Peak Picks Current Titles Book List
A complete list of current Peak Picks titles.
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I Hope You Find What You're Looking for
Adult Fiction. “In 1991, Lydia is 13, living in Washington, DC, with her mother, Elsa, and a cousin, Mama Zewdi, in a tightly knit community of their fellow Eritrean immigrants. The war between Ethiopia and Eritrea has dragged on for decades by this point, and Lydia's family is scarred by Elsa's dreadful experiences as a rebel fighter in her home country. However, the trio are managing well enough in the U.S… After the Eritrean army defeats the Derg in 1991, families begin looking for their missing relatives. Mezghebe's debut novel resounds with themes from Eritrean culture...” Library Journal
Format: Book
Availability: Available
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Kin
Adult Fiction. “Growing up in Honeysuckle, LA, in the 1950s, Vernice and Annie are best friends who share an unhappy bond: Both have lost their mothers. As girls, they’re inseparable, but their paths diverge... Cautious, sensible Niecy goes to Spelman College, where she finds a community of strong Black women, then marries into a wealthy family. Desperate to find her mother, Annie runs away from home and embarks on a journey that will take her to some of the less savory corners of the Jim Crow South. Even though they’re separated by distance and circumstance, their closeness endures—as does the trauma of mother loss.” Kirkus
Format: Book
Availability: Available
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The Reservation
Adult Fiction. “Danny, the operations assistant at Aunt Orsa's, the only fine-dining establishment in a small Midwest college town, is shocked to discover that 22 steaks are missing... Orsa, the owner, assumes the theft was an act of sabotage by a disgruntled employee who knows the restaurant is expecting a large group that includes bestselling author John Grisham. With her lists of suspects in hand, Orsa shakes down the staff… As the day progresses and Grisham's arrival looms, the stressed-out staff begins to better understand each other's motivations, and the story develops into a profound meditation on what it means to be connected.” Publishers Weekly
Format: Book
Availability: Available
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Well Endowed
Adult Nonfiction. “Picking up where her first book left off, Tu breaks down the biggest financial decisions of your late 20s, 30s, and beyond—homeownership, marriage, family—and teaches you how to align your spending with your values, goals, and the legacy you hope to leave. With the insider savvy of a former Wall Street trader and the honesty of your smartest friend, she shows you how to make your money work harder so you can live richer in every sense. Well Endowed goes beyond the basics of personal finance to show you how to accumulate wealth and use it to benefit your most important assets: yourself and your loved ones.” Publisher description
Format: Book
Availability: Available
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A World Appears
Adult Nonfiction. “The science of consciousness is comparatively young, which Pollan dramatically illustrates with debates barely three decades ago that asked whether we can know what makes the interior world. Questions include what constitutes sentience, how emotions arise and for what purpose, the nature of thought, how the concept of a self is constructed, and—beyond art and science, following the turn Pollan's work has taken in recent years—what psychedelic drugs and experiences can teach humans about the mind and the ego. Pollan's accessible and wide-ranging study of the interior world elucidates complex ideas across science, art, and philosophy.” Library Journal
Format: Book
Availability: Available
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Crux
Adult Fiction. “Tamma and Dan, two young teens living in the unforgiving California desert, dream of escaping their stagnant lives of abject poverty. They pin all their hopes on becoming hardcore rock climbers festooned with lucrative sponsorships and glory. Their symbiotic friendship enables them to survive--both literally and figuratively--as they hold each other's lives in their hands. Tallent's portrayal of his characters' emotional states is heartbreakingly realistic… His meticulous description of each climb builds excruciating tension, rewarding the reader with vicarious thrills and breathless catharsis.” Booklist
Format: Book
Availability: Available
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Dandelion Is Dead
Adult Fiction. “In this charming debut, a London woman catfishes her dead sister's Hinge match. Photographer Poppy Greene, 37, finds an intriguing message on the phone left behind by her sister, Dandelion, who died several months earlier, from a man named Jake. Despite having a live-in boyfriend, Sam, Poppy replies to Jake and sets up a date. When they meet, their attraction is instant… Storey handily balances the heavy themes of grief and trauma with snappy wit and intriguing character development. It adds up to a moving and wildly entertaining tale of self-discovery.” Publishers Weekly
Format: Book
Availability: Available
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Don't Think About Dinner
Adult Nonfiction. “As a college student, Jenn was struggling with health problems and tired of quick-fix ‘healthy’ recipes that relied on obscure, expensive ingredients that often spoiled before she could finish them. Overwhelmed and frustrated, she felt further from her health goals. So, she made a plan. Or rather, a list--filled with plants and proteins, plus simple recipes to make the most of them. Jenn includes a wide range of adaptable dishes that suit any vibe, budget, or dietary need.” Publisher
Format: Book
Availability: Available
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How to Commit A Postcolonial Murder
Adult Fiction. “In 1986, teenager Georgie Creel and her sister Agatha live in Marley, WY, with their mother, who is from India, and their white American father. Their uncle and his family have recently moved to Marley to live with the Creels. When the uncle turns up dead, Georgie and Agatha confess to the book's readers that they are responsible but also debate who is truly at fault. It must be the British, according to Agatha, tracing the act back to the original influence. Although it ends quickly, McConigley's impactful work will linger.” Library Journal
Format: Book
Availability: Available
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The Poet Empress
Adult Fiction. “In the final years of the Azalea Dynasty, Yin Wei, a peasant girl desperate to save her starving family, volunteers as concubine... This act of survival pulls her into a labyrinth of palace intrigue and rebellion, where each written word contains magic that can shape a person's destiny, but where female literacy is illegal. Against the lush backdrop of Tao's lyrical worldbuilding, which draws from Chinese history and myth to craft a court defined by both beauty and brutality, Wei's transformation from naive villager to calculating courtesan is expertly rendered.” Publishers Weekly
Format: Book
Availability: Available
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