Peak Picks Current Titles Book List
A complete list of current Peak Picks titles.
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The AI Con
Adult Nonfiction. "Linguist Bender and sociologist Hanna, the founders of a merrily debunking podcast about all things AI, write that there's hoopla aplenty about how AI will make our lives better - or perhaps worse. There are real concerns, of course, especially for people of color...[and] those 'daily harms being done in its name' are more profound than a feared robot apocalypse (the authors add, AI probably won't replace your job, 'but it will make your job a lot shittier.') A refreshingly contrarian take on AI and the clouds of hyperbole surrounding it." Kirkus
Format: Book
Availability: Available
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The Emperor of Gladness
Adult Fiction. "Vuong follows up his first novel with a searching and beautiful story of a troubled young man. The reader first meets Hai on a bridge in East Gladness, Conn., where he's about to jump to his death. He's stopped by Grazina, an 82-year-old Lithuanian woman. She invites him to stay with her, and as her dementia worsens, he cares for her... Hai tells his mother he is attending medical school, but in fact, shortly before meeting Grazina, he was released from rehab for opioid addiction. Vuong's scenes are vivid, and the pitch-perfect dialogue cuts like a knife...This downbeat tale soars to astonishing heights." Kirkus
Format: Book
Availability: Available
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Is A River Alive?
Adult Nonfiction. "Nature writer Macfarlane (Underland) serves up a lyrical inquiry into the implications of treating rivers as living beings worthy of reverence and legal rights. Macfarlane skillfully braids his immersive travel writing with illuminating historical background, all told in lithe prose ('The horizon widens into ocean and the co-motion of sky and water is lost in a white, grainy light, and there the river's last trace is slow-vanishing spirals in the water, shallowing as they slip on'). Nature lovers will be riveted." Publishers Weekly
Format: Book
Availability: Available
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Spent
Adult Graphic Novel. "In this self-deprecating and delightful graphic novel, an archly fictionalized Alison finds herself flummoxed by commercial success. Though each 'episode' of the graphic novel shares the title of a chapter in Marx's Das Kapital, Bechdel's alter ego is alternately too confused, distracted, despairing, or creatively blocked to start a revolution. The bold, full-color art displays Bechdel's signature style: detailed characters, assured panel work, and welcomely realistic representations of queer and older folks' naked bodies. For Bechdel's fans, it's a dream to see her skewer fame with such hilarious precision." Publishers Weekly
Format: Graphic Novel
Availability: Available
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Storybook Ending
Adult Fiction. "April, a smart and lonely tech worker, worries work from home has gotten out of hand: she's left an anonymous note in a book for Westley, the clerk at her Seattle neighborhood bookstore... But thanks to fate, Laura - a busy single mom who had given up on love - buys the book, finds the note, and thinks Westley has left it for her. Meanwhile ,Westley...is too distracted...to notice either of the two women. But as April and Laura's anonymous correspondence continues back and forth, their mundane routines are challenged, sparking a glimmer of hope. Is a happy ending in the cards for them?" Publisher description.
Format: Book
Availability: Available
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Audition
Adult Fiction. "Two people meet for lunch in a Manhattan restaurant. She's an accomplished actress in rehearsals for an upcoming premiere. He's attractive, troubling, young---young enough to be her son. Who is he to her, and who is she to him? In this compulsively readable, brilliantly constructed novel, two competing narratives unspool, rewriting our understanding of the roles we play every day - partner, parent, creator, muse - and the truths every performance masks, especially from those who think they know us most intimately. Taut and hypnotic, Audition is Katie Kitamura at her virtuosic best." Publisher description
Format: Book
Availability: Available
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The Book of Alchemy
Adult Nonfiction. "After being diagnosed with leukemia at 22, Jaouad was inspired by Michael Bierut, a design professor who'd asked his graduate students to perform 'one creative act for 100 days,' to start a daily journaling practice in hopes of finding meaning in her illness. With this as a model, she gathers prompts from 100 novelists, journalists, and artists who invite readers to begin their own journaling practice. The prompts are varied enough to appeal to devoted diarists and newbies alike, and Jaouad poignantly interweaves her own intimate meditations on creativity, pain, and art." Publishers Weekly
Format: Book
Availability: Available
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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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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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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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