“I am a superficial woman of depth.” – Melissa Broder, So Sad Today: Personal Essays
Alfie & Me: What Owls Know, What Humans Believe by Carl Safina
nonfiction / memoir / science / nature.
When ecologist Carl Safina and his wife, Patricia, took in a near-death baby owl, they expected that, like other wild orphans they’d rescued, she’d be a temporary presence. But Alfie’s feathers were not growing correctly, requiring prolonged care. As Alfie grew and gained strength, she became a part of the family, joining a menagerie of dogs and chickens and making a home for herself in the backyard. Carl and Patricia began to realize that the healing was mutual; Alfie had been braided into their world, and was now pulling them into hers.
Alfie & Me is the story of the remarkable impact this little owl would have on their lives. The continuing bond of trust following her freedom—and her raising of her own wild brood—coincided with the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, a year in which Carl and Patricia were forced to spend time at home without the normal obligations of work and travel. Witnessing all the fine details of their feathered friend’s life offered Carl and Patricia a view of existence from Alfie’s perspective.
One can travel the world and go nowhere; one can be stuck keeping the faith at home and discover a new world. Safina’s relationship with an owl made him want to better understand how people have viewed humanity’s relationship with nature across cultures and throughout history. Interwoven with Safina’s keen observations, insight, and reflections, Alfie & Me is a work of profound beauties and magical timing harbored within one upended year.
“A fervent homage to a dynamic, interdependent universe.” – Kirkus Reviews, STARRED REVIEW
“[A] moving story… Stirring and ruminative, this is an excellent complement to Irene Pepperberg’s Alex and Me.” – Publishers Weekly, STARRED REVIEW
“[A] wonderfully intimate account of Safina’s relationship with Alfie and what she taught him about lives in a ‘parallel reality adjacent to human experience’… a beautifully illuminating work of up-close natural history.” – Nancy Bent, Booklist, STARRED REVIEW
Brooklyn Crime Novel by Jonathan Lethem ★
fiction / historical fiction.
On the streets of 1970s Brooklyn, a daily ritual goes down: the dance. Money is exchanged, belongings surrendered, power asserted. The promise of violence lies everywhere, a currency itself. For these children, Black, brown, and white, the street is a stage in shadow. And in the wings hide the other players: parents; cops; renovators; landlords; those who write the headlines, the histories, and the laws; those who award this neighborhood its name.
The rules appear obvious at first. But in memory’s prism, criminals and victims may seem to trade places. The voices of the past may seem to rise and gather as if in harmony, then make war with one another. A street may seem to crack open and reveal what lies behind its glimmering facade. None who lived through it are ever permitted to forget.
Written with kaleidoscopic verve and delirious wit, Brooklyn Crime Novel is a breathtaking tour de force by a writer at the top of his powers. Jonathan Lethem, “one of America’s greatest storytellers” (Washington Post), has crafted an epic interrogation of how we fashion stories to contain the uncontainable: our remorse at the world we’ve made.
“Jonathan Lethem creates a vivid portrait of the borough of Brooklyn over 50 years of profound social and economic change… Anyone attuned by personal experience to the vibrancy and edginess of New York City life, or who simply enjoys reading about it, will find something to savor here.” – Harvey Freedenberg, Shelf Awareness
“Lethem’s return to the Brooklyn crime novel brings a wild, exuberant ambition that pays off and delivers to readers a true achievement: a book at once full of art and grace and mystery… Lethem proves again why he is a master of the form.” – Dwyer Murphy, CrimeReads
“…empathic, elaborate, and affecting… [an] intricately excavated, breathtaking tale of imperiled childhood in a fitfully gentrifying Brooklyn neighborhood… With Brooklyn as a microcosm of human folly and strife, Lethem’s virtuoso, many-faceted novel is trenchant, hilarious, wrenching, and tender.” – Donna Seaman, Booklist, STARRED REVIEW
“…Lethem examines what constitutes a crime — and the arbitrariness of justice — throughout the novel… Densely populated with bulldozing renovators, would-be reformers and their complicated casualties, Brooklyn Crime Novel is a book that itself, structurally if not plotwise, is stripped down to the studs… interesting and affecting…” – Alexandra Jacobs, New York Times
Collision of Power: Trump, Bezos, and the Washington Post by Martin Baron
nonfiction / memoir / history / politics / journalism.
Marty Baron took charge of the Washington Post newsroom in 2013, after nearly a dozen years leading The Boston Globe. Just seven months into his new job, Baron received explosive news: Jeff Bezos, the founder of Amazon, would buy the Post, marking a sudden end to control by the venerated family that had presided over the paper for 80 years. Just over two years later, Donald Trump won the presidency.
Now, the capital’s newspaper, owned by one of the world’s richest men, was tasked with reporting on a president who had campaigned against the press as the “lowest form of humanity.” Pressures on Baron and his colleagues were immense and unrelenting, having to meet the demands of their new owner while contending with a president who waged a war of unprecedented vitriol and vengeance against the media.
In the face of Trump’s unceasing attacks, Baron steadfastly managed the Post’s newsroom. Their groundbreaking and award-winning coverage included stories about Trump’s purported charitable giving, misconduct by the Secret Service, and Roy Moore’s troubling sexual history. At the same time, Baron managed a restive staff during a period of rapidly changing societal dynamics around gender and race.
In Collision of Power, Baron recounts this with the tenacity of a reporter and the sure hand of an experienced editor. The result is elegant and revelatory—an urgent exploration of the nature of power in the 21st century.
“…fascinating…” – New York Times
“[An] engrossing debut… [Baron’s] memoir is testimony to the efforts of a devoted staff whose commitment is reflected in a motto created by the paper just one month into Trump’s presidency: ‘Democracy Dies in Darkness.’ An impassioned argument for objective journalism.” – Kirkus Reviews
The Cost of Free Land: Jews, Lakota, and an American Inheritance by Rebecca Clarren
nonfiction / history / memoir.
Growing up, Rebecca Clarren only knew the major plot points of her tenacious immigrant family’s origins. Her great-great-grandparents, the Sinykins, and their six children fled antisemitism in Russia and arrived in the United States at the turn of the 20th century, ultimately settling on a 160-acre homestead in South Dakota. Over the next few decades, despite tough years on a merciless prairie and multiple setbacks, the Sinykins became an American immigrant success story.
What none of Clarren’s ancestors ever mentioned was that their land, the foundation for much of their wealth, had been cruelly taken from the Lakota by the United States government. By the time the Sinykins moved to South Dakota, America had broken hundreds of treaties with hundreds of Indigenous nations across the continent, and the land that had once been reserved for the seven bands of the Lakota had been diminished, splintered, and handed for free, or practically free, to white settlers. In The Cost of Free Land, Clarren melds investigative reporting with personal family history to reveal the intertwined stories of her family and the Lakota, and the devastating cycle of loss of Indigenous land, culture, and resources that continues today.
With deep empathy and clarity of purpose, Clarren grapples with the personal and national consequences of this legacy of violence and dispossession. What does it mean to survive oppression only to perpetuate and benefit from the oppression of others? By shining a light on the people and families tangled up in this country’s difficult history, The Cost of Free Land invites readers to consider their own culpability and what, now, can be done.
“Sharply insightful… A monumental piece of work.” – Lorraine Barry, Boston Globe
“A deft mix of personal and social history… Free land comes at a cost. Clarren’s memorable book, troubling and inspiring, seeks a humane path toward restitution.” – Kirkus Reviews, STARRED REVIEW
“If telling this history were Clarren’s sole goal, it would be worthy and timely, but this book is far more ambitious. Drawing on Jewish traditions of reconciliation, Clarren seeks to find a path for meaningful reconciliation and reparation for the harm done to Native people.” – Deborah Mason, BookPage, STARRED REVIEW
Creative Producing: A Pitch-to-Picture Guide to Movie Development by Carol Baum with Tom Baum
nonfiction / film / memoir.
As former co-president of Dolly Parton’s production company, Sandollar, and as a successful independent producer, Carol Baum is an expert in the art of film production. Creative Producing provides a crash course in the frequently misunderstood producer’s role and the many skills needed to survive and thrive in Hollywood. Readers receive a master class in production––from pitching, script development, and packaging, to working with stars, directors, and difficult executives. Enhanced with behind-the-scenes stories from Baum’s illustrious career, Creative Producing offers an intimate look behind the Hollywood curtain to give film students, cinephiles, aspiring executives, and industry insiders a must-have guide to understanding film development from successful pitch to hit picture.
“This is sheer gold for anyone trying to break into the field of producing films… Baum and her husband know what they’re talking about and express it succinctly in this scintillating primer on producing films. Invaluable to readers seeking a career in the film-producing field, but lively enough to please a wide audience.” – David Keymer, Library Journal, STARRED REVIEW
Death Valley by Melissa Broder ★
fiction.
In Melissa Broder’s astounding new novel, a woman arrives alone at a Best Western seeking respite from an emptiness that plagues her. She has fled to the California high desert to escape a cloud of sorrow—for both her father in the ICU and a husband whose illness is worsening. What the motel provides, however, is not peace but a path, thanks to a receptionist who recommends a nearby hike.
Out on the sun-scorched trail, the woman encounters a towering cactus whose size and shape mean it should not exist in California. Yet the cactus is there, with a gash through its side that beckons like a familiar door. So she enters it. What awaits her inside this mystical succulent sets her on a journey at once desolate and rich, hilarious and poignant.
This is Melissa Broder at her most imaginative, most universal, and finest. This is Death Valley.
“Bursting with jokes, abounding with existential crisis, Broder again puts forward her absurdist, provocative philosophy.” – Maggie Lange, Bustle
“[An] exhilarating meditation on death, life, survival and how we rely on stories to get us through it all. It’s a triumph for Broder.” – BookPage, STARRED REVIEW
“…infectious and dreamy… Readers ought not to miss this magical tale of survival.” – Publishers Weekly, STARRED REVIEW
“A 100 percent Broder take on grief and empathy: embodied but cerebral, hilarious but heart-wrenching.” – Kirkus Reviews
Edenville by Sam Rebelein
fiction / horror / suspense / mystery.
After publishing his debut novel, The Shattered Man, to disappointing sales and reviews, Campbell P. Marion is struggling to find inspiration for a follow-up. When Edenville College invites him to join as a writer-in-residence, he’s convinced that his bad luck has finally taken a turn. His girlfriend Quinn isn’t so sure—she grew up near Edenville and has good reasons for not wanting to move back. Cam disregards her skepticism and accepts the job, with Quinn reluctantly following along.
But there’s something wrong in Edenville. Despite the charming old ladies milling about Main Street and picturesque sunflowers dotting the sidewalks, poison lurks beneath the surface. As a series of strange and ominous events escalate among Edenville and its residents, Cam and Quinn find themselves entangled in a dark and disturbing history.
Told with equal parts horror and humor, Edenville explores the urban legends that fuel our nightmares and the ways in which ambition can overshadow our best instincts. Sam Rebelein is an exciting, sharp new voice, sure to terrify readers for years to come.
“[A] wild ride from start to finish, with a heavy dose of humor thrown into the mix.” – Molly Odintz, CrimeReads
“Rebelein’s debut is its own wild and woolly beast, frequently unpredictable and frankly utterly insane at times… I hope I get to go back to Renfield County again, before too long.” – Drew Broussard, Literary Hub
“[An] entertainingly bonkers tale infused with so much unease and danger that it is literally dripping from Cam’s eyes. It is a story that explores the cosmic and folk horror tropes to their furthest reaches while also providing a scathing critique of academia, especially MFA programs, all wrapped up in one wild ride of a read.” – Becky Spratford, Library Journal
Extremely Online: The Untold Story of Fame, Influence, and Power on the Internet by Taylor Lorenz ★
nonfiction / history / technology / sociology / business.
For over a decade, Taylor Lorenz has been the authority on internet culture, documenting its far-reaching effects on all corners of our lives. Her reporting is serious yet entertaining and illuminates deep truths about ourselves and the lives we create online. In her debut book, Extremely Online, she reveals how online influence came to upend the world, demolishing traditional barriers and creating whole new sectors of the economy. Lorenz shows this phenomenon to be one of the most disruptive changes in modern capitalism.
By tracing how the internet has changed what we want and how we go about getting it, Lorenz unearths how social platforms’ power users radically altered our expectations of content, connection, purchasing, and power. Lorenz documents how moms who started blogging were among the first to monetize their personal brands online, how bored teens who began posting selfie videos reinvented fame as we know it, and how young creators on TikTok are leveraging opportunities to opt out of the traditional career pipeline. It’s the real social history of the internet.
Emerging seemingly out of nowhere, these shifts in how we use the internet seem easy to dismiss as fads. However, these social and economic transformations have resulted in a digital dynamic so unappreciated and insurgent that it ultimately created new approaches to work, entertainment, fame, and ambition in the 21st century.
Extremely Online is the inside, untold story of what we have done to the internet, and what it has done to us.
“[A] powerful assessment of how logging on has changed the world.” – Publishers Weekly
“…valuable and entertaining… an enlightening history of the pioneers of influencers such as bloggers Heather Armstrong and Julia Allison, as well as the rise and fall of platforms such MySpace and Vine.” – Andrew Demillo, AP
“…terrific… Extremely Online aims to tell a sociological story, not a psychological one, and in its breadth it demonstrates a new cultural logic emerging out of 21st-century media chaos.” – Clay Shirky, New York Times
“[An] infectious celebration of internet youth culture… a clear and compelling history of how the money came to flow into amateur-made short video content.” – W. David Marx, Washington Post
Going Infinite: The Rise and Fall of a New Tycoon by Michael Lewis ★
nonfiction / biography / business / technology.
When Michael Lewis first met him, Sam Bankman-Fried was the world’s youngest billionaire and crypto’s Gatsby. CEOs, celebrities, and leaders of small countries all vied for his time and cash after he catapulted, practically overnight, onto the Forbes billionaire list. Who was this rumpled guy in cargo shorts and limp white socks, whose eyes twitched across Zoom meetings as he played video games on the side?
In Going Infinite Lewis sets out to answer this question, taking readers into the mind of Bankman-Fried, whose rise and fall offers an education in high-frequency trading, cryptocurrencies, philanthropy, bankruptcy, and the justice system. Both psychological portrait and financial roller-coaster ride, Going Infinite is Michael Lewis at the top of his game, tracing the mind-bending trajectory of a character who never liked the rules and was allowed to live by his own―until it all came undone.
“Among the reliable pleasures offered by a Michael Lewis book are his formidable storytelling skills, his comic timing, his winsome confidence.” – Jennifer Szalai, New York Times
A Haunting on the Hill by Elizabeth Hand
fiction / horror.
Open the door…
Holly Sherwin has been a struggling playwright for years, but now, after receiving a grant to develop her play Witching Night, she may finally be close to her big break. All she needs is time and space to bring her vision to life. When she stumbles across Hill House on a weekend getaway upstate, she is immediately taken in by the mansion, nearly hidden outside a remote village. It’s enormous, old, and ever-so eerie—the perfect place to develop and rehearse her play.
Despite her own hesitations, Holly’s girlfriend, Nisa, agrees to join Holly in renting the house for a month, and soon a troupe of actors, each with ghosts of their own, arrive. Yet as they settle in, the house’s peculiarities are made known: strange creatures stalk the grounds, disturbing sounds echo throughout the halls, and time itself seems to shift. All too soon, Holly and her friends find themselves at odds not just with one another, but with the house itself. It seems something has been waiting in Hill House all these years, and it no longer intends to walk alone…
“A timeless, gothic ode that serves up the stuff of nightmares.” – Kirkus Reviews
“…riveting… Hand demonstrates masterful control over the ebb and flow of tension… this chillingly mesmerizing narrative is a worthy addition to the haunted house canon.” – Publishers Weekly
“[An] unsettling tribute to Shirley Jackson… Honoring Jackson’s story while owning this revival, Hand deploys masterful storytelling to merge the house’s familiar covetousness with witches’ tales, feminist themes of repression and unfulfilled promise, and character evolution that subtly matches the house’s growing malevolence. Pitch perfect.” – Christine Tran, Booklist, STARRED REVIEW
The History of Sketch Comedy: A Journey Through the Art and Craft of Humor by Keegan-Michael Key & Elle Key
nonfiction / history / memoir / comedy / television.
Authors Keegan-Michael Key and Elle Key build on the popularity of their 2022 Webby Award – winning podcast and delve deeper into the world of sketch, helped along with new essays created expressly for the book by comedy greats.
With epic personal tangents and hilarious asides, the Keys take you on an illuminating journey through all facets of comedy from the stock characters of commedia del arte in the 16th century, to the rise of vaudeville and burlesque, the golden age of television comedy, the influence of the most well-known comedy schools, and the ascension of comedy films and TV specials—all the way through to a look at the future of sketch on social media platforms. Along the way, we hear tales of Keegan’s childhood, his comedy influences, and the vicissitudes of his career path. As the New York Times said in its review of their podcast, “this comedy nerd history is filtered through memoir, with Key relating stories of his budding fandom, training and rise from improv comic to television sketch artist.”
Part memoir, part masterclass, and hilariously embellished with priceless commentary, The History of Sketch Comedy highlights the essential building blocks of sketch comedy while interweaving Keegan’s personal career journey and the influence of his comedy heroes. The text is complemented by original art by Elle Key and exclusive essays compiled from conversations with influential performers, sketch writers, and uber comedy fans including Mel Brooks, Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Mike Myers, Chris Rock, John Oliver, Tracy Morgan, Carol Burnett, Jim Carrey, Jordan Peele, and many more. This book is as entertaining as it is enlightening—a must-read for fans of comedy and all who aspire to comic greatness.
“[A] boisterous debut… The authors are as funny as one would expect, and brief essays from Carol Burnett, Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Bob Odenkirk, and other comedy heavyweights offer revealing insights into their craft. This is a hoot.” – Publishers Weekly
“History is only part of the book; comedic reflections and funny tangential stories make up more than half of the material, but it isn’t just setups and punchlines. Readers will gain genuine insight into how sketch comedy has evolved and what’s behind the creative process… A great addition to popular reading collections. Recommended for sketch comedy and improv enthusiasts and fans of Key & Peele skits.” – Kathaleen McCormick, Library Journal
How to Say Babylon: A Memoir by Safiya Sinclair ★
nonfiction / memoir.
Throughout her childhood, Safiya Sinclair’s father, a volatile reggae musician and militant adherent to a strict sect of Rastafari, became obsessed with her purity, in particular, with the threat of what Rastas call Babylon, the immoral and corrupting influences of the Western world outside their home. He worried that womanhood would make Safiya and her sisters morally weak and impure, and believed a woman’s highest virtue was her obedience.
In an effort to keep Babylon outside the gate, he forbade almost everything. In place of pants, the women in her family were made to wear long skirts and dresses to cover their arms and legs, head wraps to cover their hair, no make-up, no jewelry, no opinions, no friends. Safiya’s mother, while loyal to her father, nonetheless gave Safiya and her siblings the gift of books, including poetry, to which Safiya latched on for dear life. And as Safiya watched her mother struggle voicelessly for years under housework and the rigidity of her father’s beliefs, she increasingly used her education as a sharp tool with which to find her voice and break free. Inevitably, with her rebellion comes clashes with her father, whose rage and paranoia explodes in increasing violence. As Safiya’s voice grows, lyrically and poetically, a collision course is set between them.
How to Say Babylon is Sinclair’s reckoning with the culture that initially nourished but ultimately sought to silence her; it is her reckoning with patriarchy and tradition, and the legacy of colonialism in Jamaica. Rich in lyricism and language only a poet could evoke, How to Say Babylon is both a universal story of a woman finding her own power and a unique glimpse into a rarefied world we may know how to name, Rastafari, but one we know little about.
“More than catharsis; this is memoir as liberation.” – Kirkus Reviews, STARRED REVIEW
“…immediately absorbing… striking… a stunning story of coming-of-age, complicated family dynamics, and finding one’s path through literature… beautifully written and insightful… A radiant story of family and self-discovery told through the sharp eye of a talented poet.” – Allison Escoto, Booklist, STARRED REVIEW
“Poet Sinclair recounts her harrowing upbringing in Jamaica in this bruising memoir… Readers will be drawn to Sinclair’s strength and swept away by her tale of triumph over oppression. This is a tour de force.” – Publishers Weekly, STARRED REVIEW
“With her astounding debut memoir, Sinclair proves that her gifts extend far beyond the poetry for which she’s been so highly lauded… Writing now with time and distance on her side, Sinclair masterfully excavates how our childhood traumas live on within us, and how art can be a liberating force.” – Adrienne Westenfeld, Esquire
The Hurricane Wars by Thea Guanzon
fiction / fantasy / romance.
The heart is a battlefield.
All Talasyn has ever known is the Hurricane Wars. Growing up an orphan in a nation under siege by the ruthless Night Emperor, she found her family among the soldiers who fight for freedom. But she is hiding a deadly secret: light magic courses through her veins, a blazing power believed to have been wiped out years ago that can cut through the Night Empire’s shadows.
Prince Alaric, the emperor’s only son and heir, has been tasked with obliterating any threats to the Night Empire’s rule with the strength of his armies and mighty shadow magic. He discovers the greatest threat yet in Talasyn: a girl burning brightly on the battlefield with the magic that killed his grandfather, turned his father into a monster, and ignited the Hurricane Wars. He tries to kill her, but in a clash of light and dark, their powers merge and create a force the likes of which has never been seen.
This war can only end with them. But an even greater danger is coming, and the strange magic they can create together could be the only way to overcome it. Talasyn and Alaric must decide… are they fated to join hands, or destroy each other?
An exquisite fantasy brimming with unforgettable characters and sizzling enemies-to-lovers romance set in a richly drawn world, The Hurricane Wars marks the breathtaking debut of an extraordinary new writer.
“One of the buzziest fantasy debuts of the Fall, The Hurricane Wars features vivid worldbuilding, a swoon-worthy romance, and a truly original premise, all set sin a Southeast Asia–inspired world ravaged by storms.” – Lacy Baugher Milas, Paste
“Guanzon brings a fresh voice and vivid world into the fantasy landscape, and this story will be incredibly popular. Readers will look forward to the next book in this new trilogy.” – Ashli Wells, Library Journal, STARRED REVIEW
“Terrifically refreshing, and so very addictive… Guanzon’s gift for storytelling is coupled with her ability to imbue the readers into the South-East Asian-inspired culture of the world she has built. It is with both that she was able to create such an immersive reading experience, one that had me gasping, laughing and crying, all in the same sitting! The name of the sequel hasn’t even been announced yet, and I already know that it will be my most anticipated read for the coming year.” – Saberin C, Grimdark Magazine
Let Him In by William Friend
fiction / horror.
Alfie wakes one night to find his twin daughters at the foot of his bed, claiming there’s a shadowy figure in their bedroom. When no such thing can be found, he assumes the girls had a nightmare.
He isn’t surprised that they’re troubled. Grief has made its home at Hart House: nine months ago, the twins’ mother Pippa died unexpectedly, leaving Alfie to raise them alone. And now, when the girls mention a new imaginary friend, it seems like a harmless coping mechanism. But the situation quickly develops into something more insidious. The girls set an extra place for him at the table. They whisper to him. They say he’s going to take them away…
Alfie calls upon Julia—Pippa’s sister and a psychiatrist—to oust the malignant tenant from their lives. But as Alfie himself is haunted by visions and someone watches him at night, he begins to question the true character of the force that has poisoned his daughters’ minds, with dark and violent consequences.
Whatever this “friend” is, he doesn’t want to leave. Alfie will have to confront his own shameful secrets, the dark past of Hart House, and even the bounds of reality—or risk taking part in an unspeakable tragedy.
“Fans of literary horror will be absolutely captivated… I found it almost impossible to put down.” – Horror Magazine
“Great fun… the suspense slips its slow coils around you.” – The Daily Mail
Making It So: A Memoir by Patrick Stewart
nonfiction / memoir / film / television / theater.
The long-awaited memoir from iconic, beloved actor and living legend Sir Patrick Stewart!
From his acclaimed stage triumphs to his legendary onscreen work in the Star Trek and X-Men franchises, Sir Patrick Stewart has captivated audiences around the world and across multiple generations with his indelible command of stage and screen. Now, he presents his long-awaited memoir, Making It So, a revealing portrait of an artist whose astonishing life—from his humble beginnings in Yorkshire, England, to the heights of Hollywood and worldwide acclaim—proves a story as exuberant, definitive, and enduring as the author himself.
“A ruddy blush of modesty colors Making It So, Patrick Stewart’s engaging self-portrait of life on the British stage and the starship U.S.S. Enterprise… He offers fascinating glimpses into the unorthodox working methods of great classic actors…” – Ben Brantley, New York Times
“With personable prose and dry wit, Stewart tells almost all… Making It So is at its best when Stewart candidly comments on the ways fame and fortune reshaped his perspective…” – Thomas Floyd, Washington Post
The MANIAC by Benjamín Labatut ★
fiction / historical fiction.
A prodigy whose gifts terrified the people around him, John von Neumann transformed every field he touched, inventing game theory and the first programable computer, and pioneering AI, digital life, and cellular automata. Through a chorus of family members, friends, colleagues, and rivals, Labatut shows us the evolution of a mind unmatched and of a body of work that has unmoored the world in its wake.
The MANIAC places von Neumann at the center of a literary triptych that begins with Paul Ehrenfest, an Austrian physicist and friend of Einstein, who fell into despair when he saw science and technology become tyrannical forces; it ends a hundred years later, in the showdown between the South Korean Go Master Lee Sedol and the AI program AlphaGo, an encounter embodying the central question of von Neumann’s most ambitious unfinished project: the creation of a self-reproducing machine, an intelligence able to evolve beyond human understanding or control.
A work of beauty and fabulous momentum, The MANIAC confronts us with the deepest questions we face as a species.
“Utterly absorbing… The book drives at the amorality with which von Neumann and his brilliant cohort set humanity on an apocalyptic path… [A] terrifying sense of skirting the abyss.” – Chris Power, The Times
“…sensational… Labatut mesmerizes in his accessible depictions of complex scientific material and in his inspired portraits of the innovators… Readers won’t be able to turn away.” – Publishers Weekly, STARRED REVIEW
“Labatut’s unique framing of John von Neumann’s brilliance and his descriptions of the transcendent power of computers and AI create a disturbing, awe-inspiring, and inevitable vision, one foreseen by von Neumann, of an ominous future dominated by near-infinite technological possibilities.” – George Kendall, Booklist, STARRED REVIEW
“Labatut’s prose is lucid and compelling, drawing readers on a frightening but fascinating journey; even the most right-brained among them will gain insight into the power and potential dangers of AI. Highly recommended.” – Reba Leiding, Library Journal, STARRED REVIEW
A Man of Two Faces: A Memoir, A History, A Memorial by Viet Thanh Nguyen ★
nonfiction / memoir.
With insight, humor, formal invention, and lyricism, in A Man of Two Faces Viet Thanh Nguyen rewinds the film of his own life. He expands the genre of personal memoir by acknowledging larger stories of refugeehood, colonization, and ideas about Vietnam and America, writing with his trademark sardonic wit and incisive analysis, as well as a deep emotional openness about his life as a father and a son.
At the age of four, Nguyen and his family are forced to flee his hometown of Ban Mê Thuột and come to the USA as refugees. After being removed from his brother and parents and homed with a family on his own, Nguyen is later allowed to resettle into his own family in suburban San José. But there is violence hidden behind the sunny façade of what he calls AMERICA™. One Christmas Eve, when Nguyen is nine, while watching cartoons at home, he learns that his parents have been shot while working at their grocery store, the SàiGòn Mới, a place where he sometimes helps price tins of fruit with a sticker gun. Years later, as a teenager, the blood-stirring drama of the films of the Vietnam War such as Apocalypse Now throw Nguyen into an existential crisis: how can he be both American and Vietnamese, both the killer and the person being killed? When he learns about an adopted sister who has stayed back in Vietnam, and ultimately visits her, he grows to understand just how much his parents have left behind. And as his parents age, he worries increasingly about their comfort and care, and realizes that some of their older wounds are reopening.
Profound in its emotions and brilliant in its thinking about cultural power, A Man of Two Faces explores the necessity of both forgetting and of memory, the promises America so readily makes and breaks, and the exceptional life story of one of the most original and important writers working today.
“Pulitzer Prize winner Viet Thanh Nguyen returns with a deeply personal and political memoir that uses the defining moments of his own life to explore his conflicted relationship with America… A witty and scathing look at what it means to be a refugee, an immigrant, and an American in a world that doesn’t see you as you see yourself.” – Time
“A kaleidoscopic memoir… Deeply personal and intensely political… If the author’s criticism is understandably scathing, there is also a mischievous sense of humor… Nguyen indisputably captures the workings of a quicksilver and penetrating mind… Lyrical and biting, by one of our leading writers.” – Kirkus Reviews
“Nguyen explores ‘the thin border between / history and memory’ in this many-faceted, stylistically complex, eviscerating, and tender montage of memoir, facts, dissent, and clarification… a uniquely intricate, clarion, and far-reaching inquiry into what we disparage and what we value, asserting the bedrock necessity of history, story, and remembrance.” – Donna Seaman, Booklist, STARRED REVIEW
“In this memoir, Nguyen wrestles with his own family’s experience moving from Vietnam to California, violence and racism, and the burning question that so many face: who am I? Teeming with broader stories of immigration and cultural clashes, Nguyen once again offers a thrillingly nuanced portrait of the allegiances, complexities, and aims that guide a single life.” – Al Woodworth, Amazon
Mary and the Birth of Frankenstein by Anne Eekhout; translated by Laura Watkinson
fiction / historical fiction / romance.
Switzerland, 1816. A volcanic eruption in Indonesia envelopes the whole of Europe in ash and cloud. Amid this “year without a summer,” eighteen-year-old Mary Shelley and her lover Percy Bysshe Shelley arrive at Lake Geneva to visit Lord Byron and his companion John Polidori. Anguished by the recent loss of her child, Mary spends her days in strife. But come nightfall, the friends while away rainy wine-soaked evenings gathered around the fireplace, exchanging stories. One famous evening, Byron issues a challenge to write the best ghost story. Contemplating what to write, Mary recalls another summer, when she was fourteen…
Scotland, 1812. A guest of the Baxter family, Mary arrives in Dundee, befriending young Isabella Baxter. The girls soon spend hours together wandering through fields and forests, concocting tales about mythical Scottish creatures, ghosts and monsters roaming the lowlands. As their bond deepens, Mary and Isabella’s feelings for each other intensify. But someone has been watching them—the charismatic and vaguely sinister Mr. Booth, Isabella’s older brother-in-law, who may not be as benevolent as he purports to be…
With gripping mastery and verve, Anne Eekhout brings to life a defining moment in Mary Shelley’s youth: the creative wellspring for one of the most original, thrilling, and timeless pieces of literature ever written. Provocative, wonderfully atmospheric and pulsing with emotion, Mary and the Birth of Frankenstein is a hypnotic ode to the power of imagination.
“…engrossing… a nuanced, beautifully atmospheric portrayal of a young woman’s intense inner life, foreshadowing Frankenstein’s themes of grief, loneliness, and the desire for love.” – Anne Foley, Booklist
“…moody and evocative… Creative confirmation of Shelley’s position as the mother of all goth girls.” – Kirkus Reviews
“The plot seamlessly blends Mary’s development as a writer with her emotional turmoil, as Mary realizes what she must put to paper: ‘ugly, colorless, and vague because it thought it was unfit to be seen.’ Eekhout pulls off a convincing gothic sensibility in this well-crafted portrait of Shelley’s interior life.” – Publishers Weekly
Midnight Is the Darkest Hour by Ashley Winstead
fiction / suspense / mystery / horror.
For fans of Verity and A Flicker in the Dark, Midnight is the Darkest Hour is a twisted tale of murder, obsessive love, and the beastly urges that lie dormant within us all… even the God-fearing folk of Bottom Springs, Louisiana. In her small hometown, librarian Ruth Cornier has always felt like an outsider, even as her beloved father rains fire-and-brimstone warnings from the pulpit at Holy Fire Baptist. Unfortunately for Ruth, the only things the townspeople fear more than God and the Devil are the myths that haunt the area, like the story of the Low Man, a vampiric figure said to steal into sinners’ bedrooms and kill them on moonless nights. When a skull is found deep in the swamp next to mysterious carved symbols, Bottom Springs is thrown into uproar—and Ruth realizes only she and Everett, an old friend with a dark past, have the power to comb the town’s secret underbelly in search of true evil.
A dark and powerful novel like fans have come to expect from Ashley Winstead, Midnight is the Darkest Hour is an examination of the ways we’ve come to expect love, religion, and stories to save us, the lengths we have to go to in order to take back power, and the monstrous work of being a girl in this world.
“This excellent twisty thriller by Winstead is for anyone who enjoys underdog or misfit mysteries…” – Elizabeth Masterson, Library Journal, STARRED REVIEW
“Blending gothic horror and mystery, this is a dark, twisted, and disturbing story, with enough suspense to keep readers guessing… unique and unsettling, with an ending that readers will be thinking about long after the final page.” – Stephanie Howes, Booklist
“Winstead serves up a sharp meditation on feminism and religious oppression in this atmospheric Louisiana-set thriller… Alternating between past and present, Winstead movingly fleshes out Ruth and Everett’s friendship without sacrificing pace or surprise as the body count rises. Evocative prose (the setting sun is described as ‘fighting death, reaching out with grasping fingers of orange and rose against the falling twilight’) is a major plus. Fans of Michael Koryta’s Southern gothic novels, including The Cypress House, will be enchanted.” – Publishers Weekly
My Darling Girl by Jennifer McMahon
fiction / horror / suspense / mystery.
Alison has never been a fan of Christmas. But with it right around the corner and her husband busily decorating their cozy Vermont home, she has no choice but to face it. Then she gets the call.
Mavis, Alison’s estranged mother, has been diagnosed with cancer and has only weeks to live. She wants to spend her remaining days with her daughter, son-in-law, and two granddaughters. But Alison grew up with her mother’s alcoholism and violent abuse and is reluctant to unearth these traumatic memories. Still, she eventually agrees to take in Mavis, hoping that she and her mother could finally heal and have the relationship she’s always dreamed of.
But when mysterious and otherworldly things start happening upon Mavis’s arrival, Alison begins to suspect her mother is not quite who she seems. And as the holiday festivities turn into a nightmare, she must confront just how far she is willing to go to protect her family.
“Freakin’ terrifying.” – Kirkus Reviews
“…chilling… readers who prefer their Christmas dinner with a side of supernatural dread may enjoy this.” – Publishers Weekly
“With detail that is simultaneously luscious and eerie and a story that is at once familiar and yet possessed by something unnamable, this novel won’t disappoint fans of McMahon or first-time readers.” – Emily Vinci, Library Journal
The Night House by Jo Nesbø; translated by Neil Smith
fiction / horror / mystery.
In the wake of his parents’ tragic deaths in a house fire, fourteen-year-old Richard Elauved has been sent to live with his aunt and uncle in the remote, insular town of Ballantyne. Richard quickly earns a reputation as an outcast, and when a classmate named Tom goes missing, everyone suspects the new, angry boy is responsible for his disappearance. No one believes him when he says the telephone booth out by the edge of the woods sucked Tom into the receiver like something out of a horror movie. No one, that is, except Karen, a beguiling fellow outsider who encourages Richard to pursue clues the police refuse to investigate. He traces the number that Tom prank-called from the phone booth to an abandoned house in the Mirror Forest. There he catches a glimpse of a terrifying face in the window. And then the voices begin to whisper in his ear…
She’s going to burn. The girl you love is going to burn. There’s nothing you can do about it.
When another classmate disappears, Richard must find a way to prove his innocence—and preserve his sanity—as he grapples with the dark magic that is possessing Ballantyne and pursuing his destruction.
Then again, Richard may not be the most reliable narrator of his own story…
“[A] satisfyingly eerie thriller that questions the very nature of the truth and the fallibility of memory.” – Sean Farrell, AFPL Journal
“Nesbø deftly guides readers on a journey much larger than many will expect from the slim volume. Reminiscent of Joe Meno’s The Boy Detective Fails, initial expectations of genre, setting, and mood are subverted as a simple horror novel unfolds into a story that encompasses grief, mid-life crises, and more.” – Portia Kapraun, Library Journal
“…Nesbø skillfully keeps the reader wondering where the story is going to go next and when, if ever, the main character will reach his happy ending—or if, in fact, he deserves to reach one at all.” – Lily Hunter, Booklist
One Puzzling Afternoon by Emily Critchley
fiction / mystery / suspense.
I kept your secret Lucy. I’ve kept it for more than sixty years…
It is 1951, and at number six Sycamore Street fifteen-year-old Edie Green is lonely. Living with her eccentric mother and her mother’s new boyfriend, she is desperate for something to shake her from her dull, isolated life.
So when the popular, pretty Lucy Theddle befriends Edie, she thinks all her troubles are over. Even though Lucy has a secret, one Edie is not certain she should keep.
Then Lucy goes missing.
Now in 2018, Edie is eighty-four and still living in the same small town, when one afternoon she glimpses Lucy Theddle, still looking the same as she did at fifteen. Her family write it off as one of her many mix ups, there’s a lot Edie gets confused about these days. But Edie knows she’s the key to finding Lucy.
Time is running out and Edie must piece together the clues before Lucy is forgotten forever.
“This beautifully written suspense novel, the U.S. debut from British middle-grade author Critchley, is heartbreaking as it depicts a woman sinking deeper into dementia.” – Lesa Holstine, Library Journal
“Critchley’s U.S. debut is a clever, keep-‘em-guessing murder mystery, an empathetic yet realistic portrayal of the toll dementia takes, and a meditation on how the brain can bury the most tragic memories. Despite shocking, painful, sad moments, this is also an uplifting, sometimes humorous portrait of a feisty, admirable octogenarian who’s determined to do the right thing. An outstanding must-read.” – Emily Melton, Booklist, STARRED REVIEW
Our Strangers: Stories by Lydia Davis ★
fiction.
From one of the most accomplished writers of our time comes another brilliant collection of short fiction. Artful, deft, and inventive; Lydia Davis’ newest collection of stories delves into topics ranging from marriage to tiny insects. These stories are a celebration of language and careful observation that once again confirms Davis’ sincere love and mastery of the form.
“Our Strangers is an embarrassment of riches… It mines everyday life for its humor and pathos, thrilling to the use of language and taking pleasure in the ridiculous and arbitrary.” – Rebecca Foster, Shelf Awareness
“In Our Strangers, Davis—the reigning queen of flash fiction—does what Davis does best, compiling another collection of sweet, short, punch-to-the-heart pieces of writing. Often only one paragraph in length, or a couple lines of dialogue, these stories tell of mundanity with a poet’s eye for meaning.” – Julia Hass, Literary Hub
“Davis returns with a story collection written with her characteristic wit and dazzling prose.” – Daniella Fishman, The Millions
“[An] overflowing treasure chest of jewel-like stories… A collection that you’ll want to keep on your bedside table by one of America’s most original short story writers.” – Kirkus Reviews, STARRED REVIEW
The Owl Cries by Hye-Young Pyun; translated by Sora Kim-Russell
fiction / suspense / horror.
A disappearance. A missing brother. A lawyer asking questions. And a vast forest in the mountains—the western woods—where the trees huddle close together emanating a crushing darkness and a chill dampness fills the air. The ranger, In-su Park, who lives nearby with his family, is a recovering alcoholic. He claims no knowledge of the man who disappeared, even though the missing man had worked as the ranger just before him. In the little village down the mountain, the shopkeepers will do the same and deny they ever saw or knew the man, though they’re less convincing; and his former supervisor at the Forestry Research Center, Professor Jin, dismisses his importance. But when an accident and a death derail the investigation and someone attempts to break into his office, In-su Park finds himself conducting his own inquiry into the goings-on deep in the heart of the western woods—spurred by the mysterious words he discovers on a piece of paper beneath his desk: “In the forest the owl cries.”
The Owl Cries is a treat for fans of Stephen King, David Lynch, and the nightmare dystopias of Franz Kafka.
“…intense… fast-paced and all-consuming… A novel of secrets, isolation, and pain, The Owl Cries is another tightly executed feat of writing.” – Pierce Alquist, Book Riot
“Hye-Young Pyun’s stunning psychological thrillers delve deep into the horrors of being human and the oppressive mechanics of modern society, and The Owl Cries demonstrates a writer at the top of her game.” – Molly Odintz, CrimeReads
The Scarlet Alchemist by Kylie Lee Baker
fiction / young adult / fantasy / historical fiction.
Zilan dreams of becoming a royal alchemist, of providing for her family by making alchemical gold and gems for the wealthy to eat in order to stay young forever. But for now, she’s trapped in her impoverished village in southern China, practicing an illegal form of alchemy to keep food on the table—resurrecting the dead, for a price.
When Zilan finally has the chance to complete her imperial exams, she ventures to the capital to compete against the best alchemists in the country in tasks she’ll be lucky to survive, let alone pass. On top of that, her reputation for raising the dead has followed her to the capital, and the Crown Prince himself seeks out her help, suspecting a coming assassination attempt.
The more Zilan succeeds in her alchemy, the more she gets caught in the dangerous political games of the royal family. There are monsters lurking within the palace walls, and it’s only a matter of time before they—and secrets of Zilan’s past—catch up with her.
“Grisly, dark, and utterly entrancing.” – Kirkus Reviews, STARRED REVIEW
“…deeply immersive… Baker expertly navigates the societal constraints and pains of marginalization via visceral prose. A developing romance between Zilan and the Crown Prince offers lighthearted joy amid the narrative’s ruthless and gruesome happenings.” – Publishers Weekly, STARRED REVIEW
Starling House by Alix E. Harrow
fiction / horror / fantasy / romance.
I dream sometimes about a house I’ve never seen…
Opal is a lot of things—orphan, high school dropout, full-time cynic and part-time cashier—but above all, she’s determined to find a better life for her younger brother Jasper. One that gets them out of Eden, Kentucky, a town remarkable for only two things: bad luck and E. Starling, the reclusive nineteenth century author of The Underland, who disappeared over a hundred years ago.
All she left behind were dark rumors—and her home. Everyone agrees that it’s best to ignore the uncanny mansion and its misanthropic heir, Arthur. Almost everyone, anyway.
I should be scared, but in the dream I don’t hesitate.
Opal has been obsessed with The Underland since she was a child. When she gets the chance to step inside Starling House—and make some extra cash for her brother’s escape fund—she can’t resist.
But sinister forces are digging deeper into the buried secrets of Starling House, and Arthur’s own nightmares have become far too real. As Eden itself seems to be drowning in its own ghosts, Opal realizes that she might finally have found a reason to stick around.
In my dream, I’m home.
And now she’ll have to fight.
Welcome to Starling House: enter, if you dare.
“Harrow has crafted an evocative and propulsive gothic thriller with Starling House… as devastating as it is satisfying.” – Molly Odintz, CrimeReads
“Hugo Award winner Harrow does it again in this tender and triumphant haunted house story… Harrow’s prose cuts straight to the heart as she melds a story of family legacy and historical oppression with a stirring call to speak the truth. Readers will be left chewing on this tale long after the last page, and Starling House will no doubt take its place alongside fiction’s most memorable haunted houses.” – Publishers Weekly, STARRED REVIEW
“Harrow’s captivating prose centers her flawed, cynical protagonists in a haunting plot of horrible actions, fog-hidden beasts, and moving connections between family, friends, and lovers. Fans of Shirley Jackson and Catriona Ward should pick this up.” – Kristi Chadwick, Library Journal, STARRED REVIEW
Throne of the Fallen by Kerri Maniscalco
fiction / fantasy / romance.
Sinner. Villain. Wicked.
The Prince of Envy has never claimed to be a saint. But when a cryptic note arrives, signaling the beginning of a deadly game, he knows it will take more than a hint of sin to win and save his falling demon court. Riddles, hexed objects, anonymous players, nothing will stand in his way, though none of his meticulous plans prepare him for her, the frustrating artist who ignites his sin like no other…
Virtuous. Darling. Liar.
The trouble with scoundrels and blackguards is that they haven’t a modicum of honor, a fact Miss Camilla Antonius learns after one desperate mistake allows Waverly Green’s most notorious rake to blackmail her. To avoid a ruinous scandal, Camilla is forced to enter a devil’s bargain with Envy, little expecting his game will awaken her true nature…
Together, Envy and Camilla must embark on a perilous journey through the Underworld—from glittering demon courts to the sultry vampire realm and beyond—while trying to avoid the most dangerous trap of all: falling in love.
“Maniscalco crafts a deliciously dark supernatural world that serves as the perfect backdrop for Camilla and Envy’s angst and sexual tension. Old fans and new readers alike will be sucked in.” – Publishers Weekly, STARRED REVIEW
“A champion of romantasy, Kerri Maniscalco is back with her adult debut set in her massively popular Kingdom of the Wicked. This time centered on the Prince of Envy, going adult allows Maniscalco to deliver more sex and more romance—and deliver she does.” – Barnes & Noble
Wildfire by Hannah Grace
fiction / romance.
Maple Hills students Russ Callaghan and Aurora Roberts cross paths at a party celebrating the end of the academic year, where a drinking game results in them having a passionate one-night stand. Never one to overstay her welcome (or expect much from a man), Aurora slips away before Russ even has the chance to ask for her full name.
Imagine their surprise when they bump into each other on the first day of the summer camp where they are both counselors, hoping to escape their complicated home lives by spending the summer working. Russ hopes if he gets far enough away from Maple Hills, he can avoid dealing with the repercussions of his father’s gambling addiction, while Aurora is tired of craving attention from everyone around her and wants to go back to the last place she truly felt at home.
Russ knows breaking the camp’s strict “no staff fraternizing” rule will have him heading back to Maple Hills before the summer is over, but unfortunately for him, Aurora has never been very good at caring about the rules. Will the two learn to peacefully coexist? Or did their one night together start a fire they can’t put out?
“A fun rom-com, with two hot, sexy characters you enjoy reading and falling along with.” – Red Carpet Crash
“[An] intoxicating love story… Grace writes charmingly flirtatious dialogue for the couple, making their connection palpable, and gives their romance a perfect balance of heat, emotion, and fun… Russ and Aurora are a hard couple not to root for.” – Publishers Weekly
“Grace’s writing style gentles the rough edges of the characters and slowly cracks them open to show the heart of their pain and the strength in their vulnerabilities… The lack of unnecessary drama or third-act breakups and the presence of sweet, lovely characters with lots of funny and emotional moments certainly uplift the book.” – Ahana Rao, The Nerd Daily
Wreck the Halls by Tessa Bailey
fiction / romance / comedy.
Melody Gallard may be the daughter of music royalty, but her world is far from glamorous. She spends her days restoring old books and avoiding the limelight (one awkward tabloid photo was enough, thanks). But when a producer offers her a lot of money to reunite her mother’s band on live TV, Mel begins to wonder if it’s time to rattle the cage, shake up her quiet life… and see him again. The only other person who could wrangle the rock and roll divas.
Beat Dawkins, the lead singer’s son, is Melody’s opposite—the camera loves him, he could charm the pants off anyone, and his mom is not a potential cult leader. Still, they might have been best friends if not for the legendary feud that broke up the band. When they met as teenagers, Mel felt an instant spark, but it’s nothing compared to the wild, intense attraction that builds as they embark on a madcap mission to convince their mothers to perform one last show.
While dealing with rock star shenanigans, a 24-hour film crew, brawling Santas, and mobs of adoring fans, Mel starts to step out of her comfort zone. With Beat by her side, cheering her on, she’s never felt so understood. But Christmas Eve is fast approaching, and a decades-old scandal is poised to wreck everything—the Steel Birds reunion, their relationships with their mothers, and their newfound love.
“This delightful holiday rom-com from Bailey is filled with emotion as well as humor.” – Heather Miller Cover, Library Journal
“Bestseller Bailey pairs the children of celebrities to winning effect in this hot and heartwarming contemporary… There’s plenty of steam as the couple get together, and the mystery of what split up Steel Birds and whether they’ll reunite in time for the concert keeps the pages turning. It’s a rollicking good time.” – Publishers Weekly
Yumi and the Nightmare Painter by Brandon Sanderson
fiction / fantasy / romance.
Yumi has spent her entire life in strict obedience, granting her the power to summon the spirits that bestow vital aid upon her society―but she longs for even a single day as a normal person. Painter patrols the dark streets dreaming of being a hero―a goal that has led to nothing but heartache and isolation, leaving him always on the outside looking in. In their own ways, both of them face the world alone.
Suddenly flung together, Yumi and Painter must strive to right the wrongs in both their lives, reconciling their past and present while maintaining the precarious balance of each of their worlds. If they cannot unravel the mystery of what brought them together before it’s too late, they risk forever losing not only the bond growing between them, but the very worlds they’ve always struggled to protect.
“[A] wonderful novel… Romance readers will enjoy this one as well as any fan of the fantasy genre.” – Blaise Ancona, Under the Radar SFF Books
“…utterly brilliant and satisfying… [it’s] Sanderson’s storytelling at its prime.” – Petrik Leo, Novel Notions
“Yumi and the Nightmare Painter is exquisite. It all wraps up sublimely and I had to wipe away tears as I closed the book’s final pages.” – James, Before We Go Blog
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