“A hike becomes a metaphysical journey straight into the center of grief, featuring literature’s most memorable cactus. Broder delivers us directly to the site of the wound and somehow makes us want to linger,” said Kristen Iskandrian of Thank You Books in Birmingham, Alabama.
“Lauren Groff is at the height of her power as a writer. The Vaster Wilds explores how one young woman’s experience of survival defines her. Rich in nuance, gorgeous, and full of the mystery of spirit, this novel meditates on life itself,” said Deirdre Kidder of Book Passage in Corte Madera, California.
“This was a good ghost story with polite ghosts, a mouse-sympathizing cat, and some adventure-seeking fifth graders. A great story for kids to read by themselves or out loud — I can’t wait to share it!” said Angela Burns of Little Bean Books in Antioch, Illinois.
“This beautiful and heartbreaking story explores the power of love, grief, and taking those first steps towards moving on,” said Beth Seufer Buss of Bookmarks in Winston-Salem, North Carolina.
“An oddly delightful and delightfully odd story that is wonderfully drawn and concisely told. Follow our runaway heroine as she happens upon a kindred spirit embodied (or, disembodied) in a skull. Witty, with a dash of dark humor,” said Ernio Hernandez of River Bend Bookshop in Glastonbury, Connecticut.
“The Art Thief looks into the mind of one of the most successful art thieves in history. It’s a terrific psychological study of a true aesthete, and a look into how he was found and how laws changed after him,” said William Carl of An Unlikely Story in Plainville, Massachusetts.
“Equal parts modern satire, indictment of the publishing industry, and twisted ghost story, R. F. Kuang’s first foray into literary fiction pulls no punches and will have you reading late into the night,” said Abby Bennsky of Old Town Books in Alexandria, Virginia.
“Through exquisite art and spacious language, Big Tree is told by sibling sycamore seeds making their way in the world. It is captivating, empowering, and impactful; written for a young audience and to be enjoyed by all,” said Meghan Bousquet of Titcomb’s Bookshop in East Sandwich, Massachusetts.
“Readers will laugh hysterically while simultaneously sobbing from Jimenez’s page-turning plot. From pen pals to partners, the protagonists’ undeniable chemistry brings this story to life,” said Amber Reinhart of Adventures By the Book in San Diego, California.
