Langley delves thoughtfully into the tragic issue of how missing indigenous women are often ignored by authorities as well as the ways in which indigenous people in America face survival in a culture attempting to erase them. The scenes of April in captivity with her torturer border will be too graphic for many readers, but Langley endows her with a lot of agency, especially as she endeavors to escape. A subplot involving another missing indigenous woman underscores the variety of circumstances that can lead to these crimes, yet, plotwise is somewhat tangential.
Langley’s resolution is satisfying, if a little pat, but he succeeds in slowly, organically leading Nakai–and attentive readers–to the killer, while vividly sketching relationships, cultures, and Santa Fe and its surroundings. Readers will appreciate that the morally vacant villains get their comeuppance, given the explicitly detailed nature of their crimes, and Langley never loses sight of the humanity of his protagonists, ensuring that this sometimes brutal story’s sensationalist elements never overshadow its moments of inspiration. Crime mystery fans will enjoy piecing together the puzzle, but the tragic details of indigenous women going missing give it power.
Takeaway: Detective fans will enjoy this thriller that powerfully depicts the crisis of abducted indigenous women.
Great for fans of: Louise Erdrich’s The Round House, Dana Stabenow’s A Cold Day for Murder.
Production grades
Cover: A
Design and typography: A
Illustrations: N/A
Editing: B+
Marketing copy: B
Refreshingly, Lindberg endeavors to reconcile science and religion rather than insist that one invalidates the other. Some of Lindberg’s evidence is familiar, as he marvels at the irreducible complexity of the human brain or eye, the “complexity and orderliness” of laws of physics and chemistry, and draws on physicist Paul Davies’s argument that “Life is not haphazard complexity, it is organized.” Lindberg embraces Davies’s idea that “there is a universal ancestor or microbe for all human, animal, and plant life” but rejects his and Stephen Jay Gould’s contention, shared by many scientists, that life and all its systems are some kind of happy accident. Instead of “growth by chance,” Lindberg sees human development and history as a story of “undeniable, directed progress."
While Lindberg’s arguments at times overlap with Intelligent Design, whose proponents often sought to disprove prevailing scientific theories, God’s Existence ultimately approaches divisions between science and religion with humility, acknowledging all that we don’t know while pressing the case that one truth unites all that we do: “Laws cannot create themselves,” he writes. “There must be a source, a creator.” Readers looking to balance belief and the scientific method will find some engaging original reasoning here.
Takeaway: This attempt to answer the biggest question facing humanity finds welcome common ground between science and religion.
Great for fans of: Steven R. Hemler’s The Reality of God, Stephen C. Meyer’s The Return of the God Hypothesis.
Production grades
Cover: B+
Design and typography: A
Illustrations: B
Editing: A
Marketing copy: A
Though she favors academic research, drawing on peer-reviewed data to make her case for achieving happiness, her prose is often conversational and informal, her tone that of a assured, reflective friend or coach as she acknowledges truths like “Granted, some days it may feel like we are bailing the ocean, but it doesn’t mean we should stop trying.” The research is admirably wide-ranging, and it lends welcome persuasive weight to her clear-eyed, practical advice (“Want to be more empathetic? Read fiction”) about changing a mindset, expectations, and how starting with simple, easy changes can make a big difference in one’s life.
As she blends memoir with self-help, Schmidt discusses elements of her and her loved ones’ lives–experiences from work and childhood–that have taught her about happiness. Throughout, she revealed herself as insightful and funny, charming and wise, qualities that, along with the rigor of her presentation of research, ensure The Happy Clam stands out from the pack of self-help books on happiness. She is realistic and positive in the same breath, illuminating how “elusive happiness” can seem attainable to readers.
Takeaway: A quick, thorough, inviting self-help book on ways to seek, find, and maintain happiness in adulthood.
Great for fans of: Sonja Lyubomirsky’s The How of Happiness, Meik Wiking’s The Little Book of Hygge.
Production grades
Cover: A-
Design and typography: A
Illustrations: N/A
Editing: A
Marketing copy: B+
Tanchanco is a captivating writer, and his research into each medical discovery is thorough but always presented with vivid, polished storytelling that will engage readers from the start. Fans of medical history will find these stories highly compelling; each chapter can be consumed individually, despite their chronological order. Some may wish for a more conclusive ending, as the final chapter comes to an abrupt close, and readers from outside the field or not steeped in medical history may find the material occasionally challenging, though Tanchanco is careful to present his stories and their impact in inviting, direct prose and with journalistic scenecraft.
The focus in this carefully researched work is on the patients and their doctors rather than the ailments themselves, a unique and often overlooked perspective in the field of medicine. He’s attentive to the cultural and scientific context of each story, illuminating in one chapter the political and media realities of early AIDS treatments and in another how a 1957 Minneapolis blackout led to innovation in pacemakers. Tanchanco’s overall tone is that of gratitude and astonishment as he dramatizes these strides forward, probing the ordeal of real people caught in unique, harrowing circumstances.
Takeaway: An engaging history of the patients and doctors who ushered in groundbreaking medical treatments.
Great for fans of: Roy Porter’s The Greatest Benefit to Mankind, Lydia Kang and Nate Pedersen’s Patient Zero: A Curious History of the World's Worst Diseases.
Production grades
Cover: B+
Design and typography: A
Illustrations: A
Editing: A
Marketing copy: A
Datta’s ambitious story is hard to pin down to a single genre, given its persistent theme of love connections fused to the central concerns of time travel and artificial intelligence. While some sci-fi diehards may be disappointed by the numerous romantic sidetracks, Datta’s wide-ranging interests set the novel apart from the pack—the thrilling plot is as expansive as it is gripping, swinging from complex deconstructions of science and technology to literary musings on language and intricate references to classical music.
There are times when this expansiveness is overwhelming, inundating readers with excessive details, especially as that circuitous plot goes down intriguing—and occasionally inscrutable—rabbit holes, such as two-way consciousness transfers between humans and machines alongside detailed descriptions of hand watches and time fixers. In spite of this, Datta’s first Time Corrector novel succeeds in holding adventurous readers in thrall with a fast-paced storyline, a strong narrative voice, and polished prose that often is touched with beauty. Lovers of love stories and science fiction with literary ambition will enjoy this engrossing–at times challenging–read that delivers a welcome balance of both.
Takeaway: An expansive, genre-bending story for readers craving romance combined with gripping sci-fi.
Great for fans of: Audrey Niffenegger’s The Time Traveler's Wife, Jack Finney’s Time and Again.
Production grades
Cover: B+
Design and typography: A
Illustrations: N/A
Editing: A
Marketing copy: B
As a comedian, Rockowitz deftly incorporates humor into his story, illuminating the need to appreciate small moments and emphasizing how to keep going against all odds—a sentiment best stated by Rockowitz’s father: “Tomorrow may not be better but it will be different. And different is the only path to better.” Though this is a challenging emotional read, it ably depicts that you can’t always face a battle with grace and dignity, allowing for humor and compassion as substitutes.
Still, readers should be prepared to be unbalanced by this poignant but painful memoir, as Rockowitz recounts his excruciating journey, at times digging deep into his own past. The flashbacks to Rockowitz’s childhood camp experience are both raw and disconcerting, though some readers may find them only tangentially connected to the primary storyline, despite his powerful evocation of “the tumors that were sewn into my heart at camp that summer.” Still, Cotton Teeth proves resonant, especially as cancer tightens the bond between father and son, and Rockowitz reflects on what really matters. Rockowitz closes with moving words for anyone whose life has been touched by such diagnoses: “Here as I am. Brittle fists up and ready.”
Takeaway: Cancer tightens the bond between father and son in this memoir that reflects on what really matters.
Great for fans of: Daniel Mendelsohn’s An Odyssey, Suleika Jaouad’s Between Two Kingdoms: A Memoir of a Life Interrupted.
Production grades
Cover: B
Design and typography: B
Illustrations: N/A
Editing: A
Marketing copy: A
Wright avoids sensationalism when detailing the crimes of Eddie’s victims and Eddie’s own troubled past. The accounts of his murder spree share some gory specifics, but in general, Wright leaves much to the imagination. Despite the slim action and sparse descriptions, there is something almost cinematic in this telling, a power that will keep readers fixated on the story and the gaps Eddie intentionally side steps. Leif’s nightmares are especially effective because they offer sensory details lacking in most other scenes. The comparisons that Leif makes to capture Eddie’s allure (Hitler and Dracula, notably) telegraph his disturbing appeal alongside his disarming friendliness and insistent, rigid moral code. Eddie’s religious justifications (he claims he’s never hurt a human being, only “demons”), receive just enough content to be understood without overwhelming the other elements.
Psychological thriller fans will be caught up from the beginning. Particularly arresting is the use of trial notes to flesh out facts and explain surprising actions, as well as the possibilities of Eddie’s background, including the possibility of sexual abuse victimhood. The final day of interviews takes a surreal, chilling turn, and though the finale veers into conspiracy-theory territory, the buildup makes it all seem surprisingly plausible. Fans of dissecting crime will enjoy unwrapping this descent into a deluded man’s convictions.
Takeaway: This psychological thriller’s uncanny elements and blended formats create a chilling image of a murderer and his deadly appeal.
Great for fans of: Brian Evenson, Joyce Carol Oates’s Zombie.
Production grades
Cover: A
Design and typography: B+
Illustrations: N/A
Editing: A
Marketing copy: A-
Lindalouise draws on science to illuminate Cletus’s journey in this educational treat. The surprisingly well-informed Leonardo and Oceana explain how baby loggerhead turtles head to the Sargasso Sea where, protected by swirling currents and underwater vegetation, they grow from tiny hatchlings into majestic creatures weighing hundreds of pounds. Cletus takes in this information while learning of his own vulnerability. Lindalouise deftly frames his future as both a distant promise and the impetus for immediate action, giving young readers a preview of long-range thinking while igniting their sense of urgency to protect wildlife.
Kerrie Robertson’s illustrations are beautifully striking, combining the cartoony quality of Cletus and his friends with sparkling sand, wispy and windblown plant life, and textured water that seems to be in constant motion. In one of the most effective drawings, Cletus realizes that predators are more plentiful than friends, as seagulls gather over the water and a fox and raccoon hide in the nearby grass. With heart-pounding immediacy and an awareness of far-reaching consequences, Cletus and his adventure offer assurance to young readers commencing their own journeys that perilous problems can be solved with understanding, cooperation, and resolve.
Takeaway: A rebellious loggerhead turtle tries to beat the survival odds in this immersive, informative tale.
Great for fans of: sabel Müller’s The Green Sea Turtle, Nicola Davies’s One Tiny Turtle, Philippe Cousteau and Deborah Hopkinson’s Follow the Moon Home.
Production grades
Cover: A
Design and typography: B
Illustrations: A
Editing: B
Marketing copy: B
Briscoe’s appraisals of the changing library world will resonate with readers. “The modern library is not about knowledge as contained in books, but information retrieval, which is so much more efficient,” he writes. The three additional stories rounding out the collection are much shorter than his title work, but still insightful—similar to meditative vignettes. In “After You, Please,” a retired man takes stock of his life and contemplates his own mortality. As he is preparing to attend a 50th wedding anniversary celebration, the thought of dressing up fills him with existential dread: “He would need to buy a new suit, and that would be the one they would bury him in. How could he enjoy wearing it? Instead of fine feathers, it would feel like a shroud.”
With spare but impactful prose, Briscoe has crafted a gently provocative collection of stories that also functions as a love letter to literacy and libraries, whose admirable mission–as he puts it with characteristic incisive power– is nothing less than “to collect, organize, preserve, and make accessible the recorded knowledge of mankind.” In particular, Briscoe’s title novella will serve as a conversation starter for anyone who loves books and is interested in preserving the past.
Takeaway: Briscoe’s gripping stories explore the future of libraries in an increasingly digital age.
Great for fans of: Haruki Murakami’s Men Without Women, Tom Diamond’s The Academic Librarian in the Digital Age: Essays on Changing Roles and Responsibilities.
Production grades
Cover: B+
Design and typography: A
Illustrations: N/A
Editing: A
Marketing copy: B+
Stylish and polished, Brace’s literary thriller abounds in evocative description, crisp and engaging dialogue, and puzzles that it’s often a pleasure to tease out, from the clues embedded in the shocking film to those about Andromeda herself—her motives and her desires. As evidence burns up and goons dog her investigation, Andromeda chases leads across Europe, eventually becoming embroiled with that film’s director—a rising star about to debut an adaptation of Faust at Cannes.
For all the urgency of her case, the protagonist relishes her high-rolling investigation, driving Ferraris and Panteras and taking every opportunity to sunbathe. Her past is opaque, and her present an element of a puzzle around it: Who is she, exactly? Why does she readily agree to appear in a film from pornographer Cherry Falco? Is she being lured into the same traps that snared Margot, or is she—and the author—playing some clever game? A sense of playful unease suffuses the novel, as Brace toys with expectations, inviting readers to ask whether she’s a retrograde fantasy figure or just playing the part and in fact steps ahead of everyone.
Takeaway: This puzzle-rich literary mystery sends a journalist into the world of the global elite and perverse arthouse films.
Great for fans of: Paul Auster, Sara Gran’s Claire DeWitt and the City of the Dead.
Production grades
Cover: A-
Design and typography: A
Illustrations: N/A
Editing: A
Marketing copy: A-

Young readers will delight in Pengwee, who is lovably innocent as he tries to master the art of deep breathing. His first attempt at a “Superpower Breath” comes out with such power he nearly knocks over his mother, but it doesn’t take him long to learn the ropes, and soon he is able to defeat even seemingly insurmountable fears. The Ice Festival is also irresistible–a winter-themed extravaganza of carnival games, entertainment, and tempting penguin snacks, like the “imported fried smelt” or “whale blubber cones.” Alexandra Rusu’s whimsical watercolor illustrations add a dreamlike feel, with subtle lines and cool shades that match the story’s midwinter motif.
Nutley offers a sliver of suspense alongside the charm by embracing thrill rides that can be intimidating to so many kids. Once Pengwee learns to put his emotional calming talents to use, the Ice Monster is transformed in his eyes from terrifying to exhilarating–a concept notably important to Nutley, who is a certified meditation instructor with a fondness for teaching mindfulness to youth. Adult readers will appreciate the introduction to self-soothing, and this engaging story adeptly captures the intensity of childhood fears–and the skills to handle them.
Takeaway: A young penguin learns–and shows readers–how deep breathing can help overcome fears.
Great for fans of: Rachel Bright’s The Lion Inside, Gaia Cornwall’s Jabari Jumps.
Production grades
Cover: A-
Design and typography: A
Illustrations: A
Editing: A
Marketing copy: B
While attending a gathering of grandees out to stop another war at any cost, Chadwick meets and falls for Lady Melanie Fitzgibbon. Meanwhile, the British counter intelligence agents, led by Chadwick’s friend, Doug Larson, try to thwart the Germans, leading to an exciting cat-and-mouse game. Readers will be fascinated to learn about the early stages of the development of radar through Chadwick’s eyes. Though charming, his affair with Fitzgibbon could have proven more nuanced and resonant had his internal conflicts been more deeply explored. Likewise, more focus on the intriguing Penelope Pomeroy, her attraction to Chadwick, and her actions late in the narrative might have enriched the novel’s espionage elements and brought some diversity to its prevailing masculine perspective.
Forsyth’s deep knowledge of his subject matter, combined with his enthusiasm for flying, is evident throughout the novel, though for readers more interested in character than aviation history may find the abundance of detail slows the narrative pace. Still, despite some overcrowding, historical war fiction fans will be pleased, especially those fascinated by the high-flying lives of pilots.
Takeaway: This high-flying historical novel will please readers fascinated by aviation, fighter pilots, and World War II.
Great for fans of: Peter Townsend’s Duel of Eagles, Eric Brown’s Wings on My Sleeve, R. A. “Bob” Hoover’s Forever Flying.
Production grades
Cover: A-
Design and typography: A
Illustrations: N/A
Editing: A
Marketing copy: A
Tracy’s talents as a musician help her negotiate her world, and music lovers will appreciate the prominent role it plays within the story. Skipstone embeds a wide variety of references to both classical music and popular songs of the late 60s, enhanced by a suggested Spotify playlist, as well as the lyrics of the songs Tracy herself writes to express her anger, angst, longing, and love. Framed as an autobiography, Tracy’s passionate first-person narration vibrates with intense emotion and explicit detail, allowing readers to experience her fury, frustration, and excitement as she strives to live life on her own terms.
In her fight to live authentically, Tracy proves herself to be a protagonist ahead of her time, using casual profanity, wearing a “manguise” so she can be perceived as male, and aggressively confronting male characters who try to hold her back. Though her progressive attitudes towards politics, race, gender, and sexuality are more common in our time than they were in hers, readers will find this character’s revolutionary courage inspiring. Skipstone’s other main players are also well-developed–even those that serve as obstacles to Tracy’s progress. This story’s impassioned cry against repression will encourage readers to face their own challenges with strength and determination.
Takeaway: The inspiring and emotional story of a young lesbian’s journey toward wholeness in Texas in the 1960s.
Great for fans of: M-E Girard’s Girl Mans Up, Gabby Rivera’s Juliet Takes a Breath, Lauren Hough’s Leaving Isn’t the Hardest Thing.
Production grades
Cover: A
Design and typography: A
Illustrations: N/A
Editing: A
Marketing copy: A
Blending romance and science fiction with welcome humor, this polished and inventive meta-novel invites readers on an interactive journey, with the narrator explaining the physics of time travel in direct address. Perper and Cornog build a convincing world of worlds, and although these teaching moments’ discussions and hypotheticals might at times read like tangents, they ultimately help explicate an ever-moving plot with many twists and turns. Some readers may view the story itself as one big hypothetical from that narrator to illustrate principles of time travel, which is entertaining an original approach, though in the end the story proves to be something akin to a space-odyssey epic, set in paraverses rather than galaxies.
However, the focus on plot, metaphysics, and world building comes at a price: readers here for the paraverse-spanning love story may wish for deeper character exploration. Though the novel has a romance at its heart, Krylla and John’s love for each often seems more asserted than stirring––especially when stretching across so many paraverses. Still, lovers of twisty sci-fi with big ideas and a playful spirit will find plenty to enjoy.
Takeaway: A playful take on time travel and infinite paraverses for readers who like their SF touched with romance and humor.
Great for fans of: Amal El-Mohtar and Max Gladstone’s This is How You Lose the Time War , Charles Yu’s How to Live Safely in a Science Fictional Universe.
Production grades
Cover: A
Design and typography: A
Illustrations: N/A
Editing: A
Marketing copy: A
Complete with a furnished garage the gang dubs a “pass out room,” the Cape Henry House represents freedom from barracks life, and Bosner and co. party there—and in the nearby bars, restaurants, strip joints, and dance clubs, where minor trouble always awaits them. Bittick adeptly captures the feel of nights spinning out of control, of young mens’ edgy banter that can quickly explode into anger, of uncertain flirting and scarf-some-greasy-food mornings, and above all his sailors’ urgent camaraderie, as together they seek relief from their drudging days—and the likelihood of deployment—in nights whose wildness never quite disguises their innocence or, at times, loneliness.
The author served in the Navy himself, and the novel pulses with authentic details, not just about blow ups and beer pong. Bittick marvelously captures the niceties of washing helicopters or the annoyance of aviation mechanic Bosner realizing, while working in a gearbox assembly shaft, that his hands are covered in blood rather than the hydraulic fluid he expected. The novel’s rich characterization and scenecraft are engaging, but readers looking for page-turning plotting will find little in this evocation of a passing moment
Takeaway: This hard-partying slice-of-life powerfully evokes being young, enlisted, and not yet sure who you are.
Great for fans of: John "Chick" Donohue and J. T. Molloy’s The Greatest Beer Run Ever, Rosie Schaap’s Drinking With Men.
Production grades
Cover: A-
Design and typography: B
Illustrations: N/A
Editing: A-
Marketing copy: A

McGurk weaves a well-paced, suspenseful story rich with puzzling events, surprise turns, and an irresistible premise, all while always taking care to develop her characters, fleshing out the distinctive backgrounds that will make Bree and her three close roommates–Ruby, Dash, and Susie–relatable for thriller readers of all ages. There’s no shortage of action alongside the suspense, either: when Bree and her cohorts realize they’ve been tapped to become part of an intricate spy system controlled by the Secret Intelligence Service, they start a grueling training program that eventually drops them into the middle of political reconnaissance in Turkey, all under the guise of being elite nannies. When Bree’s mission goes south and lives are lost, she braces herself for the fallout–and in the process learns painful truths about her parents and her friends.
Readers who crave thrillers that keep them guessing, with doubts about who can be trusted at every turn, will delight in the hazards that Bree and her friends face. McGurk uses the straight-laced, old England nanny system to offset recklessly dangerous undercover work, and her skillful pacing will keep readers attentive–all the way to the cliffhanger ending. Backmatter includes Q&A with the author and a sneak peek into book two of this entertaining series.
Takeaway: A twisty thriller following undercover spies who pose as nannies, loaded with betrayal, action, and suspense.
Great for fans of: Jenetta Penner’s Configured, Jillian Dodd’s The Prince.
Production grades
Cover: A
Design and typography: A
Illustrations: N/A
Editing: A
Marketing copy: A