If there is anything we love more than reading books... it's talking about them! Scroll down to see what books we are raving about this month.
For more recommendations, check out our full Staff Picks Page.
"Delightfully bizarre in the warped tones that only Daniel Clowes can paint, The Death-Ray is a standalone graphic novel pulled from the iconically transgressive pages of legendary comic series Eightball. Teenage justice, absurd violence, and reflection on a life wasted as a small town supervillain illustrate the pages of this troubling masterwork." -Steven
"A love story with a bittersweet but hopeful ending, told in a lyrical, fairy-tale style. Beyond the magical moments of curses, mermaids, and storms of fish is a tale of the brutal things humans can do to each other, as well as the way they can help each other heal. I loved this book from the first word to the last page." -Mindy
"You'd be hard-pressed to find someone as resistant to definition as Dorothy Day. What I love about D.L. Mayfield's book is the way she refuses to downplay Day's eccentricities while also marveling at her truly remarkable integrity. Day is a principled enigma, and a refreshing character to read about in a time when we are quick to either demonize or idolize. She was a Catholic who had an abortion. She was a passivist at the expense of her organization's success. She fed every needy person but was not always around for her daughter. Mayfield's clear reverence for her subject healthily eschews glorification, opting instead for a lovingly authentic portrait that brings Dorothy Day to readers in a way that honors her exceptional human complexity. " -Holly
"What a spectacularly creative novel. Nell Stevens’s historical fiction centers on a tumultuous year in the lives of two pretty famous people: George Sand and Frédéric Chopin. In the early 1800s, the lovers absconded to Mallorca seeking “curative sea air” for the ever-sickly composer and Sand’s son. What makes the book delightful and unique is that our narrator is the ghost of a fourteen-year-old girl who died four hundred years prior to the ragtag crew taking up temporary residence in the monastery where she died. George Sand is such a distinctive person — a feminist and rebel and dotting mother — which gave Stevens much to work with. The book’s narrator, Blanca, is an exceptionally shrewd device for providing commentary and insight throughout. She can “inhabit” the bodies of living people and share their sensory experiences while also mining their memories. The novel darts between the various characters giving the story a real emotional depth even as the plot is fairly simple. Beyond being an inventive work, Stevens has a real deftness with words. I wrote down several excerpts, floored by the poetic, playful perceptiveness. The book is rich with descriptive language of both the setting and the characters’ inner lives. If I were a historical fiction writer, this book would be the sort I’d strive to emulate. Reading it was such an unexpected pleasure." -Holly
"I learned more from the intro than any sex-ed class has even attempted to communicate. In my utopia, everybody reads it, the phrase "genital nonconcordance" enters the Zeitgeist, TikTok overflows with conversations about spontaneous vs responsive desire, cis-men quiz each other about female anatomy, doctors believe women, and everyone orgasms every single day. Be the change you want to see in the world. Read the book." -Aly
"In a shocking twist, I'm recommending a niche, feminist deep dive by a Radiolab reporter. The chapter on Sarah Baartman will break your heart. The history of measurements and made-to-order clothes will vindicate and enrage. And the music video you're thinking of right now? Layers on layers of fascinating nuance. Occasionally cheeky, often juicy, and always robust, this is a fantastic read for anyone, but a requirement for all who struggle to accept their own, personal bums." -Aly
"Kid Congo Powers is the coolest guy in the room. His ritualistic and instinctive bursts of sonic brilliance have electrified the music of The Gun Club, The Cramps, and Nick Cave & the Bad Seeds. His influence can be felt in everything that's interesting over the last forty years. This is his hero's journey of discovering his sexual identity through glam rock, navigating the LA punk scene as an awkward, Chicano boy, and withstanding blow after devastating blow on his way to glory." -Steven
Trying to jumpstart your reading in 2023? Might I humbly suggest a novella? Specifically, The Cook! This story about a young chef's coming-of-age reads like poetry, has amazing food writing and such a strong sense of place it will having you asking your friends, "Should I move to Paris and become a chef?" by the end. You've been warned. -Amanda