Provo City Library Staff Reviews

Best Offer Wins

2026-09-29T20:03:25.408-06:00

by Marisa Kashino

Celadon Books, 2025. 273 pages. Fiction

Eighteen months and eleven lost bidding wars into house-hunting in the overheated Washington, DC, suburbs, 37-year-old publicist Margo Miyake is desperate to escape the cramped apartment she shares with her husband--and, in turn, fix their marriage, have a baby, and get their life started. With some (harmless!) stalking and a bit of (very light!) trespassing, she worms her way into the lives of her dream homeowners. But just when she believes she's won them over, they find her out. Undeterred, Margo will prove again and again that there's nothing she won't try--no tactic too unhinged--to finally kickstart the dream life she's worked so hard to achieve.

Are you okay with feeling uncomfortable? Do you like dark humor? Are you (or have you been) exhausted by the real estate market? If you answered yes to at least two of these, do yourself a favor and check out this thriller, you're sure to have a good time.

If you like Best Offer Wins you might also like:

A Sociopath's Guide to a Successful Marriage
by M.K. Oliver
Atria Books, 2026. 371 pages. Fiction

Meet Lalla Rook. Lalla has a lot on her plate: She needs to guarantee her husband makes partner, secure her dream house in Hampstead, and get her daughter into a prestigious prep school. And on the afternoon she stabs a stranger seven times after he breaks into her living room, she has a four-year-old's birthday party to host. As a wife and mother, she's already an expert multi-tasker. So, disposing of a body, framing a friend, and being the world's best mother can easily be managed alongside the usual domestic minutiae.

Getting Away with Murder

by Shari Lapena
Pamela Dorman Books/Viking, 2026. 329 pages. Fiction

Jill and Ted adore their New York brownstone the way others adore their children. They have carefully, expensively, made every inch of it their own. It reflects who they are, their status and tastes. With the grand mahogany staircase and state-of-the-art kitchen, it is the stuff of glossy magazines and real-estate dreams. So when Ted's inheritance runs out and he makes a bad investment, they panic. How can they protect their beloved home and enviable lifestyle? The answer is obvious. Or at least, it is obvious to Jill and Ted. The death of one wealthy family member--from whom they stand to inherit millions--could solve all their problems. Together, they will get away with murder.

RBL

The Someday Garden

2026-09-28T18:05:22.793-06:00

The Someday Garden
by Ashley Poston
Berkley Romance, 2026. 382 pages. Romance

When Sophie Drear plans her escape to coastal Maine for the summer - for a temporary job revitalizing the storied grounds at Lilymoor House - she doesn't expect to fall in love. But she does: With the beguiling land, the fragrant flowers, and the towering hedge maze. And then, the door appears. Never in the same place twice, it leads her to a secret, and unfinished, garden with a frustrated thundercloud of a man trapped inside. Despite herself, Sophie has come to care for the residents of Lilymoor just as much as she cares for its grounds. With the help of one man on the outside of the secret garden, and one man on the inside, she might be the only person who can figure out exactly what Lilymoor needs to bloom once more.

The combination of Ashley Poston’s lyrical writing style and the magical elements of Lilymoor’s garden, create a beautiful backdrop for this story. The book has great depth as it is not only a love story between the lead characters, but it also explores themes of falling in love with life again and the love shared between best friends. It was beautiful to watch Sophie’s character grow as she discovered a new purpose in her life working to revitalize the gardens at Lilymoor. If you enjoy a quirky cast of characters, a small-town setting, and a bit of magic with your romance, I recommend giving The Someday Garden a try!

If you like The Someday Garden, you might also like:

The Light on Horn Island
by Valerie Fraser Luesse
Revell, 2025. 352 pages. Fiction

When Edie Gardner's life in New York falls apart, her grandmother Adele "Punk" Cheramie coaxes her back to tiny Bayou du Chêne, Mississippi. Punk and her colorful friends introduce Edie to the Trove, a fascinating gallery and antique shop. Like Horn Island's light, The Trove has appeared out of nowhere. Its proprietor, with a gift for discerning his customers' needs, gives Edie a Victorian parlor game that asks players a series of personal questions, which is harmless fun at first. But Edie and her grandmother's circle find that the game has a way of uncovering secrets. Banding together, this Southern sisterhood is determined to find answers that will bring healing, hope, and happiness--and maybe explain the transcendent illumination of a wild and windswept barrier island.

Destination Funeral
by Paige Harbison
St. Martin's Press, 2026. 352 pages. Fiction

When Babe--the complicated, magnetic matriarch of their teenage summers--dies, four estranged friends return to sleepy Mercy Island, a storm-swept stretch of coastal Georgia, summoned by the reading of her will. Didion arrives at the timeworn pink house to find the friends she never thought she'd see again. What should be a brief weekend of small talk quickly unravels when they wake up and discover...it's Saturday. Again. And again. And again. Trapped in a time loop with no end and no instructions, they're forced to confront the betrayals, breakups, and buried truths that shattered them all those years ago.

Agnes Aubert's Mystical Cat Shelter

2026-09-28T12:33:49.218-06:00

Agnes Aubert's Mystical Cat Shelter

By Heather Fawcett

Del Rey, 2026, 353 pages. Fantasy

Agnes Aubert leads a meticulously organized life, and she likes it that way. As the proudly type-A manager of a cat rescue charity, she has devoted her life to finding forever homes for stray cats. Now it's the shelter that needs a new home. And the only landlord who will rent a space to a cat rescue is a mysterious man called Havelock--who also happens to be the world's most infamous magician, running an illegal magic shop out of his basement. Havelock is cantankerous and eccentric, but not not handsome, and no, Agnes absolutely does not feel anything but disdain for him. After all, rumors swirl about his shadowy past--including whispers that his dark magic once almost brought about the apocalypse. Then one day a glamorous magician comes looking for Havelock, putting the magic shop--and the cat shelter--in jeopardy. To save the shelter, Agnes will have to team up with the magician who nearly ended the world . . . and may now be trying to steal her heart ...

Magic! Cats! A charming cozy fantasy set in early-1900s Montreal from the author of the Emily Wilde series! Yes, please! I loved that the story winds through the streets of Montreal and is peppered with French-Canadian touches (both dialogue and pastries). The plot gradually increases in intensity, leading to a satisfying resolution that leaves the door open for additional stories. The characters are quirky and likable, leaving you rooting for them to succeed, and the slow-burn chemistry between the main characters is delightful. If you like Fawcett’s other books, sardonic repartee, and cats, you will enjoy this read.

If you like Agnes Aubert's Mystical Cat Shelter, you might also like:

The Crescent Moon Tearoom

By Stacy Sivinski

Atria Paperback, 2024, 324 pages. Fantasy

Ever since the untimely death of their parents, Anne, Beatrix, and Violet Quigley have made a business of threading together the stories that rest in the swirls of ginger, cloves, and cardamon that lie at the bottom of their customers' cups. Their days at the teashop are filled with talk of butterflies and good fortune intertwined with the sound of cinnamon shortbread being snapped by laced fingers. That is, until the Council of Witches comes calling with news that the city Diviner has lost her powers, and the sisters suddenly find themselves being pulled in different directions. As Anne's magic begins to develop beyond that of her sisters', Beatrix's writing attracts the attention of a publisher, and Violet is enchanted by the song of the circus--and perhaps a mischievous trapeze artist threatening to sweep her off her feet--it seems a family curse that threatens to separate the sisters is taking effect. With dwindling time to rewrite their future and help three other witches challenge their own destinies, the Quigleys set out to bargain with Fate. But in focusing so closely on saving each other, will they lose sight of themselves?

Violet Thistlewaite is Not a Villain Anymore

By Emily Krempholtz

Penguin Random House, 2025, 359 pages. Fantasy

A powerful plant witch and a grumpy alchemist must work together in order to save their quiet little town in this debut cozy fantasy. Guy Shadowfade is dead and Violet Thistlethwaite doesn't know what to do with herself. Having spent her life as the dark sorcerer's right hand, the powerful witch is now at loose ends. But she does know one thing: she doesn't want to be evil anymore. For once, she wants to sprout peonies instead of poison. The quaint town of Dragon's Rest, she decides, will be her second chance at life--a place where she can set down roots, open a flower shop, keep her sentient (and mildly homicidal) houseplant out of trouble, and quit dark magic after a lifetime of villainy. While Violet's vibrant bouquets and feats of plant magic soon charm the welcoming townsfolk, nothing she does seems to impress the prickly yet dashingly handsome Nathaniel Marsh, an alchemist sharing her greenhouse. What Violet doesn't know is that Nathaniel is desperately seeking a second chance of his own. But just as Violet thinks she's pruned away all the thorns of her nefarious former life, a mysterious blight threatens her new home and a figure from her past comes knocking. Violet and Nathaniel must work together through their fears, their pasts, and their growing feelings for one another to save their community. But with everything she's built on the line, Violet can't help but wonder ... does a villain like her truly deserve to grow her own happily ever after?

A Widow's Charm

By Caitlyn Paxson

Del Rey, 2026, 423 pages. Fantasy

Lady Hildegarde Croft is accustomed to changes in position. After all, she rose from maidservant to lady of the manor when she married Lord Thorgoode Croft. But when he drops dead quite unexpectedly, the plans that would have protected her and the people of Croftholde from her malevolent brother-in-law die along with him. What's a widow to do? Fortunately, potential salvation arrives in the form of Lord Erol Elmwood, who is fleeing the consequences of using his forbidden Charm to raise the dead and save his own life. Now he's injured, destitute, and miserable, stuck hiding out at the neighboring estate. For Hilde, blackmailing Lord Elmwood to resurrect Thorgoode seems like the perfect solution. For Elmwood, beautiful Lady Croft seems like the ideal distraction from his troubles. The problem is, all she wants from him is the horrifying power he knows he can never use again.

Fruit Fly

2026-09-26T10:01:09.108-06:00

Fruit Fly
by Josh Silver

Crooked Lane Books, 2026. 372 pages. Fiction.

Go gay. Go sad. Go dark. A washed-up author will stop at nothing to claw her way back to relevancy—even if it means appropriating a young gay man’s tragic story. Mallory Maddox is buried under seven years of writer’s block. With her status as a literary sensation fizzling, she’ll do anything she can to resurrect her career. Inspiration needs to strike—and fast. Enter Leo. He’s a struggling addict sleeping under bridges and trading sex for survival. He’s vulnerable. He’s enigmatic. He’s exactly what Mallory has been looking for. Mallory needs Leo if she wants another bestseller. The world needs Leo’s story right now, and Mallory believes she deserves to tell it. Really, it’s her story—she’s the one who wrote it, after all. But as secrets threaten to unravel more than just her career, Mallory must decide how far she will go to pen the perfect story.

This book has been everywhere on my social media and has been sold out everywhere this summer- and, let me tell you, its popularity is for a very good reason! This book is a dark satirical thriller that, despite dealing with some really heavy topics, has an incredible pacing that makes it impossible to put down. The book is told through alternating POVs of Mallory and Leo, and Silver manages to give both characters such vivid, distinct voices that were both interesting to read. Because the book is told in each of their perspectives, we learn how they are both manipulating and exploiting people in different ways, including each other, which I found added to the nuance of this book, as it isn't one "bad" character hurting the "good" character. It's much more complex than that: both characters are flawed, unhappy, and are both pretending so much that they are lying to everyone around them, including themselves. Beneath the thriller and satire, the book raises important questions about the publishing industry’s obsession with trauma, who gets to tell queer stories, when curiosity or inspiration crosses the line into exploitation, and much more. Many of these questions don’t have neat answers, and I think that's the point: everything and everyone in this story is nuanced and complex, as is most of real life. I also loved the ending. I found it to the perfect way to end the book, and it was surprisingly hopeful, which felt important, especially considering the conversation the book brings up on how much of LGBTQ+ stories in media end tragically for their characters and the damage this does. Overall, this book had everything I was looking for: it was funny, smart, thought-provoking, heartbreaking, and unsettling. This was one of my favorite books of the year, and I haven't been able to stop thinking about it.

If you like Fruit Fly, you might also like:

Yellowface
by R.F. Kuang

William Morrow, 2023. 323 pages. Fiction.

What's the harm in a pseudonym? Bestselling sensation Juniper Song is not who she says she is, she didn't write the book she claims she wrote, and she is most certainly not Asian American--in this chilling and hilariously cutting novel from the #1 New York Times bestselling author R. F. Kuang in the vein of White Ivy and The Other Black Girl. Authors June Hayward and Athena Liu were supposed to be twin rising stars: same year at Yale, same debut year in publishing. But Athena's a cross-genre literary darling, and June didn't even get a paperback release. Nobody wants stories about basic white girls, June thinks. So when June witnesses Athena's death in a freak accident, she acts on impulse: she steals Athena's just-finished masterpiece, an experimental novel about the unsung contributions of Chinese laborers to the British and French war efforts during World War I. So what if June edits Athena's novel and sends it to her agent as her own work? So what if she lets her new publisher rebrand her as Juniper Song--complete with an ambiguously ethnic author photo? Doesn't this piece of history deserve to be told, whoever the teller? That's what June claims, and the New York Times bestseller list seems to agree. But June can't get away from Athena's shadow, and emerging evidence threatens to bring June's (stolen) success down around her. As June races to protect her secret, she discovers exactly how far she will go to keep what she thinks she deserves.

The Plot

by Jean Hanff Korelitz

Celadon Books, 2021. 322 pages. Fiction.

Jacob Finch Bonner was once a promising young novelist with a respectably published first book. Today, he's teaching in a third-rate MFA program and struggling to maintain what's left of his self-respect; he hasn't written-let alone published-anything decent in years. When Evan Parker, his most arrogant student, announces he doesn't need Jake's help because the plot of his book in progress is a sure thing, Jake is prepared to dismiss the boast as typical amateur narcissism. But then . . . he hears the plot. Jake returns to the downward trajectory of his own career and braces himself for the supernova publication of Evan Parker's first novel: but it never comes. When he discovers that his former student has died, presumably without ever completing his book, Jake does what any self-respecting writer would do with a story like that-a story that absolutely needs to be told. In a few short years, all of Evan Parker's predictions have come true, but Jake is the author enjoying the wave. He is wealthy, famous, praised and read all over the world. But at the height of his glorious new life, an e-mail arrives, the first salvo in a terrifying, anonymous campaign: You are a thief, it says. As Jake struggles to understand his antagonist and hide the truth from his readers and his publishers, he begins to learn more about his late student, and what he discovers both amazes and terrifies him. Who was Evan Parker, and how did he get the idea for his 'sure thing' of a novel? What is the real story behind the plot, and who stole it from whom?

Boy Parts

by Eliza Clark

Harper Perennial, 2023. 292 pages. Fiction.

Irina obsessively takes explicit photographs of the average-looking men she persuades to model for her, scouted from the streets of Newcastle. Placed on sabbatical from her dead-end bar job, she is offered an exhibition at a fashionable London gallery, promising to revive her career in the art world and offering an escape from her rut of drugs, alcohol, and extreme cinema. The news triggers a self-destructive tailspin, centered around Irina's relationship with her obsessive best friend, and a shy young man from her local supermarket who has attracted her attention.

Villa Coco

2026-09-14T18:48:01.841-06:00

Villa Coco
by Andrew Sean Greer
Doubleday, 2026. 269 pages. Fiction

A young American takes a job in the Italian countryside as the assistant to Lisabetta, known to her friends as Coco - a strong-willed, wealthy widow of great local renown. He thinks he's been hired to catalogue the contents of the beautiful, crumbling mansion nestled in the green Tuscan hills but what are his actual duties? Days are spent ridding the house of a marten - whatever that is - locating the antediluvian septic system, entertaining a unique cast of guests, participating in the annual olive harvest (la raccolta) and traveling the Italian countryside.

This book was such a delight to listen to. I found all the characters, flaws and all, charming and full of life. I caught myself laughing out loud many times. The relationship between Coco and our American is what makes this book a joy to read. I wouldn't say the book is driven by plot. It is more about the characters and their relationships to each other. It takes place in Italy and has a very strong sense of place making me wish I could visit and see the beautiful art and landscapes described in the book. If you listen to the audiobook the reader is top notch and pulls off quite the performance.

If you like Villa Coco you might also like:

Heart the Lover
by Lily King
Grove Press, 2025. 249 pages. Fiction

In the fall of her senior year of college, she meets two star students from her 17th-Century Lit class: Sam and Yash. Best friends living off campus in the elegant house of a professor on sabbatical, the boys invite her into their intoxicating world of academic fervor, rapid-fire banter and raucous card games. They nickname her Jordan, and she quickly discovers the pleasures of friendship, love and her own intellectual ambition. Youthful passion is unpredictable though, and she soon finds herself at the center of a charged and intricate triangle. As graduation comes and goes, choices made will alter these three lives forever. Decades later, Jordan is living the life she dreamed of, and the vulnerable days of her youth seem comfortably behind her. But when a surprise visit and unexpected news brings the past crashing into the present, she returns to a world she left behind and is forced to confront the decisions and deceptions of her younger self.

One Italian Summer
by Rebecca Serle
Atria Books, 2022. 253 pages. Fiction

When Katy's mother dies, she is left reeling. Carol wasn't just Katy's mom, but her best friend and first phone call. To make matters worse, the mother-daughter trip of a lifetime looms: two weeks in Positano. Katy has been waiting years for Carol to take her, and now she is faced with embarking on the adventure alone. But as soon as she steps foot on the beautiful Amalfi Coast, Katy begins to feel her mother's spirit. And then Carol appears for real-in the flesh, healthy and sun-tanned ... and thirty years old. Katy doesn't understand what is happening, or how. But over the course of her time in Italy, Katy gets to know Carol in this new form, and soon she must reconcile the mother who knew everything with the young woman who does not yet have a clue. One Italian Summer is Rebecca Serle's next great love story, a transcendent novel about how we move on after loss, and how the people we love never truly leave us.

The Poet Empress

2026-09-10T12:14:39.907-06:00

The Poet Empress
by Shen Tao
Bramble, 2026. 388 pages. Fantasy

Wei Yin is desperate. After the fifth death of a sibling, with her family and village on the brink of starvation, she will do anything to save those she loves. Even offer herself as concubine to the cruel, dissolute heir of Azalea House—where poetry magic is power, but women are forbidden to read. But in a twist of fate, the palace now stands on the knife-edge of civil war, with Wei trapped in its center at the side of a violent prince. To survive, Wei must become a poet and compose the most powerful spell of all.

Set in a magical land similar to historic China, this book has a lot to recommend it. I loved how this story slowly revealed itself in layers. Wei discovers somewhat early on that things at court need to be upended, and the best way to do so is with a magical killing poem that can only be written with love. It's an almost impossible task when Wei doesn't know how to navigate life at court, she isn't allowed to read or write, and she has good reason to hate the person she needs to kill. Seeing how Wei navigates these problems kept me engrossed. It's a compelling story of political intrigue and the sacrifices Wei must make in order to do what's best for her country. This book contains some dark themes and scenes, so this book isn't for everyone, but for me this wove a careful line between the dark themes and the story of hope and courage at the center of it.

If you like The Poet Empress you might also like:

The Poppy War
by R.F. Kuang
Harper Voyager, 2018. 530 pages. Fantasy

Targeted from the outset by rival classmates for her color, poverty, and gender, Rin discovers she possesses a lethal, unearthly power—an aptitude for the nearly-mythical art of shamanism. Exploring the depths of her gift with the help of a seemingly insane teacher and psychoactive substances, Rin learns that gods long thought dead are very much alive—and that mastering control over those powers could mean more than just surviving school.

She Who Became the Sun
by Shelley Parker-Chan
Tor, 2021. 414 pages. Fantasy

In 1345, China lies under harsh Mongol rule. When the Zhu family's eighth-born son, Zhu Chongba, is given a fate of greatness, everyone is mystified as to how it will come to pass. The fate of nothingness received by the family's clever and capable second daughter, on the other hand, is only as expected. When a bandit attack orphans the two children, though, it is Zhu Chongba who succumbs to despair and dies. Desperate to escape her own fated death, the girl uses her brother's identity to enter a monastery as a young male novice. There, propelled by her burning desire to survive, Zhu learns she is capable of doing whatever it takes, no matter how callous, to stay hidden from her fate.

Paper Ghosts

2026-09-10T10:14:10.709-06:00

Paper Ghosts

By Sarah Addison Allen

St. Martin's Press, 2026. 266 pages

Mystery

Every family has its secrets . . .The Wester women live inside theirs.

For decades, the women of Wester House have unsettled and fascinated their small, timeless North Carolina town. Their home is full of whispers, old griefs, and uncanny knowing. But when Willamena Wester reaches out to the granddaughter she once pushed away, long-buried truths begin to stir.

1976: Restless young Willamena falls for a stranded musician who brings freedom and the promise of another life to her carefully controlled world. Their brief, incandescent love story promises to escape the pull of the Wester legacy until Willamena makes a fateful choice that changes her life forever.

Present day: Returning home is the last thing Bailey Wester wants. Yet as she reconnects with Willamena, the grandmother she feared, Bailey begins to understand the love, heartbreak, and impossible choices that shaped the women in her family and realizes the past may not have been trying to haunt them after all. A luminous novel filled with Sarah Addison Allen’s stunning prose and signature blend of romance, Southern charm, and wonder, Paper Ghosts reminds us that in order to have the future we really want, sometimes we need to live with the past, and not let go of it.

Sarah Addison Allen is one of those authors whose books I will pick up simply because her name is on the cover. Her stories have a way of making ordinary places feel a little enchanted, and Paper Ghosts is filled with that same atmospheric quality. There is a sense of mystery woven throughout the story, along with complicated characters, family secrets, and the feeling that the past is never quite as far away as we think it is. If you enjoy atmospheric mysteries, layered family stories, and a touch of the unexpected, Paper Ghosts may be exactly the kind of book that pulls you in.

If you like Paper Ghosts, you might also like:

The Moonlight Healers

By Elizabeth Becker

Graydon House, 2025. 336 pages

Fantasy

For generations, the Winston women have possessed an unspoken magical gift: they can heal with the touch of a hand. It’s a tradition they’ve always had to practice in secret, in the moonlight hours, when the fireflies dance and the whippoorwill birds sing.

But not every healer has rightfully passed on this knowledge to her descendants, and for young Louise Winston, the discovery of her abilities comes in less-than-ideal circumstances—she brings her best friend back from death following an accident, the day after he professed his long-held feelings for her, five days before she’s supposed to move away.

Desperate for answers, and to avoid this new reality between them, Louise escapes to her grandmother’s lush Appalachian orchard. There, she uncovers her family’s hidden history in a tattered journal, stemming back to her brave great-grandmother who illicitly healed Allied soldiers in war-torn France. But just as Louise begins to embrace her unique legacy, she learns that it can also come with a mysterious cost. And with a life hanging in the balance, she’ll be forced to make the most impossible of choices…

The Enchanted Hacienda

By J.C. Cervantes

Park Row, 2023. 368 pages

Fiction

When Harlow Estrada is abruptly fired from her dream job and her boyfriend proves to be a jerk, her world turns upside down. She flees New York City to the one place she can always call home—the enchanted Hacienda Estrada.

The Estrada family farm in Mexico houses an abundance of charmed flowers cultivated by Harlow’s mother, sisters, aunt, and cousins. By harnessing the magic in these flowers, they can heal hearts, erase memories, interpret dreams—but not Harlow. So when her mother and aunt give her a special task involving the family’s magic, she panics. How can she rise to the occasion when she is magicless? But maybe it’s not magic she’s missing, but belief in herself. When she finally embraces her unique gifts and opens her heart to a handsome stranger, she discovers she’s far more powerful than she imagined.

With unforeseen twists, romance, and a heavy sprinkle of magic, The Enchanted Hacienda is a captivating coming-of-age debut exploring identity, unconditional family love, and uncovering the magic within us all.

That Last Carolina Summer

By Karen White

Park Row, 2025. 352 pages

Fiction

As a child, Phoebe Manigault developed the gift of premonition after she was struck by lightning in the creek near her Charleston home. Plagued throughout her life by mysterious dreams, and always living in the shadow of her beautiful sister, Addie, Phoebe eventually moves to the West Coast, as far from her family as possible. Now, years later, she is summoned back to South Carolina, to help Addie care for their ailing mother.

As Phoebe’s return lures her back into deep-rooted tensions and conflicts, she is drawn to Celeste, whose granddaughter went missing years ago. Their connection brings comfort to Phoebe, while Celeste’s adult grandson Liam resurrects complicated emotions tied to Phoebe’s past.

But the longer Phoebe spends in her childhood home, the more her recurring nightmares intensify—bringing her closer to the shocking truth that will irrevocably change everything. Unfolding against the lush backdrop of the South Carolina Lowcountry, That Last Carolina Summer is an unforgettable story about the unbreakable bonds of family and the gift of second chances.

That Which Feeds Us: A Hawaiian Gothic

2026-09-05T10:05:54.643-06:00

That Which Feeds Us: A Hawaiian Gothic

By Keala Kendall

Random House, 2026. 337 pages. Young Adult Horror

A native Hawaiian teen travels to a luxury island resort in search of her missing twin and uncovers the dark side of paradise. For the world's wealthiest, Kōpa'a Island Resort is more than a destination. It's the ultimate escape. With no cell service or Wi-Fi, the Hawaiian island is a coveted wellness retreat renowned for its persimmon orchard and promises of rejuvenation. But to uncover what happened to Ohia, Lehua will have to unearth the island's bloody history and face the horrors that lurk within its sugarcane fields--or risk being consumed by them.

I never thought I'd have the opportunity to read a Native Hawaiian horror - and this one sure delivers! Swapping the usual haunted mansion for an eerie hotel resort, Kendall deftly investigates the many ghosts of colonization and its psychological impact on Hawaiians today. Rich with atmosphere, complex characters and spooky encounters, That Which Feeds Us is a ghost story that's sure to linger with readers long after they've braved its pages.

If you like That Which Feeds Us: A Hawaiian Gothic, you might also like:

Honeysuckle and Bone

By Trisha Tobias

Sweet July Books, 2025. 304 pages. Young Adult Horror

Carina Marshall is looking to reinvent herself, and what better place to do it than Jamaica, her mother's alluring homeland where she conveniently has access to an au pair gig for the wealthy and powerful Hall family. Once there, Carina finds herself settling right into her busy, but comfortable, new life. Yes, the family runs a tight ship, and yes, there is some tension between the Halls, but Carina is content flying under the radar and hanging out with her new friends--not least, the handsome and charming Aaron. But when inexplicable things start happening to her in the house, only getting worse each night, Carina realizes that someone, or something, is out to get her. Is it the Halls? The house itself? Or is her own past catching up with her? With Aaron's help, she must figure out what is haunting her, and fast, before she's forced out of Blackbeard House for good.

She is a Haunting

By Trang Thanh Tran

Bloomsbury, 2023. 341 pages. Young Adult Horror

Seventeen-year-old bisexual Jade Nguyrn is spending the summer in Vietnam at the French colonial house her estranged father is fixing up as a vacation rental, but unbeknownst to her family, the house and its ghosts have other plans.

Burn Down, Rise Up

By Vincent Tirado

Sourcebooks Fire, 2022. 338 pages. Young Adult Horror

When an urban legend rumored to trap people inside subway tunnels seems to be behind mysterious disappearances in the Bronx, sixteen-year-old Raquel and her friends team up to save their city--and confront a dark episode in its history in the process

The Silent House of Sleep

2026-09-03T09:44:01.087-06:00

The Silent House of Sleep

By Allan Gaw

The Mysterious Press, 2026. 277 pages. Mystery

No one who meets Dr. Jack Cuthbert forgets him. Tall, urbane, and brilliant, the Scottish pathologist is the best that Scotland Yard's new detective chief inspector has seen. But Cuthbert is also a damaged man--a man who lives with secrets, and who still battles demons brought back from the trenches even ten years after the end of the Great War. When not one but two corpses are discovered in a London park in the winter of 1929, Cuthbert must use every tool at his disposal, including cutting-edge forensics of the period, to solve the mystery of their deaths. In the end, the horrifying truth is more shocking than even he could have imagined.

This is one of the most compelling mysteries I've read in a long time. Jack Cuthbert is such a sympathetic and interesting character, and the flashbacks to his time at university, and in the trenches during World War One flow seamlessly with the story taking place in 1929. Warning: the murders are pretty grotesque, and maybe not for a weak stomach. If you can handle the gritty details, though, the story and characters make it worth the journey. I'm looking forward to the second book coming out next year.

If you like The Silent House of Sleep, you might also like:

A Test of Wills

By Charles Todd

New York: Harper. 305 pages. Mystery

In 1919 Ian Rutledge returns to his career at Scotland Yard after fighting in the war, still suffering from shell shock. His next case, with a war-ravaged ex-soldier as the witness, could spell disaster for him.

No Graves as Yet

By Anne Perry

Ballantine Books. 363 pages. Fiction

On a sunny afternoon in late June 1914, Cambridge professor Joseph Reavley learns that his parents have died in an automobile crash. Joseph's brother, an officer in the Intelligence Service, reveals that their father had been en route to London with a mysterious secret document--allegedly possessing the power to disgrace England and destroy the civilized world. Now that explosive paper has vanished, and Joseph is left to wonder: How had it fallen into the hands of his father, a quiet countryman? But Joseph is soon burdened with a second tragedy: the shocking murder of his most gifted student, who was loved and admired by everyone. Or so it appeared. As England's seamless peace begins to crack, the distance between the murder of an Austrian archduke and the death of a brilliant student grows shorter every day.

MGB

The Harrow Home for Wayward Girls

2026-09-02T19:01:21.042-06:00

The Harrow Home for Wayward Girls

By Jessica Spotswood

Henry Holt and Company, 2026. 388 pages. Young Adult Horror

The harrow home for wayward girls has long stood as a place of secrets. The estate has housed hundreds of young women hidden away during their pregnancies, their homesick cries echoing through the halls, providing a haunting score to Grace Harrow's childhood. Now, in the summer of 1947, the Home has been sold to a wealthy hotelier. Grace expects the new owner's daughters to be spoiled. Yet Rose, the eldest daughter--unaware of Mr. Harrow's abusive tendencies--is jealous of Grace's seemingly easy confidence. But as they're drawn into each other's lives, an unlikely friendship begins to form. Fortunately so, because not all of the wayward girls made it out ... One still lingers. Lurking in the shadows. Looking for vengeance. To expose the truth buried in the walls of the Harrow Home, Grace and Rose must unravel a legacy of silence and cruelty. But Grace's father will stop at nothing to keep the past hidden, and if the truth comes to light, it could destroy both their families.

The Harrow Home for Wayward Girls is a book packed full of rage, revenge, and broken hearts. I was delighted to find that I cared about (or was at least interested in) every character's story - no small feat as I am sure we have all experienced. This is one of those perfectly atmospheric gothic tales. I felt like I could smell the pool the characters gathered around and could feel the humid basement air. Do yourself a favor and dip your toe in the water of this spooky read, just don't look too closely at your reflection.

If you like The Harrow Home for Wayward Girls, you might also like:

What Rough Beast

By Mindy McGinnis

Harper, 2026. 272 pages. Young Adult Horror

Ava learned the hard way that speaking up means being shut out. A social outcast, she finds comfort in her job at a wildlife rehabilitation center, surrounded by the injured, the damaged, and the lame. Best of all, the work distracts her from the night that changed her life--and the boy she holds responsible for it. Micah knows he's not a good guy. His past is littered with mistakes, accidents, and things he'd rather forget. But feeling guilty and accepting punishment are two different things. He doesn't know which is worse--the weight of what he's done & or the growing feeling that it's all about to be dragged into the light. Hailey will do whatever it takes to rise up from her life of abject poverty. The biggest weapon she has is her looks, and she'll use it to get what she wants--the richest boy in town. When Ava's claims threaten their relationship, Hailey knows she must silence her--maybe forever. When Ava unknowingly awakens an entity that has been biding its time underground, the three teens will be brought together on a night when something wants to be born and only a death will balance the scales.

Holloway

By Elana K. Arnold

Clarion Books, 2026. 330 pages. Young Adult Horror

It is the late summer of 2021, and a girl named Nora is on the Paris Metro. Nora, whose mother loved her, even though Nora was broken. Nora, who couldn't help her mother when her mother needed her most. Nora, from whom the pandemic has taken nearly everything, save the object she clings to: a cylinder containing her mother's ashes. With no family left, no friends to speak of, and no way to turn back time, Nora has come to France to keep a promise she never got to make: to spread the ashes in a place her mother never got to see. But instead, Nora finds herself on the run through a forest in the night, taking refuge in a dark holloway. And when she wakes, and tries to make her way back to something she recognizes, she realizes that is impossible. Because it is no longer 2021. Questioning everything--including her own sanity--Nora sets out on a journey through a time and place completely foreign to her, and yet one that, much like the time and place she came from, is defined by death, loss, fear, and uncertainty. A journey in which she must find a way to honor her mother--and heal herself--in a world that feels irrevocably broken.

Manor of Buried Secrets

By Mason O’Connor

Catalyst Press, 2026. 307 pages. Young Adult Horror

When sixteen-year-old Peter Brewer's unconventional great-aunt Patricia--one of the last heirs to the once-wealthy Woodwright family--passes away at the age of 105, Peter's family travels to Patricia's mansion for her funeral. Thrown into the hothouse of old feuds and eccentric characters, Peter finds himself drawn into the web of family secrets surrounding Patricia's inheritance. Rumors swirl of a hidden fortune, and Peter's curiosity grows with each obscure conversation he overhears. When Peter and his new friend Larissa find Patricia's cryptic love letters to a young man, written decades before, they set out to uncover the hidden truths about Patricia's legacy--and how her secrets may still haunt the Woodwright family. Falling for Larissa, Peter can't help wondering if he is doomed to torpedo this relationship because of his own foibles. As Peter is pulled deeper into Patricia's long-buried past, he starts to realize that others at the funeral might have their own hidden agendas ... and seeking to uncover the truth may put him and Larissa in danger of getting in their way.

A Sprinkle of Sweet Serendipity

2026-09-02T16:28:41.335-06:00

A Sprinkle of Sweet Serendipity

by Rachel Linden

Berkley, 2026. 370 pages. Romance.

Paris trained chocolatier and single mother Emmie Wynne gave up her own dreams six years ago when she returned to her Pacific Northwest coastal tourist town to run her family's struggling candy store. Now on her thirty-fourth birthday, Emmie has only one wish, to be granted the vision that every Wynne woman is given once in her lifetime-a shimmering glimpse of her true destiny. This year, when she blows out her candles, it finally comes true. Her vision is more delectable than she could've imagined-her very own artisanal chocolate shop filled with decadent truffles and caramels, and her celebrity crush, Henry Summers, down on one knee. When Henry arrives in town for the summer, offering Emmie the opportunity of a lifetime, the future in her vision suddenly seems possible. But a rekindled connection with Jakob, her former high school best friend turned hunky, brooding tattooed baker, forces Emmie to grapple with the bittersweet realization that her destiny may not be what her heart truly wants. As the culmination of her vision draws nearer, can Emmie find the courage to create a happiness of her own making?

This is a sweet romance that answers the question: What if your dreams come true and it’s not what you expect it to be? With charming characters, a quaint setting, and a fun premise, this book does not disappoint. It’s a cozy and feel-good read and may or may not make you crave chocolate. This book is recommended for anyone who wants to live life with a little more whimsy and romance.

If you like A Sprinkle of Sweet Serendipity, you might also like:

The Library of Flowers

by L.C. Chu

SourceBooks, 2026. 416 pages. Romance.

For centuries, the Hua women have held sway over the courts of emperors and billionaires with their magical perfumes able to stir hearts and ensure fortunes. And in every fifth generation, an eldest daughter is born with the rarest gift of all: the ability to summon true love. As a long-awaited fifth daughter, Lucy was supposed to be the miracle her exacting mother had been waiting for. But when her magic failed, Lucy fled Vancouver, her legacy, and the expectations that had nearly broken her. Now, years later, she runs a tiny perfume shop tucked away in Toronto's Kensington Market—crafting beautiful, perfectly ordinary scents and keeping her extraordinary past firmly behind her. That is, until a death in the family brings her home...and saddles her with an unwelcome inheritance: the centuries-old Hua family register, brimming with secrets, formulas, and forgotten truths. As Lucy unravels the stories of the women who came before her—including the mother whose complicated heart she never could understand—she must confront the tangled threads of love, power, and identity...and ask herself whether her magic was ever truly gone, or simply waiting for her to decide for herself what it means to be a daughter of the House of Hua.

Darling Daffodils Farm

by Brittanee Nicole

G.P. Putnam’s Sons, 2026. 404 pages. Romance.

When aspiring pastry chef, Tally Darling, returns home to her family's daffodil farm, the last thing she expects to find is a hot--half-naked--farmhand living in her childhood bedroom and running her late daddy's business. Jeesse Walker might be gorgeous but he's also infuriatingly grumpy. Walker has no time for Tally and the feeling is mutual. That is, until Tally hears him moan over one of her signature salted honey cupcakes. And then discovers how good it tastes when they kiss. As dewy April days turn into warm May evenings, Walker and Tally soon realize that there is a thin line between love and hate. But will their budding connection grow into something that lasts beyond one season?

Old Flames and New Fortunes

by Sarah Hogle

G.P. Putnam’s Sons, 2024. 362 pages. Romance.

Fibs and squabbles and spells . . . oh my! A small, magical town tucked away in rural Ohio, Moonville is the perfect place for floral witch Romina Tempest to use the language of flowers to help the hopeful manifest love in their lives. After giving up on her own big romance eleven years ago, at least she can bask in others' happily ever afters. When the shop's potential financier shares news of his wedding, Romina jumps at the opportunity to discuss the business . . . even if it means she has to fake-date her chaotic colleague Trevor to get an invitation. But all hell breaks loose when she discovers Trevor's soon-to-be stepbrother is none other than Alex King: her high school sweetheart. Her greatest love. The boy who broke her heart. What starts as an innocent misunderstanding becomes a weeklong fake-dating scheme, as Romina quickly finds out she can't deny her connection with Alex. Caught between her livelihood and her heart, Romina must decide if taking a second chance on first love is worth the risk.

Take Me to Your Leader

2026-09-02T13:17:54.488-06:00

Take Me to Your Leader: Perspectives on Your First Alien Encounter
by Neil deGrasse Tyson
First Simon Six/Simon & Schuster, 2026. 226 pages. Nonfiction.

The culmination of a lifetime of fascination and speculation, Tyson applies the universal laws of physics to make the case for what aliens might look like, act like, how they might travel, what they might think. Should such an event occur, Tyson offers useful etiquette tips for your first close encounter.

First, a very crucial disclaimer: If you still can’t accept the 2006 reclassification of Pluto as a “dwarf planet” and haven’t forgiven Dr. Tyson for his role in “kicking Pluto out of the solar system”, then I regret to inform you that he is as gleefully unrepentant as ever. Even worse, he tries to justify his actions by means of the Pioneer 10/11 space probes. (The probes each had a golden plaque affixed to them depicting a mathematical “map” and a diagram of our Solar System, the idea being that any intelligent beings finding a probe would then be able to locate and contact Earth.) He theorizes:

“If evil Aliens seek to become our overlords, and they survey our region of the Galaxy, they would be completely confused by the eight planets and six huge moons they see in our actual solar system. The Aliens would surely pass us by, in search of the nine-planet star system portrayed on the plaque, leaving us undisturbed, making Pluto the savior of all mankind.”

Nice try, Dr. Tyson. #JusticeForPluto

Salty attitudes aside, this is a breezy, fun read. Die-hard sci-fi fans will enjoy Tyson’s examinations of just about every type of fictional extraterrestrial ever created. (He even takes credit for consulting with DC Comics on the now-canon explanation for baby Superman’s speedy arrival on Earth—he traveled through a wormhole!) He discusses the plausibility of ancient marvels, modern conspiracy theories, UFO sightings, and abduction accounts alike with a clinical eye. Dr. Tyson encourages readers to keep an open mind, but not to jump to conclusions. (Good advice, no matter the topic.) And maybe one day, if aliens do contact humankind, we’ll be wise enough to not commit an interstellar faux pas within the first five minutes.

If you liked Take Me to Your Leader, you might also like:

The Little Book of Aliens

by Adam Frank

Harper, 2023. 215 pages. Nonfiction.

Everyone is curious about life in the Universe, UFOs and whether E.T. is out there. Over the course of his thirty-year career as an astrophysicist, Adam Frank has consistently been asked about the possibility of intelligent life in the universe. Are aliens real? Where are they? Why haven't we found them? What happens if we do? We've long been led to believe that astronomers spend every night searching the sky for extraterrestrials, but the truth is we have barely started looking. Not until now have we even known where to look or how. Here, Frank, a leading researcher in the field, takes us on a journey to all that we know about the possibility of life outside planet Earth and shows us the cutting-edge science that has brought us to this unique moment in human history: the one where we go find out for ourselves.

Why on Earth: An Alien Invasion Anthology

by Rosiee Thor, ed.

Page Street Publishing, 2025. 329 pages. YA Sci-Fi.

What starts as a simple rescue mission for a crew of teen aliens to recover one of their own soon becomes an interstellar encounter no one will forget. Captain Iona is organizing an impromptu retrieval for her brother, an undercover alien posing as a movie star. But her efforts go awry when a technical malfunction turns her heroic rescue into an unintentional invasion. With tales of disguised extraterrestrials stuck in theme parks, starship engineers hitchhiking to get home, and myth-inspired intergalactic sibling reunions, each story in this multi-author anthology explores the universal desire to be loved and understood, no matter where you come from. After all ... aliens are just like us.

Hole in the Sky

by Daniel H. Wilson

Doubleday, 2025. 267 pages. Sci-Fi.

On the Great Plains of Oklahoma, in the heart of the Cherokee Nation, a strange atmospheric disturbance is noticed by Jim Hardgray, a down-on-his-luck single father trying to reconnect with his teenage daughter, Tawny. At NASA's headquarters in Houston, Texas, astrophysicist Dr. Mikayla Johnson observes an interaction with the Voyager 1 spacecraft on the far side of the solar system, and she concludes that something enormous and unidentified is heading directly for Earth. And in an undisclosed bunker somewhere in the United States, an American threat forecaster known only as the Man Downstairs intercepts a cryptic communication and sends a message directly to the president and highest-ranking military brass: "First contact imminent."

-LAH

Glint

2026-08-03T16:24:09.270-06:00

Glint (Plated Prisoner #2)

By Raven Kennedy

Independently published, 2021. 462 pages. Fantasy

Auren has lived in King Midas’s golden castle for ten years (GILD), but now she’s being held prisoner by Fourth Kingdom’s army. As Midas’s favored, Auren is the main bargaining chip, but Commander Rip, known for his brutality on the battlefield and viciousness, wants her to realize that Midas isn’t as good and kind as she’s been led to believe in her gilded cage. In the game of kings and armies, Auren is the gilded pawn. The question is, an she out maneuver them?

For fans of slow-burn romantasies, mythology retellings, and court intrigue, the Plated Prisoner series is one to try out. I was really frustrated with Auren in Gild because of her naïveté with Midas, but in Glint she’s starting to question the life she’s lived (essentially that of a manipulated and abused pet) and realize that she’s not a toy to be played with, or a tool to be used. She’s actually a powerful woman, with a voice, and she deserves far better than what Midas is giving her. Enter Commander Rip who is pushing her to question everything and train her abilities, and I’m so ready for the “villain gets the girl” trope.

If you liked Glint, you might also like:

The Book of Azrael

By Amber V. Nicole

Kensington Publishing Corp, 2022. 598 pages. Fantasy

A thousand years ago, Dianna gave up her life to save her sister, unknowingly binding herself to Kaden, a monster worse than any nightmare. Now she must retrieve a relic from the creatures hunting her. Once Samkiel, now Liam, the World Ender returns to a realm he swore off after the Gods War. As old enemies resurface, Dianna and Liam must unite to save their world—and every realm in between.

The Serpent and the Wolf

By Rebecca Robinson

Saga Press, 2024. 346 pages. Fantasy

As a dark magic awakens within her, Vaasa Kozar struggles against the political machinations of her ruthless brother and finds her arranged marriage to the equally ruthless Reid of Mireh growing into something greater, threatening to play havoc with the competing agendas that swirl around it.

ACS

The Compound

2026-07-21T18:03:42.996-06:00

The Compound

by Aisling Rawle

Random House, 2025. 292 pages. Fiction

Lily, a disillusioned young woman, competes in a high-stakes reality show on a desert compound where personal bonds, hidden desperation, and escalating challenges blur the lines between game strategy and survival amidst a crumbling outside world.

For all of my fellow reality TV lovers and haters, this one is for you! Particularly the Love Island variety. The book starts out innocuously enough, but once it picks up, it is hard to put down. Recommended for readers who enjoy suspenseful, character-driven fiction and reality TV social commentary.

If you like The Compound you might also like:

The Book of Luke
by Lovell Holder
Grand Central Publishing, 2025. 394 pages. Fiction

Following the car accident that ended his football career and left his body scarred, 22-year-old Luke Griffin joins the cast of Endeavor, a new competition-based reality show that pits the tabloids' darlings against one another in tasks of endurance and problem solving. Soon a series of betrayals leads to irreversible tragedy, changing the course of his and his felllow contestants' lives forever. Ten years later, Luke is now a father of two and the stay-at-home husband to America's only openly gay senator. When his husband's serial cheating is exposed, Luke impulsively joins the cast of Endeavor's latest season in a desperate bid to earn some fast cash.

Patricia Wants to Cuddle
by Yumei Kitasei
Flatiron Books, 2025. 376 pages. Fiction

On this season of The Catch, a Bachelor-style show, contestants must compete for love...and their lives.

RBL

All Systems Red

2026-07-20T11:33:39.534-06:00

All Systems Red (The Murderbot Diaries #1)

by Martha Wells

Tom Doherty Associates, 2017. 152 pages. Sci-Fi.

In a corporate-dominated spacefaring future, planetary missions must be approved and supplied by the Company. Exploratory teams are accompanied by Company-supplied security androids, for their own safety. But in a society where contracts are awarded to the lowest bidder, safety isn't a primary concern. On a distant planet, a team of scientists are conducting surface tests, shadowed by their Company-supplied 'droid -- a self-aware SecUnit that has hacked its own governor module, and refers to itself (though never out loud) as "Murderbot." Scornful of humans, all it really wants is to be left alone long enough to figure out who it is. But when a neighboring mission goes dark, it's up to the scientists and their Murderbot to get to the truth.

I looooove a fun robot story. Isaac Asimov’s I, Robot and The Positronic Man are on my personal “best books” list, I always sympathized more with C-3P0 than Luke Skywalker, a Lego model of Johnny 5 sits on my desk at this very moment, and Star Trek’s Mr. Data is my all-time favorite fictional character, hands down. That said, I don’t know how I completely overlooked Martha Wells’ hit series The Murderbot Diaries before now! But I finally took notice and am working to rectify my error. Book 1 is already a winner in my eyes. Murderbot, as the narrator, is a snarky delight. It has named itself for its potential to be an unstoppable killing machine now that it is free to make its own choices. It’s plain from the start, though, that Murderbot has much more in common with Data and Andrew Martin than with The Terminator, possessing an innate sense of right and wrong and a real “heart” buried beneath the circuits. (Its favorite pastime is binge-watching terrible TV shows, it's practically human already!) All Systems Red is a fast-paced origin story, introducing us to the Company-controlled future of humanity and setting Murderbot up for further adventures. I’m looking forward to seeing where my grumpy new robot friend goes next!

If you like All Systems Red, you might also like:

The Long Way to a Small, Angry Planet

by Becky Chambers

Harper Voyager, 2016. 443 pages. Sci-Fi.

Rosemary Harper doesn't expect much when she joins the diverse crew of the aging starship Wayfarer. While the patched-up ship has seen better days, it offers a bed, a chance to explore the galaxy, and some distance from her past. The crew is offered a job tunneling wormholes through space to a distant planet. It's a lucrative job, but a host of unexpected mishaps force the crew to depend on each other.

Automatic Noodle

by Annalee Newitz

Tor Publishing Group, 2025. 163 pages. Sci-Fi.

You don't have to eat food to know the way to a city's heart is through its stomach. So when a group of deactivated robots come back online in an abandoned ghost kitchen, they decide to make their own way doing what they know: making food--the tastiest hand-pulled noodles around--for the humans of San Francisco, who are recovering from a devastating war.

Moss’d in Space

by Rebecca Thorne

Bramble/Tor Publishing Group, 2026. 360 pages. Sci-Fi.

Torian Razner finally bought a starship, and contrary to Amelia's assessment, it was not "a meteoric sign of stupidity." Sure, the alien starship may have been abandoned for a century, and it may be covered in moss now ... but it's Torian's ticket to freedom, regardless of what her ex ... ah, captain ... said. Except Torian's first flight reveals a surprise passenger: the moss is actually an organic computer with a snarky attitude and serious abandonment issues. The target of its loathing? The immortal alien who built it (and then parked the starship, with Moss inside, and forgot about it). The same alien who just found Torian and accused her of "stealing" the ship. It's entirely possible that Amelia was right about this meteoric stupidity.

-LAH

We Burned So Bright

2026-07-18T17:43:34.721-06:00

We Burned So Bright

By T.J. Klune

Tor, 2026. 169 pages. Sci-Fi.

Husbands Don and Rodney have lived a good long life. Together they've experienced the highest highs of love and family, and lows so low that they felt like the end of the world. Now, the world is ending for real. A rogue black hole is coming for Earth and in a month everything and everyone they've ever known will be gone. Suddenly, after 40 years together, Don and Rodney are out of time. They're in a race against the clock to make it from Maine to Washington state to take care of some unfinished business before it's all over. On the road they meet those who refuse to believe death is coming and those who rush to meet it. But there are also people living their final days as best they know how--impromptu weddings, bright burning bonfires, shared meals, and new friends. And as the black hole draws near, among ball lightning and under a cracked moon in a kaleidoscope sky, Don and Rodney will look back on their lives and ask if their best was good enough. Is it enough to burn bright if nothing comes from the ashes?

I want to preface this review by saying I am a very emotional person who cries very easily, so, perhaps, you will not have as strong of a reaction to this book as I did. With that said, I have to be honest with you: this book made me cry a concerning amount. For entirety of the last forty or so pages, I was absolutely weeping. I know that doesn't necessarily sound fun. I know that might not sound appealing. I know you're wondering to yourself: "Why would I want to read a book that makes me cry so hard I nearly pass out?" I know! Trust me, I get it! But, yet, here I am recommending this book to you, anyway, despite my near brush with unconsciousness from crying too hard, because I can promise you that this book is so worth it. Klune handles the heavy topics -death, fear, mental health, the end of the world, grief- so tenderly and with compassion. While the story never shies away from heartbreak, Klune also balances the heaviness with humor, hope, and love in all its forms. He highlights both the bad in humanity (war, greed, violence) and the good in humanity (kindness, art, music, laughter, empathy) and shows how life in general contains both great terribleness and great beauty. This book is short at only 169 pages, and I flew through it, but it wasn't necessarily an easy read. It was, however, an incredibly rewarding one. If you're looking for a book that will make you feel deeply and leave you reflecting on life -and on how you choose to spend your brief and precious time on Earth- We Burned So Bright is the book for you.

If you like We Burned So Bright, you might also like:

The Spear Cuts Through Water

by Simon Jimenez
Del Rey, 2022. 522 pages. Sci-Fi.

The people suffer under the centuries-long rule of the Moon Throne. The royal family—the despotic emperor and his monstrous sons, the Three Terrors—hold the countryside in their choking grip. They bleed the land and oppress the citizens with the frightful powers they inherited from the god locked under their palace. But that god cannot be contained forever. With the aid of Jun, a guard broken by his guilt-stricken past, and Keema, an outcast fighting for his future, the god escapes from her royal captivity and flees from her own children, the triplet Terrors who would drag her back to her unholy prison. And so it is that she embarks with her young companions on a five-day pilgrimage in search of freedom and a way to end the Moon Throne forever. The journey ahead will be more dangerous than any of them could have imagined. Both a sweeping adventure story and an intimate exploration of identity, legacy, and belonging, The Spear Cuts Through Water is an ambitious and profound saga that will transport and transform you.

This Is How You Lose the Time War

by Amal El-Mohtar
Simon & Schuster, 2019. 198 pages. Sci-Fi.

Among the ashes of a dying world, an agent of the Commandant finds a letter. It reads: Burn before reading. Thus begins an unlikely correspondence between two rival agents hellbent on securing the best possible future for their warring factions. Now, what began as a taunt, a battlefield boast, grows into something more. Something epic. Something romantic. Something that could change the past and the future. Except the discovery of their bond would mean death for each of them.

The Measure

by Nikki Erlick
HarperCollins, 2022. 352 pages. Fiction.

It seems like any other day. You wake up, pour a cup of coffee, and head out. But today, when you open your front door, waiting for you is a small wooden box. This box holds your fate inside: the answer to the exact number of years you will live. From suburban doorsteps to desert tents, every person on every continent receives the same box. In an instant, the world is thrust into a collective frenzy. Where did these boxes come from? What do they mean? Is there truth to what they promise? As society comes together and pulls apart, everyone faces the same shocking choice: Do they wish to know how long they'll live? And, if so, what will they do with that knowledge? The Measure charts the dawn of this new world through an unforgettable cast of characters whose decisions and fates interweave with one another: best friends whose dreams are forever entwined, pen pals finding refuge in the unknown, a couple who thought they didn't have to rush, a doctor who cannot save himself, and a politician whose box becomes the powder keg that ultimately changes everything.

Japanese Gothic

2026-07-15T18:53:26.465-06:00

Japanese Gothic

By Kylie Lee Baker

Hanover Square Press, 2026. 344 pages. Fiction

Lee Turner doesn't remember how or why he killed his college roommate. The details are blurred and bloody. All he knows is he has to flee New York and go to the one place that might offer refuge--his father's new home in Japan. But something is terribly wrong with the house: no animals will come near it, the bedroom window isn't always a window, and a woman with a sword appears in the yard when night falls.

October, 1877: Sen is a young samurai in exile, hiding from the imperial soldiers in a house behind the sword ferns. A monster came home from war wearing her father's face, but Sen would do anything to please him. She knows the soldiers will soon slaughter her whole family when she sees a terrible omen: a young foreign man who appears outside her window. One of these people is a ghost, and one of these stories is a lie. Something is hiding beneath the house of sword ferns, and Lee and Sen will soon wish they never unburied it.

‘Tis the season for spooky, summer reads and Japanese Gothic rings it in with aplomb. This deeply atmospheric novel had me looking over my shoulder and hearing whispers in the wind. The parallel stories are driven by compelling characters that had me invested, but absolutely did not trust. This book was mysterious, gothic, and a little out there and I just couldn’t get enough.

If you like Japanese Gothic, you might also like:

Nothing but Blackened Teeth

By Cassandra Khaw

Nightfire, 2021. 125 pages. Fiction

A Heian-era mansion stands abandoned, its foundations resting on the bones of a bride and its walls packed with the remains of the girls sacrificed to keep her company. It's the perfect venue for a group of thrill-seeking friends, brought back together to celebrate a wedding. A night of food, drinks, and games quickly spirals into a nightmare as secrets get dragged out and relationships are tested. But the house has secrets too. Lurking in the shadows is the ghost bride with a black smile and a hungry heart. And she gets lonely down there in the dirt. Effortlessly taking the classic haunted house story and turning it on its head, Nothing but Blackened Teeth is a sharp and devastating exploration of grief, the parasitic nature of relationships, and the consequences of our actions.

The Hacienda

By Isabel Cañas

Berkley, 2022. 345 pages. Fiction

In the overthrow of the Mexican government, Beatriz's father is executed and her home destroyed. When handsome Don Rodolfo Solórzano proposes, Beatriz ignores the rumors surrounding his first wife's sudden demise, choosing instead to seize the security his estate in the countryside provides. She will have her own home again, no matter the cost. But Hacienda San Isidro is not the sanctuary she imagined. When Rodolfo returns to work in the capital, visions and voices invade Beatriz's sleep. The weight of invisible eyes follows her every move. Rodolfo's sister, Juana, scoffs at Beatriz's fears--but why does she refuse to enter the house at night? What really happened to the first Doña Solórzano? Beatriz only knows two things for certain. Something is wrong with the hacienda. And no one there will help her. Desperate for help, she clings to the young priest, Padre Andrés, as an ally. No ordinary priest, it will take Andrés's skills as a witch to battle the malevolent presence haunting the hacienda.

The Children

By Melissa Albert William

Morrow, 2026. 398 pages. Fiction

Guinevere Sharpe has two childhoods. In one, she lives in the wooded shadow of her family's isolated Vermont farmhouse; in the other, the pages of her mother's world-famous Ninth City books, where her magical adventures have made her a household name. In reality, Guinevere's childhood isn't the enchanted idyll her mother's readers imagine: she and her older brother are growing up near-feral, unwashed and underfed, escaping each day to the lichen-clotted woods they've made their playland. As Edith Sharpe's books explode into epic popularity, the threats of a rural childhood give way to the escalating perils of fame--until the night it all goes up in flames, leaving Edith's series unfinished and her children the sole survivors. Now an adult coasting on her mother's name, Guinevere is mid-promotion for a ghostwritten memoir when her estranged brother, an artist who has until now spurned his family's legacy, announces an upcoming installation titled Mother. As rumors swirl around a death connected to his last show, unsettling recollections from Guinevere's childhood begin to surface

Homebound

2026-07-14T15:41:22.363-06:00

Homebound
by Portia Elan
Scribner, 2026. 304 pages. Science Fiction

Lives are entangled across time by one unfinished story, saved to a floppy disk in the 1980s and destined to ripple across the centuries.

1983: Becks is nineteen, blasting her Walkman, and hiding from the fact that her beloved uncle, and the only person who understood her, is dead. Luckily, he left her a half-finished video game to complete—one last collaboration to find her way out of loneliness.

2078: Dr. Portman works at the intersection of artificial intelligence and robotics, wrestling with her responsibility to Earth's precarious future. But increasingly, it seems an exceptional project may transcend everything she believed to be possible.

2586: After decades of life on the sea, Yesiko knows a scavenger's work is rife with moral compromise. Yet when a long-lost piece of technology walks aboard her ship, she is set on a path toward a sacrifice even she may be unwilling to make.

Linking these women across the centuries is a chain reaction of love, longing, and creativity that reveals our deep interconnectedness.

I admittedly enjoy books that are a little melancholy but also a bit hopeful, with beautiful writing and thought-provoking questions. For me, Homebound definitely fits the bill. This book contains four storylines connected across time, intricately woven together. Each storyline has fully realized characters that I wanted to root for, so I wasn't more connected to one story over another. Since most of the storylines occur in the future, the main thread and feel of the story reminded me of lyrical dystopian travel stories (like some of the ones listed below). The addition of the past storyline and a somewhat mysterious fourth narrative is what ties the plots together into a cohesive whole. This story touches on themes of friendship, identity, found family, grief, climate change, artificial intelligence, and more. The result is a moving, unique story that will stay with me for a while.

If you like Homebound you might also like:

Station Eleven
by Emily St John Mandel
Alfred A. Knopf, 2014. 333 pages. Science Fiction

One snowy night a famous Hollywood actor slumps over and dies onstage during a production of King Lear. Hours later, the world as we know it begins to dissolve as the story moves back and forth in time—from the actor's early days as a film star to fifteen years in the future when a theater troupe known as the Traveling Symphony roams the wasteland of what remains.

Saltcrop
by Yumei Kitasei
Flatiron Books, 2025. 376 pages. Science Fiction

In Earth's not too distant future, seas consume coastal cities, highways disintegrate underwater, and mutant fish lurk in pirate-controlled depths. Skipper, a skilled sailor and the youngest of three sisters, earns money skimming and reselling plastic from the ocean to care for her ailing grandmother. But then her eldest sister, Nora, goes missing. Nora left home a decade ago in pursuit of a cure for failing crops all over the world. When Skipper and her other sister, Carmen, receive a cryptic plea for help, they must put aside their differences and set out across the sea to find her.

Cloud Cuckoo Land
by Anthony Doerr
Scribner, 2021. 626 pages. Fiction

Follows four young dreamers and outcasts through time and space, from 1453 Constantinople to the future, as they discover resourcefulness and hope amidst peril.

Land

2026-07-14T09:33:46.469-06:00

Land

By Maggie O’Farrell

Alfred A. Knopf, 2026. 383 pages. Fiction

On a windswept peninsula stretching out into the Atlantic, Tomás and his reluctant son, Liam, are working for the great Ordnance Survey project to map the whole of Ireland. The year is 1865, and in a country not long since ravaged and emptied by the Great Hunger, the task is not an easy one. Tomás, however, is determined that his maps will be a record of the disaster. The British soldiers in charge are due to arrive any day, expecting the work to be completed, but Tomás is unexpectedly sent off course by an unsettling encounter in a copse. His life, and the lives of those of his family, will never be the same again. Liam is terrified by the sudden change in his taciturn father. What was it that caused such cracks to open in Tomás, and how is Liam, aged only ten, going to finish the mapping and get them both home?

This summary is only the beginning of this epic family saga that takes place after the potato famine in Ireland. This work of literary fiction has a very strong sense of place. The land is one of the main characters of the story. O’Farrell’s writing is very vivid and I could easily imagine the landscape in Ireland and the copse that sets the story on its path. That being said, this isn’t a quick read nor is it light hearted. But if you’re looking for a book that takes you on a journey of a family and their relationship to the land and each other, you’re in for a treat. I think this book is going to be on many best books of 2026 lists.

If you like Land, you might also like:

Bog Queen

By Anna North

Bloomsbury Publishing, 2025. 264 pages. Fiction

When a body is found in a bog in northwest England, Agnes, an American forensic anthropologist, is called to investigate. Agnes has always been more comfortable with the dead than the living, but this body is not like any she's ever seen. Though its bones prove it was buried more than two thousand years ago, it is almost completely preserved. The mystery of the Iron Age body draws the attention of numerous groups with competing interests : the archaeologists who want to study the surrounding bog, the peat-cutters who want to profit from the land's resources, and a group of environmental activists and neo-pagans who demand the body be returned to its resting place and that the moss-layered bog -- a marvel of carbon capture on a warming planet -- be left undisturbed. Then there's the moss itself ; a complex repository of artifacts and remains, with its own dark stories to tell. As Agnes is drawn into the controversy stirred by the body and its habitat, she must face not only the deep history of what she has unearthed, but also the relationships she has forsworn in her bid for independence.

Librarian Review

This is Where the Serpent Lives

By Daniyal Mueenuddin

Alfred A. Knopf, 2026. 343 pages. Fiction

Set in urban and rural Pakistan, this novel follows the interconnected lives of multiple characters whose experiences reflect the country's feudal, political, and social structures. The narrative traces the rise and struggles of individuals shaped by poverty, power, loyalty, and ambition, including servants, landowners, and political elites. Through their personal relationships and moral choices, the novel examines issues of class, authority, corruption, and survival within contemporary Pakistani society, combining intimate.

Lore Olympus

2026-07-03T14:31:07.654-06:00

Lore Olympus, Vol. 1

by Rachel Smythe

Del Ray, 2021. Unpaged

Graphic Novel

Scandalous gossip, wild parties, and forbidden love--witness what the gods do after dark in this stylish and contemporary reimagining of one of the best-known stories in Greek mythology.

Persephone, young goddess of spring, is new to Olympus. Her mother, Demeter, has raised her in the mortal realm, but after Persephone promises to train as a sacred virgin, she's allowed to live in the fast-moving, glamorous world of the gods. When her roommate, Artemis, takes her to a party, her entire life changes: she ends up meeting Hades and feels an immediate spark with the charming yet misunderstood ruler of the Underworld. Now Persephone must navigate the confusing politics and relationships that rule Olympus, while also figuring out her own place--and her own power.

I love Greek mythology and this modern retelling is so interesting! Persephone is fresh and new to the outside world (Olympus) and is eager and excited to take advantage of all it has to offer. Hades is handsome and brooding, just like Mr. Rochester or Mr. Darcy, so of course you fall in love with him right away. The artwork is gorgeous and I find I'm just gazing at the images until I get anxious and move on with the story. It's definitely dramatic and gritty (*language) but I'm invested enough to continue the series.

If you like Lore Olympus, you might also like:

Hera

by Jennifer Saint

Flatiron Books, 2024. 388 pages

Fantasy

Even the gods must have their queen. When the immortal goddess Hera and her brother Zeus overthrow their tyrannical father, she dreams of ruling at his side. But as they establish their reign on Mount Olympus, Hera begins to see that Zeus is just as ruthless and cruel as the father they betrayed. While Zeus ascends, Hera is relegated to the role of wife and mother, a role she never wanted. She was always born to rule, but must she lose herself in perpetuating this cycle of violence and cruelty? Or can she find a way to forge a better world? In this enthralling retelling, Greek mythology's most famous and maligned goddess finally tells her own story, as power, passion, and divine strength collide in the heart of Olympus.

Aphrodite

by Phoenicia Rogerson

Hanover Square Press, 2025. 470 pages

Fantasy

Aphrodite saw the gods on Mount Olympus and decided she wanted a piece of what they had. Only problem is, she's not a goddess, just a lowly being who's supposed to remain in a distant cave, keeping the threads of Fate woven neatly. But Aphrodite's never let anyone tell her what to do ... Weaving herself a web of lies and careful deceptions, she convinces everyone she's the goddess of love and that her rightful place is among the Olympians, who lord it over everyone else at the top of the world, but under the stifling rule of Zeus. For the first time, she has the best of everything, as well as friends, peers, even loved ones. Only, being a goddess isn't quite like she thought. Those who oppose Zeus tend to disappear, or worse. And one day, Aphrodite decides she's had enough.

I, Medusa

by Ayana Gray

Random House, 2025. 320 pages

Fantasy

Meddy has spent her whole life as a footnote in someone else's story. Out of place next to her beautiful, immortal sisters and her parents--both gods, albeit minor ones--she dreams of leaving her family's island for a life of adventure. So when she catches the eye of the goddess Athena, who invites her to train as an esteemed priestess in her temple, Meddy leaps at the chance to see the world beyond her home. In Athens' colorful market streets and the clandestine chambers of the temple, Meddy flourishes in her role as Athena's favored acolyte, getting her first tastes of purpose and power. But when she is noticed by another Olympian, Poseidon, a drunken night between girl and god ends in violence, and the course of Meddy's promising future is suddenly and irrevocably altered. Her locs transformed into snakes as punishment for a crime she did not commit, Medusa must embrace a new identity--not as a victim, but as a vigilante--and with it, the chance to write her own story as mortal, martyr, and myth. Exploding with rage, heartbreak, and love, I, Medusa portrays a young woman caught in the cross currents between her heart's deepest desires and the cruel, careless games the Olympian gods play.

Charlotte Brontë's Life Through Clothes

2026-07-02T12:47:36.211-06:00

Charlotte Brontë's Life Through Clothes

By: Eleanor Houghton

Bloomsbury Visual Arts 2026. 355 pages. Nonfiction

Meet the real, thinking, feeling woman that was Charlotte Brontë, as told in this biography by the surviving witnesses to her life - the clothes that she once wore. These garments were present as she penned Jane Eyre , as she walked the cobbled streets of Haworth, and as she stood with her fiancé at the altar in the summer of 1854. Yet, until now, their testimonies had remained unheard. Renowned Brontë scholar and dress historian Eleanor Houghton's innovative, richly illustrated biography, Charlotte Brontë's Life Through Clothes, finally gives voice to the gowns, bonnets, shawls, corsets, parasols and boots that make up the novelist's wardrobe. Secrets are revealed in their very fibres. Brontë's steel busked corset tells the story of corporate espionage and forbidden love, whilst her striped, silk dress shows how she coped with the new-found pressures of fame. When exposed to 21st century technology, a tiny sample of fabric from her 'Thackeray Dress' reveals important innovations of the Industrial Revolution going on around her and a black lace veil, worn after the deaths of her siblings, expresses how she dealt with repeated familial loss. These clothes, some of which still bear the imprint of her foot or the sweat from her pores, prove themselves to be far more than mere celebrity curios. When 'read' alongside letters, portraits, her novels and the recollections of those who knew her well, Charlotte emerges as a woman altogether braver, more vulnerable, less isolated, less provincial, more fashion conscious than anyone ever expected.

This is a fascinating, tangible history of the famed and mysterious Charlotte Brontë, throwing light on her brief and fascinating life. An added element to this account is Houghton's meticulously hand-drawn depictions of the dresses and clothing accessories - there are no photographs. This makes this book a unique biography, and the beautiful art compliments the era, and Charlotte Brontë and her sister's lives. As the author points out, photographs of the items are available, and if you're able to visit the Brontë Parsonage Museum, you can see them in person. Houghton's drawings bring beauty and a sense of intimacy in this unique and highly recommended biography, emphasizing that the domestic details - what we wear day to day - is part of our story too.

If you like Charlotte Brontë's Life Through Clothes, you might also like:

The Brontë Cabinet

By Deborah Lutz

Norton & Company, 2015. 310 pages. Nonfiction.

Victorian literature scholar Deborah Lutz illuminates the complex and fascinating lives of the Brontës through the things they wore, stitched, wrote on, and inscribed. By unfolding the histories of the meaningful objects in their family home in Haworth, Lutz immerses readers in a nuanced re-creation of the sisters' daily lives while moving us chronologically forward through the major biographical events: the death of their mother and two sisters, the imaginary kingdoms of their childhood writing, their time as governesses, and their determined efforts to make a mark on the literary world. From the miniature books they made as children to the blackthorn walking sticks they carried on solitary hikes on the moors, each personal possession opens a window onto the sisters' world, their beloved fiction, and the Victorian era. A description of the brass collar worn by Emily's bull mastiff, Keeper, leads to a series of entertaining anecdotes about the influence of the family's dogs on their writing and about the relationship of Victorians to their pets in general. The sisters' portable writing desks prove to have played a crucial role in their writing lives: it was Charlotte's snooping in Emily's desk that led to the sisters' first publication in print, followed later by the publication of Jane Eyre and Wuthering Heights. Charlotte's letters provide insight into her relationships, both innocent and illicit, including her relationship with the older professor to whom she wrote passionately. And the bracelet Charlotte had made of Anne and Emily's intertwined hair bears witness to her profound grief after their deaths. Lutz captivatingly shows the Brontës anew by bringing us deep inside the physical world in which they lived and from which their writings took inspiration.

The Dress Diary

By Kate Strasdin

First Pegasus Books, 2023. 303 pages. Nonfiction

In 1838, a young woman was given a diary on her wedding day. Collecting snippets of fabric from a range of garments - some her own, others donated by family and friends - she carefully annotated each one, creating a unique record of their lives. Her name was Mrs Anne Sykes. Nearly two hundred years later, the diary fell into the hands of Kate Strasdin, a fashion historian and museum curator. Using her expertise, Strasdin spent the next six years unravelling the secrets contained within the album's pages, and the lives of the people within. Her findings are remarkable. Piece by piece, she charts Anne's journey from the mills of Lancashire to the port of Singapore before tracing her return to England in later years. Fragments of cloth become windows into Victorian life: pirates in Borneo, the complicated etiquette of mourning, poisonous dyes, the British Empire in full swing, rioting over working conditions and the terrible human cost of Britain's cotton industry. This is life writing that celebrates ordinary people: not the grandees of traditional written histories, but the hidden figures, the participants in everyday life. Through the evidence of waistcoats, ball gowns and mourning outfits, Strasdin lays bare the whole of human experience in the most intimate of mediums: the clothes we choose to wear.

The Age of Homespun: objects and stories in the creation of an American myth

By Laurel Thatcher Ulrich. Alfred A. Knopf, 2001. 501 pages. Nonfiction

They began their existence as everyday objects, but in the hands of award-winning historian Laurel Thatcher Ulrich, fourteen domestic items from preindustrial America-ranging from a linen tablecloth to an unfinished sock-relinquish their stories and offer profound insights into our history. In an age when even meals are rarely made from scratch, homespun easily acquires the glow of nostalgia. The objects Ulrich investigates unravel those simplified illusions, revealing important clues to the culture and people who made them. Ulrich uses an Indian basket to explore the uneasy coexistence of native and colonial Americans. A piece of silk embroidery reveals racial and class distinctions, and two old spinning wheels illuminate the connections between colonial cloth-making and war. Pulling these divergent threads together, Ulrich demonstrates how early Americans made, used, sold, and saved textiles in order to assert their identities, shape relationships, and create history.

MGB

Dungeon Crawler Carl

2026-07-01T16:20:26.628-06:00

Dungeon Crawler Carl

by Matt Dinniman

Dandy House, 2020. 433 pages. Science Fiction & Fantasy.

The apocalypse will be televised! A man. His ex-girlfriend's cat. A sadistic game show unlike anything in the universe: a dungeon crawl where survival depends on killing your prey in the most entertaining way possible. In a flash, every human-erected construction on Earth collapses in a heap, sinking into the ground. The buildings and all the people inside have all been atomized and transformed into the dungeon: an 18-level labyrinth filled with traps, monsters, and loot. A dungeon so enormous, it circles the entire globe. Only a few dare venture inside. But once you're in, you can't get out. In this game, it's not about your strength or your dexterity. It's about your followers, your views. Your clout. It's about building an audience and killing those goblins with style. You can't just survive here. You gotta survive big. You gotta fight with vigor, with excitement. You gotta make them stand up and cheer. And if you do have that "it" factor, you may just find yourself with a following. That's the only way to truly survive in this game--with the help of the loot boxes dropped upon you by the generous benefactors watching from across the galaxy. They call it Dungeon Crawler World. But for Carl, it's anything but a game.

Yes, this book is as good as everyone says it is. It’s the kind of book that once you read it, you need everyone around you to read it because it’s so fun and you need to talk to someone about it. While it takes a heavy dose of suspension of disbelief to get into this book, the author makes it easy. It’s a fun, fast-paced read with detailed worldbuilding, distinctive characters who you fall in love with, a large amount of tabletop RPG and other game mechanics, pop culture references galore, and a writing style that keeps you hooked. This book is recommended for anyone looking for a good time.

If you like Dungeon Crawler Carl, you might also like:

Solo Leveling

by Ch'ugong

Yen Press, 2021. 311 pages. Graphic Novel

Known as the the Weakest Hunter of All Mankind, E-rank hunter Jinwoo Sung's contribution to raids amounts to trying not to get killed. Unfortunately, between his mother's hospital bills, his sister's tuition, and his own lack of job prospects, he has no choice but to continue to put his life on the line. So when an opportunity arises for a bigger payout, he takes it... only to come face-to-face with a being whose power outranks anything he's ever seen! With the party leader missing an arm and the only healer a quivering mess, can Jinwoo somehow find them a way out?

Space Opera

by Catherynne M. Valente

Saga Press, 2018. 294 pages. Science Fiction

Mankind will not get to fight for its destiny. They must sing. A century ago, the Sentience Wars tore the galaxy apart and nearly ended the entire concept of intelligent space-faring life. In the aftermath, a curious tradition was invented by the remnants of civilization. Something to cheer up everyone who was left. Something to celebrate having escaped total annihilation by the skin of one's teeth, if indeed one has skin. Or teeth. Something to bring the shattered worlds together in the spirit of peace, unity, understanding, and the most powerful of all social bonds: excluding others. Once every cycle, the great galactic civilizations gather for Galactivision--part gladiatorial contest, part beauty pageant, part concert extravaganza, and part, a very large, but very subtle part, continuation of the wars of the past. Thus, a fragile peace has held. This year, a bizarre and unsightly species has looked up from its muddy planet-bound cradle and noticed the enormous universe blaring on around it: humanity. Where they expected to one day reach out into space and discover a grand drama of diplomacy, gunships, wormholes, and stoic councils of grave aliens, they have found glitter. And lipstick. And pyrotechnics. And electric guitars. A band of human musicians, dancers, and roadies have been chosen to represent their planet on the greatest stage in the galaxy. And the fate of Earth lies in their ability to rock.

Delicious in Dungeon

by Ryoko Kui

Yen Press, 2017. 191 pages. Graphic Novel

When young adventurer Laios and his company are attacked and soundly thrashed by a dragon deep in a dungeon, the party loses all its money and provisions ... and a member! They're eager to go back and save her, but there is just one problem: If they set out with no food or coin to speak of, they're sure to starve on the way! But Laios comes up with a brilliant idea: "Let's eat the monsters!" Slimes, basilisks, and even dragons ... none are safe from the appetites of these dungeon-crawling gourmands!

Pigeons!

2026-05-30T17:18:33.133-06:00

Pigeons!: A fable for our times
by Marc Chalvin
Street Noise Books, 2025. 191 pages. Graphic Novels

A contemporary political allegory of power, to remind us of the dangers of following a dictator and surrendering your freedom. Life is simple for the pigeons. They have no desire to contemplate their future or take control of it. Free from responsibility, they are all too willing to submit to a strong authority. This is precisely what a cruel and power-hungry crow was waiting for--a perfect opportunity to wield his natural talents as a tyrant. The crow enforces law and order, but also terror and arbitrary rules. Everyone seems to accept this situation--or maybe, they are too scared to resist. Until an idealistic seagull steps in determined to challenge the system through debate and free elections.

The allegory is blunt, and the pigeons and their story are equal parts frustrating and comical. However, the illustrations and ruminations are still on point, and you might be feeling some kinship with a certain seagull by the very end.

If you like Pigeons! : a fable for our times you might also like:

Birds of Maine
by Michael Deforge
Drawn & Quarterly, 2022. 459 pages. Graphic Novels

Long after the demise of humankind, birds roam freely around a new earth complete with fruitful trees, sophisticated fungal networks, and an enviable socialist order. The universal worm feeds all, there are no weekends, and economics is as fantastical a stud as unicorn psychology. No concept of money or wealth plagues the thoughts of these free-minded birds. Instead, there are angsty teens who form bands to show off their best bird song and other youngsters who yearn to become clothing designers even though clothes are only necessary during war. (The truly honorable professions for most birds are historian or librarian). These birds are free to crush on hot pelicans and live their best lives until a crash-laded human from the moon threatens to change everything.

Maus: A Survivor's Tale
by Art Spiegelman
Pantheon Books, 1997. 295 pages. Graphic Novels

Using animal figures to suggest the nature of the characters -- Nazis are cats, Jews are mice, Americans are dogs -- Spiegelman movingly portrays his parents' experiences and, my extension, the widespread horrors of the Nazi campaign to exterminate the Jews in Europe.

RBL

Lost Lambs

2026-05-26T19:49:51.251-06:00

Lost Lambs

By Madeline Cash

Farrar, Straus and Giroux, 2026. 323 pages. Fiction

Lost Lambs follows a suburban family of five unspooling at the seams, navigating a disastrous open marriage and teenage rebellion. Catherine and Bud's marriage has reached its breaking point as their daughters spiral in their own chaos: Abigail, the eldest, is dating a man in his twenties nicknamed War Crime Wes; Louise, the middle child, maintains a secret correspondence with an online terrorist; the brilliant youngest, Harper, is being sent to wilderness reform camp due to her insistence that someone—or something—is monitoring the town’s citizens.

This book was such a delight to read! Bouncing between multiple perspectives of the family, each one with a unique voice and offbeat narrative. The family is hilarious as they make less than perfect choices and grow as a family. If the dysfunctional family doesn't pull you in, the plot of the small-town conspiracy will! It drives the story forward and adds an air of suspense and absurdity. The writing is witty, well-paced, and tender. You will laugh and feel a newfound appreciation of the weird and imperfect people in your life!

If you like Lost Lambs, you might also like:

The Family Fang

By Kevin Wilson

Ecco Press, 2011. 256 pages. Fiction

Buster and Annie grew up in the spotlight -- their parents, performance artists utilized them in their tableaus. As adults, they have recently hit career setbacks, and have returned home to deal with the fallout. When their parents disappear from an interstate rest stop, they are skeptical that it's anything other than yet another publicity stunt. Told from Annie's and Buster's points of view, with flashbacks that capture the pieces they were forced to participate in.

The Bright Years

By Sarah Damoff

Simon & Schuster, 2025. 273 pages. Fiction

One family. Four generations. A secret son. A devastating addiction. A Texas family is met with losses and surprises of inheritance, but they're unable to shake the pull back toward each other in this big-hearted family saga

Gate to Kagoshima

2026-05-20T17:32:19.085-06:00

Gate to Kagoshima

by Poppy Kuroki

Harper Perennial, 2025. 304 pages. Fantasy.

While in Japan researching her family's history, a vicious typhoon sends Isla Mackenzie 128 years back in time, to the dawn of the Satsuma Rebellion. There she meets her ancestors, and a charismatic samurai, Kei, with whom she unexpectedly finds romance. But, unlike her Beloved, Isla knows about the looming Samurai rebellion-and Kai's fate. Should she attempt to change history or somehow make her way back to the life she'd had before?

This is an interesting time travel story with a sweet romance. While the pacing can seem slow at times, the writing helps you feel as though you are there with Isla, and things definitely heat up in the second half. Beautiful descriptions, likeable characters, and an insight to history that might not be familiar to a lot of people. The ending really makes the story. This book is recommended for fans of isekai or timeslip stories and atmospheric writing.

If you like Gate to Kagoshima, you might also like:

Fallen City

by Adrienne Young

Saturday Books, 2025. 397 pages. Fiction

In the ancient walled city of Isara, rebellion brews as politics, faith, and forbidden love collide. Luca Matius, a young legionnaire destined for power, and Maris Casperia, the daughter of a Magistrate and apprentice to a Priestess of stolen magic, are drawn together by fate. When a deadly secret ignites a holy war, their bond turns them into symbols on opposing sides of a divine struggle. Swept into a web of prophecy and rebellion, Luca and Maris must decide whether love or destiny will shape the future of their world.

The Tides of Time

by Sarah M. Eden

Shadow Mountain, 2025. 356 pages. Romance.

Fleeing Robespierre's Tribunal in revolutionary France, Lili Minet escapes to England only to have a mystical storm catapult her eighty years into the future. Rescued by lighthouse keeper Armitage Pierce, she slowly builds trust with him and his grandfather. As danger from her past resurfaces, their fragile bond is tested, challenging them to rewrite history and save their love.

The North Wind

by Alexandria Warwick

Saga Press, 2024. 441 pages. Fantasy.

When the North Wind, a dangerous immortal whose heart is as frigid as the land he rules, chooses her sister as his bride, Wren of Edgewood will do anything to save her even if it means sacrificing herself in the process.