Young adult readers will find much to relate to here. Despite the turmoil at home, Connie is very much the average high school senior, trying to find her place in the world while navigating the storms that accompany young adulthood. When sparks start to fly between her and Nick, things get exponentially more complicated: Nick’s close to her father’s age, a hurdle the two have yet to truly think through, resulting in their decision to keep their romance under wraps. And there’s convincingly drawn trouble on the friendship front as well: though Dee and Connie experience some of the same rites of passage, they couldn’t be more different—and that difference eventually leads to a rift in their relationship, made more serious by Connie’s romance with Nick.
Tirado-Ryen doesn’t shy away from the harder topics. Connie has a pregnancy scare that brings up some weighty options, and Dee’s struggles with sexual and physical abuse, handled sensitively, simmer throughout the novel. The central romance stays mellow but also serves as a major catalyst in Connie’s life, though the ending, which may shock readers, comes rather abruptly, and feels hurried. Still, The Secrets Inside proves appealing as it plumbs the heart.
Takeaway: A forbidden romance gives this sweet coming-of-age story an edge.
Comparable Titles: Marie Force’s Georgia on My Mind, Jenn Bennett’s Starry Eyes.
Production grades
Cover: A-
Design and typography: A
Illustrations: N/A
Editing: A-
Marketing copy: A
As that summary suggests, Clarke’s world building draws from many genres and traditions, a mash-up approach whose moment-to-moment fun at times lacks context and coherence. The sense of a story getting out of hand, in fact, is written into the plot. The point of view switches from Growina to that of Florian Honeybeard, a female impersonator thespian who is kidnapped by mercenaries who mistake him for a soothsayer. Coerced into guiding leader Captain Beatrix Bodkins to a fortune, Florian invents an accidentally prophetic story about a tentacled beast wreaking havoc in Wontmoil. Bodkin, riding a chair with animated monster legs, drags Florian in pursuit, along with painter Wardric, whose artwork creates in reality whatever he paints, and a ghost made of sand in a box.
These many elements also collide in a fantasy world where nearly anything can happen with few clear rules. Readers invested in traditional plotting may wander, but many inventions here engage. Growina is a sympathetic character who yearns to get out of her shell, be useful, and make friends. The bats that carry messages like carrier pigeons and excerpts from the Lazy Botanist’s Guide are bold, fun touches.
Takeaway: Wildly inventive fantasy fun, with no clear rules.
Comparable Titles: Genevieve Cogman, T. Kingfisher.
Production grades
Cover: A
Design and typography: A
Illustrations: N/A
Editing: A-
Marketing copy: A
As the title suggests, Ethos of Cain strives to unpack the mind and heart of the eponymous mercenary, blending introspection with action, espionage, and the surprises of a class-divided future where humanity has expanded into the solar system but remains resilient in its corruptibility. James offers a hero of unrivaled skill and, at first, nearly inaccessible morality, but then strives to deepen Cain, especially through the relationship with Francesca, as Cain must reckon with the man he’s become, and if it’s who he wants to be. The adventure will give him opportunity, of course, as James stages crisp, surprising action involving corp-cops, airfoils, TransAtmovVettes, and other innovations crafted to please SF and cyber-punk fans.
Cain can be a bit of a mope, and at times the introduction of this world comes at the expense of narrative momentum, but James excels at making it all feel real, from planning missions to the way the wealthy separate themselves from everyone else. Dialogue often has a fun, seedy spirit (“Don’t think we’ll need this much beef,” the standout Scarlatti says upon meeting Cain), and the tantalizing conspiracies, future tech, mission planning, and Cain’s reliable old .45 and the possibility of a mega-score will please lovers of SF action.
Takeaway: Future mercenary confronts the truth of himself in this action-packed thriller.
Comparable Titles: RJ Roder’s Rise of Metal, Joel Shepherd’s Crossover.
Production grades
Cover: A
Design and typography: A
Illustrations: N/A
Editing: A-
Marketing copy: A-
Openshaw is a seasoned tour guide and veteran travel-television show writer, and his expertise in Italy, art, and Michelangelo in particular shines on nearly each page. Meanwhile, Sam’s sandwich-generation troubles—painful divorce; trying to help his aging parents; maintaining a relationship with his young daughter—has him reeling. His admission, in a seedy Bologna hotel, that he has “no home” suggests Orwell’s Down and Out in Paris and London, while accomplished passages of travel writing bring Italy to touching life.
Sam finds some relief in spirited carousing and a hopeful romance, and his travails are wittily juxtaposed against those of his idol, Michelangelo, though at times the balance between the novel’s three modes favors the informative, as Openshaw digs deeply into Renaissance sculpture, patronage, politics and more, considering theories of why the tomb became something of a footnote. Still, Openshaw’s depiction of Michelangelo as a human being with faults and frailties is fascinating. Michelangelo at Midlife is like a trip to Italy, edifying, informative, and unpredictable.
Takeaway: Surprising novel of art, history, and mid-life crises, including Michelangelo’s.
Comparable Titles: Stephanie Storey’s Oil and Marble, Theresa Maggio’s Mattanza: Love and Death in the Sea of Sicily.
Production grades
Cover: A-
Design and typography: A
Illustrations: A
Editing: A
Marketing copy: A-
While Galica writes with a coach’s warm directness, Leap acknowledges the real challenges that can stymie workers’ seeking more. She considers the familiar advice “to align career with your passion” and makes the case that, often, passion isn’t enough. Instead, she argues that playing to one’s strengths and “replacing 'follow your passion' with 'go where you want to contribute'" is crucial, especially for women, who often are made to feel “guilty or uncomfortable switching careers just for passion’s sake.”
Galica backs up insights like that with hard-won wisdom and action steps, engaging reflection exercises, and compelling, on-point testimony from women who dared to leap—and flourish, including heavy hitters like filmmaker Ava DuVernay and celebrity chef Ina Garten. Touchingly, Galica considers the example of her own mother, who over time, unable to let go of “socioeconomic guilt and fear,” resisted making a change, until at last, in her fifties, she followed her joy, her strengths, and her sense of where she wanted to contribute, returning to school and starting fresh. Leap demonstrates that such happy endings don’t have to be put off.
Takeaway: Wise, action-oriented guide for women considering career changes.
Comparable Titles: Karen Arrington's Your Next Level Life, Tessa White's The Unspoken Truths for Career Success.
Production grades
Cover: B+
Design and typography: A
Illustrations: N/A
Editing: A
Marketing copy: A
Tirado-Ryen’s story moves smoothly, traveling between the 2000s and the 1990s, sharing vivid glimpses into the reasons for the near rupturing in the bond between the sisters. While the emotions are resonant, the gentle humor and brisk prose give Two Weeks of Summer an appealingly light touch. All the characters are well etched and engaging, presented with empathy and, at the novel’s best, a plafyul sense of surprise. Scenes of bullying that Kim endured in school and the struggles, in the past, of the sisters’ single mother are memorable and effective.
Tirado-Ryen draws attention to how different people cope differently with grief and loss and though to all outward appearances some seem to have moved on, in reality, they haven’t. Some incidents, including a makeover and a confrontation with a childhood tormenter, play out as expected, but this bright, feel good novel about sisterly love, female friendships, and the meaning of family offers heaps of heart.
Takeaway: Buoyant, well-told story of sisters reconnecting while coping with loss.
Comparable Titles: Claire LaZebnik's The Smart One and the Pretty One, Megan Crane’s Names My Sisters Call Me.
Production grades
Cover: A
Design and typography: A
Illustrations: N/A
Editing: A
Marketing copy: A
Fanning tugs at emotions from the opening pages showing Silas, a broken man severely down on his luck and anxious about reaching out to his son, and Ellen, who is still reeling from her Lupus diagnosis. They meet aboard the MS Viking after Ellen mistakenly buys tickets for the gay cruise and literally falls into his arms. The budding romance often takes a backseat to the mayhem aboard the ship and complicated but engaging relationships among crew members and other passengers, like Patrick and Kathy Lucey, a brother and sister duo who bicker incessantly.
Fanning has weaved a tale that has it all—romance, humor, drama, mystery, and suspense. Despite Silas and Ellen having a lot in common and enjoying each other’s company, their relationship doesn’t really power a story that instead has at its heart friendships and family bonds. Fanning’s prose and dialogue are crisp, brisk, and incisive, and the characterization is strong in this novel that’s ideal for readers who love diverse casts, surprising connections, and healing relationships, with much comic complication.
Takeaway: Emotional story of healing relationships and being there for the ones we love.
Comparable Titles: Stephen McCauley’s My Ex-Life, Audra North’s Midlife Crisis.
Production grades
Cover: A
Design and typography: A
Illustrations: N/A
Editing: A-
Marketing copy: A-
Fast-paced, suspenseful, and at times horrifying, O’Donnell’s compelling plot offers a prophetic imagining of American life in a capitalist totalitarian regime, though the world-building, localized to the Cold War Berlin-inspired split city, will leave readers eager for more information about this fallen future. The story develops with page-turning power: apart from having to deal with Mrs. De Young, the unpleasant owner of Redwood Manor, Abbie's working conditions, pay, and coworker relationships are better than she ever dared to imagine back in Eureka, especially with the sudden appearance of Dylan, an old flame. Abbie, meanwhile, proves an engaging, surprising character.
Abbie discovers the sinister schemes that fuel Redwood Manor and Port Allegiance as a whole, and what begins as a first step towards a new life plummets into a nightmare that threatens to wipe out the entire human population. Young readers should beware of the book’s depictions of violence and abuse, including sexual abuse, but on the whole, Tetherless, the first of O’Donnell’s Port Allegiance Chronicles, is a promising, debut with a classic setup: one young woman disrupting an empire.
Takeaway: Gritty story of a bold young woman in a class-segregated future California.
Comparable Titles:Tehlor Kay Mejia’s We Set the Dark on Fire series, Lauren Oliver’s Delirium.
Production grades
Cover: A
Design and typography: A
Illustrations: N/A
Editing: A
Marketing copy:
A book for all ages, Mr. Daisy shines in the distinct portrayal of children's unique qualities, offering the readers a delightful world with nothing short of wonder and boundless creativity through classroom activities, playful descriptions of the Three Terrors' pranks, and a background of the kids' lives outside school. Parallel to that is Vattic's remarkable ability to alter the tone as Mr. Daisy meets the grim hostility of his childhood. Elsewhere, Vattic's storytelling offers a glimpse into Mr. Daisy’s life when he joins the Republic army shortly after his sister's death, evoking the loneliness and grief that overshadows his openness to an enjoyable life.
These humane subplots are rooted more in character than high-stakes fantasy drama, a grounded approach that will prove alluring to readers seeking thoughtful, rooted storytelling. Mr. Daisy encounters a community filled with kindness and compassion, the necessary ingredients to counter false perceptions of oneself and to accept any leftover childhood trauma and regretful decisions made. "Everyone has scars from their past that helped shape who they are, but it never defines them," Mr. Daisy tells his love interest Leena White. Without fully knowing, he is the one who needs the most convincing.
Takeaway: A gentle giant's unexpected playful ride to healing the past.
Comparable Titles: Paul Zindel, Benjamin Alire Saenz.
Production grades
Cover: B
Design and typography: A-
Illustrations: N/A
Editing: A
Marketing copy: A
Berry’s philosophical, instructive, and humanistic messages leaven the themes of death and violence, as he recounts learning from a young age that it's not always possible to save the ones you love. He also learns that bullies look for easy prey—and the urgency of protecting yourself, a skill he quickly developed. As an adult, he writes about subjects ranging from unique forms of revenge on kids pestering him to a near-death but exhilarating experience as a surfer. Brushes with death and violence persist, like in a terrifying story of a bloody fight with his girlfriend's drunken, murderous father, told with polish, power, and welcome insight.
He concludes with a story about helping out at the scene of a car accident, discussing the other helpers, and finally revealing that everyone there was of a different race and background. For a moment, everyone there was "humans and nothing more." That’s Berry's message: when we treat each other with compassion, as humans, we're capable of great kindness. When we treat each other as things to be used, violence usually follows.
Takeaway: Humane, harrowing stories of a life facing violence and danger.
Comparable Titles: R. Layla Salek’s Chaos in Color, Lee Smith’s Dimestore.
Production grades
Cover: A-
Design and typography: A
Illustrations: N/A
Editing: A-
Marketing copy: A
Though Jay has quite an arm, he’s got a lot to learn off the baseball field. Some of his challenges are unique, like his struggle to decipher his teacher’s Boston accent, but others are tried and true benchmarks of growing up: adjusting to a new school, making friends, dealing with bullies, surviving a first crush. While occasionally putting his foot in his mouth, Jay faces all his ups and downs with resilience and humor, including his sometimes-fraught relationship with his parents: Jay’s father wants him to pursue a military career, but Jay isn’t sure he shares his father’s vision of his future.
The story follows Jay from middle school to high school graduation, moving quickly and smoothly from one episode to the next, albeit occasionally at the expense of deeper reflection. However, Jay’s world has impressive depth thanks to Wesslen’s authentic depiction of the complexities beneath the calm surface of suburban middle-class life in the 1970s. Wesslen celebrates the era but does not sugar coat it: alongside references to the Carpenters, Happy Days, and Strat-O-Matic, he also includes glimpses of its racism and homophobia. Though younger readers may not recognize these historical and cultural references, they will be able to relate to Wesslen’s well-drawn, multifaceted characters that stumble as much as they succeed.
Takeaway: An honest, heartfelt story about growing up that will especially appeal to baseball fans.
Comparable Titles: Jordan Sonnenblick’s Curveball, Mike Lupica.
Production grades
Cover: A-
Design and typography: A
Illustrations: N/A
Editing: A
Marketing copy: A
Madison’s raw emotions ripple across the page as she reluctantly returns to her beautiful but stifling hometown and struggles to navigate her rocky relationships: her interactions with her mother are strained and painful, and her stilted conversations with her brothers devolve into angry fights . Initially, readers will share Madison’s frustration with her father’s vague, cryptic appeals that seem like distractions from her compelling emotional journey. But as Madison searches for answers, she discovers that her father’s anguish has more to do with her than she realized As she sits at her father’s bedside, Madison hopes that during his moments of lucidity they will be able to mend the ugly rift in their relationship.
But Stanley builds smoothly to revelations, like Madison’s father’s deeper purpose for their reunion: to ask for Madison’s help in freeing a woman wrongfully convicted for a murder he knows she didn’t commit. As Madison struggles to understand her father’s role in the injustice, she discovers that her family harbors more secrets than even she realized. Stanley unravels this mystery carefully and deliberately, often using Madison’s dialogue and internal monologue to recap her progress. An unexpected twist in the final chapters is surprising but well-earned, offering a satisfying synthesis of Madison’s past and her father’s last request.
Takeaway: Well-constructed mystery of family angst, redemption, and satisfying twists.
Comparable Titles: Charlie Donlea’s Twenty Years Later, Ashley Flowers’s All Good People Here.
Production grades
Cover: A
Design and typography: A
Illustrations: N/A
Editing: A
Marketing copy: A-
McKinney writes with clarity and persuasive power, offering examples and action steps to approaching potential collaborations and gauging whether partnerships will work out in everyone's best interest. Her experience shines throughout, in clarifying case studies of building successful partnerships, often drawn from her own career, plus fresh tools crafted through hard-won knowledge, such as her seven "anchors" to use as a reference point when attempting to find potential collaborators. McKinney convincingly argues that, once a reader has “honed your ability to seek out collaboration,” it can take just “five minutes” to evaluate whether a potential relationship ”is worth your time, if you have mutual interests, or if there’s something you can help each other with."
With ways on how to use the ever-shifting world of social media to find potential collaborators and cultivate beneficial partnerships, this is a strong resource for business leaders looking to network and branch out with like minded business partners. Anyone eager to update their thinking about the art of working together in business or on digital platforms will garner useful tips and educational information from this book.
Takeaway: Fresh, practical self-help guide focused on networking and collaboration.
Comparable Titles: Karen Wickre's Taking the Work Out of Networking, Joe Polish's What's in it for Them?
Production grades
Cover: A-
Design and typography: A
Illustrations: A
Editing: A
Marketing copy: A
Comer has a wonderful sense of small town rhythms and how the insular world breeds both deep connection but also deep resentments. He shows, through Charlie's eyes, how the same inter-family problems play across the generations and how deeply petty class differences can matter. Comer populates the town with a large, colorful cast, built to anchor a series, including an overeager baker and a delightfully loopy mayor, though at times it takes some work to keep track of all the interactions and connections. However, Charlie moves through the story at a nice clip, and readers will be pulling for her to reach the finish line.
In fact, aside from the story, readers will find themselves charmed by Charlie and her self-deprecating narration. One of the great pleasures of the book is seeing how Charlie grows emotionally: she's forced to take a fresh look at her hometown’s past and discovers things were not always as she had thought, a truth that possibly extends to a budding relationship, too. Also coming across as real is Charlie's connection with her father, as she helps and defends him, and their bonding at the end is moving. Readers will look forward to Charlie's next case.
Takeaway: Promising start to a small-town mystery series, in the classic mode.
Comparable Titles: Caroline Graham, Kate Atkinson.
Production grades
Cover: A-
Design and typography: A
Illustrations: N/A
Editing: A-
Marketing copy: A-
In Loftus’s poems, memories transcend beyond the intangible and enter the physical world; they attain a state of being and change like people, like the seasons. In “Naming the Animals” the poet compares memories to “animals [calling] us in the dark,” and in “Enamel,” a clawfoot tub “in the old house, a dozen miles and a decade off,” houses in its void what is left of “his preening, waning youth.” Loftus uses figments from his past as clay to sculpt poems that relate grand insights about what it is to experience the gift and curse of time, which come forth with particular clarity in “Craquelure.”
The poem begins with the speaker flipping through a book of Renior paintings with “such brittle, fragile pages,” and then imagining the painter and his muse’s “moments in the atelier [...] bound to linen, then and later, time no friend to canvas and paper.” The term “craquelure” refers to an imperfection, a mark of wear on the painting, on the flesh, but it lends a magnificence that can only exist after the ripening touch of time. The cracked canvas is a singular wonder, and so too is Loftus’s exquisitely frayed collection.
Takeaway: Autumnal collection of intimate poems that capture beauty in humanity and art.
Comparable Titles: Margaret Atwood’s Dearly, Donald Hall’s Affirmation.
Production grades
Cover: A
Design and typography: A
Illustrations: N/A
Editing: A
Marketing copy: A
Anthony’s story is a slice-of-life blending nostalgia—dance competitions, Soul Train, the Holy Ghost dance at church, couples-only songs, the thrill of hearing Doug E. Fresh and Slick Rick at the club—with unflinching accounts of “living in a world full of hatred and racism.” Though mostly narrated in the third person, the narrative often slips into the first person, presumably from Marvel’s perspective. The author succeeds in capturing a vivid milieu and portraying the bonhomie and camaraderie of a large family and club scene, though many individual characters aren’t developed much, with some coming or going from the story with little introduction. The introduction of Lee David and Victor, Cebo’s brothers, seems contrived to demonstrate the importance of family. Their back stories are strikingly similar and they do not move the story forward.
The dialogue, frank and earthy, captures the nuances of the spoken word of the era, while bursts of sex and violence live up to the band’s name: raw. At times over-the-top and discursive, with storytelling that lacks narrative momentum, Club Bamboo nevertheless captures a time, place, and culture.
Takeaway: Vividly evoked story of a late 1970s R&B band, bursting with music.
Comparable Titles: Jacqueline Crooks’s Fire Rush, Rashod Ollison’s Soul Serenade.
Production grades
Cover: A-
Design and typography: A
Illustrations: N/A
Editing: C
Marketing copy: A-