Blackouts: A Novel

Blackouts is the first novel from Justin Torres in over a decade (if you haven’t read We the Animals, it’s beautiful!) and, trust me, it’s well worth the wait. Part ghost story, part personal narrative, part archival study, Blackouts is an incredible examination of cultural memory and what we lose when we erase queer histories. Blackouts is a beautiful testament to storytelling as an act of preservation.

Chenneville: A Novel of Murder, Loss, and Vengeance

A man undertakes a cross-country odyssey across the post-Civil War frontier to avenge the death of his beloved sister and her family. If you liked Jiles’ previous works, News of the World and Simon the Fiddler, this is for you.

Family Meal: A Novel

Bryan Washington is back with another vulnerable LGBTQ tearjerker. Family Meal is about grief and heartbreak, love and loss, addiction and chosen family. This is a great read for those looking to pull on the heartstrings.

The Vulnerables: A Novel

Sigrid Nunez has a knack for depicting human-animal dynamics. This time, it is with our narrator and an attention-hungry parrot named Eureka. Set during the height of COVID-19, The Vulnerables paints a beautiful reflection of the defenseless in our contemporary world.

Lilith: A Novel

An epic retelling of Christian history through the female gaze. If you’ve spent time in the Christian church, this book will press your buttons and reveal wisdoms to you. Like taking a bite of forbidden fruit, Lilith will drop the scales from your eyes and give you new sight.

Let Us Descend: A Novel

A young slave is haunted by a spirit carrying the experiences of her female ancestors. There are moments where the spirit is a godmother and others where she is absent in order to strengthen her inner warrior. She carries words and stories as she walks from SC to LA. Reader is haunted as well as enlightened.

Enchanted Hill

This historical mystery is filled with twists and turns, glittering Hollywood stars, and secrets waiting to be divulged.

The Bell in the Fog (Evander Mills #2)

If you’re a fan of historical mysteries and haven’t read Lavender House yet, go do that now. When you’re done and are inevitably itching for another installment in the P.I. Mills story, The Bell in the Fog won’t disappoint! I loved learning more about Andy’s background and following his investigation as the past catches up to him. Rosen writes both an intriguing mystery and a moving portrait of queer history.

Let the Dead Bury the Dead: A Novel

I loved Allison Epstein’s debut novel A Tip for the Hangman and am so happy to see more queer historical fiction from her! Let the Dead Bury the Dead is a delight, filled with court intrigue, spies, folklore, and poorly behaved aristocrats.

West Heart Kill

Among the best of the recent meta murder mysteries, West Heart Kill follows private detective Adam McAnnis as he accepts an invitation for a weekend among the fabulously wealthy (and equally suspicious) members of an exclusive hunting club. But with bodies piling up as quickly as clues disappear, a killer must be hiding. Equal parts captivating and educational, West Heart Kill is my favorite whodunnit of the year.

The Glutton: A Novel

Tarare is a young boy in a French village with a belly that is never full, no matter how many truly disgusting objects he consumes. The Glutton walks a fine like between disturbing and beautiful. I wept for Tarare. I felt his hunger as if it was my own, and I consumed his story so rapidly that it left me sick with sorrow.

Read Rachel’s Musing interview with A.K. Blakemore!

Roman Stories

As in her previous works (The Namesake, Interpreter of Maladies), Lahiri explores themes of belonging, alienation, and identity in this collection of short stories. Amidst the splendor of Rome, characters reveal the difficulties of modern life and the consequences of xenophobia. A gem!

The Corset & the Jellyfish: A Conundrum of Drabbles

Bantock’s Griffin and Sabine books told entirely through correspondence mesmerized me, so I was thrilled to see he had come up with a new, intriguing format. Each drabble is exactly 100 words and is paired with a drawing. It is up to the reader to solve the mystery of how they are connected. How can you not be fascinated by a story that starts, “During the night the cat and the clock traded identities.”

Iris Kelly Doesn’t Date

Ashley Herring Blake brings her fabulous Bright Falls trilogy to a close with a beautiful, sexy story that has it all: Shakespeare, fake dating, meta romcom jokes, complex characters, and powerful queer friendships. If this is your first trip to Bright Falls or your last, there’s a lot to love here!

Sword Catcher

In her adult fantasy debut, author Cassandra Clare returns with an action-packed adventure. Enemies, lovers, and friend all look the same in Castellane as a fight for power becomes immersed in court intrigue and forbidden magic. If you are looking for a book you can’t put down, this is it.

Love Interest: A Novel

Leave it to Clare Gilmore to makes numbers very, very sexy in her debut romance. When Casey and Alex are thrown together on a work project, it doesn’t take long for them to start throwing insults. But when late night meetings turn to surprise kisses, these two find more than just their next professional opportunity in each other. A fantastically fun debut packed with heart, self-discovery and all your favorite tropes!

Murder by Degrees: A Mystery

In 1875 Philadelphia, Dr. Lydia Weston is drawn into a murder investigation when the body of her patient is pulled from the river. She uses her skills as a physician combined with the dead woman’s diary of poetry to aid the police in solving the murder.

Last Night at the Hollywood Canteen: A Novel

A throuple’s break-up in NYC moves to Hollywood when Annie gets a studio contract so she can follow the other two. She joins a group of friends, and when one of the group is found dead, they are determined to solve it. The Hollywood Canteen was where the famous danced with GIs…and where the body was found. Studio secrets abound, making readers want to sip a Sidecar or French 75 while figuring this one out.

Stars in Your Eyes

Kacen Callendar is one of those once in a blue moon writers who can deftly write across genres and we are so lucky for it. Stars in Yours Eyes is a beautiful story of love and heartbreak, forgiveness and self-discovery. I don’t often love to cry during my romance reads (and I sobbed for this one) but I would let Logan and Mattie break my heart over and over again.

The Burnout: A Novel

After a breakdown at work, Sasha decides to take a relaxing holiday to the beach she visited as a child. Sasha learns to love life and herself again – and possibly a man at the hotel. This book is perfect for anyone who has felt burnt out by the corporate world or life in general.

A Holly Jolly Ever After: A Christmas Notch Novel

With this title, I was expecting a Christmas meet cute. Wrong. This one is more spicy Santa! Opposites come together as stars of a steamy holiday film. Goodie-two-shoes meets playboy and needs some “pleasure research” to make her on-screen scenes seem real. You can guess who ends up under the mistletoe…

Better Hate than Never (The Wilmot Sisters Series #2)

Better Hate than Never is a childhood enemies to lovers romance with nods towards the 90’s classic 10 Things I Hate About You. Chloe Liese brings the spice as always in this book, but her emotionally grounded characters were what left me wanting to be a part of the Wilmot family.

Hunt on Dark Waters (Crimson Sails #1)

Sound the alarm! Katee Robert has gifted us with a new series! HECK YES! It has a sexy AF pirate! It has a chaotic bisexual witch! And the exact amount of steam we have come to know and love from the reigning queen of bonkers romance. Long live Katee Robert!

The Comfort of Crows: A Backyard Year

This book changed how I go about my life day to day. I am paying more attention to what’s around me – I’m seeing more and listening carefully to the natural world. This is such a magnificent, beautifully written book – I’ll be giving it as a gift to everyone I know!

Behind the Seams: My Life in Rhinestones

A must-have for every Dolly fan! Brighten up your coffee table with a dazzling collection of photos and stories that give an inside look on this fashion icon’s wardrobe through the years. This book is the perfect addition to every Backwoods Barbie’s Dreamhouse!

In the Pines: A Lynching, A Lie, A Reckoning

Hale, a professor of history, grapples with learning the truth about the family legend of her grandfather and his time as sheriff in a small town. Well-researched and casting a critical eye on her narration of a lynching story, In the Pines seeks to uncover the hidden, underreported stories of lynchings. A must read for anyone with family roots in the South.

Opinions: A Decade of Arguments, Criticism, and Minding Other People’s Business

In Roxane Gay’s newest essay collection, she graces us with some of her best opinion articles written over the last decade. She covers topics ranging from politics, to art collecting, to literature and everything in between. Roxane has such a distinct voice that shines in this newest collection.

The Big Time: How the 1970s Transformed Sports in America

Rather than a mere collection of winners and losers, The Big Time is a fascinating look at US History through the captivating lens of sports and the social and political changes it reflected throughout the tumultuous 1970s. Lending attention to every major sport in America and spending time with the likes of Billie Jean King, Muhammad Ali, and everyone in between, The Big Time is the best sports book of the year.

This House of Grief: The Story of a Murder Trial

Helen Garner presents a compelling, firsthand account of the 2007 murder trial against Robert Farquharson – an Australian father accused of killing his three young sons in a bizarre drowning “accident.” Her committed presence in the courtroom throughout the proceedings and ability to blend both journalistic objectivity and all-too-human emotions is riveting.

Very Small Horses Living Their Greatest Lives: Big Life Lessons from the Littlest Guys

This is my favorite book of 2023, including my own book.

Editor’s Note: Lindsay’s book is wonderful, and a personalized copy would make a fantastic holiday gift!

The Asking: New and Selected Poems

Jane Hirshfield is one of those poets that I always find myself coming back to. In this long-awaited collection of new and selected pieces, Hirshfield bridges the gaps between spirit and science, beauty and pain, wisdom and wonder. If you are a reader of Mary Oliver or Louise Glück, do yourself a favor and pick this up. Flip to page 119 for one of my all-time favorite poems!

The Witching Year: A Memoir of Earnest Fumbling Through Modern Witchcraft

Using resources both ancient and modern, Diana Helmuth spends a year delving into witchcraft as a passage to deepen her spiritual exploration. Her experiences of modern witchcraft are steeped in ritual, but expansive – taking her from Stonehenge to Salem – providing an engaging and enlightening narrative through her quest to further connect with nature, her forebearers, and herself.

Disaster Dates & Lucky Escapes

Olive is a serial dater navigating the wild west that is online dating apps. Horribly hilarious, this comic is quite colorful in both its illustration and writing.

The Sisterhood: The Secret History of Women at the CIA

I couldn’t put down this thrilling deep-dive into the hidden history of women-led spycraft in the CIA. If you’re itching to learn about women saving the world (on more than one occasion), this is your next great history read.

Surely You Can’t Be Serious: The True Story of Airplane!

I memorized this hilarious movie as a wee child. Young people – get this for your parents if they are over 45!

Beneath a Scarlet Sky

This book is easy to recommend because it tells the little known contributions of Italy during WWII. Based on a true character who led Jews over the alps, spied as the driver of a high Nazi commander and found the love of his life. Wide appeal.

The Cheat Sheet: A Novel

If you are also unironically obsessed by Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce dating, then this is a MUST read. Friends become lovers in this sweet fake dating tale and it is pure serotonin.

First Editions Club: November Selection

Absolution: A Novel

I’ve been a fan of Alice McDermott’s since she published her first book, That Night, in 1987. She’s a writer I’ve long counted on for a beautifully written and thought provoking novel, and she always delivers. I’ve loved all her books, and so I was thrilled to receive an early copy of Absolution. This, I thought, is going to be good, because Alice McDermott is always good.

I had no idea.

Absolution is the story of Tricia, the wife of an engineer who’s working with Naval Intelligence in Saigon in 1963. Young and newly married, Tricia hopes to start a family soon. In the meantime, she goes to parties and mingles with the other officers’ wives. That’s where she meets Charlene, who’s figured out how to sell Barbies in Vietnamese costumes to raise money for children in the hospital. Charlene is determined to be helpful in a country that needs a lot of help.

But what constitutes being helpful? The farther the reader follows Tricia and Charlene, the more questions there are to ask, about them, about our country, and about ourselves. The more things twist, the less certain we are, and the more brilliant the book becomes.

Absolution is a moral masterpiece, and the best book I’ve read all year. Turn off your phone and find a comfortable chair. You will be amazed.

Enjoy.

Ann Patchett

More about our First Editions Club: Every member receives a first edition of the selected book of the month, signed by the author. Books are carefully chosen by our staff of readers, and our picks have gone on to earn major recognition including the Pulitzer Prize, the National Book Award, and the PEN/Faulkner Award. Plus, there’s no membership fee or premium charge for these books. Build a treasured library of signed first editions and always have something great to read! Makes a FABULOUS gift, too.