Articles

Motown: The Sound of Young America (Hardcover)

By Adam White, Barney Ales, Andrew Loog Oldham (Foreword by)

Unavailable from Brazos Bookstore

ISBN: 9780500518298

Availability: Out of Print - Not Available for Order

Published: Thames & Hudson - September 13th, 2016

There is no overstating the importance of Berry Gordy’s Motown Records on pop music or American culture in general. This book is a celebration of that legacy, replete with numerous publicity materials and candid photos of some of the most important and influential musical artists of all time.

The Vincent van Gogh Atlas (Hardcover)

By Nienke Denekamp, René van Blerk, Teio Meedendorp, Laura Watkinson (Translated by)

$22.50

ISBN: 9780300222845

Availability: Special Order - Subject to Availability

Published: Yale University Press - November 15th, 2016

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All great artists grow and change over the years, and Van Gogh was no different. From rural Netherlands to the hustle and bustle of Paris and London, this affordable coffee table book covers his whole journey with engaging text and beautiful images. For the art geek in your life!

Marimekko Large Cloth-covered Journal (Diary)

By Marimekko

$19.95

ISBN: 9781452138794

Availability: Hard to Find

Published: Chronicle Books - September 22nd, 2015

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A great, unexpected notebook: whimsical, and a great size!

The Boy Who Stole Attila's Horse (Pushkin Collection) (Paperback)

By Ivan Repila, Sophie Hughes (Translated by)

$16.00

ISBN: 9781782271017

Availability: Special Order - Subject to Availability

Published: Pushkin Collection - November 24th, 2015

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January: Ben and Mark, Down in the Well…

“It’s part fable, part allegory. There are two boys in the well, Big and Small. We don’t know why they’re there, but they can’t get out. It becomes a myth-like story of love, humanity, and the struggle to survive. With customers, I’ve called it ‘haunting and beautiful.’” —Mark

Margaret the First (Paperback)

By Danielle Dutton

$15.95

ISBN: 9781936787357

Availability: On Our Shelves Now

Published: Catapult - March 15th, 2016

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March: Intangible Consciousness: A Q&A with Danielle Dutton

“Dutton’s novel, almost a fictionalized diary, alternately in Margaret’s own voice or that of a detached observer watching this brilliant woman work, gives a gorgeous realism and immediacy to Margaret’s longings, cravings, and intellectual agonizing.”
—Liz

Night Prayers (Paperback)

By Santiago Gamboa, Howard Curtis (Translated by)

$18.00

ISBN: 9781609453114

Availability: Special Order - Subject to Availability

Published: Europa Editions - March 1st, 2016

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May: See the World with Santiago Gamboa's NIGHT PRAYERS

“For all the conversational tone, it’s a dense, complex novel, with a lot of points. And there’s always that sinister backdrop behind things. Things can get a lot worse really quickly.”
—Keaton

Grief Is the Thing with Feathers: A Novel (Paperback)

By Max Porter

$15.00

ISBN: 9781555977412

Availability: Not On Our Shelves. Usually arrives in 7-10 Days due to Covid-19 shipping delays.

Published: Graywolf Press - June 7th, 2016

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July: Brazos Best is the Thing with Feathers

“It’s a polyvocal novel. It has a lot of different voices speaking in it. It’s also a very human story, and its universality lets you connect with it in the intense way you often connect with lyrical books. GRIEF IS THE THING WITH FEATHERS made me think a lot of poetry, especially whenever the boys speak—they seem to be in a Greek chorus. And the verbal acrobatics of the crow: very poetic.”
—Keaton

Vampire in Love (Paperback)

By Enrique Vila-Matas, Margaret Jull Costa (Translated by)

$14.95

ISBN: 9780811223461

Availability: Backordered

Published: New Directions - September 27th, 2016

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September: Vila-Matas Stories Translated at Last

“Vila-Matas is one of the most celebrated writers in Europe. His work has been translated into over thirty languages. His novels, artful and experimental and mixed with a strong tradition of storytelling, are ideal for anyone who’s a fan of Paul Auster, J.M. Coetzee, or Roberto Bolaño.”
—Mark

Love and Ruin: Tales of Obsession, Danger, and Heartbreak from The Atavist Magazine (Paperback)

By Evan Ratliff (Editor), Susan Orlean (Introduction by)

$16.95

ISBN: 9780393352719

Availability: Special Order - Subject to Availability

Published: W. W. Norton & Company - July 26th, 2016

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The Atavist magazine, to those who are unfamiliar, publishes one longform narrative nonfiction piece each month and has, previously, only been available in digital format. I was one of those who was unfamiliar with The Atavist but as a lover of good narrative storytelling, thought I would give LOVE AND RUIN, a collection of some of the best pieces from the website, a try. I am now a convert. The topics are diverse, the styles are wide ranging and like any good narrative nonfiction, the author starts off investigating a particular theme of interest but end up somewhere entirely different and unexpected. By deeply exploring one very specific fascination, the essayists end up speaking to the much larger universal human condition and I feel greatly enriched by their words. If there is one essay collection not to miss this year, this is the one.

Appetites: A Cookbook (Hardcover)

By Anthony Bourdain, Laurie Woolever

$40.00

ISBN: 9780062409959

Availability: Not On Our Shelves. Usually arrives in 7-10 Days due to Covid-19 shipping delays.

Published: Ecco - October 25th, 2016

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I’ve always been a big fan of Bourdain’s attitude—towards food, towards life, towards cooking as a universal human experience. His latest cookbook is a more intimate look into where Bourdain is at this point in his life no longer the raucous, hard partying chef but a father and husband. The recipes are less focused on being of a particular style but more reflective of what he likes to make at home, with his daughter, for his family and friends. Some of the recipes are more complex than others, some don’t seem to fit a particular cuisine or style, but they all are representative of who Bourdain is, flaws and all, and that makes this all the more interesting. The awesome Ralph Steadman cover art doesn’t hurt either.

Lily and Dunkin (Hardcover)

By Donna Gephart

$16.99

ISBN: 9780553536744

Availability: Not On Our Shelves. Usually arrives in 7-10 Days due to Covid-19 shipping delays.

Published: Delacorte Books for Young Readers - May 3rd, 2016

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From award-winning author Donna Gephart, LILY AND DUNKIN is a compelling dual narrative about two remarkable young people: Lily, a transgender girl, and Dunkin, a boy dealing with bipolar disorder. When they meet, their lives change forever. In lesser hands, this middle grade novel would digress into an “issues” book Instead, it’s powerfully crafted and a must-read for every middle-grader and adults, too.

And if you want to know more about Donna Gephart—and of course you do!—and how she’s also an amazing teacher of the craft of writing, check out this podcast from her time at Austin author Bethany Hegedus’s Writing Barn.

Read Between the Lines (Paperback)

By Jo Knowles

$8.99

ISBN: 9780763691028

Availability: Not On Our Shelves. Usually arrives in 7-10 Days due to Covid-19 shipping delays.

Published: Candlewick - October 11th, 2016

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If you aren’t reading Jo Knowles’ amazingly crafted novels for young people, then you need to be. READ BETWEEN THE LINES came out in hardback last year, but is on our shelves now in paperback and so it’s a perfect time to become a fan of the author of such books as SEE YOU AT HARRY’S (one of my absolute favorites!) and more. RBTL is a novel—moving, gritty, unflinching, and humorous—of interlocking stories that follow nine teens and one teacher through a seemingly ordinary day. Everything begins with Nate, who, thanks to a bully in gym class, suffers a broken finger. Of course it’s the middle one and it’s splinted to give ‘the finger’ to the world. But that’s not the only middle finger that will be raised that day in that small town. The cover says it all. For age thirteen and up, particularly teens who like contemporary fiction.

Afterward: A Novel (Hardcover)

By Jennifer Mathieu

$17.99

ISBN: 9781626722385

Availability: Not On Our Shelves. Usually arrives in 7-10 Days due to Covid-19 shipping delays.

Published: Roaring Brook Press - September 20th, 2016

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Friend of the store and one of our very favorite Houston authors of contemporary young adult fiction such as THE TRUTH ABOUT ALICE, Jennifer Mathieu tells AFTERWARD, a wrenching story of the aftermath of a tragic kidnapping in her trademark steady, solid, and authentic teen voice. Like Donna Gephart’s work, Mathieu is able to elevate an “issue” book to something much deeper and more profound—a story of kidnapped and rescued Ethan and Dylan and Dylan’s older sister Caroline and the scary awful truths of what happened and how they will all get beyond it. As I mentioned when she made us all laugh with her reading of the BFG during Roald Dahl Day, I am such a huge fan of Mathieu’s work and you should be, too! A definite recommend for all teens, particularly those who enjoy stories inspired by real events.

More Happy Than Not (Paperback)

By Adam Silvera

$10.99

ISBN: 9781616956776

Availability: Special Order - Subject to Availability

Published: Soho Teen - April 26th, 2016

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MORE HAPPY THAN NOT debuted in 2015 and quickly hit the New York Times bestseller list while garnering numerous awards and starred reviews. It’s on our shelves this year in paperback with a gorgeous new cover and if you haven’t read this gritty, twisty, wrenching, set in a dangerous near-future New York, haven’t discovered Bronx native Adam Silvera, then now is a good time to do so! His voice is one of the most authentic of any author for young adults, and I don’t say that lightly. It’s the story of sixteen year old Aaron Soto, struggling to recover from his father’s suicide. He’s got support from his girlfriend and from his loving but overworked mom, but he’s also got sadness and a smile-shaped scar on his wrist. But when Aaron’s feelings for a new boy named Thomas turn into something he isn’t expecting, complications stir. And the existence of a shadowy hospital called the Leteo Institute offers the possibility of surgically altering painful memories. But the question becomes, Does Aaron want to forget, or has he already forgotten? An important read that confronts race and sexuality with unflinching honesty.

The Memory of Things: A Novel (Hardcover)

By Gae Polisner

$18.99

ISBN: 9781250095527

Availability: Hard to Find

Published: St. Martin's Griffin - September 6th, 2016

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With the proliferation this year of 9/11 fiction, you might have missed this one. I’m here to tell you that you need to read it! THE MEMORY OF THINGS is a beautiful young adult novel of friendship and first love, and the impossible yet possible ability to carry on with day-to-day living in the midst of horrific, unspeakable tragedy. It’s a hopeful, wonderful, wholly original story about sixteen-year old Kyle Donohue, fleeing the danger of the falling towers by running to safety across the Brooklyn Bridge. But when he meets a girl covered in ash, inexplicably wearing a pair of costume wings, a mystery unravels along with tragedy and survival. For teens who want an unconventional love and survival story. Once they’ve read it, they’ll want to read Gae Polisner’s other titles, like THE SUMMER OF LETTING GO.

Private Citizens: A Novel (Paperback)

By Tony Tulathimutte

$14.99

ISBN: 9780062399106

Availability: Special Order - Subject to Availability

Published: William Morrow Paperbacks - February 9th, 2016

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#9

Knife-blade-sharp social satire with deft characterization (as well as deft caricaturization, if I may), this debut novel set in the Bay Area is the greatest Feel-Bad Read of the year. Deliciously mean-spirited in tone but refreshingly equal-opportunity in scope, Tulathimutte spares no one, eviscerating the self-righteous, the branding-obsessed, the insecure navel-gazer, and the narcissistic in turn. You might end up hating many of the characters you come across in the book, but you'll also find yourself groaning in empathy and—let's be honest—in painful recognition. Mostly, you’ll find yourself laughing and turning page after page.

Thrill Me: Essays on Fiction (Paperback)

By Benjamin Percy

$16.00

ISBN: 9781555977597

Availability: Not On Our Shelves. Usually arrives in 7-10 Days due to Covid-19 shipping delays.

Published: Graywolf Press - October 18th, 2016

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#7

Equal parts personal essay and writing instruction, THRILL ME breaks away from Percy’s mountain-bear gruff-n-tuff persona to reveal the perfectionist nerd he really is—and writers and readers alike benefit from his generosity in doing so. Written with hilarity and clear-eyed, no-frills insight, THRILL ME is a quick read you’ll come back to again and again.

The Other Boy (Hardcover)

By M. G. Hennessey, Sfe R. Monster (Illustrator)

$17.99

ISBN: 9780062427663

Availability: Not On Our Shelves. Usually arrives in 7-10 Days due to Covid-19 shipping delays.

Published: HarperCollins - September 20th, 2016

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#5

A sweet, sometimes painful but ultimately triumphant story about first love, true friendship, and the greatest game ever played: baseball. Shane, a white transgender boy in middle school, has settled into his new school, made the team with his best friend, developed a crush on the cutest girl in his class, and has almost forgiven his dad for his parents’ divorce, but of course things can’t stay simple for long. Though Shane struggles with discrimination, the story stays lighthearted and upbeat without sacrificing realism. THE OTHER BOY is as enjoyable a book as it is important.

Welcome to the Goddamn Ice Cube: Chasing Fear and Finding Home in the Great White North (Hardcover)

By Blair Braverman

$25.99

ISBN: 9780062311566

Availability: Special Order - Subject to Availability

Published: Ecco - July 5th, 2016

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#3

At the time of my writing this, Blair Braverman’s Twitter handle is “Feminist Jack London”—a more perfectly apt description of the contents of her brilliant memoir than I could write myself (but of course I’m going to try). WELCOME TO THE GODDAMN ICE CUBE is ostensibly about the author’s experience learning to race sled dogs in the coldest parts of the world, but like the best of memoirs, it’s about a lot more—it’s about fear, about being the perpetual outsider, about her great longing for the North and her desire to test herself, and we can’t help but hold our breath for her as she throws herself into the dangerous, dark winter to pursue a lifestyle dominated by men. Her story, told with a measured, even voice, is exciting, contemplative, gritty, and so, so real—this a book of a woman’s triumph over the discrimination we all face but in a place most of us will never see.

The Fifth Season (The Broken Earth #1) (Paperback)

By N. K. Jemisin

$16.99

ISBN: 9780316229296

Availability: Not On Our Shelves. Usually arrives in 7-10 Days due to Covid-19 shipping delays.

Published: Orbit - August 4th, 2015

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#1

I admit, including these two books is somewhat of a cheat—first, because I’m using one slot for two books that both deserve awards in their own right, and second, because I have already spent a good part of this year telling everyone I know about this brilliant, un-put-downable series by N.K. Jemisin, but I argue it fits the theme because I truly can't praise her work enough (and besides, it's my top ten list).

There have been many, many books, both recently and not, about the end of the world and what comes after. I have read many of these books, and enjoyed many of these books, but N.K. Jemisin’s brilliant new series managed to do something wonderful—surprise me.

Part fantasy, part prophetic warning of our possible future, THE FIFTH SEASON and its equally sharp sequel THE OBELISK GATE are set in a far-future world, so desiccated and wracked by earthquakes that its people carry emergency “runny-sacks” in anticipation of “fifth seasons,” the environmental aftermath of world-breaking quakes. Ecstatically imaginative in scope, with the most meticulous world-building a sci-fi/ fantasy nerd could ever hope for, this series is a finely-polished mirror for our own broken society, with our history of racism and imperialism, our cavalier disregard for an environment we’ve largely wrecked. Jemisin’s characters are superb, achingly human and each as complicated and angry and imperfect as the last, their battles set against the backdrop of a world in its death-throes, a civilization eating itself from the inside out.

If you only read one more book this year, make it two and make it these.