Aug 26

Aug 26 Books Publishing this Week [August 24 - 30]

It’s the last week of August, and the evening air is warm with the soft, golden glow of summer winding down. The sun is beginning its slow descent, casting long shadows across the backyard and tinting everything in that rich, honeyed light that only comes at the tail end of the season. You’re sitting poolside, legs stretched out in front of you, a gentle breeze rustling the leaves overhead. The water shimmers, barely disturbed, reflecting the changing sky like a mirror.

You’ve claimed your favorite lounge chair, the one with the perfect view of the sunset and just enough shade to keep you cool. A towel is draped behind your back for comfort, and your skin still holds the warmth of the afternoon sun. You’re in no rush. This is a slow, unhurried hour, one that invites you to linger and savor.

Beside you is a tall glass, cold with condensation, filled with a late-summer cocktail—maybe a peach mojito or a spritz made with something citrusy and bright. It tastes like sunshine, with just enough fizz to feel festive. On the small table next to it, a bowl of fresh fruit glows in the golden light—slices of watermelon, ripe peaches, plump blackberries, and a few cold grapes that pop sweetly when you bite into them.

In your lap is the book you’ve been saving, the one you bought on impulse weeks ago, knowing the right moment would eventually come. This is that moment. There’s something about the end of August that feels like a soft ending and a quiet beginning all at once, and a new book fits into that space perfectly.

You open the cover, the spine creaking just slightly as you settle in. The first few lines greet you gently, like an old friend reappearing after a long absence. The characters begin to take shape in your mind, the setting unfolding around them. The world of the book feels easy to slip into—inviting, full of possibility.

You pause every few pages to sip your drink, the glass cool against your fingers. You pick at the fruit, letting the sweetness linger on your tongue, balancing the sharpness of your cocktail. The pool water glows turquoise in the fading light, and every so often, a breeze lifts the edges of your book or tugs lightly at your hair. You tuck it behind your ear, never once taking your eyes off the page.

Around you, the day winds down. The distant hum of a lawn mower fades. A few cicadas begin their song. The sky shifts from gold to pink to a dusky purple, and the first stars blink into view above you. But you don’t move. You’re held in this moment, this gentle in-between space where summer is still yours, if only for a little while longer.

The story begins to pull you deeper. The dialogue flows naturally, the plot unfolding at just the right pace. You pause to reread a particularly lovely sentence, one that makes you smile, and you glance up for a moment, feeling completely at ease. You take another bite of fruit, another sip of your drink, and turn the page.

You’ll read until the sky goes fully dark and the lanterns around the pool flicker on with a soft, golden glow. You’ll stay until the ice melts in your glass and the fruit bowl is nearly empty. And when you finally close the book for the night—just a few chapters in—you’ll already know it’s going to be the perfect story to carry you through the end of the season.

Because this is what late August is for: warm nights, slow moments, and the beginning of a book you’ll always remember starting just as summer began to slip away.

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Books Publishing August 24 - 30, 2025

My Perfect Family by Khadijah VanBrakle

Sixteen-year-old Leena has always wished for a big family… but when she discovers she has a Muslim grandfather and aunt she never knew, she learns that family comes with tangled histories she may not be able to heal.

“Lonely Leena” is close with her young single mother. Still, she’s always secretly dreamed of more (and, when she was a kid, asked Santa for it). A huge family to cheer her on at graduation. A gaggle of smiling faces at the holidays. But one call from the hospital, and her mother’s hidden past comes to light: Her grandfather is in the ER, and her aunt is with him in recovery. Sorry—her WHO?

But with family comes family secrets—Leena’s mom’s, and as Leena grows close with her new family behind her mother’s back, her own. Leena’s mom warns that Leena’s grandfather Tariq’s financial generosity doesn’t come without strings attached… like Leena converting to Islam, fighting for a spot at a top university, and adhering to the restrictive rules that she ran from all those years ago. Leena isn’t sure who to trust, yet she’s certain that she adores Tariq and her mom—and that she’s the only one who could heal old hurts. After so many years, is it even possible? And if she can’t, will she have to choose between them?

A big family was the dream, but all this drama isn’t.

Warm, witty, and sometimes serious, My Perfect Family is a poignant intergenerational narrative that gives voice to Black Muslim women. A thoughtful examination of the intersection between gender and religion, Khadijah VanBrakle’s sophomore novel is a heartfelt tale of forging one’s own path… while loving those who stay by your side.

The Gilded Heiress by Joanna Shupe

From USA Today bestselling author Joanna Shupe comes a spicy Anastasia story full of secrets and betrayal, set among the glittering streets of New York City's Gilded Age.

In 1880 a baby was stolen from the wealthiest family in America. Though no ransom was ever demanded, the Pendelton family never gave up hope . . . and their reward became the stuff of legend.

After being raised in a children’s asylum, Josie Smith ends up on the streets and quickly learns how to take care of herself. Her singing voice draws crowds on every corner, and she’ll stop at nothing to become famous and travel the world, loved and adored by all. Maybe then she won’t think about the family who gave her away as an infant.

Leo Hardy isn’t afraid to use his charm and wits to make a fast buck, especially with a mother and five siblings to support. When he stumbles upon a beautiful young woman singing on the street, Leo notices her striking resemblance to the infamous missing baby’s mother, Mrs. Thomas Pendelton. The Hardys lost everything thanks to the Pendeltons, and once Leo sees Josie, he seizes the opportunity to settle the score. All he needs to do is pull off the biggest swindle of his career.

As the two are catapulted into Knickerbocker High Society, they grow closer to their goal, as well as to each other. But secrets can only stay hidden for so long. Soon the truth unfolds, and both Josie and Leo must separate what’s real from what’s just gilding.

Gabriela and His Grace by Liana De la Rosa

A scandalous arrangement between a hellion heiress and destitute duke reveals truths that neither can outrun….

As the youngest and most rebellious daughter of the overly protective Luna family, Gabriela Luna Valdés claws after her freedom in any way she can. This time, her hunger for adventure has led her aboard a windswept ship bearing for her homeland, away from a mob of fumbling British suitors. But Gabby can’t escape her father’s expectation that she settle down to find a proper husband—a compromise she’s unwilling to make.

For Sebastian Brooks, Duke of Whitfield, the trip to Mexico is his last chance. His last chance to rectify his family’s estate and refill their dwindling coffers. And his last chance to match wits with the sharp-tongued but deliciously tempting Gabriela.

When Gabby finds herself in need of a hasty escape, Sebastian agrees to assist her…but their close proximity sparks a red-hot passion that could ruin all their plans. With scandal looming, can Sebastian convince Gabby his regard is sincere or will she sail away with his heart?

Wish You Were Her by Elle McNicoll

Book Lovers meets Notting Hill with a slice of You've Got Mail in this rivals-to-lovers romance from bestselling, award-winning author Elle McNicoll.

18-year-old Allegra Brooks has skyrocketed to fame after starring in a hit television show, and she's the overnight success that everyone's talking about. They just don't know she's autistic. And now all she wants is a normal teenage summer.

Her destination for escape is the remote Lake Pristine and its annual Book Festival, organized by the dedicated but unfriendly senior bookseller, Jonah Thorne.

In small towns like Lake Pristine, misunderstandings abound, and before long the two are drawn into high-profile hostility that's a far cry from the drama-free holiday Allegra was craving. Thank goodness for her saving grace: the increasingly personal emails she's been sharing with a charming and anonymous bookseller who is definitely not Jonah Thorne . . .

An unforgettable romcom about finding the one person who makes you feel like yourself when the whole world is watching.

Mona's Eyes by Thomas Schlesser

Fifty-two weeks: that’s all the time Mona has left to learn about beauty. Every Wednesday, Mona’s grandfather picks her up after school and takes her to see a great work of art. Just one. A different masterpiece every Wednesday for a year. Fifty-two weeks of consummate beauty. Fifty-two weeks of visits to the museum before Mona loses her sight forever.  Together, Mona and her grandfather will experience a full range of emotions; their enchantment as well as their sadness will be complete. From Botticelli to Basquiat, Mona will discover not only the power of art but also the meaning of generosity, doubt, melancholy, loss, and revolt.  

At once a profoundly moving and beautifully crafted novel about the fullness of life and an enthralling guide to the world’s most renowned art, Mona’s Eyes is, at its core, a story about the deep and moving relationship between a young girl and her grandfather.  

Heartfelt and full of emotion, erudite but accessible, Mona’s Eyes is a novel about love and beauty that will capture the hearts of readers.

Mrs. Christie at the Mystery Guild Library by Amanda Chapman

Tory Van Dyne is the most down-to-earth member of a decidedly eccentric old-money New York family. For one thing, as book conservator at Manhattan’s Mystery Guild Library, she actually has a job. Plus, she’s left up-town society behind for a quiet life downtown. So she’s not thrilled when she discovers a woman in the library’s Christie Room who calmly introduces herself as Agatha Christie, politely requests a cocktail, and announces she’s there to help solve a murder— that has not yet happened.

But as soon as Tory determines that this is just a fairly nutty Christie fangirl, her socialite/actress cousin Nicola gets caught up in the suspicious death of her less-than-lovable talent agent. Nic, as always, looks to Tory for help. Tory, in turn, looks to Mrs. Christie. The woman, whoever or whatever she is, clearly knows her stuff when it comes to crime.

Aided by an unlikely band of fellow sleuths —including a snarky librarian, an eleven-year-old computer whiz, and an NYPD detective with terrible taste in suits—Tory and the woman claiming to be her very much deceased literary idol begin to unravel the twists and turns of a murderer’s devious mind. Because, in the immortal words of Miss Jane Marple, “murder is never simple.”

Phantom Academy by Christine Virnig

Lindsay Currie’s Scritch Scratch meets The School for Invisible Boys in this fun romp of a middle grade novel about a newly dead boy who faces a spooky new school hiding an unearthly mystery.

After an unlucky collision between a coconut and the top of his head, twelve-year-old Finn not only joins the ranks of the recently deceased, but also becomes the newest student at Phantom Academy, a boarding school for ghosts.

Once Finn gets over the unfairness of still having homework (you’d think being dead would give you a pass, right?), he discovers that life—er, death?—as a ghost isn’t that bad. He’d probably even enjoy it, if not for one thing: students cannot leave Phantom Academy until they graduate. He can’t check on his family. He can’t see his cat. In fact, he can’t leave the Spirit Realm at all.

As his homesickness builds, Finn convinces his new friends they should escape. But finding the way out is harder than he anticipated, especially when their biggest clue mysteriously goes missing. Finn’s not giving up, though, not with his human memories growing fuzzier and fuzzier with time. They just need to find a way through the veil…

I Become Her by Joe Hart

Author Interview with Joe Hart

A wife’s search for her husband’s true identity spirals into a nightmare of fear and paranoia in a twisting novel of psychological suspense by the Edgar Award–winning author of Or Else.

Only ten days into their marriage, Imogen and Lev Carmichael are on a honeymoon cruise in the Mediterranean when Imogen suspects her husband of being unfaithful. Amid the recriminations, denials, and rage, Lev falls overboard into the water. It’s a miracle he’s found alive. And with no memory of what pushed him—and Imogen—over the edge.

Back home among family and friends, Imogen and Lev are finally starting to readjust. As terrified as Imogen is of Lev’s memories returning, it’s her suspicions of infidelity that get the best of her. Then, searching for clues, she discovers a woman from Lev’s past he never told her about…a woman who has been missing for years. More alarming is that Imogen soon has reason to believe that Lev remembers more than he’s letting on. But why would he lie?

The man Imogen loved, married, and trusted is a man she’s now beginning to fear. And she must decide how far she’s willing to go to uncover the truth.

How the Hell Did I Not Know That? by Lucie Frost

After quitting her job with an awkward text to her boss, Lucie Frost planned to live out her early retirement fantasy. Except she was lost, an empty nester with no job, no structure, no identity, and no clear purpose. Everything changed after she binge-watched the television program 90 Day Fiancé one day, which led to a stream of answers to her question about midlife stagnation: What do we do with our lives when our jobs or children are no longer making those decisions for us?

Her trivia-filled memoir, How the Hell Did I Not Know That, follows the first year of Frost’s postretirement era, a year when curiosity pulled her off the couch and into a world where she discovered how to build a fulfilling life from the smallest of wonders—things like how to unboil an egg with urine (but why, oh why?), where the vice president of the United States lives (something we should know?), and why the sky is blue (wait, didn’t we learn that in third grade?).

How the Hell Did I Not Know That is a witty and honest companion, a girlfriend, if you will, for women in midlife who are struggling to find their place in the world, who are concerned about misogyny, climate change, and the industrial prison complex, just not while watching the latest episode of The Bachelor. Frost shows us that women “of a certain age” need to take themselves seriously while remembering to laugh at inappropriate things and that they can find meaning in life by relying on the power of curiosity.

Doll Parts by Penny Zang

The Virgin Suicides meets I Have Some Questions For You in a dual timeline suspense following one woman as she begins to uncover the truth of the death of her estranged best friend and the Sylvia Plath adoring sad girls they attended college with decades ago, all while holding a secret that will slowly unravel her new, suburban dream life.

Some stories refuse to stay buried.

For best friends Nikki and Sadie, college was supposed to be a fresh start, a way to blast Courtney Love from car speakers and leave their youth behind. But along with sadness-obsessed girls and intrusive professors, a dark story plagues their small all-women's school: the Sylvia Club, a campus legend surrounding the deaths of multiple Sylvia Plath-adoring students, all written off as suicides. Aspiring writer Nikki finds herself drawn to the tragic tales, so much so that dead girls begin to haunt her dark imagination. As she digs deeper, Nikki soon suspects there's much more to the story - a suspicion that will lead to a tragedy of its own, one that will tear her and Sadie apart.

It's been nearly twenty years since Sadie last saw her estranged friend. Now, Nikki is dead, and when Sadie ends up pregnant by Nikki's grieving husband not long after the funeral, she finds herself stepping into her ex-best friend's seemingly perfect life. But the longer Sadie lives in Nikki's eerily preserved home, the more she sees her appear and soon, she's convinced that Nikki is sending her clues from beyond the grave. Because it seems Nikki never stopped looking for answers about what happened to the girls of the Sylvia Club, and she may have been its latest victim.

Told in a dual timeline, Doll Parts is an evocative and irresistible debut, at once an exploration of the dark chasms that break apart friendships, an ode to the aching beauty of girlhood, and a sharp portrayal of grief that can physically haunt you.

Tomlinson's Wake by Randy Wayne White

From New York Times-bestselling author Randy Wayne White, the latest thriller following Doc Ford and his perilous journey into Mesoamerica after a world-shattering earthquake threatens his squad's safety – and all of their lives.

In the wake of a killer hurricane, Doc Ford’s best friend, Tomlinson, insists that he died when his beloved sailboat hit a reef off the Mosquito Coast of Honduras. He now lives to tell the tale, but only because he was brought back to life – temporarily – by a runaway orphan, and a direct descendent of the last King of the ancient Mayan people.

Corrupt politicians want the child out of the picture before he catalyzes a revolution among the Indigenous population. But the boy, a charismatic 12-year-old, has gone underground with the help of Tomlinson and a network of street urchins. They're all on the run and in the crosshairs when Ford arrives and picks up his friend’s trail. This is not his first trip to the most dangerous country in Mesoamerica, and no one is better equipped to deal with flesh traffickers, paramilitary killers, a sex addict archaeologist and a homicidal giant known locally as Iron Baby.

Their spiritual home on Sanibel Island, Dinkin's Bay Marina, has already suffered the death of one key member, and Ford is determined not to burden that quirky little family with yet another funeral wake. What no one is prepared for, however, is a cataclysmic earthquake that hits the area with the impact of a meteor that nearly destroyed all life on earth more than sixty million years ago.

The Burial Place by Stig Abell

Former London detective Jake Jackson finds his new life in the country threatened when an old case from the past buried deep within an archeological dig site resurfaces in this beautiful written and deeply immersive mystery that will challenge your deductive skills.

The Book of Heartbreak by Ova Ceren

FROM BOOKTOK AND BOOKSTAGRAM SENSATION OVA CEREN: A Middle Eastern legend gets a magically romantic modern makeover perfect for fans of The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue.

A young woman must find a way to end the curse on her heart before it claims her forever in this delightfully witty fantasy romance.

Sare Silverbirch has already had her heart broken three times. A fifth heartbreak will stop her heart forever. Such is the nature of the curse she was born under, which forces her to live a life without letting anyone get too close.

When her mother dies unexpectedly and her heart breaks for the fourth time, Sare begins to urgently question the curse. Where did it come from? Why her? And rather than accept it, could there be a way to break it?

Her questions lead her to Istanbul, where she meets Leon, a seer who helps her track down the mysteries of her mother’s past. But Sare’s heart is a fragile thing, and their blossoming romance poses a great risk to her survival. Especially when she discovers that her fate is in the hands of celestials beyond this earthly realm.

Now the heavens are stirring, for they have a stake in Sare’s destiny—and they don’t like their plans being overturned.

The Book of Heartbreak is a dazzling, haunting romantasy sure to break—and mend again—the hearts of readers everywhere.

Cammy Sitting Shiva by Cary Gitter

This stirring debut novel is an unflinching, darkly funny look at loss, family, and coming home—perfect for fans of This Is Where I Leave You and Competitive Grieving.

When Cy Adler dies, it’s a shock to everyone, especially his daughter, Cammy. Almost thirty, slightly aimless, and stuck in a basement apartment in Queens, she’s forced to return to River Hill, her one-square-mile New Jersey hometown, to sit shiva. Cammy’s fraught relationship with her mother, Beth, has never been easy. And now, with her beloved father gone, she would rather be anywhere but back in her childhood room, in a house filled with guests noshing on snacks and offering their condolences. So Cammy does whatever she can to make it through seven turbulent days of mourning.

Amid getting stoned, reconnecting with her best friend and her high school crush, evading the rabbi, and spending a debauched night in Atlantic City, Cammy must reckon with her roots—with the place she fled for the glamour of New York, where she thought she belonged. But is she really any better off than those she left behind? While navigating the swirl of emotions that accompany grief, Cammy also uncovers hidden truths about her father, which lead her to doubt how well she knew the man she adored. Then again, does she even know herself?

Fueled by wry, lively prose, Cammy Sitting Shiva is a deeply relatable fish-out-of-water story, grappling with how it feels to be adrift and to find that a hard trip home may be what it takes to anchor you.

What the Dead Can Do by Peter Rosch

Author Interview with Peter Rosch

A young child’s fate is at stake in a deadly battle between his deceased parents in this gripping and profoundly original psychological thriller, perfect for fans of What Have You Done and Middle of the Night.

When a commercial flight crashes, all 184 people on board perish—with the singular exception of a two-year-old boy named Ethan, who’s entrusted to family friends Matthew and Nicole per his late parents’ wishes.

From the afterlife, Ethan’s parents, Tag and Amanda, watch helplessly as Nicole’s secret addictions, the family’s financial struggles, and the public’s fascination with their story ignite events that threaten their son’s welfare.

Soon, Amanda’s grief turns into an insidious obsession: Ethan belongs with her and no one else, and she sets out to reunite with her son by any means possible—including killing Ethan herself.

After Amanda learns how to possess the living, only Tag stands in her way. He must protect his child, even if the consequences of his actions mean he may never see his wife or son again.

What the Dead Can Do is a dark, psychological, speculative thriller tinged with horror, destined to keep readers’ minds spinning long after the final page.

Not Who You Think by Arbor Sloane

The copycat of a killer made famous by a true crime author kidnaps a classmate of the author’s daughter in this twisty thriller, perfect for fans of Paula Hawkins.

Amelia Child has devoted her life to researching Gerald Shapiro, the Catfish Killer, a man who pretended to be other people online to gain women’s trust before meeting and killing them. Her book on the Catfish Killer, Into the Glass, earned wild success and a legion of true crime fans. Years later, Amelia is pulled back into the case when a girl from her daughter’s high school disappears, and all signs point to a copycat killer mimicking the Catfish Killer’s every move.

As Amelia meets with the detective who helped her study Gerald Shapiro years ago and they become suspicious of Shapiro’s son, Amelia’s daughter Gabby receives a letter from the kidnapper threatening that she might be next. Desperate to find the culprit before her classmate is killed or she becomes the latest victim, Gabby conducts her own search for the missing girl.

With Amelia’s own family at risk and the entire true crime world obsessing and investigating online, the stakes have never been higher. Everyone wants to find the killer—but when his modus operandi is to pretend to be someone else, he’s not going to be easy to catch.

While the Getting Is Good by Matt Riordan

Amid the gangland wars of Prohibition, one fisherman’s long-shot play to secure his family’s future brings disaster to everyone he loves.

Based partly on family lore, Matt Riordan’s follow-up to The North Line is for readers of Jeannette Wall’s Hang the Moon and S.A. Cosby’s All the Sinners Bleed.

Eld should’ve known better. Hell, he did know better. But watching lesser men hit big paydays—men who didn’t fight in Europe—grew unbearable. So, when the opportunity arises, he reaches for a little something extra for his family, and even more for himself. With Prohibition expiring in a matter of months, his turn from fisherman to rumrunner was supposed to be temporary. It seemed the perfect plan. Even Maggie, Eld’s normally sensible wife, is on board.

Things don’t go to plan. Amid the region’s players battle to capture the biggest piece of a shrinking pie, Eld’s tiny family operation is caught in the crossfire. One bitterly cold night packing whiskey across Lake Huron costs Eld dearly, and his family even more.

Hunted by gangsters and squeezed by the Depression, Eld, Maggie, and the children are scattered: Eld to Canada on a doomed quest, Maggie and her daughter forced into finding sanctuary in a faith more cult than religion. When they finally reunite, they may not even recognize each other as the same people who crossed their fingers and threw the dice for a shot at a better life.

Power On by Ash Brandin

From “The Gamer Educator”, an openminded guide to parenting alongside screens and gaming, offering practical solutions to managing your family’s screen time.

Parents are feeling mounting pressure to minimize screen time, but are struggling to do so in our technologically driven world. In contrast to the fear and pressure parents are facing, Ash Brandin’s Power On offers a calm and reassuring message that keeps the wellbeing of the whole family in mind. Power On powerfully reframes our current dialogue around technology, beginning with the morality placed on screen time and leisure, and the systemic factors contributing to it. Brandin replaces fear with empowerment, giving caregivers tools and strategies for safely incorporating tech into their children’s lives, guiding children to having a healthy relationship with screens, with easy to implement approaches such as:

·The ABCs of the Screentime Management Elements – Access, Behavior, Content
·The Managing Online Safety S.T.A.R. – Settings, Time, Ads/App Store, Restriction
·The N.I.C.E. Screentime Boundaries – Needs, Input, Consistent, Enforceable
·And several other sets of steps, tools, and strategies to understand, manage, and effectively utilize tech in parenting.

With today’s parenting advice being awash with unhelpful negative judgements on screens and little realistic actionable advice, Ash Brandin provides timely, realistic direction that will empower readers to find a balance with screen time that works for the entire family.

A Steady Brightness of Being edited by Sara Sinclair and Stephanie Sinclair

Bringing together voices from across Turtle Island, a groundbreaking collection of letters from Indigenous writers, activists, and thinkers—to their ancestors, to future generations, and to themselves.

Drawing on the wisdom and personal experience of its esteemed contributors, this first-of-its-kind anthology tackles complex questions of our times to provide a rich tapestry of Indigenous life, past, present, and future. The letters explore the histories that have brought us to this moment, the challenges and crises faced by present-day communities, and the visions that will lead us to a new architecture for thinking about Indigeneity. Taking its structure from the medicine bundle—tobacco, sage, cedar, and sweetgrass—it will stir and empower readers, as well as enrich an essential and ongoing conversation about what reconciliation looks like and what it means to be Indigenous today.

CONTRIBUTORS:
Billy-Ray Belcourt, Cindy Blackstock, Cody Caetano, Warren Cariou, Norma Dunning, Kyle Edwards, Jennifer Grenz, Jon Hickey, Jessica Johns, Wab Kinew, Terese Marie Mailhot, Kent Monkman, Simon Moya-Smith, Pamela Palmater, Tamara Podemski, Waubgeshig Rice, David A. Robertson, Niigaan Sinclair, Miss Chief Eagle Testickle, Zoe Todd, David Treuer, Richard Van Camp, katherena vermette, Jesse Wente, Joshua Whitehead.

Good Grief by Sara Goodman Confino

Author Interview with Sara Goodman Confino

A mother- and daughter-in-law. To move on, one of them will have to move out in a hopeful and hilarious novel about widowhood and family friction by the bestselling author of Don’t Forget to Write.

It’s 1963, two years since Barbara Feldman’s husband died. Raising two kids, she’s finally emerging from her cocoon of grief. Not yet a butterfly, but she’s anxious to spread her wings.

Then one day her mother-in-law, Ruth, shows up on her doorstep with five suitcases, expecting a room of her own with a suitable mattress. Abrasive and stuck in her ways yet well meaning, Mother Ruth arrives without warning to help with the children. How can Barbara say no to a woman who is not only a widow herself but also a grieving mother? As Ruth’s prickly visit turns from days to weeks to what seems like forever, Barbara realizes Ruth has got to go. But Barbara has an ingenious plan: introduce Ruth to some fine gentlemen and marry her off as fast as she can.

Soon enough, something tells Barbara that Ruth is trying to do the same for her. At least they’re finding common ground—helping each other to move forward. Even if it is in the most unpredictable ways two totally different women ever imagined.

Before They Were Men by Jacob Tobia

Gender nonconforming thought leader and bestselling author Jacob Tobia offers a paradigm-shifting argument for fundamentally reframing how we think about men.

“A reckoning, a manifesto, a wellspring of curiosity, and an invitation to consider better ways of imagining masculinity.”—Amanda Montell, New York Times bestselling author of The Age of Magical Overthinking, Cultish, and Wordslut

The conversation about masculinity, patriarchy, and misogyny has never been so prominent or heated. Alarmed by a new generation of angry, broken young men, genderqueer writer Jacob Tobia sets out to explore what’s going on and comes to a shocking conclusion: Emotionally and spiritually speaking, men and boys may be the ones suffering the most under the gender binary right now.

Tobia should know. For their gender-defying adolescent heart, the nonconsensual process of being “made a man” was crushing. After spending a lifetime fleeing manhood and masculinity, they dare to ask the question: What happens if we stop understanding men as categorical beneficiaries of patriarchal institutions and start understanding them for what they are—co-survivors of patriarchy itself?

In a series of personal and revolutionary essays, Before They Were Men argues that we must rewire much of our framework of feminism. Through this much-needed nonbinary intervention into a two-sided discourse gone stale, Tobia boldly posits compassion and empathy as the forces that will lead men—and us all—to a brighter future. Urgent, surprising, and counterintuitive, their book covers topics such as

• the unspoken body image issues and dysmorphia confronting men and boys
• the difficulty of challenging a world that glorifies war, aggression, and the violence of men
• the case for rethinking, and ultimately retiring, counterproductive terms like “toxic masculinity” and “male privilege”

From exploring the abuse endured by men in the name of gender norms to addressing the myriad failures of feminist discourse in grappling with men’s suffering, this book calls everyone—men, women, and nonbinary people alike—back to the table.

Split by Michael Swartz

Dr. Michael Swartz found inspiration for his gritty upper YA novel from a patient who was a chimera (a person with two distinct sets of DNA, named after the Greek mythological creature formed from parts of a lion, goat, and serpent ). Fascinated by the age-old question of nature versus nurture, Swartz debuts “Split” (Koehler Books, August 29, 2025), a compelling coming-of-age novel that delves into identity, abuse, mental health, and addiction.

“It's who we are."

That's what Ethan Rivers has been told by his mother since he was a small child. It's her answer to why there's not enough money for a new couch, why his father gets angry, and why Ethan has two different colored eyes.

But there is a scientific reason why Ethan has two different colored eyes. Ethan learns that he is a chimera, the real but rare in-utero fusion of fraternal twins into a single child, but he is SPLIT. The traits on his left side resemble his father, and the traits on the right side resemble his mother. When Ethan's father becomes violent, Ethan is faced with the question: Which side of his DNA will win out?

Swartz pens a striking coming-of-age story, proving that outside factors might influence the future, but nothing determines it. Perfect for fans of “Girl in Pieces” by Kathleen Glasgow and “How It Feels to Float” by Helena Fox.

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