by Falon Ballard
Change of Heart puts an imaginative twist on the elements of a classic small-town romance to create a whimsical and heartfelt rom-com filled with quirky characters and charming scenery. Falon Ballard (All I Want Is You; Right on Cue) is no stranger to romance; her heroine, Campbell Andrews, is. Making partner at her law firm at 34 left her no time for dating. She is unimpressed by love stories and those who chase them instead of professional success. Campbell agrees to a first date with Ben Loving, a handsome
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by Alice Jolly
British novelist and playwright Alice Jolly's first collection, From Far Around They Saw Us Burn, gathers 15 achingly poignant, slyly surprising stories. Most memorable are those spotlighting silenced women striving to reclaim any semblance of agency.
In "Burn Before Reading," Maddie, "the mad one," proves to be her family's most aware, recognizing that her sister's outwardly perfect life is fast approaching breakdown amid a trifecta of abusive men--father, husband, son. In "Big Hugs and Kisses," a worn toy
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by Emily J. Taylor
Hotel Magnifique author Emily J. Taylor's sophomore YA offering, The Otherwhere Post, is a thrilling dark fantasy anchored by the magic of the written word.
Seven years ago, the world of Inverly was destroyed and the Written Doors that connected the worlds of Barrow and Leyland were "burned to cinders, obliterating [their] magic." In mere moments, everyone inside of Inverly was gone forever and travel between Barrow and Leyland "was cut off instantly, stranding everyone wherever they happened to be." Eighteen-year-old
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by Markus Zusak
Markus Zusak (The Book Thief) fans will feel as though they're in his living room as he reflects on the trio of canines--Reuben, Archer, Frosty--that round out his family in Three Wild Dogs (and the Truth). Life in Sydney's eastern suburbs unfolds mostly as the dogs see it: rubbish on the ground, nine lines of cars, and "almost, always, Cavoodles." But the author never anthropomorphizes the animals.
Frosty, the dog that begins the memoir, "was like walking a rolling thunderstorm" when they first rescued him.
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by Curtis Sittenfeld
Show Don't Tell, Curtis Sittenfeld's warm and insightful ninth book (and second story collection after You Think It, I'll Say It), features characters negotiating principles and privilege in midlife as they look back on their youth.
Split equally between first- and third-person perspectives, the 12 contemporary stories spotlight everyday marital and parenting challenges. Women weigh the possibility of platonic friendships with men ("A for Alone" and the Covid pandemic-set "The Hug") or seek to behave
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by Taylor Robin
A supernatural villain bleeds the working class dry in webcomic artist Taylor Robin's early-20th-century-inspired YA horror novel, Hunger's Bite.
The luxury ocean liner SS Lark has a new owner, and captain's ward Neeta Pandey is not ready to trust him--Mr. Honeycutt demands the staff work longer, more strenuous shifts with no additional compensation or leave. Neeta, however, has little power on the ship, so she asks best friend and captain's son Emery to advocte on behalf of the overworked crew. But Emery
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