“They bred dogs for everything else, even diving for fish, why didn’t they breed them to live longer, to live as long as a man?” – Peter Heller, The Dog Stars
Angel of Vengeance by Douglas Preston & Lincoln Child
fiction / mystery / suspense / fantasy.
A desperate bargain is broken…
Constance Greene confronts Manhattan’s most dangerous serial killer, Enoch Leng, bartering for her sister’s life – but she is betrayed and turned away empty-handed, incandescent with rage.
A clever trap is set…
Unknown to Leng, Pendergast’s brother, Diogenes, appears unexpectedly, offering to help—for mysterious reasons of his own. Disguised as a cleric, Diogenes establishes himself in New York’s notorious Five Points slum, manipulating events like a chess master, watching Leng’s every move… and awaiting his own chance to strike.
A vengeful angel will not be deterred…
Meanwhile, as Pendergast focuses on saving the unstable Constance in her fanatical quest for vengeance, she strikes out on her own: to rescue her beloved siblings from a tragic fate and take savage retribution on Leng. But Leng is one step ahead and has a surprise for them all…
“[An] absolutely perfect thriller… You will rarely see two characters as complex and compelling as these two, and you will rarely see a series as consistently well written as this one.” – David Pitt, Booklist, STARRED REVIEW
The Axeman’s Carnival by Catherine Chidgey
fiction / fantasy.
Tama is just a helpless chick when he is rescued by Marnie, and this is where his story might have ended. “If it keeps me awake,” says Marnie’s husband Rob, a farmer, “I’ll have to wring its neck.” But with Tama come new possibilities for the couple’s future. Tama can speak, and his fame is growing. Outside, in the pines, his father warns him of the wickedness wrought by humans. Indoors, Marnie confides in him about her violent marriage. The more Tama sees, the more the animal and the human worlds—and all the precarity, darkness and hope within them—bleed into one another. Like a stock truck filled with live cargo, the story moves inexorably towards its dramatic conclusion: the annual Axeman’s Carnival.
Part trickster, part surrogate child, part witness, Tama the magpie is the star of this story. Though what he says aloud to humans is often nonsensical (and hilarious), the tale he tells us weaves a disturbingly human sense. The Axeman’s Carnival is Catherine Chidgey at her finest—comic, profound, poetic and true.
“One of our very best novelists knocks it out of the park.” – Mark Broatch, New Zealand Herald
“The Axeman’s Carnival is remarkable, brilliant, a classic in the making.” – Rachael King, Newsroom
“Chidgey is back with another tragic, gorgeous, and top-notch novel. The Axeman’s Carnival is a stunning and captivating story about the pressures of farming life and the meaning of family, and Chidgey is at the absolute top of her game.” – Lily Hunter, Booklist
Billionaire, Nerd, Savior, King: Bill Gates and His Quest to Shape Our World by Anupreeta Das
nonfiction / biography / politics.
Few billionaires have been in the public eye for as long, and in as many guises, as Bill Gates. At first heralded as a tech visionary, the Microsoft cofounder next morphed into a ruthless capitalist, only to change yet again when he fashioned himself into a global do-gooder. Along the way, Gates forever influenced how we think about tech founders, as the products they make and the ideas they sell continue to dominate our lives. Through the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, he also set a new standard for high-profile, billionaire philanthropy. But there is more to Gates’s story, and here, Das’s revelatory reporting shows us that billionaires have secrets and philanthropy can have a dark side.
Drawing upon hundreds of interviews with current and former employees of the Gates Foundation, Microsoft, academics, nonprofits, and those with insight into the Gates universe, Das delves into Gates’s relationships with Warren Buffett, Jeffrey Epstein, Melinda French Gates, and others, to uncover the truths behind the public persona. In telling Gates’s story, Das also provides a new way to think about how billionaires wield their power, manipulate their image, and pursue philanthropy to become heroes, repair damaged reputations, and direct policy to achieve their preferred outcomes.
Insightful, illuminating, and timely, Billionaire, Nerd, Savior, King is an important story of money and government, wealth and power, and media and image, and the ways in which the world’s richest people hold us in their thrall.
“A sharply incisive portrait.” – Kirkus Reviews
“…this exposé intrigues… a perceptive and vibrant character portrait.” – Publishers Weekly
“…Das, The New York Times finance editor, adds thoughtful contemplations on how society’s view of Gates — boy genius, robber baron, humanitarian — has shifted with changing cultural mores and the repercussions of one man wielding such outsized financial power.” – Christina Ianzito, AARP
Born of Blood and Ash by Jennifer L. Armentrout
fiction / fantasy / romance.
The line between love and obsession has never been wider.
While Sera is finally free of Kolis and back with those she loves, not everything is calm. Memories of all she’s endured still haunt her, but Sera finally has hope for a future with the other half of her heart and soul. Nyktos desires, loves, and accepts every part of her—even the monstrous bits she still battles.
More than ever, Sera and Ash have everything under the realms to fight for, and Nyktos has no doubt Sera is fit to be the Queen of the Gods. But she must find that faith within herself if they hope to convince the other Courts to support them against Kolis and make Iliseeum and the mortal realm better, safer places for all.
But as Sera begins to piece together the importance of her bloodline and the true meaning behind the foreboding prophecy, it becomes clear that everything that has happened and is yet to come is much bigger than Kolis and his dark obsessions.
They cannot help but wonder exactly how much influence the Fates have had and what their ultimate goal is. What Sera does know for sure is that they can trust very few—including her.
A battle between the gods is brewing, and heartbreaking losses are imminent with the true Primal of Death strengthening. With a family of the heart willing to battle by their side, can Sera and Nyktos stop Kolis before he destroys the realms, or will it all disappear in a fiery inferno of blood and ash?
And the line between justice and vengeance has never been so thin.
“[An] amazing read… full of action, supernatural badassery, shocking moments, incredible romance, heartache and triumphs, and I felt it all!” – AJ, The Escapist Book Blog
The Break-Up Pact by Emma Lord
fiction / romance.
June and Levi were best friends as teenagers—until the day they weren’t. Now June is struggling to make rent on her beachside tea shop, Levi is living a New York cliché as a disillusioned hedge fund manager and failed novelist, and they’ve barely spoken in years.
But after they both experience public, humiliating break-ups with their exes that spread like wildfire across TikTok rabbit holes and daytime talk shows alike, they accidentally make some juicy gossip of their own—a photo of them together has the internet convinced they’re a couple. With so many people rooting for them, they decide to put aside their rocky past and make a pact to fuel the fire. Pretending to date will help June’s shop get back on its feet and make Levi’s ex realize that she made a mistake. All they have to do is convince the world they’re in love, one swoon-worthy photo op at a time.
Two viral break-ups. One fake relationship. Five sparkling, heart-pounding dates. June and Levi can definitely pull this off without their hearts getting involved. Because everyone knows fake dating doesn’t come with real feelings. Right?
“A charming story about the power of second chances.” – Kirkus Reviews, STARRED REVIEW
“…light, feel-good fare that’s perfect for the beach.” – Publishers Weekly
“This wholesome and spicy story of long-lost friendship, loss, and healing is unraveled with witty banter, viral internet videos, and everyone taking steps out of their comfort zones. A perfect summer read!” – Kacey Wurster, Library Reads
Burn by Peter Heller
fiction / suspense.
Every year, Jess and Storey have made an annual pilgrimage to the most remote corners of the country, where they camp, hunt, and hike, leaving much from their long friendship unspoken. Although the state of Maine has convulsed all summer with secession mania—a mania that has simultaneously spread across other states—Jess and Storey figure it’s a fight reserved for legislators or, worst-case scenario, folks in the capital.
But after weeks hunting off the grid, the men reach a small town and are shocked by what they find: a bridge blown apart, buildings burned to the ground, and bombed-out cars abandoned on the road. Trying to make sense of the sudden destruction all around them, they set their sights on finding their way home, dragging a wagon across bumpy dirt roads, scavenging from boats left in lakes, and dodging armed men—secessionists or U.S. military, they cannot tell—as they seek a path to safety. Then, a startling discovery drastically alters their path and the stakes of their escape.
Drenched in the beauty of the natural world and attuned to the specific cadences of male friendship, even here at the edge of doom, Burn is both a blistering warning about a divided country’s political strife and an ode to the salvation found in our chosen families.
“Anyone who’s speculated on a new or continued Civil War must read this. Heller’s Burn is unforgettable in its tenderness, its power, and its warning. Prepare for a shattered heart and a shaken confidence in where this nation might go next.” – Beth Kanell, New York Journal of Books
“[Heller] cast[s] a haunting, immersive spell as his heroes traverse the ruined landscape. Painterly descriptions of nature and sparkling philosophical ruminations elevate the proceedings. The result is a wilderness adventure with real emotional depth.” – Publishers Weekly
“In the spirit of Station Eleven, there is only one thing humankind understands when it must survive: it cannot be done alone. You read this novel and wonder how such a painful book can be so damn beautiful. Gorgeous writing meets heart-pounding thriller.” – Jessilynn Norcross, Indie Next
A Complicated Passion: The Life and Work of Agnès Varda by Carrie Rickey
nonfiction / biography / film.
The first major biography of the French filmmaker hailed by Martin Scorsese as “one of the Gods of cinema.”
Over the course of her sixty-five-year career, the longest of any female filmmaker, Agnès Varda (1928–2019) wrote and directed some of the most acclaimed films of her era, from her tour de force Cléo from 5 to 7 (1962), a classic of modernist cinema, to the beloved documentary The Gleaners and I (2000) four decades later. She helped to define the French New Wave, inspired an entire generation of filmmakers, and was recognized with major awards at the Cannes, Berlin, and Venice Film Festivals, as well as an honorary Oscar at the Academy Awards.
In this lively biography, former Philadelphia Inquirer film critic Carrie Rickey explores the “complicated passions” that informed Varda’s charmed life and indelible work. Rickey traces Varda’s three remarkable careers—as still photographer, as filmmaker, and as installation artist. She explains how Varda was a pioneer in blurring the lines between documentary and fiction, using the latest digital technology and carving a path for women in the movie industry. She demonstrates how Varda was years ahead of her time in addressing sexism, abortion, labor exploitation, immigrant rights, and race relations with candor and incisiveness. She makes clear Varda’s impact on contemporary figures like Ava DuVernay, Greta Gerwig, Barry Jenkins, the Safdie brothers, and Martin Scorsese. And she delves into Varda’s incredibly rich social life with figures such as Harrison Ford, Jean-Luc Godard, Jim Morrison, Susan Sontag, and Andy Warhol, and her nearly forty-year marriage to the celebrated director Jacques Demy.
A Complicated Passion is the vibrant biography that Varda, regarded by many as the greatest female filmmaker of all time, has long deserved.
“A richly documented examination of this visionary filmmaker’s influential career.” – Kirkus Reviews
“Film critic Rickey delivers the definitive biography of French filmmaker Agnès Varda… Rickey captures Varda’s tenacity and pluck, serving up a portrait of an artist determined to succeed on her own terms. This is a must for cinephiles.” – Publishers Weekly, STARRED REVIEW
“The film critic Carrie Rickey, in her compact new biography, A Complicated Passion, delivers perceptive readings of Varda’s movies, and she charts how Varda had to scramble, in a male-dominated film world, to get them made… crisp and swiftly moving… It sent me rushing to the Criterion Channel to rewatch Varda’s movies.” – Dwight Garner, New York Times
Drawn Testimony: My Four Decades as a Courtroom Sketch Artist by Jane Rosenberg
nonfiction / memoir / true crime / art / history / psychology.
For over forty years, Jane Rosenberg has been at the heart of the news cycle, covering almost every major trial that has passed through the New York justice system as a courtroom sketch artist, including the most recent Donald Trump hush money trial.
In Drawn Testimony, Rosenberg brings us into the dramatic high-stakes world of her craft, where art, psychology and courtroom drama collide. Over the course of her legendary career, Jane has had a front-row seat to some of the most iconic and notorious moments in our nation’s recent history, including cases pertaining to:
• Mick Jagger
• Martha Stewart
• Tom Brady’s “Deflategate” scandal
• John Lennon’s murder trial
• Ghislaine Maxwell
• John Gotti
• Harvey Weinstein
• The Boston Marathon bomber
• Donald Trump
Readers will learn how she has honed her unique powers of perception and also what her portraits reveal, not only about her subjects, but about the human condition in general.
Fearless, fascinating and gorgeously written, Drawn Testimony captures the unique career of an artist whose body of work depicts history as it’s happening.
“[A] mesmerizing look at this rarest of professions… As talented as Rosenberg is at drawing, she is an equally gifted writer… An utterly absorbing read…” – Amy Scribner, BookPage, STARRED REVIEW
“…fascinating… thrill[s] without teetering into salaciousness. Readers will be hard-pressed to put this down.” – Publishers Weekly, STARRED REVIEW
“[She] proves to be as vibrant and compelling a writer as she is an artist… Perceptive, compassionate, and endlessly fascinated by how the human condition is revealed in the courtroom, Rosenberg tells riveting and resonant tales in image and word.” – Donna Seaman, Booklist, STARRED REVIEW
Hera by Jennifer Saint
fiction / fantasy / historical fiction.
When the immortal goddess Hera and her brother Zeus overthrow their tyrannical father, she dreams of ruling at his side. But as they establish their reign on Mount Olympus, Hera begins to see that Zeus is just as ruthless and cruel as the father they betrayed. While Zeus ascends, Hera is relegated to the role of wife and mother, a role she never wanted. She was always born to rule, but must she lose herself in perpetuating this cycle of violence and cruelty? Or can she find a way to forge a better world?
In this enthralling retelling, Greek mythology’s most famous and maligned goddess finally tells her own story, as power, passion, and divine strength collide in the heart of Olympus.
“The gods of Olympus deliver Real Housewives–level drama in this juicy interpretation of Greek myth… Readers will savor the theatrics.” – Publishers Weekly
“Hera is relatable, her anger palpable and justified, and the way that Saint concludes her story is satisfyingly unexpected.” – Leah von Essen, Booklist
“Jennifer Saint has such a distinctive stamp on the genre of Greek mythological retellings―the narratives are captivating and choose interesting new takes on familiar stories. Saint turns her eye to the Queen of the Gods in this nuanced take on misdirected wrath and humanizing a complex, otherworldly figure… Hera is another marvel of a mythological retelling.” – Emily M. The Nerd Daily
Hitler’s People: The Faces of the Third Reich by Richard J. Evans
nonfiction / history / biography.
Through a connected set of biographical portraits of key Nazi figures that follows power as it radiated out from Hitler to the inner and outer circles of the regime’s leadership, one of our greatest historians answers the enduring question, how does a society come to carry out a program of unspeakable evil?
Richard Evans, author of the acclaimed The Third Reich Trilogy and over two dozen other volumes on modern Europe, is our preeminent scholar of Nazi Germany. Having spent half a century searching for the truths behind one of the most horrifying episodes in human history, in Hitler’s People, he brings us back to the original site of the Nazi movement: namely, the lives of its most important members.
Working in concentric circles out from Hitler and his closest allies, Evans forms a typological framework of German society under Nazi rule from the top down. With a novelist’s eye for detail, Evans explains the Third Reich through the personal failings and professional ambitions of its members, from its most notorious deputies—like Goebbels, the regime’s propagandist, and Himmler, the Holocaust’s chief architect—to the crucial enforcers and instruments of the Nazi agenda that history has largely forgotten—like the schoolteacher Julius Streicher and the actress Leni Riefenstahl. Drawing on a wealth of recently unearthed historical sources, Hitler’s People lays bare the inner and outer lives of the characters whose choices led to the deaths of millions.
Nearly a century after Hitler’s rise, the leading nations of the West are once again being torn apart by a will to power. By telling the stories of these infamous lives as human lives, Evans asks us to grapple with the complicated nature of complicity, showing us that the distinctions between individual and collective responsibility—and even between pathological evil and rational choice—are never easily drawn.
“Penetrating… A meticulously researched, sobering look at the Nazi era and the people who helped bring its evil intents to fruition.” – Kirkus Reviews, STARRED REVIEW
“[A] sweeping examination of Adolf Hitler and his subalterns and subjects…” – David M. Shribman, Boston Globe
“The great value of Evans’ work lies in his examination of the second-, third-, and minor-level characters who also fell utterly under Hitler’s malevolent spell… The breadth and depth of Evans’ work make this a worthy, person-centered history of the Third Reich.” – Mark Knoblauch, Booklist
How to Leave the House by Nathan Newman ★
fiction / comedy.
It’s Natwest’s last day before he leaves for university, and there’s only one thing on his mind: the deeply embarrassing package he ordered to his house – which still hasn’t arrived. He won’t leave town without it. Any alternative is too distressing to consider…
This is the story of twenty-four hours in the life of Natwest, and his small-town odyssey in pursuit of the missing package. And yet it’s also the story of a middle-aged dentist who dreams of being a respected artist – but the only thing he can seem to paint is the human mouth. And it’s the story of a tortured imam involved in a quasi-romantic entanglement with the local vicar; and an octogenerian mourning the death of her secretive husband; and a troubled teenager whose nudes have leaked on the internet. It’s the story of Natwest’s obnoxious ex-boyfriend, and his class-traitor mother and her childhood boyfriend, and the life-changing secrets he knows about Natwest’s past.
Alternating between Natwest’s idiosyncratic inner world and the perspectives of the other characters – and dazzling in its energy, imagination and originality – this is an outrageously funny and tenderly moving story about being connected to everyone and everything at all times; about love, friendship, and the lies we tell ourselves; about unhappy endings, happy endings – and whether anything really is as simple as one or the other.
“[A] wild and funny ride through modern life…” – Suzi Feay, Financial Times
“It’s impossible not to be charmed by this big-hearted story… an exciting debut from an author whose assuredness and polish could easily be mistaken for that of an old pro.” – Arianna Rebolini, Bustle
“Smart and funny, Newman’s debut is a refreshing take on juvenilia and the enduring potency of art discourse.” – Kirkus Reviews
“…witty and endearing… The situations are enjoyably farcical, but there’s also depth to them, as Newman delves into his characters’ hidden passions and shows how they grapple with their self-defeating choices. This raucous adventure is great fun.” – Publishers Weekly
The Hypocrite by Jo Hamya ★
fiction.
August 2020. Sophia, a young playwright, awaits her father’s verdict on her new show. A famous author whose novels haven’t aged as gracefully into the modern era as he might have hoped, he is completely unaware that the play centers around a vacation the two took years earlier to an island off Sicily, where he dictated to her a new book. Sophia’s play has been met with rave reviews, but her father has studiously avoided reading any of them. When the house lights dim however, he understands that his daughter has laid him bare, has used the events of their summer to create an incisive, witty, skewering critique of the attitudes and sexual mores of the men of his generation.
Set through one staging of the play, The Hypocrite seamlessly and scorchingly shifts time and perspective, illuminating an argument between a father and his daughter that, with impeccable nuance, examines the fraught inheritances each generation is left to contend with and the struggle to nurture empathy in a world changing at lightning-speed.
“I was instantly pulled in by the ingenious structure of this novel… all the various strands braid into a fraught, compelling conversation, not just between parents and children, but between generations, and even between modes of art and understanding.” – Emily Temple, Literary Hub
“Jo Hamya’s The Hypocrite is an impeccable rendering of familiar and familial pain, the hurts those closest can inflict, even when the harm is unintended or goes completely unnoticed.” – Sara Beth West, Shelf Awareness
“Hamya writes with real wit. Her descriptions are rich… Since the publication of her debut novel, Three Rooms, her style has rightly been compared to Rachel Cusk’s. With this original novel—sensitively observed and artfully paced—she breaks out into something of her own.” – Lucy Thunne, Literary Review
“I have rarely underlined so many passages in a book… Hamya’s writing is tightly wound, and continually constricting: no one escapes her judgement. There is empathy amid the cool critique… But all the characters are also revealed to have their own hypocrisies, and a powerful sense of self-righteous victimhood… From curtain up, The Hypocrite offers forensic and pitiless insights into an embodied generation gap—everyone believing they’re in the right; everyone, of course, still getting things wrong. So who is the hypocrite of the title? Oh, probably all of them.” – Holly Williams, iNews
Lady Macbeth by Ava Reid
fiction / historical fiction / fantasy.
The Lady knows the stories: how her eyes induce madness in men.
The Lady knows she will be wed to the Scottish brute, who does not leave his warrior ways behind when he comes to the marriage bed.
The Lady knows his hostile, suspicious court will be a game of strategy, requiring all of her wiles and hidden witchcraft to survive.
But the Lady does not know her husband has occult secrets of his own. She does not know that prophecy girds him like armor. She does not know that her magic is greater and more dangerous, and that it will threaten the order of the world.
She does not know this yet. But she will.
“[A] tour de force… Reid deftly subverts the expected plot beats, enhancing the play’s familiar story line by deepening not only her heroine, who is surprisingly sympathetic, but members of the supporting cast, such as Banquho’s son, Fléance. It’s a masterful reimagining.” – Publishers Weekly, STARRED REVIEW
“Lady Macbeth is the gothic fantasy retelling of my dreams! Ava Reid stuns once again with their attention to historic detail as they maintain the magic of Macbeth. This book is dreamy, lush, and had me spiraling for days after reading it!” – Haley Calvin, Indie Next
“[A] captivating blend of dark academia and powerful magic… Reid masterfully balances the original narrative with fresh twists, making the familiar story feel new and exciting… Whether you’re a Shakespeare enthusiast or simply a lover of well-crafted fantasy, this novel is sure to captivate and will leave readers yearning for more.” – Brittney Cray, Booklist
Men Have Called Her Crazy: A Memoir by Anna Marie Tendler ★
nonfiction / memoir / psychology.
In early 2021, popular artist Anna Marie Tendler checked herself into a psychiatric hospital following a year of crippling anxiety, depression, and self-harm. Over two weeks, she underwent myriad psychological tests, participated in numerous therapy sessions, connected with fellow patients and experienced profound breakthroughs, such as when a doctor noted, “There is a you inside that feels invisible to those looking at you from the outside.”
In Men Have Called Her Crazy, Tendler recounts her hospital experience as well as pivotal moments in her life that preceded and followed. As the title suggests, many of these moments are impacted by men: unrequited love in high school; the twenty-eight-year-old she lost her virginity to when she was sixteen; the frustrations and absurdities of dating in her mid-thirties; and her decision to freeze her eggs as all her friends were starting families.
This stunning literary self-portrait examines the unreasonable expectations and pressures women face in the 21st century. Yet overwhelming and despairing as that can feel, Tendler ultimately offers a message of hope. Early in her stay in the hospital, she says, “My wish for myself is that one day I’ll reach a place where I can face hardship without trying to destroy myself.” By the end of the book, she fulfills that wish.
“[A] stunning self-portrait of a woman trying to make sense of the misogyny and sexism she has faced throughout her life.” – Shannon Carlin, Time
“[A] devastating personal history… In a sea of mental health memoirs, this stands out.” – Publishers Weekly, STARRED REVIEW
“Equally evocative and devastating, this memoir traces the time before and after her institutionalization, resulting in a piecing together of momentous life occasions that were touched, to varying degrees and as the title suggests, by men.” – Wilson Wong, New York Times
“The author’s calm, affable narration belies the seriousness of her condition, and the striking detail she provides offers readers a clear sense of the rigorous inpatient psychotherapy process meant to disarm anxiety and return a sense of normalcy… An intensive, conversational portrait of one woman’s battle with mental illness.” – Kirkus Reviews
Mina’s Matchbox by Yoko Ogawa ★
fiction / historical fiction.
In the spring of 1972, twelve-year-old Tomoko leaves her mother behind in Tokyo and boards a train alone for Ashiya, a coastal town in Japan, to stay with her aunt’s family. Tomoko’s aunt is an enigma and an outlier in her working-class family, and her magnificent home—and handsome foreign husband, the president of a soft drink company—are symbols of that status. The seventeen rooms are filled with German-made furnishings; there are sprawling gardens and even an old zoo where the family’s pygmy hippopotamus resides. The family is just as beguiling as their mansion—Tomoko’s dignified and devoted aunt, her German great-aunt, and her dashing, charming uncle, who confidently sits as the family’s patriarch. At the center of the family is Tomoko’s cousin Mina, a precocious, asthmatic girl of thirteen who draws Tomoko into an intoxicating world full of secret crushes and elaborate storytelling.
In this elegant jewel box of a book, Yoko Ogawa invites us to witness a powerful and formative interlude in Tomoko’s life. Behind the family’s sophistication are complications that Tomoko struggles to understand—her uncle’s mysterious absences, her great-aunt’s experience of the Second World War, her aunt’s misery. Rich with the magic and mystery of youthful experience, Mina’s Matchbox is an evocative snapshot of a moment frozen in time—and a striking depiction of a family on the edge of collapse.
“It’s the kind of transformative trip that makes for a powerful read at any time of year, but feels especially appropriate when you’re craving a (literary) summer sojourn.” – Grace Wehniainen, Bustle
“[T]he reader is immersed in [Tomoko’s] ardent love for her fragile cousin, and comes to appreciate how history seeps into every life, even the most sheltered ones.” – Maya Chung, The Atlantic
“…captivating… Ogawa pulls off the rare feat of making childhood memories both credible and provocative. Readers will be hypnotized.” – Publishers Weekly, STARRED REVIEW
“A charming yet guileless exploration of childhood’s ephemeral pleasures and reflexive poignancy.” – Kirkus Reviews, STARRED REVIEW
Nat Turner, Black Prophet: A Visionary History by Anthony E. Kaye & Gregory P. Downs
nonfiction / biography / history / religion.
In August 1831, a group of enslaved people in Southampton County, Virginia, rose up to fight for their freedom. They attacked the plantations on which their enslavers lived and attempted to march on the county seat of Jerusalem, from which they planned to launch an uprising across the South. After the rebellion was suppressed, well over a hundred people, Black and white, lay dead or were hanged. As news of the revolt spread, it became apparent that it was the idea of a single man: Nat Turner. An enslaved preacher, he was as enigmatic as he was brilliant. He was also something more—a prophet, one who claimed to have received visions from the Spirit urging him to act.
Nat Turner, Black Prophet is the fullest recounting to date of Turner’s uprising, and the first that refuses to tame or overlook his divine visions. Instead, it takes those visions seriously, tracing their emergence from the world of nineteenth-century Methodism, with its revivals, camp meetings, interracial churches, and Black preachers. The rebellion and its aftermath would hasten the end of this world, as Southern states further restricted the personal freedoms of the enslaved, even as the ongoing threat of revolt shaped the country’s politics. With this work of narrative history, the late historian Anthony E. Kaye and his collaborator Gregory P. Downs have given us a new understanding of one of the nineteenth century’s most decisive events.
“Though rigorously detailed and thorough in its explication of social and religious history, the narrative grippingly leads us through Turner’s spiritual evolution and the chaotic results of his rebellion… A profoundly insightful analysis of a controversial figure and the rebellion he led.” – Kirkus Reviews, STARRED REVIEW
“[This] retelling of the rebellion is deft and powerful and [the] attempts to reimagine the unfolding violence through Turner’s prophetic vision is compelling… By reinserting Turner into his provincial and intensely religious setting, Kaye is seeking to present Turner as he really was: neither a gloomy fanatic nor a proto-Black Panther but a complex, tortured figure clinging to his faith during the long midnight of American slavery.” – Clement Knox, The Spectator World
“…methodically researched and richly informative… presents a striking panorama of the revolt… sets him alongside biblical warrior-prophets like John of Patmos and Joshua, and in chorus with key Black Methodist leaders: Sojourner Truth; Richard Allen, founder of the African Methodist Episcopal denomination; Denmark Vesey; and David Walker, whose An Appeal to the Colored Citizens of the World implored Black people to initiate a global war against slavery.” – Walton Muyumba, Boston Globe
Never Saw Me Coming: How I Outsmarted the FBI and the Entire Banking System-and Pocketed $40 Million by Tanya Smith
nonfiction / memoir / true crime.
In Never Saw Me Coming, Tanya Smith shares her deeply personal and remarkable story of how she went from a precocious young girl to a money-grabbing, computer-savvy wiz. It starts out as a keen interest in technology and innocently acquiring phone numbers to Michael Jackson, as well as other celebrities, and moves to her successfully stealing and depositing $5,000 into her grandmother’s banking account. By the time she is 18, the risk taker has confiscated millions in cash.
The FBI is hot on her tail and hauls her in for an interview, demanding Smith let them know who she’s working for, “as these are not the kind of crimes Black people are smart enough to commit.” Their words, indicating that intelligence was determined by race, severely offended Smith. Up for the challenge, she proves the FBI wrong and over time steals $40 million dollars, while securing diamonds, gold bars, and other commodities. Her lifestyle attracts the wrong kind of people, even those who set out to kill her.
Law enforcement persisted, ultimately dubbing Smith “one of the single biggest threats to the entire United States banking system.” She receives an outrageous prison sentence—the longest for a white-collar offense—and is eventually released by mounting her own brilliant defense.
Complete with unexpected twists and turns, Never Saw Me Coming is a gripping caper that reminds never to underestimate a woman.
“The remarkable adventures of an expert grifter… An action-packed chronicle of deceit, betrayal, and greed.” – Kirkus Reviews
“Smith is deliriously entertaining company, keeping her foot on the gas all the way through. It’s a gripping real-life caper from a charismatic antihero.” – Publishers Weekly
“Already being fought over by Hollywood, Tanya Smith’s memoir is an incredible ride… a page-turner.” – Chris Hewitt, Star Tribune
The Secret Life of the Universe: An Astrobiologist’s Search for the Origins and Frontiers of Life by Nathalie A. Cabrol
nonfiction / science / astronomy.
We are in a golden age in astronomy, living on the cusp of breakthroughs that will revolutionize our understanding of our place in the cosmos. Yet a profound question remains: Are we alone in the universe?
We have never been closer to answering this question. In The Secret Life of the Universe, astrobiologist and the director of the Carl Sagan Center at the SETI Institute Nathalie A. Cabrol takes us to the frontiers of the search for life. The book’s odyssey begins by exploring how life began on Earth in order to understand what’s necessary for its existence elsewhere. What role did our Moon play? And could life on Mars have seeded life on Earth?
Cabrol continues this dazzling interplanetary tour, illuminating the likeliest places for life in our neighborhood: While Mars and the icy moons of Jupiter and Saturn are among the top contenders, recent missions are redefining the limits of habitability to include unexpected worlds. Finally, we seek life beyond our Solar System, becoming witness to a revolution in the night sky: the realization that there are as many planets as stars in our galaxy. With more than 300 million exoplanets in the habitable zone of their stars in the Milky Way alone, to think we are alone, or the only advanced intelligent civilization, may be little more than nonsense.
The Secret Life of the Universe is a comprehensive and authoritative guide to the search for life. This is an exhilarating journey for anyone who has ever looked up at the stars and wondered what might be out there.
“Astrobiologist Cabrol launches readers on a fascinating journey… An out-of-this-world discussion propelled by both curiosity and awe.” – Tony Miksanek, Booklist, STARRED REVIEW
“This is a book for anyone with an interest in scientific discovery and a perfect choice for any budding astronomer or astrobiologist. Combining enthusiasm and knowledge, Cabrol gives a lovely guided tour of the possibilities of the cosmos.” – Kirkus Reviews, STARRED REVIEW
“Cabrol writes that we’re in the midst of a ‘golden age of astrobiology,’ and her book is an awe-inspiring and lucid primer for the general public on her field… Her writing and effort to broaden the public’s appreciation of the universe’s jaw-dropping vastness is unsurprisingly reminiscent of Sagan, the popular astronomer and namesake of the center she leads. And, like Sagan, she makes a compelling case for why we may not be alone in the universe.” – Andrew Demillo, AP
What’s Next: A Backstage Pass to The West Wing, Its Cast and Crew, and Its Enduring Legacy by Melissa Fitzgerald & Mary McCormack
nonfiction / television / politics.
A behind-the-scenes look into the creation and legacy of The West Wing as told by cast members Melissa Fitzgerald and Mary McCormack, with compelling insights from cast and crew exploring what made the show what it was and how its impassioned commitment to service has made the series and relationships behind it endure.
Step back inside the world of President Jed Bartlet’s Oval Office with Fitzgerald and McCormack as they reunite the West Wing cast and crew in a lively and colorful “backstage pass” to the timeless series. This intimate, in-depth reflection reveals how The West Wing was conceived, and spotlights the army of people it took to produce it, the lifelong friendships it forged, and the service it inspired.
From cast member origin stories to the collective cathartic farewell on the show’s final night of filming, What’s Next will delight readers with on-set and off-camera anecdotes that even West Wing superfans have never heard. Meanwhile, a deeper analysis of the show’s legacy through American culture, service, government, and civic life underscores how the series envisaged an American politics of decency and honor, creating an aspirational White House beyond the bounds of fictional television.
What’s Next revisits beloved episodes with fresh, untold commentary; compiles poignant and hilarious stories from the show’s production; highlights initiatives supported by the cast, crew, and creators; and makes a powerful case for competent, empathetic leadership, hope, and optimism for whatever lies ahead.
“This will be catnip for fans of the show.” – Publishers Weekly
“[A] pleasant walk-and-talk through the corridors of the show…” – Civilian Reader
Worst Case Scenario by T.J. Newman
fiction / suspense / mystery.
When a pilot suffers a heart attack at 35,000 feet, a commercial airliner filled with passengers crashes into a nuclear power plant in the small town of Waketa, Minnesota, which becomes ground zero for a catastrophic national crisis with global implications.
The International Nuclear Event Scale tracks nuclear disasters. It has seven levels. Level 7 is a Major Accident, with only two on record: Fukushima and Chernobyl. There has never been a Level 8. Until now.
In this heart-stopping thriller, ordinary people—power plant employees, firefighters, teachers, families, neighbors, and friends— are thrust into an extraordinary situation as they face the ultimate test of their lives. It will take the combined courage, ingenuity, and determination of a brave few to save not only their community and loved ones, but the fate of humanity at large.
“[A] nail-biter… a rip-roaring adventure that’s anchored in palpable emotion. This should satisfy the author’s fans and win her new ones.” – Publishers Weekly
“Worst Case Scenario is yet another of Newman’s page-turners, keeping me up later than anticipated as I could not set the book down… [she] delivers another set of captivating characters and blockbuster-like suspense.” – Theodore Faherty, USA Today
“[It will] rock readers to their core and leave them utterly speechless… heartwrenching and terrifying but also palpable and impossible to put down… Every page sizzles with tension as Newman delivers another high-stakes, roller-coaster ride of suspense, emotion, and unrelenting action… Do not miss this book.” – Ryan Steck, The Real Book Spy
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