In the hopes that we all get a little downtime this holiday season, Chelsea Bauer, book buyer at Union Ave Books, has a few suggestions for your next new book.
Greenglass House by Kate Milford
This famous smugglers’ hotel is filled with suspicious characters who bring along mysteries Milo, 12, has to solve with his friend, Meddy. The atmosphere, writing, and plot of this book are perfect for all ages.
Midwinter Murder: Fireside Tales from the Queen of Mystery by Agatha Christie
This is a recently published collection of her most winter-worthy short stories, a great revisit for lovers of Christie and an excellent starting-off point for anyone looking to try her out.
The Storied Life of A.J. Fikry by Gabrielle Zevin
This absolute hug of a novel follows cantankerous bookstore owner A. J. Fikry after he finds an abandoned baby. This book is a must-read for book lovers.
Babel by R. F. Kuang
This fantasy novel combines dark academia, the effects of colonization, and the magic and power of language. Babel is not only atmospheric, but it also forces the reader to grapple with history, both as it is relayed and as it happened.
Small Things Like These by Claire Keegan
This novella takes place in Ireland in 1985 and follows a coal merchant as he makes a discovery while delivering to the local convent. A quiet, deeply affecting, hopeful novel.
Shrines of Gaiety by Kate Atkinson
Every book Kate Atkinson publishes is worth reading and celebrating. Her latest follows Nellie Coker, a crafty and ruthless underworld boss, and her family in the glittering world of 1920s London. Very funny and almost impossible to put down.