Violet's Picks

Unseelie (Hardcover)

By Ivelisse Housman

$18.99

ISBN: 9781335428592

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Published: Inkyard Press - January 3rd, 2023

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This was a wonderful fantasy novel with a great cast of neurodivergent, fae, and other magical, power-wielding characters. I am incredibly happy to see neurodiversity, especially autism, being represented more and more in literature these days, ESPECIALLY when it is done by an neurodivergent author.

The Universe in You: A Microscopic Journey (Hardcover)

By Jason Chin

$18.99

ISBN: 9780823450701

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Published: Neal Porter Books - December 13th, 2022

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Jason Chin works miracles, manifested in his upcoming dually written & illustrated picture book. I can't even describe to you the level of effort and research gone into making this book what it is for children to conceptualize space, mass, and elements. Chin's illustrations are dreamy, ethereal, and mind-blowing with true-to-scale size measurements for reference. Recognizing that the information provided alongside the images is a lot to take in, this book is probably suited towards older children; however, younger kiddos will still benefit immensely from the illustrations and general comprehension if patiently explained by a guardian.

The Moth Keeper: (A Graphic Novel) (Library Binding)

By K. O'Neill

$24.99

ISBN: 9780593182284

Availability: Coming Soon - Available for Pre-Order Now

Published: Random House Graphic - March 7th, 2023

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This beautiful middle grade graphic novel was inspired by the landscape of the Tongariro National Park of New Zealand (North Island). I was captivated by the art and as well as the unique story which follows Anya as she takes her place as protector of the Moon-Moths. The moths are luminous insects which enable the Night-Flower to bloom. The night-village needs this flower to survive and so Anya undergoes the task of keeping nightly vigilance over the moths to insure they are herded back into the tent for safe keeping during the day. It's no easy task to sit alone in the desert all night with moths and a single light for company, so it isn't long before Anya starts questioning her role and how it connects to the bigger picture of the village and how her people function as a result of her nightly responsibilities. Cozy & wholesome!

Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell: A Novel (Paperback)

By Susanna Clarke

$19.00

ISBN: 9781635576726

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Published: Bloomsbury Publishing - August 11th, 2020

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This book is a showstopper. Everything from its size, detailed footnotes, to the feat Clarke accomplishes by turning into Dickens or any other Romantic/Victorian author as a contemporary writer is quite unparalleled. The Dickinsonian humor and solid, well-developed characters borne out of a Jane Austen novel whetted my appetite for more tone-perfect books that are historically accurate with a side of non-overpowering magic & gothic literary devices. Bibliophiles will meet their match in Norrell and the more fashionable cutting edge type will mingle with Strange alongside Byronic heroes (such as the man himself) in this historically accurate nineteenth century quest to restore magic to England.

M Is for Monster (Paperback)

By Talia Dutton

$17.99

ISBN: 9781419751974

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Published: Abrams ComicArts - Surely - June 28th, 2022

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What's not to love about a Frankenstein retelling and all the tough questions this sort of narrative loves to grapple with? When Doctor Frances Ai brings her sister back to life, M realizes certain aspects of her former life no longer interest her. This is a story of familial expectations and acceptance of situation(s) beyond our control--of growing out of one's interests, and the exploration of identity and personal motivations/gains. 

Zen and the Art of Saving the Planet (Hardcover)

By Thich Nhat Hanh

$27.99

ISBN: 9780062954794

Availability: Not in stock. At Our Partner Warehouse: Usually Ships in 4-7 Days

Published: HarperOne - October 5th, 2021

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This book might not feel revolutionary at first, but that's because the ideas inside are so disarmingly simple/accessible we might forget how much we actually need to pay attention to them. What Thich Nhat Hahn offers us is a gentle reminder to take time for ourselves so we don't lose our balance along the way. He reminds us to mobilize the different aspects of ourselves--the warrior, the artist, and the meditator--never allowing one to become too weak so we can continue to do the work and keep our helath for ourselfes and all sentient creatures on Earth.

To Paradise: A Novel (Hardcover)

By Hanya Yanagihara

$32.50

ISBN: 9780385547932

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Published: Doubleday - January 11th, 2022

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This was my first foray into Hanya Yanagihara’s work, and I truly appreciate the depth and vulnerability she injects into all her characters, making each a fully-fleshed vessel with rich backstory and character development to breed the best sort of investment from readers. To Paradise spans centuries—Hanya gives us three stories in one with repeating characters and family/relationship dynamics that evolve and repeat themselves like history. Within these stories are also repeating themes: colonialism, power dynamics, disability, sickness, queerness, and varying expressions of paradise. I believe this book will be a great resource to talk about critical race theory and unpack pandemic(s) and big moments in US history such as the AIDS epidemic. There is so much to cite, source, and think about—opening bigger discussions to what we’ve gone through, where we’ve come from, and where we want to go now lest we repeat the mistakes of our past for fear of inhibiting our pathway to paradise.
 

To Sleep in a Sea of Stars (Fractalverse) (Paperback)

By Christopher Paolini

$23.99

ISBN: 9781250762924

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Published: Tor Books - October 19th, 2021

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A space opera of the century. The artwork and diagrams in this book is pure immersion. I, myself, felt somnolent, adrift in a sea of stars with this book tucked cozily beneath my arm a buoy. This book is organic and dynamic, combining elements of the natural world with that of far-flung speculative fiction that recalls both Heinlein’s 1960’s classic "Stranger in a Strange Land" and all the best character development/world-building elements of the fantasy genre.

Harrow the Ninth (The Locked Tomb Series #2) (Paperback)

By Tamsyn Muir

$19.99

ISBN: 9781250313218

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Published: Tordotcom - September 21st, 2021

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If you liked the baddie characters and the stabby humor in "Gideon the Ninth", then this sequel will not disappoint. Muir puts the marrow back into SF as a genre, creating such a beautifully shimmering mirage of a world so unique you won't be able to tell if it's real. You'll come out stronger for it if you can stick through the interesting perspective changes as well as the taunt and tarry of an unreliable narrator. And what you'll be left with is oxygen--rich oxygen flowing through your body that’s sure to leave you at the precipice screaming “what!?” and then “more please!"

Where the Drowned Girls Go (Wayward Children #7) (Hardcover)

By Seanan McGuire

$19.99

ISBN: 9781250213624

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Published: Tordotcom - January 4th, 2022

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This novella is both a wound and salve.

Fall into it and remember the freedom of childhood curiosity and boundless imagination--this series will remind you what it feels like to hold onto that joy and, comparatively, how dark it is beyond a door pulled tightly shut. McGuire's prose is a gift, and this series is as good as escapism--likened to the wonders of Narnia or Philip Pullman's "His Dark Materials".