Books Publishing This Week
Books Publishing This Week: December 1 - 7
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It’s a chilly December morning, and a fresh layer of frost glistens outside, blanketing the world in winter's quiet hush. The air is crisp, biting, but you’re snug and warm, curled up under a pile of red and white blankets that make you think of candy canes and Christmas. Today is perfect for starting a new book, a day to escape into another world while winter wraps its cold fingers around everything outside.
You take a moment to settle in, shifting to find just the right spot on the sofa. The fireplace beside you crackles gently, its warmth filling the room and casting a golden glow that dances along the walls. The flames flicker and pop, radiating heat that you can feel through the layers of blankets. It’s as though the fire has its own comforting rhythm, lulling you deeper into relaxation. The room is filled with the subtle, smoky scent of burning wood, a fragrance that feels like nostalgia, like the cozy winter mornings you remember from childhood.
On your lap is the book you’ve been looking forward to, one you picked out specifically for a moment like this. The cover is festive, its rich colors hinting at a story that promises both wonder and warmth. It feels cool to the touch, but when you open it, the pages release a soft, papery scent that blends with the fire’s warmth. You let out a small, contented sigh, anticipating the hours ahead, cozy and uninterrupted.
You tuck your feet under the blankets, pulling them up to your chin, and sink a little deeper into your spot. Wrapped up in red and white, you feel cocooned in softness, the outside world distant and quiet. Everything you need is right here—the warmth of the fire, the weight of the blankets, the promise of a good story. The soft light from the fireplace creates a soothing ambiance, illuminating the pages in a gentle glow, making it feel like you’re reading by candlelight.
The first page awaits, and you turn it carefully, savoring the rustle of the paper. There’s something magical about opening a new book in December, when the world is preparing for the holidays and life feels a little more enchanting. You begin to read, and the story unfolds like a gift, each word drawing you further in, each line building a new world around you. Outside, the wind howls softly against the windows, but here, nestled by the fire, you’re untouchable, perfectly shielded from winter’s chill.
You occasionally glance up from the page, watching the flames dance in the fireplace. The fire crackles, sending small embers rising into the chimney, and you feel the heat radiate outward, filling the room with its cozy embrace. Each time you return to the story, it feels like stepping back into a familiar place, as if the firelight is guiding you through each chapter. You can feel the soft fibers of the blankets against your skin, warm and comforting, grounding you as you drift into the narrative.
Time slips away as you read, the hours marked only by the slow progress of the fire and the turning of pages. Outside, the frost thickens, the world growing whiter, but inside, the colors around you are vibrant and warm, a mix of red, white, and golden flickers. Occasionally, you reach out for your mug on the table beside you, sipping the hot coffee you’ve prepared, its warmth complementing the fire and adding to the perfect, cozy scene. Each sip feels like a small luxury, a way to stay grounded in the moment, even as the story pulls you further in.
This December morning is yours alone, a quiet retreat from the holiday bustle and the chill outside. There’s a kind of magic in these moments, the soft firelight, the warmth of the blankets, the world of the book and the cold just beyond the walls. In this cozy space, you’re free to escape into the pages, leaving winter behind as you embark on a new journey. Every chapter feels like an adventure, every page a warm embrace, and you realize that this—wrapped in blankets beside the fire with a good book in hand—is your favorite place to be.
You turn another page, sinking deeper into the story, and a quiet happiness fills you. It’s a simple pleasure, one you know you’ll look forward to again and again. And as the fire continues to crackle and the December morning drifts by, you know that, right here, you have everything you need.
White Mulberry by Rosa Kwon Easton
Also listed in Books Set in the 1930s
Inspired by the life of Easton’s grandmother, White Mulberry is a rich, deeply moving portrait of a young Korean woman in 1930s Japan who is torn between two worlds and must reclaim her true identity to provide a future for her family.
1928, Japan-occupied Korea. Eleven-year-old Miyoung has dreams too big for her tiny farming village near Pyongyang: to become a teacher, to avoid an arranged marriage, to write her own future. When she is offered the chance to live with her older sister in Japan and continue her education, she is elated, even though it means leaving her sick mother―and her very name―behind.
In Kyoto, anti-Korean sentiment is rising every day, and Miyoung quickly realizes she must pass as Japanese if she expects to survive. Her Japanese name, Miyoko, helps her find a new calling as a nurse, but as the years go by, she fears that her true self is slipping away. She seeks solace in a Korean church group and, within it, finds something she never expected: a romance with an activist that reignites her sense of purpose and gives her a cherished son.
As war looms on a new front and Miyoung feels the constraints of her adopted home tighten, she is faced with a choice that will change her life―and the lives of those she loves―forever.
The Turnglass by Gareth Rubin
Also listed in Books Set in the 1930s
This beautifully written, immersive, and unique crime story is a tête-bêche novel—two intertwined stories printed back-to-back. Open the book and the first novella begins. It ends in the middle of the book. Flip the book over, head to tail, and read the second story in the opposite direction. At the book’s core are two separate mysteries running across two different timelines, which are inextricably, forever linked.
1880s, Essex, England: Idealistic young doctor Simeon Lee is called from London to treat his ailing relative Parson Oliver Hawes, who lives in Turnglass House on a bleak island off the coast. Hawes believes he's being poisoned by his sister-in-law, Florence, who was declared mad years ago after killing the parson’s brother in a jealous rage. Hawes keeps her locked in a glass-walled apartment in the Turnglass library; the secret to how she came to be there is found in his tête-bêche journal, where one side tells a very different story from the other.
1930s, Hollywood: Celebrated author Oliver Tooke, the governor’s son, is found dead by apparent suicide. His aspiring actor friend Ken Kourian isn’t so sure Oliver took his own life. He finds a link between Oliver’s death and the mysterious kidnapping of Oliver’s brother when they were children. He also discovers the secret incarceration of Oliver’s mother, Florence, in an asylum. To get to the truth, Ken must decipher clues hidden in Oliver’s final book, a tête-bêche novel called The Turnglass—which is about a young doctor named Simeon Lee . . .
The Close-Up by Pip Drysdale
Author Interview with Pip Drysdale
A struggling author discovers the dark side of fame when a stalker begins reenacting violent events from her thriller in this electrifying and twisty new novel.
When Zoe Ann Weiss moves to Los Angeles to pursue her dream of becoming a writer, her whole future is wide open. But then Zach, the bartender and aspiring actor she’s falling for, ghosts her. Her debut novel, a thriller, fails. And she has writer’s block worse than ever before. Now, three years later, Zach is famous and Zoe is...not.
She’s facing her thirtieth birthday, a dead-end job at a flower shop, and a demanding agent, terrified she’ll never get her life back on track. But when she goes to make a flower delivery and Zach is at the address, it’s like no time has passed at all. They start casually dating in secret, her writer’s block disappears, and Zoe begins to wonder: Zach inspired her first novel, so why can’t he inspire her second?
But then the inevitable happens and photos are leaked, landing Zoe in the press. Her first novel goes viral, and now everyone seems to know her name. Except the problem with everyone knowing your name is that everyone knows your name—including the mysterious stalker obsessed with Zach. A stalker who begins reenacting violent events from Zoe’s book, step by step, against her...
The Silent Watcher by Victor Methos
The bestselling author of A Killer’s Wife delivers a haunting legal thriller, plunging the reader headlong into the search for a deadly stalker―and a quest to bring a young victim peace.
Far from the neon glare of the Vegas strip, attorney Piper Danes walks away from a hotshot law firm to work as a guardian ad litem (GAL). Piper was once a vulnerable youth herself, and a GAL gave her hope when she needed it most. Now she’s committed to paying it forward.
Her first case is unlike any other: fifteen-year-old Sophie Grace is the sole survivor of a gruesome family murder. Teaming up with the formidable Judge Hope Dawson and enigmatic Detective Lazarus Holloway, Piper delves into a world more sinister than she could have imagined.
Their hunt for the truth leads to a serial killer known only as “The Creeper,” a predator who hides in the shadows. But as the team inches closer to unveiling the murderer, they find themselves in the crosshairs. Trapped in a web of lies, Piper will do anything to protect Sophie and stop the killer…before she becomes his next victim.
Untethered by Angela Jackson-Brown
Also listed in Books Set in the 1960s
Author Interview with Angela Jackson-Brown
Sometimes family is found in the most unlikely of places . . .
In the small college town of Troy, Alabama, amidst the backdrop of 1967, Katia Daniels lives a life steeped in responsibility. At the Pike County Group Home for Negro Boys, she pours her heart into nurturing the young lives under her care, harboring a longing for children of her own. Katia's romantic entanglement with an older man brings comfort but also stirs questions about the path she's chosen.
The weight of her family's history bears down on her; a twin brother is missing in action in the heart of the Vietnam War. Having lost her father to cancer, Katia took up the mantle of caretaker, ensuring her mother and brothers were looked after. Her sense of duty extends to the boys at the group home, creating a web of obligations that stretches her emotional bandwidth thin.
Amidst a power struggle at work with the board, Katia finds solace in the pages of romance novels and the soothing melodies of Nina Simone. When Seth Taylor, a familiar face from her high school days, reenters Katia's life, he brings with him a breeze of nostalgia and a reminder of a time when her dreams felt less tethered. As their friendship rekindles, Katia grapples with the idea of making choices for herself, even as the realization that she can no longer have children weighs heavily on her.
This novel is a poignant tale of a woman torn between the demands of her heart and the responsibilities she's shouldered for so long. Set against the backdrop of a changing South, this novel delves into the complexities of love, family, and self-discovery in a time of transformation and upheaval.
Statistically Speaking by Debbie Johnson
Author Interview with Debbie Johnson
When Gemma's anxiety gets the best of her, she opens her sock drawer and starts counting. Lately, she's been counting a lot of socks.
As a high school history teacher, Gemma Jones loves the certainty of the past--specific names, solid dates, proven statistics. Maybe that's because her own past resembles a jumbled-up sock drawer, one where it's impossible to find a match.
On paper, Gemma's life is just like any other successful, single thirtysomething. Her students adore her. She lives in a cute beachside cottage next door to the world's sweetest neighbor, Margie. And she's definitely caught the eye of Karim, the resident hot PE teacher at her school. But every day of her life, she can't get one thing out of her mind: the baby she gave up for adoption when Gemma was just sixteen years old.
This is the year that Baby--the only name Gemma has for her little girl--will turn eighteen. And it might be the year she actually meets her daughter face-to-face. Or maybe she already has. Katie, a new student who's moved into the area, shares Gemma's hair color (bright red) and build (long and lean). And BTW--totally random stat--she also shares the same birthday (October 3) as Baby. And they're both about to turn eighteen. What are the odds? But Gemma and Katie's mom are becoming good friends, and Gemma is concerned that their newly minted friendship will unravel fast if Katie is indeed Gemma's birth daughter.
Gemma doesn't know if this will be the year she finds Baby. But maybe, just maybe, it will be the year she finds herself--and finds peace with her life--past and present. And maybe that's what truly counts.
So Into You by Kathleen Fuller
Author Interview with Kathleen Fuller
Opposites attract when an introverted vlogger and a reformed party boy exchange lessons on art, confidence, and yacht rock.
Artist Britt Branch has a successful online channel where she teaches a variety of art lessons. Obsessed with the 1970s, she has a style all her own. But she also has a huge problem--severe social anxiety. She lives with her mom, and while she pays her own bills, she wonders if she'll ever have the courage to move out and move on. When her best friend announces she's getting married, Britt decides it's time to make a change.
Gorgeous Hunter Pickett has always skated by on his model looks, applying very little effort to anything except sports, and even that was iffy at times. The third son of extremely wealthy and successful parents, he dealt with being the black sheep of the family by drinking and using drugs. By his third year of sobriety, he's still dealing with aimlessness. Late one night he catches Britt's channel and ends up watching her videos. He's not interested in art . . . at first. And when he sends her an online message, he's surprised she responds. Before long they are chatting every day, and once they start meeting in person, a spark-filled friendship begins.
But both of them are keeping secrets. Big ones. When all truths are revealed in one pivotal moment, Britt and Hunter are at a crossroads. Will he fight for the happiness he's worked so hard to obtain? And will she continue to hide from life, or can she finally step out of her own shadow?
PS: I Hate You by Lauren Connolly
In this splendidly bittersweet romantic comedy, enemies forced together by a mutual loss are led on a cross-country journey toward a second chance.
Maddie Sanderson would be proud to honor her older brother’s dying wish, that she scatters his ashes over eight destinations that the adventurous 29-year-old never got to visit before he died from cancer. But in his will, Josh assigned her an impossible partner to help complete the mission—Dominic Perry. Seriously, if Maddie weren’t already at his funeral, she would have killed him for this.
Sure, Dom was Josh’s life-long best friend. He’s also the infuriating man who broke Maddie’s heart back when she was naïve enough to give it to him. But since Dom insists on following the rules and Josh didn’t leave much room for Maddie to argue the matter, they embark together on a series of farewell trips that span thousands of miles, exploring new places and revisiting their complicated history along the way.
After a snowstorm leads to a shared bed, Maddie starts to wonder if her brother might be matchmaking from the grave. But when grief also reopens old wounds between them, Maddie will need more than Josh’s ghostly guidance to trust Dom again.
Under Loch and Key by Lana Ferguson
A woman discovers that not all monsters are her enemy—the opposite, in fact—in this new paranormal romance by Lana Ferguson, author of The Fake Mate.
Keyanna “Key” MacKay is used to secrets. Raised by a single father who never divulged his past, it’s only after his death that she finds herself thrust into the world he’d always refused to speak of. With just a childhood bedtime story about a monster that saved her father’s life and the name of her estranged grandmother to go off of, Key has no idea what she’ll find in Scotland. But repeating her father’s mistakes and being rescued by a gorgeous, angry Scotsman—who thinks she’s an idiot—is definitely the last thing she expects.
Lachlan Greer has his own secrets to keep, especially from the bonnie lass he pulls to safety from the slippery shore—a lass with captivating eyes and the last name he’s been taught not to trust. He’s looking for answers as well, and Key’s presence on the grounds they both now occupy presents a real problem. It’s even more troublesome when he gets a front row seat to the lukewarm welcome Key receives from her family; the strange powers she begins to develop; and the fierce determination she brings to every obstacle in her path. Things he shouldn’t care about, and someone he definitely doesn’t find wildly attractive.
When their secrets collide, it becomes clear that Lachlan could hold the answers Keyanna is after—and that she might also be the key to uncovering his. Up against time, mystery, and a centuries old curse, they’ll quickly discover that magic might not only be in fairy tales, and that love can be a real loch-mess.
Mirror Me by Lisa Williamson Rosenberg
A psychiatric patient’s desperate search for answers reveals peculiar memories and unexpected connections in a twisty and mind-bending novel of love, family, betrayal, and secrets.
Eddie Asher arrives at Hudson Valley Psychiatric Hospital panicked that he may have murdered his brother’s fiancée, Lucy, with whom he shared a profound kinship. He can’t imagine doing such a terrible thing, but Eddie hasn’t been himself lately.
Eddie’s anxiety is nothing new to Pär, the one Eddie calls his Other, who protects Eddie from truths he’s too sensitive to face. Or so Pär says. Troubled by Pär’s increasing sway over his life, Eddie seeks out Dr. Richard Montgomery, a specialist in dissociative identities. The psychiatrist is Eddie’s best chance for piecing together the puzzle of what really happened to Lucy and to understanding his inexplicable memories of another man’s life. But Montgomery’s methods trigger a kaleidoscope of memories that Pär can’t contain, bringing Eddie closer to an unimaginable truth about his identity.
My UnderSlumberBumbleBeast by Zoje Stage
Author Interview with Zoje Stage
Nine-year-old Pru has many hobbies: inventing things, collecting stuff, and learning new and interesting words.
But her newest passion is discovering the source of the weird sounds she hears at night—coming from beneath her bed. Ever since she was very little, Pru suspected there might be a special kind of creature making a home in her room. But because UnderSlumberBumbleBeasts only come out in the dark, she had never seen one.
That all changes one day after Pru's mom asks her to clean her room—an ordinary request that sets off an extraordinary chain of events. And Pru's life will never be the same.
First depicted in the international sensation Baby Teeth, a novel for adults, My UnderSlumberBumbleBeast is a quirky and charming story about a girl with a most unusual way of making new friends. Watch what grows underneath the bed…
The Peculiar Garden of Harriet Hunt by Chelsea Iversen
On December 3, enter THE PECULIAR GARDEN OF HARRIET HUNT, a darkly enchanting novel following a young woman who channels the magic of the lush, fantastical plants that adorn her crumbling estate in Victorian London.
Since her mother’s death years ago, Harriet Hunt has felt completely alone. Now, following her abusive father’s disappearance, she really is. Harriet’s only company is the garden she cares for meticulously, a wild place full of twisting ivy, thorny roses, and more magic and miracles than bees buzzing. But being alone as a woman in the world—never mind being a woman with secrets—means she is vulnerable. When suspicion for her father’s disappearance falls on her, she marries a seemingly charming man, the first to see past her peculiarities, in order to protect herself. It’s soon clear, however, that her new husband might be worse than her father and that she’s integral to a dark plot created by the men around her. To free herself and discover the truth, she must learn to channel the power of her strange, magical garden.
At once enchantingly mesmerizing and fiercely feminist, perfect for fans of The Magician’s Daughter and The Once and Future Witches, the vibrant world-building and sinister undertones of THE PECULIAR GARDEN OF HARRIET HUNT make for the perfect modern fairytale about women taking control of their lives—with a little help from the magic within them.
Echo: A Detective Harriet Foster Thriller by Tracy Clark
From the award-winning author of Hide and Fall comes a taut tale of renegade justice and long-awaited resolution, bringing the thrilling Detective Harriet Foster series to a heart-stopping conclusion.
Hardwicke House, home to Belverton College’s exclusive Minotaur Society, is no stranger to tragedy. And when a body turns up in the field next to the mansion, the scene looks chillingly familiar.
Chicago PD sends hard-nosed Detective Harriet “Harri” Foster to investigate. The victim is Brice Collier, a wealthy Belverton student, whose billionaire father, Sebastian, owns Hardwicke and ranks as a major school benefactor. Sebastian also has ties to the mansion’s notorious past, when thirty years ago, hazing led to a student’s death in the very same field.
Could the deaths be connected? With no suspects or leads, Harri and her partner, Detective Vera Li, will have to dig deep to find answers. No charges were ever filed in the first case, and this time, Harri’s determined the killer must pay. But still grieving her former partner’s death, Harri must also contend with a shadowy figure called the voice―and their dangerous game of cat and mouse could threaten everything.
The Last One by Rachel Howzell Hall
Author Interview with Rachel Howzell Hall
Explosive and enthralling romantasy debut from New York Times bestselling author Rachel Howzell Hall...
Thrown into a desolate land of sickness and unnatural beasts, Kai wakes in the woods with no idea who she is or how she got there. All she knows is that if she cannot reach the Sea of Devour, even this hellscape will get worse. But when she sees the village blacksmith fight invaders with unspeakable skill, she decides to accept his offer of help.
Too bad he’s as skilled at annoying her as he is at fighting.
As she searches for answers, Kai only finds more questions, especially regarding the blacksmith who can ignite her body like a flame, then douse it with ice in the next breath.
And no one is what―or who―they appear to be in the kingdom of Vinevridth, including the man whose secrets might be as deadly as the land itself.
Apartment Women by Gu Byeong-mo
From the New York Times Notable author of The Old Woman with the Knife, comes a bracingly original story of family, marriage, the cultural expectations of motherhood, about four women whose lives intersect in dramatic and unexpected ways at a government-run apartment complex outside Seoul
When Yojin moves with her husband and daughter into the Dream Future Pilot Communal Apartments, she’s ready for a fresh start. Located on the outskirts of Seoul, the experimental community is a government initiative designed to boost the national birth rate. Like her neighbors, Yojin has agreed to have at least two more children over the next ten years.
Yet, from the day she arrives, Yojin feels uneasy about the community spirit thrust upon her. Her concerns grow as communal child care begins and the other parents begin to show their true colors. Apartment Women traces the lives of four women in the apartments, all with different aspirations and beliefs. Will they find a way to live peacefully? Or are the cultural expectations around parenthood stacked against them from the start?
A trenchant social novel from an award-winning author, Apartment Women incisively illuminates the unspoken imbalance of women’s parenting labor, challenging the age-old assumption that “it takes a village” to raise a child.
The Greatest Lie of All by Jillian Cantor
Author Interview with Jillian Cantor
A young actress receives the role of a lifetime—playing a famous romance writer in a major biopic. But when she discovers a shocking secret about the author’s past, she realizes her own participation in the biopic is no coincidence. Perfect for fans of The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo.
Fledgling actress Amelia Grant is at rock bottom when offered the opportunity of a lifetime: to star in a biopic about the world-renowned romance author Gloria Diamond, who used her own tragic love story as inspiration for her bestselling books. To prepare for the role, she’ll spend a week with Gloria at her secluded Washington estate. It’s a chance to get out of LA, away from her cheating ex-boyfriend, and to make her recently deceased mother proud.
Amelia’s excitement is short-lived, however, once she actually meets Gloria, who is cold, verging on rude and mostly unavailable. If not for Gloria’s frustratingly handsome son Will, the visit might be a complete waste of her time. But when Amelia stumbles upon a secret from Gloria’s past, she realizes Gloria’s life story is more fiction than fact. And as the movie’s filming date draws nearer, Amelia must decide how much she’s willing to sacrifice to uncover the truth.
Out of Place: Coming of Age in Cold War West Germany by Mary E. McKnight
For fans of coming-of-age narratives and feminist journeys, an empowering tale of one teen’s quest to establish her own voice as an Army Brat living in Cold War–era West Germany.
Relocated with her family to Cold War–era West Germany, Army Brat and middle sister of three Mary grapples with the torment exacted by her older sister, the high moral expectations of her military father, and societal pressure to conform to traditional gender roles during the rise of the feminism movement. Through the transformative power of place, travel, and the people she encounters, Mary embarks on a journey of self-discovery, learning about social justice and finding her voice in a world still shaped by male dominance.
Rich with historical context, Out of Place is a poignant and compelling exploration of identity, personal growth, and the enduring strength that comes from embracing one’s purpose.
Beautiful Broken Love by Shanora Williams
From New York Times bestselling author Shanora Williams comes an emotional page-turner about two people still reeling from tragedy who look to each other for the strength to move forward.
It’s been months since her dreams of forever were brutally shattered. Seven long months since her husband and soulmate, Lew, died in her arms, leaving her to carry on. Alone. And Davina Klein-Roberts still isn’t sure how to move forward.
To escape her anguish, Davina throws everything into work, pushing Golden Oil Co., her self-built skin care line, to become a viral success. Now she’s poised to clinch a major endorsement deal too. But it’s bittersweet without Lew by her side.
A meeting with Deke Bishop, the hot NBA star she’s courting for her brand, leaves Davina flustered. With his dimpled smile and warm handshake, Deke’s a natural pitchman. And he’s clearly interested—not only in her lotions.
Davina soon discovers that Deke’s more than just another player and carries his own pain. But as her feelings for him grow, so does her guilt. Will the pain of a future already lost keep her from embracing hope for a new one?
The Body Brokers: A Thriller by Brian Cuban
In The Body Brokers, lawyer Jason Feldman investigates his girlfriend Emily's death from a fentanyl overdose, determined to prove it was no accident. With Emily's roommate Delaney, he uncovers corruption in addiction treatment centers, facing threats to their lives. Their survival depends on Doc, a former physician with crucial answers. The Body Brokers is a unique thriller that will appeal to recovering addicts, those involved in law, and murder mystery buffs alike.
Glow of the Everflame by Penn Cole
This BookTok hit follows the events of Spark of the Everflame with Diem Bellator facing a coming war, dangerous enemies around every corner, and a battle for her heart—now in a collectible hardcover edition featuring gorgeous full-color endpapers, an exclusive designed hardcover case, and a never-before-seen bonus chapter.
The threat of war has arrived at Diem’s doorstep, along with a new discovery that could save her people. To use it, she must survive the next thirty days by bargaining with the people she hates most: the royal family of House Corbois.
But as she dives into the world of the Descended elite, Diem quickly realizes good and evil aren’t as black and white as they seem. Old prejudices are challenged, and new loyalties blur the line between friend and foe.
With her mother still missing, the secrets she left behind can no longer be ignored—and neither can the Guardians and their demands. Caught between an old flame and a sizzling new spark, Diem must confront the truth about who she is and what she wants before time runs out.
Invisible Strings: 113 Poets Respond to the Songs of Taylor Swift edited by Kristie Frederick Daugherty
An anthology of brand-new poems inspired by Taylor Swift songs, from a powerhouse group of contemporary poets, including Kate Baer, Maggie Smith, and Joy Harjo.
Let the decoding begin!
With a record-breaking four Grammy awards for Album of the Year, Taylor Swift stands alone in the world of pop music. One of the most talented lyricists of all time, her music captivates millions of fans throughout the globe with the narrative depth and emotional resonance of her songwriting.
In Invisible Strings, poet, professor, and dedicated Swiftie Kristie Frederick Daugherty has brought together 113 contemporary poets, each contributing an original poem that responds to a specific Taylor Swift song.
In a spirit of celebration and collaboration, poets have taken a cue from Swift’s love of dropping clues and puzzles for her fandom to decode, as each poem alludes to a song without using direct lyrics. Swifties will enjoy closely reading each of the poems to discover which song each poet responded to; each poem responds to only one song.
The collection showcases a diverse and accomplished array of writers including the 23rd US Poet Laureate Joy Harjo, Pulitzer Prize winners Diane Seuss, Yusef Komunyakaa, Carl Phillips, Rae Armantrout, Paul Muldoon, and Gregory Pardlo, National Book Critics Circle Award winners Mary Jo Bang and Laura Kasischke, and bestselling poets Maggie Smith, Aimee Nezhukumatathil, Kate Baer, amanda lovelace, Tyler Knott Gregson, and Jane Hirshfield.
Swifties will experience the profundity and nuance of Swift’s lyrics through these poems, while having fun matching the poems to songs from all of her eras—vault tracks included! For poetry lovers, this one-of-a-kind anthology is an unparalleled collection of new work from today’s most lauded and revered poets.
The Daily Tao by William Martin
Choose peace over distraction and flexibility over fear with this accessible daily guide to the timeless wisdom of the Tao Te Ching.
Whether you begin your morning with the Tao or snatch a spare moment of calm in the hurry of the day, THE DAILY TAO—with a reading from the Tae Te Ching for every day of the year—will create a practice of reflection that will echo throughout your life.
Author William Martin's, extensive work on the Tao has been embraced by countless readers and praised by the likes of Oprah and Alice Walker. Drawing on work first shared in his beloved book A PATH AND A PRACTICE, this original translation of the Tao maintains the lyrical poeticism of the text while making its wisdom accessible for all.
THE DAILY TAO is part of The Day by Day series, a collection of books designed to help readers infuse the rhythms of their lives with meaning and intention. Our lives are built by small choices, tiny moments, and quiet thoughts —The Day by Day series is a gentle way to choose those moments and begin to build a life you love.
Designs on You by Jaci Burton
Natalie Parker is in her mid-thirties, divorced, and firmly focused on her newly resurrected career and her two children. When her sister asks her to help design the backyard in the new home she shares with her boyfriend, Linc, Natalie’s more than happy to take on the project. What she isn’t prepared for is Linc’s younger brother, video game designer Eugene Kennedy. He’s smart, incredibly good-looking, and constantly flirts with Natalie. He’s also too young for her, which makes him totally off-limits.
Eugene is intrigued by Natalie’s beauty, smarts, and especially her sarcastic wit. When he teases her, she throws it right back at him. Besides that, they have an instant chemistry, but she keeps trying to get rid of him despite the sparks that fly between them. And Eugene never backs down from a challenge.
Natalie is running out of reasons to think being with Eugene is a bad thing. Her kids adore him, her sister loves him, and even her always negative mother does, too. The only person holding her back is...her. Maybe it’s time she take that leap and design herself a love for the ages. After all, if she can create the perfect home, she sure as hell can design a happily ever after.
