Anna's Picks

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Anna ANNA
A native Floridian, Anna loves the sound of rain and thunder, and can often be found with thunderstorm sounds on, pretending Arizona actually experiences weather that isn't sunshine. Her favorite reads are often sci-fi comedies (can you say Vonnegut?) or strange and unusual YA novels. She may or may not be a time traveler whose deepest desire in life is to own a pet tortoise named Marshmallow Tereshkova. Do with that what you will.
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The Hollow Places: A Novel By T. Kingfisher Cover Image
$17.99
ISBN: 9781534451124
Availability: On Our Shelves Now
Published: Gallery / Saga Press - October 6th, 2020


This book is freaky!! When recently divorced Kara finds herself living in her eccentric uncle's even more eccentric curio museum, she stumbles upon a hole in the wall that leads to... well you'll wish you didn't find out. The story is fast paced, the horror is disturbing, and the writing is way funnier than I expected. A fantastic read all around!


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Severance: A Novel By Ling Ma Cover Image
By Ling Ma
$18.00
ISBN: 9781250214997
Availability: On Our Shelves Now
Published: Picador - May 7th, 2019

Alternating between Before and After a zombie(esque) outbreak, Severance is a beautiful look at the absurdity of modern life, the rejection and acceptance of cultural heritage, and how our memories can either propel us forward or hold us back. Perfect for fans of Station Eleven.


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Storm Front (Dresden Files #1) By Jim Butcher Cover Image
$9.99
ISBN: 9780451457813
Availability: On Our Shelves Now
Published: Ace - April 1st, 2000

Harry Dresden is basically a Wizard P.I. in Chicago trying his best to both help people and pay rent (in a world where you can really only get one) but monsters and evil wizards (and often the Chicago PD) just keep getting in his way!!! This first book is a funny, thrilling dive into the world of The Dresden Files, which is itself a fun thrilling monster-of-the-week style series. Give it a whirl!


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The Shadow Glass By Josh Winning Cover Image
$15.95
ISBN: 9781789098617
Availability: On Our Shelves Now
Published: Titan Books - March 22nd, 2022

Jim Henson fans rejoice! This book is such a fantastic love letter to the dark fantasy movies of the 1980s. Despite the titular "The Shadow Glass" being about a fictional movie (a la "The Dark Crystal"), this book makes you feel like it was one of the classics, now brought to life. I was honestly a little sad I couldn't watch the in-universe film after I finished the book, but it's okay because I went and watched "Labyrinth" and "Willow" right after ;)


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Futuristic Violence and Fancy Suits: A Novel (Zoey Ashe #1) By Jason Pargin, David Wong Cover Image
$19.00
ISBN: 9781250830548
Availability: Not Available In-Store - Usually Ships from Warehouse in 1-5 Days
Published: St. Martin's Griffin - October 5th, 2021

After struggling twenty-something Zoey learns she has inherited her absent father's entire estate—and this guy was the most crime-y crime lord to ever crime lord—she finds herself living in a futuristic city where capitalism reigns supreme and social media is horrible and ever-watching! (Gee that sounds familiar...) This amazingly prescient book (it came out in 2016 and honestly feels like it predicted the future) captures the horrors of modern life, but makes it funny. It's a great time. Also there's a cat.


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This Book Is Full of Spiders: Seriously, Dude, Don't Touch It (John Dies at the End #2) By Jason Pargin, David Wong Cover Image
$17.99
ISBN: 9781250830524
Availability: On Our Shelves Now
Published: St. Martin's Griffin - October 5th, 2021

This might be the greatest spider-zombie-demon-possession book ever written. It also might be the only one ever written. In any case this book is so hilarious, frightening, and tensely-plotted, you'll *literally* be pacing as you read. Side note: this is the 2nd in the series but every book is standalone so feel free to jump right in! It's my favorite of the bunch.


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Never Whistle at Night: An Indigenous Dark Fiction Anthology By Shane Hawk (Editor), Theodore C. Van Alst, Jr. (Editor) Cover Image
By Shane Hawk (Editor), Theodore C. Van Alst, Jr. (Editor)
$17.00
ISBN: 9780593468463
Availability: On Our Shelves Now
Published: Vintage - September 19th, 2023

This book is the perfect spooky season collection of stories to read around a campfire (or in my case, before bed). With a diverse spread of horror styles and personal identities, I feel like I got the best of both worlds being scared and learning a little indigenous folklore!


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Black River Orchard By Chuck Wendig Cover Image
$29.99
ISBN: 9780593158746
Availability: On Our Shelves Now
Published: Del Rey - September 26th, 2023

Unsettling, visceral, and giving major Midnight Mass vibes, Wendig's newest book will draw you in drop by odious drop. When local apple farmer Dan Paxson starts selling a mysterious new apple at the local farmer's market, the townsfolk of Harrow, PA find it so incredibly delicious they don't notice the changes (until it's too late)... Not unlike the aforementioned apples, this book will burrow under your skin and take hold before you realize it's even happening.


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The Book of Accidents: A Novel By Chuck Wendig Cover Image
$18.99
ISBN: 9780399182150
Availability: On Our Shelves Now
Published: Del Rey - March 15th, 2022

A ghost that isn’t quite right… A park that isn’t always a park… A monster that lurks in the dark… Come for the haunted house and stay for the INCREDIBLE, page-turning story of a family’s return to their ominous hometown. I can’t say much more without spoiling the best bits, but trust me on this: you’ll wish you read this sooner.


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Enchanted Kitchen: Connect to Spirit with Recipes & Rituals Through the Year By Gail Bussi Cover Image
$17.99
ISBN: 9780738770604
Availability: On Our Shelves Now
Published: Llewellyn Publications - June 8th, 2022

The kitchen is the heart of many homes. It is a place for ritual and magic and, of course, food! This was the perfect little book to help align my love of cooking with my love of witchcraft. Organized by season, there's a little something for everyone looking to add some magic to their house's heart.


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Ascension: A Novel By Nicholas Binge Cover Image
$28.00
ISBN: 9780593539583
Availability: On Our Shelves Now
Published: Riverhead Books - April 25th, 2023

"Arrival" meets "The Thing" in this spooky, atmospheric adventure thriller! Told via the newly-recovered letters from one of the scientists sent to explore a mysterious mountain, Ascension becomes as much a spiritual and philosophical ascension as it does a physical one to the top of a mountain plagued with danger. Honestly, I expected a straightforward thriller and instead found a beautiful (and still scary!) read that had me questioning some of my deeply held beliefs in life--definitely a book you'll want to check out!


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The Double Life of Benson Yu: A Novel By Kevin Chong Cover Image
$27.00
ISBN: 9781668005491
Availability: On Our Shelves Now
Published: Atria Books - April 18th, 2023

Whatever direction you think this story is going to take—it doesn’t. What it does do is warp and unwind genre and the rules of prose to masterfully examine how our view of our pasts influence the potential of who we can become. And it’s through this layered, tenuous looking glass of a story that we watch character and author swap places back and forth over and over. This book is dizzying and beautiful and you’ve just GOT to read it, okay? Enough with this purple-prose review; just pick this up and enjoy. And now, I will go back to crying in a corner, clutching the book to my chest, thank you very much.


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The United States of Cryptids: A Tour of American Myths and Monsters By J. W. Ocker Cover Image
$19.99
ISBN: 9781683693222
Availability: On Our Shelves Now
Published: Quirk Books - October 11th, 2022

I love cryptids. You love cryptids. We should probably be friends, but considering you're likely reading this on a bookshelf and don't know me, I'll settle for you enjoying this excellently-illustrated, mega-informative book. Truly, it is the perfect modern compendium of cryptids for all the monster fans out there!


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The Amazing and True Story of Tooth Mouse Pérez By Ana Cristina Herreros, Violeta Lópiz (Illustrator), Sara Lissa Paulson (Translator) Cover Image
By Ana Cristina Herreros, Violeta Lópiz (Illustrator), Sara Lissa Paulson (Translator)
$18.95
ISBN: 9781592703593
Availability: Not Available In-Store - Usually Ships from Warehouse in 1-5 Days
Published: Enchanted Lion Books - April 4th, 2023

The story of Tooth Mouse Perez, aka Spain's version of the Tooth Fairy (who is also mentioned in this book!) is the perfect mix of whimsy, folklore, and history. Any child looking to know more about what happens to their baby teeth would love this! Plus the art is so stunning and imaginative, it really brings the whimsical history of Spain's Tooth Mouse tradition to life!


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Rim to River: Looking into the Heart of Arizona By Tom Zoellner Cover Image
$24.95
ISBN: 9780816540020
Availability: On Our Shelves Now
Published: University of Arizona Press - February 28th, 2023

As an Arizona transplant who moved here mid-pandemic, it took me a while to really connect with the state. This book felt like diving headfirst into everything I've come to understand about our weird desert home, and Zoellner's prose is so beautiful and visceral, it's like you're right there walking the AZ Trail beside him, peering into the cultural and geologic past. Even if you've lived here your entire life, I think you'll find this book might just change the way you see Arizona.