Books to read in the new year

SAVANNAH, Ga. (WSAV) – Looking for new books to read as you ring in the New Year? People at E Shaver Bookstore you have plenty of ideas to help you, whatever genre you are interested in.

“The lyrics: 1956 to today” by Paul McCartney

Released in two volumes that can be purchased together, “The Lyrics” tells the stories behind the songs sung by Paul McCartney before, during and after his stint with the Beatles.

“It’s just a beautifully done book,” Melissa Taylor said in an interview Wednesday. Taylor is one of the owners of E Shaver Bookseller.

Jessica Osborne, the other owner of E Shaver, agreed. She recommended reading it while watching the documentary series “The Beatles: Get Back” by Peter Jackson.

“The Paper Palace: A Novel” by Miranda Cowley Heller

“It’s a wonderful story about the traumas we encounter in life and how we all experience them,” Osborne said.

This novel tells of a 24 hour period when the main character, named Elle, must choose between the life she has made for herself and the life she has always dreamed of. She, 50, a married mother of three, must grapple with the love she has for her husband and the love she always had for her oldest friend.

Emily St. John Mandel’s “Station Eleven” and “The Glass Hotel”

“If you haven’t read ‘Station Eleven’ and ‘The Glass Hotel’ now is the time to read them,” Osborne said.

“Station Eleven” takes place in a world where civilization has collapsed. A traveling team of former Hollywood stars roam what was once the Great Lakes region. Meanwhile, “The Glass Hotel” is also a work of fiction, but this time in a completely different setting. Readers will be confronted with the horrors of greed as they follow the story of a bartender named Vincent.

Mandel has a new book coming out titled “Sea of ​​Tranquility” in April 2022 and if readers start now, Taylor is sure they’ll be ready for the next one when it comes out. While Osborne and Taylor say that it’s not totally necessary to read the first two books to understand the next, they recommend it.

“Matrix” by Lauren Groff

“Matrix” follows the fictionalized story of Marie of France, a 17-year-old who was sent back to England by her family to become prioress of an abbey. She soon realizes that the nuns of the abbey live in poverty and quickly decides that she will protect them at all costs.

This book was named “Best Book of 2021” by NPR and it is also a success for Osborne.

“It’s one of my favorite books from this year,” she said.

“Between two kingdoms: a memory of life interrupted” by Suleika Jaouad

These New York Times bestselling memoirs are about a young woman who moves to Paris the summer after graduating from college. However, the thoughts quickly escalated whenever Jaouad began to develop mysterious symptoms. Soon, at 22, she learned the reason: leukemia. This memoir follows her journey from that point on as she struggled to heal both physically and emotionally from this traumatic situation.

“It’s beautifully written,” said Taylor, “A sometimes sad but very uplifting book about someone’s experience with cancer.”

“The House in the Cerulean Sea” by TJ Klune

This novel is about a character named Linus Baker who works in the Department in charge of magical youth. He is summoned to determine whether a group of six children living in an orphanage will bring about the end of time. Taylor described the book as a fantasy novel with Harry Potter sons.

“Read this if you want something just delicious and when you’re done you sigh with joy,” Taylor said.

“The Last Girl Support Group” by Grady Hendrix

This novel by the bestselling author of the Southern Book Club‘s Guide to Slaying Vampires explores what it means to be a “last girl,” a lonely survivor. The horror novel does this through the experiences of the character Lynnette Tarkington who survived a massacre 22 years before the novel began.

“He kind of walks the horror line with a little humor,” Osborne said.

“Call Us What We Carry”, by Amanda Gorman

This is the first comprehensive collection of poems that Amanda Gorman has published since speaking at President Biden’s inauguration in January. This collection includes “The Hill We Climb”, a poem that Gorman read at the inauguration.

“I think she just has a unique perspective that’s right on it right now,” Taylor said.

“Renegades: Born in the United States” by Barack Obama and Bruce Springsteen

Based on their podcast of the same name, it’s as much a book as it is a conversation between two friends about the intricacies of life. Osborne said it’s the kind of book you don’t read in one sitting, but progress slowly over time.

“It’s nice to read one conversation and be able to come back to it later and read another,” Osborne said.

“The 1619 Project: A New Origin Story” by Nikole Hannah-Jones

Originally featured as an essay series in the 2019 New York Times Magazine issue of Project 1619, Project 1619 was published as an anthology in November 2021. Annie Childress, employee of E Shaver, stressed its importance in the national conversation. surrounding American history and the ongoing struggle against racism.

“It’s a compilation of documentary research, poetry and fiction, all brought together by African American voices,” Childress said. “A lot of it is very upsetting because of the subject he’s dealing with, but it’s brilliantly done. “

Taylor said the anthology is selling well and the three agreed that they hope more people read it.

These books are all available from E Shaver Bookseller at 326 Bull Street and on their website which can be found here.