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Staff Picks

Recommended by: Christina
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Hunt, Gather, Parent: What Ancient Cultures Can Teach Us About the Lost Art of Raising Happy, Helpful Little Humans By Michaeleen Doucleff Cover Image
$28.99
ISBN: 9781982149673
Availability: Usually Ships in 1-5 Days
Published: Avid Reader Press / Simon & Schuster - March 2nd, 2021

Don’t let the title fool you: this book offers practical and philosophical parenting approaches from current, indigenous Mexican and First Nations cultures. It’s refreshingly upbeat and encourages parents to invite children back into the daily rhythm of a household and contribute to its smooth functioning. [Christina]


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Incense and Sensibility: A Novel (The Rajes Series #3) By Sonali Dev Cover Image
$19.99
ISBN: 9780063051805
Availability: Backordered
Published: William Morrow Paperbacks - July 6th, 2021

Sonali Dev is clever, original, and hilarious. Don’t be alarmed if you haven’t read Jane Austen - this version will leave you feeling warm and fuzzy either way. Be sure to check out Pride and Prejudice and Other Flavors and Recipe for Persuasion afterwards! Each book features characters from her other stories. [Kate]


Recommended by: Karen
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The Fifth Season (The Broken Earth #1) By N. K. Jemisin Cover Image
$18.99
ISBN: 9780316229296
Availability: Usually Ships in 1-5 Days
Published: Orbit - August 4th, 2015

If you’re looking for an intricately built world, drama, suspense, and total immersion -- this is it. I tore through it and went right to the next one (The Obelisk Gate). Highly recommend The Broken Earth trilogy as a whole. [Karen]


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Harley Loco: A Memoir of Hard Living, Hair, and Post-Punk, from the Middle East to the Lower East Side By Rayya Elias, Elizabeth Gilbert (Introduction by) Cover Image
By Rayya Elias, Elizabeth Gilbert (Introduction by)
$17.00
ISBN: 9780143125051
Availability: Usually Ships in 1-5 Days
Published: Penguin Books - March 25th, 2014

Fun fact/Sad Fact: The author was married to ELIZABETH GILBERT before they passed away from cancer. Rayya Elias was a Syrian immigrant that fled Detroit for NYC as soon as they were old enough to wreak havoc on the Lower East Side. This memoir chronicles their rebellious escapades and career as a hair stylist (which is how they met Gilbert in the first place)! I love reading about people’s chaotic life and this did *not* disappoint. [Jessica]


Recommended by: Christina
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Firekeeper's Daughter By Angeline Boulley Cover Image
$19.99
ISBN: 9781250766564
Availability: Usually Ships in 1-5 Days
Published: Henry Holt and Co. (BYR) - March 16th, 2021

This is a riveting story that delves into Ojibwe culture and traditions alongside a wild ride of hockey matches, love affairs, and busting a meth ring. I know it sounds like a lot, but it’s so good that I kept reading well into the night every time I picked it up. The characters are quick-witted and there’s a lot of humor throughout the book. [Christina]


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Whip Smart: The True Story of a Secret Life By Melissa Febos Cover Image
$18.99
ISBN: 9780312583781
Availability: Usually Ships in 1-5 Days
Published: St. Martin's Griffin - July 19th, 2011

Written by my favorite teacher in College, this memoir recalls four years she spent working as a dominatrix in Manhattan. Her intoxicating personality transmits through her writing. A wild ride! [Jessica]


Recommended by: Christina
The Anti-Racist Writing Workshop: How to Decolonize the Creative Classroom By Felicia Rose Chavez Cover Image
$24.95
ISBN: 9781642592672
Availability: Usually Ships in 1-5 Days
Published: Haymarket Books - January 5th, 2021

This is a phenomenal tool for educators, writers and mentors who want to revamp their workshops and are willing to look at their current practices with a critical eye. Chavez goes in-depth into how most workshop models perpetuate racism and colonial mindsets, then gives readers tools to dismantle them while building more equitable and joyous practices. [Christina]


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This Is Major: Notes on Diana Ross, Dark Girls, and Being Dope By Shayla Lawson Cover Image
$17.99
ISBN: 9780062890597
Availability: Usually Ships in 1-5 Days
Published: Harper Perennial - June 30th, 2020

I didn't know what to expect with this book but I was completely smitten with it almost immediately. This memoir-in-essays by poet Shayla Lawson educates and enlightens. Lawson drives the point home that Black women are the heartbeat of so much art throughout our history, yet are frustratingly ignored and erased. [Jessica]


Recommended by: Karen
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The Joy Luck Club: A Novel By Amy Tan Cover Image
By Amy Tan
$17.00
ISBN: 9780143038092
Availability: Usually Ships in 1-5 Days
Published: Penguin Books - September 21st, 2006

I loved this novel all about the relationships between mothers and daughters. As well as the power of female friendship. Amy Tan is a powerful, lyrical writer. [Karen]


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The Death of Vivek Oji: A Novel By Akwaeke Emezi Cover Image
$18.00
ISBN: 9780525541622
Availability: Usually Ships in 1-5 Days
Published: Riverhead Books - May 25th, 2021

This is by far the best book I read in 2020. It is devastating, lyrical, and a damn fine story about the life and death of a young transgender person in Nigeria. This book is so engrossing and well written that I got completely lost in the story! [Christina]


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