Staff Picks

I find myself returning to this collection of stories again and again. A master of defamiliarization, Chiang tackles the familiar, nagging questions inherently tied up with the human condition. From heart-wrenching to inspiring, this collection is sure to leave you breathless.

 

Publisher description:

In these nine stunningly original, provocative, and poignant stories, Ted Chiang tackles some of humanity's oldest questions along with new quandaries only he could imagine. In "The Merchant and the Alchemist's Gate," a portal through time forces a fabric seller in ancient Baghdad to grapple with past mistakes and second chances. In "Exhalation," an alien scientist makes a shocking discovery with ramifications that are literally universal. In "Anxiety Is the Dizziness of Freedom," the ability to glimpse into alternate universes necessitates a radically new examination of the concepts of choice and free will. Including stories being published for the first time as well as some of his rare and classic uncollected work, Exhalation is Ted Chiang at his best: profound, sympathetic--revelatory.

 

I couldn't resist this fantasy series starter about a ragtag crew of sky pirates and a job gone horribly wrong. Suspenseful and fast-paced, populated by fascinating characters, and filled with witty banter, this steampunk gem deserves a wide readership.

 

Publisher’s description:
Sky piracy is a bit out of Darian Frey’s league. Fate has not been kind to the captain of the airship Ketty Jay—or his motley crew. They are all running from something. Crake is a daemonist in hiding, traveling with an armored golem and burdened by guilt. Jez is the new navigator, desperate to keep her secret from the rest of the crew. Malvery is a disgraced doctor, drinking himself to death. So when an opportunity arises to steal a chest of gems from a vulnerable airship, Frey can’t pass it up. It’s an easy take—and the payoff will finally make him a rich man. But when the attack goes horribly wrong, Frey suddenly finds himself the most wanted man in Vardia, trailed by bounty hunters, the elite Century Knights, and the dread queen of the skies, Trinica Dracken. Frey realizes that they’ve been set up to take a fall but doesn’t know the endgame. And the ultimate answer for captain and crew may lie in the legendary hidden pirate town of Retribution Falls. That’s if they can get there without getting blown out of the sky.

 

A haunting mystery featuring a missing reclusive writer who lays out her life story in her will. There are two versions to Cassandra Tipp's story, and she asks her niece and nephew (and the reader) which version they believe--I, for one, am still unsure.

 

Publisher's Description:

Cassandra Tipp is dead ... or is she? After all, the notorious recluse and eccentric bestselling novelist has always been prone to flights of fancy--everyone in town remembers the shocking events leading up to Cassie's infamous trial (she may have been acquitted, but the insanity defense only stretches so far). Cassandra Tipp has left behind no body--just her massive fortune, and one final manuscript. Then again, there are enough bodies in her past--her husband Tommy Tipp, whose mysterious disembowlment has never been solved, and a few years later, the shocking murder-suicide of her father and brother. Cassandra Tipp will tell you a story--but it will come with a terrible price. What really happened, out there in the woods--and who has Cassie been protecting all along? Read on, if you dare.

 

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Repairing your clothing beautifully brings so much joy. It is your most cherished garments that show wear: small holes; fabric worn thin; rips, or tears. Textile and clothing designer Hikaru Noguchi shares her techniques and tips to mend visibly and intentionally.

 

Publisher's description: 

Mend, rethink, transform, recreate! Mending your favorite fabric items-from jeans to sweaters to sofa covers-becomes a true art form in Stylish Mending. In this book, mending guru Hikaru Noguchi shows you her entire range of valuable techniques--from embroidery and patching to darning and felting--that are just challenging enough for experienced menders. Noguchi's basic rules of mending are that the repair should suit the fabric and its user, and that there are lots of creative ways to create beautifully customized repairs-some subtle, others making a statement. She provides 13 techniques that show you how to: Apply creative repairs to both knitted and woven fabrics; Use yarn, floss, ribbon, and fabric to reinvent well-loved garments; Make understated repairs that add just a touch of contrast, color, or texture; Use visible mending techniques for bold repairs; Darn with felt to add body and dimension to a repaired item; Match your repairs to the damage, the fabric, and the wearer; Maneuver through tricky places like inseams and underarms; And more! The 13 illustrated lessons and over 300 color photos in this book provide detailed examples for all the basic techniques. Lots of variations plus plenty of tips and examples (67 in all) provide you with all the guidance you need to rethink and repair beautifully. The stunning photos will inspire you to get creative on that fraying neckline or worn elbow!

 

Clocking in at 153 pages, this is the book to read when you're looking to get back into reading. Chambers writes a delightfully hopepunk near-future sci-fi set during climate crisis, in which astronaut Ariadne and three crewmates make a crowdfunded journey into space. Delightfully queer and sincere.

 

Publisher description:

In a stand-alone novella from the award-winning, critically acclaimed author of the Wayfarer series, Ariadne O'Neill and her crewmates are hard at work in a planetary system 15 light-years from Sol, on a mission to ecologically survey four habitable worlds. Faced with the possibility of returning to a planet that has forgotten those who have left, Ariadne begins to chronicle the wonders and dangers of her mission.

 

With decades of professional experience and research to source from, Van der Kolk digs intensely into the sources and impacts of trauma. He reveals a landscape of the human mind and body that will leave you with a deeper understanding and greater empathy for people living with the effects of trauma.

 

Publisher's description:

An expert on traumatic stress outlines an approach to healing, explaining how traumatic stress affects brain processes and how to use innovative treatments to reactivate the mind's abilities to trust, engage others, and experience pleasure.

 

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Looking for a story unlike anything you've ever read? This cast of characters will shock, dazzle, and disgust you. With a blend of dark humor, horror, and a touch of magical realism, readers are transported inside a family's power-struggle to be anything but "normal."

 

Publisher's description: 

Nominated for the National Book Award, Geek Love is mesmerizing, daring, and unconventional. Award-winning novelist Katherine Dunn fascinates and amazes much the same way tornados, earthquakes, and volcanos do. No one wants to be a victim, but most find the event too hypnotic to ignore. In order to save their traveling carnival from bankruptcy, the Binewskis are creating their own brood of sideshow freaks. Under Al's careful direction, the pregnant Lil ingests radioisotopes, insecticides, and arsenic to make her babies "special." As the oldest daughter, albino dwarf Olympia, puts listeners in the ring side seat, her family's incredible drama erupts and spills over into the "normal" world. Not for the squeamish or faint of heart, this brilliantly daring novel is shocking and delightful. Christina Moore's vibrant narration conspires with Katherine Dunn's evocative, energetic prose to shock us at seeing something of ourselves in these exotic characters.

 

I love this rich family story, told through different voices. Oscar Hokeah's debut novel is filled with all the beauty and bitterness of life. This is a great audiobook listen as well, with the author narrating some of the characters.

 

Publisher description:

Follows the life of Ever Geimausaddle, whose family—part Mexican, part Native American—is determined to hold onto their community despite obstacles everywhere they turn. Ever’s father is injured at the hands of corrupt police on the border when he goes to visit family in Mexico, while his mother struggles both to keep her job and care for her husband. And young Ever is lost and angry at all that he doesn’t understand, at this world that seems to undermine his sense of safety. Ever’s relatives all have ideas about who he is and who he should be. His Cherokee grandmother, knowing the importance of proximity, urges the family to move across Oklahoma to be near her, while his grandfather, watching their traditions slip away, tries to reunite Ever with his heritage through traditional gourd dances. Through it all, every relative wants the same: to remind Ever of the rich and supportive communities that surround him, there to hold him tight, and for Ever to learn to take the strength given to him to save not only himself but also the next generation.