We are constantly redesigning, moving, shifting, and changing things at Wolverine Farm Bookstore.  One new(ish) part of the store is a bookshelf near the front dedicated to staff picks and recommendations.  Volunteers, managers and Bean Cycle baristas take turns picking their favorite books to fill up a shelf for a few weeks.  We have also given shelves to valued customers and community members so if you have some titles you’d like to share, let us know!  Here’s a little peek at my shelf, which (fair warning) changes daily.

1.  A Month in the Country by J. L. Carr  This little novel was one of our recent book club picks for the Year of the Craft Book Club.  It tells the story of a war veteran who travels to a little town in the  English countryside to take a summer-long job uncovering an apocalyptic mural in the local church.  It’s both funny and heart-breaking and well worth the short time it takes to read.

2.  The Bell Jar by Sylvia Plath  I’ve read this book a few times and I’ll probably read it again.  Sylvia Plath writes some of the most incredible passages about life and depression in this semi-autobiographical novel.

3.  Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte  Not just any edition of Jane Eyre, but the Penguin Hardcover Classic designed by Coralie Bickford-Smith.  I would love to own the whole set of these beautiful books (like every other bibliophile, I’m sure!).

4.  Frankenstein by Mary Shelley  Another must-read classic.  I read and loved this book in high school, but have been meaning to re-read it so I put it on my shelf as a reminder.

5.  Good Omens by Terry Pratchett & Neil Gaiman  A comedic take on the Apocalypse from two of the best fantasy writers alive (Neil Gaiman is a god).  Celebrate the End Times with this hilarious novel about good vs. evil, the Antichrist, angels, demons and a prophetic witch named Agnes Nutter.

6.  O Pioneers! by Willa Cather  Cather writes wonderful stories about the settling of the west, life as an immigrant, and the beauty and hardship of the plains and prairies.   O Pioneers! is so engaging and beautifully written, I couldn’t put it down and read most if it in one sitting.  I’ve read a few other books of hers since, but this is by far my favorite.

Well, happy reading and don’t forget to check out the staff pick shelves the next time you are in the bookstore!

bookstore staff picks