Book of the year

The Lost City of

the Monkey God
Douglas Preston
Grand Central Publishing
@GrandCentralPub
$15.99
Douglas Preston is best known for
writing thrillers, but this real-life
adventure showcases his research
skills and his determination to
discover the mysteries buried deep
in the Honduran jungle. Between the
threat of an ancient curse, deadly
animals, and parasitic diseases the
legendary city remained hidden until
an amazing scientific breakthrough enabled the team to glimpse the
historic ruins. This expedition finally revealed many secrets but nearly
cost them their lives. Sandra, SEA
Excerpt
When I retired that night to my hammock, I could not sleep. The jungle,
reverberating with sound, was much noisier than in the daytime.
Several times I heard large animals moving past me in the darkness,
blundering clumsily through undergrowth, crackling twigs. I lay in
the dark, listening to the cacophony of life, thinking about the lethal
perfection of the snake and its natural dignity, sorry for what we had
done but rattled by the close call. A bite from a snake like that, if you
survived at all, would be a life-altering experience. In a strange way
the encounter sharpened the experience of being here. It amazed me
that a valley so primeval and unspoiled could still exist in the twenty-
first century. It was truly a lost world, a place that did not want us and
where we did not belong. We planned to enter the ruins the following
day. What would we find? I couldn't even begin to imagine it.
 Best NonFiction
You Dont Have to Say You Love Me
Sherman Alexie
Little, Brown and Company @littlebrown $28.00
This memoir is filled with grief over the failings of Alexie's mother, as well
as grief over things left unsaid and undone. Lillian Alexie lived a tragic but
typical life of a Spokane Indian, dealing with alcoholism, abuse, and mental
health issues. How could her son escape the same fate without turning his
back on his culture? Alexie patches together the pieces of his life that have
shaped the person he has become, as unique and beautiful as the quilts that
were his mother's legacy. Sandra, SEA

Sandra's favorites, Sea

1. The Lost City of the Monkey God by Douglas Preston
2. Al Franken, Giant of the Senate by Al Franken
3. You Dont Have to Say You Love Me by Sherman Alexie
4. Theft by Finding by David Sedaris
Half the people I know have dead animals in their freezers: reptiles, birds,
mammals. Is that normal? This is one of the unique observations from
David Sedaris, as he finds humor, sadness, and curiosity in the world
around him.
5. Lincoln in the Bardo by George Saunders
6. Woolly by Ben Mezrich
7. Magpie Murders by Anthony Horowitz
8. The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas
9. Brain Rules for Aging Well by John Medina
10. Love and Other Consolation Prizes by Jamie Ford

HuE 1968
Mark Bowden
Atlantic Monthly Press @groveatlantic $30.00
Mark Bowden has written a well-researched and detailed book while keep-
ing it interesting with not only details about military tactics and battles, but
also the personal stories of the people who lived through the battle of Hue.
Starting off the book with a history of Vietnam's occupation by different
countries helped explain how America ended up in a war that was never
going to be won. The book really stands out by connecting the horrendous
daily reality of this 26-day battle with the personal stories of soldiers,
marines, and officers who did their best to get through day by day and to
live long enough to find themselves on their way home to the United States.
Cathy, Book Office
Best NonFiction
astrophysics for people in a Hurry
Neil deGrasse Tyson @neiltyson
W. W. Norton & Company @wwnorton $18.95
This is also the winner for the most accurate book title of the year. In
addition to being the worlds most entertaining astrophysicist, Neil
deGrasse Tyson does a great job of explaining science and
mathematics to the layman. I encourage everyone to read this book
to better understand our universe. Justin, Book Office

Al Franken, giant of the senate

Al Franken @alfranken
Twelve @twelvebooks $28.00
This candid and entertaining memoir tells of Frankens upbringing in subur-
ban Minnesota and the influence of Sen. Paul Wellstone. As a junior sena-
tor, elected by the slimmest margin in history, he has worked hard, kept his
head down and learned as much as he could. He tells funny stories about
his colleagues, many of whom he really likes (except Ted Cruz), and he also
gives an interesting account of what a senator actually does on a day to
day basis. He covers committee meetings, staff support, and the dreaded
fund raising. This could be dry in the hands of nearly anyone else but Fran-
ken has a knack for writing. Did I mention he spent 15 years writing and
performing at SNL? I love his dry wit, his clear explanations, and his passion
for helping his constituents. And I loved this book. Sydne, Book Office

killers of the flower moon

David Grann @DavidGrann
Doubleday @doubledaybooks $28.95
This is a sordid story from Americas history that I had never heard before.
The Osage Indians were hustled off their land onto a small piece of Oklaho-
ma scrub land that white men didnt want. That is, until oil was discovered.
After tribe members became immensely rich, many died in unexpected and
unnatural ways. Local law enforcement couldnt come to any conclusions so
in came a group of undercover agents from the Bureau of Investigation, later
became the FBI, in one of the earliest uses of national law enforcement. This
thrilling, infuriating true crime story uses the stories of individuals like Mollie
Burkhart to examine the larger tale of greed and murder. Officially 24 died
in this reign of terror but the story is much broader and its impact is still felt
today. This is non fiction that I wish werent true but it reads like a fantastic
conspiracy tale from the best of our fiction storytellers. Sydne, Book Office
 Best NonFiction
Sons and soldiers
Bruce Henderson @BHendersonBooks
William Morrow @WmMorrowBooks $28.99

Sons and Soldiers reveals the rarely told WWII stories of young German-
born Jewish boys who fled Germany and were forced to navigate new lives
in a new land. Often they came alone without even news of their families
who were still locked in the insanity and peril of WWII Germany. Nearly
2,000 of these young men chose to stand with their new homeland and fight
for freedom against Nazism. The "Ritchie Boys," armed with their unique
understanding of German culture and language, were indispensible for intel-
ligence gathering and special missions which saved many lives and helped
win the war. This book is a tribute to patriotism, courage, and strength which
will resound in today's precarious world. Becky, MSP

Lens's favorites, OrD

1. We Are Never Meeting in Real Life. by Samantha Irby
2. Letterman by Jason Zinoman

David Letterman is a celebrity we don't know a ton about and Zinoman's

book informs us with a complicated portrait of the comedy icon. There are a
lot of behind-the-scenes stories, controversies, and interactions with some of
the biggest stars in Hollywood. A rich reminder of what an impact Letterman
had on both late night and modern humor.
Snap the QR code
3. Long Shot by Craig Hodges Get the audiobook
4. Based on a True Story by Norm Macdonald (2016)
5. Good Vibrations by Mike Love (2016)
6. Lincoln in the Bardo by George Saunders
7. Tv (The Book) by Alan Sepinwall (2016)
8. This is the Noise That Keeps Me Awake by Garbage
9. Bright, Precious Days by Jay McInerney
10. Teammate by David Ross

We are never meeting in real life.

Samantha Irby @wordscience
Vintage @vintagebooks $15.95

Samantha Irby's humorous essays are raw, honest, and very human.
There are plenty of laugh out loud moments and a very rounded portrait
of a woman who probably would be awkward around you if you met
"in real life." Len, ORD
Best NonFiction
The Undoing Project
Michael Lewis
W. W. Norton & Company @wwnorton $16.95
The Undoing Project is not your typical Michael Lewis book about sports or
high finance. No, it is the intriguing story of the fathers of behavioral eco-
nomics, Israeli psychologists Daniel Kahneman and Amos Tversky. Without
this pair we would not have the benefits of Big Data studies or advanced
evidence-based medicine. Justin, Book Office

Justin's favorites, Book Office

1. The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas
2. Radical Candor by Kim Scott
Snap the QR code
3. The Lost City of the Monkey God by Douglas Preston Get the audiobook
4. The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao by Junot Daz (2007)
5. Universal Harvester by John Darnielle
6. Astrophysics for People in a Hurry by Neil deGrasse Tyson
7. The Undoing Project by Michael Lewis
8. Hue 1968 by Mark Bowden
9. After On by Rob Reid

Rob Reid is either an amazing writer or has access to a time machine

and is simply reporting what happens in the near future. This is the most
entertaining and terrifying book I read this year. Its conclusion will probably
save the human race.

10. The City of Mirrors by Justin Cronin(2016)

Radical Candor
Kim Scott @kimballscott
St. Martins Press @StMartinsPress $26.99
Scott has written the management book of the future based on her
experience working for tech companies. Radical Candor is the sweet
spot between managers who are obnoxiously aggressive on one side and
ruinously empathetic on the other. If you think books on management dont
have anything new to teach then this is the book for you. Scotts ideas will
energize your team and change the way management works for years to
come. I loved this book. Justin, Book Office
 Bookseller Favorites
RAY 's favorites, den Snap the QR code
Get the audiobook
1. Magpie Murders by Anthony Horowitz
2. Norse Mythology by Neil Gaiman
3. Only The Dead Know Brooklyn by Chris Vola
4. The Lost City of the Monkey God by Douglas Preston
5. A Stranger In The House by Shari Lapena

Danger lies very close to home. Too close. This is a thriller packed full of
secrets and twists that never stop. Karen and Tom Krupp are happythey
have a new home in upstate New York, have been married for a couple
of years, and have no kids to interrupt their comfortable life together. But
Tom returns home one day to find Karen has vanished. Her cars gone and
it looks like she left in a hurry. She left her pursecomplete with phone
and IDbehind. Tom receives a knock on the doorthe police are there
to take Tom to the hospital where his wife has been admitted. She had a
car accident and lost control as she sped through the worst part of town.
The accident has left Karen with a concussion and a few scrapes. Still, shes okayexcept
that she now has amnesia and cant remember what she was doing or where she was when
she crashed. The cops think her memory loss is highly convenient, and suspect she was up
to no good. There was a murder committed in the same vicinity as Karens accident. She
returns home with Tom, wanting to heal and prove that she is innocent and move on with
her life. She realizes something has been moved in her house. Somethings not quite right.
Someones been in her house. And the police won't stop asking questions. Everyone has
something theyd rather keep hidden. Something they might even kill to keep quiet.

6. The Black Hand by Stephan Talty

7. The Seven Husbands Of Evelyn Hugo by Taylor Jenkins Reid
8. The Dark Net by Benjamin Percy
9. The Last Of The Tsars by Robert Service
10. Ill Will by Dan Chaon
Bookseller Favorites
Della's favorites, Book Office
1. Schadenfreude, A Love Story by Rebecca Schuman

Full of both hardship and hilarity, Rebecca Schumans memoir proves itself
aptly named right from the start. From the ill-fated teenage romance that
sparked her love of Kafka, to sharing a less than romantic flat in a changing
Berlin, I couldnt get enough of this lively retelling of a twenty-year long
love affair with all things German. Always witty and insightful, Schuman
has done an excellent job of capturing not only her own, often unfortunate,
experiences but also the experiences of a people and country attempting to
rebuild after decades of war and turmoil. Every detail of this book will keep
you turning pages and, yes, experiencing Schadenfreude for yourself.

2. The Ministry of Utmost Happiness by Arundhati Roy

3. Sing, Unburied, Singby Jesmyn Ward
4. The Alice Network by Kate Quinn
5. Cheech is Not My Real Name by Cheech Marin
6. Watch Me Disappear by Janelle Brown
7. A Piece of the World by Christina Baker Kline
8. Stolen Beauty by Laurie Lico Albanese
9. The Roanoke Girls by Amy Engel
10. Waking Lions by Ayelet Gundar-Goshen

SYDNE's favorites, book Office

1. Sing, Unburied, Sing by Jesmyn Ward
2. Exit West by Mohsin Hamid
Such a beautiful and heartbreaking book for so many reasons. Love,
familial connections, religion, personal safety -- how does he cover so many
topics so succinctly without beating you on the head? The story unfolds and
you read in a whisper so you don't intrude on the intimate thoughts of the
characters. If Mohsin Hamid wrote the owner's manual for an appliance I
would willingly read it.

3. Manhattan Beach by Jennifer Egan

4. The Bright Hour by Nina Riggs
5. Al Franken, Giant of the Senate by Al Franken
6. The Twelve Lives of Samuel Hawley by Hannah Tinti
7. Little Fires Everywhere by Celeste Ng
8. Killers of the Flower Moon by David Grann
9. The Girl in Green by Derek B. Miller
10. American War by Omar El Akkad
 Bookseller Favorites
Christine's favorites, ord
1. Autonomous by Annalee Newit

Autonomous is so much more than your average science fiction novel.

Ms. Newitz deftly weaves moral questions that puzzle society today into
this imagined world of our near future. What is our social responsibility to
patients that require astronomically expensive medicine, and should we
protect the corporations that create the medicines so that their research
isn't stolen? Is gender just a physical set of attributes, or is it a state of mind
as well? And can gender apply to non-human life forms? The novel starts
off very quickly, and feels like a standard good vs. evil story, but sucks the
reader in with thought-provoking situations and lively prose. I wish that I
could read this novel again for the first time.

2. The Storm Before the Storm by Mike Duncan

3. The Wanderers by Meg Howrey
4. We are Never Meeting in Real Life. by Samantha Irby
5. A Close and Common Orbit by Becky Chambers
6. American War by Omar El Akkad
7. She Persisted by Chelsea Clinton
8. The Burning Girl by Claire Messud
9. Little Fires Everywhere by Celeste Ng
10. That Inevitable Victorian Thing by E.K. Johnston

Rebecca's favorites, Book Office

1. Waking Gods by Sylvain Neuvel

When Rose Franklin and her team scoured the Earth for large alien robot
parts and formed Themis 9 years ago, they questioned whether or not there
were more robots in the universe. At the start of Waking Gods, the sequel
to Sleeping Giants, that answer is revealed when a large male robot lands
in London. Unfortunately, this marks the beginning of an invasion that the
citizens of Earth are not prepared for. With Themis outnumbered, the Earth
Defense Corps has to find a solution before its too late. Sylvain Neuvel does
a fantastic job using interviews, diary entries, official documents, news and
radio transcripts, and more, to build a story and characters that you become
attached to. I loved the sound effects in the audio book; it made me feel like I was a part of
the story. If you love giant robots fighting, you will enjoy this series!
Snap the QR code
Get the audiobook
2. Carve the Mark by Veronica Roth
3. The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas
4. The Edge of Everything by Jeff Giles
5. Six Wakes by Mur Lafferty
6. Warcross by Marie Lu
7. The Boy on the Bridge by M.R. Carey
8. Strange the Dreamer by Laini Taylor
9. The Roanoke Girls by Amy Engel
10. Yesterday by Felicia Yap
 This is the kind of world it is. The kind of w
doughy memory, and a child that can't keep n
grab the thorny stems as close to the earth as I
hand, tears at the skin, draws blood in tiny points
Mama told me when I got my period when I was
them once they dead. And devils them throughou
in her face when she said them. She thought tha
could, if she gave me a map to the world as she
spirit in everything, I could navigate it. But I rese
lessons and the misplaced hope. And later, fo
her with cancer, that twisted her limp as a
Excerpt from Sing, Unbur

Anne's favorites, book Office

1. Thick as Thieves by Megan Whalen Turner
2. The Trail by Meika Hashimoto
3. Daughter of the Pirate King by Tricia Levenseller
4. The Pearl Thief by Elizabeth Wein
5. The Upside of Unrequited by Becky Albertalli
6. Theres No Such Thing as Bad Weather by Linda keson McGurk
7. Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine by Gail Honeyman
I started Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine expecting a light, uplifting
read. The publisher's summary of the book is Smart, warm, uplifting, the
story of an out-of-the-ordinary heroine whose deadpan weirdness and
unconscious wit make for an irresistible journey as she realizes the only way
to survive is to open her heart, and that is exactly the book, but be warned
it does venture into some pretty dark depths. I quickly became attached
to Eleanor and was thoroughly engrossed in her story and hoped that she
would really be fine.

8. Wild Things by Bruce Handy

9. Montaigne in Barn Boots by Michael Perry
10. The Seventh Function of Language by Laurent Binet
 world that gives you a blackberry plant, a
nothing down. I kneel by the side of the road,
can get them, and pull, and the vine pricks my
that smear. My palms burn. This the kind of world,
twelve, that makes fools of the living and saints of
ut. Even though the words were harsh, I saw hope
at if she taught me as much herbal healing as she
e knew it, a world plotted orderly by divine order,
ented her when I was young, resented her for the
or still believing in good in a world that cursed
an old dry rag and left her to disintegrate.
ried, Sing by Jesmyn Ward

Becky 's favorites, msp

1. Sons and Soldiers by Bruce Henderson
2. Beartown by Fredrik Backman

Beartown is a small, rural community that is devoted to hockey. Hit with

economic slow downs and increased "big town" competition, the town
bases its reputation for excellence on hockey and the success of its team
and players. Trouble comes when charges of sexual misconduct explode
their unity and focus, forcing hard decisions concerning the town's ethics
and sports mania. Fredrik Backman once again succeeds in telling life-
changing stories as a town must come to terms with this new reality.

3. The Changeling by Victor LaValle

4. A Piece of the World by Christina Baker Kline
5. American Gods by Neil Gaiman
6. The Atomic Weight of Love by Elizabeth J. Church
7. Astrophysics for People in a Hurry by Neil deGrasse Tyson
8. Come Sundown by Nora Roberts
9. The Orphan's Tale by Pam Jenoff
10. Round Midnight by Laura McBride
Bookseller Favorites
cathy 's favorites, book office Snap the QR code
Get the audiobook
1. Manhattan Beachby Jennifer Egan
2. The Ministry of Utmost Happiness by Arundhati Roy
3. Hue 1968 by Mark Bowden
4. Sing, Unburied, Sing by Jesmyn Ward
5. Norse Mythologyby Neil Gaiman
6. The Half-Drowned Kingby Linnea Hartsuyker

Really loved this book! It has touches of Norse mythology and life in 9th
century Scandinavia centered on the lives of Ragnvald Eysteinsson and his
sister, Svanhild. Ragnvald is almost killed by someone whom he trusted so
a lot of the story focuses on him seeking revenge and trying to make sure
his sister is cared for. She has a strong, unpredictable personality and wants
to travel and explore like her brother and the other men do. I really look
forward to what her character does in the next book since she is a bit of
a wild card. Ive recommended this book to anyone who enjoys historical
fiction or fiction based on mythology. Jane Smileys Greenlanders comes
to mind, but this book has more adventure, exploration and mythology intertwined with the
characters.
7. The Women in the Castleby Jessica Shattuck
8. Policing the Black Manby Angela J. Davis
9. Blitzed by Norman Ohler
10. The Marsh King's Daughter by Karen Dionne

jenn's favorites, book office

1. The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao by Junot Daz
2. Hillbilly Elegy by J. D. Vance Snap the QR code
Get the audiobook
3. American War by Omar El Akkad
4. The Lost City of the Monkey God by Douglas Preston
5. The Lightbringer series by Brent Weeks
6. All Our Wrong Todays by Elan Mastai
7. Made for Love by Alissa Nutting
8. Strange the Dreamer by Laini Taylor
A cursed city, a scholar, and a girl trapped by hate and circumstance come
together in the powerful new young adult novel from Laini Taylor. Amid a
world of magic and curiosities lies a cycle of revenge that seems almost
impossible to break. This is an inventive tale of love, hate, and the ties that
bind us.

9. The Impossible Fortress by Jason Rekulak

10. Ginny Moon by Benjamin Ludwig
 best fiction
Matt's favorites, Los angeles
1. Sing, Unburied, Sing by Jesmyn Ward
2. History of Wolves by Emily Fridlund
3. Tales of Falling and Flying by Ben Loory

Loorys stories are tightly constructed curios that convey complex meaning
in deceptively simple language. Aesops fables on mescaline or Fractured
Fairytales with sharp pointy teeth, these charming tales will sneak up on you
before they pounce.

4. The Changeling by Victor LaValle

5. Al Franken, Giant of the Senate by Al Franken
6. Books for Living by Will Schwalbe
7. Manhattan Beach by Jennifer Egan
8. Swimmer Among the Stars by Kanishk Tharoor
9. Chuck Klosterman X by Chuck Klosterman

manhattan Beach
Jennifer Egan @Egangoonsquad
Scribner @ScribnerBooks $28.00
Love the flow, the imagery, and the historical details Jennifer Egan incorpo-
rated into the different characters' story lines. Its set in depression era New
York City and goes through WWII. Starting off with Eddie Kerrigan and his
struggles to provide for his family, leads into other stories and eventually
centers on his daughter Anna Kerrigan who works in the Brooklyn Naval
Yard and has dreams of becoming a diver who would repair ships going
into war, not your typical womens work. There is also Dexter Styles who is
a mobster and struggles with how his life has turned out. I read A Visit From
the Goon Squad, but this is my favorite Jennifer Egan book so far.
Cathy, Book Office

American War
Omar El Akkad @omarelakkad
Knopf @AAKnopf $26.95
American War could have been set during any war, anywhere. It is a bril-
liant character study of a young girl growing up in a refugee camp, being
influenced and manipulated by people with ulterior motives, and shaped by
the events surrounding her.I found myself swept up in her life, alternately an-
gry with her choices and hopeful for her future. Add to this the speculative
fiction backdrop of a second civil war and a country destroyed by deeply
held resentments. A compelling read that will stay with you long after you
have finished reading it. Jenn, Book Office
Best Fiction
history of wolves
Emily Fridlund
Atlantic Monthly Press @groveatlantic $16.00
An extraordinary debut novel, nuanced and strange, History of Wolves is an
atmospheric coming-of-age story packed with ominous twists and forebod-
ing. Heartbreaking and gorgeous. Matt, Los Angeles

norse mythology
Neil Gaiman @neilhimself
W. W. Norton & Company @wwnorton $25.95
Norse Mythology can be called a history of the Norse Gods. It starts
in the beginning with a creation story, and ends with an Armageddon-
type battle with interesting stories in between. I think this is the book of
the year. Paul, SEA

magpie murders
Anthony Horowitz @AnthonyHorowitz
Harper @HarperCollins $27.99
I love this book. It's a whodunit following in the steps of Agatha Christie. It
is two books in one. It starts in present day as an editor prepares to read a
manuscript from their top author. I was so involved in the story that I forgot
that it was a manuscript until I got to the end of it, found out who murdered
one victim, and it ends abruptly. Then it flashes back to present time where
you find out several chapters are missing from the manuscript. The editor
goes in search of the missing chapters only to find a present day murder
which she tries to solve. Lots of twists and turns in this book while you try to
figure out whodunit. Love it! It will keep you guessing until the very end.
Ray, DEN

Hudson congratulates the winners of the

National Book Awards.
Visit nationalbook.org to see all of the great
books that were nominated.
 Best Fiction
The Changeling
Victor LaValle @victorlavalle
Spiegel & Grau @SPIEGELandGRAU $28.00
In The Changeling, strange things happen. It is, after all, a self-declared
fairy tale for grown-ups, directly referencing Maurice Sendaks picture book,
Outside Over There. But LaValle vibrantly, and yes, realistically, grounds
the novel in present day New York City. Its a straight-up gorgeously writ-
ten, page-turning story about a horrific act of violence, and about love and
family and survival in the world we live in today. The fantastic is braided so
Snap the QR code seamlessly into the plot, the ideas, the structure and style of the book itself,
Get the audiobook
that you hardly notice when veering into another dimension (and sometimes
youre mistaken). There are no gimmicks here. LaValles magic works because
it reveals a greater truth than realistic fiction might, just as the best fiction
itself can illustrate greater truths than nonfiction. Where is the line between
supernatural monsters and everyday evil? Does it matter? The Changeling is
brilliant, fun, dark, and deep. A rare treasure. Sara, Book Office

The ministry of utmost happiness

Arundhati Roy
Knopf @AAKnopf $28.95
Simultaneously beautiful and heartbreaking, Arundhati Roys stunning new
novel paints the lives of her unforgettable characters over decades and
across the Indian sub-continent to create a deeply moving tale of love, war,
identity, place, and truth. This sweeping novel captures the joy and pain
of lives lived, lives lost, lives rescued, and lives recaptured framed in the
upturned world of a country at war with itself. From Anjum (formerly Aftab)
to Miss Jebeen the Second (found abandoned in the night), Roys characters
and their interactions weave together a breathtaking tale that draws you into
the most intimate places of human experience while forcing you to question
what it means to be human. Della, Book Office
Best Fiction
Lincoln in the bardo
George Saunders
Random House @randomhouse $28.00
George Saunders' first novel after several short story collections is highly
inventive historical fiction centering on the death of Abraham Lincoln's
young son, Willy. Saunders creates a limbo in the graveyard of various
memorable characters, unaware that they are dead, but fascinated by the
arrival of Willy Lincoln and the heavy grief and unusual actions of his father.
Written like a play, Saunders' bizarre view of the afterlife is entertaining,
sad, and funny. Len, ORD

swimmer among the stars

Kanishk Tharoor @kanishktharoor
Farrar, Straus and Giroux @fsgbooks $25.00
These very imaginative and super creative stories pull from history and
current events. I was surprised how lost I got in this book which included
romance, history, humor, and sometimes very dark passages. The story of a
trip to the remote village to record the language's last surviving speaker was
so interesting, and I found it fascinating. This book is creative, interesting,
and full of wonder. I loved getting swept up in it, and that it has so many
layers and interests that relate to current times as well. Mary Jo, YVR
 Best fiction

sing, unburried, sing

Jesmyn Ward @jesmimi
Scribner @ScribnerBooks $26.00
Sing, Unburied, Sing is a dark and gorgeous song of love and heartbreak. It
is haunting and tragic and disorienting in its timelessness. Deepwater Hori-
zon anchors Wards tale to Mississippi today, otherwise almost indistinguish-
able from its notorious yesterday, a present and past (ironically) made more
alive in the novel by ghosts, and where everyone suffers from the cancers of
buried sins. Narrated in chapters alternating between Leonie and her son
Jojo, the story takes place over the course of just a few days. On Jojos 13th
birthday, Leonie plans a road trip to pick up his and baby Kaylas father
Michael from prison while Mam is dying and Pop struggles to keep every-
one safe. Its The Odyssey meets the Delta blues meets William Faulkner
and Toni Morrison and some ineffable something that is Jesmyn Wards own
magic. Sara, Book Office
Bookseller Favorites
mary jo's favorites, YVR
1. The Lost City of the Monkey God by Douglas Preston
2. Ill Will by Dan Chaon

This is one of the scariest novels I have read. I am amazed at how the
author can bring it all together in such an eerie way. At times I wanted to
put the book down and not read on, but I couldn't stop! I was mesmerized,
drifting between the different time frames and family history. I do not
normally read these kinds of daunting books, but very much enjoyed this
book and may have found a new type of reading.
Snap the QR code
3. Swimmer Among the Stars by Kanishk Tharoor Get the audiobook
4. History of Wolves by Emily Fridlund
5. Manhattan Beach by Jennifer Egan
6. The Daughter of Time by Josephine Tey
7. Astrophysics for People in a Hurry by Neil deGrasse Tyson
8. You Don't Have to Say You Love Me by Sherman Alexie
9. Lincoln in the Bardo by George Saunders
10. The Orphan's Tale by Pam Jenoff

sara's favorites, Book office

1. Sing, Unburied, Sing by Jesmyn Ward
2. Manhattan Beach by Jennifer Egan
3. The Changeling by Victor LaValle
4. The Lost City of the Monkey God by Douglas Preston
5. Moonglow by Michael Chabon
Moonglow might be Michael Chabons best book yet. A lie that tells the
truth, a work of fictional nonfiction, its the tale of a writer named Mike
who narrates his grandfathers deathbed confessions, a gorgeous novel
full of outrageous adventures. From South Philly to Florida, from prison to
the battlefields of WWII, from religion to rocket science, Moonglow ranges
widely but never loses momentum, even as almost every page rewards
with brilliantly elaborate revelations, whether of humor, wisdom, metaphor,
sentiment, or all of the above. But it is Michael Chabon's own words in his
introductory letter to Hudson's exclusive edition of Moonglow (featuring a
ridiculously beautiful essay about nostalgia) describing the qualities of a good book which
perhaps best describes why I love this one: "it makes you laugh out loud, or causes tears to
stream uncontrollably down your cheeks, or makes you just pause, close your eyes, and press
the open pages against your chest as you sink into the truth of the author's words"

6. Celine by Peter Heller

7. You Dont Have to Say You Love Me by Sherman Alexie
8. Lincoln in the Bardo by George Saunders
9. The Twelve Lives of Samuel Hawley by Hannah Tinti
10. The Ninth Hour by Alice McDermott
 Best young adult
The hate u give
Angie Thomas @angiethomas
Balzer + Bray @BalzerandBray $17.99
The Hate U Give puts the reader inside the mind of a high schooler who
spends her life balanced between two worlds. Her days are spent in a
majority white private school and her evenings and weekends are spent at
home and her father's store on the poor side of town populated by people
who look more like her than her schoolmates. I am thankful for fiction like
this that gives us an honest, real look into others' lives. This is the perfect
book to expand the worldview of young and old alike.
Justin, Book Office
Best middle reader
thick as thieves
Megan Whalen Turner
Greenwillow @Greenwillowbook $17.99
Megan Whalen Turners Queens Thief novels are rich with political machi-
nations and intrigue, divine intervention, battles lost and won, dangerous
journeys, power, passion, and deception.

best young reader

triangle
Mac Barnett @macbarnett
Candlewick @Candlewick $15.99
Meet Triangle. He is going to play a sneaky trick on his friend, Square.
Or so Triangle thinks. Visually stunning and full of wry humor, here is a
perfectly paced treat that could come only from the minds of two of todays
most irreverent and talented picture book creators.

best book for future readers

rocket science for babies
Chris Ferrie @csferrie
Sourcebooks @Sourcebooks $9.99
It only takes a small spark to ignite a child's mind! Written by an expert,
Rocket Science for Babies is a colorfully simple introduction to aerospace en-
gineering. Babies (and grownups!) will learn about the basics of hot lift and
thrust that make things fly. With a tongue-in-cheek approach that adults will
love, this installment of the Baby University board book series is the perfect
way to introduce basic concepts to even the youngest scientists. After all, it's
never too early to become a rocket scientist!
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