A longtime customer recommends: Theo of Golden: A Novel, Allen Levi

Theo of Golden is a book of many layers. It is a feel good story of Theo, an old man who arrives in Golden, Georgia and wanders into a coffee shop to discover 92 beautiful portraits of Golden residents hanging on the walls. He decides to buy them and one by one return them to their rightful owners. In doing so he makes the recipients feel valued and seen. Theo’s goodness, kindness, and interest makes the recipients blossom into their best selves. Who this sad old man is and what motivates him gets revealed slowly but remains a mystery and gives the book even more depth. We only understand him at the very end. Beautifully written, emotionally told, this book is a gem.

David recommends: The Grateful Dead: Photos and Stories from the Formative Years, Jim Marshall

My brother is a huge fan of The Grateful Dead, and our parents took us to a memorable Grateful Dead concert in the United States when we were children. Jim Marshall, one of the great music photographers, took thousands of photographs of the Grateful Dead throughout their long career, and it was no small feat to be allowed to do so in the counterculture scene in San Francisco in the 1960s and 1970s. A third of the photographs In this exquisite recently published coffee table book have never been published. Essays throughout the book give the photographs the necessary social and historical context. Not to be missed.

Carey recommends: The Golem Of Brooklyn: A Novel, Adam Mansbach

A golem is a creature formed from a lifeless material, dust or clay, and is brought to life by the prayers and rituals of the most mystical of rabbis, at which point he becomes the protector of the Jews. For over 200 years this has been the basic tale that has been told. This novel is not a religious story, although you will learn quite a lot of Jewish history, both mystical and comical; it is about faith conflicts, religion, vengeance, and healing. In brief, it is not a rabbi or a prophet that brings the golem to life. It is Len, an art school teacher, and there is no special threat to the Jews. So what happens when a golem is at loose ends? This is a fast-paced novel with a lot of wit, history, and humour.