August Staff Picks!
"We all, sometimes, leave each other there under the skies, and we never understand why." --Truman Capote, Music for Chameleons
The end of summer is down and counting, but our staff picks cover a hot array of topics!
Recommended by Alisa
A Short Stay in Hell by Steven L. Peck
This fever dream of a horror novel tortures its protagonist not with monsters or gore but the sheer enormity of time. Despite its genre and deeply unsettling psychological struggle surrounding our perception of the infinite, it also manages to slip in moments of genuine humanity and tenderness. It’s also short enough to finish in one sitting - no excuses! Read it!
Recommended by Andrew
Washington Black by Esi Edugyan
Meet George Washington Black, or "Wash" for short. Follow the inspiring story of this talented 11-year-old slave as he progresses from field hand, to manservant, to artist and companion, to fugitive and finally to a free man! His is a story of heroism, fortitude and triumph.
Recommended by Anna
Mysterious Setting by Kazushige Abe
A very bizarre novella about tone deaf Shiori who dreams of being a singer. Shiori moves to Tokyo to pursue music, and life starts to get really weird.
Recommended by Babette
The City of Brass by S. A. Chakraborty
Tired of reading fantasy books set in an indeterminate corner of mainland Europe? City of Brass, which begins in 18th c. Cairo before spiraling into a rich magical world inspired by Middle Eastern and Islamic folklore, is a tale like no other.
Recommended by Ben
Silas Marner: The Weaver of Raveloe by George Eliot
People in 19th century England were not strangers to misfortune and Silas Marner is no exception. This 163-year-old novel is simultaneously heartbreaking and heartwarming as it explores topics of betrayal, ostracization, as well as family and community.
Recommended by Chloe
Assata: An Autobiography by Assata Shakur
‘You died. I cried. And kept getting up. A little slower. And a lot more deadly.’ Part memoir, part manifesto. Part poetry, part prose. In a world where Black women are more often spoken for or spoken about, this is Assata Olugbala Shakur in her own words. In a country where Sonya Massey can be killed in her own home by the very forces she called for help, Assata reminds us to never stop struggling, never stop fighting, and against the greatest odds, in honor of all those we’ve lost, to live!
Recommended by Elisabeth
Music for Chameleons by Truman Capote
A mix of definitely invented and possibly truthful stories about high society, celebrity, and crime, Music for Chameleons is a beach read that can sit just as easily on your most pretentious bookshelf. Funny, juicy, poignant, and stylistically brilliant.
Recommended by Jordan
Missing Clarissa by Ripley Jones
Two best friends start a true crime podcast—only to realize they may have helped a killer in the process.
Recommended by Kris
Jaws by Peter Benchley
If I told you Jaws was more than just about a killer shark, that there was a whole storyline with the mafia, and a whole romance storyline?
Yeah, I was surprised too.
Recommended by Llalan
The Wendy Award by Walter Scott
I adore Wendy. She's getting tripped up trying to navigate the ruthless world of art while just struggling to be an adult in the ruthless world of other adults. Who do we create for? How do we figure out who we are? How many drinks is one drink too many?
Recommended by Sara
Fresh Banana Leaves: Healing Indigenous Landscapes Through Indigenous Science by Jessica Hernandez
Healing our planet is going to require listening to those who know it best. Hernandez beautifully spotlights Latin American Indigenous voices in environmental sciences and demonstrates how ecocolonialism is harmful to us all.
Recommended by Seth
How to Blow Up a Pipeline by Andreas Malm
Be useful for once.
Recommended by Alisa
To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee
You don’t need me to tell you how moving, uniquely American, and artful this book is - there’s a reason it’s required reading in classrooms across the country. Its years do not date its themes in the slightest.
Recommended by Author's Corner*
The Atlas of Remedies by Paul Jaskunas
"Written with acute observation, this is a beautifully told tale of separation, hardship and longing that will move and enthrall. I loved these people and never wanted to leave them."--Edward Carey, author of Little and The Swallowed Man
*The Inner Loop's Author's Corner supports local authors' independently published books by spotlighting them across all our programming and through community collaborations.
Recommended by Anna
Better by Far by Hazel Hayes
Welcome to Kate’s stream of consciousness as she navigates her recent break-up while splitting weeks in her apartment where she returns each Sunday to the ghost of her ex. This is not a romance novel. This is a novel about loss and heartbreak and grief. Mostly about grief. “...grief is the quiet caller who sits in the corner and watches wordlessly while you finish your meal.”
Recommended by Chloe
Gathering Moss: A Natural and Cultural History of Mosses by Robin Wall Kimmerer
In an artfully weaved collection of personal essays, Kimmerer speaks as a mother, teacher, botanist, and writer of Potawatomi heritage in appreciation of one of the most ancient life forms we share our planet with: moss. City living can oftentimes make us feel alienated from the natural world, so try out the practice of slow looking. Pick any non-human living thing, be that your houseplant, a tree, or the pigeons in Dupont Circle and for 10 slow minutes, just observe. Especially after reading this book, you’d be surprised at how close you can get.
Recommended by Jordan
The Apothecary Diaries 01 (Manga) by Natsu Hyuuga and Nekokurage
Maomao was sold into servitude at a young age and now toils away as a lowly palace servant. She, however, is far more than she first appears. With her ability to read and write and her skill as an apothecary, she soon gets herself a promotion and all the headaches that come with it.
Recommended by Kris
Rental Person Who Does Nothing: A Memoir by Shoji Morimoto
The title does a wonderful job of explaining the entire premise of the book: Morimoto is a person for rent who does nothing. Time and time again, he does nothing. In a series of specific examples of jobs he's hired for—and examples of ones that do not fit the "do nothing" criteria—he explains his strange career choice, and why, for some reason, it's going well.
Recommended by Seth
Love Poems of Catullus by Gaius Valerius Catullus
Catullus was an ancient Roman who enjoyed writing obscene, petty, intimate poetry about his friends and family. He is dirty, hilarious and always passionate. He also crafted some of the greatest love poems of all time.