Now Read This!
AUGUST 2025
 
Our Now Read This! newsletters offer suggestions for your next favorite read, from hidden gems to the latest hot pick. In this issue, you will find a featured book of the month, a blog post worth checking out, a curated selection of newly acquired and upcoming titles, and booklists for further reading. Whether you prefer epic fantasies or hard sci-fi, your friendly BPL Reader Services Librarians have recommendations for every reader.
 
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Book of the Month
Katabasis
by R.F. Kuang
 
Katabasis, noun, Ancient Greek: The story of a hero’s descent to the underworld. 
 
Alice Law has only ever had one goal: to become one of the brightest minds in the field of Magick. She has sacrificed everything to work  at Cambridge with Professor Jacob Grimes, the greatest magician in the world. That is, until he dies in a magical accident that could possibly be her fault. Grimes is now in Hell, and she’s going in after him. Because his recommendation could hold her very future in his now incorporeal hands and even death is not going to stop the pursuit of her dreams….
Event Spotlight
Adult Summer Reading Wrap Party
Wednesday, August 27, 6:00 pm - 7:30 pm
Central Library in Copley Square
 
Celebrate the end of summer reading with your community at the Boston Public Library! 
Stop by the New & Novel area of the Central Library in Copley Square between 6:00 pm - 7:30 pm to meet other summer reading participants, share book recommendations and other bingo activities, and put your completed challenges on the library's Bingo Board. Plus, enter a raffle to win a bag full of bookish swag! To learn more about Summer Reading for all ages at the BPL, visit bpl.org/summer. 
 
New and Upcoming Titles
Among the Burning Flowers
Samantha Shannon
 
"Enter the world of The Priory of the Orange Tree in this standalone novella!"
 
Hemlock & Silver
T. Kingfisher
 
"A dark reimagining of Snow White steeped in poison, intrigue and treason of the most magical kind."
 
Automatic Noodle
Annalee Newitz
 
"A cozy near-future novella about a crew of leftover robots opening their very own restaurant."
 
The Bewitching
Silvia Moreno-Garcia
 
"A graduate student uncovers a disturbing link between a missing schoolgirl, a sinister novel, and her great-grandmother's childhood tales."
 
Archive of Unknown Universes
Ruben Reyes Jr.
 
"Alternative timelines of the Salvadoran civil war explore the mechanisms of fate, the gravity of the past and the endurance of love."
 
Sympathy Tower Tokyo
Rie Qudan
 
"In a near-future Tokyo where criminals are housed in a luxurious tower, architect Sara Machina turns to an AI chatbot for clarity and inspiration."
 
Tusk Love
Thea Guanzon
 
"After her caravan is ambushed, noble-born Guinevere must rely on Oskar, a reserved half-orc, to survive the perilous Amber Road."
 
Family Spirit
Diane McKinney Whetstone
 
"The eccentric Mace family and their clairvoyant “knowing” are threatened by the gentrification of Philadelphia and internal rifts."
 
The Art of Legend
Wesley Chu
 
"A humbled prince, a grumpy grandmaster, and a ragtag band of heroes find out what it takes to become truly legendary in the conclusion of the War Arts Saga."
 
Find Your Next Great Read
The Murderbot Diaries: 11 Similar Science Fiction Reads
Are you enjoying the adaptation of Martha Wells' beloved Murderbot series on AppleTV? Here are some books you might like if you love Murderbot! 
 
For More Suggestions...
Nah, We're Cousins: 11 Books to Read if You Loved Ryan Coogler's Sinners
 
 
 
   

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