“Lies are comforting. Truth is painful.” – Rebecca Yarros, Fourth Wing
Earl Crush by Alexandra Vasti
fiction / romance / historical fiction / suspense / comedy.
For three years, wallflower heiress Lydia Hope-Wallace has anonymously penned seditious pamphlets—and for almost as long, she’s corresponded with the reclusive Earl of Strathrannoch. When Arthur’s latest letter reveals his dire financial straits, Lydia sets out for Scotland to offer him the only salvation she can think of: a marriage of convenience. To, um, herself.
But the real earl has no idea who she is. When a bewitching stranger offers him her hand in marriage, Arthur Baird is stunned. And when he learns that his traitorous brother has been writing to her under Arthur’s name, he’s bloody furious. He’s content to live alone in his moldering castle, and he has no desire for a radical wife. (Or at least, he shouldn’t.)
But Arthur is desperate to track down his brother, who’s become dangerously entangled in British espionage, and he needs Lydia’s help. What he doesn’t need? The attraction that burns hotter each moment they spend together. As Lydia slips past his defenses and his brother’s mysterious past becomes a very present threat, Arthur will have to risk everything to keep her safe—even his heart.
“This historical spy caper has plenty of sexy fun and terrific banter, all in a fast-moving plot.” – Amy Alessio, Booklist, STARRED REVIEW
“With the help of a lovely Scottish backdrop (and accents), Vasti’s fans, as well as those looking for a post-Bridgerton story, will be pleased. A Regency with old-school charm and newfangled sensibilities.” – Kirkus Reviews
“Vasti follows Ne’er Duke Well with another fiery and delightful Regency… Serious subjects, like the Highland Clearances and a potential political assassination, lurk in the background, but much of the foreground action has the feel of a caper, rife with lighthearted misunderstandings and clever set pieces. Meanwhile, when Lydia and Arthur finally give into their intense attraction, showers of sparks fly. This is a winner.” – Publishers Weekly
A Gorgeous Excitement by Cynthia Weiner
fiction / historical fiction / mystery.
There are two things Nina Jacobs is determined to do over the summer of 1986: avoid her mother’s depression-fueled rages, and lose her virginity before she starts college in the fall. Both are seemingly impossible—when her mother isn’t lying in bed for days, she’s lashing out at Nina over any perceived slight. And after a sexual encounter gone spectacularly wrong, Nina is the talk of Flanagan’s, the Upper East Side bar where young Manhattan society congregates. It doesn’t help that she’s Jewish, an outsider among the blue-eyed blondes who populate this rarified world. She can fit in, kind of, with enough alcohol and prescription drugs stolen from her parents’ medicine cabinet.
Flanagan’s is where she pines for the handsome, preppy, and charismatic Gardner Reed. Every girl wants to sleep with him and every guy wants to be him. After she’s introduced to cocaine, Nina plunges headlong into her pursuit of Gardner, oblivious to the warning signs. When a new medication seemingly frees her mother from darkness, and Nina and Gardner grow closer, it seems like Nina might finally get what she wants. But at what cost?
Freud called cocaine “a gorgeous excitement,” but a gorgeous excitement for the wrong guy can be lethal.
“Carefully paced and beautifully written, this edgy coming-of-age novel succeeds on all counts.” – Kirkus Reviews, STARRED REVIEW
“[A] lush and thrilling study of preppy teenagers in 1986 New York City… Weiner vividly captures her protagonist’s adolescent yearning, which adds to the tension as Nina continues pursuing Gardner despite the red flags. This is worth a look.” – Publishers Weekly
“…first-time novelist Weiner subjects smart, stymied, funny, and sympathetic Nina to harrowing, surreal, and funny predicaments complicated by class, misogyny, denial, addiction, and jealousy. Throughout, Weiner incisively captures the timbre of the time; the city’s beauty, madness, and terror; the stunning recklessness of young women; and the endless complexities of families.” – Donna Seaman, Booklist
I Dream of Joni: A Portrait of Joni Mitchell in 53 Snapshots by Henry Alford
nonfiction / essays / biography / music.
Joni Mitchell’s life, psyche, and evolving legacy are explored here in vivid technicolor—from her childhood in Saskatoon, Canada, to her arrival in Laurel Canyon that turned her into, as Alford puts it, “the bard of heartbreak and longing.” Each period of Mitchell’s life is observed via the artists, friends, family, and lovers she encountered along the way, including James Taylor, Leonard Cohen, Georgia O’Keefe, Prince, and, most significantly, Kilauren, the daughter Mitchell gave up for adoption at birth but then reconnected with decades later.
Presented in the impressionistic vein of Ninety-Nine Glimpses of Princess Margaret, I Dream of Joni explores in fifty-three essays, with the author’s trademark wit and verve, the life of the legendary singer-songwriter.
“[A] stylish consideration of the folk-rock-jazz legend… thoughtful and informed… [a] heartfelt of an iconic artist.” – Kirkus Reviews
“Alford’s smart prose will captivate readers and leave music fans with thoughtful questions about Mitchell and her musical influence.” – Rebekah J. Buchanan, Library Journal
Motheater by Linda H. Codega
fiction / fantasy / horror.
After her best friend dies in a coal mine, Benethea “Bennie” Mattox sacrifices her job, her relationship, and her reputation to uncover what’s killing miners on Kire Mountain. When she finds a half-drowned white woman in a dirty mine slough, Bennie takes her in because it’s right—but also because she hopes this odd, magnetic stranger can lead her to the proof she needs.
Instead, she brings more questions. The woman called Motheater can’t remember her true name, or how she ended up inside the mountain. She knows only that she’s a witch of Appalachia, bound to tor and holler, possum and snake, with power in her hands and Scripture on her tongue. But the mystery of her fate, her doomed quest to keep industry off Kire Mountain, and the promises she bent and broke have followed her a century and half into the future. And now, the choices Motheater and Bennie make together could change the face of the town itself.
“The conflict between nature and industrialization is embodied in a witch magically linked to a powerful Appalachian mountain in this extraordinary debut… Imbued with the awe-inspiring might of the Appalachians, this impressive work of ecofiction explores the tension inherent in balancing respect for the natural world and the need to make use of its resources.” – Elena Gleason, Booklist, STARRED REVIEW
“[The] detailed worldbuilding and prose will inspire comparisons to Alix E. Harrow.” – Kristi Chadwick, Library Journal
“Codega weaves Appalachian magic and Southern cunning throughout their protagonists’ crusade and brings in an exploration of what it is to be queer in the South. Readers will find lots to love.” – Publishers Weekly
Onyx Storm by Rebecca Yarros ★
fiction / fantasy / romance.
After nearly eighteen months at Basgiath War College, Violet Sorrengail knows there’s no more time for lessons. No more time for uncertainty.
Because the battle has truly begun, and with enemies closing in from outside their walls and within their ranks, it’s impossible to know who to trust.
Now Violet must journey beyond the failing Aretian wards to seek allies from unfamiliar lands to stand with Navarre. The trip will test every bit of her wit, luck, and strength, but she will do anything to save what she loves—her dragons, her family, her home, and him.
Even if it means keeping a secret so big, it could destroy everything.
They need an army. They need power. They need magic. And they need the one thing only Violet can find—the truth.
But a storm is coming… and not everyone can survive its wrath.
“Readers, it’s finally here… With love gained and lost, battles waged and won — Onyx Storm is another razor-sharp ride on dragon back.” – Isabelle McConville, B&N Reads
“Dragons, enemies to lovers, a badass female main character… What’s not to love?” – Olivia Rose Rushing, Bustle
“Rebecca Yarros delivers another electrifying installment in The Empyrean series with Onyx Storm, raising the stakes to new heights in this breathtaking follow-up to Fourth Wing and Iron Flame. With a narrative brimming with tension, action, and emotion, this third book cements Yarros as a master of fantasy storytelling, seamlessly blending high-stakes battles with deeply personal moments… triumphant… Rebecca Yarros has crafted a tale that will leave readers breathless, eagerly awaiting the storm’s aftermath in the next installment.” – Quillbound
She Doesn’t Have a Clue by Jenny Elder Moke
fiction / romance / mystery.
A high-end wedding on a private island off the coast of Seattle sounds like something out of a magazine. But for bestselling mystery author Kate Valentine, it’s more like a nightmare.
Why Kate agreed to attend her ex-fiancé’s wedding is its own enigma, but she’ll plaster on a fake smile for two nights, with the aid of free champagne, naturally. And because the groom happens to be her editor, she’ll try to finish a draft of her latest Loretta Starling mystery as a wedding gift.
When the bride is poisoned and Kate stumbles across a dead body, she finds herself in a real-life mystery that eerily echoes the plot of her latest novel. And the only person who seems willing to help Kate catch the killer is Jake Hawkins, aka: the Hostralian; aka: Kate’s biggest romantic regret.
As the wine flows and the weather threatens to hold every guest hostage, bitter resentments and long-held grudges surface amongst the colorful crowd. Anyone could be capable of murder, it seems. What would Loretta do? Unfortunately, Kate doesn’t have a clue.
“A delightful, light-hearted whodunit with a touch of romance.” – Kirkus Reviews
“Moke’s adult debut is the perfect blend of cozy mystery and steamy romance with a flawed, frenetic amateur sleuth readers will root for. Here’s hoping that this is the beginning of a series.” – Susan Maguire, Booklist
“…sparks fly between the amateur sleuths, but it’s to Moke’s credit that little else about this brisk and charming whodunit is predictable. With truly surprising twists, fully developed characters, and a satisfying balance of courtship and detection, this has more than enough for a potential series.” – Publishers Weekly
Somewhere Toward Freedom: Sherman’s March and the Story of America’s Largest Emancipation by Bennett Parten
nonfiction / history.
In the fall of 1864, Gen. William T. Sherman led his army through Atlanta, Georgia, burning buildings of military significance—and ultimately most of the city—along the way. From Atlanta, they marched across the state to the most important city at the time: Savannah.
Mired in the deep of the South with no reliable supply lines, Sherman’s army had to live off the land and the provisions on the plantations they seized along the way. As the army marched to the east, plantation owners fled, but even before they did so, slaves self-emancipated to Union lines. By the time the army seized Savannah in December, as many as 20,000 enslaved people had attached themselves to Sherman’s army. They endured hardships, marching as much as twenty miles a day—often without food or shelter from the winter weather—and at times Union commanders discouraged and even prevented the self-emancipated from staying with the army. Racism was not confined to the Confederacy.
In Somewhere Toward Freedom, historian Bennett Parten brilliantly reframes this seminal episode in Civil War history. He not only helps us understand how Sherman’s March impacted the war, and what it meant to the enslaved, but also reveals how it laid the foundation for the fledging efforts of Reconstruction. When the war ended, Sherman and various government and private aid agencies seized plantation lands—particularly in the sea islands off the Georgia and South Carolina coasts—in order to resettle the newly emancipated. They were fed, housed, and in some instances, taught to read and write. This first real effort at Reconstruction was short-lived, however. As federal troops withdrew to the north, Confederate sympathizers and Southern landowners eventually brought about the downfall of this program.
Sherman’s march has remained controversial to this day. But as Parten reveals, it played a significant role in ending the Civil War, due in no small part to the efforts of the tens of thousands of enslaved people who became a part of it. In Somewhere Toward Freedom, this critical moment in American history has finally been given the attention it deserves.
“[A] vivid and intricate history…” – New York Times
“This important work highlights a little-known dimension of Sherman’s march and will be of interest to readers of Civil War and emancipation history.” – Chad E. Statler, Library Journal, STARRED REVIEW
“A well-known episode in Civil War history viewed from a fresh, and illuminating, perspective.” – Kirkus Reviews
Star-Crossed Egg Tarts by Jennifer J. Chow
fiction / mystery.
Jin Bakery has been asked to cater the Lum-Wu outdoor wedding at Pixie Park. The day of the ceremony, Felicity is finishing the “cake” of tiered egg tarts as the wedding party arrives for the ceremony. When one of the groomsmen, Miles Wu, doesn’t arrive, Felicity’s best friend and local florist Kelvin generously steps in for him and the wedding goes smoothly—until cake cutting time.
That’s when Felicity finds Miles’ dead body beneath the table with her egg tarts display, stabbed by Kelvin’s gardening shears. With the detective’s sights on Kelvin, Felicity starts sleuthing away to prove his innocence, revealing dark secrets about all the wedding’s attendants. They each had something to hide—and a reason to quiet Miles forever. To make matters worse, Felicity’s powers of prediction are on the fritz thanks to the emotional turmoil of a surprise visit from her estranged father.
When the groom gets poisoned at the send-off party and winds up in a coma, the stakes are even higher, not to mention Felicity’s feelings for Kelvin are beginning to feel more than friendly. Will Felicity’s magic return in time to catch the true culprit and rescue her budding relationship with Kelvin?
“Good things lie ahead in this series.” – Kirkus Reviews
The Sun Won’t Come Out Tomorrow: The Dark History of American Orphanhood by Kristen Martin
nonfiction / history / memoir.
The real history of being an orphan in America is nothing like the myth, and nothing like the American dream.
The orphan story has been mythologized: Step one: While a child is still too young to form distinct memories of them, their parents die in an untimely fashion. Step two: Orphan acquires caretakers who amplify the world’s cruelty. Step three: Orphan escapes and goes on an adventure, encountering the world’s vast possibilities.
The Sun Won’t Come Out Tomorrow upends this. Pairing powerful critiques of popular orphan narratives, from Annie to The Boxcar Children to Party of Five, journalist Kristen Martin explores the real history of orphanhood in the United States, from the 1800s to the present. Martin reveals the mission of religious indoctrination that was at the core of the first orphanages, the orphan trains that took parentless children out West (often without a choice), and the inherent classism and racism that still underlies the United States’ approach to child welfare.
Through a combination of in-depth archival research, memoir (Martin herself lost both her parents when she was quite young), and cultural analysis, The Sun Won’t Come Out Tomorrow is a compellingly argued, compassionate book that forces us to reconsider autonomy, family, and community. Kristen Martin delivers a searing indictment of America’s consistent inability to care for those who need it most.
“A thought-provoking look at a system that has always been dysfunctional.” – Laurie Unger Skinner, Booklist
“…powerful… a damning assessment of America as a society built on the exploitation of children.” – Publishers Weekly
“Eye-opening… If you want an absorbing, sometimes shocking social history, The Sun Won’t Come Out Tomorrow is the one meant for you.” – Terri Schlichenmeyer, NJ Urban News
Three Wild Dogs (and the truth): A Memoir by Markus Zusak
nonfiction / memoir / dogs.
There’s a madman dog beside me, and the hounds of memory ahead of us… It’s love and beasts and wild mistakes, and regret, but never to change things.
What happens when the Zusak family opens their home to three big, wild, street-hardened dogs—Reuben, more wolf than hound; Archer, blond, beautiful, destructive; and the rancorously smiling Frosty, who walks like a rolling thunderstorm?
The answer can only be chaos: There are street fights, park fights, public shamings, property damages, injuries, hospital visits, wellness checks, pure comedy, shocking tragedy, and carnage that must be read to be believed.
There is a reckoning of shortcomings and failure, a strengthening of will, but most important of all, an explosion of love—and the joy and recognition of family.
Three Wild Dogs (and the truth) is a tender, motley, and exquisitely written memoir about the human need for both connection and disorder, a love letter to the animals who bring hilarity and beauty—but also the visceral truth of the natural world—straight to our doors and into our lives and change us forever.
“Anyone you know who has lived with a dog will relish this beautiful memoir.” – Bethanne Patrick, Los Angeles Times
“With a soft heart and a fluid pen, Zusak delivers an elegy for three misfit creatures that will resonate even with those who’ve never picked up a leash.” – Publishers Weekly
“Zusak’s garrulous style gives appropriate spotlight to his furry subjects (a few cats are involved too), celebrating their indomitable spirits in a convivial, all-but-exasperated tone… Dog lovers will surely find a lot to chew on here as Zusak mines for the truth the title intimates that those touched by a dog will all agree: we are changed for having known them.” – Jeff Connelly, Booklist, STARRED REVIEW
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