Kind Business: Values create Value
In a straightforward yet sophisticated style, Cooke presents numerous examples in recent business history that show how many shortsighted, profit-first decisions ultimately turned out badly, especially when executive pay is tied to short-term results. One target is Jack Welch, former Chief Executive Officer of General Electric. Welch’s laser-like focus on the bottom line and GE’s share price made shareholders wealthy, Cooke notes, but also destroyed many lives and communities in the process. Cooke laments that such exploitative playbooks have proliferated, despite global exploitation, evidence of climate change, and products that threaten privacy or clearly damage consumers’ health and well being. He urges those in the corner office to regularly get out from behind their desk and walk the factory floor, talk with employees, customers and suppliers. Similarly, he calls on consumers and investors to take responsibility, i.e., support responsible companies, conserve energy, reduce consumption and waste, and teach subsequent generations to do the same.
Cooke is attentive to business language and culture, and he strives to exorcise the business-as-battleground analogies that have long been commonplace. That mindset, he suggests, sets every promotion-eyed manager on a collision course with what’s generally considered good and moral, like providing sensible worker benefits, respecting the environment, and helping one’s community. Clear takeaways and much actionable advice make this call of courageous, ethical leadership also a practical guide to changemaking.
Takeaway: Rousing call for business leadership that places values before short-term profits.
Comparable Titles: Neil Malhotra and Ken Shotts’s Leading with Values, Daniel Aronson’s The Value of Values.
Production grades
Cover: A-
Design and typography: A
Illustrations: A
Editing: A
Marketing copy: A
Soon, Bud and Sveta are together, facing visa complexities while Bud politely ignores her warnings about Putin, whom he thinks of as a “tough hombre” like Trump. In this sequel to American Nonsensical, which introduced Bud and the gang at S. Stein Investigations, Webster’s fast, sharp-elbowed storytelling pulls off the trick of tying these elements into a coherent whole. For all the pointed displays of ignorance on the part of Bud, or the social-media charlatanism of Reverend Clem Dudas, who claims to have evidence of a conspiracy between “Commies and pervs” to “destroy our great country,” Webster’s interest is not just in the tiresomely berserk beliefs that pollute too many lives—it’s in the blindspots and justifications of men like Bud, his zeal, rooted in loneliness, to believe the world is something different than it is, something that’s being stolen, even when this conviction drives away the people dear to him.
The satire here is often broad, but the surprise, and the tangled, twisty mystery offers more laughs than suspense. But the surprise in Russian Nonsensical is Webster’s commitment to the hearts of these people, especially Bud, and his suggestion that, with love and time, the fevers fueled by anger and misinformation can diminish.
Takeaway: Sharp satiric mystery of a MAGA detective, Russian brides, and a snake-handling reverend.
Comparable Titles: Carl Hiaasen, Christopher Buckley.
Production grades
Cover: B
Design and typography: A
Illustrations: N/A
Editing: A-
Marketing copy: A-
Chiaramonte’s tone is inviting and uplifting as she shares her personal journey—and case studies of patients she has worked with over the years—while highlighting the emotional strain and mental anguish caregivers face when caring for a loved one. She helps readers “navigat[e] the experience of illness,” teaches balance between caregiving and self-care, and offers easy-to-follow suggestions on staying connected to loved ones, even in the face of life-altering diagnoses. As much an in-depth educational resource as it is a profound testament to resilience, Chiaramonte’s guide will comfort, enlighten, and challenge readers to “endure hardship and find meaning.”
Combining traditional medical practices with integrative palliative care is the answer, according to Chiaramonte, and she provides easy steps, along with interactive exercises at the end of each chapter, to help readers understand and implement her advice, covering everything from advanced care directives to staying calm during high stress events. When faced with the question “How am I supposed to live my life now that I know I’m going to die?” from many of her patients, her answer will inspire: "The way you always have." That encouraging message reverberates throughout this compassionate, insightful guide, transforming devastating situations into opportunities for hope.
Takeaway: Integrative palliative medicine offered as an answer for complex medical diagnoses.
Comparable Titles: Kathryn Mannix's With the End in Mind, Robin Bennett Kanarek’s Living Well with a Serious Illness.
Production grades
Cover: A
Design and typography: A
Illustrations: N/A
Editing: A
Marketing copy: A
"Our world seems to blur the lines between truth and falsehood, and many hearts have grown cold," Holmes asserts of contemporary times, as she implores readers to prioritize God’s presence in their lives. The narrative is built on themes of faith, perseverance, and open-minded acceptance, all thoughtfully unfolding through Holmes’s stories of her childhood, adult life with her husband and children, and business ventures focused on spreading the Christian message. Holmes’s advice to readers includes constructing a War Room—a room dedicated to purposeful prayer, “to engage with Him personally and in spiritual warfare through prayer for [your] loved ones”—and interceding for leadership across every nation. She also dedicates time to explaining the Bible’s description of “the state of the world in the end times.”
Ultimately, this is an uplifting reminder for Christian readers to reach out to those suffering from loss and despair while cultivating a deep spirituality in their own lives. Holmes offers direct prayers for freedom, peace, and restoration, alongside her own powerful living testimony, as she explores her mission to spread the gospel, even through challenging hardships and moments of tragedy. This interactive resource is perfect for Christian readers seeking to invigorate their own faith walk.
Takeaway: Christian-based meditation on cultivating a relationship with God.
Comparable Titles: Davey Blackburn's Nothing is Wasted, Nadine A. Raphael's But God.
Production grades
Cover: A
Design and typography: A
Illustrations: N/A
Editing: A
Marketing copy: A
The Forager Chefs Club
The rules of the contest are simple: contestants are provided a place to live in the Club’s lodge, if they wish, and the entire grounds upon which to forage. In exchange, they must create five lavish meals over seven months for five unknown judges. All of the ingredients must be sourced from Michigan— the competition is a terroir, after all—and the prize is $50,000, a life-changing amount. Each character’s story is delicately layered with nuance, leaving readers struggling to pick just one contestant to root for. Each has their strengths and challenges, though young Celly becomes an early favorite, particularly with her determination and drive.
Secondary characters, in the form of Bradley and Daniel’s young son, Ethan, provide an excellent garnish to the story, though it’s the narrator, Randall, and the lodge’s manager, Elena, who provide the structure on which everything else is built. Precise and sumptuous dish descriptions prove just as enticing and involving as the character portraits, making this feast for the senses one readers will fall in love with and revisit to have their souls and hearts nourished.
Takeaway: Nourishing, character-rich novel of a foraging cooking contest.
Comparable Titles: Jennifer Ryan’s The Kitchen Front, Sarah Echavarre Smith’s Simmer Down.
Production grades
Cover: A
Design and typography: A
Illustrations: N/A
Editing: A
Marketing copy: A
The Ferryman's Toll
The Hangman is just the first in a series of gruesome creations unleashed by the sinister Cairnwood Society, and as Clyde and his team uncover the evil techniques behind these horrors, they must race against time to stop Cairnwood’s destruction. The stakes are incredibly high—Cairnwood isn’t just after Hourglass, they have the entire world in their sights—and James’s immersive world-building brings to life a New York that teems with paranormal threats and shadowy organizations. James expertly balances fast-paced action with moments of character development, giving readers a protagonist they can root for amidst the chaos; Clyde’s journey from a reluctant necromancer to a confident agent is compelling, filled with tension, grim banter, and an ever-present sense of danger.
James’s prose is sharp, capturing both the dire realities of Clyde’s world and the playfulness that helps him survive it, and, though this installment follows events from James’s Hourglass, it can be read as a standalone. Some readers might find the constant action overwhelming, but it suits the book’s all-or-nothing environment, as does Clyde’s metamorphosis from a self-titled pacifist into a paranormal warrior, transforming his life into “a comic-book of sorts”—but with much deadlier consequences.
Takeaway: Gripping read where the supernatural is both a curse and a weapon.
Comparable Titles: Jim Butcher’s The Dresden Files, Richard Kadrey’s Sandman Slim series.
Production grades
Cover: B
Design and typography: A-
Illustrations: N/A
Editing: A
Marketing copy: A
Fahey’s talent is eclectic, highlighted by his own pencil sketches scattered throughout, as he reflects on lifelong feelings of connection to the spiritual world—"I know I’ll be heading off to even happier realms once I’m dead, so I won’t be hanging around my old body”—and fills his memoir with the mystical, both dark and light energies, and otherworldly presences. Wistful, almost melancholic passages on depression and death occasionally jar as much as they prompt deep thought ("Depression can be a dense, unmoving cloud of futility. It suffocates, deafens, and blinds you. It gets in, but it won't let you out” he writes), but he instills a feathered touch of light-heartedness and humor as well, particularly in his words about his British partner, Beatrix, who he handles with infinite love and tenderness even as he muses she’s from a “land where they tortured their vowels.”
Though Fahey's style tends to scamper between subjects with minimal transition, his ability to construct poetic word play makes for riveting and suspenseful anecdotes that will entice readers. More than anything, this is a passionate reflection on the interplay between death and the living, the hardships and triumphs of being alive, and the need to lavishly accept oneself, body and soul.
Takeaway: Humorous and whimsical memoir plumbing life, death, and creative passion.
Comparable Titles: Haruki Murakami's What I Talk About When I Talk About Running, Maia Toll’s Letting Magic In.
Production grades
Cover: B
Design and typography: A
Illustrations: A
Editing: A
Marketing copy: A
That mystery—an assault on Navil’s roommate, Jackie, at Oliver’s home, resulting in Oliver becoming a prime suspect—launches Oliver onto a twisty path of betrayal and suspicion, as he rightly senses someone from his inner circle may be responsible. Vega (author of Searching for Sarah) crafts a complex story of first love, high school angst, and the lingering effects of childhood trauma, blended into real life events that include the attack on the US Capitol, racial tensions, political conflicts, and the COVID-19 pandemic. The story unfurls primarily through Oliver’s teen perspective, creating a tension between his younger years and present troubles that will keep readers guessing.
Vega's mix of dark academia and political drama makes for a fast-paced mystery; as Oliver works through the betrayals from his past and the resurgence of a former nemesis, no one can be trusted, and nothing is as it seems in this complex narrative. Readers will enjoy the intricate characters and myriad ways their lives intermingle, causing a rippling effect that reverberates through the past and present. This is perfect for fans of time-lapsing stories that hint at how history can come back to haunt us.
Takeaway: Complex thriller melding past secrets with present threats.
Comparable Titles: Lucinda Berry's If You Tell a Lie, Amy Tintera's Listen for the Lie.
Production grades
Cover: B-
Design and typography: A
Illustrations: N/A
Editing: A-
Marketing copy: A
The Astronomer
The seizures, though, evolve for him into something of a form of escape when his life takes several unexpected turns, with Franz believing he “…must depart this void... Or else merge with the emptiness.” Biswas tells the story mostly through Herbert’s own lyric writing, blending the personal (his courtship and marriage with Isabella; his medical travails; his experience of loss) with Herbert’s passion for what’s beyond this Earth, which he explores through science but also visionary “travels.” On PSR B1620-26c, in the Scorpio constellation, he describes how on “an alluvial plain I came upon evidence of another civilization,” while other trips include meetings with Greek gods while he maintains a relationship with the son he never had.
How much can he see, and how much is fantasy? “Within our own bodies is mirrored the universe in which we live,” Herbert muses. There is beauty in seeing Franz’s self-discovery twined with his discovery of the universe—and how the grass is always greener back on the blue planet. But this thoughtful, uncompromisingly literary voyage is for lovers of science, prose touched with poetry, and life at the edges—of the mind, of the universe.
Takeaway: Visionary novel of an astronomer's journey through life and the cosmos.
Comparable Titles: Benjamin Labatut’s The MANIAC, Jack Cheng’s See You in the Cosmos.
Production grades
Cover: A-
Design and typography: A
Illustrations: N/A
Editing: A
Marketing copy: A
Bioku’s exploration of natural forces considers beauty, balance, and the cycles of life, but also wildness, including the fires of passion, and destruction, especially in pained evocations of California wildfires (“The hot springs around the corner have begun to boil”) and mudslides, in which homes are “swept away into the weeping ocean.” For Bioku, people can be as strong as the elements. Like her subjects, Bioku’s linework is blunt and forceful, but sweetened with playful parallel structures and bursts of hope, rooted in love.
The collection’s second half offers less conceptual consistency, but Bioku’s considerations of self-perception (“Distorted body image: I never know what or who to believe”), physical and mental health, prejudice and economic injustice, and surprise connections with strangers feel of a piece with the elemental material. While a tendency toward wordiness flattens some lines, this is the work of a poet eager to build something enduring in a hard world, someone who understands the power of love—of self, of others, even of those we must forgive.
Takeaway: Poems of elemental resilience, connection, and the power of love.
Comparable Titles: Yrsa Daley-Ward’s Bone, Clementine von Radics’s In a Dream You Saw a Way to Survive.
Production grades
Cover: B
Design and typography: A
Illustrations: N/A
Editing: A-
Marketing copy: A-
Guiasu's dry humor—and pontification of the most mundane rights of passage—is delivered with the familiarity of old school mates reminiscing about days gone by. In "The Basement," workers in "the country's largest museum" are placed on a mandatory lockdown until a SWAT team can come and capture a rabid squirrel who has turned the tables on a German Shepherd; in "The Day the Bear Came," two friends on a weekend getaway to the mountains become embroiled in conflict until a hairy encounter with a wild bear restores their camaraderie; and "In the Wilderness, Reading Hemingway," finds Guiasu playing with structure, making use of short, punchy sentences and word play that infuses the text with an appealing rhythm.
With funny memos from human resources, stories that feature primarily dialogue, and random lists, like "Twenty-Five Reasons Why the Chicken Crossed the Road" (to protest feather dusters is one amusing motive), readers are guaranteed some laughs—and sparse moments of deeper reflection, as in “Rolls-Royce Silver Shadow,” where Guiasu analyzes the dynamics of bullying, relating how, rather than fear, he felt “exhilarated and emboldened by an unquenchable thirst for revenge” after being victimized. Humor is the main weapon here, though, and Guiasu wields it to the max.
Takeaway: Eclectic, entertaining collection that probes life’s lighter moments.
Comparable Titles: Chuck Palahniuk's Make Something Up, Beth Lisick’s This Too Can Be Yours.
Production grades
Cover: A
Design and typography: A
Illustrations: A
Editing: A
Marketing copy: A
Karageuzian does not shy away from the gruesome conditions inflicted on the Armenian people in this heart-breaking chronicle of destruction and death. With the dual perspective of hailing from Lebanon and growing up in the United States, she also explores the "devastating" emotions of major historical moments in Armenian and American history, such as the signing of the Treaty of Sevres. As she describes meeting her newfound family, readers glimpse the horrifying, rippling effects of the Armenian Genocide: "[I] realized that they did not speak Armenian, were not versed in Armenian history or the details of the Genocide, and even their last name was changed,” she writes, sharing that she “was overwhelmed with the enormity of the crime committed against my nation."
Karageuzian maps out, from her own lifespan, Armenian history, starting with "the late summer day in 1978, when the first bomb fell" up to 2021, when President Joe Biden "became the first American President to officially recognize the Armenian Genocide in the annual White House statement on Armenian Genocide Remembrance Day.” Though the topic and subject matter is tragic, Karageuzian writes about her family's background and culture with pride and great care, fashioning this into a well-documented homage to her Armenian heritage. Fans of historical memoirs intertwined with family histories will be captivated.
Takeaway: Impassioned historical memoir charting the devastation of the Armenian Genocide.
Comparable Titles: Fethiye Cetin’s My Grandmother, Aram Haigaz's Four Years in the Mountains of Kurdistan.
Production grades
Cover: B+
Design and typography: A
Illustrations: N/A
Editing: A
Marketing copy: A
Myron and Swimmy’s friendship blossoms as they peruse the hot desert dunes together, with Myron patiently answering Swimmy’s endless questions about the curiosities they find, giving younger readers a chance to learn more about the book’s spotlighted natural wonders—like geodes, egg-shaped rocks filled with crystals, and intriguing quartz clusters that Swimmy is convinced are the elusive ostrich eggs. Nacinovich allows Swimmy free rein to query Myron to his heart’s content, and kids will relish investigating alongside this curious, charming frog.
Nadia Ronquillo’s lively illustrations show the two friends happily wandering together through their desolate yet beautiful desert home, complete with pale blue skies and flowering cacti around every turn. Myron resembles a friendly garden gnome with his long, white beard and pointed hat, while the perpetually grinning Swimmy hilariously carries his water in a fishbowl, tied to his back with a piece of rope. Eventually, the two encounter their sought-after nest of eggs—and apparently the ostriches have been expecting Myron, as they left an extra just for him. Kids will be pleased to see Myron transporting the egg to the Big City’s zoo, giving him and Swimmy the chance to explore yet another new environment together in future adventures. This lighthearted tale will encourage kids—and their adult readers—to look for fun and friendship in the most unexpected of places.
Takeaway: Canyon tree frog explores his desert home with a new friend.
Comparable Titles: Conrad J. Storad’s Life in the Slow Lane, Brendan Wenzel’s Two Together.
Production grades
Cover: A-
Design and typography: A-
Illustrations: A-
Editing: A-
Marketing copy: A
Jenevein’s insider perspective on the practices, ideology, and leaders of China’s Communist Party prove as riveting to read as they are unnerving. In discussing General Secretary Xi Jinping’s hard-hitting advice to young, disillusioned Chinese nationals, Jenevein notes their rising discontent, urging that “for the peace of the world and our own prosperity, our political and commercial leaders can—in fact, they must—nurture relationships with this cadre now.” He discusses the unique traits necessary to succeed as a foreigner in that atmosphere, emphasizing perseverance as critical to clinch even the simplest of deals, and details obstacles such as deliberately inaccurate maps, misleading agreements, an uneven legal system, and a government that encourages “raiding and plundering of foreign assets.”
Though he expects “tensions to grow” between U.S. businesses and the PRC in the coming years, “and for more of those to become disagreements that reach courts,” Jenevein does offer moments of hope, as when he describes “working with good—moral and competent—people in the PRC,” and he points out America’s less than transparent dealings at times. Still, he reiterates a key difference between the two countries: “we intend our laws to protect people from oppressors… the CPC uses laws to protect the oppressor from people.” In closing, he urges “freedom lovers around the world” to unite, insisting they are “dancing with a dragon who we cannot and must not ignore.”
Takeaway: Eye-opening insider’s account of business dealings with China.
Comparable Titles: Desmond Shum’s Red Roulette, Bates Gill’s Rising Star.
Production grades
Cover: A
Design and typography: A
Illustrations: N/A
Editing: A-
Marketing copy: A
But for all Wallace’s rich depictions of the work of intelligence agencies, analysts, spy handlers, and more—including a suspenseful thread about a reluctant Nazi officer trying to make sense of interrogation reports that read like gibberish—the heart of this engaging novel is Linnea Thorsell, the multi-lingual young woman tasked with pulling off the deception. Linnea saw enough devastating conflict and loss. Now, this Dostoyevsky-quoting analyst fluent in Swedish and Russian but untrained in spycraft would prefer a quiet life. But, as she puts it, “I wasn’t asked, merely informed.”
Much of the novel’s first half concerns her rushed training, over 12 days, from boxing to role-playing, and Wallace (author of The Man Who Walked out of the Jungle) deftly charts her development, fears, incisive insights, and relationships with the men in charge. “The last thing you want is to let that fickle imp serendipity out of her box,” one of those handlers snaps at her when, in the field at last, she demonstrates savvy initiative. Worse than serendipity: the fact that the Nazis have wind of something in Stockholm. Wallace stages hair-raising but convincing setpieces and surprises, plus fascinating context about the trade, various nations’ operations, and how life felt, in the everyday and when facing great danger, for people with secrets on all sides of the war.
Takeaway: Superior spy thriller sending an American woman undercover in 1944 to turn a Nazi.
Comparable Titles: Ken Follett, Ben Macintyre.
Production grades
Cover: B+
Design and typography: A
Illustrations: N/A
Editing: A
Marketing copy: A-
Based on the idea that “words are a lot like people… each one is awesome just as it is,” this colorful story will open a new world for younger readers. Anne Berry’s soft, textured illustrations are the perfect medium, showcasing words carved out of the natural surroundings—such as the caterpillar whose body spells out “understand,” or the tree branches shaped into “sorry”—alongside those fashioned into characters who interact with children in the book. Those still learning to read will relish hunting for, and sounding out, new words as they browse the story, and adults will appreciate Davis-Gibbon’s attention to how words can both hurt and heal.
The ending empowers youth to have a voice, with a young girl “speak[ing] those words that you know tell the truth,” and Davis-Gibbon reminds readers that voicing their emotions is often the first step to understanding them. Some of the word characters are challenging to decipher, but still, this is a unique approach to instilling a love for language in children—and a friendly reminder for readers of all ages that “words can be tricky but they’re always here waiting for you… to help you shine YOUR special light into the world.”
Takeaway: Delightful story illustrating the power of words.
Comparable Titles: Peter H. Reynolds’s The Word Collector, Lisa Chong’s When Words Have Power.
Production grades
Cover: A
Design and typography: A
Illustrations:
Editing: A
Marketing copy: A
