“The scariest moment is always just before you start.” – Stephen King, On Writing: A Memoir of the Craft
And Then? And Then? What Else? by Daniel Handler
nonfiction / memoir / writing.
You never love a book the way you love a book when you are ten.
Writing as Lemony Snicket, Daniel Handler has led several generations of young readers into that special and curious space of being hopelessly lost, and joyfully finding yourself, in the essential strangeness of literature. The wondrous and perilous journey of the Baudelaire orphans sprung from the author’s own path, from his childhood discovery of Baudelaire’s poetry through the countless peculiarities of his pursuit of a literary life―abject failure and startling success, breakthrough and breakdown, concordance and controversy―lit along the way by the books and culture he loved best.
At once a personal memoir and a literary exploration, a how-to book and a critical inquiry, a sequence of stories and a series of events, And Then? And Then? What Else? is a book not just for anyone curious about the creator of Lemony Snicket, but for anyone who loved books when they were a child, and still loves them now.
“A fully captivating memoir rich with insights on reading, writing, and life itself.” – Kirkus Reviews, STARRED REVIEW
“…charming… the effect of this distinctive little book might be described as merging the art with the artist, which turns out to be the perfect thing.” – Marion Winik, Star Tribune
“…dazzling… immensely readable… stupendously written, engagingly conversational… Thought-provoking, deeply personal, and like few other memoirs in the range of topics covered, Handler’s mix of the personal and the literary is as compelling as his gloriously off-beat fiction.” – Alexander Moran, Booklist, STARRED REVIEW
Butcher by Joyce Carol Oates
fiction / historical fiction / horror.
In this harrowing story based on authentic historical documents, we follow the career of Dr. Silas Weir, “Father of Gyno-Psychiatry,” as he ascends from professional anonymity to national renown. Humiliated by a procedure gone terribly wrong, Weir is forced to take a position at the New Jersey Asylum for Female Lunatics, where he reigns. There, he is allowed to continue his practice, unchecked for decades, making a name for himself by focusing on women who have been neglected by the state—women he subjects to the most grotesque modes of experimentation. As he begins to establish himself as a pioneer of nineteenth-century surgery, Weir’s ambition is fueled by his obsessive fascination with a young Irish indentured servant named Brigit, who becomes not only Weir’s primary experimental subject, but also the agent of his destruction.
Narrated by Silas Weir’s eldest son, who has repudiated his father’s brutal legacy, Butcher is a unique blend of fiction and fact, a nightmare voyage through the darkest regions of the American psyche conjoined, in its startling conclusion, with unexpected romance. Once again, Joyce Carol Oates has written a spellbinding novel confirming her position as one of our celebrated American visionaries of the imagination.
“New Jersey history meets Oates at her most gothic… Vintage Oates: splendidly written, and a useful warning to choose your doctors wisely.” – Kirkus Reviews
“Oates’ daring tale of grotesque medical experiments and other injustices is unnerving, illuminating, suspenseful, mythic, and, thankfully, tempered by transcendence and love.” – Donna Seaman, Booklist, STARRED REVIEW
“…deliciously arch and relentlessly gloomy… Oates’s scathing indictment of the physical and psychological treatment of women by the medical establishment makes for compulsive but challenging reading. Unlike the ghastly procedures depicted, Oates’s inventive gothic novel pays off.” – Publishers Weekly
Cactus Country: A Boyhood Memoir by Zoë Bossiere
nonfiction / memoir.
Newly arrived in the Sonoran Desert, eleven-year-old Zoë’s world is one of giant beetles, thundering javelinas, and gnarled paloverde trees. With the family’s move to Cactus Country RV Park, Zoë has been given a fresh start and a new, shorter haircut.
Although Zoë doesn’t have the words to express it, he experiences life as a trans boy—and in Cactus Country, others begin to see him as a boy, too. Here, Zoë spends hot days chasing shade and freight trains with an ever-rotating pack of sunburned desert kids, and nights fending off his own questions about the body underneath his baggy clothes.
As Zoë enters adolescence, he must reckon with the sexism, racism, substance abuse, and violence endemic to the working class Cactus Country men he’s grown close to, whose hard masculinity seems as embedded in the desert landscape as the cacti sprouting from parched earth. In response, Zoë adopts an androgynous style and new pronouns, but still cannot escape what it means to live in a gendered body, particularly when a fraught first love destabilizes their sense of self.
But beauty flowers in this desert, too. Zoë persists in searching for answers that can’t be found in Cactus Country, dreaming of a day they might leave the park behind to embrace whatever awaits beyond.
Equal parts harsh and tender, Cactus Country is an invitation for readers to consider how we find our place in a world that insists on stark binaries, and a precisely rendered journey of self-determination that will resonate with anyone who’s ever had to fight to be themself.
“[An] incredibly moving and thought-provoking story expertly told.” – Adam Vitcavage, Debutiful
“Bossiere’s hopeful, powerful life story also serves as a memorable study of gender and home.” – Kirkus Reviews, STARRED REVIEW
“…enthralling… Bossiere’s concise prose style and gift for scene-setting draws readers in… This will resonate with anyone who’s longed for escape—from a hometown or their own body—but lacked an exit plan.” – Publishers Weekly, STARRED REVIEW
Escape Velocity by Victor Manibo
fiction / mystery / suspense / science fiction.
Space Habitat Altaire is the premier luxury resort in low Earth orbit, playground of the privileged and the perfect location to host reunions for the Rochford Institute. Rochford boasts only the best: the wealthiest, most promising students with the most impressive pedigrees. Complete with space walks, these lavish reunions are a prime opportunity for alumni to jockey for power with old friends and rivals—and crucially, to advance their applications to live in an exclusive Mars settlement. Earth is dying, and only the best deserve to save themselves.
Aboard the Altaire for their 25th reunion, finance magnate Ava pursues the truth about her brother’s murder during their senior year, which cast a dark shadow over their time at Rochford. Laz, ambassador and political scion, hopes to finally win Ava’s heart. Sloane, collecting secrets to conceal his family’s decline, angles for a key client. And Henry, heir to a healthcare empire, creates an unorthodox opportunity to get to Mars in a last-ditch effort to outrun a childhood secret.
While these erstwhile friends settle scores and rack up points, they fail to notice that other agendas are afoot at the Space Habitat Altaire, and their own futures aren’t the only ones at stake—“the best” will soon regret underestimating those they would leave behind on Earth.
“…immensely satisfying.” – Charlie Jane Anders, Washington Post
“Manibo ingeniously melds genres in this suspenseful sci-fi mystery… The whodunit plot is enhanced by careful and plausible worldbuilding… As in the best mysteries, Manibo never allows his plot twists to come at the expense of character development.” – Publishers Weekly, STARRED REVIEW
“Manibo pens a novel full of twists and turns, with broad appeal. Sci-fi, dystopian, and mystery fans will all find something to enjoy, while the posh setting and elite players give an unexpected air of palace intrigue that could rival Game of Thrones.” – Portia Kapraun, Library Journal
Exhibit by R.O. Kwon ★
fiction.
At a lavish party in the hills outside of San Francisco, Jin Han meets Lidija Jung and nothing will ever be the same for either woman. A brilliant young photographer, Jin is at a crossroads in her work, in her marriage to her college love Philip, and in who she is and who she wants to be. Lidija is an alluring, injured world-class ballerina on hiatus from her ballet company under mysterious circumstances. Drawn to each other by their intense artistic drives, the two women talk all night.
Cracked open, Jin finds herself telling Lidija about an old familial curse, breaking a lifelong promise. She’s been told that if she doesn’t keep the curse a secret, she risks losing everything; death and ruin could lie ahead. As Jin and Lidija become more entangled, they realize they share more than the ferocity of their ambition, and begin to explore hidden desires. Something is ignited in Jin: her art, her body, and her sense of self irrevocably changed. But can she avoid the specter of the curse? Vital, bold, powerful, and deeply moving, Exhibit asks: how brightly can you burn before you light your life on fire?
“…hypnotic… a haunting romance about desire, obsession, and ambition that is sure to get your heart rate up.” – Shannon Carlin, Time
“[A] searing study of art, desire, and bodily and intellectual freedom… Kwon’s sentences are like grenades, carefully wrought and concentrated with meaning…” – Rebecca Foster, Shelf Awareness
“A bold, tough novel that invites the viewer’s gaze and stares defiantly back.” – Kirkus Reviews
“Exhibit is a highly sensory experience, awash in petals and colors, smells and flavors, that adds to the literature on a proclivity much discussed and often misunderstood. It lingers like a mysterious, multihued bruise.” – Alexandra Jacobs, New York Times
A Gamble at Sunset by Vanessa Riley
fiction / romance / historical fiction.
Georgina Wilcox, a wallflower with hidden musical talents, is furious when her reclusive older sister—the recently widowed Viscountess—refuses sorely needed help from the Duke of Torrance, the only gentleman who has shown kindness to the bereft Wilcox sisters. Georgina decides to get back at her sister and shock the Viscountess by kissing the first willing stranger she meets in the enchanting gardens of Anya House. Unfortunately, her sister is not the sole witness. A group of reporters and the ton’s leading gossips catch Georgina in a passionate embrace with a reticent composer, Lord Mark Sebastian.
The third son of an influential marquis, the tongue-tied Mark is determined to keep the scandal from ruining Georgina’s reputation and his own prospects of winning the celebrated Harlbert’s Prize for music. Under the guise of private voice lessons, the two embark on a daring gamble to fool the ton into believing that their feigned courtship is honorable while bolstering Georgina’s singing genius to captivate potential suitors. Sexist cartoons, family rivalries, and an upcoming ball test the fake couple’s resolve. Will their sudden fiery collaboration—and growing attraction—prove there’s nothing false about a first kiss and scandalously irresistible temptation?
“A strong historical romance that combines diverse experiences with classic storytelling.” – Kirkus Reviews
“Riley renders the Regency in living color, with impressive historical detail and an admirably diverse cast. Historical romance readers will be entranced.” – Publishers Weekly, STARRED REVIEW
The Great State of West Florida by Kent Wascom
fiction / comedy / western.
It’s 2026, and Rally is thirteen years old. The long, hot Louisiana summer looms before him like a face-melting stretch of blacktop, and the country is talking civil war while his adoptive family acts more vicious than ever. Rally spends his days wondering about his dead father’s people, the Woolsacks of West Florida, who long ago led a failed rebellion to carve their own state from the swamp and sugar-sand of the coast. That family might have been his too—if his mother and a crew of vigilantes hadn’t tried to kill them all back when he was a baby. Rally lives in the shadow of guilt and in fear of the only other survivors: his uncle Rodney, now a professional gunfighter on the app DU3L, where would-be shooters square off in armed combat, and his mysterious cousin Destiny, whereabouts unknown, whose own violence brought the massacre to an end.
When the Woolsacks’ legacy is co-opted by Troy Yarbrough, a far-right politician leading a movement to turn the Florida panhandle into a white Christian ethnostate, Rodney bursts into Rally’s life, taking him on a journey into the wild heart of West Florida, where they join forces with a woman known only as the Governor—part prophet, part machine, with her own blazing vision for West Florida. Soon Rally will learn what West Florida means to the Woolsacks, and the lengths they will go to protect it, all while he falls for the machine-gun-toting, ATV-riding girl next door.
An explosive, genre-redefining take on family, violence, and the costs of preserving a legacy in a sun-soaked world of megachurch magnates, suburban guerillas, and robotic warriors, The Great State of West Florida is also the tender coming-of-age story of a young man caught in the wheels of something bigger than he knows.
“…wacky and wild… Fans of pulpy dark humor will relish the climactic showdown between Yarbrough’s henchmen and those loyal to an elusive figure called the Governor… This high-octane satire feels all too plausible.” – Publishers Weekly
“…inventive and propulsive… This bildungsroman blends satire and social criticism into a fast-paced family drama with a touch of heart. Think Holden Caufield with a family of psychotic yet loyal gunslingers.” – Bill Kelly, Booklist
“[A] maniac ramble through a nightmare landscape—Southern grit lit, inspired by Jonathan Swift out of Harry Crews and Flannery O’Connor. This novel won’t be everyone’s cup of tea, but it’s savage, funny, and, in these fractious days, doesn’t seem as exaggerated as it might have only 20 years earlier.” – David Keymer, Library Journal
The Guncle Abroad by Steven Rowley
fiction / comedy / romance.
Patrick O’Hara is back. It’s been five years since his summer as his niece Maisie and nephew Grant’s caretaker after their mother’s passing. The kids are back in Connecticut with their dad, and Patrick has relocated to New York to remain close by and relaunch his dormant acting career. After the run of his second successful sit-com comes to a close, Patrick feels on top of the world… professionally. But some things have had to take a back seat. Looking down both barrels at fifty, Patrick is single again after breaking things off with Emory. But at least he has a family to lean on. Until that family needs to again lean on him.
When Patrick’s brother, Greg, announces he’s getting remarried in Italy, Maisie and Grant are not thrilled. Patrick feels drawn to take the two back under his wing. As they travel through Europe on their way to the wedding, Patrick tries his best to help them understand love, much as he once helped them comprehend grief. But when they arrive in Italy, Patrick is overextended managing a groom with cold feet; his sister, Clara, flirting with guests left and right; a growing rivalry with the kids’ charming soon-to-be-launt (lesbian aunt), and two moody young teens trying to adjust to a new normal, all culminating in a disastrous rehearsal dinner.
Can Patrick save the day? Will teaching the kids about love help him repair his own love life? Can the change of scenery help Patrick come to terms with finally growing up? Gracing the page with his signature blend of humor and heart, Steven Rowley charms with a beloved story about the complicated bonds of family, love, and what it takes to rediscover yourself, even at the ripe age of fifty.
“The wise-cracking and wisdom-dropping protagonist of The Guncle returns… The author’s fans will gobble this up.” – Publishers Weekly
“[A] funny, heartfelt sequel… This follow-up has a humor and affection for the characters in a story with just the right amount of domestic tension but will still be a balm to readers.” – Jane Jorgenson, Library Journal
“Rowley’s cunning sequel is as much travelogue as uplifting love story, with happy endings all around.” – Carol Haggas, Booklist
Here for the Wrong Reasons by Annabel Paulsen & Lydia Wang
fiction / romance / comedy.
Krystin knows exactly what she wants: a husband, a horse, and a place to hang all her competitive rodeo blue ribbons. But when none of the eligible bachelors in Montana end up being right for her, she turns to reality TV. On Hopelessly Devoted, Krystin will compete against dozens of other women for the heart of this season’s Hopeless Romantic, Josh Rosen. She’s determined to win the perfect life she came here for—if she can just ignore the glossy brunette whose crimson smile gives her goosebumps.
Lauren has never done anything for the right reasons—and she’s definitely not on Hopelessly Devoted to win Josh’s heart. Lauren’s plan is simple: stay on the show long enough to build her social media following, and then gracefully leave when it’s her turn to be eliminated. With enough followers, she’ll finally have the clout to do whatever she wants—including come out of the proverbial walk-in closet. But the longer she stays on the show, the more she finds herself tangled up in a certain blonde’s lasso.
Neither contestant expects a heteronormative dating show to challenge their own deeply-ingrained ideas of who they are—and what they want. Fans of The Charm Offensive and Love Island will swoon for this sparkling debut romcom.
“…tremendously fun… The authors expertly incorporate dating show staples like over-the-top excursions and cheesy on-camera dialogue while still keeping the plot surprising… as deliciously addictive as the most bingeable reality show.” – Publishers Weekly, STARRED REVIEW
“[This] debut contributes bold new aspects to the romance genre while embracing that all-important happily-ever-after. A charming contemporary romance that doesn’t shy away from tackling big issues.” – Kirkus Reviews
“This sweet, sexy rom-com has delightful characters and an intriguing premise that is fulfilled with skillful worldbuilding and witty, humorous writing. Fans of Alexandria Bellefleur and reality TV will clamor for this debut novel by real-life partners Paulsen and Wang.” – Heather Miller Cover, Library Journal
In My Time of Dying: How I Came Face to Face with the Idea of an Afterlife by Sebastian Junger
nonfiction / memoir / philosophy / religion / science / health.
For years as an award-winning war reporter, Sebastian Junger traveled to many front lines and frequently put his life at risk. And yet the closest he ever came to death was the summer of 2020 while spending a quiet afternoon at the New England home he shared with his wife and two young children. Crippled by abdominal pain, Junger was rushed to the hospital by ambulance. Once there, he began slipping away. As blackness encroached, he was visited by his dead father, inviting Junger to join him. “It’s okay,” his father said. “There’s nothing to be scared of. I’ll take care of you.” That was the last thing Junger remembered until he came to the next day when he was told he had suffered a ruptured aneurysm that he should not have survived.
This experience spurred Junger—a confirmed atheist raised by his physicist father to respect the empirical—to undertake a scientific, philosophical, and deeply personal examination of mortality and what happens after we die. How do we begin to process the brutal fact that any of us might perish unexpectedly on what begins as an ordinary day? How do we grapple with phenomena that science may be unable to explain? And what happens to a person, emotionally and spiritually, when forced to reckon with such existential questions?
In My Time of Dying is part medical drama, part searing autobiography, and part rational inquiry into the ultimate unknowable mystery.
“Intelligent and poignantly probing.” – Kirkus Reviews
“National Magazine Award winner Junger pieces together fragmented memories, accounts from his healthcare team and family, and scientific research for a mind-bending exploration of his own near-death experience… It’s a riveting and resonant meditation on some of life’s biggest questions.” – Publishers Weekly, STARRED REVIEW
“Tracing the ever-wavering lines between science and mystery, reason and spirituality, Junger grapples with the complexity of the brain, the riddle of consciousness, and our views of death. Ardently researched, consummately written, and boldly forthright, this an intensely moving and deeply provocative immersion.” – Donna Seaman, Booklist, STARRED REVIEW
Kittentits by Holly Wilson
fiction.
It’s 1992, and ten-year-old Molly is tired of living in the fire-rotted, nun-haunted House of Friends: a Semi-Cooperative Living Community of Peace Faith(s) in Action with her formerly blind dad and their grieving housemate Evelyn. But when twenty-three-year-old Jeanie, a dirt bike–riding ex-con with a shady past, moves in, she quickly becomes the object of Molly’s adoration. She might treat Molly terribly, but they both have dead moms and potty mouths, so naturally Molly is the moth to Jeanie’s scuzzy flame.
When Jeanie fakes her own death in a hot-air balloon accident, Molly runs away to Chicago with just a stolen credit card and a sweet pair of LA Gear Heatwaves to meet her pen pal Demarcus and hunt down Jeanie. What follows is a race to New Year’s Eve, as Molly and Demarcus plan a séance to reunite with their lost moms in front of a live audience at the World’s Fair.
A surrealist and bold take on the American coming-of-age novel, Holly Wilson’s debut is about the interstices of loss, grief, and friendship.
“Molly has one of the funniest internal monologues in literary fiction… Cut the tethers of a hot-air balloon, visit a psychic in an iron lung, take a glass elevator to an underwater food court; laugh, cry, and be moved by this novel of great art.” – Courtney Eathorne, Booklist, STARRED REVIEW
“There is nothing predictable about Holly Wilson’s debut novel… nearly impossible to put down… a fast-paced, filthy-mouthed adventure, told with an exuberance that can only be expected from a 10-year-old… While Molly clearly steals the show as the protagonist, Wilson demonstrates exceptional artistry with the supporting characters, capturing the fundamental experiences of trust, friendship, love and loss. Their backstories, however improbable, will resonate with your personal yearnings. A bit deranged, a lot unforgettable, Kittentits needs to be your next literary escape.” – Chika Gujarsathi, BookPage
The Last Murder at the End of the World by Stuart Turton
fiction / mystery / suspense / science fiction.
Solve the murder to save what’s left of the world.
Outside the island there is nothing: the world was destroyed by a fog that swept the planet, killing anyone it touched.
On the island: it is idyllic. One hundred and twenty-two villagers and three scientists, living in peaceful harmony. The villagers are content to fish, farm and feast, to obey their nightly curfew, to do what they’re told by the scientists.
Until, to the horror of the islanders, one of their beloved scientists is found brutally stabbed to death. And then they learn that the murder has triggered a lowering of the security system around the island, the only thing that was keeping the fog at bay. If the murder isn’t solved within 107 hours, the fog will smother the island—and everyone on it.
But the security system has also wiped everyone’s memories of exactly what happened the night before, which means that someone on the island is a murderer—and they don’t even know it.
And the clock is ticking.
“This dystopian detective story fires on all cylinders.” – Publishers Weekly, STARRED REVIEW
“…as imaginative as it is dazzling and mind-boggling… An extraordinary, thought-provoking book that will appeal to mystery and sf buffs and general-fiction fans looking for a unique and unforgettable read.” – Emily Melton, Booklist, STARRED REVIEW
“Turton has created a complex world and characters in a page-turner centered on what it means to be human and whether those qualities are worth preserving. There is very real suspense as the clock runs down on Emory’s investigation, plus true emotional depth in the struggles she and her fellow survivors face.” – Jane Jorgenson, Library Journal, STARRED REVIEW
Lies and Weddings by Kevin Kwan ★
fiction / romance / comedy.
Rufus Leung Gresham, future Earl of Greshambury and son of a former Hong Kong supermodel has a problem: the legendary Gresham Trust has been depleted by decades of profligate spending, and behind all the magazine covers and Instagram stories, manors and yachts lies nothing more than a gargantuan mountain of debt. The only solution, put forth by Rufus’s scheming mother, is for Rufus to attend his sister’s wedding at a luxury eco-resort, a veritable who’s-who of sultans, barons, and oligarchs, and seduce a woman with money.
Should he marry Solène de Courcy, a French hotel heiress with honey blond tresses and a royal bloodline? Should he pursue Martha Dung, the tattooed venture capital genius who passes out billions like lollipops? Or should he follow his heart, betray his family, squander his legacy, and finally confess his love to the literal girl next door, the humble daughter of a doctor, Eden Tong? When a volcanic eruption burns through the nuptials and a hot mic exposes a secret tryst, the Gresham family plans—and their reputation—go up in flames.
Can the once-great dukedom rise from the ashes? Or will a secret tragedy, hidden for two decades, reveal a shocking twist?
In a globetrotting tale that takes us from the black sand beaches of Hawaii to the skies of Marrakech, from the glitzy bachelor pads of Los Angeles to the inner sanctums of England’s oldest family estates, Kevin Kwan unfurls a juicy, hilarious, sophisticated and thrillingly plotted story of love, money, murder, sex, and the lies we tell about them all.
“[An] irresistible comedy of manners driven by marriage plots… The author’s fans will devour this.” – Publishers Weekly
“Crazy Rich Asians author Kevin Kwan is back with another glamorous comedy of manners–and this one just might be his wildest romp yet… Filled with secrets and scandals galore, this captivating read will hook you from the first page… You won’t be able to put it down!” – Eloisa Bloom, Rough Draft Atlanta
“Kevin Kwan’s books never lack in style, humor, or delicious twists for their well-heeled characters, and this latest is no exception… an exciting, engrossing, and very, very funny story that takes readers around the world and wraps them up in the high stakes of the love affairs of the one percent.” – Town & Country
“…Kevin Kwan delivers another sly, hilarious comedy of manners about the high class, the low class, and the rich with no class… Readers hungry for an escapist tale with a soupçon of social criticism and a dash of true love overcoming obstacles should find Lies and Weddings a delicious diversion.” – Jaclyn Fulwood, Shelf Awareness
Mind Games by Nora Roberts
fiction / romance / suspense / mystery.
As they do each June, the Foxes have driven the winding roads of Appalachia to drop off their children for a two-week stay at their grandmother’s. Here, twelve-year-old Thea can run free and breathe in the smells of pine and fresh bread and Grammie’s handmade candles. But as her parents head back to suburban Virginia, they have no idea they’re about to cross paths with a ticking time bomb.
Back in Kentucky, Thea and her grandmother Lucy both awaken from the same nightmare. And though the two have never discussed the special kind of sight they share, they know as soon as their tearful eyes meet that something terrible has happened.
The kids will be staying with Grammie now in Redbud Hollow, and thanks to Thea’s vision, their parents’ killer will spend his life in supermax. Over time, Thea will make friends, build a career, find love. But that ability to see into minds and souls still lurks within her, and though Grammie calls it a gift, it feels more like a curse—because the inmate who shattered her childhood has the same ability. Thea can hear his twisted thoughts and witness his evil acts from miles away. He knows it, and hungers for vengeance. A long, silent battle will be waged between them—and eventually bring them face to face, and head to head…
“Roberts’ latest may move you to tears, or joy, or dread, or all three… A touching story of love and grief ends in an epic battle of good versus evil.” – Kirkus Reviews, STARRED REVIEW
“Fans of Roberts’ enticing brand of storytelling will find everything they crave in her latest polished thriller, including compelling characters, an evocative, richly realized setting, and a captivating plot enlivened by a generous dash of romance and just the right measure of nerve-jangling, nail-biting suspense.” – John Charles, Booklist
Nero by Conn Iggulden
fiction / historical fiction / suspense.
The story begins with a hand curled around another man’s throat.
This is Roman justice: Emperor Tiberius first dispatches a traitor—a friend he once trusted with the city—then the man’s whole family and all of his friends. It is as if he never existed.
Into this fevered forum, a child is born. His mother is Agrippina, granddaughter of Emperor Augustus. But their imperial blood is neither balm nor protection. Rather, it is a liability. Blood is easily spilled or poisoned. So swiftly corrupted.
As the aging, paranoid Tiberius becomes blind to the ignoble end awaiting him, Agrippina sees the future. Her once-exiled brother Caligula is next in succession, which brings her another step closer to the heart of the empire—to power, ambition, and danger.
Every day she will face soldiers, senators, rivals, silver-tongued pretenders, each vying for position. One mistake risks exile, incarceration, execution. Or, worst of all, perhaps the loss of her infant son.
Because Agrippina knows that, even in your darkest moments, opportunity rises. Her son is everything. She can make this boy, shape him into Rome itself—the man before whom all must kneel. But first, Agrippina and Nero must survive…
“Splendid storytelling about ambition, cruelty, and power.” – Kirkus Reviews
Once Upon a Time: The Captivating Life of Carolyn Bessette-Kennedy by Elizabeth Beller
nonfiction / biography.
A quarter of a century after the plane crash that claimed the lives of John F. Kennedy Jr., his wife Carolyn, and her sister Lauren, the magnitude of this tragedy remains fresh. Yet, Carolyn is still an enigmatic figure, a woman whose short life in the spotlight was besieged with misogyny and cruelty.
Amidst today’s cultural reckoning about the way our media treats women, Elizabeth Beller explores the real person behind the tabloid headlines and media frenzy. When she began dating America’s prince, Carolyn was increasingly thrust into an overwhelming spotlight filled with relentless paparazzi who reacted to her reserve with a campaign of harassment and vilification.
To this day, she is still depicted as a privileged princess—icy, vapid, and drug-addicted. She has even been accused of being responsible for their untimely death, allegedly delaying take-off until she finished her pedicure. But now, she is revealed as never before.
A fiercely independent woman devoted to her adopted city and career, Carolyn relied on her impeccable eye and drive to fly up the ranks at Calvin Klein in the glossy, high-stakes fashion world of the 1990s. When Carolyn met her future husband, John was immediately drawn to her strong-willed personality, effortless charm, and high intelligence. Their relationship would change her life and catapult her to dizzying fame, but it was her vibrant life before their marriage and then hidden afterwards, that is truly fascinating.
Based on in-depth research and exclusive interviews with friends, family members, teachers, roommates, and colleagues, and featuring never-before-seen family photos, this comprehensive biography reveals a multi-faceted woman worthy of our attention regardless of her husband and untimely death.
“[A] thorough examination of a life cut short.” – New York Times
One Perfect Couple by Ruth Ware
fiction / suspense / mystery.
Lyla is in a bit of a rut. Her post-doctoral research has fizzled out, she’s pretty sure they won’t extend her contract, and things with her boyfriend, Nico, an aspiring actor, aren’t going great. When the opportunity arises for Nico to join the cast of a new reality TV show, One Perfect Couple, she decides to try out with him. A whirlwind audition process later, Lyla finds herself whisked off to a tropical paradise with Nico, boating through the Indian Ocean towards Ever After Island, where the two of them will compete against four other couples—Bayer and Angel, Dan and Santana, Joel and Romi, and Conor and Zana—in order to win a cash prize.
But not long after they arrive on the deserted island, things start to go wrong. After the first challenge leaves everyone rattled and angry, an overnight storm takes matters from bad to worse. Cut off from the mainland by miles of ocean, deprived of their phones, and unable to contact the crew that brought them there, the group must band together for survival. As tensions run high and fresh water runs low, Lyla finds that this game show is all too real—and the stakes are life or death.
A fast-paced, spellbinding thriller rife with intrigue and characters that feel so true to life, this novel proves yet again that Ruth Ware is the queen of psychological suspense.
“[A] fresh, adrenaline-fueled take on Agatha Christie’s And Then There Were None… In this absolutely ingenious thriller by a best-selling and highly praised author, the suspense gradually builds, and although the contestants’ ordeal seems to last forever, the pages fly by in a tense but engaging narrative interspersed with someone’s frantic SOS mayday calls. Bound to be a top summer 2024 beach read.” – Jane Murphy, Booklist, STARRED REVIEW
“The prolific Ware continues to stretch herself, taking on something new in each novel and writing strong—and increasingly kick-ass—female characters. The most cinematic Ruth Ware novel so far.” – Kirkus Reviews
“Ware once again delivers the literary goods, with a cheeky sense of wit (including a ‘blink and you’ll miss it’ nod to one of her own books), a propulsive sense of pacing, and a fiendishly clever conclusion.” – John Charles, Library Journal, STARRED REVIEW
Take Back Your Brain: How a Sexist Society Gets in Your Head – and How to Get It Out by Kara Loewentheil
nonfiction / self-help / psychology / sociology.
I never look good in tight skirts. I can’t ask for a raise or my boss will think I’m greedy. I’m getting too old to find a partner. I’m a bad mom. I’m always behind. I’ll never be good enough.
What if every time you had a self-critical thought, you heard it in a man’s voice? The truth is not far off. Living in a patriarchy, women absorb a lifetime of messages that say your worth is defined by your looks, your accomplishments, and how well you take care of everyone around you. In fact, these messages are so pervasive that, even knowing they exist, they still manage to program themselves into our brains. The result is that women end up feeling anxious, guilty, and vaguely ashamed of themselves no matter how much they do for others or achieve for themselves.
So how do we deprogram our thoughts from patriarchy’s corrosive influence? And once we do, how can we create new, self-empowering beliefs?
Master Certified Life Coach and host of the UnF*ck Your Brain podcast Kara Loewentheil knows how. Despite graduating from Harvard Law School and getting her dream job, Kara spent her twenties and thirties feeling insecure and anxious, until she learned how to change her thoughts—which led her to become a coach. In Take Back Your Brain, she draws on cognitive psychology, feminist theory, and years of experience as a neuroplasticity-focused coach to break down how the patriarchy hijacks women’s brains, and how women can get free. To bridge the gap between your inner voice and your true potential, she says, you must begin with your thoughts. By using the skills in this book to literally rewire your brain, you can create new thought patterns that will directly transform outcomes in your life.
Ultimately, Take Back Your Brain invites you to replace the thoughts that no longer serve you and make room for a kind of confidence you never thought possible. Because when women unleash their true power, they awaken new possibilities for the world.
“…galvanizing… Women will be motivated to tackle the invisible barriers holding them back.” – Publishers Weekly
“A bold new paradigm for breaking free from negative self-talk and creating a life of confidence, power, and joy…” – Panio Gianopoulos, Next Big Idea Club
“[An] absorbing, bold, candid, charismatic, fascinating, memorable, and powerful resource that will resonate with women seeking to reclaim control of their lives.” – Jennie More, Readers’ Favorite
Westport by James Comey
fiction / mystery / suspense.
A red canoe sits abandoned on Seymour Rock, right where the Saugatuck River hits the Long Island Sound. The elegantly dressed corpse of a woman lies inside…
It’s been two years since Nora Carleton left the job she loved at the US Attorney’s Office to become lead counsel at Saugatuck Associates, the world’s largest hedge fund. The career change also meant a change of scenery, relocating her to Westport, Connecticut, fifty miles north of New York City. But it was worth it to get her daughter, Sophie, away from the city. Plus, she likes the people she works with. Especially Helen, who recruited Nora because of her skills as an investigator.
Then Nora’s new life falls apart when a coworker is murdered and she becomes the lead suspect. Nora calls in her old colleagues from the US Attorney’s Office, Mafia investigator Benny Dugan and attorney Carmen Garcia. To clear Nora’s name, Benny and Carmen hunt for the true killer’s motive, but it seems nearly everyone at Saugatuck has secrets worth killing for. As Benny sets out to interrogate her colleagues, Nora examines her history with the company to determine who set her up to take the fall.
“[A] crowd-pleasing blend of financial thriller and Agatha Christie-esque whodunit.” – Publishers Weekly
“Within the first few pages, Comey, former director of the FBI, proves that the success of Central Park West wasn’t a lucky accident. He can write well, and more than that, he can tell a good story… intricately constructed with plenty of surprises… A sterling follow-up to Comey’s smashing debut.” – David Pitt, Booklist
You Like It Darker: Stories by Stephen King ★
fiction / short stories / horror / suspense / mystery.
“You like it darker? Fine, so do I,” writes Stephen King in the afterword to this magnificent new collection of twelve stories that delve into the darker part of life—both metaphorical and literal. King has, for half a century, been a master of the form, and these stories, about fate, mortality, luck, and the folds in reality where anything can happen, are as rich and riveting as his novels, both weighty in theme and a huge pleasure to read. King writes to feel “the exhilaration of leaving ordinary day-to-day life behind,” and in You Like It Darker, readers will feel that exhilaration too, again and again.
“Two Talented Bastids” explores the long-hidden secret of how the eponymous gentlemen got their skills. In “Danny Coughlin’s Bad Dream,” a brief and unprecedented psychic flash upends dozens of lives, Danny’s most catastrophically. In “Rattlesnakes,” a sequel to Cujo, a grieving widower travels to Florida for respite and instead receives an unexpected inheritance—with major strings attached. In “The Dreamers,” a taciturn Vietnam vet answers a job ad and learns that there are some corners of the universe best left unexplored. “The Answer Man” asks if prescience is good luck or bad and reminds us that a life marked by unbearable tragedy can still be meaningful.
King’s ability to surprise, amaze, and bring us both terror and solace remains unsurpassed. Each of these stories holds its own thrills, joys, and mysteries; each feels iconic. You like it darker? You got it.
“King does it again in this collection of stories… there’s no doubt that King is still a master.” – Christina Ianzito, AARP
“Stephen King is one of the greatest horror short story craftsmen of all time, and it’s truly a joy any time we get a new collection from the modern master of terror.” – Matthew Jackson, Paste
“…King’s conversational prose, relatable characters, and knack for knowing precisely what you are afraid of will draw you in—page by page, horror by horror—and hold you fast. The disturbing stories in King’s latest collection will seep into your psyche and haunt you.” – Kirkus Reviews, STARRED REVIEW
“Tucked away in King’s new collection of a dozen stories, many published here for the first time, is a previously unpublished novella that is, quite simply, a small masterpiece… This absolutely spellbinding tale, all by itself, is worth the price of admission… This book features some of the author’s most engaging writing… [King has] had a remarkable career, and You Like It Darker proves that he is still at the height of his powers. A triumph.” – David Pitt, Booklist, STARRED REVIEW
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