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Looking to start the new year with a great read? Need inspiration for the 100 Years, 100 Books Reading Challenge? January’s staff picks are the perfect way to kick off your year of literary adventures!
In need of more recommendations? Check out past Staff Pics on our What We’re Reading page, or complete a short form and we’ll email you a list of personalized recommendations.
Annalise says:
“Ruminators, rejoice! This book feels like a long, meandering walk with your thoughts, in the best way. As the title suggests, Heti wrestles with both the abstract concept and the bodily reality of motherhood. Her questions are tangential, essential, and constant, covering societal expectations, her sense of self, and the broader world. But instead of letting these questions remain open-ended, Heti frames them as “yes-no” and attempts to answer each with a coin toss — the result is often humorous and poignant. I’ve definitely liked reading these passages aloud, or listening to the audiobook version that Heti narrates for the full rhythmic, poetic effect. If you felt compelled by the passages in Claire Dederer’s Monsters: A Fan’s Dilemma that grapple with the idea of the Art Monster, Heti’s book is a must-read.”
Allison says:
“Circe is an epic combination and retelling of various Greek myths, made more digestible for us mere mortals. Deemed powerless and unattractive by her family of gods, Circe is bullied and eventually exiled. She discovers an affinity for witchcraft and spends centuries on the island of Aiaia honing her skills and interacting with some of the most famous figures from Greek mythology. I loved how Madeline Miller used a first-person narrative to give Circe her own voice. Five stars from this reader!”
Dan says,
“Nightbitch wrestles with magic: magical realism, an actual magic show, the magic of motherhood. It is this third theme that the book wrestles with the most – sometimes playfully, like a mother tussling with her child, often more antagonistically, like a wild canine attacking its prey. Yoder can be a bit heavy-handed, especially at the book’s conclusion, but this wildly entertaining read beautifully bridges the gap between the mundane and the mystical. While the target audience is new and recent mothers, the book will land for anyone who knows or has had a mother, or anyone who relishes a good tale (tail?).”