Knock Knock Book Staff

Name in the name plate, and minor scuffs on the front cover 

Light Hardcover (1 lb or less)

New York

The 'Lines For All Occasions' series provides a superb collection of these much needed phrases for all manner of breakup, rejection, excuse, lie, come-on, or insult situations - ranging from the diplomatic to the downright bridge burning.

Insults and Comebacks

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Lauren Holmes

A "debut collection about family, friends, and lovers, and the flaws that make us most human"--

Barbara the Slut and Other People

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Andrea Werhun

Nicole Bazuin

Small stain on the bottom of the book (pictured). Not noticeable! 

Heavy Hardcover (2 to 4 lbs)

A Memoir

SOON TO BE A MAJOR MOTION PICTURE PRODUCED BY SEAN BAKER. Oh, the places a whore will go: Strip clubs, four-star hotels, stinking basement apartments, luxury cottages. A striking memoir by Andrea Werhun and Nicole Bazuin documents Andrea's sex work career in lush photography and powerful words—in all its slippery, sexy, silly and sometimes heartbreaking glory. Andrea Werhun's sex work career gave her money, freedom, joy, and a lot of dick. A natural performer, she revelled in the opportunity to invent Mary Ann, her escort counterpart, and introduce her to men all over the city. She whores, she learns, she writes it all down, and then, as per a signed document she handed to her Catholic mother in her early twenties, she quits. To become a stripper. Andrea and Nicole revisit the idea of the modern whore, with the enhanced perspective of Andrea's experience at the strip club. This new, engorged edition of the sold-out memoir-cum-art book expands on the original concept--a series of vignettes exploring the many identities sex workers adopt in the service of their clients and in the eyes of the public--in both a literal and literary way. But Andrea doesn't shy away from the serious side of sex work, either, exploring the risks sex workers take, and the rights our culture is constantly taking away from them. This series of stories and portraits investigate the many ways we imagine—and mistake—the modern whore. It's Playboy if the Playmates were in charge.

Modern Whore

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Laura Lee

Light Paperback (1 lb or less)

From a writer whose work has been called "breathtaking and dazzling" by Roxane Gay, this moving, illuminating, and multifaceted memoir explores, in a series of essays, the emotional scars we carry when dealing with mental and physical illnesses--reminiscent of The Collected Schizophrenias and An Unquiet Mind.

In this stunning debut, Laura Lee weaves unforgettable and eye-opening essays on a variety of taboo topics.

In "History of Scars" and "Aluminum's Erosions," Laura dives head-first into heavier themes revolving around intimacy, sexuality, trauma, mental illness, and the passage of time. In "Poetry of the World," Laura shifts and addresses the grief she feels by being geographically distant from her mother whom, after being diagnosed with early onset Alzheimer's, is relocated to a nursing home in Korea.

Through the vivid imagery of mountain climbing, cooking, studying writing, and growing up Korean American, Lee explores the legacy of trauma on a young queer child of immigrants as she reconciles the disparate pieces of existence that make her whole.

By tapping into her own personal, emotional, and psychological struggles in these powerful and relatable essays, Lee encourages all of us to not be afraid to face our own hardships and inner truths.

A History of Scars

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Ijeoma Oluo

In this New York Times bestseller, Ijeoma Oluo explores the complex reality of today's racial landscape--from white privilege and police brutality to systemic discrimination and the Black Lives Matter movement--offering straightforward clarity that readers need to contribute to the dismantling of the racial divide. In So You Want to Talk About Race, Editor at Large of The Establishment Ijeoma Oluo offers a contemporary, accessible take on the racial landscape in America, addressing head-on such issues as privilege, police brutality, intersectionality, micro-aggressions, the Black Lives Matter movement, and the "N" word. Perfectly positioned to bridge the gap between people of color and white Americans struggling with race complexities, Oluo answers the questions readers don't dare ask, and explains the concepts that continue to elude everyday Americans. Oluo is an exceptional writer with a rare ability to be straightforward, funny, and effective in her coverage of sensitive, hyper-charged issues in America. Her messages are passionate but finely tuned and crystalize ideas that would otherwise be vague by empowering them with aha-moment clarity. Her writing brings to mind voices like Ta-Nehisi Coates, Roxane Gay, Jessica Valenti in Full Frontal Feminism, and a young Gloria Naylor, particularly in Naylor's seminal essay "The Meaning of a Word."

So You Want to Talk about Race

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Jackie Kay

A Poet's Biography of a Blues Legend

A beautiful genre-bending tribute to the larger-than-life blues singer Bessie Smith. Scotland’s National Poet blends poetry, prose, fiction, and nonfiction to create an entirely unique biography of the Empress of the Blues. There has never been anyone else like Bessie Smith. Born in Chattanooga, Tennessee, in 1894 and orphaned by the age of nine, Bessie Smith sang on street corners before becoming a big name in traveling shows. In 1923, she made her first recording for the newly founded Columbia Records. It sold 780,000 copies and catapulted her to fame. Known for her unmatched vocal talent, her timeless and personal blues narratives, her tough persona, and her ability to enrapture audiences with her raw voice, the Empress of the Blues remains a force and an enigma. In this remarkable book, Kay combines history and personal narrative, poetry and prose to create an enthralling account of an extraordinary life, and to capture the soul of the woman she first identified with as a young Black girl growing up in Glasgow. Powerful and moving, Bessie Smith is at once a vivid biography of a central figure in American music history and a personal story about one woman’s search for recognition. A VINTAGE ORIGINAL.

Bessie Smith

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A book of affordable, healthy recipes for anyone eating on a budget or relying on food stamps. Minor scruffs on front and back cover

Heavy Paperback (2 to 4 lbs)

Eat well on $4 per day 

Good and Cheap

Barbara Holland

The author of When All the World Was Young and Gentleman's Blood explores humankind's love affair with drinking in a historical study of our relationship with booze, from the earliest discovery of the pleasures of the fermented fruits and grains, to the present day.

The Joy of Drinking

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Jenny Lawson

A Funny Book about Horrible Things

#1 New York Times Bestseller In Furiously Happy, a humor memoir tinged with just enough tragedy and pathos to make it worthwhile, Jenny Lawson examines her own experience with severe depression and a host of other conditions, and explains how it has led her to live life to the fullest: "I've often thought that people with severe depression have developed such a well for experiencing extreme emotion that they might be able to experience extreme joy in a way that ‘normal people' also might never understand. And that's what Furiously Happy is all about." Jenny’s readings are standing room only, with fans lining up to have Jenny sign their bottles of Xanax or Prozac as often as they are to have her sign their books. Furiously Happy appeals to Jenny's core fan base but also transcends it. There are so many people out there struggling with depression and mental illness, either themselves or someone in their family—and in Furiously Happy they will find a member of their tribe offering up an uplifting message (via a taxidermied roadkill raccoon). Let's Pretend This Never Happened ostensibly was about embracing your own weirdness, but deep down it was about family. Furiously Happy is about depression and mental illness, but deep down it's about joy—and who doesn't want a bit more of that?

Furiously Happy

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Naomi Fertitta

Tiny mark on front cover (pictured) but great condition otherwise!

In the Spirit of Harlem

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Christie Tate

Small stain on front cover, but hard to see! 

Hardcover (1 to 2 lbs)

How One Therapist and a Circle of Strangers Saved My Life

A REESE’S BOOK CLUB PICK AND INSTANT NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER “Often hilarious and ultimately very touching.” —People “Have you ever read a book that made you want to hug the author?” —Reese Witherspoon “This unrestrained memoir is a transporting experience and one of the most startlingly hopeful books I have ever read.” —Lisa Taddeo, New York Times bestselling author of Three Women The refreshingly original debut memoir of a guarded, over-achieving, self-lacerating young lawyer who reluctantly agrees to get psychologically and emotionally naked in a room of six complete strangers—her psychotherapy group—and in turn finds human connection, and herself. Christie Tate had just been named the top student in her law school class and finally had her eating disorder under control. Why then was she driving through Chicago fantasizing about her own death? Why was she envisioning putting an end to the isolation and sadness that still plagued her despite her achievements? Enter Dr. Rosen, a therapist who calmly assures her that if she joins one of his psychotherapy groups, he can transform her life. All she has to do is show up and be honest. About everything—her eating habits, childhood, sexual history, etc. Christie is skeptical, insisting that that she is defective, beyond cure. But Dr. Rosen issues a nine-word prescription that will change everything: “You don’t need a cure. You need a witness.” So begins her entry into the strange, terrifying, and ultimately life-changing world of group therapy. Christie is initially put off by Dr. Rosen’s outlandish directives, but as her defenses break down and she comes to trust Dr. Rosen and to depend on the sessions and the prescribed nightly phone calls with various group members, she begins to understand what it means to connect. Group is a deliciously addictive read, and with Christie as our guide—skeptical of her own capacity for connection and intimacy, but hopeful in spite of herself—we are given a front row seat to the daring, exhilarating, painful, and hilarious journey that is group therapy—an under-explored process that breaks you down, and then reassembles you so that all the pieces finally fit.

Group

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John deBary

& Other 90s-Inspired Cocktails: a Cocktail Book

Whether you were born in the '90s or are longing for them, this themed cocktail book by acclaimed bartender John deBary is the perfect '90s nostalgia gift for yourself or anyone else. Plus, it features a foreword by Saved by the Bell star Tiffani Thiessen, certifying Saved by the Bellini as a true testament to the decade! 

Get ready to stir up memories--and some hella delicious drinks. This cocktail book has 65+ awesome recipes that celebrate the decade's greatest pop culture moments, from cassette tape tunes and video game consoles to after-school snacks and OMG-it's-back-again fashion. Sip on the Gusher Crusher, down the Away Message, serve up the Heart of the Ocean, and finish it all with the Waterfall Chaser. Only in this '90s book does TGIF stand for Thank God It's Fizzy! Throwbacks to Pogs, the slap bracelet, Reebok Pumps, and even the ubiquitous "Got Milk?" ads are accompanied by spunky, funky pop-art illustrations that are so sick, you might want to tear out the pages to hang next to your Tiger Beat JTT posters. As if!  

It's time to dust off your '90s party decorations, stock up your liquor cabinet, mix up something delicious, and take a walk down memory lane with a cocktail recipe book that truly is da bomb!  

  

Saved by the Bellini

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Milton Crawford

A lighthearted and accessible guide to surviving a hangover shares dozens of comforting recipes, graphic tests for assessing one's state of mind and quizzes for tracking the recovery process, in a reference that builds on P. G. Wodehouse's infamous six hangover profiles.

The Hungover Cookbook

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Lisa Jackson

Deep in the winter wilderness of Montana, a serial killer sets up car accidents for women driving down secluded roads, rescues and seduces them and then ties them to trees and leaves them to die. As the bodies pile up, Det. Selena Alvarez and Det. Regan Pescoli search desperately for clues.

Left to Die

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Stephanie Danler

"From the author of the best-selling Sweetbitter comes an intimate, searingly honest memoir of growing up the child of addicts, of how that turbulent, often harrowing experience has affected her at every stage of her life, and of how she has struggled to transcend this unwanted legacy"--

Stray

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Mike Birbiglia

And Other Painfully True Stories

Hello, I am Mike Birbiglia and I want you to read my book. Too on the nose? Sorry. Let me dial it back. I’m Mike Birbiglia and I’m a comedian. You may know me from Comedy Central or This American Life or The Bob & Tom Show, but you’ve never seen me like this before. Naked. Wait, that’s the name of another book. Also I’m not naked as there are no pictures in my book. Also, if there were naked pictures of me, you definitely wouldn’t buy it, though you might sneak a copy into the back corner of the bookstore and show it to your friend and laugh. Okay, let’s get off the naked stuff. This is my first book. It’s difficult to describe. It’s a comedic memoir, but I’m only 32 years old so I’d hate for you to think I’m “wrapping it up,” so to speak. But I tell some personal stories. Some REALLY personal stories. Stories that I considered not publishing time and time again, especially when my father said, “Michael, you might want to stay away from the per­sonal stuff.” I said, “Dad, just read the dedication.” (Which I’m telling you to do too.) Some of the stories are about my childhood, some are about girls I made out with when I was thirteen, some are about my parents, and some are, of course, about my bouts with sleepwalking. Bring this book to bed. And sleepwalk with me.

Sleepwalk with Me

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Karen Tucker

Set in rural, poverty-stricken North Carolina, this "beautiful, gritty, and piercing" novel follows two young women--best friends--as they "journey through the highs and lows of friendship, love, and addiction," perfect for readers of Julie Buntin's Marlena (Erika Carter, author of Lucky You). Irene, a lonely nineteen-year-old in rural North Carolina, works long nights at the local pool hall, serving pitchers and dodging drunks. One evening, her hilarious, magnetic coworker Luce invites her on a joy ride through the mountains to take revenge on a particularly creepy customer. Their adventure not only spells the beginning of a dazzling friendship, it seduces both girls into the mysterious world of pills and the endless hustles needed to fund the next high. Together, Irene and Luce run nickel-tossing scams at the county fair and trick dealers into trading legit pharms for birth-control pills. Everything is wild and wonderful until Luce finds a boyfriend who wants to help her get clean. Soon the two of them decide to move away and start a new, sober life in Florida--leaving Irene behind. Told in a riveting dialogue between the girls' addicted past and their hopes for a better future, Bewilderness is not just a brilliant, funny, heartbreaking novel about opioid abuse, it's also a moving look at how intense, intimate friendships can shape every young woman's life.

Adaire Kamen

@adaire496685

Books Listed

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Followers

Knock Knock Book Staff

Insults and Comebacks

Lauren Holmes

Barbara the Slut and Other People

Andrea Werhun; Nicole Bazuin

Modern Whore

Laura Lee

A History of Scars

Ijeoma Oluo

So You Want to Talk about Race

Jackie Kay

Bessie Smith

Leanne brown

Good and Cheap

Barbara Holland

The Joy of Drinking

Jenny Lawson

Furiously Happy

Naomi Fertitta

In the Spirit of Harlem

Christie Tate

Group

John deBary

Saved by the Bellini

Milton Crawford

The Hungover Cookbook

Lisa Jackson

Left to Die

Stephanie Danler

Stray

Mike Birbiglia

Sleepwalk with Me

Karen Tucker

Bewilderness

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Browse by categories

Knock Knock Book Staff

Insults and Comebacks

Lauren Holmes

Barbara the Slut and Other People

Andrea Werhun; Nicole Bazuin

Modern Whore

Laura Lee

A History of Scars

Ijeoma Oluo

So You Want to Talk about Race

Jackie Kay

Bessie Smith

Leanne brown

Good and Cheap

Barbara Holland

The Joy of Drinking

Jenny Lawson

Furiously Happy

Naomi Fertitta

In the Spirit of Harlem

Christie Tate

Group

John deBary

Saved by the Bellini

Milton Crawford

The Hungover Cookbook

Lisa Jackson

Left to Die

Stephanie Danler

Stray

Mike Birbiglia

Sleepwalk with Me

Karen Tucker

Bewilderness

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