Every month, we’re profiling new-ish releases that are getting critical and commercial buzz. For May, we’re looking at a gothic tale complete with atmospheric mansion and family secrets, historical fiction with settings that range from the construction of the Panama Canal to WWII, contemporary fiction set in rural Wisconsin, nonfiction about trees and the animal kingdom, a guide to canning, and an audiobook about an office cleaner. If you love contemporary gothic fiction: Rachel Hawkins’ The Heiress (2024)* Camden has created a new life for himself in Colorado as an English teacher, far from ..read more

Every month, we’re profiling new-ish releases that are getting critical and commercial buzz. For April, we’re looking at an acclaimed new take on the story of Huckleberry Finn, historical fiction about a famous 19th century British trial, a collaborative effort between some of today’s most famous writers, a new series that melds the genres of science fiction and espionage thriller, a guide to living the van life, and two very different thrillers on audiobook, one with a historical setting while the other is extremely contemporary. If you enjoy historic fiction with a literary bent: Percival Ev ..read more

Every month, we’re profiling new-ish releases that are getting critical and commercial buzz. For July, we’re looking at a puzzle-style mystery about books and codes, a gothic mystery set in the Victorian era, a contemporary Canadian literary horror novel, a nonfiction story about an infamous environmental disaster in the 1970s, a guide to composting, and audiobooks about romances. If you love mysteries: Janice Hallett’s The Twyford Code (2023)* In this Agatha Christie-esque tale, a newly released prisoner named Smithy tries to unravel a mystery that’s haunted him for 40 years–the disappearanc ..read more

Every month, we’re profiling new-ish releases that are getting critical and commercial buzz. For April, we’re looking at a bookstore-centered romance, novels about the Civil Rights Movement and Renaissance Italy, a new-ish dark academic fantasy series, and some books that will help take your arts and crafts to the next level. If you want contemporary romance: Jayci Lee’s Booked on a Feeling (2022)* After Lizzy’s budding law career implodes, she returns to her hometown to regroup. In the process, she reunites with her childhood friend Jack, who’s long harbored feelings for her, and decides to ..read more

Every month, we’re profiling new-ish releases that are getting critical and commercial buzz. For November, we’re looking at historical fiction about libraries (both the gothic kind and the WWII espionage kind), a modern literary homage to a 19th century classic, a brooding mystery set in 1950s small-town Minnesota, an Atlanta-based contemporary romance, and a nonfiction audiobook that ponders the mysteries of knitting. If you love historical fiction: Hester Fox’s The Last Heir to Blackwood Library (2023)* In post-WWI England, Ivy is startled to learn she has inherited an ancient house and tit ..read more

This year, our theme is “Walk A Mile In My Shoes.” The idea that you can’t understand someone (and shouldn’t judge them) until you’ve walked a mile in their shoes is a pretty common sentiment. And research has shown that reading fiction is one way to really get such a walk going. So, that’s what we are going to do this year: use fiction (and some nonfiction when we just can’t resist) to take walks in someone’s shoes. We hope you join our journey. For October, our theme is domestic violence. Paula Sharp’s novel Crows Over a Wheatfield is about a Wisconsin judge named Melanie, whose abusive chil ..read more

This year, our theme is “Walk A Mile In My Shoes.” The idea that you can’t understand someone (and shouldn’t judge them) until you’ve walked a mile in their shoes is a pretty common sentiment. And research has shown that reading fiction is one way to really get such a walk going. So, that’s what we are going to do this year: use fiction (and some nonfiction when we just can’t resist) to take walks in someone’s shoes. We hope you join our journey. For September, our theme is addiction. With the rise of the opioid crisis over the past several years, there’s a lot of perceptive nonfiction and fic ..read more

This year, our theme is “Walk A Mile In My Shoes.” The idea that you can’t understand someone (and shouldn’t judge them) until you’ve walked a mile in their shoes is a pretty common sentiment. And research has shown that reading fiction is one way to really get such a walk going. So, that’s what we are going to do this year: use fiction (and some nonfiction when we just can’t resist) to take walks in someone’s shoes. We hope you lace up those sneakers and join our journey. For February, we’re going to be looking at a growing issue in Carroll County–homelessness. It can be easy to overlook our ..read more

Junie Hayward lives in the genteel poverty one might expect from a struggling professional writer. On one hand, she’s had some professional success in that she’s had a book traditionally published. On the other hand, the book didn’t sell very well, her agent and editors are indifferent to her, and she really pays the bills through a glorified tutoring job. Her Yale classmate Athena Liu, meanwhile, is the literary establishment’s new darling. She’s wracking up an impressive reputation as a young author of note–her books are received with widespread critical acclaim, and she gets publicity that ..read more

This year, our theme is “Walk A Mile In My Shoes.” The idea that you can’t understand someone (and shouldn’t judge them) until you’ve walked a mile in their shoes is a pretty common sentiment. And research has shown that reading fiction is one way to really get such a walk going. So, that’s what we are going to do this year: use fiction (and some nonfiction when we just can’t resist) to take walks in someone’s shoes. We hope you join our journey. For July, our theme is disability. David Wroblewski’s haunting The Story of Edgar Sawtelle is a retelling of Hamlet, with a modern twist. Rather than ..read more