“This is the thing about good and evil. They aren’t so far apart – and they often start from the same valiant place of wanting something to be different.” – Laura Dave, The Last Thing He Told Me
Always Carry Salt: A Memoir of Preserving Language and Culture by Samantha Ellis
nonfiction / memoir / history / food / travel / language.
Samantha’s mother tongue is dying out. The daughter of Iraqi Jewish refugees, Samantha grew up surrounded by the noisy, vivid, hot sounds of Judeo-Iraqi Arabic. A language that’s now on the verge of extinction.
The realization that she won’t be able to tell her son he’s “living in the days of the aubergines” or “chopping onions on my heart” or reminding him to “always carry salt” opens the floodgates. The questions keep coming. How can she pass on this heritage without passing on the trauma of displacement? Will her son ever love mango pickle?
In her search for answers Samantha encounters demon bowls, the perils of kohl, and the unexpected joys of fusion food. Her journey transports us from the clamour of Noah’s Ark to the calm of the British Museum, from the Oxford School of Rare Jewish Languages to the banks of the River Tigris. As Samantha considers what we lose and keep, she also asks what we might need to let go of to preserve our culture and ourselves.
Always Carry Salt is an immersive and moving meditation on the words and traditions that shape us and what we carry forward into future generations.
“A lovely evocation of a language and culture that stand just this side of oblivion.” – Kirkus Reviews, STARRED REVIEW
“A story of resilience, identity, and the importance of language to a culture.” – Barbara Bibel, Library Journal
“Ellis elicits hope and heartbreak in this moving exploration of her Iraqi Jewish roots… Ellis successfully highlights both the richness of her mother tongue (‘chopping onions on my heart’ is the equivalent of ‘rubbing salt in the wound’) and the existential stakes of her quest (she chillingly points to a Venezuelan dialect whose last living speaker was not a human, but a parrot). Though the ending is more ambiguous than tidily triumphant, the journey is equal parts inspirational and edifying.” – Publishers Weekly
Blood and Treasure: The Economics of Conflict from the Vikings to the Modern Era by Duncan Weldon
nonfiction / history / economics.
Wars are expensive, both in human terms and monetary ones. But while warfare might be costly it has also, at times, been an important driver of economic change and progress. Over the long span of history nothing has shaped human institutions—and thus the process of economic development—as much as war and violence. Wars made states and states made wars. As the costs of warfighting grew so did state structures, taxation systems and national markets for debt. And as warfare became ever more destructive the incentive for governments to resort to it changed too.
Blood and Treasure looks at the history and economics of warfare from the Viking Age to the war in Ukraine, examining how incentives and institutions have changed over the centuries. It surveys how warfare helped drive Europe’s rise to global prominence, and it explains how the total wars of the twentieth century required a new type of strategy, one that took economics seriously.
Along the way it asks whether Genghis Khan should be regarded as the father of globalization, explains how New World gold and silver kept Spain poor, ponders why some economists think of witch trials as a form of “non-price competition,” notes how pirate captains were pioneers of effective HR techniques, asks if handing out medals hurt the Luftwaffe in World War II and assesses if economic theories helped to create a tragedy in Vietnam.
Underpinning this riveting narrative is a focus on how and why the economics of conflict have changed over time. This is a story of how economics can help to explain the motivations of war, and how understanding the history of warfare can help explain modern economics.
“An ingenious juxtaposition.” – Kirkus Reviews
“Fascinating and full of historical detail.” – Spear’s
“Weldon is an engaging writer who links the storytelling power of history with the analytical rigor of modern economics.” – Kirk Johnson, Booklist
The First Time I Saw Him by Laura Dave ★
fiction / suspense / mystery.
Five years after her husband, Owen, disappeared, Hannah Hall and her stepdaughter, Bailey, have settled into a new life in Southern California. Together, they’ve forged a relationship with Bailey’s grandfather Nicholas and are putting the past behind them.
But when Owen shows up at Hannah’s new exhibition, she knows that she and Bailey are in danger again.
As a thrilling drama unfolds, Hannah and Bailey are forced to go on the run in a relentless race to keep their past from catching up with them. Hannah risks everything to get Bailey to safety—and finds there just might be one way back to Owen.
A gripping, rich, and deeply evocative novel about the power of forgiveness, The First Time I Saw Him picks up right where the epilogue for the “genuinely moving” (New York Times) The Last Thing He Told Me left off, giving readers the eagerly awaited and absolutely exhilarating sequel to Dave’s global blockbuster.
“What an incredible ride!… This is an exciting, action-packed novel that kept me on the edge of my seat rooting for Hannah the entire way.” – Kathy Morrison, The Indie Next List, #1 PICK JANUARY 2026
“An essential sequel that ties up loose threads while providing a thrilling ride across continents.” – Kirkus Reviews
“[A] fantastic way to start off your reading year in 2026. It’s compelling, thrilling, and even moving too. Five stars all round.” – Heather Caliendo, Book Club Chat
“…heart-pounding… The pacing is brisk from the very first page, with Dave nimbly juggling multiple perspectives and timelines en route to a finale that provides readers with satisfying answers to their questions. The result is a solid suspense novel with plenty of appeal for Dave fans and newcomers alike.” – Publishers Weekly
Homeschooled: A Memoir by Stefan Merill Block
nonfiction / memoir / education.
Stefan Merrill Block was nine when his mother pulled him from school, certain that his teachers were “stifling his creativity.” Hungry for more time with her boy who was growing up too quickly, she began to instruct Stefan in the family’s living room. Beyond his formal lessons in math, however, Stefan was largely left to his own devices and his mother’s erratic whims, such as her project to recapture her twelve-year-old son’s early years by bleaching his hair and putting him on a crawling regimen.
Years before homeschooling would become a massive nationwide movement, at a time when it had just become legal in his home state of Texas, Stefan vanished into that unseen space and into his mother’s increasingly eccentric theories and projects. But when, after five years away from the outside world, Stefan reentered the public school system in Plano as a freshman, he was in for a jarring awakening.
At once a novelistic portrait of mother and son, and an illuminating window into an overlooked corner of the American education system, Homeschooled is a moving, funny and ultimately inspiring story of a son’s battle for a life of his own choosing, and the wages of a mother’s insatiable love.
“Like Tara Westover’s Educated, a compelling and horrifying account, leavened with flashes of rueful humor.” – Kirkus Reviews
“In such a raw and honest way, Block conquered the very human failure of trying to explain nuanced and complicated family relationships. An incredibly readable book. I can’t recommend this one enough!” – Jessica Harley, The Indie Next List
“Block’s memoir offers an interesting glimpse into both his homeschooling experiences and his complex relationship with his mother. His frustration with his mom is palpable, his desperation to be around other people bleeds through the pages, and readers cannot help but feel angry on his behalf… Through this poignant memoir that seamlessly blends humor, anger, and sadness, readers will appreciate Block’s journey from homeschooling to adulthood.” – Elizabeth Reiser, Booklist
Meet the Newmans by Jennifer Niven
fiction / historical fiction / mystery.
For two decades, Del and Dinah Newman and their sons, Guy and Shep, have ruled television as America’s Favorite Family. Millions of viewers tune in every week to watch them play flawless, black-and-white versions of themselves. But now it’s 1964, and the Newmans’ idealized apple-pie perfection suddenly feels woefully out of touch. Ratings are in free fall, as are the Newmans themselves. Del is keeping an explosive secret from his wife, and Dinah is slowly going numb―literally. Steady, stable Guy is hiding the truth about his love life, and the charmed luck of rock ‘n roll idol Shep may have finally run out.
When Del―the creative motor behind the show―is in a mysterious car accident, Dinah decides to take matters into her own hands. She hires Juliet Dunne, an outspoken, impassioned young reporter, to help her write the final episode. But Dinah and Juliet have wildly different perspectives about what it means to be a woman, and a family, in 1964. Can the Newmans hold it together to change television history? Or will they be canceled before they ever have the chance?
Funny, big-hearted, and deeply moving, Meet the Newmans is a rich family story about the dual lives we lead. Because even when our lives aren’t televised weekly, we all have a behind-the-scenes.
“[A] delightful, moving, and compelling tale that will resonate in these changing times.” – Susan Maguire, Booklist
“[A] fast-paced, enjoyable novel with endearing characters.” – Beth Brentlinger, Library Journal
“The Newmans are the perfect family, but behind their perfect lives lurks reality and a world that has moved forward, leaving them in the dust of past generations. With humor, heart, and hope, Niven rewrites the script and rips the band-aid off this ‘perfect’ family. Loved!” – Maxwell Gregory, The Indie Next List
Skylark by Paula McLain ★
fiction / historical fiction.
1664: Alouette Voland is the daughter of a master dyer at the famed Gobelin Tapestry Works, who secretly dreams of escaping her circumstances and creating her own masterpiece. When her father is unjustly imprisoned, Alouette’s efforts to save him lead to her own confinement in the notorious Salpêtrière asylum, where thousands of women are held captive and cruelly treated. But within its grim walls, she discovers a small group of brave allies, and the possibility of a life bigger than she ever imagined.
1939: Kristof Larson is a medical student beginning his psychiatric residency in Paris, whose neighbors on the Rue de Gobelins are a Jewish family who have fled Poland. When Nazi forces descend on the city, Kristof becomes their only hope for survival, even as his work as a doctor is jeopardized.
A spellbinding and transportive look at a side of Paris known to very few—the underground city that is a mirror reflection of the glories above—Paula McLain’s unforgettable new novel chronicles two parallel journeys of defiance and rescue that connect in ways both surprising and deeply moving.
“With fine-tuned historical detail, McLain’s latest is a compelling tale of human will, resilience, and connection.” – Leah Strauss, Booklist
“[McLain] winds together stories of two dark chapters in the city’s history which took place 300 years apart but are bound together masterfully to tell one story that feels burningly important today.” – Town & Country
“…Paula McLain pays quiet tribute to lives that society tried to erase but that—collectively—were pivotal in bringing society (and humanity) back on track.” – The Bookish Bulletin
“Readers will be enthralled by McLain’s vivid storytelling, engaged with her memorable cast of characters, and enraged at the cruelties humans have exacted on one another throughout history. Love, loss, courage, and compassion play key roles in this powerful novel that effectively conveys the importance of doing whatever one can to help during difficult times.” – John Charles, Library Journal, STARRED REVIEW
The Spy in the Archive: How One Man Tried to Kill the KGB by Gordon Corera
nonfiction / history / biography.
How do you steal a library? Not just any library but the most secret, heavily guarded archive in the world. The answer is to be a librarian. To be so quiet, that no-one knows what you are up to as you toil undercover and deep amongst the files. The work goes on for decades but remains so low key, that even after your escape, aided by MI6, no one even notices you are gone.
The Spy in the Archive tells the remarkable story of how Vasili Mitrokhin—an introverted archivist who loved nothing more than dusty archives—ended up changing the world. As the in-house archivist for the KGB, the secrets he was exposed to inside its walls turned him first into a dissident and then a spy; a traitor to his country but a man determined to expose the truth about the dark forces that had subverted Russia, forces still at work in the country today.
Historian and journalist Gordon Corera tells of the operation to extract this prized asset from Russia for the first time. It is an edge-of-the-seat thriller, with vivid flashbacks to Mitrokhin’s earlier time as a KGB idealist prepared to do what it took to serve the Soviet Union and his growing realisation that the communist state was imprisoning its own people. It is the story of what it was like to live in the Soviet Union, to raise a family there, and then of one man’s journey from the heart of the Soviet state to disillusion, betrayal, and defection.
At its heart is Mitrokhin’s determination to take on the most powerful institution in the world by revealing its darkest secrets. This is narrative nonfiction at its absolute best.
“…arresting… Novelistic and deeply researched, this propulsive account is a must for readers with a taste for espionage.” – Publishers Weekly
“Corera deftly tells Mitrokhin’s life story and illuminates the valuable intelligence he brought to the West in a compelling narrative about standing up for justice and against tyranny.” – James Pekoll, Booklist, STARRED REVIEW
“I’m a sucker for Cold War spy stories and The Spy in The Archive by Gordon Corera is a belter. A fascinating, gripping journalistic account of how a grey KGB archivist, and British asset, Vasili Mitrokhin literally stole the Kremlin’s secrets from under their noses and passed then to MI6. The ultimate grey man whose impact is still felt today. Gripping.” – Neil Lancaster, Express
The Storm by Rachel Hawkins
fiction / suspense / mystery.
St. Medard’s Bay, Alabama is famous for three things: the deadly hurricanes that regularly sweep into town, the Rosalie Inn, a century-old hotel that’s survived every one of those storms, and Lo Bailey, the local girl infamously accused of the murder of her lover, political scion Landon Fitzroy, during Hurricane Marie in 1984.
When Geneva Corliss, the current owner of the Rosalie Inn, hears a writer is coming to town to research the crime that put St. Medard’s Bay on the map, she’s less interested in solving a whodunnit than in how a successful true crime book might help the struggling inn’s bottom line. But to her surprise, August Fletcher doesn’t come to St. Medard’s Bay alone. With him is none other than Lo Bailey herself. Lo says she’s returned to her hometown to clear her name once and for all, but the closer Geneva gets to both Lo and August, the more she wonders if Lo is actually back to settle old scores.
As the summer heats up and another monster storm begins twisting its way towards St. Medard’s Bay, Geneva learns that some people can be just as destructive―and as deadly―as any hurricane, and that the truth of what happened to Landon Fitzroy may not be the only secret Lo is keeping…
“…gripping from beginning to end. A sharp read for literary sleuths.” – Kirkus Reviews
“[Hawkins] shrewdly orchestrates the plot twists in each story line… When the pieces finally click into place, readers will be more than satisfied.” – Publishers Weekly
“Hawkins uses her mastery of multiple time lines and characters to great effect in this quick and enjoyable read, and the pulpy nature of the story will appeal to fans of Sally Hepworth and Laura Dave.” – Stephanie Howes, Booklist
Storm at the Capitol: An Oral History of January 6th by Mary Clare Jalonick
nonfiction / history.
The January 6th insurrection was a stunning and unprecedented attack on the center of American government. Unlike previous national traumas that united the country in the face of turmoil, the siege has only further divided Americans, as many continue to dispute the facts and downplay its significance.
In Storm at the Capitol, Mary Clare Jalonick delivers a deeply reported and definitive account of the violence at the Capitol told through firsthand narratives—from the rioters themselves and the police who fought them, to the lawmakers who fled the violence, and the staff, workers, and reporters who were there that day, including Jalonick herself. Her retelling begins in the predawn hours of January 6th, as Trump’s supporters travel to Washington, some with plans for violence, and ends in the early morning hours of January 7th, after Vice President Mike Pence slams his gavel on the House rostrum and declares Joe Biden the winner of the 2020 presidential election.
A vivid, terrifying, and human portrait, Storm at the Capitol is an essential read for anyone who is worried about the future of our democracy.
“[A] gripping, fast-paced account… a sobering rebuke of those who downplay the deadly serious intent of the January 6 attack.” – Publishers Weekly, STARRED REVIEW
“A document of central concern to all those concerned with the future of American democracy.” – Kirkus Reviews, STARRED REVIEW
“…thought-provoking… a candid capture of a pivotal 24 hours in American history… Veering from alarming to heartwarming and back again, this narrative collection provides remarkable insights while pushing readers to think deeply about what it means to be American in the twenty-first century.” – H K Curtiss, Booklist
The Swan’s Daughter by Roshani Chokshi
fiction / young adult / fantasy / romance.
To find love is a curse…
Prince Arris knows that marriage means murder. Thanks to a poorly worded wish to a sea witch, all one needs to rule the Isle of Malys is the heart and hand of the kingdom’s heir. Historically, this has been construed quite literally.
Thus, Arris expects that the day after his marriage and murder he will wake up as a sentient tree alongside the rest of his predecessors. His only chance at a long life is finding true and lasting love. When Arris’s parents announce a tournament of brides to compete for his hand and heart, a slew of eligible, lovely and (possibly murderous) bachelorettes make their way to Rathe Castle. Amidst glittering balls in ozorald caves, strolls through menageries of daydream trees and pearl crocodiles, tea time on glass boats and kisses that leave his head spinning, Arris cannot tell who is here out of love for him… or lust for power.
Until he meets Demelza.
As a veritas swan, Demelza’s song wrings out the truth. Forced into hiding, Demelza strikes a deal. Arris will provide her with safekeeping in exchange for her truth-telling song to sort through his potential brides.
While Arris is used to dodging death threats and Demelza is accustomed to fighting for her voice to be heard, to survive the tournament of brides requires a different kind of bravery. And perhaps the bravest thing one can do is not merely protect one’s life, but find the courage to chase a life worth living.
“[T]his is an utter delight.” – The Bulletin of the Center for Children’s Books, STARRED REVIEW
“At once humorous and lush prose captures both the whimsy and darkness of classic fairy tales, while unique worldbuilding, charming characters, and wistful ambiance heighten the novel’s appeal.” – Publishers Weekly, STARRED REVIEW
“Nuanced characterization and unexpected twists make for a deeply intriguing read.” – Kirkus Reviews, STARRED REVIEW
The Windsor Legacy: A Royal Dynasty of Secrets, Scandal, and Survival by Robert Jobson
nonfiction / history.
From Elizabeth II to future King William, The Windsor Legacy offers a riveting exploration of the British monarchy’s resilience and influence over the past century, looking at its key players and conflicts, with a forward-looking examination of its future.
In an age where resilience is essential, The Windsor Legacy delivers an enthralling narrative of inspiration and royal intrigue. Penned by Robert Jobson, a Sunday Times and New York Times bestselling author and a front-line royal correspondent for over three decades, this extraordinary work will take readers deep into the heart of royal history as well as through the secrets that plague it to this day.
From the abdication crisis, royal family entanglements, Cold War espionage, betrayal, and scandalous love affairs to more recent constitutional crises and the monarchy’s most closely guarded secrets and feuds. This riveting and stylish narrative, told through the key characters and clashes at the heart of the family, will be packed with exclusive revelations with a story as comprehensive as it is captivating.
“[A] compelling read… Jobson may be a friend of monarchy, but he doesn’t let the royals off the hook.” – Melanie McDonagh, The Standard
“[Jobson] offers a sweeping historical perspective on how Britain’s royal family has adapted and survived through a tumultuous hundred years… The book draws fascinating parallels between past and present… a comprehensive look at how one family has navigated a century of unprecedented change while remaining at the heart of British national life.” – Royaltopia
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Meet the Newmans sounds like a take on Ozzie and Harriet.
That does seem like part of the inspiration!