“No one really knows what words mean these days.” – Mark Doten, The Infernal
Anatomy of a Con Artist: The 14 Red Flags to Spot Scammers, Grifters, and Thieves by Jonathan Walton
nonfiction / true crime.
“Some people play golf on the weekends,” Johnathan Walton says. “I hunt con artists.”
Con artists are everywhere—your new boyfriend or girlfriend, your new neighbor or coworker, your new friend—and they don’t outsmart you; they out-feel you to get their hands on your money. In Anatomy of a Con Artist, Walton lays out “the tells” based on hundreds of real-life cases he’s investigated, including:
Red Flag #1—A Stranger Offering Help: Someone new and overly helpful insinuates themselves into your life.
Red Flag #3—Drama, Drama, Drama: Constant dramatic “emergencies” to pull you in.
Red Flag #8—Beak Wetting: Faux generosity—gifts, money, or favors to bring your guard down.
After being scammed out of nearly $100,000 by a devious con artist, Walton was turned away by police. Infuriated and armed with the investigative skills he’d gained from years as a TV reporter, Walton launched his own investigation and built a compelling criminal case authorities could not ignore. Walton got his con artist charged, prosecuted, and convicted, then devoted his life to helping other victims do the same. This book packs in all he has learned.
Some con artists scheme for money, some for attention, some just for the thrill of lying. And if you think it can’t happen to you, then you are exactly the kind of “mark” a professional con artist is looking for. With this insightful guide in your hands, you are far less likely to get conned and far more likely to spot these nefarious manipulators from a mile away—and cross the street when you see them coming.
“…Walton’s story is undeniably fascinating. There’s enough here to entice true crime fans.” – Publishers Weekly
“This is no generic guide written by someone who did a little research; this is a comprehensive, passionate, incredibly detailed book written by someone who has been through it himself. For fans of crime nonfiction—indeed for anyone who wants to be prepared for any eventuality—it’s a must-read.” – David Pitt, Booklist, STARRED REVIEW
Baldwin: A Love Story by Nicholas Boggs ★
nonfiction / biography / history.
Baldwin: A Love Story, the first major biography of James Baldwin in three decades, reveals how profoundly the writer’s personal relationships shaped his life and work. Drawing on newly uncovered archival material and original research and interviews, this spellbinding book tells the overlapping stories of Baldwin’s most sustaining intimate and artistic relationships: with his mentor, the Black American painter Beauford Delaney; with his lover and muse, the Swiss painter Lucien Happersberger; and with his collaborators, the famed Turkish actor Engin Cezzar and the iconoclastic French artist Yoran Cazac, whose long-overlooked significance as Baldwin’s last great love is explored in these pages for the first time.
Nicholas Boggs shows how Baldwin drew on all the complex forces within these relationships—geographical, cultural, political, artistic, and erotic— and alchemized them into novels, essays, and plays that speak truth to power and had an indelible impact on the civil rights movement and on Black and queer literary history. Richly immersive, Baldwin: A Love Story follows the writer’s creative journey between Harlem, Paris, Switzerland, the southern United States, Istanbul, Africa, the South of France, and beyond. In so doing, it magnifies our understanding of the public and private lives of one of the major literary figures of the twentieth century, whose contributions only continue to grow in influence.
“A dynamic portrait that deepens our understanding of a complex artist.” – Kirkus Reviews, STARRED REVIEW
“[An] emotionally rich and complex look at a writer who exemplifies the impossibility of separating the personal from the political.” – Lesley Williams, Booklist, STARRED REVIEWS
“…Boggs’s biography makes a hugely important contribution, because it takes us to the heart of Baldwin’s message—the fear of love—and shows how urgent that problem was for him.” – Louis Menand, The New Yorker
“[A] lucid, propulsive, compassionate and deeply researched portrait of a writer and thinker whose wisdom the country has too often failed to heed.” – Chris Vognar, Boston Globe
Born in Flames: The Business of Arson and the Remaking of the American City by Bench Ansfield
nonfiction / history / true crime.
“Ladies and gentlemen, the Bronx is burning!” That legendary and apocryphal phrase, allegedly uttered by announcers during the 1977 World Series as flames rose above Yankee Stadium, seemed to encapsulate an entire era in this nation’s urban history. Across that decade, a wave of arson coursed through American cities, destroying entire neighborhoods home to poor communities of color.
Yet as historian Bench Ansfield demonstrates in Born in Flames, the vast majority of the fires were not set by residents, as is commonly assumed, but by landlords looking to collect insurance payouts. Driven by perverse incentives—new government-sponsored insurance combined with tanking property values—landlords hired “torches,” mostly Black and Brown youth, to set fires in the buildings, sometimes with people still living in them. Tens of thousands of families lost their homes to these blazes, yet for much of the 1970s, tenant vandalism and welfare fraud stood as the prevailing explanations for the arson wave, effectively indemnifying landlords.
Ansfield’s book, based on a decade of research, introduces the term “brownlining” for the destructive insurance practices imposed on poor communities of color under the guise of racial redress. Ansfield shows that as the FIRE industries—finance, insurance, and real estate— eclipsed manufacturing in the 1970s, they began profoundly reshaping Black and Brown neighborhoods, seeing them as easy sources of profit. At every step, Ansfield charts the tenant-led resistance movements that sprung up in the Bronx and elsewhere, as well as the explosion of popular culture around the fires, from iconic movies like The Towering Inferno to hit songs such as “Disco Inferno.” Ultimately, they show how similarly pernicious dynamics around insurance and race are still at play in our own era, especially in regions most at risk of climate shocks.
“A vital history of racial discrimination in the insurance market—and the fires that followed.” – Kirkus Reviews, STARRED REVIEW
“[A] riveting and meticulous chronicle… an outstanding exposé of the predatory capitalist machinations behind the ‘Bronx is burning’ saga.” – Publishers Weekly, STARRED REVIEW
“[A] formidable book… a deft, at times brilliant history… Ansfield’s great achievement is following the money, the thread linking the fortunes to the fires. This is the panoramic, it’s-all-connected view that racial-capitalism theory promises.” – Daniel Immerwahr, The New Yorker
Coming Up Short: A Memoir of My America by Robert B. Reich
nonfiction / memoir / politics / history.
A thought-provoking, principled, clear-eyed chronicle of the culture, politics, and economic choices that have landed us where we are today—with irresponsible economic bullies and corporations with immense wealth and lobbying power on top, demagogues on the rise, and increasing inequality fueling anger and hatred across the country.
Nine months after World War II, Robert Reich was born into a united America with a bright future—which went unrealized for so many as big money took over our democracy. His encounter with school bullies on account of his height—4’11” as an adult—set him on a determined path to spend his life fighting American bullies of every sort. He recounts the death of a friend in the civil rights movement; his political coming of age witnessing the Berkeley free speech movement; working for Bobby Kennedy and Senator Eugene McCarthy; experiencing a country torn apart by the Vietnam War; meeting Hillary Rodham in college, Bill Clinton at Oxford, and Clarence Thomas at Yale Law. He details his friendship with John Kenneth Galbraith during his time teaching at Harvard, and subsequent friendships with Bernie Sanders and Ted Kennedy; and his efforts as labor secretary for Clinton and economic advisor to Barack Obama. Ultimately, Reich asks: What did his generation accomplish? Did they make America better, more inclusive, more tolerant? Did they strengthen democracy? Or did they come up short?
Reich hardly abandons us to despair over a doomed democracy. With characteristic spirit and humor, he lays out how we can reclaim a sense of community and a democratic capitalism based on the American ideals we still have the power to salvage.
“Highly recommended for readers concerned about the nation’s future and the world that will be left to the next generation.” – Jerry Stephens, Library Journal
“A sharply pointed chronicle of a society that, Reich laments, gladly tolerates the strong brutalizing the weak.” – Kirkus Reviews
“What Reich self-deprecatingly claims he lacks in physical stature, he more than makes up for in moral standing and civic pride… Reich’s memoir is both economic treatise and political reckoning, stemming from a deep love of country and commitment to progress, in pursuit of doing what’s right as opposed to what is popular or expedient… Clear-eyed and critical, Reich’s assessment of where America is headed is both sobering and, characteristically, hopeful.” – Carol Haggas, Booklist, STARRED REVIEW
The End of the World as We Know It: New Tales of Stephen King’s The Stand edited by Christopher Golden & Brian Keene ★
fiction / short stories / horror / fantasy.
Since its initial publication in 1978, The Stand has been considered Stephen King’s seminal masterpiece of apocalyptic fiction, with millions of copies sold and adapted twice for television. Although there are other extraordinary works exploring the unraveling of human society, none have been as influential as this iconic novel—generations of writers have been impacted by its dark yet ultimately hopeful vision of the end and new beginning of civilization, and its stunning array of characters.
Now for the first time, Stephen King has fully authorized a return to the harrowing world of The Stand through this original short story anthology as presented by award-winning authors and editors Christopher Golden and Brian Keene. Bringing together some of today’s greatest and most visionary writers, The End of the World As We Know It features unforgettable, all-new stories set during and after (and some perhaps long after) the events of The Stand—brilliant, terrifying, and painfully human tales that will resonate with readers everywhere as an essential companion to the classic, bestselling novel.
Featuring an introduction by Stephen King, a foreword by Christopher Golden, and an afterword by Brian Keene. Contributors include Wayne Brady and Maurice Broaddus, Poppy Z. Brite, Somer Canon, C. Robert Cargill, Nat Cassidy, V. Castro, Richard Chizmar, S. A. Cosby, Tananarive Due and Steven Barnes, Meg Gardiner, Gabino Iglesias, Jonathan Janz, Alma Katsu, Caroline Kepnes, Michael Koryta, Sarah Langan, Joe R. Lansdale, Tim Lebbon, Josh Malerman, Ronald Malfi, Usman T. Malik, Premee Mohamed, Cynthia Pelayo, Hailey Piper, David J. Schow, Alex Segura, Bryan Smith, Paul Tremblay, Catherynne M. Valente, Bev Vincent, Catriona Ward, Chuck Wendig, Wrath James White, and Rio Youers.
“The contributors approach this eerie setting with creativity and curiosity… Even readers unfamiliar with The Stand will find much to enjoy here, while fans will be pleased by the attention to detail. Every entry hits the mark, a tribute both to the editors’ selection process and King’s original worldbuilding. ” – Publishers Weekly
“One of the buzziest horror books of the year… a sprawling, epic continuation of Stephen King’s The Stand through the lens of some of the best writers in horror. Whether the horror prowess of editors Brian Keene and Christopher Golden gets you in the door, or you just can’t pass up that table of contents, you won’t be let down by this towering collection.” – Matthew Jackson, Paste
“With a star-studded list of authors, including some outside the realm of the horror genre, this highly anticipated collection will garner a wide audience. Ardent fans, or as co-editor Brian Keene calls them, ‘constant readers,’ will relish the captivating and sometimes repulsive individuals that populate this homage to the battle of good versus evil and the effects of catastrophe that is human nature.” – Craig Clark, Booklist, STARRED REVIEW
“Holding The End of the World As We Know It in your hands feels a lot like having the world (albeit a devastated one) at your fingertips, a glimpse into parts unknown and undiscovered, until now… horror fiction fans will be living for these stories… [the book] offers a kaleidoscopic worldview of the place Stephen King created, a landscape rife for horror, heart, and humanity, something for everyone.” – Anna Dupre, Capes & Tights
Five Found Dead by Sulari Gentill
fiction / mystery / suspense.
Crime fiction author Joe Penvale has won the most brutal battle of his life. Now that he has finished his intense medical treatment, he and his twin sister, Meredith, are boarding the glorious Orient Express in Paris, hoping for some much-needed rest and rejuvenation. Meredith also hopes that the literary ghosts on the train will nudge Joe’s muse awake, and he’ll be inspired to write again. And he is; after their first evening spent getting to know some of their fellow travelers, Joe pulls out his laptop and opens a new document. Seems like this trip is just what the doctor ordered…
And then some. The next morning, Joe and Meredith are shocked to witness that the cabin next door has become a crime scene, bathed in blood but with no body in sight. The pair soon find themselves caught up in an Agatha Christie-esque murder investigation. Without any help from the authorities, and with the victim still not found, Joe and Meredith are asked to join a group of fellow passengers with law enforcement backgrounds to look into the mysterious disappearance of the man in Cabin16G. But when the steward guarding the crime scene is murdered, it marks the beginning of a killing spree which leaves five found dead—and one still missing. Now Joe and Meredith must fight once again to preserve their newfound future and to catch a cunning killer before they reach the end of the line.
“Gentill’s latest is a fun, modern mystery/thriller with classic charm.” – Linsey Milillo, Library Journal
“Gentill is working in a distinct Christie register, and doing it in high style, in this consistently enjoyable mystery.” – Dwyer Murphy, CrimeReads
“Rich with quirky characters and clever misdirection, Gentill’s latest, following The Mystery Writer, will please fans of locked-room mysteries, especially those Golden Age tales evoked by the setting.” – Susan Maguire, Booklist
Hemlock & Silver by T. Kingfisher ★
fiction / fantasy / horror / romance.
Healer Anja regularly drinks poison.
Not to die, but to save— seeking cures for those everyone else has given up on.
But a summons from the King interrupts her quiet, herb-obsessed life. His daughter, Snow, is dying, and he hopes Anja’s unorthodox methods can save her.
Aided by a taciturn guard, a narcissistic cat, and a passion for the scientific method, Anja rushes to treat Snow, but nothing seems to work. That is, until she finds a secret world, hidden inside a magic mirror. This dark realm may hold the key to what is making Snow sick.
Or it might be the thing that kills them all.
“[An] enticing new spin on Snow White…” – Jen Lennon, AV Club
“This darkly comic tale of mirrors and apples mixed with a budding romance, masterfully recounted by a charmingly forthright main character, will appeal to fans of reimagined fantasy fables.” – Lucy Lockley, Booklist, STARRED REVIEW
“…utterly delightful… Kingfisher’s gift for charmingly kooky protagonists is on full display in healer Anja… Kingfisher wows with her ability to effectively worldbuild using just a few choice details that then come together to create an almost dizzyingly satisfying climax… This is Kingfisher at her best.” – Publishers Weekly, STARRED REVIEW
“[Kingfisher] truly outdid herself in Hemlock & Silver… [it’s] a damned brilliant book steeped in Kingfisher’s trademark dark humour and wit that had me intoxicated from start to finish… there was truly not a single second where I was not entertained… masterful… [it] will satisfy cravings you never even knew you had.” – Esmay Rosalyne, Grimdark Magazine
Here Comes the Sun: A Last Chance for the Climate and a Fresh Chance for Civilization by Bill McKibben
nonfiction / science / environment.
Our climate, and our democracy, are melting down. But Bill McKibben, one of the first to sound the alarm about the climate crisis, insists the moment is also full of possibility. Energy from the sun and wind is suddenly the cheapest power on the planet and growing faster than any energy source in history—if we can keep accelerating the pace, we have a chance.
Here Comes the Sun tells the story of the sudden spike in power from the sun and wind—and the desperate fight of the fossil fuel industry and their politicians to hold this new power at bay. From the everyday citizens who installed solar panels equal to a third of Pakistan’s electric grid in a year to the world’s sixth-largest economy—California—nearly halving its use of natural gas in the last two years, Bill McKibben traces the arrival of plentiful, inexpensive solar energy. And he shows how solar power is more than just a path out of the climate crisis: it is a chance to reorder the world on saner and more humane grounds. You can’t hoard solar energy or hold it in reserves—it’s available to all.
There’s no guarantee we can make this change in time, but there is a hope—in McKibben’s eyes, our best hope for a new civilization: one that looks up to the sun, every day, as the star that fuels our world.
“No journalist has covered the climate story longer or better than Bill McKibben… an essential read for anyone interested in where the climate story is heading… thorough and thought-provoking.” – Mark Hertsgaard, The Nation
“A compelling argument for altering our energy regime before we’re toast, if that’s not already the case.” – Kirkus Reviews
“McKibben’s depth of knowledge on energy and climate issues shines through on every page. He makes concepts clear for nonscientists… I dream of sitting down with people opposed to some of my views and agreeing we’ll each read a book of the other’s choice and then have constructive discussion. Growing up I thought that’s how society should work. McKibben’s clarity and logic would make this an ideal selection for such an exercise. All of us can learn from Here Comes the Sun.” – Richard Frost, Adirondack Explorer
How to Be a Saint: An Extremely Weird and Mildly Sacrilegious History of the Catholic Church’s Biggest Names by Kate Sidley
nonfiction / history / religion / comedy.
Think you have what it takes to be a saint? Lucky for you, thousands of souls have paved the way to heaven—creating a clear formula for getting the job done while also leaving a rich, disturbing history behind them. And in just five easy-ish steps, you can learn how to secure your own halo!
But even if the whole “dying and becoming a saint” thing doesn’t appeal to you, the bizarrely bureaucratic process of canonization is still guaranteed to delight and entertain. How to Be Saint is a compulsively readable and endlessly entertaining ride through Catholicism for anyone who enjoys their history with a side of comedy. From flying friars to severed heads, this book explores the wild lives (and deaths) of saints and pulls the curtain back on the oddest quirks of religious doctrine.
Whether you’re a lifelong Catholic or a weird-history enthusiast, How to Be a Saint is your ultimate guide to understanding the hilarious, fascinating, and shockingly true history of sainthood.
“…delightfully irreverent… Sidley’s ribald tone is rooted in a genuine affection for her subject that shines through in the granular, informative, and sometimes bizarre details she shares about Catholic tradition. Readers will enjoy themselves.” – Publishers Weekly, STARRED REVIEW
“Readers will love the gruesome, weird, and goofy stories while they learn about Catholic miracles, martyrs, and traditions. With lively humor, Sibley covers the lives of saints, Medieval European history, and the past and current process of canonization.” – Migdalia Jimenez, Library Reads
“With panache and humor, comedy writer Sidley walks readers through the steps that lead to canonization, starting with the rather unfortunate first one: be dead… along with the humor tucked into this book’s frame, readers will also find history, mystery, and, of course, the lives of individual saints, including, when known, where their venerated body parts are located… You’ll learn a lot but will probably laugh even more.” – Ilene Cooper, Booklist
The Marigold Cottages Murder Collective by Jo Nichols
fiction / mystery.
Mrs. B, the landlady of The Marigold Cottages is a stubborn idealist who only rents to people she cares about: Sophie, an anxious young playwright with a dark past; Hamilton, an agoraphobe who likes to overshare; Ocean, a queer sculptor raising two kids alone; the perfectionist Lily-Ann; and Nicholas, a finance bro who’s hiding secrets.
The tenants live contentedly in their doll-house bungalows in Santa Barbara, just minutes from the beach, until their peace is shattered when Anthony, a quiet, hulking, but potentially violent ex-con moves in. Three weeks later, a dead body is discovered on the streets of the peaceful neighborhood. Anthony is arrested, and the tenants heave sighs of relief. Until Mrs. B, convinced that he’s innocent, marches down to the police station and confesses to the crime herself. The tenants band together and form “The Marigold Cottages Murder Collective” to save their beloved landlady. As clues are unearthed and secrets are revealed, the community of misfits only grows more tight-knit… until a second body is found. Full of eccentricity, humor, community, The Marigold Cottages Murder Collective will keep you hooked until the last page.
“[A] brilliantly quirky mystery.” – Kirkus Reviews, STARRED REVIEW
“[A] delightful cozy… Crisp dialogue, well-clued twists, and robustly drawn characters conspire to make this a memorable new entry in the cozy field. Readers will hope a sequel is on the way.” – Publishers Weekly
“From its charmingly realized Santa Barbara setting to its eccentric, engaging cast of characters, everything about this whimsically wonderful mystery is done to perfection.” – John Charles, Library Journal, STARRED REVIEW
Patchwork by Tom Comitta
fiction.
To whom does a story belong? Who is its author? What is an author? Does it matter? These questions and more populate the subversive and audacious Patchwork, a comical tragedy that highlights the connective tissue that joins stories to themselves as well as to the grand history of storytelling itself. Celebrating the tropes and clichés of classical novels while simultaneously forging them into an original narrative, Patchwork ultimately shows us that the stories produced by hundreds of writers past—celebrated or obscure, reverent or hilarious, factual or fantastical—may, in the hands of a master, become a single, seamless whole.
“Comitta has written a book that combines every writer and every book, but by isolating and exploring the elements that stories fundamentally share with one another.” – Olivia Rutigliano, Literary Hub
“[Offers] pleasures and surprises. It’s an appealing literary experiment.” – Publishers Weekly
“This heady literary experiment demonstrates that high-concept literature can also be very entertaining. An intellectual exercise crackling with madcap energy.” – Kirkus Reviews
Positive Obsession: The Life and Times of Octavia Butler by Susana M. Morris ★
nonfiction / biography / writing / history.
As the first Black woman to consistently write and publish in the field of science fiction, Octavia Butler was a trailblazer. With her deft pen, she created stories speculating the devolution of the American empire, using it as an apt metaphor for the best and worst of humanity—our innovation and ingenuity, our naked greed and ambition, our propensity for violence and hierarchy. Her fiction charts the rise and fall of the American project—the nation’s transformation from a provincial backwater to a capitalist juggernaut—made possible by chattel slavery—to a bloated imperialist superpower on the verge of implosion.
In this outstanding work, Susana M. Morris places Butler’s story firmly within the cultural, social, and historical context that shaped her life: the Civil Rights Movement, Black Power, women’s liberation, queer rights, Reaganomics. Morris reveals how these influences profoundly impacted Butler’s personal and intellectual trajectory and shaped the ideas central to her writing. Her cautionary tales warn us about succumbing to fascism, gender-based violence, and climate chaos while offering alternate paradigms to religion, family, and understanding our relationships to ourselves. Butler envisioned futures with Black women at the center, raising our awareness of how those who are often dismissed have the knowledge to shift the landscape of our world. But her characters are no magical martyrs, they are tough, flawed, intelligent, and complicated, a reflection of Butler’s stories.
Morris explains what drove Butler: She wrote because she felt she must. “Who was I anyway? Why should anyone pay attention to what I had to say? Did I have anything to say? I was writing science fiction and fantasy, for God’s sake. At that time nearly all professional science-fiction writers were white men. As much as I loved science fiction and fantasy, what was I doing? Well, whatever it was, I couldn’t stop. Positive obsession is about not being able to stop just because you’re afraid and full of doubts. Positive obsession is dangerous. It’s about not being able to stop at all.”
“A warm tribute to a pathbreaker.” – Kirkus Reviews
“[A] moving study of the life and creative pursuits of a literary pioneer.” – Publishers Weekly
“Positive Obsession is as keen in its literary insight as it is an exultant survey of a towering literary figure.” – Jeff Connelly, Booklist
Quicksilver by Callie Hart
fiction / fantasy / romance.
Do not touch the sword. Do not turn the key. Do not open the gate.
Twenty-four-year-old Saeris Fane is good at keeping secrets. No one knows about the strange powers she possesses, or the fact that she has been picking pockets and stealing from the Undying Queen’s reservoirs for as long as she can remember. In the land of the unforgiving desert, there isn’t much a girl wouldn’t do for a glass of water. But a secret is like a knot. Sooner or later, it is bound to come undone.
When Saeris comes face-to-face with Death himself, she inadvertently reopens a gateway between realms and is transported to a land of ice and snow. The Fae have always been the stuff of myth, of legend, of nightmares… but it turns out they’re real, and Saeris has landed right in the middle of a centuries-long conflict that might just get her killed.
The first of her kind to tread the frozen mountains of Yvelia in over a thousand years, Saeris mistakenly binds herself to Kingfisher, a handsome Fae warrior, who has secrets and nefarious agendas of his own. He will use her Alchemist’s magic to protect his people, no matter what it costs him… or her. Death has a name. It is Kingfisher of the Ajun Gate. His past is murky. His attitude stinks. And he’s the only way Saeris is going to make it home.
Be careful of the deals you make, dear child. The devil is in the details…
“…outstanding…” – SJ Book Diary
“Electric chemistry ensues and dangerous passion ignites in this enemies-to-lovers romantasy. Steeped in delicious banter, dark secrets and plenty of magic, this is a thrilling love story that’s impossible to put down.” – B&N Reads
“Quicksilver is one of the best books I’ve read so far this year… I loved it so much.” – Van Pham, Short and Sweet Reviews
Sweetener by Marissa Higgins
fiction / comedy.
In Sweetener, recently separated wives, both named Rebecca, can’t seem to disentangle their lives. Lonely and depressed, Rebecca is scraping by as a part-time cashier at an organic grocery store. Despite having less than ten dollars in her bank account, she lists herself as a sugar mama on a lesbian hookup app. Enter Charlotte, a charismatic artist who, unbeknownst to Rebecca, is also dating her wife.
Meanwhile, the other Rebecca, a newly sober doctoral student, has renewed her efforts to foster a child. The catch? Because the Rebeccas are still legally married, she needs her wife to attend parenting classes with her as part of the approval process.
Neither of them asks whether this means they’re getting back together, but the idea alone sends Charlotte into a tailspin. As Charlotte navigates her desire for each Rebecca—or her desire for attention—her world becomes more and more Gumby-like and surreal. It doesn’t help that she’s been wearing a fake pregnancy belly to all of her dates, and only one of the Rebeccas knows it isn’t real.
Sumptuous, sticky, and slightly absurd, Sweetener brings together three women fixated on the fantasy of motherhood, and trying to figure out what kind of mother, partner, or sugar mama they want to be.
“…delightfully freaky… proof that the sapphic novel has never been messier—or more compelling.” – Emma Specter, Vogue
“Higgins shines in this sharp-witted novel of women behaving badly… [her] characters might be a bit of a mess, but their thoughts are rendered with precision… The question of parenthood haunts the three women, like a destination without a map, and the final reveal is a knockout. Readers will have a blast.” – Publishers Weekly, STARRED REVIEW
“…funny, absurd, and utterly unique. Higgins has a distinct voice that captures a particular brand of queerness and will captivate readers looking for something unexpected.” – Kathy Sexton, Booklist
When the Cranes Fly South by Lisa Ridzén; translated by Alice Menzies
fiction.
Bo is running out of time. Yet time is one of the few things he’s got left. These days, his quiet existence is broken up only by daily visits from his home care team. Fortunately, he still has his beloved elkhound Sixten to keep him company… though now his son, with whom Bo has had a rocky relationship, insists upon taking the dog away, claiming that Bo has grown too old to properly care for him. The threat of losing Sixten stirs up a whirlwind of emotion, leading Bo to take stock of his life, his relationships, and the imperfect way he’s expressed his love over the years.
“This moving and crowd-pleasing novel gently depicts aging and its joys and sadnesses through a protagonist who misses his wife and wishes he were not so old but enjoys spending his remaining days with his dog. Readers will laugh and cry. In Bo, Ridzén has created a character who can evoke empathy in anyone.” – Joyce Sparrow, Library Journal, STARRED REVIEW
“Anyone anywhere who has worried for a crumbling parent, or worried about the crumble in themselves, or simply worried that their dog understood them better than their family, will identify with Ridzén’s novel and take it to heart.” – Patrick Gale, The Guardian
“I couldn’t put it down… a very moving and thought-provoking book.” – Catherine Larner, More About Books
Whites: Stories by Mark Doten
fiction / short stories / comedy.
The excoriating stories in Mark Doten’s brilliant first collection dissect the pathological narratives that shape our culture and country. Narrated by a crosscutting array of White people, Doten’s stories spotlight the self-serving logic through which their characters struggle to make sense of, and take control of, the narrative of our time.
They run the political spectrum from “well-intentioned” liberals and newly woke CEOs to Trump appointees, QAnon adherents, and believers in replacement theory. There is an anti-vax nursing home employee, an anti-woke billionaire, a nonbinary sneaker podcaster turned January 6 insurrectionist, a nonprofit LA housing president dubbed “WORST KAREN EVER,” an elderly Republican in denial of his COVID-19 diagnosis, teenage YouTubers responding to a shooting at their suburban Minnesota school, a demonically possessed cookie manufacturer drafting a BLM statement with his new Black employee, and a gay White supremacist figure who may be a joke on 4chan, but will have his revenge.
While their identities and allegiances differ, all of them are united by a ferocious belief in themselves, certain that everything they’ve done can be justified, if you’ll just hear them out. In Whites, Doten has written a relentless book that confirms their standing as one of the great satirists of their generation.
“Doten delivers an uncompromising satire of contemporary white supremacy in this bold collection… Every character is painfully convincing in their anger, condescension, or meekness. It’s a wild and caustic ride.” – Publishers Weekly
“[An] unflinching performance of satirical ventriloquism… Doten slips into these voices and their milieus seamlessly, exposing the hypocrisy behind their testimonies and the profit-motivated systems that incentivize their anger and despair; all this the author does with humor and empathy. This incisive short story collection is literary fiction, not horror, but many readers will find it bone-chilling.” – Michael Pucci, Library Journal
“That fiction cannot keep up with outlandish fact in American life has become a cliché… Doten’s approach to an already self-satirizing culture is to dive headlong into the madness… [his] monologues give way, pleasurably, to more elegant, conventional narration… In our extremist political climate and celebrity-book-club-oriented literary one, I’m glad this collection — and daring, pyrotechnically gifted, berserk-confronting authors like Doten, a vanishing breed — exist to do the real work.” – Teddy Wayne, New York Times
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