3 Stars

A charming and introspective story about Bob Comet, a retired librarian who embarks on a journey of self-discovery and redemption through unexpected friendships. The author’s sharp wit and poignant storytelling make this novel a heartfelt exploration of life’s quiet and transformative moments.

-Michelle
Posted 6/27/2024

5 Stars

Nelly Sawyer is interested in truth, justice and penning her own bylines with journalistic integrity. She wants to make a name for herself, rather than jockeying for societal acknowledgment as she rides the coattails of her affluent family’s horse-breeding and racing dynasty. On the heels of her brother’s death, Nelly is determined to break a story that will demand people’s attention: to unearth The Mayor of Maxwell Street and his seedy crime syndicate. With the help of speakeasy honor Jay Shorey, the two find themselves in dangerous adventures in between Nelly’s debutante season to find a suitable husband and put the dream of empowered career woman behind her. This gorgeous debut novel from Cunningham explores complex racial and class dynamics, love, and the hidden glimmers of life in 1920s Prohibition-era Chicago.

-Hannah
Posted 6/25/2024

5 Stars

4 Stars

Abby and Elise were once friends, bonding over artistic interests and their love of surrealist director Auguste Perren. Now, Abby is living with her parents and obsessing over Elise’s movie star life from afar. This novel relies on her increasingly unhinged narration addressing Elise, delving into Abby’s emotional state. After an encounter at their high school reunion, Abby’s unhinged preoccupation with Elise intensifies, steering her to Hollywood to become the star’s assistant. Their codependent, and occasionally cutthroat, relationship is tested with this feverish narrative that examines success and blind ambition.

-Margaret
Posted 6/3/2024

5 Stars

A witty and empowering novel that blends science and social commentary through the life of Elizabeth Zott, a quirky, brilliant chemist turned unconventional TV cooking show host in the 1960s. With sharp humor and poignant insights, the author creates a story that challenges gender norms and celebrates resilience and intellect.

-Michelle
Posted 5/25/2024

4 Stars

Cindy wants to get her foot in the door as a shoe designer. But she can’t step up her dreams without money. Enter her stepmom, Erica Tremaine, showrunner for the nation’s most popular reality TV show, Before Midnight. Little does Cindy know, she’s already met this season’s suitor in a happenstance travel encounter. Now, she must toe the line between her dream come true and her happily ever after. This fresh, funny, size-inclusive reimagination of Cinderella is sure to have any reader fall head over heels.

-Hannah
Posted 5/21/2024

5 Stars

From “Glen’s Homophobia Newsletter” to his most hilarious columns in The New Yorker and elsewhere, NYT Bestselling Author David Sedaris curates a collection of his favorite and most personally rewarding essays from a career spanning more than 25 years. While perhaps best known for his spoken-word “Santaland Diaries,” in which he pays the bills by working as a Macy’s Christmas elf who threatens overly demanding parents, this compilation of some of his funniest work will delight readers unfamiliar with his stories while reigniting joy among existing fans. As an author who sells out theater-size audiences around the world, Sedaris relies on sardonic wit, delightful and ridiculous family stories, plus tales from life on tour, from a uniquely twisted yet humble perspective. (And yes, his sister is Amy Sedaris, whose extensive work merits its own discussion.)

-Jeffrey
Posted 5/21/2024

5 Stars

Though released posthumously following Rakoff’s heartbreaking yet hilariously documented battles with cancer, this collection of short stories comprises many of the author’s featured tales from National Public Radio’s “This American Life” and “Fresh Aire,” as well as variations of previously published essays. As a bonus, the book includes the entirety of Rakoff’s final opus, a novel-in-verse titled “Love, Dishonor, Marry, Die, Cherish, Perish,” a brilliant play on the legendary “Scorpion and Frog” fable. A touching foreword and farewell by humorist Paul Rudnick is the perfect first course to the menu of Rakoff’s deliciously told stories.

-Jeffrey
Posted 5/14/2024

4 Stars

This novel is a psychedelic retelling of the arrival of Hernán Cortés to Tenochtitlan, and his subsequent meeting with Moctezuma. The use of multiple narrators and occasional breaks with time and space tell a compelling story based on the pivotal moments surrounding their historic clash. Stylistically woven with multiple perspectives, the story becomes increasingly larger than the two leaders, giving complexity to the events with a bite of humor. Depicting the dreams of these characters, often tinged with hallucinogenic effects, this story reflects on the possibilities of what the Aztec empire could have been.

-Margaret
Posted 5/8/2024

4 Stars

As young girls in the foster care system, Alicia, Norah and Jessica were brought to live together at Wild Meadows. Through happenstance sisterhood, the girls endured years of physical and emotional violence by the owner, Miss Fairchild. Years later, the women reunite to shed light on secrets and a corpse exhumed from the past on the property. This gut-wrenching, twisted domestic thriller poses the question: what happens when the place you live makes you want to die?

-Hannah
Posted 5/6/2024