Alan Bradley
[isbn]
Oh, what a charming little ditty of a mystery. Firstly, Alan Bradley has a knack for weaving words in such a precise tapestry that you feel, smell, and absorb the world he creates around you. It's so exact and precise in description, with little flourishes of sighs for gentle beauty, that you feel as if you've settled into a warm memory. Nice light prose that bubbles off the page in lyrical humor and subtle grace.
Secondly, little... (read more)
Recommended by Eric L.
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Percival Everett
[isbn]
Everett is at the top of his game; his signature wit and dark, absurd humor are on full display. An expert in nothing on the hunt for nothing with a mysterious billionaire villain who wants nothing but nothing (and revenge)! This book is as philosophical as it is funny, a satisfying and skewering take on what it means to have everything in a society willing to turn a blind eye to the crimes of the rich and powerful. There’s also a one-legged dog!
Recommended by Eric L.
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Markiyan Kamysh
[isbn]
Part Kerouac. Part Barry Lopez. Totally weird and poetic. Travelers make their journeys to the Zone from all over the world for all different reasons. Kamysh guides them through. No stories here exactly, just life — kind of. Sometimes reality can be much stranger than fiction, and here we get what very well could be a final glimpse of a relatively undisturbed Chernobyl, a place the author calls "the most exotic place on Earth."
Recommended by Eric L.
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Tony Hoagland
[isbn]
The late Tony Hoagland's final book of poems is an amazing collection put together by the writer and his wife, Kathleen Lee. Even in his last years of battling pancreatic cancer, he never lost his wry wit and distinct worldview. Hoagland's incredible work has consistently brought me belly laughs and wrenching tears, and Turn Up the Ocean is no different.
Recommended by Eric L.
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Ross John Farrar
[isbn]
Bitter, beautiful, and brutally honest, post-punk band Ceremony's front man Ross Farrar's latest book sings the praises of Suicide's Alan Vega, the devastation of losing friends and subsequently visiting their graves, and the elation and pitfalls of recreational drug use and its abuse in a way that is uniquely his. Told through the voice of "Ross," an obvious stand-in for the author himself, Ross Sings Cheree & the Animated Dark is a... (read more)
Recommended by Eric L.
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Kurt Vonnegut
[isbn]
Vonnegut's profound exploration of free-will and humanity's relationship with time. What does it mean to have nearly unlimited power in the vastness of the cosmos? It likely means nothing when your choices, ultimately, are insignificant in the grand scheme of the universe. Who is Rumfoord, really? Will Unk find himself or his best friend? Will the Martian Army destroy the Earth and its civilizations? Does it even matter? This book is a romp... (read more)
Recommended by Eric L.
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Asbjorn Intonsus
[isbn]
Need some devilishly good vegan recipes with the soundtrack to match? Look no further! Even if they call your favorite music tasteless, they won't be able to say that about your food anymore.
Recommended by Eric L.
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Sueyeun Juliette Lee
[isbn]
Lee's exploration of grief and identity is as impactful as it is strange (in a good way). Her deep understanding of light and ability to inject an uncanny apocalyptic landscape into her poems create a fascinating book that relies on different modes of creative expression and scientific research to inform its content. I have never, and likely will never, read something else quite like it. It's possible that it will change your understanding of the... (read more)
Recommended by Eric L.
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Dan Santat
[isbn]
An incredibly touching and heartfelt adventure story about loss, grief, the importance of friendship, and animal rescue. This is perfect for any budding marine biologists and all animal lovers. Impossible to not enjoy!
Recommended by Eric L.
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Yi Lei and Tracy K. Smith
[isbn]
Both widely loved and much maligned, Yi Let dedicated all of her effort and art to subverting the oppressive power structures of China. Her revolutionary poem "A Single Woman's Bedroom," included in this collection, changed the state of poetry in China and globally. This is an important and beautiful book that should be celebrated and read by every lover of poetry interested in the ability of language and art to endow us with great power.
Recommended by Eric L.
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Rachel Ingalls and Rivka Galchen
[isbn]
A mysterious, "dangerous" sea creature escapes a research facility and finds companionship and tenderness with a disillusioned and unhappy housewife. Deeply sensual and weird, a novella of great power.
Recommended by Eric L.
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Douglas Kearney
[isbn]
The poems in Sho are filled with a palpable, sometimes frantic, energy. It never steers away from violence. It refuses to hold your hand. This book is a profound departure from tradition but is also steeped in it, and Kearney is a truly singular, American voice. Incredible.
Recommended by Eric L.
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Sarah Blake
[isbn]
Ten years after what should have been a total climate apocalypse resulting in the end of civilization, we have somehow bounced back. But that is just the beginning. Dazzling cli-fi! So good!
Recommended by Eric L.
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Percival Everett
[isbn]
Set in Mississippi a few decades after the lynching of Emmett Till, deeds of the past come to roost in a way that is beyond twisted and grotesque. Everett's The Trees is a gruesome, horrifying police procedural and supernatural mystery that is truly, and unexpectedly, hilarious. With that being said, it is a poignant, profound, and biting critique of contemporary American society, deeply concerned with the ways in which our history... (read more)
Recommended by Eric L.
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Americas Test Kitchen
[isbn]
One hundred and ten percent the best cookbook that I've ever bought. All of the recipes are, as the title suggests, five ingredients (or less!) and so simple that any level of home cook can pull them off. Incredibly easy and delicious dinners, all of them cheap. Customize any recipe to your preference because the ingredient list is so short, you can't mess it up. This is a must-have for any lazy, beginner, or busy cook; it's guaranteed to build... (read more)
Recommended by Eric L.
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Melissa Maerz
[isbn]
Richard Linklater's classic high school flick, Dazed and Confused, launched the careers of actors like Parker Posey, Ben Affleck, and Matthew McConaughey, whose role as the legendary (and rather creepy) Wooderson made famous the titular line, "Alright, alright, alright." All of the stories in the book are firsthand accounts from the director, actors, crew, and friends filled with joyous memories and juicy gossip. Maerz's book is fun for... (read more)
Recommended by Eric L.
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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.
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Jennifer Wright
[isbn]
With a powerfully dark sense of humor, Jennifer Wright's dive into the most infamous diseases throughout history is incredibly well-researched and insightful. She highlights the world's most mysterious and deadly epidemics, from the Dancing Plague of 1518 to Typhoid Mary and beyond, as well as the people who dedicated their lives to fighting them; this is a uniquely fascinating history.
Recommended by Eric L.
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Kim Addonizio
[isbn]
Kim Addonizio grabs your sleeve and tugs you with brutal passion through her raw and vicious life. With unflinching sincerity, we soar through vignettes of unforgiving, brutal beauty wrapped in humorous observation and savage honesty. Kim has a knack of undressing sentimentality and revealing the naked ache of poignancy underneath.
This stunning little slice of inspection, retrospection, and deconstruction bites you, nibbles you,... (read more)
Recommended by Eric L.
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