Books Publishing This Week
The sun rises early in June, casting a soft golden light that filters through your bedroom curtains and stretches across the floorboards. You wake slowly, not to an alarm, but to birdsong and the promise of a warm day ahead. The air is already mild, full of that fresh, green scent that only early summer brings—the mix of cut grass, dew, and distant blooms. You pull on a lightweight robe or your most comfortable pair of shorts and a worn-in tee, barefoot as you pad toward the kitchen.
You aren’t in a rush this morning. That’s the gift of early June—there’s a spaciousness to the days, a sense that time is yours to shape. You make a cup of coffee or perhaps brew some tea, something bright and invigorating. A splash of milk. A spoonful of honey. You carry it carefully to your favorite spot—maybe the sunniest corner of the living room, or even outside to a porch or small balcony where you can feel the breeze on your skin.
And then you reach for the book.
It’s been sitting nearby, waiting patiently. Maybe you picked it up at the bookstore last weekend, the cover catching your eye. Or maybe it’s been on your shelf for a while, the right mood never quite arriving until now. This morning, though, something in the air—the soft sunlight, the gentle hush of the house, the mood of early summer—says it’s time.
You crack open the cover and turn to the first page. The words greet you like an old friend. Even if the characters are new, the world unfamiliar, the rhythm of reading settles in quickly. You tilt the book slightly, adjust your mug in your hand, and begin to slip away from the day’s responsibilities before they’ve even had a chance to speak up.
Around you, the neighborhood begins to stir. A lawnmower buzzes somewhere down the street. A car door slams. But none of it pulls you out of the world you're entering. This morning belongs to the story in your hands.
The book may be a gentle romance, full of soft glances and slow-burning tension. Or maybe it's a twisty mystery, each page unfolding with quiet suspense. Maybe it’s something introspective and lyrical, a memoir that moves like poetry. Whatever it is, it matches your pace, unhurried and open, like early June itself.
You pause now and then to sip your drink, watching the way sunlight pools across the table or flickers through the leaves. The breeze carries the scent of lilacs or roses in bloom, and everything feels suspended—timeless, in the best way.
You read a few chapters like this, unbothered by the ticking of the clock. There’s nowhere else you need to be, nothing more pressing than the pull of the next page. The story begins to root itself in your mind. You wonder where it will go, who these characters will become. You feel grateful to be at the beginning of something.
Eventually, the cup in your hand is empty, the sun higher in the sky. The rest of the day will come—chores, conversations, errands—but for now, you’ve carved out a quiet pocket just for yourself. You set the book down, a finger marking your place, already eager to return to it. The morning has stretched just long enough for you to feel restored, as if you’ve both escaped and returned home.
It’s early June, and you’ve begun a new book. The season is wide open before you. And so is the story.
Books Publishing This Week
Books Publishing This Week
Family and Other Calamities by Leslie Gray Streeter
A successful journalist returns to her hometown just as her biggest mistake becomes headline news in this vibrant, funny, and heartfelt novel about facing life and the past, and its secrets, head-on.
Entertainment journalist Dawn Roberts has a lot to work through: a widow’s grief, betrayals of family and friends, and scandals that almost tanked her reputation. Not that Dawn dwells on the past. Well, hardly. When she returns to Baltimore with her husband’s ashes, she can’t avoid it. In fact, she’s diving into decades of backstabbing and treachery for her first trip home in years.
She’s looking at you, Joe Perkins. Her former mentor, whose explosive exposé about big-city corruption is being turned into a slanderous movie, is also back in town. The villain of the piece? Dawn. The good news is that this could all be a chance to reset―heal family wounds, admit to her own mistakes, and maybe even reconnect with the one who got away. Oh, and get even with Joe any way she can.
With the surprising help of an up-and-coming journalist and a legendary R & B diva, Dawn will finally set the record straight. Returning home might just be the biggest story in Dawn’s life, a fresh start―and happy ending―she never expected.
Books Publishing This Week
The Baker of Lost Memories by Shirley Russak Wachtel
Author Interview with Shirley Russak Wachtel
From the author of A Castle in Brooklyn comes an epic novel spanning decades about the broken bonds of family, memories of war, and redemption and hope in the face of heartbreaking loss.
Growing up in 1960s Brooklyn, Lena wants to be a baker just like her mother was back in Poland prior to World War II. But questions about those days, and about a sister Lena never even knew, are ignored with solemn silence. It’s as if everything her parents left behind was a subject never to be broached.
The one person in whom Lena can confide is her best friend, Pearl. When she suddenly disappears from Lena’s life, Lena forges ahead: college, love and marriage with a wonderful man, the dream of owning a bakery becoming a reality, and the hope that someday Pearl will return to share in Lena’s happiness―and to be there for her during the unexpected losses to come.
Only when Lena discovers the depth of her parents’ anguish, and a startling truth about her own past, can they rebuild a family and overcome the heart-wrenching memories that have torn them apart.
Books Publishing This Week
No Lie Lasts Forever by Mark Stevens
Zodiac with a terrifying twist, in a taut thriller from author Mark Stevens about a reformed serial killer and the disgraced journalist he coaxes into finding the imposter trading on his name.
When a reporter dies in a shockingly familiar way, the media rushes to announce the return of the PDQ Killer. The city of Denver reels, but no one more than Harry Kugel. After all, he is the PDQ Killer―or was fifteen years ago. And he didn’t do this.
Still working to reform his ways, Harry won’t let some amateur murderer ride his twisted coattails and risk drawing the police back his way. To protect his legacy and quiet new life, he’ll have to expose the copycat. Without exposing himself.
Disgraced TV journalist Flynn Martin holds the key. After a botched hostage situation, she’ll do anything to revive her dying career―even hunt down a monster who executed one of her own.
Harry must convince Flynn to follow him into the heady world of a killer. But with the law closing in and a rival at large, he starts to feel the familiar pull of old urges…
Books Publishing This Week
The Palace At The End Of The Sea by Simon Tolkien
Author Interview with Simon Tolkien
A young man comes of age and crosses continents in search of an identity―and a cause―at the dawn of the Spanish Civil War in a thrilling, timely, and emotional historical saga.
New York City, 1929. Young Theo Sterling’s world begins to unravel as the Great Depression exerts its icy grip. He finds it hard to relate to his parents: His father, a Jewish self-made businessman, refuses to give up on the American dream, and his mother, a refugee from religious persecution in Mexico, holds fast to her Catholic faith. When disaster strikes the family, Theo must learn who he is. A charismatic school friend and a firebrand girl inspire him to believe he can fight Fascism and change the world, but each rebellion comes at a higher price, forcing Theo to question these ideologies too.
From New York’s Lower East Side to an English boarding school to an Andalusian village in the foothills of the Sierra Nevada, Theo’s harrowing journey from boy to man is set against a backdrop of societies torn apart from within, teetering on the edge of a terrible war to which Theo is compulsively drawn like a moth to a flame.
Books Publishing This Week
Cyborg Fever by Laurie Sheck
"Cyborg Fever" is a probing and lyrical philosophical novel in the spirit of Umberto Eco, Italo Calvino and Maggie Nelson that asks what it means to be human in the age of AI and increasing transhumanism. This eccentric and brainy read dives into bioengineering, astrophysics, the information age and more, artfully blending fiction and nonfiction.
Books Publishing This Week
The Lost Book of First Loves by RaeAnne Thayne
Author Interview with RaeAnne Thayne
From New York Times bestselling author RaeAnne Thayne comes a brand-new story about two women, a family secret and a lost manuscript that changes everything…
Raised by her literary icon father Carson Wells, Allison Wells always felt loved, even though her mother died when she was a teen. But when she takes a DNA test on a whim and discovers she has a sister that she’s never heard about before, it’s clear there are things her father never told her before he died. Determined to meet Juniper—her half sister—and unravel the truth of what happened all those years ago, Ali finds herself taking a job as Juniper’s intern. She’ll eventually figure out a way to tell Juniper the truth of their relationship. But she never could have imagined what would happen next…
Juniper Connolly has always been incredibly healthy…until she wakes up in the hospital after experiencing cardiac arrest, with her new—and recently fired—intern to thank for saving her life. It’s clear June needs to de-stress her life a little, so when Ali offers her the use of her family’s cabin in a small Wyoming town, June has no reason not to go. But when she arrives in the small town, her life will never be the same.
Under the wide-open spaces of the Wyoming summer sun, Ali and June will untangle the secrets and lies their lives were built on to discover who they really are and what family really means. But even more than that, they'll build a real relationship with one another and finally become sisters.
Books Publishing This Week
Battle of the Bookstores by Ali Brady
Author Interview with Alison Hammer of Ali Brady
Rivalry and romance spark when two bookstore managers who are opposites in every way find themselves competing for the same promotion.
Despite managing bookstores on the same Boston street, Josie Klein and Ryan Lawson have never interacted much—Josie’s store focuses on serious literature, and Ryan’s sells romance only. But when the new owner of both stores decides to combine them, the two are thrust into direct competition. Only one manager will be left standing, decided by who turns the most profit over the summer.
Efficient and detail-oriented Josie instantly clashes with easygoing and disorganized Ryan. Their competing events and contrasting styles lead to more than just frustration—the sparks between them might just set the whole store on fire. Their only solace during this chaos is the friendship they’ve each struck up with an anonymous friend in an online book forum. Little do they know they’re actually chatting with each other.
As their rivalry heats up in real life, their online relationship grows, and when the walls between their stores come tumbling down, Josie and Ryan realize not all’s fair in love and war. And maybe, if they’re lucky, happily ever afters aren’t just for the books.
Books Publishing This Week
A First Time for Everything by K. L. Walther
Madeline has always been extremely close to her family, so she is shocked when her older brother gets engaged without including them (or even giving them a heads up!). Mads has never been the biggest fan of his fiancée, Katie, so in order to remain one happy family, she is determined to bond with Katie before the big day, which includes reluctantly agreeing to be a bridesmaid.
During a late-night bridesmaids-only game of "Truth or Dare" Mads is cornered into revealing she has never been kissed or even been on a date, which spurs the other girls to unite on a quest to find Mads the perfect plus-one for the wedding. Next thing she knows she’s navigating a series of disastrous dates that include some major misunderstandings and mishaps.
All of a sudden Mads finds her heart tugged in different directions: to Connor, the boy next door who knows her best. To Marco, the former classmate who knows how to push all her buttons. And to some of the new suitors who surprisingly aren’t all bad.
As the wedding draws nearer, Mads has to figure out who she wants most as a forever dance partner, while also making sure her brother isn't making the biggest mistake of his life.
Books Publishing This Week
Lady’s Knight by Amie Kaufman and Meagan Spooner
Gwen is sick of hiding—hiding the fact that she’s taken over her father’s blacksmithing duties, hiding her attraction to girls, hiding her yearning for glory as a knight.
Meanwhile, Lady Isobelle of Avington, queen bee of the castle, has never once considered hiding who she is—until now. She’s been chosen as the grand prize in the Tournament of Dragonslayers, to be given to whichever knight can claim her hand. And for the first time in her life, she can’t talk her way out of trouble.
When Isobelle discovers Gwen’s knightly ambitions, they hatch a scheme together—Gwen will joust in the tournament, disguised as Sir Gawain. Winning means freedom for Isobelle, and glory for Gwen. Losing means… well, let’s not go there.
One thing’s for sure: Falling in love was never the plan.
But the best laid plans…are often trampled all over by dragons.
Books Publishing This Week
That Devil, Ambition by Linsey Miller
There is only one school worth graduating from, and it creates as many magicians as it does graves…
First in his class and last in his noble line, Fabian Galloway’s only hope of a good future is passing his elite school's honors class. It’s only offered to the best thirteen students, and those students have a single assignment: kill their professor.
If they succeed, their student debt is forgiven. However, if an assassination attempt fails or the professor is alive at the end of the year, the students’ lives are forfeit.
And dealing with the professor, a devil summoned solely to kill or be killed, is no easy task.
Fabian isn't worried, though. He trusts his best friends—softhearted math genius Credence and absent-minded but insightful Euphemia—to help. After all, that’s why he befriended them.
As the months pass and their professor remains impossibly alive, the trio must use every asset they have to survive. Or else failure will be on their academic records—and their tombstones—forever.
Books Publishing This Week
Heir of Storms by Lauryn Hamilton Murray
The very day Blaze came into the world, she almost drowned it. A Rain Singer born into one of the most powerful fire-wielding families in the empire, Blaze's birth summoned a devastating storm that left thousands dead. She's been hidden away ever since with a dark secret: the same torrential power that branded her an outcast disappeared that fateful day. And she’s not sure she wants it back.
When an unexpected invitation arrives for Blaze and her twin brother, Flint, to compete as future rulers of the empire, she’s suddenly thrust into the limelight again -- and into battle. Threats abound at the Golden Palace, where intrigue and romance await with not one but two handsome suitors: the enchanting Crown Prince and a dangerously alluring newcomer at court.
As Blaze explores her untapped power, she discovers the throne may be within her grasp. But in order to take it, she’ll have to leave behind the stories that others have told about her, and find the courage to write her own.
Books Publishing This Week
Behold the Bird in Flight: A Novel of an Abducted Queen by Terri Lewis
For fans of Maggie O’Farrell, a coming-of-age story and a royal love triangle marked by danger and longing, based on real events in medieval France and England.
Romantic and stubborn, eleven-year-old Isi plans to marry for love and be mistress of her own castle. But life in 1198 is full of threat and a series of tragic events teaches her growing up is hard.
When Isi falls for Hugh, a French nobleman, he consents to marry her, but only for her dowry. She longs for more. Hoping a jealous man will fall in love, she flirts with a king. The flirtation backfires: King John abducts and marries her. Now trapped in cold, warring England with a malicious husband, Isi must hide her yearning for Hugh and find her own power. If she fails, she won’t live to return to her beloved.
Inspired by real historical figures—Isabelle d’Angoulême, Hugh de Lusignan, and King John of Magna Carta fame—Behold the Bird in Flight is set in a period that valued women only for their dowries and childbearing. Isabelle’s story has been mainly erased by men, but the medieval chronicles suggest a woman who developed her own power and wielded it—in court and in bed. And as the woman behind the throne, who’s to say she didn’t influence history?
Books Publishing This Week
Tell Me Something Good by Court Stevens
This is a story of the rich and the very poor. This is a story of an illegal auction with dire consequences. This is a story of murders past and present. This is a story of intertwined relationships and the silent ripples they leave behind, where love becomes a guiding force, revealing the lengths one will go to protect those they cherish.
Over twenty years ago, a young hunting guide in rural Kentucky was driving his boat in the early morning mist when his peaceful cruise was cut short by a scene so disturbing, he packed up and moved away. Nine women died early that morning, but it was linked to a similar crime in Texas, so the locals quickly wrote it off as having nothing to do with them.
Now, all these years later, when everyone has nearly forgotten about that grisly part of their past, one man's accidental death will bring everything back up to the surface. The locals who knew better can no longer claim it had nothing to do with them, and one woman, desperate to do whatever it takes to save her mother's life, will learn that nearly everyone in her life has been lying to her.
In Court Stevens's adult debut, she delves deep into the heart of a community, where some will learn that we don't always live to see the ripples we make, but we must make them all the same.
Books Publishing This Week
Where Secrets Lie by Colleen Coble and Rick Acker
USA TODAY bestselling romantic suspense author Colleen Coble and Rick Acker deliver the second book in their compelling Tupelo Grove series (following What We Hide), where a crumbling university, stolen artifacts, deep family secrets, and deadly ambitions all stand in the way of a second chance at happiness.
College professor Savannah Webster is ready to give her ex-husband, Hez, another chance, and she believes he's finally ready for them to face their many past trials as a team. But when Savannah finds evidence that points to Hez's old demons resurfacing, the fragile trust they've built begins to crumble. And it's not just their relationship that hanging in the balance--the survival of the university Savannah's family poured their lives into is also under threat.
Hez is determined to put his past mistakes behind him with his new role mentoring law students at Tupelo Grove University's legal clinic. His primary focus with the clinic is to help Savannah pull the university out of a pit of debt and bad decisions made by the previous leadership, including her father. But their quest for stability takes a dark turn as they try to root out the dangerous smuggling ring the university is entangled in, and their investigation puts them in the crosshairs of criminals who will stop at nothing to eliminate any obstacle in their path.
The twists continue until the final page as a dangerous world of smuggling and financial instability collides with the complex dynamics of legacy and family.
Colleen Coble and Rick Acker's Where Secrets Lie is gripping suspense with closed-door, second-chance romance. They've "forged a seamless partnership with a singular voice" (Charles Martin), "where secrets simmer and unexpected twists leave you guessing until the shocking finale" (Kate Angelo).
Looking for more from these authors? Don't miss What We Hide, the first book in the Tupelo Grove series, or the standalone novel I Think I Was Murdered. All their novels include discussion questions that are perfect for book clubs.
Books Publishing This Week
The Friendship Fling by Georgia Stone
A delightfully charming, heartfelt, and hilarious debut love story about two wildly different strangers who embark on a short-term friendship over one London summer—only to discover they may be something more by the time the season ends.
No one would ever call Ava Monroe a people person, which isn’t ideal for a barista in a busy London coffee shop. She’s sarcastic, blunt, and set in her ways, with a rule that her romantic relationships are to be strictly no-strings-attached. But now, rather inconveniently, her best friend Josie is about to leave for several months, and she’s pushing Ava to get out of her comfort zone and meet new people—though Ava’s really not keen to shake up her life.
Then the interminably cheerful and undeniably gorgeous Finn O’Callaghan rolls into her coffee shop with an unusual proposal: a mutually beneficial, friends-only summer fling. Finn needs a local to help him complete his London bucket list before he moves away, and Ava needs to reassure Josie—and maybe herself—that she won’t be lonely. Besides, it’s only for a few months; what’s the worst that could happen?
Before long, their mismatched friendship of convenience becomes more tolerable than Ava expected. As they work their way through Finn’s list around the sun-drenched city, from rooftops and floating bars to nights at the museum, their adventures—and Finn’s company—start to feel… nice. Incredibly, terrifyingly, dangerously nice. Still, rules are rules—and Ava’s not one to make exceptions. And as the days get shorter and Finn’s departure gets closer, Ava is surprised to find herself soaking up every moment, wishing they had more time together. But that’s the thing about summer: it always ends. Right?
Books Publishing This Week
Closer by Miriam Gershow
Set in 2015 during Obama's presidency and Trump's early candidacy, the tranquil college town of Horace, Oregon, is disrupted when white students taunt a Black student in the high school library. This incident sparks immediate repercussions that ripple through the community, affecting students, families, and faculty alike. Woody, the school's guidance counselor, finds himself thrust into the spotlight after years on the sidelines. Lark, a struggling student, grapples with the fallout as her relationships are reshaped by the incident. Stefanie, a conflicted parent, struggles to balance protecting her child with allowing him to find his own path. Friendships are strained, marriages are tested, and families face the threat of sudden violence. When tragedy strikes with the death of a student, the survivors are left grappling with the fault lines in their most intimate relationships and searching for ways to draw closer.Closer explores themes of community, resilience, and the impacts of individual actions on collective destinies, offering a poignant reflection on how individuals grapple with their lives amidst societal challenges and personal reckonings.
Books Publishing This Week
Just Beachy by Wendy Wax
Author Interview with Wendy Wax
After losing her longtime acting gig on the hit show Murder 101, Sydney Ryan decides she needs a break from Hollywood politics. She heads to Treasure Island, Florida, where her grandmother has been visiting and now refuses to leave. Sydney’s plan to lie low for a bit quickly goes awry, though, as she is swept up in her grandmother’s now-flourishing social life—Grand not only bought a new house in Casas de Flores, she’s also helping her neighbor Myra open a bookstore in Pass-a-Grille. But when someone breaks into Grand’s house repeatedly, Sydney realizes her grandmother is keeping something from her.
Determined to ferret out the truth and protect her grandmother, Sydney enlists the help of the Ten Beach Road ladies and Luke, a local police officer who was once her high school crush. While Sydney puts her television crime-solving skills to the test, she decides to act on the sizzling chemistry between herself and Luke. And as Sydney spends more sunsets toasting to true friends and new romance, she begins to wonder if the sun is setting on her time in Hollywood and if this town could be the dawn of a new chapter.
Books Publishing This Week
It Takes a Psychic by Jayne Castle
Two unlikely allies search for the secrets of their pasts while on the run within the Alien world of Harmony in the thrilling new novel by New York Times bestselling author Jayne Castle.
Leona Griffin is at the height of her career as a para-archeologist thanks to a recent Underworld discovery. Her high profile attracts the attention of an organization of elite, secretive collectors. They want her to authenticate the artifacts that aspiring members submit as evidence to join their group. The ceremony takes place at a glittering reception where Leona is shocked to discover that one of the relics is a powerful Old-World object known as Pandora’s Box. But she’s not the only one interested in that artifact.
Oliver Rancourt, a man with a unique talent—they say you never see him coming—is also there. Leona knows she must not underestimate him. Attempting to make a discreet exit, she stumbles over the body of a waiter wearing the emblem of a dangerous cult. Before she can alert authorities, a police raid sends the reception into chaos. To avoid being arrested, Leona slips away with Oliver—a risky decision that gets her fired.
Now forced to work together, Leona and Oliver pursue an investigation that leads them to the town of Lost Creek where the locals are obsessed with a chilling legend involving a long-dead cult leader and illicit paranormal experiments. But Leona knows the real danger may be the irresistible attraction between herself and Oliver.
Books Publishing This Week
The Secret Song of Shelby Ray by Rayne Lacko
Eighteen-year-old Shelby Rey has a secret superpower: she can hear people’s deepest emotions and truths, in song form, just by touching them. But in a world where everyone guards their secrets, her gift feels more like a curse.
Life has been hard since she lost her dad, and it reaches a new low when she gets kicked out by her drug-addicted mom. Shelby’s life hits a turning point, however, when she meets Zac Wyatt, a chart-topping rock star with a hidden side only she can hear. Swept into his world of fame and music, Shelby forms an electrifying connection with Zac that she can’t resist.
But darkness lurks beneath the spotlight. Zac’s jealousy of his bandmate Stanford, a troubled musical genius, threatens to destroy everything—and when Shelby uncovers Stanford’s devastating truth, she faces an impossible choice that could shatter their world. In a whirlwind of love, betrayal, heartbreak, and injustice, Shelby must find the courage to listen to her own inner song.
Books Publishing This Week
Cosmic Love at the Multiverse Hair Salon by Annie Mare
Tressa Fay Robeson has never been shy, which is how she’s made a name for herself as an in-demand hairstylist and social media star. So she can admit that spending her days at her hair salon and her nights with her tight-knit group of friends (and one grumpy cat) is not the kind of exciting life she’d hoped for.
When a misdirected text from a stranger leads to a flirty exchange, she surprises herself by suggesting an impulsive meetup. But the woman, Meryl, never shows. Tressa Fay brushes it off—until Meryl’s sister and friend show up at the salon demanding to know what’s going on. Because, you see, there’s no way Meryl could have texted her. Meryl has been missing for a month.
Tressa Fay and her tight-knit group of friends soon discover they aren’t dealing with a catfish, but a temporal paradox. As they come to terms with the idea of parallel universes, they realize how many times their paths have crossed like this before. But even as they understand the multiverse more and more, nothing keeps Meryl from vanishing.
As it draws closer to the moment of Meryl’s disappearance, there’s only one question left: Have they done enough to change the outcome, or have they done so much that none of them will make it past that fateful day in September?
Books Publishing This Week
The Chosen Queen by Sam Davey
Igraine is happily married to Gorlois, Duke of Cornwall, even though his withdrawal from the Mysteries has created a strain between them, as well as friction between her and High Priestess of the Goddess, Vivian, the Lady of the Lake. While they are visiting King Uther Pendragon at his castle, Uther makes it obvious to the entire court that he desires Igraine to be his queen. Later, he corners her in the hall, and when Igraine informs Gorlois of what happened, he gathers his people and abruptly leaves the festivities, later declaring war on Uther. England has only recently found peace, and Merlin pleads with Gorlois to pledge allegiance to Uther. But Gorlois’ pride will keep him bent toward war, no matter the cost to his people.
In the bloody aftermath, Igraine bravely assumes the role of leader at Tintagel Castle, encouraging the women left behind to continue working the fields to show their devotion to the Goddess and instructing her two daughters Morgause and Morgan to harness their own powers. She plans a grand summer solstice celebration, inviting their allies. On the eve of the solstice, Gorlois unexpectedly returns to Tintagel. But it is only after she lies with who she thinks is her beloved husband that Igraine learns the full extent of Merlin and Vivan’s devious plot. Igraine is chosen by the Goddess, by the Lady of the Lake, by Merlin, by Uther Pendragon … but in the end, she will choose her own fate.
Sam Davey’s twist on Arthurian lore is a bold reimagining of myth, where the women who shaped a kingdom finally get the recognition they rightfully deserve.
Books Publishing This Week
The Passengers on the Hankyu Line by Hiro Arikawa, translated by Allison Markin Powell
Come along on a heartwarming, funny, and perfectly cozy voyage with the charming and relatable passengers—including one dashing dachshund—whose lives intersect and affect each other on one of Japan’s most romantic railway lines from international bestselling author Hiro Arikawa.
Between the two beautiful towns of Takarazuka and Nishinomiya, in a stunning mountainous area of Japan, rattles the Hankyu Line train. Passengers step on and off, lost in thought, contemplating the tiny knots of their existence. On the outward journey, we are introduced to the emotional dilemmas of five characters, and on the return journey six months later, we watch them find resolutions.
A young man meets the young woman who always happens to borrow a library book just before he can check it out himself, a woman in a white bridal dress boards looking inexplicably sad, a university student heads home after class, a girl prepares to leave her abusive boyfriend, and an old lady discusses adopting a dog with her granddaughter.
With stories that crisscross like the railway lines, the Hankyu train trundles on, propelling the lives and loves of its passengers ever forward.
Stop All the Clocks by Noah Kumin
A Thrilling Debut that Explores the Profound Mysteries of Life in the Digital Age
Mona Veigh was feeling burnt out from the tech world—and life in general. Following the death of her unconventional colleague, Avram Parr, and the collapse of her AI company that left her a hefty cash-out, Mona retreated to her home on Roosevelt Island, free to toss her phone into the East River and curl up with a good book, forever.
However, strange occurrences intrude on Mona's permanent vacation and thrust her back into the world. Colleagues from her former company begin to track her down and let on that there may be more to Avram Parr’s death than meets the eye. They all seem to believe that Mona possesses the crucial information about Avram that they seek, or, if not Mona, then her creation, Hildegard—an oracle-like bot that produces eerily prophetic poetry.
Stop All the Clocks is a rare literary thriller where the crux of the whodunnit isn't a person but modern life itself, where the conspiracy lies within the dark magic of digital technology—the ones and zeroes to which everyone is beholden—and the motive is the beguiling power of the words on the page.
A Real Emergency by Joanna Sokol
For fifteen years, Joanna Sokol filled private notebooks with her confusion, humor, and anger toward the strange world of emergency street medicine. As her career on the ambulance progressed, she found herself taking notes on scraps of paper, the backs of gloves, and in the margins of EKG printouts. She listened to her patients’ stories, left food out for their pets, and turned off the stove under their oxtail stews. Once, she read half a poem left in a dead woman’s typewriter. She learned about the history that brought ambulances into their current role as the caretakers of society’s forgotten and spoke to her colleagues about their own experiences and perspectives.
Those reflections are collected here, in a series of raw, powerful essays about the state modern healthcare.
Combining impactful research, compassionate reflections on her most memorable patients, and the strong voices of her fellow paramedics, Sokol takes readers deep into the everyday reality of 911 first responders, offering insight, empathy, and a reminder of both the power and limitations of care.
Women Like Us by Katia Lief
It’s been five years since Joni Ackerman tipped the antifreeze into her husband’s cocktail. Five years since he was found dead on the stairs. Five years since she got away with murder. At first, Joni feared the consequences of her transgression, but she’s learned to embrace the power of recklessness in a way she would have hated to see in anyone else. It was that recklessness, after all, that took her to this rewarding new life.
Joni now runs Sunny Day Productions alongside her daughter, Chris, and her best friend, Val. All is well in life and work until, one day, their balance is rocked when an unexpected, and unwelcome, visitor appears.
When Joni’s brother, Marc, resurfaces after a twenty-year estrangement, Joni braces for the sibling she knew—a cruel, vindictive conman who deftly switched between personas. But this Marc on her doorstep is different. He’s older, softer. And he seems to have overcome the self-inflicted traumas of his past.
But Val isn’t fooled. She knows exactly what sort of man Marc is, and she warns Joni to keep her guard up. When Mark inevitably betrays Joni’s trust, Joni is forced to look inward. As dark thoughts, and darker compulsions, take form, Joni can’t help but wonder: ‘Is psychopathy a family trait?’
Claire Casey's Had Enough By Liz Alterman
Back in the day, Claire had dreams. She was going to be somebody! Now a forty-something mom of three (four if you count her husband!), drowning in laundry and PTA chores, with a job she can’t stand, she's finally had enough . . . A hilarious, heartwarming mom-com, perfect for fans of Sophie Kinsella and Fiona Gibson.
Claire Casey has reached her breaking point. For years, she’s juggled it all: kids, husband, career, and a never-ending list of responsibilities. But when the man who’s supposed to be her partner – who promised he wouldn’t let his phone die and would pick her up from the airport – completely forgets about her, Claire snaps.
It’s the final straw. Claire is done. And so are they.
Sort of . . . maybe. (It’s not easy saying goodbye to sixteen years of marriage, ok!)
Still, Claire’s determined to reclaim her life. She’s tired of being the overworked, worn-out mom in her forties. She wants to be hopeful, vivacious Claire again.
Attending her college reunion reconnects her with former flame, Alex. And while flirting with him over email is innocent, his invitation to meet for drinks at a swanky hotel is not!
As Claire begins to rediscover the woman she was, she’s forced to confront the harsh reality that recapturing her sense of self could blow up her marriage . . . Now Claire must decide: risk the unknown or rebuild the life she has, flaws and all?
Told over the course of a day in the life of this relatable heroine, Claire Casey’s Had Enough is a laugh-out-loud mom-com that readers will adore!
Praise for Claire Casey’s Had Enough
Liz Alterman’s Claire Casey’s Had Enough is a hilarious and heartwarming romcom that captivated me from the first page. With sharp wit and relatable characters, Alterman masterfully explores love, nostalgia, and the complexities of midlife, with a fresh voice. A delightful read that will leave you laughing and reflecting long after the final chapter! ― Ann Garvin, USA Today bestselling author
Charming and unexpected, Claire Casey’s Had Enough is the story of a harried wife and mother who must decide if her former flame is a footnote - or her future. Liz Alterman has a true talent for writing all-too-relatable characters and the challenges midlife can throw our way ― Camille Pagán, bestselling author of Good for You
What Fish Are Saying by Kirsten Pendreigh
Follow along with one little shellfish to discover cutting-edge, under-the-sea science!
Did you know that deep in the ocean, fish are loud? With modern technology, scientists have recently discovered that fish and shellfish grunt and groan, crackle and cluck, and even burp and boop to communicate. They warn each other, woo each other, and welcome each other with sounds, making the ocean noisy! This upbeat, rhyming nonfiction picture book explores underwater science and noise in a unique way and is perfect for any school or home library.
The Ground That Devours Us by Kalla Harris
The world ended ten years ago.
Vampires showed up, took over, and turned the whole planet into their personal all-you-can-drink buffet. The president? Bloodsucker. The government? Bloodsuckers. My social life? Absolutely nonexistent.
But hey, at least I had one thing going for me―slayer training. My twin sister, Ripley, and I were about to go pro, officially joining the ranks of the last people on earth who actually do something about the whole “undead overlords” situation.
And then X had to show up. The vampire boogeyman. The worst of the worst. And instead of killing Ripley, like any decent monster would, he turned her. Now she’s technically a vamp, but something tells me my sister is still in there. Which means I can’t slay her.
What can I do? Break every rule. Lie to my friends. Strike a deal with the most dangerous vampire on the planet: X will protect Ripley from everyone else who wants her dead―like, really dead―until I can snag the cure for vampirism. The catch? Risking my own head to help him free his good-for-nothing BFF from the very slayers who taught me everything.
If I want Ripley back, I’m going to have to play nice with the thing that ruined my life. And the worst part?
I think he’s enjoying this.
Fifty Fifty by Steve Cavanagh
Two sisters on trial for murder. They accuse each other. Who do you believe? From Steve Cavanagh, the “wickedly clever” (The New York Times) master of twisty psychological thrillers.
“911 what’s your emergency?”
“My dad’s dead. My sister Sofia killed him. She’s still in the house. Please send help.”
“My dad’s dead. My sister Alexandra killed him. She’s still in the house. Please send help.”
One of them is a liar and a killer.
But which one?
The Expat Affair by Kimberly Belle
Author Interview with Kimberly Belle
Following a nasty divorce, Rayna Dumont came to Amsterdam for a fresh start. She’s never been the type for a one-night stand, but this move is all about adventure, and Xander is handsome and successful and more than willing to go along for the ride. Until the morning after, when Rayna finds him dead on the shower floor and millions of dollars’ worth of diamonds missing from his safe.
From her lavish home in the heart of the city, Willow Prins is captivated by the news. Her husband is Xander’s former boss and heir to a diamond house, and the scandal strains their already-rocky marriage. As the house comes under scrutiny, Willow wonders if her life is about to implode—and how much of the blame she can place on Rayna. Soon, Willow and Rayna are dragged into the dark and dangerous underbelly of the diamond market, where they’ll have to uncover the truth to survive. Who killed Xander? Where are the missing diamonds? And who can you trust in a strange and unfamiliar city thousands of miles from home?
The Lure of Their Graves by Laura R. Samotin
In the heart-wrenching sequel to The Sins on Their Bones, The Lure of Their Graves forces Dimitri and Vasily to confront old ghosts and a new threat: political enemies-turned-suitors, all coveting Dimitri’s throne and his hand in marriage.
Dimitri Abramovich may have won back the throne of Novo-Svitsevo, but even after defeating his former husband, the usurper Alexey Balakin, he seems no closer to securing lasting peace for his people. Enemies are closing in on all sides, and pressure is mounting for Dimitri to play the one card he has left in a bid for stability—offering his hand in marriage for a second time.
But Dimitri is still healing from the tragedies of the war, his return to the throne, and Alexey's years of torment. Vasily Sokolov is the only person with whom he feels safe, and giving up the comfort of their budding relationship feels unfathomable, even if it's the only way to sever the alliances being formed among the countries surrounding Novo-Svitsevo. So as Dimitri and Vasily reckon with political treachery, the lasting consequences of Dimitri's resurrection, and the sinister legacy of Alexey’s use of the Holy Science, they must also work to understand what it means to love each other even as they prepare to let each other go—which might prove the most difficult of all.
Sea Change by Susan Fletcher
An original and timely new YA novel from acclaimed author Susan Fletcher, set in a near-future where rogue gene editing has changed humanity—loosely based on The Little Mermaid
A girl torn between two worlds . . .
Turtle is scavenging a drowned town when she saves a stranger’s life. There’s something special about Kai—an attraction she’s never felt before. She would do anything to see him again.
But Turtle can never truly be with Kai, because Kai is Normal, and Turtle is one of the Mer, kids whose genes were illegally hacked before birth and who now have working gills as well as lungs. Turtle lives on an old cruise ship with the other Mer in order to be close to the water she needs to survive.
Yet she sneaks away and lies to her friends to spend more time on land with Kai. And the pull of the shore grows even stronger when Turtle reconnects with her sisters and learns that her father, who has been in prison for having her genes modified, has escaped and may be hiding out nearby.
When scientists come up with a way for the Mer to surrender their gills and live as Normals, Turtle faces a terrible choice. Turtle loves her life with her Mer friends, but she desperately misses her family. And then there’s Kai . . .
Should she give up her Mer community and their way of life, along with the joy of living freely under the sea? Or give up the guy she’s falling for . . . and any hope of reconnecting with her family?
A Clean Mess by Tiffany Jenkins
The bestselling author of High Achiever chronicles life after addiction—the raw, the dark, and the hilarious—from setting out with nothing but a backpack to discovering her marriage was built on a shakier foundation than she’d ever imagined to staying sober when life fell apart.
“Tiffany Jenkins illustrates that recovery is not just about sobriety, but about learning to live and feel again. Her compelling story is a testament to the power of resilience, humor, and hope.”—Sarah Levy, author of Drinking Games
A Clean Mess opens with the moment that changed everything. Tiffany is about to go on stage when she receives an odd message from her husband: “Hey Babe, some of the guys here are making some stupid decisions. Not me. But I just wanted to let you know in case you heard it from some of the other wives.” By the end of the night, Tiffany knew her life would never be the same.
This wasn’t the first time she had to start over. After the opioid addiction and jail sentence that she chronicled in her bestselling memoir, High Achiever, Tiffany was ready for a fresh start. A chance to try life again, this time without drugs coursing through her veins. In A Clean Mess, she takes us back to those early days of recovery, and the whirlwind that she entered the moment she was out of prison. In just two years, she went from inmate to married and sober mom of three.
Told with humor and honesty, A Clean Mess is Tiffany Jenkins’s story of how she learned to live and feel for the first time without numbing herself with drugs—and how she discovered inner reserves of strength she didn’t know she had. From her tentative first days of sobriety, to seeing two pink lines on a pregnancy test weeks later, to navigating anxiety, a new marriage, and motherhood at the same time, to surviving betrayal and divorce, Jenkins shows how she got through it all when her crutches and Band-Aids were taken away from her. An inspiring memoir that reads like fiction, A Clean Mess is a book that will buoy anyone seeking a life raft in hard times.
R.A.T.S by Claudia Daher
In 2040, 15-year-old David discovers that he and his friends are Earth’s final defense against extraterrestrial forces determined to steal Earth’s water. Through an alternate reality game, R.A.T.S, created by his grandfather HB, David and his allies undergo training and unite across the globe. As they prepare for an apocalyptic battle, they unravel hidden truths about the universe and their own destinies—while battling environmental collapse and a relentless alien invasion.
“R.A.T.S” explores themes of artificial intelligence, climate change, alien life, and global cultures as the characters quickly become part of a revolutionary movement to combat environmental disasters and uncover hidden truths about the world and beyond. Through their journey, they must navigate friendships, challenges, and the pursuit of knowledge while striving to make a difference.
Unearthed: The Lies We Carry & The Truths They Bury by Chanchal Garg
In this searing memoir, Chanchal Garg reveals the spiritual and sexual abuse that shattered her sense of self and forced her to question a life defined by duty and sacrifice. Raised as a devoted Indian daughter, she was taught never to question authority—until a transformative moment during a yoga class, while pregnant with her daughter, awakened a truth she could no longer ignore.
That realization set her on a solitary journey, as she lost her faith, community, and the life she had always known. Without the support she had once relied on, she had to learn to trust herself, reclaim her bicultural identity, and redefine what it meant to be both Indian and American—on her own terms.
Unearthed is a powerful call to every woman who has ever felt silenced —an invitation to trust your inner voice, reclaim your story, and return to yourself.