Natalie Lloyd
[isbn]
First personal narrative and free verse brings this book to life! You'll be cheering on Olive and her allies as she strives to make her dreams come true. Magical, a fast read, and also informative as the author draws from her own experiences with osteogenesis imperfecta (brittle bone disease). If you enjoyed Wonder by Patricia Palacio, try this book.
Recommended by Erica B.
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Ainslie Hogarth
[isbn]
What an icky book, in the best possible way. Whip-smart writing on Hogarth's part. Some of the lines prompted me for the first time ever to take a highlighter to a printed book (don't worry, I didn't). Both a commentary on motherhood and inherited family trauma, Motherthing takes a foreboding and insidious plot and turns it into something else. Something, dare I say it, cheerful. Dark-horse book of the year for me.
Recommended by Stacy W.
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Anoosha Syed
[isbn]
What a gem! Perfect for back to school, or anytime meeting new people. That's Not My Name gives people with unique names the confidence to communicate and provides compassion and understanding for others.
Recommended by Erica B.
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Caroline Peckham
[isbn]
I'll be honest, I started this series as a joke. The books had gotten very popular on tiktok and I thought there was no way it could actually be good. One week later, I was completely sucked into the world of Solaria and I ended up finishing the six books out at the time in a month, the authors made me feel like the twins were my best friends. Full of romance, a collegiate magic school setting, and lost princesses regaining their throne — I have... (read more)
Recommended by Lauren M
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Scarlett St Clair
[isbn]
This is a wonderful retelling of the Hades and Persephone myth with a modern twist. Persephone is growing out from her mother's evergreen thumb and becomes a journalist! Her first article? Hades. Follow their epic romance as internal and external forces try to keep Persephone and Hades apart. Very spicy — I found myself blushing a few times, which is not something that happens often.
Recommended by Lauren M
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Clive Barker
[isbn]
I read this collection of stories at the tender age of 15 and the stories have stuck with me over half my life. The terror instilled in this collection exudes our most primal fears. Clowns? Check. Being alone on the train? Check. The inherent terror of the English countryside? Check. Clive Barker does it all and everyone will find a story to haunt them.
Recommended by Lauren M
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Sara Freeman
[isbn]
True to the title, author Sara Freeman has structured this novel in small segments that ebb and flow like tides, rolling across the pages and propelling you dreamily through the story of a woman who, after a grave loss, detaches from all structures of her life like a boat pushing out to sea and drifts to a small seaside town. What follows is a delicate and haunting story told as much in the margins as in the prose. I highly recommend this to... (read more)
Recommended by Katie P
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Martin Luther King, Jr. and Michael K. Honey
[isbn]
Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. is remembered first and foremost as a civil rights leader, but his kinship to the poor, to working people, and to unions helped shape his dynamic legacy. The speeches gathered here — delivered to crowds of union members and striking workers between 1957 and 1968, then left unpublished and largely unknown for decades after — show Dr. King’s dedication to workers’ rights and economic justice, and the scope of his... (read more)
Recommended by Tove H.
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Michael Munk
[isbn]
The coolest guide to our city doesn’t mention donuts even once. Instead, it celebrates Portland’s radical past — the people, organizations, protests, strikes, and movements that have made their mark on the City of Roses, and the vestiges of that past that can still be found today (using one of the maps that accompanies each section, or by following one of the walking tours outlined at the end). My endorsement of this guide has nothing to do with... (read more)
Recommended by Tove H.
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Stephen King
[isbn]
In this difficult world we're in, sometimes we want to wrap ourselves in the fantastic lands and breath and story that Stephen King can bring. Fairy Tale is such a place. It is all we know, but covered with the beautiful skin of King's imagination.
Recommended by Doug C.
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Jonathan Hill
[isbn]
For anyone who hides their true and timid self, who wants to fit in, who wishes they weren't a misfit, this book is for you. Especially if you're convinced you must be an alien or a mutant or maybe a whole other species from all those happy and normal people around you, this book is for you. Or if you're just a nerd, and you like seeing the world through different lenses, this book is for you.
Recommended by Doug C.
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Shannon Stocker, Devon Holzwarth
[isbn]
Evelyn Glennie has long been a personal inspiration of mine, and now with this lavishly illustrated book, the younger generation can be introduced to the joy of a life dedicated to music.
Recommended by Fletcher O.
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Walter Benjamin, Lecia Rosenthal, Jonathan Lutes
[isbn]
He may be dated, but Benjamin's work is a must-read for anyone trying to understand the role the artist plays in the struggle against fascism. (It's dialectic, babyy!)
Recommended by C.J.
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Conner Habib
[isbn]
Hawk Mountain is a queer horror story as tender as a caress to the cheek before the snapping of a neck. It begins when two classmates, Todd and Jack, victim and bully, meet again after fifteen years. Todd, now a single father, is less than thrilled about this reunion — especially as "can we catch up" turns into "can I stay the week" and Jack begins to worm his way into Todd and his son's life. What happens next is as unexpected as it is... (read more)
Recommended by Nicole S
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Mae Murray
[isbn]
Too often queer authors — queer people — are expected to be congenial. Unless queer characters are lawful good and palatable to a broadly heteronormative audience, they are vilified. Even by queer communities who demand that queer writers create within moral guidelines that don't exist for their non-queer contemporaries. The Book of Queer Saints puts fangs back into the mouth of queer authors. It's the queer jailbreak you've been waiting... (read more)
Recommended by Stacy W.
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Alessandra Lynch
[isbn]
Lynch's devastating collection pulls no punches, in spite of its delicate prose. A fragmented trauma narrative pieced together from the author's own experiences, Lynch forces the reader into a body that feels alien and uninhabitable after the violence enacted upon it. Daylily struggles to process and verbalize her memories as she attempts to normalize, drifting through her own life as a spectator, by turns overwhelmed by rage, numbness, grief,... (read more)
Recommended by SitaraG
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Jarrett Melendez, Danica Brine
[isbn]
Utterly adorable. Ben's finished college and now he's the only one of his friend group who hasn't been able to land a job in his field (definitely relatable..). Deciding he just cannot move back in with his parents, Ben applies for a job at a restaurant. He immediately develops a crush on Liam, one of the chefs, and adorably awkward moments ensue. This story is so sweet and cute. I loved it.
Recommended by Rose H.
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Markiyan Kamysh
[isbn]
Part Kerouac. Part Barry Lopez. Totally weird and poetic. Travelers make their journeys to the Zone from all over the world for all different reasons. Kamysh guides them through. No stories here exactly, just life — kind of. Sometimes reality can be much stranger than fiction, and here we get what very well could be a final glimpse of a relatively undisturbed Chernobyl, a place the author calls "the most exotic place on Earth."
Recommended by Eric L.
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Tony Hoagland
[isbn]
The late Tony Hoagland's final book of poems is an amazing collection put together by the writer and his wife, Kathleen Lee. Even in his last years of battling pancreatic cancer, he never lost his wry wit and distinct worldview. Hoagland's incredible work has consistently brought me belly laughs and wrenching tears, and Turn Up the Ocean is no different.
Recommended by Eric L.
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Emily Lloyd-Jones
[isbn]
Part heist novel, part Welsh fairytale, this magnificent standalone follows the kingdom’s last water diviner, Mer, on a quest for vengeance and freedom from the prince that abused her powers. With a former spymaster, a fae-marked fighter, and a princess of thieves, Mer sets out to destroy a prince — but ends up carrying the fate of a kingdom.
Recommended by Madeline S.
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Kayla Miller
[isbn]
I loved Click, so I can’t wait for another story about Olive. This time, she’s trying to do too many things at once. I feel the same way, but about trying to read too many books at the same time! Anyway, I’m starting this one right away.
Recommended by Lucinda G.
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Nick Drnaso
[isbn]
In Acting Class, Nick Drnaso applies his distinctive visual style and singular perspective on modern life to a group of strangers who meet for a series of acting classes. Through their surprising and sometimes surreal experiences, new lessons are learned about truth, performance, and human connection.
Recommended by Adam P.
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Sidik Fofana
[isbn]
I love it when a book leaves me debating with myself whether I responded more to the exciting voice or the skillful craft on display. Such was the case with Stories from The Tenants Downstairs, the stand-out story collection from Sidik Fofana. What an impressive debut!
Recommended by Keith M.
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Jane Campbell
[isbn]
This is a compassionate book, made up of stories that are delightfully caustic. Sometimes it feels like a primal scream, and other times like a withering look. Unwilling to be constrained by form or expectation, Cat Brushing has the dangerous air of a book wherein anything can happen.
Recommended by Keith M.
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Ann Weil
[isbn]
Lyrical and mysterious, one of my childhood favorites! Michele's peaceful island life is disrupted when three travelers come to Capri in search of the fabled (and potentially cursed) Blue Grotto. Humorous, warm, and thoughtful, you'll want to seek out the grotto yourself by the end of the book.
Recommended by SitaraG
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Byung Chul Han
[isbn]
File under books that make you want to chuck your iPhone into a quarry, or perhaps some other miscellaneous ravine. Expanding on the work of Benjamin and Hegel, Han is one of the most readable and underrated cynical philosophers of our time.
Recommended by C.J.
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P. Djèlí Clark
[isbn]
A Master of Djinn returns us back to P. Djèlí Clark’s alt-Cairo historical steampunk universe that he first introduced us to in The Haunting of Tram Car 015 and A Dead Djinn in Cairo. Dapper-dressing Agent Fatma el-Sha’arawi — along with her quasi-girlfriend — are joined this time with both new and old colleagues from the Ministry of Alchemy, Enchantments, and Supernatural Entities. It’s another case full of murders and... (read more)
Recommended by Mecca A.
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Samantha Shannon
[isbn]
In this quasi-medieval world, East and West are at odds — the East reveres their water dragons and their dragon riders, while the West hates all dragons after one of the wretched, fire-breathing ones nearly destroyed the world. There’s a large cast of endearing characters, but the hearts of the story are Ead, lady-in-waiting to the queen, and Tané, dragon-rider in training, both harboring dangerous secrets. The Priory of the Orange Tree... (read more)
Recommended by Carly J.
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Ted Chiang
[isbn]
For over 30 years, Seattleite Ted Chiang has slowly and steadily been writing emotionally intelligent, speculative short stories. He’s not a quick writer, or a prolific one. He’s published just 18 stories in that time. But what incredible stories they are. (Sci-Fi award committees agree: Chiang’s won four Hugos and four Nebulas.) Exhalation is Chiang’s second collection, and though it was only published a few years ago, these nine... (read more)
Recommended by Adam P.
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Naomi Novik
[isbn]
Uprooted by Naomi Novik is one of those stories that you feel has somehow always existed. I mean that as a highest compliment. It captures the essence of a classic fairy-tale: what is really in that tower? and just how dangerous are those woods exactly? Novik has proven time and time again that she’s a fantasy collection must-have with napoleonic dragons, magic schools, fable, and more. Still, Uprooted is where... (read more)
Recommended by Sarah R.
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N. K. Jemisin
[isbn]
The Fifth Season brings about devastation, volcanos erupting, the ground beneath your feet falling apart — communities don’t survive it; it’s a complete reset of the world they know. We follow the perspectives of Damaya, Syenite, and Essun — three women coming to terms with their connection to the Earth, their control of the plates, and how to best manipulate this energy for the protection of civilization and their own safety. Jemisin... (read more)
Recommended by Tawney E.
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Neal Stephenson
[isbn]
Neal Stephenson’s books seem to either have devoted fans or vocal detractors, and Seveneves is perhaps the most polarizing book I’ve ever read! I have always enjoyed books that break the conventions of storytelling, and while I was initially shocked at where Stephenson takes Seveneves two-thirds of the way through the novel, I quickly found myself happily along for the ride. Seveneves explores what humanity will do when... (read more)
Recommended by Lesley A.
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Nnedi Okorafor
[isbn]
Binti runs away from her beloved desert home and family on Earth to go to the most prestigious university in the galaxy. She starts her journey as an outlier, as the first-ever Himba to be accepted. Mid-way, her ship is attacked and she witnesses a horrific massacre — and has to come up with a way to survive and broker peace between two warring groups before the ship lands. The experience colors Binti’s life, world, and sense of self in... (read more)
Recommended by Michelle C.
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Becky Chambers
[isbn]
If you like a healthy dose of hope with your science fiction, there’s no better place to start than with Becky Chambers. The Long Way to a Small, Angry Planet gives us the gift of a found-family ragtag crew of adventurers, genuinely fascinating alien races, and super cool technology (their spaceship runs on algae!). This book, and the rest of the Wayfarers series, builds its foundation on character-driven kindness: that a better,... (read more)
Recommended by Anna B.
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Ann Leckie
[isbn]
Before there was Murderbot, there was Breq, the AI protagonist of Leckie’s Ancillary Justice, which caused a genderfuss when it was first published in 2013. Breq is non-gendered and the default pronoun for much of society in that civilization is “she,” regardless of gender. Four years later, All Systems Red, the first Murderbot novella, was published. In the space of four years, awareness of gender fluidity expanded.
Recommended by Mary Jo S.
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Paolo Bacigalupi
[isbn]
This story hits the ground running through the dangerous winding streets of a future Bangkok, walled against the rising sea and populated with characters clawing out existence amidst food shortage and energy collapse. One of the single greatest science fiction settings I have every had the pleasure of “visiting.” Calories have become currency, crops are going extinct, and synthetic lifeforms are on the brink (or past the point) of singularity.... (read more)
Recommended by Sarah R.
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Patrick Rothfuss
[isbn]
The Name of the Wind is the story of Kvothe, who grows up in a nomadic troupe of players, the Edema Ruh, where he learns the fundamentals of magic, music, and the dramatic arts. After years as a penniless orphan in Tarbean, he eventually attends the University, where he narrowly avoids expulsion several times. Kvothe is brilliant, full of panache and daring, but certainly not exempt from suffering or heartbreak. The genius of The... (read more)
Recommended by Mary Jo S.
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Cixin Liu
[isbn]
The Three Body Problem is hard sci-fi — the kind of hard sci-fi that will leave you puzzling over astrophysics and researching the particulars of quantum mechanics for days — but the patient reader will be rewarded with a dazzling epic full of mystery and moral dilemma. Liu grapples with the darkness of humanity, but leaves room for hope that someday we will fling ourselves out into space, into a vast life that only visionary sci-fi... (read more)
Recommended by Emily B.
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Brandon Sanderson
[isbn]
Skaa-born teen and street thief Vin is in over her head. Posing as a noblewoman as part of a scheme to steal precious atium requires that Vin amplify her newly discovered powers of Allomancy to influence the nobility and also learn to fight assassins for her own survival. Power gained from this world’s magic, based on internally burning various paired metals, has long been used to assault and murder defenseless skaa workers; now society is ripe... (read more)
Recommended by Sara F.
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William Gibson
[isbn]
Set in the then-present day of 2002, William Gibson’s Pattern Recognition is the work of a mind that is usually thinking ahead, but has paused to look deeply at the present. Reading it today, it’s remarkable how — although it may no longer be about the present — it remains shockingly current. Gibson foresaw — any write-up of a William Gibson novel will contain at least one sentence starting this way — that information merchants would... (read more)
Recommended by Keith M.
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Marlon James
[isbn]
This National Book Award finalist starts with a failure — Tracker, a man with an uncommonly good nose, is telling the story of how he ended up in this jail cell, about the boy he was meant to find, about how he came to have the eye of a wolf. Black Leopard, Red Wolf unspools in spirals, and we learn more about how he came to this quest (and the ragtag rogue’s gallery that he uneasily agreed to work with), when he first met the leopard... (read more)
Recommended by Michelle C.
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Neil Gaiman
[isbn]
In 1992, Neil Gaiman moved to America. In 2001, he released American Gods. In the 10th anniversary edition, he recollects “this strange huge place where [he] now found [himself] living” and the urge not just to understand it but also to describe it. Describe it he did. I hesitate to use the term “masterwork” in book reviewing but here no lesser word applies. American Gods is masterful. Gaiman’s ability as a storyteller and myth... (read more)
Recommended by Sarah R.
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E M Forster
[isbn]
Maurice is groundbreaking for its earnest and heartfelt depiction of a gay man who gets a happy ending — something that was essentially forbidden and almost unheard of in its time. Written 100 years ago (but only published after his death in 1971), Forster dedicated this book to a happier year: it's a touching glimpse at how far we've come and how far we still need to go.
Recommended by Nicole S
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Anna Lowenhaupt Tsing
[isbn]
Set in the PNW's own Cascade Mountains, Tsing's examination of the Matsutake mushroom trade and its far-reaching affects on trade and currency locally and abroad is at once journalistic, scientific, and socially motivated. A fascinating look at how ecosystems emerge and thrive in spite of capitalist excavation, Tsing helps readers imagine a world where life and humanity coexist and even build new value systems together.
Recommended by SitaraG
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Peter Linebaugh and Marcus Rediker
[isbn]
A must-read for any American (or history enthusiast or pirate fan). Rediker and Linebaugh's history of the revolutionary Atlantic is a portrait of resistance and history from the ground up, and their observations on the creation of American infrastructure, the colonization of the Americas, and the creation of class and racial divides has never been more relevant or applicable to our own social and political landscapes. I can't recommend it highly... (read more)
Recommended by SitaraG
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Brian Jacques
[isbn]
Game of Thrones, but for kids and everyone's a tiny forest animal. By turns devastating, exciting, and wildly entertaining, Mossflower is my personal favorite of the Redwall series, featuring lighthearted thieves, daring heroes, and a terrifying villain in the tyrannical Verdauga Greeneyes.
Recommended by SitaraG
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Vivien Goldman
[isbn]
In the truest punk tradition, instead of writing the cliche "one band, one chapter" music history, Vivien Goldman takes the unique (and ultimately, more rewarding) approach of having each chapter function as a curated mix-tape, allowing the author to more thoroughly examine themes such as money, identity, and protest.
Recommended by Fletcher O.
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Agustina Bazterrica, Sarah Moses
[isbn]
Tender is the Flesh is one of the most disturbing but also one of the more beautifully written books I have read in some time. In the vein of Clive Barker and his Books of Blood, the tale told will not leave you for days. Can you handle a bite?
Recommended by Lauren M
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Jennifer L Armentrout
[isbn]
The first book in Jennifer L. Armentrout's epic fantasy romance is full of Gods and Primals, Maidens and Monsters. Sure to keep you on the edge of your seat and with plenty of *spice* this novel will entice you into the world of Carsodonia and Atlantia. Follow Poppy, our heroine, as her world crumbles around her and she comes into her own in this deadly game of kingdoms.
Recommended by Lauren M
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Ling Ma
[isbn]
I almost never finish short story collections but I absolutely could not put this one down. Weird, wry, wonderful, searching, and observant — Ma is a delight to read.
Recommended by Sarah R.
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Juan José Millás
[isbn]
In Juan José Millás’s world, the line between eccentricity and menace is always hard to find. In Let No One Sleep, his newly-translated, unsettling, and masterful novel, all sorts of lines are thin (or pretend-thin). Distinctions between art and reality, truth and pretense, friend and foe all blur as the story builds to a true, powerful crescendo.
Recommended by Keith M.
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Andrew Sean Greer
[isbn]
When I read Less, I was surprised by the degree to which it utterly delighted me. When I read its unexpected, wonderful sequel, I was not surprised. But I was again utterly delighted just the same.
Recommended by Keith M.
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Gayl Jones
[isbn]
Like a smashed mirror, Gayl Jones’ The Birdcatcher is reflecting so many things, all at once, usually in pieces. When I finished, I felt like I had just read three books, all in conversation with each other, and I was just glad I got to overhear their brilliant back and forth.
Recommended by Keith M.
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Jonathan Meiburg
[isbn]
This book is a delight, and I've added a visit to the Falklands to meet the hilarious, obnoxious, Johnny Rooks to my bucket list. Meiburg is an entertaining writer, and his descriptions of his travels throughout South America to find the amazing caracaras were wonderfully vivid. One of my top five books from 2021!
Recommended by Lesley A.
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Casey Parks
[isbn]
In Diary of a Misfit, Casey Parks blends research and memoir to tell a complex story of queerness in her childhood, family, and hometown. Part mystery, part journalism, part personal history — Diary of a Misfit tells an important story about identity and belonging.
Recommended by Adam P.
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Joe Vallese, Carmen Maria Machado, Bruce Owens Grimm
[isbn]
Required reading for any queer horror enthusiasts. I can remember feeling very lonely in my adoration of horror as a queer man growing up. Sure, I had friends who loved horror movies like me.But when we'd reflect on our viewing experience, I couldn't help but feel a distinct sense of othering. It Came from the Closet holds the conversations I wish I'd had then. Haven't screamed, "YES, EXACTLY!" this many times in my whole life.
Recommended by Stacy W.
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Will Taylor
[isbn]
One of the most hopeful and sweet middle grade books I have ever read about gay first crushes on the cusp of adolescence.
Recommended by Erica B.
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Judith Heumann, Kristen Joiner
[isbn]
I first learned about Judy from the amazing documentary Crip Camp on Netflix and wanted to learn more about her story. So thankful that this book exists and shows the effort and challenges that citizens went through for disability rights in the US. Judy's activism helped made a direct positive change.
Recommended by Erica B.
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Stephen Savage
[isbn]
With spare language and moody linocut artwork in shades of blue, Moonlight follows that light on its journey: through the forest, across the water, down the mountain, along the train tracks, finally finding a child in bed. A cozy bedtime poem full of simple, beautiful magic.
Recommended by Gigi L.
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Vonnegut, Kurt
[isbn]
Possibly Vonnegut's most underrated work, Jailbird is my personal favorite story of his and one that deserves the same level of commendation as Slaughterhouse Five. An astonishing portrait of the true love and solidarity at the center of the American labor movement: love they neighbor, and solidarity forever.
Recommended by C.J.
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Katee Robert
[isbn]
Katee Robert is fast becoming the author to read for Greek Mythology romance and Electric Idol is no expection. Beautifully written with a plus-size female main character that will scratch that fake-dating, enemies-to-lovers, golden-retriever boyfriend itch. Part of an ongoing series that will leave you begging for the next installment.
Recommended by Lauren M
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Erin Sterling
[isbn]
Always remember, no drinking and hexing. This romp of a spooky romance is full of ghosts, curses, and of course, love. Can our heroine save the town from her accidental hex? Will she give her dreaded Ex another chance? The perfect pre-fall read to get you in a spooky mood.
Recommended by Lauren M
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Yuvi Zalkow
[isbn]
Saul can’t stop messing up his life, but you can’t help but love him for being the sad, funny, awkward, self-deprecating mess he is. With endless wit and quirky charm, Yuvi Zalkow examines the myriad ways we lose touch with our lives and with each other, and the ways we fumblingly inch our way back. I Only Cry with Emoticons is the perfect fun read for all of us other awkward, anxiety-ridden, dis- and misconnected messes in this mess of... (read more)
Recommended by Gigi L.
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Sangu Mandanna
[isbn]
Okay, so you’ve read all of TJ Klune, Becky Chambers, T. Kingfisher — but there has to be something else, right? You are in luck, because The Secret Society of Very Irregular Witches is exactly the book you need. Mika is a South Asian witch who is mysteriously summoned to a house hidden in the countryside to tutor three young girls in controlling their magic. Found family, a cranky librarian, and a car whose interior magically expands... (read more)
Recommended by Mary Jo S.
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Julia Whelan
[isbn]
Julia Whelan returns with her second novel, Thank You For Listening, which is every bit the gift that her work as audiobook narrator is. The novel focuses on two audiobook narrators, Sewanee and Brock, and the story of their relationship. Whelan’s dialogue, pacing, and sense of humor are topnotch. This is a standout offering amid a sea of rom-coms.
Recommended by Mary Jo S.
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Emily Wibberley, Austin Siegemund Broka
[isbn]
This book hurt... in a good way. It isn't my typical read — there's no smut, it's filled with negative tension, and the main characters' past relationship is shrouded in mystery for a good few chapters. But the story hooked me. It felt real and very emotional. Katrina and Nathan went from writing partners (who wrote a bestselling novel together) and best friends to... nothing. Just, all of a sudden, their friendship ceased and all that's left are... (read more)
Recommended by Rose H.
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Lynn Painter
[isbn]
This book was a fun ride. Olivia is a bit of a hot mess and feels like she's had bad luck all her life. While she's trying to pull herself together after hitting rock-bottom, Olivia gets a text from a wrong number and their conversations are delightfully entertaining. When Mr. Wrong Number ghosts her, it seems like her brother's best friend starts to see Olivia in a different light and their conversations turn delightfully entertaining.... (read more)
Recommended by Rose H.
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Jamila Rowser, Robyn Smith
[isbn]
Here is a great idealization of making the specific and everyday something that can resonate with us all. Here is a reason to read, and to specifically read graphic novels — to be allowed into lives and worlds other than our own. This book loves its characters and it loves its readers.
Recommended by Doug C.
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B. B. Alston
[isbn]
Amari and the Night Brothers is one of my new favorites for young readers and I am thrilled that book two will be available soon. Alston has created a fun and fresh supernatural world populated with imaginative creatures and a great hero in Amari. In this installment, Amari is looking forward to summer camp at the Bureau where she will be a Junior Agent and learn more about her magical abilities when an unauthorized time freeze stirs up... (read more)
Recommended by Jennifer H.
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R F Kuang
[isbn]
This was the loveliest and most fulfilling read. The story is smart and exciting and thoughtful and human. The author, R. F. Kuang, makes magic and science out of etymology, and the words in this book, the characters, what they have to say — it all rings true.
Recommended by Doug C.
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Sunya Mara
[isbn]
The perfect new book to tide you over until the second season of Shadow and Bone! In this YA fantasy debut, Vesper is desperate to keep her revolutionary father from being executed like her mother was. To save his life, she'll need to catch the eye of a cruel prince — and perhaps even brave the fantastical, deadly Storm.
Recommended by Madeline S.
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Gabrielle Zevin
[isbn]
Video games and their infinite potential as transgressive, powerful, artistic endeavors told through the incisive and probing medium of literary fiction? It’s about time. If you’ve ever loved an indie game, sought meaningful connection, or considered the vast possibilities of human creativity: this one’s for you.
Recommended by Sarah R.
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Aaron Blabey
[isbn]
If you’ve seen The Bad Guys movie, then you’ll no doubt be overjoyed to have more things to make you go Arrrgh!
Recommended by Lucinda G.
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Gavin Grimm and Kyle Lukoff and J Yang
[isbn]
If You’re a Kid Like Gavin is a tale of true courage told with a humble sensibility that really conveys to readers the idea that standing up to injustice may be daunting, but it is what dignity requires.
Recommended by Keith M.
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Richard Osman
[isbn]
I absolutely love the Thursday Murder Club series. Four pensioners living in a retirement community in the English countryside meet every Thursday to discuss unsolved crimes. Once they make friends with a local police constable and her boss, they start putting their detecting skills to work in the real world. The charming characters, the clever plots with just the right amount of twists and the idyllic setting, make this series one of my new... (read more)
Recommended by Jennifer H.
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Grady Hillhouse
[isbn]
The engineered environment is all around us and pretty much impossible to escape. While we live so dependently on these systems, we take for granted the profound benefits engineering bring to our lives. In Engineering in Plain Sight we get a front-row view of what it takes to run our cities and a better understanding of the systems around us. With clear illustrations and layman-friendly writing, we get an opportunity to explore (and... (read more)
Recommended by Corie K-B.
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Michaela Goade
[isbn]
Berry Song is the first picture book both penned and designed by Caldecott-winner Michaela Goade. Her soft, warm, very detailed artwork and shiny, jewellike language come together beautifully to celebrate the abundance of the earth and subtly urge humankind to interact respectfully and honorably with it.
Recommended by Gigi L.
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Melissa McKinnon
[isbn]
Summer and early fall for me is a time to enjoy the outdoors, especially as it pertains to my back garden. While I usually leave the painting crafts for the confined, wet, and windy months we have here in the Pacific Northwest, I recently came across Textured Art: Palette Knife & Impasto Painting Techniques in Acrylic. Forget the rain and wind of winter — this summer I move outdoors with my acrylics and modeling paste and bring my garden... (read more)
Recommended by Corie K-B.
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Kevin Sampsell
[isbn]
The collages and poems in I Made an Accident are dreamy and nightmarish, sometimes at the same time, often funny, just as often disturbing — and always quirky and imaginative in that Kevin Sampsell way. The perfect kind of peculiar.
Recommended by Gigi L.
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Sandra Lawrence, Royal Botanic Gardens Kew
[isbn]
All hail the glory of mushrooms! Quite possibly the most beautiful and important resource in the natural environment, mushrooms have been treasured since the dawn of humans. The Magic of Mushrooms walks us through the practice and lore of the mighty fungus, showing us how people have treasured, been fascinated by, and misused the mushroom throughout history. The illustrations are beautiful as they speak to the magical influence the... (read more)
Recommended by Corie K-B.
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Joan Didion
[isbn]
Didion articulates my mixed feelings towards my home state in a way I've never encountered before. California is a garden of Eden, populated by a dozen or so men who for some godforsaken reason thought the oil underneath Eden was more important than the fruit she bore.
Recommended by C.J.
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Calla Henkel
[isbn]
Henkel quickly draws you into the intoxicating story Hailey and Zoe craft in the hopes of inspiring their landlord's next book. Set in Berlin in 2008, Amanda Knox is small talk and drugs are plentiful. With themes of love, sex, obsession, and ultimately murder — you won't want to put it down!
Recommended by Kyra R
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Paula Hawkins
[isbn]
Hawkins keeps you guessing until the very end and then still manages to make you rethink everything you thought you knew. The multiple narrators will keep you on your toes, though the storyline continuously flows along with the harrowing river that women keep disappearing into. I loved the allusions to the European witch hunts, as the book had a very witchy vibe to me from the start.
Recommended by Parker W.
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Eric Cervini
[isbn]
An incredibly moving and inspirational story about a veteran and government employee who was fired after being outed as gay. Follow Frank Kameny on his painstaking journey for justice as he fights for the rights of the marginalized. I really appreciated experiencing the Stonewall Uprising and legalization of gay marriage from this unique perspective.
Recommended by Parker W.
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Bree Paulsen
[isbn]
The sequel to the utterly charming Garlic & the Vampire from last September follows our main character, Garlic, as she flies to the Magic Market to find the right ingredient for a vegetarian blood substitute for the friendly Count. Bree Paulson’s palette of warm autumn colors and lots of humor make this a great slightly-spooky-but-not-too-scary read for ages 8 and up.
Recommended by Kim T.
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Susan Rogers and Ogi Ogas
[isbn]
I’ve often wondered why my unique musical tastes are so very different from friends or relatives. Why don’t the emotions of a specific song or musical artist evoke the same feelings as someone similar to myself? Susan Rogers, award-winning professor of cognitive neuroscience, explores this concept and explains our unique “listening profile” based on our brain’s natural responses to any song. Roger's background as Prince’s chief engineer for the... (read more)
Recommended by Kim T.
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Len Prince and Matt Tyrnauer and Brian Wallis
[isbn]
Joan Archibald is being called “the California Vivian Maier.” Her work was locked in a shed for over 40 years, and only discovered recently after her death. Archibald abandoned her life as a 1960s Long Island housewife to start over in in Malibu as Kali. Once there, she created an enormous body of work — primarily photographic prints and polaroids that she altered and transformed into what I can only call psychedelic visions. Saturated in color,... (read more)
Recommended by Leah B.
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Timothy Janovsky
[isbn]
The perfect summer romance read. This book is heartwarming and full of charm and a great read for any fans of queer romance, movies (particularly horror), and the summer drive-in. A journey of self discovery and how you will never forget your first love.
Recommended by Lauren M
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Gestalten and Grace Banks
[isbn]
I want to step into the cover of this book. What you’re
looking at is one of Yayoi Kusama’s iconic pumpkins sitting serenely at the end
of a dock in Japan. Seeing this object in the conventional space of the museum is
one thing, but encountering it outside those walls, in nature, the experience
becomes something completely different. Art
Escapes features pieces from all from all over the world, and is indeed a
wonderful escape for art... (read more)
Recommended by Leah B.
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Paul Hollywood
[isbn]
Have you ever watched The Great British Baking Show and wished you could have Paul Hollywood in your kitchen to help you navigate the world of baked goods? Well, you can’t get much closer than Bake. It’s a terrific collection of pastries, biscuits, cakes, and breads, with easy-to-follow recipes and loads of tips and tricks to get Showstopper-worthy bakes from your own home kitchen.
Recommended by Deana R.
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Grady Hendrix
[isbn]
A book that poses the question: what if your favorite slashers were based on real people? by taking a look into the long and short term effects of the trauma associated with being a Final Girl, this novel delves even deeper into what would happen if they continued to be hunted. Can you trust your own already-proven instincts? How does being a Final Girl affect your life and those around you? Fans of the 80s and 90s slasher films will have a blast... (read more)
Recommended by Lauren M
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Sierra Simone
[isbn]
Have you ever wanted an erotic romance to make you question your own spirituality? Did you *really* enjoy the second season of Fleabag? I went into this book expecting some spicy scenes with not much substance and instead found a romance that was both tender and exciting. The theological and philosophical conversations that take place in this novel are as important and memorable as the numerous extra spicy scenes.
Recommended by Lauren M
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Andrew Joseph White
[isbn]
Blood, spit, innards, and bone brought to genesis by the religious nightmares of trans youth. An infernal Dies Irae for the gays. Queer horror at its most unholy and blasphemous. I could go on and on. This book is the dormant eruption that lies within every queer soul in existence. Be not afraid to let it burst from thee.
Recommended by Stacy W.
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Isaac Fitzgerald
[isbn]
As someone who reads a lot of memoirs, it takes a lot for me to read one and think "This book has changed me as a person, a reader, or as a writer." Dirtbag, Massachusetts manages to hit all three in a way that left me clutching the book to my chest when I finished. This book is for every adult who grew up with a traumatic childhood, made some mistakes, and lived to tell the tale. It's for the misfits, romantics, dreamers, doers, and... (read more)
Recommended by Katherine M.
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Clinton Walker
[isbn]
England in the 60s. The Pacific Northwest in the 90s. In the late 70s and 80' it was Australia,* and Clinton Walker was right there in the thick of it. Stranded is a classic of rock/punk literature and a must read for anyone who likes Lester Bangs, Hunter S. Thompson, and rock music that sounds like it fell off the rails before they even recorded it.
Bands You Should Know: The Go-Betweens, Warumpi Band, Laughing Clowns, The Triffids, and... (read more)
Recommended by Fletcher O.
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New York Public Library, Edmund White
[isbn]
This anthology is so incredibly touching and inspiring. The New York Library has pulled together its extensive collection to bring us multiple first-hand accounts of what happened both inside and outside of the Stonewall, making you feel as if you were there. These are accounts of Stonewall that weren't a part of any documentaries that I'd seen, and I felt lucky to have stumbled upon all the different and unique points of view laid out in this... (read more)
Recommended by Parker W.
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Jordan Crane
[isbn]
Keeping Two is a quiet, thoughtful, impressionistic story of a couple. The author uses the comic strip form to tell the many timelines and threads of their difficult and challenging relationship. This deeply felt tale makes full use of the graphic novel format to pull the reader in, make the reader stop and reread and think. This is a smart and human book.
Recommended by Doug C.
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Morgan Talty
[isbn]
Night of the Living Rez was such a completely satisfying read, and I wanted more. Told in the form of short stories, but really a novel that is both deeply personal and very big, incidents in the life of a Penobscot family as told by one member, a boy you get to know well and closely, and hope against hope that life would give him and everyone here a break. This book could be sad, but it resonates so deeply that it goes past sadness.
Recommended by Doug C.
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Oliver Milman
[isbn]
We wouldn't have chocolate without flies? Everyone knows about the plight of bees and butterflies, but the entire insect world is essential for ecosystems to keep functioning. You'll journey with the author to learn from entomologists as they share their expertise. I did not like the imagined scenario of what the world would look like without insects. Even if they give you the creeps, The Insect Crisis will help you appreciate insects... (read more)
Recommended by Erica B.
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Becky Chambers
[isbn]
A Prayer for the Crown Shy continues the story of Dex and Mosscap as they visit the villages and towns on the moon they call home. Many reviewers have called this series “a hug in book form” and I have to agree. This is a perfect and much-needed dose of Cozy Fantasy, sweet and delightful and lovely.
Recommended by Deana R.
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