Oct 14

Oct 14 Books Publishing This Week

The evening in mid-October wraps itself around you like a familiar, comforting blanket. The light outside has softened into amber, fading fast as dusk settles in. You can smell autumn through the open window—a mix of woodsmoke, damp leaves, and something faintly sweet, like apples left too long on the branch. The day has been full—errands, conversations, the hum of life—but now, finally, there’s quiet. The kind that invites stillness. The kind that makes you reach for a book.

You turn on a soft lamp, its golden glow casting gentle shadows across the room. The book waits for you on the table beside a cup of tea or maybe a glass of red wine—something warm and grounding to match the mood of the evening. You pull a throw blanket across your legs, feeling its weight and softness, and sink into your favorite chair. The world outside hums faintly—a car passing, a neighbor’s footsteps, the occasional rustle of wind through the trees—but here, in this small circle of light, time feels suspended.

The book’s cover feels cool beneath your hands. You take a moment before opening it, letting your eyes wander to the window where the last traces of twilight hover over the horizon. The trees outside stand dark against the deepening sky, their branches etched like ink. You take a sip of your drink, savoring the warmth as it spreads through you, and finally turn the first page.

The words meet you gently. The opening paragraph sets the tone—something atmospheric, maybe, something with depth and quiet strength. You read slowly, allowing yourself to ease into the cadence of the sentences. The first chapter unfolds like a conversation you didn’t know you needed, one that meets you exactly where you are.

The rhythm of the story mingles with the rhythm of the night. The sound of wind brushing past the window feels almost like the story breathing alongside you. You shift slightly in your chair, pulling the blanket higher, feeling its softness against your chin. The book feels alive in your hands—the paper crisp, the spine giving just slightly as you turn the pages.

Every few minutes, you pause—not because you’ve lost focus, but because the words have settled into you so deeply that you need a moment to let them linger. You take another sip of your drink. The warmth from it and the warmth from the light combine into a kind of cocoon. The world outside is dark now, the sky an inky blue-black, but your little corner remains golden, alive with the quiet hum of story.

A scene in the book catches you—something vivid, something true—and you smile to yourself. It’s been a while since a book has caught you like this. You lean deeper into your chair, the pages rustling softly as you move forward. The characters begin to take shape, the setting becomes rich, and you realize you’ve lost track of time.

By the time you finally look up, the tea has cooled, or the last sip of wine has gone dry in the glass. The house is still, the night fully settled around it. You mark your page carefully, close the book, and rest it in your lap for a moment. It’s the beginning of something—of a story that will accompany you through this changing season, through the shorter days and the lengthening nights.

You sit there a little longer, listening to the wind, feeling the quiet stretch between one chapter and the next, between one moment and another. The air outside may be turning cold, but inside, everything glows.

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Books Publishing October 12 - 18

Noah's Big Problem by Anthony Antoniou and Illustrated by Baptiste Amsallem

Noah has a big problem and it’s all he can think about. He wants to play with his brother Gabriel, but it’s not so simple. Gabriel is autistic and being that his brain works differently it’s not always easy for Noah and his brother to understand each other. But one thing is clear-Noah will never give up!

Anthony wrote this book when he was just 14 years old, to tell the story of his relationship with Constantin, his autistic brother. Through whimsical illustrations and poignant text, this story highlights perseverance, empathy, and inclusion, while gently challenging certain social stigmas that children may easily relate to.

Road Trip with a Vampire by Jenna Levine

A vampire who can’t remember his past and a witch with secrets of her own hit the road in this zany, cross-country romantic comedy from beloved author Jenna Levine.

Reformed bad witch Grizelda “Zelda” Watson had hoped to never see another vampire again when she slipped away to sunny California for a fresh start. She'd grown tired of them and their nonsense ages ago. But when a vampire with amnesia unexpectedly shows up on her doorstep with a letter from her old friend Reggie, and asks for her help, she can’t say no. Of course, it doesn’t hurt that Peter Elliott is tall and gorgeous, looks great in yoga shorts, and has the kind of dark hair and surly expression Zelda’s been a sucker for for hundreds of years.

Peter isn’t completely harmless—he is fanged, after all—but he’s harmless enough, and soon becomes the only person in Zelda’s new life who knows the truth about what she is. If she can help him decipher the cryptic notes in his journal, the only clues to his lost memories, she might as well try before sending him on his way.

But when an alarming message from Peter's past coincides with a clear sign that Zelda can't keep running from her own, they embark on a cross-country road trip for answers—only to find what they're looking for in each other.

Dead & Breakfast by Kat Hillis and Rosiee Thor

The new vampires in town are sinking their teeth into solving a murder…

Married odd couple Arthur and Sal are totally normal. They wear sunscreen, not because the sun can kill them, but because even the undead need a skincare regimen. They eat garlic whenever they want, though it gives Sal indigestion. They can talk to creatures of the night, but only the raccoons that rifle through their garbage. Really, they don’t bite… except into delicious baked goods.

Ready to settle down and stay out of trouble, the two have opened a bed & breakfast in the idyllic, if not-so-paranormal-friendly, town of Trident Falls, Oregon. But trouble finds them when the mayor is discovered dead in their begonias with two puncture wounds in his neck. With the help of a werewolf barista, the elven town coroner, and a very human city manager, Arthur and Sal will need to prove they aren’t literally out for blood by catching a killer…

Happy People Don't Live Here by Amber Sparks

Just past the edge of summer, Alice and Fern arrive at the Pine Lake Apartments—a former sanitorium occupied by an ensemble of peculiar neighbors and a smattering of ghosts. Among the living: a professional mermaid, a handyperson moonlighting as a medium, and an awkward professor of medieval studies. For the determinedly private Alice, Pine Lake seems the perfect place to hide herself and her daughter—until the day Fern finds a dead body in the dumpster. Intent on solving this mystery, and dodging warnings from her increasingly paranoid mother, Fern’s investigation digs up long-buried secrets that implicate each of her neighbors . . . and conjures a new party from beyond the grave.

Grace & Henry's Holiday Movie Marathon by Matthew Norman

A sentimental advertising creative and a blunt, no-nonsense bar owner find a second chance at love while binge-watching iconic holiday movies in this poignant and heartwarming romance, from the author of Charm City Rocks and All Together Now.

The new year has barely begun when Grace White and Henry Adler both lose their spouses. Now, nearly a year later, the first holiday season since their "Great and Terrible Sadnesses" approaches. Although their book-club mothers scheme to matchmake the two, it’s clear neither is ready to date again. Yet no one understands what the two surviving spouses are going through better than each other, and a delicate friendship is born.

When Henry sees an ad for a Christmas movie marathon—once an annual tradition for him and his wife—Grace offers to watch some films together, despite her aversion to a few of his picks. Her two young kids, Ian and Bella, also join in whenever possible—bedtimes permitting, of course.

With each movie, Grace and Henry’s shared grief begins to ease as they start to see a life beyond the sadness. But as they draw closer, other romantic possibilities leave them both uncertain about their future together. Is their bond merely the result of loneliness and shared circumstances, or have they found something more long-lasting that’s worth taking a shot at . . . again?

Sense and Suitability by Pepper Basham

More by Pepper Basham

In this clean Regency rom-com, a woman with a scandalous past (and an even more scandalous secret) swears off love--until the man who broke her heart needs her help. What could possibly go wrong? Perfect for fans of Tessa Dare and Eloisa James looking for a low-spice, witty Regency romance.

After two failed social seasons, her family may think the third time will be a charm, but Emmeline Lockhart just wants to survive with her dignity (and singleness) intact. She thought she'd found her perfect match in Simon Reeves--charming, handsome, a veritable hero from a novel--until he vanished from her life without so much as a "farewell" or "my deepest regrets" (or even a vague apology scribbled on the back of a calling card). Lesson learned: never fall for a man known for his charm.

Fortunately, and unlike many of the other eligible young ladies of the ton, Emmeline has no need for a husband--because she's already found success in her scandalous (and very anonymous) profession as an author. Why bother with matrimony when she can make her own fortune and write men exactly the way she wants them?

But fate--or the misfortune of Simon's reckless patriarchs--has other plans. Simon's once-proud estate is in shambles, his family fortune has been gambled away, and the younger impressionable siblings in his care are running wild across his estate (and possibly across all of England). Simon is in desperate need of a wealthy, prestigious bride . . . and a friend.

Emmeline may not fit the role of heiress, but she can certainly be a friend. Just a friend. She'll help him find a suitable match, ensure his reputation remains intact, and keep things strictly platonic--no matter how dangerously appealing his new-and-improved sincerity and regret may be.

There's just one small problem: the undeniable chemistry that still smolders between them. Can Emme play matchmaker for the man she's still in love with without losing her heart all over again? And is it possible that some love stories--especially the messy, inconvenient, impossible ones--are worthy of a rewrite?

Filled with lively banter, adorable children, a frog named Blast, and swoony kisses, Sense and Suitability is the clean Regency romance you've been looking for. Basham brings her signature humor to the Regency era where social strictures keep the tension tight but the stakes low in this second-chance, enemies-to-lovers romance.

Does Anyone Else Feel This Way? by Eli Rallo

From TikTok star and the author of I Didn’t Know I Needed This Eli Rallo, a reflection on the anxiety of transitioning into adulthood, navigating the quarter-life crisis, and realizing you’re actually not alone.

Does anyone else feel like they’re the only one having a quarter-life crisis? As a senior in college, Eli Rallo expected her post-grad years to be filled with certainty, that she would finally feel that she was the “adult” she had long dreamed she’d be, with a cool job, an amazing apartment, fabulous friends, and lots of fun and flirty date nights. Instead she was met with crippling social anxiety, no idea what direction her career was taking, an inability to stop comparing herself to her peers’ picture-perfect lives on social media, and a looming sense that she may never feel certain—about her dating life, friendships, career, or even herself.

With deep honesty, raw emotions, humor, and relatability, Eli analyzes life in your twenties with a candid and heartfelt approach, asking and answering questions like:

How do you manage losing a best friend?
How do you know who you are or what you want to do with your life?
How do you find time and space for all of your priorities?
How do you navigate the choppy waters of the social media world, and not fall victim to the comparison game?
What happens when the timeline you made for yourself as a child is long in your past?
How do you know you’re making the right decisions?
Even though early adulthood doesn’t look just like Sex and the City or Thirteen Going on Thirty the way Eli thought it would, with Does Anyone Else Feel This Way? Eli shows you that you’re not the only one who misses the days when they could swing by the dining hall or just wants to call their mom to make it all go away. With a look at her own misadventures and hard-won life lessons, Eli shares the journey she’s been on to find herself as an adult, and the twists and turns she’s taken while navigating her own quarter-life crisis.

Jane Austen's Fashion Bible by Ros Ballaster

Jane Austen's Fashion Bible is a joyous celebration of the visual world created by the beloved regency author.

A stunning gift edition from Macmillan Collector’s Library, Jane Austen’s Fashion Bible features extracts from Jane Austen’s novels and juvenilia, and focuses on the iconic styles and social settings of the era.

Each excerpt is accompanied by a beautiful corresponding colour fashion plate and entertaining description from Regency magazine La Belle Assemblée. Published from 1806 until 1832, La Belle Assemblée was most famous for its beautiful fashion plates that featured outfits for all occasions, from the most lavish ball gowns to dresses to wear on a country walk.

Ros Ballaster’s commentary will guide the reader through this wonderful book. Ros is a professor at Oxford University and an expert on Jane Austen.

One Killer Night by Trilina Pucci

Author Interview with Trilina Pucci

Love is patient.

Love is kind.

Love will stab you from behind.

It’s Halloween night, and out-of-work writer Goldie Monroe’s trip to the drugstore scares up more than the fake blood she’s looking for. It leads to the man of her naughtiest dreams. And in spite of her costume, sparks fly from the moment they meet.

Noah Adler, aspiring sneaker designer, is impossibly gorgeous―like a tatted-up version of Goldie’s favorite blue-eyed vampire. He’s there for candy, but it’s Goldie he can’t resist. When she invites him to her sister’s F/X company bash, he’s all in without a second thought.

The pair’s flirty connection heats up fast, carrying them to electrifying new heights. But after Goldie discovers Noah is hiding a dark secret, it all starts to crumble. Looking for answers about her own past awakens new dangers, and when Goldie and Noah land at a slasher camp for adults, a deadly tragedy threatens to repeat itself. If they can survive this one killer night, they can definitely slay a happily ever after.

Conform by Ariel Sullivan

THE MUST-READ FIRST NOVEL FROM JENNA BUSH HAGER’S NEW VENTURE, THOUSAND VOICES

In the far future, one young woman finds herself torn between two loves—and two sides of a rebellion boiling under the surface—in the first novel of a sweeping dystopian romance series.

The stunning hardcover of Conform features a custom-stamped case, beautiful endpapers, and foiled jacket.

A lifelong outcast, twenty-seven-year-old Emeline spends her days alone, sorting ancient art for destruction. Centuries after a catastrophic war nearly decimated humanity, society is now ruled by an elusive and technologically advanced group called the Illum, who constantly monitor the population’s health and mandate procreation contracts. But Emeline’s bleak existence is shattered when, for the first time in decades, an Illum named Collin takes a Mate: Emeline.

Baffled as to why she was chosen, Emeline is swept into the dangerous game of the Courting, where one wrong move can mean elimination. Soon, she discovers a rebellion rising in secret, and that her Mate may be keeping secrets of his own. Collin is confusing, both cold and protective, and worse, she finds herself drawn to the very last person she should be falling for: Hal, one of the resistance leaders.

As she draws closer to both Collin and Hal, the Illum exercise their power in increasingly brutal ways, forcing Emeline to question everything—most of all whether she’ll have to give up her heart and even her life to stop them.

On A Sundown Sea: A Novel of Madame Tingley and the Origins of Lomaland by Jill G. Hall

In 1888, medium and clairvoyant Katherine Tingley continues to have a childhood dream of a white city on a sundown sea. While serving immigrants at her Do-Good Mission on Manhattan’s East Side, she encounters William Q. Judge, a mesmerist and leader of the American Section of the Theosophical Society. She becomes his student, and he guides her on a path that could make her vision become a reality. After Judge dies, she takes over as head of the organization, and in 1900 moves headquarters from New York City to San Diego. Here she sets out to establish Lomaland, a school and arts colony on a beautiful peninsula, where people from around the globe will reside in harmony and spread humanity around the world. However, betrayals, lies, and libels accumulate until a monumental court case ultimately decide her fate and the fate of the white city on a sundown sea.

The Gallery Assistant by Kate Belli

This twisty and sinister thriller follows a New York art gallery assistant reckoning with her past and now trapped in a web of deceit after an up-and-coming painter is murdered—perfect for fans of Katy Hays and Julia Bartz.

November 2001: Chloe Harlow wakes up late, with hazy memories of the party the night before but no recollection of how she got back to her Brooklyn apartment. Ever since the terrifying and catastrophic terrorist attack, it seems she has been on a collision course with destruction.

When she finally arrives at the exclusive Upper East Side art gallery where she works, she is immediately called into her boss’s office. A pair of NYPD detectives greet her, also very curious to know how her evening ended…because the host of the party, a rising painter and the gallery’s newest artist, is dead.

Navigating both the sophisticated high-stakes art world and her personal life in burgeoning Williamsburg, Chloe struggles to piece together a complete picture of that lost night. As she digs deeper, inconsistencies emerge between what she remembers and what people tell her actually happened, and more questions are raised. Everything begins to feel like a conspiracy and maybe it is. Because Chloe is the only one who glimpses the secrets the murdered artist left behind, and the closer she gets to the truth…the more deadly it becomes.

An Amateur Witch’s Guide to Murder by K. Valentin

A wannabe witch tries to break a curse on a clueless client in this laugh-out-loud debut, for fans of queer romantic fantasy by T. J. Klune and Tamsyn Muir.

Mateo Borrero has 99 problems—and all of them hinge on his missing bruja mother and the demon she trapped inside his body.

Mateo's mother forbade him from ever using magic, but now that she’s gone, magic’s his only marketable skill, and he’d really like an exorcism—which costs money he doesn’t have. What’s the harm in making a quick buck by calling himself an Occult Specialist and chanting a few half-remembered spells in his crappy Spanish?

Enter Topher, a naive nepo baby with a curse that keeps killing people around him. Most importantly, he’s rich and too clueless to clock that Mateo—and his (absolutely-not-the-assistant) astral-projecting best friend Ophelia—have never actually had a client before. Lifting Topher’s bad luck curse should be simple, but as luck would have it, nothing is simple, and Topher–who Mateo sort of, kind of likes–might be at the center of a deadly magical conspiracy.

To make matters worse, the more magic Mateo does, the stronger the demon inside him grows and the more he wants to eat people. But would caving to the urges of an ancient evil really be that bad if it helps him get a payday?

Legends and Lattes meets A Grim Reaper’s Guide to Catching a Killer in this hilarious and charming queer romantic fantasy readers won’t want to miss.

Nineteen by Leslie Nack

For fans of Suzanne Heywood’s Wavewalker and Cea Sunrise Person’s North of Normal comes Leslie Johansen Nack’s emotional follow-up memoir about her battle with addiction following a traumatic childhood—and her inspiring journey toward healing and happiness.

In the mid-1970s, Leslie Nack’s family returned from sailing to French Polynesia and began the integration process into American life again, which included being tossed back and forth between an alcoholic, mentally ill mother and an abusive, overbearing father.

To find love and acceptance, Leslie chases a myth that throws her into the path of nefarious older men, where she eventually falls into drug and alcohol addiction. Her father dies in his plane in the jungles of Mexico when Leslie is nineteen, but his abuse lingers in her psyche. She spirals, her only solace her next fix—until, somehow, she finds the grace, despite her abjectly dysfunctional family background, to believe in her worth. This newfound self-love changes everything for her, and finally she is able to find her way to sobriety and recovery.

Raw and intense but ultimately hopeful, this sequel to the popular memoir Fourteen tells the rest of Nack’s turbulent—and incredible—story.

Clementine Crane Prefers Not To by Kristin Bair

Clementine Crane Prefers Not To is about a woman radicalized against the patriarchy by her first hot flash of perimenopause.

The Missing Pages by Alyson Richman

Author Interview with Alyson Richman

From a bestselling author comes a love story, a ghost story, and an elegy to the healing power of books, perfect for readers of The Personal Librarian and The Woman in the Library.

Harry Widener boards the Titanic holding tight to a priceless book he just purchased in London. After mayhem strikes the ship, Harry’s last known words are that he must return to his cabin for his treasure. Neither the young man nor the book are seen again. In his honor, his mother builds the Harry Widener Memorial Library at Harvard to memorialize her son and house his extensive book collection.

Decades later, Violet Hutchins, a Harvard sophomore recovering from her own great loss, is working as a page at the Widener Library. When strange things begin happening—books falling off shelves or opening to random pages—Violet wonders if Harry Widener’s ghost is trying to communicate the missing pieces of his story from beyond the grave.

The Bleeding Woods by Brittany Amara

In this chilling debut horror novel from a diverse voice, a young woman discovering dangerous new powers finds herself lost in the Appalachian Mountains with her first love, the sister she betrayed, and an infatuated stranger bound to her telepathically as a string of vicious murders taints the woods red. THE BLEEDING WOODS is a nerve-fraying descent into obsession, guilt, and psychic violence. With shades of YOU and Stranger Things, this novel blends supernatural horror with intimate psychological tension as one haunted weekend in the forest threatens to unravel everything its characters thought they survived.

The Man Next Door by Sheila Roberts

Love in the Time of Serial Killers meets The Woman in the House Across the Street from the Girl in the Window in this delightful romp about a recently broke divorcee who moves in with her house-bound mother only to spend their days spying on her grumpy, mysterious, and sexy new neighbor.

Zona never thought her life was headed this way, but here she is, newly divorced and moving back in with her mom, Louise. After her gambling addicted ex-husband lost all of their savings, including their daughter's college fund, she doesn't really have a choice. She's cutting every coupon she can and she's going to help put her daughter through nursing school, even if it kills her.

This wasn't Louise's plan, either, laid up at home with a broken leg after one unfortunate tumble on the senior singles cruise she'd been looking forward to for months. But if she's going to spend all her time at home, at least she's got her daughter there with her. And there's some hot new eye candy next door to distract them both from their troubles. He appears to be single and just around Zona's age. Could his arrival be the universe making amends for everything it's put her through?

Maybe the universe isn't feeling as generous as Louise hoped. There’s something lurking under that mans surface charm, something…dangerous? And who's the woman they can hear him in all-out shouting matches with on the other side of the fence? When the woman seems to disappear without a trace, imaginations run wild. Or at least, Zona hopes it's just her mother's imagination...

Witchlore by Emma Hinds

Holly Black meets Lex Croucher in this contemporary fantasy about a love story to raise the dead.

At Demdike College of Witchcraft, Orlando is an outcast. Not just for being the only shapeshifter in a college of witches. Not just for being a really bad shapeshifter, with no control over their magic or when their body switches between male and female forms. But because their girlfriend Elizabeth died—and it was Lando's fault.

Then charming new boy Bastian arrives with a proposition: he knows a spell that can raise Elizabeth from the dead. It's dangerous but Lando will try anything. But as Lando's attraction to Bastian grows, questions start to arise. Who is Bastian? What does he really want? And who will survive the resurrection spell?

For fans of V.E. Schwab and Rainbow Rowell, Emma Hinds' Witchlore is a spellbinding contemporary fantasy where the passion is as real as the magic.

When Shadows Burn by Todd Brown

In the heart of Raven's Cross, Virginia, the decaying Scott house looms. Its broken-window eyes watch a town desperate to forget. When Roxy, a teenage girl, vanishes into a sweltering night, long-buried fears erupt, and suspicion turns savage. The townspeople turn on the newcomers, blaming them for what they refuse to face in themselves. As polite smiles crack and old grudges resurface, Raven's Cross's genteel mask begins to slip, revealing the rot beneath.

Timothy Michaels came to town chasing a story. A true crime podcaster investigating the haunted legacy of the Scott house, he never expected to be pulled into something so immediate-and so dangerous. Alongside unexpected allies, Tim begins to unearth a legacy of complicity and cruelty-one the town would kill to keep buried. Because, in Raven's Cross, the shadows don't just linger. They burn.

Cooking as Therapy by Debra Borden

Follow twenty recipes to find calm, improve self-esteem, and form daily habits—in your very own kitchen!—through mindfulness-based cooking therapy.

In Cooking as Therapy, licensed clinical social worker and sous therapist Debra Borden provides you with all the tools and techniques to have therapy sessions in the comfort of your own kitchen.

Cooking therapy is an experiential therapy that allows you to conduct a therapy session while you cook a meal. Using cooking processes like chopping, kneading, stirring, and more, you’ll develop the skills to recognize limiting patterns and behaviors, improve self-esteem, and form healthy daily habits, and you might even have fun incorporating techniques centered around

mindfulness—which develops calm,
metaphor—which creates clarity, and
mastery—which sparks self-esteem.

Luckily, you don’t have to be a great cook to try cooking therapy—or even like cooking. You only need an interest in self-exploration. Borden will teach you the processes involved in preparing a recipe or meal that trigger awareness and even “aha” moments. Unlike talk therapy, cooking therapy sessions incorporate tangible acts. It is less about what you prepare and more of a guided journey to self-reflection through how you prepare a dish.

To Outwit Them All by Peggy Wirgau

“Into the Lions’ den I go…” Betty Floyd’s uncle risked his life when he signed the Declaration of Independence, yet she is the epitome of British loyalty and social grace in 1779. Attempting to ignore the war, she attends New York’s balls and soirees with the Crown’s officers, but the city is a dangerous place for someone with Patriot ties. When a soldier she has befriended is murdered at a British prison, Betty is driven to choose sides and join General Washington’s covert spy group, the Culper Ring. Her social calendar provides the perfect backdrop to dance with the enemy, and she catches the eye of the charming Major John André, Britain’s Director of Intelligence. Garnering timely information for the Patriots becomes a never-ending balancing act, amid heightened collision between duty to her country and deepening feelings for André. When the slightest misstep could expose her and the entire Ring, a traitorous plot conducted by Benedict Arnold unfolds, and Betty is led to the very brink of death. Will she outwit the enemy, or will her flirtations with danger cost her everything?

Boom Town by Nic Stone

Gillian Flynn’s Gone Girl meets P-Valley in Nic Stone’s adult thriller debut about two missing erotic dancers from Atlanta’s most notorious gentlemen's club and the woman committed to finding them.

The Accident by Lori Miller Kase

Hannah has a secret: She thinks she knows who's behind the hit-and-run accident that killed a popular high school football player in her small Connecticut town. But could it really be her brother, Rob? Or worse, his best friend Zach, the first boy to show her any romantic attention? As the police investigation into the accident unfolds, and Hannah falls hard for Zach, she vows to protect them both. Hannah is consumed with guilt as she finds herself lying to both her parents and her friends. Tensions mount as she learns she and Rob aren't the only ones in the family with a secret, as her friends turn against her, and as two different versions of the truth about the accident emerge, forcing her to decide where her loyalties lie. With her brother? Or with her boyfriend? The Accident is about choices and consequences, secrets and lies, and what happens when you follow your heart instead of your conscience.

The Princess Knight by Cait Jacobs

A princess desperate to win back the prince who broke her heart follows him to his kingdom's prestigious military academy—and in doing so, falls in love, saves the realm, and continues to look fabulous in this delightful debut fantasy.

Domhnall and Clía are an ideal match—or so everyone says. They are prince and princess of neighboring kingdoms. An alliance the gods will smile on. Until Domhnall ruins everything by refusing to propose.

Heartbroken but determined, Clía makes the perfect plan: Follow Domhnall to Caisleán Cósta, the military academy he’s attending. Show she can protect her kingdom. Secure the betrothal. Sure, the castle has a brutal reputation. But how hard can dueling really be?

Warrior Ronan promised himself he’d never lose his focus. He fought and sacrificed for his place at Caisleán Cósta, and he has no time for blonde princesses who waltz into arenas like they’re attending a ball. Even if she and her otter-like pet are…well, cute.

He doesn’t want to be intrigued by Clía. But her hunger to prove herself is something he understands. He tells himself there’s no harm training her. Even if his heart does race around her. Even if Domhnall is his best friend.

But as they say, love is a battlefield—and unfortunately for them all, a very real war is looming on the horizon. It’s a fight that will threaten all their kingdoms…and test all their hearts.

Elbows Up! by Elamin Abdelmahmoud

A blazing collection of responses to the U.S.'s shocking annexation threats and the swell of Canadian national unity that followed, from a remarkable array of Canada's sharpest and most influential minds.

2025. Donald Trump is president. And he is insisting that Canada is for sale. It feels disorienting, even existential, to watch a trade war escalate and to hear an American president vow to make Canada “the 51st state.” Amid this disorientation, there is an urgent question: how do we meet the moment?

This is not the first time we have had an identity crisis resulting in a swell of Canadian pride, but it is the first time many Canadians have experienced the direct threat of American imperialism knocking so loudly on our country’s door. The fact that treaties can be broken, that resources can be stolen, and that the consequences of land theft include loss of culture, ritual, and identity is not new to the Indigenous and refugee peoples living in this country. But to many other Canadians, this kind of threat is new. As a result, there appears to be a new sense of a “we” emerging. People are angry and standing together with renewed shared purpose. This is a pivotal moment in history, and we need to take stock of how we got here, to learn from our past and walk tenaciously together into an uncertain future.

Inspired by the 1968 collection The New Romans: Candid Canadian Opinions of the U.S., which was edited by Al Purdy and curated amidst the civil rights movement and the Vietnam War, Elbows Up! is the book for our generation’s own moment of crisis, featuring the words of leading cultural figures speaking candidly on America, on Canada, and on the malleable contours of a national narrative still taking hold.

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