November 2020

When No One Is Watching

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When No One Is Watching: A Thriller (Paperback)

By Alyssa Cole
$16.99
ISBN: 9780062982650
Availability: On Our Shelves Now
Published: William Morrow Paperbacks - September 1st, 2020

Sydney's historically Black Brooklyn neighborhood seems to be changing before her eyes as "For Sale" signs pop up, and her neighbors start moving out without a word. But as Sydney does a deep dive for the history tour of the neighborhood that she's developing, she discovers that not everything is as it seems. This psychological thriller about gentrification is the book you need to be reading right now. It made my skin crawl and left me astounded at Cole's inventiveness and insightfulness. (And in true Alyssa Cole form, there is romance too.) 

April

Earth Almanac

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Earth Almanac: Nature's Calendar for Year-Round Discovery (Paperback)

By Ken Keffer, Jeremy Collins (Illustrator)
$24.95
ISBN: 9781680512823
Availability: On Our Shelves Now
Published: Skipstone Press - March 23rd, 2020

I've been reading this day-by-day since it came out in April. Each season, month, and day offers its own small but fascinating insight into the natural world. It's been such a balm to be able to mark 2020 in moments of wonder instead of just dates. Plus, it's full of beautiful illustrations by Jeremy Collins, one of my favorite artists to follow (@jer.collins on instagram!). A great gift for the nature-lover in your life!

Kate

A Taste of Heritage: Crow Indian Recipes and Herbal Medicines

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A Taste of Heritage: Crow Indian Recipes and Herbal Medicines (At Table ) (Paperback)

By Alma Hogan Snell
$17.95
ISBN: 9780803293533
Availability: On Our Shelves Now
Published: Bison Books - October 1st, 2006

This book by Alma Hogan Snell, has recipes included, but even richer than the food, are the stories that come from Native American culture. With November comes gratitude and reflection, so this year, I am reflecting on the change that needs to happen in the United States and where that begins. For me, I'm starting with my Thanksgiving dinner table and doing away with the colonized tradition and starting anew by going back to the past with indigenous recipes.

Sinny

The Magicians: The New Class

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The Magicians: The New Class (Paperback)

By Lev Grossman, Lilah Sturges, Pius Bak (Illustrator)
$19.99
ISBN: 9781684155651
Availability: On Our Shelves Now
Published: Archaia - August 25th, 2020

Whether you're a fan of the dearly departed TV show, a devotee of the original novels, or just a passerby looking for a gripping, diverse, "adult Harry Potter"-style tale of magic and murder, this is the graphic novel for you. This is a fresh new take on one of my favorite franchises and I was instantly hooked. More please.

Caleb

One to Watch

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One to Watch: A Novel (Paperback)

By Kate Stayman-London
$17.00
ISBN: 9780525510444
Availability: On Our Shelves Now
Published: Dial Press Trade Paperback - July 7th, 2020

Bea Schumacher is a stylish plus-size fashion blogger very happy with her life...until she agrees to become the star of the reality TV show The Main Squeeze (read: The Bachelorette) under the condition that she not fall in love. Enter a whole lot of entertaining hijinks and smart interrogations of beauty standards, reality TV, and the business of romance. Perfect for fans of layered love stories and the aforementioned TV franchise.

Rebecca

Red, White, and Royal Blue

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Red, White & Royal Blue: A Novel (Paperback)

By Casey McQuiston
$16.99
ISBN: 9781250316776
Availability: Available at Wholesaler
Published: St. Martin's Griffin - May 14th, 2019

I'm hoping if enough people read this book over and over again we will be magically transported into a world where a woman is president, there is no plague, and the biggest scandal of the season is the president's son having an affair with a prince of England. At the very least, you can be transported to that world for as long as it takes to read this book, which is the kind of soothing mental vacation you may need this month.

Shana

The Arrest

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The Arrest: A Novel Cover Image

The Arrest: A Novel (Hardcover)

By Jonathan Lethem
$27.99
ISBN: 9780062938787
Availability: On Our Shelves Now
Published: Ecco - November 10th, 2020

I loved this book! It's witty and sharp, and probably exactly what Maine would look like in an apocalypse. The main character, Journeyman, is a wayward soul who found himself in Maine at the time that all technology died. His life is interrupted when a person from his past arrives in a "supercar", and chaos ensues.

Heather

Beowulf

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Beowulf: A New Translation (Paperback)

By Maria Dahvana Headley
$15.00
ISBN: 9780374110031
Availability: On Our Shelves Now
Published: MCD x FSG Originals - August 25th, 2020

This new translation of Beowulf is everything the version you (perhaps begrudgingly) read in high school was not. The language is fresh and florid, brimming with alliteration and bravado and modern slang. Headley translates the characters of this age-old poem into people we can recognize, instead of the granite giants of legend. It is, in a word, readable, and delightfully so. Her introduction is also its own work of art; it would be worth the purchase for that alone. 

Meaghan

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