| FICTION |
| Recommended by Rachel
In classic El-Mohtar fashion, every word is beautiful from start to end. The story feels like a long-lost myth, buried in your soul and remembered in a moment of deja vu.
Also loved by RJ! |
| Recommended by Lindsay
So I recently watched every episode of Somebody Somewhere and my cold dead heart grew three sizes from the representation of queer folks in small town America. I’ve since been looking for something to fill that void and Emily St. John’s Woodworking hits the spot: a teacher in South Dakota confronts her own trans identity after one of her students comes out as trans. St. John’s debut is big-hearted and also hilarious. |
| Recommended by Jake
Simultaneously a sprawling saga and a deeply focused, refined look at a trio of richly detailed characters, Dream State represents the very best of what literary fiction can be. Emotionally resonant, witty, insightful, funny, and heartbreaking, Puchner has written a stunning novel that will stick with you long after the final page. A complete masterpiece, Dream State is one of the very best books of the year. |
| Recommended by Ashby
How should a novel about 5 actresses navigating awards season read? Like a movie. It does. Old stars losing magazine covers to young stars on the rise and insecure ones in between facing judgement from everyone around them. One chapter sums it up: Davina, still a star, and Nancy, never quite a star but wants back in, meet for their yearly lunch and bring all the baggage of career and family with them. |
| Recommended by Cheryl
Heartbreaking thriller about doing the right thing. Is a past love stronger than a marriage? Healing comes from helping a child deal with the loss of his dog. This story stays with you. |
| Recommended by Jordan
The one and only Curtis Sittenfeld is back with an engaging collection of short stories that is perfect to get you out of a reading slump. Filled with stories about love and friendship, this collection also includes a follow up to Sittenfeld’s 2005 novel, Prep, centering sound the reunion of beloved characters. |
| Recommended by Kathy
10 years in the waiting for a new novel by this elegant writer, she tops herself in the creation of these 4 unforgettable women each struggling to find her place in 2020’s America, all the while dealing with their African roots. I was thoroughly captivated by the beautiful writing in this one. |
| Recommended by Elizabeth
Eowyn Ivey is back with another beautiful, haunting novel set in the Alaskan wilderness. Birdie, Emaleen, and Arthur’s story will stay with you long after you finish the last chapter, as will the questions it asks about nature and love and how humanity all too frequently mishandles both. |
| Recommended by Ashby
Retirement is boring for assassins so the four put on Playboy bunny costumes and come up with elaborate ways of killing: placing peanut oil in a cocktail so the peanut-allergic target has to use an epi-pen laced with poison…but nothing goes as planned. They take a job for an elite assassin organization – an assassin union? – to find the mole and a mysterious Eastern European figure – very 007! |
| Recommended by Jenness
Historical crime fiction at its best. Five famous (female) mystery authors unite to solve the murder of a young nurse. Inspired by a true crime, Benedict weaves the lives and talents of these indomitable women – including Dorothy L. Sayers and Agatha Christie – into a well-crafted and satisfying mystery. As always, Benedict draws you into the past, reintroduces you to fascinating figures, and makes you want more.
Also loved by Cheryl and Ashby! |
| Recommended by Rachel
An intimate look into the mind of a young boy, only the deeper you go, the more you lose sight of reality. |
| Recommended by Katie
I am very new to the B.K. Borrison fan club. What have I been doing? Why did I wait? When I finished listening to First Time Caller I immediately texted my work wife, Tara so that we could squeal about this book together. A hopeless romantic meets a jaded radio host in a very cozy Sleepless in Seattle-inspired romance. It’s pretty much perfect!
Also loved by Tara! |
| Recommended by Tara
The Favorites takes you into the world of competitive ice dancing told over a series of interviews, making it perfect for fans of Taylor Jenkins Reid. This was a dramatic, fast-paced read that had everything I could ask for; mystery, romance, messy relationships. rivalries, and Tanya Harding-level hijinks!
Also loved by Chelsea! |
| Recommended by Ashby
Second in the series; just as gripping as the first. Freya and Aunt Carole leave her antique shop for antique hunting on an antiques cruise. A dead body, a stolen painting, a missing vase, an FBI agent, and an unknown art trafficker: elements for a shipboard mystery. |
| Recommended by Jennifer
In renowned author Cassandra Clare’s return to the world of Castellane, the stakes grow higher as our favorites are pitted against massive threats— and each other. I truly enjoyed the expansive world building, morally grey characters, and explosive reveals. Can’t recommend enough! |
| Recommended by Rae Ann
A podcast producer finally gets to host her own show. She commits to going on twenty blind dates set up by her relationship coach, but before the first episode airs, she meets someone. Can she hide this new relationship from her coach, her sister and her best friend? This is a funny novel with a great cast of characters.
Also loved by Jenness! |
| Recommended by Natalie
The conclusion to Brynne Weaver’s Ruinous Love trilogy lives up to the hype that has made this series a viral hit. Equal parts romcom, campy slasher film, and circus escapade, this book is a great addition to the world of dark romance. It’s humor makes it a more lighthearted pick for fans of the genre, however, this book is not for the squeamish. Fionn and Rose have this series most bonkers love story yet. |
| Recommended by Chelsea
When I’m perplexed by the state of the world, I escape to romance, where the ending is promised to be happy. Kimberly Lemming’s latest is hilarious, sexy, and entertaining – everything I could want from a book right now. If you’ve ever wondered how you would deal with being kidnapped by space aliens and dropped on a planet full of other (hot) aliens and dinosaurs, make this your next read. |
| Recommended by Katie
This book. This series. It’s perfect. 10/10. No notes. Herrera’s capacity to make a HistRom feel so timely is unmatched. I’m a little obsessed with the world that she has built with her Las Leonas series and while I can rationalize that all good things must come to an end I just want to live amongst these heroines a bit longer. |
| Recommended by Katie
A passionate vice-principal and a closed-off science teacher partner for a summer long mars simulation. Winner gets 500 grand for their school. Fans of Easton will be happy to return to the Roger’s family as Brianna finds her HEA. A charmingly quirky setting (that I would not survive) with clever dialogue and an FMC so down bad you almost feel sorry for her. It’s giving Gregory and Jeanine on Abbot Elementary vibes. |
| Recommended by Austin
A captivating mix of dark, acidic, and embodied. Van Straaten’s debut had me hooked from the moment I opened it. |
| NONFICTION & POETRY |
| Recommended by Rachel
If you are living in the 21st century, you must read this book. Many who should still be on this earth are not, and reading this book is one small thing you can do to unlearn many harmful narratives that have caused unthinkable atrocities. |
| Recommended by Jake
As one of the most colorful managers ever to set foot on a baseball diamond, Earl Weaver’s bombastic personality was the driving force behind several great Orioles teams and quietly pioneered the modern “Moneyball” style of analytic play. In an era increasingly dismissive of managerial input, The Last Manager is a welcome throwback and easily ranks among the most entertaining baseball books you’ll read. |
| Recommended by A.J.
You’ve probably heard of kids’ author Betty MacDonald, or Marlene Dietrich, star of the Golden Age of Hollywood–but did you know they, along with two other women, made up the OSS’ top secret propaganda department in WWII? A fascinating topic executed entertainingly, and also, a timely behind-the-scenes view of propagandic rhetoric, how it’s honed, and just how efficacious good propaganda can be. |
| Recommended by Elizabeth
The glory of tinned fish! Do you love anchovies? Do you want to love mackerel? Here are recipes that will expand and delight your palate. From snacks to entrees to desserts (just kidding), this kaleidoscopic compendium has all of the salty, fishy recipes you could ever want. |
| Recommended by Chelsea
I loved every minute of this sociological look at gossip from the host of Normal Gossip, a favorite podcast of mine. McKinney manages to make you think critically while also being entertained by gossip morsels. Plus she narrates the audiobook! |
| CLASSICS & BACKLIST |
| Recommended by Tara
A must read for any fan of historical romance! |
| Recommended by Naomi
Two best friends navigate their changing relationship amongst the atrocities that come with fighting in the first World War. This book is a heavy romance with beautiful commentaries on what it means to live and die. Perfect for fans of The Song of Achilles! |
| Recommended by A.J.
Clint Hill passed away last month, and while most Americans under a certain age probably couldn’t tell you who he is, you’ve definitely seen his silhouette, his hand, etc. in the corner of countless midcentury political photos. Hill was a Secret Service agent from Ike’s to Ford’s admins., and is best known for jumping on the back of the limo on the day Pres. Kennedy was shot. A beautiful reflection on his time with Jackie; his admiration & respect shine through. |
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It’s wonderful when we find a debut novel for our First Editions Club pick, but Alice Austen hardly feels like a debut novelist. She’s a screenwriter, producer, playwright, graduate of Harvard Law School and co-founded the Human Rights Watch Journal. That’s just a fraction of her dizzying biography. If her first novel reads more like a very polished fifth novel, I imagine it’s because she’s been writing so many other things and all the while paying careful attention to history and human nature.
33 Place Brugmann is the address of the beautiful apartment building in Brussels where the novel takes place. The story opens just before the Nazi occupation shifts from “something that could never happen here” to something that is about to happen. What each occupant stands to lose is different, as are the lengths each will go to protect his or her neighbor. This is a novel about loyalty, bravery, cruelty and love. It is about the enduring importance of family, friendship and art. And while it would be hard to call this moment in history uplifting, the fact that this novel continually turns towards decency is a balm for the soul. It is also a reminder that many of the lessons from the past apply today.
I look forward to reading many Alice Austen novels in the future.
Ann Patchett
EVENT ALERT: Alice will be at Parnassus on Thursday, March 13 in conversation with our own Lindsay Lynch! Click here to register for free.
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. |
By Thien-Kim Lam
Zoe Tran is living her best life, designing plus-size lingerie at her own award-winning clothing boutique, when suddenly her college best friend reenters her life. Derek Bui is offering a tantalizing chance to recapture a forgotten dream: designing costumes for the musical they created together years ago.
Derek has loved Zoe since freshman year but never had the guts to confess his true feelings. Now he’s directing the Vietnamese Cinderella rock musical they dreamed up in college. The stakes are high: it’s the first production with an all-Asian cast and creative team at Washington, D.C.’s largest theatre and if they can make it work, they’ll head to Broadway. But his real goal: get Zoe back in his life.
A proud demisexual, Zoe only ever saw Derek as her best friend, but working on their dream production together brings them closer than ever. Sparks ignite under the hot spotlights. But when the theatre’s artistic director pressures Derek to make the musical “less Asian,” he and Zoe clash on whether to stay true to their vision or compromise to keep the production alive.
Will Zoe and Derek finally let love take center stage or will their creative differences close the curtains on them forever?
Read Katie’s Musing interview with Thien-Kim Lam!
The Love, Parnassus box is a monthly subscription box for romance readers curated by the experts at Parnassus Books. Each month you will receive a first edition book (which is sometimes signed), a letter from the author, a custom sticker, and a bookmark to track your reading. The Love, Parnassus selection will focus on debut and new-to-you romance authors. Set up a subscription for yourself or buy a gift membership for your favorite romance reader for 3, 6, or 12 months.
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Musing 