Seeking your next good read? Emma Snyder, owner of the Ivy Bookshop at 6080 Falls Road in Mount Washington, offers recommendations for must-read titles for adults and children.
Fiction
“Such a Fun Age” (Hardcover)
By Kiley Reid, G.P. Putnam’s Sons, 320 pages, $26
A striking and surprising debut novel from an exhilarating new voice. A page-turning and big-hearted story about race and privilege, set around a young black babysitter, her well-intentioned employer and a surprising connection that threatens to undo them both.
“The Factory” (Paperback)
By Hiroko Oyamada, Translated by David Boyd, New Directions, 128 pages, $13.95
The English-language debut of Hiroko Oyamada, one of the most powerfully strange young voices in Japan. With hints of Kafka and creeping humor, “The Factory” casts a vivid — and sometimes surreal —portrait of the absurdity of the modern workplace.
Non-Fiction
“Uncanny Valley” (Hardcover)
By Anna Wiener, MCD, 288 pages, $27.00
Part coming-of-age-story, part portrait of an already-bygone era, Anna Wiener’s memoir is a rare first-person glimpse into high-flying, reckless startup culture at a time of unchecked ambition, unregulated surveillance, wild fortune, and accelerating political power. (Out on January 14th.)
“Dwellings: A Spiritual History of the Living World” (Paperback)
By Linda Hogan, W.W. Norton & Company, 160 pages, $14.95
Award-winning Chickasaw poet and novelist Linda Hogan calls us to witness how each living thing is alive in a conscious world with its own integrity, grace, and dignity.
Children’s (Ages 5-9)
“Where Dani Goes, Happy Follows (My Happy Life)” (Hardcover)
By Rose Lagercrantz and Eva Eriksson, Gecko Press, 196 pages, $17.99
In the sixth installment of this lovely Swedish chapter book series, Dani embarks on a train trip all by herself, fueled by positive thinking and love for her best friend.
Young Adult (Ages 13+)
“Suggested Reading”
By Dave Connis, Katherine Tegen Books, 400, $17.99
In this hilarious and thought-provoking contemporary teen standalone that’s perfect for fans of “Moxie,” a bookworm finds a way to fight back when her school bans dozens of classic and meaningful books.
The BCO, founded in 1984, will perform the works of Frank Zappa, Beethoven, Mason Bates and Karena Ingram.
Led by local Israel-American cellist Amit Peled, the Mount Vernon Virtuosi aims to inspire people beyond musical enjoyment.
Container vegetable gardening is a terrific option for people with limited space and/or time. Rebecca Brown and Norman Cohen share some tips.
Filmmaker Justin Schein looks at wealth and inequality through the very real story of his late father.