July’s Bookseller Picks

“The World Gives Way gave me so many things: a crime novel, a science fiction epic, but also something that explores the beauties of love and the strive to survive through it all. This is an adventure that I won’t be forgetting any time soon.”

Christian, Astoria Bookshop

“This book really won me over with its brilliant writing and entrancing story. The narrators…all have gorgeous voices and immediately draw you in. It took a bit for me to get fully invested in the story but holy cow, Jeffers weaves an IMPRESSIVE tale. It was both too long and too short; I savored every word and was sad it when it was over. With rich language, multi-generational family history, borderline poetic (and yet not intimidating poetic), this book is for fans of Pachinko, Homegoing, Middlesex by Jeffrey Eugenides, or any work of Jesmyn Ward’s.”

Kimi, Buttonwood Books and Toys

“For fans of Fredrick Backman’s Ove, All the Lonely People is all that and MORE. Hubert’s journey is heartfelt and engaging. Incredibly human, charming, sweet, touching, and a reminder to enjoy what we have.”

Rebecca, Rediscovered Books

“Gilda never wants to disappoint anyone, which is exactly how she ends up with a job as a secretary at a Catholic church. As a gay atheist, it’s problematic. Alternatively hilarious and tragic, Gilda’s story is one that stays with you.”

Laura, White Birch Books

“This searing debut is loosely based on the case of three young women who spent years in captivity in a Cleveland basement in the early 2000s. Ferrell moves the action to New York City, but keeps the horror and grief intact. Told in fragmented bursts by multiple voices, the rage and terror of the victims is laid bare, daring the reader to look away. A formidable first novel from a powerful, singular voice.”

Grace, Mac’s Back-Books

“A perfect conclusion to an endlessly entertaining series. Fry’s take on the Trojan War is hilarious, harrowing, and everything in-between—and it’s only improved by his expert audiobook narration. ”

Leah, Bards Alley

“These stories about human relationships range from those between lovers, friends, and family. How is it that Taylor can write so that we can see the interior crevices of these characters’ souls?”

Rachel, Avid Bookshop

“The voice of the main character in this stunning new slim novel by Elias Rodriques is so honest, flawed and vulnerable, I had myself convinced I was reading a memoir. The details picked out to accentuate memories are so spot-on, so accurate, the reader is encased in this reality created by the author. Brilliant, profound and heartbreaking. ”

Jenny, The Vermont Book Shop

“Both sweeping and intimate, beautiful and painful, this novel based on the life of Dorothy Kirwan Thomas is exquisite. Riley’s research is palpable in the detail of each chapter, and readers will find themselves compulsively turning the pages until the end.”

Destinee, East City Bookshop

“I dearly loved this historical fiction based on the life of J.P. Morgan’s personal librarian. My favorite combination of entertaining and educational!”

Elizabeth, Fabled Bookshop & Café

“This is the story of Mary Toft, a woman who gave birth to dead rabbits in 1726. She did this more than 10 times, confounding surgeons and townsfolk alike. Is this a hoax, a curse, a miracle, or something in between? Extremely readable while still evoking the language and atmosphere of the time period, the book takes readers from the small village of Godalming, England, to London as John Howard and Zachary recruit the help of the top surgeons of the day. I highly enjoyed this disturbing novel. It is brutal, unexpected, and unputdownable.”

Katrina, Books & Company

“Ruth Macallister runs a New York modeling agency, while twin Iris Digby chooses marriage and motherhood, but her diplomat husband turns out to be a spy. Can Ruth extricate Iris from exile in Moscow? A wonderful plot weaves around Red Scare events of the early 1950s.”

Clay, Signs of Life

“This book absolutely delighted and surprised me….Sutanto has melded together an entire genre of her own with this one: a telenovela / soap opera / mystery / thriller / romantic comedy / farce hybrid that has you eye-rolling, guffawing, snorting, and gasping along with Meddy and her Aunties and their HIJINKS!! This book is stupid good. I feel like this was Broadway’s The Play That Goes Wrong meets Jane the Virgin meets Crazy Rich Asians and is perfect for those who want a highly absorbing yet easy read with romantic elements.”

Kimi, Buttonwood Books and Toys

“What fun! This delightful book should be in every beach bag this summer. A hilariously comedic rom-com with memorable characters, set in varied vacation spots in various years. I enjoyed the changing timeline and seeing the relationship as it grew through the years.”

Shelley, Monkey and Dog Books

“Anne of a different island is still the Anne we love. Her wild optimism, her depths of despair…none of it diminished but all through a modern lens. Narrator Carly Robins captures the lovable redhead’s voice perfectly, and we hear the old favorites—Anne’s temper, Gilbert’s constancy—with more depth. It’s lovely to see the cast diversified, and to know that an old favorite holds true, even in modern Manhattan.”

Charity, Schuler Books

“Ordinary Girls is a delightful book to listen to in Jorjeana Marie’s reading. This tale of two sisters is a contemporary coming of age story based loosely on Sense and Sensibility, but it reminded me most of I Capture the Castle. Plum’s musing and adventures make for great company while driving, doing chores, or just relaxing on a summer afternoon.”

Ruby, Annie Bloom’s Books

“From the first pages, this crime novel from author/activist Stacey Abrams drew me into the world of the Supreme Court (and chess!) and the seedy underbelly of the U.S. government. This race through the streets of Washington, DC, also contains a deeply satisfying ending that I won’t give away.”

Megan, The Silver Unicorn Bookstore

“I loved this book. Jones has a unique narrative voice, allowing ‘the entity’ to step in and take over unexpectedly, amping up the horror. Also, each character has a distinct voice that brings them to life. Jones combines the culture and traditions of the Blackfeet and Crow people with the social truths of their contemporary life. It is refreshingly different from any other horror novel I’ve read. This book is gruesome and honestly scary. I couldn’t put it down.”

Kristine, Buttonwood Books and Toys

“Falling is the literary thriller that gets your heart racing and causes you to be both contemplative and terrified at the same time. T.J. Newman, a former indie bookseller and a former flight attendant, knows how to tell a story. She writes with a remarkable turn of phrase and with insider knowledge of what can happen in an airplane. It’s always a great day when an indie bookseller publishes a book. It’s an extremely great day when the book is a fantastic page-turner.”

Cindy, Changing Hands

“When popular mystery author Harriet Vane’s fiancé dies under circumstances that exactly match the plot of her latest book, she must team up with the famous gentlemen detective Lord Peter Wimsey to clear her name and escape execution by hanging. This classic Dorothy Sayers novel not only introduced the character of Harriet Vane, it also began one of literature’s most famous romances.”

Anthony, Brilliant Books Audio

“What a phenomenal book!! The author, while seamlessly fitting in trans/gay/straight/cis characters into their story, also highlights the struggles some of the characters face in our current reality, such as misgendering for trans people. There are many current social issues that are touched on in this book, and the author does that with grace and poise. The audiobook version begins with trigger warnings, which was very helpful to know what was coming your way. The characters were relatable (even while being witches!) and likable. The story was fun and engaging and kept me hooked from the beginning. All in all, an overwhelmingly solid debut.”

Sarah, The Book Worm Bookstore

“”Listening to Cemetery Boys made me smile. A lot. Aiden Thomas presents a story of persistence, mystery, and finding one’s place in the world. Thomas creates a magical but real world highlighting family dynamics surrounding trans identity within a gendered society, the need to prove oneself, and the importance of connecting to family. This book may sound spooky, but instead the story is feel-good, heartwarming, and silly at times; it’s all about celebrating life and being who you are.””

Emma, Content

“What do you do when you have everything you could ever need or want, but still aren’t satisfied with what your life is? A Psalm for the Wild-Built is a short and sweet odd-couple road trip set in a beautiful world that could be our world—if we wanted it to be.”

Joey, DIESEL, A Bookstore

“The Darkness Outside Us uses the space setting of a spaceship hurtling through space to explore humanity, love, and humanity’s responsibility to a future. Elliot Schrefer creates an entire universe within the confines of a ship and two almost opposite personalities. He uses this scarce setting to explore so much about love and humanity’s future. This is a fantastic book for folks getting into science fiction or someone just looking for a story to get lost in.”

Izzy, Off the Beaten Path

“Ever wonder what it’s actually like on these months-long trips into the field to study wildlife? This fascinating study of the largest owls in the world will take you out over oceans and deep into the taiga of far eastern Siberia. My wanderlust has been officially stoked.”

Jeremy, Tattered Cover

“In What Happened to You?, Oprah Winfrey and Dr. Bruce D Perry discuss the effects of trauma on the human brain, especially the young brain, and how our brain and minds are resilient, how these traumas affect each of us later in life, and how we heal from them. In a balanced back and forth between very personal stories from Oprah’s life, anecdotes of helping patients deal with trauma from his career, and analysis of the psychology of the human mind and biology of our brain, Oprah and Dr. Perry lay out an informative, scientific and emotional book….Both Oprah and Dr. Perry are incredibly engaging narrators.”

“In Seek You, Kristen Radtke approaches the epidemic of American loneliness from a variety of angles. A thoughtful exploration of a complex problem that offers understanding, not easy answers.”

Keith, Powell’s Books

“Clint Smith takes us on an unforgettable journey through the history of slavery in the United States, revealing many truths we’ve never been told. Using lyrical prose, he creates a mesmerizing history lesson told through his personal lens. Hard truths told in beautiful language make this a book both highly informative and extremely accessible. Every American should listen to or read it; most of us have a great deal to learn and unlearn. Definitely one of the best books of the year.”

Nancy, Raven Book Store

“This was such a deftly paced story; often incredibly touching and funny, yet heavily laced with intrigue and terror. No memoir has gripped me more since Kiese Laymon’s Heavy.”

Rob Fuller, Seminary Co-op Bookstores

“One of the best memoirs I’ve ever read about the messiness of parenthood, especially as a parent who gives birth both outside of and within ‘motherhood.’ I—we—so needed this book.”

Anna Weber, White Whale Bookstore