“Empathy isn’t just listening, it’s asking the questions whose answers need to be listened to. Empathy requires inquiry as much as imagination. Empathy requires knowing you know nothing. Empathy means acknowledging a horizon of context that extends perpetually beyond what you can see.” – Leslie Jamison, The Empathy Exams
The Bad Ones by Melissa Albert
fiction / young adult / horror / fantasy / mystery / romance.
Goddess, goddess, count to five
In the morning, who’s alive?
In the course of a single winter’s night, four people vanish without a trace across a small town.
Nora’s estranged best friend, Becca, is one of the lost. As Nora tries to untangle the truth of Becca’s disappearance, she discovers a darkness in her town’s past, as well as a string of coded messages Becca left for her to unravel. These clues lead Nora to a piece of local lore: a legendary goddess of forgotten origins who played a role in Nora and Becca’s own childhood games…
An arresting, crossover horror fantasy threaded with dark magic, The Bad Ones is a poison-pen love letter to semi-toxic best friendship, the occult power of childhood play and artistic creation, and the razor-thin line between make-believe and belief.
“…Albert successfully evokes adolescence’s fraught hyperreality using richly textured, authentically angsty characters and a storytelling style by turns ethereal and electric.” – Publishers Weekly
“A deliberately paced tale for those who appreciate an eerie, character-driven mystery laced with supernatural horror.” – Kirkus Reviews
“The romance is subtle but sweet, the supernatural creep factor is extreme, and there are secrets aplenty in this compelling and eerie tale.” – Allie Stevens, Booklist, STARRED REVIEW
End of Story by A.J. Finn
fiction / mystery / suspense.
“I’ll be dead in three months. Come tell my story.”
So writes Sebastian Trapp, reclusive mystery novelist, to his longtime correspondent Nicky Hunter, an expert in detective fiction. With mere months to live, Trapp invites Nicky to his spectacular San Francisco mansion to help draft his life story… while living alongside his beautiful second wife, Diana; his wayward nephew, Freddy; and his protective daughter, Madeleine. Soon Nicky finds herself caught in an irresistible case of real-life “detective-fever.”
“You and I might even solve an old mystery or two.”
Twenty years earlier—on New Year’s Eve 1999—Sebastian’s first wife and teenage son vanished from different locations, never to be seen again. Did the perfect crime writer commit the perfect crime? And why has he emerged from seclusion, two decades later, to allow a stranger to dig into his past?
“Life is hard. After all, it kills you.”
As Nicky attempts to weave together the strands of Sebastian’s life, she becomes obsessed with discovering the truth… while Madeleine begins to question what her beloved father might actually know about that long-ago night. And when a corpse appears in the family’s koi pond, both women are shocked to find that the past isn’t gone—it’s just waiting.
“It could be dangerous to name-drop Christie, Arthur Conan Doyle, Raymond Chandler and others. Those legends raise expectations and plenty of writers since them have invented compelling situations that they couldn’t figure out how to resolve. Finn, however, knows what he’s doing. The way he wraps up End of Story is so satisfying that it fits comfortably in that august company.” – Chris Hewitt, Star Tribune
“…fresh, intelligent and — best of all — delightfully witty… as readable for its word play, literary references and commentary on detective fiction as for its plot… Blindsides abound, as Finn traps us in a maze that seems entirely built of dead ends. When the truth finally emerges, there’s only one possible response; Whew. I didn’t see that coming.” – Gail Pennington, St. Louis Post Dispatch
The Guest by B.A. Paris
fiction / suspense / mystery.
Some secrets never leave.
Iris and Gabriel have just arrived home from a make-or-break holiday. But a shock awaits them. One of their closest friends, Laure, is in their house. The atmosphere quickly becomes tense as she oversteps again and again: sleeping in their bed, wearing Iris’ clothes, even rearranging the furniture.
Laure has walked out on her husband—and their good friend—Pierre, over his confession of an affair and a secret child. Iris and Gabriel want to be supportive of their friends, but as Laure’s mood becomes increasingly unpredictable, her presence takes its toll.
Iris and Gabriel’s only respite comes in the form of a couple new to town. But with them comes their gardener, who has a checkered past.
Soon, secrets from all their pasts will unravel, some more dangerous than they could have known.
“Well-crafted secrets and betrayals abound here…” – Christine Tran, Booklist
“…heart-pounding… an emotionally charged ride.” – SheReads
Languishing: How to Feel Alive Again in a World That Wears Us Down by Corey Keyes
nonfiction / self help / psychology.
If you’re muddling through the day in a fog, often forgetting why you walked into a room…
If you feel emotionally flattened, lacking the energy to socialize or feel joy in the small things…
If you feel an inner void—like something is missing, but you aren’t sure what…
Then this book is for you.
Languishing—the state of mental weariness that erodes our self-esteem, motivation, and sense of meaning—can be easy to brush off as the new normal, especially since indifference is one of its symptoms. It is not a synonym for depression and its attendant state of prolonged sadness. Languishers are more likely to feel out of control of their lives, uncertain about what they want from the future, and paralyzed when faced with decisions. Left unchecked, languishing not only impedes our daily functioning but is a gateway to serious mental illness and early mortality.
Emory University sociologist Corey Keyes has spent his career studying the causes and costs of languishing—the neglected middle child of mental health. Now Keyes has written the first definitive book on the subject, examining the ripple effect of languishing on our lives before deftly diagnosing the larger forces behind its rise: the false promises of the self-help industrial complex, a global moment of intense fear and loss, and a failing healthcare system focused on treating rather than preventing illness.
Ultimately, Keyes presents a counterintuitive approach to breaking the cycles keeping us stuck and finding a path to true flourishing. Unlike self-improvement systems offering quick-fix mood boosts, his framework focuses on functioning well: taking simple but powerful steps to hold our emotions loosely, becoming more accepting of ourselves and others, and carving out daily moments for the activities that create cycles of meaning, connection, and personal growth.
Languishing is a must-read for anyone tempted to downplay feelings of demotivation and emptiness as they struggle to haul themselves through the day, and for those eager to build a higher tolerance for adversity and the pressures of modern life. We can expand our vocabulary for describing our inner experiences and deepest needs—and, with it, our potential to flourish.
“[Keyes’] book offers a path toward flourishing, or the peak of well-being.” – Christina Ianzito, AARP
“Supported by research, this book is a valuable resource for those who may be languishing or who want to find more meaning in their life.” – Lydia Olszak, Library Journal, STARRED REVIEW
“…perceptive… a wide-ranging and eclectic collage of insights, research, and anecdotes… Keyes’s eye-opening musings will be a balm to those in need of a fresh perspective.” – Publishers Weekly
LatinoLand: A Portrait of America’s Largest and Least Understood Minority by Marie Arana
nonfiction / history / current events.
LatinoLand is an exceptional, all-encompassing overview of Hispanic America based on personal interviews, deep research, and Marie Arana’s life experience as a Latina. At present, Latinos comprise 20 percent of the US population, a number that is growing. By 2050, census reports project that one in every three Americans will claim Latino heritage.
But Latinos are not a monolith. They do not represent a single group. The largest numbers are Mexicans, Puerto Ricans, Dominicans, Salvadorans, and Cubans. Each has a different cultural and political background. Puerto Ricans, for example, are US citizens, whereas some Mexican Americans never immigrated because the US-Mexico border shifted after the US invasion of 1848, incorporating what is now the entire southwest of the United States. Cubans came in two great waves: those escaping communism in the early years of Castro, many of whom were professionals and wealthy, and those permitted to leave in the Mariel boat lift twenty years later, representing some of the poorest Cubans, including prisoners.
As LatinoLand shows, Latinos were some of the earliest immigrants to what is now the US—some of them arriving in the 1500s. They are racially diverse—a random fusion of White, Black, Indigenous, and Asian. Once overwhelmingly Catholic, they are becoming increasingly Protestant and Evangelical. They range from domestic workers and day laborers to successful artists, corporate CEOs, and US senators. Formerly solidly Democratic, they now vote Republican in growing numbers. They are as varied culturally as any immigrants from Europe or Asia.
Marie Arana draws on her own experience as the daughter of an American mother and Peruvian father who came to the US at age nine, straddling two worlds, as many Latinos do. LatinoLand unabashedly celebrates Latino resilience and character and shows us why we must understand the fastest-growing minority in America.
“Arana has a fascinating, complex, and personal story to tell, and she narrates it with abundant verve and intelligence.” – Kirkus Reviews, STARRED REVIEW
“Arana’s keen grasp of history and incisive writing bring each chapter to life… In her sympathetic snapshots and deeply researched reporting, Arana tells a compelling story of Latinos as ‘mutable, uncertain creatures, protean in our very selves—the bewildered offspring of centuries of cross-fertilization and chance.’” – Diego Báez, Booklist, STARRED REVIEW
Otter Country: An Unexpected Adventure by Miriam Darlington
nonfiction / memoir / nature.
A plan formed in my mind. I would explore the places in this land that hid my grail. I would spend a whole year or longer, if that’s what it took, wading through marshes, hiding between mossy rocks, paddling down rivers and swimming in sea lochs; recording my journey through the seasons as I searched for wild otters.
Mysterious, graceful, and ever-clever, otters have captivated our imaginations, despite the fact that few people have encountered one in the wild. In Otter Country, celebrated nature writer Miriam Darlington captures the fascination she’s had for these playful animals since childhood, and chronicles her immersive journey into their watery world.
Over the course of a single year, Darlington takes readers on a winding expedition in pursuit of these elusive creatures—from her home in Devon, England, and through the wilds of Scotland, Wales, the Lake District, and the countryside of Cornwall. As she’s drawn deeper into wilder habitats, trekking through changing landscapes, seasons, and weather, Darlington meets biologists, conservationists, fishing and hunting enthusiasts, and poets—enriching her understanding, admiration, and awe of the wild otter. With each encounter, she reveals the scientific, environmental, and cultural importance of this creature and the places it calls home.
Full of wonder, hope, and an abiding love for the natural world, Otter Country: An Unexpected Adventure in the Natural World is a beautiful and captivating work of nature writing, pursuing one of nature’s most endearing and endlessly fascinating creatures.
“[A] beautiful, mesmerizing memoir… An entrancing storyteller, Darlington describes her travels with cheerful lightness… Captivating and enthralling, Otter Country is an entertaining, enlightening account of fascinating water creatures and the changing British landscapes where they live.” – Kristen Rabe, Foreword Reviews, STARRED REVIEW
“[A] beguiling book. The gentle and persistent search by Darlington sparkles with poetry…” – Hugh Warwick, The Guardian
“Darlington burnishes her reputation as a gifted nature writer with this vivid examination of the behavior, biology, and evolution of otters… an entrancing look at a complex animal.” – Publishers Weekly, STARRED REVIEW
Ours by Phillip B. Williams ★
fiction / historical fiction / fantasy.
In this ingenious, sweeping novel, Phillip B. Williams introduces us to an enigmatic woman named Saint, a fearsome conjuror who, in the 1830s, annihilates plantations all over Arkansas to rescue the people enslaved there. She brings those she has freed to a haven of her own creation: a town just north of St. Louis, magically concealed from outsiders, named Ours.
It is in this miraculous place that Saint’s grand experiment—a truly secluded community where her people may flourish—takes root. But although Saint does her best to protect the inhabitants of Ours, over time, her conjuring and memories begin to betray her, leaving the town vulnerable to intrusions by newcomers with powers of their own. As the cracks in Saint’s creation are exposed, some begin to wonder whether the community’s safety might be yet another form of bondage.
Set over the course of four decades and steeped in a rich tradition of American literature informed by Black surrealism, mythology, and spirituality, Ours is a stunning exploration of the possibilities and limitations of love and freedom by a writer of capacious vision and talent.
“This debut is the first standout read of 2024.” – Bethanne Patrick, Los Angeles Times
“[A] sweeping, epic novel… remarkable…” – Town & Country
“[A] vast and rapturous feat of fabulism… created with both a vivacious enthusiasm for folkloric traditions and a deep contemplation of what it means to be freed from the violent machine of slavery in the U.S…. Williams has a voice that soars across each page, breathing life into his dazzling array of characters… a novel worth savoring… dazzling…” – Dave Wheeler, Shelf Awareness
“Ours is so vivid a glimpse into the lives of formerly enslaved people that it reads with the beauty and urgency of a spoken word poem… This is an important novel, peopled with vivid characters literally and figuratively hidden from view. Every scene portrays a people trying to understand themselves, individuals trying to give and receive love, attempting to balance hope with trauma.” – Christine Brunkhorst, Star Tribune
Out of the Darkness: The Germans 1942-2022 by Frank Trentmann
nonfiction / history.
In 1945, Germany lay in ruins, morally and materially. Its citizens stood condemned by history, responsible for a horrifying genocide and war of extermination. But by the end of Angela Merkel’s tenure as chancellor in 2021, Germany looked like the moral voice of Europe, welcoming more than one million refugees, holding together the tenuous threads of the European Union, and making military restraint the center of its foreign policy. At the same time, Germany’s rigid fiscal discipline and energy deals with Vladimir Putin have cast a shadow over the present. Innumerable scholars have asked how Germany could have degenerated from a nation of scientists, poets, and philosophers into one responsible for genocide. This book raises another vital question: How did a nation whose past has been marked by mass murder, a people who cheered Adolf Hitler, reinvent themselves, and how much?
Trentmann tells this dramatic story of the German people from the middle of World War II through the Cold War and the division into East and West to the fall of the Berlin Wall and the struggle to find a place in the world today. This journey is marked by a series of extraordinary moral conflicts: admissions of guilt and shame vying with immediate economic concerns; restitution for some but not others; tolerance versus racism; compassion versus complicity. Through a range of voices—German soldiers and German Jews; displaced persons in limbo; East German women and shopkeepers angry about energy shortages; opponents and supporters of nuclear power; volunteers helping migrants and refugees, and right-wing populists attacking them—Trentmann paints a remarkable and surprising portrait spanning eighty years of the conflicted people at the center of Europe, showing how the Germans became who they are today.
“Compelling… a deeply serious work that moves gracefully between the moral challenges that are his central concern and the more familiar categories of politics, law and culture.” – David Blackbourn, Literary Review
“A magisterial history of Germany over the last 80 years… Fascinating insights on how a country of poets, philosophers, and scientists emerged from totalitarianism and genocide.” – Kirkus Reviews, STARRED REVIEW
“An impressive account of how Germany built a new identity for itself after the barbaric Nazi years… terrifically insightful… This book runs to 838 pages, but barely a word is wasted. Trentmann is a skillful and unflashy storyteller with flickers of gentle irony. Echoing Tolstoy’s theory of history as the ‘sum of human wills,’ he aims to stitch the scraps of everyday experience into a quilt of grand narrative… [with] richness, colour and subtlety.” – Oliver Moody, The Times
Slow Noodles: A Cambodian Memoir of Love, Loss, and Family Recipes by Chantha Nguon with Kim Green ★
nonfiction / memoir / food / history.
RECIPE: HOW TO CHANGE CLOTH INTO DIAMOND
Take a well-fed nine-year-old with a big family and a fancy education. Fold in 2 revolutions, 2 civil wars, and 1 wholesale extermination. Subtract a reliable source of food, life savings, and family members, until all are gone. Shave down childhood dreams for approximately two decades, until only subsistence remains.
In Slow Noodles, Chantha Nguon recounts her life as a Cambodian refugee who loses everything and everyone—her home, her family, her country—all but the remembered tastes and aromas of her mother’s kitchen. She summons the quiet rhythms of 1960s Battambang, her provincial hometown, before the dictator Pol Pot tore her country apart and killed more than a million Cambodians, many of them ethnic Vietnamese like Nguon and her family. Then, as an immigrant in Saigon, Nguon loses her mother, brothers, and sister and eventually flees to a refugee camp in Thailand. For two decades in exile, she survives by cooking in a brothel, serving drinks in a nightclub, making and selling street food, becoming a suture nurse, and weaving silk.
Nguon’s irrepressible spirit and determination come through in this lyrical memoir that includes more than twenty family recipes such as sour chicken-lime soup, green papaya pickles, and pâté de foie, as well as Khmer curries, stir-fries, and handmade bánh canh noodles. Through it all, re-creating the dishes from her childhood becomes an act of resistance, of reclaiming her place in the world, of upholding the values the Khmer Rouge sought to destroy, and of honoring the memory of her beloved mother, whose “slow noodles” approach to healing and cooking prioritized time and care over expediency.
Slow Noodles is an inspiring testament to the power of food to keep alive a refugee’s connection to her past and spark hope for a beautiful life.
“[A] gorgeous… deeply personal memoir… Interwoven with recipes and lists of ingredients, Nguon’s heart-rending writing reinforces the joy and agony of her core thesis: ‘The past never goes away.’” – Lauren Puckett-Pope, Elle
“Nguon’s memoir about being a Cambodian refugee surviving a genocide to discovering hope and faith through her mother’s recipes will move you to tears. It’s not all down notes though and the story beams with hope, pride, and determination.” – Adam Vitcavage, Debutiful
“…engrossing and evocative… This haunting yet hopeful account will appeal to foodies and history buffs alike.” – Publishers Weekly
“[B]y turns, heart-wrenching, inspiring, harrowing, and mouthwatering… Slow Noodles is a rare gem of a story, gorgeously written, humble and stirring, and packed with tempting recipes… This memoir of food, family, feminism, and Cambodian history, which includes enticing cookbook-quality recipes, is breathtaking in its emotional resonance and lovely writing.” – Julia Kastner, Shelf Awareness
Splinters: Another Kind of Love Story by Leslie Jamison ★
nonfiction / memoir.
Leslie Jamison has become one of our most beloved contemporary voices, a scribe of the real, the true, the complex. She has been compared to Joan Didion and Susan Sontag, acclaimed for her powerful thinking, deep feeling, and electric prose. But while Jamison has never shied away from challenging material—scouring her own psyche and digging into our most unanswerable questions across four books—Splinters enters a new realm.
In her first memoir, Jamison turns her unrivaled powers of perception on some of the most intimate relationships of her life: her consuming love for her young daughter, a ruptured marriage once swollen with hope, and the shaping legacy of her own parents’ complicated bond. In examining what it means for a woman to be many things at once—a mother, an artist, a teacher, a lover—Jamison places the magical and the mundane side by side in surprising ways. The result is a work of nonfiction like no other, an almost impossibly deep reckoning with the muchness of life and art, and a book that grieves the departure of one love even as it celebrates the arrival of another.
How do we move forward into joy when we are haunted by loss? How do we claim hope alongside the harm we’ve caused? A memoir for which the very term tour de force seems to have been coined, Splinters plumbs these and other pressing questions with writing that is revelatory to the last page, full of linguistic daring and emotional acuity. Jamison, a master of nonfiction, evinces once again her ability to “stitch together the intellectual and the emotional with the finesse of a crackerjack surgeon” (NPR).
“You’ll need tissues and a highlighter for this one.” – Oprah Daily
“Jamison, known and beloved for her clarion voice and her unflinching perception, has not shied away from self-interrogation in the past, but her new book is a particularly cutting account of her own decisions, motives, and desires. It is also an exceptional read, guiding her reader through her thrilling and bitter and fulfilling affairs of the heart.” – Chloe Schama, Vogue
“[An] exquisite memoir… By turns funny, poignant, harrowing, and joyful, this standout personal history isn’t easily forgotten.” – Publishers Weekly, STARRED REVIEW
“You don’t have to be a mother to find bone-deep truth in this memoir. You don’t have to have loved hard and then lost, gone through a divorce with a kind man who turns cruel, or weathered the COVID-19 pandemic as a single working mom. You just have to be a person with a heart to feel the beauty, the pain and above all, the humanity that runs through this force of nature in book form.” – Lizz Schumer, Good Housekeeping
A Step Past Darkness by Vera Kurian
fiction / suspense / mystery.
There’s something sinister under the surface of the idyllic, suburban town of Wesley Falls, and it’s not just the abandoned coal mine that lies beneath it. The summer of 1995 kicks off with a party in the mine where six high school students witness a horrifying crime that changes the course of their lives.
The six couldn’t be more different.
● Maddy, a devout member of the local megachurch
● Kelly, the bookworm next door
● James, a cynical burnout
● Casey, a loveable football player
● Padma, the shy straight-A student
● Jia, who’s starting to see visions she can’t explain
When they realize that they can’t trust anyone but each other, they begin to investigate what happened on their own. As tensions escalate in town to a breaking point, the six make a vow of silence, bury all their evidence, and promise to never contact each other again. Their plan works – almost.
Twenty years later, Jia calls them all back to Wesley Falls—Maddy has been murdered, and they are the only ones who can uncover why. But to end things, they have to return to the mine one last time.
“…Kurian draws readers in, invoking strong Goonies vibes. Here, as in her debut, Never Saw Me Coming, Kurian creates unforgettable characters, breathless suspense, and original plotting. A must-read for fans of C. J. Tudor and Jennifer McMahon.” – Christine Tran, Booklist, STARRED REVIEW
“A Step Past Darkness gets kudos for character development and an intense storyline that grabs attention and won’t let go until the last page.” – Amy Wilson, Novels Alive
The Still Point by Tammy Greenwood
fiction.
“She had never seen Bea dance like this. Ever sat spellbound as her daughter grew from a little girl into a woman before her eyes…”
Ever, Lindsay, and Josie have ushered their daughters—Bea, Olive, and Savvy—through years of dance classes in their coastal California town. They’ve tended bloodied feet, stitched ribbons to countless pairs of pointe shoes, and in the process, forged friendships that seem to transcend rivalry.
But now Etienne Bernay, enfant terrible of French ballet, has come to their conservatory. Not only will he direct this year’s production of The Nutcracker, but he’s brought along a film crew to document his search for one special student who will receive a full scholarship to the Ballet de Paris Academie. For the girls, this is the chance to fulfill lifelong dreams. For Ever, recently widowed and struggling financially, it may be the only way to keep Bea dancing. And Bea is a truly gifted dancer—poetic and ethereal, breathtaking to watch.
Lindsay, meanwhile, frets that Olive is growing tired of the punishing reality of training, while Josie has no such qualms about Savvy, who is a powerhouse of ambition.
From auditions to casting to rehearsals, the cameras capture the selection process, with its backstabbing and jealousy, disappointment and triumph. But it’s behind the scenes that Bernay’s arrival will yield the most shocking revelations, exposing the secrets and lies at the heart of all three families—and the sacrifices women make for their children, for friendship, and for art.
“More twists and turns than a pirouette; readers will stay rapt till the final curtain.” – Kirkus Reviews
“Based on Greenwood’s experience as a ballet mom, this sometimes-painful journey into adulthood (for both the moms and their daughters!) is also a story of friendship, life aspirations, and moving on from tragedy and heartbreak.” – Terry Gilman, Indie Next
“This latest from Greenwood provides an insider’s glimpse into the world of elite ballet school competitions. Readers who liked Liane Moriarty’s Big Little Lies or Carrie Soto Is Back by Taylor Jenkins Reid should enjoy.” – Elizabeth Masterson, Library Journal
Supercommunicators: How to Unlock the Secret Language of Connection by Charles Duhigg
nonfiction / self help / psychology / business.
Come inside a jury room as one juror leads a starkly divided room to consensus. Join a young CIA officer as he recruits a reluctant foreign agent. And sit with an accomplished surgeon as he tries, and fails, to convince yet another cancer patient to opt for the less risky course of treatment. In Supercommunicators, Charles Duhigg blends deep research and his trademark storytelling skills to show how we can all learn to identify and leverage the hidden layers that lurk beneath every conversation.
Communication is a superpower and the best communicators understand that whenever we speak, we’re actually participating in one of three conversations: practical (What’s this really about?), emotional (How do we feel?), and social (Who are we?). If you don’t know what kind of conversation you’re having, you’re unlikely to connect.
Supercommunicators know the importance of recognizing—and then matching—each kind of conversation, and how to hear the complex emotions, subtle negotiations, and deeply held beliefs that color so much of what we say and how we listen. Our experiences, our values, our emotional lives—and how we see ourselves, and others—shape every discussion, from who will pick up the kids to how we want to be treated at work. In this book, you will learn why some people are able to make themselves heard, and to hear others, so clearly.
With his storytelling that takes us from the writers’ room of The Big Bang Theory to the couches of leading marriage counselors, Duhigg shows readers how to recognize these three conversations—and teaches us the tips and skills we need to navigate them more successfully.
In the end, he delivers a simple but powerful lesson: With the right tools, we can connect with anyone.
“Duhigg’s methods are clear and sensible. Anyone reading this book will find themselves suddenly thinking before responding and really listening, two skills that are badly needed in our world.” – Candace Smith, Booklist
“A how-to-guide and useful overview for readers wanting to communicate more effectively. Along with David Brooks’s recent How To Know a Person, a timely primer for creating deeper connections with others.” – Donna Marie Smith, Library Journal
“…Duhigg provides wise advice for bonding with friends, fighting with partners, and bridging divides over such lightning-rod issues as gun control… In lucid prose, Duhigg breaks conversation down to its fundamentals, providing both an actionable guide and a revealing peek into the psychological needs and motivations that underpin human interaction. It’s a smart, revelatory look at the complex ways in which humans conflict and connect.” – Publishers Weekly, STARRED REVIEW
The Way Home: Discovering the Hero’s Journey to Wholenss at Midlife by Ben Katt
nonfiction / self help / psychology.
Those reaching midlife often discover that they have been bombarded with messages from society telling them who they should be and what their life should look like. While chasing the three-headed monster (achievement, perfection, and the approval of others), author Ben Katt realized that he had lost himself along the way. The Way Home is a book for those struggling to find their way back to themselves, especially at midlife.
Katt distills Joseph Campbell’s Hero’s Journey into an accessible, ten-step program to help readers move beyond their limitations, find fulfillment, and make the greatest possible contribution to their community and world. Anyone – ordinary, extraordinary, or somewhere in between – can embark upon the Hero’s Journey, leaving the familiar, falling into the unknown, and ultimately rising to wholeness.
Bringing together personal experience, spiritual wisdom, and well-known mythologies, The Way Home serves as a practical guidebook to inspire and equip people in the second half of life, helping them move from isolation to belonging, from security to surrender, from conformity to wildness. Katt employs a number of tools and rituals to guide readers along the path back to themselves, including solitude, dreamwork, fasting, and meditation.
This book serves as a reminder to those at a transition point in their life that the most important task is to stay connected with their own heart.
“Katt’s self-awareness is endearing, but it’s the sheer ordinariness of his story that readers will find most comforting: from biblical figures to movie heroes, the ‘universal way home to wholeness’ is an arduous but eminently human trek, Katt concludes. This inspires.” – Publishers Weekly
Welcome to the Hyunam-Dong Bookshop by Hwang Bo-Reum; translated by Shanna Tan
fiction.
Yeongju is burned out. She did everything she was supposed to: go to school, marry a decent man, get a respectable job. Then it all fell apart. In a leap of faith, Yeongju abandons her old life, quits her high-flying career, and follows her dream. She opens a bookshop. In a quaint neighborhood in Seoul, surrounded by books, Yeongju and her customers take refuge. From the lonely barista to the unhappily married coffee roaster-and the writer who sees something special in Yeongju-they all have disappointments in their past. The Hyunam-dong Bookshop becomes the place where they all learn how to truly live.
A heartwarming story about finding acceptance in your life and the healing power of books, Welcome to the Hyunam-dong Bookshop is a gentle reminder that it’s never too late to scrap the plot and start again.
“Bound to be a book club favorite.” – Matthew Galloway, Library Journal
“A real love letter to reading… wonderful.” – Good Housekeeping
“Delightful, reflective and heart-warming… we challenge you not to fall in love with it.” – Woman’s Weekly
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