Recommendations and Reviews

The year is winding down, and the holiday shopping season is starting here at the shop. We can all agree that books make the best gifts, right? We suggest that you treat the reader in your life (or, hey, yourself) to some of the new releases featured below — they include great new books by lots of old favorites, plus one or two debuts that we know will cast a spell on you. Hungry for more? You can always check out the staff's favorite books of the year, too. Sorry, folks — your bookshelves don't stand a chance.

Have you been enjoying the cool morning air as much as we have? We're so excited that October is here — it's always one of our favorite months here at the shop, even as it's usually packed to the gills with author events and big-ticket book releases. This year's shaping up to be no exception to that trend, with a dazzling number of store-favorite authors contributing new books early in the month. If you're a middle grade fan, how about new books from Jasmine Warga and Alan Gratz? YA lovers, are you ready to revel in the new Adam Silvera? And if you're looking for some adult fiction, it doesn't get much better than Celeste Ng, Jess Kidd, and Jodi Picoult & Jennifer Finney Boylan. Dig in!

We’re capping off an extraordinary month in publishing with another round of new staff picks for readers of all ages and persuasions. We’ve shared more than forty great titles with you since the calendar flipped to September, and while we’re a little sorry for the strain we’ve probably added to your bookshelves, we’re mostly just excited to have someone to talk to about some of these great new releases. Stuck in a reading rut? Just check out the list below or stop in and see us — as the old saying goes, “If you're lost, you can look, and you will find books... tome after tome.”

The September rush of great new books continues! Here, we’ve collected some of the very best of this week’s releases. We’ve got a hilarious picture book, fantastic middle grade, historical fiction, thrillers, prize-winning authors… and even the first hint of holiday cheer. Dust off your bookshelf and make some room on your nightstand — you’re going to want one or two of these. Read on!

Another week, another batch of great new books we can't wait to share with you. The whole month of September is stuffed to the gills with exciting new releases, and we're doing our best to highlight our very favorites here on the blog. The latest crop? Just an incredible mix of genres, forms, and age groups. If you can't find something to savor here, we're guessing you just don't like to read. Dig in!

The Dog Days of Summer may *technically* be over, but we Texans know it's still plenty hot out there. Here, our part-time shop dog Jacky Dawson shares her thoughts on this summertime phenomenon—plus some of her top reading picks for you (about dogs, of course)!

Ah, September. Here at the shop, it's one of our very favorite months, and not just for its innate "Shop Around the Corner" vibes. See, September also marks the start of the busiest, most exciting season in publishing, when box after box of great new releases hit our shelves (and shortly thereafter, yours). In fact, the staff has read so many wonderful books coming out this month that we're doubling down on staff picks and bringing you a new set of recommendations every week. Up first? An all-ages, all-genres, all-interests buffet full of familiar favorites and a few new names. Dig in!