The Staff Shelf: Books Inc.

When we walk into a bookstore, the first place we go is the staff recommendation shelves—it’s how you get a quick sense of the personality of the store. The very best bookstores are merely a reflection of the eclectic, deeply felt opinions of the book-lovers who work there. As part of our Interview with a Bookstore, we asked the staff at Books Inc what’s on their shelves.

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SLIDESHOW: Books Inc Staff Shelf

: LISA RECOMMENDS: This is one great book! It reads like a thriller; I was on the edge of my seat even though I knew what was going to happen. Erik Larson’s meticulous research and outstanding writing brings a long past era vividly to life.
LEONARD RECOMMENDS: Larson brings history alive in this suspenseful account of the Lusitania’s Last voyage. The people and glamour aboard, the war and politics surrounding it, the v-boat captain and crew below, all converge in this thrill disaster marrative.

: ELENA (MARKETING) RECOMMENDS: Funny books are hard to come by. Funny books about horrible things are even harder to come by. This book will cheer you up. Heck, you might not even realize you need cheering up.

: JAMILIA RECOMMENDS: Coates wrote this book as a letter to his 15 year old son. It is part memoir and a re-telling of historic and current events explaining what it’s like for African Americans to try and claim ownership of their bodies. Well worth the read!
GENE RECOMMENDS: Ta-Nehisi Coates’ letter to his son will challenge you, break your heart, open your mind and stir you.

: EARLE RECOMMENDS: Patrician American statesman, or a rogue power for decades unto himself? David Talbot lifts back the veil on the man who created Cold War diplomacy for America, and still reverberates today.
DAVID (BUYIING DEPT) RECOMMENDS: A monumental and frequently bloodcurdling history of the sinister career of CIA director Allen Dulles and his ghastly legacy, which if anything seems more ineradicable than ever.

: FRANCESCA RECOMMENDS: MacDonald is ahistorian, naturalist, philosopher, scholar – and falconer! Her book is an odd mixture of genres that melds perfectly. One of my favorite books of 2015. Highly recommended!

: KAREN RECOMMENDS: Finnegan is a Senior Staff writer for The New Yorker magazine. Many layers of storyline are at work here from a young outsider finding his home on a surfboard to his emerging political awareness found while following his obsession around the world. Best of all, Finnegan’s superlative writing on the beauty and power of the ocean.

: DON RECOMMENDS: Ronson’s thoughtful and amiable prose will pull you in and slowly, but surely, change the way you view the modern day pariahs that run afoul of the social media mobs that roam the internet.

: EDWARD RECOMMENDS: The doyenne of grammar at The New Yorker has deservedly earned her nickname ‘The Comma Queen.’ She takes her punctuation, grammar and usage seriously, yet this book is hilarious and occasionally irreverent. One of my favorite lines is, ‘The Dictionary is a wonderful thing, but you can’t let it push you around.’

: MICHAEL (CEO) RECOMMENDS: McCullough’s brilliant narrative exhaustively researched brings life to the familiar flack and white photo of a glider on the sands of Kitty Hawk. He immerses us in the lives of these two remarkable brothers and their family in a quest that changed our world forever.

: KAREN RECOMMENDS: Wulf brings Alexander Von Humboldt’s life back from obscurity. He first described the environment, zones of life, the dangers of deforestation, climate change, how all life is linked as one organism. Wulf’s writing gives the reader the greatest pleasure, her writing is transcendent, allowing the reader to be with Humboldt while the listens to a chorus of jungle animals at night.

: HUNTLY RECOMMENDS: A debut novel set in 1970’s New York – can’t put down all 900 pages
NICK RECOMMENDS: An electric debut, full of sound and fury, that shines its brilliant light on a cacophony of characters living and dying in 1970’s New York.

: FRANCESCA RECOMMENDS: This marvel of a book pulls you in from the first pages with its romantic story of an almost magically destined marriage. Halfway through, it turns on its heel with a series of little shocks that reveal the complexity below the sublime surface. Ambitious, gorgeously-written, absolutely satisfying.

: PATRICK RECOMMENDS: It’s a very twisty thriller with well-rounded characters and a decent amount of moral ambiguity. Just don’t read it on the train.
KATHERINE RECOMMENDS: A mystery revealed by three women from three different viewpoints will keep you guessing through the last chapter!

: TOM RECOMMENDS: Galbreath (AKA J.K. Rowling) When a (presumably) crazed villain has a human leg delivered to the detective’s secretary, she and Strike are forced to delve into his lurid past in search of answers. This is detective fiction at its colorful, compelling best.

: INGRID RECOMMENDS: Loss, blame, guilt, regret, and redemption are explored in Bill Clegg’s elegantly written and deeply moving debut novel. ‘The word’s magic sneaks upon you in secret, settles next to you when your head is turned.’ So does this novel’s magic.

: TAYLOR RECOMMENDS: An incredible set of two, surreal novellas. The first stories written by Murakami that have finally been translated. These stories are poignant yet bizarre and have a youthful, punk energy.

: KAREN RECOMMENDS: Every night a mist covers the land and begets forgetfullness while an elderly husband and wife begin an odyessy through a land full of magic and mystery, where Arthurian legends still live.
BILL RECOMMENDS: Beguiling tale of dark age England – stock characters are made living breathing – real.

: SCOTT RECOMMENDS: Franzen’s psychological acuity and his understanding of the dynamics of disfunctional relationships draws you in and keeps you reading. And, did I mention just how much fun it is to read?

: CHRIS RECOMMENDS: Prepare for the unexpected, think big and see how small choices affect the LONG NOW! This has it all: a hard science fiction-near-future space epic, disaster porn, political thriller, post-apocalyptic quest, and exploration of a “new” world all bundled with university level classes on physics, genetics and sociology!

: NICK RECOMMENDS: Eisenberg is at turns hilarious, and deadly serious in his wonderful collection of short stories.
ARIANNA RECOMMENDS: Whimsical and spunky short stories with surprising depth! Great commuter book or trip take-a-long.

: SHARON RECOMMENDS: We knew the crayons quit, but what did they do? Well, Neon Red travels around the world. Pea Green has changed his name to Esteban and is looking for adventure.

: CAITLIN (CHILDREN’S DEPARTMENT) RECOMMENDS: This is the same story we know and love, but now with gorgeous color illustrations. Whether you’ve read the series over and over, or you’re just starting it for the first time- this is the perfect gift for Harry Potter fans.

: KATHERINE RECOMMENDS: Louis sets out to be King of the sheep. But what starts out with the best of intentions, quickly dissolves into chaos. Perhaps for a slightly older crowd (4-7), the book brings up topics that are great for discussion, especially given the current climate of global politics.

: JAYNE RECOMMENDS: An eloquently told celebration of the wonders and joys of reading that goes beyond simply telling children to read and instead shows them why they should.

: GLEN RECOMMENDS: A 12 year old girl deals with grief in a most unusual way. Perfect for 10 and up but adults should read it too. Readers who loved Counting By Sevens will treasure it.

: DORI RECOMMENDS: I LOVE THIS BOOK! I LOVE MABEL, a spoiled, privileged Frenchie Bulldog! Her antics will make you cringe and laugh! Anyone who has owned a spoiled pet, will be able to relate to this.

: CAITLIN (CHILDREN’S DEPARTMENT) RECOMMENDS: Fact: Robots are awesome, and so it this book! This is a smart and very funny story about the power of imagination, with an amazing fold-out surprise at the end.

: REN RECOMMENDS: George, or rather Melissa is a girl. She’s known this ever since she was little. But everyone says she’s a boy. Determined to be who she is, Melissa and her best friend come up with a plan to show everyone the truth. An incredibly lovely and important debut.

: LORI RECOMMENDS: A ghost story, a love story, and a mystery all rolled into one. It has just as much kissing and talking as you’d expect from a Rainbow Rowell book, and just as much heart. And monsters. It has monsters.

: DAVID RECOMMENDS: In Gaiman’s new picture book for adults, several of our most familiar stories are taken apart and spun into something new and surprising. The book is a gorgeous object. A must-read for anyone who loves fantasy and fairy tales.

: HANNAH (NYMBC coordinator) RECOMMENDS: A strong female lead, lots of action, and a tiny bit of romance. In an alternate-history 1956, Yahel is a young Jewish teen with the ability to skin-shift. With the goal of assassinating Hitler, Yahel impersonates another teen and enters a cross-country motor cycle race where she runs into countless obstacles. I loved every minute of this read!

: LIZ RECOMMENDS: Do you love those addictive action/romance? If so you should consider this a must read…better written, more emotional and set in a better established world. The imaginary desert city is based on Ancient Rome and the brutality and rich details are reminiscent of Game of Thrones.

: CAITLIN RECOMMENDS: 18-year-old Maddy is allergic to the world. She has spent almost all of her life inside her own sterilized home, cared for by her mother who is a doctor. But online romance makes her want something more. A beautifully written love story with a twist!

: SHANNON (CHILDREN’S BUYER) RECOMMENDS: An AI (artificail inteligence) ruler named Talis has created worldwide peace by holding the children of the worlds leaders hostage until they reach adulthood. Greta has been raised as a child of peace, but questions begin to creep in. Action packed, romantic and thought-provoking, I devoured every word.

: REN RECOMMENDS: Simon is such a funny, earnest guy with a very strong penchant for Oreos. Despite the fact that I have never been blackmailed into staying in the closet while trying hard not to fall for someone I’ve only talked to online, I was with Simon throughout the entirety of the book. Just read it because it talks about a lot of important stuff about growing up.