Thanks to store manager Carissa Unite, the staff at Oblong Books & Music in Millerton, NY, has put together the perfect list for folks looking to break from the annual stress the Holidays bring and and escape into a good book. Here are a few engaging staff recommendations for the discerning reader as well as the entire family:
Staff pick- Emma
Wintering: The Power of Rest and Retreat in Difficult Times (Hardcover)
Author- Katherine May
Emma says:
We all started our own “winters” in March, some of us were more prepared than others. May writes delicately of the struggles of life, and the ways we may be able to prepare ourselves for such times. Which is something I feel we all need to learn to survive the emotional winter that is a world-wide pandemic. Grab a cup of tea, find a cozy blanket, and burrow into this book of thoughtfulness and comfort.
Order your copy here
Staff pick- Suzanna
Solutions and Other Problems (Hardcover)
Author- Allie Brosh
Suzanna says:
I absolutely loved this follow-up to Hyperbole and a Half – Brosh’s mind is a really weird place, and I sure like to visit it.
Order your copy here
Staff pick- Carissa
Hollywood Park: A Memoir (Hardcover)
Author- Mikel Jollett
Carissa says:
Brought up in the infamous cult Synanon until he was 5 years old, Mikel Jollett’s life is propelled into addiction fueled by emotionally traumatic events. Through all of his strife his brilliance, talent, and courage pull him through the darkness to the light. Beautiful, heartbreaking, and worth every page.
Order your copy here
Staff pick- Dick
The Best of Me (Hardcover)
Author- David Sedaris
Dick says:
This may be as close to an autobiography as we will see from David Sedaris. He is a close observer of the people around him and his account of events flows through a somewhat off kilter lens. But brilliant. You will cringe, be amazed and laugh out loud. Often this will happen within the same sentence. Treat yourself to these nuggets of humanity in the 21st century. David Sedaris, in case you didn’t know, is a unique voice in American letters.
Order your copy here
Staff pick- Suzanna
Transcendent Kingdom: A novel (Hardcover)
Author- Yaa Gyasi
Suzanna says:
Wonderful – Gyasi is a real talent.
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For the Kids or Teens
Staff pick- Carissa
Dear Justyce (Hardcover)
Author- Nic Stone
Carissa says:
Wow! Nic Stone is a powerful writer who brings us what she calls her most difficult book to write. Quan is in a detention center, writing letters to his friend Justyce about his experience being locked up. His story about how he got there is pieced together through events from his childhood leading into present day. This book, though fictional, examines the experience of being born Black and how the system is designed to detriment the Black population. This book should be required reading!
Order your copy here
Staff pick- Suzanna
Black Heroes of the Wild West: Featuring Stagecoach Mary, Bass Reeves, and Bob Lemmons: A Toon Graphic (Paperback)
Author(s)- James Otis Smith, Kadir Nelson
Suzanna says:
Fantastic! I learned so much from this book. This accessible graphic novel reveals stories from American history that are omitted from the canon.
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Staff pick- Suzanna
This Is Your Time (Hardcover)
Author- Ruby Bridges
Suzanna says:
This stunning book shares first-hand Ruby Bridges’ remarkable story. Though intended for children, adults too have much to learn from this civil rights icon.
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Staff pick- Suzanna
Becoming a Good Creature (Hardcover)
Author- Sy Montgomery
Suzanna says:
This is a perfect adaptation of Sy Montgomery’s life for little ones! I loved it.
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Staff pick- Nicole
The Wanderer (Hardcover)
Author- Peter Van den Ende
Nicole says:
I’m not sure what I just read—but I know it was beautiful. A wordless picture book about adventure in a strange world, and one to return to and re-examine.
Order your copy here
See everything Oblong Books & Music has to offer at oblongbooks.com