 Supporting COMMUNITY. Inspiring DISCOVERY. Promoting LITERACY. |
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Must-Read Books February 2026 |
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| The Bookbinder's Secret by A.D. BellIn this "stellar debut" (Publishers Weekly), Lilian Delaney is an apprentice bookbinder in 1901 Oxford working at her widowed father's failing bookshop. When she's given a burned book by a customer, she finds a cryptic 50-year-old love letter hidden beneath the binding that speaks of murder. Drawn into the story, Lily looks for other books by the obscure author, discovering she's not the only one after them. Read-alikes: Jess Armstrong's Ruby Vaughn mysteries, starting with The Curse of Penryth Hall. |
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| Playing for Keeps by Alexandria BellefleurPoppy Peterson, publicist for NFL quarterback Cash Curran, and Rosaline Sinclair, publicist for pop star Lyric Adair, navigate their clients' whirlwind romance and their own blossoming feelings for each other in this steamy and banter-filled contemporary. For fans of: Something to Talk About by Meryl Wilsner.
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Burn Down Master's House
by Clay Cane
Inspired by true, long-buried stories of enslaved people who dared to fight back, a searing portrayal of resistance for readers of Colson Whitehead, Jesmyn Ward, and Percival Everett, from Clay Cane, award-winning journalist and New York Times bestselling author of The Grift. Inspired by the true stories of the profoundly courageous men and women who dared to fight back, Burn Down Master's House is a singular tour de force of a novel--breathtaking in scope, compassion, and a timeliness that speaks powerfully to our present era.
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| A Most Worthy Husband by Faye DelacourDetermined to remain a spinster, debutante Hannah Williams concocts a scheme to ruin her reputation by publicly kissing disgraced Silas Corbyn, who's been dishonorably discharged from the navy and disinherited from his family. But Hannah's plan backfires when her mother insists the two marry. This 3rd steamy Lucky Ladies of London Victorian romance will appeal to fans of Evie Dunmore.
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| Dark Sisters by Kristi DemeesterUnfolding across three timelines, Kristi DeMeester's fast-paced latest centers on the "Dark Sisters," a pair of vengeful witches whose hold on the women of small-town Hawthorne Springs spans centuries. For fans of: The Bewitching by Silvia Moreno-Garcia; Plain Bad Heroines by Emily M. Danforth.
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Heated Rivalry
by Rachel Reid
Nothing interferes with pro hockey star Shane Hollander's game. Now that he's captain of the Montreal Voyageurs, he won't let anything jeopardize that--definitely not the sexy rival he loves to hate. Boston Bears captain Ilya Rozanov is everything Shane's not. The self-proclaimed king of the ice, he's as cocky as he is talented. No one can beat him--except Shane. Publicly, they're enemies. Privately, they can't stop touching each other. The smart thing to do? Walk away, once a few secret hookups turn into a struggle to keep their relationship out of the press. The truth could ruin them both. But for Shane and Ilya, secrecy is soon no longer an option...
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| Simultaneous by Eric HeissererGrant Lukather, agent of the elusive federal department known as Predictive Analytics, teams up with Sarah Newcomb, a past-life hypnosis therapist, to embark on an investigation into a bizarre killer who crosses time, space, and consciousness. The Oscar-nominated screenwriter of Arrival brings a mind-bending science fiction thriller that will draw in fans of The Glass Woman by Alice McIlroy and Annihilation by Jeff VanderMeer.
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The Butcher's Masquerade (Dungeon crawler Carl #5)
by Matt Dinniman
Carl and Princess Donut refuse to be prey on this level in the USA Today bestselling Dungeon Crawler Carl series by Matt Dinniman-now with bonus material exclusive to this print edition. Attention. Attention. The gates are down. The hunters are loose. Run, Run, Run. A lush jungle teeming with danger. Savage dinosaurs seeking blood. A fallen princess intent on vengeance. A mysterious, end-of-floor celebration for the top crawlers, dubbed The Butcher's Masquerade. The sixth floor. The Hunting Grounds. As the remaining crawlers battle for their lives, a new, terrible threat looms. Outside tourists are finally allowed to enter the game, and they are here and ready to hunt. Among them is Vrah, a famed and veteran hunter, intent on collecting the biggest trophy of her career. But their prey is far from harmless, and this season they are fighting back--
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| The Hitch by Sara LevineOpinionated Rose Cutler is excited to watch her six-year-old nephew Nathan and feed him vegan food while his parents vacation in Mexico. But things go bad when Rose's Newfoundland dog kills a corgi at the park, leading Nathan to proclaim the corgi is actually alive, its soul melded to his own. As Nathan acts strangely, Rose wonders if he might be right in this darkly humorous, offbeat tale. For fans of: the author's Treasure Island!!!; Melissa Broder.
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| It Should Have Been You by Andrea MaraWhen a new mother mistakenly shares a private complaint with her whole neighborhood, tensions escalate into violence and shocking deaths. What begins as a minor misstep spirals into a web of betrayal and fear, exposing the fragility of trust and showing how quickly social media can upend seemingly ordinary lives. For fans: of Lisa Jewell and B.A. Paris.
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| How to Commit a Postcolonial Murder by Nina McConigleyGrowing up in 1980s Wyoming as Reagan rules and the tabloids follow Charles and Diana's engagement, sisters Georgie and Aggie face racism as the only Brown kids around. Then, when their uncle and his family leave India and move in with them, the sexual abuse starts. The girls blame the abuse on various things as they plot to kill their uncle in this inventive short debut novel featuring magazine-style quizzes. Try these next: Essie Chambers' Swift River; Betty by Tiffany McDaniel.
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| The Summer War by Naomi NovikFurious at her beloved brother for leaving home, musically gifted Celia had no way of knowing her childish curses at him would doom him to a life without love. Celia desperately searches for a way to undo her mistake, until she uncovers a centuries-old secret about the immortal beings known as the summerlings. For fans of: magical curses, suspense, and in-depth worldbuilding as found in The Prince Without Sorrow by Maithree Wijesekara.
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The Murder at World's End
by Ross Montgomery
Knives Out meets Downton Abbey. Secrets, murder, and mayhem collide as this unlikely sleuthing duo--an under-butler and a foul-mouthed octogenarian--hunt a killer in a manor sealed against the end of the world, in this locked-room mystery.
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Crux
by Gabriel Tallent
In this story of intense friendship and grit, two down-and-out teens escape the hopelessness of their lives and chase a different future through rock climbing-- Provided by publisher.
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| The Great Resistance: The 400-Year Fight to End Slavery in the Americas by Carrie GibsonHistorian Carrie Gibson's (El Norte: The Epic and Forgotten Story of Hispanic North America) sweeping history illuminates four centuries of enslaved people's resistance to the Atlantic slave trade and "insists on the primacy of the enslaved themselves as agents of their own liberation" (Kirkus Reviews). Further reading: Daring to Be Free: Rebellion and Resistance of the Enslaved in the Atlantic World by Sudhir Hazareesingh. |
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Fear and Fury: The Reagan Eighties, the Bernie Goetz Shootings, and the Rebirth of White Rage
by Heather Ann Thompson
In this masterful, groundbreaking work, Pulitzer Prize-winning author Heather Ann Thompson shines surprising new light on an infamous 1984 New York subway shooting that would unveil simmering racial resentments and would lead, in unexpected ways, to a fractured future and a new era of rage and violence. A gripping and powerful account of one of the 20th century's most important criminal cases.
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The Fire: Voices of a Generation in Iran, Ukraine, & Afghanistan
by Cecilia Sala
In The Fire, acclaimed journalist Cecilia Sala takes readers on a gripping journey through some of the world's most volatile regions, from Eastern Europe to the Middle East. Through the eyes of young people like Kateryna, a Ukrainian soldier; Assim, an Iranian student at the forefront of the Woman, Life, Freedom protests; Nabila, a Muslim kickboxing champion and lesbian; and Zarifa, a political activist in Afghanistan, Sala offers an intimate portrayal of lives caught amidst turmoil and fighting for a better life.By immersing herself in their worlds--in their daily lives and political battles--Sala crafts a poignant narrative that captures the human dimension of some of the world's most intense conflicts. The Fire is a testament to the courage and hunger for freedom of a generation at the forefront of global change.In steady, unblinking prose,
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| Rumpelstiltskin by Mac Barnett; illustrated by Carson EllisThe traditional fairy tale about a magical trickster -- and the woman who outwits him -- gets a fresh take in this retelling. Quirky humor gives the text a contemporary edge, balanced by medieval-inspired illustrations in deep, rich hues. For fans of: The Three Billy Goats Gruff, another fairy tale remix by author Mac Barnett |
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| The Swan's Daughter by Roshani ChokshiAlthough Demelza was born without wings, she is part veritas swan and thus can discern people’s true intentions. Using her gift to help the cursed prince who needs to find true love could mean sacrificing her power forever. Read-alikes: Jessica Khoury’s The Forbidden Wish; Elizabeth Lim’s A Forgery of Fate.
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| Basket Ball: The Story of the All-American Game by Kadir NelsonHit the court with award-winning author/illustrator Kadir Nelson in Basket Ball, a history of the game from its humble beginnings to the high-profile sport of today. Combining vivid full-color paintings with fascinating facts and a focus on Black excellence, this overview is a must-read for sports fans. For fans of: We Are the Ship: The Story of Negro League Baseball, also by Kadir Nelson.
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| The Lions' Run by Sara Pennypacker; illustrated by Jon KlassenIn Nazi-occupied France, soft-hearted orphan Lucas discovers that small acts of courage, like helping his new friend Alice protect her beloved horse, can lead to bigger ones, like helping the Resistance. With realistic characters and growing suspense, this hopeful historical story will grab all kinds of readers.
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Contact your librarian for more great books!
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Mary Riley Styles Public Library
120 N. Virginia Ave, Falls Church, Virginia 22046 703-248-5030 (TTY 711) www.mrspl.org
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