Staff Picks

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A Study in Drowning By Ava Reid Cover Image
$19.99
ISBN: 9780063211506
Availability: In Stock: Click Title to See if it's in CAMBRIDGE or BOSTON
Published: HarperTeen - September 19th, 2023

When Ava Reid writes a story it's like she's cut my heart out of my chest and handed it to me. A Study in Drowning absolutely drips with folklore and subtle worldbuilding until Llyr feels more real than our world. The characters are so heartbreakingly human, and watching them unravel the mystery of Myrddin's work moved me to tears. A dark academia book complete with myths and fairy bargains, you won't be able to put this one down.

- Katherine


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Beholder By Ryan La Sala Cover Image
$18.99
ISBN: 9781338745344
Availability: In Stock: Click Title to See if it's in CAMBRIDGE or BOSTON
Published: PUSH - October 3rd, 2023

Ryan La Sala's Beholder is story about art, pictureesque obsession, and the truth in a reflection buried beneath a terrifying mass-murder mystery. No one survived the party at the penthouse. Except Athan. Now the prime murder suspect, Athan is swept up in a mystery of secret occult societies and eldritch horrors. Another spooky classic from the author who managed to make bees scary!

- Engel


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Rise of ZomBert (The Zombert Chronicles) By Kara LaReau, Ryan Andrews (Illustrator) Cover Image
By Kara LaReau, Ryan Andrews (Illustrator)
$16.99
ISBN: 9781536201062
Availability: In Stock: Click Title to See if it's in CAMBRIDGE or BOSTON
Published: Candlewick - July 14th, 2020

A middle-grade series about a cat with supernatural abilities that may or may not be a zombie? Talk about a stellar Halloween read. Follow up with books 2 & 3.

- James


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Shiver-by-the-Sea 1: Bella and the Vampire (Shiver by the Sea #1) By Erin Dionne, Jenn Harney (Illustrator) Cover Image
By Erin Dionne, Jenn Harney (Illustrator)
$14.99
ISBN: 9781645951674
Availability: In Stock: Click Title to See if it's in CAMBRIDGE or BOSTON
Published: Pixel+Ink - August 1st, 2023

I absolutely tore through this sweet paranormal story of friendship. When Bella moves to Shiver-by-the-Sea with her mom, she meets Cooper and his dog Casper. The two of them soon come across a cute little bat in the theater that Bella's mom has just bought, and are shocked to discover that it's actually a young vampire named Bram! The adventure to get Bram back to his mom and dad will pull in any young kid this Halloween season! 10 out of 10 would recommend!

- Halle


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Roses & Violets (The Rosenholm Trilogy) By Gry Kappel Jensen, Sharon E. Rhodes (Translated by) Cover Image
By Gry Kappel Jensen, Sharon E. Rhodes (Translated by)
$18.00
ISBN: 9781646900121
Availability: In Stock: Click Title to See if it's in CAMBRIDGE or BOSTON
Published: Arctis - September 26th, 2023

This magical mystery is the mashup of Harry Potter and Nancy Drew that we all have been waiting for. Filled with friendship and romance, this book had my heart and my attention from the very first page.

- Emma


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Worried Whippet: A Book of Bravery (for Adults and Kids Struggling with Anxiety) By Jess Bolton Cover Image
$16.99
ISBN: 9781400242122
Availability: In Stock: Click Title to See if it's in CAMBRIDGE or BOSTON
Published: Harper Celebrate - September 5th, 2023

This dog has pink pajamas, a fondness for blueberries, and a very complicated relationship with seagulls. Just look at that face! The perfect gift for a human with an anxious doggo.

- Murphy


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Kill for Love By Laura Picklesimer Cover Image
$28.00
ISBN: 9781951213893
Availability: In Stock: Click Title to See if it's in CAMBRIDGE or BOSTON
Published: Unnamed Press - September 12th, 2023

For fans of Mona Awad and Chelsea G. Summers, this book is the next crazy read you have been looking for. This satirical thriller is the modern girls version of American Psycho, filled with dark comedy and feminine rage that makes it the ultimate page turner.

- Emma


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The Book of Cold Cases By Simone St. James Cover Image
$17.00
ISBN: 9780440000235
Availability: In Stock: Click Title to See if it's in CAMBRIDGE or BOSTON
Published: Berkley - February 28th, 2023

Nobody creates atmosphere quite like St. James. Whether the sun is out or not, a heavy, gray mist hangs over the totality of this story. Perfect for the reader who enjoys their true crime podcasts with a side of ghosts and muddy suspense.

- Meghan, Writer in Residence


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I Love You as Big as Boston By Rose Rossner, Joanne Partis (Illustrator) Cover Image
By Rose Rossner, Joanne Partis (Illustrator)
$9.99
ISBN: 9781728274423
Availability: In Stock: Click Title to See if it's in CAMBRIDGE or BOSTON
Published: Hometown World - August 1st, 2023

A sweet little book filled with love and Boston!

- Alyssa


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Monsters Never Get Haircuts By Marie-Hélène Versini, Vincent Boudgourd (Illustrator) Cover Image
$18.99
ISBN: 9781914912733
Availability: In Stock: Click Title to See if it's in CAMBRIDGE or BOSTON
Published: Boxer Books - September 5th, 2023

Monsters may never get haircuts, but they do make you laugh in this fun book that fosters imagination and courage. A perfect October read!

- Jane


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My Year of Meats: A Novel By Ruth Ozeki Cover Image
$18.00
ISBN: 9780140280463
Availability: In Stock: Click Title to See if it's in CAMBRIDGE or BOSTON
Published: Penguin Books - March 1st, 1999

I honestly didn't think I'd be interested in this book based on the description (the focus on meat didn't sound particularly appealing), but I read it in two days. A captivating story about media, meat, sex, fertility and love with beautiful prose and strong female characters.

- Alyssa


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Zachary Ying and the Dragon Emperor By Xiran Jay Zhao Cover Image
$8.99
ISBN: 9781665900713
Availability: In Stock: Click Title to See if it's in CAMBRIDGE or BOSTON
Published: Margaret K. McElderry Books - October 3rd, 2023

If you liked Percy Jackson, YuGiOh, or Pokemon Go, get this book! An ancient Chinese emperor gets stuck in an AR gaming headset, and an international adventure ensues! Zachary Ying is a great book for readers young at heart and young readers alike.

- Murphy


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He Who Drowned the World: A Novel (The Radiant Emperor Duology #2) By Shelley Parker-Chan Cover Image
$28.99
ISBN: 9781250621825
Availability: In Stock: Click Title to See if it's in CAMBRIDGE or BOSTON
Published: Tor Books - August 22nd, 2023

The sequel to She Who Became the Sun -- in other words, a queer alternate history of the Ming Dynasty, now with more feuds, battles, and scheming.

- Sarah


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Cognitive Drawing: Learn the Male Figure By Jason Brubaker Cover Image
$26.95
ISBN: 9781734879902
Availability: In Stock: Click Title to See if it's in CAMBRIDGE or BOSTON
Published: Coffee Table Comics - July 1st, 2023

I've picked up a lot of how to draw/ how to sketch books in my life, and Jason Brubaker may have been the one crack that maybe just maybe there's a little more to it then "Here's how to shade a circle and draw a square."

- John


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Cognitive Drawing: Learn the Female Figure By Jason Brubaker Cover Image
$26.95
ISBN: 9781734879919
Availability: In Stock: Click Title to See if it's in CAMBRIDGE or BOSTON
Published: Coffee Table Comics - July 1st, 2023

I've picked up a lot of how to draw/ how to sketch books in my life, and Jason Brubaker may have been the one crack that maybe just maybe there's a little more to it then "Here's how to shade a circle and draw a square."

- John


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It Came from the Closet: Queer Reflections on Horror By Joe Vallese (Editor), Carmen Maria Machado (Contribution by), Bruce Owens Grimm (Contribution by) Cover Image
By Joe Vallese (Editor), Carmen Maria Machado (Contribution by), Bruce Owens Grimm (Contribution by)
$25.95
ISBN: 9781952177798
Availability: In Stock: Click Title to See if it's in CAMBRIDGE or BOSTON
Published: Feminist Press - October 4th, 2022

Last year I spent October reading each essay in this book and then watching the corresponding movie, and let me tell you it made for one of the most magical (and spookiest) Octobers I've had in a while. This book had me nodding along as I read essays that echoed my own thoughts (such as Carmen Maria Machado's take on Jennifer's Body) as well as seeing some old favorites in a completely new way.

- Katherine


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