Ghosts Of Booksellers Past
While these booksellers themselves aren't necessarily ghosts, their recommendations still stand even after they've left our stores.
Really good, exemplary science writing. Supremely readable, and also like, crazy interesting! I had no idea how far bioengineering pets and domestic animals went, beyond the blessed magic of breeding that gave us the Labradoodle.
-- Delaney
Gass's first novel is brilliantly evocative. It features some of the most distressingly beautiful prose I've ever come across--he gets away with writing stuff like, "He hadn't known the sea had holes but how else did you drown?" Stuff that sticks with you.
-- Delaney
This is the story of an unlikely bond that develops between two young girls living and going to school in New York City. Drita, a refugee from Kosova, flees to America with her family, knowing very little English and very little about living in New York City. It is within her new public school that she is befriended by Maxie, who is struggling with the recent loss of her own mother. Through alternating first person narratives between to the two girls, this story features poignant messages about bravery, perspective, respect, friendship, and difference. This is a wonderful read aloud for students grades 3-7.
-- Kylie M.
This book Left me dizzy & lightheaded & short of breath. It is, as promised, "too loud to ignore."
-- Arielle S.
A middle grade book about a set of twins that discover that their grandmother is actually The Fairy Godmother. As in Cinderella's Fairy Godmother. And that there is a whole world where fairy tales are real. I mean what kid can resist checking that world out? A really well put together fun book full of fairy tales turned upside down. Addictive, wonderful and oh so fun The Wishing Spell (Land of Stories Book 1) is great at any age.
This book was a shock to the system. It was an absolutely electrifying read. Told in free verse the story of Xiomara made me smile, made me cry and made me proud to be a Hispanic woman. Although my teenage years are far behind me I felt a sense of kinship with Xiomara and her experiences being a young beautiful curvy woman. The stares and hollers of men, the lust and desires she felt but that she had to deny, the many questions she had but couldn't ask her super religious mother. While a young adult novel this book will resonant with any and all who wish to read it. For at its core it is simply about learning to be your own person.
-- Sara
What a read. This book was so fascinating! And 100% creepy. Michelle McNamara brought all the terror and pain and panic of that time to life here in the present. I have read only a few true crime books, as I am extremely picky when it comes to getting a narrative right when it comes to things that have actually happened. Michelle McNamara got the balance between fact and emotion down just right. She made me feel the fear that the various victims felt but she also let me know what the facts of each individual attack was. I felt for the victims but I also felt informed. And in perfect measure I was totally and utterly outraged and creeped out. It baffles my mind that a man like that had the cunning and the smarts to do what he did for so long and disappear into the darkness, when his acts of terror, his endless crimes against those he killed and those he left behind were of such a horrendous nature. I understand Ms. McNamara's obsession with the maniac. After reading it with no concrete understanding of who he was or why he did what he did I want to dive in, find those message boards and start my own investigation. A shout out to all the people that worked and are still working tirelessly to try to find this guy. This is a great read. Worth it all the way, from first moments to last pages. I recommend this to anyone that wants a good true crime book and doesn't mind being completely unsettled
-- Sara
This retelling of the Achilles myth is an absolute must read. You get totally immersed in the story and the characters and the beauty and tragedy of it all. It is one of those books that sweeps you up and ties you down all at the same time. It's the type of book that sneaks up on you and once it has you in its grasp it won't let go. I still think about it, weeks and many books later, and how great it was. I highly recommend this book for anyone that enjoys Greek myths and legends or anyone that wants to get into them. It is a truly engrossing and wonderful read.
-- Sara
I read this for the first meeting of the Romance book club, it had been on my TBR list for awhile but I never got around to it, until the first meeting was looming. AND WOW! What a book. It was 1000% worth reading and losing sleep over. It had a little bit of all the things in it and it was just so incredible! The characters were nothing short of perfect and the story was so engaging and all I wanted to do was read. All the time. It was on my mind 24/7. This is a must buy for sci/fi fans of all sorts! Don't be distracted by the "romance book club" part because it is not your typical romance, it is a sci/fi extravaganza!
-- Sara
I heard about this book from her editor at a HarperCollins day event and right off the bat it sounded intriguing. When I got an ARC of it I dove right in to the sultry spicy world of Morocco. It was so well done, and so perfectly spin-tingling. I don't want to give anything away so all I will say is that this book is spooky and suspenseful and strange in all the best ways.
-- Sara
I know that at this point everyone has probably read this book. It took me awhile to get to this but it was not for lack of desire to read it. In fact I have been dying to read it for years I just kept putting it off for other books. And then I read it. And it was amazing. It was beautiful and tragic in subtle ways and some not so subtle ways. It was so worth the read and worth the wait and worth all of it. I truly enjoyed the book and found it to be so wonderful to read, every day I looked forward to the moment I could open the book and start reading again. If you haven't yet read it I highly recommend it. It's just a good, solid, beautiful book.
-- Sara
This book is heartbreaking. This book is beautiful. This book is sad. This book finds hope. I read this for our Selects program and I tore through it. It is a quick and intense read and so worth it. I fought for this book to be sent because I knew that it would be a winner. It moved me and stuck with me and I think that anyone who reads this will feel the same.
-- Sara
The story of A.J. Fikry, a grumpy widower running the only book store on a remote island where, ever since his wife died, A.J. has been seen as the outcast. One night A.J. finds a little girl left in his shop with a note stating that the little girl's mother had to leave her behind and that she thought a bookshop would be the best place. A moving and unusual tale about the power of fatherhood, books and learning to love again. This book blew me away, I was absolutely stunned by how incredible everything came together. The writing alone was something I think few people can pull off, but something that I think Gabrielle Zevin conquered. A truly lovely tale and something that just has to be read.
-- Sara
The Devil in the White City: Murder, Magic, and Madness at the Fair that Changed America (Paperback)
It’s 1893 and the very first world's fair is about to begin in Chicago. Using the fair as a lure, a serial killer meticulously plans and executes a number of gruesome murders. Perfectly blending fact and brilliant storytelling, Erik Larson has brought to life a truly terrifying and yet intriguing time in history. I felt as if I were reading a murder mystery rather than a nonfiction account of a very dark point, and at the same time, a period of great triumph for Chicago. A truly immersive read, The Devil in the White City, is informative and fascinating, a must read!
-- Sara
This book blew me away. Naomi Alderman created something truly perfect when she wrote The Power. I found myself unable to put the book down or to stop thinking about when I was forced to take a break. This is a book that will stay with you for all the very best reasons. Her ability to totally immerse her reader in this new world is unparalleled and absolutely worth every second. I highly recommend this for anyone who is looking for an all around incredible book.
-- Sara
"Are you looking for a good adventure story? A story about vikings perhaps? Norse gods? Feasts? Well look no further, The Half-Drowned King is the book for you. A debut novel that takes us into the world of viking Norway where kings are the men that conquer the most land and heroes are those that go raiding on the high seas and die honorably in battle. We meet Ragnvald, who is on his first raiding trip to prove his manhood. After being betrayed he swears revenge on those that have wronged and this begins an epic adventure, Full of warring kings, feasting, games and endless mind games, The Half-Drowned King is the perfect Nordic adventure tale. Read the full review over at the Book Culture blog, then stop into your local Book Culture to buy the book!"
-- Sara
Before reading this I had never been one for science fiction but I had always loved science and I had always loved fiction. I finally decided to try it out and this book was absolutely the perfect book to experiment with. It was so well written and so well researched that I had a very hard time remembering that this was a debut novel. Everything was so well done that I fell even more in love with Mars and found myself growing very attached to the character as well as the author. Andy Weir has such a talent that I am an instant fan and I can't wait to see where he takes me next.
-- Sara
When I read this, the first in a series, I was in such a young adult fantasy type of mood and this novel delivered on all those counts and so many more. From the very first chapter I knew that this book was going to be something special, the main character was a strong, feisty woman that no matter how many times she had been beaten down, kept getting back up. Full of adventure, magic and superbly written Throne of Glass is an addicting and wonderful read. If you need a little fantasy in your life this is the book for you. A true masterpiece.
-- Sara
It took me many years before I finally decided to read it. As soon as I started it I knew that I had made a huge mistake in waiting so long. This book is, in my opinion, perfection, from the writing, to the story, to the characters there is not a wrong sentence or phrase or moment in all 516 pages. There are very few books that I find perfection in but this is certainly one of them. I don't want to say too much because most of the magic comes from the initial reading, so all I have left to say is, read it.
-- Sara
The master of horror has once again brought to life a terrifyingly perfect tale. Paul Sheldon is an author of unrivaled fame, known mainly for his Misery Chastain novels that has spanned his entire career, and he has finally had enough of Misery. Enter Annie Wilkes who will stop at literally nothing to get Paul to bring her favorite character back to life. Perfectly written, and with just the right amount of creepy Misery is in my mind a perfect book. Never have I finished a book with such a smile on my face.
-- Joe
