Book picks for December

By Maya Martin and Cody Morrison from Square Books

The End of the World Is a Cul de Sac
By Louise Kennedy

Brilliant, dark stories of women’s lives by “a very major talent” (Joseph O’Connor, Irish Times) In these visceral, stunningly crafted stories by the author of the much-acclaimed Trespasses, women’s lives are etched by deprivation—material, emotional, sexual—but also splashed by beauty, sometimes even joy, as they search for the good in the cards they’ve been dealt.

The Frozen River
By Ariel Lawhon

From the New York Times bestselling author of I Was Anastasia and Code Name Hélène comes a gripping historical mystery inspired by the life and diary of Martha Ballard, a renowned 18th-century midwife who defied the legal system and wrote herself into American history.

The Savage Storm: The Battle for Italy 1943
By James Holland

Acclaimed WWII historian James Holland both narrates and reframes the controversial first months of the Italian Campaign and sets a new standard in the chronicling of war.

Silent Cavalry
By Howell Raines

A Pulitzer Prize–winning journalist reveals the little-known story of the Union soldiers from Alabama who played a decisive role in the Civil War, and how they were scrubbed from the history books.

William Eggleston: Mystery of the Ordinary
By Felix Hoffman, Joerg Sasse, Thomas Weski

Mystery of the Ordinary captures the full scope of Eggleston’s evolution and legacy: from the early black-and-white work of the late 1950s, in which we witness his discovery and exploration of themes and unconventional croppings, to some of his most iconic color images.

When I Was Your Age
By Kenan Thompson

Kenan Thompson is Saturday Night Live’s longest-ever-serving cast member, starring in such pioneering sketches as “Black Jeopardy!,” and is hugely beloved, thanks to a tidal wave of nostalgic fans who grew up on early 2000s classics All That, Good Burger, and Kenan & Kel on Nickelodeon.

Square Books Jr. Picks!

Cat Kid Comic Club #5: Influencers
By Dav Pilkey

The newest graphic novel in the #1 bestselling series by Dav Pilkey, the author and illustrator of Dog Man!

Mercy Watson is Missing!
By Kate DiCamillo, Chris van Dusen (Illustrator)

Every favorite character from Kate DiCamillo’s New York Times best-selling Mercy Watson books makes an appearance in this extended, riotously funny series crescendo.