With a staff full of writers, students, and teachers who care about and value books, we’re never randomly suggesting books. We carefully choose amongst books that are fun to read or have made an impact on our lives, from authors we love or have just discovered. In a similar fashion, our in-house sommelier tastes every bottle we sell, picking wines and spirits from smaller producers who create stunning products. Below are books and bottles that we're currently enjoying or hold a special place in our hearts.

Dear Killer by Katherine Ewell
Bodegas Los Haroldos Bonarda 2021

Rule One: Nothing is right, nothing is wrong. Kit looks like your average seventeen-year-old high school student, but she has a secret—she's London's notorious "Perfect Killer." She chooses who to murder based on letters left in a secret mailbox, and she's good—no, perfect—at what she does. Her moral nihilism—the fact that she doesn't believe in right and wrong—makes being a serial killer a whole lot easier… until she breaks her own rules by befriending someone she's supposed to murder, as well as the detective in charge of the Perfect Killer case. Full of "can't look away" moments, Dear Killer is a psychological thriller perfect alongside this rich, intensely fruity red from Mendoza. Purple in the glass, this wine features notes of ripe strawberries, black cherry, cassis, smoke, and slight spice.

Dune by Frank Herbert
GRW Kisi Qvevri Dry Amber 2020

Set on the desert planet Arrakis, Dune is the story of Paul Atreides, heir to a noble family tasked with ruling an inhospitable world where the only thing of value is the “spice” melange, a drug capable of extending life and enhancing consciousness. When House Atreides is betrayed, the destruction of Paul’s family sets him on a journey toward a destiny greater than he could ever have imagined. A stunning blend of adventure and mysticism, environmentalism and politics, this Sci-Fi book could only be paired with this dry, orange sipper. Produced from Kisi, a varietal indigenous to Georgia, this wine boasts notes of dried apricot, honey, and spice, with a hint of minerality.

Passing by Nella Larsen
Barista Pinotage 2022

Clare Kendry is living on the edge. Light-skinned, elegant, and ambitious, she is married to a racist white man unaware of her African American heritage, and has severed all ties to her past after deciding to “pass” as a white woman. Clare’s childhood friend, Irene Redfield, just as light-skinned, has chosen to remain within the African American community, and is simultaneously allured and repelled by Clare’s risky decision to engage in racial masquerade for personal and societal gain. After frequenting African American-centric gatherings together in Harlem, Clare’s interest in Irene turns into a homoerotic longing for Irene’s black identity that she abandoned and can never embrace again, and she is forced to grapple with her decision to pass for white in a way that is both tragic and telling. Sip on this bold Pinotage that bursts with notes of ripe mulberry, plum, Maraschino cherry, vanilla, and mocha, as you read this gripping book. 

Tangerine by Edward Bloor
Hobo Wine Company Folk Machine Chenin Blanc 2022

Paul Fisher sees the world from behind glasses so thick he looks like a bug-eyed alien. But he’s not so blind that he can’t see there are some very unusual things about his family’s new home in Tangerine County, Florida. Where else does a sinkhole swallow the local school, fire burn underground for years, and lightning strike at the same time every day? The chaos is compounded by constant harassment from his football-star brother. Adjusting to life in Tangerine isn’t easy for Paul—until he joins the soccer team at his middle school. With the help of his new teammates, Paul begins to discover what lies beneath the surface of his strange new hometown. And he also gains the courage to face up to some secrets his family has been keeping from him for far too long. With notes of lemon pith, white flowers, and slight honey backed by a hint of funky white button mushrooms and herbs, this Chenin Blanc is a stunner!

The Wager: A Tale of Shipwreck, Mutiny and Murder by David Grann
Heidi Schrock & Sohne Furmint 2021

On January 28, 1742, a ramshackle vessel of patched-together wood and cloth washed up on the coast of Brazil. Inside were thirty emaciated men, barely alive, and they had an extraordinary tale to tell. They were survivors of His Majesty’s Ship the Wager, a British vessel that had left England in 1740 on a secret mission during an imperial war with Spain. While the Wager had been chasing a Spanish treasure-filled galleon known as “the prize of all the oceans,” it had wrecked on a desolate island off the coast of Patagonia. The men, after being marooned for months and facing starvation, built the flimsy craft and sailed for more than a hundred days, traversing nearly 3,000 miles of storm-wracked seas. They were greeted as heroes. But then… six months later, another, even more decrepit craft landed on the coast of Chile. This boat contained just three castaways, and they told a very different story. The thirty sailors who landed in Brazil were not heroes – they were mutineers. As accusations of treachery and murder flew, the Admiralty convened a court martial to determine who was telling the truth. The stakes were life-and-death—for whomever the court found guilty could hang. Step into this world of murder and mutiny while enjoying this crisp and refreshing white wine with lush notes of lime blossom, chamomile, fresh hay, savory herbs, sponge cake, and brioche.