Staff Picks
Because what else do you do when a random lady in Panera misinterprets your conversation with your literary agent and hires you to kill her husband for a heck ton of money?
Chaotic, hilarious, and seriously troubled, Finlay Donovan is the perfect struggling protagonist and accidental hitwoman for hire. This tale of triumph and tribulations (and there are many) will leave you laughing your socks off and anxiously flipping the pages to see if Finn manages to scrape by yet another close call. A gateway, if you will, for murder mysteries, perfect for the reluctant reader.
- Cindy
Eleanor Walsh had the perfect life—she was the CEO of two companies, she had just gotten married, her company was on the edge of something big—but now she’s missing. And everyone in her life has secrets. This is a propulsive and twisty thriller about feminism and female friendship that is very of-the-moment. Great for fans of Big Little Lies and Gone Girl.
- April
When Marya makes a terrible mistake in front of a sorcerer, she is summoned to Dragomir Academy, where she is to be taught to be a “proper girl.” An utterly unique and spellbinding fantasy, this one takes on the ways we condition girls to be small and encourages curiosity and adventure through gasp-worthy twists and delightful characters.
- April
A genre-defying melding of memoir and biography rooted in archival and academic research as much as in personal experience. Carson McCullers (The Heart is a Lonely Hunter, Ballad of the Sad Cafe, etc) is an oft-misunderstood and oft-forgotten Southern gothic novelist whose own story has been posthumously overwritten. Shapland draws from transcriptions of McCullers’ therapy sessions with Mary Mercy, who was both psychologist and lover to the author, to craft a meditation on how we tell queer love stories and how we preserve them in history, while she also considers her own queerness. For those who have a fascination with literary history, an appreciation for the archival record, and maybe a bit of an identity crisis, this is a brilliant experiment in both form and content.
Poor Agatha May. No one seems to appreciate her bizarre and curious nature (and inability to focus). But I sure do! That two staff members thought of me while reading this AND ensured I saw it makes me feel seen and appreciated. Really, there aren't many better feelings you could get from a picture book. Need another reason dangled in front of you like an anglerfish's esca? Enjoy Agatha May's wonderful science project and learn some deep-water factoids.
- Stacey
A creature crocheter's dream! These designs are simply stunning. Definitely an aspirational pattern book, but the steps are presented in a straightforward fashion that is more achievable than one may think at first blush.
- Stacey
When Iris loses her dad to AIDS in 1987, she turns to poetry and activism to deal with her grief.
- Sarah
If you loved Armstrong's Rockton series, don't miss the new adventures of Casey and co. as they launch their own refuge in the Canadian wilderness. If you're new to the series, this is a great place to jump in before reading all the earlier adventures of the off-the-grid community with plenty of reasons to hide.
- Sarah
Pivotal in Feminist, Marxist, and Early Modern European Studies, this academic exploration of why “the rise of capitalism was coeval with a war against women” ties together, among other things: witch hunts, women’s unpaid labor, appropriation of the female body, and women’s resistance as heretics, herbalists, and thinkers.
- Rachael
This middle grade fantasy is a funny, adventuresome romp through dream landscapes, the nature of creativity, the meaning of friendship, realizing your parents are people too, and the horror of Having A Crush. AND!!! It's by bookseller Piera's real life sister. What more could you want!!
- Piera
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Slime! What's her story? Slime is yucky, funny, dangerous, sexy, and absolutely invaluable to every organism on the planet. There isn't a single organism that does not make use of slime in some way. This is a great little exploration of what slime is all about.
- Piera
The author of thirteen previous novels, Elinor Lipman once again proves she is a must-read author. Her first novel, Then She Found Me became a hit movie with Bette Midler and Helen Hunt in 2008 and her novels Rachel to the Rescue and On Turpentine Lane were both bestsellers. Ms. Demeanor is infused with Lipman’s delightful charm and usual wit, telling the story of Jane – a lawyer confined to her Manhattan apartment due to an unfortunate arrest for public sex on her roof – who makes the best of her home confinement by becoming a TikTok star and finding love in the process.
- Nathan
BIOLOGY IS WEIRD (in a very exciting way), and this book totally gets it. If you have a small person in your life who would enjoy discovering that the origins of life are a great big mystery, Idan Ben-Barak gives a wonderful introduction.
- Murphy
Ever want to walk into the woods and come out with a plant that will make you feel better? Wished you could grow your own home remedies for bad days? Rebecca Beyer is here with delightful, hopeful, and practical witchy advice! She talks about soil science, folk medicine in America, and even suggestions for what to sing to your plants when you harvest them. Embrace your cottagecore dreams with the help of her glorious bibliography and citations.
- Murphy
Dark, humorous, sapphic, and wildly bizarre... This book is my newest obsession.
- Morgan