New titles in both fiction and non-fiction, recommended by our staff.
"Phoebe Siegler, a Manhattan woman who finds herself shattered and floundering after the results of the presidential election, jumps to volunteer to find her close friend’s runaway daughter. Following leads to the California desert, Phoebe meets an obscure private detective known for his ability to find and aid runaways and strays. In search of the missing girl, the two set out on a journey that feels chimerical and twisted. The pair must rely on the desert’s fringe inhabitants, and the story starts to hint of violence and turmoil. This novel/mystery/love story is both an enigmatic tale of being lost and found and a frame for the subtext of a divided America, one where truth, power, and the haves and the have-nots are in need of deep scrutiny." - S.M.C.
"The popular HGTV show Fixer Upper might be over, but its designer Joanna Gaines isn’t leaving us high and dry. If you’ve ever wanted to learn how to use Joanna’s signature style in your own space (or wanted to get a room-by-room look at the Gaines’s own home), then pick up a copy of her new book. In Homebody, she shares her best tips and advice about creating a space that is warm and welcoming—and might just have a bit of shiplap and subway tile. This book is a must for Fixer Upper fans!" - S.B.
"For years, I was obsessed with the Nag Hammadi Library, or Gnostic Gospels, and Princeton’s professor of religion Elaine Pagels is by far the leading authority on the subject. In this memoir, Pagels retells the story of her life and examines the questions she faced her entire career, from others and herself: How can an academic believe in religion, and what place does religion have in the modern world?" - Aric
"A delightful sampling of Yolen’s work, including thoughts from the writer herself on how to fracture your own tales. I love the way Yolen picks the stories apart to find the meat, the heart of the thing, and then weaves something extraordinary around that. Perfect for folk and faerie tale enthusiasts or anyone wanting to look at things a bit differently." - Jax
"If you’ve ever driven Highway 5 late at night, you know there is something ethereal about the long stretch of road when it is blanketed with stars. Joseph Fink evokes the same feeling in his newest novel, Alice Isn’t Dead. After the supposed death of her wife, Keisha—certain Alice is still alive—abandons her life to become a trucker and search for the missing Alice, and runs afoul of a sinister and horrifying organization. Strange and glorious, this book will leave you changed." - Ivy
"I loved Guillory’s debut The Wedding Date so much that I jumped at the chance to read The Proposal. The story starts with the Most Awkward Meet Cute, then blends together hilarious dialogue and steamy sexy times. Guillory gives Nik fantastic girlfriends who are there for her but will not let her get away with anything. This is the romcom we’ve been waiting for. Someone call Shonda Rhimes and make this a movie." - Karena
"Killers of the Flower Moon author David Grann’s latest book chronicles the journey of modern polar explorer Henry Worsley, who attempted a solo traverse of Antarctica in 2015. Grann’s account of Worsley’s arduous expedition—and the expeditions of the explorers who came before him—offers chilling insights into the ruthless reality of polar exploration. I was both fascinated by the extreme lengths that people will go to realize their dream and reminded of the remarkable endurance that humans are capable of." - Jade
"New gardeners will find so much to love (and value) in Ground Rules. Author Kate Frey (The Bee-Friendly Garden) distills her years of gardening expertise into 100 simple rules—like “be kind to your soil” and “plan for a long season of interest”—that will help beginners create a thriving garden. The layout of the book makes Frey’s advice easy to digest and not overwhelming, giving readers the confidence to get out there, get their hands dirty, and grow something beautiful." - S.B.
"Friends, this is it. This is the book we’ve been waiting for. And now I can’t get it out of my head, and the pit of my stomach, and my aching heart. It is that good, that gorgeous, that brutal, surreal, tender, enlightening, bitingly funny, and unbelievably truthful. And it’s short stories, so I urge you to savor them one at a time, if you can. Nana Kwame Adjei-Brenyah is here, and I say not a moment too soon." - Melinda
"On the day I turned 2, Chernobyl was struck by disaster. Three days later, hidden among the news and chaos, the Los Angeles Public Library was in flames. Two thousand degrees, more than a million books destroyed or damaged, and the source of the fire unknown. Susan Orlean centers her book on the fire and then moves outward to include librarians past and present, the role of a library in a community, and our own relationships with books. Like Orlean’s other books, there is some crime, some travelling, fascinating people, and an amazing tangle of details." - Rachel
"A new Barbara Kingsolver novel is always a gift but this time her fictional journey feels even more powerful as she asks, “Can history help us navigate an impossible-looking future?” Unsheltered tells the stories of two families from different centuries living under the same roof, reeling from turbulence on both a national and a familial scale. Shelter is a basic survival need, but Kingsolver, being the literary artist she is, uses her characters to consider how we use physical, intellectual, and emotional shelters to navigate such troubles. The storms of life will surely rage but shelters can save our lives." - Casey & Jenny
"In his last message to the people of Earth, the late Stephen Hawking uses his prodigious intelligence and signature wit to explore the biggest questions we have. As A Brief History of Time painted a picture of the past, Brief Answers to Big Questions projects into the future. Told in an accessible and insightful way, Hawking’s farewell is a terrific read for all Earthlings interested in the fate of the universe." - Aric
"Hall tackles the elusive story of Oppenheimer—a man so soft-spoken and full of foibles it is nearly impossible to reconcile his personality with his atomic work—through “testimonies” from characters on the fringes of his greatness. There is a bittersweet element to these small stories. What is it to walk into a room with someone you never loved? To ask questions you know are cruel?" - Clara
"How does she do it? How does Anne Lamott capture the tension of mystery and truth in a way that makes you want to follow her anywhere and believe everything? If you opened this book to any random page you’d find something you’d feel compelled to read aloud to the stranger at the next table. Her familiar writing style spreads a blanket in the sun, lays out trinkets for you to consider, then gathers up the corners, ties it to a stick, sets it on your shoulder, and nudges you to walk on with hope." -Jenny
"B.A. Shapiro’s novels (The Art Forger, The Muralist) make me fall in love with art. In her writing the canvas is only one side of a multilayered story about art, artists, and the events that make history. In The Collector’s Apprentice, her characters are chameleons, shedding identities as they revolve around the magnetic works of post-Impressionist mavericks like Matisse and Picasso. Death, scandal, romance, and mystery drive the twists and turns of this thrilling novel that I absolutely could not put down." - Clara
"Fans of The Essex Serpent will savor Perry’s deft and effortless character development. Melmoth, a modern-day gothic horror, opens when a haunted translator from Prague learns her friend’s secret, then disappears. The novel grapples with a beast: Melmoth, macabre, who stalks the guilty, compelling them to wander in shame or choose life. Is Melmoth real or abstract? A horror, a haunting metaphor, or both?" - a.c.
"Taken from the tweets of this excellent man of many talents, each page has a thought, pep talk, or sweet encouragement for your morning or evening. Illustrated by Jonny Sun, the man behind everyone’s a aliebn, this little book is just what I need to help me start and end each day. Truly lovely and the perfect little gift book for everyone." - Jax
"Sharon Bolton’s latest gothic-tinged crime fiction The Craftsman is set at the edge of the Yorkshire Dales, where the UK’s largest witch trial was held. Assistant Commissioner Florence Lovelady attends the funeral of a child murderer whom she arrested 30 years before, only to find evidence all these years later that the case isn’t closed after all. This promises to be a twisty, chilling read, perfect for the colder, darker nights." - Ilana
"A retablo is a devotional painting, often laid on tin and depicting, as Solis describes in his introduction, “some terrible rift in a person’s life that they survive thanks to the intercession of the Divine.” This memoir-in-vignettes from the celebrated playwright and poet Solis is a series of treasures: absorbing, vivid, sensitive, and sorrowful. Solis, who grew up in El Paso, deftly and humbly depicts individual formative moments (an encounter with a young border-crosser in a field near his home, excruciating first loves, a venture south of the border). The divine in these retablos is not always visible, but the retablos themselves are full of grace." - Chorel
"This will be the poetry book I read most over the next month. It is about things removed from where they began-- like a tribute to change, and to survival. Each poem is brief, excessively clever, and beautiful. I have more sticky notes in this collection than in any other, because I have marked almost every poem with the specific situation in which it should be read." - a.c.
"Part ghost story, part fairy tale, wholly human, Haruki Murakami’s new novel is a quiet burn of redemption and rebirth and the stories that cannot be told. An unnamed artist is asked by a faceless man to paint his portrait, a culmination of 9 months lost in art and music, loss and sex, the memories of love and empathy of men. Once you accept the impossible, you can only find yourself enthralled upon a mountain, listening for a bell, ruminating on what is left behind." - Jocelyn
"A burglary gone awry, a near-perfect life destroyed, a mind torn. Toby is caring for his dying uncle and finding himself again. When a skull is found in the wych elm, it seems that a decades-old murder may tear apart a family and Toby himself, as he tries to piece together what happened—and what he might have done. A haunting novel portrayed by a narrator unreliable to himself." - Jocelyn
"This deliciously nuanced and layered mystery is a terrific book for Lou Berney fans and thrill-seekers. Set days after JFK’s assassination, November Road follows two people who are on the run from a diabolically evil hitman and have no choice but to do what comes unnaturally for both: trust each other. Berney’s latest masterpiece will have you clutching the pages and your pearls as he takes you on a white-knuckle road trip from the sticky heat of the French Quarter to the dusty skies of Nevada." - Kelly
"There are very few books these days whose sole purpose is to remind you of the delight to be found in small-town America. Leif Enger, author of Peace Like a River, brings humor and keen insight to a charming set of characters, each of whom remind us of how we can find kindness, forgiveness, and second chances if we make time for each other. A true charmer of a book, perfect for fans of A Man Called Ove or Less." - Casey