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Staff Picks

From attending an early concert to eventually meeting Prince in person, Hilton Als shares with us his impression of the artist while also placing both encounters within his personal histories of love and loss. It inspired me to watch and listen to all of Prince's artistic output once more. [Blanca]

Illyanna Maisonet is a force. She's a powerful writer and an incredible chef. Diasporican is a deeply personal collection of recipes that greatly expanded my familiarity with foods from the Puerto Rican Diaspora. I love that Maisonet doesn't shy away discussing the destructive influences of colonialism and includes headers like "Why the 2:1 Ratio Is Bullshit." I can't wait to continue cooking my way through the many, many recipes I've bookmarked! [Adrienne]

The illustrations are glorious! Even the dogs curl up with a book in this wonderfully written story about a book-giving tradition in Iceland. Kilgore captures in light verse the experience of looking for the right book, which as book lovers know, i can be as much fun as reading. [Blanca]

Alice is a disability justice activist and editor of the amazing Disability Visibility (which, if you haven't, you should read soonest). This is an innovative memoir pulling together essays, graphics, photos, and conversations into a scrapbook of sorts, which makes it both fun and illuminating. [sweet pea]

Margo Price writes so many autobiographical songs, so it was nice to hear even more of the story behind them. Her struggles and triumphs. You don't have to be familiar with her music to get a lot out of this memoir. This is great for any artist honing their craft and hoping to make it some day. [Karen]

Andrea Gentl is infectious with her passion for mushrooms. From broths to cocktails, Gentl organized her cookbook by meal time, so you can quickly find a recipe for breakfast, lunch, dinner, and the cocktail hour. Her recipes are infused with flavors from all over the world, which she has traveled as a photographer. I enjoyed learning techniques, and the risotto was delicious! [Blanca]

In this coming-of-age graphic memoir, Gharib shares her experiences growing up across borders and cultures and navigating changing family dynamics. She thoughtfully captures the complex, and sometimes contradictory, feelings of adolescence. This beautiful book would be make a great gift for either adults or teens. [Adrienne]

Bayard Rustin is one of my heroes, so i have been very excited for this picture book biography! The book focuses on Bayard's work organizing the 1963 March on Washington. This book is an important step to recovering the legacy of this civil rights hero written out of history for being queer. [sweet pea]

What I love about this baking book, aside from the mouth-watering pictures of each dessert, is how accessible Claire Saffitz created her recipes. No special tools needed, and each recipe has little troubleshooting Q&A's on the side. As a beginner myself, I felt encouraged and less intimidated to practice making desserts. [Blanca]

It seems like disinformation is everywhere these days, and the more young readers are online the more likely they are to encounter harmful information. So take heed of these cute lil blobs who make media literacy fun and understandable. Aimed at young readers, but this should be essential reading for all in an age where fake news is big business and we're all the target audience. I also learned I shouldn't drink shampoo and no, my underwear will not kill me. [Karen]