Ask a bookseller

The novel is a fairly direct retelling of “David Copperfield” by Charles Dickens, set in the 1980s in Appalachia — familiar territory for rural Kentucky-born Kingsolver.

Michael Bennett's "Better the Blood” is a fast-paced thriller that delves into longstanding injustices against the Māori people in New Zealand.

"You Be Mommy" is a children’s book where moms can see their own journey reflected.

"Here Goes Nothing" by Steve Toltz has whispers of the 1990 film "Ghost" and the NBC comedy "The Good Place," rolled up in an original and humorous tale.

The recommendation comes from Shannon Daniels of Literati Bookstore in Ann Arbor, Mich., who says Jessica Au's novel "Cold Enough for Snow" was her top staff pick this year.

This novel asks, "What if you knew exactly how many days you had left?"

Colby Faulkner says his store has "Upgrade" shelved in the Science Fiction section, but with its fast-paced plot, it could easily belong with the Thrillers.

Yani Rodriguez of Copperfish Books in Punta Gordo, Fla., was quick to share her staff pick with Ask a Bookseller. She loves the historical fiction novel “River, Sing Me Home,” by Eleanor Shearer.

“Juniper & Thorn” is a favorite of Hannah Peterson of the Inquiring Mind Bookstore & Café in Saugerties, New York. 

This week’s recommendation comes from Qwultultun Robert Goldsmith of Strong Nations, an indigenous-owned bookstore and publisher on Vancouver Island in British Columbia, Canada.