Boulley

Where Echoes Die

Courtney Gould

“Eerie, tender, and inventive, Where Echoes Die is a triumph. With atmosphere as stark and ruthless as the Arizona heat and a masterfully unspooling mystery, Gould crafts a tale about survival and moving on that had me completely arrested” – Allison Saft

May 2023 Picks

Quantum Supremacy

Michio Kaku

“An informative and highly entertaining read about the computing revolution already underway.” – Kirkus Reviews

The Lost Journals of Sacajewea

Debra Magpie Earling

A necessary and vital book from a Native American author, giving Sacajawea her voice and story back, a story that has so often been co-opted by white people — the very people who kidnapped, abused, and used her. A stunning, justifiably complicated book. – Kelsey F.

Yellowface

R. F. Kuang

Months before its release, this book was generating equal parts buzz and polarization among reviewers, which you’ll find is actually the most fitting reception imaginable. Yellowface is incisive, infuriating, clever, cringeworthy, deeply meta, full of ugly publishing industry truths and Book Twitter drama, devoid of likable characters and redemption. I loved-slash-hated it. – Tove H.

Witch King

Martha Wells

Maybe I only want to read epic fantasies with hyper-competent protagonists tasked with solving their own murders served with a side of massive geopolitical complications now? Thanks Martha Wells. – Sarah R.

The Postcard

Anne Berest (tr. Tina Kover)

“The Postcard is one of the most beautiful novels I have ever read, and certainly the most beautiful I’ve read in recent years. It floored me, to put it mildly.” – Valérie Perrin

Good Night, Irene

Luis Alberto Urrea

“Good Night, Irene is a marvel of storytelling, wrenching at times, breathlessly entertaining at others, a testament both to Urrea’s sublime talent and to his mother’s incredible life, which inspired this extraordinary novel.” – Jess Walter

Berlin

Bea Setton

Filled with dark humor and wildly whip-smart prose, Berlin is a twisty delight. I promise, you won’t be able to put this book down: the narrator is too interesting, too unreliable, and just might be caught up in something that’s dangerous and strange and bigger than she can handle. – Kelsey F.

The Covenant of Water

Abraham Verghese

“The Covenant of Water is a brilliant novel, one I feel lucky to experience. It is enthralling; its conjured worlds vigorous and astonishing; its characters so real they call me back to their lives. I wanted to read this book for whole days and nights, and do little else.” – Megha Majumdar

Chain-Gang All-Stars

Nana Kwame Adjei-Brenyah

Nana Kwame Adjei-Brenyah is back with a debut novel about a near-future where two women fight for their freedom and humanity inside a prison system turned gladiatorial competition. Lambasting systemic racism, unchecked capitalism, and mass incarceration, it’s sure to leave an impression. – Sarah R.

The Guest

Emma Cline

Emma Cline is back! I’ve been eagerly waiting for a new novel from her ever since The Girls, and The Guest did not disappoint. This book is unnerving, propulsive, and absolutely irresistible. Perfect. – Kelsey F.

The World

Simon Sebag Montefiore

“Compelling, moving, epic, and diverse, Montefiore’s wonderful storytelling prowess and wide research pulls off this unparalleled world history in a single narrative with unforgettable style. All the drama of humankind is here from cavemen to Putin and Zelensky.” – Olivette Otele

Quietly Hostile

Samantha Irby

When I read this in bed before turning in for the night, I had to stifle my laughter to not wake up my boyfriend. Every essay is like talking to that one friend who always has an outrageous story to tell you while making you do that weird no-sound laugh. – Vicky K.

Our Migrant Souls

Héctor Tobar

“A powerful look at what it means to be a member of a community that, though large, remains marginalized.” – Kirkus Reviews

Sea Change

Christina Gerhardt

“How often does an atlas command immediate attention, warranting a page-by-page perusal?...This unique approach documents dramatic climate change while mounting an impassioned plea to save what remains of these remarkable island communities.” – Booklist (Starred Review)

Wine Hiking Oregon

Jack Costa

Wine lovers and hiking enthusiasts, these 30 hikes are for you!

The Eyes and the Impossible

Dave Eggers and Shawn Harris

“A merry reminder to face the truth about the world and ourselves with compassion, curiosity, and joy.” – Booklist (Starred Review)

Tegan and Sara: Junior High

Tegan Quin, Sara Quin, and Tillie Walden

All the messiness and awkwardness of growing up, told through a semi-fictionalized memoir of the tween lives of Grammy-nominated indie-pop twin-sister duo Tegan & Sara, illustrated by one of today’s best graphic novel artists, Tillie Walden. A sentence I can’t believe I get to write and a book I’m beyond excited to recommend. – Olive C.

Four Eyes

Rex Ogle and Dave Valeza

“A realistic, funny, and heartfelt framing of the hardships of middle school and fitting in.” – Kirkus Reviews

From the World of Percy Jackson: The Sun and the Star

Rick Riordan and Mark Oshiro

I will always be delighted to return to the world of Percy Jackson, even if it means putting my best boy Nico and his best boy Will through the terrors of Tartarus. Luckily the pair are in deft hands on this adventure co-written by Rick Riordan and Mark Oshiro. – Sarah R.

Night Market Rescue

Charlotte Cheng and Amber Ren

Warm, luminous art and simple, elegant text follow GoGo’s adventure into a bustling and enchanting Taipei night market — and to a lost little girl who needs help. A joyful story of discovery, kindness, and love. – Gigi L.

Big

Vashti Harrison

At first Big is a simply and sweetly told story about a girl who thinks she doesn’t fit in — and then it gets surreal. And surprising. And magical. What a strange and beautiful way to depict how it feels to finally realize you’re perfect the way you are. – Gigi L.

Weather Together

Jessie Sima

“Weathers heavy themes with breezy sensitivity...and unicorns!” – Kirkus Reviews

Where You See Yourself

Claire Forrest

“Pitch-perfect rom-com moments bursting with dry humor balance mature reflections on relationships, personal agency, and disability advocacy.” – Publishers Weekly

Transmogrify!

g. haron davis

“Beguiling...Contributors ground tales following magical teens combatting supernatural forces with insightful prose that emphasizes the characters’ expansive interiorities....a polished and enjoyable work solidly steeped in classic high-fantasy tropes.” – Publishers Weekly

Warrior Girl Unearthed

Angeline Boulley

“A page-turning heist grounded in a nuanced exploration of critical issues of cultural integrity.” – Kirkus Reviews

April 2023 Picks

A Living Remedy

Nicole Chung

Nicole Chung has written another beautiful book about the hardships of life, this time focusing on what it means when a child parents a parent in the last stages of their life. This book is perfectly layered. It is a work of art. – Katherine M.

Don’t Tell Anybody the Secrets I Told You

Lucinda Williams

“Raw and honest, this must-read account soars on the back of [Lucinda] Williams’s hard-won wisdom about making art and overcoming struggle. Fans and non-fans will be rapt.” – Publishers Weekly

My Cousin Maria Schneider

Vanessa Schneider (tr. Molly Ringwald)

“With devastating power and great originality of style, this gorgeous memoir shows the film industry’s brutality toward young women and the ways in which shame can waft into a sensitive girl’s bedroom like a draft under a door.” – Ada Calhoun

Asada

Bricia Lopez and Javier Cabral

Oaxaca authors Bricia Lopez and Javier Cabral are back with the first major cookbook about how to create asada — Mexican-style grilled meat — at home.

Ever-Green Vietnamese

Andrea Nguyen

Whether you’re a vegan, vegetarian, or simply looking to incorporate more plant-based meals into your diet, Ever-Green Vietnamese is a must-have. It’s a testament to the versatility and adaptability of Vietnamese cuisine, and a reminder that great food doesn’t have to come at the expense of our values or the planet. – Rudy K.

Juno Loves Legs

Karl Geary

“A tender, wrenching portrait of two young outsiders searching for sanctuary in the bruised hearts of one another. Geary’s exquisitely rendered Dublin is at times a bleak place, but that darkness is defiantly illuminated by the humor and humanity of his unforgettable protagonist. You will ache for Juno.” – Dan Sheehan

In the Lives of Puppets

TJ Klune

Another big cozy hug in the form of a book — classic Klune. This one deals with robots and found family and the lengths we go to for those we love the most. Wonderful, engrossing, and sure to make you smile. Perfect for fans of Becky Chambers. – Carrie K.

A Cowardly Woman No More

Ellen Cooney

“Masterfully told, full of surprise, built from unforgettable sentences that sing, whisper, or shout, A Cowardly Woman No More is utterly compelling from its first fiery comet of a page to its last.” – Laird Hunt

The Weight

Jeff Boyd

“You’ve never met a fictional character quite like Julian Strickland, the soulful, searching character at the heart of Jeff Boyd’s wondrous new novel, The Weight. It’s a delight to watch him drum, stumble and sleep his way across the pale, smoky clubs of Portland, Oregon in this moving, comic and prodigious debut.” – Jess Walter

Greek Lessons

Han Kang (tr. Deborah Smith and Emily Yae Won)

It was such a delight to return to the precise, astounding world of Han Kang. So much of Greek Lessons is about communication, observation, and settling into uncomfortable realities. I ate this book up. – Kelsey F.

The Thick and the Lean

Chana Porter

Chana Porter’s second novel is wrapped up in seeing the past, building the future, and food. In The Thick and the Lean, an aspiring chef and a cyberthief grasp for a life of freedom armed with the guidance of a centuries-old mysterious cookbook written by a kitchen maid. A moving, liberating feast. – Sarah R.

Filmlandia!

David Schmader

“David Schmader’s film writing has always been dryly funny and incisive, but it has rarely been this affectionate. This very comprehensive collection of PNW-centric film and TV capsules is for locals or tourists, hardcore cinephiles or casual viewers. Full disclosure: David once called me a ‘Showgirls truther.’” – Matt Lynch

Not Too Late

edited by Rebecca Solnit and Thelma Young-Lutunatabua

“Absolutely beautiful, absolutely necessary, and absolutely right! Two of our greatest climate voices have rounded up many more realistic and determined colleagues who help us see the path ahead much more clearly!” – Bill McKibben

Forest Park

Marcy Cottrell Houle

Forest Park will help all visitors discover the beauty and wonders of this extraordinary natural resource.

The Wager

David Grann

David Grann’s reputation precedes him — he writes incredibly smart and propulsive nonfiction — and his latest more than lives up to his high standards. This tale of disaster and mutiny in the 18th-century British navy is absolutely amazing, in every sense of the word. – Keith M.

Big Tree

Brian Selznick

With nearly 300 pages of illustrations, Big Tree is an utter feast of imaginative delight for fans of Selznick’s work (raises hand) — but within that delight is also not only an epic adventure but a celebration of the importance and delicacy and resiliency of this big place we call home. – Gigi L.

School Trip

Jerry Craft

“Readers will love this European escapade with characters who reflect the richness and multiculturalism of modern America. Another triumph of storytelling filled with heart and wonder.” – Kirkus Reviews (Starred Review)

Nic Blake and the Remarkables: The Manifestor Prophecy

Angie Thomas

“Exploding with heart, humor, and all things Black Girl Magic, Nic Blake and the Remarkables is a triumph of friendship and Black Southern folklore and history.” – Dhonielle Clayton

How to Write a Poem

Kwame Alexander and Deanna Nikaido, illustrated by Melissa Sweet

This follow-up to Alexander & Sweet’s 2019 How to Read a Book comes just in time for National Poetry Month in April! Nikaido joins the team to help craft a beautiful, instructional poem which is sure to inspire young readers. What poems might they create? – Madeline S.

Little Land

Diana Sudyka

Sudyka’s imaginative use of design and scope makes Little Land a great introduction to the care of the earth. Particularly clever is her use of slanting and upending the frame as the world gets out of balance — and her sly introduction of the children who can bring that balance back. – Gigi L.

Woo Hoo! You’re Doing Great!

Sandra Boynton

Boynton’s latest picture book shares the quality that has made her past hits shine: it’s just as much fun for adults as it is for kiddos. She’s onto something — writing this review became a lot easier when I pictured an enthusiastic chicken watching me type, yelling “WOO HOO, PECK THOSE KEYS!” – Madeline S.

Spell Bound

F.T. Lukens

“With mystery, magic, and mega-cute rivals-to-lovers vibes, Spell Bound cast a spell that had me flipping through the pages at lightning-speed! Once again, I’m utterly enchanted by F.T. Lukens!” – Jason June

Forget Me Not

Alyson Derrick

“This high-concept solo debut by Derrick (She Gets the Girl) is part simmering romance, part affecting character study...a textured telling that eschews clichéd interpretations of the belief that love conquers all.” – Publishers Weekly

Bianca Torre Is Afraid of Everything

Justine Pucella Winans

“A Pop Rocks thriller that fizzles on your tongue and delivers enough cults, birdwatching, and nonbinary crimefighting to make an afternoon disappear in a flash.” – Grady Hendrix

Sunshine

Jarrett J. Krosoczka

“The slice-of-life story follows activities and developing friendships at what is in most ways a typical summer camp, yet it’s one filled with kids in extraordinary circumstances enjoying the rare privilege of being ordinary.” – Kirkus Reviews

March 2023 Picks

Sweet Enough

Alison Roman

Alison Roman is calling her newest cookbook “a dessert book for people who don’t do desserts.” Hi. That’s me. Recipes that aren’t overly complicated or fussy yet yield stunning results are exactly what I need to add some sugar to my repertoire. – Michelle L.

Y/N

Esther Yi

Y/N captivated me. It’s an absurd and surreal exploration of the transcendent rise that comes with singular obsession and identity-through-devotion alongside the uneasy and uncomfortable fall that follows. Esther Yi writes sentences the way I like to read sentences: clipped, pointed, acerbic, honest, and delightfully funny. – Sarah R.

Thirst for Salt

Madelaine Lucas

A debut novel about desire and memory, Thirst for Salt follows a young woman adrift after graduating college, living in a small coastal town. A relationship with a man nearly twenty years her senior leads her to question who she is and what she wants of life. – Claire A.

The London Séance Society

Sarah Penner

A brilliant historical thriller by Sarah Penner, author of the bestselling Lost Apothecary, that’s full of ghosts, creepy châteaus, gruesome murders, shocking revelations, a sister’s need for vengeance, and help from the other side of the veil? This is edge-of-your-seat reading that transports you right into its pages. – Michelle L.

A House With Good Bones

T. Kingfisher

When Sam comes home for an extended visit with her mom, she’s expecting a cozy visit. But something about her mom seems a little off, and other weirdnesses start to stack up. I’m always excited when there’s a new T. Kingfisher book out, and this one did not disappoint. – Deana R.

American Mermaid

Julia Langbein

“A comedy of wordplay. A superhero adventure. A Hollywood takedown. A hoot and a half. American Mermaid is all of these, and more. So witty and marvelous you won’t be able to put it down. So pick it up!” – Andrew Sean Greer

Birnam Wood

Eleanor Catton

I’ve been obsessed with Eleanor Catton ever since I was completely consumed by The Luminaries, and have been obsessively waiting for her next book. Birnam Wood doesn’t disappoint: a psychological thriller that puts a guerrilla gardening group on a crash course with a doomsday-prepping billionaire. I’m here for it. – Kelsey F.

Flux

Jinwoo Chong

In trying to describe Flux, I reached for comparisons: Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow; Elizabeth Holmes holding a tiny vial of blood; Interior Chinatown; Inception; the bittersweet experience of aging; Glass Onion... Flux is a little bit of all these things, and yet totally unique. You will gasp, cheer, cry; you will be changed. – Michelle C.

White Cat, Black Dog

Kelly Link

I’m obsessed with these stories: as twisted and weird and hilarious as I’ve come to expect from Kelly Link, with characters that feel torn from our world and dropped into new realities where ghosts love the snow and death lingers along a white road that skirts at their peripheral vision. Mesmerizing. – Kelsey F.

Birdgirl

Mya-Rose Craig

“This is a forthright and compelling chronicle by a remarkable birder, environmentalist, and advocate....Craig turned a love of birds and coping with family challenges into environmental and Indigenous rights activism.” – Booklist (Starred Review)

Above Ground

Clint Smith

“I recommend this book for everyone who has ever been a parent or a child, in love or beloved. I recommend it to everyone who has ever felt like a stranger inside of history, inside of a nation, or inside their own heart.” – Kaveh Akbar

Rose Quartz

Sasha taq^wšəblu LaPointe

“Sasha taq^wšəblu LaPointe’s book of protection spells and unfairied-tales is the jewel anyone who knows the turbulent roads of life will want to hold close for the rest of the journey.” – Danez Smith

Spoken Word

Joshua Bennett

“A galvanizing, thoroughgoing history of rare literary quality....All written with the detail, lyricism, imagination, and intellect of a seasoned poet. I feel more hopeful and excited for having read it.” – Luke Kennard

Saving Time

Jenny Odell

In Saving Time, Jenny Odell explores how the clock we live by was built for profit, not people, and offers a vision of “saving” time by imagining a life outside standardized units. – Sarah R.

Poverty, by America

Matthew Desmond

“A powerful inquiry...Desmond enriches his detailed and trenchant analysis with poignant reflections on America’s ‘unblushing inequality’ and the ‘anomie of wealth.’ It’s a gut-wrenching call for change.” – Publishers Weekly

The Umbrella

Beth Ferry and Tom Lichtenheld

“Dim days end with a bright romp thanks to magic. This celebration of patience and sharing light will spread delight.” – Kirkus Reviews

The Moth Keeper

K. O’Neill

The Moth Keeper captures magic and beauty as only New Zealand graphic novelist K. O’Neill can. This is a wonderful middle grade graphic novel tale of found family, adventure, and fantasy by the author of The Tea Dragon Society. – Sarah R.

Bea Wolf

Zach Weinersmith and Boulet

A magnificent middle reader graphic novel retelling worthy of the source material. The great hall? A great treehouse. Our heroes? Kid-conquerors of suburbia. Our monster? A joyless adult. Like the old epic, I was hooked from the first poetic kenning. – Sarah R.

Dog Man: Twenty Thousand Fleas Under the Sea

Dav Pilkey

Piggy is back, and his newest plot is his most diabolical yet. Dog Man and the rest of your favorite characters must join together in this heroic and hilarious, all new adventure.

Leeva at Last

Sara Pennypacker and Matthew Cordell

Leeva at Last is a warm-hearted, uplifting, and very funny tale of community and perseverance starring responsible Fern; anxious, hazmat-suit-wearing Osmund; a badger; and Leeva Thornblossom, the most charming, precocious do-gooder you could ask for. This book is a delight. – Gigi L.

My Powerful Hair

Carole Lindstrom and Steph Littlebird

With Carole Lindstrom’s simple, poetic language and Steph Littlebird’s lovely, fluid artwork, bursting with color and joy, a young girl’s musing about her hair opens up themes of family, history, strength, pride, and the celebration of Indigenous culture. A gorgeous book. – Gigi L.

The Jump

Brittney Morris

“A thrill ride unabashedly critiquing abusive systems of power that mirror real-world behemoths.” – Kirkus Reviews

Lies We Sing to the Sea

Sarah Underwood

This YA debut is justifiably being compared to Madeline Miller’s Circe for its focus on under-sung women of Greek myth. On a deeper level, like Miller, Underwood’s poetic turn of phrase gives the novel a racing heartbeat that will have you reading as quickly as you can. – Madeline S.

Saints of the Household

Ari Tison

“In this striking, assured debut exhibiting a measured pace and delicate writing, Tison (Bribri) probes the ties of adolescent brotherhood and ways the effects of violence can stall self-directed growth...Remarkably compelling.” – Kirkus Reviews (Starred Review)

Into the Light

Mark Oshiro

“Oshiro persuasively cultivates suspense...this breathtaking indictment of corrupted religion’s consequences presents a standout, deeply felt portrait of a teenager’s longing for connection.” – Publishers Weekly (Starred Review)

February 2023 Picks

Sink

Joseph Earl Thomas

“Joseph Earl Thomas’s Sink is a powerful, moving, and artful testament to the sustaining powers of the imagination. This compelling coming-of-age memoir is often brutal but also loving; it’s at turns critical, empathic, funny; it’s searching and revelatory the whole way through.” – Mitchell S. Jackson

B.F.F.

Christie Tate

“A meaningful, memorable journey from inner pain to honest, open, and enduring friendship.” – Kirkus Reviews

Enchantment

Katherine May

Katherine May’s Enchantment is a must-read for anyone seeking to rediscover the sense of wonder we carry about the world as children. A highly relatable and thought-provoking read that’ll help you recognize beauty in the mundane. – Rudy K.

Brutes

Dizz Tate

An incredible debut novel that swirls around the sinister, mesmerizing undertow of girlhood. The story is mythic and startling; the writing is lush and moving and strange. I loved every second of this book. (Also: check out that cover!!) – Kelsey F.

A Day of Fallen Night

Samantha Shannon

“Epic in scope, yet careful and tender in its depiction of personal grief, A Day of Fallen Night shows the heights of courage and depths of hope that people can find during terrifying, destruction chaos. A triumph of a book.” – Helen Corcoran

Our Share of Night

Mariana Enriquez (tr. Megan McDowell)

I’ve been obsessed with Mariana Enriquez, an Argentinian author, ever since her collection, Things We Lost in the Fire. This book is so unsettling. It burrowed under my skin and stayed there. 10/10, will absolutely read again. – Kelsey F.

Your Driver Is Waiting

Priya Guns

A gender flipped reboot of Taxi Driver amidst our current culture of alienation. A cover that basically stared me down, daring me to read it. Jean Kyong Frazier correctly said “this novel had its hands around my neck.” Bring it on. – Sarah R.

World Running Down

Al Hess

“Full of adventure, charm, and deeply human insights, the world in Hess’s World Running Down is an apocalypse you won’t want to leave.” – Seth Fried

Big Swiss

Jen Beagin

This book is a wild ride; it is full of lines so funny that you will be compelled to text them out of context to your friends while you read. But Jen Beagin is also doing something more profound that will keep resonating long after you finish. – Keith M.

The Sun Walks Down

Fiona McFarlane

This story of a lost child in nineteenth-century Australia and the people who go looking for him is riveting, beautiful, and wise. I don’t know how to better say it: this is literature at its best. – Keith M.

I Have Some Questions for You

Rebecca Makkai

I Have Some Questions for You swims through the gray areas of memory, perception, blame, guilt, and the ways we claim ownership over narratives that are maybe not ours to claim. Even while mentally screaming “maybe don’t enable this!” to the protagonist, I blazed through. – Sarah R.

Scorched Grace

Margot Douaihy

“Douaihy’s prose is fresh and energetic, and she brings the delightfully original character of Sister Holiday vividly to life. Holiday believably leads her own investigation, and the story satisfies right up until the very twisty end.” – Karin Slaughter

Wolfish

Erica Berry

God, I love nonfiction books that combine a serious, compassionate look at a particular species alongside a look at their cultural foot(paw?)prints and their impact on the author and the author’s story. Wolfish starts with OR-7, the legendary wolf wandering through northeast Oregon, and then spirals out from there. – Kelsey F.

The Wise Hours

Miriam Darlington

“A beautiful book; wise and sharp-eared as its subject.” – Robert Macfarlane

Couplets

Maggie Millner

In Couplets, Maggie Millner has written a highly structured, accessible book about the fluidity and restraint of relationships and sexuality. These rhyming couplets interspersed with prose meditations thrilled me. I’ve never read a book quite like this one before. – Adam P.

Peek-A-Boo Haiku

Danna Smith and Teagan White

Sitting quietly
Peeking at cute animals
Reading here with you
This is a cozy and cute read-aloud that introduces the power of simple verse. – Tina M.

Nayra and the Djinn

Iasmin Omar Ata

“Presenting a slice of life with a tinge of magic, the story’s overall mellow tone is heightened by the color palette's deep jewel tones...Fresh and interesting.” – Kirkus Reviews

On Air with Zoe Washington

Janae Marks

“A thoughtful sequel that revisits an admirable protagonist and accessibly explores challenging subjects.” – Kirkus Reviews

The Swifts

Beth Lincoln

The Swifts: A Dictionary of Scoundrels is a clever whodunnit that manages to simultaneously take us on a suspenseful and charming journey and celebrate the magic of language and words. Beth Lincoln lets us into the world of Shenanigan and her exciting adventure of self-discovery. – Tina M.

Once Upon a Book

Grace Lin and Kate Messner

With rhythmic text and beautiful gouache art full of lush hints of magic — like the dress that changes color to mirror the different places Alice travels to in her journey through the pages of her book — Once Upon a Book is a lovely celebration of imagination and reading. – Gigi L.

Evergreen

Matthew Cordell

On more than one occasion I have felt like a very small and timid squirrel sent on a quest through the big wide forest. I hope to always face my fears with as much tenacity (and as little soup-spilling) as little Evergreen. A beautiful picture book brimming with classic charm and gentle humor. – Sarah R.

A First Time for Everything

Dan Santat

“Dan Santat perfectly captures all the humor, confusion, awkwardness, and pure joy of being a young person stepping out into the world. Read this book! You’re going to love it, and you are going to laugh and cry so much!” – Christina Soontornvat

Chaos Theory

Nic Stone

“A thoughtful, realistically messy emotional wallop that destigmatizes mental disorders.” – Kirkus Reviews

She Is a Haunting

Trang Thanh Tran

Vietnamese, bisexual, sapphic, atmospheric horror debut with a Silence-of-The-Lambs-esque cover written by a non-binary author? And you think I’m above making this book my entire personality?? Think again. There’s no way I’m not obsessing over this book. – Stacy Wayne D.

One of Us Is Lying

Karen M. McManus

“This fast-paced blend of Gossip Girl, Pretty Little Liars, and classic John Hughes will leave readers racing to the finish as the try to unravel the mystery on their own” – Kirkus Reviews

January 2023 Picks

Fieldwork

Iliana Regan

“An intimate, passionate, and fresh perspective on the natural world and our place within it.” – Kirkus Reviews

Your Hearts, Your Scars

Adina Talve-Goodman

“This book is so full of life that it’s hard to believe the amazing young woman who wrote it is no longer walking among us. Adina has left an indelible mark on this world. Her extraordinary gifts, her irrepressible spirit, live on.” – Dani Shapiro

Have You Eaten Yet?

Cheuk Kwan

“A heartfelt and entertaining culinary and historical survey of the Chinese diaspora.” – Kirkus Reviews

The Survivalists

Kashana Cauley

“Kashana Cauley’s novel The Survivalists is beautifully written. With language that is smart, economical and clear she renders a story that is about relationships and our culture. I love this character Aretha, her observations, her arguments, her irony. This a nice piece of work.” – Percival Everett

The Sense of Wonder

Matthew Salesses

“Matthew Salesses’s new novel is so freaking good I can’t stand it. Blistering, confident, full of swagger and heart, it is also an exhilaratingly smart treatise on race and our collective imagination that lays bare our limitations before blasting joyfully past them. A must read!” – Catherine Chung

The Dream Builders

Oindrila Mukherjee

In this panoramic view of a new city in India, Oindrila Mukherjee creates an exhilarating polyphonic novel. This is a book that has so much to say, and skillfully gives voice to a multitude of characters to say it. – Keith M., Powells.com

Hell Bent

Leigh Bardugo

“Thrilling...fascinating supporting players...The taut plot, often grisly magic, lavish scene-setting, and wry humor combine to make this just as un-put-downable as the first installment. Readers will be wowed.” – Publishers Weekly (Starred Review)

How to Sell a Haunted House

Grady Hendrix

“A madcap funhouse of a novel. Zigzags from hilarious to horrifying to heartbreaking and back again in the blink of an eye. I loved it!” – Riley Sager

The New Life

Tom Crewe

In his debut novel, Tom Crewe brings 19th century London to life through the story of two men collaborating on a book that defends homosexuality. The New Life documents a time of great social and sexual upheaval, and is a thrilling read! – Adam P., Powells.com

Sam

Allegra Goodman

Allegra Goodman follows Sam from girlhood to adulthood, taking the reader on a journey that would seem incredible, if it didn’t seem so incredibly true. This book is a marvel of skilled writing and unparalleled empathy. – Keith M., Powells.com

This Other Eden

Paul Harding

“There is no writer alive anything like Paul Harding, and This Other Eden proves it: astonishingly beautiful, humane, strange, interested in philosophy and the heart, stunningly written....so completely original it’s hard to know how to describe it in a mere blurb, by which I mean: you must read this book.” – Elizabeth McCracken

Master Slave Husband Wife

Ilyon Woo

“...a breathless story captured with breathless prose, and we readers gasp in amazement and wonder at the tragedy and triumph.” – Marlon James

Koala

Danielle Clode

“Entertaining...[An] insightful peek into the world of koalas...[T]his is the thing animal lovers didn’t know they needed” – Publishers Weekly

Pirate Enlightenment, or the Real Libertalia

David Graeber

“Pirates captured the imagination of writers and readers centuries ago, and David Graeber reveals why. He has produced one of the most fascinating, original, and altogether brilliant books ever written about these unruly outlaws.” – Marcus Rediker

The Creative Act

Rick Rubin

The Creative Act is a powerfully inspiring book for anyone seeking to pursue a more creative life. Rick Rubin demystifies the creative process, showing that it’s mostly a matter of discipline, experimentation, and self-reflection. – Rudy K., Powells.com

Just Like Grandma

Kim Rogers and Julie Flett

“A sweet celebration of family, intergenerational bonds, and traditions.” – Kirkus Reviews

Nick and Charlie

Alice Oseman

If you’re into the Heartstopper series (and if you’re not, I strongly recommend that you become so!), you’ll want — you’ll need — this novella about love and doubt and growing up. – Lucinda G., Powells.com

Moon Rising

Tui T. Sutherland

I am hooked on this series, and I’m so excited to see this next chapter, now that the dragonets have to go to school together. Some of my favorite characters, now in one of my favorite settings. – Lucinda G., Powells.com

Very Good Hats

Emma Straub and Blanca Gomez

Anything can be a hat (even this book)! Don’t just take my word for it, let Emma Straub and Blanca Gomez’s Very Good Hats show you how it’s done. A terrific topper for story time, craft time, and imaginative play. – Sarah R., Powells.com

The Kindest Red

Ibtihaj Muhammad and S. K. Ali

With simple text and friendly artwork that’s both cartoony and painterly, with messages of kindness and generosity, The Kindest Red is a book we all need right now regardless of age — one of sheer, boundless hope. – Gigi L., Powells.com

Season of the Bruja Vol. 1

Aaron Durán and Sara Soler

“A truly exciting fantasy debut...equal parts ambitious, engaging, and heartfelt, Season of the Bruja is a brilliant display of comic book magic.” – David Pepose

The Stolen Heir

Holly Black

So excited to return to Elfhame in the first part of a new duology! Forgotten child queens, too-charming princes, and snow monsters, oh my! – Matt K., Powells.com

We Are All So Good at Smiling

Amber McBride

“McBride makes exceptional use of the verse novel format, with some poems reading almost as detailed and descriptive prose, while other entries are just a few judiciously chosen lines that make readers slow down and work a bit to parse out full meaning.” – Bulletin of the Center of Children’s Books

Promise Boys

Nick Brooks

“Thrilling, captivating, and blade-sharp. Promise Boys will stay with you long after the last page.” – Karen M. McManus

Peekaboo Rex!

Sandra Boynton

“...this adorable board book, expressed in lilting rhymes, boosts vocabulary development through the use of some common prepositions (behind, in) and adverbs (here, there, everywhere). The illustrations are sweetly engaging...” – Kirkus Reviews

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