Eliza Barry Callahan
[isbn]
As soon as I picked up this book, I couldn’t put it down. The writing is fresh and sharp and quietly devastating. After the narrator, a woman who makes money by scoring short films, is diagnosed with Sudden Deafness, her relationship to the world and people around her shifts. As she attempts to understand what her new circumstances mean and how to reconstruct a meaningful life for herself within these freshly drawn limits, she thinks about music... (read more)
Recommended by Kelsey F.
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Brian S. Ellis
[isbn]
In these vivid drink- and drug-soaked stories of young friends on Cape Cod, Brian S. Ellis’s writing is wry, poetic, highly detailed, and subversively sage. His characters are beautifully particular, their dialogue laugh-out-loud funny. Brian has a jeweler’s eye for finding the fire and flash inside every odd, awkward, and messed-up human trying to play cool in the face of... (read more)
Recommended by Gigi L.
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Mircea Cartarescu and Sean Cotter
[isbn]
You might not think you need a 630-page Romanian surrealist novel to take over your life for a month, but I'm here to encourage the incineration of your to-read list in favor of this sui generis trip through the underbelly of 1970s/80s Romania. From the childhood visions of a schoolteacher with a predilection for termites and dreams of revelation, to meandering notes on philosophy, undecipherable manuscripts, and the fourth dimension, this is a... (read more)
Recommended by Nadia N.
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Lorraine Heath
[isbn]
How can you go wrong with a woman bent on revenge? This time, it's Regina Leyland. She was jilted at the altar and now, five years later, she's writing a scandalous, "fictional" tell-all under a pen name about "her" seduction and ruination. The book's "Lord K" bears an uncanny resemblance to Lord Knightly, who's furious to have his good reputation questioned. Fake reconciliation between the two leads to unquestionable sparks with a second chance... (read more)
Recommended by Mecca A.
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Bill Watterson and John Kascht
[isbn]
The Mysteries is an unsettling and eerily familiar fable about a world that loses direction. The images are gorgeous, wonderfully evocative, and just a little disturbing. This is a book to reread many times and to put its message into your own frame of reference and keep it close to your heart.
Recommended by Marianne T
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Kelly Hayes and Mariame Kaba
[isbn]
For me, this book came at the exact right time, but I also can’t imagine circumstances under which this book wouldn’t transform its reader. It’s written with activists and organizers in mind, but I also can’t imagine a person who identifies as neither reading this book and quietly accepting the status quo. Hopeful, imaginative, invigorating, and so full of wisdom (like, truly staggering amounts of wisdom), Let this... (read more)
Recommended by Tove H.
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Ari Stocrate
[isbn]
How insane is it that the world's woes have driven me to seek shelter in a graphic novel about a stretchy dragon who lives in a swamp with a witch, hordes enchanted pacifiers and iPod nanos, and loves canned legumes? This was not on my 2023 bingo card. Anyway, her name is Bean. She is me and I am her.
Recommended by Stacy W.
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Susan Dennard
[isbn]
Winnie Wednesday is back! She's passed the Hunter trials, and the forest is still holding onto its secrets and sending monsters her way. Is there really a Whisperer monster? Why does nobody believe her when she says it's not the werewolf, and what are those Dianas really up to. Get ready for some slow-burn romance, changing friendships, changing family dynamics... and is being a Luminary really all it's cracked up to be? I'm still... (read more)
Recommended by Mecca A.
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Jacqueline Carey
[isbn]
Come back to the world of Terre d'Ange, a land full of secrets. Relive the action of the epic fantasy, Kushiel's Dart, now told from the eyes of Joscelin. Kushiel's Dart followed bond servant Phedre as she rises through the court as a courtesan/spy, and the betrayals that land her and her guard, Joscelin, in the hand of the enemy as they fight to save their country. Cassiel's Servant is Joscelin's experiences from their... (read more)
Recommended by Mecca A.
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E.J. Koh
[isbn]
E. J. Koh’s debut novel, The Liberators is her follow-up to the stunning memoir, The Magical Language of Others. I was so excited to read the novel; I started as soon as I got the galley, and couldn’t put it down. The story covers decades and contents, and follows one family as its members try to figure out what it means to choose a lover, a life, a home. The relationships between the characters are so lovingly and beautifully... (read more)
Recommended by Kelsey F.
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Isabel Greenberg
[isbn]
One of my all-time favorite books! Interwoven short stories about sisterhood and community. The art is absolutely gorgeous too!
Recommended by madmythandy
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ND Stevenson, Nate Stevenson, Noelle Stevenson
[isbn]
I will read anything by ND Stevenson. This book gives you the warm fuzzies and restores your faith that your queer love is out there. A must read.
Recommended by madmythandy
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Ross Gay
[isbn]
Ross Gay is a beautiful human, and reading this book makes you feel like he’s your good friend. These essays will restore your hope for humanity and remind you of the exquisite joy the natural world brings. This book makes a perfect gift.
Recommended by Marianne T
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Alexandra Tanner
[isbn]
So deliciously and expertly existential. To the point where I've begun noting every minutia of my day like they're somehow new and strange and connected and everything is an opportunity and nothing matters anymore and I want to hate that but it's kind of freeing and why am I desperately wanting to pick fights with anti-vax moms on Instagram?
Recommended by Stacy W.
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Lorrie Moore
[isbn]
Lorrie Moore has always been a writer whose words root into my veins, setting up camp for months after I think I’m done with them. I Am Homeless If This Is Not My Home — a book about love and death and passion and grief and how all of it can be messy and muddy and bad but also sometimes, somehow, occasionally good and worthwhile — has already found a home in my bones. This book is so beautifully written and filled with such wild pathos... (read more)
Recommended by Kelsey F.
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Melissa L Sevigny
[isbn]
I really loved this story. Elzada Clover and Lois Jotter were passionate botanists, and in 1938 they took a harrowing, exhilarating, life-changing journey through the Grand Canyon to map and collect the flora they found there. At the time, it may have felt like their journey was for nothing... companions didn't take them seriously, books of pressed plants were lost, journalists dismissed their work. But their work was recovered and documented,... (read more)
Recommended by Lesley A.
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Ben Goldfarb
[isbn]
I suspect I really loved this book because it felt like something I'd read during my time as a college student studying geography. It is a really great story about the history of roads, and roadkill, and how humans often work backward to fix the mess they have made of the environment. From bears to butterflies, people are making crossings to reconnect animals to the territories they once roamed freely. There is even a chapter on folks in Portland... (read more)
Recommended by Lesley A.
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Anna Burke
[isbn]
I discovered Anna Burke this year with Compass Rose and immediately got my hands on every book of hers I could. Roses of Pieria was an absolute delight. Dark academia! Urban fantasy! Vampires! Greek (alternate) history! Mushroom fae! Shapeshifters! I know it sounds like an impossible mishmash, but it does everything with a clear purpose and a skillful execution. The characters were stunning and the sapphic dynamics were so... (read more)
Recommended by Carlee B
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Sarah Kurchak
[isbn]
Funny, engaging, and thoughtful, Kurchak examines how being autistic has shaped her life, both long before she was diagnosed and after. Her experiences follow a common pattern for neurodivergent women — be weird, painfully and slowly learn how to maybe not be so weird anymore, repeat until your brain hits an impossible wall of stress. It’s a comfort to know that someone else has experienced a similar journey and come out the other side.
Recommended by Carlee B
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Lauren Boehme
[isbn]
I’ve made many a tasty meal from Lauren Boehme’s Rabbit & Wolves blog, and this cookbook is packed with her mouthwatering, soul-satisfying comfort food. The first week after I got the book I made: Spicy Lemon Butter Tofu with Polenta (p53) — so decadent! Spinach Artichoke Baked Pasta (p65) — melt in your mouth creamy! And the Loaded Baked Potato Soup (p69) — OMFG! I can’t wait to try the belly-filling breakfast and indulgent desserts.
Recommended by Lesley A.
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Rosanna Xia
[isbn]
I was worried this book would be a real downer, but I found myself incredibly inspired and hopeful (and trying to figure out a way to move my family back to the north coast of California (I haven't had a book make me so homesick in quite a long time!)). Rosanna Xia is an environmental journalist, and her writing is engaging and thoughtful. The stories of each community she highlights gives you hope that climate adaptation is possible, and that... (read more)
Recommended by Lesley A.
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Chris L Terry, James Spooner Spooner
[isbn]
This anthology of modern fiction, nonfiction, art, and comics describe punk today and gives a broader perspective as it delves into all the subgenres, styles, and personalities within Black Punk that are thriving and growing. The anthology approach to this book mixes generations and medias in a way that perfectly reflects the contents of the book and the scene they are highlighting. This technique also allows music lovers, history aficionados,... (read more)
Recommended by Aster A.
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Corook and Olivia Barton
[isbn]
I personally must have listened to this song at least a million times when it came out, and every time, it still managed to make me tear up while dancing with glee. It taught me about appreciating my body, loving my friends, and most importantly, loving myself. While this book may be geared for children, I think that it's the perfect gift for anyone who needs a little encouragement to be who they are.
Recommended by Katherine M.
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Isaac Peterson
[isbn]
Such a simple story, just a fox in the woods at night, but the minimal, poetic language and the sweeping art in smoky grays and washes of yellow-orange make Gray Fox in the Moonlight an exquisite encounter as well as a celebration of the simple fact that no matter what parents must do, they always return to keep their children cozy and safe.
Recommended by Gigi L.
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Kate Ristau
[isbn]
Kate Ristau’s new Mythwakers series sets out to teach kids all about mythology but in a new and super fun way: through the point of view of its characters. First up is Asterion, the famous minotaur. Asterion is goofy, kind of cheeky, and full of fascinating facts about his mythological life and the true history of Ancient Greece. With Ristau’s light, breezy style and loads of hilarious jokes and asides, Mythwakers: The Minotaur is a... (read more)
Recommended by Gigi L.
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Skye Alexander
[isbn]
This is a “one and done” book on reading the tarot — a comprehensive guide for those new to the cards. But it also provides insight and suggestions that long-time readers will appreciate. I bought one for myself and one for a friend!
Recommended by Marianne T
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Barbara Kingsolver
[isbn]
This is a beautiful, timely, and compelling book that does NOT require you to reread David Copperfield to appreciate it. Just know that Kingsolver is at her best, showing us the downside of the foster care system and the destruction to young lives and communities wrought by easy access to opioids. Always a superb storyteller, Kingsolver manages to break hearts while still offering glimmers of hope.
Recommended by Marianne T
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Maggie Tokuda Hall and Yas Imamura
[isbn]
With beautiful watercolor illustrations, Maggie Tokuda-Hall tells the story of her grandparents meeting and falling in love in the library at Minidoka, the Japanese internment camp where both George and Tama were imprisoned. She describes the constant worry and fear they felt, but also how the library and the books allowed Tama to escape, even for just a moment. This nuanced book is about injustice, perseverance, and hope.
Recommended by Sarah B.
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LouAnne Brickhouse, Jennifer Rea
[isbn]
I devoured this book in one sitting and desperately want more. The pacing is perfect, with great use of suspense. I am also a major history nerd, so I love when vampire media uses historical figures and details in interesting ways that are genuinely important to the plot, not just as a window dressing. For my vampire diaries fans out there: if you watched that show, but wished Bonnie and/or Carolyn was the main character, I think you'll like this... (read more)
Recommended by Kathleen F
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Edward Cahill
[isbn]
This historical novel captures the complexities of life as a gay man living in New York City in the early 1960s. In part a romance, in part a mystery, Disorderly Men is a thrilling and infuriating, but ultimately hopeful, read.
Recommended by Adam P.
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Lydia Davis
[isbn]
Lydia Davis's stories absolutely hum with strange beauty — contemplative, inventive, confident in their own singular power. This is the kind of book I want to throw across the room for being too good and also hug to my heart for existing. And it's only available at libraries and independent bookstores like Powell's!!
Recommended by Claire A.
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Sigrid Nunez
[isbn]
Another stunner from the inimitable Sigrid Nunez. The Vulnerables is a meditative, wry book that picks apart what it means to live in a world as unnerving as ours currently is, and what it means to create art (or at least, try to create art) in the midst of everything. The narrator is stuck in New York City during the height of the pandemic, caring for a friend of a friend’s parrot, trying to make meaning even as her brain feels like... (read more)
Recommended by Kelsey F.
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Ben Lerner
[isbn]
For poets who hesitate to call themselves poets, this essay is a reminder of the futility of our beloved form. Lerner incisively guides the reader through transcendent and terrible poems, all of which are failures of a different kind, only some of which succeed by virtue of their failure. I'm partial to Lerner's idea that every poet harbors some resentment towards poetry, and every poetry hater masks a certain envy, maybe even a curiosity, of... (read more)
Recommended by Nadia N.
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Catherine Leroux and Susan Ouriou
[isbn]
This incredible work tackles problems both fictional and very real. Alongside the poisoned rivers and regenerative houses, Leroux also beautifully addresses ongoing racial and economic injustice, pollution, and violence. However, in this same struggle, we find strength, resilience, and power in community. In the strange world we live in today, this book is important and a great reminder that we are strongest as a community.
Recommended by Aster A.
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Amy Fleisher Madden
[isbn]
This book truly hit the nail on the head when it comes to what emo was then and now and what it means to so many people. If you ever considered yourself emo, even if it was “just a phase,” and even if the second and third waves weren’t your time, you should absolutely get this book. The only thing that has ever made me feel as seen as this book is the music it's about. This book is for anyone who had their whole world changed by a song. It's for... (read more)
Recommended by Aster A.
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Gerardo Samano Cordova
[isbn]
Don't be fooled by the cover — this is a love story. After Magos takes extreme measures to try and recover a piece of her dead son, something inhuman is born in his stead, changing the family forever. A messy, queer exploration of grief, identity, and a family trying to love and understand each other and failing and trying anyway... I cried.
Recommended by SitaraG
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Heather Fawcett
[isbn]
Besides a grumpy, young professor, this book has FAIRIES and adventure, romance, mystery… and did I say FAIRIES? This is a highly entertaining read that I thoroughly enjoyed. (And even the professor isn’t so grumpy in the end!)
Recommended by Marianne T
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Raymond Antrobus
[isbn]
This children's picture book follows Little Bear as he, with the help of his father, realizes he is having trouble hearing his teachers and friends. Little Bear goes to the audiologist and takes a few tests, then he starts hearing therapy and lip-reading classes and begins to wear hearing aids. I loved how this book describes both Little Bear's experience hearing clearly for the first time, but also how sometimes Little Bear feels tired or... (read more)
Recommended by Sarah B.
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Arkady Martine
[isbn]
The most hardcore, creative, complex, compelling world I've had the privilege of inhabiting all year. Mahit travels to the Teixcalaanli empire as ambassador from her tiny independent space station in hopes of keeping the massive, politically hungry neighbor from annexing them, only to somersault into loads of trouble. A phenomenal thought experiment in the tradition of Le Guin or Herbert on the seductive pull of empire, the fraught nature of... (read more)
Recommended by SitaraG
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Travis Baldree
[isbn]
Bookshops and Bonedust is a love letter to the book all wrapped up in a cozy fantasy setting. I fell in love with the dreamy coastal town of Murk, the hodgepodge of memorable characters, and with the joy of finding the right title at the right time. This book left me longing for books I've never read (and for all of Travis Baldree's future books)!
Recommended by Lindsay P
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Roberto Bolaño
[isbn]
Deliriously good. A kaleidoscopic vision of 1970s Mexico City whose heart lies with its young poets. Rich in character and circumstance, with fibrous, idiosyncratic narratives that slither madly and swallow themselves. At once a bildungsroman, a road novel, a collection of worldclass short stories, a book of literary criticism, and a thinly veiled autobiography, The Savage Detectives effortlessly goes where few novels have dared.
Recommended by Nadia N.
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Michael Mann, Meg Gardiner
[isbn]
Lovers of Michael Mann's quintessential heist film Heat will be absolutely riveted by the sequel novel, Heat 2, co-authored by Mann and Meg Gardiner. The book's plot is a pincer, equal parts prequel and sequel to the former film's depiction of robbery and homicide in 1990s Los Angeles. A nuanced and detail-driven tale of criminality, Heat 2 exquisitely depicts the ethos shared by thieves and those tasked with... (read more)
Recommended by Shane H
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Kendare Blake
[isbn]
Behind every great hero is an Aristene. Mythical female warriors who are sent by the Goddess, to guide their heroes to victory and Glory. They are the Heromakers. Reed's trials will resonate the most with the "horse-girls," the ones that want to be immortal, that want their horses to live with them forever, and go into great battles together. This was such a fun, unputdownable fantasy read that will leave you longing for the next installment.
Recommended by Mecca A.
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Bryan Washington
[isbn]
Bryan Washington's Lot and Memorial were two of my favorite queer fiction books of the past five years. I've also loved the food writing Washington's done. Family Meal combines his interests by telling the story of two queer friends examining their history and figuring out their future, while working side by side at a family bakery.
Recommended by Adam P.
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Brandon Stosuy and Rose Lazar
[isbn]
I’m a crier. I cry easily and often, and for reasons ranging from unwarranted (can’t open a jar) to unavoidable (unexpectedly hearing the song I listened to over and over and over again as a thirteen-year-old wallowing in the heartache of an unrequited love), and even though the aftershock of every outburst lingers on my face long after (please tell me your home remedies for puffy eyes), I love a good cry. So, when I heard about this... (read more)
Recommended by Tove H.
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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 and Jerome Pumphrey and 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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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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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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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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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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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, Philip Gabriel
[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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