Lauren Likes

Pre-Order Now Badge
Big Swiss: A Novel By Jen Beagin Cover Image
$17.00
ISBN: 9781982153090
Availability: Coming Soon - Available for Pre-Order Now
Published: Scribner - August 1st, 2023

This book scratched an itch in my brain that I didn’t know was there. Big Swiss is unhinged, kooky, and surprisingly sexy. It explores how we process trauma and find our way in life through dark prose and witty dialogue that had me giggling and kicking my feet. Definitely not without its flaws, but I’ve never read anything like it!


Staff Pick Badge
Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow: A novel By Gabrielle Zevin Cover Image
$28.00
ISBN: 9780593321201
Availability: Usually Available/Ships Within 1 Week
Published: Knopf - July 5th, 2022

This is a masterpiece! Zevin weaves together the past and present to completely immerse readers in this story of love, loss, and friendship. I found myself caring about the characters and the depths of their relationships as if they were my own friends. An instant classic of brilliant storytelling.


Staff Pick Badge
Legends & Lattes: A Novel of High Fantasy and Low Stakes By Travis Baldree Cover Image
$17.99
ISBN: 9781250886088
Availability: Usually Available/Ships Within 1 Week
Published: Tor Books - November 8th, 2022

A delightful tale of a retired barbarian orc who decides to settle down and open a coffee shop. With a hint of sapphic romance and a lovable dire cat, this charming slice-of-life fantasy is the perfect comfort novel for when you’re having a bad day. 

Recommended for fans of House in the Cerulean Sea! 


Staff Pick Badge
Last Night at the Telegraph Club By Malinda Lo Cover Image
$11.99
ISBN: 9780525555278
Availability: Usually Available/Ships Within 1 Week
Published: Dutton Books for Young Readers - December 28th, 2021

Set against the backdrop of foggy 1950’s San Francisco, Last Night at the Telegraph Club is a coming of age story about Lily Wu and what it means to be both Chinese-American and a lesbian. The attention to historical accuracy was impeccable, as well as the author’s ability to pull readers in to the vibrant community of Chinatown. Read this for an untold corner of queer history! 

cw: racism, homophobia


Staff Pick Badge
Under the Whispering Door By TJ Klune Cover Image
$18.99
ISBN: 9781250217394
Availability: Usually Available/Ships Within 1 Week
Published: Tor Books - January 31st, 2023

This whimsical fantasy feels like drinking tea next to a fire. While the plot may at first appear heavy, this story surprised me with its comforting characters & touching messages - including found family and the importance of loving one another. My favorite book of 2021.


Staff Pick Badge
Popisho: A Novel By Leone Ross Cover Image
$18.00
ISBN: 9781250829634
Availability: Usually Available/Ships Within 1 Week
Published: Picador - February 1st, 2022

A story of love, magic, grief, and imagination. Follow the mystical citizens of Popisho, a wonderous archipelago with roots in Ross's Jamaican culture. This story swept me up like a wave and carried me to Popisho - a place so beautiful I wish I could stay. Bonus - social commentary on political corruption.


Staff Pick Badge
The Thursday Murder Club: A Novel (A Thursday Murder Club Mystery #1) By Richard Osman Cover Image
$18.00
ISBN: 9781984880987
Availability: Usually Available/Ships Within 1 Week
Published: Penguin Books - August 3rd, 2021

A cozy mystery surrounding quirky characters in a retirement home. Not as intense as other mysteries, yet incredibly captivating and surprising. A testament to the capbility and wisdom that comes with age. I fell in love with the Thursday Murder Club!


Staff Pick Badge
The Stars and the Blackness Between Them By Junauda Petrus Cover Image
$10.99
ISBN: 9780525555490
Availability: Usually Available/Ships Within 1 Week
Published: Penguin Books - June 23rd, 2020

Read for beautiful Black, queer joy. This book holds so much depth to capture in a single review - astrology, spirituality, queer love, intertwining cultures, and the Black experience. Each page held simultaneous joy and trauma for BIPOC living in Minneapolis, while seamlessly proving the endless capabilities that life, and the stars, can hold. The mystical realism will fill you with hope and love. Bonus - written by a local author!