Books Publishing This Week
Books Publishing This Week: October 20 -26
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There's something magical about starting a new book, especially on a late October day when the air is crisp and the leaves crunch beneath your feet. The world feels different this time of year, as if it's holding its breath in anticipation of something wonderful. And perhaps that's why you've saved this particular book for your birthday week—a small, personal celebration that feels just right as the seasons turn.
The day begins with a comforting chill, the kind that makes you want to linger under the blankets for just a few more minutes. But the promise of a new story pulls you from your cozy cocoon. There's a ritual to these kinds of days, one that you relish in all its simplicity. You pad across the cool floor in your favorite pair of socks, the ones that have seen you through many an autumn morning, and make your way to the kitchen.
The kettle whistles softly, and you pour the hot water over a fragrant blend of spices, letting the scent of cinnamon, cardamom, and ginger fill the air. There's something about a chai tea latte that feels perfectly suited to October. Maybe it's the warmth, or the way the spices seem to echo the colors outside—deep reds, oranges, and browns. You stir in a bit of honey, watching it dissolve into the milky tea, and then carry the steaming mug to your favorite chair by the window.
Outside, the world is awash in autumn hues, the trees wearing their brightest attire in celebration of the season. It's a sight that never fails to stir something inside you, a sense of connection to the earth's rhythm, as if the trees themselves are acknowledging your birthday week, their leaves falling like confetti in honor of another year.
You settle into your chair, the fabric worn just right from years of use. There's a quietness in the house, a stillness that seems to amplify the sound of each page as you turn it. The book in your lap is one you've been eager to start, the kind of story that promises to whisk you away from your everyday life and into another world entirely. The cover feels cool beneath your fingers, the pages smooth and ready to be discovered.
As you begin to read, the words come alive, painting vivid scenes in your mind. You lose yourself in the narrative, the chai tea latte forgotten for the moment as the story takes hold of you. There's something comforting about this, the way a good book can make the rest of the world disappear, leaving just you and the characters in their unfolding tale.
Time slips away unnoticed as you read, the afternoon light shifting subtly as the sun moves lower in the sky. You pause occasionally, taking a sip of your now-warm tea, the spices lingering on your tongue like the aftertaste of a good memory. It's in these moments that you realize how much you treasure the simple pleasures—tea, a good book, and the soft glow of autumn light.
The week ahead is full of the usual birthday festivities, dinners with loved ones, a few gifts wrapped in autumnal paper, and maybe even a slice of your favorite cake. But today, this moment, is just for you. It's a time to unwind, to reflect on the year that has passed, and to look forward to the one ahead.
This day, this book, this chai tea latte—it's a reminder that life is made up of these small, perfect moments. As you turn another page, the story deepens, and you find yourself grateful for this quiet celebration of your birthday week, wrapped in the warmth of a story that feels like it was meant just for you.
Scroll down to find out what you might be reading…
Stone of Lust, Stones of Iona By Margaret Izard
Author Interview with Margaret Izard
She finds true love in the past, but is his love worth risking her future?
She dreams of a Viking warrior with Fae-blue eyes and a God-like body that makes her heart pound like no other. Trying to save her kidnapped sister-in-law, Ainslie follows her back to the Vikings of Scotland, where she faces the very man who has haunted her dreams.
When Jarl, Rannick MacRaghnaill meets the alluring Warrior Woman who helped steal his warship, she dresses in clothing so strange that every curve teases his senses. But is she, as she claims, a woman from the future or an irresistible lying thief?
She’d risk her life to save her sister-in-law. He’d risk his honor to win her heart.
Can both hardened warriors save the realms from the evilest of Fae’s minds combined with the most dangerous of humans?
About Bliss: Fighting for My Trans Son’s Life, Joy, and Fertility by Cristina Olivetti
Cristina's son was about to embark on gender-affirming care that would likely cause infertility, when she realised the need to support both her child and the adult he would become, and give him the right to have children of his own. In doing so she discovered a future - where living your life authentically doesn't mean giving up your fertility - that may be accessible to many, many more trans people in the coming years.
Through interviews with trans thought leaders, letters to her son, and missives about the struggle for reproductive rights of trans people, as well as practical advice for parents, Cristina weaves together a tapestry of voices from the trans community to tell a story that has never been told before -- of transformation, and hormones, and hope. An amazing resource for parents of children undergoing gender affirming care, and a beautiful meditation on the euphoria and challenge of transition
The Runestone Saga: The Bane of Asgard by Cinda Williams Chima
The highly anticipated sequel in the acclaimed Runestone Saga from New York Times bestselling author Cinda Williams Chima with more adventure, mystery, and plot twists than ever before.
Reunited in New Jotunheim, Reginn, Eiric and Liv discover that they are game pieces being played on a hidden board. Eiric’s slaughter of the old council has opened Tyra’s path to power—she now has the perfect excuse to launch a war against the Archipelago. Tyra is also using her dottir, Liv, as a vehicle to raise a dangerous goddess. And Reginn is tasked with crossing the boundary between the living and the dead to gain access to powerful magical secrets.
With Reginn’s help, Eiric escapes prison and returns home to find his brodir and warn the Archipelago of the impending attack. Meanwhile, she remains at the Grove to try to prevent the outbreak of war. Soon, though, Reginn learns her true role in this game: use her power to raise the dead to ensure victory for New Jotunheim. The demon Asger Eldr tells her that she alone can prevent another Ragnarok. But how?
Back in the Archipelago, Eiric agrees to join the king’s forces, though that means taking up arms against his systir, Liv, and Reginn, the spinner who has ensnared his heart. For perhaps the first time in his life, he dreads the coming fight.
As the two sides prepare for an apocalyptic battle, Eiric, Reginn, and Liv find allies and enemies in unexpected places and draw on new strengths as they seek to prevent the destruction of the last of the Nine Worlds.
Remember You Will Die by Eden Robins
From the author of When Franny Stands Up comes a genre-bending story told in linked obituaries and newsfeeds over three hundred years about one AI woman grappling with her grief after the mysterious death of her human daughter, and wondering what it really means to be human.
What will it take for the death of Poppy Fletcher to make sense?
Poppy Fletcher dies too young, and the entire world is eager to accept it and move on. Except for her mother, who is no ordinary mother. She is Peregrine, an AI woman walking the earth, a fugitive loathed and misunderstood by the very people who aided in and benefitted from her creation. As more details emerge about Poppy's death, the facts add up less and less.
The story of Poppy and Peregrine spans several centuries of obituaries, and reveals a planet slowly dying, a world increasingly disconnected, and the consequences of ego and greed. The lives, deaths, and grief of others throughout history uncover not only what happened to Poppy, but a tale of art and love, betrayal and redemption – and ultimately, what it means to be alive.
The Causative Factor by Megan Staffel
When Rachel and Rubiat meet in art school, they are surprised by a sudden passion. But it is tested, right away, when Rubiat gives in to a reckless, self-destructive impulse that sets him adrift. Rachel has no choice but to resume her studies even though she doesn't know what happened to him or if he survived. After graduation, she moves to Queens, New York, where she begins a career as a painter while supporting herself by teaching ESL classes to immigrants. When she gets together with another man and things become serious, she realizes she can' t go forward until she solves the mystery of Rubiat's disappearance. Told in shifting points of view, The Causative Factor explores the power of art and love in a story that asserts the complexities of human nature.
When We Chased the Light by Emily Bleeker
A Hollywood legend. A legacy of secrets. An epic and emotional novel about forgiveness, fame, family, and truly unconditional love by the bestselling author of When We Were Enemies.
Christie’s auction house, Beverly Hills. The effects of Hollywood icon Vivian Snow are up for bid. In the collection is a set of hand-drawn postcards spanning six decades. The sender is Antonio Trombello, a soldier, POW, priest, and Vivian’s confidant. Each one sheds new light on a deeply private woman the public only thinks it knows.
It’s World War II. Vivian is a USO showgirl traveling the world when her husband goes AWOL, disappears, and is presumed dead. Facing increasing suspicion, she leans on her dear friend Father Trombello for support. He’s her confessor, her savior, the elusive love of her life, and when it comes to her husband’s death, the keeper of Vivian’s secrets.
As Vivian rises from canteen dream girl to starlet to bona fide legend, she navigates the highs and lows of Hollywood, new romances, and tumultuous family relationships—all in the shadow of her past and the guilt, unmet longing, and buried truths that can still upend the lives of everyone she loves.
The Secret War of Julia Child by Diana R. Chambers
For readers of Kate Quinn and Jennifer Chiaverini—and fans of America’s most beloved chef—comes THE SECRET WAR OF JULIA CHILD, an illuminating historical fiction novel based on the infamous chef’s secret past as a spy in the China-Burma-India Theater of World War II.
Before her legendary culinary career, Julia Child was indeed part of America’s first espionage agency, though it is said she claimed, “I was never a spy. I was with the OSS organization. We had a number of women, but we were all office help.”
But what might Julia have not been able to disclose publicly? That’s the question centered in THE SECRET WAR OF JULIA CHILD.
At thirty years old and over six feet tall, no one would expect Julia to be a spy—all the more reason to send her to Ceylon (Sri Lanka), India, and China as part of the OSS. There, she will embrace beautiful new cultures, friendships… and perhaps even love. However, Julia will never fail to put her job first, whether it involves filing confidential research cards, embarking on a dangerous flight over the Himalayan Mountains, or dodging enemy gunfire.
Revelatory and riveting, THE SECRET WAR OF JULIA CHILD shines the spotlight on the oft-ignored China-Burma-India Theater of World War II and the unlikely and brave past of a woman with no idea of the mark she will leave on the world.
All Our Wars by Stephanie Vasquez
For fans of Katie Gutierrez’s More Than You'll Ever Know and Netflix’s Narcos comes a high-stakes thriller about the daughter of a high-ranking Mexican cartel leader dragged back to the life she fought hard to escape.
Twelve years have passed since Sofia De Luna’s mother was murdered. Sofia now leads a quiet life in Chicago, far from the cartel violence she was raised amidst. But when her narco father’s retirement catapults her to head of the family, that peaceful existence is upended.
Unhappy with this changeover of power, Sofia’s brothers and cousins are wary of her desire to legitimize the family and her insistent questions about her mother’s mysterious death. Meanwhile, in Mexico’s uncertain political climate, Andres Herrera, the ex-sicario accused of Sofia’s mother’s murder, sees the opportunity for his exit from the drug business. He just needs Sofia, his first love, to uphold the truce between the cartels before the war brewing at the border trickles down to Mexico City, marring the upcoming election.
After a chance meeting with a disenfranchised DEA agent reveals the true depths the Torres will go to keep their power, Sofia decides she must stop the war her cousins have put in motion. But if she sacrifices her family for the dream of peace, will she meet the same fate as her mother?
Beyond Reasonable Doubt by Robert Dugoni
A master manipulator accused of murder. An attorney sworn to defend her. Keera Duggan returns in a riveting novel of suspense by New York Times bestselling author Robert Dugoni.
When Jenna Bernstein, disgraced wunderkind CEO of a controversial biotech company, is accused of murdering her former partner and lover, she turns to Seattle attorney Keera Duggan to defend her. Keera is more than a master chess player who brings her intuitive moves into court―she’s Jenna’s childhood friend. But considering their history, Keera knows that where Jenna goes, trouble follows.
Five years earlier, Keera’s father successfully defended Jenna when she was tried for the killing of her company’s chief scientist who threatened to go public with allegations of corporate fraud. Keera knows Jenna too well. When she was a kid, Keera saw Jenna for what she was: a manipulative and frighteningly controlling sociopath. Now, with only circumstantial evidence against Jenna, Keera is willing to bury any trepidation she might have to defend a woman she believes, this time, to be innocent.
As the investigation gets underway and disturbing questions arise, Keera puts her trust in a client who swears that this time she's telling nothing but the truth. If this is all just another devious game, Keera might be working to set a murderer free.
To the Nines by Kes Trester
Author Interview with Kes Trester
Hidden truths are revealed and loyalties questioned in the third book of The Nine series.
When eighteen-year-old clairvoyant Blake Wilder unwittingly stumbles upon a secret that should have stayed buried, her discovery sets off a chain reaction she won’t fully comprehend until fellow Nines try to frighten her into silence—and a friend turns up dead.
Blake’s troubles continue to mount when a vision paints boyfriend Nicholas Thorne in a duplicitous light, and Jessie McCabe, the man who haunts her dreams, finds love with another. When almost everything she cherishes is tarnished or stripped away, the person she relies on most—her best friend, Scarlett—goes missing.
With her back against the wall, Blake will do anything, risk everything, to divine friends from enemies as she races to uncover the truth behind Scarlett’s disappearance.
To the Nines is the third book in a thrilling series set in the contemporary but dangerous world of The Nine.
Magical Worlds An Enchanted Coloring Adventure by Johanna Basford
There aren’t many things in your inbox at this moment that can offer a small escape from the chaos of the world like MAGICAL WORLDS: An Enchanted Coloring Adventure by Johanna Basford (Penguin Life; On Sale: 10/22/2024). Get lost in the inky realms, faraway lands, underwater cities, marvelous tree houses and other mesmerizing landscapes within the pages. Once you dive in, you can let your creativity run wild as you fill the magical worlds with color! Publishing right before the election, this is the perfect gift to give a friend or loved one who could use a break. As Refinery29 once put it, “Basford’s coloring is better than Xanax.”
Please be in touch if you’d like to preview a few pages! Finished copies will be available this September.
Basford is an illustrator and ink evangelist who prefers pen and paper over pixels. Dubbed by New York Magazine as “the queen of coloring,” Basford’s intricate hand-drawn illustrations are loved around the world, selling over 22 million copies. They are predominately, although not exclusively, in black and white. Her creativity is cultivated by a curious imagination and a delight in the fantastic. Much of her work has roots in the flora and fauna that surrounded her parent’s farm in rural Scotland growing up. Basford is a 2005 graduate from Duncan of Jordanstone College of Art and Design in Dundee with a degree in Printed Textiles and a portfolio stuffed with monochrome silk screen prints and drawings.
The Arizona Triangle by Sydney Graves
In the vein of bestselling novels by Sue Grafton, comes The Arizona Triangle, a whodunnit about loyalty, love, and the legacy of trauma, featuring a young, queer, hardboiled private eye whose latest case takes her deep into her own complicated past.
Girl, Uncoded: A Memoir of Passion, Betrayal, and Eventual Blessings
For fans of true crime memoir comes a gripping tale of one woman’s harrowing and spiritual journey of resilience after she learns that she was a victim of a sex crime—and her husband was the culprit.
At sixteen, Caroline longed to meet the man who owned the apartment she was hanging out at with her teenage friends. The one they said was a stripper, a fact that intrigued her. From the moment she saw Gary Richard, she craved his attention—and once their eyes met, he was all she wanted.
Months later, she was dismayed to discover that she was pregnant. But she had Gary Richard, she reassured herself, and he was all she needed to be okay. A belief that didn’t change even when, holding their week-old son, she sat in court and watched him face charges for stolen property. This was her family, her life; so when Gary Richard’s lawyer suggested a ploy to show the judge he was a changed man, she agreed. At seventeen years old, she became a wife.
Over the next nine years, Caroline’s identity and dreams of a fairy-tale life became twisted by adultery, betrayal, poverty, court cases, and lies. And then, one evening, the reality of her marriage finally became clear to her after a sergeant revealed she was the victim of one of her husband’s crimes—statutory rape—and her son’s DNA was the evidence the prosecution needed to convict him.
Because Fat Girl by Lauren Marie Fleming
For everyone who’s ever felt too big, too weird, too queer―or just too much―comes Because Fat Girl, a hilarious, emotionally piercing, unapologetically fat novel that is Chasing Amy meets Romantic Comedy. The only man Diana has ever wanted is golden and goes by the name of “Oscar.” Now this off-her-game filmmaker has a chance to make her dream come true...but to get her Hollywood ending, she’s going completely off-script.
Woodsmoke Women's Book of Spells by Rachel Greenlaw
"The Woodsmoke Women's Book of Spells captivated me from the very first page... I absolutely treasured it from beginning to end." —Cecelia Ahern, New York Times bestselling author
In a magical new direction for One Christmas Morning author Rachel Greenlaw, an evocative and mysterious story about lost love and the magic of coming home, for readers of Adrienne Young and Breanne Randall.
There is an old tale woven through the mountain town of Woodsmoke about a stranger who appears as the first snow falls in winter, who will disappear without a trace as the frost thaws in spring, leaving a broken heart behind.
Carrie Morgan ran from Woodsmoke ten years ago, and the decision has haunted her ever since. Spending a decade painting and drifting around Europe, she tries to forget her family’s legacy and the friends she left behind. But the Morgan women have always been able to harness the power of the mountains surrounding the town, and their spells—and curses—are sewn into the soil. The mountains, they say, never forget.
Sure enough, when Carrie’s grandmother dies and leaves behind her dilapidated cottage, she returns to renovate—certain she will only be there for one winter. She meets Matthieu as the temperature dips, a newcomer who offers to help refurbish the cottage. Before long, and despite warnings from her great-aunt Cora of the old stories, Carrie finds herself falling for the charming stranger. But when the frost thaws in spring, Matthieu goes missing.
Carrie is convinced he’s real, and he’s in danger. As she fights her way across the mountains to find him, she must confront all the reasons why she left Woodsmoke and decide whether the place she’s spent the last decade running from is the home she’s been searching for.
Rachel Greenlaw, the beloved author of One Christmas Morning, returns with another beautifully crafted, emotionally charged, and romantic tale about lost love and the magic of coming home.
"I immediately fell under the spell of this artfully crafted world that I swore I was in a rundown cottage in the middle of the mountains... A perfect read for witch season." —Kate Robb, author of This Spells Love
The Ultimate Book of Would You Rather Questions by Kimberly McLeod
Get ready for hours of fun pondering impossible choices with this ultimate collection of knee-slapping, exciting and thought-provoking questions. There are no wrong answers, so you can debate mind-boggling scenarios all day long. With handy categories like Eww, Make Believe, Animals, Food and more, you can stick to a section everyone enjoys or skip around to mix it up. These 1,001 epic questions are the perfect break from devices that allows you to learn more about your family and friends―especially on car rides, during long waits, at the dinner table and more!
The Shape of Lost Things by Sarah Everett
From the award-winning author of The Probability of Everything, which has been called "one of the best books I have read this year (maybe ever)" (Colby Sharp, Nerdy Book Club) and "Powerful" (Kirkus Reviews, starred review),comes a heartfelt exploration of family and change as twelve-year-old Skye reunites with her older brother, Finn, after he spent four years on the run with their father.
Skye Nickson’s world changed forever when her dad went on the run with her brother, Finn. It’s been four years without Finn’s jokes, four years without her father’s old soul music, and four years of Skye filling in as Rent-a-Finn on his MIA birthdays for their mom. Finn’s birthday is always difficult, but at least Skye has her best friends, Reece and Jax, to lean on, even if Reece has started acting too cool for them.
But this year is different because after Finn’s birthday, they get a call that he’s finally been found. Tall, quiet, and secretive, this Finn is nothing like the brother she grew up with. He keeps taking late-night phone calls and losing his new expensive gifts, and he doesn’t seem to remember any of their inside jokes or secrets.
As Skye tries to make sense of it all through the lens of her old Polaroid camera, she starts to wonder: Could this Finn be someone else entirely? And if everyone else has changed, does it mean that Skye has to change too?
Much Ado About Margaret by Madeleine Roux
Madeleine Roux’s next season in Regency England follows a rebellious writer and the man who risks everything to publish her.
Margaret Arden yearns to live like the passionate and daring women in her novel. The idyllic life at Mosely Cottage with her two younger sisters and mother is fine, but Margaret wants more than the demure and dainty existence she’s known. After a particularly brutal rejection from an annoyingly attractive publisher, Margaret fears being forced into marriage to protect her family if their financial situation doesn’t improve—until her cousin’s glamorous wedding masquerade brings her onto a collision course with scandal, notoriety, and even love.
Captain Bridger Darrow is starting over after fighting for his country. Now home, he is struggling to save his family from destitution and succeed in a new venture of passion: book publishing. It’s all going rather poorly, until he stumbles upon loose pages of an astonishing novel while in attendance at his dearest friend’s wedding. Bridger knows he must publish it. But upon meeting the author, Bridger is stunned to discover that he—she—is a woman, and he has already told her off in grand fashion.
While Bridger is keen to gain her trust and rescind the initial rejection, Margaret can’t help but be skeptical of his intentions. Sparks fly between the two, just as the wedding of the season starts to descend into chaos when a masked dance leads to a case of mistaken identities.
The Knife Before Christmas by Kate Carlisle
Also listed in Novels Set During Christmas
Christmas has come to Lighthouse Cove, but business hasn’t slowed down for Shannon Hammer. She’s been contracted to renovate a local hotel owned by the Garrisons, a family that’s so devoted to the holidays they serve a seven-course dinner every night from Thanksgiving through Christmas. Last year’s festivities featured a train that transported guests around the breathtaking Cliffside property. This year, Shannon and her crew have been commissioned to build a Victorian-style carnival midway with games and prizes galore.
Everyone in town loves the hotel’s spirit, except the Garrisons’ children and their spouses, who are hum-bugged by the money being wasted on holiday cheer while their inheritance goes up the chimney. Things turn nasty when a mischief-maker close to the family is found dead. It’s up to Shannon and Mac to catch a sinister Scrooge before all of Lighthouse Cove receives coal for Christmas.
Sicilian Avengers: Books 1 and 2 by Luigi Natoli and translated by Stephen Riggio
A thrilling Sicilian saga about the legendary secret sect purported to be forerunners of the Mafia, translated into English for the first time.
Emerging from the dark streets and subterranean caves of Palermo, the Beati Paoli, masked and hooded, mete out their own form of justice to counter the unfettered power and privilege wielded by the aristocracy. For the voiceless, weak, and oppressed, the Beati Paoli are defenders and heroes.
Reminiscent of a Dumas novel, Sicilian Avengers is a vibrant, atmospheric fresco of early eighteenth-century Palermo. Onto the stage of the ancient city, Blasco da Castiglione, a bold, brash, orphan adventurer, arrives on a quest to discover his origins and seek his destiny. But this fearless, swashbuckling D’Artagnan-esque hero unwittingly gets caught up in a devious and murderous succession plot involving a powerful noble family.
When the Beati Paoli hear about this plot to usurp a rightful inheritance, they spring into action. Their shadowy machinations entangle the charismatic Blasco, who crosses paths with a cast of characters that test his loyalty and resolve in the pursuit of his true identity.
The historical accuracy of the novel is complemented by the most meticulous description of Sicily’s capital city ever written. Action-packed and laced with intrigue and chivalrous duels, Sicilian Avengers is a tale of love and hatred, friendship and betrayal, suffering and retribution.
As French critic Jean Noël Schifano said, Natoli's novel is “the fifth historical monument of contemporary Italian literature.”
Includes an afterword by Umberto Eco.
The Coat Check Girl by Laura Buchwald
Sometimes, it's in confronting the shadows that we find the brightest light.
Embark on a touching journey with Josie Gray as she navigates the turbulent waters of loss, love, and the supernatural. After bidding farewell to her cherished grandmother, Josie finds herself adrift in a sea of grief, compounded by the complexities of an ambiguous romantic entanglement and the return of her unsettling "gift"-the ability to sense and communicate with spirits. A presence haunts the restaurant where she works, dredging up long-buried memories from her childhood.
But amidst the shadows, a luminous figure emerges-the restaurant's new coat check girl. Mia is a beacon of understanding and solidarity, offering solace in shared experiences and a determination to unravel the mystery shrouding the restless spirit. Bolstered by a vibrant ensemble of characters, from restaurant comrades to familiar faces in the neighborhood, Mia keeps Josie afloat during one of the most difficult seasons of her life, helping her to embrace her unique talents and confront the ghostly enigma looming over them.
Set against the backdrop of the bustling restaurant scenes of New York City and New Orleans, The Coat Check Girl is a compelling tale weaving together threads of sorrow, redemption, and the enduring power of connection. Join Josie as she discovers that sometimes, it's in confronting the shadows that we find the brightest light.
Charmed by Lorraine Zago Rosenthal
When dreams are shattered, it’s hard to pick up the pieces.
Prisca Weld expected to become Mrs. Nick Fontaine before any of her friends walked down the aisle. Nick worked for her father’s lucrative construction business, and he and Prisca planned to start a family in her upscale Brooklyn neighborhood. But she’s heading into her late twenties, and she hasn’t achieved her most cherished goals.
Years ago, Nick abruptly abandoned Prisca and ran home to Las Vegas, leaving her with nothing but questions about what went wrong between them. Since then, she has struggled to forget him, and she hasn’t found anyone she can love as much as she loved Nick. All the best men seem to be out of reach—including Tim Aldrich, a family friend who has recently returned to New York after launching his career in California. Prisca has been drawn to Tim since they were kids, although she believes her attraction to him is as futile now as it was then.
But she still hopes to fulfill her dreams, and she also wishes she could resolve the endless conflict between her traditional father and her unconventional brother, whose childhood scars from his and Prisca’s parents’ contentious divorce are still fresh. Prisca has wounds of her own, and she tries to heal them while attempting to unravel old secrets that have been hidden for too long.
Bloodguard by Cecy Robson
One hundred years. Tens of thousands of gladiators. And today, only one will rise…
Everything in the Kingdom of Arrow is a lie.
Leith of Grey thought coming to this new land and volunteering to fight in the gladiator arena―vicious, bloodthirsty tournaments where only the strongest survive―would earn him enough gold to save his dying sister. He thought there was nothing left to lose.
He was wrong―and they took everything. His hope. His freedom. His very humanity.
All Leith has left is his battle-scarred body, fueled by rage and hardened from years of fighting for the right to live another day.
Then Leith meets Maeve, an elven royal who is everything he despises. Everything he should hate. Until the alluring princess offers him the one thing he needs most: a chance to win the coveted title of Bloodguard―and his freedom.
But in a kingdom built on secrets and lies, hope doesn’t come cheap.
Nor will his ultimate revenge…
Sleeping in the Sun by Joanne Howard
In the last years of the British Raj, an American missionary family stayed in Midnapore, India. Though the Hintons enjoy white privileges, they have never been accepted by British society and instead run a boarding house on the outskirts of town where wayward native Indians come to find relief. Young Gene Hinton, it’s a chance to make friends with Arthur, his family’s Indian servant. When Uncle Ellis, a high-ranking British judge, suddenly arrives and announces he’ll be staying indefinitely in their humble house, life as Gene knows it is interrupted. Also skeptical is Arthur. Then an Indian woman appears on their doorstep—and, after growing close to her, Arthur learns the sinister truth about the judge. He must now decide where his loyalties lie—and the Hintons must decide if they can still call India home.
