… And then there's Reading

You remember reading! It’s how people used to escape the confines of everyday existence before there was social media and streaming TV. Even twenty years into the digital revolution, research into the way our brains learn suggests that we still absorb information best when said information is delivered on paper. So we asked several independent booksellers for their latest can’t-put-it-down reading recommendations. Fiction, non-fiction, children’s literature, skills for living: it’s all here. Call it your desert-island reading list … minus the desert island. Here’s what they had to say.

John Cavalier: Cavalier House Books, Denham Springs, LA

• Just Breathe: Meditation, Mindfulness, Movement, and More by Mallika Chopra. Everyone is feeling the pressures of uncertainty and anxiety right now. Covering everything from dealing with stress and finding focus for schoolwork to building self-confidence, this book is perfect for kids searching for the space to “Just Breathe.”

• InvestiGators by John Patrick Green. Step aside, Dog Man! “InvestiGators” Mango and Brash are here with new mysteries to solve! Kids will want to follow along with these two super spy alligators as they hunt down clues and fend of the evil Crackerdile!

• This Is How You Lose the Time War by Amal El-Mohtar & Max Gladstone. Agents for opposite sides of a war without an end or beginning find themselves drawn to one another. It starts as a little deadly competition, but it quickly becomes clear that it’s more than just fascination. This is How You Lose the Time War is a tragic love story wrapped up in a scifi casing.

• Untamed by Glennon Doyle. Memorist, activist, and sought-after speaker Glennon Doyle wants to know: what would you do if you trusted yourself? Untamed is a call to action for women who want to live beyond the constrictions of who they should be and embrace who they are.

• New Orleans: A Literary History edited by T.R. Johnson. While New Orleans is effectively on hiatus, take a deep dive into the city’s literary traditions. New Orleans: A Literary History is a collection of essays that span the breadth of history and culture within the city, from its French origins to the trials of Solomon Northup, and from Ignatius J. Reilly’s troubles with fickle fortuna to the gleeful joy of Big Freedia.

Cavalier House Books. 100 N. Range Ave, Denham Springs (225) 664-2255 www.cavalierhousebooks.com

Amy Lowry: Garden District Book Shop, New Orleans, LA

• Convenience Store Woman by Sayaka Murata. A weirdly charming novel about a woman at odds with work culture, trying to find her place in the world. An absolute gem.

• Djinn Patrol on the Purple Line by Deepa Anappara. Jai and his friends become detectives as they search for their missing classmate. Their adventure takes them across a sprawling Indian city from slums to bazaars and even the station at the end of the Purple Line.

• The Boy, the Mole, the Fox and the Horse by Charlie Mackesy. This is a direct quote from this whimsical, illustrated tome: “ ‘Do you have a favorite saying?’ asked  the boy.  ‘Yes,’ said the mole.  ‘What is it?’  ‘If at first you don’t succeed, have some cake.’  ‘I see, does it work?’ ‘Every time.’”

Garden District Book Shop. 2727 Prytania Street, New Orleans. (504) 895-2266 gardendistrictbookshop.com

Missy Couhig: The Conundrum Books & Puzzles, St. Francisville, LA

• The Princess Bride by William Goldman. I believe every book recommendations list should start with The Princess Bride. This tale of true love, high adventure, pirates, princesses, giants, miracles, fencing, and a frightening assortment of wild beasts is perfect for escaping into another world, either alone or as a family read-along (do not skip the forwards; there are three). The writing is superb—it bends reality and will have you questioning your own knowledge of geography and history. Are Florin and Guilder real places?  Was there really a Prince Humperdinck, and if so, who are his descendants today?

• The Nuff by Veronica Waldrop. If you are looking for a truly inspirational new children’s book, look no further. Published posthumously, this is a mother’s message to her daughters—and to every little girl and boy—that they are enough simply as they are. Written in beautiful rhyming verse, this is a story to delight children of all ages.

• Dispatches from Pluto by Richard Grant. If you have not yet read this memoir of an English journalist living in New York until he is transplanted to the Mississippi Delta, let today be the day you start!  At turns laugh-out-loud funny and devastatingly sad, Grant’s commentary on how slowly society changes, is a book that you will enjoy thoroughly, and which will stay with you for many years.

• A Gentleman in Moscow by Amor Towles. Simply the most beautifully written book I have read in years.

• The Beekeeper’s Bible by Richard Jones. What better time to embark on the ancient practice of beekeeping? This informative and wonderfully illustrated book begins with a history of beekeeping, delivers practical beekeeping information, and also offers recipes and homeopathic remedies using honey. Even if you never install a beehive, you will enjoy reading this lovely book.

The Conundrum Books & Puzzles. 11917 Ferdinand Street, St. Francisville

(225) 245-5025. www.conundrumbooks.com