Ann Patchett's Blog

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.

Everyone at Parnassus goes wild for a good story, canine staff included! Read on for recs from shop dog Roxy and all your favorite booksellers.

What do I have in common with Otto? We both like our beds! His friends want to sleep there too. He can’t say no…but it gets crowded! Otto reminded me of the importance of friends and sharing my comfy bed! I will share mine too!

An adorable trio of wombats spend a delightful day meandering through the woods and sharing their love of words with every animal they meet, including an exuberant young duckling. A splendiferous way to broaden any vocabulary!

Yesterday is great at remembering the good times. Tomorrow can’t wait for what happens next! But, on their first day of school, they make a new friend who shows them how great it is to live in the moment sometimes.

A perfect summer murder mystery for young readers, this book follows a young girl forced to summer in Martha’s Vineyard with family friends who seem less and less friendly all the time. With secrets and sharks all around, Kaylani has to discover the truth about her hosts if she ever wants to make it home again.

Margot is determined to become a real songwriter. If she does, her dad may come home. When she finds an abandoned synthesizer, she’s sure her songs will sound better with it than her ukulele. But the instrument may be haunted by a pop star from the 1980s!

Sofia is tired of being seen as the childish friend at school, especially in front of her crush. In steps the class clown, Holden, who has a lot of money and nothing to lose by helping her out. This book is so cute and funny. Think She’s All That, but for middle school.

Lottie starts 6th grade at the secondary school without her best friend who moved to Australia. She is gawky with her body, her clothes, her first crush, plus there are the popular girls who are perfect. Funny and cringeworthy!

A sapphic retelling of Swan Lake that bursts from the page with new life! The complex world and magic system worked perfectly with the beautiful prose and slow burn yearning. Whatever A.B. Poranek is doing, I want more of it.

Albertalli’s wit and humor shine throughout this cinnamon roll of a novel. I particularly loved the chaotic mind of Amelia, who realizes that her romantic feelings may not be for the YouTube famous teen she’s driving to meet but instead her newly-single best friend who is in the passenger seat. Anything by Albertalli is an auto-read for me!

When six children pass a test and are chosen to go undercover at a special school for gifted students, they soon find that there is more to their mission — and the school — than meets the eye. Full of puzzle solving, inventive solutions, and mind-bending mysteries, fans of Lemony Snicket and Roald Dahl will love this book!

The July 2025 Sprout Book Club selection is Hazel Is All That by Chad Otis. Hazel is all that. She has things figured out. When she sees a dog in the park, she announces good, bad, sad, and so on. Until she takes a second look and realizes we are all a mix of many emotions. We are all that, and more.

Early praise for the book:

“A child-friendly affirmation that we all contain multitudes.” – 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 July 2025 Spark Book Club selection is Bubblegum Shoes: The Case of the Contraband Closet by Goldy Moldavsky. When the legendary Contraband Closet at Marlowe Middle School is robbed of all contents, self-appointed investigator Maya Mendoza is on the case. She needs to get out of after-school detention and finding everyone’s confiscated property might be the best way to do it.

Early Sparks for the novel:

“A witty story full of humor, mystery, and friendship.” – 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 July 2025 ParnassusNext selection is The Great Misfortune of Stella Sedgwick by S. Isabelle. Stella Sedgwick is a young black woman in late 19th century England. She wants to be a writer and an independent woman. When a surprise inheritance brings her into London society, she resurrects her mother’s newspaper advice column anonymously in this fun YA historical romance.

Early praise for the novel:

“Isabelle crafts a compelling lead in Stella; her dissatisfaction with her society’s gender norms chafes against her secret desire to experience true love in this sweeping period romance.” – 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.

Welcome to the height of summer! If you have a trip coming up, this month’s staff picks are a great place to source your vacation reads, especially if you like a mystery. Four of our thirty-one recommendations have the word “murder” in the title, and a handful more have murderous plots. Let’s skip past the examination of what that says about our staff and get straight to the books, shall we?

This one’s for all my girls who have ever googled the words “compulsory heterosexuality.” Ordinary Love follows Emily, a woman on the precipice of finally leaving her abusive husband, as she reconnects with an old flame from her teen years and her own queer identity. One of the best love stories I’ve read this year–complicated, swoony, and heartfelt.

Equal parts crime story and family saga, Cosby’s latest novel is a fast-paced, heart-in-your-throat read. Roman Carruthers and his siblings will have you both cheering for them and groaning at their missteps. I devoured every page.

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.

Also loved by Naomi!

A former concert pianist inherits a metronome with a dark past. A female musician murdered her teacher with it in 1885. Or did she? Truths uncovered about the metronome and the female composers of the past present an opportunity for second chances in this immersive story.

Read Rae Ann’s interview with Sarah Landenwich!

It’s the year 2065, the climate crisis is raging, and so are the octogenarians at the Palm Meridian, a queer retirement home in the part of Florida not underwater. Hannah has spent a decade here, but when she receives a terminal diagnosis she decides end things on her own terms surrounded by her beloved community and hoping the one who got away will return. This book is laugh out loud, deeply moving and so good.

A breezy 1970s road trip opens this novel; soon a sudden loss ensues, one that will ripple through generations. Huneven’s gentle yet unsentimental storytelling deftly captures the weight of grief, the messiness of family, and the unexpected ways lives stay connected. Worth a read; this one will stay with you.

3 in 1! Romance. Murder. Family mystery. Before she died, Cath’s mom booked spots for a murder week in England. Cath goes, makes new friends who become her detective team in the game, runs into a cute bartender, and stumbles onto secrets connecting her mom to the town. It’s an engaging romance. No, mystery. No, fiction. No, all 3.

Being compared to Tomorrow and Tomorrow and Tomorrow is a hard thing to live up to, but boy, did this exceed every expectation I had. Notes on Infinity is a heartbreaking meditation on the temporal nature of life.

When a failing actor receives an offer to direct a regional theatre’s summer production, she jumps at the chance without reading the fine print. Upon arrival, she finds out the theatre is in a retirement community, but decides to stay. Her senior actors, a cute co-worker, and new friends may make her impulse decision worth it all in this sweet rom-com.

The chilling twists and turns will keep you guessing until the very end of this debut mystery from Kelsey Cox. The small cast of characters and multiple-POV narration make it perfect for fans of Lucy Foley. However, for my fellow homesick Texans, it is the Hill Country setting and H-E-B references that establish this as an absolute must read.

Are you an enigmatologist? In this interactive mystery, you can be a detective AND puzzlemaster. Destiny gets more than she bargained for when she is hired by the Scruffmores. Set on a remote island in a creepy castle with a family full of secrets. To find the murderer, she has to solve puzzles. And you do too. Search for clues to solve the puzzles and the murder.

Julius Julius is a satirical novel in three parts about an ad agency with ancient origins, where ghosts and dachshunds roam its cavernous halls. While often written with a dark or bittersweet sense of humor, it also contains unflinching reflections on serious cultural, capitalistic, and corporate realities. Strange, quick, and powerful.

The King’s dead…

An anthology of love and magic in its many forms. With stories from Olivie Blake, Katherine Arden, Tasha Suri and more! There is something here for every fantasy reader to love!

A new mystery by Laura Lippman with a cozy vibe and a plus-size main character who isn’t self-deprecating about her weight or trying to change it. Other authors, take note! Mrs. Blossom is a widow in her sixties who wins the lottery, books a cruise in France with her bestie, meets a man (!!) and helps solve a murder. It’s French, fat positive and fabulous.

A sharp and incisive novel about the complexities of marriage, family, race, and class. It’s dry and darkly funny, with profound insight to match. You’ll laugh, you’ll cringe, you’ll feel like a fly on the wall of a very real family dealing with very timely issues.

I consumed this book. A luxury hotel is repurposed to house Axis diplomats as WWII commences. Hoss, the hotel manager whose accent goes back to coal mines, has to work with FBI agent Tucker who came from coal too. And what does Hoss ask her staff to do? Provide luxury to their enemies. Stiefvater expertly crafts characters, places them in a time and place, and moves them across the pages.

Sex Island is a reality show with a missing contest problem. In steps Luella van Horn (alter ego for divorced social worker Marie Jones) as the newest contest and undercover private investigator hired by production to find the missing cast member. A perfect summer read for fans of reality TV, and the author’s audiobook performance truly adds to the hilarity. I genuinely laughed out loud so many times.

A woman is willing to gamble with her safety, her marriage and her family to solve the mystery of her sister’s disappearance 16 years ago. Throw in a stalker who knows a lot of details and you have a thriller.

A thriller, yes, but so much more. Chris Pavone skewers the rich, conservatives, liberals, in this delicious sendup of New York City. And it’s such fun to read about that!

This collection of short stories is all about love. Good, bad, and everything in between. It will make you laugh, it will make you think. Perfect quick read for the beach this summer.

A priceless bracelet stolen in WWII resurfaces present day. A professional jewel thief knows it’s the key to discovering her sister’s fate in this amazing story.

Family dynamics can get messy, especially when secrets are left untold. Set in Italy beginning in the 1930s, this story follows the lives of Anna and her family. Anna is not one to conform to what the world expects, especially when she takes a job as a letter carrier, befriends the local “crazy” woman, and starts to wear pants (*gasp*). Follow along as the family navigates the challenges of life.

The Mobius Book defies genre, reality, time, and space. A somewhat fictional memoir, Catherine Lacey invents characters to make sense of her recent history of heartbreak and loss. Every page brings a new perspective and revelation. And with no beginning or end, you can sit in this interstitial literary space forever.

I hunt for imperfect shells, interested in their stories. This book is all about their stories revealing the magic of shells: rare shells, homes shells provide, ones more valuable than rubies, one auctioned for big money. The illustrations are gorgeous and the accompanying text is a flurry of facts.

This story collection is full of powerful gems faceted by human connection and loneliness. Kevin Wilson’s writing is, as always, like nothing else I’ve ever read, but exactly like everything I’ve ever felt.

This book was published over 10 years ago, and I still find myself consistently recommending it to anyone in search of a warm, witty, and adventurous novel. Perhaps not a conventional beach read, but it’s one that I guarantee will have you laughing across pages and flying through it. If you haven’t met Bernadette yet, now is the time!

These characters are quirky, but so lovable! You will laugh out loud at some of the situations in which the characters find themselves. A good reminder that “old” people are not always as old in mind and spirit as we sometimes assume. This was a fun book that spans the generations in a series of mishaps and triumphs.

If you’ve ever had a question about *literally* any part of a book, I’ll bet the farm that Houston answers it here more thoroughly than you could’ve imagined, and will make you laugh in the process. Out in paperback almost a decade after it was originally published, this wonderful title covers it all–paper, ink, binding, printing presses, papyrus, vellum, et cetera ad nauseam.

This book may or may not have taken me three months to finish, but it was worth it! Du Mez skillfully illustrates the why’s and how’s of American Evangelism, covering how 75 years’ worth of misogyny, militarism, and masculine ideals formed the Religious Right that we know today. I think everyone should read this book.

I recently bailed out on a novel I didn’t like after reading fifty pages (the writer had a good reputation, which is the only reason I went that far). A friend later told me I was wrong, the book was excellent, except for the first hundred and fifty pages. Call me impatient. I cannot wade through a hundred and fifty bad pages to get to a great book.

The greatness of The Satisfaction Café is there on page one: Joan Liang, married at twenty-five, stabs her husband of six weeks. It was an accident (sort of). She wasn’t sure why she’d ever thought marriage would be so special.

The marriage might not have been special but the novel is. From that original mishap, Kathy Wang follows Joan for the rest of her life, even though Joan is not the character any of the other characters (her parents, her second husband, her children, her friends) would have pegged as central to the story. With quiet perseverance, Joan continually picks herself up from life’s disappointments and moves ahead in her own direction, perfectly satisfied to be secondary and supporting.

What Joan should not be is underestimated, nor should the book, which is both funny and brilliantly crafted. Think Carol Shields’ The Stone Diaries or Anne Tyler’s A Spool of Blue Thread. This is a novel both deep and wide, tracing the arc of a single life and then showing how that life ripples out across time. At every turn Joan proves to be more insightful and more necessary than people believed her to be, the result of which is this insightful, necessary and beautiful novel.

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.

After her legal career comes to a sudden and humiliating end, Liliane Lyon books a restorative summer rental at The Icon, a quintessential Art Deco building in Miami Beach, where her only plan is to bask in the sun, read, and sip cocktails. But soon she’s enchanted by the colorful community, including university professor Benedicto Romero–resident tortured poet, whose sole intention for sabbatical is to indulge in brooding introspection.

When they discover a shared passion for romance novels, Lily and Ben are soon spending hours reading together by the pool, the spark between them unwittingly giving the other residents the impression that they’re experts in matters of the heart…no matter that IRL their disastrous love lives bear little resemblance to the stories they’re reading.

But while Ben and Lily can pinpoint a trope a mile away and give excellent advice to others, they can’t make sense of the sizzling chemistry between them, and the suggestion of a professional podcast suddenly forces them to consider the long-term. So what if it means working even closer together So what if their banter makes Lily’s head spin It’s the summer of taking chances, but a word to the wise: Miami isn’t the place for growth and rebirth. It’s the place to get messy.

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.

We have a great group of booksellers who love reading children’s literature — you read their fantastic recommendations every month here on Musing! We always enjoy sharing our favorites with you, but we also wanted to know what actual young readers are loving right now. So earlier this summer, we asked kids to tell us about their favorite reads, and we were thrilled by how many responses we got! Young readers from ages 4 to 18 shared their thoughts with us, and now we’re sharing them with you. Have a browse and stock up on some young reader-approved summer reading!

P.S. We loved doing this so much, we want to do another roundup next month! Get your young readers to submit their recommendations here.

Both are great stories about cute little mouse friends.

Sophie learned three cool things about mice for her school project with her brother!

I loved it because Pizza and Taco books are funny!

I think the book showed the many perspectives of all of the different characters. I also think that Stargazing was a very touching book. I enjoyed reading Stargazing so much, and I think that everyone else should be able to experience the same feeling.

The book is very unique, some of the characters are shy or some are crazy. It was just really good! I’ve never read a book like it before.

This series is full of magic, adventure, romance and humor. It has it all. It is the second best series of all time after Harry Potter.

I loved this series because it was very entertaining and was a great coming of age story. It followed three kids that grew up as the books went on which made it very relatable.

I like this book because of the setting and description. Schooled has lots of interesting parts and funny parts of the story. Also the book has great characters like Cap. He was always homeschooled until his grandmother Rain fell out of a tree and was in the hospital. He had to leave his commune and go to a real school. After that he became one of the targeted students at his new school. You should read to find out why the book is amazing.

I loved this book because the characters are funny and they remind me of my siblings. Their adventures were full of mischief and surprises.

This is my favorite book because it has cats and it has action and there’s mysteries. And lots of cats with different back stories.

I loved the book because it had an interesting concept of fantasy for young readers and it was also about saving our planet’s unique ecosystem. It also has great character names!

I like it because it has mythical creatures and a great plot.

This book was so much fun to read. We read it in class and it made me want to read all of these books.

I loved this book because it was about a really important topic. I liked that in the end everything turned out okay.

This book series has a good storyline and the illustrations help bring the book to life! Roz the Robot shows you how to be kind to everyone.

It was so funny and so real. It relates to my life. It was so entertaining, enjoyable, interesting and I couldn’t get enough of it.

These books are full of magic and adventure. I highly recommend them for kids who love fantasy. There’s over 15 books in the series so anyone who wants to get immersed in a new series should definitely read these.

This series is one of my favorites! It has compelling storylines, an interesting steampunk/ medieval vibe and loveable fantasy characters. I highly recommend this read.

I loved The Wizards of Once because the narrator is a secret that you find out later in the series. It is an adventure story with magical characters.

It’s so good! I love the relationship between Hazel and Gus. And it made me cry!

The representation is amazing and the characters have deep emotions and backstories. The plot is interesting and the characters are witty. It is a book that will make you feel many different emotions and the people in it aren’t the normal fantasy book protagonists.

I first read Perks in my sophomore year of high school. I could relate to the main character and saw my own life in the events of the story. Reading a story similar to my life was comforting.

It was such a great representation of discrimination in schools and overcoming fear and bullies!

I loved this series because it had just the right amount of romance, mystery, and thriller all mixed into one book.

Really great young adult book, has the same feel as The Outsiders but different look.

It follows an epic and perilous journey across the United States during its frontier. It’s got gunfights, blizzards, desserts, true love, true hate, clashing and blending between good and evil, cowboys, Indians, humor, beauty, violence, superstition, and philosophy. Its characters are so real that closing this book is like saying goodbye to close friends.

It’s a beautiful depiction of lesbian love in a repressed environment that does not facilitate queer romance and encourages the reader to rebel against oppression in search of self liberation, joy, and love. The metaphor in the title is masterfully explicated in the book. The writing of Therese’s emotions is so visceral that I moved through the same emotions as her while reading the book: the desire, hope, and pain.

It’s hilarious and really exciting. If you like the movie, the guy who wrote the book also wrote the screenplay so most of the dialogue is exactly the same.

It was very entertaining. It had action AND comedy.

I love pop culture. For years, I’ve listened to a daily podcast by the CBC called Commotion. Five days a week, host Elamin Abdelmahmoud has guests on to discuss the pop culture of the day. Niko Stratis quickly became one of my favorite voices on the pod. Stratis is an award-winning culture writer based in Toronto, where she writes about music, TV, video games and more.

In her new memoir, The Dad Rock That Made Me a Woman, Stratis talks about growing up in the Yukon as a journeyman glazier, getting bullied and abused as a teen working in a grocery store and coming out as a trans woman in her thirties. The memoir is told through essays, each of which is tied to a song or album in what I’m calling the Dad Rock Canon. 

This is music writing at its best, and personal essay writing at its best. Stratis’ book is part of the University of Texas Press’ American Music Series, edited by Jessica Hopper, Charles Hughes, and Hanif Abdurraqib. The Dad Rock That Made Me a Woman is in good company alongside Maybe We’ll Make It by Margo Price, Woman Walk the Line by Holly Gleason and Go Ahead in the Rain by Hanif Abdurraqib.

I spoke to Stratis by email about writing the book she wanted to write, how she defines “dad rock” and her hopes for the future of trans writers. The Dad Rock That Made Me a Woman is on our shelves now. Pick up a copy for yourself and grab one for any aspiring music writer or personal essay writer in your life.

— Kim Baldwin, Parnassus bookseller

Kim Baldwin: You spoke to Emma Specter for Vogue last year and said that when people started approaching you about writing a book, a lot of those people wanted you to write your transition memoir. How did you find your way to writing the book you wanted to write?

Niko Stratis: A lot of it is because of the press I worked with University of Texas Press who allowed me to frame the book exactly how I wanted, and never pressured me to make it something I had no intention of writing. I wrote the outline very intentionally as a book about a lot of different things and they supported my vision from the outset. I was able to trust my vision for where I wanted this book to go because I had the support of a team who heard me, and helped me write from a place of honesty. 

KB: For folks who haven’t read your book yet, how do you define dad rock?

NS: Truth be told, even folks who have read the book might still be a little unsure. I intentionally left the definition vague, and instead spent the book hinting at the idea of it and asking the reader to engage with the idea that Dad Rock can kind of be anything. What it is, in a vague sense, is the sense of someone who has lived, failed, tried again. Kept going. Here to tell you about the road they walked, and here to give guidance where possible without ever trying to force you on a path. 

KB: In 2023, you and Tuck Woodstock collaborated on the zine 2 Trans 2 Furious, which won a Lambda Literary Award. Then you and Tuck turned your zine concept into a press called Girl Dad Press. How is that going? Are you still working on the Sex and the City anthology?

NS: We are actively working on the SATC collection! It’s close to being through our first round of edits, we’ll start doing layouts, etc soon as well. 

KB: What do you hope for the future of trans literature and trans publishing?

NS: I hope we are allowed to exist in publishing and literary circles as whole, complex, and wildly different people who have stories to tell beyond the tales of our transitions. I hope we get to be weird, funny, broken, villainous, heroic. Everything. It’s hard to be trans in any industry right now and not feel stigmatized or pushed out altogether, and oftentimes we are only read as a single dimension. I hope we get to thrive in the depth of what we have to offer. I hope more trans writers are given the opportunity to swing wide with bold ideas, and are given second, third, and fifth chances to make their mark. 

KB: You’re working on your debut novel, Girls of Summer, a punk rock novel about three friends spending a life-altering day at the Vans Warped Tour in 2001. How was the switch to fiction after writing this memoir?

NS: Hard! But also comforting. It’s nice to create a new world and people to populate it, albeit one grounded in landscapes that are familiar to me. It’s a challenge, and I love a challenge. 

KB: We share a friend in Alex Steed, your co-host on the podcast The OC, Again. I assume everyone knows this, but The OC was one of the defining TV shows of the early Aughts. How would you describe your relationship to ’90s and early Aughts pop culture?

NS: I’m constantly re-evaluating my relationship to those eras, as they were formative for me as a teen and in my 20s. There are parts of it I love despite their flaws and creaky bones, and there are artifacts I once held as cherished treasures I have learned to let go of. It’s a complicated era that I think is so often written as being virtuous in ways it was not. I love it, but I often have a hard time with it. But I love it. 

KB: Any advice for other trans writers hoping to publish a book?

NS: Push to tell the stories you want with the voice that you have. I wish I had better advice, but truth be told I often wonder if I’m successful at all, and who should even listen to me. 

KB: I’m not sure if you’ve been to Nashville, but if you were coming here, what would you like to see? Any food you’d want to try?

NS: I’ve never been, but always wanted to. I would love to do a food tour of the city! BBQ obviously, but also very curious what the local diner scene is like, and I always love to try local coffee roasters wherever I go. I’ve been sober for 6-ish years now, so it’s always an interesting challenge to reframe how I explore a new city as so often it was around party/nightlife things but I am always down to explore. I’m sure it’s touristy or whatever, but would love to see the Grand Ole Opry. 

The Dad Rock That Made Me a Woman is on our shelves now!

Summer is here! While you’re perusing our shelves for your required school summer reading, be sure to pick up a just-for-fun book too. No matter where your adventures take you over the next couple of months, a great book will always make excellent company. Have a look at the books our booksellers have spent time with recently!

This vivid picture book highlights the comfort of routine and the delight of noticing things as we move through the world around us.

This beautiful biography teaches us about the woman behind the wonderful world of Disney and reminds us that those in the spotlight are not the only ones making the magic.

When a bus breaks down on a late night journey, a boy explores nature around him before the new bus arrives. He finds joy in the music of the nighttime creatures and their songs. The black and white illustrations accentuated with pops of color tell a beautiful story.

A simple day on a farm becomes a lyrical telling. The illustrations make it a work of art.

Words no one wants to hear? “Time to go home.” The aliens come up with all sorts of excuses…need to say goodbye, need dessert, to put on their shoes, to clean up…a book to help with conversations about what to do when it is time to go home.

A story about noticing the small moments of beauty in a busy world! With the perfect narrator puppy!

When your home is miles and a lifetime away, how do you share the memories with your family? Abuelo, the Sea and Me is a beautiful story of a Cuban abuelo sharing the stories of his island with his granddaughter through flavors, scents, sounds, and the ocean. A must-read for anyone who has ever shared a special moment with their grandparent. From a girl who often visited the sea with her abuelo.

This tender story about a girl who finds Hope growing on a tree branch and takes it with her everywhere is destined to become a classic. When her Hope breaks, she discovers how lost Hope can plant seedlings for new Hopes, and how Hope flourishes when it’s shared.

This home for female orphans appears very strict but is actually a training school for sleuths. Safe cracking gets an award. There are hidden passageways, pages of useful knowledge as they crack city crime.

A luminous and lyrical retelling of Alice in Wonderland drawing from West African culture and folklore. This emotional and whimsical debut, accompanied by stunning artwork, is a breath of fresh air and a rabbit hole I could fall down forever.

The summer after 6th grade Bea would rather hang out in her room with her stuffed animals but her dad is making her spend a week at sleepaway camp! She can make it through, right? When Bea doesn’t get along with her cabin mate Virginia, though Roxy seems pretty nice, she has to decide how she will make it through the week. Bea, Virginia, and Roxy were so funny and this graphic novel is such a fun story of friendship.

A fun series! Famous detective Montgomery Bonbon is really a girl: Bonnie Montgomery. A mysterious death at the museum calls the detective to action. From his outfit to his accent, she is a fabulous detective who outsmarts the police and solves it

These true stories from people with Down Syndrome show success through dreams and determination. Uplifting and informative.

Hadley and Willow are sick of social media. Specifically, constantly appearing on their moms’ social medias without their consent. This is a great story of friendship, family, and what we don’t see in the lives of influencers.

Salvación is a Zorro-inspired historical fantasy set in 1848 just after the signing of the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo. Lola De La Pena becomes the masked heroine Salvación in order to save her family and community from the man who is bent on destroying the magic that sets her community apart. A perfect blend of action and adventure with a splash of romance, Salvación makes for a sparkling debut for Proudman.

It’s been a year since Mandy’s best summer friend died in an accident at their family resort. Is she guilty of murder? It is awkward being back with everyone looking over their shoulder. This thriller has clues galore but the ending comes out of left field.

A fantasy book that grabs with its creative premise: a cooking competition for the gods. Cai is a noodle chef who enters a once-in-a-generation contest hoping to open a restaurant, save her town, and gain fame and fortune. Managing friends and love interests while hunting and serving up sea creatures among other things makes for an exciting contest and book.

A sweet, fun sapphic romance set at a beach town. I loved the friends-to-enemies-to-lovers path that Cass and Birdie went down, and the arcs of both girls were fun, tender, and enlightening to read.

Only one bed at the inn? This book will keep you warm. No such thing as fated mates? This book is your cosmically destined other half. Reading feel like the enemy? This book is your lover. The Romance Rivalry is MY WIFE energy. My grand gesture is to wave this book in front of anyone who will listen and tell them to grab a copy. Lee wrote this book for romance lovers and it’s the perfect pair of grey sweatpants.

There are so many components that make this book a 5-star read for me. It’s a cozy yet eerie, rivals-to-lovers story that sticks with you long after you finish. While the plot is slow and character driven, Reid’s prose creates an atmosphere that sucks you right in. This is a story about stories and I can’t recommend it enough.

When Emily’s best friend, Sloane, disappears right at the start of the summer, she is at a total loss of how to track her down. The only thing she can think to do is complete the list of things she and Sloane were supposed to do together. It doesn’t hurt that the cute boy down the street might be willing to help complete her list.

The June 2025 Sprout Book Club selection is You Can Sit With Me by Rachel Tawil Kenyon and Tatiana Kamshilina. This picture book radiates kindness in showing how one friend can change a person’s world. Nashville author Rachel Tawil Kenyon’s words paired with Tatiana Kamshilina’s illustrations make the perfect guide to reaching out a hand in welcome.

Early praise for the book:

“The new kid on the block weathers ups and downs with guidance from a compassionate classmate. Kindness 101.” – Kirkus

SPECIAL EVENT: Join us for Storytime with Rachel Tawil Kenyon at Parnassus on Saturday, June 7th at 10:30 am. Info here.

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 June 2025 Spark Book Club selection is Confessions of a Junior Spy by Rosaria Munda. Bea lives in the Pangean Hotel, a home for spies and their families. Her mom is a world-class spy who wants Bea to grow up to be a “Normal” person. When a new friend in danger needs help, Bea and two friends take on the mission.

Early Sparks for the novel:

“This adventurous series opener has a clear, quick plot that fluidly drives the story forward within its well-drawn world.”  – 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 June 2025 ParnassusNext selection is Let Them Stare by Jonathan Van Ness and Julie Murphy. Sully’s plans for escaping their small town for a gap year in New York crash when their fashion internship is cancelled. They console themselves with a vintage bag that turns out to be haunted. Sully teams up with Brad, who they may have a crush on, to solve the mystery of the ghost and uncover their town’s queer history in this fun story.

Early praise for the novel:

“Quippy dialogue and a kinetic pace distinguish this uplifting novel.” – 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.