With the arrival of winter comes the perfect time of year to snuggle up inside with a good book. And in Columbia, we’re lucky to have multiple local bookstores available where we can find a plethora of options in a wide variety of categories.
We decided to ask the experts at Skylark Bookshop, Yellow Dog Bookshop and Columbia Books to help us create a list of recommendations for your next book. Check out the list below and don’t forget to support our local bookstores!
COLUMBIA BOOKS
Recommendations from Annette Kolling-Buckley
Girly Drinks: A World History of Women and Alcohol — Mallory O’Meara
Read the forgotten/untold story of the role women played in all aspects of the creation and consumption of alcoholic beverages; distillers, drinkers and brewers; from the ancient Sumerians to 20th century bartenders and owners of today.
Miss Benson’s Beetle — Rachel Joyce
Set in 1950 Britain, a schoolteacher walks away from her post and sets off to New Caledonia accompanied by her young assistant. The pair are in search of the elusive golden beetle of New Caledonia — a totally unlikely plot for such an amazing book.
Pictures — J.R.R. Tolkien
This is a gallery of the various aspects of Tolkien’s designs and illustrations associated with the world of Middle-earth — a lovely book in a slipcase.
YELLOW DOG
Recommendations from Joe Chevalier
The Book of (More) Delights — Ross Gay
In this follow up to the original Book of Delights, Gay shares more stories of the small joys of living in the world that are often overlooked.
Roman Stories — Jhumpa Lahiri
This short story collection, inspired by Lahiri’s years living in Rome, demonstrates the author’s skill with the form, displaying her sensitivity, sense of humor and sharp eye for the telling details of daily life.
Let Us Descend — Jesmyn Ward
Ward echoes Dante in this riveting story of an enslaved woman sold into the deep South, blending the stark reality of such a journey with mythic elements.
SKYLARK
Recommendations from Carrie Koepke
What You Are Looking for is in the Library — Michiko Aoyama
This book is a perfect blend of honest, sweet, nostalgia and the need for change. It’s an exploration of the self through readers and an insightful, but peculiar, librarian. This book puts into words that feeling when a book changes your life.
Starling House — Alix E. Harrow
Harrow is the expert of blending reality and filling your gut with insights from the most surprising of places. This is an excellent chilly night read; filled with creepy house vibes, a unique romance and sibling protective complexities.
Of Time and Turtles: Mending the World, Shell by Shattered Shell — Sy Montgomery
Montgomery, known for deep dive non-fiction on wildlife, finally has a book on my favorite creature. As always, she fills her work with information paired with emotional insight into life and living.
