When we’re not selling books or stacking books or talking about books, we’re reading books. (Because we’re very multi-faceted people.) Here’s what your friendly neighborhood booksellers are loving right now.
Buy this book and read it immediately. Unless you’re small enough to comfortably fit through the little door in the children’s section, this book is for you. It’s for all of us. Atul Gawande is the perfect guide for helping us think about how life ends. It’s not depressing. It’s essential. — Ann Patchett
EuphoriaSet in the 1930’s this amazing novel tells the story of three young anthropologists studing the tribes of New Guinea. A passionate love triangle develops that threatens their bonds, their careers, and, ultimately, their lives. Inspired by events in the life of revolutionary anthropologist Margaret Mead — Karen Hayes
SoilObsession is a funny thing. Many times well-intentioned at the beginning, it can spiral down into dark places if left unchecked. As in the case of Jay Mize, an idealistic young farmer who moves his wife and son to a small tract of land in the Mississippi flood basin where he experiments with a new form of agriculture based primarily on composting. Life turns difficult when that concept involves a discovered body, Jay becomes a suspect in the death, and his wife and son leave for a more conventional existence. In spite of some rather horrific scenes, the author delivers humor, beautifully written passages, and much empathy for the hapless “hero” of this uniquely entertaining debut novel. — Mary Grey James
The MaraudersFans of “True Detective”, Flannery O’Connor, and all things Louisiana will enjoy this one. Full of Southern grotesques, local color and great writing, as the story builds to its twisted end….gritty, funny and dark, I loved this book! — Kathy Schultenover
Big Little LiesFans of Where’d You Go, Bernadette? will devour this delightful mystery from the author of The Husband’s Secret. Funny, smart, and fast-paced, this entertaining novel will keep you guessing until the very end. — Niki Coffman
Dead Wake: The Last Crossing of the LusitaniaAnother classic must-read from Larson! We all know the ending, but he makes it a fascinating investigation nevertheless — for all history and popular history lovers. Larson has discovered passionate love letters from Woodrow Wilson, the U-boat captain’s log, and an Admiralty secret. — Bill Long-Innes
Leaving BerlinThe author of The Good German takes us back to Berlin in his latest thriller. The year is 1949 and the airlift has begun. Berlin is wrestling with its Nazi past and its pending Soviet future, and Kanon’s descriptions of the war ravaged city graphically illustrate life after WWII. Alliances, friendships, and families are all changing and being reconstructed as a city begins its climb out of the ruins. Exciting and fast paced, this is Kanon at his best. — Andy Brennan
The Cairo AffairLooking for a good paperback? Olen Steinhauer has become one of the best authors of the spy genre writing today. The Cario Affair is a standalone mystery that uses the current history of the Arab Spring to weave a complex and entertaining tale. If you’ve never read Steinhauer, this is a great place to start. — Andy Brennan
The Good Luck of Right NowNow out in paperback! Matthew Quick has a style that I find very refreshing. He leaves behind the sarcasm and irony so pervasive in writing today. He’s never clueless, but always earnest, hilarious and innocent. — Sissy Gardner
“There are two things nobody wants to face: their closet and their mirror.” After her marriage and her life turned to tatters, Betty Halbreich reinvented herself as a stylist at Bergdorf Goodman, where she became a fashion legend. Lena Dunham is turning her Mad-Men-era story into a series. It’s that good. — Miriam Mimms
This little how-to is radical, inspiring, mind-bending, and scary. Japan’s “warrior princess in the war on clutter” counsels you to begin the process by holding a pair of socks and asking the question, “Does this give me joy?” Find me, and I’ll tell you how many pairs I’m down to. – Miriam Mimms
My Sunshine AwayIt’s a mystery and a coming-of-age tale all at once. Bonus: If you were a teenager in the late 80s, there are some great nostalgic details here. — Mary Laura Philpott
Almost Famous Women: StoriesFacts are a jumping-off point for magnificently written fiction in these short stories. If this collection were taught in a college literature class, I bet all the students would say it’s their favorite book on the syllabus. I was hooked from the first one and hope this book makes Bergman a truly famous woman. — Mary Laura Philpott
The Lives of OthersThis book truly transports the reader. From the place (a multi-generational wealthy home in Calcutta), to the time (1967 and before), to the ideologies (traditional upper class India vs. Communism), Mukherjee forces you to consider the members of the Ghosh family with empathy, pity, and understanding. — Catherine Bock
Get in Trouble: StoriesSomebody please help — I think Kelly Link has gotten into my head and figured out all of the weird things I’m fascinated by but don’t know how to explain. These include but are not limited to: compulsive hoarders, the world of online dating, Ouija boards, butter sculptures, evil twins, and unicorns. And now she’s gone and written wildly entertaining stories about them. — Lindsay Lynch
HereIt took Richard McGuire more than 15 years to create Here, and it’ll take you less than an hour to page through it. But be prepared to flip through this book over and over again — even on the 100th reading I promise you’ll find a new detail or story that McGuire has snuck into his graphic masterpiece. This is a breathtakingly gorgeous book that shows how even the smallest corner of the earth can contain multitudes. — Lindsay Lynch
Selected Poems 1966-1987Seamus Heaney’s well-wrought poetry explores aspects of encounter between the public and the private. Included in the first volume are ample selections from Field Work, while the second volume offers two wonderful selections from his translation of Beowulf. I believe the finest of Heaney’s work is contained in these two books. — Nathan Spoon
The Bone SeasonFar and away the best fantasy series to hit the publishing world recently – including Game of Thrones. Shannon crafts an ever more intriguing narrative of gangs and psychics pulling on equally brilliant elements of The Handmaiden’s Tale and Bladerunner. Even better news: the sequel, The Mime Order, just hit shelves and might be even better. — Grace Wright
The Mime OrderThis is quite possibly the best sequel I’ve ever read. If you haven’t started this series, pick up The Bone Season and clear your schedule. Shannon’s astounding talent and ability to craft a detailed world is on full display in this book. I can’t describe the plot without spoiling key details, all I can say is that I haven’t been this excited about a fantasy series since The Magicians. — Ashton Hickey
Happy reading!
Musing 