Community Bookstore’s pick: “The End of the Story” by Lydia Davis
You might know Lydia Davis as the cutting edge of the short-short story, but her only novel, “The End of the Story,” is an absolute gem of clarity and concision. The story follows the dissolution of a relationship and the unnamed narrator’s attempts to cast her memories into novel form. As with the best of Davis’s work, every word is so deliberate, every sentence so perfect in rhythm and sound and form, that the book becomes a kind of argument for the future of fiction made from memories.
— Hal Hlavinka, Community Bookstore [43 Seventh Ave. between Carroll Street and Garfield Place in Park Slope, (718) 783–3075, www.communitybookstore.net].
Word’s pick: “Music Is” by Brandon Stosuy
Our current obsession at Word is “Music Is…” This colorfully illustrated board book from music journalist Brandon Stosuy takes us on a journey through the world of music, in all its varied iterations. Educate and entertain your future audiophile with concepts that range from “music is loud” vs. “music is quiet” to the more esoteric “music is hi-fi” vs. “music is lo-fi.” Filled with bright bold colors and shapes, “Music Is…” is a perfect read-out-loud gift for new parents, ultimately teaching us that music is for everyone.
— Michelle Chen, Word [126 Franklin St. at Milton Street in Greenpoint, (718) 383–0096, www.wordbrooklyn.com].
Greenlight Bookstore’s pick: “Serve The People” by Karen Ishizuka
With scholarship and verve, Ishizuka traces the creation of what would be called the “yellow power movement.” Her chronicle, subtitled “Making Asian America in the Long Sixties,” is contextualized within the civil rights movement at large, and draws on more than 100 interviews to create its history. From San Francisco to New York to Los Angeles, from students to activists, Ishizuka depicts how the story of Asian America is multi-voiced and variegated.
— Stephanie Bartolome, Greenlight Bookstore [686 Fulton St. between S. Elliott Place and S. Portland Avenue in Fort Greene, (718) 246–0200, www.greenlightbookstore.com].
