Looking for a good book but want to hear from the pros? Eugene Weekly reached out to Eugene’s bookstores to hear what our favorite bookworms are reading right now. Here’s what we got:
Black Sun Books
Peter Ogura recommends:
- Caste: The Origins of Our Discontents by Isabel Wilkerson. Random House, $32.
- One Long River of Song: Notes on Wonder by the late Northwest author Brian Doyle*. Back Bay Books, $17.99.
- The Trees of Eugene: Essays by Eugene tree advocate Whitey Lueck*. Independently published. $15.
Black Sun Books is located at 2467 Hilyard Street. Hours are 11 am to 4 pm Tuesday through Saturday. BlackSunBooks.net.
Tsunami Books
The staff recommends:
- Braiding Sweetgrass by Robin Wall Kimmerer. Milkweed Editions, $16.20. “A beautiful balance of critical science and spiritual compassion.” Emily Poole’s staff pick
- This is My America by Kim Johnson*. Random House. $16.20. “A fast-paced and touching story of love, injustice, and the persistence and hope needed to make change in our lives.” Valerie Ihsan’s staff pick.
- A Promised Land by Barack Obama. Crown Publishing Group, $36. “Can’t put it down.” Scott Landfield’s staff pick.
Tsunami Books is located at 2585 Willamette Street. Hours are 10 am to 7 pm Monday through Saturday, noon to 5 pm Sunday. TsunamiBooks.org.
Smith Family Bookstore
Evon Smith recommends:
- Sleep Detonation by Karen Russell. Atvast Books, $16. This deeply disturbing short novel gave Stephen King nightmares, so beware… Russell delivers a haunting tale of a young woman whose nightmarish job is recruiting sleep donors for the global insomnia late-stage capitalist marketplace.
- Circe by Madeline Miller. Bloomsbury Publishing. $16.99. This excellent novel about the lesser-known goddess Circe is a very good choice for people who wonder why they haven’t read more mythology. We sell this book mostly to women, but honestly, men should not be afraid to read an epic tale of female strength in a man’s world.
- Día de los Muertos by Hannah Eliot, illustrated by Jorge Gutierrez. Simon & Schuster. $8.99. This one is for the babies and little ones, and all those who read to children. Incredible bright, goofy illustrations and text in English introduce readers of all ages to Día de los Muertos and all its lovely celebrations of life and death.
Smith Family Bookstore is located at 525 Willamette Street. Hours are 10 am to 5 pm Monday through Saturday. SmithFamilyBookstore.com.
From a EW Reader
Mike Bonner recommends:
- Pepper’s Picks by Frog*. “Need a memorable holiday gift for the cool old curmudgeon in your life? Male, female, or otherwise? Eugene’s own Frog (David Miller) has his newest joke book out, Pepper’s Picks, which picks up right where he left off just one joke book ago. There’s Pepper’s DHC (Domestic House Cat) advisory on which jokes play so there are no losers here. Or suckers. Don’t expect from Frog anything less than belly laughs, irony, irreverence, and if not perfectly politically correct at all times, always funny. He’s your crazy uncle from front to back, but lovable. Pepper’s Picks is on par, the critics in our orbit claim, with Frog’s classics: Frog Gets Deported and Frog’s 100th Joke Book. He’s going to be at the Saturday Market in downtown Eugene throughout the season. And signs for free. Buy three books at once and save!”
( * = Northwest author)
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