Staff Picks
Sabrina’s pick of the month:
The Correspondent: A Novel
“By far, my favorite book of the year! Don’t miss this gem - it’s subtle yet profound. I was tempted to start the book over as soon as I finished. If books are to transport you to another world - this one fulfilled that promise ten fold.”
“Imagine, the letters one has sent out into the world, the letters received back in turn, are like the pieces of a magnificent puzzle. . . . Isn’t there something wonderful in that, to think that a story of one’s life is preserved in some way, that this very letter may one day mean something, even if it is a very small thing, to someone?”
Filled with knowledge that only comes from a life fully lived, The Correspondent is a gem of a novel about the power of finding solace in literature and connection with people we might never meet in person. It is about the hubris of youth and the wisdom of old age, and the mistakes and acts of kindness that occur during a lifetime.
Sybil Van Antwerp has throughout her life used letters to make sense of the world and her place in it. Most mornings, around half past ten, Sybil sits down to write letters—to her brother, to her best friend, to the president of the university who will not allow her to audit a class she desperately wants to take, to Joan Didion and Larry McMurtry to tell them what she thinks of their latest books, and to one person to whom she writes often yet never sends the letter.
Sybil expects her world to go on as it always has—a mother, grandmother, wife, divorcee, distinguished lawyer, she has lived a very full life. But when letters from someone in her past force her to examine one of the most painful periods of her life, she realizes that the letter she has been writing over the years needs to be read and that she cannot move forward until she finds it in her heart to offer forgiveness.
Sybil Van Antwerp’s life of letters might be “a very small thing,” but she also might be one of the most memorable characters you will ever read.
-- (publisher’s marketing)
Indie Bestsellers for the Week of
December 3rd, 2025
HARDCOVER FICTION
1. The Correspondent
Virginia Evans, Crown, $28, 9780593798430
2. Heart the Lover
Lily King, Grove Press, $28, 9780802165176
3. The Secret of Secrets
Dan Brown, Doubleday, $38, 9780385546898
4. Alchemised
SenLinYu, Del Rey, $35, 9780593972700
5. Katabasis
R. F. Kuang, Harper Voyager, $32, 9780063446243
6. Brimstone (Deluxe Limited Edition)
Callie Hart, Forever, $33, 9781538774229
7. The Widow
John Grisham, Doubleday, $32, 9780385548984
8. Dog Show: Poems
Billy Collins, Pamela Sztybel (Illus.), Random House, $20, 9780593979419
9. The Black Wolf
Louise Penny, Minotaur Books, $30, 9781250328175
10. Dungeon Crawler Carl
Matt Dinniman, Ace, $30, 9780593820247
11. Twice
Mitch Albom, Harper, $26.99, 9780062406682
12. Brigands & Breadknives
Travis Baldree, Tor Books, $28.99, 9781250334886
13. What We Can Know
Ian McEwan, Knopf, $30, 9780593804728
14. Buckeye
Patrick Ryan, Random House, $30, 9780593595039
15. My Friends
Fredrik Backman, Atria Books, $29.99, 9781982112820
HARDCOVER NONFICTION
1. 1929: Inside the Greatest Crash in Wall Street History—and How It Shattered a Nation
Andrew Ross Sorkin, Viking, $35, 9780593296967
2. Always Remember: The Boy, the Mole, the Fox, the Horse and the Storm
Charlie Mackesy, Penguin Life, $27, 9780593994825
3. Bread of Angels: A Memoir
Patti Smith, Random House, $30, 9781101875124
4. Nobody's Girl: A Memoir of Surviving Abuse and Fighting for Justice
Virginia Roberts Giuffre, Knopf, $35, 9780593493120
5. The Let Them Theory: A Life-Changing Tool That Millions of People Can't Stop Talking About
Mel Robbins, Sawyer Robbins, Hay House LLC, $29.99, 9781401971366
6. Good Things: Recipes and Rituals to Share with People You Love
Samin Nosrat, Random House, $45, 9781984857781
7. The Gales of November: The Untold Story of the Edmund Fitzgerald
John U. Bacon, Liveright, $35, 9781324094647
8. The Serviceberry: Abundance and Reciprocity in the Natural World
Robin Wall Kimmerer, John Burgoyne (Illus.), Scribner, $20, 9781668072240
9. One Day, Everyone Will Have Always Been Against This: National Book Award
Omar El Akkad, Knopf, $28, 9780593804148
10. Something from Nothing: A Cookbook
Alison Roman, Clarkson Potter, $37.99, 9781984826411
11. Everything Is Tuberculosis: The History and Persistence of Our Deadliest Infection
John Green, Crash Course Books, $28, 9780525556572
12. The Greatest Sentence Ever Written
Walter Isaacson, Simon & Schuster, $20, 9781982181314
13. The Look
Michelle Obama, Crown, $50, 9780593800706
14. 107 Days
Kamala Harris, Simon & Schuster, $30, 9781668211656
15. Separation of Church and Hate: A Sane Person's Guide to Taking Back the Bible from Fundamentalists, Fascists, and Flock-Fleecing Frauds
John Fugelsang, Avid Reader Press/Simon & Schuster, $29.99, 9781668066898
PAPERBACK FICTION
1. The God of the Woods
Liz Moore, Riverhead Books, $19, 9780593418925
2. Project Hail Mary
Andy Weir, Ballantine, $22, 9780593135228
3. Remarkably Bright Creatures
Shelby Van Pelt, Ecco, $19.99, 9780063204164
4. Good Spirits
B. K. Borison, Avon, $18.99, 9780063430402
5. Hamnet
Maggie O'Farrell, Vintage, $19, 9781984898876
6. The Frozen River
Ariel Lawhon, Vintage, $18, 9780593312070
7. I Who Have Never Known Men
Jacqueline Harpman, Transit Books, $16.95, 9781945492600
8. Theo of Golden
Allen Levi, Atria Books, $20, 9781668236512
9. Martyr!
Kaveh Akbar, Vintage, $18, 9780593685778
10. The Housemaid
Freida McFadden, Grand Central, $18.99, 9781538742570
11. The Princess Bride Deluxe Limited Edition
William Goldman, Harper Perennial, $22, 9780063458154
12. Red Rising- Debut
Pierce Brown, Del Rey, $18, 9780345539809
13. The Thursday Murder Club
Richard Osman, Penguin, $18, 9781984880987
14. The Best American Short Stories 2025
Celeste Ng, Nicole A. Lamy (Eds.), Mariner Books, $18.99, 9780063399808
15. The Lion Women of Tehran
Marjan Kamali, Gallery Books, $18.99, 9781668036594
PAPERBACK NONFICTION
1. The 2026 Old Farmer's Almanac
Old Farmer's Almanac, $10.95, 9781961793682
2. Braiding Sweetgrass: Indigenous Wisdom, Scientific Knowledge, and the Teachings of Plants
Robin Wall Kimmerer, Milkweed Editions, $22, 9781571313560
3. On Tyranny: Twenty Lessons from the Twentieth Century
Timothy Snyder, Crown, $14, 9780804190114
4. I'm Glad My Mom Died
Jennette McCurdy, Simon & Schuster, $19.99, 9781982185831
5. The Wager: A Tale of Shipwreck, Mutiny and Murder
David Grann, Vintage, $21, 9780307742490
6. The Art Thief: A True Story of Love, Crime, and a Dangerous Obsession
Michael Finkel, Vintage, $18, 9781984898456
7. All About Love: New Visions
bell hooks, Morrow, $16.99, 9780060959470
8. How to Know a Person: The Art of Seeing Others Deeply and Being Deeply Seen
David Brooks, Random House Trade Paperbacks, $20, 9780593230077
9. The Body Keeps the Score: Brain, Mind, and Body in the Healing of Trauma
Bessel van der Kolk, M.D., Penguin, $19, 9780143127741
10. Meditations for Mortals: Four Weeks to Embrace Your Limitations and Make Time for What Counts
Oliver Burkeman, Picador, $19, 9781250397676
11. Fight Oligarchy
Senator Bernie Sanders, Crown, $14.99, 9798217089161
12. The Backyard Bird Chronicles
Amy Tan, Knopf, $36, 9780593536131
13. Revenge of the Tipping Point: Overstories, Superspreaders, and the Rise of Social Engineering
Malcolm Gladwell, Back Bay Books, $21.99, 9780316581509
14. The Psychology of Money: Timeless Lessons on Wealth, Greed, and Happiness
Morgan Housel, Harriman House, $19.99, 9780857197689
15. A Dumb Birds Field Guide to the Worst Birds Ever
Matt Kracht, Chronicle Books, $15.95, 9781797232751
EARLY & MIDDLE GRADE
1. Impossible Creatures
Katherine Rundell, Ashley Mackenzie (Illus.), Yearling, $11.99, 9780593809891
2. The Poisoned King (Impossible Creatures #2)
Katherine Rundell, Ashley Mackenzie (Illus.), Knopf Books for Young Readers, $19.99, 9780593809907
3. War Games
Alan Gratz, Scholastic Press, $18.99, 9781338736106
4. Pocket Bear
Katherine Applegate, Feiwel & Friends, $17.99, 9781250904362
5. From the World of Percy Jackson: The Court of the Dead: A Nico di Angelo Adventure
Rick Riordan, Mark Oshiro, Disney Hyperion, $21.99, 9781368109116
6. Dragonborn
Struan Murray, Dutton Books for Young Readers, $19.99, 9798217113217
7. Winging It: A Graphic Novel
Megan Wagner Lloyd, Michelle Mee Nutter (Illus.), Graphix, $14.99, 9781338818529
8. The Cartoonists Club: A Graphic Novel
Raina Telgemeier, Scott McCloud, Graphix, $14.99, 9781338777215
9. The Bletchley Riddle
Ruta Sepetys, Steve Sheinkin, Viking Books for Young Readers, $9.99, 9780593527559
10. Jingle, All the Way Home: An Advent Countdown Story
Catherine Hapka, Kathryn Selbert (Illus.), Clarion Books, $12.99, 9780063471641
11. The Eyes and the Impossible
Dave Eggers, Shawn Harris (Illus.), Yearling, $14.99, 9781524764234
12. Troubling Tonsils! (Jasper Rabbit's Creepy Tales!)
Aaron Reynolds, Peter Brown (Illus.), Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers, $13.99, 9781665961080
13. Hatchet
Gary Paulsen, Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers, $9.99, 9781481486293
14. A Wrinkle in Time
Madeleine L'Engle, Square Fish, $8.99, 9781250153272
15. The Millicent Quibb School of Etiquette for Young Ladies of Mad Science
Kate McKinnon, Little, Brown Books for Young Readers, $9.99, 9780316554831
YOUNG ADULT
1. A Heart for Christmas: Advent Romance
Sophie Jomain, Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers, $22.99, 9781665990394
2. Fake Skating
Lynn Painter, Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers, $21.99, 9781665921268
3. The House Saphir
Marissa Meyer, Feiwel & Friends, $19.99, 9781250320957
4. Better Than the Movies
Lynn Painter, Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers, $12.99, 9781534467637
5. The Reappearance of Rachel Price
Holly Jackson, Delacorte Press, $14.99, 9780593374238
6. Nothing Like the Movies
Lynn Painter, Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers, $13.99, 9781665947145
7. Hekate: The Witch (Deluxe Limited Edition)
Nikita Gill, Little, Brown Books for Young Readers, $19.99, 9780316581820
8. The Perks of Being a Wallflower (Special Edition)
Stephen Chbosky, Simon Pulse, $15.99, 9781665982412
9. The Outsiders
S. E. Hinton, Viking Books for Young Readers, $14.99, 9780142407332
10. Pride and Prejudice
Jane Austen, Anna Bond (Illus.), Puffin Books, $18, 9780593622452
11. What the River Knows
Isabel Ibañez, Wednesday Books, $15, 9781250408624
12. If He Had Been with Me
Laura Nowlin, Sourcebooks Fire, $10.99, 9781728205489
13. Sisters in the Wind
Angeline Boulley, Henry Holt and Co. BYR, $19.99, 9781250328533
14. Five Survive
Holly Jackson, Ember, $14.99, 9780593374191
15. The Book Thief
Markus Zusak, Knopf Books for Young Readers, $14.99, 9780375842207
CHILDREN'S ILLUSTRATED
1. The Christmas Sweater- Debut
Jan Brett, G.P. Putnam's Sons Books for Young Readers, $19.99, 9780593533918
2. The Humble Pie
Jory John, Pete Oswald (Illus.), HarperCollins, $19.99, 9780063469730
3. Knight Owl's Little Christmas
Christopher Denise, Christy Ottaviano Books, $8.99, 9780316587501
4. How the Grinch Stole Christmas!
Dr. Seuss, Random House Books for Young Readers, $19.99, 9780593434383
5. How Does Santa Go Down the Chimney?
Mac Barnett, Jon Klassen (Illus.), Candlewick, $18.99, 9781536223767
6. Steam Train, Dream Train: Next Stop, Christmas!
Sherri Duskey Rinker, AG Ford (Illus.), Chronicle Books, $18.99, 9781797227030
7. A Dance with Santa Claus
Sandra Boynton, Little, Brown Books for Young Readers, $18.99, 9780316593694
8. Goodnight Moon
Margaret Wise Brown, Clement Hurd (Illus.), Harper, $10.99, 9780694003617
9. Bluey's Night Before Christmas
Lauren Holowaty, Kiara Hankinson (Illus.), Jemma Bayley (Illus.), Penguin Young Readers, $18.99, 9798217050864
10. A Snow Day for Amos McGee
Philip C. Stead, Erin E. Stead (Illus.), Roaring Brook Press, $19.99, 9781250324733
11. The Mitten
Jan Brett, G.P. Putnam's Sons Books for Young Readers, $9.99, 9780399231094
12. The Snowy Day
Ezra Jack Keats, Viking Books for Young Readers, $19.99, 9780670012701
13. Little Blue Truck's Christmas
Alice Schertle, Jill McElmurry (Illus.), HMH Books for Young Readers, $18.99, 9780544320413
14. The Digger and the Christmas Tree
Joseph Kuefler, HarperCollins, $19.99, 9780063427396
15. The Polar Express
Chris Van Allsburg, HMH Books for Young Readers, $21.99, 9780544580145
CHILDREN'S SERIES
1. Dog Man (hardcover)
Dav Pilkey, Graphix
2. Diary of a Wimpy Kid (hardcover)
Jeff Kinney, Harry N. Abrams
3. The Hunger Games (hardcover and paperback)
Suzanne Collins, Scholastic Press
4. Wings of Fire (hardcover and paperback)
Tui T. Sutherland, Jake Parker (Illus.), Scholastic
5. I Survived (hardcover and paperback)
Lauren Tarshis, Chris Chalik (Illus.),, Scholastic
6. InvestiGators (hardcover)
John Patrick Green, Christopher Hastings, Pat Lewis (Illus.), First Second
7. Spy School (hardcover and paperback)
Stuart Gibbs, Anjan Sarkar (Illus.), Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers
8. Elephant & Piggie (hardcover)
Mo Willems, Hyperion
9. Magic Tree House (hardcover and paperback)
Mary Pope Osborne, Sal Murdocca (Illus.), Random House Books for Young Readers
10. Baby-Sitters Club Graphix (hardcover and paperback)
Ann M. Martin, Ellen T. Crenshaw (Illus.), Scholastic
Let’s start off by saying that we would much prefer to meet you in person, talk books with you and recommend our favorites to you face to face. That is why we are here… to be a part of the Monument community.
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We have provided some recommendations for you to consider so please browse our lists however, you can buy any book. If you nominate us we will get the commission and we thank you so much!