British author Ann Youngson was 70 years old when she published her first novel, Meet Me at the Museum, a touching, hopeful story about a blossoming relationship between a museum curator and a farmer's wife. In her sophomore effort, The Narrowboat Summer, Youngson delivers another moving, thought-provoking novel that again brings together unlikely souls whose bond helps them transcend the limiting boundaries of their lives.

In a "town not far from London," three middle-aged women meet by chance. Strong-willed Eve, a single career gal, is squeezed out of her 30-year job at an engineering firm. On her way home from work, she unexpectedly crosses paths with Sally, a compliant, kindly wife and mother, wearied by her indifferent husband and grown children. The two women hear a dog barking furiously from a boat on the canal. When they join forces and investigate, they meet Anastasia, the normally self-reliant boat and dog owner, who is facing a crisis of her own. She's sick and needs life-saving treatment, but her houseboat also needs to be piloted down the canal in order to be inspected and repaired. The three strangers, each at a crossroads, figure out how to help one another.

Newfound friendships, self-discovery and unexpected challenges force the trio to recalibrate their respective lives. Along their journeys, they encounter a host of quirky, colorful characters, some of whom are also in the same "boat," emotionally. Youngson, a heartfelt storyteller, takes readers on a charming excursion that provides a comforting, tender escape. --Kathleen Gerard, blogger at Reading Between the Lines

Known for her podcast Natalie Haynes Stands Up for the Classics, classicist and broadcaster Natalie Haynes (The Children of Jocasta; The Furies) reimagines the story of the Trojan War from the viewpoints of the women, both mortal and immortal, caught up in it.

When the poet asks Calliope the muse to sing, she grants his request, but only shows him events as they affect the women, telling the reader, "They have waited long enough for their turn." In shifting chronological order and settings across the Mediterranean region, readers see the war's impact. Hecabe and the Trojan women face slavery and degradation at the hands of the Greeks. Sea-goddess Thetis grieves for her son Achilles, but also regrets the insult of having a mortal son. Abandoned in Ithaca, Penelope writes Odysseus increasingly wry letters about his unusual difficulty in escaping the beds of beautiful women. A host of wives, mothers, warriors and goddesses come forward with insightful comments on the true cost of war and who must pay it.

Haynes draws on Homer for material but also looks farther afield, to Euripedes, Ovid and others, even including a blink-and-miss-it exchange similar to a moment from the classic film The Clash of the Titans. Although the women perhaps focus overmuch on the actions and feelings of the men rather than their own lives, overall Haynes has created a fine addition to the body of fiction striving to give silent women characters a voice. --Jaclyn Fulwood, blogger at Infinite Reads

In Melanie Finn's entrancing literary thriller The Hare, Rosie Monroe seems broken. The victim of a disgusting assault during her listless, lonely childhood, she becomes a promising art student at Parsons School of Design. But the career that could sweep her away from the grief that trails her instead slips through her fingers when she meets Bennett, a charming and tremendously rich con man whom Rosie convinces herself she loves. Obliged to follow him, to love him, to give him her body repeatedly--even after she's sure he's committed a terrible crime--she follows him to Vermont, where she's forced to acclimate to the cruel winters and even crueler company.

Decades later, she's become Rose, a hardened woman, her body struggling through menopause, toughened by years of paltry income and a life derailed by the whims of men. Her adult daughter is embarrassed by her: her bad haircut, cheap clothes and drafty house. She survives through sheer grit, depending on the mountains around her, multiple low-income jobs and a single sincere friendship. Through it all, she's hiding a secret, one she can't afford to confess lest she lose the daughter she's sacrificed everything for. Exhausted but determined, she makes one last stand against the hierarchies of wealth and gender that have conspired to end her life--and decides to burn the house down with her. This is a thrilling story that sucks readers in almost immediately, its protagonist as fascinating as she is flawed. --Lauren Puckett, freelance writer

Edward Carey is interested in art as it imitates life. In Alva and Irva (2003), a woman re-creates, in miniature, the city where she is afraid to venture; Little (2018) is a fictional account of the people behind Madame Tussaud's wax museum. The Swallowed Man is a much darker and emotionally complex exploration of this theme. This is the story of Giuseppe, the woodcarver who creates Pinocchio--a man whose art "comes through with more grace, more life in it, than you had supposed possible." In heartbreaking, increasingly mad narration, enriched with vintage-style line drawings, Giuseppe tells how he simultaneously loses his son and winds up in his current, fatal predicament: riding in the belly of a great fish.

Giuseppe creates Pinocchio to soothe his loneliness and challenge his woodworking skills. But pride takes over and he decides to exhibit Pinocchio for recognition that's eluded him his entire life: "How well, I thought, I shall be known for it. How celebrated--the creator of life." The tension between parenting and exploiting his art tugs at him throughout. Pinocchio runs away after Giuseppe punishes him for lying. Giuseppe dedicates himself to finding his son, who may have been set to sea in a boat. As Giuseppe rows out to search, an impossibly large fish swallows him. At some point, the "monster-beast, this hunger-creature" also swallowed a schooner and so, using found items from the ship, Giuseppe makes confinement bearable.

The Swallowed Man is a haunting tale that provides no easy answer, but readers looking for a compelling story rich with insight and compassion will appreciate Carey's work. --Cindy Pauldine, bookseller, the river's end bookstore, Oswego, N.Y.

Extreme action melded with in-depth character studies punctuate Prodigal Son, Gregg Hurwitz's absorbing sixth Orphan X thriller featuring Evan Smoak, who was abandoned as a baby, then, as a child, recruited into the secret Orphan Program, where he was trained to be an assassin. Leaving the Orphans, Evan reinvented himself as the Nowhere Man, a crime-fighting vigilante for ordinary people in need.

Now retired, Evan wants to lead "an ordinary life, whatever that was." In Prodigal Son, Evan meets a dose of the ordinary with the arrival of Veronica LeGrande, who claims to be his long-lost mother. The skeptical Evan comes to believe Veronica as she recounts details about the circumstances of his birth. Veronica wants a favor: help Andrew Duran, a down-on-his-luck, minimum-wage guard at an impound lot who witnessed a murder. Evan is soon embroiled in a conspiracy involving innovative military technology--and targeted by brother and sister killers.

Prodigal Son spins on sharp, over-the-top action with a sense of believability, including Evan's high-tech weapons, surveillance toys and his state-of-the-art condo. Evan's mad martial-arts skills give him the edge in any fight, no matter how many opponents he faces, but he is no superhero, often getting hurt.

A highlight is how Hurwitz (Don't Look Back) forcefully illustrates the fearless Evan's continued emotional growth. He begins to care about Veronica and Andrew while keeping an eye on Joey, a 16-year-old hacker he rescued from the Orphan Program. Evan also desperately wants to give into his feelings for Mia Hall and her nine-year-old son, Peter, who live in his building.

Prodigal Son is an impressive addition to the outstanding Orphan series. --Oline H. Cogdill, freelance reviewer 

In Vegetarian Chinese Soul Food: Deliciously Doable Ways to Cook Greens, Tofu, and Other Plant-Based Ingredients, Hsiao-Ching Chou delivers a knockout cookbook making everyday Chinese cooking accessible. This is Chou's follow-up to Chinese Soul Food and can serve either as a companion or stand on its own for anyone meat-free or just looking to eat greener.

Chou's family had a Chinese restaurant in the 1980s and 1990s in Columbia, Miss., and she now leads popular cooking classes in Seattle, Wash. Her deep knowledge of Chinese cuisine and knack for teaching home cooks shine in her user-friendly recipes, which include concise instructions complemented by vibrant photos. After an overview of key ingredients and techniques, Chou shares her Dumpling Code--also a model for her general approach to cooking, more about preparation and flexibility than steadfast rules. Rounding out the book are Dim Sum and Small Bites (worth the price of the book alone) plus Stir-Fries, Steamed Dishes, Rice and Noodles, Tofu, Eggs, and Salad and Pickles.

Chou is eminently personable and unfussy; she notes when occasional recipes require finesse. About the Crystal Dumplings with Squash and Peas, she cautions, "Allow yourself plenty of time to make these and absolutely do not try them for the first time when you plan on having guests over." The majority, though, are as advertised: doable and delicious. Highlights include Sichuan Pepper Salt Fried Tofu; Chinese Mustard Greens with Shishito Peppers; Homestyle Egg Foo-Yung; Dry-Fried Brussels Sprouts; and Sweet Potatoes with Chili-Shallot Jam. --Katie Weed, freelance writer and reviewer

Historian and former journalist John Ghazvinian writes in the introduction to America and Iran: A History, 1720 to the Present: "For more than forty years, endings, ruptures, and angry disagreement--rather than beginnings, attractions, and initial infatuations--have become the starting point for every conversation about Iran and America. We are all much poorer for it." In order to counter the focus on the modern end of the relationship between the two countries, Ghazvinian begins his story with how the 18th-century Persian Empire was admired by American thinkers and leaders such as Thomas Jefferson, and in return the budding American nation was looked at as a potential model for a changing Iran. From there, a more nuanced history unfolds, one in which the countries are "animated by a spirit of common respect and mutual understanding."

Ghazvinian uses not only U.S. archival resources, but Iranian ones as well to form a narrative where both countries can speak on their own terms, in his hope that "history can be a force for peace." Given the scope, America and Iran is understandably a tome, but remains fascinating and readable throughout, highlighting undiscussed points of intersection and interaction in the two countries' histories. Ghazvinian adds depth to a much-maligned relationship, examining both sides' perceptions of the other from the 18th century onward. Moreover, he makes an argument that this long history, and the many varied negotiations between differences in attitudes, needs revisiting to better understand how the United States and Iran might yet move forward. --Michelle Anya Anjirbag, freelance reviewer

The Power of Voice: A Guide to Making Yourself Heard by legendary Hollywood voice, speech and dialect coach Denise Woods invites readers on an uplifting journey of vocal empowerment and reveals accessible strategies for developing a beautiful speaking voice infused with personality. Addressing critical elements of relaxation, breath, voice, articulation and communication, Woods's debut offers tips to resolve everyday voice concerns, such as mumbling; provides a comprehensive public speaking guide; and shares the intriguing vocal transformation stories of celebrity clients such as Halle Berry, Jessica Chastain and broadcast journalist Soledad O'Brien.

A trailblazing Juilliard drama school alum and faculty member, Woods believes each person's voice can be trained accurately to reflect their authentic, individual self. The author's speaking style pays tribute to her African heritage, South Carolina roots and New York upbringing. Still, a successful 30-year teaching career did not protect Woods from being judged by her gender and skin color. As such, she took great pleasure in disorienting people with her charismatic, crisply articulate voice, what she calls her "superpower."

In The Power of Voice, the author encourages readers to develop their own superpower through daily vocal workouts and exercises for clearing the voice of distractions and synchronizing the physical self. In the case of Academy Award-winning actor Mahershala Ali, of Green Book and True Detective fame, for example, Woods helped him develop a more nuanced vocal timbre through adjustments in body language.

Readers familiar with the frustration of being stereotyped will find a new freedom in enhancing their speech. As Woods passionately declares to her reading audience, "Let the world hear your light!" --Shahina Piyarali, reviewer

National Book Award-winning author of Between the World and Me Ta-Nehisi Coates's captivating young adult adaptation of his 2008 memoir, The Beautiful Struggle, tells the story of his adolescence under the tough-love tutelage of his father, a man described as having the "aura of a prophet."

Using short snippets of memories, Coates guides readers through his childhood in West Baltimore, a life that was far from easy for a kid with a pacifist streak and a "native dreamy state"; Coates describes himself as a kid who would rather "talk and duck" than fight. All that changes after his first schoolyard altercation. Coates fights to carve out a place for himself in a hostile world by arming himself with "the Knowledge" and gaining "Consciousness" through his father's instruction. Through navigating familial relationships--especially the one with his father--and playground politics, Coates comes to an understanding of what it means to be a young Black man in the United States.

While this edition of The Beautiful Struggle is directed toward younger readers, it provides a complex and nuanced exploration of adolescent masculinity that is relevant for readers of all backgrounds. Coates reimagines the very real conflicts of his world in fantastical terms--knights and kings vying for territory, orcs and goblins waiting to attack unsuspecting victims--which both invites in readers unused to nonfiction and uses vivid imagination to explore the complexity of his youthful experience. An accessible and enlightening edition of an extraordinary book. --Cade Williams, 19

In the cutthroat, brutally captivating world of Alexandra Bracken's standalone fantasy Lore, nine Greek gods are punished for betraying Zeus, king of the gods. "For seven days at the turn of seven years," the shamed gods are forced to take part in the "Agon," in which they walk the Earth as mortals. Every moment of that week, they are hunted by the descendants of ancient Greece's greatest heroes, all seeking to kill a god and claim their immortality and power. Lore, the last surviving member of the House of Perseus, however, turned her back on the Agon after rival hunters murdered her family in the last hunt. As the new Agon begins in New York City, Athena, one of the remaining original gods, approaches Lore with an offer of alliance--and revenge--against the Perseides' killer. "Despite her best efforts to move on," Lore is drawn back into the Agon, where she'll have "to forget the shadowed life she'd left behind and step into the sunlight of a new, better one."

The pacing is relentless, carrying Lore and her allies from one fight to the next against a backdrop of escalating stakes, while still leaving room for quieter moments of character growth. Bracken (The Darkest Minds series; The Dreadful Tale of Prosper Redding) also uses Lore to challenge the patriarchal undertones of Greek mythology--where women are assaulted, brutalized and discarded--in an empowering tale of a young woman embracing her righteous rage. For years, Lore has repressed her anger "making it smaller, making it feel irrelevant and undeserved," but now "she held on to the sharp hurt inside her and didn't pull away. She held firm, waiting for her claws to come back to her." --Alanna Felton, 19