“Nothing we do is inevitable, but everything we do is irreversible.” – Joy Williams
Catherine de’ Medici: The Life and Times of the Serpent Queen by Mary Hollingsworth
nonfiction / biography / history.
During an age of heightened religious conflict, Catherine de’ Medici lived her life at the center of sixteenth-century European and French politics. Daughter of Lorenzo II, the Medici ruler of Florence—and then wedded to a French prince by papal decree at the age of fourteen—Catherine first became queen consort of France and then mother to three French kings (Francis II, Charles IX, and Henry III) who reigned in an era of almost continuous civil and religious strife.
A lavish promoter of the arts, Catherine patronized poets, painters, and sculptors; lavished ruinous sums on the building and embellishment of monuments and palaces; and masterminded spectacular entertainments and tournaments that prefigure the splendor and ritual of the court of Versailles.
Catherine maintained eighty ladies-in-waiting at court; it was rumored she used these women as bait to seduce courtiers for her political ends. Her admiration for the seer Nostradamus fueled claims of her love for the occult and the dark arts. Posterity has condemned her as the epitome of the scheming royal matriarch, her reputation tainted forever by her role in instigating the St. Bartholomew’s Day massacre of Protestants in 1572.
Catherine de’ Medici: The Life and Times of the Serpent Queen is Mary Hollingsworth’s evocative, authoritative biography of the most extraordiary woman of the sixteenth-century.
“Author Mary Hollingsworth’s biography gives us a juicy look into the life of one of the most powerful women in history.” – Adam Rathe, Town & Country
“An intriguing, highly recommended look at a powerful queen and her life.” – Lucy Heckman, Library Journal
“…Hollingsworth separates truth from rumor and lays out facts with the tension of a courtroom drama. An admirable scholarly portrait.” – Sarah Johnson, Booklist
The Cliffs by J. Courtney Sullivan
fiction / historical fiction.
On a secluded bluff overlooking the ocean sits a Victorian house, lavender with gingerbread trim, a home that contains a century’s worth of secrets. By the time Jane Flanagan discovers the house as a teenager, it has long been abandoned. The place is an irresistible mystery to Jane. There are still clothes in the closets, marbles rolling across the floors, and dishes in the cupboards, even though no one has set foot there in decades. The house becomes a hideaway for Jane, a place to escape her volatile mother.
Twenty years later, now a Harvard archivist, she returns home to Maine following a terrible mistake that threatens both her career and her marriage. Jane is horrified to find the Victorian is now barely recognizable. The new owner, Genevieve, a summer person from Beacon Hill, has gutted it, transforming the house into a glossy white monstrosity straight out of a shelter magazine. Strangely, Genevieve is convinced that the house is haunted—perhaps the product of something troubling Genevieve herself has done. She hires Jane to research the history of the place and the women who lived there. The story Jane uncovers—of lovers lost at sea, romantic longing, shattering loss, artistic awakening, historical artifacts stolen and sold, and the long shadow of colonialism—is even older than Maine itself.
Enthralling, richly imagined, filled with psychic mediums and charlatans, spirits and past lives, mothers, marriage, and the legacy of alcoholism, this is a deeply moving novel about the land we inhabit, the women who came before us, and the ways in which none of us will ever truly leave this earth.
“Sullivan artfully and astutely engages with difficult topics in this absorbing, affecting novel.” – Kirkus Reviews, STARRED REVIEW
“A beautifully written, expansive novel, sure to please fans of Daniel Mason’s North Woods or the work of Kate Morton and Susanna Kearsley.” – Stacy Alesi, Library Journal
“Sullivan thoughtfully explores both Jane’s inner life and the history of the Maine coast, weaving stories of settlers, Shakers, and Indigenous inhabitants of the area with the contemporary plot. Jane is a complex character shaped by her past and trying to figure out her future, and her research leads to an overarching theme: whose story is remembered and told, and why?” – Nanette Donohue, Booklist
Concerning the Future of Souls: 99 Stories of Azrael by Joy Williams
fiction / short stories.
Returning to her legendary short stories, Pulitzer Prize and National Book Award finalist Joy Williams offers a much-anticipated follow-up to Ninety-Nine Stories of God, which The New York Times Book Review called a “treasure trove of bafflements and tiny masterpieces.” Concerning the Future of Souls balances the extraordinary and the humble, the bizarre and the beatific, as Azrael—transporter of souls and the most troubled and thoughtful of the angels—confronts the holy impossibility of his task, his uneasy relationship with Death, and his friendship with the Devil.
Over the course of these ninety-nine illuminations, a collection of connected and disparate beings—ranging from ordinary folk to grand, known figures such as Jung, Nietzsche, Pythagoras, Bach, and Rilke; to mountains, oceans, dogs, birds, whales, horses, butterflies, a sixty-year-old tortoise, and a chimp named Washoe—experience the varying fate of the soul as each encounters the darkness of transcendence in this era of extinction. A brilliant crash course in philosophy, religion, literature, and culture, Concerning the Future of Souls is an absolution and an indictment, sorrowful and ecstatic. Williams will leave you wonderstruck, pondering the morality of being mortal.
“[An] enchanting collection… The sensitive reader will likely come away from Williams’ little book having shed a few tears… Elegantly poetic—and often archly funny—meditations on death by a superb writer.” – Kirkus Reviews, STARRED REVIEW
“…impressive… This is a book to linger over, with more questions than answers, and it is sure to be lauded for its intellectual breadth and masterful control.” – Sara Beth West, Shelf Awareness
“Hard and harrowing, beautiful and devastating, Joy Williams is always toeing these lines as she too confronts the hard job she has: giving cries of warning, looking Death in the face. She’s the story writer of our time, choosing to shine light on the wreckage and the difficult choices that lay ahead: all we have to do is listen.” – Julia Hass, Literary Hub
The God of the Woods by Liz Moore ★
fiction / Mystery / Suspense / Historical fiction.
Early morning, August 1975: a camp counselor discovers an empty bunk. Its occupant, Barbara Van Laar, has gone missing. Barbara isn’t just any thirteen-year-old: she’s the daughter of the family that owns the summer camp and employs most of the region’s residents. And this isn’t the first time a Van Laar child has disappeared. Barbara’s older brother similarly vanished fourteen years ago, never to be found.
As a panicked search begins, a thrilling drama unfolds. Chasing down the layered secrets of the Van Laar family and the blue-collar community working in its shadow, Moore’s multi-threaded story invites readers into a rich and gripping dynasty of secrets and second chances. It is Liz Moore’s most ambitious and wide-reaching novel yet.
“Moore has written an atmospheric family drama, a social novel and the best kind of missing persons story, one that’s fun to read and think about.” – Marion Winik, Star Tribune
“…gripping and revelatory… The beautiful and dangerous wilderness setting enhances the suspense as the narrative builds to a dramatic final act… This astonishes.” – Publishers Weekly, STARRED REVIEW
“…surprising and satisfying… a compulsively readable novel that will appeal to fans of mysteries and historical fiction alike.” – Susan Maguire, Booklist, STARRED REVIEW
“The God of the Woods is a riveting read–its dual mysteries are both page turners. The hidden truths about the Van Laar family and the local community intertwine with the intricate web of friendships at the camp. The connections formed during that pivotal past summer resonate in the eerie present. The denouement is shocking and believable.” – Dabney Grinnan, All About Romance
The Night Ends with Fire by K.X. Song
fiction / fantasy / romance.
The Three Kingdoms are at war, but Meilin’s father refuses to answer the imperial draft. Trapped by his opium addiction, he plans to sell Meilin for her dowry. But when Meilin discovers her husband-to-be is another violent, ill-tempered man, she realizes that nothing will change for her unless she takes matters into her own hands.
The very next day, she disguises herself as a boy and enlists in her father’s place.
In the army, Meilin’s relentless hard work brings her recognition, friendship—and a growing closeness with Sky, a prince turned training partner. But has she simply exchanged one prison for another? As her kingdom barrels toward destruction, Meilin begins to have visions of a sea dragon spirit that offers her true power and freedom, but with a deadly price.
With the future of the Three Kingdoms hanging in the balance, Meilin will need to decide whom to trust—Sky, who inspires her loyalty and love; the sea dragon spirit, who has his own murky agenda; or an infuriating enemy prince who makes her question everything she once knew—about her kingdom and about her own heart.
“Meilin navigates the ups and downs of capture, injury, and friendships broken over her abilities and her gender, all with the gusto of a hero who knows she has to save her kingdom.” – Frances Moritz, Booklist
“Song’s poetic prose brings together cardinal spirits, a flawed protagonist, and a plot inspired by the legend of Mulan.” – Kristi Chadwick, Library Journal
“Inspired by Mulan, this epic fantasy of The Three Kingdom War is told with gusto and a courageous female character. A combination of magic, compelling storytelling, action-adventure, and romance makes this one to read!” – Gerard Villegas, Indie Next
Pink Slime by Fernanda Trías; translated by Heather Cleary
fiction / horror / science fiction.
In a city ravaged by a mysterious plague, a woman tries to understand why her world is falling apart. An algae bloom has poisoned the previously pristine air that blows in from the sea. Inland, a secretive corporation churns out the only food anyone can afford—a revolting pink paste, made of an unknown substance. In the short, desperate breaks between deadly windstorms, our narrator stubbornly tends to her few remaining relationships: with her difficult but vulnerable mother; with the ex-husband for whom she still harbors feelings; with the boy she nannies, whose parents sent him away even as terrible threats loomed. Yet as conditions outside deteriorate further, her commitment to remaining in place only grows—even if staying means being left behind.
An evocative elegy for a safe, clean world, Pink Slime is buoyed by humor and its narrator’s resiliency. This unforgettable novel explores the place where love, responsibility, and self-preservation converge, and the beauty and fragility of our most intimate relationships.
“[A] genuinely unsettling example of eco/body horror that’s also a commentary on motherhood.” – Ian Mond, Locus
“Pink Slime, like all truly great novels, etches itself indelibly onto the sensitive plate of one’s mind.” – Transfuge
“With her eerie and unnervingly probable plot, strong narrative voice, and focus on the small, beautiful moments of life amid disaster, Trías’s tale will continue to haunt readers long after they turn the final page.” – Becky Spratford, Library Journal, STARRED REVIEW
Reckless by Lauren Roberts
fiction / young adult / fantasy / romance.
The kingdom of Ilya is in turmoil…
After surviving the Purging Trials, Ordinary-born Paedyn Gray has killed the King and kickstarted a Resistance throughout the land. Now she’s running from the one person she had wanted to run to.
Kai Azer is now Ilya’s Enforcer, loyal to his brother Kitt, the new King. He has vowed to find Paedyn and bring her to justice.
Across the deadly Scorches, and deep into the hostile city of Dor, Kai pursues the one person he wishes he didn’t have to. But in a city without Elites, the balance between the hunter and hunted shifts—and the battle between duty and desire is deadly.
The World After Alice by Lauren Aliza Green
fiction.
When Morgan and Benji surprise their families with a wedding invitation to Maine, they’re aware the news of their clandestine relationship will come as a shock. Twelve years have passed since the stunning loss of sixteen-year-old Alice, Benji’s sister and Morgan’s best friend, and no one is quite the same. But the young couple decide to plunge headlong into matrimony, marking the first time their fractured families will reunite since Alice’s funeral.
As the arriving guests descend upon the tranquil coastal town, they bring with them not only skepticism about the impromptu nuptials but also deep-seated secrets and agendas of their own. Peter, Morgan’s father, may be trying to dissuade his daughter from saying “I do,” while Linnie, Benji’s mother, introduces a boyfriend who bears a tumultuous past of his own. Nick, Benji’s father, is scheming to secure a new job before his wife—formerly his mistress—discovers he’s lost his old one. Morgan, too, carries delicate secrets that threaten to jeopardize the happiness for which she has so longed. And as for Benji—well, he’s just trying to make sure the whole weekend doesn’t implode.
As the whirlwind weekend unfolds, old passions reignite, deep wounds resurface, and unearthed secrets threaten to shatter the fragile peace the wedding promises. With each new revelation, the to-be-weds and their complicated families are forced to question just how well they know the ones they hold dear.
“…The World After Alice is a juicy and emotional read that surprises as much as it entertains.” – Julia Hass, Literary Hub
“…this character-driven story will please readers who appreciate astute observations about human behavior and messy family dramas like Seating Arrangements, by Maggie Shipstead.” – Halle Carlson, Booklist
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