Staff Picks

Four for the Road is a hilarious yet down to earth novel about Asher, a teen struggling after losing his mom to a drunk driving car crash. Having trouble coming to terms with his mother's death, Asher decides on a new goal to focus his life on--revenge. Bringing along his eclectic three friends from his bereavement group on his trip to murder his mother's killer, they all discover more about each other, themselves, and what it means to live with the grief of losing someone. K. J. Reilly brings her novel to life through both emotional and touching moments and surreal situations that make the characters and story larger than life. Not to mention, Asher’s stream-of-consciousness narrative and quirky details add a personal, human, and humorous touch to the serious subject matter. An enjoyable read for anyone, and especially those who love a story with strong personality.

 

Publisher's description:

When seventeen-year-old Asher embarks on a road trip from New Jersey to Graceland to get revenge on the drunk driver who killed his mom, he brings along three new friends from his bereavement groups.

 

When we think of travel, many of us think of going abroad. However, in this book, Theroux brings us with him to rural areas of the U.S. South to meet its residents. In conversations, we hear their joys, struggles, and opinions about life in a region of the US that is foreign to many U.S. citizens.

 

Publisher description:
Paul Theroux has spent decades roaming the globe and writing of his experiences with remote people and far-flung places. Now, for the first time, he turns his attention to a corner of America—the Deep South. On a winding road trip through Mississippi, South Carolina, and elsewhere below the Mason-Dixon, Theroux discovers architectural and artistic wonders, incomparable music, mouth-watering cuisine—and also some of the worst schools, medical care, housing, and unemployment rates in the nation.
 

A fun romance about transformation and starting over. Body positivity messages are sprinkled within, which is refreshing. It also includes a home remodel, which is satisfying, too!
 

Publisher's description: 
Rose Barnes feels best when she's invisible--so when she wins the lottery and is suddenly thrust into the spotlight where everyone wants something, hiding out in a small town in North Carolina makes perfect sense. Rose has got curves for days--and to Angus, the big, burly, bearded contractor working on her new house, she's just plum perfect. Rose is surprised to learn that Angus has a sense of humor and a soft heart beneath that gruff exterior. Angus can't help noticing that wacky Rose is smart, funny, and has a sexy underwear stash that leads him to some very unprofessional fantasies. As their unlikely friendship becomes love, Angus becomes determined to help Rose overcome what he believes are financial troubles. But with Angus's need to always give more than he receives, Rose's multi-million secrets could mean the end of a beautiful relationship.

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A beautiful, genre-blurring graphic novel using mixed media (watercolor, pencil, collage) to weave a poetic narrative focusing on the connection between humanity and the natural world. Undone and messy, you feel as if you're getting a sneak peek into Koch's artistic process and world. So special!

 

Publisher's description:

For years, Aidan Koch's comics have been pushing the boundaries of the medium, helping reimagine what a comic can look like, and the kinds of stories it can tell. Koch has been living and working in the desert of California, turning her focus toward the ways humans and the natural world converge. Spiral and Other Stories is a triumph of that continuing process. Using watercolors, pencils, crayons, charcoals, and collage, Koch builds worlds of dense detail and vast open spaces, urgent scrawled text and long silences, telling a series of stories about people and the places they inhabit. Characters yearn for each other, even as they're pulled toward different lives. Rivers dance together and then diverge as they make their way to see the sea. With an accompanying essay by the author and critic Nicole Rudick, who explores Koch's craft and her move into environmentally focused comics, Spiral and Other Stories is a showcase of Koch's mastery of the form of comics, as a medium that can contain astonishing forms and tell new stories for our uncertain times.

 

Greenglass House by Kate Milford is so cool because it’s like going on a huge adventure full of mysteries, puzzles, and even a little bit of ghostly magic! The story is about a 12-year-old boy named Milo who’s hoping for a quiet holiday at this super old and creepy inn called Greenglass House. But when a bunch of weird guests show up, everything gets way more exciting. The house itself is kind of spooky, but in a fun way. It has hidden corners, secret rooms, and hallways you’d never expect. Some doors even seem to move on their own, making you feel like the house is alive and hiding something.

 

Publisher's description:

At Greenglass House, a smuggler's inn, twelve-year-old Milo, the innkeepers' adopted son, plans to spend his winter holidays relaxing but soon guests are arriving with strange stories about the house sending Milo and Meddy, the cook's daughter, on an adventure.

 

Oh, Top Story from the Front Desk series by Kelly Yang is so good! It's like the perfect mix of funny, heartwarming, and dealing with real stuff. If you loved Front Desk, you'll totally love this one, too. The main character, Mia Tang, is super relatable and inspiring. She’s super smart and works so hard, and she always stands up for what’s right, even when it’s hard. What makes Top Story even cooler is how it talks about big things like racism, fighting for justice, and learning how to speak up for yourself, but it still feels like an adventure. You really root for Mia the whole time!

 

Publisher's description:

Mia Tang is at the top of her game. She's spending winter break with Mom, Lupe, Jason, and Hank in San Francisco's Chinatown! Rich with history and hilarious aunties and uncles, it's the place to find a great story--one she hopes to publish while attending journalism camp at the Tribune. But this trip has as many bumps as the hills of San Francisco . . .

 

This multigenerational horror story features a loveable family, a mysterious monster, other dimensions, and a family legacy no one saw coming. If you love haunted house attractions, live theater, and lore inspired from the world of H.P. Lovecraft, this one is for you.

 

Publisher description:

 

Monsters both figurative and very literal stalk the Turner family. The youngest child, Noah, narrates the family history: how in the late '60s, his bookish mother, Margaret, marries Lovecraft-lover Harry against her better judgment. The couple has two daughters--Sydney, born for the spotlight, and the brilliant but awkward Eunice, a natural writer and storyteller. But finances are tight, Margaret and Eunice are haunted by horrific dreams, and Harry starts acting strangely. He becomes obsessed with the construction of an elaborately crafted haunted house attraction, christened the Wandering Dark. The family tries to shield baby Noah from the house's faux horrors, but unbeknownst to them, he's being visited by a furry beast with glowing orange eyes--the same ghastly being glimpsed by both his mother and sister. However, unlike them, Noah decides to let the creature in. . . .As he approaches the conclusion of his family's tale, it becomes more and more apparent that there's only one way the story can end: with Noah making the ultimate sacrifice.
 

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"At the Full Moon Coffee Shop we don't take your order; instead we bring you desserts, meals, and drinks--selected just for you." You are invited to the Full Moon Coffee Shop and are served by cats. They bring you what you need and teach you about your star chart, explaining the gifts and difficulties of the planets. The cats help you find your way back to your path.

 

Publisher's description:

In Japan, cats are a symbol of good luck. As the myth goes, if you are kind to them, they’ll one day return the favor. And if you are kind to the right cat, you might just find yourself invited to a mysterious coffee shop under a glittering Kyoto moon. This particular coffee shop is like no other. It has no fixed location, no fixed hours, and it seemingly appears at random. It’s also run by talking cats. While customers at the Full Moon Coffee Shop partake in cakes and coffees and teas, the cats also consult their star charts, offering cryptic wisdom, and letting them know where their lives veered off course. Every person who visits the shop has been feeling more than a little lost. For a down-on-her-luck screenwriter, a romantically stuck movie director, a hopeful hairstylist, and a technologically challenged website designer, the coffee shop’s feline guides will set them back on their fated paths. For there is a very special reason the shop appeared to each of them . . .

 

A Tale of Magic by Chris Colfer is a super exciting fantasy book that takes you on an amazing adventure full of magic and surprises! The story follows Brystal Evergreen, a brave girl who discovers she has magical powers, even though magic is illegal in her world. As Brystal learns about her powers, she has to face all kinds of challenges and danger, but she’s determined to stand up for what’s right and be herself. It's a story full of magic, friendship, and discovering who you really are!

 

Publisher's description:

When Brystal Evergreen stumbles across a secret section of the library, she discovers a book that introduces her to a world beyond her imagination and learns the impossible: She is a fairy capable of magic! But in the oppressive Southern Kingdom, women are forbidden from reading and magic is outlawed, so Brystal is swiftly convicted of her crimes and sent to the miserable Bootstrap Correctional Facility. But with the help of the mysterious Madame Weatherberry, Brystal is whisked away and enrolled in an academy of magic! Adventure comes with a price, however, and when Madame Weatherberry is called away to attend to an important problem she doesn't return. Do Brystal and her classmates have what it takes to stop a sinister plot that risks the fate of the world, and magic, forever?