Staff Picks
By WORD
By WORD
Updated monthly with our WORD booksellers' favorite reads.
Cook as You Are: Recipes for Real Life, Hungry Cooks, and Messy Kitchens: A Cookbook
Ruby Tandoh
$35.00 $32.55Holly says: "I adore this cookbook. Ruby Tandoh has such a refreshing, thoughtful approach to recipe development, acknowledging the generations of cooks that preceded any efforts to systematize the act of cooking. The cookbook has fantastic, approachable recipes with a global fusion bent. It'd be quite reductive to think of Ruby simply as a former GBBO contestant: she's really shown her chops as a formidable contributor to the food writing and cookbook world!"
An Immense World: How Animal Senses Reveal the Hidden Realms Around Us
Ed Yong
$30.00 $27.90Holly says: "I cannot remember the last time I read a book that taught me something with nearly every sentence. A bat's call is louder than a jet engine! Whales can communicate over miles! Dolphins have wildly accurate sonar that can detect size differences that are imperceptible to human equipment! There are more colors than the human eye can see! What an astounding, marvelous book. Yong's sense of wonder permeates this science-heavy work, making a long, fairly dense tome highly enjoyable & engaging. I listened via Libro.FM and the author's voice along with some sound samples to accompany animal lessons really enriched the experience."
The Piano Lesson
August Wilson
$14.00 $13.02Steven says: "August Wilson wields humor and pathos as twin enchantments in the masterful sleight of hand that holds this spectacular illusion together. Devastatingly funny and brutally candid, The Piano Lesson pits desperate ambition against family legacy in a household divided by guilt and passion within the reality of the Black experience not long removed from slavery. Braided narratives circle each other for two breathless acts before exploding as one in a triumphant, final note."
From the Desk of Zoe Washington
Janae Marks
$7.99 $7.43Amanda says: "I wish I had Zoe Washington as a friend when I was twelve! She's loyal, thoughtful, and kind, plus she comes up with delicious dessert recipes (many of which are included in the book.) This book tackles tough topics (racism, growing up with an incarcerated parent) in an age-appropriate and thoughtful manner and I can't recommend it enough. Read it before the sequel, On Air With Zoe Washington, comes out on February 14!"
Eastbound
Maylis De Kerangal
$18.00 $16.74Amanda says: "A Russian conscript headed toward military training and an older woman fleeing a complicated relationship encounter one another on the Trans-Siberian railway headed toward Vladivostok. In the mood for a little action? This book has it! Feeling like you'd rather read poetic descriptions of the Russian landscape? This book has that too! Maybe you'd prefer an unconventional love story? Guess what? This book is for you."
It's Lonely at the Centre of the Earth
Zoe Thorogood
$12.99 $12.08Nicole says: "A brutally honest depiction of Zoe's depression and thoughts of suicide. It puts a great spotlight on what it is to be human. Filled with beautiful art and feelings that I have never said out loud, but have certainly thought to myself... Zoe's story is a peek into her soul. The way the story jumps around in time, mixes formats and art styles seamlessly, and navigates complex subject matter makes it a book not to be missed."
Episode Thirteen
Craig Dilouie
$18.99 $17.66Will says: "There have been quite a few haunted house stories released recently, each with their own twists on the idea. Episode Thirteen was a really enjoyable take on getting what you want but not necessarily getting what you expect. Great characters and a strong philosophical haunting vibe. An enjoyable spooky read for the start of the new year."
So Real It Hurts
Lydia Lunch
$17.95Davi says: "Modern media diet got you overfed and under-nourished? Then I humbly recommend cult music/art/film/literature icon Lydia Lunch's So Real It Hurts. She's brutally alive on and off the page, offering up sentences filled with razor blades and the occasional raisinet. Put brass knuckles on your brain and start the year off with a ferocious read!"
Thank You for Coming to Hattiesburg: One Comedian's Tour of Not-Quite-The-Biggest Cities in the World
Todd Barry
$16.99 $15.80Steven says: "I was reading this book at the same time that I was selling plasma, and I laughed so hard that it fucked up the machine."
Butts: A Backstory
Heather Radke
$28.99 $26.96Aly says: "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."
Come as You Are: Revised and Updated: The Surprising New Science That Will Transform Your Sex Life
Emily Nagoski
$18.99 $17.66Aly says: "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."
Briefly, a Delicious Life
Nell Stevens
$26.99 $25.10Holly says: "Nell Stevens’s historical fiction centers on a tumultuous year in the lives of 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 -- Blanca -- 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 met her end. 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. 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. Reading it was such an unexpected pleasure."
Unruly Saint: Dorothy Day's Radical Vision and Its Challenge for Our Times
D. L. Mayfield
$26.99 $25.10Holly says: "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. "
The Mermaid of Black Conch
Monique Roffey
$26.00 $24.18Mindy says: "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."
The Death-Ray
Daniel Clowes
$19.95 $18.55Steven says: "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."
Some New Kind of Kick: A Memoir
Kid Congo Powers
$29.00 $26.97Steven says: "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."
Legends & Lattes: A Novel of High Fantasy and Low Stakes
Travis Baldree
$17.99 $16.73Will says: "Newly reissued after going viral on social media! If you're in the mood for the perfect light cozy read grab a copy and settle into your favorite café chair, latte and snack nearby. A great story about reinvention and pursuing a dream with a touch of romance on the side."
My Broken Language: A Memoir
Quiara Alegría Hudes
$18.00 $16.74Holly says: "This memoir is a masterpiece. Quiara Algería Hudes uses every inch of this book to embrace her wholeness in a world hostile to her nuances. Recounting her childhood, Hudes invites the readers alongside her journey to find language to encapsulate the many dimensions of her identity. Her deeply bonded maternal family grounds her and empowers her search for her truth. Her mother, a practitioner of Santería, fosters Quiara’s curiosity, self-confidence, and ambition. Her tias and cousins expand her world and provide ballast when seas are rocky. Her neighborhood offers community, connection, and courage. Hudes is a gifted storyteller and I was struck by the richness of her language, especially in a book ostensibly dedicated to its “brokenness.” She seamlessly intertwines cultures, dialects, and slang across seemingly disparate groups — a skill honed as she grew into a Pulitzer-winning composer and playwright. Hudes commits to telling her story honestly but not tragically. She doesn’t dwell on the hardest parts of her life. Instead, she acknowledges them plainly but spends much more energy celebrating the Perez women in all their diverse, indefatigable glory. I so deeply recommend this read."
We Measure the Earth with Our Bodies
Tsering Yangzom Lama
$27.00 $25.11Holly says: "This epic follows a family of Tibetan refugees from their flight to Nepal during China’s Cultural Revolution through to Vancouver in 2012. The writing is truly exceptional; several passages bowled be over with poetic, insistent prose determined to scrub away grit from a window and reveal beyond wise, hard-earned truths. Great for folks who liked The Island of Sea Women or Against the Loveless World."
Writing Down the Bones: Freeing the Writer Within
Natalie Goldberg
$16.95 $15.76Aly says: "Happy NaNoWriMo! Natalie Goldberg believes in you. Goldberg approaches writing as a Zen practice, filling a journal every month and gifting her favorite obsessions a thousand literary lives. Funny and practical, your new professor wants to see you commit to your craft and communicate the memories that matter to you."
Bilbao-New York-Bilbao
Kirmen Uribe
$14.95 $13.90Amanda says: "A lovely book that travels forward and backward through time and place as the narrator, on a plane from Bilbao to New York, attempts to unravel his family history and how it intersects with the Basque geography. I'll admit, parts of this book sometimes went over my head, but when that happened I just let the gorgeous language and imagery wash over me and I never felt adrift."
Meanwhile Back on Earth . . .: Finding Our Place Through Time and Space
Oliver Jeffers
$24.99 $23.24Nicole says: "A father takes his two children on an unbelieveable, exciting voyage into space. The journey involves taking a look back at Earth and the conflicts that have taken place since the beginning of time. I appreciate children's books that provide the reader and the listener a chance to have open discussions and this book does just that. Not only are the illustrations uniquely beautiful but the story gives the reader open opportunities to discuss space, the future and the past. The greatest message of the book - what brings us together matters more than what sets us apart. A fantastic book to have in your library and can be enjoyed by younger and older children."
Poukahangatus: Poems
Tayi Tibble
$27.00 $25.11Sarah says: "This collection of poems is delightful, insightful, and touches the heart. Tibble modernizes and puts mainstream media into the perspective of a young, indigenous woman discovering herself. Using unique narrative, prose and rhythm, stereotypes and generalizations are dissected and put under a scrutinizing spotlight. While I think everyone could benefit from this read, I highly recommend it to those who are on the journey of finding themselves."
Muse Squad: The Cassandra Curse
Chantel Acevedo
$7.99 $7.43Aly says: "A rad middle grade series about the power of building up others. The Junior Muses embark on their first mission: to help a shy outcast believe in herself so she can grow up to save Miami's coast from rising seas. For kids who love Greek mythology, friendship, and portals to after-hour museum clubhouse training grounds."
