The stakes: “War will be upon us if we do not stop Icelos.” Lightsey deftly intermingles an assortment of world religions, ethnicities, mystical symbols, folklore, and ancient wisdom from Celtic, Hindu, Christian, and Mesopotamian, along with literary references from Dostoevsky to the I Ching—enough so that even dedicated readers of folklore and ancient religions will be Googling the many symbols, languages, and personages that pepper this multilayered journey. But the quest itself is engaging and exciting, and Helena is a rousing hero, armed with wonders like a staff topped with the Strophalos, the symbol of the labyrinth of truth, plus Hecate’s magic mirror, and an infinite bag of holding.
Helena is accompanied by bickering, bumbling thieves Catiana and Dogett, who can find the Fortress of Caffa, Icelos’s lair. The first stop on their quest is a visit with the volatile ancient witch Baba Yaga, who poses riddles in a tense standout of a scene. Helena is a gritty, whip-smart leader who accepts her mission with attitude, grace, and exuberance. There is plenty here for readers who enjoy mystical adventures blended with historical details.
Takeaway: This impressive magical quest blends mysticism gleaned from folklore and history.
Comparable Titles: Katherine Arden’s The Bear and the Nightingale, Olesya Salnikova Gilmore’s The Witch and the Tsar.
Production grades
Cover: A-
Design and typography: A
Illustrations: N/A
Editing: A
Marketing copy: A-
Pivnik—whose curiosity was initially sparked after hearing about an employee’s triathlon competition—acknowledges his outside chance of becoming a world class athlete, describing his early self-limiting beliefs and less-than-stellar physical condition that made triathlons an unlikely dream; however, through goal setting, planning, and consistency, he was transformed, “building endurance and strength for the marathon of life, business, and sport." Starting from that base, Pivnik offers readers insights on business management, tips on becoming an effective leader, and pointers on handling—and recovering from—mistakes and failures.
Like all valuable business guides, Built to Finish is an engaging balance of inspiration and wisdom, bolstered by Pivnik’s actionable advice and hands-on examples of how to achieve a healthy work/life balance. From rookie mistakes that cost millions to owning one of the fastest growing companies in information technology, Pivnik breaks down his well-worn steps to business success, never losing sight of his belief that “more than anything else, life is about having fun.” Takeaways include the power of positive thinking, practical goal setting, and more, as Pivnik urges readers to stretch beyond their comfort zones: “There is no finish line in life” he advises. This is the perfect kick-off to achieving your dreams, whether in business, sports, or life.
Takeaway: Creative business guide based on lessons from triathlon training.
Comparable Titles: Mark Cuban's How to Win at the Sport of Business, Larry Miller's Jump.
Production grades
Cover: A
Design and typography: A
Illustrations: N/A
Editing: A
Marketing copy: A
The predatory nature of the men she encounters during the summer—including her own father—pushes Jezebel into developing her interests in feminism and following her dream of learning jazz and the piano. Waite has created a bold, relentlessly questioning protagonist whom readers of character-driven coming-of-age stories will empathize with, especially those who understand how it feels to burn to speak truths to a world disinclined to hear them. The city and era are vividly evoked, from Jerry’s Diner to anti-Nixon rallies on the Common to jazz broadcasts on WBCN, as is the touching blend of uncertainty and utter conviction of a bright teenager figuring out her place in the world. When Jezebel gets curious about the possibilities of LSD helping her chart a course, she—what else?—writes a letter to Timothy Leary.
Jezebel is a moving narrative, rich with everyday detail, that conjures its milieu without wallowing in nostalgia. Despite its setting in the past, there’s much here that will resonate with young adults currently facing the transition into adulthood, including a violent confrontation with a drunk man. Waite surveys, with heart and power, the end of adolescence and the challenge of discovering the woman this girl will become.
Takeaway: Touching story of finding strength, feminism, and herself in 1970s Boston.
Comparable Titles: Misa Sugiura’s This Time Will Be Different, Crystal Maldonado’s Fat Chance, Charlie Vega.
Production grades
Cover: B+
Design and typography: A
Illustrations: N/A
Editing: A
Marketing copy: A
Fidelman breaks his approach down into his TICK TOCK formula, a classic self-improvement rubric offering actionable steps for embracing hard work, networking, and a balancing work and play. "Focus on moving forward, one day at a time," Fidelman writes, urging readers to invest in themselves and offering insight into time management, financial responsibilities, and the benefits of being well-traveled. Young readers will take away a wealth of practical advice that they can implement into everyday life, especially a focus on positivity and success, choosing a mentor or role model in a field of interest, finding a true passion to fuel success, cultivating healthy habits, and building lasting beneficial relationships.
Through personal narrative, Fidelman shares how he shed "a negative mindset" and pushed himself to be disciplined and accomplish his goals to change his life. Young readers will gain encouragement and wisdom from a peer as well as "billionaires, world champions, and creative geniuses,” with straight talk and a lot of heart, especially from his interviewees, whose quotes are all original to this project, rather than—as in so many books offering life guidance—pulled from secondary sources. Fidelman exemplifies the ambition he encourages.
Takeaway: Original guide to achieving success for teens.
Comparable Titles: Sydney Sheppard’s A Growth Mindset for Teens, Claude Larson’s The Power of Choice.
Production grades
Cover: B+
Design and typography: A
Illustrations: N/A
Editing: A-
Marketing copy: A
Debut author Pascarella presents a frightening view of Las Vegas, far from the glamor and glitz of the Strip. This is a world of terrified prostitutes and men who cheat on their wives and batter their mistresses. Against this dark background, Pascarella has set a hauntingly vivid cast of characters, such as Maria's father Dominic, a tough retired cop with a secret soft side. Maria's fraught relationship with the troubled Carla is beautifully handled, and leaves the reader cheering for them. The plot gets overly complex at times, and even seasoned mystery readers will have to pay attention to the time jumps, but the so-real characters ensure that they won't put down the book until the last page.
Although set up as police procedural, the book delves into far grimmer territory than most. Maria isn't hunting the merely greedy; she's facing some true psychopaths. A fight scene with one of them will leave even the most jaded readers breathless, and the denouement, especially Maria's impossible ethical choice, will leave her fans waiting for the promised sequel. But be warned: on the last page, a character sums up to Maria the horrific tragedy that's unfolded: "There’s not enough therapy for anyone to get over this one."
Takeaway: Noirish, hard-edged, and memorable Las Vegas procedural.
Comparable Titles: Faye Kellerman’s Moon Music, Leslie Wolfe’s Baxter and Holt series.
Production grades
Cover: A
Design and typography: A-
Illustrations: N/A
Editing: A-
Marketing copy: A
Erin's verses strip away the desensitizing connotations of terms like “mental health,” instead digging into the emotional reality of bipolar living and a host of dynamic, wide-ranging traumatic experiences, recounted in language that slices, stings, and illuminates. "Panic & Other Bedtime Stories" delves into visceral bouts of panic attacks, with electric language and jarring enjambment. "Ap Parently Not" captures the haunting grief of being a mom for a night, and the urgent "Live, Laugh, Lamictal" takes on the façade of composure, revealing the unmedicated truth and inner turmoil that “ordinary house guests / aren't supposed to see.” Other threads touch on mental health consultations, distrust, abuse, identity crises, bodily shame, eating disorders, self-harm, and what it feels like to “have a case of hypersexual psychosis manifested in the most detrimental way.”
This raw collection commences with a ballad of self-introduction pulsing with rage, and culminates in a tribute to the alter ego "that resides at the bottom / of my wine glass." The fluidity of this collection propels readers through the accounts of a pained past and present afflictions, sweeping to a conclusion that sounds a note of hope and renewed faith in professional help.
Takeaway: Raw, powerful poetry of life with bipolar disorder and PTSD.
Comparable Titles: Mary Lambert’s Shame Is an Ocean I Swim Across, Kaveh Akbar’s Calling a Wolf a Wolf.
Production grades
Cover: B+
Design and typography: A
Illustrations: N/A
Editing: A-
Marketing copy: A
Of course, the world really is their oyster, and the girls are determined to secure their special shell. Their first stop is the wise seacorn Aria, who confirms the shell is real and warns them of the bumpy journey ahead of them. The shell is guarded by a discerning octopus, and the ocean is churning with dangerous traps—including a deadly whirlpool and a sticky seaweed forest. Both Lexa and Livi have their share of trouble along the way, but their camaraderie never wanes, leading to their foreseeable success. Dunsche throws in a twist when it comes time to make their wish, however, giving the story a welcome surprise ending.
De Zoysa’s jewel-toned illustrations splash across the pages and leave ocean-themed surprises for younger readers to point out, each with a touch of magic—like the sisters’ merpup Finn, who accompanies them on their swim, or the shell’s bubbly beauty as it grants the girls’ wish in the end. The journey nets them some new pals and a renewed sense of gratitude as they learn that “having COURAGE, KINDNESS, and GOOD FRIENDS would help them overcome anything!” Dunsche includes a coloring page of the sisters in the backmatter.
Takeaway: Two mermaid sisters discover the magic of working together.
Comparable Titles: Briony May Smith’s The Mermaid Moon, Anuska Allepuz’s That Fruit Is Mine!.
Production grades
Cover: A
Design and typography: A
Illustrations: A
Editing: B
Marketing copy: A
Like Stephen Fry, whom Wood deems an “oracle,” On the Origin of Artificial Species considers AI and evolution through the lens of the myth of Prometheus. The issue facing our species: whether to pass along the fire of consciousness, imagination, and artificial evolution to AI. The stakes, he suggests, are nothing less than “the threat of our species’ extinction,” and he urges readers to take seriously the warnings of science- fiction stories, whose creators’ “natural instincts and imagination are performing their evolutionary role—searching for dangerous patterns in the environment.”
Wood offers sweeping, provocative surveys of artificial selection and evolution, urging humanity writ large to select wisely: “The right artificial selection will take us to the stars,” he argues, “but the wrong artificial selection will force us to fight AI for survival.” Despite pages excerpted directly from Plato, the approach, overall, edges toward Gladwell-style pop science, with clear take-aways in every passage, quotes from Richard Branson and Elon Musk, and breakdowns of instinctual thinking and ancient paradoxes. Wood’s prose is unfussy and mostly clear, and he organizes the material invitingly.
Takeaway: Impassioned call for an assessment of the risks of AI.
Comparable Titles: Geoffrey Hinton; Melanie Mitchell’s Artificial Intelligence.
Production grades
Cover: B+
Design and typography: A
Illustrations: N/A
Editing: A-
Marketing copy: A-
With power and clarity, Dees dismantles Malthus’s claims, noting that the original essay reads more like a religious tract than an argument rooted in logic or science. He demonstrates how Malthus, with little evidence, blames the poor for overpopulation and, by extension, for the conditions in which they live—conditions that Malthus insisted should actually be worse, the better to disincentivize propagation. Dees, by contrast, draws on a wealth of history and data, plus outraged invective, lamenting the dichotomy between Malthus’s dearth of proof and the outsize influence of his claims over centuries.
The Malthus Fraud is well-documented, sharply argued, and never dry despite its scholarly heft. Dees offers a cogent, compact critique not just of Malthus’s “religious dogma [with] a pseudoscientific veneer” but of Malthusian ideology that still resonates today. This spirited critique will please readers outraged today at continuing efforts to shift blame for poverty onto the poor themselves—or, as Dees writes, “when that did not work, God’s will, the Jews, the witches, the weather, or anyone but the real culprits.”
Takeaway: Brisk, blistering critique of Malthus and Malthusian ideology.
Comparable Titles: Jeremy Popkin’s A New World Begins, Deborah Valenze’s The Invention of Scarcity.
Production grades
Cover: A-
Design and typography: A
Illustrations: N/A
Editing: A
Marketing copy: A-
In inviting prose with polemical power, Dees digs into greater detail to focus specifically on the Magna Carta and the Forest Charter, which, he argues, were the first documents to place the law above the king, granting the common people effective rights. Echoing Engels, the English Civil War, too, is presented here as another in a series of class conflicts, in which Cromwell stands for the wealthy merchants, rouses the common people, and defeats the king.
Dees writes in a loose and humorous tone but with real passion and attention to detail. The reader may wish he had the space to go into more detail or end his history with a more robust conclusion (rather than a passing reference to coffeeshops and Isaac Newton), though the book’s origin as an excerpt perhaps explains its structure. Anyone interested in the economic story of England who wants to dive into the political conditions which led to dispossession and violence will appreciate Dees’s incisive, engaging, and pointedly outraged history.
Takeaway: Brief, class-minded history of England with an emphasis on economics.
Comparable Titles: E.P. Thompson’s The Making of the English Working Class, Rodney Hilton’s Bond Men Made Free.
Production grades
Cover: B-
Design and typography: A-
Illustrations: B+
Editing: A
Marketing copy: A-
In this inspiring memoir, LaBelle chronicles his life from early childhood through adulthood, juxtaposing the parallels of his life and personality before and after his diving injury. Fiercely independent and a bit of a daredevil, the author highlights how his disability changed the way he approached obstacles, though he still faced them head on—and never let his adventurous spirit wane. LaBelle’s transparency and raw honesty throughout is engaging and motivational; his zeal for living jumps off the page, though he never shies away from dark moments amid his many hospitalizations and operations. His story is of a man fighting, surviving, and adapting, of course, but it’s also one of embracing possibility, as he recounts constantly seeking change and taking opportunities that came his way, such as a new job or a thrilling vacation destination with a friend or family member.
LaBelle writes with engaging clarity and humility, noting that he doesn’t think of this book as “some type of guide to life, but as just one example of the possibility of living a life with a catastrophic injury.” In that, it succeeds with style and power. Fans of personal stories of triumph in the face of adversity will cheer as LaBelle pushes through his personal narrative to highlight how life is what you make it no matter the challenges set in your path.
Takeaway: Inspiring memoir of living life to the fullest as a quadriplegic.
Comparable Titles: Eddie Ndopu's Sipping Dom Pérignon Through a Straw, Rebekah Taussig's Sitting Pretty.
Production grades
Cover: A
Design and typography: A
Illustrations: N/A
Editing: A
Marketing copy: A
Wilson offers readers an inspiring story about an owl that just won’t give up, but there’s much more to this lovable picture book. As Nessa hops her way to the North Pole, she comes across an array of remarkable animals who also call the Arctic their home. Front and center are Nessa’s reindeer friends—“grunting and snorting, on the cool crunchy frost of morning”—alongside lemmings, a pair of decidedly rude snow geese, and a dangerous arctic fox who Nessa evades at the last minute. Throughout her journey, her flying skills slowly evolve, as does her awareness of the wilderness she’s insistent on traipsing through during a dangerous time of year.
Just as Nessa is on the verge of not making it, she’s rescued by a conservationist who transports her to warmer weather, and a veterinary clinic, via his hovercraft. Nessa, of course, is convinced she’s been saved by Father North, and Wilson smartly leaves it up to young readers to decide if she’s correct. The illustrations evoke the Arctic’s chilly whiteness, and the story boasts plenty of discussion points for adult readers to cover—and a reminder that even in the harshest climates, a little love goes a long way.
Takeaway: Cool-hued story of a young snowy owl’s dangerous journey.
Comparable Titles: Nicholas John Frith’s Hello, Mr. Dodo!, Adam Rex’s Unstoppable.
Production grades
Cover: B
Design and typography: A
Illustrations: A-
Editing: B
Marketing copy: A-
Highlighting the challenges of problem tenants and the financial setbacks that can arise due to repairs or having to take legal action, Allensworth holds nothing back in this honest account of the highs and lows of the responsibility and business of being a landlord. Providing tips on how to turn a profit, balance the tenant/landlord relationship, and handle the dreaded eviction process, this self-help guide gives an in-depth, behind the scenes look into the complex task of property management, with an eye on how to “structure your business to fit your preferences, situation and disposition."
Allensworth draws pragmatic lessons even from the most absurd stories— such stories as one tenant leaving a dog behind after being evicted so that they could still pick up their welfare and food stamps from the mailbox, or another making a copy of the key so they could squat after being evicted. From constant upkeep to the day-to-day run ins with tenants, this helpful resource lives up to its title, while offering its audience a wealth of specialized knowledge.
Takeaway: Straight-forward, often humorous advice for landlords.
Comparable Titles: Brenda Cross King's Do You Really Want to Be a Landlord, Tony LeBlanc's Doorpreneur.
Production grades
Cover: C+
Design and typography: N/A
Illustrations: N/A
Editing: A-
Marketing copy: A
Readers who relish rich prose, psychological intensity, and attention to what life in the past felt like will be immersed in this historical narrative told through the eyes of two young women set on following their ambitions and their hearts. "The gossamer bridge of the feminine in my own life had twisted in these events, both from within and without," Joan laments early on, as the possibility of being exposed proves a continual source of suspense.
Andes pens a complex but rewarding novel alive with old world language, harrowing atrocities, and star-crossed lovers whose stray moments of intense romantic connection give them strength to face hostile outside forces. “Had God appeared before me in physical form, I would have plunged my sword as deep in Him as it would go,” Joan declares after one tragedy. That searing emotional urgency, plus themes of faith and identity, ties the timelines together as Andes’s compelling heroines face limited options and overwhelming passions.
Takeaway: Gorgeously told story of Pope Joan and, centuries later, Jewish lovers in the Third Reich
Comparable Titles: Donna Woolfolk Cross’s Pope Joan, Kelli Estes’s Today We Go Home.
Production grades
Cover: A
Design and typography: A
Illustrations: N/A
Editing: A
Marketing copy: A
After that irresistible hook, the story takes off in amusing directions. Overwhelmed with Corinne’s challenge, and going against his father’s rules, Geoff borrows one of his Dad’s books to wish for help, despite believing the magic won’t work. Of course, magic, like creating art and sharing it with the world, never goes quite as one plans, and Geoff’s dabbling in both results in unexpected consequences, connections, and surprises, prompting a mad comic scramble to set the world back—but not sacrifice his enticing new relationship with Corinne.
Corley keeps the story brisk, funny, and poignant, though his creativity and wit cannot be contained to one medium. The author of well-received YA titles like Space Throne is also a songwriter who has recorded for over two decades years with The Mars McClanes, a Portland rock band. Their song “GILM!” inspired the novel and will share a release date—and, with luck, won’t throw existence into chaos.
Takeaway: A teen songwriter’s wish leads to comic chaos in his new school.
Comparable Titles: Sarah Gailey’s When We Were Magic, Melissa Walker's Let’s Pretend We Never Met.
Production grades
Cover: A
Design and typography: A
Illustrations: N/A
Editing: A
Marketing copy: A
The title poem asks what sort of housekeepers modern people are, noting that “Greed is the root of evil yet it keeps us alive”. Despite this awareness that unrestrained consumerism “can’t go on like this;” Whitacre (author of The Elk in the Glade) acknowledges that, in truth, “this is all we have.” “War&Peace@Target” also examines this self-aware paralysis of humanity in the face of the destruction of our planet, juxtaposing notes on a shopping spree with haiku-like italic verses that illustrate the consequences of our addiction to buying things (“songbirds fall to the earth”). Whitacre continually finds resonance in the metaphor of housekeeping, and each poem sews a new layer to the tapestry of variations on home as a place, mindset, identity, and fantasy.
Alongside Whitacre’s exploration of consumer culture are gentler poems that portray a domestic idealism, as in “Mother’s Chair,” “The Foldout Couch,” and the moving “Narcissi, We Drown in Our Own Eyes.” In the latter, a compendium of declarations of love, he writes “I love you like an old oven crusty with drippings / of the problems we braised, oozing with radiance.” Though blunt about the ways human life has been warped by technology and waste, Whitacre’s poems also highlight another force, besides greed, that has long given life meaning: the impulse to love and be loved. In Whitacre’s collection, all of it, the horrors and the joys, exist simultaneously.
Takeaway: Urgent, moving poems about home, consumerism, and love.
Comparable Titles: Frank Bidart, Mark Wunderlich.
Production grades
Cover: A-
Design and typography: A
Illustrations: N/A
Editing: A
Marketing copy: A