Can’t We Talk about Something More Pleasant? by Roz Chast

“Roz Chast’s cartoon memoir Can’t We Talk About Something More Pleasant? sneaks up and disarms you with its light tone and humor, but the specific story of losing her parents pulls you right in to the universal experiences of frustration, heartbreak, and guilt. But in a funny way. Seriously.” Recommended By Doug

The Wonder by Emma Donoghue

“Lib, a highly trained English nurse, is sent to a small town in Ireland where there is an 11-year-old girl claiming to no longer need food. The boggy town, almost too Catholic to function, is desperate for this little girl to be special. Lib wants to swiftly prove otherwise. Days pass and Lib can’t figure it out. Then it’s all too clear. I stayed up late to finish this patient, mysterious book. It is ridiculously engrossing.” Recommended By Britt

A Child of Books by Oliver Jeffers and Sam Winston

“Lovely soft, dreamy art contrasts beautifully with the chunky, beady strings and swirls of words, the precipitous mountains of words, the roiling waves of words, the monsters built of words, in this story about the ways in which our imaginations are fed on and enriched by literature.” Recommended By Gigi

Fates and Furies by Lauren Groff

“An attractive, charismatic couple who married young, Lotto and Mathilde were exceptional, with a seemingly perfect marriage and happy life together. As recounted from both of their perspectives, Fates and Furies reveals the stunning truth and dark secrets that lie behind their relationship. A tense and vibrant tale.” Recommended By Jen

Commonwealth by Ann Patchett

“Commonwealth feels both contemporary and instantly classic; it’s a beautiful, empathetic novel that manages to be surprising but somehow comfortable. With each new book, Ann Patchett just keeps upping her game.” Recommended By Jill

Here I Am by Jonathan Safran Foer

“Foer’s most ambitious and deeply personal work yet, Here I Am examines the Blochs, a Jewish-American family struggling to navigate the challenges of modern family life and questions of Jewish identity. Foer is masterful at capturing their chaos and isolation through witty dialogue and candid inner speech.” Recommended By Kate

SPQR by Mary Beard

“History is so much more fun when the historian is having fun, and in SPQR, Mary Beard seems to be having the time of her life. The result is a thorough and entertaining study of the unprecedented rise of ancient Rome, including everything you vaguely remember, everything you totally forgot, and everything you never knew. It’s awesome.” Recommended By Britt

Nutshell by Ian McEwan

“With an ingenious plot and unique narrator, this tale of murder and treachery is told from the viewpoint of a fetus — the yet-unborn Hamlet, witness to the conversations and unsavory dealings of those around him.  A cleverly imaginative take on Shakespeare’s character, this darkly humorous and skillfully crafted novel reaffirms McEwan as one of the finest writers today.” Recommended By Michal

The Hidden Life of Trees by Peter Wohlleben

“Have you ever imagined trees as having thoughts and feelings? The Hidden Life of Trees suggests you may not have been so far off. This book became a surprise sensation in Germany, and it completely surprised me too. I read it while camping and it made the experience so much richer.” Recommended By Moses

The rest of our Picks of the Month are here.