“In new situations, all the trickiest rules are the ones nobody bothers to explain to you. (And the ones you can’t Google.)” – Rainbow Rowell, Fangirl
All in the Family: The Trumps and How We Got This Way by Fred Trump
nonfiction / memoir / biography.
For the record… Fred Trump never asked for any of this. The divisive politics. The endless headlines. A hijacked last name. The heat-seeking uncle, rising from real estate scion to gossip column fixture to The Apprentice host to President of the United States. Fred just wanted a happy life and a satisfying career. But a fight for his son’s health and safety forced him onto a center stage that he had never wanted. And now, at a crucial point for our nation, he is stepping forward again.
In All in the Family, Fred delves into his journey to become a “different kind of Trump,” detailing his passionate battle to protect his wife and children from forces inside and outside the family. From the Trump house to the White House, Fred comes to terms with his own complex legacy and faces some demons head-on. It’s a story of power, love, money, cruelty, and the unshakable bonds of family, played out underneath a glaring media spotlight.
All in the Family is the inside story, as it’s never been told before.
“…juicily entertaining… presents a dishy portrait of generations of the Trump family as chronically toxic, narcissistic, conniving and cruel.” – Manuel Roig-Franzia, Washington Post
Brothersong by TJ Klune
fiction / fantasy / romance.
In the ruins of Caswell, Maine, Carter Bennett learned the truth of what had been right in front of him the entire time. And then it―he―was gone. Desperate for answers, Carter takes to the road, leaving family and the safety of his pack behind, all in the name of a man he only knows as a feral wolf. But therein lies the danger: wolves are pack animals, and the longer Carter is on his own, the more his mind slips toward the endless void of Omega insanity. But he pushes on, following the trail left by Gavin.
Gavin, the son of Robert Livingstone. The half-brother of Gordo Livingstone.
What Carter finds will change the course of the wolves forever. Because Gavin’s history with the Bennett pack goes back further than anyone knows, a secret kept hidden by Carter’s father, Thomas Bennett. And with this knowledge comes a price: the sins of the fathers now rest upon the shoulders of their sons.
“If TJ Klune writes it, we read it — and this one is a real treat.” – Isabelle McConville, B&N Reads
“[A] phenomenal climax to an already incredibly built series… This book, this series, deserves more than 5 stars for the absolutely amazing effort it puts in, the story it tells, and the connections it makes.” – Sian Thomas, Get the Chance
The Future Was Now: Madmen, Mavericks, and the Epic Sci-Fi Summer of 1982 by Chris Nashawaty
nonfiction / history / film.
In the summer of 1982, eight science fiction films were released within six weeks of one another. E.T., Tron, Star Trek: Wrath of Khan, Conan the Barbarian, Blade Runner, Poltergeist, The Thing, and Mad Max: The Road Warrior changed the careers of some of Hollywood’s now biggest names―altering the art of movie-making to this day.
In The Future Was Now, Chris Nashawaty recounts the riotous genesis of these films, featuring an all-star cast of Hollywood luminaries and gadflies alike: Steven Spielberg, at the height of his powers, conceives E.T. as an unlikely family tale, and quietly takes over the troubled production of Poltergeist, a horror film he had been nurturing for years. Ridley Scott, fresh off the success of Alien, tries his hand at an odd Philip K. Dick story that becomes Blade Runner―a box office failure turned cult classic. Similar stories arise for films like Tron, Conan the Barbarian, and The Thing. Taken as a whole, these films show a precarious turning-point in Hollywood history, when baffled film executives finally began to understand the potential of high-concept films with a rabid fanbase, merchandising potential, and endless possible sequels.
Expertly researched, energetically told, and written with an unabashed love for the cinema, The Future Was Now is a chronicle of how the revolution sparked in a galaxy far, far away finally took root and changed Hollywood forever.
“…lively and entertaining… The book is an absolute must-read for fans of films and books about films…” – David Pitt, Booklist, STARRED REVIEW
“Throughout this consistently entertaining narrative, Nashawaty merrily dispenses dish… An exemplary film history that will appeal to sci-fi buffs and students of the film biz.” – Kirkus Reviews, STARRED REVIEW
“Nashawaty’s writing has a propulsive rhythm and the behind-the-scenes stories will make readers feel like they’ve stepped on set. This is a blast.” – Publishers Weekly
The Grandest Game by Jennifer Lynn Barnes
fiction / young adult / mystery / suspense / fantasy / romance.
Seven tickets. An island of dreams. The chance of a lifetime.
Welcome to the Grandest Game, an annual competition run by billionaire Avery Grambs and the four infamous Hawthorne brothers, whose family fortune she inherited. Designed to give anyone a shot at fame and fortune, this year’s game requires one of seven golden tickets to enter. With millions on the line, those seven players will do whatever it takes to win.
Some of the players are in it for the money. Some for power. Some for reasons all their own. Every single one of them has secrets. Amidst it all is Grayson Hawthorne, tasked with a vital role in this year’s game. But as tensions rise and the mind-bending challenges push the players to their limits—physically, mentally, and emotionally—it soon becomes clear that not everyone is playing by the rules.
“[A] fiendishly clever thriller… Barnes’s kaleidoscopic third-person narrative rapidly cycles between three contenders, amplifying tension and creating drive… baffling brainteasers, flagrant flirtation, and witty repartee earn the sustained interest of readers old and new.” – Publishers Weekly
Like Mother, Like Daughter by Kimberly McCreight
fiction / suspense / mystery.
When Cleo, a student at NYU, arrives late for dinner at her childhood home in Brooklyn, she finds food burning in the oven and no sign of her mother, Kat. Then Cleo discovers her mom’s bloody shoe under the sofa. Something terrible has happened.
But what? The polar opposite of Cleo, whose “out of control” emotions and “unsafe” behavior have created a seemingly unbridgeable rift between mother and daughter, Kat is the essence of Park Slope perfection: a happily married, successful corporate lawyer. Or so Cleo thinks.
Kat has been lying. She’s not just a lawyer; she’s her firm’s fixer. She’s damn good at it, too. Growing up in a dangerous group home taught her how to think fast, stay calm under pressure, and recognize a real threat when she sees one. And in the days leading up to her disappearance, Kat has become aware of multiple threats: demands for money from her unfaithful soon-to-be ex-husband; evidence that Cleo has slipped back into a relationship that’s far riskier than she understands; and menacing anonymous messages from her past—all of which she’s kept hidden from Cleo…
Like Mother, Like Daughter is a thrilling novel of emotional suspense that questions the damaging fictions we cling to and the hard truths we avoid. Above all, it’s a love story between a mother and a daughter, each determined to save the other before it’s too late.
“Like Mother, Like Daughter is intense, thought-provoking and completely unputdownable.” – Bruce Tierney, BookPage
“A smart, complex domestic thriller.” – Kirkus Reviews
“…captivating… Clever red herrings add to the suspense, and McCreight weaves in moving insights about intergenerational trauma as she orchestrates the plot to its satisfying conclusion… This should please McCreight’s existing fans and win her new ones.” – Publishers Weekly
The Most by Jessica Anthony
fiction / historical fiction.
It’s November 3, 1957. As Sputnik 2 launches into space, carrying Laika, the doomed Soviet dog, a couple begin their day. Virgil Beckett, an insurance salesman, isn’t particularly happy in his job but he fulfills the role. Katheen Beckett, once a promising tennis champion with a key shot up her sleeve, is now a mother and homemaker. On this unseasonably warm Sunday, Kathleen decides not to join her family at church. Instead, she unearths her old, red bathing suit and descends into the deserted swimming pool of their apartment complex in Newark, Delaware. And then she won’t come out.
A riveting, single-sitting read set over the course of eight hours, The Most masterly breaches the shimmering surface of a seemingly idyllic mid-century marriage, immersing us in the unspoken truth beneath.
“…sensational… exceptional… Readers won’t want to put this down.” – Publishers Weekly, STARRED REVIEW
“The whole thing has the extraordinarily pleasurable texture of gossip, wrapped up in the slightly eerie texture of a Cheever story.” – Emily Temple, Literary Hub
“[A] no-holds-barred account of a crucial juncture in the married life of a young couple… Anthony’s sharply focused portrait of seemingly average lives in midcentury America reveals the complexities of those lives in the course of one balmy day. A novella packing all the imagery and storytelling power of a novel.” – Kirkus Reviews, STARRED REVIEW
Pearl by Siân Hughes ★
fiction.
Marianne is eight years old when her mother goes missing.
Left behind with her baby brother and grieving father in a ramshackle house on the edge of a small village, she clings to the fragmented memories of her mother’s love; the smell of fresh herbs, the games they played, and the songs and stories of her childhood.
As time passes, Marianne finds it difficult to adjust, fixated on her mother’s disappearance and the secrets she’s sure her father is keeping from her. Yet, in one of her mother’s dusty old books, she discovers a medieval poem called Pearl, and, trusting in the promise of its consolation, it seems as if her life begins to parallel the poem’s course.
But questions remain. Marianne is ever more tormented by the unmarked gravestone in the abandoned chapel and the tidal pull of the river, and as her childhood home begins to crumble, the past leads her down a path of self-destruction. Can Marianne ever come to understand her mother’s choices? And will her own future as a mother help her find her peace?
“This is a gorgeous reflection of the long, deep wounds of grief.” – Publishers Weekly, STARRED REVIEW
“…luminous… Complex and colored with songs, myths, and legends, Pearl is an exquisite novel that transforms darkness into light.” – Kristine Morris, Foreword Reviews
“Pearl, an exceptional debut novel, is both a mystery story and a meditation on grief, abandonment and consolation, evoking the profundities of the haunting medieval poem… It’s a book that will be passed from hand to hand for a long time to come.” – The Booker Prize 2023
“…reverberates with grief and longing, but also a wry humor… Hughes, who is a poet herself, brings an attention to language and to the natural world that lends a beautiful vibrancy to her sentences and images.” – Sarah McCraw Crow, BookPage, STARRED REVIEW
Slow Dance by Rainbow Rowell ★
fiction / romance.
Back in high school, everybody thought Shiloh and Cary would end up together… everybody but Shiloh and Cary.
They were just friends. Best friends. Allies. They spent entire summers sitting on Shiloh’s porch steps, dreaming about the future. They were both going to get out of north Omaha—Shiloh would go to college and become an actress, and Cary would join the Navy. They promised each other that their friendship would never change.
Well, Shiloh did go to college, and Cary did join the Navy. And yet, somehow, everything changed.
Now Shiloh’s thirty-three, and it’s been fourteen years since she talked to Cary. She’s been married and divorced. She has two kids. And she’s back living in the same house she grew up in. Her life is nothing like she planned.
When she’s invited to an old friend’s wedding, all Shiloh can think about is whether Cary will be there—and whether she hopes he will be. Would Cary even want to talk to her? After everything?
The answer is yes. And yes. And yes.
Slow Dance is the story of two kids who fell in love before they knew enough about love to recognize it. Two friends who lost everything. Two adults who just feel lost.
It’s the story of Shiloh and Cary, who everyone thought would end up together, trying to find their way back to the start.
“A will-they, won’t-they second chance romance for the ages, this one is poised to be one of summer’s breakout hits…” – Lizz Schumer, People
“…guaranteed to make hearts flutter, likely while bringing tears to readers’ eyes.” – Jenny Kobiela-Mondor, Library Journal
“…powerful and poignant… deeply affecting… Rich, real, and emotionally raw, this satisfying contemporary is sure to impress.” – Publishers Weekly
“Their dance is sweet and sexy, and Rowell draws out the whole, simmering affair as she ping-pongs through her characters’ past and present, step, together, step, together.” – Annie Bostrom, Booklist, STARRED REVIEW
Someone Like Us by Dinaw Mengestu ★
fiction.
After abandoning his once-promising career as a journalist in search of a new life in Paris, Mamush meets Hannah—a photographer whose way of seeing the world shows him the possibility of finding not only love but family. Now, five years later, with his marriage to Hannah on the verge of collapse, he returns to the close-knit immigrant Ethiopian community of Washington, DC, that defined his childhood. At its center is Mamush’s stoic, implacable mother, and Samuel, the larger-than-life father figure whose ceaseless charm and humor have always served as a cover for a harder, more troubling truth. But on the same day that Mamush arrives home in Washington, Samuel is found dead in his garage.
With Hannah and their two-year-old son back in Paris, Mamush sets out on an unexpected journey across America in search of answers to questions he’d been told never to ask. As he does so, he begins to understand that perhaps the only chance he has of saving his family and making it back home is to confront not only the unresolved mystery around Samuel’s life and death, but his own troubled memories, and the years spent masking them. Breathtaking, commanding, unforgettable work from one of America’s most prodigiously gifted novelists.
“[A] beguiling meditation on love, loss, and the need to belong.” – Shannon Carlin, Time
“A moving, memorable novel.” – Brendan Driscoll, Booklist, STARRED REVIEW
“…beautiful… the story unfolds like a fairy tale… Mengestu’s tremendous talents are on full display.” – Publishers Weekly, STARRED REVIEW
“A beguiling tale, fluently told and closely observed, that conceals as much as it reveals.” – Kirkus Reviews, STARRED REVIEW
Such Charming Liars by Karen M. McManus
fiction / young adult / mystery / suspense.
For all of Kat’s life, it’s just been her and her mother, Jamie—except for the forty-eight hours when Jamie was married and Kat had a stepbrother, Liam. That all ended in an epic divorce, and Kat and Liam haven’t spoken since.
Now Jamie is a jewel thief trying to go straight, but she has one last job—at billionaire Ross Sutherland’s birthday party. And Kat has figured out a way to tag along. What Kat doesn’t know, though, is that there are two surprise guests at the dazzling Sutherland compound that weekend. The last two people she wants to run into. Liam and his father—a serial scammer who has his sights set on Ross Sutherland’s youngest daughter.
Kat and Liam are on a collision course to disaster, and when a Sutherland dies, they realize they might actually be in the killer’s crosshairs themselves. Somehow Kat and Liam are the new targets, and they can’t trust anyone—except each other.
Or can they? Because if there’s one thing both Kat and Liam know, it’s how to lie. They learned from the best.
“An unputdownable, deliciously twisty mystery.” – Kirkus Reviews
“Told through Kat and Liam’s dual perspectives, this novel’s twists take readers on a wild ride until the very last page… This might be McManus’s best yet.” – Katie Patterson, School Library Journal, STARRED REVIEW
“McManus’s plot goes into overdrive with ingenious and unexpected twists and turns… McManus fans will devour this, and she will certainly earn some new fans as well.” – Donna Scanlon, Booklist, STARRED REVIEW
The Wedding People by Alison Espach ★
fiction / romance / comedy.
It’s a beautiful day in Newport, Rhode Island, when Phoebe Stone arrives at the grand Cornwall Inn wearing a green dress and gold heels, not a bag in sight, alone. She’s immediately mistaken by everyone in the lobby for one of the wedding people, but she’s actually the only guest at the Cornwall who isn’t here for the big event. Phoebe is here because she’s dreamed of coming for years—she hoped to shuck oysters and take sunset sails with her husband, only now she’s here without him, at rock bottom, and determined to have one last decadent splurge on herself. Meanwhile, the bride has accounted for every detail and every possible disaster the weekend might yield except for, well, Phoebe and Phoebe’s plan—which makes it that much more surprising when the two women can’t stop confiding in each other.
In turns absurdly funny and devastatingly tender, Alison Espach’s The Wedding People is ultimately an incredibly nuanced and resonant look at the winding paths we can take to places we never imagined—and the chance encounters it sometimes takes to reroute us.
“…full of witty dialogue and lovably imperfect characters you’ll root for till the end.” – Kristyn Kusek Lewis, Real Simple
“Witty dialogue is just a bonus in this engrossing read centering on complex women making life-changing decisions.” – Stacy Alesi, Library Journal, STARRED REVIEW
“Think: Eleanor Oliphant and Meredith, Alone vibes. As of this writing, The Wedding People is my favorite book of 2024.” – Isabelle Eyman, Camille Styles
“…The Wedding People is so much more than a funny story (though it is very funny). Espach has penned a keenly observed novel about depression, love, the ways women make themselves small, and how one woman got over it. Fully realized and completely memorable.” – Susan Maguire, Booklist, STARRED REVIEW
What Have You Done? by Shari Lapena
fiction / suspense / mystery.
Nothing ever happens in sleepy little Fairhill, Vermont. But this morning that will change. And one innocent question could be deadly. What have you done?
The teenagers get their kicks telling ghost stories in the old graveyard. The parents trust their kids will arrive home safe from school. Everyone knows everyone. Curtains rarely twitch. Front doors are left unlocked.
But Diana Brewer isn’t lying safely in her bed where she belongs. Instead she lies in a hayfield, circled by vultures, discovered by a local farmer.
How quickly a girl becomes a ghost. How quickly a town of friendly, familiar faces becomes a town of suspects, a place of fear and paranoia.
Someone in Fairhill did this. Everyone wants answers.
“The novel’s emotional heft will linger with readers… incendiary…” – Kirkus Reviews
“…captivating… What begins as a straightforward mystery gradually blooms into a portrait of a community coming apart at the seams… gripping stuff.” – Publishers Weekly
“Lapena delivers another top-notch twisty thriller… Lapena is a master of suspense, and she doesn’t disappoint here. Her many fans and those who enjoy domestic suspense, small-town crimes, and twisty thrillers will flock to this one. Very highly recommended.” – Cynthia Price, Library Journal, STARRED REVIEW
The Widow’s Guide to Dead Bastards: A Memoir by Jessica Waite
nonfiction / memoir.
In the midst of mourning her husband’s sudden death, writer Jessica Waite discovered shocking secrets that undermined everything she thought she knew about the man she’d loved and trusted. From uncovered affairs to drug use and a pornography addiction, Waite was overwhelmed reconciling this devastating information with her new reality as a widowed single mom. Then, to further complicate matters, strange, inexplicable coincidences forced her to consider whether her husband was reaching back from beyond the grave.
With her signature candor and unflinching honesty, Waite details her tumultuous love story and the pain of adjusting to the new normal she built for herself and her son. A riveting, difficult, and surprisingly beautiful story, The Widow’s Guide to Dead Bastards is also a lyrical exploration of grief, mental health, single parenthood, and betrayal that demonstrates that the most moving love stories aren’t perfect—they’re flawed and poignantly real.
“A candid, raw chronicle of bereavement.” – Kirkus Reviews
“Waite’s journey is consistently riveting as it moves from grief to rage and searches ultimately for acceptance… Those who have experienced a significant loss either through death or extreme betrayal will glean comfort and courage from her moving account.” – Joelle Egan, Booklist
“With startling compassion and surprising wit, Waite shows how such an understanding might be achieved. This stirring study of loss and forgiveness isn’t easily forgotten.” – Publishers Weekly, STARRED REVIEW
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