At a party following a civil war in the U.S. that let to the country fracturing into republics and city-states, doppelgängers of some party-goers appear, while the party host disappears. Exit Party straddles that world and an Orwellian surveillance state in a super accessible way, exploring the cost of both war and peace in Emily St. John Mandel’s beautiful and incisive style.

Also loved by Melissa, Katie, and Kim!

This sweeping historical novel of an unforgettable real-life heroine is cinematic in scope and layered with emotional details.

Also loved by Elizabeth and Katie!

Dark academia meets magical med school! A group of students preparing for their final exams walk into the testing room and find an unexpected dead body. Not a patient, not a corpse to study, but a fellow student, murdered. The students navigate a chaotic week of exams, red herrings, and letters from the victim delivered post-mortem all the while uncovering a healthcare scandal in the process. Five stars!

The ballots are in: I vote this Best Romance of ’26. Anya and Gabe sit on the same side of the aisle, but their personalities are polarizing––every night is like a televised debate. Follow them on the campaign trails of multiple elections as they fight personal trials and professional tribulations. The West Wing for prez. When Harry Met Sally for VP. It’ll have you chanting FOUR MORE YEARS of Kate Stayman-London!

Meg Mason’s latest reads like a love letter to the quiet heroes who spend their lives waiting in the wings to be called upon. Life is no less lonely for those offstage than on, and Mason perfectly captures what it means to see and to desperately want to be seen. This take on celebrity, isolation, and spiraling obsession is one that will resonate with readers everywhere.

Also loved by Abigail!

Natalie needs health insurance and money, but her call center job is not making ends meet. Of course she says yes when an offer of a lifetime lands in her lap. The one caveat… she must be a surrogate seven times for “The Company”. This debut novel was a wild ride and I never knew what was coming next!

Also loved by Abigail!

A fascinating, layered exploration of a future that is bleak but also brimming with life. I found Ply to be both a cautionary tale about, and an ode to, technology, humanity, and nature. This novel is full of music and science, has an incredible collection of colorful characters, and will definitely keep you wondering and questioning.

Two young women with special talents enter Radcliffe College in the 1950s where they’re soon welcomed into a secret society. As women from their group go missing, it appears the witch trials of the past may not be completely over. An atmospheric tale of female friendship and power.

Also loved by Katie!

Part musings on the duty of fiction and the role of literary criticism, part romance? Sign me up! Bad Words is the story of Parker, whose highly-anticipated debut novel flopped after a scathing review, and Selina, the respected critic who insists her review wasn’t personal. When their reputations in the public eye flip, they find themselves drawn together once again. For readers of literary fiction and romance alike!

Also loved by Abigail and Katie!

A emotionally grueling story told through a cozy sketchbook style, this manga is inspired by the real life stories of the Himeyuri Corps, a group of Japanese student nurses during World War II.

To no one’s surprise, Emma Cline has done it again! Switzy follows David, who struggles with early onset dementia, on his painfully tender journey to assisted suicide. Cline has a talent for showing the ugliest sides of humanity with profound honesty and compassion, and this book is no exception.

In 1993, Irvine Welsh introduced the world to the darkly comedic world of Trainspotting. Three decades later, Welsh pulls us back in the world of Trainspotting with Men in Love, a direct sequel of the original novel. If you’re feeling mischievous, the follow these ragtag group of ne’er do wells from Edinburgh in the late 1980’s as they navigate love, sex, and debauchery.

Jodi Picoult, a master storyteller of contemporary fiction, does it again. This time the story revolves around a woman whose mother went missing on 9/11. Now Molly is preparing for the birth of her own child. But as it turns out, things are not always what they seem. This book, with its twists and turns, will keep you in its grip until the very end.

I love everything Christie. I reread the books. I rewatch the films. This was the 1st book written LIKE her that was almost better… don’t tell her. Each chapter from a different character’s POV. And of course, Miss Marple, underestimated observer. Foley creates her remarkably like Christie did. Take a trip to the Swiss Alps, stay at a posh hotel, and spend time with Miss Marple while she sorts it out.

This is a vivid depiction of the importance of family, and the value of education in the Korean community. Sacrifice and devotion….how much is too much?

Mazelle Williams is a star – from child actor to the Silver Screen, but she has a terrifying secret. Part Old Hollywood tale, part monster-in-the-woods horror, Mazywood is a slow-burn saga of Mazelle and her estranged family, and the racism, sexism, inherited trauma, and fear (of the known and unknown) that envelops them.

A poignant manga on being mixed-race, dealing with microaggressions and racism in your country, and trying to find community.

I can’t think of a better way to usher in chilly weather than with these warm, hearty contemporary poems accompanied by soup recipes. What do poetry and soup have in common? They bring us comfort and a desire to curl up on the couch, but above all else, they bring us connection. Who made this soup, and who wrote this poem? Where do they come from and what is their story?

If you loved Hidden Valley Road or Everything is Tuberculosis, pick this up. Kolker is a genius at explaining complex diseases, medical research, and the human realities of it all. He profiles a family with a high prevalence of FTD (a rare form of dementia) with compassion, extensive research, and a mix of hopefulness and sorrow that will resonate with anyone who has been affected by a neurodegenerative disease.

Poetry Unbound‘s Pádraig Ó Tuama has always lived in contradiction. Focusing on the limits of language and the aftershocks of empire, Ó Tuama uses Eden to explore feelings that live between platonic and romantic, religious and secular, passion and rage. He’s a master of the art of intimacies that grow between people. I recommend this to “best men bested and lovers poorly loved.”

If you have been active on social media, you might be familiar with Assal Rad. An activist and a Middle East historian, her social media posts have gone viral from her edits on news headlines that diminish the ongoing destruction of Gaza. In this book, Rad goes in depth on how sanitized language in news headlines from Western media outlets diminishes the severity of the Palestinian struggle. An absolute must-read.

Once a month I join with friends to break bread, craft and connect. It’s a sacred time and I cherish every time I can join. BSW’s newest book is a reminder that creative practices have radical roots and when you find yourself wondering “what can I do?” or “how can I make a difference?” the answer can often be found around a table with friends while making things.

Rock* presents a world in which The Velvet Underground and The Beatles have swapped places, with the former as the biggest band in the world and the latter achieving mere cult status. This butterfly effect results in Jimmy Carter never being elected, The Strokes being held partially responsible for 9/11, and everything in between. A maddeningly hilarious farce, Rock* is pure catnip for the self-professed music snob.

This is an amazing journey. Robert Prevost was a midwestern scholar who could have pursued any career but chose the priesthood during a time of turbulence in the world and the Catholic Church. He spent over a decade in Peru with his pickup truck delivering aid and services to all people. He was happy there but went when called to the Vatican to eventually become the first American Pope.

Also loved by Kahwit!

In this keepsake collection of essays and poems about trees, each piece is accompanied by an illustration with Holten’s tree alphabet. Each written piece becomes a forest, inviting us into deeper connection, understanding, and creative collaboration with trees and the world they inhabit.

Let’s bring back the parlor game! Designed for all ages, this book is packed with so many fun ideas in which all you need is a pack of cards, paper and pen. My family is obsessed and this book has become my go-to housewarming gift

Stephanie Stalvey explores religious trauma, pressures from evangelical purity culture, romance, redefining faith beyond restriction in a beautiful watercolor graphic memoir. If you grew up evangelical (or religious), have religious trauma, trying to redefine what love means in faith and/or love graphic memoirs, then you got to read this book.

Sando. Sandoitchi. Sandwich. Can’t make it to Chef Ishizuka’s Parisian restaurant? Make some 45 of his sandwiches. Chef Ishizuka inspired me to make milk bread and fill it with all sorts of delectable things. Constructing these sandos requires thoughtful compositions that create delightful outcomes. Making them for guests is a worthwhile endeavor resulting in conversations over pleasing creations.

What says Fall better than curses, crows, and demon possession? Newly freed from bondage, world-weary Cazaril wants to live quietly. Instead, he becomes tutor to the royal heiress–whose family is getting picked off by a generations-long curse. This is one of my all-time favorites with a lovingly crafted world, darkly humorous protagonist, and nuanced fictional religion. Highly recommend for epic fantasy fans!

American Psycho but Victorian?! What more is there to say? An English governess finds herself taking care of the children of her manor all the while hiding her murderous intent. If you’re a fan of period dramas, dark comedies, and/or slashers flicks, then this one is right up your alley. It’s also coming out with a film adaptation soon!

A man and his three daughters are living alone on a small island off the coast of Antarctica when an unknown woman washes ashore. This book beautifully explores the great mysteries of family life, and is also an ode to the most endangered landscapes on earth.

Helen of Troy is reimagined as a Tennessee housewife in the early ’90s. With clever and captivating poetry, I became enthralled with Helen’s small town life. Have you ever tried taking a child to Chuck E. Cheese? It’s not easy. Poems full of nostalgic experiences and ancient, buried feelings. This is amazing for people wanting to try something new or reignite an old poetry fling…

You still have time to read the book before the movie comes out, and I really think you should! Ishiguro creates a remarkably compelling character in Klara, an Artificial Friend that Josie, a human girl, selects to be her companion. Questions of technology, friendship, love, and sacrifice emerge as Klara navigates the often unforgiving world around her and wrestles with internal conflicts that feel startlingly human.

Also loved by Kahwit!

First Editions Club: October Selection

Love, Parnassus: October Selection

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.