Edison’s Ghosts: The Untold Weirdness of History’s Greatest Geniuses by Katie Spalding You know their names. You might even know their famous accomplishments. But do you know how truly, well, weird they were? Probably not – which is exactly where mathematician and author Katie Spalding shines. Pulling back the layers of reverence that surround well-known … Read more
Yellowface by R.F. Kuang “Bad Art Friend” meets psychological thriller in this pacy, satirical page-turner. June Hayward is a struggling author whose debut novel flopped. Her college friend, Athena Liu, is a bestselling author who just landed a Netflix deal. When Athena dies in an accident, June finds herself in possession of the secret manuscript … Read more
American Mermaid by Julia Langbein This splashy debut novel is part Hollywood satire, part girl-power eco-thriller. High school English teacher Penny moves to LA for the summer to adapt her bestselling novel into a movie. In Penny’s book, also called American Mermaid, protagonist Sylvia is an asexual engineer who discovers that her disability—she has chronic … Read more
Saturday Night at the Lakeside Supper Club by J. Ryan Stradal It seems natural that Ned and Mariel would end up together. After all, they were both raised in the Midwest by families with deep ties to the restaurant community. But the similarities end there. While Ned’s family helms the chain restaurant empire Jorby’s, Mariel … Read more
No Two Persons by Erica Bauermeister At first glance, you might not understand the connection between the theme of this novel – the magic and power of story – and its title — No Two Persons. Inspired by the familiar adage “no two persons ever read the same book,” Bauermeister plays with structure to create … Read more
Romantic Comedy by Curtis Sittenfeld As a writer for late-night comedy show “The Night Owls”, Sally’s career is pretty much her life, and she’s okay with it. Between working long hours and catering to celebrity ego, there’s little time for romance, which Sally figures is fine, since she’s had her share of heartbreak. When musician … Read more
Much Ado About Nada by Uzma Jalalludin Canadian author Uzma Jalaluddin is known for contemporary romances that recast classic stories with fresh, modern settings and people. Her latest novel, Much Ado About Nada, is no exception. Inspired by Jane Austen’s Persuasion, Jalaluddin takes the Regency comedy of manners into the Muslim community in a glitzy … Read more
A Fever in the Heartland: The Ku Klux Klan’s Plot to Take Over America, and the Woman Who Stopped Them by Timothy Egan Seattle author Timothy Egan is adept at bringing history to life for readers, often identifying little-known people whose lives played a pivotal role in “how it all turned out.” His recently published book, “A … Read more
Ducks: Two Years in the Oil Sands by Kate Beaton Katie loves her hometown of Cape Breton, Nova Scotia. But growing up, she knows that one day she must leave to find work elsewhere. Over grayscale drawings of the island’s coastline, she tells us: “I learn that I can have opportunity or I can have … Read more
Confidence by Rafael Frumkin Ezra Green is a smart, bored high schooler who winds up in juvie for selling fake drugs to his classmates. It’s there he meets Orson: charming, ambitious, opportunistic. They become friends, then roommates, then business partners—though Ezra never gives up hope that their relationship will become something deeper. Their series of … Read more