Staff Picks
What We're Reading: February 2024
- Leighan C.
- Thursday, February 01
Collection
Check out what the members of the Richland Library Team are reading this month! We can help you discover great titles for adults, teens, and children.
All titles linked here are in print format, but other formats may be available. Check the catalog and the monthly What We're Reading Libby shelf for eBooks and eAudiobooks.
Go Ask Alice
Published in 1971
Go Ahead in the Rain
Notes to A Tribe Called Quest
Published in 2019
How does one pay homage to A Tribe Called Quest? The seminal rap group brought jazz into the genre, resurrecting timeless rhythms to create masterpieces such as The Low End Theory and Midnight Marauders. Seventeen years after their last album, they resurrected themselves with an intense, socially conscious record, We Got It from Here . . . Thank You 4 Your Service, which arrived when fans needed it most, in the aftermath of the 2016 election. Poet and essayist Hanif Abdurraqib digs into the group's history and draws from his own experience to reflect on how its distinctive sound resonated among fans like himself. The result is as ambitious and genre bending as the rap group itself. Abdurraqib traces the Tribe's creative career, from their early days as part of the Afrocentric rap collective known as the Native Tongues, through their first three classic albums, to their eventual breakup and long hiatus. Their work is placed in the context of the broader rap landscape of the 1990s, one upended by sampling laws that forced a reinvention in production methods, the East Coast/West Coast rivalry that threatened to destroy the genre, and some record labels' shift from focusing on groups to individual MCs. Throughout the narrative Abdurraqib connects the music and cultural history to their street-level impact. Whether he's remembering The Source magazine cover announcing the Tribe's 1998 breakup or writing personal letters to the group after bandmate Phife Dawg's death, Abdurraqib seeks the deeper truths of A Tribe Called Quest; truths that, like the low end, the bass, are not simply heard in the head, but felt in the chest.
Martyr!
Published in 2024
"A newly sober, orphaned son of Iranian immigrants, guided by the voices of artists, poets, and kings, embarks on a search that leads him to a terminally ill painter living out her final days in the Brooklyn Museum"-- Provided by publisher.
The Autobiography of Benjamin Sisko
The Unique Career of Deep Space 9's Legendary Captain, and Bajor's Emissary
Published in 2023
"The fascinating life of Starfleet's celebrated captain, and Bajor's Emissary of the Prophets, celebrating the 30th anniversary of Star Trek: Deep Space Nine."--Publisher's description.
Interesting Facts About Space
Published in 2024
"Meet Enid: a lesbian who's a serial dater and deaf in one ear. She works at The Space Agency as an information architect, and when she's not obsessing over true crime podcasts, she's managing her crippling phobia of bald people. While she tries not think about her teenage years, she can't seem to stop obsessively watching her childhood YouTube channel. But as Enid fumbles her way through her first serious relationship and navigates a new family life with her estranged half-sisters, she starts to worry that someone is following her. As her paranoia starts to take over her life, and the personal growth she's worked to achieve, she gradually discovers the one thing she can't outrun-herself. Brimming with Emily Austin's signature style, charming characters, and irresistible humor, Interesting Facts about Space will remind you to treasure the relationships you hold most dear, and will offer hope to those who seek to connect in ways they never thought to be possible"-- Provided by publisher.
The Curse of Eelgrass Bog
Published in 2024
"Nothing about Kess Pedrock's life is normal. Not her home (she lives in her family's Unnatural History Museum), not her interests (hunting for megafauna fossils and skeletons), and not her best friend (a talking demon's head in a jar named Shrunken Jim). But things get even stranger than usual when Kess meets Lilou Starling, the new girl in town. Lilou comes to Kess for help breaking a mysterious curse--and the only clue she has leads straight into the center of Eelgrass Bog. Everyone knows the bog is full of witches, demons, and possibly worse, but Kess and Lilou are determined not to let that stop them. As they investigate the mystery and uncover long-buried secrets, Kess begins to realize that the curse might hit closer to home than she'd ever expected, and she'll have to summon all her courage to find a way to break it before it's too late"-- Provided by publisher.
Rouge
A Novel
Published in 2023
"For as long as she can remember, Belle has been insidiously obsessed with her skin and skincare videos. When her estranged mother Noelle mysteriously dies, Belle finds herself back in Southern California, dealing with her mother's considerable debts and grappling with lingering questions about her death. The stakes escalate when a strange woman in red appears at the funeral, offering a tantalizing clue about her mother's demise, followed by a cryptic video about a transformative spa experience. With the help of a pair of red shoes, Belle is lured into the barbed embrace of La Maison de Méduse, the same lavish, culty spa to which her mother was devoted. There, Belle discovers the frightening secret behind her (and her mother's) obsession with the mirror--and the great shimmering depths (and demons) that lurk on the other side of the glass. Snow White meets Eyes Wide Shut in this surreal descent into the dark side of beauty, envy, grief, and the complicated love between mothers and daughters. With black humor and seductive horror, Rouge explores the cult-like nature of the beauty industry--as well as the danger of internalizing its pitiless gaze. Brimming with California sunshine and blood-red rose petals, Rouge holds up a warped mirror to our relationship with mortality, our collective fixation with the surface, and the wondrous, deep longing that might lie beneath"-- Provided by publisher.
Bookshops & Bonedust
Published in 2023
"Viv's career with the notorious mercenary company Rackam's Ravens isn't going as planned. Wounded during the hunt for a powerful necromancer, she's packed off against her will to recuperate in the sleepy beach town of Murk--so far from the action that she worries she'll never be able to return to it. What's a thwarted soldier of fortune to do? Spending her hours at a beleaguered bookshop in the company of its foul-mouthed proprietor is the last thing Viv would have predicted, but it may be both exactly what she needs and the seed of changes she couldn't possibly imagine. Still, adventure isn't all that far away. A suspicious traveler in gray, a gnome with a chip on her shoulder, a summer fling, and an improbable number of skeletons prove Murk to be more eventful than Viv could have ever expected. "Take a break from epic battles and saving the world"-- Provided by publisher.
Glitter Everywhere!
Where It Came From, Where It's Found & Where It's Going
Published in 2023
"An informative picture book about the origins and present day uses of -- and obsession with -- glitter"-- Provided by publisher.
Soul Food Sunday
Published in 2021
Granny teaches her young grandson how to cook the family meal, in this celebration of food, traditions, and gathering together at the table. Includes recipe for baked macaroni and cheese.
Anne Boleyn & Elizabeth I
The Mother and Daughter Who Forever Changed British History
Published in 2023
"Anne Boleyn may be best known for losing her head, but as Tudor expert Tracy Borman reveals in a book that recasts British history, her greatest legacy lies in the path-breaking reign of her daughter, Elizabeth. Much of the fascination with Britain's legendary Tudors centers around the dramas surrounding Henry VIII and his six wives and Elizabeth I's rumored liaisons. Yet the most fascinating relationship in that historic era may well be that between the mother and daughter who, individually and collectively, changed the course of British history. The future Queen Elizabeth was not yet three when her mother, Anne Boleyn, was beheaded on May 19, 1536, on Henry's order, incensed that she had not given him a son and tired of her contentious nature. Elizabeth had been raised away from court, rarely even seeing Anne; and after her death, Henry tried in every way to erase Anne's presence and memory. At that moment in history, few could have predicted that mother and daughter would each leave enduring, and interlocked, legacies. Yet as Tracy Borman reveals in this first-ever joint portrait, both women broke the mold for British queens and for women in general at the time. Anne was instrumental in reforming and reshaping forever Britain's religious traditions, and her years of wielding power over a male-dominated court provided an inspiring role model for Elizabeth's glittering and unprecedented 45-year reign. Indeed, Borman shows how much Elizabeth--most visibly by refusing to ever marry, but in many other more subtle ways that defined her court--was influenced by her mother's legacy. In its originality, Anne Boleyn & Elizabeth I sheds new light on two of history's most famous women--the private desires, hopes, and fears that lay behind their dazzling public personas, and the surprising influence each had on the other during and after their lifetimes. In the process, Tracy Borman reframes our understanding of the entire Tudor era"-- Provided by publisher.
The Selkie's Daughter
Published in 2024
Brigit, a girl with selkie heritage, embarks on a perilous journey with newcomer Peter to confront the Great Selkie in Sule Skerrie in order to prevent a curse that threatens her village's safety.
The Serpent & the Wings of Night
A Crowns of Nyaxia Novel
Published in 2023
"For humans and vampires, the rules of survival are the same: never trust, never yield, and always - always - guard your heart. The adopted human daughter of the Nightborn vampire king, Oraya carved her place in a world designed to kill her. Her only chance to become something more than prey is entering the Kejari: a legendary tournament held by the goddess of death herself. But winning won't be easy amongst the most vicious warriors from all three vampire houses. To survive, Oraya is forced to make an alliance with a mysterious rival. Everything about Raihn is dangerous. He is a ruthless vampire, an efficient killer, an enemy to her father's crown... and her greatest competition. Yet, what terrifies Oraya most of all is that she finds herself oddly drawn to him. But there's no room for compassion in the Kejari. War for the House of Night brews, shattering everything that Oraya thought she knew about her home. And Raihn may understand her more than anyone - but their blossoming attraction could be her downfall, in a kingdom where nothing is more deadly than love."-- Provided by publisher.
Death at Whitewater Church
Published in 2018
When a skeleton is discovered in the hidden crypt of a deconsecrated church, everyone is convinced the bones must be those of Conor Devitt, a local man who went missing on his wedding day six years previously. But the postmortem reveals otherwise. Solicitor Benedicta "Ben" O'Keeffe is acting for the owners of the church, and although an unwelcome face from her past makes her reluctant to get involved, when Conor's brother dies in strange circumstances shortly after coming to see her, she finds herself drawn in to the mystery. Whose is the skeleton in the crypt and how did it get there? Is Conor Devitt still alive, and if so, is there a link? What happened on the morning of his wedding to make him disappear? Negotiating between the official investigation--headed up by the handsome but surly Sergeant Tom Molloy--and obstructive locals with secrets of their own, Ben unravels layers of personal and political history to get to the truth of what happened six years before.
Treacherous Strand
Published in 2019
A woman's body washes up on a remote beach on the Inishowen Peninsula, partially clothed, with a strange tattoo on her thigh. Suicide? Accidental drowning due to the treacherous currents? Solicitor Ben (Benedicta) O' Keeffe thinks not as she digs deep into the woman's past, uncovering a terrifying doomsday cult which will not tolerate her interference. An atmospheric, treacherous, immersive mystery.
The Well of Ice
Published in 2020
December in Glendara, Inishowen, and solicitor Benedicta 'Ben' O'Keeffe is working flat-out before the holidays; the one bright spot on her horizon is spending her first Christmas with Sergeant Tom Molloy. But on a trip to Dublin to visit her parents, she bumps into Luke Kirby - the man who killed her sister - freshly released from jail. He apologises to her; remorseful, conciliatory ... but as she walks away, he whispers something that chills her to the bone. Back in Glendara, there is chaos. The Oak pub has burned down and Carole Kearney, the Oak's barmaid, has gone missing. And then on Christmas morning, while walking up Sliabh Sneacht, Ben and Molloy make a gruesome discovery: a body lying face-down in the snow ... Soon it becomes clear that these events are part of a plan for revenge that will have devastating consequences for Glendara's residents. This is the third murder mystery from Dublin based author Andrea Carter featuring solicitor Ben O'Keeffe, set on the wild and isolated Inishowen peninsula.
If I Had Your Face
A Novel
Published in 2020
"Kyuri is a heartbreakingly beautiful woman with a hard-won job at a "room salon," an exclusive bar where she entertains businessmen while they drink. Though she prides herself on her cold, clear-eyed approach to life, an impulsive mistake with a client may come to threaten her livelihood. Her roomate, Miho, is a talented artist who grew up in an orphanage but won a scholarship to study art in New York. Returning to Korea after college, she finds herself in a precarious relationship with the super-wealthyheir to one of Korea's biggest companies. Down the hall in their apartment building lives Ara, a hair stylist for whom two preoccupations sustain her: obsession with a boy-band pop star, and a best friend who is saving up for the extreme plastic surgerythat is commonplance. And Wonna, one floor below, is a newlywed trying to get pregnant with a child that she and her husband have no idea how they can afford to raise and educate in the cutthroat economy. Together, their stories tell a gripping tale that's seemingly unfamiliar, yet unmistakably universal in the way that their tentative friendships may have to be their saving grace"-- Provided by publisher.
The Adventures of Amina Al-Sirafi
A Novel
Published in 2023
"The first book of "a new trilogy of magic and mayhem on the high seas in this tale of pirates and sorcerers, forbidden artifacts and ancient mysteries, in one woman's determined quest to seize a final chance at glory--and write her own legend ... Amina al-Sirafi should be content. After a storied and scandalous career as one of the Indian Ocean's most notorious pirates, she's survived backstabbing rogues, vengeful merchant princes, several husbands, and one actual demon to retire peacefully with her family to a life of piety, motherhood, and absolutely nothing that hints of the supernatural. But when she's tracked down by the obscenely wealthy mother of a former crewman, she's offered a job no bandit could refuse: retrieve her comrade's kidnapped daughter for a kingly sum. The chance to have one last adventure with her crew, do right by an old friend, and win a fortune that will secure her family's future forever? It seems like such an obvious choice that it must be God's will. Yet the deeper Amina dives, the more it becomes alarmingly clear there's more to this job, and the girl's disappearance, than she was led to believe. For there's always risk in wanting to become a legend, to seize one last chance at glory, to savor just a bit more power ... and the price might be your very soul"-- Provided by publisher.
The Porcelain Moon
A Novel of France, the Great War, and Forbidden Love
Published in 2023
In 1918 France, in the final days of the First World War, Pauline Deng, a young Chinese woman escaping an arranged marriage, is taken in by secretive Camille Roussel and becomes bound to this woman forever when they are forced to make a terrible decision.
Aru Shah and the End of Time
Published in 2018
Twelve-year-old Aru stretches the truth to fit in at her private school, but when she is dared to prove an ancient lamp is cursed, she inadvertently frees an ancient demon.
Aru Shah and the Song of Death
Published in 2019
Accused of stealing the god of love's bow and arrow, Aru has ten days to find the real thief or risk being kicked out of the Otherworld.
Disorientation
Published in 2022
"A struggling PhD student makes a shocking discovery about a famous Chinese American poet that sets into motion a series of escalating events, both humorous and fraught, that culminates in an incendiary reckoning of her relationships, beliefs, and identity"-- Provided by publisher.
Behind You is the Sea
A Novel
Published in 2024
"A new novel that gives voice to the diverse residents of a Palestinian American community in Baltimore--from young activists in conflict with their traditional parents to the poor who clean for the rich--shows lives which intersect across divides of class, generation and religion"-- Provided by publisher.
The King is Dead
Published in 2023
As the newly crowned first Black king of England, seventeen-year-old James faces intense media scrutiny and a blackmailer intent on disclosing his deepest secrets, including his sexuality and hidden relationship.
Okay, Cupid
Published in 2024
As a cupid Jude's job is to bring couples together, and their new assignment involves a couple of teenagers--except Jude's attraction to a certain human boy keeps getting in the way, and threatening their career.
Trust
Published in 2022
"An award-winning writer of absorbing, sophisticated fiction delivers a stylish and propulsive novel rooted in early 20th century New York, about wealth and talent, trust and intimacy, truth and perception. In glamorous 1920s New York City, two characters of sophisticated taste come together. One is a legendary Wall Street tycoon; the other, the brilliant daughter of penniless aristocrats. Steeped in affluence and grandeur, their marriage excites gossip and allows a continued ascent--all at a moment when the country is undergoing a great transformation. This is the story at the center of Harold Vanner's novel Bonds, which everyone in 1938 New York seems to have read. But it isn't the only version. Provocative, propulsive, and repeatedly surprising, Hernan Diaz's TRUST puts the story of these characters into conversation with the "the truth"--and in tension with the life and perspective of an outsider immersed in the mystery of a competing account. The result is an overarching novel that becomes more exhilarating and profound with each new layer and revelation, engaging the reader in a treasure hunt for the truth that confronts the reality-warping gravitational pull of money, and how power often manipulates facts"-- Provided by publisher.
The Busy Body
A Novel
Published in 2024
"It's a dream assignment. Former Senator Dorothy Gibson, aka that woman, is the most talked-about person in the country right now, though largely for the wrong reasons. As an independent candidate for President of the United States, Dorothy split the vote and is being blamed for the shocking result. After her very public defeat, she's retreated to her home in rural Maine, inviting her ghostwriter to join her. Her collaborator is impressed by Dorothy's work ethic and steel-trap mind, not to mention the stunning surroundings (and one particularly gorgeous bodyguard). But when a neighbor dies under suspicious circumstances, Dorothy is determined to find the killer in their midst. And when Dorothy Gibson asks if you want to team up for a top secret, possibly dangerous murder investigation, the only answer is: 'Of course!' The best ghostwriters are adept at asking questions and spinning stories two talents, it turns out, that also come in handy for sleuths. Dorothy's political career, meanwhile, has made her an expert at recognizing lies and double-dealing. Working together, the two women are soon untangling motives and whittling down suspects, to the exasperation of local police. But this investigation--much like the election--may not unfold the way anyone expects"-- Provided by publisher.
Geek Love
Published in 1989
Olympia, an albino hunchback dwarf, tells of a carnival family who breeds and trains their children for their freak show.
Why I'm No Longer Talking to White People About Race
Published in 2017
In 2014, award-winning journalist Reni Eddo-Lodge wrote on her blog about her frustration with the way that discussions of race and racism in Britain were being led by those who weren't affected by it. Her words hit a nerve. The post went viral and comments flooded in from others desperate to speak up about their own experiences. Galvanised, she decided to dig into the source of these feelings. Exploring issues from eradicated black history to the inextricable link between class and race, Reni Eddo-Lodge has written a searing, illuminating, absolutely necessary examination of what it is to be a person of colour in Britain today -- Source other than Library of Congress.
The Death of Vivek Oji
Published in 2020
"A tender, potent, and compulsively readable novel of a Nigerian-Indian family and the deeply held secret that tests their traditions and bonds"-- Provided by publisher.
Witches of Brooklyn
Published in 2020
"Effie moves to Brooklyn to live with her strange aunt and soon discovers that she might be a witch"-- Provided by publisher.
Salt & Broom
Published in 2023
A gifted healer, Jane Aire, hired by the reclusive master of Thornfield Hall as a last resort, soon discovers her herb healing and protective charms may not be enough to save the man she's come to love from the oncoming darkness.
Fudge Cupcake Murder
Published in 2018
Intrepid amateur sleuth and bakery owner Hannah Swensen just can't keep her hands out of the batter when a murder stirs things up in Lake Eden, Minnesota, leaving the sheriff dead, a deputy accused, and a killer on the loose.
Sugar Cookie Murder
Published in 2018
When it comes to holidays, Minnesotans rise to the occasion--and the little town of Lake Eden is baking up a storm with Hannah leading the way. The annual Christmas Buffet is the final test of the recipes Hannah has collected for the Lake Eden Holiday Buffet Cookbook. The recently divorced Martin Dubinski arrives at the buffet with his new Vegas showgirl wife--all wrapped up in glitter and fur. His ex-wife, however, seems as cool as chilled eggnog. And when Hannah's mother's antique Christmas cake knife disappears, its discovery in the decolletage of the new--and now late--Mrs. Dubinski puts the festivities on ice. With everyone stranded at the community center by a blizzard, Hannah puts her investigative skills to the test, using the ingredients at hand: half the town of Lake Eden--and a killer. Now, as the snowdrifts get higher, it's up to Hannah to dig out all the clues--and make sure that this white Christmas doesn't bring any more deadly tidings.
The Pillars of the Earth
Published in 2016
The power struggles and personal drama surrounding the design and construction of a cathedral in twelfth-century England, led by Philip, prior of Knightsbridge, his stonemason Tom, and the haunted Lady Aliena.
The Neighbor Favor
Published in 2023
"A shy bookworm enlists her charming neighbor to help her score a date, not knowing he's the obscure author she's been corresponding with, in this sparkling and heart-fluttering romance by Kristina Forest. Shy, bookish, and admittedly awkward, Lily Greene has always felt inadequate compared to the rest of her accomplished family, who strive for Black excellence. She dreams of becoming a children's book editor, but she's been frustratingly stuck in the nonfiction division for years without a promotion in sight. Lily finds escapism in her correspondences with her favorite fantasy author, and what begins as two lonely people connecting over email turns into a tentative friendship and possibly something else Lily won't let herself entertain--until he ghosts her without a word. Months later, Lily is still crushed, but she's determined to get a hold of her life, starting with finding a date to her sister's wedding. And the perfect person to help her is Nick Brown, her charming, attractive new neighbor, who she feels drawn to for reasons she can't explain. But little does she know, Nick is an author--her favorite fantasy author. Nick, who has his reasons for using a pen name and pushing people away, soon realizes that the beautiful, quiet girl from down the hall is the same Lily he fell in love with over email months ago. Unwilling to complicate things even more between them, he agrees to set her up with someone else, though this simple favor between two neighbors is anything but--not when he can't get her off his mind"-- Provided by publisher.
Where You See Yourself
Published in 2023
Effie Galanos' goals for her senior year include her navigating her way through her high school that is not really wheelchair-friendly, getting into the perfect college, and getting her crush Wilder to accompany her to the prom--but by spring she is beginning to see herself entirely differently.
This is How Your Marriage Ends
A Hopeful Approach to Saving Relationships
Published in 2022
"Good People Are Bad At Relationships One night during his divorce, after one too many vodkas and a call with a phone-in-therapist who told him to "journal his feelings," Matthew Fray started a blog attempting to piece together the story of how his ex-wife went from the 18-year-old college freshman who adored him to the angry woman who thought he was an asshole before she left him to have sex with someone else. It turned out that even though he was a decent guy, he was kind of a shitty husband. But as he shared raw, uncomfortable, and darkly humorous first-person stories about the lessons he'd learned from his failed marriage, a peculiar thing happened: Matthew started to gain a following. And in January 2016 a post he wrote titled "She Divorced Me Because I left the Dishes by the Sink" went viral and was read over four million times. Written from the lens of his own surprising, life-changing experience and his years counseling couples, Matthew Fray captures what is at the root of so many failed relationships. We simply haven't been taught any of the necessary skills. And in fact, it is sometimes the assumption that we are acting on good intentions that leads to alienating our partners and fomenting mistrust. A candid take and groundbreaking book on relationships that shows us that good people can be terrible partners and the ways we can strive to improve, no matter what stage of life we're in"-- Provided by publisher.
Let Him in
Published in 2023
""Daddy, there's a man in our room..." Alfie wakes one night to find his twin daughters at the foot of his bed, claiming there's a shadowy figure in their bedroom. When no such thing can be found, he assumes the girls had a nightmare. He isn't surprised that they're troubled. Grief has made its home at Hart House: nine months ago, the twins' mother Pippa died unexpectedly, leaving Alfie to raise them alone. And now, when the girls mention a new imaginary friend, it seems like a harmless coping mechanism. But the situation quickly develops into something more insidious. The girls set an extra place for him at the table. They whisper to him. They say he's going to take them away... Alfie calls upon Julia--Pippa's sister and a psychiatrist--to oust the malignant tenant from their lives. But as Alfie himself is haunted by visions and someone watches him at night, he begins to question the true character of the force that has poisoned his daughters' minds, with dark and violent consequences. Whatever this "friend" is, he doesn't want to leave. Alfie will have to confront his own shameful secrets, the dark past of Hart House, and even the bounds of reality--or risk taking part in an unspeakable tragedy"-- Provided by publisher.
Immortal Longings
Published in 2023
"Every year, thousands in the kingdom of Talin will flock to its capital twin cities, San-Er, where the palace hosts a set of games. For those confident enough in their ability to jump between bodies, competitors across San-Er fight to the death to win unimaginable riches. Princess Calla Tuoleimi lurks in hiding. Five years ago, a massacre killed her parents and left the palace of Er empty...and she was the one who did it. Before King Kasa's forces in San can catch her, she plans to finish the job and bring down the monarchy. Her reclusive uncle always greets the victor of the games, so if she wins, she gets her opportunity at last to kill him. Enter Anton Makusa, an exiled aristocrat. His childhood love has lain in a coma since they were both ousted from the palace, and he's deep in debt trying to keep her alive. Thankfully, he's one of the best jumpers in the kingdom, flitting from body to body at will. His last chance at saving her is entering the games and winning. Calla finds both an unexpected alliance with Anton and help from King Kasa's adopted son, August, who wants to mend Talin's ills. But the three of them have very different goals, even as Calla and Anton's partnership spirals into something all-consuming. Before the games close, Calla must decide what she's playing for--her lover or her kingdom"-- Provided by publisher.
The Bullet Swallower
A Novel
Published in 2024
"In 1964, when Jaime Sonoro, Mexico's most renowned actor and singer, discovers a book telling of the multitude of horrific crimes committed by his ancestors, he must pay for their crimes unless he can uncover the truth about his grandfather, the legendary bandido El Tragabalas, The Bullet Swallower"-- Provided by publisher.
Belladonna
Published in 2022
Nineteen-year-old orphan Signa Farrow confronts Death--and her own deathly powers--when she investigates the mysterious murder of a relative at the Thorn Grove estate.
Foxglove
Published in 2023
"Nineteen-year-old Signa Farrow must solve a duke's murder and contend with a seemingly all-powerful deity, Fate"-- Provided by publisher.
Icebreaker
A Novel
Published in 2023
"Anastasia Allen has worked her entire life for a shot at Team USA. It looks like everything is going according to plan when she gets a full scholarship to the University of California, Maple Hills and lands a place on their competitive figure skating team. Nothing will stand in her way, not even the captain of the hockey team, Nate Hawkins. Nate's focus as team captain is on keeping his team on the ice. Which is tricky when a facilities mishap means they are forced to share a rink with the figure skating team--including Anastasia, who clearly can't stand him. But when Anastasia's skating partner faces an uncertain future, she may have to look to Nate to take her shot"-- Provided by publisher
The Wager
A Tale of Shipwreck, Mutiny and Murder
Published in 2023
"On January 28, 1742, a ramshackle vessel of patched-together wood and cloth washed up on the coast of Brazil. Inside were thirty emaciated men, barely alive, and they had an extraordinary tale to tell. They were survivors of His Majesty's Ship the Wager, a British vessel that had left England in 1740 on a secret mission during an imperial war with Spain. While the Wager had been chasing a Spanish treasure-filled galleon known as "the prize of all the oceans," it had wrecked on a desolate island off the coast of Patagonia. The men, after being marooned for months and facing starvation, built the flimsy craft and sailed for more than a hundred days, traversing 2500 miles of storm-wracked seas. They were greeted as heroes. But then ... six months later, another, even more decrepit craft landed on the coast of Chile. This boat contained just three castaways, and they had a very different story to tell. The thirty sailors who landed in Brazil were not heroes - they were mutineers. The first group responded with countercharges of their own, of a tyrannical and murderous captain and his henchmen. It became clear that while stranded on the island the crew had fallen into anarchy, with warring factions fighting for dominion over the barren wilderness. As accusations of treachery and murder flew, the Admiralty convened a court martial to determine who was telling the truth. The stakes were life-and-death-for whomever the court found guilty could hang. The Wager is a grand tale of human behavior at the extremes told by one of our greatest nonfiction writers. "-- Provided by publisher.
One of the Good Guys
A Novel
Published in 2024
"Two young women vanish in a seaside town. At the cliff's edge, nobody is who they seem. Desperate to escape the ghosts of his failed marriage, Cole upends his life. He leaves London behind for a remote stretch of coast, relishing the respite from the noise, drama, and relentless careerism that curdled his relationship and mental health. Leonora has made the same move for similar reasons. She's living a short walk from Cole's seaside cottage, preparing for her latest art exhibition. Though Cole still can't figure out what went wrong with his marriage, and Leonora is having trouble acclimating to the hostile landscape, the pair forges a connection on the eroding bluff they call home. Then, two young women activists raising awareness about gendered violence disappear while passing through. Cole and Leonora find themselves in the middle of a police investigation and the resulting media firestorm when the world learns of what happened. And as the tension escalates alongside the search for the missing women, they quickly realize that they don't know each other that well after all. From the critically acclaimed author of Our Kind of Cruelty and Imperfect Women, comes an urgent psychological thriller about gender, power, and how both are captured in our contemporary media environment. Unexpected and twisty from its first page to its last, One of the Good Guys asks: If most men claim to be good, why are most women still afraid to walk home alone at night?"--Provided by publisher.
In the Language of Miracles
Published in 2016
The affluent Al-Menshawy family find their American dream shattered when a devastating turn of events leaves their eldest son and their neighbor's daughter dead, and, becoming pariahs in their upscale New Jersey community, they struggle to keep their family together.
The Reckoning
Published in 2024
Twelve-year-old Lamar dreams of becoming a filmmaker, but when his grandfather is killed in a racist act of violence, Lamar becomes determined to honor his legacy by documenting the fight for justice.
Goldenseal
A Novel
Published in 2024
"Downtown Los Angeles, 1990. Alone in her luxury hotel suite, the reclusive Lacey Crane receives a message: Edith is waiting for her in the lobby. Former best friends, Lacey and Edith haven't spoken to one another in over four decades. As young adults meeting at summer camp in Maine, and later making their way in the glitzy spotlight of postwar Hollywood, Edith and Lacey share a deep-rooted bond that once saved them from isolation and despair, providing comfort from the public and private traumas that they had each endured and which a newly optimistic world was eager to forget. Told through a continuous, twisting conversation that unfolds over the course of a single evening, in which each woman tells her story and reveals long-hidden secrets, the narratives of Edith and Lacey burn with atmosphere, mystery, resentment, and regret"-- Provided by publisher.
Klara and the Sun
Published in 2021
"From her place in the store that sells artificial friends, Klara--an artificial friend with outstanding observational qualities--watches carefully the behavior of those who come in to browse, and of those who pass in the street outside. She remains hopeful a customer will soon choose her, but when the possibility emerges that her circumstances may change forever, Klara she is warned not to invest too much in the promises of humans. In this luminous tale, Klara and the Sun, Nobel Prize winner Kazuo Ishiguro looks at our rapidly changing modern world through the eyes of an unforgettable narrator to explore a fundamental question: what does it mean to love?"-- Provided by publisher.
The Turn of the Screw, and Other Short Novels
And Other Short Novels
Published in 2007
A collection of short novels includes the title work, a chilling classic of psychological terror, as well as "Daisy Miller," "The Aspern Papers," "An International Episode," "The Altar of the Dead," and "The Beast of the Jungle."
Lunar Love
A Novel
Published in 2023
"Olivia Huang Christenson is excited-slash-terrified to be taking over her grandmother's matchmaking business. But when she learns that a new dating app has taken her Pó Po's traditional Chinese zodiac approach and made it about "animal attraction," her emotions skew more toward furious-slash-outraged. Especially when L.A.'s most-eligible bachelor Bennett O'Brien is behind the app that could destroy her family's legacy... Liv knows better than to fall for any guy, let alone an infuriatingly handsome one who believes that traditions are meant to be broken. As the two businesses go head to head, Bennett and Liv make a deal: they'll find a match for each other-and whoever falls in love loses. But Liv is dealing with someone who's already adept at stealing business ideas... so what's stopping him from stealing her heart, too?"-- Provided by publisher.
Part of Your World
Published in 2022
"People expect big things from Alexis Montgomery. She's a thirty-seven-year-old doctor from a wealthy and prestigious family full of world-renowned surgeons. Only, Alexis is tired of living up to her family's dreams for her. Now she's about to take her bravest step yet: start living her life for herself. Daniel Grant is a twenty-eight-year-old small-town carpenter with a heart of gold and a legacy of his own. He may not have gone to college, but he's always known just what he wants for his future. What he never counted on was meeting the woman who would make him question all he'd ever believed he needed. One fateful night their worlds collide, and soon the two are spending all the time they can together. Their families, their friends, and their lifestyles are worlds apart... yet something about being together just clicks. But when word of their new relationship gets out, they are not at all prepared for what happens next"-- Provided by publisher.
The Traveling Tea Shop
Published in 2015
"Love isn't always a piece of cake ... Laurie Davis has always followed her passion. After escaping family drama to start a new life in New York City, she's up for whatever challenges life brings. So when an opportunity arises for her to use her travel industry expertise and serve as an assistant and tour guide for her idol, Pamela Lambert-Leigh, star of television's Tea-Time with Pamela, she jumps at the chance. But Laurie's exciting adventure ends up entailing a lot more than scouting locations for the cake queen's new cookbook when Pamela's sassy mother and sulky, rebellious daughter tag along for the trip. As they cruise around bakeries in New England trading local delights like Red Velvet Cake and Whoopie Pies for British specialties such as Victoria Sponge and Bakewell Tarts, more secrets than recipes are revealed. Now, in between rediscovering romance, learning to forgive family, and finding the best dessert on the East Coast, Laurie, Pamela, and the gang might find there's nothing a nice cup of tea, a sweet treat, and a little bit of friendship can't heal ..."-- Provided by publisher.
The Dead Take the A Train
Published in 2023
"Julie is a coked-up, burnt-out thirty-year-old whose only retirement plan is dying early. She's been trying to establish herself in the NYC magic scene, and she'll work the most gruesome gigs, exorcize the nastiest demons, and make deals with the cruelest gods to claw her way to the top. But nothing can prepare her for the toughest job yet: when her best friend, Sarah, shows up at her door in need of help. Keeping Sarah safe becomes top priority. Julie is desperate for a quick fix to break the dead-end grind and save her friend. But her power grab sets off a deadly chain of events that puts Sarah - and the entire world - directly in the path of annihilation."-- Provided by publisher.
Demon Copperhead
A Novel
Published in 2022
The teenage son of an Appalachian single mother who dies when he is eleven uses his good looks, wit, and instincts to survive foster care, child labor, addiction, disastrous loves, and crushing losses.
The Skull
A Tyrolean Folktale
Published in 2023
"In a big abandoned house, on a barren hill, lives a skull. A brave girl named Otilla has escaped from terrible danger and run away, and when she finds herself lost in the dark forest, the lonely house beckons. Her host, the skull, is afraid of something too, something that comes every night. Can brave Otilla save them both?"-- Provided by publisher.
My Happy Marriage. Vol. 01
Published in 2022
"A browbeaten and mistreated daughter is cast out of her home and sent to audition as a bridal candidate for the heir to one of the most powerful families in the land… Considered nigh worthless for having failed to inherit the superhuman powers of the bloodlines into which she was born, Miyo Saimori lives her days unwanted and unloved. Her stepmother and very own father have little time or affection for her, and Miyo must suffer being treated as a servant by her half-sister who, unlike Miyo, is blessed with the unusual powers of their blood. Ultimately seen as nothing more than a nuisance and a drain on the family wealth, Miyo is packed off to the Kudo house as a bridal candidate for its heir, Kiyoka Kudo. Whispers abound about the Kudo clan, the most powerful in all the land, but will the allegedly cold and cruel house into which Miyo aims to marry prove much warmer than the family she left behind?"-- Provided by publisher.
Slugfest
Published in 2024
"Forced to take Physical Education Equivalency, aka "Slugfest," in summer school so he can maintain his star spot on the JV football team, Yash recruits his fellow PE rejects to train with him and pass this course, an endeavor that turns into a summer he'll never forget"-- Provided by publisher.
Biography of X
A Novel
Published in 2023
"When X - an iconoclastic artist, writer, and polarizing shape-shifter - falls dead in her office, her widow, wild with grief and refusing everyone's good advice, hurls herself into writing a biography of the woman she deified. Though X was recognized as a crucial creative force of her era, she kept a tight grip on her life story. Not even CM, her wife, knew where X had been born, and in her quest to find out, she opens a Pandora's box of secrets, betrayals, and destruction. All the while, she immerses herself in the history of the Southern Territory, a fascist theocracy that split from the rest of the country after World War II, as it is finally, in the present day, forced into an uneasy reunification." -- Publisher annotation.
The Frozen River
A Novel
Published in 2023
"A gripping historical mystery based on the real-life diary entries of Martha Ballard, an 18th-century midwife who found herself at the center of a murder trial"-- Provided by publisher.
River East, River West
A Novel
Published in 2024
Set against the backdrop of developing modern China, a new novel is a coming-of-age tale, part family and social drama, as it follows two generations searching for belonging and opportunity in a rapidly changing world.
Squished
Published in 2023
"Eleven-year-old Avery Lee loves living in Hickory Valley, Maryland. She loves her neighborhood, school, and the end-of-summer fair she always goes to with her two best friends. But she's tired of feeling squished by her six siblings! They're noisy and chaotic and the younger kids love her a little too much. All Avery wants is her own room -- her own space to be alone and make art. So she's furious when Theo, her grumpy older brother, gets his own room instead, and her wild baby brother, Max, moves into the room she already shares with her clinging sister Pearl! Avery hatches a plan to finally get her own room, all while trying to get Max to sleep at night, navigating changes in her friendships, and working on an art entry for the fair"-- Provided by publisher.
The Narrow
Published in 2023
"Everyone has heard the story of the Narrow. The river that runs behind the Atwood School is only a few feet across and seemingly placid, but beneath the surface, the waters are deep and vicious. It's said that no one who has fallen in has ever survived. Eden White knows that isn't true. Six years ago, she saw Delphine Fournier fall into the Narrow--and live. Delphine now lives in careful isolation, sealed off from the world. Even a single drop of unpurified water could be deadly to her, and no one but Eden has any idea why. Eden has never told anyone what she saw or spoken to Delphine since, but now, unable to cover her tuition, she has to make a deal: her expenses will be paid in return for serving as a live-in companion to Delphine. Eden finds herself drawn to the strange and mysterious girl, and the two of them begin to unravel each other's secrets. Then Eden discovers what happened to the last girl who lived with Delphine: she was found half-drowned on dry land. Suddenly Eden is waking up to wet footprints tracking to the end of her bed, the sound of rain on the windows when the skies are clear, and a ghostly silhouette in her doorway. Something is haunting Delphine--and now it's coming for Eden, too"-- Provided by publisher.
Fire & Blood
Published in 2018
The first volume of a definitive two-part history of the Targaryens in Westeros is set centuries before the events of "A Game of Thrones" and answers key questions about the dynasty's origins, conflicts and relationships with dragons.
Mexikid
A Graphic Memoir
Published in 2023
"Pedro Martin's grown up in the U.S. hearing stories about his legendary abuelito, but during a family road trip to Mexico, he connects with his grandfather and learns more about his own Mexican identity in this moving and hilarious graphic memoir"-- Provided by publisher.
My Friends
A Novel
Published in 2024
"One evening, as a young boy growing up in Benghazi, Khaled hears a bizarre short story read aloud on the radio, about a man being eaten alive by a cat. Obsessed by the power of those words--and by their enigmatic author, Hosam Zawa--Khaled eventually embarks on a journey that will take him far from home, to pursue a life of the mind at the University of Edinburgh. There, thrust into an open society that is light years away from the world he knew in Libya, Khaled begins to change. He attends a protest against the Qaddafi regime in London, only to watch it explode in tragedy. In a flash, Khaled finds himself injured, clinging to life, an exile, unable to leave England, much less return to the country of his birth. To even tell his mother and father back home what he has done, on tapped phone lines, would jeopardize their safety. When a chance encounter in a hotel brings Khaled face to face with Hosam Zawa, the author of the fateful short story, he is subsumed into the deepest friendship of his life. It is a friendship that not only sustains him, but eventually forces him, as the Arab Spring erupts, to confront agonizing tensions between revolution and safety, family and exile, and how to define his own sense of self against those closest to him"-- Provided by publisher.
You Only Call when You're in Trouble
A Novel
Published in 2024
"After a lifetime of kindly taking care of his irresistible but impossible sister and her wonderful daughter, Tom is finally ready to put himself first. Naturally, that's when his phone rings. Tom does what he always does--answers the call. And therein lies either the beauty or dysfunction, (or perhaps both) of the sometimes too tight ties that bind families together"-- Provided by publisher.
Midnight
Published in 2024
"While on a dream cruise aboard a luxury liner to Antarctica, actuary Olivia Campbell is plunged into a desperate battle for survival against a killer determined to stop the ship from reaching its final destination, soon discovering she may have booked a one-way ticket to her own death"-- Provided by publisher.
The Elementals
Published in 2014
Something terrifying waits in the decaying Victorian house on the coast, something that has haunted two men since they were children, something that may be ready to kill...again.
Every Heart a Doorway
Published in 2016
Children have always disappeared from Eleanor West's Home for Wayward Children under the right conditions; slipping through the shadows under a bed or at the back of a wardrobe, tumbling down rabbit holes and into old wells, and emerging somewhere... else. But magical lands have little need for used-up miracle children. Nancy tumbled once, but now she's back. The things she's experienced... they change a person. The children under Miss West's care understand all too well. And each of them is seeking a way back to their own fantasy world. But Nancy's arrival marks a change at the Home. There's a darkness just around each corner, and when tragedy strikes, it's up to Nancy and her new-found schoolmates to get to the heart of the matter. No matter the cost.
American Gun
The True Story of the AR-15
Published in 2023
"The epic history of the AR-15 rifle, America's most controversial weapon"-- Provided by publisher.
The Fetishist
A Novel
Published in 2024
"On a cold, gloomy night, twenty-three-year-old Kyoko stands in the rain with a knife in her hoodie's pocket. Her target is Daniel, who seduced Kyoko's mother then callously dropped her, leading to her death. But tonight, there will be repercussions. Following the unsuspecting Daniel home, Kyoko manages to get a rash kidnapping plot off the ground . . . and then nothing goes as planned. The Fetishist is the story of three people--Kyoko, a Japanese American punk-rock singer full of rage and grief; Daniel, a philandering violinist forced to confront the wreckage of his past; and Alma, the love of Daniel's life, a Korean American cello prodigy long adored for her beauty, passion, and talent, but who spends her final days examining if she was ever, truly, loved. An exuberant, provocative story that confronts race, complicity, visibility, and ideals of femininity, The Fetishist was written before the celebrated author's untimely death in 2019. Startlingly prescient, as wise and powerful as it is utterly delightful, this novel cements Katherine Min's legacy as a writer with a singular voice for our times"-- Provided by publisher.
Unruly
The Ridiculous History of England's Kings and Queens
Published in 2023
In this hilarious book that takes history seriously, a British actor and comedian introduces England's earliest kings and queens, who were mostly as silly and weird in real life as they appear today in their portraits, revealing a story of narcissists, inadequate self-control, excessive beheadings, uncivil wars and more.
Mexican Gothic
Published in 2020
After receiving a frantic letter from her newly-wed cousin begging for someone to save her from a mysterious doom, Noemi Taboada heads to High Place, a distant house in the Mexican countryside. She's not sure what she will find--her cousin's husband, a handsome Englishman, is a stranger, and Noemi knows little about the region. Noemi is also an unlikely rescuer: She's a glamorous debutante, and her chic gowns and perfect red lipstick are more suited for cocktail parties than amateur sleuthing. But she's also tough and smart, with an indomitable will, and she is not afraid: Not of her cousin's new husband, who is both menacing and alluring; not of his father, the ancient patriarch who seems to be fascinated by Noemi; and not even of the house itself, which begins to invade Noemi's dreams with visions of blood and doom. Her only ally in this inhospitable abode is the family's youngest son. Shy and gentle, he seems to want to help Noemi, but might also be hiding dark knowledge of his family's past. For there are many secrets behind the walls of High Place. The family's once colossal wealth and faded mining empire kept them from prying eyes, but as Noemi digs deeper she unearths stories of violence and madness.
Silver Nitrate
Published in 2023
"A meld of Mexican horror movies and Nazi occultism: a dark thriller about the curse that haunts a legendary lost film--and awakens one woman's hidden powers"-- Provided by publisher.
Rental Person Who Does Nothing
A Memoir
Published in 2024
"Shoji Morimoto was constantly being told that he was a 'do-nothing' because he lacked initiative. Dispirited and unemployed, it occurred to him that if he was so good at doing nothing, perhaps he could turn it into a business. And with one tweet, he began his business of renting himself out to do nothing. Morimoto, aka Rental Person, provides a fascinating service to the lonely and socially anxious. Sitting with a client undergoing surgery, accompanying a newly-divorced client to her favourite restaurant, visiting the site of a client's suicide attempt are just a few of his thousands of true life adventures. He is dependable, non-judgmental and committed to remaining a stranger and the curious encounters he shares are revelatory about both Japanese society and human psychology. In Rental Person Who Does Nothing, Morimoto chronicles his extraordinary experiences in his unique line of work and reflects on how we consider relationships, jobs and family in our search for meaningful connection and purpose in life"--Publisher's description.
Monstrous
A Transracial Adoption Story
Published in 2023
Bullied by her classmates, Sarah, a Korean American girl growing up in a rural community with few Asian neighbors, channels her rage into her art and cosplay until it threatens to explode.
H.O.R.S.E
A Game of Basketball and Imagination
Published in 2012
"Two friends try to outdo each other on the basketball court in an out-of-this-world game of H.O.R.S.E"-- Provided by publisher.
Most Ardently
A Pride & Prejudice Remix
Published in 2024
Oliver Bennet, trapped by societal expectations to live as female, discovers the possibility of love and freedom when he forms a connection with Darcy, but is faced with the choice of living a secure but inauthentic life or risking everything for true self-expression and love.
Little Cruelties
Published in 2020
"An uneasy but powerful read from bestselling author Liz Nugent that delves into the darkness visited upon a family of three working-class Irish brothers, exploring the ways in which families can wreak emotional damage across generations and doom men to give in to their own worst impulses in service to a culture that has abandoned them"-- Provided by publisher.
The Dead House
Published in 2018
"This best-selling debut by an award-winning writer is both an eerie contemporary ghost story and a dread-inducing psychological thriller. Maggie is a successful young artist who has had bad luck with men. Her last put her in the hospital and, after she's healed physically, left her needing to get out of London to heal mentally and find a place of quiet that will restore her creative spirit. On the rugged west coast of Ireland, perched on a wild cliff side, she spies the shell of a cottage that dates back to Great Famine and decides to buy it. When work on the house is done, she invites her dealer to come for the weekend to celebrate along with a couple of women friends, one of whom will become his wife. On the boozy last night, the other friend pulls out an Ouija board. What sinister thing they summon, once invited, will never go. Ireland is a country haunted by its past. In Billy O'Callaghan's hands, its terrible beauty becomes a force of inescapable horror that reaches far back in time, before the Famine, before Christianity, to a pagan place where nature and superstition are bound in an endless knot"-- Provided by publisher.
Poor Deer
A Novel
Published in 2024
"Margaret Murphy is a weaver of fantastic tales, growing up in a world where the truth is too much for one little girl to endure. Her first memory is of the day her friend Agnes died. No one blames Margaret. Not in so many words. Her mother insists to everyone who will listen that her daughter never even left the house that day. Left alone to make sense of tragedy, Margaret wills herself to forget these unbearable memories, replacing them with imagined stories full of faith and magic--that always end happily. Enter Poor Deer: a strange and formidable creature who winds her way uninvited into Margaret's made-up tales. Poor Deer will not rest until Margaret faces the truth about her past and atones for her role in Agnes's death." -- Dust jacket.
ADHD for Smart Ass Women
How to Fall in Love with Your Neurodivergent Brain
Published in 2023
Drawing on the latest research, expert interviews and personal stories, a certified ADHD coach debunks misinformation about ADHD in women and explores how the condition manifests itself differently in the female brain.
The Do-over
A Novel
Published in 2023
"Bestselling author Lily Lee is on a short deadline to deliver her new career guide How to Land the Perfect Job, and she's been interviewing at all the top companies around town. But when she's offered a coveted position at her dream company, the employer's background check reveals she never actually finished her college degree. Unbelievably, her worst nightmare has come true. Lily returns to her alma mater to relive her senior year of college, after walking across the stage at graduation a decade earlier. Just as she starts getting used to the idea of being a student again, things get even more weird and chaotic when she discovers her computer science TA is her old college boyfriend, Jake Cho. As Lily and Jake reconnect, she sees that her late-blooming ex has done well for himself: the handsome, charming grad student appears to have his life together, while Lily's on the brink of losing her reputation and her book deal. Told in present day with glimpses of the past, The Do-Over is a delightfully warm and hopeful story about second chances in life and love, and how the future might not be a straight line, but we still end up exactly where we're supposed to be."-- Publisher marketing.
Just My Luck
Published in 2021
"For fifteen years, Lexi and Jake have played the same six numbers with their friends. Over drinks, dinner parties, and summer barbecues, the three couples have discussed the important stuff ... and they've laughed off their disappointment when they failed to win anything. But then the unthinkable happens. There's a rift in the group ... And soon after, six numbers come up that change everything forever. Lexi and Jake have a ticket worth millions. And their friends are determined to claim a share"-- Provided by publisher
Two Dead Wives
Published in 2023
"A woman with a shocking secret is missing, presumed dead. And her two husbands are suspects in her murder. DCI Clements knows the dark side of human nature and that love can make people do treacherous things...Until a body is found, this sad case remains wide open. Stacie Jones lives a quiet life in a small village, nursed by her father as she recovers from illness, and shielded from any news of the outside world. But their reclusive life is about to be shattered. How are these families linked, and can any of them ever rebuild their lives in the wake of tragedy?"-- Provided by publisher.
Behind the Seams
My Life in Rhinestones
Published in 2023
Showcasing the music legend's most unforgettable looks from the 1960s until now, this stunningly photographed book displays Dolly Parton's iconic sense of style along with entertaining personal anecdotes that, for the first time, reveal the full story behind her lifelong passion for fashion.
Kaikeyi
A Novel
Published in 2022
""I was born on the full moon under an auspicious constellation, the holiest of positions-much good it did me." So begins Kaikeyi's tale. The only daughter of the kingdom of Kekaya, she is raised on grand stories about the might and benevolence of the gods: how they churned vast oceans to obtain the nectar of immortality, how they offer the devoted and the wise magnificent boons, how they vanquish evil and ensure the land prospers. Yet she watches as her father unceremoniously banishes her mother, her own worth measured by how great a marriage alliance she can secure. And when she calls upon the gods for help, they never seem to hear. Desperate for some measure of independence, she turns to the ancient texts she once read with her mother and discovers a magic that is hers alone. She uses it to transform herself from overlooked princess into warrior, diplomat, and most-favored queen, determined to forge a better world for herself than the one that gods and men have granted. But as the demons of stories Kaikeyi grew up hearing threaten the cosmic order, her will clashes with the path that the gods have chosen for her family-and especially that of her beloved son, Rama. And she must decide if her resistance is worth the destruction it will wreak...and what legacy she intends to leave behind"-- Provided by publisher.
When Katie Met Cassidy
Published in 2018
"From the acclaimed author of THE ASSISTANTS comes another gutsy book about the importance of women taking the reins--except this time, when it comes to finding sexuality, pleasure and love sometimes where you least expect it. Katie Daniels is a perfection-seeking 28-year-old lawyer living the New York dream. She's engaged to charming art curator Paul Michael, has successfully made her way up the ladder at a multinational law firm, and has a hold on apartments in Soho and the West Village. Suffice it to say, she has come a long way from her Kentucky upbringing. But the rug is swept from under Katie when she is suddenly dumped by her fiance, Paul Michael, leaving her devastated and completely lost. On a whim, she agrees to have a drink with Cassidy Price-a self-assured, sexually promiscuous woman she meets at work. The two form a newfound friendship, which soon brings into question everything Katie thought she knew about sex--and love. WHEN KATIE MET CASSIDY is a romantic comedy that explores how, as a culture, while we may have come a long way in terms of gender equality, a woman's capacity for and entitlement to sexual pleasure still remain entirely taboo. This novel tackles the question: Why, when it comes to female sexuality, are so few women figuring out what they want and then going out and doing it?"-- Provided by publisher.
Batcat
Published in 2023
"Batcat loves being all alone in their home on Spooky Island. Up in their tree house, they pass the time playing video games and watching TV. But when Batcat suddenly finds themself haunted by an annoying, ice cream-stealing ghost, they visit the local Island Witch for a spell to remove their ghastly guest permanently! With their Ghost-B-Gone spell in hand, Batcat travels across Spooky Island to gather ingredients--to the Cavernous Caves where the bats tell them they're too round to be a bat, and to the Whispering Cemetery where the cats will help only if they commit to being a true cat. But Batcat is neither and that's what makes them special, right?"-- Provided by publisher.
The Perks of Loving a Wallflower
A Wild Wynchesters Novel
Published in 2021
A master of disguise, Thomasina Wynchester finds more than her mission at stake when her new client turns out to be the highborn lady she's secretly smitten with.
A Far Wilder Magic
Published in 2022
Sharpshooter Margaret Welty and alchemical apprentice Weston Winters form an unlikely team competing for glory in a magical fox hunt--while she wants to lure her mother home, Wes needs the prize money to support his family and his political aspirations.
The Only One Left
A Novel
Published in 2023
"a Gothic chiller about a young caregiver assigned to work for a woman accused of a Lizzie Borden-like massacre decades earlier"-- Provided by publisher.
Queer Ducks (and Other Animals)
The Natural World of Animal Sexuality
Published in 2022
"A research-based exploration of queer behavior in different animal species is interspersed with personal anecdotes and interviews with scientists"-- Provided by publisher.
The Annotated Frankenstein
Published in 2012
A monster assembled by a scientist from parts of dead bodies develops a mind of his own as he learns to loathe himself and hate his creator, in an annotated edition that offers insights into Shelley's literary and social worlds.
A Winter in New York
A Novel
Published in 2023
"A young chef stumbles on a secret family recipe that might lead her to the love--and life--she's been looking for"-- Provided by publisher.
How Can I Help You
Published in 2023
"No one knows Margo's real name. Her colleagues and patrons at a small-town public library only know her middle-aged normalcy, congeniality, and charm. They have no reason to suspect that she is, in fact, a former nurse with a trail of countless premature deaths in her wake. She has turned a new page, so to speak, and the library is her sanctuary, a place to quell old urges. That is, at least, until Patricia, a recent graduate and failed novelist, joins the library staff. Patricia quickly notices Margo's subtly sinister edge, and watches her carefully. When a patron's death in the library bathroom gives her a hint of Margo's mysterious past, Patricia can't resist digging deeper--even as this new fixation becomes all-consuming."-- Provided by publisher.
Songs on Endless Repeat
Essays and Outtakes
Published in 2023
"The late Anthony Veasna So's debut story collection, Afterparties, was a landmark publication, hailed as a "bittersweet triumph for a fresh voice silenced too soon" (Fresh Air). And he was equally known for his comic, soulful essays, published in n+1, the New Yorker, and The Millions. Songs on Endless Repeat gathers those essays together, along with previously unpublished fiction. Written with razor-sharp wit and an unflinching eye, the essays examine his youth in California, the lives of his refugee parents, his intimate friendships, loss, pop culture, and more. And in linked fiction following three Cambodian American cousins who stand to inherit their late aunt's illegitimate loan-sharking business, So explores community, grief, and longing with inimitable humor and depth."-- Provided by publisher.
Murder Crossed Her Mind
Published in 2023
"The latest action-packed installment in the Nero Award-winning Pentecost & Parker Mystery series follows Lillian and Will tracking the suspicious disappearance of a woman who might have known too much"-- Provided by publisher.
Everyone in My Family Has Killed Someone
Published in 2023
"Everyone in my family has killed someone. Some of us, the high achievers, have killed more than once. I'm not trying to be dramatic, but it is the truth. Some of us are good, others are bad, and some just unfortunate. I'm Ernest Cunningham. Call me Ern or Ernie. I wish I'd killed whoever decided our family reunion should be at a ski resort, but it's a little more complicated than that. Have I killed someone? Yes. I have. Who was it? Let's get started"-- Provided by publisher.
Everyone on This Train is a Suspect
A Novel
Published in 2024
"On a famous Australian train between Darwin and Adelaide for the Mystery Writers' Society one of the attendees is murdered for real in the new mystery from the author of Everyone in My Family Has Killed Someone"-- Provided by publisher.
Villains Are Destined to Die. Vol. 05
Published in 2023
"Penelope and Callisto safely escaped the assassins, but the danger is far from over. The crown prince has been left in mortal peril, and Penelope…is standing trial for attempted murder?! Accused of attacking seven nobles during the Hunt, she faces a court proceeding that, in actuality, is nothing more than an elaborate sham to frame her. With false testimonies filling the courtroom, Derrick proving himself untrustworthy, and Callisto being unfit to tak e the stand, will Penelope rise against all odds and prevail…?"-- Provided by publisher.
The Viral Underclass
The Human Toll when Inequality and Disease Collide
Published in 2022
"From preeminent LGBTQ scholar, social critic, and journalist Steven W. Thrasher comes a powerful and crucial exploration of one of the most pressing issues of our times: how viruses expose the fault lines of society. Having spent a ground-breaking career studying the racialization, policing, and criminalization of HIV, Dr. Thrasher has come to understand a deeper truth at the heart of our society: that there are vast inequalities in who is able to survive viruses and that the ways in which viruses spread, kill, and take their toll are much more dependent on social structures than they are on biology alone. Told through the heart-rending stories of friends, activists, and teachers navigating the novel coronavirus, HIV, and other viruses, Dr. Thrasher brings the reader with him as he delves into the viral underclass and lays bare its inner workings. In the tradition of Isabel Wilkerson's Caste and Michelle Alexander's The New Jim Crow, The Viral Underclass helps us understand the world more deeply by showing the fraught relationship between privilege and survival"-- Provided by publisher.
Veniss Underground
Published in 2023
"The first novel (originally published in 2003) by Jeff VanderMeer, author of Annihilation, including approximately 50,000 words of new material exclusive to this edition"-- Provided by publisher.
Time is a Mother
Published in 2022
"Ocean Vuong's second collection of poetry looks inward, on the aftershocks of his mother's death, and the struggle - and rewards - of staying present in the world. Time Is a Mother moves outward and onward, in concert with the themes of On Earth We're Briefly Gorgeous, as Vuong continues, through his work, his profound exploration of personal trauma, of what it means to be the product of an American war in America, and how to circle these fragmented tragedies to find not a restoration, but the epicenter of the break"-- Provided by publisher.
Let Us Descend
A Novel
Published in 2023
In the years before the Civil War, Annis, sold south by the white enslaver who fathered her, struggles through the miles-long march, seeks comfort from memories of her mother and stories of her African warrior grandmother, opening herself to a world beyond this world.
Bea Wolf
Published in 2023
"Listen! Hear a tale of mallow-munchers and warriors who answer candy's clarion call! Somewhere in a generic suburb stands Treeheart, a kid-forged sanctuary where generations of tireless tykes have spent their youths making merry, spilling soda, and staving off the shadow of adulthood. One day, these brave warriors find their fun cut short by their nefarious neighbor Grindle, who can no longer tolerate the sounds of mirth seeping into his joyless adult life. As the guardian of gloom lays siege to Treeheart, scores of kids suddenly find themselves transformed into pimply teenagers and sullen adults! The survivors of the onslaught cry out for a savior--a warrior whose will is unbreakable and whose appetite for mischief is unbounded. They call for Bea Wolf."--Provided by publisher.
My Murder
Published in 2023
"A tautly paced novel in which a young mother who was cloned and brought back to life following her own murder comes to suspect that there is more to the story of her life and death than anyone is telling her. What if the murder you had to solve was your own? Lou is a happily married mother of an adorable toddler. She's also the clone of the original Louise who, along with four other victims of a local serial killer, has been brought back to life by a government project to return the women to their grieving families. But as the new Lou re-adapts to her old life, questions remain about what exactly preceded her death, and how much to trust those around her. Understanding the truth may determine what comes next for Lou. Darkly comic and lightly speculative, My Murder offers an exploration of ideas about personal identity, domestic life, and reinvention, within a thrilling, surprising, and entertaining mystery"-- Provided by publisher.
Fourth Wing
Published in 2023
"Twenty-year-old Violet Sorrengail was supposed to enter the Scribe Quadrant, living a quiet life among books and history. Now, the commanding general--also known as her tough-as-talons mother--has ordered Violet to join the hundreds of candidates striving to become the elite of Navarre: dragon riders. But when you're smaller than everyone else and your body is brittle, death is only a heartbeat away...because dragons don't bond to "fragile" humans. They incinerate them. With fewer dragons willing to bondthan cadets, most would kill Violet to better their own chances of success. The rest would kill her just for being her mother's daughter--like Xaden Riorson, the most powerful and ruthless wingleader in the Riders Quadrant. She'll need every edge her wits can give her just to see the next sunrise"-- Provided by publisher.
Iron Flame
Published in 2023
"Everyone expected Violet Sorrengail to die during her first year at Basgiath War College--Violet included. But Threshing was only the first impossible test meant to weed out the weak-willed, the unworthy, and the unlucky. Now the real training begins, and Violet's already wondering how she'll get through. It's not just that it's grueling and maliciously brutal, or even that it's designed to stretch the riders' capacity for pain beyond endurance. It's the new vice commandant, who's made it his personal mission to teach Violet exactly how powerless she is--unless she betrays the man she loves. Although Violet's body might be weaker and frailer than everyone else's, she still has her wits--and a will of iron. And leadership is forgetting the most important lesson Basgiath has taught her: Dragon riders make their own rules. But a determination to survive won't be enough this year. Because Violet knows the real secret hidden for centuries at Basgiath War College--and nothing, not even dragon fire, may be enough to save them in the end"-- Provided by publisher.
The Hive and the Honey
Stories
Published in 2023
Portraying the vastness and complexity of diasporic communities, this unflinching and unforgettable collection of stories from the beloved award-winning author confront themes of identity, belonging and the collision of cultures across countries and centuries.
Crying in H Mart
A Memoir
Published in 2021
"From the indie rockstar of Japanese Breakfast fame, and author of the viral 2018 New Yorker essay that shares the title of this book, an unflinching, powerful memoir about growing up Korean-American, losing her mother, and forging her own identity. In this exquisite story of family, food, grief, and endurance, Michelle Zauner proves herself far more than a dazzling singer, songwriter, and guitarist. With humor and heart, she tells of growing up the only Asian-American kid at her school in Eugene, Oregon; of struggling with her mother's particular, high expectations of her; of a painful adolescence; of treasured months spent in her grandmother's tiny apartment in Seoul, where she and her mother would bond, late at night, over heaping plates of food. As she grew up, moving to the east coast for college, finding work in the restaurant industry, performing gigs with her fledgling band--and meeting the man who would become her husband--her Koreanness began to feel ever more distant, even as she found the life she wanted to live. It was her mother's diagnosis of terminal pancreatic cancer, when Michelle was twenty-five, that forced a reckoning with her identity and brought her to reclaim the gifts of taste, language, and history her mother had given her. Vivacious and plainspoken, lyrical and honest, Michelle Zauner's voice is as radiantly alive on the page as it is onstage. Rich with intimate anecdotes that will resonate widely, and complete with family photos, Crying in H Mart is a book to cherish, share, and reread."-- Provided by publisher