By: Ted,
on 10/9/2015
The practice of medicine affects all of us. Understanding how doctors think about treating illness, even more so. With precision and passion, Muhkerjee clearly and concisely sheds light on the three principles that he sees as the laws that govern medicine. As illuminating as his Pulitzer Prize–winning book on cancer, Emperor of all Maladies, this [...]
By: Renee P.,
on 10/6/2015
Watkins received much well-deserved attention (and several awards) for her debut story collection, Battleborn. Her first novel is just as dazzling. Set in a vividly rendered near-future West that has turned dry as bones, Gold Fame Citrus follows the journey of an ex-model, an ex-soldier, and a toddler they've rescued. This eerie, hypnotic tale of [...]
By: Richard C.,
on 10/6/2015
Archer Helmsley wants to be an explorer and is constantly cooking up schemes. When he decides to rescue his long-lost grandparents, he enlists his reluctant sidekick Oliver Grub and Adelaide, a girl with a wooden leg (because of a crocodile?), to help him. This is an amusing illustrated novel of friendship and adventure. Books mentioned [...]
By: Naomi,
on 10/6/2015
Clement, Jean, and Alan Alexander are having a sleepover. They play and play and play... and finally snuggle in. Illustrated with Patrick McDonnell's sweet, small, whimsical cartoons, Thank You and Good Night is a story about bedtime that makes the perfect bedtime story. Books mentioned in this post Thank You and Good Night Patrick Mcdonnell [...]
By: Mary Jo,
on 10/6/2015
A fascinating look at what goes into making today’s pop music, including the ever-helpful question that producers have learned to ask: "How does it sound in the car?" Seabrook takes us inside the hit factories, introduces the major players, explains how pop music ended up where it is now, and reveals why Sweden has been [...]
By: Mary Jo,
on 10/6/2015
You know all those books where the Chosen Ones are busy saving the world? This isn’t one of them. Ness gives us the story of what everyone else is doing while the world is being saved. The Rest of Us Just Live Here is the tale of (more or less) ordinary teens growing up in [...]
By: Tessa,
on 10/6/2015
Marshall's eerie, violent, beautiful dystopian story feels all too real when seen through the eyes of her remarkable main character. James is a student at the combination school/prison Goodhouse because of his genetic sequence, not because of anything he's done wrong. But the longer he's there, the more threats abound. This unusual novel is both [...]
By: Ted,
on 10/6/2015
In this extraordinary story of politics and the people, the former chair of the Federal Reserve offers an insider's account of the cataclysmic financial crisis of 2007 and the extraordinary effort of the Fed and the Treasury Department to buoy the U.S. and world economies, preventing further catastrophe. Books mentioned in this post The Courage [...]
By: Renee P.,
on 9/22/2015
The delightful and cunning author of The Sisters Brothers returns with another enigmatic, off-kilter tale. Set in a vaguely fairy tale-like land, Undermajordomo Minor traces the wayward path of the young Lucien, who is to begin a new post at the castle of a mysterious baron. Darkly funny and deftly crafted, deWitt's new novel is [...]
By: Tessa,
on 9/22/2015
Heidi Swanson, author of the fantastic Super Natural Every Day, doesn't disappoint in this newest collection inspired by her travel journals. Her vegetarian recipes contain influences from Japan to Italy to Morocco to India and are delicious, inventive without being complicated, and, as a bonus, fairly healthy. Books mentioned in this post Near and Far: [...]
By: Mary Jo,
on 9/22/2015
Michael Clune's mother accused him of using computer games to escape from reality. She wasn't wrong, but part of what's fascinating about Gamelife is where Clune escapes to and what he thinks about along the way. "I need to be somewhere else," he writes, and that is the gift and the curse computer games offer. [...]
By: Genevieve A.,
on 9/22/2015
An attractive, charismatic couple who married young, Lotto and Mathilde were exceptional, with a seemingly perfect marriage and happy life together. As recounted from both of their perspectives, Fates and Furies reveals the stunning truth and dark secrets that lie behind their relationship. A tense and vibrant tale. Books mentioned in this post Fates and [...]
By: Mary Jo,
on 9/22/2015
The author of several bestselling memoirs gives us a look under the hood. What makes a successful memoir? How does one handle the wily beast of memory? Karr elegantly dissects several well-known memoirs and gives clear examples of why they work so well. She also discusses her own work and writing process. Books mentioned in [...]
By: Richard C.,
on 9/22/2015
Benjamin's first novel is a stunningly beautiful and heartfelt book about overcoming a sudden death of a friend. Suzy wants answers as to why Franny has died. As she works through this, she gains two friends, acceptance of her parents' divorce, courage, and an appreciation for life in this universe. Books mentioned in this post [...]
By: Britt,
on 9/22/2015
Jenny Lawson writes mainly about therapy, mental illness, and taxidermy, and I was laughing about every two sentences. About every six sentences, I had to put the book down and regain composure. In fact, reading this book made me annoying to be around, as though I were involved in a 273-page inside joke. Books mentioned [...]
By: Kathi,
on 9/11/2015
When failed novelist Liam Wilder decides his best friend, Aldo Benjamin, is his muse, we are introduced to one of the most grimly hilarious, heartbreaking, foulmouthed, loveable characters to have graced the page in a very long time. Aldo consistently and comically loses at business and, sadly, in love, yet as Liam tells his story, [...]
By: Gigi Little,
on 9/7/2015
Science guy Bill Nye's book Undeniable is definitely a manifesto. He takes on Creationism and the deniers of evolution eloquently and successfully. But it's more. With Nye's easy style and wit, Undeniable both effectively explains and exalts the wonders of science and our evolved world. Books mentioned in this post Portland Noir (Akashic Noir) Kevin [...]
By: Genevieve A.,
on 9/7/2015
In Hynde's long-awaited memoir, readers witness everything from her normal childhood in Akron, Ohio, to finding herself in the midst of the rise of punk rock in 1970s London, all the way through the beginning and sudden tragic end of the Pretenders. Reckless is both a whirlwind tour and a fascinating education in rock history. [...]
By: Richard C.,
on 9/7/2015
From debut novelist Sands comes an extremely clever mystery, with codes, apothecaries, a wonderful bookseller, twists and turns, action, and humor. Christopher and Tom have a friendship that reminds one of Frodo and Sam. Set in a medieval time with an ending full of warmth and love, The Blackthorn Key is definitely a grand read. [...]
By: Kim T.,
on 9/1/2015
Caldecott-award-winning-author Kevin Henkes brings us this elegant and lovingly charming book centering around toys Owl, Pig, Bear, Puppy, and Rabbit. Their lives are spent together waiting on the window sill content with observing and sharing their wonderful world. A great picture book that teaches patience, stillness, and community. Books mentioned in this post Waiting Kevin [...]
By: Ashleigh,
on 9/1/2015
Purity focuses on its namesake, a drifting 20-something , and Andreas Wolf, a Julian Assange stand-in whose dubious morality drives her to unexpected destinations. The fast-paced story spans decades and continents without losing sight of its characters' motivations and quotidian concerns; it is Franzen's most approachable novel to date. Books mentioned in this post Purity [...]
By: Kim T.,
on 9/1/2015
McToad likes Thursdays. Thursdays are the days he gets to mow Tiny Island! Travel with McToad and his trusty lawnmower on trucks, trains, forklifts, airplanes, helicopters, boats, and cranes to get to Tiny Island! From Tom Angleberger, author of the bestselling Origami Yoda series, and wonderfully illustrated by John Hendrix, McToad Mows Tiny Island is [...]
By: Tracey T.,
on 9/1/2015
Beloved Portland restaurant The Country Cat is this city's go-to for rustic yet elegant Midwestern farmers fare. Chefs Adam and Jackie Sappington call Heartlandia, "glorified gramma food." Restaurant-proven recipes are made nicely manageable for the home cook. Now we can enjoy "The Cats" savory goodness at home and in our jammies. Books mentioned in this [...]
By: Ted,
on 9/1/2015
She's back! Stieg Larsson's thrilling characters return in author David Lagercrantz's accomplished hands. Mikael Blomkvist pairs up once again with Lisbeth Salander, the hacker wunderkind, in this stand-alone sequel to the page-turning series. Books mentioned in this post The Girl in the Spider's Web: A... David Lagercrantz Sale Hardcover $19.57
By: Kim T.,
on 9/1/2015
Maddie is a girl who has spent her entire 17 years of life indoors because she is allergic to most everything outside. She's smart, complex, and funny but sheltered from the world by her conditions. Her social needs are met by her online friends, her mother, and her nurse. One day, a boy moves next [...]
