Peak Picks Current Titles Book List
New titles from the Peak Picks collection that are currently in rotation. Stop by any branch to see what's available today!
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How to Win Friends and Influence Fungi
Adult Nonfiction. “In this rollicking collection, Balakrishnan and Wasowski—founders of the Nerd Nite series, in which experts present short, accessible science talks—bring together brief essays by scholars and others on such topics as ‘sex change and gender roles in anemonefishes,’ microbes' role in creating human body odor, and the feasibility of sci-fi artificial gravity systems. The broad range of topics ensures most readers will find something of interest, and the brisk pace will keep them glued to their seats. Playful yet enlightening, this entertains.†Publishers Weekly
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The Kamogawa Food Detectives
Adult Fiction. “The Kamogawa Food Detectives is the first book in the bestselling, mouth-watering Japanese series… Down a quiet backstreet in Kyoto exists a very special restaurant. Run by Koishi Kamogawa and her father Nagare, the Kamogawa Diner serves up deliciously extravagant meals. But that's not the main reason customers stop by… The father-daughter duo are 'food detectives'. Through ingenious investigations, they are able to recreate dishes from a person's treasured memories - dishes that may well hold the keys to their forgotten past and future happiness.†Publisher description
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A Love Song for Ricki Wilde
Adult Fiction. “The novel begins in the present day, introducing 28-year-old vintage fashionista Ricki Wilde, the youngest in a high-achieving, high-society Atlanta family. She dreams instead of opening a flower shop—and through hard work… and a touch of fate, she’s able to move to Harlem and follow her dream. What begins as a simple romance is elevated by rich history as the story flashes back through Harlem’s past, revealing both its glamor and its danger. This vast time span creates an epic feel that never overpowers the tender heat of the romance. It’s a showstopper.†Publishers Weekly
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Misunderstood Vegetables
Adult Nonfiction. “Selengut (Good Fish) believes there is no such thing as a bad vegetable; there are just misunderstood ones. Writing with a dry sense of humor and a zesty enthusiasm, she plays matchmaker between 25 different wallflower vegetables—fava beans, nettles, fennel, beets—and shy cooks who have yet to discover their gastronomic potential. Gorgeous color photographs and bonuses such as a recipe for homemade ricotta (for the fava bean, sweet pea, and ricotta dip) round out this stellar cookbook.†Library Journal
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The Other Significant Others
Adult Nonfiction. “Cohen questions in her illuminating debut the notion ‘that a long-term monogamous romantic relationship is necessary for a normal, successful adulthood’ and considers what a life that prioritizes ‘devoted’ friendships might look like instead. According to Cohen, society is hard-pressed to understand friendships that in some ways supersede romantic relationships because they're a ‘provocation—unsettling the set of social tenets that circumscribe our intimate lives.’ It's a smart and heartfelt testament to the power of social bonds outside ‘compulsory couplehood.’ Kirkus
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Sun of Blood and Ruin
Adult Fiction. “Lares makes a triumphant debut with a vivid epic set in an alternate 16th-century colonial Mexico. It stars a mestiza woman known variously by her Spanish name, Leonora; her Nahua name, Tecuani; and her alter ego, Pantera, a defender of Indigenous people who is magically able to transform into a panther and draw superhuman strength from the sun. As she joins forces with an alliance of Indigenous groups calling themselves La Justicia and aiming to fight back against Spanish control, the kinetic fight scenes and deep, complex interpersonal relationships will swiftly draw readers into her world.†Publishers Weekly
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Supercommunicators
Adult Nonfiction. “Pulitzer winner Duhigg (The Power of Habit) contends in this savvy guide that ‘we can learn to connect in more meaningful ways if we can understand how conversations work.’ Duhigg provides wise advice for bonding with friends, fighting with partners, and bridging divides over such lightning-rod issues as gun control. In lucid prose, Duhigg breaks conversation down to its fundamentals, providing both an actionable guide and a revealing peek into the psychological needs and motivations that underpin human interaction.†Publishers Weekly
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Wandering Stars
Adult Fiction. “Star, a young survivor of 1864's Sand Creek Massacre (in present-day Colorado), is held at the Fort Marion Prison Castle and compelled to eschew his language and heritage by a brutal prison guard—as is Star's son Charles a generation later, at the Carlisle Industrial School for Indians. Charles survives with the help of fellow student Opal Viola, whose own story brings us to 2018 Oakland and events in Orange's Pulitzer Prize finalist, mega-award-winning There There.†Library Journal
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Be A Revolution
Adult Nonfiction. “Bestseller Oluo affirms that ‘everyone has different roles in this revolution’ in these enlightening profiles of people who've put their anti-racist values into action. Each chapter highlights the tie between racial justice and some other topic—such as gender, disability, policing, education, and the arts—through detailed life stories of activists that center their changing understanding of the world and how they managed challenges. She also admirably demonstrates how she continues to grow through self-education and reflection. Readers will find inspiration and clarity.†Publishers Weekly
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Behind You Is the Sea
Adult Fiction. “A pregnant teen girl is ostracized by her family. A Palestinian American cop has divided loyalties. Refugees and their children alternately worship ‘America’s glory . . . Macy’s One-Day Sale!’ and chafe at the rejection they experience. In this episodic debut novel, Darraj portrays the joys, resentments, and yearnings of three generations of a tight-knit Palestinian American community. The elders… struggle to maintain their cultural values, including ethnocentrism and sexism, and pass them on to children who either prefer assimilation or who resist the refugee legacy… Marvelous and moving.†Booklist
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