Shakhete’s sense of history and the sacredness of Africa powers this literary fantasy, as the story digs into the dawn of the slave trade, the founding of Baldwin, and how key “Towners,” facing a smallpox epidemic in the 17th century, forged a vicious Blood Covenant involving sacrifices every 17 years, leading to “increased hell on Earth in the coming centuries.” The material is heady and at times demanding, as twin daughters, one embodying good and the other evil, clash from the moment of conception until the fateful solstice blood moon of 1925, when only one can emerge victorious, either releasing or destroying the tortured soul of the prince.
The novel pulses with pained and mythic imagery like the Hanging Tree (where Baldwin’s residents celebrated “the first African hung in early Alabama”), and there’s aching power in its central metaphor of Towners achieving immortality from “the blood of slain and deceased Africans.” For all the invented history and spiritual elements, including journeys into dark realms and appearances from Lucifer and Satan (or Satana), the narrative moves briskly, at least after some heady introductory material. Earthly scenes edge toward the unsettling—with blood and wombs, snakes and spirits and creatures like a clondike—or the hopeful, as Shakhete powerfully emphasizes love, community, and ancestral memory.
Takeaway: Literary fantasy of African myth, blood, and the secret history of an Alabama town.
Comparable Titles: Amos Tutuola’sMy Life in the Bush of Ghosts, Tomi Adeyemi’s Children of Blood and Bone.
Production grades
Cover: A-
Design and typography: A-
Illustrations: N/A
Editing: B+
Marketing copy: A-
Personal stories, gathered from Conscious Change workshops, bring the guidance to life, as real people describe thorny interpersonal and institutional challenges—and how the framework either did or could have helped. The stories get at the human messiness of making change, like how to handle aggressions, micro- and otherwise, from a co-worker of a different background who also happens to be close friends with one’s supervisor. A diverse roster of storytellers illuminates situations like that, showcasing how the Conscious Change principles and skills offer a healthy path. “I had to ask myself, Is hers a normal yell, or just not normal to me?” one storyteller asks, describing confronting a Nigerian co-worker over perceived rudeness but then learning about, in an inspiring conversation, unexpected cultural differences.
A social worker shares the story of a new supervisor who, despite not having the credentials, insists she could do the storyteller’s job—the chapter compellingly illustrates the principles “Clear Emotions,” “Conscious Use of Self,” and “Initiate Change.” The stories read briskly but feel authentically thorny, with the framework offering clear, actionable steps toward greater understanding, collaboration, and effectiveness. Conscious Change never promises it will be easy, but the authors demonstrate that change can be achieved—and that doing so is rewarding.
Takeaway: Well-honed tools, lessons, and case studies for fostering inclusive workplace change.
Comparable Titles: Mita Mallick’s Reimagine Inclusion, Ruchika Tulshyan's Inclusion on Purpose.
Production grades
Cover: B
Design and typography: A
Illustrations: N/A
Editing: A
Marketing copy: A
As both author and illustrator, CarrieAnne has created a simple, stirring book for small children that charms with its wistful sense of simple pleasures and seasonal changes while inviting new readers with spare, crisp prose and art bursting with canine character. The illustrations, too, tend toward a warm minimalism, the black and white line drawings accented by wonderful bursts of color and capturing well-observed eccentricities of dog movement and behavior. Brown Dog is so lifelike that it’s no surprise that the book is dedicated to the memory of the author's own brown dog, Mr. Buttons, whose photo, like the illustrations, inspire that surge of companionable pleasure that comes with saying “good boy” to a favorite furry companion. The storytelling, meanwhile, encourages empathy for pets in the face of inclement weather, while gently demystifying the cycles of seasons.
Brown Dog is a lovely, gentle offering for young readers and the grown ups lucky enough to read to them, demonstrating that joy is infectious across species. It's a quiet book for quiet moments spent sharing a story and a cuddle, maybe with the family dog curled up close by.
Takeaway: Warm, wonderfully observed story of a dog experiencing the seasons.
Comparable Titles: Luca Tortolini’s My Dog and I, Paul Meisel’s My Happy Year by E. Bluebird.
Production grades
Cover: A
Design and typography: A
Illustrations: A
Editing: A
Marketing copy: A
Parihar’s collection is abundant with such poignant lines, often on the subjects of life and death, as the poet urges readers to “honor the body in decay” and “listen to the eternal song.” Another unifying theme is perseverance amid hardship, with special regard for displaced people, as noted in a dedication “to the disappointments of the displacement” and a trio of displacement poems illuminating lives on “a journey of longing” with “Their spirits unbroken / their hope not withdrawn” despite being umoored “In a world that offers no serenity.” Parihar’s “The Displaced Souls” digs into the immigrant and refugee experience, celebrating resilience born of adversity.
Like the collection as a whole, this poem, urgent in empathy, speaks to the poet’s conception of a universal balance operating within the phenomenon of suffering and beyond; disappointment is countered by wonder, “for in the balance of light and dark, // We find the beauty of the cosmic spark,” and poetry is a means of putting this duality to practice.
Takeaway: Thoughtful, richly human collection exploring death, displacement, and more.
Comparable Titles: Claude McKay’s “After the Winter,” Sun Yung Shin’s “Immigrant Song”
Production grades
Cover: B-
Design and typography: B
Illustrations: N/A
Editing: A-
Marketing copy: A-
As the residents, led by queen bee Janice Cooper and her plastic surgeon husband, Allen, observe the newcomers and then attempt to indoctrinate them into their party scene, the story pulses with hidden agendas, fake friendships, steamy relationships, and—inevitably—lies and betrayals that will shake the community. Crowe has written a host of romance novels, and here she deftly incorporates page-turning suspense, social satire, and a sense of lives spinning out of control and towards tragedy. Sharp characterization and slicing dialogue grip from the start, as does Crowe’s keen eye for jealousies and deliciously mixed feelings. Of a recent orgy, one muses “It had been shocking. And amazing. And horrifying. And perfect.” Allen, meanwhile, thinks this of Janice: “She was a full-frontal alpha female. His alpha female.”
The couples take “enjoying the finer things” to the next level. As jealousies and scandals heat up, Crowe never loses sight of the cast’s humanity, with a story that touches on infertility, autism, addiction, and more with some sensitivity. Still, the fun comes when lines get crossed and new friends turn to frenemies. The tension, stoked by a round-robin of perspectives and prose that bites, will keep readers on their toes—and begging Michael and Amelia to leave Connelly Court.
Takeaway: Tense, delicious novel of suburban swingers spinning out of control.
Comparable Titles: Sarah Dunn’s The Arrangement, Abbi Waxman’s Other People’s Houses.
Production grades
Cover: A-
Design and typography: A
Illustrations: N/A
Editing: A
Marketing copy: A
A New York hedge funder for the last 15 years, John discovered that “hell occupies one of the upper floors.” He knows that finding Gunther—whom he had abandoned mid-way in his youth in order to pursue his career—and likewise rediscovering his own past promise means comprehending this elusive, surprising island. Still, he makes an uneasy fit among the compounds, vineyards, harvest celebrations, kayak voyages, and nude beaches packed with baking bodies. He hopes to reconcile with Gunther, whom he had abandoned years before to pursue a career, but even though Gunther is fondly known throughout the island it’s been a while since anyone’s actually seen him. Meanwhile, the many spirited colloquies push John to face questions about the state of his soul.
Each meeting and situation, described with sumptuous prose and brisk, searching dialogue, also reveals something about Ibiza that either unsettles or awes John. Kurian conjures wonders, like the beautiful beach of Cala Salada and the mysterious mountain Es Vedrá, the novel edging at times toward a travelogue, albeit with an interest in romance, transcendence, and mysteries of the heart. The love story is sweet, but it's the male friendships—both between John and Gunther, and then John and Andre—that prove the richest.
Takeaway: Sumptuous novel of Ibiza, friendship, and recovering one’s soul.
Comparable Titles: Matt Haig’s The Life Impossible, Gayl Jones’s The Birdcatcher.
Production grades
Cover: A-
Design and typography: A
Illustrations: N/A
Editing: A
Marketing copy: A-
Gilbert’s method focuses on small changes, finding what works, adapting when it doesn’t, celebrating contentment as success, and staying connected. The fiction offers a personal, relatable way to outline this, showing the work it takes to change as Wholly Naomi charts Naomi’s progression through the Ways, including breathing and visualization exercises, journaling, and more. Naomi’s attempts, some more successful than others, to achieve facets of each Way find her striving to balance mind, body, and spirit and reach contentment in the moment. Drawing upon the symbolic shapes of numbers one through nine and encounters with individuals who embody the lessons of each Way, Naomi is led from her dependence upon alcohol toward new habits and ways of thinking.
The storytelling is brisk and inviting, and readers who find more traditional self-help books impersonal may enjoy this take on the power of habits to make lasting life changes, especially as Gilbert acknowledges in the narrative the reality of setbacks. Woven throughout Naomi’s story is the parallel tale of an anthropomorphized ginger kitten who gets separated from his family and, after a brief encounter outside a liquor store, feels somehow connected to Naomi. The kitten is a metaphor for tenets of the Ways but also representative of a symbol Gilbert introduces early: a circle. The story reflects this in the shared fate of both characters.
Takeaway: Inspiring guide to making positive change in life, written in narrative.
Comparable Titles: James Clear’s Atomic Habits, Katy Milkman’s How to Change.
Production grades
Cover: A-
Design and typography: A
Illustrations: N/A
Editing: A-
Marketing copy: A
The plot turns on Mikozy—”that crazy street philosopher who knows way too much to be a cop”—uncovering the existence of an AI known as Distributed Integrated Terminal (DIT) and facing layered questions about the influence of Artificial Intelligence on law enforcement. As the case becomes a matter of national security, Nalven immerses readers into Mikozy's world, expertly balancing the complexities of forensic work with personal and professional challenges, plus surprises like the work of Jack London playing a key role. The author maintains narrative authenticity by engaging Mikozy in a myriad of tasks alongside the main investigation, attentive to Los Angeles streets, people, and the city’s history and restless, ever-shifting present.
That literary richness means that readers eager for procedural thrills may find the pace (and occasional page-long paragraphs) frustrating. But Nalven’s literary mystery smartly weaves together elements of romance, culture, and striking insights into technology, police work, and the city in which Mikozy was raised, with ample interest and empathy for a sweeping supporting cast.
Takeaway: Vivid literary L.A. mystery plunging into a changing city’s heart.
Comparable Titles: David L. Ulin’s Thirteen Question Method, Naomi Hirahara’s Summer of the Big Bachi.
Production grades
Cover: A-
Design and typography: A
Illustrations: N/A
Editing: A-
Marketing copy: A-
Munck shares his story with sincerity, though unprepared readers may be surprised by his frankness, from early experimentation with masturbation, adolescent drug use, and teenage sexual exploits. His transparency is deeply affecting when he addresses his military service in the Gulf War, the difficult things he saw, and the impact of consequential PTSD. The photos that Munck periodically includes offer clarifying context, and the “Guiding Thought” lessons he offers at the end of each chapter manage to connect stories of, say, drunken “surfing” in the back of a pickup on L.A.’s 405 highway, with biblical precepts and thoughts about living with purpose.
Munck led a difficult childhood and young adulthood and through great determination made it through poverty, a parent struggling with addiction, and personal anger issues. This memoir is a powerful collection of stories of how he did that with the help of his community and God, and his attempt to share a guide for readers (and his children) to not make the same mistakes that he did. Now he is a pastor, father who clearly loves and respects his children, and a leader within his community. Readers looking for a moving story of perseverance and growth from a marine-turned-pastor will appreciate this memoir.
Takeaway: A former Marine’s revealing journey to faith.
Comparable Titles: Owen R. Chandler’s A Bridge in Babylon, and Joey Svendsen’s Fundamentalist.
Production grades
Cover: B+
Design and typography: A
Illustrations: A-
Editing: B+
Marketing copy: A-
Jimerson's protagonist is a multi-faceted, decorated hero with a complicated past and his own personal and professional demons as he works to outsmart a cunning enemy. Dealing with the trauma of his son's death and his daughter's drug addiction, Kane is movingly divided between his professional obligations and the impossible hope of righting the wrongs in his personal life. Jimerson seamlessly incorporates gritty violence, bursts of action, and an unsettling feeling of not being sure who to trust with compelling glimpses of Kane’s home life and personal relationships. “Grown men building their lives on the simplistic moral codes of Don Quixote-style heroes,” Kane muses, at one point, contemplating the popularity of a Walker, Texas Hero. Jimerson, in contrast, digs deeper into the hard choices and human costs of heroism without slowing the pace or skimping on explosive twists.
The prose is crisp, sometimes biting, with sharp dialogue, strong local color, and a vivid feel for scrub, mud, trucks, and cottonmouths. But it’s Kane’s wit, intellect, and no-nonsense attitude that make him a cowboy detective readers will root for until the satisfying ending, that, for all the bullets and corruption, pulses with a hopeful spirit.
Takeaway: Fast-paced, character-rich thriller of Texas justice.
Comparable Titles: Jon Land’s Strong to the Bone, Craig Johnson’s Longmire series.
Production grades
Cover:
A
Design and typography: A
Illustrations: N/A
Editing: A
Marketing copy: A
While Debbie remains the centrifugal force and a bold and engaging lead, the lives of a host of characters are given emphasis and empathy in perspective chapters, resulting in a novel more rich than in many protagonist-focused procedurals: young adults Macie, Connor, and Caleb and their world of narcotics and self-destructive secrets; lawyers and detectives; cartel worker José Rodrigo, missing a finger and desperate to save his family. Dreiling dismantles simple views of drug crimes and addiction, revealing human frailty and brokenness. "The truly courageous man was the one who clung to kindness in the face of savagery," Dreiling writes of how José retains his morality despite his association with cartel operations in Mexico and Missouri.
This taut, chilling novel captures, with sharp edges and spirit of humanity, the inner workings of cops, reporters, lawyers, and detectives in the fight against trafficking, while remaining attentive to the everyday reality of drugs destroying lives and family relationships. “Rich. Poor. It doesn’t matter,” one character notes. “Addiction doesn’t care about income levels.” Dreiling has crafted a potent blend of suspense, drama, strong local color, and emotional exploration of grief and blame, not flinching or sensationalizing her subject while still offering hope for a slice of justice.
Takeaway: High-stakes Midwestern drug-crime thriller, with humane emphasis.
Comparable Titles: Tricia Fields’s The Territory, Amy Pease’s Northwoods.
Production grades
Cover: A-
Design and typography: A-
Illustrations: N/A
Editing: A
Marketing copy: A-
Her massive factories spew toxic sludge into the waterways, threatening the underwater city of Genus, where Zhen’s father, Kosni, is chief engineer. The black plumes of runoff distress Zhen, but she’s driven to action by the disappearance of her mother Cyna and uncle (the inventive Professor Mars) during their investigation of Razor’s origins. Zhen has no superpowers, but she’s athletic, observant, determined, and resourceful, and the way she comes to appreciate her value will resonate with young readers who are at the same point of self-discovery. She also learns about Cyna’s history with brothers Kosni and Mars, seeing how youthful decisions affect adult lives.
Kaufman creates an impressive series of action set pieces to test Zhen’s mettle, but some stylistic choices, like formal language and an abundance of modifiers, at times slow down the narrative momentum. But the inspired elements, like an amused narrative voice (“Another planet, another riot”), surprises like dolphin rides, and the scheming of the gloriously Machiavellian tech messiah Razor, demonstrate a fertile creativity and a real love of the genre. Especially engaging is Kaufman’s sense of hope and friendship. With so much young adult fantasy geared to post-apocalyptic survival, the quest to reverse a catastrophic course in The Gold Mystery Adventure offers a welcome dose of hope.
Takeaway: A young heroine fights for a healthy planet in this inventive eco-adventure.
Comparable Titles: Paul Dixon’s Starfall, Marisa Noelle’s The Unadjusteds.
Production grades
Cover: A-
Design and typography: A
Illustrations: N/A
Editing: B+
Marketing copy: A-
From there the story zooms in on the microscopic events happening beneath Mayu’s skin. The leader is Captain T, the helper cell, who explains the injury and initiates different immune responses designed to protect Mayu from infection. Like tiny, blob-like warriors, different cells such as neutrophils, platelets, and macrophages work together to seal off the wound and fight harmful bacteria, clearly demonstrating the body’s multifaceted response to different threats. Notably, the kids in this story are not wearing bicycle helmets, a missed opportunity to help normalize basic safety gear kids can use to protect themselves.
Tamika Bramwell’s colorful illustrations depict the immune heroes as grinning, wide-eyed, alien-like creatures with a variety of wacky characteristics like green, squiggly hair and long, spiky legs that mimic their true-to-life appearance. The single-minded cells talk to each other and work together to keep out the bacteria, which have between one and three eyes and tiny teeth and multiply rapidly. As Mayu’s body fights the intruders, his face relaxes, and soon he is again ready to play. Showing cells and bacteria in this way will keep kids engaged while also introducing them to the fascinating science of the human immune system.
Takeaway: Enlightening picture book reveals the science behind the human immune system.
Comparable Titles: Steve Haines’s Pain Is Really Strange, Judith Wolf Mandell’s Sammy's Broken Leg (Oh, No!) and the Amazing Cast That Fixed It.
Production grades
Cover: B+
Design and typography: B+
Illustrations: B+
Editing: A-
Marketing copy: A-
This survey starts out strong with an extended history of the Studebaker family and the automobile business they ran for decades, with Clarie’s telling intertwining local and national history with a compelling account of a burgeoning family dynasty. Contemporary press accounts, clarifying historical context, and Clarie’s love for period detail—“Paper lampshades of all colors lit up one corner of the hall like huge blossoms” lit up one corner of the Farragut Casino in 1899—bring life to the milieu, and Clarie throughout documents the construction and utility of Rye Beach landmarks, like the Lincoln-affiliated (and now long gone) Gates Ajar home, in North Hampton, and Norman Williams’ nearby colonial mansion, dubbed “one of the finest specimens of that school [of] architecture that can be seen anywhere” in the New Hampshire Agricultural Report 1907-08.
Clarie brings a strong local focus to the material—there’s much here about the Abenaqui Golf Club, organized in 1897, and its tournaments—but also follows his subjects into the world. A chapter on E. Lansing Ray, a St. Louis newspaper man who invested in Charles Lindbergh’s transatlantic flight and made a summer home out of the former Rye Beach Inn, boasts fascinating material about Ray’s trip England and France at the end of the first world war, and a surprising number of pages on Lindbergh’s flight. While at times discursive, Clarie’s brisk histories are rich with insight, surprises, and striking detail.
Takeaway: Historical survey of homes and lives of coastal New Hampshire’s “summer people.”
Comparable Titles: Lewis T. Karabatsos’s Rye and Rye Beach, Robert C. Gilmore’s Seacoast New Hampshire.
Production grades
Cover: B
Design and typography: A-
Illustrations: A
Editing: A-
Marketing copy: B
A contemporary dual storyline follows homicide detective Lani Whitaker—who in many ways mirrors Catherine’s achievements, as she was one of the first female officers in Cleveland—while she combs through field notes left by her great-grandfather, Constable Whitaker, recounting Catherine’s unsolved disappearance. Boyd subtly connects the two women over time, hitting on the struggles they’ve both faced while fighting to be accepted in male-dominated professions against larger societal attitudes toward women, both in Catherine’s 19th century dealings and Lani’s contemporary crime solving efforts.
Boyd’s emotional language ably captures both relatable female leads, and the suspense builds as the women’s stories intertwine into a multiple mystery fallout, merging both historical and contemporary crimes alongside Catherine’s fears that her tree form is slowly dying, prompting her desperation for justice before it’s too late. Added to that mix is Mark Carver—present day owner of the land next to Catherine’s tree—and his growing cruelty, combined with dangerous secrets he’s determined to hide, with Lani hot on his trail. Amid the capers, Boyd touches on the humanity and understated power of the natural world, before delivering Catherine a respectful and satisfying ending.
Takeaway: Two barrier-breaking women fight for justice across generations.
Comparable Titles: Alice Sebold’s The Lovely Bones, Jodi Picoult’s Leaving Time.
Production grades
Cover: A
Design and typography: A
Illustrations: N/A
Editing: A
Marketing copy: A
With wit, humanity, and inviting prose, So Who is God Anyway? explains complex philosophical concepts clearly and accurately, with a helpful glossary and extensive notes for further research. Payne insists he does not boast an extensive philosophical background, but he still demystifies these big concepts, showing his research but not overloading references on the reader. His humor will prove a matter of taste— “fundamentalists believe that we’re all headed to the lake of fire,” he notes, adding “You, me, Heinrich Himmler, Pol Pot, Osama Bin laden, and Joan who works down the street at the flower shop”—though it keeps the tone light, and the best wisecracks prove illuminating
Payne targets an audience of skeptics, but open-minded people of any religious tradition can find value in his musings. He doesn’t weigh the evidence to make God sound more appealing, but argues cogently that there is a preponderance of evidence that God exists, in spite of the “Big Ugly Six” arguments against God. Readers exploring the idea of God and wanting a survey of arguments for and against God through the ages, as well as a creative description of one perspective on God, will enjoy this clever guide.
Takeaway: Incisive, witty survey of philosophical arguments for God’s existence.
Comparable Titles: Philip Clayton and Arthur Peacocke’s In Whom We Live and Move and Have Our Being, John W. Cooper’s Panentheism.
Production grades
Cover: B
Design and typography: A
Illustrations: N/A
Editing: A
Marketing copy: A-