Ghosts Of Booksellers Past
While these booksellers themselves aren't necessarily ghosts, their recommendations still stand even after they've left our stores.
This page turner is a truly original piece of work. Every time I pick up a Schwab book I am transported to an entirely different world and I really feel like I am with the characters. This crazy, violent, and energizing novel is a unique mash up of The Secret History, X-Men, and Frankenstein.
-- Josh
This crazy and disastrous novel is simply so amazing. Told through a series of hacked emails, maps, files, IMs, medical records, interviews, and documents of that nature, we are gifted with a story of a rescue mission gone awry after a giant corporation attempts to destroy an entire community to eliminate the competition. Prepare for a capitalistic version of Star Wars meets Station Eleven in this completely immersing novel that you won’t be able to put down.
-- Josh
Beautiful. Mesmerizing. Raw. Hypnotizing. Engrossing. Amazing.
I could probably keep going but it's starting to get annoying-- ANYWAY-- wow what poetry. I, by no means, am a poetry fanatic or otherwise knowledgeable in the field. BUT. I know what is beautiful and what is good (and they don't always mean the same thing). This is both. This is honestly perfect.
-- Josh
A really fascinating and beautiful book of poetry that celebrates queer bodies and really defines their differences to non-queer people. It's just absolutely beautiful, descriptive, heartbreaking and yet heartwarming.
-- Josh
Deciding to read this book was such a good decision. This sort-of-not-really historical fiction ya novel is a (very) loose telling of the story of Rupert Buxton and Michael Davies (nephew to Peter Pan author, J.M Barrie) and their mysterious death. Now, this book is honestly rather absurd. And I loved it because of that. This plot, as absurd as it may be, was so delicious and invigorating and such a brilliant idea. Were some parts predictable? Absolutely. Do I care? Absolutely not. This is an amazing Halloween read full of all kinds of supernatural ghosty things and witchcraft and so much more.
-- Josh
I want to begin this review by stating that I am utterly terrified of this world. A pandemic is absolutely my biggest fear and being alive in a world like this haunts me everyday-- not joking. You know that computer game "Pandemic". It gave me such anxiety after playing it.... anyway. This book is absolutely beautiful. If you're looking for a really good dystopian novel that is actually rather realistic, as it is very obvious that it takes place in present, with such beautiful and captivating stories that intertwine together, then this is your book. I was immediately engrossed on the first page and knew that I was going to love this book. The middle got a little rocky and I began to worry that Mandel was faltering but she quickly rebounded and then exceeded into something that took my breath away. While this book is ~nearly~ perfect on the realistic side of things, parts of it are truly questionable and seemed a little rushed. A character miraculously safe in an airport full of hundreds of people after countless flights were forced to land there from all over the globe? This section of the story is truly my only critique and it would be completely acceptable if the rest of the novel was borderline unrealistic-- it just wasn't. Reader, you won't regret reading this book and, even if you don't have a completely irrational fear of global pandemics, you won't forget this story or these characters.
-- Josh
A cookbook organized by ingredient with dishes suited to every skill level and created from her acclaimed restaurant Chef and the Farmer, Deep Run Roots features pure beauty in two hard covers. Each chapter starts with the story of how that ingredient relates to Howard's life and how she has come to love it in her cooking and it's attachment to Eastern North Carolina cuisine. This is simply one of those beautiful things that doesn't come around very often and when it does, it tends to not be appreciated. Please appreciate this storybook and cookbook as much as I do-- Deep Run Roots imparts the true tale of Southern food: rooted in family and tradition, yet calling out to the rest of the world.
-- Josh
This book is honestly insane in so many perfect and questionable ways. Questionable because I'm questioning myself if I should actually like this book...? This was my first introduction into Capote and what I found in these pages is just a wild ride of questions and insanity. A campy, surreal, sort of supernatural, Southern Gothic, coming of age novel that has a sad, compulsively lying boy, drag queens, crazy aunts, disabled fathers, and so much more.
-- Josh
What a ride this was! I've honestly been waiting for a book to come around where I felt so instantly drawn to main character because I truly saw myself. Reading this book really, really brought me back to my 16 year old age and finding that first love. We can all think back on that and remember that nothing every quite felt like that again-- nothing will be more special, regardless of how it ended (if it did). It was even more amazing to see a YA book accomplish complete realistic circumstances at realistic times. This is a story of not only James coming to peace with himself, his sexuality, and his future, but also a story of his entire circle of friends and family coming to peace with James. Not a day goes by where I don't think about basically all the books I've ever read (not that it's been a whole, whole lot) but this is one I will think about and always find myself smiling.
-- Josh
This book hits many important themes that are often ignored or misrepresented: male body dysmorphia, homosexuality, bisexuality, teenage grief, and severe mental illness in young-adults. I read the synopsis of this book and was just enthralled by the rollercoaster I just knew was inside and I was not let down. This is the story of Henry who's boyfriend killed himself and now he is periodically abducted by aliens who have given him the option to save the world or let it burn. We get 144 days of Henry's life and the obstacles thrown his way as he decides to push the button to save Earth or leave it to perish.
-- Josh
If you're looking for a really great cocktail recipe book with less of those extremely long introductions and boring explanations, this is the one you need. Full of funny commentary, this literary themed cocktail recipe book will blow any party or special event out of the water!
-- Josh
Introverted teenagers unite! This beautiful little book written as letters from our beloved Charlie will take you on such a ride. It's incredible how many emotions this book will force you to feel in just 213 tiny-book pages. You'll smile, you'll gasp, you'll bawl your heart out. This book is my favorite realistic YA book and I just don't think that will ever change.
-- Josh
I am constantly recommending this entire series (four books) because of it's attention to detail and the complete devotion to characters that Stiefvater gives to every single character that you find yourself always rooting for everyone (even the bad ones!). The plot is so mysterious and things are never what you expect. I haven't enjoyed a series this much since Harry Potter.
-- Josh
This is one of my favorite middle grade books. I constantly recommend it because of the very thoughtful story line that even adults can find extremely intriguing-- which is an important feature for those early middle readers who may still enjoy being read to (I mean... I still enjoy being read to...).
-- Josh
This is technically a middle grade book but I just recently read it. I was just amazed at how this book completely made me rethink how I view my daily life. Most people know about this book already but a lot of adults never look at it again. I personally think this is a mistake. I think adults need to read this book at least four times a year.
-- Josh
A slow moving but absolutely beautiful novel full of passion, desire, and extraordinary frivolity. This book has two (sort of three) stories, one being a Sci-Fi novel written inside of the book. It is just incredible fun to read and try to figure exactly what catastrophe is about to happen to a family and estate already barely hanging on.
-- Josh
~Oh fragile masculinity~ This was the first Waugh novel that I decided to dive into and it will certainly not be the last. The story of Sebastian and Charles is perhaps the most tragic story I could have read. If you're just looking for a book to, I don't know, NOT make you feel great about... well anything really, this is it.
-- Josh
For a while I was actually a little embarrassed to have picked this up. I started watching this YouTube sensation in late 2013, mainly his gaming channel, and I strangely just fell sort of in love with him...? He announced this book was coming out and I quietly and internally fangirled because I knew what this meant for the future of his career. It came out and I read it all in about 10 hours-- one sit down. A truly funny and inspirational confessional.
-- Josh
With the addicting writing style that so deeply and almost exclusively represents Elio’s thoughts, the Italian Riviera setting that really warms you to the core, and the most powerful and gut-punching romance I have ever encountered in literature, Andre Aciman created the perfect summer read. It is THE gay novel I have been waiting for. One that holds the intensity of a YA novel but with a prose so beautifully constructed you won’t feel guilty for reading it and portrays all aspects of an all consuming obsession. I simply cannot recommend this book enough.
-- Josh
This is one of those books that I noticed is blowing up so I figured I'd move this towards the top of the reading list and I wasn't disappointed. This is the first magic-themed book I've read that I couldn't connect to Harry Potter in any way (which is truly impressive because fantasy has really changed with HP, in my opinion). This is a dark story about a magician who can travel between different worlds by the power of blood. Kell is tricked and given a mysterious package that turns out to be a huge threat to all three travel-able London's and it seems to have come directly from the (presumably) destroyed Black London.
The plot is a little obvious at some points but there are some others were you sit straight up out of shock. I have touched very little Sci-Fi and this is an excellent start if you're on that same boat.
-- Josh
