Staff Picks Booklist
Our booksellers recent staff reviews are listed below. Click a book to read the review.
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Kids and teens
The Snow Hare by Paula Lichtarowicz takes place in a work camp in Siberia during WWII. The tundra provides a hostile environment for Lena and her family, who were transported there from their home in Poland. Alternating between her life before and after the camp and her time there, the novel provides a deep look into her life, loves, and end-of-life struggle to come to terms with the past.
— Mamie
One benefit of working in a bookstore are the book chats with customers. Here’s a novel I was told I simply had to read, and boy am I glad I listened.Set in 1950s rural Ireland, electricity is finally coming to a remote community. The story centers around Christy, an old man come to town, working for the electric project and seeking forgiveness from a local woman he wronged so many years ago. Christy befriends 17-year-old Noe Crowe, the floundering grandson of an elderly couple unswayed by the promised wonders of electric power. Christy and Noe’s friendship is central to the story as each guides the other and pursues love, old and new.This story has a quiet wit, is oh-so-poetic, and is simply beautiful. It is about knowing when you are standing in the midst of happiness, recognizing it, feeling it, not missing it. It is a book about everyday life and love, forgiveness, and finding your religion. Savor this novel and then insist your friends read it too.— Peggy
I've read almost everything Tracy Kidder has written. I was inspired, as always, by his forthcoming book, Rough Sleepers. For five years, Kidder followed Jim O'Connell, a doctor who has been providing healthcare to the homeless in Boston for several decades. Like Solito, Rough Sleepers brings tough statistics to vivid life.
— Sarah
This novel will have you hiding away from friends and family, just so you can read one more quick chapter.
All The Broken Places moves effortlessly between present-day London and a past full of secrets, guilt, and complicity. The story captivates from page one, and pulls the reader along at an earnest pace. Part mystery, part historical fiction — you will not be able to put this one down.
And while this is technically a follow-up to Boyne’s bestseller The Boy in the Striped Pajamas, it is not necessary to read the books in order. If this is your first novel by John Boyne, it will surely not be your last.
— Peggy
The best haunted house story is entrenched in family regrets, trauma, memories, and gleefully corrupted childhood monoliths. Hendrix does all of this with heart-stopping fear, love and loss, and so, so many puppets. Think Annabeth meets Chucky with a sprinkle of every campy 80s horror movie you loved as a kid. Whimsical horror, dark comedy and gruesomely visceral details. There is no better haunted house book.
— Emma
I think this is going to be huge. THE SHARDS, rolled out initially on Easton’s blog, is a heartening return to form. Easton fans will see callbacks to LUNA PARK, maybe IMPERIAL BEDROOMS. Immensely heavy in mood, absolutely grinding with tension the entire way through, so horrendous I actually had to back away a couple times, this book is also multiple trigger warning territory, and trepedacious readers are hereby warned off. Heed me now. The writing is great – his threnodies to Los Angeles make me wish he’d just write a travel essay book and get it off his chest – and his very genuine knowledge of cults and killers makes for a disturbingly real experience. Bret plays his teenage self in this book, and the inseparability of his fictional and real selves here adds a bizarre edge. Staggeringly attention-getting, kudos.
— Matt
Ashley Herring Blake is the master of sapphic romances and terrifyingly tangible messy family dynamics. A thorny interior designer with major mommy issues falls in love with a sunshiny carpenter with major abandonment issues and together they renovate a (maybe) haunted inn. If you read Blake's previous romance Delilah Green Doesn't Care, you'll absolutely adore this enemies-to-lovers heart-wrenching romance. And if you haven't, read both immediately. Thank me later.
- Emma
Everyone believes Geeta is a ‘self-made’ widow, though the truth is her husband abandoned her. When another member of her microloan group needs their portion of the loan covered thanks to her abusive and alcoholic husband, Geeta’s not inclined to help hapless Farah solve her husband problem beyond a one-time loan - until Geeta overhears said husband bragging that Geeta’s money will continue to cover his bar tab going forward. Geeta turns to the true story of the Bandit Queen for inspiration - a low-caste woman who despite monstrous abuse and trauma became first a bandit leader and eventually a politician. Would the Bandit Queen murder a terrible man like Farah’s husband?
Of course, Farah’s husband isn’t the only dangerous man in the village, Farah isn’t the only wife looking for assistance in becoming a widow, and events rapidly escalate further out of Geeta’s control.
Though the novel is often funny, a dark current of gendered violence underpins the story. There are good men and happy marriages in the novel, but even the good ones either don’t see the problems or don’t speak up about them. Ultimately, Geeta can only rely on herself and the other women - at least as far as she can trust them.
— Ginger
This book is chock-full of great ideas on how to make your home (and life!) cozy, content, and happy. Wiking covers every layer of our lives and offers easy to implement and low cost suggestions that everyone can use. A fabulous gift that you should start by giving to yourself.
— Peggy
Kathy Acker’s short, brilliant life is given a proper and reverent treatment here. She broke every rule possible; if you’re a reader today, her influence is felt invisibly now, in all kinds of media. Read this and see how. One of the many interesting things about this book is the insight into the publishing world: truly, it’s a grinding battlefield. She knew everyone and was loved by most, and the story of her early & tragic death cancer death is extended, revelatory. An excellently researched, oddly timely book.
— Matt
Enemies to lovers meets blind date meets fake dating in this swoony romance by Chloe Liese. Bea is an autistic erotic artist and Jamie is a pediatrician with anxiety and at least one change of (perfectly ironed) clothes on him at all times. The two could not be worse for each other, so convincing everyone they're dating should be a lot harder than it is. Swoony, funny, and sweet, it's safe to say this is one of my favorite romances of 2022.
— tee
There is literally nothing about this book that I would change. When an orc with chronic back pain decides to retire from adventuring to open a coffee shop, so begins the next chapter of her life, which we are fortunate enough to bear witness to. The characters are quirky and loveable and imperfect, the conflict is just enough to keep the story moving, and the baked goods sound so good I found my mouth watering more than once. This cozy, feel-good fantasy belongs on shelves alongside The House in the Cerulean Sea, Psalm for the Wild Built, and Every Heart a Doorway. Perfect is a strong word, but it may just be the right one.
— tee
In 1956, Jack Kerouac spent the majority of that summer working as a fire lookout atop Desolation Peak in the North Cascade Mountains of Washington State. Despite earlier albeit limited brushes with literary success, Kerouac still felt that he had yet to achieve the literary success that he sought. The solitude of that time allowed Kerouac to focus inward and re-dedicate himself to a new style of writing immortalized in 1957’s On The Road. Desolation Peak gives readers a glimpse into Kerouac’s life and thoughts while unknowingly on the cusp of literary superstardom.
-- Bud
Michael Gaspeny from Greensboro's novel in verse, The Tyranny of Questions, remains one of the most thought-provoking books I’ve read. His new novel, A Postcard from the Delta, is the story of Johnny Spink, a young football star in his hometown of Spinkville, Arkansas. While dialing through the radio searching for a football game, he happens on a blues station. His newfound love of the blues and his mentor's daughter force him to confront racial disparities in the south and the privileges he enjoys as a young white male.
— Mamie
Nancy Olson was a big fan of Simon Van Booy, whose visits to the store are always “an occasion”! We were first introduced to Simon through his beautiful short story collection, Love Begins in Winter, which will satisfy readers’ desire for something that is both literary and upbeat. His new book is The Presence of Absence, the story of Max Little, a writer who is terminally ill. He struggles with how and where to tell his beloved wife, Hadley, the news as he reflects on his life.
— Mamie
The depth and breadth of loss suffered by the narrator and townspeople in We Are the Light by Matthew Quick took me to my knees. The devastation I felt was matched only by the hope that rose from the characters' ineffable strength to overcome the horrific events they endured. Their sheer strength of will, forgiveness, and support of each other in the aftermath still leaves me breathless, awestruck by their capacity to overcome life's darkest events.
The author skillfully reveals the story through letters from the narrator to his therapist, and leads the reader to confront and viscerally experience the crushing wounds we inflict upon each other. He does not leave us bereft, and ultimately allows us to see the possibility of surviving the devastation. A profound and moving read that will leave you wounded by the depths of horrors we wreak upon each other, and uplifted by our boundless capacity to rise above them.
— Belinda
Mr. McCarthy's done it again! This brilliant new novel follows Bobby Western as he gets swallowed up in the mystery of an airplane crash and its missing passenger. Meanwhile, there's another mystery for the reader to unravel in the form of hallucinatory interludes from the perspective of Bobby's sister. These two disparate sections combine to create a novel unlike almost anything Cormac McCarthy has ever written!
P.S. Look for the companion novel, Stella Maris, set to be released this December!
— Todd
When Rory Morris moves back to her hometown to help her pregnant and recently single twin sister, the last thing she expects is to be reacquainted with high school hottie Ian, and the second to last thing she expects is a werewolf attack. When both of those happen in the same evening, Rory's world is flipped upside down.
This is unlike any werewolf book I've ever read. Part romance, part comedy, part horror story, I couldn't get enough. Whether you're a fan of creature stories or you're just in the mood for some monstrous social commentary, this is the book for you!
— tee
When I heard Alexis Henderson was coming out with a gory vampire book based on Elizabeth Bathory, I was in. What I didn't expect was this beautifully nuanced gothic story of a girl clawing her way out of the horrors into which she was born. Marion is strong-willed and vibrant and she makes the perfect heroine-turned-final girl. Come for the bloody mystery and courtly intrigue, stay for the hard-won character development and hypnotic romance.
— tee
Alan Moore is one of my favorite English authors out there. I have consistently found myself enjoying his work time and time again. To those unfamiliar with his name – his writing almost certainly will strike a chord of recognition.
A word to the wise: Moore is not going to be everybody’s cup of tea nor does he try to be. He is very much off the beaten path to the point that many view him as a literary trailblazer. That approach has garnered Moore numerous awards and literary honors despite his efforts to just be himself.
An anthology of tales as only Moore could tell them, Illuminations comes highly recommended. To those willing to take a chance – give this one a try.
— Bud
George Bernard Shaw is credited with saying, “The single biggest problem in communication is the illusion that it has taken place.”
Smart Brevity by Jim VandeHei, Mike Allen and Roy Schwartz will help you zap this illusion.
Buy this book, read it, do what it tells you to do and you will see results.
People will:
- Listen to you
- Read your words
- Understand your message
- Value your brief, complete, informative style
- Clamor for your communiques
Read this book - you, and everyone you talk to, write to, present to, will benefit.
— Belinda
A gothic fairy tale with crumbling manors, knights in barely-used armor, dragons that eat human minds, and a runaway princess who has long-since stopped living off of her diet of fairy tales. A haunting fantasy about rebellion, loss, and how far we'll go for love.
— Emma
There is a wide spectrum of Jane Austen fan fiction out there - some of it wonderful, some of it...less so. Technically speaking, Jane and the Year Without a Summer is among the best.
During the summer of 1816, when Europe had fallen under a volcanic winter, we join the Misses Austen on a (real) visit to the spa at Cheltenham. Jane's physician has recommended taking the waters there to restore her health (which the reader knows, sadly, will not happen). While staying at Mrs. Potter's boarding house (another true-to-life detail), they become embroiled in a murder mystery that threatens all their lives.
While the plot of the story is fictional, it is based in large part on real people and real events from Jane Austen's life. Barron does a fantastic job capturing the language and manners of the period, all the while relating a fun whodunit that keeps one on one's toes.
Though this is the 14th entry in this series, Jane and the Year Without a Summer works perfectly as a standalone. And now I'm off to read #1!
— Kaley
I am not usually drawn to science fiction, but Lost In Time by A.G. Riddle pulled me in by page 1 - the characters are compelling and the story is mind-bending. I found myself at times - which times?!! past, present, future? - re-reading passages to see how that could possibly happen only to remind my startled self that this is science fiction!
But it seems so real. So plausible. So scientifically reasonable!
I was thoroughly taken with the focused, rational brilliance of the characters as they tried against impossible odds to will their own survival in their extraordinary circumstances. The author skillfully guided me to lose myself in the past, present and future alongside these smart, capable and, at times, enigmatic traveling companions.
An absorbing, compelling read with whip-smart characters - I highly recommend that you lose yourself in Lost InTime!
— Belinda
Let me preface this by saying if this didn't have Stephen King's name on it, I never would have guessed it was written by him, so don't write this off thinking it'll be too scary. Oh, and the dog not only lives but thrives, so don't worry about that either. Alright, now into the review:
I loved it. Five stars. Ten stars. Twenty stars. This has just about everything you could want: a heartwarming tale of a a boy taking care of his neighbor's dog, a quest into a fantasy world, brutal gladiator-type games, skeletons covered in forcefields of electricity, an inexplicable blight, and just a smidge of Eldritch horror. I loved every single character with my whole heart and I needed to know what was going to happen next even in the midst of the coziest scenes. I stayed up until two in the morning finishing it and I just sat and hugged it to my chest when I was done. I wanted to flip right back to page one and start all over. Read this book or we can't be friends (only slightly joking).
— tee
Riotous! A book so weird, so vast in intent that they could barely squeeze any of it onto the book flap. I loved his previous Bubblegum; this is more focused, funnier. It really is a sprawling plot, you will see, and hosted by the author as himself – he often pops in to interrogate the action and comment cruelly on his own failings. I see ghosts and intimations of many great authors here, I don’t know if he meant to rouse Philip Roth in his arch Jewishness and hilarious dialogue, but…points scored, regardless. A parrot named Gogol and Perry Farrell from Jane’s Addiction are characters. A sinkhole swallows a big chunk of Chicago itself. How, further, can I convince you?
— Matt
If you're looking for a fantastic multi-generational Vietnamese ghost story that will give you the absolute weirdest dreams, look no further! This really was such an experience, with so many moving parts and fragments of stories that don't come together until the very end. The descriptions are gorgeous, the characters are bewildering and the story itself is unnerving at best. Give this a try if you're adventurous (and patient).
— Emma
The late Miles Davis, in these press interviews over his career, really pulled no punches whatsoever. He’d just trash his peers casually, outright diss the musicians he was literally touring with at the time and in general say whatever he felt like to the press (see also: the late Lou Reed). It’s endlessly amusing, because, well, no one does that. Now, Miles was into self-promotion for SURE, but that’s not how it’s done. He forever saw himself, in a torrent of hubris, as the pinnacle of Jazz. When you’re coming from a place like that, the laughs pour as easily as the tears! A revealing and deeply humorous read.
— Matt
What happens when you take one feminist lesbian in the midst of writing her dissertation on why the marriage industry is destroying our country, one marriage-obsessed best friend in need of a Maid of Honor, and a destination wedding at a (cursed?) California resort? A hectic ride full of manipulation, superstition, and attempted murder. I had so much fun!
— tee
When Meddy goes on a blind date arranged by her mother in a mild catfishing situation, the worst she thinks could happen is she gets a free meal from a creepy guy. One thing leads to another, and now his body is in her aunt's freezer on a private island where her family is hosting the biggest wedding of their career. The chaos that ensues is nothing short of delightful, the characters are well developed and loveable, and the conclusion is satisfying. Finlay Donovan fans: your next great read is here!
— tee
I Am From Here is a stunning debut cookbook from 2019 James Beard Foundation Best Chef (South)—Vishwesh Bhatt. Recipes are organized by their star ingredient (think: rice, okra, tomatoes, catfish) and are a blend of the foods from Bhatt's home in Oxford, Miss., and the recipes passed down in his Indian family. While some recipes fall on one end of the spectrum or the other, still more are unique marriages of the two—like the dish he created with Raleigh chef and restaurant owner Cheetie Kumar: corn korma, an elevated creamed corn with a flavor profile reminiscent of chicken korma.
If you pick up cookbooks to read the stories behind the recipes just as much as for the recipes themselves, I Am From Here: Stories and Recipes from a Southern Chef is not to be missed.
— Rebecca
Rare and pure American genius, that’s why! In this pocket-size book, Caryn Rose lays out the terms: brilliance without plan or guile, constant creativity and reinvention, hard pivots away from many bad choices, long-term friendship and good choices thereof, outspokenness in the face of various repressors, willingness to retreat and regroup as needed, dedication to family, decency among humans, visible love, persistence, humanity above war. Above all, rock music as real communication, for the last 60 years the great equalizer. Ms. Rose says all this better than me, so read it.
— Matt
The tea stain vanished.
From a favorite pair of white slacks.
Impossible but true, but there it isn't! -- thanks to Laundry Love: Finding Joy In a Common Chore by Patric Richardson.
I am smitten with this gem of a tiny tome that gently guided me (& sometimes not so gently) to adopt laundry methods that actually work. It saved me time, money, frustration and clothing, and turned routine drudge work into a delightful task of anticipation - what stain will I vanquish today?
Informative, entertaining and sobering (even with a spray bottle of vodka for freshening clothes), Laundry Love sorts through laundry dos and don'ts, and doles out doable advice that will fatten your wallet, gift you more time, help you save the environment and see your laundry hamper in a brighter, cleaner light.
— Belinda
Noted scholar, Pekka Hamalainen eschews traditional explanations popularized by “manifest destiny/colonialism theories” in this retelling of American history from the perspective of Indigenous peoples.
Contrary to popular belief, “America” was a land that was home to myriad numbers of people long before the arrival of Europeans. Much of this history has been overlooked in favor of Euro-centric viewpoints. Hamalainen sets out to correct that.
Indigenous Continent restores Native peoples to their rightful place at the very fulcrum of American history.
— Bud
This is a rich, puppetry-entrenched, family drama about three sisters who grew up with wildly different childhoods and mothers, but all share the same famous, puppeteering father. Think contemporary King Lear. I loved the complexities each sister had with their individual father-daughter relationships, and how that translated into their adult lives. This is a great read, threaded with fairytales and grounded in sisterhood.
— Emma
Joanna Quinn’s debut novel is intensely pleasing historical fiction written with great imagination, gorgeous imagery, daring espionage and lively characters. The novel is broken into five acts (complete with an encore), beginning in 1919 and ending at the close of WWII. The story is immediately charged when a poet comes to stay at Chilcombe, an old English estate in rural Dorset. The adults of the story are only mildly interested in the manor’s three children who have created a magical outdoor theatre using the skeleton of a washed up whale. As the children grow up, theatre connects them as each is morphed by the war. This tour de force will leave you feeling misty and musing. — Peggy
City Witchery is an accessible and intuitive guide to making and finding magic as a city dweller, traveler, or someone living in a small apartment.
In this gorgeous book, author of Light Magic for Dark Times and The Magical Writing Grimoire, Lisa Marie Basile, shows how you can maintain a practical, potent, and poetic practice when nature, time,
Just Like Home is a darkly gothic thriller from nationally bestselling author Sarah Gailey, perfect for fans of Netflix's The Haunting of Hill House as well as HBO's true crime masterpiece I'll Be Gone in the Dark.
When an advice columnist’s picture-perfect life implodes, she opts to go rogue in this hilarious, heartwarming romance from the author of Meet Me in Paradise.
#1 NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • From the bestselling author of One of Us Is Lying comes your next obsession. You'll never feel the same about family again.
A New York Times Notable Book of 2022!
The New York Times Bestseller and Good Morning America Book Club Pick!
"I LOVED this book! ...Funny, breathtaking, hopeful, and dreamy.”—Ali Hazelwood, New York Times bestselling author of The Love Hypothesis
INSTANT NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER
The #1 New York Times bestselling author of the “claustrophobic spine-tingler” (People) One by One returns with an unputdownable mystery following a woman on the search for answers a decade after her friend’s murder.
From a New York Times bestselling and Hugo award-winning author comes a modern masterwork of science fiction, introducing a captain, his crew, and a detective as they unravel a horrifying solar system wide conspiracy that begins with a single missing girl.
A New Yorker Best Book of 2022
A New York Times Best True Crime of 2022
A Los Angeles Times Best Nonfiction Book of 2022
A premier historian penetrates the fog of corruption and cover-up still surrounding the murder of a Stanford University founder to establish who did it, how, and why.
A humorous and rousing set of literal and figurative sojourns as well as a mission statement about comprehending, protecting, and truly experiencing the outdoors, fueled by three journeys undertaken by actor, humorist, and New York Times bestselling author Nick Offerman
REESE’S BOOK CLUB DECEMBER PICK • NEW YORK TIMES BEST SELLER • The author of award-winning Hamnet brings the world of Renaissance Italy to jewel-bright life in this unforgettable fictional portrait of the captivating young duchess Lucrezia de' Medici as she makes her way in a troubled court.
NEW YORK TIMES BEST SELLER • WINNER OF THE GOODREADS CHOICE AWARD • Sam and Sadie—two college friends, often in love, but never lovers—become creative partners in a dazzling and intricately imagined world of video game design, where success brings them fame, joy, tragedy, duplicity, and, ultimately, a kind of immortality.
From the author of My Oxford Year, Julia Whelan’s uplifting novel tells the story of a former actress turned successful audiobook narrator—who has lost sight of her dreams after a tragic accident—and her journey of self-discovery, love, and acceptance when she agrees to narrate one last romance novel.
For Sewanee Chester, being an audiobook n
INSTANT NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER
From decorated Green Beret sniper, UFC headliner, and all around badass, Tim Kennedy, a rollicking, inspirational memoir offering lessons in how to embrace failure and weather storms, in order to unlock the strongest version of yourself.
Tim Kennedy has a problem; he only feels alive right before he’s about to die.
Jane Eyre, a penniless orphan, is engaged as governess at Thornfield Hall by the mysterious Mr Rochester. Her integrity and independence are tested to the limit as their love for each other grows, and the secrets of Mr Rochester's past are revealed.
A nature therapy session for the soul--encounter the benevolence of the living world through 12 essays on the Earth-healing powers of self-compassion and empathy.
When healing is needed at the deepest level, nature will always call us back home--not only to the oak woods or water-filled coves, but to the homes within ourselves.
For fans of Mexican Gothic, from three-time Bram Stoker Award–winning author Gwendolyn Kiste comes a novel inspired by the untold stories of forgotten women in classic literature—from Lucy Westnera, a victim of Stoker’s Dracula, and Bertha Mason, Mr.
A talented Hollywood starlet and a reclusive A-lister enter into a fake relationship . . . and discover that their feelings might be more than a PR stunt in this sexy debut for fans of Beach Read and The Unhoneymooners.
NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • READ WITH JENNA BOOK CLUB PICK AS FEATURED ON TODAY • ALA ALEX AWARD WINNER
A young poet tells the inspiring story of his migration from El Salvador to the United States at the age of nine in this “gripping memoir” (NPR) of bravery, hope, and finding family.
#1 NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • “An epic adventure about a female athlete perhaps past her prime, brought back to the tennis court for one last grand slam” (Elle), from the author of Malibu Rising, Daisy Jones & The Six, and The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo
New York Times Bestseller
“Smart and funny and all sorts of raunchy in the best way.” — San Francisco Chronicle
"Beautifully written, impeccably researched, and told with the air of suspense that few writers can handle, Wastelands is a story I wish I had written." —From the Foreword by John Grisham
"Sarai Walker has done it again. With The Cherry Robbers she upends the Gothic ghost story with a fiery feminist zeal." —Maria Semple
The “reigning romance queens” (PopSugar) and New York Times bestselling authors of The Soulmate Equation and The Unhoneymooners present a charming and laugh-out-loud funny novel filled with adventure, treasure, and, of course, love.
Growing up the daughter of notorious treasure hunter and absentee father Duke Wilder left Lily without muc
INSTANT NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER
Plant-based eating doesn't have to be complicated!
NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • Our ability to pay attention is collapsing. From the New York Times bestselling author of Chasing the Scream and Lost Connections comes a groundbreaking examination of why this is happening—and how to get our attention back.
NEW YORK TIMES BEST SELLER • WINNER OF THE GOODREADS CHOICE AWARD • The award-winning, best-selling author of Station Eleven and The Glass Hotel returns with a novel of art, time travel, love, and plague that takes the reader from Vancouver Island in 1912 to a dark colony on the moon five hundred years later, unfurling a story of humanity across cen
A NEW YORK TIMES NOTABLE BOOK · A NEW YORK TIMES BOOK REVIEW EDITOR'S CHOICE · REVIEWED ON THE FRONT COVER · INTERNATIONAL BESTSELLER
“Zhang’s blend of history and magical realism will appeal to fans of Ta-Nehisi Coates’ The Water Dancer as well as Amy Tan's The Valley of Amazement.” —Booklist (starred review)
The decades-long love story of a NASA commander and the leader of the Astronaut Wives Club
Far Side of the Moon is the untold, fully authorized story of the lives of Frank and Susan Borman. One was a famous astronaut—an instrumental part of the Apollo space program—but the other was just as much a warrior.
The bestselling, beloved writer of romantic comedies like You've Got Mail tells her own late-in-life love story in her "resplendent memoir," complete with a tragic second act and joyous resolution (Adriana Trigiani, bestselling author of The Good Left Undone).
Delia Ephron had struggled through several years of heartbreak.
“Much like Donna Tartt’s The Secret History, M. L. Rio’s sparkling debut is a richly layered story of love, friendship, and obsession...will keep you riveted through its final, electrifying moments.”
—Cynthia D’Aprix Sweeney, New York Times bestselling author of The Nest
"Nerdily (and winningly) in love with Shakespeare…Readable, smart.”
M.R. James's celebrated ghost stories resonate still, their chilling narratives drawing us unsuspecting into the deadly shadows. His tales are haunted, bleak disturbances of the soul, carefully crafted from the stuff of human fears. A towering presence in literature, TV and the movies, his work is much admired today.
NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • A powerful memoir of a love that leads two people to find a courageous way to part—and a woman’s struggle to go forward in the face of loss—that “enriches the reader’s life with urgency and gratitude” (The Washington Post)
GOOD MORNING AMERICA BOOK CLUB PICK! • Ray McMillian is a Black classical musician on the rise—undeterred by the pressure and prejudice of the classical music world—when a shocking theft sends him on a desperate quest to recover his great-great-grandfather’s heirloom violin on the eve of the most prestigious musical competition in the world.
So you want to keep your kitchen counter clean but you aren't ready to toss the toaster? You want to be able to find your kids' socks but aren't looking to spend your 401(k) on clear bins? You long for a little more peace but minimalism isn't sparking joy? Discover 100 practical, do-able tips to organize, declutter and manage your home.
The updated paperback edition of HATE dispels misunderstandings plaguing our perennial debates about "hate speech vs. free speech," showing that the First Amendment approach promotes free speech and democracy, equality, and societal harmony.
Ois n Mahoney is an American Army vet in his 70s who is asked to lead a group of young grand-nieces and grand-nephews on a walk through the hills of California's Central Coast. Walking toward a setting sun, their destination is a place called The Museum of Rain, which may or may not still exist, and whose origin and meaning are elusive to all.
2020 ALA Alex Award Winner
2020 Stonewall — Israel Fishman Non-fiction Award Honor Book
In 2014, Maia Kobabe, who uses e/em/eir pronouns, thought that a comic of reading statistics would be the last autobiographical comic e would ever write. At the time, it was the only thing e felt comfortable with strangers knowing about em. Now, Gender Queer is here.
"Dazzling. . . . A hard-won love letter to readers and to booksellers, as well as a compelling story about how we cope with pain and fear, injustice and illness. One good way is to press a beloved book into another's hands. Read The Sentence and then do just that."—USA Today, Four Stars
#1 NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • GOOD MORNING AMERICA BOOK CLUB PICK • “A heartwarming mystery with a lovable oddball at its center” (Real Simple), this cozy whodunit introduces a one-of-a-kind heroine who will steal your heart.
The woman behind the icon known as Elvira, Mistress of the Dark, the undisputed Queen of Halloween, reveals her full story filled with intimate bombshells—told by the bombshell herself.
On Good Friday in 1953, at only 18 months old, 25 miles from the nearest hospital in Manhattan, Kansas, Cassandra Peterson reached for a pot on the stove and doused herself in boiling w
J. S. Dewes continues her fast paced, science fiction action adventure series, the Divide, with The Exiled Fleet, where The Expanse meets The Black Company—the survivors of The Last Watch refuse to die.
The Sentinels narrowly escaped the collapsing edge of the Divide.
To thine own text be true—Lisa Peterson’s translation of Hamlet into contemporary American English makes the play accessible to new audiences while keeping the soul of Shakespeare’s writing intact.
Lovers of Shakespeare’s language take heart: Lisa Peterson’s translation of Hamlet into contemporar
Set in Colonial New England, Slewfoot is a tale of magic and mystery, of triumph and terror as only dark fantasist Brom can tell it.
Connecticut, 1666: An ancient spirit awakens in a dark wood. The wildfolk call him Father, slayer, protector.
The colonists call him Slewfoot, demon, devil.
*A Finalist for the Spirited Award for Best New Book on Drinks Culture, History or Spirits*
*A Guardian Best History and Politics Book of 2022*
"At last, the feminist history of booze we've been waiting for " --Amy Stewart, author of The Drunken Botanist
***AN INSTANT BESTSELLER!***
Best Books of 2021 · NPR
ALA/The Reading List Best Horror 2021 Pick
Longlisted for the Bram Stoker Awards for Superior Achievement in a Novel, 2021
From the Bram Stoker-nominated author of The Luminous Dead comes a gothic fantasy horror—The Death of Jane Lawrence.
The “intimate and expansive” (Time) memoir of “one of the most important artists working in the world today” (Financial Times), telling a remarkable history of China over the last hundred years while also illuminating his artistic process
A New York Times Book Review Editors’ Choice: There’s no right way to keep a diary, but if there’s an entertaining way, David Sedaris seems to have mastered it.
If it’s navel-gazing you’re after, you’ve come to the wrong place; ditto treacly self-examination.
NATIONAL BESTSELLER • Considering a trip to a quaint English village? You’ll think twice after learning about the countless murderous possibilities lurking behind the bucolic façades, thanks to this illustrated guide from #1 bestselling author Maureen Johnson and illustrator Jay Cooper—perfect for fans of cozy mysteries.
NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • Two longtime friends share an intimate and urgent conversation about life, music, and their enduring love of America, with all its challenges and contradictions, in this stunningly produced expansion of their groundbreaking Higher Ground podcast, featuring more than 350 photographs, exclusive bonus content, and never-before-seen archival material.
Fisherman's Apprentice tells the inspiring true story of how God trained one stubborn fisherman to think and act more like a fisher of men. When the ride gets bumpy, the fisherman's prayer life kicks into high gear, but this is just the beginning. Financial ruin, a death sentence, and breaking the fisherman's will are all yet to come.
A New York Times Notable Book of 2021
“The kind of book for which the word “rollicking” was invented.”—New York Times Book Review
A prim and proper lady thief must save her aunt from a crazed pirate and his dangerously charming henchman in this fantastical historical romance.
Winner of the Bram Stoker Award and Locus Awards, finalist for the Philip K. Dick Award, and named one of io9.com's "Top 10 Debut Science Fiction Novels That Took the World By Storm." With a new afterword by Maryse Meijer, author of Heartbreaker and Rag. "Black.
On bookshelves around the world, surrounded by ordinary books bound in paper and leather, rest other volumes of a distinctly strange and grisly sort: those bound in human skin. Would you know one if you held it in your hand?
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NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • From the Booker Prize–winning author of Lincoln in the Bardo and Tenth of December comes a literary master class on what makes great stories work and what they can tell us about ourselves—and our world today.
Make small changes to your surroundings and create extraordinary happiness in your life with groundbreaking research from designer and TED star Ingrid Fetell Lee.
Next Big Idea Club selection—chosen by Malcolm Gladwell, Susan Cain, Dan Pink, and Adam Grant as one of the "two most groundbreaking new nonfiction reads of the season!"
"This book has th
“Insightful tour de force… Farrell’s writing is as informative as it is intoxicating” -- Publishers Weekly
Shanna Farrell loves a good drink. As a bartender, she not only poured spirits, but learned their stories—who made them and how.
"A gorgeous and thrilling paean to the ferocious power of women. The characters live, bleed, and roar.
A NEW YORK TIMES TOP 10 BOOK OF 2021
LONGLISTED FOR THE 2021 NATIONAL BOOK AWARD IN FICTION
ONE OF BARACK OBAMA’S FAVORITE 2021 READS
AN INSTANT NATIONAL BESTSELLER
Winner of the Hugo Award!
In A Psalm for the Wild-Built, bestselling Becky Chambers's delightful new Monk and Robot series, gives us hope for the future.
The multimillion-copy New York Times bestselling author B.A. Paris returns to her heartland of gripping psychological suspense in The Therapist—a powerful tale of a house that holds a shocking secret.
A hilarious and poignant reflection on what money can and cannot fix
58,642,129. That’s how many dollars seventeen-year-old Fortuna Jane Belleweather just won in the lotto jackpot. It’s also about how many reasons she has for not coming forward to claim her prize.
NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • PULITZER PRIZE FINALIST • NATIONAL BOOK CRITICS CIRCLE AWARD WINNER • ONE OF TIME’S 100 MOST INFLUENTIAL PEOPLE • A ruthlessly honest, emotionally charged, and utterly original exploration of Asian American consciousness
From the #1 New York Times bestselling author of Book Lovers and Beach Read comes a sparkling novel that will leave you with the warm, hazy afterglow usually reserved for the best vacations.
Two best friends. Ten summer trips. One last chance to fall in love.
The author of The Right Swipe and Girl Gone Viral returns with a story about finding love in all the wrong inboxes...
A sometimes hilarious, occasionally heartbreaking, and always entertaining joint memoir by Joseph Fink, cocreator of Welcome to Night Vale, and his wife, writer and performer Meg Bashwiner, chronicling the first ten years of their relationship from both sides.
There are two sides to every love story.
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