The riveting latest from O’Connor (Shadowplay), the first in a trilogy, chronicles the meticulous planning and execution of the escape of hundreds of Allied prisoners and Jews hiding in Vatican City during WWII. It’s December 1943 and Monsignor Hugh O’Flaherty and seven associates who refer... Continue reading »

What lines, if any, shouldn’t be crossed to save humanity from extinction? That question is at the heart of this stunning postapocalyptic thriller from bestseller Smith (Child 44). Twenty years after an alien invasion has decimated Earth’s human population, those who remain have been strugg... Continue reading »

Hugo and Nebula Award winner Kingfisher (What Moves the Dead) goes Southern gothic (Waffle House visits included) in this hilarious and gruesome contemporary horror novel. After archaeoentomologist Sam Montgomery’s dig gets put on hold, she drives to her deceased grandmother’s house in rura... Continue reading »

For this fun and raucous rom-com, Scott (Fake) places accessible characters in realistic situations then gilds the whole with just a hint of the fantastic. Fiercely independent, fashion-minded social media manager Susie is still recovering from both a bad breakup and the sudden death of her... Continue reading »

This innovative graphic memoir from MariNaomi (Turning Japanese) sifts through a meditative ghost story of sorts, taking the form of a scrapbook-esque investigation into why a close friendship from the cartoonist’s youth abruptly ended. Mari and Jodie meet in high school in the late ’80s. B... Continue reading »

Hillman (Extra Hidden Life, among the Days) wades provocatively into the strange times and stresses of contemporary human (and nonhuman) life. These poems turn their boundless attention on physical and interior landscapes to explore the relationship between experience and one’s capacity to ... Continue reading »

Jane Austen fans will delight in this nimble series launch from Klassen (Shadows of Swanford Abbey). In 1819, the four Summers sisters face reduced circumstances after their father’s untimely death, and they move into a seaside home in Sidmouth, England. Their mother is ill and the family i... Continue reading »

Lincoln’s victory at the 1860 Republican national convention was one of the most improbable in American political history, according to this comprehensive and often riveting account. Historian Achorn (Every Drop of Blood) offers sharp assessments of Lincoln’s rivals for the nomination, incl... Continue reading »

Keeper recipes should bring chefs joy, writes Smitten Kitchen blogger Perelman (Smitten Kitchen Every Day) in this fuss-free collection that aims to make “food more reliably delicious.” Those on offer here cover a range of options, from weeknight fare to more elaborate offerings, a... Continue reading »

Essayist Iyer (A Beginner’s Guide to Japan) visits regions of religious import in this immersive and profound survey of earthly paradises. “I’d begun to wonder what kind of paradise can ever be found in a world of unceasing conflict—and whether the very search for it might not simply aggrav... Continue reading »

Ibrahim’s superbly written fantasy debut, the first in a series, follows 17-year-old Imani on a quest to find her missing, traitorous older brother. Imani is the youngest Shield in history, an individual who wields magic to combat djinn and other mythical beings threatening the safety of the hidden ... Continue reading »