The Outlaw Album by Daniel Woodrell. My favorite author has just released a book of short stories, and as usual, it's not something you want to miss. If you are a fan of Daniel Woodrell, you won't need any coaxing. If not, this is a great introduction to the writer who brought us Tomato Red and the highly-acclaimed Winter's Bone. Not for the faint of heart, like a mix of Cormac McCarthy, Ernest Hemingway and William Faulkner, or maybe he is the Shakespeare of the Ozarks. I don't know. But as you can tell, I think he's pretty amazing. (Cree)
Zone One by Colson Whitehead. This book requires two reviews:
For people who like zombies: Dude. It's a book about zombies. Zombies in MANHATTAN. Killing zombies and surviving and killing more zombies. Read it already.
For people who don't like zombies: Ah, ignore the zombies. Feel free to see them as a useful metaphor if you must. But don't miss this book. Whitehead is at the top of his game. There are many pages of writing so good, you'll feel like a zombie just ate your heart out and your life is slowly fading before your eyes. Wait! I mean, ignore the zombies.
(Stephanie, Jenn, and Christine)
The Family Meal by Ferran Adria. This might be the finest cookbook of the year. Not only is every recipe drool-inducing (hello, potato chip omelet, get in my mouth), but each is also laid out in a stunning, simple format that makes you feel like you might actually be able to cook this stuff. It's like food porn except it's practical. Love love love. (Stephanie)
Guadalajara by Quim Monzo. This is a surreal short story collection from Spain. The language and the telling are straight-forward, but the happenings are anything but. Sinister undercurrents and creepy twists will keep you surprised and curious from story to story. (Simone)
Beautiful & Pointless by David Orr. This book should have been called Snarky & Compelling. Orr has a pretty dry sense of humor, and immediately makes you feel like you're in on the joke that is The State of Poetry Today. And yet somehow, by the end of it, you want to go read some poetry -- no small accomplishment! (Jenn)
Every Thing On It by Shel Silverstein. I'm just a big kid, and I am super excited by this new book of previously unreleased poems by Shel Silverstein! On a slightly unrelated note, did you know Shel got his start as cartoonist for Playboy Magazine, and wrote hundreds of songs, such as "A Boy Named Sue" (made famous by Johnny Cash), and "Cover of the Rolling Stone" (Dr. Hook & the Medicine Show; one of my favorite bands of all time!). Can you tell I am a huge fan of Shel Silverstein?! (Cree)
Subway Story by Julia Sarcone-Roach. A history of the New York train system in a sweet picture book. Who can explain the connection between ocean reefs and the MTA? Acrylic illustrations take us on a ride from the 1960s that New York children and their parents will both appreciate. (Simone)
The Name of the Star by Maureen Johnson. Maureen Johnson, if you don't already know it, is one of the funniest authors on the internet and one of our favorites in the YA section. In her new book she balances the everyday drama of teenage life--boys, school, roommates--with a hair-raising whopper of a plot: a Jack the Ripper copycat begins stalking the neighborhood surrounding Rory's London boarding school, and our heroine starts to see things no one else can see. Johnson manages to wink at the paranormal YA genre as a whole while crafting something new and engaging, and I mean, come on, LONDON GHOST POLICE. You know you want to read about that. (Jenn)
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