
For readers who shy away from technically complicated writing, this guide will be a strong fit. Geddes is candidly direct—even going so far as to caution readers against the myth that investors can consistently outperform the market—and delivers user-friendly tools to help followers improve their returns. He urges potential investors to begin with understanding investment fees, noting that these are the “easiest to control,” and clarifies complex market terms like asset and wealth managers, security selection, and benchmarks. His close attention to tax impacts will be a welcome topic for readers looking to manage their funds more efficiently.
Most helpful are Geddes’s step-by-step instructions on deciding whether to hire an advisor, including a self-assessment quiz to determine the viability of investing without one, and follow up measures readers can take if they elect to go that route. He identifies questions to ask when interviewing potential wealth managers, as well as a technical glossary, alongside upfront counsel that “if you’re a long-term investor in stocks, at some point you’ll have to endure a horrible, gut-wrenching downturn.” Buyers beware: This is a guide tailored to investors looking to get started, laying out structured advice and the necessary know-how for success.
Takeaway: A candid guide on getting started in market investing that will please readers looking for easy-to-follow, understandable steps.
Great for fans of: Erin Lowry’s Broke Millennial Takes on Investing, Daniel Crosby’s The Behavioral Investor.
Production grades
Cover: B+
Design and typography: A
Illustrations: N/A
Editing: A
Marketing copy: A
Opening with dishy romantic entanglements and a hellish slaughter, Annihilation proves, for all its significant heft, a brisk, engaging sequel, plotted with the restless playfulness of an author who understands that readers know every genre convention and is admirably committed to upending them. As befits the material, the story at times can be darkly upsetting—Lucinda and co. are obsessed with “seed” and will do what it takes to extract it—but never gratuitously explicit. In fact, readers on its wavelength will have a ball: McFarren gleefully mixes pantheons and mythologies—the Gehenna saga features Cerberus, Hecate, shapeshifters, angels in the bodies of demons, and many more surprises—as well as genres, blending fantasy, horror, and romance into a singular whole, all laced together with a welcome, often salty, wit. (She’s especially funny on the administrative aspects of ruling Hell.)
The action is crisply described, the horrific and infernal elements vivid but not lingered over, and the dialogue often comic (One character deadpans, “an Archangel followed us and smote the crap out of him.”) Readers are advised to start with the previous book, Soul Seeker, as Annihilation moves fast and assumes a familiarity with its worlds, but lovers of daring fantasy with occult elements and an interest in the gray between good and evil will find this a feast.
Takeaway: A vigorously inventive fantasy sequel that finds fresh surprises and romance in the war between heaven and hell.
Great for fans of: Debra Dunbar, Kate Griffin.
Production grades
Cover: B
Design and typography: A
Illustrations: N/A
Editing: A-
Marketing copy: A

Blaise’s storytelling and worldbuilding combines a delightful whimsy with gripping action. Lilla spends much of this adventure on the run from dangerous animals with alien names like “k’boar,” “k’mountain lion,” or “bear-wolves” (“Not k’bear-wolves?” “The k is silent”). Her motley group of friends and companions are also a joy, and despite the main quest featuring no fewer than eight party members (including two former love interests), distinct and interesting personalities make them each stand out. From the grumpy warrior lady to the softhearted yet feisty healer to the know-it-all mage, the only character that doesn’t prove especially engaging is Callum, the current boyfriend, whose chief traits here are mostly anger and jealousy. Still, Callum is not present for a large chunk of the story, which gives the ensemble a chance to shine.
The plot itself exhibits a tendency familiar from other second entries in series: it ends in about the same place it began and feels, at times, like an optional side quest chosen as an opportunity to introduce lore and develop characters, which are this installment’s selling points. Although technically not YA, True Teryn has a lot of crossover appeal for readers of romantic science fiction with comic elements.
Takeaway: Charming and witty, this science fantasy sequel will please readers with its unique world and memorable characters.
Great for fans of: Amie Kauffman, Dianne Duvall’s Aldebarian Alliance series.
Production grades
Cover: A
Design and typography: A
Illustrations: N/A
Editing: A-
Marketing copy: B
The detailed and expressive illustrations bring both Sean and the leaders to vivid life. Fine touches like borders on the edges of pages create an appealing historical ambience, to go with the theme, though the choice to illustrate and print the book in black and white feels like a missed opportunity to fully represent and showcase Black identities. The format, switching back and forth between dialogue and then informational text blocks presented in the format of museum placards, also makes for a stilted reading experience, especially if being read aloud.
Even so, Sean’s cheerful demeanor, the book’s positive, inventively presented message, and the notable beauty of the illustrations (including those elaborately gilded information plates) make this a winning addition to the shelves of any family. Featuring historical figures most adults should be familiar with (Malcolm X, W.E.B. Du Bois), and championing some that are perhaps less well known, there’s something for everyone, whether young or old, history buff or reluctant history learner. A powerful and uplifting tribute to the accomplishments of Black Americans throughout history, Sean Moses is sure to delight and stir young readers–and adults hungry for some positivity–with its rousing spirit.
Takeaway: With an uplifting tone, young Sean Moses celebrates and identifies with the achievements of Black individuals throughout history.
Great for fans of: Kwame Alexander’s The Undefeated, Ellen Levine’s Henry's Freedom Box.
Production grades
Cover: B
Design and typography: A
Illustrations: A-
Editing: A-
Marketing copy: A
This is a heady, original book, alive with fresh thinking, persuasive argument, and thorough, well-documented research. Ben-Shalom shows his work, leaves space for challenges, and above all calls for his readers to approach belief and history with a similar spirit of thoughtful questioning. While his prose is approachable, often even warm, the material can get dense, especially as he works through questions of translation and interpretation that likely feel more pressing to him than they do to readers.
That said, that work is the point, as Ben-Shalom’s mission, throughout, is to pare away the human to expose what he finds divine in scriptural, Kabbalahistic, and other ancient sources. In them he finds evidence that a messiah has come, that God can take human form, and that knowing this history in depth can help bolster one against the “seductive deceptions” of those eager to instill doubt. Christian readers interested in a gently challenging dive into the history and interpretation of the heart of their faith will find much here that resonates.
Takeaway: This impassioned treatise, from a father to his children, digs deeply into the roots of Christianity, emphasizing the divine.
Great for fans of: Brian D. McLaren’s A Generous Orthodoxy, Rob Bell’s What Is the Bible?
Production grades
Cover: A-
Design and typography: A
Illustrations: N/A
Editing: A-
Marketing copy: A
Abrahmson invites readers into the Chelm fold with vivid accounts of its inhabitants drooling at the delicious aromas of Seder, getting lost in the Black Forest with the Chiriboms and Chiribims, and feeling their jaws ache as they try to chew through leaden Matzah balls. Not merely comic figures, Abrahmson’s characters develop and reveal personalities over short snippets of text, though they’re given to much amusing hyperbole: “Moishe argued for six hours that if the pyramids in Egypt had only been built from his wife’s matzah balls, then they would still be standing.”
The only disappointment is that it’s all over so quickly, at about a hundred pages. (Fortunately, the characters overlap with the other books in the series.) Abrahmson’s prose savvily mixes the homey and the surreal, and he’s a master of the cozy bedtime story. The Village Feasts, with its often silly phrasing and emphasis on ritual and community, demands to be read out loud, shared at a gathering or relished by little ones before bedtime, when sleepy eyelids are beginning to droop. A glossary in the endmatter is both helpful and comic.
Takeaway: These sprightly comic Passover tales set in the village of Chelm are warm and engaging.
Great for fans of: Seymour Rossel’s The Wise Folk of Chelm, Solomon Simon’s The Wise Men of Helm and Their Merry Tales.
Production grades
Cover: B+
Design and typography: A
Illustrations: A-
Editing: B+
Marketing copy: A
While Ruthie had shared her story, Manci’s silence about it, even with family, inspired Seymour, her son-in-law, to record her memories. At the start of each chapter, he establishes the political and cultural context before transcribing the sisters’ testimonies as witnesses, survivors, and Americans. The emphasis on the women’s post-Holocaust lives, and their interpretations of the past, distinguish this memoir. For example, Manci distances herself from her memories, whereas Ruthie chooses to educate the next generation through writings and speeches. Details about leisure time in retirement support the overall message of finding joy in life.
Seymour’s research shows in his skillful contextualization of the sisters’ stories, and their dialogue flows smoothly without the interviewer getting in the way. They provide accounts that are often absent from school textbooks—sharing stories, for example, of how Auschwitz captives were drugged to ensure submission, or the brave unit of workers who smuggled in gunpowder and blew up a crematorium. This urgent memoir offers new light on one of history’s darkest moments and stands firmly against deniers’ rejections of documented history. Seymour gives voice to Manci’s and Ruthie’s courage and survival as well as their incredible bond that testifies to the strength of the human spirit.
Takeaway: A riveting firsthand account of two sisters’ survival of the Holocaust and Auschwitz.
Great for fans of: Judy Batalion’s The Light of Days, Viktor Frankl.
Production grades
Cover: A
Design and typography: A
Illustrations: N/A
Editing: A
Marketing copy: A
Complicating matters—or perhaps, ultimately, simplifying them radically—is this determinedly realistic espionage novel’s surprising spiritual component, hinted at by the title, which finds Leda experiencing a possible vision in the desert. That element, though, will likely power the later books, as outside of some portents Red Dragon mostly concerns the earthly, depicting the world of international spycraft with an attentive eye towards process, planning, schemes-within-schemes, and all the duplicity it takes to achieve a long-term goal while balancing many different interests. The novel’s hefty length and tendency to summarize events rather than dramatize full scenes, though, diminishes its narrative momentum, despite a compelling central arc and captivating hard-edged protagonist.
Still, there’s much that’s engaging here. That sense of convincing complexity, paired with Leda’s practicality about sex and violence as weapons, lends the material a toughminded fascination. “The only thing that corresponds to the movies’ idea of an agent is that they were able to turn into a completely different person in two hours,” Wladowsky writes, persuasively, taking pains to show readers the work.
Takeaway: This epic novel of international spycraft (with a hint of the mystic) engagingly digs into the practicalities of espionage.
Great for fans of: Mishka Ben-David, Jonathan de Shalit.
Production grades
Cover: A
Design and typography: A
Illustrations: N/A
Editing: B-
Marketing copy: A-
Readers will appreciate Graff’s honesty, as he warns about the unstable nature of the industry and other outside factors, like mortgage rates, monetary policy, and the labor market, that often affect a new agent’s success. He opens the guide with an overview of the general prerequisites to become a licensed real estate agent and follows up with explanations of the top challenges inexperienced agents face, as well as the shared traits of those who have succeeded in the industry. Graff stays up to date in his instruction, preparing readers on the legally required broker-agent relationship, alongside helpful commerce tools—such as the importance of digital marketing for generating credible leads and mastering Zillow or other home-buying apps. Some of his most useful guidance relates to working with different types of buyers and sellers, including his in-depth exploration of how to find the “perfect home” for buyers
Graff encourages readers to learn from the mistakes others have made, combined with his extensive knowledge base, to smoothly launch their real estate careers: “By learning from others who have stood in your shoes, you can develop valuable insight about client selection.” His information is presented in an easy-to-read and reassuring manner, and readers looking to enter the real estate field will appreciate his transparency and solid, practical advice when describing their unique challenges.
Takeaway: Readers interested in real estate careers will appreciate the thorough, honest advice in this comprehensive guide.
Great for fans of: Gary Keller, Dave Jenks, and Jay Papasan’s The Millionaire Real Estate Agent, Shelley Zavitz’s Your First 365 Days in Real Estate.
Production grades
Cover: B
Design and typography: A
Illustrations: N/A
Editing: A
Marketing copy: A-
In a direct, empathetic tone, Michael pushes readers to make purposeful decisions on a daily basis. Her overarching theme is the need for savvy business leaders to “consciously and intentionally” create a new path. To facilitate this, she urges readers to understand their “underlying operating system”s and its habitual responses. She lays out five “muscles” of mental fitness to develop, including “Choose Personal Accountability,” “Choose Helpful Beliefs over Impeding Beliefs,” and “Accurately Self-Assess Your Internal State.” Michael advocates for setting and meeting leadership goals without the stress and anxiety that typically accompanies them.
Though the target audience is leaders and career-minded individuals, Leading Lightly’s clear-eyed and practical advice will be useful for anyone looking to change their mindset and live a more stress free, positive life. Michael shares noteworthy characteristics of “mentally fit” leaders, such as empathy and commitment to growth, to inspire readers–and she encourages them to bear in mind the truth that they are responsible for their own thoughts, moods, behaviors, and outcomes. Particularly helpful is her acronym of SOS—“Stop. Oxygenate. Seek new information”—for leaders who struggle with reactions to stress triggers. This succinct guide delivers a wealth of leadership wisdom.
Takeaway: An empowering, motivating guide that lays out a path for leaders looking for a lighter, less stressful life.
Great for fans of: Charles Duhigg’s The Power of Habit, James Clear’s Atomic Habits.
Production grades
Cover: B+
Design and typography: A
Illustrations: N/A
Editing: A
Marketing copy: A
The idea of animals leading the fight against climate change as humans continually fail to do so is an interesting premise, and Lewis’s vivid scenes of animals taking on activist projects, like tying live coral to bleached out reefs, are moving. At times, the narrative tension is diminished by the character’s choices—for example, when Eliza hears that Bebop needs her help for something “extremely important,” the next paragraph describes how “they ran and played.”
This light tone distracts from the gravitas of larger themes, like climate change and species-ending environmental destruction. Some readers will find sections unconvincing—such as the animals “taking things into their own hands” largely by using blogs and social media—and not much action happens until the end. Still, the descriptions of natural world disasters, such as a flood that threatens several animals in the woods, will stir empathy for wildlife in even the most stoic readers, and the repeated message of “focusing on the positive” may inspire young readers especially to take action.
Takeaway: A woman teams up with animals to fight climate change in this imaginative story.
Great for fans of: Laura Jean McKay’s The Animals in That Country, Richard Adams’s The Plague Dogs.
Production grades
Cover: A-
Design and typography: B
Illustrations: A
Editing: B
Marketing copy: B+

Throughout this potent, often searing volume—which offers occasional short prose pieces in addition to its crisp verse—DeVonne faces the horrors that have been visited upon Black bodies and lives, from the slave trade to mass incarceration, the poisoned water of Flint, Michigan, the names of Black men and women killed by police, to the white fear that enables police brutality. One powerful piece lays bare the subtext of many “911 Calls”: “His skin is too black. / His nose is too wide. / His frame is too large. / His stance emits pride.”
The approach is political, cultural, and personal, as DeVonne balances her historical reckoning with the everyday trials of “working while black in an office / where pay, praises, and promotions rain / on men and women with snowy skin.” Still, a rousing spirit ultimately lifts the collection, as DeVonne celebrates heroes, breakthroughs, and reminds America itself “When I rise / you rise.”
Takeaway: A searing and ultimately rousing collection of poems about the Black American experience.
Great for fans of: Asiya Wadud, ‘Gbenga Adeoba.
Production grades
Cover: A-
Design and typography: A
Illustrations: A
Editing: A
Marketing copy: A
Agnew creates a rich mythology of the power of dragons and of the truth about the War of the Black Ash. As Arius teaches Kael how to fly and breathe fire as a dragon, Kael learns that Severn and Siah, the partnered dragon leaders, actually wanted peace with the humans. Kael is dismayed by humans’ lust for war, ulterior motives, power, and greed. He has a decision to make in his new life: Where does he fit with the Dragonsown? He is torn between his two ancestral families—his father’s grandfather Kelton hated and killed dragons, while his mother’s grandfather Darragh befriended the majestic beasts.
This expansive fantasy world provides fervent readers with an undersea city, invisible dragons, merfolk, and battles with fire breathing dragons. Kael and Keaton are likable brothers who work together to right wrongs. There’s also heart, acceptance, and overcoming animosity to understand others. The text at times can be dense, but it’s vivid and exciting—and builds to a twist. Fantasy readers will eagerly look forward to more adventures in the Dragonsown series.
Takeaway: A fast-paced fantasy with the magic of dragons that tugs at the heart and provides a message of understanding.
Great for fans of: Garth Nix, Leigh Bardugo.
Production grades
Cover: A
Design and typography: A
Illustrations: N/A
Editing: A-
Marketing copy: A-
Uncommonly thoughtful and empathetic, My Gay Church Days demonstrates clear-eyed understanding of evangelical life and beliefs as Azar tells the story of zealously working to save the souls of loved ones—essentially impressing them into a tradition of belief that damns his true self. “As I grew deeper in the faith,” Azar writes, “I became more paranoid by the thought of others finding out that I was a fraud.”
Azar adeptly dramatizes the wrenching choice he faced: risk being the person he was born as, or give up the community he depended upon for fellowship and meaning. “I truly believed my oppression was my calling,” he writes. But shame, a sense of isolation, and a lack of freedom—the monitoring of his search history; complaints about his taste for secular pop music—eventually builds to his making a break with Bayside Church. There’s no moment of high drama, just a pained parting, the loss of a support network, and the fear and promise of living on one’s own terms, told with inviting directness and sincerity.
Takeaway: A warm, engaging memoir of a gay evangelical pastor leaving the church and embracing his truth.
Great for fans of: Matthew Vines’s God and the Gay Christian, Gregory Coles’s Single, Gay, Christian.
Production grades
Cover: A
Design and typography: A
Illustrations: N/A
Editing: A-
Marketing copy: A

For business professionals seeking a fine-tuning of their writing abilities—or an entire overhaul— Lebacqz’s inviting debut uses concrete examples and simple graphics to help readers grasp how, often, previous education and “fluff”—“extra, often meaningless small words that show up in their writing as they try harder and harder to explain their point”—can impede our ability to write clearly and effectively. Without ever being fussy, she breaks down the basics of language and structure to demonstrate how an audience will understand a message: Lebacqz details three “levels of reader analysis” to interpret the distinctive circumstances to consider for each potential reader, such as their culture or daily work life.
Lebacqz cautions against composing formal or boring emails, urging professionals not to stick to the prescribed and formulaic. The directness and clarity of High-Value Writing, and its inviting tone and step-by-step instruction, exemplifies her approach. She takes care to focus on her audience’s needs, giving topic-oriented recommendations laid out for easy implementation, as she moves from the power of a single word to understanding the impact of a paragraph. Readers eager to feel “more independent and confident” in their writing will appreciate this polished, no-nonsense guide.
Takeaway: Designed for business professionals, this inviting writing guide offers helpful techniques for more direct and meaningful communication.
Great for fans of: William Zinsser’s On Writing Well, Mike Markel and Stuart A. Selber’s Technical Communication.
Production grades
Cover: A
Design and typography: A
Illustrations: A
Editing: A
Marketing copy: A-

Hains reveals Cole’s journey by pivoting between the present and 1962, the year Cole entered Saint Edward’s. The present-day sections allow readers moments of reflection and a chance to catch their breath, but the heart of the story is in the flashbacks, when Cole must navigate the supernatural as well as the real horrors of asylum life. Hains doesn’t hold back as he depicts the horrendous abuses the children endure at the hands of the staff members nominally employed to keep them safe, and mature themes such as sexual assault and suicide are woven into the characters’ stories, making this an intense reading experience. The villain is particularly gnarly, and readers with sensitive stomachs should steel themselves.
Those wrenching components aside, Cole’s engaging inner journey has the effect of softening the gruesome elements, making him a character readers will champion. The tension is potent from the dynamic opening sentence—“The blood seeping down the back of his throat had slowed considerably, so that crappy taste in his mouth wasn’t as bad anymore”—to a thrilling conclusion that will engross horror readers. Those looking for a chilling tale with a ghastly villain will find themselves locked into this gripping terror.
Takeaway: Horror enthusiasts with no aversion to gore will find themselves riveted by the high drama and dynamic characters in this decades-crossing nail-biter.
Great for fans of: Madeleine Roux, Amy Lukavics’s Nightingale.
Production grades
Cover: A
Design and typography: A
Illustrations: N/A
Editing: A
Marketing copy: A
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