In this sixth outing in the Detective Hiroshi series, the Tokyo accountant/police officer and his team navigate multiple levels of fraud: low-level hoodlum Takuya, whose gang swindles the elderly; a daring scooter-riding thief; and a secretive criminal named Kurono with his own agenda. The various threads come together in a major plan to redevelop Tokyo. Meanwhile, Hiroshi's girlfriend Ayana is pregnant, and he wonders if he can be both a detective and family man. Takuya finds that even criminals can face a midlife crisis, as he mulls over his romance with restaurateur Misaki.

A wonderfully twisty plot holds readers' attention, but the greatest joy comes from the characters as police and criminals move toward personal and professional reckonings. Pronko deftly moves Hiroshi from crime solving to coping with the hormonal Ayana and her mother. Hiroshi also must work with his fellow detectives, such as the old-fashioned detective Takamatsu with a penchant for European clothes and Ishii, a female detective who is both progressive and traditional. Pronko likewise crafts criminals who prove just as well-limned, stirring reader sympathy for the criminal Takuya, and hope for his redemption rather than his capture. The subtly effective character development elevates the story far beyond the usual police procedural.

The best character may be Tokyo itself, which Pronko neatly introduces to Western readers, from old-fashioned ramen restaurants with their dingy charm to the skyscrapers homogenizing the city. Pronko does as good a job of taking us on a trip through Tokyo—and a sweet and mournful journey it is—as Simenon does through Inspector Maigret's Paris. He also suffuses the story with Japanese ritual and tradition. The overall effect is a book that operates on multiple levels—and is successful with each of them. The clever plot, engaging characters and haunting themes will stay with readers long after they read the last page.

Takeaway: Clever, haunting procedural with a resonant cast and a vivid Tokyo milieu.

Comparable Titles: Keigo Higashino; Georges Simenon.

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

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This illuminating biography of Amedeo Modigliani, the Italian painter and sculptor who died at age 35 with a reputation as a Cassanova-esque bad boy of fin-de-siècle art, urges a reconsideration of the artist’s life by emphasizing the reality of tuberculosis and what it’s like to live with a deadly diagnosis and a wrenching, tell-tale cough certain to prompt one’s ostracization in society. “To hide his cough, he invented for himself an almost hysterical laugh,” the sculptor Ossip Zadkine wrote. Colt, Emeritus Professor of Pulmonary Medicine at the University of California, bolsters such testimony with thorough examinations of tuberculosis, gonorrhea, and other diseases, over history and in Modigliani’s moment in Paris’s Montmartre district in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, making a compelling case that the artist’s consumption of alcohol and opioids was, at heart, a way to control his symptoms.

Modigliani contracted the disease in his youth—as his sister put it, “the doctor’s diagnosis held no hope”—and entered the world of Belle Epoque Paris at a time when, as Colt writes, “even kissing was to be avoided” due to contagion. Colt takes on the romanticized legend of Modigliani’s hedonism and substance abuse (“there is no hard evidence Modigliani spent his days in a drunken and drugged stupor”) without downplaying contemporary accounts of the artist’s “rowdy behavior.” The Modigliani that emerges in this telling is a relentlessly productive genius, given to muses and lovers, all too aware of his own mortality, an awareness heightened as war ravages Europe.

Colt balances extensive considerations of the history, treatment, and effects of Mycobacterium tuberculosis and other illnesses with considerations of Modigliani’s work that draw smartly from a host of sources, critics, and contemporaries. A chapter on nudes is incisive, as are exploration of the artist’s relationships with his lovers and friends. Also strong: his rich evocation of bohemian life and the Montmartre, the storytelling tinged with romance but never lost in it.

Takeaway: Myth-busting biography of Modigliani, with an emphasis on the tubercular life.

Comparable Titles: Meryle Secrest’s Modigliani: A Life, David S. Barnes’s The Making of a Social Disease.

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

Click here for more about Becoming Modigliani

What is it like to love someone in unbearable pain and to parent them through it? Yokas’s unflinching but generous and ultimately rousing memoir plumbs this question with uncommon insight, digging into generational trauma, self-harm, disordered eating, and above all else how to face loved ones’ painful mental health issues with understanding. Yokas recounts feeling unmoored in the aftermath of her mother’s death, an unexpected loss that hit as Yokas already was worried about her eighth-grade daughter, Faith, facing an adolescence of bullies and misery due to being slightly overweight—an adolescence like Yokas’s own. Soon, Faith begins to forego meals “I had to beg her to eat the broiled chicken breast and steamed broccoli dinner”) and, one evening, intentionally thunks her head against her bedframe while lamenting her size.

Determined to save her daughter but with no idea how to make that happen, Yokas navigates a medical system and society that consistently fails people in need, straining her relationship with the emotionally volatile Faith and also her husband, Theo. Meanwhile, despite wrenching scenes and an “emotional pendulum” that swung from “rage to despair, desperation to worry,” Yokas looks into her past to examine and understand the emotional scars handed down from her parents, finding the courage and wisdom to persevere—and to both give and receive compassion, love, and support. Ultimately, it’s only when Yokas begins the hard work of standing up to her own history of rejection, low self-esteem, and neglect that healing becomes possible, for both mother and daughter.

Sharing a raw, honest look at facing and enduring a history of trauma, Bloodlines shows that the road to recovery is paved with acceptance, hope, and love. Yokas’s story, told with power and warmth, will help parents who are navigating mental health crises understand that the chains that bind us up in narratives often were forged long before we were born—and that they can be broken.

Takeaway: A mother’s raw, hopeful account of a daughter’s disordered eating.

Comparable Titles: Harriet Brown’s Brave Girl Eating, Hadley Freeman’s Good Girls.

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

Click here for more about Bloodlines

An adorable young penguin overcomes stage fright and learns self-confidence in the second of Nutley’s Pengwee & Ruby picture book series. When the glacier’s Talent Show rolls around, Ruby—a fledgling penguin who marches to her own beat—declares she’s “nexcited,” a combo of nervous and excited, to her friend, Pengwee. Being nexcited is no small thing, either, as Ruby goes on to explain it makes her “body feel all jumbly wumbly” and causes her heart to beat too loudly—so loud, she’s worried she’ll be a flop on stage.

Pengwee, in true best friend fashion, coaxes the value of having an extra strong heart out of Ruby, building her up with chummy assurances that his heart does the same thing when he’s uneasy, and the two discover they have quite a lot in common, as Ruby announces her heart “hip-hops when I’m happy, sinks when I’m sad,” just like Pengwee’s heart “dances when I’m delighted [and] burrows when I’m bummed.” Pengwee helps build Ruby’s confidence to take the stage, and, sure enough, a familiar face in the crowd gives her the self-assurance she needs to steal the show. Rusu’s cheery hued illustrations evoke the frosty feel of glaciers against a brilliant blue sky, and Ruby and Pengwee’s expressive eyes shine as they navigate the ups and downs of self-esteem.

Younger readers will fall for the fun words and sounds Nutley introduces: Ruby dances the “Jiggly Wiggly” after her stellar performance and “joggly woggly[s]” to Pengwee for a celebratory hug, declaring her heart is “as big and warm as sunshine.” For musical-minded readers, Nutley collaborated with a songwriter to bring Ruby’s Talent Show song to life. This is a cool tale with a warm, fuzzy center.

Takeaway: Warm-hearted tale of a penguin who finds the courage to be herself.

Comparable Titles: Rachel Bright’s The Lion Inside, Jacqueline Woodson’s The Day You Begin.

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

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Making the case that heart disease is, in truth, “a disease of the arteries,” author and journalist Driscoll offers an illuminating guide to keeping arteries—and the bodies and brains they nourish —healthy. Driscoll offers a clear-eyed and helpful guide to heart and brain health, laying out a path to forestall “poor aging,” strokes, slowed down brains, vascular dementia, and more, with an emphasis on limiting clogging and other preventive measures for the life-threatening heart diseases that are "the leading cause of death both in the United States and worldwide.” Your Arteries covers how and why clogging occurs, early stage detection of cardiovascular diseases, and exciting new treatments featuring statin drug therapy.

"This book is designed to be an owner’s manual for your arteries," Driscoll writes, a claim born out by illustrations demystifying blood flow and plaque build-up and the presentation of eight healthy habits that can promote artery health such as eating better, being more active, and getting healthy sleep. Writing in crisp, clear sentences, Driscoll provides actionable advice and knowledge about atherosclerosis ("which literally means artery clogging"), strokes and dementia, and more, from the four diets recommended by cardiologists to the steps it takes to arrange for carotid artery ultrasound screening. The how-to advice for adopting healthy habits and taking charge of hearts (and arteries) is presented with a minimum of fuss, a wealth of clearly cited medical authorities, and a welcome focus on the bottom line: what readers can do now to add quality years to life.

In fact, the approach is highly practical, documenting the availability of screening for artery clogging across a host of health care systems and companies, with of-the-moment breakdowns of price, processes, and what to expect. Straight-forward and concise, Driscoll’s information is clearly organized and presented, and his case for proactive care, especially preventative screening as early as the age of 20, is quite literally heartening.

Takeaway: Practical guide to taking charge of artery and heart health.

Comparable Titles: Sian E. Harding's The Exquisite Machine, Gene McDougall's Unclog Your Arteries.

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

Click here for more about Your Arteries--An Owner's Manual

In this inviting and pragmatic guide, McClure and Wilde share a fresh way of thinking about innovation and launching new projects: ecosystem innovation. As business coaches and entrepreneurs themselves, they provide a helpful background in traditional means of innovation (optimization, waterfall, agile) and then demonstrate how taking a holistic view of the ecosystems in which “wicked problems” are embedded can help us in solving them. The authors urge readers to think of themselves as “choreographers”—that is, someone who “applies big-picture thinking, builds connections, and does some rule-breaking”—guiding a team’s disparate actors in accomplishing those “bigger things” of the title. Most helpfully, McClure and Wilde include a practical roadmap to implementing ecosystem innovation, from casting a bold vision to making sure that “everyone gets a pony” (that is, all the participants benefit).

McClure and Wilde pack Do Bigger Things with real-life examples of people using ecosystem innovation to tackle difficult social and business problems and reach for big opportunities: from AirBnB revolutionizing the hotel industry to providing education in refugee camps to COVID vaccination campaigns in Mexico. Together with clear diagrams, “ecosystem maps,” as they call them, these examples make the process of applying the lessons of the book clear and flexible. Although part of the planning process involves setting ethical guardrails, the ethical concerns raised by some of their examples, such as Uber, are not explored in depth.

This guide would serve a reader well who is facing a challenging problem, in business or in their community, and looking to solve it outside of the usual models for innovation. McClure and Wilde emphasize that some projects demand other models of innovation, such as big ones with well understood parameters (engineering innovation) or small projects with unknown restrictions (agile pilots), leaving ecosystem innovation for big, complex problems. Whether an experienced “choreographer,” or someone new to the field entirely, the guidance here will help any reader accomplish transformation in pursuit of their goals.

Takeaway: Clear, actionable guide to “ecosystem innovation” for facing challenging projects.

Comparable Titles: Jeff Sutherland’s The Art of Doing Twice the Work in Half the Time , Leah Kral’s Innovation for Social Change.

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

Click here for more about Do Bigger Things

In this riveting historical thriller, biblical archeologists, hired guns for the Russian mob, and the Vatican are scrambling to get their hands on the ancient relic of Saint Nicholas, purportedly a “manifestation of God’s majesty” believed to have uncanny healing powers. Maggie Shepherd and her mentor, Professor Sizel Bruscoli, are tasked with retrieving the relic for the Vatican as a peace offering to end a millennia-spanning conflict between the Eastern and Western Catholic Church. Maggie has faith, but Bruscoli is a skeptic who often “jumps on” Maggie for letting religion “interfere” with her work, though a surprise diagnosis and a series of dreams will test the professor’s certainty. Complicating matters: Maggie and her team aren’t the only ones on the chase. Malachi Popov is on a mission to recover the relic at the behest of a dying Russian mob boss, who believes it will heal him.

Kelly pens an intricate historical adventure that spans millennia as he weaves in factual details of Nicholas' life in historical flashbacks and exciting travelogue elements as Maggie and Malachi touch down in Rome, Bari, and Moscow in search of answers. No one is safe in Kelly's narrative, and readers who appreciate a blend of archaeological exploration, mysteries of faith, and international chases will find much to enjoy, never quite knowing who to trust. Kelly escalates the tension as more interested parties are revealed, a host of secrets and lies face exposure, and Bruscoli faces the possibility of the miraculous.

Rich in culture, themes of belief, and the grand implications of its relic, The Malachi Covenant exemplifies its genre, blending brisk plotting, action-packed sequences, and jolting betrayals with thoughtful spiritual inquiry, keeping the suspense potent up to a satisfying conclusion. Fans of historical fiction with biblical context and globe trotting adventure will be engaged and immersed in this intricately woven story with larger than life characters.

Takeaway: Memorable thriller of the hunt for a relic and possible miracles.

Comparable Titles: Gary McAvoy; Raymond Khoury.

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

Click here for more about The Malachi Covenant

Gouveia delivers a fanciful fantasy for young readers, the second in her Drifters Realm series (after Drifters Realm). In the realm, Roe is a Life Giver from Paradise Farm, working with other gifted teens to thwart the evil Zane’s determination to destroy their peaceful way of life—something her father went to his death to protect. Determined to preserve their valued way of life, triplets Roe (who is a Life Giver), Ori (a Sorcerer), Tora (a Storm Catcher), and their older brother, Theo (who spends most of the book as the Lion) join with others to defeat their evil uncle, Zane, who is determined to consolidate power for his nefarious purposes. To make matters even worse, Zane used one of the menacing Guardians years earlier to raise Tora as his own daughter rather than his late brother—before Tora truly knew her own identity.

The series blends surprising magic with emotional resonance and an emphasis on "the collective strengths ... of friends and family" to accomplish great things. Magical backpacks, a clever and appealing invention, provide power to the valiant teens, who each have different but complementary powers—or so they believe, until one teen attempts to steal someone else’s special gift, something that the evil Zane is determined to acquire for himself. Secrets, mysteries, and surprises abound, some seeded in the earlier entry, though Gouveia does a fine job of succinctly summarizing the relevant plot points from book one.

In some instances, paragraphs are so long as to be visually intimidating, especially for a middle-grade audience. However, the skillful world-building, bursts of inventive magic, well-drawn characters, and touchingly realized relationships will make readers forgive that, even as she ends on a tantalizing cliffhanger. Lovely paintings by Branislav Sosic punctuate the chapters, bringing the author’s world-building to breathtaking life. A host of compelling supporting characters, especially Emma (formerly known as the Ghost of Ruin) and brave Hao, add depth. Those who enjoy inventive school-age fantasy will devour Gouveia’s engaging tale.

Takeaway: Vividly imagined fantasy with an appealing magic and life-bringing heroes.

Comparable Titles: Christina Wallace’s The Light Keeper, Anna Garnet’s The Seasons.

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

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In this heart-stopping thriller from Pepper (author of You Will Know Vengeance), 20-year-old Ruth “Rook” Kellum goes from running from the law to running for her life in a history-making ice storm in the Mississippi Delta. In despair over her Gramma’s heart attack and lack of insurance, Ruth takes the advice of a friend and steals a dying woman’s insurance. This one bad choice leads to others, eventually bringing her to a small-town bar in Mississippi—alone with the bartender, sheriff, and a guy from town, Riley—as the storm comes in, closing roads. From there, things get increasingly scarier and weirder for Rook, with the source of danger not always clear and Rook regularly relying on her Gramma’s “Sit-Rep” training to assess each situation quickly and help her make it out alive.

Never letting readers stop to breathe, Pepper paces the story relentlessly, never allowing a slow moment. There’s always something happening, usually something shocking, as every character Rook comes into contact with is suspicious in some way, with Pepper leaving readers, like Rook, to wonder who can be trusted. But even as Rook regularly ends up in wild situations, going from one immediately to the next, Pepper keeps the escalating perils down to Earth enough to be believable. Adding to the suspense, each chapter often changes time periods (from “last year” to “then” and to “now”), with each section offering its own urgent mini cliffhangers.

As the title suggests, miserable, cold, icy weather is a constant. Pulling from his own experiences of the real-life Delta Ice Storm in 1994, Pepper conjures a chilly sense of terror, showcasing the real dangers of the storm, from icy roads and pelting ice to tree limbs–and then entire trees–raining down everywhere, smashing into homes and cutting off electricity. One Icy Night’s frightening exploration of the perils of both mother nature and human nature will keep readers quickly turning pages.

Takeaway: Non-stop thriller of one woman’s attempt to survive a Mississippi Delta ice storm.

Comparable Titles: Luanne Rice’s Last Night, Alice Feeney’s Rock Paper Scissors.

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

Click here for more about One Icy Night: 30th Anniversary of the '94 Delta Ice Storm Edition

This intense and suspenseful historical thriller continues Hellmann’s Revolutions Sagas series (which includes A Bend in the River) with another story of global conflict and courage. In 1933, German Jew Maximillian Steiner, only 13 years old, witnesses antisemitism on the rise in his country, with more and more Jews leaving public school education and opting to finish their studies in the synagogue school. When Max’s father is taken into “protective custody” by the Gestapo, the Steiner family decides to escape to Holland and start life anew. However, their dream is short lived when Germany invades in 1940, and Max is forced to leave his parents and migrate to the United States. In Chicago, Max focuses on a single objective: “killing Nazis.” He enlists in the Army, participating in several missions in the Netherlands, France, Belgium, and England.

Hellmann’s extensive research is apparent throughout this gripping novel that dramatizes the fascinating history of the Ritchie Boys, who were mostly immigrants from Germany and Austria trained to interrogate German POWs and gather intelligence to help further Allied efforts. Max’s personal struggles with love, family, and friendship also are pivotal. His perception of home is broken because of his continuous displacement, but his determination to survive stems from this loss of home and family. “You must do everything in your power to survive,” his mother tells him before they separate, and throughout Max’s War that urgent charge sees him through every obstacle and attack.

Action is crisp and clear, and the touch of romance has an appropriately desperate edge, a welcome reprieve as Max faces the worst of humanity and at times suffers anguish over the impact of his choices. A page-turning reminder of the horrors of fascism, Hellmann’s novel informs as its story surges ahead, through tragedies and breathless escapes, and the personal cost of vengeance. This thriller will resonate with history enthusiasts but also anyone seeking stories about standing up against hate.

Takeaway: Urgent thriller of a Jewish refugee taking on the Nazis with the Ritchie Boys.

Comparable Titles: Linda Kass’s A Ritchie Boy, Bruce Henderson’s Sons and Soldiers.

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

Click here for more about Max's War

In this inspirational memoir/self-help guide, author Murray (Crushing It in Apartments and Commercial Real Estate) shares life lessons for his four children, personal reflections, and a wealth of wisdom, tips, and guidance gathered throughout his career and personal journey. Filled with anecdotes and things he wants his children—and readers—to take with them, Welcome to My Garden is a touching open letter from one generation to the next, revealing insights (“how powerful it can be to free yourself of the assumptions and constraints imposed by the world around you”) discovered in both the business world and Kathmandu (“to open yourself up … and experience true connection with others can be a deeply fulfilling experience”), as Murray writes directly to his audience with a candid consideration of his successes, setbacks, discoveries, and transformative experiences.

Equally encouraging and motivational, Murray explores the harvest that comes from the “seeds” one plants in their own life and the way they take root and bloom over time. Emphasizing the importance of being a creator, taking risks, expressing gratitude, and facing life's biggest obstacles or goals "a single step" at a time, Murray makes the case that discovering one’s own path starts with discovering one’s own heart, urging readers to always trust in yourself, be yourself, and "do what feels right.” “Who can provide you with the best advice?” he asks. “Yourself.” Anecdotes are blended with practical advice, such as three illuminating things to consider when delaying gratification by working hard to achieve long-term goals.

Each chapter ends with a section entitled "What Do I Want For You?” in which Murray both reinforces key takeaways and touchingly underscores why they matter. While this work originated as a guide through life for his children, Welcome to My Garden will resonate and offer clear-eyed, practical lessons for any readers entering into a new phase of life, whether it be a new job, college, or taking steps toward becoming an entrepreneur.

Takeaway: A father’s wise, touching guidance on being yourself and finding success.

Comparable Titles: Charlotte Pence's Where You Go, Richard Reed’s If I Could Tell You Just One Thing.

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

Click here for more about Welcome to My Garden

Ried (author of Five Ferries) masterfully weaves a compelling thriller that confronts climate change, corporate greed, and the preservation of the planet. The narrative unfolds with gripping intensity as it delves into the life of Daniel Lazaro, an attorney entangled with a questionable employer and the Big Oil Institute. Daniel is blinded by the pursuit of profits without regard for environmental damage, and his own infidelity risking his marriage.

Tragedy tears Daniel’s world apart when the Guadalupe river floods and rips through his family home stealing away his wife Bree and daughter Annabelle to a watery death. Remorse, guilt, and sorrow traumatizes Daniel so deeply he can barely look at a glass of water without being haunted by the ghosts of his actions. Reeling from these events, he seeks psychiatric help while awakening to the humanitarian efforts of Anthro, a subversive environmental protection group. Anthro challenges the established order of the corrupt oil business Daniel had so faithfully served. Led by Eco and Verde, their discreet clandestine activities permeate Daniel’s consciousness, opening his eyes to the suffering his actions caused to his family, and the entire planet. His soul-searching journey is slow and methodical as he realizes he has already lost his world.

He tries to earn his way into Anthro through small tasks he must diligently fulfill. Working through the chaos of giving up his life and income, his actions threaten those who mentored him yet he realizes there is no going back. Ried exposes the harsh reality of sexist and misogynistic mentalities, the looming threat of global warming, and the formidable power of lobbyists, attorneys, and unscrupulous politicians. Against this persuasively disheartening backdrop, Two Degrees combines suspense, environmental activism, and personal redemption. Daniel’s challenge captivates the reader, prompting reflection on the real-world implications of our choices, leaving no doubt that the ongoing battle to preserve our planet for future generations is in our hands.

Takeaway: Searing thriller of an attorney, big oil, and the planet’s climate tipping point.

Comparable Titles: Ryan Steck’s Fields of Fire, Feargus O’Connor Greenwood’s 180 Degrees.

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

Click here for more about Two Degrees

Upbeat but clear-eyed about the challenges of climate change, wealth inequality, and an increasingly “feudal” economy where “nobility has been replaced by billionaires, vassals by white-collar corporate employees, and villeins and serfs by blue-collar workers,” this impassioned call for change from Katakam (author of The Power of Micro Money Transfers) urges readers toward a shift in mindsets about money, regulation, and our connectedness to others. “We need holistic change that revamps our current economic system, curtails emissions of greenhouse gasses, and rethinks the way we educate our kids,” Katakam writes, while offering both compelling examples of the possibilities and ample evidence of how, since Reagan and Thatcher, the world has seen “a massive shift in global wealth” where “everyone but the upper-income households have suffered significantly.”

Katakam writes with buoyant spirits despite the grim realities he exhaustively outlines. A capitalist who rejects socialism in favor of an inclusive economics that “prioritize[s] inclusive growth and social justice,” he calls for individual and societal change, making the case that the former, as seen in “conscious” consumers embracing “abundance mindset”s and a spirit of interconnectedness, will spur the latter. Rather than tear down current systems, he advocates for improving, regulating, and restoring an inclusive version of the capitalism that once “drove innovation, created products and services for the good of society, reduced poverty, increased the standard of living, and made a modest profit along the way.”

This inclusive capitalism—embracing growth, participation, opportunity, stability, and sustainability rather than “superprofits”—might strike readers as fanciful, but Katakam argues with persuasive power that the very act of imagining it, and manifesting it on an individual basis, is the crucial first step to making change. The book is nonpartisan, as quick to quote David Brooks as Robert Reich, and at times rambles, but Katakam’s critique is as unstinting as his belief in positive change is inspiring.

Takeaway: Impassioned call for an inclusive economy that leaves no person or planet behind.

Comparable Titles: Christiana Figueres and Tom Rivett-Carnac’s The Future We Choose, Mariana Mazzucato’s Mission Economy.

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

Click here for more about Generation Hope

Set a century from now, an age of superstorms and a sun that “reigns absolute” and burns “its way down into the roots of everything,” this gripping sci-fi adventure debut, the start of the Meticity Series, unfolds in the domed metropolis of MetiCity-6. There Ren, a gifted mechanic with unparalleled engineering skills, emerges from the shadows of orphanhood to challenge the oppressive rule of MetiCorp, the overpowering force within the city, in a story of espionage, O-racing, giant-insect arena combat, and above all else unlikely friendships, with many bold “dome heads,” the prized proptype droid K-2, and enough other winning personalities to build a series upon.

Wintur, a pseudonym for collaborators identified only as Lando and Kori, engages with a familiar, YA-tinged blend of dystopia, rebellion, and rousing heroes. The domed metropolis’s cultures and dangers, Ren's extraordinary abilities, and the discovery of a sinister truth all create a strong foundation for an immersive, polished thriller. The dialogue sparkles, with each of the strong supporting cast representing a fascinating culture or backgrounds—including Jardinerans, who “have a separate evolutionary tree from modern humans, completely unique”—as the heroes collaborate, crack jokes, face wild challenges, and face some awkward moments of flirtation.

The story surges ahead even as it introduces its surprising future, drawing a contrast between virtual and all-too-real worlds, and between the intricacies of MetiCity-6, city of flybikes, high rises, and even a castle, with the harsh Outskirtz beyond its dome. Readers can expect a lively, exciting time as the story weaves through these inventive, oppressive environments. While Ren’s engineer’s-view of the world’s nuts-and-bolts is memorable, and developments involving “brainwave syncs” have an intriguing and uncanny edge, the briskness of storytelling may leave readers wanting a deeper exploration of the characters’ backgrounds, motivations, and struggles, which could add a bit more heft and urgency. Still, this is a slick, promising start, bursting with memorable characters, setpieces, and ideas.

Takeaway: Exciting SF-series starter of a domed dystopian city and an engineer’s revolt.

Comparable Titles:Jeanne DuPrau’s City of Ember, Chandler Klang Smith’s The Sky Is Yours.

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

Click here for more about The Engineer's Mechanic

Gross’s lively debut takes a dip into the chaos of 1970s New York, when “those twin evils, inflation and depression, worked their ever-nastier magic on the streets” and the papers’ “daily dose of robbery, rape, rioting, arson, assassination, suicide, infanticide, and homicide” is enough to jolt East Village news-junkie Eliot from his habit. In Gross’s vivid imagining, the city’s last flicker of hope hinges on its World Series-bound Yankees, led by the “season-long heroics” of rookie star Nick “The Swan” Spillage. But even baseball’s not immune from the city’s travails, as the diabolical revolutionary group Satanic Vanguard kidnaps Mayor Lightly at a “Save the Cities” rally and threatens further violence, entangling a young couple (Joan and Elliot) and even The Swan himself.

This saga of urbane comic deviltry unfolds at a fast pace, with disjointed scenes and multiple characters crossing paths at several junctions heightening the boisterous New York-ness of the narrative. Gross masterfully employs the character arcs of Joan and Elliot to paint a rich picture of 1960s counterculture stalwarts—they tripped at Woodstock and have busked as a folk duo on the subway—facing the hard 1970s hangover. Joan’s obsession with The Swan leads her to strike a Faustian deal, setting the stage for a twisty love story intertwined with a search for identity as Joan and Elliot both face crises of the soul.

Gross’s potent blend of garbage strike-era New York portraiture, brisk comic dialogue (“Satan’s not so scary. He just don’t conform to bourgeois norms”), yellow-tabloid press accounts, earnest belief in baseball, and incisive socio-cultural and political explorations power a wild story rich with wicked humor but also a sense of humane street poetry. At its core, Spillage is an ornate portrait of New York, still vital at its lowest ebb: its politics, its neighborhoods, its diversity, and the abiding belief of the Flatbush Faithful. This is a crackerjack novel of love and self discovery that echoes themes of resilience and of redemption.

Takeaway: Faustian comedy of 1970s New York, the counterculture, and the Yankees.

Comparable Titles: Colum McCann’s Let the Great World Spin, Philip Roth’s The Great American Novel.

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

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Kimble continues his Mr. Mouthful series (after Mr. Mouthful Learns His Lesson) with this rollicking romp of adventure, excitement, and, above all, the pleasure of learning unusual words. This time, Mr. Mouthful, “our favorite fancy-pants,” is moseying through town with his sidekick, a pet monkey named Dupree, in an effort to show off their spiffy new threads—an admirable pastime, to be sure. The flashy pair soon attracts oodles of attention, garnering them their own retinue of admirers, but when a soccer game gone awry puts Dupree in harm’s way, Mr. Mouthful and his entourage must come together for a daring rescue.

Young readers will revel in Kimble’s evocative language as Mr. Mouthful expresses himself in the most fanciful terms possible. When a pothole threatens their walk, he cautions Dupree “Such a perilous situation! For your personal safety and comfort, take heed,” and when Dupree breaks out into a dance, Mr. Mouthful sings “Disport, disport. Strut your stuff.” The neighborhood kids who can’t get enough of the pair make merry in their own way, though accidents abound as they lag behind: an open paint can becomes a tripping hazard (“a most unfortunate outcome,” according to the story’s star), and when the children join in the chase to rescue Dupree from the local ne’er-do-wells, a bike crash stops them in their tracks.

Just as Kimble delivers loads of effusive entertainment, Bell’s sprightly illustrations—showcasing the characters as they stumble, dance, and scamper after Mr. Mouthful—overflow with subtle amusement. A pair of thieves kidnapping Dupree sport underwear emblazoned with hearts, the “youth brigade” saves the day with juice box projectiles, and Mr. Mouthful’s green bowtie and matching plaid pants steal the spotlight. In the end, Dupree’s rescue leaves Mr. Mouthful a bit tongue-tied, as he thanks the youngsters with his least extravagant speech yet: “Thank you, kids. You saved my pal.”

Takeaway: Charming adventures with a “fancy-pants” and his pet monkey.

Comparable Titles: Hudson Talbott’s A Walk in the Words, Anya Glazer’s Thesaurus Has a Secret.

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

Click here for more about Mr. Mouthful and the Monkeynappers