“The purpose of a storyteller is not to tell you how to think, but to give you questions to think upon.” – Brandon Sanderson, The Way of Kings
Agent Zo: The Untold Story of a Fearless World War II Resistance Fighter by Clare Mulley
nonfiction / biography / history.
During World War II, Elzbieta Zawacka—the WW2 female resistance fighter known as Agent Zo—was the only woman to reach London as an emissary of the Polish Home Army command. In Britain, she became the only woman to join the Polish elite Special Forces, known as the “Silent Unseen.” She was secretly trained in the British countryside, and then she was the only female member of these forces to be parachuted back behind enemy lines to Nazi-occupied Poland. There, while being hunted by the Gestapo (who arrested her entire family), she took a leading role in the Warsaw Uprising and the liberation of Poland.
After the war, she was discharged as one of the most highly decorated women in Polish history. Yet the Soviet-backed post-war Communist regime not only imprisoned (and tortured) her, but also ensured that her remarkable story remained hidden for over forty years.
Now, through new archival research and exclusive interviews with people who knew and fought alongside Agent Zo, Clare Mulley brings this forgotten heroine back to brilliant life—while transforming how we value the history of women resistance fighters during World War II.
“A well-told story from a little-known corner of World War II history.” – Kirkus Reviews
“A solid contribution to the historical record, Agent Zo will only gain in significance.” – Colleen Mondor, Booklist
“This latest book from biographer Clare Mulley goes way beyond the astonishing life story of Elżbieta Zawacka. For it also provides an important overview of 20th-century Poland, as well as a reminder of the horrors of tyranny and the price paid by individuals for realpolitik… The net result, as with all good biography, is that the reader snaps the book shut with the feeling that they actually know the person described… This excellent account is a tour de force. The book is a credit to its author, to Elżbieta Zawacka, and to the people of Poland.” – Andrew Mulholland, The Past
Alter Ego by Alex Segura
fiction / mystery / suspense.
Annie Bustamante is a cultural force like none other: an acclaimed filmmaker, an author, a comic book artist known for one of the all time best superhero comics in recent memory. But she’s never been able to tackle her longtime favorite superhero, the Lethal Lynx. Only known to the most die-hard comics fans and long out of print, the rights were never available—until now.
But Annie is skeptical of who is making the offer: Bert Carlyle’s father started Triumph Comics, and has long claimed ownership of the Lynx. When she starts getting anonymous messages urging her not to trust anyone, Annie’s inner alarms go off. Even worse? Carlyle wants to pair her with a disgraced filmmaker for a desperate media play.
Annie, who has been called a genius, a sell-out, a visionary, a hack, and everything else under the sun, is sick of the money grab. For the first time since she started reading a tattered copy of The Legendary Lynx #1 as a kid, she feels a pure, creative spark. The chance to tell a story her way. She’s not about to let that go. Even if it means uncovering the dark truth about the character she loves.
“Segura’s plotting is vivid and fast-paced… This will thrill traditional mystery fans and comics devotees alike.” – Publishers Weekly
“Alter Ego is an exciting, modern-day, comic-filled mystery… Filled with popular culture references and comic pages throughout, readers can enjoy this even if unfamiliar with the comic industry.” – Alejandra Santana, Booklist
“…Segura has lost none of his talent at building suspense… A ride worth taking, especially for comic book fans.” – Kirkus Reviews
Good Nature: Why Seeing, Smelling, Hearing and Touching Plants is Good for Our Health by Kathy Willis
nonfiction / science / health / nature.
We all take for granted the idea that being in nature makes us feel better. But if you were a skeptical scientist—or indeed any kind of sceptic—who wanted hard scientific evidence for this idea, where would you look? And how would that evidence be gathered?
It wasn’t until Dr. Kathy Willis was asked to contribute to an international project looking for the societal benefits we gain from plants that she stumbled across a study that radically changed the way she saw the natural world. In the study there was clear proof that patients recovering from gall bladder operations recovered more quickly if they were looking at trees.
In fact, in the last decade there has been an explosion of “proof” that incredible things happen to our bodies and our minds when our senses interact with the natural world. In Good Nature, Kathy Willis takes the reader on a journey with her to dig out all the experiments around the world that are looking for this evidence—experiments made easier by the new kinds of data being collected from satellites and big-data biobanks. Having a vase of roses on your desk or a green wall in your office makes a measurable difference to your wellbeing; certain scents in room diffusers genuinely can boost your immune system; and, in a chapter that Kathy calls “Hidden Sense” we learn that touching organic soil has a significant effect on the healthiness of your microbiome.
What is remarkable about this book is how its revelations should be commonsense– schools should let children play in nature to improve their health and concentration; urban streets should have trees—and yet it reveals just how difficult it is to prove this to businesses and governments. As Kathy Willis says in her narrative, “We now know enough to self-prescribe in our homes, offices or working spaces, gardens, and when out walking. However small these individual actions might be, overall they have the potential to provide a large number of health benefits. And we need to be encouraging others to do the same. Nature is far more than just something that is useful for our health. It is not a dispensable commodity. It is an inherent part of us.”
“…eye-opening… This fascinates.” – Publishers Weekly
“…enough to inspire you to stop and smell the roses.” – Bethanne Patrick, Los Angeles Times
“Readers don’t have to know anything about plants or have a green thumb to enjoy this title about nature therapy and the impact it can have on one’s health. City planners and public health policy makers can benefit from reading this book as well.” – Wade Lee-Smith, Library Journal
Havoc by Christopher Bollen ★
fiction / suspense / mystery.
The war between age and youth has never been so vicious.
Eighty-one-year-old widow Maggie Burkhardt came to the Royal Karnak to escape. But not in quite the same way as most other guests who are relaxing at this threadbare luxury hotel on the banks of the Nile. Maggie, a compulsive fixer of other people’s lives, may have found herself in hot water at her last hotel in Switzerland and just might have needed to get out of there fast… But here at the Royal Karnak, under the hot Saharan sun, she has a comfortable suite, a loyal confidante in the hotel manager, Ahmed, and a handful of sympathetic friends, similar “long-termers” who understand her still-vivid grief for her late husband, Peter. Here, she is merely the sweet old lady in Room 309.
One morning, however, Maggie notices a new arrival at a mournful-looking young mother named Tess and her impish eight-year-old, Otto. Eager to help, Maggie invites them into her world. But it isn’t long before Maggie realizes that in her longing to be a part of their family, she has let in an enemy much stronger than she bargained for. In scrawny, homely Otto, Maggie Burkhardt has finally met her match.
“With its blend of dark humor, spiraling obsession, and unexpected rivalry, Havoc keeps readers hooked to its lingering, unsettling resolution, capturing the spirit of Hitchcock’s best stories.” – CrimeReads
“[A] deliciously nasty tale of resentment and revenge… great, wicked fun… Bollen writes with wit and style about an increasingly unhinged battle of wills between two unlikely, and formidable, opponents.” – Sarah Lyall, New York Times
“[A] first-rate tale of psychological suspense… As the mayhem mounts and the plot careens toward a genuinely shocking climax, Maggie’s reliability as a narrator comes into doubt. Enriching the narrative with an evocative sense of atmosphere and playful riffs on The Bad Seed and Agatha Christie, Bollen serves up a nasty treat. It’s a bracing ode to bad behavior.” – Publishers Weekly, STARRED REVIEW
“This book was so effed up!!! And soooooo good. Like, so good I wanna study this in a literature class and highlight the crap out of it. Christopher Bollen has been a growing figure in the literary suspense world for a while, but this book should cement his place as one of the very best.” – Molly Odintz, Literary Hub
How to Steal a Galaxy by Beth Revis
fiction / science fiction / romance.
Ada had no intention whatsoever to continue working for the rebel group that hired her to retrieve the government’s plans for a nanobot climate cleaner if they weren’t willing to pay her for it, but then they offer a different perk: an undercover mission to a charity gala where Rian will be in attendance. Rian, meanwhile, has volunteered his services for the gala believing that the rare items up for auction will attract Ada’s eye. Hoping to catch her in the act and pin her with a punishable crime, Rian has no idea what Ada’s really after.
In a high-stakes game of theft and deception, Ada plays to win… and Rian will do anything to stop her.
“…will keep readers glued to the page… an un-put-downable page-turner helmed by a lovable heroine who is clever and passionate beneath her armor of sarcastic quips.” – Publishers Weekly
“…How to Steal a Galaxy will have readers feeling like accomplices as Ada shares her insights, tricks, flirtations, and deceptions throughout the story. This fast-paced, character-centered space opera is at once light hearted and serious; Ada’s charm and carefree manner collide with the heaviness of topics like corporate greed, terrorism, and climate catastrophe to create an exciting and compelling narrative.” – Craig Clark, Booklist
“Readers who love an old-fashioned heist story, anyone who loves witty, banter-driven romps, and those who have gotten caught up in SF/mystery stories, such as The Spare Man by Mary Robinette Kowal or Floating Hotel by Grace Curtis, will love the fluffy but ultimately dangerous misdirection of this one.” – Marlene Harris, Library Journal
Keep Me by Sara Cate
fiction / romance.
Their marriage of convenience is anything but…
All Killian Barclay wants is to be left the hell alone. He’s had enough heartache to last a lifetime, and he has no more need for love—earning him the reputation of a broody Scot and eventually turning his famous ancestral home into a den of iniquity. It doesn’t take long for tales of his raunchy house parties to reach the rest of his family, though, inspiring them to hatch a plan to shake Killian out of his routine.
New Yorker Sylvie Devereaux is tough as nails—as the daughter of famous yet neglectful parents, she’s grown a hard shell and keeps everyone at arm’s length. So when she sneaks into Barclay Manor during a trip to Scotland to get a glimpse of a famous heirloom, she doesn’t anticipate facing off against the brutish, maddening highlander who lives there. And she certainly didn’t expect to ever see the bastard again.
Yet just weeks later, she’s approached by Killian’s family with a proposal—move to Scotland and marry Killian to improve his playboy reputation, and after one year, she’ll walk away with ten million dollars. Sylvie agrees, even knowing that their plan is more deceptive than he realizes. But as she grows closer to Killian and the end of their year together, she has to decide: Is the love of a good man with a dark soul worth keeping, or is she willing to break Killian’s heart now that it’s well and truly hers?
“This sexy enemies-to-lovers story is filled with biting dialogue and page-melting chemistry.” – Jenna Harmison, Library Journal, STARRED REVIEW
“…red-hot… scenes between this pair of sparring hearts scorch the pages. Readers who like their romances on the extra spicy side will want to check this out.” – Publishers Weekly
The Last One by Rachel Howzell Hall
fiction / fantasy / romance.
Thrown into a desolate land of sickness and unnatural beasts, Kai wakes in the woods with no idea who she is or how she got there. All she knows is that if she cannot reach the Sea of Devour, even this hellscape will get worse. But when she sees the village blacksmith fight invaders with unspeakable skill, she decides to accept his offer of help.
Too bad he’s as skilled at annoying her as he is at fighting.
As she searches for answers, Kai only finds more questions, especially regarding the blacksmith who can ignite her body like a flame, then douse it with ice in the next breath.
And no one is what—or who—they appear to be in the kingdom of Vinevridth, including the man whose secrets might be as deadly as the land itself.
“A whirlwind fantasy that will keep readers on their toes—much like the hero.” – Kirkus Reviews
“…The Last One introduces an intriguing universe full of love, intrigue, and revelations.” – Natalie Wollenzien, Foreword Reviews
“[A] thrilling romantasy… electrifying fight scenes, otherworldly creatures, and sizzling forbidden romance add fun. Romantasy readers won’t be able to turn the pages fast enough.” – Publishers Weekly
Raised by a Serial Killer: Discovering the Truth About My Father by April Balascio
nonfiction / memoir / true crime / suspense.
The untold story behind the hit true crime podcast The Clearing, this unforgettable memoir traces one daughter’s moving quest to understand her larger-than-life childhood as she searches for the truth about her father, the serial killer Edward Wayne Edwards.
One evening in 2009, April Balascio was searching online, as she had been every night, for unsolved murders in the towns her family had lived growing up, when she stumbled across the latest investigations into the “Sweetheart Murders” cold case. All at once, the buried memories of her father’s dark history were awakened, and she knew she had to take action. She picked up the phone to call a detective and the rest is infamous true crime history.
In her unflinching memoir, Balascio bravely reveals an astonishing tale of a lifetime of manipulation, unexplained upheavals, and silent fear. Some part of her had always known what her father was capable of, but the full truth of how she came to these revelations is as riveting as it is quietly terrifying. Through searing storytelling, dedicated research, and intimate insight, Raised by a Serial Killer is a gripping, courageous memoir unlike any other.
“…unputdownable… Readers will find themselves utterly immersed.” – BookPage, STARRED REVIEW
“…mesmerizing… The details, research, and candor in this highly recommended work will captivate readers, who won’t be able to put it down.” – Steve Dixon, Library Journal, STARRED REVIEW
“[A] key sociological text, as well as a literary gem. Edwards isn’t as famous as, say, Ted Bundy or Jeffrey Dahmer, but readers intrigued by the latter two will be just as gripped by Balascio’s tale.” – Anthony Aycock, Booklist
Rental House by Weike Wang ★
fiction.
Keru and Nate are college sweethearts who marry despite their family differences: Keru’s strict, Chinese, immigrant parents demand perfection (“To use a dishwasher is to admit defeat,” says her father), while Nate’s rural, white, working-class family distrusts his intellectual ambitions and his “foreign” wife.
Some years into their marriage, the couple invites their families on vacation. At a Cape Cod beach house, and later at a luxury Catskills bungalow, Keru, Nate, and their giant sheepdog navigate visits from in-laws and unexpected guests, all while wondering if they have what it takes to answer the big questions: How do you cope when your spouse and your family of origin clash? How many people (and dogs) make a family? And when the pack starts to disintegrate, what can you do to shepherd everyone back together?
“If you’re desperate for an escape from your family during the holidays, dive into Rental House for a complete immersion into different families with different problems… Sharply observed and compulsively readable, Rental House reminds us that we are all the products of our upbringings, for better or for worse.” – Adrienne Westenfeld, Esquire
“Incisively written… will have you cackling with laughter and provide an insight into the struggles others face with their families.” – Syma Mohammed, Seattle Times
“As Wang matures, so have her characters, inhabiting significantly more soulful, intimate, resonating narratives.” – Terry Hong, Booklist
“…wonderfully acerbic… Wang excels at setting the tone with biting prose, describing the Catskills’ fall foliage as the ‘mass death of deciduous leaves,’ and the scenes of family drama are compulsively readable. It’s a tour de force.” – Publishers Weekly, STARRED REVIEW
The Roads to Rome: A History of Imperial Expansion by Catherine Fletcher
nonfiction / history / travel.
“All roads lead to Rome” is a medieval proverb, but it’s also true: today’s European roads still follow the networks of the ancient empire—and these ancient roads continue to grip our modern imaginations as a physical manifestation of Rome’s extraordinary greatness.
Over the two thousand years since they were first built, these roads have been walked by crusaders and pilgrims, liberators and dictators, but also by tourists and writers, refugees and artists. As channels of trade and travel—and routes for conquest and creativity—Catherine Fletcher reveals how these roads forever transformed the cultures, and intertwined the fates, of a vast panoply of people across Europe and beyond.
The Roads to Rome is a magnificent journey into a past that remains intimately connected to our present. Traveling from Scotland to Cádiz to Istanbul and back to Rome, the reader meanders through a series of nations and empires that have risen and fallen. Along the way, we encounter spies, bandits, scheming innkeepers, a Byzantine noblewoman on the run, young aristocrats on their Grand Tour, a conquering Napoleon, John Keats, the Shelleys, the abolitionist Frederick Douglass, and even Mussolini on his motorbike.
Reflecting on his own walk on the Appian Way, Charles Dickens observed that here is “a history in every stone that strews the ground.” Based on vibrant original research, this is the first narrative history to tell the full story of life on the roads that lead to Rome.
“The end result of this combination of history and travelogue is wonderfully balanced and in every chapter turns The Roads to Rome into something more than a simple Baedeker for cart-wheel grooves and pilgrim sandal-prints, into something much closer to a personal history of the glories and miseries of all roads leading to Rome.” – Steve Donoghue, Open Letters Review
“[An] elegantly plotted history… It is no easy task to condense 25 centuries of history into 300 pages and Fletcher, whose area of expertise is Renaissance Europe, rises to the challenge well with some fine choices of diary extracts and letters by travellers.” – Patrick Kidd, The Times
Roland Rogers Isn’t Dead Yet by Samantha Allen
fiction / romance / comedy / fantasy.
Adam Gallagher has knocked on thousands of doors. An ex-Mormon and almost-famous memoirist, he is used to sharing his life story with strangers. But this day, this house, is different. For it belongs to none other than Roland Rogers: Hollywood Hunk, and soon to be author. Roland has a story to tell, a decades-old secret to spill, and he’s decided that Adam is just the guy to help him do it.
Except there’s a problem. Roland Rogers is dead. Not in the metaphysical realm—if he focuses, he can summon enough energy to communicate via the kitchen speaker—but certainly in the physical, and he needs Adam to pen his story before his body is found frozen beneath the avalanche of snow that squashed it. That means one month, a hundred thousand words, no breaks.
Ghostwriting is hard enough, let alone when you’re dealing with a real ghost, and so it isn’t long before Roland’s idea of what his book should be clashes with Adam’s vision for what it could be. But the clock is ticking, the ice melting. And as more truths are told, both men soon discover that this experience is less of a coming out, and more of a coming home…
The sophomore novel from the beloved author of Patricia Wants to Cuddle, Roland Rogers Isn’t Dead Yet is a witty and electric new rom-com for fans of Ashley Poston and Casey McQuiston.
“A supernatural rom-com unlike anything else you’ve ever read.” – Emily Martin, Book Riot
“[A] haunting love story that is both sweet and weird in the best way… Allen’s character development only gets stronger with each book, and she’s able to make even the most outlandish plots feel compelling and real.” – Diana Platt, Booklist, STARRED REVIEW
“Allen’s supernatural tale is eccentric, funny, and pleasantly peculiar… somehow it absolutely works. A wacky yet touching tale about love, truth, and acceptance.” – Kirkus Reviews
The Shutouts by Gabrielle Korn
fiction / science fiction.
The year is 2041, and it’s a dangerous time to be a woman driving across the United States alone. Deadly storms and uncontrollable wildfires are pummeling the country while political tensions are rising. But Kelly’s on the road anyway; she desperately needs to get back to her daughter, who she left seven years ago for a cause that she’s no longer sure she believes in.
Almost 40 years later, another mother, Ava, and her daughter Brook are on the run as well, from the climate change relief program known as The Inside Project, where they’ve spent the past 22 years being treated as lab rats. When they encounter a woman from Ava’s past on the side of the highway, the three continue on in a journey that will take them into the depths of what remains of humanity out in the wilderness.
At the same time, way up North, weather conditions continue to worsen and a settlement departs in search of greener pastures, leaving behind only two members, drawn together by a circumstance and a mystery they are destined to unravel together.
Set in the world of Gabrielle Korn’s Yours for the Taking, The Shutouts tells the captivating story of those who have been shut out from Inside, their fight to survive, and an interconnectedness larger than all of them.
“[A] hopeful look at the future even after disaster.” – Erin Niederberger, Library Journal
“[A] tense tale of climate collapse, survival, and conspiracies… the narrative is made harrowingly plausible by the author’s skillful exploration of alarming choices made by people in power and survivors’ attempts to forge communities. It’s another winner from Korn.” – Publishers Weekly
“…Korn’s worldbuilding and character development (especially Kelly) breathe life into the novel as it explores societal collapse, political conspiracies, and the pliable nature of historical narratives. The novel ends with a perfect blend of sadness and hope that refuses to downplay the dangers of climate change nor discount humanity’s desire to survive.” – Kirkus Reviews
Statistically Speaking by Debbie Johnson
fiction / romance / comedy.
When Gemma’s anxiety gets the best of her, she opens her sock drawer and starts counting. Lately, she’s been counting a lot of socks.
As a high school history teacher, Gemma Jones loves the certainty of the past–specific names, solid dates, proven statistics. Maybe that’s because her own past resembles a jumbled-up sock drawer, one where it’s impossible to find a match.
On paper, Gemma’s life is just like any other successful, single thirtysomething. Her students adore her. She lives in a cute beachside cottage next door to the world’s sweetest neighbor, Margie. And she’s definitely caught the eye of Karim, the resident hot PE teacher at her school. But every day of her life, she can’t get one thing out of her mind: the baby she gave up for adoption when Gemma was just sixteen years old.
This is the year that Baby–the only name Gemma has for her little girl–will turn eighteen. And it might be the year she actually meets her daughter face-to-face. Or maybe she already has. Katie, a new student who’s moved into the area, shares Gemma’s hair color (bright red) and build (long and lean). And BTW–totally random stat–she also shares the same birthday (October 3) as Baby. And they’re both about to turn eighteen. What are the odds? But Gemma and Katie’s mom are becoming good friends, and Gemma is concerned that their newly minted friendship will unravel fast if Katie is indeed Gemma’s birth daughter.
Gemma doesn’t know if this will be the year she finds Baby. But maybe, just maybe, it will be the year she finds herself–and finds peace with her life–past and present. And maybe that’s what truly counts.
“Johnson’s heartwarming latest will appeal to fans of Jenny Colgan.” – Crystal Vela, Booklist
“Blending themes of adoption, found family, and romance with an endearing and eccentric cast of characters–including a rescue dog named Bill–Debbie Johnson’s emotional and funny women’s fiction novel explores what it means to really grow up and open your heart to love.” – Elise Dumpleton, The Nerd Daily
The Turnglass by Gareth Rubin
fiction / historical fiction / mystery / suspense.
1880s, Essex, England: Idealistic young doctor Simeon Lee is called from London to treat his ailing relative Parson Oliver Hawes, who lives in Turnglass House on a bleak island off the coast. Hawes believes he’s being poisoned by his sister-in-law, Florence, who was declared mad years ago after killing the parson’s brother in a jealous rage. Hawes keeps her locked in a glass-walled apartment in the Turnglass library; the secret to how she came to be there is found in his tête-bêche journal, where one side tells a very different story from the other.
1930s, Hollywood: Celebrated author Oliver Tooke, the governor’s son, is found dead by apparent suicide. His aspiring actor friend Ken Kourian isn’t so sure Oliver took his own life. He finds a link between Oliver’s death and the mysterious kidnapping of Oliver’s brother when they were children. He also discovers the secret incarceration of Oliver’s mother, Florence, in an asylum. To get to the truth, Ken must decipher clues hidden in Oliver’s final book, a tête-bêche novel called The Turnglass—which is about a young doctor named Simeon Lee…
“Murder, mystery and secrets combine to create a dazzling achievement that will hook you in.” – Best
“[The] book’s ambitious structure offers plenty of thrilling surprises for readers willing to roll with it. Adventurous mystery fans will be rewarded.” – Publishers Weekly
Under Loch and Key by Lana Ferguson
fiction / romance / fantasy.
Keyanna “Key” MacKay is used to secrets. Raised by a single father who never divulged his past, it’s only after his death that she finds herself thrust into the world he’d always refused to speak of. With just a childhood bedtime story about a monster that saved her father’s life and the name of her estranged grandmother to go off of, Key has no idea what she’ll find in Scotland. But repeating her father’s mistakes and being rescued by a gorgeous, angry Scotsman—who thinks she’s an idiot—is definitely the last thing she expects.
Lachlan Greer has his own secrets to keep, especially from the bonnie lass he pulls to safety from the slippery shore—a lass with captivating eyes and the last name he’s been taught not to trust. He’s looking for answers as well, and Key’s presence on the grounds they both now occupy presents a real problem. It’s even more troublesome when he gets a front row seat to the lukewarm welcome Key receives from her family; the strange powers she begins to develop; and the fierce determination she brings to every obstacle in her path. Things he shouldn’t care about, and someone he definitely doesn’t find wildly attractive.
When their secrets collide, it becomes clear that Lachlan could hold the answers Keyanna is after—and that she might also be the key to uncovering his. Up against time, mystery, and a centuries old curse, they’ll quickly discover that magic might not only be in fairy tales, and that love can be a real loch-mess.
“Equally steamy and heartwarming.” – Stephanie Csaszar, The Indie Next List
“Ferguson puts her own ingeniously clever and wonderfully whimsical spin on the Loch Ness monster legend and the Scottish romance with a delightful rom-com that delivers plenty of cheeky banter and heartfelt musings on the importance of family as well as love scenes hot enough to warm up the coldest Scottish loch.” – John Charles, Booklist
Wind and Truth by Brandon Sanderson
fiction / fantasy.
Dalinar Kholin challenged the evil god Odium to a contest of champions with the future of Roshar on the line. The Knights Radiant have only ten days to prepare—and the sudden ascension of the crafty and ruthless Taravangian to take Odium’s place has thrown everything into disarray.
Desperate fighting continues simultaneously worldwide—Adolin in Azir, Sigzil and Venli at the Shattered Plains, and Jasnah in Thaylenah. The former assassin, Szeth, must cleanse his homeland of Shinovar from the dark influence of the Unmade. He is accompanied by Kaladin, who faces a new battle helping Szeth fight his own demons… and who must do the same for the insane Herald of the Almighty, Ishar.
At the same time, Shallan, Renarin, and Rlain work to unravel the mystery behind the Unmade Ba-Ado-Mishram and her involvement in the enslavement of the singer race and in the ancient Knights Radiant killing their spren. And Dalinar and Navani seek an edge against Odium’s champion that can be found only in the Spiritual Realm, where memory and possibility combine in chaos. The fate of the entire Cosmere hangs in the balance.
“Experience a high-fantasy writer at the top of his game…” – Isabelle McConville, B&N Reads
“Sanderson once again weaves an enormous number of narrative threads into a cohesive whole, keeping character development and politics deftly balanced to maintain the pacing… [fans] will be thrilled with the twists and turns as our heroes discover the real history of their world and its place in the Cosmere and forge their own, new paths through Odium’s looming threat.” – Regina Schroeder, Booklist
“…monumental… delivering an epic finale that will leave fans of the series breathless… a masterful display of storytelling prowess… The author’s ability to balance intimate character moments with grand, world-shaking events is on full display, creating a narrative that is both emotionally resonant and epically scaled… cements The Stormlight Archive’s place as one of the defining fantasy epics of our time.” – Jeff Murdock, Medium
Woo Woo by Ella Baxter ★
fiction.
Woo Woo follows Sabine, a conceptual artist on the verge of a photo exhibition she hopes will be pivotal, as she plunges deeper into her neuroses and seeks validation in relationships—with her frustratingly rational chef husband, her horde of devoted Gen Z TikTok followers, and even a mysterious, potentially violent stalker.
Accompanying her throughout are Sabine’s strange alter egos, from hyperrealistic puppets of her as a baby to the ghost of conceptual artist Carolee Schneemann, who shows up with inscrutable yet sage life advice.
Ella Baxter approaches the desire to see and be seen that defines both the creative and romantic act with humor, empathy, and a good dose of wildness, driving Sabine to a surreal and compelling climax that forces her—and us—to reconsider what it means to be an artist and a partner.
“…confirms Baxter as one of the most exciting Australian novelists to have emerged this decade… this book is so well-written, you can give yourself over to the words, and engage fully with Baxter’s original thinking, and feel the feelings she is exploring. Woo Woo is an outstanding book, one we’ll remember from 2024.” – Alison Huber, Readings
“Like Sabine herself, Baxter’s second novel is feral and fun to be around. It posits age-old questions about the role of art in society while maintaining the dramatic, playful pace of a horror movie. Sabine and Constantine’s love, messy and pure, will be in readers’ hearts forever. Baxter’s humor and consciousness make Sabine, the most eccentric of free spirits, easy to root for and understand.” – Courtney Earthorne, Booklist, STARRED REVIEW
“Ella Baxter’s Woo Woo is nothing short of a fever dream—a haunting and chaotic exploration of anxiety, obsession and art… a testament to Baxter’s stunning ability to channel personal trauma into a gripping and introspective narrative, making it a profoundly resonant read.” – Freya Bennett, Ramona
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