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Max
Hi! I'm Max, a.k.a the Mysterious Bookseller. As the nickname suggests I love anything and everything that involves mystery, ranging from true crime to Sherlock Holmes. I have been a bookworm since 3rd grade and my love for books has only grown since. My mystery obsession started when my Nana would babysit and let me watch her Scooby Doo VHS tapes. Scooby doo grew into Murder She Wrote, Forensic Files, and any mystery media I could get my hands on. I am now a Biology major who hopes to switch to Forensic Science! While mysteries are my bread and butter, I also love books on american history, cooking, biographies, horror, and anything inbetween. My current interest is the history of the American Mafia, so be on the lookout for some books on that in my staff picks! My undying love for jazz music heavily influences the time periods I enjoy reading about, in fact, you'll likely find me listening to my Ella Fitzgerald or Billie Holiday records while I am lost in a book. Hopefully I'll see you at the store!
See my older staff picks here!
Max's Staff Picks:
$28.99
ISBN: 9781982179380
Availability: Coming Soon - Available for Pre-Order Now
Published: Simon & Schuster - June 20th, 2023
Bookseller: Max
Title: What The Dead Know: Learning About Life as a New York City Death Investigator
Comments:
Incredible. Incredible book, incredible life, and an incredible human being. Butcher’s passion leaps off the page. I was entranced by how effortlessly she explained forensics while in the middle of a perfectly paced story. There are very few people who can devote themselves to something like Butcher does. She does it not just as a death investigator, but as a writer, an actor, and anything else she wants to. How? She’s Barbara F**ckin’ Butcher, that’s how.
I don’t read many memoirs, but to me, this is a perfect memoir. I couldn’t stop reading it. I can’t wait for this book to hit the shelves.
$28.99
ISBN: 9780063234673
Availability: Coming Soon - Available for Pre-Order Now
Published: William Morrow - July 11th, 2023
Bookseller: Max
Title: The Life We Chose: William "Big Billy" D'Elia and The Last Secrets of America's Most Powerful Mafia Family
Comments:
William “Big Billy” D’Elia and Russell Bufalino were arguably two of the most successful Mafia dons in history. D’Elia had no criminal record until 2006 and wasn’t even considered a blip on the radar by the numerous organized crime task forces who’s sole responsibility was tracking their every move. Bufalino and D’Elia accomplished this by sticking to one simple rule: lay low. Something many mobsters never could seem to master.
Birkbeck did an amazing job of making it feel like a genuine conversation. I loved hearing D’Elia talk about Frank Sheeran and Charles Brandt, especially after reading “I Heard You Paint Houses”. I’d be interested in reading the other 5 versions of Sheeran’s story. Overall, its an amazing, comprehensive history of the later years in the Bufalino crime family.
$18.00
ISBN: 9780762482641
Availability: Coming Soon - Available for Pre-Order Now
Published: Running Press Adult - August 22nd, 2023
Bookseller: Max
Title: What Would Velma Do?: Life Lessons From The Brain and Heart of Mystery Inc.
Comments:
This book is so adorable and sweet. I love the “Velmatic system”, it’s something I’ve used everyday without realizing it. You are guided through everyday problems that happen at work, in relationships, and when solving mysteries with your three best friends and talking dog, (well, maybe not that last part, but you get the idea) and shows you not just what Velma would do, but why. It references other Velmas in some of my other favorite shows like Jessica Fletcher in Murder, She Wrote and Batgirl from Batman. Although it seems silly to some, being a Velma is something I’ve grown to love about myself and this book highlights the reasons why perfectly. Velma is driven by her pursuit of knowledge, using everything that comes her way as an opportunity to learn. She isn’t intimidated by how much information there is, she is empowered by it. She isn’t just all brains either, the only thing more important to her than learning, is her relationships with her friends. She uses her intelligence to help those in need, whether it’s unmasking monsters or supporting her friends.
$30.00
ISBN: 9780062129482
Availability: On Our Shelves Now
Published: Harper - April 25th, 2023
Bookseller: Max
Title: Small Mercies
Comments:
Lehane pulls no punches. You feel the power and evil of human nature at full force. The disgust sits as a pit in your stomach and the tension grips you. It will have full control of your attention and emotions.
While the story puts you at the heart of Boston’s violent response to the desegregation of public schools, you are also witnessing a woman who will do anything to save her missing daughter. While at first glance, these to stories have seemingly nothing to do with each other, the connections slowly begin to form, leaving a web of lies, deceit, and violence.
There are very few writers who could successfully pull this off, and no one could do it as well as Dennis Lehane. This deep dive of American racism at the heart of an incredible thriller, is a story I won’t soon forget. I couldn’t forget it if I wanted to.
$19.99
ISBN: 9781536215885
Availability: On Our Shelves Now
Published: Candlewick - June 6th, 2023
Bookseller: Max
Title: Moving the Miller's Minnie Moore Mine Mansion
Comments:
An incredibly cool story with gorgeous illustrations that reads, looks, and feels like a classic. I absolutely loved it. Quick reminder, This. Actually. Happened.