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PREMIUM
The Wolfe at the Door
Wolfe (1931–2019) has always been considered one of the most literary of SFF writers; though he hewed closely to genre tropes, he also sent them in directions no one had imagined. This collection picks up where 2009’s The Best of Gene Wolfe left off and will be appreciated most by readers and scholars of the author’s work.
Fans of Pratchett (The Shepherd’s Crown) will love questing through these stories for bits of Ankh-Morpork.
PREMIUM
The Secret
This is a slow, methodical thriller that fans of the series will enjoy. The authors do a good job of creating characters that work for the story.
PREMIUM
Kiss and Spell
As atmospheric and cozy as its precedent, the vivid writing and imaginative worldbuilding makes this a lovely addition to the series and all witchy romance collections.
Although all of the stories here have been previously published, this is always a much anticipated collection, and readers of SF/F in short form will be glad to have so many standout stories, some already award-winners, in a single volume.
PREMIUM
All You Have To Do Is Call
Maher’s well-researched novel explores pressing issues without sounding too didactic. Historical-fiction readers who are looking to stretch beyond World War II will find a lot to enjoy here.
Readers who like their historical mysteries embellished with plenty of gothic ambience and enhanced with an abundance of dry wit will adore this splendid debut.
The Last Devil To Die by Richard Osman is the top holds title of the week. LibraryReads and Library Journal offer read-alikes for patrons waiting to read this buzziest book.
Full of political intrigue and impressive worldbuilding, Jacobs’s superb debut launches this space opera trilogy.
From bookstores to small towns, it’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas in these novels of charm, kindness, and corgis too.
Offering a satisfying slow burn that transforms into delightful heat, the dazzling chemistry in this life-altering rom-com shows how love that transcends dimensions is worth the risk. This debut is an essential purchase for romance shelves.
PREMIUM
Hercule Poirot’s Silent Night
The Christmas details are light, memorably centering on Catchpool decorating multiple trees while simultaneously interviewing suspects, but the case is heavy and offers much to consider. Fans will devour this novel, but it is also a nice place to jump into Hannah’s series.
PREMIUM
Shards of Glass
Recommended for readers who have been caught up in the fantasy mystery trend, anyone looking for a way into Elantra without wading through its vast lore, and those who fell away from the series and are looking for a route back.
The Samuel Craddock series may be the best regional crime series around today. This installment is no exception.
PREMIUM
The Passover Protocols
A good story that is very timely, given the current political situation.
PREMIUM
The Star and the Strange Moon
Readers who love timeslip fiction and twisty, puzzling stories will appreciate the latest from Sayers (The Ladies of the Secret Circus).
PREMIUM
The Gifts
Short chapters quickly move along in this clever blend of gothic, historical, and fantasy, with just the right touch of melodrama, grounded by well-researched detail. Hyder’s novel is sure to be popular with devoted readers of historical fiction, especially those who appreciate the struggles of women to exercise their talents with the same freedom and recognition as men.
Code Red by Vince Flynn & Kyle Mills is the top holds title of the week. LibraryReads and Library Journal offer read-alikes for patrons waiting to read this buzziest book.
SFF takes on well-known tales, including “Aladdin,” “Hansel and Gretel,” The Nutcracker, and Slavic folklore.
PREMIUM
The Wake-Up Call
O’Leary’s latest (after The No-Show) is full of heart, humor, and a sprinkle of holiday magic. While this will easily find a spot on holiday displays, it will also appeal to readers who love enemies-to-lovers storylines with supporting characters who shine.
PREMIUM
The Pale House Devil
This solid novella will appeal to horror readers who like quirky protagonists. Recommended for fans of Kadrey’s “Sandman Slim” series or of Edgar Cantero and Jim Butcher.
While some readers might be drawn to this book by Peele’s star power, this is a well-crafted anthology that’s perfect for introducing readers to emerging and established Black authors.
Holly by Stephen King is the top holds title of the week. LibraryReads and Library Journal offer read-alikes for patrons waiting to read this buzziest book.
This prequel to Legends & Lattes is the perfect place for readers to start Baldree’s cozy fantasy series where folks band together for good, and evil is conquered through cleverness and friendship.
PREMIUM
Candy Cain Kills
This Christmas slasher, in the vein of movies like Silent Night, Deadly Night, is a quick read and a perfect book for gorehounds to devour on a cold Christmas night where there’s a fire in the hearth, some cocoa on the nightstand, and possibly something murderous in the snowy dark.
PREMIUM
What Start Bad a Mornin’
For readers who enjoy tales of self-reinvention and family secrets, such as in Charmaine Wilkerson’s Black Cake.
PREMIUM
Murders of a Feather
This follow-up to Last but Not Leashed is for those who enjoy small-town mysteries and engaging animal characters.
PREMIUM
Good Girls Don’t Die
Featuring a unique premise and culminating in an engaging twist, this book offers a poignant feminist horror story with strong women characters.
PREMIUM
Let’s Get Quizzical
Trivia-loving readers will enjoy this clever and charming second-chance romance from Ohlert (To Get to the Other Side). Perfect for fans of rom-coms looking for a story with lots of heart and fun, random facts.
PREMIUM
On Moonberry Lake
Varni, host of the Moments from Moonberry Lake podcast, delivers a solid debut focusing on the stories of ordinary Midwesterners. The faith content is vague enough that general-fiction readers of Fannie Flagg, J. Ryan Stradal, and Viola Shipman will appreciate the small-town flavor and humorous anecdotes.
PREMIUM
The Light on Halsey Street
Friendship and the power of community are the shining stars of this novel, which doesn’t shy away from tough issues but also offers a hefty dose of hope and humor. Read-alikes include Lean on Me by Pat Simmons and No One Ever Asked by Katie Ganshert.
Powner’s real-life experience as a seasoned foster mother shines through in this tale of finding treasure in the people and things that others have cast aside. The secondary characters are funny, flawed, and so unusual that readers will be clamoring for more.
PREMIUM
Calling on the Matchmaker
Hedlund (“Colorado Cowboys” series) seems to have a hit no matter what time period she writes, and this book is no exception. With its strong supporting characters set to continue this new series, readers will appreciate a unique U.S. immigrant story not set on the coasts. Fans of historical fare from Karen Witemeyer and Regina Jennings will want to open up this matchmaking adventure.
PREMIUM
Appalachian Song
Shocklee (Count the Nights by Stars) delivers another powerful stand-alone novel for readers who love Appalachian stories in the style of Ann H. Gabhart and Kim Vogel Sawyer.
Throughout, there’s a sense of edgy anticipation, and not just because of the content. Readers will also understand that they are encountering an exciting new voice in literature.
This charming update of a classic should appeal to readers who enjoyed Curtis Sittenfeld’s Eligible or Cathleen Schine’s The Three Weissmanns of Westport.
PREMIUM
The Roaring Days of Zora Lily
Filled with likable characters and a few villains, this quick read will have a special appeal to those interested in historical fashion or Hollywood.
PREMIUM
Amazing Grace Adams
An utterly charming debut, sure to appeal to those who loved Gail Honeyman’s Eleanor Oliphant Is Completely Fine or Where’d You Go, Bernadette by Maria Semple.
Jack’s friend Ben says of his master’s thesis, “Ostensibly it’s about Wicker Park. But really? It’s about life.” Hill’s book is ostensibly about one couple’s relationship. But really? It’s about life. Highly recommended.
PREMIUM
The Unmaking of June Farrow
Young weaves these elements together in a seamlessly blended story that is enhanced by the well-crafted setting and nicely drawn characters. Readers who enjoyed Weyward by Emilia Hart will find much to love here.
PREMIUM
Christmas at Corgi Cove
Although it could use more corgi and more Christmas, this quick-moving novel will especially appeal to readers who like small-town stories and opposites-attract romances, with a sprinkling of the enemies-to-lovers trope.
PREMIUM
Medusa
Recommended for New Adult collections where there is a heavy interest in new versions of mythology; otherwise, with so many feminist retellings of various myths, this doesn’t stand out in the crowd.
Readers looking for a chance to escape their own holiday hubbub will find a perfect respite in spending quality time with Carmen at McCredie’s splendidly decorated bookshop.
A bracing and important read with insights into adoption and motherhood, ending with the heartening words, “She wasn’t afraid. She was doing her best. She was free.”
PREMIUM
Come and Get It
An emotionally intense exploration of power dynamics within relationships that doesn’t settle for easy villains and victims.
Fans of Christina Lauren, Debbie Macomber, Susan Wiggs, Jenny Colgan, or Mary Kay Andrews will want to put Morgan’s lastest on hold immediately.
PREMIUM
Lies and Other Love Languages
Recommended for Dev’s lush descriptions of food, fashion, dancing, college life, romance, and friendship and her sensitive portrayals of infertility, loss, and hope.
A captivating modern fable set in a vividly depicted Miami, rich with Latino and Afro-Latino culture, magic, and snark.
And by the way, who was the killer? Hunter keeps readers guessing in a book that’s both thriller-taut and an immersive study of human behavior.
PREMIUM
The Twelve Dogs of Christmas
Readers looking for a quick and satisfying Christmas novel, with the bonus of uplifting dog rescues, will love every page.
PREMIUM
Reasonable Adults
In her debut novel, Lefler delights readers with snicker-worthy banter and a lovable cast of characters.
PREMIUM
The Trouble with Tinsel
This soapy rom-com from married screenwriting couple Juliet and Keith Giglio (The Summer of Christmas) may appeal to library patrons looking for read-alikes for Jenny Bayliss or Sophie Cousens.
Offering a satisfying slow burn that transforms into delightful heat, the dazzling chemistry in this life-altering rom-com shows how love that transcends dimensions is worth the risk. This debut is an essential purchase for romance shelves.
PREMIUM
Recipe for Second Chances
In her fiction debut, cookbook author Rosen (Modern Freezer Meals) creates main characters with believable motivations and emotional baggage in an engaging second-chance romance. Rustic Italian recipes are also included.
Readers will delight in this suspenseful Victorian mystery mixed with a slow-burn romance and will enjoy seeing many characters from other series installments play an integral role in solving the murder. Those new to the series should start with The Matchmaker’s Lonely Heart.
PREMIUM
Housebroke
With its interesting, well-paced plot, dog lovers and rom-com fans will enjoy this drama-free romance from Burton (The Accidental Newlywed Game).
PREMIUM
For Never & Always
Fans of Greer’s Season of Love will clamor for this sequel that shares the Carrigan’s Inn setting, as will fans of Courtney Kae and Jean Meltzer.
For anyone who loves the “Bridgerton” books but wishes its heroines were more adept with close combat and weaponry than the pianoforte, Spencer’s novel delivers.
Highly recommended for fans of contemporary romances with strong social justice and family themes. This second “Vega Family Love Stories” book (following A Proposal They Can’t Refuse) works well as a stand-alone.
PREMIUM
Sweeten the Deal
Fans of Helen Hoang’s The Kiss Quotient will be charmed by neurodivergent Caroline and worldly, handsome Adrian in Shepard’s (Bear with Me Now) latest.
PREMIUM
Mr. Hook-up
Mann (Dominated) delivers another steamy, sexy novel that leaves nothing to the reader’s imagination. Fans of Chelle Sloan, Colleen Hoover, and E.L. James will be drawn to this new series.
PREMIUM
Never Wager with a Wallflower
Heath brings the Regency “Merriwell Sisters” series to a fulfilling close (following Never Rescue a Rogue), with Gal and Vee’s stories fleshing out the characters and relationship that readers only thought they knew.
Mughees’s debut presents a captivating romance filled with tension and uncertainty along with many other storylines. Recommend to enthusiasts of Bollywood or Indian soap operas, as the novel’s elements may resonate with this audience.
PREMIUM
The Christmas Swap
Samuels’s debut will appeal to readers looking for a quick, lighthearted story filled with cozy romantic tropes.
PREMIUM
Iris Kelly Doesn’t Date
Blake continues to write compelling and lovable characters with engaging and empathetic storylines. Readers will love this foray back into Bright Falls.
Walker (author of Always, Clementine, as Carlie Sorosiak) makes her adult debut with this might-be-mob caper that is both a romantic comedy and a holiday mystery, complete with snow, carols, and gorgeous bodyguards wrapped in a bow.
This gorgeously written, romantic story of growth and healing tackles deep subjects while still giving audiences the optimistic ending that the characters deserve.
PREMIUM
Plot Twist
La Rosa’s second “Hollywood Series” book, after For Butter or Worse, is recommended for all collections where contemporary romance is popular.
Martin’s (Better Than Fiction) sexy friends-to-lovers rom-com is full of endearing characters and emotional plotlines, set against a whimsical Midwestern backdrop. Will appeal to readers of feel-good contemporary romances.
PREMIUM
Silver Lady
Recommended for readers who like some fantasy in their historical romance and appreciate stories with chosen family and strong women.
PREMIUM
All That We Are Together
Kellen’s angst-filled follow-up to All That We Never Were brings this duology to a conclusion that falls flat after such a dramatic ending in the previous book.
PREMIUM
A Haunting on the Hill
Where Jackson gave glimpses of possibility, Hand purposefully pulls back the curtain on a Hill House in its full derangement, but this haunted-house tale stands on its own very spooky legs.
PREMIUM
My Darling Girl
With detail that is simultaneously luscious and eerie and a story that is at once familiar and yet possessed by something unnamable, this novel won’t disappoint fans of McMahon (The Children on the Hill) or first-time readers.
PREMIUM
The Horror at Pleasant Brook
The sheer number of expendable characters sometimes slows down the action, but fans of Stephen King’s and Dean Koontz’s stories of small-town evil infestation will love seeing Pleasant Brook fall into darkness.
PREMIUM
Midnight Showing
For fans of horror and Hollywood (and Holly-weird) and for any creative who has contemplated the nature of art, the concept of reality, and a creator’s responsibility for their creations.
PREMIUM
Cold Turkey
Fans of the series will enjoy the camaraderie and supportiveness between Tish and recurring characters, as well as the delicious menu cooked up for the upcoming holiday and Tish’s new café.
PREMIUM
The Darkness Surrounds Us
Lukasik blends all the elements needed for a dark suspense novel: a forbidding mansion, ghostly presences, secret passages, a hostile housekeeper, a temperamental employer, and residents unwilling to talk to outsiders. For fans of Rebecca, The Woman in White, and The Death of Mrs. Westaway.
PREMIUM
Murder Off Stage
The fifth “Roaring Twenties Mystery,” following Murder in Disguise, is an enjoyable treat with appearances by Pickford, Fairbanks, and Queen Marie of Romania, as well as the Astaires. For fans of earlier books in the series or of Katharine Schellman’s “Nightingale” mysteries, also set in 1920s NYC.
PREMIUM
In the Dark I See You
Through shifting timelines and alternating points of view, Narayanan takes readers on a perplexing yet compelling journey. The destination is worth it in the end.
PREMIUM
Death in the Dark Woods
Fans of A Death in Door County, the first book in the series, will be pleased with the reappearance of Chief of Police Jon Flanders. Purchase where Ryan’s other books circulate or where there’s interest in cryptids or monster lit.
PREMIUM
Christmas Presents
The latest psychological suspense by the author of Secluded Cabin Sleeps Six emphasizes survivor’s guilt and the inability to move on in this compelling story.
PREMIUM
The Dance of the Dolls
Based on the real ballet scene in prewar London, this immersive tale will be a delight for historical-fiction fans who like a touch of suspense.
PREMIUM
Second Term
Journalist and correspondent Adams knows the inner workings of DC and vividly portrays the Capitol’s underside. He writes Cora as a dystopic, flawed hero who is larger than life in this near-future narrative that’s frighteningly like the present.
PREMIUM
The Intern
This page-turner from the author of It’s Always the Husband delivers a suspenseful narrative with empathetic characters, while also raising timely, provocative questions about corruption within the justice system. Perfect for fans of legal thrillers.
PREMIUM
Cheap Trills
The sequel to Fogged Off is a humorous mystery that emphasizes Bali’s beauty and the human threats to its flora and fauna. Imagine Stephanie Plum as a travel agent. Readers seeking more Indonesian crime fiction should try Jakarta-based Booker nominee Eka Kurniawan.
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