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Brooklyn Daily
Word’s pick: “Infinite Sky” by C.J. Flood
When a family of travelers sets up camp on property owned by Iris’s family, everyone responds differently — her dad is angry, her brother has his own trouble to deal with, and Iris can’t stop sneaking peeks out the window. The friendship she strikes up with the traveler boy, Trick, quickly grows complex, transforming Iris’s summer into a defining season. Debut young-adult novelist Flood perfectly captures the pangs and stresses and glories of growing up in a small country town, weaving grace and growth into a story that tells you, from the first page, that things aren’t all going to end well. It’s a heartbreaker.
— Molly Templeton, Word [126 Franklin St. at Milton Street in Greenpoint, (718) 383–0096, www.wordbrooklyn.com].
The BookMark Shoppe’s pick: “A Paris Apartment” by Michelle Gable
Sotheby’s furniture specialist April Vogt is more than happy to go to Paris for two months, to catalog a new collection recently discovered in an apartment that has been shuttered for over 70 years. It is an escape from a marriage that is falling apart. Once at the famed apartment, April is transported to the world of Marthe de Florian, and her path from Folies Bergere bartender to renowned courtesan. Readers travel back to Marthe’s time, and are drawn into the parallels of both women’s lives. Handsome estate solicitor Luc Thebalt complicates matters for April, and her husband as well. Based on historical events, “A Paris Apartment” will have readers embracing the struggles and successes of two very unforgettable women.
— Bina Valenzano, co-owner, The BookMark Shoppe [8415 Third Ave. between 84th and 85th streets in Bay Ridge, (718) 833–5115, www.bookmarkshoppe.com].
Greenlight Bookstore’s pick: “An Untamed State” by Roxane Gay
Roxane Gay’s “And Untamed State” is an absolute must-read. I might even go so far as to say it is required. It is easily one of the most terrifying and heartwrenching books I’ve ever read. While I was nothing short of impressed with Gay’s brutal look at a young woman’s kidnapping and 13-day captivity, the way she beautifully, carefully, and empathetically details this young woman’s road home from unimaginable horror (you can’t even say recovery) is astonishing. Like I said, required reading.
— Emily Russo Murtagh, Greenlight Bookstore [686 Fulton St. between S. Elliott Place and S. Portland Avenue in Fort Greene, (718) 246–0200, www.greenlightbookstore.com].