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Here One Moment by Liane Moriarty is the top holds title of the week. LibraryReads and Library Journal offer read-alikes for patrons waiting to read this buzziest book.
Chris Bohjalian writes a Civil War love story, Emma Donoghue offers a novel about an infamous 1895 disaster at the Paris Montparnasse train station, and Natasha Pulley reimagines the story of Dionysus.
Expect demand for the latest from bestselling and award–winning Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, Colum McCann, and Torrey Peters.
This is a must-read for fans of queer romance and those interested in the behind-the-scenes world of video games. Tai’s storytelling is both fun and thought-provoking, making this debut a standout in contemporary romance fiction.
This Ghibli-esque slow-burn fantasy delivers on every promise it offers when it drops Diana Wynne Jones’s Howl’s Moving Castle inside Patricia A. McKillip’s The Forgotten Beasts of Eld.
A genre perfect for fall, these books feature academic pursuits that take an unexpected and often perilous turn.
Fans of Patricia A. McKillip’s The Forgotten Beasts of Eld or Marie Brennan’s Driftwood will be in awe of Berry’s (The Manual of Detection) wonderfully odd ode to language, story, and family.
Pushcart Prize winner Sanam Mahloudji debuts with a family saga, Jill Santopolo offers a much-anticipated sequel to The Light We Lost, and bestselling Emilia Hart pens a tale of sisters and the sea.
Cardinal (The Storyteller’s Death) deftly blurs the boundaries between literary and relationship fiction, crafting a novel full of magical realism that unfolds with leisurely grace as it traces a plot that is deeply engaging. Swift yet reflective, intimate yet universal, this is a novel of deep rewards.
Pulitzer Prize and National Book Award winner Erdrich (The Sentence) yet again displays her storytelling skills.
The setting, characters, and structure of the novel are compelling, and, as the title suggests, there are secrets and lies aplenty. For fans of The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo by Taylor Jenkins Reid and The Heiress by Rachel Hawkins.
The Life Impossible by Matt Haig is the top holds title of the week. LibraryReads and Library Journal offer read-alikes for patrons waiting to read this buzziest book.
Fantasy fans and steampunk enthusiasts will enjoy Glover’s astounding, creatively envisioned Prohibition-era United States, where magical and historical events intertwine in a thrilling plot full of adventurous characters.
Penny’s follow-up to A World of Curiosities plays on readers’ fears as she launches a new story arc that is completed in this installment but presents a cliffhanger. It’s a frightening novel of duality, of good versus evil, with an allegorical tale for today’s world, as only Penny can write.
The moon has turned into cheese in John Scalzi's latest, while Amal El-Mohtar offers a highly anticipated solo novella about two sisters living on the edge of Faerie.
LJ Best Book author TJ Alexander sets their newest in Regency England, Lexi LaFleur Brown debuts with a hockey romance, and Lucy Score launches a new series.
PREMIUM
Toto
Readers will be delighted to discover this unique take on The Wizard of Oz. With modern references, unusual twists, snarky commentary, and some delightful side plots, recommend Hackwith’s (The God of Lost Words) new novel to readers looking for a fun retelling or twisted tale.
PREMIUM
The Nightward
An intriguing magi-tech high-fantasy series opener that paves the way for chaos in the follow-up.
Fantasy fans and steampunk enthusiasts will enjoy Glover’s astounding, creatively envisioned Prohibition-era United States, where magical and historical events intertwine in a thrilling plot full of adventurous characters.
Hopkinson’s stories hold deep messages at their core, yet flow with a dreamlike etherealness, even when they’re nightmares.
PREMIUM
The Last Dangerous Visions
SF readers will be captivated by this collection of works that are either new for this anthology or have been held in unpublished limbo for decades.
PREMIUM
Servant of Earth
While the plot may be a bit predictable for avid readers of new adult fantasy, the stage has been sufficiently set for a series that may have more surprises to offer as it continues.
PREMIUM
The Book of George
Greathead’s (Laura & Emma) latest, which follows the title character from childhood to middle age, is a warm-hearted and gently humorous examination of a chronic failure. Left open to question is what happens to George next? Sequel?
PREMIUM
A Golden Life
Moyer’s rich descriptions of Hollywood locations and the hazy golden heat of a California summer will enchant until the final page. This book will appeal to fiction readers, even those who don’t often pick historical novels.
PREMIUM
A Home for the Holidays
Hahn’s second novel (after The Lifestyle) explores love and grief and the complexity that comes with both. Fans of Kristan Higgins and Mhairi McFarlane will find much to love here.
PREMIUM
Hate Follow
Readers who enjoy mother-daughter relationships, family drama, and Insta-culture will find an interesting perspective on the repercussions of social media on the children of influencers.
A stunning page-turner, Caron’s (Song of Batoche) novel is perfect for fans of World War II and Cold War fiction and stories with strong women characters.
PREMIUM
Playground
Powers’s extraordinary novels are a rebuttal to the notion that what stirs the mind can’t also stir the heart.
PREMIUM
The Holiday Cottage
Though the pacing is a bit uneven, this latest from Morgan (The Book Club Hotel) is a poignant holiday novel with a touch of romance.
PREMIUM
Queen Macbeth
Terse, atmospheric, and superbly reimagined, McDermid’s latest (part of a recent spate of novels about Lady Macbeth by the likes of Joel H. Morris and Ava Reid) perfectly captures the terror of living in a medieval Scotland riven by violence. Scottish history enthusiasts will enjoy.
Pulitzer Prize and National Book Award winner Erdrich (The Sentence) yet again displays her storytelling skills.
Knausgaard’s achievement in this novel is to combine Scandinavian crime fiction with science fiction, while integrating discussions of religion, philosophy, neurobiology, and music. A highly readable and compelling work by a major and prolific novelist.
A charming and highly recommended story about family ties, the embrace of the natural world, and love.
PREMIUM
Eurotrash
In this work of autofiction, Kracht deftly reveals the narrator’s conflict and guilt.
PREMIUM
The Jewel of the Blues
This book is a good fit for readers who like descriptive fiction with uncomplicated plots.
This book is the perfect summer read for those looking for a funny, heartfelt story about found family and seeing the silver lining in life. Fans of Fredrik Backman’s A Man Called Ove and Shelby Van Pelt’s Remarkably Bright Creatures will especially enjoy this new novel.
PREMIUM
Songs for the Brokenhearted
Tsabari’s (The Best Place on Earth) well-plotted novel, alternating between the 1950 Yemeni migration to Israel and the time around Rabin’s 1995 assassination, shines a light on a little-known community and their rich history.
PREMIUM
Season of the Swamp
Herrera’s prodigious skill with language is on display, but his brevity feels mismatched to the novella’s material, leaving any grander ideas more implied than satisfyingly explored.
PREMIUM
The Christmas Cottage
This inspiring holiday-themed story is perfect for readers who enjoy Bunn’s “Miramar Bay” series, works by Nicholas Sparks and Karen Kingsbury, and other inspirational fiction. The embedded themes of forgiveness, new beginnings, second chances, romance, and hope for the future combine to make an uplifting holiday story.
PREMIUM
The Jewel of the Isle
Rae (Lucy on the Wild Side) takes readers on a delightful adventure that’s packed with action, twists, and humor in this forced-proximity rom-com. Hand to fans of Jo Segura and Sarah Hawley.
PREMIUM
Mr. Nice Spy
This second book in Smith’s “My Spy” series has it all: romance, intrigue, mistaken identity, and a race against time.
PREMIUM
Roland Rogers Isn’t Dead Yet
Allen’s (Patricia Wants To Cuddle) unconventional novel about reputation, success, identity, and living authentically will appeal to readers looking for a unique take on a love story.
PREMIUM
Showmance
Beguelin’s adult debut isn’t quite a smash hit, but romance fans and theater nerds alike will have fun reading it.
PREMIUM
How To Get a Life in Ten Dates
Howe’s latest doesn’t live up to her previous enjoyable titles The Make-Up Test and On the Plus Side.
PREMIUM
Catch and Keep
Warm, swoony, and grounded, Hahn’s (Friends Don’t Fall in Love) latest is the perfect story to cuddle up with just as the weather turns.
PREMIUM
Perfect Fit
Perfect for fans of Emily Henry and Lana Ferguson, this book from Gilmore (Love Interest) is heartfelt, with a little grit and a lot of laughs.
PREMIUM
Wake Up, Nat & Darcy
A charming debut, perfect for readers looking for queer stories in the popular hockey romance trend or those who enjoyed Anita Kelly’s How You Get the Girl.
PREMIUM
PS: I Hate You
Fans of second-chance romances with intense emotional depth will enjoy this novel from Connolly (Fall Back into Me). Recommended for readers of Kate Clayborn.
PREMIUM
Pickleballers
Long’s (Ziggy’s Big Idea) adult debut is written with pickleball players in mind, with a lot of focus on pickleball play, but readers who just enjoy fun sports romances will pick this title up as well.
This is a must-read for fans of queer romance and those interested in the behind-the-scenes world of video games. Tai’s storytelling is both fun and thought-provoking, making this debut a standout in contemporary romance fiction.
PREMIUM
The Most Wonderful Time
Allen’s (Black Girls Must Have It All) writing explores the psychological impacts of racism and grief and celebrates new love and personal revelations in this Christmas romance that will also appeal to fans of relationship fiction.
This sexy enemies-to-lovers story is filled with biting dialogue and page-melting chemistry. A great start to Cate’s (Madame) new “Sinful Manor” series.
PREMIUM
Earl Crush
Vasti’s second novel is a highly enjoyable read, filled with deft characterization and dialogue, an interesting plot, and an abundance of good feelings.
PREMIUM
Her Knight at the Museum
If readers appreciate a slight fantasy twist, they’ll be rewarded with a frothy contemporary romance from Donovan (The Equinox Stone). It will especially appeal to readers who enjoy a touch of Marvel’s Thor in their romantic heroes.
Readers who enjoy an enemies-to-lovers romance will love Roux’s (The Proposition) historical take on the trope.
PREMIUM
The Co-op
Fans of slow-burn, emotionally charged romances, such as those by Kate Clayborn, Yulin Kuang, and Emily Henry, will enjoy DeWitt’s (Savor It) novel immensely.
PREMIUM
All the Hearts You Eat
A must-read for those who enjoyed Piper’s Bram Stoker award-winning Queen of Teeth. Like Nat Cassidy’s Nestlings, it takes the vampire story and turns it into something new.
PREMIUM
Northern Nights
Fans of speculative anthologies will want to read these stories on cold nights, particularly if they like stories where the land is as much an antagonist as a monster with sharp teeth and claws.
PREMIUM
Cold Snap
Ryan (Bless Your Heart) writes a haunting and affecting novella that portrays the wrenching nature of grief and guilt.
PREMIUM
Guilt and Ginataan
There’s less emphasis on Filipino culture in the sequel to Murder and Mamon, a slower-paced story, but cozy readers will still enjoy the food descriptions.
The sequel to Mrs. Claus and the Trouble with Turkeys is another delightful mystery filled with humor and mishaps.
PREMIUM
Christmas at Glitter Peak Lodge
Although the mystery (Johnsen’s first to be published in English) is slight, the atmospheric Hallmark-style book is set up as if it were an Advent calendar: 24 chapters, one for each day in December leading up to Christmas. The multiple storylines offer a little for everyone: mountain climbing, village secrets, romance, bullying. The Norwegian customs and recipes are an extra treat.
Pass the popcorn and settle in for a terrific time with this seamlessly crafted blend of historical fiction and old-school suspense.
PREMIUM
The More the Terrier
Fans of the series will enjoy Andy Carpenter’s latest outing, which includes a complex but fast-moving mystery, plenty of offbeat characters on both sides of the law, and several dogs. As in the earlier books, Rosenfelt doesn’t weigh them down with too much backstory, so newcomers can dive right in.
PREMIUM
The Arizona Triangle
This desert noir features complex characters trapped in an ugly, emotional past. The vivid details and beauty of the Arizona landscape are in sharp contrast to the repellent secrets of a killer.
Readers who fondly remember Ellen Raskin’s The Westing Game and newer fans of Gigi Pandian’s “Secret Staircase Mysteries” will find Ryan’s cleverly crafted adventure to be a real treasure
Penny’s follow-up to A World of Curiosities plays on readers’ fears as she launches a new story arc that is completed in this installment but presents a cliffhanger. It’s a frightening novel of duality, of good versus evil, with an allegorical tale for today’s world, as only Penny can write.
PREMIUM
A Very Bad Thing
A fun, fast-paced thriller that keeps secrets until the very last page. A worthy addition to mystery and thriller sections.
PREMIUM
A Slay Ride Together with You
This festive novel is perfect for fans of Amanda Flower, Jacqueline Frost, and Ellie Alexander and for readers who enjoy mysteries and suspense with a dash of Christmas cheer.
PREMIUM
Gingerbread Danger
This follow-up to Blueberry Blunder is perfect for series fans and readers who enjoy cozy mysteries and books that explore the Amish way of life. Even readers unfamiliar with the series who crave a holiday read will enjoy Flower’s respectful balance of Amish culture with genre expectations.
PREMIUM
Murder in the Ranks
The characters need further development in this debut, but Jones excels at the vivid descriptions of Algiers during World War II. Readers interested in the roles of women and an atmospheric story set in a less-discussed theater of war will be fascinated by the details.
This novel is effective in innumerable ways, particularly with its attention to the generational gap and the emotional disconnection created by the internet. Pargin’s deft combination of mystery and satire will appeal to the YA audience and to older readers.
PREMIUM
Blue Christmas Bones
Fans of character-driven mysteries with madcap plots will find they can’t help falling in love with Haines’s latest (after Lights, Camera, Bones).
PREMIUM
We Solve Murders
Given the big-screen plans for The Thursday Murder Club, Osman’s new novel will be in high demand. Although it starts a little slowly, this humorous caper quickly picks up speed, and readers will root for the trio. The humor and characters are reminiscent of Deanna Raybourn’s hit Killers of a Certain Age.
PREMIUM
Misery Hates Company
With its old-fashioned language and slow pace, this historical mystery, which recalls Crimson Peak and Cold Comfort Farm, isn’t for everyone. However, the gothic atmosphere and family secrets will appeal to some.
Fans of Notaro’s essays will identify and appreciate the vein of absurdity and irony running throughout this novel, but there is also a pulsing brutality and shocking tragedy at its heart that will appeal to true crime fans. Fact may still remain stranger than fiction, but Notaro’s compelling novel gives truth a run for the money.
PREMIUM
An Instruction in Shadow
The new magic system introduced in this series, which began with An Inheritance of Magic, continues to fascinate, and the stories will remind readers of classic urban fantasies (such as the “Dresden Files” series from Jim Butcher), as Stephen’s world gets more dangerous and he powers through each setback by learning bigger and better magic and paying a higher price each and every time.
PREMIUM
Exiled by Iron
A great edge-of-the-seat read for fans of complex and highly emotional fantasy romances. Recommend to readers of Naomi Novik and Tomi Adeyemi.
Groner (Exiles) offers a contemplative take on the postapocalyptic genre that leaves room for hope but doesn’t stint on realism. This novel reads like Cormac McCarthy’s The Road meets Robert M. Pirsig’s Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance; highly recommended.
Wagers’s (The Ghosts of Trappist) stellar fourth outing for their futuristic Near-Earth Orbital Guard is filled with snappy dialogue and vivid worldbuilding. With the found family of Zuma’s Ghost as the foundation of the series, the internal conflicts are just as compelling as the external high-stakes action.
PREMIUM
Bindle Punk Jefe
Readers who were enthralled by Rose Lane’s infiltration of the mob in Prohibition-era Kansas City in the previous book, those who are fascinated by the boundary-blurring Jazz Age (as explored in historical mysteries such as Last Call at the Nightingale by Katharine Schellman), and anyone thrilled by the combination of history, tradition, and magic in Leslye Penelope’s The Monsters We Defy and Nekesa Afia’s Dead Dead Girls won’t be able to turn these pages fast enough.
PREMIUM
The Bloodless Princes
This gender-bent tale of knights and dragons takes the myth of Orpheus and Eurydice, turns it into a sapphic romance, and adds a layer of unpacking what has been learned to find the shining truth within, with the bittersweet assistance of one very lonely dragon.
PREMIUM
Breath of Oblivion
Broaddus’s second “Astra Black” book is another sweeping space saga, with a complex story that explores deep themes.
PREMIUM
Under the Oak Tree
This English-language novelization of the popular South Korean webnovel and comic is less successful in this format.
Guanzon’s highly anticipated sequel to The Hurricane Wars is a captivating read from start to finish. The tension between the characters with the mix of political intrigue and magic will be sure to enchant readers.
The setting, the detailed emotive descriptions, and nail-biting adventure are incandescent. This debut novel from Caffall (The Mourner’s Bestiary) is like Peter Heller’s The Dog Stars met Barry Unsworth’s Sacred Hunger, with a focus on the essential nature of community.
Suri’s final volume in her fantastic trilogy, after The Oleander Sword, delivers all of the hope and heartache promised in the series. Exquisite worldbuilding, high-stakes action, emotional arcs, and a love that will stand the test of time create a climactic conclusion to this epic fantasy.
Iversen’s (The Witches at the End of the World) novel will appeal to fans of character-driven historical fantasy with feminist themes and just a touch of magic.
This Ghibli-esque slow-burn fantasy delivers on every promise it offers when it drops Diana Wynne Jones’s Howl’s Moving Castle inside Patricia A. McKillip’s The Forgotten Beasts of Eld.
Readers will not want this book to end, but works by Connilyn Cossette and Christine Dillon may tide them over until the next release.
This debut paranormal mystery offers humor, love, and a strong cast of characters who form a found family. S.C.Y.T.H.E. is a fascinating premise that offers great possibilities for future mysteries.
Parry’s (The Magician’s Daughter) latest will enthrall those who loved the post-WWI high-magic high society of Freya Marske’s “Last Binding” series. Highly recommended for readers looking for an immersive world of power politics, magical societies, and world-shattering consequences.
A rollicking novel that doesn’t take itself too seriously, recommended for anyone needing to get lost in a good world, explore their inner demons, and enjoy some serious bloodshed. A needed addition to lighten the mood of any audio fantasy section.
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