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
“Playworld”
By Adam Ross
502 pages, $29 (Hardcover)
This tragicomic epic is bound to be one of the year’s biggest books. Ross’s story immerses us in the intense and particular world of Griffin, a child actor in 1980, and captures both the specific nuances of New York in that era and the confusion of an adolescence brimming with privilege and responsibility.
“Behind You is the Sea”
By Susan Muaddi Darraj
244 pages, $16.99 (Paperback)
Newly out in paperback, local author Susan Muaddi Darraj delivers a rich portrayal of Palestinian-American life in Baltimore. This thoughtful novel — a constellation of stories involving three families — is a portrait of place, an exploration of the challenges and joys of immigration, and a timely reflection on our social fabric.
Nonfiction
“The Bright Side: How Optimists Change the World, and How You Can Be One”
By Sumit Paul-Choudury
309 pages, $29.99 (Hardcover)
The future is confounding, and the world today too often seems oriented toward pessimism. Weaving stories from history, literature, philosophy and science, Paul-Choudury explores the nature of optimism — what it is, why it matters, and, maybe most importantly, why thinking positively is not an individual pursuit but a shared duty.
“The Universe in Verse: 15 Portals to Wonder Through Science & Poetry”
By Maria Popova
95 pages, $22 (Hardcover)
The experience of wonder is where science and poetry meet. With majestic illustrations, poems from Emily Dickinson and Sylvia Plath, as well as essays by Maria Popova — the radiantly reflective writer behind the wonderful newsletter Marginalia — this elegant little book will have you seeing science in all its magnificent light.
Children
“Unstoppable John: How John Lewis Got His Libary Card and Helped Change History”
By Pat Zietlow Miller
31 pages $18.99 (Hardcover)
This warm portrayal sees a young Lewis denied access to a library card because of his race. It’s an early catalyst for his future as one of America’s greatest civil rights activists, and a great way to introduce kids in your life to his story and legacy. Picture book, ages 4-8
“The Curse of Eelgrass Bog”
By Mary Averling,
247 pages, $8.99 (Paperback)
When your best friend is a talking head in a jar, your family owns an “Unnatural History Museum” and your favorite pastime is hunting for fossils and skeletons, adventure is bound to find you. Things get even stranger when a curse breaks out, and protagonist, Kess Pedrock, must enter the Eelgrass Bog. Middle grade, ages 8-12
Filmmaker Justin Schein looks at wealth and inequality through the very real story of his late father.
For 35 years, the late Deborah Brodie, aka Bubbie Cookie, amassed a collection of over 200 Jewish ritual objects, which she used to teach her Hebrew school students with special needs.
Conceived by Columbia resident Benjamin Kintisch, "Life Review: The Hospice Musical" offers a thought-provoking and occasionally amusing perspective on mortality.
Steve Hofstetter, who will perform at Soundstage next week, recently made headlines for his social media post ridiculing some fans' warnings about Charm City's safety.