Rene Denfeld
[isbn]
"This time will be different," I tell myself. "This time, I won't tear through the new Rene Denfeld book in twenty-four hours and then be sad I don't have it to look forward to anymore," I lie as I turn another page. "This time, I'll savor it," I mutter unconvincingly as I look up from my half-read book to discover day has turned to night.
Recommended by Tove H.
|
Kelly Hayes and Mariame Kaba
[isbn]
For me, this book came at the exact right time, but I also can’t imagine circumstances under which this book wouldn’t transform its reader. It’s written with activists and organizers in mind, but I also can’t imagine a person who identifies as neither reading this book and quietly accepting the status quo. Hopeful, imaginative, invigorating, and so full of wisdom (like, truly staggering amounts of wisdom), Let this... (read more)
Recommended by Tove H.
|
Brandon Stosuy and Rose Lazar
[isbn]
I’m a crier. I cry easily and often, and for reasons ranging from unwarranted (can’t open a jar) to unavoidable (unexpectedly hearing the song I listened to over and over and over again as a thirteen-year-old wallowing in the heartache of an unrequited love), and even though the aftershock of every outburst lingers on my face long after (please tell me your home remedies for puffy eyes), I love a good cry. So, when I heard about this... (read more)
Recommended by Tove H.
|
Kim Kelly
[isbn]
In Fight Like Hell, Kim Kelly celebrates the untold stories and unsung heroes of the American labor movement, taking great care to center voices that have historically been sidelined or silenced in mainstream conversations around workers' rights. The result is an inclusive, fascinating, and galvanizing retrospective that mines the depths of the history of the working class to extract precious insight and inspiration for its future. A... (read more)
Recommended by Tove H.
|
[isbn]
This tiny, soft friend lives on my work desk and I look to his happy little face every time the capitalist machine gets to be too much. I named him Kurt Mussel.
Recommended by Tove H.
|
Amy Hempel
[isbn]
Amy Hempel was one of the first authors recommended to me by a coworker when I started at Powell's almost twenty years ago. I remember coming to work the day after I finished At the Gates of the Animal Kingdom and grabbing a copy of every other Hempel book from the Blue Room. Her writing is a feat, a marvel, a gift, and The Collected Stories — which combines all of her published work from 1985–2005 — will save you the inevitable... (read more)
Recommended by Tove H.
|
Danny Caine
[isbn]
Danny Caine's How to Resist Amazon and Why — first published as a 15-page zine in 2019 and now in its second edition as a full-fledged book — was a game changer for me as a consumer, and continues to be an absolute gift for me as a bookseller. I often refer to it as, "the hours-long conversation I wish I could have with every customer, in book form," so my bookseller heart leapt with joy when I heard he had something new in the works,... (read more)
Recommended by Tove H.
|
Akwaeke Emezi
[isbn]
Five years after surviving a car accident that took her husband's life, Feyi is navigating the path from grief back to love when it takes an unexpected turn. Fans of Emezi’s previous work might find this foray into romance to be an unexpected turn as well, but they’ll be delighted with the result, which is vibrant, tangled, immersive, and verrry sexy.
Recommended by Tove H.
|
Akwaeke Emezi
[isbn]
Five years after surviving a car accident that took her husband's life, Feyi is navigating the path from grief back to love when it takes an unexpected turn. Fans of Emezi’s previous work might find this foray into romance to be an unexpected turn as well, but they’ll be delighted with the result, which is vibrant, tangled, immersive, and verrry sexy.
Recommended by Tove H.
|
Matilda Bickers and peech breshears and Janis Luna and Molly Smith
[isbn]
Stories by/about workers are among my favorite types of stories, so this collection had my heart long before I got my hands on a copy. This diverse anthology of art, essays, poems, conversations, and interviews serves both as a rich archive of sex worker experiences and perspectives, and a potent antidote to the ongoing efforts to malign, marginalize, sensationalize, and criminalize their work. Working It is generous, intimate, vital... (read more)
Recommended by Tove H.
|
Jamie Loftus
[isbn]
"The Jamie Loftus Hot Dog Book," as my coworker and I have taken to calling it so we don't get fired, is exactly the kind of deep dive microhistory I live for. Loftus invites her reader along on a cross-country culinary road trip, during which she consumes an absolutely horrific amount of encased meat while exploring the history, politics, production (heed the content warnings here), regional varieties, and culture of hot dogs. Learn about... (read more)
Recommended by Tove H.
|
R.F. Kuang
[isbn]
Months before its release, this book is generating equal parts buzz and polarization among reviewers, which you’ll find, after reading it, is actually the most fitting reception imaginable. Yellowface is incisive, infuriating, clever, cringeworthy, deeply meta, full of ugly publishing industry truths and Book Twitter drama, devoid of likable characters and redemption. I loved-slash-hated it.
Recommended by Tove H.
|
Josh Cook
[isbn]
A book about books by a fellow indie bookseller? Sold. What’s more, the bookseller is Josh Cook, whose 2021 chapbook, The Least We Can Do, has been not-so-quietly making the rounds among indie booksellers since its release, prompting much-needed reflection and conversation about the ideas afforded space on our shelves. I’m eager to see Cook expand on that topic and more in The Art of Libromancy, and to chat about it with the... (read more)
Recommended by Tove H.
|
Josh Cook
[isbn]
This insightful pamphlet from a fellow indie bookseller grapples with the role that independent bookstores play in platforming, legitimizing, and providing a revenue stream for white supremacists and other dangerous ideologues. A small book that asks some big and necessary questions, and urges its reader to do the same.
Recommended by Tove H.
|
Scott Aukerman
[isbn]
This book sounds… good to me. For over a decade, the open door policy of the Comedy Bang! Bang! podcast has drawn all manner of interesting people into the studio, to the delight and sometimes exasperation of host Scott Aukerman. Now Comedy Bang! Bang!: The Podcast: The Book invites these characters out of the studio (exciting news for Jarles!) and onto the page. A must-read for fans of Dalton Wilcox’s poetry and Bob Ducca’s... (read more)
Recommended by Tove H.
|
Sequoia Nagamatsu
[isbn]
My *goodness*, this book. Set aside any misgivings you might have about reading a pandemic novel during a pandemic. These gracefully interconnected narratives have their roots in familiar territory, but their branches arc and sprawl beyond the world we know into the far reaches of Sequoia Nagamatsu’s imagination. The result is an immersive, tender, life-affirming book that left me both wonderstruck and — much to my surprise — comforted.
Recommended by Tove H.
|
Ross Gay
[isbn]
In his latest collection, award-winning poet and bestselling author Ross Gay explores — in full-length, heavily footnoted essays that eddy conversationally around their topics — the complex, cathartic, and unifying thing that is joy. Whether you’re seeking it or seeking to better understand it, Inciting Joy delivers.
Recommended by Tove H.
|
Danny Caine
[isbn]
One happy byproduct of Amazon’s unending cartoon villain-like quest for world domination: we get an updated and expanded edition of Danny Caine’s wonderful book! This is the hours-long conversation I wish I could have with every customer about what Amazon's business model means for small businesses, and what small businesses mean for the communities they serve; about the hidden implications of those low, low prices and hyperfast shipping times;... (read more)
Recommended by Tove H.
|
Sam Wallman
[isbn]
So, so excited about this one! The first book-length comic from Australian comics journalist, cartoonist, and labor activist Sam Wallman is a stunner — a bold visual history of workers’ struggles; a mini-memoir of Wallman’s time working as a picker (and shop floor organizer) in an Amazon warehouse; and a compelling intro-slash-invitation to union activism. Buy one for yourself and one for a coworker!
Recommended by Tove H.
|
Michael Munk
[isbn]
The coolest guide to our city doesn’t mention donuts even once. Instead, it celebrates Portland’s radical past — the people, organizations, protests, strikes, and movements that have made their mark on the City of Roses, and the vestiges of that past that can still be found today (using one of the maps that accompanies each section, or by following one of the walking tours outlined at the end). My endorsement of this guide has nothing to do with... (read more)
Recommended by Tove H.
|
Harvey Schwartz
[isbn]
Did you know that Powell's Books is a union shop? Powell's workers chartered their own Local within the ILWU (International Longshore and Warehouse Union) in 2000, and the origin story of ILWU Local 5 appears here, alongside other inspiring tales from and about our ILWU siblings. Labor historian Harvey Schwartz honors the rank and file-led traditions of our Union by allowing workers to tell their own stories, and the result is an engaging,... (read more)
Recommended by Tove H.
|
Paul Buhle and Nicole Schulman
[isbn]
Published in 2005 to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the IWW (Industrial Workers of the World), this intricate and info-rich book is as rambunctious and inspiring as the Wobblies themselves. A crash course and a work of art for the rebel in your life!
Recommended by Tove H.
|
Heather Ann Thompson
[isbn]
Did you know that the list of demands Attica prisoners sent to the state prison commissioner before their infamous 4-day uprising included demands around wages, benefits, working conditions, and the right to form labor unions? Chances are there's a lot you don't know about the 1971 uprising and the years of mistreatment that prompted it. Let this book enlighten you.
Recommended by Tove H.
|
Doreen Cronin and Betsy Lewin
[isbn]
Labor dispute, but make it cute. This clever and delightfully illustrated children's book is a wonderful primer, for readers of all ages, on the power of collective action.
Recommended by Tove H.
|
Yuri Herrera and Lisa Dillman
[isbn]
This slim volume, which chronicles the 1920 El Bordo mine fire in Pachuca, Mexico, is a brave, diligent, and heartbreakingly beautiful act of solidarity. Herrera travels back in time to restore dignity and a voice to workers who were afforded neither for nearly a hundred years; to show kindness to their families, who were questioned and humiliated as they mourned; and to condemn their employer, who declared his workers dead as they still drew... (read more)
Recommended by Tove H.
|
Kim Kelly
[isbn]
In Fight Like Hell, Kim Kelly celebrates the untold stories and unsung heroes of the American labor movement, taking great care to center voices that have historically been sidelined or silenced in mainstream conversations around workers' rights. The result is an inclusive, fascinating, and galvanizing retrospective that mines the depths of the history of the working class to extract precious insight and inspiration for its future. The... (read more)
Recommended by Tove H.
|
Mary Laura Philpott
[isbn]
The world is pretty anxious-making these days, so reading a book in which the author wrestles with their own anxiety might seem counterintuitive, but having read (and loved) Mary Laura Philpott’s debut essay collection, I Miss You When I Blink, I knew I was in the safest of safe hands. In Bomb Shelter, Philpott takes all the fear/messiness/worry of being a human/parent/child and makes it... not all better, necessarily, but... (read more)
Recommended by Tove H.
|
Jessamine Chan
[isbn]
There’s no room for human fallibility in the dystopia of Jessamine Chan’s debut novel, so when Frida Liu — overwhelmed, sleep deprived, and desperate for a moment of reprieve — has a lapse in judgment as a mother, the consequences are swift and dire. Frida’s journey is a harrowing one, and the world she inhabits — where resources that could be used to support people are instead used to monitor, isolate, and punish them — hardly feels far-fetched.... (read more)
Recommended by Tove H.
|
Noah Hawley
[isbn]
Curious about where our current sociopolitical trajectory might take us? Brace yourself. Set in a grimly plausible not-so-distant future, Anthem is the literary equivalent of a Netflix binge: nonstop action, wild plot twists, and unanswered questions will keep you turning pages well past your bedtime. A gritty, propulsive thriller that puts America on notice.
Recommended by Tove H.
|
Danny Caine
[isbn]
If you've ever received a gift so generous you couldn't find the right words for a Thank You card, then you know both the gratitude indie booksellers felt when Danny Caine's How to Resist Amazon and Why landed in stores, and the quandary I'm in trying to write a review that captures how much this little book means to me. This is the hours-long conversation I wish I could have with every customer about what Amazon's business model means... (read more)
Recommended by Tove H.
|
Miriam Toews
[isbn]
How my bookseller heart leapt when I heard there was a new Miriam Toews novel on the horizon! This tender, funny family portrait, narrated by nine-year-old Swiv in a letter to her estranged father, had me in stitches and in tears and introduced me to a grandmother I won’t soon forget.
Recommended by Tove H.
|
Hiromi Kawakami and Ted Goossen
[isbn]
People From My Neighborhood marries small-town drama with magical realism in a series of interconnected flash fiction vignettes. Every person in this neighborhood could inspire a book of their own, but the glimpses we’re afforded here, in Kawakami’s spare and agile prose, make for a beguiling (and quick!) read.
Recommended by Tove H.
|
Megan Giddings
[isbn]
Reeling from the loss of her grandmother, and unable to provide her ailing mother with the financial and medical support she needs, Lena drops out of college and volunteers to take part in a mysterious research study. The benefits are unreal: a handsome payout; free room and board; and — most crucially — full coverage of her mother’s medical expenses. But the study’s strict nondisclosure agreement and invasive screening process are the first of... (read more)
Recommended by Tove H.
|
Megha Majumdar
[isbn]
An accused terrorist, an aspiring actress, and a P.E. teacher... Three narratives so incongruous they could serve as the setup for a joke instead intertwine to form this compelling literary debut. With powerful (and timely) social commentary, empathetic character development, and a propulsive plot, A Burning does not disappoint. I held out hope for every hopeless character, and marveled at Majumdar’s skill — I can’t wait to see what else... (read more)
Recommended by Tove H.
|
Diana Clarke
[isbn]
The bond between twin sisters Rose and Lily, though palpably strong — they can taste each other's emotions and feel each other's pain — is more of a tangled knot than a taut line, and as their own struggles intensify, so does the complexity of their relationship. Thin Girls is by no means a comfortable read (and readers sensitive to discussions of body image and eating disorders should take extra care), but it’s an engrossing,... (read more)
Recommended by Tove H.
|
Chelsea Bieker
[isbn]
When an eccentric evangelist arrives in the parched city of Peaches, California, with promises of rain and salvation, the locals are quick to form a flock. But soon one of the devout goes missing; the secret “assignments” Pastor Vern demands of his parishioners come into focus; and 14-year-old Lacey May discovers there are things more worrisome than drought. Godshot is a... (read more)
Recommended by Tove H.
|
Karen Kilgariff and Georgia Hardstark
[isbn]
The origin story of the wildly popular My Favorite Murder podcast is as much about the hosts’ shared fascination with true crime as it is about vulnerability — the two struck up a conversation about Brené Brown’s Daring Greatly at a party, discovered it wasn’t their only common interest, and the rest is podcast history — so it’s fitting that candor and self-reflection would feature prominently in their dual memoir. The stories... (read more)
Recommended by Tove H.
|
Steven Greenhouse
[isbn]
Impressively researched, unflinchingly honest, and at times deeply moving, Steven Greenhouse’s Beaten Down, Worked Up is a valuable resource both for those looking to learn about American labor history and for those looking to learn from it. Through case studies of pivotal workers’ rights campaigns and intimate portraits of the people who waged them, Greenhouse shows the trajectory of the labor movement from its heyday to the... (read more)
Recommended by Tove H.
|
Masanobu Fukuoka and Larry Korn
[isbn]
Out of print and highly sought after in the US for more than 25 years, Masanobu Fukuoka’s natural farming manifesto is no less revolutionary today than it was when it was first published in 1978, and arguably more necessary with time. A radical rethinking of agriculture, global food systems, and the relationship between humans and the earth we inhabit, The One-Straw Revolution contains both practical gardening advice and profound,... (read more)
Recommended by Tove H.
|
Jenny Lawson
[isbn]
Whether you crave a good laugh, a good cry, or — like me — a weeping, snorting mash-up of the two, Jenny Lawson’s Broken (In the Best Possible Way) has you covered. Pairing her trademark irreverence and infectious sense of humor with candid dispatches from the front lines of mental illness, Broken is an effortless, but not always easy, read (I’d advise keeping tissues handy for “An Open Letter to My Insurance Company”) that... (read more)
Recommended by Tove H.
|
Anthony Bourdain and Laurie Woolever
[isbn]
Each entry in this posthumous collection of Bourdain’s reflections on world travel contains practical advice like how to get around and where to stay, but it’s his descriptions of local cuisine that will transport you. Bourdain’s reverence for good food, his sharp/disarming/uncouth delivery, and his knack for distilling flavors into words will make you feel as though you’re seated at the same table, savoring the same meal. I’ll be rationing this... (read more)
Recommended by Tove H.
|
Miriam Toews
[isbn]
A horrific discovery prompts the women of two families to gather in secret and do something unheard of in their isolated, patriarchal community: choose. I read this stunning, disquieting tale — all the more disquieting for its genesis in real events — with my heart in my throat.
Recommended by Tove H.
|
Clare Beams
[isbn]
I almost put this one down — odd way to start a review, but stay with me. I almost put this one down, and I’m so glad I didn’t. In Clare Beams’s first novel, strange birds descend on a 19th-century New England town; mysterious ailments crop up at an all-girl school; and men determined to make their mark leave the women in their midst with deep wounds. The Illness Lesson is a fraught and — at its climax — excruciating story, but also an... (read more)
Recommended by Tove H.
|
Emily St. John Mandel
[isbn]
Ambitious and inventive, with a circuitous plot that demands the reader's full attention and rewards it handsomely, The Glass Hotel is a dizzying, beautiful book. I wasn’t sure what to expect going in — Mandel won my blind allegiance with Station Eleven, so I jumped at the chance to read her latest, without much concern for the details — but in hindsight, I’m grateful for that blank slate. Watching this story unfold was a... (read more)
Recommended by Tove H.
|
Rene Denfeld
[isbn]
Rene Denfeld has amassed a small army of devotees here at Powell's, and with The Butterfly Girl, she's certain to garner more. This riveting follow-up to The Child Finder (which you needn’t have read beforehand, but do read it; it’s wonderful) showcases Denfeld’s unique ability to dive headlong into the murky depths and surface with something redemptive and beautiful in tow.
Recommended by Tove H.
|
Rene Denfeld
[isbn]
This book is beautiful and disquieting and I tried — I really tried — to savor it, but instead I devoured it in one sitting like a fool. Denfeld has a gift, and it’s more than a way with words. It’s an ability to root beauty out of dark recesses. To explore moral reprehensibility with compassion. To make the reader cringe and marvel in equal measure, and consume in hours a book they’d intended to ration out over days. I’ve honestly never... (read more)
Recommended by Tove H.
|
Emma Copley Eisenberg
[isbn]
In this thoughtful and immersive chronicle of the 1980 murders that thrust West Virginia’s Pocahontas County into the national spotlight, Eisenberg seeks to better understand not only the crimes and their aftermath, but also the lasting impact the region (which she came to know independent of her inquiry) has had on her. A complex and captivating read.
Recommended by Tove H.
|
Liza Rodman and Jennifer Jordan
[isbn]
As you might expect from a book that juxtaposes a narrative of parental abuse and neglect with one of a serial killer and his horrific crimes, this is not an easy read, and merits a long list of trigger warnings. But readers who can stomach the unsettling subject matter (sheepishly raises hand) will find an engrossing, suspenseful, and wholly unforgettable true story of a young girl’s brush with evil.
Recommended by Tove H.
|
Mary Laura Philpott
[isbn]
Philpott’s delightful essay collection, which explores the terrain between the adult life she anticipated and the one she inhabits, reads like a long chat with a close, funny friend, offering solace to those of us (all of us?) who wonder if we’re doing it right, and more than a few laughs.
Recommended by Tove H.
|
Morgan Jerkins
[isbn]
A deftly woven tale of grief, secrecy, tradition, betrayal, racism, and the many definitions of family, Caul Baby drew me in with its unique premise and rewarded me with its dynamic cast and assured, wholehearted prose. Sure to land on as many "Best of" lists in 2021 as it did "Most Anticipated" lists in 2020, Jerkins's fiction debut is a triumph.
Recommended by Tove H.
|
Gish Jen
[isbn]
Family, social justice, and baseball are at the heart of — or, rather, are the heart of — this inspired dystopian tale. I read it in one sitting, unnerved by Jen’s eerily plausible future America, and drawn into the lives of her lovingly rendered characters. Cinematic, prescient, and tender, The Resisters is a triumph.
Recommended by Tove H.
|
Jenny Slate
[isbn]
This dazzling and appropriately titled essay collection from Jenny Slate is everything you might expect from the whip-smart actress/comedian/voice of an anthropomorphic seashell, and probably also a few things you might not. No two vignettes are alike — some are fleeting, some panoramic; there’s effervescence and melancholy and bravery and make-believe — but all showcase Slate’s unique and frankly beautiful way of interpreting the world around... (read more)
Recommended by Tove H.
|
Carmen Maria Machado
[isbn]
Impossible to put down, even when it made my heart hurt/stomach turn/eyes sting with tears, Machado's memoir unfolds with the insidious, blooming ache of a bruise into something spectacular and necessary. I wish, for her sake, it were a work of fiction, but the fact that it isn’t — the fact that it breathes life into something that is woefully under-documented and widely ignored — is part of what makes it so powerful. Machado is a brilliant,... (read more)
Recommended by Tove H.
|
Amy Hempel
[isbn]
In Sing to It, stories told in just a handful of spare paragraphs glint like small precious stones, while others fill page after page with uncommonly brilliant prose, throwing the lid back on the treasure chest. This remarkable collection — Hempel's first in over a decade — was every bit worth the wait.
Recommended by Tove H.
|
Patti Smith
[isbn]
I'm not the type to underline passages, but this book tested my resolve. A poetic, ruminative dream of a book, Year of the Monkey chronicles a difficult year in a mesmerizing and unpredictable way. Everything Smith writes feels like a gift, and this is no exception.
Recommended by Tove H.
|
Michelle McNamara
[isbn]
A singular blend of tenacity, resourcefulness, and compassion distinguished Michelle McNamara as a journalist and made her uniquely equipped to put the decades-long hunt for the elusive Golden State Killer to rest — a goal she pursued tirelessly until her untimely death. I’ll Be Gone in the Dark, which chronicles that pursuit, is at once a gripping, keep-you-up-all-night, real-life whodunit; a testament to McNamara’s inimitable resolve;... (read more)
Recommended by Tove H.
|
Saeed Jones
[isbn]
A really good book usually prompts me to do at least one of the following: gasp audibly, hug the book to my chest, or thrust it into a loved one’s hands as soon as I finish. This one prompted all three. Written with candor and poetic clarity, Jones’s memoir wields more emotional heft than seems possible in so few pages, and is downright devastating in its beauty.
Recommended by Tove H.
|
Lisa Taddeo
[isbn]
Taddeo spent eight years and thousands of hours with her subjects to render three detailed portraits of female desire, and the end result is an absolute gift. One of the most electric, unapologetic, and powerfully intimate books I’ve ever read, I’ll be reeling from this one for some time.
Recommended by Tove H.
|
Billy Jensen
[isbn]
When I first sat down to write my review of Chase Darkness With Me, I made a quick list of words I would use to describe its author, Billy Jensen:
tenacious
resourceful
compassionate
I reread what I’d typed, mumbled “wait a minute” to myself, and went back to look at my review of... (read more)
Recommended by Tove H.
|
Morgan Jerkins
[isbn]
In Wandering in Strange Lands, Morgan Jerkins invites her reader along on a journey, both figurative and literal, to better understand her lineage and the ways in which the displacement of Black people across America still resonates generations later. Her brave, inquisitive nature and openness to whatever truths she may encounter — the welcome ones, the uncomfortable ones, the ones for which there is no written record — make for an... (read more)
Recommended by Tove H.
|
Jon Krakauer
[isbn]
Krakauer's personal account of the deadliest season in Everest's climbing history is — hands down — one of the most riveting, harrowing, and thoughtfully written books I’ve ever read, and the title I recommend most to readers who assume nonfiction equals boring.
Recommended by Tove H.
|
Kent Haruf
[isbn]
When I finished Our Souls at Night, I wanted to recommend it to everyone — friends, coworkers, unsuspecting bystanders. How Haruf managed to fit such a marvelous love story into such a tiny package is baffling, but he did so masterfully, and if you'll set aside just a few hours to read it, I have no doubt you'll love it, too.
Recommended by Tove H.
|
Jennifer Worley
[isbn]
I tore through this with a bedtime-be-damned voracity normally reserved for mysteries and thrillers, and though I already knew the broad-strokes version of the story, I was nonetheless completely enthralled by this firsthand account. Neon Girls chronicles Worley's journey from fledgling stripper to full-fledged labor activist; the creation of the Exotic Dancers Union; and the transformation of San Francisco's legendary Lusty Lady into a... (read more)
Recommended by Tove H.
|
Sam Lansky
[isbn]
It sounds too good to be true: a healer who can fix everything that’s wrong with you in just three days. But for Sam — a young writer struggling with intimacy, sobriety, physical health, and an unforgiving inner monologue — it’s an intriguing prospect. Broken People drew me in so completely I didn’t realize until Sam emerged from his three-day journey, changed, that something within me had shifted as well. This is a candid, deeply human... (read more)
Recommended by Tove H.
|
Cameron Esposito
[isbn]
Save Yourself is a brave trek down a sometimes twisting, sometimes downright treacherous memory lane. Readers familiar with Esposito's stand-up will recognize some of these stories and be grateful for the deeper dive; those unfamiliar will delight in making her acquaintance; and all will have their hearts warmed by her missive of acceptance and kindness to her younger self. A frank, funny, and affecting read.
Recommended by Tove H.
|
Ivy Pochoda
[isbn]
In These Women, Pochoda wastes little ink on the villain of the story, focusing instead on the women whose lives have been affected by his crimes. A grieving mother, a dancer, a vice cop, a burgeoning artist, a strait-laced neighbor, a survivor — their narratives share a common thread, but it’s easy to imagine each of their stories as the basis for an equally compelling standalone novel. A subversion of the standard serial killer trope,... (read more)
Recommended by Tove H.
|
Danny Caine
[isbn]
I bought copies of this for everyone on my holiday gift list this year. Amazon has become so ubiquitous, and has formed and acquired so many subsidiaries over the years, that I figured everyone in my life was probably supporting them in some way — perhaps without even realizing — and might benefit from this concise, thoughtful zine. Danny Caine has seen firsthand the impact Amazon has had on the bookselling industry, and here he offers a quick... (read more)
Recommended by Tove H.
|
Karen Kilgariff and Georgia Hardstark
[isbn]
The origin story of the wildly popular My Favorite Murder podcast is as much about the hosts’ shared fascination with true crime as it is about vulnerability — the two struck up a conversation about Brené Brown’s Daring Greatly at a party, discovered it wasn’t their only common interest, and the rest is podcast history — so it’s fitting that candor and self-reflection would feature prominently in their dual memoir. The stories... (read more)
Recommended by Tove H.
|
Mary Laura Philpott
[isbn]
Philpott’s delightful essay collection, which explores the terrain between the adult life she anticipated and the one she inhabits, reads like a long chat with a close, funny friend, offering solace to those of us (all of us?) who wonder if we’re doing it right, and more than a few laughs.
Recommended by Tove H.
|
Miriam Toews
[isbn]
A horrific discovery prompts the women of two families to gather in secret and do something unheard of in their isolated, patriarchal community: choose. I read this stunning, disquieting tale — all the more disquieting for its genesis in real events — with my heart in my throat.
Recommended by Tove H.
|
Chloe Benjamin
[isbn]
One by one, four siblings enter a strange woman’s apartment and learn when they will die. The premise for Chloe Benjamin’s The Immortalists is a curious one, and the way that prophetic encounter shapes each of the siblings’ lives makes for a captivating read — one that wrestles with big unwieldy unknowns like fate, mortality, and magic, without ever losing sight of the charming and flawed family around which it revolves. I loved it.
Recommended by Tove H.
|
Amy Hempel
[isbn]
In Sing to It, stories told in just a handful of spare paragraphs glint like small precious stones, while others fill page after page with uncommonly brilliant prose, throwing the lid back on the treasure chest. This remarkable collection — Hempel's first in over a decade — was every bit worth the wait.
Recommended by Tove H.
|
Michelle McNamara
[isbn]
Tenacious, resourceful, and compassionate, Michelle McNamara pursued the elusive Golden State Killer tirelessly until her untimely death. I’ll Be Gone in the Dark, which chronicles that pursuit, is at once a gripping, keep-you-up-all-night, real-life whodunit; a testament to McNamara’s inimitable resolve; and an extraordinary parting gift from a talented writer.
Recommended by Tove H.
|
Martine Fournier Watson
[isbn]
It was Rene Denfeld’s endorsement that lured me to this book, and author Martine Fournier Watson’s dazzling, fine-tuned prose that kept me there. This story of a small town blindsided once by the disappearance of a child, and again by the arrival of a mysterious stranger, is captivating, peculiar, and expertly crafted. And also — impossibly — a debut novel. I’m eager to see what else Watson dreams up.
Recommended by Tove H.
|
Angie Thomas
[isbn]
Ambitious in scope, On the Come Up could easily buckle under the weight of all it explores — as could its 16-year-old protagonist — but Angie Thomas is too good a writer to let that happen. This is an urgent, authentic novel, full of heart.
Recommended by Tove H.
|
Angie Thomas
[isbn]
Engrossing, painful, galvanizing, and necessary, The Hate U Give is a powerhouse of a book, destined to become a classic and deserving of every bit of praise it’s received. I suggest buying three copies — one to keep, one to ruin (either with tears or by hurling it angrily across the room), and one to share.
Recommended by Tove H.
|
Emma Cline
[isbn]
A fictional account of a grim and all-too-real episode in
American history, Emma Cline’s The Girls
is a compulsive read. Even I, the slowest of slow readers, breezed through it
(much to my own surprise and delight). But what blindsided me about this book
is how accurately — and I mean painfully
so — Cline captures the feeling of being a teenage girl. If you are, have ever been,
or even just know one, I think... (read more)
Recommended by Tove H.
|
Doerr, Anthony
[isbn]
I recommend reading this on the coast, in the bath, at your desk, in bed, with your legs tucked up under you in the sun. I do not recommend reading it on the bus. Because whatever part you're reading on the bus will be the part that makes you cry. But do read it. It's a marvel.
Recommended by Tove H.
|
Barbara Pleasant
[isbn]
Working in the world's largest independent new and used bookstore, I am constantly reminded of how little I actually know about gardening. There are literally thousands of books on the subject, so it stands to reason that those of us with neither a degree in horticulture nor free time enough to read everything on the shelf might find ourselves a little overwhelmed... and complete novices might give up before they even start! If all those... (read more)
Recommended by Tove H.
|
Rene Denfeld
[isbn]
This book is beautiful and disquieting and I tried — I really tried — to savor it, but instead I devoured it in one sitting like a fool. Denfeld has a gift, and it’s more than a way with words. It’s an ability to root beauty out of dark recesses. To explore moral reprehensibility with compassion. To make the reader cringe and marvel in equal measure, and consume in hours a book they’d intended to ration out over days. I’ve honestly never... (read more)
Recommended by Tove H.
|
Peter Nichols
[isbn]
I’ve read a number of reviews touting this book as a “beach read,” and though I’m not entirely sure what that means, it may well be. The setting — a seaside Mallorcan resort — is idyllic, the characters sun-kissed and cosmopolitan, and I’d be lying if I said it didn’t spark a bit of wanderlust. But for whatever reason, “beach read” also had me expecting something slightly… fluffier? On the contrary, it’s a chaotic, sweeping portrait of the... (read more)
Recommended by Tove H.
|
Andrew Bolton
[isbn]
"I find beauty in the grotesque, like most artists. I have to force people to look at things."
Published in conjunction with an exhibition at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, Alexander McQueen: Savage Beauty offers a stunning retrospective of the late designer's career, showcasing garments just as likely to make your skin crawl as they are to make you swoon. True to McQueen's aesthetic, Savage Beauty is at once visually... (read more)
Recommended by Tove H.
|
Joe Fisher, Dennis MBA Fisher
[isbn]
A marriage of two of my all-time favorite things (beer and gardening), Joe and Dennis Fisher's The Homebrewer's Garden is an essential reference for any homebrewer looking to adopt a more holistic approach. With information on growing, preparing, and using your own hops, malts, grains, and brewing herbs, and an emphasis on organic methods, The Homebrewer's Garden isn't just the best book of its kind... it's also the only one.
Recommended by Tove H.
|
Lloyd Kahn
[isbn]
As the founding editor-in-chief of Shelter Publications, Inc. and the former editor of the Whole Earth Catalog, Lloyd Kahn boasts a long history of stellar publications, and his latest is no exception. Builders of the Pacific Coast showcases some of the most creative owner-built homes on the West coast, among them: working homesteads, driftwood abodes, gypsy-type caravans, houseboats, homes that are at once beautiful and... (read more)
Recommended by Tove H.
|
Flottum, Kim
[isbn]
Bees used to freak me out... then I took up gardening and discovered that bees were in fact more interested in pollinating my flowers and fruit trees than in stinging me to death. I still get a little nervous if I find one crawling on my arm, but we've reached an understanding. I'm even starting to warm up to the idea of beekeeping, which is where The Backyard Beekeeper comes in. Kim Flottum's comprehensive and novice-friendly guide... (read more)
Recommended by Tove H.
|
Sara Alway
[isbn]
Companion planting — the pairing of mutually beneficial plants in the garden — is one of the simplest ways to increase your harvest without back-breaking maintenance or icky chemicals, and Sara Alway's Soil Mates is a charming introduction to the subject. In it, Alway highlights 20 winning plant combinations, each accompanied by an explanation of what makes the relationship a success, illustrated planting instructions, and a recipe that... (read more)
Recommended by Tove H.
|
Mary Appelhof
[isbn]
Composting is a dirty job, but if you've ever tried growing something without the aid of all that nutrient-rich organic matter, you know it's a necessary one. Thankfully, there exists in nature a creature who actually enjoys wading through your kitchen scraps... and makes a mean compost in the process! In Worms Eat My Garbage, Mary Appelhof demystifies the vermicomposting process, equipping readers with all the tools they need... (read more)
Recommended by Tove H.
|
Debra Prinzing, David Perry, Amy Stewart
[isbn]
Every February, supermarket floral departments overflow with a seemingly endless supply of nondescript red roses... but have you ever stopped to wonder where they all come from? Chances are, not from anywhere near where you live. Most "factory flowers," favored for their uniformity and durability, are grown overseas (often under lax environmental and labor laws) and treated with preservatives to survive the long journey to your neighborhood... (read more)
Recommended by Tove H.
|
Tracey Ryder
[isbn]
From the creators of the award-winning Edible magazine series comes this stunning survey of North America's local food movement. Combining inspiring profiles of gastronomic movers and shakers with seasonal recipes and the kind of food-photography that makes you want to lick the page, Edible is a coffee-table-worthy resource for any locavore.
Recommended by Tove H.
|
Kelly Coyne, Erik Knutzen
[isbn]
From the creators of the urban homestead blog HomeGrownEvolution.com comes this thorough and accessible manual to self-sufficient city living. Whatever your desired skill — beekeeping, dumpster diving, greywater, vermiculture, lacto-fermentation, etc. — you're almost certain to find it here, along with countless others you probably hadn't even considered!
Recommended by Tove H.
|
Michel Faber
[isbn]
Full disclosure: I was mourning a very recent loss when I read Michel Faber's latest (and I'm told, last) novel, so the effect it had on me may have been amplified by my own grief. Still, this book carved a hole in me the way really good books do, and I don't think it's just because I happened to be sad at the time. Through a narrative I probably would have avoided, were it not for the ravings of my coworkers, Faber lands a solid emotional punch,... (read more)
Recommended by Tove H.
|
Quinn, Lisa
[isbn]
I am neither a mom nor an author nor an Emmy Award-winning TV host... nonetheless, I feel like Lisa Quinn and I have a lot in common. We are both recovering perfectionist control freaks, looking for ways to clean, decorate, and entertain like Martha Stewart without breaking the bank or tearing our hair out. In Life's Too Short to Fold Fitted Sheets, Quinn helps like-minded domestic overachievers lower the bar and regain their sanity... (read more)
Recommended by Tove H.
|
Rene Denfeld
[isbn]
I can't recall a book I've consumed so ravenously or recommended so fiercely as The Enchanted. Given the subject matter — death row, its inhabitants, its agents, its reach, and the woman trying to stay its hand — I expected something grim, unsettling, hard to stomach. What I got was all those things and something I wasn't expecting: lovely. Denfeld has a remarkable grasp on language, and she uses it here to stunning effect. When I wasn't... (read more)
Recommended by Tove H.
|
John Jeavons
[isbn]
If last year's vegetable garden left something to be desired, John Jeavons's How to Grow More Vegetables is the book for you. This thorough and accessible overview of the Grow Biointensive gardening method will show you how to get the most out of your garden (on average, four times the yield of a conventionally tended plot), while preserving and enriching the earth's nutrients, and nourishing the soil for future crops. The best part? The... (read more)
Recommended by Tove H.
|
Amy Bryant Aiello
[isbn]
If there's one thing I've learned through my wayward attempts at gardening, it's the importance of starting small, and it doesn't get much smaller than this. In Terrarium Craft, Amy Bryant Aiello and Kate Bryant not only cover the basics of terrarium building (from container, soil, and plant selection to decorative elements and care), but also guide the reader through 50 imaginative and easy-to-follow projects, such as "Rock... (read more)
Recommended by Tove H.
|
John Greenlee
[isbn]
If you enjoy weeding, mowing, and triple-digit water bills, then the traditional lawn is for you. But for those of us who've grown tired of that high-maintenance expanse of green carpet, The American Meadow Garden offers some breathtaking alternatives. With information on site preparation, plant selection, and maintenance, this book will have you well on your way to creating a lush, dynamic mini-ecosystem right outside your door.
Recommended by Tove H.
|
Henk Schiffmacher
[isbn]
If you're looking for the perfect tiny butterfly to grace your ankle, you won't find it here. Brimming with images that will inspire, impress, amuse, intrigue, and perhaps offend, 1000 Tattoos is not for the faint of heart. Then again, neither is getting a tattoo.
Recommended by Tove H.
|
Art Ludwig
[isbn]
In recent years, you may have noticed bright blue rain barrels cropping up in your neighborhood, as more and more people discover the ease and practicality of using harvested rainwater to quench their gardens' thirst during the summer months. But those looking to store water for more than just landscaping purposes (be it for fire safety, disaster preparedness, or to cover long dry seasons) will need either a lot of rain barrels or a more... (read more)
Recommended by Tove H.
|
Robyn Jasko, Jennifer Biggs
[isbn]
Just as a small plot of land can yield a bountiful harvest, this unassuming little book packs quite a punch. Jasko's friendly, informative, and unfussy instructions cover all the basics of growing, preparing, and preserving your own food, while Biggs's charming line drawings challenge you not to crack a smile in the process. You don't need a green thumb or a culinary degree to enjoy farm-to-table goodness — this book should do the trick.
Recommended by Tove H.
|
Jennifer Kujawski
[isbn]
Much of what I've learned about vegetable gardening I've learned through trial and error, and while I'm certainly a better gardener now than when I started out, my stubborn refusal to keep a garden journal has made the learning process a slow-going and often frustrating one. Thankfully, Ron and Jennifer Kujawski have come to the rescue with a vegetable gardening guide so user-friendly it's absurd: all you need is your region's last frost date... (read more)
Recommended by Tove H.
|