Peak Picks Current Titles Book List
A complete list of current Peak Picks titles.
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A Grain, A Green, A Bean
Adult Nonfiction. "Dietician Hamshaw has written a timely volume supporting the growing interest in plant-based cooking. Using a basic formula to mix grains, greens, and beans, the book is broken down into sections covering bowls, salads, sandwiches, and stovetop and oven recipes, with an emphasis on making quick yet flavorful and balanced meals. Standouts include red-wine braised mushrooms and French lentils with farro. Rounding out the well-organized sections, there are basic recipes for dips, hummus, and vegan sauces." Library Journal
Format: Book
Availability: Available
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Happy Land
Adult Fiction. "The latest from Perkins-Valdez features a dual narrative that starts with Washington, DC, real estate agent Nikki Lovejoy being summoned to rural North Carolina by her estranged grandmother Rita. As the story and relationship between Rita and Niki develop, readers learn about family secrets and history of the Kingdom of the Happy Land. The historical side of the narrative is revealed by Luella, a Lovejoy ancestor known as the queen of Happy Land. This is a lyrical and unique work of historical fiction. The Kingdom is based on a real place about which readers will want to know more after reading Perkins-Valdez's novel." Library Journal
Format: Book
Availability: Available
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Medicine River
Adult Nonfiction. "Journalist Pember debuts with a devastating history of Indian boarding schools... and the legacy of generational trauma they unleashed. Pember traces how over the course of the late 19th and early 20th centuries, the Christian mission to convert, 'civilize,' and assimilate Indigenous people came to focus its efforts on children, with the explicit aim to 'disrupt family ties.' Weaving into her narrative her own mother's experiences in a Catholic-run boarding school in Wisconsin, Pember explores the psychological ramifications the schools had on subsequent generations. This strikes a chord." Publishers Weekly
Format: Book
Availability: Available
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Notes to John
Adult Nonfiction. "In November 1999, Joan Didion began seeing a psychiatrist because, as she wrote to a friend, her family had had 'a rough few years.' She described the sessions in a journal she created for her husband, John Gregory Dunne. The initial sessions focused on alcoholism, adoption, depression, anxiety, guilt, and the heartbreaking complexities of her relationship with her daughter, Quintana. It is an unprecedentedly intimate account that reveals sides of her that were unknown, but the voice is unmistakably hers---questioning, courageous, and clear in the face of a wrenchingly painful journey." Publisher description
Format: Book
Availability: Available
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Say You'll Remember Me
Adult Fiction. "When Samantha brings her new kitten to attractive veterinarian Xavier, their first interaction does not go well. Xavier instantly puts his foot in his mouth but redeems himself at Samantha's next vet visit and asks her out. Unfortunately, after the world's most perfect, never-ending date, Xavier discovers that Samantha is moving across the country the next day. [T]he book deftly tackles challenges, such as early-onset dementia and caring for a parent, in between sweet and sexy scenes. Samantha and Xavier's story will resonate with anyone who has ever experienced long-distance romance..." Library Journal
Format: Book
Availability: Available
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The Sirens
Adult Fiction. "In 19th-century Ireland, sisters Mary and Eliza were declared convicts and shipped to Australia. As they endured horrific conditions, they held on to hope and to each other. In 2019, recurring childhood nightmares continue to afflict first-year journalism student Lucy Martin. After waking up from a traumatic sleepwalking incident, Lucy escapes to her artist sister Jess's house in Comber Bay on the coast of New South Wales. Then Lucy discovers that her sister is missing... Comber Bay, known for its dark events from shipwrecks to missing men, piques Lucy's journalistic interest, and she begins to research while waiting for Jess to return. ...[A] lyrical story, intricately blending family dynamics with the magic of folklore." Library Journal
Format: Book
Availability: Available
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Wild in Seattle
Adult Nonfiction. "For award-winning natural history writer David B. Williams, to be connected to a place you need to pause and look deeply at it. Wild in Seattle is Williams' delightful journey of discovery in this city where not only is nature all around, it's also written in the stones of the urban landscape. Williams' lively essays woven with Elizabeth Person's engaging illustrations will fire up the curiosity of both residents and visitors alike, inspiring all to take a fresh look at the Emerald City." Publisher description
Format: Book
Availability: Available
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You Are Here
Adult Poetry. 2025 Seattle Reads title! "Gathered by U.S. poet laureate Limón, this beautifully curated anthology of 50 previously unpublished poems challenges preconceptions about 'nature poetry' as it meditates on humanity's relationship to the planet. As Limón writes in the introduction: 'these poems represent the full spectrum of how we human animals connect to the natural world.' This collection stands apart for the strength of its entries and the breadth of its superb meditations on a pressing theme." Publishers Weekly
Format: Book
Availability: Available
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Abundance
Adult Nonfiction. "Klein, a New York Times columnist, and Thompson, an Atlantic staffer, lean to the left, but they aren't interrogating the usual suspects. Aware that many conservatives have no interest in their opinions, the authors target their own side's 'pathologies.' Liberal leadership has ensnared itself in a web of well-intentioned yet often onerous 'goals, standards, and rules.' Instead, they envision 'a politics of abundance' that would remake travel, work, and health. This won't happen without 'changing the processes that make building and inventing so hard.' Cogent, well-timed ideas for meeting today’s biggest challenges." Kirkus
Format: Book
Availability: Available
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The Dream Hotel
Adult Fiction. "Lalami delivers a stirring dystopian tale of dwindling privacy and freedom in the digital age. In the late 2030s, Sara T. Hussein, 38, a Muslim American art archivist, is detained by officials from the Risk Assessment Administration, who claim data recorded by her Dreamsaver implant, which was originally developed to treat sleep apnea, predicts she will murder her husband. She's held at a repurposed elementary school for 'observation,' which stretches on for nearly a year... This surreal story feels all too plausible." Publishers Weekly
Format: Book
Availability: Available
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