Karen Karbo
[isbn]
Wrinkle creams. Fad diets. Skinny teas. The endless strivings for so-called self-improvement. Pshaw! With her patented wit and boundless gumption, with loads of research and insight, Karen Karbo, author of In Praise of Difficult Women and the Kick-Ass Women series, gives us a manifesto to throwing off the shackles of society’s flawed (and consumer-hungry) expectations and getting comfortable again in our own, authentic skin.
Recommended by Gigi L.
|
Emily St. John Mandel
[isbn]
The Glass Hotel is a haunting tale of inner demons and personal catastrophe. Fans of Station Eleven will not be disappointed, for the characters in this story are just as richly flawed and gorgeously detailed. An ethereal and dreamlike quality seeps into the pages, guiding readers through a plot that rewards them with a deeply satisfying ending. This is a contemporary ghost story unlike any other I've read.
Recommended by Alex Y.
|
Thich Nhat Hanh
[isbn]
An indispensable tool for helping to reach the foundation of feelings below anger in a situation, How to Fight guides you to the compassion and strength within that’s needed to rise above the hurt, and communicate effectively. Thich Nhat Hanh’s writing is so accepting of the hardest parts of who we are, making it also a great antidote for despair.
Recommended by Aubrey W.
|
Lisa See
[isbn]
Lisa See’s The Island of Sea Women turns gender roles inside out as best friends Mi-ja and Young-sook, working in an all-female diving collective on the Korean island of Jeju, navigate their lives and differences across decades. See’s writing is lyrical, and the story is thoroughly engrossing in this tale of friendship, betrayal, and forgiveness.
Recommended by Gigi L.
|
Jon Krakauer
[isbn]
Krakauer's personal account of the deadliest season in Everest's climbing history is — hands down — one of the most riveting, harrowing, and thoughtfully written books I’ve ever read, and the title I recommend most to readers who assume nonfiction equals boring.
Recommended by Tove H.
|
Ali Wong
[isbn]
Dear Girls — made up of chapter-length letters by comedian Ali Wong to her two daughters — is a genuine delight. It was a joy to follow her life story and share in her life lessons, and the book left me with a lot of thoughts and feelings about making and finding places and communities. It is also so funny, to the surprise of no one who has seen her stand-up.
Recommended by Michelle C.
|
Deborah Eisenberg
[isbn]
“Writer’s writer” is an annoying phrase — implying both commercial failure and writing that’s too good for the masses — but it’s really the best way to describe Deborah Eisenberg, whose wryly funny, language-rich short stories have been enthralling literary fiction fans for decades, and rarely get the mainstream recognition they warrant. The stories in Your Duck Is My Duck range from an artist reckoning with her patrons to a child trying... (read more)
Recommended by Lucinda G.
|
Anthony Doerr
[isbn]
If you feel paralyzed by the idea of choosing just one short story collection, pick up the 2019 edition of the Best American Short Stories series instead. The beauty of this collection is that you can skip the stories that don’t immediately engage you, read stories by well-known masters of the form, and be introduced to new favorites. Edited by Anthony Doerr (All the Light We Cannot See), the 2019 anthology is a perfect fit for folks who... (read more)
Recommended by Matt K.
|
Etgar Keret
[isbn]
Etgar Keret is so smart and funny that you’ll forgive him for imagining a third-term Trump administration in “Arctic Lizard,” one of the many brief satirical pieces in his new collection. From a debate between a father and son, who, watching a man teeter on a roof, can’t decide if he’s suicidal or a superhero, to a very dark story about a child Hitler clone being raised for slaughter by a Holocaust survivor, the 22 stories in Fly Already... (read more)
Recommended by Moses M.
|
Jennifer Weiner
[isbn]
What better way to escape from the stresses of Covid life than sinking into a yummy beach read? Jennifer Weiner’s Big Summer is that and more, a tale of the reconnection of plus-size Instagram influencer Daphne and her old high school frenemy Drue — with a sumptuous Cape Cod wedding, a murder mystery, and loads of sexy, mayhem-y fun.
Recommended by Gigi L.
|
Erica Heller
[isbn]
If you could ask for one more experience with a lost loved one, who would it be? Memoirist Erica Heller asked this question of friends and family members of a slew of fascinating subjects — from James Baldwin to Julia Child to Rod Serling to Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis, and more and more. What follows is a wonderful array of fantasy lunches between people, a collection of richly imagined, deeply human, engagingly varied stories, including, of... (read more)
Recommended by Gigi L.
|
Joanna Hathaway
[isbn]
Feuding families. Teenagers in love. War on the horizon. Dark of the West is a deeply emotional exploration of the quiet, creeping prelude to war. In true Shakespearean fashion, we're shown the inevitable outcome of Aurelia and Athan's relationship in the very first few pages, and the resulting tension is as delicious as it is heartbreaking.
Recommended by Joanna S.
|
Andrea Pippins
[isbn]
Author/illustrator Andrea Pippins’s debut picture book is a heartfelt meditation on welcoming a new baby to the family. Will Little One have Grandma’s boldness, cousin Curlena’s joy, Auntie’s sense of adventure? Will they watch the clouds with their brother? “My wish is that you will be all these things and more. You will be your own self, for no one in the world has ever been like you.” A wonderful read-aloud for ages three and up.
Recommended by Madeline S.
|
Upile Chisala
[isbn]
A Fire Like You reads like a good therapy session, addressing personal trauma head-on with gentle reminders that you are more than your past experiences. Upile Chisala writes taut and loving personal poetry, but her underlying message is plucked from our collective conscious.
Recommended by Alex Y.
|
Megan Giddings
[isbn]
Reeling from the loss of her grandmother, and unable to provide her ailing mother with the financial and medical support she needs, Lena drops out of college and volunteers to take part in a mysterious research study. The benefits are unreal: a handsome payout; free room and board; and — most crucially — full coverage of her mother’s medical expenses. But the study’s strict nondisclosure agreement and invasive screening process are the first of... (read more)
Recommended by Tove H.
|
Patricia Maclachlan, Francesca Sanna
[isbn]
You will gasp aloud when you turn the first page of this beautiful ode to our planet. The interplay of cut-out pieces and flip-through pages gives the whole work movement and an immersive quality that is unlike anything I have seen in a recent picture book. Patricia MacLachlan's sweet evocative text could be in the hands of no better illustrator than Francesca Sanna.
Recommended by Sarah R.
|
Colin Meloy and Shawn Harris
[isbn]
Jubilant and exuberant! This book is a joy to behold. You may be tempted to turn the pages quickly just to see what delightful goings-on happen next, but the bright, retro-feeling illustrations are filled with such humor and detail that each page begs a thorough exploration. Keep an eye out for frogs on every page, a very good book list, and a well-stocked bookshelf.
Recommended by Sarah R.
|
Natalie Diaz
[isbn]
Postcolonial Love Poem is earth-bending, earth-breaking, earth band-aiding. These are the hottest basketball poems I've ever read, the hardest long night wolf poems I've ever read, the smoothest river poems that you cannot stop.
Recommended by Adie B.
|
Laila Lalami
[isbn]
Laila Lalami’s account of the multitude of ways that many citizens — whether natural born or naturalized — are treated as lesser is precise and well argued. Informed by her own history, but citing numerous sources about the experience of others, Conditional Citizens makes a convincing case that gaining the official designation of inclusion into American society doesn’t make one welcome.
Recommended by Keith M.
|
Jennifer Finney Boylan
[isbn]
Accompanying Jennifer on her journey of self-discovery through reflecting on dogs’ predominant traits — honesty, loyalty, and determination, to name just a few — we are granted insights and lessons on a life crafted alongside these experiences. That we maybe aren’t so different from our canine friends is just another rewarding takeaway from this lovely and edifying memoir.
Recommended by Lucinda G.
|
Kelly Thompson, Jenn St Onge
[isbn]
Kelly Thompson and Jenn St-Onge are the perfect team to update Nancy Drew for the modern age. Thompson's writing is sharp and fun, and St-Onge's gorgeous art perfectly captures these much-adored characters. This is the diverse, feminist Nancy Drew comic I've been waiting for.
Recommended by Joanna S.
|
Whitney Gardner
[isbn]
Love cosplay, feminism, and girls disguising themselves as boys to smash the patriarchy and play D&D? Chaotic Good has all of that, and it creates a fabulous mix of lighthearted fun and serious examination of some social issues. (Also, my favorite Portland comic shop, Books With Pictures, has a cameo!)
Recommended by Joanna S.
|
Nguyễn Phan Quế Mai
[isbn]
This English-language debut by Vietnamese poet Nguyen is a story of familial love, kindness, and perseverance that never loses sight of the violence, displacement, and intergenerational trauma inflicted on the Vietnamese people. Necessary own-voices reading for people, like me, who grew up learning about Vietnam only through the lens of war.
Recommended by Emily B.
|
Emily Hughes
[isbn]
An ode to the wild child whose spirit will not be tamed or constrained. I love this wild-haired girl who resists all efforts to change her. This book is lushly illustrated and triumphantly wild.
Recommended by Christine R.
|
Ramiza Shamoun Koya
[isbn]
I have just begun this debut novel by Portland author Koya and am really enjoying it. Amina moves to DC to further her career and be close to her family in the years following 9/11. There, she develops a relationship with her nephew, who is fascinated by their East Indian heritage and is searching for answers. This is a well-crafted story about second-generation Americans finding their place in the world.
Recommended by Jennifer H.
|
Douglas W Tallamy
[isbn]
Buying books for the climate change section can get a little depressing sometimes, so when a book with “hope” in the title comes along, I pay attention! This title is part of a growing area of climate literature that focuses on big picture changes individual folks can make — in this case, how to make your backyard part of a conservation corridor for wildlife in order to help boost biodiversity. Practical, inspirational, and full of scientific and... (read more)
Recommended by Leah C.
|
Kazuo Ishiguro
[isbn]
A perfect character study, this novel depicts Stevens at the end of his long career as a butler in postwar England. As he reflects on his service, he begins to understand things to which he was once oblivious. What else has he overlooked in his life? Ishiguro absolutely nails this exquisite study of the reckoning of a life.
Recommended by Dianah H.
|
Samantha Irby
[isbn]
Stop what you’re doing and pick up this book. Flip to any page and let Sam Irby make you laugh/cry about adult diapers, disastrous credit scores, and dissatisfying sex. She is one of my all-time favorite writers and Wow, No Thank You may be the best thing I read this year.
Recommended by McKenzie W.
|
Rebecca Solnit
[isbn]
This memoir is a marvel. Rebecca Solnit writes with the cool, studied sense of a person who has always had to provide a great deal of proof, and makes a compelling case for how issues of representation, visibility, and credibility fit into the epidemic of violence against women. This book filled me with rage and hope in equal measure, and I loved every word.
Recommended by Michelle C.
|
Mira Jacob
[isbn]
Good Talk may initially appear a bit flat — literally so, given Mira Jacob’s decoupage drawing style — but this unfailingly perceptive and honest memoir-in-conversations will stun you with its depth. This book is humorous, moving, and raises all the right questions about parenting, race, and gender in contemporary America.
Recommended by Keith M.
|
Barry Lopez
[isbn]
As someone who has broadened the notion of what it means to be both a world traveler and a profoundly curious writer, it’s no wonder that National Book Award–winning author Barry Lopez, now 74 years old and battling terminal cancer, has given us a work so expansive it can only be named Horizon. Lopez has visited more than 70 countries, and though his book is loosely divided into just six regions — from the Oregon Coast to the... (read more)
Recommended by Renee P.
|
James Rallison
[isbn]
James Rallison is much more than a cult favorite at this point, but his work still feels like a special discovery or a secret handshake. This sequel is filled with more hilarious stories delivered in his candid, charming style.
Recommended by Matt K.
|
Benj Pasek and Justin Paul
[isbn]
The inspiring smash hit from the Tony Award-winning musical Dear Evan Hansen gets new life in this lovely keepsake, featuring the song’s lyrics paired with sweeping illustrations. Go ahead and belt out the words as you leaf through the pages.
Recommended by Lucinda G.
|
Kai Cheng Thom
[isbn]
Instead of focusing outward at the society that harms us, Kai Cheng Thom excavates the ways trans and queer folks reenact our traumas on each other and confronts the troublesome questions needed to forge a better path. How do we learn from the past when our foremothers have disappeared? What do we do when the revolution hasn't happened yet but babies do? How do we liberate our liberation from the cold heart of neoliberalism? What does it mean to... (read more)
Recommended by Cosima C.
|
Calvin Gimpelevich
[isbn]
Effortlessly laying bare the intersections of oppression — Calvin Gimpelevich's Invasions conjures visions and possibilities that liberate even as they ache. Every story is a gem, but "Rent, Don't Sell" and "You Wouldn't Have Known" were so good they hurt: exploring gender, bodies, and minds in bold and groundbreaking ways.
Recommended by Cosima C.
|
Torrey Peters
[isbn]
Some people are afraid trans people are going to destroy civilization as we know it, and here Torrey Peters brazenly responds, "So what if we did?" What would happen if we released a virus that made everyone stop producing hormones, a world where everyone gets to understand what it means to choose? Infect Your Friends and Loves Ones is the radical and deeply honest trans dystopia that rises from these seeds: a raging novella seething... (read more)
Recommended by Cosima C.
|
Kai Cheng Thom
[isbn]
Author Kai Cheng Thom has a problem with the easily consumable trans narratives that cis people love so much, wherein trans people suffer through the trials and tribulations society inflicts like angelic sacrificial lambs. In her stunning Fierce Femmes and Notorious Liars, she delivers us the cure. It's a memoir/not-memoir, featuring pantheons of trans goddesses as deeply complex as they are beautiful, knife fights in the name of fallen... (read more)
Recommended by Cosima C.
|
Lindsay Nixon
[isbn]
A fabulous, slim memoir that explores the complex intersections between chosen queer family and blood family through cyclical Indigenous narrative techniques, Nîtisânak is immense in its vision and breadth. Equal parts witty and powerful, Lindsay Nixon is a phenomenon.
Recommended by Cosima C.
|
Paul Murray
[isbn]
Yes, Skippy dies, but what happens next is a perfectly told tale of an Irish boys' school, which is both hilarious and horrible. Here you will find the typical types: the geek, the jock, the drug dealer, the clueless teachers, the clueless administrators, the clueless parents. Murray is a wonderful writer, and he imbues his characters with the quirks, motives, and humanity that make this a stand-out school story. One of my favorite reads of 2010.
Recommended by Dianah H.
|
John Elizabeth Stintzi
[isbn]
Vanishing Monuments follows Alani, a nonbinary artist, as they visit their childhood home in Winnipeg because their mother’s dementia worsens. Stintzi explores themes of love and distance, art and memory, and examines why we can take extreme measures to escape our birthplaces and birth families, how we can be pulled back to our roots, and what we may discover about ourselves should we decide to return.
Recommended by Adam P.
|
Rory Power
[isbn]
If you like girls supporting girls, girls kissing girls, and occasionally, girls turning into monsters, then this book is for you. Wilder Girls is atmospheric and haunting and disturbing and beautiful, just like its stunning cover art. I'm going to be reading whatever Rory Power writes.
Recommended by Joanna S.
|
Caroline Dooner
[isbn]
This book is for every person who is sick of dieting, sick of feeling bad about their bodies, sick of having a tumultuous relationship with food and eating, and ready to kick all that nonsense to the curb. Here's to 2020 being the year of the Fck it Diet!
Recommended by Haley B.
|
Adeline Dieudonne, Roland Glasser
[isbn]
Adeline Dieudonné's debut novel is a dimly shimmering diorama that frames adolescence as a crucible of intimidation, tumult, survivalism, and rage. Equipped with a serrated sense of humor, Real Life captures a young girl's tooth-and-nail emancipation from the noxious, male-dominated bubble into which she was born, ratcheting up the urgency on every page. A gutsy, glorious sidewinder of a book.
Recommended by Justin W.
|
Lisa Kleypas
[isbn]
The last in The Ravenels series! Cassandra Ravenel and Tom Severin finally get their story, and with their fiery chemistry and emotional journey (and prioritization of consent!) it was absolutely worth the wait. Lisa Kleypas's books are the kind you can't help but read over and over again (I read Devil in Spring, uh, five times last year) and Chasing Cassandra is no exception.
Recommended by Joanna S.
|
Andrzej Sapkowski
[isbn]
Season of Storms was actually published more than a decade after the other novels; and as Sapkowski has promised to never write anything set after the events of Lady of the Lake, serves as a "mid-quel" set between the events of the short stories. However, I would personally recommend reading this as the last Witcher book, being a good way to decompress from the finale. This is definitely worth a read if you have enjoyed this... (read more)
Recommended by Mike H.
|
Rachel Brian
[isbn]
There aren't enough exclamation points to express how much I love this book or how happy I am to see it on the shelf. Not only does it clearly explain consent through the perfect mix of silliness and seriousness, it also discusses topics like boundaries, healthy and unhealthy relationships, how to find help when you need it, and more. Using comic book-style illustrations, this book presents these fundamentally important topics in a... (read more)
Recommended by Christine R.
|
Maggie Doherty
[isbn]
A well-researched group biography of five women and their experiences at Radcliffe's Institute for Independent Study. These writers and visual artists all struggled to balance society's expectations of women with their own artistic and personal goals, and through their friendships and collaborations helped guide and inspire women for years to come.
Recommended by Adam P.
|
Jennifer Worley
[isbn]
I tore through this with a bedtime-be-damned voracity normally reserved for mysteries and thrillers, and though I already knew the broad-strokes version of the story, I was nonetheless completely enthralled by this firsthand account. Neon Girls chronicles Worley's journey from fledgling stripper to full-fledged labor activist; the creation of the Exotic Dancers Union; and the transformation of San Francisco's legendary Lusty Lady into a... (read more)
Recommended by Tove H.
|
Noah Van Sciver
[isbn]
Fante Bukowski is the self-declared creative genius most of us know much too well. In fact, he may even be us. Or at least, he may be me. I'm laughing with him, I promise, not at him. This complete collection of the Fante Bukowski comics by Noah Van Sciver is both a pain and a pleasure to read.
Recommended by Doug C.
|
Beth Macy
[isbn]
In Dopesick, Beth Macy exposes the heartbreaking realities of those individuals and communities affected by the opioid epidemic in America; its scope ranges from small-time drug pushers to the corporations and doctors that peddled the deadliest and most addicting drugs to unsuspecting patients, ruining lives along the way. This book is a humanitarian plea for those responsible to right the wrongs caused by their greed. It will both... (read more)
Recommended by Eric L.
|
Deborah Marcero
[isbn]
Friends Llewellyn and Evelyn collect things in jars that normally can't be bottled, like a cherry-colored sunset, a moment of spring lightning, and fireflies on a summer night. Opening the jars allows them to revisit these memories together... until Evelyn's family moves away. What will these two friends do now? An utterly enchanting story about the power of friendship and what unites us even when we are far apart. With illustrations that are... (read more)
Recommended by Christine R.
|
Diana Clarke
[isbn]
The bond between twin sisters Rose and Lily, though palpably strong — they can taste each other's emotions and feel each other's pain — is more of a tangled knot than a taut line, and as their own struggles intensify, so does the complexity of their relationship. Thin Girls is by no means a comfortable read (and readers sensitive to discussions of body image and eating disorders should take extra care), but it’s an engrossing,... (read more)
Recommended by Tove H.
|
Hilary Mantel
[isbn]
Hooray, after eight years it's finally here, the last installment in the Wolf Hall trilogy. Do we already know what happens? Well, sure, it's based on a true story. But does it matter? Nope! Mantel's brilliant use of language makes history new again, and you can't help but hang on every word.
Recommended by Leah C.
|
Miranda July
[isbn]
The single word to describe The First Bad Man is unforgettable. Nobody writes characters like Miranda July. Nobody. Prepare to fall in love (and fall over laughing/crying). But seriously, just read the plot description! I'm dying all over again. How do you even come up with this stuff?! And not only that, how do you write it WELL? Okay, I'm going to go read it again now, bye.
Recommended by Adie B.
|
Ali Shaw
[isbn]
A modern fairy tale, this gorgeously atmospheric island love story is so unique, I've never read anything like it. Visitor Ida is slowly turning to glass and is desperate for a cure; local Midas is also desperate for a cure for Ida. The imagination with which Shaw imbues his story is just so original, it's made me hungry for everything he's ever written.
Recommended by Dianah H.
|
Laura Ruby
[isbn]
Printz Award-winning Laura Ruby's exploration of war, desperation, family, love, betrayal, and womanhood — told by the ghost of one girl as she follows the life of another girl in WWII-era Chicago — is lyrical and gorgeous and sharp enough to cut. This book left me reeling for days.
Recommended by Joanna S.
|
Max Porter
[isbn]
Lanny is a marvel — an extraordinary mythological examination of childhood and a gorgeous prose extravaganza of voices and narratives. Max Porter somehow captures the deep magic and blunt prosaic rhythms of life in the same sentences. Completely unique and absolutely worthwhile.
Recommended by Jill O.
|
Myla Goldberg
[isbn]
Myla Goldberg delivers a brilliant story of a woman whose life is informed almost completely by her art. Lillian spends every spare minute honing her passion for photography, and is thrilled when she gets her first show in a gallery. When photos Lillian took of her daughter are declared obscene, an arrest, a prison stint, and lawsuit after lawsuit blow Lillian's world apart — dragging her daughter along for the ride. Goldberg digs deep into the... (read more)
Recommended by Dianah H.
|
M K England
[isbn]
This was the diverse space romp I needed! This misfit group of teens, rejected from space academy, must band together to save humanity. This is a perfect flying-by-the-seat-of-your-pants tale for anyone who would want to join Captain Kirk and crew or the Guardians of the Galaxy. ( P.S. There's a heist in this one!)
Recommended by Ari M.
|
Lisa Wheeler, Carolina Buzio
[isbn]
Written with a sweet repetitive cadence and illustrated with genuine coziness (I wish I could live inside illustrator Carolina Buzio's color palettes), this one is sure to sooth the most stubborn slumberers.
Recommended by Sarah R.
|
Jessica Kim
[isbn]
Shy Yumi Chung is supposed to study all summer long so she can pass a prestigious scholarship exam, but all she wants to do is practice her stand-up comedy. What follows is a story all about trusting yourself to be yourself, filled with strong friendships, YouTube stardom, mistaken identity, and of course plenty of comedy. The family dynamics really shine as the heart of the story and you never doubt the Chung family's love and support for each... (read more)
Recommended by Sarah R.
|
Ian Urbina
[isbn]
I picked up this book because I’ve always had an interest in the world’s oceans and this subject seemed fascinating with its combination of true crime and the high seas. Wow! I was introduced to a world I didn’t know existed. Each chapter brings to light a surprising multitude of lawbreaking, and details the efforts of those who risk their lives fighting some horrendous crimes and injustices. Read about cruise lines behaving badly, illegal... (read more)
Recommended by Steph C.
|
Natasha Pulley
[isbn]
The Bedlam Stacks is a strange and enchanting slow-build tale that moves at the pace of its damaged protagonist. Merrick Tremayne was once a formidable adventurer and smuggler for the East India Company before an accident left him a shadow of his former self. When his old boss appears one day with an assignment that will end Merrick’s financial troubles and once again give him purpose, Merrick takes the job. There were times when I... (read more)
Recommended by Steph C.
|
Wayne Koestenbaum
[isbn]
Wayne Koestenbaum’s deep and wide knowledge of art and literature, his respect for sentences and punctuation, and his passion for ambiguity of form and function make these febrile essays a joy to read. With the exercises he suggests, and using his ecstatic influence as a guide, we can puzzle through our need for answers in writing, and find a new consciousness — like seeing our hometowns from above for the first time.
Recommended by Adam P.
|
Americas Test Kitchen
[isbn]
Like chocolate? You’ll love Everything Chocolate. This is made up of an impressive assortment of decadent chocolate recipes. Whether it is a recreation of an Oreo-type sandwich cookie (but with more chocolate flavor) or a classic chocolate tart (with a gorgeous blood orange gelée topping), these are recipes built to share and show off with. However, no one will blame you if you make the Magic Chocolate Flan cake without sharing it with... (read more)
Recommended by Tracey T.
|
Emily Suvada
[isbn]
Suvada's This Mortal Coil series comes to an explosive end in This Vicious Cure, a heart-pounding, plot-twisty sci-fi thriller that asks big questions about humanity, genetic technology, and identity. My all-time favorite sci-fi series.
Recommended by Joanna S.
|
Cho Nam-Joo
[isbn]
Offering both a window into a unique culture, and a universal call to arms, this novel follows a millennial Korean everywoman as she experiences the impacts of institutional sexism, rigidly gendered social roles, and casual misogyny. The effects on her are both sadly predictable and utterly unexpected.
Recommended by Keith M.
|
Lily King
[isbn]
This is the exact book you need right now. Casey is 31 years old, deeply in debt, and splitting her time between waitressing and working on her novel. Her mother recently died, and she grieves her way into an accidental love triangle. Lily King has perfectly captured holding onto a creative practice while juggling the expectations and narrowing constraints of an adult life.
Recommended by Michelle C.
|
Julie Fogliano and Jillian Tamaki
[isbn]
As a sucker for stories about (best) friends, My Best Friend wrecked me in the happiest way. Fogliano captures the ease and warmth of adolescent friendship in this tender tale. Perfect for a read with your best friend!
Recommended by Rachel M.
|
Pam Muñoz Ryan
[isbn]
Fantastical and gripping from the first page, Mañanaland explores family secrets, parental love, and immigration through the enchanting eyes of 11-year-old Maximiliano and his twin loves of fútbol and storytelling. The writing is especially exquisite for a middle reader, and the world-building — set somewhere in the Américas — is rich in history, magic, and meaning.
Recommended by Lucinda G.
|
Jewell Parker Rhodes
[isbn]
Jewell Parker Rhodes again finds a way to convey a nuanced understanding of racial realities for middle grade readers. To pick just one moment: there’s a scene where the sport of fencing is used as a metaphor to explain a racially charged juvenile delinquency hearing that is so skillfully written and moving and insightful that it is simply unforgettable.
Recommended by Keith M.
|
Mark Kurlansky
[isbn]
A Pacific Northwest native, I’ve been surrounded by salmon culture my whole life. I was shocked by how much I didn’t know about these incredible fish and their possible fate, but who better than Mark Kurlansky to teach me with this concise yet wide-ranging history.
Recommended by Keith M.
|
Louise Erdrich
[isbn]
Even within Erdrich's superlative body of work, her newest, a tribute to her grandfather, truly shines. This book is perfect in every way — the characters, tone, pacing, and the WRITING... swoon! Her creativity and mastery of language are on full display, and it's mind-blowing. I loved every second of reading this!
Recommended by Leah C.
|
Kawai Strong Washburn
[isbn]
I admit, the gorgeous cover on this one drew me in and I’m so glad it did. The Flores family is struggling to survive in Hawaii even as one of the kids has a gift from the gods. All three kids end up moving to the mainland to try to find a better life, but can’t seem to shake the hold the island has on them. This book is beautiful, heartbreaking, and I can’t stop thinking about it.
Recommended by Jennifer H.
|
James McBride
[isbn]
Here is an ensemble of characters so ripe and joyfully alive in the tumescence of their maladies, carried out in a rare, ornamental fashion that only a master writer can pull off. In Deacon King Kong, James McBride invites you into a story that has always existed — the carnival of the tragedy of life — then steps aside, acting as a guide to reveal axioms of wisdom within the frolic. It is an understatement to call this novel a nonpareil... (read more)
Recommended by Aubrey W.
|
Noé Álvarez
[isbn]
Noé Álvarez’s impressive debut is both a travelogue of the 6,000-mile Indigenous peoples’ run that took him from Canada to Guatemala and a memoir of the path his life took before and after the run — from an isolating childhood in an immigrant community in eastern Washington, to a more winding route that took him to the East Coast as an adult. While the run was a true test of personal endurance, Spirit Run is not just about one man’s... (read more)
Recommended by Keith M.
|
Molly Wizenberg
[isbn]
Memoirist and food writer Molly Wizenberg has been married to the same man for nearly a decade, and has always thought of herself as a straight person, when a chance encounter at jury duty (of all places) develops into a crush. Deeper feelings soon emerge — feelings she is unwilling to dismiss and unable to ignore. This insightful memoir follows Molly as she realizes that gender, sexuality, and love are much more fluid and expansive than she’d... (read more)
Recommended by Adam P.
|
Hester Fox
[isbn]
The Witch of Willow Hall is a well-written, old-fashioned ghostly suspense tale made all the more enjoyable by a slow-build romance that doesn’t overtake the plot but only deepens it. A strong, smart protagonist with believable flaws, buried secrets, sisterly rivalry, lies and tragedy, all set in the misty countryside of colonial New England, had me devouring pages long after my bedtime.
Recommended by Steph C.
|
Sandra Boynton
[isbn]
Sandra Boynton is back with a lovely tale of personal connection through one of the funnest parts of the body. Your Nose! is a friendly story with Boynton’s trademark whimsical cartoons, but it’s more than that — it’s also a song! Perfect to be read and sung by anyone with a nose. Recommended by Moses M.
|
Adalyn Grace
[isbn]
A princess, a pirate, a fiance, and a mermaid — almost sounds like a "walk into a bar" joke, doesn't it? Instead, we have an AMAZING story, with some of the best world- and character-building I've had the pleasure of experiencing. There is no cliffhanger here, but you'll be thankful that another book is coming so you can spend more time absorbed within this world.
Recommended by Beth C.
|
Kim Liggett
[isbn]
This book is akin to Lord of the Flies — but with more nuance and, ultimately, hope. It explores not only societal pressures and how damaging they can be, but also the damage females do to EACH OTHER — even when we have common cause and the same enemy. Societal pressures, faceless enemies, and patriarchy explode in this book, with an outcome that may surprise.
Recommended by Beth C.
|
Dasa Drndic, Celia Hawkesworth
[isbn]
With Belladonna, the late Croatian maestro Drndic forces us to hold our gaze again and again at the interminable horrors of the 20th century. The first in a trilogy that forms one of the masterworks of the decade.
Recommended by Adie B.
|
Silvina Ocampo, Suzanne Jill Levine, Jessica Powell
[isbn]
Thanks to City Lights, the only novel written by the author that Borges called "one of our best" is finally available in English translation. Ocampo shows us the self as a spiraling cavern lined with the mirrors of other people. It's a terrifyingly beautiful and perfectly confounding sight.
Recommended by Adie B.
|
Laura Trethewey
[isbn]
Trethewey shows humanity's dependence on the sea, and currently, humanity's changing relationship to it. Revealing different aspects of this connection through different oceans, the book is like several extremely well researched and written long-form essays. One thing Trethewey does well is taking an overwhelming topic and making it accessible through the stories of individuals who represent a global issue like the refugee crisis, property... (read more)
Recommended by Bill L.
|
Charlie Mackesy
[isbn]
This book is beautiful, kind, and sweet. The sentiment is inspiring and the drawings full of simple perfection invite the eye to linger on each page. This is the perfect book for a lazy day and a blanket, or a quick escape to lighten your mood and lift your spirit.
Recommended by Steph C.
|
Haruki Murakami, Philip Gabriel
[isbn]
Real? Imaginary? Somewhere in between? These questions are posed throughout Haruki Murakami's masterpiece Kafka on the Shore, which features a runaway kid shrouded in his father's mysterious omen, an old man who isn't bright but can talk to cats, and plenty of other surrealistic sequences which Murakami leaves his millions of reader's to decipher. Prepare to embark on a journey like no other, this book is like falling down a technicolor... (read more)
Recommended by Alex Y.
|
C Pam Zhang
[isbn]
C Pam Zhang breathes life into an often untold story of the American West with this fiercely stunning debut novel. I didn't realize how much I needed How Much of These Hills Is Gold until it was in my hands and I was unable to put it down. As Chinese as it is American, Zhang's reimagining of 19th-century history still feels relevant today as it chews through the complexities of being an immigrant in this country.
Recommended by Rachel M.
|
Laura Knetzger
[isbn]
Rhino-B and Stag-B are best beetle buddies and have amazing adventures in the bug world. They have a close run-in with a frog, escape a giant, help a spider in her library, and even explore some spooky caves. I love that no matter what problems arise, they solve them together and stay friends. Such a cute collection of stories. Perfect for fans of the Narwhal and Jelly books.
Recommended by Rose H.
|
Noelle Stevenson
[isbn]
Noelle Stevenson tells us heavy things in an accessible way — her struggles with self, with talent and creativity and drive — and as any successful memoir will do, we empathize, feel her pain, and celebrate with her. She is a remarkable artist. I look forward to all that is yet to come.
Recommended by Doug C.
|
Sam Lansky
[isbn]
It sounds too good to be true: a healer who can fix everything that’s wrong with you in just three days. But for Sam — a young writer struggling with intimacy, sobriety, physical health, and an unforgiving inner monologue — it’s an intriguing prospect. Broken People drew me in so completely I didn’t realize until Sam emerged from his three-day journey, changed, that something within me had shifted as well. This is a candid, deeply human... (read more)
Recommended by Tove H.
|
Shelly Laurenston
[isbn]
Shelly Laurenston/G. A. Aiken consistently produces paranormal romance that manages to be both heartwarming and totally bonkers. ZeZe' Vargas doesn't know he's a cat until he kidnaps Max, but after seeing her shred a team of henchmen, he realizes that the world he once knew was only a facade. In fact, Max and her family are honey badgers. Aggressively loyal and nearly unkillable, the MacKilligan sisters are some of my favorite characters of all... (read more)
Recommended by McKenzie W.
|
Andrzej Sapkowski
[isbn]
In this thrilling conclusion to The Witcher Saga, Ciri Lady of Space and Time must decide the fate of the world, whether she wants to or not. Geralt and company embark on a suicide mission for love. Plagues, an epic bloody battle, elves and specters from a different plane, and even a Knight of the Round Table. Not everyone makes it out alive in this one, folks. Make sure you have tissues on hand.
Recommended by Mike H.
|
Jessie Mihalik
[isbn]
For when you want your political thriller space opera to have a (large) dash of some of the very best romance tropes. This series is an absolute delight.
Recommended by Joanna S.
|
Lior Lev Sercarz, Genevieve Ko
[isbn]
This is one of the best spice books I’ve ever read. By mixing your own blended spices, you can make your own meals that much faster and that much tastier. Master spice blender Lior Lev Sercarz has developed tried-and-true blends for simplifying home cooking. Many of the recipes vary by simply changing the spice blend to get a different flavor. This would be a great cookbook to work through from the beginning. You could make root veggies a... (read more)
Recommended by Tracey T.
|
Shelby Mahurin
[isbn]
"Thou shalt not suffer a witch to live." Lou (a scrappy, snarky witch of a girl) and Reid (a stoic, principled witch hunter) accidentally stumble their way into a forced marriage. Lou must hide the secret of her magic from her unexpectedly kind but undeniably dangerous new husband, and Reid, honorable to his core, begins to question where his loyalties lie. A lush, gorgeous, and incredibly fun debut.
Recommended by Joanna S.
|
Lauren Redniss
[isbn]
Oak Flat is simultaneously an object of mesmerizing beauty and an urgent book of complete necessity. Lauren Redniss tells the tale of the struggle to preserve a site sacred to the Apache people from a copper mining project that would destroy it utterly. Her vibrant illustrations and careful curation of competing voices convey the high stakes while honoring the dignity of the people on both sides, and the dignity of the natural world as... (read more)
Recommended by Keith M.
|
Kazuo Ishiguro
[isbn]
One of the creepiest boarding school stories ever, Never Let Me Go follows the lives of Kathy, Tommy, and Ruth through their school years, and into their lives as young adults. Ishiguro's Hailsham school is not exactly what it seems — it's a school, yes, but it has a "higher" purpose. Trying to find answers to the questions that plagued their entire lives, the three begin to investigate the school and the people involved. By turns... (read more)
Recommended by Dianah H.
|
Ezra Klein
[isbn]
If you want to understand the politics of the moment, this is the essential book. Period. Full stop.
Recommended by Keith M.
|
Joan Lindsay, Maile Meloy
[isbn]
An Australian girls' school plans an afternoon picnic at Hanging Rock, but events take an unexpected turn, and life will never be the same. The dreamy atmosphere in this novel translated perfectly to the subsequent film, but read the book first — it's so much lusher, richer, and gorgeous.
Recommended by Dianah H.
|
Andrea Bernstein
[isbn]
Andrea Bernstein has assembled a detailed history of the rise of the Trump and Kushner real estate empires, and lays bare how their exercise of wealth and privilege in the private sector clearly predicted their behavior in the White House. This book offers immense insight into the way the world actually worked before — and during — the Trump presidency.
Recommended by Keith M.
|