October's Bookseller Picks

Beautiful Country

“In this brutally honest coming-of-age memoir, Qian Julie Wang comes to terms with the deprivations and struggles of her undocumented Chinese upbringing in New York City in the 1990s.”

Kayleen Rohrer, InkLink Books

If you enjoyed The Donut Trap, then you’ll love The Love Hypothesis.

“There are some laugh-out-loud moments in this book, highlighted by tone-perfect narration. Olive is endearing and bumbling and just...she just tries so dang hard. A well-earned romance through and through.”

Jenny, Page 158 Books

How Moon Fuentez Fell in Love with the Universe

“This was just so darned delightful. I loved Moon, and her sharp retorts (she comes up with the best insults!), as well as her determination to succeed at her goals even though she constantly doubts herself. She and her twin sister, Star, are opposites in all ways. Star is the beautiful one, and Moon is not. Star is loved, and Moon is not. Star is a social influencer, and Moon, well, you'll find out. While there is a great enemies to lovers romance, with a wonderful cinnamon bun, Santiago, to me, this is more about Moon's family dynamics and how she reconciles them with her life. I listened to this and the narrator is fantastic.”

Audrey, Belmont Books

The Manningtree Witches

“A brilliant story set in 17th-century England about a women’s community at the margins of society and the constant dangers of religious fervor. Dark, unsettling, and highly entertaining.”

Ulrika Moats, Brazos Bookstore

Iron Widow

“Bloodthirsty and tender, full of power, powerlessness, and determination, I could hear Wu Zetian roaring her vengeance call long after I finished this thrilling sci-fi masterpiece.”

Miriasha, Phoenix Books

The Moon, the Stars, and Madame Burova

“A feel-good family mystery, with a host of quirky characters. Travel back to the golden era of holiday camps in the UK, where magic and reality collide for a young clairvoyant, creating a tangled web for the next generation. I loved listening to this book on Libro.fm. ”

Amy, Bright Side Bookshop

Blackout

“Six YA superstars collaborate on this delightful collection of short love stories about black teenagers falling in love during a city-wide blackout. With such a diverse lineup of voices and romance tropes, there is a love story in here for every reader.”

Sofie, Phoenix Books

Olga

“Translated from German, this was a most excellent tale of Olga. It read like a memoir. I enjoyed the varied narrators, each with a different view of her simple, yet profound life. This felt like sitting down with my grandmother's journals and rediscovering she lived a thousand lives aside from the one I knew like the back of my own hand.”

Kathy, The Well-Read Moose

Fault Lines

“Emily Itami has given us an incredibly engaging, hilarious, and relatable narrator in Mizuki as she navigates the fault lines in her marriage, in her past, and within herself.”

Danielle Raub, Itinerant Literate Books

A Little Devil in America

“Hanif Abdurraqib's exploration of Black performance in America is a cultural keystone that is chillingly relevant. Whether discussing the fact that a knowing look or advice on a route from a cashier is a form of a living Green Book that still exists because there are places Black people are not safe, to the origin of the card game spades or the difference between showing out or showing off, at the heart A Little Devil in America circles back to the fact that Black Americans have been forced to survive in places there were not welcome. The section on Black funerals pierced my heart. This book needs to be read, taught, underlined and discussed.”

Rachel , Avid Bookshop

If you enjoyed The Magicians, then you’ll love The Last Graduate.

“If you fell in love with El like I did, you will be thrilled to know she is her same snarky self. A grander scheme will keep you on the edge of your seat until the very end. And oh... what an ending! Once again, flawlessly narrated by Anisha Dadia.”

Kristine, Buttonwood Books and Toys

The Book of Form and Emptiness

“Completely original, this is the story of Benny and Annabelle, son and mother, dealing with tragic loss in their own unique ways. The narrator is The Book, and objects in Benny's life are given voices to tell their own stories. The novel takes an innovative and magical realist look at hoarding, depression, mental illness, homelessness, climate change, and the interconnections of all things.”

Keith, Politics & Prose

Harlem Shuffle

“A love letter to 1960s Harlem that’s also a heist novel, a family saga, and so much more. Colson Whitehead proves once again that he’s always at the top of his game!”

Alyssa Raymond, Copper Dog Books

Under the Whispering Door

“Full of heart, hope, grief, humor, delicious character development and perfectly steeped tea, Under the Whispering Door is one-of-a kind. I laughed, I cried, I stayed up far too late reading. You don't want to miss this book.”

Miriasha, Phoenix Books

Razorblade Tears

“At once gritty and graphic, tender and heart wrenching, Razorblade Tears is the story of two fathers hardened by life circumstances and their respective prejudices who seek vengeance against those who killed their gay sons. The audio was perfection. We NEED this novel to be on the big screen, with Denzel Washington playing Ike. ”

Jessica, Main Street Books Davidson

Cloud Cuckoo Land

“Anthony Doerr's novel Cloud Cuckoo Land is a triumph. This cautionary yet hopeful tale of five very different people obsessed with one ancient book will transport you to Constantinople 600 years ago, present-day Idaho, and to a spaceship a generation or two in the future. It's not too late to be good stewards of Mother Earth. Cloud Cuckoo Land reminds us that the children might just save us all.”

Rachel, Avid Bookshop

On Animals

“Sometimes you may just want to think about anything other than human beings. Pick up On Animals by Susan Orlean and you'll find yourself delighting in the fascinating world of donkeys, orca whales, dogs, and pigeons. A lifelong animal lover, Orlean's essays are beautifully written and frankly quite delightful.”

Rachel, Avid Bookshop

From the New York Times bestselling author of Sorcery of Thorns and An Enchantment of Ravens comes a thrilling new YA fantasy about a teen girl with mythic abilities who must defend her world against restless spirits of the dead.

The dead of Loraille do not rest.

Artemisia is training to be a Gray Sister, a nun who cleanses the bodies of the... Read more »

The Inheritance of Orquídea Divina

“This story sparkles and enchants! It’s a rich and layered multigeneration saga featuring strong women and a mystery veiled in magical realism that will tease and feed your imagination.”

Grace Rajendran, University Book Store