“Being asked to read another writer’s rough draft is the literary equivalent of being asked to help a friend move a couch to a new place.” – Paul Tremblay, A Head Full of Ghosts
Another by Paul Tremblay; illustrated by Sam Wolfe Connelly
fiction / children’s / horror.
When Casey Wilson’s parents tell him that his friend is coming for a sleepover, he has no idea who that might be. Ever since the Zoom Incident, everyone treats him like a pariah, and his tics are worse than ever.
When Morel appears, he’s not like any friend Casey has ever met. His skin is like clay, and he doesn’t speak. But Casey’s parents are charmed by the strange kid, and it’s nice to have someone to talk to besides his sister, Ally, who is away at college. As his normally loving parents grow distant from Casey, they gush and fawn over Morel. Casey knows something is wrong—but with no end in sight to the sleepover, he’s exhausted. And in the dark, out of the corner of his eye, Morel doesn’t look like a kid at all…
“Well regarded in the adult horror space, Tremblay confidently strides into the middle-grade arena… readers will be horribly enthralled by it all—in the best possible way.” – Julia Smith, Booklist, STARRED REVIEW
“…suspenseful and believably eerie… [Tremblay] has crafted a memorably frightening tale that uses its fable-like atmosphere to contend with some of adolescence’s more painful emotions and fears.” – Sean Farrell, AFPL Journal
“…unnerving… Tremblay utilizes body and psychological horror elements to build suspense and infuse creepiness throughout this introspective exploration of a lonely, insecure boy’s conflicting desires for independence and familial security. Connelly’s intermittent realistic pencil illustrations enhance the novel’s uncanny valley conceit.” – Publishers Weekly
Avatar Legends: City of Echoes by Judy I. Lin
fiction / young adult / fantasy.
There is no war outside of these walls.
This is what the citizens of Ba Sing Se are told to believe, but Jin knows better. As a refugee whose parents were killed by the Fire Nation, she is haunted by her past. Now, she does her best to keep her head down in the Lower Ring, caring for her ailing grandfather and balancing school with survival.
Her one bright spot is her best friend Susu, whose family treats Jin like one of their own, and whose bakery she helps make deliveries for.
Her world shatters when Susu’s father gambles away the bakery and Susu is forced to take a contract in the Upper Ring to pay off the family’s debt. Jin vows to help her friend—no matter what it takes. A chain of events fueled by her desperate promise leads Jin to Xuan, an arrogant boy from the Middle Ring with ties to the Silver Fangs, a major player in the city’s black market.
The deeper Jin delves into her double life, the more she learns about Susu’s own entanglement in a conspiracy darker and more dangerous than she could have imagined.
As whispers swirl of the Avatar’s presence within the city’s walls, the Fire Nation creeps ever closer. With Ba Sing Se teetering on the brink of revolution, Jin must defy the powerful forces that control her city and risk everything for the friend she’s determined to save.
“A nuanced exploration of darker themes set in the world of the popular Avatar universe.” – Kirkus Reviews
“Based on a side character in the Avatar: The Last Airbender series, this opener of one-off stories by best-selling Lim will excite fans new and old with the secrets it reveals.” – Kelly Ferreira, Booklist
Behind Sunset by David Gordon
fiction / suspense / mystery / comedy.
For generations, Hollywood has attracted all sorts of dreamers—and then has slowly crushed their aspirations. Elliott Gross is one such case; fresh out of college, he moved west from New York with hopes of writing for the silver screen and living a life of fame and fortune. A couple of years later, he’s writing for an adult magazine and living in a garage. The year is 1994 and, with the rise of the internet, the era of print pornography is in its twilight, but Raunchy’s owner has enough “catch-and-kill” secrets in the vault to ensure that his power will persist as long as his silence remains valuable.
When Gross is sent to write a profile on the company’s newest starlet, he discovers that she has vanished seemingly without a trace. To find her, he embarks on a twisted journey through a business both seedy and carnivalesque. Rumors of a sensitive VHS tape held in the vault, which may hold the secret to Crystal’s whereabouts, stir around Elliott and he stumbles into a corpse. Before his search can be concluded, a shadow of suspicion falls on Gross and his position is terminated. Then he washes up at a celebrity-anchored New Age wellness brand and discovers a world far darker and more cruel than the porn industry.
Combining David Gordon’s trademark humor with a stylish, unflinching, and unpredictable plot, Behind Sunset is a comic and noir-tinged tour through Tinseltown that uncovers darkness and lightness, in equal measure, from the most unexpected of sources.
“Nobody writes a mystery quite like David Gordon… an atmospheric neo-noir with flashes of dark wit.” – Dwyer Murphy, CrimeReads
“Elliot’s exploits get zanier and zanier, but there’s always a sly wink behind Gordon’s prose that lets the reader know it’s all gonna come together in the end. It does, but only when you’re done laughing your ass off. Hardboiled Hollywood, as only a New Yorker could write it.” – Kirkus Reviews
Codebreaker by Jay Martel
fiction / young adult / mystery / suspense / romance.
Mia Hayes has peaceful plans for the summer—find a part-time job at a coffee shop and work on her college applications. Those plans are shattered one night when government agents arrive unannounced at her home seeking something they believe her father has taken. When the dust settles, her mother is dead and her father is gone, a fugitive on the run.
Three weeks later, and still reeling from her father’s betrayal, Mia spends her seventeenth birthday at a protest in the heart of D.C., where she meets Logan, a rebellious and charming hacker. Just as she’s enjoying her first happy moment since the night her world exploded, a voicemail from her father arrives to upend everything she believed about her family, her past, and what really happened that night three weeks ago. Even more, the voicemail hides another encoded message inside which, once Mia solves it, sets her and Logan off on a mission from her sleepy suburb straight into the heart of the federal government.
With the same agents now hot on their trail, Mia and Logan must navigate their way through American history’s most iconic sites and uncover its most well-hidden secrets to reveal the truth about her family and stop a deadly attack.
In this non-stop thrill ride, the reader has the chance to test their own codebreaking skills alongside Mia, lending an exciting interactive element to this page-turning thriller packed with action, romance, and life-changing revelations.
“Clever codes, puzzles, and ciphers form the base of this intricately designed codebreaker mystery that’s enlivened by page-turning action and Mia and Logan’s sharp banter and magnetic chemistry… [a] propulsive debut novel.” – Publishers Weekly, STARRED REVIEW
“A smart, gripping thriller with engaging interactive elements.” – Kirkus Reviews
“If The Da Vinci Code had a YA cousin, it would be Codebreaker. This debut novel explodes from the beginning, and a twisting plot leads readers through Washington, DC, at breakneck speed while solving codes themselves along the way… With a lot of heart, especially regarding how Mia’s grief manifests itself, this propulsive novel will appeal to fans of puzzles and spy stories.” – Jessica Durham, Booklist
Greenwich by Kate Broad
fiction.
Summer, 1999. Rachel Fiske is almost eighteen when she arrives at her aunt and uncle’s mansion in Greenwich, Connecticut. Her glamorous aunt is struggling to heal from an injury, and Rachel wants to help—and escape her own troubles back home. But her aunt is oddly spacey and her uncle is consumed with business, and Rachel feels lonely and adrift, excluded from the world of adults and their secrets. The only bright spot is Claudia, a recent college graduate, aspiring artist, and the live-in babysitter for Rachel’s cousin. As summer deepens, Rachel eagerly hopes their friendship might grow into more.
But when a tragic accident occurs, Rachel must make a pivotal choice. Caught between her desire to do the right thing and to protect her future, she’s the only one who knows what really happened—and her decision has consequences far beyond what she could have predicted.
A riveting debut novel for readers of Celeste Ng and Liane Moriarty, Greenwich explores the nature of desire and complicity against the backdrop of immense wealth and privilege, the ways that whiteness and power protect their own, and the uneasy moral ambiguity of redemption.
“This gothic and atmospheric debut novel is absorbingly paced with cutting depictions of dysfunctional family dynamics, exploring societal expectations, how hiding the truth corrupts and corrodes, and the truism that money does not buy happiness.” – Pamela Gardner, Booklist
“…insightful… As Rachel tells the story, she thrillingly scrutinizes her brittle morality and desire to please.” – Publishers Weekly
It Was Her House First by Cherie Priest
fiction / horror / suspense / mystery.
Silent film star Venita Rost’s malevolent spirit lurks spider-like in her cliffside mansion, a once-beautiful home that’s claimed countless unlucky souls. And she’s not alone. Snared in her terrible web, Inspector Bartholomew Sloan—her eternal nemesis—watches her wreak havoc in helpless horror, shackled by his own guilt and Venita’s unrelenting wrath.
Now the house has yet another new owner. This time it’s Ronnie Mitchell, a grieving woman who buys the run-down place sight unseen. She arrives armed with an unexpected inheritance, a strong background in renovation, and a blissful ignorance regarding the house’s blood-soaked history. But her arrival has stirred up more than just dust and decay. In the shadows, unseen eyes watch. Then, a man comes knocking. He brings wild stories and a thinly veiled jealousy, as well as a secret connection to the house that can only lead to violence.
Venita’s fury awakens, and a deadly game unfolds.
Caught between a vengeful ghost and a ruthless living threat, Ronnie’s skepticism crumbles. The line between living and dead isn’t as sharp as it seems, and she realizes too late that in Venita’s house, survival might be just an illusion.
“[An] enjoyable ghost story with heart and a twist…” – Rai Furniss-Greasley, Grimdark Magazine
“[A] chillingly effective ghost story… Finding fresh angles on a familiar premise, Priest delivers an eccentric haunted house thriller with plenty of surprises up its sleeve. Readers will be up all night.” – Publishers Weekly
“[A] unique twist on a ghost story, elevated by its bone-chilling atmosphere and interesting backstory… Enjoy this one on a rainy night, fireplace optional.” – Sarah Reida, Crime Spree Magazine
The List by Steve Berry
fiction / mystery / suspense.
After a ten-year self-imposed exile, Brent Walker is returning home to Concord, a quaint town in central Georgia nestled close to the Savannah River. Two years ago, his father died, and now Brent, hired by Southern Republic Pulp and Paper Company as its assistant general counsel, is returning to care for his ailing mother.
For decades, Southern Republic has invested heavily in Concord, creating a thriving community where its employees live, work, and retire. But the genteel sheen of this quiet town is deceiving, and when a list of cryptic code surfaces, Brent starts to see the cracks.
Southern Republic’s success is based largely on a highly unorthodox and deadly system to control costs, known only to the three owners of the company. Now, one of them, Christopher Bozin, has had a change of heart. Brent’s return to Concord, a move Bozin personally orchestrated, provides his conscience with a chance at redemption. So a plan is set into motion, one that will not only criminally implicate Bozin’s two partners, but also place Brent Walker square in the crosshairs of men who want him dead—with only one course left available.
Find and reveal the shocking secret of the list.
Maggie: Or, a Man and a Woman Walk Into a Bar by Katie Yee ★
fiction / comedy.
A man and a woman walk into a restaurant. The woman expects a lovely night filled with endless plates of samosas. Instead, she finds out her husband is having an affair with a woman named Maggie.
A short while after, her chest starts to ache. She walks into an examination room, where she finds out the pain in her breast isn’t just heartbreak—it’s cancer. She decides to call the tumor Maggie.
Unfolding in fragments over the course of the ensuing months, Maggie; Or, a Man and a Woman Walk Into a Bar follows the narrator as she embarks on a journey of grief, healing, and reclamation. She starts talking to Maggie (the tumor), getting acquainted with her body’s new inhabitant. She overgenerously creates a Guide to My Husband: A User’s Manual for Maggie (the other woman), hoping to ease the process of discovering her ex-husband’s whims and quirks. She turns her children’s bedtime stories into retellings of Chinese folklore passed down by her own mother, in an attempt to make them fall in love with their shared culture—and to maybe save herself in the process.
In the style of Jenny Offill and the tradition of Nora Ephron’s hilarious and devastating writing on heartbreak and womanhood, Maggie is a master class in transforming personal tragedy into a form of defiant comedy.
“A beautifully crafted debut that isn’t afraid to guffaw in times of darkness.” – Allison Cho, Booklist
“A funny, stirring novel about resilience.” – Kirkus Reviews, STARRED REVIEW
“Through impeccably witty fragmented reflections and in just under 200 pages, Yee transforms life’s most brutal bombshells into spectacular fireworks, glittering with humor, insight, and a dazzling display of best friendship against the darkest of backdrops.” – Charley Burlock, Oprah Daily
“[A] truly delightful story… [it] comes off as almost timeless. That perennial quality also shines through in the narrator’s determination to become ‘someone who can separate her life from her family’s and still survive’. It’s maybe not the easiest or cheeriest lesson to learn, but it’s an invaluable one that Yee shares with aplomb in this heartfelt debut.” – Cory Oldweiler, Minnesota Star Tribune
Not Quite Dead Yet by Holly Jackson ★
fiction / mystery / suspense.
In seven days Jet Mason will be dead.
Jet is the daughter of one of the wealthiest families in Woodstock, Vermont. Twenty-seven years old, she’s still waiting for her life to begin. I’ll do it later, she always says. She has time.
Until Halloween night, when Jet is violently attacked by an unseen intruder.
She suffers a catastrophic head injury. The doctor is certain that within a week, the injury will trigger a deadly aneurysm.
Jet has never thought of herself as having enemies. But now she looks at everyone in a new light: her family, her former best friend turned sister-in-law, her ex-boyfriend.
She has at most seven days, and as her condition deteriorates she has only her childhood friend Billy for help. But nevertheless, she’s absolutely determined to finally finish something:
Jet is going to solve her own murder.
“Funny, emotional, sharp. Jackson’s done it again. Just… hold onto your head.” – Mr. Book Review
“…clever… an irresistible setup… Jackson has written more than a singular character study or a captivating pitch. Not Quite Dead Yet is a harsh but ultimately successful story of redemption, love, and the accepted burdens of friendship and family.” – E.A. Aymar, Washington Post
Stan and Gus: Art, Ardor, and the Friendship That Built the Gilded Age by Henry Wiencek
nonfiction / biography / history / art.
Stanford White was a louche man-about-town and a canny cultural entrepreneur—the creator of landmark buildings that elevated American architecture to new heights. Augustus Saint-Gaudens was the son of an immigrant shoemaker, a moody introvert, and a committed procrastinator whose painstaking work brought emotional depth to American sculpture. They met when Stan was walking down the street and heard Gus whistling Mozart in his studio. They pursued their own careers in Italy and France, then came together again in New York, where they maintained an intimate friendship and partnership that defined the art of the Gilded Age. Over the course of decades, White would help sustain his friend’s troubled spirits and vouch for Saint-Gaudens when he failed to complete projects. Meanwhile, Saint-Gaudens would challenge White to take his artistic gifts seriously—and so it went amid brilliant commissions and sordid debaucheries all the way to White’s sensational murder by an enraged husband in 1906.
In Stan and Gus, the acclaimed historian Henry Wiencek sets the two men’s relationship within the larger story of the American Renaissance, where millionaires’ commissions and delusions of grandeur collided with secret upper-class clubs, new aesthetic ideas, and two ambitious young men to yield work of lasting beauty.
“A brisk, absorbing portrait of troubled artistic allies whose work embodied an era.” – Kirkus Reviews
“[A] colorful, captivating window into a fascinating historical era.” – Publishers Weekly
“…electrifying… Highlighting his subjects’ larger-than-life personalities, the imbalances of their relationship, and the glittery, careening mess of their era, Wiencek ultimately celebrates the artistic impact Stan and Gus’ relationship would have upon New York City.” – Brendan Driscoll, Booklist
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