“If you wake up in the morning, it is a good day.” – Heather Morris, The Tattooist of Auschwitz
The Bishop of Durham Attempts to Surrender the City by Susanna Clarke
fiction / fantasy / historical fiction.
‘He had already served three kings. He did not see why he should not be useful to a fourth.’
During the conquest of Northern England, the fairy host sweeps across the countryside. The city of Durham finds itself surrounded. But the encircling forces are not fairies, nor even other humans, but trees that trap the city within an eerie wood.
Ranulf, Bishop of Durham-a consummate politician-understands that the survival of the Northern English people depends on his finding a way to unite the two races, human and fairy. And he’s not averse to improving his own position at the same time. With these aims in view, he sets off for the New Castle, in search of the new King-the leader of the fairy host, rumored to be a mysterious human boy, no more than fourteen years old, who speaks no word of any human language.
Set 700 years before the events of Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell, The Bishop of Durham Attempts to Surrender the City is a bewitching, must-have addition to any fantasy reader’s shelf, featuring beautiful illustrations throughout.
“…bewitching… an enchanting illustrated short story set in the world of Jonathan Strange and Mr Norrell.” – Reactor
“…showcases the author’s trademark flare for the whimsical and uncanny… In lovely, lilting prose, Clarke renders a fascinating cast of humans and fairies alike. Sawdon’s striking illustrations add to the charm, evoking a medieval illuminated manuscript. The author’s fans will eat this up.” – Publishers Weekly
“A charming bedtime story with special resonance for Clarke’s devoted fans.” – Kirkus Reviews
Chain Reaction by Lee Child & Andrew Child
fiction / suspense / mystery.
Jack Reacher is hard to find. It’s not easy to track him down. And he likes it that way. But General Susan Turner, based deep inside the Pentagon, has the means and the motive. She needs his help. A member of her team has been brutally murdered on covert duty. She can’t trust anyone she works with, not even her deputy. She needs someone from the outside. Someone who solves problems and disappears without a trace.
Reacher heads to Summertown, Colorado. A town as remote and bizarre as it gets. One diner, one motel, five massive data centers, two giant solar farms humming away in the dust. Total population: four people. And one of them is watching him. But Reacher isn’t built to run. He’s built to finish things. General Turner knows that if they come for Reacher, they’ll regret it—all the way to the top of the chain.
“Another sure-fire hit.” – David Pitt, Booklist
“Fast-moving fun for action junkies.” – Kirkus Reviews
“Readers will cheer as Reacher smashes skulls and smile as he comforts the sobbing Amanda, who gives this installment more pathos than usual. It’s loads of fun.” – Publishers Weekly
Hanging & Burning by Walter Mosley
fiction / mystery / suspense.
Joe King Oliver is the big man you call to solve the most delicate and dangerous of problems. Fresh off unraveling the mystery of his own parents’ fates, King finds himself accepting (again at his grandmother’s request) a case from Arman Babylon, a powerful Los Angeles gangster now dying from cancer.
Babylon’s granddaughter, Twyla Mann, has been missing for years, and he’s desperate to find her before he passes. The search pulls King into the Babylons’ stained past and the cold case of Dalia Shorts, a torch singer who vanished without a trace and whom Arman was once suspected of killing.
As King follows her trail from L.A. to New York and back, he’ll realize nothing is what it seems as he uncovers a pattern of violence that has targeted the women around Babylon for decades. How much will King be willing to risk to finally set things right?
“Mosley, witty and incisive, is in the zone in the fourth King Oliver novel… choreographing match-point dialogue and down-to-the-wire showdowns, paying tribute to the transporting beauty of jazz, relishing the absurd, and exploring the interplay of family and crime.” – Donna Seaman, Booklist, STARRED REVIEW
“Mosley’s PI may be flawed, but his heart is kind and his reflections are insightful… This installment of King Oliver’s adventures will have readers clamoring for number five in the noir series.” – Barbara Conaty, Library Journal
“…Mosley’s sharp prose and vivid characters remain as captivating as ever. Fans of Joe’s previous adventures will be gratified by this new chapter in his story.” – Publishers Weekly
Hello Boys and Girls! by Nicko McBrain
nonfiction / memoir / music.
Strap in – Nicko McBrain is finally telling his story, and he’s doing it his way.
Hello Boys and Girls! is a thrilling, hilarious and deeply personal autobiography from the unstoppable drummer behind Iron Maiden. With trademark humour and heart, Nicko takes readers behind the scenes of one of Britain’s biggest ever bands.
Nicko joined the band in 1982 after stints with artists like Streetwalker, Pat Travers and Trust. He honed his craft from decades of session work among the highly competitive mean streets and studios of London’s Soho. Through his powerful, precise drumming and charismatic stage presence, the long-serving drummer became a metal icon, pivotal in shaping Iron Maiden’s dynamic sound.
This is the story of what it feels like to remain not just relevant but more loved than ever after decades at the top, and to live a life transformed by music, brotherhood and belief.
Packed with unforgettable moments, backstage stories, laugh-out-loud anecdotes and raw honesty, Hello Boys and Girls! is more than a rock memoir; it’s a front-row seat to one of heavy metal’s greatest lives.
Nicko’s ready.
Are you?
“Rollicking reminiscence of drum fills, power chords, and inadvisable substances.” – Kirkus Reviews
“Hello Boys and Girls! is much more than the average ‘sex, drugs and rock ’n roll’ memoir. Yes, there are plenty of lurid anecdotes and Spinal Tap moments, but it’s also a clear-eyed account of how much the music industry has changed, and what it has lost, in the past five decades.” – Naomi Manuell, Newtown Review of Books
I Only Shout So You Can Hear Me by Lil Jon with Paul Cantor
nonfiction / memoir / music.
For decades, the Grammy Award–winning artist Lil Jon has captivated audiences with the high-energy, chant-heavy, and bass-driven musical style that has become uniquely his own. However, before Lil Jon began his reign as “The King of Crunk,” he was just Jonathan Smith, a kid from the suburbs of Atlanta discovering his love for music and performance.
Now, in I Only Shout So You Can Hear Me, Lil Jon peels back the layers of his larger-than-life persona for the first time, revealing the circumstances that led to the creation of his world-famous persona. He recounts his early exposure to music and his rapid rise in the Atlanta music scene, highlighting his pivotal role in shaping the city’s distinct hip-hop sound. Beyond the creation of massive hits like “Get Low” and “Yeah!,” Lil Jon opens up about the personal struggles that accompanied his fame, including creative burnout and the search for meaning beyond the stage. He explores his rediscovery of his passion for DJing and reinvents himself as a multifaceted artist and entrepreneur, only to face a heartbreak no parent should ever have to endure.
With candid voice and thoughtfulness, I Only Shout So You Can Hear Me serves as a testament to the power of perseverance, creativity, and authenticity, delivering an inspiring message to aspiring artists, entrepreneurs, and anyone who dares to defy expectations, embrace change, and find success on their own terms.
“A fun, reflective book from an entertainer who knows how to make people smile.” – Kirkus Reviews
“The legendary rapper and producer shows his personal side in this unflinching memoir…” – People
Ladies’ Man: The Careless Heart of John F. Kennedy by Laurence Leamer
nonfiction / biography / history / politics.
John F. Kennedy was a born leader—bold, charismatic, and able to charm with nothing more than a witty phrase and a winning smile. He was also obsessive, manipulative, and haunted by complex desires for shiny, remarkable women, collecting them voraciously and carelessly, then dismissing them summarily, on his rise to the White House.
But these women were perhaps the only witnesses to the real JFK—and it’s time their stories were finally told. Bestselling biographer Laurence Leamer knew three of Kennedy’s mistresses, and Ladies’ Man reveals JFK’s harrowing, intimate life with unprecedented access.
From youthful indiscretions at boarding school, early connections with such beautiful aristocratic European women as Inga Arvad and Gunilla von Post, marriage to the stately Jacqueline Bouvier, romances with Pamela Turnure and Diana de Vegh, liaisons with mafia moll Judith Exner and East German spy Ellen Rometsch, to his relationship with Marilyn Monroe shortly before her death, JFK’s affairs were multifaceted and often tragic. His cautious public persona contrasted sharply with his reckless personal life, where he took bewildering chances that could have destroyed his presidency.
No one who reads Ladies’ Man will ever think about John F. Kennedy the same way again.
“In lesser hands, these stories could simply be tabloid fodder, but Leamer is a master of finding meaning in the stories that others might leave in the footnotes.” – Town & Country
“An insightful history of a president’s tawdry private life.” – Kirkus Reviews
“Titillating yet troubling, Leamer’s provocative exposé resonates in today’s Epstein Files and #MeToo culture of political exposure.” – Carol Haggas, Booklist
Land of Ghosts by E L James
fiction / young adult / romance / fantasy.
In a single, devastating moment, I lost everyone I loved.
Now I’m in London, living with my sort-of-uncle Dylan.
And the only thing we have in common is loss.
This new life isn’t a life. It’s unbearable.
Except―there’s someone else here.
A young man.
He can’t be real. Can he?
He’s funny, cool, infuriating… and he understands me in a way no one else does.
But only I can see him.
Before I know it, he’s all I can think about. All I can dream about.
I just wish I could touch him.
And I wish he could touch me.
Am I falling in love… with a ghost?
“Terrifically compelling; a portrayal of grief that’s gripping from the first page to the very last.” – Kirkus Reviews, STARRED REVIEW
“…emotionally intense… hit[s] you right in the feels…” – Darling Reader
A Married Little Christmas: An Illustrated Holiday Collection by Abby Jimenez
fiction / romance.
Tis the season to fall in love!
Anna thought only the food would be a disaster at her Christmas dinner―until her high school ex shows up and they quickly have to hatch a fake-dating scheme to save face with their families. For Matty, the idea of sitting in a diner all day dressed as a zombie Santa after losing a bet has zero appeal. But his cute and funny server might just make him change his mind. And finally, will Lauren be able to convince her best friend that getting married after a three-day relationship is absolutely ridiculous? Or will the town called Little Christmas pull her in with its happily-ever-after magic once she meets the best man?
Within these stories, you’ll find:
- The worst Christmas dinner imaginable
- A granny determined to dismantle the patriarchy
- Matching Christmas sweaters (by accident!)
- A Mission: Impossible-style cat rescue (with a saxophone)
- Mouthwatering recipes from Abby for dishes like Disco Pancakes
- Full-page illustrations throughout
Because this year, you deserve the perfect holiday gift.
“Apparently, we’ve been very good this year because Abby Jimenez is giving readers another book… enough holiday coziness and pancake cravings to make this a perfect little escape from the December chaos.” – Aurora Dominguez, Out SFL
“…adorable… Jimenez’s sparkling wit is on display throughout. Packed with seasonal cheer and big feelings, this is a true delight.” – Publishers Weekly, STARRED REVIEW
“Goes down like a mug of hot chocolate—sweet, warm, and comforting.” – Kirkus Reviews
May We Feed the King by Rebecca Perry ★
fiction / historical fiction.
A curator spends her days reconstructing the past—selecting and carefully arranging furniture, fabrics, and replica food to bring medieval rooms back to life. Whether it’s a feast with spilling platters or a table for two littered with small hints of intimacy, it must appear as if the people have just left the room.
After accepting a commission to work on the private quarters of a medieval palace, the curator becomes absorbed in the story of a king almost forgotten by history. As she studies the traces he left behind, the boundary between her own life and his begins to blur.
The King is an unlikely ruler: a man with little appetite for power, hurried to the throne after the sudden deaths of his brothers. At court, doubts about his judgment are whispered from chamber to chamber. Then an unthinkable possibility emerges among the gossip: maybe someone else will take the crown.
A riveting debut from an award-winning poet, May We Feed the King is a story seen through shadows and old slips of paper, heard through cracked doors and murmured breaths. It asks how history takes shape—and how the stories that survive can distort the lives they claim to preserve. Laced with desire and longing, Perry’s novel is a searing meditation on the small details and large gaps that make up a life.
“A wonderfully enticing combination of themes, woven together with a delicacy of touch. You can’t read it without reflecting on the fragile boundary between the present and the past.” – The Booker Prizes
“This might be my favorite book of the year? Definitely top three… A hypnotic novel about obsession, art, history, story… it’s got everything, in a trim and flowing package.” – Drew Broussard, Literary Hub
“Astonishingly layered, this quietly witty and compassionate debut novel will impress even the most jaded readers.” –Kirkus Reviews, STARRED REVIEW
“This is a work of ‘historical fiction’ that leans away from mediating history and instead turns toward exploring the apparatuses by which history is mediated… May We Feed the King playfully deconstructs the creative and ultimately corrupt processes that order personal and collective memory into a narrative and so imbue it with an impression of immediacy and certainty. This is a novel less interested in history as it was than the stories we generate from the totems and traces of the past.” – Conor Truax, Artforum
Miss Wolcott’s Ghost by Louise Penny
fiction / mystery.
“There’s a body in Lost Nation.”
“Where?” demands Armand as he scribbles on the pad by his bed.
But the line goes dead before Chief Inspector Gamache can question the caller.
The head of homicide for the Sûreté du Québec has no idea where Lost Nation is, or who woke him in the small hours of the morning at his home in Three Pines. What he does know is that the man was terrified.
And so Armand is thrust out of a deep sleep and into the surrounding forests in search of the mythical Lost Nation. And a body.
When he and his team of Jean-Guy Beauvoir and Isabelle Lacoste find both, the situation only grows more bizarre. The unidentified dead man appears to be from an era more than a century old. He’s lying in a long-abandoned cemetery, on top of a grave with a date, but no name.
Adding to the mystery, the early morning call appears to have come from Gamache’s friend and neighbor, Clara Morrow. While she denies any knowledge of it, it becomes clear there is some connection between her, the Morrow family, and Lost Nation.
Soon, Gamache and his team are faced with tracking down not just the legend of Lost Nation, but a lost ship, lost documents belong to an eccentric Victorian botanist, and a mysterious plant not seen in a century, that might save, or take, countless lives.
As the murder investigation deepens, nightmarish spectres from the past begin to haunt the Sûreté officers, only heightened by the appearance of one of Gamache’s former and now disgraced proteges, with whom he must form an uneasy alliance.
As the ghosts begin to gather, Gamache, Beauvoir, and Lacoste, with the help of Reine-Marie, Clara, and the other villagers of Three Pines, realize that the body on the grave is far from the only death. To solve the crime and avert catastrophe they must look to rancid secrets and old lies no longer dead and buried.
“…exceptional… The author’s combination of tight plotting and psychological depth continues to place her in a class of her own.” – Publishers Weekly, STARRED REVIEW
“A superpowered mystery shrouded in mysticism and history whose power endures past its closing revelations.” – Kirkus Reviews, STARRED REVIEW
“…an intriguing puzzle offered in elegant golden-age detective-fiction prose… As always, this Gamache tale is fueled by the offerings of the Bistro. Readers should savor every bite and every word.” – Jane Murphy, Booklist, STARRED REVIEW
Needlemouth by K-Ming Chang ★
fiction / horror / fantasy.
Cousins Cindy, Yangyang, and Mandy’s hot, tedious summer unfolds in their grandmother’s hauntingly familiar house. Mandy, the eldest, seeks connection online and exchanges emails with a stranger. Yangyang, the youngest, retreats into her own imagination in search of meaning. But every morning Cindy wakes with strange objects in her mouth: a button, a berry, a coin.
One night, a starved figure with a mouth the size of a needle-tip appears at Cindy’s bedside. She is hunger-afflicted, a demon with no descendants to feed from: she is Needlemouth. Part vampire, part hungry ghost, Needlemouth forces the girls into a grim task to end a man’s life.
Cindy, Yangyang, and Mindy are plunged in and out of the demon realm, where they are called to break out of the indifference and numbness of their claustrophobic worlds, and where they are met with the most rageful and resistant parts of themselves. In a quest to satisfy the demon’s hunger, they unravel their shared grief and reckon with the cyclical violence that shaped their family. For readers of Akwaeke Emezi and Carmen Maria Machado, K-Ming Chang has crafted a reimagined coming of age novel that asks: what does it mean to become the monster instead of slaying it?
“Earthy and transcendent.” – Kirkus Reviews
“[A] terrifying and at times grotesque coming-of-age story that will both hypnotize and haunt you.” – Michael Welch, Chicago Review of Books
“K-Ming Chang’s thriller brims with ghosts and vengeance as her characters target villains both real and supernatural.” – Hamilton Cain, Time
“K-Ming Chang is brilliant here; the work is violent and poetic as it explores the many beautiful and beastly things girls are, and the ferocious women they may grow up to be.” – Christina Orlando, Reactor
The Piano Teacher of Montparnasse by Heather Morris
fiction / historical fiction.
In 1942, the Nazis come for a Jewish family living in the Montparnasse area of occupied Paris. In the chaos of their arrest, eleven-year-old Josephine runs to the only person she can trust: her piano teacher, Andrée Levallois, a secret French Resistance operative.
Andrée takes her in as a member of the family, spreading their rations and risking everything to keep her safe. But soon the authorities close in, and both Andrée and Josie are caught in a desperate race to stay alive.
Epic in scope and based on real people and historical events, Heather Morris has written a story of breathtaking beauty, at once gripping, heartbreaking, and uplifting.
“Morris thoroughly immerses the reader in the danger and selflessness of the Resistance movement in occupied Paris. Historical fiction fans will be transported.” – Publishers Weekly
“…spellbinding, deeply moving… [Morris’] brilliant and beautiful writing pulls readers straight into the terror of 1942 Paris… Morris’ writing shines brightly, capturing the extraordinary bravery of ordinary families. Her signature storytelling transforms this historical novel into a powerful and profoundly affecting story about resilience and the unifying power of music, building to a beautiful, lingering crescendo of human courage.” – Cassandra Smith, Booklist, STARRED REVIEW
“A story that starts quietly but evolves into an unforgettable emotional journey… you struggle to hold back tears… a must-read for fans of historical fiction. I was captivated and didn’t want to stop reading after the first few pages.” – Linda, Princeton Book Review
Queen of Lombard Street by Lisa Kleypas
fiction / historical fiction / romance.
In Victorian England, no woman—not even a brilliant economist like Reina Martin—is allowed to open her own bank account. Men will take care of everything, women are told. But Reina knows better. As the illegitimate daughter of a Spanish immigrant mother, she’s haunted by the memory of living with unpaid grocer’s bills and no coal for the hearth.
So together with her mentor, the powerful banker William Farlow, Reina will build the first all-women’s bank, where women can manage their own financial security.
At home, Reina’s domestic staff of recently paroled prisoners are building new lives and becoming a found family. But soon Reina is shocked to discover that her enigmatic butler, John Pembroke, is an undercover police detective. He’s been assigned to investigate Farlow, who’s suspected of financial crime on a scale so massive, it could destabilize the British economy. Pembroke needs Reina’s expertise for a high-stakes nighttime heist to obtain incriminating evidence.
Now Reina faces the agonizing choice of betraying her mentor or turning her back on thousands of working-class families who stand to lose everything. Either way, her dream of the women’s bank may be over.
But courage and sacrifice aren’t limited to the battlefield—they also occur at the kitchen table, where women who believe in compassion and community are working to remake the future. And when the stakes are highest, Reina knows to trust her heart as well as her intellect.
Based on real-life trailblazers such as Mary Paley Marshall, Britain’s first female economist, and financial titan Hetty Green, Queen of Lombard Street brings to light the hidden history of extraordinary women whose achievements should be celebrated. How can we know who we are, if we don’t know who we were?
“Compelling historical fiction with as much romance as economics. No matter how you describe it, it’s a delight.” – Kirkus Reviews, STARRED REVIEW
“With its charismatic cast of misfits and themes of rehabilitation and found family, this book offers a fresh take on the enduring power of human kindness… While the romance in this book swept us off our feet, the heroine of the novel also stands on her own as a paragon of independence, leadership, and empathy—we’d be first to sign up as customers for her all-female bank.” – Book of the Month
“Lisa Kleypas’ much anticipated, long-awaited Queen of Lombard Street is equal parts swoon and rage inducing, weaving a triumphant love story into a riveting, meticulously researched tale of money, sex and greed… [a] complex and thoroughly winning novel…” – Carole V. Bell, BookPage
Redemption: Faith, Justice, and Sisterhood on Death Row by Lawrence Wright ★
nonfiction / history / true crime / religion.
In the fall of 2014, Deacon Ronnie Lastovica visited a women’s prison in Gatesville, Texas and gave communion to the women on death row. Moved by the meeting, the Deacon vowed to return weekly, but he knew he couldn’t help these women alone. He called upon the Sisters of Mary Morning Star, a group of contemplative nuns in Waco, Texas, to visit the seven condemned women with him. What follows is an incredible story of a spiritual alliance between two groups of women who, though they couldn’t seem more different, are living uniquely similar lives.
Lawrence Wright takes us into the death row unit, laying bare their stories. Some of the women in prison wrestle with guilt over the suffering they’ve caused; others fiercely maintain their innocence. As Wright learns more about their cases, unethical police practices and improper forensic methods cast doubt on whether some of these women actually committed the crimes for which they’ll pay the ultimate price.
Clear-eyed and rousing, layered and morally complex, Redemption explores ideas of retribution, spirituality, and the question of absolution.
“[A] clear-eyed portrait of life on death row that refuses to make innocence a prerequisite for humanity.” – Publishers Weekly
“…engaging… these compelling stories reflect episodes of grief, joy, remorse, revenge, redemption, and sisterhood, aptly animating these remarkable women and their warm, human relationships.” – Kathleen McBroom, Booklist
“…in the hands of Lawrence Wright, this tale is oddly compelling, even, dare I say, uplifting… [a] master class in narrative nonfiction… What elevates Redemption, a quiet tale of the bad and good things you didn’t think people were capable of, is the nuance behind the notoriety of those waiting to be executed by the State of Texas.” – Timothy Egan, New York Times
“It is a powerful story that communicates clearly, with firsthand stories of uncommon relationships built over time. It is also all about forgiveness, compassion, faith, and justice. Wright approaches his work as a journalist, with fairness and impartiality, without spiritual talk, all the while acknowledging that this is a story difficult to tell without getting ‘inside’ the faith of its characters.” – Jon M. Sweeney, Spirituality & Practice
Royal Witch by Philippa Gregory
fiction / historical fiction / romance.
1420. Eleanor Cobham arrives at the court of Henry V. Pretty but not highborn, she hopes for nothing more than to marry well.
It is a golden age for England, its royal family’s dynasty stretching across Europe. But chaos waits in the shadows. Betrayals and shifts of power change the flourishing world Eleanor has stepped into.
Working in the household of a Countess who commands her own army, Eleanor begins to see for the first time what a woman is capable of… what men’s promises are truly worth.
As the safe, comfortable future she’d envisioned begins to shift, Eleanor changes with it. Now she must use her wits to survive – and to rise. Her newfound ambition will carry her further than any woman before has dared. But if she is to rule England itself, she will need to turn to darker arts…
“[A] page turner…” – Molly Toolan, Express
“…enthralling… With rich historical detail, Gregory masterfully weaves together courtly intrigue with Eleanor’s fierce pursuit to shape her destiny in a world determined to deny it.” – Leah Strauss, Booklist
“[The] extraordinary story of an ambitious woman’s rise and fall. [Gregory] has, admirably, resisted the temptation to make Eleanor likeable — or a victim of the patriarchy. Eleanor blazes with self-righteousness and bitterness, and this makes for a rewarding and complex novel.” – Antonia Senior, The Times
Simply Ina: A Barefoot Contessa Cookbook by Ina Garten
nonfiction / food / cooking.
Through her years of experience as a home cook, Ina Garten has learned that the best food is often the simplest. With just a little thought and a few good ingredients, you can make truly impressive dishes without spending hours in the kitchen. Simply Ina celebrates the delicious results of streamlined cooking, sharing Ina’s expert tips and tricks for achieving the best flavor with the least amount of effort.
Each recipe in this book has a secret that makes preparing it easier than you thought. Some dishes rely on smart store-bought shortcuts—like Mashed Potato & Leek Soup so delicious no one will ever guess it’s made with packaged mashed potatoes and Bourbon Baked Beans that dress up canned baked beans with smoked bacon, maple syrup, and good bourbon—because sometimes store-bought really is just fine! For seamless gatherings, Ina’s deeply flavorful Provencal Chicken with Olives & Capers can be made ahead and reheated in its Dutch oven before dinner, and the crispy oatmeal topping on her Cherry Berry Crumble can be prepped in advance for easy assembly in the moment. Elegant dishes like Endive & Avocado Salad and Irish Coffee Affogato involve little more than assembling ingredients, allowing you to serve something special without really cooking at all.
Whether you’re feeding unexpected guests, pulling together a Tuesday night dinner after work, or hosting a dinner party and don’t want to miss all the fun cooped up in the kitchen, you’ll be happy to have these simple, satisfying, and completely doable recipes to turn to. Because simple food shouldn’t just save you time; it should let you enjoy the people you love.
“Busy home cooks will find this a lifesaver.” – Publishers Weekly
The Slantwise Histories: Collected Stories by Alix E. Harrow
fiction / short stories / fantasy / historical fiction.
Dive into a dazzling collection of short fiction from Alix E. Harrow, the New York Times bestselling author of The Everlasting and Starling House.
These are stories about the past as it wasn’t quite, but might have been―or could still be.
These are stories about dreamers and liars and lovers and ghosts; people just like you.
These are stories about places the world has seen, and some that hide just beyond the periphery of possibility.
Most of all, these are stories for anyone who ever wanted more.
What’s a legend, except a history told slantwise?
The Slantwise Histories: Collected Stories presents the best known short fiction of Alix. E. Harrow, including the Hugo-award winning “A Witch’s Guide to Escape: A Practical Compendium of Portal Fantasies” as well as five all-new stories. The collection also includes the author’s preferred text of previously published stories “The Long Way Up”, “Roadside Attraction”, “Mr. Death”, “The Ransom of Miss Coraline Connelly”, “The Sycamore and the Sybil”, “Do Not Look Back, My Lion”, “The Whisper in the Weld”, “Dustbaby”, and Amazon Original short stories, “The Six Deaths of the Saint” and “The Knight and the Butcherbird”.
“My favourite collection of short stories this year.” – Caitlin Lloyd, FanFiAddict
“Full of haunting prose, Harrow’s stories are pitch-perfect. Ardent fans and new readers will love this delightful collection of tales across time.” – Kristi Chadwick, Library Journal, STARRED REVIEW
“It’s rare for me to love every single story in a short story collection, but Slantwise Histories by Alix E Harrow must be made of magic… [it] feels like sitting at the feet of a master storyteller and hear all of their most precious treasures… Never in all my reading history have I ever highlighted so many passages within one book. All of those big, brave, important themes wouldn’t hit so well without Harrow’s incredible skill with prose, emotion, and beauty… experience it, be broken by it, and be healed with it.” – Krystle Matar, GrimdarkMAGAZINE
Sleuth-Hound: The Case of the Real Sherlock Holmes by Lindsey Fitzharris
nonfiction / biography / history / true crime / science.
Throughout nineteenth-century Edinburgh, the surgeon Joseph Bell was known for his extraordinary talent for detection and diagnosis. To the amazement of onlookers at the Royal Infirmary, he could read a patient’s ailments, occupation, and personal habits from a single glance. Though such deductive powers were all quite “elementary” to Bell, they had a profound influence on the medical student and budding writer Arthur Conan Doyle. Soon enough, Bell’s methods helped spark the creation of fiction’s most iconic detective.
Since Sherlock Holmes first appeared in 1887, he has become a global phenomenon. Yet the man Conan Doyle credited as Sherlock’s prototype has slipped into the shadows. In Sleuth-Hound, the New York Times bestselling author Lindsey Fitzharris brings Bell center stage, recounting how his work took him from ward to witness box as a medical detective probing murder and misdeeds. He worked closely and covertly with the police surgeon Henry Duncan Littlejohn and a pioneering ballistics expert named Dr. Watson, and even collaborated with Conan Doyle to overturn a homicide conviction. Bell’s forensic investigations took him from gaslit alleyways to Gilded Age drawing rooms, put him on the trail of poisoners and child killers, and even drew him into the hunt for Jack the Ripper.
By scrutinizing a scratch on a desk, a trace of cigar ash, or the slightest peculiarity of a man’s gait, Bell could turn the smallest clues into revelations. His sharp mind forever changed the way we read bodies, detect crimes, and serve justice.
“A must for fans of Sherlock Holmes or true crime… fascinating…” – Christina Ianzito, AARP
“…revelatory… Mystery fans will be delighted by this propulsive chronicle of the origins of the modern detective story.” – Publishers Weekly
“In this biography that’s as spellbinding as any work of fiction, the award-winning Fitzharris rescues Bell from the periphery of the Holmes story and restores him to his rightful position as the inspiration and model for the great consulting detective.” – David Pitt, Booklist
The Tarot Trials by Katee Robert
fiction / fantasy / romance.
The deck has always been stacked against her.
Kestrel has trained her whole life to compete in the Tarot Trials. Her mother won once, earning a place among the five ruling Cinque―then paid for it with her life, executed for alleged treason against the Minor Court.
But fortune favors the bold.
Now it falls to Kestrel to take up her mother’s mantle as Champion of the Moon, enter the Trials, and face her fate. If she can master her new powers of shadow and illusion, navigate the poisonous game of alliances and lies, and corner the fellow Champion who dealt the killing blow to her mother years ago, she may uncover the truth she’s seeking without losing her head… or her heart. But in the Trials, betrayal is a question of when, not if. And winning the game isn’t about what she must do to win, but who she needs to survive.
“[A] high-octane, fast-paced epic fantasy of tarot magic and deadly competition…” – Elise Dumpleton, The Nerd Daily
“Robert offers an action-packed novel filled with hidden agendas, outright betrayals, and an intriguing world.” – Kristi Chadwick, Library Journal
“Bestselling romance author Robert makes a strong fantasy debut, pairing highly structured tarot-inspired worldbuilding with a coming-of-age mystery that plays out amid a Battle Royale–esque tournament… The structure and suspense of the tournament keep the pages turning… With room left open for a sequel, this exciting new direction from Robert will please her existing fans and win her plenty of new ones.” – Publishers Weekly
Twisted Vows by I.V. Marie
fiction / young adult / fantasy / romance.
When Wren Loughty finds herself dropped outside the gates of Blackwood Academy, the infamous magical boarding school located on the fringes of the afterlife, she quickly realizes that she’s dead. Worse, she’s stuck between life and death, eternally tasked with learning the magical skills required to guide lost souls to the Other Side.
And her first assignment? A class project with the boy known as the notorious “Demon of Blackwood,” Augustine Hughes.
August doesn’t do friends. He has his own reasons for wanting to get close to the new girl… reasons that are quickly becoming more complicated the more time he spends with her.
As Wren and August navigate the darkly enchanting Blackwood campus and their cutthroat fellow students, an undeniable connection grows between them. But some connections can be twisted.
And some betrayals can’t be undone.
“…darkly enchanting…” – Elise Dumpleton, The Nerd Daily
“A light, entertaining read.” – Kirkus Reviews
Undone by Peyton Corrine
fiction / romance.
Toren Kane has always been a magnet for trouble. Branded as dangerous and brutal, his reputation has followed him from the playground to the ice rink. After a scandal cost him his first-round NHL draft pick, Toren’s last shot at redemption lies with Waterfell University’s hockey team—who all despise him for what he did to their captain at the last Frozen Four competition. To make matters worse, Waterfell’s new assistant coach is Christophe LaBlanc, Toren’s former coach and the man who knows all his darkest secrets.
Lillian LaBlanc is out of chances, according to her father. After flunking out of an Ivy League, she’s struggling and her father’s strict rules are the only things keeping her afloat. Suffering beneath the weight of his suffocating control, Lily is desperate to keep her need to paint as hidden as her depression. But her fragile stability is threatened when she discovers that Toren Kane, her childhood best friend and first love, is also attending Waterfell—and is on her father’s team.
As Toren and Lily’s lives collide once more, old wounds and unresolved feelings resurface. Toren must confront his self-destructive tendencies and learn to let others in, while Lily faces the daunting task of breaking free from her father’s grip. Their connection could be the key to healing—or the spark that reignites the chaos they’ve both been trying to escape.
“…both tragic and heartwarming… Corinne sensitively depicts mental illness and disability (Lily is deaf in one ear) and, while this installment works well as a standalone, returning readers will be pleased to revisit favorite characters. Fans won’t be disappointed.” – Publishers Weekly
“…this book packs a punch… At some points very raw and intense, Corinne’s follow-up to Unbound is perfect for those looking for a carefully crafted hockey romance with depth.” – Erin Holt, Library Journal
We Are Underlings by Doretta Lau
fiction / horror / mystery / comedy.
Zita Chang, Associate Marketing Manager at the Nine Circles, the only theme park devoted to dying, death, and the afterlife, is just another cog in a corporate machine. Determined not to let her grief over her father’s death interfere with work, she takes advantage of an employee perk: asking the Afterlife team to replace Siri with his voice so he can dispense the advice she never wanted while he was alive.
But when the Executive Director dies under mysterious circumstances weeks before the company’s grand opening, Zita and her coworkers are tasked with programming his reanimated body to keep the launch on schedule. As more colleagues turn up dead, Zita must untangle the mystery in this strange, beautiful celebration of life and death, revolt and redemption.
“[A] blast.” – Vancouver Sun
“Lau matches clever worldbuilding with dry humor and a sturdy mystery to deliver something truly unique. It’s a ride worth taking.” – Publishers Weekly, STARRED REVIEW
“Doretta Lau’s inventive debut novel, We Are Underlings, lands somewhere between satire and dare… By the novel’s end, Nine Circles is forced to reckon, at last, with the people who keep it running. The underlings, it turns out, were never as powerless as the org chart suggested. We Are Underlings suggests the same is true of anyone who keeps working through something they know is wrong, and every so often, remembers they’re still hungry.” – Chris Reed, The Seaboard Review of Books
Whale Harbor by Mary Beth Keane
fiction / historical fiction.
1960s, Ireland. In the wake of tragedy, a father makes choices for his eleven grieving sons. The older brothers will emigrate to England for work, while the younger ones will stay behind. The second eldest, Macdara, is offered a job on a Montana cattle ranch and sets off. His spirited younger brother Rian begs to come along and Mac promises to bring Rian to America as soon as he’s old enough. But then one day Mac gets a call that Rian has gone missing. His disappearance will haunt Mac and his family across decades.
Spanning lifetimes and continents, Whale Harbor is “tender, immersive, and exquisitely written” (Florence Knapp, author of The Names) with award-winning author Mary Beth Keane’s signature wit, eloquence, and attention to the emotional resonance of family, brotherhood, and the choices that echo across generations.
“Epic yet intimate, with a long, satisfying afterecho.” – Kirkus Reviews
“[A] deeply insightful family saga… It’s a revelation.” – Publishers Weekly, STARRED REVIEW
“With all the cadence and lyricism of an Irish ballad, Keane’s prose and dialogue sparkle with lightness, wit, and authenticity. Brimming with emotion, this charming yet psychologically complex family shines with tenderness, care, and loyalty. Keane’s fully fleshed-out, well-developed characters express joy, wonder, and genuine love even as they grapple with hardship, grief, and loss. How pleasant it is to spend time with these brothers and enjoy their interactions with one another and those around them. An anthropologist character in the story, studying rural Irish life and language, observes that emotions like anger, sorrow, and even happiness are all temporary; feelings aren’t permanent. A lesson—and a book—well worth considering.” – Lillian Dabney, Booklist, STARRED REVIEW
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