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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)

Migrations

Charlotte McConaghy

Follow the thrilling (and, yes, sometimes painful) story of Franny Stone as she throws herself into the frigid North Atlantic while tracking the last migration of Arctic terns. Why is it the last? Why do you think? Why is Franny using near-superpowers in pursuit of her goal? Wouldn't you? This book is a beautiful and disturbing allegory about the impending fate of our planet.
Recommended by Peter N.

Our Souls at Night

Kent Haruf

Kent Haruf's book Our Souls at Night had a tremendous impact on my life. Inspired by the idea of an older couple having a romance, so deftly portrayed in the book, I asked an old friend of mine to be my sweetheart. A year later, the first chapter of Our Souls at Night was read at our wedding. Haruf's five other novels, all set in a small town in eastern Colorado, are equally captivating, but Our Souls at Night holds a... (read more)
Recommended by Peter N.

The Golden State

Lydia Kiesling

A brilliant portrayal of a woman having an identity crisis as she totes her toddler from the frenetic pace of the big city to the relative wilderness of small-town northern California. Without the security of her husband, who is trapped overseas in an immigration nightmare, she must find her way on her own. Highly recommended.
Recommended by Peter N.

Anything Is Possible

Elizabeth Strout

Elizabeth Strout is my favorite contemporary author, a writer of “perfect” fiction, with every word exquisitely chosen and every feeling coursing with authenticity and pathos. And the characters? Complex, wonderful, and frustrating. A remarkable sequel to My Name Is Lucy Barton.
Recommended by Peter N.