Hemlock and Silver

Hemlock and Silver
by T. Kingfisher
Tor, 2025. 359 pages. Fantasy

Healer Anja regularly drinks poison. Not to die, but to save—seeking cures for those everyone else has given up on. But a summons from the King interrupts her quiet, herb-obsessed life. His daughter, Snow, is dying, and he hopes Anja’s unorthodox methods can save her. Aided by a taciturn guard, a narcissistic cat, and a passion for the scientific method, Anja rushes to treat Snow, but nothing seems to work. That is, until she finds a secret world hidden inside a magic mirror. This dark realm may hold the key to what is making Snow sick. Or it might be the thing that kills them all.

I love T. Kingfisher's dark fantasies that make the lightest nod to fairy tales (last year she did something similar with A Sorceress Comes to Call). While Snow White is a side character in this story, the plot is a completely different tale full of mysterious creatures, dark spaces, evil villains, snarky talking cats, and light romance. I also love that the main character of this tale is a fully grown adult. This is a great choice for adults who grew up loving the magic of fairy tales, but ask for a little more from their fiction now.

If you like Hemlock and Silver you might also like:

Starling House
by Alix E. Harrow
Tor, 2023. 308 pages. Fantasy

Eden, Kentucky, is just another bad-luck town known only for the legend of E. Starling, the reclusive 19th century author who wrote The Underland—and disappeared. Before she vanished, Starling House appeared. Everyone agrees that it's best to let the house—and its last heir, Arthur Starling—go to rot. Opal knows better than to mess with haunted houses, but a job offer at Starling House might be a chance to get her brother out of Eden. Soon Starling House starts to feel dangerously like something she's never had: a home. As sinister forces converge on Starling House, Opal and Arthur are going to have to make a choice: to dig up secrets and confront their fears, or let Eden be taken over by nightmares.

The Bear and the Nightingale
by Katherine Arden
Del Rey, 2017. 322 pages. Fantasy

In a village at the edge of the wilderness of northern Russia, where the winds blow cold and the snow falls many months of the year, a stranger with piercing blue eyes presents a new father with a gift—a precious jewel on a delicate chain, intended for his young daughter. Uncertain of its meaning, Pytor hides the gift away and Vasya grows up a wild, willful girl, to the chagrin of her family. But when mysterious forces threaten the happiness of their village, Vasya discovers that, armed only with the necklace, she may be the only one who can keep the darkness at bay.

MB

The Unwedding

The Unwedding 

by Ally Condie 

Grand Central Publishing, 2024. 337 pages. General Fiction. 

Ellery Wainwright is alone at the edge of the world. She and her husband, Luke, were supposed to spend their twentieth wedding anniversary together at the luxurious Resort at Broken Point in Big Sur, California. Where better to celebrate a marriage, a family, and a life together than at one of the most stunning places on earth? But now she's traveling solo. To add insult to injury, there's a wedding at Broken Point scheduled during her stay. Ellery remembers how it felt to be on the cusp of everything new and wonderful, with a loved and certain future glimmering just ahead. Now, she isn't certain of anything except for her love for her kids and her growing realization that this place, though beautiful, is unsettling. When Ellery discovers the body of one of the wedding party floating in the pool in the rain, she realizes that she is not the only one whose future is no longer guaranteed. Before the police can reach Broken Point, a mudslide takes out the road to the resort, leaving the guests trapped. When another guest dies, it's clear something horrible is brewing. 

This book got me out of a reading slump. It hooked me from the start, and kept me guessing what would happen next, all the way to the end. Not only is there intrigue for finding out the killer, but each guest seems to have a secret, including Ellery, our narrator. A fast-paced story, just enough is revealed at a time to keep the reader wanting more. It’s a suspenseful and intricately-plotted novel, perfect for a rainy fall day with a cozy blanket and a cup of tea. This book is recommended for anyone looking for a book they won’t be able to put down, and people that enjoy hearing about other people's wedding drama. 

If you like The Unwedding, you might also like: 

The Midnight Feast 

by Lucy Foley 

William Morrow, an imprint of HarperCollins Publishers, 2024. 354 pages. General Fiction. 

It's the opening night of The Manor, and no expense, small or large, has been spared. The infinity pool sparkles; crystal pouches for guests' healing have been placed in the Seaside Cottages and Woodland Hutches; the "Manor Mule" cocktail (grapefruit, ginger, vodka, and a dash of CBD oil) is being poured with a heavy hand. Everyone is wearing linen. And yet, just outside the Manor's immaculately kept grounds, an ancient forest bristles with secrets. The local community resents what they see as the Manor's intrusion into the local woods and attempts to privatize the beach, and small skirmishes have erupted on the edges of the property between locals and the staff. And the whispers keep coming, about an old piece of pagan folklore — it must be folklore? — the Night Birds, an avenging force that can be called upon to make right wrongs that elude the law. Though surely everything at the Manor has been done above board. On the Sunday morning of opening weekend, the local police are called. There's been a fire. A body's been discovered. Something's not right with the guests. What happened on the grounds of the Manor the past 36 hours? And who — or what — is the cause? 

This is Not a Game 

by Kelly Mullen 

Dutton, 2025. 310 pages. General Fiction. 

Widow Mimi lives on idyllic Mackinac Island where cars are not allowed and a Gibson with three onions at the witching hour is compulsory. Her granddaughter, Addie, is getting over the heartbreak of her fiance, Brian, dumping her and cutting her out of the deal for the brilliantly successful video game, Murderscape, they invented together (with Addie doing most of the heavy lifting). When Mimi gets an invitation from local socialite Jane Ireland—a seventy something narcissist who is having an affair with her son-in-law—to a charity auction, it is the perfect excuse to get Addie to join her for the weekend. What Mimi isn't telling Addie is that a blackmail threat from Jane looms over the party's invitation. In case the scene wasn't already set for a turbulent weekend, a big storm rolls in, trapping everyone in the mansion. And then, Jane's body is found. Soon Mimi and Addie are caught in a dangerous game, relying on their skills... to narrow down the suspects. When another body turns up, the sleuthing pair realize someone else is playing a deadly game, and they might not survive the night. 

The Engagement Party 

by Darby Kane 

William Morrow, an imprint of HarperCollinsPublishers, 2023. 354 pages. General Fiction. 

Emily Hunt went missing from her affluent liberal arts school on graduation weekend. Her body was found floating in a river, and a quiet loner who most people on campus really didn't know died by suicide. A tenuous link—one text—bound the two dead students together and was enough for law enforcement to close the case. But they got it wrong and now someone is determined to set it right. Twelve years later, college friends gather to celebrate an engagement over a long overdue getaway on a swanky private island in Maine—with only one way in and one way out. Sierra Prescott, invited as a guest and unconnected to past events, is the only person who soon senses not all is what it seems. The tension in the air is ignited when they find a dead man in the trunk of a car with a note: time to tell the truth. And things only get worse. As a torrential storm strands them together, the group’s buried stories begin to surface and secrets are bartered. To survive this deadly party, they'll need to stop a killer before they become prey.

Sky Daddy

Sky Daddy 

by Kate Folk

Random House, 2025. 352 pages. Fiction

Linda has a thing for planes; their intelligent windscreens, comely slats, and rumbling turbulence make her feel a way that no human ever could. In fact, she desperately believes her destiny is to marry one by uniting their souls for eternity in what the rest of us may vulgarly refer to as a plane crash. Linda's unusual proclivities distance her from the rest of humanity, so she's surprised and pleased when her charismatic work friend, Karina, invites her to a quarterly Vision Board Brunch. She wants to hasten her romantic fate through manifestation, but as her vision boards start coming true a bit too literally, Linda must choose between being her authentic self or abandoning her destiny for a more "normal" life. 

Sky Daddy is the second book I've read by this author—it’s hilarious and surprisingly tender. Folk's writing is so clever and her sentence-level writing is so crisp. Everything she writes feels intentional, which makes the story fly by. I am weary of modern references, but Folk approaches them thoughtfully. Time spent in Linda's head is a hoot. As a reader, you can feel the love and understanding the author has for her peculiar female lead. If you’re like me, the ending may even make you a little misty eyed. If you enjoy sardonic humor and eccentric characters Sky Daddy is one not to miss. 

If you like Sky Daddy, you might also like:

Big Swiss 

by Jen Beagin

Scribner, 2023. 325 pages. Fiction 

Greta lives with her friend Sabine in an ancient Dutch farmhouse in Hudson, New York. The house, built in 1737, is unrenovated, uninsulated, and full of bees. Greta spends her days transcribing therapy sessions for a sex coach who calls himself Om. She becomes infatuated with his newest client, a repressed married woman she affectionately refers to as Big Swiss, since she's tall, stoic, and originally from Switzerland. Greta is fascinated by Big Swiss's refreshing attitude toward trauma. They both have dark histories, but Big Swiss chooses to remain unattached to her suffering while Greta continues to be tortured by her past. One day, Greta recognizes Big Swiss's voice at the dog park. In a panic, she introduces herself with a fake name and they quickly become enmeshed. Although Big Swiss is unaware of Greta's true identity, Greta has never been more herself with anyone. Her attraction to Big Swiss overrides her guilt, and she'll do anything to sustain the relationship. 

My Year of Rest and Relaxation

by Otessa Moshfegh

Penguin Books, 2018. 288 pages. Fiction

It's early 2000 on New York City's Upper East Side, and the alienation of Moshfegh's unnamed young protagonist from others is nearly complete when she initiates her yearlong siesta, during which time she experiences limited personal interactions. Her parents have died; her relationships with her bulimic best friend Reva, an ex-boyfriend, and her drug-pushing psychiatrist are unwholesome. As her pill-popping intensifies, so does her isolation and determination to leave behind the world's travails. She is also beset by dangerous blackouts induced by a powerful medication. 

Piglet

by Lottie Hazell

Henry Holt and Company, 2024. 288 pages. Fiction

Piglet, a successful cookbook editor with a loyal circle and a handsome fiancé, Kit, faces a shocking betrayal two weeks before her wedding. Despite deciding to proceed, she grows increasingly unsettled. By the wedding day, Piglet is nearly undone but ready to confront the lies we tell ourselves. 

RP

The Road to Tender Hearts

The Road to Tender Hearts

by Annie Hartnett 

Ballentine Books, 2025. 369 pages. Fiction.

At sixty-three years old, million-dollar lottery winner PJ Halliday would be the luckiest man in Pondville, Massachusetts, if it weren't for the tragedies of his life: the sudden death of his eldest daughter and the way his marriage fell apart after that. Since then, PJ spends both his money and his time at the bar, and he probably doesn't have much time left--he's had three heart attacks already. But when PJ reads the obituary of his old romantic rival, he realizes his high school sweetheart, Michelle Cobb, is finally single again. Filled with a new enthusiasm for life, PJ decides he's going to drive across the country to the Tender Hearts Retirement Community in Arizona to win Michelle back. Before PJ can hit the road, tragedy strikes Pondville, leaving PJ the sudden guardian of his estranged brother's grandchildren. Anyone else would be deterred from the planned trip, but PJ figures the orphaned kids might benefit from getting out of town. PJ also thinks he can ask Sophie, his adult daughter who's adrift in her twenties, to come along to babysit. And there's one more surprise addition to the roster: Pancakes, a former nursing home therapy cat with a knack of predicting death, who recently turned up outside PJ's home. This could be the second chance PJ has long hoped for--a fresh shot at love and parenting--but does he have the strength to do both those things again? It's very possible his heart can't take it. 

This book was such a fun journey to take (pun intended, its a book about a cross country road trip). The characters were eccentric and likeable despite their very apparent flaws. We have 3 generations of characters in the story (plus a surprisingly fun death predicting cat). I love a good intergenerational relationship story where all parties have something to learn from each other's life experiences. Except the cat Pancakes, he's perfect. Despite all characters experiencing tragedy and grief in their lives, the overall message is heartwarming and optimistic. 

Run for the Hills

by Kevin Wilson

Ecco, 2025. 244 pages. Fiction.

Ever since her dad left them twenty years ago, it's just been Madeline Hill and her mom on their farm in Coalfield, Tennessee. While she sometimes admits it's a bit lonely, and a less exciting a life than she imagined for herself, it's mostly ok. Mostly. Then one day, Reuben Hill pulls up in a PT Cruiser and informs Madeline that he believes she's his half-sister. Reuben--left behind by their dad thirty years ago--has hired a detective to track down their father and a string of other half siblings. And he wants Mad to leave her home and join him for the craziest kind of road trip imaginable to find them all. As Mad and Rube--and eventually the others--share stories of their father, who behaved so differently in each life he created, they begin to question what he was looking for with each new incarnation. Who are they to each other? What kind of man will they find? And how will these new relationships change Mad's previously solitary life on the farm? 

The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry

by Rachel Joyce

Random House, 2012. 320 pages. Fiction

Harold Fry is convinced that he must deliver a letter to an old love in order to save her, meeting various characters along the way and reminiscing about the events of his past and people he has known, as he tries to find peace and acceptance.

JK

All Better Now

All Better Now
by Neal Shusterman
Simon & Schuster, 2025. 518 pages. Science Fiction.

A deadly and unprecedented virus is spreading. Those who survive it experience a long-term effect no one has ever seen before: utter contentment. Stress, depression, greed, and other negative feelings are inexplicably gone. More and more people begin to revel in the mass unburdening. But not everyone. People in power—those who make a living convincing the public that happiness comes from buying more, new, faster, and better everything—know this new state of being is bad for business. The race to find a vaccine begins. Meanwhile, a growing movement of Recoverees plans ways to spread the virus as fast as they can, in the name of saving the world. It's nearly impossible to determine the truth when everyone with a platform is pushing their agenda. Three teens from very different backgrounds who have had their lives upended in very different ways find themselves at the center of a power play that could change humanity forever.

Neal Shusterman excels at exploring very timely “what-if” questions, allowing his stories to develop around one intriguing central idea. The concept of “toxic positivity” has long fascinated me—I’m normally a pretty upbeat person who prefers to find silver linings wherever I can, but there comes a point when “looking on the bright side” starts to do more harm than good. Where is that line, though? All Better Now forces all of humanity to question what happiness truly means—and there are no easy answers. Shusterman’s earlier hit series, The Arc of a Scythe, took place in a far-future version of Earth, which made everything seem a bit more fantastical. All Better Now, on the other hand, takes place in a “five minutes in the future” version of our present day, which can make things hit more than a little too close to home. Character motivations vary wildly, and you definitely won’t always like them or agree with them. (Dame Glynis Havilland comes straight from the Maleficent School of Petty Villains.) But Shusterman always lets his characters behave in ways that feel very true to who they are. You can always count him to craft a thoughtful tale that will stick with you for a long time. The scene is definitely being set up for a sequel, and I'll be looking forward to it!

 

If you like All Better Now, you might also like:

The Darkest Minds
by Alexandra Bracken
Hyperion, 2012. 488 pages. Science Fiction.

When Ruby woke up on her tenth birthday, something about her had changed. Something alarming enough to make her parents lock her in the garage and call the police. Something that got her sent to Thurmond, a brutal government "rehabilitation camp." She might have survived the mysterious disease that killed most of America's children, but she and the others emerged with something far worse: frightening abilities they cannot control.

Snowglobe
by Soyoung Park
Delacorte Press, 2024. 372 pages. Science Fiction.

Enclosed under a vast dome, Snowglobe is the last place on Earth that's warm. Outside Snowglobe is a frozen wasteland, and every day, citizens face the icy world to get to their jobs at the power plant, where they produce the energy Snowglobe needs. Their only solace comes in the form of twenty-four-hour television programming streamed directly from the domed city. The residents of Snowglobe have everything: fame, fortune, and above all, safety from the desolation outside their walls. In exchange, their lives are broadcast to the less fortunate outside, who watch eagerly, hoping for the chance to one day become actors themselves.

LAH

Raising Good Humans

Raising Good Humans: A Mindful Guide to Breaking the Cycle of Reactive Parenting and Raising Kind, Confident Kids 

by Hunter Clarke Fields 

New Harbinger Publications, 2019. 169 pages. Nonfiction 

As a parent, you strive to model kindness, compassion, and patience when interacting with your children. But no parent is perfect, and in difficult or stressful moments, you may react to your kids in ways that don't exactly fit your ideal model of parenting -- for example, yelling. You aren't alone. Parental reactions are often deeply ingrained, and you likely learned them from your parents. So how can you break this cycle and be the kind of parent you want to be? With this book, you’ll find powerful mindfulness skills for calming your own stress response when difficult emotions arise. You’ll also discover strategies for cultivating respectful communication, effective conflict resolution, and reflective listening. 

Raising Good Humans differs from many parenting books by spending the first half focused on the parents’ relationship with themselves, rather than their interactions with their children. The author emphasizes that unless parents learn first to regulate their own nervous systems, in moments of stress they’ll find themselves going into fight, flight, or freeze during tough interactions with their kids and struggling to behave and communicate the way they intend. After offering strategies for parents to develop those skills, she then describes techniques for connecting with children and helping them learn to self-regulate in times of stress. While this book won’t teach every skill parents need for success, it’s a good reminder of the importance of mindfulness, meditation, and self-compassion for parents and kids alike. 

The Whole-Brain Child: 12 Revolutionary Strategies to Nurture Your Child's Developing Mind 

by Daniel J Siegel 

Delacorte Press, 2011. 176 pages. Nonfiction 

In this pioneering, practical book, Daniel J. Siegel, neuropsychiatrist and author of the bestselling Mindsight, and parenting expert Tina Payne Bryson demystify the meltdowns and aggravation, explaining the new science of how a child’s brain is wired and how it matures. The “upstairs brain,” which makes decisions and balances emotions, is under construction until the mid-twenties. And especially in young children, the right brain and its emotions tend to rule over the logic of the left brain. No wonder kids can seem—and feel—so out of control. By applying these discoveries to everyday parenting, you can turn any outburst, argument, or fear into a chance to integrate your child’s brain and foster vital growth. 

Good Inside: A Guide to Becoming the Parent You Want to Be 

by Becky Kennedy 

Harper Wave, 2022. 315 pages. Nonfiction 

In Good Inside, Dr Becky shares her parenting philosophy, complete with actionable strategies, that will help parents move from uncertainty and self-blame to confidence and sturdy leadership. Offering perspective-shifting parenting principles and troubleshooting for specific scenarios―including sibling rivalry, separation anxiety, tantrums, and more―Good Inside is a comprehensive resource for a generation of parents looking for a new way to raise their kids while still setting them up for a lifetime of self-regulation, confidence, and resilience.

SGR

Papaya Salad

Papaya Salad

By Elisa Macellari
Dark House Books, 2020. 223 pages. Graphic Novel Biography.

The debut graphic novel from Thai-Italian illustrator Elisa Macellari, Papaya Salad tells the story of her great-uncle Sompong who found himself in Europe on military scholarship on the eve of World War II. A gentle and resolute man in love with books and languages, in search of his place in the world, Sompong chronicles his life during the war and falling for his wife, finding humor and joy even as the world changes irrevocably around him.

Summer Reading just ended but don't worry, the library has more challenges for you. One of them is A Year of Reading, where we challenge you to read 12 books from different categories.  This is a great way to expand your reading horizons, win prizes, and make the librarians proud of you.  This is the book I read to fulfill the Biography category.  I tend to leave my nonfiction books unfinished and biographies are often long and extra daunting.  So I went slightly unconventional and chose a graphic novel (yes, it still counts).  The other trick when reading outside your comfort zone is to make sure that there is something that really interests you about the book. For example, if you usually read fast-paced mysteries, maybe you can try one of our true crime books in the 364s. In this case I really loved the art style, a good color theme will always hook me. So even when I began to think there wasn't enough dragons in this story I was still willing to continue.  If you are also looking for a biography to read this was a great one!  The author takes us through some major world events through the lens of an ordinary man who very quickly found a place in my heart.  World War II buffs especially will enjoy this unique perspective on the time period. 

If you like Papaya Salad, you might also like: 

The Photographer of Mauthausen

By Salva Rubio

Dead Reckoning, 2020. Unpaged. Graphic Novel, Nonfiction.

This is a dramatic retelling of true events in the life of Francisco Boix, a Spanish press photographer and communist who fled to France at the beginning of World War II. Through an odd turn of events, Boix finds himself the confidant of an SS officer who is documenting prisoner deaths at the camp. Boix realizes that he has a chance to prove Nazi war crimes by stealing the negatives of these perverse photos--but only at the risk of his own life, that of a young Spanish boy he has sworn to protect, and, indeed, that of every prisoner in the camp.

Swansong 1945

By Walter Kempowski

W.W. Norton & Company, 2015. 479 pages. Nonfiction.

Swansong 1945 chronicles the end of Nazi Germany and World War II in Europe through hundreds of letters, diaries, and autobiographical accounts covering four days that fateful spring: Hitler's birthday on April 20, American and Soviet troops meeting at the Elbe on April 25, Hitler's suicide on April 30, and finally the German surrender on May 8. Side by side, we encounter vivid, first-person accounts of civilians fleeing Berlin, ordinary German soldiers determined to fight to the bitter end, American POWs dreaming of home, concentration-camp survivors' first descriptions of their horrific experiences, as well as the intimate thoughts of figures such as Eisenhower, Churchill, Stalin, Joseph Goebbels, and Hitler himself. These firsthand accounts, painstakingly collected and organized by renowned German author Walter Kempowski, provide the raw material of history and present a panoramic view of those tumultuous days. The more than 1,000 extracts include a British soldier writing to his parents to tell them there are no baths but plenty of eggs and chocolate, an American soldier describing "the tremendous burst of lilacs" as he approaches the Elbe, Mussolini wishing Hitler a happy birthday, Eva Braun bragging to a girlfriend about what a "crack shot" she's become, and much more. An extraordinary account of suffering and survival, Swansong 1945 brings to life the end of Nazi Germany and the war in Europe.

Audrey Hepburn

By Michelle Botton
NBM Graphic Novels, 2024. 175 pages. Graphic Novel, Biography.

When Audrey Hepburn is mentioned, one thinks of her being beautiful and elegant, of her films, or of how her image is used to recall something immortal and fashionable. But Audrey was also a little girl who saw the Second World War with her own eyes, a woman who was at times fragile at work and in her private life, with a strong desire for motherhood and, above all, a boundless love for children that would lead her to find her true vocation, far from dancing or acting: she will in fact become a UNICEF ambassador to raise awareness in the world and help minors in difficulty.

KJ

The Navigating Fox

The Navigating Fox

By Christopher Rowe

Tor Publishing Group, 2023. 157 pages. Fantasy

Quintus Shu'al, the world's only navigating fox, is in disgrace after guiding an expedition to its doom, leaving no survivors. One year later, Quintus is offered the chance to redeem himself: he will need to lead a motley, fractious team-- both human and animal--all the way to the gates of Hell. 

This small novella with anthorpomorphic characters packs a punch.  And while it doesn't give the reader a tidy ending, which I normally prefer, I still found satisfaction with the story. Overall, The Navigating Fox was a highly enjoyable and meditative fable.

If you like The Navigating Fox, you might also like:

Library of the Sapphire Wind

By Jane M. Lindskold 

Baen Publishing Enterprises, 2022. 289 pages. Fantasy

Instead of mentors, they got monsters...That's what Xerak, Vereez, and Grunwold think when three strange creatures shimmer into being within the circle of Hettua Shrine. Their conclusion is reasonable enough. After all, they've never seen humans before. As for Margaret Blake, Peg Gallegos, and Tessa Brown-more usually known as Meg, Peg, and Teg-they're equally astonished but, oddly enough, better prepared. Age and experience have accustomed them to surprises. A widely varied course of reading material has intellectually prepared them for the idea that other worlds, even worlds where people with traits more commonly ascribed to "animals" may exist. Then there is the mysterious verse that Teg speaks as they arrive, words that seem to indicate that the Shrine must have been at least partially responding to the request made of it. Despite doubts on all sides, the three unlikely mentors join forces with the three young "inquisitors" and venture out into the world Peg dubs "Over Where." First they must find the Library of the Sapphire Wind, destroyed years before. Will they find answers there, or is this only the first stage in their search?

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.

RBL

Isola

Isola
by Allegra Goodman
The Dial Press, 2025. 346 pages. Historical Fiction

France, 1531. Orphaned Marguerite de la Rocque was heir to a chateau with its own village and lands. But her guardian, Jean Francois de la Rocque de Roberval, sells Marguerite's property to embark on an expedition to New France, bringing Marguerite and her maidservant with him. When Roberval discovers Marguerite has fallen for his secretary, he is furious, seeing their affection as betrayal. As punishment, Marguerite, the man she considers to be her husband, and her servant are marooned on a small island off the coast, condemned to certain death. When the weather turns and the island is blanketed in ice, survival becomes nearly impossible and Marguerite must find the inner strength to survive.

Goodman's account of the real-life survival adventure of Marguerite de la Rocque is a novel of stark contrasts. It has a lyrical and thoughtful writing style, while also depicting fast-paced moments filled with tension. Goodman takes a while to set the scene, and I appreciated the chance to immerse myself in the world of 1500s France. This depiction of Marguerite's early life in the French countryside helps show what a shock it would be to suddenly find yourself abandoned on a remote island with hardly any provisions, and no knowledge of how to fend for yourself. I also appreciated the nuances religion adds to Marguerite's life—both for good and bad. This is a book that I'll be thinking about for a while.

If you like Isola you might also like:

The Vaster Wilds
by Lauren Groff
Riverhead Books, 2023. 256 pages. Historical Fiction

Escaping from a colonial settlement in the wilderness, a servant girl, with nothing but her wits, a few possessions and some faith, is tested beyond the limits of her imagination, forcing her to question her belief of everything her own civilization taught her.

Whale Fall
by Elizabeth O'Connor
Pantheon Books, 2024. 209 pages. Historical Fiction

In 1938, when a dead whale washes up on the shores of a remote Welsh island, Manod, seeing this as a sign of things to come, is drawn to two English ethnographers who are studying their cultures, reckoning with a sensual awakening inside herself, despite her misgivings that her community is being misconstrued.

The Marriage Portrait
by Maggie O'Farrell
Alfred A. Knopf, 2022. 339 pages. Historical Fiction

In Florence during the 1550s, captivating young duchess Lucrezia de' Medici, having barely left girlhood behind, marries the ruler of Ferrara, Modena and Reggio, and now, in an unfamiliar court where she has one duty—to provide an heir—fights for her very survival.

MB

Ready or Not

Ready or Not

By Cara Bastone

The Dial Press, 2024. 378 pages. Romance

Eve Hatch is pretty content with her life. Her apartment in Brooklyn is cozy, but close to her childhood best friend Willa, and far from her midwestern, religious upbringing where she always felt misunderstood. While her position as an administrative assistant at the Wildlife Federation of America is a dream-adjacent job, she's hoping her passion and hard work will help her land a more glamorous role. And sure, her most recent romantic history has consisted of not one but two disappointing men named Derek. At least she always knows what to expect until she finds herself expecting after an uncharacteristic one-night-stand. Suddenly, this surprise pregnancy cracks open all the relationships in her life. Eve's ride-or-die friendship with Willa is suddenly feeling off. And surprisingly, it's Willa's steadfast older brother, Shep, who steps up to help. He has always been supportive, but now he's checking in, ordering her surprise lunches, listening to all her woes, and is suddenly irresistible? Add in a kind but conflicted baby daddy, who also happens to have a girlfriend, and Eve is feeling out of her depth, to say the least. 

A cute friends-to-lovers romcom with a pregnancy twist, Ready or Not is an upbeat and heartwarming tale. Bastone didn’t shy away from the complexities of relationships, both platonic and romantic. One of the most heart wrenching, yet relatable subplots was that of Eve’s best friend Willa struggles to conceive. The heavy topic was discussed with sensitivity and compassion and felt realistic. I enjoyed Eve and Shep’s slow-burn romance, it didn’t feel rushed, which was much needed given the life changing situation Eve was facing. Overall, Ready or Not was a feel good romcom with depth and I recommend it to lovers of Yulin Kuang, Abby Jimenez, and Emily Henry.

If you like Ready or Not, you might also like:

How to End a Love Story

By Yulin Kuang

Avon, 2024. 372 pages. Romance 

Helen Zhang hasn't seen Grant Shepard once in the thirteen years since the tragic accident that bound their lives together forever. Now a bestselling author, Helen pours everything into her career. She's even scored a coveted spot in the writers' room of the TV adaptation of her popular young adult novels, and if she can hide her imposter syndrome and overcome her writer's block, surely the rest of her life will fall into place too. LA is the fresh start she needs. After all, no one knows her there. Except Grant has done everything in his power to move on from the past, including building a life across the country. And while the panic attacks have never quite gone away, he's well liked around town as a screenwriter. He knows he shouldn't have taken the job on Helen's show, but it will open doors to developing his own projects that he just can't pass up. Grant's exactly as Helen remembers him--charming, funny, popular, and lovable in ways that she's never been. And Helen's exactly as Grant remembers too--brilliant, beautiful, closed off. But working together is messy, and electrifying, and Helen's parents, who have never forgiven Grant, have no idea he's in the picture at all. When secrets come to light, they must reckon with the fact that theirs was never meant to be any kind of love story. And yet the key to making peace with their past, and themselves, might just lie in holding on to each other in the present.

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 already registering eighty-friggin'-seven on Briana's "pain in my ass" scale. 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 this quietly sexy new doctor especially when he calls in a favor she can't refuse.

BW

All Fours 

All Fours 

By Miranda July

Riverhead Books, 2024. 326 pages. Fiction

A semi-famous artist announces her plan to drive cross-country, from LA to NY. Twenty minutes after leaving her husband and child at home, she spontaneously exits the freeway, beds down in a nondescript motel, and immerses herself in a temporary reinvention that turns out to be the start of an entirely different journey. Ditching her California life for the open road, a restless, semi-famous artist leaves her husband, child and career and reinvents herself in a motel room, embarking on a journey of self-discovery and what it means to be alive and free. 

This novel follows an unnamed, complex character as they navigate motherhood, marriage, menopause, and sexuality. Perfect for those experiencing these life stages, but also translates to broader experiences of longing, desire, grief, discontentment, and discovery. Written in a reflective and provocative manner, the author illustrates thoughts and feelings difficult to reckon with. Although they may appear unappealing or uncomfortable, July liberates them in a beautiful and authentic way. This book is ideal for fans of literary fiction and for those in a period of transition, looking for intimate prose and insights into modern relationships, aging, gender, and grief. 

If you like All Fours, you might also like:

Milk Fed 

By Melissa Broder 

Simon & Schuster, 2021. 289 pages. Fiction 

Rachel is twenty-four, a lapsed Jew who has made calorie restriction her religion. By day, she maintains an illusion of existential control, by way of obsessive food rituals. Rachel is content to carry on subsisting--until her therapist encourages her to take a ninety-day communication detox from her mother, who raised her in the tradition of calorie counting. Early in the detox, Rachel meets Miriam who works at her favorite frozen yogurt shop and is intent upon feeding her. As the two grow closer, Rachel embarks on a journey marked by mirrors, mysticism, mothers, milk, and honey.

 

Nightbitch

By Rachel Yoder

Doubleday, 2021. 238 pages. Fiction

 An ambitious mother puts her art career on hold to stay at home with her newborn son, but the experience does not match her imagination. Two years later she steps into the bathroom for a break from her toddler's demands, only to discover a dense patch of hair on the back of her neck; her canines look sharper than she remembers. Her husband dismisses her fears from faraway hotel rooms. She struggles to keep her alter-canine-identity secret, and discovers the mysterious academic tome which becomes her bible, A Field Guide to Magical Women: A Mythical Ethnography.

Our Wives Under the Sea

By Julia Armfield 

Flatiron Books, 2022. 228 pages. Fiction

Leah is changed. Months earlier, she left for a routine expedition, only this time her submarine sank to the sea floor. When she finally surfaces and returns home, her wife Miri knows that something is wrong. Barely eating and lost in her thoughts, Leah rotates between rooms in their apartment, running the taps morning and night. As Miri searches for answers, desperate to understand what happened below the water, she must face the possibility that the woman she loves is slipping from her grasp. By turns elegiac and furious, wry and heartbreaking, Our Wives Under the Sea is a genre-bending exploration of the depths of love and grief at the heart of a marriage.

MT