This is a touching, magical story that follows an eclectic group of siblings over five decades following one defining event: a fortune-teller predicts when each will die. The path each sibling takes in reaction to the revelation is as unique as their voice in their dedicated chapters. It approaches mortality -and immortality- in a powerful way, and these four siblings (listed on my shirt) will stay with you long after you close the book. -Kelly

This is way better that The Bear and the Nightingale. And I LOVED The Bear and the Nightingale. These books are perfect to curl up with on a winter's night. - Jax

THIS BOOK IS SO GOOD. Ok, yes, it's about the Donner Party and it does have cannibalism, but this isn't some gruesome expose. It's a thoughtful, detailed, engrossing, and totally fascinating look at Westward expansion, life on the trail, and California history. I didn't want to stop reading it and can't stop talking about it. - Flannery

This collection by poet Nikki Giovanni is absolutely wonderful. The diversity between short prose and poetry in this collection lends it a great readability, and there is a lovely rhythm to the book. Of note is the poem dedicated to Maya Angelou that embraces tears and sadness as necessary and healing. The personal is political, and as always Giovanni reminds us why. - Louise

To grow up in the midst of a violent revolution, especially with the soul of a poet, is to be forever marked. Marina comes from a well-off Russian family. Her life is also poised on the edge of the Russian Revolution. This is a story of passion, betrayal, and revolt. I was utterly drawn in by Marina‘s story and read it on the edge of my seat. - Ivy

Count me among Deb Perelman's most loyal fans. (I couldn't even tell you the number of her recipes that have become family favorites.) With incredible charm & a passion for cooking, Perelman shares recipes for food that you really want to eat. Her new collection is fille with over a hundred recipes for everything from breakfast to dinner to dessert. I've just started cooking from it and have already found so many new family favorites! - S.B.

This is the true story of an all-American family, but it just so happens that this family belongs to O-Six, the alpha female of the Lamar Canyon wolf pack in Yellowstone National Park. American Wolf is a stellar example of nonfiction narrative, telling the story of one unique wolf as well as the history of wolves in the United States, their extirpation and recent reintroduction, their allies and those who cause them the greatest danger. - Melinda

Gabrielle Union is the intersectional feminist badass of our future who opens the door to her life in these essays. Funny & preternaturally on-point in her observations, her writing reads like the most intense, playful, & powerful conversation you've ever had with a best friend. Remember how much those conversations changed you? This will,too. It is also insanely timely, with a lot of #MeToo #HimThough & #TakeAKnee Don't miss it! - a.c.

The first thing you‘ll notice is the writing. The second will be the almost casual references to her incredible family history & personal tragedy. You‘ll be drawn in by the insight of one of our greatest living writers. Orbiting an emotional core, this collage of poetic thoughts & essays on art & language are intermingled with chapters of Tan‘s heart-breaking real-life, creating a unique memoir that I can‘t stop thinking about. - Jocelyn

When Night Vale's citizens begin to disappear Nilanjana is thrown headlong into the world of a strange new religion. Or maybe a cult. Perhaps a mob? Hard to say. Point is, religion and science go head to head and the final fight is quite... poignant, actually. You don't need to know anything about the world to enjoy the heck out of this story. Just be ready for an excellent ride through the strangest town you've never heard of before. - Ivy

In the wake of the election, Julia Turshen felt an urgent call to activism. Transforming from a sometimes-activist to a fully committed member of the resistance, she found her role in the form of feeding people. This is a fantastic collection of inspirational essays & nurturing recipes by Turshen & activists. This outstanding book is perfect for those who value community, solidarity, and the power of food. All proceeds go to the ACLU. - S.B.

There was nothing I didn‘t love about this book. It follows five generations of witches, from mother to daughter, experiencing all the dangers of paranoia of the era regarding witchcraft and really female empowerment. I appreciated the mother/daughter relationships in all their complexities. This is Morgan‘s debut novel; I‘m impressed with how fantastic her writing is. A book that will draw both literary & fantasy fans alike. - Karena

When the author moves his family to Salem for the month of Halloween in order to research and explore the town's history and its current culture, he finds a town unlike any other. A month long celebration of ghosts and ghouls embraces and even profits off of a past that many have tried to forget. This book is a fun, lighthearted look at a not so fun or lighthearted period in our country's history. - Jade

Thad Vogler brings the personal deep into his work, enthusiastically & unabashedly sharing his process for choosing the spirits with which he stocks his bar, while allowing you to fall a little in love with each farm, distiller. He consciously seeks out those who love their craft, & insists on the same farm to table traditions ubiquitous in the foodie scene. I can say with certainty that this book has found a place close to my heart. - Jax

When her marriage falls apart, Doyle (a blogger by trade) does the only thing she can: she writes every brutal truth with surgical precision for the world to see. Glennon speaks secrets about being a person you feel never should be voiced, but in a way which compels you to look at your own shortcomings and come to terms with them. This book tore me to pieces, but left me with a pleasant ache of hope. - Ivy

It is hard to imagine @Pronounced_ing outdoing herself after Everything I Never Told You but she does it with Little Fires Everywhere. I already know this book will be on my "Best of the Year" shelf come December. Bravo! - Casey, Bookshop Santa Cruz Owner

Do you like lady assassins? This follow-up to Nevernight will hit all the right spots. Mia and her shadow cat that's not a cat are back and more kickass than before. The stakes are higher, the assassinations sneakier, and the alliances more duplicitous. - Karena

Charlie is a cutter, bleeding the pain out cut by cut. Girl in Pieces follows Charlie as she tries to recover and live a better life. Charlie is an all too human character, and her journey is one of hope and determination in the face of internal and external barriers. It helped me. I loved it. - Flannery

Alice Waters opened the legendary Chez Panisse in 1971 & neither the cuisine of California, nor the Western world, have been the same. Here Waters puts together the pieces – female friendships & male lovers, childhood memories & adult journeys, music and art and France and the 60‘s – that brought her to her legacy on Shattuck Avenue. Lovely and nostalgic with the hope of the last century, it will whet an appetite for beauty and change. - Jocelyn

Zoe Quinn was the eye of the Internet storm known as #gamergate. Some claim it was about “ethics in videogame journalism”, but the truth is so much scarier. The details are upsetting, but this has good steps for combating cyberbullying & keeping your information safe. Through it all, Quinn manages to tell her story with humor & even has a positive spin on the outcome. A must read especially if you know very little of the Internet. - Ivy

You won‘t be able to put this book down! The World of Tomorrow is a whirlwind dive into prewar New York City, written with the same frenetic pace as the boozy jazz age in which it‘s set. Entertainment abounds as our rotating protagonists stay one step ahead of trouble. With a serpentine plot that never loses its thread, and a payoff worth the page count, The World of Tomorrow is sure to be a hit. - Kelly

A powerful memoir that follows one family separated by the Berlin Wall and kept apart for forty years by the Cold War. Five extraordinary women across three generations all lead disparate lives — a matriarch, a dreamer, a rebel, an Army Intelligence officer, an Olympic athlete — but each exhibit incredible bravery and resilience to protect what matters most: their family. - Kelly

Gorgeous in its depiction of nature, human & otherwise, unafraid to tell the truth, even in its complexity, this novel both breaks your heart and patches it with hope. One cannot help but read with a new way of seeing, an unforgettable treasure within this incredible book. - Melinda, Head Book Buyer, speaking for all the staff who have fallen in love with this debut novel!

Louise Penny is my new obsession. I can't believe I took so long to read her work. I power-Read through all twelve of her previous books to prepare myself for this new book - and for meeting her this Thursday at our event! - Melinda

Told in pieces of the past, present, and future, The History of Bees is is a beautifully written story about our relationships with each other and with the world we share. I will never again see a bee and have it not remind me of our responsibility to respect the balance of power in nature. Lunde's novel has illuminated the path of the bees and in turn has given us a beacon of hope for our future. - Jenny

My obsession with solar eclipses began years ago with this sweet book. Now it's a re-read come true as we wait for this year's remarkable event. Please join me and enjoy it as we all get ready to look up. - Melinda

I‘ve loved Hannah Hart since she first appeared on my computer screen, a little tipsy and attempting to make ice cream from scratch. Since then we have both grown a lot, although only one of us has been catapulted into Internet stardom. I'm so excited to finally be diving into this now that it's out in paperback, to continue to learn from this incredibly inspiring woman. - Jax

I‘m a huge fan of anything under 200 pages, & this story of Dr. Morayo Da Silva, Nigerian woman living in San Francisco, fits the bill. Our 75-year-old protagonist is at an age our culture assumes is filled only w/ death & physical decline. While there are elements of both, there is also a luminous & lively center upon which her story pivots; the narrative floats effortlessly between the bustling present & Da Silva‘s nostalgia-worthy past.-Louise

I am thrilled that this book is here! In The Cooking Gene, culinary historian Michael Twitty traces his ancestral roots as well as the culinary history of the South—from Africa to America—with passion and urgency. Deeply compelling, provocative, and important—if you are interested in the true history of our country, read this book! —S.B.

An excellently fun rom-com in our near future. Briddy‘s about to get everything she wants—the man of her dreams and an escape from her invasive, crazy family—when the impossible happens. Now she‘s stuck with the last person she‘d expect, trying to fix the situation before she loses everything. Connie Willis‘ sharp wit and social critique work to make the sci-fi–driven hijinks and romance into a thoroughly charming story. - Jocelyn

I cannot say how excited I am that this play is finally in print. When it premiered at the Oregon Shakespeare Festival, a friend who worked there said it was the one play of the season they had to see multiple times. I watched as it went to New York with the Public Theater, and knew Broadway wouldn't be far behind. Lynn Nottage is master dramatist, and this play of class and race and modern history couldn't be more timely or relevant. - Jocelyn

Self-conscious, in pain, trapped in her body, Gay takes on what it means to truly take care of yourself, all while facing the unrelenting judgment of society. Breathtakingly honest & brave, Hunger will not leave you unchanged. - Stef

I am having a hard time finding the words to describe how I feel about this book. She puts her heart & soul out there, leaves herself vulnerable to our eyes, yet pulls no punches. - Karena

Samuel R. "Chip" Delaney - everyone's favorite queer sci-fi Santa. His work stands the test of time as influential, imaginative, and provocative. This collection especially delves into themes of gender, race, and sexuality. - Jax

At the time this came out, it was one of only a few books from a major press written by a trans person about, well, what it's like to grow up trans in America. YES, we WANT books about trans women WRITTEN BY trans women--we really do!! There's no universal trans experience, which is why we need a multitude of stories, nonfiction & novels-thank you, Janet Mock, for setting the trail aflame for trans authors with your MOST EXCELLENT book. - Louise

Told from dueling perspectives, this story isn‘t a historical Holocaust narrative—instead, it is a literary, experiential kaleidoscope, using precocious young narrators to wrest meaning from that abyss. Horrible reality here gives way to poetic, lyrical prose which is affecting, powerful, and transcendent.-a.c.

Have we come to the end of penetrative sex? Is non-breeding the next big thing? Courtney Maum tackles these & other taboo questions in her provocative new page-turner. This book is such sweet and sexy fun. I forecast a huge bestseller. - Jason

I loved Al Franken from his Saturday Night Live days so I was very interested on his take on our political clusterfuck. He has a great way of humanizing those who might be making political decisions not in our country's best interests. Please read this. It's hilarious, insightful, and a very much needed balm for our news-cycle-overwhelmed souls. - Karena

Hilarious shenanigans, diva superheroes, and catty bloggers made this a fun read. I devoured this urban fantasy and not just because of the demon cupcakes. Evie Taneka is the best reluctant-assistant-turned-superhero ever. It's the first of a series that I'm looking forward to continuing. - Karena

Resisting unfit government doesn't need to drain you. Resistance can be fun. It can be funny. Resistance can build community. Anyone can be involved and I hope it makes you smile. - a.c.

With its deftly spun narratives whose sources range from transcribed wiretaps to a flashback of underground gay bars, Oakland Noir has everything I want in an anthology. Filtering the grit and harsh circumstances is a kind of protective empathy, with glimpses of hope that make the noir gut-punch hurt that much more. It's so good. - Rachel

I've never read this before now and it's a classic. I very rarely get embarrassed by books I haven't read, but this is one where I have when people talk about it. Now that I'm reading it, I'm like 'Oh my god, yes, I was right to be embarrassed that I hadn't read this.' I love the stream-of-consciousness way of talking she has, and the free-form association that allows the reader to experience her emotional state. - Jax

There is no adequate way to describe this book in the short space I have, or to fully impart how excited I am for it. I‘m burned out on dystopic fiction but can‘t wait for this because I love Jeff VanderMeer‘s unsettling, descriptive writing, the mind-bending ways his books make me think, and his worlds—in many ways recognizably ours, yet alien, altered, weird. If you want something different, look no further. - Flannery

With her poetic language & impeccable dramatic timing, Atwood has crafted an altogether compelling retelling of The Tempest. Prospero is an aging, grieving father named Felix Phillips. The island is a literal prison where, after having been relieved of his duties as a theater festival‘s artistic director, Phillips teaches Shakespeare. Plenty of nods to its source but is a fantastic story on its own. Just remember: The play‘s the thing. - Ivy

Normally I shy away from memoirs written by poets, afraid that their style of writing won‘t translate into a cohesive narrative. But Patricia Lockwood‘s clever turns of phrase & eccentric personality are right at home in this book, which is primarily the story of her beer-drinking Catholic priest of a father & how growing up in this paradoxical environment shaped her life. It‘s real & irreverent and will delight fans of Lawson & Karr. - Louise

Murder, revenge and unforgivable transgressions scar the pages of Tóibín‘s latest novel. In his brutal retelling of the classical Greek tragedy, Clytemnestra vows revenge after Agamemnon‘s sacrificial slaughter of their eldest daughter. I appreciated the first-person narrative accounts of the women in this book, although they were rife with hostility. Not recommended for the faint of heart! - Ashley

Miéville manages to take a chaotic & confusing moment in history & make it thrillingly present. On this, the 100th anniversary of the Russian Revolution of 1917, it‘s fascinating & instructive to look back at the revolution that continues to have such reverberations. Written with brilliant, illuminating, & immersive prose, October will make you feel as though you jumped on the Trans-Siberian Express to experience the revolution yourself. - Jax

In one story, a man dies of lovesickness; in another, a man learns of the death of his grade-school crush from an alarming late-night call. This is vintage Murakami: mysterious abandonments that lead to journeys of self-discovery, nostalgic narrators waxing poetic about romantic days of yore. Nods to the Beatles, Hemingway, and Kafka add flavor to this elegant selection of stories. A must-have for all Murakami fans. - Jason

My love for the Electric Empire series is immeasurable, and the newest installment is now out! Get reunited with forensic scientist Dr. Eliza Jekyll and her deliciously diabolical other half, Lizzie Hyde. It's an exciting, action-packed caper through a supernatural Edwardian London. Good luck trying to stay one step ahead of this dueling "duo" as they race to catch a murderer! - Kelly

An amazing book looking at the creation & formative years of the London Zoo through the eyes of the men there. It's fascinating to see the different perspectives and priorities of the animal preserver compared to the architect or head keeper. A hard read at times, as they imported animals they had never seen before. But even with hardship it was a joy to read about how dedicated most were to science & goal of bringing such wonder to people.-Rachel

I'm one of those surly people who seldom agrees with an award winner, but dammit Ross Gay is amazing, quirky, vibrant, and a powerfully talented poet. -a.c.