December Staff Picks!
"Leaf! you are so big! How can you change your color, then just fall! As if there were no such thing as integrity!." --Frank O'Hara, Lunch Poems
For our December staff picks, some were inspired by the Christmas (crime) spirit, while others wanted to give gift recommendations. Whatever you are looking for, we've got you covered!
Recommended by Alisa
Flowers for Algernon by Daniel Keyes
Heartbreaking and beautiful, this is a story about the depth of human empathy and the value of knowing what you have before it’s gone. You will cry.
Recommended by Elizabeth
The House of Spirits by Isabel Allende
An epic novel of family secrets, magical realism and political resistance. Follow four generations of the Trueba family as they live through political turmoil in Chile and the rise of an authoritarian government.
Recommended by Anna
Christmas Crimes at the Mysterious Bookshop edited by Otto Penzler
Set in the oldest mystery specialty bookstore in the world, this is the perfect collection of festive stories with one for each of the twelve days of Christmas!
Recommended by Ben
Endurance: Shackleton's Incredible Voyage by Alfred Lansing
This winter, cozy up to a gripping tale about the Antarctic shipwreck of the Endurance and think, “Wow. I am glad that’s not me right now.”
CONTENT WARNING: The sleigh dogs did not survive the ordeal. Many seals and penguins were hunted as the group neared starvation.
Recommended by Chloe
Biography of X by Catherine Lacey
Both loving and losing someone will make you do unusual things.
Especially if you’re gay and/or an artist.
Recommended by Daniel
City of Thieves by David Benioff
David Benioff writes with beautiful sensitivity in this historical fiction novel about an unlikely pair tasked with finding a dozen eggs right in the middle of the siege of Leningrad. There is a lot of action to be sure but also many heartwarming moments as we see this youthful friendship flourish and overcome the many dangerous obstacles that get in their way.
Recommended by Elisabeth
Madness, Rack, and Honey: Collected Lectures by Mary Ruefle
“Poetry and the Moon,” “Someone Reading a Book Is a Sign of Order in the World,” “Lectures I Will Never Give” – these are the titles of just a few of the lectures, collected in this book, that Mary Ruefle delivered to poetry graduate students over the course of fifteen years. Profound, unexpected, unstuffy, even funny. If you like or care about writing or reading (and I’ll note that you’re in a bookstore), Madness, Rack, and Honey is essential.
Recommended by Jordan
Cat People to Judge in Art and Love by Nicole Tersigni
A fun combo of classic artwork and snarky cat/human dialogue. For all the cat fans out there.
Recommended by Katie
Lonely Planet Hidden Libraries: The World's Most Unusual Book Depositories by DC Helmuth, Nancy Pearl
The perfect present for the booklovers in your life! From libraries that travel by donkey in Colombia to a Little Free Library situated at the South Pole, this guide to the world’s hidden libraries will leave any bibliophile enchanted.
Recommended by Kris
An Elderly Lady Is Up to No Good by Helene Tursten
88-year-old Maud doesn't have any family or friends, so she's quite used to taking care of everything herself. Even the seemingly unsolvable problems are dispatched easily by Maud—well, that's the perk of being a serial killer!
Maud didn't get run over by a reindeer, but she certainly is on the naughty list.
Recommended by Liora
A Man of Two Faces: A Memoir, a History, a Memorial by Viet Thanh Nguyen
A Man of Two Faces seamlessly blurs the lines between personal memoir and larger political commentary. Nguyen shares powerful moments from his own life, connecting them to larger stories of colonization and refugeehood and offering a searing critique of the American dream. Witty and timely, this book is sure to leave you thinking.
Recommended by Llalan
Lunch Poems by Frank O'Hara
1O’Hara wrote these poems on his lunch breaks in New York in the ‘50s and ‘60s. They are funny, whimsical, personal, sometimes surreal, always delightful. One of my all-time favorite poetry collections. Put these poems in your pocket! (After you pay for them.)
Recommended by Sara
Women Surrounded by Water: A Memoir by Patricia Coral
This incredible debut from a local author is technically a memoir, but is also some of the most stunning poetry, prose, and creative nonfiction I’ve read in years. She covers so much more than the length suggests: addiction, relationships, family, politics, natural disasters, and her experience as a Puerto Rican immigrant woman. Absolutely beautiful – not a single word out of place. For fans of In the Dream House.
Recommended by Alisa
Bloodchild and Other Stories by Octavia E. Butler
Butler’s perspective on dystopia proves timeless in all her works and this collection is no exception. My favorite is the titular story: its focus is on body horror but the overriding themes of sacrifice, love, and the barriers of gender elevate it beyond grotesque alien reproduction. There’s something for everyone in this book - it disturbs, it provokes, it comforts.
Recommended by Anna
Classic Christmas Crime Stories edited by David Stuart Davies
Not only is this an excellent collection of classic crime stories, but it is perfectly stocking sized, and includes one of my favorite Sherlock Holmes short stories, “The Blue Carbuncle”!
Recommended by Chloe
Amusing Ourselves to Death: Public Discourse in the Age of Show Business by Neil Postman
Didn’t think a 40-year-old social commentary would be relevant in today’s information age? Let Postman prove you wrong, as he explains how the American public became hooked on entertainment. Read this if you think the political arena has come too close to reality television (looking at you, former host of The Apprentice).
Recommended by Jordan
The Christmas Jigsaw Murders by Alexandra Benedict
'Tis the season to be murderous! Fa-la-la-la-la, la-la-la-la!