Aesthetical August Staff Picks

“Mark, an unsuccessful young writer, creates a vague social media post inviting those who understand it to join him on a journey to California. Not the typical vacation trip, this one will end with a drive off a cliff. Several people respond, and soon Mark and Dylan, the driver he has hired, set off to begin picking up the others. As each member joins the group, we learn their story and their reasons for choosing to end their life. Their journey together in the close quarters of a bus changes each of them, in ways both small and large, and does not proceed quite as planned. This is much more than a book about suicide; it is an exploration of relationships, love, heartache, loss, and joy. It is a story of the human heart.”

“This short story collection blew me away. Our protagonists, in true fairytale fashion (but perhaps better than I’ve ever seen it) are pushed by circumstance and historical context and prejudice and sometimes cruelty, into situations where they seem to have no choices left. It’s then that the fantastical elements of the stories come in. Through magic—sometimes ugly and grotesque magic and always with a cost—our characters retain their agency and fight back, even though they rarely win a “happily ever after”. My two favorite stories were, "The Revenant," and “Emma Goldman Takes Tea with the Baba Yaga," but if I let myself choose more than two I'd pick almost all of them as favorites.”

“This ode to Malibu in the 1980s is the perfect beach read. Four famous siblings throw a star-studded party and over the course of 24 hours find their lives changed forever. It’s enthralling and layered and so vivid it could be a memory. Perfectly paced and suspenseful from page one!”

“Falling is the literary thriller that gets your heart racing and causes you to be both contemplative and terrified at the same time. TJ Newman, a former indie bookseller and a former flight attendant, knows how to tell a story. She writes with a remarkable turn of phrase and with insider knowledge of what can happen in an airplane. It's always a great day when an indie bookseller publishes a book. It's an extremely great day when the book is a fantastic page-turner.”

“With a voice like warm milk and honey, Neil Gaiman breathes life into his stories Norse Mythology honors the tale’s past, but still has Neil’s distinctive style. Which is then enhanced by Gaiman reading the story aloud. Gaiman is able to create distinct voices for each of his characters, from the sly and cunning Loki, to the short-tempered, impatient warrior Thor. Gaiman took mythology that I already loved, created something even more enchanting. It is a collection of stories I could hear time after time and never grow tired of revisiting.”

“A little girl is kidnapped from her parents and raised in the wilderness. As a young woman, she uses her skills to help Jewish refugees survive in the forests of Poland. From the first page, I didn't want to put the book down.”

“This was such a deftly paced story; often incredibly touching and funny, yet heavily laced with intrigue and terror. No memoir has gripped me more since Kiese Laymon's Heavy.”

“A lovely lovely listen read by the author. This is the perfect book to take on a long walk or drive that will make you look at the world in a fresh way. Drawing on personal anecdotes, history, literature and science, Green embraces both small and big ideas and makes you grateful for things you might have once overlooked. 5/5 stars for this audiobook!”