Like minds

Marsh Boardwalk

Marsh, with crabs by the thousands, clicking and popping upon the mud and boardwalk, their one larger claw white and folded as they floated sideways. No alligators, though I looked for eyes. I looked for eyes and the texture of tail. I waited for a strike but found none. Alone, I didn't go far down the trail, afraid of the snap and no one to hear. I was content with the tickle and rustle of crustaceans on the edge of the ocean.

August Staff Picks

So, one of the perks of working in a new bookstore is the monthly "staff picks" where I get to tell everyone what I think they should read. My July staff picks were A Conservationist Manifesto by Scott Russell Sanders, At Large and At Small by Anne Fadiman, The Big Ass Book of Crafts by Mark Montano, and I Was Told There'd Be Cake by Sloane Crosley, all of which I've talked about on here.

This month I chose The People of Paper by Salvador Plascencia, A Walk in the Woods by Bill Bryson, Vacation by Deb Olin Unferth, Peace by Richard Bausch, and Reality Hunger by David Shields.

I love love love nonfiction and read and lust for it more than fiction, but Erin tells me we can't fit another nonfiction book in the store. Alas, I need to choose contemporary fiction but don't know where to start. Help? What would be your staff picks if you were me?