Agarwal’s inviting book for young children encourages curious kids to explore simple natural wonders. The story introduces Ria and Vik, two best friends who become enchanted when they hear the sound of the wind in the leaves while on a picnic with their families. They walk to a grove of tall trees where “the wind was blowing fiercely, making the leaves rustle and dance.” To the kids the blustery day sounds like music. When they tell their teacher about their experience, she explains the science behind how the wind makes sounds and shows them how to use everyday items to build their own wind chimes, which they proudly hang outside their classroom door.

In a world dominated by technology and gadgets, this book’s suggestion that kids interact with the natural world around them feels refreshingly simple and enticing. When Ria points out that the leaves look like they’re dancing, Vik responds, “You’re right. It’s so cool!” His enthusiasm will inspire kids to see what is interesting about their own outdoor spaces. The wind chimes are also delightful, using sticks and common items such as buttons, seashells, and bells to create a beautiful, interactive work of art. Kids will be able to do a similar project at home with minimal help from an adult, which will allow them to feel empowered while making their own windy-day music.

Nia Kurniawati’s vibrant illustrations mostly show dark-haired Ria and blonde Vik playing together, first standing in awe gazing up at the treetops and then excitedly working with their friendly, smiling teacher to make their chimes. The pictures also show the magical chimes hanging amid a backdrop of flowering bushes and a bright blue sky. Most importantly, the kids’ joy in learning how wind can make music will allow young readers to imagine how they might find pleasure in similar discoveries.

Takeaway: Heartwarming story encouraging kids to explore simple natural wonders.

Comparable Titles: Cale Atkinson's Explorers of the Wild, Grahame Baker-Smith's Rhythm of the Rain.

Production grades
Cover: B
Design and typography: A
Illustrations: B
Editing: A
Marketing copy: A-

Click here for more about Ria and Vik's Explorations The Sounds of Nature (TOBschool Books)

After being scammed out of $500 and a date by "a Las Vegas con artist,” the protagonist of this surprising philosophical and allegorical novel, Devens’ fiction debut, falls into a state of depression, fueled by rage and hate. Then George Sistern begins to see therapist Mildred Markowitz, who imparts valuable life lessons and wisdom unto him through their sessions, changing George’s perspective on life and the ways he interacts with people going forward, while discussing, in impassioned and wide-ranging colloquies, religion, morals, practical steps for moving past depression, the urgency of understanding both psychology and philosophy, and the complicated ideals and gray areas of right and wrong/good vs. evil. With heavy themes of self-awareness, self-assurance, and self-love,Dialogues with the Wise Woman is a heart-warming journey into self-discovery and the kindness of those around us.

"[T]he more self-esteem a person has, the less likely they are to make such errors of judgment," Mildred tells George, and Devens artfully crafts the characters and story to be both lifelike and to demonstrate that truth. Upon beginning his sessions with Mildred, George finds community amongst an eccentric group of characters. When George befriends Tony Blangiardo, Tony promises to help George get his money back from the Vegas scammer, but more urgent is how George must continue to do the work to eradicate the parts of himself that allowed him to be taken advantage of in the first place.

The protagonist, George, is an artist (a pianist) seeking love and companionship, which he finds in the most unlikely places as he opens himself up to the people around him. Devens keeps the sessions unpredictable, as the conversations touch on a host of issues like the ethics of revenge, the role of rats and vermin in creation, how “most of the pain that results from the consequences of our mistakes is self-imposed.” This is a unique, thought-provoking portrait of a character, a therapy relationship, and what it means to be human.

Takeaway: Healing discussions between a therapist and a man facing depression.

Comparable Titles: Alex Korb’s The Upward Spiral, Martha Beck’s Diana, Herself.

Production grades
Cover: A-
Design and typography: A
Illustrations: N/A
Editing: A
Marketing copy: A

Click here for more about Dialogues with the Wise Woman

“I consider myself a senior who likes to stay active and healthy,” Miller notes in the introduction of her inspiring nonfiction debut, which functions as an accessible, beginner exercise guide for seniors who want to improve their balance to prevent falls and injuries. What sets Miller’s guide apart is that she leads by example. As a senior herself, she understands the limitations that may prevent people from pursuing an exercise routine—but she’s adamant throughout that “it is never too late to start exercising.” Acknowledging that it might feel intimidating to begin, Miller’s guide demonstrates how to remove the fear from the experience by crafting exercises and a routine that serves the needs of people across the mobility spectrum.

A majority of exercises featured are performed from a seated position, and Miller includes easy modifications that lower or increase the difficulty, like opting for fewer reps or incorporating hand weights. Starting with the feet and moving up the body to the head, Miller’s routines target all the major areas that require strength and flexibility to maintain balance, and though it may seem overwhelmingly comprehensive at first, the author outlines helpful, practical ways to fit healthy movement into any life, such as how to structure an exercise routine into increments of 30 minutes per day. Along with detailed instructions of individual exercises, Miller also includes helpful, clear illustrations that assist readers in perfecting their form.

Beyond its practical uses, Miller’s guide also serves to educate readers about “how the many parts of our bodies interweave with each other to play a combined and crucial role in helping us balance.” For example, in Chapter 10, Miller includes a brief but detailed explanation of how arm-swinging affects walking efficiency, while in Chapter 8, she discusses the role of core strength in preventing back pain. Senior readers seeking a true beginner’s guide to improve balance and maintain independence will find all they need and more in Miller’s inviting guide.

Takeaway: Inviting exercise guide for seniors or anyone facing balance issues.

Comparable Titles: Carol Clements’s Better Balance for Life, Cindy Brehse and Tami Brehse Dzenitis’s 5-Minute Core Exercises for Seniors.

Production grades
Cover: A
Design and typography: A
Illustrations: N/A
Editing: A-
Marketing copy: A

Click here for more about Beginner Balance Workouts for Seniors, Volume 1

In this touching memoir, LaPera reflects on her father's struggles with mental illness after a bout with cancer. Readers are immersed into LaPera's firsthand account of the effects mental illness has not only on the diagnosed individual but all those who love him. Joseph's diagnosis of paranoid schizophrenia is “only the beginning” of the “hell” that LaPera shares, as her father refuses care, insists people are following him, embraces messianic faith, and makes several attempts at ending his own life, all as LaPera and other family members feel powerless to help. Written with compassion, emotion, and insight, LaPera tells her father's story as only someone with first hand knowledge of witnessing the life-altering effects of mental illness can, all with a hard-won emphasis on healing and hope.

“Something bad is going to happen,” Joseph said to his wife, Hilda, in October, 1996. That proved a self-fulfilling prophecy as life as he knew it seemingly changed overnight. LaPera recounts during the early stages before diagnosis her father began to act differently—talking to himself, believing family was plotting against him, and more. After multiple stays in a mental facility, Joseph's psychosis prompted him to leave his family behind and embark on a 30-country journey, believing himself a "prophet of God.” He limited his communication to phone calls, postcards, emails, and Bible verses for years at a time.

“If my family had understood anosognosia and the positive and negative symptoms of schizophrenia, our story could have turned out very differently,” LaPera notes, and her gripping, touching account ensures that other families facing similar travails will know. Losing Dad pays homage to the father that LaPera once knew and also the one she had to learn to accept. It offers a visceral, often heart-rending portrait chronicle, with welcome attention paid to the rippling effects of mental illness. Readers will be emotionally affected by this story that contributes much that’s wise and healthy to the ongoing conversation.

Takeaway: Wise, emotional memoir about the devastating effects of mental illness.

Comparable Titles: Norah Vincent's Voluntary Madness, Roy Richard Grinker's Nobody's Normal.

Production grades
Cover: A-
Design and typography: A
Illustrations: N/A
Editing: A
Marketing copy: A

Click here for more about Losing Dad, Paranoid Schizophrenia

Nine-year-old Shah’s insightful book of poetry for young readers offers a fresh perspective on nature, home, and diversity that other children will find enjoyable and relatable. One of her favorite subjects is her family’s lakeside residence, where she artfully and invitingly observes the weather, the animals, and the changing seasons: “I see my breath in the air / The boats blow their horns./ My Big Blue mansion / Seagulls Squawking music to my ears. / This is where I belong.” She also writes passionately and with impressive maturity about the importance of promoting equity and inclusion, stating, “Your culture and your heritage define part of you but does not limit you.”

First and foremost, Shah’s poems are a sensory treat, clearly describing the sounds, smells, and textures that surround her—the cold wind stinging her cheeks in the fall, the scent of lavender on the breeze in the spring, the feeling of smooth blades of grass beneath her fingertips. She also demonstrates her compassion and preternatural wisdom through heartfelt verses that delve into more difficult subjects, such as the rapid passage of time and overcoming depression. In this way, these poems will encourage kids and adults to slow down and appreciate the world around them—and maybe open up about challenging feelings of their own.

Occasional repetition, as in the concluding stanza “The home / Home, Home / Home is Home,” suggest that perhaps these are best read aloud, though they also serve as a reminder that writing poetry need not be intimidating. The poems are lovingly illustrated by Shah’s grandfather, Nandkumar Parab. His colorful sketches effectively capture the essence of each verse: a poem about the power of being female is accompanied by a grinning, dark-haired girl about Shah’s age, and a verse celebrating a perfect day at the marina shows boats on the water with mountain peaks and seagulls in the background. Ultimately these poems written by a kid, for kids, will inspire other young people to look around, consider their own surroundings, and perhaps pick up their pens.

Takeaway: A nine-year-old’s poems on nature, home, and diversity.

Comparable Titles: Naomi Shihab Nye’s Salting the Ocean, Kwame Alexander’s How to Write a Poem.

Production grades
Cover: B+
Design and typography: B+
Illustrations: A
Editing: B
Marketing copy: A

Click here for more about POETRY FOR KIDS

In this compact account of seeing his own perceptions challenged, Edwards shares his personal home buying experience, his expectation that he would face discrimination as a Black homebuyer, and the surprising reality. Rather than a “Southern Fried nightmare,” he found his white realtor—whose pick-up truck boasted a Confederate flag sticker—to be inviting, professional, and above-and-beyond in his helpfulness. This inspired Edwards to want to create a conversation about “the Talk,” that “collective term referring to the many conversations between parents of color and their children about how to safely navigate racism in American society.” Edwards asks whether “the Talk” might engender excessive wariness—or even “unconscious racial bias”—that can lead people to judge too quickly or miss “unexpected blessings.”

Growing up in North Carolina, near the county known as “Klansville, USA,” Edwards was exposed to racism and "the talk" at an early age. Edwards explores how "the talk" is a rite of passage for young children of color at differing stages of their adolescence, ultimately concluding that its clarifying benefits outweigh his concerns. Edwards takes care not to diminish the realities of racism, and he emphasizes that he’s benefited greatly from “the talk,” calling it “effective but also important, necessary, and valuable.” Still, he calls for “self-honesty and vigilance” when it comes to making judgements, and he shares moments in his life when he has misjudged someone's character and intentions based on preconceived notions and biased judgements.

Filled with colorful illustrations and Edward's personal narration, Snap Judgment is a quick, thought-provoking read that argues “It’s way easier to recognize racial bias in others—but not so much within ourselves.” While the book never digs into why the realtor embraces the Stars and Bars, a symbol it’s reasonable to consider threatening, Edwards offers tips on ways to be mindful and compassionate, while calling for the “hard and fast rules of identifying racists, racism, and racial bias” to be re-evaluated.

Takeaway: Surprising consideration of “the Talk” about race—and avoiding bias

Comparable Titles: Monica Guzman's I Never Thought of it That Way, Tanya Kateri Hernandez's Racial Innocence

Production grades
Cover: A-
Design and typography: B+
Illustrations: B+
Editing: A
Marketing copy: A

Click here for more about SNAP JUDGMENT: Overcoming Racial Bias to Buy My First Home

Lovett (author of The River Nymph and more) again demonstrates her expertise in blending suspense with examinations of fraught relationships to this Georgia-Florida mystery of murder, abuse, an unfinished manuscript—and a woman trying to pick up the pieces of her life as a mom, wife, and friend. When Liberty’s alcoholic husband comes home the night before Thanksgiving and forgets to bring home a turkey, it’s the last straw for her—no more excuses, no more staying with him for the sake of their special needs daughter, Emmy. She tells Dallas, her husband, she’s leaving, and after he gives her a shiner on her eye, she and Emmy hit the road. Upset and exhausted, she seeks advice from her friend, Sam, a preacher at the church. But at his home, she faces another jolt: Sam is dead.

Lovett’s twisty plotting and brisk storytelling will keep readers on their toes, as Liberty now must add another item to her long list of challenges—find out who murdered Sam, while taking care of Emmy, determining what her next steps are in life, and trying to decide if she can trust and forgive Dallas. As she digs for the truth, she uncovers secrets, lies, violence, and genuine surprises that upend all expectations. Throughout, writing in swift but feeling-packed prose, Lovett demonstrates canny understanding of the moment-to-moment choices a woman like Liberty faces, the thriller elements never diminishing the tragic reality of abuse.

Lovett has made a name writing stories through the eyes of strong, complex female characters, something still too rare in this genre. A believable darkness lingers throughout, but Liberty’s strength and heart lighten it. Readers will cheer on Liberty as she makes hard decisions to figure out her own life’s path and what cut short her dear friend’s—who it turns out, she barely knew at all. Loves of emotionally-driven mysteries will find much to enjoy here.

Takeaway: Swift, emotional mystery of murder, abuse, and a woman finding her path.

Comparable Titles: Kimberly Belle’s Dear Wife, Rowan Coleman’s The Runaway Wife.

Production grades
Cover: B+
Design and typography: A
Illustrations: N/A
Editing: A-
Marketing copy: A

Click here for more about Things Left Undone

In this mind-adjusting second entry in her Mindset series, Cooney (author of Unlock the Mind of a Champion) centers faith, training negative thoughts, and habit building as essential tools to mastering just what the title suggests—one’s own mindset, which, Cooney argues, always “is going to drive your life.” Cooney makes the case that the only way to fix problems or negative feelings is to be aware of them, and that “avoiding, denying, and struggling” them means “the entire world passes you by, and nothing changes.” To that end, she shares a wealth of advice, data, and personal anecdotes, delving into the ways in which a negative mindset can derail progress, confidence, and growth through mental self-sabotage like "boomerang thoughts" and "limiting beliefs.” Unstick Your Mind is a resource guide on how to shift your mindset, stay positive, and succeed in life, whether one is “an entrepreneur, a professional, or a stay-at-home mother.”

With an approachable tone, clear action steps, and an emphasis on neuroscience, positive reinforcement, and the “alive and active” power of “God’s Word,” Cooney explores the ways in which readers can shift their mindsets through building healthy thought patterns and "go[ing] to God" when feeling oppressed. Unstick Your Mind implores anyone who feels stuck to allow themselves time, forgiveness, and grace to free themselves from their "stuck" story or past traumas, but also to dive deep into the healing process of letting go of past hurts that trigger negative thoughts or responses.

With ample self-reflection exercises, insight into how the brain works, and clarifying considerations of the difference between emotional and mental health, Cooney demystifies tangled thought processes and lays out a practical rebooting process for the brain. Readers of faith seeking motivation and the chance to get out of their own ways will especially respond to this compact, flexible guide to preparing “to do the work of getting unstuck.”

Takeaway: Potent, practical motivational guide blending faith and neuroscience.

Comparable Titles: Jackie Beere's Grow, James Clear's Atomic Habits.

Production grades
Cover: A-
Design and typography: A
Illustrations: N/A
Editing: A
Marketing copy: A

Click here for more about Unstick Your Mind

Chris Hamilton, a Virginia-based builder, seems to have his life on track, with an exciting new lover, Sophia, in this sequel to Tree of Redemption. But there are hints that all is not well: his recent past includes his "mysterious" father, a burned-out house and a treasure. Also, he's getting bizarre haiku poems that appear threatening. Then an otherwise good worker accuses Chris of betraying him. Then there's an ongoing problem with Hairfield Gess, a dishonest land developer, and the treasure is also leading to family squabbles. Meanwhile, Sophia's father, Garcia, who's also a partner in the treasure dispersal, is worried about the safety of his daughter. Slowly, Chris's life starts spiraling out of control.

Davidson is a master of the slow burn. He does an effective job of interspersing Chris's daily life in rural Virginia with the "dark side" of his life, centered on the treasure. We get a thorough introduction to Chris's large and often oddball family, such as his mother taking food to her soon-to-be-ex son-in-law since, as an artist, he couldn't take care of himself. Best of all is the growing romance with Sophia, described with tenderness. The large cast and complex plot will often prove challenging to keep up with for readers who haven't read the first book, but the setting and main characters are always engaging.

As the treasure plot gradually unspools, the book gets darker, with Chris's life becoming more complex and hints that something is very wrong here ramping up the tension. Davidson toys with readers’ expectations, leading us to believe that a seemingly inexplicable death is a tightly held secret, but then jolting us with the truth, all as greed threatens to tear the family apart and Chris comes ever closer to collapse. The resolution is a great surprise and perfectly plotted—a wonderful catharsis that will have readers cheering for Chris.

Takeaway: Sharply plotted thriller of family, treasure, and secrets.

Comparable Titles: K.P. Gresham, Reavis Z. Wortham.

Production grades
Cover: B+
Design and typography: A
Illustrations: N/A
Editing: A-
Marketing copy: A-

Click here for more about Snowfall in Virginia

McAvoy (The Galileo Gambit) spins an easygoing novel, seventh in his Vatican Secret Archives Thrillers series, that's as much a historical procedural mystery as it is a thriller surrounding clashing religious ideologies. The story follows a priest named Michael who travels to England with various friends in order to put the finishing touches on an exhibition of Vatican artifacts for the British Museum. However, a chance discovery at his friend Robbie's estate leads him and his friends into a series of riddles, mysteries, and conspiracies surrounding lost texts whose discovery would shake the foundations of Catholicism.

The texts center on the existence of a woman who, disguised as a man, was Pope during the 9th century. While this is a legend in real life, McAvoy presents it as true in the Vatican Secret Archives universe, as one of the key texts is the diary of Pope Joan herself, which reveals that her tenure ended after she gave birth to her son in public. Another text is the "lost" gospel of Saint Salome, which advocates for women having an equal role in the church. Michael, who struggles to keep his relationship with his investigative journalist friend Hana platonic in order to keep his vows, fully understands how much of a game-changer this could be. Opposing him is Lord Pelham, the head of a secret group devoted to suppressing this information. In a series of schemes involving murder, elaborate museum heists, car chases, sabotage, and other skullduggery, Michael and his associates race to outwit Lord Pelham and find a way to bring the books to public attention.

McAvoy's focus on what he imagines would be a message of greater inclusiveness and compassion is at the heart of the narrative. He spices this up with puzzles, action sequences, technological wizardry, and passionate self-discovery from a key villain. The result is a clever, uplifting, and detailed imagining of what could be regarding his historical legend.

Takeaway: Hopeful, fastidiously researched thriller of lost religious texts and secrets.

Comparable Titles: John Lyman’s God’s Lions series, John I. Rigoli and Diane Cummings’s The Mystery of Julia Episcopa.

Production grades
Cover: A-
Design and typography: A
Illustrations: N/A
Editing: A-
Marketing copy: B+

Click here for more about The Confessions of Pope Joan (Vatican Secret Archive Thrillers Book 7)

Blending the familiar with the allegorical and wholly unexpected, this polished fantasy of a doomed future Earth from O’Farrell (author of The Kingdom of Nought) finds four brave orphans receiving the divine gifts necessary to prepare for the approaching end times. Siblings Tyersel, Simon, and Clough alongside their friend Shifter, are baptized as the L’amie, the chosen ones, by an angelic woman and bearer of celestial endowments or gifts, Magdell, whose name translates to “Sacred Feminine.” As their planet faces its imminent death, a time when “fire and water, earth and sky, light and darkness, time and gravity will become Korb” (or “singular”), the L’amie come face-to-face with a variety of nefarious foes including a vampiric witch, militant police, and a power-hungry king. Armed with surprising new abilities and gear, the L’amie must carry out an urgent but surprising mission before humanity becomes extinct.

Their goal: not to prevent the apocalypse but to help usher the faithful into the peaceful and welcoming void when the event occurs. O’Farrell uses religious allegory to tell a story about faith, friendship, and family in a world shattered after atomic wars and a “silent phase,” a period when humanity could no longer hear the guidance of the “silent one.” The children bring renewed hope to humanity that the “silent one” has not abandoned humankind. O’Farrell explores other surprising elements, like the survival of some Earthly tech (an “IBM orb”) and artifacts (the Holy Grail itself), and the dichotomy between the Inner City, a technology-rich haven for the wealthy, and the desolate Outer Zone, which leads to tension between the rich and poor.

O’Farrell comments on the relationship between science and faith and the importance of family and friendship. He also provides a glossary as a reference to help readers navigate the new angelic language spoken by the L’amie. Readers looking for intriguing religious allegory, expansive worldbuilding, and inventive takes on fantasy archetypes will enjoy this tale.

Takeaway: Epic fantasy blending allegory, surprise, and chosen-one tradition.

Comparable Titles: Andrew Peterson’s On the Edge of the Dark Sea of Darkness, Donita K. Paul’s Dragon Keepers Chronicles.

Production grades
Cover: A
Design and typography: A
Illustrations: N/A
Editing: A-
Marketing copy: B

Click here for more about Decede's Dream

Cromwell’s debut tells the story of her career as a correctional officer, walking the “toughest beat in the state”: in men’s prisons for twenty-one years. As a Black single mother, she wanted to provide well in a stable career for her daughter and she grew tough and committed in the job as she advanced in her career, from going through the Academy and starting as a Correctional Officer at California State Prison in Los Angeles County, to where she ended her career, as a Healthcare Captain at the Chino Institution for Men. She describes physically and emotionally draining work, being on guard for challenges from both inmates and betrayals from her fellow correctional officers.

Cromwell’s story provides valuable insights into prison life for everyone, specifically details of the work of correctional officers. She doesn’t assume that the reader has existing context but spells out definitions, including a helpful glossary. Photos of Cromwell and the places she worked through her career also help humanize her and her coworkers. As her story continues, the reader begins to feel the stress and emotional exhaustion rising in themselves as well, making her desire to retire very relatable. She is rightfully proud of her career, advancing up the prison hierarchy and building a secure life for herself and her daughter.

Through her years working in prisons, Cromwell faced challenges of many types, and Time Served is a compelling record of how she overcame them. She took on difficult jobs, opted for more responsibility, tried to be fair to those she managed and to inmates. Even though she felt disrespected and physically overmatched at times, she built a strong emotional armor to keep doing her job. Her story is an inspiration: as a Black woman in a field without many role models, she succeeded and built a community for other women to follow. Readers interested in California prisons from the perspective of a correctional officer will appreciate this memoir of one Black woman’s career.

Takeaway: Gripping memoir of life as corrections officer in California prisons.

Comparable Titles: George Gregory’s Alcatraz Screw, Ronnie Thompson’s Screwed.

Production grades
Cover: A-
Design and typography: A
Illustrations: B
Editing: B+
Marketing copy: A

Click here for more about Time Served

“Our Chenda is dead. His body is under the bridge." So declares a resident of a village in Kerala, an Indian state sometimes described as “God’s own country,” near the start of this tragic tale of a young Indian musician in the 1960s with a dream of playing at Carnegie Hall. In an effort to connect with someone with the pull to help him secure an American visa, Chenda partners up with a local medicine store manager, Vijayan, and becomes his manager in a campaign to become a Member of the Legislative Assembly, with the proviso that Vijayan, if elected, will help Chenda get to America. But Chenda and Vijayan both realize they are in over their heads when their bid catches the attention of the powers that be, including the district president, who demands payment. With this threat and impoverished communities of Kerala backing them, Chenda and Vijayan decide to run under a new party, the People’s Power Party.

With the hopes of impacting not only their situations, but the community’s, the two embark on this political journey, but readers know from the opening pages what the protagonists only suspect: politics can be a deadly business. Rich with insight, feeling, and playful wit, Tears in God's Own Country is a heart-breaking story of unfulfilled dreams, colorism, politics, status, and hard choices, set in a town that had long “celebrated all religious festivals as one people, which made Chenda smile and play the kettledrum every day” but now faces sectarian violence. Anthony shines at memorable characterization and a fast-moving plot. Through Chenda's life and story, a touching exploration of what one person will dare to better his lot and help his village, readers are immersed in local history, politics, and economic standards.

Knowing Chenda’s fate creates suspense, while Anthony still crafts unexpected plot twists and betrayal. Fans of politically charged historical fiction and contemporary works rich in cultural narratives will find this captivating.

Takeaway: Emotionally charged tragedy of Indian politics and village life.

Comparable Titles: Manoranjan Byapari; Annie Zaidi’s Prelude to a Riot.

Production grades
Cover: B+
Design and typography: A
Illustrations: N/A
Editing: A
Marketing copy: A-

Click here for more about Tears in God's Own Country

Humorist and author Keillor (Serenity at 70, Gaiety at 80) delves into the different faces of positivity and “the great American virtue” of cheerfulness in this playful and resolutely upbeat offering. Though lighthearted, this spirited celebration of a sunny disposition takes on monumental issues, albeit in a jaunty, tongue-in-cheek way; Keillor, that self-described “writer of homely tropes and truisms,” juxtaposes the everyday mechanics of being 80 years old with a sobering look at what his future may hold. Dead-serious themes of aging and death pop up throughout, but Keillor plumbs them for humor and insight in his customary style, an approach that will of course please A Prairie Home Companion devotees but also buoy the spirits of readers who feast on wordplay, witticism, and squeezing the best out of life.

Cheerfulness saunters through Keillor’s daily routines and sifts through past recollections, even those that bring pain with the remembering. He touches on the fallout from Minnesota Public Radio cutting ties with him in 2018—it was “oddly liberating to be canceled,” in his words—and recalls the death by suicide as an adult of a childhood girlfriend, a tragedy that still leaves him breathless. His willingness to examine aging under the microscope is laudable, as he explores the feelings of obscurity that come with growing older and especially the change in status that comes with aging in America (once you’re past 70, he writes, you become ”a waste of good shelf space”).

But, as the title suggests, good cheer prevails. The more touching moments involve Keillor’s deep devotion to his wife and his musings on the lucky breaks he’s had throughout life—including the wonders of modern medicine that have gifted him longevity in spite of an inherited heart condition. His gratitude is often expressed through his spirituality, and his desire for meaning in his later years is palpable, as is his encouragement to fully embrace life. In his own words, “You’ll never get a life if you wait until you’re ready.”

Takeaway: Upbeat but clear-eyed look at aging and gratitude, with tongue in cheek.

Comparable Titles: Michael Kinsley’s Old Age, Jamie Varon’s Radically Content.

Production grades
Cover: B+
Design and typography: A
Illustrations: N/A
Editing: A
Marketing copy: A

Click here for more about Cheerfulness

This deeply humane autobiographical novel from Sen (author of America in the Year 2048 and Other Stories) chronicles the life of a young man, also called Sen, beginning with his Bengali family’s forced exodus from eastern Pakistan to Calcutta, India, amid the “Hindu-Muslim carnage” of the infamous Partition, and traces his relocation, marriage, and adoption of a daughter in the United States some 25 years later. Along the way he and those he loves face unfathomable loss from sectarian gangs out to kill Hindu families, but Sen also seizes opportunity, securing a visa to the U.S. to continue his study of botany. The Sen depicted here is a bright young man with close ties to the family he reluctantly leaves behind, and his steady, touching introspection drives the book as he matures from a promising student to a successful teacher to a thoughtful husband and father. Still, what he’s left behind is never far from his mind.

The result is an honest portrait of a scientist as a young man—and what it took to survive and thrive when “Blood painted its grotesque marks on streets, communities and lives of many families because of religious differences.” Despite the ups and downs of his personal odyssey, Sen spends a considerable amount of time thinking about the fate of his people in India as well as others who suffered unnecessary and unimaginable cruelties. His time in Europe and his first stateside landlord’s stories of the segregated south, the Great Depression, and World War II, further deepens Sen’s sense of humanity.

Those experiences deepen Sen’s sense of humanity, so much so that he endeavors to write stories of the oppression faced by Black Americans. In the novel’s romantic episodes, narrated by the characters with “with admiration, fascination and amorous lust,” the conversation tends toward the poetic but also the curiously clinical. Still, as he faces atrocity and the loneliness of starting anew, Sen’s empathy and compassion shine through, forged in tragedy.

Takeaway: Touching novel of Partition, immigration, and thriving in a world of violence.

Comparable Titles: Anjali Enjeti’s The Parted Earth, Rakesh Satyal’s No One Can Pronounce My Name.

Production grades
Cover: A-
Design and typography: A
Illustrations: N/A
Editing: A-
Marketing copy: A-

Click here for more about Innocence

This inviting one-volume history of the United States, from pre-history to the probable 2024 presidential election matchup, has been crafted to illuminate the nation’s past and present for its newest arrivals. “Many scratch their heads over the lack of universal healthcare, the costs of college tuition, home prices and sales tax,” writes Serocold, also noting the tendency for discussions with Americans about “politics, gun control, abortion, immigration, and race relations” to quickly grow heated. Serocold’s history, written in direct and conversational language, illuminates the roots of these features and flashpoints of American life while touring readers through a brisk, to-the-point, era-by-era summation of its development over centuries.

Accessible but nuanced, Serocold’s history proves admirably thorough as it sweeps from early settlement to colonial life to revolution, expansion, and Americans’ wars against indigenous peoples and each other. Serocold honors the history while often placing emphasis on the practical, offering charts showing American place names derived from the languages of various groups of settlers, and demonstrating connections between key examples of perennial American tensions—between federal and state power; innovation and religious fundamentalism; a founding principle of equality and the reality of prejudice—to readers’ contemporary experience. A discussion of the Populist Party notes, with amusing understatement, “Bernie Sanders and Donald Trump have both been labeled populists despite standing for very different things.”

Serocold’s guiding impulse when surveying this complex and often still-contested history is resonance: what do readers need to know to understand the nation’s present? That’s not to say this history is streamlined, as he describes, often with excitement, many individual battles of America’s wars, the ethos and accomplishments of the presidents, romantic myths of the West, the logic behind the electoral college, the roots of “American Exceptionalism” in Puritan preaching, and countless other data points that reveal how life in the United States became what it currently is, right up to Billy Beer, waning religious affiliation, and the January 6 insurrection.

Takeaway: Accessible, illuminating one-volume history of the U.S. for new arrivals.

Comparable Titles: Scholastic's Guide to Civics, Roya Hakakian’s A Beginner's Guide to America.

Production grades
Cover: A-
Design and typography: A
Illustrations: N/A
Editing: A
Marketing copy: A

Click here for more about A History of the United States for Newcomers