Books Coming Out in October
Book Roundup - Books Coming Out in October
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Never Meant to Meet You by Alli Frank and Asha Youmans
From the authors of Tiny Imperfections comes a riotously funny, emotionally real look at race and religion, love and heartache, and the realities of parenting through it all. Readers will instantly relate to the engaging and hilarious Marjette Lewis in Never Meant to Meet You. Self-appointed fixer of other people’s woes, Marjette is uncharacteristically determined to keep to her side of the driveway when it comes to her flawless neighbor Noa Abrams. Professionally, Marjette has her hands full as she prepares for a new class of kindergarteners and her first year of teaching without her best friend, Judy, as campus “Black-up.” And at home, her son’s budding manhood challenges her expectations, and her vexing ex-husband continues to be a thorn in her side.
But when tragedy strikes Marjette’s street, and an unexpected child shows up on the first day of school with an uncle who has all the class moms aflutter, Marjette is forced to contend with both her neighbor and her own heartache over losing the life she once thought was guaranteed. Through laughter, tears, and the gift of found family, Marjette and Noa navigate the rituals of loss together and discover the strength to remake their lives―whether they meant to or not.
In Herschel’s Wake by Michael Wohl
HERSCHEL WOHL WAS MANY THINGS: twice-divorced astrologer, pharmacology professor, failed novelist, on-the-lam drug-runner, manual typewriter thief, Aikido white belt, possible communist, and temporary resident of the little-known island of Statia. He was also a father.
A Curse of Queens by Amanda Bouchet
The epic story continues in this brand new book in the USA Today bestselling Kingmaker Chronicles, perfect for fans of Sarah J. Maas and Jennifer Armentrout. The queen has been cursed, and Jocasta—herbalist and member of the royal family—is the only one who can brave Circe’s Garden to save her. But with treachery brewing on Mount Olympus, only one thing is clear: Thalyria and its new royals are still pawns in an epic game of power...one that might end in a War of Gods.
Book of Knives by Lise Haines
Recently widowed and grieving for her first husband, filmmaker Nora married his best friend Paul after he comforted her in the months following her loss. Nora has never met her new husband’s family. Deep in the woods, surrounded by buried family secrets, Nora detects a different kind of hostility and unease at the camp.
Departure Stories: Betty Crocker Made Matzoh Balls (and Other Lies) by Elisa Bernick
"We weren't religious per se. The most frequent mention of God in our house was my mother yelling 'Goddammit!'"
Elisa Bernick grew up "different" (i.e., Jewish) in the white, Christian suburb of New Hope, Minnesota during the 1960s and early 1970s. At the center of her world was her mother, Arlene, who was a foul-mouthed, red-headed, suburban Samson who ultimately shook the walls of their family until it collapsed. Poignant and provocative, Departure Stories peers through the broader lens of Minnesota's recent history to reveal an intergenerational journey through trauma that unraveled the Bernick family and many others.
Deftly interweaving reporting, archival material, memoir, jokes, scrapbook fragments, personal commentary, and one very special Waikiki Meatballs recipe, Bernick explores how the invisible baggage of place and memory, Minnesota's uniquely antisemitic history, and the cultural shifts of feminism and changing marital expectations contributed to her family's eventual implosion.
Departure Stories: Betty Crocker Made Matzoh Balls (and other lies) is a personal exploration of erasure, immigrants, and exiles that examines the ways departures—from places, families and memory—have far-reaching effects.
Extra Witchy by Ann Aguirre
The third in an adorable witchy rom-com series by New York Times bestselling author Ann Aguirre, perfect for fans of:
- The bonds of sisterhood
- A career-driven heroine who thinks she isn't marriage material
- A pan hero who struggles with depression
- And a shocking family secret
Feels Like Home: A Song for the Sonoran Borderlands by Linda Ronstadt
In Feels Like Home, Grammy award-winning singer Linda Ronstadt effortlessly evokes the magical panorama of the high desert, a landscape etched by sunlight and carved by wind, offering a personal tour built around meals and memories of the place where she came of age. Growing up the granddaughter of Mexican immigrants and a descendant of Spanish settlers near northern Sonora, Ronstadt’s intimate new memoir celebrates the marvelous flavors and indomitable people on both sides of what was once a porous border whose denizens were happy to exchange recipes and gather around campfires to sing the ballads that shaped Ronstadt’s musical heritage. Following her bestselling musical memoir, Simple Dreams, this book seamlessly braids together Ronstadt’s recollections of people and their passions in a region little understood in the rest of the United States. This road trip through the desert, written in collaboration with former New York Times writer Lawrence Downes and illustrated throughout with beautiful photographs by Bill Steen, features recipes for traditional Sonoran dishes and a bevy of revelations for Ronstadt’s admirers. If this book were a radio signal, you might first pick it up on an Arizona highway, well south of Phoenix, coming into the glow of Ronstadt’s hometown of Tucson. It would be playing something old and Mexican, from a time when the border was a place not of peril but of possibility.
First To Die At The End by Adam Silvera
In this prequel to #1 New York Times bestselling phenomenon They Both Die at the End, two new strangers spend a life-changing day together after Death-Cast first makes their fateful calls.
Hester by Laurie Lico Albanese
Isobel Gamble is a young seamstress carrying generations of secrets when she sets sail from Scotland in the early 1800s with her husband, Edward. An apothecary who has fallen under the spell of opium, his pile of debts have forced them to flee Edinburgh for a fresh start in the New World. But only days after they've arrived in Salem, Edward abruptly joins a departing ship as a medic––leaving Isobel penniless and alone in a strange country, forced to make her way by any means possible.
Malice House by Megan Sheperd
Of all the things aspiring artist Haven Marbury expected to find while clearing out her late father’s remote seaside house, Bedtime Stories for Monsters was not on the list. This secret manuscript is disturbingly different from his Pulitzer-winning works: its interweaving short stories crawl with horrific monsters and enigmatic humans that exist somewhere between this world and the next. The stories unsettle but entice Haven, compelling her to illustrate them while she stays in the house that her father warned her was haunted. Clearly just dementia whispering in his ear . . . right?
More Than You Can See: A Mother's Memoir by Barbara Rubin
When Barbara Rubin’s seventeen-year-old daughter, Jenn, awakens from a two-week coma unable to speak after sustaining a traumatic brain injury in a horrific car accident, her doctors and family realize that she is no longer the person she was before. Over time, however, her family moves beyond tragedy with love, laughter, and determination.
Once Upon A December by Amy E. Reichert
After a series of dates, some Yuletide magic, and the unexpected glow of new love, Astra Noel Snow and Jack Clausen must decide whether this relationship can weather all seasons, or if what they’re feeling is as ephemeral as marshmallows in a mug of hot cocoa.
One Woman's War: A Novel of the Real Miss Moneypenny by Christine Wells
From the author of Sisters of the Resistance comes the story of WWII British Naval Intelligence officer Victoire Bennett, the real-life inspiration for the James Bond character Miss Moneypenny, whose international covert operation is put in jeopardy when a volatile socialite and Austrian double agent threatens to expose the mission to German High Command.
Reluctantly Royal by Kelle Z. Riley
She'd stopped believing in fairy tales until Prince Charming stormed her ivory tower . . .
Gracie lost her father, her sister's friendship, and her confidence in a single night. Now, her academic research in her sister's new home-the Kingdom of Melesia-gives Gracie a second chance. But when she falls in love with the king's brother, she'll have to risk both her heart and her privacy to join him in his world. Oh, and there's just a couple of other little things. She must break a promise. Admit to a betrayal. And possibly stand trial for treason. Can love conquer all? Or will Gracie lose her chance to become reluctantly royal?
The Antiracist Kid by Tiffany Jewell, illus by Nicole Miles
From the #1 New York Times best-selling author of This Book Is Anti-Racist, Tiffany Jewell, with art by Eisner-nominated illustrator Nicole Miles, The Antiracist Kid is the essential illustrated chapter book guide to antiracism for empowering the young readers in your life!
The Christmas Murder Game by Alexandra Benedict
Lily Armitage has no intention of ever returning to Endgame House. That is, until she receives a letter from Aunt Liliana promising that this year’s scavenger hunt will give her the keys to the family estate and the identity of her mother's murderer.
Twelve cousins, twelve clues, twelve keys, twelve days of Christmas. The snow is thick, the phone lines are down, and no one is getting in or out. Lily will have to keep her wits about her, because not everyone is playing fair, and there's no telling how many will die before the winner is declared.
The Invincible Miss Cust by Penny Haw
Aleen Cust has big dreams. And no one―not her family, society, or the law―will stop her.
Born in Ireland in 1868 to an aristocratic English family, Aleen knows she is destined to work with animals, even if her family is appalled by the idea of a woman pursuing a veterinary career. Going against their wishes but with the encouragement of the guardian assigned to her upon her father's death, Aleen attends the New Veterinary College in Edinburgh, enrolling as A. I. Custance to spare her family the humiliation they fear. At last, she is on her way to becoming a veterinary surgeon! Little does she know her biggest obstacles lie ahead.
The Invincible Miss Cust is based on the real life of Aleen Isabel Cust, who defied her family and society to become Britain and Ireland's first woman veterinary surgeon. Through Penny Haw's meticulous research, riveting storytelling, and elegant prose, Aleen's story of ambition, determination, family, friendship, and passion comes to life. It is a story that, even today, women will recognize, of battling patriarchy and an unequal society to realize one's dreams and pave the way for other women in the face of seemingly insurmountable odds.
The Restless Dark by Erica Waters
Sadie meets Wilder Girls in this unnerving tale about the struggle for survival, the twisted satisfaction of revenge, and the darkness hiding in all of us. From Erica Waters, the acclaimed author of Ghost Wood Song and The River Has Teeth, this mystery will haunt you to the end.
The Storyteller's Death by Ann Dávila Cardinal
Isla Larsen Sanchez's life begins to unravel when her father passes away. Instead of being comforted at home in New Jersey, her mother starts leaving her in Puerto Rico with her grandmother and great-aunt each summer like a piece of forgotten luggage.
When Isla turns eighteen, her grandmother, a great storyteller, dies. It is then that Isla discovers she has a gift passed down through her family's cuentistas. The tales of dead family storytellers are brought back to life, replaying themselves over and over in front of her.
At first, Isla is enchanted by this connection to the Sanchez cuentistas. But when Isla has a vision of an old murder mystery, she realizes that if she can't solve it to make the loop end, these seemingly harmless stories could cost Isla her life.
The Strange Inheritance of Leah Fern by Rita Zoey Chin
The Strange Inheritance of Leah Fern weaves together the past and present, slowly telling an unforgettable story about the many iterations of love and the courage it takes to do so. It takes place in South Carolina and follows the young Leah Fern on a cross country adventure to uncover the mystery behind the disappearance of Leah Fern's mother. The novel plays with magical realism theme and is laced with a queer love story that spans time.
When Life Gives You Vampires by Gloria Duke
Dumplin’ meets True Blood in this paranormal romantic comedy from debut author Gloria Duke. Lily Baines is a plus size girl trying to deal with internalized sizeism, a well-meaning but critical mother, and a world determined not to take fat people seriously. She figures things can’t get any harder...until she’s turned into a vampire. Now she’s left to grapple with a whole new crop of problems, including the fact that the body she’s in (the body she has such complicated feelings about) is hers, unchanging, forever more.
Within These Gilded Halls by Abigail Wilson
Phoebe, a highly-dedicated art student, just received her debut project – the complete and complicated renovation of a ballroom. Happier than ever, Phoebe dives into the task, but when the owner of Avonthorpe Hall and renowned painter Miss Drake is murdered, everything changes. With her last breath, Miss Drake gives Phoebe a clue to the location of the biggest mystery surrounding Avonthorpe Hall – treasure – and she’s not the only one who knows. Realizing that she’s caught in a den of liars, Phoebe must reluctantly rely on Lt. Graham Burke, Miss Drake’s nephew to stay ahead of the dark shadows on her heels and win this deadly race.
You're a Mean One, Matthew Prince by Timothy Janovsky
Bring a little joy to the world?
Not today, Santa.
Matthew Prince is young, rich, and thoroughly spoiled. So what if his parents barely remember he exists and the press is totally obsessed with him? He's on top of the world. But one major PR misstep later, and Matthew is cut off and shipped away to spend the holidays in his grandparents' charming small town hellscape. Population: who cares?
It's bad enough he's stuck in some festive winter wonderland—it's even worse that he has to share space with Hector Martinez, an obnoxiously attractive local who's unimpressed with anything and everything Matthew does.
Attribution by Linda Moore
Art historian Cate Adamson, desperate to succeed to console her grieving parents, leaves the Midwest to complete her doctorate in New York—only to find herself assigned to an impossible sexist advisor. She struggles to impress him until she discovers a hidden painting, possibly a Baroque masterpiece. Risking her career, financial disaster, and further alienation from her family, she flees to Spain with the painting to consult art experts.
Antonio, an impoverished duke, meets Cate on the train to Seville, and joins her search while attempting to rescue the decaying legacy of his family. They find clues and uncover evidence that will shock the titans of art history, may destroy her prospects as an art historian, and shatter her future with Antonio.
Blurb Your Enthusiasm: An A-Z of Literary Persuasion by Louise Willder
They’re just a few words on books. But what are blurbs really doing (other than trying to twist your arm)? This book is all about those 100-or-so words that take seconds to read but can make a world of difference – and what they tell us about literary history, the art of writing, authors from George Orwell to Zadie Smith, genres from children’s fiction to bonkbusters, cover design, the dark arts of persuasion and even who we are as readers. It’s also about quotes, titles, first lines, hooks, adverts, puns, swearing, plots, someone called Belinda and much more.
Calypso, Corpses, and Cooking by Raquel V. Reyes
It’s time for a savory soirée—but something sinister is stewing—in Raquel V. Reyes’s second delightful Caribbean Kitchen mystery, perfectly delicious for fans of Mia P. Manansala.
Dark Room Etiquette by Robin Roe
SIXTEEN-YEAR-OLD SAYERS WAYTE HAS EVERYTHING. Popularity, good looks, perfect grades—there's nothing Sayers' family money can't buy. Until he's kidnapped by a man who tells him the privileged life he's been living is based on a lie. Trapped in a windowless room, without knowing why he's been taken or how long the man plans to keep him shut away, Sayers faces a terrifying new reality. To survive, he must forget the world he once knew, and play the part his abductor has created for him. But as time passes, the line between fact and fiction starts to blur, and Sayers begins to wonder if he can escape . . . before he loses himself.
Dark Whisper by Christine Feehan
Embrace the seductive call of the latest novel in Christine Feehan’s #1 New York Times bestselling Carpathian series.
Vasilisa Sidkorolyavolkva is a Lycan of royal blood. She knows what’s expected of her, but all she wants is to be out from under her family’s watchful eyes. There is a fire inside her that is building. A restlessness coupled with a sense of growing dread. Every day she feels the weight of the legacy passed down through generations. The prophecy that says a man will come to claim her as his mate and that she will guard his soul. She knows nothing about him, except that he is hers. But nothing seems real until the night she meets him in the flesh....
Afanasiv Belan is a Carpathian, and an ancient one. In all the centuries of his existence, no one has ever affected him like Vasilisa. He can see into her mind and feel what’s in her heart. They are so alike, warriors bound by honor and plagued by secrets. They both know they must reveal the darkest parts of their souls if they hope to survive and protect the ones they love.
But if they claim each other as lifemates it will change them down to the bone. They will become something more—something both of their kinds fear....
Little Eve by Catriona Ward
Winner of the Shirley Jackson Award for best novel, and the August Derleth Prize for best horror novel, Little Eve is a heart-pounding literary gothic with a devastating twist.
On the wind-battered isle of Altnaharra, off the wildest coast of Scotland, a clan prepares to bring about the end of the world and its imminent rebirth.
The Adder is coming and one of their number will inherit its powers. They all want the honor, but young Eve is willing to do anything for the distinction.
A reckoning beyond Eve’s imagination begins when Chief Inspector Black arrives to investigate a brutal murder and their sacred ceremony goes terribly wrong.
And soon all the secrets of Altnaharra will be uncovered.
Making the Rounds by Patricia Grayhall
In her debut memoir, Making the Rounds: Defying Norms in Love and Medicine (She Writes Press, October 11, 2022, $17.95 Paperback), medical doctor and writer Patricia Grayhall shares her story of coming-of-age in the 1970s' as a young woman striving to have both love and a career as a lesbian as well as a medical doctor when neither was approved of by society at that time. It's a moving and well-paced account of what it means to seek belonging and love...and to find them in the most surprising ways.
Me and Muhammad Ali
A little boy’s joyous encounter with his hero, boxing champion and poet Muhammad Ali, is everything he’s dreamed of—and more!
Like most of the kids he knows, Langston is a huge fan of boxing champ Muhammed Ali. After all, Ali is the greatest for so many reasons—his speed, his strength, his confidence—and his poetry. Langston loves that Ali can float like a butterfly and sting like a bee, and Ali’s words give him confidence to spin his own poems. When Langston hears the champ is coming to the local high school, he’s ecstatic—this will be a day that will go down in history for him. When the big day arrives, Langston gets a special haircut, and floats like a butterfly to meet his hero—so imagine his disappointment when a guard tries to stop him at the door, saying the event is just for students. Fortunately, Langston has learned a thing or two about fearlessness from the champ and is quick about not taking “no” for an answer. And just like that, a dream comes true for Langston that leaves him feeling wrapped in a warm glow and chanting I’m quick and I’m strong. I’m Black and I’m free. I’m brave and I’m bold, like Muhammad Ali!
On the Way to Christmas by Sheila Roberts, Melissa Ferguson, Amy Clipston
From three of today’s bestselling romance novelists comes ON THE WAY TO CHRISTMAS, a glittering collection of short stories perfect for the winter holiday season:
A Christmas Do-Over by Sheila Roberts follows former mean girl Darby as she attempts to make amends with her hometown and the people she’s hurt before the goodwill of the holidays runs out
Dashing Through the Snow by Melissa Ferguson chronicles Willow’s journey after she is jilted by her long-term boyfriend right before their incredibly romantic holiday trip on The Christmas Express.
A Perfectly Splendid Christmas by Amy Clipston follows big-city woman Kacey’s struggles when she goes home for the holidays and falls in love with a small-town man who has no plans to move.
Promenade of Desire by Isidra Mencos
María Isidra is a proper Catholic girl raised in 1960s Spain by a strong matriarch during a repressive dictatorship. Early sexual trauma and a hefty dose of fear keep her in line for much of her childhood, but also lead her to live a double life. In her home, there is no discussing the needs of her growing body. In the street, kissing in public is forbidden.
Upon the dictator’s death in 1975, Spain bursts wide open, giving way to democracy and a cultural revolution. Barcelona’s vibrant downtown and its new freedoms seduce María Isidra. She dives into a world of activism, communal living, literature, counterculture, open sexuality, and alcohol.
And yet she knows something is missing. Longing to reconnect with her body—from which she has felt estranged since childhood—she finds a surprising home in a rundown salsa club, where the lush rhythm sparks a deep wave of healing. Transformed, she sets off on a series of sexual and romantic misadventures, in search for what she has always found painfully elusive: true intimacy.
That Summer in Berlin by Lecia Cornwall
German power is rising again, threatening a war that will be even worse than the last one. The English aristocracy turns to an age-old institution to stave off war and strengthen political bonds—marriage. Debutantes flock to Germany, including Viviane Alden. On holiday with her sister during the 1936 Berlin Olympics, Viviane’s true purpose is more clandestine. While many in England want to appease Hitler, others seek to prove Germany is rearming. But they need evidence, and photographs to tell the tale, and Viviane is a genius with her trusty Leica. And who would suspect a pretty, young tourist taking holiday snaps of being a spy?
Viviane expects to find hatred and injustice, but during the Olympics, with the world watching, Germany is on its best behavior, graciously welcoming tourists to a festival of peace and goodwill. But first impressions can be deceiving, and it’s up to Viviane and the journalist she’s paired with—a daring man with a guarded heart—to reveal the truth.
But others have their own reasons for befriending Viviane, and her adventure takes a darker turn. Suddenly Viviane finds herself caught in a web of far more deadly games—and closer than she ever imagined to the brink of war.
The Belle of Belgrave Square by Mimi Matthews
A London heiress rides out to the wilds of the English countryside to honor a marriage of convenience with a mysterious and reclusive stranger.
Tall, dark, and dour, the notorious Captain Jasper Blunt was once hailed a military hero, but tales abound of his bastard children and his haunted estate in Yorkshire. What he requires now is a rich wife to ornament his isolated ruin, and he has set his sights on the enchanting Julia Wychwood.
For Julia, an incurable romantic cursed with a crippling social anxiety, navigating a London ballroom is absolute torture. The only time Julia feels any degree of confidence is when she’s on her horse. Unfortunately, a young lady can’t spend the whole of her life in the saddle, so Julia makes an impetuous decision to take her future by the reins—she proposes to Captain Blunt.
In exchange for her dowry and her hand, Jasper must promise to grant her freedom to do as she pleases. To ride—and to read—as much as she likes without masculine interference. He readily agrees to her conditions, with one provision of his own: Julia is forbidden from going into the tower rooms of his estate and snooping around in his affairs. But the more she learns of the beastly former hero, the more intrigued she becomes….
The River of Silver by S. A. Chakraborty
Bestselling author S.A. Chakraborty’s acclaimed Daevabad Trilogy gets expanded with this new compilation of stories from before, during, and after the events occurred in the three books within this series, all from the perspective of characters both beloved and hated, and even those without a voice. The River of Silver gathers material both seen and new—including a special coda fans will need to read—making this the perfect complement to those incredible novels, now available in hardcover and eBook!
Beasts of the Earth by James Wade
James Wade, whose first two novels were praised as “rhapsodic” and “haunting,” delivers his most powerful work to date—a chilling parable about the impossible demands of hate and love, trauma and goodness, vividly set in the landscapes of Texas and Louisiana.
Beasts of the Earth tells the story of Harlen LeBlanc, a dependable if quiet employee of the Carter Hills High School’s grounds department, whose carefully maintained routine is overthrown by an act of violence. As the town searches for answers, LeBlanc strikes out on his own to exonerate a friend, while drawing the eyes of the law to himself and fending off unwelcome voices that call for a sterner form of justice.
Twenty years earlier, young Michael Fischer dreads the return of his father from prison. He spends his days stealing from trap lines in the Louisiana bayou to feed his fanatically religious mother and his cherished younger sister, Doreen. When his father eventually returns, an evil arrives in Michael’s life that sends him running from everything he has ever known. He is rescued by a dying poet and his lover, who extract from him a promise: to be a good man, whatever that may require.
Beasts of the Earth deftly intertwines these stories, exploring themes of time, fate, and free will, to produce a revelatory conclusion that is both beautiful and heartbreaking.
Drawing Outside the Lines: A Julia Morgan Novel
It’s been 150 years since engineering pioneer Julia Morgan was born, best known for her work on Hearst Castle. How did a young girl, born in the Victorian era, defy all expectations and become a legendary architect? Growing up in horse-and-buggy Oakland, CA, Morgan climbed trees and hopped fences, determined to show her mother that she will not comply with her so-called “domestic duties.” Even as a child, she knew she was meant for more. After enrolling in university to study engineering, Morgan is considered an outcast by her male professors and classmates. But the unstoppable force that is Julia Morgan prevails, determined to prove every person that doubts her abilities wrong. Featuring splendid sketches of by Suzanna Klein, Drawing Outside the Lines is a vivid reimagining of Morgan’s childhood on her path to becoming an indomitable woman in STEM.
Enough: A Memoir of Mistakes, Mania, and Motherhood by Amelia Zachry
In this personal and transformational memoir, Malaysia-born Amelia Zachry chronicles how the trauma of sexual assault and the challenges of living with bipolar disorder disrupted her life as a young woman and how she managed to regain control of her life and, ultimately, find love, healing, and a sense of belonging after emigrating to the US.
Ricochet by Krista Ritchie and Becca Ritchie
Cravings and fantasies become her new routine, but while Loren Hale recovers from his alcohol addiction, Lily wonders if he'll realize what a monster she really is. After all, her sexual compulsions begin to rule her life the longer she stays faithful to him.
Progress. That's what Lily's striving for. But by trying to become closer to her family--people who aren't aware of her addiction--she creates larger obstacles. When she spends time with her youngest sister, she learns more about her than she ever imagined and senses an unsettling connection between Daisy and Ryke Meadows.
With Lily and Lo's dysfunctional relationship teetering and unbalanced, they will need to find a way to reconnect from miles apart. But the inability to touch proves to be one of the hardest tests on their road to recovery. Some love brushes the surface. Some love is deeper than skin.
Lily and Lo have three months to discover just how deep their love really goes.
Someday Mija, You’ll Learn the Difference Between a Whore and a Working Woman by Yvonne Martinez
At eighteen, Yvonne Martinez flees brutal domestic violence and is taken in by her dying grandmother . . . who used to be a sex worker. Before she dies, her grandmother reveals family secrets and shares her uncommon wisdom. “Someday, Mija,” she tells Yvonne, “you’ll learn the difference between a whore and a working woman.” She also shares disturbing facts about their family’s history—eventually leading Yvonne to discover that her grandmother was trafficked as a child in Depression-era Utah by her own mother, Yvonne’s great-grandmother, and that she was blamed for her own rape.
In the years that follow her grandmother’s passing, Yvonne gets an education and starts a family. As she heals from her own abuse by her mother and stepfather, she becomes an advocate/labor activist. Grounded in her grandmother’s dictum not to whore herself out, she learns to fight for herself and teaches others to do the same—exposing sexual harassment in the labor unions where she works and fighting corruption. Intense but ultimately uplifting, Someday Mija, You’ll Learn the Difference Between a Whore and a Working Woman is a compelling memoir in essays of transforming transgenerational trauma into resilience and post-traumatic growth.
The Color of Ice by Barbara Linn Probst
Set among the glaciers and thermal lagoons of Iceland, and framed by the magical art of glassblowing, The Color of Ice is the breathtaking story of a woman's awakening to passion, beauty, and the redemptive power of unconditional love.
Cathryn McAllister, a freelance photographer, travels to Iceland for a photo shoot with an enigmatic artist who wants to capture the country’s iconic blue icebergs in glass. Her plan is to head out, when the job is done, on a carefully curated “best of Iceland” solo vacation. Widowed young, Cathryn has raised two children while achieving professional success. If the price of that efficiency has been the dimming of her fire—well, she hasn’t let herself think about it. Until now.
The Favor by Nicci French
In this twisty new stand-alone novel from internationally bestselling author Nicci French, a young woman agrees to do a favor for her first love—but when things go horribly wrong, one small task turns into a murder investigation that completely upends her life, ensnaring her in a deadly web of secrets and lies.
When We Had Wings by Ariel Lawhon, Kristina McMorris, Susan Meissner
From three powerhouses in historical fiction – Ariel Lawhon, Kristina McMorris, and Susan Meissner – When We Had Wings tells the interwoven and inspirational story of three nurses in the Philippines during the Second World War. Following US Navy nurse Eleanor Lindstrom, US Army nurse Penny Franklin, and civilian Filipina nurse Lita Capel as they forge an unbreakable bond as the first female prisoners of WWII. This spectacular historical fiction novel highlights the meaning of sacrifice, the unshakeable nature of true friendship, and the importance of hope in even the darkest of times.
Americana Soul by Luke Caldwell
Enter the world of Luke Caldwell, founder of the Timber and Love design and build firm and HGTV star of Boise Boys and Outgrown, as he shares his intentional design philosophy for creating timeless and organic home designs in this aspirational and accessible book.
If you’ve seen the popular HGTV shows Boise Boys and Outgrown, you’ll know Luke Caldwell’s passion for natural materials and comfortable spaces that are warm, inviting, livable, and beautiful at the same time.
Now with Americana Soul, you can make those designs work for you. Organized by design style—Timber and Love, Natural and Organic, and Classic and Cozy—Luke’s book is filled with photography that showcases the bones and flow of the spaces as well as the details that make them unique. Americana Soul showcases Luke’s passion for design including curated personal collections and vintage finds, natural stone walls and fireplaces, and exposed wood beams, in a way that will inspire you to create your own.
Anywhere You Run by Wanda M. Morris
From the award-winning author of ALL HER LITTLE SECRETS comes yet another gripping, suspenseful novel where, after the murder of a white man in Jim Crow Mississippi, two Black sisters run away to different parts of the country… but can they escape the secrets they left behind?
Archangel's Resurrection by Nalini Singh
For thousands of years, the passion between Alexander, Archangel of Persia, and Zanaya, Queen of the Nile, burned furious and bright, seemingly without end. But to be an archangel is to be bound to power violent and demanding. Driven by its primal energy, Alexander and Zanaya fought as fiercely as they loved, locked in an endless cycle of devotion and heartbreak. It is only Zanaya’s decision to Sleep that ends their love story.
Eons later, the Cascade of Death wakens them both. The passion between them a flame that yet burns, Alexander and Zanaya stand together in one last battle against the ultimate darkness. But even a warrior archangel cannot win every war. Alexander’s scream shatters the world as Zanaya falls, broken and silent . . . only to rise again in a miracle that may be a devastating curse. For is it truly the Queen of the Nile who has been resurrected?
Only one thing is clear: This is the last beat of their passionate, angry dance. The final song for Alexander and his Zani . . .
Behind Her Lives by Briana Cole
When Deven is told by the police that her younger sister, Kennedy, was found dead of an accidental overdose, she can't believe it. When she's shown a picture of the body, she's firm in her belief that it is NOT her, albeit the similarities are extremely close. Deven decides to embark on her own investigating to find out what's happened to her sister, but she'll come to realize she's nothing of what she was led to believe. And the journey to the truth could be more sinister and dangerous than she imagined. Did she ever know Kennedy? And just what was she involved in?
Doomful of Sugar by Catherine Bruns
Leila Khoury has always believed that everyone loved her father as much as they loved his artisanal maple syrup. But when he's killed, and she returns to Sugar Ridge, Vermont to take over his business, she starts to realize how much of his life she's left untapped.With her brother under suspicion, her mother just barely holding it together, and police not producing any leads, Leila will have to investigate herself if she wants answers about her father's sticky end.
Imperfect Angel by Christi Barth
USA Today bestselling author Christi Barth’s wickedly fun new series kicks off with this laugh out loud romance about good, evil, and what happens when a bubbly redhead finds herself caught between the two. When Maisy Norgate inherits a strange, ornate key, a mouthwateringly hot angel shows up at her door…and if unrequited lust is Hell, she’s definitely holding the key.
Moonstone Hero by David Sklar
In the early 1980s, a med student joins an international group of tourists to ascend Mount Kilimanjaro. After several miles of progress, the expedition suddenly becomes derailed when one of the climbers becomes gravely ill. Struggling with the effects of high altitude and freezing wind and snow, the climbers must confront their fears and personal limitations as well as their responsibilities to a sick stranger. A gripping survivalist story about just how far you’d be willing to go to save the life of a stranger, “Moonstone Hero” is also a timely take on the uncertain balance between duty and heroism in the medical profession.
Sign Here by Claudia Lux
Claudia Lux delivers a wild, dark, and absurdist debut this fall. SIGN HERE (Berkley Hardcover; on sale October 25, 2022) is about a guy who works in Hell—yes, literally—and the wealthy, secretive New England family back on Earth who has the power to make his next promotion….if he can get just one of them to sign their soul away. Lux offers a compelling story about what life looks like after we stop living, and, even more so, what it looks like when we decide to live on anyway.
The Wish List by Michelle Major
For some families, a Christmas reunion is like a feel-good movie. For Beth Carlyle, it might be more of a disaster epic. Her ex-husband’s new girlfriend is already pregnant. Her self-absorbed, bestselling author mother recently suffered a stroke and has summoned Beth’s sisters, Freya and Trinity—neither of whom even seem to like Beth very much—back to Magnolia. Beth’s so lonely and stressed that she spills her guts to a stranger, wondering why the handsome newcomer affects her so deeply. Reality TV star Freya deliberately forged a career that would upset her mother, who’s always been as brilliant as the sun…and just as distant. Now a handsome literary agent is making Freya dream of a different life. As for Trinity, she just wants to start over after leaving an abusive relationship and make a future for her and her baby.
It’ll be a Christmas like no other in Magnolia. But the Carlyle sisters might find they have more in common than their shared past—and that the holidays are made for second chances.
Bad Girl Reputation by Elle Kennedy
When former bad girl Genevieve West returns home for her mother’s funeral, she’s prepared to keep her distance from her ex-boyfriend, Evan Hartley. Their history is rife with turbulence. And passion. A heck of a lot of passion...which she’s trying desperately to forget.
But it’s impossible not to run into Evan in the small coastal town where they once ran wild. And the moment she sees her gorgeous ex again, it’s clear to Gen that Evan is still as unruly, sexy, and irresistible as ever. This time around, however, she’s resolved to walk a new path. No more partying. No more foolish mistakes. Her plan is to temporarily remain in town to help her father run his business, but the second he finds somebody else, she’s out of there.
Evan has other ideas. He knows they can be good together, but he just has to convince Genevieve of that, even if it means turning over a new leaf himself. But can a bad reputation ever truly be shed? Do second chances really work? Genevieve and Evan are about to find out.
Rough Justice by Burt Weissbourd
In the first book of the series, Danger in Plain Sight, Callie James discovers that her bartender, Cash Logan, is
smuggling erotic ivory carvings, netsuke, into her restaurant. Callie pitches a fit, has him arrested, then
famously says, “When you get out of jail, don’t ever come back here.”
Two years later, Callie’s ex-husband, a French investigative reporter, is almost killed when he shows
up at her restaurant, after a fourteen-year absence, asking for her help. Callie has no choice but to take on
an unlikely ally, Cash Logan. This improbable, incompatible team has to save her ex, her business, and
ultimately their own lives.
Now in Rough Justice, Callie and Cash are back, and their world is about to explode.
The scene is set as Callie and Cash are eating a late dinner upstairs at her restaurant, The Bronze Pig.
It’s been a year since they saved her ex-husband’s life and subsequently had to take on unexpected, lethal adversaries. During that process—confronting kidnapping, murder and assassins burning down her restaurant—they came together, and unexpectedly, they discover that they care deeply, romantically, for one another. Now, they’ve grown comfortable together, no, more than that, against all odds, their feelings for each other have evolved beyond anything they’ve ever known—they’re wildly in love.
So, imagine their surprise when they get an unexpected, half-Algerian female guest, twenty-five-year-old Sara, showing up at the restaurant and insisting on telling them her shocking, unbelievable story.
Someone is trying to kill her, and they’ve stolen her identity. She needs their help now, and she has a stunning, life-changing secret to tell.
Yet, again, Cash and Callie assemble their unconventional ragtag family—including peg-legged Andre, and Itzac, “The Macher.” Together, they go to war with formidable adversaries to save Sara, and ultimately their own lives. The fierce battle leads them to Cuba where they have to launch an audacious offensive that shocks even them…and will absolutely take your breath away.
Painter of the Damned by Rob Samborn
Nick & Julia O’Connor's dream trip to Venice, Italy becomes a nightmare when Nick hears a voice from Paradise, the world's largest oil painting. Nick discovers an ancient enigmatic order that has developed a method of extracting people’s souls, which they imprison in the artwork. Among the thousands trapped is Nick’s soul mate from the 16th century.
After surviving an ordeal and escaping Venice, Nick and Julia have one goal: return home with their lives. But before they reach the American consulate in Milan, they’re captured and returned to the City of Masks.
Behind Nick’s detention is Salvatore della Porta, the corrupt head of the order. Della Porta believes Nick’s previous life knows the location of a mysterious book lost to the ages that will bring him world-changing power—or topple the order.
As Nick’s link to the past consumes him, it’s up to Julia to save her husband and crush della Porta. But with friends in short supply, she must enlist a young artist who is the order’s new warden of the damned.
