They're new, they're beautiful, they're awesome!

The Hottest Dishes of the Tartar Cuisine by Alina Bronsky. What an incredible book. The main character is thoroughly detestable in her manipulations of everyone around her, but despite that (or, more likely, because of it!), I miss her very much now that she's gone. I don't think I've enjoyed hating a narrator so much since I read Money by Martin Amis. Bronsky's use of language is vibrant and surprising and I was heartbroken when the book was over. It often seems like everybody who comes in the store is looking for a funny book for a change of pace; I can't wait to sell them this one. (Stephanie) 

Matterhorn by Karl Marlantes. Hailed as one of the best novels on the Vietnam War when it came out last year, Matterhorn by Karl Marlantes is just out in paperback. This book absolutely blew me away, and I don't mind telling you I'm not much of a war-novel reader. While the novel tackles big issues -- the politics of war, racism in the troops, all the blood and guts you can stand and then some -- it's Marlantes' attention to the small, almost invisible details of daily life during war-time that makes it so affecting. Long, intense, and worth every single second you'll spend reading it. (Jenn)   

The Book With A Hole by Herve Tullet. Just like it says, this book has a face-sized hole in the middle of it that is incorporated into every drawing. Maybe not the right book before bedtime, because it's so interactive and wouldn't be very good at putting a kid to sleep---but perfect for any time you need to distract a kid or make them excited about reading. 

Embassytown by China Mieville. Both Jenn and Stephanie are great big squee'ing fangirls for this guy, and not just because he is a handsome devil. We agree that the new book is his best yet. Space! The future! Strange species! Politics! Linguistics! UH MAZ ING. (Still some tickets left for our event with him on 6/1!) 

America Pacifica by Anna North. The book takes place in a somewhat post-apocalyptic future where a second ice age has rendered most of North America uninhabitable. There are no vampires or zombies but the world these characters are living in is terrifying nonetheless; food is sparse and the polarization of rich and poor is more extreme than ever. It's a dark, seedy journey as we follow the eighteen-year-old main character as she searches for her missing mother, her only ally in this bleak world. The writing is gritty and atmospheric, and I think it's definitely worth checking out. (Christine) 

The Man In The Gray Flannel Skirt by Jon-Jon Goulian. A delightful memoir that I couldn't put down. Goulian is a great storyteller and hilariously funny, too. (Ali) 

Counting Chickens by Flensted. A new counting book from the Danish hanging mobile company Flensted. Don't count your chickens. Do count your eggs! (Stephanie)

The Glorious Pasta of Italy by Domenica Marchetti. If the words glorious, pasta, and Italy don't make you want to buy a cookbook, there's really nothing else we can say to convince you that this book is a masterpiece.   

We love books with a few miles on them just as much as the shiny new ones.  

The House of Wittgenstein by Alexander Waugh. This is one of the best nonfiction books I've read in a long time. It tells the story of the Wittgenstein family in the twentieth century, particularly in the first and second World Wars. Not only does Waugh chronicle each individual member with the attention they all deserve, he also provides a new angle by which to view Europe and the drastic changes it went through. If you always wanted to like history but just couldn't, this is the book for you. Waugh is the rare writer who is capable of flawlessly confident writing without trying to show off. I would read his writing about anything---just lucky that he picked one of the most fascinating families in modern European history!  (Stephanie)

Dead Souls by Alexander Gogol. Our Classics Book Group is now reading the second half of this for discussion in June, and our impassioned discussion of the first half this month would have been enough to make anybody give it a try. That a satire focusing on an obscure bureaucratic loophole of imperial Russia can still be hilariously funny in translation many years later is a testament to Gogol's incredible talent. It's not too late: start the book now and join us for discussion on 6/11 at noon!

Nothing to Be Frightened Of by Julian Barnes. An English writer best known for his novels here takes on the subject of mortality and the meanings death can give life. As he held up his fears and laments for scrutiny in this search for a bit of understanding, perhaps even solace, I was glad to bear witness. (Simone) 

Llama Llama Red Pajama by Anna Dewdney. This is the current favorite of our official bookstore baby, Adrian. He LOVES Llama Llama. We still have a limited number of stuffed llamas that go along with these great books! And if you ask at the counter, we'll show you the sign language sign for llama. (Adrian)