Peak Picks Current Titles Book List
New titles from the Peak Picks collection that are currently in rotation. Stop by any branch to see what's available today!
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The Backyard Bird Chronicles
NEW FOR APRIL! Adult Nonfiction. “The lovely latest from novelist Tan brings together selections from ‘nine personal journals filled with sketches and handwritten notes of naive observations’ about birds spotted in her northern California backyard between 2017 and 2022. Tan's drawings, a highlight of the volume, trace the development of her artistry, with respectable if amateurish early colored pencil sketches giving way to impressively detailed and realistic depictions of the oak titmouse, chestnut backed chickadee, and great horned owl. Tan's enthusiasm and jaunty descriptions of her avian subjects enchant.” PW
Format: Book
Availability: On order
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Briefly Perfectly Human
NEW FOR APRIL! Adult Nonfiction. “Arthur recalls in her elegant debut memoir how she became a death doula, providing emotional support and guidance to those who are nearing death. Arthur poignantly recalls how her clients prepared for death, whether in quiet privacy or surrounded by music, art, and friends, ‘in full surrender, grateful for the gift to have been... human.’ Taken together, these stories portray death as simultaneously personal, universal, and unknowable, a complexity that Arthur acknowledges with consummate respect. PW
Format: Book
Availability: Available
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The Familiar
NEW FOR APRIL! Adult Fiction. “Servant Luzia Cotado hides her talent for milagritos (little miracles) in fear that their discovery would also uncover her Jewish roots and the Ladino spells she uses… bringing the Inquisition to her door. But when her magic is discovered, it attracts the attention of a patron who’s desperate for the favor of the king—and she’s quickly tossed into a contest of miracles that is at the center of the politics of a struggling Spain. As she begins lessons under the mysterious, dark force of nature Santángel, she realizes that survival is not enough for her; Luzia wants to show the world what she’s capable of.” Booklist
Format: Book
Availability: Available
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I Cheerfully Refuse
NEW FOR APRIL! Adult Fiction. “The transcendent latest from Enger is at once a dystopian love story, a nautical adventure, and a meditation on loss, kindness, and natural beauty. The story unfolds in a near-future America where the billionaire class has complete control and reading has been abandoned. Even so, narrator Rainy and his wife, Lark, have found happiness in a small town on the shores of Lake Superior. Their idyll ends with the arrival of a new boarder, Kellan, a fugitive from a billionaire’s work camp. In a desperate world where kindness is a luxury, Rainy befriends the few people willing to help him…” PW
Format: Book
Availability: Available
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Instructions for Traveling West
NEW FOR APRIL! Adult Nonfiction. “Mid-pandemic, Sullivan left the man she planned to marry, sold her house, quit her corporate job, and drove west. This dazzling poetry collection tells that story as it illuminates the questions haunting us all: What possible futures lie on the horizon? What happens when we heed the call of furious reinvention? A book for anyone flinging themselves into fresh starts, Instructions for Traveling West grapples with loss, loneliness and belonging. These poems teach us that naming our desire is profound alchemy.” Pub description
Format: Book
Availability: Available
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Knife
NEW FOR APRIL! Adult Nonfiction. “From internationally renowned writer and Booker Prize winner Salman Rushdie, a searing, deeply personal account of enduring—and surviving—an attempt on his life thirty years after the fatwa that was ordered against him. Speaking out for the first time, and in unforgettable detail, about the traumatic events of August 12, 2022, Rushdie answers violence with art, and reminds us of the power to make sense of the unthinkable, Knife is a gripping, intimate, and ultimately life-affirming meditation on life, loss, love, art—and finding the strength to stand up again. Pub description
Format: Book
Availability: Available
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Like Love
NEW FOR APRIL! Adult Nonfiction. “Poet and critic Nelson draws from nearly 20 years of her career to create this perceptive and lively book. She pulls together conversations, critical essays, cultural criticism, and tributes to the artists she loves, including Björk, Eileen Myles, Carolee Schneemann, Hilton Als, and Judith Butler. Featuring her direct and incisive prose, Nelson's examination of art and the people who make it is poignant and provocative. Nelson's admiration and enthusiasm for her subjects is a palpable driver of joy and delight.” Kirkus
Format: Book
Availability: Available
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Ocean's Godori
NEW FOR APRIL! Adult Fiction. “Ocean Yoon has never felt very Korean, even if she is descended from a long line of haenyeo, Jeju Island’s beloved female divers. Ocean’s also persona non grata at the Alliance, Korea’s solar system–dominating space agency, since a mission went awry and she earned a reputation for being a little too quick with her gun. When her best friend, Teo… is framed for murdering his family, Ocean and her misfit crewmates are pushed to the forefront of a high-stakes ideological conflict. A thrilling adventure across the solar that delivers hyperkinetic action sequences and irresistible romance…” Pub description
Format: Book
Availability: On order
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The Paris Novel
NEW FOR APRIL! Adult Fiction. “When her estranged mother dies, Stella is left with an unusual inheritance: a one-way plane ticket and a note reading ‘Go to Paris.’ Stella is hardly cut out for adventure… But when her boss encourages her to take time off, Stella resigns herself to honoring her mother’s last wishes. …[S]he stumbles across a vintage store, where she tries on a fabulous Dior dress. She buys the dress—and embarks on an adventure. A feast for the senses, this novel is a testament to living deliciously, taking chances, and finding your true home.” Pub description
Format: Book
Availability: On order
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Street Trees of Seattle
NEW FOR APRIL! Adult Nonfiction. “Using data visualization as a starting point, Ebrahimi takes readers on a tour of existing street trees throughout Seattle's neighborhoods and iconic parks through charming illustrations and maps. In the process, she educates readers on the history of the trees and the city, and offers up sketches of trees, leaves, and leaflets to identify trees throughout 33 different neighborhoods. The most notable of each species are highlighted, so urban adventurers can fully appreciate their surroundings or design their own walking routes to experience these natural wonders in their favorite areas of the city.” Pub description
Format: Book
Availability: On order
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