Word’s pick: “Through the Woods” by Emily Carroll
If you’re squeamish or easily spooked, maybe you should keep the lights on — this book will make you shiver. In her debut graphic short story collection, Emily Carroll melds art, fairy tales, and fear into the perfect witching-hour read. If Kate Beaton and Edgar Allen Poe had a kid, it might create a book as thrilling and lovely as Carroll’s, but probably not. With a color scheme heavy on the black, white, and red; stories of monsters and spirits only the protagonist perceives; and a monster seemingly made up of red tentacles and teeth, Carroll has created an intensely beautiful and delightfully horrific book that is utterly unique.
— Emma Nichols, Word [126 Franklin St. at Milton Street in Greenpoint, (718) 383–0096, www.wordbrooklyn.com].
The BookMark Shoppe’s pick: “The Bone Clocks” by David Mitchell
The bestselling author of “Cloud Atlas” is back with a novel that transcends space and time. Fifteen-year-old Holly Sykes is no typical teenage runaway. Contacted by voices she describes only as “the radio people,” Holly is a lightning rod for psychic phenomena. As she wanders aimlessly in the English countryside after running away, visions and coincidences follow her. For Holly has caught the attention of a band of dangerous mystics — and their enemies. This one weekend results in an unsolved mystery will echo through every decade of Holly’s life, affecting all the people Holly loves — even the ones who are not yet born. From the medieval Swiss Alps to 19-century Australia, from a hotel in Shanghai to a Manhattan townhouse in the future, their stories blend together in extraordinary wonder. “The Bone Clocks” is a must-read this fall.
— Bina Valenzano, co-owner, The BookMark Shoppe [8415 Third Ave. between 84th and 85th streets in Bay Ridge, (718) 833–5115, www.bookmarkshoppe.com].
Greenlight Bookstore’s pick: “The Paying Guests” by Sarah Waters
While I always hesitate to do so, if I had to make a list of my favorite authors, Sarah Waters would absolutely be among them. In her latest mesmerizing novel, “The Paying Guests,” we’re transported to 1920s London where we meet 20-something Frances. Having recently lost her father to illness and two brothers in the recent war, Frances and her aging mother are forced to take in two lodgers in order to make ends meet — and it’s from there we’re taken on the most wonderful and eerie ride. As always, Waters’ work is sinister and sexy. Perfect for fans of Patrick McGrath (“Asylum”) and Patrick Suskind (“Perfume”).
— Emily Russo Murtagh, Greenlight Bookstore [686 Fulton St. between S. Elliott Place and S. Portland Avenue in Fort Greene, (718) 246–0200, www.greenlightbookstore.com].
