“Follow the Flyway: The Marvel of Bird Migration” by Sarah Nelson — “This beautifully illustrated book, with poetic text by a St. Paul author, follows ducks, geese, herons, giant-winged pelicans, egrets, sandpipers, swans, loons and snipes as their babies begin their first migration down the majestic flyway” – St. Paul Pioneer Press
“Tender and transformative . . . The great surprise of The In-Between is that it makes dying feel like a peaceful, dynamic, and nourishing event that can potentially transform the lives of those who are left behind. Readers will cheer on Hadley Vlahos and, like me, be forever grateful that she wrote this book.”—Christie Tate, New York Times bestselling author of Group
“While the protagonist’s journey is plagued by trauma and upheaval, and the authors detail Phạm’s and other Vietnamese refugees’ experiences to tear-jerking effect, the creators also offer comfort via joyful interactions throughout this carefully crafted, fast-paced read.” ―Publishers Weekly
“Osman doesn’t disappoint… Everything is here that fans of the series have come to expect: humour, warmth, the confounding of expectations as these pensioners investigate… Along with the laughs, there is grief, and an ending that is handled sensitively (I was weeping)… We all need a regular injection of the Thursday Murder Club to keep our spirits up.” — The Guardian
ADULT FICTION
“A Council of Dolls” by Mona Susan Power — “Power’s deep knowledge of Indigenous history comes through in keen depictions of the Indian schools, and she illuminates the characters’ struggles with generation trauma, which arise as they try to sustain their co”nnections to the past. This story of survival shines brightly.” — Publishers Weekly (starred review)
“Against the Loveless World” by Susan Ajulhawa — “[A]t its heart, Abulhawa’s novel is a love story . . . but this is a love story that cannot escape its geography, and Abulhawa elegantly crafts a world where the tension between desire and survival is laid bare.” ― New Yorker
“Barn 8” by Deb Olin Unferth — “Kaleidoscopic. . . . Unferth’s lens, which telescopes through time and space, is unafraid to linger on the bizarre and vicious cycle of birth-death, need-fulfillment and supply-demand that this phantom-run barn universe perpetuates. . . . Yet Unferth never traffics in gratuitous shock. Instead, her sentences and constantly shifting point of view are embroidered with a great deal of unexpected tenderness and optimism.”―Los Angeles Times
“Blackouts” by Justin Torres — “The supreme pleasure of [Blackouts] is its slow obliteration of any firm idea of reality―a perfect metaphor for the delirious disorientation that comes with learning queer history as an adult . . . Torres haunts this book full of ghosts like a ghost himself, and with this novel, he has passed the haunting on, creating the next link in a queer chain from Jan to Juan to nene to you.”―Hugh Ryan, The New York Times Book Review“
“Day” by Michael Cunningham — “Michael Cunningham writes such eloquent, seductive sentences that we have to keep reminding ourselves to step back and pay attention to his appealing, dimensional characters and to his generous vision of childhood and adulthood, of work and love, of the pleasures and griefs of family life, and of all the rich complexities of being human.”—Francine Prose
“Holly” by Stephen King — “What makes King’s work so much more frightening than that of most other suspense writers, what elevates it to night-terror levels, isn’t his cruelty to his characters: It’s his kindness.” —Flynn Berry, New York Times Book Review
“In Another Time” by Jillian Cantor — “Cantor elevates love as a powerful force that transcends tragedy and shows how music speaks to even the cruelest hearts. [In Another Time is] a powerful story that exalts the strength of the human spirit.” — Kirkus
“Lilacs in the Dust Bowl” by Diana Stevan — “Heart-wrenching and uplifting saga. This series is a compelling, inspiring story of an immigrant family’s trials and tribulations. It follows Lukia Mazurets’ journey just before (and during) the Great Depression, as she and her children migrate from the Ukraine to North America. It is so well told and moving, and the detailed landscape made me feel right in the story.” — Martha Conway, author of The Physician’s Daughter
“Let Us Descend” by Jesmyn Ward — “Superb . . . Angry, beautiful, raw, visceral, and heartfelt, Let Us Descend is the literary equivalent of an open wound from which poetry pours. . . . Ward has taken Black history in a time of racial and political turmoil and used it to scream about grief and injustice, but also about beauty, queer love, history, determination, and joy.” —NPR
“Night Watch” by Jayne Anne Phillips — “Gorgeous prose, attention to detail, and masterful characters . . . 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 . . . Pitch-perfect voice . . . Haunting storytelling and a refreshing look at history.” —Kirkus, starred
“Red Rabbit” by Alex Grecian — “A witch, a demon, a shapeshifter, ghosts, and cannibals are just some of the characters whose exploits enliven this sprawling, picaresque post–Civil War weird western from Grecian.” ―Publishers Weekly
“So Late in the Day: Stories of Women and Men” by Claire Keegan — “Tight, potent . . . [Keegan] has chosen her details carefully. Everything means something . . . Her details are so natural that readers might not immediately understand their significance. The stories grow richer with each read . . . [These stories] have new and powerful things to say about the ever-mystifying, ever-colliding worlds of contemporary Irish women and the men who stand in their way.” — Minneapolis Star Tribune
“Starling House” by Alix E. Harrow — “Harrow’s mash-up of twisted fairy tales and Southern gothic fiction is a haunting story of longing, lies, and generational curses.” ―Library Journal, starred review
“The Exchange: After the Firm” by John Grisham — “#1 New York Times bestselling author John Grisham delivers high-flying international suspense in a stunning new legal thriller that marks the return of Mitch McDeere, the brilliant hero of The Firm.” — Baker & Taylor
“Tomorrow, and Tomorrow and Tomorrow” by Gabrielle Zevin — “Woven throughout [Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow] are meditations on originality, appropriation, the similarities between video games and other forms of art, the liberating possibilities of inhabiting a virtual world, and the ways in which platonic love can be deeper and more rewarding—especially in the context of a creative partnership—than romance.” —The New Yorker
“Trust” by Hernan Diaz –“Intricate, cunning and consistently surprising…Much of the novel’s pleasure derives from its unpredictabiility…Add Henry James to Wharton, and Thomas Mann too…Exhilarating and intelligent novel.” —New York Times
ADULT MYSTERY
“12 Months to Live” by James Patterson and Mike Lupica — “An ex-NYPD beat cop, unrelenting PI and undefeated defense attorney, terminally ill Jane Smith, while knee-deep in the murder of trial of the century, is targeted by a killer who’s determined to end her life before her expiration date.” — Atlas Publishing
“Face of Greed” by James L’Etoile — “Smart-mouthed, tough, pull-no-punches Emily will do whatever it takes to solve the case, and she and Javier keep investigating until they finally uncover the tragic, shocking truth. The suspenseful, twist-a-minute, fast-moving plot . . . make[s] this an outstanding must-read.” —Booklist (Starred Review)
“From a Far and Lovely Country” by Alexander McCall Smith — “McCall Smith’s No. 1 Ladies’ Detective Agency is one of the most reliably entertaining cozy series running, soothingly returning readers to the tiny Botswana office of Mma Precious Ramotswe, the wise and resourceful founder of the agency that she operates with her comically snarky and over-reaching assistant, Mma Grace Makutsi, with whom she discusses detective strategy over mugs of South African red bush tea. . . . This is largely a comic novel, enlivened by Precious’ reflections, Grace’s jockeying for status, and part-time mechanic and apprentice detective Charlie’s struggles to overcome his unreliability. A total delight.” —Booklist [starred review]
“Killing Moon” by Jo Nesbo — “Readers are privy to the doings of a man calling himself Prim, who emerges as the creepiest villain this side of a Thomas Harris novel . . . Nesbø excels at manipulating this sort of ghoulish material. He can heighten suspense with a single word and wrong-foot the most attentive customer.” —Wall Street Journal
“Resurrection Walk” by Michael Connelly — “A stunning combination of police and legal procedural. . . As always, Connelly makes the tedious work of investigation fascinating as he shuttles between Mickey’s and Harry’s hard-bitten points of view.”―Booklist (starred)
“Robert B Parker’s Bad Influence” by Alison Gaylin — “Taking over the franchise for the first time, Gaylin proves the equal of Sunny’s creator in plotting….She doesn’t sound all that much like Parker; she sounds better. Gaylin brings Sunny to terms with contemporary social media even as she uncovers motives older than you can imagine.” —Kirkus Reviews
“The Collector” by Daniel Silva — “Legendary art restorer and spy Gabriel Allon joins forces with a brilliant and beautiful master-thief to track down the world’s most valuable missing painting but soon finds himself in a desperate race to prevent an unthinkable conflict between Russia and the West.” — Harper Collins
“The Girl in the Eagle’s Talons” by Karin Smirnoff — “Propulsive . . . Smirnoff adds new maturity and depth to the two leads, offers several jaw-dropping plot twists . . . Fans will find it a worthy addition to the series.”—Publishers Weekly
“The Last Devil to Die” by Richard Osman — “Osman doesn’t disappoint… Everything is here that fans of the series have come to expect: humour, warmth, the confounding of expectations as these pensioners investigate… Along with the laughs, there is grief, and an ending that is handled sensitively (I was weeping)… We all need a regular injection of the Thursday Murder Club to keep our spirits up.” — The Guardian
“The Raging Storm” by Ann Cleeves — “Cleeves crafts a devilishly intricate mystery that will surprise even seasoned genre fans, and Venn remains an appealing lead every bit as memorable as the author’s Vera Stanhope or Jimmy Perez. Cleeves’s fans and newcomers alike will be hungry for the next entry.”―Publishers Weekly (Starred Review)
“The Secret” by Lee Child — “Reacher is the stuff of myth. . . . One of this century’s most original, tantalizing pop-fiction heroes.'”—The Washington Post
“The Secret Hours” by Mick Herron — “Herron keeps up his gravity-defying balancing act: belly-laugh spy spoof on one side, elegiac state-of-the-nation satire on the other, with a thin, taut line of polished prose between.”
—Financial Times
“The Spy Coast” by Tess Gerritsen — “This is a nice take on retirement―five old spooks whose bones may ache but whose minds remain sharp. You can expect mystery, action, and bloodshed in this exciting thriller launched straight from the peaceful shores of Maine.” ―Kirkus Reviews (starred review)
“Unto Us a Son is Born” by Donna Leon — “Venetians love to gossip, Donna Leon advises us in Unto Us a Son Is Given, her latest mystery featuring that most compassionate of policemen, Guido Brunetti, commissario di polizia. There’s bound to be talk when Gonzalo Rodriguez de Tejeda, the rich Spanish godfather of Brunetti’s wife, Paola, adopts his lover and makes the young man his legal heir . . . This cop is neither jaded nor callous, and he has that rare quality Italians would call ‘un cuore d’oro,’ a heart of gold.”―Marilyn Stasio, New York Times Book Review
ADULT BIOGRAPHY
“I’ve Been Thinking” by Daniel C. Bennett — “A delightful memoir from one of our deepest thinkers.” ― Kirkus (starred review)
“We Could Have Been Friends, My Father and I: A Palestinian Memory” by Raja Shehadeh — “Profoundly personal as well as historically significant…In his moral clarity and baring of the heart, his self-questioning and insistence on focusing on the experience of the individual within the storms of nationalist myth and hubris, Shehadeh recalls writers such as Ghassan Kanafani and Primo Levi…a quiet and deeply felt book that illustrates how being dispossessed and being occupied are not merely legal or political conditions.” —New York Times Book Review
ADULT NON-FICTION
“A City on Mars: Can We Settle Space, Should We Settle Space and Have We Really Thought This Through?” by Kelly Weinersmith — “An exceptional new piece of popular science . . . Forceful, engaging and funny . . . an essential reality check for anyone who has ever looked for home in the night sky . . . hilarious. The breezy prose is studded with charming cartoons… This book will make you happy to live on this planet — a good thing, because you’re not leaving anytime soon.” —New York Times Book Review
“He/She/They: How We Talk about Gender and Why It Matters” by Schuyler Bailar — “A wonderfully clear and convincing guide to comprehending and defending gender diversity.”―Kirkus, Starred Review
“How to Know a Person: The Art of Seeing Others Deeply and Being Deeply Seen” by David Brooks — “Drawing from the fields of psychology and neuroscience and from the worlds of theater, philosophy, history and education, one of the nation’s leading writers and commentators helps us become more understanding considerate toward others, and to find the joy that comes from being seen.” — Baker & Taylor
“My Vermont Table: Recipes for All (Six) Seasons” by Gesine Bullock-Prado — “This is an utterly charming title that delivers a sense of place with its beauty and narrative, but its wow factor comes from Bullock-Prado’s recipes, which are pure Vermont.” ― Library Journal
“The Core of an Onion: Peeling the Rarest Common Food — Featuring More than 100 Historical Recipes” by Mark Kurlansky — “Featuring historical images and his own pen-and-ink drawings, and including 25 recipes from around the world, a New York Times-bestselling and James Beard Award-winning author peels back the cultural, historical and gastronomical layers of one of the world’s most beloved culinary staples.” — Atlas Publishing
“The Hundred Years” War on Palestine: A History of Settler Colonialism and Resistance, 1917-2017″ by Rashid Khalidi — “A richly informed, personalized account of a century of repression of a peoples’ national aspirations. . . . original and distinctive . . . a remarkable testament to the stubborn resistance that characterizes the Palestinians.” ―Washington Report on Middle East Affairs
“The In-Between: Unforgettable Encounters During Life’s Final Moments” by Hadley Vlahos, RN — “Tender and transformative . . . The great surprise of The In-Between is that it makes dying feel like a peaceful, dynamic, and nourishing event that can potentially transform the lives of those who are left behind. Readers will cheer on Hadley Vlahos and, like me, be forever grateful that she wrote this book.”—Christie Tate, New York Times bestselling author of Group
“The Mysteries” by Bill Watterson and John Kascht — “Bill Watterson’s return to print, after nearly three decades, comes in the form of a fable called “The Mysteries,” which shares with his famous comic strip a sense of enchantment.” (The New Yorker)
“The Sisterhood: The Secret History of Women at the CIA” by Liz Mundy — “Galvanizing . . . Brimming with startling, intriguing, and infuriating facts and insights, this arresting and suspenseful exposé is rooted in extensive interviews and research as exacting as that conducted by the brilliant women analysts Mundy profiles. . . . Every page is electric with revelations as Mundy vividly and perceptively portrays the remarkable women who covertly elevated this complicated, controversial, yet essential government agency.”—Booklist (starred review)
“When Religion Hurts You: Healing from Religious Trauma and the Impact of High-Control Religion” by Laura E. Anderson — “Drawing on clinical research, stories from clients, and her own experience, an expert on religious trauma shows how readers can live as healing individuals after leaving a high-demand, high-control religious system”– Amazon.com
“Year of No Garbage: Recycling Lies, Plastic Problems, and One Woman’s Trashy Journey to Zero Waste: A Memoir” by Eve O. Schaub — “Between chicken coops, various storage containers for miscellaneous plastic, and multiple composting bins, Eve Schaub’s pandemic passion project looked a lot different than most people’s. . . . Schaub had the idea of completing an entire calendar year without throwing anything away. . . . The best-selling author has published her latest book documenting her most recent experimentation. . . . Despite the gravity of her findings, Schaub wanted readers to take away something positive from her lessons learned.” —NBC5, Vermont
PARENTING
“Growing Up in Public: Coming of Age in Digital World” by Devorah Heitner — “Astute advice on how parents can help their children navigate social media and other technology…. The levelheaded guidance is a refreshing antidote to more alarmist takes on the topic.” —Publishers Weekly
“Middle School Superpowers: Raising Resilient Tweens in Turbulent Times” by Phyllis L. Fagell — “A licensed clinical professional counselor and Washington Post education column contributor offers this practical, evidence-based and compassionate guide for parents and educators to help tweens navigate through challenging situations by providing 12 superpowers they need be confident, self-aware, independent and resilient. — Atlas Publishing
BLUE/DVD MOVIES
“Mission Impossible: Dead Reckoning”
“PICTURE BOOKS”
“Around the Table that Grandad Built” by Melanie Heiuser Hill
“Cape” by Kevin Johnson
“Dear Unicorn” by Josh Funk
“How Does Santa Go Down the Chimney?” by Mac Barnett
“I Love Strawberries” by Shannon Anderson
“Mine!” by Candace Fleming
“My Powerful Hair” by Carole Lindstrom
“Stillwater and Koo Save the World” by Jon J. Muth
“Tap! Tap! Tap! Dance! Dance! Dance!” by Herve Tullet
“The Time Machine: (Because It’s Never too Late to Apologize)” by Pauline David-Sax
“We Are Starlings: Inside the Mesmerizing Magic of Murmuration” by Robert Furros & Donna Jo Napoli
“When You Can Swim” by Jack Wong
JUVENILE BIOGRAPHIES
“Autumn Peltier, Water Warrior” by Carole Lindstrom — “From New York Times bestselling picture book author Carole Lindstrom and illustrator Bridget George comes Autumn Peltier, Water Warrior, an inspiring picture book biography about two Indigenous Rights Activists, Josephine Mandamin and Autumn Peltier.” — Publisher’s Anotation
“Christo and Jeanne-Claude Wrap the World: The Story of Two Groundbreaking Environmental Artists” by Greg Neri — “Haidle’s vivacious, stylized mixed-media illustrations underscore a sense of the duo’s energy, inquisitiveness, and determination; the visuals, which portray background characters with varying skin tones, culminate with expansive spreads depicting the couple’s remarkable, ephemeral outdoor work. . . a wonderful tribute to coupledom, collaboration, and creativity that offers conceptual thoughts about art.” —Publishers Weekly (starred review)
JUVENILE DVD MOVIES
“Spider-Man: Across the Spider Vers
JUVENILE FICTION
“Coyote Queen” by Jessica Vitalis — “Twelve-year-old Felicity Ulyssa Dahlers, “Fud,” lives in a trailer in rural Wyoming with her mom and Larry—her mom’s abusive, ex-boxer boyfriend who’s in the grip of alcoholism. . . . Scrappy Fud demonstrates admirable coping mechanisms alongside awareness she shouldn’t have to live in fear, and the book’s coyote facts and symbolism nicely bolster Fud’s survivor mentality: ‘Sometimes leaving one pack meant finding another.’ . . . An honest, slice-of-underrepresented-life story with a speculative twist.” — Booklist
“Elf Dog & Owl Head” by M. T. Anderson — “A sparkling fantasy by the ever-inventive M.T. Anderson. . . . Much of the early humor in this very funny book comes from the disjunction between ordinary human things and the astonishing stuff of elsewhere. . . . Dramatic story turns, witty dialogue and zestful monochrome drawings by Junyi Wu combine to make a reading treat for 8- to 12-year-olds.” —The Wall Street Journal
“Greenwild” The World Behind the Door” by Pari Thomson — “This charmingly detailed story is truly a garden of delights, full of danger and magic, mystery and friendship. Daisy’s thrilling adventures will sweep you into a botanical world of delightful possibilities and sinister threats, while themes of environmental conservation and community cooperation will resonate with readers of all ages.” ― Jennifer Adam, author of The Last Windwitch
“Mascot” by Charles Waters and Traci Sorrell — “The story’s catalyst is Callie, a new student who’s Cherokee and repelled by all the face painting, whooping and tomahawk-chop chanting. Seeing Callie’s discomfort, her peers variously react with defensiveness, disengagement and self-examination. Although “Mascot”’s outcome sometimes seems preordained, Waters and Sorell’s plain-spoken verse is always sharp and direct.” —The New York Times Book Review
“Odder” by Katherine Applegate — “Applegate uses strands of nonfiction detail to anchor and give stability to Odder’s fictional story, much as sea otters use lengths of kelp to hold themselves in place while they sleep. Charles Santoso’s endearing black-and-white illustrations, meanwhile, add to the buoyancy of this accessible and informative story.” ―The Wall Street Journal
“Ruby Lost and Found” by Christina Li — “What begins as an isolating and overwhelming journey through grief turns hopeful as Ruby learns that she doesn’t have to navigate change alone.” — Horn Book Magazine
“The Cricket War” by Tho Pham — “While the protagonist’s journey is plagued by trauma and upheaval, and the authors detail Phạm’s and other Vietnamese refugees’ experiences to tear-jerking effect, the creators also offer comfort via joyful interactions throughout this carefully crafted, fast-paced read.” ―Publishers Weekly
“The Hungry Place” by Jessie Haas — “Tender-hearted readers (that is, all horse-loving readers) will…cheer Rae’s persistence and faith in her dreams. Readers’ sympathetic agony is eventually replaced with tears of happiness as Haas brings the story around to a rousing happily-ever after ending.” —The Horn Book
“The Lost Library” by Rebecca Stead — “When a makeshift Little Free Library appears on the town green, almost 20 years after the mysterious fire that burned down the town library, the people of Martinville are drawn together once more to not just solve the mystery of the fire but also to decide what it means for their own fates. Mass and Stead employ a rich cast of characters―including ghost librarians, graduating fifth-graders, mice, and a cat―to dive into the heart of Martinville. … Full of heart, sly narration, and Stead’s expected air of mystery, this is well suited for lovers of books and libraries and novels featuring ensemble casts.” ―Booklist
“The Wild Robot Protects” by Peter Brown — “Action and epic confrontations keep the plot swimming along, but there are meaningfully punctuated moments of humor and kindness. Roz continues to learn and grow, and Brown’s superb illustrations make her journey truly unforgettable.”―Booklist, starred
JUVENILE GRAPHIC NOVELS
“Apple Crush” by Lucy Knisley — “Warm, fortifying, and cozy—like a drink of apple cider.” —Kirkus Reviews
“Clementine Fox and the Great Island Adventure” by Leigh Juna — “Warm colors provide a welcoming feel, animated facial expressions add verve, and themes of communal care, friendship, and overcoming obstacles permeate this gently humorous narrative.” — Publishers Weekly
JUVENILE NON-FICTION
“Ancestory: The Mystery and Majesty of Ancient Cave Art” by Hannah Salyer — “Breathtaking illustrations capture the beauty and power of prehistoric artwork with remarkable precision. This luminous picture book about humanity’s shared stories is full of discoveries.” — Booklist (starred review)
“Follow the Flyway: The Marvel of Bird Migration” by Sarah Nelson — “This beautifully illustrated book, with poetic text by a St. Paul author, follows ducks, geese, herons, giant-winged pelicans, egrets, sandpipers, swans, loons and snipes as their babies begin their first migration down the majestic flyway” – St. Paul Pioneer Press
YOUNG ADULT FICTION
“Phoebe’s Diary” by Phoebe Wahl — “Filled with sprawling, detailed drawings and comics panels and replete with references to early aughts indie culture, this vividly captures the voice of a teen curious about herself and her future, all in an intimate tone, as if talking to a friend unabashed about what’s on her mind.”―Booklist
“A Thousand Boy Kisses” by Tillie Cole — “One kiss lasts a moment. But a thousand kisses can last a lifetime. One boy. One girl. A bond that is forged in an instant and cherished for a decade. A bond that neither time nor distance can break. A bond that will last forever. Or so they believe. When seventeen-year-old Rune Kristiansen returns from his native Norway to the sleepy town of Blossom Grove, Georgia, where he befriended Poppy Litchfield as a child, he has just one thing on his mind. Why did the girl who was one half of his soul, who promised to wait faithfully for his return, cut him off without a word of explanation? Rune’s heart was broken two years ago when Poppy fell silent. But when he discovers the truth of her absence, he finds that the greatest heartache is yet to come”– Baker & Taylor
YOUNG ADULT GRAPHIC NOVEL
“A First Time for Everything: A True Story” by Dan Santat — “[A] relatable story of self-discovery… the perfect balance of humor and poignancy.” ―Kirkus, starred review
“Hockey Girl Loves Drama Boy” by Faith Erin Hicks — “With a keen eye, Hicks (Ride On) delivers a heartfelt graphic novel that is both a perceptive subversion of gender roles and a remarkable tale of unexpected friendship, personal growth, and the transformative power of embracing one’s true self. “―Publishers Weekly, starred review
“How I Survived 4 Nights on Ice” by Serapio Ittusardjuat — “This graphic novel is gripping, and I was drawn in almost immediately…This book speaks to not only the importance of self-sufficiency, but also traditional lifestyle knowledge; something that was often stamped out by colonizers with residential schooling and legislation pointedly destroying cultural knowledge.”―The Tiny Activists
“Huda F Cares” by Huda Fahmy — “Comedic and poignant, Fahmy’s narrative captures universal feelings of fluctuating confidence and self-deprecation, the ups and downs of family dynamics, and the growing awareness of siblings’ humanity outside the family unit. The cartoonlike, full-color artwork is dynamic, with simplified features that accentuate facial expressions. Delightfully heartwarming.” —Kirkus
“Turtle Bread” by Kim-Joy — “When Yan stumbles upon Baking Club her social anxiety tries to keep her away, but the bakers encourage her to come out of her shell, especially the caring and supportive Bea, and soon Yan discovers her new friends may need her too.” — Baker & Taylor
“Victory Stand! Raising My Fist for Justice” by Tommie Smith — “In his phenomenal graphic memoir, “Victory. Stand! Raising My Fist for Justice,” Smith teams up with the award-winning author Derrick Barnes to tell his own riveting story of balancing athletic prowess and social activism. . . . Anyabwile’s stirring black-and-white illustrations propel this magnificently paced story, and underscore the infuriating professional repercussions of Smith’s activism. . . . Timely and timeless, Smith’s “Victory. Stand!” is a must read not just for sports fans but for everyone.” ― New York Times Book Review
“Where is Anne Frank” by Ari Folman — “Bringing to life Kitty, Anne Frank’s imaginary friend to whom she addressed her diary, this graphic novel, told from a unique perspective, recounts the complete story of Anne Frank’s life, while in the present day, Kitty discovers the true meaning of Anne Frank’s legacy.” — Atlas Publishing
YOUNG ADULT NON-FICTION
“The Lemon Tree: An Arab, A Jew, and the Heart of the Middle East” by Sandy Tolen — “Tolan weaves together dramatically different perceptions of the conflict and its context and explains how the lemon tree grew to become a powerful symbol of home.” ―NPR.or
“A City on Mars: Can We Settle Space, Should We Settle Space and Have We Really Thought This Through?” by Kelly Weinersmith — “An exceptional new piece of popular science . . . Forceful, engaging and funny . . . an essential reality check for anyone who has ever looked for home in the night sky . . . hilarious. The breezy prose is studded with charming cartoons… This book will make you happy to live on this planet — a good thing, because you’re not leaving anytime soon.” —New York Times Book Revie
“What makes King’s work so much more frightening than that of most other suspense writers, what elevates it to night-terror levels, isn’t his cruelty to his characters: It’s his kindness.” —Flynn Berry, New York Times Book Review
ADULT FICTION
“Around the World in Eighty Days: A New Translation” by Jules Verne — “This new and completely original translation of Around the World in Eighty Days renders Jules Verne’s classic novel in a style that is both more understandable and more faithful to the spirit of the original French text than the commonly reprinted older English editions.” — Amazon.com
“Drive Your Plow Over the Bones of the Dead” by Olga Tokarczuk — “While it adopts the straightforward structure of a murder mystery, [the book features] macabre humor and morbid philosophical interludes [that] are distinctive to its author. . . [and an] excellent payoff at the finale. . . . As for Ms. Tokarczuk, there’s no doubt: She’s a gifted, original writer, and the appearance of her novels in English is a welcome development.”— The Wall Street Journal
“Land of Milk and Honey” by C. Pam Zhang — “Gloriously lush. Zhang’s sensuous style makes us see, smell and, above all, taste the lure of that sun-dappled mountain enclave. . . An atmospheric and poetically suspenseful novel about all manner of appetites: for power, food, love, life.”—NPR/Fresh Air
“North Woods” by Daniel Mason — “Brilliantly combines the granularity of realism with the timeless, shimmering allure of myth. . .Sui generis fiction . . . The forest and the trees: Mason keeps both in clear view in his eccentric and exhilarating novel.”—The New York Times Book Review
“The Horsewoman” by James Patterson and Mike Lupica — “This “hugely entertaining, riveting page-turner” (Louise Penny) follows the complicated relationship between mother and daughter as they face off in the Olympics—and into a ride they can barely control.” — Amazon.com
ADULT MYSTERY
“The Logmire Defense” by Craig Johnson — “[A] standout . . . The whodunit, which presents a dizzying number of red herrings, is one of Johnson’s trickiest, keeping readers deliciously off-balance throughout. Series newcomers will have no problem jumping into the action, and longtime readers will relish the dive into Longmire’s family history.” —Publishers Weekly
BLUE/DVD MOVIES
“Barbie”
BOARD BOOK
“Bizzy Bear: My First Memory Game: Vehicles” by Benji Davies
“Bizzy Bear: Pet Vet” by Benji Davies
JUVENILE GRAPHIC NOVELS
“Lost Legends of Nothing” by Alejandra Green and Fanny Rodriquez — “In vibrant lineless art that’s reminiscent of classic animated films, Green and Rodriguez bring the castles, towns, and forests in the world of Nothing to life with expressive characters, a smattering of Spanish and Esperanto, and a strong cliffhanger that leaves room for a second installment.” — Publishers Weekly
JUVENILE DVD MOVIES
“Elemental”
“The Little Mermaid”
JUVENILE NON-FICTION
“Climate Warriors: Fourteen Scientists and Fourteen Ways We Can Save Our Planet” by Laura Gehl — “The featured climate warriors are not only a balanced mix of men and women scientists with racial and ethnic diversity, but they also depict an amazing array of science itself, from ecology and materials science to psychology and economics.”―Booklist
“Detector Dogs, Dynamite Dolphins and More Animals with Super Sensory Powers” by Christina Couch and Cara Giaimo — “A perfect book for animal lovers, this narrative nonfiction book is a fascinating read about animals with super senses and how they can use those senses to help people complete important and frequently unusual tasks. . . the upbeat and entertaining text combined with the high-interest subject matter makes this book a great choice.” —School Library Connection
YOUNG ADULT GRAPHIC NOVEL
“A First Time for Everything” by Dan Santat — “Dan’s book manages to capture all the things that make you fall in love in the first place―awkwardness, humor, a bit of teen pathos, and most of all, sincerity and vulnerability.” ―LEUYEN PHAM, New York Times-bestselling illustrator of the Friends series
ADULT FICTION
“Abigail” by Magda Szabo — “Sequestered at a boarding school during World War II, a rebellious teenager confronts secrets, lies, and danger. . . . Urgent moral questions underlie a captivating mystery.” —Kirkus
“Augusta” by Celia Ryker — “In this novel inspired by the challenging life of the author’s grandmother, a woman is left to raise her four children alone during the 1920s… Smooth-flowing prose carries the tale forward at a steady pace… farm and city vignettes create vivid images of time, place, and economic class, and Augusta emerges as a formidable woman in the face of daunting odds. A historically evocative period drama that’s poignant and disquieting.”– Kirkus Reviews
“Chenneville: A Novel of Murder, Loss and Vengenace” by Paulette Jiles — “In her richly lyrical prose, acclaimed author Jiles (Simon the Fiddler, 2020) turns to the waning weeks and months of the Civil War, a period when the scales of justice felt heavily tipped toward the war’s administrators and beneficiaries. Jiles uses John’s lawless quest to interrogate the inequalities in the justice system—inequalities that still echo loudly today.” — Booklist (starred review)
“Eastbound” by Maylis de Kerangal — “I read Maylis de Kerangal’s short novella Eastbound earlier this year, which is about a young Russian conscript who, once aboard the Trans-Siberian rail, decides to desert and meets a French woman who helps him. I haven’t stopped thinking about it . . . De Kerangal reminded me how transportive it is when an author successfully creates that itching desire to know what happens next—without forgoing an ounce of style.” —Maya Chung, The Atlantic““Eastbound” by Maylis de Kerangal — “I read Maylis de Kerangal’s short novella Eastbound earlier this year, which is about a young Russian conscript who, once aboard the Trans-Siberian rail, decides to desert and meets a French woman who helps him. I haven’t stopped thinking about it . . . De Kerangal reminded me how transportive it is when an author successfully creates that itching desire to know what happens next—without forgoing an ounce of style.” —Maya Chung, The Atlantic
“Heart Bones” by Colleen Hoover — “Sexy, brooding Samson, especially, is just the kind of hero Hoover readers thirst for. This is sure to scratch an itch for fans.” ― Publishers Weekly
“In Memoriam” by Alice Winn — “…When was the last time characters in a novel seemed so real to me, so cherishable, so alive? Alice Winn has made familiar history fresh; no account of the First World War has made me feel so vividly its horror, or how irrevocably it mutilated the world. That In Memoriam is also an extraordinary love story is a sign of Winn’s wild ambition and her prodigious gifts: this is a novel that claims both beauty and brutality, the whole range of human life.” —Garth Greenwell, author of Cleanness
“It Happened One Summer” by Tessa Bailey — “Bailey delivers on her usual trifecta of sharp banter, instant chemistry, and high-heat sex scenes, but they are coupled with intense soul-searching for both Piper and Brendan… Another winning romance from an author at the top of her game.” — Kirkus Reviews (starred review)
“Kairos” by Jenny Erpenbeck — “Erpenbeck’s handling of characters caught within the mesh (and mess) of history is superb. Threats loom over their love and over their country. Hans is jealous, weak-willed, vindictive, Katharina self-abasing. At heart the book is about cruelty more than passion, about secrets, betrayal, and loss.” ― Kirkus Reviews
“Maggie Brown & Others” by Peter Orner — “This collection’s forty-four powerful tales express Orner’s talent for crafting captivating character sketches that read like memoirs…Readers will sympathize with Orner’s characters and identify with their all-too-human frailties.”―Publishers Weekly (starred review)
“Sold on a Monday” by Kristina McMorris — “The sale of two young children leads to devastating consequences in this historical tearjerker from McMorris… Set against the hardscrabble backdrop of the Great Depression, McMorris’s altruistic and sometimes damaged characters have moral compasses that realistically waver. A tender love story enriches a complex plot, giving readers a story with grit, substance, and rich historical detail.” ― Publishers Weekly
“The Book Club Hotel” by Sarah Morgan — “The Book Club Hotel is the kind of gift that arrives just when you most need it. Sarah Morgan has given us the perfect escape-and-find-yourself novel, featuring four very different women united by their shared love of books. Together, they illuminate the power of stories to validate and heal the heart, and the timeless bonds of friendship to keep us laughing, crying, and reading.” —Susan Wiggs, New York Times bestselling author
“The Cook” by Maylis de Kerangal — “Narrated with almost documentary-like precision . . . this portrait of self-taught chef Mauro is not just a beautifully delineated character study or inside look at a hard way to make a living but a perceptive meditation on the meaning of work itself . . . All this in just over 100 pages and done brilliantly. Highly recommended.” —Library Journal (starred review)
“The Invisible Hour” by Alice Hoffman — “Alice Hoffman’s The Invisible Hour is a rich, immersive, magical reading experience. This beautiful novel is about the stories women tell each other and the ones that save us, about the price and peril of motherhood, and the difficulties women have faced throughout history in controlling their own fates. Alice Hoffman, the reigning queen of magical realism, takes her readers on a fantastic, mystical journey that celebrates the joy and power of reading and dares to believe in the impossible.” —Kristin Hannah, New York Times bestselling author of The Four Winds
“The Path to Sunshine Cove” by RaeAnne Thayne — “Thayne is a master at creating richly dimensional and kind characters from different generations who find themselves facing difficult challenges.”—Booklist on The Path to Sunshine Cove
“The Summer Job” by Lizzy Dent — “Beach Read meets Sweetbitter in this laugh-out-loud and ultimately heartwarming debut of a good friend’s very bad decision and the summer job that stands to ruin or make her life.” — Publisher Annotation
“The Vaster Wilds” by Lauren Groff — “Transcendent. Mesmerizing. Dazzling. Incandescent. Audacious….All of those descriptors are accurate and none of them are sufficient to describe just how spectacular [Groff’s] new book is.” —Atlanta Journal-Constitution
“The Year of Second Chances” by Lara Very — “It speaks to Avery’s skill that the novel soars from this implausible beginning. While there is romance and there is humor, this is not (as it might first seem) a meet-cute rom-com. It’s a story about grief, and about finding a way to move ahead after a traumatic loss — even if ‘moving ahead’ might not mean what you think it does.” — Minneapolis Star Tribune
“Us Against You” by Fredrik Backman — “Backman (A Man Called Ove) returns to the hockey-obsessed village of his previous novel Beartown to chronicle the passion, violence, resilience, and humanity of the people who live there in this engrossing tale of small-town Swedish life… Backman’s excellent novel has an atmosphere of both Scandinavian folktale and Greek tragedy. Darkness and grit exist alongside tenderness and levity, creating a blunt realism that brings the setting’s small-town atmosphere to vivid life.” ― Publishers Weekly
“Whalefall” by Daniel Kraus — “A crazy, and crazily enjoyable, beat-the-clock adventure story about fathers, sons, guilt and the mysteries of the sea . . . [Kraus] brings the rigor of a scientist and the sensibility of a poet to his descriptions of the undersea world.” —New York Times
ADULT MYSTERY
“The Hunting Party” by Lucy Foley — “Like a deliciously drawn out game of Clue, this novel brings together a group of Oxford friends at a remote Scottish highlands estate for the Christmas holidays….Foley paints such a vivid hunting-lodge-and-lochs setting that you’ll immediately be booking your own highland fling, clandestine killers or no.” — National Geographic
“The River We Remember” by William Kent Krueger — “Absorbing. . . combines nostalgic settings with depictions of the lingering hardships and traumas of war and the home front . . . in the decade after WWII.” —Booklist (starred review)
ADULT BIOGRAPHY
“Diary of an Invasion” by Andrey Kurkov — “Sergey is at once a war-weary adventurer and a fairy-tale innocent . . . His naive gaze allows Kurkov to get to the heart of a country bewildered by crisis and war, but where kindness can still be found . . . Translated by Boris Dralyuk with sensitivity and ingenuity.” —Uilleam Blacker, Times Literary Supplement
PICTURE BOOK
“The Little Blue Planet” by Anais La Rocca & Eve Grissinger
JUVENILE GRAPHIC NOVELS
“Class Act” by Jerry Craft — “A well-Crafted, visually rich, truth-telling tale for our troubled times that affirms the eternal importance of friends.” — Kirkus Reviews (starred review)
YOUNG ADULT FICTION
“The Rage” by Lassiter Williams — “The Rage is fast-paced, gripping, and beautifully written, with a cast of appealing, unusual characters who struggle in a strange and threatening world.” — Reeve Lindbergh–Two Lives
ADULT FICTION
“The Heaven and Earth Grocery Store” by James McBride — “Enchanting . . . [a] rich, carefully drawn portrait of a Depression-era community of African Americans and Jewish immigrants as they live, love, fight, and, of course, work.” —The Boston Globe
“Tom Lake” by Anne Patchett — “Tom Lake is about love in all its many forms. But it is also about death and the ephemeral and how everything goes by so damned fast. It is an elegy of sorts but also a promise that there will be magic no matter what.” — Los Angeles Review of Books
ADULT MYSTERY
“All the Sinners Bleed” by S. A. Cosby — “Riveting. . . What elevates this book is how Cosby weaves politically charged salient issues ― race, religion, policing ― through the prism of a serial murder investigation and the perspective of one of the most memorable heroes in contemporary crime fiction. . . Deeply moving and memorable.” ―Washington Post
“Chaos” by Iris Johansen — “Though Flynn is a new star in Johansen’s pantheon, her personification of familiar tropes of female strength, power, sexual attraction, and supernatural talents will make her an instant hit with Johansen’s many loyal fans.”―Booklist
“City of the Dead” by Jonathan Kellerman — “A gripping, readable thriller that combines elements of the police procedural, murder mystery, and psychological thriller genres.”—Booklist
“Mercy” by David Baldacci — “With an interesting storyline, amazing characters, and packed with action, fans are sure to love Mercy.”―Seattle Book Review
“No Way Out” by Fern Michaels — “Struggling to remember the accident leading to her boyfriend’s disappearance, a coma patient and video-game developer starts over in rural Mississippi, before an inexplicable reunion threatens everything she has rebuilt. By the best-selling author of the Sisterhood series.” — Atlas Publishing
“Ocean Prey” by John Sandford — “Entertaining. . . Fans will enjoy seeing the two old buddies and their cohorts wading into dangerous [sic] waters.”—Publishers Weekly
“Over My Dead Body” by Jeffrey Archer — “In London, the Metropolitan Police set up a new Unsolved Murders Unit―a cold case squad―to catch the criminals nobody else can. In Geneva, millionaire art collector Miles Faulkner―convicted of forgery and theft―was pronounced dead two months ago. So why is his unscrupulous lawyer still representing a dead client? On a luxury liner en route to New York, the battle for power at the heart of a wealthy dynasty is about to turn to murder. And at the heart of all three investigations are Detective Chief Inspector William Warwick, rising star of the department, and ex-undercover agent Ross Hogan, brought in from the cold. But can they catch the killers before it’s too late?” — Publisher’s Annotation
“Overkill” by Sandra Brown — “Overkill is storytelling par excellence, weaving complex societal issues into the fabric of a thriller to create a terrific tapestry of emotionally wrought tension. The best book of the summer.”―Providence Journal
“Rising Tiger” by Brad Thor — “America’s top spy, Scot Harvath, with democracy itself hanging in the balance, is thrust into a completely unfamiliar culture where he can trust no one as he fights to take down the country’s most powerful enemy—and for his life.” — Atlas Publishing
“Serpentine” by Jonathan Kellerman — “LAPD homicide lieutenant Milo Sturgis and brilliant psychologist Alex Delaware investigate a decades-unsolved case involving a rich and spoiled client, a mysterious birth mother and violent coincidences. By the Edgar Award-winning author of True Detectives.” — Atlas Publishing
“The Dark Hours” by Michael Connelly — “A masterpiece… Meticulous about actual police procedure, Connelly makes the fundamentals of detective work engrossing while providing plenty of suspense and action.”―Publishers Weekly (starred review)
“The Family Game” by Catherine Steadman — “The Holbecks are what you might come up with if you took the Roys from Succession and blended them with the Murdochs, the Macbeths, and the Borgias. . . . The mysteries accrue, as does our admiration for Steadman, whose gift for invention only increases with each novel. . . . Let the fun begin!.”—The New York Times Book Review (Editors’ Choice)
“The Hunt” by Faye Kellerman — “Kellerman succeeds brilliantly in making the search for understanding as compelling as the search for the murderer.” — Publishers Weekly
“The Last Party” by Clare Mackintosh — “A superb blend of psychological thriller and police procedural…A gripping portrait of two fractured people merges with believable plot twists, and the author perfectly captures the ennui of a small town where gossip can destroy lives. Mackintosh consistently entertains.” ― Publishers Weekly, STARRED review
“Crisply written … a fine thriller.”―Booklist“The Night She Disappeared” by Lisa Jewell — “As usual, the British author draws you in with characters and plot, building just enough tension and suspense that you will be rushing to find out just what happened.” ― St. Louis Post Dispatch
“The Red Book” by James Patterson and David Ellis — “”Crisply written … a fine thriller.”―Booklist
“The Soulmate” by Sally Hepworth — “The book is many things: a crime story, a psychological study, a blueprint for how and when to mete out information in a thriller. But most of all it is an inquiry into the mysteries of marriage and commitment, and into what we owe our spouses and one another.” —The New York Times Book Review
“The Third Game” by Lisa Jackson — “When the skeletal remains of two bodies and what appears to be an empty grave are found in a secret crypt in the cellar of a decaying Savannah, Ga., mansion in bestseller Jackson’s workmanlike fourth Pierce Reed/Nikki Gillette novel, police detective Pierce investigates…Enjoy catching up with Pierce and Nikki.” — Publishers Weekly
“You Can Die” by Rebecca Zanetti — “Zanetti launches a romantic suspense series with this pitch-perfect blend of slow-burn romance and adrenaline-fueled thrills…Both awkward Laurel and dogged Huck are refreshing departures from typical leads while still remaining fiercely independent and easy to root for. Their romance only bolsters the deliciously intricate mystery. Readers will delight in this smart take on classic trope.” —Publishers Weekly, STARRED REVIEW
ADULT BIOGRAPHY
“Don’t Tell Anybody the Secrets I Told You” by Lucinda Williams –“Remarkable . . . Reading like it was written on a series of cocktail napkins in the absolutely best way, this ever-quotable memoir of a born songsmith has something to offer nearly any grownup who has listened to music for the last half-century.”—Booklist
ADULT NON-FICTION
“All the Ways Our Dead Still Speak: A Funeral Director on Life, Death and the Hereafter” by Caleb Wilde — “In a wonderfully conversational tone, Wilde tackles themes of mortality, history, and justice with masterful felicity, delivering bracing big picture ideas about death and community. The result is an exceptionally soulful and insightful take on identity and the ways the dead linger among the living.” –―Publishers Weekly, starred review
“Roche: A Culinary Journey through the San Juan Island’s Illustrious Harbor” by Chef William D. Shaw and James O. Fraioli
“Thank Your for Your Servitude: Donald Trump’s Washington and the Price of Submission” by Mark Leibovich — “A fascinating account . . . The greatest value of Thank You For Your Servitude is Leibovich’s ability to understand the startling motivations of members of the House and Senate and many White House advisers and aides.” —The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
“The Ultimate Guide to Power and Influence: Everything You Need to Know” by Robert L. Dilenschneider — “An inspiring primer on navigating one’s life with self-knowledge and integrity.”—Kirkus Reviews
PICTURE BOOK
“The Pout-Pout Fish and the Mad, Mad Day” by Deborah Diesen
CHILDREN’S KIT
“Aaron Slater, Illustrator” by Andrea Beaty — “In the illustration, a tableau of colorful mythological beings embodies Aaron’s tale. . .Empathetic art and lyrical text blend for a touching and empowering tale.” ―Kirkus Reviews
“Dog Diaries: Mission ImPAWsible” by James Patterson with Steven Butler — “Bolstered by Watson’s spry cartoons, Patterson and Butler’s rollicking story will catch–and hold–the attention of young readers, especially those of the dog-loving variety.” — Publisher’s Weekly
“Doggo and Pupper” by Katherine Applegate — “Declared boring by the cat of the house, a routine-oriented Doggo is dismayed by the messy antics of newcomer Pupper, who returns obedient, but decidedly unhappy, from puppy-training school.” — Atlas Publishing
“Marya Khan and the Fabulous Jasmine Garden” by Saadia Faruqi — “The characters are well-developed and feel like a well-integrated part of Marya’s universe. The humor is genuine, and warmth exudes from the dialogue and prose. Faruqi continues to create relatable protagonists with age-relevant and real-kid struggles and triumphs while offering an authentic portrayal of a Muslim, Pakistani family. Authentic friendships, layered family dynamics, and the adventures of an intrepid heroine make this a must-have series that should be shelved next to Renée Watson’s “Ryan Hart” books.”―School Library Journal
“The Mind-Blowing World of Extraordinary Competitions: Meet the Incredible People Who Will Compete at Anything” by Anna Goldfield — “This audiobook features music and special effects. Listen along and enjoy the fun that is The Mind-Blowing World of Extraordinary Competitions.” — Amazon.com
“Thirst” by Varsha Bajai — “The riveting story of a heroic girl who fights for her belief that water should be for everyone.” — Amazon.com
“What’s Inside a Flower: An Other Questions about Science & Nature” by Rachel Ignotofsky — “Budding backyard scientists can start exploring their world with this stunning introduction to these flowery show-stoppers – from seeds to roots to blooms. Learning how flowers grow gives kids beautiful building blocks of science and inquiry.” — Amazon.com
“When You Trap a Tiger” by Tae Keller — “Would you make a deal with a magical tiger? This uplifting story brings Korean folklore to life as a girl goes on a quest to unlock the power of stories and save her grandmother.” — Amazon.com