WORD Jersey City

11/15/2023

04/30/2023

Steven recommends GO AHEAD IN THE RAIN by Hanif Abdurraqib: "Do you like hip hop? Duh, everyone likes hip-hop. One of the many beautiful things about this book, though, is that it doesn't matter if you like hip-hop to read about it. Hanif Abdurraqib has written an elegantly heartbreaking tribute to a dynamic group of artists, the world that made them, and the world that they made. Living in the nostalgia and then pushing far beyond, this book is a gift to the author as a young man, to other young people that need the poetry of fascination, and - of course - to all of us."

https://shop.wordbookstores.com/book/9781477316481

04/25/2023

Will recommends BLOOM by Kenneth Oppel: "One of my favorite chapter series. Emotional, fast paced, while still making room in the story for some lessons of growing up. Instead of invading with ships and lasers the aliens of Bloom send a rain of seeds that effectively start to terraform the planet. Humanity suddenly finds itself allergic to the very air around us with some very dangerous plants taking over our usual food crops. Three teens who are apparently immune to the changes going on around them have to try and protect their families and stop what's happening from wiping out everything they love. Really good for the Percy Jackson/Harry Potter crowd with a solid Animorphs vibe throughout the 3 book series."

https://shop.wordbookstores.com/book/9781524773038

04/20/2023

Mindy recommends TELL ME EVERYTHING by Erika Krouse: "Hey! You like true crime? You like noir? You like tense, propulsive narration that reads like a thriller but is non-fiction? You like women fierce and compelling, struggling to do good and not losing themselves -- or others -- in the process? You want to sit down to read a single chapter and blink to awareness hours later after turning the last page? Boy have I got the book for you! Erika Krouse's memoir of her time as a PI investigating a sexual assault case involving a certain Colorado university's football program is one of my favorite books to recommend because it's got character, plot, a lived-in world, and deft writing -- it's not just compelling stuff, it's a good read."

https://shop.wordbookstores.com/book/9781250826466

04/19/2023

Attention audiobook fans! WORD is the happy host of TWO Golden Tickets in celebration of Independent Bookstore Day! One will be hidden in each store on April 29th. We'll share hints on Instagram throughout the day. The finder will receive a whole year of audiobook credits 🎧 Save the date for the best day of the whole bookish year!

04/17/2023

Steven recommends LIKE A VELVET GLOVE CAST IN IRON by Daniel Clowes: "Whenever someone asks what my favorite book [in the store, that they can purchase] is, I always say "Why, it's Like a Velvet Glove Cast in Iron, of course!". When this fictional stand-in for every-customer-USA lands on the logical next question of "how come?", I grit my teeth and belch through a rictus of ecstasy, "Because it guides the reader through an upsettingly bizarre world, propelled by dream logic, governed by the unknown, leaving us in the capable hands of the Horrifying Spiral of Surreal, Nihilistic Pandemonium," to which Customer replies, "Just like real life!". "Exactly," I semaphore. Customer turns away from Mirror, and I disappear."

https://shop.wordbookstores.com/book/9781683960157

04/14/2023

✒ Pre-order a SIGNED & PERSONALIZED Adriana Herrera's latest romance, AN ISLAND PRINCESS STARTS A SCANDAL! Check out Adriana's profile for a peek at the gorgeous illustrations that will be included with your pre-ordered book. The deadline for personalized copies is May 16th -- don't miss out!

https://shop.wordbookstores.com/preorder-adriana-herrera

About the book:

For Manuela del Carmen Caceres Galvan, the invitation to show her paintings at the 1889 Exposition Universelle came at the perfect time. Soon to be trapped in a loveless marriage, Manuela has given herself one last summer of freedom — in Paris, with her two best friends.

Cora Kempf Bristol, Duchess of Sundridge, is known for her ruthlessness in business. It's not money she chases, but power. When she sees the opportunity to secure her position among her rivals, she does not hesitate. How difficult could it be to convince the mercurial Miss Caceres Galvan to part with a parcel of land she’s sworn never to sell?

Tempted by Cora’s offer, Manuela proposes a trade: her beloved land for a summer with the duchess in her corner of Paris. A taste of the wild, carefree world that will soon be out of her reach. What follows thrills and terrifies Cora, igniting desires the duchess long thought dead. As they fill their days indulging in a shared passion for the arts and their nights with dark and delicious deeds, the happiness that seemed impossible moves within reach… though claiming it would cause the greatest scandal Paris has seen in decades.

04/13/2023

Aly recommends everything by Miriam Toews.

"If you're okay with heavier themes, I want you to read All My Puny Sorrows. It's about a family and the ways they hold each other as the older sister tries again and again to end her life. The younger sister, Yolandi, is empathetic but tired of following what feels like an expected script, and struggles to express herself and her love in her own terms. Her inner voice is so kind and she gives real thought even to ideas that cause her unbearable pain, but she also fights and screams and demands to be considered in return. The big caveat is that it's autobiographical and drawn from a period of deep grief. It's worth reading if you're in the right place for that, but it requires almost every content warning out there, especially for its themes of su***de and eating disorders.

If you want to laugh, though, go with Fight Night. The relationship between defiant, chaotic grandmother and indignant, passionate granddaughter is delightful.
..It will also make you cry, but it's mostly hilarious, I swear."

https://shop.wordbookstores.com/book/9781635574975

04/09/2023

Davi recommends SAY NOTHING: "Patrick Radden Keefe investigates and likely resolves a decades-old kidnapping and murder in Northern Ireland. He tells the fascinating and infuriating story of The Troubles, rendering complex geopolitical events in thrilling and digestible prose. You also get the story of two sisters drawn into the deadly world of the IRA and its domestic and foreign terrorism. Really incredible stuff that goes toe to toe with the best fiction thrillers. This book has been my go-to for general non-fiction since it was published. I love it!"

https://shop.wordbookstores.com/book/9780307279286

04/07/2023

Nicole can never pick just one! There are too many great books in the world!

"What Do You Do With an Idea? and Maybe are two picture books by Kobi Yamada that will always be my favorite children's stories. BUT, these aren't just children's stories. They can be felt and loved by anyone of any age. The illustrations are out of this world. Hands down the easiest books to hand sell, not only because I love them dearly, but because they are THAT great! What Do You Do With an Idea? shows the importance of confidence and never giving up. If you had an idea, big or small, or seemed to hard, out of reach, or unimportant, this story shows that when that idea is nurtured and given space to grow, amazing things can happen. Confidence in the face of adversity is something that every person must grapple with. Maybe tells a story of how beautiful, unique, and important each of us are. You are the only you that will ever be! You are meant for some extraordinary things, and once again, when we are faced with adversity, we must learn to overcome it to achieve everything we have ever dreamed of.

Any graphic novel from the Click series is fantastic but Crunch (by Kayla Miller) has recently been my favorite. Olive is easily the coolest and most likeable young teen I have seen in a kid's graphic novel. The illustrations and colors are top tier and I love recommending this to young girls. They all end up absolutely loving Olive and the different struggles she goes through in the series, because Kayla Miller writes her characters in a realistic way so that young girls can easily identify. Crunch specifically tackles the important issue of burnout and wanting to be perfect in all you set your mind, but how many things can fall apart when you are stretched too thin. The relationships in this book are super wholesome and healthy, yet Kayla Miller perfectly shows how negative feelings and unwanted situations are dealt with in a healthy way. Believing in oneself and having healthy support from others are two ways we grow when we are young teens."

04/02/2023

Sometimes, murder may surprise you.

Hanz recommends THE DECAGON HOUSE MURDERS by Yukito Ayatsuji: "I hand-sell this book purely out of the joy of DIAGRAMS! It's always a glorious moment when someone who is interested in a logical mystery sees one of the images and I immediately see their cogs start turning. If you grew up as an Agatha Christie fan, love a detective novel, or the idea of beating the killer this is definitely the choice for you."

https://shop.wordbookstores.com/book/9781782276340