Certainly one of the most beautiful book about crypts and human remains that has ever been published, and certainly a go-to coffee table book for goths, Halloween lovers, and those who are simply fascinated with the way different cultures celebrate life and venerate the dead.
The ultimate spooky season read, The October Country contains the stuff of everyone's nightmares. Stories that range from a farmer possessed by his scythe to a man whose skeleton has a mind of its own to babies who just aren't quite right and beyond. A master of the macabre!
This is the perfect found-family cozy romance for fall. It's got a diverse cast of characters- adorable and hilarious children, quirky witches, and a hot librarian. Bundle up on your couch with a blanket and some hot tea for this one!
This is the kind of historical fiction I'm always on the lookout for. It's tender without being sappy, and gritty without being dramatic. The characters (a corrupt banker, a career conman, and a woman with mysterious abilities) are multi-faceted and deeply flawed. Their navigation of late 1800's Washington in the wake of a devastating fire is one you won't soon forget.
Carrie Soto is known for being the best tennis player the world has ever known, and also for being a stone cold...well...you know. Her journey from childhood protégé to top of the world champion to fighting tooth and nail to stop the slide into becoming a has-been is pacey and thrilling. TJR does it again!
It's officially time for spooky season reads! These Fleeting Shadows is a great place to start - an ancient haunted manor, ghosts that aren't quite ghosts, and a twisted labyrinth of family history and secrets. A solid young adult horror.
Reading Lessons in Chemistry was the most heartwarming book experience I've had in a long time. Elizabeth Zott manages to be an utterly lovable character despite (because of?) her complete lack of a people pleasing attitude. Her lifelong fight against the man in 1950s America and experience as a single mother was a joy to read.
A fictionalized peek at an oft-forgotten stellar racehorse and the people surrounding him, Horse is a must-read for lovers of historical fiction. Pulitzer-prize winning Brooks is a true master at her craft, connecting the reader with a cast of characters they'll not soon forget.
Small town southern Bingo sex pact romance? Honestly nothing could be better. Aja and Walker are complicated, earnest, wonderful characters, and their story had me giddy for all 300 pages. You need this book to be part of your summer.
Inspired by her time on a survivalist reality TV show, Braverman's first novel is a story of humanity at its most primal. When five strangers are dropped off in the wilderness surrounded by a camera crew, with their only instruction being to survive for six weeks, their goal seems pretty straightforward. But as more and more challenges present themselves, the survivors begin to realize that maybe this isn't all a game.
There's an endless number of books out there promising its reader instructions on how to have the 'perfect puppy'. What they fail to mention is - your puppy is already perfect. Canid cognition expert Horowitz combines memoir and science writing as she takes us through the entire first year with her puppy Quiddity, discussing her development, quirks, training (or lack thereof) and the simple wonder that a puppy contains. A wonderful step back that allows us to see why dogs are who they are, and do what they do.
Young's first foray into adult fiction rewards us with a darkly atmospheric and romantic mystery. The island of Saoirse is the epitome of a tight knit community, until a devastating fire and mysterious death turn them against each other. Throw in witchcraft and many closely held secrets and the resulting tale is one you won't soon forget.
Young adult mysteries are having a *moment*, and After Dark with Roxie Clark stands out as one of the best. The small-town October ghost tour setting is spot on, and Roxie herself is just antisocial and weird enough to put you firmly in her corner. Throw in a brutal murder and a family curse, and you're in for a wild ride - hang tight.
Imagine you're on your way home from a night out and you run into your ex. And the next night you run into another ex, and the next night, another. Lola tries to brush off these interactions as coincidence, but it soon becomes too much to ignore, especially once she discovers that her love life is being influenced by a cult and their smarmy leader. Crosley's latest is wicked smart and funny, but also surprisingly tender and reflective.
Renkl's collection of essays she has written for the New York Times over the past several years is full of gentle and unerring observations on nature and humanity in the South. This book made me cry more than any other I've read, therefore it becomes an automatic favorite. The perfect gift for those who already know and love the South in all its complexities and contradictions, and also for those who are hanging onto outdated and harmful stereotypes about the region.
At once a sweeping history of the labor movement and detailed vignettes of the people fighting for union rights since the 19th century, Fight Like Hell is just the right book for this moment in time. Pick it up to see how far we've come, and how far we have yet to go.
This is Emily Henry at the absolute top of her game. Literary agent Nora is intense, cutthroat and utterly relatable, while editor Charlie is....intense, cutthroat, and utterly relatable. Their enemies to friends to lovers relationship in Sunshine Falls, North Carolina is the perfect heartwarming read.
If you're looking for an entrancing, almost melodic fantasy retelling, Daughter of the Moon Goddess is the book for you. Xingyin is a fierce yet soft-hearted warrior whose only goal in life is to free her mother from eternal entrapment. Dragons, enchanted pearls, Demon Kings, and elemental magic make this story tense and satisfying.
A wonderful cooking show queer romance, perfect for your pride month TBR! Dahlia and Parker are competitors on the show Chef's Special, and while Dahlia is all nerves and quirky mess, Parker is quiet and reserved, determined to make their mark in the cooking world. What unravels is an equal parts silly and serious kinda-enemies-to-lovers story that romance readers are sure to devour.
A stunning memoir from Kentucky's most hopeful legislator, From The Hood to the Holler should be required reading for anyone hoping to understand the political and emotional dynamics of an oft written off state, as well as get a glimpse into the life and upbringing of a truly caring and passionate Kentuckian.
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Noni Blake is desperate for a change to her uneventful, nondescript life. When her decade long relationship ends, she takes the money from selling their shared house and jets off to Europe for six months, her only goal being to seek pleasure. Noni is relatable, infuriating, and utterly loveable, and I thoroughly enjoyed her journey of self-discovery.
While the cover looks like an engrossing fantasy novel, The Firekeeper's Daughter is actually a page-turning small town mystery. We're talking hockey, Indigenous communities, Yoopers, and teenage drug lords. Perfect for young adult and adult thriller lovers alike.
A gritty princess-turned-nun learns of dark goings on at the palace which put her sister in danger, and she sets off to the Northern Kingdom to secure the queen's safety. Along the way she gathers a small ragtag gang of misfits that have nothing better to do than join her on this journey. Each character is fabulously drawn (including the dog) and their adventure is sure to stick with you.
Lonely is often treated as a dirty word, and is accompanied by images of crying women eating ice cream, or men in their parents' basements playing video games. But what if feeling lonely is something to be savored and appreciated? The Lonely Stories explores this deeply complex emotion in all of its facets, and ends up being a cathartic and uplifting collection.
A subtle and understated vampire book. Lydia is both mixed-race and mixed-species, and is trying to make it on her own for the first time. A constant battle against her hunger and desire to be human leads to an extremely complicated relationship with food, as well as with her very first group of friends. This one's a sleeper, but oh so satisfying.
You can always expect an intriguing and multi-layered story from Emily St. John Mandel, but Sea of Tranquility takes it to the next level. What on the surface seems like a moon colony futuristic sci-fi novel turns out to be a story of love, family, and the ripple effect that every choice has. Superb
Murder, corpses, and raging misogyny - what's not to love? Hazel is an aspiring surgeon in 19th century Edinburgh, and when she gets kicked out of her program for not being a man, she teams up with resurrection man Jack to continue her studies in less tasteful ways. Throw in random disappearances and a smarmy doctor to tie it all together!
In this house we don't sit on the bed in our outside clothes, and we stan Phoebe Robinson. She's insightful, witty, smart, and laughs at her own jokes. I highly recommend listening to the audiobook so you can experience her jokes exactly as they were meant to be told.
Meteorologist Ari and sports reporter Russell scheme to get their bosses back together to ease the tumult in their workplace. Obviously they're just friends! Coworkers, nothing more! No amount of late night planning over dinner and drinks could lead to deeper feelings for each other! A fun romance with important and accurate mental illness representation.
Life is meaningless and nothing matters, and how great is that? While nihilism is traditionally used in tandem with negativity, The Sunny Nihilist instead tells us that it's freeing to accept the fact that nothing we do, our very existence even, really matters. This mindset allows us to move through life more freely and with less strife, something we could all use.
Never before have I felt so deeply attached to the characters of a short story collection. The Secret Lives of Church Ladies explores exactly what you think it does - the mindsets and desires of Black women of faith, often fraught with contradiction and strife. Stunningly done.
If life has you feeling a bit listless, uncertain, or anxious, Like Streams To The Ocean is just the thing to help re-center and ground yourself. Jenkins is honest about the brutality and beauty life contains, and the struggles we as humans all grapple with. Broken down into sections such as Family, Home, Friendship, and Death, this memoir had me pausing the audiobook to soak in certain phrases, and going back 30 seconds to re-listen to particularly relevant paragraphs. Wonderful and contemplative!
