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!

Autumn’s Picks

Getting to Center by Marlee Grace

Reading this book is like having a mystical, cylindrical, persistent conversation with your dearest, most radically loving friend. I took notes and highlighted passages and applied concepts from the text to my mental health toolbox. Time and time again, I continue to return to this book when I’m feeling off-center.

Mushroom Rain by Laura K. Zimmerman and illustrated by Jamie Green

A lyrical picture book with lush, colorful illustrations that educates children and adults alike on the wild world of mushrooms. If you liked Entangled Life by Merlin Sheldrake, this book feels like a children’s version. The back matter includes more information on fungi and mushrooms, as well as activities for readers!

We Are Never Meeting in Real Life by Samantha Irby

This essay collection by one of the funniest introverts on the internet made me tehehe all the way from her Bachelorette application to the titular final essay. With her trademark dark humor and ability to tell it like it is, she discusses issues of race, gender, sex, poverty, and disability. She also irreverently embraces her introversion, to which I deeply relate. Here’s to all the homebodies. 

Tina’s Picks

Practice Girl by Estelle Laure

Initially I was dismayed at Jo’s neediness and thought this was going to a typical ‘teenage 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 painfully pointed in its lessons. 

River of the Gods: Genius, Courage and Betrayal in the Search for the Source of the Nile by Candice Millard

As a historian, Millard shines in this historical fiction! Exploring the Nile are explorers with god-like egos and their local guides (who’s knowledge keeps the explorers alive), as they fight to map the longest river in the world and find its headwaters. The beetle burrowing into Speke’s was totally repugnant (reminded me of a Star Trek episode) and I love the descriptive nature of her writing! There’s a third person who has a part in this story but I’ll leave that mystery to you when you read this book. I loved it and think you will, too.

Pure Flame by Michelle Orange

There’s an interesting question at the center of this book:  in trying to avoid becoming our mothers, do we lose them? And perhaps ourselves? Irresistible and thought provoking! Makes you rethink many things about mother-child identities.

Amanda’s Picks

All the Colors of Life by Lisa Aisato

In between Aisato’s gorgeously illustrated pages lies a heartwarming reminder of what it is to be alive. Through the lens of our younger selves, we are immersed in all the wonderful intricacies of our love for the world, ourselves, and each other. Golden!

Nick: A Novel by Michael Farris Smith

Ever wondered what happened after Gatsby? Author Smith follows Nick as he encounters his next adventure. 

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 Ones We’re Meant to Find by Joan He (YA)

There were so many pieces of science and moral questions that at first I thought TOO much going on. But when you’re thinking about a book after you have finished, it must mean something and it does, of course. It’s difficult to call this novel dystopian when the elements of climate change they mentioned are happening around us:  mega storms and quakes more violent and closer together than ever, as well as tsunamis and severe air pollution, enough to make thousands upon thousands seek treatment and also drought. ‘The One We’re Meant to Find’ takes it one step further by introducing immigration to the mix. Immigration as in, those still on earth by choice, to an eco-skycity where folks who have plenty have it at the expense of those who chose to stay on the polluted earth and now want out. There is resentment between those who have done the right things to reduce their carbon footprint to those who chose to remain on earth and continue to despoil it. Some innovative ideas are within the pages of this book but at what price? Secret agendas, ecowarrior activists, governmental covert interventions, and life itself rests on one computer program developed by a brilliant girl. It leaves you thinking will the cycle of destruction begin again once the earth is cleansed? Can it be cleansed? A truly intriguing read.

River of the Gods: Genius, Courage and Betrayal in the Search for the Source of the Nile by Candice Millard (Historical Fiction)

I love historical fiction, I cannot lie, and as a historian, Millard shines in this historical fiction! Exploring the Nile are explorers with god-like egos (of course!), and their belabored local guides, as they fight to map the second largest continent and find the source of the Nile. These are not like Shakleton’s group of Antarctic adventurers, these explorers rely heavily on their local guides to save, teach and cook for them and we in turn, learn from them as well. The part about the beetle burrowing into Speke’s was totally repugnant and the source of many horror and science fiction flicks. I loved it! I think you will too. She writes magnifically and I’m looking forward to reading her other books that were published before this one.

Let’s Get Criminal by Lev Raphael (LBGTQA+, Murder Mystery)

Nick Hoffman is one of those ‘Bob Newhart’ kind of guys who seems to watch things going awry about him while being in the middle of a maelstrom—-this time, murder. If you’re not familiar with Bob Newhart, think “Will” from Will and Grace. Nick’s partner, Stephan, has a somewhat mysterious past, as it turns out, as well as several members at the University where both teach. The story centers around who killed Perry Cross, a fellow professor, and apparently there are many people who had motives. Secrets are unveiled, which lead to incredible intersections in each other’s lives. Very entertaining as well as well as great recipes. Nick and Stephan love good food and the descriptions are fantastic. This book will feed your mind and your tummy.

Autumn’s Picks

Entangled Life by Merlin Sheldrake

This book is to mycology as Braiding Sweetgrass is to botany. Entangled Life fed my hyperfixation on fungi with enthusiastic, informative writing that is supplemented with beautiful illustrations made using ink made from shaggy ink mushrooms. Sheldrake’s passion for mycology is palpable and contagious. Almost every time I sat down to read this book, I had to stop and call my mom or text a friend to share what I had learned. Zombie fungi! The complex symbiosis of lichen! Mycorrhizal relationships! I have always loved mushrooms but they are just the tip of the iceberg: fungi might just save the world. Reading this book is like eating a magic mushroom of knowledge. 

Lady Killers by Tori Telfer

This compendium of female serial killers throughout history is compelling, entertaining, and downright rad. The author notes that this book was partially inspired by the following statement made by an FBI profiler in the 1990s: “there are no known female serial killers”. Telfer presents 15 biographies of murderesses from the 1300s to the 1950s that prove otherwise. These cases are fascinating studies of unlikeable women and the ways that society demonizes, dismisses, and erases female aggression. 

To Night Owl From Dogfish by Holly Goldberg Sloan and Meg Wolitzer

This book hits like a queer Parent Trap – the perfect middle grade summer read! Two tween girls on opposite sides of the country begin corresponding over email after learning that their dads fell in love at a work conference and are secretly dating. Both girls conspire to break them up because they like their lives the way they are, that is until the girls become friends. Told through email correspondence, To Night Owl From Dogfish is a wholesome, funny, heartwarming book about chosen families.

Want More Books?

Check out our online book selection. If you don’t see something you’re looking for, please let us know. We will be happy to let you know if we have it in the store or we can order it for you. Happy reading!

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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 Picks

Rainbow Rainbow by Lydia Conklin

This collection of stories was truly amazing as it gave us a perspective of humanity, and all its problems, awkwardness, sexuality and joy, through the lens of the queer community. If you have ever craved clarity of transgender, pansexuality, bisexuality, non-binary etc., this book will offer you that and more. We’ll see it through the eyes of a young girl, as she figures out things using her friend and her friend’s experiences to gain knowledge and ultimately, make decisions. A woman in her later years struggling with her own identity as she chaperones her 11 year old nephew, who is a transgendering Instagram influencer, to a LBGTQ community event. It is rare to get inside the heads of people but Conklin does it and teaches us.

Violet and Jobie by Lynne Rae Perkins (preorder now)

Children’s author and illustrator, Lynne Rae Perkins, has hit it out of the park again with her newest children’s chapter book, “Violet and Jobie in the Wild”. From the life experiences of two mice, we see from their perspective how to truly adapt to change and embrace something new as a challenge, not an obstacle. Two house mouse are inadvertently trapped and let go in the ‘wild’ where they really don’t know anything. But they’re willing to try and make friends along the way. Charming and filled with life lessons, join us and Lynne on September 17^th @ 4:00 for an interview, Q & A and book signing. This one is a keeper!

Autumn’s Picks

I Kissed Shara Wheeler by Casey McQuiston

You heard it here first: this YA book is the perfect queer beach read for Summer 2022. Think Mean Girls (but gay) with nods to Looking for Alaska and Heartstopper. Chloe Green, bisexual and snarky as hell, is suffering through her senior year at Willowgrove Christian Academy when her academic rival and the most popular girl in school, Shara Wheeler, kisses her (as well as a few of her fellow students) and disappears before graduation. Chloe becomes an amateur sleuth to figure out what happened to Shara and what the hell is going on. This queer rom-com/mystery is perfect for anyone else suffering withdrawls after finishing the Heartstopper books and Netflix series. 

Unmasked by Paul Holes

This memoir looks back at some of Holes’ most interesting cold case investigations, as well as the toll that his work as a criminologist has taken on his personal life and mental health. If you are into true crime, you are probably familiar with some of the cases discussed in the book, including  those of Laci Peterson, Jaycee Dugard, and the Golden State Killer. This book doesn’t bring anything forensically new to the table regarding these cases, but it is fascinating to see the work from Hole’s point of view. A perfect read for any Murderino. 

A Certain Hunger by Chelsea G. Summers

In the immortal words of Lady Gaga, “I don’t believe in the glorification of murder. I do believe in the empowerment of women.” This quote encompasses how I feel about food critic turned cannibal Dorothy Daniels in this mock memoir. Dorothy loves food, sex, and murdering and eating her lovers, which is both unhinged and kind of girlboss-esque… This satire of foodieism and critique of gender roles explores what it means to be an unlikeable woman in our society. “You who call women the fairer sex, you may repress and deny all you want, but some of us were born with a howling void where our souls should sway.” (A Certain Hunger, page 27). 

Want More Books?

Check out our online book selection. If you don’t see something you’re looking for, please let us know. We will be happy to let you know if we have it in the store or we can order it for you. Happy reading!

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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 Picks

Passing by Nella Larsen

Passing in a white man’s world is tricky, but giving up your family who aren’t as ‘light’ is an emotional upheaval and cultural sacrifice. Larsen wrote this in 1929 and it is magnificent, raising issues that we still have today. The story follows the path of women who can ‘pass’ but decide not to do so and one woman’s decision to do so at a terrible cost. This take place shortly after the Civil War where enslaved people were still finding their place in the world and it’s a time period and perspective that we seldom read about. If you liked “Vanishing Half” and “The Gilded Years”, you’ll love this. I did!

Secrets of the Asylum by Linda Hughes

If you’re like me & find a few books that have been hyped or being read by a lot of people dull & boring, then try an indie work by award-winning author, Linda Hughes — a quick, simple read with a twist, a good twist too … the story about 3 women in transitions; in life, in age, in career, in spirituality, in sexuality, & in relationship. The main protagonist, Elizabeth, is placed in the Traverse City Asylum after the death of her young son, Harry. Of course she’s not crazy—-but she does love living there. Hmmmmmm……..!

Autumn’s Picks

In Defense of Witches by Mona Chollet

This book analyses how witches are a classic feminist archetype throughout history. Chollet breaks down the archetype into the three types of women accused of witchcraft: the Independent Woman, the Childless Woman, and the Aging Woman. She explores how the legacy of witches is still so relevant, even as society claims equality between the sexes. The author brings a fresh non-US based perspective to the table, including points of reference beyond the iconic go-to’s of feminist history. An influential and engaging read tot fans of Carmen Maria Machado and Melissa Febos.

When We Lost Our Heads by Heather O’Neill

My reading theme for 2022 is “unhinged women” and this novel ticks that box perfectly. A deliciously sexy feminist satire of the French Revolution that was so unputdownable, I read it in two days. A delectable, grotesque book that is equally perfect for a rainy day or a beach read!

Want More Books?

Check out our online book selection. If you don’t see something you’re looking for, please let us know. We will be happy to let you know if we have it in the store or we can order it for you. Happy reading!

Fiction

Nonfiction

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 Great Believers by Rebecca Makkai

This novel was a finalist for both the Pulitzer Prize and the National Book Award and it engaged me from the moment I started reading. As the main character’s career as a Development Director of an art gallery in Chicago begins to soar, the carnage of the AIDS epidemic surrounds him, taking his friends one by one. Set in 1980’s Chicago,               it’s a story of friendship, redemption, humanity and details of that period in time.

The Collective by Alison Gaylin

Could this really happen? Moms on the dark web, anonymous and willing to avenge the wrongful deaths of their children by the hands of those who got away with it. Camille is still devastated by the death of her daughter, Emily, and especially traumatized that her 15 year old daughter was made out to look like a slut. The college fratboy? He comes out as the victim, due to the influence of his parents and money. There will be h**l to pay and these anonymous moms are ready and willing to mete it out. But is it really justice? This book sucked me right in.

The Hunting Wives by May Cobb

“The Hunting Wives” is the name of a club and new mom to the town, Sophie, is obsessed with joining it. There are only 4 posh women, all with secret (and sultry) other identities and they do meet to shoot skeet and drink. But sometimes they go too far—in everything. These women all have something at stake, gender identities, social standards for women, what truly makes you happy and what you will risk for that, even if it is not socially acceptable. This book touches on issues that might not be apparent to everyone who reads but it is a sign of the times we live in right now and what we have socially pressured women to be.A little salty, unpredictable, a truly original crime novel. It made me cringe the whole time!

Autumn’s Picks

The Anthropocene Reviewed by John Green

Maybe it’s weird to review a book of reviews but I just have to. A soft, hopeful book that made me laugh without overlooking the shadows of human history.

Naamah by Sarah Blake 

This is a trippy re-telling of the Noah’s Ark myth told through the pov of Noah’s wife, Naamah. She is unpretentious and honest, unafraid to explore her sexuality and question both her faith and the motives of her god. The magical realism and divine femininity of this story makes it a compelling and contemporary read. 

Gallant by V. E. Schwab

I am a sucker for a story featuring a Gothic manor, a spooky family history, and a plucky protagonist who is ferociously curious, so this young adult novel was right up my alley. It feels like “The Haunting of Bly Manor” meets “The Secret Garden” meets “Coraline”. The perfect creeping, ghostly book to binge-read on a dark, rainy day. 

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Check out our online book selection. If you don’t see something you’re looking for, please let us know. We will be happy to let you know if we have it in the store or we can order it for you. Happy reading!

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Adventure, Thriller, Mystery

Tina’s Picks

The Great Believers by Rebecca Makkai

Alternating between present-day Paris and ’80s Chicago, The Great Believers explores the impact and aftermath of the AIDS epidemic on a close-knit group of friends living in Boystown. The author’s descriptions, authentic representation of relationships and conflicts, and historical facts made this an informative and emotional read. Set in 1980’s Chicago and present day Paris, there are mysteries and traumas to uncover. Another one that burned the night oil for me! 

The Address Book by Deirdre Mask

This book was fascinating! It illuminates the complex and sometimes hidden stories behind street names and their power to name, to hide, to decide who counts, who doesn’t–and why. Most of us think that addresses are created so that the postman can deliver mail or a traveler won’t get lost. But they were not invented to help you find your way; they were created to find you. Filled with histories and massively interesting people, Dierdre Mask shows us how addresses were initially used to make it easier to tax, imprison, police and sometimes, in the case of Empress Maria Theresa, finding the healthy young men who could serve as her soldiers.

Autumn’s Picks

Bibliophile: Diverse Spines by Jamise Harper & Jane Mount

This book is a beautifully illustrated celebration of diverse books, their authors, and the humans who support them. It introduces readers to BIPOC books and writers and bookstores and bookstagrammers that everyone should know about. Some titles and authors were familiar to me but many were new– reading this book extended my tbr list extensively! Each page draws the reader in with visually stunning artwork and digestible bites of text. This is a great reference book for anyone looking to support work by BIPOC authors.

Everyone Knows Your Mother is A Witch by Rivka Galchen

With beautiful prose and richly historic detail, this book is a vivid dream. Narrated by Katherina Kepler, her neighbor/legal guardian, and transcripts of court interviews with Kepler’s accusers, it weaves together the story of Kepler’s fight for autonomy. I will never forget one accuser’s statement: “I am not a strong badger”. It was incredibly odd and memorable. That said, Frau Kepler was the strongest badger in this book, and I am fascinated by her.

Marshall’s Pick

Lightning Strike by William Kent Krueger

“Lighting Strike”, prequel to the Cork O’Connor series, set in 1963. It’s a great nostalgia mystery, truly evoking the period.

Tina’s Staff Picks

And Tyler No More by Stan Haynes

 Conspiracy + historical fiction seems to always make for a compelling novel, and this one is no exception.   Author Stan Haynes gives us a ‘what if’ situation in this novel which has President Tyler wanting to annex Texas and give the southern, slave holding states a majority in the Senate. The main character is a former top aide to a Senator and an abolitionist. He asks himself “What if one death could stop the growth of slavery?”. It’s a battle between legality and morality. 

The Hunting Wives by May Cobb

“The Hunting Wives” is the name of a club and the new mom to the town, Sophie, is obsessed with joining it. Truly obsessed, especially with Margot. There are only 4 posh women, all with secret (and sultry) other identities and they do meet to shoot skeet and drink. But sometimes they go too far—in everything. These women all have something at stake, gender identities, social standards for women, what truly makes you happy and what you will risk for that, even if it is not socially acceptable. This book touches on issues that might not be apparent to everyone who reads it but it is a sign of the times we live in right now and what we have socially pressured women to be and what not to be. A little salty, unpredictable, a truly original crime novel. It made me cringe the whole time!  

Autumn’s Picks

Plain Bad Heroines by Emily M. Danforth

This spooky, sapphic, and satirical story spans two centuries, three romantic relationships, and one big Gothic horror theme. The story starts in 1902 at the Brookhants School for Girls, where student members of the Plain Bad Heroines Club are dying under mysterious circumstances. Some 200 years later, a movie is being made about the Brookhants story starring the latest gay it-girl, a former child star, and the young prodigy author who wrote the book the movie is based on. This book may be over 600 pages, but I slurped it down like an ICEE at a movie theater. It is odd and unsettling and meta and delightfully queer. 

Men Explain Things to Me by Rebecca Solnit

This short collection of feminist essays should be required reading for all humans. It is an approachable crash course on the importance of feminism throughout history and an argument for it’s continued importance today. I would recommend the titular essay to any man I’ve ever interacted with or any man who loves, works with, or talks to women or femme-presenting humans. Bonus: each chapter begins with a gorgeous print of a painting by Ana Theresa Fernandez that corresponds with the theme of the following essays. This book is impactful, funny, educational, and validating to any human who has ever suffered through mansplaining. 

Tina’s Picks

The Secret of Snow by Viola Shipman

This was such a wonderful book that I’m sorry I waited until we had ‘real’ snow (Michiganders will know what I mean by that) and winter weather to read it. But by the fireplace, with a mug of hot chocolate  Rumchata, I couldn’t put it down and it was perfect. It has all the references to winter fun up north (Yeti Fest!!) and brought back so many memories of my childhood that it warmed my heart as I read. The characters are well developed, and I loved the humanity and spunkiness of Sonny, the protagonist, as she faces her inner demons and helps others to do the same, sometimes in the most unlikely manner! So much wisdom, love and forgiveness in this story and don’t we all need some of that now? Let’s all remember to make snow angels. 😊

A Flicker in the Dark by Stacy Willingham

This book had me at the get go. With her masterful storytelling skills and writing that just keeps you guessing who might be the ‘copycat’ killer, Willingham weaves a mighty tale. The main character, 12 year old Chloe, finds out her father is a serial killer, she suffers the trauma of being associated with, and as a reminder to the community members, of a family who did much harm. Twenty years later, as a successful psychiatrist, the murders begin again even though her father has been incarcerated for six consecutive lifetimes sentences. WHAT?!!! I love books like this where you have very good clues to substantiate many choices as to who the killer might be. And might it just be Chloe herself? A riveting psychothriller.

Autumn’s Picks

Matrix by Lauren Groff

This is an exceptional read. Matrix tells the fictionalized story of a real 12th century nun, Marie de France. Once a member of Eleanor of Aquitane’s court, she is banished to a struggling abbey in England. Marie is formidable and fierce, climbing the ranks and leading it and the nuns into prosperity. The history is well-researched; the reader is transported to life in the 12th century. The prose reads like a prophetic vision– the past and the present collide in misty coils. I am not usually a fan of historical fiction, but this book is an exception. 

Heartstopper: Volume 4 by Alice Oseman

This wholesome book is the latest in the Heartstopper graphic novel series. Charlie and Nick are teenagers in love, now navigating Charlie’s mental illness and Nick’s coming out journey. Much of the focus of this volume is on Charlie’s eating disorder, which was mentioned in the last volume. At one point when Nick is talking with his mom about his concern for Charlie, she says “love can’t cure a mental illness.” These kinds of boundaries are something I’m still trying to understand and implement at 23! Be prepared to laugh, cry, and want to give these characters a big ole hug.

Tina’s Staff Picks

Fight Night by Miriam Toews

I loved her book “Women Talking” and I loved this one equally. These are both thought provoking stories, an element I enjoy very much, as well as self reflective. It’s narrated by a child writing to her father, a father who abandoned her and her mother, and she has been given this assignment by her Grandma. Swiv, in turn, assigns Grandma to write letters to her pregnant mother’s unborn baby. Swiv (the narrator) spends most of her time with her grandmother who LOVES life and has chosen to celebrate it each day, despite not being the product of a happy life. As Grandma says “The only way to survive is Love” and it’s a choice. How does Grandma do it? Will Swiv choose it? A tribute to the strength of women and love across three generations.

The Sentence by Louise Erdrich

A seriously wicked and funny ghost story! Taking place in Minnesota and over a span of one year, Formerly incarcerated Tookie is learning to live a new life as a bookseller while trying to understand all that occurs in Minneapolis during a year of grief, astonishment, isolation and furious reckoning. Somehow solving the haunting of Flora, their bookstore ghost, will help. It will pull you in and Tookie’s sense of humor is, simply, wickedly funny!

Autumn’s Staff Picks

Migrations by Charlotte McConaghy

“McConaghy has gifted us with an extraordinary novel that tells the haunting tale of nostalgia, nature, and the climate crisis. In the near future, Franny Stone is determined to follow the migration patterns of the last known group of Arctic terns, even if it means pleading her way onto a commercial fishing boat. This book is an ode to wilderness, both the one outside and the one within ourselves. It is heartbreaking yet a buoy of hope.”

Snow by Uri Shulevitz

“This Caldecott Honor book tells the story of a snowy day and a little boy and his dog who make the most of the weather. While the landscape gradually turns from a drab scene to a veritable winter wonderland, the little boy, his dog, and the townsfolk each react in their own way. The text is minimal, so it is great for beginning readers and short storytimes. The illustrations are imaginative, quirky, and an all-around delight. A perfect read for the holiday season or any time the snow falls!”

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Autumn’s Picks

The Book of Magic by Alice Hoffman

The Book of Magic is as bewitching as I hoped it would be. If you are a fan of the Practical Magic series or the movie version of Practical Magic, you will fall under the spell of this story. Set in the present day, the Owens family finally faces the generational curse that keeps them from any kind of romantic happy ending. In her usual vibrant narrative style, Hoffman presents a bittersweet conclusion to the Practical Magic series. 

On A Magical Do-Nothing Day by Beatrice Alemagna

With whimsical illustrations and delightful prose, Alemagna tells the story of a child combating boredom. After accidentally dropping their video game in a pond, they discover the imagination of the outdoors. Tromping through the rainy path, they come across snails and mushrooms among other mythical, magical wonders of the forest. I love the subdued color palette that is contrasted by the child’s neon orange raincoat, and that the child’s gender is ambiguous. After reading, I can’t help but want to go traipse through the woods (and find myself a neon raincoat)!

Tina’s Picks

Firekeeper’s Daughter by Angeline Boulley

This is Leelanau County’s Community Book Pick to read during the month of November and it should be.This is a proper thriller with a strong plotline and developed characters but you will be more than just entertained—you will be enthralled, as I was, learning about living on the ‘rez, tribal traditions and culture, history that we were never taught in school as well as trying to solve the ‘who done it?’ part of a very good novel. The action and plot twists—who’s the good guy? Who’s the bad guy?—-made it hard to put this down at night. Do yourself a favor and go out and get a copy now!

Every Vow You Break by Peter Swanson

If you enjoyed “Eight Perfect Murders” by the same author, you will love this creepy, psychothriller. Young woman married to the man of her dreams is perfect (TOO perfect), she is stalked by another man she had a one-night stand with while she was engaged, and there is a secret cult on the island where they are spending their honeymoon. Caught in a desperate situation and facing death, Abigail takes all the knowledge that she has gathered to take action. Will it work? This is a cliffhanger that will keep your pulse racing all night long.

The Bookshop Book by Jen Campbell

If you are a true Bibliophiliac, or want to know someone who is one a bit better, get this book! It is full of not only lovely photos of bookshops around the world, but it is filled with pithy little tidbits. You could make your own Trivial Pursuit game out of all the bookish facts that this book contains. Little chats with various bookshop owners, big bookshops, little bookshops, bookshops on boats and some very, very unusual ones. It is arranged by major regions of the world so look for your favorite bookshop in that section—or better yet, mark the ones you want to visit!

An Anonymous Girl by Greer Hendricks and Sarah Pekkanen

This is another creepy thriller that will make you think twice about filling out surveys or participating in research studies. When Jessica signs up for a psychology study, she thinks all she’ll have to do is answer a few questions, collect her money, and leave. But as the questions grow more intense and the sessions become outings where Jess is told what to wear and how to act, she begins to feel as though something else is going on. Guess what? It is! 5 stars from me.

Marshall’s Staff Picks:

The Veronica Speedwell Mysteries (series) by Deanna Raybourn

Fun, sexy, and historical! What more could you want? And of course, the best is that it is a series. Start with “A Curious Beginning”.

The Dark Hours by Michael Connelly

Another great entry in the Bosch and Ballard World. This one focuses on Detective Renee as she tracks down two serial rapists and a murderer. As always, the book has an authenticity and timeliness seldom equaled. Highly Recommended.