Our newest recommendations are right at the top of the list. Enjoy!
This book proves that there's more to Stephen Chbosky than The Perks of Being a Wallflower. Chbosky takes the life lessons of youth and slathers them with a special sauce of supernatural thrills and suspense. This is the most unique book I've read this year and it's terrifying, intense, and somehow strangely empowering. It's Perks ... meets Stranger Things. Recommended by Rob
A fun romp with a good heart that naturally glides into a story of insight and depth. I love Vivian Morris, the story she tells, and all her people! Recommended by Alena
In this debut novel, Locascio accomplishes gorgeous metaphysical interiority while engaging with real human experiences. Through a young woman's coming-of-age narrative, the reader is treated to a stunning alchemy of xenophobia, physical sexual insight, and Denmark. The prose is also absolutely beautiful. Recommended by Hunter
Part Elmore Leonard, part Douglas Adams, part David McCoullough and something else altogether -- FKA USA is hilarious and frightening. An entertaining frontier tale set in a chilling all-too-believable futurescape. I can't get this book out of my head -- so, I want you to read it -- you'll see what I mean. Recommended by Jane
On friendship and more ... My favorite novel of 2019. (My copy is dog-eared with wisdom and humor underlined in green.) Recommended by Alena
I had to keep coming up for air as I raced along with a once enslaved boy, flying across the sky in an early experimental hot air balloon, trekking across the frozen Arctic, and diving among undersea life. This novel enthralls with both its heights and its depths. Recommended by Jeanette
Remember what it was like as a child to be transfixed by a book? Regain that magic with this tale. The author's enchanting language casts as much as a spell as the story itself. Recommended by Jeanette
... With surprisingly poignant depth and a bit of classic Irish humor, our gentleman friend finds a unique route to wrapping up his complicated life -- leaving those whom he loved, and each of us who joins in his goodbyes, all the better for his having lived. Recommended by Mary
Sweet and steamy, the Kiss Quotient won the 2018 Goodreads Choice Award for Romance, and is earning well deserved praise for its depiction of an autistic-spectrum heroine. Recommended by Molly
Of all the bookshops in all the towns in all the world, this book had to walk into mine. Moore has come up with both, one of the best San Francisco novels and one of the best noir crime novels ever, and it's filled with amazing atmosphere and that incredible Christopher Moore humor. One of my favorite books of the year. Recommended by Rob
Told in a series of interviews, this story covers the entire career of the seminal but fictional 1970s rock band Daisy Jones & The Six. Written flawlessly. You'll love them, you'll hate them, you'll want them to be a real band. A must read for music history buffs and fans of classic Rock 'n' Roll. Also included, lyrics from their last album. Recommended by Rob
Told in the style of an old Greek play, Dreamlives of Debris is the Minotaur & Theseus myth replacing the Minotaur with a disfigured girl who calls herself Debris. Dreamlives of Debris is dynamic and intense, and an all around brilliant piece of literature. I loved it, and though I recognize this book might be for everyone, it might actually be for you. Recommended by Rob
Hellblazer is one of the most important series in comic book history. It began as one DC's mature comics titles and ended up paving the way for Neil Gaiman's Sandman, ultimately giving life to DC's Vertigo Comics imprint. Since then, it has spawned a movie and multiple TV shows, reminding us that normal blokes can do magic too. Amazing writing, gritty art, and beautiful character development. Recommended by Rob
A beautifully dark fantasy epic that surges with mythology and imagination. Derived from African sources, the realms of this world feel dream-like and startling, and full of unexpected characters. A wonderful read. Recommended by Hunter
These stories are feral, stunning in their ferocity, and definitely NOT here to play nice. I loved it! Recommended by Molly
Complex, wonderful, impressive -- it's impossible to look away from these scenes of individual intimacy and historic tragedy. Lost Children Archive is exactly the right novel for our times. Recommended by Christie
Frankly, it's perfect. It opens with an irresistible love story; the writing is clever and surprising but has the simple ring of truth; the story builds with a dawning sense of both hope and dread; and then it releases the reader into a changed reality. Recommended by Christie
Guilty as a mom snooping through her teen's diary, I peered into God's journal about his existential crisis -- unable to stop myself from reaping secret insights. Recommended by Jeanette.
Brilliant. Intense. Cerebral. And impossible to put down! Recommended by Christie
In the rural landscape of Northern California, it is widely understood that the McKenna crime family rules. Harley McKenna has tried her best to distance herself from the family name - using her skills with a gun and burning anger to protect and run a women's shelter. But when a nearby crime family begins encroaching on her father's territory, Harley allows herself to be drawn back into that world to protect her charges. This novel is unflinching and gorgeously written. Fantastic. Recommended by Emily
You know that luscious feeling when you immediately know you are in the hands of a beguiling writer who will take you on a memorable journey? That's the sensation which lasted for me throughout this unusual road trip of a novel with characters I wished I could continue accompanying well past when they reach their final destination. Recommended by Jeanette
Small Moving Parts by DB Jackson is a 20th century western buddy story where two people become uncommon friends through a common desire to end their own lives. It's a coming of age tale with shoot-outs, horse thieves, and the amazingly cinematic setting of the American South West. The characters are entirely believable and the dialogue is natural and smooth. A story about modern cowboys told as only a real cowboy could tell it -- Brilliantly. Recommended by Rob
Brilliant, intense, cerebral, and impossible to put down. Recommended by Christie
For everyone who ever loved a tree. Recommended by Alena
Once again, Therese Anne Fowler has written a powerhouse of a woman back into history. Excellent job bringing me into the life and times of Alva Smith Vanderbilt and Gilded Age New York. Toward the end of her life, Alva was a pre-eminant American suffragette. Throughout this book I felt, "Wow. I get it. I get her, her circumstances, and what she's doing for herself, women, and the culture at large." And all in an enjoyable "19th century novel." Hurrah! Recommended by Alena
I like the people in this book so much!!! And the writing. And the story. And the river. I have that double feeling of wanting to read and read to know how it ends -- but not wanting it to end. Recommended by Alena
Holy shit, this is something else altogether. "Cross-dressing gun-fighter" doesn't even scratch the surface. It really stuck with me. Recommended by Christie
A deceptively simple story that gets under your skin, so that you find yourself drifting to these people and places days and weeks after finishing the book. An unusual love story set on the Eastern Front of WWII. Recommended by Christie
Three things about this novel -- 1) A retirement community with a twist 2) A touch of mystery 3) A narrator to die for! All in all, an unexpected pleasure with surprising humanity & kindness. Recommended by Alena
Follow Lois, a robotics specialist, as she embarks on a most unusual journey and discovers what truly makes her happy. I loved SOURDOUGH, but be forewarned: It is zany -- wonderfully so -- and, it may just inspire you to bake -- it did me! Recommended by Jane
P.S. Boonville makes a cameo appearance.
Geni seems to know something about humans & nature that the rest of us don't. The Wildlands, like her previous novel, delves into those places in the psyche that can be revealed only at the extremes: tornado, disaster, isolation. It's gripping! Recommended by Christie
I wish this book had come out a few years ago when I still worked with Native American juvenile delinquents so they could have gained some insights from the realistic portraits of urban NDNs. Take a look! Recommended by Jeanette
Vivid, violent, gory, and gorgeous, with luscious illustrations, these fairy-tales come from a recently re-discovered cache of German folk tales. At once both unknown yet recognizable, these are new (to us) stories with familiar shapes, and they are delicous. Recommended by Molly
Ever wonder what Catsby is thinking? Here's a fellow cat who tells a story as well as (or better than!) most humans. A kind-hearted, Japanese tale. Quietly and deeply engaging. Recommended by Alena
"I find things." Private Investigator Roxanne Weary has lost a lot. Her father, paying clients, and her tenuous romantic relationship. So when a paying client asks her to track down the witness to an old crime, she agrees. But when the evidence begins piling up, she finds herself caught in something much larger than she ever could have predicted. A compulsively readable mystery that breathes new life into the PI genre. Recommended by Emily
An unputdownable police procedual with an ending I didn't see coming. CLOSE TO HOME would make an excellent book club pick -- I guarantee you'll want to talk about it! Recommended by Jane
This is a stunning collection of stories. They're fantastical, supernatural, and surreal, and yet all deeply true. I cannot recommend this book highly enough! Recommended by Molly
Familiar with flash fiction? If not, this is a thoughtful introduction. If you're already a fan, you'll appreciate the succint and evocative pieces here. Recommended by Jeanette
This book is packed with humor and horror and tons of nostalgia. It's a veritable "What If?" Asking the question: What if the kids from Scooby Doo grew up and got back together to fight creatures from the Cthulhu mythos of H. P. Lovecraft. It's funny and exciting. You'll love the references. Recommended by Rob
Without a doubt, one of the most beautifully written novels you'll ever read. Recommended by Jeanette
