Kramers Picks of the Month - January
"The first thing the Europeans did when they stepped foot in the New World was name things. I, too, wanted to be discovered and named.” —Karla Cornejo Villavicecio, Catalina
Fiction Choice:
Catalina by Karla Cornejo Villavicenio: Read about Catalina: a Harvard senior about to graduate and be set free in the world. However, it is a time of tense anxiety for her rather than being a moment of triumph. As a child, she fled Latin America and moved to Queens with her undocumented grandparents. As her days in college are numbered, Catalina finds herself observing those around her searching for answers and love. Read this daring coming-of-age novel and find what it means to save your family, and yourself.
Interested in buying? Check it out here!
Nonfiction Choice:
Mood Machine: The Rise of Spotify and the Costs of the Perfect Playlist by Liz Pelly: Fancy stepping into the music streaming industry? With interviews from former Spotify employees, industry insiders, and musicians, Pelly takes readers on a journey through the money and data into what has become a booming industry.
Interested in buying? Check it out here!
Children's/YA Choice:
Breath of the Dragon: Breathmarked by Fonda Lee, Shannon Lee: Jun is a sixteen-year-old who dreams of entering the elite Guardian's Tournament and proving himself as a warrior. Even with the warnings of his disgraced father in his ears telling him he has no chance of winning against the others--especially since Jun is not breathmarked: blessed with special abilities marked by a patch of dragon scales. It's too late for regret as Jun is carted into the capital as a stowaway on Ren the performer's cart, and the tournament shows Jun that more that just a better life is there for the taking, but the fate of the country as well.