Hachette Library – Starred Reviews

★ HOUSE OF BONE AND RAIN

By: Gabino Iglesias

Booklist – Starred Review

“All stories are ghost stories,” repeats Gabe (until all truly feel its meaning), the narrator of Iglesias’ stellar horror-thriller hybrid set in Puerto Rico amidst 2017’s devastating Hurricane Maria. When Bimbo’s mother is gunned down at work, best friends Gabe, Xavier, Tavo, and Paul
join Bimbo in his quest for revenge, attempting to take out the biggest drug lord on the island under cover of the storm’s aftermath. The unsettling tone, high tension, and brisk pace are enhanced by striking free verse poems at the start of each chapter that foreshadow what is coming without giving anything away. However, it is Gabe’s engaging narration and character that will hook readers. He is honest and conflicted, bursting with love despite the real-life horrors that surround him. Intricately plotted, with a strong sense of place, told with awe-inspiringly lyrical language and brutal violence, this is a remarkable novel that beams its hope into the darkness; a story that stands on its own as wholly original while confidently inserting itself into a conversation with horror’s complicated past. It’s a story that will introduce readers to a new favorite author
while they wait for the next S. A. Cosby or Stephen Graham Jones.

Mulholland Books: August 6, 2024; ISBN: 9780316427012, Hardcover

★ ANGEL OF VENGEANCE

By: Preston & Child

Booklist – Starred Review

Preston and Child return again to the wonderful world of Aloysius Pendergast and Constance Greene in this absolutely perfect thriller. Pendergast, an FBI special agent with (shall we say) a unique investigative method, and Greene, who was introduced way back when as Pendergast’s ward but has become something altogether more special to him, take one last run at the notorious serial killer Enoch Leng. But this is no ordinary good guys vs. bad guy story. Anybody can write one of those, but only Preston and Child can write a Pendergast novel. For starters, the book, like its immediate predecessors, is set in an alternate time line from the earlier novels in the series; characters who were dead in that time line are alive again in this one, which makes for a rather surreal experience for readers who know what happened to these characters in earlier novels. The story itself is less about catching a serial killer as it is about the unique relationship between the two protagonists: Greene’s rage is directed at Leng, but threatens to consume her, and Pendergast is desperate to make sure that doesn’t happen. You will rarely see two characters as complex and compelling as these two, and you will rarely see a series as consistently well written as this one.

Grand Central Publishing: August 13, 2024; ISBN: 9781538765708, Hardcover

★ BITE: An Incisive History of Teeth, from Hagfish to Humans

By: Bill Schutt

Kirkus – Starred Review

A delightful examination of teeth throughout history. Vertebrate zoologist Schutt, a research associate at the American Museum of Natural History and the author of Pump and Cannibalism, teams with illustrator Wynne to create a lively, deeply informed investigation of the origin, development, and significance of teeth. “The appearance of teeth, around five hundred million years ago, and the serious remodeling that occurred after that enabled myriad forms of vertebrates to obtain and process food in pretty much every conceivable environment,” writes the author, as well as use them as defensive weapons and tools. Drawing on the findings of archaeologists, anthropologists, paleontologists, dentists, and scores of other researchers, Schutt highlights the teeth of many particular species. Adaptations of vampire bat teeth strike him as particularly spectacular, since bats need a bite strong enough to draw blood (which they lap up) but not painful enough to cause their prey to flee. The evolution of high-crowned teeth that continue to grow over an animal’s life span enabled horses to survive as soft-leaved forests changed to abrasive grasslands. Tusks are teeth used not for chewing, but as digging or scraping tools and, in some species, for visual display. Schutt considers the fangs of a variety of venomous snakes and venomous fish. Of these, the stonefish is the most lethal, administering its venom not through a bite, but by 13 “stiff, supersharp dorsal spines.” The author patiently explains what evolution means, with close attention to the initial appearance of jaws, whose function “was not to grasp and bite but to increase the efficiency of respiration by opening and closing the mouth.” Schutt’s purview is wide ranging and his curiosity insatiable; he wonders, for example, Why have toothless vertebrates evolved from ancestors with teeth? Were George Washington’s dentures really wooden? How have we come to have a tooth fairy? A fascinating romp through evolutionary history.

Algonquin Books: August 13, 2024; ISBN: 9781643751788, Hardcover

★ LONG LIVE EVIL

By: Sarah Rees Brennan

Booklist – Starred Review

Rae is dying. She was head cheerleader and head bitch in her high school, until she started to forget things and could not keep up with her classmates. Lying in her hospital bed, her only escape is a series of books that she and her sister love. The characters are all beautiful, but
complicated; the rules of the world are strict; and Rae is a bit in love with the hero. When a mysterious woman shows up at her bedside and tells Rae that she can enter the book and try to complete a mission that might mean a cure in the real world, Rae, half in a daze, wanders into the series. But when Rae wakes up, she is in the body of the main villianess of the work, due to be executed the following day. Rae decides to lean into her natural-villain powers, creates a whole team of villains, and plots to achieve the mission. Readers will laugh at the absurd situations and revel in all of Rae’s successes. Brennan’s adult fantasy debut is two great stories
in one: the romantasy in the background and Rae’s adventure in the foreground.

Orbit: August 27, 2024; ISBN: 9780316568715, Paperback

★ OUR LONG MARVELOUS DYING

By: Anna DeForest

Booklist – Starred Review

DeForest, a physician trained in neurology and palliative care medicine, continues the story of the medical student she portrayed in A History of Present Illness (2022) in her gripping but grim second novel. Here the distressed narrator completes a yearlong training program in end-of-life
care in which her major responsibility is controlling patients’ pain. Unsurprisingly, such constant proximity to dying produces an osmotic effect. Something inside the narrator (maybe the soul, perhaps love) is slowly dying too. Her personal life is mostly a mess. As a child, the narrator’s mother deserted her and her father neglected her. She now raises a five-year-old niece, and her marriage to a chaplain is on the rocks. For the narrator, everyone is either an enigma, dilemma, or failure. Constructed more like memoir than novel, the plot is thin. There is a whiff of Edgar Allan Poe: a preoccupation with death, an unmoored narrator, a deadly pandemic spread invisibly by a breath or a cough. The patients she treats are miserable or pitiful, including a woman with alcoholic cirrhosis whose body is yellow and bloated, someone hemorrhaging from
tuberculosis, a person with ALS. DeForest has created a bleak yet powerful account of the toll of dying on family members and health professionals who care for the almost-dead.

Little, Brown: July 9, 2024; ISBN: 9780316567121, Hardcover

★ THE MERCY OF GODS

By: James S. A. Corey

Booklist – Starred Review

No one remembers how humanity came to live on the planet Anjiin. Then the alien Carryx arrive to enslave mankind. Caught up in an ages-old conflict they had no idea was even happening, and thrust into a far wider galactic community of aliens, the survivors from Anjiin must figure out
how to navigate their subjugation and maybe even find a path back to freedom. Writing duo Corey (Memory’s Legion, 2022) once again does a masterful job of populating their settings with deeply drawn, unique characters. The settings are immersive and interesting, and the history of
the Carryx provides compelling depth to the grand conflict of the story. The Carryx are an insectoid villain race, but Corey explores their worldview, mindset, and culture more deeply than is typical, making them more believable and interesting than the usual genre stereotype. They’re
the most well-developed insectoid baddies since Orson Scott Card’s original Ender Trilogy. Mercy of the Gods starts in an unspecified part of the galaxy, assumed to be far from Earth, at an unspecified, far-future time, giving it a more speculative, fantastical feel compared to Corey’s Expanse series. This is old-fashioned space opera on a grand scale and a promising start for an epic new series.

Orbit: August 6, 2024; ISBN: 9780316525572, Hardcover

★ THE SCARLET THRONE

By: Amy Leow

Booklist – Starred Review

Binsa is theoretically a living goddess, channeling the wisdom of an immortal deity to dispense justice daily from the Scarlet Throne until she ages out of the role and the deity selects a new girl in her place. Except Rashmatun has never channeled wisdom through Binsa; Binsa is bound
instead to a blood demon named Ilam, inherited at her mother’s death. Through her spies, Binsa discovers that her chief priests suspect something and are plotting the selection of the next living goddess. Driven largely by fear, as she has no home to return to once released from service, she attempts to derail the selection. But this goes awry, and Binsa finds herself torn between sabotaging and defending her successor, Medha. Medha and her half-sister, Nali, have their own ulterior motives for arriving at the temple: their older sister was one of the deceased candidates
during Binsa’s selection day, commonly known as the Bloodbath of Shiratukh. Binsa’s morality hangs in the balance as she deepens her bond with Ilam in this delightful novel that launches the False Goddess Trilogy. Debut author Leow carefully balances the characters’ humanity against their fears to drive this story along unexpected paths.

Orbit: September 10, 2024; ISBN: 9780316562485, Paperback

★ LET’S MOVE THE NEEDLE: An Activism Handbook for Artists, Crafters, Creatives, and Makers

By: Shannon Downey

Library Journal – Starred Review

Downey (design and business, Columbia Coll.) is the artist behind Badass Cross Stitch and a longtime activist. When she returned to stitching during a period of personal burnout, she found that her creative work aligned with her community organizing and activism efforts. These interconnecting spheres led her to craftivism, a centuries-old merging of handmaking and activism that has spread widely through online creative communities. In this guide, she takes aspiring activists through a step-by-step approach to defining problems, building coalitions, setting goals, and developing messaging to motivate and engage. For example, she uses a sample community project involving a beach cleanup as a template. Throughout the book, she emphasizes her key message: craftivism isn’t a “quiet, humble” form of activism; it’s an impactful way to encourage social change. Crafters looking for specific projects won’t find them here, although there are numerous examples of Downey’s work throughout the book.

VERDICT This is a practical manual for aspiring activists, crafters or otherwise, who want to make a difference in the world around them. This stimulating, thoughtfully-organized guide to craftivism will appeal both to activist-minded creatives and noncrafters looking for practical steps to help turn their intentions into action.

Storey: October 1, 2024; ISBN: 9781635868906, Paperback

★ THE GARLIC COMPANION: Recipes, Crafts, Preservation Techniques, and Simple Ways To Grow Your Own

By: Kristin Graves

Library Journal – Starred Review

Garlic lovers will rejoice at this book from Graves, a fifth-generation garlic farmer in Canada, sharing her expert knowledge about it. In five chapters (“Know and Love,” “Cook and Eat,” “Make and Celebrate,” “Plant and Grow,” “Harvest and Store”), readers will find recipes and crafting ideas, all centered on garlic. They’ll also learn how to plant the pungent allium and preserve their harvests. The first chapter contains a treasure trove of information about garlic, its history, the different varieties, and its culinary and medicinal uses. Included among the delicious recipes are roasted carrots with black garlic glaze, honey-garlic ribs, garlic scape croutons, fresh garlic scape salsa, and garlic confit flatbread pizza; there are even garlic-centric desserts, like black garlic caramel mini cheesecakes and roasted garlic-honey sorbet.

VERDICT Easy-to-understand recipes and directions with color photographs help make this a highly accessible and critical volume for fans of garlic.

Storey: September 17, 2024; ISBN: 9781635866865, Hardcover

★ DATEABLE: Swiping Right, Hooking Up, and Settling Down While Chronically Ill and Disabled

By: Jessica Slice, Caroline Cupp

Library Journal – Starred Review

Coauthors Slice and Cupp have explored a range of inclusivity-focused topics in their previous books for children. This title for adults aims to share the challenges and joys of navigating online dating as a chronically ill or disabled person. In the book’s introduction, each author shares their own experiences and then frames them with nuanced analyses of what it means to navigate dating in “a society that stigmatizes disabled bodies and minds.” They provide statistics, call out some of the language people use that is well-intentioned yet marginalizing or restigmatizing, and provide insights from interviews with chronically ill and disabled people, all undergirded by the authors’ awareness of the complex nuances of intersectionality and their particular privilege as white cis women.

VERDICT With its mix of astute cultural analyses, quippy personal anecdotes, and deeper dives into sociopolitical and theoretical factors, this book does more than show disabled and chronically ill people that they belong. It also serves as a reminder that it matters how one shows up on dating apps and in relationships, in order to counteract the systems that try to render invisible the people whose bodies don’t conform to social norms.

Hachette Go: July 9, 2024; ISBN: 9780306832734, Paperback

★ GRACE ROSE FARM GARDEN ROSES: The Complete Guide to Growing & Arranging Spectacular Blooms

By: Gracielinda Poulson

Library Journal – Starred Review

Readers curious about growing roses or just wanting to look at beautiful pictures alongside poetic descriptions of stunning flowers will be delighted by this book. Poulson, founder of Southern California’s Grace Rose Farm, offers readers a title that’s richly filled with helpful information on hundreds of rose types. The book sorts them by color, and lovely photographs accompany each featured flower. There’s also a key that details everything from hardiness zones to disease-resistance to whether the plant is suitable for container planting. Seasoned rose growers will enjoy the descriptions of each bloom and the helpful hints for care. Readers new to nurturing this flower will learn much, and Poulson’s encouraging tone diminishes the intimidation factor of rose cultivation. The book provides up-to-date information about soil amendments, options for pest control, and preferred methods of garden preparation. The author is also humble in noting mistakes she’s made; she hopes mentioning them will help fellow gardeners avoid making the same errors.

VERDICT A tremendous, captivating resource for rose gardeners. This eye-catching book will look great on seasonal displays about gardening.

Artisan: March 26, 2024; ISBN: 9781648290831, Hardcover

★ THE ART OF CRYING: The Healing Power of Tears

By: Pepita Sandwich

Library Journal – Starred Review

Argentine artist and illustrator Sandwich (Las Mujeres Mueven Montañas) conveys the power of tears in this captivating study of crying. Using vibrant illustrations and research, Sandwich explores the history, science, and cultural significance of this uniquely human emotional experience. The book explores a range of physiological and emotional reasons that humans cry, the symbolism of tears in culture and art, and the healing benefits of crying. She also delves into quirky aspects of the culture around crying: tear teachers, crying memes, why people cry on planes, the origin of the term “crocodile tears.” Witty, thoughtful, and engaging as both a visual artist and writer, Sandwich is an ideal guide for the subject matter. Throughout the book she mixes in personal experiences and her own relationship to tears, infusing and balancing fascinating information with vulnerability. The book will appeal widely to readers of nonfiction for its approachable blend of subjects and meaningful themes. Readers interested in further exploring crying might also enjoy Benjamin Perry’s Cry, Baby: Why Our Tears Matter.

VERDICT An empowering, boldly illustrated guide about the expansive world of human tears.

Little, Brown: April 30, 2024; ISBN: 9780316532556, Hardcover

★ THE WILDES

By: Louis Bayard

Booklist – Starred Review

As befits a novel about one of literature’s most astute, witty, and persecuted playwrights, Bayard structures his poignant portrayal of Oscar Wilde as a drama in five acts, complete with interludes. In the prelude to and aftermath of the sexual scandal that sent Wilde to prison, his wife, Constance, and sons Cyril and Vyvyan walk the tightrope of loving a genius while turning a blind eye to the flaws that inform and inspire his work. When the family escapes London for a farm cottage in rural Norfolk, Constance believes her marriage to be solid if unconventional. The appearance of Lord Alfred Douglas slowly alerts her to the reality of her husband’s sexuality. When Wilde is jailed, the family, disgraced and impoverished, lives in exile. WWI ensnares Cyril who, as a child, witnessed his family’s dissolution. Vyvyan, as the sole survivor, struggles to understand and accept his family’s fate. Scandal knows no century nor season; historically, its villains and victims remain tragically entwined. Bayard considers these themes through dialogue as crackling as any Wilde himself would write and unfolds the Wilde family’s story with the same attention to conflict and resolution as Wilde’s legendary plays.

Algonquin: September 17, 2024; ISBN: 9781643755304, Hardcover

★ CHINESE ENOUGH: Homestyle Recipes for Noodles, Dumplings, Stir-Fries, and More

By: Kristina Cho

Booklist – Starred Review

San Francisco architect Cho grew up in a family of Cleveland restaurateurs. Like many children of immigrants, she struggled to reconcile her heritage with the decidedly different American lifestyle of her peers. Much of her conflict was about food. She loved her Hong Kong grandparents’ cuisine, but she longed to be a part of the cooking culture she saw on American television. She eventually developed her own style of cooking, reflecting her Chinese heritage, Midwestern upbringing, and California lifestyle. She eschews a wok for a cast-iron frying pan, since home kitchen stoves rarely reach the intense heat of restaurant burners. She makes occasional ingredient substitutions, remarking that ketchup can frequently provide a necessary sweet-sour harmony. It appears in Mom’s Spaghetti, with ground beef, oyster sauce, and Parmesan cheese. Cho breaks down dumpling ingredients into categories (proteins, vegetables, sauces, spices) to encourage imagination and move beyond pork and shrimp standards to fillings  like duck and leek. Including a section on outdoor cooking, this is a good introduction to Chinese flavors for American cooks.

Artisan: September 24, 2024; ISBN: 9781648293429, Hardcover

★ BAYOU: Feasting through the Seasons of a Cajun Life

By: Melissa M. Martin

Booklist – Starred Review

Cajun cooking, essential to American cuisine, rises from the land, climate, and people of southern Louisiana. As Cajun country continues to evolve with the addition of recent immigrant populations, including Vietnamese, it also retains traditions that focus on the produce of the land and the surrounding bayous, rivers, and seas. In her second cookbook, much-lauded New Orleans restaurateur Martin (Mosquito Supper Club, 2020) celebrates the unpretentiousness of Cajun cooking, noting that food is the focus of the Cajun home, whether it’s eaten off a table dressed in fine linens or from a blanket on the floor. In spring, the Cajun table may be piled high with crawfish, oysters, and shrimp or a complex jambalaya. Summer brings crab in profusion, along with fruits for sweet delicacies like blackberry tarts. As seasons move on, vegetables mature, yielding bumper crops of mirlitons for slaw or for stuffing with shrimp. The great Cajun tradition of using every part of an animal and wasting nothing appears in recipes for hog’s head cheese and pork backbone stew. Especially appropriate for regional library collections.

Artisan: September 24, 2024; ISBN: 9781648291401, Hardcover

★ THE GARLIC COMPANION: Recipes, Crafts, Preservation Techniques, and Simple Ways To Grow Your Own

By: Kristin Graves

Booklist – Starred Review

This homage to the famed allium will give garlic enthusiasts a new reason to rev up their olfactories. A garlicky perfume practically pours from the pages, weaving its way through savory corn breads, shortbreads, and cheese spreads while delicately popping in on sugar-dusted treats. Graves, self-proclaimed “Garlic Goddess,” reminds readers that garlic’s piquancy can be softened by roasting and/or fermentation (resulting in black garlic). She provides dessert options that add creative flair with a darkened blur of contrast on the palate: roasted garlic and honey sorbet, black garlic maple butter to dollop on waffles, black garlic banana bread, and even black garlic cream fondant chocolates. Readers are invited to learn about the myriad garlic varieties, how and when to grow them, how to use the edible scapes (green shoots), or how to twist the bulbs delicately into playful fall harvest head wreaths. Hanging out this closely with garlic might not be great for one’s breath, but eyes and taste buds will be inspired and delighted by these original offerings.

Storey: September 17, 2024; ISBN: 9781635866865, Hardcover

★ A LIFE IN THE GARDEN: Tales and Tips for Growing Food in Every Season

By: Barbara Damrosch

Booklist – Starred Review

This is a wonderfully informed how-to guide on nearly every aspect of backyard veggie growing, though it’s cleverly disguised as simply a leisurely stroll through the garden, the amiable Damrosch having honed her narrative skills as co-host of the Learning Channel’s Gardening Naturally for a decade and as author of the Cook’s Garden column for the Washington Post for 14 years. Much of her information can be found elsewhere, but her informality sets a perfect tone with the new or reluctant gardener. And she resists preaching—for example, instead of taking a stand on tilling versus not tilling, she relates that her friend Ruth, who, tired of waiting for the man with the tractor to till her soil one season, simply sowed her seeds “among the previous year’s debris,” where they thrived. Point made, gently. Readers can expect solid, specific growing tips on tomatoes, salad greens, heartier greens, peas and beans, “earth” vegetables, onions, garden fruits, and herbs, along with especially good info on extending the growing season.

Timber Press: October 1, 2024; ISBN: 9781643261812, Hardcover

★ KIDS THRIVE AT EVERY SIZE: How to Nourish Your Big, Small, or In-Between Child for a Lifetime of Health and Happiness

By: Jill Castle

Booklist – Starred Review

A good, common parental goal is to raise kids who are physically and mentally healthy. Castle, a pediatric nutritionist and mother of four, gives concrete tips for increasing the odds for success. Castle divides her guide into two parts, a concise look at “the building blocks of health” and a longer discussion of “the eight pillars of wellness.” These are family culture, sleep, movement, feeding, eating, food, screens and media, and self-love. Body image consumes kids, not just their parents, from a young age. By middle school, half of girls and a third of boys want a thinner body. “Bigorexia” refers to boys preoccupied with leanness and muscularity. Castle helps parents worried about their children’s size and appetite with what she calls an “impossible choice: restrict, push, or do nothing.” The basics, including getting enough sleep and iron, go a long way. Parents can expect to learn good ways to help kids with the BLAHS (boredom, loneliness, avoidance, habit, situation).

Workman: August 13, 2024; ISBN: 9781523521838, Paperback

★ THE LANTERN OF LOST MEMORIES

By: Sanaka Hiiragi

Library Journal – Starred Review

Hirasaki’s photography studio exists between death and what comes after in this short, quirky Japanese novel. There, the newly deceased awaken confused and are soon tasked with sorting through copious photographs of their lives. When they’ve chosen the best, Hirasaki creates a beautiful display that will ease the deceased onto the next mystery, more at peace with their end. An aging school teacher, a yakuza man, and a young girl each arrive and need Hirasaki’s gentle guidance—with a bit of time travel—to discover what’s important. Like several other recent popular Japanese novels, the narrative is composed of episodic meditations on life. But the stories are less random than they appear, and Hirasaki’s own mystery runs through them. Unlike his clients, he possesses only a single photograph and no memories. Though lacking in identity, his personality shines through in his compassion and sincerity, which help him find hope amid the human horrors that cage his final client.

VERDICT Hiiragi’s thoughtful English-language debut will send readers searching through their minds to excavate the forgotten moments that define them even now.

Grand Central Publishing: September 17, 2024; ISBN: 9781538757437, Hardcover

★ THE LAST HOUR BETWEEN WORLDS (The Echo Archives, Book 1)

By: Melissa Caruso

Library Journal – Starred Review

On leave from the Guild of Hounds, Kembral Thorne is determined to enjoy her time away from her newborn while at Dona Marjorie Swift’s year-turning party. But when party guests start dying around her, Kem is drawn back into her work, determined to discover the killer. Her nemesis, Rika Nonesuch, is also searching for answers, and the two try to set aside their differences to uncover what’s going on. With every chime of the clock, they fall into an Echo, a layer of reality that gets more and more twisted each time they descend; a person could be lost here forever. She knows that no one has ever survived going too deep, but that may be the least of their problems when powerful figures play bloody games. It’s even worse when time resets to the start of the party, and no one remembers what has happened, except Kem.

VERDICT Clever, empathetic characters, an unusual world, and a rapidly paced story that keeps readers guessing will delight fans of Caruso’s (The Ivory Tomb) and create new ones.

Orbit: November 19, 2024; ISBN: 9780316303477, Paperback

★ BAYOU: Feasting through the Seasons of a Cajun Life

By: Melissa M. Martin

Library Journal – Starred Review

Martin, author of the James Beard Award–winning and IACP Best New Cookbook Mosquito Supper Club, returns with another exquisitely written offering that illuminates and celebrates the culinary treasures of Cajun country. Arranged in chapters dedicated to topics such as abundance, simplicity, and resilience, Martin thoughtfully explores the food of the bayou through a seasonal approach. Cooks can expect to find recipes for beloved classic dishes such as Carnival crawfish boil (whose ingredients list includes 60 pounds of crawfish), hush puppies, and étouffée in the style of Mim & Ennola, as well as simpler favorites, such as fresh bean salad with tomatoes and herbs, 7 Up biscuits, and fried potato sandwiches. Illustrated with art-gallery-worthy photographs and enriched with essays written by Martin on topics ranging from onions and Carnival to fishing and holidays in the bayou, this book is a feast in every sense.

VERDICT Both armchair cooks and anyone seeking an introduction to Cajun cuisine will find that Martin’s latest eloquently and elegantly written book perfectly captures the culinary heart and soul of the bayou.

Artisan: September 24, 2024; ISBN: 9781648291401, Hardcover

★ MIDNIGHT IN MOSCOW: A Memoir from the Front Lines of Russia’s War Against the West

By: John J. Sullivan

Library Journal – Starred Review

Attorney Sullivan was U.S. ambassador to the Russian Federation under Presidents Trump and Biden. Before that, he served three other presidents in prominent diplomatic and legal positions, though it’s unusual for a diplomatic appointment to transition across party lines. In addition to being a memoir of his diplomatic career, his first book attempts to understand Russia under Putin. Sullivan shows that Putin identifies with his country to the extent that Russia is Putin, so Putin takes personally any criticism of the war in Ukraine. His debut brims with insightful analysis through the lens of diplomatic relations with the Russian Federation. Sullivan also writes about being in Russia during COVID and in Afghanistan during the U.S. withdrawal. The memoir emphasizes Sullivan’s career of public service, but it also demonstrates the toll of spending so much time away from his family. Sullivan is clearly a policy wonk, so his book is dense at times but remains accessible to informed readers.

VERDICT A distinguished insider’s view of United States–Russia relations and what a diplomatic role entails personally and politically, especially in wartime.

Little, Brown: August 6, 2024; ISBN: 9780316571098, Hardcover

★ TÍAS AND PRIMAS: On Knowing and Loving the Women Who Raise Us

By: Mojica Rodríguez, Prisca Dorcas & Josie Del Castillo

Library Journal – Starred Review

Activist Mojica Rodríguez (For Brown Girls with Sharp Edges and Tender Hearts) pays homage to the wonderful women in her life, including matriarchs, tías (aunts), and primas (cousins). She argues that portrayals of Latinas in Western media are misleading, unhelpful, and stereotypical, such as the grateful and obedient maid; the curvy, hotheaded prima donna; and the crime-adjacent member of Chicano subculture. Each chapter focuses on a different real embodiment of Latina womanhood that, thanks to Mojica Rodríguez’s love of these women, doesn’t come across as reducing them to labels. Instead, she portrays Latinas as multidimensional, with traits to emulate. For example, she describes matriarchs as ones who keep the family unified; they’re resourceful, skilled at compromise, and often exemplary with high standards and a forgiving heart, while tías are confidantes who make adulthood look more adventurous than laborious. Some sections also address the systemic issue of aspirational whiteness, when society shows that “proximity to whiteness is the key to power” and success.

VERDICT This welcome book (with illustrations) aptly deconstructs the labels often applied to Latinas.

Seal Press: September 10, 2024; ISBN: 9781541603950, Hardcover

★ ALIEN CLAY

By: Adrian Tchaikovsky

Library Journal – Starred Review

Professor Daghdev is a revolutionary advocate for knowledge and reason who turns up his nose at the orthodoxy of the Mandate. The Mandate corrupts the creed of science, so Daghdev is proud of his role as a political delinquent, right up until he’s deported and shipped off to the labor camp on the remote planet of Kiln. Once there, he encounters signs of extrasolar life, and he collaborates with the other dissident expendables to unravel the mystery behind Kiln’s vanished civilization. Tchaikovsky (Lords of Uncreation) is a maestro of grim and claustrophobic science fiction, and his imagination knows no bounds. This is a prison drama set in a creepy alien world, with a dash of body horror and several parasitical nightmares. Daghdev is a flippant narrator who endures an endless gauntlet of extreme scenarios, and the disturbing imagery enriches the worldbuilding. His role as a free thinker also allows for a novel exploration of xenoscience, symbiotic relationships, and divergent evolution.

VERDICT This engaging book is perfect for those who enjoyed Tchaikovsky’s Cage of Souls and for fans of Annihilation by Jeff VanderMeer.

Orbit: September 17, 2024; ISBN: 9780316578974, Paperback

★ BISMILLAH, LET’S EAT!: Fresh and Vibrant Recipes from my Family to Yours

By: Zehra Allibhai

Library Journal – Starred Review

Allibhai, a Canada-based fitness influencer known for her website the FitNest, makes her cookbook debut. She begins by providing a helpful list of tools and ingredients for stocking the pantry and having on hand for the book’s recipes. While the majority of them draw on the author’s Indian and Kenyan background, there are also plenty of fusion recipes that mix cuisine styles, such as grilled-cheese stuffed naan and butter-chicken pizza. There are also recipes that can be prepared with vegetarian variations. The book includes a great section at the end discussing Ramadan, what recipes might be most appropriate to help people through their fasting time, and how to break the fast. She also suggests celebratory recipes for Eid.

VERDICT Librarians looking to add variety to their cookbook collections and readers who want to experiment with fusion recipes will find this a useful addition.

Hachette Go: October 1, 2024; ISBN: 9780306831119, Hardcover

★ MATH FOR ENGLISH MAJORS: A Human Take on the Universal Language

By: Ben Orlin

Library Journal – Starred Review

Employing basic mathematical operations such as addition, division, and percentages can heighten feelings of uneasiness in readers who are math-averse, while exponents, irrational numbers, logarithms, algorithms, and proofs may be intolerable and induce math anxiety. Former math teacher Orlin (Math with Bad Drawings) attempts to make the science more palatable for readers whose math skills are lacking. He correlates mathematics education to second-language acquisition. Consequently, he introduces nouns that describe numbers, such as “counting,” “fractions,” “negative numbers,” “rounding,” and “irrational numbers.” There are related verbs too: “add,” “subtract,” “multiply,” “divide,” “square,” “cube,” and “compute.” He asserts that the syntax of mathematics brings these nouns and verbs together to form symbols, variables, equations, graphs, and formulas. The book includes a glossary that covers terms such as “error” and “estimate”, “cause” and “correlation,” “logic” and “proof,” and “data.” Orlin peppers his discussion with his unique style of stick-figure illustration, which adds a fun, humorous element.

VERDICT Orlin’s lighthearted, informative, and engaging approach may encourage some math-averse readers to keep trying and could quell math-related anxiety as well. It makes a great complement to the multitude of available basic math texts.

Black Dog & Leventhal: September 3, 2024; ISBN: 9780762499816, Hardcover

★ EINSTEIN’S TUTOR: The Story of Emmy Noether and the Invention of Modern Physics

By: Lee Phillips

Library Journal – Starred Review

Phillips, a former research physicist at the Naval Research Laboratory, spotlights a brilliant German mathematician from the early 20th century: Emmy Noether, who made significant contributions to abstract algebra. Rather than being a straight biography, the book showcases Noether’s ideas and accomplishments, while also devoting attention to the obstacles she experienced due to her gender and later, in Nazi Germany, her Jewish heritage. Phillips also details the scientists whose work Noether influenced, including Albert Einstein; Noether is credited with giving him the basis to develop his theory of relativity. Phillips describes Noether’s Theorem—connected to physicists, laws of nature, and symmetries—as a “theory-construction kit” that undergirds research in physics and mathematics, and he offers concrete examples using familiar objects, but readers without math expertise may find this concept and section challenging to fully comprehend. With that said, however, the book is still successful in explaining why Noether’s research remains important today.

VERDICT An intriguing title capturing the work of a brilliant mathematician who excelled despite obstacles she experienced simply because she was a woman. Best for students of physics, math, and gender studies.

PublicAffairs: September 10, 2024; ISBN: 9781541702950, Hardcover

★ BLK MKT Vintage: Reclaiming Objects and Curiosities That Tell Black Stories

By: Jannah Handy and Kiyanna Stewart

Library Journal – Starred Review

Business and life partners Handy and Stewart, owners of BLK MKT Vintage, share their mission of curating and reclaiming Black history through physical objects. Frustrated by seeing racist objects labelled as “Black memorabilia” in antique shops, Handy and Stewart dreamed of creating their own store for Black cultural ephemera; they now have an online marketplace as well as a brick-and-mortar site in Brooklyn, NY. The couple’s book is not only a tribute to Black culture but a celebration of their 10-year-old company, their personal histories, and their relationship. The text is highlighted by 300 photographs of vintage objects, including books, magazines, playbills, vinyl records, advertising posters, clothing, pins, photographs, pennants, and yearbooks. The authors share cherished items from their private collection as well, including a rare first edition of Zora Neale Hurston’s Their Eyes Were Watching God, a Faith Ringgold lithograph, the program from James Baldwin’s funeral, and a backgammon board that belonged to Handy’s father. The book is also an inside look at the resale industry and includes tips for building, preserving, and displaying collections.

VERDICT This one-of-a-kind monograph will inspire readers to cherish and curate their own collections.

Black Dog & Leventhal: October 15, 2024; ISBN: 9780762484034, Hardcover

★ HOT HEX BOYFRIEND

By: Carly Bloom

Library Journal – Starred Review

Cordelia Merriweather has always been told that she is a blue witch who will break the hex that prevents her family from having magic. Yet as her 30th birthday and another blue moon approach, Cordelia has lost her belief in magic; now she simply enjoys her family’s quirky traditions. Maximus Halifax, however, knows that magic is real. He is a finder of dangerous magical artifacts, which is why he is tasked with packing up his uncle’s mansion next door to the Merriweather women, along with ensuring that Delia does not break her family’s hex. However, Max was not expecting to encounter Delia’s endearing family or the feelings that Delia sparks in him. When it becomes clear that Delia has mysteriously broken the hex releasing their magic, the high priestess wants Max to rehex the Merriweathers, so the couple must come to terms with what heart magic really means.

VERDICT Bloom (Must Love Cowboys) creates a delightfully cozy and magical Southern town that will make readers wish they could visit. Hand to those who enjoy a slow-burn romance with strong family ties; the humor compensates for the delayed start of the sizzling heat between Delia and Max.

Forever: September 3, 2024; ISBN: 9781538741092, Paperback

★ THE WORST DUKE IN LONDON (Taming of the Dukes, Book 3)

By: Amalie Howard

Library Journal – Starred Review

Passions rise between a Scottish duke and an animal-loving lady in Howard’s tribute to 10 Things I Hate About You. After becoming a pariah during her seasons in London, outspoken Evangeline is determined to become a spinster and focus on rescuing unwanted and injured animals for the rest of her days, while her younger sister Viola wants to have a season in London. Gage Vale is newly a duke but knee-deep in his deceased brother’s debt, until he’s offered a way out: if he pretends to court Lady Evangeline so that Viola can go on the marriage market, all of Gage’s debt will be forgiven. Gage takes the deal, but both he and Evangeline are soon swept up in the crackling sexual chemistry that flows between them every time they touch. Evangeline promises herself that this is just a fun affair, but she and Gage have started something neither knows how to end. Howard’s (Never Met a Duke Like You) writing brings the chemistry between her characters to life, and the book is compellingly written.

VERDICT A sexy romp for readers who enjoy charming historical romances with modern sensibilities.

Forever: September 24, 2024; ISBN: 9781538737781, Paperback

★ KARAOKE QUEEN

By: Dominic Lim

Library Journal – Starred Review

Rex Araneta is a sensational singer, not just when he’s playing himself, but also when he portrays his secret drag queen alter ego, Regina Moon Dee. Regina captivated the internet before Rex made the difficult decision to step away from drag, but then the struggles of a local karaoke bar and the sudden reappearance of Rex’s ex-boyfriend bring Regina out of retirement. Aaron and Rex dated during college, and Rex always thought of Aaron as the one who got away. However, when Rex starts working karaoke night, he becomes close to his cohost, Paolo. As the karaoke night becomes more and more popular, it’s getting harder and harder to keep Regina’s identity a secret to the customers—and Aaron. Is Aaron really the one for Rex, or might it be Paolo instead? While Lim’s (All the Right Notes) latest novel lacks steam, it makes up for it with lovable characters, and Rex’s struggle to accept all facets of himself brings a lot of depth to this romance.

VERDICT A fresh queer rom-com with heart.

Forever: September 17, 2024; ISBN: 9781538725405, Paperback

★ WISH I WERE HERE

By: Melissa Wiesner

Library Journal – Starred Review

Catherine Lipton’s childhood was filled with uncertainty as her loving but flighty father bounced from job to job and apartment to apartment. She learned to love rules and order, keeping track of school schedules and rent due dates amid her father’s freewheeling chaos. Now she’s an adult, with a new job as a mathematics professor and a quiet apartment she loves, even if the building’s doorman, Luca, is prone to misplacing her dry cleaning and leaving the front desk unattended. On her university’s orientation day, Catherine is stunned to learn that all her meticulously filled out paperwork has been rejected, and her identity declared fraudulent. Faced with the prospect of joblessness and imminent homelessness, Catherine agrees to accept help from happy-go-lucky Luca and his sprawling Italian family. The more she’s forced to bend her rules, the more Catherine begins to wonder if her strictly regimented, calm, and quiet life is what she wants after all.

VERDICT In Wiesner’s (The Second Chance Year) latest, the combination of methodical workaholic Catherine and easygoing Luca makes for a compelling opposites-attract love story with a central message about finding meaning and happiness in life.

Forever: October 15, 2024; ISBN: 9781538741948, Paperback

★ CHRISTMAS SWEATER WEATHER

By: Jacqueline Snowe

Library Journal – Starred Review

Driving through a blizzard to join her brother and his fiancée at a ski resort for their pre-wedding party, Charlotte ends up stuck in a snow drift on the side of the highway. Of course, it’s Hayden, her brother’s sexy best friend, who comes to her rescue. Charlotte has spent the last three years avoiding him after she confessed her feelings for him and he rejected her, claiming to only view her as a sister. While that was a lie, Hayden had his reasons for the rejection, and becoming a single dad only made him more determined to leave Charlotte alone. Now they’re stuck together for days at a Christmas wonderland resort and don’t want to ruin the trip for their family and friends, especially the stressed-out engaged couple. Attempting to reestablish their friendship, they find that they definitely still have feelings for each other, but the reappearance of his baby’s mother threatens their new relationship.

VERDICT Snowe (Snowed in for Christmas) writes another delightful holiday romance full of charming characters and steamy scenes.

Forever: October 8, 2024; ISBN: 9781538739839, Paperback