Staff Picks Books, Leanna M

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Kelsey Ford: New Year, New You: 9 Books for a Better You, 9 Books for a Worse You (0 comment)

I’m not a huge believer in new year’s resolutions — they always feel like set ups for failure and disappointment instead of the well-meaning self-bettering they’re intended to be. However, I do believe in the fresh promise of a new year and taking the opportunity to deliberately (and gently) think about your routines and what you might be missing...

Keith Mosman: Powell's Picks Spotlight: Gene Luen Yang and LeUyen Pham's 'Lunar New Year Love Story' (0 comment)
Kate Brody: What If the Real Monsters Were Inside Us All Along: Kate Brody’s Movie Playlist for ‘Rabbit Hole’ (0 comment)

Lao Tzu: Tao Te Ching: A Book About the Way and the Power of the Way

Ursula K. Le Guin

When my heart is troubled and I find myself clinging too hard to things I can't control, I return to this beautiful translation of the Tao Te Ching. Le Guin filters the humor and mystery of Lao Tzu's text through her own feminist lens, providing wise commentary on her translation choices and on the many possible meanings that can be found in these seemingly simple poems.
Recommended by Leanna M.

Dark Lord Clementine

Sarah Jean Horwitz

Full of hilarious twists on classic fantasy tropes and a cast of delightfully roguish characters, this book is tons of villainous fun! As the only daughter of the Dark Lord Elithor, Clementine Morcerous is training to one day take his place. For now, Clementine practices her dark magic, takes care of the chickens (normal and fire-breathing), and feeds poison apples to the Nightmares in the castle stables. But when her father is cursed by a witch,... (read more)
Recommended by Leanna M.

Small Spaces

Katherine Arden

A truly spooky and heartfelt story about old secrets, new friendships, and a class field trip gone awry. Not to mention the haunted scarecrows!
Recommended by Leanna M.

From the Stars in the Sky to the Fish in the Sea

Kai Cheng Thom and Wai-Yant Li and Kai Yun Ching

No matter how Miu Lan changes or who they become, their mother always loves them unconditionally! This fantastical and beautifully illustrated story is perfect for nonbinary and gender-nonconforming kids and their loved ones.
Recommended by Leanna M.

Duckworth the Difficult Child

Michael Sussman, Julia Sarda

When a giant snake comes out of young Duckworth's closet and swallows him whole, his parents refuse to believe it. After all, Duckworth is a difficult child, and it is best to ignore the fantasies of difficult children. With no help from his parents, Duckworth must take matters into his own hands before his cousin is swallowed as well! Dry humor and delightful illustrations, reminiscent of Edward Gorey, make this book a satisfying read for... (read more)
Recommended by Leanna M.

The Mighty Heart of Sunny St. James

Ashley Herring Blake

Twelve-year-old Sunny has just had a heart transplant and she's ready to begin her new life! Step one: find a boy to be her first kiss. But Sunny's best friend has betrayed her, her missing mother has reappeared in her life, and Sunny isn't sure who she can trust with a secret: maybe she actually wants to kiss girls! I wish this book had existed when I was first figuring out crushes and longing for kisses. Sunny's tender and emotionally honest... (read more)
Recommended by Leanna M.

Pleasure Activism: The Politics of Feeling Good

adrienne maree brown

Adrienne Maree Brown believes that all activism is science fiction — writing into being a reality that hasn't existed before. That's an exciting idea, but the work of changing the world is also exhausting, and often leaves me focused on suffering, not to mention struggling with all the puritanism our culture is steeped in. But in Pleasure Activism, Brown facilitates a lush feminist conversation centered on black and queer voices that... (read more)
Recommended by Leanna M.

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