Tag: book recommendation

Celebrate Juneteenth

Happy Freedom Day! Here are a few books we recommend about Juneteenth and Black history, as well as some celebrating contemporary Black culture in the United States.

Juneteenth Is by Natasha Tripplett & illustrated by Daniel J. O’Brien

An intimate look at Juneteenth, this story is a warm exploration of a family and a community.

Juneteenth is the smell of brisket filling the air. Juneteenth is the sounds of music, dancing, and cheering ringing from the parade outside. It is love. It is prayer. It is friends and relatives coming together to commemorate freedom, hope for tomorrow, and one another.

This book is an ode to the history of the Black community in the United States, a tribute to Black joy, and a portrait of familial love. With poignant text and vivid illustrations, Juneteenth Is offers a window and a mirror for readers, resonating with kids who will see themselves reflected in its pages and those who hope to understand experiences beyond their own.

What Is Juneteenth? by Kirsti Jewel, Who HQ, & illustrated by Manuel Gutierrez

Discover more about Juneteenth, the important holiday that celebrates the end of chattel slavery in the United States.

On June 19, 1865, a group of enslaved men, women, and children in Texas gathered around a Union solder and listened as he read the most remarkable words they would ever hear. They were no longer enslaved: they were free. The inhumane practice of forced labor with no pay was now illegal in all of the United States. This news was cause for celebration, so the group of people jumped in excitement, danced, and wept tears of joy. They did not know it at the time, but their joyous celebration of freedom would become a holiday–Juneteenth–that is observed each year by more and more Americans.

Four Hundred Souls: A Community History of African America, 1619-2019 edited by Ibram X. Kendi & Keisha N. Blain

Four Hundred Souls is a unique one-volume “community” history of African Americans. The editors, Ibram X. Kendi and Keisha N. Blain, have assembled ninety brilliant writers, each of whom takes on a five-year period of that four-hundred-year span. The writers explore their periods through a variety of techniques: historical essays, short stories, personal vignettes, and fiery polemics. They approach history from various perspectives: through the eyes of towering historical icons or the untold stories of ordinary people; through places, laws, and objects. While themes of resistance and struggle, of hope and reinvention, course through the book, this collection of diverse pieces from ninety different minds, reflecting ninety different perspectives, fundamentally deconstructs the idea that Africans in America are a monolith—instead it unlocks the startling range of experiences and ideas that have always existed within the community of Blackness. 

The New Negro Aesthetic by Alain Locke, edited by Jeffrey C. Stewart

For months, the philosopher Alain Locke wrestled with the idea of the Negro as America’s most vexing problem. He asked how shall Negroes think of themselves as he considered the new crop of poets, novelists, and short story writers who, in 1924, wrote about their experiences as Black people in America. He did not want to frame Harlem and Black writing as yet another protest against racism, nor did he want to focus on the sociological perspective on the “Negro problem” and Harlem as a site of crime, poverty, and dysfunction. He wanted to find new language and a new way for Black people to think of themselves.

The essays and articles collected in this volume, by Locke’s Pulitzer Prize–winning biographer, are the result of that new attitude and the struggle to instill the New Negro aesthetics, as Stewart calls it here, into the mind of the twentieth century. To be a New Negro poet, novelist, actor, musician, dancer, or filmmaker was to commit oneself to an arc of self-discovery of what and who the Negro was—would be—without fear that one would disappoint the white or Black bystander. In committing to that path, Locke asserted, one would uncover a “being-in-the-world” that was rich and bountiful in its creative possibilities, if Black people could turn off the noise of racism and see themselves for who they really are: a world of creative people who have transformed, powerfully and perpetually, the culture of wherever history or social forces landed them.

This Is the Honey: An Anthology of Contemporary Black Poets edited by Kwame Alexander

In this comprehensive and vibrant poetry anthology, bestselling author and poet Kwame Alexander curates a collection of contemporary anthems at turns tender and piercing and deeply inspiring throughout. Featuring work from well-loved poets such as Rita Dove, Jericho Brown, Warsan Shire, Ross Gay, Tracy K. Smith, Terrance Hayes, Morgan Parker, and Nikki Giovanni, This Is the Honey is a rich and abundant offering of language from the poets giving voice to generations of resilient joy, “each incantation,” as Mahogany L. Browne puts it in her titular poem, is “a jubilee of a people dreaming wildly.”

High on the Hog: A Culinary Journey from Africa to America by Jessica B. Harris

Acclaimed cookbook author Jessica B. Harris has spent much of her life researching the food and foodways of the African Diaspora. High on the Hog is the culmination of years of her work, and the result is a most engaging history of African American cuisine. Harris takes the reader on a harrowing journey from Africa across the Atlantic to America, tracking the trials that the people and the food have undergone along the way.

From chitlins and ham hocks to fried chicken and vegan soul, Harris celebrates the delicious and restorative foods of the African American experience and details how each came to form such an important part of African American culture, history, and identity. Although the story of African cuisine in America begins with slavery, High on the Hog ultimately chronicles a thrilling history of triumph and survival. The work of a masterful storyteller and an acclaimed scholar, Jessica B. Harris’s High on the Hog fills an important gap in our culinary history.

Juneteenth by Ralph Ellison

Here is Ellison, the master of American vernacular—the preacher’s hyperbole and the politician’s rhetoric, the rhythms of jazz and gospel and ordinary speech—at the height of his powers, telling a powerful, evocative tale of a prodigal of the twentieth century.

“Tell me what happened while there’s still time,” demands the dying senator Adam Sunraider to the Reverend A. Z. Hickman, the itinerant Negro preacher whom he calls Daddy Hickman. As a young man, Sunraider was Bliss, an orphan taken in by Hickman and raised to be a preacher like himself. His history encompasses camp meetings where he became the risen Lazarus to inspire the faithful; the more ordinary joys of Southern boyhood; bucolic days as a filmmaker; lovemaking with a young woman in a field in the Oklahoma sun. And behind it all lies a mystery: how did this chosen child become the man who would deny everything to achieve his goals?

June Staff Pick: The Demon of Unrest

George with The Demon of Unrest by Erik Larson

The Demon of Unrest by Erik Larson, (Crown), picked by store co-founder George Cooper

There’s nothing so interesting as reading a history of a profound event when you have an uncomfortable dread that you are living through a run-up to its successor, in this time when a modern “Demon of Unrest” is plaguing our nation.  

Legendary story-teller Larson gives us a detailed account of the period from Lincoln’s election in November, 1860, to the fall of Ft. Sumter on April 13, 1861 and the beginning of the Civil War. We are with the protagonists, North and South, each step of the way as the opportunities for compromise slip away and war fever takes hold. The deadly bombardment of the Fort becomes not a military battle, but a grander version of the duels that still animated Southern manhood. 

In this brilliant addition to Civil War literature, Larson is a master of the telling detail, the moment or quotation that makes us pause. Like this from the southern Senator and plantation owner James Henry Hammond, famed for claiming “Cotton is King.” Near the end of the war, he acknowledged:  

We are here two races, white and black, now both equally American, holding each other in the closest embrace, and utterly unable to extricate ourselves from it, a problem so difficult, so complicated, and so momentous, never was placed in charge of any portion of mankind and on its solution rests our all. 

Who among us now, one-hundred sixty-five years later, would say that we have found that solution.

Read with Pride!

Here are just a few of the books we are reading and recommending as we celebrate Pride this month. These books take a behind-the-scenes look at the vibrant, little known world of queer club nights; find out what happens when travelers who missed the Titanic form a secret society; read a road trip novel on your summer road trip; explore the challenges of high finance, ambition and complicated relationships, and so much more. Pick up one of these books, find more in our Pride display in store.

Six books, as described in the text, overlaid on a Progress Pride flag.

Ways and Means by Daniel Lefferts

Propulsive, exuberant, and profoundly observed, Ways and Means is an indelible, clear-eyed investigation of class and ambition, sex and art, and politics and power in twenty-first century America.

Long Live Queer Nightlife by Amin Ghaziani

It’s closing time for an alarming number of gay bars in cities around the globe–but it’s definitely not the last dance

In this exhilarating journey into underground parties, pulsating with life and limitless possibility, acclaimed author Amin Ghaziani unveils the unexpected revolution revitalizing urban nightlife.

The Titanic Survivors Book Club by Timothy Schaffert

Elegant and elegiac, The Titanic Survivors Book Club is a dazzling ode to love, chance, and the transformative power of books to bring people together.

Housemates by Emma Copley Eisenberg

Two young housemates embark on a road trip to discover themselves in this sparkling novel of love, friendship, and chosen family in a fractured America, by the award-winning author of The Third Rainbow Girl.

How to Live Free in a Dangerous World by Shayla Lawson

In their new book, Shayla Lawson reveals how traveling can itself be a political act, when it can be a dangerous world to be Black, femme, nonbinary, and disabled. With their signature prose, at turns bold, muscular, and luminous, Shayla Lawson travels the world to explore deeper meanings held within love, time, and the self.

The Girl in Question by Tess Sharpe

In this shocking psychological thriller and follow-up to New York Times bestseller The Girls I’ve Been, four teens face off against a wicked man in a remote forest in a desperate fight for their survival.

Gifts for Dads & Grads

Gifts for Dads & Grads

Need a book recommendation for Dad, an inspirational book for the rising high schooler, or a cookbook for the college graduate with their first apartment, we can help! And don’t forget to look in our art room for art supplies, how-to books, puzzles, and more.

6 books as described in text, with decorative graphics suggesting Dads and grads. Also features an image of the Books & Books gift card. Text reads, "Gifts for Dads & Grads."

We Loved It All by Lydia Millet

This lucent anti-memoir from celebrated novelist Lydia Millet explores the pain and joy of being a parent, child, and human at a moment when the richness of the planet’s life is deeply threatened.

Amphibious Soul: Finding the Wild in a Tame World by Craig Foster

In this thrilling memoir of a life spent exploring the most incredible places on Earth—from the Great African Seaforest to the crocodile lairs of the Okavango Delta—Craig Foster reveals how we can attend to the earthly beauty around us and deepen our love for all living things, whether we make our homes in the country, the city, or anywhere in between.

The Moth Presents: All These Wonders, edited by Catherine Burns

Celebrating the 20th anniversary of storytelling phenomenon The Moth, 45 unforgettable true stories about risk, courage, and facing the unknown, drawn from the best ever told on their stages.

The Big Cheese by Jory John & Pete Oswald (Illustrator)

The Big Cheese is the best at everything, and brags about it, too. When the annual Cheese-cathlon comes around, the Big Cheese is prepared to win, as always. But what happens when the quiet new kid, Wedge Wedgeman, comes out on top? Is a slice of humility all the Big Cheese needs to discover that some things are better than being the best?

You Are Here: Poetry in the Natural World, edited by Ada Limón

In recent years, our poetic landscape has evolved in profound and exciting ways. So has our planet. Edited and introduced by the twenty-fourth Poet Laureate of the United States, Ada Limón, this book challenges what we think we know about “nature poetry,” illuminating the myriad ways our landscapes–both literal and literary–are changing.

The Creative Act: A Way of Being by Rick Rubin

The Creative Act is a beautiful and generous course of study that illuminates the path of the artist as a road we all can follow. It distills the wisdom gleaned from a lifetime’s work into a luminous reading experience that puts the power to create moments—and lifetimes—of exhilaration and transcendence within closer reach for all of us.

Can’t decide? Give them a gift card!

Celebrate AAPI Month with a Good Book

May is Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month

Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month invites us to explore and appreciate the cultures, history, traditions and contributions of Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders. Here are a few of the AAPI books we are reading and recommending. Find more in-store or ask for a recommendation.

Your Driver is Waiting by Priya Guns

Buckle up tight as Damani takes you on a ride through her town, or is it any town? Full of fierce commentary on social injustice, the strength of community, loyalty and love in all its messy guises. Fast, furious and fun. A great read!

– Anna (store volunteer)

The Sympathizer by Viet Thanh Nguyen

With the pace and suspense of a thriller and prose that has been compared to Graham Greene and Saul Bellow, The Sympathizer is a sweeping epic of love and betrayal. The narrator, a communist double agent, is a “man of two minds”, a half-French, half-Vietnamese army captain who arranges to come to America after the Fall of Saigon, and while building a new life with other Vietnamese refugees in Los Angeles is secretly reporting back to his communist superiors in Vietnam. The Sympathizer is a blistering exploration of identity and America, a gripping espionage novel, and a powerful story of love and friendship.

– George Cooper (store co-founder)

https://shop.booksandbookskw.com/book/9780063031319Daughter of the Moon Goddess by Sue Lynn Tan

Raised by her mother in exile, Xingyin must flee her home in the middle of the night. Isolated and alone, she finds refuge in the royal court she’s trying to escape by hiding in plain sight. Xingyin trains as an archer and never wavers in rescuing her mother, battling epic monsters, other immortals and her own emotions. Xingyin finds her own power and strength. This is an enthralling tale that will sweep you off into the night.

– Rio (staff)

April Staff Pick: The Creative Act

Sara holding The Creative Act by Rick Rubin

The Creative Act: A Way of Being by Rick Rubin (Penguin Press), picked by our Assistant Manager, Sara

Sara holding The Creative Act by Rick Rubin

With The Creative Act: A Way of Being by Rick Rubin, I found myself going back to it whenever I needed a little inspiration. It is an extraordinary book that captures the practice of creating.

The Creative Act is a collection of short reflections from Rubin’s career as a legendary music productor who is well known for helping artists connect with their own creativity by creating a space where they can offer who they really are to the world. With his own insights from his experiences, the tools he provides is as simple as listening to your own intuition, finding out what works for yourself, and incorporating your own creative routine with habits that include meditating, being in nature and exercises. These insights are then elaborated further in different chapters that are easy to pick up and follow. I read it and listened to the audiobook, which I found relaxing and enjoyable.

One takeaway from the book is that we are all creators of something in our daily lives. It does a great job capturing the sacred practice of trusting one’s own intuition and being free to experiment with finding ways to express yourself. My favorite quote from the book reads, “Look for what you notice but no one else sees.”

When I am not at the bookstore, I enjoy walking the island and taking pictures. This is my way of creating something while also documenting it for memories my own journal that I get to share with friends and family. It’s nothing serious, just a hobby I picked back up during the pandemic that I have grown to love doing. During this process, I allow my mind to wander as I take in the simple act of walking in nature. This book reminded me to touch back on my hobbies and how important it is to have routines and continue to create – or what creating means to me. I have become more mindful as I capture the beauty of what I see in hopes that others can see it too.

Another component that drew me into this book was the cover. It’s the alchemical symbol for the sun which represents life, energy, and spirituality where I found the simplicity of it had so much depth behind it that it made it even more meaningful. Rubin has a minimalist way of living so it only fit that the book would represent this in some way too with keeping everything simple.

March Staff Pick: Under the Henfluence

Bookseller Camila with one of her chickens and Under the Henfluence, by Tove Danovich

Under the Henfluence, by Tove Danovich (Agate Midway), picked by Bookseller Camila

Bookseller Camila with one of her chickens and Under the Henfluence, by Tove Danovich

“This book is about chickens, yes, but it is also about how they can change your life if you let them,” Tove Danovich, Under the Henfluence.

It’s March! Spring is in the air and what better way to celebrate the upcoming season, than to immerse yourself in the weird and wonderful world of chickens. Tove’s book (newly released in paperback), Under the Henfluence: Inside the World of Backyard Chickens and the People Who Love Them expertly weaves the history and business of chicken keeping with extensive research and personal anecdotes. Tove not only raises her own backyard flock of chickens, she is a gifted researcher, storyteller, and journalist.

“It’s a mix of stories from my own flock and reporting on chickens as a species which asks the question of what we owe to the animals we’ve tamed,” Tove Danovich.

I have my own backyard flock of hens. They are what you would call “corona chickens,” or chickens purchased during COVID-19 while we were stuck at home with time on our hands. They are our pets that not only provide eggs, they bring us joy, love, and endless entertainment. “When times get tough, as one hatchery employee told me, people turn to chickens.”

I connected with Tove’s personal anecdotes on her experiences with her flock. Her stories were my stories. We shared in the joys and heartbreak that go with loving your flock. It was also fascinating to learn about our 3,000 (plus) years of chicken domestication. She writes about the chicken industry, 4-H clubs, chicken showing, chicken therapy, all the while sharing her personal journey and experiences. While reading this book, I found myself becoming mindful about where we get our eggs and poultry. I learned what “free-range” versus “cage-free” really means, and how terrible the lives of chickens can be in large industrial facilities meant to provide us with eggs and meat. Where we get our food matters. How animals are treated matters.

I laughed, I cried, and I connected with Tove’s informative book about the world of backyard chicken keeping. You don’t need a flock of your own to LOVE this book! You’ll certainly gain an appreciation for our feathered friends and the people that love them!

~ Camila

Black Horror: What Are You Scared Of?

Our Black History Month display features a wide range of books showcasing the diversity of experiences of Black Americans, but riffing off of Lori’s featured staff pick this month, here are some titles to terrify you:

All The Sinners Bleed by S. A. Cosby – This was Lori’s October featured staff pick. Read her review.

Lone Women by Victor LaValle – Out in paper, Feb. 6.

Out There Screaming: An Anthology of New Black Horror, edited by Jordan Peele – If you’re new to the genre, anthologies are a great way to try out a new bunch of authors.

You’re Not Supposed to Die Tonight by Kalynn Bayron – A creepy, fun YA take on a camp slasher.

The Scourge Between Stars by Ness Brown – Horror in space.

The Black Guy Dies First by Robin R. Means Coleman & Mark H. Harris – Nonfiction on Black Horror at the movies.

Sweet & Spicy Reads for Valentine’s Day

Here are a handful of new and favorite Romance books for Valentine’s Day. We have many more in store, ask a bookseller for their favorites!

Enchanted to Meet You by Meg Cabot

Bride by Ali Hazelwood (Feb. 6)

Astrid Parker Doesn’t Fail by Ashley Herring Blake

A River of Golden Bones by A.K. Mulford

Second Chances in New Port Stephen by TJ Alexander

Funny Story by Emily Henry (April 23)

January Staff Pick: Starling House

Robin with Starling House by Alix E. Harrow

Starling House by Alix E. Harrow (Tor), picked by Robin, our social media manager

When I picked it up, I thought Starling House by Alix E. Harrow would be a haunted house story, but it’s really more a haunted people story.

“The house calls someone new—someone lost or lonely, someone whose home was stolen or sold or who never had a home in the first place. It calls them, and they come, and they are never homeless again.

All it costs is blood.”

For Opal having a place to belong is worth the price, and as each iteration of the story of Starling House gets told and secrets come to light, Opal finds she has more resources and allies than she knew.

Starling House is a Beauty and the Beast retelling, but it also strongly invokes classic gothic tales like Rebecca by Daphne du Maurier. It is an atmospheric, layered story that will please readers of Harrow’s other books, and fans of fairy tale retellings like T. Kingfisher’s Nettle & Bone. The most fun you can have reading about someone cleaning a house!