LibraryAware November 2025

Recent Releases

Lessons in Magic and Disaster
by Charlie Jane Anders

Jamie is a young witch worried about her mother Serena: after the passing of her wife, Serena has holed herself up in a one-room schoolhouse. Jamie decides to teach her mother magic as a way to help move past her grief, but the unexpected results of Serena's magic will force them both to confront uncomfortable truths. For fans of: queer witchy fantasy with thoughtful and character-driven stories such as The Honey Witch by Sydney J. Shields.

The Society of Unknowable Objects
by Gareth Brown

Within the hidden corners of London lies a secret society tasked with finding and protecting hidden magical objects. When the first new object in decades emerges in Hong Kong, the newest member, Magda Sparks, must not only go and recover it, but investigate the possibility that a member has leaked the society's existence to an outsider. Gareth Brown's latest standalone contemporary fantasy will delight fans of fast-paced action, rich atmospheric detail, and plucky heroines.

The Midnight Shift
by Seon-ran Cheon

When a string of suspicious deaths in a hospital in Incheon is written off by the other authorities, Detective Su-Yeon decides to start her own investigation. She meets the mysterious Violette, and the two of them team up to track down the unexpected culprit: a menacing vampire preying on the elderly patients. Readers looking for fast-paced and moody supernatural stories will want to sink their teeth into this Korean fantasy thriller.

What We Can Know
by Ian McEwan

In 2119, the world is in ruins from nuclear war and climate change. Scholar Thomas Metcalfe searches for a lost love poem from 2014, written for the poet's beloved wife. The search sends Thomas on a journey of love and artistic legacy. Ian McEwan's latest after Lessons "offers up a heady, intellectual tale that takes a searing look at how history is created -- and distorted" (Booklist).

A Mother's Guide to the Apocalypse
by Hollie Overton

English mother of three Olivia becomes obsessed with doomsday prepping until one day, she disappears. Twenty years later, Olivia's grown daughters uncover a guide their mother left behind and travel to the United States (now ravaged by climate disasters and militia takeovers) to get answers. For fans of: intricately plotted apocalyptic science fiction with unique perspectives on motherhood such as Without Saying Goodbye by Laura Jarratt.

Beasts of Carnaval
by Rosália Rodrigo

In this Puerto Rican and Taíno inspired fantasy debut, formerly enslaved Sofia searches for her missing twin brother at the mysterious Carnaval of Beasts. As she tries to resist the thrall of the Carnaval and gradually loses her memory, Sofia will come to realize why no one ever leaves. Rich with mythology and lush magical atmosphere, this debut title will enrapture fans of the works of Amal El-Mohtar and Silvia Moreno-Garcia.

Wild Reverence
by Rebecca Ross
available as e-audio and e-book

Matilda, born as a herald to the gods, is tested by abuse and betrayal as she grows and hones her powers. She has an inexplicable connection to Vincent, a noble human who she sees in her dreams. When the two finally collide in reality, their union challenges the balance between the divine and the mortal forever. For fans of: emotionally intense and romantic fantasy tales such as Alix E. Harrow's The Everlasting and Margaret Rogerson's An Enchantment of Ravens.

The Feeding
by Anthony Ryan
not in collection

Fifteen years ago the Feeders rose up and turned the world into a death-riddled wasteland, only braved by a few Crossers to trade and gather supplies. Layla joins the Crossers to help her dying father get the medicine he sorely needs, but will she survive the deadly obstacles ahead of her? For fans of: apocalyptic science fiction with dreadful suspense and well-developed world-building such as Kassandra Montag's After the Flood.

The Shattering Peace
by John Scalzi

John Scalzi returns to the Old Man's War series with this latest installation. After a decade of peace reigning throughout space, a new force of intelligent creatures enters the fray, threatening civil war. Now, mid-level diplomat Gretchen Trujillo is caught in the middle during a secret summit representing every known faction. Fans will devour this "[c]lassic Scalzi space opera at its wisecracking, politically pointed, and, somehow, fiercely optimistic finest" (Kirkus).

Contact your librarian for more great books!