“We need empathy, we need the eyes that still can weep.” – Lydia Millet, Oh Pure and Radiant Heart
All We Were Promised by Ashton Lattimore
fiction / historical fiction.
Philadelphia, 1837. After Charlotte escaped from the crumbling White Oaks plantation down South, she’d expected freedom to feel different from her former life as an enslaved housemaid. After all, Philadelphia is supposed to be the birthplace of American liberty. Instead, she’s locked away playing servant to her white-passing father, as they both attempt to hide their identities from slavecatchers who would destroy their new lives.
Longing to break away, Charlotte befriends Nell, a budding abolitionist from one of Philadelphia’s wealthiest Black families. Just as Charlotte starts to envision a future, a familiar face from her past reappears: Evie, her friend from White Oaks, has been brought to the city by the plantation mistress, and she’s desperate to escape. But as Charlotte and Nell conspire to rescue her, in a city engulfed by race riots and attacks on abolitionists, they soon discover that fighting for Evie’s freedom may cost them their own.
“…richly layered… Lattimore is a writer to watch.” – Publishers Weekly
“Lattimore’s debut is a thoroughly researched gem with a strong sense of place… There is palpable tension throughout… Through the perspectives of these three women, the vast difference between safety and freedom is clearly portrayed, as is the determined tenacity of female friendship.” – Maribeth Fisher, Booklist, STARRED REVIEW
The Cemetery of Untold Stories by Julia Alvarez ★
fiction / fantasy.
Alma Cruz, the celebrated writer at the heart of The Cemetery of Untold Stories, doesn’t want to end up like her friend, a novelist who fought so long and hard to finish a book that it threatened her sanity. So when Alma inherits a small plot of land in the Dominican Republic, her homeland, she has the beautiful idea of turning it into a place to bury her untold stories—literally. She creates a graveyard for the manuscript drafts and the characters whose lives she tried and failed to bring to life and who still haunt her.
Alma wants her characters to rest in peace. But they have other ideas and soon begin to defy their author: they talk back to her and talk to one another behind her back, rewriting and revising themselves. Filomena, a local woman hired as the groundskeeper, becomes a sympathetic listener to the secret tales unspooled by Alma’s characters. Among them, Bienvenida, dictator Rafael Trujillo’s abandoned wife who was erased from the official history, and Manuel Cruz, a doctor who fought in the Dominican underground and escaped to the United States.
The Cemetery of Untold Stories asks: Whose stories get to be told, and whose buried? Finally, Alma finds the meaning she and her characters yearn for in the everlasting vitality of stories. Julia Alvarez reminds us that the stories of our lives are never truly finished, even at the end.
“…thought-provoking… Mystifying, compelling, and often wryly funny, The Cemetery of Untold Stories is a lyrical meditation on storytelling, truth, family, and the quicksilver nature of narrative itself.” – Katie Noah Gibson, Shelf Awareness
“Alvarez returns to many of her familiar subjects: family and especially the relationships among sisters, immigrants’ experiences, the empowerment of women. Her gifts for glowing prose and powerful narrative are still strong… [a] finely crafted novel.” – Kirkus Reviews, STARRED REVIEW
“Alvarez brings the magic again… These tales surround and crisscross each other as Filomena and her family; Alma’s father, Dr. Manuel Cruz; and Bienvenida Inocencia, the discarded first wife of the brutal dictator Trujillo, are linked in surprising ways, most especially in a humanity that transcends pathos and passion. May Alvarez continue to excavate stories for many years to come!” – Sara Martínez, Booklist, STARRED REVIEW
“[A] powerful and lyrical allegory about an older artist haunted by her own creativity… Alvarez has a wonderful way of being both lyrical and precisely concrete at the same time… Magical and multifaceted, this meditation on creativity, culture and aging is a triumph.” – Carole V. Bell, BookPage, STARRED REVIEW
I Cheerfully Refuse by Leif Enger
fiction / science fiction / fantasy.
Set in a not-too-distant America, I Cheerfully Refuse is the tale of a bereaved and pursued musician embarking under sail on a sentient Lake Superior in search of his departed, deeply beloved, bookselling wife. Rainy, an endearing bear of an Orphean narrator, seeks refuge in the harbors, fogs and remote islands of the inland sea. Encountering lunatic storms and rising corpses from the warming depths, Rainy finds on land an increasingly desperate and illiterate people, a malignant billionaire ruling class, crumbled infrastructure and a lawless society. Amidst the Gulliver-like challenges of life at sea and no safe landings, Rainy is lifted by physical beauty, surprising humor, generous strangers, and an unexpected companion in a young girl who comes aboard. And as his innate guileless nature begins to make an inadvertent rebel of him, Rainy’s private quest for the love of his life grows into something wider and wilder, sweeping up friends and foes alike in his strengthening wake.
I Cheerfully Refuse epitomizes the “musical, sometimes magical and deeply satisfying kind of storytelling” (Los Angeles Times) for which Leif Enger is cherished. A rollicking narrative in the most evocative of settings, this latest
novel is a symphony against despair and a rallying cry for the future.
“…stunning, almost pitch-perfect, with a harrowing tale and beguiling characters… a rare, remarkable book to be kept and reread — for its beauty of language, its gentle wisdom and its steady, unflagging hope.” – Laurie Hertzel, Star Tribune
“The transcendent latest from Enger is at once a dystopian love story, a nautical adventure, and a meditation on loss, kindness, and natural beauty… This captivating narrative brims with hope.” – Publishers Weekly, STARRED REVIEW
“Enger tells a beautiful and quixotic story of love, loss, and the quest for life. His complex characters fight the age-old battle of good vs. evil. The story is compelling, terrifying and, in the end, satisfying. This very readable and highly recommended novel’s familiar setting in an unfamiliar future will resonate with all readers.” – Joanna M. Burkhardt, Library Journal
City in Ruins by Don Winslow
fiction / suspense.
Sometimes you have to become what you hate to protect what you love.
Danny Ryan is rich.
Beyond his wildest dreams rich.
The former dock worker, Irish mob soldier and fugitive from the law is now a respected businessman – a Las Vegas casino mogul and billionaire silent partner in a group that owns two lavish hotels. Finally, Danny has it all: a beautiful house, a child he adores, a woman he might even fall in love with.
Life is good.
But then Danny reaches too far.
When he tries to buy an old hotel on a prime piece of real estate with plans to build his dream resort, he triggers a war against Las Vegas power brokers, a powerful FBI agent bent on revenge and a rival casino owner with dark connections of his own.
Danny thought he had buried his past, but now it reaches up to him from the grave to pull him down. Old enemies surface, and when they come for Danny they vow to take everything – not only his empire, not just his life, but all that he holds dear, including his son.
To save his life and everything he loves, Danny must become the ruthless fighter he once was – and never wanted to be again.
Ranging from the gritty back rooms of Providence, RI to the power corridors of Washington, DC and Wall Street to the golden casinos of Las Vegas, City in Ruins is an epic crime novel of love and hate, ambition and desperation, vengeance and compassion.
“[An] epic conclusion to the series, and a fitting cap to Winslow’s storied career.” – Dwyer Murphy, CrimeReads
“If this really is Winslow’s final novel, as he’s said it will be, then he’s going out on a high note… [City in Ruins] showcases everything that makes Winslow a spectacular writer: brilliantly realized characters, dialogue that rings true, and a story that explores the darkness that exists within each of us… Winslow concludes his remarkable literary career with an exciting thrill ride for readers.” – David Pitt, Booklist
“Bolstered by careful plotting and meticulous attention to character, Winslow’s ambitious narrative culminates with an exhilarating climax that beautifully wraps up the series’ many plot threads. It’s a fitting swan song from a giant of crime fiction.” – Publishers Weekly, STARRED REVIEW
A Good Happy Girl by Marissa Higgins
fiction.
Helen, a jittery attorney with a self-destructive streak, is secretly reeling from a disturbing crime of neglect that her parents recently committed. Historically happy to compartmentalize—distracting herself by hooking up with lesbian couples, doting on her grandmother, and flirting with a young administrative assistant—Helen finally meets her match with Catherine and Katrina, a married couple who startle and intrigue her with their ever-increasing sexual and emotional intensity.
Perceptive and attentive, Catherine and Katrina prod at Helen’s life, revealing a childhood tragedy she’s been repressing. When her father begs her yet again for help getting parole, she realizes that she has a bargaining chip to get answers to her past.
A Good Happy Girl is interested in worlds without men—and women who will do what they can to get what they want. In her exploration of twisted desires, queer domesticity, and the effects of incarceration on the family, Marissa Higgins offers empathy to characters who often don’t receive it, with unsettling results.
“…striking and visceral… Higgins expertly captures the longing and self-loathing that drive Helen’s masochism… The results are as captivating as they are disturbing.” – Publishers Weekly, STARRED REVIEW
“One of the sexiest, most sensual, and sapphic books in recent memory… Come for the tantalizing text but stay for the subtle, soft humane moments in between.” – Adam Vitcavage, Debutiful
“Higgins’ captivating debut is a disturbing, intimate look at the mind of a young woman struggling mightily to maintain a semblance of normalcy… By turns heart-wrenching, upsetting, and racy, this is a unique take on trauma and broken relationships.” – Kathy Sexton, Booklist
The House on Biscayne Bay by Chanel Cleeton
fiction / historical fiction / mystery.
With the Great War finally behind them, many Americans flock to South Florida with their sights set on making a fortune. When wealthy industrialist Robert Barnes and his wife, Anna, build Marbrisa, a glamorous estate on Biscayne Bay, they become the toast of the newly burgeoning society. Anna and Robert appear to have it all, but in a town like Miami, appearances can be deceiving, and one scandal can change everything.
Years later following the tragic death of her parents in Havana, Carmen Acosta journeys to Marbrisa, the grand home of her estranged older sister, Carolina, and her husband, Asher Wyatt. On the surface, the gilded estate looks like paradise, but Carmen quickly learns that nothing at Marbrisa is as it seems. The house has a treacherous legacy, and Carmen’s own life is soon in jeopardy… unless she can unravel the secrets buried beneath the mansion’s facade and stop history from repeating itself.
“This is a sure bet for Cleeton fans and lovers of mansion-centric gothic tales.” – Sara Martínez, Booklist
“Cleeton artfully weaves together two storylines, each featuring a different but equally sympathetic heroine, to create a compelling mystery with plenty of gothic atmosphere.” – Mara Bandy Fass, Library Journal
The Husbands by Holly Gramazio ★
fiction / comedy / fantasy / mystery / romance.
When Lauren returns home to her flat in London late one night, she is greeted at the door by her husband, Michael. There’s only one problem—she’s not married. She’s never seen this man before in her life. But according to her friends, her much-improved decor, and the photos on her phone, they’ve been together for years.
As Lauren tries to puzzle out how she could be married to someone she can’t remember meeting, Michael goes to the attic to change a lightbulb and abruptly disappears. In his place, a new man emerges, and a new, slightly altered life re-forms around her. Realizing that her attic is creating an infinite supply of husbands, Lauren confronts the question: If swapping lives is as easy as changing a lightbulb, how do you know you’ve taken the right path? When do you stop trying to do better and start actually living?
“A fun take on a big question.” – Kirkus Reviews
“This is a wonder of a book, full of laughter and love and insight.” – Isabelle McConville, Barnes & Noble
“…charming… there’s plenty of intelligence and candor in the author’s creative spin on the conundrum of commitment. Gramazio is worth keeping tabs on.” – Publishers Weekly
“…hilarious… This delightful fantasy is both funny and philosophical as it asks readers to consider if a person can ever be sure if they have taken the right path or found the right spouse. Readers who love Emma Straub, Erin Morgenstern, and time-travel novels that explore modern life will find this a delightful read.” – Merle Jacob, Booklist
Just for the Summer by Abby Jimenez ★
fiction / romance.
Justin has a curse, and thanks to a Reddit thread, it’s now all over the internet. Every woman he dates goes on to find their soul mate the second they break up. When a woman slides into his DMs with the same problem, they come up with a plan: They’ll date each other and break up. Their curses will cancel each other’s out, and they’ll both go on to find the love of their lives. It’s a bonkers idea… and it just might work.
Emma hadn’t planned that her next assignment as a traveling nurse would be in Minnesota, but she and her best friend agree that dating Justin is too good of an opportunity to pass up, especially when they get to rent an adorable cottage on a private island on Lake Minnetonka.
It’s supposed to be a quick fling, just for the summer. But when Emma’s toxic mother shows up and Justin has to assume guardianship of his three siblings, they’re suddenly navigating a lot more than they expected–including catching real feelings for each other. What if this time Fate has actually brought the perfect pair together?
“Fans of Abby Jimenez are going to devour this one.” – Morgan Menzies, SheReads
“[An] emotional tour de force… Readers will be deeply moved.” – Publishers Weekly, STARRED REVIEW
“This witty, emotion-filled novel from Jimenez isn’t one to just read, it’s one to sink into.” – Heather Miller Cover, Library Journal, STARRED REVIEW
“With a perfect sense of literary aplomb and an abundance of deliciously sharp wit, Jimenez continues on an extraordinary upward trajectory with another gorgeously crafted contemporary romance… Jimenez expertly balances humor and heart in this sublimely satisfying love story.” – John Charles, Booklist, STARRED REVIEW
Like Love: Essays and Conversations by Maggie Nelson ★
nonfiction / essays.
Like Love is a momentous, raucous collection of essays drawn from twenty years of Maggie Nelson’s brilliant work. These profiles, reviews, remembrances, tributes, and critical essays, as well as several conversations with friends and idols, bring to life Nelson’s passion for dialogue and dissent. The range of subjects is wide—from Prince to Carolee Schneemann to Matthew Barney to Lhasa de Sela to Kara Walker—but certain themes recur: intergenerational exchange; love and friendship; feminist and queer issues, especially as they shift over time; subversion, transgression, and perversity; the roles of the critic and of language in relation to visual and performance arts; forces that feed or impede certain bodies and creators; and the fruits and follies of a life spent devoted to making.
Arranged chronologically, Like Love shows the writing, thinking, feeling, reading, looking, and conversing that occupied Nelson while writing iconic books such as Bluets and The Argonauts. As such, it is a portrait of a time, an anarchic party rich with wild guests, a window into Nelson’s own development, and a testament to the profound sustenance offered by art and artists.
“[A] stunning and integral book…” – Julia Hass, Literary Hub
“[A] masterful showcase for Nelson’s wide-ranging intellect and critical prowess.” – Publishers Weekly
“A revelatory gathering of beloved art and artists presented with distinctive prose” – Kirkus Reviews, STARRED REVIEW
“…penetrating and lucid… Every essay is a master class in close looking… Nelson’s insights are vital and sustaining.” – Maggie Taft, Booklist, STARRED REVIEW
The Reappearance of Rachel Price by Holly Jackson
fiction / young adult / mystery / suspense.
Eighteen-year-old Bel has lived her whole life in the shadow of her mom’s mysterious disappearance. Sixteen years ago, Rachel Price vanished and young Bel was the only witness, but she has no memory of it. Rachel is gone, long presumed dead, and Bel wishes everyone would just move on.
But the case is dredged up from the past when the Price family agrees to a true crime documentary. Bel can’t wait for filming to end, for life to go back to normal. And then the impossible happens. Rachel Price reappears, and life will never be normal again.
Rachel has an unbelievable story about what happened to her. Unbelievable, because Bel isn’t sure it’s real. If Rachel is lying, then where has she been all this time? And—could she be dangerous? With the cameras still rolling, Bel must uncover the truth about her mother, and find out why Rachel Price really came back from the dead…
From world-renowned author Holly Jackson comes a mind-blowing masterpiece about one girl’s search for the truth, and the terror in finding out who your family really is.
“[A]nother stunner of a YA mystery from a mastermind of the genre… the YA thriller of the year so far… a twisty, ambiguous book that thrives in its entangled relationships, unpicking the secrets hidden within.” – Emily M., The Nerd Daily
“Readers will be captivated by this twisty thriller and its uncompromising protagonist.” – Kirkus Reviews
“[A] smart, meticulously crafted thriller… Via Bel’s acerbic multilayered first-person narration, Jackson keeps the intricate plot—punctuated with twist after shocking twist—firmly in hand, doling out clues that will have readers guessing right along with the characters.” – Publishers Weekly, STARRED REVIEW
The Rule Book by Sarah Adams
fiction / romance / comedy.
Nora Mackenzie’s entire career lies in the hands of famous NFL tight end Derek Pender, who also happens to be her extremely hot college ex-boyfriend. Nora didn’t end things as gracefully as she could have back then, and now it has come back to haunt her. Derek is her first client as an official full-time sports agent and he’s holding a grudge.
Derek has set his sights on a little friendly revenge. If Nora Mackenzie, the first girl to ever break his heart, wants to be his agent, oh, he’ll let her be his agent. The plan is simple: make Nora’s life absolutely miserable. But if Derek knows anything about the woman he once loved—she won’t quit easily.
Instead of giving in, Nora starts a scheme of her own. But then a wild night in Vegas leads to Nora and Derek in bed the next morning married. With their rule book out the window, could this new relationship save their careers or spark the romance of a lifetime?
“…laugh-out-loud and heartwarming…” – Ashli Wells, Library Journal
“Adams dazzles in her latest, a saucy second chance rom-com… Determined Nora and swoony Derek prove a perfect match.” – Publishers Weekly, STARRED REVIEW
“Upbeat and engaging, this sports romance book is breezy with fun characters and plenty of heart.” – Andrienne Cruz, Library Reads
She’s Not Sorry by Mary Kubica
fiction / suspense / mystery.
A terrible accident.
Meghan Michaels is trying to find balance between being a single mom and working full time as an ICU nurse, when a patient named Caitlin arrives in her ward with a traumatic brain injury. They say she jumped from a bridge and plunged over twenty feet to the train tracks below.
A shocking revelation.
When a witness comes forward with new details about Caitlin’s fall, it calls everything they know into question. Was Caitlin actually pushed and if so, by whom and why?
No one is safe.
Meghan lets herself get close to Caitlin until she’s deeply entangled in Caitlin’s and her family’s lives. Only when it’s too late, does she realize that she and her daughter could be the next victims…
“Interrogates and exposes the everyday fears that women face—while still checking all the thriller boxes.” – Kirkus Reviews
“…twisty, addictive, and bingeable… Kubica casts suspicion on many characters while creating palpable tension, eventually connecting the perfectly paced plotlines into a satisfying conclusion… will fully engage readers and leave them guessing until the very end.” – Jayme Oldham, Booklist, STARRED REVIEW
“Mary Kubica excels at creating viable suspense from situations that at first seem normal but soon grow out of control… gripping… Myriad twists add to the tension… A reader can never be sorry spending time in Kubica’s world.” – Oline H. Cogdill, South Florida Sun Sentinel
A Short Walk Through a Wide World by Douglas Westerbeke
fiction / fantasy / historical fiction.
Paris, 1885: Aubry Tourvel, a spoiled and stubborn nine-year-old girl, comes across a wooden puzzle ball on her walk home from school. She tosses it over the fence, only to find it in her backpack that evening. Days later, at the family dinner table, she starts to bleed to death.
When medical treatment only makes her worse, she flees to the outskirts of the city, where she realizes that it is this very act of movement that keeps her alive. So begins her lifelong journey on the run from her condition, which won’t allow her to stay anywhere for longer than a few days nor return to a place where she’s already been.
From the scorched dunes of the Calashino Sand Sea to the snow-packed peaks of the Himalayas; from a bottomless well in a Parisian courtyard, to the shelves of an infinite underground library, we follow Aubry as she learns what it takes to survive and ultimately, to truly live. But the longer Aubry wanders and the more desperate she is to share her life with others, the clearer it becomes that the world she travels through may not be quite the same as everyone else’s…
Fiercely independent and hopeful, yet full of longing, Aubry Tourvel is an unforgettable character fighting her way through a world of wonders to find a place she can call home. A spellbinding and inspiring story about discovering meaning in a life that seems otherwise impossible, A Short Walk Through a Wide World reminds us that it’s not the destination, but rather the journey—no matter how long it lasts—that makes us who we are.
“An incredible, dazzling debut… I’ve never read anything like it.” – Thoughts From a Page
“Readers of The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue by V.E. Schwab and Life of Pi by Yann Martel will fall in love with Aubry. Librarian Westerbeke’s debut is highly recommended for anyone who enjoys armchair travel and stories that open wide to embrace every experience, even the sad ones.” – Marlene Harris, Library Journal, STARRED REVIEW
“…enthralling… Capturing each moment of Aubry’s sweeping odyssey with extraordinary vividness, Westerbeke’s poignant epic speaks to the challenges of knowing oneself and others in a world of endless change. This is unforgettable.” – Publishers Weekly, STARRED REVIEW
Sociopath: A Memoir by Patric Gagne, PhD ★
nonfiction / memoir / psychology.
Patric Gagne realized she made others uncomfortable before she started kindergarten. Something about her caused people to react in a way she didn’t understand. She suspected it was because she didn’t feel things the way other kids did. Emotions like fear, guilt, and empathy eluded her. For the most part, she felt nothing. And she didn’t like the way that “nothing” felt.
She did her best to pretend she was like everyone else, but the constant pressure to conform to a society she knew rejected anyone like her was unbearable. So Patric stole. She lied. She was occasionally violent. She became an expert lock-picker and home-invader. All with the goal of replacing the nothingness with… something.
In college, Patric finally confirmed what she’d long suspected. She was a sociopath. But even though it was the very first personality disorder identified—well over 200 years ago—sociopathy had been neglected by mental health professionals for decades. She was told there was no treatment, no hope for a normal life. She found herself haunted by sociopaths in pop culture, madmen and evil villains who are considered monsters. Her future looked grim.
But when Patric reconnects with an old flame, she gets a glimpse of a future beyond her diagnosis. If she’s capable of love, it must mean that she isn’t a monster. With the help of her sweetheart (and some curious characters she meets along the way) she embarks on a mission to prove that the millions of Americans who share her diagnosis aren’t all monsters either.
This is the inspiring story of her journey to change her fate and how she managed to build a life full of love and hope.
“…completely fascinating.” – Laura Hanrahan, Cosmopolitan
“…provocative… [told] with incredible candor…” – Shannon Carlin, Time
“Courageously candid and sometimes shocking, this no-holds-barred self-portrait offers an illuminating glimpse at a mental health disorder long shrouded by shame.” – Publishers Weekly
“Readers of this remarkable account, presented with Gagne’s psychology training and her clarity born of years explaining her experience, will never see the word sociopath the same way again.” – Bridget Thoreson, Booklist, STARRED REVIEW
Table for Two: Fictions by Amor Towles ★
fiction / historical fiction.
Millions of Amor Towles fans are in for a treat as he shares some of his shorter fiction: six stories based in New York City and a novella set in Golden Age Hollywood.
The New York stories, most of which take place around the year 2000, consider the fateful consequences that can spring from brief encounters and the delicate mechanics of compromise that operate at the heart of modern marriages.
In Towles’s novel Rules of Civility, the indomitable Evelyn Ross leaves New York City in September 1938 with the intention of returning home to Indiana. But as her train pulls into Chicago, where her parents are waiting, she instead extends her ticket to Los Angeles. Told from seven points of view, “Eve in Hollywood” describes how Eve crafts a new future for herself—and others—in a noirish tale that takes us through the movie sets, bungalows, and dive bars of Los Angeles.
Written with his signature wit, humor, and sophistication, Table for Two is another glittering addition to Towles’s canon of stylish and transporting fiction.
“…enchanting… The author’s fans won’t want to miss this.” – Publishers Weekly
“Not all novelists are good short story writers, but Towles excels with this collection. Readers unfamiliar with his novels will love these examples of his shorter fiction and they will be pure catnip to his legions of fans. Highly recommended.” – Susan Clifford Braun, Library Journal, STARRED REVIEW
“These are jam-packed, juicy stories with lots of plot… knowing, sophisticated, witty… incredibly satisfying, old-fashioned storytelling with characters you care about, surprising but logical situations, liberal use of cliffhangers and, in each story, an ending that deals out fate in a way you won’t have seen coming… This is a book so packed with pleasure that even the letters are delightful.” – Chris Hewitt, Star Tribune
We Loved It All: A Memory of Life by Lydia Millet ★
nonfiction / memoir / nature.
Across more than a dozen acclaimed works of fiction, readers have become intimate with Lydia Millet’s distinctive voice and sly wit. We Loved It All, her first nonfiction book, combines the precision of fact with the power of narrative to evoke our enmeshment with the more-than-human world.
Emerging from Millet’s quarter century of wildlife and climate advocacy, We Loved It All marries scenes from her life with moments of nearness to “the others”— the animals and plants with whom we share the earth. Accounts of fears and failures, jobs and friendships, childhood and motherhood are interspersed with exquisite accounts of nonhumans and arresting meditations on the power of story to shape the future.
Seeking to understand why we immerse ourselves in the domestic and immediate, turning away from more sweeping views, she examines how grand cultural myths can deny our longing for the company of nature and deprive us of its charisma and inspiration. In a thrilling distillation of experience and emotion, she evinces the familiar sense of feeling both well-meaning and powerless—a creature subject to forces that are baffling in their immensity. The fear and grief of extinction and climate change, Millet suggests, are forms of love that might be turned to resistance.
We Loved It All shimmers with curiosity and laconic humor yet addresses with reverence the most urgent crises of our day. An incantatory, bewitching devotional to the vast and precious bestiary of the earth, it asks that we extend to other living beings the protection they deserve—the simple grace of continued existence.
“In turns heartbreaking and inspiring, We Loved It All reminds us to hold every being dear at a time when we all need love more than ever.” – Amy Brady, Literary Hub
“[A] well-written, poignant lament for the greater animal kingdom to which we owe not just our survival as a species but our joy and companionship.” – Kirkus Reviews
“…profoundly affecting… In scintillating prose, Millet makes a passionate case that humans must own up to their responsibilities to each other and the natural world. Mournful and piercingly beautiful, this will stick with readers long after they finish the last page.” – Publishers Weekly, STARRED REVIEW
“In a recalibrating mix of memoir, facts, critique, and passages of elegiac beauty, Millet reflects on our dangerous muddlement and pins hope on the growing impact of one digital advance, our ability to more fully perceive ‘the awesome variety’ of life on Earth in all its ‘grandeur’ and ‘precariousness.’” – Donna Seaman, Booklist, STARRED REVIEW
Wild Life: Finding My Purpose in an Untamed World by Dr. Rae Wynn-Grant
nonfiction / memoir / nature.
Growing up in the diverse and bustling California Bay Area, renowned wildlife ecologist Dr. Rae Wynn-Grant always felt worlds away from the white male adventurers she watched explore the wilderness on TV. She dreamed of a future where she could spend sleepless nights under the crowded canopies of the Amazon and the starry skies of the savanna. But as Rae set off on her own expeditions in the wild, she saw nature’s delicate balance in a new light.
Wild Life follows Rae on her adventures and explorations in some of the world’s most remote locales. Hers is a story about a nearly twenty-year career in the wild—carving a niche as one of very few Black female scientists—and the challenges she had to overcome, expectations she had to leave behind, and the many lessons she learned along the way. An incredible journey spanning the Great Plains of North America to the rainforests of Madagascar, Wild Life sheds light on our pivotal relationship and responsibility to the natural world and the relatives—both human and otherwise—that we share it with.
“As sensitive and touching as it is urgent… a poignant exploration of the natural world.”- O, The Oprah Magazine
“This isn’t simply a nature book or memoir, but a memorable marriage of the two that will leave readers inspired.” – Kirkus Reviews
“…fascinating… This is a must-read for women of color and all who care about the environment and the pursuit of science.” – Montoya Barker, Booklist, STARRED REVIEW
You Are Here: Poetry in the Natural World edited by Ada Limón
nonfiction / poetry / nature.
For many years, “nature poetry” has evoked images of Romantic poets standing on mountain tops. But our poetic landscape has changed dramatically, and so has our planet. Edited and introduced by the twenty-fourth Poet Laureate of the United States, Ada Limón, this book challenges what we think we know about “nature poetry,” illuminating the myriad ways our landscapes—both literal and literary—are changing.
You Are Here features fifty previously unpublished poems from some of the nation’s most accomplished poets, including Joy Harjo, Diane Seuss, Rigoberto González, Jericho Brown, Aimee Nezhukumatathil, Paul Tran, and more. Each poem engages with its author’s local landscape—be it the breathtaking variety of flora in a national park, or a lone tree flowering persistently by a bus stop—offering an intimate model of how we relate to the world around us and a beautifully diverse range of voices from across the United States.
Joyful and provocative, wondrous and urgent, this singular collection of poems offers a lyrical reimagining of what “nature” and “poetry” are today, inviting readers to experience both anew.
“…beautifully curated… This collection stands apart for the strength of its entries and the breadth of its superb meditations on a pressing theme.” – Publishers Weekly
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