Mike's Picks

Mike has worked at Snowbound only a few years, as he had been previously distracted by tacos.

Do you judge a book by its cover?
Absolutely. The next time I see the back of some trenchcoated orphan staring at the Eiffel Tower I'm going to set something on fire.

Dogear or bookmark?
Bookmark almost 100% of the time. But a bookmark might be a gas receipt.

Monogamist or polygamist reader?
My intentions are good, but I've been led astray from time to time.

Morning reader or night owl?
Why would I choose one if I can have both?

First book that made a big impression on you?
Age 5: Mystery of the Missing Red Mitten
Age 8-10: Lord of the Rings
Age 17: Going to Meet the Man

Do you eat while reading? If so, what's your favorite reading drink or snack?
Coffee, tea, whiskey... whitefish pate or cheeze whiz.

Your mission as a bookseller?
Like I imagine my coworkers would say, connecting the right reader with the perfect book. Also to celebrate the work of living authors, trying to get them paid!

Offended Sensibilities By Alisa Ganieva, Carol Apollonio (Translator) Cover Image
By Alisa Ganieva, Carol Apollonio (Translator)
$16.95
ISBN: 9781646052233
Availability: On Our Shelves Now
Published: Deep Vellum Publishing - November 10th, 2022

Sweet, Soft, Plenty Rhythm: A Novel By Laura Warrell Cover Image
$28.00
ISBN: 9780593316443
Availability: On Our Shelves Now
Published: Pantheon - September 27th, 2022

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The Devil Takes You Home: A Novel By Gabino Iglesias Cover Image
$28.00
ISBN: 9780316426916
Availability: On Our Shelves Now
Published: Mulholland Books - August 2nd, 2022

The best authors are guides. If I’m going somewhere as dark and terrifying as this story, I’m glad Gabino Iglesias is taking me there. If you’re new to his work, get ready; he’s got both hands on the wheel and knows exactly what he’s doing.


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I Love You but I've Chosen Darkness: A Novel By Claire Vaye Watkins Cover Image
$18.00
ISBN: 9780593330227
Availability: On Our Shelves Now
Published: Riverhead Books - October 4th, 2022

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Lapvona: A Novel By Ottessa Moshfegh Cover Image
$27.00
ISBN: 9780593300268
Availability: On Our Shelves Now
Published: Penguin Press - June 21st, 2022

Too many trigger warnings to list.

That said, this book blew me away. One of the most fascinating authors today, at the top of her game.


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Either/Or By Elif Batuman Cover Image
$27.00
ISBN: 9780525557593
Availability: On Our Shelves Now
Published: Penguin Press - May 24th, 2022

It's hard to pinpoint exactly why I can't stop thinking about this beguiling book. It's full of detail and paper-dry humor, and it makes me want to travel everywhere and read everything.


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Chevy in the Hole: A Novel By Kelsey Ronan Cover Image
$26.99
ISBN: 9781250803900
Availability: Not in-store, but we'd be happy to order one for you.
Published: Henry Holt and Co. - March 15th, 2022

I only put this down to go out for a Vernors. I hate the phrase "all-the-feels" but holy Halo Burger, this one packs em in!


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Pickard County Atlas: A Novel By Chris Harding Thornton Cover Image
$17.00
ISBN: 9781250829597
Availability: On Our Shelves Now
Published: Picador - January 25th, 2022

"This dark, sly, humorous novel should be absorbed slowly, but I defy you to set it down once you get started. My favorite book of 2021." - Mike


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Death in Her Hands: A Novel By Ottessa Moshfegh Cover Image
$17.00
ISBN: 9781984879370
Availability: On Our Shelves Now
Published: Penguin Books - June 22nd, 2021

A spectacular dive into introspective imagination. I am in awe of how Moshfegh can make the mundane shine.


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Beasts of a Little Land: A Novel By Juhea Kim Cover Image
$27.99
ISBN: 9780063093577
Availability: Not in-store, but we'd be happy to order one for you.
Published: Ecco - December 7th, 2021

Liarmouth: A Feel-Bad Romance: A Novel By John Waters Cover Image
$26.00
ISBN: 9780374185725
Availability: On Our Shelves Now
Published: Farrar, Straus and Giroux - May 3rd, 2022

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Nightbitch: A Novel By Rachel Yoder Cover Image
$16.00
ISBN: 9780593312148
Availability: On Our Shelves Now
Published: Anchor - July 5th, 2022

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The Last Taxi Driver By Lee Durkee Cover Image
$16.95
ISBN: 9781951142681
Availability: On Our Shelves Now
Published: Tin House Books - April 6th, 2021

I read this twice in two weeks, and I never do that. I can't stop thinking about it. Tragic, hilarious, bizarre...
I wish I could read it again for the first time.


The Night Always Comes: A Novel By Willy Vlautin Cover Image
$16.99
ISBN: 9780063035096
Availability: On Our Shelves Now
Published: Harper Perennial - May 17th, 2022

My Year of Rest and Relaxation: A Novel By Ottessa Moshfegh Cover Image
$17.00
ISBN: 9780525522133
Availability: On Our Shelves Now
Published: Penguin Books - June 25th, 2019

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Ruthie Fear: A Novel By Maxim Loskutoff Cover Image
$15.95
ISBN: 9780393868364
Availability: On Our Shelves Now
Published: W. W. Norton & Company - January 11th, 2022

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Biloxi: A Novel By Mary Miller Cover Image
$19.14
ISBN: 9781631497841
Availability: On Our Shelves Now
Published: Liveright - June 2nd, 2020

I am so glad this book exists-- I actually cried tears of laughter. Tragically endearing. I can't wait to read everything else she's written!


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Shiner: A Novel By Amy Jo Burns Cover Image
$16.00
ISBN: 9780525533658
Availability: On Our Shelves Now
Published: Riverhead Books - May 4th, 2021

WOW. This book sizzles like a fuse. So much heart and passion. I could not put it down.


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When These Mountains Burn By David Joy Cover Image
$27.00
ISBN: 9780525536888
Availability: On Our Shelves Now
Published: G.P. Putnam's Sons - August 18th, 2020

This book rumbles and moves like the Chevy big-block your friend had in high school; it's a little scary but it gets there in a hurry and not without a little noise. His prose swings like a hammer, and it's here that he brings humanity and sympathy to characters others might leave behind to wither and die.


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Winter Counts: A Novel By David Heska Wanbli Weiden Cover Image
$16.99
ISBN: 9780062968951
Availability: On Our Shelves Now
Published: Ecco - July 6th, 2021

Gritty and suspenseful, I could not put this down! Virgil Wounded Horse is the hard-boiled hero I've been waiting for.


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F*ckface: And Other Stories By Leah Hampton Cover Image
$25.99
ISBN: 9781250259592
Availability: On Our Shelves Now
Published: Henry Holt and Co. - July 14th, 2020

These stories are tragic, funny, scary, and a little bit romantic. This collection scarred me, but left me wanting more.


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Blacktop Wasteland: A Novel By S. A. Cosby Cover Image
$16.99
ISBN: 9781250252692
Availability: On Our Shelves Now
Published: Flatiron Books - June 1st, 2021

Looking for an out-of-the-box crime thriller?
Diamond heist? Check!
High speed chase scenes? Check!
Anti-hero "Bug" will pin you to the back of your seat and keep you there.


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Begin Again: James Baldwin's America and Its Urgent Lessons for Our Own By Eddie S. Glaude, Jr. Cover Image
$17.00
ISBN: 9780525575337
Availability: On Our Shelves Now
Published: Crown - July 27th, 2021

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Scrublands By Chris Hammer Cover Image
$18.00
ISBN: 9781501196751
Availability: On Our Shelves Now
Published: Atria Books - January 14th, 2020

One shock after another kept my eyes wide and glued to the page. I could not wait to get this onion peeled. One of the best mysteries I've read in years.


The Devil All the Time By Donald Ray Pollock Cover Image
$16.95
ISBN: 9780307744869
Availability: On Our Shelves Now
Published: Anchor - July 10th, 2012

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Deacon King Kong: A Novel By James McBride Cover Image
$18.00
ISBN: 9780735216730
Availability: On Our Shelves Now
Published: Riverhead Books - February 2nd, 2021

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Southernmost By Silas House Cover Image
$16.99
ISBN: 9781616209360
Availability: On Our Shelves Now
Published: Algonquin Books - June 4th, 2019

Perpetual West By Mesha Maren Cover Image
$32.34
ISBN: 9781643750941
Availability: Backordered
Published: Algonquin Books - January 25th, 2022