“Maturity, one discovers, has everything to do with the acceptance of ‘not knowing.’” – Mark Z. Danielewski, House of Leaves
6:40 to Montreal by Eva Jurczyk
fiction / mystery / suspense.
Agatha’s husband has bought her a first-class ticket on the scenic six-hour train from Toronto to Montreal as a gift―a one-day writing retreat so she can get some serious work done on her new book, a highly-anticipated follow-up to Agatha’s runaway bestseller debut novel. The first-class car is the perfect place to be productive, with only a handful of other passengers, plenty of snacks and drinks, and beautiful views flying by outside the window.
But Agatha has other plans for her day out… plans that are unexpectedly derailed when the train breaks down in the middle of the frigid Canadian woods and one of Agatha’s fellow passengers dies quietly in his seat. Soon, a pleasant morning in transit turns into a fight for survival against an unknown and unseen enemy. Will Agatha―or any of the passengers―make it out alive?
“[An] intense, claustrophobic nod to the Christie classic Murder on the Orient Express… The slow build, as each choice and event makes their situation more dire, gives the novel an intense pace that will keep readers turning pages.” – Jane Jorgenson, Library Journal
“The stakes slowly rise… as this claustrophobic, locked-room mystery barrels toward a truly chilling conclusion. Train mysteries are having a moment, and readers will be thrilled with the latest in this trend.” – Susan Maguire, Booklist
“Thick tension is created as the plot unfurls… [Agatha] faces plot twists and unexpected deaths, working toward a conclusion that reflects her profound transformation.” – Jennifer Maveety, Foreword Reviews
The Anthony Bourdain Reader: New, Classic, and Rediscovered Writing by Anthony Bourdain; edited by Kimberly Witherspoon
nonfiction / memoir / food / travel.
Anthony Bourdain represented many things to many people—and he had many sides. But no part of his identity was more important to him, and more long-lasting, than that of a writer. The Anthony Bourdain Reader is a collection of his best and most fascinating writing, and touches on his many pursuits and passions, from restaurant life to family life to the “low life,” from TV to travel through places like Vietnam, Buenos Aires, Paris, and Shanghai.
The Anthony Bourdain Reader is also a showcase for new and never-before-seen material, like diary entries from Bourdain’s first trip to France as a teenager and “It’s Cruel and Unforgiving Terrain,” a piece on the New York restaurant scene, as well as unpublished short fiction like “I Quit My Job Yesterday” and chapters from No New Messages, his unfinished novel. These newly discovered pieces all contribute to give the fullest picture of the man behind the books.
The Anthony Bourdain Reader is a testament to the enduring and singular voice Bourdain crafted, with eclectic and curated chapters that encapsulate the unique brilliance of his restless mind. Edited by Bourdain’s longtime agent and friend Kimberly Witherspoon and with a foreword by Patrick Radden Keefe, this is an essential reader for any Bourdain fan as well as a vivid and moving recollection of the life and legacy of one of our most distinctive writers.
“[This] is an essential guide to Anthony Bourdain’s remarkable life and work.” – B&N Reads
“Anthony Bourdain’s legacy isn’t just built on flame and far-flung adventures—it’s in the razor-sharp sentences and truths he left on the page… a definitive collection… bound to dominate well-read foodie conversations this fall… a must-read for anyone interested in a rare and unfiltered window into how Bourdain’s edge and honesty took shape.” – Ben Bowers, Gear Patrol
The Black Wolf by Louise Penny ★
fiction / mystery / suspense.
Somewhere out there, in the darkness, a black wolf is feeding.
Several weeks ago, Chief Inspector Armand Gamache of the Sûreté du Québec and his team uncovered and stopped a domestic terrorist attack in Montréal, arresting the person behind it. A man they called the Black Wolf.
But their relief is short-lived. In a sickening turn of events, Gamache has realized that plot, as horrific as it was, was just the beginning. Perhaps even a deliberate misdirection. One he fell into. Something deeper and darker, more damaging, is planned. Did he in fact arrest the Black Wolf, or are they still out there? Armand is appalled to think his mistake has allowed their conspiracy to grow, to gather supporters. To spread lies, manufacture enemies, and feed hatred and division.
Still recovering from wounds received in stopping the first attack, Armand is confined to the village of Three Pines, leading a covert investigation from there. He must be careful not to let the Black Wolf know he has recognized his mistake. In a quiet church basement, he and his senior agents Beauvoir and Lacoste, pore over what little evidence they have. Two notebooks. A few mysterious numbers on a tattered map of Québec. And a phrase repeated by the person they had called the Grey Wolf. A warning…
In a dry and parched land where there is no water.
Gamache and his small team of supporters realize that for the Black Wolf to have gotten this far, they must have powerful allies, in law enforcement, in industry, in organized crime, in the halls of government.
From the apparent peace of his little village, Gamache finds himself playing a lethal game of cat and mouse with an invisible foe who is gathering forces and preparing to strike.
“…exemplary… Penny’s talent for nail-biting suspense and quiet character moments fuse with surprisingly topical subject matter to deliver an unputdownable installment of an ever reliable series. Readers will cheer.” – Publishers Weekly, STARRED REVIEW
“The Black Wolf transcends the genre of a traditional mystery… a tour de force, embedded in the ethos of today alongside the bedrock serenity of the Canadian lakes and wilderness.” – Janet Webb, Criminal Element
“…stunning… This is an impressive—and, happily, not final—addition to Penny’s long-running Three Pines series.” – AudioFile
“…chilling… Penny’s ambition here is rather extraordinary, as she writes about the modern condition, and how fear spreads faster than truth, how loyalty and integrity can become acts of rebellion, and how a single choice can tip a nation toward chaos or redemption… While no doubt a milestone worth celebrating, The Black Wolf isn’t just Louise Penny’s 20th Gamache novel, it’s one of her best mysteries to date—a heart-stopping story about misinformation, corruption, and courage, as Penny masterfully blends moral wisdom with nail-biting suspense, proving once again why Gamache is the beating heart of modern crime fiction.” – Ryan Steck, The Real Book Spy
Capitalism: A Global History by Sven Beckert
nonfiction / history / economics.
No other phenomenon has shaped human history as decisively as capitalism. It structures how we live and work, how we think about ourselves and others, how we organize our politics. Sven Beckert, author of the Bancroft Prize–winning Empire of Cotton, places the story of capitalism within the largest conceivable geographical and historical framework, tracing its history during the past millennium and across the world. An epic achievement, his book takes us into merchant businesses in Aden and car factories in Turin, onto the terrifyingly violent sugar plantations in Barbados, and within the world of women workers in textile factories in today’s Cambodia.
Capitalism, argues Beckert, was born global. Emerging from trading communities across Asia, Africa, and Europe, capitalism’s radical recasting of economic life rooted itself only gradually. But then it burst onto the world scene, as a powerful alliance between European states and merchants propelled them, and their economic logic, across the oceans. This, Beckert shows, was modern capitalism’s big bang, and one of its epicenters was the slave labor camps of the Caribbean. This system, with its hierarchies that haunt us still, provided the liftoff for the radical transformations of the Industrial Revolution. Fueled by vast productivity increases along with coal and oil, capitalism pulled down old ways of life to crown itself the defining force of the modern world. This epic drama, shaped by state-backed institutions and imperial expansion, corresponded at no point to an idealized dream of free markets.
Drawing on archives on six continents, Capitalism locates important modes of agency, resistance, innovation, and ruthless coercion everywhere in the world, opening the aperture from heads of state to rural cultivators. Beckert shows that despite the dependence on expansion, there always have been, and are still, areas of human life that the capitalist revolution has yet to reach.
By chronicling capitalism’s global history, Beckert exposes the reality of the system that now seems simply “natural.” It is said that people can more easily imagine the end of the world than the end of capitalism. If there is one ultimate lesson in this extraordinary book, it’s how to leave that behind. Though cloaked in a false timelessness and universality, capitalism is, in reality, a recent human invention. Sven Beckert doesn’t merely tote up capitalism’s debits and credits. He shows us how to look through and beyond it to imagine a different and larger world.
“A comprehensive and up-to-date history, essential for students of world systems.” – Kirkus Reviews, STARRED REVIEW
“An unparalleled work of scholarship that is also a joy to read, this is a monumental achievement.” – Publishers Weekly, STARRED REVIEW
Comedy Nerd: A Lifelong Obsession in Stories and Pictures by Judd Apatow
nonfiction / memoir / film / television / comedy / writing.
In the mid-eighties, a young, self-professed comedy nerd from Syosset, Long Island, named Judd Apatow took to the stage to perform his first standup routine—and survived. Over the coming decades, Apatow would translate his obsession for comedy into one of the most successful careers in Hollywood, through genre-defining films such as The 40-Year-Old Virgin, Knocked Up, Bridesmaids, and This Is 40 and iconic series such as Girls and Freaks & Geeks. Through his solo work as well as his collaborations with fellow comedians Steve Carrell, Adam Sandler, Amy Schumer, and countless others, Apatow reshaped the landscape of American comedy.
In this revelatory scrapbook memoir, Apatow has pulled hundreds of personal photographs, letters, scripts, drafts, and paired them with never-before-told stories to create a unique-in-format, deeply-personal-in-tone account of a storied career. Spanning decades, Comedy Nerd takes us on Apatow’s lifelong journey of fandom, creativity, and obsession: from the exacting, relentless work that goes into cracking people up; surprising stories about our favorite comedians; and insights into how Apatow has managed to push the limits of his craft in an ever-evolving cultural landscape. It is a candid, joyful, and fascinating portrait of an artist and storyteller who has spent decades making us laugh.
Dead and Alive: Essays by Zadie Smith
nonfiction / essays / memoir.
In this eagerly awaited new collection, Zadie Smith brings her unique skills as an essayist to bear on a range of subjects that have captured her attention in recent years.
She takes an exhilaratingly close look at artists Toyin Ojih Odutola, Kara Walker and Celia Paul. She invites us along to the movies, to see and to think about Tár, and to New York to reflect on the spontaneous moments that connect us. She takes us on a walk down Kilburn High Road in her beloved North-West London and welcomes us to mourn with her the passing of writers Joan Didion, Martin Amis, Hilary Mantel, Philip Roth and Toni Morrison. She considers changes of government on both sides of the Atlantic – and the meaning of “the commons” in all our lives.
Throughout this thrilling collection, Zadie Smith shows us once again her unrivalled ability to think through critically and humanely some of the most urgent preoccupations and tendencies of our troubled times.
“With her wide-ranging new essay collection, Dead and Alive, Zadie Smith finds light amid the darkness of our present moment by putting the focus on the art and artists that she admires most.” – Shannon Carlin, Time
“Novelist and critic Smith brings an incisive eye and keen wit to art, music, fiction, politics, and more in these wide-ranging essays… Smith delivers original insights couched in sly, artful prose… Standout essays abound, but ‘Some Notes on Mediated Time’ shines as an era-defining summation of how technology impedes the ability to be present. Readers will be rewarded by this unforgettable collection.” – Publishers Weekly, STARRED REVIEW
“…illuminating, engrossing, and thought-provoking… I learned a great deal while reading, and I found myself re-considering my own notions about a great many topics simply due to having access to the author’s vantage point. This collection requires careful reading and deliberation. Please, savor each individual work.” – Michael Yetter, The Southern Bookseller Review
The Everlasting by Alix E. Harrow ★
fiction / fantasy / romance / historical fiction.
Sir Una Everlasting was Dominion’s greatest hero: the orphaned girl who became a knight, who died for queen and country. Her legend lives on in songs and stories, in children’s books and recruiting posters―but her life as it truly happened has been forgotten.
Centuries later, Owen Mallory―failed soldier, struggling scholar―falls in love with the tale of Una Everlasting. Her story takes him to war, to the archives―and then into the past itself. Una and Owen are tangled together in time, bound to retell the same story over and over again, no matter what it costs.
But that story always ends the same way. If they want to rewrite Una’s legend―if they want to tell a different story–they’ll have to rewrite history itself.
“Bestseller Harrow evokes the romance, magic, and tragedy of Arthurian legend in this breathtaking chivalric fantasy… This impressively constructed plot keeps the pages flying on the way to a stunning finale. Harrow remains at the top of her game.” – Publishers Weekly, STARRED REVIEW
“Combining an epic love story with meditations on storytelling, history, and power, Harrow achieves the perfect balance of these powerful themes. Readers will savor the legendary love and lives of Owen and Una. Highly recommended.” – Lynnanne Pearson, Booklist, STARRED REVIEW
“The Everlasting is at once an epic, expansive journey through time, exploring the nature of nationalism, propaganda, the power of storytelling, and a deeply personal, searingly intimate love story.” – Lily Wilson, The Indie Next List
“When I tell you that this might be not only my favorite book of the year but that it is probably Alix Harrow’s best book yet and an instant addition to my all-time favorite shelf… any of those things should be enough to get you pre-ordering… Harrow activates both the brain and the heart in equal measure. There are spectacular POV tricks, deep reflections on truth, love, and power, as well as a good old-fashioned Courtly Romance (that’s also a bit of a steamy one). This one is special. It might even give you some hope for brighter days to come.” – Drew Broussard, Literary Hub
Our Vicious Oaths by N.E. Davenport
fiction / fantasy / romance.
Princess of the Aether Dominion, Kadeesha wants nothing to do with fae politics. She is a warrior, first and foremost, and believes her greatest strength is leading her squadron of elite winged serpent flyers to protect her homeland. But bound since infancy to be betrothed to the Hyperion High King, ruler of all Dominions, she has no choice but to do what men have chosen for her.
Repulsed by the idea, she decides to spend one last night of freedom—in the arms of a dangerous stranger who takes her to sexual heights she’s never experienced before… but who is only using Kadeesha to set a trap for the High King.
For the High King and the kings of his six Dominions were responsible for the decimation of the Apollyon Court, and its new king, Malachi, wants his pounds of flesh.
On Kadeesha’s wedding day, Malachi and his special forces attack. Her father is killed, and Malachi wounds the High King, ultimately taking Kadeesha as hostage back to his land.
But she is no true hostage. The two form a pact: she will help lure the High King so Malachi can kill him once and for all, and he in turn will not harm Kadeesha or the Aether people. And as much as Kadeesha hates politics, she is now the Queen of her folk. Fae bonds are unbreakable… and so, perhaps, is the attraction Kadeesha and Malachi feel for each other. For even as they must publicly display their connection to provoke the High King’s jealousy, they struggle to resist the powerful allure between them in order to achieve their ultimate goals.
“…sizzling… Davenport never takes her foot off the gas, with high-heat love scenes and gripping tension from start to finish. This is bound to be a BookTok smash.” – Publishers Weekly
“Davenport’s stand-alone epic romantasy has lush worldbuilding with flying serpent squadrons, gruesome violence, and steamy hate-sex… it will more than satisfy romance fans who enjoy mayhem and carnal lovemaking in equal measure.” – Eve Stano, Library Journal
“Davenport’s passionate romantasy has epic battles, courtly scheming, and constantly shifting alliances, with plenty of magic shadows and flames to tie everything together… Recommended for fans of sexy romantasies by authors like Abigail Owen, Rebecca Yarros, Sarah J. Maas, and Analeigh Sbrana.” – Ashley Rayner, Booklist
Tom’s Crossing by Mark Z. Danielewski ★
fiction / historical fiction / mystery / western / horror.
Hard to figure how so much awful horror could’ve started out with just them two horses and not a one yet named…
While folks still like to focus on the crimes that shocked the small city of Orvop, Utah, back in the fall of 1982, not to mention the trials that followed, far more remember the adventure that took place beyond municipal lines.
For sure no one expected the dead to rise, but they did. No one expected the mountain to fall either, but it did. No one expected an act of courage so great, and likewise so appalling, that it still staggers the heart and mind of anyone who knows anything about the Katanogos massif, to say nothing of Pillars Meadow.
As one Orvop high school teacher described that extraordinary feat just days before she died, Fer sure no one expected Kalin March to look Old Porch in the eye and tell him: You get what you deserve when you ride with cowards.
“…carefully plotted and imaginatively written… [A] daring foray into a genre that’s seen little recent experimentation.” – Kirkus Reviews
“Danielewski’s prose is lush and dialect-inflected, simultaneously ornate and folksy, reminiscent of early Cormac McCarthy. The characters are exquisitely drawn, memorable, and fully human. Mythic in ambition, the narrative is propulsive yet immersive, given to rumination and asides, adding intimacy and emotional resonance. A most resplendent journey well worth the effort.” – Bill Kelly, Booklist, STARRED REVIEW
Wreck by Catherine Newman ★
fiction.
If you loved Rocky and her family on vacation on Cape Cod, wait until you join them at home two years later. (And if this is your first meeting with this crew, get ready to laugh and cry—and relate.)
Rocky, still anxious, nostalgic, and funny, is living in Western Massachusetts with her husband Nick and their daughter Willa, who’s back home after college. Their son, Jamie, has taken a new job in New York, and Mort, Rocky’s widowed father, has moved in.
It all couldn’t be more ridiculously normal… until Rocky finds herself obsessed with a local accident that only tangentially affects them—and with a medical condition that, she hopes, won’t affect them at all.
With her signature wit and wisdom, Catherine Newman explores the hidden rules of family, the heavy weight of uncertainty, and the gnarly fact that people—no matter how much you love them—are not always exactly who you want them to be.
“A heartbreaking, laugh-provoking, and absolutely Ephron-esque look at the beauty and fragility of everyday life.” – Kirkus Reviews, STARRED REVIEW
“A welcome return for Rocky and her endearing, relatable, and deeply funny family. Here’s hoping for more return visits.” – Barbara Love, Library Journal, STARRED REVIEW
“Newman is my dream writer, and she channels the perfect cocktail of humanity into her characters, especially Rocky. Rocky is funny and dry and emotional and sometimes crazy and always loving, so loving, of her family, even as she struggles and panics. It’s a gift to get to be on the quest with her, and learn alongside her, about how to be alive, to be a person, to be good, to be worthy.” – Julia Hass, Literary Hub
“…utterly joyful… If you haven’t yet had the pleasure of meeting Rocky, allow us to get you up to speed: She says everything we are thinking, with more wit than we could ever muster, often in situations where she should have held her tongue altogether. Watching her flounder her way through some all-too-familiar mazes—the modern hell of health care bureaucracy, the age-old pang of seeing adult children leave the nest, the ethical ick of loving someone but hating what they do for work—is beyond cathartic. Rocky, we’d follow you anywhere.” – Charley Burlock, Oprah Daily
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