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Staff Picks
A book for theater nerds and music geeks everywhere! Nat and her friend group are back and they're taking the stage. While the first book focused on Nat being the new girl and just wanting to fit in, the sequel is all about her wanting to shine while dealing with the typical drama and angst that comes with middle school. The fact that she's in a wheelchair is secondary. Some people suck but the story isn't about that. It's refreshing to have a book about a character who's disable that isn't about her disability. [Danielle]
I enjoy foraging for mushrooms and have long wanted to expand to other wild foods. The PNW has such a bounty to offer, after all. But where to start? This book helped me gain confidence to gather familiar plants, as well as others I never knew were edible. The guide is compact enough to take out on excursions, but still thorough and thoughtful with its contents. An ideal gift for the outdoorspeople and home cooks in your life. [Adrienne]
Both parents and kids will love this regardless if they have seen Bluey or not. The art being tied with the story is beautiful; and exudes warmth, comfort, and calm. Which is all anyone could ask from a bedtime story. Joe Brumm continues to bring cute and wholesome stories about the experience childhood and the wonder that comes with it. [Zephyr]
Divided into thematic chapters, covering women's bodies, roles, and behavior, Nuttall gives us the historical trajectory of words employed to converse on those topics, not only by men but also by women. This book is well-researched: the rich cultural contexts and the foreign influences on English are superbly synthesized. It helped me understand why and how the 20th Century was fertile ground for the germination of a feminist discourse. [Blanca]
This is a visionary, nerdy, and innovative collection of poetry, history, botany, and music woven together to give us a new perspective of, well, everything. Starting with advertisements of 'runaway' enslaved Ancestors who stuttered, stammered, or had a speech impediment, Ellis combines the history of dysfluent Ancestors with botany and his own history to create a work unlike anything else i've read. [sweet pea]
In exquisite graphic novel form, author and illustrator Clar Angkasa reimagines traditional Indonesian folktales with women & girls taking the lead. These are stories of empowerment, agency, and bravery. A wonderful collection for any kid interested in mythology or fairy tales. [Adrienne]
Yes, this is a cocktail book. But it's a also a hisory and cultural exploration. Perfect for the cocktail enthusiast but also a fun read for anyone who enjoys niche history or a deeper look into a world you might not have thought about. [Danielle]
Joan Didion is my favorite writer, and this semi-biography is more meditation on Didion's work. It is a literary map of her writing and tells of her life both good and flawed. A good choice for fans of Didion or just writing and biography in general. [Karen]
Fascinating, vibrant, bite-sized musings on various subjects, with clever alliterative headings (Cosmic Conundrums and People Puzzlers), for which we do not have conclusive answers, so it is great for curious minds with minutes to spare, or those dreary winter afternoons with nothing better to do. I found it to be a great reminder that there is still so much we can study and explore. [Blanca]
Sometimes I wish I could sit down with people whose work I admire and pick their brains about their ideas and experiences. This book is the next best thing. It's an opportunity to listen in, so to speak, on wide-ranging conversations with Indigenous artists, scholars, and activists about their unique points of view on the intersections and conflicts between anarchism and Indigenous politics. A thought-provoking read. [Adrienne]