Every month we let you know what we’ve been reading and our monthly recommendations. You’ll get to see new titles with fabulous reviews from the Bay Books team. We’re sure you’ll love these fantastic books just as much as we do. We recommend a wide range of genres and themes. So get ready to explore more books!

Tina’s Picks

Dr. No by Percival Everett

A self-made billionaire named John Sill hires Professor Kitu to aid in his ambition to turn himself into a Bond villain. “You know, evil for evil’s sake,” says Sills. Interestingly enough, Professor Kitu’s area of expertise is the study of ‘nothingness’. Seriously. He studies ‘nothing’.

In other words, Sill intends to instrumentalize “nothing” for mass destruction. But to instrumentalize is to objectify — as soon as “nothing” is used, it will become “something” — and so Sill’s attempts may be doomed from the start. It seems that the main character in this novel is the futility of achieving the plot goal—does that make sense? It sure makes for good reading!

The Social Lives of Birds by Joan E. Strassman

Evolutionary biologist and author Joan Strassman visited us when she was launching her book Slow Birding and this book proves to be just as interesting. She examines what it means for birds of a feather to flock together, why some birds are altruistic and prefer caring for another bird specie’s young, or why some male mating dances requires two males to be successful. She also describes how birds confront conflicts and how they resolve them. She does not limit this bird knowledge to local avian population but to the entire world. The stories and knowledge is intriguing and this is a must read for all bird lovers.

The Book of Lost Hours by Hayley Gelfuso

This unforgettable novel describes a library filled to the brim with books containing the memories of those who bore witness to history. Slowly the government is destroying and burning these memories but a WWII-era young lady, trapped in space time warp, is desperately trying to save them.  Speculative historical fiction at its best.

Don’t Trust Fish by Neil Sharpson

I love when the ridiculous and science education are pooled together in a witty, informational manner. It’s probably why Gary Larsen is my hero but Neil Sharpson is edging his way up with this incredibly funny book about fish, and of course, why we shouldn’t trust them, just as we are learning facts about fish that will make each reader look at them differently. The young person in your life needs this book! (Ages 3 – 7 years)

Becky’s Picks

Heart the Lover by Lily King

King’s lyrical prose and deep and deep character development draw you into a story filled with emotions and poignant moments.

The story navigates the themes of love, resilience and self-discovery with very relatable, if somewhat complex characters.

The importance of friendships and family and the intricacies of human relationships are beautifully explored.

Small Things Like These by Claire Keegan

In the busy Christmas season, Bill Furlong, a coal merchant in a small Irish town, makes a discovery while making a delivery to the local convent – one that forces him to confront his past.

Hope, Heroism and Empathy – a good recipe any time of year but especially during the holiday season.

Wendy’s Picks

Buckeye by Patrick Ryan

You will truly be swept up in this emotionally layered novel set in the heart of the Midwest (Ohio), as we follow two couples across 6 decades of American history, from WWII to early 21^st century. Themes of love, betrayal, heartbreaking loss, generational impact and forgiveness are carried across the narrative by a richly developed set of characters – ordinary people who are authentically dealing with the often-extraordinary complexities of life. Reads like an American classic and one of my top 5 picks of 2025.

The Correspondent by Virginia Evans

This beautifully crafted, debut novel is written in the form of letters, penned by protagonist, Sybil Van Antwerp, an intellectual, a retired attorney, and divorced mother to 2 adult children. Her life story is revealed through her many missives, written over decades to people both ordinary and famous: family, friends, authors and politicians. In this way, we learn about her life, her loves, pain and regrets. The novel is, in many ways, a love letter to book lovers like us!  At the end of every letter, Sybil tells the recipient what she is reading and asks what they are reading.    

Karin’s Pick

Flashlight by Susan Choi

On both the National Book Award long list and Booker Prize long lists, this novel chronicles a family’s fraught history and the ways in which its remaining members grapple with the disappearance of an integral member. Called a “spellbinding, heart-gripping investigation of family, loss, memory, and the ways in which we are shaped by what we cannot see,” this novel has earned its numerous accolades

Grace’s Pick

The Girls by John Bowen

What begins as an idyllic, cozy tale set in an old English village gracefully morphs into a sly, suspenseful, and charmingly wicked classic. Though it initially debuted in 1986, this novel’s masterful containment of numerous genres—let’s call it LGBTQ folk-horror—makes it a timeless page turner that will never go out of style. In detailing the seemingly quintessential lives of Janet and Susan, partners and keepers of the town’s artisanal gift shop, Bowen leads readers down a uniquely macabre path illustrating that when it comes to peaceful country living, “perfect” relationships, parenthood, and septic tanks, there is often more there than meets the eye. Observationally beautiful, Gothic, yet amusing, and surprisingly touching—The Girls offers a little something for everyone.

Every month we let you know what we’ve been reading and our monthly recommendations. You’ll get to see new titles with fabulous reviews from the Bay Books team. We’re sure you’ll love these fantastic books just as much as we do. We recommend a wide range of genres and themes. So get ready to explore more books!

Tina’s Picks

Ash’s Cabin by Jen Wang

This book will resonate with fans of Hatchet and My Side of the Mountain. Ash is a 15-year-old who finds peace and comfort in the solitude of the wild, a trait she shared with their Grampa Edwin until he passed away. The goal is to seek out the secret cabin that Grandpa built in the woods and stay there, forever. Using online videos to learn survival skills, money that they earn in odd jobs, they set off into the Northern California wilderness with their dog Chase. Into this storyline, the author weaves questions of identity, gender, race and climate change into a fundamental tale of survival. Young Adult Fiction, LBGTQ+

Practice Girl by Estelle Laure

Initially I was dismayed at Jo’s neediness and thought this was going to be a typical ‘teenage girl angst’ book where things continue relentlessly with an unsatisfying finish. But truly, this book is a portrayal of a young woman learning to take control over her body, mind, and life. She realizes, through a very rude awakening, that she was so focused on her need for emotional attachment that she lost sense of her self-worth and became confused between sex and love. She calls out her male ‘best friend since fifth grade’ for not sticking up for her when she is called a ‘practice girl’ and she is right. She begins to focus on practices of equality and self-worth rather than seeing herself as a shadow of boys.

Extremely enjoyable and pointed in its lessons. (Young Adult)

The Last House on Needless Street by Catriona Ward

Not a new title but its scariness bears repeating as a Staff Pick. It STILL haunts me!  This gothic horror novel goes far beyond spooks and frights, slithering into the uncomfortable area of trauma and how it shapes us. It is a layered puzzle box that keeps you guessing and breaks your heart. Easily the best horror novel I have ever read and one of the best books I’ve read period. It haunts me.

Six of Crows by Leigh Bardugo

I love this author and her monkey brain that creates such unusual stories. Six of Crows,” which recently celebrated its 10th anniversary, is one of several entries in Bardugo’s sprawling Grishaverse — which also includes the Shadow and Bone trilogy and the King of Scars duology — and this breakneck fantasy heist novel (along with its sequel, “Crooked Kingdom”) is hands down my favorite. A lot of fantasy books explore the idea of found family, but you will not find a scrappier or more fiercely loyal clan than the crows. As individuals, they are each outcasts who learned from a young age to set aside childish indulgences like trust or frivolity and fend for themselves. But together, they are able to take the bad cards they’ve been dealt and shuffle them into an underdog’s advantage. They may express their love through black humor — their refrain before starting a job is “No mourners, no funerals” — but that mercenary front protects a tender and unbreakable core. No matter what deadly scrapes they get into (and morally questionable tactics they employ to get out), you root for them the whole way. I did!

Becky’s Picks

The View from Lake Como by Adriana Trigiani

The author’s Italian roots are delicious as she shares her favorite family meals throughout this story of a woman’s determination to lead a creative life, one that includes love.

Jess is a talented draftswoman, working in her family’s stone business in blue collar Lake Como, N.J.  Family comes first, and Jess is responsible for keeping the trains on the track.

When an unexpected family loss occurs, family secrets force Jess to question her loyalty.  With a one-way ticket to Carrara Italy, her ancestral home, Jess is determined to write a new story… this time in stone.  I loved the trip to Italy and Jess’s determination to find her own way.

Wendy’s Picks

Sisters in the Wind by Angelin Boulley

Boulley’s latest novel (3rd in this compelling YA series) follows a young woman, Lucy, who has been simply trying to survive in the 5 years since her father’s death.  She has determined that living a life in hiding is preferrable to any sort of pseudo-security offered to her through the deeply flawed and traumatizing foster system. Two strangers, purportedly with her best interests at heart, convince Lucy to trust them.  The strangers reveal truths about Lucy’s past that her father hid from her – her Ojibwe heritage, her siblings and a grandmother who could possibly provide Lucy with a real home. But Lucy is being followed and in great danger.  Her secret past may prevent her from having any kind of future.  This internationally acclaimed, award-winning author provides us with yet another powerful read! 

Every month we let you know what we’ve been reading and our monthly recommendations. You’ll get to see new titles with fabulous reviews from the Bay Books team. We’re sure you’ll love these fantastic books just as much as we do. We recommend a wide range of genres and themes. So get ready to explore more books!

Tina’s Picks

Titanic Survivors Book Club by Timothy Schaffert

As an apprentice librarian for the White Star Line, Yorick’s job was to curate the ship’s second-class library for the passengers of the Titanic. He decides to populate it with books that are considered ‘banned’ but that he recognizes as great literary works. When he is found out, he is discharged without ever having boarded the Titanic.

 After he learns of the ship’s sinking, he takes this twist of fate as a sign to follow his lifelong dream of owning a bookshop in Paris. It’s at his shop that he receives an invitation to a secret society of survivors where he encounters other ticket-holders who didn’t board the ship. Haunted by their good fortune, they decide to transform their group into a book society, where they will read the books that were banned on the Titanic, and also forge deep emotional bonds with each other that reveal their inner selves. Isn’t that what true friends do? A very enjoyable read—bonus! You get to see Yorick’s list of books to inspire your own reading.Historical Fiction, Fiction, LBGTQ+

The Modern Fairies by Clare Pollard

Not fairy tales but a historical novel about the people who told them. This novel is set in the Parisian salon of Marie-Catherine d’Aulnoy during the reign of Louis XIV, where intellectuals gathered to share literary stories, primarily literary elaborations of folktales and sometimes, their own inventions. What an interesting way to poke fun at the Sun King and perhaps the safest way to express your opinions, cleverly disguised as ‘fairytales’. Clever and fascinating, this novel represents the court at that time as well as the stories. Loved it! Historical Fiction, Fiction

Karin’s Picks

Is A River Alive? by Robert Macfarlane

To answer his question, Macfarlane endures hard  travel to these beautifully still-wild places to experience them before they are lost forever. He explores three vastly different rivers: the Rio Los Cedros in the Ecuadoran Cloud Forest, the  creeks and estuaries near Chennai, India, and the Magpie River, six hundred miles northeast of Montreal. In each location, along with fellow adventurers and residents, he ponders his essential question: Is A River Alive? These expeditions provide a resounding answer!

Becky’s Picks

North of Tomboy by Julie Swanson

Very local, as the author Julie Swanson grew up in Leelanau County, the setting for this Young Adult story. Through the voice of a nine year old girl, Jess Swanson recreates her life as a tomboy who often felt out of place and misunderstood by adults. Jess is determined to make the world see her as she really is. The gift of another dreaded doll for Christmas turns out to be just the answer, as Jess transforms the doll into the brave boy she has always wanted to be. As her doll, Mickey, becomes her alter ego, Jess struggles to find her own identity. 

Wendy’s Staff Picks

Theo of Golden by Allen Levi

A mysterious but affable stranger lands in the charming southern town of Golden. Upon arrival, he visits the local coffee shop and discovers nearly 100  framed portraits on display – each one depicting a local resident. Theo is inspired to purchase each of the portraits and gift them to the rightful owner. He meets with individuals to pass the portraits along and friendships are formed, and good works are initiated. This lovely, beautifully crafted story reminds us of the importance of human kindness, quiet generosity and the power of paying it forward.  This is the feel-good read you need right now.  

Every month we let you know what we’ve been reading and our monthly recommendations. You’ll get to see new titles with fabulous reviews from the Bay Books team. We’re sure you’ll love these fantastic books just as much as we do. We recommend a wide range of genres and themes. So get ready to explore more books!

Wendy’s Pick

Wild Dark Shore by Charlotte McConaghy
This was undoubtedly one of my tops reads of 2025 – a solid FIVE star. This intense story takes place on a remote island near Antarctica, more than 1500 miles from civilization – and the location of the world’s largest seed bank. Dominic and his 3 children are caretakers of the island and are its only inhabitants. Rising ocean levels threaten the stability of the island and the cadre of researchers who once lived and worked in the island’s research center are now gone. The novel begins as a woman mysteriously washes up on shore after an epic storm. Who is she? How and why did she possibly come to be in the vicinity of this extraordinarily isolated part of the world? If you are like me, you will find yourself compelled to look up various plants and animals woven into the narrative – fascinating. This is an un-put-downable tale with clever twists and turns and themes of climate change/earth science, relationships, personal choices, and the lengths we will go to, to protect those we love.

Tina’s Picks

Culpability by Bruce Holsinger
We’re all thinking about how A.I. will impact our lives and author Holsinger takes us there in this tightly paced novel. The plotline revolved around a car crash while a teen-age boy is at the wheel of a car with an automated assistant. This raises all those questions of who is really liable, morally or financially? Who was really driving? Who is responsible? Adding to this drama is the fact that the family’s vacation house, which is where they are when the accident occurs, is next door to a tech billionaire, which unleashes all kind of madness. Plenty of drama and thought provoking questions!

Is a River Alive by Robert MacFarlane
MacFarlane is best known for his books on landscape, nature, place, people and language and this focus on rivers is no exception. Written in a travelogue manner, he explores three different rivers in Ecuador, India, and Canada and asks if a living thing, such as a river, be regarded as having legal rights, similar to corporations. He stresses the importance of rivers to our environmental sustainability and human health. This is a fascinating book that will make you think in different ways about our rivers’ and waterways’ importance to our humanity.

Swimming Pretty: The Untold Story of Women in Water by Vicki Valosik
Valosik is editorial director at Georgetown’s School of Foreign Service, but she is also a master synchronized swimmer. She’s the perfect choice to show how women have fought for equality, one of which has been in the pool. Swimming for women first became popular in Britain in the mid 1800’s and one Australian woman became famous as a swimmer but also as an advocate for equal rights. Esther Williams made her professional and well known ‘splash’ through Hollywood and in 1984, synchronized swimming was finally acknowledged as an Olympic sport. Synchronized swimming is demanding, complex and becoming increasingly dangerous. This historical narrative makes for a fascinating read and you’ll certainly look at this sport differently. Enjoy!

Isola by Alegra Goodman
This is an incredible true story of power and greed, but also of cultural biases and history during the 16th century as countries vie for slices of the wealth that is found in the ‘new world’. Using the wealth of a young Marguerite de la Rocque, a French noblewoman, her guardian seeks to become an adventurer and win wealth through establishing a colony in what is now known as Nova Scotia. Marguerite was marooned on an island in the Gulf of St. Lawrence after her guardian discovered her romance with his secretary while sailing to the “new world”. Formerly a young lady of privilege, she must learn to survive the harsh cruelties of being stranded with her lover and ladies maid. The story is riveting, all the more so as it is based on historical events. You’ll love it!

Skye’s Pick

Some Days Are Yellow by Suzanne Slade and illustrated by Michelle Lee
A great book for introducing reading! “Some days are yellow” is focused on how some days may not be the best, but a new day is a new start. Sometimes we may have big feelings but we can work through them to find calm. A cute short book that can help children understand everyday emotions and everyday life that both children and even adults can relate to. This story features beautiful illustrations and is perfect for story time!

Becky’s Picks:

Atmosphere by Taylor Jenkins Reid
The story of an ambitious young woman finding her voice and her passion as she
strives to become one of the first female NASA astronauts in the early ‘80’s.
Author’s note: “I hope very much that you enjoy this story. But I hope, even more, that
Jean Goodwin can convince you to go outside tonight, after the stars have come out,
and look up. I hope, with all my heart, Joan can convince you to be open to wonder.”

The Names  by Florence Knapp

One name – three different lives. How can the choice of a name shape the course of
one’s life?
When Cora goes to register her new son’s name, she hesitates — and what follows are
three very different versions of her son’s life. The author takes us on three journeys of
the son, which includes his mother, his sister and his grandmother.
What if…?

Guest Review by Grace, age 13

The Inheritance Games by Jennifer Lynn Barnes
Avery Grambs is an average teenager whose goal is to survive high school, but when
billionaire Tobias Hawthorne leaves his fortune to her on the one condition that she
moves into his mansion that is filled with riddles and secret passageways, everything
changes. Avery will have to encounter Tobias Hawthorne’s children and grandchildren,
who were all raised believing that they would one day inherit his fortune. In this book
filled with romance, puzzles and danger, Avery isn’t playing this game for fun. She’s
playing the game to survive.

This book is amazing for readers who love plot twists and family drama. The adventures
of Avery and the Hawthornes continue in the Hawthorne Legacy, The Final Gambit and
The Brothers Hawthorne. Enjoy them all!

Send us an email if you’d like to be a guest reviewer.

Every month we let you know what we’ve been reading and our monthly recommendations. You’ll get to see new titles with fabulous reviews from the Bay Books team. We’re sure you’ll love these fantastic books just as much as we do. We recommend a wide range of genres and themes. So get ready to explore more books!

Becky’s Pick

Orbital by Samantha Harvey
Join Stephen Colbert’s book club with this meditation on space — a moving elegy of our
humanity, environment and planet. This is a snapshot of a day in the life of six astronauts and cosmonauts, from America, Japan, Russia, Britain and Italy, as they travel over seventeen thousand miles an hour over earth. The reader travels with them as they experience sixteen sunrises and sunsets, float in gravity-free sleep and communicate with their far away families. They record the silent blue planet below and the marks of civilization. Winner of the Booker Prize in 2024, this is a small but mighty read. Enjoy!

Tina’s Picks

Bandersnatch: C.S. Lewis, J.R.R. Tolkien and the Creative Collaboration of the Inklings by Diana Pavlac Glyer
Not only do you get to read the reflections and observations of this collegial group of talented writers, but you’ll receive tips on how to develop functional (and happy) writing groups yourself. Emphasizing collaboration and intrapersonal skills, it draws focus on the writing and thinking NOT the ego. Each chapter starts with a charming drawing, almost like a woodcut, in which there is a dragon hidden. This makes turning the pages even more delightful. This is a must read for those who are in writing groups now, thinking about starting one, or just want to enjoy reading more about the lives of these intelligent authors who have given us so much joy.

The Puzzle Box by Danielle Trussoni
This is the second book in the Puzzle series but you don’t have to read the first one, “The Puzzle Master”, to enjoy this one, although don’t be surprised if you definitely want to do so! Well written, it follows the story of Mike Brink, a good guy who suffers a head injury that gives him acquired savant syndrome, particularly in the area of mathematics, logic, eidetic memory and of course, puzzle solving. But there are folks who want to use him for evil, and some who might want to use him for good. The puzzle in this case is The Dragon Box and was designed by a sadistic constructor who wishes more to defend its secret with poisons, booby traps and the like rather than have it solved. But what is hidden that is so wanted? A riveting story that will keep you enthralled and inform you as well. Enjoy!
Notes from the Porch: Tiny True Stories to Make You Feel Better About the World by Thomas Christopher Greene.

What a beautiful, comforting book of short essays that make you appreciate the good things in your life. If you want the perfect, feel-good book to give someone, this is it.

Wendy’s Pick

The River is Waiting by Wally Lamb
Fans of Wally Lamb waited a long time for his latest work, and it was undoubtedly worth the wait. This gripping novel drops us into the lives of a young couple in crisis. Corby, a young husband and father, is trying to cope with the loss of his job, his new role as a stay-at-home dad of toddler twins, and some weighty emotional baggage from a dysfunctional relationship with his father. All of this has culminated in a serious alcohol and addiction problem, which he keeps hidden from the love of his life – wife, Emily. Corby is responsible for a tragic accident that rips their family apart and forces him to face his life in new and profound ways. This is a heart-wrenching read – a tremendously impactful, un-put-downable story, crafted expertly by an iconic author in American fiction.

Every month we let you know what we’ve been reading and our monthly recommendations. You’ll get to see new titles with fabulous reviews from the Bay Books team. We’re sure you’ll love these fantastic books just as much as we do. We recommend a wide range of genres and themes. So get ready to explore more books!

Tina’s Picks

The Matchmaker by Aisha Saeed
A society matchmaker realizes she’s in danger when her clients’ weddings are sabotaged in increasingly disturbed ways — an utterly original mystery and who doesn’t love a good mystery while lounging on the beach? Not this girl!

North of Tomboy by Julie A. Swanson
Anybody who has ever grown up, or wanted to, in the rough and tumble, never ending summer of Northern Michigan, will immediately identify with preteen Jessica, someone who doesn’t feel like she’s in the right body because ALL the things she loves to do, boys get to do, and she doesn’t. She doesn’t like to wear dresses but makes a bargain with her mother that she will wear them twice a week during the school year and she wants to cut her long, blonde hair but she can’t. But things change when she once again receives a doll for Christmas, which she names ‘Mickey’ and who will say all the things that she can’t seem to say. A fantastic growing-up story, finding out who you are, and helping others to understand as well.

The Cornish Princess (The Goldenchild Prophecy, #1) by Tanya Crosby
I started reading this before I went to work and was riveted! I couldn’t wait to get home to read it and did until the wee hours of the morning. This is historical fiction with fae characters as well, and each character is so vividly portrayed that you truly become invested in the story and in them. I’m looking forward to reading the next two in this series. Based upon a real Warrior Queen, you will feel her situation and emotions deep in your bones. And who doesn’t love Scottish Highlanders?

Becky’s Pick

The Martha’s Vinyard Beach and Book Club By Marth Hall Kelly
As a former librarian and current book lover, this book spoke to me.
2016, as Mari grieves the death of her mother, she travels to Martha’s Vinyard, in
search of a name and address she found on a scrap of paper while going through her
mother’s belongings. Mrs. Devereaux turns out to be a rather famous artist living on a
stunning waterfront farm on Martha’s Vinyard. As they share stories over the weekend
visit, Mari learns of the Smith sisters who once lived on the farm.
1942, the Smith sisters, 19 year old Cadence who is an aspiring writer, and 16 year old
war obsessed Briar are trying to hold their family farm together when the US Army
arrives. Briar is certain there are German U-boats just off shore and Candance falls into
an unlikely romance with a sworn enemy. As their simple, quiet lives are upended, and
their brother is sent off to war, a mysterious man washes ashore. How to keep a secret
on such a small island? In an attempt to create some normalcy, the girls start a book
club and find ways to share books with the soldiers. 2016, Mari learns her relationship to the island is even deeper than she thought possible. A great read, based on the author’s family history.

Wendy’s Pick

The Sirens by Emelia Hart
Set across 3 distinct time periods (1800, 1999 and 2019), we follow the interconnected stories of a group of young women and their unique, inexplicable and ultimately life-saving connection to the sea. The novel begins in Australia, 2019, as Lucy, a young woman with a rare skin condition, is experiencing disturbing dreams that begin to manifest into alarming and violent actions, against her better judgement or understanding. This drives her to flee college and seek respite with her older sister. Upon arrival at her sister’s seaside home, she finds it vacant and neglected – sister is nowhere to be found…but her dairy is! Lucy delves into her sister’s story and within it finds answers to many questions about her own life. In 1999 we meet Jess, a lonely Australian teen with a rare allergy to water, who finds acceptance and validation through an inappropriate relationship with one of her high school teachers. The year 1800 introduces us to two twin sisters who have been snatched from their home country of Ireland and are suffering aboard a slave ship headed for Australia. Though they both have a deep fear of water because of their mother’s drowning – as the voyage turns increasingly perilous, they feel that the sea may be their only salvation. This is an engrossing read with themes of fantasy/myth, female sisterhood across time and space and individual strength and resilience. Fans of Emilia Hart will not be disappointed!

Karin’s Picks

Prophet Song by Paul Lynch

Paul Lynch won the 2023 Booker Prize for this novel about a fictional Ireland that descends into autocracy. Readers like us enjoy horror stories, fantasy fiction, or dystopian novels. We sit in the safety of our seats immersed in a world an inventive author creates, happily being caught up in the unreality of the tale. But what happens when the horror story or the dystopian novel suddenly seems all too plausible? When, instead of happily suspending disbelief, we instead wonder if the book’s action could “actually happen here?” Without being unrealistic or overwrought, this disquieting novel poses that all-important question. Read it to decide for yourself!

 This Is Happiness by Niall Williams

If you’re looking for a great summer read, look no further than this novel set in rural Ireland in the 1950’s. Its warm, funny, sweet, and exasperating characters come to life in a tale told with wry humor and love. Beautifully evocative in its description of the Irish countryside and just as specific and detailed about the strengths and the foibles of the village denizens, you will truly be happy you came to this place!

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Every month we let you know what we’ve been reading and our monthly recommendations. You’ll get to see new titles with fabulous reviews from the Bay Books team. We’re sure you’ll love these fantastic books just as much as we do. We recommend a wide range of genres and themes. So get ready to explore more books!

Tina’s Staff Picks

The Friends by Fredrik Backman

This book. How does Backman do it? After doing the Beartown series, which he says took everything out of him, he has come back with a book that is sure to touch your heart in a different way. Showing the value and worth of friendship, Backman drives this plot forward with incredible lyrical and descriptive language through the relationship between a painting, friendships against all odds, and a feisty, quick witted foster child of 17—wait, 18! That part is significant. Small things in our lives can become big things and worth far more through the lens of friendship rather than through temporal earthly definitions.

You won’t want to put this down and you WILL fall in love with Louisa!

The Women’s Room by Marilyn French

Although this was first published in 1977. It was until a girlfriend quoted from the book after the birth of my first baby, that I really thought to buy it and read it. I had just graduated from university with honors, married and had a baby. As I rocked my newborn with my foot and made an apple pie, she commented “Life turns out to be just sh*t and green beans”.

The Women’s Room also addresses wider social, political, and cultural issues of the time, such as the civil rights movement, sexual liberation, and the Vietnam War and how these larger societal forces intersect with the everyday lives of women through the eyes of Mira, as we travel with her through the 1940’s, 1950’s, 1960’s, ad 1970’s. She begins as the somewhat independent daughter to the dutiful housewife and then to self realizations about her whole being. The character development of each character is incredible, and it is left up to the modern day reader whether this has had the massive influence on feminism that it claimed to have had in the late 1970’s. I was once again enthralled and read it just as hungrily now as I did then.

Becky’s Staff Pick

Weyward by Emilia Hart

What might happen when the real world collides with that of witchcraft? Emilia Hart weaves the stories of three women, over five centuries, celebrating female resilience.
Altha is accused of murder in 1619.
Violet is trapped in her family’s crumbling estate in 1942.
Kate is living under cover in her family cottage in 2019.
All three women find solace in powerful connection with nature and the need to combat life changing power of very bad men. Hart has created a work of historical fiction and modern feminism taking the reader on a journey of family secrets as the women seek to extricate themselves from dire circumstances to discover their secret strengths. And yes, there is a Bookshop!

Wendy’s Staff Picks

I Took the Moon for a Walk by Carolyn Curtis

This charming and lyrical tale accompanied by beautiful illustrations is currently my favorite book to read to my little grandson! At the end of the day, A young boy and his friend, the Moon, venture together on a magical journey throughout their town. Full of nature and sweet observations, this is the perfect bedtime story, and one you will enjoy with your special little one – over, and over again.

Wild Hope by Donna Ashworth

Most of us are experiencing some form of angst right now – whether your concerns are for a loved one, your own physical or mental health, the planet or world politics, there is certainly plenty to be worried about. This collection of lovely and relatable poems is the perfect balm – in turns uplifting and grounding, like a great conversation with a wise friend. Everyone can find a message here that brings serenity, validation and inspiration.

Skye’s Pick

The Big, Fun Kids Cookbook by Food Network Magazine 

The Big, Fun Kids Cookbook by Food Network Magazine is a lively, easy-to-follow guide that makes cooking exciting for kids. With colorful photos, step-by-step recipes, and fun extras like games and trivia, it turns the kitchen into a place of creativity and learning. Perfect for young chefs, the book offers a great mix of simple meals and sweet treats that kids can make with minimal help. Overall, The Big, Fun Kids Cookbook strikes an excellent balance between education and entertainment. It’s a great gift for budding cooks and a fun way for families to bond over food. Even college level students who struggle with finding quick meals could enjoy this fun cookbook!

Every month we let you know what we’ve been reading and our monthly recommendations. You’ll get to see new titles with fabulous reviews from the Bay Books team. We’re sure you’ll love these fantastic books just as much as we do. We recommend a wide range of genres and themes. So get ready to explore more books!

Friends of Bay Books Picks

Review written by Karin J.

All Fours by Miranda July

Have you ever had the feeling that parts of your life are humming along fine and at the same time other parts are spinning out of control? In All Fours, July’s protagonist, a 45-year old Angelena, a “woman who had success in several mediums at a young age.” tries desperately to discover who she is at this stage in her life. She finds herself veering off what she thought was her path in ways that surprise and amaze her, almost as if she were a character in one of her works. But because she is a writer, she is unflinching about describing her confused state of mind, and her clarity about being confused (amazingly) allows us, as readers, to be swept up in her tumult.

This book is frank about sexuality and desire, belonging, and finding one’s own idiosyncratically-patterned path. Its willingness to look at self-becoming in all of its messiness engages us if we are willing to look with open eyes.

Tina Staff Picks  

Can’t we talk about something more Pleasant? by Roz Chast

This wonderful book details, in Chast’s signature visual style, her struggles dealing with her aging parents and their end-of-life issues. Yes, her writing is humorous and the topic is heart wrenching but her practical ways of looking at this subject make this an engaging and valuable book. Highly recommend it!

10 Marchfield Square by Nicola Whyte

Set in Modern-Day London, elderly heiress and landlady Celeste van Duren is determined to prove that she has vetted each apartment dweller carefully and cautiously but when a murder occurs within the small residential square, she knows she may have made a mistake allowing one tenant in with his nasty ways. So with her faithful butler, and two chosen tenants, she investigates on her own. Well, of course, we soon see, everyone is hiding something! 

Tell Them You Lied by Laura Leffler

What a beginning! Pranking a friend with a mugging attack, accidently on the same day as the 9-11 attacks, comes about and where have the main characters planned this prank to take place? Near the Twin Towers and when Anna and her friends don’t hear from Willow, they don’t know if this is a prank gone badly wrong, one that really happened, or is she a victim of 9-11? Beneath this is some serious emotional and obsessive angst. Figuring out who dunnit, as well as what was done, makes this a fast and fascinating read. How do people think up these plots that are so nerve wracking and nail biting?!!

 Wendy’s Staff Pick

City of Night Birds by Juhea Kim

Former prima ballerina, Natalia Leonora, returns to her home city of St Petersburg and the complex world of Russian ballet that was her ticket out of poverty to fame, her personal passion, and quite nearly her very un-doing. Natalia left ballet after an accident that ended her career, leading her to turn to pills and alcohol to numb the pain of her past. Now, she has an opportunity to dance again – if her body and her mental health will allow it. Natalia must face her past – her complicated relationship with her mother, the father who abandoned her, her former lovers, rivals and friends. The author transports us to the world of professional ballet, with all of it’s inherent glamor, politics and pain. This is a stunning commentary on personal strength, love, forgiveness, and the sacrifices required to work as an artist at the top of your craft. 

Every month we let you know what we’ve been reading and our monthly recommendations. You’ll get to see new titles with fabulous reviews from the Bay Books team. We’re sure you’ll love these fantastic books just as much as we do. We recommend a wide range of genres and themes. So get ready to explore more books!

Friends of Bay Books Picks

Odder by Katherine Applegate
(review written by Charlotte Mills, age 9)
If you like otters, you should read Odder by Katherine Applegate. It is a great book for
most ages, with lots of suspense. My teacher read it to our class in second grade and I
have read it twice since then.
Odder is a young otter who is separated from her family and goes on a journey to find
them. It is a great adventure, including meeting a great white shark!
If you like this book, the author Katherine Applegate has many more, also very good! (Fiction)

Tina’s Staff Picks

Tilt by Emma Pattee

Set over the course of one day, a heart-racing debut about a pregnant woman facing the unimaginable, determined to find safety. Set in the Pacific Northwest, our main character is in an IKEA when “The Really Big One”, the Cascadia Earthquake, hits. As Annie tries to make her way home through the aftermath, all the while addressing her unborn child, Bean, she experiences humanity and realizations that are at once thought provoking and funny. This is a knock premise with enough moving adrenaline that you will finish it in one seating. I sure did! (Speculative Fiction)

By Way of Sorrow by Robyn Gigl

Do you enjoy a good legal thriller? I certainly do and found a new series that I became absolutely hooked and therefore binged my way through all three books of this series, eager for the fourth one to show up at Bay Books. By Way of Sorrow is an original and enthralling legal thriller that showcases how diverse voices enliven and refresh well-worn genres. With non-stop action and legal twists, as far as the case goes and aside from Erin’s insistence on correct terminology to describe her and Sharise’s gender status, they are merely lawyer and client caught up in the flaws in the American legal system which gives politicians power over the judiciary. And we love that. The ending is a surprise and will leave you wanting to read the next legal thriller starring Erin McCabe. (LBGTQ+)

Ultra-Processed People: The Science Behind Food That Isn’t Food by Chris Van Tulleken

In this book, Chris van Tulleken, father, scientist, doctor, and award-winning BBC broadcaster, marshals the latest evidence to show how governments, scientists, and doctors have allowed transnational food companies to create a pandemic of diet-related disease. He explores the origins, science, and economics of Ultra-Processed Food to reveal its catastrophic impact on our bodies and the planet. This is a light read, by any means, but it does shed light on the way food is being produced faster and faster to feed a widening, global appetite. Also, and that it might have addictive traits built in. Truly an interesting and informative read. I appreciated the humor in it once in a while! (Science, Non-Fiction)

Becky’s Staff Pick

Three Lives of Cate Kay by Kate Fagan
Sports journalist and former professional basketball player, author Kate Fagan tells the
story of a reclusive best-selling author who finally decides to come forward with her
identity. In doing so she shares her life’s story – choosing between relationships and
the pursuit of a dream. She is not proud of all her actions but in telling her story she is
finally ready to accept the truth.
Along the way, Fagan explores complex relationships between women and the limits of
ambition.
How do we balance our public and private selves?
It’s a well written and insightful page turner. (Adult Fiction)

Skye’s Staff Pick

A Shadow in the Ember by Jennifer L. Armentrout

Seraphina was born in a shroud, the maiden who’s supposed to be untouched and unknown. She’s also the one who was promised, the one who’s to be the consort to the Primal of death. A plague has been taking its toll on the land and people, killing crops and brining sickness and starvation and there’s only one way to stop it. KILL THE PRIMAL OF DEATH. That’s what Seraphina has been trained to do her whole life, seduce and make him fall in love with her then kill him and the rot stops…or so they thought. Nothing would be that easy in a world of gods and mortals…and not quite mortals too. Nothing is as what it seems and more trouble is awakening. The Flesh and Fire series was a great read as a fantasy lover! I liked the smoothness of the storytelling and the storyline kept things interesting! (Fantasy Fiction)

Wendy’s Staff Pick

The Mixed Up Files of Mrs. Basil. E. Frankweiler by E. L. Konigsburg 

Claudia is a bored, frustrated, very bright and somewhat bossy 11 year old, looking for an adventure! She is the mastermind of a plan to run away to the Metropolitan Museum of Art in NYC, and convinces her younger brother, Jamie, to join her. The two resourceful siblings cleverly avoid being discovered by museum staff, sleep in dusty, ancient beds, bathe in the restaurant fountain, educate themselves about the various exhibits, AND uncover a secret! They very helpfully set out to prove that the museum’s newest acquisition is the work of Michaelangelo! This mission introduces the kids to a unique new friend who has an unexpected family connection. 

When asked what my favorite childhood book was, this charming classic is always at the top of my list. After being recently gifted with a copy of this book by a friend, I can say that now re-reading it many decades later, it did not disappoint. This Newbery Award Winner is a wonderful story to read to a 6+ aged child, and a great chapter book for mid to later elementary readers.