Bookseller Caroline's Top Picks

Seven Days in June

“Fans of second chances and epic teenage love will fall hard for this book. There is just so much feeling and feelings. Chemistry just crackles off the page.”

Zinna, A Great Good Place for Books

If you enjoyed Don't Call it a Cult, then you’ll love Cultish.

“Thoroughly enjoyed listening to this on Libro.fm. Entertaining, informative, and a must-read (listen to) for anyone interested in Cults, MLMs, Fitness, the English language... etc.”

Bob, Good Neighbor Bookstore

If you enjoyed Lily and the Octopus, then you’ll love The Guncle.

“If you know me, you know I love Steven Rowley's books, and this is his best one yet!”

Kathleen, A Great Good Place for Books

The Nineties

“The Nineties is a collection of short essays addressing, drum roll please, the 1990s (shocker, right?). Ultimately lacking a single unifying thesis, Klosterman dives into facets of 90s culture—sports, politics, music, film, TV, etc—discussing the effects of different key events and changes occurring in the decade. Klosterman explores the dissonance between the way the world was digested in the 90s and the immediate and vast way the world is absorbed in the present day, highlighting the seeds planted in the 90s leading to this shift. The Nineties is an enjoyable way to revisit a decade full of cultural peculiarities. Klosterman’s wit and mordant humor guides the reader in separating out truths of the 90s from the web of revisionist history often dominating communal memory. Enjoyable for all. Nostalgic for some. Educational for others.”

Emma, Content

Olga Dies Dreaming

“What a debut! If you’re looking for a compelling, well written story about a woman at odds with her heritage, her family and trying desperately to figure out her place in the world Olga Dies Dreaming is the book for you. I couldn’t put it down-I stayed up until 2:30 in the morning because I had to know what happened to Olga!”

Kathleen, A Great Good Place for Books

The Vanishing Half

“The Vanishing Half may go down as one of my favorite books of all time. Brit Bennett's narrative style is engrossing, the constant shift in timeline beyond compelling. But more than that, this is a book that deals with so much - racism, colorism & passing, sexism & domestic abuse, trans rights, family dynamics... the list goes on - with unbelievable nuance and empathy. A timely, complex, mysterious (and romantic) epic, The Vanishing Half is a force to be reckoned with. A must read for all - but especially worth consideration for book clubs and classroom reading lists.”

Britt, Second Star to the Right

The Office of Historical Corrections

“I have been holding my breath for Danielle Evans’ next book of short stories since Before You Suffocate Your Own Fool Self, and The Office of Historical Corrections was worth the wait. She delivers the same great storytelling, insight, and sharp cultural commentary. Her touch on themes usually associated with older people, such as redemption, reconciliation, and propitiation, moved me. I read the whole collection in two days.”

Miesha Headen, Loganberry Books

A hilarious and heartwarming New York Times bestselling novel—the basis for the acclaimed major motion picture!

"There's rich, there's filthy rich, and then there's crazy rich ... A Pride and Prejudice-like send-up about an heir bringing his Chinese-American girlfriend home to meet his ancestor-obsessed family.” –PEOPLE

When New Yorker Rachel Chu... Read more »

Mexican Gothic

“A bit spooky with some underlining themes of science and the power of racism. There’s a feel of modern Bronte sisters here which adds to the intrigue of this original gothic tale. I loved Noemi, the well-educated bright young protagonist who has a great sense of justice and can stare down evil all while being sophisticated and alluring. Great listening!”

Karin, Bookworm of Edwards

Milk Fed

“As someone who had an ED, this book was hard because it was so good. The author nails the absolute and total mindf***ery of eating disorders. About how it's a mold that eats at more than your body image or self esteem, but like, every facet of your being, twisting not just your relationships to food but also to people, work, and life.”

Jenny, Page 158 Books

A Reese Witherspoon x Hello Sunshine Book Club Pick

"Narrator Frankie Corzo's lovely smooth voice eloquently depicts the mostly female characters in this novel . . . This audiobook enthralls the listener." - AudioFile Magazine, Earphones Award winning review

“There’s a 100% chance you’ll be paging through this book to uncover the secrets and... Read more »

At age 34, newly married and established in her career as an award-winning newspaper journalist, Maggie Downs quits her job, sells her belongings, and embarks on the solo trip of a lifetime: Her mother’s.As a child, Maggie Downs often doubted that she would ever possess the courage to visit the destinations her mother dreamed of one day seeing.... Read more »

Black Buck

“Perhaps I have a different perspective on this book because I have a younger brother who is a Black, 20-something man in sales, but this book presents an evocative, honest, complex portrait of being a BIPOC person in a white-dominant workplace (albeit one that is high-powered, sales-driven, and New York City-based). This is a book that allows a reader to be seen if this is their experience, but also for a reader to learn about a different reality if this is not their own. Black Buck is a tightly woven, contemporary debut from an author to watch.”

BrocheAroe Fabian, River Dog Book Co.

Oona Out of Order

“Oona Out of Order is a work of fiction that genuinely encouraged me to reflect upon my own mortality and the trajectory of my life. Oona wakes up on her birthday every year in a different part of her life. The difficulty this imposes is fascinating. Pop culture and music is ever-present, as Oona is a musician and chapter titles are taken from song titles or lyrics. What would it be to live your life out of order? To instinctively want to second guess and redo what you saw as failures? At the heart, Oona Out of Order is about mastering the art of living in the moment and it is a terribly fun romp.”

Rachel, Avid Bookshop

Convenience Store Woman

“Keiko loves rules. Having worked a part-time job in a Japanese convenience store for 18 years, she loves having a corporate script to recite, sales goals to reach, and a list of tasks to complete. What she doesn't love - or even understand - are the more complicated rules of society at large. She doesn't want a husband, or children, or a real job. What she does want is a satisfactory answer to the endless personal questions that will allow her to be left alone. Convenience Store Woman is a quirky and hilarious look at society and its misfits, and what happens when we try to bend ourselves to the needs of others.”

Rachel, The Book Table

Finlay Donovan Is Killing It

“A wonderful palate cleansing between some dry reads!”

Debbie, The Book Oasis

The Song of Achilles

“It is unbelievably easy to get lost in the long-forgotten world Miller recreates. Easier still with such incredible narration from Douglas. At once rich mythology and modern love story, The Song of Achilles dazzles like Ichor. Beautifully written, with characters you love to hate and love all at once. Though I’ve heard The Iliad many times, this is the version that will stick with me. And I certainly shan’t ever forget Patroclus.”

Britt, Second Star to the Right

Red at the Bone

“How did she manage to create this gorgeous family saga in less than 200 pages? Told through a chorus of five different voices, family members fill in the puzzle of their lives piece by piece and generation by generation. Told out of sequence, we learn how these lives intersected, arrived in Brooklyn, and navigated their way through the racial complexities of the 20th and 21st centuries. We experience how they face timeless issues of family, love, identity, race, and class. The poetic language along with full audio cast makes for a moving and spell-binding listen.”

Cori, Bright Side Bookshop

"Cantoras is a stunning lullaby to revolution—and each woman in this novel sings it with a deep ferocity. Again and again, I was lifted, then gently set down again—either through tears, rage, or laughter. Days later, I am still inside this song of a story." —Jacqueline Woodson, National Book Award–winning author

From the highly acclaimed,... Read more »

Bunny

“Mona Awad tells a harrowing story of a writer trying to overcome her writer’s block while simultaneously refusing to look deeper into herself or acknowledge her own needs or desires. This lack of self-knowledge leads her to a friendship with a group of young MFA students who are always ‘workshopping’…with disastrous consequences. The writing feels cinematic at times, moody and illustrative. Home, identity, love (both romantic and platonic), inner (and outer) demons, and academic elitism all play a part in this spectacle of creation and destruction. Awad creates a kind of magic that changes with the wind, a contemporary Prometheus tale.”

Katrina Feraco, The Toadstool Bookshop - Keene