Greenlight Bookstore’s pick: “Six Four” by Hideo Yokoyama
This remarkable, devilish detective novel, translated from Japanese, follows Yoshinobu Mikami, who has worked in the police department his whole life. Fourteen years ago, he was a detective on the front lines of the still unsolved child-kidnapping-turned-murder case known as Six Four, but now, just as his daughter goes missing, he has been transferred to the administrative role of press director. As press director, Mikami is forced to revisit the original Six Four investigation, and when he discovers an anomaly in the files, he uncovers long-buried secrets.
— Melissa Hohl, Greenlight Bookstore [686 Fulton St. between S. Elliott Place and S. Portland Avenue in Fort Greene, (718) 246–0200, www.greenlightbookstore.com].
Word’s pick: “The Largesse of the Sea Maiden” by Denis Johnson
The title story in this collection is one of my all-time favorites. The narrator, an aging ad man, returns to New York after a long absence to receive a major award, and looks back on his career. I think about that scene all the time. Whether you are a longtime fan of Johnson’s work, or just getting into it, this collection — his last work before his death from liver cancer in 2017 — will really knock you out.
— Alex Reubert, Word [126 Franklin St. at Milton Street in Greenpoint, (718) 383–0096, www.wordbookstores.com].
Community Bookstore’s pick: “All the Pieces Matter: The Inside Story of the Wire” by Jonathan Abrams
This book is an anecdotal retelling of one of the greatest television shows ever made. A gritty portrayal of the intersection of the war on terror and the war on drugs, “The Wire” was conceived as more than just television. The brainchild of journalist David Simon and writer Ed Burns, the structure of the show has been likened to a novel and even to a university course. This oral history shows how the creators of the show inaugurated the era of challenging long-form dramatic entertainment.
— Samuel Partal, Community Bookstore [43 Seventh Ave. between Carroll Street and Garfield Place in Park Slope, (718) 783–3075, www.communitybookstore.net].
