A novel revolving around a women's clinic that performs abortions would seem to promise a powder keg's worth of drama, but Jennifer Haigh's Mercy Street offers something more nuanced than merely a fiery clash between politically polarized camps. Haigh's efforts to understand people who are part of the abortion fight, on the front lines and on the fringes, yield quieter--but no less searing--results.

Mercy Street opens on a snow-blighted Ash Wednesday as anti-abortion protesters are gathered, as always, in front of Mercy Street, a women's clinic in Boston. Meanwhile, Vietnam veteran Victor Prine has his own determined way of protesting the abortions the clinic performs. The novel's roving point of view also introduces Anthony, who is on disability and works as Victor's "lieutenant"; Claudia, a social worker at Mercy Street, who grew up in a single-wide trailer; and Timmy, the weed dealer Claudia patronizes to find relief for her anxiety, not all of it brought on by her high-stress job.

Expertly tailoring her narrative to capture each principal character's sensibility, Haigh (News from Heaven) stirs the political pot slowly but steadily: her novel is aswarm with opinions on not only the right to choose but also the First and Second Amendments. The poverty that storms its way through Mercy Street is one of the novel's tragedies. Claudia, for instance, is well aware that "social work was therapy for people without money, for people like her." Another of the story's tragedies is the loneliness that engulfs Haigh's characters, no matter their political stripes. --Nell Beram, author and freelance writer

Professionally, Stevie Green helps calm other people when their lives are in chaos. Personally, her own life is a mess. Getting Clean with Stevie Green, the witty and fast-paced third novel from Swan Huntley (We Could Be Beautiful), looks at addiction, self-sufficiency and sexuality from the point of view of 37-year-old Stevie, who is struggling to build a life for herself in the wake of the high school scandal that derailed her promising future 20 years ago. After waking up in yet another stranger's bed and finally swearing off drinking for good, Stevie moves back in with her mother in her hometown of La Jolla, Calif., and starts a professional decluttering business with the help of her free-spirited sister, Bonnie.

As Stevie works with her formerly estranged sibling, she starts to uncover some hard truths about herself, especially since she is back home and regularly confronted with drama from her past. For one, Stevie is still not sure who is responsible for the very public humiliation that caused her to spiral out of control, although among the culprits is Chris, her ex-best friend and possible romantic partner. The stakes for Stevie never feel high; she comes from a wealthy family and has a solid safety net, but these things have likely contributed to her immaturity and lack of direction. Watching Stevie deal with her challenges and take control of her destiny is rewarding, particularly as she accepts that, despite her best attempts, her own future will never be as orderly as her clients' closets. --Angela Lutz, freelance reviewer

A 19th-century row house, vacant for more than 25 years, on a picturesque Brooklyn street becomes the fulcrum of The Other Family, a chilling domestic thriller by Wendy Corsi Staub, the author of more than 90 novels.

The lovely brownstone at 104 Glover Street seems the perfect place for the Howell family--Nora and Keith and their teen daughters, Piper and Stacey--to spend a year after Keith's job necessitates a move from Los Angeles to New York. But they are unaware of the house's violent past: the previous family, also composed of parents and two teenage daughters, were murdered in their sleep a quarter of a century earlier. Piper is appalled, but true-crime aficionado Stacey is intrigued.

Staub skillfully illustrates the ways in which emerging secrets about the murders begin to unravel the family. Fearful her marriage is disintegrating, Nora's anxiety erupts as she becomes distrustful of everyone, including the overly friendly married couple--Heather and her wife, Jules--who live down the street with their children, the same age as the Howells' daughters. Staub's storytelling deftly mines a claustrophobic atmosphere, even on a sunny Brooklyn street. Heather and Jules seem like friendly women, but their controlling nature occasionally registers as sinister, which causes arguments between Nora and Keith. Nora also worries that Heather and Jules are coercing their manipulative son, Lennon, and Stacey into a relationship. Meanwhile, Stacey is convinced a man is watching their house through binoculars.

Staub keeps the suspense churning as this highly entertaining novel reaches its intriguing finale. --Oline H. Cogdill, freelance reviewer 

The Fields is a mystery that explores the community of a small Iowa town and offers a perceptive look at how agricultural conglomerates can obliterate family farms, destroying jobs and communities in the process. Erin Young, who has also written historical fiction as Robyn Young (the New World Rising series), tightly weaves themes of family, politics and greed into this series launch.

The first female sergeant of the Black Hawk County Sheriff's Office, newly promoted Riley Fisher, handles her first major case when the mutilated body of a woman is found in a cornfield near Cedar Falls. The victim is Chloe Miller, one of Riley's closest high school friends, whom she hasn't seen in years. John Brown finds Chloe's body; he's the owner of Zephyr Farms, one of the several cooperatives formed "to survive the relentless advances of Big Ag," described by one farmer as "too powerful to challenge. Too big to fail." The investigation expands when another woman is murdered, with wounds similar to Chloe's, and a teenage girl goes missing.

Young packs The Fields with a contentious gubernatorial race, politics within the sheriff's office and grain research, while keeping every subplot on point. Readers meet nuanced characters, particularly the appealing Riley, who faces sexism at work while attempting to live up to the legacy of her grandfather, the much-respected former sheriff.

In prose that vividly captures the scenery of this distinct location, The Fields depicts a wide range of issues specific to the Midwest, such as big agriculture and the corporate avarice that drives it, while illustrating the more universal problems that small towns face. --Oline H. Cogdill, freelance reviewer

Must Love Books, Shauna Robinson's debut novel, explores themes of career, identity and fulfillment. Nora is an editorial assistant, a "mere publishing peasant," who makes some spectacular career mistakes and, as a result, must put her life back together. She has no real authority, no work friends remaining in the wake of mass layoffs and departures, and, as a half-Black woman in an all-too-white field, no future in sight. With meager pay, she's barely scraping by as it is. When a freelance gig with a rival publishing house opens up, she decides to work both jobs in order to make ends meet and give her résumé a boost.

As with any set-up that requires lying to every person one may encounter in the course of a day, the situation works for a brief time--until it eventually blows up in Nora's face. Though the novel includes elements of romantic comedy--Nora starts to fall for an author she works with--it ultimately proves much heavier than that, as Robinson explores how career and identity can be linked, how money locks Nora into a life she hates and how depression can escalate into something much larger, whispering "what if?" in the darkest moments of the night. "It was internalized now," Nora reflects, "this idea of fulfillment." While Must Love Books moves toward a happy ending in some ways, it is in this murky questioning that it shines: How does one define fulfillment? Is it okay to settle for a good-enough life? Nora learns that these are not questions with easy answers--but that maybe the questioning is the most important part. --Kerry McHugh, freelance writer

Kristen Hong, author of the blog Hello Nutritarian, brings readers her first stunningly beautiful cookbook and guide to refrigerator organization. Unlike a typical cookbook, Fridge Love begins with multiple chapters devoted to the history of refrigeration, the proper care and maintenance of a refrigerator, and where in the fridge to store various types of foods to make them last longer.

Given that Hong eats a strict vegan/nutritarian diet, seeking out highly nutritious and unprocessed foods, the eye-catching pictures of Hong's fridge burst with fruits and vegetables. The second half of Fridge Love offers more than 100 mouthwatering plant-based recipes, such as Pumpkin Hummus and Carrot Cake Bites. Each recipe notes tips for proper preparation and storage, as well as details on how long the ingredients will last in the fridge, considering ethylene production, humidity and many more variables.

Hong's tips apply to various styles of refrigerators, from those with fancy French doors to basic freezer-tops, which makes Fridge Love appealing to cooks everywhere. As a champion of a no-waste style of eating, Hong includes the typical shelf lives of foods based on where they are stored in the refrigerator. She also offers practical tips on how to fill fridges properly to accommodate maximum airflow, which can prolong the life of produce and other perishables. Sure to leave readers hungry, Fridge Love is an excellent, approachable cookbook and reference guide to food storage. --Jessica Howard, bookseller at Bookmans, Flagstaff, Ariz.

Miss Me with That is the funny and compelling memoir from Rachel Lindsay, the star of the 13th season of The Bachelorette and, more famously, the first Black Bachelorette. In "Growing Up Lindsay," one of the opening chapters, the author recalls that, as the daughter of Dallas's first Black city attorney, she faced pressure to perform well from an early age. This was partly due to parents who had big dreams for her but also because she was usually the only Black girl in many situations.

Lindsay took a detour with some toxic (albeit anecdote-worthy!) relationships in her 20s, before becoming a successful lawyer and then taking roles on both The Bachelor and The Bachelorette. Although Lindsay met her husband on the show, she has since parted ways with the franchise because of its "systemic racism... perpetuated by its creators' refusal to learn." Never pulling punches, Lindsay opens up about the microaggressions and racism she consistently faced--and still faces on social media--as well as ABC's lack of response or support.

This approachable and intimate memoir in essays showcases Lindsay's wit and humor. Fans of The Bachelor will especially enjoy the behind-the-scenes peeks at production, but Miss Me with That is entertaining reading for anyone. Seamlessly, Lindsay blends her grief at her treatment by what she calls the "Bachelor Klan" with more lighthearted and entertaining stories. It all adds up to a memoir that is hard to put down. --Jessica Howard, bookseller at Bookmans, Flagstaff, Ariz.

Janine Kwoh walked away from a career in finance to launch Kwohtations, a stationery company, after the loss of her significant other when they were both in their 20s. Not formally trained as an artist, Kwoh began making cards simply as a creative outlet. Her success led her to the creation of her first book, Welcome to the Grief Club. Through graphics and short, compact passages, this meticulously presented guide blends wit, charm and empathy to explore the diverse aspects of loss and grief in an immensely accessible way.

Grief is a lonely, isolating experience, and loss is universal. But Kwoh understands the ways in which the grieving process is wholly individual. Those who suffer life-shattering losses--including death, divorce and breakups; moving; changing jobs; or sustaining illness and injury--grieve differently and face a host of conflicting emotions as well as physical and psychological challenges. Kwoh's insightful book, which can be read linearly but also accommodates browsing, fosters a tender sense of belonging by providing comfort for readers enduring grief--and those who love them. Readers are shown how to grieve and experience the wide range of feelings necessary for healing.

Kwoh's perceptions and her gentle, playfully presented wisdoms are augmented by artwork that uplifts while simultaneously capturing the heartbreak, disorientation and emotional upheaval left in the wake of traumatic losses. Kwoh's narrative offers camaraderie and inspires hope. It is this hope that readers can draw from as they, like Kwoh, grapple with the ebbs and flows of grief while rebuilding new lives of their own. --Kathleen Gerard, blogger at Reading Between the Lines

In her first title as both author and illustrator, Ying-Hwa Hu (Jingle Dancer illustrator) tells the joyful bilingual story (in English and Chinese) of a girl's Chinatown walk to brunch with her uncle.

"Uncle Eddie is taking Mia to the Big Wok for dim sum." It's 10 blocks to the restaurant and Mia is excited because "there's so much to see on the way": one giant panda (a coin-powered animal to ride), "three ageless turtles" (toys swimming in a kiddie pool), 10 red lanterns swaying at the entrance of the Big Wok. Once Uncle Eddie and Mia's food arrives, it's a delicious countdown from 10 soup dumplings to two egg tarts--and one bowl of steamed anchovies (to go) for the ginger cat that joined them on their 10-block walk.

Hu's watercolor, pastel and digital illustrations are detailed and painterly, showcasing the delights that can be found in the everyday. Mia and Uncle Eddie's faces are expressive, showing their interest in the two stone lions, their focus as they practice tai chi chuan with five neighbors or their glee watching seven silk fans "dance in the morning breeze." The dual-language text makes this picture book an excellent choice for a read-aloud with English or Mandarin speakers; for young solo readers, a fan on the bottom corner of the right page counts in English and Chinese characters, making the content easily understandable for children who read either language. Every brightly colored and elaborately illustrated page in Ten Blocks to the Big Wok is a celebration of community and culture. --Siân Gaetano, children's/YA editor, Shelf Awareness

June Hur's self-described "obsessing over books about Joseon Korea" has made her a critically acclaimed author of historical Korean fiction. She follows The Silence of Bones and The Forest of Stolen Girls with another riveting thriller, The Red Palace, which transports readers to 1758 Hanyang (now Seoul), when murder and mayhem ruled the inner courts.

Eighteen-year-old Baek-hyeon is a palace nurse, a rare ascent for a young woman who is the "bastard daughter" of powerful Lord Shin and one of his lowly concubines. Her name, "usually reserved for boys," is a constant reminder that her "mother's disappointment was so great that she nevertheless gave [her] a son's name." Her mother attempted to sell Hyeon as a child-trainee to become a "female entertainer," but she was saved by Nurse Jeongsu, who became a beloved mentor.

Now Nurse Jeongsu sits imprisoned--with torture and eventual execution likely--as the prime suspect for the brutal massacre of four women. Hyeon reluctantly joins forces with newly arrived Police Inspector Seo to solve the heinous crime, even as the body count multiplies. Hyeon's tenacity and intelligence help deal with the extravagantly complicated rules of court life, although inappropriately falling in love was never a part of the plan.

Once upon a time in real life, King Yeongjo's only surviving son, the Crown Prince Jangheon, was a volatile liability. His wife kept a secret diary that was eventually published worldwide, translated into English as The Memoirs of Lady Hyegyŏng. Inspired by that and other well-documented imperial records, Hur, who was born in South Korea and raised in Canada, deftly celebrates subversive female ingenuity. With captivating cinematic flair, she transforms true royal drama into a closeup-ready mesmerizing mystery. --Terry Hong, Smithsonian BookDragon