The Staff Shelf: Third Place Books

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 Third Place Books what they recommend.

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SLIDESHOW: Third Place Books Staff Shelf

: ERIN (ASSISTANT MANAGER) RECOMMENDS: I almost read this collection in one sitting; I was just propelled forward by these vibrant characters, and captivating language. The head of a prominent and wealthy Mexican family is kidnapped; and fearing for their safety, his adult children and their families flee to places all over the globe. And yet they remain tied together through their grief, guilt, rage, and heartbreak. It’s funny, edgy, sexy, terrifying, and bold!

: JAMES (BOOKSELLER) RECOMMENDS: Seriously funny, and, funny enough, it’s serious. Simultaneously hilarious, deeply revolting, and heart-warming, this novel features the most memorable narrator you’ll have read in years. It has become my favorite debut novel of recent years

: KALANI (BOOKSELLER) RECOMMENDS: A young Seattle hipster moves cross-country for grad school while his best friend goes to fight in the Iraq War. The generation-y apathy is perfectly captured in this fantastic coming of age/war story from a pair of first-time writers. Our two protagonists become more complex with every page as they battle with both Boston’s intellectual pretentiousness and Baghdad militant.

: MICHAEL (MANAGER/BUYER) RECOMMENDS: This is one of the strangest, most amazing and wonderful books I have read in some time. A twisted fairy tale, though it is so much more. This novel thoroughly upends whatever genre you try to place it. Suffice it to say it is funny, touching, unsettling, and epic. Read a few pages and if you aren’t hooked, this isn’t for you. If you are what a great romp you have in store.

: STEPHEN (BOOKSELLER) RECOMMENDS: This linguistically ambitious novel uses an invented dialouge that borrows from the vocab, spelling, and syntax of Old English to recreate the world of Saxon Britain in the bloody period after the Norman invasion. Learning to read it is an experience in itself!

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