Tsundoku
Tsundoku is Japanese for the act of acquiring reading materials and letting them pile up in one’s home. We thought it a perfect heading for this section, as we’ll feature books that are new or popular in the store. If you’re like us, tsundoku is a constant state of being.
Since it's the season of gift-giving and we love to speak/think/act local whenever we get the chance, we're featuring local (ish) authors in our Tsundoku section this month, all who have also held an author event at the bookstore within the last year--double local points! Consider the following books to gift to your friends and family (or yourself) this December.
Chinese Prodigal: A Memoir in Eight Arguments, David Shih, $28.00
David Shih is an English professor at the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire; his author event took place early in November. Chinese Prodigal is structured as a collection of separate-but-relative essays, making it easy to read and return to at your leisure. Shih weaves personal history with cultural history, navigating the shifts between the two with easy balance, making this an informative and intimate read about the ripples of immigrant experience.
The Truth on Water, Bobbi Rathert, $17.00
Bobbi Rathert is a resident of La Crosse, and her paddling adventure that resulted in this book was also an act of advocacy for Hope Restores, a local group working with and for people of color. Her author event took place in the first half of November. The Truth on Water is Rathert's recollection of her 650-mile paddle down the Mississippi River. The book meanders like the river as Bobbi conversationally shares her collected musings and memories along the Mississippi.
Our Kindred Home, Alyson Morgan, $25.00
Alyson Morgan homesteads in the Driftless region here in Wisconsin; her author event took place in the later half of November. Our Kindred Home is a beautiful, genre-bending book of herbalism, plant identification, recipes, photography, art, and stories that all come together with the intent of reinvigorating connection with the earth. With a gentle voice and strong land ethic, Morgan shares personal experiences and plant wisdom from and for our unique, Driftless part of the world.
The All-American, Joe Milan Jr., $28.95
Joe Milan Jr. lives in Forest City, Iowa, where he is an assistant professor of creative writing; his author event took place back in July (remember July? so warm). A second-generation Korean American, Milan uses this perspective to craft this sharp, wild, beautiful novel of a young American football player who gets thrown a wicked curve when he is suddenly displaced to Korea because of fumbled immigration paperwork. An elegant romp of a coming-of-age tale.
|