Staff Picks

Things the WORD staff does not always agree on: which are better: cats or dogs, whether the G train is maliciously inept or just accidentally so, and which book is the best in the whole store.

So we each have our own page of staff picks!

Christine, owner
Most recent staff pick: Rules of Civility by Amor Towles. Manhattan, New Year’s Eve, 1938: A time where men eagerly lit a woman’s cigarette and heated debates over art and literature were the norm. Two twenty-something girls out on the town looking for adventure meet Tinker Grey, a young man of means, and their lives are changed forever. I’m a sucker for New York City nostalgia as it is, but Amor Towles’s book had me completely hooked from the start. The characters are vibrant and alive, and the descriptions of New York are poetic, so much so that the city is a character in and of itself. I loved every minute of it. 

Stephanie, manager
Most recent staff pick:  The Orphan Master's Son by Adam Johnson. In this great novel, Johnson has taken the bizarre Kim Jong Il anecdotes and the horror stories of defectors and combined them into a book that reminds us that behind the lives we can barely imagine, there are people who want the same things we do.

Adrian, the world's only illiterate bookseller
Most recent staff pick: Pete the Cat: I Love My White Shoes by Eric Litwin. Our good friend in Atlanta sent Adrian this for his 2nd birthday recently and it's an awesome, sing-songy read aloud. Pete's shoes start out white then he steps in mud, strawberries and other various-colored items so his shoes change color. The text is repetitive and fun to read, and it comes with a CD!

Jenn, events manager
Most recent staff pick: Blue Nights by Joan Didion. I'm a recent convert to the memoir genre, and I wasn't sure that this one was going to do it for me. But as you might already suspect if you're a fan, Didion writes with such quiet grace and insight that you can't help but be engaged. If you've lost someone near and dear (and who among us hasn't), this book will be both familiar and a companion in grief.

Simone
Most recent staff pick: Symphony City by Amy Martin. This is an epically gorgeous picture book, and an instant classic for me. Chronicling a lone girls wanderings through Seattle's city streets as she follows the threads of music all the way home, you are invited on a full color kinetic journey where the music is surely audible if you listen closely enough.

Cree
Most recent staff pick: 

The Best of Roald Dahl:  After growing up reading his timeless young adult fiction, I was pleasantly surprised when I discovered that Roald Dahl had an extensive catalog of short stories for grown up readers. Whether drawing from his experiences as part of the RAF in WWII, writing twisted and satirical tales about English society, or even creating dark modern fairy tales, Dahl brings his signature wit and imagination to a whole new level. At times profound and moving, other times just plain silly and fun, I am oh so happy to have more Dahl to enjoy, and to recommend to people. And if you have read them before, isn't it time to revisit?