Racism, corrupt international politics, sex, and rape—these urgent themes converge in the murder of Sheila Musinga, the niece of Uganda’s president and a student at Boston’s Essex University. Kakande presents Sheila, who was born to a Ugandan father and Swedish mother, as more than just the impetus for the investigation that follows, delving into the young woman’s struggles with her identity, which often aligns more with her European heritage despite her African roots. Sheila’s only other Black classmate, Shawn Wayles, finds her perspectives on racism in America both fascinating and frustrating as their complex relationship unfolds against the backdrop of cultural and racial divides. When Sheila’s half-naked body is discovered in a car, Detective Lisa Garcia and her partner, Detective Basudde “Bus,” a Ugandan-American officer with CIA connections, zero in on Shawn as their number one suspect. But the truth runs much deeper than jealousy and unrequited love.

Journalist Kakande, author of nonfiction titles like Green Card Brides: The Lives of Black Migrants in America, brings a welcome repertorial eye to the story, weaving a gripping thriller that is smart and revealing about gender, race, and identity. Through a mix of flashbacks, recordings, and interrogations, Kakande uncovers the pressures of privilege, the burden of expectations, political corruption across nations, racism, and the dangers and temptations of power. Vivid depictions of torture, sexual assault, violence, graphic language, and intimate moments make the story strikingly visceral and authentic—and at times, deeply unsettling.

Detective Bus’s CIA connections and Ugandan heritage add layers of tension and conflict, while the portrayal of gender dynamics further deepens the story’s exploration of power struggles and social inequities. As they search for the truth, the detectives build a relationship of their own, even as past intelligence work proves a complicating factor. The case resolves with an urgent reminder that nothing is ever as simple as it seems, and that you can’t trust anyone—especially anyone in politics.

Takeaway: Smart, gripping mystery of murder, migrants, and international politics.

Comparable Titles: Wanda M. Morris’s What You Leave Behind, S.A. Cosby’s All the Sinners Bleed.

Production grades
Cover: B
Design and typography: A
Illustrations: –
Editing: A
Marketing copy: A

Click here for more about A Murder of Hate

Fashion and costume historian Christie spotlights Black fashion trailblazers in this inspiring ABC picture book debut. From letters A to Z, style-conscious fans will glean fun, informative facts about celebrated Black models, designers, and influencers, ranging from costume designer Bill Whitten—who created Michael Jackson’s iconic white glove—to photographer Kwame Brathwaite, the driving force behind the “Black is Beautiful” movement. Christie examines all aspects of the industry, from invention to modeling, in an educational format that serves as a perfect fit for those younger readers hoping to one day be part of the fashion community.

Pop culture, history, and trivia unite in this vibrant showcase, featuring such notables as the famed Beverly Johnson, the first Black model on the cover of American Vogue, trailblazing tailor Dapper Dan from Harlem, and costume designer Ruth E. Carter, the “first Black woman to win an Academy Award for Best Costume Design.” For each memorable figure, Christie shares a brief history of their accomplishments alongside wisdom drawn from their experiences. The letter “F” covers Fashion Fair shows that “celebrated beauty in all shades and sizes,” while Sarah Boone’s invention of the ironing board—the first patent awarded to a Black woman in the United States—illustrates that “imagination and hard work can improve everyday tasks.”

Whether it’s brand curation or fitting presidents, Christie explores the multitude of ways that fashion makes an impact on the world, all through a lens of inclusivity and diversity, with bright, bold illustrations by Ali Nasir Aziz bolstering that message. Readers will savor the book’s uplifting theme, as Christie draws parallels between the fashion world and activism that resonate, including Malcolm X’s glasses as a symbol of his battle for civil rights and Zelda Wynn Valdes’s creations “break[ing] barriers and inspir[ing] change.” This is an important foray into Black couture.

Takeaway: ABC book spotlighting Black icons of the fashion industry.

Comparable Titles: Zaila Avant-Garde's Words of Wonder from Z to A, Arlisha Norwood's Black Heroes.

Production grades
Cover: A
Design and typography: B
Illustrations: A
Editing: B-
Marketing copy: A-

Click here for more about Black Fashion Legends ABC

Spiritual, sensual, and relentlessly searching, the ecstatic poems of the 13th-century Sufi mystic Rumi have been shared, studied, and relished for centuries, enjoying a popular vogue in the West in recent decades, especially among seekers exploring the literature of love and divinity. For all that, significant portions of the Persian poet’s extensive work have not appeared in English, certainly not in complete editions. This volume is the first of four compiling Rumi’s complete quatrains (or rubais) in English for the first time, as translated by Nevit O. Ergin (1928–2015), the original translator of Rumi’s complete Divan-i Kebir in 22 volumes and the coauthor of more accessible collections like The Forbidden Rumi.

Ergin’s *Rubáiyát*, compiled and edited by Millicent Alexander with Shahzad Mazha, is invitingly direct in its language, making it edifying for browsers and completionists alike. Quatrain 258 (out of a total of 466) concludes with a heartsick parallelism worthy of Tin Pan Alley lyricists: “I ran from Your traps to the house of my heart. / But, the house of my heart became the trap for me.” Despite that breezy straightforwardness, Alexander’s introduction, appendices, and notably sparse footnotes don’t offer much in the way of guidance for readers eager to plumb the deeper mysteries of Rumi.

One quatrain appears twice without explanation, and it’s as good an example as any of the challenges this collection presents to contemporary readers. It runs: “The beguiling beauty of the idol who seized my heart / took me to the tavern of idols. / Those idols appear like pious souls. / But actually, they are blood-thirsty brigands.” This edition offers no guidance for interpreting Rumi’s terms like idol, tavern, or brigands, or insight into how their meanings might have shifted across centuries and languages. Ergin translated from Turkish to English, though Rumi wrote in medieval Farsi; Alexander makes the case that each of Ergin’s quatrains is “matched in its essence” by Rumi’s original. While their ambiguities would benefit from greater illumination, Ergin’s verses still pulse with Rumi’s passion and genius.

Takeaway: English translation of the complete quatrains of Rumi abounds in ecstasy and mystery.

Comparable Titles: The Forbidden Rumi, Rumi’s Divan-I Kebir.

Production grades
Cover: B+
Design and typography: A-
Illustrations: N/A
Editing: A-
Marketing copy: A-

Click here for more about The Rubaiyat of Rumi / The Ergin Translations

When young Adele moves to a new home, she’s eager for the adventures that await her. As soon as she arrives, her curiosity is rewarded: outside the towering house sits an abandoned garden, complete with its own gnome, whom Adele promptly names Albert and adopts as her special friend. When she makes a wish one evening that her “garden could be magical again,” Albert comes to life, informing Adele that he was once the head gardener and promising to help her restore the garden to its former glory.

Richards’s love for nature is evident throughout this fanciful debut, in which fairies alight on lush flowers, “leaving trails of stardust in their wake,” and playful spirits with “hearts of gold” cavort through the foliage. Adele has an eye for magic, and her ready willingness to spot it at every opportunity will resonate with younger readers. She quickly picks up on Albert’s gentle nudging that a little bit of hard work and a lot of love can help even a neglected seed spring to life. Together, Adele and her gnome make a marvelous pair as they set off on the adventure of a lifetime: he is thoughtful and wise, while Adele is an enthusiastic learner who finds even the dreariest garden tasks a joy.

That winning combination will warm hearts as the story builds to an uplifting restoration. Richards drops plenty of gardening tips for younger readers along the way, who can expect to learn pearls such as lavender’s calming ability, the patience required for composting, and the role different creatures (an earthworm, ladybug, and majestic oak tree, to name a few) play in the garden. Whimsical black-and-white illustrations light up with brilliant pops of color, and Richards dedicates space at the end to sustainability, including a special composting recipe for readers to try at home.

Takeaway: A young girl restores a garden, thanks to a little magic.

Comparable Titles: Pat Zietlow Miller’s In Our Garden, Kate Messner’s Up in the Garden and Down in the Dirt.

Production grades
Cover: B
Design and typography: B+
Illustrations: A-
Editing: A-
Marketing copy: A

Click here for more about Adele and the Whispering Garden

Acharya’s eighth book of poetry is a transcendent blueprint for healing in a ruptured world, drawing on the poet’s experiences with marginalization as an Indian-English woman and the scars of colonization, police brutality, racism, war, the pandemic, and more. In Acharya’s poems, presence is a pillar of that healing; for example, in taking notice of bees, “the peace of wild things descends like a mantle woven with blessings.” Yet this presence also makes space for grief, despair, and uncertainty. “Are there journeys without destinations, // pilgrimages that don’t lead to self-discovery?” Acharya writes. Facing these questions, the poet looks to faith as her guide.

Spirituality appears as both a solitary venture and one of communion in Acharya’s collection. In the heartening “This Is What It Means to Be Human,” the speaker recalls “the warmth of the rasoi” and the congregation of the family kitchen as the spiritual and cultural binding agents that allow humanity to transcend base impulses and strive for the best versions of itself. Some poems, like “Song of Praise,” “If,” and “Grant Us,” invoke the style of prayer and affirmation, addressing the spiritual needs of the present day, including those relating to the existential woes of the climate crisis.

In this vibrant collection that touches on so many fragments of global society, one illuminating thread throughout explores the poet’s identity. An awareness of the self, along with spiritual presence, is essential on the quest for healing that Acharya so touchingly describes: “when I reconcile myself to the randomness // of the universe, everything falls into place.” Acharya’s collection is the light in the darkness, a note of hope in the symphony of the world’s sorrow, and it shows readers how to pull themselves from the depths of despair while asking them to “think of what you can do in the face of calamity, // not be overwhelmed by its immensity.”

Takeaway: Rich collection exploring spirituality, oppression, and a path for healing.

Comparable Titles: Mary Oliver’s “Wild Geese,” Joy Harjo.

Production grades
Cover: A-
Design and typography: A
Illustrations: N/A
Editing: A
Marketing copy: A

Click here for more about Dear Life

Debut author Morell masterfully delivers a frighteningly plausible dystopian tale in which much of Kansas and swathes of other states in the region secedes from the Union and declares itself a new country called Independence. When journalist Roman Wolfe, who has been chronicling uprisings and secessions across the globe, heads to report on this “new country carved out of the interior states” that claims to embody “the noble belief in the freedom to pursue life, liberty, and happiness,” he leaves a U.S. border crossing in Eastern Colorado to enter a world where the economy and basic services have collapsed. Vigilantes hunt “illegals,” citizens remain dissatisfied with their government, and distrust runs rampant, with the Latino population frequently targeted. Then Independence experiences its first murder.

The victim is a local named Jesus Criollo. With tensions rising—a spate of burglaries and inevitable further deaths have citizens on a hair trigger—and Roman’s prickly ex-turned-current girlfriend Kat acting strangely, Roman begins to question his extended stay in the bleak nation. Morell’s dialogue could easily be ripped from contemporary political discourse, with Independence citizens railing against immigrants, taxes, the media, and “people inside our country who can’t seem to grasp our ideals.” A Kansas native now living in New York City, Morell skillfully portrays the realities and challenges of rural living, taking seriously the grievances (and diversity of opinion) of his Kansans, and the state’s Free State ethos, while never letting the characters off the hook for their actions.

Although many dismiss this nation’s increasingly violent political rhetoric as simply words, Morell’s storytelling demonstrates, with skill and persuasive power, the possible results of irresponsible and reckless speech about secession or civil war. He explores these outcomes with a sharp reportorial eye while avoiding a preachy tone. Instead, he suggests such conclusions rather than stating them outright. A cautionary tale about the extreme outcomes of the worst angels of our national character, this thoughtful work will stay with readers well after the final page is turned.

Takeaway: Bleak, urgent novel of the secession of Kansas is frighteningly plausible.

Comparable Titles: Omar El Akkad’s American War, Craig DiLouie’s our War.

Production grades
Cover: A
Design and typography: A
Illustrations: N/A
Editing: A
Marketing copy: A

Click here for more about A New America

NBA star John Vallely shares his belief in the Pyramid of Success, a motivational model given to him by UCLA coach John Wooden, during his early days playing college basketball. When Vallely first hears his coach’s inspiring words—“the only one who will ever know if you’ve achieved your personal best is you”—he’s perplexed but curious. But once he jumps headfirst into Wooden’s material, he’s sold; throughout the rest of his basketball career, into his marriage, parenting, and Christian faith, he returns to Wooden’s principles to navigate a life beset by hardship—his nine-year-old daughter’s cancer diagnosis, his own subsequent diagnosis later in life, legal battles, and more.

“A worthy opponent brings out the best in me,” Vallely writes, and this emotive book takes that wisdom to heart. As he faces challenges both on and off the court, Vallely remains faithful to the tenants of Wooden’s pyramid, ultimately realizing that it led him to God, and that the "search for competitive greatness would lead us to faith.” He breaks the pyramid’s principles down step-by-step for readers, alongside intimate glimpses into how they played out in his own life, always with an uplifting, encouraging tone regardless of the crises he confronts. "When you’re facing the severity of the termination of your life, every affirmation of your survival is invigorating,” he pens—sentiment that will stir in readers a renewed sense of purpose for their own lives.

Whether coming up against a seven-foot-tall basketball opponent or a major corporation like the Bank of America, Vallely highlights the importance of maintaining his faith and fighting for just outcomes. His writing is infused with a striking balance of vulnerability and courage, a winning combination that lays the foundation for valuable life lessons, and his inclusion of personal photographs gives the book a close, familiar feel. This moving debut story of endurance, faith, and resilience will inspire.

Takeaway: NBA star shares life lessons passed down from a college coach.

Comparable Titles: David Grunfeld's By the Grace of the Game, David Hollander's How Basketball Can Save the World.

Production grades
Cover: A-
Design and typography: A
Illustrations: A
Editing: A
Marketing copy: A

Click here for more about THE PYRAMID PRINCIPLE

Blending tech-savvy science fiction with military action that soars, Holden (author of the Future War series, among others) launches this series-starter with the intergalactic adventures of Linus Vespasius, a former deep-sea fishing captain turned reluctant soldier. Facing life in prison for murder, Linus opts for service in the Red Army—as in, the army of Mars—enticed by the promise of freedom after completing his combat hours, a mere 99. But nothing is what it seems on Mars, with those hours exceedingly hard to accumulate, a brutal “Reducation process,” and the shocking revelation that the presumably alien enemy, the Lilin, with bodies “not made from elements known to humankind,” can pass themselves off as human. Demotions relegate Linus to the junior-most rank in Legion Praeda, or Legion of the Prey, infamous for its low survival rate. What follows this seeming death sentence is a surprise: the transformation of a self-interested man thrust into the harrowing Red War and a series of vividly drawn combat situations.

For all its action, described with both vigor and rigor, and its cool revelations about the enigmatic Lilin—a seemingly immortal species whose motives and methods defy comprehension—Red Legion at its heart explores human hubris, especially the lengths to which those in power will go to perpetuate their control. But it also offers hope, as Linus’s fight to survive reveals much about himself, the enemy, and a new future for humanity. The ground-level realities of this war, told through Linus’s journal entries, are deftly juxtaposed against the duplicitous “official history” of the conflict fed to Earth’s population to sustain public support.

Lovers of military SF will sign right up, though the military jargon might pose a challenge to some readers. Still, Holden’s meticulous world-building and well-honed action compellingly conjure the unforgiving realities (and imaginative possibilities) of future war, setting the stage for a sprawling, morally complex universe and more high-stakes, thought-provoking storytelling.

Takeaway: Gripping action-packed sci-fi thriller set around an intergalactic high-stakes war.

Comparable Titles: James S.A. Corey, Paul McAuley.

Production grades
Cover: A
Design and typography: A
Illustrations: N/A
Editing: A
Marketing copy: A

Click here for more about Red Legion

This spiritually charged debut collection provokes and illuminates humanity's ceaseless search for meaning with a fierce commitment to healing ancestral wounds. Through four elemental sections—Earth, Wind, Fire, and Water—Iyamu grounds her vision for social change, believing that transformation must germinate from within: "We are the portal / To the Earth and the land we walk on" [13]. Her reverence for nature—"God chose me to birth this tree!"—becomes a powerful allegory for movement, urging readers to "Take back your life!" and break free from a passive acceptance that leads to spiritual dormancy.

Iyamu’s verse adopts a rhythmic, trance-like cadence that at times obscures meaning but nevertheless amplifies the voices of those she seeks to champion: the marginalized, the oppressed, and even the voiceless flora and fauna whose fates remain mere collateral damage. Her poems, both a plea and a protest, demand equality in a world "first built so only the privileged could rise." Freedom, or the lack thereof, underpins much of Iyamu's work. In painful, contemplative lines—“What does it give to be at peace? / Your house, your home, your walls, your fears”—she gently exposes the irony of maintaining "peace" through walls and weapons that divide rather than unite. Her regard for God as "God," "Allah," or "Jah" subtly critiques the senseless competition between cultures and nations for supremacy.

For all its occasional ambiguities, *Poetry in Eden* confronts, with passion and empathy, the destructive energy humans impose on the world: "But the very root / I cannot compute / What we have done to / The lands we say we love." This same energy, Iyamu suggests, shatters identity and a sense of belonging. At its core, this collection aims to dismantle self-constructed walls, urging readers to rediscover their roots, reclaim their faith, and let the "voices of a shared plight...of a shared right to live" finally be upheld.

Takeaway: Tender, empowering poetry of identity, peace, and collective healing

Comparable Titles: Joy Harjo’s An American Sunrise, Kwame Alexander’s Light for the World to See.

Production grades
Cover: A
Design and typography: A
Illustrations: N/A
Editing: B
Marketing copy: A

Click here for more about Poetry in Eden

In this urgent, ultimately healing memoir of resilience, the tragic passing of author Lariviere-Traub's beloved husband, Daniel, triggers repressed memories from her harrowing childhood in the Canadian foster care system, “echoing the abandonment and the feeling of not belonging.” The Silent Echo of My Childhood explores her experience entering the system after a series of tragedies: her mother’s institutionalization with a rare bone disease and her father’s abandonment. Lariviere-Traub's time under government guardianship becomes like a prison sentence as she floats from home to home and eventually different institutions "every two to three weeks,” enduring heartbreak, betrayals, and abuse from those meant to care for and protect her. From 14 to 16, she writes, her life was “whittled down to a series of locked doors and hushed whispers.” Eventually, inevitably, she became a runaway.

Through emotive prose, Lariviere-Traub tells and examines her story, drawing links between experiences in a full-circle narrative. She reflects warmly on the love she shared with Daniel while taking stock of the traumas of her childhood and her first marriage to a man who became physically abusive after the birth of their daughter, Melanie. She writes with welcome frankness about the “belief that my love could change him,” a conviction she now recognizes as rooted in the “power of an abusive man” skilled at “creeping into your mind, making you believe … that you deserve the pain.” Eventually, she managed again to run away.

The result is an impactful story of resilience and growth, forgiveness and love, and finding the strength—and, in women’s shelters and other crucial sources, the support—to break cycles of abuse. Reminding readers that "healing is not a destination, but a journey,” The Silent Echo of My Childhood finds “glimmers of hope and new beginnings” in new connections, the act of writing, and, above all, in the strength of the human spirit and the healing power of love.

Takeaway: Poignant memoir of love, grief, foster care, and ending cycles of abuse..

Comparable Titles: Kathleen Glasgow's Girl in Pieces, Beverly Engel's Raising Myself.

Production grades
Cover: A-
Design and typography: A
Illustrations: N/A
Editing: A
Marketing copy: A-

Click here for more about The Silent Echo of My Childhood

Scriptwriter Nar builds a complicated epic adventure of self-discovery about a sick young woman who finds salvation and purpose in a troubled future. Afflicted with premature aging, marked by wrinkled skin and failing organs, sixteen-year-old April has just months to live when Lord Kolbein from the North messages her phone, claiming he can help her. He tells her that a cure for her illness can be found on an iceberg—but he requires her aid in return. She accompanies him on the long trek, where he reveals his noble lineage of warriors from eleven regional territories that participate in symbolic fights intended to prevent war. These fights are initiated by the bearer of each lineage’s insignia, called the insignia’er, a woman with great authority. Kolbein reveals that April is a descendant of an insignia’er and a candidate to become one herself.

This fast-paced tale takes April through encounters with deadly animals, tense border crossings, a literal harbinger of death, and, above all else, a secretive, high-stakes world of politics and traditions, power and gamesmanship. Here, she must master the formalities of the insignia’er and contend with the jealousies of a princess commanding 200 archers. Much of this is energetic and inventive, especially April’s recovery from early aging. However, the pacing is uneven, diminishing the excitement of classic training sequences, while the convoluted rules surrounding insignia fighting slow down momentum and detract from the development of a promising relationship.

April is an engaging protagonist, embodying perseverance and honor, and wittily quizzing Kolbein on why he can’t live a normal life. She remains relatable even as she experiences the fantasy of finding a handsome savior who sees value in her despite her ostracization. Her story would shine brighter, though, with another round of polish. The text is often repetitive, told in blunt sentences that often feel wordy despite their brevity. Fundamentals such as the presentation and punctuation of dialogue occasionally falter, getting lost as the story gushes forward.

Takeaway: Teenage hero fulfills her destiny as an overseer of war games.

Comparable Titles: Charlie N. Holmberg’s The Paper Magician, Jeff Wheeler’s The Queen’s Poisoner.

Production grades
Cover: A
Design and typography: A-
Illustrations: N/A
Editing: C-
Marketing copy: A-

Click here for more about Insignia'er

Thalasinos (author of Fly by Night) explores touching and enlightening aspects of the bond between humans and animals with twinned stories of two women, separated by centuries and a continent, maneuvering through lives shaped by their love and commitment to horses. It’s through this passion that Evie, a young single mother whom we first meet near Flagstaff in the 1970s, and Belle MacLeod, the daughter of a wealthy Scottish landowner in 1700s Nova Scotia, face and survive the challenges of their eras. Each discovers, in her own time, what truly matters, as they relish “the scent of animal fur, and the feel of … mane under her hands” and perform edifying work like getting “yearlings ready to encounter the everyday things of life.” Complicating matters, though, are the men in their lives.

Horse lovers who admire stories of independent women will be moved by Evie’s immediate, intuitive bond with a wild mustang that turns up out of the blue—a charming scene that warms the heart and changes the course of Evie’s life. Almost 200 years earlier, Belle, the youngest daughter of “Mr. Mac,” also finds in her love of horses the courage to embark on her own journey toward what she believes will be a new life of freedom. Would that life were so easy, as both women face societies eager to dictate how they should live. A lyrical early description of wild Arizona horses seizes the heart and connects to both protagonists: “Freedom was her fuel, propelling her tirelessly until she reached the tall green mesas that marked the start of the high desert.”

The split narrative and fleetly lyrical prose inspire contemplation of perennial needs like safety, compassion, and connection. As the narrative crosses centuries, Thalasinos occasionally leaps ahead over courtships and other human developments without significant dramatization. Instead, the focus remains on the hearts of Evie, Belle, and their horses—and the many subtle and surprising ways these women are linked.

Takeaway: Vital, nourishing story of two women, centuries apart, finding freedom in horses.

Comparable Titles: Maggie Stiefvater’s The Scorpio Races, Elizabeth Letts’s The Ride of Her Life.

Production grades
Cover: A
Design and typography: A
Illustrations: N/A
Editing: A-
Marketing copy: A-

Click here for more about The Loneliness of Horses

This sweeping love story by Martin (Tangled Violets) spans decades in its examination of family, first love, and mental illness. Jamie Murphy has seen his share of heartbreak and crushing family deaths, but that doesn’t stop him from the whimsy of love at first sight when he meets Katie Houlihan. After a whirlwind courtship, the two are married and comfortably settled in the Murphy household with Jamie’s mother and siblings—a home infused with warm affection and Christian values. But when Katie starts to exhibit signs of a mental breakdown after the birth of her second daughter, Jamie’s idyllic world comes crashing down.

Martin perceptively catches life’s tragic ups and downs in this layered saga, as the Murphys’ fight for a life-changing miracle takes center stage against a historically memorable backdrop. From the end of World War I through the Great Depression in New York and a later move to California, Jamie and Katie compel in their battle to overcome devastating odds and restore Katie to her former self. When Katie’s illness leads to a hospitalization at the Harlem Valley State Hospital to be treated for dementia praecox—commonly known as schizophrenia—the couple face the unjust treatment of those diagnosed with mental illness, along with the bureaucracy and power struggles that plague hospital corruption. Soon, they must confront a lifetime of institutionalization for Katie—and what that means for her loving, grieving family.

Katie is a well-crafted, tragic figure in Martin’s writing, but Jamie also emerges as an evocative portrayal of a loving husband and father who works hard to raise his daughters while balancing his abiding love for a wife who is essentially lost to him in all ways—but still very much alive. Martin keeps the pace humming with heart-breaking plot twists and resonant emotional moments, transforming the narrative into a powerful rendering of the “true meaning of love.”

Takeaway: Moving narrative of love, mental illness, and unbreakable hope.

Comparable Titles: Millen Brand's The Outward Room, Dolen Perkins-Valdez's Take My Hand.

Production grades
Cover: A
Design and typography: A
Illustrations: N/A
Editing: A-
Marketing copy: A-

Click here for more about The Better Part of Worse

This suspenseful standalone mystery centers on pastry chef Laura Harris, who reluctantly leaves her family’s California restaurant to support her parents in Texas. When Laura’s mother dies from cancer not long after the move, Laura is left reeling—and seeks comfort from her long-time mentor, the wealthy Hattie Stenburg, who resides in a sprawling estate and now defunct vineyard in her family’s namesake Texas town. Laura and Hattie quickly catch up after years of only writing letters to each other, but when Laura, who suspects something’s off about Hattie’s caregiver, Nicole, doubles back after their visit to check on Hattie, she’s shocked to find her dead.

From this initial puzzle, Bells builds layers of intrigue that steadily deepen, as Laura encounters eccentric and vindictive townsfolk, police who seem reluctant to investigate Hattie’s death as a murder, and shocking personal news: Laura has been named as Hattie’s sole heir, propelling her to the top of the suspect list. To clear her name, she sleuths her way among the town’s mysterious figures, including her ex-boyfriend Lucas, Hattie’s disappearing groundskeeper Jordan Woods, and neighbors who seek Hattie’s inheritance for themselves. The mystery’s small-town aura—where secrets separate and invisible lines are drawn—adds suspense, and Bells throws in a dash of romance to spice the mix, in the form of Hattie’s handsome attorney, Brent Hill, whose heart is as warm as his flashy yellow Maserati. Also endearing is the resident irascible corgi, Moon Pie, who functions as both protector and comforter for Laura.

Bell (author of the Annalisse series) capably builds tension with Laura’s back and forth decision-making, where intentions collide and suspicion mounts amid themes of jealousy, revenge, and shifting loyalties. Mystery fans will find the narrative’s dark twists and intricate relationships especially satisfying, particularly when paired with the sinister secrets hiding in plain sight.

Takeaway: Sole heir to a murdered woman’s estate transforms into sleuth to clear her name.

Comparable Titles: Madison Score’s Say Yes to the Death, Steve Higgs’s Pork Pie Pandemonium.

Production grades
Cover: A-
Design and typography: A-
Illustrations: N/A
Editing: A-
Marketing copy: A

Click here for more about A HUSH AT MIDNIGHT

Making the case that “the love of the different will make the world reborn,” Tapu (author of Psychology: Everybody’s Science) shares his philosophy of life in a series of loosely connected aphorisms and reflections. His philosophy is broad, wide enough to “harmonize belief and unbelief” and remind readers that “differences of opinion can only enrich knowledge” without coming to a muddled compromise. One of Tapu’s major concerns is death and how to deal with the concept of an end to life. He argues that the proper way to approach this is to fully appreciate the illusion of time when one is experiencing life, and thus death is an end that does not erase what came before. His thinking blends big ideas with practical implications as he considers topics ranging from abortion (from a human-rights perspective) to the coming “obsolescence” of privacy. He shares advice, predictions (“Age and gender differences in human values … will be narrowed by sharing values”), and poetry in a complex web.

Tapu emphasizes the difficulty of truly knowing anything—all his teachings are rooted in belief, as, he argues, are all ways in which people operate in the world. While he encourages openness to diverse opinions, that overarching conviction may leave readers uncertain about how deeply to engage with Tapu’s individual arguments, as they are ultimately a matter of faith. Although Tapu includes some references to external sources, the work would benefit from deeper engagement with other spiritual literature and a reference list for readers who wish to explore further.

Teachings on Being could also benefit from clearer structure to organize its wide-ranging advice. Tapu is an enigma within the text, laying out his ethics and philosophy but revealing little of himself as a person. Still, these fresh, humane, open-minded reflections are worth consideration. A dedicated reader exploring big questions of life and death will find much here to contemplate.

Takeaway: Original thinking on big questions of life, death, and the future.

Comparable Titles: J.M.E. McTaggart’s The Unreality of Time, James Tarpey’s The Meaning of Life.

Production grades
Cover: B
Design and typography: A-
Illustrations: N/A
Editing: B+
Marketing copy: B+

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In the first of the Rock 'n' Romance Legends series from Merrill (author of Hurricane Reese, among others), Boone Collins and Shane Butler, both frontmen for some of today’s most popular rock bands, confront their past as they discover each other. Grandsons of the rock legends who founded one of the biggest bands of the 1970s, California, they each seem to have it all—good looks, incredible talent, adoring fans, an upward trajectory pointing to even greater fame, and a contentious relationship that the press just loves. At California’s Hall of Fame induction, these fractious not-quite-brothers are jolted by a surprise romance between Shane’s grandfather and Boone’s grandmother. As sparks fly, circumstances force Boone and Shane to spend time together, and they discover that perhaps they’re not rivals after all… and that maybe there’s something more if they let their guards down.

Merrill conjures a sweet romance with lots of heart, some spice, and a convincing portrayal of contemporary rock stardom as a demanding job rather than a hedonistic holiday, all while exploring the leads’ lives as musicians, friends, caretakers, and lovers. Boone is publicly beloved yet feels that his grandmother, an Oscar-winning actress, is the only person who truly cares for him. Boone also harbors secrets and doubts, feeling a little lost as he faces a health crisis.

Merrill proves adept at laying bare the wounded souls of creative men in the entertainment world as the story touches on touring, producing, the interpersonal dynamics of being in a band, and the persistent problem of imposter syndrome. The romance between Boone and Shane develops quickly, but not so quickly that the pieces don’t fit together. The chaos and conflict around them is engaging, though it never overshadows these men’s touching exploration of new feelings. Lovers of smart, media-savvy m/m romances will cheer.

Takeaway: Sweet romance of two male rock rivals’ unexpected connection.

Comparable Titles: Tammy Subia’s Heartbreak Honey, Christie Gordon’s On a Different Mission.

Production grades
Cover: A-
Design and typography: A
Illustrations: N/A
Editing: A
Marketing copy: A

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