Jessa's Staff Picks
By Delaware Art Museum Store
By Delaware Art Museum Store
Jessa is our Lead Museum Associate!
Olga Dies Dreaming
Xochitl Gonzalez
$27.99 $26.03"Olga Dies Dreaming was just released January 4, 2022, but I already know it will take one hell of a book to top my list for this year. This book made me feel at home. Literally. As a native New Yorker and Nuyorican, I wasn't just envisioning Olga's world, I was walking through it with her. Her Brooklyn was my Brooklyn, too. Aside from my own personal connection, Xochitl Gonzalez's tale of the Acevedo family is highly engaging, the kind of book you read in one sitting. Everyone I know has already heard my impassioned pleas to read and support this book, so now I turn to you, dear reader, and say: Read this book. "
![True Heart Intuitive Tarot, Guidebook and Deck [With Book(s)]](https://images-us.bookshop.org/ingram/9781328566263.jpg?height=250&v=v2)
True Heart Intuitive Tarot, Guidebook and Deck [With Book(s)]
Rachel True
$30.00 $27.90“This gorgeously illustrated tarot deck and guidebook, created by the iconic Rachel True, best known for her role as Rochelle in The Craft–one of my favorite movies of all time!–is the perfect gift for burgeoning witches and tarot newbies. True has a knack for breaking down each card’s meaning with great compassion and care, allowing the practitioner to develop their own instincts, while also providing little bits of memoir that corollate to the major arcana.”
Alice's Adventures in Wonderland and Through the Looking Glass and What Alice Found There
Lewis Carroll, John Tenniel, et al.
$26.00 $24.18I confess: my reference point for Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland was, for a very long time, through the classic animated Disney adaptation. Here was a world that was bright, weird and completely chaotic. Nothing could make more sense to me as a child. Reading the book when I got older only intensified my love for all things Alice. Being normal was never in the cards for me. I’m much more at home in a world populated by pink flamingos, psychedelic tea parties, and hookah-smoking caterpillars than I am in the real world.
Tiger Eyes
Judy Blume
$11.99 $11.15Banned Books Week 2019 Pick - “Tiger Eyes saw me through some very difficult times. I even brought it with me as my comfort read when I studied abroad!”
The Bell Jar (Anniversary)
Sylvia Plath
$29.99 $27.89Banned Books Week 2019 Pick - “Plath’s brutal honesty hits me deeply every time I return to this book. I’m in awe of how clearly she describes what depression feels like and really lets the reader in on how trauma and pain can take your melancholy to unbearable depths.”
In the Dream House: A Memoir
Carmen Maria Machado
$26.00 $24.18Indie Bookstore Day 2020 Pick - "This book is a gut punch, but it is such a necessary read. Machado’s prose and understanding of genre is masterful. Also, “Gaslight” is one of my favorite movies of all time, so I really loved her analysis of it here. This was a book I had to put aside at times to catch my breath, but when I picked it back up, I would be completely engrossed in Machado’s harrowing story."
Disappearing Earth
Julia Phillips
$16.95 $15.76"The extraordinary detail, beautiful prose and excellent storytelling in this book make it a must-read. Julia Phillips has created a fully realized world with characters whose stories intertwine to create an unforgettable narrative."
I'll Be Gone in the Dark: One Woman's Obsessive Search for the Golden State Killer
Michelle McNamara
$30.00 $27.90"Michelle McNamara is my hero. She was a brilliant journalist, shrewd and exacting. She was obsessed with true crime, and it was her life’s mission to see the Golden State Killer brought to justice. Sadly, Michelle died before he was, in fact, apprehended, and this book is a deep dive into his heinous crimes as well as her brilliant detective work and tenacity. Upon her death, her researcher Paul Haynes and fellow journalist Billy Jensen completed the book for her. This is the book that brought all true crime enthusiasts together and elevated Billy Jensen and investigator Paul Holes to hero status. I would wake up early to read this book before heading to work because there was no way in hell I was reading it at night. I still get choked up thinking about certain scenes and how people came together to make sure Michelle’s work was never forgotten."
Chase Darkness with Me: How One True-Crime Writer Started Solving Murders
Billy Jensen
$16.99 $15.80"This is the perfect read for true crime nerds and fans of Jensen's podcasts."
Dame Traveler: Live the Spirit of Adventure
Nastasia Yakoub
$28.00 $26.04"This book is the perfect escape. The photography is stunning and intricate; I found myself poring over every photo to take in every magnificent detail. This is the perfect book for anyone who is dreaming of travel (so, pretty much everyone right now)."
The Seas
Samantha Hunt
$19.95 $18.55"This book is a marvel. Samantha Hunt’s world-building abilities are pure magic. I fell into the story of this seaside town and its inhabitants immediately, spellbound by the story of a girl whose father told her she was a mermaid. Hunt’s use of language is masterful, and every character is so lovingly written into life. I feel like I know these people now, and I won’t soon forget them. This enchanting tale will stick with me for a very long time. "
Catherine House
Elisabeth Thomas
$27.99 $26.03"I devoured this book in a day. Elisabeth Thomas drew me into the house and didn't let me go until she was good and ready. If you're looking for an engrossing read, this is it. Trust me."
Clap When You Land
Elizabeth Acevedo
$18.99 $17.66“Elizabeth Acevedo’s books always feel like a homecoming. Her work makes me feel both safe and seen. I loved this book’s achingly authentic story that details the complicated facets of grief. Camino and Yahaira, the dual protagonists of this novel in verse, have to deal with both their father’s death and finding out about each other. There’s so much for them to process, yet we still get to see their everyday lives and get a full picture of just how completely this loss affects them. I still haven’t gotten their story out of my mind, and you won’t be able to, either."