At Libro.fm, we are big fans of independent bookstores. When browsing their shelves, I always stop and take a look at the staff recommendations, most often hand written, on a shelf-talker. There’s something enchanting about a slip of paper (the shelf-talker) coming from a knowledgeable and passionate bookseller that no algorithm will ever replace. These booksellers are the best book curators out there so each month we’re going to highlight what they are reading (and listening to). Here’s what Robert, Alex, Lizzie, Emily, Pete, Kevin and Elaine are recommending right now:
Third Place Books
Seattle, Washington
The Dinner
By Herman Koch
“This is the kind of book you are ashamed of for liking so much. You should be outraged, disgusted, and horrified by this family and their awful behavior. And you are at times. But you also end up reading along with a devilish smile as you cheer on the narrator in a story that surprises over and over again.”
Robert
Third Place Books
The Girl With All the Gifts
By M. R. Carey
“It’s April but your favorite holiday is Halloween and you’ve a pressing need to be scared: look no further than The Girl With All The Gifts. The adults have plans for the children, but Melanie has plans of her own. Transitioning from writing graphic novels (Hellblazer, Lucifer) Carey’s debut novel is a refreshing thriller you simply need to read.”
Alex
Third Place Books
A Tree Grows in Brooklyn
By Betty Smith
“A bittersweet tale of an impoverished girl, Francie, coming of age in an unforgiving world set at the turn of the 19th century, this novel explores the harsh realities of women in society, work, and family as seen through Francie’s eyes. Simultaneously heart wrenching, hopeful, and beautiful.”
Lizzie
Third Place Books
Delancey: A Man, a Woman, a Restaurant, a Marriage
By Molly Wizenberg
“The author’s passion for food shines through in her personal and fun style, and all of the recipes sound delicious. I love the introductions to the recipes, which lean heavily on what’s on hand or in season. This isn’t just a book about food, though; her marriage and internal life carry equal weight with the development of the titular Seattle pizzeria.”
Emily
Third Place Books
Green Apple Books
San Francisco, California
Nudge
By Richard H. Thaler & Cass R. Sunstein
“Nudge is a terrific book for anyone interested in how we make choices, public policy, politics and behavioral science. The way that governments and companies frame choices affects our behavior and well-being, often on a subtle level. A ‘nudge’: if Americans defaulted to donating organs upon death (with an option to opt out, of course) thousands of lives would be saved annually.”
Pete
Green Apple Books
I Shudder: And Other Reactions to Life, Death, and New Jersey
By Paul Rudnick
“This warm and witty memoir/fiction hits my comic sweet spot. I laughed out loud—OUT LOUD!—at least every three pages. Screenwriter, playwrite, and former film critic Rudnick, charmingly recalls detailed anecdotes from his childhood in Piscataway, off-Broadway productions, and showbiz personalities. One warning—some of these pieces appeared in The New Yorker first.”
Kevin
Green Apple Books
Book Passage
San Francisco, California
The Secret Wisdom of the Earth
By Christopher Scotton
“Medger, Kentucky is a town that has been supported and then ruined by coal. Kevin and his mother are devastated. Kevin’s baby brother has died and his father blames Kevin. Fortunately, Kevin’s grandfather takes Kevin under his wing and shows him that he can be strong. Scotton brings us wonderful, complex characters including a brave hair dresser who stands up against the coal company’s removal of the mountaintops. You’ll be thinking about this book for a long time.”
Elaine
Book Passage
A Fine Summer’s Day
By Charles Todd
“It’s 1914, but Inspector Rutledge isn’t thinking about the war that is about to begin. He’s just become engaged and now he’s investigating the murder of a Dorset furniture maker with no known enemies who has been found hanging from a staircase. Soon there are more deaths. As this thriller unfolds, Rutledge has to choose between his duties to Scotland Yard and his patriotism. Charles Todd is a mother and son team who write with such clarity that it’s impossible to know who wrote which parts of their novels.”
Elaine
Book Passage
The Whites
By S. M. Hulse
“Billy Graves’ problems as a detective with the NYPD got him assigned to the Night Watch. Invariably, each time his crew discovers something important, it gets referred to the day shift. Many cops speak of killers they know are guilty—yet can’t catch—as ‘whites’ after the elusive white whale in Moby Dick. When several ‘whites’ turn up dead, Billy suspects his former colleagues. Price/Brandt never hits a false note, as he balances Billy’s cop world with that of his family and old friends. I don’t know why Price has a different name here, but under either name, this guy writes a whale of a story.”
Elaine
Book Passage
What are you reading and listening to right now? Let us know in the comment section. To get more recommendations and audiobook news delivered to your inbox, sign up for the Libro.fm newsletter.
One thought on “Indie Picks: April 2015”