Liz Marsham, CRITICAL ROLE , Jesse Szewczyk
[isbn]
Stories and food are inseparable, and the food of Exandria is just as good as its stories — truly “exquisite” actually! Just look at the gorgeous pictures, from “Slayer’s Cake” to “Jester’s Sweet Feast,” and your mouth will water. I’m going to start with the chickpea version of “Yasha’s Bug Bites,” washed down with a “Ruby of the Sea” cocktail, while I plan fun dinners for my RPG friends.
Recommended by Marianne T
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Oksana Vasyakina and Elina Alter
[isbn]
This book absolutely delivers on the promise of its simple title: it is a bruising, beautiful book that I couldn’t put down, even as each page pulsed with the heartache of existing in an unforgiving world. The narrator, Oksana, is a queer, Russian poet whose mother has recently passed. As she travels to their former home of Siberia, she thinks about her past with her mom and her mom’s tumultuous relationships; Oksana’s own complicated romantic... (read more)
Recommended by Kelsey F.
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Sohla El-Waylly
[isbn]
Sohla El-Waylly. Too good for the Bon Appetit Test Kitchen (they didn’t deserve her!!) but absolutely necessary for your kitchen. I have no idea what I’m doing when it comes to cooking but this book is so darn accessible! Start Here doesn’t presume you know what your doing — it says “that’s ok” and helps you learn not only recipes but also the foundational hows and whys that will inspire you to become the... (read more)
Recommended by Sarah R.
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Sophie Blackall
[isbn]
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.
Recommended by Sarah R.
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Sean Michaels
[isbn]
A famed poet gets an offer to collaborate with an advanced AI on a book length poem for a large sum of money. She accepts. This exhilarating novel explores what it really means to be an artist, a parent, and a consciousness. Anyone anxious about AI should read this book.
Recommended by Keith M.
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Isle McElroy
[isbn]
Isle McElroy has taken a well-used trope and breathed fresh life into it. People Collide has exactly what I look for in literary fiction: intriguing characters, keen insights, and great pacing, all in service of addressing big themes. This is an immensely enjoyable and thought-provoking novel.
Recommended by Keith M.
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Nona Fernandez, Natasha Wimmer
[isbn]
Chilean novelist Fernandez weaves her own constellation in this book-length essay that roots her mother's brain scans to the stars, to national grief, to loss and the fragility of memory, and to what is left behind for the living. A slow, deep breath in shimmering prose — one of my faves of the year.
Recommended by SitaraG
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Shelly Westerhausen Worcel, Wyatt Worcel
[isbn]
I'm always shifting into soup mode, and Every Season Is Soup Season is the cookbook that understands. Each recipe is crafted to let abundant, delicious, hearty vegetables shine (with optional instructions on adding meat), and includes two spinoffs (a remix to dress things up for a fancy dinner party, and a way to turn the leftovers into something totally new). Also, the photography is gorgeous and makes me want to live in a... (read more)
Recommended by Michelle C.
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Michael Lewis
[isbn]
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.
Recommended by Keith M.
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H. E. Edgmon
[isbn]
PNW author Edgmon follows up his Witch King duology with this series starter about a nonbinary Seminole teen who happens to be a reincarnated god. With the weight of lifetimes on their shoulders, Gem needs to face down their pasts to choose their future. But what futures do you have when the world will only see you as a monster?
Recommended by Madeline S.
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Lex Croucher
[isbn]
Arthur and Gwendoline attempt to live up to their namesakes in this medieval romcom that is, delightfully, not an "enemies-to-lovers" tale, but an "enemies-to-queer-solidarity-that-bucks-tradition-and-arguably-fate" romp. If you thought the only thing A Knight's Tale was missing was a queer love story, or if you did time in the BBC Merlin fandom, this one's for you.
Recommended by Madeline S.
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Lauren Groff
[isbn]
I read this book in three delirious days and was so frustrated whenever I had to do anything other than read it! Absolutely stunning — on its surface an adventure, at its beating heart a story of human limitation and fire to survive, of how and why one claims a home, a name, a self, of the divine, and so much more.
Recommended by Claire A.
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Jeff Yang
[isbn]
The Golden Screen celebrates Asian American cinema through profiles of iconic films — their cultural impact, the stories of success for each picture, and the personal commentary from the actors, writers, directors, and other artists who carry these movies into their work. While Jeff Yang's latest includes the recent renaissance in Asian American film, the book looks back much earlier than 2018 to create a fascinating map of influences... (read more)
Recommended by Michelle C.
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Steve McCarthy
[isbn]
Oktober Vasylenko is part of a giant family that loves to explore in the wild — but Oktober loves to read books about how scary it is Out There. When Oktober ventures out and meets the Wilderness face-to-face, the ensuing adventure proves that "scared is how you feeldo." The Wilderness is so charming and cozy and beautiful and brave, and I will be personally gifting it to all the Oktobers and Mays in my life.... (read more)
Recommended by Michelle C.
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Curtis Chin
[isbn]
Curtis Chin’s memoir of growing up in his family’s Detroit Chinese restaurant is by turns moving and hilarious as he recounts the growing pains that come with being the third son in a large immigrant family amidst a time of national economic, racial, and health crises.
Recommended by Keith M.
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Roz Chast
[isbn]
Supposedly, describing your dreams is a faux pas that will bore anyone unlucky enough to be within earshot. This is just another rule that doesn’t apply to Roz Chast. Her new book explores the experience and meaning of dreams with characteristic wit and insight.
Recommended by Keith M.
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Molly Baz
[isbn]
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 for the more complex recipes are a game-changer. I'll definitely be cooking from this book all winter!
Recommended by Rudy K.
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Manuel Munoz
[isbn]
I usually struggle to finish short story collections, but the expertly woven connections between some of these narratives immediately drew me in and held my attention till the last page. Each story is so convincingly portrayed that you could easily forget it's a work of fiction.
Recommended by Rudy K.
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Mitchell S. Jackson
[isbn]
Brilliant wordsmith/storysmith Mitchell S. Jackson is coming to us with what on the surface looks like a beautifully-made sports fashion book — and it’s that, and more. It’s a fascinating history, a well-organized timeline, and most of all, an expansive celebration of a unique and empowering culture. This book is cool.
Recommended by Gigi L.
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Sam Reece
[isbn]
I’m obsessed with this hilarious, feel-good craft book! Crafters are often perfectionists, and it’s good to be reminded why we got into craft in the first place — the pure joy of making (shitty) things! Any crafter you know will get a huge kick out of this delightful book.
Recommended by Leah B.
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Jason Reynolds, Jerome Pumphrey, Jarrett Pumphrey
[isbn]
There Was a Party for Langston celebrates Langston Hughes, “whose ABC’s became drums,
bumping jumping thumping / like a heart the size of the whole wide world.” This book bumps and thumps, too, using rhythmic words, expressive art, and loads of heart to pay tribute to an important man.
Recommended by Gigi L.
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Stephen King
[isbn]
Given the context of the story, it may be in poor taste to state that I devoured this book in a sitting; however, that makes the statement no less true. This is easily one of King's most intriguing plots: a serpentine supernatural thriller awash in compelling character arcs and teeming with tension and terror. This book is most certainly a worthy successor to the Mr. Mercedes trilogy — and does fans of Holly Gibney good to see her begin to truly... (read more)
Recommended by Shane H
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Dean Koontz
[isbn]
A supernatural thriller featuring a body-hopping killer, Koontz's What the Night Knows sequelizes the events of his novella, Darkness Under the Sun. While investigating a horrific homicide, detective John Calvino begins to note eerie similarities between the scene and that of crimes perpetrated by deceased killer Alton T. Blackwood... the man who, coincidentally, killed Calvino's family as well. What follows is a gripping... (read more)
Recommended by Shane H
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David Lehman, Elaine Equi
[isbn]
If you’re like me, and you didn’t get around to reading all those journals and new books of poetry that you meant to last year, then you’ll appreciate this slim book of stunningly good poems. You’ll find familiar names, ranging from Armentrout to Zapruder, but a lot of talented new voices as well. I look forward to this book each year, and 2023 is truly stellar!
Recommended by Marianne T
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Matthew Zapruder
[isbn]
This is a beautiful book that talks about the making of a poem while sharing a very intimate portrait of the author as he struggles with the weight of a child diagnosed with autism and a planet that’s fragile and failing. He responds by putting word after word on the page, and we get to read it all.
Recommended by Marianne T
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Stephanie Burt
[isbn]
Stephanie Burt is a talented poet who is really, really good at talking about poems, as she does in this friendly, informative guide to the pleasure of reading and interacting with individual poems, and by extension with “poetry.” With chapters like “Feelings,” “Wisdom,” and “Community,” this book provides a fresh approach that will inform those newer to poetry and will delight everyone.
Recommended by Marianne T
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Ryan G Van Cleave
[isbn]
This collection has beautiful illustrations that make the book feel like a vintage handmade collage. Van Cleave also uses the righthand margin to define key words in the poems like "talisman" or "sabre" and includes discussion questions like, "At what point does the poem take a dark turn?"
Recommended by Sarah B.
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Andrea Dworkin, Johanna Fateman, Amy Scholder
[isbn]
Legitimately one of the most important books in this store, from one of the greatest thinkers of the late-twentieth century. Andrea Dworkin's writing now feels prophetic, and is at least as relevant and necessary now as when she first published — and this book is currently the only way her work can be read in print. Including essays from the seminal "Woman Hating," the powerful "Intercourse," the shockingly insightful "Right-Wing Women," among... (read more)
Recommended by Devan M
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Travis Baldree
[isbn]
We all need more cozy fantasy in our lives and Travis Baldree’s Bookshops & Bonedust hits like a warm cup of cocoa on a stormy day. From fixing up and uplifting a struggling bookstore to fighting a necromancer, you’ll want to spend some time cuddled up with this low-stakes, high-comfort book. Also: Potroast! (you'll get it...)
Recommended by Vicky K.
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Melissa Broder
[isbn]
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.
Recommended by Vicky K.
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Alexis M Smith
[isbn]
Glaciers technically spans one day in the life of Isabel, a twenty-something woman who works in the basement of the Central Library in downtown Portland, furnishes her life with vintage postcards and thrift store collections, and gently yearns for her coworker. Emotionally, it spans decades, visiting the memories of her childhood in Alaska and imagined stories of her secondhand treasures triggered by her movements through the day. While... (read more)
Recommended by Michelle C.
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Kim Kelly
[isbn]
In Fight Like Hell, Kim Kelly celebrates the untold stories and unsung heroes of the American labor movement, taking great care to center voices that have historically been sidelined or silenced in mainstream conversations around workers' rights. The result is an inclusive, fascinating, and galvanizing retrospective that mines the depths of the history of the working class to extract precious insight and inspiration for its future. A... (read more)
Recommended by Tove H.
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Ann Patchett
[isbn]
You're in the thrall of a fine storyteller when a book that's essentially a family conversation becomes impossible to put down. This is a love story and a timely family tale that calls out memory and the ways we edit it (or does it edit us?).
Recommended by Marianne T
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Sam Rebelein
[isbn]
Okay, so. SO. I honestly have no idea how to accurately sum up Edenville. This book has it all! Struggling author? Check. Strained relationships? Check. Massive amounts of gore and humor? Check. This is going to be the perfect Halloween read and I will be recommending it to my fellow horror enthusiasts!
Recommended by Chris P.
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Olesya Salnikova Gilmore
[isbn]
Just imagine Baba Yaga as a youthful Slavic goddess, fighting for good and maybe falling in love, all during the reign of Ivan the Terrible. There's something here for anyone who enjoys history, mythology, even romance. I could not put this book down!
Recommended by Marianne T
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Raven Leilani
[isbn]
A dark, literary, funny, impossible-to-put-down book, Luster is centered on 23-year-old Edie. The novel covers a period of her life intersecting with a much older lover, his wife, and their adopted teenage daughter. In phenomenal prose (Edie's descriptions and observations about the world are impeccable), Raven Leilani has captured complex, intimate ways that people help and hurt each other, the drudgery of modern workplaces and the gig... (read more)
Recommended by Michelle C.
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Andrew Joseph White
[isbn]
Andrew Joseph White blew me away with Hell Followed With Us, so I was on board for this one before ever reading the synopsis. Need to know: somehow, AJW has asserted a new corner of queer horror that is retrograde, demented, deeply personal, and in the BioShock wheelhouse. Del Toro but make it YA, trans, and more bloody. This book!
Recommended by Stacy W.
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Zadie Smith
[isbn]
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!
Recommended by Keith M.
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Kate Leth
[isbn]
Kate Leth’s delightful look at mall culture in the early 2000s has a lot to say about when to let keep your guard up, when to let it down, and the problems that come from misjudging that balance.
Recommended by Keith M.
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Amanda Gorman and Christian Robinson
[isbn]
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.
Recommended by Keith M.
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Aaron Blabey
[isbn]
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!
Recommended by Keith M.
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Rick Riordan
[isbn]
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!"
Recommended by Madeline S.
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Emily Winfield Martin
[isbn]
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.
Recommended by Madeline S.
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Aaron Adams and Liz Crain
[isbn]
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.
Recommended by Stacy W.
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Eliza MacArthur
[isbn]
Hank is the anti-hero we didn't know we needed. He's a big guy with an even bigger heart and once he's committed to you, he's yours forever. I love that a book about witches and vampires has some of the most realistic conversations about loving yourself and finding your special one! I'll never look at recliners the same way again!
Five Flannel Stars out of five!
Recommended by Jennifer V.
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Tom Stoppard
[isbn]
Follow Rosencrantz and Guildenstern, two minor characters in Hamlet, as they live through the events of the play. However, from the first scene, it is clear that what they're experiencing is not quite reality... after all, what are the odds of a coin landing heads-up ninety-two times in a row?
Witty, bittersweet, and strange, this play is a breathtaking reflection on art and storytelling — as well as one of the most brilliantly surreal... (read more)
Recommended by Edme G.
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Linda Medley
[isbn]
Castle Waiting is an incredible comic series. It follows a motley cast of characters who have — through one way or another — found themselves at the eponymous castle. They include a retired plague doctor, a scamp of a nun, a stoic blacksmith, the frazzled stork-headed caretaker, and a woman on the run. Their lives together and their pasts apart make up the rich story of Castle Waiting. While the setting and characters are... (read more)
Recommended by Edme G.
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Cleo Qian
[isbn]
I feel like I read this debut collection in one, fast, maniacal gulp. Filled with displacement and redemption, video games and karaoke, Cleo Qian’s writing is unnerving, strange, delicious — all of the things you might want out of a collection with this title and this cover. I promise, once you’ve read the first story (called “Chicken. Film. Youth.” — a title that’s a short story in and of itself), you’ll be all in. For fans of Ling Ma and... (read more)
Recommended by Kelsey F.
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Mizuki Tsujimura
[isbn]
One of those books written with the same pastel languor of impressionist art. Somehow Tsujimura manages to reach through each page and gently take the hand of your inner child, tenderly reminding you of the person you were and what those early friendships meant. Equally melancholic and hopeful, recklessly unafraid of softness, Lonely Castle in the Mirror did a number on me.
Recommended by Stacy W.
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Sona Movsesian, Conan Obrien
[isbn]
Sometimes being the world's worst assistant makes you your boss's best friend? Maybe that's a bit of an exaggeration, but it can land you a job talking for a living on his podcast. This book made me realize that the only thing funnier than the original sketches is the stories behind them.
Recommended by Lindsay P
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Jen DeLuca
[isbn]
Lulu "girl-bossed" too close to the sun. Luckily, when she fell back down to Earth, she landed in the arms of a hot guitar player. Not only is this book adorable, but it also let me live out my fantasy of quitting my job and following a band around the country.
Recommended by Lindsay P
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Chengen Wu, Julia Lovell
[isbn]
If the impulsive, incorrigible, immortal kung-fu monkey doesn't sell you, maybe the lovely allegory for enlightenment will. One of the most fun and gripping classics out there.
Recommended by Edme G.
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Stephen O'Donnell
[isbn]
Fine artist Stephen O’Donnell turns his artist’s eye toward the act of putting story on the page in this debut collection. With lush imagery and poetic turns of phrase, these stories are a moving — at times beautifully melancholy — meditation on the ways we strive to find kinship in the world.
Recommended by Gigi L.
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Naja Marie Aidt, Denise Newman
[isbn]
I typically stay away from memoirs like this. As a mother, my greatest fear is the death of my own child. But this mother's journey is worth the anguish. That first shower after her son's death... having to divide a lock of his hair with her ex-husband... I was ripped apart with each page, but also, her words put me back together again and I am better for it.
Recommended by Rose H.
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Mona Awad
[isbn]
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.
Recommended by Vicky K.
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Anna Burke
[isbn]
Compass Rose gave me the story I didn’t know I was looking for. I’m always interested in narratives where being queer isn’t the focal point, but is still intrinsic to the characters. This was exactly what I wanted. Rose is a complex protagonist with character growth that surprised me in the best ways. Her relationship with Miranda (the hot pirate captain) is an important part of the plot, but it’s not the entire plot. The supporting... (read more)
Recommended by Carlee B
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Kwame Alexander
[isbn]
Go to page 81 and read "Good Night." This look into his marriage... it's so relatable. Kwame Alexander's memoir reads like a love letter to his family. One that is open and honest and full of the good and bad. And at the center of it all is food. I love the mix of poetry and essays, with a sprinkling of recipes throughout. If you pick up this book, try the fried chicken on page 125. Yes, it's good.
Recommended by Rose H.
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Jean-Paul Sartre
[isbn]
Plot? No.
Brilliant character study of a mid-century French academic's unraveling existential dread? Hell yeah.
Recommended by Grace B
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Stephen King
[isbn]
For fans of King's crime novels and character studies, Billy Summers is a must read. The story's protagonist is an intriguing enigma, and the tale ranks with the best in what the action-adventure/mystery genre has to offer. Also, if you're into easter eggs, this one has a doozy.
Recommended by Shane H
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TJ Klune
[isbn]
It is very possible that I am making TJ Klune books my entire personality, but when you're gifted with characters like Ox, a loyal, fierce, strong, passionate, protective pack member, how can you blame me? I've never been more invested in the well being of characters like Ox and the rest of his packpackpack.
Recommended by Chris P.
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Lydia Kiesling
[isbn]
Mobility is a pitch-perfect look at one woman's life, a snapshot in geologic time that captures so much about how we're catastrophically harming the planet, even with the best of intentions. Lydia Kiesling gets so many precise feelings so perfectly right — workmanlike teen anxieties and activities; finding pride and ambition in a career you did not necessarily choose; prescient arcs in your personal story that only make... (read more)
Recommended by Michelle C.
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Geoff Rickly
[isbn]
By far one of the best books I have ever read. This is one of those books that you want to tell everyone about because you can’t put it down, but is also so deeply personal that you want to keep it all to yourself. Rickly’s voice is stunningly creative and detailed and the world he has created here is the best modern adaptation I’ve read of any classic, but especially of Dante’s Divine Comedy. I genuinely cannot say enough good things... (read more)
Recommended by Aster A.
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Kate Beaton
[isbn]
Captivating and devastating! With unfailing humanism, Beaton chronicles the extractions — from the environment, from minority groups, from ourselves — in which we are all complicit. She finds empathy for the lonely men of the Alberta oil sands despite her mistreatment at their hands, and moments of humor and warmth despite the bleakness of her experiences. A must-read, especially if you have student loans.
Recommended by Kai B.
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Tricia Levenseller
[isbn]
This is a fast-paced action-adventure story with a fierce female heroine and a fiery enemies-to-lovers romance. I finished the book in one night and immediately bought the next in the series.
Recommended by Sarah B.
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Djuna and Anton Hur
[isbn]
The Korean conglomerate LK is creating an elevator into Earth’s orbit on the fictional island of Patusan, much to the displeasure of the Patusan people. This new hub of travel to and from our planet has turned their once quiet one-time stop tropical resort into a bustling gateway to the beyond. Originally planned to be a low-budget sci-fi movie, this antic novel features a maze of fake identities, neuro-implants, and political grievances from the... (read more)
Recommended by Aster A.
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Erika Kobayashi, Brian Bergstrom
[isbn]
Kobayashi continues to weave generations of women into stories of the wounds of nuclear power and the hubris of war, this time in a lyrical collection of eleven short stories. These stories follow the growth and change of nuclear power and how it mirrors the lives of the women in these stories. Though these generations are simply trying to live their lives, they each become their own perfect example of the irrevocable consequences of... (read more)
Recommended by Aster A.
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Tom O'Neill and Dan Piepenbring
[isbn]
As someone with no knowledge of Charles Manson beyond his caricatured depictions in pop culture, this book blew open my notion of sixties counterculture and left me with an equal number of questions and answers regarding the dominant narrative of its decline. Follow Tom O'Neill's ambitious project from its genesis as a magazine article about the Manson murders into Chaos: an investigative vortex exposing the darkest recesses of the... (read more)
Recommended by Nadia N.
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Maru Ayase and Haydn Trowell
[isbn]
The Forest Brims Over is the first of Ayase's novels to be translated into English, and both the themes and writing style remind me of Han Kang's The Vegetarian. Ayase's approach to examining gender roles and exploitation in the literary world via magical realism was interwoven throughout in a way that never felt jarring to the plot. I appreciated the varied perspectives within this book and the different self-reflections this... (read more)
Recommended by Charlotte S.
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Alexandra Rowland
[isbn]
I read A Taste of Gold and Iron in 2022 and loved it more each time. It’s a beautiful, character-driven fantasy romance. The fantasy world is interesting, the sprinkle of magic is just enough, and the secondary characters are wonderfully fleshed out. But the draw for me, and what brought me back again, was the two main characters: Kadou and Evemer. They both shine so brightly in this narrative; as they stumble through their (wrong) first... (read more)
Recommended by Anna B.
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Justin Torres
[isbn]
Blackouts, the long-awaited second book from Justin Torres, uses words and images to attempt to recover and illuminate stories of queer people living in the 20th century. Blackouts 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.
Recommended by Adam P.
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Fonda Lee
[isbn]
I have no idea how to do justice to this series, dear god Fonda Lee — a rip-roaring world so complex that it feels impossibly real, Lee's series is as heartfelt and complicated as her characters and each book somehow raises the emotional and literal stakes of the last until the last jaw dropping page. Slick, sexy, and smart as hell, perfect for fans of Jemisin's Broken Earth Trilogy and Ang Lee movies.
Recommended by SitaraG
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Roxanne Moreil, Cyril Pedrosa
[isbn]
This is a high fantasy graphic novel that isn't being talked about enough. The art by Cyril Pedrosa is intricate and stunning and reminiscent of Fantasia and the earliest animated Disney movies. I was immediately engrossed in this fast-paced story of political upheaval and in the lives of the characters stuck in its wake. Fantasy lovers will be absolutely enthralled by this book.
Recommended by Sarah B.
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Juneau Black
[isbn]
Shady Hollow is the first in a lovely, cottagecore, cozy-murder mystery series that will satisfy your need for a fast-paced and witty amateur sleuth whodunnit.
Recommended by Sarah B.
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K. O'Neill
[isbn]
I adore this book. K O'Neill's artwork is absolutely stunning, with beautiful watercolor sunsets and vibrant desert landscapes. I love O'Neill's ability to create whimsical and cozy magical worlds that stand out from other fantasy books. This lovely and layered story also has subtle and sweet queer and disability representation that does not focus on trauma, but instead focuses on the love and care the characters have for one another. I cannot... (read more)
Recommended by Sarah B.
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Victoria Goddard
[isbn]
if you're looking for doom and gloom, war, and morally gray characters, this is not the book for you. If, however, you want to read about good men trying to make the world a better place through government reform and the most profound friendship that exists, please read this book!
Recommended by Anna B.
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Tyler Feder
[isbn]
In this graphic memoir, Feder perfectly captures the small, surreal moments involved in the death of a loved one and the sad, awkward, and messy parts of adapting to life without them. Anyone who has ever lost a parent will deeply relate and this is the perfect book to help anyone 12+ feel less isolated in their grief.
Recommended by Sarah B.
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Esme Symes Smith
[isbn]
Sir Callie is the champion that we all could use! This book is a powerful story about standing firm in what you believe in and fighting for those who can't fight for themselves.
Recommended by Jessica M.
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Victoria Goddard
[isbn]
This book should not be as good as it is. It wanders. It's lengthy. The vast majority of it is inside Kip's head, going over and over what he's feeling and what he's thinking at any given moment. But it's so good.
This is the most emotionally well-paced and cathartic book I've ever read. There were chapters where I had to reread sentences, paragraphs, pages over and over because I could not process the emotional weight fast enough. I wanted to... (read more)
Recommended by Anna B.
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Cassandra Khaw
[isbn]
Without a doubt, the most insane thing (actually and in a good way) you'll read in 112 pages. The fairy tales got everything wrong. The kids are all frankensteined, the mermaid is eating discarded body parts, and the plague doctor is the hottest character ever written. Cassandra Khaw, I love you.
Recommended by Stacy W.
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Kirino, Natsuo
[isbn]
In Grotesque, Kirino shows off her ability to dive into the most deplorable corners of the human psyche and make readers want to stay there even as they're squirming to get away. The book showcases three different perspectives, all of which are unreliable in their own ways. As one reads, their grasp on the reality within the book becomes tenuous, and that sense of tension forms all of the unease and discomfort you could possibly want... (read more)
Recommended by Mar S.
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Alicia Thompson
[isbn]
With Love, From Cold World is about two coworkers at a failing, beloved, non-trademarked, winter-themed amusement park in Orlando. Lauren is all business while Asa is all fun (or is there more than meets the eye?), and they have to overcome their ongoing rivalry to come up with a wacky-yet-grounded solution to save their beloved anomaly of a workplace. And maybe... sparks fly, even in artificially cold conditions?? Alicia... (read more)
Recommended by Michelle C.
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Leonard Shlain
[isbn]
An exploration into the power of linguistics in the realm of symbology, myth, religion and history — all from a critical, feminist perspective. Basically — a wild rollercoaster of an academic theory: that alphabetic literacy changed our minds so significantly that it destroyed the Fertility Goddess of many preliterate cultures.
Recommended by Grace B
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Anita Kelly
[isbn]
This book is perfect if you love: reality TV cooking competitions, non-binary and bisexual representation, and a good spicy romance!
Recommended by Jessica M.
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Anita Kelly
[isbn]
This is one of those books that feel like it's giving your soul a hug. Anita Kelly crafts such wonderful and healthy romances and this one, set on the Pacific Crest Trail, is no different! Alexei and Ben have my heart and I know that this book is one that I'll enjoy reading over and over again.
Recommended by Jessica M.
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Zohra Nabi
[isbn]
This book is perfect if you love strong female characters and a world full of magic and mystery! I couldn't put it down, and the illustrations are beautiful!
Recommended by Jessica M.
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Joy McCullough and Devon Holzwarth
[isbn]
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.
Recommended by Gigi L.
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Christian Cooper
[isbn]
This book is a delight! Christian Cooper came into the national spotlight in 2020 for having the audacity to 'bird while black' in Central Park. A queer, pagan, Black nerd, Cooper's memoir chronicles birdwatching throughout his life. He has a unique and amusing voice that comes through his writing, even as he speaks of coming out, his sometimes difficult family history, and the time a white woman called the police on him when he reminded her that... (read more)
Recommended by Lesley A.
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Sabda Armandio, Lara Norgaard
[isbn]
In this incredible twist of genres, Armandio combines futuristic science fiction, crime thrillers, and surreal fiction. In the distant future, Indonesia’s crowded capital city is underwater and a novelist searches the remains of the vast city for the story of an old, infamous crime. Hunting for any trace at all of Gaspar, a private-eye-turned-criminal-mastermind plans a seemingly simple robbery of a jewelry store; however, the heist reveals a... (read more)
Recommended by Aster A.
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Bernardo Zannoni and Alex Andriesse
[isbn]
Archy is a beech marten, born into poverty, maimed by an accident, and sold into servitude by his mother. His master Solomon, a pawn-broking fox, teaches him to read and write based on knowledge he got after a bible fell on his head while he was distracted feeding on a hanged man. Unable to forget what he now knows about God, life, and death, Archy feels torn between intellect and instinct, despite desperately longing to be a “real animal.”
This... (read more)
Recommended by Aster A.
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Agustina Bazterrica, Sarah Moses
[isbn]
This collection of nineteen short stories is exactly what you would expect from the author of Tender is the Flesh, and I mean that in the best way. Once again, Bazterrica drags our darkest fears to light with tales of dystopia, alienation, and violence, but in her vivid and clever style, she also manages to make you laugh. This collection is witty, disturbing, and an absolute must-read. In many ways, reading these stories gave me that... (read more)
Recommended by Aster A.
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Edith Pattou
[isbn]
A wonderful folktale retelling inspired by the oft-forgotten fairy tale, "East of the Sun, West of the Moon," infused with wit, romance, and adventure!
Recommended by Grace B
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Jeff Goodell
[isbn]
Jeff Goodell is an incredibly engaging writer, and I loved his book The Water Will Come. I was hooked by the stats listed at the beginning of this book, and read it every chance I got. The summer heat in Portland is not what it was thirty years ago when I moved here, and Goodell begins the book talking about the heat dome Portland recently had the pleasure of cooking under. This book lays out how the heat of the planet is changing... (read more)
Recommended by Lesley A.
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Susanna Clarke
[isbn]
This book is simple and stunning, elegant and totally engrossing. The author of the famous Jonathan Strange and Mr. Norrell has once again created something brilliant and memorable, and I was captivated with Piranesi from the start. A perfect read for any season!
Recommended by Marianne T
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Emily Dickinson
[isbn]
What I learned from Emily — is larger than this Store* / More vivid than the Sunset Sky — and whimsical galore!
Seriously, she gave me my poetic license (and no street is
since safe).
*Powell's City of Books on Burnside
Recommended by Marianne T
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Toni Morrison
[isbn]
This is the legendary Toni Morrison’s first novel, set in her own home town of Lorrain, Ohio, in 1941. It presents the pain and consequences of racism, but also of societal notions of beauty and ugliness. Written in a variety of voices, it tells a heartbreaking and unforgettable story. If you have already read this book, then share it with a friend, and if you haven’t, now you must.
Recommended by Marianne T
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Chelsea G. Summers
[isbn]
Deliciously horrifying, A Certain Hunger is not for the faint of heart. Dorothy Daniels unapologetically recounts her murderous culinary history (à la eating her ex's organs); this is not a novel where the protagonist will attempt to justify her actions, but she sure will share the juicy details! Truly, who thought a cannibalism novel would be so enjoyable while also offering such a satirical take of food snobbery and gender? Yay for... (read more)
Recommended by Charlotte S.
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Tricia Hersey
[isbn]
A truly exceptional manifesto. Her wisdom and guidance cannot be overstated when it comes to resisting capitalist productivity. Listen to Black women! This is required reading.
Recommended by Charlotte S.
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Bora Chung and Anton Hur
[isbn]
What a delightfully strange short story collection! Each story is so original — often unnerving, sometimes gut-wrenching, and all in their own way a critique of capitalism and the patriarchy.
Recommended by Charlotte S.
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Greg Marshall
[isbn]
Reading Marshall's memoir reminded me of why I love this genre in the first place. You go into the book expecting one thing (a coming-of-age story alongside Marshall's coming-out story) and then you finish the book examining what it meant for him to have to come out twice: the second time as a gay man with cerebral palsy, which is something that his parents decided not to tell him about, instead telling him that his limp and other various... (read more)
Recommended by Katherine M.
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Rebecca Yarros
[isbn]
I am absolutely obsessed with Fourth Wing in all its brutal beauty. Dragons, death, betrayal, and enemies-to-lovers spice, I really couldn't ask for more. Violet is an amazing protagonist, and her chronic illness is based off of the author's own experiences with Ehlers-Danlos syndrome. Reading this gave me that elusive feeling of exhilaration I'm always looking for in a book. I can't wait for the sequel!
Recommended by Charlotte S.
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