Great Big Beautiful Life

Great Big Beautiful Life 

by Emily Henry 

Berkley, 2025. 418 pages. Romance 

Alice Scott is an eternal optimist still dreaming of her big writing break. Hayden Anderson is a Pulitzer-prize winning human thundercloud. And they’re both on balmy Little Crescent Island for the same reason: to write the biography of a woman no one has seen in years—or at least to meet with the octogenarian who claims to be the Margaret Ives. Tragic heiress, former tabloid princess, and daughter of one of the most storied (and scandalous) families of the twentieth century. When Margaret invites them both for a one-month trial period, after which she’ll choose the person who’ll tell her story. But the problem is, Margaret is only giving each of them pieces of her story. And it’s becoming abundantly clear that their story—just like the tale Margaret’s spinning—could be a mystery, tragedy, or love ballad … depending on who’s telling it. 

Emily Henry has penned bestselling romance after bestselling romance the past few years thanks to the strength of her flawed, yet likable characters and the witty banter between them. Great Big Beautiful Life lives up to those expectations, but I was surprised to find myself more pulled in by the Ives family saga than Alice and Hayden’s grumpy-sunshine romance. With this new release, Henry stretches her writing into historical fiction and pulls it off well. This is a good pick for readers who enjoy alternating and overlapping stories with elements of historical fiction, romantic comedy, and more serious contemporary fiction. 

 If you like Great Big Beautiful Life, you might also like: 

The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo 

by Taylor Jenkins Reid 

Atria Books, 2017. 391 pages. Fiction 

Aging and reclusive Hollywood movie icon Evelyn Hugo is finally ready to tell the truth about her glamorous and scandalous life. But when she chooses unknown magazine reporter Monique Grant for the job, no one in the journalism community is more astounded than Monique herself. Why her? Why now? Monique is not exactly on top of the world. Her husband, David, has left her, and her career has stagnated. Regardless of why Evelyn has chosen her to write her biography, Monique is determined to use this opportunity to jumpstart her career. Summoned to Evelyn's Upper East Side apartment, Monique listens as Evelyn unfurls her story: from making her way to Los Angeles in the 1950s to her decision to leave show business in the late 80s, and, of course, the seven husbands along the way. As Evelyn's life unfolds, revealing a ruthless ambition, an unexpected friendship, and a great forbidden love, Monique begins to feel a very a real connection to the actress. But as Evelyn's story catches up with the present, it becomes clear that her life intersects with Monique's own in tragic and irreversible ways. 

Yours Truly 

by Abby Jimenez 

Forever, 2023. 398 pages. Romance 

Dr. Briana Ortiz's life is seriously flatlining. Her divorce is just about finalized, her brother's running out of time to find a kidney donor, and that promotion she wants? Oh, that's probably going to the new man-doctor who's been frustrating her daily. But just when all systems are set to hate, Dr. Jacob Maddox completely flips the game . . . by sending Briana a letter. And it's a really good letter. Like the kind that proves that Jacob isn't actually Satan. Worse, he might be this fantastically funny and subversively likeable guy who's terrible at first impressions. Because suddenly he and Bri are exchanging letters, sharing lunch dates in her "sob closet," and discussing the merits of freakishly tiny horses. But when Jacob decides to give Briana the best gift imaginable--a kidney for her brother--she wonders just how she can resist him . . . especially when he calls in a favor she can't refuse.

SGR

The Last Murder at the End of the World

The Last Murder at the End of the World
by Stuart Turton
Sourcebooks Landmark, 2024. 354 pages. Science Fiction, Mystery.

Outside the island there is nothing: the world was destroyed many years ago by a fog that swept the planet, killing anyone it touched. On the island, it is idyllic. One hundred and twenty-two villagers and three long-lived scientists (the only ones who remember what life was like before), living in peaceful harmony. The villagers are content to fish, farm and feast, and to do what they're told, including obeying a strict nightly curfew. One morning, to the horror of the islanders, one of their beloved scientists is found brutally stabbed to death. To make matters worse, the murder has triggered a lowering of the security system around the island--the only thing that was keeping the fog at bay. If the murder isn't solved within 92 hours, the fog will smother the island-and everyone on it. But the security system has also wiped everyone's memories of exactly what happened the night before, which means that someone on the island is a murderer--and they don't even know it. The clock is ticking…

I recently enjoyed Stuart Turton’s mind-bending mystery novel, The 7 ½ Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle, in which the protagonist is compelled to solve a murder by reliving the days leading up to it, in the bodies of various participants and witnesses. It was a nifty premise, but to my delight it took an even deeper turn, becoming a thoughtful meditation on remorse, forgiveness, and the worth of a soul by the end. I love a book that takes what could just be a clever gimmick and turns it into something more. That’s a long way of saying that when The Last Murder at the End of the World came along, I had some high expectations. Could this author surprise me again?

I’m pleased to report that Turton is an author worth watching. He has taken another high concept idea and done the most interesting things with it. The narrator, Abi, being a nigh-omniscient artificial intelligence is both a delightful surprise and an intriguing complication, as while her entire purpose is to serve and protect the remnant of the human race on the island, her perspective is utterly inhuman. Most of the time, The Last Murder feels like a traditional third-person limited narrative. The residents of the island have to piece the clues together as best they can, based on their understanding of themselves and their relationships, both with the scientists and one another. It is easy to get drawn into the thoughts and struggles of Emory, Thea, and the other islanders, only for Abi to make a comment at just the right moment to bring the reader crashing back to earth with the realization that we're getting all our information from a narrator who can't even tell us if she knows more than she's saying. I can’t say more lest I spoil the big revelations; all I can say is that my sci-fi-loving heart was quite satisfied by the ending which proves, again, to be more than originally promised. Stuart Turton has said that he wants to try something different with every book he writes; I will be waiting to see what he writes next!

 If you like The Last Murder at the End of the World, you might also like:

Ghost Station
by S.A. Barnes
Nightfire, Tor Publishing, 2024. 377 pages. Science fiction, Horror.

Psychologist Dr. Ophelia Bray has dedicated her life to the study and prevention of Eckhart-Reiser syndrome (ERS), a psychological condition that can affect long-time space travelers--the most famous case of which resulted in the brutal murders of twenty-nine people. Ophelia is assigned to a small exploration crew on an abandoned planet who recently suffered the tragic death of a colleague. She wants to help, but as the tight-knit crew works to solve the mystery of what happened to the previous inhabitants of the planet, it becomes clear that they are not eager to open up. In fact, they are definitely hiding something. The gruesome murder of their pilot sparks terror that history is about to repeat itself. Is this simply the terrible effects of another case of ERS, or something more sinister?

 

The Deep
by Nick Cutter
Gallery Books, 2015. 394 pages. Horror, Suspense.

A strange plague called the 'Gets is decimating humanity on a global scale. It causes forgetfulness – first in small things like the location of one’s car keys, but getting progressively worse to the point that the human body “forgets” how to function at all – and there is no cure. Far below the surface of the Pacific Ocean, deep in the Mariana Trench, a heretofore-unknown substance hailed as a “universal healer” has been discovered, and it may just be the key to eradicating the ‘Gets. A special research lab, the Trieste, has been built eight miles under the sea to study this phenomenon. But when the station goes incommunicado, a brave few descend through the lightless fathoms in hopes of unraveling the mysteries lurking at those crushing depths...and perhaps to encounter an evil blacker than anything one could possibly imagine.

-LAH

Black AF History

Black AF History
By Michael Harriot
William Morrow, 2023. 426 pages. Nonfiction

It's important for us, as humans, to remember that what we think of as "history" is usually just one person/group's version of the events. "A searingly smart and bitingly hilarious telling of American history that corrects the record and showcases the perspectives and experiences of Black Americans. It should come as no surprise that the dominant narrative of American history is blighted with errors and oversights; after all, history was written by white men with their perspectives at the forefront. In this book, Michael Harriot combines unapologetically provocative storytelling with meticulous research based on primary sources as well as the pioneering work of Black historians, scholars and journalists," states the publisher. The book begins in the year 1400 with The Age of Discovery of European exploration, and demonstrates clearly how the slave trade was human trafficking, plantations were "forced labor enterprises," Jim Crow was American apartheid, and lynch mobs were serial killers and ethnic cleansers. 

My favorite chapter was on Ida B. Wells, who helped found the NAACP, among other amazing things. The author's conversational tone peppered with occasional sarcasm makes the history come alive. According to the author, Wells was "allergic to white nonsense and patriarchy," which sounds like the kind of woman I'd want to know. This history book makes it very clear that the United States became wealthy from a race-based human trafficking system that enshrined the laws of property and white supremacy, which reduced people to chattel through violence. No matter how difficult it feels to learn about our country's true history, we owe it ourselves to bring the truth to light and deal with it, together, head-on. This book is an incredible resource for that journey and I recommend it wholeheartedly.

If you liked Black AF History, you might also like:

Uncomfortable Conversations With A Black Man 
By Emmanuel Acho
Flatiron Books, 2020. 244 pages. Nonfiction

This book takes on all the questions, large and small, insensitive and taboo, that many white Americans are afraid to ask; yet, which all Americans need the answers to, now more than ever. With open-hearted generosity, the author explains the vital core of such fraught concepts as white privilege, cultural appropriation, and "reverse racism." In his own words, he provides a space of compassion and understanding in a discussion that can lack both. He asks only for the reader's curiosity -- but along the way, he will galvanize all of us to join the antiracist fight.

The New Jim Crow

By Michelle Alexander

New Press, 2012. 312 pages. Nonfiction

With engaging candor, legal scholar Michelle Alexander argues that "we have not ended racial cast in America; we have merely redesigned it." By targeting Black men through the War on Drugs and decimating communities of color, the U.S. criminal justice system functions as a contemporary system of racial control--relegating millions to a permanent second-class status--even as it formally adheres to the principles of colorblindness. This book is a call to action.

Between the World and Me
By Ta-Nehisi Coates
Spiegal & Grau, 2015. 152 pages. Nonfiction.

This book takes the form of a letter to the author's teenage son and it comes to grips with what it means to be Black in America in the twenty-first century. It attempts to answer questions like: what is it like to inhabit a Black body and find a way to live within it? And how can we all honestly reckon with this fraught history and free ourselves from its burden? The stories Coates shares, beautifully woven from his personal narrative, "clearly illuminates the past, bracingly confronts our present, and offers a transcendent vision for a way forward."

LKA

The Backyard Bird Chronicles

The Backyard Bird Chronicles 

by Amy Tan 

Alfred A. Knopf, 2024. 288 pages. Nonfiction 

Mapping the passage of time through daily entries, thoughtful questions and beautiful original sketches, the best-selling author of The Joy Luck Club shares her search for solace which turned into an opportunity to connect with nature in a meaningful way and imagine the intricate lives of the birds she admired.

As a fan of Amy Tan's writing-- and someone recently obsessed with birding-- I adored this book! Amy Tan's inquisitive account of the antics of birds in her yard is a joy to read. Her observations of the awe-inspiring delights of nature feel sincere and relatable. This is a perfect springtime read, and the gorgeous illustrations are an added bonus. Tan even includes some comic-style sketches that garnered some laughs from me. Though the author appeals to birders and non-birders alike, if you read this, be warned: you may be inclined to pick up a pair of binoculars yourself!

If you like The Backyard Bird Chronicles, you might also like: 

Birdgirl : Looking to the Skies in Search of a Better Future 

by Mya-Rose Craig 

Celadon Books, 2023. 288 pages. Memoir 

A young environmental activist shares her experiences of traveling the world in search of rare birds and astonishing landscapes and her passion for social justice and dedication to preserving our planet.

Conversations with Birds

by Priyanka Kumar 

Milkweed Editions, 2022. 281 pages. Nonfiction 

The acclaimed filmmaker and novelist presents a collection of essays that focus on her journey through the American west tracking the avian world while rediscovering her own place in the landscape. 

Slow Birding : The Art and Science of Enjoying the Birds in Your Own Backyard 

by Joan E. Strassman 

TarcherPerigee, 2022. 334 pages. Nonfiction 

An evolutionary biologist, in this inspiring guide to the art of slow birding, shows birders how to appreciate the beauty of the birds right in their own backyard as they observe keenly how their behaviors change from day to day and season to season. 

RP

This Book Will Bury Me

The Book Will Bury Me

By Ashley Winstead

Sourcebooks Landmark, 2025. 456 pages. Fiction 

After the unexpected death of her father, college student Jane Sharp longs for a distraction from her grief. She becomes obsessed with true crime, befriending armchair detectives who teach her how to hunt killers from afar. In this morbid internet underground, Jane finds friendship, purpose, and even glory. When news of the shocking deaths of three college girls in Delphine, Idaho takes the world by storm, and sleuths everywhere race to solve the crimes, Jane and her friends are determined to beat them. But the case turns out to be stranger than anyone expected. Details don't add up, the police are cagey, and there seems to be more media hype and internet theorizing than actual evidence. When Jane and her sleuths take a step closer, they find that every answer only begs more questions and begin to suspect their killer may be smarter and more prolific than any they've faced before. Placing themselves in the center of the story starts to feel more and more like walking into a trap. Told one year after the astounding events that concluded the case and left the world reeling, when Jane has finally decided to break her silence about what really happened, she tells the true story of the Delphine Massacres. And what she has to confess will shock even the most seasoned true crime fans. 

Closely inspired by the real-life crimes of the Idaho 4 and the internet investigators of the Delphi Murders, Winstead takes on the complex and controversial topic of citizen sleuths. I want to give a disclaimer that there are some direct references to these crimes and the media coverage that followed in case that is triggering for you. Overall, I found the book to be suspenseful and compulsive with an intricate plot that doesn’t weigh down the suspense. A lot of the book takes place in internet chat groups and forums and the mixed media element of the storytelling made this an immersive, yet fast-paced read. If you listen to true crime podcasts, you’ll find a lot of references that were fun to catch. The ending is explosive albeit a little controversial. Overall, if you enjoy twisty thrillers about serial killers with references to real life crimes, you’ll enjoy This Book Will Bury Me.

If you liked This Book Will Bury Me, you might also like:

The Haunting of Room 904

By Erika Wurth

Flatiron Books, 2025. 306 pages. Fiction

Olivia Becente was never supposed to have the gift. The ability to commune with the dead was the specialty of her sister, Naiche. But when Naiche dies unexpectedly and under strange circumstances, somehow Olivia suddenly can't stop seeing and hearing from spirits. A few years later, she's the most in-demand paranormal investigator in Denver. She's good at her job, but the loss of Naiche haunts her. That's when she hears from the Brown Palace, a landmark Denver hotel. The owner can't explain it, but every few years, a girl is found dead in room 904, no matter what room she checked into the night before. As Olivia tries to understand these disturbing deaths, the past and the present collide as Olivia's investigation forces her to confront a mysterious and possibly dangerous cult, a vindictive journalist, betrayal by her friends, and shocking revelations about her sister's secret life.

The Last One at the Wedding

By Jason Rekulak

Flatiron Books, 2024. 338 pages. Fiction

Frank Szatowski is shocked when his daughter, Maggie, calls him for the first time in three years. He was convinced that their estrangement would become permanent. He's even more surprised when she invites him to her upcoming wedding in New Hampshire. Frank is ecstatic, and determined to finally make things right. He arrives to find that the wedding is at a private estate-very secluded, very luxurious, very much out of his league. It seems that Maggie failed to mention that she's marrying Aidan Gardner, the son of a famous tech billionaire. Feeling desperately out of place, Frank focuses on reconnecting with Maggie and getting to know her new family. But it's difficult: Aidan is withdrawn and evasive; Maggie doesn't seem to have time for him; and he finds that the locals are disturbingly hostile to the Gardners. Frank needs to know more about this family his daughter is marrying into, but if he pushes too hard, he could lose Maggie forever.

BW

A Psalm for the Wild-Built

A Psalm for the Wild-Built

by Becky Chambers

Tordotcom, 2021. 147 pages. Science Fiction

It's been centuries since the robots of Panga gained self-awareness and laid down their tools; centuries since they wandered, en masse, into the wilderness, never to be seen again; centuries since they faded into myth and urban legend. One day, the life of a tea monk is upended by the arrival of a robot, there to honor the old promise of checking in. The robot cannot go back until the question of "what do people need?" is answered. But the answer to that question depends on who you ask, and how. They're going to need to ask it a lot.

Leisurely paced and full of atmospheric worldbuilding. Perfect for when you want to take a moment to reflect on yourself, your purpose, and your connection to the greater world.  A beautifully cozy Science Fiction piece.

If you like A Psalm for the Wild-Built, you might also like:

In the Lives of Puppets
by TJ Klune
Tor Publishing Group, 2023. 420 pages. Science Fiction.

When an unwitting act of betrayal leads to the capture of his android Gio, who once hunted humans, Victor Lawson and his assembled family must journey across an unforgiving and otherworldly country to the City of Electric Dreams to rescue Gio from decommission, or worse, reprogramming.

The Wild Robot

by Peter Brown
Little, Brown and Company, 2016. 279 pages. Juvenile Fiction.

Roz the robot discovers that she is alone on a remote, wild island with no memory of where she is from or why she is there, and her only hope of survival is to try to learn about her new environment from the island's hostile inhabitants.

 -RBL

No One Will Come Back for Us

No One Will Come Back for Us
by Premee Mohamed with Soneela Nankani (narrator)
Tantor Media, Inc., 2024. 10 hours. Sci-Fi, Horror, Short Stories.

Here there be gods and monsters—forged from flesh and stone and vengeance—emerging from the icy abyss of deep space, ascending from dark oceans, and prowling strange cities to enter worlds of chaos and wonder, where scientific rigor and human endeavor is tested to the limits. These are cosmic realms and watery domains where old offerings no longer appease the ancient Gods or the new and hungry idols. Deities and beasts. Life and death. Love and hate. Science and magic. And smiling monsters in human skin…

I have to admit that horror is not my favorite genre. Until now, my only real forays into the realm of horror were the writings of Edgar Allan Poe, Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark, and the Jane Austen parodies by Seth Grahame-Smith and Ben H. Winters. However, I was intrigued by the premise of this short story collection, in which ancient beings come into conflict with our modern world. I quickly found myself drawn in by Mohamed’s straightforward writing and Nankani’s unsettlingly cheerful narration. These tales are standalones; two are definitely connected if you’re paying close attention, but overall the only real common element is the idea that there are…things out there that are far older than we can imagine and are probably beyond our comprehension. At times, they feel like fairy tales--but the older, scarier kind, wherein if the “fair folk” take notice of you for any reason, you’re probably doomed. Whether it’s a beehive possessing the little girls of a village, the “old gods” that bless your farmland in exchange for the proper offerings, an alien something that has welcomed unsuspecting human colonists in the worst way possible, a science experiment gone unbelievably wrong, or even “Death” itself, there are enough creepy eldritch things in this collection to keep you awake for a long time.

 

If you like No One Will Come Back for Us, you might also like:

Out There Screaming: An Anthology of New Black Horror
by Jordan Peele (editor)
Random House, 2023. 386 pages. Fiction, Horror, Short Stories.

A cop begins seeing huge, blinking eyes where the headlights of cars should be that tell him who to pull over. Two freedom riders take a bus ride that leaves them stranded on a lonely road in Alabama where several unsettling somethings await them. A young girl dives into the depths of the Earth in search of the demon that killed her parents. These are just a few of the worlds of Out There Screaming, Jordan Peele's anthology of all-new horror stories by Black writers.

The Salt Grows Heavy
by Cassandra Khaw
Nightfire, Tor Publishing Group, 2023. 106 pages. Fiction, Horror, Fantasy.

You may think you know how the fairytale goes: a mermaid comes to shore and weds the prince. But what the fables forget is that mermaids have teeth. And now, her daughters have devoured the kingdom and burned it to ashes.

 -LAH

Saving Five

Saving Five: A Memoir of Hope
By Amanda Nguyen
AUWA Books, 2025. 204 pages. Nonfiction

"A revelatory and powerful memoir by the Nobel Peace Prize finalist Amanda Nguyen, detailing her tumultuous childhood and groundbreaking activism in the aftermath of her rape at Harvard in 2013." Amanda was determined to not let her rape derail her goal of joining NASA after graduation, so she let her rape kit be filed under "Jane Doe." She was quickly horrified to learn that her choice to stay anonymous gave her only six months to take action before the state destroyed her kit, rendering any future legal action impossible. 

She knew then that she had two clear options: surrender to a law that denied her justice, or fight for a change for herself and survivors everywhere. Amanda chose to fight to change the laws for sexual assault survivors, and placed her dream of being an astronaut on hold - but wrote herself a note that read, "Never, never give up," to remind her that this was only a pause, not a stop, on her way to space. On, Monday, April 14th, 2025, Amanda Nguyen became the first Vietnamese woman to fly to space and she carried with her the note she wrote for herself! The words "never, never give up" were her zero-G indicator; the object that astronauts bring to space to indicate when microgravity conditions begin. This is truly a memoir of hope and so, much more.

If you like Saving Five, you might also like:

Know My Name
By Chanel Miller
Viking, 2019. 357 pages. Nonfiction

A Stanford student had been sentenced to just six months in a county jail after he was found sexually assaulting "Emily Doe" on the school's campus. The victim's impact statement was posted on BuzzFeed, where it instantly went viral, was translated globally and read on the floor of Congress. It inspired changes in California law and the recall of the judge in the case. Now, Chanel Miller reclaims her identity to tell the story of her trauma, transcendence, and the power of words. She reveals her struggles with isolation and shame during the aftermath and the trial, reveals the oppression that victims face in even the best-case scenarios, and illuminates a culture biased to protect the perpetrators.

Women We Buried, Women We Burned
By Rachel Louise Snyder

A piercing account of the author's journey from teenage runaway to reporter on the global epidemic of domestic violence, this memoir embodies the transformative power of resistance. Rachel Louise Snyder was just eight years old when her mother died, and her distraught father thrust the family into an evangelical, cult-like existence halfway across the country. Furiously rebellious, she was expelled rom school and home at age sixteen. Living out of her car and relying on strangers, Rachel found herself masquerading as an adult, talking her way into college, and eventually traveling the globe. You don't want to miss this remarkable and gut-wrenching story.

I Have the Right To
By Chessy Prout
Margaret K. McElderry Books, 2018. 404 pages. Nonfiction

The numbers are staggering: nearly one in five girls ages fourteen to seventeen have been the victim of a sexual assault or an attempted sexual assault. This is the true story of one of those girls. In 2014, Chessy Prout was a freshman at St. Paul's School, a prestigious boarding school in New Hampshire, when a senior boy sexually assaulted her as part of a ritualized game of conquest. She reported her assault to the police and testified against her attacker in court. In the face of unexpected backlash from her once-trusted school community, she shed her anonymity to help other survivors find their voice.

Denial: A Memoir of Terror
By Jessica Stern
Ecco Press, 2010. 300 pages. Nonfiction

When Jessica Stern was fifteen, she and her fourteen-year-old sister were raped, and the rapist was never caught. Forty years later, the case was reopened and the perpetrator, thought to have raped as many as forty-four girls between the ages of nine and nineteen, was identified. Though he had died several years earlier, Jessica felt the need to investigate him and, through her explorations, she found more than just a sense of who he was. She discovered explanations for her ability to maintain calm in moments of extreme danger, her tendency to experience enormous anxiety in nonthreatening situations and why she may have chosen her specific career path. Her book is a strong, clear-eyed study of the profound reverberations of trauma.

LKA

The Frugal Wizard’s Handbook for Surviving Medieval England

The Frugal Wizard’s Handbook for Surviving Medieval England 

By Brandon Sanderson

Tor Publishing Group, 2023. 366 pages. Fantasy 

A man awakes in a clearing in what appears to be medieval England with no memory of who he is, where he came from, or why he is there. Chased by a group from his own time, his sole hope for survival lies in regaining his missing memories, making allies among the locals, and perhaps even trusting in their superstitious boasts. His only help from the "real world" should have been a guidebook entitled The Frugal Wizard's Handbook for Surviving Medieval England, except his copy exploded during transit. The few fragments he managed to save provide clues to his situation, but can he figure them out in time to survive? 

This is a fun blend of science fiction and fantasy. It feels very sci-fi with the time-travel, multiple dimensions, and the corporation that employs those aspects to create a unique experience for their clients. And yet, there are fantasy elements that slip their way in. The book is a fast-paced, comedic romp through Medieval England, full of adventure and mystery as the protagonist tries to regain his memories and figure out why he’s there in the first place. With so many different genres blended into one, this book was a fun experience, though perhaps not as enjoyable as a custom dimension in Medieval England. 

If you liked The Frugal Wizard’s Handbook for Surviving Medieval England, you might also like: 

The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy 

By Douglas Adams 

Harmony Books, 1979. 215 pages. Science Fiction 

Arthur Dent’s day starts with his house being demolished—then the Earth is destroyed, and he learns his best friend is an alien. Armed with only a towel, a fish, and a strange book called The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy, Arthur is swept into a chaotic adventure across the universe. Fortunately, the book’s cover offers one piece of solid advice: DON’T PANIC. If you liked the sci-fi, comedy, guidebook, and adventure aspects of Sanderson’s work, this is a classic that undoubtedly influenced the project. 

Project Hail Mary 

By Andy Weir 

Ballantine Books, 2021. 476 pages. Science Fiction

Ryland Grace wakes up alone on a spaceship with no memory of who he is or why he's there—only to slowly realize he's humanity's last hope against an extinction-level threat. As his memories return, he must complete an impossible mission, with help from an unexpected ally. If you like the sci-fi, humor, problem solving, and amnesia aspect of Sanderson’s book, this is another great option. 

ACS

Sisters in Science

Sisters in Science: How Four Women Physicists Escape Nazi Germany and Made Scientific History
by Olivia Campbell
Park Row Books, 2024. 384 pages. Nonfiction

In the 1930s, Germany was a hotbed of scientific thought. But after the Nazis took power, Jewish and female citizens were forced out of their academic positions. Hedwig Kohn, Lise Meitner, Hertha Sponer, and Hildegard Stücklen were eminent in their fields, but they had no choice but to flee due to their Jewish ancestry or anti-Nazi sentiments. Their harrowing journey out of Germany became a life-and-death situation that required herculean efforts of friends and other prominent scientists. No matter their destination, each woman revolutionized the field of physics when all odds were stacked against them, galvanizing young women to do the same.

This book was a fascinating combination of some of my favorite types of nonfiction: it's a history book, an approachable science book, and the stories of real-life people all rolled into one. The combination of subjects gave me a new perspective on European history of the 1930s and 1940s, and helped me see how the rise of Nazism affected both the lives of real-life people, and the fate of scientific study. Those who enjoy well-told histories and biographies will find a lot to appreciate in this book.

If you like Sisters in Science you might also like:

The Elements of Marie Curie: How the Glow of Radium Lit a Path for Women in Science
by Dava Sobel
Atlantic Monthly Press, 2024. 318 pages. Nonfiction

A luminous chronicle of the most famous woman in the history of science, and the untold story of the many remarkable young women trained in her laboratory who were launched into stellar scientific careers of their own.

The Six: The Untold Story of America's First Women Astronauts
by Loren Grush
Scribner, 2023. 422 pages. Nonfiction

When NASA sent astronauts to the moon in the 1960s and 1970s the agency excluded women from the corps, arguing that only military test pilots--a group then made up exclusively of men--had the right stuff. Eventually, though, NASA recognized its blunder and opened the application process to a wider array of hopefuls, regardless of race or gender. From a candidate pool of 8,000 six elite women were selected in 1978--Sally Ride, Judy Resnik, Anna Fisher, Kathy Sullivan, Shannon Lucid, and Rhea Seddon.

MB

The Mighty Red

The Mighty Red 

by Louise Erdrich 

Harper Collins, 2024. 372 pages. Fiction.

Crystal hauls sugar beets from field to processing plant deep into the night in the Red River Valley in North Dakota. She’s hoping her daughter, Kismet, a high-school senior, will attend college. But Gary, whose family owns the area’s largest beet farm and who is tormented by the deaths of two of his football teammates, is begging Kismet to marry him. Smart and sensitive Hugo, Gary’s opposite, is also in love with Kismet. Homeschooled, he helps his mother in her bookstore. Gary’s mother worries about their use of dangerous agricultural chemicals. It’s 2008 and money it tight. Hugo, entranced by deep time and geology, plans to make his fortune in the oil fields. Martin, Kismet’s theater teacher father, seems to have absconded with looted funds. The story of the land, from holistic family farms to the decimation of the “joinery of creation” by industrial agriculture, shapes Erdrich’s finely woven tale of anguish and desire, crimes and healing. 

This story with its multiple perspectives, well-developed characters and intensifying storyline would make an excellent book club read. I really enjoyed the love triangle between Kismet, Hugo and Gary. I became emotionally invested in Kismet’s choices. Gary’s visions of his dead football teammates are dramatic and full of heart. What a beautiful book with an slow simmer that ends with a satisfying conclusion. 

Migrations 

by Charlotte McConaghy 

Flatiron Books, 2020. 256 pages. Fiction. 

 Franny Stone has always been a wanderer. By following the ocean's tides and the birds that soar above, she can forget the losses that have haunted her life. But when the wild she so loves begins to disappear, Franny can no longer wander without a destination. She arrives in remote Greenland with one purpose: to find the world's last flock of Arctic terns and follow them on their final migration. She convinces Ennis Malone, captain of the Saghani, to take her onboard, winning over his salty, eccentric crew with promises that the birds she is tracking will lead them to fish. As the Saghani fights its way south, Franny's new shipmates begin to realize that the beguiling scientist in their midst is not who she seems. Battered by night terrors, accumulating a pile of letters to her husband, and dead set on following the terns at any cost, Franny is full of dark secrets. When the story of her past begins to unspool, Ennis and his crew must ask themselves what Franny is really running toward--and running from. 

Margo’s Got Money Troubles 

by Rufi Thorpe 

William Morrow, 2024. 298 pages. Fiction. 

As the child of a Hooters waitress and an ex-pro wrestler, Margo Millet's always known she'd have to make it on her own. So, she enrolls at her local junior college, even though she can't imagine how she'll ever make a living. She's still figuring things out and never planned to have an affair with her English professor--and while the affair is brief, it isn't brief enough to keep her from getting pregnant. Despite everyone's advice, she decides to keep the baby, mostly out of naiveté and a yearning for something bigger. Now, at twenty, Margo is alone with an infant, unemployed, and on the verge of eviction. She needs a cash infusion--fast. When her estranged father, Jinx, shows up on her doorstep and asks to move in with her, she agrees in exchange for help with childcare. Then Margo begins to form a plan: she'll start an OnlyFans as an experiment, and soon finds herself adapting some of Jinx's advice from the world of wrestling. Like how to craft a compelling character and make your audience fall in love with you. Before she knows it, she's turned it into a runaway success. Could this be the answer to all of Margo's problems, or does internet fame come with too high a price?

JK

Hover Girls

HoverGirls
By Geneva Bowers
Bloomsbury Publishing Inc., 2024. 234 pages. Young Adult Comic

Jalissa and Kim Vasquez are cousins who move to the city of Los Aguaceros together. When a curious incident on the beach leaves them with supernatural powers and monsters start attacking the city, Kim decides that using their powers to stop them is the perfect way for them to become famous. But being heroes isn't as easy as it seems--and Los Aquaceros is in more danger than they imagine.

Fashion designer Kim and moody, troubled-kid Jalissa are trying to make it on their own in a beachside city that reads like an alternate universe Los Angeles. when an experience by the ocean gives them powers in a Spiderman-esque experience, they learn the importance of moving on from the past, communicating with each other, and being brave. Rather fast-paced with cute, full-color illustrated panels, this bubbly superhero story doesn't give you much to chew on, but is a fun, quick read!

If you liked HoverGirls, you may also like:

The History of Everything
By Victoria Evans
HarperAlley, 2025. 231 pages. Young Adult Comic.
 
Daisy and Agnes have always had each other. And that's all they've ever needed--or wanted, at least. So when Agnes's mom drops the bombshell that she and Agnes are moving at the end of the summer, the girls are crushed. All seems lost until the pair unearth "The History of Everything," an old friendship scrapbook with the ultimate bucket list to make their last summer together unforgettable. But when Daisy starts dating a charming drummer, her social calendar suddenly has less room for her best friend. Insecurities bubble to the surface, and Daisy and Agnes begin to question if their friendship is meant to last the summer, much less forever.

Greater Secrets
By Ananth Hirsh
RH Graphic, 2024. 211 pages. Young Adult Comic.
 
A long time ago, Maya's family was given the ability to see a mysterious pillar of light in the distance, but when her sister leaves to follow her light she goes missing--and Maya soon finds herself on a surreal road trip with two people she barely knows, headed towards a ghost town where her sister was last seen.

Bad Dream: A Dreamer Story
By Nicole Maines
DC Comics, 2024. 205 pages. Young Adult Comic.
 
When Nia, a trans girl, has visions of the future, she suppresses her powers in order to protect her relationship with her sister and moves to Metropolis, where, guided by her dreams, she begins to understand her abilities and is given a choice: accept her new responsibility as a Seer or give it all up for a chance at normalcy.

ERB

An Unlikely Proposition

An Unlikely Proposition 

by Rosalyn Eves 

Farrar Straus Giroux, 2024. 298 pages. Young Adult Fiction. 

Seventeen-year-old widow Eleanor devises a plan to survive the Season and keep her fortune intact, while Thalia, after a disastrous first season, struggles to be taken seriously as a female writer but instead finds herself smitten with a man from her past. 

This is a sweet book with a main character, Eleanor, who is hesitant to trust people and learns that she can have a family and people who care about her through both her fake engagement and the friendships that ensue. The secondary story, Thalia, is about a woman who has sworn off love after a scandalous failed elopement, but comes to learn what real love is, and has a fun adventure into the poet society of London (with plenty of mentions of your favorite poets from that time period). This is a wholesome read with complex characters, recommended for fans of Sarah M. Eden, Bridgerton, and the like. This book is the second in a duology (the first book is listed below) but can be read as a stand-alone. 

If you like An Unlikely Proposition, you might also like: 

 

An Improbable Season 

by Rosalyn Eves 

Farrar Straus Giroux, 2023. 346 pages. Young Adult Fiction 

In this extravagant, 1817-set Regency drama by Eves (Beyond the Mapped Stars), teenage cousins Thalia, Kalliope, and Charis—each with ambitions of their own—together arrive in London for their first collective social season . Each teen’s plan is quickly derailed by a series of curveballs. Thalia’s hopes to impress the literary cognoscenti to make inroads for a career as a poet lead to her swooning for a disreputable rake; softhearted Kalli’s goal to make waves as the life of the party until she ensnares the right husband is upended when she finds herself accidentally engaged after her first event; and bookish Charis, who wants to make connections in the scientific community, unexpectedly becomes a social butterfly. As scandal arises and the trio’s loyalties are tested, they are forced to reconcile their initial desires and current predicaments if they hope to move forward together into their uncertain futures. 

The Davenports 

by Krystal Marquis 

Dial Books, 2023. 379 pages. Young Adult Fiction 

This stunningly wrought historical fiction debut follows a group of Black teens navigating classism, familial expectations, gender norms, and racism in 1910 Chicago. William Davenport is the formerly enslaved head of one of the city’s few wealthy Black families. As such, his children—Olivia, John, and Helen—and their associates are constantly in the public eye. While Olivia is courted by a proper Black Englishman, she meets a civil rights activist who makes her question her privileged upbringing and encourages her to face ongoing postslavery horrors. Olivia’s best friend, Ruby, is in love with John, though his interest has always been fleeting. But when it becomes clear that marrying John would benefit her family, Ruby starts plotting a scheme to win his heart. Meanwhile, Helen would rather work on vehicles than conform to traditional gender roles, and the siblings’ childhood friend turned maid, Amy Rose, has ambitions to start her own business. Marquis perceptively explores the history and momentous impact of Black achievements and wealth during an underreported period in U.S. history. 

Yours From the Tower 

 by Sally Nicholls 

Walker Books, 2024. 297 pages. Young Adult Fiction 

Tirzah, Sophia, and Polly are best friends who've left boarding school and gone back to very different lives. The year is 1896, and Polly is teaching in an orphanage, Sophia is scouting for a rich husband at the London Season, and Tirzah is stuck acting as an unpaid companion to her grandmother. In a series of letters buzzing with atmosphere and drama, the friends air their dreams, hopes, frustrations, and romances. The three friends want such different things-- the security of marriage, the chance to help others, the excitement of love. Can they find happiness in a world where their opportunities aren't as open as their hearts?