Recommendations and Reviews

The holidays are fast approaching, and many of us are making plans to gather with family and friends in the weeks ahead. That means lots of nice things, but let's face it: One of the things we're looking forward to most is the food. This week, we're spotlighting seven of our favorite cookbooks that came out this year — a baker's half-dozen of wonderful titles that will reinvigorate your meal planning and wow your guests. Whether you're planning a large gathering or just want to steal the show with a sensational side, you'll find plenty of inspiration within these pages. Dig in! 

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.

Can it really be that time already? The days are growing shorter, the calendar is running out of pages, and it's once again time to share our favorite titles from another banner year in books. We're very excited to welcome you to our annual "Best Books" list — 30 books we loved in 2022, for readers of all ages and interests.

You can scroll through the whole list below, from Picture Books down to Cookbooks, or use the links in the post to jump straight to the area of your interest.

Finally, a friendly holiday shopping reminder: Once again this year, many popular titles will be scarce due to ongoing supply chain disruptions. If you'd like to give one of these books as a gift, we encourage you to buy it now. And if you can't find the one you're looking for, ask us for personalized recommendations! We have plenty of wonderful books on the shelf that we're eager to share.

Happy reading, friends.

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!

Who else has been enjoying the rainy weather around here? It's good for the trees, and it's good for our to-be-read piles, which were frankly starting to get a little out of hand. We've been reading up a storm around here (pun absolutely and shamelessly intended), and we'd love to help steer you towards a new book or two to cozy up with this week. Mystery? Middle grade? Romance? Short stories? We've got all that and more — read on!