“Hate is loud, but I think you’ll learn it’s because it’s only a few people shouting, desperate to be heard. You might not ever be able to change their minds, but so long as you remember you’re not alone, you will overcome.” – TJ Klune, The House in the Cerulean Sea
At the End of Every Day by Arianna Reiche
fiction / horror / mystery.
Delphi has spent years working at a vast and iconic theme park in California after fleeing her childhood trauma in her rural hometown. But after the disturbing death of a beloved Hollywood starlet on the park grounds, Delphi is tasked with shuttering The Park for good.
Meanwhile, two siblings with ties to The Park exchange letters, trying to understand why people who work there have been disappearing. Before long, they learn that there’s a reason no one is meant to see behind The Park’s curtain.
What happens when The Park empties out? And what happens when Delphi, who seems remarkably at one with The Park, is finally forced to leave?
At once a novel about the uncanny valley, death cults, optical illusions, and the enduring power of fantasy, Reiche’s debut is a mind-bending teacup ride through an eerily familiar landscape, where the key to it all is what happens At the End of Every Day.
“[A] gorgeous debut…” – Molly Odintz, CrimeReads
“It reads like a roller coaster dropping headfirst into the uncanny valley.” – Sophia June, Nylon
“[Reiche] succeeds in creating a dreamlike, unsettling narrative that frequently slides into the uncanny valley. Readers are in for an eerie, psychological roller-coaster ride.” – Publishers Weekly
Beyond the Story: 10-Year Record of BTS by Myeongseok Kang
& BTS; translated by Anton Hur, Clare Richards, & Slin Jung
nonfiction / memoir / biography / music.
After taking their first step into the world on June 13, 2013, BTS will celebrate the 10th anniversary of their debut in June 2023. They have risen to the peak as an iconic global artist and during this meaningful time, they look back on their footsteps in the first official book. In doing so, BTS nurtures the power to build brighter days and they choose to take another step on a road that no one has gone before.
BTS shares personal, behind-the-scenes stories of their journey so far through interviews and more than three years of in-depth coverage by Myeongseok Kang, who has written about K-pop and other Korean pop culture in various media. Presented chronologically in seven chapters from before the debut of BTS to the present, their vivid voices and opinions harmonize to tell a sincere, lively, and deep story. In individual interviews that have been conducted without a camera or makeup, they illuminate their musical journey from multiple angles and discuss its significance.
In addition, portrait photos that show BTS as individuals and artists open the book, and throughout there are concept photos, tracklists of all previous albums, and over 330 QR codes. As digital artists, BTS has been communicating with the world through the internet and this book allows readers to immediately access trailers, music videos, and more online to have a rich understanding of all the key moments in BTS history. Complete with a timeline of all major milestones, Beyond the Story is a remarkable archive—truly everything about BTS in one volume.
“[A] must-have K-Pop memoir.” – Barnes & Noble
Business or Pleasure by Rachel Lynn Solomon
fiction / romance.
Chandler Cohen has never felt more like the ghost in “ghostwriter” until she attends a signing for a book she wrote—and the author doesn’t even recognize her. The evening turns more promising when she meets a charming man at the bar and immediately connects with him. But when all their sexual tension culminates in a spectacularly awkward hookup, she decides this is one night better off forgotten.
Unfortunately, that’s easier said than done. Her next project is ghostwriting a memoir for Finn Walsh, a C-list actor best known for playing a lovable nerd on a cult classic werewolf show who now makes a living appearing at fan conventions across the country. But Chandler knows him better from their one-night stand of hilarious mishaps.
Chandler’s determined to keep their partnership as professional as possible, but when she admits to Finn their night together wasn’t as mind-blowing as he thought it was, he’s distraught. He intrigues her enough that they strike a deal: when they’re not working on his book, Chandler will school Finn in the art of satisfaction. As they grow closer both in and out of the bedroom, they must figure out which is more important, business or pleasure—or if there’s a way for them to have both.
“Rachel Lynn Solomon’s romance books make you feel things that you wish you could feel every day. They really feel like beacons of light in a dark world and Business or Pleasure is no different in this regard.” – Silvana Reyes Lopez, BookRiot
“Solomon consistently balances spicy and sweet, making her romance novels a sure bet for a good read. A must-read modern romance that emphasizes silliness and sexiness in equal parts. Solomon’s best yet.” – Kirkus Reviews, STARRED REVIEW
“Solomon delights with this hot and heartfelt rom-com… [filled] with clever twists and turns and supportive, realistically drawn family and friends, who offer advice and encouragement along the way. This is a joy.” – Publishers Weekly, STARRED REVIEW
Days at the Morisaki Bookshop by Satoshi Yagisawa; translated by Eric Ozawa
fiction / romance.
Twenty-five-year-old Takako has enjoyed a relatively easy existence—until the day her boyfriend Hideaki, the man she expected to wed, casually announces he’s been cheating on her and is marrying the other woman. Suddenly, Takako’s life is in freefall. She loses her job, her friends, and her acquaintances, and spirals into a deep depression. In the depths of her despair, she receives a call from her distant uncle Satoru.
An unusual man who has always pursued something of an unconventional life, especially after his wife Momoko left him out of the blue five years earlier, Satoru runs a second-hand bookshop in Jimbocho, Tokyo’s famous book district. Takako once looked down upon Satoru’s life. Now, she reluctantly accepts his offer of the tiny room above the bookshop rent-free in exchange for helping out at the store. The move is temporary, until she can get back on her feet. But in the months that follow, Takako surprises herself when she develops a passion for Japanese literature, becomes a regular at a local coffee shop where she makes new friends, and eventually meets a young editor from a nearby publishing house who’s going through his own messy breakup.
But just as she begins to find joy again, Hideaki reappears, forcing Takako to rely once again on her uncle, whose own life has begun to unravel. Together, these seeming opposites work to understand each other and themselves as they continue to share the wisdom they’ve gained in the bookshop.
“[A] comforting tale about growing old and settling down… A familiar romance about books and bookstores, told with heart and humor.” – Kirkus Reviews
“Yagisawa’s endearing English-language debut pays tribute to the power of books, family, and friendship… Ozawa’s translation gracefully captures the author’s whimsical and tender voice. Yagisawa has the right touch for lifting a reader’s mood.” – Publishers Weekly
“Yagisawa’s prose is clean and direct even as he describes the Morisaki Bookshop and the city that surrounds it with extraordinary care and detail. The characters are also compelling, but it is really the setting and the atmosphere that stand out in this novel. Readers will want to linger in this world. They will want more when this concise tale ends.” – Jillian Law, Booklist
The Door-to-Door Bookstore by Carsten Henn
fiction.
The bookseller Carl Christian Kollhoff delivers books to special customers in the evening hours after closing time, walking through the picturesque alleys of the city. These people are almost like friends to him, and he is their most important connection to the world.
When Kollhoff unexpectedly loses his job, it takes the power of books and a nine-year-old girl to make them all find the courage to rebuild their bonds with each other.
A bestselling phenomenon internationally, Carsten Henn’s The Door-to-Door Bookstore is a feel-good novel about books and friendship.
“[A] warm and heartfelt story about the myriad ways books create connections between people. Readers who love Fredrik Backman and books about books, such as The Last Chance Library by Freya Sampson and The Reading List by Sara Nisha Adams, should pick up this charming story about the power of books and reading.” – Halle Carlosn, Booklist
“Charming is an appropriate word to describe this gem of a story… This carries a powerful statement on the power of books to affect and connect people. If you enjoy feel-good, inter-generational stories, this one is for you.” – It’s All About the Book
Evidence of Things Seen: True Crime in an Era of Reckoning edited by Sarah Weinman
nonfiction / true crime / history.
True crime, as an entertainment genre, has always prioritized clear narrative, victims wronged, police detectives in pursuit, suspects apprehended, justice delivered–but what stories have been ignored? In Evidence of Things Seen, fourteen of the most innovative crime writers working today cast a light on the cases that give crucial insight into our society. Wesley Lowery writes about a lynching left unsolved for decades by an indifferent police force and a family’s quest for answers. Justine van der Leun reports on the thousands of women in prison for defending themselves from abuse. May Jeong reveals how the Atlanta spa shootings tell a story of America. This anthology pulls back the curtain on how crime itself is a by-product of America’s systemic harms and inequalities, and in doing so, it reveals how the genre of true crime can be a catalyst for social change. These works combine brilliant storytelling with incisive cultural examinations—and challenge each of us to ask what justice should look like.
“A valuable addition to the ever-growing genre of crime nonfiction.” – David Pitt, Booklist
“[An] addicting anthology of reporting that reframes crime writing itself… Editor Sarah Weinman has become a seal of excellence for true crime.” – Christopher Borrelli, Chicago Tribune
“Weinman’s sensitive selection of [the] articles in the anthology will provoke a wide range of reactions—sorrow, anger, indignation and even optimism. Perhaps they will also provoke a reckoning with how true crime lovers engage with stories of transgression and justice.” – Deborah Mason, BookPage
Flop Dead Gorgeous by David Rosenfelt
fiction / mystery / comedy.
Retired lawyer Andy Carpenter remembers every dog that’s come through the Tara Foundation’s doors, but the most well-known alum of the dog rescue organization that Andy founded in Paterson, New Jersey, may be Mamie. Adopted by famous actress Jenny Nichols―Andy’s high school girlfriend―the miniature French poodle is now practically a starlet in her own right.
Andy doesn’t hold it against his friend. In fact, he and his wife, Laurie, have dinner with Jenny while she’s in town filming her next big hit. But after an eventful meal, there’s a plot twist the next morning that none of them see coming: Jenny’s costar is found dead, a knife in his back. It’s not long before Jenny is arrested for the murder and finds herself in need of Andy’s legal services.
While Mamie becomes reacquainted with Tara, Andy’s golden retriever, Andy digs into the lives of the rich and famous.
“…witty, well-paced… A well-constructed plot and vivid characters—both human and canine, as Rosenfelt dedicates plenty of space to Jenny’s miniature French poodle, Mamie—make this a treat for fans. Rarely does a series this long-running still feel so fresh.” – Publishers Weekly
“Flop Dead Gorgeous features some of Rosenfelt’s funniest material in years… We’re twenty-seven books in and I still laughed and was left on tenterhooks to see how Andy was going to prevail. That’s no mean feat. Rosenfelt hasn’t lost a step, and neither has this series.” – H.C Newton, The Irresponsible Reader
A Good House for Children by Kate Collins
fiction / horror / mystery / historical fiction.
Once upon a time Orla was: a woman, a painter, a lover.
Now she is a mother and a wife, and when her husband Nick suggests that their city apartment has grown too small for their lives, she agrees, in part because she does agree, and in part because she is too tired to think about what she really does want. She agrees again when Nick announces with pride that he has found an antiquated Georgian house on the Dorset cliffs—a good house for children, he says, tons of space and gorgeous grounds.
But as the family settles into the mansion—Nick absent all week, commuting to the city for work—Orla finds herself unsettled. She hears voices when no one is around; doors open and close on their own; and her son Sam, who has not spoken in six months, seems to have made an imaginary friend whose motives Orla does not trust.
Four decades earlier, Lydia moves into the same house as a live-in nanny to a grieving family. Lydia, too, becomes aware of intangible presences in the large house, and she, like Orla four decades later, becomes increasingly fearful for the safety of the children in her care. But no one in either woman’s life believes the stories that seem fanciful, the stuff of magic and mayhem, sprung from the imaginations of hysterical women who spend too much time in the company of children.
Are both families careening towards tragedy? Are Orla and Lydia seeing things that aren’t there? What secrets is the house hiding?
“A harrowing slow burn with feminist undertones.” – Kirkus Reviews, STARRED REVIEW
“That this is Collins’s debut is astonishing. Her writing is well-crafted and takes us from the real to surreal and back again with ease. Keep the lights on and ignore any odd noises you hear.” – Anne Marie Scanlon, Irish Independent
“[Will] go down a treat for all of those (numerous) readers with tastes straddling what passes for ‘literary fiction’ and good old, deeply satisfying horror. It has a little bit of all things not very nice that make up a page-turning popular novel, without resorting to moral simplicity or predictability. It’s a highly readable book that still inspires more questions than it answers – which is impressive, for being so rare… More than once, I was put in mind of The Turn of the Screw.” – Irish Times
Grayson’s Vow by Mia Sheridan
fiction / romance.
Kira Dallaire is desperate. She must get married, and fast, to access the inheritance her late grandmother left her. Otherwise, she’ll find herself at the mercy of her wealthy, abusive father. With little money and even fewer options, she uses her quick wit and impulsive heart to come up with a plan.
Grayson Hawthorn is losing hope. A convicted felon with limited capital and dwindling resources, his vow to resurrect his family’s struggling vineyard seems destined to fail. That is, until a young woman enters his office with an outlandish proposal―a win-win business marriage he can’t refuse. But what begins as a temporary arrangement soon threatens to become more, as vibrant, spirited Kira challenges detached, arrogant Grayson to want more from life. To want more for himself.
As their wills clash and fiery passion ignites, the two realize that sometimes the past creates walls too difficult to climb, and lies and deception rarely precede a happily ever after.
“Beautifully evocative and compelling. Grayson and Kira’s deeply moving story will own you. It’s my favorite Mia Sheridan book to date.” – Vilma Iris
“…wonderful… It will make you feel, and that’s how you know the author’s done a fantastic job.” – Forever She Reads
The Hate Next Door: Undercover Within the New Face of White Supremacy by Matson Browning & Tawni Browning
nonfiction / true crime / current events / history.
The changing face of hate is on your doorstep…
Matt Browning, an undercover detective in Arizona, thought he knew what hate looked like; that is, until he got a front row seat to White supremacy. What followed was a career of hardship and danger, and what he uncovered can no longer go left untold.
For more than twenty-five years, Browning has been infiltrating, documenting, and disrupting white supremacy movements from the inside, gaining an intimate vantage point to the KKK, skinheads, border militias, Proud Boys, and other White Power groups, as they organized and grew, their ranks alarmingly including police force and military veterans. Together with his intrepid wife, Tawni, he adopted fake IDs and ideologies, seeking the arrest of its participants―none more so than J.T. Ready, a neo-Nazi who took “hunting trips” for border migrants while gaining mainstream acceptance as a political candidate―and terrorizing Browning’s family. What others dismissed as fringe groups, Browning quickly recognized as large and interconnecting organizations permeating into every facet of American society, effectively spreading their dangerous and repugnant rhetoric at unprecedented speeds. Today, after the violent storming of the Capitol on January 6th, the threat posed by these toxic organizations can no longer be ignored by the public at large.
In this imperative and gripping narrative, Browning gives readers the inside story of modern-day White supremacy in America in all of its ugly variation. Following his dramatic, high-stakes attempts to take down powerful White supremacists, the torment he faced whilst working undercover, and his eventual creation of the international Skinhead Intelligence Network, The Hate Next Door is a riveting, enlightening, and essential look at the what, where, when, and why of white supremacist groups, how to identify them, and why we must all do everything in our power to fight against them.
“[A] gripping read, akin to watching your favorite cop show on TV… Knowledgeable, propulsive, and a bit terrifying…” – Kirkus Reviews
The Housekeepers by Alex Hay
fiction / historical fiction / mystery / suspense.
Mrs. King is no ordinary housekeeper. Born into a world of con artists and thieves, she’s made herself respectable, running the grandest home in Mayfair. The place is packed with treasures, a glittering symbol of wealth and power, but dark secrets lurk in the shadows.
When Mrs. King is suddenly dismissed from her position, she recruits an eclectic group of women to join her in revenge: A black market queen out to settle her scores. An actress desperate for a magnificent part. A seamstress dreaming of a better life. And Mrs. King’s predecessor, with her own desire for vengeance.
Their plan? On the night of the house’s highly anticipated costume ball—set to be the most illustrious of the year—they will rob it of its every possession, right under the noses of the distinguished guests and their elusive heiress host. But there’s one thing Mrs. King wants even more than money: the truth. And she’ll run any risk to get it…
After all, one should never underestimate the women downstairs.
“These sisters are doing it—grand larceny—for themselves, and it is as much shady, class-conscious, boisterous, nail-biting fun as you can imagine.” – Vanessa Cronin, Amazon
“[A] glittering debut… Hay spins a remarkable yarn of daring and defiance, and gleefully piles on one outrageous event after another over the course of the party, involving both thieves and guests… This lighthearted romp is a treat.” – Publishers Weekly
“This wonderfully inventive story paints an authentic portrait of London society in the early 1900s and is full of shocking secrets, suspense, hidden identities, flamboyant characters, and subtle humor; there’s even an unexpectedly satisfying ending. Fans of historical fiction, strong female characters, and twisty, pacy thrillers will love it” – Emily Melton, Booklist
The Librarianist by Patrick DeWitt ★
fiction / historical fiction / comedy.
Bob Comet is a retired librarian passing his solitary days surrounded by books and small comforts in a mint-colored house in Portland, Oregon. One morning on his daily walk he encounters a confused elderly woman lost in a market and returns her to the senior center that is her home. Hoping to fill the void he’s known since retiring, he begins volunteering at the center. Here, as a community of strange peers gathers around Bob, and following a happenstance brush with a painful complication from his past, the events of his life and the details of his character are revealed.
Behind Bob Comet’s straight-man facade is the story of an unhappy child’s runaway adventure during the last days of the Second World War, of true love won and stolen away, of the purpose and pride found in the librarian’s vocation, and of the pleasures of a life lived to the side of the masses. Bob’s experiences are imbued with melancholy but also a bright, sustained comedy; he has a talent for locating bizarre and outsize players to welcome onto the stage of his life.
With his inimitable verve, skewed humor, and compassion for the outcast, Patrick deWitt has written a wide-ranging and ambitious document of the introvert’s condition. The Librarianist celebrates the extraordinary in the so-called ordinary life, and depicts beautifully the turbulence that sometimes exists beneath a surface of serenity.
“The Librarianist is another charmer from the author of The Sisters Brothers, who knows how to delight.” – BookPage
“[A] wistful fable… A quietly effective and moving character study.” – Kirkus Revews, STARRED REVIEW
“Readers come to deWitt for his brand of slightly off-kilter storytelling blessed with exuberant characterizations, gleeful dialogue, and a proprietary blend of darkness and charm, all strung up in lights here. Gripping, random, and totally alive? Check, check, and check.” – Annie Bostrom, Booklist, STARRED REVIEW
“The Booker Prize–shortlisted deWitt creates an endearing character in Bob Comet, who, at the age of 72, and after a lifetime of low expectations, finds life’s answers and the friends he deeply needs. This novel begs to be read.” – Donna Bettencourt, Library Journal
A Patriot’s Promise: Protecting My Brothers, Fighting for My Life, and Keeping My Word by Israel “DT” Del Toro, Jr. with T.L. Heyer
nonfiction / memoir.
When Israel “DT” Del Toro, Jr’s Humvee rolled over a roadside IED in Afghanistan, he had one thought as he lost consciousness: I have to keep the promise I made to my dad. DT was orphaned at the age of fourteen, and on the night before his father died, he repeated the promise his dad required: “Take care of your brothers and sisters.”
Throughout his childhood and into adulthood, DT indeed looked after his younger brother and sisters, even to his own detriment and sacrifice. When he enlisted in the Air Force, progressing in ranks as a skilled marksman calling airstrikes, his promise extended to his brothers and sisters in the Air Force, his fellow soldiers and brothers-in-arms.
When DT was injured in action, he lay in a coma for three months with third-degree burns on 80% of his body. He nearly died three times, and doctors predicted – if he survived – he would forever breathe with a respirator and never walk again. DT pushed through every limit to his full recovery, and he became the first 100% disabled veteran to re-enlist in the Air Force.
DT’s promise to his dad extends now to his fellow wounded warriors throughout the world, as he advocates for awareness and affecting change in public policy for wounded, injured, and ill soldiers. He is a patriot who has kept his promise and changed the world with the spirit of his heart, soul, body, and mind.
The Red Hotel: Moscow 1941, the Metropol Hotel, and the Untold Story of Stalin’s Propaganda War by Alan Philps
nonfiction / history.
In 1941, when German armies were marching towards Moscow, Lenin’s body was moved from his tomb on Red Square and taken to Siberia. By 1945, a victorious Stalin had turned a poor country into a victorious superpower. Over the course of those four years, Stalin, at Churchill’s insistence, accepted an Anglo-American press corps in Moscow to cover the Eastern Front. To turn these reporters into Kremlin mouthpieces, Stalin imposed the most draconian controls – unbending censorship, no visits to the battlefront, and a ban on contact with ordinary citizens.
The Red Hotel explores this gilded cage of the Metropol Hotel. They enjoyed lavish supplies of caviar and had their choice of young women to employ as translators and share their beds. On the surface, this regime served Stalin well: his plans to control Eastern Europe as a Sovietised ‘outer empire’ were never reported and the most outrageous Soviet lies went unchallenged.
But beneath the surface, the Metropol was roiling with intrigue. While some of the translators turned journalists into robotic conveyors of Kremlin propaganda, others were secret dissidents who whispered to reporters the reality of Soviet life and were punished with sentences in the Gulag. Using British archives and Soviet sources, the unique role of the women of the Metropol, both as consummate propagandists and secret dissenters, is told for the first time.
At the end of the war when Lenin returned to Red Square, the reporters went home, but the memory of Stalin’s ruthless control of the wartime narrative lived on in the Kremlin. From the weaponization of disinformation to the falsification of history, from the moving of borders to the neutralization of independent states, the story of the Metropol mirrors the struggles of our own modern era.
“A riveting trip down the corridors of Soviet deception. Philps’s book is almost faultlessly balanced between racy narrative and historical analysis.” – Julian Evans, The Telegraph
“…unsettling… thoughtful… Authoritative…” – Kirkus Reviews
“…riveting… Quoting extensively from wartime and postwar memoirs of Western and Russian participants, Philps draws incisive comparisons to current Russian disinformation campaigns, including Putin’s insistence on refering to the 2022 invasion of Ukraine as a ‘special operation.’ This exhilarating history has noteworthy implications for the present.” – Publishers Weekly
Sunshine Nails by Mai Nguyen
fiction / comedy.
Vietnamese refugees Debbie and Phil Tran have built a comfortable life for themselves in Toronto with their family nail salon. But when an ultra-glam chain salon opens across the street, their world is rocked.
Complicating matters further, their landlord has jacked up the rent and it seems only a matter of time before they lose their business and everything they’ve built. They enlist the help of their daughter, Jessica, who has just returned home after a messy breakup and a messier firing. Together with their son, Dustin, and niece, Thuy, they devise some good old-fashioned sabotage. Relationships are put to the test as the line between right and wrong gets blurred. Debbie and Phil must choose: do they keep their family intact or fight for their salon?
Sunshine Nails is a light-hearted, urgent fable of gentrification with a cast of memorable and complex characters who showcase the diversity of immigrant experiences and community resilience.
“Nguyen debuts with a glittering story of a family nail salon in Toronto… Nguyen imbues her characters with humanity and nuance, making hay from all their imperfections. Readers are in for a treat.” – Publishers Weekly
“[A] touching story of family, immigration, and the struggles of keeping both your and your family’s dreams alive… definitely a highlight for summer reading.” – Jaclyn, Literary Treats
“Mai Nguyen’s wickedly funny debut novel, Sunshine Nails, paints a layered, colorful portrait of a Vietnamese immigrant family working to save the titular nail salon… Nguyen deftly portrays the complex dynamics of this particular immigrant family… Sharp, witty, and warmhearted, Nguyen’s debut tackles gentrification, small business ownership, prejudice in the workplace, and–most importantly–the depth of familial ties, and the power of a good manicure.” – Katie Noah Gibson, Shelf Awareness
Trinity by Zelda Lockhart
fiction / historical fiction.
Lottie Rebecca Lee is spoken into the world in Fayetteville, North Carolina by a Black nurse who declares, “Lord Jesus, if that ain’t the blackest little baby born this side of heaven.” Later, Lottie will prove that she is the ancestors’ promise to unearth the Mississippi and Ghanaian atrocities that have tormented Benjamin Lee, her grandfather who was born during the Great Depression in Mississippi’s red clay tobacco fields, and Benjamin Junior, his son and Lottie Rebecca’s father, born in Fayetteville, North Carolina, where the post Korean War GI Bill promises prosperity. These two generations of men are haunted by the Mother-Spirit who did not survive enslavement’s post-traumatic stress violence.
Trinity is the riveting story of the daughter-spirit born to stitch love back into the scattered wombs of her Black mothers and call love back into the fishing blues songs of her Black male kin. Lottie Rebecca Lee is the Divine spirited daughter born to set everything back up right again, in this daringly original novel.
“…intense… Lockhart skillfully untangles the long-term effects of violence, trauma, and the history of enslavement on the family. This is not to be missed.” – Publishers Weekly
“[The] novel recalls Octavia Butler’s Kindred in its innovative approach to time and its rendering of history in ways that are immediate to the modern reader and Toni Morrison’s Beloved in its exploration of haunting, trauma, and family identity… A challenging yet inspiring portrait of the resilience of Black families.” – Kirkus Reviews
Wolfsong by TJ Klune
fiction / fantasy / romance.
The Bennett family has a secret:
They’re not just a family, they’re a pack.
Wolfsong is Ox Matheson’s story.
Oxnard Matheson was twelve when his father taught him a lesson: Ox wasn’t worth anything and people would never understand him. Then his father left.
Ox was sixteen when the energetic Bennett family moved in next door, harboring a secret that would change him forever. The Bennetts are shapeshifters. They can transform into wolves at will. Drawn to their magic, loyalty, and enduring friendships, Ox feels a gulf between this extraordinary new world and the quiet life he’s known, but he finds an ally in Joe, the youngest Bennett boy.
Ox was twenty-three when murder came to town and tore a hole in his heart. Violence flared, tragedy split the pack, and Joe left town, leaving Ox behind. Three years later, the boy is back. Except now he’s a man – charming, handsome, but haunted – and Ox can no longer ignore the song that howls between them.
“[An] exciting start to the series.” – Eve Stano, Library Journal
“[Klune] offers plenty of opportunities to fall in love with these characters. Fans will be delighted.” – Publishers Weekly
“Romantic, funny, poignant… Wolfsong is everything I hope for when I start reading a new novel… Wolfsong is wonderfully nuanced and there are so many layers to the tale, it’s difficult to convey them in a review without spoiling this beautiful – and epic – romance.” Em Wittmann, All About Romance