Today’s “Top Shelf” is brought to you by our 20-year-old son, Cade. He’s been a reading enthusiast since he was old enough to open his eyes, and I love his taste in books.
One of the most fun aspects of having kids who love to read is that as they get older, they begin finding great books that I wouldn’t have found without them. From Circe to Hamnet to The Covenant of Water to Piranesi, our older kids are beginning to give us some stunning book recommendations.
Here are three books that Cade recommends you read. As always, if any sound like they’re up your alley, we’d be honored if you’d order them from Nooks! Just email us at hello@nooks.gallery.
ALL BOOKS MENTIONED TODAY ARE 15% OFF IF ORDERED BY SATURDAY NIGHT!
And enjoy!
This is the next edition of Top Shelf! Another three novels, another three amazing stories.
The first book is a work of art: title, cover, and story. It’s tough to get all three in the same book, but I Hate to See that Evening Sun Go Down by William Gay got it done.
This novel has everything you could ask for, with 13 immersive short stories making up the entirety. They all take place in the backroads of Tennessee, with thick country accents and alcohol galore. However, each one delves into the private lives of people, families, and histories, bringing out the best and worst of humanity.
Every story is haunting and gives that rural feel as you read, similar to Cormac McCarthy’s Outer Dark or his well-known Border Trilogy. Be prepared for shocking turns and disturbing elements, but each of Gay’s stories, however dark, stick with me even now, telling the untold tales that seem to be whispering on those long country roads.
A beautiful paperback priced at $21.95.
The second book is a modern retelling of a classic story. Demon Copperhead by Barbara Kingsolver shares many of the same arcs that are within the legendary Dickens novel David Copperfield, but she tells it in the confines of early 2000s West Virginia, the origin of the opioid epidemic. The cover is a work of art, and each little graphic on it makes sense within the story.
This book has already gotten its flowers, being given the Pulitzer prize for fiction in 2023, but somehow I feel as though this novel is still underappreciated. Fantastically written and, in my opinion, a view of foster care and substance use disorder that everyone should see, this Kingsolver epic is deep in both story and metaphor.
Granted with beautiful twists and turns with characters that are easy to fall in love with, you will not want to put this book down. Demon, the orphan protagonist of the story, is the closest to a perfect main character I have read, with development that is reliable and the personality that makes it easy to cheer for him. This novel is easily one of my favorites and has a story that everyone needs to experience.
This hardcover is truly a work of art, priced at $32.50.
The final book for today is the new Abraham Verghese novel The Covenant of Water. The cover perfectly captures the hues and atmosphere of rural India, which makes it easy to notice on a shelf full of books.
Already a classic in many people’s eyes, this story spans 70 years, walking through three generations of a family living in rural India. Beautifully written and fast-paced, despite its size, this book will have you captivated from the first page.
There were times when I almost got tired reading the same story, just because of how intricate and detailed it was written, but there was never a point that the story slowed down or made me lose interest. It gives me the same energy as Steinbeck’s East of Eden, with the book spanning generations and how everyone is tied closer together than it initially seems. And, if you have read Verghese’s amazing novel Cutting for Stone, be prepared for the rollercoaster of the last 50 pages, which seems to be his trademark.
Another beautiful hardcover, The Covenant of Water is $32.00.
Thanks for those recommendations, Cade!
If you don’t already have a local bookstore you order your books from, we’d be honored to fill that void in your life. Order the books we highlight or any other book your heart desires by simply emailing us at hello@nooks.gallery.
ALL BOOKS MENTIONED TODAY ARE 15% OFF IF ORDERED BY SATURDAY NIGHT!
And check out some of our previous Top Shelfs!
Demon Copperhead was my absolute favorite book of 2022. I think it should be required reading for every American. And Covenant is on my TBR after finishing and loving Cutting for Stone last year!
I just finished Demon Copperhead and I don't know if I've ever felt as seen as an Appalachian by a book. I feel like if folks want to understand our people, this is it.