New Staff Suggestions
Enjoy browsing our popular staff recommendations and feel as if you’re in the store talking to one of our knowledgeable booksellers. Have fun, they’re addictive!
After falling in love with Sophie Mackintosh's moody and mesmerizing debut The Water Cure, I knew I had to get my hands on whatever she wrote next. Blue Ticket absolutely delivers! This artfully crafted feminist dystopia is an instant classic ready-made for any book club—five stars.
— Abigail
More than ever, getting the real story on how our government agencies work is an important part of being an informed citizen. Too often, with a story as intriguing as the Unabomber, accounts are contorted to make them feel more like entertainment. Lis Wiehl proves that this isn't necessary. Combining extensive research, taut narration, and an exceptional background, Wiehl guides the reader through the events and pursuit of an elusive, intelligent killer, while spotlighting the hard work and noteworthy achievement of the agents who brought him to justice.
— Laura
In Japan there is an industry called “wakaresaseya,” which translates to “breaker-upper” of marriages, a covert business in which one spouse hires an agent to seduce the other with the hope of gaining the upper hand in divorce proceedings. The agent then moves on. But what if the agent and target fall in love? Inspired by a true story, this is a haunting tale of love lost, love found, and the depths of obsession.
— Marilyn
Mesmerizing, eye-opening, and heart-wrenching, Majumdar reminds us that separation by class and racial inequality is a world-wide concern when a young girl from the slums (pick a country…any country) is falsely accused of terrorism. Craftily told through her experiences and two others who have been touched by her life, puts both ambition and the power, or loss of power in a realistic perspective.
— Terri
An easy, perfect beach read with not so easy, perfect relationships. When Poppy and Lisa combine their families for a summer vacation, the secrets and personal demons go to work.
— Andie
This is a beautifully written story of two artists - one in 16th century Venice and one in present day Connecticut. The author speaks to the senses, perceptions, and obsessions the painters have with their muses. A passionate look at the pain and pleasure of relationships and art itself. A great escape!
— Barb
This is one of my favorite novels of the year - and a first for Pulitzer Prize winning journalist Connie Schultz. I love stories that span several generations with characters that are so real and captivating. The Daughters of Erietown begins in 1950s Ohio, and explores Kent State, equal rights, coming of age, love, hidden secrets (of course), and the importance of family and community - this will be hard to put down. A great book club pick!
— Barb
Perfect Happiness centers on Charlotte, a tenured Georgetown professor and positive psychology expert, whose recent self-help book has offered her national acclaim — but at what cost? Fans of Liane Moriarty rejoice: In this novel, Lewis masterfully explores the complex dynamics of a family home, revealing that a “picture-perfect” life isn’t so perfect after all.
— Nicole
Christina Clancy writes with such rich detail I could smell the beach as I read! Although I found myself wanting to yell at the Gordon family as they each made one poor decision after another, I couldn’t stop reading until I knew what happened next. A “must read” for anyone who has spent time on the Cape!
— Laura B.
Walking home after a late girls’ night out, Joanna hears footsteps behind her. Could it be the man at the bar who refused to take no for an answer? Her fearful, split-second decision sends a man tumbling down a set of concrete stairs, badly injured. Will she stay or run? Told in alternating “what if” chapters, this edge-of-your-seat thriller tells two stories with very different outcomes, based on Joanna’s two choices: “reveal” or “conceal” the truth.
— Marilyn
The setting: a beautiful, isolated island off the coast of Ireland. The occasion: a celebrity wedding, with guests from the bride and groom’s past and present. Everyone has secrets; some have scores to settle from years ago and have been biding their time. A fierce storm blows in. The power goes out. Suddenly, there is a scream of terror... Fans of Agatha Christie will love this book!
— Marilyn
Do you know the biblical story of Vashti and Esther? The Book of V intertwines three women’s unique stories, though living centuries apart. How their stories relate is made clear in the present day. I enjoyed reading the different ways each of the three women dealt with their desires for living…..although their longings were the same.
— Lori
I love any book by Sue Monk Kidd. I allowed myself to read this one slowly, to savor the story, and I’m so glad I did. Playing the “what if” game can be tricky in your own life, but when it’s in a fictional book, it’s perfect! This is the story of Jesus’ wife, Ana (what if he had a wife?). It’s truly her story of longings---to be a woman who can read, write, make her own decisions, and be valued. Her journey has both beautiful and challenging moments; hers is an adventure to enjoy for sure!
— Lori
In Five Years turned out to be a completely different story than I expected, but in a really good way! Dannie Kohan has her life running exactly as she has planned it with the perfect boyfriend, the perfect job, and the perfect lifelong best friend. Suddenly, on the night she gets engaged (as planned), she has a crazy hour-long dream that gives her a very different view of her life in five years' time. What follows is a roller coaster of events and emotions that force Dannie to realize that life has made other plans. Although it was heartbreaking at times, I thoroughly enjoyed this book.
— Laura B.
The Jane Austen Society, by Natalie Jenner, is a lovely story that reads much like an Austen novel. A group of very different people, each dealing with loss and disappointment in post-WWII Chawton, England, are drawn together by their common love of Jane Austen’s books. They form the society to preserve the author’s final home and to provide a place for fans to visit. Through working together to overcome legal obstacles, they begin to learn about themselves and to see that there is hope after tragedy. These are characters you will grow to care for and wish to see succeed.
— Laura B.
The perfect beach read for at home: funny, sexy, heart-warming, suspenseful, and a twist-ending I didn't see coming! From NYC to the mansions of Cape Cod and the color of Provincetown; this is a quick and engaging story of friendships, families, murder, and revenge. Relatable and strong characters you will be cheering on, as I did.
— Barb
A Long Petal of the Sea is the first Allende novel I have had the pleasure of reading, and will certainly not be the last. This novel effortlessly merges history and fiction with believable, honest characters and an impressive coverage of the Spanish Civil War. While reaching back into history, the novel withstands time and is as relevant today as it would have been in the mid-19th century. This is a love story, an immigration story, and a homecoming story. I hope you become as captivated by this novel as I am!
— Nicole
It's funny how in families, each member perceives the family dynamic differently. In All Adults Here, Emma Straub depicts this perfectly. When Astrid, the widowed mother of three adult children, witnesses the sudden death of a woman she has known for years, she begins to reflect on her own life, her parenting, and the adults her children have become. Each of her children is questioning the events of their own lives. Their successes, failures, and how they feel they were affected by their parents and siblings while growing up in a small town. The reader will likely see themselves in at least one of the characters and perhaps have some questions of their own. An enjoyable page turner.
— Laura B.
Comedy, tragically, is hit or miss. Pratfalls fall flat and foibles merely flummox, but Moore’s ribald style and returning Fool Pocket’s effusive vulgarity nail it. Pocket, a stranger in a strange land, abandoned and alone, brandishes his wit and kit against witless players, kitless guards and pucking faeries. This parody of A Midsummer Night’s Dream would have Shakespeare rolling in his grave.
— Matt
Another terrific thriller from the sisters who write as Liv Constantine! Piper, a mysterious and alluring newcomer to Westport, CT, has her very determined sights set on handsome lawyer Leo Draper. Joanna, devoted to Leo, refuses to let him go. Told in alternate chapters from each woman’s point of view, this novel of psychological suspense will keep you guessing until the last sentence.
— Marilyn
Welcome to Catherine House, a highly selective, secretive university; an eerie, crumbling castle, full of secrets, hidden from prying eyes. The curriculum is experimental and challenging, the social life, highly unconventional. If accepted, you must completely remove yourself from the outside world. In return, you will be given a free education and a promise that the world will be yours for the taking. Catherine House is a dark and atmospheric novel, a true gothic page turner.
— Marilyn
When their eccentric Holocaust survivor grandmother passes away, the estranged Miller family must spend three uncomfortable days together sitting Shiva. After discussing the will, anger, jealousy, secrets, and resentments surface for siblings Ashley, Jake, and Beck and their flaky mother, Deborah. The biggest secret is the truth behind the mysterious brooch left behind for Beck, it’s value and to whom it really belongs. What follows is a story taking the reader from WWI Vienna to present day Pennsylvania with enough motion and mystery to keep one wanting more.
— Laura B.
Fans of The Nightingale and All the Light we Cannot See will be intrigued by Fein’s novel, based on some of the personal experience her father endured in 30’s Germany. Love, betrayal, loss, courage, and fear; yet hope helps Hetty and Walter, a German and a Jew, survive, but not in ways you could imagine.
— Andie
When Lizzie agrees to represent her former law school classmate Zach, accused of murdering his wife, she has no idea of the dark secrets simmering beneath the surface of what appear to be perfect marriages in their affluent Brooklyn neighborhood of Park Slope. If you are a fan of legal thrillers, murder mysteries, and psychological suspense, Kimberly McCreight’s latest novel is the book for you!
— Marilyn
Riveting. Immersive. Spellbinding. Get the picture? There is NO resisting this tension-filled novel. Based on real-life characters, I was introduced to an overlooked hero of WWII—Nancy Wake. Because of her iron will, her grit, her bravery, she lived with the Resistance in the countryside of France and led them on many successful missions leading up to and beyond D-Day. Superb writing. I’m just so glad I picked up this book!
— Susan
It isn't often that the reader gets to peel back the curtain and discover what was going on behind the scenes of an author's debut—Stray presents fans of Sweetbitter that opportunity. Stephanie Danler has given us a memoir that is raw and real, grappling with parental addiction and her own complicated romantic entanglements. This has to be one of the most honest books I've ever read.
— Abigail
I loved this story! It's more than a coming-of-age novel....it's relatable, full of surprises, funny, and sad. Nicholls, author of One Day, has written a new page turner about "first love" with all it's vulnerabilities and passion; and complicated by a very dysfunctional family. Like when finishing a book by Fredrik Backman, you will be thinking of these characters long after the last page.
— Barb
I felt drawn to this different view of WWII, and I was unable to put down Orly's story. As a Jewish ten-year-old in 1938, her world is torn apart as the Germans invade Vienna. Orly and her parents, who are professional musicians, struggle to obtain visas to La Paz, Bolivia. How the family survives refugee status, the severe altitude, and emotional distress with courage, creativity, and love is truly amazing and inspiring!
— Barb
This engrossing, layered novel was exactly the book I needed to capture my attention at this moment. Traversing different locales and story lines, Emily St. John Mandel has woven an impressive tale of perception, class, and humanity. I devoured each new turn of fate as the well-written characters moved toward their ever-changing futures.
— Kelly
What a joy to read! Shaun Bythell took me through a fascinating year of the highs and lows of owning a second-hand bookshop with humor, wit and grace. Each day started with how many online orders and ended with the till total as well as the number of customers. And in between, I met the many characters of Wigtown: Sandy the tattooed pagan, Granny, and Bum-bag Dave, to name a few. This bookshop is on my list to visit and I hope it will be soon!
— Susan
The exquisitely talented Sebastian Barry does not disappoint in this post-Civil War narrative told in the remarkable voice of Winona, a young Lakota girl. Orphaned and taken in by an unusual couple, she is still vulnerable as a low social status female. She must take brave steps to protect herself and seek justice for a wrongdoing. A harrowing coming of age from a very different time and place. The heartrending yet hopeful ending will stay with me for a very long time.
— Julie
Frances Cha’s debut is a fascinating, at times unflinching, look at the lives of four young women living in an office-tel in contemporary Seoul. Narrated in point-of-view chapters, each woman tells a compelling story as they make their way in a competitive society with exacting standards of beauty and notions of a woman’s place, and their stories will pull you in. I look forward to more from this new voice in fiction.
— Marilyn
Alexis and CeCe have a mother/daughter relationship that is best described as “prickly.” Thankfully, they have Tommy to keep them on track until his tragic cancer diagnosis plunges this family into chaos and despair. Written alternately from both Mother’s and daughter’s point of view, misunderstandings, secrets, and resentment threaten to destroy what time the family has left and the future they’ll need to build together. Emotions are all over the place with this novel and you’ll be reminded to let your friends and family know how important they are to you. Definitely worth the tears.
— Laura B.
I read this a while back, but, like all wonderful stories, it has stayed with me and I am reminded of it often. An island off the Norwegian coast, inhabited by the original founding family, now with vague, unsure dreams of a future on the mainland. Like so many fine scandinavian stories - Babette's Feast, Bergman films, the suspense novels of Camilla Lackberg and Henning Mankell- these people are honed by the quiet and demands of their lives - and are remarkable. I do not want to visit for fear of disturbing the serenity that covers the deferred hope. This is not a sad, unhappy story - just some truths of being alive. A lovely translation and so very worth reading.
— Nancy
Here are 24 essays - but these could be called short tales - of places and the stuff of the world. Birds can 'see' magnetism, flowers reach out with an electrical charge to passing bees, the 'free electrons' in a candle flame can be bent by a magnetic field, some of those nasty things in 'dust bunnies' make the liquid they need through their own metabolism. And then the author takes us to Mars, that has shared it's redness with the Colorado Plateau, and on to the rings of Saturn and we join him on an ice mountain ploughing a way of separation between the rings. If you had asked me I would have said I had no interest in Sunfish, wouldn't know a Fireweed from any other weed, but now.... I want many more of these - science for all of us, with lovely writing and surprises.
— Nancy
This unforgettable debut is told through the eyes of Miss May Belle and her daughter Rue, powerful conjure women with the ability to heal or curse. These strong, resilient women bring to life the horrors of slavery on a southern plantation, the Civil War years, and finally, freedom. A violent, superstitious world? Yes, but one also filled with the beauty of nature and the power of the human spirit.
— Marilyn
For fans of News of the World, this is a moving story of a young man, his music, and his pursuit of love - all while dodging the 'conscription people.' 1865 Texas, as the Civil War is winding down, is still fraught with tension and chaos. Jiles beautifully captures the spirit of this place and time!
— Barb
A captivating and harrowing account of a real midcentury American family, and their struggles as six of their twelve children develop schizophrenia. As good as any narrative nonfiction that you'll find, Robert Kolker has chronicled the journey of the Galvin family with insight and humanity, while contextualizing their challenges in the larger social and scientific landscape of the time. Phenomenal.
— Kelly
In 1617, a sudden storm broke off the coast of the tiny Norwegian island of Vardøs. The men, all of whom were out fishing, drowned. Left to fend for themselves, the women find the strength to take charge and survive. But that is not their traditional role in this society and a zealous commissioner, a witch hunter, is sent to the island to enforce the religious beliefs of the King. Based on a true story, this is a riveting, unforgettable tale.
— Marilyn
I was wary about a return to war-time Paris, but knowing I was in Cara Black’s capable hands compelled me to take a chance - an excellant decision! Kate Rees is an American ranch woman with skills sharpened by intelligence training and a personal vendetta. With hints of Eye of the Needle and 11/22/63, Black combines suspense, betrayal and “what if” masterfully. I couldn’t put this book down.
— Laura
![Ultimate Veg: Easy & Delicious Meals for Everyone [American Measurements] Cover Image](https://images.booksense.com/images/books/882/262/FC9781250262882.JPG)
I'm always looking for more ways to put vegetables on the table, but only if they are delicious, filling, and accessible. Jamie Oliver delivers! Besides tasty, healthy remakes of old favorites, like a green mac and cheese, I am learning creative techniques that I will be able to use on other dishes, including a brilliant upside-down pizza. I am still diving deeply into this user-friendly cookbook.
— Laura
Gift Cards
Gift Card
An RJ Julia Booksellers gift card is the perfect gift for the booklover in your life!
eGift Card (this is strictly for use at rjjulia.com)
Share the love no matter the distance with these online-only gift codes!Featured Merch
Inis the Energy of the Sea Trio Gift Set
Inis’ uplifting scents evoke warm sunny days by the sea. It’s made in Ireland, and Inis fragrances have never been tested on animals....
Quotable Cards Be the Change Dish
Serve your hors d'oeuvres with a little bit of flair on this quote-sporting mini plate. The inspiration quote by Gandhi will remind you of what's...
Magnetic Racer Tegu Baby and Toddler 3 pieces
Tegu Baby & Toddler toys are the perfect entry-point to the wondrous world of Tegu. Specifically designed for the little hands and budding...
Corkcicle 16 Oz Champagne Tumblr
Nobody likes a lukewarm coffee, so keep your hot beverages warm in this Corkcicle tumblr. The stainless steel vessel's triple-walled insulation and...
2020 R.J. JULIA BOOKSELLERS
DESIGN BY JULIA BALFOUR, LLC