ADULT FICTION
“A Short Walk Through a Wide World” by Douglas Westerbeke — “A wild romping adventure, a poignant tale of relationships and interconnectedness, and a compelling journey of self-discovery. A Short Walk Through a Wide World is utterly engrossing, a world—worlds—to get lost in. . . every reader will find something to love.” —Shelf Awareness
“All Fours” by Miranda July — “Showcases July’s wry observational powers about marriage, sex, aging and creative workaholism, along with her bawdy and philosophical sense of humor.” — San Francisco Chronicle
“Blue Sky, White Cloud” by Nirmal Ghosh — “With beautiful illustrations and rich prose, the three novellas in Blue Sky, White Cloud narrate stories from the perspectives of man and beast, showing us that, much like us, animals, too, have extraordinary stories to tell.” — Amazon
“Sandwich” by Catherine Newman — “Finally, literary fiction has started to fully appreciate the joy of an older female narrator . . . . Rocky is a worthy member of this new and much-needed club, not just for her date of birth but also for her relatability . . . . a protagonist like Rocky is so necessary, because a whole generation will now be able to read this wise and exquisitely written story and say I know how you feel. They will say, Same.” — The Guardian
“The Briar Club” by Kate Quinn — “A stellar historical mystery Quinn elegantly explores issues of race, class, and gender, and brings the paranoid atmosphere of McCarthy-era Washington to vivid life. For Quinn’s fans, this is a must.” — Publishers Weekly (starred review)
“The Brides of Maracoor” by Gregory Maguire — “[A] complex, enticing fantasy. . . . Maguire cleverly teases out the characters’ motivation and desires, turning what at first appears to be a straightforward tale into a gripping page-turner. Fans will revel in this triumphant return to the world of Wicked.” — Publishers Weekly
ADULT GRAPHIC NOVEL
“The Book of Genesis Illustrated” by R. Crumb — “Crumb’s vivid visual characterizations of the myriad characters, pious and wicked, make the most striking impression. His distinctive, highly rendered drawing style imparts a physicality that few other illustrated versions of this often retold chronicle have possessed. The centenarian elders show every one of their years, and the women, from Eve to Rachel, are as solidly sensual as any others Crumb has so famously drawn.” ― Booklist
ADULT MYSTERY
“Eruptions” by Michael Crichton — “Explosive…The action scenes will make readers’ eyes pop as the tension continues to build…Red-hot storytelling.”―Kirkus, starred review
“Pitch Dark” by Paul Doiron — “The resolution is absolutely stunning, and the narrative, as always, is compelling… Maine native Doiron is an outdoorsman, which adds a rare authenticity to the series.” ―Booklist, starred
“Return to Mariposa” by Anne Stuart — “A modern story of romantic suspense and masquerade, where no one is as they seem.” — Amazon
“Shanghai” by Joseph Kanon — “Edgar–winning Kanon plays global and personal intrigues to perfection here. Fans of historical thrillers will appreciate Kanon’s ability to cloak betrayals with the period’s looming uncertainty and evoke Shanghai’s particular vitality.” —Booklist (starred review)
“The God of the Woods” by Liz Moore — “The God of the Woods, like The Secret History, transports readers so deeply into its richly peopled, ominous world that, for hours, everything else falls away. . . . Breaking free of the spell Moore casts is close to impossible.” —Washington Post
ADULT NON-FICTION
“A Slow, Calculated Lynching” by Devery S. Anderson — “This meticulously researched book reveals how Kennard was wrongly imprisoned in Mississippi’s infamous Parchman prison farm, where he was denied proper medical care despite a cancer diagnosis. It reveals the chilling tactics the state of Mississippi employed to preserve white supremacy.” — Debbie Elliott ― NPR’s “Books We Love of 2023”
“American Visions: The United States from 1800-1860” by Edward Ayers — “Ayers’ accurate, balanced, and compelling history proves that progress is possible and that patriotism can be rooted in the complicated truths about the past.”― Booklist
“Fall of Civilizations: Stories of Greatness and Decline” by Paul Cooper — “A broad study of civilizations ….even history buffs will glean plenty of interesting historical information as he moves forward through the Khmer, Maya, and Vijayanagara India.”—Kirkus
“Frostbite: How Refrigeration Changed our Food, our Planet, and Ourselves” by Nicola Twilley — “[Nicola Twilley] tells the fascinating story of refrigeration and tracks its effects on eating habits, family dynamics and much else. Along the way, she skillfully introduces us to the people who helped make refrigeration a key feature of everyday life and who now work at the chilly front lines of the modern economy.” —Wall Street Journal
“New Menopause: Navigating Your Path Though Hormonal Change with Purpose, Power and Facts” by Mary Haver M.D. — “[An]enlightening guide. . . . readers will welcome the affirming tone and the attention paid to less-discussed symptoms. . . . It’s an informative manual on an important yet underdiscussed health matter.”—Publishers Weekly
“Patton’s Prayer: A True Story of Courage, Faith and Victory in World War II” by Alex Kershaw — “There is also no dearth of books on George Patton . . . But Mr. Kershaw has a way of digging out gripping individual stories in the context of larger drama and bringing pace and suspense to the telling.”—Wall Street Journal
“The Cost of Free Land: Jews, Lakota, and an American Inheritance” by Rebecca Claren — “Memorable… Fascinating… A deft mix of personal and social history that recounts the transfer of Native American lands to non-Indigenous settlers, including Jews fleeing antisemitic violence. . . [The Cost of Free Land] seeks a humane path toward restitution.”—Kirkus (*starred review*)
“The Great Abolitionist: Charles Sumner and the Fight for a More Perfect Union” by Stephen Puleo — “Puleo’s vast knowledge of 19th-century Boston and its diffident attitude toward slavery and integration―due in no small part to textile merchants and financiers who relied on Southern cotton for their prosperity―adds tremendous value to his account of Sumner’s transformation from depressed and sullen Harvard-educated lawyer to uncompromising and unrelenting civil rights champion, orator, and senator…Required reading for anyone with even a slight interest in Civil War–era U.S. history. A wonderfully written book about a true American freedom fighter.” ―Kirkus (starred)
“The Six: The Untold Story of America’s First Women Astronauts” by Loren Grush — “Tales of the space race enshrined in American history too often center on white men and elevate machismo…Science journalist Loren Grush reclaims this place as female…Grush skillfully weaves a story that, at its heart, is about desire: not a nation’s desire to conquer space, but the longing of six women to reach heights that were forbidden to them… Like space travel itself, The Six widens our vision of what it means to belong to ‘the whole family of humankind.’” —New York Times
“V is for Victory: Franklin Roosevelt’s American Revolution and the Triumph of World War II” by Craig Nelson — “A strong argument that ‘if any one human being is responsible for winning World War II, it is FDR.’ . . . [Nelson] points out that one American Revolution established the country in 1776, but another began in 1933 with the Franklin Roosevelt. . . . A compelling and convincing history lesson.” —Kirkus (starred review)
“When the Sea Came Alive: An Oral History of D-Day” by Garrett Graff — “A sprawling history of D-Day from the point of view of participants on both sides. . . . [and] a timely reminder of the cost of war, as well as the bravery of those who stormed the beaches all those decades ago.” ― Kirkus Reviews
PICTURE BOOK
“Big Dog and Little Dog Making a Mistake” by Dav Pilkey
“Big Dog and Little Dog Wearing Sweat Pants” by Dav Pilkey
“Love is my Favorite Color” by Nina Laden
“Never Touch a Polar Bear” by Rosie Greening
JUVENILE BIOGRAPHY
“The Crayon Man” by Natasha Biebow — “Celebrating the inventor of the Crayola crayon! This gloriously illustrated picture book biography tells the inspiring story of Edwin Binney, the inventor of one of the world’s most beloved toys. A perfect fit among favorites like The Day the Crayons Quit and Balloons Over Broadway.” — Houghton
YOUNG ADULT FICTION
“Orbiting Jupiter” by Gary Schmidt — “A powerful story about second chances, all the more devastating because not everyone gets one.” — Publishers Weekly (starred review)
“Reckless” by Lauren Roberts — “After she conspires with the Resistance and kills the king, Paedyn Gray faces a perilous game of cat-and-mouse with Prince Kai, whom she once loved, as she uncovers revelations about her past that make her question everything she thought was true.” — Baker & Taylor