Kristin R.'s Picks

Kristin is an artist who lives in a house that is part library, part weird and eccentric art collection. She is an eclectic reader, often stealing her husband's current book (to the point where he's started leaving bookmarks in things he thinks she might enjoy!) Some of her favorite authors include Ursula K. LeGuin, Jonathan Stroud, Tamsyn Muir, Nicola Yoon and Kiese Laymon. When not at the bookshop, she is usually working on art or...you guessed it, reading. If you find yourself in our Burlington store, check out her mural, right above the children's section.

Kings of B'More by R. Eric Thomas

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Kristin R.
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Kings of B'more (Hardcover)

By R. Eric Thomas
$18.99
ISBN: 9780593326183
Availability: Click Title to See Location Inventory
Published: Kokila - May 31st, 2022

If the last time you watched Ferris Bueller's Day Off made you cringe a bit, this is the perfect antidote. The dual perspective is well done, and the summertime vibes are DELIGHTFUL. Kings of B'More is both an ode to Linus & Harrison's friendship, and a rom-com where the wildest plans somehow come together in an epic manner.
 

The Summer of Bitter and Sweet by Jen Ferguson

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Kristin R.
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The Summer of Bitter and Sweet (Hardcover)

By Jen Ferguson
$17.99
ISBN: 9780063086166
Availability: Click Title to See Location Inventory
Published: Heartdrum - May 10th, 2022

Ferguson does a fantastic job of putting the reader in Lou's shoes. Sensitive handling of some triggering topics (I was really grateful for Ferguson's author note!) made it a compelling read. Notes about the family's fantastic ice cream varieties head each chapter and add a tasty backdrop to a gripping story about life as an indigenous teen in the Canadian prairie.

Ironhead, or, Once a Young Lady by Jean-Claude van Rijckeghem, Kristen Gehrman (Translated by)

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Kristin R.
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Ironhead, or, Once a Young Lady (Hardcover)

By Jean-Claude van Rijckeghem, Kristen Gehrman (Translated by)
$18.99
ISBN: 9781646140480
Availability: Click Title to See Location Inventory
Published: Levine Querido - March 1st, 2022

Hard-headed (Con)Stance is a heroine worth cheering for. Never comfortable living within her parent's expectations, she leaves an arranged marriage and joins, of all things, Napoleon's army. Stance quickly becomes one of the boys, with sharp wit, fearlessness, and a well-placed pair of socks. This tale has elements of Terry Pratchett's "Monstrous Regiment," though with more Sapphic undertones. I love historical fiction with a good twist!

Geishaa: A Life by Mineko Iwasaki

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Kristin R
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Geisha: A Life (Paperback)

By Mineko Iwasaki, Rande Brown (With)
$17.00
ISBN: 9780743444293
Availability: Not in stock. At Our Partner Warehouse: Usually Ships in 4-7 Days.
Published: Washington Square Press - September 1st, 2003

An excellent clap-back to the popular "Memoirs of a Geisha," which played into the salacious preconceptions of the Japanese geiko tradition. Iwasaki sets the story straight: how she became one of the legendary geisha performers through her dedication to and appreciation of the arts. The details of life in the Gion Kobu are simply fascinating.

Hench by Natalie Zina Walschots

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Kristin R
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Hench: A Novel (Hardcover)

By Natalie Zina Walschots
$27.99
ISBN: 9780062978578
Availability: Not in stock. At Our Partner Warehouse: Usually Ships in 4-7 Days.
Published: William Morrow - September 22nd, 2020

It's not often that spreadsheets and data-mining are the basis for a book that's equally gripping and hilarious. Walschots has written a delicious concoction from the tropes of office politics and the darker side of superhero/ supervillain interactions.

Let's Not Do That Again By Grant Ginder

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Kristin R
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Let's Not Do That Again: A Novel (Hardcover)

By Grant Ginder
$27.99
ISBN: 9781250243775
Availability: Click Title to See Location Inventory
Published: Henry Holt and Co. - April 5th, 2022

Let's Not Do That Again has the best parts of Schitt's Creek: a family that has fragmented and is all but estranged, brought to a reckoning even more dire than the opening scene. It is a delightful, witty, and well-paced read, and even managed to pull the rug out from under me (I actually gasped at one point). I flew through this book!

The Art of Drag by Jake Hall

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Kristin R.
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The Art of Drag (Hardcover)

By Jake Hall, Sofie Birkin (Illustrator), Helen Li (Illustrator), Jasjyot Singh Hans (Illustrator)
$22.99
ISBN: 9781910620717
Availability: Click Title to See Location Inventory
Published: Nobrow - September 1st, 2020

A lush and lovingly designed book, The Art of Drag isn't just another pretty face, it's a fabulous rendering of historical figures and a way of life. Read it for an understanding of the deep history of Drag, in so many of it's permutations. Immerse yourself in this gorgeous work of art! -Kristin R, Essex

Gideon the Ninth by Tamsyn Muir

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Kristin R
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Gideon the Ninth (The Locked Tomb Series #1) (Hardcover)

By Tamsyn Muir
$27.99
ISBN: 9781250313195
Availability: Not in stock. At Our Partner Warehouse: Usually Ships in 4-7 Days.
Published: Tordotcom - September 10th, 2019

What a great, cold, horrible world Muir has conjured up! I loved every bit. She paints with such a delightful vocabulary, beautifully balanced with the earthy snark of Gideon. You'll likely not come across this many bone references outside of an anatomy textbook, but that just adds to the delightful grittiness.


Gideon the Ninth is a monster-laden locked-room-murder-mystery, with excellent swordplay and unrequited love. One flesh, one end!

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