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| A Rip Through Time by Kelley ArmstrongAway from home: In Edinburgh visiting her dying grandmother, Canadian homicide detective Mallory Atkinson is attacked and wakes up in 1869 as an injured housemaid.
Living in the past: Mallory's doctor employer, with help from a police officer, investigates a murder. Believing it's linked to her own attack, Mallory thinks if they can find the killer, she'll also find a way back home.
For fans of: other British-set mysteries with well-wrought supernatural elements, like Julie McElwain's Kendra Donovan mysteries (starting with A Murder in Time), Paraic O'Donnell's Gothic-tinged The House on Vesper Sands, or Oscar de Muriel's Frey and McGray novels. |
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| The Hacienda by Isabel Canas1820s Mexico: Seeking a fresh start after the Mexican War of Independence, impoverished Beatriz marries widower Don Rodolfo Solórzano and moves into his country estate, the Hacienda San Isidro.
Welcome home? Plagued by strange dreams and superstitious staff, Beatriz suspects that Rodolfo's first wife was murdered, and, with the help of a priest, begins investigating the hacienda's haunted history.
For fans of: Mexican Gothic by Silvia Moreno-Garcia. |
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| Shadows of Berlin by David R. GillhamThe setup: In her postwar life in 1950s New York, Holocaust survivor Rachel Perlman struggles to carry the weight of her survivor's guilt, which her American-born husband and in-laws -- despite being Jewish themselves -- can't seem to understand.
What happens next: Her estranged uncle Fritz announces that he's found a painting by Rachel's mother, who perished in a concentration camp, and the memories associated with the artwork and its subject force Rachel to contend with everything she did to survive the war.
Read it for: the haunting depiction of Rachel hiding in plain sight in Berlin during the war and the disarmingly poetic turns of phrase that she uses to tell her story. |
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| By the Book by Jasmine GuilloryWhat it is: a charming Beauty and the Beast retelling by the author of the Wedding Date series.
Starring: Isabelle "Izzy" Marlowe, the only Black editorial assistant at Tale as Old as Time publishing; author Beau Towers, who owes her a manuscript, which Izzy is going to retrieve no matter what.
Series alert: By the Book marks the 2nd standalone installment of the fairy tale-inspired Meant to Be series, which begins with Julie Murphy's If the Shoe Fits. |
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| Book Lovers by Emily HenryIntroducing: New York literary agent Nora Stephens, who's practically a Hallmark movie villain after being "dumped in a full lifestyle-swap three times" by men who leave her for small-town bakers and florists.
What happens: Nora agrees to a girls' trip with her pregnant sister to quaint Sunshine Falls, North Carolina, where she can't escape grumpy editor Charlie Lastra, who brutally rejected her client's last book.
About the author: Emily Henry is the bestselling author of Beach Read and The People We Meet on Vacation. |
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| Forbidden City by Vanessa HuaWhat it is: the atmospheric depiction of the dramatic change in circumstances that a young girl from the countryside undergoes after her dancing skills thrust her into the heart of power in 1960s China.
Starring: Mei Xiang, who narrates her harrowing story from the safety of San Francisco as she celebrates the 1976 death of party chairman Mao Zedong.
Is it for you? Forbidden City was inspired by the stories of the many teenage girls like Mei who experienced sexual abuse after being drawn into the Chairman's inner circle. |
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| The Fervor by Alma KatsuWhat it's about: A deadly disease sweeps through a Japanese American internment camp in 1944, connecting the fates of a handful of characters in the camp and elsewhere.
Why you might like it: Told from multiple perspectives, this compelling horror novel inspired by Japanese folklore will keep readers turning the pages to see how the characters' lives intersect.
Featuring: the shape-shifting jorogumo spider demon. |
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| A Woman of Endurance by Dahlma Llanos-FigueroaWhat it's about: the role of Puerto Rico in the Transatlantic Slave Trade, explored through the story of Pola, an African woman who is used, abused, and force to bear children that her captors can sell for profit.
Why you should read it: Although Pola's heartwrenching ordeal is a major part of her story, her characterization is made even more compelling by her tenacious hold on her humanity and the rare moments of love and happiness she seizes for herself.
Try these next: The Prophets by Robert Jones or Things Past Telling by Sheila J. Williams, which both explore the rich inner lives enslaved people live despite their violent circumstances. |
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| Kaikeyi by Vaishnavi PatelWhat it is: a "mesmerizing" (Publishers Weekly) debut novel inspired by the infamous queen from the Ramayana.
Starring: Kaikeyi, the magic-wielding woman determined to gain power and exert control over her own life, even if that means defying the gods.
For fans of: Madeline Miller's Circe, Genevieve Gornichec's The Witch's Heart, or Christa Wolf's Medea. |
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| The Marlow Murder Club by Robert ThorogoodStarring: Judith Potts, a 77-year-old happily living on her own in a somewhat crumbling mansion outside of an English town, who drinks, works crossword puzzles, and generally does what she likes.
The club: One evening while swimming in the Thames, Judith hears a gunshot and discovers her neighbor murdered. Setting out to solve the case, she teams up with a dog walker, the vicar's wife, and a cop who's in over her head.
For fans of: Richard Osman's The Thursday Murder Club books, Agatha Christie, and Helene Tursten's An Elderly Lady Is Up to No Good. |
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| Siren Queen by Nghi VoWhat it is: An atmospheric historical fantasy by the author of The Chosen and The Beautiful.
Starring: Chinese American actress "Luli Wei," who makes a Faustian bargain to achieve stardom in 1930s Hollywood.
For fans of: Taylor Jenkins Reid's The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo or Amanda Koe Lee's Delayed Rays of a Star. |
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| Everything Left to Remember: My Mother, Our Memories, and a Journey Through the Rocky... by Steph JaggerWhat happened: After her mother's Alzheimer's diagnosis, Steph Jagger took her mom on a two-week road trip, visiting national parks in Montana, Wyoming, and Idaho. They camped, hiked, went rafting, and rode horses, all while Steph pondered her own future and tried to learn more about her mother before it was too late.
Want a taste? "The very best part about being in nature is that the truth meets you there, which is also the reason it's hardest to go."
Read this next: For another reflective book, try Braver than You Think by Maggie Downs, who took the trip of her mother's dreams, visiting 17 countries, after her mom no longer could. |
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| My Seven Black Fathers: A Young Activist's Memoir of Race, Family, and the Mentors Who... by Will JawandoWhat it is: politician and community leader Will Jawando's uplifting "love letter to Black men" that pays tribute to seven influential male role models in his life.
Featuring: Jawando's biological father and stepfather; Mr. Williams, his 4th grade math teacher; Mr. Holmes, his high school choir director; Jay, his mother's openly gay coworker; businessman Deen Sanwoola, who helped him discover his Nigerian heritage; and Barack Obama. |
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| Indelible City: Dispossession and Defiance in Hong Kong by Louisa LimWhat it is: a compelling blend of memoir and reportage that chronicles the history of Hong Kong and explores how the city has been shaped by both British colonization and Chinese authoritarianism.
About the author: British Chinese journalist and Orwell Prize finalist Louisa Lim (The People's Republic of Amnesia: Tiananmen Revisited) grew up in Hong Kong and spent a decade covering the region.
Further reading: The Impossible City: A Hong Kong Memoir by Karen Cheung; City on Fire: The Fight for Hong Kong by Antony Dapiran. |
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| Black Ghost of Empire: The Long Death of Slavery and the Failure of Emancipation by Kris ManjapraWhat it's about: how 18th- and 19th-century emancipation efforts in North America, Europe, Haiti, and Sub-Saharan Africa exacerbated racial tensions and reinforced white supremacy.
Why you should read it: Tufts University historian Kris Manjapra's sweeping and thought-provoking study informs ongoing conversations about reparatory justice.
Reviewers say: "an essential contribution to understanding the legacy of slavery" (Publishers Weekly). |
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| Fat Girls Hiking: An Inclusive Guide to Getting Outdoors at Any Size or Ability by Summer Michaud-SkogWhat it is: a comprehensive, upbeat guide to getting outside for people of all body sizes and fitness levels.
Why you might like it: In addition to the well-researched, practical advice presented here, author Summer Michaud-Skog includes reflections on self care, the value of community, and the power of representation for marginalized groups rarely depicted in outdoorsy media.
Don't miss: the review of how to choose your hiking gear and commiseration with readers who struggle to find athletic apparel that fits their bodies. |
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| Burn the Page: A True Story of Torching Doubts, Blazing Trails, and Igniting Change by Danica RoemWhat it is: the candid debut from Virginia Delegate Danica Roem, the first openly transgender state legislator in United States history.
Why you should read it: Part witty memoir, part thoughtful manifesto, Roem's eye-opening account inspires readers to unapologetically chase after their dreams, no matter how impossible they may seem.
Reviewers say: "A must read" (Library Journal). |
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| The High Sierra: A Love Story by Kim Stanley RobinsonWhat it's about: science fiction writer Kim Stanley Robinson's lifelong love affair with California's majestic Sierra Nevada mountains.
Why you might like it: Fans of Robinson's award-winning novels will appreciate the author's vast knowledge and characteristic attention to detail, which includes maps of the region, advice on hiking gear, deep dives into geology, and more than 100 photographs. |
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| The First Cat in Space Ate Pizza by Mac Barnett; illustrated by Shawn HarrisWhat it's about: When extragalactic rats begin gnawing on Earth's moon, a heroic, pizza-craving, cybernetic cat blasts off a lunar mission to confront the Rat King.
Why you might like it: Based on a series of cartoon videos, this science fiction graphic novel is filled with off-the-wall characters, eye-catching artwork, and "epic lunacy" (Kirkus Reviews).
For fans of: Drew Brockington's CatStronauts books and Dav Pilkey's Dog Man series. |
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| Family of Liars by E. LockhartWhat it is: a prequel to author E. Lockhart's BookTok hit We Were Liars, chronicling the Sinclair family during the summer of 1987.
The set-up: Caroline Lennox Taft Sinclair recalls the first appearance of her drowned sister's ghost and the arrival of three teenage boys on Beechwood Island, then confesses the worst thing she's ever done.
Is it for you? This suspenseful tale of a rich family's greed and silence is both atmospheric and emotionally intense. |
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| I Kissed Shara Wheeler by Casey McQuistonThe search: for Shara Wheeler begins shortly before graduation, after she kisses Chloe Green and vanishes. Chloe needs her rival for valedictorian back so she can win fair and square.
The search party: Chloe plus two other students Shara kissed, who collect cryptic notes and untangle the mystery of Shara's disappearance and Shara herself.
Author alert: I Kissed Shara Wheeler is the YA debut from author Casey McQuiston, whose adult romcom Red, White & Royal Blue found a wide audience. |
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| The World Belonged to Us by Jacqueline Woodson; illustrated by Leo EspinosaThe setting: a Brooklyn neighborhood, "not so long ago," where school just let out for the summer and the kids are "free as air."
What's inside: Retro-style illustrations overflow with verve as they depict a multilingual group of kids sharing ice cream, making chalk drawings, splashing in the spray from a hydrant, chanting jump-rope rhymes, and staying out until the streetlights come on.
Try this next: Abdul-Razak Zachariah's The Night Is Yours, another joyful celebration of free-range kids in a caring community. |
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Contact your librarian for more great books!
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