Our October 2025 Picks
 
Recent Releases: Fantasy
Cinder house by Freya Marske
Cinder House
by Freya Marske

In this queer Gothic retelling of Cinderella, Ella is a haunting. Murdered at sixteen, her ghost is furiously trapped in her father's house, invisible to everyone except her stepmother and stepsisters. Even when she discovers how to untether herself from her prison, there are limits: she cannot be seen by the living. And at the stroke of every midnight, she finds herself back on the staircase where she died. But everything changes when she bargains for three nights of almost-living freedom during which she can finally be seen and touched.
The Faerie Morgana by Louisa Morgan
The Faerie Morgana
by Louisa Morgan

To the other priestesses of the Nine—a powerful council at the Lady's Temple, King Arthur and his wife, and Morgana's faithful acolyte, feelings about her magical powers could not be more mixed. And while Morgana doesn't know why she's so different from everyone else, and she doesn't much care. But when she aids Arthur to ascend the throne before his time, Morgana sets off a series of events that will change everything she believes about her power.
The summer war by Naomi Novik
The Summer War
by Naomi Novik

When Celia's accidental curse condemns her brother Argent to a loveless life, she spends years mastering her prophetic magic to break it. Along the way, she uncovers a buried truth about an ancient war that could finally bring peace—or destroy her people entirely.
Among the burning flowers by Samantha Shannon
Among the Burning Flowers
by Samantha Shannon

It has been centuries since the Draconic Army took wing, almost extinguishing humankind. Marosa Vetalda is a prisoner in her own home, controlled by her cold father, the king. Over the mountains, her betrothed rules Mentendon in all but name. Together, they intend to usher in a better world. But that seems impossibly distant to Estina Melaugo, a hunter of the Draconic beasts that have slept across the world for centuries. Now the great wyrm Fýredel is stirring, and the kingdom of Yscalin will be the first to fall...

A standalone legend to the New York Times bestselling fantasy series bridges the events of 
A Day of Fallen Night and The Priory of the Orange Tree. 
The Society of Unknowable Objects
by Gareth Brown

A trio of seemingly everyday people are members of a secret society tasked with finding and protecting hidden magical objects—ordinary items with extraordinary properties.
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). 
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.
Recent Releases: Magical Realism
The peculiar gift of July : a novel by Ashley Ream
The Peculiar Gift of July
by Ashley Ream

When 14-year-old July arrives in the isolated island town of Ebey's End, her uncanny ability to sense what people need begins quietly transforming the community, forcing its residents—and herself—to confront unexpected truths about their lives.
Where are you really from : stories by Elaine Hsieh Chou
Where Are You Really From: Stories
by Elaine Hsieh Chou

Blending the surreal, disturbing, and darkly comic, this collection of six stories and a novella explores identity, obsession, and self-deception, and more. A mail order bride from Taiwan is packed up in a cardboard box and sent via express shipping to California, where her much older husband awaits her. Two teenage girls meticulously plan how to kill and cook their downstairs neighbor. An American au pair moves to Paris to find herself, only to find her actual French doppelgänger. A father reunites with his estranged daughter in unusual circumstances: as a background actor on the set of her film.
Vianne : a novel by Joanne Harris
Vianne
by Joanne Harris

Secrets. Chocolate. A touch of magic. On the evening of July 4th, a young woman scatters her mother's ashes in New York and follows the call of the changing winds to the French coastal city of Marseille. For the first time in her life, Vianne feels in control of her future. Charming her way into a job as a waitress, she tries to fit in, make friends, and come to terms with her pregnancy, knowing that by the time her child is born, the turning wind will have changed once again. As she discovers the joy of cooking for the very first time, she learns that this humble magic has the power to unlock secrets. And yet her gift comes at a price, and Vianne has her own secret that could threaten everything...
The Adventures of Mary Darling
by Pat Murphy

In this clever Victorian mashup, Mary Darling is beside herself when her three children go missing, and her uncle John Watson's dear friend Sherlock Holmes proves more hindrance than help. Mary takes matters into her own hands, recruiting friends from her past to help her find her way to Neverland and rescue Wendy, Michael, and John herself. With both fantastical adventure and thoughtful exploration of both sexism and colonialism, this book will be a delight for readers looking for another feminist retelling of classic tales.
Recent Releases: Sci-fi
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.
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.
A Rebel's History of Mars by Nadia Afifi
A Rebel's History of Mars
by Nadia Afifi

Kezza is an aerialist in a Martian circus, determined to get revenge on the man who helped lure desperate emigrants to the red planet. Azad, living on a neighboring planet a thousand years in the future, finds a cryptic message that he hopes will lead him to his long-lost sister. Separated by time, these two stories will collide as historians seek the truth behind the colonization of Mars. Nadia Afifi's offbeat and suspenseful storytelling will enrapture fans of Adrian Tchaikovsky and M.R. Carey.
 
Romantasy Book Club
 
Our next discussion:
Tuesday, November 4, 6:30 pm
Library Meeting Room on the Lower Level
Looking to read more Romantasy and meet other readers? Stop by for our Romantasy Book Club! The club usually meets on the first Tuesday of the month at 6:30, but we do recommend confirming details on our events calendar in case of changes. Don't forget to bring your broomstick!
We will be discussing:
Divine rivals : a novel by Rebecca Ross
Divine Rivals
by Rebecca Ross

When 18-year-old journalist Iris Winnow's personal letters fall into the hands of her rival at the paper, she forges a magical connection that follows her into the battle for her family, the fate of humankind, and love.
 
Sci-fi Book Club
 
Our next discussion:
Thursday, November 6, 7:00 pm
Farthest Star Sake 120 N Meadows Rd, Medfield, MA
If you're a regular sci-fi reader, consider joining our Sci-fi Book Club! The club usually meets on the first Thursday of the month at 7:00, but we do recommend confirming details on our events calendar in case of changes. Copies of our next book are on reserve at the Circulation Desk. We hope to see you there!
We will be discussing:
The forever war by Joe W. Haldeman
The Forever War
by Joe W. Haldeman

The Ngumi War of 2043 is taking its toll on Julian Class, a soldier who operates an indestructible, remote controlled war machine known as a soldierboy, so when he and his lover make a startling scientific discovery that could set the universe back to the beginning of time, he is very tempted to try it out.
 
Want to explore more ideas?
Check out our library's Sci-fi & Fantasy book lists to browse recommendations!