Stephen's Picks

Stephen's parents used to put books in his crib to keep him quiet when he woke up early in the morning, thus starting him on a lifetime of loving literature.  At home, he enjoys reading mysteries and poetry, with occasional forays into horror and fantasy.  A displaced Vermonter, he has lived in southwest Michigan since the mid-'90s. When not in the book store he can often be found as a substitute at one our local schools!

 

 

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Liberation Day: Stories By George Saunders Cover Image
$28.00
ISBN: 9780525509592
Availability: Usually Ships in 1-5 Days
Published: Random House - October 18th, 2022

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The Cloisters: A Novel By Katy Hays Cover Image
$28.00
ISBN: 9781668004401
Availability: Usually Ships in 1-5 Days
Published: Atria Books - November 1st, 2022

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The Book Eaters By Sunyi Dean Cover Image
$26.99
ISBN: 9781250810182
Availability: Usually Ships in 1-5 Days
Published: Tor Books - August 2nd, 2022

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Sentient: How Animals Illuminate the Wonder of Our Human Senses By Jackie Higgins Cover Image
$18.99
ISBN: 9781982156565
Availability: Usually Ships in 1-5 Days
Published: Atria Books - November 1st, 2022

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The Best of Me By David Sedaris Cover Image
$18.99
ISBN: 9780316242400
Availability: Usually Ships in 1-5 Days
Published: Back Bay Books - September 7th, 2021

Full of joy, generosity, and the incisive humor that has led David Sedaris to be called “the funniest man alive” (Time Out New York), The Best of Me spans a career spent watching and learning and laughing—quite often at himself—and invites readers deep into the world of one of the most brilliant and original writers of our time. -Highly Recommended by Stephen


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Broken (in the best possible way) By Jenny Lawson Cover Image
$17.99
ISBN: 9781250812483
Availability: Usually Ships in 1-5 Days
Published: Holt Paperbacks - May 3rd, 2022

Laughter may be the best medicine, but sometimes you just need transcranial magnetic stimulation. As with her two previous books, Lawson speaks honestly about her mental and physical struggles, as well as her general awkwardness, using humor to make some serious points. The chapter, “An Open Letter to My Insurance Company” alone is worth the price of admission.


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You'll Never Believe What Happened to Lacey: Crazy Stories about Racism By Amber Ruffin, Lacey Lamar Cover Image
$16.99
ISBN: 9781538719350
Availability: Usually Ships in 1-5 Days
Published: Grand Central Publishing - June 21st, 2022

Amber Ruffin (Late Night with Seth Meyers) and her sister Lacey Lamar recount the subtle and not-so-subtle racism that Lacey faces living as a Black woman in Omaha, NE, in a style that is both tongue-in-cheek and deadly serious. Funny, cringeworthy, and educational (for this white reader at least).


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Things in Jars: A Novel By Jess Kidd Cover Image
$17.99
ISBN: 9781982121297
Availability: Usually Ships in 1-5 Days
Published: Washington Square Press - September 29th, 2020

Birdie Divine, a private investigator in Victorian London, is hired to find the kidnapped child of a baronet, a child who has certain peculiar traits that would make her valuable to collectors of oddities and natural wonders. Accompanied by the ghost of a boxer and her seven-foot housemaid, Birdie pursues the case through all levels of London society. An astounding book, rich in detail and full of memorable characters.


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The Tenant By Katrine Engberg Cover Image
$16.99
ISBN: 9781982127589
Availability: Usually Ships in 1-5 Days
Published: Gallery/Scout Press - September 1st, 2020

When a young woman is discovered brutally murdered in her own apartment, Copenhagen police detectives establish a link between the victim, and her landlady, who's a bit too fond of drink and the host of raucous dinner parties with her artist friends. 


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American Sherlock: Murder, Forensics, and the Birth of American CSI By Kate Winkler Dawson Cover Image
$18.00
ISBN: 9780525539568
Availability: Usually Ships in 1-5 Days
Published: G.P. Putnam's Sons - February 16th, 2021

Dawson unearths the career of forensic science pioneer Edward Oscar Heinrich, once a major figure in the criminal justice field but now largely forgotten. Perfect for true crime aficionados and fans of TV shows like CSI: Las Vegas and its spin-offs.


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The Body: A Guide for Occupants By Bill Bryson Cover Image
$18.00
ISBN: 9780804172721
Availability: Usually Ships in 1-5 Days
Published: Anchor - January 26th, 2021

Bryson's latest book discusses the major human systems and organs and discusses how they function, what they do, and how they can go wrong, all in Bryson's inimitable style. Highly recommended! 


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A Pilgrimage to Eternity: From Canterbury to Rome in Search of a Faith By Timothy Egan Cover Image
$18.00
ISBN: 9780735225251
Availability: Usually Ships in 1-5 Days
Published: Penguin Books - June 16th, 2020

Facing a crisis of faith, Timothy Egan decided to reconnect with his Catholic roots by making a pilgrimage along the Via Francigena—a medieval route from Canterbury to Rome. Along the way, he encounters believers of various types and asks some of the hard questions of belief. A complicated and insightful book.