LibraryAware October 2025

Recent Releases

The irresistible urge to fall for your enemy
by Brigitte Knightley

When a deadly assassin seeks the help of a healer from a rival order, their uneasy alliance to cure his illness and combat a resurging plague forces them into dangerous territory—where unraveling a medical mystery tests their loyalties and fuels a forbidden attraction.

Sunbirth
by An Yu

"From the celebrated author of Ghost Music and Braised Pork, a bewitching and atmospheric novel following two sisters in an isolated village as the sun begins to diminish above them. In Five Poems Lake, a small village surrounded by impenetrable deserts, the sun is slowly disappearing overhead. A young woman keeps one apprehensive eye on the sky above as she tends the pharmacy of traditional medicine that belonged to her great grandfather. She has few customers, and even fewer visitors: her older sister Dong Ji, her last living relative, works at a wellness parlor across town for those who can afford it-which, during these strange and difficult days, is not many. With a richly surreal sensibility that has earned comparisons to the work of Haruki Murakami, and anchored by searching curiosity and wisdom, in Sunbirth An Yu honors the unique relationship held between sisters and asks how much we can ever know about the deepest mysteries of the world"-- Provided by publisher

The Lighthouse at the Edge of the World
by J. R. Dawson

At the edge of Chicago sits a mysterious lighthouse, a waystation for the souls of the dead to reconcile with their lives before moving on. Nera, usually standing by watching her father ferry these souls, is drawn into a night of chaos when a living woman named Charlie has boarded the ferry, searching for someone she lost. Fans of the musical Hadestown will enjoy this "grim, authentic exploration of death for those who appreciate mythology-infused fantasy" (Library Journal).

The End of the World as We Know It: New Tales of Stephen King's The Stand
by Christopher Golden and Brian Keene, eds.

Set during and after the events of Stephen King's highly acclaimed 1978 novel The Stand, this anthology collects new stories of human resilience after the apocalypse from authors like Poppy Z. Brite, Tananarive Due, Josh Malerman, and many more. Both a tribute to and an expansion of the original novel, fans of King's work will be delighted by the dedication on display from the contributors.

If Wishes Were Retail
by Auston Habershaw

Teenage Alex Delmore is desperate to escape her small town and go to her dream college. Thankfully a new business enterprise is opening at the local (dying) mall: a recently escaped genie is looking to sell wishes on demand, and needs human guidance to navigate the 21st century. For fans of: lightheartedly humorous but heartfelt cozy retail fantasy such as Miye Lee's The Dallergut Dream Department Store and Tsuchika Nishimura's The Concierge at Hokkyoku Department Store.

The Library at Hellebore
by Cassandra Khaw

Alessa Li has been forcibly enrolled at Hellebore Technical Institute, an elite academy for the dangerously powerful world-enders within its hallowed walls. On graduation day, Alessa is trapped in the library along with other students being forced to take part in the institute's grisly ritual: being devoured by the monstrous faculty. A harrowing and lore-rich tread into the darkest depth of dark academia fantasy, Khaw's latest is "a visceral symphony of body horror" (Booklist).

Infinite Archive
by Mur Lafferty

In this 3rd entry in the Midsolar Murders series, Mallory Viridian's relative peace (and boredom) is disrupted when she boards a data ship from Earth carrying a boatload of mystery convention-goers -- as well as the entire Internet. With all of these converging chaotic elements, Mallory must solve the murder of her agent before time runs out. For fans of: fast-paced and snappy science fiction crime novels such as Malka Older's Investigations of Mossa and Pleiti series or Constance Fay's Uncharted Hearts series.

Anji Kills a King
by Evan Leikam

Castle servant Anji is on the run after murdering the king, with a mysterious band of mercenaries known as the Menagerie hot on her heels. One of the Menagerie, a surly swordswoman named Hawk, has cause to keep Anji alive and the two form an uneasy alliance to evade death. Fast-paced and rich with character and world details, this debut series opener is a must for fans of Christopher Buehlman's The Blacktongue Thief and Sarah Rees Brennan's Long Live Evil.

Gate to Kagoshima
by Poppy Kuroki

Isla Mackenzie is uncovering her family history in Japan when a typhoon suddenly sweeps her into the past. 128 years back in time, she finds her ancestors and falls in love with a dashing samurai named Kei. But knowing that the Satsuma Rebellion is on the horizon, should Isla focus on getting home, or try to fight history for love? For fans of: cinematic and rich historical romantasy with a dash of time travel, such as Time and Tide by J.M. Frey and The Scribe of Siena by Melodie Winawer.

The antlered king
by Marianne Gordon

Hellevir must unravel Death's riddles while she grapples with her duty to—and love for?—?Princess Sullivain, whose obsession with consolidating power grows in the face of civil war.

Contact your librarian for more great books!