Ann Patchett's Blog

We just might have saved the best for our last staff pick post of the year. Cryptid babies, dogs with jobs, tired lions, and more are featured in our November roundup for the young and young at heart. Plan ahead for winter break and snag some new reads! And don’t forget to scroll all the way down to see this month’s subscription box picks. Sprout (picture books), Spark (middle grade), and ParnassusNext (young adult) make wonderful holiday gifts for readers of all ages!

I see your puppies and kitties and raise you ADORABLE cryptid babies. Snoring dragons, yawning jackalopes, chomping Nessies – I am truly obsessed. So cute!

Blanca Gómez’s bright, playful illustrations are a perfect pair to the whimsical poetry of E.E. Cummings in this celebration of the seasons.

Zookeeper Amos McGee and his animal friends prepare for the snow in this delightful return to one of my favorite books. It may make you want to be snowed in with Amos and the zoo animals with mugs full of hot chocolate with plenty of marshmallows.

Also loved by Abigail!

We all love dogs with jobs! Follow Ingrid (a real-life guide dog!) as she learns to be the smartest, cutest, most amazing guide dog ever and help her new person go on lots of adventures.

Also loved by Rachel!

A girl with overwhelming emotions creates an origami boat and journeys to the sea where she can feel free in this delightfully whimsical picture book.

This true story of a giant train station clock that gets a new life. Perfect for kids preparing a trip to Paris!

Lion and I have a lot in common. Neither of us want to get out of bed. Will his family be able to convince him to get up and enjoy the day?

For our final lap around the Track series… author Jason Reynolds takes us back to the 1980s, where we meet Otie Brody, the fastest sprinter for the Defenders. Fans of the Track series finally get to meet Otie, AKA Coach, and learn about the hardships, triumphs, and big laughs that made him who he is today. Don’t walk! Don’t run! SPRINT faster than Carl Lewis to go read it! (I highly recommend on audio, too)

This isn’t a book. It’s a teleportation device that sends you to thirteen of the best museums in the world! From the depths of the ocean to the beauty of the art world, each museum is a journey through time and space, creativity and connection.

Mallory is a self-proclaimed expert on the infamous Count Bastien Saphir. She’s also a self-proclaimed witch. One of these is true. When she accepts a fee to banish the late count from the mansion he continues to haunt, everything is under control, until someone dies. Romantasy and a murder mystery, layered with lots of banter.

Things at Brighton and Hove boarding school are always mysterious. When Effy is invited to the elite January arts course, to be taught by a renowned author and actress, she has no idea what she’s getting into. And when their teacher starts daring them to dangerous things, she wonders if they’ll make it out.

Finley is just getting settled in Alaska again after four years in the lower 48, until a house party turns deadly in this thriller full of icy suspense,

Luc and Charlotte return in the stunning conclusion to the Waking Hearts duology. Outlaw Charlotte and her lavender scarecrow Worth are staging a rebellion, but someone in their group is not who they seem in this YA fantasy inspired by The Three Musketeers.

Did you know beaches are made of fish poop? Read this for shark facts delivered in wonderfully funny illustrations, and learn more about the ocean and its creatures!

When Liz dies shortly before her 16th birthday, she doesn’t have a boyfriend or a driver’s license. Now she’s in Elsewhere, an afterlife much like the world of the living where everyone ages backward. Can Liz still experience the joys of growing up without growing older? I missed this surreal, witty book when it came out 20 years ago, but it was such a delight to discover in 2025!

The timeless story of a magical nanny is “practically perfect in every way” now that it’s accompanied by the charming, quirky collage art of Lauren Child in this beautiful gift edition.

Elwood McGee knows ghosts like coffee and can be nervous when spotted in the wild. He knows because he can see them, and there is one ghost he really wants to see one last time in this charming middle grade novel, now out in paperback.

This adventure is based on the secret Bletchley Park where cryptologists decoded the German Enigma machine and helped win WWII. Now that this upper middle grade book is released in paperback it can be enjoyed by any reader who enjoys exciting intrigue and smart characters.

The November 2025 Sprout Book Club selection is Gather Grateful by Megan Litwin and Alexandra Finkeldey. The animals and people begin to prepare for the fall as they gather in groups, together and apart, in this beautifully illustrated tribute to togetherness in the autumn.

Early praise for the book:

“A spellbinding, festive tale of community.” – Kirkus, starred review

Sprout Book Club is the book subscription box for picture book lovers. Every month members will receive a first edition picture book.  Set up a subscription for yourself or buy a gift membership for your favorite picture book lover for 3, 6, or 12 months. 

The November 2025 Spark Book Club selection is The Free State of Jax by Jennifer A. Nielsen. After Jax moves in with his aunt, uncle, and their six children, things don’t go well. They’re all bullies. Jax takes a raft and floats onto the lake nearby, declaring a micronation, The Free State of Jax, with him as the only citizen. He is happy, but his family will do anything to get him back. There’s a mystery to be solved and secrets to uncover, but it will take all of his courage and possibly, the loss of his freedom.

Early Sparks for the novel:

“A funny, fast-paced coming-of-age adventure mystery about one lonely boy’s quest to claim agency over his own out-of-control life.” – Shelf Awareness

Spark Book Club is the first editions club for middle grade readers.  Every month members will receive a first edition middle grade novel — plus a letter written by the author especially for club members. Makes a great gift for the independent reader! Sign ups are available for 3, 6, or 12 months.

The November 2025 ParnassusNext selection is The House Saphir by Marissa Meyer. Mallory Fontaine is a fraud. She and her sister support themselves by selling fake spells and giving tours of the Saphir mansion where a murder took place. The fates align with an offer for Mallory and her sister to rid the Saphir’s country estate of the murderous count’s ghost. A paid vacation in the country offered by a handsome young count? The Fontaine sisters accept immediately, but things are not as they seem at the estate in this atmospheric retelling of Bluebeard.

Early praise for the novel:

“Meyer takes the classic French folktale “Bluebeard” and expertly sprinkles in ghosts and otherworldly creatures to create an eerie tale with a side of steamy romance. The characters are full-bodied, possessing either winsome or terrifying auras, while the setting beautifully conveys a bewitching ambiance.” – Kirkus, starred review

ParnassusNext is the book subscription box for YA lovers. Every member of ParnassusNext receives a first edition hardcover of each month’s selected book, signed by the author. There is no membership fee to join — and no line to stand in for the autograph. Not only will you have one of the best YA books of the month when it comes out, you’ll have it straight from the author’s hands, with an original, authentic signature! Set up a subscription for yourself or buy a gift membership for your favorite YA reader for 3, 6, or 12 months.

How can it already be time for our last round of 2025 staff picks? It seems like just yesterday we were gearing up for a year of great new releases. The bad news: we won’t be doing another traditional set of staff picks post until next year. The good news: our booksellers are far from done helping you find fantastic new reads! Take our annual holiday catalog, for instance. It features all of our favorite books of the year, plus some fun bookish merch items. And if you want to keep up with all things Parnassus and get weekly recs in your inbox, sign up for our email newsletter! As always, tomorrow will be our children’s and young adult staff picks post. We’ll see you again in February!

A sprawling, epic Polynesian tale. Follow intertwined plotlines and islands bound together by fate and tradition. Intelligent, well-researched, and beautifully executed, this was a standout favorite of mine this year.

British writer Penelope’s real trip to Mexico in 1952 to claim an inheritance she desperately needed, only to find several others had the same idea. Vivid setting, characters, this novel will resonate with historical fiction fans….I loved it!

Another hit by Brandon Taylor! Wyeth is an artist in New York City struggling with his artistic purpose until he meets Keating, an ex-Jesuit similarly struggling with his inner ethos. Do you like art? Did school mess up how you observe and internalize the world around you? Then read this book.

Want to read a locked train car mystery with a “didn’t see that coming” plot twist? This is it. Agatha is an author whose husband sends her on a first-class train ride as a present, giving her time away to write. Or so he thinks. She has other plans until the train breaks down in a storm and a passenger is murdered.

Members of the prestigious sorority House have everything: beauty, success, and most importantly, a seat at the table. But there’s more to the House’s members than meets the eye… Fans of Yellowjackets and psychological thrillers will absolutely devour this book (no pun intended). After all, you have to love the food.

Also loved by Rachel & Abigail!

You know the feeling of being reincarnated across lifetimes and doomed to live out the same fate with the lady knight you fell in love with? Maybe this time you could end the cycle? Maybe you won’t be doomed by the narrative? Maybe your suffering will finally be worth something?

Also loved by Katie!

This novella focuses on a few residents at the Biedermeier Hotel. Holidays change one thing: available work, Broadway show ushers or Nutcracker costume helpers. One resident starts a male escort service for women in social clubs, Daughters of the American Revolution to Mayflower Society. Add in sky high phone bills, a jewelry theft, and estranged family members. A delightful holiday read transporting you to 1964 NYC.

From cult favorite Mark Z. Danielewski, Tom’s Crossing is a western odyssey unlike anything you’ve ever read. Concerning the fate of two children and the horses they steal to save from slaughter, what follows is a carefully constructive narrative in which no good deed goes unpunished. Sweeping, brutal, staggeringly immersive, and practically mythical in nature, Tom’s Crossing is a genuine epic for our times.

Latronico perfectly captures the dark comedy of trying to grow up in modern world: every step forward is met with a sense of guilt and two steps back; vacations that you’re determined to love but only leave you more tired in the end; a dead end job with a cool title and no security; and of course, a lot of very fashionable coffees along the way.

A tragic time-loop of gender nonconforming love versus the violent greed of fascism. Holding this book is like holding a beating heart– fascinating, terrifying, and life altering.

Also loved by Raegyn & Katie!

Great acts of love are measured in the lengths we go to to inconvenience ourselves for others. Palaver follows a Texas-born son estranged from his Jamaican immigrant mother as he searches for queer found family in Tokyo. An unannounced reunion in Japan just before Christmas sets the mother and son’s heartbreak and healing into motion. Longlisted for the National Book Award.

The Scottish Highlands. A crumbling castle. Rival book hunters. A house with secrets. Puzzles. A hidden treasure. It’s all here and it makes for a charming story.

This is the story of a man who lives with his mother in an apartment in Beirut trying to get some much needed privacy, but it meanders across continents and decades to paint a portrait of the loving, frustrating, complicated relationship between mother and son. It’s hilarious! It’s heartbreaking! It’s a National Book Award finalist! It’s written by my former professor, but I’d still love it even if it wasn’t!

Sophie Hannah brings Hercule Poirot back, and Agatha Christie would be pleased. 1923. New Year’s Eve. Poirot and Inspector Catchpool arrive at a Greek island where each resident shares a resolution, including one that predicts a murder. Poirot came to look after another resident whose life was threatened. Will that guest be next? Will Poirot and Catchpool be able to solve one murder before another happens?

How can you begin to understand your mother, especially when she’s gone? Gish Jen is back with a gut-wrenching novel that blends fact and fiction to grapple with her relationship with her mother. Equal parts scathing, funny, and painfully sympathetic, this is a must read.

Also loved by Genevieve!

If the Pink Panther movies could be turned into a graphic novel set in outer space, this is it. Inspector Clouseau is Vega who has to retrace his steps to find his keys so he can go home to Earth. He goes back to the planets he visited to see what he did to them. A comedy and a satire, this book has a message to tell, but it does it in a humorous way.

Her first published work since Go Set a Watchman, dive into this collection of Lee’s fabulous essays and short stories. Some previously published, some new, all fantastic. A perfect early Christmas pick for the Southern lit fic fan in your life.

Also loved by Ella!

A sweeping and engaging chronicle of Black-owned bookstores and their revolutionary roles in American culture and history. Adams expertly traces the timeline of their roots and resilience, and includes photos, references, and interviews with the people who ignited the spark. This is required reading for all.

This book was like sitting down for a warm cup of tea and listening to Sue Monk Kidd tell stories about writing, family, love, and how to live a beautiful life. My heart needed this book, especially now. I know I will revisit it again and again.

Also loved by Abigail!

Deep and powerful, this collection of the infamous Persian mystic’s work is just as moving as the element the title refers to.

In my head, Kate Baer is my wise older sister who isn’t afraid to be honest with me about womanhood, motherhood, and the human experience. In each poem, Baer leads us to a door, and despite our own expectations of what’s on the other side, every door opens to a mirror. Over and over, Baer’s words lead us back to ourselves. It somehow feels like a surprise every time.

Also loved by Abigail!

To hunt and to be hunted. To haunt and to be haunted. This quiet, contemplative work by Kieron Walquist asks readers to consider how rural space, culture, and politic impact the queer body. Focusing on the ever-looming violence, addiction, and desires found in our familiar American landscapes, Walquist breaks heavy topics wide open, yet their stunning language leaves you feeling punched in the gut.

If you’ve ever been online, well – bad news, friends. It’s not good. Your information is now very much not-private. Learn the terrifying ways that companies/conglomerates/cartels(?) gather and exploit your personal data to further their financial (world domination) goals. And why things are getting SO much worse.

From the acclaimed chef and author of Blood, Bones & Butter (read that if you haven’t already!), this new memoir takes a more in-depth look into Hamilton’s unconventional childhood, complex family dynamics, and personal highs and lows. Raw and compelling, and beautifully written.

Take a trip back a few millennia and see how our ancestors lived. Experiential archeologists give us this opportunity! Across centuries and continents – learn how cultures thrived, died, and adapted. Fascinating adventures await!

Atwood takes us through her life starting with her childhood living with nature in remote Canada. This early life gave her space to draw and write poems; the book is full of these plus photos. People that she met became pieces of the characters in her novels. She is generous in her sharing and you will want to read or reread her amazing collection.

It’s all happening! This memoir is an honest, unmerciful, and unflinching look at Cameron Crowe–both the man and the music that made him. Crowe’s powerful and whip-smart writing will leave his stories of the 1970s stuck in your head like all those sticky tunes that raised us. Plus, you will never look at the color turquoise again without wanting to weep. Thank you, Cameron, for being the same kind of uncool as me.

Tempting inspiration for vegetable-forward dishes from author of Tenderheart. I could cook these creative, well-balanced, and clearly written recipes every night. This volume is perfect for spicing up dinner routines.

Let’s round out our spooky season with this beautiful re-release of The Gilda Stories, originally published in 1991. This sapphic vampire novel kicks off in 1850s Louisiana when Gilda escapes slavery and finds freedom amongst the “blood sharers” in a brothel and spends the next 200 years looking for love, freedom and a place to call home. This book is SO good and a fantastic part of the horror cannon.

A classic story of a human girl trapped in a fae world, competing in deadly trials to gain her freedom and falling in love with fae royalty along the way. A steamy romantasy that is perfect for fans of A Court of Thorns and Roses and Fourth Wing.

This is THE witch book! Reading this will haunt your mind for years to come. P.S. You’ll never see jam the same way…

I love this strange little vibey book. A newly-wed and newly-unemployed woman and her husband move next-door to her in-laws in the Japanese countryside where she is confronted with loneliness and spirits of all kinds.

Every now and then an advanced reader’s copy comes along (those paperback editions that arrive for reviewers and booksellers months and months before the real book comes out) that goes around the backroom of Parnassus like wildfire. One bookseller is reading while another bookseller in waiting with her hand out. This is the way it’s been for the new Lily King novel Heart the Lover. We devoured it, we loved it, we stayed up late to finish so that we could pass it along to the next person in line. I lent my copy (which had already been read by a half a dozen people) to a friend who was going away for the weekend. She came back saying she’d read it twice in three days. When I asked for my copy back, she couldn’t give it to me. She had told another friend about it and that friend had begged for the book. She would read it so fast! She would return it immediately! And she did. And she loved it. Everyone loved it. Because this is a book about being in love, about losing yourself and then struggling to reclaim yourself again. The magic is that it’s written by Lily King, in whose hands love and sex and heartbreak are made into art. I love Lily for this (and really, I love Lily for many reasons), that she gives us the books we want to read and makes them better than we could ever have imagined.

Find a comfortable chair. Once you start, you’re not going to want to get up until you’ve finished.

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.

Julia Song, CEO of Starlight Cosmetics, is at the height of her career. Then why does she feel like such a failure? Maybe because she’s thirty and single, with a terrible track record at dating. And in the eyes of her Korean family, that is just unacceptable. It never really bothered her–that is until her beloved grandmother drops the bomb that she is sick and her dying wish is for Julia to get married. Impossible. So in a moment of weakness, Julia asks her family for help. Set her up on three dates to help her find The One. But it will never work–Julia is undateable. If only there was a coach for that…

Tae Kim knows about the weight of familial expectation. He’s currently unemployed, living in his parents’ basement to care for his ill father. Sure, he’s become somewhat of a fix-it man for the Korean community around town, but that’s not a real job. And the pressure to get his life together is getting to be too much. So when the Julia Song–his childhood crush–asks for his help, it may be just the distraction he needs. He’ll do whatever it takes, even coach her for these three dates. Problem is, the more time they spend together and the closer they get, the more Tae wonders if anyone is good enough for Julia…including him.

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.

Resident fantasy expert and co-host of our Fantasy Readers Guild book club, Rachel Randolph, knows a great fantasy book when she reads one, and she has been dying to share Tasha Suri’s latest novel with you for months. She says, “The Isle in the Silver Sea completely reshaped my idea of the power fantasy has to shape a story and speak to the current state of the world.” A ringing endorsement if we’ve ever heard one! Thank you to Tasha and Rachel for this interview — enjoy!

Rachel Randolph: The Isle in the Silver Sea takes the reader headfirst into a fantastical version of England, where folklore and legends shape a person’s fate, which in turn shapes the nation’s fate. How do you approach worldbuilding when blending historical with mythical?

Tasha Suri: The historical has so often been given mythical treatment by historians, past authors, and propagandists, that it made my job much easier! I knew I wanted the Isle to be time-wobbly, porous and strange, so when I drew on a particular piece of history or historical person I tried to look at the myths and fables that surrounded them. For example, in The Isle in the Silver Sea there is an Eternal Queen. Victorian writers made a myth of Elizabeth I, and many people have since followed suit, so it was easy to build a timeless queen using the tales that have been told about her. The delicious thing about knights or even witches is that they have a historical reality but also a mythical reality. A knight is honourable, pure, chivalrous. A knight is also a soldier, an instrument of the state, bound to the dubious power of others. I loved tangling those two strands together. 

RR: On Instagram, you offered some context for the anger that drove you to write this book, citing the Windrush scandal and the erasure of historical documents to control a culture. You worked this idea into the start of each chapter with political documents under review. How does that structure lend itself to this story? What was it like writing the excerpts?

TS: The excerpts were one of the last things I wrote, but also the easiest. Archives are core to the story, just like they are to history and to politics. What we choose to remember, to record, to preserve, shapes the future’s perception of the present. I first learned that when I was researching the 18th century for another story I was working on, and was confronted with how much hadn’t been archivally preserved about immigrant communities that had absolutely, definitively existed. I always wondered what we’d lost: the letters, the oral storytelling, the pamphlets. In The Isle in the Silver Sea, I decided if the State was going to control what people could say or read, well—I wanted to show what the State destroyed! So the excerpts are little voices that expand the world of the Isle, for readers who want to delve a little deeper. 

RR: Yearning romantic subplots are often sought after by readers as a form of escapism, especially in brutal political times. In this book, you give readers the (perfect!) yearning they crave, but build it on top of a story about the very horrors they might be trying to “escape”. What do you think about reading for escapism in a time when fascism is on the rise and book bans are increasingly popular?

TS: I think ignoring fascism and ignoring the state of the world are a privilege not all of us are afforded. But there’s a difference between ‘ignoring’ and giving yourself time to breathe and recover your strength before you dive back into the political waves. Reading for escapism can be a kindness to yourself and a respite. I also think escapism is built on what we as people find safe or freeing—which are inherently political concepts! The Isle in the Silver Sea is a story of queer love and queer family, and that’s escapism, but I hope it’s the kind of escapism that replenishes the soul.

RR: What are the benefits of using the fantasy genre to tell a story with allusions to modern political issues?

TS: I’m not sure fantasy has any benefit over any other genre, when it comes to engaging with modern political issues. It’s just the way I find it easiest to express how I feel. There are authors who know how to speak about assimilation and nationalism directly. I find it easier to talk about it all through the medium of ink, tales, magic. Maybe fantasy allows you to use big metaphors to express how it all feels—-the grief, the joy, the desire for something better, the fear of the dark pit of a bad political path. 

RR: Do you find that the publishing industry supports work that challenges the status quo? Did you face any hardships in getting this story out there?

TS: I’m lucky to have a supportive publishing team that understood what I was trying to do. I think the publishing industry is inherently interested in money, which means it can be regressive and traditional and focused on stories that uphold the status quo, sure. But there are also people doing interesting work across the industry. I know I’ve been lucky to have worked with a number of BIPOC editors who advocated for me, as have many other wonderful people I’ve been lucky enough to work with.

RR: Were there any characters or scenes you loved that you had to cut from the novel? How does editing shape a novel, compared to how it can shape political “truths”?

TS: There wasn’t much I had to cut, I was very lucky! Sometimes I wish I could have written a little from the perspective of the cat Mal, if I’m honest, but it would have derailed the novel a little. (She’s just so cute.) As for editing—I think editing fiction is hopefully about making the novel sing more true. It’s about making the message within—the themes and politics of the novel—shine more brightly. 

RR: What novels or works served as points of inspiration for The Isle in the Silver Sea ?

TS: Absolutely Witches Abroad by Terry Pratchett, although I don’t have his wonderful humour! I was also inspired by Mythago Wood. Their treatment of the power of stories really spoke to me. I also drew on Arthuriana as an inspiration, from Le Morte d’Arthur to Chrétien de Troyes. The poem La Belle Dame Sans Merci also features heavily, and The Faerie Queene. And finally, the anime Sailor Moon. You have that to thank for part two of the novel. 

RR: And finally, do you have a favorite memory from time spent in an independent bookstore? 

TS: When I was a young teenager, I went to Gay’s the Word for the first time, a famous, longstanding LGBTQ+ independent bookshop in London. As a young queer woman that store, its tender and thoughtful curation, and its bookselling team, were a revelation and a lifeline for me. I had never felt so welcome among books. Every time I go into an independent bookshop I’m reminded of how thoughtful curation and bookselling can create a space that changes lives.

‘Tis the season for spooky reads, and if you think about it, scary stories are a gift. What better way to experience something a little frightening than from the safety of a book, with a thoughtful and intentional author to guide you forward? Books are a wonderful entry point to the world for young readers, whether they’re about something scary or something you just don’t know much about. Heck, sometimes the things we don’t know about can seem the scariest! We hope you’ll find something new to explore in these staff-approved reads.

This board book shows the daily activities of children and animals, with playful comparisons.

Finn is a ghost, one who just so happens to be afraid of almost everything: tree branches, flying, even the color orange. But after yet another Halloween without being able to enjoy his favorite candy, he decides it’s finally time to overcome his fears. A spectacular read for spooky season, The Ghost Who Was Afraid of Everything is an inspiring tale of conquering what scares you, even if you’re a ghost.

Parnassus shop dogs are friends…except when treats are involved…then it’s who can get there first! This is a book about friends, pretend dog friends, who have their own ideas but find a way to make friendship more important. Maybe that is more important than treats.

My all-time favorite picture book gets a sequel! The Bakery Dragon and the Fairy Cake is the perfect addition to the world Devin Elle Kurtz has created. I feel like I grew up with The Bakery Dragon because of its nostalgic whimsy and heart-touching allure! I wish I could live inside these pages!

Some say that the Night Giant isn’t real, but if he only enters the village when everyone is sound asleep, how can anyone be sure? For those who know where to look, there are signs of his presence all around. Free from watching eyes, the mischievous Night Giant can do whatever he wants. Read this book to find out what the curious, playful, friendly Night Giant does while we’re all sleeping.

I dare you to say “Penny Penguin” out loud and not giggle!

Have you ever wondered what it’s like to sing at the Grand Ole Opry? This delightful picture book takes readers backstage and into the famous circle onstage. There are beautiful illustrations and archival photos throughout.

Meet Piccolo, the cheerful shrew who sips espresso and zips around picture-perfect Italy on his scooter. He’s on his way to get his favorite gelato, but keeps running into friends asking for his help. I’m obsessed with this sweet story about community, kindness, and how nice it would be to just be a little shrew wearing a scarf and a tweed hat.

Tiny T-Rex makes blunders, dropping things and falling over, but he’s fine and all is well! Love the latest installment of little dinosaur’s adventures at school.

It was a dark and stormy night….when 2 brothers are woken by a scary sound! This delightful read a loud has few illustrations and instead uses graphically designed words to help little imaginations run wild. The creaks and groans will keep little ones guessing to determine if it’s a monster….or something else making all that racket!

Vibrant, graphic-style illustrations and rhythmic text both jump (ollie?) off the pages in this poetic ode to the joy of skateboarding.

A delightful follow-up to Strictly No Elephants, this is a sweet story about being truly welcoming to all. This would be a great readaloud for children of all ages.

Also loved by Aly & Rachel!

This sweeping adventure story takes readers from Ancient China to New York’s Chinatown in the 1930s. Han Yu’s 1,000 mile journey to save his family’s livelihood and Luli’s determination to save her family’s home with the help of her friends are intertwined on a parallel path. This story shines with heart and determination.

Stella and Marigold are back at it again with all the humor, warmth, mischief, and imagination of the first book. When the sisters are gifted notebooks to make lists of all of their “besties,” they brainstorm plans to make as many best friends as possible. What could go wrong?

Also loved by Abigail!

Anyone who bakes knows and loves King Arthur- and now they have a very fun book for young bakers! Whether you have never picked up a rubber spatula before or want to try out a new recipe, this has something for everyone. Perfect for kids who are independent but might need some adult supervision to help with things like using a shredder or taking hot pans out of the oven.

A shoemaker finds tiny Evangeline in the toe of an old boot. Their lives are full of joy, until the shoemaker’s wife sends Evangeline away. Her perilous journey to reunite with her adopted father requires bravery and the help of a marmalade cat and another new friend. There is a satisfying conclusion in this magical fairy tale by Kate DiCamillo with delightful illustrations by Sophie Blackall.

Also loved by Cheryl & Hannah P.!

Story of a rescued octopus by a boy who has just moved to the island. It helps him meet new friends, one being a vet’s daughter who had raised a chimpanzee. Filled with octopus characteristics, it also addresses the fact that wild animals are hard to keep.

Luna and her family have moved into yet another house to flip, but this time the ghosts may be real? Toeing the line of being just spooky enough, A Little Too Haunted is a heartfelt novel about fitting in while standing up for what you believe in. I really loved the representation in this novel!

Every kid (or kid at heart!) should read Howl’s Moving Castle at least once! A beloved classic that stands apart from the (also fabulous) Studio Ghibli movie adaptation, this book is wonderfully whimsy and sure to get young readers hooked in no time.

Crazy story of a 12 year old boy who has been raised since birth by his grandfather in a retirement community. With new ownership, the boy and his grandfather could be evicted because of the rent increase. He helps a retired mobster escape to make money and has the scariest and the most fun of his life.

In the fall of 1888, two teenage Salvation Army volunteers in Manhattan’s Bowery cross paths with Jack the Ripper after his escape to America. A Medusa unleashes her vengeance upon the evil ones terrorizing the city. This is a true crime story crossed with mythical beings that only Julie Berry could tell!

Kieran’s boyfriend wants to take a break, so a flustered Kieran accidentally curses said boyfriend. In order to prove himself to the Council and keep his magic, he swears to find a Cure-All for every sort of curse and heads off with his sister, her girlfriend, and a swoony crewmate named Sebastion. Filled with misadventures and found family!

Hold on tight, spider monkeys, it’s the 20th anniversary of Twilight! Fall unconditionally and irrevocably in love with Stephanie Meyer’s debut novel that changed the lives of fangirls everywhere.

The October 2025 Sprout Book Club selection is While We Wait by Bea Johnson. Two siblings accompany their mom on an all-day outing while waiting for dad to return home. They visit the market, make friends, and get caught in a rainstorm in this delightful picture book of a family’s typical day.

Early praise for the book:

“A cozy tale of youngsters discovering ways to have fun while also learning the importance of patience.” – Kirkus

Sprout Book Club is the book subscription box for picture book lovers. Every month members will receive a first edition picture book.  Set up a subscription for yourself or buy a gift membership for your favorite picture book lover for 3, 6, or 12 months. 

The October 2025 Spark Book Club selection is Dragonborn by Struan Murray. Dragons live among us and twelve-year-old Alex is one of them. A new school on the island of Skralla, new friends, and training are exciting, but Alex’s full powers haven’t appeared. As the greatest dragon of all rises to battle humans, Alex is in a race against the clock to join the fight.

Early Sparks for the novel:

“Come for the dragons but stay for the suspenseful reveals and relatable characters.” – Kirkus

Spark Book Club is the first editions club for middle grade readers.  Every month members will receive a first edition middle grade novel — plus a letter written by the author especially for club members. Makes a great gift for the independent reader! Sign ups are available for 3, 6, or 12 months.

The October 2025 ParnassusNext selection is King of the Neuro Verse by Idris Goodwin. This joyful novel-in-verse stars Pernell, a rising senior and member of the three-time summer school club. This summer Pernell battles to become the Cypher King, leader of the lunchroom’s impromptu rap circle, where his ADHD is an advantage. After the rap circle is shut down by the administration, a digital recorder gifted to him by his crush Electra gives him a new outlet for expression and a way forward in summer school in this humorous novel.

Early praise for the novel:

“Resonates with a relatable celebration of finding­—and advocating for­—one’s passions and oneself.” – Publisher’s Weekly

ParnassusNext is the book subscription box for YA lovers. Every member of ParnassusNext receives a first edition hardcover of each month’s selected book, signed by the author. There is no membership fee to join — and no line to stand in for the autograph. Not only will you have one of the best YA books of the month when it comes out, you’ll have it straight from the author’s hands, with an original, authentic signature! Set up a subscription for yourself or buy a gift membership for your favorite YA reader for 3, 6, or 12 months.

We’re still (not so patiently) waiting for fall weather to arrive here in Nashville, but that hasn’t stopped the big fall releases from hitting our shelves! We have some spine-tingling titles for you this month, if you’re so inclined, with plenty of options for all you scaredy cats too. Presumably, we’ll eventually reach curl-up-under-a-blanket-with-a-good-book season, so stock up now!

No one is writing literary romance like Lily King! Heart the Lover is everything I love about King’s writing–it’s vulnerable, swoony, and beautiful. I inhaled this novel, then immediately went back and reread Writers & Lovers, and now my heart is full.

Also loved by Abigail & Genevieve!

The length was necessary to follow these two star crossed lovers as they attract and push away through the years. The reader wants to advise, cheer, and warn as they watch this story play out. Hard to leave them.

Also loved by Patsy!

Mona Awad brings us back to the darkly humorous world of the Bunnies once again and I could not love it more! A sequel, a prequel, and a stand-alone novel, time to get to know your favorite unhinged fiction-writing graduate students and how they became Bunny.

Also loved by Abigail & Jenness!

When a demonic presence awakens in a silver mine in Mexico, Alba finds salvation in the one man she shouldn’t trust. Horrifying and grotesque, this is Isabel Cañas’s bloodiest book and it left me a little bit scarred. But I am a sucker for everything she writes and this book is too good to pass up. Proceed with caution, and maybe sleep with some holy water by your bed.

Tightly bound in the grit and grime of the late 80s rock scene, each chapter of Hot Wax crescendos to a bloody revelation in this slow-burn, atmospheric father-daughter story. M.L. Rio truly never disappoints.

Also loved by Abigail & Jenness!

Oh, the drama! Let’s dig into the juicy secrets of the privileged at a New England boarding school! Seems like everyone has at least one, and everyone’s connected. And one by one, an app dishes them all.

Alchemised is an unflinching look at the sins of war. It is 1000 pages of fighting a losing battle at the cost of your soul. It is about the corruption of power, about how war never has a “heroic” side. There are people in power, and there are the ones they abuse, on all sides. It is about the cost of hoping to be remembered or choosing to be forgotten, and it is a necessary book in the wartimes we live in.

Motivated by grief and the need for revenge, a Vietnam War veteran and his moody teenage niece set off to hunt down the vampire who is responsible for tearing their lives & loved ones apart. Coffin Moon is a supernatural and atmospheric chase through the 1970s Pacific Northwest. A great spooky read, perfect for fans of Stephen King and anyone who wishes Charlie Swan (Twilight) had more screen time.

This is the story of a young girl who appears to be losing her sight. Her grandfather takes her once a week to a museum to stare and evaluate one famous painting. It is touching and informative, and don’t throw away the book jacket — it contains each of the pictures explored through the year.

This is the perfect book for anyone who wants to get into the Halloween spirit without jump scares or the ilk. These are beautiful, haunting stories of all kinds of people who may or may not be on the verge of madness.

Jewish folklore meets tortured sapphic yearning in this atmospheric fantasy debut with sentient forest magic. I am so excited to see what Maddie Martinez writes next! She is a fantastic addition to fantasy!

I was worried #4 would be the last in the series. I was thrilled to get my hands on this one. It took me back to when I first met these four. Yes, things have changed. Elizabeth is managing a deep grief. What’s the remedy? A mystery! A wedding. A missing best man. A cold storage security facility. A six digit code. Bitcoin. Charming new characters that need fixing from Joyce. Now I am hoping for #6.

A brilliant, haunting, and essential work of feminist speculative fiction. 40 women live in an underground bunker with no agency and no clear memories. The narrator, young and full of questions, is their key to escape. The author’s own experiences of fleeing Nazi Germany and a career as a psychoanalyst inform this deeply introspective novel that leads readers to its ultimate question: What does it mean to be human?

Also loved by Abigail & Rachel!

A woman loses her memory soon after a surprise wedding she didn’t ask for and thinks she’s a character from a novel. She lands in a seaside town working with a family-owned restaurant when the seeds of her past memory begin to return in this delightful novel of community and reinvention.

An outstanding novella, Novik weaves a timeless fairy tale of all kinds of love overcoming the barriers that the world puts on it. I was bewitched from the beginning. Perfect for lovers of fairytales and unlikely heroes.

Also loved by Rachel!

When the world outside feels like its too much, what is better than a return to Mitford? Your favorite lovable characters are back preparing for the holidays. Look for mishaps and plenty of memories in this latest installment of the series. Jan Karon never misses and this is no exception.

As long as Nghi Vo keeps writing Singing Hills books I will keep staff rec’ing them. This entry is a haunting tale of famine, desperation, and catharsis. (Can be read as a standalone!)

The perfect paranormal romance for Fall. Bookseller Nancy agrees to teach Jack, the town grump, how to date. Who wouldn’t fall for this man that reads your favorite romance novels and takes notes? Little does she know, he is actually the son of Satan and must win over his dream girl before time runs out and he is doomed to work for his father forever. Incredibly cute and spicy as Hell (pun intended).

This is a reissue of Kay Chronister’s debut horror story collection (featuring four new, additional tales!). These stories all stick true to their gothic origin, but are spun in a unique, modern direction that I couldn’t have predicted. If you loved her most recent novel, The Bog Wife, you must read this reissued collection as well!

Quirky, delightful translated Japanese novel. The library keeps together the personal collections of deceased famous writers. It is only open at night. The employees have a dorm and a cook who bases the meal on a book and that is how the chapters are named. The mystery is the name of the owner of the library and who was the anonymous interviewer who sought these odd “librarians” who become a family.

The final installment in Jenna Levine’s hilarious vampire rom-coms, Road Trip with a Vampire is perhaps my favorite in the series. When an amnesiac vampire shows up on the doorstep of Zelda’s yoga studio, our witch-turned-yogi, must decide if she’s willing to come out of hiding to help this fanged hottie. Jenna infuses all of her books with humor and heart. Peter and Zelda are perfect and I love them with my whole chest.

Two strong, competitive women whose lives become intertwined when their children marry. They’re kind-of related, right? The rivalry amps up when a grandchild comes along and they are forced to deal with each other. Lots of love and drama in the lives of all characters….my favorite book of 2025 so far.

I simultaneously wanted to read this one more slowly to savor my time with the compelling, complex characters and read more quickly to see where their stories began and where they were headed. An intriguing family saga with all the right elements: beautiful writing, scenic setting, captivating storyline. Say hello to this lovely debut novel.

This just might be my favorite read of the year. Blending gothic horror, dark academia, and a bit of supernatural mystery, Atlas of Unknowable Things feels like it was made for me. The first half of this story has a slow burn element, but the second half pays off tenfold. Visceral, atmospheric—it’s just so good. October is the perfect time to read this gem!

If you relate to the phrase, “I’m a hater first, a human second,” you’ll fall in love with this break-through, brutal debut by Zoe Dubno. Using no chapters OR paragraph breaks, Dubno quickly submerges us into the cynical and hilariously bitter psyche of our protagonist as she tears her so-called friends apart. They are insufferable, materialistic, phony, and culturally vampiric—but of course, so is she.

We met young Denise in Jen’s last novel, and this time we are we are joining her about two decades later. The fun we had in the first book actually concealed a lot of secrets, and you will not be able to put this novel down! Soccer mom with a wild past – what could go wrong????

The latest installment in my favorite queer mystery series doesn’t disappoint. The most beloved characters are back, plus a variety of curious new faces. Rosen is so good at creating protagonists you want to root for. If you’re not already familiar with P.I. Andy Mills, start with Lavender House and meet me at Mirage City!

This story of a costume mistress in London theatre takes place in just over a week. Rather than repair costumes, she wants to design. She is homesick for Ireland but no longer fits there. She takes control of her life, not someone else’s idea of what it should be.

DON’T WALK AWAY! There’s more to this story: A godling’s silence once cost Vincent everything. Now Matilda will do anything to make it right, even if that means posing as his wife and waging war. Wistful. Enchanting. Devastating. Blood-soaked—this is Rebecca Ross at her best, set in the world of Divine Rivals!

Are you a retired emo kid? Do you need a vacation? Have you ever wanted to go on a celebrity cruise? Then this steamy second-chance romance is the book for you! Follow the singer and guitarist of a temporarily reunited band on their journey through the waves of love while listening to your favorite throwback playlist. (Personally, I recommend Paramore for this read.)

If you like multi-generational family sagas, this is for you. Bonus points if you like reading about Chicago, 1920s gangsters and prohibition. This book is funny, sad and full of heart.

Alice has never gotten over her cousin’s murder. She comes back to her hometown with the hope that she can convince authorities to reopen the murder case that was quickly closed 20 years ago. She is up against the very wealthy and the very protected. She knows who did it. Or does she?

I cannot tell you how much joy Lady Knight Fall is giving me. TSDoL is an old world fantasy that tells the story of a Well and her Mage, two childhood best friends sworn to protect one another in a world torn apart by war. A chivalric slow-burn romance full of secrets, pining and a fascinating magic system. I would do battle for Keir and Grey. I love them so much.

A compelling look at the most heavily coveted job in the world, American Kings examines everything it takes to be a quarterback. Capturing the likes of Joe Namath, Arch Manning, and everyone in between, this book is not just a sports history but a social and cultural history of football and how it impacts us all. Masterfully written, this book contains some of the very best sports writing of the decade so far.

Long live Jill Lepore! In a companion to her equally amazing These Truths, Lepore takes us on a deep dive of the U.S. Constitution, chronicling its arc from inception to amendments to amending the amendments. I am such a fan of her writing–you come to learn about one topic, then learn the most fascinating side stories.

From the uncomfortable (pig farms in Asia growing human organs) to the admirable (traveling doctors in Africa performing corneal transplants), Science Writer to the Masses Mary Roach explore and explains the fascinating trajectory of anatomical advances throughout modern history. So good!

Every single recipe in this book had my little Jersey self salivating. I cannot wait to cook the lemon spaghetti (sigh) or the garlic bread (nom nom) or the canned artichoke pie (gimme gimme gimme). Who wants to come to my house for dinner?

Here is an ode to the earth and humanity as only Mary Oliver can give. Hallelujah for words of hers still left to be read.

A riveting examination of the horror films of the 1970s and their reflections in the feminist movements of the time, Scream With Me is a fascinating look at the intersections of art and life. Covering Rosemary’s Baby, Alien, and more, Johnson convincingly argues that these films are key historical documents. Presenting academic ideas accessibly, Scream With Me is like your favorite film school course in book form.

In her first cookbook since the revolutionary Salt Fat Acid Heat, Samin returns to the page and delivers exactly what this new title promises: good things. From sauces and dressings to an extensive seasonal vegetable guide to all the small and big elements that make gatherings special, every recipe shines with as much color and charisma as the author herself. Flavorful foods and beautiful words abound!

Judge this book by its cover: beguiling, timeless, and deliciously haunting. In 1903 Paris, researcher Sam Harker joins criminal mastermind Dr. Helena Moriarty to hunt the monster staining the city red. But what if the monster isn’t a beast at all? A gothic fantasy where Dracula meets Sherlock Holmes, ready to whisk you away.

A now-adult group of teen detectives is reunited to solve a mystery from their past. If you’re looking for hilarity, mystery, and gore this spooky season, this is the book for you!

Monstrilio packs a one-two punch: a monstrous, magical novel taking you into the second-half of Hispanic Heritage month; and a wild, gory first read of the spooky season. Sámano Córdova reminds us that the greatest horror is found in all-consuming grief; it makes us selfish, desperate, and hungry.

The Loneliness of Sonia and Sunny is 688 pages. By the end, I promise, you will wish it was twice as long. Listen to this:

“The Loneliness of Sonia and Sunny achieves the ultimate of what a book should do: carry us away into other people’s lives, thinking as they think, feeling as they feel, until it comes around and shows us to ourselves. Grand, magnificent, intimate, more than wonderful…” Andrew Sean Greer.

“Brilliant doesn’t begin to describe this novel’s profound illuminative powers.” Junot Diaz.

“This poignant novel—rich with culture, heartbreak, and hope—was an unmitigated joy to read.” Khaled Hosseini.

“A powerful novel by a writer strong enough to pull back together worlds that are being pulled apart.” Mohsin Hamid.

“A novel so wonderful, when I got to the last page, I turned to the first and began again.” Sandra Cisneros.

If anyone asks you if literature still matters, if great books are still being written, go and get your copy of The Loneliness of Sonia and Sunny. Hold it up. This book is the kind of book we wait for, savor, and remember. When I finished, I went back to read her 2006 Booker Prize winner, The Inheritance of Loss, because I wanted to stay in Kiran Desai’s world. You might want to do the same.

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.

When high school librarian Yael’s secret podcast starts to take off, she decides to hire Kevin, a remote freelance editor/producer so she can manage juggling her mental health, day job, and the queer teen book club she’s been hosting at school after hours. To maintain her anonymity, they communicate strictly via email and Kevin only knows her by her podcast persona, Elle.

Little does Yael know that Kevin, who in real life goes by his middle name, Ravi, is the same man she tore apart for climbing out of her bedroom window after a one night stand with her roommate, Charlie. And she certainly never expects him to show up to volunteer at her book club.

In person, Yael and Ravi clash until their sparks turn into something more. Over email, Elle and Kevin are starting to fall hard when they decide to keep things strictly professional. But when Ravi discovers the truth, will keeping it a secret mean the end of everything he’s built with Yael/Elle? And what happens when she finds out? Will they fall twice as hard, or cut ties in more ways than one?

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.

With autumn approaching, it’s a great time to slow down, put your feet up, and enjoy a great read. What are chilly fall days meant for if not that? It’s still warm here in Nashville, but September weather has a way of turning, so stock up on some good books now!

Tobi enjoys the park. There are so many families to meet, but one is his favorite in this sweet picture book filled with dogs and their families.

If ever I find myself haunted I hope it’s by the sweet ghost in this book. Aggie is excited to live on her own until she realizes her house is haunted by a mischievous ghost. When she tries to set some rules, our little ghost can’t seem to listen. A delightful story about rules and sharing and what it means to compromise.

Also loved by Jake & Rae Ann!

In this beautifully illustrated woodland picture book, best friends squirrel and bird teach you not to believe everything you read!

Evie wants a cool pet, not a “plain old cat.” When her cat Sasha finds a snake in the backyard, Evie’s boring pet problems are over. Or are they? Evie takes her new pet Slithers to show-and-tell and catches the snake trying to escape. This is a cute story about loving what’s in front of you and letting things go that aren’t meant to be yours.

A wonderful story about taking time to slow down and appreciate the little things in our busy lives. The story and illustrations are equally beautiful. A perfect read for grandparents and grandkids alike.

This rhyming picture book feels like a journey through the big wide world. Beautiful illustrations paired with charming text make for the perfect readaloud.

Eating the same things is boring, so when Taco Knight shows up it’s new and exciting, but if every night is Taco Knight…I loved this book because it reminded my mom about variety so I have gotten to try some new things. Cheese makes a great treat!

Autumnal and (as the title states) only slightly spooky! Fox and Mole’s friendship is tested through their opposing ideals and the possible existence of a scuttling monster!

Come enjoy a creep-a-licious Halloween dinner at The Rotten Core restaurant! The ghoulish guests receive their favorite meals: moldy brie a la maggot; pickled parasites on papyrus; thinly-sliced bat wings with rotten radishes! Perfect illustrations highlight this icky menu, and a surprise honored guest steals the show!

The intended audience for this book is kiddos who are learning about emotional regulation. But picture books are for everyone, including this thirty-four-year-old bookseller who’s just trying to make it through the year 2025.

Boulder wants to see Cactus’s flowers bloom up close, but how can a boulder move? This simple story about acts of kindness touched my heart. Most of the action is told through images, so it’s a great discussion starter with little ones!

What fun to be in 6th grade on a university campus! Well, not so much at first if it was their parents’ idea and they didn’t know each other. As they learn to think creatively and start to enjoy the loose structure it is pleasing to see them bond together and grow.

The shindig is coming! But is it a party or a monster? The animals of the forest find out in the quirky tale full of chaos, snacks, and one dictionary.

The kids are at it again to help their grandfather solve a 60 year old mystery from when he was a teen. He and his father had delivered hardware to a Miami hotel during Hurricane Cleo in 1964. A vault full of jewels had been stolen and the thief never found.

A dragon queendom and a human queendom live under a tentative truce after their last war left both leaders dead. When the next dragon queen has to take on human form to maintain the truce, she and the human princess discover a bloody war plot and must work through their disdain (and growing feelings) to keep the peace.

Angeline Bouley returns to the world of Firekeeper’s Daughter with the story of Lucy, an Ojibwe girl who has been bruised by the foster system and is running from some secrets she’d rather keep hidden. An emotional story about belonging, identity, and trust, Sisters in the Wind kept my heart in my throat long after I turned the last page.

Also loved by Katie!

Fifty years after its publication, this heartfelt story of friendship and immortality is just as timeless as the Tuck family itself. This is a book that will stay with you forever.

Also loved by Sarah and Ester!

The September 2025 Sprout Book Club selection is If We Were Dogs by Sophie Blackall. Two children pretend to be dogs as the oldest directs their playtime from tail wagging to stick fetching. When the younger one decides to quack like a duck, playtime joyfully continues in this delightful book. BONUS: Illustrations feature Sparky, the original Parnassus shop dog.

Early praise for the book:

“Perfect for every underdog who wants to have a say.” – Kirkus

The September 2025 Spark Book Club selection is The Experiment by Rebecca Stead. Nathan and his parents are “Visitors” from another planet. They don’t call themselves aliens. When Nathan grows a tail, they are recalled to the Wagon, where his parents were raised on their journey to Earth. Soon Nathan realizes something on the Wagon is very wrong in this sci-fi mystery.

Early Sparks for the novel:

“Compelling and page-turning.” – Kirkus

The September 2025 ParnassusNext selection is Sisters in the Wind by Angeline Boulley. Lucy is an 18 year-old on the run from the foster care system. A stranger approaches her with an offer. He helps Native American teens find their families and wants to reunite her with hers. When a bomb goes off in the diner where she works, she’s sure someone is targeting her. This is an explosive story about seeking vindication from a past that won’t let go.

Early praise for the novel:

“A powerful story of family, belonging, and identity interlaced with thriller elements.” – Kirkus, starred review

It’s your lucky day! There’s just a hint of fall chill in the air, publishing is ramping up for its biggest season, and we have thirty fantastic reads for you to spend your September with. Have a look at what our booksellers are loving lately!

Lisavet is a Jewish girl in 1938 Germany whose father makes watches that allow timekeepers to access the time space- an other-dimensional library filled with memories. She grows up in the time space after her father sends her in, never to return. There, Lisavet learns there are government agents working to erase certain memories, leading her to rebel in ways that will change Time forever. I was engrossed on page one!

Also loved by Rae Ann!

Between To the Moon and Back and Atmosphere, it’s a great year to read about women in space! Eliana Ramage’s To the Moon and Back follows Steph, who has a singular goal of becoming the first Cherokee astronaut. Spanning across decades and continents, this debut is a tender, funny, and all-encompassing look at one woman’s all-encompassing ambition.

Also loved by Cat!

Cambridge grad students Alice and Peter must go into Hell to find their awful professor in order to not lose their rec letters. With their minds and their magic, they must solve ancient mysteries that have befuddled the likes of Dante. RF Kuang is the reigning Queen of dark academic fantasy, and if this novel any indicator, she will not be putting down that crown any time soon.

Also loved by Rachel and Chelsea!

A smart and funny story set in the world of publishing that also touches on the serious topics of sexual dynamics in the workplace and the behavior of powerful men. Full of engaging family, friend, co-worker, and romantic relationships, with an intriguing dual timeline. This one will warm your heart!

Hazel’s senior high school year in a new town begins with a startling proposition, while her father’s new university job hits a snag on day one. Themes of tenacity and staying true to oneself pepper this family saga which masterfully interweaves issues of harassment and cancel culture into a coming-of-age tale.

Two couples in a small Ohio town become intertwined through sins of omission and adultery. Can truth hurt? Brokenness is repaired with a different kind of love and definition of family and friends.

Also loved by Jake!

A tyrant king tasks a group of scholars with inventing an ancient civilization for him to falsely discover and twist into war propaganda. Our narrator is a professor of linguistics, and has to de-evolve their language or face execution. Perfectly witty and sardonic!

Magical like the 1969 moon landing it’s set against, Elizabeth Bass Parman’s second book includes a Greek chorus of bees. Rennie’s life has been difficult, softened by Uncle Dixon and memories of Aunt Eugenia, but things are going to change. They have to. I cried and smiled, believing everyone would get what was coming to them. A deftly woven, complex story leaving me with simple words: hope and love.

Also loved by Rae Ann!

Marisa faces ennui over her brainless marketing job and attempts to fill the void by binge-watching YouTube and ordering more Zara dresses. When this dissatisfaction meets grief over a coworker, things get wild at the company retreat. This book is hilarious and absurd, but also relatable. Perfect for weirdos who struggle with office jobs.

Also loved by Sarah!

Lucky Day is a surreal rush of a horror novel, where reality itself tests everything its heroine thinks she knows about the world. Creatively gruesome, with Chuck Tingle’s signature hopeful heart at its core.

The Orient Express is once again a setting for not one, but five murders. The first one is a locked room. Several sleuths just happen to be on board. Very clever use of an Agatha Christie setting.

Vivian Henry detests the Wynchester family and their vigilante reputation. But when her cousin disappears they are the only ones who can help. She must put aside her pride to work with Jacob Wynchester. A man with a secret passion for poetry and a vast assortment of animal sidekicks. This enemies to lovers adventure is a sweet conclusion to Erica Ridley’s swoonworthy regency romance series.

An eerie tale reminiscent of The Apothecary Diaries, Coraline, and Snow White. In Kingfisher’s latest retelling, poison-enthusiast Anja is summoned to treat the King’s daughter, who is suffering from a mysterious ailment. But what if it’s not poison at all? Anja doesn’t believe in magic, but something is amiss, and it involves blood, hearts, and reflections.

The F in fantasy stands for FUN in Sachar’s adult debut. An endlessly entertaining, funny, and mystical read for those in need of a little whimsy in their lives.

A novel made up of interconnected stories. The first chapter took my breath away. From beginning to end, I was captivated by the beautiful writing and intriguing characters. This one will not take you long to read, but the story will stick with you long after you reach the end.

A book conservator living in her wealthy NYC family’s mansion-turned-mystery-library-museum, Tory suddenly encounters Agatha Christie…or it seems like her. She shows up regularly requesting cocktails, reciting lines from her books, and helping Tory and friends solve murder most devious.

An old man’s insistence on dignity as he ages in his own home, with the emotional assistance of his beloved dog, despite the efforts of his son to “keep his father safe”. This book really moved me.

Legal thriller about a female lawyer who is passed over for a much earned promotion. She does the work, but the men get the recognition for the big account. There is a murder of one of the partners, and she cannot remember what happened because she blacked out. Did she do it?

If it’s my last day on earth I am eating a hot dog and reading a Mazey Eddings novel. It’s a no-brainer. Well Actually is an ode to second chances, the internet (shoutout to Chicken Shop Date and that one episode. IYKYK), soft boys and razor sharp ladies. I am full-on obsessed and you should be too.

Ever wanted to move to a fictional town that embraces its touristy side? I loved returning to Boneyard Key and this enemies-to-lovers, there’s-only-one-hurricane story about belonging, friendship, and love.

What a wild & twisty ride. What a crazy story. I absolutely loved it! Alice & Jamie have been happily married for years. After a break-in in which Alice kills the intruder in self defense, she begins to believe this was not a random attack. In questioning everything, she discovers you can never really know someone, even a spouse. Especially a spouse….

Narrated mostly in first person plural, follow a gaggle of young cousins visiting their New England family home trying to find the youngest amongst them, who has mysteriously vanished. Think if Frank & Joe Hardy and Nancy Drew fell down the rabbit hole into an even weirder Wonderland.

A 1910 mansion with twin male heir engagements with one being a childhood girlfriend. The other is a rich heiress with a bossy mother. The estate needs money and the heiress wants independence. Murders with hidden hallways help her discover her talent as a detective. The ending hopes for a sequel.

Deeply affecting and extraordinarily sharp, Misbehaving at the Crossroads is a fine-tuned compilation of history, poetry, and memoir with Black women at its center. Jeffers’ voice is passionate and reflective, contemplating all of the gray areas and messiness of the past and present while calling for foundational change. This will be the most important book you read all year.

Wow. This biography was a beautiful homage to a giant of the science fiction world. Both a beautiful reflection on her personal life and a deep dive into her dozen novels, Positive Obsession is a much deserved look at the immeasurable impact of Octavia Butler.

The definitive account of the rise of Caitlin Clark, On Her Game is a propulsive look at an athlete like no other. Covering every step, shot, and record broken of her already illustrious career, Brennan utilizes unparalleled access to shape a compelling narrative out of Clark’s life, both on and off the court. The result is a fascinating portrait of a once-in-a-generation athlete, one you’ll struggle to put down.

One thing about me: I love a MLM takedown. This one is dishy, not to mention the first of its kind in how it highlights the history of the pyramid scheme and its quirky web of royalty along the way.

For anyone who manages (or wants to start!) a book club, salon, dinner group, or any sort of gathering focused on creating meaningful connection and conversation. Facilitating groups of people can be challenging and rewarding, and here Linda-Marie Barrett packs in personal anecdotes from her own salon and thoughtful ideas for making the most of your gatherings.

It’s clear why Girls’ Guide is often called a handbook for women in their 20s. Follow Jane Rosenal as she falls in love and loses it, lands a dream job then blows it off, cares for and copes with her father’s cancer. Witty, keenly observant, and poetic, this is a great pick for fans of Laurie Colwin novels or Greta Gerwig as Frances Ha.

Patrick Ryan is my best friend, and Buckeye is a novel I’ve watched come into being over the last eight years. I was thrilled to pick it for the First Editions Club, and I wrote a loving letter to herald its arrival. But then John Parker, the wonderful husband of our wonderful children’s book buyer, Rae Ann Parker, read Rae Ann’s advanced copy and wrote a review of Buckeye for Goodreads. So perfect and true were John Parker’s words that we’ve decided to use them for the letter instead. This is what John Parker said:

Reading Buckeye, I fell in love on page 13, and my affection for these characters only deepened over the next 430-plus pages. We meet Cal, Margaret, Becky, and Felix—not through some grand dramatic arc, but through the kind of lived-in detail that makes them feel like your own people. Real enough that you don’t just read about them—you think about them. Worry about them. Want things for them. Get mad at them. Clap your hands a say little “Yay!” for them.

If a John Prine song grew up to be a book, it’d look like Buckeye.

With the possible exception of Becky, who claims to communicate with the spirit world, the settings and situations in this book aren’t particularly unique or groundbreaking. But it walks the old ground with such honesty and credibility. It captures the hard stuff and the tender stuff—what it means to thrive and fail, to make choices and live with them, to get over yourself or not, to face unfairness and keep going anyway.

It’s fiction, clearly. But it reads like truth. Maybe this is what it felt like when To Kill a Mockingbird first came out, before it was a classic—when people just read it and recognized something human and whole.

Thank you, John Parker. I couldn’t have said it better myself.

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.

Jamie Wendon-Dale (transmasc they/them) creates haunted houses for a living. Haunting is their life—but nobody working New Orleans’ spooky circuit actually believes in ghosts.

Edgar Lovejoy (cis he/him) is 100% haunted. No, really. Ghosts have tormented him since childhood and he’s organized his life around attempts to avoid them.

Opposites? Get ready to attract. But while Jamie’s biggest concern is that Edgar sometimes seems a bit distracted, Edgar’s fears are much greater. Not only is he scared of encountering the dearly departed whenever he leaves the house, but he’s terrified of making himself vulnerable to Jamie. After all, how do you tell someone who believes ghosts only exist as smoke and mirrors that you see them everywhere you go? And how can you trust in a happy future when you can’t even believe in yourself?

A little spooky, a little magical, and a whole lot cozy: The Most Unusual Haunting of Edgar Lovejoy will leave you feeling like you’ve found a brand new bookish family of your own.

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.

Back to school already?! Didn’t summer vacation just start? Sounds fishy to us. Thankfully, there’s always time for some just-for-fun reading, and we have a stack of great recommendations (standing at two-thirds of a Barnabus tall!). Don’t forget to scroll down to the bottom to see what our subscription picks are for this month. Joining a club is a great way to get bookseller-approved reads delivered to your door every month!

It’s Henry’s first day of school – he’s a little nervous so he wears his fish suit to help him feel brave. Join him as he realizes, little by little, that he can be brave all by himself – no fish suit required. Well, maybe one piece of it!

Also loved by Hannah P.!

Poor Joan is stuck in an inconvenient cone, but she still finds a way to bring joy and laughter to those around her!

Willow is scared of almost everything, but they love wildflowers! The only way to get to them is face their fears and go on an adventure. Will they be brave enough?

When Little Ghost goes into the world looking for his own place to haunt, they’re all occupied. This is a unique ghost story about sharing space and being kind.

Dare I say…my favorite picture book of the year? Atmospheric illustrations and rhythmic text harmoniously bring the rush of crashing waves and rumbling clouds to life as two siblings chase the magic of an incoming storm. It’s an ode both to the adventures and awes of exploring and to the warmth of coming home.

Your favorite artist’s favorite artist’s favorite little golden book.

Because all babies need/deserve to know words like “monogram,” “hors d’œuvre,” and “Rolls-Royce,” old sport.

A girl and her family move to the city where she feels she’s lost her wild, until she follows a bird to the wild spaces of the city. Beautiful illustrations highlight the character’s initial sadness and ultimate joy on her journey.

Aurora moved to the United States and learned how to speak English. Nena, her dog, did not. When they go out, Aurora teaches her new friends how to communicate with Nena, and that love and friendship is a universal language.

Aurora se mudó a los Estados Unidos y aprendió a hablar inglés. Sin embargo, su mascota Nena, no. Cuando salen a pasear, Aurora les enseña a sus amigos nuevos cómo comunicarse con Nena, y que el amor y la amistad son un idioma universal.

A girl is invited to ride horses with a friend. Her nervousness turns to delight. This book is a treat and informative because it also shows how to tack and take care of a horse.

Over the Garden Wall meets Scooby Doo – with trains! Marietta’s father was a detective looking for children who had gone missing in the mysterious woods outside their town. Now Marietta’s father is missing and it is up to her to solve the case!

I have no idea what Mousse is, but he is the absolute cutest and desperate for a vacation. Aren’t we all? So Mousse boards a train and heads south where he meets a host of odd characters and makes friends with other beach goers. This book is recently translated from French and sweetly celebrates life’s small moments.

A mother duck finds a strange egg in her nest and immediately accepts it as her own. When a fire breathing duckling hatches from the egg, he goes on a quest to find his place in the world, and ends up back at home, using his fire-breathing abilities to help those around him.

A strange new friend named Morel mysteriously comes to visit Casey, and his parents are instantly smitten: praising him, bending rules for him, favoring Morel over Casey, mistaking him for their own son? This unnatural encounter makes Casey question what is really happening, what is real, is he even himself anymore?! I loved this creepy, murky tale of invasion, replacement, and also, friendship.

Jazzy is a young witch who doesn’t like learning magic. After her first broom riding lesson goes poorly, she discovers her new secret passion: Bicycles! Unfortunately, Jazzy’s family run the local broom shop and want to teach her the business. What will Jazzy do?

It all starts with a painting, a bad bet, and a cursed dragon lord. Truyan’s forgeries have always been flawless until one lands her in a royal engagement. In this Beauty and the Beast–inspired fantasy, a con artist agrees to marry a man she’s never met to pull off the ultimate scam. But the price of failure is more than death — it’s everything.

Crack open this graphic novel and fall head first into the magical misadventures of Blue and her Raven Boys. Whether a long-time fan or a newbie to Maggie Stiefvater, any lover of magic and dark whimsy will devour this!

Also loved by Ester!

Edge. Of. My. SEAT. This was everything I needed to be yanked out of my reading slump—a thought-provoking sci-fi mystery, a suspenseful dystopian thriller, and a coming of age story at its core.

Suddenly a Murder captivated me so I was excited to read another mystery by Lauren Muñoz. Very Dangerous Things did not disappoint. The high school has a yearly murder mystery event to test the criminology students. Xavier is supposed to be the victim, only he ends up the real victim. It looks bad for Sierra, Xavier’s ex-girlfriend. She teams up with Xavier’s best friend Dulce to solve it. Secrets and suspects abound!

This quickly became a crowd favorite at Saturday Storytime and is now my go-to for a silly and engaging book to read aloud. (For best results, read it in your very best race car announcer voice.)

Story of an orphan girl who is a chimney sweep in Victorian London. Hard, dangerous work but she has a piece of coal that changes into a protective Golem. Fantasy and historical.

The Prison Healer was such a joy to read. I found myself constantly thinking about the characters whenever I wasn’t reading it, itching to get back to the story. The characters are believable and relatable and their stories had me choked up on multiple occasions. Absolutely unputdownable!

The August 2025 Sprout Book Club selection is Forts by Katie Venit and Kenard Pak. What is a fort? It can hide beneath a tree in the forest or perch high in the branches in your yard. It can be inside or out, a place for animals or people, a place for reading or cuddling with your cat. This delightful picture book is a bounty of creativity in nature and at home.

Early praise for the book:

“A childhood essential transformed into poetic beauty.” – Kirkus, starred review

Sprout Book Club is the book subscription box for picture book lovers. Every month members will receive a first edition picture book.  Set up a subscription for yourself or buy a gift membership for your favorite picture book lover for 3, 6, or 12 months. 

The August 2025 Spark Book Club selection is The Teacher of Nomad Land by Daniel Nayeri. After Babak and his little sister are orphaned in 1941 Iran, he plans to take over his father’s job as teacher to the nomads. When the plan goes awry, the siblings set out across the desert on their own, encountering potential friends and possible enemies. This is a captivating World War II adventure story surrounding a tale of hope.

Early Sparks for the novel:

“A compelling testament to the power of education and empathy to light the way in even the most perilous circumstances.” – Kirkus, starred review

The August selection will be published on September 19th. Spark Book Club members are getting a special early look at the book!

The August 2025 ParnassusNext selection is Soulmatch by Rebecca Danzenbaker. Two hundred years after World War III, every person’s fate is determined by the government. All 18 year olds are sent to a facility to uncover their past lives and determine their future. Sivon’s results are a surprise to her and stun the entire world. She is catapulted into a high stakes game where souls are pawns and rules don’t exist. Soulmatch is a speculative romance perfect for fans of Matched and Scythe.

Early praise for the novel:

“A thought-provoking and original addition to the genre; clever, thrilling, and impossible to put down.” – Kirkus

ParnassusNext is the book subscription box for YA lovers. Every member of ParnassusNext receives a first edition hardcover of each month’s selected book, signed by the author. There is no membership fee to join — and no line to stand in for the autograph. Not only will you have one of the best YA books of the month when it comes out, you’ll have it straight from the author’s hands, with an original, authentic signature! Set up a subscription for yourself or buy a gift membership for your favorite YA reader for 3, 6, or 12 months.

We’ve finally had some cooler days here in Nashville, but the publishing world is just starting to heat up! Whether you’re hanging on to summer days at the beach or feeling ready for a cozy autumn, we have a pick for you. Dive into a fantastic end-of-summer read, handpicked by our booksellers.

Pulitzer Prize-finalist Ed Park’s An Oral History of Atlantis is an incredibly sharp short story collection. Concerning everything from the transcript of a B-movie commentary to a man’s life flashing before his eyes via his forgotten passwords, this book is remarkably idiosyncratic from one story to the next, yet overwhelmingly consistent in quality. Simply put, this is the best short story collection of the year.

Dwelling is a bizarre fairytale with witty social commentary. Evie, a renter in New York City, is evicted and in the face of a rough housing crisis, moves to Texas—and winds up living in a shoe-shaped home. This story is whimsical and charming against the backdrop of a bleak, realistic setting.

A darkly humorous look into the inadvisable relationship between an aspiring writer and her dad’s favorite radio host. We all process grief differently, and I did so by devouring this in one sitting like a bag of potato chips while laughing on a plane. The vibes are toxic and immaculate.

I loved Holsinger’s Displacements and this novel is even better: part domestic drama, part technological thriller, part philosophical treatise. A month after a fatal car crash, the Cassidy-Shaw family is still wracked with grief, guilt, and questions. The autonomous car was driving, but did everyone play a part? A tautly-woven, briskly-paced beach read with a side of ethics. So good!

When a former American spy searches for her brother who went missing during the war, she may find a link to the answers she needs in a cooking class with Julia Child. This dual-timeline novel takes readers from occupied France during World War II to post-war Paris in a story of secrets, betrayal, and second chances.

This novella features a group of robots trying to start their own restaurant in post-war world where their legal rights to freedom and personhood are dubious at best. It’s a story in which the non-human perspectives of the various robots provide interesting insights into things like community, self-actualization, memory, and food. Full of both charm and substance.

In the final installment of this unconquerable trilogy, Whitten explores what it means to be immortal. I am personally still reeling from how profound this book is. This series has been solidified as the perfect choice for any reader who is looking for a fantasy series with airtight worldbuilding, deep ramifications for our world, and a love that can withstand even the greed of gods.

Imagine knowing every word a pencil writes. The women in Monica’s family can, causing joy or pain. Moving between present U.S. and WWII Shanghai, the novel recounts the story of Yun, Monica’s grandmother. As Yun loses her memory, she shares stories of Meng, the cousin left behind. Monica wants to reunite them, to provide closure. The novel is about honoring memory and understanding the emotional scars we carry.

Lions, tigers, bears, wizards, and tornadoes…We have all grown up with the Wonderful Wizard of Oz, but what happened before that? How did Dorothy come to be with her Auntie Em? This novel tells Auntie Em’s story of life on the prairie before Dorothy came to Kansas. A charming novel with special appearances from so many of the characters we love.

It’s hard to believe that what happened to these girls was a mere 50 years ago. A gut wrenching story of the secrets at a Catholic reform school for wayward girls during the Vietnam years.

A Black country star, who lied about writing his only hit, returns home to reckon with his childhood love and the woman whose work he stole. Luke Randall was in the doghouse from page one of this book. (#TeamAugust) But Regina Black is such an immense talent that soon enough you’ll be rooting for the second chance that Luke and August deserve. This book will break your heart and then quietly stitch it back together

1942. Jacqueline Love. Successful actress whose career is going nowhere. What’s left? Her agent offers her a spot on the Hollywood Victory Caravan, a train of stars fundraising for troops. When an actor dies, Jacqueline doesn’t believe he drank himself to death and teams up with Grace, a Chicago detective. The two discover a connection to Nazi sympathizers. What’s more important? Country? Career?

Elly Griffiths adds a new level to her reliably intriguing detective novels – time travel! How else will a cold case unit unearth the truth about a murder in 1850s London? I love these characters – especially flawed, eccentric Ali – and their teamwork to solve long-forgotten crimes of the past, and I’m excited for this new series!

A college student working on her school’s newspaper is forced to face hard truths about herself when a classmate is murdered–a classmate she’s known but denied knowing for years. The investigation she undertakes is less about a journalist uncovering who committed the crime and more about discovering how a decision from her youth had ripple effects all the way to the pond where her former friend is found dead.

Sangu Mandanna might actually be a witch herself. How else can readers account for the spell she casts on us in her latest book? This long awaited and much anticipated follow-up is charming and fun. With dazzling romantic leads and a delightful cast of side characters, WGMI was well worth the wait.

Also loved by Chelsea!

Reenter Ruth Ware’s thrilling whodunit world of mystery with this “unputdownable” sequel to The Woman in Cabin 10. Grab a snack and a cozy blanket and get ready to be completely absorbed into The Woman in Suite 11.

Also loved by Ashby and Jenness!

This debut thriller is about an influencer who forms her own elegant cult. The women have strict rules and basically have to live in a beautiful clothes, have outrageous parties and are photographed as the luckiest women on social media. Try disagreeing with the leader or leaving the group…

Mayra is an atmospheric modern gothic in which a woman is called to a remote house in the Everglades by Mayra, her estranged childhood best friend. The narrator spends her days in the house reminiscing over complicated her past with Mayra, with all its intertwined love and cruelty. Meanwhile the house and its caretaker seem to become stranger and more sinister as her vacation stretches on.

After ten years of covers, secrets, and falling in and out of love, two rival spies must team up to stay alive in this funny second chance rom-com.

Also loved by Ashby!

These Summer Storms is HistRom Queen Sarah Maclean’s first foray into contemporary fiction and DAMN this book is SO good. A wealthy New England family returns to the ancestral home for the “celebration” (ahem, funeral) of their complicated patriarch. Sharp and sexy, TSS will have you turning pages at the pool so quickly and wondering if you have time for just one more chapter.

Stories of two women from different time periods who unite to solve the mystery of escape and lost art on a New England island.

Two veterinarians reconnect to save the animal shelter where they volunteered as students. As they spend time together on their shared goal, romantic feelings resurface, but complicated family dynamics may get in the way. A fun New Orleans setting and plenty of pups make this a delightful romance.

I have read plenty enemies-to-lovers but this was my first romantasy. Osric is an assassin and Aurienne is a healer. Having fallen ill, Osric needs a healer and bribes Aurienne with money. Aurienne needs money to provide immunizations for an outbreak of pox affecting children. As she tries to heal him, the two work to figure out the cause of the pox. I am anxious for the second book in this duology.

Come for Tom Scioli’s amazing artwork, stay for Jay Gatsby fighting Godzilla.

A must-read for fans of Set It Off. Three Black women meet working at the mall and realize they’re being targeted by a new branch of law enforcement called the Debt Police, who track down people who default on their student loans. The women join forces to free themselves from debt. A book about student loan debt police? In this economy? Yes, because we need to believe we have power, even if it’s through satire.

Julia has a premonition that something terrible will happen just before her husband’s murder. An unexpected inheritance takes her to Italy, where danger may be closer than she thinks and she may need to rely upon her intuition to save herself in this gothic thriller.

HOAs, MLMs – Alexa Martin is gonna take the most unlikable parts of suburban culture and spin a love story so hot you’ll be clambering for whatever she does next. How to Sell a Romance is funny, sexy and full of shenanigans.

One Golden Summer is a book meant to be devoured in one sitting in a sunny locale of your choice. This is for anyone looking for a beach read that will tug at their heart strings.

An Asian American lawyer is tried for the murder of a woman with whom he had an office affair. He is acquitted but it destroys his family and career. His two estranged children decide 30 years later to team up to find out if he did it, because he never said, and they had differing views. Tense. This debut novel would appeal to fans of Scott Turow.

For anyone who loves lesser-known (in the US, at least) stories of triumph over injustice or was captured by the propulsive narrative of Killers of the Flower Moon– this is for you. During the military junta in 1970s Argentina, thousands of citizens were disappeared, some of them pregnant. For the mothers of those women, this began a quest to learn what happened to their children and find their stolen grandchildren.

This is the best kind of non-fiction/memoir – funny, shocking, touching, dishy. What really went on in the Dunne family as Griffin and his brother grew up in Hollywood and NYC with their famous father Dominick, his uncle John Gregory Dunne, his aunt Joan Didion. I’m not usually a non-fiction reader, but loved this book.

A lyrical exploration of passageways and connection through the perspective of the little known classical goddess, Crane, as well as a new twist on an old favorite, Echo.

Pulitzer Prize winner Tim Weiner chronicles the C.I.A. since 9/11. A follow-up to his National Book Award winner Legacy of Ashes, Weiner interviews many of the undercover operatives who typically never speak to journalists. The Mission outlines the challenges that the Agency faced over the last 25 years as well as the challenges that lie ahead.

To quote a review by Lyz Lenz, this book is for “A whole generation of Paris Gellers crashing out.” Xennials were promised endless opportunities if we went to college and worked hard. So we did, and then a lot of us grew up and, radicalized by the world we ended up in, turned further left, going against who we were told we would be, and should be. I saw myself so much in these essays, and I suspect you might, too.

Written by the creator of The Disney Food Blog, this deep dive explores the infamous subculture of Disney Adults. A must have for any self-proclaimed Mickey enthusiast, this book will also fascinate those interested in fandoms, pop culture phenomena, and our inherent need as humans to find belonging.

My favorite poetry collection of all time. If you are angry, if you are hurting, if you feel like a feral beast pretending at being human, this one is for you.

Every year heat takes more lives than hurricanes, floods, and tornadoes combined. Shade examines the key role it plays not only in protecting human health and enhancing urban life, but also looks toward the ways that innovative architects, city leaders, and climate entrepreneurs are looking to revive it to protect vulnerable people. Ambitious and far-reaching, Shade helps us see an important subject in a new light.

When Margo gets pregnant by her community college English professor, she has to get creative with her finances. This will be the funniest book you read all year, complete with Margo’s ex-wrestling announcer dad, her lululemon-obsessed mom, and her cosplaying roommate.

Also loved by RJ!

Italy, 1486. The glassmaking industry is ruled by men. One woman forbidden from the family’s trade learns to shape glass in secret, ultimately saving her family from financial and emotional ruin. This mesmerizing novel magically takes readers from Renaissance-era Italy to the present day.

This book left me genuinely devastated for days. Howarth perfectly captures the experiences of all-consuming first love and growing up queer in a small town. A must-read for fans of Sally Rooney and lesbians alike!

Following 700 years of European humanism, Sarah Bakewell repeatedly demonstrates creative determination of freethinkers to center the importance of humanity in the face of dehumanizing forces. An essential read for anyone looking for a precedent to human creativity surviving beyond systems of oppression.

In 1960’s Dominican Republic, everyone knows the Butterflies. But before they were the Butterflies, they were the Mirabal sisters. We follow Patria, Dede, Minerva, and Maria Teresa through decades, where they go from school girls to leaders against the dictator, Trujillo. A moving story about humanity, family, courage and the cost of oppression. Based on a true story.

En República Dominicana, en los años 60, todos conocen a las Mariposas. Pero antes de ser las Mariposas, eran las hermanas Mirabal. A través de décadas, seguimos a Patria, Dedé, Minerva y María Teresa desde adolescentes a líderes en la revolución en contra del dictador Trujillo. Es una historia conmovedora sobre la humanidad, la familia, la valentía y el costo de la opresión. Basada en una historia real.

If you’re looking for a softer fantasy read, you’ve come to the right place. This book is something to really stew in– it’s atmospheric and gentle and a little eerie sometimes. It’s a cozy read but still has stakes. The characters are strong and kind and feel like true friends. I just loved this.

A fictionalized look at many famous scientists and how their discoveries helped and hurt the world. I think this book is SO important in our current cultural climate.

I’ve spent much of this year not really understanding what’s going on. But not knowing how things are made or how problems will be resolved in the end doesn’t mean we stop going about our everyday lives. Somehow, a lot of the fiction I’ve loved in 2025 has reflected this feeling. Think about Katie Kitamura’s Audition or Maria Reva’s Endling, books that swerve and double back, books that have kept me utterly engaged without giving me all the answers, books that are teaching me that maybe not having all the answers is the place we live now.

To this list, add Jason Mott’s utterly original People Like Us, a book about a writer who’s just won the National Book Award. Jason Mott won the National Book Award for his last novel, Hell of a Book, and if that part is true, it makes me wonder what other parts might be true. Was someone trying to kill him? Did he go to Europe at a billionaire’s behest? Fact and fiction are knotted together, as are the past and the present when one of the characters starts to time travel in order to see his daughter again. Storylines and timelines abound, united by the omnipresent American gun. Every moment I was reading this book I was engaged, marveling, even when I wasn’t completely sure what was real. In that way I had a sense of solidarity with Soot, for whom reality isn’t always real.

People Like Us is a wild book for wild times. It’s a story of uncertainty, which means it speaks to this present moment. Did I follow everything that happened? Probably not. Did I love it all the way through? I absolutely did.

Enjoy.

Ann Patchett

Elikki may not have a family, but she has her fierce independence, boundless charm, and enough talent as a jewelry artisan to make a living on the road. Unfortunately for some, she also can’t yet manage to control her chaotic magic. . . and her temper. Sweet, soft Barra lives a quiet life with his mas and three sisters, managing the books for his family’s business. All he wants is to blend in and not make waves—a bit tricky, as a nearly eight-foot-tall purple half-giant.

When Elikki lands in hot water after dealing with a particularly rude customer, Barra finds himself helping her flee the constables. With a bounty on her back—and a severe crush forming on his end—they decide to travel together to the next town. So begins a journey filled with cozy inns, delicious meals, heaps of excellent sex, and a sprinkling of danger.  As their adventures bring them closer together and the threat of capture rises they find themselves changing in surprising ways. He’s given up on finding love. She’s always refused to try. But traveling together, they may discover unexpected, powerful romance and stronger self-identities—if the bounty hunters don’t get them first.

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.

V.E. Schwab’s latest novel is a wickedly luxurious tale of three women’s stories tangled in centuries of bloody immortality. What is life without love and love without hunger? This is a sapphic vampire love story like you’ve never experienced before. We’ll be discussing it at our Fantasy Readers Guild meetings on Sunday, July 27th at 11:00am and 5:30pm. All are welcome! In the meantime, please enjoy bookseller Jennifer’s interview with V.E. Schwab.

Jennifer Murray: One of the trademark qualities of your books is how different they are from each other. You never seem to be afraid to allow the book to be itself, free from the constraints of its successful predecessors. When you were in the beginning stages of Bury Our Bones in the Midnight Soil, what surprised you most about the project that stood out to you amongst your earlier novels?

V.E. Schwab: I set out each time with a certain narrative ambition, a desire to not only tell a new story, but to tell it in a new way. I immediately knew that, for Bury Our Bones, I wanted to tell not one story but three, in three very distinct voices. I jokingly call Bones three novellas in a trench coat, not because I wanted it to feel like that for the reader, but because I wrote each of the women’s stories in its entirety before twisting them together.

JM: In Bury Our Bones in the Midnight Soil, we spend a lot of time with each character, really getting to know them, their backstories, and the stories that they tell themselves. Time is also a major theme in the book, with readers moving through whole eras. How do you approach constructing characters who grow over multiple life spans versus characters who are currently living in their first one?

VES: The primary reason I wrote each character’s arc in its entirety was to preserve the distinct voices. But the secondary reason was so that I could explore the nuances of growth and change in each woman over time. Alice’s story takes place over roughly 3 days (9 years if you include her flashbacks), while Sabine’s is set over nearly 500. There’s obviously a chasm between those two, but I approach each one the same. Sabine has simply had a lot longer to become and be who she is, but Alice is going through some very radical personal crossroads that could impact her future the way Sabine’s impacted her past.

JM: Continuing with the discussion of time and immortality, what do you think your book says about humanity’s relationship with time?

VES: I may technically be writing about supernatural creations, but whenever I write fantasy, it’s really just another way to explore a facet of human nature. There is a theory at the crux of this book that my vampires lose their humanity over time, but that it happens at different rates depending on their attachment to it in the first place. That allows for a wide spectrum of experience—for some, their humanity dies off in days, for others decades, for others centuries. But it’s inevitable: all things wither over time. They may get to take life itself for granted, but what gives life its meaning?

JM: As someone who feels like it took me a while to grow into my own skin and understand myself and what I want, I’m curious about how you think that evolution of self plays into the development of your characters?

VES: Self—identity and acceptance—are crucial to this story and the women in it. Alice doesn’t know who she is or who she wants to be. Charlotte knows who she is, and is terrified of not being loved for it. Sabine knows who she is, and embraces it, without apology or fear. I would say I’m finally in my Sabine era, but god knows I went through my Alice and Charlotte years, too. Of course, Sabine is in many ways the villain of the book, but in this, she is my hero. She believes she is deserving of what she wants, as well as what she needs, and that’s a model I wish more of us could follow (perhaps without the serial killing).

JM: I worked your last event at Parnassus when you were releasing The Fragile Threads of Power, and you mentioned the different books and TV shows that inspire you to write. What is a surprising muse for this book?

VES: This book is a love letter to so many things, from Only Lovers Left Alive and The Vampire Lestat, to Killing Eve, but perhaps the most surprising is Florence Welch, from Florence + the Machine. I saw her in concert in 2019 and she was mythic, larger than life. I thought, that’s how I want Sabine to feel, to Charlotte by the time they meet. Otherworldly.

JM: Bury Our Bones in the Midnight Soil features a ton of different cultures and countries. What was the process of exploring the nuance of how place impacts a person?

VES: Setting is a character in most of my work. We are so much a product of our places—the ones we’re born into, the ones we make home, the ones we love and the ones we escape. While writing Addie LaRue, which is also set across centuries and countries, I would challenge myself to capture the essence of a city or a village in only a handful of sentences, at most a single scene. Addie belonged to none of them, a visitor, a voyeur, a ghost. But each of the three women at the center of Bones is escaping their original place, and laying claim to new ones. I knew where they would each begin—16th century Spain, 18th century England, 20th century Scotland—and where they would all end up: 21st century Boston—but the fun is figuring out the roads they take, and how each one informs or changes them along the way.

JM: In the book, intimacy and vulnerability is explored through not only romantic relationships, but also through family– both the people we are related to and the people we choose. What inspires the family dynamics in the book?

VES: I often shy away from writing romance, not because I don’t enjoy it, but because too often the mere existence of a romantic storyline seems to downgrade the presence and importance of other relationship dynamics, and to be honest, those tend to interest me more. Siblings, parents and children, friends, adversaries, and all the complicated permutations, are my favorite part. Here, family—the kind you’re born into and the kind you create for yourself—is vital to the story. Sabine has no love for hers. Charlotte has a great deal, but has to escape. Alice has even more, but it’s complicated by grief.

JM: Through your newsletters, you have developed a community around writing and the process of writing. I personally loved learning about your thoughts on this book before it was published. How do you feel like this kind of writing impacts your fiction writing?

VES: For better or worse, I am an extremely self-aware writer, so I often stop to explore the why behind my storytelling decisions, which I suppose helps me turn both my strengths and weaknesses into teaching moments. Writing is so often a lonely pursuit, so I love the opportunity to find more universal throughlines or advice that might make someone else’s process a little smoother, or simply let them know they’re not alone. Plus, finding ways to articulate my experiences helps me gain enough psychic distances to talk about the work once it’s done. But alas, so far, it hasn’t made my own writing process less fraught, I think in part because there’s no way to anticipate the specific struggles of a specific story. The only way out, each and every time, is through.

JM: What is your favorite memory inside of an indie bookstore?

VES: I remember when Parnassus first opened. I’d grown up with Davis Kidd, reading books and eating chocolate cake in their café. When it closed, I was bereft. My debut novel had just come out, and I didn’t even have an indie store to dream of being shelved in. For years, Nashville didn’t have one. And then, when Parnassus opened, it felt like oxygen rushing back into my lungs. A new and precious chapter. Watching Parnassus grow into such a landmark, knowing it’s there for new generations of readers and writers—what a gift.

Bury Our Bones in the Midnight Soil is on our shelves now! Grab a copy and join us for our discussion of the book at Fantasy Readers Guild. Meetings are on Sunday, July 27 at 11am and 5:30pm.