July 1, 2023: Volume XCI, No. 13

Featuring 330 Industry-First Reviews of Fiction, Nonfiction, Children's and YA books

KIRKUS REVIEWS

Rachel Eliza Griffiths

The poet’s debut novel, Promise, is a love letter to Black girlhood

Also in the issue:

Chris Paul, Michael Genhart, Thien Pham

FROM THE EDITOR’S DESK | Tom Beer

life, liberty, etc.

Is there anything new left to say about the Declaration of Independence? This foundational American document—drafted by Thomas Jefferson and ratified by delegates from the 13 Colonies on July 4, 1776—is the impetus for all the barbecues and fireworks of the upcoming holiday as well as the subject of innumerable history lessons and memorization exercises. Historians have closely analyzed the document’s approximately 1,320 words, often celebrating them as a pure expression of American ideals and more recently observing the contradictions of a slaveholding society that advocated human freedom while withholding it from Black people.

Few phrases in the Declaration are better known than the one that furnishes the title of Peter Moore’s Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness: Britain and the American Dream (Farrar, Straus and Giroux, June 27). “Over the past quarter millennium this felicitous line has become world famous,” Moore writes. “There is a winning clarity here. So much is evoked with such little language. In a phrase of just seven words Jefferson, it seems, has captured the unique purpose and energy of the American Revolution.”

But, as Moore demonstrates in this highly readable book, the line has a “captivating pre-history” as well; he links it to ideas expressed by British thinkers Samuel Johnson, Catharine Macaulay, John Locke, and William Strahan earlier in the 18th century. In particular, the friendship between Strahan, a London-based printer, and Benjamin Franklin plays a crucial role in the dissemination of the Enlightenment ideas that became a cornerstone of the American Revolution. Or, as Moore succinctly puts it, “Britain first dreamed the Enlightenment dream, but it was America that made it happen.”

What, though, was the Enlightenment? In her nimble new intellectual history, Sarah Bakewell offers some definitions. “The new Enlighteners saw themselves as hoping to bring people into the light,” she explains in Humanly Possible: Seven Hundred Years of Humanist Freethinking, Inquiry, and Hope (Penguin Press, March 28). “They hoped, by means of better reasoning, more effective science and technology, and more beneficial political systems, to help their fellow humans to emerge into the sun and air and live more bravely and happily.”

Bakewell explores the ideas of numerous Enlightenment figures, including French thinkers Voltaire and Denis Diderot, Scottish philosopher David Hume, and Anglo-American pamphleteer Thomas Paine, who plays a prominent part in Moore’s book as well. Paine’s Common Sense, a fiery case for American independence published anonymously in 1775, was surely an influence on Jefferson in drafting the Declaration of Independence.

But Humanly Possible, as its subtitle suggests, widens the focus to introduce the people— from Erasmus and Petrarch in the 14th century to Bertrand Russell and Zora Neale Hurston in the 20th—whose work formed what Bakewell calls a “shared humanist tradition,” even if not all of them would have used the term humanist and some, in fact, predated it. Along with Moore’s book, it would make for excellent Fourth of July reading as we contemplate the theoretical underpinnings—along with the practical successes and failures—of the American democratic experiment.

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John Paraskevas

In Lauren Yero’s heart-rending debut, two teens in a dystopian Latin America struggle against social inequality, political conflict, and environmental devastation. Read the review on p. 137.

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The Kirkus Star is awarded to books of remarkable merit, as determined by the impartial editors of Kirkus.

fiction

These titles earned the Kirkus Star:

PERFECTLY NICE NEIGHBORS

Abdullah, Kia

Putnam (352 pp.)

$17.00 paper | Sept. 12, 2023

9780593713815

When the Bangladeshi Khatun family moves to a new London suburb, an incident with their white next-door neighbors escalates into tragedy and catastrophe.

Welcome to Blenheim: There are homes with perfect lawns, “neat streets and perfectly nice neighbors.” Despite financial difficulties in the wake of the pandemic, Salma and Bilal Khatun have moved there out of concern for their 18-year-old son, Zain, who’s gotten into trouble at school. At a May Day barbecue they’re invited to in their first week, there are undertones of discomfort in the words of their mostly white neighbors, but, exhaustingly, that’s nothing unexpected—but then Salma sees her next-door neighbor Tom Hutton deliberately knock over the Black Lives Matter banner they’ve displayed in their yard. She brings it inside and hangs it in the window—only to find the next morning that the pane has been painted over. When she confronts Tom and his pregnant wife, Willa, about the vandalism, things quickly get out of hand, and Zain films the confrontation. Of course, the recording ends up on Twitter, leading to Tom’s being fired and Salma’s dog being stolen. Even a burgeoning friendship between Zain and Jamie Hutton can’t mend the rift, and soon, a second confrontation between the two families gets physical. Trapped in a spiral of pain and resentment, and spurred on by social media and the political climate, soon one of them will be on trial for attempted murder, and all their lives will be forever altered. While thrillers can certainly offer social commentary, there is little “thrill” to be had in this novel. Instead, it’s a gritty, uncomfortable story about the ravages of racism. One cannot remain passive in the face of this novel, and the

UNDER THE TAMARIND TREE

Alam, Nigar Putnam (320 pp.)

$27.00 | Aug. 15, 2023

9780593544075

Women’s choices, shaped by history, desire, and obligation, drive a debut novel set against the backdrop of Pakistan’s violent past.

Dilemmas abound in both the “Then, 1964” and “Now, 2019” interleaved timestreams of Alam’s novel, set in Karachi and focused on a group of four friends, three of them refugees who arrived after the brutal Partition of the Indian subcontinent in 1947. Son of a wealthy business family, Haaris is the only one who always lived in the city, while Rozeena, Aalya, and Zohair endured the shock and pain of the transition, Rozeena losing her brother, who died saving her from the mob. Aalya and Zohair are attracted to each other, but the secrets of Aalya’s past oblige her to marry

someone with better prospects. Rozeena and Haaris have feelings for each other, too, but also face impediments. Rozeena’s uncle wants to force her into an arranged marriage, but as a qualified pediatrician, she wants to support herself and her widowed mother. Women’s self-determination in a traditional, class-bound, sometimes corrupt society is a strong theme of the book, reflected in the problems and options of several female characters, Rozeena in particular. Circumscribed by loyalty, financial needs, guilt, and a wish for freedom, she makes choices on the night of and also after Haaris’ Welcome Home Ball that will determine several outcomes and reach decades into the future. Serious in tone, slow to start, and increasingly forced in its plotting, the novel works hard to deliver sympathy and suspense. Its warm evocation of place is a strength, but the sense of authorial machinery at work as the characters repeatedly face intractable options handicaps this first work.

A vibrant portrait of a place and time lends richness to an overdetermined storyline.

young adult

july’s hottest reads

Don’t worry if you’ve gotten through your early-summer to-beread pile: There are plenty more great books coming out in July!

Are you spending more time with your children than you would during the school year? Just be glad they’re not the preschoolers in Chandler Baker’s Cutting Teeth (Flatiron, July 18), who are afflicted with something called “pediatric Renfield’s syndrome”—they crave their mothers’ blood, and they bite. Then their teacher is found dead in the supply closet. “Any parent who has imagined that their young children are draining the life out of them will both get the joke and feel the (piercing) pain,” our starred review says.

“Gruesome, funny, jam-packed, sharp as baby teeth.”

If you’d like to get even deeper into an imaginary world, try Chloe Gong’s Immortal Longings (Saga, July 25), the first book in a planned fantasy trilogy centering on a Hunger Games–like competition in which some of the competitors can assume different bodies. Our starred review says, “Gong packs her story with thrilling fight sequences in which each player’s distinct and recognizable pugilist style shines through even when they wear different physical forms.…

Spectacular worldbuilding, breathtaking action, and plenty of mischief.”

In Somebody’s Fool (Knopf, July 25), Richard Russo makes his third trip to North Bath, New York, even though Sully, its most notable resident, died in Everybody’s Fool (2016). Here, we check in on Sully’s son, Peter, a college professor, and Peter’s son, Thomas; police chief Douglas Raymer; and more residents after North Bath is annexed to a more affluent neighboring town. A decomposing body found at an abandoned building is also thrown into the mix. Who could it be?

“Russo’s version of the good old-fashioned comic novel is the gold standard, full of heart and dexterous storytelling,” according to our starred review.

Khaled Khalifa, a prominent Syrian writer, offers another multigenerational look at a small community in No One Prayed Over Their Graves, translated by Leri Price (Farrar, Straus and Giroux, July 18), about a town swept away by a flood of the Euphrates River in 1907. Christian Hanna and Muslim Zakariya, friends, are away from home at the time, partaking of the pleasures of the city. Losing their homes and most of their families sets their lives on different trajectories. “A small epic that blends magic realism with grim realities, always memorably,” says our starred review.

If given the choice of Business or Pleasure (Berkley, July 4)—the title of Rachel Lynn Solomon’s latest romance— I know which most readers would choose, and there’s plenty of pleasure here to go around. Chandler is a ghostwriter who fears she’ll never be recognized for her work; Finn is a C-list actor whose memoir she’s hired to write, and he sure recognizes her…as the woman he recently hooked up with. When he learns that their night of pleasure wasn’t so good for her, he convinces her to give him lessons in seduction. Our starred review calls it “a must-read modern romance that emphasizes silliness and sexiness in equal parts. Solomon’s best yet.”

If you’d prefer a historical romance, try Julie Anne Long’s How To Tame a Wild Rogue (Avon, July 25), again set at the delightful boardinghouse known as the Grand Palace on the Thames. When sailor Lorcan St. Leger sees Lady Daphne Worth climbing out a window in London’s docklands—she’s escaping from a lecherous employer— he’s determined to find her a safe place to stay. The Grand Palace, of course, only has one room available, so the pair claim to be married. “The author works alchemy on the familiar tropes of forced proximity, opposites attract, and a fake relationship, with magical results,” according to our starred review.

Laurie Muchnick is the fiction editor.

FICTION | Laurie Muchnick

COCKTAIL

Alward, Lisa

Biblioasis (224 pp.)

$16.95 paper | Sept. 12, 2023

9781771965620

A finely detailed debut collection of stories set in Canada from the 1960s to the present.

Alward often begins in a sharply evoked past time and then swoops forward into the present to record the impact of a past experience on her characters. In the brief and evocative title story, she opens in the seemingly familiar territory of a party in the 1970s that is being observed by children exiled upstairs while “the grownups put on their party clothes and seemed to forget us.” In her bedroom, the narrator, 10 or 11 at the time, is visited by one of her parents’ friends, and what might have gone horribly wrong doesn’t only because her brother appears at the door. Decades later, her parents divorced, the narrator finds herself inexplicably seeking this man “in beer cellars and dance halls and countryand-western bars.” Two of the stories view a similarly splintered nuclear family from radically different angles. In “Old Growth,” Gwyneth takes a road trip with her ex-husband, Ray, to check out some land he intends to buy, while in “Bear Country,” set a few years earlier but appearing later in the collection, Ray, in the family cabin soon to be sold, spends the summer with his troubled teenage son while a bear lurks nearby. Alward is a master of near disasters: “Bundle of Joy” starts out as a satire about a critical mother going for a visit to meet her infant grandson and complaining about the infant’s short legs and her son-in-law’s beard, which reminds her of “a neglected box hedge.” As grandma Ruth consumes ever more alcohol, the story veers into an account of an accident involving the child and then takes an unexpected turn into sympathy for Ruth. With a coolly dispassionate voice, Alward views the small horrors of domesticity, “the ungodly screech of the Fisher-Price phone as its bulbous eyes rolled back” or the creaking strain on a marriage inflicted by the necessity of removing six layers of wallpaper, and turns them into stories whose implications reverberate far beyond the walls of any home.

Refreshingly tart reflections on family fragmentation and its aftershocks.

NORMAL RULES DON’T APPLY

Atkinson, Kate

Doubleday (224 pp.)

$28.00 | Sept. 12, 2023

9780385549509

A collection of short fiction in which anything can happen by the celebrated author of the Jackson Brodie novels, among many others.

Atkinson’s last book, Shrines of Gaiety (2022), has a single, charismatic figure at its center, a story that spirals outward to encompass a multifarious cast, and narratives that multiply and intertwine, the whole glorious thing energized by her impeccable ear for the English language, a willingness to experiment, and a sort of gimlet-eyed compassion. That is to say, Shrines of Gaiety reads like an Atkinson novel. This collection feels like an amateurish parody of her signature style, exacerbated by the attempt to tie it all together with recurring characters and repeating

motifs. Franklin Fletcher, for example, is the main character of “Dogs in Jeopardy,” “The Indiscreet Charm of the Bourgeoisie,” “Classic Quest 17—Crime and Punishment” and co-star of the closing story, “What If?” Dame Phoebe Hope-Waters, the Rev. Matthew Dent, and a down-on-her-luck fairy-tale princess named Aoife pop up in multiple stories. There are talking animals. The end of the world happens. Violets—violet eau de toilette, violet candies, the flowers themselves—dot the text but, after an initial aha, this motif seems no more meaningful than an easter egg in a video game. It all feels like too much and not enough, and “Puppies and Rainbows”—the tale of a feckless, pill-popping American actress who has an affair with the young idiot who is second in line to the British throne—is an embarrassment that not even a cameo appearance by Dame Phoebe Hope-Waters can save. There are a couple of standout characters. Florence, the Rev. Dent’s spiky eldest daughter, is a delight. And then there’s Franklin—handsome, affable, rudderless Franklin. Lacking any will or desire of his own, he is putty in the hands of an author like Atkinson. It’s completely probable that he will—again and again—encounter the improbable, and

one wishes that his author had found a complete novel for him. Or even a fully realized novella.

Atkinson’s fans might want to wait for her next book.

THE MIDNIGHT NEWS

Baker, Jo Knopf (336 pp.)

$29.00 | May 2, 2023

9780593534977

Challenges—mental and physical— mark the two young Londoners who find each other during the shattering horrors of the Blitz.

British writer Baker has set her eighth novel in familiar territory: the early years of the Second World War when the Germans bombed the British capital relentlessly. Her version is distinguished by her characteristic qualities of empathy, detail, and

insight as well as her fragile central figure—20-year-old Charlotte Richmond, the daughter of a baronet, who has abandoned her class and moneyed background to work a menial job at the Ministry of Information while living in cramped digs in an unfashionable suburb. Charlotte’s perspective dominates, but it may not be reliable given her history of mental instability—“a spell in the loony bin”—and the voices in her head, which multiply as her friends lose their lives in the raids, along with the fear she’s being followed by a murderous “shadow man.” She finds some small comfort, however, in a slowly developing relationship with Tom Hawthorne, a sympathetic, physically disabled young psychology student. As matters progress, Baker spins Charlotte’s life and brain into a whirlpool of loss, danger, suspicion, and amateur detection, resulting in her family’s sending her back to the mental hospital. Her incarceration there, a terrifying episode, heralds a change of gear in the story, embracing escape, safe houses, traitors, and the eventual revelation of a scarcely credible villain. With its evolving genres—from realism to gothic to thriller, laced with a burgeoning love story—the plotline becomes unsteady. Baker’s readability and sensitivity retain their appeal, and the (literal) grit of the blasted London streets, softened by flavorsome Englishness—Chelsea buns, Iced Gems, tea cozies, chin-wags—lends immediacy, but the late, more one-dimensional thread of dastardly conduct threatens the novel’s solidity.

A powerfully atmospheric evocation of World War II complicated by its shifts between tracks.

SWIM HOME TO THE VANISHED

Basham, Brendan Shay

Harper/HarperCollins (240 pp.)

$30.00 | Aug. 22, 2023

9780063241084

A young Diné man fleeing a tragic past encounters an equally fraught present.

Six months after his younger brother Kai’s drowning death, Damien, a restaurant chef who’s still wracked by grief at that loss and the earlier unexplained disappearances of his parents, quits his job and departs on a hallucinatory journey that will transport him to an environment even more discomfiting than the one he’s desperate to escape. That setting is an impoverished seaside village where Damien is drawn into the complex dynamics of a family of three women—Ana María and her daughters Paola and Marta—who themselves are mourning the recent murder of their daughter and sibling, Carla. Damien goes to work in the family’s makeshift food service operation on the beach, and he’s soon exposed to the sisters’ suspicions that their mother was involved in both Carla’s death and the earlier disappearance of their father at sea. Paola and Marta try to enlist Damien in their plots and counterplots against their despised mother, who exerts a sort of domination over the village owing largely to her unexplained ability to replenish a fish supply decimated

by overfishing. The clashes among these three women, who may be brujas, climax in the chaos of an apocalyptic hurricane that’s described in terrifying detail. Basham’s debut novel is complex and enigmatic, featuring a mythic sensibility and elements of magical realism, including the early stages of Damien’s metamorphosis into a fish and other characters’ taking on the physical characteristics of lizards and insects. The novel’s prose is lush and evocative, and there’s an almost erotic charge to Basham’s writing about food, a central element in the story. He tries to give the novel a larger thematic resonance by alluding to the tragedy of the Long Walk—the dispossession of Damien’s ancestors, some 10,000 members of the Navajo (Diné) tribe in the 1860s—as well as the impact of climate change.

An ambitious first novel whose intriguing parts never fully come together into a satisfying whole.

CALIFORNIA GOLDEN

Benjamin, Melanie Delacorte (352 pp.)

$28.00 | Aug. 8, 2023

9780593497852

On the glorious beaches of Southern California and Hawaii, the surf is up in this 1960s-era tale about mothers and daughters.

You can practically hear The Beach Boys singing “California Girls” in this novel about surfer sisters Mindy and Ginger Donnelly and their mother, Carol, a world-class athlete and terrible mom. Fans of Taylor Jenkins Reid’s Malibu Rising (2021) will enjoy this story, which shares some of same locales, but the dysfunctional family at its center is one of a kind. Carol is a water creature who never got the knack of how to be a mother. Her first love is the ocean, and her daughters suffer because of it. They wear dirty clothes, Carol forgets to pick them up at school, and she

regularly abandons them to hit the beach. When Mindy and Ginger are teens, they too become surfers, though Mindy is a natural and Ginger is struggling to keep up. Things go sideways when Mindy outshines Carol in the water, and that’s just the beginning of the grown-up problems the sisters face. Benjamin nails the damage caused by traumatic childhoods marked by insecurity and fear of abandonment. Mindy becomes a shallow minor celebrity garnering small roles in beach movies, and Ginger comes under the spell of a narcissistic drug user. The three Donnellys go their separate ways until, years later, fate steps in. This sun-soaked novel is wonderfully awash in the music, television, and fashion of the ’60s as well as the counterculture movement that touted drugs and dropping out. Benjamin based this novel, in part, on real-life female surfers who faced sexism in the mid-20th century.

A sun-drenched tale of two sisters trying to make peace with their past.

TEMPLE FOLK

Bilal, Aaliyah

Simon & Schuster (256 pp.)

$26.99 | July 4, 2023

9781982191818

In Bilal’s debut, Black American Muslims explore the intricacies of their faith and community.

Taqwa is tasked with writing her father’s eulogy—never an easy assignment, but made more difficult in Taqwa’s case first by the fact that her father’s ghost keeps appearing; second, an alternative narrative to her father’s life has emerged; and finally, her father’s commitment to Islam—he was an imam—may have wavered at the end of his life. The night before the interment, Taqwa sits up late, but in the morning, the eulogy—alas—has not written itself. This story, “Due North,” is one of many meticulously probing stories in Bilal’s debut collection. Each story describes the experiences of Black Muslims with varying levels of commitment to their faith, including at least one nonbeliever. It’s a rare glimpse into a community that has received almost no literary attention, and Bilal is a skillful guide—sympathetic, nuanced, searching, but not uncritical. She describes one character as having “the look of someone who would always be limited by her own cunning, no hope of ever growing wise.” In “Candy for Hanif,” Sister Norah cares for her cognitively delayed son long after her husband has died. “In that moment,” Bilal writes, “the entire city looked to her like a cage, placing limits on what she could know of the world.” Bilal seems to particularly excel in the longer pieces, when she has room to explore. Still, despite the many, many attributes that make up this fine collection, there is a sameness to the structure and style of narration in many of the stories, especially those that are voiced in first person. The narrators tend to resemble each other. That’s something for Bilal to watch out for in later books—clearly, there will be many more.

A beautifully thorough, well-balanced collection.

DEADLOCK

Byrne, James Minotaur (368 pp.)

$28.00 | Aug. 8, 2023

9781250805782

A righteous soldier of fortune risks all to protect a pair of young women in distress.

A nail-biting prologue introduces 35-year-old Desmond Aloysius Limerick, who’s flying a secret mission to Azerbaijan among an international assortment of ruthless characters. Two years later, Dez, back home in Malibu, gets a distress call from Raziah Swann in Portland. Raziah’s sister Laleh, a reporter, has been hospitalized after a brutal attack. If being some sort of mercenary is Dez’s vocation, music is his avocation, and he befriended the awesomely talented Raziah, a half-Black American and half-Iranian singer, while they were both performing in clubs. The seriousness of the attack is confirmed when Dez takes out a pair of thugs with designs on Laleh during his visit to the hospital. Mysteriously, this encounter alerts both the U.S. Marshals Office and the Drug Enforcement Administration, who swing into action. Part of the reason could be that Laleh has been probing Clockjack Solutions, an influential Oregon corporation. Just as Dez is both mercenary and shamus, Byrne’s novel keeps one foot planted in the international thriller genre and the other in traditional detective fiction, with his generally relaxed, laconic style leaning to the latter. Easygoing Dez also has a streak of 007, rolling in the sheets with both Veronika Tsygan, who owns the Portland club Deep Dive, and Petra Alexandris, whom he rescued in his debut caper. Short, punchy chapters mark frequent changes of location and a brisk pace, as the plot pings all over the globe. Few readers will be surprised when key players from the prologue return.

A busy hybrid thriller with a retro flavor.

CANARY GIRLS

Chiaverini, Jennifer Morrow/HarperCollins (432 pp.)

$32.00 | Aug. 8, 2023

9780063080744

A group of female munitions workers become friends and soccer teammates in Great Britain during World War I.

In 1915, April Tipton, a 19-year-old housemaid, follows her best friend, Marjorie, to London to work in one of the “Danger Buildings” at a munitions factory—a job that pays nearly 30 times as much as her old position, offering the ability for the women to support not only themselves, but their families. While it’s known to be dangerous work because of the chance that the bombs will explode, the poisonousness of the TNT the women work with won’t be fully realized until late in the war even though from the beginning it turned the

workers’ skin yellow and discolored their hair—thus earning them the nickname canary girls. Helen Purcell, daughter of an Oxford professor, has married into the family that owns the factory. Determined to do her part for the war effort, she begins working at the factory as a welfare supervisor for the workers who are increasingly obviously being poisoned, advocating for the women to her husband, Arthur, who runs the arsenal. Lucy Dempsey—who’s married to Daniel, an Olympic gold medalist–turned–professional soccer player now enlisted as a soldier— begins working at the factory to support the war effort and to earn enough money so she doesn’t lose her family’s home. Each of the women finds her way to the Thornshire Canaries, the soccer team for the arsenal, and as the war progresses, the fan base for the soccer league of “munitionettes” grows ever larger. Chiaverini has written a sprawling, ambitious story: It’s part a play-by-play recounting of the Canaries’ soccer games against munitionette teams from across Britain, part a history lesson about the life-altering work undertaken by women determined to be “The Girl Behind the Man Behind the Gun” regardless of the risk to their own lives, and part a story of the emotional

“The good, the bad, and the ugly sides of war on the homefront are highlighted in this uplifting story.”

canary girls

highs and lows of the women carrying on as best they could during the war years.

The good, the bad, and the ugly sides of war on the homefront are highlighted in this uplifting story.

THE HIKE

Clarke, Lucy Putnam (384 pp.)

$28.00 | Aug. 29, 2023

9780593422670

Four British women aspire to climb a mountain in Norway, coming face to face with threats both natural and human. The novel opens with a body; a woman has fallen from a great height. It’s unclear who she is or what happened, but this single vignette instills a sense of inevitable danger in the story from Page 1. Zoom out to meet the four protagonists,

all women in their 30s who have been friends since childhood; every year they take turns choosing a travel destination, and this year, Liz has chosen a four-day hiking adventure in Norway to climb Blafjell. Helena and Maggie are less enthusiastic about the hiking, but loyalty demands that they go, packing up new gear and boots and embracing the adventure, no matter their private misgivings. The fourth friend, Joni, an international rock star whose colorful life keeps her less in touch with the group, impulsively cancels her next shows and flies out to meet them. At the lodge the night before they head out on the trail, they meet a few potentially suspicious characters and also learn about Karin, a woman who went missing almost a year ago and is presumed dead, maybe even murdered by a local man. While the stress of the hike brings some of the women’s insecurities and conflicts to the surface, they also remember why they have always shown up for each other. Despite Liz’s having been warned about a potential storm, she keeps them moving. Then, on the second night, catastrophe strikes. The strengths of the novel lie in the knife-sharp tension of the first half as well as the beautifully nuanced friendship of the four main characters. While there is danger and tragedy aplenty, hope and loyalty also abound.

DAUGHTER

Dey, Claudia Farrar, Straus and Giroux (272 pp.) $27.00 | Sept. 12, 2023 9780374609702

Dey, a Canadian playwright and novelist, offers a detailed account of family relations when the father is a famous writer.

Narrator Mona Dean, herself a playwright, sums up the whole novel early on: “I had never gotten over my childhood.” Eighteen years earlier, when Mona was 11, her father, Paul, left her mother, Natasha, for his second wife, Cherry. Cherry poisoned him against Mona and her older sister, Juliet, so both girls, like their mother, suffered abandonment. Mona still suffers. A former boxer whose critically acclaimed novel shares the title of Dey’s, Paul comes across as a horrible hybrid of Mailer and Hemingway. (Not coincidentally, Mona performs in her own one-woman play about Hemingway’s doomed granddaughter, Margot; its first line is “To be loved by your father is to be loved by God.”) Mona’s internal dialogue dominates. Even when other characters’ perspectives are offered in occasional third-person descriptions, one senses that Mona, like a novelist, is imagining them to support her own belief that Cherry is an evil stepmother and Eva, Paul and Cherry’s daughter, a malignant half sister. Along with bouts of extreme grief, depression, and jealousy, Mona suffers a litany of trials: her parents’ divorce, an abortion at 15, rape in graduate school, a pregnancy ending in a stillbirth followed by a life-threatening medical crisis. Each incident is real and traumatic, but together the list feels like authorial overkill. So does Mona’s frequent self-congratulation. She makes it clear that

Rachel Eliza Griffiths

The accomplished poet discusses publishing her debut novel, Promise , a love letter to Black girlhood

BY KRISTEN EVANS

Before her marriage to Salman Rushdie in 2021, before publishing five celebrated books of poetry, before debuting as a fiction writer at age 45, Rachel Eliza Griffiths typed in earnest on a “sky-blue Smith Corona” at her childhood home in Delaware.

“I was 10 or 11 years old, and those hammers banging away—that was one of the most blissed-out spaces for me growing up,” says Griffiths during a Zoom call from the U.K. She is there to work with her British publisher on that fiction debut, Promise (Random House, July 11), which follows Black sisters Hyacinth and Ezra Kindred as they come of age in northern Maine at the height of the Civil Rights Movement.

Narrated by Cynthy, the novel examines the perils and pleasures of Black girlhood in the increasingly hostile village of Salt Point. Danger is everywhere in Promise—from the sheriff who mimes shooting the Kindred family from the window of his police cruiser to the schoolteacher who snubs her Black students in order to elevate the white ones.

For Griffiths, the origins of Promise are rooted in wanting to understand what it would have felt like for someone her mother’s age to grow up in New England in the late 1950s. “I wanted to write a love letter, particularly to the space of Black girlhood,” she says.

“I wanted to think about the world when my mother grew up, and she was born in 1954,” Griffiths adds. “What would she have been told as a girl about how to be a woman? How to have an imagination, how to give herself permission, how to have an inner life?”

Even as the violence in Salt Point worsens, Cynthy’s parents and their family friends the Junketts go to great lengths to instill joy, pride, and love in their daughters. “The North is so often thought of as freedom,” Griffiths explains, “but there are quite a lot of pockets in the North where that is not the case. I wanted to have a story where the sisters grow up in a home that has been happy, has nurtured them through reading and cooking and nature, through their imaginations.”

Griffiths adds, “I don’t believe that [the Kindreds are] resilient because they suffer. They’re resilient because they know how to love. And I feel like, in my own personal life, resilience comes from a very deep centering of joy and wonder and imagination and action and agency and accountability.”

While researching Promise, Griffiths turned to novelists like Ralph Ellison and James Baldwin for inspiration, since they lived and wrote through the same time period. But it was Zora Neale Hurston’s work that helped Griffiths tap into the interiority she most wanted to capture.

“I was very struck by [a scene in] Their Eyes Were Watching God that I just find devastating,” she says.

Rachel Eliza Griffiths

Griffiths describes an exchange between the protagonist, Janie, and her grandmother, who tells her, “you know, you can never be the flower, you’re going to be the mule. Don’t think for a minute that you can be vulnerable in this world.”

This scene both propelled Griffiths back to her own childhood and became an organizing principle for the themes in Promise. “That happened to me often growing up, where, [at] a certain time of vulnerability or sweetness, our mothers or aunties or grandmothers or teachers would say the stereotype of the strong Black woman: She can’t be depressed, she can’t be anxious, she can’t just be tired. She’s got to hold it all together. Well, what does that do over generations, you know?”

Promise is in many ways haunted by this same idea of inheritance—for better and for worse. Cynthy’s family migrates north because a horrifying act of terror destroys their home in a Black settlement. The memory informs the decisions Cynthy’s parents, especially her father, make to keep the family safe.

Late in the novel, Cynthy has a conversation with her grandmother Ginny as they struggle to process new grief together. “We can pass hurt, same as we can pass new life,” Ginny tells her granddaughter. The line doesn’t just evoke the scene in Their Eyes Were Watching God that inspired Griffiths. In a way, it also serves as a thesis Griffiths has developed throughout her career, in every medium she has mastered.

“My main subject is, in a way, myself—it’s Black women and these other narrative possibilities for joy, for being soft, for being ill, for being strong,” she says. “And that all of these things can be true at the same time.”

Although Griffiths earned her MFA in fiction at Sarah Lawrence College, she found success first with poetry, then photography. Her black-and-white portraits of other poets are particularly striking: mysterious, evocative, variously draped in shadow or bathed in crystalline light.

Documentary self-portraits fill her last collection, the award-winning Seeing the Body, in which she processes the grief of her mother’s death. That collection also opened a portal for Griffiths to finally begin writing fiction for publication.

“I don’t think I was really ready until my mother died,” says Griffiths of beginning Promise. “That’s when I was like, You write a novel, or you never write

a novel. Time’s up for you. You have the chops now, and you’ve gone through quite a bit to really trust yourself as a fiction writer. I took that very seriously,” she adds.

To finish writing Promise, it seems Griffiths also had to invite the joyful, creative abandon of her 10-year-old self sitting at her typewriter back into the room. “So much of that energy is in my book,” she says.

For a moment, she reflects on what it means to publish her first book of fiction now, after so many years of working in other genres and media. “I’m a debut novelist. I’m terrified. It’s also such an amazing thing to start over, and I feel like I’m starting over,” she says.

As for the novel’s long genesis? “It arrived on time. I think it was better not to push it and to be the age I am now, where I know my voice, and I know that it changes.”

Kristen Evans writes about books and culture for the Boston Globe, the Los Angeles Times, the New Republic, and elsewhere. Promise received a starred review in the May 15, 2023, issue.

young adult

she’s renowned for her talent and beauty and crows about her handsome and adoring partner; her loyal, remarkably forgiving best friend; and the unwavering support she’s received from Natasha and Juliet. As for Paul, Mona (or the author) can’t help excusing the wishy-washy narcissist because the poor guy has been manipulated by Cherry and is tortured over his writing. Actually, everyone in this novel is tortured.

Expect sharp observations and fluid prose; don’t expect a sense of humor. Dey’s characters take themselves very seriously.

A HOUSE FOR ALICE

Evans, Diana Pantheon (352 pp.)

$28.00 | Sept. 12, 2023 9780593701089

The shifting sands of relationships, time, and place frame a vibrant new novel from an award-winning British writer.

Broad in range, vivid in detail, alight often with eloquent language, Evans’ fourth novel, set among a Black community in London, takes time to reveal itself. Readers of her preceding work, Ordinary People (2018), will be familiar with its two central couples— Melissa and Michael and Stephanie and Damian—but years have passed, their relationships have shifted, the lens has widened, and new readers can start here. Now the focus includes Melissa’s two sisters and, notably, her mother, Alice, while the couples’ relationships have buckled. In a virtuoso opening chapter, Alice’s husband, Cornelius, from whom she is separated, meets an unfortunate end, freeing Alice to plan a return to her homeland, Nigeria. The timing and circumstances of Cornelius’ death coincide with the Grenfell Tower fire, the horrific London apartment house blaze that killed 72 people in 2017 and raised multiple issues of negligence, poverty, race, and responsibility. Evans weaves recent politics and social issues—“the doomful cloud of Boris Johnson, the underlying permanence of British racism”—into the narrative as she explores the two former couples’ new, more separate, often restless existences, still connected by their children. There’s Melissa’s debatable new relationship, Michael’s second marriage to a gregarious singer, Damian’s mental health struggle, and much more. Caretaking, of elders and children, is a theme that resonates at many levels, a role not always performed successfully. The notion of home, actual and symbolic, dominates: “More than simply land, but the threads you have spun in your life, the ties you have made with your blood and company.” Sprawling but always engaging, the novel’s cast is filled with rounded individuals, their problems and options as Black, middle-class Londoners showcased at work and play and contemplation, with humor and empathy. A baggy, striking, perceptive slice of intergenerational life.

COME WITH ME

Flanagan, Erin

Thomas & Mercer (300 pp.)

$16.99 paper | Aug. 22, 2023

9781662510328

A new widow accepts help getting back on her feet from an old co-worker. The help is extravagantly generous, the price even higher.

Nobody expected Todd Maner to keel over and die of a heart attack at 33. Since he’d canceled his life insurance and plowed all his savings back into TeckPocket, the troubled company he’d co-founded in Boulder, his wife, Gwen, is left with nothing but their 8-yearold daughter, Whitney. Desperate, Gwen phones Nicola Kimmel back in Dayton, Ohio. They haven’t been in touch since the two of them were unpaid interns together at media agency Dack & Anders during their last year of college, but that’s the closest Gwen’s ever come to holding down a job, and she hopes that Nicola can give her a recommendation or point her toward some leads. She discovers to her astonishment that Nicola, who was never as close to her as she was to Missy, a third intern who recently went AWOL after rising through the ranks, can do much more. Now the second in command at Dack, Nicola asks for Gwen’s resume, offers her a job, persuades her colleagues to sign on by richly inflating Gwen’s credentials, and announces her appointment as Associate Vice President of Regional Development, with a salary and office to match. Back in Dayton with Jeri Gries, the diabetic mother who’s phoned her every day for years but never offered a helping hand, Gwen naturally leans into Nicola harder and harder. Eventually even she realizes there’s something funny about their relationship, which Flanagan explains up to a point through a series of flashbacks to Nicola’s disastrous early years with her own mother.

Forget where this is heading and enjoy the ride.

THE ARMOR OF LIGHT

Follett, Ken

Viking (752 pp.)

$$38.00 | Sept. 26, 2023 9780525954996

The latest in Follett’s Kingsbridge series takes readers to a time of turbulence. In late-18th- and early-19th-century England, Sally Clitheroe must struggle with personal tragedy in a time of great societal upheaval. After her first husband is crushed under an overloaded turnip cart, she must initially raise her son, Kit, on her own. She is an exceptionally strong woman, both physically and mentally, and is every bit a match for her second husband, Jarge Box. When he strikes his stepson, Jarge learns that he’s made a big mistake: “If you ever touch that boy again,” Sal warns, “I swear I’ll cut your throat in the middle of the night, so help me God.” Not that the young

“A treat for fans of historical fiction.”

the armor of light

are generally respected; this is still an era when a child can be hanged for stealing 6 shillings worth of ribbon for his mother to resell for bread; when criticizing the government is a crime punishable by prison; and when two or more employees are forbidden by the 1799 Combination Act to criticize their employer. But monumental change is afoot with the beginnings of the Industrial Revolution, and it’s not all good. New spinning looms require fewer people to operate them, throwing many people out of work. Luddites, followers of Ned Ludd, destroy as many of the new machines as they can, but to no avail. Lawbreakers can sometimes avoid prison by joining the army, which ties into the dramatic set piece of this lengthy novel. When Wellington confronts Bonaparte at Waterloo, the carnage is horrific as cannonballs rip bodies to shreds. Sal and her son are central to the story. They are admirable characters without any obvious faults, but the rest of the cast has many: hanging judges, greedy businessmen, thieves, adulterers, murderers, and a bishop’s aide who harbors unseemly ambition. They are all well developed and believable, and readers will love to hate some of them. A treat for fans of historical fiction.

WHERE IS ANNE FRANK

Folman, Ari

seeking refuge there. That Folman should level this charge, given how shamelessly he has exploited that legacy for his own use, is more than offensive—it borders on the obscene.

By turns silly and tedious, exploitative and moralistic, the book fails on all fronts.

THE SIGHT

Golding, Melanie

Crooked Lane (336 pp.)

$18.99 paper | Sept. 5, 2023

9781639104611

The child of an English family circus is cursed with a very special brand of second sight.

Faith Harrington sees dying people. If she looks into your eyes, she can tell you the exact circumstances of your death and make a ballpark prediction—sometimes a much

Illus. by

Lena Guberman Pantheon

(160 pp.)

$25.00 | Sept. 5, 2023 9781524749347

Anne Frank’s imaginary friend, Kitty, springs magically to life.

In a graphic-novel adaptation of his 2021 animated film, Israeli director/ screenwriter Folman has found a new way to monetize the legacy of Anne Frank. The catalyst for the story’s events is—what else?—a burst of lightning, which by striking the Anne Frank House in Amsterdam at precisely the right moment, at precisely the right angle, causes Kitty—the imaginary friend to whom Anne Frank addressed each diary entry—to come to life. In illustrator Guberman’s hands, Kitty is red-haired and willowy, with the bland, wide-eyed expression of a typical Disney heroine—and for that matter, so is Anne, who is immediately stripped of all the qualities that made her so singular in her own life and work. Kitty, who can’t remember what happened to Anne and the rest of the Frank family, is launched on a series of inane adventures around Amsterdam while she tries to finish reading the diary (as she reads, she’s propelled into Anne’s memories). In one frame, Anne and Peter van Daan are listening to the radio. They’ve been growing closer. Meanwhile, Russian forces have broken through Leningrad. In the cel, Anne tips her head coyly toward Peter, her hand to her chin, her eyebrows raised flirtatiously. The caption reads, “One-third of the city’s population have died of starvation.” It’s a moment of bad taste that speaks to Folman’s overarching carelessness. In the end, Folman makes his story into a finger-wagging parable about how, at the same time that it profits from Anne Frank’s legacy, Europe is now failing the many migrants currently

the vaster wilds

more accurate prediction—of when it will come. Faith’s visions, a legacy from her great-grandmother Daisy Harrington, are clearly an equivocal gift. Not many people want to know how they’re going to die. Nor is Faith happy with her ability. Ever since her childhood vision of a family tragedy she was unable to prevent, she’s wanted to be rid of it, at one point even poking out her left eye in an attempt to blind herself that failed when she couldn’t bring herself to stab her right eye as well. That moment brought her face to face for the first time with Betsy, a future nurse who’s remained her only friend as her family members, the owners of Harrington and Sons circus, have gradually pushed her away. Faith loses the opportunity to ride her beloved horse, Macha, in the ring, loses the good faith of Uncle Billy Ward, her nominal partner in the show, and loses her claim to a private life when her prediction of TV personality Joey Standish’s death is caught on a video that goes viral, branding her the Oracle of Death. Finally losing her financial stake in the circus, which she’s been counting on to underwrite the medical care her cancer-stricken mother needs, forces her to deal with people who are willing to pay to learn the details

of their deaths, and the mounting problems with those dealings pave the way to a shattering climax.

A fairy tale–tinged thriller that may be the saddest novel about circus folk you’ve ever read.

THE VASTER WILDS

Groff, Lauren

Riverhead (272 pp.)

$28.00 | Sept. 12, 2023

9780593418390

This historical fever dream of a novel follows the flight of a servant girl through the Colonial American wilderness, red in tooth and claw.

As in her last novel, Matrix (2021), Groff’s imaginative journey into a distant time and place is powered by a thrumming engine of language and rhythm. “She had chosen to flee, and in so choosing, she had left behind her everything she had, her roof, her home, her country, her language, the only family she had ever known, the child Bess, who had been born into her care when she was herself a small child of four years or so, her innocence, her understanding of who she was, her dreams of who she might one day be if only she could survive this starving time.” Those onrushing sentences will follow the girl, “sixteen or seventeen or perhaps eighteen years of age,” through the wilderness surrounding the desperate colony, driven by famine and plague into barbarism, through the territory of “the powhatan and pamunkey” to what she hopes will be “the settlements of frenchmen, canada,” a place she once saw pointed out on a map. The focus is on the terrors of survival, the exigencies of starvation, the challenges of locomotion, the miseries of a body wounded, infected, and pushed beyond its limit. What plot there is centers on learning the reason for her flight and how it will end, but the book must be read primarily for its sentences and the light it shines on the place of humans in the order of the world. Whether she is eating baby birds and stealing the fluff from the mother’s nest to line her boots, having a little tea party with her meager trove of possessions, temporarily living inside a tree trunk that comes with a pantry full of grubs (spiders prove less tasty), or finally coming to rest in a way neither she nor we can foresee, immersion in the girl’s experience provides a virtual vacation from civilization that readers may find deeply satisfying.

The writing is inspired, the imaginative power near mystic, but some will wish for more plot.

“Groff ’s imaginative journey into a distant time and place is powered by a thrumming engine of language and rhythm.”

THE FULL-MOON WHALING CHRONICLES

Guriel, Jason Biblioasis (256

pp.)

$17.95 paper | Aug. 1, 2023

9781771965514

Canadian poet Guriel returns to the whimsical world of Forgotten Work (2020) for an even more bonkers epic. If Guriel’s fiction debut about a musical scavenger hunt was 1970s-era space rock, this book is full-on Lord of the Rings via Ralph Bakshi with a scattering of cyberpunk tropes to keep things spicy. Like its predecessor, it’s not easy to read unless you’re the sort who finds rhyming couplets roll off the tongue, but the author’s playful disposition and quixotic milieu remain infectious. The book alternates two storylines, juxtaposing a young scholar’s fascination with a famous work of YA fiction with the text of that novel, also composed entirely in rhyme and concerning itself with seafaring

werewolves. When Kaye’s friend Cat drags her to a convention celebrating The Full­Moon Whaling Chronicles, she’s not terribly impressed, but something about the book’s depictions of pirates and monsters gets under her skin, as does the mystery of the book’s author, Mandy Fiction, who vanished into thin air in 2052. Guriel’s book desperately needs focus, but it has plenty of startling imagery to enliven the reader’s journey. There’s clever wordplay satirizing corporate culture (apparently ZuckTube and ZikZok remain inescapable in the future) but also dystopian vistas, like the crater where Kaye lives and where Montreal once stood. Meanwhile, the teenage lycanthropes onboard the Lucy Dread sail treacherous seas in search of a sea monster dubbed a “Moby.” Soon, Kaye is invited by her eccentric professor Emmett Lux to join him for a research assistantship in Japan, where her relationship to Fiction’s fiction becomes even more Byzantine. Those who can manage the linguistic gymnastics needed to navigate the journey—laden with pop-culture references and winking observations about the fickle nature of fan culture—will reap strange rewards.

Clever and exasperating by turns, a mishmash of poetry, The Princess Bride, and myths from old worlds and new.

young adult

SHARK HEART A Love Story

Habeck, Emily

Marysue Rucci Books (416 pp.)

$28.00 | Aug. 8, 2023

9781668006498

A young couple’s happy marriage shatters when the husband turns into a great white shark.

Lewis and Wren prove the maxim that opposites attract. Wren is practical and solution-oriented; she works in finance and is the couple’s breadwinner. Idealistic dreamer Lewis tried to make it as an actor in New York and has now returned home to Texas to teach high school theater. But Lewis begins to develop worrying symptoms: insatiable thirst, extra teeth, a hunger for fish. It’s a rare condition but not unheard of: the Carcharodon carcharias mutation. Lewis is turning into the largest predatory fish on Earth—the great white shark. As Lewis loses more of his human life and Wren tries to figure out how to say goodbye to the world they’ve built together, she’s also reminded of her childhood, when her senses of safety and stability were destroyed as her single mother’s own tragic fate played out. For much of the book, Wren’s role maps movingly onto real-world narratives of caretaking ill spouses or parents, though this map becomes less exact as the book unfolds. This unfolding, though, is more playful than one might expect: fragments of poetry, play script, and even footnotes are woven into the brief—occasionally a single sentence—vignettes from the lives of Lewis, Wren, and Wren’s mother, the book’s primary perspectives. The result is a bit Shakespeare, a bit Kafka, and a bit Disney, with Habeck unafraid of sentiment, big proclamations, and talking animals. (“Are we all just actors performing some unbound art form for God, the audience of space?” Lewis wonders.) Habeck’s hearton-sleeve approach to relationships, grief, and natural wonder may strike some as saccharine, but readers looking for an earnest exploration of love will be satisfied.

Though occasionally florid, a debut that stands out from the pack—er, school.

WHAT NEVER HAPPENED

Hall, Rachel Howzell

Thomas & Mercer (428 pp.)

$28.99 | Aug. 1, 2023

9781662504150

A girl’s life is forever altered when her family is murdered.

Back in 2001, Colette “Coco” Weber and her family were among the very few Black residents of Avalon on California’s Santa Catalina Island. Her mother, a lawyer, and her father, a teacher at the island’s high school, had tired of commuting from the mainland. Coco was a teen looking for adventure when she came home one night to find

entirely too much of it: Her parents and her brother, a football star, were all dead. Nineteen years later, Coco, at odds with her actor husband, Micah, returns to Avalon to work on the local paper owned by her college friend Maddy, where she writes offbeat obituaries. Then she learns that the man who was convicted of murdering her family is being released on new DNA evidence. Although she’s inherited her parents’ Avalon house, it’s been occupied by her aunt Gwen, who, thinking of it as her own, switches between loving and hostile. The house is a mess, but Coco, who’s liberated a valuable ring from Micah, plans to use the proceeds from its sale to fix up the place. Soon she’s receiving racist threats and offers to buy her home that make her equally furious. Slowly a pattern emerges: elderly widows who own their own homes have been found dead in unexpected places, the police writing off each case as a natural death. Only her fellow reporter and soon-to-be lover, handsome, rich Noah Bancroft, believes in Coco’s idea that a serial killer is at work. Troubled by panic attacks and her inability to discern what’s real in either past or present, Coco seeks the truth as Covid ravages California. A character-rich, sleep-depriving thriller.

GOOD WOMEN

Hill, Halle

Hub City Press (216 pp.)

$17.95 paper | Sept. 12, 2023 9798885740173

Twelve stories illuminate the lives of Black women in the contemporary Deep South and Appalachia.

The vividness of the situations and personalities, the sparkling distraction of brand names and status details, the intrusion of technology moments like an Apple Watch pinging with a bill reminder at a funeral—all of these, plus a healthy dose of dark humor, act to make the full force of the dissatisfaction and anger that drive Hill’s debut collection slow to be fully perceived. In the first story, “Seeking Arrangements,” a young woman is on a Greyhound bus with an older white man she met on a dating site. Supposedly he “created Myspace before Myspace,” though she can’t verify this with Google. “He calls me his ‘mutt’ and ‘little hot thing.’ He says he’s only teasing. He likes to chat on Yahoo! email. He thinks I’d look good with a shaved head.” Now he’s convinced her to travel 22 hours from Nashville to Florida to visit his mother in “a Presbyterian retirement community with gates that keep people like me out.” She’s minding his vast array of medication (he says he’s too ill to fly) but in truth has no idea what she’s doing there and fantasizes about running off with Lakeisha, the bus driver. The story “The Best Years of Your Life” is narrated by the admissions officer of an unaccredited university in a former Sears building, a woman who puts equal energy into luring student prey and excoriating herself for being involved with this scam. The people who come to her—like a weathered white woman who dreams of a law degree that will help her get her son out of

“A stunning slow burn brimming with observation, emotion, and incident.”

good women

federal prison—often believe they have received a sign. “That sign,” she explains, “is nothing more than cache cookies tracking their 1 a.m. Googles: ‘how to start over’ or ‘how to go back to school with a 1.9 gpa.’ ” This story is where the title phrase comes up, more or less as a knife in the gut. “You’re a good woman,” the “World’s Best Meemaw” tells the narrator. “Your kindness is changing us, we won’t forget it.” Other characters are tormented by pregnancy (unwanted, ill-starred), weight control, evangelical faith, screwed-up mothers and fathers, and police brutality and are unable to find the comfort others do in Pema Chödrön, nontoxic cleaning supplies, or White Claw.

A stunning slow burn brimming with observation, emotion, and incident.

SUCKER

Hornsby, Daniel

Anchor (256 pp.)

$27.00 | July 11, 2023

9780593469675

This skewering of Silicon Valley startup culture is biting satire—complete with fangs.

Set in San Narciso, a barely fictionalized version of San Francisco, the story follows Chuck Gross, the disappointing scion of a billionaire who made his money the old-fashioned way: arms and labor exploitation. Chuck thinks he’s eager to separate himself from his family—he’s changed his name from Charles Grossheart and started a punk record label (secretly funded with family money, natch)—but everything changes when he’s actually cut off financially. He catches a break when he’s hired as a “creative consultant” by his college friend Olivia Watts, known as “Steve Jobs, but with a heart” in this fictional Silicon Valley. The one catch is that she would like the Grosshearts to invest. While Chuck doesn’t mind helping his family acquire more wealth, he quickly realizes that her startup’s “world-changing medical technology” is working toward the goal of “remov[ing] all human expiration dates” through means that are less scientific and more Nosferatu. Even as the perennial black sheep, Chuck has to decide if he can really involve his family in a plan that Bram Stoker couldn’t have dreamed up. It’s a clever idea, and as in Jonathan Swift’s A Modest Proposal, it’s a bit hard to tell where the line between satire and reality lies. If it turned out that the buzzy weight-loss drug Ozempic were derived from vampires, would people actually stop taking it? It’s hard to imagine a world where rich folks offered a shot at immortality and incredible wealth wouldn’t take it, even if it came with insatiable bloodlust. While the plot takes a while to unfurl and Chuck, who seems to embody the concept of “failing upwards,” is not exactly relatable, anyone who enjoyed the delicious schadenfreude of the Theranos trial will get a kick out of this book.

If Chuck Palahniuk and Stephenie Meyer teamed up to write a spec script for Succession, this is what you might get.

THE QUEEN OF THE VALLEY

Hughes, Lorena

Kensington (352 pp.)

$15.95 paper | Aug. 22, 2023

9781496736284

Buried secrets, personal tragedies, and natural disasters unfold on a Colombian hacienda.

On April 7, 1925, a gala organized by Dr. Farid Manzur and Martin Sabater at Martin’s Colombian cacao plantation turns dark when Martin rides off on horseback to give some guests a tour of the estate and never returns. Months later, María “Puri” Purificación arrives from Ecuador with her young assistant, Paco, her “guardian angel,” to visit Martin, an old friend and, unknown to him, the father of her young son. Tragedy strikes on two fronts. While riding in a landau to their destination, Puri and Paco are attacked by bandits who kill Paco. Shortly after, an earthquake temporarily puts Puri’s journey

to see Martin—she still doesn’t know he’s missing—on hold. Though Hughes’ floridly written tale is grounded in history, she heightens anticipation by jumbling the narrative timeline and presenting the story in short chapters from the perspectives of three different first-person narrators. Puri, the resourceful heroine of Hughes’ novel The Spanish Daughter (2021), is joined by Farid’s sister Camila, a loving and compassionate nun but far from a submissive helpmeet, and Lucas, a womanizing outsider and old friend of Martin’s who reconnected with him shortly before the disappearance. Flashbacks illuminate Martin’s checkered past and his relationships to the three narrators, while the present-day plot follows Farid’s attempt to gain control of Martin’s estate and folds in a handful of other backstories against the backdrop of a cholera epidemic that sweeps through the region following the earthquake.

A juicy potboiler with a palpable sense of history.

SMALL TOWN SINS

Jaworowski, Ken Henry Holt (272 pp.)

$27.99 | Aug. 1, 2023

9781250881670

In a lonesome town, three locals embark on treacherous paths toward adventure.

In Locksburg, Pennsylvania, a backwater where nothing much happens, folks keep to themselves and keep their heads down; they wrestle with despair and heartbreak and struggle in the clutches of multiplying problems. This includes locals Andy Devon, a former junkie whose wife and child have recently died; lonely, disfigured nurse Callie, who tends a dying girl at the close of stage 4 cancer; and volunteer fireman Nathan Stultz, the kind of nice guy who’s always tried to do the right thing and only ever suffered for it. But then, fate intervenes. Andy stumbles upon a briefcase full of child pornography and sees a way to save his life and make it worthwhile by catching the pedophile priest responsible. Callie decides to risk her career to make her patient’s final wish come true: to drive across the state and see the ocean. And Nathan, in a burning house with his arms full of a man he’s trying to rescue, finds $2 million in stolen drug money, a windfall that could finally allow him to leave the town that’s been holding him back for so long. In a suspenseful, intertwining narrative, Jaworowski crafts a tale of three souls grasping at slippery chances, finding themselves with no way out other than to keep pushing forward into new, disturbing places. Andy’s plan to catch a predator goes horribly awry. Callie’s jaunt to the sea quickly turns more perilous than she could have ever foreseen. And Nathan’s secreted stash, just waiting for him to finalize his plans to high-tail it out of town, releases a former lover’s spite and destructive vindictiveness. Locksburg, for all its remoteness, its staleness and vacuity, never seemed so full of dangerous, teeming forms of life. And death.

A satisfying thriller with finely drawn, highly sympathetic characters.

LIQUID SNAKES

Kearse, Stephen

Soft Skull Press (320 pp.)

$27.00 | Aug. 8, 2023

9781593767518

An espresso-dark saga of retribution, addiction, hard science, racial justice, toxic death—and black coffee—plays itself out quirkily in and around contemporary Atlanta.

Just as most of us are getting back to living (more or less) normal lives in the wake of the Covid19 pandemic, here comes a novel that envisages an outrageous, eerily plausible human-made plague festering in the same city where the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is headquartered. A gifted Black high school student has somehow chemically dissolved into a dark, acrid substance. For toughminded CDC investigators Ebonee McCollum and Lauretta Vickers, it’s just the beginning of a vexing inquiry into a series of similar deaths and disappearances that may be rooted in a case years before of “Black death” in a predominantly African American section of Mobile, Alabama, where generations of residents died of cancer before their 60s, likely because of industrial waste from nearby companies. One possible casualty of that slow-motion environmental calamity was the stillborn daughter of Kenny Bomar and Maddy Tusk, now-divorced chemists. Kenny is currently applying his alchemical gifts primarily to his Decatur coffee shop and to fashioning and peddling exotic variations of designer drugs. As one narrative strain follows Ebonee and Retta along their probe into what seems like a baffling epidemic of suicide-through-chemistry, a concurrent strain involves Kenny’s eccentric self-destructive tendencies, primarily his self-injections of venom from various species of snake and a phone app of his devising called EightBall, which started out as a memorial for his daughter but became an addictive means of both communicating with and eavesdropping on its users, including some of the people who morphed into black goo. It becomes clear that Kenny is ultimately out for revenge against the company he blames for his daughter’s death. But even after that revelation, there are many more questions than answers in Kearse’s enigmatic narrative, whose deadpan tone and sudden eruptions of bizarre violence often evoke the allusive, baleful essences of J.G. Ballard’s grimly visionary speculative fiction but with wittier dialogue and robustly seasoned with a rapier-keen perception of the collective psyche and complex aspirations of the Black intelligentsia.

A dry, devilish amalgam of science fiction, whodunit, horror, social satire, and cautionary tale.

“An Iranian American boy comes of age in 1990s Los Angeles.”

i will greet the sun again

THE FREE PEOPLE’S VILLAGE

Kern, Sim

Levine Querido (400 pp.)

$26.99 | Sept. 12, 2023

9781646142668

In an alternative present in which Al Gore won the 2000 election, Maddie Ryan comes to her own radical awakening on the Houston streets as an accidental member of a riotous people’s uprising. The year is 2020. The war on terror has been replaced with the war on climate change, and most aspects of daily life must navigate the labyrinthine Bureau of Carbon Regulation. Maddie Ryan is a white woman in her mid20s, newly divorced, and teaching at a predominantly Black school in Houston whose students seem to loathe her. When she meets Fish—“a soft, six-foot-two giant” with “a wild red beard, mad-scientist hair”—she is first attracted to him only because he is the polar opposite of her Bible-thumping, sexually conflicted ex. When Fish buys a derelict warehouse in Houston’s historically Black Eighth Ward with the aim of creating “an anarcho-communist creative space,” however, Maddie realizes a relationship with him comes with other benefits. In the Lab, Maddie meets Red (xe/xim) and Gestas (he/him), who together form the guitar-and-drum punk duo Bunny Bloodlust. Gestas, a home-incarcerated carbon felon whose gender presentation involves both a beard and “a baby-pink, pleated, A-line skirt,” fascinates Maddie, but Red, who is “tall and laconic,” with “sweat-slicked black hair falling across xir eyes,” makes her “heart fly off in wild, syncopated rhythms” from the first. In spite of her “queer-hating, strict Catholic” upbringing, Maddie embraces the world that opens to her at the Lab, wins over Red and Gestas with her church youth group–earned guitar chops, joins Bunny Bloodlust, and begins a political awakening guided by Gestas’ extensive library of leftist theory. Then she finds a third and final notice of eviction from the city in Fish’s mailbox. Faced with the dissolution of her new world, Maddie joins the ongoing effort to Save the Eighth and quickly becomes part of a movement with bigger dreams and far more drastic consequences than she could have imagined. This fierce, frenetic, and intensely impassioned novel takes a deep dive into the damage neoliberal thinking wreaks on marginalized communities; however, it also consistently prioritizes the identity politics of its multiply marginalized characters over the nuance of complex, unpredictable, fully human individuals capable of speaking to the reader’s heart rather than to the better angels of our ideologies.

A fervent look at a world that mirrors our own but fails to fully reflect it.

I WILL GREET THE SUN AGAIN

Khabushani, Khashayar J.

Hogarth (240 pp.)

$27.00 | Aug. 1, 2023

9780593243305

An Iranian American boy comes of age in 1990s Los Angeles.

Khabushani’s novel follows several years in the life of narrator K, who is 9 when the book opens in Los Angeles in the early 1990s. He’s the youngest of three brothers: “I’m getting closer to Justin’s ten and to Shawn’s twelve.” It’s the boys’ father who proves to be the most disruptive element in their lives: He gambles and has a tendency to turn violent when one of his children misbehaves. Khabushani creates a memorably lived-in world here, from K’s desire to win a spelling bee so as not to have to wear hand-me-down shirts to references to K’s relatives living in Iran. The boys’ father is haunted by regrets of his own,

including a now-deceased college friend. Unfortunately, he’s channeled those regrets into resentment—“Baba turns to me before starting the ignition and tells me he should have never allowed [Maman] to enroll in school, that he should have never brought her to this country”—and unsettling treatment of his children. When he takes the children to Iran one summer, things come to a head in an especially harrowing scene of abuse. The boys return to Los Angeles while their father does not, and the novel’s second half follows them forward in time as K explores his own sexuality and the family struggles with Islamophobia in the wake of the 9/11 attacks, which prompt one of K’s brothers to enlist. Khabushani’s novel ends on an elliptical note, and at times this feels like the prologue to a much longer work. But it also features its own compelling momentum.

Movingly balances emotional realism with a tactile eye for details.

THE HEART OF IT ALL

Kiefer, Christian Melville House (368 pp.)

$18.99 paper | Sept. 12, 2023

9781685890810

An Ohio town’s economic decline highlights the woes and ties among families.

Kiefer opens his fourth novel with a crisp clause: “Death brought casseroles.” Friends and co-workers hope food will ease the pain of Tom and Sarah Bailey, a white couple who have just buried their 6-month-old son. The cause, and a piercing image: a hole in the heart. Tom’s Pakistani immigrant boss, Khalid Marwat, whose small electronics plant is the town’s chief employer, privately gives him $500. As the novel moves from autumn to spring in the time of Trump’s MAGA promises, Kiefer reveals the strains of a town barely afloat, its people living from paycheck to paycheck, piling up debt, fighting shame, seeking relief in small pleasures while hope frays. The problems aren’t original—the book recalls Richard Russo’s Nobody’s Fool , among other blue-collar elegies—but Kiefer has a sympathetic and probing eye that gives his characters solidity, kindling empathy and anxiety. Some sort of crisis seems to loom at every turn. Paula Chapman, “the only Black woman in town,” takes in her 19-year-old nephew, Anthony Shaw, so he can escape Cleveland’s street violence. The police later mistake him as a threat to Tom Bailey’s 17-year-old daughter, Janey, who is walking nearby; the young people soon start secretly dating. The shadow of racism returns when Tom rebukes a co-worker for referring to Khalid by the worst epithet. Janey’s brother, Charlie, is worried about a schoolmate whose brutish father seems capable of anything. The plant’s office manager copes with an abusive mother. There’s enough potential for disaster to keep a reader wondering when something will blow. No easy solutions seem likely. And yet, death brings casseroles.

Kiefer knows kindness can help heal all sorts of wounds, maybe even a hole in the heart of a town. At least for a time.

A thoughtful look at those just getting by from a writer who deserves to be known.

HAPPINESS FALLS

Kim, Angie Hogarth (400 pp.)

$28.00 | Sept. 5, 2023

9780593448205

When her father disappears, 20-yearold Mia Parkson cannot ask the one person who knows what happened—her brother, who does not speak.

After Miracle Creek (2019), the title of Kim’s second novel could make it seem to be part of a series—and thematically, it is, again combining an exploration of neurodiversity and its effects on family dynamics with a mystery, in this case a missing person story, again set in the Northern Virginia suburbs, again with a smart woman lawyer named Shannon Haug on the scene to make brilliant charts. Here, Kim has done even more with what are now clearly her signature materials by nesting this whole situation inside the philosophical question of what creates happiness, one which the missing man, Adam Parson, was privately studying in notebooks documenting his research and experimentation (most of it on his own family). All of this comes to us through the narrator, his daughter, Mia, a brilliant, acerbic chatterbox whose relentless analysis spills from long, ropy sentences into parentheticals and footnotes that lasso the reader into turning the pages. Listen to her: “Labeling anything about our family ‘typical’—I just have to shake my head. I’m not even thinking about the typical-adjacent stuff like John’s and my boy-girl twin thing, our biracial mix (Korean and white), untraditional parental gender roles (working mom, stay-at-home dad), or different last names (Parson for Dad + Park for Mom = mashed up into Parkson for us kids)....Where we’re indubitably, inherently atypical is with my little brother Eugene’s dual diagnosis: autism and a rare genetic disorder called mosaic Angelman syndrome (AS), which means he can’t talk, has motor difficulties, and—this is what fascinates many people who’ve never heard of AS—has an unusually happy demeanor with frequent smiles and laughter.” Got all that? Mia is an amazing creation, as is Eugene. But what is most remarkable about this book is the way Mia’s father’s “happiness quotient” theory ripples not just through the plot of the novel, but through the life of the reader.

The claim that a book will change your life often seems like exaggeration. Here the potential is real.

THE WOLVES OF ETERNITY

Knausgaard, Karl Ove

Trans. by Martin Aitken

Penguin Press (800 pp.)

$35.00 | Sept. 19, 2023

9780593490839

Two half siblings, separated for decades, contemplate their pasts. This bulky novel by the maximalist Knausgaard is mainly composed of two long sections. The first, set in 1986, is narrated by Syvert Løyning, a young Norwegian man who’s just completed his military service and has returned home feeling aimless. He plays soccer, minds his younger brother, tends to his ailing mom, and struggles to find work. (To his chagrin, he becomes a local celebrity after talking to a journalist about his plight.) Idly searching through his late father’s belongings, he discovers a clutch of letters in Russian; after finding a translator, he learns that they were written by a lover his father had in the Soviet Union. Syvert’s narrative is layered with themes of death and loss: He contemplates the threat of the recent Chernobyl meltdown and eventually finds work with an undertaker. The mood persists in the following section narrated by his half sister, Alevtina Kotov, who in the present day is a biology professor with a sideline obsession with research done on immortality; though the plot mainly concerns her tending to her aging stepfather, much of her narrative is devoted to ineffable matters of nature, from the ways trees communicate with each other to the pathways that might let us live forever. As ever, Knausgaard is managing a precarious balance—his overwriting can be deeply immersive or exasperating. But unlike The Morning Star (with which this book shares some plot points), which bounced around a host of characters, this book succeeds by keeping the focus on two main figures, making for an appealing (if still overlong) story of two people with similar obsessions despite the separations of time and distance.

A curiously affecting tale about science and spirit, optimistic despite its gloomy themes.

THE RIVER WE REMEMBER

Krueger, William Kent

Atria (432 pp.)

$28.99 | Sept. 5, 2023

9781982179212

Memorial Day (or Decoration Day, as it was still called in 1958) takes on new meaning for the residents of Jewel, Minnesota, when its wealthiest—and leastliked—citizen is murdered and a war veteran is suspected of the crime.

The brutish victim, Jimmy Quinn, is found floating in the Alabaster River, shotgunned and chewed up by catfish. Suspicion immediately falls on Noah Bluestone, a veteran who is doubly persecuted for being a Dakota Sioux and married to Kyoko, a

Japanese survivor of Nagasaki. The sheriff, Brody Dern, a highly decorated and traumatized war veteran who spent time in a Japanese prison camp, thinks about letting whomever killed Quinn, destroyer of people’s lives, go free. Brody is having a dreamy affair with his brother’s wife while entering into a romance with the proprietor of the local cafe, a war widow with a tainted past and a teenage son with a damaged heart. Also playing a recurring role is the riverside, where a woman’s weeping voice can be heard. In the aptly named Black Earth County, stuffed as it is with current and past incidents of sexual abuse, suicides, racial discrimination, fatal diseases, and “complications of the heart,” there is a lot to weep about. The latest stand-alone novel by the author of the acclaimed This Tender Land (2019) and the Cork O’Connor mysteries has so many people and subplots to keep track of it can’t help losing sight of some of them, including one significant character. Fans of the die-hard Minnesotan author will appreciate his evocation of the landscape and people’s connections to it. But in piercing the notion of an innocent smalltown America in the 1950s, he goes way overboard.

A grim portrait of lost souls.

“A curiously affecting tale about science and spirit, optimistic despite its gloomy themes.”

the wolves of eternity

FLIPPING BOXCARS

Kyles, Cedric & Alan Eisenstock

Amistad/HarperCollins (320 pp.)

$30.00 | Sept. 12, 2023

9780063258990

From actor/comedian Cedric the Entertainer, a 1940s crime caper that’s also a valentine to his grandfather and his hometown.

Forty-year-old Floyd “Babe” Boyce is a gambler, a fringes-of-the-law entrepreneur, a fixer, a family man, and a central figure in the Black community in post–World War II Caruthersville, Missouri. As the Fourth of July looms in 1948, he and his sidekick, Karter, learn that their Chicago connection for smuggled booze has been liquidated and replaced by a thug with a tantalizing but dangerous offer: not the usual several crates but an entire boxcar of whiskey. The initial problem Babe faces is how to pull together $54,000 posthaste—but he figures he can rely on what he’s always had, a combination of luck with the dice and an ability to tweak the odds with a fast-talking trickster’s wiles. Alas, luck deserts him, and he ends up losing not only his cash, but also the one stake that means everything to his loving wife, Rosie. When, almost simultaneously, a simmering feud with racist rednecks turns deadly, Babe has no choice but to double down, and fast—he decides, with the connivance and the resources of a friend from the war years, to plan and pull a daring midtransit heist. Kyles’ novel isn’t groundbreaking or rich in nuance, but it moves briskly, and it’s fun to see Babe and his crew repeatedly put one over on racists who underestimate or plain fail to see African Americans. According to an author’s note, Kyles based Babe and Rosie on his grandparents, and perhaps the book’s most charming element is its affectionate portrait of their marriage and of this close-knit, vibrant community. A solid crime novel with a core of sweetness and nostalgia underneath.

THE NEIGHBORS WE WANT

Lane, Tim

Crooked Lane (272 pp.)

$28.99 | Sept. 5, 2023

9781639104734

Humdrum domestic stresses hatch a flock of wildly florid complications.

Portland ad writer Adam Cooper, fired from his job at Lostine Windows for watching explicit videos at his workplace, is serving as a stay-at-home dad for his 7-month-old daughter, Maddie, while his wife, Sarah, struggles to pump milk each day during her downtime at César Chávez Elementary. Sarah’s unsought role as the family breadwinner is complicated by the unwelcome attention she gets from wealthy, entitled Chávez principal Evie Kemp, whose son, software engineer Crispin Kemp, has

just been dumped by the Coopers’ neighbor Ali Washington, a receptionist and aspiring graphic designer who’s started to feel creepy about Crispin’s attentions. Ali’s shivers are the first sign that this apparently quotidian Oregon soap opera is being driven by some seriously dark energy. Ali has taken to posing in her bedroom window late at night to give Adam a private striptease. Crispin, who’s waiting to become a billionaire when Amazon acquires Logicstyx, the company he’s helped steer into the stratosphere, is disturbed in ways his mother can face only to the extent of thinking, “Crispin had gotten carried away again.” Sarah’s hiding secrets just as explosive as those of her husband and her next-door neighbor and the neighbor’s ex-lover. Ultimately, Adam’s ill-judged attempts to protect the wife who’s turned away from him ignite a full-blown blaze. Lane’s fragmentary narrative is constantly jumpy—not just when he’s shifting from one character’s point of view to the next, but even within single sentences like “Marriage is a scoreboard.”

A fever dream of the monsters lurking beneath the suburban surface. Not even Mister Rogers would want these neighbors.

TERRACE STORY

Leichter, Hilary

Ecco/HarperCollins (208 pp.)

$30.00 | Aug. 29, 2023

9780063265813

A group of characters linked across time and space navigate love and, often, its loss.

In “Terrace Story,” Leichter’s 2020 National Magazine Award–winning short story, Edward and Annie, a young couple, move into a small city apartment with their infant daughter, Rose. One day, they invite Annie’s co-worker Stephanie to dinner, and when Annie opens the door to what is normally a closet, she finds instead a beautiful terrace, bedecked with plants, furnished, filled with twinkling lights. This novel of the same name—though it is as much a collection of linked stories as a traditional novel—takes that piece as its symbolic core and imagines a constellation of characters for whom time and space are slippery at best. Part of the book’s fun is figuring out the characters’ connections to those from other sections, but in perhaps the novel’s most compelling part, “Fortress,” Leichter follows Stephanie, whose power to create and manipulate physical spaces (the reason Annie and Edward’s terrace only appears when she’s visiting their apartment) leads to a series of crushing heartbreaks. Leichter is not only interested in micro drama, though; this is also a big-picture look at the Late Anthropocene, with animals continually going extinct and many characters either historians or storytellers (one is a writer whose specialty is extinction). Leichter is juggling plenty of symbolism along with her zingy surrealism-lite and it can be a lot to untangle, but at the book’s heart are the relatable grief and terror that go along with love—of our planet, of another—and the threat of losing it. As Leichter writes of one

“Quiet, beautiful accounts of journeys through hell.”

wednesday’s child

character, “All [she] wanted was a person on the other end of her stories.”

Leichter bends minds—and physics—to give a light touch to deep grief.

WEDNESDAY’S CHILD

Li, Yiyun

Farrar, Straus and Giroux

(256 pp.)

$27.00 | Sept. 5, 2023 9780374606374

“Air oxidizes, water rusts. Time, like air and water, erodes.” Li expands on this premise in a collection of 11 short stories.

Revisiting the territories of grief and loss she’s explored in earlier works, Li places her protagonists in situations of reflection upon the circumstances of their bereaved lives. Mothers contemplate the deaths of children, wives recall long-estranged husbands, and women are haunted by missing friends. An infinite variety of ways to survive—or, at least, march through—devastating loss are cataloged in Li’s cool and measured litany of pain. In “When We Were Happy We Had Other Names,” the mother of a teen who has ended his own life opens a spreadsheet of all those she knows who have died in a literal calculation of grief. (The same mother muses upon whether life is just the antechamber for death.) The dead and missing in Li’s stories are not without voice: A woman who is the lone long-term survivor of a teenage suicide pact in which several of her friends died—detailed in “Alone”—realizes the other girls have made themselves more present in her later life through their absence. The bereaved often carry the weight of either casual or calculated misogyny along with their life burdens, and echoes of #MeToo claims underlie other injuries. The relative values of memory and forgetting are examined, too, as one woman does not “indulge” in focusing on the past (in “Hello, Goodbye”) and another muses that memory is actually nonlinear and more of a jumbled haystack of incomplete stories which can only attempt to distract from an absence (“When We Were Happy We Had Other Names”). The cumulative mass of the stories is sobering, a gorgeous almanac of the world of pain.

Quiet, beautiful accounts of journeys through hell.

AMAZING GRACE ADAMS

Littlewood, Fran

Henry Holt (272 pp.)

$27.99 | Sept. 5, 2023

9781250857019

A woman walks across London to deliver a birthday cake for her 16-yearold daughter, reliving the joys and tragedies of the previous decades.

Grace Adams is in her mid-40s, late 20s, and mid-30s in this layered novel exploring her past and present relationships with her husband, Ben, and daughter, Lotte. In the present, Grace is trekking across London on a scorching hot day, having abandoned her car to gridlock, refusing to give up on a plan to see a daughter who doesn’t want to see her. Simultaneously, we see the Grace of four months ago, a harried, perimenopausal woman convinced she has ruined everything, and the Grace of the earlier 2000s, an award-winning linguist who’s landed a lucrative TV gig and has no intention of having children but who becomes a stay-athome mother in crisis. Ben is a man who has filed for divorce, a harried husband grappling with being a dad to an 8-year-old daughter whose mother has disappeared, and a young Ph.D. student desperate to spend more time with an amazing woman he has just met. Lotte is a 15-turning-16-year-old child-woman doing poorly in school, finding social media fame, and challenging the establishment; a young child who adores her mother; and a growing, not-yet-born baby. The relationships between each pair and among all of them together are complex and layered, and Littlewood confronts the effects that aging and trauma, stress, poor decisions, and memories of overheard and unspoken conversations can have on a person’s sense of self and their relationships. The result is simultaneously frank, nuanced, and evocative.

A gripping story of joy, grief, stress, worry, love at first sight, parenting, and trauma.

THE BOOK OF DISBELIEVING

Morse, David Lawrence

Sarabande (168 pp.)

$17.99 paper | July 18, 2023

9781956046199

Nine fantastical stories showcase alternate realities in which characters confront or conform to systems of belief that threaten their worlds.

In “The Great Fish,” the opening story of this debut collection, a society spends generation after generation on the back of a gigantic whale. In “The Tower,” another civilization gradually makes its way up from one floor to the next of a giant building, never considering making its way back to earth. In the darkly wry “Spring Leapers,” characters of a small Southern town celebrate “Leaping Day” on the first

Sunday of every spring, jumping off buildings in hopes that at least some of them will, in doing so, make their way to heaven. Some of Morse’s stories are more predictable than others: “The Market,” in which teenage girls are auctioned off to future husbands, unwinds pretty much as one might expect. But even Morse’s least surprising stories benefit from his ability to craft richly developed characters. These stories, engaging though their ideas are, never simply rest on those ideas but place them in intricately detailed, realistic settings. His more subtle stories, set in worlds very like our own, are even more insidiously intriguing. In the title story, a custodian finds, after the death of his wife, a series of diaries describing the details of his own work life at great length. Are they fiction, or did she somehow observe him? In “The Watch,” a mother of young children receives a gift from her dying father, a watch that unaccountably stops at 3:27 a.m. every day, a mystery that makes her rethink her whole existence. In these varied stories, Morse reveals a similar ability to interrogate the mundane and find its surprising secrets.

Provocative tales bound to raise questions about the reader’s own assumptions.

LOJMAN

Ojen, Ebru

Trans. by Aron Aji & Selin Gökçesu City Lights (220 pp.)

$15.95 paper | Aug. 15, 2023 9780872868984

A Kurdish family is trapped in a mother’s madness.

Ojen, a film and television actor, sets her bleak third novel—the first to be translated into English—in a desolate village in her native Turkey. A storm rages, and Selma is snowbound in a small, rudimentary lojman, a house provided by the government for her husband, Metin, the elementary school’s teacher. The house is isolated, “a forgotten dot on the village’s suffocating landscape, distant and alone under the dark clouds,” and Metin has gone off, leaving her with their pubescent daughter, Görkem, their young son, Murat, and the baby to whom she gives birth as the novel opens. Ojen conveys in visceral detail the anguish of the family’s claustrophobic imprisonment in the “crushing grayness” of the lojman, where the storm’s rage echoes the rage within: Görkem hates her mother, whose moods veer from “unanticipated bliss” to violent anger. And Selma, longing for passion, poetry, and freedom, feels nothing but hatred for her children: “Her children were parasites!” she thinks. “They were nothing but maggots that had first depleted her calcium deposits, then plundered the most sensitive parts of her soul to take them as their own, pinning the features of her body onto theirs.” She resents caring for them, even feeding them. She sees Görkem as “a monster who always demanded more of everything. Of food, love, anger, forgiveness, enmity.” Her hungry infant seems to suck her dry. It is the gentle Murat who soothes the baby when his mother, and sister, refuse to care for him. Day by day, as the weather becomes increasingly brutal,

Selma descends into madness: “She felt like a shipwreck lodged in the deep, dark seafloor. Caught in the tides of her thoughts, watching her life force wither.” The children are caught, too, as is the reader, spiraling into a surreal world.

A stark, grim portrait of despair.

NIGHT WATCH

Phillips, Jayne Anne Knopf (304 pp.)

$28.00 | Sept. 19, 2023

9780451493330

Set in West Virginia during and after the Civil War, Phillips’ book takes as given that slavery was evil and the war a necessity, focusing instead on lives torn apart by the conflict and on the period’s surprisingly enlightened approach toward care of the mentally ill.

The novel’s pitch-perfect voice belongs to ConaLee, observant and loving but also a scrappy survivor. Initially, ConaLee knows only that she was born in 1861 after her father “went away” and that her mother loves books. When a frightening man shows up years later calling himself “Papa,” ConaLee assumes he’s her father. He is not, but he stays and tyrannizes ConaLee’s mother until she suffers mental and physical collapse. Then he dumps now 12-year-old ConaLee and her mother at the Trans-Allegheny Lunatic Asylum and disappears. Here readers’ assumptions about 19th-century psychiatric care are tested. The asylum’s founder follows the real-life Dr. Thomas Story Kirkbride’s theory of “moral treatment,” which included empathetic compassion on the part of the staff along with activity and fresh air for the patients. His humane approach was accepted, even prevalent in its day. Here, the asylum becomes the catalyst for characters to uncover identities lost, hidden, or unknown. ConaLee’s lineage, revealed piecemeal, exemplifies a complex world in which names change, sometimes more than once. Her mother grew up the daughter of a plantation owner. He disapproved of the boy she loved because he was supposedly “shack Irish,” the nephew of the girl’s Irish nursemaid. The nursemaid kept secret that he was not her relation but a slave’s half-Black orphan. Fleeing to Appalachia in 1861, the young lovers married under an assumed name before ConaLee’s father joined the Union Army. After surviving a head wound in battle, he lost all memory of his past and started a new life with a new name…guess where. Yes, expect coincidences and convolutions, but Phillips pulls them off with gorgeous prose, attention to detail, and masterful characters.

Haunting storytelling and a refreshing look at history.

a little luck

A LITTLE LUCK

Piñeiro, Claudia

Trans. by Frances Riddle

Charco Press (208 pp.)

$16.95 paper | July 11, 2023

9781913867553

A woman returns home to Argentina decades after tragedy drove her away.

This finely translated novel about guilt, love, and forgiveness is narrated by Mary Lohan, a teacher at the highly regarded Garlik Institute of Boston. But she’s also someone else, in self-exile due to a painful secret from her early life in Temperley, a province of Buenos Aires. “Certain actions can’t be explained away,” she says. “There are some things that no logic can justify. Maybe abandoning a six-year-old child is one of them. Unjustifiable.” She has changed her name, hair and eye color, and lost weight. She hasn’t seen her son, Federico Lauría, or her husband for 20 years, with no intention of going back. But almost by accident—one instance of the luck in the book’s title—forces in her new life compel Mary back to Temperley to evaluate a school for the Institute, and she’s suddenly face to face with her grown son, who’s now a teacher there. He alone recognizes Mary, but he tells no one. They maintain a professional distance as Mary evaluates the school. But Federico gives her an essay explaining his perspective on the tragedy he witnessed that led to Mary’s abandoning him. Mary’s immense grief then resurfaces as she reels from seeing Federico and reads his words, which end with a plea asking her to explain her actions. While the plot leans heavily at times on coincidence, this doesn’t detract from the nuanced, emotional core of the story as we learn why Mary made her excruciating decision, and her reply to her son shows how the arc of her life led to the pain she and Federico believed would be endless.

A moving story about the courage to face the past and earn a chance at redemption.

A COUNCIL OF DOLLS

Power, Mona Susan

Mariner Books (304 pp.)

$30.00 | Aug. 8, 2023

9780063281097

A history of women described by way of their dolls.

For her latest novel, Power has chosen an unusual organizing principle: dolls. The book describes three generations of Dakhóta and Lakhóta women— girls, really—from most recent to least, and back again. Each girl had a beloved doll. In the 1960s, Sissy had Ethel, a Black Tiny Thumbelina doll. In the ’30s, Lily had Mae, a used Shirley Temple doll. And at the beginning of the century, Cora had Winona, a traditional Dakota doll made from deer hide. Each doll seems to be inhabited by a spirit; each girl seems to hear

her speak. Cora, and Lily after her, suffer at the Indian boarding schools they’re forced to attend, and while their dolls try to protect them, their powers are limited. Sissy, meanwhile, bears the brunt of her mother’s inherited trauma. Power’s book contains many evocative moments and even more lyrical passages, such as this one, where she describes the boarding school that Cora and Lily attend: “this strange place, which purposely unravels the fabric of its students to remake them into something they might not recognize.” But the premise of the book is saccharine. It might have worked better as a middle-grade title or a young adult novel. In the book’s last quarter, Sissy, now an adult writer who has changed her name to Jesse, tries to confront her own and her ancestors’ pasts. This is the only part of the novel that contains significant amounts of dialogue. Unfortunately, the dialogue is stilted and two-dimensional, and the book’s ending drags on—and on.

An occasionally moving book that’s been steeped a minute too long in sentimentality.

LET’S GO LET’S GO LET’S GO

Qian, Cleo

Tin House

$17.95 paper | Aug. 15, 2023

9781953534927

Qian’s debut collection navigates between New York and Los Angeles, the U.S. and China, as it follows its young Asian and Asian American women through the languid menace of youth.

In this promising collection’s opening story, “Chicken. Film. Youth,” Luna is back in her childhood city, LA, meeting up with friends who have all reached the point in their late 20s when they have “switched from wanting to get older to feeling like [they] could stand to be a little bit younger.” When the reader sees her again in “Zeroes:Ones,” she is just out of college, living in Suzhou, and working at the university language center as a tutor while she explores her complicated feelings about China as a “country both homeland and exotic.” Luna’s wanderings thread through the collection—she appears as a main character in four of the 11 stories—but the interstitial longing she feels about her Asian American identity, her sense of isolation, the aimlessness of adulthood after the driving promise of youth, and the driving question of what comes next are the guiding forces behind all the stories in this lovely but sometimes listless book. Often, the dominantly female main characters are lured into situations that fizz with menace—such as Nora in “Monitor World,” who matches with the mysterious agamemnon_the_king on a site for “lovers of the underground” only to discover that his sexual prowess hides darker, and somehow more quotidian, desires; or Emi in the title story, who runs into a childhood friend in Tokyo and shortly afterward finds herself isolated in a house on the slopes of Mount Haruna, participating in an ominous conceptual art project sponsored by the cultish Anti-Civilization Committee. Sometimes, as in the standout stories “The Girl With the Double Eyelids,” “Power

“A woman returns home to Argentina decades after tragedy drove her away.”

young adult

and Control,” and “Seagull Village,” a world with alternative rules in which visions reveal hidden truths, alchemy is a blackmarket hobby, and spirits roam freely is laid over our own to reveal startling and subtle truths. More often than not, however, both the sense of threat and magic fizzle out in the face of the stifling ennui that keeps most of Qian’s characters enacting the same apathetic orbits even when they attempt radical escape. Luminously written stories that do not quite finish telling their tales.

THE HOLY DAYS OF GREGORIO PASOS

Restrepo Montoya, Rodrigo

Two Dollar Radio (170 pp.)

$17.95 paper | July 11, 2023

9781953387332

This tender debut novel follows Gregorio Pasos, a 21-year-old Colombian American who’s prone to injury.

The novel opens just after his third hospitalizing soccer injury, which forces him to spend a month in recovery. During that time, he sleeps, dreams, and narrates a life of many different injuries as an immigrant. As the child of divorced parents and of both Colombia and the United States, Gregorio grew up with a constant feeling of being divided. Rather than situate Gregorio’s coming-of-age on either continent, the novel draws parallels between Colombia’s violent history and the United States under Trump’s presidency. These parallels are written in impactful prose that feels weighted with grief. Early on, Gregorio laments “how easy it was to die in Colombia and how little one could do about it. On the other hand, how strange it was to live in a town where people’s biggest threats seemed to be themselves.” In spite of its constant sense of dread, of waiting for another bomb or gun to go off, the novel is surprisingly tender and warm. Through each of his injuries, Gregorio develops close relationships with his uncle Nico, who has cancer; Magdalena, his landlady, who dies shortly after the 2016 election, and others. Gregorio is haunted by the past, but the author shows that ghosts aren’t scary when a person is enmeshed in their community. Emboldened by the lessons of the past and present, Gregorio develops a more confident voice. Written in a series of short, vivid chapters, this is an accessible and smooth read; the first-person voice hardly changes tone and style, even in chapters narrated by characters other than Gregorio. Restrepo Montoya walks a fine line between scathing and maudlin and invites readers to listen in on the conversations that happen between families in times of conflict.

A captivating, complicated take on coming-of-age.

THE COUNTRY OF TOÓ

Rey Rosa, Rodrigo

Trans. by Stephen Henighan

Biblioasis (120 pp.)

$16.95 paper | July 11, 2023

9781771965149

Corruption—personal, political, institutional—is at the core of acclaimed Guatemalan novelist Rey Rosa’s tale of a half-baked plot to kill a leading human rights activist.

The young would-be hit man, Rafael, known as the Cobra, is the illegitimate son of an investigating judge in the El Salvador city of Sonsonate, where the boy grew up on the street and collected debts for a local gang. To get him out of sight, his imageconscious father gets him a job in Guatemala as bodyguard and driver for wealthy fixer Don Emilio Carrión, who facilitates illicit deals between the government and multinational companies. Polo Yrrarraga, the bellicose human rights activist, has been causing trouble with his verbal attacks on predatory miners in Toó, an unprotected communal center of Mayan culture in the lush western highlands. With his vague sense of morality, the Cobra has no problem with silencing him—until he starts listening to what Polo says and, of all things, becomes friends with him. Though set against a backdrop of political assassinations—of schoolteachers and students as well as politicians— the novel finds uplift in the efforts of people to live their lives in spite of the chronic violence. The landscape of mountains and ravines, “as though painted in watercolour,” plays a huge role in their collective sense of identity, which makes its destruction all the more painful. Though the book sometimes stalls with its elliptical approach and slippery sense of focus, its sly humor helps make up for that. Among the secondary characters are the Bore (a Borges aficionado and “anarchist blogger”) and Spam (a former publicist).

A deep, satirically streaked dive into the violent culture of Guatemala.

WOMEN OF THE POST

Sanders, Joshunda

Park Row Books (384 pp.)

$18.99 paper | July 18, 2023

9780778334071

A U.S. Army unit comprised of and led by Black women is deployed to England during World War II.

It’s 1944, and the war is lingering, creating significant hardship on the homefront—particularly for Black women, who have few opportunities for fairly paid work. This prompts Judy Washington, a New Yorker whose husband, Herbert, is fighting in Europe, to enlist in the Women’s Army Corps in hopes of earning enough money to support her mother and doing meaningful work until the war ends. At basic training in

Iowa, she becomes friends with Stacy McFadden, Bernadette Moore, and Mary Alyce Dixon; their unit is led by Capts. Charity Adams and Abbie Campbell, two Black women, longtime friends, who applied for and were accepted to Officer Candidate School together. In 1944, Charity is promoted to major, and her unit is sent to England to handle a backlog of millions of letters between soldiers and their families; their mantra is, “No Mail, No Morale.” Over the course of the next few years, the women depend on their friendships for support, as Judy is personally affected by the mail backlog and the others deal with strained family relationships, racism, self-discovery, and new love, including that developing between the two officers. Sanders’ debut novel is based on the real-life 6888th Central Postal Battalion and the historic work of Charity Adams, Abigail Campbell, and Alyce Dixon. The novel centers its period details and holds its characters at a distance, creating a muted reading experience that evokes primarily admiration rather than deep affection for its characters while illuminating a littleknown aspect of history.

A quiet novel about determination and friendship.

LAS MADRES

Santiago, Esmeralda Knopf (336 pp.)

$28.00 | Aug. 8, 2023

9780307962614

A Puerto Rican woman displaced from her home and her own past builds a surprising life.

Teenage Luz Peña Fuentes is happy growing up in San Juan, Puerto Rico, in 1975. Her doting parents, Salvadora and Federico, are multilingual research scientists who provide their only child with a warm home and complete support for the lessons she hopes will lead to a career as a ballerina. Their love helps counter the bullying she sometimes suffers as “the tallest girl and the only Black one” in the ballet school. But a car crash destroys Luz’s world, killing her parents and leaving her with serious physical and mental disabilities. She has no memory of her earlier life—a small mercy in that she can’t remember the accident and, for a short time, she forgets what racism is. For the rest of her life, the few memories she can hang onto will be secondhand—the memories others tell her about, not her own. The novel alternates between Luz’s girlhood and her life four decades later in the Bronx in 2017, where her grandfather took her to live after the accident. He’s gone now, but Luz has a family circle to support her. Two of them are women who have cared for her since the accident: a lesbian couple named Shirley and Ada. Luz, Shirley, and Ada call themselves las madres. The rest of the circle is las nenas: Luz’s daughter, Marysol, and Ada and Shirley’s daughter, Graciela. Luz functions well in some ways— she married and had Marysol, then lost her young husband in another tragic event. She makes a living as an artist but still has almost no memory and is dependent on the other four women in daily life. To help answer Marysol’s longing to understand

more about her mother’s past and her native Puerto Rico, the five women plan a vacation there—in hurricane season—that will be full of unexpected challenges and shocking revelations. As can happen in novels with narratives split between different time periods, in this one the chapters set in the 1970s are more vivid and engaging than many of those set in the present, which can bog down in extended passages of exposition. Luz’s shattered memory serves to a degree as a metaphor for the Puerto Rican diaspora and the lasting effects of colonialism, but the book’s core is its strong female friendships.

An unusual take on the power of memory.

STARTER VILLAIN

Scalzi, John Tor (272 pp.)

$28.99 | Sept. 19, 2023

9780765389220

Some people are born supervillains, and others have supervillainy thrust upon them.

Charlie Fitzer, a former business journalist–turned–substitute teacher, is broke and somewhat desperate. His circumstances take an unexpected and dangerous turn when his estranged uncle Jake dies, leaving his business—i.e., his trilliondollar supervillain empire—to Charlie. Charlie doesn’t really have the skills or experience to manage the staff of the volcano lair, and matters don’t improve when he’s pressured to attend a high-level meeting with other supervillains, none of whom got along with his uncle. With the aid of his uncle’s No. 1, Mathilda Morrison, and his cat, Hera (who turns out to be an intelligent and typing-capable spy for his uncle’s organization), Charlie must sort out whom he can trust before he gets blackmailed, blown up, or both. This book serves as a follow-up of sorts to Scalzi’s The Kaiju Preservation Society (2022) in that both are riffs on genre film tropes. The current work is fluffier and sillier than the previous novel and, indeed, many of Scalzi’s other books, although there is the occasional jab about governments being in bed with unscrupulous corporate enterprises or the ways in which people can profit from human suffering. This is one of many available stories about a good-hearted Everyman thrust into fantastical circumstances, struggling to survive as a fish out of water, and, while well executed for its type, the plot doesn’t go anywhere that will surprise you.

Fun while it lasts but not one of Scalzi’s stronger books.

“A Puerto Rican woman displaced from her home and her own past builds a surprising life.”

las madres

the fraud

THE FRAUD

Smith, Zadie

Penguin Press (464 pp.)

$26.10 | Sept. 5, 2023

9780525558965

An obscure English novelist and a missing-heir trial are the real historical springboards for Smith’s latest fiction.

Eliza Touchet is cousin and housekeeper to William Ainsworth, whose novel Jack Sheppard once outsold Oliver Twist but who, by 1868, has been far eclipsed by his erstwhile friend Dickens. Widower William is about to marry his maid Sarah Wells, who has borne him a child. Characteristically, he leaves the arrangements to Eliza, who manages everything about his life except the novels he keeps cranking out, which his shrewd cousin knows are dreadful. The new Mrs. Ainsworth is obsessed with the man claiming to be Sir Roger Tichborne, heir to a family fortune who was reported drowned in a shipwreck. The Claimant, as he is called, is likely a butcher from Wapping, but Sarah is one of many working-class Britons who passionately defend him as a man of the people being done wrong by the toffs. Eliza gets drawn into the trial by her fascination with Andrew Bogle, formerly enslaved by the Tichbornes in Jamaica, who recognizes the Claimant as Sir Roger. A Roman Catholic in Protestant Britain and William’s former lover who’s been supplanted by a younger woman, Eliza feels a connection to Bogle as a fellow outsider. (Some pointed scenes, however, make it clear that this sense of kinship is one-sided and that well-intentioned Eliza can be as patronizing as any other white Briton.) Smith alternates the progress of the trial with Eliza’s memories of the past, which include tart assessments of William’s circle of literary pals, who eventually make clear their disdain for his work, and intriguing allusions to her affair with William’s first wife and to her S&M sex with William. (Eliza wielded the whips.) It’s skillfully done, but the minutely detailed trial scenes provide more information than most readers will want, and a lengthy middle section recounting Bogle’s African ancestry and enslaved life, though gripping, further blurs the narrative’s focus. Historical fiction doesn’t seem to bring out Smith’s strongest gifts; this rather pallid narrative lacks the zest of her previous novels’ depictions of contemporary life.

Intelligent and thoughtful but not quite at this groundbreaking writer’s usual level of excellence.

I’M NOT DONE WITH YOU YET

Sutanto, Jesse Q.

Berkley (352 pp.)

$27.00 | Aug. 22, 2023

9780593546918

Former classmates at Oxford’s MFA writing program become locked in a vicious death match at a Manhattan writers conference.

Sutanto’s campy thriller follows two successful YA novels and a cozy mystery

(among other books) and shows the marks of both genres, with confessional, in-your-face, first-person narration and minimal gore, well off-screen. It begins when Jane Morgan, an unhappy midlist writer of what she calls “lit fic,” learns that her former classmate (crush, obsession, idol, muse—all of the above) Thalia Ashcroft has hit the bestseller list with a thriller that seems to be partly based on their friendship. Despite their initial intense closeness, Thalia and Jane became estranged after a mysterious incident their first year, and while Jane came back to finish, Thalia never did. Now Jane, mired in a dull marriage to a dull man, with an equally uninspiring career, is determined to reconnect with Thalia and jump-start her life. When she learns that her old friend will be appearing at SusPens Con in New York City, she pawns some apparently stolen jewelry to pay for a plane ticket and hotel room and plows ahead despite the fact that husband Ted insists on tagging along and her literary agency won’t help her get into the show. Jane reveals early on her self-diagnosis: “Pretty sure I’m a sociopath. I’m not ashamed of it; in fact it’s something I quite like, and I carry the thought in the recesses of my mind like a lucky charm, returning to it the way one might stroke a rabbit-foot once in a while.” In fact, the reason the American Jane chose England for her graduate studies is that it’s considered the third rudest, most unfriendly place in the world (after Russia and France), and life in sunny California is driving her to constant thoughts of mayhem and murder. The plot in both present and past is quite silly, but crazy stalker Jane is kind of fun. Her self-knowledge seems limited, however—despite swoony sexual fantasies about Thalia, she continues to believe she’s not attracted to women. When the point of view switches in the second half, with supporting characters streaming in and twists piling on twists piling on twists, some eye-rolling may ensue. On the other hand, Sutanto’s renderings of Jane’s Chinese Indonesian heritage and her experience at Oxford, both autobiographically based, are strong.

At the heart of this multicorpse thriller is a love that dare not say its name. Come on out, Jane.

YOU CAN DIE

Zanetti, Rebecca

Zebra/Kensington (400 pp.)

$8.99 paper | July 25, 2023

9781420154368

An FBI agent is on the hunt for a serial killer who leaves Valentine candy hearts at the scene of each crime.

Laurel Snow is the youngest FBI profiler in the agency’s history. After she quickly solves two difficult, high-profile cases, the FBI allows her to set up her Pacific Northwest field office in the small Genesis Valley area rather than nearby Seattle. Laurel and her colleagues are still managing the prosecution of a previous murder suspect when a shocking new crime scene is discovered: Her office manager’s ex-husband is found in a purple tent with multiple stab wounds and a mouthful of candy hearts. As more dead bodies appear in the same gruesome state,

“An obscure English novelist and a missing-heir trial are the real historical springboards for Smith’s latest.”

Laurel realizes another common factor is that all of the bodies were discovered near local churches. Complicating her investigation is her menacing and likely psychotic half sister, Abigail, who might be using her background in psychology to meddle with Laurel’s witnesses and influence the outcome of the investigation. When rumors start to circulate that Laurel and Abigail’s father, an evil ex-pastor named Zeke Caine, is returning to town, Laurel braces herself to meet him for the first time. Instead, Laurel’s investigation turns personal when he becomes the next victim of the “Broken Heart Killer.” Zanetti’s third book in the Laurel Snow series is a continuation of previous books and is chock-full of returning characters, including Laurel’s love interest, Capt. Huck Rivers, an agent with the Washington Department of Fish & Wildlife. Although technically a stand-alone novel, the continuation of plotlines from previous books combined with juicy hints about future cases will leave readers clamoring for more. Laurel’s search for the killer is the major driver of the book, while her mellow, easy romance with Huck is firmly relegated to subplot status.

Another fast-paced, pleasing thriller from a master of romantic suspense.

mystery

DEATH COMES TO SANTA FE

Allen, Amanda Severn House (224 pp.)

$31.99 | Aug. 1, 2023

9781448310999

An empathetic artist solves another mystery in the Land of Enchantment.

Madeline Vaughn-Alwin fled her New York society background after the death of her husband in World War I and became an artist in Santa Fe. Now a fixture in the 1920s art scene, she’s developed a warm relationship with handsome British doctor David Cole and a formidable reputation as an amateur sleuth. Her current project is painting a portrait of Catalina Montoya, whose husband, wealthy businessman Ricardo, comes from an old Santa Fe family. The morning after Maddie attends a party at the home of a fellow artist, where a Zozobra statue with everyone’s woes written inside is set aflame, a finger and other human artifacts are discovered in the remains of the fire. As she and David are walking along an arroyo soon thereafter, they come upon the rest of the body, which Maddie is sure is that of Ricardo Montoya. Maddie gets a visit from Inspector Sadler, who knows her from meddling in previous murders and suggests to her surprise that her help might be welcome this time. Rumor has it that Ricardo’s bad business dealings had made him many enemies. Even his put-upon family is not overly upset by his death. Flitting from

speak-easies to soirees, Maddie picks up information that will lead to the sad truth.

Santa Fe, a place of beauty and artistic inspiration, provides the perfect backdrop for the sympathetic sleuth.

SEAMS DEADLY

Bailey, Maggie

Crooked Lane (272 pp.)

$29.99 | Sept. 5, 2023

9781639104697

A newbie in town goes on a blind date and ends up a murder suspect.

Moving to the little mountain hamlet of Peridot, Georgia, has felt like coming home for Lydia Barnes, who never realized how great fitting in could feel. A large part of her contentment comes via Fran, her new boss, friend, and landlady, whose sewing store, Measure Twice, is Lydia’s happy place. Her joy at making a friend like Fran gives Lydia confidence in all of Fran’s suggestions, so when Fran suggests that she try going on a date—her first since her divorce—Lydia wonders if Fran knows something she doesn’t. Fran’s match for Lydia is Brandon Ivey, of the Turn the Page bookstore, and even listening to Brandon tell her over dinner that he’s working on the next Great American Novel isn’t enough to dampen her interest. When she gets home from their date, she decides to bring Brandon some brownies in hopes of furthering their connection, but instead she finds that he’s been killed sometime between their dinner and her visit. Lydia understands when the police think the culprit in Brandon’s killing is obvious, and she knows she’ll go down for the death unless she can produce a more likely suspect. Now the townspeople Lydia’s come to love are also her lineup of suspects as she tries to figure out who among her new neighbors could possibly be a killer. With backup from rescue dog Charlie and her newest pet, the essentially feral cat Baby Lobster, Lydia bumbles her way through the investigation, though not before the killer strikes again. Distinguished from similar cozies by a heroine who’s more than a bit hopeless.

PEG AND ROSE STIR UP TROUBLE

Berenson, Laurien

Kensington (304 pp.)

$27.00 | July 25, 2023

9781496735751

Melanie Travis’ redoubtable Aunt Peg gets a well-deserved franchise of her own.

After years in the background of her niece’s sleuthing adventures, Peg Turnbull landed a starring role in Peg and Rose Solve a Murder (2022). Her success helped her patch up a longtime feud with her sister-in-law, Rose Donovan, and opened the

door to a follow-up outing for the two feisty seniors. This time, the trouble begins when Rose convinces Peg to join the Mature Mingle dating site, where after a few false starts she meets Nolan Abercrombie. Strong-minded Peg is initially smitten with the well-spoken and attentive Nolan until Rose points out how superficial his attentions are. So Peg’s not unduly distressed to learn that Nolan has been killed in a traffic accident—at least not until her old friend Det. Rodney Sturgill of the Stamford, Connecticut, police department points out that the car that hit Nolan made no attempt to brake to avoid him. Their curiosity piqued, Peg and Rose attend Nolan’s funeral, where they meet dozens of women who had had relationships of varying duration and intensity with Peg’s late suitor. Gentle Rose and determined Peg make an appealing pair, and the story of the much-mingling Nolan Abercrombie is likely to strike a resonant chord among the target audience. Peg’s poodles make a welcome appearance, while kindly Rose takes in a few strays of her own.

Long live the senior sleuths.

MRS. JEFFRIES AIMS TO WIN

Brightwell, Emily Berkley (320 pp.)

$16.99 paper | Aug. 29, 2023

9780593101117

Housekeeper Hepzibah Jeffries and her cohort of snoopy friends help her employer, Inspector Gerald Witherspoon, solve yet another Victorian murder.

When Witherspoon’s neighbor Luty Belle Crookshank and her butler, Hatchet, attend a competition at the West London Archery Club, they hardly expect to become embroiled in a murder case. Jeremy Marks has been shot by arrows while roaming the archery range in a heavy rainstorm. There’s no dearth of suspects, since he was widely and cordially hated. Witherspoon has solved more murder cases than any other officer, but he doesn’t realize that his success rate depends on the help of his staff and friends, whose wide circle of acquaintances dig up information.

Constable Barnes, who’s well aware of the reason for his superior’s superior performance, relays information to Witherspoon without revealing its source, while Mrs. Jeffries has encouraging chats with him over restorative glasses of sherry. Marks had a long history of involving people in shady business deals that always left him in the clear even if his partners went bankrupt. He recently dumped his fiancee in favor of a richer prospect. Both women are members of the archery club, and both are excellent shots. Although there were witnesses on the scene, it was so stormy that they can’t identify anyone. A timeline and a chart of who was where at the time of death help narrow down the suspects, but the answer to the question of whether the motive was a woman scorned or a family ruined depends on Mrs. Jeffries’ trademark tidbits of information.

A charmingly quirky group of amateur sleuths sparks this tricky mystery.

THRILLER An Anthology of New Mystery Short Stories

Ed. by Bruns, Don Blackstone (228 pp.)

$26.99 | July 11, 2023

9798200849963

Nine stories, each named for a Michael Jackson hit, from a bevy of bestselling mystery writers.

While pop music often celebrates the sunnier side of love, most of Bruns’ picks chronicle romance gone wrong. In Dahlia Rose’s “Baby Be Mine,” an undercover agent goes sweet on a guy who’s being stalked by her assigned target. Jennifer Graeser Dornbush shows what happens when a preacher’s daughter with the voice of an angel falls for the wrong guy in “The Girl Is Mine.” Unfortunate taste in men is also the problem in Heather Graham’s “Thriller,” whose goose bumps richly earn its place as the volume’s title story. And William Kent Krueger shows readers the price of workplace shenanigans in “Beat It.” Bad partner karma also hits a gay college professor in David R. Slayton’s “Human Nature” and a senior citizen in Bruns’ own contribution, “Wanna Be Startin’ Something,” which explores the perils of using a dating app called Over-Fifty. Even fake romance can be dangerous, as a wealthy gay Cuban in 1968 Miami learns when he discovers that the girl he’s been using as arm candy is accusing him of fathering her child. The only story about a platonic relationship, Rick Bleiweiss’ “Pretty Young Thing,” probes the bond between an orphaned teen and a criminal on the run from a hit man. Ironically, this story of nonromance may make some readers uneasy both for the suddenness with which the hero takes charge of the underage girl’s life and his acknowledgement of how attractive she is.

Considering Bruns’ fixation on hopeless love, expect his next music/mystery volume to be about country-western songs.

A TROUBLING TAIL

Cass, Laurie

Berkley (368 pp.)

$8.99 paper | Aug. 1, 2023

9780593547427

The assistant library director in Chilson, Michigan, just can’t help meddling in murder.

Minnie Hamilton is out with her tuxedo cat, Eddie, on her favorite part of the job—the bookmobile run—when she hears about the death of candy store owner William “Whippy” Henika. At first Minnie resists snooping, but when her fiance Rafe Niswander’s former student Toby Guinn becomes the prime suspect, she’s so sure the police have it wrong that her concern overwhelms her biggest problem—figuring out what to do with the enormous book

bike just donated by the board president, who’s eager to hear how it will be used. Unable to forget the murder, Minnie wonders why recently divorced schoolteacher Leah Wasson fainted when she heard about Whippy’s death. At length Leah admits that she was adopted and that Whippy was her birth father; her mother’s identity is still unknown. Although Rafe’s best friend is a deputy, Minnie has little luck extracting information from the police even after she explains her alternative theories of the crime. Leah’s ex-husband, who didn’t take the divorce well, is a suspect. So is the owner of the store next door, who’d pressed Whippy to sell. Unsatisfied, Minnie searches for the identity of Leah’s mother. After narrowing down her suspect list to four likely candidates, Minnie has long talks with Eddie, who listens but offers no advice. Luckily, her diverse group of friends is willing to pitch in to solve the thorny case.

The characters are the stars of this down-to-earth mystery.

NINE LIVES AND ALIBIS

Conte, Cate

Minotaur (304 pp.)

$8.99 paper | Aug. 22, 2023

9781250883933 paper

Spooks at a Massachusetts Halloween festival turn out to be all too real.

Determined to make Daybreak Island the next Salem, Maddie James has big plans for a Halloween celebration. Well, really her family does, but Maddie’s happy to help her youngest sister, Sam, with her vision for the inaugural Haunted Halloween Festival, and she’s excited that her cat cafe, JJ’s House of Purrs, will be sponsoring the pet costume parade. With the help of her connections, Sam has even booked the hugely successful psychic Balfour Dempsey, whose mom is a local, to give some readings. The perfect setting for all these festivities is obviously the haunted Lighthouse Point hotel, even if its proprietor, Jacob Blair, is being a wet blanket about the whole thing. He’s concerned about cheapening the hotel’s image, which seems a bit rich after the many grisly deaths that are rumored to have occurred on the premises. Although Maddie’s not typically one for psychic woo-woo, she gets involved when high-maintenance Balfour starts making demands in advance of his arrival. First he needs several handcarved pumpkins for his reading room; then he wants to anoint as the party’s master of ceremonies his own cat, Balfour Jr., rather than a cat that’s available for adoption. If only that were the end of Maddie’s troubles, things would be grumpy but quiet. Alas, a murder and a missing feline mean that her problems have just begun. Paring down all those subplots could have streamlined interest.

PINK LEMONADE CAKE MURDER

Fluke, Joanne

Kensington (304 pp.)

$27.00 | July 25, 2023

9781496736116

The Lake Eden, Minnesota, gang plots to keep their favorite detective on the job.

Hannah Swensen is just getting the coffee brewing at The Cookie Jar, her bakery and cafe, when her sister Andrea rushes in with a frantic message from her husband, Bill, the local sheriff. Mike Kingston is down at the station filling out his retirement papers, and Bill hopes that Hannah can persuade his ace crime solver to stay on the job. Since Mike remains determined, Hannah calls Stella, Mike’s mentor, to intervene. Stella thinks a fishing trip might get Mike to settle down and rethink his decision. While he and Stella angle for bass, Hannah assembles the troops—her mom, Delores; Delores’ husband, Doc Knight; her best friend, Norman; and even Grandma Knudson—to plan their strategy. Fortunately, a case soon falls in their lap that’s juicy enough to tempt Mike to return. Former major league pitcher Bernie “NoNo” Fulton arrives in town and immediately starts pissing people off. He drives his Cadillac down the main drag with a bunch of scantily clad high school girls hanging out the back seat, leaving a crowd of angry parents and boyfriends in his wake. It isn’t long before No-No is killed, and Mike wants in on the investigation. Now, however, Hannah and her crew won’t hear of it, insisting that they can crack the case on their own. Fluke’s study in reverse psychology has its humorous side, but the amateur sleuths wear out so much shoe leather chasing down suspects that readers may well wonder how they’re going to get Mike back home if they accidentally solve the murder themselves. Some gentle humor and a staggering number of recipes but not much mystery.

WHAT STILL BURNS

Grawl, Elle

Thomas & Mercer (286 pp.)

$16.99 paper | Aug. 15, 2023

9781662511400

A San Francisco magazine writer returns to the hinterlands to sell her family home as soon as she can purge it of the ghosts of her past.

Twenty years ago, a fire at the Sola farm killed everyone in Alexis Blake’s family—her parents, her brother, her two sisters. Now the death of her aunt Beth, who came back to Sola to raise her, leaves Lexi with an inheritance consisting mostly of debts, and she knows she’ll have to sell the farm to pay the back taxes the estate owes on it. It’s a perverse pleasure to leave the Weekly, where her unlikable soon-to-be-ex-boyfriend, Evan, has just

“Spooks at a Massachusetts Halloween festival turn out to be all too real.”

nine lives and alibis

been promoted; now he’s her supervisor instead of a fellow reporter. But there’s nothing pleasurable about her return to Sola. The farm is haunted by vivid, painful memories of her parents’ quarrels. She’s surrounded by the disdainful flock of the Rev. Lee Butcher, who regard her as something of a prodigal daughter. Although her childhood best friend, preacher’s daughter Janna Butcher, has passed her Realtor’s exam, putting her in a position to offer the farm for sale, Janna’s only advice is to raze its abandoned house and horse barn and offer it as a parcel of land. The one bright spot in Sola, Lexi’s romance with volunteer firefighter Kael McPheron, is curdled when Sheriff Larson, whom Lexi likes and trusts, arrests her old friend and new lover for a murder that would be wholly unexpected if the genre didn’t require it. Only the identification of the real murderer is disappointing.

Yes, it sounds like the setup for any number of cozy mysteries, but readers expecting a light touch should buckle up.

A SENSE FOR MURDER

Karst, Leslie Severn House (224 pp.)

$31.99 | Aug. 1, 2023

9781448309054

One good deed leads to another murder hunt for a California chef with a sideline in sleuthing.

Sally Solari co-owns Gauguin, a French Polynesian restaurant in Santa Cruz that she inherited from her aunt. A former lawyer who’d rather be cooking, she gets an earful from her father, who runs the family’s Italian restaurant, about the large number of people sleeping outdoors in the town. Feeling guilty, she volunteers to help at a fundraiser at Page and Plums, a newly opened restaurant/ bookstore, whose dinner and auction will raise funds for the homeless. All goes fairly well until dining-room manager Alan Keeting is found dead and a valuable set of Julia Child’s cookbooks are reported missing. Sally’s boyfriend, DA Eric Byrne, is already at the dinner, and her former boyfriend Det. Martin Vargas soon shows up. Vargas, who knows all too well that Sally’s been embroiled in past murders, warns her off, but when the bookstore owner becomes a suspect and asks for her help, she agrees. Sally’s discussions about living together with Eric, who’s unhappy in his job, are far from a satisfactory conclusion when a concussion he gets in a surfing accident makes him very moody, adding to her angst. Sally has found the missing books, sans signed pages, under a dumpster near Page and Plums and compiled a list of suspects to investigate when she’s attacked and nearly strangled to death while she’s walking her dog, Buster, in a protected green space that’s evidently not so protected. The feeling that she’s touched a nerve with the killer redoubles her commitment to the case.

An enjoyable read for mystery mavens and foodies alike.

A DEADLY DEDICATION

Loudon, Margaret Berkley (320 pp.)

$8.99 paper | Aug. 1, 2023

9780593547175

A writer of gothic novels continues her second-act stint as an amateur detective.

After writing a bestseller, Penelope Parish developed writer’s block, which she overcame by moving from New York to Upper Chumley-on-Stoke, England, to serve as writer-in-residence at the Open Book bookstore. There, she turned out a second bestseller, made a host of friends, and gained a love interest by helping to solve several murders. Now the residents are roiled once more when Simeon Foster, who owns a chain of gourmet food shops, announces his plan to open one in Chumley, making instant enemies of shopkeepers and purists intent on preserving the town’s Old World charm. At the town council meeting, almost everyone opposes the new store, but the council, ignoring the vocal cadre, unexpectedly approves the plan. The night of Guy Fawkes Day brings a large crowd to watch the fireworks. Soon after Penelope joins the party with her friends, she stumbles over Foster’s body lying on a blanket with a thermos and some sweet treats. The officer sent to investigate is DCI Brody Maguire, whose warm relationship with Penelope has made him well aware of her curiosity and her skills as a detective. The heart attack everyone hopes Foster had turns out to be death by poisoned chocolates. With so many suspects, it won’t be an easy task to solve the murder, and a second death makes the case even more difficult. Penelope’s friends naturally encourage her to investigate, and the discovery that her sister had a motive adds all the motivation she needs.

Interestingly quirky characters add charm to a mystery packed with red herrings.

CLEVELAND NOIR

Ed. by Ruhlman, Michael & Miesha Wilson Headens

Akashic (256 pp.)

$16.95 paper | Aug. 1, 2023

9781636140995

Fifteen new tales of murder and mayhem as diverse as the city that spawned them.

How could a city whose main waterway once burned for 20 minutes, with flames reaching as high as five stories, deny its flair for the dramatic? Ruhlman and Headen populate this volume with a host of colorful characters who’d rule the world if they didn’t trip over their own feet. Take Caro, the hero of Abby L. Vandiver’s “Sugar Daddy,” who tries to run some game but ends up a chump. Or Gwen and Ally, two girls from Settler’s Landing who have a sweet

mother-daughter murder night

con going in ritzy Bratenahl until they don’t, in Paula McLain’s “Love Always.” Susan Petrone tells the tale of a sportswriter who gets the interview of a lifetime but fails spectacularly to capitalize on it in “The Silent Partner.” So does Calvin, journalist hero of Dana McSwain’s “Bus Stop,” who has the very specialized gift of speaking to young female murder victims years after their demises but can’t bring them justice. Perhaps the saddest tale here is Angela Crook’s “Bitter,” which describes how the need for revenge can blot out years of hard-earned success. On the flip side, years of profitable petty chiseling can so quickly turn on their heads in editor Headen’s “The Book of Numbers.” Roxanne, in editor Ruhlman’s “The Ultimate Cure,” doesn’t so much bring destruction upon herself as blunder into it—unlike rock star Anders in Daniel Stashower’s “Lenny, but Not Corky,” who can’t wait to discover disaster on his own doorstep.

Ruhlman and Headen draft an outstanding crew of writers to chronicle the misery of folks who can’t get out of their own ways.

DEAD AND GONE

Schaffhausen, Joanna Minotaur (336 pp.)

$28.00 | Aug. 8, 2023

9781250853370

Det. Annalisa Vega launches still another attempt to redeem her family’s name in the annals of the Chicago Police Department by investigating the death of an ex-cop who was her boss’s old friend.

Now that Sam Tran, who left the CPD years ago to set up his own private agency, has been found hanging from a tree in Rosehill Cemetery, his old workmate Lynn Zimmer asks Annalisa to help bring closure to his ex-wife, Lara, and their 13-year-old son, Benji, by figuring out who strung him up. Annalisa, who was determined to follow in the footsteps of her father until he turned out to be such a dirty cop that she ratted him out, figures her best leads are in Sam’s open case files. Nina Osteen had asked him to find her mother, Charlotte, who’s been missing since New Year’s Eve 1989. Brad Morrison hired him to track down the Queen of Hearts killer who bashed Brad’s wife, Kathy, and her lover, Stephen Powell, to death during a motel tryst 22 years ago. And Vincent Vega, Annalisa’s own brother, wanted Sam to protect his daughter, Quinn, from the anonymous stalker who’s been spotted on her college campus dressed in a gorilla suit. Each of these three doors opens onto a labyrinth of its own, and Annalisa, who crosses paths along the way with a fourth perp, the Chicken Bandit who’s been holding up local convenience stores, will have to explore them all in pitiless detail, exposing herself and several more innocent characters to danger and death, before she’s finally able to tell Lara Tran who killed her husband.

As grueling and ultimately exhausting as pulling your own week of double shifts on the Chicago force.

MOTHER-DAUGHTER MURDER NIGHT

Simon, Nina

Morrow/HarperCollins (368 pp.)

$30.00 | Sept. 5, 2023

9780063315044

Sleuthing is a family affair in this novel featuring strong women and even stronger motives for murder.

When teenage Jack Rubicon becomes the prime suspect following the discovery of a body in Monterey Bay’s Elkhorn Slough, her mother, Beth, and grandmother Lana step in to prove she’s innocent. Mother-daughter bonding rituals don’t usually include criminal investigations, but in this by-the-book, well-paced debut crime novel, three independent women morph into amateur sleuths to solve the murder of Ricardo Cruz, a young man who worked for a local land trust. At the time of Ricardo’s death, Lana is living with Beth and Jack while she undergoes cancer treatment. An energetic Los Angeles real estate mogul who doesn’t “ ‘do’ sick,” the antsy Lana sets up a murder board and decides to pass the time gathering evidence about Ricardo’s death. Beth and Lana have been on the outs ever since Beth became a single mother 15 years before. They’d once had a good relationship, and one of Beth’s fondest childhood memories involves the nights she and Lana obsessed over episodes of Columbo, trying to ferret out the identity of the murderers. Having learned that rumpled detective’s crime-solving techniques will soon prove invaluable when Beth and Jack are pulled into the investigation as well. They soon discover another suspicious death tied to a wealthy local family fighting over the fate of a multimillion-dollar ranch on the Monterey coast. Simon puts most of her muscle into developing Lana’s character while Beth and Jack, as likable as they are, aren’t as fully drawn. Simon knows how to build an intriguing plot with lots of suspects, plenty of red herrings, and a handful of jaw-clenching attacks on the Rubicons designed to stop their investigation.

Nancy Drew meets Columbo in this feisty-female–driven whodunit.

DIG TWO GRAVES

Spillane, Mickey & Max Allan Collins

Titan Books (304 pp.)

$25.95 | Aug. 22, 2023

9781803364612

Mike Hammer goes west.

Celebrating both his secretary/partner/lover Velda Sterling’s return from a long absence in the early 1960s and his own comeback from a protracted period of drying out, Hammer is out Christmas shopping with Velda and her mother, Mildred Sterling, when Mildred is hit by a car and sent to the hospital. Unlike the driver who struck her, she’s not dead, and summoning the couple to

“Sleuthing is a family affair in this novel featuring strong women.”

the side of her hospital bed, she unreels a revised version of Velda’s origin story: Velda’s father wasn’t unassuming Roger Sterling but Rhinegold Massey, Mildred’s mobbed-up first husband. After evading a prison term for his part in an armored car robbery by turning on his co-conspirators and getting whisked off to Dreamland Park, an Arizona retirement community whose entire population is in the witness protection program, Rhino, now rechristened Rainer Miller, suffered a fatal heart attack after a mugging two months ago. Putting aside his initial assumption that he was the target of the driver who nearly killed Mildred, Hammer decides to head out to Dreamland Park to ask questions, and Velda decides, over his objections, to accompany him. Longtime fans of the franchise begun by Spillane and continued by Collins, working once more from his late friend’s drafts and notes, will anticipate that asking questions will be the least interesting thing Hammer and Velda do among the surprisingly spry and unsurprisingly felonious residents of Dreamland Park. The amusing conceit of a town for snitches allows full rein for Hammer’s signature blend of violence, chastely described lust, and revenge served cold, with several surprising twists thrown in as a bonus.

Like the denizens of its imagined retirement community, you just can’t keep this franchise down.

SHOT WITH CRIMSON

Upson, Nicola Crooked Lane (336 pp.)

$26.99 | Nov. 7, 2023

9781639102662

As war clouds gather over England, mystery writer Josephine Tey heads out to Hollywood. It’s not far enough to keep the shadows of crimes old and new from darkening her view.

Though she knows that her lover, screenwriter Marta Fox, is working with Alfred Hitchcock on Rebecca, his first American film, Josephine is surprised to meet Alma Reville, Hitchcock’s wife and collaborator, aboard the Queen Mary. Surprised and not altogether pleased, since the experience of having Hitchcock film her novel A Shilling for Candles under the title Young and Innocent has left memories nearly as painful as Daphne du Maurier’s consternation at what Hitchcock did to Jamaica Inn. Her journey done, Josephine settles in with Marta just as her friend DCI Archie Penrose of London’s Metropolitan Police is handed a delicate case: the fatal shooting of Evelyn Young, the housekeeper at Milton Hall, the stately manse du Maurier used as the model for Manderley. Archie’s days are more closely linked to Josephine’s than either one initially recognizes, for James Bartholomew, a member of the special effects team on Hitchcock’s film, fled England after smothering Marion Plummer, a vengeful mother who’d just told him she’d driven his love, her son, Matthew, to suicide back in 1917 during du Maurier’s childhood visit to Milton Hall. Yes, there’s more, much more. Upson does her best to juggle different crimes, scandals, time periods, subplots, crime

writers, and incidental episodes from walk-on roles for Bob Hope and Clark Gable to a serious case of poison ivy, but in the end her edifice, unlike the doomed Manderley, collapses under its own weight.

Too much of a good thing. Less, please.

science fiction & fantasy

BLADE OF DREAM

Abraham, Daniel Orbit (464 pp.)

$29.00 | July 18, 2023

9780316421898

The second in a political fantasy trilogy concerning Kithamar, a powerful city-state in turmoil.

The first book, Age of Ash (2022), covered the monthslong reign of Prince Byrn a Sal of Kithamar, who inadvertently interrupted the centuries-old secret rule of a ruthless body-switching entity by not actually being part of the royal line and therefore incapable of hosting it. This installment takes place in that same year and begins with the exact same prologue but instead follows a separate group of characters who only appeared tangentially in the first book. It’s love at first sight for Elaine a Sal, daughter and heir to Byrn, and merchant’s son Garreth Left; their initial encounter is just the beginning of a profound shake-up in both their lives. As Elaine adjusts to palace life and begins to suspect sinister, impossible things about the dead Prince Ausai, Garreth defies his parents’ wishes to seal an important business transaction with a foreign marriage and runs away to join the city guard. Meanwhile, Captain Senit of the city guard makes it his mission to go after Aunt Thorn, a powerful crime kingpin apparently named after a trickster god, unaware that Aunt Thorn actually is the trickster god in question, among other things. Many authors have chosen to tell a story from two different perspectives in separate books, but Abraham’s effort is unusual in that it uses two different casts of characters, which allows for a more extensive tapestry of plot. It also serves to illuminate how profoundly people can be interconnected and never even understand how they are linked or even that they’re linked in the first place. The motivations and actions of a stranger can have a profound effect on someone’s life without the other person ever knowing about it. This parallel book both fills in the noticeable gaps in the previous volume and continues to highlight a favorite Abraham theme: the complex outcomes stemming from personal choice. Garreth’s decision to abandon the circumscribed position his family has

established for him and his subsequent inability to fully devote himself to the city guard because of his newfound love for Elaine are understandable parts of his journey to find his own path and be true to himself; but they have significant, sometimes damaging consequences for those around him.

Great character work and interesting plot development make this an exceptional middle volume.

CASSIEL’S SERVANT

Carey, Jacqueline Tor (528 pp.)

$30.99 | Aug. 1, 2023

9781250208330

Carey retells her debut novel, the darkly erotic political fantasy Kushiel’s Dart (2001), from the perspective of the protagonist’s lover, the warrior-priest Joscelin Verreuil.

Kushiel’s Dart was a first-person narrative by Phèdre, a courtesan and spy living in an alternate version of France called Terre d’Ange, who was chosen by the angel Kushiel as an “anguissette”: someone who finds physical pain and submission pleasurable. She uses all of her skills and capacities to ferret out a conspiracy against the queen of Terre d’Ange and foil an invasion. In the process, she falls in love with her bodyguard, Joscelin Verreuil, who breaks several vows he has made to the angel Cassiel—including celibacy—when he returns her affections and does his utmost to protect her against a number of threats. Now we get the opportunity to revisit these events from Joscelin’s point of view, but whether the reader will feel enriched by this is questionable. Phèdre is a unique, complicated character who uses her dark desires to disguise that she is also a fiercely intelligent and well-educated spy with a strong independent streak. As her fellow courtesan/ spy Alcuin notes, she’s a paradox; as such, the first-person narration in Kushiel’s Dart helps to reveal her thought processes. But Joscelin is basically a trope character: a priest who breaks his vows for a woman and is tormented by the conflicting forces of love, loyalty, and faith. Third person makes him inscrutable and fascinating. You don’t entirely know what he’s really like in the beginning of Carey’s first book; we come to learn that he’s a deeply feeling, passionate person whose attempt at stoicism ultimately fails. The first-person narration in this book makes him less mysterious and compelling, which is too bad. This is also an aggressively adjunct book that assumes you’ve read the source material, because it races by all the delicate details of the political conspiracy and how they’re ferreted out. It is somewhat fun to revisit the story, but it feels like an echo, perfunctory and lacking the poetry of the original. The additional material without Phèdre is frankly not all that interesting, either: In particular, Joscelin’s training to become a Cassiline Brother resembles practically every other fantasy novel’s sequence set in a remote school where children learn an elite skill.

For dedicated (and somewhat uncritical) fans only; others might prefer to revisit the previous work.

romance

FALL OF RUIN AND WRATH

Armentrout, Jennifer L. Bramble Books (432 pp.)

$20.03 | Sept. 12, 2023

9781250750198

A courtesan uses her power of intuition to save a Hyhborn immortal. After growing up in an orphanage, Calista made a deal with Claude, the Baron of Archwood. In exchange for his protection and a place in his court, Calista agrees to use her magical abilities to gather information for him. Her intuition is so powerful that she’s compelled to follow its directives, and she can also divine a person’s future by touching them, skills unusual in a lowborn human. Calista values the safety and security of this arrangement even though she has the uneasy feeling that her skills have made her a pawn in a political game she doesn’t understand. One night, she overhears a strange conversation about an immortal being in trouble, and her intuition forces her to investigate. Calista finds Thorne, the Prince of Vytrus and right hand of King Euros, being tortured and drained of blood to be sold on the black market for use in illegal bone magic. She saves him and becomes his lover and companion for his time in Archwood. Thorne reveals that the king has sent him to deliver a message to Claude about the dangers facing the city: Archwood is being targeted by a rebel faction of lowborns, and the King and other Hyhborn immortals are considering destroying the city rather than involve themselves in a messy human conflict. Armentrout delivers a standard palace intrigue plot, but the characters and story are sexy and compelling. Thorne is more mysterious and opaque compared to Calista, who has a well-developed arc. She abandons her passive acceptance of her circumstances and tries to uncover the truth about her past and her magical abilities, but she fears the truth will pit her against Thorne as malevolent forces threaten the city.

A compelling first book in a new fantasy romance series will leave readers wanting more.

WOKE UP LIKE THIS Lea, Amy

Mindy’s Book Studio (300 pp.)

$20.03 | Sept. 5, 2023

9781662511684

A high school senior hits her head and wakes up as a 30-year-old—and she’s in bed with her now-adult high school nemesis.

Charlotte Wu might be a bit of a control freak, but she knows how to get things done. One of her last tasks before graduating from high school is organizing the perfect prom—but unfortunately, she has to do it with help from her No. 1 enemy, J.T. Renner. He’s been a thorn in her side ever since he stood her up for freshman homecoming, and he seemingly lives to irritate her. But when she falls off a ladder (and right into Renner) as they’re decorating for the big dance, she wakes up in an unfamiliar house—with an adult, bearded Renner beside her in bed, just as confused as she is. It turns out they’re 30 years old and engaged. Time travel is hard enough for Charlotte to understand, but the idea that she’d ever marry the boy she hates more than an unchecked to-do list is unfathomable. As Charlotte and Renner try their best to make it back to their 17-year-old selves, they’re forced to keep up appearances in 2037. They go to work at their former high school (where Charlotte is a counselor and Renner, a gym teacher), hang out with their friends (all of whom have gone through their own changes in the past 13 years), and project the image of a happy couple at their joint bachelor/bachelorette party. As the two of them spend more time together, Charlotte sees a side of Renner he’d never shown her before—but she realizes that maybe she didn’t see it because she was so focused on hating him. Soon, Charlotte is desperate to get back to 2024 so she can make changes in how she lives her life—but will she and Renner be able to travel through time again? Lea creates a story that is part 13 Going on 30, part To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before (both referenced in the pop-culture savvy text), and 100% swoony fun. Charlotte and Renner have charming chemistry that would be right at home in a classic teen rom-com. A fun, nostalgic story that’s perfect for anyone who wants to take a trip down Memory Lane.

CODENAME CHARMING

Parker, Lucy

Avon/HarperCollins (384 pp.)

$16.99 paper | Aug. 15, 2023

9780063040106

A stoic royal bodyguard and his charge’s personal assistant fake a relationship to distract hungry tabloids.

The sunny Petunia De Vere works as the personal assistant to Johnny Marchmont, new husband of the atypical Princess Rose. With her cheerful disposition, Petunia is

often at odds with Marchmont’s gruff and grumpy bodyguard, Matthias Vaughn, who finds himself constantly stepping in when Marchmont’s clumsiness hurls Petunia into embarrassing situations. This happens so often that tabloids have begun to take notice, suspecting that the princess’s husband already has a wandering eye. As a method of combatting the vicious paparazzi, Rose suggests that Petunia and Matthias fake a whirlwind romance. Their royalty-adjacent positions should be enough to get reporters talking and out of newlywed Rose and Johnny’s hair. Beneath both Petunia’s effervescent facade and Matthias’ stone-faced exterior lie similar pain and trauma. They bond and open up about their darkest moments slowly and tenderly, which should have been enough to keep this slow burn sizzling. Obstacles keep appearing, though, which results in a disjointed back-and-forth that will elicit mostly frustration instead of longing on the part of the reader. Parker’s books tend to have an engaging secondary cast, and she eventually grants them their own happily-ever-afters. Petunia and Matthias feature prominently in the series’ first book, Battle Royal (2021), and reading that will give you a good foundation to the characters’ beginnings. While their romance balances some darker history with their comedic mismatch in both stature and personality, it lacks the usual spark of wit found in Parker’s previous pairings. With each new twist, Petunia and Matthias’ courtship bocomes staler; the romance would have been better served by giving the pair time to breathe and blossom rather than rushing them toward the next hurdle to be overcome.

An unusual misstep that lacks the full-wattage charm of Parker’s earlier romances.

LONG SHOT

Ryan, Kennedy

Bloom Books (493 pp.)

$17.99 paper | Aug. 8, 2023

9781728284965

A triumphant story of a domestic violence survivor creating her happy-ever-after. Ambitious college graduate Iris DuPree stays with Caleb Bradley, her basketballplayer boyfriend, because of an unexpected pregnancy, though she has her own career goals and feels an electric connection with his rival, August West. When Caleb slowly separates her from all her emotional and financial resources and turns violent, Iris is trapped in a nightmare of sexual and physical abuse, terrified of his threats of hurting her baby and her family members. Occasional interactions between Iris and August only ratchet up Caleb’s terrorizing behavior until, after one night of extreme beatings and rapes, Iris leaves with her daughter thanks to a cousin’s help. Ryan’s heartbreaking story intersperses Iris’ point of view with that of August as they meet, fall in love, and suffer a separation that is extraordinarily brutal for her in more ways than one. Only in the second half of the novel is Iris able to take back control over herself and her story and eventually embrace love

“A triumphant story of a domestic violence survivor creating her happy-ever-after.”

long shot

and sexual autonomy with August. Written with unflinching honesty, the novel contains on-page scenes of intimate partner violence that are difficult to read but not gratuitous. Iris’ and August’s inner worlds are consistently at the center of the story, and their romantic and sexual attractions for each other survive her harrowing situation. The author makes it clear that societal structures facilitate women’s subjugation, and all the characters, including Iris’ and her abuser’s family members and acquaintances, are well sketched to show their complicity or allyship as bystanders.

A sports romance that should be read by everyone who cares about women’s safety.

THE

nonfiction

A LITTLE GIVE The Unsung, Unseen, Undone Work of Women

by Annie Ernaux; trans. by Alison L. Strayer

Benjamin, Marina Scribe (240 pp.)

$17.00 paper | Sept. 5, 2023 9781957363455

Rethinking feminism from the vantage point of middle age.

Editor, journalist, and memoirist Benjamin meditates on feminism, family, and women’s work in a series of linked essays that cohere into a thoughtful reflection on the trajectory of her life. Growing up in an Iraqi Jewish family, the author rebelled against cultural expectations: “I had seen how women in my family and its circle deferred to fathers, uncles, husbands; how they aspired to be model homemakers and mothers and then internalised the psychological cost, and I wanted no part of it.” Her intelligent, capable mother seemed oppressed by the need to please. Going to university, Benjamin decided, would be a path out, and she discovered feminism, which “gave my escape enough velocity to burst through my family’s cultural bubble, but only just.” If feminist ideas spurred her, now in middle age she finds herself lamenting more and more “what gets left out of the burnished picture that any public-facing feminist presents as she leans in and strides through the world.” Benjamin’s essays swirl around topics such as cleaning, feeding, caring, and safeguarding: women’s often thankless occupations. The success of housework, she asserts, “turns on its invisibility, on the quiet conspiracy of the women who do it and then hide the fact of its doing, denying the physicality of their own labour.” Some of that labor, though, gives her great satisfaction: Cooking, for example, offers “solace and a deep absorption,” as did working in a soup kitchen during the pandemic. But nurturing poses more of a challenge. To offer others “what they need without losing myself in the process, is an ongoing project.” Natalia Ginzburg, Virginia Woolf, Iris Murdoch, and psychologist Alison Gopnik, among others, inform Benjamin’s musings. “Every day I struggle with how to be a woman,” she writes. “Frequently when I speak I am not heard. Frequently I am filled with rage.”

WHEN THE GAME WAS WAR The NBA’s Greatest Season

Cohen, Rich Random House (288 pp.)

$28.99 | Sept. 5, 2023

9780593229545

A die-hard fan revisits the 1987 NBA season.

Wall Street Journal columnist Cohen, the author of The Chicago Cubs: Story of a Curse and Pee Wees: Confessions of a Hockey Parent, seeks to convince readers that 1987 was “the greatest season in NBA history.” He makes the debatable argument that the Detroit Pistons were as accomplished a franchise as Magic Johnson’s Los Angeles Lakers, Larry Bird’s Boston Celtics, and Michael Jordan’s Chicago Bulls and that Pistons point guard Isiah Thomas was the equal of those three players. In this “revisionist history,” the author wants “to return Isiah to the pantheon, where he belongs.” During that fabled season, the Celtics were fading though still competitive, the Lakers were dominant but about to be dethroned by the Pistons, and the Bulls were on the verge of transcendence. At the time, general managers and coaches “took time to build” their teams, looking to the longterm; the style of play was fast and physical; and the coaches were savvy students of the game. Cohen goes all in: “The game was better than it ever had been, or will be….It was a time when the games really mattered.” The Lakers met the Pistons in the Finals, and the Lakers pulled out the victory to repeat as NBA champions. However, notes the author, “the future belonged to the brash newcomers from the Midwest, first the Pistons, then the Bulls,” who would combine to win the next five championships. Along with arguing, to uneven effect, that Thomas has been disrespected, Cohen provides capsul biographies of the personalities that made these teams successful, short descriptions of key games during the season and all seven games in the finals, and even reviews of the courts on which they played. An invitation to avid fans of a certain age to bathe in the soothing nostalgia of a bygone era.

THE 1998 YANKEES

The Inside Story of the Greatest Baseball Team Ever

Curry, Jack

Twelve (288 pp.)

$30.00 | May 2, 2023

9781538722978

Enthusiastic history of the baseball squad that Derek Jeter called the “greatest team ever.”

The 1998 New York Yankees, writes veteran baseball writer Curry, was a powerhouse team in every respect: Its bullpen was headed by Mariano Rivera, one of the most consistently productive pitchers in the game, with catching duties shared by Joe Girardi and Jorge Posada and talented

players at every position. For the most part, the players got along, with the usual tensions, under the watchful gaze of manager Joe Torre. Not that all the season’s moments were blissful. As the author notes, “Posada was as passionate and as intense as any player I ever covered, a player who was never hesitant to tell a pitcher how he felt about a disappointing pitch or an awful outing. As Posada’s stature and playing time increased, he became as much of a leader as any Yankee. And, if he felt the need to get loud and demonstrative…he would.” He was particularly hard on pitcher David Wells, who had a few disastrous moments but who also pitched a rare perfect game that year. Curry is strong on personality profiles, and it’s clear that he’s spent a lot of time in the dugout and locker room. He chronicles a near-knockdown fight between Wells and fellow pitcher David Cone, and he records an all-too-public brawl between the Yankees and the Orioles after an Orioles pitcher threw a ball at left-handed batter Tino Martinez that “drilled [him] between the 2 and the 4 on his back.” The 1998 season, culminating in a World Series sweep of the San Diego Padres, had plenty of fine moments of vindication, including Rivera’s atoning for a

“An invitation to avid fans of a certain age to bathe in the soothing nostalgia of a bygone era.”

when the game was war

u.s. health care under the microscope

The American health care system is broken. Even though we spend more on health care per capita than any other high-income nation, the standard of care rarely equals the price. The prospect of universal care has been thoroughly politicized—and is seemingly anathema to conservative politicians—while the insurance industry’s stranglehold on services and costs ensures that millions of Americans incur significant debt every year related to even the most basic care. There has to be a better way, and four recent books offer illuminating perspectives on the current state of affairs as well as suggestions for where we can go from here.

In Random Acts of Medicine: The Hidden Forces That Sway Doctors, Impact Patients, and Shape Our Health (Doubleday, July 11), Anupam B. Jena and Christopher Worsham offer a perfect jumping-off point for any discussion of health and medicine in America. The authors, both physicians and researchers at Harvard, provide a panoramic overview of the hidden forces that influence how people are diagnosed, why certain courses of treatment are administered, and the traits that make the best specialists. Our starred review calls it “a well-documented, unnerving, fascinating study for anyone adrift in the American health care system”— which means caregivers and patients alike.

Another educative perspective on the system comes from Ricardo Nuila, a doctor and professor of medicine whose book, The People’s Hospital: Hope and Peril in American Medicine (Scribner, March 28), “adds personal texture to one of the most divisive issues of our time,” according to our starred review. The author chronicles the experiences of six under- or uninsured patients through the labyrinthine medical and insurance systems. Along the way, Nuila, relentlessly compassionate, uncovers countless problems, creating a representative portrait of triumphs and failures across the health care spectrum. Indeed, his “complete,

deeply personal dedication to his content and his exceptional command of prose allow him to translate the mercy, authority, and sense of urgency that patients want at their bedsides and citizens want in policy debates.”

Ilana Yurkiewicz, the author of Fragmented: A Doctor’s Quest To Piece Together American Health Care (Norton, July 11), is also dedicated to the urgent personal issues of her patients, with an eye toward how those stories fit within the broader systemic failures. She is an oncologist and physician at Stanford Medicine, and she is committed to creating a “preventative-focused system” in which patients are truly heard. At the same time, she is sensitive to the demands on doctors, and she leads us through a wide range of myths about the health care system from all angles, offering what our reviewer calls “plenty of food for thought for caregivers and medical professionals.”

The final book on the list ties together many of the themes of the first three. We’ve Got You Covered: Rebooting American Health Care (Portfolio, July 25), by Liran Einav and Amy Finkelstein, is a thoroughly researched takedown of the industry, but it is also a blueprint for a viable alternative approach—as opposed to mere patches and workarounds—to many of the systemic problems. In a starred review, we call it “a highly insightful examination of how to fix America’s woefully inadequate health care system.” Einav and Finkelstein are professors of economics, so their perspective is unique, and they debunk misinformation about so-called “socialized medicine” while arguing for “a fixed government health care budget to provide free universal coverage for basic services and the option to buy additional, supplemental coverage,” according to our critic. Refreshingly, the authors don’t slant either conservative or liberal. Rather, they lay out the possibilities of a system that could actually work. Yes, it would require the will to scrap the status quo and begin anew, but it would also guarantee what should be a fundamental human right.

Eric Liebetrau is the nonfiction and managing editor.

Leah Overstreet

previous season of allowing one homer too many. It was a season, writes the author, that was “as remarkable as any in their illustrious history.”

Buffs may quibble at Curry’s best-team-ever claim, but Yankees fans will enjoy his paean.

THE SOUND OF THE FUTURE The Coming Age of Voice Technology

Dengel, Tobias with Karl Weber

PublicAffairs (336 pp.)

$30.00 | Oct. 10, 2023

9781541702363

An introduction to an emerging new paradigm of voice interaction with machines.

Giving commands to tech devices by voice has been around for years, but the thesis of this book is that the technology is ready to take a leap to the transformative level. Dengel, the president of WillowTree, a digital product design and development company, gathers numerous case studies from companies that have already begun to make the transition. The underpinning AI technology has undergone countless improvements, to the point that sophisticated, multitier interactions between users and devices are becoming possible. “The overarching driver,” writes the author, “is the fact that we speak three times faster than we type….The beauty and power of voice is that it is the easiest, most natural, and most convenient way for us to communicate with our devices.” The potential applications range from repetitive tasks like completing forms to complex work like software programming as well as creative activities. The real value, however, is likely to come from improved customer service and interaction at the personal level. Siri and Alexa have introduced millions of people to voice interfaces, but those systems have limitations in learning and recognition. Dengel sees them as representatives of the first generation of voice interaction, and the technology is moving beyond them. He emphasizes that people do not want tech to emulate humans; rather, they want interfaces that are reliable, clear, and flexible. For companies, integrating voice technology will require investments, but the productivity gains are worth it, especially if a custom-designed system is used. Although there are still issues such as use in noisy environments, it is clear that voice interaction is going to spread and develop. The author does a good job of explaining where it is going.

From a solid base of experience, Dengel charts the way forward for the next technological shift.

THE TRADE TRAP How To Stop Doing Business With Dictators

Döpfner, Mathias

Simon & Schuster (208 pp.)

$27.99 | Sept. 19, 2023

9781668016251

When high-minded rhetoric about trade meets dictators, the dictators always win.

The idea that trading with a country ruled by a dictator will lead toward democracy has always been flawed. Döpfner, CEO of the Berlin-based Axel Springer SE, a global media and tech company, notes that there is even a common German phrase for it: “wandel durch handel,” meaning “change through trade.” The main problem with this concept is that it does nothing but embolden the dictator. In this book, the author focuses mostly on China, but he also offers plenty of insight on Russia and how the invasion of Ukraine altered the

“From a solid base of experience, Dengel charts the way forward for the next technological shift.”

the sound of the future

geopolitical landscape. In fact, it was the willingness of Western companies and governments to continue trading with Russia after the takeover of Crimea that made Putin think that there would be no consequences for further aggression. Döpfner notes that the situation with China was even worse, with American and European companies rushing in when China joined the World Trade Organization, willfully ignoring the long catalog of human rights abuses and Xi Jinping’s authoritarian rule. By the time the real costs were realized, there was a high degree of enmeshment— although in the past few years, some companies have started to withdraw. Dictatorships often use the language of free trade while manipulating the rules for their own benefit, and for this reason, Döpfner argues strongly against the WTO, suggesting a new alliance based on the rule of law, human rights, and sustainability measures. Tariffs would be applied to countries that reject these principles. It’s an intriguing idea, but the details would be tricky. The author punctuates the book with accounts of his meetings with leaders such as Putin, Helmut Kohl, and German foreign minister Annalena Baerbock. He presents a clear-minded, thought-provoking book, and he pulls no punches.

Döpfner issues a sharp warning about the danger of appeasement and charts an alternative path forward.

STAR CROSSED A True Romeo and Juliet Story in Hitler’s Paris

Dune Macadam, Heather & Simon Worrall

Citadel/Kensington (320 pp.)

$28.00 | Aug. 22, 2023

9780806541440

A novelistic nonfiction account of romance amid the terror of the Holocaust.

In this intimate story of love and loss, Dune Macadam, author of 999: The Extraordinary Young Women of the First Official Transport to Auschwitz, and Worrall, author of The Poet and the Murderer, tell the tale of 19-year-old Annette Zelman, who arrived with her family in Paris as refugees from the provinces shortly after the Germans invaded in 1940. Set to begin school at the Beaux-Arts, “the most famous art school in all of France,” in January 1941, she anticipated a glorious artistic career within the booming surrealist and Dadaist movements. She befriended a circle of young activist artists and poets—Simone de Beauvoir, JeanPaul Sartre, and other members of “the in-crowd”—who frequented the Café de Flore. Zelman fell in love with the poet and explorer Jean Jausion, known for his work with Les Réverbères, an artistic group that “produced both Surrealist and Dada theater—events a bit like the Happenings of the 1960s—as well as beautifully designed graphic magazines.” As the Nazis began to restrict Jewish movement and participation in society, the Zelman family, well-known Jewish clothiers, had to flee in secret to Limoges. Annette stayed in Paris and moved in with Jausion, making plans for their wedding without realizing the extent of the Jausion family’s antisemitism and collaboration with the Germans. Arrested for the political crime of planning to marry a gentile, she was sent to Auschwitz with many of her young artist friends. The authors re-create this poignant story from more than 80 letters and works of art that Annette’s sister inherited. Though the prose is occasionally overheated, the tale of Zelman and Jausion deserves to be preserved. An interesting postscript, “A Biographical Roundup of Some People Mentioned in the Book,” concludes the text.

A worthwhile addition to Holocaust literature focused on young artists navigating occupied Paris.

THE YOUNG MAN

Ernaux, Annie

Trans. by Alison L. Strayer

Seven Stories (64 pp.)

$13.95 paper | Sept. 12, 2023

9781644213209

The Nobel laureate revisits a love affair with a much younger man.

In her latest book to appear in English, Ernaux recounts a brief love affair with A., a man who was 30 years her junior. “He gave me pleasure and made me relive things I would never have imagined experiencing again,” she writes. The book, which is slim, occasionally stark, and very much to the point— more an essay than a full-length volume—is by no means a florid account. Instead, Ernaux candidly describes how the relationship caused her to reexamine not only sex and sensuality, but memory and time itself. “With him I traveled through all the ages of life, my life,” she writes. Fittingly, she spends less time

describing A. as a person than she does the various insights their relationship revealed. She was with a younger man “so that I would not continually be looking at the timeworn face of a man my age, the face of my own aging. When A.’s face was before me, mine was young too. Men have known this forever, and I saw no reason to deprive myself.” The major pleasure in reading this book—and it is a major pleasure—comes not so much from gasping over sensual details but from savoring Ernaux’s sentences and the searing clarity of her thinking. It isn’t just that she avoids sentimentality, though she does that, too. It’s that the author can (and does) analyze all kinds of intersecting threads—aging, class, desire, regret—without a sense of shame or an impulse to sugarcoat any of the truths she uncovered during her time with A. She even delves into the possibility of motherhood: “He wanted to have a child with me. This desire troubled me and made me feel the profound unfairness of being in good physical shape but no longer able to conceive.”

A crucial addition to Ernaux’s oeuvre.

“Briggs led an eventful and fascinating life – he discovered a world of art and culture studying at the University of Heidelberg after he left the Army and became a very successful businessman after returning to the United States.”

A renaissance man – Top gun in his tank battalion, White House Fellowship, managing a campaign with Paul Newman, sending John Denver to the USSR, Wall Street rainmaker, blue-ribbon shag dancer, friendship with Sting, Proust aficionado, National Park Service “Volunteer of the Year” for 16-year care of the Lincoln Memorial.

- KIRKUS REVIEWS, 2023

“ This is a touching memoir, personally candid and philosophically re ective. ”

“A crucial addition to Ernaux’s oeuvre.”

the young man

THE STEPS WE TAKE A Memoir of Southern Reckoning

Fentress, Ellen Ann Univ. Press of Mississippi (192 pp.)

$25.00 | Sept. 15, 2023

9781496847751

A white Southerner confronts her past.

From her perspective as a white Mississippian, journalist and filmmaker Fentress writes candidly about her growing consciousness of race, responsibility, and community. Several chapters focus on volunteering, which began when she was a girl collecting money for the March of Dimes. At the Baptist college she attended, she joined Helping Hand, bringing prayer and cheer to a homeless shelter. For nearly two decades she worked for Meals on Wheels. Each experience widened her sense of the world, but she knew she was “tending strictly to the low-hanging, good-deeds fruit in my vicinity” and not addressing the insidious problem of racism. Growing up in the Mississippi Delta, she hardly knew any Black people; in high school, she dressed as a Ku Klux Klansman for a history day celebration. “I lacked both the moral empathy and even the acquaintance with a Black person to fathom that the costume choice was not fun but appalling,” she writes. In 1970, threatened by integration, her parents had sent her to an all-white “segregation academy,” one of many private schools enrolling tens of thousands of white children across the South. Fentress struggles to understand how attending the academy shaped her sense of the world, her relationships with Blacks—such as her Black house cleaner—and her identity as a white woman. She founded Academy Stories/Admissions, a project that invites former students to submit essays about their school experiences. “The essays,” she has found, “are windows into the white-centered world where we swam.” After a year of publishing the first-person stories, the project expanded to include public school stories as well, evolving into a digital site called the Admissions Project: Racism and the Possible in Southern Schools. Gathering this testimony is a way to bear witness to history and, for Fentress, “to at least try at doing better.” A forthright reflection on the effects of segregation.

RACE, RIGHTS, AND RIFLES

The Origins of the NRA and Contemporary Gun Culture

Filindra, Alexandra Univ. of Chicago (368 pp.)

$30.00 | Sept. 26, 2023

9780226828763

An exploration of the foundations of America’s commitment to guns. Filindra, a professor of political science at the University of Illinois, Chicago, argues that contemporary gun-rights

advocacy, as expressed by the National Rifle Association and various militia groups, is most firmly rooted not in libertarian ideals but in two guiding, if sometimes masked, assumptions: that citizens’ armed readiness is a crucial element of political virtue and that white males are the only legitimate exemplars of patriotism. Drawing on a range of historical texts as well as original survey data, the author traces a lineage of arguments for individual gun ownership from the American Revolution to the present day. “White Americans developed an intersectional racialized and gendered theory of the Republic, which elevated White men alone as virtuous citizens,” writes the author. This is a deeply informed, persuasive book, offering a compelling overview of how Americans became militarized and how that militarization is increasing. Among the most striking sections are those in which Filindra systematically demolishes the NRA’s claims about the usefulness of an armed populace and the perils of leaving any group of citizens without the means to defend themselves with violence. As the author clearly demonstrates, rather than acting as a bulwark against tyranny, the veneration of guns has contributed to the rise of extremist organizations such as the Proud Boys and Oath Keepers and, more generally, to “violent radicalization, support for political violence, and support for anti-democratic norms.” Though the author underscores the deep and longstanding appeal of so-called martial republicanism in the U.S., along with the significance of recent legal decisions that would seem to block attempts at gun control, she also points to a redemptive countertradition: An “inclusive civic republicanism” that emphasizes “multiculturalism and peaceful political activism” has its own profound legacy in the nation and might, if given enough encouragement, prove salvific.

An enlightening, timely study of the evolution of arguments about gun ownership.

COMEDY BOOK How Comedy Conquered Culture–And the Magic That Makes It Work

Fox, Jesse David

Farrar, Straus and Giroux (368 pp.)

$29.00 | Nov. 7, 2023

9780374604714

A comedy critic charts the history and evolution of American comedy.

“This is a love story,” writes Vulture senior editor Fox, invoking the famous quote from Season 2 of Fleabag. The author is a proud “member of the Seinfeld generation, a term I just made up to refer to the sort of millennial who grew up watching Seinfeld and, in turn, always knowing and caring about what goes into a stand-up’s comedy.” That passion for comedy led to this book, which “focuses on comedy made from 1990 through the early 2020s. This is the period in which millennials, and then Gen Z, emerged as cultural consumers.” Over the course of the narrative, Fox charts the history of comedy, evolving from “joke-jokes,” joke-book jokes that “have been

around for millennia,” and comedians’ jokes, “a complete comedic idea.” Each chapter focuses on a different theme, including stand-up, “the most extreme example of comedy’s natural selection” that spans minstrel shows of the 1830s to vaudeville to the comedy clubs of the 1960s and ’70s; a thoughtful assessment of how, for better or worse, humor ages; a game defense of lowbrow humor, in which Fox wisely notes that “lowbrow does not mean low quality”; the immense influence of Jon Stewart’s Daily Show and the ways in which “comedy does and does not foster political progress”; the personal, confessional work of such figures as Hannah Gadsby and Jerrod Carmichael; and the rise of alternative comedy. The author occasionally tries too hard to be funny—e.g., “Seinfeld was less Waiting for Godot and more waiting for good joke”—but he’s clearly passionate about his subject and has an encyclopedic knowledge of modern humor. This book is like the work of a good comedian: inevitably hit or miss, but the best bits are comedy gold.

A well-informed, appreciative assessment of the current state of comedy.

THE BOOK OF (MORE) DELIGHTS

Gay, Ross

Algonquin (304 pp.)

$28.00 | Sept. 19, 2023

9781643753096

In this follow-up to The Book of Delights, the esteemed poet catalogs more quiet pleasures and causes for gratitude.

Gay adheres to the same guidelines he followed in the previous volume: “write them daily, write them quickly, and write them by hand.” The first piece, of 81, opens, “Well, here we are again: this time, my forty-seventh birthday,” and describes a “bounty of delights” that he and his partner, Stephanie, have found in a rented Vermont cabin—e.g., the “forageable bounty” of apples. The following entry pays tribute to his friend Walt on his birthday: “I have needed to be—we need to be—believed in. Which, in a certain kind of way, is like being birthed. And just like his

young adult

“Keenly observed and delivered with deftness, these essays are a testament to the artfulness of attention and everyday joy.”

the book of (more) delights

WORDS WITH…

Chris Paul

An unusual new memoir by NBA superstar Chris Paul pays tribute to his late grandfather—and his life lessons

BY ERIC LIEBETRAU

NBA superstar Chris Paul, who currently plays for the Phoenix Suns, is a surefire first-ballot Hall of Famer when his time comes, with accolades galore: first-team All American at Wake Forest University, fourth overall pick in the 2005 NBA draft, 12-time All Star, and twotime Olympic gold medalist. In his debut memoir, SixtyOne: Life Lessons From Papa, On and Off the Court (St. Martin’s, June 20), Paul, working with longtime ESPN writer Michael Wilbon, avoids a strict rehearsal of his career, an approach that dooms many athlete memoirs. Instead, the author, now in his 18th season in the NBA, chronicles his life story via his grandfather’s lessons about faith, family, and hard work.

When Paul was growing up in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, Nathaniel “Papa” Jones was one of the most beloved members of the community—until the tragic day he

was murdered at the age of 61. A day later, Paul honored Papa by scoring 61 points in a high school game. Since then, he has remained dedicated and focused on the community values that Papa instilled in him. “Even now, no matter what role I play on a team, one thing is constant: hard work,” writes the author. “No matter if you’re stronger than me, taller than me, faster than me, one thing you won’t do is outwork me.” Our reviewer called the book “a fresh and refreshing take on the athlete memoir.” I spoke with Paul via Zoom just after he finished recording the audiobook for Sixty­ One; our conversation has been edited for length and clarity.

I appreciate that this is not a by-the-numbers athlete memoir. Why did you write this book now, and why did you focus on your grandfather and what he taught you? I’ll be 38 in a couple months, and I believe that timing is everything. When I was younger, I couldn’t see what I was dealing with. Now I can appreciate that something so long ago still impacts the decisions I make every day. This was therapeutic for me, to talk about a lot of things that I never got an opportunity to talk about before and just show people how special those bonds are—with our elders, with our grandparents.

One of your grandfather’s main lessons was the importance of a consistent work ethic—regarding basketball, that shows up especially on the defensive end. How do you maintain that diligence?

What I’ve seen is that kids now are all just trying to see who can get the best step back [jump shot] and who can dunk. Everything is offense driven, and it’s crazy. Even in the NBA, it seems like nobody trains for defense. I play that way because I think the game defensively. I talk about my college coach in the book [Skip Prosser]. He came to recruit me during one of my high school games,

Christian Petersen/Getty Images

and I played well and dropped 35. After the game, I put on my warm-up suit and came out of the locker room to meet with him, and he looked me in my eye and said, “Are you ever gonna play some defense?”

Coach Prosser was clearly a big influence. Tell me more about him and his approach. He had the discipline that reminded me of my grandfather and my dad. They were always hard on me and my brother because they wanted us to be great. I saw that in Coach Prosser. He wasn’t somebody who was trying to kiss my ass and tell me what I wanted to hear, and people need that more than they realize.

Absolutely. You write about how a coach once told you that you would always have to deal with someone who doesn’t care as much as you. Yes, I was just talking about this with [Phoenix Suns teammate] Kevin Durant the other day during a timeout. So many guys are really talented, but they may not love the game. I’ve learned over the years that you have to meet people where they are. Everybody has to set their own path. When I coach youth players, the first thing I want them to understand is that you don’t sneak up on greatness; it takes hard work. Sometimes those setbacks are the things you need. I had those humbling experiences early in my career, and it helped me keep my edge, and I still got it. I don’t care if you came from an inner-city, single-parent home and all of that. There are definitely challenges there, but there are also challenges for the privileged kid who has the trainers and has everything given to them. Everybody faces different storms and obstacles in their life. It’s about how you react when it does get tough. Everybody’s story isn’t the same—and it shouldn’t be the same—but the one thing you can’t lack is the hard work.

During the pandemic, the NBA played in a self-created “bubble” at a Disney resort in Florida, without fans or travel. While there, the players were invited to put a name or brief message on their jerseys in support of a social justice cause in the wake of the Black Lives Matter movement. It was obviously a tumultuous time and a unique experience. How did you navigate that?

I could write a whole different book about the bubble. I’ll just tell you, we had 450 of the most recognizable faces in the world in one place. Everyone’s always going to have their opinions, and rightfully so. There were a lot of guys who asked to put whatever they wanted to, but realistically, you know that’s not possible. In some ways, I wanted that, but as you start talking to guys, you start to

realize that some of the messages weren’t going to happen. A lot of guys didn’t fully understand that, and there were plenty of behind-the-scenes, heated conversations, much-needed conversations. At the end, most of us were happy with the messages that were chosen [for example, the NBA painted “Black Lives Matter” on the court], and we got through it.

Is there anything else you would like to share about your book?

I think one of the biggest things is that during the process of writing and editing the book, I got a newfound appreciation for authors—and not just the authors, but the editors and people who work on the audiobook and all the different intricacies that go into it. This was a lot of work that I’m proud of and excited about, but it was difficult with all the deadlines and trying to make sure everything is like you want it to be. I can’t imagine what it would be like to be a novelist and write books over and over and over again, but this was a fun process. I really hope that people not only read the book, but I would love for you to listen to the audiobook, which I just finished recording.

Sixty-One was reviewed in the Jan. 15, 2023, issue.

young adult

gummy bears and hockey sticks, I guess I’m taking Walt’s birthday. Because when Walt was born, so too was I.” The author offers steadfast company in his optimistic, accessible vignettes and insights about easily overlooked quotidian life. The essays are short, roughly three pages, and it’s a credit to Gay’s tone that he can captivate readers while writing about, for instance, “three truly beautiful spoons,” the pleasure of petting his cat, his annual garlic planting (“garlic’s your tiny professor of faith, your pungent don of gratitude”) and, in a separate piece, garlic harvesting. His sense of wonder at watching an NPR Tiny Desk Concert featuring El DeBarge leads him to this reflection on an Aretha Franklin cover: “She lets it be known, this is for the benefit of you who don’t believe.” Gay closes with an essay sharing the same name as the first, “My Birthday, Again,” in which the author writes, “I’ve completed another year of delights. Or maybe I should say another year of delights has completed me.”

Keenly observed and delivered with deftness, these essays are a testament to the artfulness of attention and everyday joy.

THE DAWN OF A MINDFUL UNIVERSE A Manifesto for Humanity’s Future

Gleiser, Marcelo

HarperOne (256 pp.)

$28.99 | Aug. 22, 2023

9780063056879

A cosmologist warns humanity to get its act together.

Gleiser, a professor of natural philosophy, physics, and astronomy at Dartmouth, has written multiple books exploring philosophical questions that arise from our knowledge of the universe. Unhappy with humans’ continued plunder of Earth, the author searches for an explanation and finds it in the Copernican revolution. Rewinding the clock, he notes that ancient cultures lived in harmony with nature. Eventually, however, humans looked around and concluded that they lived at the center of the universe and that all of Earth’s resources were subservient to their needs. Furthermore, creation myths and religions gave humans a superior position. Although early Greek philosophers were the first to explain the natural world without the necessity of divine intervention, this didn’t catch on until well after 1543, when Copernicus revealed that “the Earth was not the center of everything, but a mere planet orbiting the Sun, like all the others.” The view that there is nothing special about the Earth led to a “profound identity crisis that threatens the future of our species and of many of the creatures with which we share this planet.” While Gleiser never explains how this disappointment connects to the ongoing abuse of our planet, few readers will object to his plea to stop viewing Earth as an ordinary planet and celebrate its uniqueness. As far as we know right now, it is the only place in the universe that shelters life. Humans are the only species capable of understanding this, and “our emergence on this rare planet marked the dawn of a new cosmic age: the cognitive age,

the age of a mindful Universe.” The author offers a fine lesson in cosmology, including the spectacular 21st-century discovery of billions of sunlike stars with planets, details about the search for alien life, and a history of the “rare and precious” life on Earth.

A passionate appeal for “biocentric values that reflect our spiritual reconnection with the Earth.”

ROME AND PERSIA The Seven Hundred Year Rivalry

Goldsworthy, Adrian Basic Books (608 pp.)

$35.00 | Sept. 12, 2023

9781541619968

An expert account of a historical rivalry long neglected by popular historians.

In his latest lucid work of ancient history, veteran British historian Goldsworthy, author of Pax Romana, How Rome Fell, and other notable books, tells “the story of ancient Rome and its rivalry with the Parthian and Sasanian Persian dynasties that presided over an empire with its heartland in modern Iran. Nowhere else did the Romans share a border with a state anywhere near as large and sophisticated for such a long period of time.” Although larger and stronger, Rome never conquered its eastern rival as it had Carthage, and alongside many victories were humiliating defeats. Mostly, however, there was peaceful coexistence. Of course, peaceful coexistence interested ancient scholars far less than war and politics. Goldsworthy works hard to describe the culture, religion, and economic life of ancient Persia, but readers will encounter a steady stream of military campaigns and bloody battles, and many will struggle to remember the names of innumerable kings, wouldbe kings, and details of dynastic quarrels. A war in the early seventh century ended with Persia’s king ruling over more territory than any of his predecessors, but around the year 630, armies of the Prophet Muhammad emerged from Arabia and conquered it in little more than a decade. Readers will appreciate Goldsworthy’s accessible prose and critical eye but quickly realize that almost everything is told from Rome’s point of view. The author rightly explains that this is unavoidable because Romans (Plutarch, Suetonius, Livy, and others) produced almost all the surviving histories. They were not impartial, but “the peoples who fought against the Romans left no accounts at all.” Scattered cuneiform tablets, pottery, rock inscriptions, and coins provide most of the contemporary evidence, with most histories from the Persian perspective written much later during the Muslim dynasties. Nonetheless, Goldsworthy produces yet another illuminating study.

A fine historian fills in a major historical blank space.

THE LOST SUPPER Searching for the Future of Food in the Flavors of the Past

Grescoe, Taras Greystone Books (312 pp.)

$28.95 | Sept. 19, 2023

9781771647632

A surprising, flavorsome tour of ancient cuisines demonstrating how the way forward involves looking back. This is not just another slick volume about cooking exotic food. Montreal-based Grescoe, author of a number of awardwinning books, including Straphanger and Bottomfeeder, loves food and is an adventurous diner, but he also has serious points to make. He is deeply concerned with the shrinking biodiversity of food production and the lack of real nutrition in processed foods. The answer, he believes, is to look at what earlier civilizations ate. In the course of his research, he visited ancient sites and met with farmers and Indigenous peoples who are resurrecting preindustrial methods of agriculture. He sampled axayacatl, an important insect in the Aztec diet. In Greece, he indulged in oil from very old olive trees, which leads to a discussion of the role that olives played in the spread of civilization. He tasted a salty fish sauce called garum, which has been around for centuries. On Vancouver Island, Grescoe tried the native camas, “a tuber that was widely consumed on the Northwest Coast before the Europeans came.” Along the way, the author learned that pigs were brought to the Americas by the conquistadors and that the first cheeses were made more than 7,000 years ago. Grescoe has tried to re-create some of the dishes he discovered in his own kitchen, with a surprising degree of success. His final effort involved making bread using ingredients and methods gleaned from the study of a Neolithic site in Turkey. Grescoe advises readers to look beyond the supermarket shelves, think before they buy, and take some culinary chances. “For those who champion the Earth’s dwindling nutritional diversity,” he concludes, “the message is as simple as it is urgent: to save it, you’ve got to eat it.”

Grescoe writes with color, energy, and humor, and the result is a fascinating book that leaves you hungry for more.

THE SIX The Untold Story of America’s First Women Astronauts

Grush, Loren Scribner (432 pp.)

$32.50 | Sept. 12, 2023

9781982172800

The remarkable story of “the first six women astronauts NASA had ever chosen.”

Blazing a trail for others to follow is never easy, but the women featured in this book had it tougher

than most. Sally Ride, Judy Resnik, Anna Fisher, Kathy Sullivan, Shannon Lucid, and Rhea Seddon were the first American women in space, and they had to fight every step of the way. Grush, a journalist specializing in space issues and the accompanying science, provides biographies of each, noting they had all been professionally successful before applying for the space program. The first generation of NASA astronauts had been military pilots, and a sexist culture had developed around their macho myth. It was only challenged with the development of the space shuttle program, which called for a broader recruitment strategy. Interestingly, Nichelle Nichols of Star Trek fame was enlisted to encourage applications from the public. It was successful, and in 1978, there were more than 8,000 people in the candidate pool. The training for the six was grueling, and the discrimination continued even after Ride became the first to get into space, in 1983. They often had to cope with being depicted as public relations novelties, but their outstanding performance across numerous missions eventually silenced the critics. Tragically, Resnik lost her life in the Challenger disaster. Looking back, it’s hard to believe that it took so long for women

“Grescoe writes with color, energy, and humor, and the result is a fascinating book that leaves you hungry for more.”

the lost supper

to be accepted by NASA. Even now, there are far fewer women than men in the program, but at least their presence in space is no longer seen as unusual. People who enjoyed Hidden Figures will find much to like in this book. Grush has an important story to tell, and she tells it well.

An inspiring story of the first American women to go into space, charting their own course for the horizon.

RADICAL A Life of My Own

Guo, Xiaolu Grove Press (352 pp.)

$27.00 | Sept. 12, 2023 9780802161567

The award-winning novelist and filmmaker presents essays “in pursuit of an etymology of myself.”

In this “inner monologue,” Guo, a winner of the National Book Critics Circle Awards for her memoir, Nine Continents, reflects on her recent life using the prompt of Chinese radicals, the roots “from which other words grow and meanings bloom.” A radical ideogram representing sex, color, beauty, for example, gives rise to thoughts about autoeroticism, the difference between Eros and Aphrodite, and sexual joy between a man and a woman, for which the Chinese idiom is “clouds and rain.” For Guo, “language is everything,” with words “my very physical existence.” The mind and the body, though, must be “in harmony” because “our body is the root of our emotional life, and our imagination.” That she often reflects on her flower garden and sex with her lover, E, reveals Guo as not just compulsively cerebral, but deeply sensual as well. She gives form to her lexicon through the use of radicals, grouping essays under such headings as encountering, separations, enduring, and impermanence—words suggesting her deepest concerns. Early on, the author describes a visit to New York City and her affair with E. When the pandemic struck, she returned to London to live with her child and her child’s father, J. There, she obsessed on her yearnings for E. The book ends with her revisiting New York two years later, when E was not there. This narrative arc will be familiar to readers of Guo’s novels: a Chinese woman travels to another country, meets an English-speaking man, falls in love, and reflects on how cultural differences color her experiences. In her novel A Concise Chinese­English Dictionary of Lovers, Guo writes, “If you are a real artist, everything in your life is part of your art.”

An elegant and unreserved account of a life lived in full recognition of its possibilities.

DAUGHTERS OF LATIN AMERICA

An International Anthology of Writing by Latine Women

Ed. by Guzmán, Sandra

Amistad/HarperCollins (496 pp.)

$32.99 | Aug. 15, 2023

9780063052574

A significant collection of Latine women voices across five centuries. Inspired to “disrupt erasure and myths,” Guzmán, who comes from an Indigenous Caribbean clan, hopes these selections from 34 nations—translated from 21 languages, including 17 “native mother tongues of the Americas”—will establish “a new literary canon.” The work is divided into 13 sections, representing the 13 moons of the year. Thirteen, notes Guzmán, “is considered a sacred and holy number, and another word for ‘god’ in the Maya tradition.” In addition to Pulitzer Prize and National Book Award winners, poets laureate, a Nobel laureate, and international bestselling authors, Guzmán highlights many lesser-known names, such as the late Honduran water protector Berta Cáceres, of Lenca Indigenous descent, the winner of the 2015 Goldman Environmental Prize. In an excerpt from her acceptance speech, she urges her listeners, “Let us wake up! Let us wake up, humankind! We’re out of time. We must shake our conscience free of the rapacious capitalism, racism, and patriarchy that will only assure our self-destruction. Our Mother Earth, militarized, fenced in, poisoned, a place where basic rights are systematically violated, demands that we take action.” Some of the more famous names include Jamaica Kincaid, Giaconda Belli, Edwidge Danticat, Laura Esquivel, Audre Lorde, Sandra Cisneros, Anaís Nin (daughter of Cuban parents), Ada Limón, and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez. Guzmán also includes the voices of trans and nonbinary writers. This post-colonial, inclusive compendium will be an excellent literary source for libraries and schools. Guzmán succeeds in her presentation of “a luminous universe of texts that navigate across time and space, genre, styles, and traditions,” and the book does indeed contain “the wisdom, memory, and DNA, or oral traditions more ancient than time itself.” Other contributors include Cristina Rivera Garza, Stephanie Elizondo Griest, Julia Alvarez, Ruth Behar, and Irma Pineda.

A fresh, indispensable look at the wide, multicultural world of Latine women writers.

fiercely authentic memoir.”

the weight of ghosts

THE WEIGHT OF GHOSTS

Halaby, Laila

Red Hen Press (208 pp.)

$17.95 paper | Sept. 5, 2023

9781636281346

A writer and oncology counselor reflects on how the death of her oldest son helped her own a personal story that had “always felt like a lie.”

The illegitimate daughter of a white mother and a Jordanian father, Halaby, author of two novels and two collections of poetry, felt that she was a “fiction…squished between other people’s tall tales.” Many years later, when her son Raad was killed in a car accident, the author was forced to redefine the true and singular nature of her “borders” with the world. As a counselor, Halaby had spent most of her professional life emotionally insulated, a “ghost” who listened to the traumas of her clients but never had to reveal her own pain. The fictions that had rendered her invisible began in childhood, when her single mother “insisted that I was Caucasian,” then “fill[ed] my head with myth of white privilege and superiority.” That “certitude” did not save Halaby, who lived in the “impossible homelands” of cultural in-betweenness, from being alternately judged and claimed by both white and brown people. In its implacable reality, the grief she experienced after Raad’s death changed everything. Cracks developed in her relationship with a white partner who, while offering love, also criticized Arab cultures without fully knowing them. “Boundaries are different with white people,” she writes. “Boundaries are different with men.” The author sought to better understand the components of her own life: a 17-year marriage that ended in divorce; a younger son who was “in and out of rehab”; the impotent rage she felt alongside the grief she tried to blunt with medicine “to keep from spending the afternoon on the kitchen floor.” In this raw, poetic, and relentlessly probing narrative, Halaby plumbs the depths of loss while attempting to piece together the “puzzle” of a life born at the crossroads of clashing multiethnic truths and fictions.

A fiercely authentic memoir.

THE MAVERICK George Weidenfeld and the Golden Age of Publishing

Harding, Thomas

Pegasus (456 pp.)

$29.95 | Aug. 31, 2023

9781639364466

The life story of the complex man at the forefront of British publishing.

With access to archival sources and interviews, Harding, author of Blood on the Page and Hanns and Rudolf, creates an interesting biography of George Weidenfeld (1919-2016), the publisher, philanthropist, and diplomat who had “a bottomless appetite for social

engagement.” As co-founder of the esteemed publishing house Weidenfeld & Nicolson, he was an influential cultural figure from 1948, when the firm began, until his death. Born in Austria, the only child of doting parents, he fled to London in 1938 to escape Nazi persecution. Soon, he found a position with BBC’s Overseas Intelligence Department, and in 1942, he co-authored The Goebbels Experiment: A Study of the Nazi Propaganda Machine, which convinced him that “he loved the process of publication” more than “the hard work of writing.” With Nigel Nicolson as editor and investor, publishing became Weidenfeld’s life’s work. His aim was “to publish authors whose voices were normally shunned by mainstream publishers: the mavericks, the scandalous, the subversive.” Harding focuses each chapter on a book from their impressive list, including Nabokov’s Lolita, which raised the challenge of censorship; Herzog, by the prickly Saul Bellow; Mary McCarthy’s The Group, which some readers found scandalous; James Watson’s Double Helix; Isaiah Berlin’s The Hedgehog and the Fox, the firm’s first commercial success; and Weidenfeld’s autobiography. His personal life was volatile: His first marriage to the wealthy Jane Sieff, in 1952, ended in 1955

“A

because of his “casual infidelities.” Their daughter was born in 1953. A tempestuous love affair with the wife of Cyril Connolly led to a marriage that lasted only two years. His third wife was an American heiress; they divorced, too. His fourth wife outlived him. Harding recounts Weidenfeld’s lifelong commitment to Israel’s fortunes and his numerous philanthropic endeavors. Knighted in 1969, he became a baronet in 1976, honored, finally—though controversially—by the British establishment.

A sympathetic, discerning portrait of a publishing titan.

LOU REED

The King of New York

Hermes, Will Farrar, Straus and Giroux (560 pp.) $35.00 | Oct. 3, 2023 9780374193393

The mercurial life and career of the singularly talented rock artist Lou Reed (1942-2013).

In the decade following his death, Reed’s legacy has generated considerable attention, fueling further interest and debate about this legendary performer’s artistic stature. In addition to Anthony DeCurtis’ recent biography, Todd Haynes’ acclaimed 2021 documentary on the Velvet Underground introduced Reed to younger audiences. Rolling Stone contributor Hermes, author of Love Goes to Buildings on Fire, covers a good amount of familiar territory. He traces Reed’s early writing and musical roots, from his performing in high school bands on Long Island to studying poetry at Syracuse with early mentor Delmore Schwartz to his formation of the Velvet Underground in 1965 with John Cale, Sterling Morrison, and Angus MacLise. With Reed serving as the band’s principal songwriter, singer, and guitarist, they caught the attention of Andy Warhol, who for two years would become their manager. Reed quit the band in 1970 and launched a successful solo career, continuing for several decades. Hermes shrewdly probes Reed’s complex personal and professional life and his frequently erratic behavior; his struggles with mental illness and depression; drug and alcohol abuse; intimate relationships with women and men and his self-identifying queer or nonbinary sexuality; partnerships with David Bowie, Warhol, and Laurie Anderson; and his influence on performers including Patti Smith and the Talking Heads. The author interviewed many of Reed’s closest friends and relations and, unlike previous biographers, accessed the New York Public Library’s recently acquired Reed archives. Hermes’ strength is in identifying and articulating the transformational brilliance of Reed’s songwriting and performances within the context of the 1960s and ’70s music scene. Reverent about his artistry, he’s also discerningly cognizant of Reed’s temperamental shortcomings. “Tales of his rudeness were legion,” writes the author, and he had “a privileged celebrity’s sense of entitlement. Reed craved the freedom of anonymity, but still wanted his perks.”

An engrossing, fully dimensional portrait of an influential yet elusive performer.

THE DEADLY RISE OF ANTI-SCIENCE A Scientist’s Warning

Hotez, Peter J. Johns Hopkins Univ. (240 pp.)

$24.95 | Sept. 19, 2023

9781421447223

The title says it all, and the news is bad.

Hotez, a professor of pediatrics, molecular virology, and microbiology at Baylor College of Medicine and author of Preventing the Next Pandemic, has spent his life developing vaccines, mostly for poor nations. He also speaks and writes against the anti-vaccine movement. Especially since relocating to Texas a decade ago, this has subjected him to an avalanche of abusive emails and social media posts, heckling, denunciation in books, and even physical confrontations. In addition to disseminating misinformation about climate change and other issues, the anti-science movement proclaims that vaccines are a dangerous nostrum pushed by a corrupt medical establishment and oppressive government, so freedom lovers must push back. The author’s short, passionate polemic, dense with studies and charts, provides overwhelming evidence that scientific research benefits humanity and that vaccines are lifesavers. This hasn’t prevented anti-science movements from flourishing with enthusiastic support from both social and traditional media. Searching Amazon books for vaccine turns up a stream of diatribes. Perhaps most discouraging, anti-science has become politicized. Among the 200,000 unvaccinated Americans who died unnecessarily from Covid-19, Republicans dominate—and the redder the state, the higher the loss of life. According to a major study in early 2022, “70% more Trump voters than Biden voters have died of COVID since the 2020 election.” Hotez works hard to demonstrate his and fellow scientists’ honesty and disprove the movement’s outpouring of vicious attacks, but it’s unlikely readers will doubt their credentials since few anti-vaxxers are likely to pick up this book. The author points out the similarity between today’s extremists and those supporting Stalin’s and Hitler’s murderous attacks on scientists who deviated from the party line. Readers may not perk up as he concludes by urging scientists to speak out. Like many educators, Hotez believes that presenting the facts will convert people with deeply held false beliefs; unfortunately, numerous scientific studies have proven otherwise.

Supremely well-informed arguments that may not slow the anti-science movement.

BEYOND THE WALL A History of East Germany

Hoyer,

Katja

Basic Books (496 pp.)

$35.00 | Sept. 5, 2023

9781541602571

A historian discards the Cold War caricature of East Germany to deliver a compelling historical study.

British historian Hoyer, the author of Blood and Iron: The Rise and Fall of the German Empire, was born in East Germany. She begins her latest eye-opening history in 1933, when thousands of German communists fled to Russia after Hitler took power. Almost all were arrested, and 75% were killed because the paranoid Stalin assumed that many were Gestapo spies. Lucky survivors returned to revive a devastated land with no help from reparations-hungry Russia, which vacuumed up farms, machinery, infrastructure, and even the products of rebuilding factories. In 1953, after years of deprivation, the nation exploded in violence, which required Soviet troops to suppress. Shocked East German leaders paid more attention to economics and, aided by Stalin’s death in 1953 and the construction of the Berlin Wall in 1961 (which cut off a crippling brain drain), accomplished a good deal. Although no fan of communism, Hoyer points out that, by the 1960s, “East German women enjoyed greater professional and economic autonomy than their Western counterparts.” Though the Stasi was pervasive, only a minority suffered. The vast majority came to terms with life in East Germany. By the 1970s, they enjoyed the communist world’s highest living standards, but the 1980s brought difficulties as the declining Soviet Union reduced subsidies, loans, and cheap oil. Desperate leaders made overtures to West Germany, which responded favorably. The decade saw an easing of travel restrictions and censorship, and in the final years, there was an explosion of activism, the wall’s destruction, and a free election followed by unification. Hoyer incisively examines the consequences. Unemployment skyrocketed as Western entrepreneurs took over, and working women lost cheap, universal child care in favor of the West’s skimpy, expensive version. Today, former East Germans often vote for extremist far-right and -left parties, but few long for the old regime.

The definitive history of “the other Germany, beyond the Wall.”

THE HIDDEN ROOTS OF WHITE SUPREMACY And the Path to a Shared American Future

Jones, Robert P.

Simon & Schuster (400 pp.)

$28.99 | Sept. 5, 2023

9781668009512

A historian reframes the nation’s legacy of racial prejudice.

In his latest, Jones, the author of White Too Long and The End of White Christian America, argues persuasively that the ideological origins of American racism are best understood in relation to religious edicts dating back to the late 15th century. The Catholic Church’s Doctrine of Discovery gave divine sanction to the imperialist ambitions of white Christians and provided rationalizations for centuries of violence directed against nonwhite peoples. In tracing out this history of toxic ideas and their real-world consequences, the

“A searing, stirring outline of the historical and contemporary significance of white Christian nationalism.”

the hidden roots of white supremacy

author focuses on three representative outrages from the 20th century: the murder of Emmett Till in Mississippi in 1955, the lynching of three Black circus workers in Minnesota in 1920, and the murders of hundreds of African Americans during the Tulsa Race Massacre of 1921. As Jones shows, rather than isolated events, these explosions of racist aggression and justifications invoking white supremacy form a consistent pattern in each region’s history, beginning with the targeting of Indigenous peoples. Through its linking of narratives typically considered separately, the book provides a revelatory view of U.S. history and its guiding assumptions. “If we do the hard work of pushing upriver, we find that the same waters that produced the Negro problem also spawned the Indian problem,” writes Jones. “If we dare to go further, at the headwaters is the white Christian problem.” In the final sections, the author emphasizes the relevance of ongoing political battles over the interpretation of history and acknowledgements of culpability. “Across the spectrum of issues, and from national presidential elections to local school board meetings,” he writes, “the most vehement and visceral fights to come will likely center not on policy but on historical narratives, public rituals, and civic spaces.” Jones makes the value of carrying out this conceptual reframing urgently apparent.

A searing, stirring outline of the historical and contemporary significance of white Christian nationalism.

ERRAND INTO THE MAZE The Life and Works of Martha Graham

Jowitt, Deborah

Farrar, Straus and Giroux (480 pp.)

$35.00 | Nov. 21, 2023

9780374280628

Portrait of a modern dance icon. Veteran dance critic Jowitt offers an authoritative, sensitive biography of the dancer and choreographer Martha Graham (1894-1991), who created more than 100 works and danced in most of them during a critically acclaimed career. In 1916, she enrolled at Denishawn, the school founded by Ted Shawn and Ruth St. Denis, who became important artistic influences. Within a few years, she was teaching dance. In 1923, she debuted on Broadway in The Greenwich Village Follies, and in 1926, she made her debut as the choreographer of her own company. Intellectually voracious, ambitious, and determined, “Graham at thirty-two,” Jowitt writes, “manifested the focused energy of a tiger stalking a potential meal.” That energy infused her dancing, which was stripped of what she called “decorative non-essentials.” “All her movements,” Jowitt notes, “pulsating on her strong legs, twisting against her stance, recoiling, thrusting—took place between her shoulders and her knees.” The author chronicles the evolution of Graham’s work; the literary, cultural, and musical sources that inspired her; critics’ responses; and personal dramas. She had a long relationship with pianist and composer Louis Horst,

who served as the music director of her company; her affair with Erick Hawkins, 15 years her junior, led to a short-lived marriage. To her students, she could be “both inspiring and a terror,” as demanding of them as she was of herself. By the 1960s, she choreographed dance works without demonstrating steps; she “reluctantly retired as a performer in 1970.” Resisting aging as long as she could, she underwent several facial surgeries and turned to alcohol. “She recovered from alcoholism, relapsed, was hospitalized, and recovered again,” Jowitt reveals. “But only temporarily.” Graham carefully honed a striking image: “thin, plain, gaunt, unadorned,” a journalist for Mademoiselle wrote in 1937. “She looks like a New England school teacher come to town on a limited dress and food budget.”

Prodigious research informs an insightful biography.

MY HOME TEAM

A Sportswriter’s Life and the Redemptive Power of Small-Town Girls Basketball

Kindred, Dave PublicAffairs (304 pp.)

$29.00 | Sept. 12, 2023

9781541702202

An iconic American sportswriter returns to his Midwest roots and finds his greatest story.

How did a much-decorated sports columnist and author who chronicled some of the most epic athletic events since the 1960s end up writing for a high school girls’ basketball team’s website in exchange for Milk Duds? In this fast-paced, endearing memoir written in three acts, Kindred chronicles a circuitous route to his hometown and what could be his most important and personally meaningful subject: the dominant Morton High School Lady Potters hoops squad. The author, who wrote nationally recognized sports columns for publications such as the Washington Post, the Atlanta Journal­Constitution, and Golf Digest, recounts his idyllic upbringing, the rapid changes in the newspaper business during his career, juggling work and family, and his success in emulating his sportswriting heroes and gurus, particularly Red Smith. Kindred has an elephantine memory and sharp eye for detail, talents that distinguished his columns and add flavor to his descriptions of his unique relationship with Muhammad Ali; his coverage of the 1996 Olympic Park bombing (and beating a libel suit by exonerated suspect Richard Jewell); and a panoply of Super Bowls, Kentucky Derbys, and Masters tournaments. Kindred often zigzags in and out of his memories of events and all involved; this may be dizzying for some, but a completely chronological recitation would be ill-suited to this book. The narrative is also an ode to his wife, Cheryl, his high school sweetheart and alleverything partner, whose health problems precipitated their move back home once Kindred left full-time work. The author writes candidly of personal heartache, loss, and the solace that the no-frills, community-oriented world of small-town high school athletics brings. His profiles of the Lady Potters and

what the team meant to him during difficult days are every bit as compelling—if not more so—as the famous athletes he covered in thousands of columns. “When the wages are Milk Duds,” he writes, “it’s everything else that matters.”

An enjoyable, poignant, meaningful memoir.

DOPPELGANGER A Trip Into the Mirror World

Klein, Naomi Farrar, Straus and Giroux (416 pp.)

$30.00 | Sept. 12, 2023

9780374610326

Klein’s sociopolitical commentary takes a personal turn when she realizes she is being conflated with Naomi Wolf. While Wolf went from outspoken feminist to a regular on Steve Bannon’s War Room, Klein has held her place on the democratic socialist, environmentally concerned left, which fights for “social policies that are inclusive and caring.” Attempting to untangle the knot between seriousness and ridiculousness that defines both doppelgängers and conspiracy theories, Klein dives deep into the work of cultural figures such as Sigmund Freud, Philip Roth, and bell hooks, and she explores the many distortions and doubles we do battle with, from our bodies to our children to our online engagement. Simultaneously, she immerses herself in the narratives of the “the other side” espoused by Wolf. Klein’s prose is tight and urgent, almost breathless, evoking both laughter and dismay and entrancingly matching the mounting frenzy of seeing your public self morph into someone else—or of watching conspiracy theories take hold, particularly in the destabilizing context of the pandemic. Braiding cultural criticism with a charitable attempt to humanize the “Other Naomi,” Klein excavates legitimacy beneath sensational fears and exposes the failures of both sides of so many of the world’s binaries. Some issues, such as the Palestinian-Israeli conflict, fit less snugly into her doppelgänger theme than others, and the second half of the book is sometimes overstretched and repetitive. Still, the author’s comprehensive and nuanced treatments of these issues are valuable and compelling in their own rights, and she shows us how to conduct conversations that resist binary thinking, distill the truths of dividing lines, and create a path to collective action on the pressing issues of our time that embraces the porousness of unnecessary borders. Rather than undermining Klein’s work as a “serious” writer, this book reinforces it, to readers’ benefit. A disarming and addictive call to solidarity.

FASHION KILLA How Hip-Hop Revolutionized High Fashion

Krishnamurthy, Sowmya

Gallery Books/Simon & Schuster (304 pp.)

$28.99 | Oct. 10, 2023

9781982176327

A cogent study of hip-hop’s outsized influence on fashion trends.

The link between hip-hop and high fashion is so tight that many consider them part of the same package. In this fast-paced, deeply researched history, Krishnamurthy chronicles how and why that deep bond continues today. The music journalist, known for her work in Rolling Stone, New York magazine, Vibe, and Essence, deconstructs the connection all the way back to Harlem-based custom tailor and designer Dapper Dan in the late 1980s. “A custom Dapper Dan ’fit could run into the tens of thousands of dollars,” writes

“Exciting and exhaustive, this fun hip-hop history explains what your favorite rappers are wearing and why.”

fashion killa

Krishnamurthy, so price was a barrier to entry when hip-hop was still young (and broke).” But with success and increasing paychecks came distinctive, aspirational fashion. “Real hip-hop had skill and style—and wore Dapper Dan,” writes the author. Krishnamurthy follows that thread through the intertwined journeys of hip-hop’s music and fashion, with fascinating detours into the crews who “terrorized high-end retail in New York City by boosting Polo Ralph Lauren”; the erroneous viral rumors about Tommy Hilfiger, the “white designer who faced inaccurate accusations about bigotry”; Kanye West’s first trip to the Paris fashion shows; and the power of Young Thug’s decision to wear an Alessandro Trincone dress on the cover of one of his mixtapes. Krishnamurthy peppers the storyline of how hiphop fashion transformed into lucrative brands with her own experiences, including her stint as one of Sean Combs’ assistants at Bad Boy Records. Though that job didn’t last long, it does help explain how the author is able to so effortlessly weave together tales of music and fashion and history. She lived a lot of it, and what she didn’t experience firsthand, she absorbed from research involving a wide array of musicians, designers, scholars, and business execs who did.

Exciting and exhaustive, this fun hip-hop history explains what your favorite rappers are wearing and why.

THE WINGMEN The Unlikely, Unusual, Unbreakable Friendship Between John Glenn and Ted Williams

Lazarus, Adam Citadel/Kensington (304 pp.)

$29.00 | Aug. 22, 2023

9780806542508

A dual biography of two American heroes who bonded during wartime and remained friends for life.

John Glenn (1921-2016) and Ted Williams (1918-2002) led very different lives before they met during their military service in Korea. “Glenn was modest, measured, and above all loyal, loyal to his Presbyterian faith, his nation, the Democratic Party, his children, and his wife of seventy-three years, Annie,” writes Lazarus. “Ted Williams was a cocky, moody, foulmouthed agnostic, an unwavering Republican who had three ex-wives, multiple mistresses, and three children whom he only saw when it was convenient.” Williams was one of the top stars of Major League Baseball despite having lost three seasons due to his service in World War II. Glenn joined the Navy as an aviator shortly after Pearl Harbor and flew numerous combat missions for the Marine Corps before finding a postwar career as a test pilot. By the time the Korean War broke out, both men were past the usual age for combat. Glenn cajoled—“sniveled,” in aviator slang—his way into a war-zone assignment. Williams, 33, thought he would be exempt from active service. He and Red Sox fans were surprised when the orders came, but after unsuccessful attempts to pull strings, he found himself in Korea. There, he and Glenn

ended up in the same squadron, flying a number of missions together. Glenn was a risk taker who earned the nickname “Old Magnet Ass” for his tendency to attract enemy anti-aircraft fire. Williams was a good flyer who survived a number of dangerous incidents, including a no-wheels emergency landing. The two developed immense respect for each other that lasted the rest of their lives. Lazarus gives plenty of detail on their missions and on their daily lives on the air base as well as their separate careers after the war. In addition to biographical material on the two protagonists, the author offers an intriguing look at air combat during the Korean War.

A solid historical account of the intersecting careers of two very different American heroes.

HARLEM WORLD How Hip Hop’s Super Showdown Changed Music Forever

Mael, Jonathan Johns Hopkins Univ. (296 pp.)

$26.95 | Sept. 12, 2023

9781421446882

An attempt to capture the heady early days of hip-hop.

The subject matter is unquestionably compelling. However, like an up-and-coming rapper battling too hard too soon, Mael, a reporter and high school teacher, bites off more than he can chew. It’s clear from the subtitle that the author had grand ambitions. The showdown refers to the rap battle between the Cold Crush Brothers and the Fantastic Romantic Five at Harlem World nightclub on July 3, 1981. Mael offers plenty of fascinating details about the night, both groups, and how the beef, which pales in comparison to contemporary battles, developed between them. The Cold Crush Brothers—which included Grandmaster Caz, whose pioneering rhymes were used by another rapper on the first hip-hop hit, Sugarhill Gang’s “Rapper’s Delight”—were known to be “tough, thoughtful, uncompromising, and slick all at the same time.” The Fantastic Romantic Five, which included standout DJ Grand Wizzard Theodore, were more about improvisation and pleasing the crowd. “For Fantastic, the party was key to a successful routine,” Mael writes. “They knew who was judging that night and understood that the trick to winning the battle would be getting them to dance and scream and make out and have a good time.” That reporting and those insights into one of hip-hop’s legendary evenings are important for what they add to the history of the genre. However, it takes more than half the book to reach that night, as Mael takes readers through lengthy tangents into the history of Malcolm X, the formation of the Sugarhill Gang, and how looting during a 1977 blackout in the Bronx helped supply a lot of new DJs with equipment. The interesting detours don’t quite explain how music was irrevocably changed, however; it’s a little too much hype to be believed.

Mael promises a weighty concept album of insight into a legendary concert, but he manages only an uneven mixtape.

THIS COUNTRY Searching For Home in (Very) Rural America

Mahdavian, Navied

Princeton Architectural Press (288 pp.) $25.95 paper | Sept. 12, 2023 9781797223674

A cartoonist and his wife start a life in rural Idaho.

Late in 2016, New Yorker cartoonist Mahdavian and his wife moved to a remote area of Idaho, built a tiny house on several acres of land, started a garden, and had a baby. Along the way, they experienced culture shock—e.g., the vegetarian author was pressured to hunt deer. Mahdavian’s debut book is a whimsically drawn, witty, lyrical graphic memoir. Early on, the author explains that he and his wife were being priced out of their home in San Francisco. “We had visited rural Idaho on a whim the summer before and had fallen in love with the landscape and the freedom it seemed to promise,” he writes. In addition to chronicling his life on their patch of wilderness, Mahdavian describes their neighbors—a relative term in this spread-out landscape—with gentleness, humor, and sensitivity even when they treated him with suspicion. “You’re not a Muslim, are you?” a woman in town asked him. He thinks about it: “Had I given some indication that I might be Muslim? Was I subconsciously orienting myself toward Mecca? But it wasn’t anything I had done. It was my face.” Another neighbor was convinced that the Islamic State group had set up training camps throughout the state. “It’s amazing what the media are told not to tell us,” he told Mahdavian. “The radical Muslims live among the not radical ones. Like they did in their own countries.” But Mahdavian isn’t overly concerned with politics. His lovely pages are filled with gooseberries and cottonwood trees, an exploration of the etymology of the word hearth, and a twoheaded calf. Mahdavian and his wife ended up staying in Idaho for only three years, but this moving book serves as a lasting commemoration of their time there.

A beautifully drawn memoir full of humor, intelligence, and sensitivity.

SLEEPING WITH THE ANCESTORS How I Followed the Footprints of Slavery

McGill Jr., Joseph & Herb Frazier

Hachette (352 pp.)

$29.00 | June 6, 2023

9780306829666

Memoir by the creator of the Slave Dwelling Project, by which McGill has traveled across the country sleeping in the remains of the quarters that once housed enslaved people. McGill’s work history began as a National Park Service ranger at Fort Sumter National Monument, where the Civil War

is said to have begun, a matter involving considerable diplomacy considering the number of visitors of Southern ancestry and even neo-Confederate leanings who visited the site. Whenever he could, he writes, “I pointed south to Morris Island to direct visitors to the nearby island where Black Union soldiers in the Fifty-fourth Massachusetts Infantry Regiment followed orders to engage the Confederates in a doomed assault on Battery Wagner.” McGill also engaged in the hobby of Civil War reenactment, which earned him a spot in the late Tony Horwitz’s book Confederates in the Attic. After military service, McGill more formally entered the world of historical interpretation, preserving a historic school for formerly enslaved children and then directing an African American museum in Iowa. Working for the National Trust for Historic Preservation, McGill hit on what he originally called the Slave Cabin Project, sleeping in historic, often ramshackle structures on plantations and farms and using it as a vehicle to teach students the history of slavery. Writing with veteran journalist Frazier, McGill is deeply empathetic both in addressing the plight of the ancestors and attempting to engage with Southerners (among them fellow reenactors) who profess the view that they’re simply honoring their heritage by wanting to preserve monuments and flags. That may be so, he notes, but he is vigorous about countering their false narrative that the Civil War was all about states’ rights and not about slavery. “While I have received widespread support, I have also been criticized for my direct approach,” he writes—but, thankfully, the criticism hasn’t deterred him from continuing his educational project.

A thoughtful, deeply humane addition to African American history.

EASY MONEY Cryptocurrency, Casino Capitalism, and the Golden Age of Fraud

McKenzie, Ben with Jacob Silverman Abrams (320 pp.)

$28.00 | July 18, 2023

9781419766398

Actor McKenzie continues his longstanding denunciation of cryptocurrency.

Matt Damon hawked crypto in ads during NFL games. Kim Kardashian made such extraordinary claims for it that it drew the attention of British regulators— though, in the U.S., “Kardashian’s promotion was initially met with typical regulatory silence.” Crypto seemed to be just the thing for the rich and powerful, a means of hiding transactions via the secrecy associated with a financial instrument that isn’t really a currency, at least by American law. Writing with financial journalist Silverman, McKenzie charges that since crypto behaves like a security, and an unregulated one at that, its price “jumps up and down like a rabbit on amphetamines.” Furthermore, the technology doesn’t scale well enough, it’s environmentally disastrous because it requires so much electricity to “mine,” and it’s surrounded by “fraudsters” and “con men.” Ethereum,

“A beautifully drawn memoir full of humor, intelligence, and sensitivity.”

this country

founded in 2015 and the “second largest cryptocurrency as of this writing,” appears to be a smoke-and-mirrors operation, while Tether “was as if a random group of middling ne’er-dowells had been issued their own money printer,” a bomb waiting to take down the entire system of casino capitalism. The author chronicles how some of the less cautious principals were taken down by international police forces, while others simply disappeared after their businesses evaporated—but not, he adds, before a few of them bought yachts. As for Kardashian, she was “fined $1.26 million by the SEC for her participation in shilling the shitcoin Ethereum Max”—even if she was just a willing tool and not herself a fraudster. “Would anyone in crypto ever see the inside of a jail cell?” asks McKenzie. At least since the author finished the book, it appears that at least one or two— Sam Bankman-Fried most notable among them—are on the way to the slammer.

A well-reasoned, occasionally shrill critique of the crypto universe.

OMEGA FARM A Memoir

McPhee, Martha Scribner (320 pp.)

$28.00 | Sept. 12, 2023

9781982197995

A writer returns to the storied rural home where she was raised.

In her first memoir, McPhee, a novelist and fiction instructor, recounts her move, along with her husband and two teenage children, from New York City to the New Jersey farm where she had lived with her mother, stepfather, four sisters, and five stepsiblings. In March 2020, she felt the need “to shelter-in-place with my ailing mother,” who had “vanished into dementia.” The property, on 45 acres near the border with Pennsylvania, was in a state of disrepair. As McPhee began a series of increasingly involved home improvement projects— e.g., the eradication of stink bugs, the correction of some creative plumbing work—she confronted, piece by piece, a childhood that was unconventional and chaotic amid a family that prized adventure above all else, sometimes at the expense of its youngest members. Her mother, who was “raised to be beautiful—not smart,” encouraged her “four McPhee daughters” to love their stepfather, a charismatic dreamer and unlicensed Gestalt therapist who often met his clients naked in the indoor pool at the farm. An attempt to remove invasive bamboo on the property revealed the need for an expensive new septic system, and McPhee began to consider felling the ash trees in the property’s 35-acre forest to recoup the loss. This led her to the much larger project of managing the forest, a massive undertaking that involved replanting the understory and engaging a management hunter to cull sapling-eating deer. McPhee is a captivating writer, gracefully weaving together the disparate strands of familial reckoning, the eerie pandemic years, and her evolving understanding of forest ecology. One of the book’s

many strengths is the author’s ability to see herself clearly: The passages in which she narrates her own bad behavior are fascinating, which is rare in the memoir genre.

A potent exploration of the complicated project of revisiting a childhood and maintaining a family legacy.

WILD GIRLS

How the Outdoors Shaped the Women Who Challenged a Nation

Miles, Tiya Norton (192 pp.)

$22.00 | Sept. 19, 2023

9781324020875

How women discovered themselves in nature.

Harvard historian Miles, a MacArthur fellow and National Book Award winner for All That She Carried, offers a sensitive examination of the lives of women—primarily Black and Native American—for whom the natural world served as an “imagination station and training ground.” For women such as escaped slave Harriet Tubman, Indigenous explorer Sacagawea, and science fiction writer Octavia Butler, the natural world provided “a space to discover who they were and what they were capable of.” Tubman, who labored largely in fields, farms, and forests, learned how “to listen to, forage, and navigate the woods,” skills that enabled her to successfully liberate dozens of slaves. Similarly, Harriet Jacobs, who was formerly enslaved, saw “trees and woods as places of relief, restoration, secrecy, and refuge.” For Tubman, Jacobs, and white abolitionist Laura Smith Haviland, “nature’s classroom” made them acutely aware of societal and political subjugation and oppression. Miles connects love of nature with a celebration of “wild freedom” in the works of Louisa May Alcott, a self-proclaimed tomboy who loved to romp in the woods, escaping the strictures of Victorian girlhood; and in the writings of Native American poet Jane Johnston Schoolcraft, for whom the “uncomfortable realities of colonial intimacies” underlay her lyrical depictions of beloved landscapes. When Native American children were forcibly sent to government boarding schools, wrenched from their natural surroundings, many rebelled against the cultural and physical confinement they endured. Among 20th-century women whose lives were indelibly shaped by their outdoor experiences, Miles includes Chinese American activist Grace Lee Boggs and Mexican American labor activist Dolores Huerta. The author’s own reverence for nature intensified during the pandemic, when her backyard became a place of solace and beauty. Acknowledging the privilege that affords her this space for herself and her family, she makes a compelling plea for fostering “outside equity” to allow everyone to partake of nature’s gifts.

A fresh, graceful contribution to women’s history.

MAPPING THE DARKNESS The Visionary Scientists Who Unlocked the Mysteries of Sleep

Miller, Kenneth Hachette (400 pp.)

$32.50 | Oct. 3, 2023

9780306924958

An award-winning science writer takes us on a tour of the research into sleep.

Although we are asleep for about a third of our lives, for much of human history, its mysteries lay undiscovered. It was only in the 1920s that systematic studies began, and for decades, it was only a marginal field. “Just a century ago,” writes Miller, a contributing editor for Discover , “only a handful of scientists studied sleep—and not a single one did so full- time.” The author tracks the history with biographies of the key figures as they devised a series of experiments, which included two of the scientists living in a cave for a month to assess sleep patterns. Studies showed that 24 hours was the natural cycle for humans, although the rhythms of sleep and wakefulness are disrupted by work shifts and artificial lighting. The development of machines that could measure electrical activity in the brain revealed the various stages of sleep, including dream states, and helped researchers understand the connection between sleep disorders and other health problems. The Challenger space shuttle disaster in 1986, which was traced partly to sleep deprivation in two engineers, sent researchers in a different direction. Within a few years, a lack of sleep was tied to low productivity, accidents, and near misses. Further study revealed that teenagers were often sleep-deprived, a finding that led to changes in school hours. “Despite decades of studies showing that adults need seven to nine hours for optimal health, large swaths of the world’s population get less than the recommended minimum,” writes Miller. Furthermore, “our growing attachment to digital devices makes it harder to disconnect from waking consciousness, and the blue light from screens throws our circadian clocks into confusion.” Though the narrative is occasionally sluggish, the author provides an interesting examination of an issue that affects us all.

Miller shows us how a good night’s sleep came to be recognized as critical for health and development.

FREE AGENTS How Evolution Gave Us Free Will

Mitchell, Kevin J. Princeton Univ. (344 pp.)

$29.95 | Oct. 3, 2023

9780691226231

A geneticist and neuroscientist presents a thorough scientific exploration and defense of free will.

Mitchell, author of Innate: How the Wiring of Our Brains Shapes Who We Are, uses an evolutionary approach to the question of free will in human beings, synthesizing extensive research findings in multiple scientific and philosophical disciplines. The book, he writes, “is not meant to be an exhaustive intellectual history but instead an overview of things as I see them…an extended argument for a way of thinking about the issue of agency.” The author opens his appealing narrative with the beginning of life in hydrothermal vents on the ocean floor, and he engagingly examines the evolution of living things within the context of evolutionary creativity, positive and negative selection, and signal response in organisms. Mitchell determines that the brain is capable of self-guidance and that free will is an evolved function of biology dependent on neural resources rather than the result of a mystical, intelligent designer. Because the author operates along complex, interdisciplinary planes, readers completely unfamiliar with organic chemistry, biochemistry, and other sciences may need to tread carefully. Yet the dynamic evolutionary processes Mitchell describes and the connections he makes throughout are well worth the effort, and the numerous easy-to-understand illustrations are at once immensely clarifying and edifying. In addition to diving into the hard sciences, Mitchell also discusses the moral, legal, and philosophical ramifications of free will. Human beings, he argues convincingly, must be responsible for their actions. The epilogue about artificial intelligence and its limitations is timely and significant, though the question of whether building an intelligence that approximates agency should be done is left open for now. Mitchell’s compelling and absorbing book acts both as a synthesizing primer about evolution and a powerful argument for free will. Its importance and quality are undeniable.

A bold, brilliant must-read that should reach a large audience.

“A bold, brilliant must-read that should reach a large audience.” free agents

UNRELIABLE NARRATOR Me, Myself, and Impostor Syndrome

Nancherla, Aparna

Viking (304 pp.)

$28.00 | Sept. 19, 2023

9781984879806

An Indian American comedian explores the many faces of impostor syndrome. Nancherla says that she wanted to write a book about impostor syndrome— which she defines as constantly questioning whether or not she deserves her own success—because she wanted to get over feeling like a fraud. Unfortunately, she confesses, “it turns out nothing summons your impostor syndrome like trying to write a book about it.” In the chapters that follow, Nancherla traces her mental health history, which includes an anecdote about competing in a Miss India DC pageant while battling an eating disorder; watching her depression grow and change over time; and finding the right medications to treat both depression and anxiety. The author astutely analyzes how systems of power have intersected to create her view of herself and her profession. At one point, she responds to reviews of her colleagues’ work during the pandemic by musing, “as if it’s not outright violence to rank creative work generated during a period of large-scale trauma.” In the epilogue, Nancherla admits that writing about impostor syndrome did not, in fact, cure her feelings of inadequacy. On the contrary, she notes, the one thing she learned from the writing process was that “epiphanies…don’t arrive on schedule, and sometimes you’re the last to know you’re having one.” In fact, “epiphanies can take years to sink in.” At its best, this heavily researched memoir is refreshingly perspicacious and darkly funny. Unfortunately, it also swings too abruptly between seriousness and humor, undercutting salient points with unnecessary jokes that jerk readers out of the main story. While the book purports to be about impostor syndrome, Nancherla rarely returns to this central concept, making the text feel more like a mental health memoir than a focused exploration of the stated topic.

An uneven but still worthwhile comic memoir.

A MAN OF TWO FACES A Memoir, a History, a Memorial

Nguyen, Viet Thanh Grove (400 pp.)

$28.00 | Oct. 3, 2023

9780802160508

A Pulitzer Prize–winning novelist sifts through his influences and experiences in a kaleidoscopic memoir.

“This is a war story,” writes Nguyen, an acclaimed author of fiction (The Sympathizer, The Refugees) and nonfiction (Nothing Ever Dies), in an autobiography that

is deeply personal and intensely political. In nonlinear fashion, the author recounts his family’s flight from wartime Vietnam in 1975, when he was 4; a childhood in San José, California, where his parents (called, in their native tongue, Ba Má) operated a Vietnamese grocery store; and his development as a writer, scholar (he is a professor of English, American studies, and ethnicity at the University of Southern California), and conflicted citizen of what he sardonically calls AMERICA™—a process that inevitably widens the gap with his immigrant parents. Along the way, Nguyen offers sharp assessments of Vietnam War films such as Apocalypse Now, Full Metal Jacket, The Deer Hunter, and The Green Berets, the latter a “work of propaganda so spectacular and atrocious that only the Third Reich or Hollywood could have produced it.” If the author’s criticism is understandably scathing, there is also a mischievous sense of humor, as when he includes a page of one-star Amazon reviews of The Sympathizer (“Absurdist and repulsive”; “If you like torture read this book”; “Bafflingly overpraised”). The sections about Ba Má, shaded by the unreliability of memory, strike a melancholy note, although his parents remain somewhat hazy as characters. Idiosyncratic typographical treatments—passages set like lines of poetry; words blown up in large type—add visual variety without quite justifying themselves. Readers seeking the anchor of narrative will be frustrated, but Nguyen indisputably captures the workings of a quicksilver and penetrating mind. The author includes a selection of black-and-white photos.

A fragmentary reflection on the refugee experience, at once lyrical and biting, by one of our leading writers.

PROJECT UNLONELY Healing Our Crisis of Disconnection

Nobel, Jeremy Avery (288 pp.)

$28.00 | Oct. 3, 2023

9780593191941

An exploration of creative expression as a powerful response to the epidemic of loneliness.

Loneliness underpins a whole range of personal and social ills, writes Nobel, a physician and public health practitioner who has been working on the issue for many years. The lockdowns and distancing of the Covid-19 era crystalized the problem, but it had begun well before 2020 and continues to build even as the pandemic recedes. Loneliness, defined as a subjective gap between the level of human connection one has and the level they feel they need, has profound effects on mental and physical health. “Loneliness won’t just make you miserable,” writes the author. “It can kill you.” It is often at the heart of suicides, substance abuse, and mass shootings. Nobel digs into the root causes, exploring community breakdown stemming from economic dislocation. The rise of social media, which can give the illusion of connection while driving people into isolation, is also a major factor—although used the right way, it can be a powerful tool for positive interaction. Nobel,

“A fragmentary reflection on the refugee experience, at once lyrical and biting, by one of our leading writers.”

a man of two faces

who directs an organization called Project UnLonely, suggests a range of remedies, many of them centered around making art, often in a group setting. Creative expression can provide a path to connection and a sense of hope for the future. The quality of the art, whether painting or poetry, is not important; what matters is the sense of communication and sharing with others. “I can’t say for certain that replacing time spent online with time spent in creative “time wasting” will make you less anxious and more connected,” writes the author. “But I do know that ten minutes writing a haiku is likely to be time better spent then ten minutes doom scrolling your Instagram feed.” The author provides useful answers and a path forward for many people who need one.

Drawing on extensive experience and illustrative examples, Nobel offers practical remedies to a fundamental social problem.

AN ORDINARY FUTURE Margaret Mead, the Problem of Disability, and a Child Born Different

Pearson,

Thomas W.

Univ. of California (222 pp.)

$27.95 paper | Sept. 5, 2023

9780520388291

A family embraces difference.

Pearson, a professor of anthropology and social science, melds memoir and social, cultural, and medical history in a moving meditation on difference, disability, and humanity. In 2015, when his newborn daughter, Michaela, was diagnosed with Down syndrome, he and his wife were shocked. Soon, though, he asked himself whether that initial response was generated by ideas about normalcy deeply embedded in the culture. First identified by physician John Langdon Down in the 1860s, Down syndrome fed into assumptions about social hierarchy, evolution, and degeneration. Some researchers believed that Down syndrome individuals, because of their distinctive facial features, represented regression to a more primitive evolutionary stage. The eugenics movement and early intelligence testing intensified these beliefs, justifying the idea that children with Down syndrome were incapable of becoming productive members of society. In 1944, when psychologist Erik Erikson’s son Neil was born with Down syndrome, his eminent friend Margaret Mead advised him to send the baby to an institution immediately, never letting his wife see her son, thereby sparing the family emotional turmoil. The decision, Pearson discovered, tore the family apart; Neil died in an institution in 1965. During his short life, Mead herself evolved her views on human difference, speaking out about how much people with disabilities enrich “our understanding of humanity and the world.” By the time Michaela was born, abundant medical and educational resources were available for her, beginning at birth. However, Pearson also reports his frustration with a school system that evaluates her according to the ableist norms of standardized tests and, most

crucially, didn’t take into account her health needs during the pandemic. When controversy over vaccines and masking roiled his Wisconsin community, Pearson sued the school board to institute masking. He and his wife, he writes, are committed to “an ongoing project to build a world where it is not only safe to be different, but where the most vulnerable are safe from structural violence.”

Sensitive reflections on human value.

LESSONS LEARNED AND CHERISHED The Teacher Who Changed My Life

Roberts, Deborah

Andscape/Disney (192 pp.)

$26.99 | May 2, 2023

9781368095051

A procession of well-known people recall a teacher who recognized their worth.

“This is not so much a book as it is a love letter to teachers from those who cherish them,” writes ABC News journalist Roberts in the afterword. Almost all the pieces say about the same thing—that specific, targeted praise from a teacher, what we now call “feeling seen,” can be life-changing. There are a few essays that have a slightly different story, often where a teacher’s harshness or apparent cruelty had a positive result. Some of the material was constructed from interviews, so that even those attributed to writers like Ann Patchett and Brit Bennett are not particularly well written, and some are very slight indeed. Oprah’s comment —“I bow at and to the altar of great teachers. Because without them I would not be the who of who I am”—is an indicator of the general rhetorical level. (Though she does name a few teachers, Oprah claims her eponymous show as her “greatest teacher.”) Perhaps the most intriguing element of the book is the impact of a teacher’s appearance on young minds: “Mrs. Dee was a no-nonsense, curvy white woman who favored pants over skirts and dresses”; “She was always well dressed in a suit or a dress, never pants. Her face was powdered, and she always wore lipstick”; “She was a strong, darkskinned, regal Black woman with a natural, tight afro who was always draped in a flowing African garment.” The many teachers who will doubtless receive this book as a gift will appreciate it, particularly after the pandemic left them “beleaguered and demoralized.” Some of the other contributors include Spike Lee, Brooke Shields, Lucy Liu, Anna Quindlen, Al Roker, Sunny Hostin, Rachael Ray, and Vanessa Williams. The author offers multiple tributes.

A well-intentioned but mediocre collection.

MCU

The Reign of Marvel Studios

Robinson, Joanna, Dave Gonzales & Gavin Edwards

Liveright/Norton (512 pp.)

$35.00 | Oct. 10, 2023

9781631497513

How a stew of artistic conflicts, outsized egos, and commercial disputes somehow produced magic.

At some point, the movies based on the Avengers superhero group and its individual members ceased to be just comic-book entertainment; they became cultural touchstones. Robinson, Gonzales, and Edwards bring extensive knowledge to the task of determining how, and they obviously love the craft of cinema. Marvel Studios largely declined to cooperate, so this unauthorized story was pieced together from public sources and off-the-record interviews. The person tying the pieces into a cinematic whole was Kevin Feige, who started at Marvel in 2000 and acted as ringmaster to an ever growing circus of writers, directors, actors, and technical specialists. The first Iron Man movie saved the company from ruin and set the larger project in motion, although at the time it was an incredible risk. Feige was willing to take chances with casting, ranging from the mercurial Robert Downey Jr. to Chris Hemsworth, relatively unknown until Thor. The first Avengers movie was both a culmination and a crucial step forward. Feige was always determined that emotional development was the narrative key, an approach that was demonstrated as the multiple arcs came together in Infinity War and Endgame The authors follow the pushing and shoving that occurred in the creative backrooms, and it is astonishing to see how everything came together, often at the last moment. Feige was able to effectively use CGI, but in less capable hands, the technology could have easily overwhelmed the story. It is unclear where Marvel Studios will go from here, and subsequent movies have lacked focus. One problem with this book is that it’s patchy and overlong, as the authors spend too many pages chronicling corporate shenanigans and side projects. A stronger editorial hand would have improved the text, but nevertheless, it’s a solid, fairly authoritative account. The book includes a timeline. Something important took place when the Avengers assembled, and this book provides the background for the sprawling canvas.

YOU WILL OWN NOTHING Your War With a New Financial World Order and How To Fight Back

Roth, Carol Broadside Books/HarperCollins (352 pp.)

$32.00 | July 18, 2023

9780063304932

An alarmist manifesto against big government, big tech, big finance, big education, and all the other putative enemies of the private purse.

“They are coming after your livelihood, aka your path to wealth,” writes Roth, author of The War on Small Business. Who are they? The “new financial world order,” which aims to make sure that you lose and “the wealthy and powerful” win. And how will this nefarious cabal pull it off? For one thing, by forcing such things as “mandatory vaccines and masking,” which of course are just plots to make government bigger. For another, by accruing debt that makes the dollar weaker and then ceding American hegemony in the global market, a process that began with the abandonment of the gold standard. You don’t even own the software on your cellphone and computer thanks to these evildoers, who have replaced plain per–mark version ownership with subscriptions. One day you won’t even own a car thanks to Uber and similar companies. Dare speak up, and you’ll wind up on some blacklist, such as a journalist banned from PayPal—though, Roth doesn’t add, the supposed journalist wasn’t shy of saying nice things about Hitler and often supporting radical right talking points—and the Canadian truckers who protested having to be vaccinated against Covid-19 in order to enter the U.S. In support of her various scarecrow theses, Roth adduces such luminaries as Tucker Carlson, Glenn Beck, and Peter Thiel, whose like-minded utterances are invariably “tremendous” or “fantastic.” Her targets are of the broad-side-of-the-barn variety: There’s Amazon, of course, which “wants to be entrenched in every facet of your life”; every institution of higher learning in the land, “cheered on by the useful idiots saying that you must go to college”; and, naturally, every company that has bought into the environmental, social, and corporate governance model.

Scattershot fearmongering.

JEWISH SPACE LASERS

The Rothschilds and 200 Years of Conspiracy Theories

Rothschild, Mike

Melville House (336 pp.)

$28.99 | Sept. 19, 2023

9781685890643

Trekking through the maze of accusations surrounding the Rothschild dynasty.

Journalist Rothschild, a conspiracy theory expert and author of The Storm Is

“With solid research and engaging humor, this book takes apart the conspiracy theories surrounding the Rothschild family.”

jewish space lasers

Upon Us: How QAnon Became a Movement, is not related to the famous Rothschild family, but he readily admits that the name is one of the most recognizable in the world. Synonymous with untold riches, luxurious indulgence, and shadowy power, the Rothschild family has been accused of almost everything, from manipulating wars for profit to controlling the weather and even starting the California wildfires with an orbiting solar generator (hence the book’s title). Much of the ire is rooted in antisemitic tropes, and the author carefully unpacks the connections. The dynasty began in the mid-16th century, when Isak Rothschild scrambled out of the Frankfurt ghetto and established himself as a banker. The myth really took off when the family became financier to various European governments, cementing the idea of commercial acumen turning into political influence. The conspiracy theories evolved, with proponents endlessly quoting each other and connecting bits of “evidence” to concoct lurid tableaux of power wielded in secret. The notion that the family “owns” the U.S. Federal Reserve is particularly outlandish, illustrating how contrary evidence can be folded into the conspiracy. “Whenever Western pop culture needs a wealthy and secretive family to be running some kind of hidden puppet-master routine,” writes the author, “the Rothschilds are available.” A new generation of Rothschild conspiracy theories has taken hold in Asia and the Muslim world, and they have even found a niche in hip-hop. The Rothschilds, for their part, largely maintain a dignified silence. The author does a solid job of separating fact from fantasy, creating an interesting examination of how conspiracy theories appear, spread, and metastasize—not unlike tumors. With solid research and engaging humor, this book takes apart the conspiracy theories surrounding the Rothschild family.

LOOK FOR ME THERE Grieving My Father, Finding Myself

Russert, Luke Harper Horizon (272 pp.)

$28.99 | May 2, 2023

9780785291817

Former NBC News correspondent Russert recalls the life of his late father, “America’s most beloved political TV journalist.”

This memoir is a sort of why-are-we-here meditation that sometimes strays into mawkish territory, though it’s certainly well intended. After his father, Tim Russert (1950-2008), fell victim to a heart attack, the author was courted as a kind of dynastic heir. “You have a gift,” said one executive. “You could be a very good presence on air. TV needs more young people.” The author worked for a few years until being pushed to follow his bliss by several guiding voices, including, surprisingly, John Boehner, who, in a profanity-laced (“Shut up, asshole”) bit of tough love, encouraged Russert to hit the road and see the world. The soul-searching that follows is the least interesting

part of the book (“Am I trying to show Dad, beyond the grave, that his boy could be like him?”), but the next steps have their moments. The author visited places like Bangkok and Buenos Aires, where he connected with his mother, herself a former correspondent and bon vivant who has a gift for tucking away both her fame and her grief in individual compartments. Russert too easily falls into canned travelogue-speak: “It’s hard to leave Japan. I’ve fallen in love with the country’s decency, its honor, and its order. It’s odd, I suppose, to travel the world, cutting ties with the demands of the past, seeking a free-spirited existence and yet craving the orderliness of Japan.” At his best, the author is aware of his privileged position as a traveler with no apparent limits on time or budget. Thankfully, Russert doesn’t spend too much time feeling sorry for himself, honoring his father’s observation, “Nobody likes a martyr.”

A middling memoir, but those working through grief may find some solace in Russert’s pages.

FOREIGN BODIES

Pandemics,

Vaccines, and the Health of Nations

Schama, Simon

Ecco/HarperCollins (480 pp.)

$32.99 | Sept. 19, 2023 9781328974839

A history of the contest between contagion and medical research.

Schama, a professor of history and art history at Columbia, has won numerous awards for his many books and TV documentaries. At first glance, a book dealing with diseases would not seem to be a good match for the author, but his methods work well with the subject. Schama focuses on the 18th and 19th centuries, chronicling the smallpox outbreak in London, the cholera epidemic in Paris, and the bubonic plague that swept through India. Smallpox killed tens of thousands, and there seemed to be no answer to it. Eventually, however, it was discovered that deliberately infecting people with a diluted dose could give them immunity against the virus. This seemed counterintuitive, and the medical establishment was solidly opposed to it (a recurring theme of the book). Nonetheless, the concept gradually took hold and became a founding principle of immunology. Cholera, being bacterial in nature, required a different approach, and Schama examines the various theories put forward on the way to the solutions of better sanitation and water filtration. Bubonic plague had been around for centuries, but its reemergence in the late 19th century caught researchers by surprise. Schama notes that a key figure in fighting it in India was the “saintly scientist” Waldemar Haffkine, a gifted microbiologist who developed many of the testing protocols that would eventually underpin the field. He was also instrumental in organizing a large-scale vaccination effort, saving an untold number of lives. This is a broad canvas, but Schama, a diligent and experienced historian, keeps the narrative on track, and he has a good eye for illustrative anecdotes. It adds up to a

strong story that, in the shadow of the Covid-19 pandemic, speaks to us all.

A vivid account of the horror of epidemics and the breakthroughs that can bring them under control.

MASS SUPERVISION Probation, Parole, and the Illusion of Safety and Freedom

Schiraldi, Vincent

The New Press (352 pp.)

$28.99 | Sept. 12, 2023

9781620978177

Disturbing analysis of the littleunderstood, long-calcified systems of probation and parole.

Schiraldi, the probation commissioner for New York City under former Mayor Michael Bloomberg, had previously administered youth correction services in Washington, D.C., so he’s familiar with the hidden costs of bureaucracies engendering an illusion of safety. The author’s core argument is grim yet undeniable. Despite hopeful origins, the concept of mass supervision “morphed into a trip-wire into incarceration for millions of people who are not really free the way the rest of us not under supervision take for granted.” The author makes his case in eight well-organized chapters, moving from supervision’s history through key subtopics including racial bias and insidious movements toward privatization, which profit off the vulnerable. “The mission of an early probation advocate was that of a challenger to the status quo,” writes Schiraldi, and it was frequently viewed as a mechanism for being soft on crime. Yet “by 1930 all states had parole,” beginning an era the author characterizes as a “stew of optimism and paternalism.” By the 1970s, this rehabilitative tendency was replaced by a punitive backlash based on flawed academic conclusions that “nothing works,” and mass incarceration exploded. Indeed, many Americans now become incarcerated due to “non-criminal, technical violations” of probation rules. Schiraldi explores the impact on families and on communities of color—including flashpoints like the infamous case of hip-hop artist Meek Mill in Philadelphia—and how a persistent lack of funding has increased reliance on privatization and fee-based supervision, further impoverishing those ensnared in the system. He concludes by advocating for “approaches to both downsizing and completely eliminating community supervision,” essentially through “collective efficacy” beyond law enforcement, while noting that “jurisdictions that have substantially reduced supervision have not suffered increases in crime.” Schiraldi writes with compassion and an experienced eye, although his argumentative points are occasionally generalized or repetitive.

An expertly developed contribution to progressive debates on civil liberties and imprisonment.

BUDAPEST Portrait of a City Between East and West

Sebestyen, Victor Pantheon (432 pp.)

$35.00 | Sept. 5, 2023

9780593317563

A satisfying history of a city that, “after London, Paris, and Rome…receives more tourists than any other capital in Europe.”

London-based journalist Sebestyen, author of Lenin and Revolution 1989, was an infant when his Hungarian family fled the city after the Hungarian Revolution of 1956, a cataclysmic event he chronicled in his 2006 book, Twelve Days. His evident love for the city emerges clearly in this engaging chronological account, and he provides a cleareyed sense of the “characteristic Hungarian pessimism.” Over the centuries, the strategic geopolitical locations of Buda and Pest, on either of the Danube, had drawn the attention of conquering armies, from the Romans to the early marauding Magyars, the Ottomans, Austrians, Nazis, and Soviets. Throughout his sweeping history, the author emphasizes the recurrent theme that the city often had to stand alone against these onslaughts. The Ottomans ruled for 150 years and left lasting legacies, such as the coffeehouse, and they mostly tolerated a large Jewish population in Pest. As religious wars in Europe heated up, Hungarian royals “threw in their lot” with the ultra-Catholic Austrian Hapsburgs, bestowing favors and titles on a few mega-loyal families who would come to dominate in decades to come. Nationalism drove the valiant but ultimately doomed first Hungarian Revolution of 1848, yet during the Austrian backlash, Jews were awarded unprecedented liberties. “Nowhere in Middle Europe,” writes the author, “did Jews play such a prominent part in modernization as in Hungary—in industry, commerce, banking, the professions.” The combining of the two parts of the city and replacement of the German language with Hungarian also fueled national pride. Despite being on the wrong side of both world wars and siding closely with Hitler, the Hungarians gained the world’s sympathy with what Sebestyen calls “the defining moment of the Cold War”—standing up to the Soviet army in 1956.

A beautifully wrought, admiring portrait of a beloved, beleaguered city and its people.

“A beautifully wrought, admiring portrait of a beloved, beleaguered city and its people.”

budapest

THREE WORLDS Memoirs of an Arab-Jew

Shlaim, Avi

Oneworld Publications (352 pp.)

$29.95 | July 11, 2023

9780861544639

Memoir by an Iraqi-born Israeli writer and historian that examines the possibilities of peace in the Middle East. There is nothing inevitable, writes Shlaim, about the “clash of civilizations” that rages between Jews and Arabs in the Middle East. In the days of the Ottomans, “although Islam was the official religion of the empire, Islamic law was not imposed on the non-Muslim communities,” who enjoyed full civil rights—very much different from the European lands where Jews “were seen above all as ‘the other’ and therefore constructed as a problem.” When European Jews arrived in Israel after the Shoah, strangely, they exercised similar prejudices against Arab Jews, so much so that Shlaim and his siblings, on arriving in Israel in the mid-1950s, shunned speaking the Arabic of their parents for the Hebrew of their new land. The forced diaspora of 850,000 Arab Jews—the author calls it the “Jewish Nakba,” placing it in parallel with the expulsion of Palestinians from their lands during the early years of Israeli statehood—was a predictable but also avoidable reaction on the part of Arab governments that rejected Zionism. As Shlaim tells it, his family history reflects the multinational and multicultural nature of the region, with some members servants of the British Empire, some merchants, some rabbis, and always “deep roots between the two rivers of Babylon,” ones that, he adds, “we had no reason to want to tear them up.” Many small events turned Shlaim away from Zionism, he writes, not least the conviction that after the Six-Day War, in which he served, “Israel became a colonial power, oppressing the Palestinians in the occupied territories.” He argues that a return to a one-state model in which all are equal will resolve the tensions between Palestinians and Jews. Moreover, it “carries the additional attraction of renewing the relevance of the Arab-Jew.”

Sharply observed, and without stridency, in making a case for an ecumenical Israel.

BETTY FRIEDAN Magnificent Disrupter

Shteir, Rachel

Yale Univ. (384 pp.)

$27.00 | Sept. 12, 2023

9780300220025

The tumultuous life of a tireless activist for women’s rights.

A drama critic and cultural historian, Shteir offers a corrective to negative images of noted feminist Betty Friedan (1921-2006) that accuse her of classism, racism, and homophobia. Drawing on more than 100 interviews, newly available

archival sources, and private papers, Shtier provides a more nuanced perspective, portraying her as an idealistic, determined, and complex woman whose explosive temper and anger permeated personal and professional relationships. The eldest daughter in an upper-middle-class family of Reform Jews, she was a sickly, intellectually precocious child prone to rages. At 14, the “short, pudgy bibliophile” began high school, where she became drawn to theater. “Acting,” Shteir writes, “gave her a sense of how she could move audiences as well as craft an identity.” Accepted to many top colleges, she decided on Smith, where she excelled, becoming editor-in-chief of the Smith College Associated News. She was inspired further to pursue journalism after attending the Highlander Folk School, in Tennessee, which offered workshops on writing about labor and union issues. Shteir recounts Friedan’s many love affairs, her work as a reporter for the Federated Press news agency in New York, her estrangement from her family, and her encounters with antisemitism. In 1947, she married Carl Friedan, a theater producer; by 1956, they had three children, and in 1969, they divorced. In 1963, The Feminine Mystique, a book that “universalized female unhappiness,” catapulted Friedan to international fame. Shteir describes Friedan’s role in the founding of the National Organization of Women; her ongoing disputes with other members of the group as well as with noted feminists; and her unwavering support of abortion rights and the passage of the Equal Rights Amendment. Her second book, the essay collection It Changed My Life, revealed her as both a visionary and a “paranoid braggart slaying radical enemies.”

An evenhanded biography of a pugnacious revolutionary.

UP HOME One Girl’s Journey

Simmons, Ruth J. Random House (224 pp.)

$27.00 | Sept. 5, 2023

9780593446003

A declaration of love and the constant journey homeward from a brilliant mind.

The first Black president of an Ivy League university, Simmons (b. 1945) chronicles her life and abundant accomplishments. Born to sharecroppers in Grapeland, Texas, the youngest of 12 children, she graduated from Dillard University and went on to earn a doctorate in romance literature from Harvard. Throughout her graceful, poised memoir, the author emphasizes the importance of education and family, especially her mother, Fannie, who sacrificed so much for her children. Simmons provides an extensive, engrossing family history of both the land they worked and the people she met along her voyage away from rural Texas to the highest rungs of academia. No matter where her journey takes her, the author always circles back to Fannie, who died during her high school years. It’s clear Simmons felt unmoored without her guidance, and this wound acts as the pivotal centerpiece for the book. The author’s decision to end

how to say babylon

the narrative at the precipice of her success may be jarring to some readers, but we can imagine Simmons enthusiastically addressing hundreds of graduating students at Smith College and Brown University, both of which she headed as president. (After a few years of retirement, she is now the president of Prairie View A&M, a historically Black college in Texas.) Simmons explains how “up home” became a phrase for traveling to Grapeland, while “down home” means returning to one’s roots or the general spirit of home. “Today,” she writes near the end of this inspiring story. “I own the land that my mother inherited from her mother….I return to marvel at how my interest in far different worlds was kindled as I wandered barefoot through the fields and meadows….I hold on to this land because ‘up home’ is a journey I will always make and ‘down home’ is a feeling I will always relish.”

As both a student and teacher, Simmons excels in her work.

HOW TO SAY BABYLON

Sinclair, Safiya

Simon & Schuster (352 pp.)

$28.99 | Oct. 3, 2023

9781982132330

A tale of reckoning and revelation focused on the author’s fraught relationship with her father.

Sinclair, a poet whose 2016 collection, Cannibal, won multiple prestigious awards, mines her peripatetic Jamaican upbringing as the eldest of four children raised by a father who adhered to a strict brand of Rastafari. She rebelled against her father’s expectations that she be a woman who “cooked and cleaned and demurred to her man, bringing girlchild after girlchild into this world who cooked and cleaned and demurred to her man.” The bulk of the book describes Sinclair’s chaotic childhood, during which she, her mother, and siblings felt terrorized by her father. “Beatings became a fact of life, like dirt and air, and they arrived without warning, without reason,” she writes. “There was no pattern, except the chaos of my father’s interior life.” Less frequently, the author attempts to depict him as sympathetic: “Through reggae music, he began to identify his own helpless rage at the history of Black enslavement at the hands of colonial powers, and his disgust at the mistreatment of Black Jamaicans in a newly postcolonial society. In the island-wide abuse lobbied against the Rastafari, my father soon began to see himself.” Despite his strictness, however, her father sometimes broke the rules. “In the months that had passed since I snooped on my father watching television,” the author writes, “the more I had grown disillusioned with his lessons of purity, and the more my questions about him swarmed.” Sinclair found solace and release through writing poetry, and she overcame her father’s objections, along with other obstacles, to attend college in the U.S. Even after leaving, the author has continued to be haunted by her father. “The scorch-marks of his anger were everywhere I looked, my family withered and blistered.” Sinclair’s gorgeous

prose is rife with glimmering details, and the narrative’s ending lands as both inevitable and surprising.

More than catharsis; this is memoir as liberation.

I QUIT EVERYTHING How One Woman’s Addiction to Quitting Helped Her Confront Bad Habits and Embrace Midlife

Smith, Freda Love

Agate Midway (200 pp.)

$18.99 paper | Sept. 19, 2023

9781572843271

A retired rock drummer and nonfiction writer explores how a personal challenge to quit bad habits led to an unexpected life reset.

During the pandemic, Smith, a lecturer in communications at Northwestern and author of Red Velvet Underground, decided to rid herself of habits that helped her cope with enforced isolation as well as other elements of her life. The author first did away with the drinking that had earned her the nickname Freda Lush and led to a stint with AA. She recalls how the media— and especially films like Arthur and Barfly—had influenced her thinking about the “magic” of alcohol. Smith then dispensed with sugar, which she associated with the oversweetened cereals consumed in secret throughout a Gen X childhood deprived of access to “artificially flavored, preservative-laden snacks like Twinkies.” After that, the author “lived five straight months completely THC-free.” Introduced to marijuana in her late 40s, it quickly became Smith’s “antidote to my relentless overworked life in academia.” Once she stopped using marijuana, however, she wondered if “maybe we all need drugs to survive in this world.” She eliminated caffeine next and realized not only how addicted she had become, but also how it had become the necessary fuel for the workaholism characteristic of late-state capitalism. Social media was Smith’s last habit to die. In rediscovering “my attention span” and “ability to focus,” the author began to muse on the unsettling question that absence posed: If she did not post, did she even exist? The unintended effect of her experiment was a “declaration of limitations,” which led her to quit a prestigious university job for a life more consistent with her boundaries and desires. As Smith analyzes our hyperconnected culture that leads to bad habits, she offers wry wisdom that is both provocative and timely.

A humorous, insightful memoir of self-improvement.

“More than catharsis; this is memoir as liberation.”

BLACK PUNK NOW

Ed. by Spooner, James & Chris L. Terry

Soft Skull Press (352 pp.)

$18.95 paper | Oct. 31, 2023

9781593767457

A multifaceted look, in several genres, at the places where Black people and punk rock meet.

The present subversive and creative collection, write Spooner and Terry, is “a holistic definition of Black punk where every piece stands on level ground.” That level ground comes about in part because of the democratizing ethos of punk rock and its intersections—and punk is nothing but intersectional—in Afro-punk, queer punk, and many other musical and artistic streams. As an interlocutor named Shawna puts it, “I have friends across diasporas,” and those diasporas come together in meaningful, liberated ways to create art, music, zines, poetry, and more. Bobby Hackney Jr., a contributor and a son of a player in the Detroit Black proto-punk band Death, notes, “if you’re doing something that other people don’t understand and you still decide to do it, that’s punk to me.” The scene seems somewhat more segregated today, with fewer whiteBlack interactions, and then there are the usual musical divisions: Are you a punk if you love P-Funk? Hanif Abdurraqib answers, rightly, “The debate of what does or doesn’t make one ‘punk’ is the least interesting debate that can be had.” With graphics, short stories, poems, lyrics, conversations, commentary, and notes on how capitalism naturally tries to co-opt cultural scenes and how Black punks naturally resist it, the anthology is a cornucopia of righteous resistance, both fun to read and energetically provocative. One has to love any book that calls Creedence Clearwater Revival “this band that cosplayed as a Louisiana band” and includes a playlist daring enough to slot Stanley Clarke’s “Vulcan Princess” alongside songs from such bands as Death, Bad Brains, and Dag Nasty.

Great reading for punks of every persuasion, who, one hopes, will take it and change the world.

DISOBEDIENT WOMEN How a Small Group of Faithful Women Exposed Abuse, Brought Down Powerful Pastors, and Started an Evangelical Reckoning

Stankorb, Sarah

Worthy/Hachette (336 pp.)

$27.00 | Aug. 8, 2023

9781546003809

An exploration of the vast array of online communities “questioning some of the impacts of evangelicalism’s ascendant effects.”

In her wide-ranging debut, journalist Stankorb chronicles the many ways in which American women raised as evangelicals have used the internet as a tool to expose examples of

sexual abuse and other deep-seated problems in the churches in which they grew up. Examining blogs written primarily in the 1990s, the author crafts a “snapshot in time” of how the newly powerful internet allowed people—particularly women—who were otherwise isolated and often nearly powerless to reach others who shared their experiences to unite and reveal problems within evangelical churches. Prominent in the narrative, which relies on extensive interviews with those who call themselves “exvangelicals,” are stories of abuse by youth pastors in Southern Baptist churches around the country as well as the influential Maryland megachurch the Covenant Life Church. As horrifying as the abuse are the accounts of its systematic coverup and attempts to shame those who eventually dared to report abuse. Many of Stankorb’s subjects grew up in a world of purity rings, restrictive home schooling, and “stay at home daughterhood,” where they were expected to follow orders from the men in their life even after reaching adulthood. This makes their choices to speak out even more striking. Stankorb unevenly weaves in stories of her own life, growing up in a mildly religious family headed by an alcoholic and sometimes abusive father. While she effectively recounts the individual struggles within particular churches, she is less successful with broader themes. The narrative occasionally becomes mired in anecdotes about the many people she interviewed and the infighting among the members of the movements that grew up in opposition to evangelical churches. Still, the author’s message is worth hearing.

A provocative yet unfocused glimpse into resistance to predators hiding behind religion.

MOVE LIKE WATER My Story of the Sea

Stowe, Hannah

Tin House (272 pp.)

$24.95 | Sept. 19, 2023

9781959030102

Stowe seeks to give readers an ocean they can hold in their hands.

The author, a writer, painter, and sailor who lives in Germany, opens this lovely memoir with her description of a young girl at night’s “ink hours” watching a nearby Welsh lighthouse by the Pembrokeshire coast cast its light in her darkened room. “There was never a time when I did not know the sea,” which would frequently “shape my studies, paintings, words.” She became familiar with the local seabirds, jellyfish, seals, dolphins, a basking shark, and harbor porpoise. Stowe feels “as if I had absorbed the shape of the land, the water, into my bones.” Sadly, she has also deeply felt the negative impact humans have on her precious seascape and wildlife. After school, she wanted her own “odyssey,” an “entirely different space” in her mind. In one adventure, Stowe takes us onboard a ship roiling about, rain lashing down in a “Mephistophelian chaos.” It’s a small sailing boat–turned–floating laboratory, conducting research on bottlenose whale

populations on the east coast of Canada. “I felt rather than saw my first sperm whale,” she writes. She capably conveys the awesomeness of its size as well as the fact that it exhales as it dives and can accumulate tons of carbon. The author also recounts how, during college, she suffered a severe back injury that resulted in excruciating pain, making sailing difficult. Nonetheless, she bought a boat, named it Brave , and ventured out like a wandering albatross to Pembrokeshire. She decided her dissertation would consist of an ambitious visual survey of the local animals, and she worked hard to pass her Yachtmaster exam. Her incisive discussion of humpback whales vocalizing and sound pollution is fascinating. For Stowe, “there was hardly a minute of time on land when my mind did not drift to the sea.”

Nature lovers and sailors will savor Stowe’s personal, thoughtful, science-filled voyages.

THE COMING WAVE Technology, Power, and the 21st Century’s Greatest Dilemma

Suleyman, Mustafa with Michael Bhaskar

Crown (352 pp.)

$32.50 | Sept. 5, 2023

9780593593950

Amid the flood of optimism about artificial intelligence, the significant dangers must be understood and assessed.

Suleyman might seem like a strange person to write a book about the dangers of AI. He is the CEO and co-founder of Inflection AI, and, before that, he co-founded DeepMind (now owned by Alphabet), a company working at the leading edge of AI research. As the author shows, however, it is precisely because he is an expert that he knows enough to be fearful. He believes that within a few years, AI systems will break into the broad public market, placing enormous computing power in the hands of anyone with a few thousand dollars and a bit of expertise. Suleyman recognizes that this could bring remarkable benefits, but he argues that the negatives are even greater. One frightening possibility is a disgruntled individual using off-the-shelf AI to manufacture a deadly, unstoppable virus. Other scenarios range from disrupting financial markets to creating floods of disinformation. Suleyman accepts that the AI genie is too far out of the bottle to be put back; the questions are now about containment and regulation. There is a model in the framework established by the biomedical sector to set guidelines and moral limits on what genetic experiments could take place. The author also suggests looking at “choke points,” including the manufacturers of advanced chips and the companies that manage the cloud. The key step, however, would be the development of a culture of caution in the AI community. As Suleyman admits, any of these proposals would be extremely difficult to implement. Nonetheless, he states his case with clarity and authority, and the result is a worrying, provocative book. “Containment is not, on the face

of it, possible,” he concludes. “And yet for all our sakes, containment must be possible.”

An informative yet disturbing study and a clear warning from someone whose voice cannot be ignored.

A PART OF THE HEART CAN’T BE EATEN: A Memoir

Taormino, Tristan

Duke Univ. (288 pp.)

$29.95 | Sept. 5, 2023

9781478020226

A popular sex educator and podcast host reflects on her life.

A year after Taormino, author of multiple books about love and sex, was born on Mother’s Day 1971, her hippie parents relocated the family from Long Island to New Hampshire to live in a ramshackle refurbished church. The author hadn’t yet turned 2 when her father, an Army veteran, permanently abandoned the family to move in with a male lover, who was a local priest. Taormino always believed her father married her mother to shield himself from a complicated desire for men. After returning to New York, the author experimented with self-pleasure and helped her feminist mother through the trials of single motherhood. These heartfelt, moving anecdotes set the candid tone for the remainder of the memoir. In the 1980s, Taormino became obsessed with “trendy and daring” shows like Solid Gold, riding horses, and female singers who defended their sexual autonomy. Her unapologetic sex-positive disposition manifested after she lost her virginity in college and developed affinities for women, sadomasochism, and the life of a femme “queer dyke.” In Provincetown, she reunited with her father and enjoyed bonding time at drag shows. Their unconventional father-daughter bond endured until her father fell desperately ill in the early 1990s from AIDS. After his death in 1995, Taormino, severely depressed, immersed herself in the sexual subcultures thriving in New York City, where she wrote for a lesbian porn magazine, launched a Village Voice sex column, and enjoyed a sexual affair with a gay male friend. The author’s outspoken sexual identity proceeded onward to encompass feminist pornography, guidebooks, and numerous awards. With personal images, sincere prose, and powerfully intimate excerpts from her father’s unpublished memoir, Taormino’s text very much orbits around her relationship with her father. The woman emerging from the grief has become a powerful, inspirational, unapologetic sex educator and creative dynamo.

A passionate memoir packed with emotional punch and enlightening glimpses of personal liberation.

“An informative yet disturbing study and a clear warning from someone whose voice cannot be ignored.”

the coming wave

GERMANY 1923 Hyperinflation, Hitler’s Putsch, and Democracy in Crisis

Ullrich, Volker

Trans. by Jefferson Chase Liveright/Norton (448 pp.)

$35.00 | Sept. 26, 2023

9781324093466

A fine history of a pivotal year in world history.

“The year 1923 started with a bang,” writes Ullrich, a prizewinning German historian and author of a widely acclaimed two-volume biography of Hitler, when French troops marched into the industrial Ruhr Valley. The author reminds readers that, after months of violence following its November 1918 surrender, Germany settled down under the democratic Weimar Republic. Poorer than in prewar years but physically undamaged (unlike France), it was obligated under the Treaty of Versailles to deliver enormous reparations in gold, industrial products, and resources such as coal and timber. To rebuild and to repay its war debt to the U.S., France demanded payment from Germany and sent in the army when it was slow arriving. This produced national outrage but little action besides passive resistance and strikes. Troops remained until 1925, and the occupation proved a crushing drain, with Germany losing production as well as revenue. Printing money was a poor substitute for taxes, so hyperinflation followed. By mid-April, the mark had dropped to 25,000 to the dollar; by the end of July, to 1 million. By August, when a new administration began banking reforms, $1 was worth 3.7 million marks. “Calls for a strongman, a savior to lift Germany out of misery and desperation,” writes Ullrich, “had been constant since the collapse of the Wilhelmine German Empire in 1918,” and “they grew louder…in the initial, chaotic postwar years.”

The author delivers a lively account of Hitler’s unsuccessful Beer Hall Putsch, emphasizing that it was only one of many efforts by right-wing circles to “bring down the Weimar political system and institute an authoritarian regime.” In addition, writes Ullrich, the fact that Weimar survived another decade is a good argument that it was not condemned to failure from its onset, although the events of 1923, especially the hyperinflation, poisoned the national spirit.

An exemplary book of history with no lack of uncomfortable lessons for today.

THE VOYAGE OF SORCERER II The Expedition That Unlocked the Secrets of the Ocean’s Microbiome

Venter, J. Craig & David Ewing Duncan

Belknap/Harvard Univ. (336 pp.)

$27.95 | Sept. 12, 2023

9780674246478

Seagoing research is a burgeoning popular science genre, and this is a solid addition.

The central figure is Venter, biotechnologist and entrepreneur, best known for racing (and probably winning) the competition to sequence the human genome in 2000. Less well known is the team, led by Venter, that sequenced the first cellular genome—that of a bacteria—in 1995. Fascinated by infectious disease since his Navy service in Vietnam and obsessed with learning how life works, Venter discovered that simple life forms are more complicated than scientists thought and that the genes of microbes “were trying to tell us far more than we could understand.” Never shy about taking risks and skilled at acquiring grants, Venter decided to explore the dominant life form on Earth, microorganisms, in the planet’s largest, mostly unexplored habitat: the ocean. Using his cutting-edge “shotgun genomic sequencing,” Venter’s researchers would blast DNA from an organism (or from hundreds or thousands of organisms) into short fragments and then use sequencing machines to identify them and computers to find overlaps in order to reassemble them and compare them to existing bacterial genomes. Vastly cheaper and faster than the old method of culturing individual bacteria in a petri dish, this method allowed his team and their ship, the Sorcerer II, sailing the world for 15 years, to discover millions of novel genes in thousands of new and often bizarre bacterial and viral species. Writing with award-winning science journalist Duncan, Venter presents a lively account of a groundbreaking exploration of the microbiome of the Earth’s waters. Toward the end, the authors explain a modest amount of science and deliver the obligatory bad news about humanity’s poisoning and littering of the oceans, but throughout, they emphasize adventure: storms, accidents, clashing personalities, equipment functions and malfunctions, political and bureaucratic difficulties, little-known global cultures, triumphs, and disappointments.

Important and adventurous science on the high seas.

THE SHADOW DOCKET

How the Supreme Court Uses Stealth Rulings To Amass Power and Undermine the Republic

Vladeck, Stephen Basic Books (352 pp.)

$30.00 | May 16, 2023

9781541602632

A legal scholar examines and crossexamines a Supreme Court increasingly given to secrecy.

Vladeck, CNN’s Supreme Court analyst and a professor at the University of Texas School of Law, argues that the court has increasingly delivered its rulings by means of the “shadow docket” of his title, unsigned orders with no position or legal analysis attached and comprised of shorthand language—e.g., “the application for injunctive relief presented to JUSTICE SOTOMAYOR and by her referred to the Court is granted,” or “the application for a stay presented to JUSTICE ALITO and by him referred to the Court is denied.” Sometimes this means that the court lets lower rulings stand, but sometimes the unsigned order is a way of sidestepping the fraught matter of actually rendering a concrete decision. Occasionally, it’s a way of enforcing unpopular legal rulings without attaching responsibility, with plenty of attendant ironies. For example, Justice Amy Coney Barrett, appointed by former President Donald Trump, has demanded that critics read the arguments that would ordinarily be included on a “merits docket” only to issue most decisions in those bland one-sentence utterances. Even the website offering transcripts of the justices’ public speeches hasn’t been updated in years (the most recent entry is from August 2019). By Vladeck’s account, not only is the court withdrawing itself from public accountability, but it is also making decisions that properly belong to the executive and legislative branches. The author often writes in language requiring legal training to fully understand—“In general, although denials of certiorari therefore cannot be cited as proof of the Supreme Court’s views on any particular issue, they regularly produce significant substantive effects by changing the status quo on the ground”—but his arguments against the walled-off court are certainly persuasive and timely.

Critics of the current court will find much to ponder in Vladeck’s account.

SON OF THE OLD WEST The Odyssey of Charlie Siringo: Cowboy, Detective, Writer of the Wild Frontier

Ward, Nathan Atlantic Monthly (368 pp.)

$27.00 | Sept. 5, 2023

9780802162083

The life of a Texas cowboy who ranged the wild frontier paints a broader picture of bygone times in the American West.

Charlie Siringo (1855-1928) herded cattle and drove livestock to slaughter, learning his cowboy skills from the age of 12. In this lively and detailed account, Ward, author of The Lost Detective and Dark Harbor, creates “a portrait of the American West through which he traveled as such a compelling witness—from the birth of the cattle trail and railroad cow town to the violence of the mining wars and the Wild Bunch’s long last ride.” Siringo captured the era in what is considered to be the first cowboy autobiography, A Texas Cowboy; or Fifteen Years on the Hurricane Deck of a Spanish Pony (1885), “a work of celebration and mourning for the raucous cowboy life that was ending.” Ward devotes just as many chapters to Siringo’s later career as a detective, going undercover “to track, befriend and betray” criminals ranging from anarchist bombers to Butch Cassidy. The author also recounts the tangled publishing history of Siringo’s memoir A Cowboy Detective (1912), its editions repeatedly quashed due to nondisclosure agreements with the agency that employed him. Ward’s consideration of his subject as a working cowboy quickly broadens into that of Siringo as a literary figure whose many books included a life of Billy the Kid, whom he knew well. Siringo was also well appreciated as a “font of authenticity” on cowboy lore during his work as a consultant on Western films in Hollywood in his later years. Illustrations, vintage photos, and maps throughout the text add atmosphere and context to this stirring, multivaried life. If Ward doesn’t quite prove that Siringo helped create the foundations of the literature of the American West, he shows that this original cowboy certainly lived out the most fertile period of that time and place.

A well-rendered cowboy tale that fleshes out a larger history of the Old West.

“A well-rendered cowboy tale that fleshes out a larger history of the Old West.”

son of the old west

LOVE AND MONEY, SEX AND DEATH

Wark, McKenzie

Verso (176 pp.)

$24.95 | Sept. 26, 2023

9781804292617

In a series of letters, a transgender woman reflects on her life before and after transitioning.

While in high school—when she was still passing as male—Wark, author of Reverse Cowgirl and Sensoria, among many other books, had a female alter ego named Karen, a name she adopted from a “popular” classmate who, after an equestrian accident, ended up in a coma. The author is now grateful that she didn’t take on the name, both because of this history and the modern association of Karen with problematic white women. She expresses her gratitude in a letter to Venus, a Black trans woman who the author explains is an amalgamation of “two young transpeople I have known and lost and still grieve.” The other letters in the book—addressed to recipients as diverse as Wark’s past self, older sister, ex-wife, and the goddess Cybele (“As an atheist, I might live without you, but somehow, you’re still there”)—trace the author’s personal and political history as a trans woman who didn’t fully realize her gender identity until well into adulthood. In addition to exploring her identity as a “T4T” who takes estrogen but doesn’t try to pass as a woman, Wark examines her relationship with her disability (she had surgery to correct her clubbed feet) and expresses joy and gratitude toward those who have shaped the body and life she now inhabits. At times, the author’s treatment of race can be clumsy. In one chapter, she describes her “problematic” objectification of a Black male stranger and then includes a picture of this stranger several pages later without clarifying whether the photograph was taken or included in the book with consent. However, Wark’s analysis of gender, sexuality, and queerness is both ebullient and trenchant, and her compassionate introspection is mostly a pleasure to read.

A sharp epistolary memoir about gender, family, disability, and age.

CITY OF ECHOES A New History of Rome, Its Popes, and Its People

Wärnberg, Jessica

Pegasus (452 pp.)

$32.00 | Sept. 5, 2023

9781639365210

A new history of Rome through the lens of the papacy.

Readers searching for a broader history of Rome should turn to Mary Beard, but Wärnberg, a historian of the religious and political history of Europe, provides a worthwhile account examining the many

“layers of legend” about this ancient city. The author begins with the mid-first-century arrival of the Apostle Peter. Dismissed as a Jewish cult for more than 200 years, Christianity hit the jackpot under Emperor Constantine, who promoted it to a quasi-state religion. Historians still debate whether this was strictly a political move but agree on its consequences; by the fifth century, Rome was the preeminent Christian city. Constantine’s transfer of his government to Constantinople began a 1,000-year decline of the city but left the bishops of Rome as its most powerful figures. During the following centuries, they persuaded other bishops that Peter’s heir must rule Christianity and, as God’s representative on Earth, guide secular leaders as well. By 1000, emperors and kings acknowledged papal influence but exerted their own, rigging elections, sending armies, and attacking Rome itself, whose citizens considered the pope one of their own even if they often treated him poorly. Wärnberg is at her best during the Renaissance period, when “the papacy and the Church had become a state-like institution: organized, largely self-sufficient, and recognized by political powers.” However, she writes, “with authority and wealth came careers, ambition and corruption, as well as lackadaisical clergy and an errant flock.” The Reformation delivered a painful blow, but perhaps worse arrived with the Enlightenment, which greatly diminished the role of religion. Most 19th-century popes took a dim view of both the scientific and democratic revolutions but have since accepted them—mostly. Wärnberg’s mildly upbeat conclusion affirms that both Rome and the papacy remain inextricably entwined despite their diminished roles and that recent popes have exerted a positive influence.

A useful resource for students of Christian history and papal aficionados.

A CITY ON MARS Can We Settle Space, Should We Settle Space, and Have We Really Thought This Through?

Weinersmith, Kelly & Zach Weinersmith

Illus. by Zach Weinersmith

Penguin Press (448 pp.)

$30.00 | Nov. 7, 2023

9781984881724

An entertaining illustrated assessment of space settlement.

This book is, to put it simply, a romp. The Weinersmiths published a similar book in 2017, Soonish: Ten Emerging Technologies That’ll Improve and/or Ruin Everything, and their latest deals with the practical problems of creating settlements in space. The authors, self-described “space geeks” who “love visionary plans for a glorious future,” collected a huge amount of research material for the project. They started out as optimistic about the prospects for space colonies, but the more they learned, the more they understood the staggering resource costs and the complex technical problems. Much of the recent interest in space settlements stems from the

shrinking costs of putting satellites into low orbit, but this does not transfer into the cost of moving the needed materials to the moon, Mars, a space station, or another planet. Moreover, research into the long-term effects of low gravity on human biology does not bode well. The Weinersmiths have a good time discussing the difficulty of human reproduction in non-Earth environments, but for a settlement meant to be self-sustaining, it would be a real issue. An even more difficult question involves the laws that would apply, as existing treaties are clearly outdated. Despite the optimism of SF writers and the current crop of adventurous billionaires, the authors believe that space settlements would probably replicate the conflicts and divisions of Earth-bound societies: Humans, after all, remain human. Though the authors strike a humorous tone, they don’t neglect serious topics, and they do believe that one day space will be colonized. However, the timeline is centuries rather than decades, and there must be more focus on the practical realities than on visionary hyperbole. One way or another, this book has a lot to offer.

A fun, informative read that puts the pop into popular science.

TECHLASH Who Makes the Rules in the Digital Gilded Age?

Wheeler, Tom Brookings Institution Press (216 pp.)

$27.00 | Oct. 15, 2023

9780815739937

A detailed, well-researched rundown of the runaway tech sector. Wheeler is a former chairman of the Federal Communication Corporation and a successful venture capitalist, so when it comes to regulation of the tech giants that dominate the U.S. economy, he is a person whose voice should be heard. In this follow-up to From Gutenberg to Google, the author argues that the past few decades are similar to the Gilded Age following the Civil War, when powerful barons built enormous wealth by harnessing new technologies. They used their power to bury potential competitors and intimidate politicians, but they met their match in Theodore Roosevelt, who broke up the monopolies and established a regulatory system. Wheeler sees enough similarities to draw useful lessons for ways to leash the tech beasts, and he presents a host of proposals. A crucial move would be to ensure that competition can flourish through a rewriting of the outmoded regulations and laws to shift the emphasis from technical rules to behavioral standards. The liability rules for social media companies must be revised with the public interest, not corporations, in mind. Wheeler believes that there is currently a window of opportunity created by a high level of community distrust of big tech. This might be true, but it is by no means clear that the distrust translates into an organized impetus for increased regulation, which would mean a period of disruption. Moreover, the tech behemoths have invested billions in

political protection. At the moment, there are no Rooseveltian figures on either side of the political spectrum. Wheeler’s ideas are important, and policymakers should read this book carefully. Finding the courage to act on it, however, does not seem likely. With a firm sense of history and an eye on the future, Wheeler lays out a rock-solid plan for controlling the tech giants.

OUR LITTLE FARM Adventures in Sustainable Living

Wohlleben, Peter & Miriam Wohlleben

Trans. by Jane Billinghurst

Greystone Books (224 pp.)

$24.95 | Sept. 19, 2023

9781771646253

One couple’s experiences with sustainable living in the mountains of northwest Germany.

In this latest, Peter Wohlleben, author of The Hidden Life of Trees and The Heartbeat of Trees, among other books about ecology, teams with his wife, Miriam, to share their journey in natural living. In the early 1990s, the Wohllebens moved to a small village in the Eifel range. Having accepted a position as a forester for a local community, Peter was given access to “a 1930s lodge built in the style typical for the area at that time; an outbuilding that originally housed a chicken coop and a pigsty; and the remains of a vegetable garden almost the size of a football field.” In addition to more vegetables, the couple added fruit trees, berry bushes, herbs, chickens, sheep, goats, and beehives. The authors describe themselves as “enthusiastic but not fanatical,” as they worked to maintain a manageable workload, and they lay out the planning that went into each project—e.g., choosing what to plant, creating a system for crop rotation, handling garden pests, preserving their bounty—as well as the challenges they faced along the way. Among them was a merciless fox that had them reconsidering chickens as their first animal choice for the farm. In addition to the daily care of their animals, they also had to care for orphaned and rejected baby animals. Although becoming completely self-sufficient was not realistic for the Wohllebens (“Time is the limiting factor in any plan for self-sufficiency”), as is the case for many, they wanted to source more of their food from their own garden and inspire others to do the same. The book includes numerous recipes inspired by the authors’ garden, including parsnip cream soup, plum butter, and fresh goat cheese.

A great source of inspiration for anyone wishing to become more self-sufficient.

brave, passionate book setting Russia’s invasion and Ukraine’s resistance into the

BIRDIE & HARLOW

Life, Loss, and Loving My Dog So Much I Didn’t Want Kids (...Until I Did)

Wolfe,

Taylor HarperOne (304 pp.)

$28.99 | Sept. 19, 2023

9780063293816

How the author’s love for her dog changed her life.

Wolfe makes an engaging book debut with a lighthearted memoir of her tender relationship with her dog, Harlow, and her rocky path to becoming a mother. In 2010, she bought a vizsla puppy as a gift for her boyfriend—and husband-to-be—Chris, to celebrate their two-year anniversary. Chris was delighted, and Wolfe even more so. “Something about bringing Harlow into my life opened up a part of me that made me so much more sensitive to everything,” she writes. With various jobs that included being a high school recruiter for a culinary school and selling graphic T-shirts and sweatshirts, Wolfe was able to enjoy Harlow’s exuberance as he grew from puppyhood. “For the first few weeks,” she writes, “there was a bit of a power “struggle as to who got to walk whom, but in the end, we both decided it was best if Har walked me, especially as he grew bigger and stronger.” At one point, she got a job that required her to work in an office, which meant Harlow needed to be sequestered in a crate. “The days I spent in a cubicle making sales calls knowing Har was at home locked in a crate,” she confesses, “made me feel like I too was locked in a crate.” Both of them preferred walks in the park, so she quit. Harlow became her friend, companion, and confidant: The author peppers the text with their conversations as Harlow observes, and comments wryly on, Wolfe’s life. She and Chris married, and soon after they tentatively decided to start “trying,” she became pregnant. The author candidly reveals her anxieties about motherhood and the physical and emotional tolls of pregnancy, childbirth, and caring for an infant. One of her anxieties, unsurprisingly, was how Harlow would respond to a baby—but she needn’t have worried.

A sweet homage to a beloved pet.

WAR AND PUNISHMENT

Putin, Zelensky, and the Path to Russia’s Invasion of Ukraine

Zygar, Mikhail Scribner (432 pp.)

$30.00 | July 25, 2023

9781668013724

An award-winning writer explains the cultural background to Putin’s illfated invasion of Ukraine.

As an independent journalist, Zygar, author of The Empire Must Die and All the Kremlin’s Men, has long been an outspoken

critic of Putin and especially his invasion of Ukraine. After the Kremlin made opposition to the war illegal, the author fled his native Russia and went into exile in Germany, where he continues to work as a columnist. In this authoritative book, Zygar provides historical context for the invasion and rejects Putin’s claim that Ukraine has never been a legitimate political entity. The result is a sprawling text with hundreds of characters, stretching from the time of Peter the Great to the present. Zygar describes Russia’s impulse for empire building as akin to a drug. “Imperial history is our disease; it is inherently addictive,” he writes. Ukraine has often been the victim of this addiction, and it has been repeatedly attacked, occupied, and dismembered only to rebuild itself. The most remarkable aspect of the story is that over the centuries, the spark of Ukrainian independence has never been fully extinguished, and it caught fire when the Soviet Union collapsed. Putin believes that he is destined to reconstitute the Soviet empire, but Zygar argues convincingly that it will all end badly. As the author shows, Putin is increasingly isolated and paranoid, losing touch with reality. Zygar calls on Russians to come to genuine terms with their bloody history and reject the state-sanctioned version of events. The failure of the most recent invasion could be the trigger for this process. This is not an easy read, and sometimes the narrative seems like a quagmire of names and claims. Still, Zygar’s knowledge is undeniable, and the book is worth the effort for those who want to understand the bigger picture.

A brave, passionate book setting Russia’s invasion and Ukraine’s resistance into the broad sweep of history.

young adult

“A

broad sweep of history.”

children’s

These titles earned the

SECRETS OF A REBEL ROCK STAR

Amoore, Nat

Rock the Boat/Oneworld (352 pp.)

$9.99 paper | Aug. 8, 2023

9780861545711

Series: The Watterson series, 3

An Australian 11-year-old is afraid it will break his mum’s heart if she learns he loves Broadway more than rock.

Mac Fleetwood Cooper and his brother, Stevie Nick Cooper, have a mother who’s a tiny bit into rock music. With his mum bent on living out her own frustrated Gwen Stefani rocker dreams through her sons, Mac knows she’ll never approve of his fascination with Broadway musicals. So the Secret Society of Broadway Musical Appreciation is like a dream come true. Mac becomes instant best friends with the SSOBMA pianist and composer, Flynn. Flynn, who’s a year older than Mac, has Tourette syndrome, a willingness to answer questions about it, and an extremely sunny disposition. This positivity comes in handy when the kids learn their school is canceling the arts program and SSOBMA plans a fundraising musical to save the arts. If only Mac can take part without his mother’s finding out. Flynn goes out of his way to explicitly debunk myths about Tourette, but his constant complex vocal tics still play into some overused Tourette tropes. Plotlines from earlier books in the series appear in the tidy conclusion without having had any real presence or explanation in this third series outing that nevertheless stands on its own. Characters are minimally described, but names cue some ethnic diversity in the cast.

Full of Broadway numbers and ’90s rock; a fun musical adventure with well-meaning disability representation. (author’s note) (Fiction. 8­11)

GENIUS NOSES A Curious Animal Compendium

Anlauf, Lena

Illus. by Vitali Konstantinov

Trans. by Marshall Yarbrough

NorthSouth (64 pp.)

$24.95 | Sept. 19, 2023

9780735845350

A prodigious portrait gallery of prominent proboscises. Digging deeply into the world’s wild animal populations, Konstantinov picks a plethora of notable noses to depict in

face-forward postures, from members of the elephant and pig families on down to elephant seals, anteaters, star-nosed moles and molelike desmans, shrews and their cousins, aptly named Pinocchio frogs of New Guinea, Madagascar leaf-nosed snakes, and snout beetles. Not to mention, of course, koalas, tapirs, and male proboscis monkeys with their “giant schnozzles.” Along with both common and scientific identification labels Anlauf provides notes on each creature’s geographical distribution and whether it is macrosmatic (meaning its sense of smell is how it makes its way through the world) or microsmatic (its sense of smell is secondary to other senses)…even when, as with insects, the “nose” isn’t what does the smelling. She also highlights each schnoz’s distinctive feature or structure, such as the ratlike Solenodon’s ball-and-socket joint or the unusual way the starnosed mole detects underwater odors. Translated from German, the entries are arranged loosely (“flying creatures,” “grounddwellers,” “water creatures,” etc.); there’s an index by species name, a graphic size chart at the end, and a world map modeled after the AuthaGraph map, showing all the continents at their relative actual sizes. (This book was reviewed digitally.)

On the nose for young naturalists. (glossary, source notes) (Informational picture book. 7­10)

MEET THE MEGAFAUNA! Get To Know 20 of the Largest Animals To Ever Roam the Earth

Balkan, Gabrielle Illus. by Phùng Nguyên Quang & Huỳnh Kim Liên Workman (56

pp.)

$24.99 | Aug. 15, 2023

9781523508600

Introducing 20 gigantic animals, some from prehistoric times and others surviving today.

From the supercroc to the woolly mammoth, this striking album offers descriptions of the largest creatures ever to walk, swim, or fly. Balkan’s informative text covers when and where they lived or live, size and shape, behavior, and, if extinct, modern relatives. She also provides imaginative descriptions of what their lives might have been like: Young giant rhinos romping, female saber-tooth cats hunting, and giant deer battling with oversized antlers. Among the animals that are still around today are the African savanna elephant, the blue whale, and the Masai giraffe. Broken up into paragraphs, the text is set directly on striking illustrations showing each animal in its habitat. Additional boxed text provides fast facts. This is a large-format title, full of gatefolds that emphasize the colossal dimensions of these creatures. Helpfully, the introductory material includes a general explanation of how paleontologists find and reconstruct the extinct specimens and why most of them flourished long ago. There’s also an overview of the various periods of geologic time, from the Cretaceous to the Quaternary. Balkan concludes by offering four reasons for the disappearance of most of these animals and examples of five other surviving but threatened

giant species. This title is sure to appeal to dinosaur fans but may widen the scope of their attention as well.

Animal wonders on a grand scale. (glossary, further resources) (Nonfiction. 7­12)

THE KNIGHT OF LITTLE IMPORT

Batsel, Hannah

Carolrhoda (40 pp.)

$19.99 | Sept. 5, 2023

9781728450995

A young knight finds worthy work with help from sympathetic neighbors— and a fertile imagination.

So quiet is the tiny town of Little Import that all wannabe knight Charlie knows about monsters is what she’s read in her Big Book of Beastly Brutes. But that turns out to be enough to recognize the “Triple-Tier Hungerbeak,” disguised as a cake in the nibbled-over bakery; the “Frenzied Mudbull,” which only looks like a wheelbarrow in a harried neighbor’s plundered garden; the ticking “Furious Thundergong,” whose hourly chime is keeping the potion shop’s exhausted owner awake; and several more boojums. In collages made from embroidery floss, cut paper, sawdust painted green, and like materials, the author depicts common items transforming in stages into fearsome beasts before being “captured” by a small, anonymous figure in full armor and marched off…not to be slain, but settled in a monster sanctuary that becomes a popular attraction and gives Little Import bragging rights over neighboring Biggerborough. Along with racially diverse human figures, Batsel also tucks a marauding mouse in the bakery, a rabbit in the garden, and other rewards for sharp-eyed observers to pick out of her detailrich scenes. Charlie keeps her closed helmet on even when otherwise dressed in a onesie and so remains racially indeterminate. (This book was reviewed digitally.)

Tongue-in-cheek and not at all of little import. (Picture book. 6­8)

UNSUPERVISED A Crabgrass Comics Adventure

Bondia, Tauhid

Andrews McMeel Publishing (192 pp.)

$12.99 paper | Sept. 19, 2023

9781524884956

Series: Crabgrass, 2

Bondia offers another collection of slice-of-life comic strips centered on best friends Kevin and Miles.

The comics in this volume tend to have at least two punchlines. When Kevin says, “Turns out I don’t have the attention span to hold an effective grudge,” another character responds, “One of your most endearing qualities.” The extra beat often

everybody in the water!

Summer is the perfect time for a dip in the pool or a visit to the beach. But far too many children don’t know how to swim, an issue that disproportionately affects kids of color. Access remains a barrier, too; in many cities, there are fewer pools in neighborhoods of color. This is a potentially deadly disparity— Black children drown at far higher rates than white children. However, things are starting to change. In New York, where I live, proposed legislation may increase the number of pools, particularly in low-income and majority-minority neighborhoods, and make swimming lessons freely available to kids 13 and under. I’m hoping that other communities follow suit. When it comes to learning to swim, there’s no replacement for time in the water, but picture books can help make a potentially overwhelming experience feel warm and welcoming. Centering on children of color, these new and upcoming titles emphasize that swimming is for everyone.

Growing up, author/illustrator Jack Wong was never comfortable in the water. As one of few kids of color at the local pool, he felt out of place, and his mother’s anxieties around swimming heightened his own. Aware that the right attitude can make all the difference, he wrote When You Can Swim (Orchard/ Scholastic, May 2) to encourage kids to embrace the water. Beautifully crafted verse from the perspective of a loving caregiver pairs with shimmering depictions of lakes, rivers, and beaches. Images of characters diverse in race and ability leaping with wild abandon into the water will have readers heeding his exhortation: “Swim, little one!”

A large extended South Asian family goes to the lake each year in Rajani LaRocca’s Summer Is for Cousins (Abrams, May 16). Second-youngest cousin Ravi has always had a special bond with oldest cousin Dhruv, but is Dhruv now too old—and too cool—for Ravi? Turns out Ravi has nothing to worry about—Dhruv cheers Ravi on as the little one swings from a rope into the lake. Abhi Alwar’s art has a smudgy, childlike charm as it brings to exuberant life a set-

ting where aquatic activities are a source of joy and where family supports one another through uncertainty.

“Bigger bodies, smaller bodies, taller bodies, and the smallest-ofall bodies”—everyone is welcome in Lucy Ruth Cummins’ Our Pool (Atheneum, June 13). Sensory language and richly saturated visuals convey the everyday pleasures of a trip to the city pool. It’s unclear which of the many racially diverse children depicted is narrating—an inspired choice that allows all readers to picture themselves as the hero of this tale.

Together We Swim (Chronicle Books, Aug. 15) follows a Black family whose youngest member is learning to love the water. Valerie Bolling’s spare yet emphatic text and Kaylani Juanita’s elegant artwork portray a family eager for the child to swim with confidence (the older sibling’s deft underwater handstand and Dad’s mermaid tattoo are testaments to their passion for the water) but willing to give him the space he needs.

The brown-skinned protagonist of Ame Dyckman’s Tiny Barbarian Conquers the Kraken! (Harper/HarperCollins, Aug. 22) is determined to be like his onscreen hero, Bob the Barbarian. Since the latest movie finds Bob subduing kraken, that means Tiny Barbarian must brave the water, too, and though the community pool may not be as big as the ocean, it sure feels that way. In Ashley Spires’ cartoon illustrations, Tiny Barbarian cuts an endearing figure; his ultimate triumph will have young readers convinced that they, too, will master swimming lessons.

Finally, readers who don’t want the swimming-related storytimes to end with summer vacation should look for Emily Joof and Matilda Ruta’s I Will Swim Next Time (Floris, Sept. 5), which centers on a small brown-skinned child whose fear of the water is transformed into love thanks to the support of a reassuring and patient mother. Mahnaz

adds to the rhythm of the joke. Sometimes the punchline requires only one word. In another strip, Kevin and Miles are building a snowman, much too late in the season, out of mud and slush. The artwork sells the joke—it’s the most oddly grotesque snowman anyone has ever seen, with a word balloon perched over its head: “BRAAAIINS.” The new collection is more ambitious than the first, with longer, more complex storylines, most notably a sequence in which the two boys go to a Mega Wrestling Frenzy match. It takes up nearly a quarter of the book, and parts of it—involving a secret village of mascots— are quite surreal, which will enchant some readers and perplex others. But the sequence features some of the best drawings in the book, including a gloriously lantern-jawed pro wrestler. Kevin presents white, while Miles is Black. These strips not only generate laughs, they usually do it twice in a row. (Graphic humor. 8­12)

SWEET SUZY. EVERYONE IS SPECIAL

Bosch, Joni

Illus. by Aiko Graven Clavis (40 pp.)

$19.95 | July 18, 2023

9781605378459

Suzy can’t paint or sing, but her friends help her recognize her special talents.

Suzy, a white duckling with a red scarf and orange bill and webbed feet, is discouraged. She doesn’t seem to have any abilities that set her apart. But she isn’t ready to despair. Instead, she visits her friends to see what makes them special. Monkey is painting. Congenial Capybara is lying in the grass with his friends (“I like being around people”). Rat is sitting on a log, laughing at his own jokes. Signposts scattered throughout offer real-life animal facts—“capybaras are superkind to everybody,” and “some rats start laughing when their tummy is tickled.” Suzy easily recognizes her friends’ talents, but upon returning home, she still can’t identify her own strengths. Luckily, her friends join her and explain the skills they’ve noticed her displaying during her visits—she’s a great listener, and she’s very determined, for instance. Suzy learns that she is indeed special, and she is no longer sad. The story itself is a bit on the didactic side, but the fun facts make it less so. The last line—“What’s your special talent?”—is a great discussion prompt for little ones. (This book was reviewed digitally.)

Will quietly build self-esteem and appreciation for a multitude of talents. (Picture book. 4­8)

A FIRST GUIDE TO CATS Understanding Your Whiskered Friend

Bradshaw, John

Illus. by Clare Elsom

Penguin Workshop (128 pp.)

$7.99 paper | Sept. 26, 2023

9780593521854

A zoologist specializing in pets explains what house cats really need and want.

With the same insight and light touch that make his companion volume A First Guide to Dogs (2023) such a joy, Bradshaw follows Libby, a 4-year-old black-and-white feline, around for a day and a night—offering illuminating behavioral, anatomical, and psychological observations as he goes. While the author skips mention of illness and, conspicuously, reproductive organs or the removal thereof, he does marvel over feline eyes, paws, and other distinctive physical features and offers helpful hints

audiobooks to hook

middle-grade listeners

Summertime—with no pesky homework to worry about—can bring plenty of opportunities to enjoy audiobooks. They’re perfect for enticing reluctant readers who might not otherwise think a book will appeal to them, and they even support acquisition of new vocabulary and help offset summer slide while school is not in session. Since children’s listening comprehension often surpasses their reading abilities, the audio format also makes books accessible to kids who aren’t ready to pick up the original texts and read them independently. The narrators’ skillful performances also enhance their interest for older kids and adults, making them ideal for family road trips. Be sure to check out these recent and upcoming titles.

Sisters of the Lost Marsh by Lucy Strange (Scholastic Audio, 6 hours and 9 minutes): This atmospheric tale rooted in the otherworldly landscape and history of a remote, rural region of southeast England is not only beautifully narrated by the author herself, she also composed the captivating music that enriches the audio version.

The Many Assassinations of Samir, the Seller of Dreams by Daniel Nayeri (Listening Library, 4 hours and 29 minutes): While listeners must get their hands on a physical copy to enjoy Daniel Miyares’ luminous illustrations, the author’s narration adds tremendous charm and character to this Silk Road adventure that’s full of colorful characters and their hilarious, nail-biting hijinks.

Felice and the Wailing Woman by Diana López (Listening Library, 7 hours and 27 minutes): La Llorona, the tragic and terrifying figure from Mexican folklore who has haunted the imaginations of generations of children, is freshly reimagined in this touching story of loss, healing, and courage narrated by Elena Rey with heart and warmth.

The Notorious Scarlett and Browne by Jonathan Stroud (Listening Library, 12 hours and 17 minutes): This title is the second book in the Scarlett and Browne science-fiction series that is being adapted for the screen; Doctor Who actor Sophie Aldred’s dry narration is the perfect accompaniment to Stroud’s trademark rousing action and humor.

Absolutely, Positively Natty by Lisa Greenwald (HarperAudio, 5 hours and 37 minutes): Greenwald offers readers a challenging and emotionally intelligent story that explores the toll of toxic positivity as a tween learns healthier coping strategies; Caroline Sorunke’s smooth narration hits just the right note of reassurance for listeners through the protagonist’s ups and downs.

When Clouds Touch Us by Thanhhà Lai (HarperAudio, 2 hours and 17 minutes): This much-anticipated follow-up to 2011’s award-winning Inside Out & Back Again is narrated by Brigid Mai Khanh Leahy, who reads this lyrical verse novel with tenderness and care; the listening experience is enriched by hearing the Vietnamese words sprinkled throughout.

Muzoon: A Syrian Refugee Speaks Out by Muzoon Almellehan with Wendy Pearlman (Listening Library, 5 hours and 53 minutes): Arabic-speaking British Jordanian actor Lara Sawalha evocatively gives voice to the words of the remarkable young refugee and activist at the heart of this memoir; Almellehan’s story moves from her beloved Syrian homeland to an eventual settlement in England.

Lei and the Fire Goddess by Malia Maunakea (Listening Library, 7 hours and 51 minutes): This action-packed fantasy centers a girl who reconnects with her Native heritage while visiting her grandmother in Hawai‘i, where she has too-closefor-comfort encounters with fire goddess Pele; narrator Jennifer Robideau immerses listeners in the beautiful rhythms of island speech.

The Braid Girls by Sherri Winston (Dreamscape Media, 5 hours and 37 minutes): The audio version of a character-driven book that has three distinctly drawn protagonists is fittingly narrated by Erin Ruth Walker, Tyla Collier, and Jade Wheeler, who together bring the girls’ hair-braiding business struggles and nuanced personal growth to life. Laura Simeon

about interpreting cat sounds and body language. Working from the crucial principle that pet cats can’t be forced but can be led, he demonstrates effective ways of introducing them to new homes, cat doors, litter boxes, and scratching posts. Bradshaw also describes different sorts of simple cat toys, including a clever “puzzle feeder” made from a plastic soda bottle full of treats that provides “a good way of giving a cat all the fun of hunting but without anything having to die,” and, speaking of which, dispels several myths: No, those freshly killed mice or birds aren’t meant to be “presents.” In Elsom’s informally drawn grayscale illustrations Libby’s owner, Miss Lewis, is lightskinned but has both an adopted daughter and neighbors of Indian descent.

A winning combination of enlightening facts and practical advice for young pet owners. (interview with the author) (Nonfiction. 7­9)

THE GRAND HOTEL OF FEELINGS

Branković, Lidia

Cicada Books (32 pp.)

$16.99 | Sept. 5, 2023

9781800660410

A host of personified emotions stroll into a hotel while the manager strives to understand them all.

The Grand Hotel of Feelings is a large, opulent building with sparkly chandeliers and expansive windows. As the manager explains, there is always space available; every feeling is welcome, “no matter how difficult.” Sadness, for example, a greenish-blue creature with many tentacles, often floods the bathroom with tears. The manager has learned to listen very carefully. If not, “I won’t hear what Sadness is telling me and then he will stay for a very long time.” Gratitude, on the other hand, is a solid, dependable, white being who likes to sit quietly next to others, though it can be easy to take her for granted. Emotions can be tricky to understand; readers will appreciate that the author offers a tangible way to grasp the enormity. Here, the feelings are transient, and the manager learns new coping mechanisms from each visit. The only human at the hotel, the manager has pale skin and long white hair, while the emotions are an eclectic variety of colors, shapes, and sizes. The final page may raise eyebrows, with depictions of other hotels, some of which feel rooted in cultural stereotype (such as a vaguely Middle Eastern–looking palace, with a brown-skinned character riding a flying carpet). (This book was reviewed digitally.)

Quirky and expressive social-emotional learning. (Picture book. 4­8)

SYLVESTER’S LETTER

Burgess, Matthew Illus. by Josh Cochran

Enchanted Lion Books (52 pp.)

$19.95 | July 25, 2023

9781592703807

A child creates and sends a letter to a beloved grandmother. How does one commune with the dearly departed? Although listeners won’t know the nature of young Sylvester’s grandmother’s absence until they piece together context clues, this is the matter the child is working out. The opening depicts Sylvester drawing a picture that turns into scenes showing the heights and depths necessary to relay the message, because “Some letters can’t be delivered in the usual way.” The brownskinned protagonist makes breakfast to energize sky divers who “form a human flower in midair,” then parachute down to a train making its way through a jungle. Following the river to the “rare pink dolphins,” Sylvester places the letter in a toy airplane and launches it; from there, it will “leap to meet the butterflies,” the ultimate carriers. Poet Burgess and artist Cochran—the team that produced Drawing on Walls (2020)—expertly capture an imaginative child’s perspective and logic with lovely, alliterative language and wordless spreads rendered in brilliant colors and markerlike scrawls. A marvelous double gatefold portrays the entire journey. Other ways of connecting include eating lunchtime pickles and learning to pickle—since G.G. (Greatest Grandma) was the “most pickle-loving person I know”—and a miraculous moment when a butterfly lands on Sylvester’s nose. (This book was reviewed digitally.)

A nuanced celebration of the lasting joy that intergenerational friendship inspires. (Picture book. 4­7)

THE LITTLE MATCH GIRL STRIKES BACK

Carroll, Emma

Illus. by Lauren Child

Candlewick (208 pp.)

$19.99 | Sept. 12, 2023

9781536233353

This retelling of a Hans Christian Andersen tale casts the little Matchstick Girl as a social reformer.

Instead of a nameless, tragic waif, here the matchstick seller is Bridie Sweeney, a fiery redhead. While her younger brother makes matchboxes and her mother works with toxic chemicals in the match factory, Bridie walks the streets of Victorian London, hawking her wares by persuading passersby that her matches are magical. When a promising day turns terrible, Bridie is left with three damaged matches. She strikes one and makes a wish for the kind of life the wealthy factory owner has—and sees what everyone else’s labor purchases for him. Subsequent wishes connect her with Annie Besant, a kind woman who campaigns for workers’ rights. Inspired by the match magic’s visions, Bridie pushes the factory workers

to strike. Here, the narrative shifts from description to mere summary, occasionally jumping forward in time to let readers know how things eventually turn out. The result is didactic and simplistic, an agenda as worthy as it is, unfortunately, transparent. Artwork throughout includes creative typographic styling and black-and-white illustrations with pops of red for Bridie’s hair and match flames. An author’s note reveals the factual basis of the story (the factory, the big strike over an unjust firing, and activist Besant are real), while an illustrator’s note details historical references used in the art. Backmatter includes period photographs. Characters present white. Preachy and painfully earnest. (Historical fiction. 8­12)

BALLER INA

Casal, Liz Knopf (40 pp.)

$18.99 | $21.99 PLB | Aug. 8, 2023

9780593567098

9780593567104 PLB

Loving ballet and basketball, Ina brings high jumps, twirls, and layups to both. The light brown–skinned girl on the cover, her hair in two Bantu knots, pairs her ballet tights and tutu with basketball shorts and sneakers. The rhyming story opens with Ina warming up at a ballet barre on the sidelines of a basketball court. Illustrating Ina’s parallel enjoyment of ballet and basketball, Casal balances a double-page spread of the girl striking six ballet poses with one of her performing six basketball moves a few pages later. And the fact that her dribble and plié require the same bending and her grand jeté resembles a leap on the basketball court suggests not only that she adores them both, but that ballet enhances her basketball playing and vice versa. When a light-skinned blond basketball player points at Ina and says, “Dancers dance and players play! This is B-ball, not ballet!” Ina replies confidently, “Wait until you see me fly.” And fly she does. While there’s a sweetness to Casal’s wonderfully composed digital illustrations, they also carefully show the parallels between ballet and basketball as well as the protagonist’s sense of community with other, racially diverse players and dancers, in the artistic details, color choices, and dramatic overhead shots. (This book was reviewed digitally.)

A beautiful tale that grants young readers permission to be all of who they are. (Picture book. 4­7)

THE CURSED MOON Cervantes, Angela Scholastic (224 pp.)

$17.99 | Sept. 5, 2023

9781338814019

A boy tells one scary story too many and must find his way to a happy ending— or else.

Eleven-year-old Mexican American Rafael Fuentes loves writing horror stories. It comes easily to him despite his struggles in school because much of his life has been a different kind of scary story, one full of neglect and instability. For the past two years since their mom was sent to prison, Rafa and his younger sister, Brianna, have lived with their loving abuelos. But now Rafa is dreading his mom’s upcoming early release. One day, neighbor Ms. Martin warns Rafa that he should not, under any circumstances, tell a scary story during the upcoming blood moon. But Rafa’s storytelling has brought him social acceptance, so at his friends’ urging, he tells one of his most frightening tales yet. Soon after, strange, unsettling things start happening. Rafa thinks his spooky story has something to do with this, and he tries to craft a new, happy ending for his story. With the support of his friends and help from a magical jaguar, he faces down the evil threat. Featuring excellent pacing and seamlessly centering a diverse, well-drawn community, Cervantes’ latest deals with the complicated issues that arise from having an incarcerated parent and provides ample creep factor for young horror fans without ever losing sight of the fact that maintaining hope is key.

The power of words lies at the heart of this heartwarming story. (Horror. 8­12)

RAAGA’S SONG A Diwali Story

Chhabria, Navina Running Press Kids (32 pp.)

$17.99 | Sept. 26, 2023

9780762482245

A young Indian girl struggles to find her voice and courage in the face of uncertainty.

Raaga loves to sing and to listen to her grandfather’s stories. She especially loves hearing about the origins of Diwali, a holiday that honors Lord Rama’s victorious return to his kingdom after vanquishing the demon Ravana. Raaga, whose name means melody, hopes to conquer her own fears of singing in front of an audience at the Royal Palace on Diwali. While unkind comments about her dark skin made her shy away in the past, this year Raaga feels brave enough to try. Encouraged by her grandfather and her faith in Lord Rama, she practices every day, building up an admiring audience. On the day of the audition, Raaga is unnerved by mean-spirited comments from the judges. As her courage falters, her friends cheer her on, and

“A beautiful tale that grants young readers permission to be all of who they are.”

baller ina

she proves herself. Laudably, Chhabria highlights a young girl’s insecurities in the face of colorism as well as the power of loved ones and one’s faith. However, the narrative, which appears to be set in olden times, also includes a few modern touches that feel jarring. The author’s attempts to draw parallels between Raaga’s voice and Lord Rama’s arrow and army seem forced. Though a bit static, the illustrations feature people of many different hues of brown; effective use of contrasting color reflects Raaga’s budding confidence. (This book was reviewed digitally.) A celebratory tale that doesn’t quite hit the mark. (Picture book. 4­8)

SPIDER-MAN’S BAD CONNECTION

Chhibber, Preeti

Marvel Press (304 pp.)

$16.99 | Sept. 5, 2023

9781368057707

Series: Spider-Man’s Social Dilemma, 2

Spider-Man continues tackling schoolwork, romantic turmoil, and alien rage monsters in this middle-grade sequel.

Just for kicks (and punches) Chhibber spots 16-year-old Spidey a fresh villain du jour from the Marvel Cinematic Universe, but the main menace remains the not-quite-extirpated viral invaders from the opener, SpiderMan’s Social Dilemma! (2022)—who, in typical comics tradition, stage a major comeback at the abrupt end of this episode to string readers along. Before that, though, the webslinger tussles with the Spot, a resentful adversary dotted with portable interdimensional wormholes, and with girlfriend Mary Jane, who presents him with a demand to give her a way to rescue him if he ever gets into serious danger. Meanwhile, something shifty is plainly in play as the obviously evil techno-giant Oscorp impinges itself more and more on the lives of Peter Parker and his high school classmates, while the teens continue to develop a new social media app. Considering constant nighttime patrols, daytime huddles and chores, and all the threats to his world as well as his emotional equilibrium, it’s hard to see when Peter gets any sleep; still, the intertwined plotlines roll forward another inch or two. Peter and Mary Jane are white, and secondary characters are racially diverse.

An expertly crafted middle volume featuring a comfy crew of mostly familiar characters. (Fantasy. 9­13)

THIS BOY The Early Lives of John Lennon & Paul McCartney

Cooper, Ilene

Viking (192 pp.)

$17.99 | Aug. 15, 2023

9780451475855

The shaping of two Liverpudlian rascals who grew up to be the most successful songwriting duo of all time.

Readers looking for concise views of the “youthquake” that rock-and-roll records and fashions from the U.S. set off in Great Britain and the evolution of the band that became the Beatles will be well served, but Cooper’s main focus stays foremost on the personalities and formative life experiences (rather than the music) of John Lennon and Paul McCartney. And of the two, it’s Lennon who shines brightest here—an “intense and clever” lad with a reputation as a “neighborhood bad boy” (“How naughty do you have to be to be expelled from kindergarten?”) who shuttled back and forth between his irresponsible but free-spirited birth mother and a stodgy, dependable aunt and brought deep wells of “wit, creativity, and confidence, with a streak of cruelty” to his personal relationships as well as to making and performing music. Paul comes off as rather bland in comparison, though the author does write of the “creative alchemy” (“creative and competitive in equal parts”) that occurred in the wake of their historic meeting at a church garden party in 1957. Both come alive here, and readers who see them as distant products of a vanished era will come away with fresh insight into how their characters, context, and times reflect on our own.

Illuminating reading for dreamers and doers already attuned to beats of their own. (endnotes, bibliography, photos, photo credits, author’s note, index) (Collective biography. 11­15)

WORST LOVE SPELL EVER!

Coven, Wanda

Illus. by Anna Abramskaya

Simon Spotlight (336 pp.)

$14.99 | Aug. 29, 2023

9781665937207

Series: Middle School and Other Disasters, 2

Heidi is a young witch attending middle school at Broomsfield Academy, a boarding school catering to both magical and nonmagical students.

Kids with magical powers must only use those skills for schoolwork, but Heidi can’t always control herself, like when she’s running late for class and needs to get dressed in a hurry. Her obsession with classmate Hunter McCann (aka Hunter McCutie) is threatening to take over her life. Melanie, her roommate and once her hometown enemy but now almost a friend, also has a crush on Hunter, who is actually a really nice

WORDS WITH…

Michael Genhart

BY J. ALEJANDRO MAZARIEGOS

Spanish spelling bee. Along the way, Manolo finds encouragement and a much-needed historical lesson from Abuela, who shares stories from her childhood in the U.S. public school system as it forcefully dissuaded and punished Latine students who spoke Spanish.

Our conversation with Genhart—edited for length and clarity—occurred via Zoom, with the author speaking from the Bay Area.

Looking back on your writing journey, how have you changed your approach to writing picture books?

I’ve become more of an archaeologist of my own life. The first few books came from this more clinical place, and those books, hopefully, are still books that kids can relate to. But as I started thinking more about having a queer family and how I grew up, I wanted to tell stories that were more unique and with more heart. That’s sort of what I’m after now. In particular, I want to tell untold stories.

I’ve been holding this story for years, mulling over it and figuring out if I could tell it. How do you do it with a child-friendly touch? But also with poignancy? Using the spelling bee as a structure and being able to be playful with that was how I did it. It was very cathartic to write the story and be able to share it with my mom along the way. I actually just read the Spanish version to her. And… I’m going to cry, but she was just quiet. Just silent. I said, “Are you OK, Mom?” And she said, “I’m just remembering all of that.” We sat in silence together. It was a healing moment for her, for me. Then she said, “You did a good job, mijo.” That was powerful for me to hear.

I bet they would want to hear,” Genhart says.

Inspired by his mom’s childhood experiences in Southern California as well as research on the American Southwest’s anti-Spanish efforts throughout the early to mid-20th century, Genhart’s latest picture book, Spanish Is the Language of My Family (Neal Porter/Holiday House, July 11), illustrated by John Parra, chronicles the journey of young Manolo as he prepares for his school’s

That’s the highest praise. I mean, if it didn’t pass the mom test, I was in trouble.

What motivated you to write about this forgotten chapter of U.S. history now?

Kids need to know because discrimination exists today, especially against Black and brown people. Kids

Trace the arc of Michael Genhart’s path as a writer, and a clear storytelling purpose emerges: to reach a young audience with stories that speak from the heart. His earlier picture books tie rather neatly with his background as a clinical psychologist, but his latter efforts demonstrate a new, equally effective approach. “The more I thought about other themes, the more I felt that I could do better by reaching more kids with a message that

Susanne Lareau Maxwell

In a new picture book, the author celebrates Spanish while shining a light on U.S. campaigns against the language

need to know the roots of some of this discrimination. This is a story that taps into a 50-year period of erasure and loss of language. The high school dropout rate was really high among the Latinx population as a result of this humiliation and shaming. If we don’t learn from history, we’re at risk of repeating it. This is a book for all kids, not just for healing and the celebration of Spanish and the reclaiming of the language for Latinx folks, but for all kids to learn about people who don’t look like them and also what they endured.

What drew you to using a school-based Spanish spelling bee as a space of reclamation and recovery?

That was a natural platform for kids to relate to. But I also thought that this is a way I could introduce the words of Abuela’s story hidden in plain view—her story told and reinforced through the spelling words. It allowed me to layer the story, using spelling words that, at first glance, just appear to be spelling words. I chose those words carefully. It allowed me to introduce more Spanish without having to spell out the context, so readers would have to make the connection.

Generational trauma serves as a crucial theme throughout the book. You temper that pressure by having Abuela and Manolo’s parents offer levity and support (and churros!) to Manolo. Was this something you were consciously considering as you wrote? Oh, totally! Every word featured in that story was selected carefully. My favorite line toward the end is, “And at that moment, I know. We both won today.” That’s the healing moment. Manolo knew that he was spelling for Abuela. That line gets me every time because that’s really what I want to write about—the healing, the reclaiming. Ultimately, the book is a celebration of Spanish and the reclaiming of dignity because that’s what got lost: people’s dignity.

What three words—¡en Español!—would you use to describe this story?

Dignidad, sanación, and celebracion. These are words from the story, but they apply here. I’m the product of what happened. My mom would say, “I don’t want my children going through what we went through.” So this book is a way for me, personally, to reclaim my language.

What do you hope young readers take away from the story?

I would like all kids to appreciate learning a piece of history that they probably didn’t know about. About

what can happen when racism occurs but also what can happen when people speak back. There are obviously lots of different stories of racism, sadly. Everyone needs to know all these stories that don’t apply to them. Everyone needs to know about these stories for us to incrementally build a world that is not racist and [is] more just. My hope is that all kids will relate with poignancy. I kind of want them to be uncomfortable because history is uncomfortable, or at least aspects of it. But we could learn from it if we have an open mind and an open heart. We can learn from it.

J. Alejandro Mazariegos is a writer and nonprofit advocate in California. Spanish Is the Language of My Family received a starred review in the May 15, 2023, issue.

young adult

boy. Heidi tries to hide her feelings from Melanie, but she pours out her heart to good friends Sunny and Annabelle. She also writes to Lucy, her BFF back home, about her situation. While Melanie is interested in flirting and makeup, Heidi’s closest friends give her good advice: “Just be yourself.” Nevertheless, Heidi keeps using witchcraft: first, growing long hair to attract Hunter (it backfires when her hair grows uncontrollably). She later attempts the love potion spell that inspires the title, hoping to isolate Hunter so that she can have him to herself. However, Heidi soon learns how harmful her behavior was. Readers looking for breezy fare will enjoy this second series installment, which uses varied size fonts, ample white space, and humorous digital grayscale illustrations. Most main characters present white.

An entertaining and funny take on middle school drama with a light magical touch. (Fiction. 9­12)

THE CURE

Crawford, Terrance

Illus. by Dan Widdowson

Scholastic (176 pp.)

$7.99 paper | Aug. 1, 2023

9781338848137

Series: Piggy

The virus that started turning nearly everyone into zombielike monsters in Infected (2023) rages on.

This novel is based on a video game, and a video game has rules. The main characters, all anthropomorphic animals except for protagonist Ben, must fight monsters wherever they go—in a school, in a grocery store, in a laboratory—as if they’re progressing from level to level. They even use the same weapons almost every time: a Taser, a barbell, a glowing rod filled with chemicals. The monsters are enormous animals who look like football mascots. The characters are such skilled fighters that the battles are almost comforting—readers can sit back and wait for the giant boars to be knocked out. Even the black-and-white illustrations are predictable: Animal heads are circles; buildings have perfectly straight lines. Just as the tale is at its most repetitive, though, the rules suddenly change. Readers may know that the narrative can’t continue if the author kills off the main characters, but they may start to wonder if the author knows that. Crawford, it turns out, is not a cruel writer, and the book has the happiest ending a zombie story will allow. There are even a few plot contrivances to make sure every character is completely safe. Ben is drawn with thick black curly hair and skin the white of the page.

A perfect book for readers who don’t like their dystopian stories too dystopian. (Fiction. 8­12)

BECAUSE I ALREADY LOVED YOU

Cyr, Andrée­Anne

Illus. by Bérengère Delaporte

Groundwood (32 pp.)

$19.99 | Aug. 1, 2023

9781773069739

A family supports one another as they grieve the loss of a stillborn baby.

A young only child eagerly awaits the arrival of a new baby. Each family member helps the little one mentally and emotionally prepare, from decorating the nursery with Daddy to picking out books with Auntie and toys with Grandma. But on the day Mommy and Daddy are supposed to bring the baby home, everything changes. The baby is stillborn, and everyone is devastated. The child is sad, too, “because I already loved you!” Little by little, the family grieves and begins the process of healing, but they never forget the baby. Translated from French and written from an unnamed youngster’s perspective, the succinct text clearly and honestly conveys both emotions and information in a child-friendly way. Family members assure the narrator that while death is forever, stillbirth is rare, and “it’s no one’s fault, especially not mine.” The childlike illustrations convey emotions with crayonlike lines and textures. White space directs the eye, encouraging readers to linger. There are few books on the topic of pregnancy loss and even fewer about grieving for a stillborn baby, making this tale an important entry point for deeper discussion. The work closes with a list of U.S. and Canadian organizations that offer support for those dealing with stillbirth. Characters are light-skinned. (This book was reviewed digitally.)

Quiet and sincere. (Picture book. 2­6)

THE MONA LISA VANISHES A Legendary Painter, a Shocking Heist, and the Birth of a Global Celebrity Day, Nicholas

Illus. by Brett Helquist

Random House Studio (288 pp.)

$19.99 | $21.99 PLB | Sept. 5, 2023

9780593643846

9780593643853 PLB

The story of how the Mona Lisa was painted and, centuries later, how it was stolen, recovered, and in the process became the most famous portrait in the world.

Day tells his tale with considerable verve, delivering in alternating sections accounts of the life of Leonardo da Vinci (“an extraordinary, ingenious, wondrously weird man,” with “a mind on fire”) and of the 1911 theft of a then-respected but not particularly popular painting from the musty, dusty Louvre. He traces the way it mushroomed into a huge public sensation—complete with conspiracy theories, ineffectual police work, and suspects

insightful consideration of the global water crisis.”

water day

ranging from plutocrat J.P. Morgan to young artistic firebrand Pablo Picasso. Helquist’s art adds tongue-in-cheek notes with a bountiful array of scenes depicting expressive, lightly caricatured figures, from the thief (who turned out to be not a slick professional but, at least supposedly, an impulsive Italian patriot) to detectives, officials, and suspects, generally sporting early-20th-century dress and comically diverse mustaches. The painting was recovered in 1913, but the sensation over it has yet to die down, which the author pointedly explains as partly the influence of the press in whipping up controversy, partly the enduring power of conspiracy theories (“People will choose the better story every time”), and partly the painting’s own compellingly enigmatic features. Readers will love the brouhaha and will be tempted to take closer looks at the art too.

A multistranded yarn skillfully laid out in broad, light brush strokes with some cogent themes mixed in. (source list, endnotes) (Nonfiction. 10­13)

THE (SUPER SECRET)

OCTAGON VALLEY SOCIETY

de la Cruz, Melissa Disney-Hyperion (320 pp.)

$17.99 | Sept. 5, 2023

9781368083744

Series: Octagon Valley, 1

Eight singular middle schoolers from across America find belonging in a series of escape room–type challenges.

Each sixth grader assumes that winning a coveted spot to spend three days at the Octagon Valley Institute led by Willy Wonka–esque Onasander Octagon, an ethnically ambiguous multiracial tech genius, means winning a “golden ticket to the rest of your life.” However, they soon realize that instead of an academic conference, they will each have to utilize their particular skills to find eight puzzle pieces in a high-stakes scavenger hunt. They face a pool of piranhas! A magical maze! Navigating the multiverse! But how can they work together when they each have powerful psychological defense mechanisms to combat fear, even if it’s just the fear of being wrong? Only when they accept their emotions, take chances, and face their vulnerabilities do they overcome obstacles, discover hidden talents, and learn how to be teammates— and even friends. The eight kids’ diverse personalities offer a wide range of connection opportunities for readers. The omniscient third-person narrator ingeniously blends snarky humor, lessons in emotion regulation, and nuggets of wisdom throughout, though readers may miss some references that read adult. The kids are ethnically diverse; some are white, and others have families who are Jamaican, Filipino, Korean, or Indian. They also represent neurodiversity and struggles with anxiety.

A series opener that successfully combines emotional intelligence and page-turning adventure. (Adventure. 9­12)

SOREN’S SEVENTH SONG

Eggers, Dave Illus. by Mark Hoffmann Cameron Kids (56 pp.)

$19.99 | Sept. 5, 2023

9781951836733

Soren is determined to revamp the song of his fellow humpback whales.

Finding the music of the older male whales “outrageously boring,” Soren opts for something catchy, with sounds reminiscent of maracas. Eager to share his new music, Soren performs for his friends, and Hans offers his opinion: That was the worst song ever. After many more revisions (seven iterations altogether), Soren lands on one that becomes a hit under the sea. Eggers tackles important themes—the challenges of the creative process, which entails unavoidable laboring, and the necessity of trustworthy friends willing to give honest feedback. Thanks to Soren’s dogged persistence and Eggers’ tonguein-cheek humor, these complex concepts become accessible for young readers. Hoffmann’s illustrations depict the widely smiling whales with expressive faces and accessories, like Hans’ red deerstalker hat. The sea creatures have personality, and the underwater world is filled with movement and energy. It helps that Soren is a likable character, but the repeated backand-forth of the seven versions of the song starts to get tedious, making the book a lengthy read. That said, inspiration finally strikes when Soren learns to look outside his cave at the beauty around him—a lovely point well made. (This book was reviewed digitally.)

An approachable explanation of tenacity, friendship, and hope. (Picture book. 6­9)

WATER DAY

Engle, Margarita

Illus. by Olivia Sua

Atheneum (40 pp.)

$18.99 | Aug. 22, 2023

9781665918718

Amid water scarcity, a small Cuban town adapts and survives thanks to the water man.

Water day is finally here! Before the water man arrives, the family must prepare. Mami needs to “mend our leaky hose while Papi fixes the rusty pump” to ensure that the blue tank on the roof can hold all the water that the “whole thirsty familia” needs. It’s been five days since la familia last got water to bathe, cook, drink, and flush the toilet. But here comes the water man, bringing in water via wagon and horse. Bisabuelita sings to the fruit trees; she remembers the days when the plentiful rains would fill wells and big clay jars. “What changed? Everything. Weather. Rivers. Groundwater. Lakes.” Now, it’s water day that brings those hopeful stirrings “like a river of joy” to the neighborhood. When everyone gets the water that’s needed, the

“An

last exit to feral

water man departs, expected back in another five days. In this understated, plainspoken, yet compelling tale narrated by the family’s child, Engle chronicles an unfortunate reality for many communities. The subsequent author’s note briefly reiterates the complex, often interwoven reasons behind water shortages across the world and includes a limited call to action that’s easy to miss. Sua’s rustic, lively, cheerful artwork depicts a vibrant Cuban community with people diverse in skin tones. (This book was reviewed digitally.)

An insightful consideration of the global water crisis. (Informational picture book. 4­8)

LAST EXIT TO FERAL

Little Town. Underground. Fearing, Mark Holiday House (224 pp.)

$21.99 | Sept. 5, 2023

9780823448661

Series: Frights From Feral, 2

A creepy creature in a creepy well in the creepy basement of a creepy old house isn’t all that’s creepy in the small town of Feral.

Tying together and continuing several tales from Welcome to Feral (2022), the search for the ghost of a long-vanished teacher leads intrepid young investigators Freya and Monica to free children trapped in a haunted playground, the even more haunted middle school basement, and other sinister locales. They also explore a labyrinth of spooky tunnels, resulting in encounters with a hulking “franken-farmer,” a hideous witch who is eager to turn children into rats, and other subterranean terrors on the way to a climactic struggle with a raving, tentacled well monster. Readers who like their horror on the light side will appreciate the (relatively) happy endings that attend on all the eerie settings and screamworthy twists, not to mention the map of the town’s tunnels and attractions (“Deserted Circus Grounds,” “Red Water Bog”), postcards from unwary visitors, and the jokey local news clippings Fearing provides to thicken the atmosphere. Monica has brown skin and Afro-textured hair, and Freya has light skin and red hair; most of the remaining cast is either warty green or a glowing, ectoplasmic blue.

Thrills and chills aplenty but low voltage enough to keep the nightmares at bay. (Graphic paranormal. 8­12)

MY DAD THINKS HE’S A PIRATE

Germein, Katrina

Illus. by Tom Jellett

Candlewick (32 pp.)

$18.99 | Aug. 22, 2023

978-1-5362-2502-0

Spend a day at the beach with this pun-loving dad who’s convinced he’s a scurvy sea dog.

“My dad thinks he’s funny,” the young narrator tells us. Dad, who’s hanging up clothing to dry, proceeds to tell a joke (“Knock, knock.” “Who’s there?” “Turner?”). The next page’s punchline: “Turner round, there’s a pirate behind you!” From here on, every time the protagonist makes a comment, the father responds with a seaside-related pun, after which the child repeats, “My dad thinks he’s a pirate.” Upbeat cartoon art depicts the father, the narrating child, and other cheery-looking family members enjoying activities such as fishing and searching for treasure at the seashore. Some of the wordplay works visually and aurally (the dad claims that the flag is angry because “It has cross bones”), while some relies on understanding spelling (the father wears a patch over “one aye”). Despite this, pre-readers will enjoy the novelty as much as emergent readers, especially with the opportunity to chime in with the refrain of “My dad thinks he’s a pirate.” Nor will anyone misunderstand the flatulence jokes. When buried treasure appears, the text momentarily turns sentimental before quickly reviving its overall tone of lighthearted silliness. Dad, the protagonist, and the rest of the family are ruddy-skinned. (This book was reviewed digitally.)

Yo-ho-ho! A hilarious read for jokesters and lovers of all things pirate. (Picture book. 4­8)

FRY GUYS

Geron, Eric

Illus. by Jannie Ho

Andrews McMeel Publishing (80 pp.)

$11.99 | Sept. 26, 2023

9781524879433

Series: Fry Guys, 1

Best buds Waffle, Curly, and Sweet Potato mash an invading fleet of UFO-nion Rings in this sizzling series starter.

Leaving no possible pun unturned, Geron dishes up a tale of three yummy anthropomorphic fries who, sporting Ghostbuster-style packs filled with ketchup, mustard, and mayo, rise up in defense of Spudtown (in guess which state) when hordes of circle-shaped alien invaders descend from the skies chanting, “Onion ring to rule them all!” Hardly have the grimacing, greasy rounds been properly battered, though, than Mayor Spud is snatched by a huge and bulbous cybernetic Mothership. “Holy aioli.” Can the intrepid trio find a way to slice and dice the blooming behemoth before it escapes to “deep-fried space,” or will the whole episode end in tears? Using colors as emphatic as the frequent sound effects, Ho cranks up the temperature in simply drawn panels of fastfood action that, ultimately, hurtles headlong into a peaceable caramelization and general celebrations of both differences and three new “home fry heroes.” Readers will demand extra helpings.

Spud-tacular. (Graphic fantasy. 7­9)

“Thrills and chills aplenty but low voltage enough to keep the nightmares at bay.”

WHAT GOES ON INSIDE A BEAVER POND?

Gop, Becky Cushing

Illus. by Carrie Shryock

Storey Publishing (48 pp.)

$18.99 | Sept. 5, 2023

9781635865271

A young beaver helps her family make spring repairs and then strikes out to find a new home.

Set in a Massachusetts wildlife preserve supervised by the author, this account of a seasonal round offers a natural odyssey imbued with sharp observations of beaver behavior. The story is an immersive one thanks to Gop’s exact but simply phrased narrative (“Her lips can close behind her teeth. That keeps her from swallowing water when she carries branches in her mouth”) and to Shryock’s verdant outdoor scenes, most of which are laid out in close-up panels inset into broader backdrops and enhanced with aerial and cross-sectional views plus side galleries of exactly detailed turtles and other local wildlife. Swimming past low river banks both unspoiled and littered with trash, the furry wanderer at last picks a spot that “feels safe.” She proceeds step by step to repair an old beaver dam and meet a male, and together they stake out the surrounding area with scent mounds while building a lodge that proves, come winter, sturdy enough to discourage a passing bear. Readers will be eager to continue feeding their curiosity about these fascinating wild creatures; the author urges them to do so, concluding with a set of leading questions. (This book was reviewed digitally.) Plenty to chew on for young nature lovers. (Informational picture book. 7­9)

SOMETHING, SOMEDAY

Gorman, Amanda

Illus. by Christian Robinson

Viking (40 pp.)

$18.99 | Sept. 26, 2023

9780593203255

In this collaboration from National Youth Poet Laureate Gorman and Caldecott Medalist Robinson, a small child finds a way to make a big impact on the community.

The Black-presenting youngster notices something wrong but is told it is “not a problem,” that it “cannot be fixed,” and that it is “too big for you.” But the child is determined to try. Writing in second person, Gorman immerses readers in the experience, assuring them that they are not alone in their longings for a better world. The powerfully spare lines of text convey the concerns that can occupy the mind of a thoughtful person in a society full of problems and complacency. Robinson’s signature simple, child-friendly collage art brings the text into concrete detail as the protagonist notices an oversized trash heap on the sidewalk and begins to work at cleaning it up. With help from diverse friends who are eager to make a difference, too, the child replaces the trash with a raised bed garden, which

disappoints with withered seedlings before ultimately blooming into “something that work[s],” something to be proud of. Robinson’s scenes are set against plenty of white space, giving text and art equal weight—both are sure to spark meaningful and productive conversations. (This book was reviewed digitally.) An engaging offering whose hopeful message will resonate with readers of all ages. (Picture book. 4­8)

JACOB’S DILEMMA

Greer, Daphne

Nimbus Publishing (232 pp.)

$10.95 paper | Sept. 19, 2023

9781774711521

In this fraught sequel, a happy ending spins into an emotional minefield for Jacob when his long-absent birth mother abruptly reappears.

Left at the end of Jacob’s Landing (2015) with a large inheritance and the prospect of having Maggie, his wise, loving foster mother, as an adoptive parent, Jacob sees an idyllic future ahead…until a letter from Jade, the mother who had abandoned him as an infant, arrives with a plea for a reunion. Ever the sort who agonizes over issues silently rather than talking them out, he holds off telling either Maggie or the grandparents he’s living with about the letter, which sets the stage for some unpleasant surprise encounters while giving the story an introspective character with more focus on his angst and confusion than on exterior events. Is the adoption off? How should he treat this stranger, and what are her intentions? Fortunately, for Jacob anyway, Greer really stacks the deck—surrounding him with protective and responsible allies and casting Jade as reckless, emotionally unstable, and in the habit of fleeing when her misbehavior catches up with her. Readers may find the adult cast more nuanced and distinct than the typecast youthful one, which is confined to the inarticulate protagonist, classmate Ruby in the role of staunch friend, and a pair of ineffectual bullies. The author does effectively capture the texture of life in a small and apparently allwhite Nova Scotia town.

Loaded with inner Sturm und Drang. (Fiction. 10­13)

FLORA’S WISH

Halliday, Fiona

Dial Books (40 pp.)

$18.99 | Aug. 1, 2023

9780593462454

A tiny black mouse named Flora tames a lion…well, a dandelion.

Together, Flora and her best friend, Lion, spend their days playing and using their wild imaginations as round bumblebees with iridescent wings look on. But one day, Lion folds inward and unfurls as a “shimmering cloud of feathered silver.” Distraught, Flora tries in vain to hold her friend together as Scarecrow

advises her to “make a wish and let [Lion] go.” Flora wishes for Lion. Seeking comfort in Scarecrow’s pocket, she gathers golden acorns and snuggles to sleep while the world turns “white and still”…until one morning the field is once again bursting with bees and fluffy yellow dandelions. “And though they were not Lion,” Flora understands that her old friend has granted her wish to see him again. Halliday’s charming, free verse poetry is paced around Pixar-ish digital illustrations in both spots and spreads. Flora is endearingly fluffy, with oversized eyes and ears, and her field overflows with forget-me-nots, fiddleheads, and morning glories while the palette turns gently autumnal. In the right hands, this tale could be an ode to the changing seasons or a gentle introduction to grief; either way it will certainly encourage readers to snuggle up to sleep. (This book was reviewed digitally.)

Sweetly soothing. (Picture book. 3­6)

UH-OH! RABBIT

Ham, Jo Candlewick Studio (32 pp.)

$10.00 | Sept. 12, 2023

9781536233179

Upsetting expectations is the name of the game.

Bunnies from artist Ham’s line of silhouetted rabbits appear in a book ostensibly about opposites. In the first sequence, two bunnies, black silhouettes against a white background, are on a seesaw. “Rabbit up,” reads the text. But when the words Uh­oh! appear, we see that the seesaw has tipped back precipitously, leaving one bunny’s rear in the air. “Rabbit down,” it finishes, and the other rabbit is now hanging off its side. This pattern of up and down prepositions is repeated in other scenarios—a bunny jumping on another in a pool and a ski jumper taking a tumble—but it’s the last sequence that gives the audience a surprise. As a small bunny with a backpack goes down a slide, we know something is bound to go wrong. Indeed, the big bunny at the bottom appears to be distracted, but in a delightful twist, the last line reads, “Rabbit up,” and the little bunny is launched up toward the big bunny’s arms. Each rabbit is thoroughly imbued with personality, making the book’s finale a particular treat thanks to its unexpected nature. Expect requests for rereads. (This book was reviewed digitally.)

Simple storytelling with a twist ending makes this perfect for the youngest of bunnies. (Picture book. 2­4)

YIPPEE! RABBIT

Ham, Jo Candlewick Studio (32 pp.)

$10.00 | Sept. 12, 2023

9781536233186

Ham’s popular character Rabbit— whose image graces everything from mugs to greeting cards—is now the star of a new picture book.

In the first sequence, Rabbit, seen in silhouette throughout, tries to fly a kite. A quick, “Rabbit go” accompanies a run up a hill, kite behind. “Yippee!” comes with a launch into the sky. Alas, “Rabbit stop” shows an outcome worthy of Charlie Brown: a tree tangling bunny and kite alike. Other sequences follow this pattern: attempt, fleeting success, denouement. Happily the pattern breaks when rabbit leaps off a chair into the stratosphere and never comes down again. “Rabbit, GO!” the text exclaims. Illustrated endpapers display a host of rabbits engaging in a wide range of activities, from seesawing to sliding. Using a limited palette and only the barest of bunny outlines, Ham still manages to imbue this lapin with a sense of personality and, most importantly, humor. This one is best for the youngest of readers; one hopes that after serving its time as a picture book, it will earn the right to appear in its most logical format: a board book. (This book was reviewed digitally.)

More than just hoppy legs and sniffy little noses, this one is bound to win both hearts and minds. (Picture book. 2­4)

THE BRAND-NEW, NEVERUSED, PERFECT CRAYONS

Hatch, Leanne

Margaret Ferguson/Holiday House (40 pp.)

$18.99 | Aug. 22, 2023

9780823452309

When Violet spots a box of 84 crayons at the store, her imagination runs wild with artistic possibilities.

At home, the child opens up the box of brand-new, neverused crayons—all the same length, perfectly pointed, with smooth, uniform wrappers. But Violet is torn—her new crayons are too perfect to use (what if they get ruined?), while her old broken crayons aren’t capable of creating anything truly special…though her sister, Marigold, is happy to use them. Even their mother’s comment about the beauty of imperfections fails to convince Violet. When Marigold sneaks off and uses Violet’s new crayons to draw a picture for her, Violet is angry…first at Marigold, then at the crayons. “She was tired of worrying about them.” The sisters soon make up, and together they wear “down the perfectly pointed tips of eighty-four brand-new, never-used, perfect crayons.” As a nice touch, the text and illustrations remind readers that both girls have crayons named after them. Digitally created illustrations, some that look like child-created crayon art and others more realistic, work with the brief text to convey a simple but heartwarming tale. Hatch reminds readers that a willingness to take chances and make mistakes is crucial for any young artist. Characters are light-skinned. (This book was reviewed digitally.)

Rife with valuable lessons about the creative process. (Picture book. 3­8)

things in the basement

THINGS IN THE BASEMENT

Hatke, Ben First Second (240 pp.)

$14.99 paper | Aug. 29, 2023

9781250909541

A boy’s search for a sock leads him below and beyond the world he knows. Milo feels adrift—twin babies take up his mother’s attention, and their new home is full of moving boxes and devoid of fun. When Milo’s mom asks him to locate one of the babies’ socks in the cavernous basement, he reluctantly agrees. He heads down into a classically creepy old-house basement and spies a rat absconding with the bright pink sock. Milo gives chase through multiple curiously adorned subbasements, careens down a dark tunnel in a mine cart, and finally falls into a boundless underworld full of artifacts of bygone civilizations— and a gargantuan mountain of socks. As he descends, Milo befriends a chattering skull, a giant eyeball, a ghost girl seeking her stocking, and a nun with a bell for a face. Together, they face the sock rats and a translucent monster who threatens to thwart them. Hatke’s artistic vision is central to the story, with constantly flowing, kinetic linework that sweeps readers along, riptidelike, ever deeper into the story. The shadowy underworld feels imposing without descending into horror; it helps that the big bad guy is a green ball of goo. With a light touch to the dialogue, this work explores themes of loss, grief, and displacement in moving ways. Milo and his family are cued Latine.

A journey of loss both intimate and fantastical, swept along by flowing, emotive illustrations. (Graphic fantasy. 7­12)

NO ONE LEAVES THE CASTLE

Healy, Christopher

Walden Pond Press/HarperCollins

(384 pp.)

$19.99 | Aug. 15, 2023

9780062341945

Dungeons & Dragons meets Clue in this capital-Q Quirky stand-alone murder mystery set in the Hero’s Guide series world.

When Baron Vargus Angbar’s ancestral treasure goes missing, butler Gribbinsnood Flornt must hire a bounty hunter to capture the famous wizard the baron believes to be guilty. Lured by a bard’s song, Flornt hires the Lilac—before learning that she’s 14 and in cahoots with the bard, Dulcinetta. The wizard hunt is an extended setup to get the Lilac and Netta to the baron’s castle, where they are invited by the baroness to dinner and the real mystery can begin. The narrator intrudes to occasionally remind readers what they’re really here for—a murder mystery; someone’s going to end up dead. The Lilac, sealed in the castle by a magically shrinking bubble with a roster of wacky suspects, must figure out whodunit. There’s the baron and his equally unpleasant noble dinner guest,

the baroness who seems a bit too familiar with dead bodies, the baron’s wizard-in-training son, the baron’s prim and proper daughter, said daughter’s coarse yet highly competent etiquette master, a surly goth gnome cook, the butler, and an ogre guard. Every last one of them—including the Lilac and Netta—harbors secrets and isn’t what they seem. The Lilac must untangle the (sometimes excessive and tedious) red herrings (frequently delivered in long, expository backstory passages) to deduce the truth. Characters read white.

Where the execution falters the premise carries the book. (Fantasy mystery. 8­12)

SONG AFTER SONG

The Musical Life of Julie Andrews

Hedlund, Julie

Illus. by Ilaria Urbinati

Little Bee Books (40 pp.)

$18.99 | Sept. 5, 2023

9781499813791

A lyrical salute to legendary singer

Julie Andrews.

Hedlund begins with Andrews’ early years listening to her distant mother’s first husband (biologically not her father, though that’s what he’s called here throughout) reading aloud, “his voice wrapped around the house like a hug.” The author then chronicles young Julie’s parents’ divorce and her unwilling move to London during the Blitz, life-changing voice lessons with a renowned teacher, and rise to stardom from first appearances on vaudeville stages (where the sound of “accolades of audiences filled her heart”) to a command performance at 13 before the queen, her singing “underscored by the hum of her father’s love.” The tale then cuts abruptly to a closing montage that fast-forwards seven decades, during which the performer and later writer “wrapped her voice around the world like a hug,” to a closing personal note from the author. In Urbinati’s watercolor-style illustrations, a slender child poses theatrically at various ages in a lyrical flow of private and public moments enhanced with evocative sprays of pearls and flowers. Faces are white throughout until final glimpses of the grande dame with a diverse group of modern young fans. (This book was reviewed digitally.)

Sketchy and rhapsodic but at least affords glimpses of influential figures and formative experiences. (timeline) (Picture­book biography. 6­9)

“A journey of loss both intimate and fantastical, swept along by flowing, emotive illustrations.”

ON THE TIP OF A WAVE How Ai Weiwei’s Art Is Changing the Tide

Ho, Joanna Illus. by Cátia Chien

Orchard/Scholastic (48 pp.)

$18.99 | Oct. 31, 2023

9781338715941

An eloquent tribute to the ways this renowned Chinese artist has worked to shed light on the international refugee crisis. Having spent much of his youth as a forcibly relocated person in China and so knowing what it’s like to live (as Ho puts it in a paraphrased comment from the artist’s mother) “on the tip of a wave, far from home and always in danger,” Ai Weiwei has not only personally helped crowds of refugees coming ashore on an Aegean island, but created widely viewed art to highlight their plight—notably Safe Passage, an installation made up of hundreds of their discarded life jackets. Chien’s sensitive, impressionistic scenes pop with the bright orange of those jackets and also the deep blue in flowing brushed lines both of water and of hazy adults and children fleeing wars and natural disasters with little beyond “memories, fears, hopes, and dreams.” In the simply phrased main narrative and a substantial afterword, author and illustrator also follow Ai’s career as he learned to turn the “dignity in his hands” to striking, memorable art made from simple items, from one coat hanger to thousands of backpacks and millions of hand-painted sunflower seeds. Several inset stills from his recent video documentaries likewise commemorate how he has “invited the world to take action” and “helped the world remember humanity.” (This book was reviewed digitally.)

Inspiring insights into how art can reify vital current issues. (Picture­book biography. 7­9)

SAY MY NAME

Ho, Joanna

Illus. by Khoa Le Harper/HarperCollins (40 pp.)

$19.99 | Sept. 26, 2023

9780063205338

Behind each name is a story that spans generations.

Six children of Chinese, Tongan, Persian, Diné, Nahuatl, or Akan descent share the meaning and history of their names. In moving, lyrical prose, the book celebrates the beauty and sounds of each name alongside their culture of origin: “Each syllable, / each sound, / is a building block / in an architecture / constructed over oceans / and across generations.” Every name is laden with meaning and a sense of identity, carrying the hopes and dreams of those who came before. Ho emphasizes that it is therefore monumentally important to pronounce names correctly, for “Anything less / is not / me.” The author builds a strong case that everyone should embrace their names and honor and learn those with which they may not be familiar. Le’s richly colored and textured illustrations perfectly

complement the compelling text. Ripe with symbolism, each page features intricate patterns referencing significant motifs from the cultures portrayed, seamlessly weaving together images of the past with the present. The backmatter features a pronunciation guide with additional context for each name and culture. Given its focus on the importance of tones and cadences, the title could have benefited from an audio guide. Still, many will find the phonetic spellings of the names helpful. (This book was reviewed digitally.)

A beautifully empowering declaration. (Picture book. 4­8)

TWO NEW YEARS

Ho, Richard Illus. by Lynn Scurfield Chronicle Books (44 pp.)

$18.99 | Aug. 8, 2023

9781797212814

Two different cultures share joy in many ways.

A family consisting of a light-skinned Jewish parent with a head covering, a Chinese parent, and their two children celebrate two new years. Parallel stores in the illustrations depict the family observing Rosh Hashana and Lunar New Year. While there are obvious differences between the two holidays (“One follows the Jewish calendar. One follows the Chinese calendar”), the focus is on the “many ways they are also alike”; an accompanying image shows the parents holding hands across the pages as they bridge cultures. The gentle narrative reveals the meanings behind each tradition, while delicate, intricate illustrations depict culturally specific practices such as the Chinese custom of sweeping dirt out of the house and the Jewish ceremony of tashlich. “Both New Years inspire delicious dishes,” and two sides of a double-page spread show the delectable new year feasts from both cultures. The children’s expressions glow as they gather with a diverse congregation in a synagogue to sing; on the facing page, the silhouetted family’s happiness is clear as they watch lanterns lift into the night sky. Scurfield deftly uses differing color schemes, with light blue and patterns of white to represent the Jewish traditions, while bold red patterns and yellow represent the Chinese side. As the story progresses, the contrasting patterns and colors bleed into each other to truly celebrate all of the family’s identities. (This book was reviewed digitally.)

A bright, sparkling celebration of a multicultural family. (author’s note, visual glossary) (Picture book. 5­8)

THE HURRICANE GIRLS

Holt, Kimberly Willis

Christy Ottaviano Books (288 pp.)

$16.99 | Aug. 29, 2023

9780316326094

Three New Orleans friends born in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina confront emotional challenges as they train for a triathlon.

Greer, Kiki, and Joya Mia have been inseparable ever since a sixth grade project on Hurricane Katrina brought them together. But a year later, their trio is drifting apart. After Darby, Greer’s 7-year-old sister, was hit by a truck eight months ago and lost the use of her legs, aspiring track star Greer has been distant. Greer blames herself for the accident leading to Darby’s paralysis—and she’s convinced her mom blames her too. Joya Mia and Kiki think joining an upcoming team triathlon might help Greer heal, but roadblocks abound. Greer can’t bring herself to run again. Kiki has trouble keeping commitments, and swimming makes her self-conscious about her weight. Joya Mia enjoys cycling, but her family’s money troubles make it difficult to obtain the proper equipment. In alternating third-person perspectives, the girls realistically discover strengths and confront fears as they struggle to stay a team. Greer’s experience forms the core of the plot: Holt poignantly explores the accident’s impact on Greer and her parents, and Greer’s counseling sessions are particularly well depicted. But Darby herself feels underdeveloped, and her mom’s framing of one story element risks positioning Darby in readers’ minds as contributing a life lesson for nondisabled people. Joya Mia is Mexican American; Greer and Kiki are cued white.

An uplifting portrait of friendship and healing. (author’s note) (Fiction. 9­12)

CINDERELLA AND A MOUSE CALLED FRED

Hopkinson, Deborah

Illus. by Paul O. Zelinsky

Anne Schwartz/Random (48 pp.)

$18.99 | $21.99 PLB | Aug. 15, 2023

9780593480038

9780593480045 PLB

What you didn’t know about “Cinderella” could fill a book.

Fred is a small, gray, itchy-eared mouse befriended and named by Cinderella, referred to here as Ella. One night, a crotchety fairy godmother transforms Fred into a horse, a pumpkin into a coach, and Ella into someone “fancy”—though she dislikes her glass heels. The fairy godmother issues her stroke-of-midnight warning, and the gang heads to the ball, which is a fail: Sore-footed Ella, having lost a slipper at the ball, leaves with the other one—which she smashes—and complains about the snooty prince. Just before midnight, she and her

“horse” race home, and all revert to their former selves, including the coach, but Ella saves seeds from it. Next morning, the prince seeks the slipper’s owner; when it doesn’t fit Ella’s stepsisters, he leaves. Life begins anew for Ella: She plants her seeds, wins first prize for the pumpkin that grows, and meets and falls in love with the female farmer who takes second prize. Readers will love this wonderfully written, comically snappy take on the beloved tale: Ella gets her happily-ever-after by marrying a woman and succeeding at farming. Zelinsky’s witty, colorful, dynamic illustrations, rendered in ink and assembled digitally, are masterful and depict racially diverse background characters dressed in Renaissance-era garb. Cinderella, her wife, her stepfamily, and the royal family are pale-skinned. (This book was reviewed digitally.)

Everything old is new again—and keeps getting better; a charming Ella for a new generation. (about fairy-tale pumpkins) (Picture book. 5­9)

DEAR STRAY

Hubbard, Kirsten

Illus. by Susan Gal

Nancy Paulsen Books (32 pp.)

$18.99 | Sept. 12, 2023 9780593110003

Gradually, a kitten adjusts to a new home.

A child writes letters to a new kitten. “Dear stray,” they begin; each letter reveals details about their developing relationship and the protagonist’s uphill path to emotional growth. Though friendlier kittens were available, the child opted for the angry kitten because “we all feel spiky sometimes.” Indeed, with mismatched socks, tangled hair, and a persistent scowl, the child is a mirror of the kitten, who has their hackles raised and claws out. The child projects feelings of fear and pain onto the kitten, admitting, “I guess nothing can hurt you if you scratch first.” But as the kitten starts to settle in, the child, too, finds a way to calm the inner storm. Then, after a difficult day, the kitten goes missing. This time, rather than lashing out, the child opts for vulnerability and patience. Once reunited, the child and kitten are still plenty spiky but also soothed by the joy of belonging to each other. Tender and earnest, this sweet story will speak to any reader who has ever felt like an angry kitten. Saturated watercolors and forceful brush strokes expressively capture the child and the kitten in motion. The narrator and the family are brown-skinned. (This book was reviewed digitally.)

A touching tale about two prickly pals who find a way to be soft together. (Picture book. 4­8)

DORIS

Jacoby, Sarah Roaring Brook Press (40 pp.)

$18.99 | Aug. 15, 2023

9781250829382

Doris, a dappled gray circus horse, has always loved performing in the ring, but she’s curious about life outside the big top.

The dancing horse goes out to discover new places and moves lithely through the night. “She couldn’t help wondering… wandering, springing, spinning out of step.” Is she happy in her new environment or scared or “dizzy with moonness”? As she continues her dance and doesn’t hear the usual applause at the end, she questions her situation. “Did I wander too far? Am I the only one out here?”And then, all of a sudden, there is a new friend in the moonlight, a small brown pony who loves Doris’ dancing and also enjoys prancing. Doris is no longer frightened and has a partner in exploration. As the sun comes up, Doris asks her new friend, “What else do you think is out there?” With its graceful multimedia illustrations, swirling images created with watercolors, pastels, and Photoshop, and short, lyrical text that sometimes dances on the page in agile arcs, this delightful book can be used as a read-aloud in schools or libraries or in more intimate family settings. Children will quickly recognize Doris’ ambivalent feelings as she escapes her comfortable circus life for new encounters in the woods, similar to their own growingup experiences as they move outside into the larger world. (This book was reviewed digitally.)

Inspiration to step—or dance—out of one’s comfort zone. (Picture book. 5­7)

DON’T WORRY, WUDDLES

Judge, Lita Atheneum (40 pp.)

$18.99 | Sept. 26, 2023

9781665916769

Drafted by an overambitious duckling, Wuddles the sheep unwittingly ends up donating a barnyard’s worth of winter gear.

We’ve all had that friend who’s fleeced you into doing more than you were expecting—and the charismatic culprit here is a wee, butter-colored duckling. The duckling borrows a bit of wool from Wuddles, who is serenely encased in winter fluff, to create a spiffy scarf. It’s such a success that the duckling launches a full-on fashion show. There’s plenty of silliness as readers watch a frenetic duckling fit a surprised Rabbit with soft earmuffs or wrap Goose in a sweater vest. Mellow watercolors ooze old-fashioned charm, with monotone barn backgrounds contrasting with bright pops of color from the lively, charismatic barnyard animals. With raucous stream-of-consciousness narration, the duckling is both hero and villain, and the story’s a kick to read aloud. While the duckling genuinely wants to help Goat avoid “extra cold” legs and to provide chilly piggies with trendy onesies, the protagonist’s total obliviousness to

Wuddles’ expressive and increasingly chagrined face provides just the right level of conflict for young readers. Observant kiddos will notice Wuddles’ voluminous fleece shrinking and predict the coming crisis—Wuddles is out of wool. They’ll certainly approve of Duck’s cuddly way of making amends, an enthusiastic “group hug” that wraps Wuddles in a solution as warm as, well, wool. (This book was reviewed digitally.)

Adorable. Readers will flock to this barnyard charmer. (Picture book. 3­8)

DO NOT EAT THIS BOOK! Fun With Jewish Foods & Festivals

Kander, Beth

Illus. by Mike Moran

Sleeping Bear Press (32 pp.)

$18.99 | Aug. 15, 2023

9781534111882

Mouths will be watering as soon as readers open this book.

Lilting, humorous, four-line verses on each page introduce Shabbat, Purim, Hanukkah, Passover, Shavuot, and Tu B’Shevat, providing a hint at their themes and showcasing some delicious foods, described lovingly. Several verses use the loving Yiddish endearment “bubbeleh,” ending with the title admonition, “But please remember, bubbeleh, / DO NOT EAT THIS BOOK!”— no matter how enticing the tasty treats mentioned within may be. An image of a child overcome with the array of fabulous fare, ignoring all the warnings and hungrily about to devour the book, will elicit laughter. Large-scale illustrations set among the text depict joyful children, diverse in skin tone, licking their lips, sampling these wonderful delicacies, and sharing them with family and friends. Several male-presenting characters, one of whom uses a wheelchair, are seen wearing yarmulkes. Except for challah and Hanukkah latkes, the displayed foods are not specifically named, although more facts about the holidays and their associated cuisines appear in the backmatter along with crafts and recipes. An author’s note emphasizes that every culture has its own holidays with festive foods that reflect its history and beliefs. (This book was reviewed digitally.)

A lighthearted introduction to traditional Jewish holiday foods. (glossary) (Religious picture book. 4­8)

I AM A RAINBOW!

Kanemura, Mark with Steve Foxe Illus. by Richard Merritt Little, Brown (40 pp.)

$18.99 | May 9, 2023

9780316167789

So You Think You Can Dance? star Kanemura tells a story about his younger self.

When Mark, a flamboyant, tan-skinned child, is at home with his adoring family, he’s

good books for bad children

celebrated for his love of performance and dressing up. But at school, he’s teased by cruel classmates. His attentive parents give him a shimmering rainbow cape, with the affirmation that “The world is a rainbow made up of a billion colors. And your color is totally unique.” The cape gives Mark his confidence back, enabling him to befriend a racially diverse group of “fierce, fabulous, and fun” kids he meets at a playground. But the cape goes missing, and Mark fears that his new crew will drop him. Instead, they affirm him, and the power of friendship inspires Mark “to be a rainbow cape that helps others realize the light inside of them, too.” The final spread, highlighting Merritt’s busy, color-bursting illustrations, shows Mark growing up to be an unapologetically bold and fearless adult. Young fans of Kanemura will be delighted by this narrative, which appears to be set in his native Honolulu, and adults can learn a lot from the protagonist’s supportive family. Still, the plot is a bit too thin to make it stand out from the pack of self-acceptance offerings. (This book was reviewed digitally.)

Joyful, though it doesn’t quite live up to its exuberant main character. (author’s foreword) (Picture book. 4­9)

THE HOUSE OF THE LOST ON THE CAPE

Kashiwaba, Sachiko

Trans. by Avery Fischer Udagawa

Illus. by Yukiko Saito

Yonder (224 pp.)

$18.00 | Sept. 12, 2023

9781632063373

Modern and mythological worlds collide in this moving novel from Japan that has been made into an anime.

Kashiwaba and translator Udagawa, known for their Batchelder Award–winning Temple Alley Summer (2021), return with a tale of individual, family, and communal healing amid the tragic aftermath of the 2011 Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami that hit northeastern Japan. Three lone souls meet in a shelter in the town of Kitsunezaki, or Fox’s Point: Hiyori, a silent, orphaned girl around age 10; Yui, a woman escaping her abusive husband; and Kiwa, a mysterious woman in her 80s whom the others call Obāchan, or grandma. Cut loose from their former lives, they move into a mayoiga, a type of magical, uninhabited house, overlooking the sea. As they begin to bond as a family, an ancient threat appears. The tsunami destroyed a shrine built over the cave of a menacing sea snake from an old legend. With the help of river spirits, wise animals called Futtachi, and statues of Jizō guardian deities, the trio must face their fears to battle this vindictive creature. Japanese folklore is woven into the stories Obāchan shares, from a shape-shifting fox to a red-eyed demon child. The tender emotions following collective trauma are skillfully blended with the riveting supernatural action. Can hope be found in such devastating circumstances? Saito’s fullpage, black-and-white illustrations appear throughout, evoking a sense of rural nostalgia and bringing the setting to life.

A powerful story of healing. (map) (Fiction. 8­13)

GOOD BOOKS FOR BAD CHILDREN

The Genius of Ursula Nordstrom

Kephart, Beth

Illus. by Chloe Bristol

Anne Schwartz/Random (48 pp.)

$18.99 | $21.99 PLB | Sept. 19, 2023

9780593379578

9780593379585 PLB

An introduction to Ursula Nordstrom, the groundbreaking 20th-century children’s editor at Harper.

Deriving its title from a Nordstrom aphorism epitomizing her game-changing role in children’s literature, this biography showcases the editor’s upbringing, apprenticeship, and extraordinary partnerships with classic kid-lit creators. Nordstrom spends most of her youth in boarding schools after her parents’ divorce. After five years clerking in Harper’s textbook division, she becomes assistant to Ida Louise Raymond, the children’s department editor, succeeding her after she retires. Nordstrom refers to her creative colleagues as “her geniuses,” and her own editorial genius proves seismic, transforming children’s literature from stodgy obedience manuals to works of imaginative power, centering children as both readers and characters. Kephart highlights Nordstrom’s work with Maurice Sendak, Margaret Wise Brown, a teenage John Steptoe, and others: “She knew what to ask her writers and artists / and how best to listen— / …and encourage their most fabulous stories.” Touching on her subject’s queer identity, Kephart characterizes Nordstrom at boarding school as “a girl who laughed, / but who could also feel alone, / and different.” Retiring to Connecticut, Nordstrom “lived with Mary Griffith, / the woman she loved.” Bristol’s illustrations—in warm browns leavened with cool pastels—depict midcentury details and varied skin tones and interpolate characters like Sendak’s Wild Things and Crockett Johnson’s Harold. (This book was reviewed digitally.)

A welcome, behind-the-scenes look at one of modern children’s literature’s most glorious forces. (author’s note, sources) (Picture­book biography. 7­10)

NATURE IS A SCULPTOR Weathering and Erosion

Kinser, Heather Ferranti

Millbrook/Lerner (32 pp.)

$29.32 PLB | Sept. 5, 2023

9781728477190

Admire nature’s awesome artistry. The author of a book of microscopic images—Small Matters (2020)—turns to nature on a much larger scale here. Combining stunning stock photographs with rhythmic, poetic lines, Kinser has created a work that will have readers and listeners eager to travel to national parks and protected areas around the world. She shows and tells how—through weathering, erosion, and deposition—water, ice, and wind

“A welcome, behind-the-scenes look at one of modern children’s literature’s most glorious forces.”

unabashedly heartfelt search for belonging.”

land of broken promises

create amazing natural features such as Half Dome in Yosemite National Park, California, and a hoodoo in Goblin Valley State Park, Utah. Further afield, she includes photographs of Split Apple Rock, just offshore in New Zealand, and amazing rock striations created by the Russell Glacier in Greenland. The verse contains rhymes and a pleasing repetition of vowel sounds; the rhythm is steady and inexorable—appropriate to the long-term processes it describes. The language is filled with active verbs (“etches, scrapes, and carves,” “shapes and shaves”) and apt figurative language—ice is compared to a “grinder,” and a windstorm is referred to as a “rugged file.” Through both words and images, Kinser makes unfamiliar formation names like tafone easy to understand. The backmatter includes more detail about processes as well as a glossary. (This book was reviewed digitally.)

An impressive STEM read-aloud. (further reading, websites) (Informational picture book. 5­9)

HOW TO WELCOME AN ALIEN

Klempner, Rebecca

Illus. by Shirley Waisman

Kalaniot Books (32 pp.)

$19.99 | Aug. 1, 2023

9798986396538

The Abrahams mistake a group of aliens who crash-land unexpectedly behind their home for the Greenbaums, their new neighbors. Though the extraterrestrials’ odd behavior and incomprehensible language are a bit surprising, Dina invites them in with a welcoming “Shalom” and offers them a seat, water, and cookies. When Dina’s mother, realizing that these aren’t the Greenbaums, whispers that the guests “are a little strange,” Dina reminds her of the traditional Jewish teaching: “It’s a mitzvah to give guests food and drink and a place to rest.” But what these aliens really need is help in repairing their spaceship, which Dina provides with tools and tape. All fixed, the aliens take off again for Alpha Centauri amid gestures of thanks and friendship, leaving the Abrahams with a hologram of their time together. But there’s another funny twist in store when the Greenbaums finally do arrive. All in all, it’s a quirky yet sweet tale, brought to life by soft, whimsical drawings of the family and their mushroomlike guests and imbued with a sound message. The author’s note further explains the important “Jewish view of hospitality” and that of inviting others who may be “poor, lonely, converts, or new to the community.” Dina and her father are tan-skinned, while her mother is lighter-skinned. (This book was reviewed digitally.)

A noble lesson for all. (Picture book. 5­8)

SNAIL AND WORM, OF COURSE

Kügler, Tina

Clarion/HarperCollins (32 pp.)

$19.99 | July 4, 2023

9780358521204

Series: Snail and Worm, 4

Snail and Worm strike again, with another standout early reader.

In this latest installment of the series, Kügler delivers another bighearted trio of stories about two small friends. The controlled text is told through dialogue only, with careful text placement rather than speech tags indicating the speaker. As in previous titles, the characters’ expressions and posturing enhance the text’s gentle humor in the pals’ interactions, which often hinges on Snail’s naïveté. Achieving expressiveness with anthropomorphic invertebrate body language is an impressive feat, and Kügler’s deft use of simple dots and circles for eyes (or, in Snail’s case, eyestalks) seems akin to character illustrations by James Marshall and Jon Klassen. Characters’ simple faces display a range of emotions, from dismay to uncertainty, sadness, fear, and joy, as Worm helps Snail grapple with the ephemeral nature of a cloud and a dandelion gone to seed, and they both confront the feeling of being too small in a big world. The throughline of the book is reciprocal affection, which expands to include a new friend by book’s end when a turtle approaches Snail and Worm and asks to play with them.

Should you read this terrific book? Of course! (Early reader. 5­8)

LAND OF BROKEN PROMISES

Kuo, Jane

Quill Tree Books/HarperCollins (240 pp.)

$18.99 | June 6, 2023

9780063119048

In 1980s California, a girl navigates her way through her family’s pursuit of the American dream.

Ai Shi continues to adjust to living in the small town of Duarte after her family emigrated from Taiwan, as relayed in 2022’s In the Beautiful Country. Despite help from best friend Tiffany, she cannot help but feel she falls short of being “a real American”—standing out among white kids at school and also among Americanborn kids at her Chinese church. Ai Shi is ambivalent about the approaching summer break, assuming she’ll be helping out her parents at their diner as usual since they can’t afford camp. At least her teacher notices her way with words, encouraging Ai Shi to write a speech on the topic of “What America Means to Me” for junior high speech club in the fall. But then her family discovers they have overstayed their visa and need to get a lawyer they can’t afford. Ai Shi’s mother gets a summer job in San Diego, and Ai Shi will officially work at the diner for $5 a

“An

day. Amid the challenges, she savors unexpected pockets of joy, grows in understanding her parents’ wishes for her (“You have so many choices, Ai Shi. / You get to decide”), and finds her own American dream. Kuo’s verse is artfully balanced in tone, never sugarcoating the struggles of the immigration experience but acknowledging the good times as well.

An unabashedly heartfelt search for belonging. (Verse historical fiction. 9­12)

MASALA CHAI, FAST AND SLOW

LaRocca, Rajani

Illus. by Neha Rawat

Candlewick (40 pp.)

$17.99 | Sept. 5, 2023 9781536219401

A young South Asian boy learns the joy of taking his time.

Aarav loves his grandfather, whom he calls Thatha, even though the two approach life at two different tempos: While Thatha “shuffled,” “sauntered,” and “strolled,” Aarav “ran,” “rushed,” and “raced.” Thatha urges Aarav to slow down, but Aarav constantly asks Thatha to speed up—especially at 5 o’clock, when Aarav helps Thatha makes his daily masala chai. Thatha insists that this spicy tea needs to be made at the right pace, no matter how much Aarav wishes it could be ready right away. One day, Thatha falls off a kitchen stool and injures his leg, preventing him from standing. Without Thatha to make the chai, Aarav decides to step in (with the help of an adult or two). At first, he rushes the process, doing it at the speed he’s always wanted to try. Unfortunately, every attempt goes wrong, and it’s only when Aarav tries his grandfather’s ponderous pace that the chai finally tastes just right—and that Aarav appreciates that while it’s fun to be fast, some things are meant to be slow. Although this intergenerational story centers on a South Asian practice—afternoon chai—its sweetly conveyed message of mindfulness will resonate with impatient little ones everywhere. The muted, earth-toned illustrations, depicting an adorably exuberant tot and a loving family, complement the text effectively. (This book was reviewed digitally.)

A much-needed reminder to slow down and live in the moment. (Picture book. 3­7)

BUTTERFLY WINGS A Hopeful Story About Climate Anxiety

Larochelle, Samuel

Illus. by Eve Patenaude

Trans. by Arielle Aaronson

Greystone Kids (104 pp.)

$19.95 | Sept. 26, 2023

9781778400827

A boy fears climate change.

Ten-year-old Florent, a light-skinned child with pale brown hair and blue eyes, “isn’t like other kids”; he’s energetic and sensitive, which might be an attempt at indicating unspecified neurodiversity, since children are often emotionally labile and exuberant. One evening he overhears his mothers (both lightskinned like him) discussing whether they should have another baby; one of them mentions her climate-related anxieties and wonders if it’s wise to bring another child into the world. Florent feels immediately implicated and spirals out over the next few days, imagining numerous horrific possible futures, depicted in equally distressing illustrations. When Florent finally shares his concerns with his parents, they tell him that Mamochka is already pregnant and that they can “stop buying things we don’t need” and “hope the world will heal in time,” but people “should NEVER stop having children.” The subtitle of this book belies the interior, which is more likely to substantiate fears than soothe them given the detailed nightmares and vague, ultimately unhelpful resolution. The stilted voice throughout, occasional lapses into an adult’s perspective, stiff artwork, and unnecessarily voluminous page count will make this tale, translated from French, a hard sell to families and schools alike. (This book was reviewed digitally.)

As anxiety-producing as the news. (Picture book. 7­10)

A SPIDER NAMED ITSY

Light, Steve Candlewick (32 pp.)

$18.99 | Sept. 5, 2023

9781536225297

Itsy Bitsy leads a solitary and comfortable, if not altogether content, existence in a web on a watering can…until disaster strikes.

Alas, a small tree branch falls on the web, and Itsy goes tumbling. Looking for another home, the spider spies the area between a waterspout and roof and begins to move there. Then the wind starts blowing, and then the rain comes, and then, well, as the rhyme goes, Itsy gets washed out only to try again. What makes this tale particularly appealing is the whimsical artwork, which amplifies the spare narrative with numerous other storylines: Small anthropomorphized bugs (of which Itsy is one) are picnicking, playing music, and socializing (which cleverly sets up the denouement) when the unsettling weather comes along. The bugs begin to help each other get to safety, and when all

get washed out, they all try again—together. This message of picking oneself up after disappointment is delivered playfully, making it appropriately effective for young readers, and the final double-page spread illustration lightly delivers the affirmative ending message: Having friends and helping each other are happier ways to live. The book is well designed, with a variety of visual treatments. Bordered images indicate a sense of containment, while spot art emphasizes forward movement. Doublepage spreads highlight expansion and activity. (This book was reviewed digitally.)

A heartwarming take on the familiar nursery rhyme. (Picture book. 3­5)

BENITA AND THE NIGHT CREATURES

Llanos, Mariana Illus. by Cocoretto Barefoot Books (32 pp.)

$17.99 | Sept. 5, 2023

9798888590027

Creatures from Peruvian folklore try, unsuccessfully, to haunt a young reader.

What is a poor spirit to do with a little girl like Benita? Cuco, a creature who appears in the brown-skinned, pigtailed young girl’s bedroom one night, can’t get a scare out of her. Instead, Benita throws the monster a lollipop and continues reading her book. So Cuco enlists other creatures, including green Tunche, black cat Yanapuma, and horned spirit Supay. One by one they appear and are shushed by the girl. (“Cuco and Tunche were shocked! Who did this child think she was?”) The child eventually screams at the group: “CAN’T YOU ALL BE QUIET? DON’T YOU SEE I’M READING A BOOK?” The book wins out; by story’s end Benita is reading to the becalmed creatures, with “stories and pictures frolicking in front of their eyes, creating some sort of enchanted magic….Reading magic!” This brief book charms, with each spirit distinct and beautifully imagined in the simple art that relies on bright, flat colors. An author’s note reveals that Llanos grew up during “a violent time” in Peru but that books were her escape. Information about the night creatures Benita meets and facts about Peru close out this tale. (This book was reviewed digitally.)

An imaginative peek at colorful monsters. (illustrator’s note) (Picture book. 4­7)

MY BIG EMBARRASSING ELEPHANT

Lucas, Angie

Illus. by Pierre Collet­Derby

Marble Creek Press (32 pp.)

$18.99 | Sept. 19, 2023

9781958325025

Attempting to conceal a big secret only makes life harder.

Maya’s family is trying to hide something that’s sitting in the middle of their living room: a big pink egg-shaped elephant wearing a yellow diaper and a folded newspaper hat. Maya’s dad refuses to look at him. Her mother “tries to sweep him under the rug,” while her sister “dances around him.” Nevertheless, the elephant is an ever looming presence in their lives—and a mortifying one, too. The neighbors complain about the noise, so Maya pretends she is practicing her trumpet. And even the raccoons hold their noses at the stinking elephant diapers. When new girl Serena moves next door and tries to befriend Maya, Maya makes several humorous but also desperate excuses. Finally, Serena knocks on Maya’s door and reveals that she has her own large green elephant. The elephants make an effective metaphor for the embarrassing secrets that so often bring kids discomfort. Together, the girls decide it’s better to talk about their problems rather than trying to cover them up—a sound takeaway that will resonate with readers in similar situations. Cartoon-style illustrations with large color blocks and minimal details create a gentle, nonthreatening world for kids to safely consider and sharpen social-emotional skills. Maya and her family have blue skin, while Serena has bright orange skin. (This book was reviewed digitally.)

A kid-friendly primer on addressing the elephant in the room—metaphorical and otherwise. (Picture book. 4­8)

ZHEN YU AND THE SNAKE

Lyons, Erica

Illus. by Renia Metallinou

Kar-Ben (24 pp.)

$19.99 | Sept. 5, 2023

9781728460253

In this retelling of the Talmudic tale of Rabbi Akiva’s daughter, a prophecy foretells that a young woman will be bitten by a snake.

Long ago, Zhen Yu’s Jewish ancestors traveled the Silk Road and settled in Kaifeng, China, where they were welcomed into the community. One morning, a young Zhen Yu and her father, Li Jian, set off to Earth Market Street to buy food for Shabbat. A jade seller’s shiny wares catch Zhen Yu’s attention, and soon Li Jian realizes that she is no longer by his side. Distraught, Li Jian runs smack into the elderly Great Fortune-Teller of Chengdu, who clues Li Jian in as to Zhen Yu’s whereabouts—and warns him that on her wedding night, she will be bitten by a snake. Years later, Zhen Yu is to be married, but her willingness to help a beggar (“the mitzvah of giving to the poor”) sets into motion an event that saves her life. Set in 12th-century China, Lyons’ version of the story highlights the history of the Jews in that region. In this retelling, Li Jian does not believe the fortuneteller (“the Jewish people had their own traditions”) but is nonetheless worried. Metallinou’s art, with bold accents, complement Lyons’ narrative, and attentive readers will pick up on the beggar’s resemblance to the fortuneteller and recurring snake motifs. (This book was reviewed digitally.)

A novel take on a traditional tale. (author’s note) (Picture book. 4­8)

just because

EXTRA NORMAL Marshall,

Kate Alice Viking (272 pp.)

$18.99 | Aug. 29, 2023

9780593526453

While saving her family from monsters, a very normal girl discovers what makes her special.

Twelve-year-old Charlie Greer is part of a unique family—her parents are paranormal investigators, and only she and her father are “normal.” As the ordinary one, Charlie has taken on the responsibility of caring for her adoptive younger siblings: Matty, a Deaf werewolf; Gideon, a genetically engineered telekinetic; and Opal, a nervous young ghost. She even cares for her parents, refusing to call them back from their desperately needed vacation even when a family of mind-controlling monsters moves in across the street. Marshall successfully combines an exciting, gently spooky adventure with some important messages. Charlie must learn two seemingly contradictory lessons: that she is, in fact, special, even if not magically, and that she does not need to carry the weight of the whole world on her young shoulders. Charlie reads white and is hearing; Matty’s mom was from Brazil, Gideon has black hair and brown skin, and Opal is white. The racially diverse background characters include a married gay couple. Despite being a creepy supernatural tale, the overall tone of the book is incredibly positive: There is never a moment of doubt about the love within Charlie’s family. The well-constructed plot leaves just enough unanswered questions to make readers hope for a sequel. Simply a great read. (Supernatural. 10­13)

MEXIKID

Martín, Pedro

Dial Books (320 pp.)

$24.99 | $14.99 paper | Aug. 1, 2023

9780593462287

9780593462294 paper

Martín brings his successful Mexikid Stories online comic series to print.

Living in California’s Central Coast as a first-generation Mexican American, Pedro (or the “American-style” Peter) struggles to find his place. As an American kid growing up in the 1970s, he loves Star Wars and Happy Days but dislikes the way his five oldest siblings, who were born in Mexico, make him feel less Mexican just because he and the three other younger siblings were born after his parents immigrated to the U.S. to work picking strawberries. A family trip to Jalisco to bring their abuelito back to California to live with them presents Pedro with an opportunity to get in touch with his roots and learn more about the places his family calls home. Told from Pedro’s perspective, the panels read as a stream-of-consciousness travelogue as he regales readers with his adventures from

the road. Along the way, Pedro has fresh encounters with Mexican culture and experiences some unexpected side quests. Full of humor, heart, and a decent amount of gross-out moments, Martín’s coming-of-age memoir hits all the right notes. Though the family’s travels took place decades ago, the struggles with establishing identity, especially as a child of immigrants whose identity straddles two cultures, feel as current as ever. The vibrant, action-packed panels offer plentiful details for readers to pore over, from scenes of crowded family chaos to the sights of Mexico.

A retro yet timeless story of family and identity. (family photos, author’s note) (Graphic memoir. 9­14)

JUST BECAUSE

McConaughey, Matthew

Illus. by Renée Kurilla Viking (32 pp.)

$19.99 | Sept. 12, 2023

9780593622032

Oscar winner McConaughey offers intriguing life observations.

The series of pithy, wry comments, each starting with the phrase “Just because,” makes clear that each of us is a mass of contradictions: “Just because we’re friends, / doesn’t mean you can’t burn me. / Just because I’m stubborn, / doesn’t mean that you can’t turn me.” Witty, digitally rendered vignettes portray youngsters diverse in terms of race and ability (occasionally with pets looking on) dealing with everything from friendship drama to a nerve-wracking footrace. “Just because I’m dirty, / doesn’t mean I can’t get clean” is paired with an image of a youngster taking a bath while another character (possibly an older sibling) sits nearby, smiling. “Just because you’re nice, / doesn’t mean you can’t get mean” depicts the older one berating the younger one for tracking mud into the house. The artwork effectively brings to life the succinct, rhyming text and will help readers make sense of it. Perhaps, after studying the illustrations and gaining further insight into the comments, kids will reread and reflect upon them further. The final page unites the characters from earlier pages with a reassuring message for readers: “Just because the sun has set, / doesn’t mean it will not rise. / Because every day is a gift, / each one a new surprise. BELIEVE IT.” As a follow-up, readers should be encouraged to make their own suggestions to complete the titular phrase. (This book was reviewed digitally.)

Charming and thought-provoking proof that we all contain multitudes. (Picture book. 5­8)

“Charming and thought-provoking proof that we all contain multitudes.”

just snow already!

JUST SNOW ALREADY!

McWilliam, Howard Flashlight Press (32 pp.)

$18.95 | Sept. 1, 2023

9781947277984

When Dad announces that it might snow, a child spends the day constantly checking for falling flakes.

Everything reminds the young narrator of snow, even the milk and sugar at breakfast. Though the child’s sister doesn’t really care, the protagonist’s imagination runs wild with plans of sledding, snowball fights, and snowman building, but “absolutely NOTHING” is happening outside. The child doesn’t see what the readers do. It may not be snowing, but the neighborhood is bursting with activity: A parade of bicycles (including a unicycle and an old-fashioned penny-farthing) zips by, a firetruck arrives to rescue a cat in a tree, and a troop of monkeys gets loose from a van full of safari animals. Inside, the child tries to keep busy but worries that it will never snow—imagine having to “build mud men…and go sledding on the grass… and make leaf angels.” Late in the day, Mom suggests the child look outside again. This time, it’s snowing, and “Nothing is as fun as snow!” But reading this story is a close second. While the text captures the restless excitement of waiting for those first snowflakes, the humorously detailed cartoon illustrations are the draw. Each page turn reveals a new action-packed scene that will have kids coming back for repeat reads. Dad is light-skinned, Mom is darker-skinned, and their two children have light tan skin; their community is diverse. (This book was reviewed digitally.)

Just snuggle up and read this one already! (Picture book. 3­8)

THE STINKY FEET MONSTER

Michalak, Jamie

Monster. Throughout, Michalak keeps the sentence length and vocabulary within reach of those just tackling longer texts, with repetitive words and sentence structures and short chapters giving them further support. Kolar’s digital illustrations are a great balance of simple but relevant (and hysterical) details and the unmistakable emotions of the characters.

This droll twosome is sure to have kids in stitches. (Early reader. 5­8)

WAYS TO PLAY

Miller­Lachmann, Lyn

Illus. by Gabriel Alborozo

Levine Querido (32 pp.)

$18.99 | Aug. 8, 2023

9781646142590

A child’s playtime activities differ from those of other kids—and that’s more than OK.

Illus. by

Bob Kolar Candlewick

(48 pp.)

$16.99 | Sept. 26, 2023

9781536225464

Series: Frank and Bean

The delightful oddball duo are back for another adventure, this time hunting down a monster.

The Stinky Feet Monster is said to live in a cave, have incredibly stinky feet (“Just one smell of its feet and you’ll fall over”) that shake the ground when it walks, and say only “ME WANT TO EAT YOU!” While Frank, a hot dog dressed for outdoor exploration and monster hunting, firmly believes in the existence of the Stinky Feet Monster, Bean, a kidney bean who styles himself more like a member of Abba, with funky “rock star boots,” a top hat with a purple lightning bolt on it, sunglasses, and a drum around his neck, is a nonbeliever…though his feelings gradually change as the duo search for the monster’s cave, gain a new friend, and ultimately discover, à la The Monster at the End of This Book, the Stinky Feet

Riley likes to play in ways that “Bossy Older Cousin Emma” says are all wrong. Emma and her little sister, Violet, make a lot of noise when they play, and they hop from one toy to another very quickly. Riley, however, can sit for hours doing one particular thing, like sharpening crayons until they have “the pointiest points,” perfect for drawing beautiful spirals. “That isn’t how you’re supposed to do it,” Emma says. Riley takes the girls out into the yard with Charlie the dog. Emma and Violet expect Charlie to bring the ball back during fetch, but Riley knows Charlie’s method of playing—being chased around the yard. Eventually, they all fall down laughing. Inspired by her own childhood, Miller-Lachmann, who is autistic, is keenly aware that there are many ways of having a good time, and the straightforward, spare first-person narration centers Riley’s experience. Although it’s never explicitly mentioned that Riley has a diagnosis, it seems likely the child is, like the author, autistic, and many neurodivergent children will feel seen and affirmed. Alborozo’s pen-and-ink artwork has a nostalgic charm, depicting light-skinned human characters with large round heads, similar to mid-20th-century comic strips. (This book was reviewed digitally.)

Validating. (Picture book. 3­6)

I AM STUCK

Mills, Julia

Clarion/HarperCollins (48 pp.)

$19.99 | Sept. 26, 2023

9780358695332

It stinks to be stuck.

Turtle is stuck on their back, unable to flip over. “Try wiggling your feet,” advises Duck—nope. Still stuck. “Try wagging your tail,” Kangaroo suggests—nope again. Armadillo says that rolling in a ball might work—Turtle tries… but rolls ALL the way over and is stuck again. Possum wonders if Turtle is playing possum, but Turtle says no. “It doesn’t hurt.

“Just snuggle up and read this one already!”

But I feel scared, frustrated, and alone.” Possum flops over with Turtle. They smell honeysuckle. They hear a bird singing. They watch clouds together. Turtle feels a bit better, but then it rains. Now, Turtle is cold and wet…“but I don’t feel stuck.” Possum says, “I feel like my butt fell asleep.” And the duo giggle so hard, they both flip over. They discover being stuck is not so bad when you’re together. Mills’ tale is incredibly similar to Eoin McLaughlin and Polly Dunbar’s The Roar (2022), right down to the ultimate solution: laughter. In Mills’ story, it’s a possum that helps a turtle (rather than a hedgehog aiding a tortoise), and different animals weigh in on the protagonist’s plight. Though it may seem redundant to have two such similar titles, both offer (the same) good advice to young listeners. Mills’ bright, cartoonish watercolors are enticing; the book concludes with three suggestions for readers who feel metaphorically “stuck.” (This book was reviewed digitally.)

The help of a good friend resolves a sticky situation in this sweet tale. (Picture book. 2­7)

THE WILD JOURNEY OF JUNIPER BERRY

Morris, Chad & Shelly Brown

Shadow Mountain (256 pp.)

$18.99 | Aug. 15, 2023

9781639930999

Juniper Berry lives in the California woods with her family, but when her brother gets sick, they have to leave to get help.

Eleven-year-old Juniper is perfectly happy in the woods, where she learns from mom Clara and dad Zephyr in “earth school” alongside older sister Skylark and younger brother Hawk. But when Hawk becomes dangerously ill, the family goes with him to the hospital. While he recovers, they’re stuck in what Clara calls “society,” where the kids encounter cars, refrigerators, the internet, and public school. Sky and Juniper meet their uncle Parker and cousins Kori and Alayna for the first time—and move in with them. Juniper and Alayna clash: Alayna finds Juniper embarrassing, while Juniper wonders, “Why would it be bad if I acted differently from other people?” Juniper aims to make money to help pay for Hawk’s care so they can all go home to the woods, but she only succeeds once friends help. Juniper is a marvelously developed character navigating extremely uncomfortable situations. Alayna, too, is developed with depth and care; she and Clara have their “storms” (panic attacks) in common, for which they eventually get help. The family members are racially ambiguous: Juniper has light skin and light brown hair and takes after her mother; Sky and Hawk have their dad’s light brown skin and curly dark hair.

A fascinating, touching story of an off-the-grid family facing changes and the invisible threads that connect people. (Fiction. 9­12)

MEOWL-O-WEEN Muldrow,

Diane

Illus. by Tiffany Chen

Astra Young Readers (40 pp.)

$18.99 | Sept. 5, 2023

9781662602009

The neighborhood kitties are out for a prowl on Halloween!

“Out we flounce from our pillows. / Out we pounce from the willows.” Cats of all colors and kinds join the parade to stalk a diverse group of trick-or-treaters. There are no scaredy cats…except maybe one little gray kitten who has lost her way and her mama. The rest of the cats follow the smiling humans until one bold black cat scares them with a sudden yowl. “Such terrific / furr-i-fic FUN!” The two groups march on together. Kitten is still crying for her mother. Finally, Mom sees a tiny tail among the jack-o’-lanterns. The two snuggle and watch the cats and humans. Then Kitten jumps out to give that bold black cat a scare, and it’s time for treats. Happy “Meowl-o-ween!” Muldrow’s rhyming romp is a fine feline addition to libraries with large Halloween collections or as a gift for a favorite kitty collector. Chen’s digitally created illustrations in a colorful palette feature bright-eyed pussycats and exuberant treat-seekers enjoying a slightly spooky Halloween. (This book was reviewed digitally.)

A seasonal story with nary a scare, suitable for tiny tot cat fans. (Picture book. 2­5)

MIST

Palazzesi, Marta

Trans. by Christopher Turner Red Comet Press (160 pp.)

$16.99 | Sept. 5, 2023

9781636550695

A boy living in the slums of Victorian England recognizes a kindred spirit in a caged wild wolf and seeks to liberate it. Thirteen-year-old Clay and his friends and fellow gang members make their living scavenging the banks of the Thames for objects they can sell. When Clay comes upon an exquisite set of hand-painted tarot cards he knows will fetch a handsome price, they lead him to Smith & Sparrow’s Amazing Circus and its headlining attraction, “the last living wolf in the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland.” Curious, Clay approaches the animal’s cage, led there by a young circus performer named Ollie, who’s described as a “didicoy” (defined in a footnote as “a traveler of part Romani descent”). Clay sees the anger and unyielding spirit of the silver wolf, whom he names Mist, as well as Mist’s cruel treatment at the hands of the traveling circus’s animal trainers. Haunted by the memory of Mist in his cage and repulsed by the knowledge of what happens to circus animals that cannot be tamed, Clay resolves to free the wolf at any cost. Readers of this page-turner translated from Italian will be unable to resist rooting for Clay and Mist. Clay

is a compelling protagonist with a strong voice, and kids will eagerly follow along as he works to gain Mist’s trust. Clay and most characters present white.

A heartfelt, attention-grabbing animal adventure. (Fiction. 9­13)

US AIR FORCE ALPHABET BOOK

Pallotta, Jerry & Sammie Garnett

Illus. by Vickie Fraser

Charlesbridge (32 pp.)

$17.99 | Sept. 26, 2023

9781570919527

Series: Jerry Pallotta’s Alphabet Books

An A-to-Z visual glossary of terminology, planes, and history of the U.S. Air Force.

This alphabet book is heavy on airplane specifics and flight jargon. “F is for Fighter Jet,” and the accompanying text and images outline five specific jets, including the F-15 Eagle, which flies at nearly 2,000 miles per hour. “P is for Planes” includes a look at vehicles such as the KC-135, the Spectre, and the E-8D Joint STARS, while “I is for Insignia” features a chart displaying badges and ranks for Air Force personnel. The artwork includes photographs (some historical) and images that include elements that look painted or drawn. The layouts are visually appealing and well balanced. Figures depicted are diverse, but other than the Tuskegee Airmen, there is no discussion of people of color in the Air Force. Adults and children alike stand to learn plenty from this title given the range of topics, terms, and history covered, though the level of detail and content make this most appropriate for readers seeking in-depth information on the Air Force rather than those in search of a simple alphabet book for young children. (This book was reviewed digitally.)

Readers eager to distinguish bombers from missiles will be pleased. (Informational picture book. 6­9)

365 How To Count a Year

Paul, Miranda

Illus. by Julien Chung

Beach Lane/Simon & Schuster (48 pp.)

$18.99 | Sept. 26, 2023

9781665904407

A year’s worth of days doesn’t seem like quite so large a number when broken down into smaller, or at least different, units.

Coming off Bruce Goldstone’s Zero Zebras (2022), Chung moves to bigger numbers with bright views of a dark-skinned, dark-haired child and a lion companion illustrating Paul’s suggestions for turning a year into more manageable bits. Instead of 365 long days, for instance, individually depicted both in a calendar and a neatly arranged if dizzying block of lunar phases, how about thinking of a year as 365 “Good mornings” or 365

clean (“hopefully”) pairs of underwear? Or, better yet, 52 sleepin Saturdays or just 12 monthly themes for the class bulletin board? Or one birthday? At this point the progression spins around to offer more conventional options for measuring the distance between a birthday and the next—in hours (8,760), minutes (525,600), or seconds (31,536,000). The author doesn’t get into seasons or alternative calendrical systems but does include enough astronomy to explain the necessity for leap days. In the end she moves beyond such objective measurements to counsel, perhaps wisely, taking a broad view by regarding the span as “1 marvelous collage / of 1 year / in the life / of you.” (This book was reviewed digitally.)

A bright, buoyant look at measurements, conventional and otherwise. (Informational picture book. 4­6)

SAVING THE SUN

Pearl, Emma

Illus. by Sara Ugolotti

Page Street (32 pp.)

$18.99 | Sept. 19, 2023

9781645679882

The team behind Mending the Moon (2022) follows it up with another sweet, moving fantasy in which Poppa and Luna must avert natural disaster.

Every year, Poppa and Luna, both tan-skinned, visit the child’s favorite place, Summer Island, but this time, “the sun was too hot.” Instead of vanishing below the horizon, the fevered disc splashes into the cool sea. Seeing the sky look “all wrong,” Luna wakes Poppa: They must help! She has an idea: tie palm fronds together to make a long rope. As the rapidly cooling sun bobs on the waves, dolphins appear, carrying the rope out to the sun. A whale offers to tow the sun over the horizon so that it can be in place to return next morning. As night deepens, Luna thinks the stars might be falling: It’s fireflies, and she dreams “of dolphins and shooting stars.” Next morning the sun rises—but lightless. Helped by monkeys, Luna makes a tall bonfire; birds carry flaming sticks to light the edges; and the wind spreads the fire over the sun. The sun “would never go swimming again,” and, grateful that order has been restored, it offers a beautiful sunset each evening. Earning praise from Poppa, Luna feels “glad as a butterfly.” The poetic text is more than matched by glowing illustrations. They are particularly strong in shades and tints of the main color, creating an almost shadowless sense of depth and animation. (This book was reviewed digitally.)

A whimsical tale of imagination, human inventiveness, and interspecies cooperation. (Picture book. 6­8)

MAYBE A WHALE

Pendreigh, Kirsten

Illus. by Crystal Smith

Groundwood (36 pp.)

$21.99 | Aug. 1, 2023

9781773066646

Maybe a search for a whale might uncover a way to heal and remember.

A mother and child—both beigeskinned, dark-haired, and presenting as Asian—look through items left by Grandpa, presumably after his death, that provide a route to follow to search for whales. The child is skeptical at Mom’s assurance that “the trip will do us good,” but the two of them set out in a bright yellow kayak on emerald water, where a giant unseen whale glides silently beneath them. They see moon jellies, seals, and bioluminescence—but no whales. At night, mother and child look up into a star-filled sky, and the little one wonders if whales can see stars. Mom tells the child that Grandpa loved whales, too, and that he will be in their hearts forever, and together, they work through their grief, finding companionship in nature. An offshore sound announces that whales are in fact nearby, blowing spray into the air. Pendreigh’s evocative text alternates between narration and the protagonist’s inner thoughts, offering excellent conversation starters for helping children deal with loss. Smith’s immersive illustrations, which at times have heavy lines, nevertheless make use of dramatic perspectives, imaginative compositions, and a luminous palette of deep blues, greens, purples, and yellows to lend emotional depth to the tale. (This book was reviewed digitally.)

A gentle yet profound story about a shared journey to peace. (Picture book. 3­7)

ELLEN TAKES FLIGHT The Life of Astronaut

Ellen Ochoa

Rappaport, Doreen

Illus. by Oliver Dominguez

Little, Brown (48 pp.)

$19.99 | Sept. 19, 2023

9780759554948

Series: Big Words, 12

Astronaut Ellen Ochoa reaches for the stars.

Though young Ellen is transfixed by images of Neil Armstrong walking on the moon, options for women were limited. Differences between her parents (her father, the son of Mexican immigrants, wouldn’t speak Spanish at home; her mother hired a neighbor to teach the children Spanish) hint at their eventual divorce. Ellen and her mother love learning; she credits her mother for her own impressive academic achievements. Following college, Ellen works as an engineer; in 1978, the astronaut program decides to accept women and people of color, and two years later, she applies and embarks on several space missions. She eventually becomes the first Latine and second

woman director of the Johnson Space Center. Her perseverance in the face of setbacks and reliance on teamwork come through clearly. The writing is excellent: Essential aspects of astronaut qualifications, training, and experience are described in clear detail, such as the feeling of G-force at takeoff. Brief quotations in a red font let us hear Ellen’s voice. The presence of her flute in both text and images reflects the importance of music to her. Brilliant, sure-handed gouache illustrations add even more vivid life to the well-paced text. Swaths of color, varied blues balancing bright orange-yellows, intensify the realistic images, and frequent changes of perspective and layout will hold readers’ attention. (This book was reviewed digitally.)

A book sure to fly off shelves and into children’s hands. (author’s and illustrator’s notes, chronology, selected bibliography) (Picture­book biography. 6­9)

CONSTRUCTION SITE Taking Flight!

Rinker, Sherri Duskey

Illus. by A.G. Ford

Chronicle Books (44 pp.)

$17.99 | Sept. 26, 2023

9781797221922

Series: Goodnight, Goodnight Construction Site

Introducing a new category of working vehicles to appeal to airport enthusiasts.

Six construction machines—whom readers may recognize from previous titles in this wildly popular series—wait in a lengthy traffic jam. A huge control tower dominates the landscape, but the airport isn’t big enough for its region. The trucks will help build a necessary addition. A clever elevation sketch with white lines indicates exactly where the extension will go and what it will look like. Planes and additional specialized vehicles are shown in an overview, and one by one the construction machines—and readers—meet Rubber Removal Machine, Jumbo Jet, De-icing Truck, and more. Crane Truck comments that Lift Truck enjoys doing similar work: “I see you like to lift things, too!” Although a spring snowstorm that comes out of nowhere results in a lot of extra work (“Snow-Removal Team, let’s roll!”), a sudden announcement that the “giant job’s COMPLETE” (no overtime or overruns?) may be the only unrealistic element here. All ends in new friendships and hard-earned sleep. Energetic rhymes lift off easily, and bright, detailed illustrations personalizing the vehicles connect to those in earlier volumes. This series’ booming construction industry shows no signs of a slowdown. (This book was reviewed digitally.)

While firmly grounded, this book will send many small fans soaring. (Picture book. 3­6)

“A book sure to fly off shelves and into children’s hands.”

ellen takes flight

BASKETBALL TOWN

Rothman, Scott

Illus. by

Darnell Johnson Candlewick

(40 pp.)

$17.99 | Sept. 12, 2023

9781536219777

Basketball-loving Maxwell shows up to Basketball Town with hoop dreams… and a lot to learn.

Basketball Town is exactly what it sounds like, a world where basketball-shaped mountains loom in the distance, balls flow from waterfalls like wet jump shots, and even rainbows are basketball printed, all brought to life by Johnson’s charming digital illustrations. Maxwell immediately recognizes this as “THE BEST PLACE EVER” when he arrives after falling asleep one night. But eventually he discovers that competition in a town with only one thing on its mind is tough. Even the Mayor recognizes that Maxwell needs to work on his skills—in the appropriately named suburb of Skillsville. The ensuing training montage is as motivational as it is silly. Maxwell takes classes at “the College of the Crossover” and gets his “dunking diploma from Phi Slamma Jamma.” He’s good but still needs more work according to the Mayor, who looks curiously like Maxwell’s dad. The importance of dedication and teamwork is the ultimate takeaway of Maxwell’s stint in Basketball Town and something that carries him through the impromptu championship game he checks into with five minutes left—he scores the winning bucket!—all the way to when he awakes to real-world basketball practice with his team and supportive dad; readers will come away with good pointers on how to become strong athletes. Maxwell, his dad, and the Mayor are Black; Basketball Town is diverse. (This book was reviewed digitally.)

A straightforward sports fantasy with invaluable lessons for young ballplayers. (glossary) (Picture book. 4­8)

PIECE BY PIECE

Ernestine’s Gift for President Roosevelt

Ruiz­Flores, Lupe

Illus. by Anna López Real Millbrook/Lerner (32 pp.)

$20.99 | Sept. 5, 2023

9781728460437

The true story of an elaborate clock case that a young Mexican American resident of San Antonio made for Franklin Delano Roosevelt as a thank-you gift.

A gingerbread fantasy crafted from 156 pieces of sugar pine crates saved from New Deal food deliveries, the 40-inch-high case sits today in the FDR Presidential Library. It was made in 1937 in recognition of help received during the Great Depression, and here Ruiz-Flores spins news stories and interviews with surviving family members into an affecting account of how young Ernestine Guerrero, a carpenter’s daughter and helper, taught herself woodworking techniques and then painstakingly

cut and assembled the case. Neither the author nor López Real seems to know much about carpentry—Guerrero would have needed more than just a coping saw and a chisel, the only tools she’s actually shown using, to carve many of the work’s “interlaced decorative designs”—but in the pictures her serious figure exudes determination, and the finished project is both magnificent and (as a photo at the end shows) accurately rendered. The letter to the president that she composed to go with the gift, which is excerpted in the narrative and shown in full at the end, is likewise marvelous: “This is the best I have ever done in my life. I know that you have many pretty things, but please accept and keep this piece of work from a poor girl that doesn’t have anything….” (This book was reviewed digitally.)

A small but feel-good historical anecdote. (author’s note, glossary, source notes, selected bibliography) (Informational picture book. 6­9)

NELL & THE NETHERBEAST Rule, Adi Illus. by Ash Szymanik

Andrews McMeel Publishing (288 pp.)

$13.01 paper | Aug. 15, 2023

9781524882440

A cat that is not a cat insists on being a girl’s companion.

When 12-year-old Nell and her older sister, Lulu, go to help Aunt Jerry with managing her inn, the mysterious feline that followed Nell home from an alley comes with them. Nell thinks of the protean, catlike creature as the Netherbeast. It is remarkably smelly—descriptions of its transformations involve awful odors and emanations of goo—and it’s capable of inflicting terrible injury with its many claws and teeth. It adores Nell, who doesn’t buy its sweet kitty disguise. The girls arrive to discover Aunt Jerry’s Rose Cottage Bed & Breakfast literally falling apart. The formerly warm and welcoming guesthouse now harbors a furious rage: Plants in the garden die, shingles and bricks fly loose, and books come crashing down. Famous travel influencers have booked a stay, but things are neither rosy nor ready for guests. The cause of the house’s disintegration turns out to be a tantrum that a former occupant, now a ghost in the basement rumpus room, is having. The Netherbeast is weirdly fascinating, and Nell is an appealing heroine. Awkward and shy, she thinks of herself as a moose, a label given her by a school bully, in comparison with her petite and accomplished sister, but her talents for solving mysteries and returning lost objects to their owners, along with the Netherbeast’s supernatural capabilities, come in handy now. The characters read white. Black-and-white spot art adds a whimsical touch.

Entertainingly page-turning. (Fiction. 8­12)

“A straightforward sports fantasy with invaluable lessons for young ballplayers.”

basketball town

THE PIG, THE ELEPHANT, AND THE WISE-CRACKING BIRD

Sampson, Michael & Bonnie J. Johnson Illus. by Joshua

Brown

Books

Sampson

Kids (40 pp.)

$17.99 | Aug. 8, 2023

9781612546018

It’s all in the interpretation.

On Friday afternoon, Ogden Oink remembers that his mother’s birthday is on Monday; he has to quickly earn money for a gift. Noticing a “Help Wanted” sign at a detective agency, the young pig applies for the job and is hired immediately. His mission: find a missing baby zoo elephant. He’s given a set of “detective rules”: “Pinch pennies.” “Don’t put all your eggs in one basket.” “Stay ahead of the game.” “Don’t spill the beans.” “Don’t get cold feet.” “Put on your thinking cap.” But Ogden doesn’t understand idiomatic expressions. Taking these rules literally, he empties his bank for pennies to pinch, places eggs in separate baskets, ties a checker board to his ankle, and so on. Ogden initially fails at locating the pachyderm. Meanwhile, a smart-alecky bird offers additional figurative expressions on every page; these are generally intended as comments on the proceedings. Keen-eyed readers will observe the elephant surreptitiously hiding in some illustrations as Ogden goes about his unsuccessful detecting. This is a thin, almost plotless story, its main purpose being a lesson in idioms. Slight humor arises from readers’ understanding the difference between Ogden’s literal interpretations and the expressions themselves. Kids who don’t comprehend the idiomatic language won’t get the point, but a glossary explains it. The loosely drawn, colorful, lively line illustrations, depicting an all-animal cast, look amateurish. (This book was reviewed digitally.)

An attempt at witty wordplay that doesn’t quite come together. (Picture book. 6­9)

PRINCESS DIANA

Sánchez Vegara, Maria Isabel

Illus. by Archita Khosla

Frances Lincoln (32 pp.)

$15.99 | Sept. 5, 2023

9780711283077

Series: Little People, BIG DREAMS, 98

A sugary profile of the people’s princess. Aptly timed, considering the recent British succession, this sanitized portrait of the late royal leaves out her various affairs and much else but does highlight her later advocacy for AIDS victim relief and minefield clearing, among other social causes. Even more than usual in her Little People, BIG DREAMS series, Sánchez Vegara really lays on the gooey prose—beginning with accounts of Diana’s birth as not the hoped-for son but still “such a breath of joy that she became the apple of her father’s eye” and her practice of bestowing hugs on her younger brother, Charles, that “were filled with the love that a kid needs to grow.” From there it was on to a school award

for, according to the accompanying illustration, “Kindest Girl,” the royal wedding, subsequent bouts of bulimia (described in discomfiting detail) at the discovery that her husband’s “heart belonged to someone else,” and divorce. But “little Diana never regretted leaving the palace to follow her own path: the path of a true princess who—by opening herself up to others—became a queen in people’s hearts.” Mention of her death is relegated to a line in the afterword. (This book was reviewed digitally.)

Even for this series, a particularly cloying entry. (timeline, photos) (Picture­book biography. 6­8)

SKYSCRAPER BABIES

Sayre, April Pulley & Jeff Sayre

Illus. by Juliet Menéndez

Godwin Books (32 pp.)

$18.99 | Sept. 26, 2023

9781250139771

Living up high, oh, my!

Some human, animal, and avian babies live elevated lives, i.e., in or atop skyscrapers, trees, buildings (or their ledges), cliff edges, or mountaintops. Their homes look different and may be old or new, but “skyscraper babies” and families enjoy commanding views from lofty perches “close to the sky.” Wherever these babies live, they do what other babies do—rest, cry, and play—while solicitous caretakers tend them. They grow and explore, occasionally descending from above; then ever watchful adults welcome them home. While the comparisons between these various babies are sound and at times quite charming, kids may get confused, recognizing families don’t have to be elevated to behave as described; furthermore, the illustrations don’t consistently depict them dwelling aloft. The text is expressed in gentle verse and is aurally gratifying with playful alliterative, consonant, and assonant sounds. Pleasing, lively, flat illustrations, rendered with watercolors and edited digitally, have an art deco feel and portray different creatures plus humans diverse in skin tone, age, and physical ability. Varied type fonts enhance visual interest; the book orients vertically, reinforcing the “up” theme. (This book was reviewed digitally.)

How fun to think about life going on above your head. (information about the late April Pulley Sayre, skyscraper birds and mammals, and helping skyscraper babies) (Picture book. 4­7)

MEMO AND THE UNEXPECTED GIFT

Seran, Funda Özlem & Ezgi Keles

Illus. by Ezgi Keles

Trans. by Amy Marie Spangler

Amazon Crossing Kids (40 pp.)

$17.99 | Sept. 19, 2023

9781662512926

A story about an unusual family and an unusual friendship. Memo and his grandmother live alone “in a tiny cottage” with few other buildings visible in the distance. Memo is a cheerful, red-sweatered child, and his grandmother, round with white hair in an updo, is similarly chipper but slowing down in her old age; both are light-skinned. Memo is occasionally lonely given that he never seems to interact with anyone besides his easily tired and nearsighted grandma, but when a tiny orange kitten shows up one rainy night, Memo’s loneliness disappears. Unfortunately, the kitten turns out to be a lion (kidnapped by smugglers), and Memo knows that the only choice he has is to find a set of wings that enable the lion to fly home—one of his grandfather’s old inventions—and say goodbye to his sole nongeriatric companion. Luckily, the lion becomes…an optometrist? And mails Memo a pair of glasses, which allow his grandmother to see better and somehow solve some of the other problems that made Memo feel lonely. Accompanied by quirky artwork, a mix of vignettes and full-page spreads, this Turkish import relies on silliness rather than any semblance of sense; it will make some kids laugh and others ask “Why?” (This book was reviewed digitally.)

Surrealism for the very young. (Picture book. 4­7)

AJAY AND THE MUMBAI SUN

Shah, Varsha

Chicken House/Scholastic (208 pp.)

$18.99 | July 4, 2023

9781338875461

Ajay, a street kid living in a Mumbai railway station, earns a living by hawking newspapers and longs to become a journalist.

A chance meeting with a well-known environmentalist, the discovery of an abandoned printing press, and a whole lot of gumption help Ajay chase his dream. His motley crew of friends—a railway apprentice engineer, an artist, a seasoned cook, and a budding cricketer—get together to start their own paper: The Mumbai Sun. Ajay learns of a plan to raze the neighboring slum and pounds the pavement to get an exclusive scoop that lays bare a diabolical plan by a corrupt nexus of builders and politicians to stage a land grab. With meager resources and goons on their trail, Ajay and his crew use their street smarts to dig deep and uncover hard truths. The fast-paced narrative builds on themes of friendship, loyalty, and underdogs getting the upper hand. However, improbable scenarios, escalating melodrama, and predictable turns mar the storytelling. Awkwardly reworded

American idioms (“Compared to finding stories, that was a piece of paratha”), details that feel jarring (in one scene, Ajay hides in a building’s air vents, which are uncommon in Mumbai), and references that privilege a Western perspective (Ajay compares making a big discovery to finding Christmas presents) result in a depiction of the city that doesn’t ring true.

Despite an intriguing premise, weakness in plotting and a lack of nuance hold this Mumbai-set tale back. (Fiction. 8­12)

THE BEYOND

Shiga, Jason

Amulet/Abrams (136 pp.)

$14.99 | Aug. 22, 2023

9781419757815

Series: Adventuregame Comics, 2

Find your own laughs in this labyrinthine comedy, the latest in Shiga’s choose-your-own-adventure-style series.

Though this installment follows the same structure as Leviathan (2022), it stands alone; readers need not be familiar with the previous volume. An introduction includes instructions for navigating this puzzle story, which opens with a tutorial that leads into the main narrative. Pinkskinned Mario Rivera ventures forth from a mysterious waiting room into the worlds of different books. Readers make a variety of choices for Mario, from the mundane (pushing or pulling on a door) to the dramatic (whether to force a pirate to walk the plank). Mario’s guide, light-skinned Xochitl, helps orient Mario and readers to the rules of entering and exiting books. Cheaters who disregard the story’s unique structure and flip around will rob themselves of the joy of discovering the various solutions to its clever password system. New routes and characters are their own rewards, as they bring with them an unpredictable sense of humor that ranges from slapstick to wordplay. The restricted palette of reds, grays, and browns and simple, almost stick figure–like illustrations are used to depict all routes; though readers will notice clues as to what’s going on, they aren’t readily apparent on a quick flip-through. A brief bonus chapter of gags closes out the book.

The riddle of what to read for a day of wily what-ifs is answered here in fantastic fashion. (Graphic fiction. 8­12)

GRIMWOOD Let the Fur Fly!

Shireen, Nadia

Andrews McMeel Publishing (256 pp.)

$11.99 paper | Sept. 26, 2023

9781524882273

Series: Grimwood, 2

When a vulpine con artist threatens the happy forest community of Grimwood, hidden talents come to light.

The sport of treebonk (which involves jumping through

and the mango tree

the air between trees “until one team is entirely on the ground or all the players start crying”) plays a significant role in this second series romp. The forest of Grimwood stands to be turned into a theme park if its team loses a challenge with neighboring Twinklenuts Forest. Or so smooth-talking fox Sebastian Silver, who claims to be mayor of Twinklenuts, proposes. He reckons not, however, on the courage of fellow fox Nancy, newly arrived with Ted, her little brother, as parentless fugitives from the Big City in the previous episode, or haughty diva duck Ingrid, whose stories of being a spy in a previous life before turning to the theater prove not at all as improbable as supposed. In fact, though the tournament takes a disastrous turn, the multispecies residents of Grimwood unite to save the day and send the furry bad guy far, far away with a blast from the world’s largest glitter cannon (“Sparkly-sparkly-boom-boom-boom!”). Loosely drawn sketches made even scruffier by added ink smudges and fingerprints add appropriately madcap notes to the all-animal frolic.

As much fun to read as “Twinklenuts” is to say. (Animal fantasy. 8­12)

MAJOR TAYLOR World Cycling Champion Smith Jr., Charles R.

Illus. by Leo Espinosa

Candlewick (48 pp.)

$18.99 | Sept. 12, 2023

9781536214987

Renowned cyclist Marshall “Major” Taylor endured arduous conditions while competing in the Six-Day Race.

Before Lebron James or Serena Williams, Taylor was one of the first Black Americans to win a championship in any sport and the first in cycling. Bouncy verse introduces readers to the young cyclist in Madison Square Garden in 1896. There, Taylor, a then-unknown 18-year-old, took part in a competition that involved six days of nearly continuous bike riding in front of thousands (“One hour of sleep / for every eight on the bike / kept you in the race, / but you fought to stay upright”). Taylor’s talent, discipline, and mentorship from a former cyclist champion set the foundation for his career in cycling. The race was demanding, a “test of physical endurance…and mental strength,” and for Taylor, as the only Black cyclist, dealing with racist attacks presented an additional layer of difficulty. As dramatic, almost cinematic scenes depict Taylor taking sharp corners, flashbacks chronicle previous races that led up to this one as well as the immense pressures he faced. Espinosa’s bold illustrations pair well with the book’s action-packed story and unfussy, lively text. Readers will be engaged and curious to learn more about a sports figure they’ve likely never heard of. (This book was reviewed digitally.)

A charming, beautifully illustrated portrait of a worldclass athlete who deserves to be even more widely known. (more information on Taylor, timeline, bibliography) (Informational picture book. 5­9)

JULIE AND THE MANGO TREE Smith, Sadé Illus. by Sayada Ramdial Feiwel

& Friends (32 pp.)

$18.99 | Aug. 8, 2023

9781250806345

Prepare to crave mangoes.

Julie, a young Jamaican girl, is on a quest to convince her favorite mango tree to share its delicious fruit with her. Papa isn’t here to use his ladder to climb up and pick some. So Julie tries asking the tree, then climbing it. She even attempts a trade: “Four June plums for just one mango.” Nothing works, not even singing to it. Finally, Julie decides on a new approach: gentle encouragement and patience. She gives the sturdy tree a hug and then waits. That evening turns windy, and the next day brings thunder and rain. But Julie discovers the following day that something miraculous has happened. There are now mangoes all over the ground… and in fact, there are too many for Julie to eat by herself. Remembering how sad she felt when she couldn’t reach the mangoes, she decides to share the fruit with the rest of her diverse community. Smith’s story is sweet and infused with joy. Filled with energy and movement, Ramdial’s expressive, vibrant images pop with color, especially in an illustration of Julie biting into a mango dripping with juice. It’s impossible to read this tale and not end up wanting a delicious mango treat—readers will be pleased at the inclusion of recipes for mango smoothies, salad, and juice. (This book was reviewed digitally.)

A mouthwatering reminder that everything is tastier when it’s shared. (Picture book. 5­8)

NOTHING EVER HAPPENS ON A GRAY DAY

Snider, Grant Chronicle Books (44 pp.)

$17.99 | Sept. 5, 2023

9781797210896

A child finds adventure and a change of perspective on a dreary day.

Clouds cover everything in a palette of unending gray, creating a sense of ennui and gloom. A child stands alone, head down, feeling as gray as the day, and decides to ride through town on an old bike. Pops of color throughout the grayscale illustrations go unnoticed—there are yellow leaves scattered about, and the parking lot is filled with bright yellow buses, but this child, who has skin the grayish white of the page, sees only the empty playground, creaky swings, a sad merry-go-round, and lonely seesaws. But look—there’s a narrow winding path just beyond the fence, something to explore. There are things to be noticed, leaves to be crunched, and discoveries to be made. Imagination takes over, along with senses of wonderment and calm, as the child watches a large blue bird fly over the area. The ride home is quite different, joyful and filled with color previously ignored,

“A mouthwatering reminder that everything is tastier when it’s shared.”

julie

reaffirming the change in the rider’s outlook. The descriptive, spare text filled with imagery and onomatopoeia is well aligned with well-rendered art highlighting all the colors that brighten the not-so-gray day and allowing readers to see what the protagonist struggles to understand, that “anything can happen… on a gray day.” (This book was reviewed digitally.)

Quietly contemplative and thoroughly lovely. (Picture book. 5­9)

THE TRIPLET THREAT

Starmer, Aaron Illus. by Marta Kissi

Odd Dot (192 pp.)

$8.99 paper | Aug. 29, 2023

9781250839282

Series: Math Mysteries, 1

Fourth grade sleuths do it by the numbers in this STEM-centric series kickoff.

Showing every step in inset boxes of calculations and solutions inserted throughout the narrative, Starmer pitches a nonstop series of classroom mysteries at math whiz Abby “The Abacus” Feldstein, stats superstar Gabe Kim, and talented chemist/kitchen dynamo Cam McGill—collectively known as the Prime Detectives since, obviously, they’re indivisible like prime numbers. Shepherded by firm, kind teacher Mrs. Everly (think Ms. Frizzle but with an even larger wardrobe), the team solves conundrums ranging from why the Penderton triplets are tardy on the first day of class at Arithmos Elementary and why the initial batch of homemade cookies they bake for everyone tastes terrible (a recipe is included midway through) to the fate of a stolen iPad. Along with arithmetical operations and systematic evidence gathering, getting to answers involves rounding, estimation, and unit conversion… not to mention clear explanations of “buffalo theory,” the right way to scale recipes up, techniques for creating a “Memory Palace,” and several other intellectual tools as useful outside math class as in. In Kissi’s blue-tinted drawings, Abby and Mrs. Everly are light-skinned, Gabe is cued Asian, and Cam presents Black; their classmates are a racially diverse group. High density edutainment…with cookies. (Fiction. 7­10)

THE LOST LIBRARY

Stead, Rebecca & Wendy Mass

Feiwel & Friends (224 pp.)

$17.99 | Aug. 29, 2023

9781250838810

A boy who visits a little free library gets more than he bargained for when he becomes a sleuth caught up in the middle of his town’s most enduring mystery.

Ever since a tragic fire destroyed the Martinville Library, the town has been

left without a place to borrow books. That is, until a little free library suddenly pops up, guarded by a fluffy orange cat named Mortimer. Fifth grader Evan McClelland selects two books from its shelves. Inside them he finds puzzling clues that lead him to chase down the real story behind the library fire. The book is told from multiple perspectives, including those of Evan, Mortimer, and ghost librarian Al, who perished in the blaze and is responsible for the upkeep of the little free library. Evan’s tenacious and curious character is relatable. His relationship with likable best friend Rafe, a brave, kind boy with overprotective parents, is easily one of the most endearing parts of the story. The puzzle over the library fire, a secret involving Evan’s family, a popular writer’s connection to Martinville, and the supernatural elements are presented in ways that are just right for middlegrade readers. The pacing is strong, and the twists and turns are satisfying even if perceptive readers may catch hints of the ultimate truth along the way. Physical descriptions of the human characters are largely absent.

A page-turner with striking characters and a satisfying puzzle at its heart. (Mystery. 8­12)

HOW DOES CHOCOLATE TASTE ON EVEREST?

Explore Earth’s Most Extreme Places Through Sight, Sound, Smell, Touch, and Taste

Stewart­Sharpe, Leisa Illus. by Aaron Cushley

Charlesbridge (68 pp.)

$18.99 | Sept. 26, 2023 9781623544195

Visits to 11 of the most extreme places on Earth—and beyond. Inviting intrepid young explorers to pack up survival gear and follow along, Stewart-Sharpe leads a zigzag tour that begins in the heat-blasted Danakil Depression of Ethiopia, ends on Mars, and in between roves from the subterranean Krubera Cave in (the country of) Georgia and the benthic Challenger Deep to volcanic Zavodovski Island (“The world’s stinkiest place”). Along with proposing such feats as sky-diving to the top of Mount Everest and hauling a pulk (sled) across Antarctica, the author namedrops dozens of actual people, including many with disabilities, who have done the same and also calls attention to each locale’s distinctive sights, sounds, scents, sensations, and tastes. Cushley provides such helpful images as a tally of useful supplies but goes mostly for montage-style outdoor scenes populated by local wildlife and small, racially diverse visitors. Even seasoned armchair travelers will not only encounter some unfamiliar places, but are likely to find all of them more memorable for the sensory notes about, for instance, the taste of piranha (“weirdly ‘muddy’ ”), the smell of a lightning storm over Lake Maracaibo, or the feeling of a venomous mulga snake gliding over a boot in the Australian Outback. A reminder to take care of our planet plus the leading question “But where to next?” add suitable closing notes.

Strong appeals to the sense of adventure as well as the typical other five. (glossary) (Nonfiction. 6­9)

“A page-turner with striking characters and a satisfying puzzle at its heart.”

the lost library

THE SPIN

Stroman, Marcus

Aladdin (288 pp.)

$17.99 | July 11, 2023

9781665916172

Series: Marcus Stroman, 2

MLB player Stroman’s semiautobiographical series continues with an examination of the power of words.

As baseball star Marcus’ season winds down, he is looking forward to playing basketball. His father, however, sees that as a trivial interruption to the real work—the drills and off-season workouts that will keep Marcus in top shape for the next baseball season. In school, Marcus and his classmates are exploring bias in writing through a newspaper-writing assignment, and a frustrating article about Marcus and the basketball team’s performance proves to be an opportunity to examine not only how the words chosen can affect the information being conveyed and how to discern the truth from what’s written, but also how to decide what criticism is and isn’t worth heeding. With the help of therapist Gary, Marcus finds a way to discuss his love of basketball with his parents while learning to deal with other people’s opinions of his sports performance, which will be unavoidable if (when) he becomes a professional athlete. Friends Kai and Robbie are caring and supportive, and Robbie in particular shows touching emotional growth. Some readers may wish for more sports action scenes, but thoughtful conversations with Marcus’ parents and therapist are important models of good communication, and the discussion of media bias is timely and relevant. Physical descriptions of characters are minimal, though the first book cued Marcus as biracial (the son of a Puerto Rican mother and a Black father).

Another well-done entry in a sporty series with obvious appeal and plenty of depth. (Fiction. 8­12)

THE RUNAWAY DOSA

Subramaniam, Suma

Illus. by Parvati Pillai

Little Bee Books (32 pp.)

$18.99 | Sept. 5, 2023

9781499813975

Two siblings’ attempt to catch their escapee breakfast leads to a magical journey.

As a hungry little girl reaches for the last dosa, a thin rice and lentil crepe, it suddenly transforms into a cheeky runaway trying to escape its fate. As she and her brother follow the dosa, they find themselves transported to an enchanted wonderland full of magical creatures from Hindu mythology. The vulture Jatayu, colorful lizard Nrga, and monkey Riksha, among others, call out to the children and help them in their search. However, the siblings are unable to catch the tricky dosa, which then meets its inevitable end. When the children return home

hungry, their mother reassures them that more dosas are on the way. Inspired by “The Gingerbread Man” and the popular Tamil rhyme “Dosai! Amma, Dosai,” the story is a whimsical magical trip. The illustrations rely on intricate patterns with traditional Indian touches in the clothing, utensils, and family’s warm shades of brown. However, the transition as the children enter the magical world feels abrupt, and the rhymes sound clunky. Though this story lacks the repetition and momentum of “The Gingerbread Man,” for many readers, it will open the door to a world of fantastical beasts. The book includes the original rhyme in Tamil and English as well as a Tamil glossary. (This book was reviewed digitally.)

An unconventional twist on a well-known tale. (author’s note, origin stories of the creatures mentioned, a note about dosas, dosa recipe) (Picture book. 4­8)

JERRY CHANGED THE GAME!

How Engineer Jerry Lawson

Revolutionized Video Games

Forever

Tate, Don Illus. by Cherise Harris

Paula Wiseman/Simon & Schuster (40 pp.)

$18.99 | Aug. 29, 2023

9781665919081

An African American boy who loved to tinker grew up to change the world of video games.

Living in 1940s Queens, New York, Jerry Lawson loved to play with simple machines. His parents encouraged his interest in science, and after his mother gave him a shortwave radio for a Christmas gift, he became an amateur operator. As he got older and more experienced, he was able to use his talents to make repairs and build gadgets for friends. Jerry attended Queens College and the City College of New York but didn’t obtain a degree; instead, he continued to learn more by tinkering on his own. In 1968 he left the New York area for Northern California, where technology was expanding. Though he often felt like an outsider, as one of the few Black engineers, he remained focused on his work. With arcade games surging in popularity, Jerry came up with a coin-operated video game called Demolition Derby. Impressed, his bosses tasked him with devising a game that could be played at home, a complicated problem to solve. Jerry ultimately came up with the concept of the removable cartridge. This lively biography of an unsung pop-culture hero shows how one person’s curiosity and drive can have a huge impact. Harris’ vivid illustrations and graphics complement Tate’s engaging text. (This book was reviewed digitally.)

Enticing and inspiring fare. (author’s and illustrator’s notes, timeline, glossary, bibliography) (Picture­book biography. 4­8)

THIS IS NOT MY STORY

Uytdewilligen, Ryan

Illus. by David Huyck Kids Can (40 pp.)

$19.99 | June 6, 2023

9781525303432

A story about stories and genres. As the book opens, a brown-skinned boy is flying a spaceship, surrounded by green aliens in their own spacecrafts, but announces to the unseen author/narrator that this is the wrong story for him (“I definitely don’t believe in aliens”). The boy ends up on a blank white page, looking startled, while the narrator considers other potential roles for him, such as Cattle King Carl, “quickest wrangler in the West,” a dragon-slaying knight, the victim of a Transylvanian vampire, and a plant in a science textbook…all of which the child rejects. Flustered, the narrator leaves this poor boy on a blank page in only his underwear before finally asking the character what story he wants to be in. The narrator is similarly unsuccessful at coming up with that tale, but the protagonist has a solution. Huyck’s artistic style remains relatively consistent while the settings and palettes change from story to story. Uytdewilligen’s clever, inspired work of metafiction will have readers giggling at the boy’s commentary and also getting a lesson in the concept of genre. The narrator appears at the end, a light-skinned adult, pen and sketchpad in hand, opposite a list of genres.

A fun patchwork of stories that encourages out-of-the-box thinking. (Picture book. 6­10)

AN OFRENDA FOR PERRO

Valdés B., Judith Illus. by Carlos Vélez Aguilera Little Bee Books

(32 pp.)

$18.99 | Sept. 5, 2023

9781499813876

A boy deals with the loss of his dog.

Ever since Benito was born, his dog, Perro, has been his faithful companion. But one day, when Benito invites Perro to go on a walk, the elderly dog stumbles and is unable to get up. Benito’s father takes Perro to the vet but returns alone. Benito is devastated, missing even Perro’s wet-dog smell after a walk in the rain. The time comes to prepare for Dia de los Muertos, and though Benito doesn’t feel like doing anything, his mother convinces him to help. As he joins his parents in gathering marigolds, buying candles, and arranging family portraits on the altar, he learns the meaning of each symbol and the reason for the holiday. “We don’t celebrate the dead,” his father tells him, “but the love we have for them.” As they share memories of deceased loved ones, Benito understands that as long as he remembers him, Perro will be with him always. The text is minimal, providing the story a strong backbone without overexplaining. The result is a tale that will help

children articulate their own feelings while giving them space to infer and project deeper emotional nuances. The lush illustrations—including a joyful representation of Perro’s spirit—counterbalance Benito’s sadness and invite readers to linger on each scene. Benito and his parents are Latine and brown-skinned. (This book was reviewed digitally.)

Will leave anyone grieving feeling seen and hugged. (author’s note, Spanish-English glossary) (Picture book. 5­8)

A BOOK OF DOGS (AND OTHER CANINES)

Viggers, Katie

Laurence King (32 pp.)

$18.99 | Sept. 19, 2023

9781510230385

Meet the canine family!

This British import introduces representative examples of the canine family, both domesticated and wild. Viggers, who previously profiled bears, monkeys, and cats in amusingly illustrated volumes, divides familiar breeds into working, herding, hound, sporting, and toy dogs as well as terriers. Each group is introduced on a double-page spread with a short description and illustrations of several examples. The dogs pictured are easily recognizable, and even very young pet owners are likely to be able to pick out their own. Using a similar format, Viggers then devotes spreads to wolves, coyotes, and jackals; foxes; and other wild dogs. She also explores doggy jobs such as search and rescue or therapy. There’s a spread on canine communication (a wagging tail indicates happiness, a tucked one conveys fear), another on agility training for pets, and a general world map showing where wild canines can be found. A final page describes mixed breeds and rescue dogs. Most of the artwork consists of realistic, appealing portraits, with a touch of costumed whimsy, such as an image of three retrievers kitted out in athletic gear or a wolf sitting at a table for a meal. From time to time the dogs offer commentary, too, but it is relatively easy to distinguish fact from fancy.

An engaging and informative survey of a popular species. (Nonfiction. 4­8)

PRAK FILLS THE HOUSE

Washington, Donna L.

Illus. by Lauren Emmons

Peachtree (32 pp.)

$18.99 | Sept. 12, 2023

9781682635650

An upside-down take on a classic tale. There are three pig siblings, a parental challenge, and questions about housing stability. But in this inverted tale, the three pigs’ father decides that he wants to go off to see the world and will leave the family home to whichever one of his children can “fill it up.” He, unfairly, never defines

what it means to fill a house, so the eldest pig brother, muscly Mo, tries to fill it with straw, and the fashion-obsessed middle brother, Bo, tries to fill it with feathers. Cozy images of smiling anthropomorphic brown pigs depict their attempts. When those materials settle, leaving a gap below the roof, the youngest sister, Prak (short for Practical), tries her hoof. She throws a goodbye party for Poppa Pig, filling the house with merriment, and these intangibles seem to do the trick. Unnecessary clunky rhymes, like “I’ll fill the house! / Fill it up fine! / When I fill the house, / it will be mine” and “I filled the house / without straw or a feather / If you want to fill a house / celebrate together,” pound home the heavy-handed message that friendship and family are important. Though Poppa Pig declares Prak the winner, the three siblings inherit the house together after she selflessly points out that they had already filled the house with memories. (This book was reviewed digitally.)

Unrewarding sentiment. (Picture book. 4­7)

LATER, WHEN I’M BIG

Westera, Bette

Illus. by Mattias de Leeuw

Trans. by Laura Watkinson

Eerdmans (40 pp.)

$17.99 | Sept. 5, 2023 9780802856104

A youngster imagines brave adventures that await in the future. Compelling artwork accompanies this simple story, translated from Dutch, about a child wondering at all that will be possible “Later, when I’m big.” As the book opens, a light-skinned parent and child are seen heading to an indoor water park. The swimming pools slowly morph into the child’s fantasies of the future—everything from sleeping in a haunted castle to “swinging on a trapeze, with a big drumroll and a shiny sequined suit.” Scenes range from trips through fairy-tale forests to underwater adventures to the everyday, like jumping off a diving board. All of these reveries evoke the wonder of childhood, where a realistic challenge like “drinking cold soda, even if it tickles my throat,” can exist on the same plane as flying to Saturn. The loose-lined, acrylic illustrations are stunning. One breathtaking, painterly scene shows the child galloping on horseback across a prairie, the gorgeous glow of desert and sunset a perfect blend. A bright spot of red—a scarf, bow, or ski suit—appears on the child on every page, a call back to the bathing suit in the opening, a way to identify them within their dream world. (This book was reviewed digitally.)

Deftly captures a child’s sense of wonder at the vastness of the world. (Picture book. 3­5)

JANITORS SCHOOL OF GARBAGE

Whitesides, Tyler

Shadow Mountain (304 pp.)

$19.99 | Sept. 5, 2023

9781639931682

Series: Janitors School of Garbage, 1

Students trained in the use of magic janitorial tools face giant trash monsters in this series opener set in the world of Whitesides’ popular Janitors series.

Mopping up terrifying monsters as part of the crew of a weaponized garbage truck is just one of the highlights of the summer before sixth grade for Landon Murphy after he reluctantly teams up with his weird stepsister-to-be, Jade Shu, and snotty know-it-all classmate, Sabra Malik, at a school located in a seemingly endless landfill (“I think we’re somewhere in Texas”). There, along with learning how to put pushbrooms, plungers, and like implements to decidedly unconventional uses, he and his teammates sweep up clues to the reasons behind a sudden rash of massive trash attacks in the outside world on the way to disposing of a fiendish threat. Returning fans will welcome some familiar characters—including supposedly vanquished villains—as well as more janitor gags to wince at (“What did the janitor say when he jumped out of the closet?” “Supplies!”) and desperate struggles aplenty with towering assemblages of animated detritus. Whitesides buries a subplot involving Landon’s feelings about his dad’s upcoming remarriage and leaves the end of the climactic battle offstage. Still, the stepsibs do end up more closely bonded, and there’s more than enough gross, slimy action before the finale to sweep readers along. Landon reads white; names cue some diversity in the cast.

Garbage in…gold—or at least a few sweepings of gold dust—out. (reading guide) (Fantasy. 9­13)

WHERE CAN WE GO? A Tale of Four Bears

Yun, Dai

Illus. by Igor Oleynikov

Adapt. by Helen Mixter

Greystone Kids (40 pp.)

$18.95 | Sept. 12, 2023

9781771649810

Series: Aldana Libros

A family of polar bears searches for a home.

As bear cubs Masha and Misha walk on hind legs, and their similarly upright Papa and Mama wear jewelry and other occasional items of dress, it’s easy to see them as climate change refugees—and indeed, it’s lack of food that prompts Papa’s announcement that it’s time to move. First stop: a trove of dumpsters. From there it’s on to some rooms in the oddly “square icebergs,” where everything is, as Mama puts it, “just right.” Oleynikov picks up the jocular tone nicely as he depicts the furry foursome making themselves cozy while ransacking a hastily abandoned apartment and (failing to notice fleeing

“Deftly captures a child’s sense of wonder at the vastness of the world.”

later, when i’m big

light-skinned human figures) wondering where everyone has gone. Then, when at last loneliness and a general lack of substantial prey prompt thoughts of searching for a better home, glimpses on TV of Antarctic seals and penguins (“And what are those little black things?” “I don’t know….But they look tasty”) lead the ursine clan to continue on, carrying dolls, blankets, and other loot from the wreckage. Though the bears are the victims of global warming, they’re portrayed as clueless agents of destruction; it’s hard to tell whether this tongue-in-cheek tale, originally published in Chinese, is deliberately meant to leave readers with mixed feelings or is just tone-deaf. In either case the themes should inspire some discussion, and the spectacular messes on display in the pictures will invite a chuckle or two. (This book was reviewed digitally.)

A pretty unsympathetic view of a growing and worrisome phenomenon. (Picture book. 6­9)

CONNOR KISSED ME

Zehava

Illus. by Sarah K.

Turner

Lee & Low Books (40 pp.)

$20.95 | Sept. 19, 2023

9781643791180

A script about consent.

Miriam, pigtailed and wearing overalls, is chasing a soccer ball on a busy playground when Connor runs up and aggressively delivers a kiss—“MWAH!”—on the lips. Worried and upset, the brown-skinned child tells everyone: a friend, the playground monitor, the teacher, the bus driver, and, finally, Mom (brownskinned like Miriam). Everyone responds differently, from a simple “Ew!” to “Maybe we’ll move your seat” to frustrating excuses, until Mom asks the simple question: “Did you want him to?” Miriam decides no (seemingly in the moment) and tells everyone, in reverse order, until finally confronting Connor himself. The boy (whose skin is slightly lighter than Miriam’s) offers the sole defense of “But I like you,” and his future kisses are firmly rebuffed in an abrupt ending. The straightforward, unembellished nature of this narrative makes it useful as a teaching tool but less satisfying as a story, especially given that some of the adults’ unhelpful language flips on a dime the moment Miriam makes it clear that Connor’s actions are unwanted (“I don’t want Connor to kiss me.” “Then he can’t”). The illustrations are similarly workaday, cartoony depictions of exactly what’s described in the text, with diverse background characters filling out each scene. (This book was reviewed digitally.)

Useful and purpose-driven. (Picture book. 4­7)

young adult

These titles earned the Kirkus Star:

COOKING WITH MONSTERS The Beginner’s Guide to Culinary Combat

Alsaqa, Jordan

Illus. by Vivian Truong

IDW Publishing (256 pp.)

$16.99 paper | Sept. 5, 2023

9781684059836

Series: Cooking With Monsters, 1

Culinary high school students train to do battle with vicious monsters.

In Gourmet City, warrior chefs learn to engage in culinary combat to beat monsters—and then cook them. Hana Ozawa wants nothing more than to become a warrior chef herself, so when she and best friend Bobby Binh finally make it to the Gourmand Academy of Culinary Combat, she’s over the moon. When she meets Olivia Foster, the coolest person in Gourmet City, she’s all the happier; she’s “equal parts infuriated by and attracted to her skill.” But things start going south when the chefs pick their mentees, and Hana and Olivia end up with each other’s dream mentors. The action-packed story still has room for lots of coming-of-age themes and romantic antics in between lessons on taking down giant pistol shrimp and basilisks and preparing miracle pho and bubble bone ramen, and even the multiple secondary characters feel fully realized. Humorous moments and discussions of important topics—like wondering whether you’re good enough—are well balanced, supporting the light and satisfying narrative. Names and physical appearances indicate a predominantly nonwhite cast; queerness is also normalized, with diversity in gender presentation and identity. With bright, vivid colors, the fun, dynamic mangastyle art will draw readers in and sustain their interest.

An engaging and appealing series to watch out for. (Graphic fantasy. 13­18)

SHADES OF BLACK

Anthony, Carlos

James Lorimer (144 pp.)

$27.99 paper | Aug. 1, 2023

9781459417267

A teenager is left in a predicament after a close call at school.

$19.99 |

9780374391744

Romero is a Guyanese Canadian Black boy living with his mother, stepfather, and half brothers in the Toronto area. On his first day at a new school that

is much more racially diverse than his old one, Romero experiences mishaps that lead him to doubt his chances of fitting in. He manages to make a small group of friends, but just as he starts feeling hopeful, a fight breaks out in the school cafeteria, escalating until a gun is fired. Through his new social connections, Romero ends up in possession of the weapon, which triggers more crises as the police intensify their search for the culprit. Anthony touches on racism, poverty, systemic bias, and domestic abuse in prose that could use some refinement. The fast-paced story offers a look at the life of a young person trying to navigate the stigma and pressures that come with being a Black boy. Romero wrestles with choices he made in the face of peer pressure (including those made to prove his masculinity), judgmental attitudes he encounters and repeats toward girls and their bodies, and more. Unfortunately, the lack of resolution and limited character growth undermine the novel’s clarity and impact.

A clunky novel for reluctant readers that delves into a variety of social themes. (Fiction. 14­18)

THE ETERNITY GATE

Briggs, Katherine

Enclave Escape (368 pp.)

$24.99 | Sept. 12, 2023

9798886050660

Series: The Threshold Duology, 1

Temple helper Seyo aspires to become a priestess though she believes her soul is stained.

In a nation of lightbearers, Seyo is immune to fire, “an unholy ability no amount of confessions could cover.” Flouting temple rules can lead nowhere good; her highborn friends can’t protect her. But even cautious Seyo never imagined that entering the Heart, the forbidden network of caves beneath Laijon, would unearth an ancient lie that could bring about the end of her world. The narration is the story’s weakest element, often jumping around, with context given too late, although the plot unwinds at an engaging pace once it finds its feet. Seyo is a detached narrator: retiring and passive, though remarkably resourceful when her increasingly dire circumstances demand it. She constantly waffles, often to the detriment of others and herself, which may frustrate some readers although it’s refreshing to see a protagonist who is allowed to fail due to consistently developed flaws. The supporting characters are more dynamic, gradually revealing the depths of their inner lives through the limited lens of Seyo’s perspective. The worldbuilding is strong, and the mythology, politics, history, and geography of the world are richly developed. The nations of this world—Laijon, Ai’Biro, Pirthyia, Nazak, and Vedoa—are distinct in culture, and their citizens are diverse in physical appearance. Unfortunately, some of the racial descriptions and vocabulary used are problematic. Slow but relentless, tensely atmospheric. (Fantasy. 13­18)

NIGHT AND DANA

Davidson, Anya

Graphic Universe (240 pp.)

$18.99 paper | Sept. 5, 2023

9781728430362

A teen drifts apart from her best friend and toward activism.

Dana Drucker is halfway through her senior year in Boca Bella, Florida, when one of her gory social media pranks with best friend Lily Villaseñor nearly gets them expelled. As punishment, the principal sends them to a community college film class to learn to channel their creativity more productively. Now Dana is balancing schoolwork, the college class, her strained relationship with her mom, and the possibility of losing Lily. As Lily finds her space as a natural cinematographer and starts dating Wye, their nonbinary classmate, Dana feels more and more lost. On top of that, the red tide caused by toxic algae that thrives in a warming ocean filled with pollutants is wreaking havoc. Wye suggests they create an eco-horror film about it, but as Dana struggles to find her role in the group, she becomes increasingly connected to Daphne Ocean, a self-entitled elemental witch, and the environmental group Daphne volunteers with. With a color palette reminiscent of old comics and an artistic style that will evoke strong reactions from readers, Dana’s friendship drama is one that teens will easily relate to, although the activism aspect of the story is lacking in depth. Dana appears white; Lily has brown skin, Wye reads Asian, and there is additional racial diversity in background characters.

A fresh take on a coming-of-age story with uneven execution. (Graphic fiction. 14­18)

RACING HEARTS

Di Lorenzo, Melinda Orca (128 pp.)

$10.95 paper | Aug. 15, 2023

9781459836808

Series: Orca Soundings

A quick-paced romance with a joyful message.

Five months ago, Sienna Shoring’s best friend, Stacey, died from suicide, and though that temporarily meant she was left alone by classmates, now the fatphobic bullying has started up again. Sienna is barely holding it together when a package is mailed to school addressed to her and Stacey. It turns out to be for a triathlon the girls signed up for together as a joke. Blake, a jock Sienna has had a crush on for a while, won’t let her just forget about it. Not only does he seem to know who she is, he also seems to be determined to get her to do the triathlon. Against her better judgment, Sienna takes his advice and starts training for it—and Blake joins her as she exercises. As they continue to train together, they become closer—but there may

research and a global perspective.”

be more to Blake’s interest in her than she’d initially thought. In this body-positive story that is delightful from start to finish, Sienna is a charming and relatable lead, and Blake is the kind love interest who’s easy to root for. With an immersive narrative that is effortless and simple, this is guaranteed to become a favorite for reluctant readers with an interest in romance. Main characters are cued white.

Satisfying and endearing. (Romance. 12­18)

WEED Cannabis Culture in the Americas

Donohue, Caitlin

Zest Books (184 pp.)

$38.65 PLB | Sept. 5, 2023

9781728429533

A Mexico City–based journalist’s conversational exploration of the social context, possible harms, and potential benefits of cannabis.

Each brief chapter is based on an interview with an individual who has cannabis-related expertise, including a medical professional, a young medical marijuana patient, an edible cannabis consumer, a food media professional, a hemp-based construction specialist, an Indigenous activist, a drug education program professional, and a Uruguayan government policymaker. This information from a diverse group of North and South American voices is presented in a first-person essay format, providing

“Solid

a broad background covering history, economics, politics, and medical and recreational uses. The personal testimonies offer both expertise and authenticity, beginning with Donohue’s own story of first-time cannabis use at age 15 and subsequent journey through excess to moderation. The coverage of edibles includes recipes. Nonpsychoactive uses of cannabis and hemp are described, as are the consequences of criminalization, the complexities of legalization, and social protests. Sidebar definitions of key words, parenthetical explanations, and explorations of racism and racial justice in drug prohibitions add depth to readers’ understanding. Donohue does not skirt the real risks of cannabis, urging readers to wait until they are out of their teens to use it given the unknown risks to developing brains while emphasizing education and responsible use.

Solid research and a global perspective create a useful approach focusing on harm reduction. (source notes, bibliography, additional resources, index) (Nonfiction. 14­18)

ENLIGHTENED

Ediriweera, Sachi Atheneum (304 pp.)

$22.99 | Sept. 26, 2023

9781665903110

A fictionalized graphic biography of Siddhartha, from sheltered prince to founder of Buddhism.

Readers meet young Siddhartha as a boy shielded from the outside world by his father, a king who fears the negative influences of the world and seeks to protect his son from pain. Siddhartha’s compassion for an injured swan sets the tone for a life of kindness and determination. Though living within the protected walls of a palace, young Siddhartha remains curious about the world. Unsatisfied by the imposed separation from the people he will one day serve as king, he disguises himself and sneaks into the city. There, he witnesses harsh realities that change his perspective, fueling his quest for understanding. Even meeting Yashodara, the princess he later marries, doesn’t quell his concerns about the world, suffering, and impermanence. Siddhartha leaves the safety of home to join a teacher, following a spiritual path of meditation and restraint. After six years, he realizes neither indulgence nor denial provide clarity. Once he grasps the relationship between desire and suffering, Siddhartha’s path to enlightenment unfolds in flowing images of the eightfold path. The Awakened One inspires disciples and returns home, not as king but spiritual leader. The book conveys complex concepts in an accessible way and will appeal to readers who are curious about the origins of Buddhism. Ediriweera’s atmospheric illustrations include monochromatic, soothing blue watercolor-style backgrounds, and single-color accents of brown and orange highlight the crisp linework.

Vividly rendered. (further reading, developmental sketches) (Graphic historical fiction. 12­18)

SMASHING STIGMA Dismantling Stereotypes, Prejudice, and Discrimination

Goldsmith, Connie

Twenty-First Century/Lerner (144 pp.)

$38.65 PLB | Sept. 5, 2023

9781728477398

A guide to the many ways that some life challenges can be worsened by shaming.

Concise chapters cover six commonly stigmatized conditions: mental illness, addiction, being unhoused, relationship violence, military-related trauma, and body weight. An introductory chapter explains exactly what stigma is, how it can be overlooked, and how it relates to stereotypes, prejudice, and discrimination. The concluding chapter suggests ways to actively oppose each type of stigma. The author cites a wide range of ordinary people who have dealt with these situations as well as athletes, writers, celebrities, and others in the public eye. Diagrams make textual points clearer. Neutral language describes objective facts about stigma, while numerous brief narratives help convey its deeply harmful effects. The chapters provide valuable context about these situations, their impact on people’s lives, and possible avenues for treatment or solutions—heading off self-misdiagnosis and citing specific sources of expert help. The possible harms of labels and the importance of respectful language are acknowledged, as are structural societal problems like lack of affordable housing or health care access, the impact of racial bias, and how LGBTQ+ people are affected by various circumstances. Stock photos and sidebars punctuate the main text and provide additional context. This accessible overview will provide much-needed validation for some and contribute to awareness for others.

Helpfully catalogs serious problems and provides guidance on coping strategies. (trigger warning, glossary, source notes, bibliography, further information, index, photo credits) (Nonfiction. 13­18)

THE CONFESSION OF HEMINGWAY JONES

Hannon, Kathleen

CamCat Books (336 pp.)

$19.99 | Sept. 26, 2023

9780744302578

A Frankenstein-style plot narrated by a teenage genius with an attitude.

Seventeen-year-old snarky genius

Hemingway Jones may be a rebel, but after being pushed by his father, he lands an internship at Lifebank, a well-funded cryogenic lab in North Carolina. Hem would rather be smoking pot; instead, he’s wheeling around dead bodies for some truly sketchy scientific studies on reanimation. After his father dies in a car accident caused

“Vividly rendered.” enlightened

by Hem’s driving while stoned, a desperate Hem—whose mom died two years ago—reanimates him. Under scrutiny from the police, Hem is coerced into working for Lifebank. He enters their vortex of research horror, reluctantly participating in gory and tortuous medical exploitation. Hem has a knack for inspiring loyalty from others while simultaneously betraying their trust. The novel pulls no punches while establishing his sarcastic voice and manipulative personality; Hem often treats others in unethical ways while still believing in his own ethical superiority. Teens may relate to his defiant approach to authority, though they may also feel uncomfortable about the inappropriate sexual innuendo between him and adult women, his fatphobic remarks, some stereotypical cuing of Black characters, and other content that is not unpacked. The accessible writing and fast pace have reader appeal, however. Main characters read white; the town is racially and socioeconomically divided. An action-packed, suspenseful romp through life and death featuring some problematic representation. (Speculative fiction. 15­18)

LOVE AND OTHER WICKED THINGS

Harms, Philline Wattpad Books (392 pp.)

$12.99 paper | Aug. 22, 2023

9781990259944

A light and fantastical Sapphic love story. Rhiannon Greenbrook is a traditionloving witch from a close-knit family of witches. Valerie Morgan is the new witch in Oakriver, there to find the truth about her magical mother, who disappeared from town when Valerie was a toddler; her regular human father won’t tell her anything. The two teens’ paths cross, just like Rhia’s grandmother predicted—but she also predicted destruction and danger, with Rhia at its center. Although at first Rhia is appalled by Valerie’s public use of magic, which goes against witch council regulations, the girls eventually connect—Valerie doesn’t know any other witches, and Rhia is a good teacher—and they start to feel magnetically attracted to each other. But Valerie has been having trouble sleeping and is even sleepwalking, and it appears something wicked is coming their way. The girls’ proximity to one another may unleash something dark in the sleepy town. With likable side characters and an engaging and sweet love story at its heart, this novel tracing Rhia and Valerie’s journey together is endearing and suspenseful. The danger they face doesn’t seem terribly dire, and combined with the simple magic system, this makes for an easy read that feels safe and cozy. Rhia and her family are Black; Valerie is white, and there’s a large cast of queer supporting characters.

Sweetly magical. (Fantasy romance. 14­18)

AN ARCHEOLOGY OF THE FUTURE

Hoff, Emma Catherine

Children’s Art Foundation-Stone Soup, Inc. (64 pp.)

$14.99 | Sept. 1, 2023

9780894091551

These poems by a teen author pass a key test: They stand up to and deepen with rereading.

Original, reflective, deploying an extensive vocabulary and vibrant verbs, Hoff’s poems rarely stumble. Often written in the first person but not egocentric, they focus on objects, like a plant or pears, items that evoke a place, and people met in the neighborhood. Some forthrightly explore an emotion, as in “How Do I Say Regret?” which expands from the minuscule and overlooked (a dead insect) to ask forgiveness of language itself. “On a Painting by Henri Rousseau,” “The Ambassador,” and several others are poems

catalyzed by artworks. There is occasional social commentary, like a poem addressed to Black Panther Bobby Hutton. Most of the poems are free verse, but Hoff also bravely tackles the difficult pantoum. The epigraph and a couple of poems explicitly reference Slovenian absurdist poet Tomaž Šalamun, including an apocalyptic one dedicated to him, though most poems in this volume are more imagist than absurdist. Another endtimes poem evokes the future Götterdämmerung. “It All Adds Up to Fun Times” provides explicit instructions: “Look for the hidden cracks inside the mountains. / Walk far to become your background. / Pick one of the many options that dangle before your eyes,” closing with the confident command, “Remember my words....”

A young poet displays evidence of impending mastery. (Poetry. 13­18)

TRUE TRUE

Hooper, Don P.

Nancy Paulsen Books (384 pp.)

$18.99 | Aug. 1, 2023

9780593462102

A senior transfer student quickly learns that his prestigious, predominately white private school is a war zone for Black kids like him.

To cope with all that’s going on, proud Brooklynite, second-generation Jamaican American, and bookish robotics nerd Gil Powell is advised to read Sun Tzu after the long, difficult trip to Augustin Prep on the Upper West Side takes an even more daunting turn. When a racist classmate and his goons bait Gil into deploying his martial arts training to defend himself, he’s suspended and placed on probation. The interpersonal bigotry reveals systemic patterns affecting students of color at Augustin, but even as this takes its toll, Gil relies on The Art of War to guide him through an abundance of stressors: School commitments take him away from family and community, his father’s in Jamaica struggling with his immigration documents, and his grandmother’s dementia is worsening. Even as romance enters his life, Gil is at war on so many politically justified but all-encompassing fronts that he struggles to find time for himself and hurts those he cares about. At times, the presentation of the conflict is a bit on the nose, and ultimately, as Gil takes it upon himself to rage against the machines of inequity, the rage, stress, and anxiety pose threats that Gil, his community, and empathetic readers may all need help navigating.

An intense, insightful take on the art of surviving the war on your existence. (Fiction. 12­17)

RILEY WEAVER NEEDS A DATE TO THE GAYBUTANTE BALL

June, Jason

HarperTeen (320 pp.)

$19.99 | May 23, 2023

9780063260030

A hopeful high school junior risks his social debut and the chance to escape his small town to take a stand against a femme-hating jock.

Like almost every LGBTQ+ teen in Mountain Pass, Washington, white femme Riley Weaver dreams of joining the glittering ranks of the Gaybutante Society. The Gaybutantes not only throw amazing parties, they provide a network of lifelong support. Being endorsed by a high-profile Gaybutante could secure Riley’s career as a podcaster and show his mom he has a future other than staying put and honoring their family’s local roots. All Riley needs to do is demonstrate the society’s pillars of excellence—service, hosting, mentorship, and spreading general gay chaos. However, when he overhears a gay jock classmate disparaging femmes, he can’t let the hatred slide. Determined to speak up, Riley makes a bet that he’ll find a cis, masc, gay guy who wants to escort him to the ball—or he’ll give up the society, which reflects and celebrates diversity, forever. With the bet as his inspiration for gay chaos, Riley launches a tell-all podcast documenting his romantic journey. This coming-of-age story deftly handles complex social themes of identity, social media fame, and discrimination within queer communities while maintaining a lighthearted tone. Amid the antics of fulfilling his pillars and pursuing love, Riley wrestles with jealousy, makes mistakes, and learns about meaningful apologies. A surprise twist brings the drama to a satisfying resolution.

Fierce and fabulous fun. (Romance. 14­18)

SUNBOLT

Khanani, Intisar

Snowy Wings Publishing (200 pp.)

$34.99 | Sept. 19, 2023

9781958051252

Series: The Sunbolt Chronicles, 1

A girl surviving as a street thief is swept into a power struggle of secrets and dark mages in this fantasy adventure.

Living alone on the island of Karolene ever since the death of her father and the disappearance of her mother, 15-year-old Hitomi does what she can to survive by working and stealing. Though she tries her best to blend in, Hitomi, with her “sand-gold skin” and distinctive eye shape, does not resemble the local islanders, although they are diverse in appearance themselves. More dangerously, she is a Promise—her parents secretly trained her to use magic. As the nefarious Arch Mage Blackflame targets his rivals in Karolene, Hitomi assists the resistance group known

as the Shadow League in their efforts against him. The Shadow League attempts to smuggle Lord Degath and his family to safety before Blackflame can arrest the nobleman for political opposition, but the plan fails, and Hitomi and others are captured. Faced with certain death, she must rely on her magic to escape. While the worldbuilding will leave readers wanting more, the action picks up quickly, and each part of Hitomi’s journey brings surprises. In this rewritten version of a previously self-published novel, Khanani weaves a fresh story with a protagonist who is easy to root for.

A compelling story that will leave readers anticipating the sequel. (name pronunciation guide) (Fantasy. 13­16)

MALL GOTH

Leth, Kate Colors by Diana Sousa

Simon & Schuster (256 pp.)

$22.99 | Sept. 26, 2023

9781534476950

A high school girl is unhappy about starting over in a new town and school, but she finds solace at the local mall.

It’s 2003, and 15-year-old, proudly out bisexual Liv Holme is struggling after her family’s move. Navigating high school is hard enough, especially since being bullied at her old school after the other girls found out about her crush on Angelina Jolie has left Liv feeling defensive. On top of that, her parents’ marriage is in trouble, and her father is gone a lot. But Liv enjoys hanging out at the mall where her mother works and where she meets some fellow goths who go to her school. Poetry lover Liv also receives attention and support from Mr. Trent, her English teacher: He goes out of his way to compliment her, gives her a copy of Lolita, and chats with her online outside of school hours. Over time, Mr. Trent’s behavior makes Liv increasingly uncomfortable, and she struggles with intense feelings she doesn’t know how to handle. Liv’s emotional struggles, vividly shown in the expressive art, will feel relatable to many readers. Leth’s clean, uncluttered illustrations expertly transport readers back to early 2000s suburbia through details such as technology, fashion, pop-culture references, and mall storefronts. Sousa’s muted color palette adds to the feeling of nostalgia. Liv and most other characters read white.

A thoughtful, relationship-driven story. (Graphic fiction.

12­17)

FOCUS. CLICK. WIND. Lewis, Amanda West Groundwood (224

pp.)

$19.99 | Aug. 1, 2023

9781773068992

A 17-year-old uses her camera as a tool for political activism during the Vietnam War.

Billie Taylor is a white New York City high school student who is inspired by the work of the photojournalists she admires. She’s dating Columbia University freshman Dan Geller, her high school’s golden boy. Things come to a head when they attend an anti-war protest at Columbia that turns violent. Billie’s single mother, shaken both by the chaos of the nation and Billie’s father’s desertion of the family, gets a job in Toronto, feeling that Canada is a safer option. Billie resents having to move and makes plans to return to New York. But when her mother begins housing draft evaders, this political engagement leads

“Will feel relatable to many readers.”

mall goth

WORDS WITH... Thien Pham

Food and family are the inseparable subjects of Pham’s heartfelt new graphic memoir

BY HANNAH BAE

Thien Pham’s graphic memoir is so much more than a refugee story. While he depicts plenty of struggle in the pages of Family Style: Memories of an American From Vietnam (First Second, June 20), it’s his childlike zest for life that lifts this tale of his family’s flight from war in their home country when the author was 5 years old and their resettlement in California.

The result is “an American story to savor,” according to our review, with a strong focus on Pham’s vivid food memories, no doubt cultivated by his parents’ own appreciation for life and its delights. Pham, an author, illustrator, and educator, spoke with Kirkus via Zoom from the California school where he teaches. The conversation has been edited for length and clarity.

I saw from your Instagram that you’ve been sharing parts of this book on your feed for years now. What was it like to

document your progress on Family Style in this way?

Actually, it wasn’t that I was documenting the process of making this book, I was just drawing and sharing comics online during the pandemic. I never knew that this book was going to be published.

Throughout the pandemic, I would go check up on my parents, and we had the time to sit and talk. I was also finally old enough to ask them about their memories about how we came to the United States. I never knew the full story.

As Asian immigrant parents, they tried to protect us kids from every hardship, acting like it was no big deal. But when they told me the full story during these talks that we had, I thought, What an amazing journey. You guys are heroes, leaving your country at 20 years old with kids. I started drawing the stories my parents told me.

I was prepared to tell this whole story on Instagram, but a friend of mine at First Second Books who had edited my books contacted me and said they’d like to publish it. There’s something special about holding a book, and publishers are discovering that. There’s a quality of holding that book, the love of the object that’s produced, even if the content is available online.

Speaking of your Instagram, it’s obvious to anyone who sees your feed that you love food. How did you land on food as a connecting thread for this book?

It was unintentional. One day while I was interviewing my mom, she asked me, “What do you remember?” I started telling her, “Not much.…You gave me the rice ball [on a boat while fleeing Vietnam], Russ made us that dinner [of steak and potatoes when we arrived in the United States].” I realized that all of my memories from that time were based on food.

That’s pretty much my life: If I remember anything about anybody, it’s the meal we had together. That’s why I love food, and it’s a love that was brought on by my parents. Growing up, we’d eat around the table or on the floor, with food spread out

Briana Loewinsohn

everywhere, and we’d have so much fun. Those were my most cherished memories.

When we’d have parties, my mom would never eat. She’d be busy serving everyone else and telling them to eat. At the end of the night, she’d eat what was left over. She loved eating the meat off the bones from a pot of pho. Nowadays, fancy pho restaurants include meat on the bone, but back then, those were the pieces you’d throw away. But I would sit with my mom all night, eating meat off the bones, and it was such a bonding moment.

You’ve been drawing food comics for years.

Early in my comics career, I got to review restaurants in comics form for East Bay Express [an Oakland weekly]. I loved doing it. Drawing food is one of the hardest things to do. A lot of food is just brown, a pile of goop that does not look appetizing. The textures and shine are hard to capture as drawings. I turned to Japanese manga, which do it so well.

Like Oishinbo?

Oishinbo changed my life! It’s black and white, super cartoony, with a food war [between a father and son who are competing to design the “ultimate menu” showcasing Japanese cuisine]. When they showcase a dish, though, it’s beautifully rendered. It looks amazing—it practically sparkles. That is the feeling you get when you’re at a restaurant and they present your dish. With this book, I wanted the food to look appetizing and tell a story through my memories.

What feelings came up for you as you were working on Family Style?

I felt overwhelmed with gratitude for my parents. When we’d have these conversations about their memories, my parents wouldn’t say things to get a reaction from me. They just spoke so matter-of-factly about facing pirates at sea, living in squalor at a refugee camp, struggling to rent a house.

All my memories of that time were so good. I don’t have memories of the struggle, because my parents protected me. We felt happy that we had made it, we had our family, and we were around our people. It was a tough life, but we were all together.

In the past, when my friends would say I should write my immigrant story, I never knew how to come at it, with me being the hero or the protagonist. When I wrote this book, I saw the heroes were my mom and dad. I don’t know where I’d be without my mom. She’s the reason why we survived and thrived in America.

The parts where you captured your childhood joys made me cry!

I homed in on these images—the magnet that I loved as a kid, making a homemade flashlight in the refugee camp, playing with bugs that the men in the camp would put on strings for us kids to have as pets—because I wanted to show how much comfort these things brought me.

I’ve been telling the magnet story for years. When I was a kid, I loved magnets so much. When I first came to America, I was feeling so alienated and couldn’t speak English. But I had one magnet, and once I figured out what to call it in English, I really wanted to learn the language to communicate and ask for more. Making things and putting words to them spurred my love for creativity.

What do you feel comics are able to convey better than work in other media?

If I hadn’t found the medium of comics and graphic novels, I would never be able to tell these stories. This is the only way I know how to tell the story.

When I was a kid, I was a very reluctant reader. The only thing I liked reading were comics. I was often told, “That’s not really reading.” But recently, at a library conference, someone who was attending told me, “One of my kids really loved your book. They loved the words, the pictures—they loved that story.” I thought about it, and it felt like that kid was me. When I write, I think about the reluctant reader, and I write to them. I write to the person who would read a graphic novel [or memoir] and get a lot out of it.

Hannah Bae is a Korean American writer, journalist, and illustrator and winner of a Rona Jaffe Foundation Writers’ Award. Family Style was reviewed in the May 1, 2023, issue.

young adult

thieves’ gambit

Billie to connect with a group of radical Americans working against the war through whom she finds unexpected opportunities to fight back. The story is slow to get started, meandering through Billie’s traumatic childhood memories, Billie and Dan’s relationship, and Billie’s job waitressing at a strip club before she is presented with graphic, disturbing evidence of the horrors being perpetrated by the U.S. military in Vietnam and the chance to participate in the resistance. Readers may benefit from Lewis’ depiction of the day-to-day realities of young Americans and Canadians during the Vietnam War as well as explorations of the importance of protest and considerations of violence perpetrated in the name of a greater good.

Valuable historical content weighed down by a slow-moving plot. (source notes, author’s note) (Historical fiction. 14­18)

MONSTROUS

Lewis, Jessica Delacorte (432 pp.)

$12.99 paper | $15.99 PLB | Sept. 12, 2023

9780593434819

9780593434826 PLB

Something terribly wrong is going on in Sanctum, Alabama.

Folks keep mysteriously dying in the small town. Meanwhile, Latavia must follow Auntie’s strict rules: stay inside at night, come right home after church, and keep out of the foreboding Red Wood. To Latavia’s relief, there are only a few weeks to go before she’s off to the University of Georgia. That’s plenty of time to visit her crush, Allison, at the ice cream shop and hang out with her geeky younger cousin, Jade. Getting ready for a party one night, Latavia falls prey to a group of townsfolk who take her deep into Red Wood with violent force. In the woods, she’s left as a sacrifice for a monster that slithers out of the darkness. The gigantic snake, however, speaks—and Latavia strikes a scandalous deal. If she destroys the magical barriers protecting the town from the creature’s wrath, she can go free and get revenge against those who sentenced her to death. A frantic supernatural thriller, Lewis’ latest careens from light bloodshed to melodrama with impressive abandon. It also lightly explores racial inequity; Latavia is Black in a seemingly predominantly white town in the American South. Underdeveloped secondary characters smooth the moral quandaries that Latavia faces to their absolute, moral extremes. Overall, this offers an intriguing, at times spellbinding peek into antiheroic actions and an overt meditation on what it means to be monstrous.

Fantastically vicious. (Supernatural thriller. 14­18)

THIEVES’ GAMBIT

Lewis, Kayvion

Nancy Paulsen Books (304 pp.)

$19.99 | Sept. 26, 2023

9780593625361

The ultimate competition between thieves tests friendships and family ties.

Seventeen-year-old Rosalyn “Ross” Quest, a member of a notorious Black Bahamian family of globe-trotting thieves, has spent her entire life honing her skills and following in her mother’s footsteps. But now she just wants to live a normal life, go to college, and make some friends her age. When her attempt to evade her family and secretly make it to a summer gymnastics camp goes awry, Ross’ mother is left in a life-threatening situation, and the only way Ross can save her is by competing in the Thieves’ Gambit, a potentially deadly heist competition that offers its winner one wish. Ross is up against the biggest names in the game from around the world, including Noelia, a Swiss girl who’s her childhood enemy. Hopping from country to country as she competes in increasingly dangerous challenges, Ross must discern whom she can trust, if anyone, while her feelings for fellow competitor Devroe, a Black British boy, grow. In a manner true to the genre, the pacing is fast, and readers will experience the best kind of whiplash as the story moves from one heist to the next. The characters are also fully realized, and it’s impossible not to root for Ross as she tries to figure out who she’s meant to be.

A fast-paced roller coaster of a read. (Thriller. 13­18)

PRIDE AND PREJUDICE AND PITTSBURGH

Lippincott, Rachael

Simon & Schuster (336 pp.)

$19.99 | Aug. 29, 2023

9781665937535

Audrey Cameron has hit a roadblock. Literally.

Audrey doesn’t know how to move on: Charlie, her boyfriend, dumped her; she got wait-listed at her first-choice art school; and then she accidentally rode her bicycle headfirst into Charlie’s car. Luckily, elderly Mr. Montgomery, a regular customer at her family’s store in Pittsburgh, tosses her a quarter that magically transports Audrey through time and space back to 1812 England, where she meets prim and proper Lucy Sinclair. Most of the story takes place in the English countryside at Radcliffe, Lucy’s father’s estate, where the two girls become fast friends despite their cultural and temporal differences. Written in alternating first-person points of view, the book presents the two main characters’ voices, but they are sometimes not so easy to tell apart. Nevertheless, readers will find it immensely satisfying to observe past and present cultures through each narrator’s lens. While the time-travel element could have been

“The pacing is fast, and readers will experience the best kind of whiplash.”

better fleshed out, the details of Regency-era fashions and ways of life more than carry this sweet, queer romance. The villains are delightfully satisfying, and the supporting cast members are swoonworthy and invite empathy. It’s a delicious will-they, won’t-they romance across time and space. Main characters read white; Lucy has a cousin who is Black.

Perfect for fans of Outlander and Bridgerton. (Historical romance. 14­18)

THE LIGHTSTRUCK

Mara, Sunya Clarion/HarperCollins (448 pp.)

$19.99 | Aug. 29, 2023

9780358561996

Seventeen-year-old Vesper Vale wakes up to an unfamiliar world after becoming the Great Queen’s human vessel and ending the Storm that tormented her city in this sequel to The Darkening (2022).

In the three years that passed while she was unconscious, Vesper became a hero, revered by all who previously lived in the shadow of the Storm. A council replaced the Regia as the city’s governing body; the council’s members include Casvian, Vesper’s former ikonomancy teacher, and Izamal, the Storm-cursed Wardana protector who immediately takes charge of Vesper’s safety. Discomfited by the implications of Izamal’s security measures and overwhelmed by the public’s expectations, Vesper decides to see the rest of the city for herself—only to discover that the central rings have been taken over by a blinding light from the Great King who was released after a near-fatal attempt by Prince Dalca to take the Regia’s mark. Those who are exposed to the Great King’s light fall under his control and lure others to join them, though for what purpose no one knows. Picking up where the last volume concluded, this sequel swiftly establishes tension and mystery through Vesper’s limited perspective as she faces a powerful new enemy and her own self-doubt in a world that would prefer her to remain a silent figurehead. Vivid worldbuilding, tense action sequences, and a climactic showdown will keep readers at the edges of their seats.

A twisty, well-developed story that builds to a dramatic finale. (Fantasy. 13­18)

VAULTING THROUGH TIME

McCabe, Nancy

CamCat Books (368 pp.)

$19.99 | July 25, 2023

9780744309362

A time-travel novel with a gymnastics twist, adult author McCabe’s debut YA novel follows high school athlete Elizabeth Arlington in her quest to find answers about her biological parentage.

After living with unresolved questions that her older, widowed mom is cagey about, a secret DNA test reveals to Elizabeth that her ancestry is 70% European and 30% Han Chinese, surprising her, since neither of her blond parents appear to have Asian heritage. Zach, Elizabeth’s best friend, convinces her to try using a mysterious old watch they’d stumbled across that he believes is a time machine. Elizabeth ends up cycling through dates programmed into the watch, which are notable in part for their importance to international gymnastics or to Elizabeth’s biological mother, an Olympic hopeful. McCabe portrays each interconnected generation of women as appealingly resourceful, if understandably distressed by their circumstances, and their grit propels much of the story. Once Elizabeth has mostly unraveled her initial mystery, a new obstacle appears, and Elizabeth must race through time to prevent a family disaster. The antagonist’s motivations, however, feel murky and her personality, mutable according to narrative necessity. The author raises questions about adoption and its potential for trauma but does not examine its impact on Elizabeth. Elizabeth’s small-town Pennsylvania community is largely white; her feelings about her newly discovered biracial background are also not addressed. Despite the original premise, a book let down by limited exploration of the subjects raised. (Science fiction. 12­17)

HAVE YOU SEEN MY SISTER?

McKay, Kirsty Sourcebooks Fire (352 pp.)

$11.99 paper | Sept. 5, 2023

9781728268453

When her sister goes missing, British teen Esme sets out to find her.

Esme Gill and her parents have spent the last week at the New Hampshire ski resort where Gaia, Esme’s older sister, has been working. The girls share a mother, but Gaia’s late father was a U.S. soldier stationed at a military base in England. When it’s time for Esme and her parents to leave, Gaia is nowhere to be found. Esme had been at a party with her the night before, but Esme left first. Complicating her efforts to put together a timeline or remember whom she last saw Gaia talking to is the fact that Esme has the sensory processing condition dyspraxia. As she attempts to figure out what happened to her sister, Esme learns that not only was Gaia keeping secrets, but almost everyone else at the resort is hiding something too. At the same time, Esme is becoming closer to Bode, a boy whose uncle works at the resort, but the more she investigates her sister’s disappearance, the more she questions whether she can trust him. Esme is an appealing protagonist who finds hidden reserves of strength and bravery as she explores the woods, interrogates suspects, follows clues, and persistently seeks her sister. Gaia is White and African American; Esme, her parents, and most supporting characters are White.

This fast-paced mystery will keep readers guessing until the very end. (Mystery. 12­18)

OF DREAMS AND DESTINY

Menon, Sandhya

Simon & Schuster (272 pp.)

$19.99 | Sept. 19, 2023

9781534417601

Series: Rosetta Academy, 3

A heartbroken girl must learn to trust again—before a mysterious illness claims her entire school.

After being cruelly betrayed by a boy, Rosetta Academy senior Daphne Elizabeth “DE” McKinley is done with dating. Encouraged by her best friend, Jaya, to consult town psychic Madame Olivera, DE receives an ominous warning about an impending storm—and a death. Madame Olivera also gives her a note stating that, with an open heart, DE can vanquish the storm. Unconvinced, she dismisses it as a hoax. She also eschews love, even resisting handsome new boy Xander Murthy. But DE and Xander find a strange doll from 1873 in the woods, and after DE pricks her finger on something sharp in its body, the academy is enveloped in a severe snowstorm, and students start succumbing to a comalike sleeping sickness. When Xander reveals that his great-great-great-uncle, a Rosetta student, mysteriously died in his sleep during the great storm of 1873, the two work together to uncover long-kept secrets and save their friends. Told from the alternating perspectives of DE and Xander, this retelling of “Sleeping Beauty” includes some appearances by characters from previous entries and is a fun addition to the series. DE experiences many relatable post-breakup feelings before finding herself again, and Xander’s family history touches on generational cycles of addiction. DE is white; Xander is Indian, Irish, Scottish, and West African.

Another enjoyable romance for fans of this fractured fairy tale series. (map) (Romance. 12­18)

THE CHANGING MAN

Oyemakinde, Tomi

Feiwel & Friends (384 pp.)

$19.99 | Sept. 26, 2023

9781250868138

After a Nigerian British girl goes off to an exclusive boarding school that seems to prey on less-privileged students, she discovers there might be some truth behind an urban legend.

Ife Adebola joins the Urban Achievers scholarship program at pricey, high-pressure Nithercott School, arriving shortly after a student called Leon mysteriously disappeared. Gossip says he’s a victim of the glowing-eyed Changing Man who targets the lonely, leaving them changed. Ife doesn’t believe in the myth, but amid the stresses of Nithercott’s competitive, privileged, majority-white environment, where she is constantly reminded of her state school background, she does miss her friends and family. When Malika, a

fellow Black scholarship student, disappears and then returns, acting strangely devoid of personality, Ife worries the Changing Man is real—and that she’s next. Ife joins forces with classmate Bijal and Benny, Leon’s younger brother, to uncover the truth about who the Changing Man is and what he wants. Culminating in a detailed, gory, and extended climactic battle, this verbose thriller tempts readers with a nefarious mystery involving racial and class-based violence but never quite lives up to its potential and peters out thematically by its explosive finale. However, this debut offers highly visually evocative and eerie descriptions of characters and events and will appeal to fans of creature horror, social commentary, and dark academia.

A descriptive and atmospheric paranormal social thriller that could be a bit tighter. (Thriller. 14­18)

AFTERSHOCK

Prendergast, Gabrielle Orca (96 pp.)

$10.95 paper | Aug. 15, 2023

9781459837201

Series: Orca Anchor

A natural disaster brings half sisters together in British Columbia.

It’s the last day of 10th grade for Amy when an earthquake hits, shattering windows and collapsing buildings. Her mother is in Japan for business, and her father is working in Vancouver, which is cut off from their small town by freeway damage, but Amy’s estranged 17-year-old half sister, Mara, comes to her school to get her. The girls can’t reach any of their parents, and since Mara’s mom’s house has been destroyed, they set off for Amy’s but find that it’s also uninhabitable. The girls set off on foot with backpacks of emergency supplies, but they encounter aftershocks and heavy rain, among other ordeals. They are welcomed and fed at a Sikh temple, but soon armed soldiers take away all the unaccompanied minors, Amy and Mara included. Feeling something is wrong, they manage to escape. Although the sisters’ complex family situation offers an intriguing premise, the character development is too light; Amy states that the earthquake has changed her, but readers don’t see enough of her personality before her ordeal to understand how she’s different. The nonstop action will draw in the intended audience of reluctant readers, but the abrupt ending doesn’t offer any closure. Main characters read white; there is ethnic diversity in the supporting cast.

An underdeveloped blend of relationship-driven novel and adventure story. (map) (Fiction. 12­18)

RUBICONS

Riley, Brett Imbrifex Books (318 pp.)

$18.99 | Aug. 1, 2023

9781945501944

Series: Freaks, 3

Moody adolescent superheroes tackle a dragon.

It’s more about feels than choices in this third series entry, as any sense of teamwork that might have built up in previous fights with a vampiric monster and a shape-changing trickster god dissolves in an acid churn of angst, guilt, rage, romantic confusion, and conflicting agendas. Riley moves the turmoil to center stage by opting for a frustratingly slow buildup with only a few flame-broiled hunters in the Arkansas woods to divert interest from the increasing tensions within the central group. These are exacerbated both by the need to keep their powers secret from a growing cast of psychopathic federal secret agents hot on their trail and by personality changes, including once-steady team leader Jamie’s sudden attraction to violence and former bigoted bully Kenneth’s slow move toward maturity thanks to a levelheaded girlfriend. The author trucks in an appealing lilac dragon named Arsiss the Gentle who just wants to protect wildlife and be left alone. Her ability to change size, turn invisible, and shoot fire, ice, or blood at will proves enough of a match for the magical powers and high-tech weaponry of the wantonly aggressive humans to make the extended climactic battle as wild, savage, and deadly as it is ironically unnecessary. The conclusion leaves the Freaks and their associates facing both deep rifts and a new and genuinely sinister threat.

Even series fans may bog down in this turgid tangle of physical and emotional violence. (Horror fantasy. 14­16)

UNDERSTANDING CONSENT AND BOUNDARIES

Dating and Relationships in the #MeToo Era

Rockler, Naomi

ReferencePoint Press (64 pp.)

$32.95 | Aug. 1, 2023

9781678205966

The hot-button topic of consent is explored in this concise overview. Since a study cited in the work indicates that over half of the adolescent girl participants reported being sexually harassed, the subjects of boundaries and consent are critical ones. This guide featuring full-color photos is short yet informative. It begins by exploring traditional societal messages telling girls and women “that being polite was more important than standing up for what they wanted” and discussing how these beliefs, while increasingly being challenged, still impact society. An introduction and four brief chapters cover

the history and worldwide influence of the #MeToo movement founded by Tarana Burke, well-known cases like those of Donald Trump and Harvey Weinstein, advocacy and awareness campaigns in educational institutions, setting and communicating boundaries, what informed consent is, and other important topics. Text boxes and sidebars call attention to subjects in the main text, such as sharing and communicating boundaries, determining your values, dealing with push back, helping someone after an assault, and being an active bystander, all of which will be useful in real-life situations. Quotes from high school and college students are included throughout, adding to the relatability. This accessible volume is a data-packed guide useful for school reports as well as individual growth and education.

Helpfully addresses a topic that is both newsworthy and personally relevant. (source notes, ways to take action, organizations and websites, further research, index, picture credits) (Nonfiction. 12­18)

TEACH THE TORCHES TO BURN

A Romeo & Juliet Remix

Roehrig, Caleb

Feiwel & Friends (384 pp.)

$18.99 | Aug. 22, 2023

9781250828484

Series: Remixed Classics

No matter which direction Romeo runs, the dreaded shadow of his family’s expectations follows him, and the walls of Verona block his path to freedom.

“Ancient animosities” between the Montagues and Capulets divide Verona. Seventeen-year-old Romeo, heir to the Montague fortune, frets more over his destiny—a loveless marriage and a forced choice between apprenticing with his silk merchant father or joining the army—than the increasing provocations of Tybalt Capulet. Secret romantic feelings push him ever further from his two best friends, cousin Benvolio and unrequited crush Mercutio, who don’t understand why he refuses to pursue the women they introduce him to. But one night, at a masquerade at the Capulets’ house, an unexpected encounter with a mysterious boy ignites Romeo’s hope for a bright future. Vivid, poetic prose and snappy banter bring to life this reimagining of Romeo and Juliet as a drama of burgeoning adulthood, queer romance, and found family. Set in 14th-century Italy, the book presents both Romeo, who is awakening to his attraction for boys, and Juliet, who firmly has no interest in romance at all, with seemingly insurmountable obstacles. Written in the first person from Romeo’s perspective, the plot follows the original closely enough to build tension and an expectation of tragedy before veering toward its own satisfying resolution. The characters are predominantly white.

A lush and romantic escape. (author’s note) (Historical romance. 13­18)

“Lush and romantic.” teach the torches to burn

LIBERATED The Radical Art and Life of Claude Cahun

Rowe, Kaz Getty Publications (96 pp.)

$19.95 | Sept. 12, 2023

9781947440074

A graphic biography of a queer Jewish writer and artist.

Born in France in 1894, a time of intense anti-Jewish sentiment, Lucy Schwob felt different— and not just for physically taking after their Jewish father’s side of the family and having an institutionalized mother. Sent to England for boarding school, Lucy got an education typically reserved for boys. When Lucy met Suzanne Malherbe, the two young people fell in love and began a lifetime of artistic collaboration. In 1914, they published a book under their new names, Claude Cahun and Marcel Moore. The couple used art to challenge social norms and explore gender presentation and expression. In 1937, they moved to Jersey, hoping for a quieter life, but when German troops occupied the island, they were faced with a choice: cooperate or resist. They used their writing talents to spread subversive messages and stoke discontent among the German soldiers. A powerful representation of gender diversity and queerness in history, this graphic biography serves as a reminder that LGBTQ+ folks have always existed (“Masculine? Feminine? It depends on the situation. Neuter is the only gender that always suits me”) and that as long as there’s been oppression, there has been resistance. Illustrations in black, white, and periwinkle inspired by the artists’ work imbue the story with whimsy and dreaminess and cleverly incorporate photos of them and their art.

An uplifting portrayal of the beauty of diversity and courage in the face of oppression. (timeline, author’s note, bibliography, photo credits) (Graphic biography. 13­18)

THE TWENTY-ONE

The True Story of the Youth Who Sued the US Government Over Climate Change

Rusch, Elizabeth Greenwillow Books (304 pp.)

$19.99 | Sept. 26, 2023

9780063220850

A nail-biting account of a still-unresolved landmark case.

In Juliana v. United States, 21 plaintiffs ages 8 to 19 sued the federal government for undermining their constitutional rights to a safe and healthy environment. These young people were helped by Our Children’s Trust, a nonprofit founded by Julia Olson, the attorney whose passion for the environment led her to dream up this initiative in 2010 and seek out young people willing to be plaintiffs. They sought acknowledgment of the

kids’ Fifth Amendment rights and that the government cease its “active support of the fossil fuel system.” This taut, quickmoving story told in short, lively chapters employs novelistic suspense and focuses effectively on people and their experiences as much as on principles. Vivid details and the plaintiffs’ own words convey their personalities and passions; the author’s admiration for the kids and their attorneys is clear. Rusch acknowledges the distinct roles of individuals, the impact of economic systems, and the overarching power of government. The young people come from a range of ethnic, geographical, and socioeconomic backgrounds. Quotations from legal experts expand readers’ understanding. Government lawyers did not speak with Rusch, who used court documents to convey the defendants’ perspectives. Extensive backmatter covers scientific and legal information, resources for young activists, and an update on the plaintiffs. Rigorously researched, this work offers a clear summary of a complex and critically important lawsuit.

A moving and absorbing account of an urgent case. (list of individuals, timeline, research process, source notes, index) (Nonfiction. 13­18)

A MULTITUDE OF DREAMS

Rutherford, Mara

Inkyard Press (384 pp.)

$19.99 | Aug. 29, 2023 9781335457967

The plague is perhaps over, but there are more horrors yet to come.

Seraphina Blum has spent almost four years inside the boarded-up castle Eldridge Hall, pretending to be Princess Imogen. Few know Seraphina is actually Jewish and was taken from her family when the real Imogen died from the mori roja. To appease “the mad king” so they can stay safe inside, those dwelling within the castle act as if the plague never happened, but with the food supply dwindling, it’s time for the charade to end. Elsewhere in the kingdom, Nicodemus Mott lives with other immunes at Crane Manor. The plague seems to be over, and so Lord Crane tasks Nico with journeying to the castle to seek out possible survivors. Along the way, Nico learns of other dangers in the outside world; he winds up impersonating a prince to gain access to the castle in hopes of warning its inhabitants of what’s coming. Inspired by Edgar Allan Poe’s “The Masque of the Red Death,” this lush, eerie tale balances mystery, horror, and romance. Seraphina and Nico, both cued white, are captivating leads: They have been going through the motions just to survive, but throughout the story, they find their confidence and power. There are gradual reveals rather than shocking twists, but they work in the book’s favor, enhancing the unsettling tone and reinforcing the conceit of a masquerade and everyone hiding truths.

Exquisitely moody and goose bumps–inducing. (Gothic fantasy. 13­18)

“A moving and absorbing account of an urgent case.”

the twenty-one

SAIGAMI The Initiation Exam

Seny

Rockport Publishers (224 pp.)

$13.99 paper | June 6, 2023

9780760382325

Series: Saigami, 2

Ayumi’s journey in a new world continues.

Ayumi, Sean, and Reyji have finally reached the city of Zaosz. Here, they plan to take the saigami exam as a team. However, since Ayumi recently migrated to the world of saigami from our Earth, her fire powers are untrained and untested. On the day of the exam, the testers teleport the prospective saigami into a maze, splitting up the team. With a six-shot limit before she’ll be too exhausted to continue, Ayumi is in serious danger as she goes up against the monsters wandering the maze. Despite this, she powers forward, teaming up with Carly in hopes of completing the challenge within the time limit. Meanwhile, Sean and Reyji face their own obstacles in the maze. Once again, breathtaking full-color pages are mixed in with grayscale ones. Ayumi receives the most attention, with a dedicated subplot about her feelings of inadequacy regarding her saigami abilities and her angst upon realizing that, with all of the bustle around the exam, she hasn’t thought about returning to Earth. While the saigami exam takes up most of the volume, the pace remains strong. Some key players in a shadowy conspiracy are also introduced, adding a sinister vibe and giving a much-needed look at the serieswide myth arc.

An excellent sequel that readers will devour. (Manga. 12­16)

I FEED HER TO THE BEAST AND THE BEAST IS ME

Shea, Jamison

Henry Holt (352 pp.)

$17.99 | Aug. 29, 2023

9781250909565

Laurence “Laure” Mesny puts body, mind, and soul into dancing for the Paris Ballet, but her dream of taking center stage remains unattainable until a mysterious supernatural force grants her the power to achieve her deepest desire.

The dancers train hard to perfect their skills, including performing while injured and sabotaging others, and they’re subjected to intense scrutiny, vituperative criticism, and a cutthroat environment. Even worse, the other dancers, who are overwhelmingly wealthy and white, bully Laure, who is Black, further isolating her and spurring her intense wish to be seen, respected, and loved. When dazzling Joséphine Moreau, the company’s highest ranked dancer, suggests Laure strike a bargain with a mysterious being, she eagerly jumps headfirst into the unknown. But when tragedy strikes and Laure begins to

transform beyond recognition, she wonders if she has traded one nightmare situation for a host of new horrors beyond her control. Equal parts dark, supernatural fantasy and mystery, this layered tale utilizes a spectacular arsenal of body horror, mythology, and the occult to explore mature themes around desirability, the consequences of unchecked power, and the apathy toward violence against girls engendered by a system that values perfectionism, pedigree, and submission over people’s lives.

Gory, gripping, and visceral; examines how supernatural and systemic power unleash the monster within all of us. (Fantasy. 14­18)

IMPOSSIBLE ESCAPE A True Story of Survival and Heroism in Nazi Europe

Sheinkin, Steve

Roaring Brook Press (256 pp.)

$19.99 | Aug. 29, 2023

9781250265722

The dramatic stories of two Jewish teenagers who beat the odds by surviving the Holocaust and went on to bear witness.

Challenging his readers to understand that it’s up to them to keep what happened then from happening again—or, as he puts it in his final line: “You read the story. You know what to do”—Sheinkin recounts the experiences of two seemingly ordinary young Slovaks under the Nazi regime. Readers meet Gerta Sidonová, who joined a resistance group and, in a gut-wrenching moment, was forced to make a quick choice between staying with her mother or seizing a chance to escape when they were captured together, and Rudi Vrba, who spent nearly two harrowing years in Auschwitz and other prison camps before escaping to deliver one of the first widely distributed eyewitness accounts of what was going on. Along with adding historical context with testimony from other captives, postwar Nazi trial transcripts, and hefty loads of other documentary evidence, and carrying on to the deaths of Rudi in 2006 and Gerta in 2020, the author concludes with a gripping report of a later courtroom exchange between Vrba and a Canadian Holocaust denier. This is a moving tale of luck, pluck, and stubborn endurance with a strong message about where the slippery slopes of hatred and prejudice still, and ever do, lead.

Passionate, absorbing, and, unfortunately, more than a little relevant to current events. (author’s note, source notes, bibliography, index) (Nonfiction. 12­18)

FIRSTS AND LASTS 16 Stories From Our World... and Beyond!

Silverman, Laura Penguin Workshop (368 pp.)

$18.99 | Sep. 26, 2023

9780593523087

Multigenre short stories penned by a wide range of YA authors focus on pivotal teenage firsts and lasts.

From a first date with a vampire to a teen’s last breath, this collection of 16 stories (eight firsts and eight lasts) runs the gamut of styles and life experiences. In the “Firsts” section, chapter titles signal the usual suspects—such as Nina Moreno’s “The First Kiss” and Yamile Saied Méndez’s “The First Job”—alongside more unusual milestones, such as Tess Sharpe’s “The First Time We Buried a Body.” The “Lasts” section is less general, yet no less relatable, with titles like “The (Hopefully) Last Demon Summoning” by Kika Hatzopoulou and “The Last Purity Ball” by Joy McCullough. Each story flows nicely into the next, almost like new friends swapping stories. Many are set near the end of high school or beginning of college, heightening the overall sense of liminality. The contributors include newer and more established voices who mirror the diversity of the characters’ identities. Alongside each milestone’s potential universality, each short story revels in specificity to create glimpses of fully realized characters. Many characters are LGBTQ+. The entries that are rooted in trauma or sadness, especially, demonstrate the fictional adolescents’ incredible resilience and maturity as they process these novel experiences. Content warnings helpfully flag individual stories before the table of contents.

Beautifully sentimental and utterly relatable. (author bios) (Anthology. 14­18)

DEFICIENT

Solis, Michael BHC Press (230 pp.)

$23.99 | Sept. 12, 2023

9781643973494

In a world where almost everyone has superpowers, Alejandro Aragon is one of the rare Deficients.

Alé, as he’s known to Yalamba, his only friend, is ostracized by classmates and ridiculed by bullies. Alé believes that the only reason Yalamba has stuck by him is because of her ability to draw things into existence. At school, people with abilities like hers are called Ferals, and they’re regarded as only slightly better than Deficients. Alé’s mom supports him; his high-ranking Atlas father and brothers seem to barely tolerate his existence. When Alé’s Feral classmates and their families become targets of hate crimes, Alé tries to find the perpetrator and save the only friend he’s ever had. Luckily, he makes new

friends along the way. Mixie Trait, Kazuki Tanaka, and Gwen Manghi join Alé’s mission and give him the support and trust he so desperately craves. Together they try to solve the mystery of the brutal attacks while navigating their school’s and community’s harsh, unforgiving cultures. Centering the bigotry around supernatural abilities allows readers to explore the weight of identity-based hatred through a science-fiction lens, although worldbuilding and in-depth character development take a back seat to the action. However, what this fast-paced narrative lacks in layers it makes up for in its original premise. Contextual clues suggest ethnic diversity.

An attention-grabbing plot-driven story that tackles themes of belonging. (ability status table) (Science fiction. 14­18)

THE BEASTS IN YOUR BRAIN Understanding and Living With Anxiety and Depression

Speller, Katherine

Illus. by Harshad Marathe

Zest Books (144 pp.)

$18.99 paper | $38.65 PLB | Sept. 5, 2023

9781728417202

9781541599253 PLB

Journalist Speller draws from her personal experience with mental health as a teen and adult as well as extensive research and interviews in her debut nonfiction.

The author writes that early in her research, the Covid-19 pandemic hit and people found themselves living in unprecedented times. Her topic then took on a new urgency as mental health experts warned of the effects the pandemic was having on adolescents. The resulting work is both a detailed and informative account of mental health illnesses among teenagers and a comprehensive, step-by-step guide to recovery. Throughout the book, the author guides the readers through a healing journey that starts with naming and acknowledging their mental illness and moves on to finding professional treatments, a support system, and different techniques and coping tools, including technology, to face these challenges. Speller writes with humor and a personable style that projects empathy and inclusivity, making her readers, no matter their race, ethnicity, sexual orientation, gender, or financial background, feel seen, heard, and empowered. The “brain beasts,” as she calls mental illnesses, almost come to life through powerful, full-page, stylized grayscale illustrations. As the narrative progresses, so too does the art, leading to the final message: an assurance to adolescents that they are bigger than the beasts in their brains.

A valuable guide for teens struggling with mental health and the people who care about them. (glossary, source notes, bibliography, resources, index) (Nonfiction. 13­18)

masterful, immersive read.”

wearing my mother’s heart

THE RISE OF ANIME AND MANGA

From Japanese Art Form to Global Phenomenon

Steffens, Bradley ReferencePoint Press (64 pp.)

$32.95 | Aug. 1, 2023

9781678205867

A quick overview of manga and anime history and their impact.

Divided into five chapters, this appealing read is ideal for anyone who identifies as an otaku, or fan of Japanese culture, especially anime and manga, as well as those interested in Japanese art and culture more generally. The book covers manga’s earliest origins in traditional scrolls created by Buddhist monks; the hallmarks of its distinctive style, which is influenced by Noh theater; the postwar rise of anime and manga in Japan; their growth in popularity in the U.S.; and the explosion of fandom communities. Along the way, readers learn about the ways these art forms depict Japanese values, how they are intrinsically connected with history (even being used as anti-Western propaganda during World War II), how anime differs from Western animation, and more. The exploration of the intense, tightknit communities that engage in cosplay and write fan fiction shows how anime and manga are more than fads and are based on “something enduring” and possess “deep roots in Japanese culture, universal characters and themes, and…stories of human love, strength, and survival.” This fun read features concise chapters that contribute to a quick pace as it moves seamlessly from one major topic or event to the next. Stock photos and movie stills break up and enhance the text; sidebars include quotes from film critics, artists, and others.

Informative and entertaining. (source notes, further research, index, picture credits) (Nonfiction. 12­18)

WEARING MY MOTHER’S HEART

Thakur, Sophia

Candlewick (112 pp.)

$18.99 | Oct. 10, 2023

9781536230161

A poet’s ode to the women in her family.

Thakur, a British performance poet of Gambian and Asian descent, writes that her “mouth mostly speaks from the abundance of” her mother’s and grandmothers’ love. Having lived “vastly different” lives from the author’s, they haven’t always agreed, but “their hearts have always been more powerful than any rule or rationale,” and she emphasizes the importance of understanding them. These sentiments from Thakur’s introduction establish the vein in which the poetry that follows traverses generations, traveling through geographies of land, mind, and body. A sense of being rooted, as well of searching,

clearly comes through in this collection, as the author weaves together themes of love, belonging, race, and identity. In “It Was a Different Time,” Thakur writes, “In a culture of scales / that tip to tradition, / my sisters and I grate our fingertips away in the kitchen, / callous to our kaleidoscope dreams, / blink into the eyes of society, / stand behind the mirror / and hold our hips. // We read them in Braille… // ‘You are function before you are female.’ ” The evocative and poignant poetry explores the power a mother holds; art, censorship, and exploitation; and God, romance, love, and more. Memory, family, hope, and grief hold the poems together while they strongly excavate sociopolitical themes. Reading them is unsettling—and powerfully beautiful. A masterful, immersive read. (Poetry. 14­adult)

THE REVELRY

Webber, Katherine Scholastic (240 pp.)

$18.99 | Aug. 1, 2023

9781338828528

Bitsy Clark knows how to show respect to her hometown of Ember Grove.

She drops coins in the Founder’s Fountain and follows the local superstitions, like wearing rings of twisted strands of hair so you won’t lose your companion. So when her best friend, Amy, suggests they sneak into the yearly Revelry, Bitsy knows they shouldn’t; the Revelry at the end of summer is for graduating high school seniors, and the girls have only just finished their sophomore year. But Amy insists, and Bitsy always goes along with Amy. The party takes place in the woods, and no one ever reveals specifics, just saying that it’s lifechanging. The next morning, neither of the girls can remember what happened, but their costumes are singed, their hair is damp, and there are raised scars on the fingers where they wore their hair rings. Bitsy also starts seeing a mysterious girl from the Revelry with white-blond hair who invites her into the woods after dark. Can Bitsy unravel the mystery before her life is irrevocably changed? The atmospheric prose feels overwritten and is infused with old superstitions reminiscent of tales of European fae; in this world, magic exists but as a fickle, doubleedged sword. The girls’ friendship is at the heart of the narrative, but it’s manipulated by events and overanalyzed to such an extent that readers may feel it is better off abandoned. Main characters seem to be white.

Excessively drawn out. (Speculative fiction. 13­17)

“A

REACH OUT Tips for Helping Someone in Crisis

Wheeler, Jill C.

ReferencePoint Press (64 pp.)

$32.95 | Aug. 1, 2023

9781678205843

A concise overview that explores how young people can support their peers through mental health crises.

The book opens by emphasizing that these problems can affect anyone. Chapter 1 presents statistics on mental health concerns among tweens and teens. Musicians like Taylor Swift, Demi Lovato, and Selena Gomez are highlighted for sharing their struggles through music. The second chapter describes the elements of emotional intelligence—social awareness, self-awareness, self-management, and relationship management—as the basis for being able to help others. The chapter called “Starting a Conversation” helps readers with ways to assist others while emphasizing that it is not their responsibility to solve everything. Chapter 5 focuses on self-care as a way of cultivating resilience and being a better support person. Suggestions include volunteering, journaling, and regular mindfulness practices. Crucially, the book explores how identity affects one’s risk of mental health struggles, including poverty, gender, sexual orientation, and race. Text boxes punctuate the narrative, adding valuable and interesting background information (e.g., “How It Feels: Panic Attack” and “Robot Therapists”) along with quotes from mental health professionals. Stock photos showing racially diverse young people brighten the book. This accessible title written in a conversational and reassuring tone is a valuable and inviting resource for young people looking for ways to support their peers.

A considered and compassionate mental health support guide for adolescents. (content warning, source notes, further research, index, image credits) (Nonfiction. 12­18)

MORE THAN A DREAM The Radical March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom

Williams, Yohuru & Michael G. Long

Farrar, Straus and Giroux (272 pp.)

$19.99 | Aug. 29, 2023

9780374391744

A frank and perspicuous study of the watershed 1963 event in the Civil Rights Movement.

Rather than build their thoroughly researched account around Martin Luther King Jr.’s “I Have a Dream” speech, Williams and Long focus on what went on behind the scenes to organize the one-day March on Washington, thrash out a unified vision of its purpose in the face of conflicting agendas, and bring it off without sparking violence from either marchers or

police. (There were, astonishingly, no event-related arrests.) As in their powerful profile of Jackie Robinson (Call Him Jack, 2022), the authors unflinchingly retain the racist language in many of their period quotes to illuminate the violent temper of the times. They also offer eye-opening portrayals of the generally idolized Kennedy brothers and scorching views of the secondary roles Black women were forced to take by the march’s male leaders. They brightly commend the courage and organizing skills of “gay, pacifist, socialist ex-convict” Bayard Rustin and highlight march director A. Philip Randolph’s dreams of working change through collective action as well as the rousing speeches of young firebrand John Lewis and others. Numerous photos and news clippings add immediacy to events, and though the main story closes with the dispersal of the crowd at the historic day’s end, rich troves of additional facts and questions posed to readers spur further research and reflection.

Coherent, compellingly passionate, rich in sometimesstartling and consistently well-founded insights. (source notes, image credits, index) (Nonfiction. 12­15)

HEX AMERICANA Wolf, Bree

Iron Circus Comics (380 pp.)

$14.99 paper | Aug. 29, 2023

9781945820762

When the stakes are high, can an unlikely underdog team win the big race?

After falling into an underground cavern, sweet high schooler Ken Takamoto’s entire life changes: He meets the ghost of legendary Dante Willow, known as Speed Demon. Twenty years ago, Dante famously died during the Hex Americana car race against his rival—and then-boyfriend—Mason Higgs. Ken, a racing enthusiast, now finds himself entangled with Dante, who wants to find closure so he may pass over. Hex Americana founder Nate Orson, who trained Mason, challenges Ken to race for the Grand Prix, ultimately pitting him against Seth, Orson’s own son, who is now trained by Mason. Will Ken be able to win the race and also help the ghost he loves? Wolf’s full-color stand-alone graphic novel is wonderfully clever and weird, blending auto racing, fantasy tropes, and swoony romance. Readers are treated to everything from gnomes, a mechanically talented cyclops, a ghost prospector, and even Baba Yaga (who, of course, has a chicken-legged car). The worldbuilding is immersive and imaginative and offers recognizable parallels to our world as Ken navigates homophobia and toxic masculinity. In this delightfully nuanced and intricate tale of relationships, Wolf explores not only romantic love, but the challenges in parent-child relationships and friendships. Ken is gay, has light-brown skin and black hair, and refers to himself as “Yokai-American”; other humanoid characters are diverse in appearance.

A sweet and quirky romance sure to set hearts racing. (Graphic fiction. 12­18)

“Wonderfully clever and weird.”

hex americana

UNDER THIS FORGETFUL SKY

Yero, Lauren

Atheneum (416 pp.)

$19.99 | July 18, 2023

9781665913799

A pair of star-crossed lovers find each other against the backdrop of a devastated futuristic world in what was once Chile.

A 16-year-old from one of the advanced, privileged Upper Cities, Rumi Sabzwari, who is of Pakistani descent, has only known life behind the walls of St. Iago. But when his father is deliberately infected with a fatal virus by the rebel faction Las Oscuras, Rumi crosses over to the forbidden Lower City of Paraíso, desperately hoping to find a cure. Fifteen-year-old Paz Valenzuela-Valenzuela is from Paraíso, a city ravaged by climate change, pandemics, and poverty and falling apart at the seams. Like many in her environmentally toxic community, brown-skinned Latine Paz is disabled; she was born with an atrophied right arm. Some say these are marks of humanity’s sins. Possessing a revolutionary soul and drawn to flirting with danger, Paz considers joining the rebels bent on upending the current world order. When Rumi’s and Paz’s paths cross, they are both prisoners: Unexpectedly thrown together, they find themselves momentarily allied when Paz—working undercover for the rebels—agrees to be Rumi’s guide and spy on him. But the more Paz gets to know Rumi, the less she feels she can betray him. Blending a star-crossed romance and a dystopian world of haves and have-nots, this intricate novel explores the topics of power dynamics, inequality, and revolution with nuance. The gorgeous writing and emotionally impactful character arcs fully deliver on the darkness of the premise.

Heartbreaking and heartfelt. (maps, author’s note) (Dystopian. 14­18) )

JUST DO THIS ONE THING FOR ME

Zimmermann, Laura

Dutton

(320 pp.)

$18.99 | Aug. 22, 2023

9780593530337

Three siblings go to dramatic lengths to hide their neglectful mother’s disappearance in this comedic novel.

Drew, who is almost 18, is used to the responsibility of caring for Carna, her deeply sarcastic 15-year-old sister, and Lock, her sweet brother who is just 8. She’s been filling in the sizable gaps left by her mom’s irresponsibility since she was in grade school, but even she is challenged when her mom stops responding to texts en route to a Justin Timberlake concert in Mexico. Additionally, though Drew is dedicated to her younger charges, her exit plan after graduation has been in the works for a long time. Drew’s

bitingly funny, smart, and deceptively vulnerable voice drives this contemporary fiction offering that delivers madcap comedy, a bit of a mystery, and an engaging family drama. Some secondary characters are more developed than others, and the short, vignette-style chapters feel a little choppy in places, but Drew, Carna, and Lock are an unforgettable trio that readers will wholeheartedly root for despite—and also because of—their realistic problems and human fallibilities. The rural Wisconsin setting of their curmudgeonly father’s lake cabin and the wintry details of Larch Leap, the fictional town they live in, are spot-on, adding an appealing sense of place to this character-driven story. All of the characters seem to be white.

An often hilarious yet also poignant tale of sibling loyalty. (Fiction. 13­18)

indie

These titles earned the Kirkus Star:

THE NEW TOWN LIBRARIAN

Anderson, Kathy

NineStar Press (365 pp.)

$18.99 paper | $5.99 e-book | Feb. 1, 2023 9781648906084

In Anderson’s novel, a queer Philadelphia librarian in a dead-end job spontaneously takes a promotion in New Jersey, where she falls for a younger, charismatic deli owner and revitalizes the local library.

It’s the 2010s, and the Pinetree, New Jersey, public library is searching for a town librarian to “drop-kick” the library “into the twenty-first century.” The job sounds perfect to 50-year-old Nan Nethercott, who’s had the same entry-level librarian job in the Philadelphia public library system since she graduated from library school 25 years ago with a master’s degree in library and information sciences. She gets the job and moves to Pinetree, where she meets a collection of “odd characters,” including old men in the library who squabble over the New York Times; elderly landlady Immaculata Fortunato, who refuses to let Nan go hungry; and “cute butchy flirty” deli owner Thomasina, nicknamed T. Nan needs to make her job in Pinetree work—which would be much simpler without ski-masked intruders screaming obscenities and a practitioner of “urinary vandalism” terrorizing the library. With ornery board president Phillip “Pip” Conti breathing down her neck, Nan must figure out how to stop the disruptions. Overall, this is a cozy romantic comedy that’s perfect for a beach read. The descriptions are, by turns, luxurious and hilarious, as in this early passage: “Nan was as unknown as the inside of a brand-new book, still smelling of fresh ink, its pages immaculate before readers dripped red wine on them or used a banana peel for a bookmark.” This quirky, funny novel will particularly charm queer female readers as well as anyone who enjoys older women’s stories of personal and career growth. The stakes are low and the tone is light, and Nan’s voice reveals her as a relatable character who’s desperate to change something—anything—about her life. The author might have spent more time fleshing out Nan’s reasons for leaving Pennsylvania, beyond a generic midlife crisis, but the sparse exposition doesn’t detract from this otherwise enjoyable story.

A breezy romantic comedy celebrating life’s second chances.

LOVELY COMPANY Broughton, Irv

Mill Mountain Press (391 pp.)

$25.00 paper | Nov. 23, 2022

9780912350950

Authors, filmmakers, aviators, and a raft of ordinary people speak out in Broughton’s collection of colorful interviews.

The author, a novelist, playwright, poet, and oral historian, gathers 25 conversations (spanning decades) with an eclectic group of subjects. Some are celebrities, including film director Sam Fuller, who expounds on the art of story structure; SF novelist Ursula K. Le Guin, who opines vehemently on both good and bad scribes (“Kill…Kill….I don’t like hack writers”); and fellow SF novelist Isaac Asimov, who expounds on his own charisma. (“I would describe myself as the best off-the-cuff after-dinner speaker in the whole damn world.”)

Broughton talks to lesser-known novelists as well, including Elizabeth Spencer, who reflects on the similarities of Italy and Mississippi; George Garrett, who revisits his father’s exploits as a pioneering civil rights attorney in Florida; and Kay Boyle, who discusses visiting political prisoners in Franco’s Spain and refusing to meet Hemingway because of his womanizing. Broughton also takes an interest in flyers, including Dorothy Hester Stenzel, a stunt flyer who barnstormed air shows in the 1930s after pushing her way past male chauvinist gatekeepers, and George Gay, a United States Navy pilot who was shot down at the Battle of Midway in World War II and watched the destruction of the Japanese fleet while bobbing in the sea. And there are unsung but interesting figures like James Billie, a Florida Seminole leader who made the tribe billions of dollars building casinos, and Earl Wilson, a man celebrated in the town of Winter Park, Florida, for continuing to work at a plant nursery at the age of 97.

Broughton elicits chatty, free-wheeling conversations from his interlocutors, using a mix of open-ended questions, attentive follow-ups, and the occasional off-the-wall query. His interviews with authors are the most polished and introspective in the collection, with much analysis of the writer’s craft and its roots in character and psyche that feels fresh rather than hackneyed (“Humphrey Bogart, who looked the world straight in the face unflinchingly and who talked tough and hard, very manly, said exactly what he meant, and called things by their right names,” is how poet Richard Hugo describes one of his poetic alter egos). Many of the interviewees aren’t professional wordsmiths, but their rough-hewn observations are still evocative and atmospheric; remembering a woman caught in an avalanche with her children in an Idaho mining town, Anne Dunphy Magnuson says, “She was hurt, too, but she kept hollering about ‘Where’s my babies,’ and they said, ‘Well, they’re up there dead on the kitchen table.’ ” Even the most plainspoken exchanges can carry a complex, powerful emotional charge: “One man told me that he’d rather I didn’t come around anymore because every time his wife saw me, she got sick,” recalls George Gay, the sole survivor of his 30-man torpedo bomber unit at Midway,

of his attempts to reach out to the families of his dead friends. “She felt her son should have been there, instead of me. That was a little hard to take.” The result is captivating.

A scintillating collection of interviews full of rich memories and piquant insights.

THE EIGHTH CONTINENT

Bruno, Rhett C. & Felix R. Savage

Aethon Books, LLC (412 pp.)

$28.99 | $4.99 e-book | Sept. 19, 2023 9781949890839

In this SF thriller by Bruno and Savage, a construction crew’s contract gig on the moon turns into a potential deathtrap.

Commercial diver Nick Morrison is looking for work in the mid-21st century. He eyes a job with privately owned space company Five Stones; becoming an astronaut was his childhood dream, and the pay is hefty. After months of training, Nick and five crew members land on the moon to construct the “Big Sling.” This massive contraption’s purpose is to provide Earth with cheap solar power. But there’s quickly trouble, starting with the crew’s awaiting habitat, which is missing items and has clearly been raided. As other companies already have teams on the moon, Nick and the others suspect their nearby competition. It’s soon apparent, however, that Five Stones itself is shady enough to spark an investigation into insider trading. And Mission Control definitely has secrets, including a deal that the crew knows nothing about. Getting answers won’t be easy, not when people on both celestial bodies consider the crew expendable. The authors’ tale is exhilarating from the start—in a pre-lunar scene, Nick evades an incensed, unstable fellow diver. His rich backstory (born to an Afrikaner mother and a British father) adds interest to his character, and the assorted crew, which includes a mountain climber and a former United States Marine, is equally compelling. Narrative tension slowly builds with the crew members’ growing distrust of Mission Control, the other lunar teams, and, eventually, each other. Considering the grand setting, it’s an effectively simple story invigorated by the authors’ striking prose: “The base of the mountain broke from the plain like a steep wall, and the rover’s outbound tracks hugged it, curving to the south.”

This stellar near-future tale masterfully fuses SF thrills with an enthralling mystery.

INDIE | Arthur Smith an ode to the femme fatale

The idea of the murderous woman has exerted a particular fascination throughout the history of literature. Consider crime fiction maestro Lawrence Block’s stories following the corpse-littered trail of psychopathic Kit Tolliver; pulp legend James M. Cain’s desperate housewives of the 1930s and 1940s, Cora Papadakis (waiting for the postman to ring twice) and Phyllis Nirdlinger (dreaming of double indemnity); and, to class up the premise, Shakespeare’s Lady Macbeth. There’s probably a cave painting somewhere out there of a Neanderthal woman taking out a deserving prehistoric creep with his own club. The following killers are of a more recent vintage, and all are recommended by Kirkus Indie.

B.J. Magnani’s 2021 thriller, The Power of Poison, features a protagonist with an interesting gig: Libby Robinson, a pathologist specializing in toxicology, consults at a medical school…when she’s not using her poisoning prowess to eliminate targets as a government assassin. Our review notes that “Magnani crafts some indelible images” and praises the “refreshingly unconventional hero.”

Shadowdays by Polly Schattel (2022) is a darker take on the trope. Melissa Sweet, haunted by a tragic mistake, carves out a measure of stability when she moves back home with her family. When a violent incident shatter’s Melissa’s hard-won peace, she doesn’t retreat further from the world—she strikes out on a rampage of bloody revenge. Kirkus’ starred review pronounces the novel an “exhilarating, sorrowful, and terrifying descent into retribution and possible madness.”

The 2022 novel Jazzed by Jill Dearman fascinatingly reimagines the infamous real-life 1920s murderers Nathan Leopold and Richard Loeb as sociopathic college roommates Wilhelmina Reinhardt and Dorothy Raab, brilliant, amoral thrill-seekers chasing the ultimate transgression: murdering a child. Our starred review highlights the novel’s “richly atmospheric panorama of New York in the Roaring ’20s” and calls it a “wildly entertaining and energetic period thriller.”

Arthur Smith is an Indie editor.

TAKE GOOD CARE

7 Wellness Rituals for Health, Strength & Hope

Chapin, Dwight

Life to Paper Publishing (402 pp.)

$29.95 paper | May 1, 2023

9781990700231

Chapin, a wellness clinic director, discusses habits essential for optimal health in this self-help guide.

“Having worked closely with professionals who have successfully converted their casual awareness of healthy habits into hard-wired, strategic Wellness Rituals, I know what the human body is capable of when healthy choices are stacked together,” writes the author, a chiropractor who is the coowner of the Toronto-area High Point Wellness Centre, the team chiropractor for the Canadian Football League’s Toronto Argonauts, and the on-site clinician for The Globe and Mail Chapin categorizes these stackable habits under the headings “Prioritize Sleep, Rest & Recovery”; “Consume Healthy Fuel”; “Fight for Your Waistline”; “Move To Stay Young”; “Protect Your Strength”; “Nurture Mental Fitness”; and “Play With Purpose.” The author provides case-study narratives detailing how 21 professionals, whom he calls “mentors,” practice these rituals in their lives while also highlighting the scientific research that supports these protocols. The book concludes with Chapin describing how he recently conducted “formula tweaks” to his diet and physical and mental fitness routines following a less-than-ideal medical checkup; “I needed to recognize the emotional toll working as a primary care practitioner during the pandemic had on my health,” he writes. The author is a caring and convincing advocate throughout the text, describing his book as a “moonshot, evidence-based call-to-action” and a “wellness performance playbook.” Chapin’s seven rituals function as useful “dials” (as one case study subject describes them) for considering and calibrating one’s overall wellness. He provides helpful distillations of scientific research (including material explaining why the waistline is such an important metric in managing one’s weight and health) and a wealth of “ritual activation” steps to follow. While the book arguably contains too many case studies, they do provide powerful testimony attesting to the value and importance of incorporating these rituals into daily life.

A compelling argument for a multipronged approach to personal wellness.

ZWORSKY’S CHILDREN

Connelly, Tom Madness Productions (399 pp.)

$3.99 e-book | July 11, 2023

Connelly takes readers on a wild ride through the near future as humans struggle to survive disaster in this speculative thriller.

An asteroid hits Earth, taking out Arizona, New Mexico, and southern Nevada, creating a “new continental divide” in southern California. Subsequent tremors make California an official “No-Go Zone,” and most residents flee north. But Max Walker, a widower still reeling from the death of his wife, Charlene, remains, alongside his elderly scientist parents, Cathy and Andy, as part of a group of 110 people participating in “Project Z.” Hidden in the canyons of California, this group attempts to discover an antidote to Zworsky’s vaccine—a miracle drug that promised to cure people of all sickness and disease but was discovered to grant some users the ability to fly. Now called Metas, these flying humans consider “Terries” (short for “Terrestrials,” meaning nonflyers) their mortal enemies. When Max becomes an accidental stowaway and winds up at the Metas’ home base in Los Angeles International Airport, he meets Darlene Verity, a Meta who slowly comes to believe that not all Terries are bad. As time runs out to help the Metas (whose life spans are shortened by their condition), Max and Darlene team up to fight enemies on all sides—including “Creepers,” zombielike Metas who are believed to be a product of horrific scientific experimentation: “The Creepers were like ghost figures, as she could not make out their faces, just those piercing eyes underneath those dirty bandages.” An eerie backstory combined with raucous action makes this novel an entertaining romp, with more serious themes of scientific responsibility, loss, and the nature of humanity thrown in for good measure. There are uses of profanity scattered throughout the text, but the novel never dips too heavily into overtly graphic depictions of gore or violence. Quick but steady pacing leads to an ambiguous ending that sets up the forthcoming second installment of the Zworsky’s Children series.

A fun, sometimes over-the-top blend of SF, horror, and fantasy that should satisfy fans of all three.

DISCONNECTED

Cross, Riley

Monarch Educational Services (318 pp.)

$24.99 | $15.99 paper | $8.99 e-book

May 10, 2023

9781957656151

9781957656144 paper

A girl born without authorization in a computer-regulated, high-tech dictatorship of the future struggles to persevere in Cross’ YA SF novel.

In the future, a Brave New World–like technocratic metropolis called Unity has evolved amid the ashes of human civilization that surrounds it. Unity is micromanaged by an omnipotent AI called Auto that regulates social order and (especially) procreation and the development of new citizens. Chiara was disadvantaged from birth: Her parents met and fell in love willingly—the second disobedient generation of her lineage to do so—and consequently the girl suffers the “Anomaly” stigma. Scorned by her teachers, robot guardians, and other minions of Auto, Chiara finds herself on her own after her mother, Elara, and father, Martin, perish in a mysterious industrial explosion (she loses her grandfather in even murkier circumstances). As an honors student, inventor, and hacker, Chiara wants to prove the naysayers wrong and ascend to Unity’s most elite ranks. But first she must undergo a risky surgical procedure to strengthen her online link to the “DataStream”; a major transgression or failure to serve Unity usefully can mean banishment outside the city to languish among the dreaded “Streamless,” “discarded people and robots living outside Unity’s walls” who are routinely harvested and killed to provide Auto’s subjects with fresh organs. The novel is split rather neatly in half, the opening set in the sterile perfection of the city, the latter section in the anarchic, dirty, and toxic environs outside. In both arenas, the hero must determine who is friend and who is foe. Chiara is also faced with a wildly contrasting choice of potential boyfriends. As the action ramps up in the lively finale and the stakes escalate to determine the very fate of humanity itself, invested readers should enjoy the ride, though some of the ingredients might have a strong whiff of cyber–déjà vu.

An engaging adventure in the world of YA dystopian cyberpunk, even if the program code is familiar.

young adult

“An eerie backstory combined with raucous action makes this novel an entertaining romp.”

zworsky’s children

FEVER OF UNKNOWN ORIGIN A True Tale of Medicine, Mystery, and Magic

Ford, Judith M.

Resource Publications (286 pp.)

$28.00 paper | $9.99 e-book | June 8, 2022

9781666738384

Debut author Ford presents a memoir of illness and death.

In 1990, the author developed a strange malady. Her symptoms included regular fevers, lethargy, a rash, and digestive problems. She was eventually given the diagnosis of adult-onset Still’s disease. As Ford puts it, “Being this sick was as novel to me as a trek in the Himalayas would have been.” The constant fevers left her in a fog, and her digestive problems made a subclavian line necessary for feeding. The author was in no condition to attend to her work as a psychotherapist, and she worried about money. Her doctor warned that they might need to remove her colon. Eventually, however, with the help of modern medicine and a spiritually minded friend, she started to get better. Later in the book, she relates the declining health of both of her parents: Years after the author’s own onset of illness, her mother had a stroke that left her looking like “a person caught halfway between life and decay, still undecided about which way she was heading.” Her father passed away in a “thrashing, panicked fight for breath.” Without question, the author tackles difficult topics here—whether describing a severe, incapacitating illness or dealing with the endless complications of dying loved ones, the text is tough, realistic, and relatable. When the author’s ailing father insists that he doesn’t “need any goddamn nursing home,” any reader who has gone through a similar experience will recognize the struggle. While overall the book progresses at a steady pace, some later portions do meander. Still, the work stands up as an unabashedly personal investigation of life’s darkest moments.

A touching consideration of the frighteningly precarious nature of good health.

CLARA’S SECRET

Frenkel, Stephan R. Self (408 pp.)

$12.99 paper | $6.99 e-book | Sept. 23, 2022

9781734363531

In this debut work of history, Frenkel explores a great European city through the collected photographs of his grandmother.

Clara Prinz came of age in La Belle Époque, the Beautiful Era of the late 19th and early 20th centuries, a period of peace during which the great cities of Europe buzzed with prosperity, innovation, and optimism for human society. Clara’s native Berlin was perhaps the grandest city of them all, the

capital of an ascendant Kingdom of Prussia and a hub of modern ideas. Clara’s active life in the city and her memories of these times—documented in letters and postcards—captured Berlin at the height of its grandeur. “She preserved them in an album of autographed photographs,” writes the author, “featuring talented personalities who became the finest representatives of the era as they visited, lived and thrived in Berlin.” These luminaries included Mark Twain, Isadora Duncan, Richard Strauss, and Theodore Roosevelt. Using these postcards and photographs as his jumping-off point, Frenkel—Clara’s grandson, who came across her album during his genealogical research— tells the story of this lost epoch, which ended calamitously with the outbreak of the First World War. He vividly captures the story of old Berlin, a city that the Jewish Clara fled with her family in 1939 and which was almost completely destroyed by the bombs of World War II. The depth of the author’s research allows him to cover broad swaths of history while also re-creating specific scenes from Clara’s life with novelistic flair. Clara witnesses the great tenor Enrico Caruso singing to the students gathered outside his dressing room window: “To the astonishment of his faithful valet, Caruso raised his arms and began to sing the aria from the Friedrich von Flotow opera Martha. Suddenly, the crowd fell into silence to listen to the beautiful voice they had come to hear.” Re-creating the city through the eyes of a family that would one day have to flee from it adds an extra layer of poignancy to the work.

A tender, personality-centered biography of golden age Berlin.

ATOM BOMB BABY

Gillespie, Brandon Revenant Press (314 pp.)

$9.99 e-book | June 22, 2023

In Gillespie’s YA SF series opener, a young female survivor of a radiation-ravaged planet becomes the protector of a psychic child.

The first installment in the author’s Riders of the Stars series takes place in a space-faring future in which humancolonized worlds throughout the cosmos are devastated by an alien species called the Kraal, who come from a mysterious void to feast on human beings. The only way to deter the scourge is to detonate nuclear warheads. The world of Arcadia, 25 years after the invasion, is now one of numerous hell-planets where people attempt to survive in the “badlands” despite radiation, zombies, other void-spawned monsters, brigands, and a heavy-handed military. Ashe is a young woman raised in safety in a subterranean Arcadian enclave until her family perishes when the ruling “Commissioner” suddenly evicts them. The vengeful Ashe scrounges among the surface ruins and falls in with a couple of misfits on a self-described treasure hunt. Joining their raid on a bandit lair, Ashe becomes the guardian of a captive held there: Jade, a 6-year-old boy who soon displays unusual psychic powers. Jade, the product of a laboratory

“A touching consideration of the frighteningly precarious nature of good health.”

fever of unknown origin

project, is also known as JDE-82 and is urgently sought by sinister authorities. The protagonists face assorted perils, typically in the form of video game–like “boss” battles; the author is also a game developer with a taste for cinematic action (“An explosion rattled the walls from the path behind them, shaking bits of gravel loose—the raiders were coming. With renewed energy, they continued running, slowing only when approaching cross tunnels”). The plot ultimately transcends video game conventions, growing more twisty and compelling by the final act. The author works in a microgenre defined as astropunk, characterized by post-apocalyptic settings and violence blended with a space-opera sensibility (in a nice touch, the chapter titles are vintage pop-song titles). Many elements here strongly evoke Japanese anime, but the material is devoid of raunch or profanity—the body count among the supporting ensemble gets pretty high, though.

This action-packed apocalyptic SF yarn will please attendees of comic book conventions and gamer expos.

THE NINE LIVES OF BIANCA MOON

Heras, Delas

Double Six Books (416 pp.)

$17.00 paper | $5.99 e-book | June 20, 2023 9781735317557

Heras delivers a rollicking murder mystery—starring cats and dogs—set in 1950s New York City.

Flint Lockford, an Irish wolfhound, is a top investigative reporter at the Knickerbocker Gazette and is preparing to propose to his girlfriend, an Angora cat named Bianca Moon. Things couldn’t be better—until he is unexpectedly crushed by a falling piano. Left to wander the city as a ghost, he is quickly taken in by a group of fellow shades and waits for the detectives assigned to his case to figure out his death was murder, not an accident. Junior detective Morton Digby, a border collie mix, has a new partner, a Scottish terrier named J.B. Puddleworth, who is slow to figure out that they’re at the bottom of the pecking order at the precinct—they have a hard time convincing their superiors that the piano was cut loose on purpose. The duo begins to investigate suspects who might have had a bone to pick with Flint over one of his articles. Meanwhile, Flint’s bereaved girlfriend, Bianca, is spitting mad and not about to sit idly by while the detectives bungle the case. Along with her alley cat friend, Roxy, and the ghost of Flint whispering in her ear, she begins asking her own questions. Anthropomorphic cats and dogs living in 1950s New York is a tricky conceit to pull off, and the author does so with flair (“Adapting to apartment-style living was proving to be a big adjustment for the Scottie and his wife, especially as they had a family of Saint Bernards living directly above them”). There is a large cast of characters, both alive and spectral, and they are all vividly drawn without pulling attention from the protagonists. These are cats and dogs you’d want to be friends with (well, most of them). The period detail in the descriptions of the city

is impressive, and the story does a deft job making light entertainment of a tale filled with murder and vengeful criminals. A quirky premise and sharp twists and turns make this mystery page-turning fun.

ARGREN BLUE A Spirit Song Story

Hightower, Ross & Deb Heim

Black Rose Writing (435 pp.)

$24.95 paper | $7.99 e-book | May 17, 2023 9781685131982

A band of rebels strikes a blow against the oppressive Empire in Hightower and Heim’s latest entry in the Spirit Song fantasy series.

Sixteen-year-old Alar thought being a rebel would be heroic. Unfortunately, he and the other members of the oss’stera resistance—dedicated to driving the hated Empire from their homeland of Argren, a magical fantasy realm —aren’t actually very good at killing imperial soldiers. Even when they manage to do so, more show up to take their places. As their seemingly futile rebellion wages on, Alar feels a strange power awakening inside of him—a cool, serene spot behind his eyes that seems to slow down time in moments of danger. Soon after, a witch appears in the rebels’ camp with an unusual offer: She will help Alar and his allies break into the Empire’s dreaded Inquisition prison to free several political prisoners, including a girl whom Alar feels responsible for. But why does this witch want to help them on this potentially suicidal mission? Meanwhile, novice inquisitor Harold Wolfe is sent to track down the rebel group only to get caught up in a scheme involving the corrupt imperial governor of Argren and a collection of stolen art. The authors’ prose is often painterly, appropriate given that Argren’s primary export to the rest of the Empire is its rare paint pigments: “It was the vibrant colors that attracted the artists to the valley. The surrounding hills were rich in the plants and minerals required to produce the vivid hues the Alle’oss loved. The inhabitants of the valley grew rich on pigments coveted throughout the Empire and beyond.” The world is vast and meticulously crafted, but it doesn’t take itself too seriously to have fun. The plot moves swiftly, and the characters, if familiar in type, play their roles well. Readers should find their appetites sufficiently whetted to seek out the other novels in the Spirit Song series.

An expertly spun fantasy adventure featuring magic, combat, and art appreciation.

young adult

about job insecurity.”

new leaves in winter

SEPTEMBER WIND Book

One

Janz­Anderson, Kathleen Self (252 pp.)

$20.00 paper | March 17, 2023

979-8987213001

A girl dreams of escaping her family’s stifling farm life in Janz-Anderson’s novel. Emily Rezell, a 9-year-old in 1950, is the sole female in her Illinois household. Her mom died giving birth to her, and she has recently lost her beloved grandmother. Emily’s grandfather and uncles work on the family farm and expect her to do all of the cooking and cleaning. Getting away from the house to go to school is liberating, but her uncompromising grandfather doesn’t want her to attend. Emily finds ways to cope; she has a best friend in Haity St. Clair and later falls for an older boy. As life under her family’s thumb practically suffocates her, Emily looks for a more permanent means of escape. Years pass as Emily gets closer to an age when she can make it on her own. An old letter to her late mother provides the perfect opportunity to connect with someone far from the Midwest, but a surprisingly violent act may obliterate her plans. The author’s absorbing coming-of-age tale moves at a steady pace. Emily is a remarkable young hero, a hard worker who, though clearly unhappy, rarely complains. The small, motley supporting cast includes Emily’s wonderfully cheeky aunt, Francine; one somewhat sympathetic uncle, Steven; and the creepy live-in farmhand, Claude. The author’s eye for detail electrifies the seemingly mundane, from a simple breeze stirring up joyful memories to a bus ride blending such aromas as “orange peels, half-eaten apples,” and “musty luggage.” The novel’s final act takes a turn that could seriously affect Emily’s future, propelling readers to an ending that will surely leave them yearning for sequels.

Superlative characters immersed in a riveting melodrama of youthful self-discovery.

NEW LEAVES IN WINTER

Johnston, C. Gary

Outskirts Press (276 pp.)

$28.95 | $14.95 paper | $4.99 e-book

Dec. 21, 2022

9781977258953

9781977258748 paper

Corporate drama drives two executives to question their immediate futures in Johnston’s novel.

Dan Pierce has questions. First and foremost: Why has the advertising executive been summoned to the mansion of Joseph Starlinger, whose family owns gourmet grocery stores and for whom he has worked for almost a decade? Dan braces himself for the worst. Starlinger PR exec Joan Schneider has a similarly pessimistic outlook and propensity for overanalyzing and overthinking. She is rattled by a text

she receives from her boss, Jeff Starlinger: “Need to see you at 6:00 tomorrow morning in the conference room. It’s important.” Things grow more fraught for her when the company lawyer, Trent Woodworth, calls her with some very bad news and asks her questions about the mysterious text. It transpires that Jeff is dead. What changes will be made at the business, and how will they effect Dan and Joan? In alternating, nonchronological chapters, the story unfolds from Dan’s and Joan’s perspectives as they try to process the players and the politics behind the machinations for control of the company. The author has a tendency to get lost in the narrative weeds as Dan and Joan fret over every move, but he wrings maximum angst from the workplace drama, including petty personality disputes, complex corporate maneuvering, and paranoid speculation (why is Trent insisting that Joan take the rest of the year off?). Not a satirical take like the film Office Space (it’s rather humorless), a surreal meditation like the TV series Severance, or a crackling dysfunctional corporate family drama like the premium cable drama Succession, this straightforward story may resonate with 9-to-5-ers who began to question their work-life balances during the pandemic lockdown or have fantasized about telling off an incompetent superior (“How in hell do you think you got your title and position,” Dan challenges Jeff Starlinger at one point. “Without the name Starlinger, you couldn’t be the assistant manager of a two-employee gift shop”).

A timely and relatable story about job insecurity.

THE SACRED EARTH Jewish Perspectives On Our Planet

Ed. by Kahn, Andrue J. Central Conference of American Rabbis Press (376 pp.)

$23.95 paper | June 1, 2023

9780881233858

This anthology of essays, edited by Kahn, presents Jewish perspectives on the Earth and the environment.

While the concept of avodat ha-Shem (“serving God”) is central to the Jewish faith, Rabbi Kahn reminds readers in the introduction to this collection that avodat haaretz (“service of the earth”) is equally important. As he notes, “nature can teach us sacred lessons.” Divided into five parts and more than 30 individual chapters, the book begins with a theological reflection on how a spiritual relationship with God should guide our relationship with the Earth. Drawing specific examples from Scripture, the book’s second part reexamines religious texts in new contexts, yielding insights such as the way the Song of Songs unveils “a ritual journey of connection with creation” and how the Book of Job’s lessons on humility apply to nature. Part 3 explores how the physical environment serves as a setting in which humanity has encountered God, from ancient mountaintops to the modern-day “Shabbat Stroll.” Part 4 focuses on how the Earth shapes and informs the Jewish calendar. The book’s final section provides a more practical approach

“A timely and relatable story

to Jewish environmental ethics, including concrete examples of sustainable eating practices, interfaith activism, and ways that synagogues can serve as “laboratories for the future” and model environmentally conscious practices. With more than four dozen contributors, the book is intentionally diverse in its perspectives; the authors represent views from across the Jewish denominational spectrum and include rabbis, activists, poets, and professors. Each chapter is accompanied by a wealth of endnotes and reference materials. While distinctly Jewish in its approach, the book is accessible to readers of all faiths, and many of its chapters include interfaith perspectives, including an entire section regarding Indigenous land acknowledgements. This impressive collection is a reminder that, in the words of contributor Karenna Gore (executive director of the Center for Earth Ethics at Union Theological Seminary and daughter of former Vice President Al Gore), “it is not the earth that needs fixing; it is us.”

A well-researched and diverse collection of Jewish writings on our collective responsibilities to the planet.

BLOOD DIVIDED The Felserpent Chronicles: Book Two

Keridan, Katie SparkPress (352 pp.)

$17.95 paper | $8.99 e-book | Oct. 3, 2023

9781684632206

Star-crossed lovers rekindle their relationship from a previous life while struggling to bridge society’s ethnic divide in Keridan’s romantic fantasy novel.

The second installment of the author’s Felserpent Chronicles series follows the budding romance between Sebastian Sayre and Kyra Valorian. He’s a Daeval, living in the realm of Nocens as a professional assassin who can magically teleport and emit flames; she is an Astral, living in the neighboring realm of Aeles, who can magically heal people and resurrect the dead. Standing between them is the bigotry of the Astrals, who regard their golden blood as so superior to the Daevals’ silver blood that they have a Blood Alarm to keep Daevals out. The antagonism is personal for Kyra and Sebastian—as a child, the latter was imprisoned in the secret Astral laboratory at Rynstyn and subjected to torturous medical experiments in which Kyra’s father may have participated. Drawing them together are their bracelets, which enable them to communicate telepathically, and their memories of being King Schatten and Queen Kareth, rulers of the united realm of Aeles-Nocens 1,000 years ago. Sebastian and Kyra set about several tasks, including bringing the shade of Sebastian’s mother, Grace, who was murdered by his abusive father, Malum, out of the land of the dead; wiping out Rynstyn; and attempting to reunite the realms. Meanwhile, they navigate their awkward, yearning relationship: Kyra prods the taciturn Sebastian to express his feelings; Sebastian seethes with jealousy when Kyra talks to other men; they sleep together in Sebastian’s well-appointed cave, but chastely.

Keridan presents a vivid, teeming fantasy world in which wizardry is ubiquitous and everyone has a talking animal to provide telepathic advice (Kyra’s is a lynx named Aurelius, Sebastian’s is a bat named Batty). Her narrative features sharply etched characters, a chilling portrait of social prejudice, and powerful, emotionally fraught prose (“Sebastian screamed as he ran forward, just as his father drove the blade into his mother’s chest. ‘You should have stayed mine, Grace,’ Malum said quietly, wrenching the knife free. ‘If you don’t belong to me, I have no use for you’ ”). The result is a complex, captivating yarn.

An imaginative sword-and-sorcery tale with a winsome love story at its heart.

MAGDA, STANDING

Kessides, Christine Fallert

Bold Story Press (380 pp.)

$19.98 paper | $6.99 e-book | June 13, 2023

9781954805385

In Kessides’ debut YA historical novel, a young woman confronts xenophobia, her family’s struggles and strictures, the horrors of World War I, and an influenza epidemic.

Pittsburgh resident Magda Augustin is a bright 16-year-old with large ambitions. Unfortunately, her father decrees that she must drop out of high school—and probably give up her college dreams, as well—to take care of her sick mother and toddler brother, Richy. She’s crushed, but she seeks the help of her retired schoolteacher aunts, Minnie and Tillie, who offer not only tutoring, but also wise counsel. The question of the hour in their German enclave is whether the United States will enter the war in Europe; when it finally does, Magda’s brother Fred signs up to fight, as does her brother-in-law, while she volunteers as an assistant nurse with the Red Cross. She’s introduced to Fred’s friend Conrad Hecht, and readers know early on that they’re meant for each other. Between the onetwo punch of the war and a flu epidemic, many around Magda don’t survive. But those who do patch together their lives and become stronger for it. Still, it’s a painful spiritual trade-off: “It seemed that if one thought too much about loving someone, they would soon be gone.” Kessides writes in an author’s note that the book was inspired by her own family history as well as the Covid-19 pandemic. Magda is an appealing protagonist, and the book, though told in the third person, presents the character’s sensitive perspective; sometimes she feels sorry for herself, but not for long, and then she feels guilty about it and resolves to do better. Above all, she’s revealed to be resourceful and understanding—a person upon whom no experience is lost. As a result, readers get a good, detailed sense of place as the book explores a brawny town of steel mills and foundries where clear skies were the exception, not the rule: “The usual dirty air had receded a little, allowing the sun to venture out in place of the resident winter gloom.”

An impressive first novel that effectively draws on the author’s family story.

young adult

-driven fantasy adventure at its best.”

the making of a

THE MAKING OF A BARD Gigue

Koob II, Joseph E. Self (280 pp.)

$8.95 paper | $2.99 e-book | June 14, 2019

9781072376200

The second installment in Koob’s Chronicles of Borea YA fantasy series follows three young heroes on their journeys of self-discovery.

The novel begins as half-elf Jared enters Bard Hall to begin his education as Thistle, his friend and love interest, starts her apprenticeship with Meligance, the legendary White Wizardess of Borea. As the two begin new lives in their respective educational residencies, Jared’s brother, Ge-or, leaves his pregnant lover, Leona, and her elderly father, Aldred, to continue his quest to find the dragon that killed his family, destroyed his village, and stole his father’s elven sword. As Ge-or embarks on numerous side quests—exploring the catacombs of an ancient castle, searching ghoul-filled crypts, and the like—Jared and Thistle continue their studies while trying to figure out the parameters of their very complicated relationship. Until she can fully control her untapped magical abilities, Thistle’s powers are potentially dangerous, and her intimate involvement with Jared could kill them both (“While it may have been dangerous to do so, you wielded a type of energy that only the most powerful wizards and wizardesses dare try,” she is told as she begins her apprenticeship; “You may not recognize your power or ability, Thistle; nevertheless, it is there”). As the three continue to discover more about themselves and their places in the world, an evil spreads throughout the realm, nurtured by Aberon, a malevolent leader who is covertly following the three characters’ every move. The author skillfully braids together numerous story arcs in the manner of George R.R. Martin’s A Song of Ice and Fire series, but the story’s true power is in the subtle blend of adventure, romance, dark fantasy, and YA elements and in its richly developed characters. Readers will feel as if they know the protagonists intimately, which makes for an emotionally compelling read. Minor flaws include some lowenergy sequences (such as Jared studying music theory) and a reference to Christmas, which feels jarring in a setting featuring elves, goblins, and dragons.

Adeptly weaving multiple storylines into a rich narrative tapestry, this is character-driven fantasy adventure at its best.

WHAT I MEAN WHEN I SAY I’M AUTISTIC Unpuzzling a Life on the Autism Spectrum

Kotowicz, Annie

Neurobeautiful (118 pp.)

$24.17 | $17.24 paper | $9.99 e-book

Oct. 23, 2022

9798986482729

9798986482712 paper

An autistic woman explains how her condition shapes her world in Kotowicz’s nonfiction debut.

The author blends autobiography and health reporting as she describes her own experience with autism and offers a perspective on how neurotypical people can best interact with, support, and love the autistic people in their lives. Kotowicz, who received her diagnosis as an adult, explains how she came to understand that she experienced sensations, processed thoughts, and managed her physical and emotional needs differently from the nonautistic people around her. The book addresses theories of autism, common misunderstandings of autistic behavior, and strategies for both autistic and neurotypical people to use to improve their interactions. The concluding chapter is optimistic, focusing on the ways in which the author has embraced her neurological differences, framing them as core aspects of her identity rather than problems to be fixed. Although the chapter subtitles (“How I Take It All In,” “How I Reach a Tipping Point,” “How My Heart Is Healing”) make it clear that Kotowicz’s individual experience forms this well-told and compelling narrative’s core, she describes situations and experiences that are common among people with autism. The book’s dual nature, functioning as both personal history and informational guide, works well, universalizing an individual story while also focusing on the unique details. The author does an excellent job of discussing autism without pathologizing it. Kotowicz is particularly skilled at breaking down her experiences into their fundamental elements and discussing underlying causes, as when she explains that she was able to manage a sensitivity to rain by understanding that, although raindrops caused her no harm, the pain they produced was a valid feeling that she could only process once she acknowledged its existence. The book makes a solid case for developing a global sense of empathy: “Be mindful that someone’s internal state may be different than you expect, and different than you’d feel if you were acting like them.”

An authentic, engaging, and informative look at an autistic woman’s inner world.

“Character

bard: gigue

PASSIVE PROSPECTING Dominate Your Market Without Cold Calling, Chasing Clients, or Spending Money on Ads

Lascsak, Levi & Travis Plumb

Lioncrest Publishing (248 pp.)

$29.97 | $19.97 paper | $9.97 e-book

March 1, 2023

9781544538105

9781544538082 paper

Real estate business owners Lascsak and Plumb make YouTube their primary marketing tool in this nonfiction business guide.

This business book tells the story of how two Dallas-based real estate agents achieved millions in sales in their first years on the job without pursuing traditional lead-generating strategies, instead building a clientele from the global audience for their YouTube videos. In the book’s first section, the authors lay out the case for YouTube’s value as a prospecting tool, backing up anecdotes from their business history with statistics and theory to explain how a video that takes an hour to produce can generate results months or years later. The second section outlines, in meticulous detail, the mechanics of establishing a YouTube channel, populating it with content, and optimizing the channel for both subscribers and search engines. In an acknowledgement of the constantly changing nature of online platforms, the book’s final chapter addresses how the pair changed their process in response to YouTube’s evolution. Lascsak, the primary author, is a strong storyteller who understands how to build an argument without overselling it—despite a few mentions of the pair’s consulting services, the book feels more like a user manual than a sales pitch. The story of the authors’ evolution into vloggers is well told, with an appropriate level of persuasive detail—they were convinced video was worth a try after discovering that a nearby suburb was searched for almost 10 times more often on YouTube than on Google. The book does a particularly good job of illustrating how providing the content that users are searching for is more effective, both financially and in terms of customer satisfaction, than traditional advertising that imposes itself without the user’s consent (“We didn’t have to chase clients, because our videos brought clients to us”) as well as being more satisfying for the creators than cold-calling or mailing postcards. The book is equally effective at demonstrating how the same principles can be applied to any industry that requires client prospecting.

A solid how-to book offering an alternative method for building a client list.

MIRACLE STRIP

Layne, Matthew Brick Road Poetry Press, Inc. (102 pp.)

$16.95 paper | Jan. 12, 2023

9781950739097

Layne presents a collection of poems (with links to corresponding recordings) meant to be read and listened to.

The author has honed his craft over decades in literary journals and as a member of “raconteur” poetry collective The Kevorkian Skull Poets. Each poem in his latest collection has a QR code that scans to a complementary audio reading by the author, hosted online. As written, the poems buzz with scintillation; these are not verses to read with tea on a rainy morning. They evoke movement, taste, and scent; their effects are visceral as they compel the reader to engage with the speakers’ senses and tactile experiences, be it a swarm of bee stings, the rich aromas of Southern food, or how the apple tasted in Eve’s mouth. Layne’s childhood in Alabama is the soil from which the themes emerge; the poems are rife with imagery like “a certain slant of sun on the pinkening petals of the dogwood tree” (“If Not”) and “There is no word / to distill the perfume that is bird, / that is bovine, that is earth and green” (“And Then, Home Again”). Some poems peer into the future, nodding to the futility in denying it: “You got your bones; you got your future. / You got the train; you got your transportation. / Now get on board and ride. / The conductor will decide where you’re bound” (“Bones for Glory”). On the recordings, the readings are backed by (appropriately) folksy music by Ned Mudd, an Alabama-based composer. In his own voice, the poet toes a stoic line—the frenetic edges of the work are smoothed somewhat by melancholy, but he’s never tragic or beseeching. This is not a collection of regrets but a feat of compartmentalization, a way of holding on to the past while embracing the future.

A lusty collection of poems rooted in the physical and emotional topography of the South.

IN SEARCH OF ROHAN CHANG

Second Edition

Lee, Lincoln Bowker (542 pp.)

$28.88 | $23.88 paper | $3.00 e-book

Aug. 8, 2022

9781945316029

9781945316098 paper

When a teenage New Yorker gains amazing powers, he must decide whether to use his newfound abilities for good or for personal gain.

In 1997, Queens native Rohan Chang has a lot on his plate, between family pressure to succeed academically and work at his brother’s pharmacy, racism at school and on the street, and trying to fit in among his fellow students. If that wasn’t enough,

one day he finds that he has magical superpowers that include superspeed and teleportation. However, they also come with voices in his head that have different personalities. The loudest of these calls himself Nick the Brute and wants to tempt Rohan into violence and to use his powers for self-enrichment: “When you achieve control, total control, you’ll be invincible.” This is a lot for anyone to handle, of course; all Rohan aspired to do was to impress Amayah, a devout Christian girl on whom he has a crush. To make matters worse, there’s a serial killer on the loose in New York City, and Rohan may be the only one who can stop them; this becomes even more challenging when the murderer learns his identity and seek to destroy him. As Rohan discovers new powers, he struggles to learn how to use them properly. Also, the teen must learn to trust his friends and loved ones in the face of unimaginable dangers. Over the course of this book, Lee delivers an incredibly creative superhero fantasy tale that brings together elements of various cultures, as well as aspects of history and Christianity, into an exciting adventure. The vast, ever increasing number of superpowers feels somewhat excessive at times, but Lee does well to balance this out by showing how the protagonist gradually learns how to use them effectively. Similarly, the large cast of characters makes it challenging to fully appreciate the complexities of each one individually, but the central figures—particularly Rohan and Amayah—carry the story and give it heart. Overall, it’s an entertaining narrative that’s sure to delight genre fans.

A crowded but exciting and fun story of heroes and villains.

THE FUNNY MOON

Lincoln, Chris Rootstock Publishing (240 pp.)

$18.99 paper | July 11, 2023

9781578691388

A long-term relationship gone stale, a summer of searching, celebrity cameos, and a comic sensibility.

Claire, a 51-year-old massage therapist and energy healer, is fed up with husband Wally’s immaturity. “Scratch the surface of any man and you’ll find a boy,” notes her good friend Roz. Fifty-five-year-old Wally has unfulfilled dreams that feel urgent to him; unfortunately, he has little initiative to realize those dreams, which include writing a novel. After he receives a head injury and apparent visitations from an unexpected supernatural muse and some sexual adventures, readers won’t be sure if the two will be able to make things work together— or, for that matter, on their own. The main characters are most appealing during introspective moments, as readers learn what they once saw in each other and what they now hope for themselves. The pace is consistent and the tone light, although Lincoln overdoes the metaphors at times; Claire thinks about her life’s lack of “balance” and “fluidity” while practicing tai chi, for instance, and feels “adrift” on a canoe trip gone wrong. However, fun cameos by Terry Gross from National Public Radio, along with another surprise guest, may win readers over. The

supporting cast keeps the subplots moving, and the couple’s activities, including attempting to date other people, volunteering at a dog rescue, and attending golf tournaments, prevent the story from becoming overly unfocused. Gus, a philosophical dog who communicates eloquently—and telepathically—with mildly psychic Claire, and Sifu, a dojo master, provide cosmic and comic grounding to the couple’s quest for connection. For better or worse, readers may come away with the feeling that these two lost souls might just deserve each other.

A brisk, humorous story of a middle-aged couple in an unmoored marriage, stumbling toward safe harbor.

THE EXILE OF ZANZIBAR

Maidman, Daniel

Tower Books Publishing (552 pp.)

$35.99 | $22.99 paper | $4.99 e-book

June 4, 2023

9798987597811

9798987597804 paper

Maidman presents a fantasy series starter set during a brutal war steeped in magic and myth.

At the forefront of the tale is Claire, an immortal in an indeterminate future whose gold palanquin machine can fold space and time. A malfunction sends it hurtling halfway across the world and thousands of years in the past, right in the middle of a military conflict that sees King Ambrosius the Ninth taking over the city of Genova. The king’s general, Marcus Irenaeus Diophantus, is an elite fighter who’s tormented by the terrible things he’s done during wartime. He discovers the crashed palanquin as well as Claire, who’s now just a shadow of her former self: “She was diminished now to mere humanity. She remembered only human things.” Claire soon declares herself a “patricia of Zanzibar” and helps to broker peace throughout the kingdom. But even in peace, danger lurks—whether it’s from the Constantines, who care only for profit and always find it in conflict, or the high priest of Florence, Reburrus, who views Claire with nothing but suspicion. Among the tangled politics, Marcus dedicates himself to helping Claire explore ai Ctesiphôn, a tower in the middle of Florence that only shows itself to certain people and “can be reached from nowhere. Seek the foot of ai Ctesiphôn, and you will walk all day long….” This magical tower may, however, hold the secret to Claire’s return home. Over the course of this first series entry, Maidman stocks the narrative with a wide range of complex characters; indeed, the work begins with a list of players that spans four pages. However, the extensive cast helps to shape a labyrinthine plot that’s presented with patience and sophistication. The work is relatively lengthy at more than 500 pages, but the dialogue remains consistently sharp, and the pace is consistently brisk throughout. Maidman’s remarkable attention to detail—regarding his characters, their kingdoms, and in-universe wizardry—results in a world that audiences won’t want to leave anytime soon. An epic tale of conflict, sorcery, and religion.

“An epic tale of conflict, sorcery, and religion.” the exile of zanzibar

DEEP LIGHT

Martineau, Dennis

iUniverse (346 pp.)

$34.99 | $20.99 paper | $3.99 e-book

Dec. 12, 2022

9781663248183

9781663248145 paper

An enormous space station/laboratory orbiting Jupiter faces dangers from within and without in Martineau’s SF debut.

Sometime in the future, the Parallax—a vast space station—orbits Jupiter. For 15 years the facility has developed a technology dubbed Deep Light, intended to generate, investigate, and control the first human-made black hole. The International Conglomerate for Expeditions and Explorations is backing the project. They are an all-powerful military-industrial agency staffed by “a bunch of cruel, heartless bastards.” Many ICEE employees succumb to “space madness” and become homicidal or die in grisly workplace mishaps. ICEE dispatches manager John Roberts to Parallax to oversee Deep Light’s activation. The Parallax’s crew of thousands has been reduced to a skeleton staff of 40, and Roberts has orders to kill anyone who impedes the project…or who knows more about it than they should. Other hidden ICEE assets have a similarly lethal mission to steal Deep Light for potential weaponization. When surveillance cameras fail, technicians start going missing or are found dead and savagely dismembered. Have the ICEE assassins grown impatient? Or are there more monstrous threats afoot? Fans of cinematic SF will immediately note the plot’s resemblance to the setup of the 1979 film Alien : There’s a big, creepy, deserted space outpost, foul and taloned creatures, and imperiled characters obliviously and endlessly wandering the corridors. The author provides a quasi-religious/ occult explanation for the horror reminiscent of the movie Event Horizon ’s (1997) premise. Dialogue ranges from flatfooted declarations (“That’s probably from when the thing ripped off Kevin’s head”) to wisecracking snark (“Talk about a cleanup on aisle one”). The science—much ado about energy fields and wormholes—isn’t too taxing, and the action will please bloodthirsty fans with H.R. Giger “Xenomorph” posters lovingly tacked up on their walls.

Ravenous demons at large on a sinful space outpost, aimed at a readership looking for familiar interstellar thrills.

THERE ARE NO ANSWERS HERE, ONLY QUESTIONS

McIntyre, Charles Bruce

Tall Clover Publishing (394 pp.)

$27.99 | $17.99 paper | $14.99 e-book

March 1, 2023

9781088082805

9781088082027 paper

A successful businessman decides to sell his company and discovers that he has cancer in this debut memoir by McIntyre. The author was planning to turn over the sales and marketing business he had built over 30 years when he noticed a lump on the side of his neck. He was told that it was probably a clogged saliva gland and prescribed antibiotics. Thinking little of it, he boarded a plane in his hometown of Charlotte, North Carolina, to meet with a potential buyer in Baltimore. The transaction progressed quickly after his visit to Maryland, but the lump swelled to the size of an orange. Following investigatory surgery in 2010, McIntyre learned that he had cancer at the base of his tongue that had spread to the tonsillar glandular area in his left throat. He was told the prognosis was “good,” which, as a dedicated businessman, led him to consider which should come first: the sale of his business or his cancer treatment. The author tells the story of both major life events simultaneously. The memoir recounts how McIntyre made his name in the food-service industry working for RJR Foods in Winston-Salem, where he was in charge of sales for half the country, before relocating to Charlotte in 1979 and setting up his own company. The resultant food-service sales and marketing agency, McIntyreSales, grew to represent the likes of Nestlé and Smucker’s. The author reveals how his battle with cancer and letting go of the business changed him over the course of what turned out to be a profoundly spiritual journey. He also discusses his efforts to help others, such as his work with the homeless and destitute in both Charlotte and El Salvador.

In the opening to his memoir, McIntyre writes, “I’ve never done anything remarkable, nothing different from what you would have done if you were me.” This sense of humility, which is present throughout, makes the author’s story approachable and appealing. The author never crows about his successes, either in business or his battle against cancer; instead, he is eager to use his experiences to advise others. His go-getter assertiveness naturally shines through at times: Regarding an occasion in which he turned up at his doctor’s office without an appointment when the lump did not improve, he writes plainly, “Because sometimes you don’t call, you go.” This polite pushiness should inspire others to be proactive about their health care when they believe something is gravely wrong. McIntyre’s writing also has a quietly meditative quality, charged with warmth and wisdom: “I knew I was simply one of the billions of people on earth, connected to this place, to Joyce and my family. I was complete. I didn’t need to do anything but be in this moment.” Reading the text feels similar to sitting down with a wise old friend—one who will offer business advice but also encouragement to see the

bigger picture. The author’s business successes are compelling and his cancer struggle is courageous, but what truly makes this memoir stand out are the memorable nuggets of wisdom that McIntyre imparts: Recognizing opportunities for growth even in the most difficult of circumstances, McIntyre writes, “It’s hard times that shape people and companies.”

A highly readable and sagacious account of overcoming obstacles and building success.

THE FALL WILL PROBABLY KILL YOU! A Love Story

McMahon, Brian

Some Other Time Books (384 pp.) $16.99 paper | $9.99 e-book | May 25, 2023 9798987918104

A young political protégé is caught up in a web of murder and other intrigue. Teddy Thompson is a wunderkind in the political world, the mentee of a congressman who becomes a senator and then aspires to the White House. The novel starts with Teddy’s childhood in Connecticut, where he strikes up a friendship with the then-congressman’s daughter, Charlotte Pennington. Though always skirting around romantic involvement, they are the best of friends, ending up at Georgetown together, where Teddy begins to intern with Charlotte’s father, Sen. Conrad Pennington. Teddy also makes fast friends with Braden Edwards, a charismatic soccer player who becomes Charlotte’s boyfriend. Her father’s run for the vice presidency will lead to Braden’s murder, and Teddy’s and Charlotte’s lives, of course, will be changed forever. McMahon’s novel is part political thriller but also, as the author is quick to point out, part romance. “This is a story of misconduct, of power, of senators and leaders and children,” he writes in the prologue. “But it is, above all else, a love story. You cannot doubt that. You must not.” And that it is, several love stories in fact: of Teddy and Charlotte, Teddy and Conrad Pennington, and Teddy and politics. McMahon has concocted a taut thriller with twists and turns that start from the very beginning and don’t let up. Most of all, he has created a memorable cast, none of whom is without flaws. They’re all likable in their ways, but they’re also despicable at times, which gives them real depth. In the tradition of Jeffrey Archer and John Grisham, McMahon manages to tell a complicated story in a straightforward manner. Something else he does well? He leaves us wanting more. Though the end of novel comes to a satisfying, if troubling, conclusion, it also signals the beginning of a new chapter in Teddy and Charlotte’s story. We can only hope the rest of their tale is forthcoming—and that it will be as good a read as this one. A compelling political thriller with a loyal friendship and an intriguing love affair at its center.

BEING A WITCH AND OTHER THINGS I DIDN’T ASK FOR Pascoe,

Sara Trindles and Green (380 pp.)

$14.95 paper | $4.99 e-book | Feb. 6, 2017 9780993574733

Pascoe’s YA novel follows a teenage witch’s journey through time.

Fourteen-year-old Rachel “Raya” Hollingsworth lives in foster care alongside 11-year-old Jake. Worried that she’s inherited her mother’s schizophrenia because of her tendency to hear and see things others don’t, Raya runs away. Her kindly social worker, Bryony Braxton—who just happens to be a witch (or “integrator”)—soon catches up to her in Raya’s hometown of Barking, England. Bryony reports that Jake also ran away from foster care and helps Raya to realize that the things she’s seeing and hearing, including her communications with Bryony’s cat, Oscar, are the result of her status as an integrator. Raya’s guilt over Jake’s disappearance accidentally transports her and Oscar (via magic) to Colchester, Essex, in 1645…right in the middle of the Essex witch trials. Bryony arrives to help, and together they attempt to contact Integrator Headquarters to find a way home as the “Witchfinder General,” Matthew Hopkins, closes in on them (“Raya protested but stopped when Hopkins grabbed her by the arm. When he touched her, she saw nothing but mud, smelled rotting things and tasted metal”). Raya’s bittersweet memories of her mother are absolutely heartbreaking and serve as an important touchstone for readers who may have experienced similar trauma. The author’s talent for balancing real-world issues with adrenaline-pumping exploits through time (including a perilous sojourn to 17th-century Istanbul) is impressive, as are her richly detailed descriptions of various people and places: “She heard every strand of conversation, smelled the cheese and yeasty bread of the court watchers, felt the change in temperature as they left the courtroom for the cooler hallway. The dappled light through the window was beautiful. The onlookers outside sounded like a murder of crows.”

A sensitive and nuanced exploration of foster care and mental health set against a dazzling backdrop of magic and history.

GEORGE WASHINGTON’S ENGINEER

How Rufus Putnam Won the Siege of Boston Without Firing a Shot

Pattison, Darcy

Illus by, Kole, Terry Mims House (34 pp.)

$24.99 | $11.99 paper | July 11, 2023

9781629442204

9781629442211 paper

Creative thinking leads to a significant military victory in Pattison’s middle-grade historical account.

“Sometimes battles are fought with guns and bravery. But sometimes battles are fought with walls and a good engineer, like Rufus Putnam….” The author expertly crafts a colorful, fact-based narrative for middle-grade and older elementary school readers around the key role that Continental Army engineer Rufus Putnam played in the Revolutionary War, using his technical expertise to enable Gen. George Washington to recapture the city of Boston from British control. Washington’s troops required walls to protect the soldiers firing cannons at the British, but the frozen ground made digging foundations impossible; nothing short of an engineering miracle would provide a solution (Pattison relates how others, including Col. Henry Knox, QM Thomas Mifflin, and, indirectly, Gen. William Heath, were essential in making Putnam’s innovative design for walls that could be solidly built on frozen ground a reality). In addition to giving young readers an intriguing look at a specific event in early American history, Pattison delivers an empowering underlying message in her portrayal of long-ago figures as regular people who became problem solvers when faced with a high-stakes dilemma and who, by working together, achieved an astonishing victory. The author adds a touch of suspense with Washington’s need to keep the British in the dark until it was too late for their troops to do anything but retreat (“Shhh! If the British heard them, all would be lost”). The clear text is set against Kole’s crisp, fullpage digital illustrations that capture people, time, and place in a well-designed cartoon style, with clean lines and saturated colors. Pictorial maps, Putnam’s sketched plans, and, on one page, a brief biographical sketch of Washington’s cannon provider, Henry Knox, blend informational elements smoothly into the book’s design. The backmatter includes biographical information about Putnam as well as specifics about the source materials used.

A fascinating slice of American history fueled by the power of original ideas and teamwork.

QUEEN OF THE CLOUDS

Phillips, Taylor C.

Turtle Cove Press (450 pp.)

$19.95 paper | $19.95 e-book

March 18, 2023

9781947536166

Phillips offers a dual biography of two young American pilots who each aimed to be the first woman to fly solo around the world.

Ohioan Geraldine “Jerrie” Mock was 16 in 1941 when Pearl Harbor was attacked, and the following year, she signed up for a course in preflight aviation. In college, she majored in aeronautical engineering; after she got married, she bought her first plane, nicknamed Tweetie Bird, for $1,200. In 1962, she entered the All Woman’s International Air Race, flying from Houston to Nassau in the Bahamas. Another pilot in the race was Floridian Joan Merriam Smith, who got her own plane when she was still a teenager. Although the two flyers didn’t meet then, just two years later, in 1964, they discovered that they’d both decided to fly around the world, just as Amelia Earhart had attempted. Although the routes the two women

prepared to fly were entirely different—Smith would mimic Earhart’s equatorial route and Mock would stay in the Northern Hemisphere—the media branded the flights as a speed competition. The women took off just two days apart, and each encountered rugged weather and other challenges during their journeys. Both were celebrated for their globe-circling flights, but each woman suffered from financial difficulties in the years that followed. Phillips, who’s also from Florida, interviewed Mock numerous times for this, his debut book; another key interviewee was the granddaughter of Smith’s flying partner, Trixie Schubert, who possessed Smith’s tape-recorded journal of her historic flight. Overall, the book is clearly heavily researched. However, some readers may find the footnotes distracting; the additional information might have fit in better at the end of the book. In addition, an included litany of how things have changed for women since the 1960s seems unnecessary. That said, the author skillfully weaves together Mock’s and Smith’s stories, and he offers a riveting portrayal of the drama of flying through treacherous weather and dealing with equipment difficulties.

A well-documented work that takes off smoothly and glides to a satisfying ending.

LUCY DREAMS or The Unremarkable Life of Jeremy Moore

Pierpoint, Paul E.

Self (292 pp.)

$9.95 paper | $2.95 e-book | July 7, 2022

9798839901711

In Pierpoint’s free-wheeling and episodic novel, an old man reviews his “unremarkable” life.

Seventy-seven-year-old Jeremy Moore has fallen off his roof while cleaning the gutters and now faces a long stay in a hospital. This sets the stage for a series of reflections on his long life. For comfort, he has his lifelong friends, Bartholomew Cross, Lyle Strawberry, and Arnold “Junior” Pocketmaster, together known by a wonderful malapropism as “The Four Horsemen of the Acropolis.” While recuperating at Mt. Saint Anne Hospital in rural Indiana, Jeremy waxes philosophical with his pals and recalls the many embarrassing and poignant adventures they shared. In that hospital are his outwardly tough-as-nails physical therapist, Tasha, and a dynamo of a little girl named Samantha and her single mother, Monica Bradshaw. Samantha, who’s wise beyond her years, has a rare, incurable cancer, and she and Jeremy develop a strong bond—one that brings out the best in Jeremy, who was a mensch to begin with. Pierpoint is a remarkably talented writer who’s obviously having fun; he’s capable of lyricism as well as humor (“I looked around like maybe the car was just playing hide-and-seek,” he narrates when his automobile isn’t where he expects it to be). The last scenes of the book are a fantasy that’s surreal and poetic as he exults in “Lucy dreams” (his term for lucid dreams). His portrayal of Samantha walks a tightrope between moving

“A magical and moving work.”

dreams

and maudlin, but Pierpoint ably makes it to the other side without falling. Opinions may differ about whether the ending is too pat, but there’s no doubt that Pierpoint is in total command of his story’s emotions; he takes good care of his readers. It’s no spoiler to report that Jeremy, a desperate romantic, did indeed live a remarkable life.

A magical and moving work.

THE WORD OF THE MUSE

Portman, Bridgette Dutta

TITAN1STUDIOS (322 pp.)

$10.99 paper | $3.99 e-book | April 25, 2023

9781738968701

In Portman’s conclusion to her YA epic-fantasy trilogy, a teenage novice fantasy writer, trapped in the world of her amateur fiction, attempts to support an uprising on a doomed planet.

In The Twin Stars (2021), the first installment of this series, 16-year-old Olive Joshi, the granddaughter of a successful Indian author, was transported into a universe she’d concocted in her own mind, featuring planets roasting in an unstable binary star system. In this place, tyrant Burnash faces opposition from his superpowered sister, Coseema—a confident, idealized version of Olive herself. However, Olive’s arrival has coincided with—or perhaps caused—a series of calamities. Coseema became corrupt in her desire to become all-powerful, and solar flares and heat storms have increased. Olive, meanwhile, is seen as the “Muse,” a goddess figure; only Coseema and some rebels know her real identity. However, when she’s separated from her reality-changing pen and notebook, she’s as helpless as any minor character. Olive tries to aid the fight against Burnash by using her knowledge of her villains, including their conflicts and motives. But, as their creator, she’s guilt-ridden over what she’s wrought: “What have I done? Everything—all of this—is my fault.” The notion of a writer trapped in a setting of their own making is hardly original; for example, Cornelia Funke’s Inkheart (2003) taps into the same idea, as does Sangu Mandanna’s Kiki Kallira Breaks a Kingdom (2021) with drawings, rather than prose. However, Portman shows skill when it comes to pacing, executing twists, and escalating stakes, and this effectively carries this concluding story along. Olive, as an unpracticed storyteller, hasn’t thought things through entirely, so there’s justification for occasional sketchiness and derivative elements; it explains why creatures called Deimons are a little too close to the Dementors of the Harry Potter series, for instance, and why the climax seems pulled directly from the pages of Marvel or DC Comics. Still, the fact that both Portman and Olive strive to find goodness in every character—even evil ones—is praiseworthy.

A fiery denouement to a metafictional fantasy tale.

POWERLESS

Pretty, Jacqueline

Pandora Books (308 pp.)

$18.99 | $13.99 paper | $2.99 e-book

June 13, 2023

9780645712315

9780645712322 paper

A 16-year-old from a family of superpowered people finds herself on the outs when she fails to develop powers of her own in Pretty’s YA SF novel.

Hanna Super is an anomaly in her appropriately named family. Her deceased mother, two sisters, and two brothers all developed superpowers by the time they were 16, her current age. Her powerlessness means she is left out of, among other things, her family’s vigilante activities. Her older sister, Maria, can control fire. Her brother Toomas has superstrength, and her other brother, Maksim, has the ability to transfer pain from his own (usually self-inflicted) injuries to someone else. Finally, her younger sister, Marleen, can dissolve anything she touches. Struggling to find her place, Hanna devotes her time to studying the gene that causes the development of powers, discovered by her wealthy scientist father, Artem Super—whose approval she strongly desires. After a lab accident, however, Hanna is cast out of her father’s home. Alone for the first time, she stumbles into an alliance with the mysterious Brotherhood, the group positioned as Artem’s antagonistic rival. The author effectively builds the story’s world (it’s set in an alternate version of Sudovia, an independent former member nation of the Soviet Union) through the natural-feeling incorporation of details via conversations or flashbacks. One particularly clever instance occurs in a flashback to Hanna and Maria’s childhood games involving maps of Kakslinna: (“Maria’s favorite map was the most recent one, where she’d drawn little, red Xs for where to find the best mini pancakes, cinnamon pastries, and cherry pies”); Pretty uses the scene not only to provide depth to the sisters’ relationship, but also to unobtrusively convey details about the history and geography of the setting. Ultimately, the author delivers an exciting superhero story with series potential.

A strong superhero yarn for fans of the X-Men and Leigh Bardugo’s Six of Crows.

FLASHBULB MEMORIES Short Stories on the Roller Coaster of Parenthood and Family

Saint­Denis, Cécilia

Illus. by Stéphanie Weppelmann

Loyola College/Apprentice House (230 pp.)

$17.99 paper | $6.49 e-book | May 2, 2023 9781627204811

Saint-Denis offers a collection of family-related anecdotes and vignettes in this short story collection.

urban fantasy novel with

In this collection of extremely short stories (several of the pieces are less than a page long, and few are more than three pages), the author draws on notes recorded over decades of parenting, working, and living in France and the United States, turning memories into a work of autofiction. The first section, “New Roots,” includes stories spanning the French family’s stay in the United States. The following three sections (“Infancy,” “Adolescence,” and “Send-Off”) are roughly chronological, following Saint-Denis’ evolution as a parent. The stories are all written in the third person, and all the characters remain unnamed. At first it can be difficult to recognize that each story features the same individuals, but as the reader progresses, their personalities and themes develop a consistency across the stories. In “Unpacking,” the husband and wife clash over differing priorities for emptying their boxes, but harmony is eventually restored even though the books get unpacked and the kitchen gear does not. “Good Eye” offers an outsider’s look at the culture and vocabulary of children’s sports. “Scarce Commodity” examines parental sleeplessness, with teenagers as much to blame as infants. In “Hair Gel,” an adolescent son gets to teach his father a new skill. Saint-Denis explores the mundane, ordinary moments of family life, from elementary school homework to dance class to serving as a parental chaperone. The narration hews closely to the mother’s thoughts, so readers get the most intimate look into her psyche as she wrestles with balancing work and family, mourns and celebrates her children growing up, and puzzles out American customs. The writing is generally strong and often highly descriptive, with a touch of dry humor, as in her characterization of cellphones: “There were some similarities to the revolution of having a baby, in the sense that life before it became unimaginable. And yet they had survived many years without it.”

An evocative collection of stories about family life.

A GRAND PAUSE

A Novel on May 14, 1945, the USS Randolph, Kamikazes, and the Greatest Air-Sea Rescue

Santos, Gary

Dorrance Publishing (314 pp.)

$18.00 paper | $9.99 e-book | Feb. 2, 2023

9798886830279

A historical novel about a rescue mission in the Pacific theater of World War II.

In his fiction debut, Santos centers history on the tail end of the U.S. Navy’s titanic war efforts in the Pacific, where the aircraft carrier USS Randolph and many other American ships act as “the battering ram of the Fifth Fleet” as “the war rolls on with the kinetic energy of a tidal wave”—even though Germany has already surrendered. The 5th Fleet is stationed off Okinawa, Japan, and Santos introduces his readers to a wide spectrum of men who keep it running, from plane engineers to officers to ship captains, all carrying the weight of hundreds of lives on

their shoulders: “Every morning,” he writes, “Randolph warms up in her little corner of the ring, jabbing in place, sharpening the blood sport of war.” Ongoing combat, including relentless kamikaze attacks, has resulted in burials at sea every day, and every sailor is aware that their next mission could very well be their last. One such mission, on May 14, 1945, involves the Massachusetts-born pilot Ensign John Morris and Midwestern gunner Cletis Phegley, who find themselves marooned after being shot down in the Pacific, making them the object of desperate searches from both sides. Santos skillfully shifts his story from large-scale combat operations to focus on specific characters and details, and he wisely expands his cast far beyond Morris and Phegley, painting engaging portraits of personnel at every level of United States naval command. Also, he effectively extends his focus beyond combatants; one of the book’s most memorable characters, for instance, is a United Press International war correspondent named Denton who tells his captain honestly, “I’m trying to cover the war from the unique perspective of a civilian frightened out of his wits.” The book’s documentary elements often dominate the narrative, but even so, the reading experience is genuinely immersive throughout.

A fact-heavy but consistently compelling look at a day of real-life naval heroism.

TRAILER PARK TRICKSTER

Slayton, David R.

Blackstone Publishing (450 pp.)

$11.99 paper | $6.99 e-book | Oct. 12, 2021 9781094067971

A magic-using young man fights to save his family from dark forces in Slayton’s urban fantasy novel, the second in a series.

Adam Binder, a detective with supernatural abilities, returns to his hometown of Guthrie, Oklahoma, following the death of his beloved great-aunt Sue, the member of his dysfunctional extended family with whom he got along best. Adam has reason to believe her death was caused by something other than the reported heart attack, especially when the dead woman’s trailer blows up right in front of him. Adam, who rushes into the burning structure to save his cousins, spots a dark figure (whom Adam identifies as a druid) lurking at the edge of the flames. Adam suspects this man is Robert Binder Sr., the father he’s long been searching for. The man officially died years ago, but could he actually be alive and living as a warlock? Back in Denver, Adam’s policeman boyfriend, Vic, tries to figure out why Adam left town without saying anything. While Adam rushes to stop the mysterious man from targeting members of his family, Vic, due to his past magical adventures with Adam, becomes caught up on a mission of his own in the magical dimension known as the Other Side, where sea elves are intent upon drowning the world. The author’s evocative prose marries dark fantasy with trailer-park grit, resulting in a style that

“An engrossing

an eclectic milieu.”

trailer park trickster

with a twist

feels distinctly grounded even when it’s describing magical occurrences: “Adam squeezed his eyes shut and opened them when cold filled the air, sweeping over the car like a sleet storm. The scent of rotten blackberries and battery acid surged. He knew this magic, knew its greasy flavor, its cloying, clinging stench.” The plot picks up where the previous book ended, so new readers may have trouble orienting themselves in the various continuing storylines. Even so, fans of the genre will appreciate Slayton’s relentless pace, complex characters, and inventive turns. More fantasy novels could use a dash of the trailer park.

An engrossing urban fantasy novel with an eclectic milieu.

WITH A TWIST A Murder on the Rocks Mystery

Stoler, Cathi

Level Best Books (264 pp.)

$16.95 paper | $5.99 e-book | Feb. 14, 2023

9781685122607

Murder and mayhem await an amateur sleuth aboard a luxurious Mediterranean cruise ship in Stoler’s mystery novel.

This Issue’s Contributors #

ADULT

Colleen Abel • Ryan Asmussen • Mark Athitakis • Colette Bancroft • Robert Beauregard • Tom Beer

Sarah Blackman • Amy Boaz • Jeffrey Burke • Catherine Cardno • Tobias Carroll • Sara Davis • Dave

DeChristopher • Coeur de Lion • Amanda Diehl • Melanie Dragger • Lisa Elliott • Katie Flanagan

Mia Franz • Harvey Freedenberg • Roberto Friedman • Glenn Gamboa • Amy Goldschlager • Michael Griffith • Geoff Hamilton • Peter Heck • Natalia Holtzman • Zachary Issenberg • Matt Jakubowski

Jessica Jernigan • Jayashree Kamblé • Tom Lavoie • Judith Leitch • Elsbeth Lindner • Melissa Locker

Michael Magras • Matthew May • Gregory McNamee • Carol Memmott • Clayton Moore • Karen

Montgomery Moore • Jennifer Nabers • Christopher Navratil • Liza Nelson • Mike Newirth • Therese

Purcell Nielsen • Sarah Norris • Mike Oppenheim • Derek Parker • Jim Piechota • Margaret Quamme

Bella Rodrigues • Lloyd Sachs • Bob Sanchez • Gene Seymour • Linda Simon • Wendy Smith

Margot E. Spangenberg • Mathangi Subramanian • Kerry Winfrey • Marion Winik

CHILDREN’S & TEEN

Nada Abdelrahim • Yuliya Abova • Autumn Allen • Jenny Arch • Nada Bakri

• Sally Battle • Elizabeth Bird • Ariel Birdoff

• Nastassian Brandon • Timothy Capehart • Ann Childs • Alec B. Chunn

Amanda Chuong • Tamar Cimenian

• Jeannie Coutant

Esquivia-Cohen • Brooke Faulkner • Amy Seto Forrester

Gallaga • Laurel Gardner

Greenblatt • Ana Grilo

• Maura Gaven

• Vicky Gudelot

• Elise DeGuiseppi

• Anna Drake • Gillian

• Jenna Friebel • Robbin Friedman • Omar

• Carol Goldman

• Tobi Haberstroh

Hubble • Kathleen T. Isaacs • Darlene Ivy

Kaplan

• Stephanie Klose

Patricia Lothrop

• Wesley Jacques

• Lyneea Kmail

• Wendy Lukehart

Emmett Marshall • Michelle H Martin

Daniel Meyer

• J. Elizabeth Mills

Deb Paulson • John Edward Peters

Reyes

• Amy Robinson

Soltan • Allie Stevens

Paul Allen

• Danielle Galván Gomez • Melinda

• Jessica Hoptay Brown

• Lenna Jawdat

• Megan Dowd Lambert

• Kyle Lukoff

• Leanne Ly

• Gabriela Martins

• Katrina Nye

• Abigail Hsu • Julie

• Betsy Judkins • Deborah

• Maya Lekach

• Joan Malewitz

Jude Dillane is recovering from her last adventure, in which she took the life of a serial killer. The proprietor of The Corner Lounge, a bar and grill on Manhattan’s Lower East Side, Jude is preparing for the weekend crowd when her boyfriend, accountant Eric Ramirez, walks in with a surprise offering. His wealthy client Milt Rogovich has gifted them a spectacular 10-day vacation on the Wanderlust Cruise Line’s newest elite small-ship wonder, the Allure. Off to London they go to begin a luxury vacation. To her surprise and delight, Jude spots Monica Delmar, her friend from the days when they both attended Cornell University’s hotel school; Monica is now the Allure’s director of passenger events. She shows Jude and Eric to their sumptuous cabin, complete with a separate sitting room and an invitation to join her at the captain’s table for the cruise’s first-night dinner. But an ominous cloud hangs over this seagoing paradise: In the middle of the night, Monica tearfully appears at the couple’s cabin door, reporting that she has just discovered the twisted, lifeless body of the assistant purser, Jamie McFarland, on the floor of a passageway. And so, the game’s afoot in this fourth volume of the author’s Murder on the Rocks mystery series. Jude is a jaunty, irrepressible narrator; in between snooping and ferreting out clues, she shares detailed descriptions of the Allure’s lavish decor and tempting gourmet meals and highlights of her tour of Barcelona, their first port of call. Despite the ingratiatingly upbeat tone, buoyed by light banter, Stoler builds tension with increasing danger, a plethora of likely suspects, and direct threats to Jude’s life. A very creepy scene follows an unaccompanied Jude through the ancient underground tunnels of Rome’s Colosseum, “their stone walls stained and reeking of dampness,” and although there is no big concluding shocker, there are some clever and surprising twists.

A fun escapist beach read best enjoyed with a frosty piña colada.

• Silvia Lin Hanick

• Thomas Maluck

• J. Alejandro Mazariegos

• Tori Ann Ogawa

• Danielle Pitter

• Christopher R. Rogers

• Emilia Packard

• Kristy Raffensberger

• Gia Ruiz

• E.F. Schraeder

• Mathangi Subramanian • Jennifer Sweeney

Vachharajani

• Kent Armstrong

• S.D. Winston

• Bean Yogi

INDIE

• Emma Benavides

Michael Deagler • Steve Donoghue • Gina Elbert

Lynne Heffley

GODIANS Creation of Earth

• Kathie Meizner

• Hal Patnott

• Julia Reffner

• Amy B.

• Sadaf Siddique

• Deborah D. Taylor

• Jean-Louise Zancanella

• Leah Block

• Darren Carlaw

• Rita

• Bijal

• Charles Cassady

• Joshua Farrington • Dakota Hall • Alec Harvey

• Donald Liebenson • Maureen Liebenson

Andrea Moran

• Barbara London • Collin Marchiando

Sun, David J.

Paradace (264 pp.)

$34.99 | $12.99 paper | $5.99 e-book

Jan. 3, 2023

9781088106792

9781088115176 paper

• Jim Piechota • Judy Quinn

• Donna Steiner

• Sarah Rettger

• Hal Schrieve

• Jerome Shea • Mo Springer

• Audrey Weinbrecht

• Amelia Williams

An alien society of powerful beings must protect their home from a venomous foe in Sun’s debut SF novel.

“A fun escapist beach read best enjoyed with a frosty piña colada.”

On the planet Ohum, young Ike Skyler falls in love with Sola, the daughter of Theo, who rules over the Godians, a people who live in relative peace and have special abilities. Theo, for instance, creates planets in the Milky Way, where he plans to put his latest project: Earth. After Ike becomes his son-in-law, Theo tasks him with overseeing “all the little details” of Earth’s construction. This isn’t always straightforward; sometimes Theo and his team grab resources from other planets, whose inhabitants tend to respond negatively and aggressively. As Earth gradually comes to fruition, it and its new humans created by a Godian named Hana, seem to be doing well. So well, in fact, that the reptilian Sauras, who struggle with famine and disease on their home planet of Baroca, decide to try to take Earth for themselves. Ike must lead the Godians into battle against them despite the fact that they’re hopelessly outnumbered. Many of Sun’s descriptions shine, from Ohum’s sky (“a permanent lilac, changing hues from pink to purple and midnight blue according to weather or time”) to its trio of suns, each rising and setting for a third of every 15-hour day. Some particulars, however, are sadly lacking, regarding items such as Ike’s speed cruiser. The best scenes involve Earth’s creation; it’s a treat to read about Ike and others producing such familiar elements as “mountains that will erupt fire and lava” and the planet’s four distinct layers; this makes parts of the narrative predictable but no less entertaining. Sharp, multihued, uncredited comic book–style artwork further enlivens the pages; notable images portray the hulking, crablike beings called Rokaries and the Sauras as well as a spaceship battle. Although the author seems to have a series planned, this book effectively wraps its story up.

A breezy space opera with some colorful details, although it might have benefited from even more.

RIVER OF CROWS

Thompson, N.P.

Inky Cove (332 pp.)

$12.99 paper | $7.99 e-book | May 29, 2022 9780995994249

A 12-year-old boy finds himself at the center of a foreboding prophecy in Thompson’s middle-grade fantasy novel.

Ty Baxter’s biggest problems in life are tedious classes, a strict dad, and a gang of roughhousing bullies. With his good friend Jackson by his side—and occasional visits from Streak, a clever crow with a white feather—Ty tries to take his seemingly ordinary life in stride even though each day seems more boring than the last. When Ty sees bullies throwing rocks at Streak, he teams up with Ayslenne—a quiet, strange student dubbed “Magic Girl” by teasing classmates—to save him. This brave act culminates in a flurry of magic in which the unlikely duo is catapulted into Arcania, a fantastical world of people with supernatural abilities, mystifying prophecies, armies of humansturned-crows, and an evil emperor: Blackthorn. Ty’s familiar world is gone (“He took a deep breath, then stepped forward, reaching out his hand the way Ayslenne had. The moment he

touched the shimmering surface, the world around him dissolved into a blinding flare of light”); as if that isn’t stressful enough for a 12-year-old boy, Ty finds himself at the very center of an effort to save the doomed Arcania. There is much for middle-grade readers to love about this fantasy novel; the relatability of the cast, both young and old, is just the beginning. Each character is developed and complex, whether intended to be lovable or detestable, and the relationship between Ty and Ayslenne, which blooms throughout the novel, is funny and sweet. The narrative is fantastically paced, managing to build a world, establish its lore, introduce and develop characters, and kick off an epic series, all while delivering invigorating doses of action and excitement. Ty and Ayslenne’s adventure will effortlessly hook readers and keep them eagerly turning the pages until the very end.

A smart, funny, exciting fantasy novel for younger readers who love all things magical.

THE BEREAVED

Tracey, Julia Park

Sibylline Press (274 pp.)

$17.99 paper | $12.60 e-book | Aug. 8, 2023 9781736795422

Martha Lozier is a struggling but determined mother in this moving 19thcentury tale of loss and survival based on a true story.

Upon the death of her husband, Martha sees no choice but to flee with her children from upstate Newburgh, New York, to New York City. She’s specifically running away from her father-in-law, a lecherous lawyer who tried to rape her and who’s also been named the guardian of her children. To say that life is hard in the city is an understatement; Martha seeks to support young Sarah, Ira, George, and baby Homer, and she’s a talented seamstress, but work is hard to come by. They live in a grim apartment, and eventually the boys are rummaging through garbage to survive. Ira and George, while out foraging, stumble upon a place called the Home for the Friendless, whose administrators take them in and offer them fresh clothes, good meals, and schooling. It seems too good to be true. Eventually, Martha surrenders the children to keep them from starving; she’s led to believe, with artful half-truths, that she can reclaim them when her fortunes improve. Soon, Sarah and Ira are sent away, she to Illinois and he to a place near Buffalo. Then George and little Homer are sent together to Ohio, where Homer is adopted, but George, who may have autism, is sent back to join Sarah. Will the family ever be reunited? Tracey does a masterful job in this novel, developing Martha as a relatable narrator; readers will find that their spirits rise and fall with hers. For the most part, her life in the city is almost too wrenching to witness. The most painful aspect of the story, wonderfully handled by Tracey, is its depiction of the casual cruelty of the righteous folk who think they should be thanked as they break families apart. This novel is based on members of the author’s own family; baby

young adult

Homer became William Lozier Gaston, who’s Tracey’s greatgreat grandfather.

An often painful but uplifting novel by a writer at the top of her game.

A ROAD WANTING WEAR

Urban, David Grant

Left Coast Lit (258 pp.)

$16.95 paper | May 15, 2023

9798986407005

Four West Coast biker buddies hit the pavement for a life-altering journey across California.

Urban’s (A Line Intersected, 2017) contemporary novel chronicles the escapades of a hardscrabble group of motorcyclists: the narrator, Jordan Wryte; his younger brother, Steven; and friends Michael Case and Derek Connor. As Jordan pauses to reflect that the men “did the best we could to understand what the world was telling us,” he backtracks to explain how the fours pals got to where they are now. All four rendezvous at the narrator’s home business in San Diego, where a plan is hatched to take a group motorcycle trip touring California. At the age of 27, Jordan finds himself worried about and overprotective of Steven, six years younger, as he carries out their mother’s dying wish to watch over him. The group is a tough, no-nonsense, and hard-drinking bunch prone to spats and discord, so Jordan is initially reluctant about the trip but eventually concedes and joins the others. He insists that they leave their cellphones behind, so perceptive readers will see what’s coming as the exhaustive journey not only shows each man the sights and sounds of unfamiliar territory, but opens old familial wounds and slashes wide a few new ones as well. While attentive to the minute details of his characters’ machinations, the

KIRKUS MEDIA LLC #

Co-Chairman HERBERT SIMON

Co-Chairman MARC WINKELMAN

San Diego author is also quite masterful at vividly depicting a biker’s life, the trip’s dusty locations, and the exhilaration and freedom felt as the open road beckons. As they endure a sandstorm and pass the fetid Salton Sea, Derek keeps disappearing with Steven and episodes of festering infighting threaten the friendships. Meanwhile, a sinister motorcycle group they pass and troublemakers near Michael’s aunt’s house cast dark shadows across the trip. Thankfully, the men continue bonding even in the face of a tragic, complicated accident near the novel’s end. Urban writes methodically and in a conversational tone, slowly moving his story forward with minute particulars that seem initially mundane but eventually are endearing and enrich the story. Readers who appreciate novels that linger over each character’s move will find this book enjoyable. Once the tale begins to heat up on the road and the personality of each biker turns distinctive and edgy, the story becomes more charismatic, engrossing, and slyly addictive. Readers will want to hear more from these characters.

A captivating, character-driven road trip with a group of memorable bikers.

HOP LOLA HOP A Yummy Market Day Adventure

Urban, Kathy

Illus. by Siski Kalla

Little Steps Publishing (32 pp.)

$13.99 paper | June 1, 2023

9781912678808

Ella and Lola go to market together, but not everything goes as planned in Urban’s illustrated children’s book Gray toy bunny Lola hasn’t learned her lesson since her last adventure with her special friend, human girl Ella, in Hop Lola Hop (2022). As this story starts, the two are on good terms as they embark on a series of tasty adventures, including eating ice cream, baking treats, and planning a picnic. They finally depart for the farmers market with Ella’s mom, where they encounter dozens of stalls that catch their eye. The girl and bunny wander off alone and find themselves in the part of the market that has soap, flowers, and produce, not all of which they need for their picnic. Illustrator Kalla zooms out on the rich, brightly colored location, showing just how big and disorienting it is. Like other illustrations, it celebrates the hustle and bustle of everyday life, but readers will be able to spot Ella’s mom looking around in worry. Lola’s having so much fun that she wanders away again, leaving Ella in distress: “It certainly wasn’t the first time for Lola to disappear,” writes Urban, “but that didn’t mean Ella would get used to losing her—not today—not EVER!” This story insightfully shows how Ella’s losing Lola overlaps with Ella’s mom’s losing her daughter; it will teach children about the importance of staying with your companions and how to solve a problem when it arises. It conveys this message in a cute, child-friendly way that will appeal to many preschoolers. The formatting gives the text extra verve as it rises and falls (“Hop! Hop! Hop!”) or becomes larger to emphasize particular words

“A captivating, character-driven road trip with a group of memorable bikers.” a road wanting wear

(“TOO LONG”). At the end of the story, Urban invites readers to make strawberry pancakes of their own, using a recipe at the back of the book.

A delightful, colorful book with a lesson about loss and responsibility.

REGALBOP

Wasserman, Leonard Stillwater River Publications (83 pp.)

$10.95 paper | $5.99 e-book | Jan. 26, 2023 9781958217924 paper

Two eccentric people stumble into a bizarre and precarious alternate world in Wasserman’s debut novella.

Regalbop’s origins are somewhat murky. He and his parents hail from planet Zorian and now live on Earth. Regalbop sports a unique look: He’s hairless, with skin the color and texture of an avocado, big ears and feet, and a large nose. One day, that nose falls off, which draws a crowd, including the bulging-eyed, red-cheeked Pollybip. She helps to recover and reattach his nose, but later, when Regalbop’s ears also fall off, she walks away with them. This leads to mishaps with the police; before long, they’re both dodging the authorities. Amazingly, Regalbop and Pollybip pass through a mirror in his attic into a parallel world with quicksandlike green slime and scary creatures that want to eat them. The two must fight just to survive, much less pursue any hope of making it back home. Radiant details enliven both the characters and the landscape; a largely barren, pale blue desert is trailed by an atmospheric fog that’s too easy to lose oneself in. The relatively few outlandish creatures include birds with huge wingspans and a bright-red predator that stands 15 feet tall and has an even longer tail. But as exciting as this strange dimension is, it’s not quite as fun or gleefully offbeat as the misadventures the two leads have in their own world. Their bumbling is hilarious; when the police question Regalbop, he can only hear Pollybip, who still has his ears, singing in the shower (“Soon Regalbop heard Pollybip introducing herself to a police officer, and he knew she had come to the station and had his ears with her. Oh, thank heavens, he thought”). The story concludes with a somewhat abrupt ending that implies illuminating sequels will follow.

A short, enjoyable fantasy that revels in delightful quirkiness.

TO THE CITY

Zakas, Mary Jane

Illus. by Roberta Jean Owen

Archway Publishing (64 pp.)

$31.95 | $23.95 paper | $3.99 e-book

April 10, 2017

9781480843868

9781480843851 paper

An older couple embark on a brief urban vacation in Zakas’ illustrated book for young readers.

The author’s stated goal for her work is to “teach reality” to young readers and to expand their base of knowledge about the world as they learn vocabulary. In this work, four-line rhyming stanzas on each page serve as a predictable vehicle for each new segment of the story. The highlights and heart of the book are the sketchy, lively watercolor illustrations by Owen that adorn each page—the vivid colors illuminate a Southwestern-feeling rural landscape. Even when the gray city appears on the horizon, luminous rays shine down from above, conveying an infectious sense of wonder in the ordinary. Though the simple plot’s beats occasionally feel excessively numerous, the couplets contain a few deeply memorable lines that reveal the personality of the narrator: “The newest, latest, greatest is at hand. / ‘Wanting’ is something we just understand.” The minor trials Roberta and her husband encounter introduce readers to engaging scenarios, including making apple butter, changing oil, gardening in hot weather, watching someone fall from a hoverboard, navigating a dangerous highway, and going to a garage sale. Threads of enthusiasm for sustainable farming, recycling, and community spirit run through the narrative, and the slice-of-life story wraps itself up without hammering home any hard-won morals (though the relatability of the older rural couple at the center of this lengthy tale is up for debate; verses like “Check the App that counts each step. / Talk with their Investment Rep” may leave little ones baffled). An extensive appendix gives readers facts on trees, bees, pigs, and honey and provides comprehension questions that equip caregivers and educators with a clear framework for using the text as a language instruction aid.

An idiosyncratic, literacy-promoting adventure made all the more interesting by its artistic flair.

young adult

Book To Screen

film and tv adaptations in the works

BY MICHAEL SCHAUB

BENEDICT CUMBERBATCH TO STAR IN THING WITH FEATHERS FILM

Benedict Cumberbatch is set to star in a film adaptation of Max Porter’s Grief Is the Thing With Feathers, Deadline reports.

Porter’s novella, published in the U.S. by Graywolf in 2016, tells the story of a London man grieving the death of his wife. He and his two sons are visited by Crow, a mysterious creature who at first annoys the family but eventually teaches them how to deal with their loss.

The book won the International Dylan Thomas Prize. In a starred review, a critic for Kirkus called it “elegant, imaginative, and perfectly paced” and “a contribution to the literature of grief and to literature in general.”

Cumberbatch, who was nominated for Oscars for his performances in The Imitation Game and The Power of the Dog, will play the widower in the film, which is titled The Thing With Feathers. Sculptor Nicola Hicks will help design Crow for the movie.

It is being adapted and directed by Dylan Southern (Meet Me in the Bathroom).

Cumberbatch said he was “a huge fan” of Porter’s book. “Dylan has handled the deftness of Max’s kinetic poetry masterfully,” the actor said. “It’s so well realized both on the page and in the deck and pitch. It holds all the wildly sharp turns of changing tones and colors between the domestic and mythic, between the despair, comedy, and every day of loss.”

Porter also had kind words for Southern, saying, “Dylan understands how this story is just as much about domesticity, awkward humor, the silly, fun and strange routines of raising children, as it is about inexplicable rage and pain. In Crow he has created something wild, a cinematic monster unlike anything else.”

THORA BIRCH TO DIRECT ADAPTATION OF MR. PARADISE

Thora Birch will direct a film adaptation of Elmore Leonard’s Mr. Paradise, Deadline reports.

Leonard’s novel, published in 2004 by Morrow/HarperCollins, tells the story of a model who is the paid companion of an octogenarian lawyer and survives a double murder at his mansion. A critic for Kirkus wrote that Leonard “crowds his canvas with the survivors and interested parties to another massacre across town and brings the two crimes to a slow boil—definitely a cool tactic, but one that entangles him with lowlifes who are a lot less interesting than his romantic leads.”

Birch, known as an actor for her roles in Patriot Games, Hocus Pocus, and Ghost World, directed the television movie The Gabby Petito Story last year.

Many of Leonard’s novels have been adapted as films. Quentin Tarantino’s 1997 film, Jackie Brown, was based on the author’s Rum Punch, and the movie adaptations of Leonard’s Out of Sight and Get Shorty were box-office hits.

Birch praised the late author, saying, “I find his world of bumbling criminal characters, snappy dialogue, and constant pursuit of sex and status endlessly entertaining. Mr. Paradise provides an ideal new lens to view Leonard through the eyes of our intriguing female protagonist as she navigates between the Detroit underworld and a persistent police investigator.”

Michael Schaub, a journalist and regular contributor to NPR, lives near Austin, Texas.

Matt Winkelmeyer/WireImage

Frazer Harrison/Getty Images

Benedict Cumberbatch

Thora Birch

Revisiting Charles Portis’ True Grit

“There is no knowing what is in a man’s heart.” So says Mattie Ross, the 14-year-old protagonist of Charles Portis’ 1968 novel, True Grit. It’s a theme that will be sounded several times in the story: Trust no one, for no one is trustworthy—not a horse trader, not a traveling salesman, not even boozy U.S. Marshal Reuben “Rooster” Cogburn, about whom Mattie concludes, “You cannot give any weight to the words of a drunkard.”

They may not be trustworthy, but Portis, a one-time crime reporter, knew that people predictably inflict all sorts of awful mischief on one another. Bad behavior reigns from the first page of his book, when young Mattie must leave the family farm and go to Fort Smith, Arkansas, to retrieve the body of her father, murdered by a hired hand named Tom Chaney.

Chaney is already wanted for having killed a Texas politician, and everywhere he goes blood gushes forth. Tireless and maddeningly persistent, Mattie learns of Chaney’s likely whereabouts in Choctaw country and hires Cogburn to bring him in. Rooster may be an alcoholic mess off duty, but when he’s on, Mattie allows, “They say he has grit.”

Cogburn is also the meanest of men, another plus in Mattie’s ledger of revenge. Though he tries to brush it aside, he rode with Quantrill’s Confederate guerrillas alongside the sociopathic Jesse James. When a proper Confederate veteran named LaBoeuf, now a Texas Ranger, joins in Mattie’s hunt, he taunts Cogburn by saying, “I have heard they were not soldiers at all but murdering thieves.” Cogburn lives up to the description, for, he admits, he robbed a few people here and there—and, as it happens, a vanishingly small number of the criminals he hunts survive long enough to stand trial.

Chaney is no match for young Mattie, perhaps the most indomitable young woman in American literature. Neither is Cogburn, for that matter, though in an odd way Mattie ennobles him. After the bloody deaths of numerous innocents and guilty alike, he even saves her life.

Mattie returns to her farm along the Arkansas River and grows to a respectable adulthood, so mistrustful of others that she spends her life alone. LaBoeuf disappears in the vastness of Texas. As for Rooster, with one suspicious death too many attributed to him, he loses his job as a marshal, kills a few civilians in a Montana range war, and ends his days working in a Wild West sideshow alongside Cole Younger and Frank James. As Mattie puts it, “These old-timers…lived dangerous lives, and now this was all they were fit for, to show themselves to the public like strange wild beasts of the jungle.”

Its Western language less exotic than that of Blood Meridian, Cormac McCarthy’s kindred tale, True Grit, newly reissued in a Library of America omnibus of Portis’ fiction, is a classic literary Western—or perhaps better, anti-Western—its faith in the possibilities of justice and honor undone by the violence and genocide of the 1960s. Out on Charles Portis’ frontier, the only certainty is violence—for there is no knowing what lies in the heart.

Gregory McNamee is a contributing editor.

young adult

Estate of Charles Portis