Bookseller Sandy's Favorites

Harlem Shuffle

“Colson Whitehead's Harlem Shuffle is a historical fiction mystery set in 1960s Harlem. A furniture salesman playing both sides, Ray occasionally gets rid of his cousin Freddie's stolen goods. When Freddie involves him in a heist that goes south, Ray's life turns upside down. Harlem Shuffle. shows the changing landscape of Harlem with a side of gangsters, extortion, crooked cops, and the everyday struggle of a Black business owner. This book is suspenseful and funny but also examines race and power in the ways Whitehead writes so masterfully.”

Rachel, Avid Bookshop

Matrix

“Lauren Groff said “medieval historical fiction about Marie de France & Eleanor of Aquitaine,” and she had my curiosity. Lauren Groff said “prophesying Sapphic warrior nuns” and she had my attention. Narrated by literal actual goddess Adjoa Andoh, this book is bananas good. It was as if Groff was looking directly at my "Auto-Read" criteria when she was writing Matrix, and I utterly loved it - it's gorgeous, lyrical, unapologetic, defiant, and beautiful, and I would have spent hours more with the characters and the world she created.”

Rebecca, One More Page

Bewilderment

“An homage to the heartbreaking Flowers for Algernon by Daniel Keyes, this intimate story of a grieving father and his troubled son is an intelligent and touching story of tragedy and hope.”

Genevieve, A Great Good Place for Books

The Lincoln Highway

“Like so many other Amor Towles fans, I’ve been impatiently awaiting his next novel, so I delved right in and didn’t totally emerge until a few days later! As always with his work, it’s immersively readable and his word crafting is such a pleasure. What’s happening in the characters’ lives is chaotic and unsettled, but Towles’ writing is as crisp and precise as ever. I was immediately impressed with how distinctive and age/time-appropriate each of the characters’ voices is--right from the start. Most of the characters are young people, kids really, and their choices and actions are life-altering and often heartbreaking. But there’s lots of humor and amusement as well in following their physical, emotional, and moral journeys. A delightful and satisfying read. ”

Shirley, Watermark Books

The Yellow Wife

“The Yellow Wife by Sadeqa Johonson was a great audio book! It took me through a journey of emotions, happy, sad, anger, fear... but ultimately it left me with a strong curiosity and desire to research the factual events that inspired her writing this historical fiction story! If you're looking to start the year off with a good read, this audio book is for you!”

Crystal, We Are LIT

Once Upon a Wardrobe

“Lovely and magical. I fell in love with George, Megs, Mr. Lewis, and all the wonderful, heartwarming stories they shared. Callahan does a fabulous job creating the setting and atmosphere. Fiona Hardingham's voice was delightful.”

Kristine, Buttonwood Books and Toys

"Contemporary female friendship goes glam in this lively debut novel with remarkable depth." -- Washington Post

"Great fun and extremely smart." -- npr.org

NAMED A MOST ANTICIPATED BOOK OF 2022 BY Vogue * Marie Claire * Glamour * Essence * Oprah Daily * Entertainment Weekly * Bustle * PopSugar * CrimeReads * and more!

An incisive and exhilarating...

Greenwich Park

“Such a fun and addicting thriller! I was torn between reading slowly to catch all the nuances and speed reading to figure out what happens. The book pulls punches to the very end. Highly recommended for psychological thriller lovers!”

Kristen Beverly, Half Price Books

I Must Betray You

“Fans of historical fiction will love this book! The author brings us a haunting depiction of the lesser known but horrific dictatorship of Nicolea Ceaucescu in communist Romania. Through the eyes of ordinary teenagers we see how fear and suspicion affected every aspect of Romanian life. The best historical fiction makes us feel that we’ve truly visited history, which this book does. The fact that it takes place in the not-so-distant past makes even more powerful. This is a young adult book that both teens and adults will enjoy.”

Beth, A Great Good Place for Books

Don't Cry for Me

“This book blew me away. Through intimate letters to his son, Jacob reconciles with the man he could have been. Daniel Black creates a stunning work on ancestral heritage, history, family, and the legacy of being a Black man in America.”

Lauren Nopenz Fairley, Curious Iguana

The Museum of Rain

“Sharing a short drive with Jeff Daniels reading a Dave Eggers story is the loveliest start to a day. In a sparse, poignant narrative of a man leading his grand nieces and nephews on a hike on California's Central Coast, Eggers reminds us of the satisfaction of introducing the next generation to the wonders of life. I thought about this gentle story for days.”

Cheryl, Book House of Stuyvesant Plaza

“Sharply, beautifully written.” —The New York Times Book Review
“Intriguing, frightening, witty, and humane.” —The Wall Street Journal

Black Mirror meets Severence in this thrilling speculative novel about a tech company that deletes unwanted memories, the consequences for those forced to deal with what they tried to forget, and the doctor who... Read more »

One Italian Summer

“This book was the perfect read that I finished with happy tears streaming down my face. Rebecca Serle’s writing is beautiful and gripping, and I will now read everything she writes. One Italian Summer has a hint of magical realism with time-travel in the premise. Katy and Adam are both so relatable I found myself wishing I was friends with both of them. This book is a love letter to motherhood, overcoming grief, and rekindling lost love. This book also helped feed my wanderlust and made me want to revisit Italy as soon as possible. Serle paints a pictures of Italy so beautifully that I could see it for myself and it felt as though I was transported for a day. This story will make you crave to learn more about your parents’ past and will allow you to look at every relationship with fresh eyes. ”

Abby, The Snail on the Wall

From the Man Booker finalist and bestselling author of We Are All Completely Beside Ourselves comes an epic and intimate novel about the family behind one of the most infamous figures in American history: John Wilkes Booth.

In 1822, a secret family moves into a secret cabin some thirty miles northeast of Baltimore, to farm, to hide, and to bear... Read more »

"Mysteries drive this satisfyingly twisty tale by Hepworth, whose work may remind you of Liane Moriarty's...the effect is amplified by the talented cast, which includes Caroline Lee, who narrates Moriarty's audiobooks." -- The Providence Journal

Sally Hepworth, the newest breakout star of domestic suspense, delivers her next twisty novel about...

Caroline George once again transports readers with lush, evocative prose, leading them to ask the question: what happens when we can’t even trust ourselves?

Some memories are better left forgotten.

Darby and Morgan haven’t spoken for two years, and their friend group has splintered. But when the body of their former science teacher is found in the...

Good Eggs

“Filled with warmth and hilarity, this book reads like a mix of The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Frye and a Maeve Binchy novel. The Irish setting is especially welcome on this side of the pond, and of the three plotlines following different generations, the absolute best paints 83-year-old pistol of a grandma Millie as a delightfully quirky and determined soul. A charming, offbeat novel — perfect to savor as we emerge from this particular winter.”

Deb, Fair Isle Books

Take My Hand

“Take My Hand by Dolen Perkins-Valdez is historical fiction that addresses a still very relevant topic -- women's reproductive rights, and it does so in a very personal way. Set in 1973 and 2016, the book is based on the true story of forced sterilizations performed by the US government primarily on poor women of color. I loved that the nuances of 1970's Alabama were well depicted --not just the racism and poverty that is well known but also the better educated and prosperous black community. The nature of the topic has a forceful emotional and psychological impact.”

Beth, A Great Good Place for Books

"An Honest Lie is riveting suspense, but it’s also a scream of defiance, a howl of rage." --#1 New York Times bestselling author Colleen Hoover

They've taken your friend, but only to get to you. What do you do?
 
Lorraine—“Rainy”—lives at the top of Tiger Mountain. Remote, moody, cloistered in pine trees and fog, it’s a sanctuary, a new life. She... Read more »

The Night They Vanished

“The Night They Vanished was suspense, family drama, teenaged rebellion, parenting gone terribly wrong, and a story so full of plot twists and turns that even if you figure out a few of them as I did, there is still a lot left to surprise you and keep you on the edge of your seat.”

Nancy, Fiction Addiction