Seeking your next good read? Emma Snyder, owner of The Ivy Bookshop at 5928 Falls Road in Baltimore, offers recommendations for must-read titles for adults and children.
Fiction
“Velvet Was the Night”
By Silvia Moreno-Garcia
Del Ray, 304 pages, $28
Maite, a secretary living in Mexico City in the 1970s, lives for Secret Romance comics, as political unrest rocks the city. But when her beautiful neighbor goes missing, she’s drawn into a dramatic tale of her own, complete with political intrigue and a mysterious criminal named Elvis.
“In the Valley”
By Ron Rash
Anchor, 240 pages, $16
A collection of stories that depict Appalachia in all its complicated glory. The opioid epidemic runs rampant, humans live lives cut off from the natural world, and yet ordinary human decency and even heroism can still prevail.
Nonfiction
“Beautiful Country: A Memoir”
By Qian Julie Wang
Doubleday, 320 pages, $28.95
Attorney Qian Julie Wang recounts her experiences growing up in 1990s New York as an undocumented immigrant. As Qian comes of age, illness strikes her mother, pushing her father further away from her. A quintessential American story that shows how change can affect families.
“Pastoral Song: a Farmer’s Story”
By James Rebanks
Custom House, 304 pages, $28.99
When James Rebanks inherits his grandfather’s family farm, he finds that it had fallen into disrepair. As he slowly brings it back to life, he finds himself grappling with complex questions about nature, community, and the values of contemporary life.
Children
“Too Bright to See”
By Kyle Lukoff
Dial Books, 192 pages$16.99
There have always been ghosts in 11-year-old Bug’s house, but after the death of her uncle, the signs of haunting start becoming more sinister. As Bug investigates the ghosts, truths about her own identity start coming to light. (Middle Reader)
“Twinkle Twinkle Little Kid”
By Drew Daywalt
Philomel Books, 40 pages, $17.99
A kid wishes upon a star at the same time that the star wishes upon a kid. When they meet, will their wishes come true? (Picture book)
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.