January 2022 Staff Picks
A new year brings new beginnings. Check out our bookseller recommendations below to start your 2022 reading off right!
You can find all our past staff picks here.
The Bass Rock by Evie Wyld
Evocative and atmospheric historical fiction blends with thoughtful and urgent contemporary storytelling in this story of three women cast out before the silent and watchful Bass Rock. It’s as moving as it is entertaining. Loved it. — Aatia
Tastes of Lunar New Year by Cheryl Yau Chepusova & Isabel Foo
Get ready for the objectively best (and tastiest) holiday of the year with this sweetly illustrated picture book of the zodiac animals celebrating Lunar New Year all over the world! 2022 is the year of the Water Tiger, which only comes around every 60 years. Festivities begin on February 1st. 新年快乐! — Denise
The Thousand Autumns of Jacob De Zoet by David Mitchell
Immersive historical fiction. The perfect book to get you through a long winter. — Eddie
Transit of Venus by Shirley Hazzard
2022 is my year of Reading Books My Friends Recommend. Stay back, shiny new galleys and sexy new releases! I'm going on a backlist kick, and I'm starting with The Transit of Venus. It's about two orphaned Australian sisters in England. Read with me! We can compare notes!— Emma
The Little Forest Keepers by Mary Lundquist
Described in one word: HYGGE. For sure encompasses "cozy, curled up by a fireplace after a snowball ball fight in the frosty wintery woods, and now your hands are holding a hot cup of cocoa for dear life, but you love the burn" vibe—Jacque
Ormeshadow by Priya Sharma
A gothic coming-of-age story, Ormeshadow transports you to the seaside and immerses you in a world of myths, legends, dragons, and dark family drama. With beautiful prose and immaculate vibes, this book is one of the best things I have read in years! —Jacs
Gilded Wolves by Roshani Chokshi
This book is like a decolonial National Treasure, and it’s such a ride! Set in the glittering world of 1880s Paris, The Gilded Wolves follows an unlikely band of allies in their hunt for an ancient and powerful artifact. The dialogue is snappy, the romance is electric, the mystery and puzzles are intricately designed, and the whole book is a complete joy—if it’s possible to be a joy while also being a total nail-biter. Perfect for fans of Shadow and Bone looking for a new series to get hooked on! —Julia
The Talented Mr. Ripley by Patricia Highsmith
Tom Ripley is one of the creepiest characters in literature in my opinion. He is nondescript and sneaky and sleezy and, most horrifyingly of all, smart. I highly recommend this read to anyone interested in a psychological deep dive into a detestable character's mind. —Lindsay
Alright, Alright, Alright by Melissa Maerz
I love a hang out movie. You feel like a fly on the wall just watching people experience life. It’s the best. Well, this book is an oral history about one of the best hang out movies ever made—Dazed and Confused! I love this book and it’s ability to capture a feeling like the way the movie did. You’ll have a blast reading it. —Mike FS
Goodbye, Again by Jonny Sun
Goodbye, Again is a book that has truly come at the right time, when many of us could use a bit of stopping and thinking. In it, Jonny writes about a variety of topics, and reading it feels like a meandering conversation with a good friend, walking through subjects like burn-out, sleep and dreams, plants, and more. This book is full of little moments that stick with you after you finish it — not least of which is a recipe for scrambled eggs that just might make you cry.—Michael C.
Modern Comfort Food by Ina Garten
All hail our domestic queen, Ina Garten! Ina will guide you through this cold winter! Every recipe is like being wrapped in a blanket after falling asleep on the couch. There's so many simple and delicious recipes to choose from, but the creamy tomato bisque and cheddar & chutney grilled cheese are INCREDIBLE. Cook for yourself! Cook for the people you love! —Natalie
The Westing Game by Ellen Raskin
For as long as I have been reading (a long, long, very long time) The Westing Game continues to be my all-time favorite book. It twists, it turns, it surprises. Not to mention that ''Turtle'' Wexler is one of the best characters ever! This is not just a book for kids!! I read it every year and am always happy I did. —Nick
Sabriel by Garth Nix
Sabriel has been away at boarding school across The Wall. But when she receives word that her father has been trapped in the River of Death, she must cross back into the Old Kingdom and take up the bells of a necromancer to save him and reclaim the Kingdom from the Greater Dead. Garth Nix has created one of the most intricate and lived-in systems of magic in this series, I cannot recommend this enough!— Isabel
We choose new staff picks every month, so stay tuned for regular updates. Or check out all our past picks below.
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