Ask a bookseller

Every week, The Thread checks in with booksellers around the country about their favorite books of the moment.

Ask a Student: Book series elementary school kids love
Usually every week for Ask a Bookseller, MPR News’ Emily Bright checks in with indie booksellers all over the country for recommendations. But this week, we’re changing it up with an Ask a Student edition, courtesy of some of the readers at Gatewood Elementary School in Minnetonka, Minn.
Ask a Bookseller: What does it mean to be a monster? 
Emil Ferris's graphic novel "My Favorite Thing is Monsters" made a splash when came out in 2017, and it's still Richard Johnston's favorite title to recommend. "I'm always amazed when people don't know it because I love it so much," says Johnston, who runs Brookings Book Company in Brookings, S.D.
Ask a Bookseller: 'Tiny Americans' follows one family over 40 years
Bob Lingle of Off the Beaten Path Bookstore in Lakewood, N.Y., recommends the novel "Tiny Americans" by Devin Murphy. The book starts in 1978 and follows a family of five over the next 40 years.
Ask a Bookseller: ‘I Love You but I've Chosen Darkness’
Stef Schmidt of Water Street Books in Exeter, N.H, recommends a novel whose title is sure to draw some curious attention on the shelves. It's called “I Love You but I’ve Chosen Darkness,” by Claire Vaye Watkins.
Ask a Bookseller: 'The House in the Cerulean Sea' is a feel-good read
Jolie Hughes of Morgan Hill Bookstore in New London, N.H. has a recommendation for people who want a summer read that leaves them feeling good. She points them toward TJ Klune's novel "The House in the Cerulean Sea."
Ghosts, vampires, and monsters: 5 titles to get you in the Halloween spirit
Whether you’re looking to send a chill up your spine or uncover the secret of the vampire next door, look no further. We’ve rounded up five titles by independent booksellers recommended to get you in the right spirit for the season. 
Ask a Bookseller: A unique murder mystery
Leading up to Halloween, Jordyn Stocks of Piragis Northwoods Company in Ely, Minn., recommended the mystery novel “The Seven and a Half Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle” by Stuart Turton.
Ask a Bookseller: 'Mary Jane' celebrates the music of the 1970s
Lisa Baudoin shared a favorite title from her store, Books & Company, in Oconomowoc, Wis. It’s the novel “Mary Jane” by Jessica Anya Blau. The coming-of-age tale is set in the 1970s, and Baudoin says the book captures the feeling of that decade — especially the music.